DISCLAIMED. FMA is so not mine. Sadly.

Hello, world of fan fiction! I am back after more than two years of being on hiatus. For eighteen months of those two years, I was off serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in New Mexico in the United States. Best decision I've yet made in my life. I learned to speak Spanish, too! :D For the last six months, I've been trying to put my life in order, and now I'm finally starting to write again. So here's a tidbit for tonight—hopefully the first of many new and improved stories to come! This one takes place between the end of the Promised Day and Ed's departure from Resembool as given in the manga.

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It wasn't as though they had talked about it. At least not out loud.

It had started out with lingering glances, telling smiles, and brushes of hand against arm, or even hand against hand.

Then they got braver; they would sit down to relax on the couch, she would rest her head on his shoulder, and in a moment, she would feel his cheek on the top of her head. After a few such instances, they would add the intimate touch of intertwined fingers.

One night, when he was rummaging in the pantries because he couldn't sleep, he saw her trudging toward the stairs, rubbing her eyes and nearly losing her balance, having pulled another all-nighter to finish an order for an impatient customer. He had hurried over to steady her, examined her tired face, a fond smile breaking through his concerned expression. He had kissed her forehead, then carried her to her bed and made sure she was comfortable before leaving the room.

These days, their topics of conversation typically turned toward the future and how they wanted to spend it. They would bounce ideas for individual dreams off each other, and then, gradually, they would discuss what they wanted to do together.

As their emotional trust in each other reached new heights, so did their physical trust grow as well. Soon, they were cuddling and hugging at nearly every opportunity. Even Al's teasing couldn't keep them apart, even if it made them blush.

Of course they were both basically the same people as before, if a bit more mature from the experiences they'd had. They still had just as many tempestuous moments as serene ones. She still occupied herself with her brilliant automail and improving her cooking skills, and he with his piles of books and seemingly endless repairs around the house. But some kind of gate between them had opened when the gate to Truth had closed on Father. That was the difference.

Now here they were, just the two of them and a warm summer afternoon. Al and Granny had each left—Al to simply enjoy a long walk in solitude, Granny to run some errands—and so they kept themselves busy by washing and then hanging the laundry, followed by some lemonade and sandwiches. Then he got sleepy, as he always did after a meal in the afternoon. After a tickle fight on the couch, he had given in and let her win so that he could sleep—but he didn't let her leave. He pulled her down toward the cushions, and she found herself naturally falling with him. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose, and with his arms wrapped securely around her, he was soon dead asleep.

For a while, she was content to lay her head on his chest and lightly, soothingly skim her nails across his opposite shoulder, sometimes straying toward his hair to gently run her fingers through the strands. She tried to fall asleep, too—it wasn't like she would be going anywhere soon anyway—but she simply wasn't tired.

So then she moved her head back to rest it on his arm instead, and she watched him sleep. She smiled at the peace in his face. When he let out a few snores, she had to suppress a giggle. But despite the serenity of the moment, she kept wanting to wake him, to ask him what did he think he was doing anyway, holding her like she was his, when he hadn't even properly asked. Well, she wanted to wake him with a tender kiss on his lips, and then ask him.

She remembered a few days ago when a nice boy in the market had asked her out on a date. She didn't feel comfortable accepting the offer, thinking of him, angry and hurt, and thinking of how this boy wasn't him anyway. She had told the boy that she was taken.

It wasn't like they had talked about it. At least not out loud.

But as he stirred in his dreams, mumbled something unintelligible, and pulled her closer to him, she reminded herself that she knew what he wanted to say.

And her response was to curl up against him, settle her head against his chest again, breathe in his scent, and let him hold her for as long as he wanted to.

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Inspired by events in my own life. :) I'm such a sucker for EdWin.

Thanks to everyone who has continued to read my work while I've been away. It's good to be back. :) If anyone is interested, I'll pick up "In the Name of Peace" again, and I'll try to finish a couple of other projects I started, too. Until next time!