okami_hu | And the Sun will rise ch5

Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Rating: Chapter 5 is rated PG-13. Highest rate will be NC-17
Warnings: for chapter 5: a nude Roy; made-up past of Fury
OKami’s Note: Hmm, it’s getting closer…
Lenihan’s Note: Don’t you think they’re cute together? ;) I just adore the bath scene… *giggles*

Chapter 5: Fine Scented Steam

You keep on denying
Who you are and how you're feeling
Baby, we're not buying
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown up
When ya gonna own up
That ya got it bad.
(Belinda Carlisle: I won’t say (I’m in love))

He had another nightmare. He realized that almost immediately. This could not happen in reality and if it did, it would mean reality had become one big nightmare. And he would be stuck within it forever, wandering aimlessly and blindly as he looked for a way to escape the pressing darkness.
There were people there, faceless and nameless and invisible for the black eyes of the colonel. But he could hear them. He could feel their mocking gazes and fingers pointing at him. Hysterical laughter echoed all around him and inside his mind. Gossips buzzed through the room, spreading itself among the population faster than fire. They were ridiculing him and mocked him with his handicap. Roy felt anger building up inside him, but he was powerless against the crowd.
Someone pushed him firmly and Roy stumbled forward. The ground was hard and cold and pain inflamed his body. The crowd laughed hard. “Look at him,” they said. “Once a promising young man, but now he has fallen down from the ladder. His luck has left him. He’s useless when he’s blind, so they removed him from the military. Useless… Useless… Have you hurt yourself, colonel? But who cares? You’re useless, after all… useless…”
Shame and humiliation filled his heart. They were right, he was useless now. He couldn’t even use his alchemy effectively, since that required a target and he couldn’t see his target. Defenseless, useless, he had become dependant from others.
But it wasn’t his fault! He didn’t choose for this life! Why was he punished this way? What had he done? What if he would be blind forever?
Roy began to cry and hot tears trickled down his face. Was there no one willing to help him? Was there anyone who could help him? Where was Fury? Fury could help him. Fury could comfort him. Fury could-
A stone hit him painfully. More stones followed. Roy scrambled to his feet and tried to defend himself. “Don’t… Stop! It’s not my fault! Stop! Stop it… please. Someone…” Hungry hands seized him and began to tear at his clothing. Roy pushed them away, but there were simply too much of them. “Fu…” He needed help. “Fu…” Help from someone who loved him. “Fury…”
But who was there to help him?
“Cain!!!”

The colonel bolted upright on his bed, as he screamed for his subordinate. His eyes widened, he was panting heavily and his nightclothes clung to his sweaty skin uncomfortably.
In the living room, Fury nearly fell off the wide sofa when Roy’s cry woke him. The small soldier didn’t waste a minute; he ran to the bedroom and fell on his knees next to the bed.
“Roy! What is it, what happened?!” He couldn’t stop his shaky hands touching the older man’s face, shoulders and arms.
“I… I…” Mustang ran a hand down his face. “I had a nightmare…”
“It’s over now, calm down. It’s over.” Fury murmured reassuringly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently put his arms around his colonel. Roy as confused as he was, welcomed the soothing touch and hugged back, feeling safer now that he something solid to cling to. The sergeant major’s skin smelled nice and his warmth felt good. Mustang calmed down after a few minutes and his mind noted the strange situation.
“Is it your way to comfort everybody?” he asked with a smile. “Not that I mind,” he added quickly. He really didn’t want to hurt Fury.
“It is the human way to comfort anybody,” the small soldier replied confidently. “And besides, I have three younger siblings. Sometimes I spent half an hour calming them down and get them back to sleep.”
“You have three siblings? Wow, I didn’t know that.”
“There are many things that you don’t know about me.” The sergeant major caressed Roy’s hair. “Now, lie back and try to sleep, okay? Do you want me to stay here until you’re asleep?”
“You’re not my mother,” Roy murmured into the pillow a little offended.
“I actually am, remember? Sweet dreams, my lovely.” And Fury placed a soft kiss on the older man’s cheek.
Roy closed his eyes, but after a minute he reached out for his subordinate.
“Fury…”
“Yes?”
“Do you think that I’ll get my vision back…?”
The smaller man stroked the colonel’s shoulder.
“Everything is possible, Roy. You just have to believe in God and yourself.”
For Mustang, it was enough at the moment.

***

“Good morning, Roy!”
The cheerful voice made the colonel smile.
“Fury, you don’t have to bring the breakfast to bed,” he scolded his subordinate softly. “I can get up and eat by the table. I’m not sick, just blind.”
“Come on, you really deserve some luxury now and then.” The small soldier felt his heart leap from joy. It was good when the colonel was able to joke about his current state.
But as he placed the tray on the taller man’s lap, Roy grabbed Fury’s shirt and pulled him a little closer.
“I wanted to ask before…” He sniffled. “What is this scent? So… warm and fresh at the same time.”
“Oh, it is wild-cherry and lemon mixed together. My father was an herbalist and he taught me, how to make simple perfumes.”
“Really?” This sounded interesting. And the scent was nice indeed. Roy inhaled deeply. The cherry carried sweetness, but the lemon balanced it with freshness, so it became perfect. It really suited the small soldier. The colonel felt a little giddy. Now he understood why ladies loved perfumes. They were perfect to make men confused.
Fury blushed deeply. If only Roy moved a little closer and kissed his skin…! The smaller man slowly closed his eyes and put his hand on the colonel’s which still had a hold on his shirt.
Mustang felt gentle fingers touching his hand and suddenly, he noticed that Fury’s breathing became… deeper. Like he would be… enjoying this kind of intimacy?
Thoughts raced in the colonel’s mind. Could it be that the silent, kind Fury was really in love with him? And what should he do now? Well, first, he had to know it for sure. He needed a plan.
Roy slowly released the shirt and pulled away.
“You smell pretty,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you,” Fury replied in kind and he stepped back. His cheeks were burning. “I… I forgot your tea. I’ll be back in a moment.”

***

The rest of the day moved on as it was supposed to do. Under the gentle supervision of Fury, Roy even went out for a walk. The sun shone warmly on his face and the soothing presence as well as the fresh, spicy scent of Fury was always around him. The small soldier, however, did not make any other moves towards him like he had done this morning.
That evening, he sat in his usual chair while Fury took care of the dishes. These little actions and sounds calmed Roy down at the end of the day and soothed over the troubles in his mind. Today, however for some reason, they remembered him of his childhood and instead of becoming relaxed, his whole body tensed up until it hurt.
“Is there something wrong, Roy?”
“Hmm? No, I’m fine.” He rubbed his shoulder again, but the tension remained. A second hand joined the rubbing and Mustang blinked surprised.
“You should try to relax, Roy. Your muscles have worked themselves up into one big knot and that’s what hurts your shoulder most likely. A warm bath will help. Do you want me to prepare a hot bath for you?”
“If you think that’s the best thing, please do so.” He smiled up to where he thought Fury would be. “After all, you’re my mommy now. You said so yourself this morning.”
Fury chuckled softly and ticked lightly against his nose. “That’s true. Mommy says you should take a bath, so mommy will prepare one. Be a good boy and take off your clothes.”
“Yes, mommy,” Roy replied in feigned meekness.
Some five minutes later, Mustang sank relieved in the steaming water. Fury was, as always, not far away from him, sitting on a simple wooden chair next to the bath.
“How come you were uptight anyway?” Fury asked in a quiet voice.
Mustang was silent for a few moments. “I’m not sure. When you were doing the dishes… For some reason it brought back memories from when I was a child.”
“Childhood memories?” Fury echoed surprised. “Aren’t they supposed to make you happy?”
Roy turned his head away. “I guess so.” He sighed, a sigh that conveyed an inner sadness and a deep pain.
Fury watched his superior and felt a sharp pang inside him when he heard that sigh. “How did your childhood look like then?” he inquired gently.
“My childhood… My parents were rich, both of them. My mother was the only child of a prosperous noble family and my father comes from a family of relatively good alchemists. Most of them were famous State Alchemists. I grew up in a large estate and I was always surrounded by dozens of servants.” His voice trailed off and he stared absently into nothingness.
“That doesn’t sound like a bad childhood,” the smaller soldier smiled.
“Maybe not… Anyway, I have no siblings, I was their only child. It was alright in the beginning, my mother looked after me and my father worked as a State Alchemist, although he tried to be at home as much as possible. But my mother got an illness and things became a lot less fun after that. She was almost constantly tired and had to rest often. My father was still away for research and other things and there was no one around to play with. I had everything I wanted, but it was a lonely and empty childhood. I didn’t like it.”
Fury was silent for a long time. “I can imagine that wasn’t very nice,” he finally said.
Roy smiled. “But that’s the past. How was your childhood?”
“Mine? Well, I already told you I had three siblings. I was the oldest. I have two sisters and one brother. I usually looked after them when my mother was gone to the shop. My father was an herbalist, as I told you this morning and he made his own perfumes and aroma oils. My mother owned the shop, however and that left me to look after my siblings. We weren’t rich and we lived in a rather small house, but we didn’t care, because we always played outside. There were times I wished we had more money, because that was my parents’ constant concern. But we always got by, even though we couldn’t always get what we wanted.”
Roy reached towards Fury and took the smaller soldier’s hand. “Money doesn’t solve anything. I think you’ve had a much more pleasant youth than I had.”
Fury blushed deeply. “Don’t say such things; I’m sure you had fun times as well. Shall I wash your back?”
“More mothering?” Mustang asked with a faint smile.
“Someone has to look after you,” Fury joked as he grabbed the sponge and began to move it gently over Roy’s back. The colonel relaxed and closed his eyes. He was truly lucky to have Cain Fury to look after him, he was positive of that.
The pain in his shoulders eased, it disappeared nearly completely. The small soldier’s skilled hands massaged him gently and Roy couldn’t help but enjoying the touch. He let out a deep sigh and he smiled as the steam’s fine scent tickled his nose.
“What smells so nice? Some bath oil?”
“Yes, you got it. Eucalyptus, pine, orange and some other oils mixed together for the best effect. Fragrances are powerful,” Fury explained seriously. “They help you relax, and some oils even can cure.”
“Your father must be a very wise man.”
“He is.” The proud and loving smile shone through the sergeant major’s voice. “He’s a good man and a wonderful father. He’s persistent too. He’s still working, in spite of his illness…”
“Illness…?”
“When I turned eight,” the younger soldier sighed “My father developed an eye condition, which soon turned him completely blind. After school, I always had to come home straight to help Mother around the house. She had to work hard for the money. Father felt bad about it. One day, he asked me to help him. He went to his small laboratory and began to work. I helped him measuring the ingredients, and very soon, he was back in the perfume-business. He had a very keen sense of smell. When my little brother turned nine, he took my place next to Father and I got enlisted into the military.”
Mustang listened in awe. He had no idea, how interesting Fury’s life had been.
“I guess that’s why you’re so good with housework.”
“Yes, Mother usually worked late and I had to cook for the whole family.” The small soldier laughed lightly.
“I feel lucky, that you were selected to take care of me. You’re kind and qualified. Or, come to think of it, were you the one who volunteered?”
“I, umm…” Fury had a faint suspicion that he shouldn’t push this issue but he couldn’t stop either, “When we agreed, that you should leave the hospital and come home, I told the others, that I’m able to handle the situation and… here I am. And besides… you practically saved my life that day…” The small soldier kept on caressing the colonel’s shoulder absent-mindedly, and he never noticed, that the sponge is in his other hand. “If I remember correctly, the explosion threw us away and you shielded me from the heat. And I guess, somehow, I practically fell on you, so your body prevented me to knock against the wall. Oh, dear, in fact, it is my fault, that you…”
“Stop it.” Roy held up his hand. “Don’t even try to blame yourself. And that’s an order.”
“Yes, sir.” Fury smiled.
“So it was the guilt that made you volunteer.”
“No!” The younger man’s body tensed from indignation although, in the next moment, he realized that he just betrayed himself. “Umm, err, I mean, you’re a good leader and a good man too and I respect you and all and I couldn’t just sit and watch, when I could do something about it…”
“I see, I see. It is nice to know, that somebody actually likes me,” Roy snickered. “Would you give me the towel?”
“Certainly.” As the colonel stepped out of the tub, Fury closed his eyes. He didn’t dare to look at his superior’s nude form.
Mustang dried himself up, slipped into pajama bottoms and he put on his thin bathrobe too. The younger man escorted him to the bedroom and once there, he hesitantly released the alchemist’s arm.
“Well, goodnight, Roy. Sleep well.”
But as he was just about to leave, Roy’s voice stopped him.
“Stay. I have to ask you something. Come back here.”
They stood now in the middle of the room dimly lit by the moon and the stars.
“Fury…“ Roy began, “I could be wrong and don’t hesitate to correct me if I am. Forget about my rank, forget about everything, because I have to know the truth and only the truth.”
“Yes…?” The sergeant major’s voice trembled.
“Are you in love with me?
Silence. The small soldier’s heart was beating so fast, it was nearly audible. The colonel knows it. What should he do now? Should he deny the truth? No, that wouldn’t be fair.
“Y-yes, I am.” Fury breathed finally, blushing hard.
“And what would you like me to do about it?” The voice was calm and inquiring. Fury couldn’t guess, is Mustang pleased by the situation or is he disgusted and wants more proof that he could freely hate his subordinate?
Roy’s composure was calm and passive; he waited for the other man to speak up.
However, Fury couldn’t say anything. He really wanted to, he wanted to say “I want to make love to you” but the words refused to come out. His throat became as dry as desert sand. He opened his mouth to speak but his voice was gone from fear; what if Roy will get angry? The sergeant major could have dealt with physical pain – a slap or fire released by the angered alchemist – but he became terrified as he remembered that the colonel could transfer him and then, he would spend his life without a chance to see the taller man again. Fury was shy and sensitive and those aren’t the best characteristics in a world as cruel as the one we’re living in.
As a last resort, the small soldier stepped to the colonel and pressed his forehead against his chest.
“Ask me,” he whispered barely audibly. “Ask me, because I can’t say what I want.”
Roy sighed and his hands slid up on Fury’s arms to rest on his shoulders.
“Do you want me to take you to bed?”
Fury nodded. A heartbeat later, he added a small “Yes.”