“Ah, he’s playing hard-to-get. That’s cute.”
Ed’s stomach wound had healed to the point where it didn’t ache for him to breathe or move and it was at that point that he noticed Ling hiding his soulmark less and less and almost completely invading Ed’s personal space.
He could’ve turned his head for a kiss, that was how close Ling had gotten, but then he’d pull back with a wink.
Ed didn’t know if that counted as playing hard-to-get, but that’s what it felt like.
Ling was as infuriating as always, only this time he’d dialed up his flirting to an eleven. He had to have known that Ed could only take so much of fleeting glances and touches and close proximity before he snapped.
Which was how he ended up in this situation, cheeks dusted pink, hands fisting at the front of Ling’s jacket so he couldn’t dart away. Unfortunately, keeping Ling grounded to one place had unsteadied him, so Ling’s hands were resting on his hips, the tips of his fingers just brushing beneath his shirt to skin.
Ed didn’t bother with a retort, he just dragged Ling’s mouth down, devouring him in a kiss.
Ling responded immediately and enthusiastically, one hand knotting into Ed’s now-ruined braid. “Impatient,” he hummed against Ed’s mouth.
But then Ling leaned back far enough to cup Ed’s chin in his hand, his other one still in Ed’s hair, sending tingles down his spine. Ed’s eyelids fluttered briefly.
He tipped Ed’s chin, like he was trying to find something in Ed’s face, but then he just leaned down and kissed him again with a whisper of “I like you impatient.”
Ed turned cherry red, forcing himself back and away, not getting very far with Ling and his octopus arms. “Jerk! See if I ever kiss you again!”
“Aw, come on, Ed!” Ling angled for another kiss but Ed turned his head away, so the kiss landed on his cheek, but then he trailed down, kiss after kiss, to Ed’s throat.
Ed swallowed thickly as a kiss fell, at long last, on his soulmark. “No-fair,” he managed to force out, clutching Ling’s jacket like his life depended on it, his knees like jelly.
“I’m very good at not playing fair,” Ling grinned widely and Ed hated (loved) him.
