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Aerugo, 23h45min, Bastard street bar.
So, he presented. He really just presented. As an Alpha. In the middle of Aerugo, in a street bar. Surrounded by so many sweet, sweet scents he never really picked up on or knew the existence of. Mainly Omega's scent. Definitely Omega's scent.
Cheng, his travel buddy (and his brother's spy), is congratulating him and saying that he'll have no trouble finding a nice Omega to mate.
A nice Omega, huh.
So, now Roy Mustang is definitely out of his league.
Ed sighed and waved away the fourth Omega that came looking for him that night, much to Cheng's amusement, the bastard.
Aerugo, 6h24min, Jordan Hotel, one week later.
Dear Brother,
Things are going very well here in Xing. Ling will be declared emperor in one or two weeks - he is sending a formal invitation with this letter (even if we both know you wouldn't make it in time) - and the fight between the clans is dying down now that Ling and Mei have made a real show of the "Philosopher Stone".
Just so you don’t worry about it later, they didn't actually use it. Just a little help from me was enough. The stone is secured in a safe house.
I'm so happy that you finally presented! And no, brother, I'm not joking. But remember, being an Alpha is a great responsibility, I hope you treat it likewise. Even for me, it is hard to be in a room full of other Dynamics, even if it's relatively easier as a Beta.
I do hope you have enough sense to actually court and introduce me to whoever you plan to mate. And let Ah-Cheng interrogate them for me. It's not much to ask for, is it?
I'm also aware of your probable worry concerning soon-to-be General Mustang - yes, brother, he will be promoted. I know you don't write him, or anyone for that matter, so I'm giving you the news. It's wonderful, isn't it? - and his Dynamic. We'll talk about it in more extension once we meet, but I hope you understand that even if you choose not to mate and stay with an Alpha or Beta, I'll still love you. Remember to follow your heart, brother!
Yours truly,
Alphonse Elric.
Seriously, fuck Alphonse and his mind-reading powers. Ed definitely didn’t want to think about the future or his fucking mate. Or whatever society has planned as "normal couples". It's not fucking normal, just common.
To prove his point Ed decided to fuck so-very-obviously-Alpha Cheng, even if it didn't feel quite right and both ended up looking like they just fought a Briggs bear.
Fotcett City, South Amestris, 8h45min, six months later.
Really, he missed this shit. The strong coffee, the leather fashion, the more-noisy-than-necessary trains, the way the sun shined through the glass windows, how everyone is friendly and speaks his fucking language, how the officers are kind to everyone and so many mushy-romantic things that made Ed feel that he might throw up.
He missed Amestris.
"Three years, right?" Cheng asked besides Ed, whistling and looking around. Ed held back the urge to smack the fucker in the face. One more day hearing that smug tone and he would definitely kill someone.
"No, it was three days. Get the fuck away from me." Ed growled and started stalking forward, ignoring Cheng's chatter and boarding the train.
Just four days until Dublith. Ed would dump the other Alpha there to be killed by Teacher and go to Rush Valley, where he would meet with Al, Winry, and her mate, Paninya. Then finally, finally, they would head to central and Ed could…
Could… What? Go and keep pinning after the General and then go brood in Mrs. Hughes's couch? No fucking way.
He spent the rest of the ride scowling through the window.
Dublith train station, 5h11min.
Destiny must really hate his guts.
First, Cheng spent all of his time being his obnoxious self - seriously, were all members of the Yao clan like this? - and collecting as much information about Teacher as he could. Not that Ed or Al told him anything.
Second, Al's letter seemed to reach Teacher before then, so she gracefully - or as gracefully as she could - accepted him as her new apprentice. "Alkahestry may come in handy. Let's see how much you can bear, boy!" was what she said, winning a wolfish grin from the Alpha.
Third, his plan has gone to shit, since Winry decided to go on a vacation in fucking North City with Paninya and Al had to delay his travel due to some trouble in the desert.
That meant he had to head to Central and face the General alone.
Those fuckers could only be doing this shit on purpose.
Central City, 11h26min, Central Headquarters.
Finally, Central Headquarters.
Ed sighed and strolled past the entrance of the new building, analyzing how the entire architecture of the place looked more… Human. He had no idea who projected it, but it was a nice change.
He refused to ask for directions, so he ended up roaming the building for almost one hour before finding a wood door with "General Roy Mustang / Flame Alchemist" in gold. Fancy bastard. He grinned and kicked the door open, hoping to scare the shit out of the bastard.
Not much surprised he was greeted by Havoc having a coughing fit, Breda choking on his food, Fuery smiling brightly at him and Falmen saluting him, as if he was expecting it. He also saw Hawkeye putting her gun away casually.
"Edward. We did not expect you here until next week." She greeted him formally, before stopping mid-step to sniff the air. The rest of the team mimicked the action. Ed managed to squirm just a little under her gaze, not looking away, and raising his chin.
For some reason he refused to acknowledge, he was incredibly eager to get Mustang's Team to approve him, as an Alpha. He had read somewhere that this shit was important in a Pack.
He also ignored how the thought of "pack" send shivers down his spine. It was definitely unhealthy to put so much meaning in a group of people, even if it brought something warm in his chest.
Fuery was already lowering his head a little in a respect sign and natural Omega reaction, while Jean stepped in front of him to hide his mate from Ed. Breda and Falmen, both betas, looked first at Havoc, waiting for the Alpha's approval - a wide, toothy grin - to look at Hawkeye.
Hawkeye sniffed the air again before nodding at him and walking to the inner office. Ed sighed and was immediately assaulted by friendly slaps in his back and a playful punch from Havoc.
Well, two were already gone. He just needed the last Alpha's approval.
Some minutes after that, Hawkeye emerged from the wooden door with a pile of files and sharply glared them all into work before letting Ed in.
He grinned and brushed his hands in his leather pants before kicking the door open once more.
"Hey there, bastard!" He greeted, grinning at the General, who looked incredibly unimpressed. Mustang raised an eyebrow at him, putting down the papers he was reading and crossing his hands atop his desk.
"Fullmetal. It's a surprise to see you here." He then gestured for Ed to the seat. Ed simply slumped on the couch and rested his feet on the table. "I was under the impression that yours and your brother's arrival wasn't due until next week."
"Yeah, the plans went to shit. Al had trouble in the desert and Winry decided to go fuck Paninya up north, so I had nothing better to do than come see if you're not fucking things up." He shrugged and looked around, observing the office. This one was far bigger than the previous one the General occupied, having one big couch in the middle of the room in U, facing the desk. The wall behind the General had a big window while the other three walls were covered in bookshelves. There also was a smaller desk in one corner, neatly cleaned. Ed supposed it belonged to the now Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye.
"I presume you will be staying in Central until your brother arrives, correct?" He waited for a confirmation from Ed - a snort - to continue. "So we will have plenty of time to talk about your travels. The letters I exchanged with your brother weren't very enlightening, but I will assume it is because you have awful communication skills – except, maybe, with your stomach.”
"Hey, what do you mean by…" Mustang ignored him and kept talking.
"And the Lieutenant brought me interesting news." With that, all of Ed's protests died in his mouth. "Have anything to say about that?"
Ed gulped and straightened his posture, raising his chin in defiance.
"Yeah. I presented. What 'bout it?"
Roy smirked, which made Ed's heart beat a little faster, and sniffed the air for the first time since Ed entered the room. He examined Ed for almost one full minute before leaning back in his chair and smiling.
"Please, deliver my sincere apologies to whoever you decide to court with all this determination of yours."
Ed spent a good second blinking owlishly at the General before the insult properly hit.
"Wait, what the fuck do you mean with ‘apologies’?! And 'all this determination'? I'll have you know that-!" Just then did he realize Roy actually accepted him as Alpha. He stopped mid-rant and stared at the shit-eating grin the man was giving him.
The General was about to say something when the Lieutenant Colonel knocked at the door.
"Excuse me, General, but General Hakuro demands your presence in a meeting right now."
Ed could visibly see Mustang tense at the man's name, his light expression darkening and being replaced by the mask he usually wore in public.
"Fullmetal, I am sorry to ask you to wait a bit for our conversation. You can browse the shelves if you want, I'm sure you will find something to your liking." He nodded and walked away, leaving Ed alone in his office.
Oh well, Ed thought smirking, how ‘bout we discover some blackmail material?
With this in mind, he proceed to sniff and look through the shelves that seemed more used. Finding nothing, he proceeds to search the desk. The two drawers to the left had some papers, general office material, and at least four pairs of Mustang Flame Gloves. The first drawer to the right had some snacks and something that looked like dog treats. The second drawer, however, was locked. Ed grinned.
He crouched, took his lock pick from his boots, and quickly worked in the lock.
And what a damn lock! It took him almost two minutes to pick it, and even then it was sealed with some kind of alchemical array - that he was lucky to avoid triggering - and a false bottom. What the fuck was the General hiding?
When he safely checked the front door and looked at what the box stored, he was surprised and mildly disappointed.
They were meds. Two bottles, one Ed recognized - Dr. Knox made him take them for a while. Pills to avoid nightmares and general PTSD. The second one, through…
He sat himself on the floor and examined the label. Ethinylestradiol, cyproterone acetate, levonorgestrel…
Ed sat there for a while thinking over what it could be. Levonorgestrel was a hormonal compound used in some contraceptives; cyproterone was some kind of hormone, too. He glared at the little, baby blue pills. His brain vaguely supplied him with a memory of Fuery taking them in a week when Havoc was in a mission and complaining with no real fuel about "stupid heats".
Stupid heats.
Blue pills.
Those pills were heat suppressants.
Ed dropped them so fast he thought someone might hear. Quickly, he stored them away and did everything in his reach to leave the dammed drawer in the same way he found it. Then he walked to the couch and seated himself, in his thinking pose. Al called it the "I may be shitting or solving a math problem, you'll never know".
Why did the General have heat suppressants? Maybe for emergencies?
No, Fuery always had them, and the infirmary had some, too. Maybe for super-emergencies? Nah, that didn't make sense.
Maybe they were there by mistake, left by the previous owner? No, there were no Omegas in higher ranks other than first lieutenant, with the rare exception for federal alchemists. So the meds had to be Roy's.
But why would an alpha have heat suppressants?
He needed to take a walk.
Central City, 13h12min, La Comlobe Hotel.
Walking had earned Edward some ideas. Firstly, he got more questions than answers. Secondly, he may have been growling in his newly discovered Alpha tone, which scared away any poor Omega by a six-meter radius of him. He seated himself at the desk at the hotel he was in and started writing.
Facts:
The meds belong to General Roy Mustang.
He isn’t an Omega.
Questions:
Why does General Roy Mustang have heat suppressants?
Does he keep them for emergencies?
Is it for a secret mate no one knew about?
Was he blackmailing some lower officer? (Not likely. The son of a bitch is a nice son of a bitch)
How did he get them?
Does Hawkeye know?
Does motherfuckin Hawkeye know?!
Almost two hours later, the only logical conclusion completely beat the crap outta Fact 2. The part of his brain that had a massive crush on the General, which he thought had been eliminated when he presented as Alpha, was doing the beating.
Well, it isn't in any document that we've ever seen that he's an Alpha.
But he himself said it! He practically purrs whenever someone calls him "alpha"!
Because the Army wouldn't allow otherwise. An Omega would never rise ranks as he did. He did it to protect himself.
He has the biggest reputation of an omega killer in the entire country. He obviously goes on dates with Omegas.
If he faked his Dynamic, why not fake this too? It would not be hard. He has many contacts.
Well, basically, the only plausible answer was that Roy Mustang was an Omega.
That kind of made sense, if you knew him well. (Ed's heart skipped a beat when he thought that he knew Roy Mustang well .)
It would explain why Breda and Falman hadn't waited to see Mustang's approval before congratulating him. And why, during the Promised Day and then at the time he was in the hospital, blind, Hawkeye and Havoc had never left him out their field of vision.
Also, that was something that always impressed Ed and put the General on a different level than the other Alphas, in his views. He had always fought for his position with tooth and nails, besides always keeping his sight on the Top.
Yes, that was what every other ambitious Alpha wanted, but Roy never wanted it for himself, for the power. He had always done it with the country's best interest in mind, with the well-being of people in the first place.
And that was definitely an Omega's behavior.
Thinking back, if Roy's an Omega, then a lot of things made sense. How he had practically taken him and his brother under his wing even if Ed only gave him trouble and gave the upper ranks more gossip material. Why he had stayed by Mrs. Bradley's side when she decided to raise Pride as her son.
Ed slowly raised his head from his hands, staring at the wall with a look of pure horror.
"The Flame Alchemist is an Omega."
Central City, 7h5min, Central Headquarters.
Edward Elric had reached a decision. Maybe it was a stupid decision, maybe Al hadn't totally agreed with him when Ed called him to tell his findings, and maybe Ed wasn't really sure this was the best thing to do. But that was what his gut was telling him to do and he would be damned if he stopped following it.
He decided to court the Flame Alchemist.
And that's exactly what he is doing right now, in front of his office door, with a box of chocolates, ignoring Team Mustang's stares and chewing his nails because he may have hurried so he could do it before his brother could arrive at central and ruin his plans.
"Come in!" Came the General's voice through the door, some agonizing minutes after Hawkeye announced his presence. Ed took a deep breath and stormed in like nothing was wrong.
"Good morning, Edward. May I know why you decided to grace us with our presence after running away and hiding for two days?" Mustang asked when the door was closed, one eyebrow raised and the usual smirk on his lips - and what lips oh god, why are they so fucking hot now? Where them his hot before? - forming an amused expression, like he was waiting for Ed to tell whatever story he wanted and he would still find the whole ordeal funny.
"None of you goddamn business, bastard. There." He added, throwing the box at his desk and barely missing the inkpot. The bastard had the nerve to look at the box like it might be some type of bomb or poisonous device. "It's a fucking gift, you bastard! Open it!" He growled, forcing the blush away from his face on pure willpower.
"A… gift? From you?" Roy asked, slowly and carefully taking the box and inspecting it. "For what, pray tell?" The smirk was slowly turning to a smile - hold it together, heart - even as he lowered the box so Black Hayate could sniff it.
"Uh, you know, it's polite to give gifts to people when you haven't seen them in, like, ages, right?" Ed mumbled, looking at the ceiling and chewing on his bottom lip, refusing to say anything about courting. He preferred if the General figured it by himself because it was too damn embarrassing.
"Well, if that's the case… Thank you, Edward. It is a wonderful gift." The general smiled at him, a real smile this time, and opened the box, inspecting the chocolates.
Well, and that's a goodbye to Ed's heart. He's again hopelessly in love and absolutely not pleased about it.
The week continues at the same pace, with the exception of the General becoming more and more confused - and amused - by Ed's behavior, Team Mustang doing bets about why he was acting that way and Hawkeye growing more suspicious with each day that passed.
Ed thought it would be weird, to court Roy. Actually, he thought it would be weird to court anyone, but to his endless relief courting Roy was not that hard - even if the General didn't know he was being courted, an annoying part of his brain supplied him - and even if a little awkward, Edward managed it as he did with everything in his life: with pure willpower and stubbornness.
It had always been easy to talk to Roy - when he wasn't being an asshole, that is - mainly, but not only, about alchemy. Ed felt incredibly good talking about alchemy with Roy. Mainly because it didn't matter to him that Ed couldn't do alchemy and because he was the only one, besides Al, who could follow his thought and be equally excited by the matter.
They had been lunching together for four days now, because it was practically the only free time Roy had, and Ed didn't even start talking about what he had learned, - but he did start writing books, since he had nothing to do in his Roy-free time - still too engrossed in what they learned about alkahestry with Mei and, later, Cheng.
Everything was doing great until his brother arrived.
Don't get it wrong, it's not like Ed wasn't super-duper thrilled to see his brother, he was. It's just that Al still didn't believe totally in his theory of Omega-Roy, he needed to collect facts by himself, and when they talked about it, in the middle of the night, barely six hours after Al's arrival, Al pointed out something that dumped a bucket of cold water on Ed's plans.
"Brother, even if the General is indeed an Omega, he has been hiding it for a good reason. What do you think would happen if someone figured you were courting him and it came out that he's Omega? It would ruin his chances at becoming the Fuher, wouldn't it?"
Al and his logic can go fuck themselves.
The very thought of ruining Roy's plans, of totally destroying his Omega's main goal in life, something he has worked so much to complete… It gave Ed a full-on panic attack and a feeling of dread he hadn't experienced since his mother's death.
When did Mustang become Roy, in his mind? Where did "his Omega" come from?
When he thought about it, that gave him a warm feeling in his chest. Yes, Roy was his Omega. He would fight with tooth and nails for him. He would even hide their entire relationship from the world if that would make Roy happy, even if he was so damned proud of it.
Al, bless his soul, decided to take the matter in hands and investigate this by himself. He put Ed in search duty, to put in paper everything they knew about dynamics, how it related to alchemy, search about suppressants and discover what exactly the General was taking and its symptoms. Al would go people-interviewing.
Central City, 13h23min, Central Library.
That took, for Ed, almost one full week, without Sheska's help. And when he finished it he had almost one full shelf worth of material.
Al, the little shit, had confirmed that Roy was Omega, when he presented, when he started taking the meds, who knew what he was - Hawkeye, Team Mustang, and both Armstrong siblings - and everything without even hinting at any of them that he knew. How he did this, Ed didn't want to know.
When they came together to share their knowledge, it was decided that Ed would first ask for Hawkeye's permission since she was Roy's bodyguard and main support.
Central City, 13h25min, Central headquarters.
Now, why he had to do it in the presence of the rest of the Team, when Roy was off to some reunion, in the office, he didn't know.
And he definitely didn't know that, the moment he said the word's "I plan to court the General-" he would be interrupted by at least three guns - two from Hawkeye, one from Havoc - pointing at him.
"Falmen, Fuery, secure the doors. Breda, keep the General busy until second command." Were the first words that left Hawkeye's mouth, her eyes not leaving his and her gun leaving a cool feeling on his forehead. He fought against his instinct to growl and fight, his body reacting to the atmosphere of three unhappy Alphas in the same room.
When she was sure her commands had been obeyed, she gestured to Havoc, behind him. The gun at the base of his spine lowered.
"How?" She asked, seriously, not bothering to develop the question. Even while having her pack at risk, she didn't bare her teeth or growled, maintaining a calm yet threatening posture. Ed was even more awed by her, and definitely glad his Omega choose her to be his guard.
"I saw the pills the first day I arrived when he left to see Hakuro. And I won't tell anybody, I swear." He nodded, looking directly at her eyes and exposing slightly his neck, as his brother said he should do, in a sign of respect. At that, she relaxed a little, lowering the gun at his forehead. He sighed.
"Geez, what do you think of me? I couldn't jeopardize his merry way to Fuhership even if I wanted to, not that I want to!" He added hastily at the gleam in Hawkeye's eyes.
"Very well, since you won't tell what you discovered," Ed took it as a threat and paled slightly, "you may continue what you were saying." Then she crossed her arms in front of her, staring at his eyes in a manner that made Ed very uncomfortable.
"Well, Al though it would be a good idea, you know, to ask for your permission to court Roy, since you are his bodyguard and such." Ed said, attempting at nonchalant, without much success. He almost jumped at the sound of Havoc's whistle.
"Woah, kid, calm down a little. You wanna court the boss?" He asked, apparently impressed, already seated at his chair and with a lit cigarette between his lips. "Well, it's not really our place to say yes or no, right?" He shrugged, looking at his papers and leaving his gun in plain sight. Ed guessed that this was his way of intimidating. "But, I'll have you know that you can't make it in public. And if he accepts, you both will never, ever be public. But you'll have to formally ask him, ya know?"
"I have two conditions." Hawkeye stated, nodding her approval to Havoc.
"I'll accept them. Say it. Whatever you want, I'll do it." Edward proclaimed, straightening his back. He would do whatever it would take, even punch God in the face, again.
"He tells you to stop, you stop. No questions. And you will find a proper job, away from the military and in a safe environment. He already has one too many headaches without counting this." She sighed, massaging her temples after Ed nodded his agreement.
The requests were fair ones, he thought he would have to do some sort of small miracle to convince them. He had already thought about the first one, but the second surprised him. He supposed it would be easier to work under Roy, so he could help him whenever he needed it, but working away also made sense. It would avoid any gossip and Roy wouldn't have to worry about his safety. He could work with that.
"So, you two stay here and I'm going to call him, how about it?" Havoc asked, already slipping out the door. Ed could already see Fuery's arm on his, so he didn't say anything. Hawkeye ignored him in favor of returning to her job, leaving Ed to walk in circles around the table.
17 minutes and 34 seconds after Havoc left - Ed counted - Roy entered the office, looking puzzled.
"Can someone tell me why Falmen and Havoc are guarding the entry to my office? What happened?"
"Edward has something to tell you, Sir." Hawkeye informed him, with no intentions to leave them alone.
"Uh, yeah, about that…" Ed sighed and gulped, taking a tiny silver pin - the symbol for alkahestry - from his pocket. Al said it was tradition to give jewels to the Omega you were courting, but he also said that a ring wouldn't be appropriate and jewel didn't make Roy's style, anyways, so Ed decided to give him something that he could wear and still maintain his cover. "So, uh, can I, you know, court you?" He finished with an awkward cough, ignoring the pity look that Hawkeye gave him.
Roy blinked a few times and smiled - Ed could see, feel, this was a false smile.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I'd like to court you. I know you're Omega, I figured it out." He shifted his weight from feet to feet, slowly raising his head to look at Roy's eyes. "I won't tell, I swear, but… Well…" He coughed, taking one step forward and pressing the pin to his chest. "I like you, okay? Very much, actually, so…" Ed blushed even more and stared into those ebony eyes that he like so very much, even with that look, like a stag in the headlights. "Ngh, dunno, say yes or no, fuck it, I'd like if you'd say yes, but, you know, it's up to you and…"
"Edward." Ed stopped his rambling when he heard Roy's choked voice. "What are you saying?" Ed sighed.
"I want to court you. I know you are an Omega."
He realized he should have added "and I won't tell anyone." just after Roy's back disappeared through the door.
Central City, 23h45min, street alley.
Holy fuck, but Roy knew how to hide. Ed had been searching for him for almost 14 hours now, and nothing. Both Hawkeye and Havoc said that he made the mess, he had to put it right. Al also refused to help him, which left him to search the whole central city to find a man - an Omega - with excellent hiding skills and an even more excellent sense of direction.
In the end, he had to depend on his still not well-trained scenting skills to sniff Roy's hiding spot.
It ended up being the Armstrong mansion's garden. Ed praised to whatever was up there that none of the family members were there.
Roy was hunched over himself in a defensive position, covered by the leaves and branches of the bush he was hiding in.
"Roy?" Ed called before approaching, carefully keeping his distance.
One second later he was extremely happy he hadn't stopped training, or he would have been burned on the spot. The fucker hadn't gained the title of Flame Alchemist for nothing.
"What the actual fuck, Mustang? Are you mental?" Ed screeched when the second blast, aimed directly at him, hit the ground. Roy didn't bother answering, standing, and attacking again.
Ed was truly sorry for the state of the Armstrong garden when they finished.
Roy was standing above him, with few cuts and bruises, his uniform jacket discarded somewhere in the rubble and his outstretched hand ready to snap. Ed, on the other side, was on the ground, his hands tied with some transmuted metal at his sides, his coat and shirt burnt in various points and by the feeling of it, he had just acquired a new collection of bruises.
Ed didn't know why he hadn't thought about it, but now that Roy had seen The Gate he could do alchemy without an array and that was the hottest thing Ed had ever seen. He also never thought that being that powerless would make him so damned aroused.
"Explain yourself, Fullmetal." Roy commanded, licking his lips to chase away the dust. Ed gulped.
"I saw your meds, the day I first got here, and-"
"How?"
"Uh, I kind of lock picked your drawer?"
"You what?" For a moment, Roy's expression changed from rage, to surprise, to amusement, and finally to rage again. "That was sealed with alchemy and the best lock in all Central. How?"
"Well, you should find a better lock. I could do one for you if you could stop being a bastard for once." He shrugged, nonchalant.
Roy's expression slowly changed to exasperation and he shook his head, releasing Ed's hands and seating on the ground. Ed was almost sure he was hiding a smile.
Ed seated himself and looked at him, a sincere smile gracing his lips.
"I'd really like to court you, you know?" Ed muttered, just loud enough for Roy to listen. "Like, back when I worked for you, I really wanted to present as Omega, and then for some reason, my brain thought that you would decide to court me. I always thought I had some kind of brain damage, Al just stated that 'love isn't logical, brother'." He laughed, winning a quiet huff from Roy. "Really, I was devasted when I presented as Alpha - or as much as I can be."
"Well, you always had the habit of breaking your own expectation, for good or ill." Roy agreed, raising his head and removing his bangs from his face. Then, he sighed and moved his eyes to Edward, an almost pitying look on his face. "Edward, even if I still did like you - which now I admit to you as two grown men - there's no way we could…"
"We can!" Ed almost exclaimed, the declaration that the General did - may still do - like him filling his heart with euphoria and excitement. "Nobody needs to know. Hawkeye even said so herself: If I find a job in central, away from the military…"
"And how would this work? You'll sneak into my house every night?" Roy interrupted him, his face in various degrees of hurt, sadness, and resignation. "I still have to date, I have to maintain appearances."
"I see no problem in doing that, fuck what people will think about where I am. And I know that you'll need to keep the whole charade up, I don't mind. I can even help, you just have to tell me how." Ed bit his lower lip, keeping himself from doing something - anything, everything - to take that weight from Roy's shoulders.
Roy sighed and dropped his head in his hands, muttering something about damn Elrics.
"Alright, let's say you somehow managed to court me without anyone noticing and we could spend time together without seeming suspicious. Will we ever mate? What about my heats? I could never give you a child. I'll never have the time to spend with you." Roy carefully said, raising one eyebrow at Ed between his hands.
Ed hadn't thought that much, so he took his time to think. Saying whatever came to mind first would be a disservice to both.
"I'd like to mate, if you want to, when you want to. I wouldn't mind marking you in a non-visible place." To tell the truth, just the thought of mating Roy Mustang released thousands of happy chemicals in his brain. And feromones, too, by the way, Roy was looking at him. "I dunno about heats, neither how suppressants works, actually. But I suppose you could just keep doing what you're doing?"
"... Maybe. I - we - would have to talk with Dr. Knox. I don't know if they'll work on mated Omegas." Roy sighed, assuming a more relaxed posture, much to Ed's relief. Then he stared at him with a not-so-happy look. "You didn't say anything about children."
"Uhhh… I didn't really think about it?" Ed scratched his neck, sheepishly. "I really do like kids, but having one of my on? Dunno if I could do it." Roy shook his head, exasperated.
"How you Elrics view the future is a wonder. Alright, I'll let you court me." Ed almost laughed from happiness, but Roy interrupted him before he even registered what was said. "But it will be only in my office, and Hawkeye has to be present. Let's see how things go from there. Agreed?"
Ed could have died right there, just from Roy's smile.
East City, 23h43min, Roy's old apt., six months later.
"Are you sure about this?" Ed asked for what looked like the millionth - it actually was the 17th, Ed had counted - time that night, forcing a long and suffered sight from Roy.
"Yes, I am. Now, do hurry with these, would you? I just have a one-week vacation. And we did it before, in case you have forgotten." Ed gulped and carefully tied Roy's hands to the bed, earning a low growl from his Omega, who was already hard and with little patience to spare.
Yes, they had done it before. Roy had finally decided to accept him two months ago, after fours month of courting, arguing, fighting and long talks with now psychologist Alphonse.
They had done it before, multiple times, in the previous months, when they discovered somewhat by accident that both enjoyed a little role play and roughness in bed. Ed was forbidden from calling Roy General in public if they didn't want a very awkward boner to happen.
The problem was: Today wasn't a common day. Today they were going to mate, Ed was going to spend his first Heat with Roy. And Ed was a tight ball of anxiety, nerves, and way too much caution for Roy's liking.
Of course, they had taken precautions: Ed was instructed on how to give thousands of meds a day to his not-helpful-at-all Omega, to prevent any accident from happening, but…
Oh well, Ed would have to take care of it later; now Roy was grinding his hips against his and starting to lose control, tossing it aside in favor of mind-blowing sex.
He lowered his head to nibble at Roy's skin, wanting to know where he should mark him before all the control was on him.
"L-Lower… On my back." Roy huffed, forcing his wrists against the rope and exposing his neck. Ed kissed the previous spot and wandered down, nibbling a new place. When Roy nodded his approval, Ed inhaled and bit down, finding the slight taste of Roy's blood surprisingly arousing. Roy must have found that being bitten was the greatest thing in the universe because he let out a loud moan and jerked his hips against Ed's, forcing him to growl in a warning tone.
Later on, with Roy peacefully sleeping after some of the wildest sex any of them had ever had, Ed found out that he liked very much to be in control of everything.
Central City, 11h25min, random street, one and half years later.
Ed forgot it was today.
"How stupid can you get, brother? I definitely pity Roy now." Al shook his head at him while Ed ignored him in favor of thrusting his students' homework in his suitcase.
He also ignored said students' giggles, since they giggle at anything Ed did.
Today was the day of Grumman's retirement, and when he would elect the new Fuher.
And of course, Ed had forgotten. Of course, he was halfway across the city teaching chemistry to dump teenagers who on purpose didn't tell him why the traffic was infernal today. The demon-spawn made it on purpose and Ed was going to fucking teach them a lesson.
Al hurried him through the doors and inside the cab, all the while keeping a chit-chat that was the only thing keeping Ed from panicking.
Ed knew, deep down, that there was no way Roy wouldn't win. Grumman wasn't stupid. Hakuro was a bitch and Olivier had no interest in leaving Briggs, but there was still the accident to consider.
His blood boiled just remembering that.
Seven months ago Roy was sent on a special mission to treat a minor rebellion in Ishval, where the old supporters of King Bradley had taken refuge. While there, he was kidnaped and, without his meds and in a response to the situation, his "stupid, unpractical and idiotic" body - as he himself put - decided that the best course of action was to enter in heat.
The public went on a rampage. Roy couldn't leave his house, afraid - actually, Ed and Hawkeye were afraid, Roy was downright pissed - of what the mob could do. Grumman refrained from any commentary, for what Roy was grateful: that meant he probably wasn't going to be discharged. It lasted a full week until General Olivier Mira Armstrong arrived at central and busted heads until the public was so afraid of her warth that Roy's name turned into a taboo.
The following months were pure stress for his Omega; Roy didn't sleep nor eat peacefully, working on every minute possible to gain the public's approval. He even dared escape the house - much to Hawkeye's warth - to sneak back into the office.
Things just calmed down when Ed had enough of it and decided to bark and growl at anyone who dared to talk anything about his mate. For some reason that was beyond him, people accepted more of Roy's dynamic when they discovered that he was mated to the Hero of The People.
On the good side, they could officialize their bond. On the bad side, Roy was, even more, pissed with the general humanity than he was before.
Since then, Grumman decided to slowly open more Omega-centered politics and even admit an Omega as his secretary - the poor girl was promoted four ranks at once.
"...ward! Edward Elric! God help me, answer or you'll have real brain damage this time!"
Ed shook his head and ducked just in time to get out the way of Winry's wrench.
"What the fuck do you want from me, woman?!"
"Pay attention to where you are, idiot! What were you daydreaming about?!" She continued on about something and other, but Ed tuned her out and looked around. They had just arrived at the place where the announcement was happening. Ed immediately hopped off the cab and started running towards the main square, shoving people out the way and ignoring the displeased cries.
He arrived at the center and started to wave madly at the stage, hoping to catch Roy's attention before the announcement. Lucky him, he did.
Ed could visibly see the tension leave Roy's body. He smiled and, in an impulsive instinct, blew a kiss in his direction, which made Roy blush slightly and ignore him in favor of paying attention to what Grumman was saying
Ed bark-laughed, a broad smile gracing his lips. Even if Roy didn't make it, even if the whole world ended now, Ed couldn't be more proud.
Resenbol, 13h11min, Rockbell residence, three years later.
"Al, go help Paniya with the salad! Ed get the fuck out my sight before you break anything!" Winry yelled, raising her hand above her head in a threat until Ed meekly walked away from the kitchen, going to hide away in the garden, where Cheng was putting the table and where Roy was seated, stroking Xing's - Al's dog - belly.
"Were you expelled from the kitchen again, love?" Roy asked in an amused tone, raising his eyes to meet Ed's. Ed grumped and seated himself at the ground.
"Apparently I'm a mess in helping and Al says that I have to stay my His Fuhership's side at all times since in his mind there's a ninja plotting your murder at every possible shadow." He shook his head, smiling at Roy's snicker. "He spends too much time at Xing, that's what I say!"
"Brother, I'm just being cautious. The Fuher is currently in a very delicate state - Not to offend you, sir. - and even if he certainly can defend himself, it's in your best interest that he stays put." Al commented, passing by them with the salad.
"None taken, Alphonse." Roy said at the same time that Ed started fighting with his brother. Winry passed by and joined the fight, that being a clear invitation for Paniya and Cheng to join in, leaving Roy and Pinako to watch.
"They simply don't stop, do they?" She asked, shaking her head.
"I would be worried if they did." Roy sighed, sipping at his tea.
"And I'm glad they do it, bring a little life to this old house."
Pinako complemented, turning and filling his cup, raising a hand when he opened his mouth to thank her. "No need to, I still remember when I was pregnant with Yuri. I basically lived on tea."
"I imagine I have to thank Alphonse for bringing a full box from Xing, then." He sighed, gladly sipping his tea again.
"Just keeping Ed busy would do." She laughed. "Have any names yet?"
"Nina or Maes. Of course, as a second name. We both agreed on letting them choose the first one." His tone changed o a very amused one at the end, watching Winry and Al make a human pile above Ed, who let out swear words in every known language.
"You both are going to be great parents, I can see that. Come on, it's time to feed you both." Pinako laughed loudly at some kind of inside joke, helping him stand up and effectively stopping the fight, as both Alphas scurried to help and Al took upon himself to clean h mess.
Roy just sighed, resigned to being babysat, and smiled at his mate. Yes, he really believed they could do this, together.