Disclaimer: FullMetal Alchemist is © to Hiromu Arakawa, Square Enix, MBS, ANX, Bones, Funimation Products, and so on and so forth. All Rights Reserved. I hold no claims to the characters, nor am I making any profit off of this.

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Ed sat outside on top of the rickety old wooden fence, his knees sticking out so he could hook his feet under the slab of wood just underneath the one he sat upon. How the fence kept up his weight, even he was amazed, but he knew even if it did break, he could always transmute it back into it's solid state, and make it even better perhaps. Or at least when he transmuted it, the age of the wood diminish back to a newer looking condition of minerals and materials. He could get completely enveloped in his thoughts just pondering the physical structure and scientific composition of something as simple as an old piece of wood. He loved alchemy, even with the curse it had brought him and his brother, he simply could not diminish the feeling he had developed for it. He had grown to love it as they were growing up. It made him proud being so young being able to impress everyone so greatly with his skills.

Suddenly, a feminine voice he was quite familiar spoke to him from behind.

"I'm gonna get a really good laugh when that fence breaks and you get an ass full of splinters."

He turned around, seeing his female mechanic friend he had grown up with, practically as his own sister, and gave her something crossed between a smile and a smirk.

"Do you realize that I would then have to teach you a lesson for laughing at someone with an ass full of splinters, especially someone who could easily fix the fence and make it look brand new again at that?"

Winry just smirked back at him, as if she hadn't a care about what he had just said, and walked up closer to him, replying, "Not unless I can outrun you or knock you out with my trusty little friend here," she waved her beloved wrench in her hand gently, as if to taunt him. "Which ever it comes to, I can do either or quite easily." She teased him.

Ed scoffed at the implication he got out of that, turning around so he was facing the sunset. "Sure, keep telling yourself that..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Ed replied back quickly, but not panicky. His voice was very calm in fact, nonchalant just about.

Winry walked up to the fence then, and stood next to Ed, turning to gaze at him. His face was concentrated on the scenery before him. Even when he was staring casually at something, even as simple as a sunset, his eyes held this look to them that said he could take a lot more complexity out of such a simple thing, delve into deeper meaning then many people would care to attempt at. His stare was always focused, even into the distance, as if he was closely observing something, trying to gather some meaning or information out of it. Winry guessed that to be from all the studying he had done since they were children.

Ed then turned to look at her, and noticed she was staring at him. "What is it?" He asked.

She blinked, and holding back a blush, turned to stare at the golden-orange glow that radiated off the sky like a brightly glazed painting he had been fixated on till now. "Nothing ... I just noticed how you always have this focused look in your eyes, even when you're staring off into a sunset. It's like you're always studying whatever you're looking at; I think all the alchemy practice has warped your brain." She teased him, making a small giggle at the end of her sentence.

Ed stared at her for a second, then smiled, his bright teeth dazzling her sight before he looked back towards the gradually dimming light. "I can't help it.. it's not like it's intentional. When you think about it though, the world is a big, complex mass of composition and structure. Everything has a scientific meaning behind it. Life is full of cycles and stages. Since the world is full of life, that makes the world one big, huge process. It's almost too much to comprehend."

"I can definitely say it just made my brain hurt." Winry rolled her eyes, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Ha ha ha..." He said sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at her, though with a playful look in his eyes.

Winry smiled then, a sincere one, as she put a hand on his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows slightly in question, but she wasn't phased by it.

"How about taking a break from questioning the way of the world and life for a little bit? Dinner's gonna be ready soon." She kept her hand on his shoulder, meaning it as just a friendly show of affection, even though that certainly didn't equal the amount she felt for the young alchemist.

He looked into her eyes, two golden orbs engraved with wisdom and truth most aged adults couldn't achieve in a full lifetime. It almost scared her how much emotion and knowledge she thought she could see in his eyes. For this moment though, they were lightened, almost to a childish joy, but of course still with the maturity of a wise young man. He replied to her at last.

"I'll be in a few minutes, okay? I wanna just watch the sunset a little bit more.." He could have went on about he was still fascinated by the change from golden-orange to darkened blue close to the midnight shade, and how the change in the time of day made him ponder many things, good and bad, but there was no need to. Winry smiled, knowing, and gave his shoulder a squeeze before removing her hand. A bit to Ed's disappointment.

"Okay then... if you don't show up within the next ten minutes though, I'll drag you through the door myself. Got it?" She half-grinned wickedly, and Ed knew she would and could carry out her promise.

He laughed lightly, "Yeah, I got it.. I'll be back in ten sharp, Sergent Rockbell. Anything else?"

Winry knocked him on the head gently. "No, you can go at ease now solider." They both shared a hearty laugh from their silly talk, but it didn't last long enough to hold back the slightly awkward silence. Ed was about to turn back to the setting mass of heat in the sky, when suddenly Winry stepped closer to him, and gave his cheek a soft kiss. His eyes widened slightly, and his cheeks flushed the lightest shades of crimson possible.

She just gave him one of her lovely closed smiles, turning around and heading back into the house, holding her wrench in hand almost as a woodsmen holds his trusty ax. At the door, she called out to him, making him look over his shoulder to see her waving her wrench and going "Don't forget! Ten minutes max!"

"I know I know!" He rolled his eyes, the corner of his lips turning up into the slightest curl. He heard the door close and looked back, seeing the light was growing more dark, and within the next half-hour, the light would be all but gone while the tainted black-blue would take it's place, having only the lights from the stars to purify it's darkened coat. And then the sun would rise again, driving the shadows away while the brightest of light would take it's place, lighting, warming, and nurturing all that called for it.

Ed smiled, carrying on in his thoughts, raising a hand to his cheek briefly before letting it fall slowly. Having this...this scenery, this peace, and his loved ones, all gathered at once in one place. He could go on content without the burdens of his past on his shoulders.

Even if just for a little while, that was all the young alchemist needed.

FIN

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Well... there you go. Nothing terribly deep, mind-boggling, or even considered much of a plot. This was done in one night, in about a grand total of two to three hours, just to serve as a kick drive to get me writing. I like it though, so I thought I'd post it. Please forgive me if the characterization is off.
Feedback isn't necessary, but it's highly appreciated, as it critique.