If you feel like you're falling apart,
fall into my arms.
I promise I will catch every little piece of you and I promise I will always love your brokenness.

-Anita Krizzan

Elric's lips parted as he sucked in a breath. Warm water rained over us, soaking our hair and clothes to cling to our skin; a single trail of warmth dripping off the tip of his slope nose and landing on my cheek. His method was indeed effective, for I found myself feeling something entirely different. Something new. He loomed over me, all broad shoulders and domineering intensity in his gaze. My hands rested limply on his chest, feeling the taughtness of lean muscle through his drenched t-shirt, and his hand moved to my nape craning my head for him to leer over me.

"How are you feeling now?" He murmured. His warmth breath on my skin and his mouth so close to mine were then the only things I could notice as my enviornment fell away from me. The hot water seemingly evaporated, leaving us surrounded by clouds of steam.

"Like I'm in a dream. The kind that you can't remember when you wake up. I feel...safe here." I said, "What about you?"

His fiery gaze widened a fraction before his brow furrowed and he closed his eyes, pulling me closer to rest his forehead against my own.

"Terrified. I've seen a lot of frightening things, but I've never been more scared than I am right now."

"Why?" His eyes opened fractionally to find mine under hooded lids.

"Because I don't know what will happen after tonight. You shouldn't feel so powerless. You scare me more than anyone I've ever faced."

"I scare you? What could possibly happen that you would be afraid of?" His fingers laced through my hair and he let out a sigh of defeat.

"This." And he brushed his lips against mine.

His soft lips slipped over my own in slow, feather-light strokes of skin on skin, sending my mind far away from coherant thought; my only tie to the physical world being his mouth moving over me as his lips steadily gained strength, the sensation of his tongue slipping into me and caressing my own like warm velvet. My fingers curled into the wet fabric of his shirt on their own accord, every soft lap of his tongue draining me of the energy to stand, and suddenly there was cold tile against my back supporting me as he pressed his body into mine, his kisses diving further. My arms slipped around his neck, encouraging him to angle for deeper access as strong hands pressed me against a hard body. A tightening in my lower belly crept within me, a feeling not unknown to me, but an intensity unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I couldn't surpress my soft moan, and unfortunatly it was enough to surpress the moment because Ed suddenly pushed back from me.

"Shit...I..." He panted, "Fuck, -I shouldn't have... Winry I'm sorry." My befuddled brain couldn't catch up with his hysteria. He backed away to the other side of the shower stall, heaving with hands in his wet hair, eyes wild and sculpted mouth slightly swollen. He was mezmerizing. Before I knew it he was gone, shucking his sodden shirt to the bathroom floor as he stode to the guest room. I was left immobilized, panting, and suddenly very pissed off. Gathering my wits, I turned off the shower and squeezed the excess water from my hair and slouchy sweater before storming after him. I walked into the bedroom just as those gray sweats of his that I secretly loved fell into place, dangerously low on his hips. He didn't turn to face me, but I knew better than to assume he didn't hear me coming to stand in the doorway.

My mouth instantly watered and my airway seized up as I took in the sculpture of his naked back up close for the first time. It was amazing that the first time I saw his exposed skin I was so shaken by his scars; seeing him up close made me look past the imperfections entirely. He rummaged through drawers and I wasted no time in appreciating the way a singluar bead of water slid over the rippling contours of his shoulders, gliding down his spine to rest at the small of his back. His damp hair clung to his skin in piecy whisps as it began to dry from dark rum to brilliant gold, and I had to remind myself that just because he was a sight to behold, didn't give him license to play with my emotions. I opened my mouth to address him when he whipped around, glaring at me like a feral cat.

"If my appearance is disturbing to you then stop staring. You'll do us both a favor." Before leaving he tugged a wide neck shirt over his head; long sleeves, for the first time in weeks.

'Oh no.' My heart lept in my throat as my anger drained away. He assumed the worst. But what was I supposed to say? Sorry I was gawking at you because I want to jump your bones? Somehow I felt that wouldn't be any less awkward, so I decided to cling to anger as I followed him out towards the kitchen.

"Don't do me the dishoner of assuming I would judge you by your appearance, I think we've become aquainted far past the point of pre-concieved notions." He pulled a beer from the fridge, twisted the cap off and took a swig as I continued, "And while we're on the subject of us being 'well aquainted', how exactly did you expect me to react to a stunt like that? Don't you dare pretend to be totally oblivious to your effect on women." He rolled his eyes.

"Its just a face. Once the clothes come off, women suddenly become less charmed by me." He remarked bitterly. This stopped me.

"Wait, you clearly knew what you were doing back there. How could you pull that off if you haven't -um..." He nearly choked on his beer.

"I've had sex! I've just learned a few lessons. Keep the lights off, leave before morning, don't let them spy on you in the shower." He finished with the raise of a critial brow. I had the decency to blush. He returned to our previous spot on the rug in front of the fireplace, once again leaving me to stammar for the right retort.

"I wasn't staring, I swear." He shot me an incredulous look. "I didn't mean anything by it -I mean, I couldn't help -argh!" I hid my face in my hands. This was beyond embarrassing. I moved to sit on the floor near him. "You left me totally high and dry back there. My head was spinning. I was trying to think of what to say after you freaked out and I just... couldn't get any words out. It's got nothing to do with appearances." Well, it sort of did. He was gorgeous.

"None of that should have happened." He said. "I shouldn't have been in there with you, I'm a mess. I'm all over the fucking place. I shouldn't have done that." He emptied his bottle and set it on the concrete slab at the base of the fireplace.

"I could've said no." I responded. "Its my fault too. I'm not innocent here. Don't blame yourself because I'm just as guilty for giving in." He gave a small shake of his head.

"Not anymore you're not. I'm packing up and leaving. I'll call for someone else to come." I was certain my insides had turned to ice.

"But you said you wouldn't leave. You said you were afraid something would happen if you did. You said you wouldn't leave!" I panicked.

"I've said and done a lot of things during my time here that I shouldn't have. You aren't supposed to know ANYTHING about me. We're supposed to be nothing more than professional aquiantences." He said. "I was sent here to do a job and so far I've broken just about every rule since I've been here. If Mustang ever found out he would crucify me."

"Is that all I am to you? A job?" I asked. His eyes blazed.

"Don't you get it? You've become far too important to me, and that's why I have to leave."

"Edward, be reasonable." I said. "We can forget the whole thing. We'll play by the rules from now on if you want. Just please don't go." I could see him quickly losing his patience.

"Winry! I should have left weeks ago! I should've packed my shit and ran the second I realized that this was different. I was wrong to worry about this turning into another 'Nina' situation, because this is NOTHING like that. This is far worse. Don't turn on the tears and beg me to stay because it won't work, I won't allow it!"

Fury burned inside my chest and it took everything in me to force down the lump in my throat. He could yell all he wanted, I wasn't going down without a fight. He told me before that he was staying, there was no way in hell I'd let him break his promise.