In Time p2

The next morning Mustang had risen early, fixing himself a quick breakfast before he hurried about his rounds. He was scheduled to go down into town today to check in with headquarters via telegram, so he worked quickly to get his patrols done with so that when he headed down, a bit before noon, it was the last thing he had to do that day. He smiled as he exited the post office, having sent the message off and picked up the few letters that had been addressed to him. He lingered in front of a bookstore, eyeing the titles inside idly, wondering what Edward would like to read. He opened the door and entered the moldering old shop, pulling likely titles from the shelf.

He knew he couldn't get the boy any alchemy texts, he didn't want Edward getting any new ideas about how to escape or get around that array. He trailed over tot eh fiction section, thinking maybe the boy would relax a little more if he could have some fantastical world to escape into every once and awhile, something to keep him busy while the man was not around to entertain him. Roy smiled, pulling several titles from the shelf, each a different genre. He would ask Edward what he enjoyed when he got home. Speaking of which, he glanced at the watch he carried and started, it was later than he had planned, he'd hoped to be home by now. He heaved a sigh as he quickly payed for his selections, hurrying home, stopping only for some noodles and meat sauce on the way back, at a splendid little deli in the town square.

The food was still warm when he arrived home, but the house was rather cold. He shook his head absently as he grabbed two plates from the cabinet above him, grabbing the food and a jug of red juice from the icebox, rushing still to make sure the front door was locked before opening the hatch in the floor and taking his offerings down with him.

The room was cold, and before the hatch had swung open it had been pitch black. Mustang set the food down on the table beside his chair, crossing the room to build a fire in the grate. Ed watched him move across the room with wary eyes, wrapped in the blankets he had been given the last night. It had been cold for awhile now, and his automail ports were aching dully, his much abused joints complaining at the hard floor. He had heard Mustang leaving that morning, and he tried everything he could think of then to escape, but didn't manage it. Not without alchemy, which had been demonstrated as a bad idea, the circle on his collar being powerful and sensitive. As much as he hated the man then, he was glad for him to come home. There was only so long one could sit alone in a cold dark room before anything seemed better than that. And when Mustang turned to face him, the smile was warm and inviting, and it made him forget to hate the man for a second. He remembered though, when the former officer walked over and stroked his cheek.

"Did you have a good day today pet? I know it was cold down here, but it looks like you were good while I was gone anyways. I brought you something warm to eat, for lunch." The man sat in front of his pile of blankets then, and pushed a plate of noodles towards the boy. He put out a tentative hand, but it was shaking, he couldn't make his fingers wrap around the offered fork. He knew the tremor in his hand wasn't from the cold, but he wasn't really sure what it was from, so he sighed, shaking his arm out before trying again. Mustang smiled down on him then, and took the fork in his own hand, twirling the long noodles skillfully up into a bundle before holding it to the boy's lips.

Edward's pride revolted at the thought of being fed again, but his stomach growled and won out. He leaned forwards and took the bite in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing, only to find another bite waiting by his mouth when he opened it. It was a rather slow process, eating this way. Every couple of bites, a noodle would flop onto his chin or the fork wouldn't quite catch its mark, and Roy would put the fork down for a second, raising the napkin from the tray and gently wiping the boy's face clean again, before picking the utensil back up and completing the task. Ed was surprised at the care Mustang took with the task, scraping together the last of the noodles on the plate and offering them to the blond, who took them eagerly now. He watched carefully still, as his former colonel rose to grab a carafe from the table, pouring him a glass of something red, and on closer inspection quite delicious. He felt something strange in his chest when the man sat back down next to him, smiling.

"Better Edward?" The boy nodded, and didn't flinch away when the man put one hand on his shoulder. He tried his best not to pull away when the man laid one chaste kiss on his forehead, knowing what would happen if he did. The man stood again then, grabbing a bag from the table and bringing it over. "I have something for you, Edward. I know you'll probably get bored so I brought you these"

He pulled out the books, one by one, and laid them at the boy's feet. The blond boy couldn't help the scramble to look at them, a moment of happiness lighting up his face. Then the pale hand on his hip squeezed lightly, reminding him he'd have to give something in trade. He swallowed hard, it was worth it really. He knew whatever it was would probably come eventually, and at least this way the man would be gentle about it, stay in a good mood. He learned quickly that spurning Roy would only make the man pout for a while, then return spiteful in his contact. He shivered a little, involuntarily. Roy took this as a sign and got up, throwing another log onto the fire before settling back behind the boy, sketching a small array in the wall to detach the chain, looping it around his wrist instead. He sighed then, and leaned over Edward's back, laying his chin on the boy's shoulder.

"Do you like them Edward?" While the blond wasn't really impressed with the selection, none of which he would have picked outside of this experience, he knew enough to nod passively, gathering the books up to set them aside, off of the blanket he sat on. One of Mustang's hands rose, gently breaking his hold on the other blanket, still wrapped around his body tightly, and it fell, pooling around him on the floor. This allowed the man to fit himself in behind Edward more tightly, pulling the blond back against himself. He laid another, less chaste kiss on the boy, this time behind the ear, and the boy couldn't help the small shiver of sensation. He pressed his eyes closed tightly, his mouth a stiff line.

Mustang's mouth traveled a small damp trail down the side of the boy's neck, and by the time he had reached the boy's chin, traveling back up the side of his face, Edward couldn't keep the small desperate noises from squeezing out past his lips. The man's hands were moving then, to. One arm was wrapped around the boy's chest, hand splayed across the now warmed skin, pulling him backwards, idly toying with his right nipple. The other hand rubbed small circles on Edward's hip, thumb worrying the indentation behind the curve of his pelvic bone. The former colonel waited until he felt the boy's jaw unclench, until the muscles in his shoulders relaxed a touch before he shifted the hand that held the boy's hip lightly, sliding it around in degrees, downward slowly, until it cupped the boy between his legs.

The flesh there was barely half hard, Edward only partially relaxing into his touch still. It almost made Roy smile, seeing Edward like that, still as stubborn and tightly wound as he had ever been. He let his mouth travel back to the shell of the boy's ear, purring softly.

"Relax Edward. Relax and enjoy this, there really isn't any reason not to, is there?" The man's voice was wet and warm on the blond's skin, the sensation sending another involuntary shiver down the boy's spine, causing his breath to catch in his throat for a second, and Roy to smile into the crook of his neck. Edward took a deep breath, consciously trying to relax himself for what was to come.

Mustang shifted the hand cupping the boy's flesh then, slowly rubbing it back and forth, making Edward's hips rock involuntarily into his hand, hardening quickly, i ah the vigor of youth /i . It would have made Mustang smile, had he not been busy nipping at the younger alchemist's neck, gently but still hard enough to make a mark in the flesh there. The boy moaned, mouth open this time, eyes pressed closed, and Roy couldn't wait anymore.

He steered the boy's position away from him, pushing him forwards, face down onto the blanket in front of him. He adjusted Edward until he was almost on all fours, enough space underneath him that Mustang could still wrap his hand around, cupping the now prominent bulge there. It wasn't long though, until he was tugging the black pants down over Edward's hips, letting them fall around the boy's knees.

Then Edward was making delicious noises again, strangled a little as he bit them back, and Mustang smiled, leaning forwards to prod the boy's mouth gently with the first two fingers on his right hand, turning them once they gained entry, coating them with the boy's saliva before pulling them out, bringing them around back.

Golden eyes flashed wide when the first one pressed insistently in, and he squirmed forwards, in some symbolic attempt at escape. A strong arm wrapped around his waist though, pulling him back, and then there were insistent lips at his ear again, making shushing noises, and a warm hand surrounding his softening member, pumping it several times, reviving it before the other hand pressed the fingers back to their original task. He gritted his teeth then, while one, and then two fingers wiggled their way inside of him, scissoring and stretching the tight muscle.

In a way he had expected this would be on Mustang's "list of things to do to Edward now that he's tied up in my basement," but he had honestly hoped it wouldn't come this soon, that maybe he'd have been able to hatch some sort of escape plan before this had to happen. he i had /i to get out, he had to find i Al /i . He had no idea if Mustang had really been telling the truth about his brother, or if the man even knew himself, but Edward couldn't allow himself to stay here, not without i knowing /i .

Then all thoughts were driven form his head as his eyes sprung wide. Something larger than two fingers was pressing into him then, and he slammed his eyes back shut, and gritted his teeth together, reducing the sound to a low whimper, drowned out by the moan that dropped from the man behind him as he slowly sheathed himself in the boy. Tears were gathering at the corners of Edward's eyes then, and Mustang seemed to come back to himself when he reached the hilt, turning his attention back to the boy under him. One hand raised to pump his erection again, it was miraculously still going strong, and the pain started to melt into a subtle background noise, a heat that was just that side of comfortable, drowning slowly in the squirming pleasure building in his gut when the man started moving inside of him in time with the strokes he delivered to the boy's now weeping erection.

The cross between the desire to have this finished and the sensation of all of this for the first time pushed Edward to the edge sooner than he expected. It snuck up on him, and suddenly his world was white, and he felt his body tense up. He registered the throaty noise he made as he came, and then the deeper chorus of Mustang's groans before he felt the warmth inside of him and the weight of the man on his back. They collapsed into a little pile then, Mustang shifting only enough to pull out of Edward and negotiate the blanket underneath them out and over top, dropping a small kiss onto the boy's shoulder, whispering quiet nonsense, before he laid down next to him and surrendered to sleep.

X

Edward waited, practically holding his breath until the man beside him settled into the even, still patterns of sleep. He knew he would have to be careful, he would only get one chance at this, and he knew he had to escape i now /i . The man was moving faster than he would have guessed at first. Edward didn't think he could take much more. He carefully disentangled his limbs from the man, and slowly, meticulously unwound the chain from Mustang's wrist, limp with sleep. He managed to slither the pants he had worn back up onto his hips, but he couldn't tie them one handed, so he settled for pulling the string tight and tucking it in on the side. It wasn't perfect but it should hold until he could find help. He moved almost silently, surprisingly quiet despite the automail foot he still possessed.

He made it up the stairs and to the door, looking around for something he could throw on over his naked upper body, and something to put on his feet. He grabbed the coat that lay across the chair, big and black, a military issued duster. He threw it around himself, looking around the floor for boots, shoes, i anything /i . He spun around, and the coat, too big for him by a long shot, caught on the lamp beside the couch, knocking it to the floor. The crash wasn't really that loud, but it made the boy flinch, blanching white with fear. He held his breath, then swore silently as he heard movement from downstairs. It was now or never then.

He ripped the door to the cabin open and took off at top speed into the snow, ignoring the shouts he heard behind him. His flesh foot was numb within seconds and he had no idea where he was, or where he was going, but he ran still. It was need and fear that carried him, the adrenaline pumping through his veins pushing him on. He fell more than once, the pants became quite wet from the snow he was surrounded by, but he had to keep moving. It took him quite a while for one of those falls to slip him up, he felt the slip, his ankle twisting on the way down. And he was too cold then, and too tired and he felt his body wracked with silent sobs. It wasn't long before the blackness that had been threatening his vision took him inside.

X

When he started to swim back to consciousness, it was to a warm soft world of complete bliss. Then, of course, he felt the ache and burn of his injuries, of the skin too long out in the cold with nothing to protect it. Still, the softness under him and the heat made him sigh in some sort of relief. He was safe now. Gentle hands were on his brow then, steering his head up and pressing a cup to his lips, warm and wet. He drank it, whatever it was tasted slightly foul but he choked it down. He was safe.

Then the touch was more insistent, arms dragging him upright, tucking the blanket around him. He made a slight noise, a groan in his throat as the ankle he had twisted was jostled. There was a disapproving clucking sound from beside him.

"Well Edward, I see you've finally decided to rejoin the living. You had me worried sick for you, you know." Edward's heart sunk then, and he knew he was going to be sick.

"You well and truly fucked up your ankle there, I had to set it for you while you were unconscious, you won't be walking on that for awhile. Maybe that's a good thing, this way I won't have to take your other automail." That voice, that voice. Edward was panicking now, trying to get his limbs to work, trying to get up, trying to do anything. He was just met with strong arms pinning him down then, and another round of disapproving clucking.

"Edward, stay still. Your dehydrated and mildly frostbitten and I can't let you go anywhere right now, nowhere at all. God, I trust you for one moment, I let my guard down for one second, and you're off, doing exactly what I told you you'd do. You could have hurt yourself worse than this, you could have died out there. No thought at all, no planning, no consideration of consequences, you just took off. You were lucky there was fresh snow, all I had to do was follow your tracks. But still, I might not be around to save you next time Edward..." The man's voice sounded calm and collected, the opposite of how Edward felt right then.

But he could feel the fatigue in his limbs, like a rot creeping into the core of his extremities. He fought it a little, once again, but then there were strong hands holding him down, shifting him over, and a warm body pressed next to his. He felt the Colonel's face press a kiss into the top of his head, his forehead, his cheek, his collarbone. When the head settled next to him he could feel the dampness on the man's cheeks, and there was a pang of guilt then. Mustang must have really been worried.