Aaah, as promised, chapter ten, with loads and loads of EnvyErica interaction :P Hope you like!

Lorraine019 – Thankyou for your review :D and yeah, there haven't been much romance yet, but there's a little teeny bit in here, and it will be coming quicker now. However, I want to make a believable story, and for Envy to fall in love it would take a lot of interaction and growth. Hope you like this chapter!

Incky-Chan – Thankyou for all of your reviews :D I'm glad that you like the plot and everything, and that you think Erica is believable and that everyone is in character. It's one of the best compliments I can get as an author! Erica is eighteen, I think I mentioned it somewhere, and it's also mentioned in the next chapter, but it's easy to overlook :P Ah, thankyou! I'm glad you noticed how aware Erica is, it's one of her best traits I think. So glad you like the plot :D Hope you like this chapter!

Chapter elleven will be out tomorrow, 'cause my beta rule :D Hope you're feeling better ^^

As always, reviews is like chocolate and flames will be used for Roy's enjoyment ;P

Night Time

The longer our nights last, the more our dreams will be
- Chinese proverb

Erica shivered a little, suddenly feeling cold. She glanced over her shoulders, not seeing anything but shadows and an empty street.

The sun hadn't even gone down yet, and already she was more frightened than a mouse in a snake-nest. Really, this was getting beyond ridiculous.

But she just couldn't shake the feeling that was someone following her, watching her. It had come as soon as she'd stepped away from the park, into the already half-dark streets. The feeling was so intense that she'd been tempted to turn around and run right back to Ed and Al. But she'd told herself that she was ridiculous, and had stubbornly kept walking.

She tried to focus on something else, instead thinking back to her day in the park; she figured it could only be described as great. She got a warm feeling just thinking about it; everything had been so easy, the conversations flowing like a jolly little river. The few silences had been just as comfortable, each just lying and enjoying the specks of sunlight falling from the sky.

Erica was especially happy, because they'd been talking about innocent things: Havoc had been all about some girl in a flower-shop he'd just met, while Breda and Fuery had discussed who'd won the last battle of chess and if the Colonel and Lieutenant Hawkeye where involved with each other. The latter subject had amused Erica immensely, but she told herself she wouldn't start interfering in something that wasn't her business. She smirked a little when she thought about odd but leader-like and warm Roy with cold and calculated Riza Hawkeye. Somehow, the match didn't seem as crazy as one might think.

Then there had been Ed and Al; as soon as the others had left, Erica had both hoped and feared that they'd bring up Abraham's research. She was more than relieved when they didn't. She hadn't done anything but think about Abraham and his stupid research, and for just a few hours, she'd forgotten all about it. She'd been another person. A happy person.

Instead of the papers, they'd been telling her stories from when they were smaller, living in Risembool and playing around with their friend, Winry Rockbell. They'd also told a few horror-stories about their time with their teacher in Dublith. There'd been certain aspect of their lives they hadn't mentioned, and there were times when one of them would suddenly stop in the middle of it all, quickly mentioning something else. This didn't surprise her: she knew they had secrets and she had no right to know anything about any of them. She didn't ask.

It had also surprised Erica how much she'd actually gotten along with Edward. It wasn't so weird with Al: she figured the boy could get along with anyone as soon as they got talking with him, and if anything, she'd only grown to like him even more. With Edward there had been that nagging voice in the back of her head, telling her that she could never go along with a temperamental brute like that.

Of course, the voice sounded too much like Abraham's. She'd done her best not to listen to it, and had found the Alchemist's company very enjoyable. Like Al, she got the feeling that he wouldn't judge her for any of the things she currently blamed herself for doing, probably because whatever choices he'd had to face, they'd all been harder. She wondered if he felt that he'd ever chosen wrong choices.

She also found that they had more in common than she'd first thought: she remembered Abraham always scolding her when she lost her temper, especially when it came to some of the other village kids. With a father like that, she'd grown up quicker and had one of the best educations the country had to offer. Therefore her mental state had always been a lot older than other kids her age. Erica had never had much patience with idiots, and had more than once gotten into both verbal and physical fights, with some boys in particular. It had stopped when she'd become a teenager. She still flinched when she heard Abraham's voice in her head, scolding her for losing it, stating that only weak people did that. Eventually, she'd learned to control it, if only not to disappoint him more than she'd already done.

So it had definitely been wrong of her to judge him based on his temper: thinking back on it now, she couldn't help but smile at the thought. It was one of his bigger flaws, getting so riled up about his height when it really shouldn't matter. But no one was perfect, and Erica liked him anyway.

Then there was also the whole aspect of loss. Though none of them had mentioned any of it, the awareness that all three of them were without parents lay as a heavy blanket around them. But to Erica at least, it had felt more like a comforting hiding place, like kids making up a cave and dodging under their sheets to talk under there. For the first time since fully realizing that Abraham was truly dead, she didn't feel as if the whole world was conspiring against her. For the first time, she'd accepted that that was how things were.

Of course, as soon as she'd stepped away, all the feelings had come rushing back, the sense of someone following her being the biggest. Abraham's voice had boomed loudly in her head, screaming for her not to act foolishly and get a grip.

Erica suddenly stopped short, realizing that she'd mistakenly taken the longer route home. Glancing over her shoulders, the street behind her suddenly seemed even darker and looming, as if someone was just waiting in the shadows, ready to throw themselves at her when she walked past…

Don't be such a baby! Erica thought to herself, shaking her head. Take the longer route if you're so scared, just don't stand there looking lost!

She bit hard down on her lip, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. Right. The lounger route. Uncle Sam had taught her self-defense, as had Abraham. She could take care of herself. No one was following her; she didn't have anything valuable on her, so why should they? It was her being paranoid.

She determinedly kept walking, not caring that this way would take another ten minutes to get her home. She was not scared!

Well, at least that's what she told herself. Her point was proven wrong however, as a hand suddenly closed over her wrist, and she not only jumped ten feet in the air, but also screamed out loud, so high in fact, that she saw the light turn on in one of the houses, and a window being opened.

She spun around trying to hit her attacker in the face, but her fist got caught in a strong, tanned hand. A wide grin met her eyes, right before her green orbs settled into purple ones.

It was Rafael.

"Oh." She breathed out, the realization hitting her. Then her face turned redder than a tomato. Rafael's eyes sparkled with mirth. Erica was at a loss for words, emotions running through her like a tornado: surprise, fear, anger, awkwardness, embarrassment. But before she could open her mouth to express any of them, someone shouted from the opened window:

"Hey! What are you two doing down there??" The owner sounded worried, and Erica realized what this must look like: her screaming and him holding onto her arms like that (she blushed even more when she suddenly became fully aware of the fact that he was touching her. Her inner voices was mocking her for being such a pathetic little love-sick girl)

"Sorry!" She turned around as good as she could, a little disappointed when Rafael let go of her arms. She was fully aware however, that he was still looking intently at her, smirking all the while. "Sorry, my friend just startled me! I'm so sorry we've woken you up."

The man in the window looked closely at them, his eyes suspicious before he nodded, ducking into the room again. "No harm done." He called after them before closing it and shutting the drapes. Erica breathed a sigh of relief, before spinning around and facing Rafael again.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled, resisting the urge to poke him hard in the chest. Her anger was hiding her embarrassment quite nicely, but she could see in his eyes that he knew. He was still smirking that damned smirk, his angel-like face making her knees go weak. He was even more beautiful than she remembered (an inner part of her nearly vomited by that admission, but it was ignored by the larger part that was ready to swoon).

"Uh, sneaking up on you?" He deadpanned, his smirk turning into a wide, satisfied smile. It didn't make her urge to hit him any smaller.

"You are stalking me!" She accused with a hiss. Then it was her turn to smirk. "If you like me, you can just say it you know."

He didn't fumble around or started mumbling something random like she'd expected someone would normally do. He didn't even look embarrassed. Instead, he tilted his head to the side, looking at her with a both serious and amused expression. The smile had shrunk, now only tugging at the corners of his lips instead.

"You really are full of yourself." He simply said, and a shower of shock rushed down upon her. His voice, it didn't sound like him at all. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn it was herself speaking.

"Wha… I… I'm not…" She fumbled, the situations suddenly reverted. She could feel the heat rising to her face again, and it didn't help when Rafael started laughing. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was laughing too hard to catch his breath, he wasn't able to form a sentence. Erica had never been so embarrassed in her entire life before. Her hands tightened into fists, and she fought hard not to hit him.

Should have poked him before, she thought. Then she shook her head, trying to regain control of her temper.

"Honestly, that's not very nice!" She muttered, scowling at him. "You , after all, were the one following me."

Rafael slowly stopped laughing, trying to catch his breath and wiping mock-tears of mirth away. Didn't make her opinion of him rise higher exactly, though he did look handsome when he smiled like that…

Hormones on the loose! Her mental warnings said, and she was suddenly suppressing the urge to hit herself.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked. "I was just walking by and saw you. You scream very prettily Erica, I simply couldn't resist the temptation."

It was then that it hit her, the danger radiating through everything. It wasn't just her imagination. It was coming from him. It was like an aura, sweeping around him, reaching out and engulfing her.

She shivered, her instincts kicking in, and took a step back. She'd only ever felt like this in the presence of the Fuhrer..

You scream very prettily…

"Erica? Honestly, is it nap-time already?" He sounded both amused an annoyed, one of his eyebrows raised. Immediately, the feeling of danger left Erica's body like a burden being lifted from her shoulders. She still felt wary though, not sure if it had been her imagination or not.

"Well, the sun has gone down." She said, glancing at the horizon and trying to grow her back-bone.

"Well, last time I saw you, it was in the middle of the night, and you weren't exactly sleeping." Rafael smirked. "But maybe thoughts of me have kept you up so much lately; you haven't gotten any sleep at all!"

Alright, that was it. She glared at him and poked him hard on the shoulder, smiling triumphantly like a little child finding the room where the presents where hidden.

"And you say I'm full of myself?" She teased, suddenly not feeling any tension at all. Actually, it was nice just standing here, talking to him.

"I never said I wasn't." Rafael grinned back, suddenly not looking as menacing as he usually did. Erica smirked and blushed a little when she realized that she'd let her hand rest on his arm where she'd poked him. She quickly moved it and then froze.

Memories of the night where she'd first met him came rushing back: he still looked the same. His hair was still long and dark, his eyes still a deep purple, looking directly into her soul. He was still only a few inches taller, and wore the same clothes as last time; dark pants and dark jacket with a red symbol on the left shoulder.

Last time, it had been too dark for her to see it. But here, in the soft glow of the half-rising moon, standing so close to him, she could easily make out the red shape that formed an ouroboros on his shoulder.

Suddenly the whole world was spinning for her eyes, and she had to fight to keep herself upright. Memories came rushing back, Abraham telling her about the snake eating its own tail, her sketching away on Roy's paperwork, Denny Brosh asking her about it.

Denny Brosh…

"Eri…" Rafael started to say, but she'd already snapped out of her trance, staring at him with wide eyes. Before he could open his mouth again, she'd turned around and started running in the other direction.

Fear made her heart thump widely in her chest, made the blood rush through her veins. A strange whistling came over her ears and it was all she could focus on. She was gasping for breath, trying to catch it in her wild run away, far away.

It wasn't just fear that made her run so wildly; it was disappointment and betrayal too, she realized. In the very short span of time she'd known Rafael, she'd come to rely on him, always sure she would see him again. It was a giant mistake, trusting someone she didn't know. She could feel it tugging at her insides, curling everything into a ball that only grew bigger in her stomach, heavy like a rock. She couldn't breathe.

She really couldn't breathe. Erica stopped short around a corner, leaning against a wall and trying to catch her breath. It came down her throat and into her lungs with a burning fever. She snapped a little, trying to take in a proper amount, but it felt as if her entire body was protesting against it. Maybe it was some sort of punishment for being so incredibly stupid.

"Erica!" She stiffened, slowly turning around. Rafael stood behind her, his eyebrow yet again raised in question. He must have run to keep up with her, but he didn't look like he had at all; he wasn't trying to catch his breath, he wasn't even breathing just a little heavier. He hardly looked as if he'd moved at all. And she hadn't heard him coming.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, looking at her as if she was insane. Erica could feel the rock in her body soften, the sharp edges dulling a little.

"I…" She mumbled. "You…" She swallowed thickly and pointed at the symbol on his shoulder with a trembling finger. She was scared, she realized. This was big risk. The possibilities of her dying were very high right now, and despite what she might say otherwise, she feared death.

Rafael glanced at it, but only smirked, looking at her with amusement written all over his face.

"Scared of a snake?" He asked teasingly. The stone in her stomach disappeared all of the sudden, and Erica stared at him with an open mouth.

"It's a sign of recreation." He said, when she didn't seem to be able to string together a proper sentence. "You know, the mumbo-jumbo crap so many people believe in." He shrugged, making the red snake look as if it were moving. "I just think it looks cool." He flashed a wide grin, looking like a shark ready to attack. This time it didn't scare her however, it more made her want to kiss it away.

"Uh… uh… sorry I…" She mumbled trying to find words. "I…"

"Freaked out?" He said. "Is it that time of the month?"

Erica frowned and glared at him. He laughed as she hit him, and Erica frowned even deeper, looking at her hand. It had hurt her to hit him, and she could just imagine how a bruise would be forming in the morning.

"You're a jerk." She mumbled.

"Of course."

"And an idiot."

"I already knew that."

Erica sighed, more than infuriated by him. She opened her mouth to say more, looked up and stopped. He'd stepped closer, only mere inches away from her now and her breath was hitching in her throat again. A weird sensation came over her, warmth flooding her stomach. Her face felt like ice was being pressed against it, except for the place his eyes where resting, which were her lips, she realized with a start.

He was already standing too close, and now he was stepping even closer. He was smirking widely, his eyes even darker than she'd ever seen before. Erica felt as if her spirit was being lifted from her body, as if she was floating upwards, watching herself from up there, while still being fully aware of every sensation her body was feeling at the moment. It prickled, like thousands of blunt needles against her skin, all the way out into her fingertips.

She wanted him to step even closer. It was stupid, and it was shallow, but she wanted him to come as close as humanly possible, to bend the few inches forward and press those dark lips against hers, his hair brushing against her cheeks and shoulders as she responded…

"You can't just run away you know." He whispered, repeating the words he'd said the first time they met. "I might be your true love."

Then he threw his head back and laughed. His dark hair flew around his shoulders, the moon glistening in at, making it look like a deep, dark green. Erica scowled, realized she'd been played by him.

"Do you have a death wish?" She hissed, shooting him her best threatening-look, and clenching her fist. He looked at her again, taking a step backwards in mock-fear.

"Yeah, 'cause you hit like a real man." He said, the words blurred over by laughter. "I'm still hurting from that poke you gave me."

"Oh shut up." Erica hissed, blushing for the hundredth time that evening. She felt confused and dizzy, and she wasn't sure if she could walk in a straight line if she tried. She felt drunk, and it was only because he'd tried to kiss her. She was acting like a fool in love.

"Well, I am pretty hardcore." Rafael said, not an ounce of a tease in his voice. He really meant it, and Erica couldn't help but smile at his confidence. "But you would probably be able to beat down some other guy. I wonder, what would you have done if it hadn't been me sneaking up on you?"

"Thus far you're the only one who ever do that." Erica mumbled. "I would have punched him in the face, like I would have done to you if you weren't so freakishly fast."

Rafael smirked. "I am pretty fast." He whispered, the word barely reaching her ears. He was smirking that malicious smile again, and despite the instinctive fear, she found that it made him even more attracting.

I have serious issues, falling for a guy like this, she thought, blinking a few times. Could she be more messed up?

"It's getting darker." She stated, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She was developing a crush on a boy she'd met twice. Nice.

"It is." Rafael said, his tone very serious. He was still smiling though. "Want me to walk you home?"

Erica smiled, remembering the last time he'd offered to do that. Like then, he sounded disgusted, but this time it also seemed more genuine. She still shook her head, however.

"No, I'm afraid that the only danger out here is you, Mr. Estrin." Erica teased back. "I'll be fine."

He titled his head to the side, studying her intently. She squirmed under his gaze, feeling like she was being sold on a market, the buyer evaluating how much he would give.

"Why did you take this way?" He suddenly asked, folding his arms over his chest. Erica frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, spare it." He said, waving a hand. "I know where you live, and I know that this way is the longest. So why did you take it?"

Erica frowned deeply. "How do you know I'm not just out walking like last time? Maybe I walked around the fourth block and ended on the street I met you." Her frown deepened, and a knowing smile formed on her face. "You are stalking me!"

Rafael simply smirked, not in the least bit embarrassed, though he suddenly seemed a little wary, his eyes glancing quickly around him.

"Just a little bit. Now, do you want to continue being in the presence of my glorious company, or would you rather walk home alone… in the dark… where people might attack you…"

"Or sneak up on me so that they can hear my pretty screams?" Erica asked, looking closely for his reaction. As expected, he simply smirked, leaning his weight a little more on his left food and stowing his hand in his pockets.

"Maybe yeah." He said. "Your answer?"

"I'll do fine by myself, thank you." Erica said, realizing she sounded like a snob, but not wanting to take her words back. "If Hughes or any of the others see you, I'll be bombarded with questions." She quickly swept her eyes over him, taking in his angelic face again. "Most of whom I can't answer because I don't know you."

He looked at her again, neither smiling nor smirking this time, but still with a small tugging upwards at the corner of his lips. "Yeah. I think you do."

Erica frowned, but before she could ask what the hell he meant by that, he'd given her a mock salute, bid her goodnight and turned around to disappear into the shadows again.