Roy.

“So, what…”

Ed had to stop for a jawcracking yawn before trying again.

“What possessed you to use the east facing bedroom anyway?”

Roy looked on in amusement as his bedmate squirmed yet further into the covers in a vain attempt to escape the morning sun. “It’s the largest, and the one with an attached bath,” he explained, very reasonably, for the nth time.

Ed made a grumpy noise and huddled against Roy’s side.

Roy suppressed a laugh as he stroked Ed’s back, coaxing him out again. Ed had some very set morning routines, and, on weekends when they had time for it, grumbling about the early sunlight was one of them. Ed was perfectly cheerful once he was up and awake, but he seemed to enjoy being persuaded.

Finally, Ed uncurled and stretched from toes to fingertips. If Roy was in the mood for it, he could start a morning tussle by trailing a finger down Ed’s stomach at just this moment, which would make him squeak and curl up in a ball before assaulting the source of the indignity. This morning, though, he had a different surprise in mind.

Ed rolled out of bed, shaking his hair into a semblance of order, and snatched up the plush black robe that hung just inside the wardrobe. As he was turning away, though, something seemed to catch his eye.

Roy allowed himself a tiny grin.

“What’s that?” Ed asked, glancing back at him.

Roy had told Ed some time ago just how fetching a sight he made with his hair down and the robe hanging open from his shoulders. He hadn’t mentioned that this was why he had put up with Ed’s theft of his robe. He had, however, taken it into account when he decided what to do about the matter. He came to stand behind Ed, and lifted the blue plush robe down off its hook.

“This,” he said, pulling it on, “is for me to wear while you steal mine.”

A faint flush rose in Edward’s face before he turned and leaned into Roy. “Thank you,” he said, very low.

“You’re welcome,” Roy replied, winding an arm around Edward’s waist. “Shower?”

Edward nodded. Roy lifted his chin. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“No. That would be… fine.” The blush was more distinct now. Well, it was the first time Roy had asked this.

Ed let Roy lead the way, and draw him under the water. Ed naked with his head tipped back and water running down him was even more fetching than Ed in Roy’s robe. They washed each other leisurely, trading the sponge back and forth.

“Shall I do your hair?” Roy asked.

“If you want,” Ed agreed, surprised.

Every now and then his lover’s innocence about his own beauty made Roy shake his head.

He was slow, careful not to tangle or pull, and Ed relaxed into him. “You’ll put me back to sleep,” he murmured.

“If you need the extra sleep that badly, perhaps I should,” Roy told him, rinsing the soap out.

“No. You just… relax me that much.” Ed opened his eyes, looking up through lashes beaded with water drops.

Roy didn’t know whether Ed understood how great a compliment he’d just paid Roy; he thought not. So he simply smiled and kissed away the water on Ed’s lips.

Ed.

“No, that can’t be it!”

Thursday’s breakfast was long gone, and the kitchen table had been taken over by paper and pencils. Ed had been arguing cheerfully with Roy for nearly an hour over how and whether a team of alchemists in the South might be transmuting a fantastically unstable compound whose import was forbidden. Well, cheerfully for them, anyway.

Ed narrowed his eyes at Roy and flourished a piece of paper from the pile on the table between them. “It’s obvious that they would need a seven point diagram if they’re trying to transmute this stuff out of sapphire!”

“Only,” Roy pointed out with a cutting edge, “if they have someone familiar with the Saturnine manuscripts, which are rare enough to make that unlikely.”

“You’re going to trust the incompetence of your opponent?”

“It’s often a reliable approach,” Roy returned.

“Yeah, well, not this time,” Ed growled.

Before Ed could continue to the evidence of knowledgebility Roy unfolded his hands and leaned across the table.

“No,” he agreed, silkily, “not this time.” He slid his palm down Ed’s jaw line, brushing his thumb over Ed’s lips.

Ed’s hand rose to push Roy’s away before he thought about it. “Don’t do that!”

They both pulled back and Ed tried to think why he had objected so strongly. Roy had touched him before when they were arguing. In fact, just a few weeks ago they had had a wonderful debate over the use of leopards versus lions in alchemical codes while lying naked in bed.

But this was different. Roy’s manner was different. Slowly, Ed realized that he’d seen Roy look like that before… when he was maneuvering some political target into doing what he wanted. Ed swallowed and looked up at Roy just in time to see his eyes widen and his mouth flinch.

He… didn’t realize either? Ed thought about that for a moment. And shuddered. “You’ve used sex that way, too?” he asked, a bit choked. “Just another lever?”

“For a long time,” Roy admitted quietly, staring straight ahead.

Ed was torn right down the middle between the urge to comfort Roy and the urge to run screaming.

“Edward. I’m sorry.”

Ed looked up, wide eyed. He could not, off hand, remember Roy ever apologizing for anything before. He bit his lip and reached a hand over the table. After a beat, Roy slowly lifted a hand to meet him. Ed laced their fingers together.

He couldn’t say it was all right, because it damn well wasn’t. But he tried to show in his grip, in his face he hoped, that the apology was accepted. It seemed to work, because some of the bleakness left Roy’s eyes.

Then he went around the table and burrowed into Roy’s arms, stroking his hair while Roy buried his face in Ed’s shoulder.

Roy.

“Good afternoon, Shousho. You look like you’re in a good mood today.”

Roy made an agreeable sound as Hawkeye set the day’s reports on his desk.

“In fact,” she continued, “you’ve been looking better in general lately.”

Roy eyed his aide. “I’m pleased that my personal life provides so much entertainment to my staff,” he drawled.

Hawkeye stared him down. Roy couldn’t remember a single moment she’d ever been intimidated by him in any way.

“I don’t know why the others are so happy, but I’m happy that you’ve stopped abusing yourself.”

Roy raised a brow. “I beg your pardon, Shousa?”

“You know what I mean, Sir,” she told him firmly. “The ones for political reasons were bad enough, but the throw-away affairs with people you could never trust were worse. I’m just glad it’s over.”

“You make it sound like I’ve gotten engaged,” Roy remarked, amused. Hawkeye had always kept an eye on his personal affairs, he knew, but she rarely commented on them. “I would remind you that Edward is only nineteen. He could well choose to move on.”

Hawkeye looked like she had something she very much wanted to say but didn’t think she should say it. “I doubt Edward-kun is going to let you go that easily,” was all she tossed over her shoulder in parting.

Roy blinked after her, contemplating her choice of words.

Ed won’t let me go? Has she seen something I haven’t?

Ed.

“Morning, Shousho.”

Ed knocked on the office door as he opened it and booted it shut again behind him. Roy made a distracted sound of acknowledgement. Ed tucked the volume of research results he’d been wading through back into its place on a shelf and went to see what Roy was occupied with, leaning on the back of Roy’s chair. “Still with Forsythe?”

“Unfortunately.” Roy tossed the flow chart he’d been scribbling on back onto the desk. “Any luck with your end?”

“Not yet,” Ed sighed. “I hate it when work stalls like this.”

A sudden, impish smile curled Roy’s mouth. “Well, how about a break, then?” he suggested, turning the chair to face Ed.

“Such as?” Ed asked, a bit suspicious of that expression.

“Something… relaxing,” Roy assured him, hands coming to settle on Ed’s hips.

Ed blinked down at him. “You’re kidding.”

Roy pulled him gently forward until Ed was kneeling over him on the chair, grinning the whole while.

“You are serious!” Ed was laughing as he caught Roy’s shoulders for balance. “Roy, we’re at work!”

“The door’s closed. That’s discreet enough,” Roy declared, running his hands up the back of Ed’s legs.

On the one hand, the door was merely closed, not locked, and Ed had no intention of sharing this part of his life with anyone else, thank you.

On the other hand… well at the moment the other hand was Roy’s, and it was tracing patterns up his back in a very tempting manner.

Oh, what the hell.

Ed concentrated, which wasn’t easy just at that moment, and sent the crackle of transmutation through the wood of the desk, of the floor, of the doorframe, which temporarily became a single piece with the door.

“Delightful,” Roy murmured, as his hands trailed down Ed’s front, undoing things as they went.

Ed took in a wicked glance from dark eyes, and then he was lost in the heat of Roy’s mouth on him. He let his head fall back, let himself melt into the heat, trusting Roy’s hands to hold him up. The slide of Roy’s tongue pulled a long moan from him.

When Roy drew back, Ed sank down, wrapped his hand around Roy’s chin and kissed him deep and slow.

“You’re completely crazy,” he announced against Roy’s mouth, hands busy with the clasps and buttons of his uniform.

“Without a doubt,” Roy agreed easily.

Their clothes went to decorate the desk, but they themselves finally wound up on the couch.

Or, at least, Ed was on the couch, arms spread across the back, with Roy kneeling on the floor between his legs. At this time of day the sunlight fell directly across them, and Ed closed his eyes against the brightness even as he luxuriated in the feel of the warmth on his skin.

Roy’s hands swept up his back, pressing Ed tight against him, and Ed made a soft, inarticulate noise as Roy’s teeth closed on his bared throat.

Roy’s hands drew him to the edge of the cushions. He felt Roy’s cock sliding against his rear and arched back, breathless, anticipating.

“Ed?” Roy asked against Ed’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Ed said, definitely.

Roy went very slowly, as he always did when they made love like this, and Ed appreciated it. It let him feel every millimeter of Roy that was inside him bit… by… bit…

And then Roy’s hand closed around him, teasing, knowing, and Ed lost track of individual senses in the tide of heat and tension and pleasure. When he opened his eyes to brilliant light it seemed only appropriate.

He slid limply off the edge of the couch and into Roy’s lap, where they leaned on each other and exchanged small, slow kisses.

“We just had sex… on your office couch… in the middle of the morning,” Ed commented between kisses.

“Nice thick walls,” Roy replied, “I doubt anyone noticed.”

Ed laughed. “Completely crazy,” he reiterated. “I love you.”

Then he blinked. Did I just say that?

Roy caught Ed’s face in his hands and kissed him far harder and hotter than before. And then he simply held Ed and gazed at him for a long moment before his mouth quirked.

“I believe I love you as well, Edward Elric,” he said softly, tone somewhat rueful.

Ed ducked his head against Roy’s shoulder, as Roy’s arms closed around him, and stayed there for a long time.

TBC