Chapter 24 : Closer

Ed couldn't help but feel awkward watching the two homunculi talk together. It was sort of his fault the two had ended up fighting after all, and he couldn't help but feel responsible for the small homunculus' condition. At the same time though, he knew that it wasn't his fault. Wrath had been the one who'd challenged him, who had threatened an entire hospital full of innocent people if Ed wouldn't comply, and somewhere Ed couldn't help but feel slightly vindicated that he had won. That he wasn't the one who lay bleeding out on the ground like that. That feeling was largely overruled by the guilt though, especially now that Envy suddenly step back and red lightning started to arc across Wrath's , newly still, body. Eventually, the light grew too bright and Ed had to turn his head away and even when it dimmed it still took him several minutes before he could bring himself to look back.

When he did, it really made him wish he hadn't.

Envy was just standing there, still staring vacantly at that same spot Wrath had been laying in and he just looked so lost, so out of place that Ed couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The way he looked so helpless made something ache deep inside him, a painful throb that he could not quite bring himself to ignore. It didn't help that this was the first time he'd seen Envy since he'd found out the other loved him either. Ed sighed and raked a hand through his hair. It had come loose during his struggle with Wrath and now the long strands were hanging in his face, adding to his growing discomfort.

When several more minutes had passed and Envy still didn't show any sign of moving, Ed decided he'd had enough and climbed to his feet. It was a long and torturous process as the many scrapes and bruises he'd obtained in the fight finally made themselves known. Once he finally got to his feet again he was panting from the exertion and little black dots were floating in his vision. He looked around him, studiously avoiding looking at where he knew Envy stood, and tried to remember what way the city was again. Somehow he couldn't quite remember and the fact that Envy was just standing there, barely visible in the corner of his vision and radiating helplessness was not helping matters.

With a frustrated huff and silently cursing his hero-complex to the high heavens he turned around and staggered over to the silent homunculus.

Envy did not look up the entire time.

Ed hesitated slightly as he came to a halt beside his enemy's prone form. He breathed in deeply before slowly raising his hand and waving it in front of the homunculus' face. Envy was turned slightly away from him so he could not see his immediate reaction but he definitely noticed when the other turned around with a snap, violet eyes burning with an intensity that Ed had only seen a handful of times, none of them good.

His feeling of disquiet only strengthened when the other grabbed his hand, which was still hanging in the air uselessly, and crushed it in a tight grip. The homunculus didn't do anything else though, he just watched him, almost patiently, and Ed got the odd feeling that he was waiting for something. For what, Ed didn't know though.

Still, he would try.

He wanted to apologize, tell him how sorry he was, he wanted to yell at him and scream at him for making him miserable, but somehow none of that seemed right as he looked in those burning eyes and all that came out was a confused whisper, "Envy…"

Something in the other's eyes darkened and Ed could feel the grip on his wrist loosen a fraction.

He tried to say something else, anything else, but before he could those black spots came back and he lost his balance. Ed stumbled and all thoughts of saying anything flew out the window as he had to try his hardest to stay upright. He crashed into something hard and solid and automatically his hands moved to steady him, his body slumping awkwardly against the solid thing as his legs gave out.

When his vision cleared the first thing he saw was a pale, sharp collarbone. With a growing horror and a strange sense of Deja vu he looked up, tracing the collarbone to an equally pale neck and, eventually, a pale face and two intense, violet eyes. Envy was still holding on to his hand loosely and Ed couldn't help but feel a whole 'nother kind of awkward settling in as he observed the almost nonexistent space that separated their bodies. Before he could act to change that though another dizzy spell hit him and he felt himself slump forward again, only to be caught in the chest by the homunculus' other hand which was trying to push him away. Ed really didn't feel like hitting the ground again though and instead clung on to the other's taller, more steady frame tightly.

This time when the spots disappeared it was for Ed to find that whatever space there had been before had all but disappeared and he cursed himself for blushing as he felt Envy's breath fanning over his face. He was still clinging on to the other desperately and he quickly let go, hoping that Envy hadn't noticed and tried to step away. Keyword being tried because suddenly the hands on his body started moving again and this time they weren't trying to push him away, instead, they were pulling him closer. Incredibly, unexplainably closer and before Ed knew what hit him one of those hands was circling his waist and the other tangled itself in his hair, dragging his face up until confused gold met anguished violet in a clash of… of something, he didn't know what it was, and then he could think no more because Envy had closed the distance and a hungry mouth covered his own.

For a moment time stopped ticking. Ed couldn't breathe, couldn't think, didn't know how to do any of those things, completely caught up in the wonderful feeling of another's lips on his own, but then Envy gave a particularly harsh yank on his hair and he startled. He suddenly became very aware of his current situation and tried to slip free but Envy would have none of it. The homunculus merely tightened his grip on Ed's waist with a hungry, animalistic growl and slowly but surely Ed could feel himself succumbing to that wonderful feeling again. Something about it just felt so…so right somehow and before he realized it his own hands had slipped into dark green and he was kissing right back, letting months, if not years, of hurt, anger and frustration all pour out of him in that single, violent clashing of lips.

A grunt of approval left Envy at that and the homunculus attacked the other with a renewed vigor, biting and sucking at the smaller male's lips until finally they parted and he was allowed entrance. He explored vigorously, easily winning the small battle for dominance with a harsh swirl of his tongue that left Ed breathless and weak in the knees.

A small, barely there moan spilled from the alchemist before he could stop it, but Ed couldn't bring himself to care. He was too far gone to think of pulling back anymore so instead he just pressed closer to the other and pulled him in for another hungry kiss…or, he would have, if he hadn't suddenly been dropped to the hard, dirt ground.

Dazed and uncomprehending he sat up from the undignified sprawl he had landed in when Envy had let go, shaking his head to try and clear it of the remains of the haze that had clouded it before.

When he finally felt he could think somewhat straight again- not that he was happy with that particular fact because whathadhebeenthinking?- he looked around for the homunculus, ready to cuss him out good and at least somewhat redeem himself, only to be met with an empty plain.

Envy had left.

AN/ So it is short. Really short. And late. Buuuuuuut I think you guys can forgive me, right? Just this once? I mean, I cannot believe I just wrote that. Like, I know it sucks, but still, that's the first kiss I ever wrote and I'm already feeling like a perv / But uhm yeah, hope that was worth the wait? Their issues are quite obviously not fixed, like, at all, but it's… something? I guess that heart to heart will have to wait for a bit longer... ;) Right, R&R peeps, and a happy new year (in advance : ) !