Touch

Normally, Edward didn't mind his automail, but lately…it had been bothering him.

Really, it only started when he and Roy got together. Up until that point, his automail had just been like his other arm. Actually, it came in handy for the job; he could hit people harder, and he never felt pain in his arm or leg.

But now, the lack of sensation was just what was killing him. Like now, Ed was walking down the street with Roy and Alphonse. Al had taken up position on his right left side, and so Roy was holding his right hand. His automail hand. But Edward couldn't feel it. This simple fact was so distracting, so distressing, that he couldn't even pay attention to what the two were talking about. Sure, Ed could tell he had something in his grasp, since his hand was closed around Roy's, but he couldn't feel the warmth, couldn't tell if the man squeezed his hand…

He'd been noticing little things like that ever since they got together, and every day it became more and more pressing.

Edward sighed; it wasn't like he could do anything about it.

Curling up on the couch with his boyfriend should have been fun, but no. Ed couldn't stop focusing on his automail arm again. It wasn't anything, really, just that Roy had his arm around him and Edward didn't get to enjoy the feel of the man's hand resting on his shoulder…

"That's it," he decided, sitting up straight and moving away. "I can't take it anymore."

This was ridiculous, he knew, that something so little would be upsetting him this much, but…

"Ed?" Roy asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

Edward stood up, pacing irritably, trying to control himself. "I can't feel you Roy. I can't fucking feel you."

The man stared up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"My automail!" Ed stretched his arm out in disgust. "I never thought I'd hate it this much!"

Understanding crept across Roy's features. "Oh, Ed..."

"It's horrible! You hold my hand and I might as well be a doll! I can't feel you at all, and just now, with your arm around me—the second you get to my shoulder, it's like you're not there anymore!" Edward couldn't help the note of hysteria that crept into his voice. "Same thing with my leg! I'm just—I'm all…broken."

"Edward Elric, you are not broken," Roy responded. "Sit down, let me see for a minute."

Surprised by the strength of the man's voice, Ed sat. Roy took his arm and began to trace the pieces of metal, circling around the screws, examining his joints…the sight only served to make everything worse. "See? I can't feel this. If I was looking at your arm this closely, it might be intimate, but this…fucking hell, it's like you're Winry, it's like you're a mechanic, not my boyfriend…"

"Ed, you're just looking at this the wrong way. You see automail, and you get preoccupied with the fact that you can't feel. But when I look at this, I see how much you can feel; how strong your heart is. Your leg shows your determination, your love for your mother, and your arm shows your dedication and care for Alphonse. You might not be able to feel my fingers right now, but you sure as hell have a lot more emotion than most people." Roy looked up, and smiled at him.

Edward, while he appreciated the thought, wasn't all that reassured. "That doesn't change the fact that if I closed my eyes, I wouldn't know that your hands were on me," he whispered.

The man next to him moved suddenly, sliding a hand up Ed's opposite arm, his flesh one. "How about now?"

"Yeah, but—" He was interrupted by Roy's other hand sliding up and under his shirt, running across his chest.

"Now?" the man asked dubiously.

"Yes," Edward breathed. "But still—oh!" A swift hand found its way underneath him and squeezed his ass.

"I know you felt that," Roy whispered, suddenly close. "And I bet you'll feel this, too."

Ed couldn't respond, because there were suddenly lips pressed against his own. Out of habit, Edward reciprocated, but despite his best efforts to remain moody, he couldn't help smiling a bit as Roy continued kissing him.

Finally, the man pulled away. "See?" he panted. "You can still feel plenty. So you're missing an arm and a leg, big deal. I can still be close to you, and you can still be close to me. Remember last night?" he prompted, letting his head fall to nuzzle Edward's neck.

"Yes," Ed murmured, heat rising to his cheeks.

"So you can feel. Maybe not everywhere, but you can feel where it counts."

Edward, at this point less upset and more wanting, nodded before pulling Roy back up and into a kiss once more. The man had a point.

Roy only mentioned it again once, as they were pulling their shirts off. "Oh, and Ed?"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly finding himself pinned down, Edward looked into Roy's laughing eyes. "If the thing about your shoulder, or the hand holding bothers you that much…next time, just tell me to switch sides."

Ed might have retorted, but he was far too busy after that point.

Short again, sorry ;A; Not sure how I feel about this one, hopefully you guys like it...