I am SO sorry I've taken so long! My mom has been more lenient and has started giving me internet time (or drawing/writing time) and to be honest I haven't been using it for your benefit. Don't worry, I haven't spent it all on Facebook. I don't even have one now xD

I do not own FMA/FMAB :)

Chapter 7 - Private Reaction

Edward gripped the hem of his dark blue tank, but instead of pulling it over his head, he massaged the material for just a little bit longer. It may have been because Kimblee and his guards were standing by the door starring holes through his back that kept him from taking it off, or maybe it was the fact that he'd be half-naked in front of Winry—she'd seen him in his underwear plenty of times, but that was before he'd felt something for her other than friendship. He would never admit the feelings aloud, but of course, his actions spoke louder than words. He was only glad Winry didn't pay attention to him as much as he did her.

Winry sat on a stool beside the metal table where in a few minutes she would replace Edward's arm and leg with the ones she hand crafted. He'd been stalling for five whole minutes, and now he was hesitating, as if contemplating if he should take off his shirt or not. Finally it came off, exposing hard abdominal muscles that had Winry tense all over. They were more defined than she had ever seem them before. His whole body was rigid and his golden eyes quivered as they stared at the floor. It was a nervous trait she had picked up on, but one she hadn't seen very often until recently. His fingers slightly trembled as they reached his black pants.

Quit staring, he's your best friend!

Winry felt as if she'd been slapped. The voice in her head was nasty and accusing. She wanted to snap back that she hadn't been starring, but she couldn't lie to herself. She looked back up at Edward, who had undone the first button that lay on the inside of his pants. The zipper was next...

A knock echoed through the metal door behind Kimblee, and everyone looked toward it. The second Winry's attention was adverted from the young alchemist, a whoosh-ing sound escaped her slightly parted lips. She hadn't realized she'd held her breath for so long. Now she felt lightheaded and flushed.

A military man with broad shoulders and dirty blonde hair stood on the other side of door, his face grim. Kimblee muttered something under his breath, and though Winry couldn't hear what he was saying, his tone was venomous. It sent shivers up her spine. She hadn't known he could have been capable of such an ugly tone; he'd been so nice to her before. Creepy, but nice. Now he reminded her of Dominic when someone pissed him off.

He turned then, his eyes sweeping over her with little interest, and landed on another mechanic minding his own business in the back. Neil could only partially be seen behind the white curtain pulled halfway to the left, obscuring Winry's view on what he was doing in the small off-room.

"You," Kimblee's voice was almost a snarl, and the man in the white coat looked up to see he was being pointed at. "Don't let them escape." He stormed out with his white overcoat drifting around him like smoke, making him appear more dangerous than anyone he'd been portraying earlier.

'Them'...? Why would I escape?

Those words rippled through her mind but, "Wonder what that was all about..." was all Winry murmured, more to herself than to anyone else in the room. She saw Edward shrug carelessly before dropping his pants to the floor.

You're alone now...

The voice inside her head was her own, but it sounded like someone else was talking. She briefly wondered if she was schizophrenic. She was showing the signs. A nagging feeling consumed her and the sketching she found of her kept throwing itself into her mind.

Show him!

Not now, Winry argued. She barely noticed Edward sitting down on the table beside her, laying down and flipping the white cloth over his narrow hips. She was absently starring at the tools on a smaller table that rose beside his head.

This is probably the only chance you'll get to be alone with him! Show him!

But Winry wondered why it mattered that she had to be alone with Edward to show him. She could've shown the picture to Alphonse if she wanted to, so why did it matter?

Because, said the voice inside her head, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, the fact of the mater is that you lo—

"Ow," startled, Winry looked down at the golden boy below her. Two of his fingers intertwined with a strand of her lemon hair that had fallen from over her shoulder. A look of mild concern and distant amusement washed over the nonchalant mask he'd been wearing before.

"Winry—"

"I have to show you something." She stated so abruptly, Edward cut himself off and left his mouth hanging slightly agape. He sat up casually, almost tiredly; the cloth in his lap barely serving its purpose. He watched as Winry's usually careful fingers fumbled inside her dress pocket. Out she pulled a folded up piece of paper, and instantly Edward went rigid all over. His breath caught up in his lungs and burned in his chest. It seemed like years until she finally unfolded it. It was just as he feared.

"I found this on the train," She began, but the elder Elric hardly heard her. He stared at the sketch held delicately in her firm hands. It was the drawing he'd done on the train ride to Briggs. It was half finished, so he'd been careless; he stuffed it in between the seat cushions, positive no one would find it, especially Winry. Yet here she sat in front of him chatting up a storm about it.

"Edward, are you even listening?" Jerked back to reality, Edward looked up into deep waters surrounded by long blonde lashes.

"Do you know who's it is?" He asked suddenly, only to receive a irritated sigh in response. He could feel his cheeks burning and his mind clouded with terror and his stomach doing somersaults and his ears were flooded with sound of rushing blood. However, on the outside, he kept his posture under control and tried to look as if he was only a little bit curious. He was sure he could pull it off.

"I already told you I don't know who's it is." Winry replied. She stared at Edward as if she didn't know what to make of him, and at the moment she didn't. She hadn't expected his reaction to be so...relaxed? But at the same time he wasn't relaxed. At first he stared at the picture as if he were truly fascinated. He was tense all over and his eyes seemed to look everywhere but her and the sketching. He hadn't noticed the crack in his own voice, and though it was very small, Winry had heard it loud and clear.

She had first thought of going into one of her frantic fangirl stages the way she would if she saw a beautifully made automail limb, describing how the person who drew the picture must have been a stalker, and he was deeply in love with her and poured all his heart and soul into this drawing. Now, with this unexpected reaction from Edward, it kind of worried her. Maybe it was a stalker, but not the bad boy she hoped for. She stared at the picture, as if looking at it long enough would give her the answers.

After awhile of awkward silence, Edward said, "Don't trust Kimblee."

Winry looked down at him in faint wonder, coming up out of her daze. She folded the drawing back into a square and put it back in her pocket, returning her attention to the half-naked alchemist.

"What?" She'd been in her own world until now.

"You shouldn't trust Kimblee." Edward's voice was flat and quiet, though she figured he didn't even care about Neil in the back. Winry wanted to say she was suspicious of him herself, but the boy's gaze was hard and raised questions in the back of her mind.

"He seems like a nice guy." Even she knew better than to question Edward's intuition, more so when it came to people, but she was puzzled as to why Kimblee would put on a facade and trick her.

"Do you have any idea what that creep did in Ishval?" Edward hissed, but after that he seemed to take in the question himself. Then he went hard all over and his golden eyes widened. Winry thought at any moment he was going to explode out of his seat and hit the ceiling and go tumbling when the metal door opened as if the person owned the place. Kimblee strode back in with the two large military men backing him up.

"Is he finished with?" His tone was acid just as it had been before. It made Winry's body erect in her chair with momentary fear. She glanced quickly at Edward, who still had his old automail attached. She turned toward him and steadied Edward's arm for displacement.

"Uh...he's been kind of difficult." She lied without looking back at Kimblee, readying the tools necessary for the limb exchange. After that was the furious outburst from the Elric, but that seemed to only further Winry's proof.

No one ever said Winry wouldn't throw Edward under the bus at times like these! XD PLEASE REVIEW! Again, I'm so sorry for such the long time wait!