Author's Note: Ditto.

Chapter 2: Counterclockwise

Alphonse felt a slight twinge of remorse not because he had left his brother speechless through a wayward sense of blame, but because he felt himself justified. Everyone who knew Ed was aware that it was good for his health to be humbled every once in a while. Even though Al understood this better than anyone, he saw his own admittance of it to be self-righteous. The sight of Ed's crumpled figure facing the buggy's corner confirmed that he would reveal some uplifting revelation at journey's end, that being the end result of all his sulking session to date.

But until then, Al saw the uncomfortable silence as some subtle form of punishment. To sum it all up, he felt bad for not feeling bad. Al knew that this didn't really make sense to him nor would it to anyone else. Which brought him back to the knowledge that without a body, all you have left is your thoughts?

Edward's own were consuming him at the moment. Of all the times to reminisce, to feel more ashamed than ever, why did it have to be on the eve of such a monumentous battle? They weren't just going to stop Scar. They were going to prevent everything from being in vain. Every obstacle was going to present itself at this crossroads.

And here he sat wallowing in self-pity. Ed could sense that he was slipping from his conviction, dangerously close to failing his brother again. As if to restore his faith, Ed removed his left glove and traced fingers of flesh and blood across the inscription. He pressed into the indentation slightly, perhaps to subconsciously draw strength from the oath he had sworn.

'Don't forget. 3 Oct 10'

The night that Winry had laid eyes upon them was only the second time Ed had. Struggling not to remember, Ed failed to notice that he had succumbed to fatigue and drifted into a troubled slumber. Sleep was the least of his worries, so it was perpetually pushed to the back of his mind. For that reason, he had difficulties differentiating between dreams and reality, especially if the dreams contained memories.

'Don't forget'

Knowing that Winry had seen the hastily scrawled words made it nearly impossible to forget her either. She would be wondering on their meaning for a long time, Ed was sure. This was why in the haze of dreams he was immediately drawn to her and that night. As if beckoning his homecoming to that familiar time and place, the first image to arise was that of the wavering light that Winry flashed from her balcony, begging the boys' return.

Edward knew that Al would have smiled if he could, and probably cried. He often envied his little brother's simplicity. The memory played out as if recorded on film, and Ed could nearly experience all that his senses had taken in that evening. The tastes of Pinako's cooking, the dominating scents of oil and mechanic's grease that wafted through the house, embers flaunting their dance in the fireplace, and Major Armstrong's tireless tales of his illustrious family history.

That cue had sent Ed to bed. The others were still polishing off dessert as they endured the Major's stories, giving Ed ample time to rebraid his hair. Regaining the use of all ten fingers after so many days called for a meticulous task of dexterity. It was the little things that kept Ed grounded and accepting of his surrogate parts. He sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled the cloth tie from his hair, threading his fingers through the tangles and knots. As a young man, he often chided himself for putting much thought into such a feminine thing.

But never bothering to cut his locks required a degree of maintenance. Every time he did it, he grew angry with his father. There were no blondes on his mother's side, meaning it was just more evidence of whose blood ran through his veins. Ed rewound the flaxen ropes in angry little tugs and ground his teeth until the sound filled his head.

For this reason, he failed to hear Winry as she stole into the dark room, visible only by moonlight spilling in through the windows. She stifled a giggle towards Ed's plight and stepped smoothly while approaching him from behind. Gently clasping Ed's busy hands, Winry felt him jolt under the unwelcome touch and quickly jerk them away. She wasn't surprised at the reaction, having invaded a private moment. Winry circled around to the other side of the bed and casually plopped down beside her friend.

She smiled brightly, widening a smudge of grease on her cheek. Still clad in the bottom half of her pink coveralls and a tube top she shivered slightly against the night chill. Although down to his boxers, Ed didn't appear affected in the least and seemed to be focusing all of his energy towards a scowl. Finally, Winry's cheery disposition fractured.

"You know your face won't break if you smile." Ed grinned smugly, obviously enjoying her aggravation.

"And yours won't if you keep quiet for a few minutes," he retorted. Winry cracked a smirk just as devilish as his own.

"At least I haven't got some kinda rat living in my head." Ed was promptly aware of the unruly mane resting on his bare neck.

"Yeah, I was in the middle of something," he spat, inadvertently balling his fists. Winry rolled her eyes apathetically at the comment, crawling across the bed and propping up on her knees behind Ed. "I didn't ask for any help." he objected, but sat still nonetheless. As she pulled a small brush from one of many cargo pockets, Winry began to speak in a soft, steady tone.

"I won't tell anyone about the watch. I promise. Just…" she trailed off, hands going limp with Ed's hair entwined around them. "Just promise me something." Ed sat rigid against the silence, awaiting her next words. Sensing her hesitation, he prodded gently.

"Yeah?" He strived to sound nonchalant, but his nervousness was clear. Winry delicately but hurriedly finished plaiting Ed's tresses, still somewhat damp form his post sparring shower that afternoon.

"That you'll take care of yourself. Al wound up the way he did protecting you. And I don't know what it is you don't want to forget but…" she choked on her next words, "but don't forget us either." She had placed her hands upon Ed's shoulders, bracing against the sobs that now wracked her body. Realizing her actions, Winry slowly began to lift her hands as she turned away. There was suddenly a cold, needy pressure holding her right wrist. Winry's body careened backwards, feet reflexively shuffling to steady her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Ed had reached his right arm behind himself to grab her before she could escape, though still facing away.

Edward was even now trying to grasp why he had done it. Her absence would have been a welcome relief, and yet something felt…unfinished. He had always thought her the overly sensitive kind, and now all that he had ignored his whole life was beginning to make sense. Ed refused to look her in the face, knowing it would only cause them both more distress. That was why he'd made sure to catch Winry with his right arm. The risk of his skin purposely touching hers was too much. It would have…complicated things. Bad enough that Ed needed her company at all.

They had always been close. Growing up together, how could they not be? Lately she'd been demanding more than he could give, as if trying to make up for the years spent apart all at once. A skewed form of equivalent exchange that brought them to this moment.

These thoughts running through Ed's mind had seemingly frozen time, entrapping them both. Winry was first to return to the present. Collapsing beside and somewhat behind Ed, she snaked both her arms up under his own, hands resting cautiously upon his bare chest. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, restricting her tears to sporadic gasps. Ed had released her wrist, thinking his unasked possession of it the nature of a captor. Instead, he slowly laced lifeless fingers through those of a natural human being.

But he knew that this was not enough. And was surprised that the words did not prick him as Winry's had. "Winry," he began, so low he barely heard himself. "I know what you're asking isn't too much. I'm just afraid that giving in to my limitations would make me hold back more, and Al deserves all I have for dragging him through hell with me. If that means putting myself in danger, then that's the way it has to be." His voice had picked up a bit. No, this was nothing he couldn't handle. "I've quit worrying about getting my body back because at least I can function and still enjoy a semi normal life. But no one asks for what I did to him. There's nothing natural about it. He doesn't even feel like a person sometimes. And I-" he cut himself off, fretfully trying to decided whether the truth should be voiced. Right or not, he continued knowing that his next words could never be taken back. "I was too full of myself to think anything could happen to me, let alone both of us. I pushed it because I wanted her back. And I was too selfish and stupid to admit that Al was right. Nothing good would come of it."

Winry had curled her fingers tightly around his as she listened, and her tears had ceased. Lying against him allowed her to feel his muscles suddenly tense for a moment as he obviously forced the last few words. They abruptly relaxed and his form appeared to shrink in agony. Shock overcame Winry when Ed ripped his hand from hers, covering his face so it could not be seen contorted in miserable pain. His body did not tremble because he willed it not to. The mechanisms fused to it were not as under his control as he'd thought. Unbeknownst to him, Winry could detect the subtle rattling in her own work.

What Ed did notice was her movement to his left side as she gingerly took his hand, squeezing in the most comforting way. That it was enough for him to return the action astounded the two. What first came to Edward's mind was the puzzled relief that her touch did not burn, her delicate fingers did not sear his own, the remaining five that could fear such pain. He was gracious for the messages that they sent: the warm folds of flesh where Winry's hands creased, several out of place calluses and burn scars indigenous to any mechanic, slight perspiration because a piece of her body enveloped his own.

Knowing these things, knowing her in this way soothed him enough to take the next step. Unready to open his eyes, Ed groped for her in the dark until managing an awkward embrace. This did not change him being self-conscious of his height. He hoped that Winry wouldn't notice how his right leg pushed off from the floor and raised his body to just level with her own.

She did, and was merciful. She would not let on her knowledge of the act. What really caught her attention were Ed's unplanned words. He breathed them into Winry's ear to cement the unspoken. That they were never to be repeated.

"As for forgetting you, Winry?" Her heart leapt dangerously into her throat. She feared she would suffocate if she attempted to speak. "Aren't I enough of a bastard already?"

She hadn't expected him to be direct. After all, everything about the Elric brothers was as backwards as possible.