Originally written in 2015
"Ed?!" Ginger called as she darted out of his bedroom and raced out into the living room, frantically looking around for her friend. "Ed, where are you?" Noticing that the living room was empty, the ocelot stood up on her tip-toes and curled her front paws up to her chest, sniffing at the air with her tiny pink nose. Her ears flicked up when she caught a whiff of Edward's scent - a familiar mix of auras, with the tang of machine oil from his auto-mail being the strongest - and turned toward the kitchen.
"Ed!" Ginger called out again, louder this time.
Edward quickly abandoned the box of spaghetti noodles he had been about to open when he heard Ginger calling from the living room. "Gingersnap?" He hurried out into the next room to check on her, fearing something was wrong with the little ocelot.
Ginger immediately brightened up when she saw her friend. He was wearing most of his trademark outfit; black tank top, leather pants, and a thick brown belt. Although it all had been getting rather tight on him lately, he didn't seem to mind. "There you are!" Ginger beamed. "I was looking for you!"
Edward breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she wasn't injured or in any kind of danger. "Oh yeah?" He walked over to stand in front of her, and Ginger felt the floor shake a bit beneath her paws. "Did you need me for something?"
Ginger's mismatched eyes slowly traveled upwards to meet the boy's golden gaze. The blonde towered over her, and she was forced to crane her neck in order to see his face. She was nearly scared right out of her skin by that fact when the two first met, but now she welcomed the feeling, as it brought her a sense of comfort and protection rather than fear.
Clasping her paws behind her back and swaying a bit on her heels, Ginger nodded once slowly in response to Edward's question.
Edward smiled. "What can I do for you?"
Ginger shifted to stand on her tip-toes again as she stretched her arms out and reached for him. "Will you hold me?" She asked, her timid voice filled with hope. She widened her eyes a bit and cast him a pleading glance for extra measure.
Edward's own eyes softened immediately. "Of course I will," He bent down on one knee and cupped his hands, carefully scooping Ginger up in his palms. He brought the girl up to his face and nuzzled her softly with the tip of his nose.
Ginger squeaked in delight as she snuggled up to the boy, enjoying his attention.
Edward hummed, smiling warmly as he cuddled the ocelot in his hands. "There. Do you feel better now?" He asked softly.
"Oh yes, much better!" Ginger nodded eagerly before she leaned forward against the bridge of Edward's nose. "I woke up from our afternoon nap and realized you had gotten up already, so I was starting to feel lonely all by myself… But I feel a whole lot better now that you're with me!" Ginger exclaimed, snuggling up against him.
"That's good to hear. I'm glad I was able to help you feel not-so-lonely." Edward chuckled.
"Yeah!" Ginger's eyes flitted shut for a moment, her whiskers twitching up as she gave him a lively, cat-like grin.
Edward attempted to mirror her expression, then gave her a little wink.
Ginger giggled and playfully shook her head at the boy. She crossed her arms on top of him and absentmindedly kicked her hind paws in the air behind her as she lay across his nose. She lost her balance and nearly fell backwards while getting into position, but managed to catch herself in time. Ginger knew that Edward's hands were still cupped below her, ready to catch her if she really did fall.
The thought made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, and a happy purr rumbled up from the girl's throat. Ginger knew she could trust Edward, her closest friend, with her life. It was a feeling she had been missing ever since the very moment she lost her Aunt Eleanor and ran away from home forever. The gratitude she felt for Edward was unfathomable, but she couldn't help but feel like she still needed to repay him in someway. Ginger felt that one of the best way to show her appreciation was through small yet compassionate gestures, such as nuzzling, snuggling, cuddling, and...
Ginger hummed thoughtfully, smiling as she gazed up into her friend's big, golden eyes.
Edward almost had to cross his eyes in order to see her on his nose. "Uh oh," He chuckled, noting the eager expression on Ginger's face. "Now what do you want, little one?"
Ginger suddenly became shy and quickly averted her gaze. "I-I was wondering if I could maybe give you a hug?" She asked timidly, tapping the tips of her index fingers together. "P-please?"
"Oh, Ginger…" Edward began. "Of course you can give me a hug! You don't have to ask." He reached up and carefully lifted Ginger off his nose, holding her in the warm palm of his left hand for a moment. "Come here," He gave her another warm smile before he gently pulled her against his chest.
Ginger spread her arms out and pressed up against his chest, snuggling into the soft fabric of his tank top. She closed her eyes and cooed happily when she heard Edward's heart, feeling it beat steadily beneath her. "Thank you, Ed." She murmured. "Thank you so much, for everything. I love you...""
"I love you, too, Gingersnap…" Edward whispered back. He tilted his head down a bit and covered his flesh hand with his metal one, holding Ginger as close as he was able to without hurting her. He held her there for a few minutes, grinning when he heard the ocelot purr as she kneaded his shirt with her delicate paws.
"Alright, Ginger, are you ready for me to put you down now?" Edward asked after a while. He almost wished the two of them could stay snuggled close for a while longer, but there was a box of uncooked spaghetti noodles waiting in the kitchen, and it seemed to be calling his name. "I hafta finish making dinner, and I'm starting to get hungry…" He slowly pulled her tiny body away from him and went to set her back down on the ground.
"Wait, not yet!" Ginger wailed in protest and reached out for him again as she was pulled away from the warmth and safety of Edward's chest.
"What's the matter?" Edward asked, puzzled by her unexpected reaction.
"I'm not done yet - I have to give your tummy a hug, too!" Ginger blurted out.
Edward blushed. "W-what?"
"I-I mean, it seems comforting to you whenever I play with you tummy," Ginger tried to explain. "I just thought that maybe you'd want another hug-"
Without warning, Edward leaned back on one hand and placed Ginger on top of his stomach, gently holding her close to him.
"Eep!" Ginger gave a soft squeak of surprise before she purred gratefully and snuggled up to her friend. She stretched her paws out and kneaded his soft tummy over his tank top, happily absorbing the warmth that it provided. "Thanks, Ed…" She whispered.
"Ah, don't mention it." Edward smiled down at her. "After all, cuddling and playing with my tummy is comforting for you, too, isn't it?"
"That's right!" Ginger nodded eagerly. "Your belly's so soft and warm…" She paused to gently squeeze his paunch between her fingers. "And squishy!"
"Oh yeah?" Edward chuckled, tickling under Ginger's chin with the tip of his finger and earning a tiny giggle from the ocelot.
"Mm-hmm! I love it…" Ginger purred, nuzzling him softly as she buried her face in the folds of his shirt. She lay there for a while, her tiny body relaxing against her friend's stomach as he stroked her back with his finger.
Edward cupped his fingers over Ginger and stroked the soft, dappled fur between her ears with the pad of his thumb. His eyes softened and he smiled warmly as he watched the ocelot wrap her long tail around his pinkie and snuggle against him.
Ginger's sugary scent wafted through the air as he rubbed at her spotted fur, the memory of her irresistibly sweet and tangy flavor making his mouth water up as he was reminded yet again of just how empty his stomach felt...
Ginger giggled and perked her ears up when she heard Edward's belly gurgle loudly beneath her.
Edward snickered playfully. "I think my tummy wants you to hug it on the inside, too."
Ginger nodded and gently pawed at his stomach. "I think you're right!" She chuckled. "We'd better give it what it wants!"
"I couldn't agree more." With that, Edward carefully picked Ginger up and lifted her to his face once more. He stuck out his tongue and held her below it, allowing her to climb inside his maw when she was ready.
Getting down on her paws and knees, Ginger crawled into Edward's mouth and curled up comfortably on top of his tongue.
Edward hummed softly around Ginger's tiny form before he pulled his tongue back in and closed his mouth over her. He gathered extra saliva in his mouth and swished her around inside, moving her from one cheek to the other as he slicked her fur up with his warm saliva.
Ginger kept her body limp, purring softly as she was gently tossed about inside Edward's maw. Just then, she was swept to the back of his throat and swallowed down with a resounding gulp.
Edward reached up and stroked the bulge in his throat as Ginger slipped further downward. Another deep swallow sent her dropping into his stomach with enough force to bounce once on the spongy floor, and he gave a soft grunt at the pleasant sensation.
As her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of her surroundings, Ginger crawled over to the wall of Edward's stomach and gave it an affectionate rub with both paws. Then, with an excited squeak, she spread her arms and leaned against his tummy, snuggling into it as if it were her favorite fluffy blanket.
After a moment or two, Ginger slowly pulled away and rushed over to the opposite wall. "You get a hug, and you get a hug, and…" She murmured to herself as she scurried around in circles within the boy's stomach, making sure to hug every groove, ripple, and fold in the velvety, reddish-pink walls.
"-Oh! I could never forget you!" Ginger cried as she rushed over to the front wall of Edward's tummy and gently embraced it. This is Ed's favorite spot, so I have to give it extra special attention! She thought to herself as she pressed her paws against the soft, pulsating flesh.
Edward's eyes half lidded and he let out a content sigh when he felt Ginger kneading at the sensitive spot in the front of his stomach. It made him feel like a puppy getting its tummy rubbed, and for a moment he thought his leg would start to shake. Instead, the blonde wrapped his arms around himself and hugged his soft tummy, feeling rather cuddly as a result.
Ginger smiled and purred loudly, closing her eyes as she rubbed her head up against him.
She burrowed against the plush wall of his stomach and kneaded it between her paw pads, allowing his warmth to envelop her.
"Heheh…" Edward sighed, blinking sleepily as he snuggled his tummy in his arms. "Stop it, Ginger, you're makin' me feel sleepy…" He muttered playfully.
Ginger giggled and playfully shook her head at him, although she was starting to feel a bit sleepy herself. She pulled her paws away from the wall for a moment, and Edward lowered his arms to his side.
When at last she was satisfied with hugging and snuggling every inch of his tummy she could reach, Ginger crawled back over to the front wall and laid down, curling her tail around herself as she got comfy.
Edward gazed down at his belly and smiled when he felt Ginger curl up against it. "You ready for a catnap, little one?"
"Uh huh!" Ginger nodded, giving a tiny yawn to prove it.
Edward chuckled and gave his tummy a soft, affectionate pat. "Sleep tight, buddy." He wanted to join her and get some shut eye himself, but he knew he should get up and make dinner before he could fall asleep. "I'm going to go make dinner now, okay?"
"Okay! Make sure you get enough to eat!"
Edward grinned and eagerly licked his lips. "You bet I will!" With that, he stood up and headed back into the kitchen, wrapping his right arm protectively around his stomach.
Ginger purred softly to her friend, curling up into a ball as her eyes drifted shut.