"Ed, wait," Winry said suddenly as Ed stepped out of the front door. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"We're already late," Ed said softly, not meeting her gaze.

"Please."

Ed sighed, and after a moment stepped back inside and followed her towards the back of the house. She ducked behind the kitchen door to try and get some privacy, and Ed stood close in an attempt at the same. With him that near, though, she found that every word she'd been planning on saying had suddenly evaporated from her head. Her chest tightened, and she began picking at a hang nail as she tried to remember how she'd wanted to phrase it.

Ed touched her elbow. "What is it, Win?"

He'd been the only person to ever call her that, and she couldn't even imagine hearing anyone else's voice saying it. No-one ever seemed to try, either; while only a select few people had heard it, they all seemed to understand that was Ed's name for her. She took a deep breath.

"Look, I know how big this all is. How dangerous it is. From the way you're acting I know you don't think you're going to walk away from it, and I can't… There's something I need to do, just in case this really is it."

She took another deep breath, stepped forwards, and kissed him.

He didn't move.

She stepped back and looked away. "I don't want to lose you, Ed. I can't. That's why I won't leave, because I want to make sure you come home after. I'm sorry."

She turned to leave, but Ed's hand on her arm stopped her. When she turned back to face him there was a strange expression on his face. He didn't say anything, but she could feel his deep golden eyes burning into her soul before he stepped forward and kissed her back.

She had been expecting something fiery and forceful, but instead his kiss was gentle and almost tentative. She leaned closer and wrapped her arms around him as they deepened the kiss together, his lips soft against hers as he pulled her tightly to him. Winry could feel herself getting lost within him, pulled in by his impossible magnetism that had never once failed to draw her in.

"If you wait much longer they're going to leave without you," Pinako said as she poked her head around the door.

They both jumped and broke the kiss but Ed didn't reel back away from her like Winry thought he would; instead he stayed close and kept one of his hands on her waist, though he did flush a deep scarlet.

"I'll be out in a sec," he said.

"Mm-hmm." Pinako raised an eyebrow and smirked as she left the kitchen again.

"Well that's not going to be at all awkward…" Winry grumbled, her fingers gripping Ed's shirt.

He laughed softly and pulled her into a close hug, one hand stroking the top of her head as he held her tight. "I'm gonna miss you," he murmured.

"Just be careful." She wrapped her arms around him in return and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and drinking in the feeling of being this close to him.

Ed snorted. "Please, when have I ever done that?"

She swatted him on the back but didn't move from where she was until she heard the soldiers outside grumbling about Ed delaying their departure, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before stepping out of the hug. "You're supposed to be leaving while it's still dark, right? So get lost."

"You know what, I take it back – I won't miss you at all."

Winry stuck her tongue out at him and pushed him towards the front door, Pinako giving them a smug knowing look as they passed her.