Riza had known the moment Roy exited that cursed room. Perhaps it was the sweat that undoubtedly gleamed on his brow under those horrendous lights, or the way he hid his shaking hands in his pockets with a false sense of nonchalance.

He'd known he couldn't hide from Hawkeye, which was why, after a silent walk back to Headquarters, he wasn't surprised when she asked, "Everything all right, sir?"

But none of this meant that Roy wouldn't try to lie anyway. "Everything's perfectly fine, Lieutenant."

He did this thing, when he didn't want people prying. He said things in a certain tone, which scared the people who were scared of him, and discouraged everyone else. Except those who knew him best, of course, and Hawkeye was one of those people. But Roy tried anyway, which was probably a dead giveaway in and of itself.

Usually, she pried. Roy had been expecting her to pry, considering she waited to ask the question until they were walking down an empty hallway, but she didn't. And Roy was eternally grateful.

He'd been wondering if he was going to need some privacy in a bathroom stall to hyperventilate in peace, but focused on his breathing and stubbornly refused to show even a sliver of unease. He was not going to give Shan Young that win.

He wanted to see Ed. He wanted to see for himself that he was okay. He wanted deeply, so deeply, to hold him, to breathe in his scent and for Ed himself to fondly tell him he was fine, and to stop worrying about him, even though Roy was incapable of not worrying about him.

But Ed wasn't here. He was nowhere near here, and wouldn't be until the end of the work day. Roy had some brutal hours ahead of him.

Back in the office, all the desks were empty. Everyone must've gone for their lunch break already.

Hawkeye picked a stack of paperwork up and followed Roy to his inner office door. Roy pulled a face at the paperwork, but she didn't bat an eye as she said, "Plenty to occupy you for the rest of today, sir, now that the bond is no longer a hindrance to your productivity."

Roy pulled another face, and opened his door.

And froze, Hawkeye bumping into his side with the papers.

Ed. Dressed in a white shirt Roy was half-sure was his and lounging in his chair while looking at them like a deer caught in headlights.

Roy recovered swiftly. "Fullmetal," he drawled. He sounded normal enough considering his heart was in his throat. The word had felt foreign on his tongue. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hawkeye was next to him, but he refrained from looking at her. Just in case she saw what was written on his face.

Ed's face was bright red, every muscle in his body taut. He looked torn between which option would look more suspicious; bolting out of Roy's chair or staying slouching in it. "Uh…"

Roy was curious to know what excuse Ed had come up with for this appearance.

Ed gulped, his cheeks flaming red. "You…said you had something for me?"

Little shit.

Roy pretended to remember something incredibly important. "Ah, yes, of course. How could I forget? Must be old age." He shot Ed a little glare.

Hawkeye padded to his desk and gingerly set the stack of papers on it. Ed avoided her eyes like the plague. "Hi."

"Hello, Edward," she said casually, and began walking towards the door, where Roy was still standing like an idiot.

He cleared his throat, straightening, "Please go enjoy your lunch break, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

With that, she was gone, and Roy leaned against the door until it clicked shut.

"You're a bit early for the meal," he pointed out, but couldn't help the way his heart fluttered with pure undiluted happiness that Ed was here so many hours early.

What the hell was wrong with him?

No, it was just Shan Young's words that had rattled him, and Ed's presence was incredibly well timed and would certainly halt any worrisome thoughts his brain would've provided him with otherwise. Because Ed was here, and he was okay. And he looked incredible.

When Ed didn't respond, Roy smirked. He walked closer to his chair, where Ed was still sitting. "Missed me?"

Ed was looking down, at his desk, his fingers absently playing with the corner of some paper. He looked good in Roy's chair, his body facing him as Roy came to stand right in front of him. His eyes surveyed him from top to bottom. "Is that my shirt?"

Ed's face was still red, but it wasn't embarrassment in his eyes when he looked up at Roy. It looked more like…determination. "So what if it is?"

Roy shrugged. He assumed Ed had picked it out for the meal later today.

A beat of silence and then, "Where were you?"

Roy arched a brow at the question but answered anyway, "I was delivering the reversal array report to the Fuhrer," he started, and then paused momentarily before adding, "And then visited Shan Young."

Ed's head whipped up, his eyes cautious. "What for?"

"She's being released," he answered casually.

As though suddenly realising he was still sitting in his chair while Roy was standing next to him, Ed jumped off the chair and sat on the desk. Roy all but flopped in his chair.

"Is that wise?" Ed asked.

Roy waved a hand, taking a curious peek at the paperwork Hawkeye had set on the corner of his desk. "Her people are harmless, and so is she. She's not an alchemist; the soul bond array is her only knowledge, and it's superficial knowledge. She's being given a fine and will be monitored."

Ed was quiet—thinking. "Did she notice we broke the bond?"

"Of course she did." Roy noticed the slight bitter tone that slipped out, and pursed his lips. Ed was eyeing him now, so Roy merely leaned back in his chair, the perfect picture of calm. "She wasn't particularly impressed we broke it despite not fulfilling its intended purpose."

Could Ed see how much that quick interaction had rattled him? He wasn't sure what Ed could tell anymore, now that the bond wasn't a golden thread around their wrists. Maybe he had developed some sort of sixth sense about Roy, or maybe he'd pieced together emotions with actions, and could now put the emotion behind the action.

"Everything went okay, then?" Roy avoided looking at Ed's legs, so close to his face as Ed leaned in, placing his tanned forearms on his knees.

"Of course." And then, to make sure it really drove that point home, he added, "I wouldn't be here right now if things hadn't gone okay."

He glanced at Ed despite himself, noticing him frowning. "I would be out fixing things," he clarified. He took Ed in wholly, and pointedly said, "Why are you here?" Because Roy had nothing for him—his silly little excuse—and the meal was in six hours.

Ed blushed again. He shuffled over on the desk until he was right in front of Roy, his legs on either side of his chair.

"You just couldn't stay away?" Roy teased, his hands itching to rest over Ed's strong thighs. He was wearing the brown slacks he'd been wearing the day he returned to Central from his extended leave. The day Roy's brain had been so thoroughly scrambled at the sight.

Ed shot him a little glare, but it was undermined by the flush on his cheeks. Roy noticed his breathing had picked up; Ed was taking deep breaths, and Roy found himself matching them.

Ed leaned back with his hands on the desk, his shirt pulling at the buttons and exposing little pockets of skin. "Maybe I wanted to have lunch with you."

Roy was distracted by Ed's broad chest, his nipples peaking through the fabric. He swallowed. He had to get a grip. "Well, then. Shall we go get some lunch?"

Ed smiled, but it wasn't an innocent smile. And suddenly Roy was very strongly reminded of that night in his kitchen that felt like so long ago, when Ed had given him that same smile right after he'd very thoroughly sucked him off.

The memory had his cock stiffening in his pants, and he was thankful Ed wasn't looking down.

"I'm your lunch," Ed declared, as though Roy were denser than a brick, which he really felt like at the moment. All his blood had rushed south.

His cock thickened further, entirely pleased with this arrangement. His hands betrayed him and rested on Ed's clothed thighs, stroking slowly. "While that sounds delightful, we are in the office."

He felt every cell in his body protesting at his own words.

Ed slid down, until he was firmly sitting in Roy's lap, and could undeniably feel how hard he'd gotten just from Ed looking at him. His hands grasped his military jacket, his face so close Roy could feel his exhale. "No one's here right now. Everyone's having lunch."

Roy cocked his head, barely protesting as he said, "And aren't you hungry?"

"Starving," Ed said immediately, licking his lips as he looked at Roy's lips as though they were a three course meal.

Dear God.

Roy's hands had somehow found their way to Ed's ass, palming greedily, just as Ed leaned forward, smashing their lips together.

Roy should stop this, he knew that. But once again he didn't do what he knew needed to be done. Instead, he kissed Ed deeper, his tongue caressing Ed's and making his heart pound harder and faster.

He should have less oxygen while kissing, right? Because kissing Ed made him feel more alive than ever, as if he'd just been given all the clean oxygen he could ever need.

Ed bit his lip, and Roy found himself sighing a moan, arm wrapping around Ed's waist to bring him closer, and further onto his cock.

He belatedly realised Ed was pulling at his jacket when he pulled back to growl, "How the fuck do you get this shit off?"

Roy chuckled despite himself, leaning back in his chair to get his heart back under control. His hands lifted to unhook the jacket as he said, "If you ever wore the uniform, you would know."

Ed narrowed his eyes, cheeks flushed and lips red and glistening. Seriously, who could ever be able to resist that? "When you're Fuhrer you're changing the uniform." He flicked his hand at Roy's now-open jacket. "This is just inconvenient."

Roy smirked, his blood pounding through his veins as Ed made quick work of his own shirt buttons. And then Roy could see the whole expanse of his tanned chest, abs flexing with every movement, nipples pink and ready for his mouth. "You're adding to my Fuhrership list now?"

Ed smirked, pulling Roy's shirt out of his pants. "See? I'm helping."

Once he'd undone all of Roy's buttons, he went to take his own shirt off, but Roy stopped him. "Leave it on."

Ed pursed his lips to stifle a smile and rolled his hips, and the friction on his cock felt incredible. Fuck, how had Ed gotten him this worked up in the office of all places? He didn't know how Ed managed it—how they went from having a normal conversation where Roy was in control of himself, to Ed having him wrapped around his little finger like this.

Clearly, the bond hadn't been the reason for Roy's continuous downfall when it came to Ed. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Ed kissed him again, demanding with his tongue and his lips and his hands, and Roy was eager to oblige. His palm dipped into his pants, his boxers, until he had a firm handful of Ed's warm asscheek. His other hand tangled in his hair, taking out the hair tie in one smooth motion, and soft strands flowed down Ed's shoulders. Roy lost no time grabbing hold of that gorgeous smoothness.

Ed pulled back, smirking against his lips. "Is my hair your favourite thing about me?"

"Not in the slightest," Roy replied smoothly, sounding way more in control of himself than he felt.

Ed cocked his head, still with that smirk. "What's your favourite thing about me then?"

Roy leaned further back, just enough to look at Ed, his palm squeezing Ed's ass. "That is an impossible thing to answer." His other hand left Ed's hair to gently grasp his jaw. "I admire everything about you."

Ed's cheeks predictably reddened. "You're such a sweet-talker."

Roy's heart was now pounding a steady beat in his chest—anticipation. "Nothing I've ever said to you has been a lie."

Ed kissed him once again, brutally, as though he couldn't get enough, with a need that more than matched Roy's own. Ed was pulling at his hair until it hurt, his teeth biting Roy's lips until they were surely red and swollen.

Abruptly, he pulled back again, growling, and then he was leaning back against the desk, arms on either side as he hoisted himself up for Roy to get his pants off. Roy obliged, throwing Ed's slacks and boxers on the floor, until he was gloriously naked in his lap, save for Roy's shirt.

Oh, this was a bad idea.

But Ed was truly a sight, leaning back against the desk, elbows propped up and just looking at him, eyes hazy and aroused, cheeks flushed pink. Roy could see every muscle in his torso, flexing as he tensed to keep himself upright. His cock was hard, the tip already glistening with precum. His nipples had pebbled at the quick change in temperature, and Roy couldn't resist leaning forwards and sucking one into his mouth.

Ed threw his head back and groaned.

Roy teased the pink nub with his teeth, his lips, and his tongue, and then kissed his way to Ed's other nipple, his fingers taking his previous place and pinching.

Ed panted audibly, squirming, hips thrusting as he tried to get friction on his cock.

Roy kissed his way down to his stomach, until he couldn't bend anymore. He hooked his arms under Ed's knees and lifted him onto the desk, Ed instinctively spreading his legs as he eyed the bulge in Roy's pants.

But Roy sat back in his chair, and got started on his lunch.

He swallowed Ed's cock in one fluid go, the tip hitting the back of his throat until Ed let out a choked groan. He hollowed his cheeks, swallowing until his throat spasmed around Ed's cock.

Ed moaned, loudly.

Roy pulled back, saliva glistening between his lips and Ed's length. "We need to be quiet, Ed," he all but purred, his whole body throbbing as he kissed the join between Ed's leg and cock.

Ed made a strangled noise of displeasure. "Everyone's out."

"Hawkeye sometimes eats at her desk."

Ed ran his hands over his face. "Fuck, okay."

Roy sucked his balls into his mouth, and Ed gasped, biting his lip as he looked down at Roy. His fingers curled into his hair, but didn't pull, didn't guide him. Just held him, and let Roy do whatever he wanted to him.

Roy's tongue trailed downwards, behind his balls, and Ed lifted his legs up further, giving access—

The faint taste of cherry made him pause as his tongue swirled over Ed's rim. Ed clenched, gasping at the sensation, but Roy pulled back, just enough to see the glistening of the lube, his stretched entrance.

"Ed," he said, his voice sounding completely breathless as his cock swelled further. Ed had—"You touched yourself before coming here?"

Ed blushed again, his cheeks glowing red. "Maybe." Whatever he saw on Roy's face had him licking his lips and adding, "We only have a limited time for lunch."

The thought of Ed fingering himself while thinking of Roy shouldn't have made him feel so absolutely feral.

His cock throbbed incessantly between his legs as he stood and leaned over Ed, hands groping whatever meat they could find on his chiseled body. His lips were so close, but—"Touch yourself," he said, and his voice didn't even sound like his own—all strangled and desperate. "Show me."

Ed flushed further, all the way down to his chest. He wordlessly fisted his cock, pumping and shivering as the pleasure sparked through him.

A groan escaped him, and Roy softly caressed his thighs. "Shh," he hushed gently, running his palms over the soft skin of Ed's thighs.

Roy simply watched as Ed pumped his cock, panting. He was so flushed, precum leaking down his hand with every tug.

Roy was losing his mind.

"Was this one of your fantasies?" he said, licking his lips. His mouth had gone bone dry. "Me bending you over my desk?" It certainly was Roy's fantasy now. One of them, anyway.

Ed made a strangled noise in his throat and Roy grabbed his wrist, halting him before he came all over himself. "Stretch yourself for me."

Ed growled, scowling up at him impatiently. "I've done that already."

Roy spread his cheeks for him, eyes on the red, glistening rim. His cock throbbed further, leaking more precum into his boxers. He had to get out of these pants before the precum reached his uniform. "But I didn't see."

He watched, enthralled, as Ed inserted two fingers inside himself. He pumped for a second before adding a third, grunting.

He watched as Ed thrust three fingers in and out of himself, mouth open in a pant, his cock swollen and red and lying over his abs.

"Fuck, Ed."

Ed choked out a moan as he brushed against his prostate, and Roy was suddenly undoing his pants like his life depended on it. He lost his balance, sitting back down on his chair as he shoved the uniform pants off himself.

Ed removed his fingers and lifted himself up onto his elbows, eyes on Roy's very erect cock. Shit, he didn't even know if he'd ever been this hard. It was almost painful.

Ed slowly slid back down onto his lap, Roy's hands greedily grabbing the meat of his ass, kneading appreciatively. Ed grabbed his cock, making him hiss, and lined himself up before Roy's brain even had time to stutter back to functioning.

Eveything that plagued him vanished into thin air. Just like that, his meeting with Grumman, his conversation with Shan Young, his anxiety—it all evaporated from Roy's mind as he buried his face in Ed's neck, quietly groaning with every inch of his cock Ed slid inside himself. Ed's face was scrunched up in pleasurable agony, his head tipped upwards to the ceiling as he took deep breaths, his hips rolling.

And when he got used to Roy's length, he started riding him, slowly, until Roy could barely take a full breath before pleasure made his breathing stutter. He held Ed's narrow hips, helping him push upwards.

The only thing that existed right now was him and Ed, together, joined, sharing this moment. To Roy, the only thing that existed, that mattered, was Ed.

Ed was using the desk to get up; he'd leaned back against it again, elbows on the desk as he controlled each ascent. And descent. And ascent, and descent, and—

Roy stared at his cock going in and out of Ed, his mind a blank canvas of pure lust.

It was too slow. He needed…They couldn't get a steady rhythm like this.

"Feels good?" Ed said, his voice low and hoarse and so fucking sexy.

"Mm," Roy managed, leaning back in his chair as Ed bounced slowly in his lap.

Ed pushed off the desk, placing his hands on the chair by Roy's head. A little growl escaped him at the new, deeper angle. His lips trailed over Roy's, warm and wet. They trailed down to his neck, where they bit down, hard.

Roy shuddered as the spark of pain added to the pleasure. That would leave a mark, for sure. Again.

"Mine," Ed growled, leaning to the other side of his neck and biting down again.

"All yours," Roy found himself saying, completely breathless. His eyes roamed over Ed's body, settling on his cock as it bounced with every move Ed made.

God, he needed—

Roy stood, grabbing Ed's legs and all but throwing him back onto the desk. Ed grunted, but smirked at whatever he saw on Roy's face.

Roy didn't let him speak as he promptly grabbed his hips and pounded into him.

"Fuck—" Ed grabbed the desk edges to steady himself against Roy's brutal thrusts. He groaned, and Roy forgot to shush him, to tell him to be quiet. The pleasure had rendered his brain useless, and the only thing he cared about was thrusting again and again as he watched Ed's lips part in ecstasy, as his cock leaked more precum onto his stomach. He looked so good in his shirt, fuck—

In one fluid motion he'd flipped Ed over, onto his stomach, Ed yelping in surprise. Roy slid him closer by his hips, until he was standing in front of Roy, torso bent over the desk.

He removed Ed's shirt before he started thrusting again. He wanted to see his back, as every muscle rippled and flexed as Roy pounded inside him. His broad shoulders, slim waist, the curve of his spine, his perfect round ass.

Ed's body was a work of art.

"Ah, fuck," Ed gasped, his fingers curling over the edge of the desk.

Roy lifted one of Ed's legs onto the desk—his flesh one, so he could stand on his automail. "This better?" Roy panted, even as he could tell he could get deeper from this angle.

"Yes—fuck," Ed moaned as Roy relentlessly pounded into him from behind.

Roy growled at the noise, wrapping a hand around Ed's throat. "Be quiet, Ed, or I'll stop."

He would do no such thing. Not unless Ed asked him to. Not as the orgasm was building—so, so close.

"I'll be quiet," Ed breathed quickly, gasping at a well aimed thrust. "Don't stop."

Well then.

His grip on Ed's throat tightened, and Ed whimpered with every slap of their skin. Roy tried to make it quieter but god it felt so good like this.

"I'm gonna come," Ed panted, reaching down to grab his cock.

But Roy stopped him, pinning his wrist back on the desk. "You're not allowed to come until I say so."

Ed groaned.

Roy was dizzy with arousal. Ed would be the death of him. This, this would be the death of him.

The orgasm ripped through him so soul-shatteringly he opened his mouth in a silent scream. He kept thrusting as he spilled and spilled into Ed, gasping and shaking. He belatedly realised he was moaning, his hearing had just been stunted for a second.

Panting heavily, he leaned against Ed's back, gasping and shivering as the last aftershocks left. "Ed," he said, his voice quivering. He had no other words, really.

Ed carefully turned around, his eyes boring into him with a lust so profound it had his cock twitching again. It was then that he realised Ed hadn't come yet.

Roy licked his dry lips and stared. How had he managed not to come? Roy had told him not to, but he hadn't expected Ed to listen.

Ed's eyes roamed over him with such feral intensity it was as though he'd pinned Roy down with his gaze alone.

"What do you wanna do?" Roy asked him, lips leaving kisses on his stomach, the slightly salty taste of Ed's precum and sweat on his tongue.

"Do you know what I really wanna do right now?" Ed breathed, and then gulped, eyes shutting as though reining himself in.

Roy left another kiss on his abs. "What is it?"

Ed's eyes bore a hole through him as he licked his lips, fingers curling back into Roy's hair. "Fucking bend you over the desk."

Roy's whole body throbbed at that, his mouth going dry, his eyes widening. He gulped.

"I just wanna make you feel so good." Ed grunted, head softly banging onto the desk. "But you're not ready for that, and definitely not here."

Roy was sure Ed could hear his heart pounding. He couldn't help imagining it, how it would be if he gave Ed that control over him, if he trusted him enough to let him see Roy in such an embarrassingly vulnerable state. Hell, if he allowed himself to be in that state, to let Ed give him pleasure like that…

"Not here but…maybe sometime," he said quietly, so quiet he wasn't sure if Ed even heard.

Ed's head snapped up, pupils dilated so much there was more black than gold. He licked his lips and gulped. "Roy," he said, and Roy braced himself, tensed despite himself as he waited for what he'd say. "Make me come."

Roy couldn't quite rein in the little huff of laughter that escaped him. He leaned down, closer to Ed's cock, and his breath made Ed shiver. "Your wish is my command," he mumbled, and then took Ed's cock into his mouth.

It didn't take long before Ed was gasping, arching his spine, and Roy was swallowing his hot release. Ed was gripping his hair so tightly it felt almost punishing. Roy enjoyed every second of it.

He pulled back, licking his lips as he glanced at the clock. They had less than ten minutes before lunch was over.

He moved to scoop their clothes off the floor, cheekily throwing Ed his so they hit him in the face. "Bastard!"

Roy smirked at Ed's scowl, which was probably just a bit undermined by his nakedness.

For approximately two minutes he was distracted by making his uniform look slightly less like it had spent over half an hour on the floor, and more like it had been on him the entire time. When he looked back up, Ed was dressed, and sitting on his desk, watching him.

Roy ran a hand through his hair. "Do I look like a respectable man who was eating a sandwich for an hour?"

Ed smirked, leaning back on his hands. "I think you look more like a nasty, horny bastard who just had a dick down his throat."

Roy glared at him, ignoring the heat that crept up his neck. Perhaps he'd walked right into that one.

He sat in his chair, and momentarily wondered how he was ever meant to work after this.

The outer office door banged shut, and he heard mumbled voices. The others had returned then. He looked back at Ed, unable to keep the grin off his face. His placed his hand on Ed's thigh, stroking pointedly. Maybe he had a death wish, because he teased, "So I'm guessing you're not angry with me anymore."

But Ed's face fell and he regretted ever opening his cursed mouth. Ed paused, seemingly mulling something over. "I…wasn't angry with you."

Roy cocked his head as his mind went back to this morning. Okay, he'd definitely seen Ed angrier than that. So maybe Ed hadn't been angry, but he'd definitely been annoyed.

"I just…" Roy was quiet as Ed seemed to battle for words. Roy's curiosity was piqued. He hadn't expected this weird hesitation. "I used to be able to tell what's going on in your head even if you didn't outright tell me, but now…I've gotta guess now, and I don't like guessing."

Ed was feeling as blind as Roy felt. He could understand that. "It's the same for me, Ed. We got used to the bond, being able to feel what each other felt. It was a lack of privacy, and it wasn't really healthy…"

Ed's gaze dropped to his hands, clasped loosely between his legs. "I don't wanna go back to knowing nothing about you."

Roy blinked in surprise. "Ed, you know me better than anyone." And that was the wholehearted truth.

"Because of the soul bond," Ed mumbled petulantly.

It was because of the soul bond, yes, but did it really matter? "Well, yes, but—"

"Before that I knew nothing about you. You're not exactly an open book, you know."

Oh, he knew.

Roy had been thinking over what to respond when Ed continued, "It was different when I could feel that you wanted me. It made me sure. But now you're just blank again. I feel like I'm just…guessing if you even wanna be around me." His cheeks flushed pink, and he shuffled awkwardly on the desk. "And when we fuck I…you give me that confirmation."

Roy was positively speechless. What did one even say to something like that?

Out of everything that Ed had just said, one thing snagged in his brain and triggered a spark of alarm. "Ed…You know you don't have to have sex with me, right—"

"I know that, idiot," Ed said quickly, cheeks back to red. "Obviously I want to, it just…I think what I'm trynna say is that I used to be able to feel that you want me, whereas now it's more of a guessing game and I fucking hate it, and I don't know if you're gonna wake up one day and tell me that you're sick of me and to get out of your house. Because you can do that now."

By the time he was done his whole face glowed red.

Roy belatedly realised his mouth was open. "Ed…I'm not going to get sick of you."

Ed shrugged, a truly pathetic attempt to look casual. "Well, what if you wanna have someone else over or something? I don't know. I mean, I know I can be annoying, and we've been glued at the hip for three months—which neither of us asked for and I totally get it if you decide you want your personal time back—"

I don't think I'll ever want anyone else. He knew Ed likely meant having a visitor over, but…The words were as clear as day in his head, but he was hesitant to say them. It was too vulnerable, too open, too intense, too scary. He would scare off anyone as young as Ed with something like that. He wasn't even sure what that very true statement even meant for him, never mind Ed.

Roy was starting to worry Ed was ruining everyone else for him. That no one would ever compare to Ed and Roy would truly end up alone.

No—don't think. Don't think.

"Oi," Ed said quietly, softly nudging him with his foot. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes," Roy said immediately. "Yes, of course. I'm just…processing."

Ed gave him a dubious look. "For someone so smart, you're really dumb."

There he went again with the weird insult-compliments. "Thanks? I think. As always, not entirely sure."

Ed snorted, as though only just realising what he'd said, and then threw his head back and laughed.