Title: Biding His Time
Pairing: Ling/Ed
Rated: PG
Comments: Written for theme 6: the space between dream and reality at 30_kisses

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Ed could feel a strip of warmth across his chest where the sun light shone in through the crack in the curtains. At his back he could feel Ling shift and a small smile curved his mouth. He continued to feign sleep as the thin sheets were slowly pulled off his bare hips. Slender fingers trailed up the dip of his waist.

“Edward…Elric…”

Ed’s eyes flew open. His bangs fell from his face as he turned his head just enough to see that Ling had risen on one elbow behind him. Ed blinked up at Ling’s face and felt a fine trembling shake his chest as dark purple eyes, the irises flaring iridescent, met his gaze. Ling’s lips curved at the widening of Ed’s eyes, golden in the muted morning light.

Greed lowered his head and whispered into Ed’s bewildered face, “Long time, no see.”

“Ling!” Ed shouted and Greed flinched back. The blond leapt from the bed, dragging his pillow with him to cover his nakedness.

He held his palms together, eyeing suspiciously the dark-haired man lying on his back against the white sheets of their bed. Ling rubbed his tousled hair in a drowsy fashion and turned confused brown eyes to the blond glaring at him.

Ed could feel the tension slowly draining from his shoulders but his heart continued to thud against his ribs, his disbelief still evident in his face.

“Ling?” he asked uncertainly.

Ling tilted his head and gave the blond an uncertain look. “Are you alright, Edward?”

Ed swallowed hard. When Ling had finally reclaimed his body, he had refused to allow any attempt at removing the philosopher’s stone inside him. Ed had only agreed because he’d feared removing the stone, which was now a very real part of Ling’s entire anatomical composition, would kill the prince. Neither of them knew where Greed had gone as Ling had assured it was silent within him.

Ling rose from the bed, his expression softening in worry at the fear in Edward’s eyes. Unconcerned with his own nakedness, he gently pried those firmly pressed palms apart. Ed’s pillow dropped between them and he kicked it aside before pulling the blond into his arms, turning his face into the curve of Edward’s neck. The blond’s entire body stiffened.

“Edward,” Ling said, alarm lacing his voice.

Ed didn’t reply, but he closed his arms around Ling’s waist and squeezed. Ling’s will was unfailingly strong and Ed had no fears of him losing to Greed…but in those moments where Ling’s consciousness slipped between dream and reality…Greed had somehow found a way to slide past Ling’s defenses.

He squeezed his eyes shut, aware that Ling was murmuring words of comfort into his neck. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered and felt Ling’s arms tighten around him.

The end.