Hi! I'm better known as Le Confidant in FMA fanfic circles. I decided to use a new pen name to post those stories of mine that are strong in nature (like this one). Stories posted here are edited for mature content (M rating). Uncut versions are explicit and they are posted on another website. My profile page has more details about this.

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Chapter uploads for Coveted will occur every two Thursdays, starting September 3rd. I will alert you if there's any changes to this rule.

Title: Coveted

Rating: Mature

Pairings: Al x Win, Ed x Win

Inspirational Song: Who Knew by Pink

Inspirational quote: "The strongest love is the love that can demonstrate it's fragility."

—Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

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Chapter Warning: Mild Adult Content

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ONE

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A cool breeze rolled across the vast sea of green encompassing Resembool. It rattled through grass blades and trees alike. The breeze kept moving, sweeping over pastures and small ponds, until it reached a yellow house crowning one of the hills. The cool air then mingled with soft tunes emanating from the abode. The environment inside was as exuberant as it was outside.

From the top of the shelf, a wooden radio played ballads. On the ground, an apple pie reached perfection inside a state-of-the-art oven. And over by the double sink, Winry Rockbell—automail mechanic, wife, and amateur baker—hummed the lyrics of the tune as she finished tidying up the place.

Winry dried her hands while she shot a look at the timer. The black ticker was just a minute shy from going off. She left the towel on top of the counter and walked over to the oven. Perfumed heat greeted her as soon as she pulled the wooden handle halfway down. She braved the high temperature as she examined the apple pie. The crust looked golden, but it was the heavenly scent of cinnamon and caramelized apples that let Winry know that the dessert was ready. She turned the oven off. A ball of heat engulfed Winry when she pulled the door wide open. She escaped the small inferno when she moved away to grab the oven mitts. Winry embraced the gloves, then the heat, as she took the piping-hot baked good from the metal rack.

The ambrosial aroma emanating from the pie swirled all around her as she moved across the kitchen. Winry set the pie by the window then took a step back, admiring the apple pie as one would admire a painting at a museum. A smile grew on her face. Local products and a pinch of imagination went into her latest creation. If the pie tastes as good as it smelled then turning Gracia's tried—and—true formula into a new recipe was something worth of praise.

A loud thud startled Winry, she looked up when she heard another one. She shot a look at the kitchen clock, the hands pointed at four and nine.

"It's that late?" Winry shook her head. Her thoughts shifted to Alphonse, who was cooped upstairs since noon. He wasn't doing research nor conducting experiments, Alphonse was preparing the bags for his trip to Xing. At the break of dawn, he would take the 5:05 to Ishval, the transfer point for the Eastern Express.

The Eastern Express was the brainchild of Brigadier General Mustang along with some members of the brand new Ishvalan ministry. The clever initiative helped to boost both the economy of the emerging country and Mustang's military career. The new service was a godsend too. The new locomotive could traverse the desert faster than with the best of horses. The Eastern Express was convenient, Winry wasn't denying that fact, still, the train was taking her Alphonse away. For two long months it was going to be just her and Den the Second since Granny—heaven's rest her soul—had passed away a couple of years ago.

Winry's brow tensed. She looked around at the stillness surrounding her and a shiver ran up her spine.

"Al…" Winry worried her lip—

She already missed him.

But Winry didn't wallow in poignant sentiments for long because getting depressed was inane. There were many reasons not to succumb to negative emotions, like the tons of automail commissions that awaited her. She had quite a workload enough to keep her sufficiently distracted until Alphonse's return. If for some reason the sting of loneliness became too much to bear, she could rely on good company to ease the pain. There was Nelly and Pitt, childhood friends and old schoolmates; there was Mr. and Mrs. Cook, Granny's friends who always took time to come and visit; and of course there was Amanda, the grocer's daughter who had an interest in automail engineering. If push came to shove, and if being within four walls became unpleasant, Winry knew she could take a cue from Alphonse and travel. She was but one train ticket away from Rush Valley. Thinking about how Mr. Garfiel and Paninya would react when they see her, put a grin on her face. Thoughts of the Engineer's Heaven scrambled away when Alphonse's shouting reached her ears. Winry left the kitchen and headed to the hallway.

"What is it, Al?" Winry called from the base of the stairs.

"Is the pie ready?"

Her eyebrows twitched. Why must that man only think about food! She rolled her eyes, "yes, Al! come down!"

"In a moment! I'm almost done packing!"

Winry sighed. "Okay!" She took one step back then turned on a heel.

Winry went back to the kitchen and begun plating dinner but not before removing the pie from the window.

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Alphonse wrapped his strong arms around Winry's slim waist, capturing her in a warm embrace.

"Dinner was delicious as always." His words caressed her ear and painted a smile on her mouth.

The warmth of his torso flushed against her back made Winry hum. It also prevented her from threading upstairs. She turned around only to meet with Alphonse's affection. His tender expression always knew how to conquer her heart. Winry contemplated his mesmerizing eyes (now colored in beautiful shade of peridot) until her cheeks turn pink, only then, she broke away from his embrace.

"You're obsessed with food Al, you know that, right?" Winry teased, putting Alphonse on the spotlight. "It's amazing you are not all pudgy with the way you eat." She grinned, and even went as far as poking his firm stomach.

"Hey!" Alphonse gasped, faking offense. His olive eyes narrowed a little, just before a mischievous grin spread across his face. He was wearing the face, the one that gave Winry butterflies in the stomach.

"Is that so?" Alphonse swept Winry off her feet, making her squeak in surprise.

Winry's cheeks flamed and she looked away. Alphonse chuckled thinking she looked beautiful—and sexy. He coaxed her to look his way and planted a tender kiss on her lips before carrying her the rest of way to the master bedroom.

One small kick to the door made it swing open. Winry frowned at the action and Alphonse grinned and all was forgotten when he laid her on the bed. Winry glanced at the window and watched how the white curtains danced with the breeze. The soft orange glow of the setting sun made the room look inviting. It also provided just enough visibility for Winry to capture Alphonse's beauty as he leaned over her.

"You know, not being able to eat for years can have that effect on a man," he joked, going back to playful teasing.

"Besides…" Alphonse lost the thread of the conversation. He couldn't help it, the dimples forming on Winry's face distracted him. To him, Winry was like a goddess—beautiful, powerful and sensual—and right now, it was her luscious lips the object of his adoration…it would be a darn shame not to taste them.

Without wasting another second, Alphonse pressed his lips against hers, capturing the lower edge and sucking at it as he deepened the kiss. Winry moaned into his eager mouth. The soft noise made Alphonse etch a smile against her lips. He pulled back and studied her face in detail before speaking.

"There is nothing in this world more delicious than you," he crooned. The heartfelt confession made her blush deepen.

The bed creaked; Alphonse held his weight with both arms while a powerful leg slid between hers. He shifted his weight again, and this time, an impish hand rode up the delicate skirt of the dress, gathering the fabric around her hips. The mischievous hand glided down an exposed thigh and was now coaxing his wife to open herself for him.

Winry's eyes smiled. She wrapped her arms around Alphonse's strong neck and craned hers up. Her lips latched onto his but Alphonse broke the kiss. He wanted to dive into her ocean eyes, weaving his chi with hers before taking things further. Her lips stuck out in protest and the innocent expression made Alphonse's heart flutter.

"Stop teasing." Winry pulled him down by the shirt when she got tired of looking at his goofy grin. Her hands moved to his belt but Alphonse moved them away, offering his help.

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Winry tucked her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket. Dawn gave them a rather cold welcome. To make matters worse, she was sleep deprived. Her sleep had been light and full with shapeless images and dark emotions that had left her insomniac and disturbed. The episode had been so severe that she ended waking Alphonse an hour earlier than planned.

Sometime during their light breakfast, Winry asked Alphonse if they could walk to the train station instead of taking the car. He had granted her request behind a tired yet loving smile. Now they were on the road, walking at a snail's pace, as they made their way to the rural train station.

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Downtown Resembool resided at the foot of the rolling hills and it currently slumbered under the foggy mantle of the early morning. The murk did a splendid job of hiding everything from sight.

Winry sighed before returning her attention to Alphonse. Her brows furrowed when she noticed that his expression remained as just as lost as when they stepped out of the house. Alphonse was so deep in thought that he didn't feel the burning glare directed at him. His unresponsiveness made Winry bristle. Winry rolled her eyes at him before paying attention to the road. The desolate trail reminded Winry about their inevitable separation; her bad mood returned. She looked at Alphonse from the corner of her eyes, secretly wishing that the time spend apart went by fast.

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Resembool hadn't changed much in the past few decades so it wasn't surprising to find the train station almost devoid of human presence. Winry chose to sit on the bench to the far left of the platform. The bench on the opposite side brought memories that were best to forget.

At least the thick fog was lifting; Winry could now see the train tracks as they curved towards the horizon. The bleats of sheep herding on a nearby pasture distracted her. The hoofed animals reminded Winry that the Annual Sheep Festival was just around the corner. Soon the rural town was going to burst into life with tourists pouring in from all over Amestris.

This year's festivities included a traveling show faring from Creta. "A spectacle like no other!" was being advertised all over the radio waves. It saddened Winry that Alphonse wasn't going to be around for the event.

A loud horn broke through the thinning mist.

The sound startled Winry since she didn't see the large engine moving along the tracks. She squinted, scanning the horizon. This time around, she distinguished the thick plume of the locomotive from the fog. Winry turned to Alphonse who remained quiet (and quite removed from his surroundings). She bit her lower lip.

"Do you really have to go?" The lash riding along with the question cut through his deep reflection.

Alphonse blinked himself to awareness. His eyes now focused on Winry, who was biting her lip hard. His shoulders slumped from the force of an exhale.

He donned a forced smile as he pushed himself upright. His hand reached out to Winry and cupped a soft cheek.

"I have to go Winry." His eyes flickered with melancholy. "This is an important trip for me otherwise I would've stayed here with you—please understand."

Alphonse ran a thumb across a high cheekbone capturing a lone tear that escaped the ocean of her eyes.

"I'll be back soon, promise," he added, his smile turned loving.

Winry looked away. "I know," she whispered, resignation drowning her voice—

The public address system whined and the announcement to board the train crackled through the speakers. Alphonse and Winry contemplated each other in silence as the train pulled into the platform.

The train screeched to a halt.

Alphonse kissed Winry goodbye then leaned to the side to pick up his carry-on luggage. He walked towards the train car but stopped midway. When he turned around, he came across with a sad expression. He took a deep breath.

"We'll try again," Alphonse blurted out when he exhaled; his words caught her immediate attention. "When I get back from Xing we'll try again. I have high hopes that this time we'll succeed."

Alphonse held his gaze while he spoke, knowing well that Winry wasn't prepared to confront the subject. And just as he anticipated, Winry stood still on the platform, with wide eyes and her breath catching. Right away, Alphonse regretted speaking his mind. The quiet accusation painted on Winry's face made him hide behind a rueful grin.

Alphonse felt like apologizing, but he feared that doing so would only make things worse. He turned around and entered the train car quietly. Once inside, he ignored his nagging conscience and focused on getting acclimated to the stuffy car. He placed the luggage in the overhead compartment but not before taking out a textbook on alchemy, one that was written by an authority on the subject. He sat down and moved next to the window. Alphonse saw that his wife (and her upset frown) was still at the train station. As always, she dutifully waited for his departure and it made his heart ache. Without a second thought, Alphonse pushed the window pane open and stuck his head outside the car.

"I love you." He made sure to pour his heart and soul into those three words. He remained true to his declaration even if it sounded like an apology.

Winry didn't even flinch.

Alphonse was beginning to feel like an idiot so he decided to shut up and let things be. He was about to sit back on the bench when he caught Winry's change in expression. His own mood brightened upon laying eyes on her beaming smile.

Winry clasped her hands in front of her chest; her golden wedding band reflected the morning light. She sighed, sifting the exhale through the forced smile.

Thankfully the loud horn saved the couple from more unpleasantness.

Steel wheels begun rotating, screeching against the metal track as the pistons and the coupling rods engaged in motion.

Winry waved Alphonse goodbye and watched the train disappearing into the rising sun.

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Dear reader, this is the only chapter that has lengthy notes. I don't want to bore you with my drivel here so I decided to leave my thoughts at Live Journal. If you're curious about me or about the content behind my scandalous stories then look for my LJ account listed on my profile. I will always state if there's a commentary at the end of a chapter.

I do wish to know your thoughts about my stories, so please leave a note. I cherish all comments: the good ones inspire me to keep working hard and the strict ones help me become a better writer. Trolls amuse me and make me laugh. I encourage you to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

P.S. The story gets quite interesting after Ch.4, so hang in there!

This chapter has a commentary at Live Journal.

Dear reader: I created a new Tumblr account to house works I have created on all my accounts. The blog is hirstories dot Tumblr dot com (please edit link accordingly-sorry I can't give you a direct link, this website won't let me). I hope that you follow me there too!