Chapter Seven: Her Comfort

I was awoken by the bright sun rays creeping into the room via the window and rubbed my eyes. Winry was still peacefully sleeping so I pulled down the blinds and sighed. "She really is going to get in my way…" I told myself quietly. "Why did I have to bring her along?" It was my own fault for not being able to say no to her, but that was partly from tormented childhood memories of her throwing the wrench at my head when she didn't get what she wanted. I crossed my legs and sprawled my arms out over the seat. Normally in times like this I would look out the window and enjoy the passing cities, people and scenery. People just living a normal happy life, standing forward with their legs. Trying to create a bit of happiness in each step they took. It got me to thinking.

If Father never left I would be one of those people.

If mother never died I would be one of those people.

If we never preformed stupid human transmutation, I would be… one of those people.

Sometimes I longed for a normal life. You know the freaks who could boast over their girlfriend or family. Then there were freaks like me who boasted about a new alchemic reaction they had discovered. Yes I wanted a normal life, but I couldn't go back, besides sitting around doing nothing didn't sit to well with me. I had chosen my path and I couldn't go back. I had made promises and I couldn't break them.

Sometime later Winry groggily opened her eyes. Searching around the room before a smile erupted on her face. "It's perfect." She said softly.

I turned my attention from the patterned seat to her and raised my eyebrow. "Being in a dark room?" I asked lifting the blind slightly to let some light in. But at the same time I didn't want to bombard our eyes with light which were so used to the dark.

"No waking up to you." She giggled trailing off when she saw the look on my face. Waking up to me? Was this woman trying to tell me something? I choose to ignore what she is trying to tell me, I shall remain oblivious. "I mean I have woken up alone for so long, and it's just nice… I never get tired of waking up to your face." Winry smiled looking down in embarrassment.

I sighed and decided to be nice so she wouldn't be embarrassed. "I guess it is nice." I replied, turning my head to the window. "It's nice to have company I guess, I am used to Al being with me, after that I was just alone." I told Winry. She nodded knowingly and exhaled. "Four years is a long time. When I saw you I was slightly shocked, you have really changed." I told her. I glanced at her quickly and looked away. She was a beautiful girl. She grinned widely, giving me one of those looks of someone who knew you were thinking they were attractive. "Not to mention you were in your underwear!"I muttered, remembering how embarrassing that was. She had a way of embarrassing me.

"Sorry about that, I heard your voice and dropped everything instantly."

I smiled in reply and opened the blinds to look at the scenery again. My thoughts once again took over, and Winry had a worried look on her face as she watched me ponder my brother's death. But before long my mind fell to the item I was supposed to be investigating. Also, if Rose had returned to her home town she would be there with her child… I guess I was sort of looking forward to seeing her. Winry tied her hair up, she then stood up to sit next to me. "You will have to move if I want to lie down." I told her firmly, the thought being more inviting now that she was there. You know when you couldn't do something you instantly wanted to do it?

"How long since you have redone your hair?" She asked ignoring my comment.

"Dunno couple of days maybe." I shrugged.

"Looks like it." She said with an annoyed tone. She tugged on my hair and I iknew she was re-doing it. I didn't really care though; it felt nice when she ran her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes gently as she scraped her fingers lightly over my scalp creating a nice feeling. "You really like that don't you?" She stated, noticing the sleepy state she had gotten me too. I nodded silently and accidentally fell back into her. This kind of woke me a little and I apologised to her, getting up slowly. However she didn't let me up. She manoeuvred my head onto her lap which, I found was very close in feel to a pillow. It all somehow seemed wrong but I closed my eyes as she once again started to play with my hair.

"Sorry." I mumbled closing my eyes. At this rate I was going to fall asleep on her.

She bent down and placed a kiss on my head, telling me it was okay. She was such a cheater, yeah make a fool out of me when I was too sleepy to care or do anything about it. I would get her back for it later…

Sometime later I was rocked awake by the train's gentle movements, but remained in a dozing state. I had one of those feelings for a short second. The kind where you didn't know where you were, or what you were doing here. But it all came rushing back when I felt the familiar warmth underneath me. I opened my eyes to see Winry's green shirt. I had somehow managed to roll onto my side and face her stomach in my sleep. I closed my eyes as quickly as possible, just in case Winry saw. I didn't feel like talking right now. But before my mind ran through the 'Keep quiet and play dead' process my body betrayed me and I let out a content sigh. I felt very much rejuvenated after the sleep and it appeared to be some time in the afternoon.

"We should arrive in Lior late tonight." Winry said suddenly. I opened my eyes widely and instantly felt embarrassed for some reason. Probably because my face was kind of buried in her crotch. I noticed I was clinging onto one of her thighs to prevent my falling off the seat, but I guess it was something I had done in my sleep and I hadn't noticed.

"How do you know?" I asked tiredly, trying to keep my cheeks from burning red.

"It came over the announcement a little while ago; I think that's what woke you up." She giggled, running her fingers through my hair. I decided that I didn't like feeling like a baby even though it felt really good and sat up, rubbing my eyes. My hair was plaited and I thanked Winry as soon as I noticed. She always did do it better than me…

"My pleasure!" She grinned. I shook my head at her happiness and yawned.

"You slept well?" Winry asked, changing back to her seat opposite me. I took this as an invitation to lie down, so I did on my back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah thanks." I said trying not to sound too ungrateful. I mean how could I not sleep well, I had a pillow.

"I fell asleep too." She sighed.

"Really that's nice." I said already caught up in my thoughts; just say 'that's nice' to everything I should get away with it.

"You're not listening are you? Never mind then…" Winry said softly, turning to look out the window. But then again... Winry obviously knows that my 'that's nice' phrase is a sign I'm not listening, perhaps I should get a new one. I frowned a little and shrugged closing my eyes. This train trip was going to be long and the best thing I could do was sleep.

"Ed wake up."

The voice of an angel could be heard in my sleep, and I felt gentle hands grab hold of my shoulders. Is this a dream? I lifted my hands up slowly and came into contact with what seemed like a face, but I could not seem to open my eyes. I pulled the person down to me feeling a sort of heat radiate from their body and a sensation run through me when I touched them. This is only a dream. I laid like that with my angel for a while, as the person's smell crept into my nose, filling me with delight. Their soft hair sprawling over my cheeks. After some-time I felt I could open my eyes. It took me a while to get used to my surroundings since the dark of the night had seeped into the room.

"Are you an angel?" I asked sleepily, still wrapped up in the dream I had been having, or still having. She stirred a little and finally I came to realise what was happening.

"Unless you think Winry Rockbell is an angel… if I am, I am probably the only angel that throws wrenches at your head." She lifted her face to stare me directly in the eye with a little grin.

"W-winry." I said with terror, backing against the wall. Was I fantasising about her in my sleep? She nodded with a slightly confused look, but decided not to ask me any questions which I was very grateful for. "Why did you wake me up?" I asked while blushing. I stubbornly crossed my arms in-front of me and waited for her answer.

"Were arriving in about an hour, that's why." Winry replied.

"Oh thanks…" I said, letting my arms drop to my sides. I raised myself to gather my luggage which was overhead and placed it at my feet. Winry's toolbox was sitting on the other seat.

"Cold isn't it?" Winry asked, placing her hands over her shoulders and rubbing them vigorously.

"Yes it is. But I have no sympathy for you, you're wearing a singlet top and short skirt, didn't you bring anything else with you?" I glared at her in annoyance. How could she complain when she was wearing that?

"I thought you could buy me clothes when we get there." Winry said with a grin.

"YOU EXPECT ME TO PAY FOR THAT?" I yelled moving right close to her face with an angry expression. She bowed her head and tensed her hands on her legs.

"I'm sorry… I just don't have any money, I…" She whimpered quietly. I sighed and looked away.

"Alright." She lifted her head and smiled at my answer and all I could do was look away. "But you're just going to have to put up with it for now, it's not like…" Suddenly the best idea crept into my head. I started to search through my clothes in my suitcase, Winry glancing at me curiously. I laid one of my shirts out on the floor and grinned. "Here I go." I clapped my hands together and slammed them down on the floor. Light started to fill the cabin and Winry looked away from the light which was caused by the reaction. The transmutation suddenly came to a halt and a brand new sweater lay there in Winry's size. I held it up and grinned, I thought it suited her perfectly. She stared at it eyes wide open and clutched it dramatically.

"Edward amazing! You're amazing!" She squealed, putting the jumper on instantly. I held up my hands in a begging sort of way as I realised that she was about to leap at me, oh please don't leap at me. Nevertheless, she did. She jumped off the seat to meet me at the floor her arms wrapping around my neck at the speed of lightening. "Ed I love it!" She said softly, her force slightly pushing me back so that I was leaning against the other seat.

"It's not that great." I laughed, feeling its material and accidentally coming into contact with her skin as I did so. I flinched and instantly took my hands away, apologizing to her.

"You know, this is quite warm." Winry said, shifting her head a little to dig it deeper into my chest. I had also noticed that the cold had drained from my body and been replaced by a nice kind of warmth.

"Body heat." I said quickly. Almost like I was trying to convince myself that everything that I was feeling was nothing more than some sort of chemical reaction.

"Yes body heat with you, it's nice." Winry said boldly, lifting her head slightly from my shoulder to whisper into my ear. Her commenting like that almost made me want to push her off me, but I couldn't find the strength to do it.

"Winry…" I trailed off looking at the ceiling with one of those huge blushes… you know the ones. I looked around the room to try and distract myself, but after a while my eyes only fell to the body clinging onto me tightly, and once my eyes were on Winry… they didn't wander once.

"WAKE UP CALL!"

Winry and I both jumped at the same time, heads crashing into each other as we noticed a man standing at our door. Before I had time to respond to the man who had just rudely awoken us I felt Winry jump with surprise and bump her head on my chin. The impact caused us both to cry out with pain and we scuttled away from each other mind to our own aches. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" I screamed, turning my attention to the door, where I pointed angrily at the train employee.

"MR. AND MRS. ELRIC! THE TRAIN STOPS AT YOUR DESTINATION IN TEN MINUTES." He said stiffly bringing his hand up to his forehead.

"N-n-now just wait a minute here." Winry said holding her hands up in front of her, while her eyebrow twitched nervously.

"WE'RE NOT MARRIED! DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA HERE!" I yelled, realising I was holding on to an item of clothing Winry had taken off in her haste to get into the jumper. I blushed furiously and held it behind my back laughing nervously. "Where just partners right Winry? Business partners." I laughed again looking at her through slitted eyes of nervous laughter.

"Partners…" She said with a small smile of appreciation on her face. "That's right where partners, and we were not asleep." Winry said with delight grabbing back her article of clothing.

"My, how awkward, if your not together, don't act like your hiding something…" He said with confusion, causing me and Winry to look down with defeat. We were guilty; we had slept close to each other twice this train trip in the space of a few hours. It was going to look rather suspicious.

"WE'RE NOT!" I yelled straightening myself up. I hated it when people mistook me for a horny military man. It only brought horrible visions of Roy into my head. "Anyway you can't just barge into people's rooms like that!" I yelled, Winry agreeing with me in the background much to my relief.

"Well see Roy Mustang said he had dropped by earlier and you two were asleep so he came to me, and these were his exact words "Can you tell the lovebirds in cabin 5 to get off each other and wake up once they are 10 minutes away from their destination which is Lior city?" So Mr. and Mrs. Elric… I mean Winry and Edward I must say can you please take your hands off each other and wake up since you are ten minutes away from your destination… if you shall let me leave that is all." The man bowed after our shameful silence, and walked away leaving us with the biggest awkward silence I had ever encountered.

"Lovebirds…" I said with tears streaming down my face. "I have never been so humiliated."

"Get our hands of each other?" Winry said with equal depression, her face becoming stoic and angered. "I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life." She said dangerously agreeing with me whole-heartedly.

Mr. and MRS. ELRIC? WERE THE HELL DID HE GET THAT FROM; I MEAN DID WE LOOK GODDAMN MARRIED? Look at us were completely different… That's because she is female, but we don't have any common interests! But then again I have always been attracted to people I can learn more from, people who had different interests to me… WHAT THE HELL MARRIED? I stood there with the angriest look on my face and kicked the luggage against the wall before picking it up.

"Is it really such a bad thing to think of being married to me? Sure you don't feel that way, but am I the worst possible person in the world to be married too?

"Well no but…" I sighed "That's it! No more falling asleep on me you idiot!" I yelled, stepping out of the train with my luggage over my shoulder. "Mustang is never going to let me hear the end of this." I said with frustration. "It will be all over the military."

"Ed… stop dramatising does it bother you that much?" Winry said in an annoyed tone.

"Of course! 'Oh so you and Winry are getting it on in a train cabin now. Edward really that's pretty good you know to seduce your own auto-mail mechanic! Oh look everyone midgets got a girlfriend! Oh Ed where are you? I can't see you! Oh there you are! Sorry sorry! The pile of papers are too high. Ahahahaahaha'" I said dramatically with a large sigh at the end. Winry stood there with a worn out look on her face, and sighed once I was finished. "Therefore don't fall asleep on me!" I said dangerously walking forward through the night air.

"Ed, you were the one who fell asleep on me! Then you feel asleep again before me, while I was on top of you, are you trying to hide something?" She said running in front of me her eyes becoming dangerously curious.

"Hahaha like what?" I said with a dumb look on my face.

"Like you can't cope with travelling because you sleep like a baby! And I have more stamina than you!" She yelled for the whole train station to hear.

"Of course not!" I replied twitching angrily at her comment.

"YES YOU IDIOT!"

"DON'T CALL ME A SMALL IDIOT THAT'S SO MINATURE YOU WANT TO STEP ON HIM!"

"YOU FELL ASLEEP DON'T BLAME ME IF MUSTANG TEASES YOU ABOUT YOUR HEIGHT YOU MIDGET!"

"SHUT-UP IM STILL GROWING OKAY!"

"YOUR 20!"

"21!"

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE YOU IDIOT!"

"WINRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"

"Hey can you two just please shut up?" A woman close by said, causing me and Winry to become small with shame. "Your 21 and that immature? Listen to the woman, she is right you're a midget!" She said pointing at me. I raised my fist at her and furrowed my eyebrows.

"And you miss Winry! Leave the poor boy alone he is still growing, your both acting like children!" With that she sighed heavily and walked away. "Honestly young love these days I don't know…" She muttered.

"HEY WAIT A MINUTE YOUNG LOVE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA WINRY AND I HATE EACHOTHER!" I yelled after her. Winry grabbed my arm angrily and clutched onto my clothing tightly.

"Ed will you just give it up already." She asked tiredly, turning her back as she began to walk ahead.

I watched her walk forward with slumped shoulders, and softened my gaze a little. Maybe she was right, this was stupid and pointless I may as well just give in.

So I caught up to her with a grin on my face and lead the way. Where Mustang had told me I would find this so called transportation device.

Saturn Stars