Torture Session
Paul watched his nephew lean sleepily against Ed. It was touching how close the two boys were... he smiled to himself. A rare pairing, they were, and worth keeping.
Ed fidgeted with his ponytail a bit, a little nervous, a little embarrassed. What else was there to distract himself with... Ah, a fork!
Al and Paul exchanged a look before Jean's younger brother piped up, "What are you majoring in?"
Jean stirred slightly at that and realized he was being rude. He sat up, blinking fuzzily.
Ed nearly jumped. ''Chemistry.'' He eyed the ornate clock across from their table absently.
"How come?" Al leaned his elbows on the table, his small face intent. "I don't mean to be rude," he apologized quickly at the amused expression on Paul's face and the slightly miffed one on Jean's face. "I just want to know more about you..."
''Uh... Well, I've always been interested in the sciences...'' Ed was fidgeting with his hair again.
"Great answer," Paul said, amusement clear. "But there's thousands of things you could do with chemistry. What are you planning to do?"
Jean grinned slightly. Ed was going to get tag-teamed by his uncle and brother. This could get entertaining very, very quickly.
Ed opened his mouth to reply and discovered that he'd never really thought about it... ''Uh... I...''
"You could always teach," Paul remarked offhandedly. "But I can't really see you voluntarily putting up with the bullshit that entails. You could go into chemical engineering, or medical chemistry. But if you do that, who knows where you'll end up." The elder man sipped his wine. "Don't tell me that you never even spared a thought for this?"
Al let his uncle do the interrogating. He just watched Ed, eyes intent on the other man.
At the moment, Ed would have loved to become liquid and seep through the seat. ''N-not really, sir...''
"Are you minoring in anything?" Al asked. He noted the brief grin flitting across Jean's face, but decided to ignore his brother. Knowing him, he'd be doing something... mean to poor Ed. Either that, or just enjoying Ed's discomfort. Al's money went on the second of those two thoughts.
''Historical literature... I... Enjoy it... Uh...'' Ed felt like shoving his face in a blender would be more pleasant than this. He was making himself out to seem like he really had no goal or direction, and it was embarrassing.
"H'mm..." Paul flicked a finger against his water glass, listening appreciatively to the note. "Good crystal, here." He smiled cheerfully at Ed. "Don't look like that, boya. I'm impressed that you're taking something as noncy as histoical lit. Bit of a Renaissance man, are you?"
Ed shifted in his seat and glanced at the clock again. ''Well... Uh...'' Words were not his friend tonight, apparently.
"This is normal," Jean commented to the group. "He's sullen and wordless by turns in front of people he doesn't know, and you," he pointed a not-quite accusatory finger at Paul, "took too many Psych classes when you were in college. What, are you trying to psychoanalyze my boyfriend or something?"
Paul's grey eyes twinkled. "Oh, so now you're actually admitting it?"
Jean froze. "Fuck. I said that out loud."
Al just grinned.
Ed looked anywhere but at Jean or his relatives. The clock, especially.
"Well, at least you're not in denial anymore," Paul said pleasantly. "You know, Stephen would have pounded you into mulch for waiting this long if he was still alive..."
Jean blanched. "That's not funny... at all."
The smallest blonde at the table was doing his best not to get up and sneak off. He was trying not to blush, too, but he'd failed spectacularly at that.
Al reached across the table to tug at Ed's sleeve. "Uncle Paul doesn't mean any harm," he said, smiling. "He just wants to make sure that you can handle the crazy part of the family. So far, you're doing fine."
''That's reassuring... I think...'' Ed smiled a bit at Al, brows knitting for a second before his expression was back to normal. He knew Al was...had been...
Jean and Paul were now arguing about what 'Stephen' would or would not do. Al sighed, transferring his smile affectionately over to his stubborn older brother. "Jean never really got along well with Mom and Dad. They always wanted him to go into the military, but Uncle Paul insisted that he be let alone. I hardly ever saw him after his junior year in high school because Uncle Paul made sure that Jean would live with him." Al's smile turned rueful. "Jean's a hopeless case, you know that?"
''Military huh...'' Ed shifted slightly again, pulling Havoc down a bit further so that he could snatch, between his teeth no less, the dangling metal that had been hiding, along with one very fucking edible upper body, Ed noted, beneath the pesky black shirt. Ed sighed, pink tinging his cheeks.
"Of course, Jean refused. I think he threatened to go Buddhist or something. Mother handed that very badly." Al blinked, bemused, as Jean and Paul started bickering about whether Ed or Stephen was better for a bad day. "Er. You may want to cover your ears, Ed."
Jean's final triumphant announcement was, "But Ed actually makes a decent cup of coffee!"
Paul had to give him that one. "All right, all right, youngster. You win."
Ed gave Jean a light kick in the shin just to say 'you owe me later for this...'
Jean shot Ed a slightly cocky smile. "So how do you like the sane part of my family?"
"Hardly that," Paul murmured.
Ed thought of several ways to get that grin off of Jean's face, but none seemed appropriate at the time. He shook his head clear of such thoughts once he realized the look on his face. That made him want to in crawl in a hole, alright.
Al had the grace to look down at his plate, and Paul couldn't curtail a wistful smile. Jean's hand briefly squeezed his. "So. Uncle Paul's thinking about pulling you down to Ohio for a vacation. Got any opinions on that?"
''Uh... Er... I...guess?'' Ed glanced at the clock again. The longer this went on, the more he'd embarrass himself, he just knew it.
"Relax," Paul recommended, catching the uncertain looks at the clock. "We're not going to do anything to you, I promise."
''That's not what I'm worried about...'' Ed mumbled.
"Oh," Paul said, eyes twinkling again. "That."
Ed blinked, gears turning. He suddenly went bright red. ''What's that supposed to imply! I- but- I-!''
Al covered his face with his hands. "Uncle."
Jean just groaned and sat back in his chair.
Ed was tense and ready to bolt as soon as the opportunity arose. This was getting more and more uncomfortable, and he was about at his limit.
Al shot Paul a dirty look and turned back to Ed. "Have you been into the university library?" he asked eagerly.
Startled, Ed nearly jumped again. ''Yeah...''
"Is there anything interesting in there?"
''Oh yeah, lots of stuff, it's where I spend most of my free time... When Jean's in class or practice, that is.'' It wasn't until after he said it that Ed realized how wrong that could be taken, blushing slightly yet again.
"Have you been to any of Jean's games? I keep telling him that he's going to concuss himself playing rugby, but he just won't listen." Al glared at his older brother, who had the grace to look chagrined.
''I don't know if I could watch it...'' Ed had thought about it, but hearing how violent it was, he didn't really know if he could sit back and watch Jean get the shit beat out of him.
"It's not that bad," Jean muttered.
''I've got the right to worry about you...'' Ed shot back. That phrase struck him as too familiar, though...
Jean opened his mouth to retort, then subsided. That sounded slightly too familiar, and he didn't want to go exploring into territory that might be sore.
Jean's actions were noted, and Ed supposed he hadn't been the only one to think that. It was nagging him, but he did his best to ignore it for now.
Paul checked his watch. "I think I've been terrorizing you long enough, don't you?" He addressed it generally around the table, but aimed it particularly at Ed. He added, "I'm going to stash Al in the hotel so you can extract painful revenge from my poor nephew."
Ed didn't even bother to ask what that implied. He figured he'd either wish he hadn't, or not get an answer anyway. ''Thanks for dinner, though... Uh...'' he tried and failed to come up with something else to say.
"Any time, Ed. It was a pleasure treating you like my own nephew."
Jean snorted. "Sad thing is, that's how he treats us," he murmured to Ed.
''Er... Kay...'' The longer this took, the more awkward Ed felt about it.
"Right, then." Paul signed the bill. "You want me to drop you off in front of your building or on the edge of campus?"
Ed just looked at Jean.
"Oh, sure, make me think," Jean grumbled. "Just for that, drop us off on the edge of campus."
Ed caught Jean on the way out the door. ''You owe me for this, dammit...''
•†•
Jean waved goodbye to his uncle and brother. "I'm sorry about that," he said quietly.
Ed shrugged. ''You'll make it up to me.''
"You seem sure of that." Not that Jean was complaining. He really did owe it to Ed.
''If you don't I'll be upset...''
"Like you're not already?"
''The moon looks pretty tonight...''
"Ed..."
Golden eyes looked to Jean with mock innocence. ''What? It does!''
Jean sighed. He wasn't going to win this one, or even get any points. "Never mind."
Ed just grinned.
"You're doing this just to annoy me, aren't you?"
''Doing what?'' Ed walked along the brick that separated the sidewalk from the grass.
Jean kept his mouth shut. He was irritated at the world in general by this point, and didn't see the point in losing his temper.
Ed paused, turning to look at Jean. ''You okay?''
"Would you believe me if I said 'yes?'" Jean asked wryly.
Ed looked down. ''Sorry...''
"What are you apologizing for?"
''For being a nuisance?''
"That doesn't count. My uncle pretty much terrorized you tonight and... well... I feel kind of bad about it."
''I'm not counting it against you. Besides, you're making it up to me when we get back, you know...'' Ed started walking again.
"Must be nice to have a simple mind," Jean murmured.
''Hey!''
"What? It's true."
Ed glared briefly and cuffed Jean on the back of the head. Affectionately, of course.
"I notice you're not denying it..." Jean grinned at the grumpy boy.
''Why should I have to? I know it's not true.''
"You keep telling yourself that." He ducked another swing.
''I'll just pretend you didn't say that.'' The smaller blonde picked up his pace.
"Suit yourself." Jean moseyed along, enjoying the nice evening. If Ed wanted excercise, fine. He was going to take his time, dammit.
Ed sighed and slowed down again. Waiting wasn't one of his favorite things to do.
"Calm down," Jean said tranquilly. "It's a beautiful night."
''Didn't I say that already?'' Ed toyed with his ponytail a bit, looking up at the sky.
"You were commenting on the moon."
''And that doesn't count or something?''
"Not at all."
Ed pouted. ''That's not fair!'' How old was he again?
Jean just laughed.
How many more steps to their building... How many more to the room... Between ten and five to the bed depending on how large one's steps were... Thinking ahead gave Ed a reason not to be annoyed.
Blinking, Jean yawned. "You're a bit twitchy tonight. Did Uncle Paul really get to you that badly?"
''Huh?'' Ed snapped out of his thoughts, blinking, as he looked at Jean.
"You're not even paying attention to me!"
Ed looked down. ''I was thinking... Sorry...''
"Hmph." Jean wasn't really annoyed. Well, not at Ed, at any rate. He was just... tired. And grumpy.
Ed wondered if maybe he should just let Jean get some sleep...
"Hey, when we get back, do you want any coffee? I think we have some left over."
''Not really...'' Unless Jean didn't feel like sleeping...
Jean frowned. "Are you all right? You're spacing out more than usual, and it's bugging me."
''I told you, I'm thinking, is there a problem with thinking?'' Ed immediately felt a little bad for the slight attitude he'd taken.
Jean shrugged. "Pardon me for asking." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "Didn't mean to be rude."
''Sorry... I didn't mean it like that...'' Ed was starting to sulk now, and that couldn't be a good thing.
Jean sighed. "Sorry for being grumpy."
''Sorry for being twitchy and snappy...''
"It's okay, kiddo. My fault for inflicting him on you."
''You didn't do that, he did it himself.'' Ed managed a wry grin.
"True. But seriously, you think you can put up with my relatives? Have they scared you off me yet?" Jean's voice slid into a light, teasing tone.
''Not a chance in hell anybody could scare me off you!''
"Just making sure. There were a few minutes in there that I was pretty sure you'd bolt."
Ed neglected to comment on that.
They reached the dorm in comfortable silence, Jean swiping his keycard and holding the door open for Ed. "I think Al tried to keep you moderately sane. Brave kid."
''I'll have to thank him for that sometime...'' Ed proceeded to make himself comfortable on the bed.
"He hero-worships you, you know that?" Jean spotted a scrap of paper on his desk and picked it up. "He thinks you're the greatest person on earth." His face split into a grin. "And remind me to painfully disembowl Luce next time I see him, will you?"
''What's so great about me anyway? And what's that paper say?'' Ed moved to the edge of the bed out of curiosity.
"Boiled down, it says that we have the rest of the weekend to ourselves, but Iden's coming back and expects a clean room every night. We can do whatever we want during the day. After seven, all snogging or screwing is off limits." He crumpled the paper up and tossed in in the trash. "And I quote."
Ed turned an interesting shade of pink.
"What?" Jean said, amused. "You think they didn't already know?"
''I never said that...'' Ed flopped back on the bed again, lapsing into thought once more.
"Then why turn the funny colors?"
''Because it's still embarrassing!''
Jean laughed at him. "They've been encouraging us, you know that."
''Not the point.''
Moving over to sit down next to Ed, Jean asked, "Then what is the point here?"
''I dunno... But that wasn't it!''
Jean couldn't help snickering at Ed's indignant face.
Ed just grumbled to himself and rolled over, back to Jean.
"You're sulking."
''Yes, yes I am.''
"Why?"
''Because I can.'' Ed was being childish, and he didn't really care.
Jean leaned over to briefly kiss Ed's neck. "You're no fun."
''I don't like being laughed at.'' Ed mumbled.
"Then get ready for a huge inferiority complex, because I think the universe is laughing at the both of us."
''What's that got to do with anything?'' Ed rolled over and snuggled Jean as opposed to snuggling a pillow.
"Nothing," Jean said comfortably. "Or maybe something. I'm too fried to care right now."
''M'mm...'' Ed shifted, trying to get more comfortable.
Jean bore various joints poking into his side patiently. After Ed had settled, he remarked conversationally, "I think I'm bored. Want to play a card game?"
Ed blinked, then grumbled. ''I just got comfortable, unless you give me one damn good reason I'm not moving.''
Jean grinned, but kept his mouth firmly shut around a remark that probably would have gotten him pummeled. "So, should I just say good night and go to sleep?" he asked in a sweet voice.
''I was rather expecting that damn good reason...'' Ed muttered.
"What? I'm not a good enough reason for you?" A slightly less sarcastic version of his remark, but then again, Jean -did- value having all his blood in his body.
''A card game is not a good enough reason.'' Ed sighed a bit, nuzzling Jean slightly.
"Agreed. But there are several other reasons to move."
''Right, now if you want me to move, you have to give me the reason I want.''
"That means I have to think."
''How hard is it, Jean...''
Jean 'mmphed' at him.
Ed 'hmphed' back.
"I'm not your dog, Ed. You and I both know perfectly well what you want, but I'm not going to say it." Jean felt stubborn right then. It was embarrassing to keep saying something they both knew, and he just felt ornery about it.
''I never said you had to say anything, and I never intentionally implied anything about dogs...'' Ed wondered vaguely if he'd really come off that way.
Jean flushed slightly. Way to have my inferiority complex come around to bite me in the ass.
Ed was content to snuggle until given a reason not to. Well, not entirely content. Alright, not really content at all. He shifted slightly again.
Jean lifted an eyebrow. "Are you really that unmotivated? I'm insulted."
''Who's making what up to who now?'' Ed bit Jean's side because it was there.
"Ow!" Jean scooted away, grabbing a pillow to whack Ed lightly with.
Ed pouted softly, sitting up and clinging to the pillow.
"Next time check what's happened to what you're gnawing on..." Jean rubbed his side, grimacing slightly.
''Sorry... I didn't bite that hard...'' Ed hugged the pillow tighter.
"No, but you got me right across a bruise – will you stop moping!"
Frowning, Ed chucked the pillow back at Jean. ''I'm not moping, I'm trying to be patient for once.''
Jean calmly caught it and pelted it back. "Oh? Why do you have to be patient, h'm?"
Ed gave up and hugged the pillow again. ''Because you still haven't made it up to me yet, and I'm trying not to be selfish, that's why...'' He was starting to get frustrated, and it was probably showing.
Jean sighed patiently. "Ed, put down the pillow and come here." Moody little thing, he thought dryly. Maybe we should put him on hormones or something...
Ed did as Jean asked, crawling up to him.
Jean pulled him into a quick kiss. "Better?"
''Sometimes I wonder if you even have a sex drive, Jean... Why is it I'm the one who always starts things?'' Ed pouted again. Sure it was stupid and trivial, but he was just a little irritated about it.
Jean opened his mouth to retort, then subsided, hurt. He managed a mumbled, "'m sorry..."
Ed recoiled at that, feeling like a total jackass. ''I... Sorry... I just... Want to know that you want me too...''
"Forget it. Just..." Jean wanted to curl up and hide. That hurt.
Ed looked down and kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to say anything else stupid, wished he hadn't said what he already did. His eyes stung viciously,but he held back.
Jean was stunned that Ed could ever had something like that. He bit his lip, hard, to keep from doing something stupid. Or to keep from breaking down completely.
The longer the silence stretched, the more uncomfortable Ed got, the worse he felt. He wanted to run, somewhere he would stop being such a fuckup. Fists clenched in the sheets and a single tear finally fell.
"It's okay," Jean finally managed, his voice not -nearly- as cheerful as he wanted it to be. "You didn't mean it like... that."
I love you and nothing else matters... Ed looked up again, still silent and fighting back more tears. I never meant to hurt you...
Jean reached out and pulled Ed into a hug. "It'll be okay," he said softly. Now that he had gotten over the initial shock, he could move on. He'd probably be angry and do something later, but not now.
Ed clung almost desperately, actions saying that which he didn't even want to think about. 'Don't let go...' 'I need you...' 'I don't know if I could live without you...' ''I'm so sorry...''
"I know, I know. It's okay." He wasn't willing to promise anything. He did know, however, that his next scrimmage was going to be quite a bit more brutal than the last.
''But it's not okay because I was being a total asshole and I hurt you and you're probably mad at me and I feel like just a total piece of rat shit and –'' there was a tear in his voice.
"You didn't mean to hurt me, did you?" Jean's patience was admirable, really.
''Of course not...''
"Then what are you worrying about? I'm not mad at you." Which was only half a lie.
''You've got every right to be...'' Ed rested his head against Jean's chest. How could things go from good to...this so fast... But then again, this wasn't as bad as before, thank god it wasn't that bad...
"I do," Jean allowed. "But I'm not going to be. Hurt, yes. Angry, no."
Ed closed his eyes and hugged Jean tight. ''I...''
"It'll be okay," Jean murmured.
Ed wasn't sure what else to say, so he just sat there, content just to have the time to calm down.
Wincing slightly, Jean shifted so his leg wasn't pinned and falling asleep. "Feeling slightly better?"
Ed nodded, nuzzling his face against Jean's chest slightly.
"Good."
Looking up, Ed managed a small smile.
Jean managed to scrape a smile together, too. "Now, what do you not ever even reference in my hearing range?"
Ed blinked, a slightly puzzled look on his face. ''What I said before?''
"Bingo. We'll get along fine."
''So now what...?'' Ed moved his arms to around Jean's neck.
"Not quite sure. I apparently still have to make things up to you... way I see it, you owe me an apology, too..." Anyone who knew Jean well would see the small impish spark in his eyes.
A tiny shiver ran down Ed's spine at that look. ''I can deal with that...''
"Oh, goody." Jean engaged the smaller boy in a kiss, still wondering about how the hell he did such a turn from absolutely crushed to... this.
Ed let out a small sigh into the kiss, moving without much thought to comfortably straddle Jean's lap. This was a nicer turn of events, and a welcome distraction.
Jean broke the kiss, nuzzling Ed's ear and chuckling slightly. "I'm hopless," he commented softly.
''Why do you say that?''
"Because I can't stay annoyed at you. I can't get angry at you..." Teeth nipped at the side of Ed's neck. "You seem to have me on a short leash this time around..."
''M'mm...'' Ed smiled softly, fingertips tracing circles on Jean's back rather absently.
Jean hummed into Ed's neck, eyes half-lidding lazily. "Clothes?"
''Are completely and entirely in the way...'' Ed responded, reaching down to tug up the back of Jean's shirt.
Jean twitched vaguely at the brush of Ed's fingertips. "Tickles," he mumbled into his shoulder.
Ed grinned a bit and tugged some more. ''You're not helping you know...''
"Mmmphth. Consider it your punishment for hurting my feelings."
At that, Ed pulled the shirt up as far as he could, which put part of it across Jean's forehead.
Jean bit Ed's shoulder before pulling out of the shirt entirely. He ran a hand through his slightly messy hair. "Happy now?"
Ed grinned. ''It's a start, anyway...''
"Some people..." Jean pulled him into a hard kiss.
Ed returned to his previous routine, tracing circles lightly across Jean's back and shoulders, indulging fully in the the taller blonde's mouth while he was at it.
Jean let out a soft noise that sounded eerily like a purr, breaking for air. His own fingers prodded gently at tension points in Ed's back.
Ed shuddered softly, nipping at Jean's ear and mumbling, ''Clothes...''
"You're smart enough to figure out what to do with clothes," Jean said teasingly. "You managed mine just fine."
Ed grumbled at that. ''You're not much help, you know...''
"You deserve being annoyed." No one could really blame Jean for still being a bit miffed at Ed's earlier insult.
''Can't you save it for later?''
"You should know me better than that."
''Please?''
"Two good reasons why."
Ed frowned. ''It's more interesting when you do it, and at least I tried for you...''
An eyebrow popped up. "Those were reasons? Nice but –" Jean nipped Ed's neck none-too-gently, "try again."
''Come on! I said please! That's better than just demanding it, right? That's got to count for something!'' Ed whined. Jean was just being unfair tonight.
Jean sat back, just looking at Ed like one would a fractious toddler. "What is wrong with you? Normally you wouldn't think twice about demanding something. And, excuse me for saying this, you're whining."
''What's the point in demanding something I still can't get from asking nicely? I don't want to have to demand something like this, it's stupid to do that.''
Jean's expression turned amused. "You're still whining."
This was not funny, and Ed was most definitely not amused. He bit his lip to keep from saying something stupid, eyebrows knit in frustration.
Apparently having obscurely won that last bout, Jean twined lazy fingers through Ed's ponytail. "I'm teasing." He tugged Ed closer. "You should know by now that I'm a complete and utter brat."
''You choose the worst times to be that way, too...'' The distraction had been working, but now Ed was thinking again.
"No, I'm like that all the time," Jean said cheerfully, hands sneaking up Ed's back under his shirt. "You just don't notice it until it becomes... inconvienient."
''Then why don't you try and make it not inconvenient?'' Ed was working on not still being irritated.
"Because you're fun to tease," Jean said honestly. He pressed a kiss against the hard line of Ed's jaw. "You're so cute when you're pissed."
''Well I don't think it's fun at all.'' Ed replied matter of factly, pouting.
"You'd think it was fun if things were reversed," Jean pointed out. Probably truthfully, given Ed's mischevious streak. He nosed his way down Ed's neck, pausing for some time on the pulse-points.
Ed shifted a bit in Jean's lap, shivering slightly when he hit a particularly sensitive spot on his neck.
Jean made a soft sound, tongue flicking against Ed's skin.
Ed shivered again. Jean sure wasn't making patience easy.
"Feeling better?" Jean asked sweetly in a low voice reminicent of a lion's purr.
''Not if these damn clothes aren't off in the next sixty seconds...'' Ed breathed.
"No patience at all.." Jean murmured against Ed's ear, his hands snaking lightly over the other blonde's spine. They found the edge of Ed's shirt rather quickly, toying with his impatience for a few moments by pulling the fabric up inch by inch at a leisurely pace.
''Dammit I said sixty seconds not minutes!'' Ed growled against Jean's neck, patience worn thin.
Jean found it hard to suppress a chuckle, pulling back from Ed a touch to pull the shirt the rest of the way over Ed's head and dropping it away from them. His hands ran over the newly revealed flesh, pausing here and there to tease. "Anything else you want to comment on, or do you really want me to spend minutes on this?"
Muscles twitched under Jean's touch, golden eyes half closed. Ed took no time at all in engaging the taller blonde in a rough kiss.
It wasn't long before the air became a symphony of panting, moaning, whispers of 'oh god' and 'yes' and 'more'. One body rocked against the other, two becoming one as the orchestra rose to a brilliant crescendo and the world flashed white.
Later, as Ed gently stroked his sleeping Jean's hair, he would whisper those three little words, and perhaps Jean would hear them even in his dreams.