It feels like you've been in the mines forever. They seem never ending, like you'll be stuck in this darkness forever. You've almost forgotten what warmth feels like.

Still, there is one bright light in it all; your lips are still tingling from Scar's kiss.

For a man that's never felt the need to pursue a woman before, he kisses like a natural. You're desperate to feel his lips on yours again, but you know you'll have to be patient; you doubt he'll be willing to kiss you in company.

You jump out of your thoughts when you hear a clattering sound. Mind on edge thanks to the darkness, you yelp, body shuddering. It turns out that Yoki managed to kick a rock against a wall, but knowing that still doesn't help calm your now-racing pulse. Honestly, while you appreciate his expertise on this one occasion, he could be a little more cautious, especially given the fact that you're a group of fugitives.

Scar notices your yelp, and immediately wraps his arm around your waist, drawing you close enough to whisper in your ear. 'Nothing will hurt you while I'm here. That much I promise.' He kisses your forehead, trying to soothe your nerves.

His efforts work well enough that you manage a rather flirty retort. 'I know that. Perhaps you should promise me something else. A few more kisses perhaps?' He lets out a low chuckle, before covering it up with a cough; heaven forbid he let your current company hear him do anything other than growl!

Scar leans in even closer, whispering so softly that even you struggle to make out his words. 'The next time I get you alone, I'm going to make up for all the opportunities to kiss you that I have missed. So be warned; your lips may very well end up swollen the next time I get my way with them.' A blush breaks out over your cheeks, creeping as far down as your neck; are you really the first woman Scar has ever been interested in? Because between his kisses and his words, you're finding it very hard to believe that the former monk doesn't have a somewhat sordid past! Maybe you should ask him about it…

Hopefully, you'll get that opportunity sooner rather than later; you've reached the end of mines.

Yoki lets out a proud hum. 'Well, here we are! I told you I'd get us out!' He puffs his chest out like a giant bird, trying to impress the rest of the group.

You let out a sigh. 'As true as that is, we still have to make it to Fort Briggs, and that's going to be a nightmare; I've never seen this much snow in my life!' The snow is certainly a lot deeper than any you've seen before. You're all going to end up with frostbite if you stay out in it too long.

Without a word, Scar scoops you up into his arms, cradling you against his chest. 'The sooner we get there, the better. At least the blizzard has relented for now.' You begin to feel guilty for complaining; surely Scar doesn't intend to carry you the whole way there! That's completely unfair on him!

You're about to tell him as much, when you hear a familiar voice calling out to you from the tunnels. Is that…?

Mei hears it too, and confirms your suspicion. 'Alphonse!' Your nerves begin to fray again; why is he here? He was suppose to go back to Briggs with his brother! Has the plan been compromised or something?

Alphonse catches up to your group, panting slightly. You're slightly confused as to why he's panting; if he's just a sentient suit of armour that's completely hollow, does he even have to breathe?

Despite his face being fixed, he gives off an aura of distress. 'I'm so glad I found you! The plan is no longer possible; Fort Briggs is no longer safe.' You knew it. Of course something had to go wrong. Nothing ever goes right for you! For all you've said to Scar, you're actually convinced that God has it in for you all! Why else would all this be happening?

You're not the only one who's worried, as Yoki pipes up again. 'What are we supposed to do now? We can't go back through the mines!' Wow, first a working plan, then an accurate assessment; Yoki is on a roll right now!

Scar looks between all of you, before settling on your face. His eyes light up suddenly, as if he's had an idea. 'There's a Ishvalan refugee camp a few miles away. I'm certain they'll take us in, but we'll need to get moving.' He begins walking away, you still cradled in his arms. You're so glad that Scar has a back up plan, but the weather still concerns you. There's nothing to say that the blizzard won't resume, and it's going to be dark before too long. If you don't get a move on, you could end up in a blizzard in the wintery darkness.

With no other options, everyone else starts to follow Scar. You seem to be making good progress, until you hear a metallic crash coming from just behind you. Everyone turns around, including Scar, and what you see has you all concerned; Alphonse has collapsed, the light gone from his 'eyes'.

Winry and Mei rush over to him, and desperately try to wake him up. When that fails, the two women start crying, the evidence of their frustration trailing down their faces.

Winry wipes them away, trying to put on a brave face. 'He'll come back. He has to. We can't just leave him here.' She tries to drag him, but to no avail; he's just too heavy.

Yoki says as much. 'That armour weighs a tonne. There's no way we could carry it. We should just leave him there.' Well, there goes all the merit Yoki has earned himself. It would be wrong to leave him like this, especially given how much Winry cares for him.

Mei cares for him too, and proves as much when your looks up at you with watery eyes. 'Please Mrs. Scar, we have to help Alphonse!' Xiao-Mei also starts crying, and your heart breaks for all three of them. If only you could spread the weight somehow…

An idea hits you. 'Yoki's right, no one person can carry all that weight, but between us… if we split up the armour, we should be able to carry him in pieces. We can reassemble him when he reaches the refugees. That is if it'll work… could we do that Winry?' You're not certain how Alphonse's body works exactly. Will disassembling him kill him?

Winry gives you a tentative nod. 'I think so… as long as we don't disturb the seal in the armour, Al's soul shouldn't be disconnected.'

Mei puts on her determined face. 'Well then, lets do that! Although, we're going to need Mr Scar's help…' that's not a problem at all.

You give Scar a quick kiss on the cheek. 'You heard the lady, my love; time to put me down.' You're still not best pleased that he has to carry something, but a single piece of armour surely won't be much heavier than you…

Scar shakes his head. 'I'm not going to risk you getting too cold. There's rope in my pack; tie the armour to my back. Then I can carry the alchemist and my wife.' With time running short, no one has time to argue with him. Instead, they do as instructed, strapping Alphonse's torso to Scar's back. Scar lets out a grunt of discomfort, before he shrugs it off and keep walking, his pace still brisk despite his latest encumberment.

Everyone else picks up a piece or two of armour, and you group sets off again, still determined to reach shelter before nightfall.

Comfortable in Scar's arms, you find yourself drifting off to sleep.

-t/s-

The first thing you register when you wake up is that you're in some kind of building. Relief floods through you; you've made it to camp.

Your eyes scan your surroundings. You appear to be in a cabin of sorts, not too dissimilar to the one you, Mei, and Marcoh had shared when you were waiting for Scar. That means that you're definitely still North, although that should be obvious given how cold it is. Besides, you doubt you could have slept through a border hop…

Your group seem to be standing in a circle, with several sheets of paper spread out on the floor before them. They're all so deep in thought that they haven't registered your lucidness yet, which is fine by you; you're too sleepy to be of any use to them right now.

From the few snippets you pick up, it seems like they're pouring over the notes that Scar's brother wrote, and seem to be getting somewhere, if all the enthusiastic chattering is anything to go by. In fact, given just how enthusiastic they are, you're pretty sure that they've figured them out, at least partially. You smile to yourself; it seems things are starting to look up again.

Scar notices you from the corner of his eye, and begins walking over to you. 'You're awake. That's unfortunate. I was hoping you'd sleep through until morning. We didn't make it to the refugee camp, but we found this cabin on the way there; we're resting here, then heading on to he camp in the morning.' Well, it looks like finding this cabin was a stroke of luck, then. Maybe the plan going to pot wasn't the worst thing that could have happen…

You offer Scar a sleepy smile. 'That's okay. It means I get to see your face again. Does this mean I have to take first watch?' It seems only fair, after all; you've had more rest than everyone else.

Scar seems to blush a little, but doesn't speak. Mei however… 'Oh, well actually, we all decided that Alphonse and the Chimeras would do that. We've divided up all the available beds; you and Mr. Scar get your own bed. We thought you'd like to spend some time together; you did save Alphonse, after all.' Oh, that's right, he was in pieces the last time you saw him! Is he alright?

You catch sight of him fully assembled and upright; that's a relief. When that wares off, anticipation settles in your gut; did Mei say quality time with Scar? Sharing… sharing a bed?! Well, things have certainly taken an interesting turn!

You smile, not wanting to upset Mei. 'That's very sweet of you all. When are we all retiring?' Your heart is beginning to race, erasing any lingering tiredness. In one way, you want to delay the inevitable; you have no idea what's going to happen between you tonight. Will Scar be content to just sleep next to you, or will he expect other things? You're so inexperienced, what if you mess things up with him? It's taken you so long to get this far with him, what if you ruin it all in a single evening?

On the other hand, the thought of having Scar to yourself, all alone… you're almost hoping he will make a move again! Even if it's just more kissing; he did promise you more, after all.

Yoki yawns obnoxiously. 'I think we should all head off to bed now personally. I'm absolutely exhausted.' From doing what? He's done just as much work as everyone else! Except you, of course…

Marcoh nods. 'I know I've little right to complain, but I find myself in a similar situation. I'd be happy to retire now, too.' The two chimeras grunt in agreement.

Mei beams up at you. 'That's all settled then. You and Mr. Scar are just through there. I hope you have a nice night.' Even though she's only a child, you're sure Mei is insinuating something…

Still, who are you to protest against it?

You give Scar a warm smile. 'Shall we?' His eyes seem to widen, and you realise you've only reinforced the innuendo in Mei's statement. You're really making things interesting for yourself tonight…

Everyone else seems to scurry off quickly, not wanting to hang about and hear the two of you have some… quality time. The only one who lingers is Yoki, who soon goes running when Scar gives him a pointed stare.

With Yoki gone, the two of you head towards the bedroom.

-t/s-

The moment you both step inside, Scar pins you against the wall with another passionate kiss, one hand on your face as another grabs your hip. Having expected such a reaction, this time you're ready for him; you return his kiss just as enthusiastically.

The kiss seems to last forever, it's intensity never waning. Only when you find yourself struggling to brjeathe do you softly push him away, taking in a desperate gasp.

Scar's breathing comes out as a series of pants as he being to speak. 'I did warn you that I planned to make up for missed time. I only hope that the idea of us sharing a bed does not trouble you. If it does, then I shall gladly sleep on the floor when you tire of my kiss.' Tire of his kiss? You don't think you'll ever tire of his kiss!

With your head still spinning from momentary lack of oxygen, the only smile you can manage is a lopsided grin. 'Why would I want that? Can I not trust you to keep your hands to yourself?' You almost hope that he can't, but your nerves are still there, just underneath the surface. You're so convinced that he'll be disappointed by your efforts…

Scar's grip on you seems to tighten. 'I won't force myself on you, if that's what you're worried about. I have self-restraint enough that I'll stop if my attention is unwanted. However, I won't deny the way that you make me feel. My hands would inevitably move to caress you, should you choose to let me into bed with you. The choice is yours.' You've no doubt that he's being sincere, which does help soothe your worry a little…

It also reminds you of an earlier though. 'Have you ever… well, you know? With a woman?' Well, this is going well. If you can't even say sex, then tonight really isn't going to go anywhere fast!

Scar gives you a quick kiss. 'I've never made love to a woman before, though I must confess that I've pleasured myself to thoughts of you. I hope you don't think less of me for that.' The thought of him touching himself while thinking of you sends a jolt of something right between your legs. It's arousal, that much you're certain of; you're just not sure why the thought of him masturbating to you makes you feel this way.

You dig your nails into Scar's shoulder, working through the arousal spike. He seems to notice, as he pushes himself even closer to you, until your body is essentially trapped between him and the door. You feel something solid press into your lower half, and realise that you're not the only aroused.

Scar's voice becomes more like a growl. 'And you? Have you ever made love to a man?' Well, this is it. This is where you have to admit to Scar that you have about as much experience as he does.

You take in a deep breath. 'The furthest I've ever gone is a kiss, and it didn't last as long as the ones you gave me. I hope that doesn't bother you…' what if it does? What if he's looking for a more experienced lover, one who can take command and make up for his inexperience?

Scar buries his head into the crook of your neck, muffling a moan. 'Bother me? You have no idea what that does to me. Knowing that every time I touch you, I'm the first man to do so… I really should sleep on the floor tonight.' You can hear a hint of desperation in his voice, and it makes you feel weak at the knees. If only you were more experienced, you'd push him on the bed and insist that he has his way with you, right here and now. In fact, experience or not, that's exactly what you want to do. You only wish you were feeling confident enough to do so.

The thing you really should be thinking about is whether or not Scar should sleep on the floor tonight. While you trust Scar not to force you into anything, in the state you're in, you're not sure he'd have to. Do you really want your first time to be here, in the middle of nowhere, in a house full of people? You've never really thought it through before now…

Is the timing great? Probably not. Location? Not ideal. Ready? Only if Scar's involved. Want it? More than anything else right now.

With your options weighing out equally, you decide to just see what happens. For all you know, Scar won't want to take it far past kissing and touching. Maybe seeing how things progress will help you make your mind up properly?

Now that a decision has been made, all you have to do is let Scar know.

Leaning forward slightly, you whisper softly in his ear. 'You don't have to sleep on the floor tonight. I… I really don't know what I'm doing, but I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually. Besides, you've already told me you won't force me into anything. Just… I'm sorry if I'm not very good.' Your consent is good enough for Scar, who collects you into his arms. You wrap your legs around his waist as his lips meet yours again, your hands grabbing onto his shoulders as he walks towards the bed.

Scar tenderly spreads you onto the bed without breaking the kiss, carefully coving your body with his own. The heat of his body against yours feels divine, and you can only imagine how great the absence of clothes would make it feel.

Scar breaks the kiss so you can breath, attacking your neck with his mouth instead. You close your eyes, and allow yourself to be consumed by pleasure.

-POV/Switch-

Scar kisses the neck of the woman beneath him forcefully, subconsciously trying to leave a mark. He's not even sure if such a mark can be left on Ishvalan skin, but that's not about to stop him trying. He wants everyone to know that this woman, this divine being beneath him, let him touch her. Six months ago, if someone had told him he'd have a woman like her beneath him, writhing and moaning as he touches her like no man has before, he wouldn't have listened. He would have even thought them insane. But now? Now he can't imagine being anywhere else.

He's beginning to think on how far he wants to go with her tonight, or how far she'll let him go. Part of him wants to wait, wants to make their first time making love into something special. But another part of him is worried that if he hesitates, he'll be dead long before he has a chance to consummate their relationship. After all, how many opportunities to kiss her has he already wasted? If he dies tomorrow, he doesn't want there to be any regrets; to die never knowing her touch would be the greatest regret of all.

He thinks back to how they ended up here. First, they were almost stopped by the military. Then, they had to make a different plan after their new plan when to hell. To top it all off, they happened upon a cabin with a room perfect for the two of them to have some time alone. The phrase 'Deus Vult' springs to mind again, and he can't help but think that maybe tonight was meant to be.

Then again, maybe all of that has more to do with the fact that some progress has finally been made on deciphering his brother's notes, and being here with her like this is a coincidence. It could even be a test, something designed to see if he really is worthy of her.

His mind is full of possibilities, though his arousal is clouding his judgement considerably. How should be proceed tonight? Should he take everything she'll give him, or should he take it no further than kisses and a few skin-on-skin moments?

He's not certain yet, but one thing is already guaranteed; this is the best night of his life.