A/N: This story is the first in a series. Please remember to enjoy. =)

Ed managed to dodge the first man's punch; he was however not lucky enough to dodge the second man's punch and it caught him in the stomach making him gag. Still, he stopped on the instep of the third guy – really it wasn't fair that it was three to one – and punch him in the gut. He whirled into a round house kick smacking the first man in the chest and sent him sprawling back into the pavement. He subdued the second guy with a punch to the nose. The second guy who had his hand clapped to his – probably broken – nose muttered a curse and got out of the way as the third man charged at Ed with the full force of a rampaging bull. Ed managed to dodge the full-on attack but found himself at a disadvantage because now that the three men had recovered they were all stalking towards him. He sighed with irritation. Of course it would have to be the night when he was supposed to be home – and what were these guys doing in Risembool anyways?

Irritated Ed punched the first one in the head, then gave him a good long whack to the gut but before he could take care of the other two a wall captured them. He looked up the hill at his grinning brother.

"Al!" he called cheerfully up and waved.

"Hello, Brother. Run into some problems?"

"Yeah, but I was dealing with it. Do you know who these men are? Generally speaking the last time I was here we didn't have crime."

"Mmm." Alphonse acknowledged. "Unfortunately I don't know who they are or what they want. I suppose we can ask them. Crime has been rising here for some reason. I've poked around a bit but-" Al shrugged and left his sentence hanging.

Ed slapped a hand to his brother's shoulder and squeezed. "In any event I'm glad to be back. It's been a long trip this time."

Al hugged his brother tightly. "Yep! And you missed a whole bunch of things!"

"Like what?" Ed asked as they trudged up the hill together.

"Mei and Ling came to visit –officially- and Breda was promoted to first lieutenant. Havoc came to visit – he's walking perfectly now. But he said as much as he enjoyed the army he doesn't think he'll be rejoining up any time soon."

Ed made a face. "I wouldn't either. I'll have to send Breda a congratulations."

Alphonse laughed. "Actually, Gracia invited me to come stay with her at Central for a week or so. I don't think she'd object to an extra guest."

"Has Winry been back to Rush Valley recently?"

"The other week actually. She said she wants to set up a shop in Central, get into the big world of automail. Spread the love I think she said. And," Al added, "she told me that Riza said she'd teach her how to shoot a gun. Not that Winry needs to learn, but they were bonding or something."

Edward laughed. "Well, I guess I'll have even more reason not to damage my leg."

"Incentive," Al wriggled his eyebrows and bumped shoulders with Ed. Ed bumped his shoulder back against Al's and so began an elbow-shoulder jabbing contest that lasted all the way through the door where Pinako promptly told them to cut it out.

As Ed folded back the sheets on the bed he looked to Al who was already sleeping deeply and smiled. He still wanted to shout out to the world that he loved Al and that Al was whole. Sometimes he had to take out the picture he kept in his suitcase and look at it. The picture featured a smiling Al who was leaning on a stone wall as he tilted his head up to the sun. The picture never failed to make Ed smile.

He slipped into bed and closed his eyes falling into a deep sleep.

When he woke in the morning the sun was slanting brightly down across his face and he grumbled. The footsteps alerted him to the fact that there was somebody standing in the doorway.

"You missed breakfast," Winry remarked.

"Wha t'me'sit?"

"It's twelve fifteen you lazy ass."

Ed grumbled and peeled his face from the pillow to look at Winry who was standing in her greasy overalls with hands on her hips and a wrench in one of them. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"It's good to be home."

"It's good to have you home."

Ed swung out of bed and stood up, stretching. He covered his yawn with a hand and sauntered into the bathroom across the hallway.

"There's some shampoo and soap in there, and the towels are where they usually are!" Winry called after him as he closed the door.

After a shower that made him feel decent once again he headed downstairs to have lunch.

Lunch ended up being a picnic in the backyard with sandwiches, soda pop, crackers, cheese and a warm apple pie for dessert. Ed lay back in the grass content and full. Happiness burbled slowly in his stomach as he watched clouds stream by. He rolled his head to the side to watch Al and Winry chatter happily.

He narrowed his eyes and watched more closely. Al had a soft dusting of pink high on his cheeks and Winry was constantly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and she too seemed to be embarrassed.

Hmmm. Was something going on there? He watched as Al casually touched her knee and Winry touch his hand. Aaah. So. Al liked Winry and Winry liked Al.

Ed turned onto his side in the grass and stared into the distance. He hadn't thought that Al might've liked Winry. The three of them had always laughed about the fact that Winry said she'd marry Al – but Ed had assumed that Winry had had a crush on him. I was wrong, he thought wryly. Winry liked – and probably always has – liked Al.

He felt slightly left out, not that he was jealous per se, just that, he longed for something like that. Something intimate and wonderful. Something…vibrant…passionate, wild.