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Ed likes his sleep. He especially likes it when it’s tech week and he needs to get as much as possible. He doesn’t like being woken up by the smug asshole that got both the leading role and his heart sitting in his window asking for help running his lines.
“Hey! I’m Ling- I’m sure you knew that- I got the leading role and I’m in a few of your classes! I know you’re just part of tech crew but could you help me with my lines? You don’t seem busy right now.”
Ed blinks the sleep out of his eyes and sits up in bed. “I… don’t seem busy? Dude what the fuck, I was sleeping for christ’s sake. Also, how’d you even get in here? I’m fucking positive I locked that window.”
Ling grins and waves him off. “That’s not important. What’s important is that I know you have a script and I have a script so you should help! Come on, what’re friends for?”
“We’re not friends.” Ed deadpans. “And you can’t just barge into someone’s room at two AM. That’s obvious.”
Ling shrugs before hopping into Ed’s room and sitting in his desk chair. “Nice room you’ve got. A bit messy but I like the flags on the walls!” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a script.
Ed looks around. It is a bit messy, he’s got clothes and papers all over the ground. He’s got a few band posers up and the bi and trans pride flags up as well. His desk is practically overflowing with homework sheets and pens. To be fair, he’s not trying to impress anyone, this is his room. He’ll decorate it as he pleases and if it’s a mess then it’s a mess, simple as that.
“How’d you even get my address? And why is two AM your ideal time for practicing lines with someone you’ve never interacted with?” Ed stretches and leans off the end of his bed to grab the script he was given. He’s awake now so he might as well.
“Hey we’ve interacted before! You were my partner for a project in chem a few weeks ago! And I see you working backstage nearly every rehearsal!” He frowns. “You don’t remember that? You wouldn’t even look me in the eye, I thought you hated me or something.”
“You never answered my first question.”
Ling huffs. “You’re friends with Winry Rockbell who is dating my friend Lan Fan and they hang out together a lot so all I had to do was ask where you live. Surprisingly she didn’t ask why I needed to know, she just looked at that Alphonse guy- isn’t he your brother?- and they shared a look and then she told me. So here I am!”
“Winry Rockbell, huh?” Ed’s eye twitches. He knew he shouldn't’ve told her about his stupid crush on this asshole. He’ll be sure to forget her morning coffee tomorrow. Al’s too.
Ed takes a deep breath before sighing. “What page?”
Ling lights up and smiles a goofy grin that makes Ed’s heart flutter. He says something but Ed doesn’t catch it. He’s distracted by how the light from the moon shines on his hair, how soft it looks, how much he wants to run his hands through i-
“You ok, Edward? You look a bit out of it.” Ling asks. Ed gives a shaky nod.
“Yep- yeah, you can keep going. Your lines, you can continue.”
Ling gives him a weary look for a moment before going back to his lines. Ed leans back against the wall and waits for his cues. Ling- isn’t as bad as he was expecting. Sure he got the lead role but Ed’s seen absolute garbage actors get the leads before. Ed checks his phone.
2:34 AM
He’s not getting any sleep tonight. Ed looks up at the boy across from him, currently spinning around in his desk chair, reading his lines with such a passion it’d seem he was made for this.
It’s no wonder he got the lead…
“You think so? I thought I bombed my audition when I did it, I was really surprised.” Ling smiles sheepishly. Ed blinks. He said that out loud.
Ed’s face flushes at least five deep shades of red as it heats up. “Yeah well- you did really good. You were the only one thinking you bombed it. Looked like you fuckin’ walked off Broadway and into a high school audition. Blew everyone away.”
Ling looks at him with a slightly shocked expression. “Really? You think I did that good?”
Ed panics and throws a toss pillow at Ling, hitting him square in the face. “Shuddap just go back to your lines. If you wanna stay good you gotta practice so- shut up and read off your lines. You can’t get distracted when on stage.”
“You should’ve auditioned too. You would’ve made a great love interest, you’re pretty good at the lines, too. It also would’ve been a plus to kiss you on stage.” He winks before getting smacked with another pillow and falling off the chair in a fit of laughter.
“You wanna practice you lines then practice them before I kick you out.”
“Aw, sweetie, don’t make me sleep on the couch! I’m just being honest with you!”
“Lines, Ling Yao.”
Ling rolls his eyes before grinning. “Well all we’ve got left is the kiss scene and I could use a bit of help. Can’t kiss myself, you kn- how many pillows do you have?! You said practice, and you agreed to help me run my lines! This is just part of it.”
“Fucking- fine but if you speak a word of this to anyone and I’ll ruin everything you do on opening night, got it?” Ling nods vigorously and climbs next to him. Ed takes a deep breath and calmly grabs Ling’s collar and smashes their lips together. A moment passes and Ed shoves Ling away, both boys blushing brighter than the light on Ed’s desk.
“Hey Edward?”
“Yeah?”
“The kissing scene is a bit different than that was, is it ok to try again?”
Ed nods without hesitation. “Yeah.”
“For practice of course.”
“Obviously.”
“I’m gonna kiss you now.”
“Go for it.”