{Introspection/Comfort} Payment
Title: Payment
Author: Zalia Chimera
Series: R!S and HoS
Wanrings: Angst, fluff, crossdressing (not in a crackish or smutty way though. It's not really the focus of the fic)
Summary: Ed's teasing gets a little out of hand.
Many many many thanks to kytyngurl2 for betaing this and helping me out with it so much! *snuggles wifey*
Hope you like!
Ed set his book down on his lap for a moment and rubbed at his eyes. He should really go to bed but quiet times like these had become so rare recently that it seemed a shame to waste it on sleep.
There was a soft rustling of paper on the other side of the couch and Ed turned to cast an almost-fond look at Lust who was curled up on one end of the sofa, his own book abandoned as he flipped through a stack of photographs that someone had left out. Ed smiled softly. He was glad he'd made a kind of peace with Lust. The homunculus was surprisingly good company when he wasn't flirting. They weren't friends exactly, there was still too much tension between them. It reminded him a little of when he had first met Roy and Masuta. Not yet close, but comfortable with each other.
He picked up his book again and continued reading until a soft laugh from his companion distracted him. He looked towards the homunculus curiously. Lust was clutching one of the photographs in black covered fingers and staring at it, a broad smile on his face. That was surprising. Lust rarely smiled that genuinely.
Ed shifted closer to him and sneaked a glance at the photograph. A small smile crossed his own lips. The photo was several years old and was one of the ones Masuta tried to keep hidden whenever possible. It showed the Japanese man blushing furiously after being forced into a dress by his lovers. No wonder Lust was laughing!
Smirking, Ed decided that this was a perfect opportunity to tease Lust, just a little, in revenge for weeks of flirting. Particularly that mortifying incident the other day when Lust had made embarrassing comments about Ed's activities with his lovers in front of the neighbours. He leaned forward and plucked the photograph from Lust's fingers, twirling it in his own before setting it down on the side table. "Masuta looks good in a dress, doesn't he, Lust?"
Lust looked up at him sharply, opened his mouth to say something and then turned away, settling on a quick shrug as an answer. Ed patted his shoulder in reassurance. "You don't need to be worried, I'm not angry. After all," he smirked, "it was my idea."
He watched as Lust blinked several times in surprise and his smirk widened. "It was revenge for him forcing me into one." Lust's eyes widened a little.
Ed slumped back on the sofa, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Of course, you have to do it too."
Lust spun around to face him with wide eyes. "What?" he managed to reply in a strangled voice. He swallowed a few times and then spoke again, voice soft and beseeching. "You're joking, right?" He gave a tiny smile as though searching for reassurance.
Ed shook his head, hiding his smile. "Not at all. You have to do the same. It's required. If you want to live here, you have to."
Lust glared, eyes narrowing to slits. "But I don't want to."
Ed patted his shoulder again. "I say you have to." He forced down a grin, waiting for Lust's sarcastic retort. Instead, Lust squeezed his eyes shut and then slid off the sofa, stalking to the door without acknowledging Ed at all.
Ed stared after him and frowned, a little disappointed that Lust had left. He wanted proper revenge for his teasing, damn it! With a sigh, he picked up his book once again.
*****
He didn't see Lust at all the next day. It surprised him a little. Lust usually found him a little while after breakfast and then shadowed him for most of the day. It had frustrated Edward badly at first, but now he was almost used to it, almost missed Lust's presence at his shoulder. When he hadn't turned up by lunch, Ed shrugged and decided that he was probably pestering the other Edward.
Shouldn't saying 'Other Edward' feel more strange than it did? The insanity of the situation was obviously getting to him.
Lust didn't show up until that evening. Ed was in the library, hungrily reading through a new book that Roy had brought home with him. He tore his eyes away from the pages when he heard a noise outside the door.
Lust walked into the room and Ed's eyes widened.
"Lu... Lust?" He stammered, staring at the homunculus in shocked horror.
Lust met his eyes, usually pale cheeks flushed with slight colour as he slid one hand over his chest, smoothing the black dress he was wearing with one gloved hand. The ouroboros on his chest was clearly visible above the top of the dress, reminding Ed unpleasantly of what Lust truly was. Sometimes the Sin made it difficult to remember.
After a moment of staring, Ed finally managed to speak again. “Lust? What... what the hell are you doing?”
Lust shrugged, the straps of the dress slipping down his shoulders. “Does it please you?” he asked softly. Ed swallowed, following the way Lust's hand trailed down his stomach and over his hip. That's where his hand stopped, fingers lightly brushing the material. If it had been Roy or Masuta doing that, he would have known that they were flirting with him. Normally he would assume that Lust was flirting with him, but the expression on his face didn't seem to match. Ed swallowed and then retreated to the tried and tested method of dealing with Lust.
"I'm not going to sleep with you, Lust."
Lust's fists clenched in the material. "I don't... I wasn't asking!" Lust said, something that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite denial in his voice.
"Then what..." Ed began.
Lust's head snapped up so he could meet Ed's eyes with his own hurt violet ones. "You said I had to! I just want to stay here, so I did what you said."
Ed closed his eyes for a moment, immediately regretting his words of the previous night. "Lust, it wasn't..."
Lust interrupted him again, sinking to the floor and wrapping his arms around his knees. "I don't understand you. I did what you said. I do everything you say. Why aren't you happy? What am I doing wrong?"
"Lust," Ed said softly and then bit his lip. He truly hadn't meant to upset the homunculus. He hadn't ever dreamed that Lust would take it seriously. He'd just assumed that he would take it as simple teasing. He was beginning to think that he'd 'just assumed' far too much about the Sin. He sighed heavily and crouched down in front of the homunculus. "I wasn't serious. I was teasing you. I didn't mean..." He reached out and caught the hem of the dress, rubbing the material between his fingers.
"But, you said I had to, to stay here! I have to stay. I can’t leave!"
Ed shook his head and dropped the material. "Lust, I'm not going to demand payment, of any kind, for letting you stay here."
Lust looked at him flatly. "Everything has a price. Equivalent exchange. Isn't that what alchemists live by? I want to stay and if the price of it is my humiliation..."
Ed jerked backwards sharply, a little sickened by what he was hearing. "No!" he snapped. "What is this? Why do you feel the need to make me happy or do what I say, even if you don't like it? It's ridiculous. I was just teasing you! Like you teased me. I never expected you take it seriously."
The homunculus didn't actually move, but Ed could see the tension in his body, the way his fingers curled on the carpet, suddenly threatening. His eyes were narrowed and his lips drawn back. "Teasing?" he hissed viciously. "You tease your 'family'," the word was almost spat, "but you don't make them do... this! You don't humiliate them. I wanted..." His jaw snapped shut, a panicked expression crossing his face for a moment before he bowed his head. "I shouldn't have assumed," he whispered. "You're him."
Ed was struck by the absolute wrongness of the way Lust acted once again. It disturbed him badly. He knew he was missing that vital piece of information that would let him understand. Who was 'he'?
The moment passed and Lust was looking up at him in confusion. "I wasn't just teasing. You're like him except you don't want to fuck me and you don't kill me when you're angry. You have to want something."
Edward growled in frustration and roughly grabbed the homunculus' chin between his fingers. "Whoever told you these things was wrong," he snapped fiercely. "If you weren't welcome here, I'd have told you clearly and to your face instead of demanding some kind of payment. You don't need to make me happy to stay here."
Lust licked his lips almost nervously but the look in his eyes was almost relieved, almost pleased. "But..."
"But nothing. Equivalent Exchange does not apply to this kind of situation. I don't want anything from you except..." Ed sighed and let go of Lust's chin, running his flesh hand through his hair. Lust bit his lip and sat back against the wall with an expression of resignation and began to slide the dress up his body.
Ed's eyes widened at the sight. "No! I don't... I said that I don't want that."
Lust paused in removing the dress, lips drawn into a taut line.
"I don't want anything from you, except your friendship," Ed finished softly.
Lust's eyes widened in shock and he dropped the material from his fists. He closed his eyes for a long moment and then a tiny flicker of a smile appeared on his lips. "I think... I think I'd like that."
There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Ed cleared his throat and offered Lust a hand up. “I think they’re cooking in the kitchen. Should we go and see what they’re making for dinner?” Lust looked at him closely for a moment and then smiled, more widely this time. “Okay.”
Ed paused for a minute in the library doorway, watching as the homunculus headed towards the kitchen. Maybe he didn’t understand Lust as he wished he could, but he was starting to realise that it wouldn’t be hard to be friends with him. In fact, he thought he might rather enjoy it.
Author: Zalia Chimera
Series: R!S and HoS
Wanrings: Angst, fluff, crossdressing (not in a crackish or smutty way though. It's not really the focus of the fic)
Summary: Ed's teasing gets a little out of hand.
Many many many thanks to kytyngurl2 for betaing this and helping me out with it so much! *snuggles wifey*
Hope you like!
Ed set his book down on his lap for a moment and rubbed at his eyes. He should really go to bed but quiet times like these had become so rare recently that it seemed a shame to waste it on sleep.
There was a soft rustling of paper on the other side of the couch and Ed turned to cast an almost-fond look at Lust who was curled up on one end of the sofa, his own book abandoned as he flipped through a stack of photographs that someone had left out. Ed smiled softly. He was glad he'd made a kind of peace with Lust. The homunculus was surprisingly good company when he wasn't flirting. They weren't friends exactly, there was still too much tension between them. It reminded him a little of when he had first met Roy and Masuta. Not yet close, but comfortable with each other.
He picked up his book again and continued reading until a soft laugh from his companion distracted him. He looked towards the homunculus curiously. Lust was clutching one of the photographs in black covered fingers and staring at it, a broad smile on his face. That was surprising. Lust rarely smiled that genuinely.
Ed shifted closer to him and sneaked a glance at the photograph. A small smile crossed his own lips. The photo was several years old and was one of the ones Masuta tried to keep hidden whenever possible. It showed the Japanese man blushing furiously after being forced into a dress by his lovers. No wonder Lust was laughing!
Smirking, Ed decided that this was a perfect opportunity to tease Lust, just a little, in revenge for weeks of flirting. Particularly that mortifying incident the other day when Lust had made embarrassing comments about Ed's activities with his lovers in front of the neighbours. He leaned forward and plucked the photograph from Lust's fingers, twirling it in his own before setting it down on the side table. "Masuta looks good in a dress, doesn't he, Lust?"
Lust looked up at him sharply, opened his mouth to say something and then turned away, settling on a quick shrug as an answer. Ed patted his shoulder in reassurance. "You don't need to be worried, I'm not angry. After all," he smirked, "it was my idea."
He watched as Lust blinked several times in surprise and his smirk widened. "It was revenge for him forcing me into one." Lust's eyes widened a little.
Ed slumped back on the sofa, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Of course, you have to do it too."
Lust spun around to face him with wide eyes. "What?" he managed to reply in a strangled voice. He swallowed a few times and then spoke again, voice soft and beseeching. "You're joking, right?" He gave a tiny smile as though searching for reassurance.
Ed shook his head, hiding his smile. "Not at all. You have to do the same. It's required. If you want to live here, you have to."
Lust glared, eyes narrowing to slits. "But I don't want to."
Ed patted his shoulder again. "I say you have to." He forced down a grin, waiting for Lust's sarcastic retort. Instead, Lust squeezed his eyes shut and then slid off the sofa, stalking to the door without acknowledging Ed at all.
Ed stared after him and frowned, a little disappointed that Lust had left. He wanted proper revenge for his teasing, damn it! With a sigh, he picked up his book once again.
*****
He didn't see Lust at all the next day. It surprised him a little. Lust usually found him a little while after breakfast and then shadowed him for most of the day. It had frustrated Edward badly at first, but now he was almost used to it, almost missed Lust's presence at his shoulder. When he hadn't turned up by lunch, Ed shrugged and decided that he was probably pestering the other Edward.
Shouldn't saying 'Other Edward' feel more strange than it did? The insanity of the situation was obviously getting to him.
Lust didn't show up until that evening. Ed was in the library, hungrily reading through a new book that Roy had brought home with him. He tore his eyes away from the pages when he heard a noise outside the door.
Lust walked into the room and Ed's eyes widened.
"Lu... Lust?" He stammered, staring at the homunculus in shocked horror.
Lust met his eyes, usually pale cheeks flushed with slight colour as he slid one hand over his chest, smoothing the black dress he was wearing with one gloved hand. The ouroboros on his chest was clearly visible above the top of the dress, reminding Ed unpleasantly of what Lust truly was. Sometimes the Sin made it difficult to remember.
After a moment of staring, Ed finally managed to speak again. “Lust? What... what the hell are you doing?”
Lust shrugged, the straps of the dress slipping down his shoulders. “Does it please you?” he asked softly. Ed swallowed, following the way Lust's hand trailed down his stomach and over his hip. That's where his hand stopped, fingers lightly brushing the material. If it had been Roy or Masuta doing that, he would have known that they were flirting with him. Normally he would assume that Lust was flirting with him, but the expression on his face didn't seem to match. Ed swallowed and then retreated to the tried and tested method of dealing with Lust.
"I'm not going to sleep with you, Lust."
Lust's fists clenched in the material. "I don't... I wasn't asking!" Lust said, something that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite denial in his voice.
"Then what..." Ed began.
Lust's head snapped up so he could meet Ed's eyes with his own hurt violet ones. "You said I had to! I just want to stay here, so I did what you said."
Ed closed his eyes for a moment, immediately regretting his words of the previous night. "Lust, it wasn't..."
Lust interrupted him again, sinking to the floor and wrapping his arms around his knees. "I don't understand you. I did what you said. I do everything you say. Why aren't you happy? What am I doing wrong?"
"Lust," Ed said softly and then bit his lip. He truly hadn't meant to upset the homunculus. He hadn't ever dreamed that Lust would take it seriously. He'd just assumed that he would take it as simple teasing. He was beginning to think that he'd 'just assumed' far too much about the Sin. He sighed heavily and crouched down in front of the homunculus. "I wasn't serious. I was teasing you. I didn't mean..." He reached out and caught the hem of the dress, rubbing the material between his fingers.
"But, you said I had to, to stay here! I have to stay. I can’t leave!"
Ed shook his head and dropped the material. "Lust, I'm not going to demand payment, of any kind, for letting you stay here."
Lust looked at him flatly. "Everything has a price. Equivalent exchange. Isn't that what alchemists live by? I want to stay and if the price of it is my humiliation..."
Ed jerked backwards sharply, a little sickened by what he was hearing. "No!" he snapped. "What is this? Why do you feel the need to make me happy or do what I say, even if you don't like it? It's ridiculous. I was just teasing you! Like you teased me. I never expected you take it seriously."
The homunculus didn't actually move, but Ed could see the tension in his body, the way his fingers curled on the carpet, suddenly threatening. His eyes were narrowed and his lips drawn back. "Teasing?" he hissed viciously. "You tease your 'family'," the word was almost spat, "but you don't make them do... this! You don't humiliate them. I wanted..." His jaw snapped shut, a panicked expression crossing his face for a moment before he bowed his head. "I shouldn't have assumed," he whispered. "You're him."
Ed was struck by the absolute wrongness of the way Lust acted once again. It disturbed him badly. He knew he was missing that vital piece of information that would let him understand. Who was 'he'?
The moment passed and Lust was looking up at him in confusion. "I wasn't just teasing. You're like him except you don't want to fuck me and you don't kill me when you're angry. You have to want something."
Edward growled in frustration and roughly grabbed the homunculus' chin between his fingers. "Whoever told you these things was wrong," he snapped fiercely. "If you weren't welcome here, I'd have told you clearly and to your face instead of demanding some kind of payment. You don't need to make me happy to stay here."
Lust licked his lips almost nervously but the look in his eyes was almost relieved, almost pleased. "But..."
"But nothing. Equivalent Exchange does not apply to this kind of situation. I don't want anything from you except..." Ed sighed and let go of Lust's chin, running his flesh hand through his hair. Lust bit his lip and sat back against the wall with an expression of resignation and began to slide the dress up his body.
Ed's eyes widened at the sight. "No! I don't... I said that I don't want that."
Lust paused in removing the dress, lips drawn into a taut line.
"I don't want anything from you, except your friendship," Ed finished softly.
Lust's eyes widened in shock and he dropped the material from his fists. He closed his eyes for a long moment and then a tiny flicker of a smile appeared on his lips. "I think... I think I'd like that."
There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Ed cleared his throat and offered Lust a hand up. “I think they’re cooking in the kitchen. Should we go and see what they’re making for dinner?” Lust looked at him closely for a moment and then smiled, more widely this time. “Okay.”
Ed paused for a minute in the library doorway, watching as the homunculus headed towards the kitchen. Maybe he didn’t understand Lust as he wished he could, but he was starting to realise that it wouldn’t be hard to be friends with him. In fact, he thought he might rather enjoy it.