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After years together, the exchange of Christmas presents had become something of a pursuit in originality for Roy and Ed. There were only so many practical gifts that one could give before the practice became old. There was even a limit on the non-practical stuff as well--because really, how many sex toys did two men need?
(A lot, as it turned out, but that was beside the point.)
This year, Roy decided to do things a little differently.
And so after they made the obligatory rounds to family (where Ed threatened to disown Al if he did not take that damn Christmas sweater off his poor, unsuspecting cat) and friends (Jean and Riza loved the his and her handguns they were given), Roy drove Ed home, curled up beside him on the couch, and asked to receive the one thing that Ed rarely ever gave him.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” Ed grumbled. He scowled at the television, where Jimmy Stewart was learning just how wonderful a life he had.
“I can’t believe that I have to make you,” Roy countered.
The scowl deepened. “But you know I do.”
“I know.” Roy nuzzled against his lover’s shoulder, partly out of pure affection and partly to conceal his amusement. If Ed caught even a whiff of it, doom would surely follow. “I just wanted to hear it once in my life.”
“Hey, I said it once,” Ed insisted.
“Twice then.”
Ed let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”
He turned towards Roy, determined to remain pissy about the whole ordeal… until one good long look at Roy’s annoyingly handsome face won him over.
After that, he didn’t stand a chance at resisting.
“… I love you.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Roy smiled victoriously and gathered the young man in his arms. “Thank you.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn.”
“My turn?” Roy blinked at Ed with feigned innocence, having until now conveniently neglected to remember his own lack of verbalized emotions.
“Yeah, your turn,” Ed said, the scowl now back with a vengeance.
Roy shook his head. He supposed there was no way around it.
“Alright.”
He cupped Ed’s face, his thumb stroking gently, lovingly. Then he leaned forward, stared deeply into Ed’s eyes, and said those three little words that he most wanted to hear:
“Let’s go fuck.”