Work was soul crushing in a very different way than sex with Ed was. Time crawled painfully slowly, and the paperwork seemed to taunt him. His mind kept thinking of Ed, and fucking, and Ed fucking him.

It was disconcerting. The emotions swirling inside him all day had been a mixture of fear, desire, shame, and curiosity, and by the time he was unlocking his front door at almost 6PM he was emotionally exhausted and hadn't even made any headway in his current dilemma.

Not that it was a dilemma exactly, it was more of a figuring out how he felt about it. And he hadn't figured out how he felt about anything at all.

But did it even matter? How long would they even be...doing this? He felt like he had to take every advantage, seize every moment while he still had a moment to seize.

Ed stretched as he walked into the kitchen, lifting his arms above his head. He hadn't said anything about the matter all day, almost acting as though the conversation never happened.

"Are you cooking tonight?" Roy asked as he casually rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

Ed turned to grin at him as he opened the fridge. "Thought maybe I could teach you how to boil an egg or something."

"I can boil an egg."

Ed snorted. "But can you really?"

Roy ignored him, taking a seat at the kitchen table and rubbing at his eyes. He observed Ed for a moment as he took food out the fridge. "How about we get takeout and lie on the couch."

Ed turned to him again, his expression mildly admonishing, but he was doing the purse-y lip thing. "And the lazy bastard returns."

"I don't think he ever left."

Ed laughed, abandoning the food on the counter to come over to Roy and sit on his lap, straddling him. Roy approved of this.

He planted his hands on Roy's shoulders as Roy's palms enjoyed the feeling of his hard thighs. "Why're you all mopey again?"

The denial was on the tip of his tongue, but instead of speaking he just buried his face in the crook of Ed's neck and pulled him closer. Ed's fingers tangled in his hair, his nails scratching his scalp. Heaven.

"I vote takeout and couch," he said, his voice muffled by Ed's skin.

He felt Ed shake his head. "You don't even have to do anything when I cook. You can go lie on the couch."

But you won't be there, said his pathetic little brain.

In one smooth motion, he stood, holding onto Ed as he yelped in surprise. "Bastard! A little warning maybe?!"

Roy walked them to the couch, and unceremoniously dumped Ed onto the cushions. Ed glared up at him, then huffed as Roy lay over him with his entire bodyweight.

Roy's arms wrapped around Ed's torso as his head lay on his chest. He could hear his heartbeat.

"Heavy bastard," Ed muttered, but his arms came to wrap around Roy's shoulders anyway.

They lay there for a moment in silence. Roy had shut his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Ed's breathing, his warmth, the sound of his heartbeat.

Ed's fingers started playing with his hair. "When you get hungry, you'll only have yourself to blame."

Roy hummed. "And when you get hungry, I will gladly let you eat me as punishment."

"I'm already hungry."

Roy smiled. "Then I guess bon appetit. I had a good life."

Ed snorted a laugh. "You're so fucking lame."

Roy shuffled so his chin rested on Ed's chest instead. Ed looked down at him, unimpressed. "Lame, old, lazy, dramatic, insufferable—all such strong signs you like me."

Ed grinned and covered Roy's eyes with his palm. "Shut up."

"Meanwhile I call you beautiful, smart, perfect, amazing, incredible—"

He didn't have to see to know Ed was embarrassed. "Shut up."

Roy was grinning, a playful mood overtaking him. He wanted to tease Ed, to hold him close, to pepper him with kisses as Ed wailed at him to shut up. What a weird urge.

Taking hold of Ed's wrist, he freed his sight and crawled up Ed's body. Ed went rigid, anticipating god-knew what. He eyed him suspiciously as Roy nuzzled his cheek, smirking. "You always tell me to shut up, but you can't hide how much you like it."

Ed's face burned against his lips. "I can easily knee you in the balls from this position you know."

Roy's smirk widened. "But would you really hurt my balls?"

Ed groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "You mood swings are worse than Winry's I swear."

"Mood swings?"

Ed turned to glare at him. "You literally looked ready to crawl into a ball and rock back and forth just minutes ago."

The laugh that escaped him was loud, taking him aback. "I would not—"

"Yes you would," Ed muttered. "You so would."

Roy chuckled some more, wrapping his arms around Ed's body tighter as he fully snuggled into him. "Maybe I just wanted to spend time with you since, you know, you're that beautiful, smart, perfect, amazing, incredible—"

"That's it." Ed sat up, hauling Roy up with him. Roy's life flashed before this eyes as he was positive Ed would dump him on the floor, but on the last second Ed held onto him and saved Roy the concussion.

He took a deep breath as adrenaline surged through him for a second. Ed held him almost suspended above the floor, Roy's hands fisted in his tank top.

Ed smirked at him. "You actually thought I'd throw you on the floor."

Roy gave him a hesitant smile. "Is the assumption really that far fetched?"

Ed shook his head, hauling him back onto the couch and crawling on top of him. He bit his lip in amusement as he watched Roy focus on getting his heart rate back to baseline. "I better watch it, your heart can't take much these days."

"You will be the cause of my heart attack, I assure you."

Ed's nose touched his as he leaned closer. "Got a few more years for that yet."

Roy raised a brow. "Are you calling me young?"

Ed grinned and kissed him, as though aiming to cause said heart attack. His heart rate spiked once again as Ed brutally kissed him, leaving Roy to grasp aimlessly at his tank top.

Ed pulled back, sitting right over his hardening cock as he reached behind him and ripped the tank top off over his head. He threw it on the floor and leaned back in, claiming Roy's lips like a man starved. Well, it was Roy's fault he'd had no dinner…

Roy's palms roamed over his warm skin, feeling every single vertebrae of his spine.

The phone ringing jolted him out of his lustfulness, and he broke the kiss. "The phone—"

"Ignore it." Ed leaned back in, and then his tongue was in Roy's mouth, and Roy's mind blanked again.

Seize every moment, he reminded himself. Ed was insatiable, as one usually was entering their first sexual relationship, and he was going to take full advantage of that. Did that make him a sleazy bastard? Maybe. But did he care? Debatable.

Ed's hands were undoing the buttons of his shirt, but he was failing and getting impatient, so resorted to pulling—Roy was pretty sure a couple buttons popped off. But when his hot palm touched his skin, Roy decided he didn't mind the sacrifice of one shirt.

Ed pulled back again, grinning. "You've been working all fucking day, I ain't waiting any longer."

The phone stopped ringing, which Ed seemed to take as the perfect indication to remove his military pants and boxers. He left kisses on his chest, on his stomach, biting every bit of meaty flesh he could find. Roy found himself panting once again, his cock throbbing for some attention, when the phone started ringing again.

Ed growled, lifting his head and glaring at Roy as though this was entirely his fault.

"I don't know who it is, Ed," Roy panted, looking down at him. He was torn, for a moment, between satisfying his curiosity by answering the phone, and keeping hold of Ed.

Abruptly, the phone stopped. They both froze, as though waiting for it to start again, but it didn't. Ed grinned, leaning in to kiss him again as he manoeuvred himself out of his boxers. Roy helped, badly, but it was worth the effort when Ed started grinding his cock against Roy's. Well, the decision had been made for him, really.

Ed broke the kiss and groaned as sparks of pleasure burned through both of them. Precum made the glide slicker with every second, and Ed ground against him harder. Roy's hands groped his ass, his own hips moving alongside Ed's.

Ed bit his lip, panting as he placed his hands on the armrest above Roy's head. "Please fuck me."

Through the pounding of his heart, he managed a smirk. "How polite."

He didn't let Ed reply, grabbing him around his waist and pinning him against the back of the couch. His spine curved deliciously as leaned back, spreading his legs. Roy's hand wrapped loosely around his throat to keep him in place as he fisted his cock. Ed whimpered as Roy started pumping, smearing the precum all over his hand.

With his slicked up hand he reached lower, past his balls and teased his rim with the tip of his finger. "Is this what you want?" he breathed, his cock throbbing in anticipation.

Ed nodded, his lips parted and red as he tried to gulp down air. Roy inserted a finger, all the way, and Ed let out a satisfied breathy moan. After a moment he inserted a second, watching as Ed's eyes fluttered shut and he fully leaned his head against the back of the couch. Simply enjoying it.

"More?" he mumbled, angling his fingers to where he now knew was his prostate.

Ed moaned, shivering. "Fuck, can't you just—" He gasped. "—not be a tease for once?"

Roy chuckled, inserting a third finger, and Ed took it so well, spreading his legs further and relaxing his muscles. He all but sat on Roy's fingers. "I enjoy teasing you too much, I'm afraid. Call it payback."

Ed opened his eyes and frowned at him, but his eyes were hazy, slightly out of focus. "Payback for what?"

Roy smirked, removing his fingers and slicking up his cock with precum. He pushed the tip against Ed's entrance, and Ed all but sighed, angling his hips to take more. "For all the times you've been a brat."

He pushed in, Ed's body accepting him, sucking him in, and Ed threw his head back and groaned, completely forgetting Roy had even spoken.

Roy grabbed hold of his hips and pulled him closer. Ed's back slid down the back of the couch, his thighs folding over his chest as he bent in two. Roy's hands glided up to the backs of Ed's thighs, holding him in place as he slowly pumped his cock in his body.

Ed was already flushed pink, gasping and shivering as Roy stretched him open. He started off slow, until he was sure Ed was thoroughly stretched. Ed's breathing was heavy, his eyes fluttering shut. Roy watched his face as his brow furrowed in pleasure, watched his cock go in and out of Ed.

"Feels good?" he mumbled, his grip on Ed's thighs tightening as pleasure burned through him.

"Mm," Ed hummed. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and bit down, his hands groping the cushions around him. He opened his eyes then, and looked straight into Roy's as he pointedly said, "Very good."

Roy picked up the pace, holding onto the back of the couch as he thrust again and again. Ed moaned louder, his hips meeting Roy's in brutal slaps.

This was what Ed wanted, and Roy could deliver. This was the way he could satisfy Ed, this was what he could offer. He refused to think about the matters that had plaugued him since yesterday—this was one of the very few moments his mind shut up. When he was tangled up in Ed, nothing else mattered. And it was extremely dangerous, but he did it anyway.

Soon he was lost to the pleasure, his body taking over once more as he pounded into Ed. He watched as Ed's face scrunched up in pleasure, as his mouth emitted whimpers and moans with every thrust. His hands came to grab his thighs, holding them as wide as he could as he let Roy fuck him into the couch.

Roy tried to keep a rhythm with his breathing that matched his thrusts, but he found himself panting desperately instead, chasing his orgasm as it built and built.

"Ed," he panted, leaning forward to thrust at a deeper angle.

Ed cried out, grabbing onto him and bracing himself against the thrusts. "Fuck don't stop. Go harder."

He felt Ed's muscles tensing as he hit his prostate again and again. He grit his teeth, trying to hold off the orgasm until Ed came first—

Ed clenched around him, and Roy looked at him—at his cock leaking precum against his stomach, at his thighs trapped against his chest, at his hair a mess around his shoulders, his face so flushed and perfect.

Ed moaned, wrapping his hand around his cock and pumping, and the sight was the hottest thing he'd ever seen—

He groaned, his rhythm abandoned as he thrust and thrust, the orgasm ripping through him and making him shudder. He didn't want this feeling to end, he didn't want Ed to ever be anywhere but here, right now—

Ed came a second later, gasping and shivering, pumping his cock until every last drop of cum had spilled onto his chest. Roy felt the wave of pleasure through the bond, and it made him shudder with pleasurable aftershocks.

He trembled as he got his breathing under control. He grasped Ed's thighs and gently pulled out, his eyes taking in the sight of his cum leaking out of him. God, he really was all sorts of a bastard, but he wanted this for himself. He wanted Ed for himself, to hoard him, to selfishly keep him here, bond or no, when all he could offer was sexual pleasure.

He silently reached behind him for the tissue box on the coffee table, plucking a few tissues and catching the spill before it dripped onto the couch. Then he plucked a few more and started cleaning the mess on Ed's chest.

Ed watched him with half lidded eyes, his cheeks still a lovely pink. His thighs dropped down as his body slumped bonelessly, and Roy scooped him up, lying them both on the couch—Ed on top of him, snuggled against his chest.

Roy stroked his hair back, pulling out the hair tie that had come halfway undone. Ed sighed, arms around Roy's torso as he nuzzled his chest.

Roy kissed the crown of his blond head, affection bursting in his chest, just as the phone started ringing again.

Ed let out a little groan, but Roy frowned. The desire had ebbed away now, leaving his head clear, and he realised that whoever had called him three times in the last half hour had something important to tell him.

Worry sank into him as he gently eased Ed off him. "I really need to get that, Ed. It could be important."

Ed mumbled something and cuddled a cushion instead. Roy had to fight with himself not to be offended that Ed had so easily replaced him with an inanimate object.

He hastily threw on his discarded boxers and rushed into the kitchen to pick up the phone. "Roy Mustang speaking."

"Oh my gosh, sir!"

Roy panicked for a second as Al's voice entered his ears. Shit, had something happened to him? Ed would never forgive himself if he'd ignored the phone only for Alphonse to need him—

Ed must've felt the surge of stress through the bond, because he entered the kitchen a moment later, his boxers thrown on and his hair tangled and down, frowning.

"Sir, I've got it! I've done it! I know how to break the bond!"

And that was when Roy noted that Al's voice held an undercurrent of excitement. "Alphonse, hello."

Ed's eyes widened and he rushed forward, all but ripping the phone out of Roy's grip. "Al? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Brother!" Roy was close enough to the phone to hear Al's excited shout. "Why were you ignoring the phone! I've been trying to get through for half an hour!"

Ed blushed bright red, scowling at nothing. "We weren't ignoring the phone, we were out!"

Oh, the lies.

Al laughed, so loudly Roy heard it as clear as day.

"What do you want?" Ed snapped, and Roy's mind went back to the words Al had said before Ed ripped the phone out of his hand.

Sir, I've got it! I've done it! I know how to break the bond!

He gulped, watching Ed as he silently listened to Al's voice. Roy couldn't distinguish every word, but he got the gist, and his stomach inexplicably tightened.

After a moment, Ed said, "Are you…are you sure?" He listened some more, then said, "Holy shit, Al! You did it, you're a fucking genius!" He laughed in amazement, and fondness flowed through the bond.

Roy's heart had fallen into his stomach. Like a rock. And he wouldn't be able to hide it from Ed.

He let Ed speak to Al and made his way over to the sink. Casually poured himself some water as he focused on his breathing.

Ed laughed some more. "Yeah, yeah, see you soon!"

He hung up and…silence.

Roy wasn't sure what he'd been expecting after that happy exchange. Maybe for Ed to turn around with a massive grin, to jump up and down and scream I'm free!

Alphonse had figured out the reversal array, which meant that Ed would soon be free from Roy. He could go back to his own bed, back to his life.

It felt so…abrupt.

Ed turned around, his shrewd eyes stripping Roy bare, like he always did, like he was flipping open a book and reading every single word with a magnifying glass.

"Alphonse has the reversal array," Roy noted casually.

Ed's lips pulled up in a lopsided smile. "Yeah, he's amazing."

Roy sipped his water. "This ordeal will soon be over, I suppose."

Problem was, it didn't feel like an ordeal anymore. More like a journey. That was getting cut short.

Ed nodded. His eyes dropped to the floor. "We won't be joined at the hip anymore."

Roy nodded. "We couldn't be soul bonded forever."

"No, not forever."

"No."

Ed glanced up at him. "It was never meant to be for forever though."

Every single muscle in Roy tensed. What did that mean? Was he talking about the bond or…Either way, it didn't matter. "No, it wasn't."

Ed bit his bottom lip as the silence stretched on for a few seconds. "We going to Resembool tomorrow?"

"I suppose we must."

Ed nodded, glancing back up at him. It was surreal to Roy, that what was flowing through the bond was an apprehension that matched his own. Ed was also worried about this.

Perhaps it was natural though, that he'd be concerned about the reversal array working okay, that…

But no, he knew by now how Ed felt, how close he and Ed had gotten. Ed was very likely apprehensive about breaking the bond for the same reasons Roy was. About the massive change in routine they were going to go through. About the void that loomed over them, about the fact that whatever happened after the bond was broken would be fully and utterly their own choice, and the bond would have no effect whatsoever.

Perhaps he also would not want to move out, like Roy didn't want him to. But…

Ed cleared his throat, and Roy looked at him. "Takeout?"

Roy took a breath. "Yes. That's a good idea."