Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom ❯ True Value ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I never claimed to own this, so guess what. I do not!

 

Summary: When faced with Love's difficulty, can three people locked in its hold push aside their fear for the sake of it? Sequel to Feel Me, Shame Me, Heal Me.

 

 

When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Episode 5—True Value

 

Her heart begged for him, cried out to him. “No, no you don't have to throw yourself at my feet.” Winry softly replied while warmth and tenderness was expressed in her eyes as she lowered them to the floor. “You make me saying no so difficult, Roy, God. Do you know that I miss being with you as well? So I do know how you feel. I also just don't want to be one of those girls that you lose your pain in.”

 

He stared up at her from his place on the floor. “You are so much more to me than that. Hell, I remember your name so that counts for something, right?” He teased with a light playful smile and he saw her smile with shake with silent laughter. “I don't lose my pain in you, Winry. I find my strength in you. I find my joy.”

 

Winry felt warm with those words of his, and she believed them. He would never resort to sweet talking her, because she really didn't need it. “You just know all the right things to say, don't you?” She did not take her gaze from his.

 

“I know that you would never fall for any nonsense, Winry.” He placed his hands on her feet. “You have been the only girl I have ever been completely honest with when it came to my intentions. Even when my behavior had been less than admirable, and you know that I am never above blackmail.” He grinned mischievously. “Using anything in my power and any means necessary to achieve what I want is a very common trait of mine. You do know that I have never lied to you, never dumbed anything down for you. So you must believe that I truly am being honest here. That you are not just some bed warmer.” He smiled lightly. “I value you, your opinions, everything.”

 

“All right, all right, you've said enough.” Winry's face was so red, she knew he didn't mean to embarrass her, and what he was saying was so very sweet and perhaps she felt a burst of glee at the idea that he valued her. She couldn't help but be completely drawn to it and to him.

 

His fingers, like soft feathers, moved between her legs and slowly caressed in small circles upwards. He did not take his eyes from hers, watching those beautiful pools of blue widen a slight bit as he continued a smooth path up her legs, reaching her knees. “If you feel as I do and have missed me as much as I have missed you, then let us be together for tonight.” Roy said with a slight affectionate smile as Winry swallowed hard. He noticed that she didn't answer so he slowly lifted to his feet. He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on hers as he slid up against her. “Where's your room?” He watched her face heat to a pretty pink.

 

Swallowing a rather difficult breath of air, Winry pointed towards the stairs, “First door on the right.” She felt him grip her right hand and move away from the table, pulling her with him. Was this a good idea? Probably not, but she did miss him, the way his scent would fill her senses, the warmth he gave her. Her heart cried out to just forget about doing the right thing for once, to give into the feelings she had for him even if it was just one time more. There was no harm in it, and she might never see him again. “Are you sure Gracia won't mind?” She asked a little unsure after all this was Gracia's house and she really respected her.

 

“I think she'd understand.” He looked back at her as he continued to pull her up the stairs. “And don't you wonder why she left tonight?” Roy found Winry's expression to be one of concentration and then the young lady's face heated bright red. “Gracia is a smart woman, not much gets passed her.”

 

Winry smiled affectionately with a slight nod, her face burning. “She is.” To think that the woman anticipated something like this, it was enough to make Winry feel a bit more embarrassed than she previously had, which was quite a lot.

 

“I don't think I can watch this anymore, I feel like I'm gonna…” Edward swallowed hard as his throat had seemed to coat with disgust and he felt like throwing up. His stomach jumped continuously. He shut his eyes tight hearing footsteps move up the stairs.

 

“I can.” Alphonse said and started to move towards the stairs when he felt a hand tug on his hair and pull. “Hey…”

 

Edward pulled his brother's pony tail, “No ya don't! Since when have you ever been hormonal to want to even see something like…” He growled bitterly.

 

Alphonse sighed and turned around, “It's not just because it's something a bit intriguing to want to watch, Brother. It's the fact of our friend. I want to see if she's happy. Don't you? Isn't that what's important here, what she wants?”

 

“She doesn't want that! She's been tricked, can't you see that?” Edward stomped his foot and curled his hand into a fist having lifted it in the air. “I can't watch her getting taken advantage of!”

 

Feeling a hand on his wrist, Edward looked up to find Hughes standing there beside him. “What?”

 

“Come with me, Ed.” Maes replied and started dragging him towards the stairs. “I know it might be cruel but you do have to witness all that goes on, so that you may have some kind of understanding that will let you move on to the other layers of your heart's fear. Do you want to be stuck in this first layer forever? At the rate you are going, you'll never make it out of here.”

 

With heavy footing, Edward walked with Hughes. He hated this, he hated having to witness his friend, his Winry… “I can't do this!” He found himself at the closed bedroom door, staring at it. He dropped his gaze to the floor, squeezing his hands into tight fists. “It hurts too much.” He admitted, feeling the pounding ache in his heart.

 

“Brother…” Alphonse sighed with despair for his older sibling. “I know it hurts and it does hurt me too. We always used to fight over Winry when we were kids, which one of us was going to marry her. So, I, too feel upset and disappointed that it wasn't one of us that got to love her. But I very well think Winry could have real feelings for the Colonel. As much as I hate to admit it... he makes her smile, he makes her laugh and he always seems to make her blush.”

 

“He makes her blush `cause he's a pervert.” Edward replied snappish. “He's not good enough for her, Al. He'll just end up using her and hurting her, you know he will. He plays around with women all the time and doesn't care who he hurts when it comes to sleeping with them just as long as he gets what he wants. Winry needs someone who values her, who sees her for the remarkable person that she is, and well Mustang is not that man!”

 

Ignoring the ranting of his brother, believing that his brother was just biased and would never see that the Colonel is different with Winry than all his other women, Alphonse put his hand on the door knob and turned it, pushing the door open. “Come on, Brother. We'll face this together.” He turned his head back to see Hughes give a positive smile and a slight nod. “Are you coming in?”

 

“I believe I'll wait out here.” Maes said with a slight smile, “I really have no desire to see Roy in the buff.” He saw Edward shudder with disgust and it made him laugh. “Go on and get it over with boys.”

 

Gripping his wrist, Alphonse pulled his brother inside the room and closed the door.

 

The room wasn't very dark; the moonlight shinning in from the window illuminated the entire space.

 

Roy had his uniform jacket and skirt off and it was placed neatly on a chair in the corner of the room where his boots were also placed as well. He was kneeling on the bed, one of his hands was wrapped around Winry's ankle as her leg had been lifted and was pressed against his chest. She was lying on her back staring up at him with an expression of pure heat and affection. She smiled while he gripped her sandal and pulling it off her foot, where he tossed it to the floor behind him.

 

“Such lovely feet,” Roy praised, smiling lightly into her eyes making her softly laugh. He massaged the arch her of her foot and rubbed the top soft skin. He lowered his lips to her arch and kissing it softly, making her breathe just a little bit faster.

 

“Do you like my feet?” Winry's tone was sweet.

 

A spark ignited in Roy's eyes, “I love your feet.” He purred seductively, still massaging her delicate foot and he slowly kissed it again. His hand moved down her ankle over her calf and he watched her close her eyes with a soft hmm. “I love your legs.” His hand and lips continued to tease paths down her thigh, just barely reaching the edge of her panties hearing her sharp intake of breath. “I love the heated heart of your body.” He intoned with a deep purr, and he lifted himself up and lay between her spread legs, staring down at the beauty that was presented before him. “It has been too long since I have been able to do this with you.” He watched her pale skin continued to heat beneath his hands, then placing his on either side of her as he hovered over her. “When I heard you came back to Central, even for a little while I wanted to rush right to you, to see you. I knew I might not even get to talk to you, so seeing you was enough. It's amazing how things turn out.” He'd really have to find some way to thank Gracia for this opportunity.

 

Winry opened her eyes, staring up into his intense dark orbs. “I was a little afraid to see you, afraid of what my reaction would be. I wanted to do the right thing and stay clear of you.”

 

“What exactly is the right thing? It is subjective.” Roy brushed his fingers across her cheek. “To me, this is the right thing, being with you.” He adored that look of shock and affection at his words. There was alot he wanted to tell her, such as when he became Fuehrer there would be no other random women for him to just lose his pain in for a night, he wanted to have a real relationship with her, he wanted her to share his life. He wanted so much to belong to her as she is already his, only she doesn't really know it yet. But if he never saw his goal complete then he would never be worthy of her, so he couldn't tell her all this. He was…yes, he didn't want to admit it even to himself… he was afraid. “Have you thought of me since you've been away from Central?”

 

A memory of his seemed to go back to when he had been transferred again back to East City Headquarters, and after Edward had made his reports had unknowingly led the military to where Doctor Marcoh was hiding and the whole fight with Scar that State Alchemist Killer. Edward and Alphonse had taken some heavy damage and was healing up when Fullmetal asked Roy if he knew the Rockbells. Roy had heard a small almost non existent gasp from Hawkeye who was next to him and it seemed she had given him a very slight nervous look, to see how hearing the name now affected him.

 

Yes, Roy remembered the way he felt at hearing that name, not just because it was the pair he executed but because of his months long involvement with Winry. Roy had felt like taunting the boy and saying something that would rile him up concerning his arrangement with Winry, but he restrained himself. He respected Winry too much and promised her that Fullmetal would not learn of their involvement from him. So instead he had to say that of course he knew her, that he was at her house where Edward was crying like baby. Saying that plus some other insults ended up being more amusing for him and he got a better reaction from Fullmetal for it. There was hardly a time when Roy hadn't thought of Winry, so he hoped maybe she thought of him too.

 

She nodded with a slight smile on her face, “Not a day goes by when I don't think of you.” Winry wanted to hide at admitting that, “I know it sounds cliché, but it's true. When I first heard your voice after so long, it felt like my heart had stopped beating.”

 

Pride and pleasure at hearing that, raced through Roy's entire being and the small, almost non existent smile curved against his lips. “I know I have no right to ask you, but you don't do this with anyone else, do you?” He asked with slightly narrowed eyes. He wondered if someone else had the pleasure of being close to her like this.

 

“Wouldn't you like to know?” Winry teased and saw his jaw open a little in shock, and she laughed.

 

“You think you're funny?” He smirked deviously, making Winry squeak in alarm knowing he was planning something in that ever working mind of his.

 

She was descended upon by his fingers moving about her ticklish spots as she tried to wiggle away in heavy fits of laughter, but he pressed his body to hers, keeping her immobile while he continuously attacked her ticklish spots. “All right, all right!” She howled with laughter. “No, I haven't, there's been no one else!” The attack on her died down and she saw a very pleased expression on his face. “That wasn't very fair.”

 

“That was payback for earlier.” Roy pressed his forehead against hers, “That was terrible of you to get me all worked up in wanting to kiss you earlier this evening and then you walking away and not letting me.”

 

Winry giggled, “That really was funny.” Remembering the look on his face was what was making her giggle. She moved her fingers to skim his face and move through his hair. She just about melted in the way she enjoyed touching him like this. She saw him smile lightly and move closer so that his mouth hovered slightly just above hers.

 

He loved her so much, she'll never know how much. Roy took a deep breath at seeing her perfect pink lips part. `Winry, my heart is yours and someday I will tell you.' He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her slowly, her sweet moan filled his ears.

 

His hands moved up from their places on her belly and fully cupped her breasts. He let out a moan of his own, feeling how full she was in his hands. God, how he had longed to feel her again, it was almost like a dream that she was now here with him again. Roy's mouth moved over her chin and down her neck, where Winry angled her head back letting him have better access to her heated flesh, and she closed her eyes to the amazing blissful sensations flowing in her chest like a wild river. Fingers were now undoing her blouse and she felt his palms caressing her breasts beneath the bra material, she really wanted that garment off her body so she could feel him touching her.

 

“I can't look.” Edward complained closing his eyes tightly. “Is she still clothed?”

 

Alphonse felt his mouth run dry and shook his head as his eyes widened on the lovely form of Winry's naked torso. Her breasts were beautifully full and curvy, he had often wondered what she would look like unclothed. “N…” he cleared his throat. “No, Brother, well that's not true her skirt is still on.” That was until he watched Mustang slide both his hands up her hips beneath her skirt and hearing the soft cry from Winry's parted lips. He watched as the man in a rush moved his hands from beneath her clothing and gripped the waist of her skirt and pulled it down along with her panties in one smooth movement. “Nope, I was wrong. She's completely naked now.” He turned around, facing the back wall, feeling as if his pants were a few sizes too small and the start of a nose bleed coming on.

 

“What?” Edward's eyes snapped open and he looked just as Mustang was now shedding his clothing. “I think I'm going to be sick all over this room.” He noticed his brother was facing the other way. “What's the matter with you?”

 

Feeling very uncomfortable, Alphonse shook his head. “Brother, I'm sorry… but I don't know if I can watch this without…you know.” He hung his head in embarrassment.

 

“That's how I felt down stairs, but it's okay, Al. We won't tell Winry that we saw any of this or how we reacted to her like this.”

 

Alphonse took a deep breath and started turned back around, he needed to put his own discomfort aside, his brother needed his support and he couldn't abandon him now. Hearing Winry's deep moan had Alphonse turning around so quickly that he almost lost his balance.

 

Staring down into her eyes, Roy's hand rubbed faster between her thighs as she was so wet and slick, his finger sliding into her inner warmth. She bucked hard against his teasing hand. He, at the same time, leaned forward and captured her mouth in a hard kiss, his tongue thrusting into her mouth making her arch into him. Winry grabbed at his shoulders, her nails scraping up and down before grabbing a hard hold of his powerful arms.

 

Pulling back from kissing her, he moved his hand from between her thighs making her cry out in disbelief and he grinned. He shifted over and pressed the tip of his hard length against her opening. “Is this what you want?” He teased.

 

“Oh…oh! Yes!” She groaned as she felt him slide slowly into her and she seemed to purr at the pure hot contact she was receiving and thrust her hips harder onto his, but he gripped her hips holding her down so he could control her movements and right now she wanted to feel him buried completely inside her. “Stop it, stop teasing me!” She heard his deep chuckle and he bent and tongued her right tight nipple earning him a soft mewl and he closed his mouth over the tip sucking hard. Winry's fingers moved into his hair as she held him tighter to her breast and then he slammed his hips into hers, surging completely inside her making her pant and gasp at the delicious heat building.

 

Roy closed his eyes at the pure feel of her, so tight, so wet and so very warm as he moved in and out of her beautiful body. The way his heart beat fast, the way he melted into her. He wanted it, wanted it badly. He moaned as he thrust into her harder, deeper, making her toes curl. He crushed his face into her breasts and lavished them with his tongue and lips making her cry out in her heated rapture. Roy loved the feel of her arms around him; her fingers in his hair clinging to him as she made those sweet noises just for him, always should be just for him. Opening his dark eyes, he watched her lovely heated face while one of his hands moved to her hip sliding up and down her thigh, holding it against his hips as she arched towards him in wanting to be closer. Winry rubbed her leg along his as he slid up and down her body moving with the way she shifted her hips against his. The light sheen of glistening sweat on her heavenly soft skin, he licked at her pulse point before settling his lips there and suckling hard… the taste of her flesh on his tongue, oh he could die a happy man right now here in her arms and buried deep inside her making her feel everything he possibly could.

 

He pressed his forehead against hers as he ground his hips harder, making her cry out. Roy could tell she was close. “Open your eyes. I want to see you come for me.” He brushed his lips softly against hers and she groaned, her eyes fluttering open. They were such a dark shade of blue right now and he adored it.

 

She thrashed her center harder against him and gasped, Winry felt like she was going to die as her chest tightened. She tried to close her eyes, but Roy framed her face with his hands. “Oh…uh…Roy.” She couldn't really form coherent sentences; the sensations were much too intense.

 

“Open them.” He demanded, panting hard. He loudly groaned as she seemed to struggle in opening her eyes. “I know it's a little difficult, but I want to see your beautiful eyes, your expressions deep in your soul.”

 

Winry's chest tightened intensely as the world around her erupted in a flurry of white searing sensations as she fell away from reality as her cry of release echoed around her as she clung so tightly to Roy, her arms had wound around him crushing him against her.

 

And then she closed her eyes as Roy above her kissed her hard as he drove his steel like length deep and hard into her luscious heat. Again and again he pounded, straining to reach—He tensed hard, his own deep, raw voice emitting his own completed rise and fall into this endless heat of sweet rapture. Roy collapsed against her and buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing hard.

 

Alphonse had covered his nose, “Excuse me!” and he turned, threw open the door and raced out heading for the nearest bathroom.

 

Edward heard that bathroom door slam shut and he fell against the wall of the room, breathing hard. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he felt so hard between his thighs. He slid to the floor, sitting with his legs arched up and apart. His face was burning red and he shifted a little. Edward's heart continued to pound hard, banging powerfully in a rough ache against the walls of his chest. He couldn't take it anymore. His own hand found its way into his pants and he grasped his hard member in his palm, hissing at the contact of his heated flesh in his hand.

 

Hearing Winry's deep moan…

 

His curled hand moved up and down his hardness and he was panting. Edward closed his eyes and moaned out deeply, his fingers brushing against the moist tip of his shaft

 

As she made those sweet noises just for him…

 

Faster, he pumped his hand about his hard length. He hmmed and thrust his hips again and again into his hand. The image of Winry in his mind, touching him, maybe she'd kneel before him and he imagined her tongue, her mouth as it moved closer towards him.

 

Making her cry out in her heated rapture…

 

An image of her slipping forward and enclosing his manhood in her soft pink lips, how warm her mouth would be made him thrust hard forward and he cried out as liquid bliss coated his hand, releasing a grunt and loud moan. Leaning his hand back against the wall breathing so hard, he opened his eyes and moaned while continuing to slowly rub his now spent manhood which was still sensitive. Edward sighed deeply and pulled his hand from the confines of his pants, wiping his semen on the floor.

 

How dare that damn Mustang make Winry do all that, and how she sounded, how she looked. It made Edward ripple with hot jealousy, while he could only endure a fantasy, that creep of a Colonel got the real thing. That man didn't deserve the real thing! He crossed his arms over his chest and sulked in bitterness.

 

****

 

“Winry,” Roy stood beside the bed and was bent down towards her ear. “Wake up, Winry.”

 

A soft noise fluttered from her lips as she turned her head and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times for her vision to clear from being asleep. Winry noticed that Roy was dressed and standing at the bedside and she rose to sit up, curling her legs into her side, holding the blanket against her breasts. “What time is it?”

 

“It's about half past eleven.” He said softly, “I have to go now.”

 

“Already?” Winry looked up at him, disappointment shinning in her eyes as she lowered her head so he couldn't see it.

 

Too late, he saw the sadness there in her pretty eyes and he sat at her bedside. “Yeah, I really would rather stay longer with you, till morning even.” Roy placed his hand on her shoulder and Winry suddenly threw herself at him, laying her head in his lap and wrapping her arms around his waist. She sighed and pressed her cheek to the tops of his thighs and Roy immediately started petting her hair back, his fingers moving through the soft strands. He then groaned with irritation, “I was somehow suckered into going with those fools that call themselves men in their midnight ghost hunt.” He heard her laugh. “They are sure the warehouses are haunted, those idiots.” He continued to thread his fingers through her hair.

 

Winry lifted up, kneeling beside him. “Well I'm sure they have a good reason to want you along with them. After all you are a remarkably brave man and I know those guys who work with you adore you to no end. It's not hard to see why.”

 

Roy traced her cheek, his fingers lingering on her chin. “I have often thought of myself as a coward. There have been several incidents that I had feared and looked for ways out, but I stuck with it. I still don't think that I am a brave man, I am just practical.”

 

Moving forward, Winry framed his face within her soft hands. “That's not true, Roy. You are brave. Bravery is not the absence of fear, it's just realizing that something is more important than fear, that there's something worth fighting for… to give up everything for, even your life. Mr. Hughes understood it all a little too well it seems.” She sighed, her gaze dropping from his.

 

Her words always seemed to lift his spirits; she always seemed to know exactly what to say. It was her, she was worth fighting for. Worth giving up his life for. He loved talking with her like this. She always eased his dark thoughts; his troubled mind finds its peace with her. Roy really did value her, she was so much more to him. “If I don't see you tomorrow before you go, have a safe trip back home.”

 

Winry pressed up against him and lowered her face to his shoulder, enjoying the feel of him a little too much. She felt her eyes swelling with tears at the idea of having to leave him yet again. “Thank you for being stubborn and seeing me even when I had not really wanted you to. Well that's not true; I wanted to see you so badly.” She lifted her face, her gaze holding his, where Roy placed his palm against the side of her face, his thumb tracing her cheek. “Any time spent with you, even if it's small is—”

 

“I know,” He interrupted, “is worth it.” Roy leaned in and kissed her softly. As much as it pained him, he stood from the bed. “I want you to promise me that you will not put yourself in danger on my account. That you will just go home to Resembool where I know you will be safe from any harm.” He started slipping on his uniform jacket.

 

Staring downward, “Don't have me make a promise that you know I won't keep.” Winry replied, then lifting her eyes to his. “There's probably not much I could do anyway, so there's nothing for you to worry about.” Roy let his fingers feather through her long blonde hair. “Be safe, Roy.” She said to him and he gave her a small, warm smile and pressed his lips to her cheek. Winry felt him slip something into her hand. She looked down in her palm and saw a small vial of that green birth control fluid and grimaced. Some things never changed, such as Roy's constant preparedness in this kind of a situation.

 

Edward had let out a deep breath and turned away as Mustang headed for the door. “He's only confusing you, Winry. I thought that you might be able to see that.” His stomach had soured at that very sweet and tender good bye between the two of them. Part of him disagreed with what he said, but he didn't want to really acknowledge it right now.

 

“Brother,” Alphonse said, coming up behind him.

 

There was a bright flash of light and Edward, Alphonse and Maes were standing by a grave that Winry was standing at and glancing down at it.

 

“Hey there,” Winry was dressed similarly, but this time she was wearing a white hat. “Sorry about yesterday and getting interrupted in my visit with you, Mr. Hughes. But it was Roy after all.” Her cheeks heated. “And you know how I feel about him, he's also kind of hard to say no to.” Feeling like she was being watched she turned her head, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Scieszka standing there with flowers and rather large bottle of what looked like some kind of liquor. She smiled as her friend came forward.

 

“I didn't know you were back in town.” Scieszka said setting her gifts down on the Lieutenant Colon—er Brigadier General Hughes's grave.

 

Winry nodded, “Yeah, I'm leaving a little later this afternoon.”

 

Scieszka smiled, “It's good to see you, Winry. I take it you found out about this?” She gestured to the grave.

 

Edward had listened to the girls' conversation and they had decided to go get something to drink. So he, his brother and Hughes followed along with them, to a small café. The two girls were smiling at each other.

 

“I'm sorry, uh bookworm.” Winry said and Scieszka's brow arched. She couldn't help it, it had been so long and all Scieszka had talked about was the library and how she hated being separated from all those wonderful books because the blasted place and burnt down. She knew it couldn't have been an accident. The two went on talking and Scieszka made fun of Winry's name by calling her Windy.

 

Winry was paying close attention to everything Scieszka was saying, except about the space aliens, what she was more interested in was about Mr. Hughes and what Scieszka was trying to do in discovering the truth about why he was murdered. This gave Winry an idea. `Perhaps I can help Roy, and he'll never know he thinks I'm going home. Sorry Grandma but I won't be coming home today after all.'

 

Edward started to pace. “All right, so maybe Mustang never made Winry do anything she didn't want to do.” He growled bitterly. “I don't like the fact that she enjoys messing around with that bastard. You're right, Hughes, that she isn't swayed by pretty words and smooth moves. She's a smart person with a heart of gold and I wish I could have seen it at the time, but I couldn't. I was just too self absorbed in getting us back to normal, Al. I neglected her, I never thought of her pain, her suffering, her needs, her joy. I took her for granted, Al. I'm sorry that it took me this long to realize what had been there all along. I care about her even if I didn't show it, I really did and I still do. I'm not afraid of what I feel towards her because I know what it is now. I—” He was interrupted as there was another flash of bright light, but this time it was swirled with colors. As soon as Edward was able to see clearly, he found a pair of tall ruby red doors just ahead of him. “What's this?” He turned to Hughes who was smiling.

 

“Congratulations, Edward. This is the way out of the first layer of your heart's fear. Realizing something very important in your heart, that you aren't afraid of it anymore has allowed you to move on.”

 

Alphonse smiled, “I'm so proud of you, Brother.” He turned and looked at the doors. “This means we're that much closer to home.”

 

The three of them walked forward and the doors started to open. Edward could see the quartz bricked pathway, and the cobalt blue sky. He started walking forward through the doors with his brother and Hughes.

 

Noticing that only he and his brother stepped out onto the rose-quartz platform, Edward turned back around to Hughes. “You're not going with us?”

 

Maes smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I'm afraid this is as far as I can go, Ed. Don't worry, there's another guide waiting for you.”

 

“Why can't you come with us?” Alphonse asked, disappointed.

 

“I wish I could, Al.” Maes sat a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. “But my time is running out as my job has been complete, to help your brother in his revelation for the first layer of his heart's fear.” He glanced up at Edward, “Good luck, boys. I wish we could have had more time together, but that's what happens when you're dead.” He then smirked, “And don't worry, I'll keep that moment when you two boys wanked off just between us three.”

 

Both Alphonse and Edward's jaws dropped in complete shock, faces heated bright scarlet.

 

Alphonse only hung his head in completely embarrassed shame.

 

“How'd you know about that? You weren't in there with me!” Edward, completely red faced shouted at the top of his lungs.

 

Hughes snickered, “Just cause I wasn't in there doesn't mean anything. I'm a guide, I know all, see all.” He laughed, hearing Edward grumbling.

 

“Come on, Al. Let's get outta here!” Edward started stomping off half in rage and half in embarrassment with Alphonse following after him.

 

Looking over his shoulder one last time, Alphonse saw the ruby red doors close and disappear. Spending that time with Hughes was great, and he was human this time. He wondered what was in store for them at the second set of doors.

 

Edward stopped walking and far in the distance, they could see a pair of deep amethyst doors. “I wonder how much worse it's going to be, and who the guide will be this time.”

 

With a smile and a shrug, Alphonse turned his head in the direction of his brother. “Who knows, but whatever lies ahead we'll face it together, Brother.”

 

Smiling back at Alphonse, Edward nodded. “Anything is possible when we're together, Al.” And he started heading along the quartz pathway with Alphonse, heading for another layer of his heart's worst fear. It was bound to be even more intense than the last layer. He was nervous to find out, and with Alphonse beside him he could face any terror. `Come on Heart, throw me your worst, I'm ready!'

 

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Well what did you think of this episode/chapter? Who do you think will be Ed and Al's next guide? Any guesses?

 

Until next time readers!

 

Thanks for reading
Ryoko Blue