What?! Another update?! Well, when you're entirely glued to the couch, there isn't much else to do but write (if you have the inspiration for it) - and that's what I did. Originally, believe it or not, there were going to be two chapters in one - the longest to date! - but I split it up to give you all a little breathing room, because it was just...too unwieldy. I make no promises that this early of an update will happen again, I have no idea how I pulled this off in the first place, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! The Promised Day is rushing up fast... And I don't know about you, dear readers, but I'm looking forward to it. Enjoy!


Lissa hid a grimace with a pleasant smile as she paid the cashier, and hurried out with her bags clenched in one hand. Dirty money. That's what it felt like. But withdrawing from the state alchemist research accounts was just too risky nowadays—and besides, they'd been under the radar for too long without incident. Greed's methods were…slimy, but effective.

We agreed to this. All of us. And if it saves Amestris…it'll be worth it.

Still…that didn't make her feel much better about it, when she was faced with these transactions, using money the homunculus got from who-knew-where to pay completely unsuspecting shopkeepers. It felt wrong.

For the past few months, their group had been moving all over Amestris—never staying in one place too long, remaining cautious, remaining in the shadows, as Greed said. Lissa didn't think she liked how quickly she'd adjusted, and to be honest, her headfirst leap into that life had caused a couple arguments between her and Ed initially. He wanted to protect her, from everything, but she saw what he struggled to handle with her—the fact that sometimes she was going to have to take risks, just for the wellbeing of everyone else.

Overprotective. But sweet nonetheless.

Lissa touched her hand to her pocket, where she'd stuffed a tiny paper bag earlier. Over the few months they'd been on the road, she'd been stowing away little bits of the money Greed gave her in case she ever saw something she wanted to buy for Ed. And today she'd found the perfect little trinket to clear the air between them, since she'd left with a bad taste in her mouth that afternoon.

Their home for just under three weeks was a city called Tobha, in the South Area. She didn't like being in the South Area, honestly, with Rush Valley and Dublith so close—not to mention her own hometown of Rayerk—but the North Area wasn't safe and after their last close call in the West Area, well… Lissa hadn't been able to argue when Greed suggested coming down here. She was keeping an eye on the homunculus, though, in case being near Dublith triggered anything in his head. But thus far he'd been fine.

And with the Promised Day approaching…they wouldn't be here much longer.

It had taken a while, but she and Ed had finally pried that information out of their leader. Greed confessed the date of the Promised Day and the fact that they needed to return to Central then—and the rest was just biding their time. Of course, it had been damn disheartening to learn the Promised Day was in spring. Being separated from the others—namely Alphonse—for that long had clearly taken a toll on Ed. Lissa thought he was becoming too harsh around the edges sometimes.

She missed Al fiercely too… But her focus on Ed and his wellbeing was so intense that she could numb it, most days. Not every day… She'd rescued a stray cat in Kuijec and nearly sobbed right there in the street, thinking how much Al would've loved that.

Lissa reached out with her senses, the Dragon's Pulse twisted up with her alchemical ones, ignoring the brush of dizziness lurking at the back of her head, ensuring there were no soldiers nearby before she turned and headed back to the apartment they were living in. Well…living was a loose term. Changing the locks and squatting didn't exactly count as living so much as just inhabiting illegally. But that was the reality of living in the shadows, she supposed.

Greed's knowledge of her extra abilities had been a major concession on her part. But it was difficult to hide it from him, and so she'd decided to tell him before he became too suspicious. Then she'd offered a deal. As a sort of Equivalent Exchange for Lissa agreeing to use her senses for their benefit, and agreeing to let Greed ask her to feel out specific things for him, he'd deigned to let Ling out a few times to give her lessons on the Dragon's Pulse. She was beginning to feel like she had an actual handle on that ability, able to keep it active without the risk of being overwhelmed. But it came with a price, and that price was the constant awareness that something was deeply, deeply wrong beneath her feet. Wrong every time she used alchemy, every time Ed used it… But she'd bear that, because her abilities were absolutely vital to their survival nowadays.

And besides…she had the feeling her Xingese tendencies would be even more useful in the battle looming over their heads. The fight against Father and the rest of the homunculi to save all of Amestris.

She reached the apartment without incident, unlocked the door with a quick burst of alchemy—she could manipulate the air inside the lock to shift the tumblers, which meant she didn't have to risk taking a key out with her—and stepped right into an argument. Of course.

"I'm just saying, why her, every damn time?" Ed was demanding of Greed, frustrated, hair pulled back too severely in a ponytail.

Greed raised an eyebrow. "Thought we went over that one, kid."

"Ed, you know why," Lissa called wearily, as she kicked out of her boots and headed into the kitchen, where the two were having their discussion. The chimeras had made themselves scarce, not wanting to get between these two, but she could sense them off in a back room somewhere. "Greed's right, it's old at this point, okay?"

He frowned deeply at her. "I just don't think it's fair that you have to do everything. Out of five fucking people, you're the only one who goes and gets supplies. It's a huge risk."

Lissa set the bags down on the counter and crossed to him, too exhausted of this old argument to even be angry, and pulled him into her arms. "I'll stop when the rest of you idiots learn to disguise yourselves better," she sighed, as she tugged him into a kiss. That certainly muffled his complaints, at least.

"Still dunno what you see in him," Greed piped up from behind her.

She pulled back from Ed and shot him a disparaging look. "Hey, don't shit on the person who's buying your groceries, Greed. Otherwise it'll be all vegetables and broth until I decide to play nice again." Lissa tapped her finger on the tip of Ed's nose as she turned back to him. "Listen to me. I got used to sneaking around back at the facility, and we already know I blend in better, hm? Without the gold eyes, Xingese features, or being built like a damn tank… I'm the best option and you know it. So stop picking fights, please?"

Ed sighed at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, a relief considering the tension that had been hanging over them earlier. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. I hate not being able to look after you."

That softened her a bit. "I know. And it's sweet…but I'm fine, I really am. Okay?"

"Fine," he relented, kissing her forehead gently. "C'mon… You bought the stuff, you shouldn't have to put it all away either."

Lissa grinned as he pulled her out of the room. "I'm noticing you aren't putting it away either."

Ed winked at her. "Well, I'm taking care of you, right?" He squeezed her hand tightly. "Besides, I'm the one who did it last time. Somebody else can pick up the slack."

Secretly, though, she was glad—she had a present for him, and she wanted to make sure they were all right. Arguments were normal, sometimes, but she didn't like to let them hang around for too long without smoothing things over. Lissa knew they needed to completely have each other's backs here. So as soon as they got into their room and shut the door, she turned to him and began, "Ed, I-"

"I'm sorry I was an ass earlier," he murmured, leaning on the wall beside the door and smiling at her sheepishly. "I didn't mean to raise my voice like that… I just got worried. I'm sorry, Liss."

She sat down on the bed and patted the space beside her, waiting until he'd joined her to continue. "Well, I'm sorry I snapped back." Lissa rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "We're both a little strung out, huh?"

Ed kissed the top of her head gently. "Psh, only a little? With the Promised Day coming and everything…that's an understatement."

"So…" She peered up at him. "We're okay?"

"'Course we are." He draped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her into him. "We always are, you know that."

She reached into her pocket and took the edge of the little bag between her fingers, though she didn't pull it out yet. "Well, it's nice to hear it all the same. Especially since…" Lissa ducked her head, a little embarrassed. "I got you something today."

"Huh? You got me—a present or something?" Ed stared at her in surprise. "Why'd you do that?"

Lissa huffed at him. "What, I'm not allowed to get you a present?" she asked, tugging the bag out and setting it in her lap instead. "It's nothing big, anyway… Just something I picked up in town earlier." She was so, so nervous about this, no matter what she said… So rather than waiting and letting that anxiety fester, Lissa just held the bag out to him as quickly as she could. "Happy birthday, Ed. Er, belated, it was a couple weeks ago, but…"

He took the little bag carefully, eyebrows furrowed deeply in confusion. "You…didn't have to do this… I don't celebrate my birthday, you know that. And I didn't get you anything for yours, anyway."

"I don't even know my real birthday," she told him, shaking her head. "The date they assigned me at the institution doesn't mean anything. And…I know you don't, this isn't like that, it's just…" Lissa wrinkled her nose. "Just open it, okay? I didn't even wrap it, so it doesn't feel official or anything. That's just my excuse for doing this."

Ed seemed unsure about the whole thing—but after a moment, he relented and unfolded the top of the bag, letting the single item slide out into his palm. It was a flat piece of metal, a squared-off oval just faintly ridged on the edges, hanging from a long chain, the sort of military type made up of tiny interlocking silver balls so it wasn't too far from his usual style. On one side, the tag on the end was unadorned, plain…but on the other side, a date had been engraved, at the end of 1911…just after the date inside Ed's pocket watch. Beneath that, she'd had three letters engraved, each a separate line: E, A, L.

"Liss…" Ed brushed his thumb over the engraving, staring down at it with wide eyes. "Is that…was that the day…"

"The day I started helping you and Al," she murmured, twisting her hands in her lap. "I…wanted it to be a sort of…counterpoint to what you engraved inside your pocket watch… To remind you that you aren't alone…that no matter what comes, you don't have to shoulder it all yourself… You have us, Ed. Al and I won't ever let that happen."

Ed fell silent, his gaze fixed on the necklace for so long that Lissa turned wretchedly anxious, afraid she'd done something wrong—but then he uncoiled the chain and carefully set it around his neck, letting the tag hang down beneath his shirt. He rested his hand over that spot for a moment and closed his eyes, breathing steadily, his lips curled up just slightly at the corners. Then he opened his eyes and pulled her into him, enveloping her in a warm, tight embrace. "Thank you," Ed whispered, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "I…I think I…really needed that reminder."

Lissa shut her eyes as tears threatened to overwhelm her. "I'm always going be here… Even if we argue, even if we have rough days…I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that." She pressed a hand to the back of his head and buried her face in his shoulder, wishing so badly she could seal it with the words I love you, wanting to whisper them into his hair, against his lips, to say it over and over until the words were burned into both their hearts… But not yet, not at the risk of making their lives more difficult.

For now…she would just do what she could to take care of him.

"What'd I ever do to get you, huh?" Ed murmured, looking up and her and smiling softly as he cupped her face in his hand, his thumb tracing lines over her cheekbone.

She leaned into his touch, content just like this. "Funny, I was wondering the same thing about you."

He grinned at her. "I dunno… We must've done something, huh?"

Lissa gently shifted his hand off her face and tugged him close, draping her arms behind his neck and locking her fingers together. "Or maybe it's just your soul… Maybe it's just you that drew me in, hm?" she suggested quietly.

"Then it's yours, too," Ed told her softly. "Just you, Liss… You didn't have to do anything at all."

She averted her eyes, aware she was blushing but too unwilling to move away to care. "Well…I can live with that," she conceded wryly.

Ed leaned in and kissed her then, tipping her backwards onto the bed, and Lissa just let him, perfectly happy to fall into him for a while at least. They'd come a long way from those first uncertain steps in Resembool, perhaps most especially in the past few months—the chimeras really didn't care, and Greed was amused but surprisingly noninvasive, leaving Ed and Lissa free to share a room, a bed, spend time just…getting comfortable with each other, in an entirely new way. Always conscious of the boundaries they'd set, naturally, but they had enough trust to explore and experiment without being worried to cross that line.

When they came up for air, both less than half-dressed and panting, Ed grinned and lay down on the bed beside her, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her forehead. "Missed you," he mumbled, resting his chin atop her head.

Lissa smiled and stroked her fingers up and down his back, over his shoulderblades, tracing the edge of his automail with her thumb. "Me too… Which is silly, right? It was just a few hours."

"Eh, as long as we're in it together," he dismissed easily. "So…we're probably moving out soon, aren't we? I've been trying to figure out where to go…"

"Are you asking me to help you come up with ideas?" she teased, laughing sort of fondly at him.

"Maybe…"

Well, she figured it wasn't too strange for him to do that. Especially not like this, a little vulnerable and in private. So she genuinely put her mind to it, really considered where they ought to go. "The Promised Day is coming up soon," she mused, absently stroking her fingers through his loose hair. "We need to go somewhere and prepare for that…somewhere safe, safer than these random cities we've been hiding out in."

"That's what I was thinking," Ed murmured, nodding. "We need an easy path to Central, and a place to get ready. But…I don't know where. No place is safe anymore, really."

Inspiration struck—but Lissa had the feeling Ed wouldn't like it much. "There's always Resembool, Ed."

"Resembool?" He sighed wearily. "I dunno, Liss…"

She pressed on, though. "Think about it. If Pinako's there, she'll definitely hide us… There's room for our entire group. And it's an easy shot to Central, something we're both familiar with. Plus, it's out of the way enough to be safe."

Ed wasn't quite convinced. "It still seems like a big risk… The homunculi know Al and I are from Resembool anyway. What if they come looking for us there?"

"Wouldn't they be busy preparing for the Promised Day too?" Lissa pointed out. "They're probably expecting us to come for them—why expend the energy looking for us when we'll just drop into their laps anyway?"

He breathed out slowly through his teeth, considering it. "You have a point," Ed admitted.

"It wouldn't be for very long, either. Besides, I think…"

Her vision blurred for a moment, and Lissa broke off, blinking hard. But the room still spun before her eyes—then it flickered black, her vision completely blacking out for a couple seconds. When she came back to herself, Ed was shaking her, eyes wide and panicked, and everything seemed normal again but for a little latent dizziness.

"I—I'm okay," Lissa told him softly, passing a hand over her face. "I just…got dizzy, that's all."

Ed frowned at her, and she noticed the way his breath cut through the air too quickly, a sign of how anxious he'd been. "I think you passed out for a moment," he murmured, brushing a little hair out of her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay, Liss? Have you eaten today?"

She swallowed past a dry throat. That had felt…weird, her little…fainting spell or whatever it had been. She'd been experiencing more and more of these strange little episodes, ever since they'd joined up with Greed… Regular bouts of lightheadedness and wavering on her feet… But she didn't want to worry him. Thus far, she'd been trying to keep it mostly to herself—and had failed miserably. "I grabbed something from one of those food carts earlier."

"Mh… I think you need something more substantial." Ed kissed her forehead and got up, pulling the blankets over her before quickly stepping back into his trousers, tugging them into place. He tossed his shirt on too and leaned back down, cutting off any protests with a sweet kiss on her lips. "Just rest, okay? I'll find you something to eat."

Lissa wrinkled her nose. "I'm fine, Ed. Really."

"And I'm not taking any chances. Not with this happening so much." He kissed her again, just softly, his lips gently closing around her bottom one. "You stay here, okay? Just relax, Liss. I'll look after you."

Though she pulled a face, she didn't protest—her head was still spinning, just a bit—and instead opted to snuggle down further into the blankets, resting her head to one side. The pillow smelled like Ed, and it made her smile, even if it was kind of stupid. He'd just been there. But she couldn't help herself. Having Ed close like this was a luxury, and she wasn't going to forget it anytime soon.

There was a crash out front, and Lissa muffled her laughter in the pillow when she heard Darius chastising Ed for breaking a plate, and Ed yelling back how it was Greed's fault, and he was just trying to do something nice for his girlfriend, dammit!

It was a strange group, all right… But despite herself, Lissa kind of liked the odd combination of chimera, homunculus, and human. Even with the too-common arguments and stupid petty stuff. There was something…familial about the whole thing, she thought. Especially when Greed was being a bit relaxed and Ling reared his head, full of quick-witted taunts and sharp comments that really underscored that familial sense.

She grinned to herself as she heard Ed grumbling about being forced to clean up the plate he'd broken, and settled in for a bit of a wait. Dummy. Oh well. He's my dummy, at least.

In the end, the others agreed with Lissa's idea of going to Resembool—and once Ed okayed it, especially since he did need his automail checked, that became their new destination. It was only Lissa's fourth time in the town, she realized when they arrived. And each time had been strikingly different. The first time was…intense, fraught with stress and emotions, the very first time she'd met Ed and Al. The second, she'd gained a new home when the Rockbells sort of adopted her. It was calmer that time. Peaceful. The third time…her entire life had changed, when hers and Ed's relationship had shifted so suddenly. And now, well… Now she thought it would be entirely different all over again.

They snuck in under the cover of darkness, relying heavily on Lissa and Heinkel to keep clear of any locals, as always. But soon enough they reached the Rockbells' house, familiar with its tinge of metal and oil, and the comfortable warmth of an oven baking bread… Lissa soaked it in for a moment, realizing just how badly she'd missed this place. Resembool felt more like home than anywhere else in Amestris, somehow.

"Er…" Ed paused, staring up the lane at the house. "Maybe Liss and I should go ahead first to explain… Having all you guys come in at once might be a bit too much for Granny, honestly."

Lissa thought that was a pretty good point, actually. Pinako was remarkably accepting—but considering they were showing up not only unannounced, but with two chimeras and a homunculus in tow, it might go…worse than usual. So she and Ed left Greed, Darius, and Heinkel behind and walked the last bit themselves, arms linked, quietly discussing the best way to explain everything to Pinako without completely freaking her out.

"We can't just pretend they're normal," Lissa pointed out as they reached the porch. "I mean, none of them feel like normal humans to anyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ed sighed, grimacing.

The door swung open as they approached, and Den came hopping out, bouncing first off Ed's legs and then Lissa's, barking excitedly. Lissa grinned and petted the dog's head to calm him.

"Well, this is a surprise," Pinako observed a bit wryly, from where she stood in the doorway. "I didn't expect you two to show up on my doorstep."

Ed lifted a hand a bit weakly. "Hey, Granny. Sorry to just…drop in."

She half-smirked at him. "When do you ever do anything else, Ed?" she asked, sounding amused.

"It's not just us, though," Lissa added warily. "We…have a few people with us, and we kind of…"

"We need a place to hide out, just for a few days," Ed cut in.

Lissa was anxious of it—but this was Pinako. Within ten minutes, she had everyone inside and was passing food around, chatting amiably with Heinkel and divvying up bedrooms. It was a bit of a surprise when Ed claimed Winry's empty bedroom for him and Lissa, simultaneously outing them to Pinako—which earned a wry little smirk from across the room—and giving up the usual two-person bedroom for the chimeras. She didn't want to question him in front of everyone, though, so Lissa just accepted it through the evening, until finally Pinako dismissed everyone off to bed…and she had to go into Winry's bedroom with Edward.

"So…any particular reason we're stealing our friend's room?" Lissa asked curiously, shutting the door behind her.

Ed crossed the room and peered out the shutters onto the front yard, and pointed helpfully out the window. "This. We have the best view of the road here, and the balcony for quick escapes. We can't take any chances, y'know?"

She turned her nose up a bit. "Still…it's kind of weird that we're gonna sleep in Winry's bed."

That seemed to get him—he turned and stared at the bed, trepidation coloring his gaze. "Yeah. I…didn't think about that, honestly." He shook his head. "It'll be fine. We'll just…make sure we change the sheets before we leave."

Lissa tossed her backpack down on the bed, accepting that. "Okay. I'm gonna head down the hall and change, then."

"You…" Ed's fingers curled around her wrist before she could dig out her pyjamas. "You don't…have to leave, Liss." When she turned to him, surprised, she noticed his cheeks were burning bright red, embarrassment hunching his shoulders—but he didn't try to backpedal. "I just mean…I don't feel like you have to…hide from me, that's all."

Her throat had suddenly gone dry. Of anything, this made her genuinely nervous—the idea of doing something as simple as changing in front of him. Yet Lissa didn't disagree… And it wasn't as though they hadn't spent time, er…fairly unclothed, either. So why did this feel different?

Still…she wasn't one to back down.

"You're right," Lissa agreed, as gamely as she could. "It's silly." So the moment Ed released her and took a step back, she pulled her pyjamas out—and then tugged her shirt right over her head. Ignoring the way she could feel his eyes focused on her, she unhooked her trousers too and stepped out of those, for a second almost completely bare in front of him. Then she slid her nightshirt and loose sleep trousers on and the moment was gone. Continuing forward as if her heart weren't threatening to beat right out of her chest, Lissa took his pyjamas out and held them out for him.

But Ed smiled softly and gave a little shake of his head. "I'm gonna stay up for a bit…keep watch and all that."

"Ed…you need rest…"

"I know. And I will, okay? I promise." He smiled and pulled her in, kissing her forehead gently. "Don't worry about me. You just get some sleep, I won't be up too long. I just…wanna make sure nobody followed us, that's all."

She was tired…but she still didn't like it. "I always worry about you," she sighed. "Just…don't stay up too long, please?"

Ed nodded. "I won't." He stroked the backs of his fingers along her cheek, like he was trying to soothe her, and leaned in to kiss her just gently. "Night, Liss."

Lissa lingered in the kiss just a bit longer, trying to convey everything she needed to…but she didn't want to make him feel guilty. So she pulled back, said goodnight, and slipped under the covers, fully intending to watch Ed for a long time. But her eyelids felt so heavy… Within minutes, she drifted off to the sight of Ed sitting by the window, staring out between the blinds with a deep crease between his brows.

She awoke knowing something was wrong. Lissa was wide awake in a heartbeat, though she didn't dare move, just listening, reaching out with her senses, trying to understand what was wrong and why it had jolted her straight out of her sleep.

Some kind of…despair, maybe. But why?

Slowly, Lissa opened her eyes, first searching for Ed beside her—but the space next to her was empty, the blankets still pulled up from when she'd gotten into bed. His pyjamas still lay where she'd set them out for him, near the foot of the bed. Worried now, she cast her gaze through the room, and found him seated in that same chair by the window, elbows resting on his knees, not even staring outside. Instead his face was pressed into his hands, his breath coming harshly between his fingers as he tried to muffle his distress.

Lissa didn't remember getting up—she only realized she'd moved when her arms came around him and she pulled him into her, worried absolutely sick for him when she realized he was trembling, shaking in her grasp. He wasn't crying… Ed didn't do that, he almost never cried… But he was still so upset, and she had no idea why.

"I'm s-sorry… I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, his voice coming out harsh and unsteady.

She just shook her head. "It's okay… I'd rather be here with you… What's wrong, Ed?" Lissa pressed her hand to the back of his head, noticing too late he'd let his hair down, maybe yanked the tie out in anguish… What was going on in his mind?

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Ed breathed. And just like that, it all tumbled out, spilling free in a long, panicked string. "I don't know, Liss. I—we don't have any idea where to go, we don't have a fucking plan, we don't have anything. And e-everybody's relying on me to figure it out… But I don't fucking know… I'm supposed to be able to figure this out but I don't have any damned idea what we should do… The Promised Day is soon and I—I could fail, what if I fail? What if I can't save anyone?"

"Shh, stop it, just calm down, it's okay…" Lissa tucked his face in against her neck and stroked his hair softly. "Take a minute, just breathe, you'll hyperventilate like that…" She hoped he couldn't feel her heart racing… Not for the reasons he'd assume, either—because she was so worried, because it hurt so damn much to hear all the things he was carrying on his shoulders… "Ed…listen to me… This isn't just on you. This is on all of us, everyone who's gotten involved. The only person expecting you to have all the answers is you." She held him out by his shoulders and stared into his eyes, shining near amber in the semidarkness. "It's not just you, okay? It's not even just you and me this time. We have a whole mess of people helping us now."

Ed still looked almost panicked, his breath coming too fast, his whole body tense with anxiety. "But I—it's something I have to-"

"Not you," she corrected gently. "Us. All of us, everyone who's signed up to fight back against Father and the homunculi. I know it's felt like this is on you, for such a long time… You've felt responsible for Al, and for me, so I know this is just…what you're used to…" She kissed his forehead gently, lingering until she felt him relax beneath her. "But it's on all of us now, Ed. We all have to figure out what to do, we all have to fight this battle."

"It's…hard to think like that," he admitted quietly, bowing his head. "I still have this stupid voice in my mind that tells me it's my job, my problem… That I have to deal with it or—I don't know, everything will go wrong." Ed's self-hatred was masked in a halfhearted laugh, but Lissa felt it all the same, a strike of roughness in her chest. "Stupid, right?"

"It isn't stupid, not when you're so used to looking after everyone else, making all the decisions…" Lissa shook her head. "But it's still wrong here." She reached into the button-down he'd been wearing that day and gently pulled out the tag necklace she'd given him, holding it up so he could see the engraving on the front in the moonlight streaming in from the window. "You don't have to do things alone, Ed."

He sighed and closed his hand around the tag, tucking it beneath his shirt again. "I'm sorry, Liss. You must be so damn tired of going through this over and over."

Lissa stood and pulled him from the chair, though he protested a bit. "I'm not, and I won't be. I'm never going to be tired of looking after you, it just doesn't work like that, okay?" She took his hands and guided him across the room, too firmly for him to really argue, so by the time she nudged him to sit down on the bed he wasn't even fighting her at all.

At least…he wasn't until she began to unbutton his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Ed murmured, catching her hands and giving her a baffled look.

She gently freed herself and continued with her task. "You can't sleep in this, silly. Just relax, Ed… I just want to take care of you." Thankfully he accepted that, so Lissa was able to undo all the buttons and slip the shirt off his shoulders. He'd taken to wearing these…almost businesslike outfits recently, button-downs and suit jackets, and as much as she admired how he looked in them…some part of her felt he was trying too hard to play the part of an adult, feeling like he had to look a certain way to be taken seriously. She didn't want that for him.

As soon as she had Ed in his comfortable clothes, Lissa slipped past him and crawled into bed, opening her arms and smiling at him as encouragingly as she could. He hesitated for a moment, and she almost thought he wouldn't come to her—but then he flashed that crooked smile and curled into her arms, holding her around the waist and pulling them together. "Thank you for putting up with me," he murmured, his lips brushing her collarbone as he spoke.

"It isn't like that," she told him gently. "I don't put up with you, Ed. It's not like it's a chore. I enjoy being with you, and you having a bad night isn't going to change that."

His arms tightened around her. "Well, even so… Thank you."

Lissa smiled to herself, resting her chin atop his head, and stroked her fingertips along his back. "Just get some sleep, okay? I'll be right here if you need me."

"What do you mean, if?" Ed mumbled. "I'm always gonna need you."

Oh. She flushed pink, surprised he'd said that. "Then I'll always be here."

His smile curled against her skin. "Good." Ed sighed, a sort of content sound, and relaxed into her arms. "That's perfect, since I will be too."

Lissa just buried her face in his hair and shut her eyes.