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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."
Thanks as always to everyone. <3 It's good to know you're reading.
You may have noticed that the final chapter count has been reduced. This is because I decided to shave down a lot of the 'filler' material and stick to the main plot, despite my love for simply writing these two in coupley situations. I figured I can satisfy myself with one-shots set within the universe if I want to; in the meantime, the storyline meanders a little less.
I am posting one chapter every other Monday. Previous chapters and related one-shots can be found here.
"Where are we going?" Al asked for probably the fifth time that day since Roy had told him to get dressed for going out. Roy's answer didn't waver, just an enigmatic smile and an insistent, "Hurry up."
Al was even more baffled when a taxi arrived for them. "I could have driven us wherever you wanted to go," he said, but Roy shook his head.
"I have my reasons for believing you will not want to drive back," Mustang smirked and Al frowned, perplexed. Roy just chuckled under his breath and slid into the back seat of the taxi. He handed the driver a slip of paper with an address. Al craned forward to try to get a glimpse of what was written on it but Roy gripped his elbow and pulled him back with a rebuking look. Al huffed but complied, resigning himself to being surprised. Of course, Roy noticed, beneath the put-out expression was a little-boy kind of excitement that made Al practically glow, those gold eyes shining.
It made Roy smile and he wondered if Al realized why he was being taken out. They'd only been sleeping together for about six and a half months, but today marked a year to the day that Alphonse had stood in the beginnings of their garden, his eyes tortured and hair ruffled by the early spring breeze, and declared to Roy that he felt more for him than just friendship. Roy had accepted the declaration and they'd begun the slow, careful steps that had brought them to this point. It was no casual affair they were conducting; he knew that. He'd known it from the beginning. There was too much at stake; they had too much of a history to risk it on a whim. Their progress had gone at a snail's pace, but Roy thought it was better that way. He thought, at least, that they were both happy now and it seemed the right time to reaffirm to Al that they had a long road ahead of them.
Al gave Roy a half-scared look as the taxi deposited them in front of an unfamiliar residence, but Roy ignored the expression and made his way up the walk to the front door. Al followed cautiously, standing to the side as Roy knocked on the door. A lady answered and Roy inclined his head politely.
"Good afternoon," he smiled. "My name is Roy Mustang. I called earlier...?"
"Oh, yes of course!" the woman answered as she beamed. "Of course I recognize you, General Mustang. Please, come in. And..." she paused, catching sight of Al. Roy wondered if she recognized him; Ed was more well-known than Al, but the younger Elric had become high profile in the Northern War. "Would this be one of the Elric brothers?"
"Alphonse," Al answered courteously with that disarming smile of his. The woman's face seemed to light up and Roy almost laughed.
Watch out for that one, he thought to himself. He's sneaky. Helps you recover from a failed suicide attempt and ends up in your bed and completely under your skin.
"It's an honor to have you both here," the woman smiled, letting them into the house. Al followed Roy in, though Mustang could still sense his hesitance. The woman led them into a back room, making small talk the entire way, and when they reached the doorway, Roy stepped to the side and gestured for Al to enter.
"Go on," he said. "Pick one."
Al peered inside, confused, but his eyes lit up as soon as he caught sight of the litter of squirming, fluffy kittens rolling around with each other inside an enclosed space. "Really?" he said, his eyes flying to Roy. Roy saw the way Al's body tensed as if he were keeping himself from stepping over the threshold to the animals.
"Really," Roy confirmed, nodding. "Mrs. Smith here is looking for good homes for the kittens, and it is a special occasion after all." He hoped he didn't have to explain that to Al, not with Mrs. Smith standing right there, but Al's expression softened with recognition.
"I didn't think you'd remember," the young man said, finally giving in and stepping over the makeshift barricade of pillows that had been set up around the kittens. He settled cross-legged on the floor and was almost instantly attacked by a feisty black kitten. The black one was soon followed by others and Roy stepped into the room to watch. Al looked ecstatic and Roy couldn’t help but smile as the kittens burrowed into Al, nuzzling his skin and tugging at his clothes.
“I can’t decide,” Al laughed as a black and white kitten reached out for him with one paw, only to tumble over his ginger-colored littermate.
Roy chuckled but shook his head. “One’s my limit,” he insisted, surreptitiously moving his foot back from a silver and white ball of fluff who found his shoelace far too interesting. The kitten followed the motion. Al gave him a mock pout but was easily distracted by a short-haired white kitten who bumped his hand greedily, seeking affection.
Meanwhile, Roy nudged the grey kitten away with the toe of his boot, frowning when it returned, stubbornly fixated on the end of his bootlace. The kitten pounced, snagging its tiny claws and teeth in the lace and pulling ferociously. Roy scowled and bumped it away again, this time a bit more forcefully. The kitten rolled tail-over-ears with an indignant noise and pounced again as soon as it righted itself, only to be captured by a pair of strong, gentle hands and lifted. It purred instantly and Roy looked up to thank Al for his assistance. He paused in dismay at the sight of the kitten nipping at the ends of Al’s hair, Al’s golden eyes sparkling with delight as he nuzzled into the silver fur.
“This one,” Al said, laughing, and Roy groaned.
“But why?”
“Alphonse,” Roy admonished as they walked down the street toward the corner where the taxi would come to collect them. “You really should keep it in the carrier we bought.”
“But she cries in the carrier,” Al argued as he held the kitten close, stroking the soft fur. “She’s lonely. I don’t mind holding her.”
Roy frowned, feeling a mild twinge of irrational jealousy. The kitten was his anniversary present to Al and the object of gifts was to garner appreciation for the giver, was it not? Al had been positively preoccupied since he’d picked up the fluffy little trouble-maker. Still, Roy was glad to see Al so happy, and knowing he’d contributed to that mollified him.
“It might be better to use the carrier,” Roy reasoned, this time with genuine goodwill. “If something scares it – a dog barking or the taxi – you wouldn’t want it to jump down and run away. It could get hurt.”
Al sighed, slowing to a stop as they reached the curb. “You’re right,” he ceded. “Here, will you help me put her in?” He gave the crate to Roy, who held it open while Al gently coaxed the kitten inside.
“Thank you,” Al said as Roy closed the crate. Alphonse smiled at his lover, affection in his eyes. “This was a wonderful present.”
Roy returned the smile, warming at Al’s expression. “You’re more than welcome, Alphonse.”
Color spread across Al’s cheeks and he leaned forward just a little. Roy caught his breath, wondering if Al would really kiss him here on the sidewalk, in plain view, and wondering if he should stop the young man. The taxi pulling up to the curb solved the problem as Al stepped back, letting Roy into the car first and then following him in, holding the cat’s crate in his lap.
The kitten fell asleep quickly, worn out by the excitement of the afternoon, and Roy and Al spent the ride home in silence, testing how many subtle ways they could flirt with each other without alerting the driver to their actions. A knee pressed briefly against a thigh, fingers accidentally bumping a hip, shoulders brushing by chance as one or the other shifted positions… it was a game they liked to play with each other, one that never failed to turn Roy’s appetites in a certain direction.
Roy was sure the tension between them was palpable by the time the driver deposited them at their house and the car’s taillights were still barely visible at the end of their road when Roy reached up for Al, finding his lover already ducking in hungrily for the kiss Roy was offering. Al’s mouth opened easily under Roy’s and he greeted Roy’s tongue with his own.
Their mouths worked against each other as Al set the crate down on the ground to give his hands the freedom to explore Roy, settling at the small of his back and twining into that dark hair. Roy pressed close, his kiss tender but demanding, heat stirring in his belly. He was just getting started good when Al pulled back unexpectedly, leaving Roy blinking and dazed.
When his mind cleared, Roy registered the sound of the kitten protesting her imprisonment and Al cooing soothingly to her. “It’s all right,” Al murmured, lifting the crate to look inside at his new pet as he began to move toward the house. “You’ll be out of there in just a second. We just have to get you inside first…”
Roy leaned heavily on his cane, his breathing erratic and his eyebrow peaked in disbelief. At that moment, he wondered if he was going to profoundly regret his choice in gifts. He walked into the house in time to see the kitten come prowling out of her carrier, alert and jumpy, twitching at every new thing she encountered.
"She needs a name," Al mused, watching her with utter delight. Roy could tell he wanted to pick the kitten up but was having too much fun watching her explore her new home. "Any suggestions?"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Evil Incarnate," he said flatly and Al gave him an unimpressed look.
"Getting a cat was your idea, Roy," he reminded the older man sternly, and Roy nodded.
"Yes, but I didn't mean for you to get the most evil one of the litter," he protested. "Surely there were sweeter ones you could have picked."
Al shook his head. "I wanted her." He smiled. "She proved she has good taste." Roy blinked, still unused to hearing such blatant flirtations from Al even though it had been par for the course for several months now. Before he could come up with anything else to say, Al said, "Tana. I think I'll name her Tana."
Roy just nodded, his eyes fixed on his lover's happy smile.
Tana yawned and stretched, snuggling back down into the soft cushion underneath her. She'd made a nice little nest here and it was warm from her body heat, though she felt lonely without the constant press and pull of her littermates. The humans who had taken her with them were nice -- especially the golden one, who was soft and warm -- but they weren't here. She'd fallen asleep nestled against the golden one's thigh. The black one smelled good, she thought, and the couch smelled a lot like him. She yawned, the motion bigger than she was, and stretched, looking around. Neither human was anywhere to be seen and she let out a petulant little mewl. She cocked her head to listen for a reply. There were muffled noises above her and she looked up, wondering how to get to those noises.
With a sneeze, she jumped down off the couch and decided the easiest way would be to follow their freshest scents. The whole house smelled like them so it took her a little while to pick out the warmest trail, but when she did, it led her to the foot of what seemed to be an endless set of obstacles. She crouched to the floor, her tail whipping from side to side in determination, and jumped with all her might. Her claws caught in the rug that ran down the center of the steps and she grunted, pulling herself up. One down, a whole staircase to go.
One by one, she pulled herself up the stairs, stopping every third step to catch her breath and meow, hoping the humans would hear and come to her rescue. They didn't, and she decided that once she finally found them, they would need to be taught a lesson: Namely, that when she called, they answered.
Finally at the top of the staircase, she scampered down the hallway. There was a fringe at the edge of the rug and she flipped ears-over-tail when it slid under her paws. Alive! she thought, slapping at the slithering strands. By the time she figured out it wasn't actually alive, it didn't matter anymore. She was having too much fun batting it back and forth, pouncing on it and watching the different ways she could make it jump. She chirruped and spun around to invite her brothers and sisters to play... only to remember she was alone. Right. The humans. She shook herself, settling her fur back into place, and pranced off down the hall, her ears back and her tail straight up behind her as she pretended she had never been so undignified as to be distracted by a rug of all things.
The noises were louder now and she could follow them easily. She picked up the pace, almost toppling over when her hind legs got a little ahead of her front ones, but she skidded to a stop in the doorway and mewed loudly. One of the humans made an answering noise that sounded like a pitiful attempt at a meow -- But what can you expect? They're humans, after all. -- and she laid her ears flat against her head. Of course they'd be up there. It wasn't like she'd had enough of climbing trying to get up the stairs or anything; now they expected her to dig in her little claws and pull herself up the sheer side of that bed. At least the blankets looked thick, she thought. They'd hold her. She crouched, judging the distance, and jumped as high as she could. Her claws caught a little less than halfway up and she scrambled for all she was worth. She nearly fell twice, but finally made it to the top, wild-eyed, with her tail bushed out behind her.
Not fair! she thought when she got a good look at her new humans. They were playing without her! They were no longer wearing those strange false-pelts that humans were so fond of, and the black one's scent was stronger than it had been earlier. It really was a good scent. She could smell the golden one, too, and they smelled happy. They were playing together, wrestling and snuggling like she and her littermates had done, and her tail twitched in annoyance. She'd show them -- she'd do the same thing to her new humans that she had done to her brothers and sisters; she'd make them play with her.
The black one was closest to her, facing the other way, and she thought that was good. A surprise attack was never a bad idea. She pressed her chest close to the mattress and stalked closer, inch by inch, until she was sure she was within range, and then, claws out and mouth wide open to bare her little teeth, she pounced.
Al had noticed, over the course of time, that sex with Roy tended to make him forget about the world around him. Concentration narrowed to wherever their bodies were touching, the humid heat of Roy's breath on his skin, and the desire for it to go on forever... except that he didn't think he'd survive that. So when Roy's hand closed around Al's cock hard enough to really hurt and thrust so deep that pleasure-pain snapped into just pure pain, it took Al a minute to register that Roy had yelled. And not in a good way.
Al's eyes snapped open with the shock of pain and he tried to twist away from Roy, which only succeeded in hurting worse, since Roy still had a death grip on him. Out of the corner of his eye, Al thought he saw a blur of silver catapult off the end of the bed and disappear around the door frame faster than a flash of lightning.
"Wha...?"
"Son of a bitch, that goddamned cat!" Roy howled, finally releasing Al, who flinched when Roy left his body less-than-gently.
Al finally realized that the grey streak he'd seen fleeing the bedroom was his new kitten and he sat straight up in the bed, twisting around to get a look at Roy. "Tana! What did you do to her?"
"What did I do to her?" Roy repeated incredulously. "She attacked me!"
Al moved as if to leave the bed, swinging his legs over the side, when Roy's hand closed around his wrist. Al turned to look back at Roy. "I'm going to go check on her," Al said. "I think you scared her."
"She's fine," Roy insisted through gritted teeth. "If you leave this room to go after that cat, you might as well be prepared to stay out there for a long time."
Anger flashed through Al's face and he narrowed his eyes. When Roy didn't so much as blink, Al finally realized what was wrong and tried his very best not to grin. He failed, and soon he was snickering despite his best efforts. "Roy Mustang, you're jealous!"
"I am not," Roy said, though his eyes flicked away from Al's gaze. Al threw back his head and laughed.
"You are," Al said, scooting closer to him on the bed. "You're jealous of a little bitty kitten."
"I'm not jealous of that damn cat!" Roy pulled away petulantly when Al's hand tried to slide over his waist, but when Al persisted, he gave in. "She clawed me. I'm probably bleeding." He twisted to try to see what visible damage Tana had left on his rear-end but couldn't see far enough.
Al turned him in his arms so that Al could get a look, and Roy jumped as Al's hand smoothed down over his buttocks. "You're not bleeding," Al rumbled in a soothing voice. "You're just a little scratched." He kissed Roy's temple. "It'll go away in a day or so; it probably hurt worse the first time I made love to you."
Roy began to relax somewhat as Al stroked his back, laying gentle kisses across his face and neck. Just when Roy was starting to respond, having regained some of the mood that had been shattered with Tana's attack, Al pulled back. The look Roy fixed on him would have crumbled a lesser man, but Al had spent years with Ed, building up an immunity to glares like that.
"I'll be right back," Al insisted, kissing Roy gently. "I just want to make sure she's okay."
Before Roy could argue, Al had slipped out of the bed and down the hall looking for the kitten. He heard the sound of Roy flopping back against the mattress and his lover's voice came floating out of the bedroom.
"That's it," Roy called. "From now on, we're locking the door!"
Al found Tana huddled just under the edge of the bed in Al's old bedroom, shivering, with her fur puffed out so far she looked like a dandelion fluff. She hissed a little when Al first came close to her, but he coaxed her into his hands and petted her until she calmed. He chuckled as she finally settled down and started nipping affectionately at his fingertips. "Don't worry," he told the kitten. "He'll calm down eventually. You just might want to not do that again." He snickered as he remembered what had happened; it was much funnier now than it had been in the moment.
"It's not funny," Roy's voice said from close by and Al almost lost his balance as he whirled around. Roy was standing in the doorway, robe thrown loosely around his shoulders, cane in hand. Tana spit and hissed and tried to jump backwards but she just hit Al's ankle and found she could go no further.
"Aw, Roy, you scared her again," Al cajoled, capturing the kitten between his hands and stroking her ears in a soothing manner. "And just when I had her calmed down." Roy's eyebrow arched sharply and Al managed to look contrite, thinking he might actually be taking things a bit too far. "Does your... um, where she clawed you still hurt?"
Roy took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, then shook his head. "Not much," he admitted. "But are you really going to stay out here with the cat?" When Al hesitated, Roy gave a meaningful glance to Al's groin. "You might at least want to get some clothes on before she decides that you have a cat toy waiting for her there."
Al's eyes went wide and he stood so quickly that Tana tumbled over backwards and dashed under the bed as soon as she could get away from him. Roy smirked at him and Al grinned sheepishly.
"So, um, you were saying something about locking the door....?"
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." Thanks as always to everyone. <3 It's good to know you're reading.
You may have noticed that the final chapter count has been reduced. This is because I decided to shave down a lot of the 'filler' material and stick to the main plot, despite my love for simply writing these two in coupley situations. I figured I can satisfy myself with one-shots set within the universe if I want to; in the meantime, the storyline meanders a little less.
I am posting one chapter every other Monday. Previous chapters and related one-shots can be found here.
"Where are we going?" Al asked for probably the fifth time that day since Roy had told him to get dressed for going out. Roy's answer didn't waver, just an enigmatic smile and an insistent, "Hurry up."
Al was even more baffled when a taxi arrived for them. "I could have driven us wherever you wanted to go," he said, but Roy shook his head.
"I have my reasons for believing you will not want to drive back," Mustang smirked and Al frowned, perplexed. Roy just chuckled under his breath and slid into the back seat of the taxi. He handed the driver a slip of paper with an address. Al craned forward to try to get a glimpse of what was written on it but Roy gripped his elbow and pulled him back with a rebuking look. Al huffed but complied, resigning himself to being surprised. Of course, Roy noticed, beneath the put-out expression was a little-boy kind of excitement that made Al practically glow, those gold eyes shining.
It made Roy smile and he wondered if Al realized why he was being taken out. They'd only been sleeping together for about six and a half months, but today marked a year to the day that Alphonse had stood in the beginnings of their garden, his eyes tortured and hair ruffled by the early spring breeze, and declared to Roy that he felt more for him than just friendship. Roy had accepted the declaration and they'd begun the slow, careful steps that had brought them to this point. It was no casual affair they were conducting; he knew that. He'd known it from the beginning. There was too much at stake; they had too much of a history to risk it on a whim. Their progress had gone at a snail's pace, but Roy thought it was better that way. He thought, at least, that they were both happy now and it seemed the right time to reaffirm to Al that they had a long road ahead of them.
Al gave Roy a half-scared look as the taxi deposited them in front of an unfamiliar residence, but Roy ignored the expression and made his way up the walk to the front door. Al followed cautiously, standing to the side as Roy knocked on the door. A lady answered and Roy inclined his head politely.
"Good afternoon," he smiled. "My name is Roy Mustang. I called earlier...?"
"Oh, yes of course!" the woman answered as she beamed. "Of course I recognize you, General Mustang. Please, come in. And..." she paused, catching sight of Al. Roy wondered if she recognized him; Ed was more well-known than Al, but the younger Elric had become high profile in the Northern War. "Would this be one of the Elric brothers?"
"Alphonse," Al answered courteously with that disarming smile of his. The woman's face seemed to light up and Roy almost laughed.
Watch out for that one, he thought to himself. He's sneaky. Helps you recover from a failed suicide attempt and ends up in your bed and completely under your skin.
"It's an honor to have you both here," the woman smiled, letting them into the house. Al followed Roy in, though Mustang could still sense his hesitance. The woman led them into a back room, making small talk the entire way, and when they reached the doorway, Roy stepped to the side and gestured for Al to enter.
"Go on," he said. "Pick one."
Al peered inside, confused, but his eyes lit up as soon as he caught sight of the litter of squirming, fluffy kittens rolling around with each other inside an enclosed space. "Really?" he said, his eyes flying to Roy. Roy saw the way Al's body tensed as if he were keeping himself from stepping over the threshold to the animals.
"Really," Roy confirmed, nodding. "Mrs. Smith here is looking for good homes for the kittens, and it is a special occasion after all." He hoped he didn't have to explain that to Al, not with Mrs. Smith standing right there, but Al's expression softened with recognition.
"I didn't think you'd remember," the young man said, finally giving in and stepping over the makeshift barricade of pillows that had been set up around the kittens. He settled cross-legged on the floor and was almost instantly attacked by a feisty black kitten. The black one was soon followed by others and Roy stepped into the room to watch. Al looked ecstatic and Roy couldn’t help but smile as the kittens burrowed into Al, nuzzling his skin and tugging at his clothes.
“I can’t decide,” Al laughed as a black and white kitten reached out for him with one paw, only to tumble over his ginger-colored littermate.
Roy chuckled but shook his head. “One’s my limit,” he insisted, surreptitiously moving his foot back from a silver and white ball of fluff who found his shoelace far too interesting. The kitten followed the motion. Al gave him a mock pout but was easily distracted by a short-haired white kitten who bumped his hand greedily, seeking affection.
Meanwhile, Roy nudged the grey kitten away with the toe of his boot, frowning when it returned, stubbornly fixated on the end of his bootlace. The kitten pounced, snagging its tiny claws and teeth in the lace and pulling ferociously. Roy scowled and bumped it away again, this time a bit more forcefully. The kitten rolled tail-over-ears with an indignant noise and pounced again as soon as it righted itself, only to be captured by a pair of strong, gentle hands and lifted. It purred instantly and Roy looked up to thank Al for his assistance. He paused in dismay at the sight of the kitten nipping at the ends of Al’s hair, Al’s golden eyes sparkling with delight as he nuzzled into the silver fur.
“This one,” Al said, laughing, and Roy groaned.
“But why?”
“Alphonse,” Roy admonished as they walked down the street toward the corner where the taxi would come to collect them. “You really should keep it in the carrier we bought.”
“But she cries in the carrier,” Al argued as he held the kitten close, stroking the soft fur. “She’s lonely. I don’t mind holding her.”
Roy frowned, feeling a mild twinge of irrational jealousy. The kitten was his anniversary present to Al and the object of gifts was to garner appreciation for the giver, was it not? Al had been positively preoccupied since he’d picked up the fluffy little trouble-maker. Still, Roy was glad to see Al so happy, and knowing he’d contributed to that mollified him.
“It might be better to use the carrier,” Roy reasoned, this time with genuine goodwill. “If something scares it – a dog barking or the taxi – you wouldn’t want it to jump down and run away. It could get hurt.”
Al sighed, slowing to a stop as they reached the curb. “You’re right,” he ceded. “Here, will you help me put her in?” He gave the crate to Roy, who held it open while Al gently coaxed the kitten inside.
“Thank you,” Al said as Roy closed the crate. Alphonse smiled at his lover, affection in his eyes. “This was a wonderful present.”
Roy returned the smile, warming at Al’s expression. “You’re more than welcome, Alphonse.”
Color spread across Al’s cheeks and he leaned forward just a little. Roy caught his breath, wondering if Al would really kiss him here on the sidewalk, in plain view, and wondering if he should stop the young man. The taxi pulling up to the curb solved the problem as Al stepped back, letting Roy into the car first and then following him in, holding the cat’s crate in his lap.
The kitten fell asleep quickly, worn out by the excitement of the afternoon, and Roy and Al spent the ride home in silence, testing how many subtle ways they could flirt with each other without alerting the driver to their actions. A knee pressed briefly against a thigh, fingers accidentally bumping a hip, shoulders brushing by chance as one or the other shifted positions… it was a game they liked to play with each other, one that never failed to turn Roy’s appetites in a certain direction.
Roy was sure the tension between them was palpable by the time the driver deposited them at their house and the car’s taillights were still barely visible at the end of their road when Roy reached up for Al, finding his lover already ducking in hungrily for the kiss Roy was offering. Al’s mouth opened easily under Roy’s and he greeted Roy’s tongue with his own.
Their mouths worked against each other as Al set the crate down on the ground to give his hands the freedom to explore Roy, settling at the small of his back and twining into that dark hair. Roy pressed close, his kiss tender but demanding, heat stirring in his belly. He was just getting started good when Al pulled back unexpectedly, leaving Roy blinking and dazed.
When his mind cleared, Roy registered the sound of the kitten protesting her imprisonment and Al cooing soothingly to her. “It’s all right,” Al murmured, lifting the crate to look inside at his new pet as he began to move toward the house. “You’ll be out of there in just a second. We just have to get you inside first…”
Roy leaned heavily on his cane, his breathing erratic and his eyebrow peaked in disbelief. At that moment, he wondered if he was going to profoundly regret his choice in gifts. He walked into the house in time to see the kitten come prowling out of her carrier, alert and jumpy, twitching at every new thing she encountered.
"She needs a name," Al mused, watching her with utter delight. Roy could tell he wanted to pick the kitten up but was having too much fun watching her explore her new home. "Any suggestions?"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Evil Incarnate," he said flatly and Al gave him an unimpressed look.
"Getting a cat was your idea, Roy," he reminded the older man sternly, and Roy nodded.
"Yes, but I didn't mean for you to get the most evil one of the litter," he protested. "Surely there were sweeter ones you could have picked."
Al shook his head. "I wanted her." He smiled. "She proved she has good taste." Roy blinked, still unused to hearing such blatant flirtations from Al even though it had been par for the course for several months now. Before he could come up with anything else to say, Al said, "Tana. I think I'll name her Tana."
Roy just nodded, his eyes fixed on his lover's happy smile.
Tana yawned and stretched, snuggling back down into the soft cushion underneath her. She'd made a nice little nest here and it was warm from her body heat, though she felt lonely without the constant press and pull of her littermates. The humans who had taken her with them were nice -- especially the golden one, who was soft and warm -- but they weren't here. She'd fallen asleep nestled against the golden one's thigh. The black one smelled good, she thought, and the couch smelled a lot like him. She yawned, the motion bigger than she was, and stretched, looking around. Neither human was anywhere to be seen and she let out a petulant little mewl. She cocked her head to listen for a reply. There were muffled noises above her and she looked up, wondering how to get to those noises.
With a sneeze, she jumped down off the couch and decided the easiest way would be to follow their freshest scents. The whole house smelled like them so it took her a little while to pick out the warmest trail, but when she did, it led her to the foot of what seemed to be an endless set of obstacles. She crouched to the floor, her tail whipping from side to side in determination, and jumped with all her might. Her claws caught in the rug that ran down the center of the steps and she grunted, pulling herself up. One down, a whole staircase to go.
One by one, she pulled herself up the stairs, stopping every third step to catch her breath and meow, hoping the humans would hear and come to her rescue. They didn't, and she decided that once she finally found them, they would need to be taught a lesson: Namely, that when she called, they answered.
Finally at the top of the staircase, she scampered down the hallway. There was a fringe at the edge of the rug and she flipped ears-over-tail when it slid under her paws. Alive! she thought, slapping at the slithering strands. By the time she figured out it wasn't actually alive, it didn't matter anymore. She was having too much fun batting it back and forth, pouncing on it and watching the different ways she could make it jump. She chirruped and spun around to invite her brothers and sisters to play... only to remember she was alone. Right. The humans. She shook herself, settling her fur back into place, and pranced off down the hall, her ears back and her tail straight up behind her as she pretended she had never been so undignified as to be distracted by a rug of all things.
The noises were louder now and she could follow them easily. She picked up the pace, almost toppling over when her hind legs got a little ahead of her front ones, but she skidded to a stop in the doorway and mewed loudly. One of the humans made an answering noise that sounded like a pitiful attempt at a meow -- But what can you expect? They're humans, after all. -- and she laid her ears flat against her head. Of course they'd be up there. It wasn't like she'd had enough of climbing trying to get up the stairs or anything; now they expected her to dig in her little claws and pull herself up the sheer side of that bed. At least the blankets looked thick, she thought. They'd hold her. She crouched, judging the distance, and jumped as high as she could. Her claws caught a little less than halfway up and she scrambled for all she was worth. She nearly fell twice, but finally made it to the top, wild-eyed, with her tail bushed out behind her.
Not fair! she thought when she got a good look at her new humans. They were playing without her! They were no longer wearing those strange false-pelts that humans were so fond of, and the black one's scent was stronger than it had been earlier. It really was a good scent. She could smell the golden one, too, and they smelled happy. They were playing together, wrestling and snuggling like she and her littermates had done, and her tail twitched in annoyance. She'd show them -- she'd do the same thing to her new humans that she had done to her brothers and sisters; she'd make them play with her.
The black one was closest to her, facing the other way, and she thought that was good. A surprise attack was never a bad idea. She pressed her chest close to the mattress and stalked closer, inch by inch, until she was sure she was within range, and then, claws out and mouth wide open to bare her little teeth, she pounced.
Al had noticed, over the course of time, that sex with Roy tended to make him forget about the world around him. Concentration narrowed to wherever their bodies were touching, the humid heat of Roy's breath on his skin, and the desire for it to go on forever... except that he didn't think he'd survive that. So when Roy's hand closed around Al's cock hard enough to really hurt and thrust so deep that pleasure-pain snapped into just pure pain, it took Al a minute to register that Roy had yelled. And not in a good way.
Al's eyes snapped open with the shock of pain and he tried to twist away from Roy, which only succeeded in hurting worse, since Roy still had a death grip on him. Out of the corner of his eye, Al thought he saw a blur of silver catapult off the end of the bed and disappear around the door frame faster than a flash of lightning.
"Wha...?"
"Son of a bitch, that goddamned cat!" Roy howled, finally releasing Al, who flinched when Roy left his body less-than-gently.
Al finally realized that the grey streak he'd seen fleeing the bedroom was his new kitten and he sat straight up in the bed, twisting around to get a look at Roy. "Tana! What did you do to her?"
"What did I do to her?" Roy repeated incredulously. "She attacked me!"
Al moved as if to leave the bed, swinging his legs over the side, when Roy's hand closed around his wrist. Al turned to look back at Roy. "I'm going to go check on her," Al said. "I think you scared her."
"She's fine," Roy insisted through gritted teeth. "If you leave this room to go after that cat, you might as well be prepared to stay out there for a long time."
Anger flashed through Al's face and he narrowed his eyes. When Roy didn't so much as blink, Al finally realized what was wrong and tried his very best not to grin. He failed, and soon he was snickering despite his best efforts. "Roy Mustang, you're jealous!"
"I am not," Roy said, though his eyes flicked away from Al's gaze. Al threw back his head and laughed.
"You are," Al said, scooting closer to him on the bed. "You're jealous of a little bitty kitten."
"I'm not jealous of that damn cat!" Roy pulled away petulantly when Al's hand tried to slide over his waist, but when Al persisted, he gave in. "She clawed me. I'm probably bleeding." He twisted to try to see what visible damage Tana had left on his rear-end but couldn't see far enough.
Al turned him in his arms so that Al could get a look, and Roy jumped as Al's hand smoothed down over his buttocks. "You're not bleeding," Al rumbled in a soothing voice. "You're just a little scratched." He kissed Roy's temple. "It'll go away in a day or so; it probably hurt worse the first time I made love to you."
Roy began to relax somewhat as Al stroked his back, laying gentle kisses across his face and neck. Just when Roy was starting to respond, having regained some of the mood that had been shattered with Tana's attack, Al pulled back. The look Roy fixed on him would have crumbled a lesser man, but Al had spent years with Ed, building up an immunity to glares like that.
"I'll be right back," Al insisted, kissing Roy gently. "I just want to make sure she's okay."
Before Roy could argue, Al had slipped out of the bed and down the hall looking for the kitten. He heard the sound of Roy flopping back against the mattress and his lover's voice came floating out of the bedroom.
"That's it," Roy called. "From now on, we're locking the door!"
Al found Tana huddled just under the edge of the bed in Al's old bedroom, shivering, with her fur puffed out so far she looked like a dandelion fluff. She hissed a little when Al first came close to her, but he coaxed her into his hands and petted her until she calmed. He chuckled as she finally settled down and started nipping affectionately at his fingertips. "Don't worry," he told the kitten. "He'll calm down eventually. You just might want to not do that again." He snickered as he remembered what had happened; it was much funnier now than it had been in the moment.
"It's not funny," Roy's voice said from close by and Al almost lost his balance as he whirled around. Roy was standing in the doorway, robe thrown loosely around his shoulders, cane in hand. Tana spit and hissed and tried to jump backwards but she just hit Al's ankle and found she could go no further.
"Aw, Roy, you scared her again," Al cajoled, capturing the kitten between his hands and stroking her ears in a soothing manner. "And just when I had her calmed down." Roy's eyebrow arched sharply and Al managed to look contrite, thinking he might actually be taking things a bit too far. "Does your... um, where she clawed you still hurt?"
Roy took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, then shook his head. "Not much," he admitted. "But are you really going to stay out here with the cat?" When Al hesitated, Roy gave a meaningful glance to Al's groin. "You might at least want to get some clothes on before she decides that you have a cat toy waiting for her there."
Al's eyes went wide and he stood so quickly that Tana tumbled over backwards and dashed under the bed as soon as she could get away from him. Roy smirked at him and Al grinned sheepishly.
"So, um, you were saying something about locking the door....?"
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Date: 2007-06-19 03:44 am (UTC)Absolutely wonderful. The present, the cat's-eye perspective, the jealousy, and the...*ahem* attack. All of it was wonderfully put together, and I'm still giggling.
Poor Roy. He has no idea what he got himself into.
Just out of curiosity, is there any significance to the name Tana?
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Date: 2007-06-19 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 09:30 am (UTC)As to Tana... not really. It's a modification on a Czech name that means "shadow." I found it when I first started planning this story a long time ago, and through beta discussions and *ahem* playing my Sims 2 Roy&Al (who are the most fun ever), it really stuck.
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Date: 2007-06-20 04:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 12:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 12:59 am (UTC)Purrrfect!
Date: 2007-06-20 01:37 pm (UTC)Thanks for continuing to share this story with us. I enjoy every posting.
Re: Purrrfect!
Date: 2007-08-06 01:01 am (UTC)But I'm glad you still liked it, even so. And I'm really sorry it took me so long to respond to you; it's been kind of crazy around here.
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Date: 2007-06-24 09:11 am (UTC)That's all I can say.
Tana fiddling with things like Roy's shoelaces and the rug was cute though, especially with the rug and we saw it from her POV.
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Date: 2007-06-27 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 01:01 am (UTC)(And sorry it took me so long to respond. I kinda suck.)
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Date: 2007-06-29 09:59 am (UTC)It's also funny to see a guy who toughed out a terrible injury to his leg pouting over a scratch on his ass. Of course, his pride was hurt more than his skin was. ::snicker::
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Date: 2007-08-06 01:03 am (UTC)Sorry it took me so long to respond to you... I just kind of lost track of time this summer.