Fullmetal59; sorry, I know, a bit short again and after a while of not updating too. Well hope you guys enjoy :)

Your Overprotective Automail Touch

Chapter 6: Shadows That Follow

Central; The streets

Ed stared down at his arm, held on tightly by Winry's hand. He wore an annoyed expression.

"Do you have to still hold on to me?" he asked as he pulled away from her grip.

"So what, you have to act all hard-ass now, Ed?" Winry crossed her arms and stared straight into his golden eyes. He turned away instantly.

"If you're done using me as an excuse to skip out on a date…" he pondered on the event before finishing, "…can I go now?" She raised her eyebrow.

"No. If I walk back in that building, then that soldier will know I was lying to him, and plus, neither of us have eaten yet…so why don't we go eat something?" Winry shifted her feet slightly. Edward grunted.

"I said to just see me as another soldier," he replied.

"Then fine, be my escort." Winry smirked as she watched Ed scramble for a response.

"And if I decline?"

"C'mon Ed, would you really want me walking around in the streets alone?" He sighed and gave in to her sneaky ways of making a date.

"Dammit, Winry, fine I'll go."

Central; Fuhrer King Bradley's Office

"So, did you entice the young girl, soldier?" asked Bradley, with his infamous smile.

"You can cut the acting, Wrath. And no, I wasn't able to. The Fullmetal pipsqueak showed up and she walked off with him," the soldier said as he turned into his familiar form. The flash of light revealed none other than Envy.

"I told you that it would have been easier if you just took the form of Edward Elric," Bradley, also known as Wrath, said in an annoyed tone.

"It's hard to act the part of a young naive alchemist, but don't worry I'll be able to handle everything. I have an interesting idea."

Central; Restaurant

The restaurant wasn't extremely fancy, but it was still nice. People were still dressed mostly formal. Ed and Winry occupied a booth close to a window that revealed the sidewalk. She looked across the table and focused on his new wardrobe.

"I always dreaded the day that I'd see you in a military uniform, but to tell you the truth, you actually look nice wearing it," she said with a subtle smile. Ed turned away quickly in order to hide the red on his cheeks as he remembered Hawkeye's accusation. Winry sighed.

"You don't have to ignore me, you know." Ed widened his eyes as though he never considered the idea. She crossed her arms and said, "I guess we can just leave and pick up something from the military headquarters if you'd feel more comfortable doing that."

"No, I'm sorry, eating here is fine." As soon as the waiter came by, Ed turned to Winry and smiled, "Just order anything you want." He gave her his famous goofy grin. She hesitated before ordering. To his surprise, Winry actually had a big appetite. Once the waiter finished taking both of their orders, Ed instantly turned back her.

"Winry!" She looked at him innocently.

"What is it?"

"Are you telling me that you are actually going to eat all of that?" he yelled as he remembered her order: appetizers, two main courses, and two desserts.

"Well I haven't eaten good food in a while, and I actually do a lot of work in Rush Valley, so my appetite has gone up!" She said as she patted her stomach. Ed sighed and accepted the fate of his wallet. Their lighthearted conversation followed soon after as they waited for their food.

"Can you believe he thought I'd do all that work for free…? Ed, is everything ok?" Winry asked as she noticed that Ed began to look distant. He narrowed his eyes as he had been zoning in on a few suspicious shadows that had be shuffling endlessly near the window.

"Winry, could you go and hide out in the bathroom for a bit?"

"What? Why do you want me to do that?"

"Just do it ok, and don't come out until you've seen my face at this table."