Dusty Road

Ok. Is it Rizenbool or Rizenbul? I\'ve seen this spelled so many freakin\' ways, I could scream. Kind of like poor Alfons Heiderich. Or is it Alfonse Heid(e)rich? Or Alphonse Heid(e)rich?. Who the hell knows! Rah! *rips out hair*

And you know what else, I just realized that the version I\'m putting up, isn\'t the edited version I already went through. *grimace* So I need to go through this whole damn thing again and re-edit it because I now have no idea what I did with it.

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I\'m the funny man! --David Della Rocko, The Boondock Saints
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Ed awoke with a gasp. He blinked hard, stars and sparkles bursting on his vision. He was panting for breath. The first thing he did was try to scramble up. This was a mistake. His legs were like rubber and he tumbled to the ground, scraping his hands on a cold, stone floor.

Finally, his eyes started to adjust. He heart nearly stopped.

He knew this place.

No. It couldn’t be. He was dreaming.

“Al.” He looked around, suddenly remembering his brother. “Al…Al! AL! Where are you?!”

“Ed?” said a whoozy voice.

“Al, what happened?”

“Where are we?”

“We’re…we’re…”

We’re in the Underground City. In the dance hall.

Aren\'t we?

Al was sitting up; Ed could just make out his blond hair. The older brother crawled over to the younger brother. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” murmured Al. He put a hand to his head. “I feel like the world is spinning though.” Suddenly, he snapped to attention. “Are we back?”

“I dunno…it’s so damn dark…” Ed looked around again. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out...”

Ed sat on his knees, spread his arms and then clapped his hands together.

And he knew it was going to work. The resounding echo of the clap, the rush of warmth as he slammed his hands onto the ground, the brilliant blue light that engulfed him. A short pillar rose up from the stone and a bright, hot fire flared into life at the top.

Ed jumped up, staring at this as if he’d never seen it before. As if it was his first time doing alchemy. Al stood also, staring at that bright flame.

They looked at each other.

And now, after sneaking onto a train (they had no money at the moment, after all) and riding all the way to the Rizenbool station, they had walked up the long and dusty road. Al, who had changed his clothes almost immediately, was getting more and more excited, Ed felt as though he was going to throw up.

Now Ed had knocked on the door of their best friend and he waited with baited breath for the door to open.

It didn’t.

Ed stared at it. He knocked again. No one answered. He felt dizzy. Surely this was a joke. They’d finally managed to get back here, sneak onto a train to cross the country to Rizenbool, walked the rest of the way and Winry wasn’t home.

Or worse, maybe she didn’t live there anymore.

Maybe she’d gotten married, moved away to the city and had fifteen kids.

Al grabbed his arm, seeming to catch the increasing despair leaking into his eyes. “Come on, Ed. Maybe she’s out. Try the knob. Pinako is usually always home.”

Ed nodded. He swallowed hard and reached for the knob. It opened easily to his touch. He stepped into a house he hadn’t seen in over four years. The warm afternoon sun filtered through the light curtain, casting a golden glow over…

…all the metal parts, tools, and accessories that seemed to be everywhere.

“Whoa,” said Al, stopping dead in his tracks to stare at the carnage of auto-mail.

“Holy shit,” Ed agreed, unconsciously drawing away from all the broken parts he saw.

“This place is a mess,” Al voiced, looking confused. “Pinako would never have allowed this. Not in the living room.”

“Where is Pinako?”

Al looked up and called her name.

No one answered; the house was completely silent.

“Hey,” Ed said, suddenly looking around. “Where’s Den?”

“Oh yeah,” Al agreed, brightening. “Den!”

But the dog didn’t come.

Al and Ed looked at each other, a little nervous.

“Oh!” Ed said, he looked everywhere, except at Al. “Maybe they’re at the river? We used to take Den there. Although…Pinako didn’t go very much…”

“We’ll give it a try,” Al agreed.

They turned away from the massacre and walked out the door, closing it softly behind them.

“Al,” Ed said softly as they stepped off the porch. “What are we gonna do if they’re gone?”

Al merely looked at him for a few seconds. His brother, who usually had a strong grasp on everything looked truly anxious. Not fearful. Al sometimes thought his brother was immune to real fear. He just seemed terribly, horribly anxious, which was something Al had never seen in him before. He chose his words carefully. “If they’re not here, we’ll just go look for them.”

Ed looked at the ground and Al felt a twinge of panic. If Ed suddenly lost it, Al didn’t know how he’d handle him. It had always been Ed looking after everyone else. No one looked after Ed. Al froze for second, considering, for the first time, how terribly lonely that must be.

But then Ed was squaring his shoulders. “Yeah, we could always go find the Colonel to see if he knows anything. Major Armstrong and Hawkeye might know something too.”

“Yeah,” Al agreed, a touch quickly and, he was ashamed to admit, a little relieved.

Ed clasped his hands in his pocket, swallowed, and started towards the river. Neither of them spoke on the way. Ed’s hand had gone cold again and his stomach was churning. Al was practically bouncing. They followed the road to where it crested just above the hill that led down to the river. When a dog barked, Ed’s heart nearly jumped into his throat. He stopped.

“Ed…,” Al halted, staring at him. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Ed looked down, angry with himself. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He took a steadying breath and squared his shoulders again. He walked to the edge.

And there she was.

Winry was down by the river. She was on her knees while Den lay next to her, belly-up. She scratched him, giggling at the dog’s lolling tongue. She looked away from him for a moment and stared across the river for a few seconds. Then she was gazing back at the dog, sitting away from him. Den pushed himself up (not nearly as fast as he used to, Ed noted, which made him consider just how old Den must have been) and flopped himself down, right next to Winry, laying his head on her legs. She laughed again, scratching his head.

Ed opened his mouth to speak. To call down to her. To say something. Anything. He couldn’t just stand here in silence. She was right there. Ed mouthed soundlessly. Nothing would come out. He clenched his hands into fists, trying to stop them from trembling. When had he been so damn nervous about seeing Winry? He’d been gone for four years before, returned at fifteen and things had been fine.

Then two years later, he’d seen her again and he’d hardly had time to talk to her. And now again, two years later…there she was. She was right down there. And yet…it was as if someone had stuffed cotton balls into his throat.

Al was looking at him. He could feel it. Al was waiting for him to say something. Al was waiting for him to do something.

He barely glanced at him. And then he narrowed his eyes, battered down his sudden paralysis and opened his mouth again. “Win…ry,” he said, but it only came out as a whisper.

“Ed—,” Al started.

“Winry,” said Ed, in a normal-tone of voice.

Again, slightly louder.

Again, louder.

“Winry!” A low shout.

She perked, smiling, and she turned around.

Ed felt everything in him turn to ice.

Al couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Winry!” He yelped and, like a puppy, he raced down the hill and slammed into her.

She fell backwards, Al clinging to her in a hug. She grabbed onto his shoulders and pushed him up. She stared at him. “Alphonse…” her voice cracked.

“Yeah, it’s me! We’ve come back! And for good this time! We’re never leaving again!”

She seemed stunned. “Al?” Her face lit up in an extraordinary smile. Her laugh was disbelieving.

“Yeah! Oh, we were so afraid you’d left! Ed knocked on the door and no one—“

“Edward?! He’s here?!”

“Yeah, he’s up there. Look!” Al pointed right at his brother.

Winry stumbled to her feet. She stared up at him.

Ed stared down at her. He, again, opened his mouth to speak and, again, nothing came out.

“Come on!” Al grabbed Winry’s hand and started to pull her up the hill. Den followed more slowly, seeming too indifferent to see if he remembered these two boys.

At the top, Al stopped, pulling Winry in beside him.

A mere three feet from each other, Ed tried a smile. He opened his mouth and managed, “Hi…”

She smiled. He could see her eyes tearing up and she put a hand over her mouth. “Hi,” she said back, her voice cracking horribly as she held back a sob.

He put a hand up and moved a step forward and then Winry was flying at him, throwing herself into his arms. “You’re back for good this time?” she asked him, tightening her hold around him.

He buried his nose in her hair. “Yeah,” he whispered into her ear. “We’re back for good.”

“Good,” she told him, winding back and slapping him across the face. Ed staggered with the strength behind it. “’Cause you fucking left me last time, again, you bastard son of a bitch! And I still haven’t forgiven you for that. You dumb shit!”

Al gasped. Ed looked down, a sad smile on his face. “I suppose I deserved that.”

“Damn right you did! You asshole!” She put her hands on his shoulders. When he looked up, she was crying. “You…you stupid, stupid idiot. You bastard.”

Ed managed to give her a crooked, apologetic smile. She laughed, trying to keep from crying at the same time. “You jerk,” she repeated, slapping his arm weakly.

He smiled at her, rather pathetically. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

She narrowed her eyes, wiping the tears away and smiling. “That depends. How’s my auto-mail?”

Ed grinned and pulled back his sleeve. “Still intact. I had to adjust it on my own but I figured it out.”

Winry rolled her eyes. “That means I’ll probably have to take a look at it, right?”

“No,” Ed said, indignant.

“Probably,” Al said, at the same time.

Ed glared at him.

“Well, come on!” Winry said, breathing in a deep, shakey breath and hooking her left elbow with Ed and her right elbow with Al. “Let’s go back to the house. Have you guys eaten yet? When did you get back?”

“This morning,” Al told her. “We had to sneak on a train to get here.”

“How did you get back?”

“It’s a long story,” Ed put in. “We’ll tell you later.”

“Later as in never or later as in…maybe later but probably not?”

Ed and Al looked at each other. Ed made an executive decision. “I will tell you. I promise. No more secrets.”

Al blinked. Winry’s eyes widened. “Well, it’s about damn time, you know.” But her smile, warm and grateful and everything else good, said more than her words.

They continued to the house. Al was a constant noise, which Ed appreciated, it kept him from actually having to say anything. It ground to a halt when Al asked, “Oh hey, where’s Pinako?”

Winry slowed to a stop on the road. “Ah, yeah, you’ve been gone so you wouldn’t know…Grandma…died last year.”

Ed jerked his face up to stare at her.

Al’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “What?! But she’s practically indestructible!”

Ed gave his forehead a mental slap. As smart, charming and mature as Al was—sometimes that moron had no tact at all.

Winry smiled. “Not entirely. She wasn’t my auto-mail, after all. She just got tired.” There was a sad undertone to her voice. “But hey, we can talk about that later. Tell me all your stories.”

So Al did, except for what had happened in the last seven months. He seemed to have taken a hint that Ed wanted to tell her about all that. He talked and chatted and spoke as Winry and Ed managed to make dinner while trying hard to not look at each other, while they tried even harder to steal shy glances of the other.

This was difficult for Ed (he couldn’t say particularly, of course, as Winry was keeping her face almost impossibly blank). He just wanted to…to…just wrap his arms around her—touch her hand—do something. But that was an action he couldn’t do in front of Al. Al was his little brother, after all—and even if he did know the full extent of Ed’s feelings on the matter (thanks to Mariah) and even if he probably wouldn’t have minded…there were still lines that Ed didn’t feel comfortable crossing.

Finally, after stuffing himself on spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate chip mint ice cream, Al yawned. Winry gave him a warm smile. “You are so cute, Al.”

Al blinked, staring at her with his hands above his head. He glanced at Ed and then smiled, lowering his hands. “Not really, Winry…”

The young woman laughed. “You’re embarrassed. That’s adorable.” She laughed again as Al started to turn a light shade of red. “C’mon, I’ll take you upstairs. You can get some sleep.”

Before he could object Winry led him upstairs. Ed followed with a soft smile, and stood just outside the door while Al hugged her and told her how happy he was to see her and thanked her for giving him a bed and finally telling her goodnight. Winry merely kissed him on the cheek. “Geez, Al, how old are you?”

Al laughed and grinned but, to Ed’s surprise and amusement, didn’t wipe off his cheek where Winry had kissed him. “S’not my fault. Being stuck in armor has stunted my emotional growth.”

Winry snorted. “Go to bed, Al. You’ve obviously been with Ed for too long.”

She walked out of the room and shut the door. She rolled her eyes at Ed. “I feel like I’m talking to a twelve-year-old.”

“Which is why I suppose you said he’s been with me too long?”

“Quite possibly, except you’re much taller than you used to be.”

He scowled at her. “I’m taller than you now.”

She smirked. “By mere inches.”

“That’s something, isn’t it?”

“I suppose, but it doesn’t erase the fact that your influence has turned poor, sweet, innocent Al into a twelve-year-old.”

Ed, who’d been leaning against the wall, straightened and rolled his eyes. “Poor, sweet, innocent Al? You’re joking, right? He was really excited to see you. He’ll probably calm down tomorrow. And then you’ll find out just how sweet and innocent he can be. Notice how he didn’t wipe your kiss off—he’s probably plotting something as we speak.”

Winry laughed and then, somewhat awkwardly, looked at the wall next to her.

They were silent for a moment.

“Well, uh, would you like to sit with me for awhile?”

Ed nodded, grateful that she’d asked because he had no idea how to approach the subject. He followed Winry into her bedroom, where she sat down on a window seat. He sat across from her.

“How does it feel?” she asked, quietly. She was smiling softly at him.

“What?”

Her smiled widened a little. “How does it feel to be back?”

Ed laughed a little. “It feels amazing. To…be back for good. I’ve missed this place.”

“That’s good,” Winry told him.

“How about you?”

“Am I happy you’re back?”

“Well, not really that but—“

“I’m happy you’re back.” Her smiled faltered and she shook her head. “You can’t believe how much I worried about you two. I didn’t figure you were ever coming back, so I went and got further training and everything but I always wondered what had happened to you. And now,” she got up then, crawling across the window seat and wrapping her arms around Ed’s neck. “Now you’re back. I’m more than happy. I’m ecstatic. I’m…dumbfounded and bewildered and angry and sad and happy all at once. I can’t decide which one to settle on.”

“Preferably not sad, and hopefully not angry,” Ed informed her. She was so warm. He slid his hands up her back, moving his flesh one into her hair and letting the other rest on her spine.

He sat up then, moving his legs out from under her, so they were both sitting on the window seat. He licked his lips.

And don’t forget what I told you about that girl.

Ed mentally steadied himself. Whatever you say, Mariah. If this goes wrong, it’s your fault.

He felt embarrassment set in at the thought of what he was going to tell her. But he took it like a man, swallowing his tension. “I, uh…I missed you, Winry.”

Ed winced inwardly. Oh geez, what a lame way to start.

“I missed you too…”

Ed glanced at her, feeling out of his depth and trying to suppress the humiliation that was threatening to stop this whole process. He stared down at his hands. “Winry…I…,” he faltered again, desperately looking at everything except for her.

“Oh dammit, Ed! You’re so stupid!” Winry said irritably. She grabbed Edward by the front of his vest and yanked him into her.

He didn’t need any more encouragement or permission than that. He was kissing her, hard, leaning into her. She grabbed at his vest tightly; as if afraid he might slip away. He gasped a little to himself and tugged at her arms, pulling her against him. He slid his metal fingers away (and thanked whatever gods were listening for the handy flesh-like cover), down to her hip.

He drew his lips away, on fire as they were, his breathing a little hitched, and said, “I really missed you.”

There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?

Yes. Yes, it was.

She smiled and chuckled. “I can tell.” She disentangled herself from him and got on her knees on the window seat. Pushing him to sit against the wall, she straddled his leg and grabbed his shoulders, pushing her mouth against his again. His hands immediately went to her waist, pulling her more tightly against him.

Coherent thought was jumping up and deserting. All he would hear was his own breathing, picking up speed and her gasping sighs. All he could feel was her warm skin, her soft hair and her hungry, eager kisses. He could smell the scent of fresh grass, water, and oil in her clothes, her hair, her skin. Was that mint he tasted on her lips? He tried to remember what they’d had for dinner. They’d had something for dessert too. Something Al really liked but he couldn’t grasp it. Had it had mint? He couldn’t remember but as her hands scrabbled as the buttons of his vest, he found it no longer mattered.

He breathed her in, skittering his hands up her front to clasp gently at her throat. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. Her lips moved to his face, leaving a trail across his cheek to his ear and then down to his throat. He looked at the ceiling, feeling a sigh escape him and a shiver race up his spine.

She finally finished the buttons on his vest and pushed it off his shoulders. He broke their kiss, leaning forward. She scooted back and helped him get it off, holding the garment up for a moment to examine it. “I really like these clothes,” she murmured, looking away from the vest to examine his white shirt (why even bother calling it white anymore?) and the black clasps on his upper arms. She made so far as to scoot back a bit more and examine his pants too. “What kind of fabric as this?” she asked, touching his pant leg, sending a jolt of electricity up Ed’s thigh.

Ed smiled, his lips tight as he attempted to ignore the shock he’d just received. “I don’t really know. My dad bought them for me when I arrived in London the second time around. I have others like this. When I moved to Munich—“

“Munich?”

He chuckled, relaxing a little. “It’s the city Al talked about—in a country called Germany.”

“Germany…,” she repeated softly. “What was it like there?”

“Much like Al described, although he left out that they had lost a war. The people there weren’t bad people and they are known for drinking beer. Although,” and Ed paused to think for a moment. “I always thought that was just a stereotype, as Germany had some of the finest and most precise scientists, scholars, and engineers in that whole world. The Nazi Party seems to think they’re dangerous.”

“The Nazi Party?”

Ed grinned and shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s going to take me a couple days to adjust. I was completely lost when I arrived in Europe and I had to figure out the political system very quickly.”

“What’s it like?”

“Corrupt,” Ed answered honestly.

“Much like ours then?”

Ed laughed.

Winry smiled, reaching out a hand to touch Edward’s face. “Al left a lot out. You’re going to have to tell me everything.”

He nodded, thoughts of Mariah and Altec pulling at him. “I will.”

“But not right now,” Winry told him. Her smile was soft, with just a hint of something in her eyes that Ed couldn’t explain. She leaned into him again, connecting their mouths. Ed shoved his hands up her arms again, clutching at them. He screwed his eyes shut and fought for control of himself as he felt her move off his lips to the corner of his mouth.

“Winry…,” he said softly, but gruffly; his tone had a slight warning in it.

He heard Winry chuckle softly. “Ed. I’ve waited long enough for you. I made the decision not to wait any longer two years ago.”

He opened his eyes, staring right into hers. He suddenly felt as if he couldn’t breath. “Winry…you…” He looked at her under the tops of his eyes.

She turned teary again and smiled. “Yeah,” she said, almost in whisper.

“Winry…if you wanna stop…,” Ed swallowed. “Just…just say the word. Okay?”

“I know,” she murmured, her smile softening and her blue eyes darkening. “You too, huh?”

Ed snorted, feeling his face heat up.

Winry laughed at him. “What? I suppose you always hear the guy say that in the stories right?”

“Yeah,” Ed admitted, a little sheepish and, perhaps, a little ashamed that he’d fallen into a cliche.

“Well, let’s remember, Ed. I made your right arm. I can unmake it just as easily.”

“You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

Winry raised her eyebrows, but he saw something else in her face instead of the light banter. “I might.” Her eyes darkened again.

Ed felt himself freeze. Oh boy....

Winry allowed a low laugh to escape her. A dark smile stretched across her face. “Well?”

Ed reached his hand up and roughly wiped off his face. He took in a deep breath. “Okay.”

She stood up. He looked up at her. She held out her hand. “Not on my window seat.”

Ed gave a rueful smile, taking her hand and standing up. They started to cross the room to her bed and then Ed stopped. She turned around, looking curious. Ed smiled. “Just stand right there for a moment.”

She ticked her head to the side. “Why?”

In that perfect spot, moonlight was beaming through her window, casting a pale glow over her face. It was beautiful, almost angelic. Her blue eyes were crystal clear, like a sunny summer day. “You’re prettier than I remember.”

He saw the flush rise to her face as she looked to the side. She squeezed his hand. Ed pulled her into him. He swept his right hand up her shoulder and buried his left into her hair. She tilted the side of her face, smiling up at him. He, very gently, took his left hand from her hair and touched her warm skin. Her chin first, and then her nose. He touched her forehead and her eyebrows. He touched each of her ears and her smooth cheeks. She closed her eyes and he gently touched her lashes and eyelids. He moved down to her throat, and softly, to her shoulder—slipping his fingers just under the neckline of her t-shirt. Winry tensed into him, raising her hands to his shoulders. Ed felt as though his stomach had caught on fire.

He lowered his face to hers, capturing her lips again. She gave a very soft moan, whispering his name. Her hands clamped into his shoulders, digging her fingers into him. Ed moved this time, kissing her jaw-line and down to her throat. She readily tilted her face for him, giving him access to her skin.

Winry stepped backwards and grabbed his shirt. She began to work on the buttons.

“Winry,” his voice was low, huskier, sounding fevered and rough.

Her eyes were hooded. “Come on, Ed.”

He looked right into her face. He swallowed, strangling the sudden irrational fear that threatened him. “All right.”

She stepped again, until the back of her knees touched the quilt on her bed. She sat down and waited for him to do the same. He did, lifting his whole hand to touch her face again and then bringing his right up to her head. She followed it with her eyes as he reached behind her to grasp the clip that held up her hair. Loose of it, her soft, blond hair cascaded down her shoulders.

I want her…

With a surge, he pushed into her.

I want to feel her…under me…

He grabbed her shoulders, put a knee up on the bed and pulled her up. She slid across the blanket effortlessly and he put himself above her, a knee between her legs. She reached up almost immediately, finishing with his buttons. She pushed at his shirt. He sat up and removed it. He felt his shoulders tense as he looked down at her, leaning on his metal arm so he could kiss her as he forced the other hand under her shirt.

She kissed up quickly. He moved, almost frantically, unable to express how long he’d wanted this. He sat back a little on his legs and put both hands under her shirt, yanking it off and throwing it aside. His left hand was hot, his right…cold, but it didn’t matter. Her skin was deliciously fiery. Their hungry kisses came faster. She grappled her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, flushing their skin together.

Ed kissed her and growled when she ducked and sucked on his throat. His blood was rushing through him. He felt light-headed and dizzy. He struggled to control himself. He couldn’t lose it now. He’d always had a decent amount of control over himself—especially when he was vulnerable—he could not lose it now.

But then she was reaching up and working out his ponytail. She kissed his collarbones as his hair fell around them.

Ed shoved his hands under her and removed her plain white bra with barely constrained ferocity. And then he had to stop.

He had never seen this part of a woman before. Edward Elric had had bigger things to worry about. Sleeping with a girl hadn’t even been a thought. He had to concentrate on just living in that other world. In taking care of Al. In working his odd jobs to make money. In avoiding authority figures who might recognize him. There was too much to worry about to even consider sleeping with a woman. So he stared at this new piece of Winry that he had never seen before.

Her chest was pale, as it rarely saw the sun for obvious reasons, with small, brown nipples. Her breasts were not large or small (not that he had any real experience to compare it to), but seemed some pleasant place in the middle.

Winry smiled. She’d seen that look on Ed’s face before—usually when he was reading a book on alchemy. She wasn’t sure whether she should take it as a compliment, laugh or roll her eyes at the way he studied her. She suppressed the sigh that came into her throat when he cautiously slid his real hand over her. He moved as if she was an experiment and touching her there was changing a variable. He was cautious, watching for a reaction.

Just like an alchemist. That doesn’t surprise me at all. Idiot.

She had to snicker, trailing her hands down his abdomen to rest at the waistline of his pants.

He barely noticed her quiet laugh. He examined her breast and touched it. He settled his palm over it, rubbing the raised nubs. He squeezed a little. Ah, now that produced something interesting. Before she had seemed to be waiting for something, now she arched into him, giving a faint sigh.

Encouraged by this development, Ed continued. He traced her breast with his fingers, pausing to squeeze lightly. He could just feel how her fingers clenched the waistline of his trousers. It sent a hot rush of blood into him and he had to force his thoughts back to her as he felt the oncoming, but natural, reaction. Ed put his elbows on either side of her to support himself and lowered his head to her chest to take a nipple into his mouth and suck on it.

She gasped softly and her hands froze. She arched more noticeably now, rubbing slightly against him. That made him grunt, suddenly incredibly aware of how sensitive he’d become. He felt her pause.

He had hardly noted that he closed his eyes tightly against the sensations roaring in him. He opened them now, pulling his head up and Winry met his gaze. She turned something of a glazed, wicked smile on him.

“Winry—,” he cut himself off when he felt her undo his pants. His elbows locked on either side of her, staring at her face but not seeing anything as her fingers danced to touch him. He felt his mouth dry up when she took him, rigid as he was, into her hands. His heart jumped into his throat. He gasped for breath, lowering his head to her shoulder and moaning softly as she explored him. Ed felt the urge to shove against her, to just move, to find out how her hands would feel if he shifted with her fingers around him like that. His head was spinning. He felt hot with blood and drunk on Winry; intoxicated by the incredible feelings she’d suddenly awakened in him. He fought to bring it under control. “Winry,” he gasped breathlessly. “Winry, you—!” He nearly choked when she took the liberty of rubbing her hands up and down. “Oh shit, Winry, stop. Stop…please, stop.” He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the sensation lessen but not entirely disappear, even though she’d removed her fingers. He panted and opened his eyes again.

She was half-smiling at him. “Are you all right?”

He swallowed hard. “Y-yes…I just…”

“Nearly lost control?” She asked, something of a laugh in her voice.

“S’not funny, you know,” Ed breathed, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re all flushed.”

“So are you.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty hot.”

She tittered at that. “So are you.”

“I’m getting a little nervous, you haven’t threatened me yet.”

She grinned wickedly, reached down and grabbed him again.

His eyes popped open. “Oh, dammit, Winry!”

She laughed a low, husky, evil laugh. “Edward,” she murmured breathily in a singsong manner next his ear. “Edward…how are you?”

Ed sputtered with laughter and then gave a shuddered moan when she tugged ever-so-slightly on him. She pushed his pants down, leaving him in boxers as he kicked them off the side of Winry’s bed. She flicked her thumb over the head.

“Oh, you evil bitch,” he told her, groaning. She chuckled again into his ear. His took in a ragged breath and shoved a hand down her stomach. He grabbed her about the hips, bodily flipped her over, went by her feet and sat up. She yelped as he grabbed her arms and pulled her back against his chest, forcing her into a sitting position on her legs.

“What are you doing?!”

Ed was sitting on his legs as well; he pulled Winry in-between his knees and then froze, suddenly uncertain.

Er…what am I doing?

Well, Ed had no real idea. Feeling her spine against his chest was making him a little dizzy. And to touch her breasts, all he had to do was reach around her…

What am I—?

Oh, just stop thinking, dammit.

So he did. He raised himself on his knees a bit, so his chin was resting on her shoulder and then slipped his arms around her waist from behind.

He heard her gulp.

Feeling something like satisfaction from that, he tickled his fingers up her ribs, breasts, and stomach; watching over her shoulder as she tensed and squirmed in front of him. Her skin was a little damp with sweat. He could practically smell the heat on her. The clean scents of grass and water were gone; replaced by a hot musk that was on the verge of completely overwhelming Ed’s already foggy brain. She whimpered and tried to reach behind her to grab him again. He barely dodged her questing fingers, bit his lip and slid his hands down, pausing only a moment to swiftly unbutton her jeans and forced his hand inside. He ignored the strange, new, dampness he felt and just slid his fingers around.

After all, if it worked on him—it was bound to work on her, right?

And thankfully, she locked up. Ed trailed his first finger up and down the hot slit, trying to gauge her reaction. He hit gold when he slipped, almost unintentionally, over a small nub near the top. She gasped and her eyes shut. She writhed her back against his chest, whimpering and completely powerless. Spurned by that success, he undid her jeans completely, straightening a little on his knees to support himself. He looked down over her shoulder as she tilted her head back, flushed and panting. Her hot breath in his ear nearly undid him.

He pulled his hand away, moved to her side, hooked his arm under her legs and put her back in her original position. He drug her pants off. She started to open her eyes again, possibly to reprimand him, to stop him, to do something—but he didn’t give her the chance. He placed his hand to her hot skin again, getting annoyed and pulling her undergarments away. She, rather drunkenly, put her hands on his hips and shoved down his shorts. Feeling awkward at that, he managed to kick them off.

So then they stared for a moment: naked before the other and completely vulnerable for the very first time.

Winry saw Ed’s eyes turn a smoldering dark gold as they roved over her. “There’s no turning back,” she whispered.

He looked very serious. He nodded.

Then he touched her; she jumped in surprise. “You bastard! I thought we were having a serious moment!”

He burst out laughing. “We were.”

“You son of a—“

“Shut up, Winry.”

He was kissing her again, hearing her sudden and delicious whimpering start as he touched her. She arched into him, rubbing her body against his prominent erection.

“Ed…,” she breathed. “Ed….”

Ed broke their kiss and looked around, uncertain. “Uh…what?”

She laughed, gasping as his fingers began to move in a rhythmic circle. She moaned.

Ed felt a hitch in his breath and a violent shudder bolt through him as he watched her eyes close, twisting beneath him, hands fisted into her mussed blankets.

Oh shit…, the thought barely made it through the haze. He felt as if his brain was shutting down.

“Ed,” she whimpered. She snaked her fingers down his bare chest, down his hard abdomen and curled her fingers around him. She pulled him achingly close to her. Ed felt another wave of dizziness rock through him.

She wants me…

His fingers were moving faster.

“Ed,” she said, a little firmer. “Do it.”

I want her…just…do it….

So he did. He closed his eyes, clenched his teeth and thrust forward. Instantly, he was enveloped in what was, quite possibly, the most amazing thing he had ever felt. He nearly lost himself completely then and there. He groaned. She pressed against him and he couldn’t help it then. He pushed into her, taking her completely. She gasped with the painful movement, choking back a cry.

That brought Ed back. He struggled to master himself. “I’m sorry…Winry…I didn’t mean—“

“Shut up, Ed,” she said, a little shakily.

She seemed to gather herself for a moment and then put her hands on his chest. “Move.” The order was throaty and low.

Ed swallowed, feeling his eyes glaze over. He took a deep breath. “Okay.” He thrust fully into her. She arched her back. “Oh geez…” Ed felt delirious. His control was quickly ebbing away.

“Dammit, Ed!” Winry snapped at him, raking her hands into his hair. “Fucking move!” She pushed herself against him.

That’s when Ed lost himself completely. He tried to take it slow, he really did, but then he started to move and his mind went completely empty, concentrating solely on the intense sensations below. There was wonderful friction there. He slid in and her muscles grabbed at him, clenching around him. It was too much for him to handle. Stars seemed to burst across his eyes and he was gone. Both of them were moving wildly against their tightly pressed bodies. The pace was hectic, frantic, and fevered; passionate and full of frenzied lust.

Winry cried out, grabbing onto Edward’s hair, raking her other hand down his chest and finally grabbing a fistful of her blankets. Ed felt a drop of sweat slip into his eye; he ignored it and raised his furious pace. His vision blurred.

He heard Winry moan below, practically giving a tiny scream and then she was arching her back, going absolutely rigid underneath him. Ed kept going. Only a few more times he had to wait before his vision suddenly exploded—turning white-hot. He bent his head, feeling the incredible sensations quake through him.

His flesh arm trembled and he slumped down on top of her. He could feel how hard she was breathing, just as his panting was. He felt shaky, his muscles seemed like jelly.

There were a few moments of silence as they recovered.

“Ed?” Winry whispered.

Ed nodded against her sweaty shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

Ed nodded again, making an affirming noise. “What about you?”

“I’m good.”

“Good.”

“Ed?”

“Yeah?”

“…I’m glad you’re back.”

Ed smiled, moving to the side and wrapping his arms around with a contentment he hadn’t felt in years. “Yeah....”

--

You know, I\'ve got a little Epilogue type thing where Al comes in the room that\'s kind of funny, but I haven\'t really finished it up--it\'s only a few pages. Hell, maybe I should just add it on at the end. :)