Taken In Hand

part 4: Thicker Than Water



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The light coming through the window had dimmed from the brightness of the afternoon sunlight to the deeper hues of dusk when Mustang woke, the night settling over the city slowly. He was alone in the bed, when he rolled over, stretching, but the place next to him was warm so he knew Edward couldn't have been gone for very long. The room was a good deal colder now than it had been when they had returned, and the clock on the night table read 5:37. He hadn't realized he'd been asleep for so long, he smiled then, maybe the boy was more perceptive than he gave him credit for, he must have been quite tired indeed. And as if he could sense the man thinking of him, Edward appeared in the doorway, his black shirt back on but no pants, arms hugged tightly to his body. Roy felt his smile might fall right off of his face as he peeled the covers back from the spot next to him.



"Edward come here, you look cold." The boy complied quickly, slipping under the blankets and pushing them back down on top of himself, snuggling into Mustang's chest, burying his head in the crook of the man's neck, and letting himself be enveloped by those arms. Roy held him close, planting a single chaste kiss on the top of the boy's head. But then Edward squirmed just slightly in the man's arms and suddenly the boy was on his back, head snapped backwards with Mustang's lips securely fixed over his, swallowing the cry of surprise. But he melted still, the heat attached to his mouth was too much and he was gripping the man's sides almost painfully. Mustang smiled into the kiss, breaking it by degrees to transfer his lips across his jaw, down his neck, across his collar bone. Mustang could have sworn the boy tasted delicious but he couldn't describe it for all the money in the world. The man slipped his fingers under the hem of the tank once more, peeling it away from Edward's skin, now glistening slightly, and sticky from the perspiration. The boy moaned more deeply when Roy's mouth found his nipple, nipping the bud gently but forcefully between his teeth. Ed was hard against the man's stomach, he could feel it through the cloth of the underwear the boy was wearing, and this amused him greatly.



"Ahhhahhh" The small cry that escaped when a warm hand brushed over the cloth covered flesh was enrapturing. Roy smiled, kissing his way down the boy's chest and stomach, lingering longer than he should have in the well tanned belly button. It didn't take long for the first experimental lick to tease the boy through the fabric, warm and damp. The small noises issuing from the blonde's mouth were reaching a keening tone now, the golden eyes blinking open now, watching the man intently. The boys tongue darted out between gasps, wetting his lips and Mustang couldn't resist any more. While holding Edward's gaze firmly he mouthed the still cloth covered tip, sucking it in and releasing it, swirling his tongue around it and watching the amber eyes snap shut, the small mouth fall open, the mismatched hands grip the sheets beneath tightly. Mustang smiled then, pulling back, much to the boy's obvious dismay.



The sounds coming from the boy were almost words then, distressed and wild until the general lifted the slender hips and slid the last vestige of clothing free form the boy, exposing the now damp and painfully hard shaft he'd been enjoying to the cool air.The grip he took on it now though, was excruciatingly light, making the blonde buck upwards, whining pitifully. Roy smiled, looking almost demonic. He lowered his head then, down to the boy's ear, so close he tickled the shell of the ear when he spoke.



"Tell me what you want Edward." He kept the grip light and teasing, enough to keep the boy beneath him close but not enough to pull him over the edge. The blonde pressed his head to the side, and the cry was quieter then, more desperate, but far from words still. Roy clucked his disappointment, a breathy exhale against the shell of the tanned ear. "You have to tell me what you want Edward, tell me." The whines were frantic then, but the boy managed to form them into words.



"Master, Mustang, General ... please, I just, I need you..." Roy slid his hand a bit more tightly at the sound of his name and title from the boy's mouth. He was harder than he'd been in a very long time, and the boy hadn't touched him, he hadn't done anything but writhe and cry and respond, like a finely tuned instrument, played by a master musician. The boy was like art in motion then, splayed and sparkling with sweat, so open and vulnerable, yet completely trusting. The power was intoxicating, and there wasn't much Mustang could do then but tighten his grip and speed up his pace, causing the cries that fell from Edward's lips to rise in volume once again. Roy leaned his ear next to the boys ear again, and whispered, "I want to hear you say my name."



"Gods, Master please..."



"My name, Edward, I want to hear you say it." Each breath hitched in the blonde's throat now, small sounds bubbling up from his lips. The man could tell he was close. "Say it Edward, I need you to say it."



"Gods, Roy..." Then it was over and the boy was tense for a second before he melted, suddenly boneless and slack in the man's arms, clutching him close still, unable to let go of the pale arms and deadly smirk. It took Mustang a minute to notice the tears in the lightly shut golden eyes.



"Edward?" He questioned. a bit worried that he had done something that had hurt the boy. But Ed opened his mouth and closed it again, just holding Roy tight.



"Thank you. Gods Master, Mustang, Roy..." The man's heart clenched then, and he held the boy close, not entirely sure what he should do, not exactly sure what he really wanted then. It was almost surreal to look down at the ethereally beautiful boy wrapped around his middle and think that he owned the boy now, and the blonde would always be there. Roy knew how the system worked, and he felt no guilt about having the boy, or using him. What did bother him was that that wasn't what he wanted, not anymore. Thinking about the boy, how he followed his commands so well, it made his stomach twist a bit. He's only doing this for me because its what he has to do, its because Im his Master, I decide his fate. Roy sighed, petting a hand through the boy's soft hair absentmindedly, relishing the small noises that escaped the soft lips, almost like purrs now.



It took a moment for the blonde to start shifting around him, snuggling down and stretching out. The golden eyes glanced up at Mustang in a questioning way and the man smiled down at him, the only word he could think right then was beautiful. The man yawned then, and Edward disentangled himself rather reluctantly from his side, shifting to a perch on the edge of the bed. Mustang's stomach made a gurgling noise and the boy looked up to his face.



"Are you hungry, Sir? I can fetch something from the deli on the corner, or order something up from room service for you." Mustang smiled, and shook his head.



"There's a restaurant on the next block that I love, I can call in an order and you can go pick it up, how does that sound Ed?" The boy nodded, smiling softly. Roy chuckled and picked up the phone, dialing the number for San Giovanni's off the top of his head, rattling off his usual order of noodles with meat sauce and a loaf of garlic bread before pausing and turning to the boy. "Edward, what would you like to eat?" The blonde froze for a second, blushing slightly.



"Whatever you'd like to order me is fine." Roy shook his head.



"Edward, you can get whatever you want you know." The boy looked up then and smiled lopsidedly, still a light red tinge in his cheeks.



"Order me something you think is good then, I wouldn't know what to order at all." Mustang smiled then, shaking his head again before adding an order of lasagna with cheese and some cold tea. He wrote down the order number and the total cost then, on a small piece of paper he found on the night table. He handed it to the blonde once he had hung up the phone.



"Here Edward, thats the order, and here is the money, it shouldn't cost more than that, just give them everything, it'll leave something for tip I think." He counted a small sheaf of paper currency into the boy's hand, atop the paper he had pressed there.



X



Roy had only barely dosed off when the phone in the hotel room rang jolting him awake. He rubbed his eyes sleepily before snatching it off of the cradle, and bringing it to his ear.



"Hello?" He said, rather sleepily.



"Good evening, General. Sorry to bother you with something so trivial, but there's a young man down here who claims to belong to you, he was trying to sneak into the building and avoid the desk. He doesn't have any sort of an ID or collar or anything. He insisted that we call you, he was rather hysterical, said you were expecting him back." Roy sighed, recognizing the voice of the woman at the front desk.



"Yes, that would be Edward. He is indeed in my employ, and I would appreciate if you would send him up immediately. We haven't had a chance to outfit him properly yet, but we will be doing so as soon as we arrive in Central City, don't worry." The woman apologized profusely for the inconvenience and sent the boy right up. It didn't take long for the light knock to be heard at the door, before the boy let himself in with the key he carried in his pouch, dangling from the thick belt he wore. His eyes were slightly red, the skin around them slightly puffy, like he had cried, and his mouth was pressed into a tight line. Mustang sighed, taking the food from him and setting it on the coffee table in the sitting room area of the small suite, gathering the boy into his arms and whispering a bit, hushing the boy.



"As soon as we arrive in Central we'll have to get you a collar and an ID tag. Your temporary registration will probably run out around then as well, so we should do that too. Until we get there though, maybe its a better idea for you to avoid going off by yourself, where I can't keep an eye on you, okay?" The boy nodded. Mustang idly wondered why this had upset the boy so, it was seemingly just a little misunderstanding with the hotel staff, no need to cry or anything. Still, the look on the boy's face made his throat tighten, so he held the boy close once more, before nudging him gently towards the couch, and the food.



He opened the bag and removed the containers of food, pushing Edward's in front of him before pulling out his own and diving right in. He hadn't really been eating right lately, he had been so busy it had seemed like a trivial matter. Now that there was warm food in front of him he dug in heartily. He snuck a glance at the boy out of the corner of his eye. The blonde was sitting demurely, hands folded in his lap and eyes downcast, the carton of food in front of him still unopened and untouched. Roy was puzzled, until he realized the boy was waiting for permission.



"Eat Edward, when I put food in front of you its okay to eat it. I wouldn't have given it to you if i didn't want you to have it yet. Now come on, eat something." The boy flashed him a tight relieved smile, and picked up his form, eating as delicately as he could, trying to keep the mess to a minimum. His face was still covered in spots of sauce when he was done though. It made Mustang smile to see him like that.



"Edward, you have a bit of sauce on your face." The boy blinked for a second, then dragged the back of his hand across his face, missing several spots. Mustang just clicked his tongue in mock reproach and leaned in, catching Edward's hand by the wrist, and gently laying his own mouth on the spot, sucking the skin clean gently. The boy moaned quietly, and Mustang shifted his lips until they covered the boy's, swallowing the small cries as his hands proceeded to peel the shirt back off of him, then sinking to the button of the leather pants, shimmying them down past the slender hips and off. When we get to Central I'll have to see about something easier to deal with than this.



Then the boy wrapped his arms around the man's neck and buried his face in the pale flesh of Mustang's collarbone, exhaling breathily, and all he could think about was then, there, now. He ran his hands along the boy's sides, and came up to tangle in the beautiful blonde hair, now gradually working its way form the braid it was caught up in. Mustang had planned on maybe taking another short nap, it was incredibly easy to sleep with Edward snuggled up next to him, or maybe go on a walk, get some exercise, but with the beautiful blonde boy snuggling close to him, all bear skin and whispers he was hard pressed to do anything else. Fuck it, its my time off right now, I don't have to think about anything else, not until I get to Central, I might as well enjoy it while it lasts.



Mustang backed them up slowly until he was in front of the couch and sat down, dragging the boy into his lap, one leg settling neatly on each side of him. The boy was startled at the sudden movement, and tensed for a single breath before relaxing into the man's arms, pulling himself close. Roy smiled, and dropped small silent kisses on the top of the boy's head, the blonde hair under his lips wasn't the softest thing, but it was still comfortable and bright. He ran a hand up to the boy's cheek, cupping it lightly and smiling, tilting the tanned face up until he could look into those eyes. Their gazes locked for a single second before Mustang claimed the lips there for his own.



X



The night before had gone remarkably smoothly, all things considered. Roy had comforted the boy, and in turn the blonde had comforted him back. Roy had held him, and rubbed his back, and promised him they would fix things when they got to central, not really expecting him to be upset about such a small thing, and in turn the blonde had wrapped his soft lips around Mustang's cock and sucked him dry. They had fallen asleep before the man had a chance to return the favor, but Ed would reassure him later that it didn't matter.



The next morning, breakfast went quite smoothly, with Edward ordering room service while Mustang snuggled back into bed with his newspaper, not thinking it was a good idea for Edward to go outside again on his own, and not really wanting to get up yet himself. He was starting to think this was the best investment anyone could ever make when he didn't even have to get up when the room service came, as Ed answered the door and brought him the charge slip, it would go on their room tab. By the time thy had left the hotel they had been running slightly late, Roy mussed and moody, not used to being rushed, Ed quiet and nervous, not sure how to act around his master in this mood. They had made their train, but time had been tight as the general had to stop by the office first, to make sure his lieutenant had the number at which he could be reached once they got to central.



Mustang had chosen the compartment in silence, cataloguing the things he had to get done before he arrived in his head, the armful of folders that Hawkeye had given him under one arm. The blonde had trailed behind him a foot or so, holding the suitcase they had brought on with them, leaving the trunks to be stowed away in the luggage car. The compartment was filled with the absence of noise then, as Roy sat to look over the paperwork given to him, occasionally signing something or scribbling comments or corrections in the margins of the page, leaving Edward to sit and stare at his feet, twiddling his thumbs and wondering if his master was mad at him. He told himself that he didn't want the man to be mad at him because of the possible consequences of that for himself, or even worse to his brother. He knew that the real reason was different though, even if he didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to let his new master down. The man had been nothing but nice, nothing but wonderful and caring and gentle, not expecting much form the boy, making him want to show the man how much he had that he could give, that he would gladly give.



That was why the boy sat nervously across the car from Mustang, watching his master do his work silently, trying his best to figure out what he could do to restore peace to the car. The man tried to keep his focus down on the papers in front of him, but it was very very difficult to do so with wide amber eyes fixed on him from across the car. But he tried, he tried very hard. In the end though it was a losing battle, and he sighed, setting his work down onto he bench next to him and turning to look at the source of the gaze.



"Yes Edward?" the blonde's tanned cheeks colored a little, and he immediately averted his eyes, staring at the neatly polished military boots his master wore with a seemingly deep fascination. The man cleared his throat, signaling that he should either start talking or stop looking, so Ed opened him mouth.



"I-I was just wondering about your mood, sir. You seem a bit upset, is there anything I can do to help you relax?" Mustang shook his head, eyes still tight and exasperated, and patted the bench next to him, inviting the boy over. It didn't take more than a second before he complied, joining Roy on the opposite bench, sitting demurely beside him, one questioning hand laying on the knee of the uniform pants the general wore. Roy smiled slightly then, causing the boy to mirror him. He bent down and pressed his lips to the blonde's quickly and demurely, but Edward reached up and wrapped his arms around the man's neck and he was pulled into a deeper kiss. It wasn't what the General had planned, but it wasn't as if there was anyone around, no one was in the train compartment with him after all.



His nervousness got the best of him, though, when he felt one of Edward's hands, fallen back to the uniformed knee, slowly trailing its way up the general's thigh, kneading the flesh on the inside lightly. It made him jump slightly, but the tentative fingers did not withdraw this time. Mustang sighed into the kiss, the tone a little more exhasperated than was entirely necessary. He pulled back.



"Edward, what exactly are you doing right there?" The boy blushed and sputtered, which the general couldnt help but smile at, as it was absolutly adorable. The man's smile faltered though, when he heard the boy speak, eyes hidden behind long bangs, voice cracking at the edge of tears.



"I just thought ... I was trying to ... you were all wound tight this morning, because we were late ... I just, its my fault really, if I hadn't let you go back to sleep we could have had everything done on time. Then you'd be more relaxed and less sad." The boy's flesh fingers worried the hem of his shirt, the automail beside them almost putting holes in the black fabric. "I was just trying to maybe cheer you up. Its worked before I guess and I just ... you were making that face and I just wanted you to be happier again, like last night..." The man smiled slightly, and shook his head, but Edward's eyes were firmly fixed onto the floor in front of him still.



"Edward, I don't think..." the boy's hand was on his knee again, at the sound of his voice, and it was climbing its way upwards tentatively again. Mustang sighed and grabbed the boy's wrist, causing the boy to jump and look away guiltily. "Edward, stop. That doesn't fix all problems you know, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't do that in public. Im a General, and I have certain public rules of deportment I have to follow, okay?" He reached over then, letting his grip on the boy's wrist fall and touching his cheek, steering the boy's face towards his, forcing golden eyes to meet his own. "Okay Edward?"



There was a mumble of ascent, and the eyes were downcast again. The rest of the ride was made in silence, while the General finished going over the papers in front of him, and the blonde, migrating back to his own seat, alternated between staring out the window and casting uneasy glances at the man across the compartment. It was a long train ride, and eventually the boy fell asleep, leaning against the window, and Mustang put down the folder to watch him nodding against the glass, falling every so slowly forwards until he couldn't help but get up and gently readjust the boy's position, so he lay across the seat, settling into a much more comfortable position. It wasn't much longer before he nodded off himself.



X



They reached Central City the next morning, about an hour before they couldn't call it morning anymore. Roy had woken rather early, trying to finish the paperwork in the folder, but being distracted constantly by the adorable blonde sleeping across the car. He was starving by the time the attendants made their first round, and he grabbed some fruit and pastries from the passing cart, hoping that Edward would like one of the choices when he came round. It wasn't that satisfying though, and due to the lack of coffee, and thus when they arrived he was thoroughly ready to disembark.



He had shaken the boy awake lightly, making sure the still nodding blonde boy stayed close, and kept a grip on the suitcase he was charged with, as he stepped from the train, scanning the platform for a familiar face. It fell upon the smiling waving form of Maes Hughes, trailing behind him a straight backed blonde man in military uniform, their trunks already on the cart beside him. Mustang shook his head as he weaved through the crowd, one hand holding Edward's wrist firmly, the other waving back at his friend. It was only when they reached each other that the hands dropped, as they hugged for a long moment, leaving both blondes witnessing the display to shift awkwardly on their feet, only for very different reasons. When the contact broke, Hughes was the first to speak.



"Hey Roy, you look tired! I guess your getting to that age where sleeping on the train is difficult, eh? Well, why don't we go stop by your apartment to throw these trunks in, then I can take you out for some breakfast and we can make further arrangements." He held out a key on a small metal ring and Roy took it smiling, slipping it into the pocket of his uniform pants and grinning. This was going to be a good morning