It was any normal evening in the two lover's house, the aroma of tonight's dinner still wafting in the air, mixed with the scent of several lit candles. Inside the master bedroom lay Edward, who was reading his newest book, a pillow wedged in-between his stomach and the bed as he indulged himself in his reading. His feet were kicking lightly in the air as he scanned the pages, the crisp sound of paper against air indicating that he had finished a page. The only other sound in the room was a light scratch of a pen, scribbling against parchment. Roy sat adjacent to the bed in his desk chair, the dimly-lit lamp overhead his papers casting a faint glow as his bare hand gave life to new words.

Setting his pen down carefully, he pushed out from under his desk, and stood up, stretching his limbs. He needed a break, and perhaps Edward could join in his downtime. Slowly, he climbed up onto the bed and beside Edward, placing a large but gentle hand on his bare shoulder.

The sudden contact caused a sharp breath to sound from Ed, his eyes quickly moving to meet the hand on his shoulder. With a sigh of relief, he shrugged the hand away, rolling his eyes. "You scared me," Ed mumbled, letting his book fall limp in his hands as he adjusted his position to converse with his husband, who now had an amused look on his face. "What do you need? I thought you were working."

"I was curious to know if you're up for a bath." Roy suggested casually, his smug smile clear on his lips as he gazed into his lover's golden irises. "I felt I needed a break. Perhaps you'd like to join me?" purred the soldier, his hand returning to Ed's shoulder as he rubbed his thumb along the sun-kissed skin.

Ed felt his breath catch in his throat at the soft contact of Roy's thumb, and rolled his eyes, gently nudging Roy as he pressed into the touch. "A warm bath does sound nice," Ed admitted, marking his page with a small tassel before sealing the pages closed. "You want me to run it while you get undressed?" Ed offered, moving quickly to slide off the bed. "I know how much time you like to spend looking at yourself in the mirror." He teased, giving him a laugh when a glare was shot in his direction.

"If you would, that'd be great, love." Roy rumbled to the blonde, who gave him a suggestive look as he rounded the door-frame, his golden locks the last visual Roy could get. With a small chuckle, the Flame Alchemist began to strip himself of his undershirt, his fingers working at the first two buttons. He slid off the bed just as Ed had, and approached the mirror on the wall, examining his features briefly. There was nothing different since the last time he'd looked, with the exception of a few more dark circles to add to his collection. A small exhale was blown through Roy's nose as he began to unbutton the last few notches of his shirt, letting his hands fall back in place when his shirt opened, revealing his chest. A few moments of his time was taken to trace the scars on his abdomen, the cold touch of his fingertip sending chills down his spine. He began to lose himself in thought as he gazed back into his reflection, wondering who this man was he was staring at.

Oh.

It was Ed, with both of his hands on his hips. The black haired alchemist turned around to face him, a frown capturing his lips when he saw the smug look of his husband.

"You're doing it again."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Roy answered simply, lifting his chin as if to proclaim superiority. "I was simply undressing myself in front of the mirror."

"Uh-huh. You say that every time. But I know it's not true." Ed retorted, an amused look on his face as he worked his way around the bed, approaching Roy's side. "You just stare at yourself." He outstretched his arm to wrap around Roy's loosely, and rested his head up against his broad shoulder. "Why?"

"You always were perceptive, weren't you?" Roy sighed as he ran a hand through his messy, black hair. "I'm simply thinking about the past. That, and all of these scars." He let his gaze drop to trace them with his eyes again, his eyes on his body this time instead of the reflection. After a moment of silence was shared between the two, dark blue eyes raised to meet golden ones. "Do you think they're ugly? Honestly?" The tone in Roy's voice indicated that his question was sincere.

"Are you kidding me? C'mon Roy, we've been over this a thousand times by now!" Ed exclaimed, flashing his husband a grin. "I think they're perfect. They're what makes you, you." He told the older alchemist, pressing his nose lovingly against the other's arm. "And I love you. Understand?" Ed asked, his eyes brightening when a nod was given as an answer to his question. "Good." Ed replied simply, standing on his tippy-toes as he planted a wet kiss on Roy's cheek. "Now, come on! If you take too much longer the water's gonna get cold!" Ed whined, releasing his hold on the alchemist. Quickly, he began to undress himself, removing his shirt and pants in a few simple movements, leaving him in his signature blue boxers.

Roy couldn't help but admire the young alchemist, grateful he always knew just the right way to answer any of Roy's questions. Small things such as this only confirmed for Roy that he had chosen the right person to spend the rest of his life with. Following Ed's actions, he stripped himself of his remaining clothes, and approached his lover from behind. He gave a soft kiss to the top of the blonde's head, and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Ready?" He asked him softly, a simple whisper into his ear. Ed nodded eagerly and felt his breath stolen by the hot air in his ear, his face reddening slightly as he felt the pull of his waistband.

"Yeah, I'm ready."