• Associated fanart: Roy with Violin by Hikariblue

"If you die doing this, the way you think you're going to," Ed growled, lifting Roy's chin until they were eye to eye, "I swear I'll bind your soul to your damn desk, and you'll spend the rest of eternity buried in paperwork."

He knew that it was not a good idea to relax, and still couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Next time Hawkeye asks me to go with you for a routine inspection because she's busy and you know what he's like, Edward-kun, remind me of this," he grumbled.

Edward's voice was low and clear. "We're off script. You know that. Forget the excuses." He unfolded himself to kneel upright, took Roy's face between his hands, kissed him.

Ed was shocked. Roy never got like this in public. And now here they were in the National Library.

Ed had his suspicions about any offer Roy Mustang made that sounded like what he wanted. There had to be a catch.

It entertained Roy to no end that he could stop one of Edward's tempers simply by thanking him.

Ed rested his head on Roy's shoulder, trying to gather his senses. But they were all concentrated elsewhere. That rough texture made the lightest touch terribly present, and roused every nerve like a spark that kept flaring.

Edward Elric spent a good deal of his time in libraries, and when his research was going well he rather liked them. Libraries were quiet places where the information you were looking for held still and waited for you to come get it.

Of course, when research was not going well, that became a source of frustration.

This time Roy had to track Edward down to his own rooms. He knocked politely on Edward's door and heard a growl that might have been an invitation to enter, supposing the occupant were a bear disturbed during hibernation.