Title: Most Quiet Need
Author: Tiamat's Child
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairing and/or Character: Ran Fan/Ling
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I did not invent the kiddos and am making no money.
Summary: Ling wakes up.
Warnings: None.
Notes: For the fall prompt at 4purposes LJ: the frost of awakening

Most Quiet Need

On the third day of their trip through the desert, Ling woke cold.

Heat exchange in a desert is accelerated, he told himself, muzzily, No clouds, only space. He opened his eyes, slowly, because he had learned by this time that it was perfectly possible to get sand on top of them.

It was still night. There was nothing to hint at dawn around them – the sky, where it met the land, was black and dark, not lit. No clouds, only space, he thought, and smiled. There should be an observatory out here, somewhere. It might see some fine things.

Ran Fan was next to him. It was her watch. She was kneeling in the sand, still and steady. The stars were so bright in the dry air that – though the moon was the very thinnest waxing sliver – he saw when he turned his head to get a better look at her that the cuff on her trousers had ridden up, and her ankle was bare.

Ling was cold. He reached out, just a short way, and brushed the backs of his fingers against her skin. He grinned at her when she jerked (only the once) and looked down at him.

She could probably see that he was smiling. He was pretty sure. It was so bright. He traced an imperfect oval above the bone in her ankle with his knuckles, then pressed his – very chilled – palm against her skin. I'm cold.

Ran Fan shook her head. He knew that meant, I told you not to sleep on your back like that, you're not conserving body heat at all.

Ling let his hand curl against her ankle, careful, loose, not confining. Neither one of them would get hurt if she had to move suddenly. He couldn't see it – her face was a shape against the stars, blocking light, not illuminated by it, physics of position, a rather apt metaphor, really, if he wanted to develop it; he could write a poem and she could tell him he was soppy – but he was sure she smiled.

He was still cold.

He slept.