o.O.o.O

Exception

Roy Mustang X Edward Elric bias. (This would be my first attempt at a shonen-ai story. Please let me know how it is. Also, this is my first time trying and posting something other than Inuyasha stuff.)

darkenedmoonlightflame

He was the flame; wild, obsessive, jealous, and undyingly flawless. He was the metal; cold, detached, solid, and strong. Together they clashed, fire heating metal, fire melting metal away to just another ordinary male. There was an exception. How he despised it, but it existed. He never could melt away the unyielding pain of death and sorrow. One by one, the people forgot the legendary FullMetal—all but he, the Flame. Roy X Edward bias.

Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, and do not claim to. However, everything else, AKA: the plot, writing, et cetera, IS MINE.

(A/N: Okay, so here is the final part of 'Exception'. And… Well, that's all. I hope you enjoy the happier ending. It'll be short, but hopefully sweet.

(Once again, there will be no recap.

(So, presenting, Exceptions. Part III.)

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Exception

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He hears soft footsteps behind him. He doesn't care to look. There is something familiar about them, anyway. One is normal, but the second is a dull thud, like…

'Like covered metal.'

His eyes widen a bit, and he bites his lip a bit and inhales sharply. "Hallucinations." He settles down after looking over his shoulder. Nothing is there. He continues to stare behind him. All of a sudden, from the corner of his eye, a flash of gold makes its presence known. He whips his head around, craning to see.

There is nothing.

He sighs, and is soon lost in thoughts again.

Strangely, he pauses his musings. He feels moisture on his cheeks. He raises an ungloved hand up, and feels water. He is crying, silent tears for Edward.

'It was such a shame, wasn't it?'

Roy's brow furrows in confusion, and he makes a confused sound as he wipes away the tears on the military overcoat's sleeve.

'It was a shame they did this to him.'

"Yeah." He agrees, sighing in melancholy discord. "But I guess it was me that hurt him the most."

'How so?'

"I mean, it was me that put off telling him for so long." He begins counting off the things he would have done, could have done, should have done better. "After all, it was me that melted that sculpture."

'Don't be so sure of that—!'

He ignores the voice, cutting it off. "And come to think of it… It was my fault for 'melting' his heart. We clashed and fought a lot, but flame melts metal eventually, doesn't it? He must have hated me, for making him so ordinary. Stupid flame alchemy… What do you say? Think I should quit the military yet?" He tilts his head at a slight angle, before sighing and shaking his head violently, the powdery snow slipping off of his head. "Well…?"

"Jerk, you're the stupidest man I've ever met. Not only are you stupid, you're tall and a useless quitter, too. I might be short, but my intelligence dwarfs even your incompetence." His heart hitched in his throat, as did his breath. His dark indigo eyes widened, and narrowed. Slowly, he turned.

And he relaxed—there was nothing there.

"Taking up Edward's voice, now are you? Stupid conscience of mine…"

Then he notices something odd. The voice hasn't been answering. Not at all… He rolls his eyes and pushes his dashing bangs from his ivory face. "Fine, ignore me."

"Why should I, idiot? There's no reason to."

He blinks, and face-faults. Angry now, he kicks at the snow. He knows that voice, knows it well enough to want it to disappear, disappear…

He wants its owner to come back and hold him forever. He wants to kiss the owner, with the owner's consent. He never wants the owner to leave again.

"Edward…" The name rolls off his tongue luxuriously, past his bitten lips. He has been worried lately a lot in the past month. "Edward, you… You… Why did have to go and die? Why did you have to go and make me love you and then just leave me here! Well? Why don't you answer me?"

His eyes slip closed again. "It's because you're dead."

"Oh, shut up. You still don't get it, do you?"

Roy's eyes snap open. "Damn it, leave me alone!"

"I don't want to, okay? I don't want to, ever again!"

Something irks Roy into frowning deeply. Then he feels something warm and something cold around him. Two arms, around his waist, originating from his side. "What the…?"

"Do you see yet? Flame melts metal…"

He feels warmth now, in the embrace, and he looks down slightly to the face buried in his shoulder. He notes the familiar sun-kissed gold hair. 'Not after all these years… It can't be him…?' There is a healthy blush on the cold face there, and he shivers in anticipation.

Roy feels his heart speed up, his mouth drying, and he finds himself biting his lip again. Then the face looks up at him. He nearly has a heart attack. 'So, it is Edward… H-How?'

Edward gulps and continues, his amber eyes fixed on Roy's own, binding them together.

"Flame melts metal, but metal retains… and requites flame, idiot."

Roy smiles, and bends down—not as much as he remembers—to pull Edward in further for a well-earned embrace. "Yeah. I guess I learn something new every day." He can sense Edward's tension evaporating, and the not-so-short male returns the hug.

"That's good to know. Everyone knows about that little pea-sized brain of yours." Then he mumbles something, turning a tomato red.

"I didn't quite catch that." Roy leans down further, tilting Edward's head upward at an angle. The blonde alchemist now comes up to his chin.

"I said, I couldn't bear it if I liked somebody that's more of a ruthless idiot than I am—" He was cut off by the fierce crashing of Roy's lips onto his own, and the he was taken aback the passion in it. As Roy pulled away for air, Edward gripped the military jacket between Roy's shoulder blades tighter. "Long time, no see, right?"

They both hid a smile, and looked away, blushing.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"You know, Edward?"

"What, Roy?"

The older man can't help but revel in the sound of his first name from the blonde's mouth. "I usually never fall in love."

Edward's spirit dampens. "Oh… So then you flambéed me for nothing?" Roy notices the alchemist has singed and steaming clothes. He smells like smoke. Edward's form slumps, and his insistent grip on the Brigadier General lessens. "Sorry to disappoint you, then." He lets go, and straightens himself out, beating out a few ashes from his long braid. As he turns to leave, Roy stops him with a firm hand around his wrist. "What are you—? Never mind. You've had your fun. Let me go."

Roy doesn't. "I said 'usually', Edward." His eyes flash with something Edward has never seen before. "You, kid, are the exception. The only exception I can find myself liking… a lot." He smirks, and strides forward to capture the space in front of Edward.

"I… I see." Edward lowers his eyes briefly. Then they glance up, sparking with quick-flashing emotions. "Well, in that case, you're quite the exception yourself." And so, shyly, Edward leans up, grabbing the collar of Roy's blue uniform and tugging him down. Their lips meet, and their silhouettes meld together as the sunlight fades.

When they finished, they found a bright red Riza there, quivering and clutching a coat to her nervously. "S-Sir… I came to give you b-back your c-coat… I-I-I s-see you d-don't need it…!" She whirled around, taking off, leaving the oversized black coat on the ground.

"She took it well." Edward slips his flesh hand down from the Flame Alchemist's ruffled jacket, smoothing it, and breaking away. He sighs, and runs his Auto-Mail hand through his hair, seeming upset.

"Don't worry—she's probably suspected this for some time… She won't tell about us, Edward. Don't look at me like that, Edward—of course there is an us, now."

Edward looks at him, surprised. Then he laughs melodically, and Roy is enchanted with the sound. He fails to resist, and soon they are both laughing. Edward's hand fins its way into Roy's larger one, where their fingers entwine in a firm grasp.

"I wasn't worried about new of us spreading, Roy. It doesn't matter to me if anyone finds out… I-I'll still l-love you." Roy is relieved, and Edward flushes deeply. "I… I was just annoyed we were interrupted."

Roy blinks, a bit intrigued, before he relaxes and smiles.

"Hey, don't be stressed out or anything. There's still all night."

Edward turns cherry red at the sudden implications and Roy smirks at him cheekily. He opens his mouth to chide his newfound lover, then thinks better.

"Why the sudden maturity, Edward?"

"I guess it's because there's better things to do with mouths."

"I'd have to say I agree."

And they kiss again on the shore of the lake—certainly not for the last time that evening, of for forever.

Owari (Nai Yume).

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(A/N: Ah… And so 'Exception' comes to an end. To tie it in to the title more, I added a final reference to an exception… I guess it doesn't suit the title too well. Oh well. (grins) I suppose it's better than leaving it as untitled.

So how was it? Hnn? Did you like it at all? (In the end, I actually didn't hate writing the crazy fluffiness as much as I thought I would.) Since it's my first attempt (hopefully not my last) at shounen-ai, I'd like feedback! I don't care if you hated it either. So readers, go ahead and speak your mind.

(THE BIG QUESTION: SHOULD I HAVE AN EPILOGUE TO THIS? You know, something to wrap up all the loose ends with some nice Roy X Edward and something where things end even better than they do now. Badically, something with Al, the Rockbells, more Hawkeye, the office people, and even MORE Roy X Edward?

(Well, that's really all I have to say. I hope you enjoyed reading this!)

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Japanese Vocabulary Index;

I'm so happy! There are no words! I omitted them all, because the FullMetal Alchemist series didn't strike me as one with too much Japanese mentioned. (Hence why all first names are first, and not second.)

Oh, wait. (frowns and grumbles)

Owari—End

(Here's the twist.)

Owari Nai Yume—Never-Ending Dream (it's actually Owarinai Yume, but whatever… close enough)

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Story Notes;

—Why can't Roy put two-and-two together? (smacks) Maybe that's why he's crying. That, or because he's beating himself up over guilt.

—I guess that with the return of Edward, the voice of inner Roy is gone. (sighs) Sometimes that was the smarter one, too.

—Edward still has his Auto-Mail. I like it, because it helps makes him a unique character.

—Jeez, Roy must be deprived of Edward. It hasn't been THAT long…

—Yeah, I made Edward taller. After all, he IS twenty-one now. I had pity for him.

—Good old fluffiness… death threats included with a side of insults.

—Of course Edward was burnt! Roy snapped his fingers and melted away the metal shell of the statue… So, yeah, he got singed too.

—Wow, I made them dense. What more proof do you need, Edward? Not to mention ROY…

—'Their lips meet, and their silhouettes meld together as the sunlight fades.' Sorry, but that's cheesy to me… I sound like a whacked romance novelist, no offense to any of you that are whacked romance novelists.

—Poor Riza, scarred for life. In a good way, although she knew about it since that day at the office in the first part. (beams happily) Still not what she expected, I bet.

—Bad Roy, slow down a second! Poor Edward… he likes a pervert. Talk about jumping the gun. Hopefully Hawkeye won't murder them. (rolls eyes) Good luck with your perverted boyfriend, Ed. (Sorry, no lemons for this one. (snickers) Well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination…)

—Never mind. (sighs) Ed is a pervert too, deep down. People sometimes do bring out the worst in each other…

—Also, about Al. Why didn't he listen to Edward and investigate the lead and use the stone on his body? Well, let's say he was very distraught with grief from Edward's 'death' and the Rockbell's disappearance.

—I just realized this. There really aren't that many characters in this three-shot. Just Ed, Roy, Riza, Al, Envy, and King Bradley… Right?

—Key; (I don't know why I did this for Edward…)

"Edward Speaking."

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I can hardly believe it. I'm DONE? (I feel like I'm forgetting something.)

Nonetheless, I'm posting this immediately so I can go back to crazy and hectic updating! YES!

Ja ne,

o.O.o.O darkenedmoonlightflame O.o.O.o

And company. My adorably annoying muses. 'Kotsu and the Sess-sen.

(P.S. Hope you enjoyed this, and will show some self-restraint when poking fun at us… If not… (evil smile) Anyhow, thanks for reading the final part of Exception! (faint laugh))

Chapter Finished: 6.29.06. (I had trouble writing the fluffy aspect for some reason, which is uncharacteristic of me.)

Post: 6.29.06. Consider this an early Fourth of July present! (Hnn… I'm getting an idea.)

Spell Check: Yep.

Brain Check: Hnn. That's not funny 'Kotsu. But then again, it is. (glares) Too… tired (and busy)… to… strangle!