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Sitting across from Roy like this felt rather odd.
After all, it had been… oh gosh… it had been at least seven years since Edward was in the military; also meaning that it had been seven years since he’d seen his boyfriend in his so-called element. Having become a military general, it was routine for Roy to meet with political leaders for negotiations of war. But this afternoon, at Edward’s request, he negotiated matters of a different sort… their moving in together.
It was Edward’s turn to speak. Glancing down, he referred to the pad of paper on Roy's office desk; a list of items he’d compiled during his downtime teaching at the local university.
“Next thing I wrote is that I want to sleep on whatever side of the bed is farthest away from the door. That way, if someone breaks in, they'll kill your ass first.”
Roy gave it no more than a half second’s thought. “I don't mind dying,” he concluded. “I agree to those terms and conditions." He casually sat back in his swivel chair, allowing Edward time to pick up his pen and cross off the item. “Now my next topic of concern is the dishes,” Roy began. “I leave them to 'soak' in the sink.”
Edward’s eyes narrowed. “‘Soak’ was in air quotes… How long do they ‘soak’ for exactly?”
“Too long,” Roy quickly answered. “They soak for what some would consider disgustingly long.”
Gently chewing his bottom lip, Edward considered it for a moment. “Hm, well… I’m not so sure about the mornings, but I can take care of the dishes whenever I get back from work. So… I agree with that too, I guess.”
This next part was embarrassing, but Edward said that he wanted everything put on the metaphorical table. It was only fair that the rule went both ways.
He took a moment to muster up the courage. “I… I pick my nose when I know you aren't looking,” he finally admitted.
A playful glint appeared in Roy’s eyes. “Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that,” he chuckled. “I've witnessed your search for gold on several occasions!”
Edward awkwardly squirmed in his seat, a red-hot heat rising to his cheeks. “W-well, I… I always make sure my hands are clean beforehand,” he stammered. “And I mean, I spent I don’t know how many years of my life without a right hand to pick with! I need to make up for lost time!”
Thankfully, Roy didn’t press him any further. “I also agree to those terms,” the general concluded. Absentmindedly scratching his chin, he then rocked his swivel chair from side to side, thinking of what else was missing from his list of potential offenses. Seeing as how they already knew a great deal about each other, it had been surprisingly difficult to come up with things the other person didn’t know about. “Let's see, um… I like to sing in the shower sometimes.”
That, for example. Edward already knew about that.
“I actually find it kind of cute,” he admitted. “Please don’t stop.”
“I can sing louder, if you like,” Roy offered with a lift of an eyebrow.
“I would like that very much," Edward laughed, "You can cross that off the list too!”
In the silence, Edward’s smile slowly faded. While this odd exercise did make him feel a bit better about the impending move, it wasn’t Roy’s tone-deafness and abysmal lack of musical ability that he was concerned about. While it seemed obvious, living together was different than going out on dates and sporadically staying over. They didn’t get to see the small, and perhaps annoying, habits that came along with being alone in one’s own space. They didn’t get to see the full picture of who the other person was.
And if Roy saw Edward for who he was… well, he probably wouldn’t want to be around him anymore. He’d realize that he’d made a mistake. And he’d leave.
They’d already been together for what felt like so very long. Even the thought of them breaking up was more than Edward’s heart could handle.
Bowing his head, Edward silently wrung the hands which rested upon Roy’s desk. “This… this is really important to me,” he quietly admitted. Swallowing hard, he lifted his head, his eyes meeting Roy’s once more. “I love you so much, I just… I just want to make this work.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I know.” Roy's swivel chair squealed slightly as he reached across the desk to take hold of Edward’s right hand. “I love you too,” he said, giving his fingers a reassuring squeeze. “Please believe me when I say that your morning breath won't change that.”
Edward nodded, a pleased grin spreading across his face. “Okay. I can agree to those terms!”