wishing on a star that's just a satellite;;

"And I'll keep busting my ass, as you put it, until you're out of the military," Roy told Ed, collecting up bandages and moving to kneel in front of him. "I think it's become habit now. Just imagine how boring my life would be without it, hm?"

He sat back on his heels, looking up at Edward and giving him a brief grin.

"We'll discuss equivalent exchange once you're healed and rested. Don't worry about it for now."

@ cried wolf

Edward chewed on his lower lip. The bandaging was at least going to be the easiest part, at least he didn't have to worry about any damn needles or too much pain. "I guess so, I do bring some fun and excitement around the office, don't I?" He had said that once he had gotten their bodies back he would turn in his pocket watch, but they didn't want to let him go that easily. He was still a pretty big asset, having saved so many lifes. Besides, he had access to the library and many other things for his research.

"Maybe I should move in, after all this is over," he raised a brow, shooting Mustang a teasing grin. "I mean, why leave the excitement at work when you can bring it home, right?" He chuckled.

"Whatever you'd like," Roy said, flashing a soft smile in return to Ed's teasing grin.

He tapped the edge of the shirt Ed was wearing, fingers brushing lightly against his thigh as he moved his hand back.

"This needs to get out the way, can't bandage you over it. Then you can sleep, and continue to be fun and exciting and generally difficult in the morning, alright?"

@ cried wolf

Edward could feel an odd fluttering sensation in his chest at the comment combined with the fingers that brushed against his automail leg. He obviously couldn't feel anything in that leg, but it was just the action that sent a flutter in his chest, swallowing thickly.

"What, you would actually want me to move in? Some how I don't think we'd make very good roommates," he said with a small laugh, a pink hue still prominent on his cheeks. "Okay, uh, this is about to get awkward in here." That was his specialty though, right?

The Alchemist paused for a second before he lifted the shirt up so Roy could bandage up the hole.

"It's not like you've anything I haven't seen before," Roy commented, leaning in a little to check that the stitching had held during Ed's shower. "And, unfortunately, not the first nude man I've bandaged."

He wiped the wound down with antiseptic before bandaging it snugly, wrapping it around Ed's torso to ensure it stayed put.

Once he was done, Roy stepped back. Ed looked unnaturally vulnerable sat on the edge of his bed. Too thin and pale, bandages stark against his skin.

"There," he said. "Sorted."

( triple post im sorry omg )

( almost there lmao im so sorry my phone did this stupid triple post )

@ cried wolf

Edward let out a small snort at that comment, giving a shake of his head as he watched Roy work, noticing he had gentle hands. Of course he had some callus, but his hands were overall pretty damn soft and felt gentle on his body. He did let out a little wince when he wiped at the wound, but was relieved when the bandages covered them.

"Thank you, I owe you a lot." And probably some more shampoo, seeing as his hair takes a lot.

Swallowing thickly, he reaches out and grabs Roy's wrist, placing his hand on the cool metal of his automail leg. "It's uh, weird I kinda like that? Nobody really has touched my automail leg except for Winry, obviously. I don't usually let anybody see it, much less touch it so.. consider yourself special." He stuttered out, biting his lower lip.

Roy bit back the surprised sound that threatened to give him away. He schooled his features into something resembling normal as he smiled softly up at Ed.

"I consider myself very special," Roy murmured.

He ran his hand down the automail thigh, feeling the bumps of metal beneath his fingers. He slid his hand back up until his fingers met the scarred seam between metal and flesh, running his thumb along it.

"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, genuine curiosity on his face.

@ cried wolf

Edward let out a small noise of surprise, his golden eyes following the movements of Roy's fingers. "Um, not when you touch it. I don't feel anything, but at the same time I do." Was that weird? It was hard to explain, but even though he couldn't feel Roy's hand, it still sent butterflies erupting in his stomach.

"Sometimes the ports hurt when it rains, and it really hurts when you have to re attach the limbs," he shrugged, letting in a sharp intake of breathe as he looked at Roy, a hint of a smile on his lips. It was odd, seeing him touching the cool metal, he wasn't used to that.

Nobody has ever put their hands on his leg, save for Winry of course, much less felt the scarring around where the arm and ports connected. It felt.. actually nice and relaxing, in a way.

"The scarring feels tight," Roy commented, kneading it with a little more pressure. "Although I suppose that's to be expected, with the time you've had... anyone would be tense."

His wondered what it would be like, to be able to touch this expanse of flesh and metal whenever he pleased. To find out how cold Ed's metal foot got in the night, to find out what Ed's hair looked like first thing in the morning. He wondered what it would be like to have Ed a permenant fixture in his home. Well, semipermenant perhaps. Nothing ever seemed to keep Ed for long.

Roy reluctantly cane back to himself, stilling his hand on Ed's skin as he did so.

"Sleep," he said once more.

@ cried wolf

Edward almost wanted to moan at how good messaging that felt, though maybe it was just Roy's skilled hands that did the trick. Edward would rub at the skin there where his ports met the stump whenever they hurt, but his hands there just felt so much better. Edward allowed the shirt to fall back down, not realizing he was still holding it

He was extremely tired, a yawn being released from his lips as he rubbed his tired eyes. He wasn’t embarrassed like he thought he would be, having someone see those nasty scars from where his leg was torn off. But he supposed if it was Roy, it was alright.

"Will you stay?" He suddenly asked, moving back to collapse on the bed, carefully as to not hurt himself, resting his head on the pillow. "I.. don't think I'll sleep very well by myself." He admitted, his sleeping habits having gone to shit after what happened.

"Until you're asleep," Roy promised, moving round the bed and lying next to Ed, atop the covers.

He lay on his side, pillowing his head on his arm as he watched Ed.

"I still need to go get you some things," Roy reminded Ed. "And maybe come up with an excuse as to why I left the office to abruptly. A sudden bought of illness. I may not be fit to work for a few days. It's truly tragic."

@ cried wolf

"Yes, it's truly a tragedy." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Are you using me as an excuse to get out of work? Now that's just sad," he mumbled tiredly, though he did appreciate the company so he wouldn't bitch about it.

Ed rolled over on his side facing Roy, the one that wasnt injured, wanting to keep pressure off it as much as possible. "Thanks a lot, Roy. I really appreciate all of this." He mumbled, his words starting to slur more, his eyes fluttering shut.

Roy watched as Ed's eyelids drooped until they stay shut, listened as his breathing evened out.

The late afternoon light filtered through the window, casting shadows across Ed's prone form. His lashes were long, Roy noted, almost feminine had they been on anyone else. But despite his long hair and short stature Ed was anything but.

Roy lay for a while, just looking at the young man on his bed, taking him in. In the back of his mind he thought of all the things he really should get done. But as Ed looked so peaceful Roy couldn't find it in himself to move. He felt his own eyes flicker shut, eventually drifting to sleep in the peace of his room.

@ cried wolf

Edward felt warm. And everytime he breathed in, he got a nice musky scent in his nostrils. It was a familiar scent, and it made him at ease--he felt safe. It wasn't until that he also heard a heart beating in his ear that he became aware, allowing his eyes to flicker open. Roy was asleep, out cold, an arm draped over Ed's waist.

Another thing he noticed was their legs tangled together, Ed's cool metal one wrapped with Roy's flesh legs. Ed had his metal arm hooked around Roy's waist and his flesh one wrapped around underneath him, Roy laying on as they both held each other. Edward's heart sped up, and he was thirsty, but he didn't want to move.

With one final glance at the clock, seeing it was the middle of the night he closed his eyes and buried his face back in Roy's chest. He would allow himself this simple pleasure for right now.

Roy came into wakefulness, first aware of the uncomfortable heat that came with falling asleep fully clothed, then noting there was another body against his. It had been a while since he woke up with someone else in his arms, a truly pitiful amount of time if he cared think about it, and it confused him for a moment.

Cracking an eye open Roy took in the sight before him. Ed's face against his chest, their arms around each other... even their legs were tangled. Ed felt like he fit there, almost as if he were made to be in Roy's arms- which was a completely ridiculous sentiment, Ed was made for no one but himself- so maybe it was that Roy was made for him.

After several long moments Roy pulled away. He carefully untangled the younger man from himself, and tucked him carefully under the blankets, keeping him warm. Roy's fingers itched and he allowed them relief, tucking Ed's hair back from his face before he finally let the Alchemist be.

He had several things to do. Acquiring some of Ed's own possessions would be a lot easier in the early hours of the morning, and he could only hope he managed to return in time to see the blonde wake up.

@ cried wolf

It wasn't until a few hours later that he woke up from a particularly terrible nightmare, one of the many things that occured so he should be used to it by now. A cold sweat was on his body as he reached over, noticing Mustang was no longer beside him. A frown tugged the corners of his lips down, but Roy did have quite a few things he needed to do so he shouldn't be too disappointed.

Edward threw the covers back, sitting up straight on the bed. The pain in his side was horrible this morning, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle--he'd had worse. At least the bandages hadn't bled through, so that was a good sign.

The Alchemist made the bed, throwing his hair back up in a ponytail so it would stay out of his face, heading downstairs into the kitchen and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Edward brewed himself a cup of coffee, drinking it black with just a hint of cream, he didn't like too much in it.

With that, he downed a couple of painkillers and raided Mustang's bookshelf, relaxing on the couch with his coffee and a book he hadn't read yet.

Roy had collected Ed's things in the early hours of the morning, and thankfully no one had been around to witness his breaking in of Ed's home, nor his exiting with the things a dead man wouldn't need. The sun was threatening to breach the horizon when he got back in his car, the air cold and damp with the dawn dew.

He made one more stop before returning home, a general goods store which wasn't quite open, but the owner was always up to make bread for the coming day, and used to Roy's obscure hours since the Promised Day. He let Roy in with little fuss, and allowed him pick of his wares. To his credit, the shop owner said nothing to the abnormal amount Roy was buying, just quietly accepting payment before Roy was on his way.

He returned home and when he let himself in the scent of coffee bought with it a wave of disappointment. He would not, after all, get to see Ed wake up.

Roy dropped the bags by the door before searching for the man in question. It didn't take long, the first room he looked in he found Ed lounging with a cup of coffee and a book.

"Did you get enough sleep?" Roy asked. "How's your side?"

@ cried wolf

Edward just made himself at home, sipping on his cup of coffee and flipping through the pages of this book. It was a pretty damn good book, he hadn't seen this one before. Maybe he should move in, he'd get more of an chance to raid his book shelves and that thought just made him want to do it all the more. Upon hearing the front door open, he raised his eyes from the book and took another sip. "I slept fine," he shrugged a shoulder.

It wasn't the best sleep he had ever gotten, he probably could have used a few more hours of sleep, but having Roy by his side did help him get a sound sleep. Maybe he would have to make that an every night kind of thing, seeing as the nightmares ceased when he was around. "Um, not too bad seeing as I just took about three more painkillers. It's throbbing slightly, and if I move around too much it just makes it worse. I'm trying to take it easy, but you know me--I don't sit down for too long." He shot Roy a slight grin.

The blonde alchemist liked to move around, he didn't stay in one place for too long. So when he was supposed to take it easy, he was just itching to get back in the saddle. "What did you grab from my place?" He asked.