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Edward Elric was beginning to suspect that Roy Mustang was doing it on purpose.
Actually, scratch that.
He knew Roy Mustang was doing it on purpose.
There was no other explanation.
R: “You’re beautiful.”
Edward stopped halfway through buttoning his shirt.
Slowly, very slowly, he turned around.
Roy was still lying in bed.
The bastard looked entirely too comfortable, propped against the pillows with the blankets gathered around his waist, black hair thoroughly destroyed by sleep.
Edward narrowed his eyes.
E: “What did you say?”
Roy blinked.
R: “You’re beautiful.”
There it was again.
Edward stared at him.
Roy stared back.
E: “You feeling okay?”
R: “Quite.”
E: “Fever?”
R: “No.”
E: “Head injury?”
R: “Not that I’m aware of.”
E: “Carbon monoxide poisoning?”
Roy sighed.
R: “Edward.”
E: “What?”
R: “You’re beautiful.”
E: “Stop saying that!”
Roy’s eyebrows rose.
Edward immediately regretted the volume of his response.
He turned away, aggressively focusing on the remaining buttons of his shirt.
Behind him, Roy was silent.
That was worse.
Much worse.
Because Edward knew that silence.
It meant Roy was thinking.
And whenever Roy Mustang started thinking about Edward’s behavior, Edward generally preferred being somewhere else.
Preferably another country.
R: “Why does that bother you?”
E: “It doesn’t.”
R: “You yelled at me.”
E: “I didn’t yell.”
R: “The neighbors may disagree.”
E: “We don’t have neighbors on that side.”
R: “That isn’t the point.”
Edward finished the last button.
E: “There. Done.”
He reached for his jacket.
R: “Edward.”
E: “No.”
R: “I haven’t asked anything yet.”
E: “You were going to.”
R: “I was.”
E: “Then no.”
Roy sighed again.
The mattress shifted.
Edward stubbornly refused to turn around.
Then warm arms slipped around his waist.
Edward froze.
Roy rested his chin on Edward’s shoulder.
R: “You’re avoiding me.”
E: “I’m getting dressed.”
R: “You can do both.”
E: “I’m talented.”
R: “I’ve noticed.”
Edward could hear the smile in his voice.
E: “Asshole.”
Roy pressed a kiss against his shoulder.
Edward’s resistance immediately suffered a catastrophic structural failure.
E: “That’s cheating.”
R: “I wasn’t aware there were rules.”
E: “There are now.”
R: “Convenient.”
Another kiss.
This one against his neck.
Edward’s eyes closed.
E: “Roy.”
R: “Hm?”
E: “We’re going to be late.”
R: “I’m the commanding officer.”
E: “That doesn’t mean you can be late.”
R: “It means no one will complain to my face.”
Edward snorted.
Roy smiled against his skin.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Edward relaxed despite himself, leaning slightly backward into Roy’s chest.
Roy’s arms tightened around him.
This was still something Edward was learning.
The quiet parts.
He understood fighting.
He understood arguing.
He understood the familiar back-and-forth between them, insults traded with the ease of breathing.
But this?
Roy holding him in the morning sunlight?
Roy kissing his shoulder without wanting anything more?
Roy looking at him like Edward was something precious?
That was harder.
Much harder.
E: “You’re doing it again.”
R: “Doing what?”
E: “Looking at me.”
Roy glanced toward the mirror in front of them.
Their reflections stared back.
Edward, half dressed and already suspicious.
Roy behind him, hair a mess, arms wrapped around his waist.
R: “I frequently look at you.”
E: “Not like that.”
R: “Like what?”
Edward gestured vaguely toward the mirror.
E: “That.”
Roy’s expression softened.
Edward immediately looked away.
There.
That was exactly the problem.
R: “Edward.”
E: “Don’t.”
R: “Why?”
E: “Because.”
R: “A compelling argument.”
E: “Shut up.”
Roy didn’t.
Obviously.
R: “Do you think I’m lying?”
Edward frowned.
E: “About what?”
R: “When I tell you you’re beautiful.”
Edward’s stomach twisted.
E: “Don’t know.”
Roy became very still.
Edward wished he could take the words back.
Not because they weren’t true.
Because they were.
That was worse.
Roy slowly turned him around.
Edward allowed it, although he kept his eyes firmly fixed somewhere around Roy’s collarbone.
R: “Look at me.”
E: “No.”
R: “Edward.”
E: “I can hear you perfectly fine without looking at you.”
Roy touched his chin.
Edward slapped his hand away.
Roy tried again.
Edward slapped it away again.
The third time, Roy caught Edward’s wrist.
E: “Stop being annoying.”
R: “I’m being persistent.”
E: “You’re being annoying persistently.”
R: “That sounds more accurate.”
Edward almost smiled.
Almost.
Roy noticed.
Of course he did.
His thumb brushed across Edward’s wrist.
R: “I’m not making fun of you.”
E: “I know.”
R: “Do you?”
Edward didn’t answer.
Roy released his wrist.
For once, he didn’t push.
That somehow made Edward want to answer.
E: “I just don’t get it.”
R: “What?”
Edward gestured toward himself.
E: “This.”
Roy looked genuinely confused.
Edward rolled his eyes.
E: “I’m short.”
Roy wisely said nothing.
E: “I’ve got scars everywhere.”
Roy’s expression changed.
E: “My arm and leg are metal. My hair never does what I want it to. I’ve broken my nose twice. I’ve got that stupid scar on my forehead—”
R: “I like that scar.”
E: “Of course you do. You’re weird.”
R: “Undeniably.”
E: “And I’m—”
Edward stopped.
Roy waited.
Edward hated that he waited.
It would have been easier if Roy interrupted him.
Instead, he had to finish.
E: “I’m not beautiful.”
Roy stared at him.
Then, unexpectedly, laughed.
Edward’s jaw dropped.
E: “You bastard!”
R: “No, no—”
E: “I tell you something serious and you laugh?!”
R: “Edward—”
E: “I’m going to transmute your bed into firewood!”
Roy caught him around the waist before he could reach the floor.
E: “Let go!”
R: “Absolutely not.”
E: “I hate you!”
R: “I know.”
E: “You’re sleeping on the couch!”
R: “It’s my apartment.”
E: “Then I’m sleeping on the couch!”
R: “That seems counterproductive.”
Edward elbowed him.
Roy grunted.
R: “Would you stop trying to murder me for thirty seconds?”
E: “You laughed!”
R: “Because you said something ridiculous.”
Edward went still.
Roy loosened his hold but didn’t let go.
R: “You think beauty is a checklist. Height. Perfect skin. Perfect hair. No scars.”
Edward stared at the floor.
E: “I don’t.”
R: “You do.”
E: “I—”
R: “You just gave me the list.”
Edward closed his mouth.
Roy moved around him until he was standing in front of him.
R: “You want to know what I see?”
E: “No.”
R: “Too bad.”
Edward glared at him.
Roy smiled.
R: “I see your hair when the sun hits it.”
Edward’s glare weakened.
R: “I see your eyes light up whenever someone mentions a problem you think you can solve.”
E: “Roy…”
R: “I see that little wrinkle between your eyebrows when you’re concentrating.”
Edward instinctively touched his forehead.
Roy gently caught his hand.
R: “I see your scars.”
Edward stiffened.
Roy brought Edward’s hand to his lips.
R: “And I see everything you survived.”
The anger disappeared.
Just like that.
Edward looked at him.
Roy’s expression held none of his usual teasing.
Only warmth.
R: “I see your automail, and I think about how impossible it is that someone can complain about it so loudly and still forget to oil the joints.”
Edward’s mouth fell open.
E: “You—”
Roy kissed his knuckles.
Edward forgot the insult.
R: “And I see you smile.”
His voice had become quieter.
Edward swallowed.
R: “That ridiculous, enormous smile you get when Alphonse writes to you.”
E: “It’s not enormous.”
R: “It is.”
E: “Shut up.”
R: “And sometimes…”
Roy stepped closer.
R: “…I get lucky enough that you smile like that because of me.”
Edward’s face was burning now.
Roy touched his cheek.
This time, Edward didn’t slap his hand away.
R: “So yes.”
His thumb brushed across Edward’s cheekbone.
R: “I think you’re beautiful.”
Edward looked away.
Roy gently turned his face back.
R: “Not despite the scars.”
A kiss against his forehead.
R: “Not despite the automail.”
Another against his temple.
R: “Not despite your temper.”
Edward narrowed his eyes.
R: “That one might actually be despite your temper.”
E: “Asshole.”
Roy laughed softly.
Then he kissed him.
Slowly.
Nothing urgent.
Nothing demanding.
Just warm lips and Roy’s hand against his cheek and Edward gripping the front of Roy’s shirt because suddenly he needed something solid to hold onto.
When they separated, Edward stayed close.
His forehead rested against Roy’s chest.
E: “You’re still an idiot.”
Roy’s arms wrapped around him.
R: “Naturally.”
E: “And you have terrible taste.”
R: “Clearly. I’m dating you.”
Edward punched him lightly in the stomach.
Roy laughed.
Silence settled between them again.
Comfortable this time.
Then Edward spoke so quietly Roy almost missed it.
E: “You’re beautiful too.”
Roy froze.
Edward immediately regretted everything.
E: “Nope.”
R: “Edward—”
E: “Forget it.”
R: “Did you just—”
E: “I said forget it!”
Roy pulled back enough to look at him.
Edward was bright red.
Roy smiled.
Edward pointed threateningly at him.
E: “Don’t.”
R: “I didn’t say anything.”
E: “You’re thinking something.”
R: “I’m always thinking something.”
E: “Stop.”
R: “I’m afraid that’s neurologically inadvisable.”
E: “Roy.”
Roy kissed him.
Edward made a surprised sound before melting into it.
When Roy pulled away, he was smiling again.
R: “That was very sweet.”
E: “I hate you.”
R: “You’re beautiful.”
E: “Shut up.”
R: “You’re beautiful.”
E: “I swear to God—”
R: “You’re beautiful.”
Edward grabbed him by the face.
Roy blinked.
E: “Keep saying it, and I’m going to have to find a way to shut you up.”
Roy’s smile turned unbearably smug.
R: “Oh?”
Edward kissed him.
Roy’s arms immediately wrapped around his waist.
And somewhere between the second kiss and the third, Edward realized they were definitely going to be late.
For once, he didn’t care.
Especially when Roy whispered it again against his lips.
R: “You’re beautiful.”
Edward closed his eyes.
His face was still burning.
His heart still didn’t quite know what to do with the words.
But this time, he smiled.
E: “Yeah. I heard you.”