Genre: General/Angst

The Kiss between: Winry and Ed

Spoilers: Episode 25 (a small refference)

A/N: Takes place during episode... 42? 43? I can't remember, but it's up there. This is a scene that actually occured in the anime, but it's told from Winry's point of view. I broke my goal of 500 words or less, but I needed to in order to have the proper set up.

Theme 6: Is it okay to kiss you?

Winry wiped the cake batter off her hands and onto her skirt as she walked up the stairs. "Ed, Al! How long will you be staying…?" She opened the door to the guest bedroom and jumped. "Ah!" Ed sat at the edge of the bed, stripped down to his boxers with a towel draped around his neck and a basin in front of him. "I-I'm sorry!"

"It's alright." He smiled, amused by the blush that creeped across her face. He clapped his hands together to transmute the contents of the basin, and then lowered his hair into it. The reaction darkened his hair significantly. Winry gasped in awe and applauded. "Easy chemical reactions like this are just the basics of alchemy." Winry nodded and stepped into the room to sit down. She looked at the floor, confused, when she noticed a large shadow cast on the floor. She turned to the side to see what had caused the bizarre shadow, and screamed. "Kyaaaaa!" She practically flew across the floor to hide behind Ed. A very large statue was standing right next to the door, and it seemed to resemble Mr. Armstrong in all his muscular glory. "Wh-what is that?" She winced as it began to shake back and forth on its own.

"It's me, Winry!" Ed couldn't help but laugh at Winry's fear as he felt her hands loosen from their death grip on his shoulders.

"Al?" Winry looked more closely at the statue, trying to figure out why it had emitted Al's voice. Ed found the self control to stop laughing and explain.

"I completely covered Al with bronze. There aren't any seams, so unless someone splits it in half, no one will know he's in there." Winry looked down at the bed and put her hands in her lap as things began to fall into place. Ed had dyed his hair, and constructed an adequate disguise for a suit of armor. That could only mean he was planning to leave, and most likely do something dangerous.

"Are you leaving again?" The happy air about the room evaporated as Ed became more serious.

"There's something I have to do." Winry tried desperately to convince him not to leave again. It was safer for him to stay at her house, where she would be able to protect him at least.

"I know! You're going to turn Al back to normal, right? Why don't you just do your research while hiding here?" She smiled hopefully at Ed, who couldn't bring himself to answer. She stared at his muscular back, where the metal joined flesh. She was about to place a hand there as a feeble attempt to comfort him, when another voice entered the room.

"Are you going to avenge Mr. Huges?" Sheizka stood in the doorway. Ed answered her questions carefully, avoiding giving any information at all as to what his plans were. Winry hung her head, trying to hide the tears that had started to trickle down her face. She had known Ed for as long as she could remember, and he always tried to deal with problems to big for him all on his own. Winry hated that he and his brother always had to deal with so much pain, and she longed to comfort them, to protect them. Ed would always leave quietly when he had 'something important' to do. Recently, these important outings kept ending in Ed getting hurt. Winry wouldn't be able to forgive herself if he didn't come back one day. He was safe at her house. Why wouldn't he stay?

"But… There's just something I have to do." Those words again. The words that proved beyond a doubt that he planned to do something dangerous all on his own. Winry was fed up with it, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. She reached out and touched Ed's loose hair.

"What could be more important than your research or revenge?" She gathered it in her hands and pulled it down to a level she could reach.

"Aitetetetete!" Ed winced as his head was pulled back. He looked behind him and frowned. "What now?"

"I'll braid your hair for you." Winry had not yet suppressed her tears, and her head remained low, her bangs covering her face.

"It's fine. I'll do it later." She could hear the confusion in his voice, and forced a smile on her face. She looked up at him, a blush tingeing her face pink.

"I'll do it for you!" Ed recognized the determination on her face, and decided not to argue with her.

"A-alright…" Winry gathered the soft, discolored locks and began to weave them together.

"It won't be anything dangerous, will it?" Sheizka lingered by the door for a moment, watching as Winry gingerly tied the end of the braid. She then remembered the cake cooking downstairs and used that to excuse herself.

"You done yet?" Ed tilted his head back to look at her when he felt the weight of his air drop against his back. He didn't get a response. "Winry?" He squeaked in surprise when Winry's arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her face was buried into his freshly braided hair. "W-Winry…"

"Is it…" Winry paused, unable to ask the question on the tip of her tongue. "Is it…" She sighed, irritated. "Do you have to leave now?"

"Yeah. There's something—"

"Something you have to do. I know." Winry crossed her legs on the bed and pulled at the sheets. Ed shook his head and stood up. He pulled on his clothes preparing for his next journey. Winry closed her eyes and whispered quietly the question she longed to ask. "Is it alright… if I kissed you?" Ed didn't hear. His mind was set on completing the demanding task before him. Winry did her best not to cry again as he finally walked out the door. Somehow, she felt that would be the last time she'd ever see him. Then again, she felt like that almost every time he left home. She watched as he carried his large burden on his tiny shoulders all by himself once again, and wished she could do something to relieve the pain.