A/N: I don't own the characters, I don't profit off of them. This is just a fic I wrote for a friend who has a love for this pairing, and I ran with it.

Unnecessary Jealousy

It had almost sickened Maes Hughes to realize that he was, in fact, jealous of his best and oldest friend. He thought of Roy like a brother, though many had always thought—wrongly—that he and Roy were or had been more than friends at some point in their history together. But there was a simple fact that Roy Mustang didn't swing that way.

Maes on the other hand…

Well, he covered well for himself, finding a woman he considered relatively attractive, despite his inclinations in the other direction, a woman he felt comfortable with even to the point of fathering a child with her. He kept a light, jovial attitude, which made other men feel comfortable enough when he would be just a bit too affectionate or hands-on. Maes had always found he had some traits that could be giveaways for his true preferences, traits that he'd managed to disguise in playful banter, innocent pranks, and excessive devotion to his little girl, which never was a put-on.

Roy was one of the few people who knew the truth about Maes, one of the few that Maes could trust with this secret. And the younger colonel had always promised to keep Maes's secret for him, joking that it was all the more an incentive for Maes to ensure that Roy rose through the ranks. For some, that would sound like a threat of blackmail, but the head of military investigations knew better. It was a promise on Roy's part that the laws that kept gays afraid of being found out would be abolished right along with the incessantly pointless wars and military experimentation.

So the sudden surprise that he was actually jealous of Roy disgusted him.

To an outsider, there were numerous reasons why the lieutenant colonel would envy his friend. Roy had a definite way with the ladies, and even married men like Maes wished they had that kind of skill, but obviously that wasn't the issue. He had also reached a higher rank despite being younger than Maes, yet the older man wanted to push his friend through the ranks, certain Roy was the best thing for Amestris. There was also the added skill that no normal officer could hope for, that of flame alchemy, but Maes had never viewed that as a benefit, but a dubious responsibility that he didn't want.

The reason he envied Roy had just stormed out of the colonel's office, ranting, raving, spouting venom to anyone in his path. For the first time in his life, Maes found himself attracted not only to someone younger, but someone who was only legal through his association to the military. And to the object of his current desire, his skilled performance to disguise those traits that might reveal him had made him little more than a joke, someone to be avoided unless there was a desire to be accosted with photos of little Elysia. He was a joke to Edward Elric, where Roy was a rival, an equal.

More importantly, they had the kind of relationship that great literature was written about, love-hate, oddly close, yet distant. The best Maes could hope for was as a fatherly figure, and perhaps that was best. Roy had no interest in anything that didn't have breasts and the teen would never notice Maes's caring nature to be anything more than his natural instinct as a parent.

"Damn bastard colonel," Ed said as he slammed the door shut to Roy's office.

"Ed, is something wrong?" Maes asked, and almost immediately saw the boy flinch, afraid Maes would be that character he'd created.

"Oh, hi Lieutenant Colonel," there was nervousness in his voice, and not the kind the older man wanted to hear. He could see Ed's eyes searching Maes's uniform for a sign that he would be reaching for photos. To prove him wrong, the dark-haired man folded his arms across his chest. The shorter teen noticeably relaxed, though he still seemed to be fuming.

"So, what is it, Ed?"

Amber eyes rolled. "Colonel Bastard."

"Anything more specific?"

"Do I need anything more specific?"

"Probably not."

Ed stuck his hands in his pockets, obviously, he wanted to rant to someone, so Maes gave the handsome young man the time to decide if he was the one to rave to.

"Well, he started off criticizing my handwriting. You know, he doesn't even consider that I used to be right-handed. Then, he went on about how much I destroy to get a job done. Like it really matters if a few warehouses collapse. Most of the time, I rebuild them, and usually better than they were before. Then when I decide to actually ask him about something important, he blows me off and sends me to you." He then added quickly. "No offense."

"None taken," Maes lied. That hurt, but he kept his calm demeanor and put a hand on Ed's shoulder, the automail one, feeling the moving steel beneath the red and black coats. "Why don't you come into my office? Or is Al waiting?"

"What?" Ed said, looking somewhat distracted. "Oh. No, Al's not waiting. I figured this could take a while. He's at the library right now."

They walked into Maes's office, Ed making himself as comfortable as possible despite the body language he was giving off that something more was at work here.

"So, you wanted to talk to Roy, and he sent you to me?"

"Well, yeah, I mean…" Ed was at a loss for words. That didn't usually happen, and crush or not, Maes would have been curious why. "It took me forever to get up the nerve to talk to him, and the moment I started to, he insisted that he wasn't the person to talk to, said you knew more of the specifics. I didn't need specifics. It was just a question about what the rules are with officers dating subordinates."

"Found someone you're interested in, Ed?"

"Maybe," Ed said, worrying his bottom lip with a set of straight, white teeth. "I just… well, I was curious, since certain rules are laid out for us about dating within units or being with people outside of your direct line of command, but I was just curious what happens if they are within your line of command."

"It's an offense worthy of court-martial, Ed. As is homosexuality."

"What?" Ed squeaked. "I never said anything about gay!"

"The walls aren't particularly thick, Ed, you might want to keep your voice down."

"Keep my voice down? How the hell am I supposed to do that, when you're saying things like, like that?"

"Ed, your direct line of command involves Roy, General Hakuro and the Fuhrer, and you have no one below you. I seriously doubt it's the general or the fuhrer who have you so bothered at the moment."

"Oh, shit," Ed said, burying his face in his hands. "He figured it out, too, didn't he? He figured out what I meant just as fast as you did."

"I think so."

"Not only does he know I'm…" Ed stopped there, apparently afraid to admit that final word. "But he knows I like him? Shit! I thought I was vague enough. Damn it!"

"Ed, it's okay. Believe it or not, Roy can be very understanding in this type of situation."

"Yeah right," Ed said. "That's why he pawned me off on you."

Again, Maes found himself touching the boy, putting his hands on both shoulders.

"Roy would have talked to you himself, but thought I might be better suited." Maes grabbed a chair and pulled it opposite Ed, slowly rubbing circles on the teen's back. "Ed, you aren't alone in this military."

"Then why is it the only time you hear rumors is just before someone gets caught?"

"Because most of the people in the military who prefer their own sex find ways of hiding it. They stay single and are never seen to date or flirt with anyone. They date too much."

"Like the colonel?" Ed asked, eyes looking up, hopeful.

"Yes, but the colonel, best friend or not, really is just a man-slut when it comes to women. He's not gay, Ed." There was a faint huff. "Then there are those who marry someone they trust, create a nice little family and a cover story for any rumor that might pop up. A wife, a child, a nice, happy home. Sometimes, they can be a little over-enthusiastic trying to keep up the cover."

The gold eyes looked up again. "You?"

Maes bowed his head in a single nod.

"Does Gracia know?"

"Yes. We have our agreements, and we're happy as things are. We're very good friends and benefit from having one another the way we do."

"I never would have expected, I mean, you're the biggest family man in the military." Ed leaned back in the chair, obviously in shock. "Is Elysia yours?"

"As far as I know."

"So you and Gracia have actually— I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask that."

"We have, Ed. And I love Elysia."

Ed sat and stared at Maes for a moment, looking completely stunned. Then, as he sat, looking past Maes's glasses and into those cat-green eyes, he began talking his thoughts aloud. "I never considered you, or at least not openly. I mean, I knew I hated how much you flashed the pictures of your family, but I never thought it might be that I was jealous."

Maes only smiled, pushing a piece of blond hair from Ed's cheek. "Jealous?"

"You smirk like he does!" Ed said, again sounding surprised.

"I do with the right people, yes. Who do you think taught him most of what he knows?" He took the chance, hoping that this little "talk" erased rather than instilled the image of Maes as a father figure in Ed's mind. He leaned in and brushed his lips against the teen's, watching with a pleased smile as those golden orbs widened and then closed and a metal hand found its way to the back of his neck, creating gooseflesh where it touched, though he was still unsure whether it was that touch or the kiss making the hairs on his neck stand on end.

He pulled away and ran a hand down Ed's cheek. "Perhaps we can continue with this later. See what happens?"

Nervously, Ed nodded, then startled looked to the locked door. "But now the colonel knows."

"So it's one more of us he's keeping a secret for."

"He really won't care that I'm—" Ed's hands fumbled a moment as he ran a thumb over his pocketwatch. "He won't care?"

"That you're gay? No, Roy won't care." Maes leaned in and whispered in the teen's ear, enjoying the little shiver that ran up the small spine as he did. "Though it does drive him nuts when he's being flirted with. It might be a better revenge than a tantrum when he starts making comments about your perfectly wonderful size."

"You like that I'm… not tall?" Ed was struggling so hard not to say short.

"I like that you're Ed Elric, and that you didn't slug me the moment I kissed you. I'll gladly take whatever comes with that package."

There was a faint blush to the tan cheeks as Ed stood, placing a kiss to Maes's stubbly cheek before he went to the door, smiling back at the older man before leaving.

Maes was really going to have to thank his friend, not to mention make up for the unnecessary jealousy he'd felt.