Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of FMA-I just like to write about them...

Demons and Redemption

Chapter 20

Somewhere in the distance a mother bird could be heard calling for her lost young. Ed sighed as he settled more comfortably on the slim windowsill, one leg swinging aimlessly, the other bent and leaning against the glass pane. He propped his arm on his knee and rested his chin in his palm, sighing again, if just to hear the sound of something else in the otherwise quiet apartment. He was stuck there, despite the fact that a renegade homunculus was still roaming the streets of Central. Ed had held true to his promise to Roy that he remain in the apartment at all times, even though it took far more self-control than the young alchemist had ever practiced. But what he had so softly admitted to Roy before had been spoken in truth.

He did trust him.

And now he needed Roy to trust him back.

Ed sighed again, this time letting the deep breath reverberate through his lips. The tip of his heavy boot was now tapping against the wall, causing scuff marks to chip the already peeling paint. The boy wasn't used to such silence. In the home where he and Al had lived a more carefree existence, the sounds of the open country kept him company. The wind battering dying autumn leaves, tousling them before letting them flutter to the ground. Animals had chatted with one another, and people doing an honest day's work found conversation as a way to ease their chores. In the city, the drone of car engines and of people walking down cobblestone streets echoed all around.

But this apartment hovered somewhere between the two, too far out on the outskirts to enjoy the din of a big city, and too close to be lulled by the peace of the country. Here, there was just….silence.

The tapping paused as Ed watched the wind slowly cleave a cloud in two. Ed hated the day. He was caged there, powerless to track the homunculus, and unable to continue his quest for the stone. At least when the sun set, spreading its rich colors across the Amestris skyline, he could interrogate Roy about what he had discovered.

Although lately, the older alchemist had been less than forthcoming with any information.

But for now, amidst the silence, amidst the turmoil of uncertainty, frustration, and rage brewing inside him, one fact became very clear:

Edward Elric was bored.

He had already rearranged the freshly stocked contents of the pantry, vaguely entertained and quickly dismissed the notion of tidying up the sparse apartment, and half-heartedly investigated some of the nooks and crannies for anything of interest.

None of which had satisfied the gnawing boredom threatening to overtake the boy's ability to remain locked within the increasingly claustrophobic walls.

"Hey, Al, you wanna play cards?"

The sharp creaking of metal precipitating the gentle reply. "No, thanks."

Ed huffed, letting his breath escape in a very audible sigh. "Come on, Al—I'll even let you deal first."

Again, the squeak of metal filled the room as the armored head shook back and forth. Blond brows lowered as Ed hopped off the windowsill and walked over to the couch. "Why not?"

The response was simple. "You cheat."

Golden eyes widened in offense. "I cheat?"

"Is there something wrong with your hearing, brother?" The bodiless voice held a hint of amusement to it, the white eyes gleaming to match.

"When have I ever cheated?"

Those bright eyes widened at the incredulous question. "On the train to Youswell. On the train to Liore. On the train to Central. On the—"

"Alright, alright!" Ed sunk down on the couch next to his brother, holding up his hands in defeat. "I get the picture, Al. What if I promise not to?"

"Hm." Al leaned against the back of the couch, its worn frame creaking as it accepted the weight of the hollow armor. The book in the gloved, metal hands slowly closed, and Ed smiled as he saw he resignation in the white eyes. "Okay, brother. But not with your deck."

The older one's smile fell. "There's nothing wrong with my deck." He defended.

"It's the only way I'll play."

Ed's brow furrowed. "I only have one deck." He argued, reaching into the pocket of his dark pants.

Al shook his head and began to open his book again, thumbing through the pages to find the strip of leather that held his place. "No deal, brother."

The elder Elric rolled his eyes at the pun before grunting and getting to his feet. He stretched his arms above his head, and briefly let a yawn overtake his youthful face. "Well, maybe Roy has a deck stashed around here somewhere."

Al said nothing as he watched his brother head over to the desk against the far wall of the den. But his eyes told a different story. Their white glowed as he reflected on his older brother's words. Or rather, one of those words. Roy. There was a hint of something buried in the older one's voice whenever the name escaped his lips, one that Ed always tried to mask. Al mused that he noticed the appellation used more and more and bastard less and less. At least with such contempt behind it.

"Did you find another deck, brother?"

Ed had become strangely quiet, his short frame stilled as it leaned over the bottom drawer of the desk. Al strained his heavy head to see just what had captured his brother's attention.

"Brother?"

Ed finally turned, carefully clutching something in his flesh hand. As the boy walked back towards the couch, Al could just discern what that object was.

A photograph.

"What's that?"

Ed settled back on the couch and carefully tilted the brittle photograph up so his brother could see it. Al focused on the figure in the picture, one with familiar onyx eyes and a shock of black hair.

"The General…" Al murmured, studying the details of the frozen image more carefully.

Roy was standing in front of a large house, one that dwarfed even Shou Tucker's. His lithe, youthful frame was silhouetted by two large Cypress trees. He was only a boy in the photograph, around a few years younger than Ed. His hair was short, gleaming in the sunlight. On his face was a genuine smile, bright with no hint of the jaded smirk that would find its way to his lips as an adult. But none of those things had captured Ed's attention as much as those dark eyes. There was something about them, something that drew him instantly into Roy's very soul.

They were innocent.

They were full of hope and promise. They were void of any hurt, of the demons that now haunted him. Al turned a little and looked at his brother.

"He looks happy, brother."

Ed swallowed before nodding. He reached out and ran his flesh fingertips over the image of Roy's face, unaware of the eyes steadily watching him.

"It must have been taken before he joined the military."

Another nod. Al studied the photo again, seeing what his brother saw in those eyes.

"Ishbal really changed him, didn't it brother?"

Ed briefly closed his eyes. "He's a soldier, Al." He quietly answered. "He knew what that meant when he joined the military."

"You're one, too, brother." Al replied, watching the golden eyes fling open. "A dog of the military just like the General. Alchemists have to do what the State asks if they want to follow through with their own goals. We do what they want so we can keep doing our research. The General had to do what they asked to keep his own goal in sight."

"That's different." Ed protested.

"How?" The younger Elric gingerly countered. "The only difference I see is that we're lucky, brother. We haven't been asked to make the choices he did. We have a superior who's made sure we aren't sent on missions where we have to hurt people."

The younger Elric watched in silence as his words were carefully absorbed and analyzed. He had made sure to subtly emphasize the word superior, forcing his brother to realize what he had seen so long ago. That Roy was forever trying to protect them. That Roy wasn't always doing so because he didn't trust the boys or doubt their abilities.

He was trying to ensure that they didn't suffer as he had.

Realization slowly seeped into the golden eyes before it was masked by an unreadable emotion. Ed suddenly stood, the photo still secure in his grasp.

"I think I saw a deck in the back of the drawer." He stated.

Al pretended not to notice when the photograph was not slipped back into the desk where it had been found, but instead into the pocket of a black pair of pants.

x.X.x

"Is something the matter, sir?"

Silence hovered in the air as the blonde officer's answer, and she drew in a soft sigh before taking a step closer to the heavy wooden desk.

"General?"

Again, nothing. Not even a hitch in the man's breathing as the lowered eyes furiously scanned the paper before them. Hawkeye's normally calm demeanor cracked for just a moment as an unreadable expression passed over her face.

"Uh, Chief?"

Different officer, but same response. Roy did nothing to acknowledge either subordinate. Havoc slightly frowned and offered Hawkeye a shrug.

"General Mustang, we—"

"Do you have those records I asked for, Havoc?"

The tall officer drew back before shaking his head. "I…well….did you need those now?"

A sharp glance and creased brow was his response. Havoc bit back a deep groan before rising to his feet. He offered Riza a bright grin as she gestured with a wave towards the door that she would help him.

"Lieutenant."

Both officers halted, but it was Hawkeye who was the focus of intense onyx eyes. Riza turned, catching the slight nod of the dark head beckoning her to stay behind. She closed the door and walked back towards the desk.

"Sir?"

"I had not wanted to involve you in this just yet." Roy carefully began. "But this goes much deeper than I wanted to believe."

Soft eyes widened in surprise. "What does?"

Roy sighed before reaching into the hidden pocket of his jacket uniform. His lieutenant watched in silence as he produced a piece of paper, folded into a neatly pressed square. Only the quiet rustling of its worn edges filled the space between them as he opened it and placed it squarely on his desk. His lieutenant leaned forward, cocking her head to the side to get a better look.

"This." The alchemist simply answered as he gestured towards the large map now laying across ignored papers that had needed his attention.

Brown eyes narrowed as they observed several small dots marked on the paper. They did not notice the fingertips hovering over the outline of the large region until their shadow eclipsed the precise dots.

"Each mark is a place of suspicious activity involving the military in some way." Roy guardedly explained. "Towns where people have disappeared. Prisons that hold no prisoners. Missing civilians. Missing soldiers. All in the past few months."

It was silent for a moment before a soft voice answered him. "There are so many…"

Roy sighed. "Is that all you notice?"

"What else is there, sir?"

The scraping of thin metal against the lipped top of an ink well answered the lieutenant. She watched as a steady hand set the tip of the pen against the map and slowly connected the outer points to form a perfect circle. The remaining marks inside its circumference were then attached with the line of ink, forming two triangles, one inverted and overlapping the other to form a six-pointed star.

"What is it?"

The dark head slowly shook back and forth. "I don't know for certain." Roy truthfully answered. "What I do know is that it's no coincidence." The tip of the pen lightly tapped against a point that was located in the exact center. "And neither is that."

Headquarters.

"I believe it's an alchemic symbol." Roy speculated. "But whose it is and for what purpose….I don't know."

Riza lifted her gaze from the map. "And you think the military is involved?" She ventured.

A short nod was her answer. "At least one of their generals is." He dryly stated, flipping the pen over and tapping a mark that was the corner of one of the triangles. Riza instantly recognized the intersection where Roy's house was. The pen then swatted against another part of the map, one unmarked and outside the outline of the triangle. "But my old apartment isn't part of this symbol. That means it's still safe for now."

An unreadable and unnoticed emotion flickered briefly behind the brown eyes. "And Fullmetal…"

Roy visibly tensed. "Yes." He responded. "Both he and Al are safe there it seems."

The usually perceptive onyx eyes did not catch the faint hint of a smile cross his lieutenant's face.

"How long will you keep them there?"

A dark eyebrow arched in response. "It's not so much how long I can keep him there." Roy finally replied, unaware that he had only referred to Ed in his answer. "But how long he'll stay."

Deceivingly delicate fingers brushed over the map, coming to rest at the spot where the pen had just been. "Perhaps, sir, if he doesn't feel as if he's trapped, he may not flee."

The young General lifted his dark eyes. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, sir, that he might stay if he feels he's not your prisoner." The blonde carefully continued. "He is an accredited alchemist. He's no longer the child you found in Risembool, his body and soul splintered. Perhaps it's time to trust that he's capable of taking care of himself."

The lieutenant's response was silence. Contemplative silence. She watched as Roy turned and slowly walked to the window, clasping his hands behind his back. In the muted reflection she could see his dark eyes, their focus not on the colors of the setting sun but rather lost deep in thought. After a few more moments, she glanced back at the map before turning towards the door, her boots clicking against the wooden floor with each step. She took one final look at Roy before leaving him alone and closing the door behind her.

"Smart man." A sultry voice whispered from the shadows. "He knows much more than we believed."

The Lieutenant turned her head before a wide grin spread across her face. "Yes." There was the sickening sound of muscle stretching and reforming beneath skin, bone snapping and reshaping. The blond hair suddenly darkened and sprang free from its clasp, lengthening. The crisp, pressed uniform melded into black, shortening to expose the pale legs and arms of an androgynous figure. "And now we know more. Like where he's hiding the Fullmetal Pipsqueak."

A subtle smile found its way to the other one's lips. "Yes." She agreed. "But there's no fun in hunting game when it's already caught in a trap."

"So?"

Violet eyes narrowed. "Your little lecture on trust should convince the Flame General to let Fullmetal out from under his thumb." Lust replied. "Why don't you make yourself useful and see where he and that metal heap wander off to?"

A sharp grin flashed across the pale face. "My pleasure." Once again the sound of muscle and tissue molding itself under skin echoed in the hallway, the pale face this time reforming into that of a certain young General with dark eyes and a determined smirk. "But for now, I need to find Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Make sure she knows everything he just told you. We wouldn't want them figuring out about you just yet."

The figure nodded, adjusting the heavy blue cuffs of his uniform jacket.

"And, Envy?"

The dark head turned.

"There's no need to let Pride know about any of this."

x.X.x

It was just after midnight when Roy found himself working his key into the rusted lock. He had stayed at Headquarters long past anyone else, locked in his office as he rechecked every scrap of paper, every carefully documented piece of evidence. There was an eerie calm that surrounded him now, contrasting the turmoil that was becoming harder to hide behind his dark eyes. He could tell by the way no shadows were shifting underneath the door that the apartment's occupants had long since gone to bed. There was a sense of relief with that realization, coupled with a twinge of guilt.

He had barely said two words to either Elric since they had been exiled to this tattered apartment for their safety. And as much as the elder alchemist tried not to admit it, also for his peace of mind.

"Alphonse." Roy had blinked a few times when he entered the den, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness that encompassed the room. He had been surprised by the large metal figure sitting very still on the couch. "I didn't realize you were…."

Awake wasn't the right word. A bodiless soul didn't sleep, couldn't sleep. But as the tired General fumbled for the right word, the boy kindly helped him.

"Sometimes I like to sit in the dark and just listen." Al explained. "I listen to the people outside and wonder what their lives are like. I even pretend I could be them for a day, to step into their shoes. That must sound silly…"

Roy shook his head as he clutched the key in his hand, feeling its sharp edges press against the tender skin of his palm. "No, Alphonse." He softly argued. "It doesn't."

The creaking of thin metal as it rubbed against itself echoed in the room as Al turned a little. "There's dinner still in the oven, sir." He pointed out. "In case you're hungry."

Roy nodded, even though the thought of food didn't seem too appealing at the moment. His diet of late had consisted of little more than a steady flow of coffee, and the thinning of his face stood as its testament.

"I'll have to remember to thank Hawkeye for bringing it over."

"Lieutenant Hawkeye wasn't here, sir." Al replied. "Ed cooked."

Roy drew back. "Ed?"

"Yes, sir. He cooked dinner, but….well, I guess he made too much." The boy carefully answered. "I think he said something about you having some if he didn't come out and finish it for his midnight snack."

A faint smirk found its way to the alchemist's lips. The thought of Ed being so…domestic…was as endearing as it was humorous. But that smile disappeared as a realization surfaced.

This wasn't Ed. It wasn't the boy's nature. Little by little being caged was beginning to quell the fire that burned inside the younger one's soul. The fierce independence that always radiated behind those golden eyes was being tamed now. Maybe a little too much.

He's no longer the child you found in Risembool, his body and soul splintered. Perhaps it's time to trust that he's capable of taking care of himself.

"I should probably get some sleep. I have to be at Headquarters early." Roy explained more to himself than the armored soul intently studying him. "Goodnight, Alphonse."

"Goodnight, sir."

Roy was exhausted. His body ached, the muscles in his neck and shoulders strained from the burdened they carried. He had foregone sleep and nourishment too long, and with each passing day, he felt its consequences. But as it had so many times in the past, sleep eluded him. He quietly slid off the blue pants of his uniform and unbuttoned the cuffs and collar of his starched shirt, mindful of the snoring form sprawled across the bed. But it would be nearly an hour before Roy tore his gaze from the darkened skyline and gingerly slid under the blankets beside him.

"You better not have eaten my midnight snack, bastard."

Roy jolted a little at the sarcastic barb. He lifted his head enough to gaze down on the blond one, surprised to see Ed's eyes still closed. He opened his mouth to answer, but instead simply shook his head and nestled it back against the thin pillow.

A few minutes of silence passed, and Roy figured by the slowing breaths of the younger one that Ed had fallen back asleep. He closed his own eyes and began to drift. They flung open once again when he felt the mattress beneath him jostle.

"You stayed late again."

Ed was sitting up now, knees pulled to his chest, one flesh and one automail arm wrapped around them. Roy's eyes narrowed as they strained to study the lowered face.

"Paperwork."

"Hm."

Roy drew in a deep breath before closing his eyes. "Ed."

There was a nearly indiscernible hitch in the boy's breathing. Nearly.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking."

"And?" Ed scoffed, trying to ignore the sudden tightening of his stomach. "You want a medal or something?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the younger alchemist's eyes widened in horror. It had been a flippant reply, one to mask the anxiety of exactly what Roy had been thinking about and how it involved Ed. Too late the boy realized the cruelty unintentionally brandished with his choice of words. He lowered his head, letting his forehead rest on his automail arm.

"What about?"

It was an uncomfortably long wait before Ed heard the soft clearing of the other one's throat. "You." Roy quietly replied. "You and Al."

Ed swung around, his lips parted a little. He tried to search the now open eyes for any hint of what was coming next, but they were decidedly focused on the dingy ceiling. It took the boy a few moments before the question that wanted to escape his lips finally did.

"What about us?"

Roy drew in a deep breath. "It may not be wise keeping you in this apartment all the time." He finally began. "If someone finds out you're here, you and Al would be sitting ducks. I think it would be better if you went out during the day."

The golden eyes widened again, this time in utter shock. Ed drew back, trying to figure out if Roy was telling the truth, and if he was, then exactly what would be the catch.

"I also can't keep assigning my officers to watch the two of you while I'm not here." Roy continued, his eyes still searching the shadowed patterns on the ceiling. "They're needed for other duties at Headquarters. If you and Al do go out, you won't have any military protection."

Ed slowly shook his head, the message between Roy's words becoming more clear. He was letting them go so that they could continue their research. And he was freeing them of the tethers of their good-intentioned by bothersome babysitters. Ed suddenly shifted, straddling Roy's hips. He placed his hands on either side of his Roy's head, his flesh fingers brushing against the man's dark hair.

"You mean it?" Ed softly asked, leaning close to his lover's face.

Roy slowly nodded. It took him a moment before he allowed his eyes to meet the ones boring deeply into them. "Yes." He whispered, reaching up with one hand to brush Ed's fallen bangs away from his face.

The bright grin that answered him caused his breath to catch, but as a flesh hand shifted to smooth back his own locks, it was caught in a harsh grip. Ed drew back, frowning.

"What?"

Roy sighed. "Just….promise me you'll be careful."

The frown shifted into a smirk. "I'm always careful, bastard."

But the teasing remark did not lift the shadows from behind the onyx eyes. "Promise me." He whispered, the boy's hand still in his grasp.

Ed leaned down and captured the older one's lips with his own, his actions always speaking far louder than his words. There was an urgency burning behind his motions as he nipped at the older one's lips, demanding entry. There was a slight hesitation before Roy acquiesced, parting his lips to allow the boy's tongue to press against his own. He finally released his hold on the boy's wrist, his fingers finding a new prisoner in the blond braid as the kiss deepened. Teeth nipped and teased. Lips sought their matching softness. Tongues, the taste of one another. Ed was forever trying to prove his dominance in each kiss they shared, in every intimate touch he gave. He refused to break the contact even as his lungs burned for air, constricting in his chest as he denied them their breaths.

It was Roy who finally broke the kiss, gently pushing the boy back.

But the deepening of his dilated eyes, the gleam that delved deep into the dark irises gave Ed no mistake as to what he wanted.

"Roy—"

Whatever thought the boy had was obliterated as soon as he was flipped over and found his body covered with another's, the force of it pressing him back into the mattress. Lips searing against his with an almost unnatural heat, forcing them open and seeking to explore all that was within. There was barely a chance to relish the renewed contact before those lips left his and found a new target, the hollow of the boy's neck.

"Roy…"

This time the name escaped in the from of a low gasp. While lips suckled the tender skin of his throat, hands were deftly removing his boxers. Ed struggled to help, only to have his hands pinned above his head and the juncture of his neck and collarbone caught between Roy's teeth. He could feel the blood rushing the bite, flooding beneath the pinched skin. And then just as quickly the heat disappeared replaced by a soft whisper of breath causing goosebumps to prickle along the boy's exposed skin.

Onyx eyes flashed with something the younger alchemist couldn't quite place, but before he could speculate for too long on just what it was, his attention was forced on the tongue now swirling around his nipple. Strong hands slid his black tank up over his scarred torso, lifting it over the boy's head. As lips hungrily suckled, fingers found their gentleness as they ghosted along the rough skin of Ed's ribcage, feeling what was not there. Roy suddenly drew back, staring at the scar that left a jagged path along Ed's side.

"It's fine." A quiet voice interrupted. "It doesn't hurt."

Roy simply shook his head and reached down to unbutton his now wrinkled shirt, his eyes lowered as they avoided the reality of just what that scar represented. He took his time, his breathing now very calculated as his fingers worked the buttons through the stiff stitching of each hole. He slid the fabric over his shoulders, pulling his arms free of its constricting sleeves. He turned his head, tossing the shirt haphazardly and watching as it hit the side of the dresser. His attention was instantly brought back to the one before him when he felt a warm breath against his neck.

"I promise."

The words were muffled, their quiet assurance whispered into his skin. Ed was sitting now, his body pressed close to his lover's. He stayed very still for a moment before he pulled back and met the wide onyx eyes.

"I promise." He repeated. "I'll be careful."

Roy nodded, unsure of the truth behind the pledge. Or rather, unsure of the boy's ability to keep that truth. He watched silently as Ed laid back down against thin pillow, his thighs parting slightly in invitation. Roy drew a deep breath before leaning over the smaller form, reaching for the bedside table. Ed closed his eyes in anticipation of the slick fingers urgently preparing him, but instead felt the loss of the older one's body heat. When the boy opened his eyes, he found his lover settling beside him, his dark eyes searching his, probing for some unanswered question. Ed's brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth, wanting to ask Roy what was wrong. But the older one shook his head. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the boy's smooth shoulder before gently turning him on his side.

It was then that Ed understood why Roy had laid down beside him. He felt a strong hand settle on his thigh, just above the scarred skin, pushing it up and towards his chest. Soft cloth brushed against the curve of his lower back as Roy slid his own boxers down far enough to free his growing hardness. Then fingers gently prepared him before the heat of Roy's chest seared against his back. He closed his eyes and waited, feeling the nudge of something much thicker than the probing fingers. As Ed forced his body to relax, accepting his lover as he entered him, he felt something else.

An arm wrapping firmly around his chest.

Ed pressed back into the embrace, gasping as he was stretched mercilessly. Roy was penetrating him slowly, taking his time as he held his lover against him. The older alchemist said nothing, allowed no sound to escape his lips as his hips fell into a maddeningly measured rhythm. His lover, however, was trying desperately to quell the moans that threatened to escape with each thrust. Automail fingers clutched at cotton sheets, holding their cotton threads prisoner in a metal grip. Ed buried his face in the pillow, concentrating on the sensations overtaking him. The brush of dark hair against the back of his neck, the increasingly ragged breaths across his shoulder, the arm that tightened its hold against his chest with every plunge deep inside him. Ed was so far lost in each feeling that when the arm around him shifted and fingers found a firm grasp on his own throbbing erection, he yelped in surprise.

Roy's hand was gentle but firm in its strokes, matching the rhythm of his hips. Ed bucked his own hips, thrusting them forward to keep contact with the soft skin of his lover's palm, but Roy wouldn't relinquish his control. He shifted a little, pulling back. Ed stifled a whimper at the loss of heat pressed against him. When the hand stroking him withdrew, however, a groan of frustration escaped. But before Ed could mourn its loss too long, he felt Roy's other hand slip beneath his slim waist and gently cup his hardened length.

Then Ed felt his lover shift, thrusting into him with force so that his own hips moved forward. The boy shuddered as his erection slid against the friction of Roy's palm, sheathing itself into the heat the curled hand provided.

Roy moved them both, his thrusts punctuating his lover's. His free hand shifted back to its original position, fingers firmly splayed against the boy's heaving chest. He held Ed against him, feeling each shiver, each hitched breath as he took him.

Although he tried to stave it, it would be Ed who climaxed first. A deep moan preceded his peak, and he jerked in his lover's hold. He was vaguely aware of Roy's arm shifting beneath him, his hand releasing its spent prize. It moved up, clasping its mate so that the boy was held tightly against Roy's chest. It was then that Ed realized his lover wasn't in as much control as he believed. A drowsy smile passed over his lips as he felt the tremors in each of Roy's breaths. Then he felt the man tense and knew his release was close. Ed reached up and covered the hands that were clasped over his chest with his own, hearing a hiss escape Roy's lips as the cold metal came into contact with his skin. With a soft, unrealized grunt, the older alchemist came inside his lover.

Ed closed his eyes as he felt lips press to the back of his neck.

When the boy had finally gained some semblance of control over his body, he shifted a little, pulling away from the warmth behind him. He was surprised when the arms around him tightened, nearly bruising him as they pulled his frame back.

"No."

One simple word gritted out between clenched teeth. One simple word and the feel of his lover still pressed fully inside him, unwilling to give up the closeness it afforded. One simple word of utter possessiveness. This time Ed yielded, allowing his lover to hold him. He let his automail hand slide from its place over the man's hands and reach back, finding a firm grip instead on his hip. It was another simple gesture. One that let Roy know the boy wanted him to stay inside.

Ed didn't remember falling asleep, but woke when he realized somewhere in his hazy dreams that the heat against him had disappeared. He struggled within the confines of the blanket to turn, shifting over onto his other side. The golden eyes strained to adjust in the muted light, fighting to focus on the figure beside him. The moonlight afforded the boy a chance to study the face turned towards him. For the first time in a while, Ed studied every detail of his lover's features. The dark brows, furrowed even in sleep. The slight parting of his lips as they drew in even breaths. And the dark circles that laid beneath his eyes, a physical testament to the long, sleepless nights the man had endured of late.

Ed sighed as he reached up, tracing the soft lids as they fluttered. He realized then how gaunt his lover had become, how much the strain of everything that had happened was now manifesting in physical form. The sheer enormity of everything that happened coupled with the man's unrelenting need to be a shield for his lover were taking their toll on him. His whole body was tense even in sleep, from his shoulders, to the fingers that were now clutching the cotton sheets. Ed realized then what a sacrifice it had been to tell him what he had that night.

To allow he and Al to go out on their own, away from his protection.

Roy truly did trust him.

Ed held his breath for a minute, his eyes narrowed, his ears tensed as they listened to the even breaths of his lover. The heat of Roy's body was heavy, enveloping him in the winter night. The younger one could tell that he was deep asleep by the slow rise and fall of the exposed bare chest. He was lost somewhere in his dreams, unaware of the scrutiny he was now under. After a few silent moments, Ed finally let his breath escape in a low sigh not realizing just how fast his heart was beating then.

Roy trusted him.

That truth coupled with the fact that Roy was indeed fast asleep gave Ed the courage to allow his own truth to escape to the surface. One he had been trying so desperately to bury. One he could no longer ignore. Ed hesitantly leaned forward, his lips close to his lover's, feeling his soft breaths whisper against them.

Roy would not hear the words the boy wanted so desperately to utter. The words that reassured Ed of what he felt. Of what he thought. Of what he did.

The boy could whisper them now and sleep safely in the knowledge that they had been said but never heard. That the feeling he had allowed to surface could be cemented with his words—words that only the darkness would hear. So he finally closed his eyes and parted his lips, at last able to let a simple truth spill from them into the void of night.

"Roy….I love you."

TBC…