Ed wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead, letting out a sigh as he did. Damn this blistering heat, he thought. He had been lounging at the Rockbell residence, and Winry was complaining to herself about the state of the lawn. Of course, being Winry, she was overly dramatic and glancing at Ed as she continued ranting. Ed figured he might as well earn his keep around here, so he volunteered to do the work.

Alphonse, now back in his human body, and Winry's grandma, Pinako, were at Rush Valley doing automail shopping, so Ed was doing all the work by himself. Ed himself still had his automail limbs, but he wasn't complaining. He just finished cutting the grass, and he decided the heat was too much. He quickly took off his shirt and discarded it.

"Ed! Put that away! There are children around!"

Ed laughed and turned to Winry, who was in front of the house and smiling, but wasn't looking at his eyes. Ed blushed a little when he realized she was staring at his chest. Ed shrugged, still smiling. "What? I'm not THAT ugly."

Winry laughed, then pulled out a lawn chair and laid down on it. Ed blinked when he realized Winry was only wearing a tank top and short shorts. He quickly broke his gaze before he started staring, and went back to work.

It was about the time when Ed was in the middle of trimming some bushes when he felt eyes boring into him. He didn't look, but he knew Winry was staring at him. He didn't mind, really. Ed like Winry... a lot... but he wasn't gonna tell her that. He still wasn't sure how she felt about him, and he was worried that if he told her how he felt, it'd ruin their friendship.

Ed was surprised how fast the day was rolling by. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow across Resembol. Ed was almost done. All he had left was cutting the vines that were growing on the Rockbell home.

About halfway through, he froze as he felt arms casually drape over his shoulders, and a head leaning on his shoulder. He turned and saw Winry's face, inches from his. His eyes widened some and he felt his face grow red.

"What's up, Win?" he asked, his voice slightly nervous.

"Hmm? Nothin..."

She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and he felt a chill down his spine as she began slowly tracing circles on his chest.

"I just wanted to thank you for your help today," she finished.

Ed turned before she noticed his blush. "Uh... it was nothin... really."

"No, really, that was really sweet." Ed quickly looked back to her, astonished. She was smiling at him. "I need to repay you for it. Equivalent exchange, remember?"

Winry took her arms off his shoulder, and Ed turned to face her. He drew his head back in shock as he saw her face, inches from his. She slowly shook her head. "And I don't think a free automail tune up is enough for your sweetness..."

Ed began backing up slowly until he hit the house wall, completely taken off guard by her. "Winry...?"

The automail mechanic chuckled, then slowly approached him. Her eyes drifted down to his chest again and she absentmindedly placed her hands on them. Ed gulped and his face turned red. He was enjoying this immensely, but he was just completely shocked that Winry would be so... open with him.

Winry leaned in and pressed herself against him. Her hands trailed around his chest as she looked back up to Ed, her eyes half open. She kept her face an inch from Ed's, so close he could smell her perfume. "Any way I can repay you?" she asked quietly, but with so much affection it made Ed shudder.

Ed took a deep breath through his nose, and finally regained his composure. A slow smile crept on his face, and he saw Winry's eyes shine by his new confidence. Ed slowly wrapped his arms around Winry's waist and pulled her in closer. She let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"I can think of a few things," Ed said playfully.

Winry closed her eyes and a big grin formed on her face. Her hands moved up his chest and around his neck, then she leaned in and kissed him.

Ed tilted his head and closed his eyes and kissed her back. He never, in a million years, expected her to do something like this. He felt her pull his head in closer, deepening the kiss. His hands moved slowly from her waist up her back.

The alchemist decided to mix it up a bit, so he moved his mouth away from hers and kissed her jaw line, then moved down and kissed and licked her neck. Winry's fingers straightened in pleasure, but she then closed them around Ed's hair and pulled him in closer, a long sigh escaping her lips.

"Ed..." she practically moaned out. Ed smiled on her neck, then gave it a little bite. She gasped at first, then let out another moan.

Surprisingly, Winry tilted his head up so he was looking at her again. Ed could see in her eyes she was reluctant to make him stop. He cocked his head, silently asking what was wrong.

"Ed..." she began a little more calmly this time. She bit her lip, then looked down at the ground. Her head then snapped back up and she looked deeply in his eyes.

"I love you, Edward Elric."

Ed's eyes bulged. She... she loves me? he thought. It took Ed a few seconds to fully process what she said before he smiled at her.

"I love you too, Winry Rockbell."

Winry's eyes watered with unshed tears of happiness. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, her head buried in the side of his neck. Ed leaned his head on her shoulder and slowly rubbed her back, his hands under her tank top.

And there they stood until nightfall, with each other in their arms, occasionally giving each other quick kisses on the neck or small talk.

Ed smiled again. Bless that blistering heat, he thought to himself.