A/N Eeek I've been so excited to upload this chapter! ;)

Ed was cooking them tomato pasta. And Roy, feeling guilty about their conversation that morning, offered to help. He didn't know why he bothered, because he was actually hopeless in the kitchen.

"You know, I always thought I couldn't cook, but you've just showed me a new rock bottom."

Ed's voice was laced with humour, and Roy decided to stop embarrassing himself, and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. He was just going to watch Ed cook, which shouldn't be as entertaining as it was.

"I've never had to cook, and I was never taught."

Ed had truly taken a liking to Roy's sweatpants. Roy didn't blame him; he had multiple pairs for a reason. After his uniform, his sweatpants were the most worn items in his wardrobe. They were the softest cotton; he made sure to splurge for it. The pair Roy had absently thrown at him that first morning were now basically Ed's; he wore them almost every day. Roy supposed it was better than his boxers.

Though Roy still thought he didn't wear boxers under the sweatpants. Not that he was looking or anything, it was just a bit obvious.

They were nearing the end of June, and the weather had gotten hotter already. Ed had fully stopped wearing tank tops, and Roy didn't think he had the energy to fight with him over it. He thought they should keep up some sort of professionalism, but he kept thinking of Ed's dejected face that morning and kept his mouth shut. It was just annoying how his eyes kept going back to his chest, his rock hard abs, the scars on his left side and right shoulder. He was aware of Ed, and it was discomforting.

Roy himself had changed out of his uniform, under the excuse that it was too hot and stuffy. And now he was in his own pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He was trying.

Ed glanced at him in slight surprise as he stirred the tomato sauce on the stove with a spoon. "Your mum never taught you the basics?"

Roy paused. It was no secret that he was adopted. People who knew him slightly better than most knew his aunt had taken him in when he was young, and that he basically grew up in a bar. Not really the place one would learn how to cook.

But he'd never really explicitly told someone about it before. People just came to know eventually one way or another.

Roy kept his gaze on the tomato sauce boiling on the stove as he said, "My parents died when I was three."

Ed's hand paused, and Roy watched his fingers turn whiter as he gripped the spoon tighter. He didn't think it was a big deal; he never missed his parents, he didn't know them.

It was hard to miss people you didn't remember. But he knew it probably stung more for Ed, who loved both his parents before they left him one way or another. He was probably assuming they had some sort of shared pain. But with Roy it wasn't the same.

"It's fine, Fullmetal," he said, looking at Ed. "I don't remember them. My aunt took me in, I just grew up in an environment where cooking wasn't an option." He felt the pain through the bond, and he thought maybe he should've just made an excuse instead; he hadn't meant to dig up painful memories for Ed. He really was hopeless. He always thought Ed was the one who made situations worse, but when it came to Ed, perhaps Roy was equally as guilty.

"What environment?" Ed wasn't looking at him as he drained the pasta and started mixing it with the sauce in the pan.

Roy pursed his lips; he didn't like talking about himself more than necessary, but he still felt guilty about that morning, so he'd wanted to perhaps apologise by being slightly less uptight about things. He could be normal, sure. "A bar, which sometimes doubled as a brothel." By sometimes he meant it most definitely doubled as a brothel.

Ed gawked at him, and Roy felt the incredulity and shock through the bond. "You grew up in a brothel?"

Roy felt a chuckle escape him, and he covered his mouth with a hand to stifle it.

Ed narrowed his eyes. "You're fucking with me?"

"I'm not, I promise."

Ed was silent as he quickly divided the pasta into bowls. "Okay, so you grew up in a brothel. Is that why you like having a harem of women around you at all times?"

Roy could tell he was mostly joking, but he couldn't help but think Ed was fishing for something.

He shrugged. "Most of the women I go out with are actually my step sisters, so I guess so."

"You go out with a lot of women. Just how many step sisters do you have?" Ed handed Roy his bowl before he left the kitchen through the archway, and the tug in Roy's chest left him no choice but to follow.

He took a moment to wonder why Ed knew so much about his personal life. It was all in the newspapers, sure, but he didn't think Ed was the type to keep himself updated on what the media wrote about Roy. And especially not notice the faces of the different women he was pictured with.

Ed plopped on the couch and truly made himself at home, sitting with his back against the armrest and his legs bent on the couch. He twirled his pasta around his fork eagerly, his bowl trapped between his chest and thighs. Roy sat next to him, wondering why Ed had chosen the couch tonight. They usually ate in the kitchen.

"About ten, last time I counted."

Ed stared at him incredulously. Then, that dubious look came back. "You're not fucking with me, are you?"

Roy smirked. "Is it that hard to believe I grew up in a brothel with ten sisters?"

Ed snorted. "Well yeah, since I thought you were a spoiled rich kid whose parents made him think he was way too important and now I've gotta deal with the consequences."

Roy's smirk widened in amusement, his eyebrows rising. "That's a very far-fetched assumption."

"Have you met yourself?" Ed asked, pointing his fork at Roy. "The far-fetched thing is the brothel and the sisters."

Roy found himself laughing, his pasta momentarily forgotten. How did Ed manage to make him laugh by insulting him?

He looked at Ed, and his laughter slowly died down at the expression on his face. He looked surprised, which made sense, since Roy didn't have a habit of genuinely laughing around Ed, but there was something else too.

His cheeks were slightly flushed as he looked at Roy with wide golden eyes, and pure electricity flowed through the bond, making goosebumps rise on Roy's arms.

His eyes trailed downwards, to Ed's bare chest, slightly flushed and moving with every breath. And suddenly he couldn't breathe as a sudden desire burned through him, as his mind reminded him of the brief kiss they'd shared days ago, of how soft Ed's lips had been.

He averted his gaze quickly, trying to take a deep breath.

They were silent for a few seconds, until Ed cleared his throat. "Do you like the pasta?"

Roy twirled the pasta on his fork, ignoring the way his stomach was full of butterflies, and brought it to his mouth. Since he'd been talking with Ed he hadn't tried it yet. "It's good."

The awkward air was back as they each ate in silence, and Roy wondered what had just happened. Had he done something?

Ed hadn't seemed annoyed, he'd seemed more…aroused. The thought was sobering. Maybe his dream last night was still playing in the back of his mind. But even as he thought about it, remembering the way Ed had touched himself with Roy in mind, he found his mouth going dry and felt a stirring in his lower abdomen.

He couldn't get aroused by Edward Elric. He couldn't. But his body wasn't listening, even as he tried to stop it, aware that Ed could feel what he was feeling right now.

Roy stood from the couch and walked back to the kitchen, wanting - needing - to put as much distance as possible between him and Ed. He started washing his pasta bowl, hoping it was enough of a distraction from his heightened emotions.

The tug in his chest left and he felt Ed behind him, and a moment later he was right next to him as he placed his bowl in the sink. Ed's bare chest brushed against Roy's arm, and the warmth of his body left a hot imprint on his skin Roy was way too aware of.

He realised he'd been holding his breath, and exhaled a bit too roughly. Ed froze, and Roy willed him to leave, to have some common sense and put some distance between them, because this had turned into some dangerous territory and Roy didn't know what to do.

Yes, Ed was attractive, but he couldn't be aroused by him.

Roy Mustang didn't do men. Everything he did had to be in accordance to his end goal; to become Fuhrer. The women he went out with, mostly his sisters, were for his image. His reputation was specific and he needed it to remain specific. He could never date a man. It would be political suicide.

He knew women; knew what they liked and what they expected from him. Roy always liked to be prepared for sexual encounters, though admittedly they were very few and far between. Trying to fix military corruption didn't leave him with free time to do much else, not that he was bothered. He'd never been like some other men he knew, like Havoc, desperate for women. And he always remained in control, he never lost his cool. He was never seduced.

But this, this need, right now, felt so out of his control.

Edward Elric always complicated things.

Ed's hand wrapping around his wrist made Roy freeze, his body going rigid. What was he doing?

His hands were gripping the counter by the sink in a death grip, and he made himself relax, turning his head to look at Ed. Wide golden eyes stared right back at him. The gold was a deeper shade than usual, his cheeks flushed pink, and his lips looking dangerously kissable.

He felt the desire through the bond, and it matched his own. It was dangerous.

Ed's hand travelled up his arm, his fingers leaving a hot, burning trail as they grazed his skin. He let out a shuddering breath as Ed placed his other hand on his chest, turning Roy's body towards him.

His mind had shut down as he watched Ed in front of him, eyes following his tongue as it licked his perfectly pink, soft lips, his tanned chest as it heaved with heavy breaths. Those golden eyes staring at him, his blond hair framing his face just perfectly.

Ed was stunning.

Roy wordlessly reached out, his hand hovering over Ed's face, his thumb tracing the shape of his jaw, the softness of his lips.

"You wanna kiss me again."

Roy stopped breathing. His hand froze by Ed's lips, before dropping away from his face. Ed's cheeks had turned even redder, his eyes a dark, molten gold. Roy didn't want to know what his own face looked like, what Ed could see right now.

"No," he breathed, swallowing. This wasn't right. He made to take a step back, but Ed's hands tightened on his arm and chest, fisting his shirt, and Roy paused.

"I wanna kiss you too." His blush spread to his ears, and he averted his gaze, gulping.

Roy's heart was pounding in his chest, his erection throbbing in his pants. He didn't have to look to know Ed was equally hard.

He should move away, put some distance between them. But every fibre of his being wanted to reach forward, feel Ed's heat against his own.

This didn't happen to him, he never had to fight with himself like this.

Ed came closer, until their chests were touching, his scent intoxicating. Roy couldn't breathe; everything was Ed right now. It was so dangerous.

He was so close Roy could feel his exhale on his lips. His hand came to rest on Ed's side, his fingers caressing the soft skin, his eyes locked on his lips. His own lips were tingling, remembering their brief encounter.

He could feel himself slipping, his control eroding. Ed was impulsive, always acting on instinct, but Roy wasn't. Roy thought things through, planned, played the long game. But right now his brain wanted one thing and one thing only.

His hand found its way into golden hair as their lips connected, and Ed let out a moan that dissolved whatever was left of Roy's sanity.

Pushing Ed against the counter, his body was flush against his as he ground against him, their erections rubbing together through their pants and sending jolts of electric pleasure through his body.

Ed's hands fisted in his shirt, a desperation to pull him closer Roy found himself matching. His right hand absently ran through Ed's ponytail, his other behind Ed on the counter.

His hair was soft. Gorgeously soft, like he'd imagined.

Slipping the hair tie out and fisting his loose hair, he pulled, tipping Ed's head back and kissing him deeper, harder. Their tongues clashed, and the deep moan that came from Ed had his whole body shaking with need.

His brain was full of Ed, there was no space for anything else. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him, about how right this was, how Ed's hard body against his was the most perfect thing to ever happen to him.

Ed's hands roamed down his chest, behind his back, and grabbed his ass, thrusting him closer. They ground against each other harder, and a groan filled the air, a groan Roy realised had come from him.

Through the haze of desire, Roy was aware that what was currently happening shouldn't be happening. Their lips parted for air, but remained close. Ed's hazy eyes stared into his, and Roy could feel his panting against his lips. He was also panting, his breath coming out in short, harsh puffs, and his whole body was on fire. He didn't think he'd ever been so aroused in his life.

Ed leaned in, reconnecting their lips in a small, delicate kiss, but the few seconds had been what Roy needed to gather enough control to pull away. Untangling his hand from Ed's hair, he placed it on the counter, and took a deep breath, before pushing off and away from Ed.

It was harder than it should've been.

In front of him, Ed looked disoriented, his hair mussed and his face and chest flushed as he leaned against the counter. His golden eyes were dark and hazy as he stared at Roy, his lips pink and soft and delicious.

The sweatpants hid nothing and showed Roy just how aroused Ed was. Roy stared, feeling his mouth go dry and his heart pounding in his chest. He absently wet his dry lips as he easily discerned Ed's hard length through the grey pants, the small pre-cum stain letting him know just where the tip was. He tore his eyes away and back to Ed's face, who was looking at him with wide eyes, as though he was just as surprised by what had just happened.

Roy was stunned.

Breathing hard, he broke the moment by turning away and going straight to his alcohol cabinet. He tore the cap off his whiskey bottle and took a large gulp.

What the fuck had just happened?

Once he'd taken a few large swigs of whiskey, the burning in his throat had brought his brain back to a functioning capacity. Ed was silent behind him, and Roy didn't dare look at him, his mind whirling.

The only explanation for this, the only way Roy could excuse himself for losing control like that, was that it had been the bond's influence.

It had been the bond.

There was no other reason why Roy Mustang had just lost his mind dry humping Edward Elric.