Just so you guys know, I only have enough material for two more postings after this one. I haven't had the mental energy to keep writing the story. It's tough work! Inspiration would be good, too…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FMA.

Chapter 4 Confessions

A few days later, Ed was ready to sit up and start moving around on the couch again. Winry put one arm under and around his waist to help lift him. Ed winced slightly. No one was surprised that his ribs, right leg, and left arm had healed so quickly after that night because they knew he was a fast healer. The gashes across his torso were gone, but the healing left scars in their places. Ed still felt some of the pain from his stumps, but was determined to get his automail limbs back as soon as he could. He voiced what he wanted to Winry and she hesitated before she agreed.

"But Ed, you have just gotten your strength back and healed enough to move. Why do you want the automail so soon?" Winry asked out of concern for the older Elric.

"Winry, you shouldn't even feel the need to ask that. I need to get back on my feet as soon as I can so that I am able to get back out there and kill that bastard (pardon my use for this word, but Ed says it all the time and I want to keep him in character) Scar for doing this to me. Plus I still need to find a way to make the philosopher's stone. I can't do that without my automail limbs. I can't let Al stay in that suit of armor for the rest of his life. I also need to get back to Central to warn the military what Scar is capable of, even without that cursed arm. There are many reasons I need my limbs, Winry." Ed leaned back into the couch. 'I also love you and want to protect you from harm.'

"Ed, you have so much you think you need to do. Let the military handle that Scar character. You don't need to go back right away. Just write a letter when you are feeling better after the reattachments for the automail," Winry reasoned. She really didn't want him to leave her. She never knew if he would be back whenever he had to leave. It brought her to tears each time he went back to the dangerous world of the military and she was scared he would never come back.

"You're right, Winry," Ed said, finally giving in to her reasoning. He thought he could spare a few days here after he recovered from the automail. It always seemed hike Winry knew what was best for him. She admired that about her and the way she puts extra love into his automail. He didn't know what he would do without her if she was gone. This thought was quickly driven out of his mind. He didn't want to think negative about the future. He wanted to protect her from harm. To do so, he would have to hold off telling her he had feelings for her. She might become a target because everyone that Ed had come close to had become targets for his enemies. He didn't want her to be hurt just because of being with him.

Ed suddenly felt a little light headed. He told Winry that he was going to rest a little bit more. She nodded and pulled the nearby blanket over him; he immediately fell asleep. It's no wonder he was so tired all the time because he had caught a small cold from being outside in that rain a few days ago; he was almost done recovering from it.

Winry decided to help her grandma in the automail shop with Ed's new ports. Pinako had told her that when Ed has them put in, he will be in a lot more pain that the first time around. His nerves will barely be able to take the automail surgery again.

A few hours later, Ed opened his eyes to see Winry staring back at him. She quickly looked away as he noticed a blush forming on her face. He smiled as he placed his hand on her face so that he could make her look at him. "I didn't know I was so good looking that you couldn't resist staring at me like that. How long have you been watching me sleep?" he teased her.

Winry's blush just burned brighter. He caught her staring at him while he slept and now she had to make up an excuse for it. "Well, I-uh-just wanted to take your measurements for the new limbs and decided to wait until you woke up," she said in a rush.

Ed looked at Winry as if he was disappointed at her answer, as if he wanted her to say something else, but that look left as soon as he struggled to get up. Winry placed her hands on his waist to help hold him up while he scooted his body as he sat so she would be able to take the measurements. He blushed as she removed her hands. 'I wish she would leave them.' Winry left him to go get her note pad and her measuring tool. She came back and started measuring his remaining limbs.

As she did the leg, she found he had grown a full seven inches. She voiced her astonishment to Ed and he was surprised as well. He told her that he had to limp around when he had the old automail leg, but he didn't realize he had grown that much. He was now taller than Winry and no one would be able to make fun of him anymore for his height now.

Once she was done, she left to start working on the automail. She had gotten pretty good at making them wile her grandma made the ports.

Al took Winry's place next to his brother and gave Ed a plate of food. Ed accepted it and thanked Al before he dug in. He hadn't eaten since he came here so he had built up quite an appetite. As he ate, his thoughts were on Winry. 'Why was she staring at me? Does she love me as I do her?' He thought he had seen a loving look in her eyes before she realized she was caught with a surprised look in those glittering blue orbs. He thought she had matured over the time he spent away from her, too. She no longer seemed like she wanted to hit his head with that wrench he had learned to fear anymore. 'Which is a very good thing because my head has plenty of bumps on it from that thing as it is.' He had loved her for awhile now, but he was afraid that if he confessed his love to her she would hate him. He was now sure she wouldn't react that way because of what he saw in her eyes whenever she looked at him.

Ed didn't notice until now that Al was trying to get his attention. He quickly brought his gaze to him, but Al was laughing. "What's so funny?" Ed asked with an annoyed expression.

"Well, you seem like you are in deep thought about something because you are just holding your plate out to Den. It looks like he took off with the rest of your food," Al told him while eyeing the angered face of his brother that he was displaying. A few moments after his sudden tenseness, he just shrugged it off and said he was done anyway. "What are you thinking about, Brother?"

Ed contemplated whether or not he could trust Al enough to tell him what was on his mind. He decided he could. "Al, do you promise to not tell Winry about what I am about to tell you?" Ed asked. Al nodded. "You see, I was thinking about Winry."

Al didn't act surprised. When Ed gave him a questioning glance, he said, "I've known for along time that you like Winry. You always look off into space whenever I mention her. I'm happy now that I know you have finally realized you like her."

"I don't just like her, Al. I love her with all my heart and I want to be able to protect her from harm." Ed confessed.

"I realize that, Brother, and I think Winry feels the same way about you, too," All said while Ed gave him a bright smile.

"You really think so? Why are you so sure?" Ed asked out of curiosity.

"Well, a few days ago when you were still unconscious, she told me to go for a walk for awhile. I instead decided to stay just outside the living room out of her sight to watch her as she watched you. Then you woke up and asked where I was. She said that I was outside. You went back to sleep and she watched you with a loving look in her eyes. When I went back into the living room, she had tears in her eyes and I knew they were for you," Al finished as Ed gave a small smile.

"Maybe I should tell her how I feel," Ed said more to himself than to Al. Al nodded in encouragement. Neither of them realized that Pinako was secretly listening to their conversation, the ports she had been working on already done. She smiled as she went to see how Winry was doing with the automail for Ed. 'It's about time you realized your feelings, Ed. I was giving up hope on you.'