"Looks like we'll be having deer a lot," Ed announced, finishing off the last piece of meat, ripping it with his teeth. "It sure hits the spot!"
Roy was still eating his, his etiquette less messy and more proper. Once he'd swallowed, he raised an eyebrow at Ed, smiling. "I'm still surprised you managed to outrun the deer." He commented taking another bite of the seared meat.
"Yeah, well, what can I say?" Ed shrugged, wiping his mouth. "I'm glad you're around, you're like my own personal stove!" Ed joked, ruffling Roy's hair as he walked past him to set the plate down on the other side of the room.
Roy ducked his head out of the way when Ed began to ruffle his hair, grumbling. "Yeah, that's my only use." Roy muttered, rolling his eyes. "Hey, put this over there, will you?" Roy asked once he'd taken his last bite, outstretching the plate for Ed to take. Ed snatched it out of Roy's hands and set it on top of his, stretching.
"Man, I could really use a massage, my muscles are killing me.." Ed frowned, throwing himself back down onto the couch next to Roy.
Roy raised an eyebrow at the kid and smirked. "I agree. Why don't we make a deal? I massage you if you'll do the same?" Roy asked, nonchalantly scratching at a bare hand as he awaited the young man's answer.
Ed looked bewildered. "Are you serious? You'd do that? Hell yeah!" Ed exclaimed, a bright look replacing the previously bored expression. "Can I take my shirt off and everything?" Ed asked, moving to remove the cloth that was on his top, itching to get it off.
Roy let out a light laugh, nodding. "Sure. Just tell me when you're ready." He told Ed, watching closely as the younger man removed his shirt, taking in the physique of the alchemist. All of the ridges and curves of Ed were devoured by Roy's dark eyes, memorizing them. He was snapped out of his trance when Ed nudged him, his head tilted. "I'm ready."
"Good. Turn around."
Ed did as he was told, and turned to face the wall to the side of the couch, letting his shoulders relax. "If you'll just be gentle with my back wound, that would be great." Ed told Roy, turning his head slightly to ensure Roy heard him.
"Don't worry, I'll work around it." Roy reassured his former subordinate, grabbing the golden ponytail and casting it over the young man's shoulder, keeping it away from his back. He then cracked his knuckles and placed his warm hands on Ed's shoulders, smiling when he heard a gasp leave Ed.
"How are your hands that warm?" Ed asked, a shiver running down his back from the sudden temperature change.
Roy began to massage Ed's shoulders, rubbing deep to ensure he would loosen the muscles that were tight. "I've always been what some people would call, a heat bomb." Roy told Ed, smiling when he heard the low rumbled groan from Ed at the pressure he was applying to his shoulders. "I'm always this warm."
"Well, it feels damn good..I'm always cold.." Ed murmured, groaning again when a tight muscle was loosened by Roy's fingers, letting a sigh follow the groan. Each time Roy applied pressure and rubbed his shoulders he let out a small noise, unable to them from happening. "Damn..your hands are magical." Ed breathed, letting out a sigh when he felt another muscle loosen.
Roy chuckled at the compliment, and began to work his way down Ed's back, his strong hands massaging deep into Ed's skin. "It's probably from all of that paperwork." Roy joked, feeling a tight knot in the crease of Ed's shoulder blade. He frowned and began to work at it, using his thumb to try and loosen it.
"Ri-i-i-ahh..oww.." Ed hissed, tensing when Roy began to work at the knot. "What is that?"
"A knot, and a pretty big one too. That couch must not be doing you must justice to sleep on." Roy observed, pausing in his movements when Ed let out another hiss. "Do you need me to stop?"
"No, no, just..do it. Hard." Ed breathed, a small whimper escaping his lips when he felt a hard thumb press up into his shoulder blade, massaging the knot. He grabbed onto his pant-legs and bowed his head, grunting.
Roy gritted his teeth, amazed at how stubborn the knot was. He eventually got it to loosen, and released the pressure immediately, knowing he was pressing hard. He heard the sigh come from Ed, and began to work gentle again, applying enough pressure to loosen knots, but not enough to hurt Ed.
Ed was relieved when the pressure ceased, and slumped in his posture, his muscles relaxing again. The rhythmic motions Roy was making were soothing, and he found himself drifting off, content in the warm hands of Roy.
Roy didn't bother to wake the younger alchemist up; he figured he could use all the sleep he could get. When it had been about an hour, Roy ceased his movements, and moved his hand up to Ed's shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Ed." He murmured quietly, a small smile leaving the older man when Ed shifted, mumbling incoherently.
Seeing his former subordinate like this reminded him of the times before the world had succumbed to the undead. Frequently Roy would look up from his papers to see Ed sprawled out on his favorite couch, fast asleep. At times, it was annoying because he had unfinished work that he needed to be doing, but other times it was something to smile about. Late at night when everybody, including the lieutenant had gone home, Ed would still be asleep on the couch, and Roy would be finishing up his paperwork, nothing left but to listen to the mumbled words Ed would let escape his lips. Roy figured at first they were random words, not meant to be put together for a meaning, but after several weeks of the same occurrence, he noticed he was describing his dreams. Roy pretended not to notice, but his name was mentioned more than a few times in the lapse of Ed's sleepy rambles.
He decided to let Ed sleep instead, figuring that even if he did wake up, he would be too out of it to do anything. Being as careful as possible, he wrapped his fingers around Ed's shoulders, and moved him to lie down on the couch, propping a pillow underneath his head. He moved his legs out from under him and into a better position, and threw the blanket that was draped over the couch onto Ed. He then gently removed the hairband from Ed's hair, letting it loosely drape around the pillow, knowing Ed would wake with a headache if he kept the tightly pulled ponytail in all night. After he was satisfied with Ed's position, he moved over to the wall, flicking the lights off, and moving over to the other couch, where he positioned himself to sleep, the moonlight casting dark shadows in the former office.