His Loss, Her Words, Their Adventure

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I Don't Own FMA in Any Way.

Rating: PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language and Violence.

A/N: Aw, c'mon, I don't wanna spoil this chapter! Go ahead, read! XD

F----------------M---------------A

Ed popped his head out of the water, gasping for air. There was a terrible pain that shot through his entire body, mostly his side, but he ignored it. He looked down to see some blood surrounding him so he hastily swam to shore.

He walked on all four's until most of his body was out of the water. He could feel his arms and legs shaking as he breathed desperately to regain his lost breath. His arms and legs lost their steadiness completely and he collapsed. Once completely on the ground, he closed his eyes and passed out.

A Few Hours Later…

Ed's eyes slowly opened. He winced when he felt the sting of the Sun's light but soon adjusted to it. He forced himself up so he was kneeling down and looked at himself. The grass he was just lying on was stained with his crimson blood. His eyes widened slightly and looked down at his chest. His tank top was ripped violently at his side and across his stomach and blood was pouring, slowly but steadily, at his side.

He pulled his Automail to cover it but quickly withdrew his arm at the contact back as the pain was too much. He pulled his Automail in front of his face and noticed, it had blood as well. "What the?" he muttered as he looked down at his side and saw a rather large gash, undoubtedly from a rock or more he must've hit on his way down the waterfall. "Fuck" he cursed under a breath angrily.

He then pulled his flesh hand in front of his face as well. On the back was a deep wound, certainly from Envy's little whip-arm attack at the last minute. He turned it over and investigated the palm to see it was covered in blood and several small cuts.

He sighed heavily. His arm was also in terrible pain and he was pretty sure both his legs were covered in gashes as well. He reached up and touched his face but the contact made him flinch. His left cheek had a long scratch across it while his right eye had a scratch that started at his forehead and ended down at his cheek. There was also a fierce scrape at the left side of his forehead, all wounds, nonetheless, caused blood to pour down his face and neck.

The wounds hurt badly, but, they weren't the first thing on Ed's mind right now. Where's Winry? He thought as he looked around. He frowned when he saw she wasn't on either side of the area of the river he was currently sitting by.

Ed pulled up his right leg, causing him to hiss in a breath, but forced himself to stand up anyway. His legs fumbled at first but he regained his balance and pulled his hand to his sore side. He looked down at his legs, seeing his pants were ripped slightly along the sides and on his thighs and calves. He then looked ahead at the river which continued on. He moved one leg forward, winced, but forced his other leg to move as well and soon, he was walking. Slowly, but walking nevertheless.

Ed continued walking through the forest next to the river, searching for a sign of Winry's body. Each step was a mission to accomplish so he was hoping he'd find her soon. After a few minutes, he finally saw something ahead. On the other side of the flowing river, on the shore, he could see a body wearing a white tank top and black pants, their legs still slightly in the water.

Winry! Ed thought urgently. He quickened his pace slightly and walked until he was in front of her across the river though. He looked down at the water and then back at Winry's body. He slowly stepped in, the cool water stinging the injuries on his legs but he continued, ignoring it. Soon, being waist-high in water, he looked back to see he was leaving a slight trail of blood behind him. He shrugged and continued until he reached the other side where Winry was.

He figured she was unconscious because she didn't stir when his shadow came over her. He forced himself to kneel down next to her and then overlooked her body, looking for any bad injuries. After a quick survey, Ed concluded that she was in better shape than him. She had several scrapes and scratches along her legs, a few gashes in her stomach and a couple of cuts on her face and forehead but she looked like she could walk easier than he could.

Ed felt bad seeing Winry covered in blood but, even he had to admit, that fall was pretty bad. He then looked down at her face; she looked peaceful, although slightly covered in blood. "Win? Winry, it's me, Ed" he said hoarsely.

Winry didn't wake up. "Winry, wake up" he said roughly again. Her eyes struggled but she soon fluttered her eyes open and looked up at her awakener. "Ed?" she whispered huskily. "Yeah, Win, it's me" Ed replied, almost smiling.

Winry forced herself so she was sitting up next to him. "Don't try too hard" Ed warned fearfully. "I'll be fine" she told him a she sat up completely and faced him. Their eyes locked. For a moment they stared into each other's eyes before Ed turned his gaze away and lowered his head shamefully.

"Ed, what happened to you?" Winry asked worriedly. "I must've taken the most damage, it's nothing" Ed replied quietly, trying not to make Winry worry. It didn't work. Winry looked at Ed's torn clothes and saw the blood at his side.

"You call that nothing!?" she demanded angrily, indicating his entire body. "I'm fine, Winry, honestly. I walked over here, didn't I?" he asked. Winry sighed. "What if something had happened to you!?" she demanded. "Winry, it's nothing! Don't worry about it" Ed replied.

Winry shrugged and crossed her arms irately. "Jerk" she muttered angrily. Ed sighed and looked over his shoulder back at the top of the waterfall. No Homunculi and no Dante. "C'mon, we might as well find a place to rest up; I sure as hell can't do shit in this condition" he said as he turned back to Winry.

Winry looked at him and nodded. She helped him to his feet and pulled his flesh arm around her neck, to help him walk. She held his arm with one hand and put the other, gently, around his waist. "Thanks Win" Ed said silently.

Winry helped him walk for a few steps before her face suddenly turned stern and she stopped walking. She looked at Ed angrily which only resulted in Ed raising a brow at her. "What?" he asked curiously.

Winry let go of Ed's waist and his arm, causing him to fall to the ground, whining in pain. Ed hissed in a breath and tried to kneel up but failed and fell back down. "Agh! Damn it, Winry, what the hell!?" he demanded as he looked up at her heatedly.

"Why the hell should I help you!?" Winry replied furiously. "What about you not having anything left to live for!? You should be able to do fine on your own!" she told him a she crossed her arms and turned around.

Ed's eyes widened as he looked up at her from the ground. "Winry, I"—"No, Ed, I don't want to hear it!" Winry cut him off, irately facing him once more. "I'm tired of hearing your whole life means nothing just because you think Al died! You made a promise…and you broke it" she told him sadly. Promise? Ed asked himself before he remembered what happened in the house back in Resembol.

You have my word as an Alchemist, I'll try to move on he remembered his exact words. "Winry, I-I" he stuttered. "No, Ed, you can just help yourself!" Winry told him as she turned around fiercely and began walking away.

"Winry!? Ugh, damn…" Ed said sadly. He forced himself to his knees and pulled his Automail hand to his bloody, sore side. He hissed in pain but managed. He pulled up one leg, winced, and managed to stand up. He let his flesh arm hang limply at his side and followed Winry.

They walked in uncomfortable silence. Ed took minor steps whereas Winry was walking strongly ahead, wincing every now and then, but definitely walking stronger than Ed.

Ed hadn't meant what he had told her but…he did say it…regretfully. He tried talking to her; maybe he could try and redeem himself.

"Winry?"

Silence.

"Winry?"

Silence.

"Winry?"—"What, Ed!?" Winry demanded as she turned around fiercely and faced him angrily. Ed took a step back. "Um…Never mind" he said nervously. Winry rolled her eyes and continued walking, annoyed.

Ed continued walking behind her. He knew all too well what he needed to do to make so Winry didn't hate him anymore. He needed to swallow his pride and apologize to her. He took a deep breath and let it out silently.

He wouldn't go right up to her, tough. He looked to the trees at his side and smiled. He shuffled over and got something from the forest floor and then walked up to Winry.

"Winry?" he asked softly. The mechanic sighed. "What now, E"—she stopped completely as she turned around and came face-to-face with, not Ed's pleading golden eyes, but with a small rosebud.

She eyed it curiously and then looked up at Ed, who was smiling softly but his eyes were still desperate. His Automail was still covering the injury at his side but he was giving her the rose with his free hand.

Winry looked down at the small flower and gently took it in her hand as Ed carefully let it go. Once the rose was in her hand, she looked at Ed, waiting for an explanation. "Winry…You don't have to say anything but, please, I just want you to listen" Ed began. Winry listened attentively.

"OK, here it goes…Winry, I…I'm sorry I said what I said up there, I didn't…I didn't mean it. I-I wasn't thinking and it just…slipped" he told her. Winry's eyes softened slightly. Ed continued. "But…that's not an excuse for it…I never should've said it because" he paused for a moment, looking for the right words. Winry waited patiently; she knew Ed wasn't the type to go right out and apologize so she knew this must've been difficult for him.

"I never should've said it" Ed said. "Because…I've still got you to live for as a best friend and, that's what you are; my best friend, and I know I don't exactly act like the best friend I should be but" he stopped and looked to the river next to them. "But, I am and…I shouldn't take that for granted because…I couldn't ask for a better friend" he whispered.

Winry's eyes widened slightly. "So, please, can you…forgive me?" Ed asked as he looked at her pleadingly, smiling. Winry looked down at the rose in her hand. "Ed, I…" she whispered, not entirely sure of what to say.

Ed's smile faded. "Oh…I see" he said sadly. "Well…" he said but sighed. "Forget it" he whispered as he continued, slowly, walking past Winry, the pain of his breaking heart quickly replacing that of his entire body.

"Edward, wait" Winry said as she quickly turned around and met Ed's back. In a quick motion, she grabbed his limp arm and pulled him in front of her. Ed complained at the pain of the contact but allowed himself to be pulled into her view.

Their eyes locked for a second time and they gazed into each other, as if the answers to all their problems lay within their eyes. Azure and Gold, in one peaceful meeting of serenity; for that one moment, the whole world seemed to stop. All that could be heard was the subtle chirping of birds and the soft flowing of the river next to them.

Winry stepped closer and quickly wrapped her arms around Ed's neck. The Alchemist was in pain but ignored it; the hug seemed to cloud his mind. "Win?" he asked quietly. "Edward, of course I forgive you" she told him as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

Ed's eyes widened slightly and he then smiled. "Thank you, Winry…for everything" he whispered softly. Winry held him a little tighter and breathed in his scent of blood and river water. "You're welcome" she said quietly but happily.

After a short pause, Ed swallowed and cleared his throat before he gently pulled away and faced the other way. "I guess…we should someplace to rest" he said, blushing slightly. Winry smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right" she agreed.

She walked up next to him and gently grabbed his flesh arm. "Besides, we have to fix you up" she told him. Ed cocked his head sideways. Winry rolled her eyes and gently continued walking, back in the direction of the waterfall, his arm still interlocked with hers. Ed followed, not really having much of a choice.

Soon they found a nice, shady spot next to the river and decided to set up there for the night. Ed sat down immediately and rested. Winry turned to him and smiled. "So, I guess I'm doing all the work, huh?" she asked as she looked down at him.

Ed looked up at her. "Sorry" he apologized as he went to stand up but Winry stopped him. "Rest" she told him. "I'll go find some wood for a fire" she insisted. Ed sighed and nodded in agreement. Winry then walked off into the trees in search of firewood.

The blonde mechanic returned a few minutes later, holding the firewood she said she would find. She looked to see Ed was now lying on his back, eyes closed and breathing steadily. She rolled he eyes and walked up next to him. He had his flesh hand on his stomach while his other was next to his head. He wasn't asleep, she could tell.

She dropped the firewood away from him but the sound was loud enough for him to open his eyes and look up at Winry. "I was trying to sleep" he told her as he sat up carefully. "Well, you can't" Winry replied.

Ed raised a brow. "Why?" he asked. "Because" Winry replied. "You have to start the fire and then I'm going to go fishing and get us some food" she told him. "Oh" Ed said quietly. He forced himself to his knees so he was in front of the firewood and put them atop each other so he could ignite them properly. After that, he looked at Winry.

"You should get the food first; we won't have to look for more firewood later" he explained. "Hmm, good idea" Winry agreed. "Winry?" Ed asked suddenly. "Yeah, Ed?" Winry replied as she looked at him.

"How do you plan to catch fish without a fishing pole?" Ed asked. Winry's eyes widened and she looked at him, smiling. "You spent a month on an island and had to fend for yourself, yes?" she asked. Ed looked back in his memories and realized she was indicating to when he had gone to his teacher's, Izumi, when he was younger. "Yeah, so?" he asked.

"Well, what did you do for food?" Winry asked. "Well" Ed said. "Me and Al would sharpen up some sticks and use them as spears to kill the fish and eat them" he replied. "Well, if that's case, can't you transmute a spear and I'll take it and go fishing?" Winry asked.

Ed nodded. "Sure, just let me stand up" he told her as he began to force himself to his feet. Winry quickly went and helped him. Once on his feet, he tried to stand erectly and ignored some of the pain his body was enduring.

He clapped his hands together, disregarding the pain of his flesh hand, and managed to kneel down and place his Automail palm on the ground. Once the blue light formed around his hand, he slowly forced himself to his feet as a pole formed under his hand.

Once completely on his feet, the spear had formed entirely. The blue glow disappeared and Ed quickly grabbed the long handle of the weapon and turned it over to the blade was pointing upward. "Here" he said as he handed it to Winry.

Winry looked at it for a moment before carefully taking it in her hand. It was surprisingly lightweight and its handle was rough so that the holder would not lose their grip. She looked up at the blade; a small tail of a dragon wrapped itself around the pole which soon led up to two dragon wings on either side of the pole just before the blade formed.

"Win" Ed said suddenly. Winry looked down from the blade to Ed. "Yeah?' she asked. "Fish around here so I can watch you and be careful, that blade is sharp and you could get hurt with it" Ed told her.

Winry smiled confidently. "Please, Ed, remember who you're talking to! I'll be careful" she said. Ed rolled his eyes and sat back down on the ground. "I'm just telling you; be careful" he said. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, just stay there and watch me, 'K?" Winry asked as she took off her boots and walked up to the water. Ed shrugged and watched.

Winry carefully walked into the water until it reached her knees and pulled the spear so the blade was facing downward. "Winry" Ed called out. Winry looked over her shoulder. "Keep your stance firm and don't move! Don't go to the fish; let the fish come to you!" Ed told her. Winry nodded and turned back to the task at hand.

Winry stood perfectly still, waiting for the fish to come to her. She made herself part of the water.

She saw a fish at least two feet away from her leg and stood quietly for a moment. She then placed both hands firmly on the handle, pulled back, and fiercely pushed down to the direction of where the fish was.

She looked at it for a moment and smiled when she saw blood beginning to form. She pulled the spears blade out and saw she had indeed hit the fish. It was a big trout; big enough to easily be shared by the two teens.

Winry looked at Ed, smiling. "Trout?" she asked humorously. Ed replied with a kind smile. Winry walked out of the water and up to him. "Didn't think I'd get one on the first try, huh?" she asked playfully. "Honestly…no" Ed replied truthfully as he looked away, smiling amusingly.

"Hmph! Just for that, I shouldn't let you eat the darn thing" Winry told him. Ed looked up at her. "Aw, c'mon, Winry, you asked and I answered, what's wrong with that?" he asked playfully. Winry smiled down at him.

"I was kidding" Winry told him. Ed shrugged his shoulders. "When it comes to food, I get desperate" he told her. Winry laughed a little at that. "Just make the fire so we can eat" she said. Ed nodded in agreement and knelt in front of the pile of firewood.

He clapped his hands together and placed them next to the heap. In less than a few seconds, it quickly lit ablaze. Ed sat back down a few feet away and looked at Winry. "There" he said. Winry walked off for a moment and came back with a small stick.

She removed the fish from the blade of the spear and stuck it on the stick. She knelt down in front of the fire and stuck the stick in the ground before the fire, letting it cook. She then sat back next to Ed.

"We still have to cover your injuries" she told him. "And how do you expect to do that? It's not like we packed any bandages or anything" Ed replied. "You're the Alchemist here! Can't you transmute some using some of the leaves or something?" Winry asked.

Ed's eyes widened and he looked over at her. "That's…actually not a bad idea" he agreed. "Really?" Winry asked curiously. "Yeah, the law of Equivalent Exchange would most likely let me do it" Ed explained.

"Hmm, well, what do you need?" Winry asked. Ed overlooked himself and contemplated for a moment and then looked at Winry. "Well, considering how many injuries you and I have put together…a lot of leaves" he replied scratching the back of his head. "Well, the fish won't be done for a while, I'll go find some" Winry insisted.

"Want me to make you a bucket or something so you can carry it in?" Ed asked. "Sure, it would help me bring more at a time" Winry replied. Ed transmuted a medium-sized pail out of the ground and handed it to her. Winry took it and walked off into the forest.

Ed turned back to the flames and contemplated. He remembered when Al and he had to stay an entire month on that God forsaken island their teacher had abandoned them on. 'All is one and one is all' he remembered and suddenly held his Automail tightly.

If we had listened to that damn law, Al never would've died and I wouldn't be in this forest he thought sadly. He sighed and hugged his knees. He stared into the blazing fire and awaited Winry's return.

F----------------M---------------A

After a good ten minutes, Winry had returned twice with the pail full of leaves, she was on her third trip and was on her way to returning to their setup. She walked through and saw Ed gazing into the fire, something he had been doing ever since Winry left for the first pail of leaves.

Next to Ed sat the pile of leaves Winry had collected. "Ed?" Winry asked. The blonde Alchemist shrugged but didn't look at her. "I'm pretty sure I'm done" Winry told him as she dumped the latest pail of leaves on the pile. Ed looked at the pile and then up at Winry.

"OK" he said before clapping his hands together, placing his palms on the ground and turning the pile into a neat, roll of bandage tape. "Weirdest. Transmutation. Ever!" Ed declared as he finished. "Oh, please, I'm sure you've done weirder" Winry told him.

Ed looked back in his memories and nodded. "You're right, I have done weirder" he stated. Winry rolled her eyes. "I'm going to patch you up first" she told him. Ed shrugged and looked back at the fire.

"You're, uh, going to have to take off your shirt" Winry said nervously. "Excuse me?" Ed asked as he looked back at her. "Your clothes from your waist up must come off" Winry said, trying to sound as nonchalantly as possible.

Ed blushed and looked at the ground. "Um…OK" he said as he, carefully, pulled off his jacket and tank top, placing them next to him. He said nothing and waited for Winry to start.

Winry swallowed the lump in her throat and grabbed Ed tank top. She folded it into a square, walked over to the river and wet his shirt. "What are you doing?" Ed asked. Winry pulled his shirt out of the water and squeezed it to get some of the water out. "I'm going to use your shirt as a towel to clean off the blood from your body" she explained as she crawled up next to him.

"Look at me so I can clean up your face" she told him. Ed faced her. "Be gentle; it kinda hurts" he requested. "Don't be a baby, Ed" Winry replied sarcastically. Ed glared for a moment. Winry pulled his black folded shirt up to his face. Ed backed up his face a bit, afraid the contact would hurt.

"Oh, please, Ed, stay still! I'll be careful!" Winry complained. She pulled it up to the scratch on his left cheek and gently placed it there, causing Ed to wince slightly. "Just hold still" Winry said softly. She continued to gently run his shirt over his body, cleaning up all the, now dry, blood off of him.

Soon, she had reached his chest and was blushing furiously, but tried not to show it. Although painful, Ed seemed to be enjoying having Winry run her fingers over his chest. Soon, Winry reached the one wound she thought she'd never get to; the large gash at his side. She sighed heavily and braced herself for the scolding from Ed she would most likely receive.

She bit her lower lip and, gently, placed his shirt on his wound. The cool contact must've been too much for the poor Alchemist because he immediately pulled away and pulled his arm to the gash. "Damn it!!" he cursed angrily as his eyes tightened closed.

"Edward, I'm so sorry!" Winry apologized. Ed hissed in a breath and let it out. "Warn me before you touch a sore spot!" he demanded. "Well, excuse me for thinking you could handle it!" Winry retorted. "Ugh, just forget it, I'm not in the mood to argue" Ed said as he sat back where he originally was. "Fine!" Winry replied. "Fine!" Ed snapped and then let out a breath.

Ed braced himself and Winry continued washing the terrible scrape. Soon, she finished and asked that Ed pass her the roll of tape bandage, which he did. She quickly unrolled it and gently began wrapping it around his waist. He winced at the pressure of it but held it in.

His blood soaked through the material. Once Winry finished she ripped off the end and tucked it in the bandage. She then began wrapping some tape around his arm to cover other injuries and his hand. "Winry?" Ed said suddenly. "What Ed?" Winry replied quietly. When he didn't respond, she figured he must've brushed off what he was going to say. He didn't.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Winry" he said sadly. Winry stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. "I'm sorry we ended up falling down a damn waterfall" he said. "Ed, you don't have to apologize, I made the decision to follow you and I made the decision to keep going" Winry told him.

"You're just saying that" Ed replied. "No, I'm not" Winry declared. Ed looked at her. "I made a promise, Ed, and I intend to keep it" she reminded. Ed smiled.

"Right. Promise" he whispered. Winry finished wrapping the bandage around his arm and ripped off the end and tucked it. "There, all better" she said happily. Ed smiled and thanked her gratefully. Winry then crawled over next to him and examined the fish. "Think it's done?" she asked as she looked at Ed.

Ed stared at the fish and nodded. Winry carefully grabbed the stick and sat back so she was sitting next to Ed once more. "You want the first bite?" she asked, showing him the trout on a stick. Ed smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I'm hungry" he stated.

Winry pulled up the fish so it was between the two of them. Ed placed his Automail, absentmindedly, on Winry's hand from where she held the stick. She blushed slightly from the touch but watched as Ed eased in and took a bite from the fish.

He pulled away and chewed considerately before swallowing. "Honestly…not bad" he concluded. Winry giggled a little and took a small bite herself. She chewed and swallowed and nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's what we have to eat so, even if we didn't like it, we'd have to eat it" Ed said humorously before taking another bite. Winry laughed slightly. "It's funny because it's true" she told him.

Soon, they finished the trout and were now sitting in front of the fire in a relaxed silence. The Sun was preparing to set, Ed had cleaned and fixed his clothes with Alchemy some time ago but had not pulled on his tank top nor jacket. Winry had patched herself up as well and now had a few bandages on her legs, stomach and face. Ed had refused to put any bandages on his face; something about the cuts being too big and that the bandages would bother him.

They gazed into the burning flames and watched as the fire danced around, no two flickers alike. Ed looked over at Winry and noted her clothes were still torn slightly. "Winry, you want me to fix your clothes?" he offered.

Winry looked at him curiously. "Huh?" she asked. "Your clothes, they're still ripped, you want me to fix them?" he explained. Winry looked down at her shirt and pants and realized they were still ripped. She blushed slightly out of embarrassment and hoped nothing…significant showed.

"Um…OK" she agreed. "Hold still" Ed told her before clapping his hands and gently placing them on Winry's sides, a tint of pink across his cheeks. In a quick second, Winry's tank top quickly cleaned and pulled itself together. He then did the same with her pants.

Winry examined her newly fixed and cleaned clothes and turned to Ed. "Thanks" she said quietly. "Don't mention it" Ed replied as he sat back in his place next to her. It was silent again. The flames flickering and river was all that could be heard.

Winry heard Ed groan. She looked at him and noticed he had his hand at his side and a pained expression on his face. "Ed?" she asked worriedly. "It's just this damn wound; it hurts" he explained. "You should lie down, try to get some strength" Winry suggested.

Ed shrugged and blushed suddenly. "Do you mind if…I lay my head on your lap?" he asked, looking away. Winry blushed in response and smiled. "I don't mind" she replied.

Winry leaned back on a nearby tree and Ed grabbed his jacket, came over and lied down, his head on her lap. He placed his jacket next to Winry, closed his eyes and made himself comfortable. "Just go to sleep, get back your energy" Winry told him.

"Yeah, I know" Ed replied and soon, fell asleep. Winry tried to stay awake but failed when she closed her eyes, leaned her head back on the tree's trunk and fell into unconsciousness.

F----------------M---------------A

A/N: YAY for fluff!!! Anyway, not much I can say right now just, please, I want to hear from YOU so, be good readers, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames, and thanks!