Chapter 2

"So, Edward-Kun, don't you feel better today, since you drink your milk for once yesterday? Hmm?" Winry propped herself up with her elbows on the table Ed was looking at alchemical documents on and smirked. Ed just snorted.

"Heh. As if." And with that simple reply he picked up a paper and held it between Winry's face and his own and started humming to himself. Winry reached over the paper barrier and poked Ed on his nose.

"Sure, Edward-Kun. Sure you don't." Ed sighed and put down the paper again, knowing he wasn't getting out of another argument.

"I only drank it so you would cry, dummy. Don't think I'll do it again. It was gross." Edward made a disgusted face, as if to prove his point, and Winry sighed.

"Well, don't blame me if you stay shorter than me forever." Ed's left eyebrow started twitching when he heard this comment.

"What was that? Alright, if you want me to drink the stuff so badly, give me five good reasons why I should." Ed smirked up at Winry, quite sure of himself that she wouldn't be able to fulfill his request.

"Alright. One: You'll get taller. Two: You'll be stronger. Three: It's healthy and you need calcium. Four: Because I said so. Five: Because…" Winry's eyes glinted before she continued.

"You don't say no to me!" Ed frowned a moment before bursting out laughing.

"Those last two… didn't count! And besides, than what do you call what I'm doing now? No way gear head!" Winry frowned at the last comment and turned he head away, pouting.

"Edward-Kun! Why-why do you hate me so much? I just want you to drink it because I care about you and I worry about your health sometimes! Who knows what you get to eat when you're out on those journeys and military expeditions…" She turned her head up again and pierced Ed's golden eyes with her own strikingly mad blue ones. Ed blushed in embarrassment and muttered his reply.

"Winry-Chan… I'm sorry you thought that. I don't hate you…"

"Sure you don't… you always have hated me!" Ed saw her eyes welling with tears once again and wondered where he got his uncanny ability to make her cry.

"Ah, no! I don't hate you, I told you Winry-Chan! You're like family to me! How could I hate you?" With that, the tears in Winry's eyes spilled over, and she ran, sobbing, into the next room over, where Al happened to be reading.

"Winry-Chan! Hello- wait, what's wrong!" Winry ignored Al's attempts at help and sat down in a corner, resting her head in her knees.

"Brother! What did you do to her!" Al screeched at Ed as soon as he ran into the room, eyes skidding back and forth looking for Winry.

"I didn't do anything Al! Somehow, she got the idea in her head that I hate her and now she won't talk to me!" Al sighed and walked over to Winry.

"Winry-Chan? Nii-san doesn't hate you, neither of us do! We love you Winry-Chan, you like our sister!" But this, for reasons neither of the Elric brothers could explain at the moment, but one of which would be able to in the near future, caused Winry to break out in ever more uncontrollable sobs. Her words came soft, and distorted by tears, but no less painful:

"Go away, Edward." Ed flushed and looked down at his feet, knowing he wouldn't be able to change anything about her mood until she calmed down a bit, and briskly walked out of first the room, than the front door, and the gate, without looking back, leaving a confused and protesting Al with four words.

"I'm going to Roy's."