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It's their tenth anniversary tomorrow, ten years since they wed in a church just across the way from Gordon's former precinct. It doesn't seem that long though, like it was only just yesterday they were navigating the intricacies of their relationship after years being separated. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way because they're still navigating them, honestly.
He's just too excited to sleep. He's never struggled to sleep like this since he was a kid, not even on the nights before some of his bigger heists.
Ed turns on his side toward Oswald, who had already been facing him, sleeping like the dead. He's a bit envious at how easy the man is finding it to sleep at a time like this, but on the bright side, it is always nice to look at his face closely without him getting embarrassed. He never says it explicitly, but Ed knows he isn't too happy about getting older.
He had wrinkles even when they'd first met long ago and they're even more pronounced these days. The laugh lines are easily Ed's favorite. The way they cut through his cheeks when he smiles, just marvelous. He's not above acting foolish just to see him smile, even derisively.
His hair is a bit thinner now, too. He hasn't greyed yet, saving for a few hairs at his temples, but his scalp is steadily becoming more visible as the years pass. Ed reaches up to gently run his fingertips through a patch of hair at the side of his head, careful not to touch his scalp directly. Oswald hasn't styled it like he used to, that funky fork bangs look that Ed was certainly into, ever since they reunited. He does miss it, but Oswald doesn't seem to care much for it anymore so he doesn’t expect to see it again.
Ed checks his face once more for any signs of waking before he slides a lock of hair from the top of his head forward, pulling it down to his forehead. He slowly repeats the motion, combing some of Oswald's hair down until he's gathered enough to work with. It's easy to separate the pieces, squeezing them between his fingertips in an attempt to mimic the gelled points they used to form.
It doesn't look right. Oswald would never approve of it, at least. It reminds him of how he tried to style it when Oswald was asleep in his apartment all those years ago after he'd saved him in the woods. It strikes him that Oswald will likely never be that small, weak man begging for his help ever again.
And one day this hair won't be here to style. Ed finds himself exhilarated by the idea, that he'll be by Oswald's side long enough to see it, that he'll get to see his wrinkles deepen even further, his hair greying and eventually falling out. It should be scary, but Ed can't help but smile. He can't wait to be with him throughout all of it and to see all of those little moments.
"Ed?
Oswald's tiny, tired voice breaks him out of his thoughts.
"Shh, go back to sleep, sweetheart," he whispers.
"What are you doing?" Oswald insists.
"I couldn't sleep. Sorry," he says sheepishly, "But you don't need to get up..." Ed trails off as Oswald props himself up on an elbow anyway.
Oswald looks over his shoulder to where the clock sits on his nightstand. "It's past midnight."
"It is?" he says, quickly checking for himself. "Oh!" he says excitedly, "Happy anniversary, Oswald."
Oswald smiles and he moves his arm to lie back down, snuggling closer to Ed. "Happy anniversary, Edward."
Ed rests his hand on Oswald's cheek and leans in to kiss him gently. He wants Oswald to get back to bed, feeling guilty for waking him, but it just feels so nice to touch him and to be this close to him, feeling his breath on his skin, that his touches quickly grow from light and delicate to something more exploratory.
Oswald makes an odd expression suddenly and he touches the hair on his forehead. Ed tries to think of some way to explain the state of it, but Oswald speaks first.
"God, I must look dreadful. Let me go fix myself up, alright?"
Ed is reluctant to let him go anywhere, even tempted to follow him like a puppy, but he allows him to leave with a parting kiss.
As Oswald messes with his hair in the bathroom, Ed stares at the ceiling and smiles at nothing in particular while he waits. He adores Oswald and can't wait to show him just how much.