[ It wasn't a hard conclusion to make that Ed had probably never truly had a family. He never once spoke of them. That left Oswald with nothing to assume except that they had either abandoned him or been unspeakably cruel. It's a sickening realization to discover that the person you adore and love so passionately has never genuinely been loved by anyone else but you. That meant Oswald had to do even better. Try even harder. Do whatever he could to give Ed what he had so severely been deprived of but so very much deserved.

Oswald hadn't exactly factored the washcloth he'd been holding into consideration when he'd gone to hide his embarrassment, so when he hit the unexpected damp surface he'd immediately jerked his head up. It was quick enough to see the look on Ed's face as he said that. The wink. If there's supposed to be butterflies in your stomach when you look at the one you love, Oswald was pretty sure his butterflies were suffocating. It was also possible that his cheeks had just burst into flame. ] You know what. Saying those -- those things. You need to be-- [ Be? ] You should-- [ Should...? He exhaled shakily, his fists clenched. He looked conflicted. Like he was holding himself back from doing something. He didn't want Ed to stop at all. For at least a minute, he didn't say anything at all. Then finally, barely above a whisper: ] I don't know what to do about the way you make me feel.