Chapter Text
Winry lie half-awake under Ed's right arm, which he had haphazardly slung over her. She was slowly becoming accustomed to the cold metal against her bare stomach. Ed quite frequently seemed to forget that his right arm was hard, heavy, and especially cold in bed. She tried to view this in a very positive light: him acting like this arm was merely an extension of himself was a testament to her skills as an automail mechanic. It didn't stop occasional negative thoughts though. She tried to ignore it but any time Ed stroked her face or hugged her, all she felt was an object against her skin rather than him. His left hand was so warm and soft—despite the callouses from so much fighting—compared to his stony right hand. And she knew he didn't actually feel her warmth within that metal.
But maybe these thoughts were simply a form of petty moping. She wanted Ed and Al to have their original bodies back but they both often went long periods of time without contact, and even longer periods of time without a visit, in pursuit of that goal. She supported them every step of the way, always hoping they would come closer to finding what they were looking for, but their absence could make things lonely regardless of how many people surrounded her.
Ed was particularly difficult to send off. Had they remained more akin to family members, it probably would've been easier, but only seeing the man she loved every now and then hurt in a different way. He had at least given her some small compromise though. Instead of staying for a day or two, or however long it took her to repair or recreate his broken automail, he would stay at least one full week no matter the circumstances and promised to stay longer if she asked.
She never asked. Although the brothers tried not to act like there was any urgency to their quest in her presence, she knew they rushed themselves. She knew how badly they wanted to get back to their alchemic research. So she settled for the week, maybe two, that she could get every once in a while and didn't push for more.
After all, once they got their bodies back, she wouldn't have to suffer through Ed's chilly touches and they would stick around more without such a reason to run around.
She heard Ed's deep inhale behind her, followed by an irritated groan. Only after that did she realize the sun was peeking over the horizon, and yawned in response. Next time they did this she would have to give Ed his arm back. She couldn't keep staying awake for hours shivering under a chunk of metal.
"Hungry?" he asked through a yawn of his own.
"Probably just have a cup of coffee," she mumbled.
He finally got up and lazily swung his legs over the side of the bed, brushing aside a few stray hairs that had gotten in his mouth while he slept. Somehow it left her stomach with an even colder spot than before.
"Winter is coming soon," he said, searching for his pants but picking up her shorts instead. He tossed them to her and asked, "Do you need anything? Al and I can get plenty of firewood for you before we head out. I can get you some new clothes in town."
She started getting dressed with him and answered, "I think I'm fine. Are you two headed back to Central?"
He sighed and began fixing his hair for his brother. They had only very recently started sleeping together and Ed had wanted to keep that part of their relationship strictly private. She couldn't prove anything, but she was pretty sure he wanted Al to keep believing their relationship was just as innocent as it used to be.
"We found out about a new kind of alchemy," Ed said. "It's specialized for medical purposes so we're hoping that maybe this new technique can help us get our bodies back. Any research into the alchemy we use right now just keeps leading us back to a philosopher's stone."
He subtly grimaced at the idea of such a wretched thing.
"We'll have to go farther than just Central to dig deeper into it," he finished.
"Oh. Promise me you two will stay safe. I'm tired of seeing my work in pieces..." she muttered.
"I don't try to break it!"
One final yank on his hair managed to set the braid into place.
"We might be gone for a while this time," Ed said. "Hopefully, the next time we come back, Al won't need polish and you won't even need to worry about your automail anymore."
They both heard the slow beginnings of Rush Valley starting its day as one shop after another opened up.
It would be the brothers' signal to go. Ed would have a cup of coffee and maybe breakfast, then wander off again with Al, leaving her a quick kiss goodbye and a promise to come back.