Weeks passed as Edward slowly learned the Amestrian language. He could only speak in short, choppy sentences but he could speak and that was all that mattered to Roy.

Roy noticed the blonde more and more. Became fond of him. Edward was different... Edward was special... It started as just giving the boy little things or letting him eat dinner with Roy. The boy thought it was strange. Why was he being treated so differently? Wasn't he worthless? Wasn't the only reason Roy was letting him learn Amestrian so he could understand orders?? He didn't get it.

"Edward..." Roy spoke up one night at dinner as Ed was stuffing his mouth as if it was the last meal he'd ever recieve. This was one of the things he enjoyed, dinner with Master. He always made sure to eat every bit of food to show that he was grateful for the opportunity.

"Yes Master?" He replied after he'd finished chewing.

"Why are you eating so fast?" The man asked and the blonde immediately answered honestly.

"I do not know if you send me out.."

"What?"

"I do not know if you send me away because you no want me here." Ed looked down, "I like to eat with you." He said shyly, "And the food good." Ed smiled shyly at his master who now had a gentle and slightly amused smile on his face.

"You don't have to worry about me sending you away, Edward. I like eating with you as well." This seemed to please Ed as he smiled a smile that lit up his whole face.

"Then I continue to eat with you." He said joyfully and Roy smiled as they went back to their meal, Ed eating much slower with the security that he wouldn't be sent away.
•••
As Roy became more fond of Ed, the way he treated the other slaves changed. Roy started giving them fairer treatment, and made their lives something they might possibly enjoy living. Though it was still their job to do the work on the plantation, they now had more breaks, more water and food and better living conditions. The other slaves began to see Ed as their saviour.

While the other slaves were treated better, Ed was always the most 'Pampered' so to say, of them all. Ed didn't even work anymore, his master's reason being he wanted Ed to be near him at all times. At night he still went to sleep in the little cabins with the other slaves. But he would alway come back to his master in the morning.

Then he started staying the night with his master, he learned on his first night that the man's name was Roy. He assumed though, that he was still to call the man "Master" but it thrilled him to know his master's real name.

There was nothing special to spending his nights with Roy. The man just held him. Gave him gentle affections.

He remembered when he still worked, spinning the cotton, how the overseer liked to pull him back to a secluded area. The man would touch him in ways that made him want to throw up. He would do this and tell the boy how worthless he was, how no one loved him or ever would. He would say that the blonde was lucky that he was there, for he would be the only one who would ever want him like he did.

Ed couldn't do anything about it. He'd tried to fight at first, but the overseer would beat him bloody. Finally he just subcummed, letting the older man have his way, wishing for it to be over soon the whole time. Soon he even believed the words the man whispered to him. And that's what saddened him the most were those words that echoed in his head.

But Roy was different from the overseer. He was gentle with Ed. He didn't touch him in places that made him feel slimy inside. He didn't make any advances on Ed like the overseer had. Usually he said nothing at all. All he did was hold the blonde in his arms. Ed assumed that the man just might want company. Roy would hold the teen against him, sometimes playing with or stroking his long golden hair. Sometimes he ran his hands lightly over Ed's arms and side, only to stop at his waist, going no further than that.

Ed loved the attention, he loved being there, being the one that Roy wanted near. He loved being able to fool himself into thinking that Roy might possibly love him and it wasn't hard to dream up scenarios where they were together. But Ed knew that would never happen. His master would never love a slave much less like the way Edward wished him to.

Tonight, as they both laid in Roy's bed, Ed pressed close the the other's warmth, the man bent his neck down to kiss the blonde boy's forhead. Ed paused for a second at this gesture. Wasn't that something that only lovers did. But, Ed remembered, he was a slave, Roy could do whatever he wanted and not even wonder if Ed might've wanted it or not. But in truth, that was something Ed did want. He wanted Roy's love and approval. He wanted kisses on his forhead, among other simple things like laying in bed with Roy just being together. Ed didn't dare make a single move, except to nuzzle his face into to crook of Roy's neck in response to the kiss. He sighed happily. He didn't want to ruin this moment with his master. Roy once again brought up his hand to stroke Ed's hair and the boy leaned his head back into the man's hand relishing his gentle touch. At these actions, Roy let out a quiet chuckle.

"You act like you've never been touched so gently before," he said with a smile, and Edward's golden eyes opened to look up at his master.

Come to think of it, he never recalled being touched like Roy touched him. His mother only ever hit him. When he was a child, bullies beat him bloody because of his name. Teachers frowned at the mention of him. His own brother, Arichek, never once acknowledged that they were even remotely related.

No one had ever been as kind to him as Roy was. He averted his gaze away from the elder. He was so selfish.. Enjoying this attention that he knew he didn't deserve. Roy frowned as he noticed the golden boy's guilty look.

"You haven't...?" He asked and Ed quickly flicked his gaze to Roy at the sound of his voice, then away again. Roy was actually shocked by this. How could this sweet boy have never been loved?

"Why...?" Roy wondered and Ed explained.

"When a baby born, mother names it after first word she think of." He started, "Most common are Amatochka mean beautiful or Itēmgeē mean smart or wise or Kiīlulaj mean precious. My mother thought Shiīnkā."

"That's a pretty name," Roy said, hoping to make Ed, who looked like he might cry. To Ed it wasn't a pretty name. To Xerexians it was not a pretty name at all.

"Shiīnkā mean worthless.." Ed's voice wavered. Now Roy knew, now he wouldn't want Edward and would send him away. Roy wouldn't love him anymore because now he knew that Ed was worthless. Roy was silent for a long time, making Ed more and more anxious as the silence stretched on. Finally Roy said,

"You aren't worthless Edward." He said it with such confidence that Ed almost believed him... Almost. But despite his thoughts Ed nodded as if to agree with the man. Roy held him tightly as if he never wanted to let him go. This didn't make any sense. His master's actions weren't making any sense. But Edward was glad.
His master hadn't sent him away...
And that was the only thing he asked for.. That Roy never sent him away...