Resembool, Amestris

Resembool, Amestris
Older Brother 10, Younger Brother 9

Alphonse Elric watched his brother's drop of blood fall onto the gathered alchemical ingredients on the floor of their father's workroom. He looked at his own finger, and screwed up his determination. This was wrong! It was too dangerous. He took a step back and away instead of holding his finger out. "We shouldn't do this, Brother! There's too much that could go wrong. If we mess up, it could be bad!"

Edward blinked, and looked over at Alphonse with a withering glare that made Alphonse feel like a coward. "We can't stop now, Al!" he objected. "We're almost there! In a few minutes, we can have Mom back!"

"I'm not sure about that," Alphonse pushed on, now that he had started. "What if we're wrong about something? We still don't know what this is forbidden. Until we do, I think this is a bad idea."
"Then don't help," Edward replied, rolling his eyes. Alphonse knew the look on his brother's face; he was determined, and stubbornly set about getting his way. "I'll do it on my own." Then Edward grinned at him. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mom."

"Brother…" Alphonse wasn't sure what else to say, because Ed squatted down next to the transmutation circle Alphonse had helped him draw and touched his hands to it.

At once, the circle began to glow, and the light enveloped the ingredients, whirling brightly as the transmutation began to occur. The glowing vortex gusted up wind that battered against his clothes as Al backed against the wall, eyes going wide. He was fearful, but curious; what if it did work? What if Edward really did bring their mother back?

Then it all started to go horribly wrong. The color changed, and a gaping hole opened that emitted a painful light, long black things Alphonse could not properly describe reached out, grabbing for Ed. His brother began to scream in pain.

Alphonse dashed forward, grabbing his brother as they both stared, wide eyed through the hole, and the light reached to envelop them….there was a gate on the other side that seemed to be opening but…"No! Edward!" Alphonse bellowed and kept a hold on his brother, the floor still solid beneath his feet. He tugged hard, and the two boys tumbled backwards, away from the gate.

The room fell suddenly silent as the transmutation just seemed to collapse, the bright door thing closed sharply, and Alphonse felt himself slam into the wall, with Edward on top of him. "Brother!" his voice squeaked as he tried to get up. "Brother are you okay?"

Edward was shaking violently, his eyes closed, his face pained. He whimpered. "Alphonse…. Did I do it?"

Alphonse looked up and his eyes widened as the dust settled. There was something moving. "Edward! Look!"

Edward turned and cried out.

Only then did Alphonse see what was wrong, and he nearly vomited. His brother's left leg was missing from above the knee down! "Brother! Your leg."

His brother didn't reply, he was looking at the breathing shape in the mess hopefully. "Mother!" he called out, reaching for it with hopeful, hungry eyes.

Then the dust cleared, and they could see what remained. The beast was monstrous, a misshapen mockery of human flesh with staring eyes. Alphonse felt his whole body go cold. His panic only broken by his brother's sob of pain as Edward collapsed into his lap. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way," he sobbed. "Alphonse, I'm so sorry."

"It's all right, Brother," Alphonse replied, lying for one of the few times in his life. "You need help! Hold still." Alphonse knew that, despite being a little taller than his brother, he wasn't strong enough to carry Edward for help. He grabbed a piece of cloth and tried to bind it around Ed's wound to stop the bleeding. That was what you were supposed to do right? He didn't want to see his brother die too! He did his best to move Edward out of the room and managed to get him out for help, but could barely manage to get him to the living room. Every time they moved, Edward winced, but tried not to cry out in pain. "I can't carry you," he admitted, trying not to cry himself, but failing to hold back all the tears. "I have to go get help. Don't move, Ed. I'll be right back! I promise!" With that, Alphonse stood and ran as fast as his legs would carry him out into the dark, rainy night.

It had never felt like such a long trip to Winry's house. By the time Alphonse got there he was panting, exhausted. He slammed into the front door and yanked it open without waiting politely for them to answer it. He felt guilty, but there wasn't time!

Aunt Pinako and Winry were in the room, staring at him wide eyed.
"You're back!" Winry exclaimed in surprise. Neither Edward nor Alphonse had told the Rockbells that they had come back to Resembool yet. They had wanted to avoid answering any unnecessary questions.

"Ed's hurt!" Alphonse didn't have time to explain. "He's bleeding badly and I can't move him! Help me, please! He's going to die otherwise!"

That was all the explanation that was needed. Immediately, Aunt Pinako was on her feet, barking orders to Winry and grabbing medical supplies. They all hurried out the door back into the night.
The trip back seemed even longer, and only as they neared the house did Alphonse realize he had no idea how to explain what had happened, or the monster he had left gasping in the room! Fortunately, Pinako didn't ask questions. Winry looked like she wanted to though, until they arrived at the Elric house. Alphonse darted inside, praying his brother was still alive.

Edward was on the couch where Alphonse had left him. He was unconscious, and he looked pale. There was a lot of blood on the couch and the makeshift tourniquet Al had attempted. It didn't look like it had done a lot of good!

Pinako cursed under her breath and got straight to work. Alphonse watched helplessly as she did her best to close Edward's wounded leg and sterilize and bandage it. "We'll move him as soon as the rain stops," she said finally, standing and wiping her hands. "You can explain yourselves later."

Despite her firm tone, Alphonse felt relief. From her words, he was pretty sure she expected Edward to live!

Edward was not in the best of spirits when he awoke, though Alphonse had expected that. His brother was hurt, and angry. "What happened to…it?" he had asked when they were alone. Alphonse told him that when they had returned to the house, the monster was gone. That was the truth and, while Alphonse wondered where it had gone, he was just relieved that no one had ever seen what his brother had done; what Alphonse had let him do. He felt bad for that. If he had tried harder, maybe his brother would still be whole.

While Edward was recovering, Alphonse spent a lot of time with him, as did Winry. There was a brief, strange visit that very night from a man who called himself Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. He said he was there in the hopes of finding their father, and offered them the opportunity to join the military and take the State Alchemy Exam. Pinako had firmly, though not without some tact, shown the man out.

Aunt Pinako and Winry were not pleased to find out what the boys had done. Winry yelled, then cried, then yelled some more until Pinako calmed her down. Alphonse was amazed that they didn't get more of a lecture than the reassurance that the boys were as stupid as they already knew they were. Edward objecting though, and insisted he'd done it on his own when Alphonse tried to take his share of the blame.

Alphonse wasn't surprised a few days later, when Edward asked Aunt Pinako to use the money their father had left to fit him with an auto-mail leg. He said he didn't want to be helpless and crippled. Alphonse thought it was a good idea, though he sat outside the door, listening with tears in his eyes when Edward went through the surgery. He was amazed that his brother didn't cry, not once. Later, Winry told him she felt the same.

"So, what will we do now, brother?" Alphonse finally got up the urge to ask one afternoon while Edward was still recovering from the initial surgery, and thus still bed ridden. "Do you think we should take up that Lieutenant Colonel on his offer?"

Edward shook his head. "What for, Al? You were right. I should never have tried to bring Mom back, but I didn't listen to you, and this is what it got me." He sounded defeated, something he never had before. "Teacher said State Alchemists are the military's dogs. Even if we could pass that exam, what good would it do? Besides, I don't like taking orders."

And that was the end of it. Alphonse didn't really think it was a good idea, but he wasn't always sure what he thought would be the same as how Edward saw a situation. That didn't mean Edward was any less determined though. He worked at his therapy after the surgery with a fervor that impressed even Pinako, completing it in the record time of a year. Alphonse only hoped his brother's spirit healed as well as his body.

Older Brother 16, Younger Brother 15

Edward Elric lay back on the bed in the empty house and sighed, the book he had been reading lying open across his stomach as he stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. Another dead end…and he was out of material. That was the last book in his father's collection.

The weather outside the open window was pretty nice. In Resembool, winters were mild, and today was sunny and warm. Ed had opened the window to let in light, as well as some fresh air. The rooms of the empty Elric house got pretty stuffy after a while. While Ed spent a lot of time there, he and Alphonse shared a room at the Rockbell house now; that was home as it had been mostly since their mother died.

Ed twitched his left leg, hearing the metal in his leg as it moved, and tapped against the side of the bed. Despite the beautiful weather, he felt irritable. Maybe it really was time to just give up. There was, he had decided, nothing he could have done differently that would have gotten the outcome he had been hoping for. Four years, and that was all he could come to. There really was no way to successfully perform a proper human transmutation; and it had taken him four years to admit it.

Not that he had mentioned to Alphonse he was still looking. His brother and he still both studied Alchemy, though they had never gone back to Izumi. Ed had feared what she would do when she found out what he had done; and Alphonse had stayed out of loyalty to his brother. Something Ed had insisted was silly until Alphonse pointed out that he would be constantly having to field questions as to why Ed hadn't come back for more training too, and how he was doing. It would just be too difficult, and Alphonse hated having to lie. So they had decided to both just stay put.

Ed supposed that had been the right decision. After all, Alphonse was happy. He was doing well in school, one of the top kids in the school in Resembool almost without trying. He loved learning new things, even about things that had nothing to do with alchemy, like history or advanced mathematics. He was several inches taller than Ed now, about the same height as Winry, athletic, and friends with everyone. Ed still couldn't beat him in a sparring match, and Alphonse even seemed to be better than him at alchemy now.

Ed fidgeted irritably and stood up; tossing the book on the pile of others he had discarded. He was glad Alphonse was happy; really he was. He felt guilty every time he caught himself feeling jealous of his brother. He shouldn't. He loved his little brother, and he'd promised Mom that he'd watch out for him.

There was no way to bring back Mom. There was no way to fix his busted leg; grateful as he was to the old lady and Winry for fixing him up with the new one and keeping it perfectly maintained, he hated the constant reminder of his biggest mistake. Leaning against the window sill, Ed looked down into the garden. Even now, every once in a while he still caught himself looking for laundry on the line, or his mother's form as she pulled weeds or picked vegetables. It was silly of course; his mother was dead as surely as his father had run off and abandoned them.

Maybe he should just go home. It seemed a shame to waste the rest of the day up here sulking about the results he had only been denying to himself were true with half-hearted hope. Intellectually, Ed had known what he would find in the end. He headed downstairs and closed the door behind him.

The walk back to the house was a familiar one, and Ed didn't even have to pay attention to the way as he walked. He had done it so many times now. When he wanted to be alone, he went to the house. No one would bother him there. The only two who ever even came looking for him were Alphonse and Winry if he was late for dinner, or lost track of time on something else. If he read too late, sometimes he would fall asleep, and Al would get him so they wouldn't be late for school.

School depressed him lately. It wasn't that Edward didn't enjoy learning; he soaked up the material as easily as Alphonse did. He could remember the facts after going through them once most of the time. Perhaps that was the problem; it wasn't a challenge. He got bored going over the same information until everyone else understood it. There was also nothing to do with it; no useful way to use the information they were getting. At least when he was reading about Alchemy, he could put most of it into practice.

He and Alphonse used alchemy in a lot of ways that helped out the people of Resembool. Usually, Ed found himself helping fix things, like broken barn doors or farm implements. They still helped shore up the river during the rainy months if it was needed. There were plenty of useful applications for basic alchemy, but it was hardly a challenge of his and Alphonse's skills.

Ed paused at the base of the hill and looked up. He stopped moving all together when he spotted Winry and his best friend, Pitt, sitting on the stairs of the house talking. Winry was chuckling, and Pitt grinned; his arm around her shoulder as he talked animatedly. Ed stifled an irrational flare of anger. How come he had never noticed how friendly Pitt and Winry were? They'd all hung around together since they were little. Lots of the kids did; there was nothing else to do in the afternoons after school most of the time anyway. But when had they gotten so chummy? And why did that bother him?

He watched until they stood, and hugged, then Winry went back inside, and Pitt, whistling, came down the drive. Ed started walking again, heading for the house, but keeping an eye on his friend. They were almost parallel before Pitt noticed him. 'Hey, runt," he grinned.

"I'm not the runt! You are, shorty!" Ed snapped.

They both stuck tongues out at each other like kids, and Ed took a swing at Pitt's head, which he dodged easily and then laughed. "Missed again, Ed. You won't ruin my mood today!"

Ed scowled. "Why not?" he asked warily, still half expecting it to be a feint so Pitt could get in a hit of his own. That happened often enough. They were best friends, but that didn't make the relationship non-violent. They both had lightning-hair tempers most days.

"Just call it my lucky day," Pitts grin widened. "I need to get home though. Catch you later okay?"

"No, not okay," Ed stopped him, turning him with one hand so Pitt couldn't just walk off. Ed's voice dropped really low. "Keep your hands off Winry, okay?"

Pitt's eyes went a little wide, then his grin returned as a smirk. "And if I don't."

"You won't have any teeth left to smile with," Ed snapped.
For some reason, Pitt was still grinning. He laughed and pulled back, breaking his collar free of Ed's hand. "Whatever you say, lover boy."

"What was that?" Ed came forward fast, going for a gut shot.
Pitt's grin dropped as he cut around and brought his fist into Ed's side.

In moments they were scrapping in the dirt like dogs; throwing punches, kicks, and any dirty tricks either of them could come up with. It wasn't really an uncommon site, but the commotion caught the notice of one person Ed really wished it hadn't.

"What are you two boys doing?!" Winry yelled from the balcony outside her room, glaring down the hill.

The scrap stopped only because Pitt rolled off of Ed and stood. He grinned up at Winry. "Just the usual," he laughed. "Sorry for interrupting. I need to go." He turned and walked away.

Ed got up out of the dirt and brushed himself off. Great. He was in for it now. When he looked up, Winry had vanished from the balcony. Well, maybe he would get off lucky this time!

But he wasn't that lucky. He had barely made it up the stairs to the front door when it opened and Winry came through, eyes glaring and a wrench in hand. "I'm sick of your fighting all the time, Edward" she glowered. "What was the fight about this time anyway?"

Ed opened his mouth, and then slammed it shut again. "Nothing much," he tried to hedge at the last minute.

"Right," Winry snorted in annoyance. "You don't really expect me to believe that." Then she sighed. "Not that you two don't fight over stupid things anyway."

"Hey, they aren't stupid!" Ed objected.

"Your height, who's faster, who's smarter…who can eat himself sick faster?" Winry shook her head. "You're impossible Ed. What was it about this time?"

Begrudgingly, Ed gave up. She was annoying when she got like this; and too damned persistent. "You," he admitted simply. That was bad enough!

Winry's eyes widened. "Me? What for?"

Ed shrugged. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you," he half-mumbled, hoping she wouldn't read too much into it. They were like siblings, her and himself and Al. He and Alphonse had fought about who might marry Winry when they were little; but that had been childhood games. It hadn't meant anything. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. For the past couple of years though, he'd caught himself wondering about other possibilities. Though he was sure Winry would skin him if she ever found out; or caught him noticing the way her hair moved in the wind, or the way her clothes fit; she had that habit of going around with the top half of her coveralls down leaving most of her top half exposed that made it very hard to ignore her.

"Looking at me?" Winry smirked. "If this is some misplaced display of brotherly protection, give it a rest. Pitt was just telling me about his new job."

"New…job?" That took the wind out of Edward's smart retort. "Pitt didn't mention any job to me."

"He just found out," Winry replied, her tone going surprisingly patient, and a little irritating since she sounded like she was explaining something to a kid, or maybe a patient. "He's going to be leaving Resembool to learn under a Doctor in another city."

"Leaving?" His best friend was leaving town and he hadn't told him!

"He wasn't sure how to tell you," Winry admitted with a sigh. "You should apologize."

Ed sighed. Great. "Later," he promised.

"As if you have anything better to do first," Winry replied.

"What's it to you if I do or don't anyway?" Ed retorted defensively. He was getting tired of defending his actions against questions. For some reason, that seemed to be happening more of late around here; from Winry, and Aunt Pinako, even Alphonse.

Winry looked stung for a moment, but then the expression turned to anger. "Grow up, Edward," she gave him one last glare and went back inside, slamming the door.

Ed sighed, then waited several seconds before daring to go in himself. As he closed the door, he could already hear Winry hard at work cutting metal for another piece of auto-mail. He slipped upstairs to the room he and Alphonse shared, and was unsurprised to find his brother lying on his own bed on his back, his pillow against the wall, a book propped up on his knees in front of him. "Interesting reading?" Ed asked as he sat down on his own.

"Yeah," Alphonse looked up and grinned. "It's a history of Aerugo."

Ed shook his head in amusement and couldn't help but smile a little. "You read the strangest things for fun sometimes, Al."

His little brother shrugged. "I like reading about other places. I think maybe I'd like to visit there someday. After I've seen some of our own country," he added with a chuckle. "What have you been up to, Brother?"

Ed sighed. "Officially giving up," he admitted softly. "There's nothing in any of Dad's books that's of any use." He had never right out told Alphonse what he was up to at the old house on the hill, but he suspected his brother her figured it out on his own.

As he suspected, Alphonse nodded understandingly. "I know," he admitted, something Ed had not expected. "I read them all myself too."

"What for?" It was a stupid question really; given how much they both studied alchemy. They could have entirely different reasons for reading the same books.

"I was hoping…" Now Alphonse looked a little embarrassed. "I was hoping to find a way to get your leg back to normal."

Ed sighed. "I told you, Al. It's not your problem, or your fault."

"But I should have tried harder, Brother," Alphonse replied. "I should have stopped you."

"You tried," Ed replied. This was an old argument, and it always seemed to go the same way; but they still had it. "I didn't listen. That's my fault, not yours."

"I could have tried to fight you," Alphonse said.

"And when we were done, I would have done it anyway," Ed countered. "You know that. It was my mistake, my blame to take; end of story."

"I still feel guilty."

"Don't!" Ed sighed in exasperation. "Forget it, Al. If I say it's my fault it's my fault okay?"

"Why?" Alphonse asked.

"Because I'm your big brother, that's why."

Alphonse chuckled. "Say that again when we're standing, Brother."

"I AM NOT A TINY LITTLE ANT!"

"I didn't say you were," Alphonse replied, but he was laughing as Ed seethed.

After a few seconds, Ed's temper ebbed again. "I'm starved. When's dinner?"

"Aunt Pinako said it would be a little late tonight," Alphonse commented, looking back down at his book. "She and Winry have a rush job to finish that they have to deliver tomorrow."

"Great." Ed felt his stomach turning as it rumbled. "Maybe I should just go rummage through the pantry. We'd have better luck of eating a real meal tonight." When Pinako and Winry got busy, food got scarce fast.

"We could offer to make it ourselves," Alphonse pointed out. "It's not that difficult, and they'd probably appreciate it."

"Yeah," Ed smiled. "You're right. Let's go see what's in the kitchen we can make without messing it up too badly."

Alphonse chuckled and stood. "We're better cooks than that, Brother. Besides, I'm sure Aunt Pinako and Winry will appreciate whatever we make."

The next morning wasn't a school day, thank goodness, so Ed didn't have to worry about keeping to someone else's schedule. He slept in a little, and when he woke up it was well after sunrise, and he could smell the heavenly scent of breakfast cooking below and wafting up through the house. He pulled on his favorite pair of black pants, and a red t-shirt and headed downstairs.

Alphonse and Pinako were in the kitchen, and Pinako was fixing breakfast. Ed dropped down into his usual seat with an appreciative sniff. "Smells great, Grans," he grinned. "I'm famished."

"Aren't you always," Pinako chuckled, but she seemed to be in a good mood this morning.

"Maybe he's growing," Alphonse snickered as Pinako served up breakfast.

"Yeah, I wish," Ed chuckled, shrugging. He was always hungry, but he didn't seem to get much taller.

"Could be, pipsqueak," Pinako commented as she put breakfast on his plate too. "It's been a few months since we adjusted your automail, and it would be about time."

Ed's face darkened. "Don't call me pipsqueak."

"Oh relax, Edward," Alphonse chuckled. "You're too defensive. Besides, you should just be glad when you grow it's up!"

Ed glared at his brother, but his mouth was full so he couldn't retort immediately. By the time he took a drink of juice and swallowed, the moment had passed. "Where's Winry?" he asked.

"Asleep," Pinako replied with a chuckle. "Poor kid was up till nearly dawn working on that leg piece."

"Did the order get finished?" Alphonse asked.

"Yeah. Who was it for?" Ed asked. The Rockbells got special orders sometimes from people who couldn't travel out this far.

"A little girl in East City," Pinako replied as she sat down at the head of the table. "There was an accident, and her right leg and arm were crushed."

"That's awful," Alphonse exclaimed.

Pinako nodded. "But that's why we're here isn't it?" She added, smiling. "What we do helps people get on with their lives, instead of sitting around and missing out on them because of something they couldn't control."

Ed felt his mood dropping. Yeah, poor kid. Pinako had done the same thing for him, but what had he really done since then? Other than live in Pinako's house, eat her food, and help out around the house sometimes? He knew they were practically family, but that didn't make him feel like he should be doing something more productive. After all, even his co-conspirator in mischief for years, Pitt, was about to go off and learn how to be a real doctor.

"It's great that you can help people so far away," Alphonse
replied to Pinako. "Winry should be proud of her work too."

"She is," Pinako chuckled. "Though she keeps wanting to improve it. She says she wants to expand the business someday, really 'put us on the map.' I told her, if she wants to do that, she should leave Resembool for a while."

"Leave?" That caught Ed's attention. "Where would she go?" Winry had never mentioned the possibility of leaving.

"Rush Valley most likely," Pinako replied as she ate. "That's the best place; the hub of commerce for auto-mail design."

Now that Pinako mentioned it, Ed vaguely remembered Rush Valley as being listed as a stop on another train when they had changed trains just North of Dublith. The other train had led North, to Central City from there, and Rush Valley had been listed as one of the major stops. "That's pretty far away," he commented.

"It is," Pinako nodded. "But you know Winry."

"It's not that far," Alphonse replied. "Only a few days by train after all. Think of being that close to Central too." From his tone, Alphonse sounded like he thought this was a great idea.

"Interested in seeing Central, Alphonse?" Pinako asked with some amusement.

Ed watched his brother's face flush, a little embarrassed apparently. "Well, yeah," Alphonse replied. "Actually," he admitted, smiling. "I was thinking it might be neat to attend the University there. You know, when I'm old enough."

Pinako smiled. "That sounds like a fine idea. You've got quite a head for knowledge. There's a lot you could do with that kind of education."

"I don't know what I'd do after yet," Alphonse chuckled. "But I want to travel too I think, and see some of the places I've only read about."

Ed felt his stomach sinking. So Al wanted to leave too. Well, he knew his brother wanted to travel, what had he really expected? That they would spend the rest of their lives in Resembool? Living in this house like nothing had changed? He stuffed the last few bites in his mouth and stood up. "Thanks for breakfast, Aunt Pinako. I'm going for a walk." He was a little abrupt, but he'd remembered to thank her. He pushed in his chair and headed outside.

Not that he really knew where he was going. He didn't really want to go back up to the old house. There was little to draw him there with the knowledge that there were no possible secrets remaining inside. "What now, Edward?" he asked himself aloud as he started out across the fields behind the house instead. It was a question he couldn't even answer in the short term. The long term just confused him. Everyone seemed to be growing up, moving on, looking forward to a bright future… and he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself. Other than Alchemy, he wasn't much good for anything else. He had no interest in auto-mail aside from being able to do basic self-maintenance. He enjoyed learning, but he didn't think a University was the right place for him. Not because he wasn't smart enough, he just didn't have any interest in going. He preferred choosing his own topics of study and why pay for it when he could learn it all on his own time if he cared to?

Eventually, Winry would go. He knew it. He was actually surprised she hadn't gone to Rush Valley already, and that thought hurt him. Alphonse would go in a few years, and Ed had no doubts his brother would get into the University. He was the perfect student; eager, attentive, responsible. Pitt was already leaving; a few months older than Ed, and off to do something serious and helpful with his life.

And Ed had no plans at all. What could he really do anyway? He was an alchemist. That should be enough; it was for Izumi. She was married to Seg, and they lived behind the Meat shop, and she was perfectly happy it seemed, helping out the community around her. That was what being an alchemist was supposed to be all about; and he and his brother did that for the people of Resembool when it was truly needed. But that wasn't enough for him. Ed hated sitting still and now it felt like his entire life was doing just that and it rankled.

He was in a pretty sour mood by the time he found himself down by the river. He sat down in the grass near the water's edge, and grabbed a handful of smooth flat rocks. With a practiced flip of his left hand he tossed a stone out into the river and watched it sip four, five, six times. He was one of the best stone skippers around. But what good did that do him?

Lately, things he had always enjoyed had begun to seem trivial; unimportant. He was sixteen, and he had never done anything important in his life. He was no more useful than saving people a few hours of hard work in most cases. At least he was good at depressing himself, he thought sarcastically.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Ed looked up, and blinked into the sunlight. "Winry. I thought you were asleep."

Winry stretched, and covered a yawn as she dropped down cross-legged into the grass beside him. She stretched out her bare legs, not covered by the shorts she had pulled on this morning, and leaned back, braced up by her hands pushed out behind her. "I was," she replied. "I woke up," she added, as if that much weren't obvious.

Ed caught himself looking at her legs. Hell, he was going to get in so much trouble once of these days! "I hear you got the order for the little girl finished."

Winry nodded, a smile coming to her face. "Yep. Some of the best auto-mail I've ever made I think. It's even a little adjustable so she won't need a new set every time she has a growth spurt. She's only eight."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Ed commented, smiling. "You do great work."

Winry chuckled. "Thanks, Ed." She yawned again, and Ed nearly jumped as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It was worth it, but boy am I beat."

Ed tried not to blush furiously, but the view he was getting was a little more than he really needed, given Winry had one of her father's old shirts on, but it was open, tied at the bottom. Around the house and workshop, Winry preferred clothing that didn't inhibit her movements, and that meant the black strapless undergarments she wore were often in evidence. He couldn't get up and move though, not with her leaning on his arm. "You could get more sleep," he suggested.

"Nah," Winry shook her head and, fortunately for him, sat up again. They were so close though. "I'll get behind on everything else too if I sleep all day."

"Auto-mail junkie," Ed chuckled.

"Alchemy nut," Winry smirked; then her expression softened. "So…what was that really all about yesterday?" she asked her voice surprisingly soft. When Ed looked over, her expression was more earnest.

Crap. "I told you," Ed tried not to fidget. "I just didn't like the way he was all over you, that's all."

"You said looking," Winry corrected, frowning. "You were watching us?"

"I well…. Sort of," Ed admitted, bracing for her fury. "I was coming up to the house."

Winry's face went red, but she only shoved his shoulder hard with one hand. "You're such an idiot sometimes," she sighed, exasperated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed scowled.

"I mean you don't even ask what's going on before you go off the handle," Winry replied, looking over at him. "Lately, it seems like you get into fights all the time. Not just with Pitt either. You spend all your time up at your Mom's house, and it seems like we hardly ever see you when you're not eating or at school."

Ed shrugged. "What of it?"

"Is that all you can say?" Winry's frown deepened. She was definitely upset. "You get more and more withdrawn, Ed. It's like you don't even want to spend time with us anymore some days. I mean, sometimes everything seems normal, than you go off into this dark 'mood' for days at a time. Alphonse is worried. I know Granny's worried too."

"And you?" Ed wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was going. He already felt defensive.

Winry sighed. "You never tell me what's bothering you. You don't even tell me what you're up to half the time. I don't know your dreams, your aspirations; hell, I don't even know what you'd like for dinner half the time. You don't talk to me anymore, Edward."

"A guy can't have a little privacy?" Ed retorted. He didn't tell her his aspirations, because he didn't have any. But he couldn't admit that. It would be the ultimate embarrassment.

"This isn't privacy, Ed!" Yeah, she was really mad this time! Winry's eyes were flashing. "You're walling us all out, and it scares me. You're sullen and stubborn and you could be acing everything we do at school without hardly effort at all, but you're not.
Something's bothering you and I hate that you won't tell me what it is!" She had jumped to her feet in exasperation, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips.

"If you want open and honest and pouring out feelings, go talk to Al," Ed snapped, getting to his own feet and getting up in her face. "He's the sensitive one, remember? Not me."

"But Al's not the one I'm in love with!" Winry's face went red, and tears welled in her eyes

"Well you certainly….wait! What?" Ed stopped mid-rant, his eyes going wide and his suddenly dry. He had to have misheard that.

Winry had a horrified expression, startled and embarrassed all at once, with one hand on her mouth. "You heard me," she said finally. "You really are oblivious sometimes, Edward Elric. I really figured maybe I was being obvious enough. I thought you were just ignoring me but-"Tears started to fall.

Aww hell. "Winry. darn it, you could have just said something!"
"Why?" she asked, wiping her eyes dry with her arm. "You've been acting like you don't want anything more to do with me than you have to. We're like siblings, you say it all the time. What was I supposed to think?"

"That I…" Ed wasn't really sure how to respond. He'd been really good, apparently, at hiding his own inner conflict. Not all of them, but at least his confusion over his growing attraction to Winry. He just knew they were standing out there by the river, alone, mere inches apart and Winry had just admitted she loved him.

He wasn't sure who actually initiated it, but the next thing Ed consciously registered was the fact that they were on the ground, and they were kissing. It was a frantic, passionate, intense feeling that awakened something within him. It was overwhelmingly powerful; and it excited him in ways he hadn't felt since he and Al had been kids, training in alchemy, and planning to do great things. With Winry beside him, his arms wrapped tightly around that slim, firm waist. She was so warm, and alive, and he wanted more of this feeling; the added sense of risk, the idea they might be caught; he found he didn't care. It made it all that much more exciting, that hint of adventure. He didn't care.

In the back of his mind, he wondered how far they could take this. He'd turned sixteen recently; neither of them were 'kids'…not really, no matter what his teachers kept telling him. It felt so good, so right. Her hands were under his shirt, on his back, the prickle of her nails digging into his back was intoxicating in ways he didn't fully understand. He moved one hand up toward her top.

"Brother!"

That's it…Al was dead. Ed broke it off suddenly with a gasping breath and looked down at Winry, who he realized he had pinned beneath him in his eagerness. She was a little wild eyed, but she smiled up at him. Oh if only they had a few more minutes…

"Brother!" Alphonse called again. "I….oh uhh…."

poop. Ed looked up and realized Al was already standing on the ridge above them. His younger brother's eyes were big as tea cups. Ed sighed and rolled off of Winry, who stood up and dusted herself off.

"What's up?" Ed asked his brother. It was easier than trying to explain! Though he suspected what they had been doing was painfully self-evident.

Alphonse swallowed, and blinked. "What? Oh yeah! Right. You need to come back to the house! Dad's come home!"