AN: I told you guys I would be making up for lost time, and I will pull through lol. Big thanks again to Le Confidant who has kept me motivated today lol! I had like three hours of sleep last night so I'm a bit giggly today. As usual reviews are welcome and encouraged!

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA!

Quietly walking through the field, Winry had an idea at this time of the day they might be taking a break by the small creek that was not too far from her house. May was proving to be a nice distraction from her worries at the moment. She was going on about stories from Xing. Al apparently received a lot of attention with his unique hair and eye color. Many people thought he was the Western sage reincarnated and would stop him to inquire about his background. Meeting and gaining acquaintances had always been easy for the younger Elric brother who was gentle tempered unlike Ed who had been quick to anger over trivial things. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Right there about 200 feet away were said brothers and they were talking non-stop.

"Brother, you need to talk to her at some point you know. She has been trying everything in her power to get me to tell her what is going on and it isn't my place." Alphonse's voice was actually easier to hear now that it had deepened so much.

"I know and I'm going to when we are all done, and it won't be much longer now. Maybe a couple days. I don't know how to tell her about Mustang's offer without her assuming the worst before I even get a chance to explain the whole thing. I envision wrenches flying and death." Al laughed at this statement. She didn't find it to be very funny. If he got a wrench to the head it was for a good reason. Even May was crouched next to her silently chuckling. Winry shot her a glance that said, 'Watch it or you could be on that lucky list next.'

"Yea, that is true but she kind of has good reason. You botched everything pretty effectively including your half assed proposal."

"Woah, Al nice mouth you got there...do you kiss May with it?" Al gave him a look that said this wasn't a place he wanted to take their conversation. "Oooohhh, I already know you do. Hopefully her kisses are sweeter than her disposition."

"Brother, you had better drop all topics that include me kissing MY fiance. If anything you could take a page from my book, there are two of us here and only one of us that is blissfully secure in their relationship." May's whole body was being racked by barely contained laughter. Winry pressed her pointer finger to her lips, indicating she was about to let on to the fact that they were eavesdropping on the brothers.

"Point taken Al." Ed looked utterly defeated. His shoulders slumped and he put his face in his palms.

"Ed, I'm sorry I was being a jerk. I know you are miserable over the way things have been with Winry. I shouldn't have tried to pick on you when you are this unhappy."

"It's okay Al, everything is all my fault anyways. You didn't ruin my life and future with Winry, I did. All because of my misguided apprehensions for her safety, my fear of intimacy, and thirst for knowledge that actually means nothing to me now. Not that I still don't want to help others but I'll never be a quarter of who I could be without Winry. She makes me better than I am. She is everything I wanted in life and like our idiot father I have pissed away my chances with her. I just wish she wouldn't have kissed me back if she could never trust me again. I think I could have gone on in Purgatory without knowing what Heaven was like. But now that I've had Heaven I'm living in Hell." Whuh - how was she was supposed to feel after hearing something like that? Her face was certainly bright red hearing some of his most personal thoughts about her. Racing at pace she never knew possible, she thought her heart would explode out of her chest. May and her exchanged a glance that was utterly shocked such a declaration had passed HIS lips. She mouthed to May that they should leave now.

Walking back to the house Winry remained silent as did May for a change, allowing her to mull over her thoughts. Worst case scenario Ed was training to join the military again, because he believed her indifferent to him. All she had to do was tell him that if he would just allow her to remain at his side from here forward that she would love to spend the rest of her life arguing and kissing him. If she was honest with herself she had always known there was no way she could possibly be with any other man and feel like she did with Ed. His auric eyes flashing when they disagreed, the feel of his warm mouth pressed against hers, she never had a chance of loving anyone else. And if he tried to leave her behind again she would just brain him with her wrench until he couldn't remember why he needed to leave in the first place!

"Winry are you okay? You keep making the strangest faces and it is quite off putting." May's eyebrows were furrowed with concern at her mental well being.

"Yes, I'm fine I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"You know Winry, not even I could blame you for still having feelings for Ed after hearing everything he just said. And you know how he and I don't really see eye to eye most of the time." Winry snorted a bit.

"I wouldn't have guessed!" Oh goodness she was picking up sarcasm from him now, wonderful. "You have valid reasons, he can be a huge pain sometimes. Other times though, he can be the most incredible support and friend. Once you gain his trust he always looks out for you." She was quiet for a moment letting that thought sink in. "I think I need to talk to him and just lay out how I'm feeling and ask for him to be honest with me and see if we can find a happy medium, because I don't know if I could look at myself everyday and realize that I was too scared to have love."

"That sounds like a good plan. Just try not to let on that you heard what they were saying today or he will know and probably have a temper tantrum." They both laughed because they both knew that it was undoubtedly the truth.