This time Roy had to track Edward down to his own rooms. He knocked politely on Edward’s door and heard a growl that might have been an invitation to enter, supposing the occupant were a bear disturbed during hibernation. He shrugged and pushed the door open. Edward was sprawled over his bed, staring fixedly at the ceiling.

“You got the notice this time, Edward-kun?” Roy inquired.

A curled lip.

“And, so?”

“And so what?” Edward shot back, toneless.

Roy easily recognized someone being difficult just because he could.

“So,” Roy sauntered to the bedside and held out a hand, “would you care for a more private location?”

Ed turned expressionless eyes on him. “Al’s gone to visit that mutt of Hawkeye-taii’s. This author covers her bases pretty well.”

“Convenient,” Roy allowed.

No response.

Roy sighed. “I see several possibilities here, Edward-kun. One is that you’ve decided to refuse this script, but I have difficulty imagining that you would hesitate or linger over that decision. Another is that you wish to provoke me into inventive measures to gain your compliance, but somehow I don’t think you’ve become quite that enthusiastic. I am led to conclude that you simply wish to provoke me, period. If I admit that you have succeeded, may we continue in a more relaxed fashion?”

Edward’s cool expression slipped into a wicked grin. “Ah. I feel better about the world, now. So, yes, I guess we can.” He stretched, catlike right down to the smug look.

Roy leaned down, swiftly, caught Edward’s chin and kissed him. After a startled pause the lips under his relaxed, softened, parted.

“Taisa…” Edward sighed as they drew apart.

Somehow Roy was positive they would always begin there, with his rank. He hoped to coax his name out of Edward a bit more quickly this time, though.

Edward tilted his head, considering him. “You aren’t wearing your uniform.”

“Far too much trouble for situations like this,” Roy told him, airily.

“Hm. Never heard that it gave you that much trouble.” Edward’s tone was dry. Roy ran a finger down his jaw.

“You give me enough trouble in any case that I’ll dispense with all the rest that I can.”

Edward looked up at him through half-closed eyes. Roy was almost sure that Edward had no idea how sultry his own expression was, and he was glad for it. Edward would discover it quickly enough, now that he had a lover to observe, and Roy found himself caught between amusement and trepidation every time he thought of an Edward Elric who understood the power of his own looks.

At this particular moment, though, he wanted simply to enjoy his partner’s sensuality, unconscious as it might be. At least, he thought, Edward seemed considerably more relaxed this time.

Roy’s mouth curled up.

Let’s test it.

He toed off his boots and moved all the way onto the bed, kneeling over Edward’s hips. Edward’s eyes flickered, but, as Roy drew off his shirt, a spark lit them and he stretched again, challenge in the lift of his chin.

Roy couldn’t help but laugh, and he leaned over Edward to let the room’s shadows hide the heat in his eyes. “Yes, my hawk, you’ll be dangerous,” he murmured.

Edward’s lashes shivered, and fell as Roy slid his hands up Edward’s chest. Roy brushed a kiss over each closed eye.

“Mmm.”

Roy was pleased to feel Edward’s fingers, a bit hesitantly, seek the buttons of his shirt. Roy shrugged out of it.

But when he would have returned to Edward, Edward caught his hands.

“Roy…”

Roy half expected to see nervousness in Edward’s eyes, but what he found was appeal. Edward reached out one hand and ran it, slowly, down Roy’s chest. Edward’s voice was soft and low.

“… I want… to touch you…”

Roy looked down, considering. It’s only fair, he decided. “If you like.”

He stretched himself out on the bed and offered Edward a lazy, inviting smile. Edward, still hesitant, leaned up on one hand beside him, laid the other on his stomach. Roy suppressed a shiver as those fingers traced over his skin.

Edward set out to explore, touching lightly, following the lines of Roy’s muscle and bone. When he reached Roy’s neck Roy tipped his head back and sighed.

The touches halted.

Roy looked up at Edward to find him staring back, wide-eyed. “Ah. Does it stir something in you, Edward? To know that you affect me?”

Edward didn’t answer, only ran a finger back along the line from Roy’s ear to his collarbone.

“Hmmm.”

Edward’s touch skipped downward, halting at Roy’s waist. Roy closed his eyes.

“You needn’t stop.” He was curious how Edward would choose to take that.

Slowly, Edward unfastened buttons and zipper. Ah. Roy shifted, and felt Edward slip his pants off, almost managing not to touch Roy in the process. After a long pause Edward continued to Roy’s underclothes. Roy was vastly amused that it seemed to take Edward longer to decide to get rid of the socks than the underwear. He stifled his grin.

Roy didn’t open his eyes until he felt Edward’s hands on his leg. Edward sat on his knees by Roy’s feet, having apparently decided to work his way up. His palm and fingertips passed over, around Roy’s feet, ankles, knees. Roy’s muscles were turning to warm water, and Ed’s fingers rippled cool currents through them. Roy spread his legs apart so that Edward could move between them.

It was alien to Roy to let go his self-control before he was overwhelmed, but Edward was well on his way to that already and Roy wanted to return the favor a little. As Edward’s thumb traced up his inner thigh Roy moaned low in his throat.

Edward’s breath caught.

Ah, yes.

“Edward,” Roy breathed.

As Ed’s hand closed on his thigh Roy pressed into the touch, opening his legs further. Roy watched Ed through his eyelashes, seeing his breath come faster through parted lips, the gold eyes hazed.

Edward turned to look at him, and Roy saw a spark glint through the haze. Edward’s hand passed up his leg to surround his cock, very, very lightly. Roy’s eyes closed and he gasped, lost his breath as Ed stroked him with a fingertip.

“Ed…!”

Edward spoke, low and husky, lilting a bit as he repeated Roy’s words. “Does it stir something? To know I affect you? Yes. Your voice does more to me than your hands. So, tell me…” his voice fell further, “…what does it do to you to hear me like this?”

Roy seized Ed’s wrists, pulled Ed down against him, and then under him, kissed him hard. “Evil creature,” he laughed in Ed’s ear. “You learn very quickly for someone with his first lover.”

“Just because I’d never had sex,” Ed panted, “doesn’t mean I didn’t have eyes and ears. Doesn’t take much to know you like to tease. Especially me,” he finished a bit sharply.

“Is it teasing that I enjoy your pleasure and want to increase it?” Roy asked, as if injured.

Ed’s expression sharpened to a knife edge. “Yes.”

“All right, all right,” Roy agreed, waving a pacifying hand, “we both know what we’re doing then, yes?”

Edward looked like he was examining the question for traps. Roy decided to be generous.

“I like teasing you.” He sucked lightly on Edward’s earlobe. “And, to judge by your recent performance, you like teasing back.”

Ed moaned softly.

Roy let his voice drop. “And to hear you like this makes me desire a great many things.”

Ed’s moan was no longer soft.

“Now, Edward-kun,” Roy whispered, “you’re wearing too many clothes.”

Those dispensed with, however, Edward reached out and drew Roy down to lie over him, holding his hands tightly. Roy felt tension all through the body under his and, looking down, found uncertainty had entered Edward’s eyes and the line of his mouth.

A bit too far and a bit too fast, Roy thought, with a twinge of repentance. He gathered Edward close and simply held him for a moment, pressed a soothing kiss to his forehead.

“Do you want to continue, Edward?”

Edward stilled, made a slight, surprised noise, and Roy shook his head. “Contrary to your previous accusation, I am not, in fact, a sadist.”

Edward hmphed faintly.

“I take no enjoyment from it if you’re in discomfort or pain,” Roy told him a bit sternly. “In either your body or your mind.”

The tension relaxed. The flash of panic had retreated, replaced with a faint blush as Edward regained his composure. Roy wanted to make sure of his recovery, though. “Do you wish to continue?”

“…yes.”

“Then,” Roy murmured, letting his voice soften, deepen, “would you rather I drew it out? Kept you on the edge of pleasure the whole night? Or are you impatient for me to finish you quickly now?”

A sharp shiver ran through Edward, and he pressed up against Roy. Roy smiled against his hair.

“Finish it.”

A low, hungry sound rose in Roy’s throat, and he let it. He traced the curves of Ed’s ear with his tongue for distraction as he fished over the side of the bed for his pants. More precisely, what he’d tucked into the pocket before tracking Edward down. It was a mild feat of dexterity to twist the cap off one-handed, but that’s what talent was for.

Now, then.

He pulled Edward over him and stroked down his spine, sliding his hand between Ed’s cheeks, pressing into him. Ed shuddered against him, leaned down to kiss Roy hard, open mouthed. His body tightened, relaxed. There.

“Sit back a bit,” Roy asked.

After a moment Ed did, resting both hands on Roy’s chest. Roy sighed at the coolness of the metal hand against his skin. His mouth quirked as Ed’s eyes widened at feeling Roy’s cock pressing behind him.

“Now.” Roy pushed forward, biting his lip at the electric feeling of moving against the soft resistance of Ed’s body. Ed’s breath caught, stopped.

“… Edward… breathe…” Roy managed.

Ed’s abrupt relaxation took Roy by surprise and he gasped at the sudden heat closed so tightly around him. Roy focused, shifted on the bed, searching for the right angle to share this fire.

He knew he’d found it when Ed threw back his head, wordless, pressing back into him.

Roy moved, slow and hard in the grip of Ed’s body, nerves scorched by the heat of it. One hand found Ed’s, clasped tight with it, each pressing against the other’s palm for steadiness. He ran his other hand up Ed’s taut thigh, between his legs, and Ed’s breathless sounds wound around him, clenched tighter, driving him beyond himself. His body strained like a drawn bow, tighter, further…

Released.

Roy drew Ed down before he collapsed, held him, waited for the light-headedness from breathing so deeply to pass.

When Ed stirred against him, stretched, and twitched a bit, Roy fished back through his pockets for the other small bottle he’d stowed away, congratulating himself on his foresight.

“Take a few of these, and lie still until they take effect,” he directed.

Edward’s expression was priceless.

“I did mention not being a sadist.”

Ed glared, tossed down three pills and buried his head in the pillows with a mutter that Roy only caught part of.

“…completely unfair…”

Roy charitably refrained from laughing. He lounged beside Edward, rubbing his back until he relaxed into a doze. Roy dropped a kiss on the back of Edward’s neck.

“Until next time,” he said quietly.

End

---

Branch: *leans wearily on keyboard* Can’t you two ever have straightforward sex without all the psychology?

Ed: *gives her the evil eye* Can’t you ever write it?

Roy: Be honest, Madam, have you ever written any sex scene that lacked background?

Branch: I suppose you have a point.

Ed: Though there is…

Branch: *warily* There is what?

Roy: Weren’t we going to wait on that?

Ed: Could make a nice change of pace. *leans on suddenly materialized wall, crosses ankles* Keep me from getting bored.

Roy: Indeed. *meaningful look at Author*

Branch: Right, right. ‘Lemme go get a drink and I’ll be right with you.