Normally Ed liked summer, but East City was in the middle of a bona fide heat wave and he’d had just about enough. He’d stripped down to his lightest shirt and boxers and was still sweltering. Going to the library wasn’t to be thought of. He’d set one foot into the airless, baking-hot rooms and retreated hastily.

It was weather like this that made him consider the benefits of cutting off all his hair.

Somewhere in this city there had to be someplace a little bit cool, he thought desperately.

Maybe it was heat-stroke, or maybe simply a measure of true desperation, but the next thought to occur to him was Roy. Roy will at least have a fan going. Which, it had to be admitted, no one left in the headquarters dormitories seemed to.

He made his way, slowly, to Roy’s house, trying to exert the least effort necessary. He didn’t bother with any more clothes than he’d had on already; the few people actually on the street in this heat were wearing even less. He let himself in and followed the whirring sound to find Roy on the back porch.

Sure enough, he was lying, shirtless, directly in the path of a large fan. In addition, he had propped open the door of the small icebox that normally held drinks. Today it held what looked like several boxes worth of popsicles. Going by the testimony of the wrappers scattered about, Roy had polished off a box or two already.

One half of his latest snack was lying on its wrapper just inside the icebox, while the other was poised above Roy’s mouth as he looked up rather languidly at the intrusion.

Ed didn’t bother with a greeting, just swooped down on the spare popsicle and stayed sprawled in front of the open door.

“Nice to see you, too, Edward-kun, do come in and make yourself comfortable,” Roy murmured.

Ed mumbled indecipherable thanks around the popsicle and flopped over onto his back. The ice was wonderfully cold, and he had to resist the urge to lay it over his forehead. He’d only feel hotter for the stickiness when it melted. The chill air washing out from the icebox was absolutely glorious, though, and Ed sighed happily as he pulled the popsicle almost out of his mouth and then sucked it back in. He tried to remember the last time he’d had popsicles. It had been a while; they didn’t travel well.

He took the ice out of his mouth and looked over to thank Roy for letting him intrude. Roy’s expression stopped him with his mouth still open. Roy’s eyes were half-lidded and he had a very recognizable quirk to his lips.

Ed contemplated the thought of rolling around on the floor here with Roy, getting hot and sweaty all over again. He didn’t think today was the day for that. Time for a strategic retreat.

“Surely there’s no need to hurry so on such a lazy day, Edward-kun?” Roy asked as Ed gathered his feet under him. His voice was low and soft, and made Ed hesitate just a bit.

“Well… I don’t… heek!“

Roy’s fingers hooked the waist of Ed’s boxers. Ed started, and the angle conspired against both of them. One squawk and several hops later Roy was left holding the garment in question and Ed was free to make a break for it.

Except that Roy was holding the garment in question.

He’d seen less clothed people on the way over, to be sure, but it had usually been the other end that was bare.

As Ed paused, trying to decide whether to jump Roy in an effort to regain his clothing, or make a dash upstairs to appropriate some of Roy’s, Roy rose. He plucked Ed’s popsicle out of his fingers, wrapped one arm around Ed’s chest and pulled him back against Roy’s body.

And something else.

Ed’s breath stopped in shock as something long and icy slid between his cheeks.

“Is that cooler, Edward?” Roy asked.

Any answer Ed might have made was lost in his groan as Roy’s mouth, also cold, closed on his neck. And now that Ed wasn’t in any shape to go anywhere Roy’s arm loosened and his other hand dropped down to draw patterns over Ed’s thighs and stomach with his own popsicle.

Ed’s legs gave way.

He found himself on knees and elbows on the floor, Roy behind him, Roy’s fingers spreading him open, rubbing that slick cold back and forth. As the popsicle melted it trickled down between his legs, dripping off him. The faint, faint sensation made Ed nearly frantic for a firmer touch, for Roy’s hand to finger him, stroke him hard.

“Roy…” he managed to gasp as his lover drew the ice away, slowly, lingering against his entrance.

“No need to hurry, didn’t we agree Edward?” Roy whispered.

“Roy…”

And then Roy’s tongue was on him, burning in contrast to the cold before, lapping away the run-off of the popsicle, twisting, probing, teasing. Ed dropped his head down to his crossed wrists and tried to remember how to breathe. Roy’s hand closed around him, thumb running down his length, and Ed stopped caring about breathing.

He spread his legs wider, squirming back against Roy’s touch, silently asking for more, but Roy seemed to be in a mood today. His tongue and hands stayed slow, caressing, wringing aching moans from Ed without holding out any promise of release anytime soon.

“God, Roy,” he gasped raggedly, at last, “stop teasing and fuck me!”

Roy’s hands tensed on him, and Ed knew then that he could end this in his own favor right now.

“Fuck me, Roy,” he repeated, letting his voice grow husky, letting it show need. “I want you inside me. Hard. Fast. So deep I can taste you.” Roy was leaning against him now. “Just do it. Fuck me hard, Roy. Now. Please.”

“Ed.”

Roy’s voice was breathless. This was Ed’s trump card, rarely played, that he could get Roy to do just about anything by asking for it out loud. Roy’s hands closed on his hips and Roy was pushing into him, slick and hard, and Ed pushed back. This time, Roy answered him, thrusting deep and fast, rough and hot inside of Ed. Spikes of pleasure tightened Ed’s muscles loosened his body, and Roy’s hand closing in a fist over Ed’s length was the only thing that kept Roy from fucking Ed flat into the floor. Roy’s touch, inside and out, so hard, so intense, narrowed his world down, down, until the rush of heat overwhelmed him completely.

When Ed remembered how to open his eyes he found himself lying on his side, Roy curled up behind him, both of them panting and, he’d know it!, covered in sweat.

“Hope you’re satisfied,” he mumbled.

“Entirely.” In fact, Roy sounded downright satiated. “And you, Edward?”

“Mmmm. Suppose so.” Ed knew perfectly well that Roy would hear the smile in his voice. He stretched and made a face. “More so if I wasn’t all sweaty and sticky now.”

He couldn’t quite suppress a purr as Roy nibbled on his neck, though.

“Well, come on, then.”

Ed gave Roy a disbelieving look as Roy climbed to his feet and held out a hand. Roy just smirked. Grudgingly Ed let himself be pulled up and, less grudgingly, full length against Roy’s body. Disregarding the heat for a moment he wound his arms around his lover’s neck and looked up at Roy through his lashes. That got him a slow kiss, and Ed chuckled low in his throat at the sweetness lingering on Roy’s mouth.

“So why,” he asked against Roy’s lips, “did you want me to stand up when you’ve just made me kind of reluctant to walk for a while?”

“I thought you might like a cool shower to wash off the stickiness.”

Ed was sure, from the way Roy started laughing, that he must have given him an absolutely starry-eyed look. At the moment he didn’t care.

He ordered slightly rubbery legs to work and hauled the still laughing Roy toward the bathroom.

End

Ed: *gives author the evil eye*

Branch: What? You waived the No Kinky Stuff rule almost two weeks ago!

Gracia: *taps toe*

Branch: Coming, coming. Jeez, you guys are demanding.

Roy was smirking at him.

For once, Ed didn’t care.

He fiddled with the taps until the shower was just over body heat and settled down to luxuriate and ignore his lover. He stretched up on his toes, held his hands up to the spray, turned around twice and finally stood with his back to it and his head bent and resting on Roy’s convenient shoulder.

“You look like a cat that’s just discovered a catnip patch,” Roy informed him.

Ed sniffed. Roy fingered the end of his braid.

“Did you know that stuff got into your hair?”

“And whose fault is that?” Ed asked with a mild glare.

“Shall I make it up to you?” Roy reached around Ed and started unravelling his braid.

“Ha. I know you just like to play with my hair for your own fun.”

“That, too,” Roy admitted quite calmly, and closed both hands around Ed’s chin to tilt his head back into the spray. Ed closed his eyes, and Roy’s fingers slid back into his hair.

Ed was not entirely surprised to feel Roy’s mouth against his. He was a bit surprised at how soft the kiss was, even when he parted his lips under Roy’s. Roy’s tongue stroked his delicately, and Ed leaned against him. He had to smile into the kiss, as their bodies pressed together; however light Roy’s touch was, he clearly wasn’t in a platonic mood.

“No one would think you were over thirty,” he remarked dryly as Roy drew back.

“No one would think you were under twenty,” Roy returned, “at least until they saw you in a temper tantrum.”

Ed growled, and then sighed as Roy started working shampoo into his hair. The long fingers combing through the strands and firmly massaging his scalp drew small happy noises out of him.

“Ahh… mmmm… hhmmm…”

He had no doubt Roy was smirking again, and he still didn’t care.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Roy directed, wrapped one arm around Ed’s waist and leaned him back to rinse the suds out. “There.”

“You’re being awfully accommodating, considering the mood you were in earlier,” Ed noted.

“Ah? Well, it’s so rare that you ask me for anything, I thought it might be a good idea to supply some encouragement. Now,” a glint entered Roy’s eye, “did you want help reaching any of the other sticky bits?”

Ed blushed, and plucked a washcloth off its rail to throw in Roy’s face. Roy fielded it, laughing.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He swiped the cloth through his soap dish.

“Excuse me?” Ed employed a trick he’d learned from watching Roy to look down his nose at the taller man.

The smirk faded as Roy trailed two fingers down Ed’s jawline. “Edward. Won’t you let me?”

Life would be simpler, Ed reflected, if that particular trump card didn’t affect him just as powerfully as it did Roy. He glanced aside and laid a hand on Roy’s chest.

The cloth started at his neck, rough and soft and slick with soap, moved down to his chest, scrubbing gentle circles, more firmly over his stomach to keep from tickling. Ed expected Roy to keep moving down, but instead he swept back up to Ed’s shoulder, stroked down his arm, lingering at the inside of his elbow, again inside his wrist. Roy took Ed’s hand in his and turned it up. Ed watched Roy’s fingers in the blue terrycloth as they drew circles in his palm, watched as Roy drew the cloth around each of Ed’s own fingers, because he couldn’t watch Roy’s eyes.

Roy was usually a playful lover, and that suited Ed just fine. He could get introspection and soul-searching any time, he didn’t need them in bed. Every now and then, though, Roy’s dark eyes turned serious and his touch became… overwhelming was the word, Ed decided. At those times it felt like Roy focused every iota of his attention on nothing but Ed.

It was times like this that Ed took the joking rumor that Roy wanted to take over the whole military completely seriously. Roy almost frightened him like this.

Ed shivered as Roy let his hand go with a last caress. Roy turned them around, and gathered Ed’s hair over his shoulder. Ed let Roy draw him closer and arched into the faint scratchiness of the washcloth as it moved down his back.

He tensed, though, as Roy’s hand descended further. However much he’d wanted it, and God had he wanted it, their previous activities had still left him very tender.

“Roy…”

“I know,” Roy murmured in his ear. “It’s all right.”

Indeed, Roy’s touch was soft and light, and Ed relaxed as the soapy cloth moved slowly over his rear. He wrapped his arms around Roy’s shoulders and let Roy take his weight as his legs twinged and twitched and relaxed too. The nubby texture was rather soothing, though Roy’s hand stroking him there was… not exactly soothing. Roy held him securely, lingering with the cloth until Ed was flushed and panting against him. Finally he took his hand away, only to bend his head and suck on Ed’s earlobe. Another shiver danced down Ed’s spine.

“Can you stand?”

Ed scraped together the coordination to raise a brow. “You ask me that now?”

Roy leaned in swiftly and captured Ed’s mouth, and pulled a short, startled sound out of him. It wasn’t a hard kiss, quite the opposite. Roy’s lips slid over his languidly and his tongue twisted around Ed’s, coaxing him. It wasn’t hard, but it was one of the deepest, most thorough kisses he could remember Roy giving him.

“That isn’t helping with the standing up thing,” he pointed out, shakily, as Roy released him.

“We can work around that.”

Roy backed him up against the wall of the shower, and Ed took a moment to enjoy the cool tile against his shoulders. Then he blinked as Roy sank to his knees. Roy offered him a lazy smile as he ran the washcloth down Ed’s leg, back up, down the back of his thigh, rubbing gently behind his knee. Ed locked his other leg and put out a hand to brace himself as Roy lifted his foot and the rough cloth wrapped around his arch and between his toes.

Roy set his foot down, and ran his free hand down Ed’s stomach, and that was as much warning as Ed got before Roy’s mouth closed around his cock.

“Haah!” Ed tossed his head back, right hand scraping against the tiles behind him.

The heat of Roy’s mouth always shocked him, and twice as much now for being unexpected. The slide of Roy’s tongue, the pull of his lips as he drew back, the rush as he sucked Ed in again, wiped away everything but sensation. Ed couldn’t have said for sure whether his eyes were open or not. Roy worked him slowly, until Ed was shaking, aware that every breath was a moan and not caring. Finally he felt Roy run the cloth up his thigh, between his legs, pressing, rubbing, just there, and he felt the very edge of Roy’s teeth, and was swept under as fire rushed down his nerves.

He was distantly grateful that Roy stood quickly enough to keep him from collapsing; his knees were a bit tender, too, banging them against tile wouldn’t be fun. He leaned into Roy’s arms, collecting himself again.

“My hair is half-dry now; it’ll be a tangled mess,” was the first thing out of his mouth.

“I’ll comb it for you,” Roy offered quietly.

Ed lifted his head from Roy’s shoulder to look up at his lover. Roy combing Ed’s hair was normally the one gesture of non-sexual intimacy they indulged in, but at the moment it almost seemed like too much. Too close. Too overwhelming.

Roy waited, not saying anything more.

Ed sighed and put his head back down. “Only fair.”

They didn’t bother with towels; it was too much trouble. Roy got them both to the bedroom, staggering only slightly, and settled Ed on the bed. Ed let his eyes drift closed as Roy carefully combed out the tangles. The slightly muzzy thought occurred to him that Roy must be good at it because of all the real life practice he got. People must be harder than hair, right? Maybe that was why Roy was so edgy at work.

He felt a hand touch his cheek and opened his eyes to find Roy sitting in front of him. He promptly stretched out against him, pushing Roy over so Ed could use his shoulder as a pillow. Roy chuckled and gathered Ed to him, stroking his hair back. The water still dripping from both of them made it cool enough that Ed enjoyed the embrace. He wouldn’t be surprised of that was exactly why Roy had neglected to dry them off. Roy was always considerate in bed, even in his somewhat alarming serious moods; in fact, Ed reflected, he was even more careful then, as if he were trying not to scare Ed. And while part of Ed growled at the thought, a slightly more objective part of him was glad for Roy’s caution.

“How can you be so gentle when we’re like this and such an utter bastard everywhere else?” Ed wondered out loud.

“How can you be so pliant here and so sharp and hard everywhere else?” Roy asked back.

“Pliant?!”

Roy rolled them over until his weight pressed down on Ed.

“What shall I call it, then?” he inquired, brushing a thumb over Ed’s mouth.

“Nice?” Ed hazarded, just a touch breathless. This was part of what disconcerted him when Roy turned so serious… not just overwhelming, but overpowering, and he found himself liking it.

“As you like. It was a serious answer, though, Ed.”

Ed looked up, considering. Why was he like this with Roy? Because it was a time he could relax. There were more complex reasons, revolving around Roy being his sponsor, his annoying commander who shielded him from the whole rest of the military, the one who cheerfully used Ed’s abilities for his own ends and threw all his considerable resources behind Ed’s own search. But it really came down to that one thing, in the end; when he was with Roy like this he could relax.

It was the first time he really wondered when Roy might have a chance to relax.

“…thought it might be a good idea to supply some encouragement.”

Ed eyed his lover thoughtfully.

“Roy?”

Roy’s fingertips traced the outline of Ed’s face. “Hmm?”

“Kiss me?”

For a flashing moment Roy’s eyes turned soft. He leaned down and, for the first time since they stepped into the shower, kissed Ed with no restraint.

End