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Ed would like to say it was surprising to find him climbing in through the window, but it happens far too often now for it to shock him, so he settles for a vague irritated glare.
Ling smiles innocently, waving and dropping down silently to the floor. He stays in his crouched position for a moment, still giving Ed a smile that reads as I don’t know why you’re glaring at me I’ve done nothing wrong! and it only makes the vein in Ed’s head pop more. Ling stands up and his smile morphs into a shit-eating grin and Ed feels a headache approaching.
“Somehow you don’t even have to open your mouth to make my head hurt.” Ed grumbles, still somewhat glaring at the other but much less than before. Ling only replies with a snicker.
Taking his eyes off him, Ed gestures to the window. The air was too cold for his liking and considering that Al was in the shape he was, Ed didn’t want to risk him freezing to death or getting a cold. Al was asleep for the first time in years, Ed didn’t want to risk waking him up.
Ling takes the hint and shuts it. Ed wonders how he gets the window open every time. They don’t open from the outside.
“I thought you had left already.” He states, a tiny bit curious about why Ling is still in Amestris.
“We’re leaving now, we had to get supplies for the trip. Y’know the essentials, food.” Ling shrugged casually and Ed only nodded. He narrowed his eyes at him, a little suspicious at him arriving so late in the night.
Ed glances over where Al is and then back to Ling. “Let’s talk outside. I don’t want to wake him if you say something stupid.” He sighs, a mild look of amusement in his eyes and voice light.
He turns around to the door and pulls it open, enough for them to slip out but not enough for the light from the hallway to pour in. Ling is out first and Ed follows suit, closing the creaking door as quickly and quietly as possible. Once shut he turns to Ling.
Ling is staring at him with a warm look, and it catches him off guard. There’s an emotion he can’t quite catch on his face but before he can try to further analyze it it’s gone and Ling’s face has settled back to his irritating smile that Ed has yet to get sick of.
“Why are you here?” It came out tougher than Ed had meant, but Ling doesn’t seem too phased by the accidental somewhat biting tone. If anything it only makes his smile grow and pushes him to want to get under Ed’s skin more. As if he wasn’t already under his skin.
“I told you—”
Ed cuts him off. “No, not in Amestris, I mean here, you idiot.” He corrects, his insult falling flat and on deaf ears.
“You mean you don’t want to see me? I’m really hurt, Ed...After all this time we spent together too.” Ling gasped in mock offence and placed a hand on his heart as if it was in pain. “You wound me.”
Ed looks on unimpressed. “I can still beat your ass, Ling, get to the point .”
Ling raises his hands in defense and nods. “Alright, alright. I wanted to say goodbye!”
Ed stares. “We said goodbye.”
“No, no, I mean a proper Xingese goodbye! From me to you.” He clarifies and it feels like Ed’s heart is beating in his ears.
“What d’you mean proper ?” He narrows his eyes and Ling keeps on smiling. Ed was going to miss that.
Ling only took a few steps forward but it was enough so he was right in front of Ed. He was still taller and internally Ed was throwing a fit. Even with the extra inches he grew he was still shorter than the other. Did God have no mercy? That made him snort.
“First, give me your hand.” Ling instructed. Ed looked at him skeptical but did so anyway. “Okay, so now,” He goes into a long winded in depth explanation of what he wants Ed to do and as he goes further into it it only sounds more suspicious. “And then all you need to do is bow at the end, as you do.”
“You’re lying!” Ed quips, glaring at Ling.
“Am not! It’s a real formal goodbye we do in Xing!” Ling counters. “ Pleaseee , Ed, please .” Ed shakes his head.
“Nope, not doing any of that. You’re definitely lying.”
“Fine, fine…” He’s still grinning when Ed looks up and he rolls his eyes. He wasn’t going to do it. There was an ulterior motive in there somewhere, he was sure of it.
As Ed was going to speak, he was instead met with a mouthful of Ling’s shoulder. It takes a moment to register that there was an arm around his neck, Ling was hugging him. He stands stiff at first, not quite used to displays of affection like this from other aside from Winry. He hesitates at first, but hugs him back.
It was nice. Ling smelled like sweat, dirt, and blood, and Ed probably didn’t smell any better, but it was oddly comforting nonetheless. Ling was warm and his grip on him was tight, not wanting to let go. Ed let his head fall into the crook of his shoulder and he gave a small squeeze.
He let go and Ling followed suit.
Ling still had a hold of Ed’s hand, and Ed was too tired to do anything about it. That’s what he tells himself anyway. Their grip was lose, fingers lightly intertwined and down between them.
They stood in silence like that for a short while. It was nice, and as time crept on so did Ling’s need to leave. It was inevitable no matter how one looked at it. Ed sighs quietly to himself and is the first to break contact. Ling takes his hand back and then looks at Ed. There’s that look again. It’s soft and...fond, maybe?
Ed feels like the whole world is looking at him and it makes hims fidget a bit. “This is it, yeah?” He hums.
Ling nods. “I guess so…” He trails off, still looking at Ed in a way Ed wasn’t sure he deserved. “I’m going to miss you.” Ling says it first. It’s simple enough and Ed has heard it before, and yet coming from him it makes the pounding in his ears return.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah...Well, I’ll miss you too...and that stupidly irritating smile you always wear.”
Ling laughs lightly and Ed can feel his ears get warmer. “So this is goodbye Edward Elric.” Ling opens his eyes and holds his hand out. Ed looks at him and his hand and then nods.
“It’s goodbye, Ling Yao.” He takes his hand and shakes it firmly. They look at each other in silence and then Ed is stumbling forward and Ling’s lips are on his. It sends a jolt to his system and he’s not sure how to process the situation at all. It’s soft but still filled with all the emotions Ling feels for him and it leaves Ed dizzy. He kisses back, regaining his senses. It tastes like sweat and something sweet that Ed can’t place.
Ling pulls back and smiles brightly at him. Ed blinks, once, twice, three times. He feels like he’s getting pushed off a roof and he’s free falling down to the ground.
“Goodbye, Ed.” Ling says it so gently that Ed nearly misses it. He starts to leave, but Ed grabs his hand and pulls his back for a hug. It feels out of character for him to do this, but he deserves this doesn’t he? He can finally rest after years of trying to get his and Al’s bodies back so he deserves this god damn it !
He buries his face deep in Ling’s neck and wraps his arms around him tight. He isn’t sure if this is okay to do but he does it anyway. Ling hugs him back just as tight and presses a soft kiss on the top of his head.
Ed steps back, a determined look set on his face. “We’ll meet again. And when we do, you’ll be Emperor.”
Ling blinks, surprised. His face falls back into a smile and he nods. “We’ll meet again.” He repeats.
Ed makes a sound of affirmation. Ling gazes at him for a moment and then shakes his head wearing a lighter smile.
“I really will miss you, Edward.” His voice is quiet and he turns toward the window at the end of the hall. “Until we meet again.” He adds, this time a little louder and filled with affection.
Before Ed can get another word in, Ling’s already at the window and is stepping out. He sends a wave over his shoulder and he disappears.
Ed stares at the window for a moment and shakes his head. “Always leaving the damn windows open.” He mutters to himself and walks over to pull it shut. He sighs, letting it click close and re-enters his room.
He leans back against the door and looks on into the darkness of the room. His eyes fall onto Al and he smiles lightly. It seemed silly. That he managed to land feelings for someone that seemed to exist solely to get under his skin. He didn’t find himself minding it too much, and it felt much more like he was slowly falling into this rather than landing.
He hopes to himself that he’s there to catch him once he reaches the ground.