DISCLAIMER: All recognizable material belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

Pairing: Alphonse and May

Prompt: The Desert

Rating: K

Alphonse's head jerked up as he heard the distinct sound of chattering teeth. May was curled into herself, her legs tucked up inside her sleeping bag. She sat as close to the campfire as she could, the orange flames lighting up her face. He remembered her insistence that they not pack tents, adamant that it never rained in the desert and that even if it did, a tent would do nothing to help. He knew she was also worried about carrying too much weight; she'd never admit it, but she was small for her age, and she had grown less accustomed to carrying large loads.

"Are you cold?" he asked, shifting forward out of his own sleeping bag.

May merely shook her head. He sighed; he knew she was just being stubborn. She'd been through plenty worse than this, and they both knew it, but that didn't make her immune to the freezing desert nights.

He wriggled himself out of his blankets, moving himself closer to her and wrapping it over her shoulders, struggling to ignore the chills on his skin. He felt her instinctively shrink into the fabric, but she quickly pulled away.

"Don't be stupid, Alphonse. You'll freeze."

He sighed; he knew there was no use fighting with her about it. Instead, he pulled it around his own shoulders, then gently grabbed May by the waist, bringing her into him until her back was flush against his chest.

She stiffened. This was new territory for them; both were aware of the affections each held for the other, but so far neither had done anything about it. Alphonse was taking some bold steps here, especially considering her mood. "What are you doing?"

Alphonse leaned his head against hers, tightening his grip on her just slightly. "Keeping you warm," he murmured into her hair, which she'd let down for once in order to preserve some body heat.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked, trying her best to sound irritated, though she couldn't deny she enjoyed the feeling of having his arms around her, and she'd already stopped shivering.

"I can stop if you don't want me to do this," he said, suddenly unsure of himself. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. He was afraid of pushing her; he didn't want to come off that way. He respected her and whatever she decided – if this was too much, he would back off.

When she didn't respond, Al sighed, sliding away from her, beginning to reclaim his arms. He stopped as a cold hand grabbed his.

"No, it's all right, Alphonse." Her dark brown eyes peered into his golden ones, silently asking him to stay. Her small hand wrapped around his, intertwining their fingers despite the faint blossom of color across her cheeks.

He stared back at her for a moment before smiling, giving her hand a squeeze. He shifted back to where he'd been before, his arms settling around her as she laid back against him. They stared at the fire, the crackling and popping the only sounds breaking the night air.

It wasn't long before he heard her breathing slow down. He leaned forward to look at her, finding her eyes closed and her mouth hanging slightly open. Alphonse smiled in spite of himself. Suddenly, he yawned, and decided to follow her cue, laying them both down and tucking her close to him.

He had no idea what this would mean for them in the morning, but at the moment, he was content with their stolen moment of peace.