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whiskeycoffee2007-03-11 11:46 pm
mjules.livejournal.com) wrote in whiskeycoffee2007-03-11 11:46 pm
Entry tags:
"Some Other Beginning" (Fullmetal Alchemist, Roy/Al, WIP, 14/?)
Title: Some Other Beginning
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
7stages claim, prompt "New every morning."
This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.
I am posting one chapter every Monday. Previous chapters can be found here.
Love and thanks to my betas and readers, whose encouragement is what keeps me writing this story when I'd rather just draw-and-quarter my muses. *grin*
Roy was beginning to deeply regret inviting Maria to join his and Havoc's game of poker. She'd beaten them twice, badly, and they were actually playing for cash. It had gotten to the point that Roy thought twice about calling her raise, glancing over at Jean to see if he could gain some clue from his former sniper as to whether the woman was bluffing. No hints were forthcoming and Roy finally set his jaw and called. It wouldn't do to have Ross outbluff him, after all.
The problem came when Maria wasn't bluffing. Roy groaned.
"That's it," he said, pushing the cards away from him. "I quit before I start dipping into the grocery money and Al kills me for it."
Maria raised an eyebrow at him as if to mock the quickness with which he conceded the game and Jean laughed. "You'll never win it back if you don't play," Havoc reasoned and Mustang snorted.
"Easy for you to say," Roy scowled. "No matter how much money you lose, it's still staying in your household." He was starting to feel tired, the strain of being polite and friendly wearing on him. It wasn't that he disliked his company; he simply hadn't realized how much he liked to be quiet and still during the day nor how much Alphonse indulged that need of his. Being with Al was like being by himself, only better. He never felt he had to entertain Al.
Havoc grinned broadly, a grin Roy recognized and knew well. Before Jean could get himself into more trouble than he could get himself out of, however, Roy heard the dull thud of Maria's foot connecting with her boyfriend's ankle under the table and winced as his bad leg throbbed in sympathy. Havoc groaned and gave Maria a pitiful look.
"There's gotta be somethin' in the rule books against kicking a man when he's just starting to get the feeling back in his legs," Jean complained and Roy chuckled, taking the opportunity to get to his feet.
"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to lie down for a bit," Roy said. "You're under no obligation to stay, but if you'd like to, please make yourselves at home. I'm afraid I'm a rather bad host of late." Havoc and Ross both looked up in alarm as Roy started moving toward the staircase, stiffly at first as he coaxed his leg into moving.
"Everything all right, boss?" Havoc asked and Roy turned in time to see a slightly worried expression pass between the two.
"I'm fine," Roy smiled. "Just feeling a little tired."
"That's all right, Roy," Maria interjected and Roy almost smiled at the memory of exactly how long it had taken her to stop calling him "sir." "Rest is a very important part of recovery. Do you need any help getting upstairs?"
The echo of Al's voice, always asking if he needed assistance, rang in his ears and he shook his head. "No, thank you," he murmured. "I'm used to this." He made his way up the stairs, his steps feeling heavy. Had it been only that morning Al had kissed him goodbye in his bedroom? The thought was oddly comforting. It had only been a few hours, it would only be a few hours more. It was strange; his feelings for Al had never approached the kind of deep craving he'd experienced for Riza and Maes but he was beginning to see that he needed the young man in his own way.
He propped his cane by the bed and stretched out on top of the blankets, sighing as the elevation took some of the pressure off his leg and lower back. His spine ached dully from the constant compensation for his bad leg and he took a deep breath, relaxing as the muscles began to unclench. In the kitchen below he could hear the soft murmurs of Maria and Jean talking, could catch pieces of words but not enough to understand what they were saying.
Roy felt guilty for leaving Maria and Jean; after all, they were his friends and were doing him -- and Al -- quite a favor by coming over. He was just too tired to entertain them right now. He turned his face and closed his eyes, trying to believe he wasn't hoping for a hint of Al's scent clinging to the pillow when he inhaled.
"This is a lot of lumber, Ed," Al noticed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "How big is this house, anyway?"
The pile of wood in the open field looked like half a forest and Al suddenly realized exactly why Ed had needed him to help make this project work. It was conceivable that one alchemist could have done it all by himself but it would be a lot easier with two.
"Um," Ed hedged and Al looked at him warily.
"You do at least have plans drawn up? A design?"
"Of course I do," Ed huffed, pointing to a long cylinder of paper a few feet away on the grass. It looked like the paper Winry often drew her automail designs on, Al noticed with a smile. He walked over and picked it up, unfurling it to see what they had planned, and let out a low whistle.
"You must be planning on giving me lots of nieces and nephews," Al noted, and Ed's face turned bright pink. Something connected with the back of Al's head and he jumped, pouting at Winry who stood behind him, arms akimbo and a wrench dangling from her hand.
"I happen to be planning to use this part of the house for seeing patients," Winry sniffed, pointing to a section out to the side. "And this part for a workshop."
"And that's my library over there," Ed put in, giving Winry a wide berth just in case he accidentally managed to say something he shouldn't.
"And this is the master bedroom?" Al asked innocently, pointing to a rather large room. "It's the only one I see big enough for that bed Winry's been designing. A four-poster, right? I'm proud of you, Brother; you're finally getting adventurous." Al grinned slyly at the way Ed turned even pinker. Teasing his brother got easier every day.
"You know Ed," Paninya said as she came up behind Winry, leaning against her friend's shoulder, "One of these days you're going to have to stop blushing anytime someone alludes to sex."
The tips of Ed's ears turned bright red and he sputtered loud, disjointed sentences. Over his own laughter, Al barely made out snatches of phrases about Ed having always been adventurous and just which one of them had always insisted on being cautious anyway because it sure as hell wasn't him. Paninya looked amused; Winry just rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Paninya," Winry sighed. "Let's leave the boys to their work."
"Okay," Paninya chirped, smiling. "Dominic made some modifications to my automail that I thought you'd like to see!"
"So that's why you came out," Winry laughed, linking their arms together as they headed back towards Pinako's house. "Let's go see what he's come up with now."
As Ed's tantrum died down, Al took a closer look at the designs until he finally nodded. "Okay, Ed," he said, rolling up the blueprints and setting them aside. "I think we can get the main structure done tonight, and maybe some of the interior detailing. We can finish the detailing tomorrow before I leave." The brothers rolled up their shirt sleeves as they headed toward the pile of wood, and Al looked it over with a critical eye. "You have the right amount for this, right?" Al confirmed, reaching out to touch one of the planks closest to him. The cloth bandage on his hand snagged on the splinters and he grimaced as he disentangled himself, readjusting the bandage. His memory flashed to Roy pressing his thumb against the wound, the kisses that had followed, and he shivered.
"I measured it," Ed grunted. Al was always one for double-checking measurements but over the years Ed had developed similar habits. Losing an arm to a slight miscalculation had that effect. "Ready?"
Al nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready."
As one, they clapped then pressed their hands to the wood. There was a blinding flash of light as the structure of the building sprang into place, windows, doors and walls shaping into existence. When the alchemy was finished, Al stared at the new house, trembling slightly. He'd forgotten exactly how much energy a major alchemic event sucked out of him. He glanced over to see Ed wiping his brow with the back of his wrist, a thin sheen of sweat standing out on his face.
"Looks good," Ed nodded. "Let's go inside."
They walked through the house, inspecting the structure for integrity. Al paused in one of the second-story bedrooms and stood at the wide window, looking out over the countryside. He had a perfect view of the field where he and Ed and Winry had often played as children and a slow smile spread across his face at the memories. He clapped softly and touched the windowsill, nodding in approval when twisting vines appeared in the woodwork, decorative leaves standing out in the fine oak wood. A noise behind him made him turn and he saw Ed standing in the doorway.
"That's nice," Ed said.
"It's a good view out this window," Al murmured. One day, he thought, he'd like to show it to Roy. He remembered the conversation they'd had about their memories of the east, how Roy had asked him if he missed Resembool. This, Al wanted to say, gesturing to the field in front of him. This is why I don't really miss Resembool. I carry this with me all the time.
Ed crossed the room to stand beside him, looking out at the field. "Heh, yeah," he chuckled and Al could see the memories surfacing in his brother's expression. "Remember what happened there?" Ed pointed to to a large oak tree on top of a small swell of ground and Al laughed.
"That's where I won the right to marry Winry," Al grinned. "But she turned me down. I think she must have wanted you all along." Ed gave him a half-guilty look and Al rolled his eyes. "We've had this discussion," Al reminded him. "Besides all that, I think it's a little late now."
"Eh, yeah." Ed grinned sheepishly. Al almost laughed, shaking his head. For Ed, guilt was purely reflexive at this point in the game. "So you like this room, huh?"
Al smiled and nodded, looking out the window again. "It's really peaceful."
"All right." Ed slapped his hand on the windowsill and Al couldn't help checking to make sure his vinework hadn't gotten any dragon-like additions. "Then this can be your room." Al's head snapped over to fix Ed with a questioning, half-warning look. They'd had this discussion before, too. Ed caught the expression and held his hands up. "For when you visit," he qualified. "When you come for the wedding, you can stay in here, too."
Al's gaze returned to the sun-drenched field and his fingers curled around the smooth wood of the windowsill. They would still need to polish the woodwork later, when they painted the walls, but for now it would do. He rubbed across the grains with his fingertips, thinking that maybe he would get to show it to Roy soon after all. "Thanks, Ed," he murmured roughly. "Let's see how much of the detail work we can get done." He suddenly wanted to be back in Central with an intensity that startled him. He wanted to be able to leave on an early train the next day.
Ed agreed and pushed away from the window, scowling when Al admonished, "And no gargoyles. I refuse to have to come behind you and fix it all."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Author: m.jules
Rating: Hard R for the whole thing
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Alphonse Elric helps Roy Mustang face life after more tragedy than one man should endure and finds something for himself in the process.
Pairing: mainly Roy/Al, with hints of and references to others. (Including, but not limited to, Ed/Winry, Al/Paninya, Gracia/Maes/Roy/Riza, and Al/Elicia.)
Disclaimer: Arakawa would KILL me. I bow low in supplication.
Author's Notes: This was meant to be "The Story That Proves In-Character Roy/Al Is Possible." Don't know if it worked. For my
7stages claim, prompt "New every morning." This is manga-verse, with every chapter yet released and scanlated as fair game for spoilers and many liberties taken as far as speculation about the future. If you want to know how Al got his body back, Yet Gentle and The Frost of Awakening can be considered my default answer to that question for now at least.
I am posting one chapter every Monday. Previous chapters can be found here.
Love and thanks to my betas and readers, whose encouragement is what keeps me writing this story when I'd rather just draw-and-quarter my muses. *grin*
Roy was beginning to deeply regret inviting Maria to join his and Havoc's game of poker. She'd beaten them twice, badly, and they were actually playing for cash. It had gotten to the point that Roy thought twice about calling her raise, glancing over at Jean to see if he could gain some clue from his former sniper as to whether the woman was bluffing. No hints were forthcoming and Roy finally set his jaw and called. It wouldn't do to have Ross outbluff him, after all.
The problem came when Maria wasn't bluffing. Roy groaned.
"That's it," he said, pushing the cards away from him. "I quit before I start dipping into the grocery money and Al kills me for it."
Maria raised an eyebrow at him as if to mock the quickness with which he conceded the game and Jean laughed. "You'll never win it back if you don't play," Havoc reasoned and Mustang snorted.
"Easy for you to say," Roy scowled. "No matter how much money you lose, it's still staying in your household." He was starting to feel tired, the strain of being polite and friendly wearing on him. It wasn't that he disliked his company; he simply hadn't realized how much he liked to be quiet and still during the day nor how much Alphonse indulged that need of his. Being with Al was like being by himself, only better. He never felt he had to entertain Al.
Havoc grinned broadly, a grin Roy recognized and knew well. Before Jean could get himself into more trouble than he could get himself out of, however, Roy heard the dull thud of Maria's foot connecting with her boyfriend's ankle under the table and winced as his bad leg throbbed in sympathy. Havoc groaned and gave Maria a pitiful look.
"There's gotta be somethin' in the rule books against kicking a man when he's just starting to get the feeling back in his legs," Jean complained and Roy chuckled, taking the opportunity to get to his feet.
"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to lie down for a bit," Roy said. "You're under no obligation to stay, but if you'd like to, please make yourselves at home. I'm afraid I'm a rather bad host of late." Havoc and Ross both looked up in alarm as Roy started moving toward the staircase, stiffly at first as he coaxed his leg into moving.
"Everything all right, boss?" Havoc asked and Roy turned in time to see a slightly worried expression pass between the two.
"I'm fine," Roy smiled. "Just feeling a little tired."
"That's all right, Roy," Maria interjected and Roy almost smiled at the memory of exactly how long it had taken her to stop calling him "sir." "Rest is a very important part of recovery. Do you need any help getting upstairs?"
The echo of Al's voice, always asking if he needed assistance, rang in his ears and he shook his head. "No, thank you," he murmured. "I'm used to this." He made his way up the stairs, his steps feeling heavy. Had it been only that morning Al had kissed him goodbye in his bedroom? The thought was oddly comforting. It had only been a few hours, it would only be a few hours more. It was strange; his feelings for Al had never approached the kind of deep craving he'd experienced for Riza and Maes but he was beginning to see that he needed the young man in his own way.
He propped his cane by the bed and stretched out on top of the blankets, sighing as the elevation took some of the pressure off his leg and lower back. His spine ached dully from the constant compensation for his bad leg and he took a deep breath, relaxing as the muscles began to unclench. In the kitchen below he could hear the soft murmurs of Maria and Jean talking, could catch pieces of words but not enough to understand what they were saying.
Roy felt guilty for leaving Maria and Jean; after all, they were his friends and were doing him -- and Al -- quite a favor by coming over. He was just too tired to entertain them right now. He turned his face and closed his eyes, trying to believe he wasn't hoping for a hint of Al's scent clinging to the pillow when he inhaled.
"This is a lot of lumber, Ed," Al noticed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "How big is this house, anyway?"
The pile of wood in the open field looked like half a forest and Al suddenly realized exactly why Ed had needed him to help make this project work. It was conceivable that one alchemist could have done it all by himself but it would be a lot easier with two.
"Um," Ed hedged and Al looked at him warily.
"You do at least have plans drawn up? A design?"
"Of course I do," Ed huffed, pointing to a long cylinder of paper a few feet away on the grass. It looked like the paper Winry often drew her automail designs on, Al noticed with a smile. He walked over and picked it up, unfurling it to see what they had planned, and let out a low whistle.
"You must be planning on giving me lots of nieces and nephews," Al noted, and Ed's face turned bright pink. Something connected with the back of Al's head and he jumped, pouting at Winry who stood behind him, arms akimbo and a wrench dangling from her hand.
"I happen to be planning to use this part of the house for seeing patients," Winry sniffed, pointing to a section out to the side. "And this part for a workshop."
"And that's my library over there," Ed put in, giving Winry a wide berth just in case he accidentally managed to say something he shouldn't.
"And this is the master bedroom?" Al asked innocently, pointing to a rather large room. "It's the only one I see big enough for that bed Winry's been designing. A four-poster, right? I'm proud of you, Brother; you're finally getting adventurous." Al grinned slyly at the way Ed turned even pinker. Teasing his brother got easier every day.
"You know Ed," Paninya said as she came up behind Winry, leaning against her friend's shoulder, "One of these days you're going to have to stop blushing anytime someone alludes to sex."
The tips of Ed's ears turned bright red and he sputtered loud, disjointed sentences. Over his own laughter, Al barely made out snatches of phrases about Ed having always been adventurous and just which one of them had always insisted on being cautious anyway because it sure as hell wasn't him. Paninya looked amused; Winry just rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Paninya," Winry sighed. "Let's leave the boys to their work."
"Okay," Paninya chirped, smiling. "Dominic made some modifications to my automail that I thought you'd like to see!"
"So that's why you came out," Winry laughed, linking their arms together as they headed back towards Pinako's house. "Let's go see what he's come up with now."
As Ed's tantrum died down, Al took a closer look at the designs until he finally nodded. "Okay, Ed," he said, rolling up the blueprints and setting them aside. "I think we can get the main structure done tonight, and maybe some of the interior detailing. We can finish the detailing tomorrow before I leave." The brothers rolled up their shirt sleeves as they headed toward the pile of wood, and Al looked it over with a critical eye. "You have the right amount for this, right?" Al confirmed, reaching out to touch one of the planks closest to him. The cloth bandage on his hand snagged on the splinters and he grimaced as he disentangled himself, readjusting the bandage. His memory flashed to Roy pressing his thumb against the wound, the kisses that had followed, and he shivered.
"I measured it," Ed grunted. Al was always one for double-checking measurements but over the years Ed had developed similar habits. Losing an arm to a slight miscalculation had that effect. "Ready?"
Al nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready."
As one, they clapped then pressed their hands to the wood. There was a blinding flash of light as the structure of the building sprang into place, windows, doors and walls shaping into existence. When the alchemy was finished, Al stared at the new house, trembling slightly. He'd forgotten exactly how much energy a major alchemic event sucked out of him. He glanced over to see Ed wiping his brow with the back of his wrist, a thin sheen of sweat standing out on his face.
"Looks good," Ed nodded. "Let's go inside."
They walked through the house, inspecting the structure for integrity. Al paused in one of the second-story bedrooms and stood at the wide window, looking out over the countryside. He had a perfect view of the field where he and Ed and Winry had often played as children and a slow smile spread across his face at the memories. He clapped softly and touched the windowsill, nodding in approval when twisting vines appeared in the woodwork, decorative leaves standing out in the fine oak wood. A noise behind him made him turn and he saw Ed standing in the doorway.
"That's nice," Ed said.
"It's a good view out this window," Al murmured. One day, he thought, he'd like to show it to Roy. He remembered the conversation they'd had about their memories of the east, how Roy had asked him if he missed Resembool. This, Al wanted to say, gesturing to the field in front of him. This is why I don't really miss Resembool. I carry this with me all the time.
Ed crossed the room to stand beside him, looking out at the field. "Heh, yeah," he chuckled and Al could see the memories surfacing in his brother's expression. "Remember what happened there?" Ed pointed to to a large oak tree on top of a small swell of ground and Al laughed.
"That's where I won the right to marry Winry," Al grinned. "But she turned me down. I think she must have wanted you all along." Ed gave him a half-guilty look and Al rolled his eyes. "We've had this discussion," Al reminded him. "Besides all that, I think it's a little late now."
"Eh, yeah." Ed grinned sheepishly. Al almost laughed, shaking his head. For Ed, guilt was purely reflexive at this point in the game. "So you like this room, huh?"
Al smiled and nodded, looking out the window again. "It's really peaceful."
"All right." Ed slapped his hand on the windowsill and Al couldn't help checking to make sure his vinework hadn't gotten any dragon-like additions. "Then this can be your room." Al's head snapped over to fix Ed with a questioning, half-warning look. They'd had this discussion before, too. Ed caught the expression and held his hands up. "For when you visit," he qualified. "When you come for the wedding, you can stay in here, too."
Al's gaze returned to the sun-drenched field and his fingers curled around the smooth wood of the windowsill. They would still need to polish the woodwork later, when they painted the walls, but for now it would do. He rubbed across the grains with his fingertips, thinking that maybe he would get to show it to Roy soon after all. "Thanks, Ed," he murmured roughly. "Let's see how much of the detail work we can get done." He suddenly wanted to be back in Central with an intensity that startled him. He wanted to be able to leave on an early train the next day.
Ed agreed and pushed away from the window, scowling when Al admonished, "And no gargoyles. I refuse to have to come behind you and fix it all."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."