Morning After: Keeping Up Appearances

She was a pretty thing, and she'd obviously spent a good deal of time on her appearance. Her hair was done just so, her make-up carefully applied to be noticeable but not overdone, and her dress hugged her soft curves quite nicely. Overall she was the picture of feminine beauty.

She had a charming, soft laugh and she used it often. She seemed fascinated by what he had to say and complimented him on his wit and cunning after listening to his stories. She tilted her head and blushed demurely when he complemented her back.

He walked her to her door and gave her a chaste kiss and bade her goodnight, favored her with pretty words and platitudes but not promises.

Once in the car he sighed. A successful date and, he supposed, an enjoyable evening, but he was glad it was over.

Once home he shut his front door and hung up his coat, smiling to see the light on in his library. He set his shoes in the entryway and headed for that sanctuary.

"So how was your date?" the blond sprawled on the couch asked without bothering to look up.

"Pretty and sweet, and quite charming, but ultimately boring."

Edward snorted and turned a page. "That's 'cause you keep going out with airheads."

Roy smirked and started to lean over the little alchemist. "So what does that make you?"

A metal hand stopped him and shoved him back. "Fuck, just how much perfume was she wearing?"

"I wouldn't know, my nose went numb some time ago."

"You reek of it. Go change." And then, calling after him as he headed for the bedroom, "And we're not 'going out,' bastard!"

Now in his pajamas and once again perfume free, he joined the blond on the couch. Edward snorted in annoyance and scooted forward just enough to let the older man slip in behind him against the arm of the couch and them thumped back against his chest. Roy grunted and shifted until the teen was comfortably situated between his legs, and then leaned back, wrapping his arms around his waist. "So we're not 'going out,' hm?"

"'Going out' requires actually going out, idiot."

"So I suppose we're 'staying in'?"

The young man rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Roy smiled and rested his face against messy hair that smelled of nothing but shampoo and sweat and the unique scent of its owner. "So what did you pull off my shelf this time?"

"Properties of Atmospheric Gasses. There's a section about condensing gasses that's kinda interesting."

"Is that the one that talks about using the resulting heat as a weapon?" He slipped his hand beneath the hem of a wrinkled black undershirt and traced his fingers over a firm stomach. "Always sounded impractical to me."

Edward squirmed and thumped the book against his hand. "Stoppit. You're thinking of it like a bomb. Think more like a cannon or a gun. There was this girl back in Youswell who did something like that. . . ."

Roy contented himself with resting his hands on the boy's stomach and chest as he listened to him talk, occasionally adding a comment or thought. Edward never hesitated to argue or correct him, and his laugh, when Roy triggered it, was sudden and harsh. Roy thought it couldn't be more pleasant.

Sometime later, with the air perfumed by the musky scent of sweat and sex, the young man lay against him, all muscle and angles and hard metal. Roy ran a hand up and down his back as they both caught their breath and waited for their hearts to stop pounding. "Do you ever wish we could?" he muttered into the gold hair splayed over the pillow next to his head.

"Whah?"

The older man smiled and kissed the top of his lover's head. "'Go out.' Ever wish we could?"

Edward shifted against his chest, muttering an apology when a metal plate dug into Roy's skin, and shrugged. "Dunno. Why would you want to?"

"You share my bed and you think I wouldn't want to go out with you?"

A hand thumped against his side. "S'not what I meant." The teen shifted again, doing the not-quite-snuggling that amused Roy so much. "I mean, isn't dating what you're supposed t'do before you get to this point?"

"Typically." He pulled the blond up to his shoulder and watched him not-quite-snuggle again, his head ending up under Roy's chin as it usually did. "But that's not the only point to going out with someone." He rubbed his lover's back and sighed. "It's not important. Just a thought."

Edward sighed, his breath ghosting over the other man's chest and neck, and turned his face to the side to speak. "If you mean do I wish we didn't have to sneak around and shit . . . yeah. Of course I do."

The older man smirked. "I wouldn't mind being seen in public with you instead of those 'airheads,' as you so called them."

Ed snorted. Then after a moment, said, quietly "My birthday's not too far off, y'know."

"Oh, good. Then I'll only get a black mark for fraternizing with a male subordinate, not get arrested for pedophilia."

The teen smacked his side again. "So hurry up and take over the country so you can change the laws."

Roy chuckled, giving his young lover a squeeze. "As you wish. But tomorrow; right now, I want to get some sleep."