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whiskeycoffeeTitle: 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."
Thank you, thank you, thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cornerofmadness and evil_little_dog who have beta'd every chapter without complaint even though this isn't their pairing. Thank you to everyone who comments... and guess what? I finally stopped being a tease. Only took me eighteen chapters...
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 Sunday night. Previous chapters can be found here.
If I have to tell you where the chapter title came from, we're going to have a long, detailed discussion about what Good Music is.
Roy couldn’t help feeling he was being unfair. No matter how many times Al told him it was okay, that they would take things at Roy’s pace, he knew what kind of appetites a nineteen-year-old boy had. Hell, when Roy was nineteen, he was in love with his roommate at the academy and it was a wonder they actually made it to class half the time. When he remembered the academy, he knew he’d studied – he had distinct memories of Hughes telling him he studied too much, as a matter of fact – but he couldn’t think of when he might have had an opportunity to do so. What he remembered most was sneaking into Maes’ bed, stealing kisses and more in secluded places on campus, and being consumed with his need for his lover.
Roy saw the way Alphonse watched him; felt how Al held himself back when Roy kissed him, as though he wanted to give rein to some impulse of youthful passion and didn’t. Roy didn’t know if he’d ever be able to give Al the sort of attention the young man might get from a younger lover with fewer emotional scars, but he’d also seen clearly that Al had made up his mind about staying with Roy.
“I feel rather guilty, Alphonse,” Roy had mused quietly a few nights before, running his fingertips through Al’s hair as they lay in bed, at least a foot of empty space between them. At Al’s questioning look, he’d continued, “To be stealing your youth and hoarding it to myself like a greedy miser.”
Al had smiled just a little and caught Roy’s hand, turning his head to place a kiss on the inside of Roy’s wrist. “You can’t steal what’s freely given,” he’d murmured and Roy hadn’t known how to define the feelings that statement evoked. Instead, he’d kissed the younger man softly and let the subject drop.
Now, watching as Al slid into the bed beside him, Roy thought that he wasn’t ready to bare himself yet, but he could at least give Al something, maybe move them forward a bit. He waited until Alphonse was settled under the covers before he spooned up behind the younger man, feeling strangely warmed as Al turned his head a little so Roy could see his smile.
That is why I’m doing this, Roy thought suddenly. I want to make him smile. He snuggled in closer to Al’s body, hand smoothing over Al’s flat stomach. Al made a contented sound at the contact, nearly melting into Roy. Roy kissed the side of Al’s neck, feeling a sudden spike of desire to see how Al would react to other touches.
Roy slid his fingers under the edge of Al’s t-shirt, caressing up over his abdomen. Al’s breath hitched and his body twitched as Roy’s hand explored his torso, tracing his sternum and feathering over to his nipples. The first brush of fingers over a hardening nub made Al jerk, a breathy moan leaving him.
So responsive, Roy thought, smiling as he nuzzled into the side of Al’s neck. Yes, this had been a good idea. He continued to caress Al’s chest and stomach, hands kneading and massaging the muscles he could feel beneath warm, smooth skin. When Al began to writhe, little sounds spilling out on his panting breath, Roy slid his hand down lower, brushing over the hardening flesh under Al’s pajama pants. Al’s hips thrust reflexively and Roy hid a grin against the curve of Al’s throat.
“Roy,” Al breathed, the syllable trailing off into a low groan. The sound stirred something in Roy he hadn’t been sure he’d ever feel again, and Roy stroked him through the soft fabric of the pants. He pushed himself up on his elbow to get a better view of the young man’s expression as Al moaned and arched his back, the top of his head coming back to rest against Roy’s shoulder.
Roy could clearly see the flush on Al’s skin, the way his face turned ruddy and made his hair stand out like pale, fine gold. Roy took a deep breath and dragged his tongue across his palm before he slipped his hand inside Al’s pants, curling around the flesh he felt there.
The sound that action wrenched out of the young man couldn’t be quantified and Roy felt his own body shudder in response. Al’s fingers clenched in the sheets as his hips trembled and thrust into Roy’s hand. Half-formed words spilled from Al’s mouth and Roy felt his own body growing heavy as Al abandoned himself to the pleasure of Roy’s touch. Mustang struggled to remember what felt best, how to manipulate the flesh just so, feeling oddly gratified with every new sound Al made.
Finally, with a long, low groan that sounded like it might have been Roy’s name, Al shuddered and came. As Alphonse panted softly, coming back to himself, Roy studied his new lover’s flushed features, aware of the shallowness of his own breathing. It was a little surreal, Roy thought, but not bad. In fact, it was very, very good.
Al opened his eyes and met Roy’s gaze, his expression raw and open. “Thank you,” Al murmured, and Roy dropped a soft kiss at the corner of Al’s mouth before he began to pull away, intending to let Alphonse get cleaned up. Al caught Roy’s hand, keeping him from moving.
“I feel you,” Al rasped, rocking his hips back into Roy’s groin, pressing against the older man’s half-hard cock. Roy looked away, torn. It felt good but he wasn’t ready for Al to touch him yet. He’d rather just ignore it or take care of it himself. Al seemed to read Roy’s reticence and turned onto his back so he could see Roy’s face more clearly.
“I won’t touch you unless you ask me to,” Al promised, stroking Roy’s forearm soothingly. “But I want you to have this, if you can.”
Roy took a deep, shaky breath and went utterly still, his eyes locked on Al’s face. What happened to letting me choose my own pace? he joked inwardly, but the words wouldn't come out. He could feel his mind spinning, attempting to come to a conclusion, to say either yes or no, but he had no coherent thoughts to hang onto. All he knew was that he was raw and the young man beside him, thigh pressing into Roy’s need, was a balm to his soul. Closing his eyes, he lowered himself to the bed beside Al, the arm that lay over Al’s stomach tightening almost unconsciously.
Eyes tightly shut, Roy pushed against Al’s thigh, catching his breath as the cloth of his pants rubbed over his sensitive flesh. He felt Al’s fingers stroke over his neck, heard a soothing murmur that could have been words, and did it again. His body shuddered as he began to rock steadily against Al’s hip, clutching Al’s body to himself as he buried his face in Al’s shoulder.
True to his word, Al didn’t touch him except to cup a strong, comforting hand over Roy’s neck, fingers buried in Roy’s hair and thumb stroking over Roy’s jaw, but he kept up a steady stream of quiet encouragements that Roy barely heard over the roar of his own pulse in his ears.
Roy could feel his climax approaching and tensed, gritting his teeth as he struggled to let go, to let it happen. Al turned his head and brushed warm lips over Roy’s forehead, still whispering words that Roy couldn’t hear, and Mustang began to shake. He honestly didn’t know if he could finish. “Al…phonse,” he ground out, almost a plea, and Al responded with a strong, tender kiss. Roy could feel his lover’s concern, the protectiveness in the movements of his mouth, and came with a strangled cry.
When the haze of orgasm faded from his mind, Roy found that his hips were still moving gently against Al’s leg and consciously stilled them. He was trembling, a thin sheen of perspiration clinging to his skin, and he slowly became aware that Al was still murmuring to him. He lifted his head from Al’s shoulder, meeting those beautiful golden eyes, and shivered once more.
“You were beautiful,” Al whispered, stroking through Roy’s damp hair. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
Roy couldn’t speak, didn’t know what he would say if he could, and just grunted, rolling onto his back and letting his eyes fall shut. He was dimly aware of Al leaving the bed – going to get cleaned up, he imagined; Roy would have to do that himself, eventually – but didn’t open his eyes, couldn’t move just yet.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he felt his pajama pants being tugged down and opened his eyes in pure shock as a warm, wet cloth passed over his skin, cleaning him tenderly. Al sat beside him on the bed, gently coaxing the traces of their pleasure off Roy’s body, and looked up to smile at him.
Neither of them said a word, but Roy eventually relaxed as Al finished washing him and helped him get his soiled pants off, offering a clean pair to replace them. Al helped get those on, too, and then Roy was tense again, uneasy and embarrassed, unable to meet Al’s eyes. He startled, his skin jumping as Al’s mouth found Roy’s belly with a soft kiss. Roy could feel those lips curve into a smile as they moved up over his shirt, kissing his sternum through the fabric.
Al sat back and Roy thought he looked like sunlight personified – golden hair and eyes and almost unbearable warmth in his smile and expression. Some ancient sun-god, Roy thought, who would be kinder and wiser than all the gods he’d ever learned of and never believed in, then wondered at his own whimsy. On impulse, he reached up and pulled Al down to him, mouths meeting with new knowledge, new intimacy.
He took his time tasting Al’s mouth, offering himself up to the young man. Al accepted, tongue licking into Roy’s mouth, offering himself in return. When they finally broke, Alphonse was breathing heavily and Roy’s heartbeat felt erratic. Al reached over to turn off the bedside lamp then lay down on the mattress, arms twining around Roy. Roy stiffened for the briefest of moments before he surrendered to the embrace, his own hands curling around Al's back. The last thing he remembered before he drifted off to sleep was the sound of Al’s soft breathing in his ear and the beat of his heart against Roy’s chest.
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." Thank you, thank you, thank you to
cornerofmadness and evil_little_dog who have beta'd every chapter without complaint even though this isn't their pairing. Thank you to everyone who comments... and guess what? I finally stopped being a tease. Only took me eighteen chapters...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 Sunday night. Previous chapters can be found here.
If I have to tell you where the chapter title came from, we're going to have a long, detailed discussion about what Good Music is.
Roy couldn’t help feeling he was being unfair. No matter how many times Al told him it was okay, that they would take things at Roy’s pace, he knew what kind of appetites a nineteen-year-old boy had. Hell, when Roy was nineteen, he was in love with his roommate at the academy and it was a wonder they actually made it to class half the time. When he remembered the academy, he knew he’d studied – he had distinct memories of Hughes telling him he studied too much, as a matter of fact – but he couldn’t think of when he might have had an opportunity to do so. What he remembered most was sneaking into Maes’ bed, stealing kisses and more in secluded places on campus, and being consumed with his need for his lover.
Roy saw the way Alphonse watched him; felt how Al held himself back when Roy kissed him, as though he wanted to give rein to some impulse of youthful passion and didn’t. Roy didn’t know if he’d ever be able to give Al the sort of attention the young man might get from a younger lover with fewer emotional scars, but he’d also seen clearly that Al had made up his mind about staying with Roy.
“I feel rather guilty, Alphonse,” Roy had mused quietly a few nights before, running his fingertips through Al’s hair as they lay in bed, at least a foot of empty space between them. At Al’s questioning look, he’d continued, “To be stealing your youth and hoarding it to myself like a greedy miser.”
Al had smiled just a little and caught Roy’s hand, turning his head to place a kiss on the inside of Roy’s wrist. “You can’t steal what’s freely given,” he’d murmured and Roy hadn’t known how to define the feelings that statement evoked. Instead, he’d kissed the younger man softly and let the subject drop.
Now, watching as Al slid into the bed beside him, Roy thought that he wasn’t ready to bare himself yet, but he could at least give Al something, maybe move them forward a bit. He waited until Alphonse was settled under the covers before he spooned up behind the younger man, feeling strangely warmed as Al turned his head a little so Roy could see his smile.
That is why I’m doing this, Roy thought suddenly. I want to make him smile. He snuggled in closer to Al’s body, hand smoothing over Al’s flat stomach. Al made a contented sound at the contact, nearly melting into Roy. Roy kissed the side of Al’s neck, feeling a sudden spike of desire to see how Al would react to other touches.
Roy slid his fingers under the edge of Al’s t-shirt, caressing up over his abdomen. Al’s breath hitched and his body twitched as Roy’s hand explored his torso, tracing his sternum and feathering over to his nipples. The first brush of fingers over a hardening nub made Al jerk, a breathy moan leaving him.
So responsive, Roy thought, smiling as he nuzzled into the side of Al’s neck. Yes, this had been a good idea. He continued to caress Al’s chest and stomach, hands kneading and massaging the muscles he could feel beneath warm, smooth skin. When Al began to writhe, little sounds spilling out on his panting breath, Roy slid his hand down lower, brushing over the hardening flesh under Al’s pajama pants. Al’s hips thrust reflexively and Roy hid a grin against the curve of Al’s throat.
“Roy,” Al breathed, the syllable trailing off into a low groan. The sound stirred something in Roy he hadn’t been sure he’d ever feel again, and Roy stroked him through the soft fabric of the pants. He pushed himself up on his elbow to get a better view of the young man’s expression as Al moaned and arched his back, the top of his head coming back to rest against Roy’s shoulder.
Roy could clearly see the flush on Al’s skin, the way his face turned ruddy and made his hair stand out like pale, fine gold. Roy took a deep breath and dragged his tongue across his palm before he slipped his hand inside Al’s pants, curling around the flesh he felt there.
The sound that action wrenched out of the young man couldn’t be quantified and Roy felt his own body shudder in response. Al’s fingers clenched in the sheets as his hips trembled and thrust into Roy’s hand. Half-formed words spilled from Al’s mouth and Roy felt his own body growing heavy as Al abandoned himself to the pleasure of Roy’s touch. Mustang struggled to remember what felt best, how to manipulate the flesh just so, feeling oddly gratified with every new sound Al made.
Finally, with a long, low groan that sounded like it might have been Roy’s name, Al shuddered and came. As Alphonse panted softly, coming back to himself, Roy studied his new lover’s flushed features, aware of the shallowness of his own breathing. It was a little surreal, Roy thought, but not bad. In fact, it was very, very good.
Al opened his eyes and met Roy’s gaze, his expression raw and open. “Thank you,” Al murmured, and Roy dropped a soft kiss at the corner of Al’s mouth before he began to pull away, intending to let Alphonse get cleaned up. Al caught Roy’s hand, keeping him from moving.
“I feel you,” Al rasped, rocking his hips back into Roy’s groin, pressing against the older man’s half-hard cock. Roy looked away, torn. It felt good but he wasn’t ready for Al to touch him yet. He’d rather just ignore it or take care of it himself. Al seemed to read Roy’s reticence and turned onto his back so he could see Roy’s face more clearly.
“I won’t touch you unless you ask me to,” Al promised, stroking Roy’s forearm soothingly. “But I want you to have this, if you can.”
Roy took a deep, shaky breath and went utterly still, his eyes locked on Al’s face. What happened to letting me choose my own pace? he joked inwardly, but the words wouldn't come out. He could feel his mind spinning, attempting to come to a conclusion, to say either yes or no, but he had no coherent thoughts to hang onto. All he knew was that he was raw and the young man beside him, thigh pressing into Roy’s need, was a balm to his soul. Closing his eyes, he lowered himself to the bed beside Al, the arm that lay over Al’s stomach tightening almost unconsciously.
Eyes tightly shut, Roy pushed against Al’s thigh, catching his breath as the cloth of his pants rubbed over his sensitive flesh. He felt Al’s fingers stroke over his neck, heard a soothing murmur that could have been words, and did it again. His body shuddered as he began to rock steadily against Al’s hip, clutching Al’s body to himself as he buried his face in Al’s shoulder.
True to his word, Al didn’t touch him except to cup a strong, comforting hand over Roy’s neck, fingers buried in Roy’s hair and thumb stroking over Roy’s jaw, but he kept up a steady stream of quiet encouragements that Roy barely heard over the roar of his own pulse in his ears.
Roy could feel his climax approaching and tensed, gritting his teeth as he struggled to let go, to let it happen. Al turned his head and brushed warm lips over Roy’s forehead, still whispering words that Roy couldn’t hear, and Mustang began to shake. He honestly didn’t know if he could finish. “Al…phonse,” he ground out, almost a plea, and Al responded with a strong, tender kiss. Roy could feel his lover’s concern, the protectiveness in the movements of his mouth, and came with a strangled cry.
When the haze of orgasm faded from his mind, Roy found that his hips were still moving gently against Al’s leg and consciously stilled them. He was trembling, a thin sheen of perspiration clinging to his skin, and he slowly became aware that Al was still murmuring to him. He lifted his head from Al’s shoulder, meeting those beautiful golden eyes, and shivered once more.
“You were beautiful,” Al whispered, stroking through Roy’s damp hair. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
Roy couldn’t speak, didn’t know what he would say if he could, and just grunted, rolling onto his back and letting his eyes fall shut. He was dimly aware of Al leaving the bed – going to get cleaned up, he imagined; Roy would have to do that himself, eventually – but didn’t open his eyes, couldn’t move just yet.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he felt his pajama pants being tugged down and opened his eyes in pure shock as a warm, wet cloth passed over his skin, cleaning him tenderly. Al sat beside him on the bed, gently coaxing the traces of their pleasure off Roy’s body, and looked up to smile at him.
Neither of them said a word, but Roy eventually relaxed as Al finished washing him and helped him get his soiled pants off, offering a clean pair to replace them. Al helped get those on, too, and then Roy was tense again, uneasy and embarrassed, unable to meet Al’s eyes. He startled, his skin jumping as Al’s mouth found Roy’s belly with a soft kiss. Roy could feel those lips curve into a smile as they moved up over his shirt, kissing his sternum through the fabric.
Al sat back and Roy thought he looked like sunlight personified – golden hair and eyes and almost unbearable warmth in his smile and expression. Some ancient sun-god, Roy thought, who would be kinder and wiser than all the gods he’d ever learned of and never believed in, then wondered at his own whimsy. On impulse, he reached up and pulled Al down to him, mouths meeting with new knowledge, new intimacy.
He took his time tasting Al’s mouth, offering himself up to the young man. Al accepted, tongue licking into Roy’s mouth, offering himself in return. When they finally broke, Alphonse was breathing heavily and Roy’s heartbeat felt erratic. Al reached over to turn off the bedside lamp then lay down on the mattress, arms twining around Roy. Roy stiffened for the briefest of moments before he surrendered to the embrace, his own hands curling around Al's back. The last thing he remembered before he drifted off to sleep was the sound of Al’s soft breathing in his ear and the beat of his heart against Roy’s chest.
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no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 01:10 am (UTC)There is nothing that I can write to express how wonderfully hot this was.
I'm going to see if I can get my brain back into function now.
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Date: 2007-04-09 01:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:57 am (UTC)kiss on the inside of Roy’s wrist. “You can’t steal what’s freely given,” he’d
murmured and Roy hadn’t known how to define the feelings that statement evoked.))
The words you wrote (above) were some of the most beautiful i have read. This whole chapter almost read as poetry in its beauty.
I cried while reading it and i'm still crying now. I am so glad Roy was able to make that little step forward this chapter. I wish he hadn't startled at Al's cleaning and kissing him. At this point in the story; a man of Roy's intelligence; the amount of time Alphonse has already stayed with him; and Alphonse assuring him he isn't going anywhere...Roy should at the least, not be startled by anything Alphonse does (except maybe grabbing his "manhood") It's been a lot of chapters and a lot of story timeline that has passed so far. Just when can we expect an unfettered, no holds barred, love making session?
Thanks alot for sharing such a great story.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:12 am (UTC)""Spring: And Blushing Roses for My Brow
(Al/Elicia)""
This story leads the reader to believe that in the end; Roy is dead or no longer in the picture (because Roy and Al planted roses 2gether in their yard; along with the winter scene where Roy & Al enjoyed the beauty of the iced roses). Does this mean that i'm going to read all these chapters hoping and then being grateful for all the struggles Al and Roy faced and overcame...only to be crushed at the end of the story. I will hate you 4ever if this doesn't have a HAPPY Roy and Al ending. And i especially do not want Al finding any kind of solace with Elicia.
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Date: 2007-04-09 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 01:46 am (UTC)I'm glad you're enjoying it. I can't tell how many chapters it will be, but it spans fifteen years. Of course, once I get them to a certain spot, I'll start skipping whole months and years in chapters instead of days/weeks.
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Date: 2007-04-09 03:42 pm (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed it.
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Date: 2007-04-09 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:01 am (UTC)hee.
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Date: 2007-04-09 03:49 pm (UTC)I TOLD YOU they eventually have sex. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:02 am (UTC)*whee's over all the golden Al alusions*
And really that's all I can say in response.
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Date: 2007-04-09 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:58 am (UTC)I think I've said this before, but I love this not because it's Roy/Al (it's really not my pairing, in all honesty), but because it is simply a compelling, well-written, superbly characterized story. I just can't say enough good things about it.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:51 pm (UTC)I'm so glad you're enjoying it, even though it isn't your pairing. I can definitely see how this couple isn't everyone's cup of tea... I can't even justify it to myself. I just love them. *squishes*
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Date: 2007-04-09 04:33 pm (UTC)And here, have some more grabby Maes icon goodness.
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Date: 2007-04-09 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:52 pm (UTC)...Now to write the dragon's wedding.
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Date: 2007-04-09 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 03:53 pm (UTC)*drools a little on your icon*
...Can I have him? Please? Konzen, I mean.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-10 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 11:14 pm (UTC)Very powerful.
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Date: 2007-04-10 01:47 am (UTC)Thank you, I'm glad you like it. :)
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Date: 2007-04-10 04:13 am (UTC)I think I enjoyed that a little too much....
Seriously, that was friggin hot but yet incredibly tender and sweet. You totally pulled it off. Damn good - and worth the wait. ^^
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Date: 2007-04-14 04:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-15 09:38 pm (UTC)Wow, was this worth the wait (for me anyway: I don't presume to speak for the boys)! Roy's need to control and his difficulty in letting go are palpable and sad. It's such a relief when he's able to break through that.
I also found his shock at Al cleaning him up, and his brief hesitancy when Al holds him at the end very believable. Taking two steps forward and one step back is a very human response to change. It made this all the more real for me.
Can't forget Al - he's just so beautiful in all of this, and so tender with Roy it makes me want to cry. Lovely chapter.