He was unexpected.

I truly did not expect him

or his effect on me,

my heart,

my mind,

my feelings.

He was the calming sound

of the light, pitter-patter of drizzle

on an April Sunday morning

in my brutal, destructive hurricane.

(s.g)

Alchemy was a bustling bee-hive, the phone practically ringing off the hook and Sheska was up to her eyeballs. The energy was high, and nearly every booth was occupied. A white takeout carton of dumplings and some chopsticks assisted Edward as he stood at the front desk next to Sheska, answering the ringing phone for her so she could check in arriving clients and make sure everyone's appointments were running on schedule.

"Alchemy, this is Ed." He said after swallowing his food.

*Edward? Hi, it's Winry.* He stilled for a moment, not liking the way her voice tremored. *Do you have a second to talk?*

Edward looked around at the mild madness that was his studio and decided to lie.

"Yup. Absolutely. Let me call you back from my office, okay?" She agreed and he hung up.

"Where are you going?!" A frazzled Sheska yelled after him as he moved to walk away. "Your 11 o'clock consultation will be here any second, theres a line of people waiting to buy merch, a bunch of people are on hold with questions and I'm going slightly mad over here with all this craziness. I need you to answer calls please."

"I am answering a call, I just need to do it in my office. Two seconds, Sheska." He said as he strode to the back of the shop. Once shut in the quiet confines of his personal office he sat at the gaudy and gothic, black velvet-tufted high-back chair that Ville Valo gifted him and pulled out his cell phone. He leaned back with his boots up on his desk and two rings brought Winry's tired-sounding voice to his ear again.

*Hello?*

"Hey it's Ed. What's up?"

*It's my back,* She said wearily. Edward shot up straight. *It hurts a lot today. My roommate smacked it really hard yesterday.*

Ed's mouth fell open and he threw propriety out the window.

"What the fuck for?!" He hollered before silently telling himself to chill out. Anger pulsed in his chest knowing that the tattoo might've been ruined, especially after he'd worked so hard on it and seeing how badly Winry needed it.

*We had a fight and she hit me. She also smashed the only mirror in the house. I can't see my back and I'm worried she might've scratched it. She wears a lot of rings on her fingers.* Winry explained as she pushed down her own growing anger.

Edward closed his eyes and counted to five to calm himself, putting his head in his free hand. "Can you come by today?"

*Yea, I can do that. I'll come by later tonig—* Her sentence was cut off by a vicious, deep chested coughing spell. Edward straightened in alarm for the second time.

"Whoa, are you sick?" Winry coughing subsided a bit and she squeaked out weakly.

*Yeah. I've been feeling shitty all day.* Alarm bells rang in Edward's head.

"Yea you can't come here. Sorry, it's just you can't be sick in a tattoo shop. Bacteria, y'know?" He rapped a nearby pencil on the desk as he thought for a moment. "Tell you what, I'll be out of here tonight by 9, 10 at the latest. Can I come to you?"

Winry pondered his offer as she lied in bed, gripping her sheets as she weighed her options. Her roommate was gone and probably wouldn't be back that night, meaning she'd be alone, sick and vulnerable when this man came to her door. She wanted to decline and offer to come another day, but she feared the state of his work and her skin screamed from pain. She needed help.

"Um, yea that works. You don't mind coming uptown so late?"

"I don't mind if you don't mind." Edward said. He scribbled her address on a piece of paper and told her he'd text her that night when he was on his way.

The chiming of the doorbell roused Winry from sleep a few hours later, and she blinked awake and shuffled to the intercom to buzz Edward in as she pulled her throw around her shoulders. Uneven footsteps approached her front door a few moments later, followed by soft knocking. She mentally kicked herself for not checking her appearance first, but unhooked the safety chain and opened her door to Edward.

"Hi." He said, his sculptured mouth curled into a smart smirk. Ed's eyes poured over the sleepy disheveled mess in front of him, and he found Winry to be incredibly cute despite the dark circles curling under her eyes. She motioned him to enter and he handed her a brown paper bag.

"Chicken soup." He said. "You mentioned you weren't feeling well."

Winry gratefully took the parcel. "Thanks, that's really sweet of you," She said as she set it on the counter for later. "I appreciate you coming all the way up here."

Edward waved it off, saying how it was not that far and no big deal. Her apartment was small. Floors were wooden, walls were eggshell, curtains were white chiffon. Ed found himself liking the simple beauty of it, much like its resident. Her bed was perched on a modest metal frame, and the only feminine signs were the fresh flowers on the window sill, the teacup on her nightstand, the few pieces of makeup on one of the tables next to a wrench and some screws.

"I like your place." He said.

"Oh thanks but its not mine, I could never afford this. My roommate's dad pays for it."

He looked back at Winry over his shoulder, "Its nice. It suits you." They locked eyes in calm silence for a moment as they sized one another up, both a little nervous of what to come.

"Well, let's have a look." Edward said pulling on a rubber glove, and Winry nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and dropped her blanket as she turned, feeling him step to her and lift the back of her shirt. He would've enjoyed noticing her lack of a bra as he examined her tattoo if it weren't for the yellow bruises and large red welts puffing up across his work.

"Holy shit…" He said as he touched her furious skin with his finger tips. He knew from looking that it was worse than what she'd described; it was more than just a simple smack. But with a little TLC it would be alright because there wasn't any broken skin. "How many times have you washed this today?"

Winry cringed, knowing he wouldn't like her answer and she suddenly felt like a student who'd been caught cheating by the teacher.

"I haven't. I meant to this morning, but I haven't been able to get out of bed until now." Ed dropped her shirt and she turned back to face him. "I'm worried about the water pressure in the shower, its a little intense. What should I do?"

"Use a clean, soapy washcloth and wring it out above the back of your shoulders so the soap runs down, then rinse the same way." He said. He tried valiantly to not picture those soap suds sliding down her wet skin, and failed miserably, imagining himself tracing the water's path with his tongue.

"And what do I do about putting ointment on it? I can't ask my roommate for help now." Winry knew what was coming next, and even though it was hard for her to remove her shirt in front of him at the shop, one would think it'd be easier in her own home. But it was far more nerve-wracking, because they were alone, and he was incredibly …intriguing.

Winry moved to sit on the bed so Edward could put Aquafor on her, but he stopped her with a soft touch to the shoulder.

"We need to wash that first," he said. "You have a massive cut in your back and now a cold to go with it. If you don't wash it throughout the day you could get an infection. I don't mind waiting for you to take a shower." Winry was about to agree, but was honestly so exhausted that a shower seemed daunting to say the least. He could read the exhaustion on her face.

"Point me towards a washcloth, I have another idea." He said. Winry directed him to the small closet in the bathroom and Ed found what he needed along with some soap, and he went to the kitchen and filled a large bowl with warm water before walking back to her bedside with it.

"Shirt off, lady." He said with a wink, trying to lift the awkwardness and make her feel comfortable. Winry pulled the shirt over her head and held it to her front as she shifted to lie in bed on her stomach. Edward moved to grab a roll of paper towels and settled on the mattress next to her before pulling a new set of rubber gloves on his hands.

"Ready?" He asked, and she nodded as he smoothed his now wet and soapy hands gently over her back, taking care to clean the cut without hurting her. Winry only sucked a breath in for a moment, unsure if it was the warmth of the water or the feel of his hands on her that elicited the reaction. After a minute or so he soaked the washcloth in the warm water and rung it out thoroughly before dabbing it over her back slowly to absorb the soap. The warmth was heavenly, the best thing she'd felt in a long time, and a soft sigh slipped out from her lips.

It was back again. The nagging urge to drag his tongue over her skin. Ed gulped and exhaled, trying to push out the thought and concentrated on tattoos and baseball for a moment before his pants became tighter. After drying Winry's skin with a paper towel he took the Aquafor and applied a paper thin layer, working slowly in small sections to avoid rubbing her skin to harshly. It took longer than usual and she fought to suppress a blissful moan as his warm fingers smoothed over her sensitive back. Winry no longer cared that he could likely feel her heart racing under his hands, and she no longer cared about not feeling well. She was a fool to try and convince herself she wasn't attracted to Ed -his boyish charm and sun-kissed beach bum good looks made it very hard to not want him around. And the fact that he was taking care of her like this? It had been a very long time since Winry had felt cared for by anyone.

Ed was slightly disappointed when he'd finished his task, and discarded his gloves in a nearby trashcan.

"Finished." He breathed. Winry moved to sit up carefully, pulling her hair to the side to fall over her shoulder and looked back at Ed while still clutching her shirt to her chest.

"Thank you." She said, somewhat breathless herself.

"Anytime."

Edward meant it. He was immensely curious about Winry and would take any excuse he could get to run his hands over her skin. He couldn't wait for her next appointment. As desperately as he wanted to find a reason to stay, he could see her fighting against heavy eyelids and stood to pull her bedsheets back for her to scoot under.

"I'll see myself out." He said, and as she settled on her stomach with her head on the pillow, Winry's eyes travelled up to find him suddenly kneeling as he pulled her sheets around her, hovering close over her pretty face.

"It was nice of you to come." She murmured softly, rendered immobile when his warm fingers slid across her nape, pushing an escaping tendril off her back and his hand lingered. Winry felt his warm breath soothed across her skin, and her usual mental warnings to stay away from men quickly silenced as blue eyes poured into gold.

"Could you …come again?" She whispered bravely. Ed's words caught in his throat as Winry lifted herself onto elbows and he sank toward her, his face close to hers as his thumb brushed her cheek.

He would come again. He would be there everyday if she asked, despite his mind shouting repeatedly to defect. His gaze fell to her mouth, and he inched toward her lips.

"Tomorrow."

Suspended in hypnotic trance, she nodded in fractional movement, desperately wanting to feel his lips on hers but terrified all the same. Winry couldn't close the distance, she couldn't give in ...even though she wanted to. Her heart hammered, her head became light.

His vibrating cell phone broke the silence.

Edward mentally unleashed a string of curses before dropping his hand from her to pull his phone from his back pocket as Winry pulled her shirt tighter to her naked chest and pressed her cheek to her pillow once more. Ed paused staring at the screen as he debated whether or not to get it, and wound up caving.

"I don't have time for this." He answered in a clipped manner as he stood to go, but not before looking back at the half naked woman in bed who had captured his attention like no one before. Winry reached toward her nightstand and grabbed a folded twenty, holding it out to him but he shook his head, declining. He listened to the caller babble into the phone as he took Winry's hand in his own and raised to his mouth.

He mouthed silently that he would see her tomorrow, and pressed his lips to her knuckles before turning and walking out the door.

Ed arrived back at the shop late that night and sluggishly dragged himself up the steps in the shop's rear to a red door at the top, leading into the loft. It was originally attic space and it became his modest living quarters. The room was small but comfortable, with one window surrounded by a wall he painted with chalkboard paint so when new ideas struck him in the middle of the night he wasn't far from a sketching surface. The remaining walls and ceiling stayed exposed wood, which made it hot in the summer and chilly in the winter, but livable. He didn't need much; a small closet for him to stack clothes in and a desk to draw at. His bed was a mattress on the floor and he had an old club chair from Salvation Army in the corner of the room. Rent for the studio was ghastly so he couldn't afford an apartment, and in truth he liked living above his place of work. No commute, and he could always keep an eye on things even if he wasn't in the shop.

As Ed closed the door behind him and leaned back against it he sighed. There was something he found very sexy about his client and it wasn't just her beautiful face. He found himself liking her far more than he should. Sure, there had been times in the past when he'd been attracted to pretty girls who came in for trendy little pieces that didn't inspire but helped pay the rent, and he'd entertain the flirtatious eye-batting they gave him and agree to an after-work drink. Sometimes it resulted in some fantastic casual sex, but he wouldn't allow anything to become serious. Not with a customer, and especially not with a returning client, which was the exact reason why Winry Rockbell made him nervous. She was sweet, she was smart, she was beautiful, and he found himself feeling extremely protective of her. He wanted her around, and that wasn't good.

Edward tried hard to not shit where he ate, it was why he couldn't afford an extra rent because he paid his artists high commissions. Happy employees meant happy clients, and good energy was essential for productivity in a business. That's why he only fooled around with women who weren't getting tattoos for passionate reasons, because he knew they most likely wouldn't be back.

It was midnight, and normally he'd stay up til around 2 drawing, but tonight he was exhausted. Talking to his ex-wife was always exhausting, because she wasn't well and refused to help herself even though she knew better. Her lies and her inability to put the bottle down was the reason their marriage ended, but it was cupcakes compared to the tragedy that would follow months after and continue to haunt Ed for the rest of his life.

He didn't know why she kept calling. Sure, she was calling because she was drunk again but WHY was she calling? That was the question he always asked himself. What could he do for her that he hadn't already tried and failed at? He couldn't continue to love her through her illness, not when she was sleeping with other men. Not when the drinking turned into using. Not when she lied to him while he was deployed overseas.

Trusting people had become difficult after that. Damn near impossible after the night his whole world came crashing down. He saw the same inability to trust others in Winry. She was nervous around him, but not in the same way women usually were because they found him attractive. There was something else there. He felt it when he first touched her back, the way she jerked away from him as though he'd burned her. The memory of her ashen face sat in his stomach like lead, and he wanted badly to be a source of comfort for her because that was what he was used to being for his clients. He took pride in being the person his clients opened up to about their past pains and what their tattoos would mean for them. To know that a client was afraid of him, that his touch made her revisit her fears, it made him want to turn around and run back to her as fast as possible to reassure her she had no reason to fear him.

Edward shed his clothes and crawled onto his mattress on the floor before shaking loose his long hair and pulling the large quilt over himself. A sigh escaped him as he stared at the ceiling. He wanted to know Winry's fear so he could rid her of it. He wanted to know her pain so he could alleviate her suffering.

He'd already started to break all his rules for the strange and beautiful woman who looked at him like she wanted to break all of her rules too.

A/N: thank you all for your lovely reviews, I can't tell you how it great it makes me feel to receive feedback and hear how excited you all are about this story. I've been dying to share it with you and I'm so happy I finally get to!

On a side note, an incredible reader whom I know on tumblr as Vivunas has been assembling images directly reminiscent of Perfect Blood and Atelophobia, and I'm basically screaming with excitement over here because THEY ARE AWESOME. I've done a couple that are a similar concept to better convey the imagery I see in my head when I write the PB universe, and for anyone who hasn't seen you should head over to my tumblr (url is in my bio) and check out what Vivunas has done because its fantastic.

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. More soon.