Edward sighed and opened his eyes. He wasn't sure what woke him, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The room was still dark - wan light filtered in under the drawn curtains, still the orange artificial glow of the street lamp up the road.

He was drowsy and warm laying on his back, the covers drawn almost to his shoulders. His automail hand, comfortably numb as the nerves hadn't started firing yet, rested heavy on his stomach. Almost automatically Edward started scanning for the faint glint of armor in the street light, before his brain caught up with him. Alphonse was flesh, now, not armor - and he wouldn't be in Edward's room anyway.

It was a self-satisfied smile that settled on Edward's face. Alphonse was flesh. He'd done it, they'd done it. Alphonse wasn't yet satisfied, Edward was still saddled with false limbs but Edward could really care less if Alphonse was satisfied in that regard. They'd beaten fate.

The mattress shifted and Edward turned his head on the pillow sleepily. Roy settled, face sinking into the pillow beside his. Just when Edward thought he hadn't woken up, a slate eye cracked open muzzily. Edward smiled at the sleepy, open expression on Roy's face. "Did I wake you?" Edward murmured.

Roy yawned into the pillow, not bothering to cover it. "No," he said, shifting his shoulders. Edward didn't jump when Roy's hand found his side under the mattress. "Mmn," Roy murmured. "Can't believe you were asleep when I got in."

"Had a long day," Edward said. He gave into Roy's urging at his hip and rolled onto his side, facing him. "Testing was stupid, want to kick the guy in charge's teeth in."

"Love, not everyone can be as terrifyingly intelligent as you," Roy settled his arm over Edward's side, pulling him closer. He closed his eyes and Edward rested his head on Roy's pillow. Roy said it without even thinking about it, and for some reason that made Edward feel warm. Such a casual endearment and yet it meant the world to him.

As if he could sense Edward's gaze on him, Roy's eye cracked open again. "Ngh?"

All that, and Edward still couldn't say it to his face. He turned his head down, eyes focused on the bit of Roy's bare chest revealed by the sheets. Roy's breath stirred his bangs. "Thanks," he whispered instead.

Roy sighed into the pillow, already the tendrils of sleep had their hooks into him. Edward didn't look back up at him until he heard Roy's breath even out as he slipped back into sleep.

Three simple words and he could hardly even say them out loud. Just three syllables, but he'd never said them to anyone like this before. He stared at Roy's face, the strong line of his jaw, his throat, his nose. Edward swallowed and licked his dry lips. "I love you," he breathed, voice barely above a whisper.

He said it. Edward swallowed and tried again, forming each word carefully. "I ... love you."

It was a little easier each time. Edward smiled to himself and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd even get the courage up to say it in the daylight, too. "I love you, Roy," he murmured into the pillow drowsily, sinking back into a doze.

Roy's fingers tightened on his hip. "I know," Roy returned sleepily. "I love you too, Ed."