Alphonse/Edmund: The one where they're furries

[ironysoul]

One hundred years in feline form, and now walking on two legs feels stilted. There was a knot between his shoulders that Al knew he could stretch out if he switched to fur. He could hunker down on his haunches and reach his front paws out far, sinking into a bow that would make every nodule of his spine pop. But while King Peter hadn't expressly banned fur, Al (and for that matter, the rest of the pride) still felt like it was something frowned upon now. Lesser, than their human form. At the very least that they should be grateful for it being restored.

He flexed paws (hands) and reminded himself again that his claws wouldn't unsheathe from the tips of his fingers. A hundred years in fur, and after almost a decade being able to change, he still felt wrong in this one.

At least, in the years since the age of winter, the pride had been restored to Cair Paravel. They'd served as stewards for generations, until Jadis had banished them. Not, Al was forced to admit, that he'd have been a particularly deft housekeeper with four paws. Maybe he could have dusted with his tail. The thought made him giggle.

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[ironysoul]

Al hesitated, startled, as Edmund sought him out by scent alone. His king smelled of dark forests and desire, an unmistakable musk that called for Al to bury his teeth in Edmund's neck. He'd already made himself swear to restrain himself. Edmund couldn't know what he was asking for, and any action they took now would only hurt them both when Edmund's mind cleared.

"I know," he said, voice unsteady. He held out a hand to catch Edmund, hold himnat bay. "There's-- they brought devices for you to use. They'll relieve the -- the symptoms."

It wasn't like Al had never dealt with a heat before. But Jadis had kept them in fur for a hundred years. Heat was easier to handle, easier to step away from, in another body. He didn't know what to do, especially not when it was Edmund, and his body, and his mind, keened.

[just_edmund]

Edmund drew up short, body and mind warring with conflicting messages to bridge the gap and to heed Al's wishes. It was to no purpose. Seeing him, smelling him there, it made his head swim. He staggered faintly, shaking his head. The implications of Al's words began to sink in.

He was not going to be mated. Not by Al. Not by anyone.

"Devices?" Edmund all but snarled. Panic and blind lust made him dizzy; disbelief and frustration only piled anger on top of the confusion. "Bullshit. That's not what I need, and you know it. Gods, Al..."

He clutched onto Al's arm to stay on his feet, and the bare contact of his skin against Al's skin had the furious warmth of his face to a bonfire at the peak of its blaze. Edmund hissed in a breath. "Tell me you don't feel it. You can't smell it. I will go mad if you don't help me. Please. Don't make me do this alone." His voice lost its ire and dropped to something small and pleading, as the thought of being forced to endure his heat by himself, trapped in the tent with a few inadequate bits of glass and sponge and smooth-handled wood, as if those could take the place of the warm-breathed Lion, crashed down on him in frightening detail.

He couldn't bear it.

[ironysoul]

Al knew what he was asking. Edmund's need grated on him, crying out to him, and this wasn't any easier for Al than it was going to be for Edmund. But he refused, he refused, to be one of those Alphas who excused their actions with biology. And even if it weren't for the many, many barriers separating him and Edmund... Edmund hadn't wanted him around, even. Not in weeks.

"You don't really want this, Edmund," Al reminds him quietly. "You're not in any shape to give consent right now, but before, you didn't want -- and if I mated you, and we bonded, that would be catastrophic. I'm sorry. I can't -- I'll stay with you, and I'll help however I can, but you know we can't--"

In another world he'd give Edmund everything he needed. His body was pushing him to now. He took another step back, making space between him and Edmund, before his desires could overwhelm him.

[just_edmund]

It was precisely because of those barriers, the ones that Al considered so vitally important, that Edmund had avoided him lately. It was too painful to want him and be denied. That pain was now a physical, tangible reality to Edmund. The struggle he had felt before seemed as light as dandelions compared with the all-consuming desire to claim and be claimed by - his alpha.

No. Not his. Because Al, for whatever incomprehensible reason that made no sense whatsoever to Edmund's nose or heart, didn't want him.

Edmund's eyes were hollow and dark as he gazed helplessly at Al, the distance increasing rather than decreasing between them. His body throbbed, a tight aching pulse that wouldn't stop radiating throughout his groin and into his limbs. He hated that he would say the same thing as Al if their situations were reversed, that he wouldn't want Al to be with him under compulsion or by necessity.

If I mated you, and we bonded...

"If you only knew what I really want," he whispered in a rasp of a voice. "You wouldn't doubt me now if you could see what's in my heart."

But there was nothing he could do; he needed so much more than what Al was willing to give him. Edmund crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against a tree for support. His legs were shaking, and he had no Al to hold onto. "Help," he repeated flatly. "What does that even mean? You'll stay with me, but you won't be with me. I don't...understand."

The more his body burned, the more energy he seemed to release into the air, all pent up from lack of outlet and the presence of an alpha, with his will and mind the only things keeping him from leaping towards Al. Edmund grunted, as a fine sheen began to cover his skin, and within he could feel his body growing slick and fever-hot. He shivered. "I'm not - supposed to be this way."

[ironysoul]

"No," Al agreed cautiously, biting his lip as he raked his gaze over Edmund. He wanted to pretend it was just for the sake of examination, just a precaution, but in truth, he wanted to look at Edmund. To take in the beautiful mess of him, flushed and desperate with need. "Whatever that thing did to you, it caused this. It would be easier if your body -- if you came to it naturally." And that was never to be.

It wasn't fair the way Edmund kept insisting Al was just keeping them apart to be contrary. He wanted Edmund every bit as much. It was so hard to be apart from the king. Every moment they're separated, it felt like, Al was thinking about him, wondering and worrying. His thoughts were never his own.

But it wasn't just him. Edmund was asking him to throw over centuries of tradition, of natural order. He had a responsibility to his pride, what about that? Did it mean nothing to Edmund?

"Having an Alpha nearby should help. It won't last for long, and then you'll be back to normal." Very cautiously, Al reached out to touch his hand. Even after everything that had passed between them, he would never want Edmund to experience his first heat like this.

"You can -- do what you need, to sate yourself, and I'll stay with you. That should help it pass. It's the best option."

[just_edmund]

Edmund flushed miserably at the close scrutiny. He felt patently uncomfortable in his own skin right now, and he was sure Al was finding every possible reason to put distance between them. "I'll remember that next time I'm about to get bitten by a succubus." He rubbed at his upper arms. He was going a little stir-crazy with the unnatural influx of hormones driving him to - to an act that was going to go highly unfulfilled tonight.

Swallowing, he tipped his head back against the bark of the tree. He would have been fine. They could have gone on as they had this past month, with careful politeness and propriety, until they both found mates and the uncomfortable pull between them was finally broken. That's what Al thought had to happen, and Edmund had respected his wishes.

He tried to do so now. He wondered if Al understood just how hard-fought his control was, standing in front of him, burning up. The touch of his hand was like a static shock. Edmund's eyes snapped open, and he stared at Al.

"It's as easy as that, eh? You - " He forced himself to breathe in and slowly out. "You are kind. You didn't have to do this." Would it help? He didn't want to be alone...but he didn't want to have Al frustratingly out of reach, a constant reminder of what he could not have.

Finally, Edmund gave a nod. "We'll give it a try. I'll return to my tent. You - may do as you wish, Alphonse." His dark lashes shuttered the hopeless longing in his eyes. The very last thing he wanted to do was go back to his cold empty bedroll and try to get through this terrible heat on his own, but that's exactly what he was going to do.

He turned, breaking the connection, and forced himself to walk like a Prince, shoulders back, head held high. He didn't look back to see if Al followed.

In the pavilion, he lit an oil lamp and found some water and food. Despite his hunger, there was nothing satiating about eating right now, but his body needed all the help it could get. Cross-legged on the cushions, he tried not to think about how slick he felt. He had a new appreciation for how omegas functioned, experiencing any of this on a regular basis. He kept himself from wondering if this was a temporary state for him, or if there were more...permanent consequences to the bite. One night at a time.

... pretend it hasn't been six months?

[ironysoul]

Al sighed, watching Edmund trudge away from him. It's not like he asked for this! He wasn't the one who got bitten by a succubus! He'd been so, so careful of the distance between them, trying to be respectful. Trying to thread a line that wouldn't result in either of them battering themselves against a wall of what they couldn't have. And trying not to offend the king who could have him, his whole pride, condemned to death.

But Edmund hadn't made it easy. He didn't try to understand this world he'd been thrust into, and he didn't accept for a moment that maybe Al was acting this way for a reason.

And he couldn't be alone. King or no, there were people out there who wouldn't care about rank. Wouldn't care that he was a panther or even a person, they'd just smell an unprotected omega in heat and take.

Normally, omegas who didn't want to mate had family to stay with them. Al had done it for other members of the pride. Just sat with them, resisting the hormones, lending protection and comfort. He'd thought he could do it for Edmund. But even though Edmund was storming away from him, Furious and disinterested, Al felt a pull.

With a sigh, he changed, then followed after the man. Nothing would happen in this form, at least, even if a more sensitive nose made ignoring Edmund's plight that much more difficult. He tried to put it from mind, padding after his king (not his, he had no right to --) and pushing a heavy, square head under Edmund's hand, against his hip.

Six months what six months

[just_edmund]

Edmund felt as if his entire body was at war. He very much hoped it wouldn't be like this every time, that it would get easier as his body adjusted to its new form. He'd never really studied what being an omega meant; he'd always mated with other betas and with the occasional alpha, fearing both an unintentional bond and the rejection of an omega for someone who was an actual alpha, not just a King pretending to be one.

All the extra hormones left him on edge, tight as a rope pulled taut. He wished he knew more about what was going on inside him. And then, a velvety snout beneath his hand seemed to take a tiny bit of the edge off. He inhaled shakily, and on the next exhale let his body relax down towards the earth and towards the soft-furred creature beside him.

Al was wise. This was easier. Having an alpha next to him, touching him did soothe some of the worst of the feeling Edmund could only describe as incompleteness. Yet with Al in his Lion form and Edmund unchanged, there wasn't such a hard pulse of lust to distract the King; he knew the only danger was if he were to change as well. As it was, his desires were at a manageable level, and getting more so as he let himself accept the comfort of the proximity instead of fixating on having more. "I think I begin to understand, what you meant by 'help'."

He ate methodically, and let his fingers rub over Al's broad forehead, stroking and scratching behind his ears. "Is a heat better or worse in human form?" He smoothed the golden fur back, forcing his breathing into a regular pattern. "I don't think I'd be able to use the - " Edmund blushed and grimaced at the same time. " - devices as a Panther. Or do they have something for that too?"

<3333

[ironysoul]

Al hesitated before responding. In this form, Edmund's scent was sharper. He could identify the taint of poison laced through it, the siren's bite, slowly melding with Edmund's natural order to create something else. Edmund didn't smell like an omega anymore, and that helped. He smelled like a tainted beta, something new and perverse, but exciting. And underneath it all he still smelled like Edmund, pride and dark humor and an edge of deeply buried insecurity. It was a smell Al automatically found himself scenting out whenever he passed through somewhere Edmund might have been, and to have it wrapped up in heat and need like this was --

"It's -- easier, a little, in fur. But you won't be able to use -- and you won't be able to change back. Or it will be harder to control, anyway. If you'd rather, I'll change back."

As he spoke, he wrapped himself around Edmund and lay down. It maximized the skin on skin contact between them, and gave Edmund a handy backrest to lean into as he ate. Not to mention he was soaking up Al's scent, aided every time all roughed his cheek against Edmund's side and belly. If any other Alpha even thought about coming near, Al wanted them to smell his claim.

[just_edmund]

Edmund shook his head. "It's all right. I like you like this. I have ever since the first time I saw you change." He sank his fingers into Al's mane, felt the heat of the Lion's body soaking through his clothing. "Besides, I think I'd rather - " He felt his face flood with heat, but he knew he wanted to be honest with Al. "Be full, this time."

Even without his keener Panther's senses, he could smell Al's scent rich and heady all around him. His body ached, painfully hard, uncomfortably slick in new places. He wanted to be full of Al. Oh, did he want that. But being cradled by him while satisfying some of this need...that would have to do, for now.

Reaching with one foot, Edmund snagged the strap of an unfamiliar satchel to pull it close. He could already guess at its contents. "This would be highly embarrassing if it got around, you know. That the great Panther King is reduced to fucking himself with toys."

He didn't think Al would say a word. But the rest of them would, and probably already were. "Does...everyone know?" He'd been bitten in plain view of the battle. How many knew what kind of creature it was that had taken him down? Would he even be able to hide it, if it lingered in him for any longer than these days with Al?

[ironysoul]

Al is only just starting to realize how hard this will be, staying here while Edmund -- does that. Staying neutral. The only consolation is that now that he's more in his right mind, Edmund seems as unenthused by the process as Al himself is. He quickly hushes the part of himself that points out how eager Edmund was for the real thing, how much he wants it --

Instead, Al is going to sit here and watch and do nothing. It's already hard enough to stay away from Edmund without knowing his scent as he cums, what it sounds like. Al's not sure he'll ever be able to face Edmund again, after this.

"No one saw," he assures Edmund. "They believe you're recovering from your wounds. You are recovering from your wounds."

[just_edmund]

"That's something, at least." Edmund opened the satchel up to see what he had to work with, since he was reconciled to not having the alpha he really wanted to mate with. There was a bottle of oil - he didn't think that would be very necessary, considering how soaked he felt there, but perhaps it would be nice other places - and a hollow sponge tube, and several phalluses of different shapes and sizes. Edmund knew exactly which one he wanted at a glance. He pulled out the smooth glass sculpture, its shaft a little curved and nice and thick, with a widened handle and, most importantly, a large bulbous knot right above it.

His heart was beginning to pound. This was really going to happen. Had to happen, he was so ravenous. His face felt like it was burning up, whether from fever or embarrassment, he wasn't sure. He knew it would be much better after, he just had to get to the after.

Nervous as a maiden on her wedding night, Edmund unfastened his trousers and slithered out of them, discarding the smallclothes beneath with one go. Instantly, the tent swirled with the scent of his slick, a fragrant musk, dark and woody. He was blushing at its obviousness, at the clear need that strained at his swollen cock and the glistening fluid that trickled to his inner thighs. He cupped his palm over himself, the tips of his fingers curled at the base of his balls, and gave the softest of sounds at the slight relief of it.

"H-how long does the bite's effects last?" he stammered. "After this heat...will I have more?"

[ironysoul]

Oh, gods. Al thought he was ready for this, but watching Edmund shed his clothes and handle the toys so -- efficiently -- he wasn't doing a good job at keeping his desire in check, not even in this form. Edmund's questions seemed far away and confusing, no matter how he tried to bring his focus in for a coherent answer.

"I -- I don't know. Succubi are rare. They're banned from Aslan's kingdom. There are some researchers who might know more, but they'd want to know why--" and this had to be kept secret.

Al realized that he was throwing out waves of confusing pheromones, want and need and fear and incredible sadness. He hated seeing this happen to Edmund, and he hated not being able to help. There was no hiding in his fur, and changing back wasn't an option. He'd never control himself. He's not sure as it is.

"I should -- I -- I'll guard the door. I'm sorry." It was pretty much pure cowardice and he knew it. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to hold out even one mating with Edmund. The only way this could get worse was if they ended up bonded. There would be no coming back from that. So Al fled, curling his bulk against the door of the tent and sucking in breath after breath of slightly fresher air. Anything that didn't smell like Edmund, or smelled less like him. By the time Edmund was finished, maybe the tent would reek less of the Al's heartbreak.

[just_edmund]

Perhaps such knowledge could be bought, at the right price. "If it could be managed discreetly...somehow..."

Edmund's mind didn't seem to be working properly either right now. His nose, less sensitive in this body but much more so than a normal human's, was picking up all sorts of things he had no idea how to interpret. If Al wanted him...but there were those strange notes of things that did not seem like desire at all, that were explained the next moment when Al suddenly bolted from under him, leaving him bereft of his Alpha.

"No," Edmund gasped involuntarily, for the sensation of loss and emptiness was agonizing, and he was thrown back to those feelings of turmoil and abandonment. "Al...I'll turn my back to you, you don't have to watch...but please, it hurts."

Drawing up to his hands and knees, he slid towards Al with beseeching eyes, desperate, pupils blown wide. In that moment, he was not a King but simply a man in great need. His pride forgotten, he begged. "Let me curl at your back, I swear that's all, it's enough, I just need to touch you or I'm going to go mad." He didn't know what he was going to do if Al said no, but insanity wasn't out of the question.

[ironysoul]

Managed discreetly? The only way, the only thing Al could possibly think of -- if it continued any longer -- Edmund would need an Alpha. A mate, someone dedicated to him, available at any notice to help him when the heat struck. Someone devoted and willing to keep his silence. Someone suitable for bearing his children.

And it couldn't be Al. No matter how much he'd grown to care about Edmund, he'd never be able to have children with him or carry on the line. He wasn't a panther. And he had obligations to his pride. But the thought of someone else mating Edmund made him run hot, then cold with rage.

He'd never been like this. For years, he'd prided himself on rising above such animal instincts. But now he couldn't hold himself at bay. Heaven the faintest wift of Edmund's desperation as he froze dug under his skin again, drove him crazy with want, and the scent of his own desire sparked, followed by a wave of bleak longing.

"I can't keep you safe, Edmund." He couldn't leave either, not with Edmund begging him to stay. His instincts warred, and he was frozen in a half crouch, shamed and shaking. "I'm not safe. I don't trust myself not to hurt you." Hurt that Edmund would undoubtedly welcome now. And would be redoubled, when the reality of their situation cleared.

"I'll stay if you want. Here." At the door, across the tent from Edmund, but still within reach.

[just_edmund]

Confusion and distress mingled in the beckoning sweetness of Edmund's heat-scent, a combination that many an Alpha would be hard-pressed to resist. To relieve his suffering, to take care of and protect the vulnerable body while satisfying its needs and marking as their own...yes, it was a powerful allure, and Edmund was dimly aware that it wasn't quite fair to Al to make him endure such temptation. Especially when, a hand-span away, he saw Al shaking and crouching as if terrified.

Kneeling before him, Edmund touched the golden mane from behind, the warmth and energy of the soft fur seeping almost instantly through his fingertips. He sighed in relief, some of the panic eased. "You're the only one I trust to keep me safe like this," he murmured. His hand rhythmically stroked Al. "You'd never hurt me. I trust you."

He knew the two of them had different definitions of what it would mean to be hurt. He knew Al didn't want - was choosing not to - mate with him tonight. He even respected that. But he needed Al to trust his instincts more.

"I want you to stay." Edmund hesitated before adding, almost shyly, "Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?"

[ironysoul]

It both helped and hurt, hearing Edmund say he trusted him. Al was acutely aware of the desire, dizzying and sick, that brewed inside him. He knew Edmund shouldn't have that faith. At the same time, hearing it made this easier. A little.

"No, just -- just do what you need. I'll stay." Edmund's touch intensified his own want, but it relieved Edmund's panic, and that, in turn, cleared Al's head enough for him to think. He'd done this before. He could do it now. For Edmund. He had to.

[just_edmund]

Edmund didn't understand the different pheromones rolling off of Al right now, but then Al always had been a little confusing to him. Edmund was just happy to have him close at hand, staying with him for - for getting through his heat.

And getting through was exactly how he approached it. There was nothing very erotic about the glass phallus when he had a warm Alpha lying right behind him, but he was making the best of it and letting his imagination run wild as he lay back, propped up against cushions piled right next to Al's back, and warmed himself up with his fingers. Even near the half-open door of the tent, with a breeze wafting through, the scent of his slick curled through the air, sweet and almost wistful, like it needed to be combined with an Alpha's stronger aroma to be truly complete.

Edmund's breathing grew heavier as he imagined Al's fingers instead of his own, opening him up for their mating. "H-how did you manage during the Long Winter?" he asked, to fill the silence and give himself the pleasure of listening to Al's voice in answer. "When you were always in your Beast form. Did you take any mates then?"

[ironysoul]

Al tried hard not to listen, or look, or smell any of what Edmund was doing. Even though he'd done this before, it was hard to believe Edmund was treating it so casually, already working himself open and carrying on a conversation like it was nothing.

"No," Al admitted softly, half closing his eyes as he tried to maintain his composure. How could he explain that in a hundred years, he'd never entered rut? He'd soothed several omegas through their heats, and Winry and Edward had certainly been through this, but Al never had, himself.

"Jadis wouldn't allow the pride to grow. We suppressed as best we could."

[just_edmund]

Talking was easier than silence, right now; it wasn't even truly silence, with the soft lewd sounds of wet fingers sliding within flesh, and Edmund's audible breaths as he felt the rising lust begin to take hold of him in earnest. Words covered over some of that.

"Suppressed? That's...impressive." Edmund couldn't imagine actually suppressing what he was feeling, not without finding some kind of outlet for it. This particular method was just barely getting the job done. He reached for the flask of oil, coated the bulbous shape with a generous helping, and the smell of sweet almond mingled with his own earthier scent. The only thing missing, really, was a layer of Alpha. A hint of it wound through anyways, stemming from Al's lower back...his tail, really. Edmund bit back a curse.

"You must be masters at dealing with this sort of thing then. Care to share any helpful tips?"

He almost laughed; they might have been speaking of hunting paths, weather patterns, any mundane and platonic topic that one might trade friendly advice on. Certainly nothing that would indicate he was knuckles deep fingering himself, about to trade in for a more filling replacement, and Al was doing his level best not to broadcast any more signals than he could help.

[ironysoul]

And yet, Al wasn't any less aware of what edmund was doing. How he was touching himself. Despite all Edmund's attempts to stay quiet and keep himself withdrawn, every sound hammered against Al's over sensitive ears. And the smells -- no matter how he tried to ignore them, he couldn't escape Edmund's scent, woven through with need and desire.

"I think -- I think the siren bite made things worse." That was a convenient explanation for why he was so much more affected now than he'd ever been before. And it allowed Edmund a convenient shield as well, to hide his lack of control behind. It seemed plausible at the very least.

[just_edmund]

Edmund rolled his eyes. That might be the right explanation, but it didn't give him anything practical to work with. "I'm sure it did," he said, with a flicker of his usual sarcastic jauntiness. It wasn't easy, when his hands were so, er, busy and his mind short-circuited with gratuitous lust. "The timing didn't help either." A full moon, and getting bit and thrown into heat right at the height of battle when his adrenaline was already at its peak.

"What I still don't understand is...how you came to be with me now. If you didn't trust yourself around me. If it really was that bad, that I'd be unnaturally...appealing." Edmund didn't know how else to put it, considering how honest their own body chemistry was right now. He breathed in audibly as the cooler glass pressed to his skin. "Aah... not that I'm complaining about you being here, you know. There's...no one else I'd rather. But. There were other loyal Alphas you could have asked."

Strangely, the conversation (at odds though it was with his actions right now) soothed him with the distraction of focus on something other than overwhelming need, enough that the first breach of the phallus sliding into him was greeted with only the tiniest of whimpers instead of a full-blown cry, like he might have if he'd been thinking about how warm and thick Al would be in its stead...

[ironysoul]

Al would actually prefer to have any other conversation. But he could sense the calm coming from Edmund, however slight, and he realized it was actually helping his king to talk. About this. And that was why he was here, wasn't it? Because he couldn't deny Edmund anything.

"I saw it happen. I thought -- I'd helped omegas before, and it hasn't been this hard, so I thought I'd be helpful for you. And it's my responsibility, and if I went with you then no-one else--"

It wasn't that the thought of another Alpha made him near homicidal. It wasn't that he imagined anyone else hearing those small, tiny noises and ripping the glass away, shoving deep inside Edmund and -- definitely not.

"I didn't want you to be with someone else and not -- not know, if you were okay."

[just_edmund]

I'd helped omegas before. Something in Edmund roiled at the thought. Even though he knew perfectly well that Al had helped them exactly as he was helping Edmund now: chastely. Still. His body reacted as if Al had cheated on him with other omegas. Which was ridiculous because Al wasn't even his.

Heats were horrid.

Then no-one else would...

Edmund turned sharply to look at Al, sliding a hand back through his mane. Al had felt the same sort of possessiveness. He hadn't wanted another Alpha doing this job, maybe not being as strong and breaking down and taking advantage of the King. Edmund nodded and twisted his head to the side to drop a kiss to the shining fur. "Thank you, Al," he said, breathless but heartfelt. "I"m very glad you did."

Warm flowed through him from where they were connected. Before he could help himself, he found that he was whining softly and pushing the toy in with his other hand. "It...changed my body," he gasped. "The outside. But what about...would I bear children, if an Alpha..."

That was what his scent was saying, wasn't it? That he was fertile. It was a strange, enticing vision, carrying Al's children. It would also be disastrous for the line of succession, unless they married immediately.

"Is that what you were afraid of?" Edmund asked him softly. "Why you wouldn't..."

[ironysoul]

Edmund kept ramping up the touches. Curling closer to Al, petting him, kissing him, all while he made those sounds. It was driving Al to the very edge of his senses.. And Edmund still didn't understand.

Panthers were lone creatures. They made their way through life individually, with other panthers drifting through. But lions -- everything revolved around the pride. Especially mating. There were no second chances for lions, once a match was made. A pair of alphas like Ed and Winry would start their own pride, and by all rights Al should have split off long ago, to find a mate of his own. An alpha, to begin a pack with, or an omega in a pride he could leave.

But their pride was different. Whatever Jadis had done to them had changed things. That was why Peter didn't want them changing, or leaving. Or taking mates.

And if all the people for Al to fall in love with -- finally, the first person in his life to spark his interest. And it was Edmund. Completely unsuitable. A panther, a king... Al's frustration ratcheted higher still. Why couldn't Edmund understand how torturous it was, to even hear that the King would consider him...

"I-- I don't know," he admitted, trying to focus on Edmund's earlier questions. "I don't know what will stick."