Leave A Scar

We landed in Kuijec after a few hours of traveling. I stretched out my legs, walking on my tip-toes to extend the muscles a bit more. Ed noticed, sending a small smile my way. I looked down, blushing at being caught doing something so foolish.

Light chatter floated between us, that is, until we walked past a pet shop.

Al immediately stopped, a distant whɨnė overtaking his suit.

Ed sighed, half-lidded eyes glaring off to the side. "I'm not going in there."

Al whɨnėd, hands in front of his mouth. "But Brother..."

"No." Ed walked off, swinging the case. I almost trotted after, but my stare went to Al as he turned to me.

"You can talk some sense into him, can't you?" the hollowed voice asked. "He'll listen to you."

Ed turned, stopping in his tracks and frowning, a huge blush on his face. His eyebrow twitched.

"I... I would not."

"You so would." And then he continued on, asking me to ask Ed.

I'd rather stay out of it. I replied silently, taking a small step back.

Ed gave a dramatic sigh, head hanging. "Not that I'm giving in or anything, but I guess we could stay for a few minutes..."

"Yay!" I could almost see the confetti pop out from behind Al, and tried to hold down a laugh. "This'll be great! I can't remember the last time I was in a pet shop!"

"Mm." Ed trudged on back to us, dragging his feet as his hand remained in his coat pocket, the other holding his suitcase at his shoulder. "Let's just get―"

"Excuse me. Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

We all looked up, and I turned around to see a dark-haired man a bit older than myself. His stare was on Alphonse, waiting patiently.

Al quickly held up a hand, and I could almost see the blush on his face as his eyes curved. "Oh, no, that's not me. You're talking about my brother, Edward Elric."

"Oh," he looked down, brows furrowing in thought as his hand came to his chin. "'Cause I was supposed to retrieved Alphonse Elric from downtown Kuijec for a State Alchemist license renewal."

Ed and Al held one another's stare. Slowly, Ed dragged his sight to the official. And he grinned, quickly closing the distance and shaking the official's hand.

"Edward Elric, famous Fullmetal Alchemist, at your service!"

"E-edward?" the man replied, then shook his head. "Well, actually, the fuhrer requested Alphonse Elric to be given the examination."

We all stared, confused. Even I understood how strange that was, to an extent.

"Why would Al have to give the report?" Ed asked. "I'm the one that's a State Alchemist, not him."

The official pulled out a small notebook, ŀɨċkɨnġ his thumb before thumbing through the pages. "Well..." he drawled, before stopping on one of the last pages. Realization dawned on his face; an expression of surprise, too. "Oh. It says here that 'Alphonse needs to be interviewed for fact-checking and info-retrieval?"

Once again, Ed and Al exchanged glances before Ed shrugged, both eyes closed. "Well, go do what you gotta do, Al," Edward said. "We'll be at the hotel when you're done."

Al nodded, giving a smile. "Sure. I'll see you guys there. Room 403, right?"

"Room 403!" Ed waved as we walked away, stretching his arm out while I gave Al a smile. He smiled back, and soon Ed and I were alone.

"Interviewed." The word was spat from between Ed's teeth. "They're probably integrating the poor guy!"

"Why would they need to ask him anything?" I asked, pondering aloud.

I stopped tapping my chin and looked to Ed as he sighed.

"It's been almost six years since we started the search for the stone underneath the miltary's supervision," Ed replied. "We haven't gotten very far, at least to them. Every year, I gotta write up some report that says why I should keep my license. How we're so close to cracking something, and it'll just take a little more time."

I understood. At least a little.

"And they think you're running out of options," I said, the statement slipping from me. Ed nodded, anyway, and I felt some part of me glow. It cracked in half, darkness swallowing it and overtaking my heart in stone.

"Yeah." he said. "All they know is that we snuck into the Fifth Lab and we were involved in the deaths of Father's Homunculi."

"So they know about Father?"

Ed shrugged one shoulder. "Some of them do, some of them don't. I figure that those in Briggs that helped deal with Sloth are trained not to ask too many questions. But this thing with Al is worrying me more than what anyone else thinks about artificial humans."

He gave a slight motion with his head, towards the direction we parted ways with Al in. "The fact that they're asking Al first instead of me means they're trusting me less... In other words, they're getting suspicious of why we're here."

He sighed, head hanging. "Mustang usually has to sign off on the report's release, but maybe they're not bothering him with it anymore."

I was lost in a cloud of questions I wasn't sure I wanted answers to. I asked one of them.

"Is Mustang the only one in the military that knows about you and Al?"

He nodded. "Him, Riza, and Hughes. Hughes just thinks I lost my limbs in the war"—grinning wide, he turned to smile at me—"he actually doesn't know about Al, after all this time! Pretty good secret keeping, huh?"

I nodded, smiling just as brightly. I envied their ability to hide.

Ed dropped his head back, and seeing his back so slumped... I wanted to reach out, put my hand on his shoulder. Some silent gesture that let him know it would be alright.

Edward spoke again, speaking words that sounded just as dead as I felt.

"I just hope we find something soon..."

We walked in silence, after that.

Room 403 was nice. I'm sure it was just like all the others, but it was a nice replica of every other room. A nice place; one with a lot of light.

I took a few more steps inside, hearing Ed walk past me, setting his suitcase down and straightening. A smile came to his face, both hands on his hɨps as he surveyed the room and nodded in approval.

"Yeah," he said. "This is a nice place."

We stayed in silence, before Ed suddenly raised one hand behind his hair, eyes cast away from me. Near the floor.

"I... Was just wondering if I could draw you again."

Shock bellowed into me; enough to frown my mouth and raise my hair.

"W-Why?!" How stupid could I be? How uselessly obvious could I make it?

Ed turned, failing to hide a blush. He shrugged one shoulder, putting the same hand in his pocket.

"Why not?" he returned, ċȯċking his head to one side. "I mean, we got time to kill, before Al gets back, and Mustang gave me the journal--"

Sketch book. I wanted to correct, but my mind bit the thought in half. I couldn't... I didn't even dare...

I lowered my hands away from my mouth, uncurling my fingers and bringing them to my sides, behind me. Wrapping one hand around the other, squeezing tight. Like that would bring the blood into my head. Make me think a little better, a little clearer, a little more.

"Well..."

"C'mon." He gave me a smile. A soft one. "I'm sure you'll look great."

Hearing my name with those words. It nearly shattered a wall. Hanging onto pieces of a building, I swallowed. Failing to conceal a blush, failing to do anything but stand there as Edward walked on, further into the room. One arm shrugging out of his coat, the other arm tucking the sketchbook against forearm and bicep. The red fabric practically peeled off, revealing muscles I hadn't paid attention to before. But here, in the sunlight...

I looked away, feeling my face burn even more. Ed turned around, and I could hear the pleasant grin in his voice.

"There's nothin' to hide!" he told me. With a laugh, he clicked his automail arm. "I should know, yeah?"

Mmhm. I wanted to say, but I just twitched a nod instead.

We sat in the living quarters, him at one end of the couch and me at the loveseat. Drawing utensil in between two flesh fingers. I noticed he had gotten a new one; I guess my current pen wasn't good enough for the Fullmetal Alchemist.

His expression turned focused, and his head tilted to the side.

I tried to ignore the scrutiny, silently watching the wall behind him, off to the left. Eyes drifting to the space where the wall turned into a corner. I wanted to reach out, mold the plaster until it was a part of me. Add another layer to a soon-to-be labyrinth.

I could make it huge, in time.

Ed's voice rang in my ears. I turned, watching him watch me. Some question he'd spoken hanging between us. A pitch I didn't catch.

I'd never been very athletic.

I forced away a smile, eyes closing for a moment. Hiding him away, hiding that expression of concern.

"We don't have to," he said. "We—"

I quickly shook my head. Anything to make myself uncomfortable. Test my own weak limits. A stick attempting to hold up a stone.

"Let's continue on," I said, eyes curving in a smile. "You still have to capture that thing, don't you?"

Ed smiled, and then he straightened, that smile becoming a full-on grin. He clicked the pen open. "You bet I do! You're not moving an inch until I'm finished." His expression suddenly fell, face growing pale. "Except... This isn't really the right setting."

A smile came to my face as my head bowed, a little defeated. "Of course not..."

Ed remained silent, keeping the pen by his face. He was staring at me still, and I knew I couldn't deny someone the chance to work like this. Especially not when it obviously meant so much to him.

I straightened, looking around the room. "Alright, where do you want me?"

Ed followed the motion, glancing around before pointing with his pen. The window seat, displaying a brilliant amount of light. One that would shine more than enough sun onto me. I couldn't hide away in darkness even if I wanted to.

I instantly hated it.

"There's enough lighting over there." he was saying. "Not a bad place."

"Okay," I suppressed most of a grin at how into this he was getting. Who knew the famous Fullmetal Alchemist could be such an artist?

I stood up, taking a moment to stall. Brush my skirt off, but eventually I had to move.

Birds chirped, greeting me as I walked towards the window. I didn't feel Ed's eyes on me, and that was a good thing. I only had a matter of moments, before every inch of me would be studied.

My lips twisted in a smile. If only he could see how many scars were inside. How would he react? What would he try to draw?

The chirping got louder, the closer I got to the window. There must have been a nest in the tree nearby. I didn't have much of a chance to turn and look as I sat down, my focus taken by Edward as he pulled up a chair about five feet in front of me. He looked up, frowning a bit as he moved the chair closer, then a tiny bit further away.

Seeming pleased with the accomplishment of this important first step, he smiled a bit, the emotion seeming like it was more of a small welcome door to a private personal celebration. I let my smile reach my eyes, seeing him look to me and give the smallest of blushes.

"Look up." The words were spoken kindly; polite, as always.

I did as I was told, turning my head and glancing from the side of my vision. "Same position as before?"

He was holding the pen near his face again, that studying look coming to him. I smiled a bit more, my lips curving just slightly in a light amusement. Then he gave a light shake of his head.

"No," he replied finally. "Turn a little towards me."

I did as I was told, meeting his eyes a little more head on than before. His expression just grew a bit more focused. He stifled a sigh; the breath lightly pushing out of his nose. His head shook, telling me to move a little more to the left.

I did, and a few seconds later moved my head back to the same position with a wider grin.

He smiled and I recognized that softness again. It made me a bit warmer; a heat I didn't believe to be from the sun shining behind me.

"Try going back to the left again."

I obeyed without protest, moving it a bit more than I did before. He nodded a little to himself, finally pleased. From the side of my sight, I watched his eyes sweep over me, trying to make sure the details were right.

He positioned himself to stand up, one hand on the arm of the chair while the arm of the hand holding my sketchbook and pen rested on the opposite arm of the chair. He was turned to the side, staring at the door Al had left through.

"I need my ȧssistant here," he said, but I knew it was more of a light, observational kid than an actual complaint. I smiled a bit more with my eyes, watching him stride over to me.

He leaned down a little, and I couldn't help but notice the tinge of pink in his face as he reached out, gently pulling a section of hair over to the front of my shoulder. I felt the smooth strands brush against my shoulder as they moved, sweeping over my ċhėst and resting on the very end of my stomach.

"Sorry..." Edward said as he did this, stare avoiding mine.

I let a grin come to me, like that could do very much for the heat touching my face. "You are the artist, after all. Make me how you want to."

My comment seemed to make his face a bit redder. I smiled softly, eyes gently following his hand as he reached out, unhooking the hair I had tucked behind one ear. I gently swallowed, a bit out of focus as the back of his fingers brushed against my temple and into my hairline. It was his automail hand, but there was still something about this...

His fingers trailed down the strand he had guided, seeming like he was measuring the length. I glanced to his eyes; they were focused on my hair still, that blush mostly gone. Back to business...

His pointer finger shifted, bringing itself to the front of the section instead of the back. He trailed down for a few more inches, still keeping my hair towards him at a slight angle. Then the strand was released, the section tucked back behind my ear once more.

I held down my laugh with a small grin. At this rate, we would both be nearly dead from old age by the time he was finished with this drawing.

My thoughts left me as he leaned forward again, his head moving over mine and hiding his face from my limited view. I suppressed a few shivers as his hands came to the back of my neck, sweeping my hair around to one side with a delicacy I'd never felt before.

He gathered all my hair except the strand he had tucked behind my ear until it rested on one side, falling across the upper part of my body in gentle layers of those crescent waves. Ed moved that same strand again, bringing it over my ear once more before pushing it back.

I grinned. "That strand's tricky, isn't it?"

"Yeah." he said quietly, leaning back again. He walked backwards, sitting in the chair with his legs loosely crossed. Regarding me with a critical eye I usually saw in serious artists.

I grinned, and it didn't take him too long to notice there was something behind my smile.

"What?" he asked, interested.

I gave a small shrug, eyes closing since I couldn't exactly turn my head away. "I just think it's a bit funny how serious you are about this..."

He flipped open my sketchbook, and for a moment I imagined there was a cloud of dust puffing out of the open pages. He was quickly skipping to the end, seeming like he was trying to find his last drawing as he murmured a reply.

"It is serious..."

That made my heart beat quicker; my smile becoming a softer one. I watched him, my attention fluttering between his turning pages and that expression on his face. I wasn't sure why exactly he was getting so serious about this; that challenge he had accepted about being able to draw was well over and done with. I guess some people were just stuck on their work; I'd been one of them.

Memories crashed against the heavy door I'd locked them into. I focused, bringing my attention to Ed as he unclicked his pen, other hand smoothing over an already smooth blank page.

His golden eyes rose, light sweeping over them as he studied me again.

I held my focus away from the nervous, excited tension in my gut. His eyes kept moving over me, gradually moving along every detail of my hands, my arms and shoulders, my hair. He skipped over my face, opting to trail the outline of my hair before his stare eventually swept down to the opposite side of me. His observation of my ċhėst and stomach was much quicker; definitely more of a scanning once-over than anything else.

His pen clicked shut. I held down an exasperated groan, disappointed. The emotion reached the space in between my eyebrows, though; my mouth turning down into the smallest of frowns.

"Let's take a break." he said.

I was happy to oblige.

We spent a short break talking over the tea provided on the coffee table. Ed iced his, pouring the mug's contents into a tall glass and flicking ice cubes in with thumb and forefinger. I kept mine warm, the temperature matching the slight heat lingering against my back, my shoulders.

We talked of the weather, a nice topic. A safe one. And then it was time to draw again.

My stomach sank, ears hearing a small flock of birds flutter by the window. Two, by the sound of their wings and brief squawking. The nest close by the window remained calm and diligently active.

I smiled a little, keeping the rest of me pencil-straight. "Will you draw the birds?" I asked.

"Maybe..." he replied, pen continuing to sketch. The motion stopped; enough for him to quickly glance up, catching the right side of my hair as it began to swoop down beside my face. "Might be a little distracting, though."

"Yeah," I agreed, pretending to make it seem like I wasn't confused, "You wouldn't want to make the background too busy..."

He just gave a brief sound of acknowledgment. He stopped drawing, and I looked to see his other hand, the one he wasn't drawing with, had come up to his mouth, the side of his forefinger lightly resting against his lips. I almost laughed; he was picking up my traits... Almost exactly my quirks, anyway.

He was too deep in focus to notice my silent amusement, glancing up a moment after my inner laughter had fallen back and away. He began sketching again, falling into the same calm but focused pace.

I liked the silences that came with him drawing. I honestly did.

****

It felt like nearly an hour had passed, before anything changed. Me continuing to sit, the sound of him continuing to sketch against the page, filling the silence between us.

I snuck a peek, looking over just enough to see his head tilted to the side. Focusing a little, staring down at the page. I twitched a larger smile, and instantly his stare snapped to me. I looked back, blaming the sunlight on my back for the heat rising to my face.

"Somethin' funny?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

I tried to keep mine to a minimal, forcing myself not to shake my head.

"No," I said. "Everything's fine."

He didn't say anything, but I could still feel his stare on me. Waiting for something, but I wasn't about to do anything.

I resisted peeking another stare, waiting for my face to cool off before I glanced to him again. His eyes were just on their way back down to the page, instantly snapping back up upon seeing mine, I guess. And that small smile on his face grew a little more.

I looked back, telling him he should keep drawing.

To my total discomfort, he clicked the pen closed. Fists coming to his jaw, leaning over a little as he rested his elbows against his knee.

"Nah," he said. "Think I'll just stay like this for a moment. How're you doing posing?"

I growled a little in my head, scowling just enough for him to see. And laugh, the sound almost enough to warm a wall.

He finished straightening, slumping back against the chair. Grinning wide at me, and I forced myself to turn and look this time. I had to act like a normal person.

He laughed again, like seeing my face was enough to skitter sounds of amusement out of him. I suppose it probably did look hilarious...

I noticed his hand came to his mouth, when he did this, wrist a little limp. Copying me, still. Why?

"Ah," He stood up, one hand coming to his pocket and tucking the pen inside with it. "You're pretty funny sometimes," he told me, and I only frowned a little more, scowling a bit harder. He just grinned, shifting his weight to one leg. "You wanna order some lunch?"

I relaxed, wondering about Alphonse. Maybe my thoughts were just obvious; maybe I was losing touch with masking my face, but Ed waved a hand; the one holding the pen between two fingers and over another one.

"Ah, don't worry about Al," he said. "I bet you anything he's holding himself emotionally hostage at a pet store somewhere."

I stayed quiet, realizing he probably had a point.

I watched Ed move towards the coffee table, stooping down to pick up the room service menu. I still didn't understand his change in height, but no one had brought it up since that day at the station in Pendleton.

I stood, feeling my legs creak as I set weight into them again. And my stare never left Ed, who never stopped looking at the menu.

He turned the paper over, blinking at it.

"You feel like having anything on this?" he asked. "I'm not really seeing anything--"

I stopped close by him, staring at the top of his head. My presence must have been what spooked him a bit, enough to drop his face into a dumbstruck expression of confusion.

"What're you doin'?" he asked me.

I just stared at his head, how the top of it was so much higher than it had been before... Only a few weeks ago, he didn't even come up to the top of my head and here he was surpassing me...

What was it?

I just felt that sense of loss; a lack of stability, I guess.

"Uh," Ed was still trying to get my attention. I flinched, not enough to move my head as his fingertip tapped against my forehead. "This thing on? Anything going on upstairs?"

I instantly stepped away from his touch, violently shaking my head and shutting my eyes. Trying to regain myself, repair a wall that had just cracked.

"N-no," I told him, but realized I had just answered his question. I forced myself to focus everything on the current moment, leaving the wall to bleed out concrete.

"I-I was just wondering," I told him, relaxing into a standing position again. Hands still held at the front of my skirt. I drifted my eyes up to the top of his head, the hook of his hair that bowed towards me.

I was thankful, a little, when he bowed to one side, groaning out a sigh as he slouched over.

"Don't tell me you're―"

"I am!" I replied, feeling another wall break a few more inches in, interrupting him like that. "It's not normal to grow like that, Ed!"

I didn't add how I didn't think it was normal. I didn't know anything about the average rate of height increase, but then again I bȧrėly knew anything at all.

Another crack.

I had to make this quick, escape to a bathroom or somewhere private to repair.

He didn't deny the abnormality of it all. Instead pushing a hand against his hair, straightening and sliding one foot back.

"Look," Ed told me, "the last thing I want you to do is worry about something as insignificant as a height increase," he looked over to me, hand dropping to dive into his pocket again. "It's absolutely fine; trust me. There's no point in getting flustered like that about nothing."

I... I guess he had a point. I was just wasting time; his time, things he could've been doing instead of telling me things I should've already known.

I apologized quietly, looking away. Shifting a little on my feet, leaning my weight over to the coffee table.

"N-no," he replied, and I looked over at him, surprised to see his face a little pink. Hands waving at me. "It's nothing to be ashamed for," he told me, and some part of my brain broke, hearing that lie. "I-it's great you're worried and everything."

His face just plummeted into a shade of red, and his hands stopped fanning from side to side. Fingers clenching inwards a bit.

"Uh."

I wasn't sure what to do; it wasn't something I knew about, helping someone recover from a hole they'd just dug.

I looked at him, watching his hands as they moved away from me. Cautiously retracting, his stare still a little wide. And then he grinned, completely playful.

"I-I mean," His hand scratched at the side of his face a little bit, suddenly nervous again. His hand suddenly came to my head, a little rough as he ruffled the top of my hair. "If I wasn't tall, I couldn't do this!/"His hand plopped onto my head, ruffling my hair. Still so gentle, and I couldn't help but smile through my confusion. He was such a doofus sometimes...

I smiled anyway, resolving I had done enough talking.

I excuse myself to the bathroom soon after.

I shut the door behind me, leaning against it and breathing out a sigh. Deflating the pressure from my body, my ċhėst, and feeling it all sink back in when I breathed in. Growing again, and beginning to adapt the walls I was surrounded by. The painted wood and tile decorations lining the center. I focused on the mirror, especially, wanting to really take in the fact that my reflection was over an armslength from myself. That if I just looked over, I'd see the face I hated most. I'd see the person I had turned into, the one I was left to destroy without hesitation.

I molded those walls, turning them into concrete. Adding half a layer, wrapping it around, the mirror and my disgusting reflection acting as the second half.

I waited until I could breathe right. Until I could feel that weight constantly sinking my lungs back down and stay heavy even when I breathed. I waited until I understood the balance of it all again, and then I stepped outside.

He had the coffee table decorated in food. Plates, bowls, a bottle of wine in the center with two cups turned upside-down.

His way of telling me not to worry, I guess.

I stood, one hand still on the doorknob of the bathroom. I was at a loss for words, remembering he'd said he didn't see anything appetizing on the menu... And here was all this food...

He kept grinning at me, hands in his pockets as his weight kicked to one side.

"Pretty awesome, right?" he asked. "I had them do an express delivery; the service in this place is great!"

I twitched out a smile, staring at him again. Thankful his eyes were curved enough to close.

"I... Didn't think you wanted to eat--"

He held up a finger, shushing me with skitters of sound. One eye opened.

"Didn't say anything of the sort," he replied, tilting his head to the side. "What in the heck are you talking about?"

I didn't know. I just looked back down, staring at all the food. Wanting to tell him he'd be the one eating most of it...

When I opened my mouth again, he silenced me once more.

"Ah."

I tried again, once again blocked by that word.

"Ah."

I soured, eyes bulging as he stepped up to me, holding a plate of desserts out with both hands.

"Have something sweet," he said.

When I just looked back down, he nudged the plate a little, enough to gently jostle the cookies an inch or so into the air.

I glanced up, seeing he was still smiling softly. Like a little kid.

I tried to reach for one, but that plate moved again. Sending the cookies just out of my reach.

He grinned wide, and I almost yelled at him.

"Here," he said, jostling the plate again. "Just take one."

I tried to, seeing the plate move backwards, just out of my reach again.

"Ed..."

"What?" he said, teasing with his head tilted to one side. "Just take a cookie."

I can't, I thought. you keep moving the plate.

He said my name through light laughter. "Just take a cookie," he told me.

My frown increased, and part of me tapped into a place I hadn't been in a long, long time. My hand snapped out, and snatched a cookie before Ed could pull the plate back in time.

I grinned, triumphant, and tried to fight back to feeling of my ċhėst collapsing. Ed laughed enough for his shoulders to bounce.

"Guess I underestimated your speed," he said.

He placed the cookies on the coffee table as I looked around again, gently moving away from the bathroom, or the only sanctuary I had in this place.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" I asked, regarding the food again.

"It'll be fine," Ed replied, flopping on the couch and fanning out his arms. "I mean, do you see how much I eat? I'd be rolling from place-to-place if I wasn't helping out Al's body."

I smiled, laughing a little behind my hand, taking it away only when I had to speak. "Yeah, I guess you're right! You do eat a lot..."

He grinned right back at me, tilting his head a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I straightened, shock perking into my face. "N-nothing!" I told him. "Nothing--I was just--"

His laughter cut me off, his posture doubled-over and hiding his face from me. But when his head rose again, I saw a brilliant grin on his reddening face. "It's almost too easy to get you flustered!" he told me. And I blushed, probably matching his shade but for a different reason.

I looked away, only partially feigning irritation.

"Are we going to finish this sketch or what?" I asked.

He stood up, striding over to me with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses."

He walked on by, placing a biscuit in my mouth. "Here. Have a crumpet while you wait."

I glared at the back of his head, seeing his hand half-curl in playful defense and seeing that grin on his face again. I took the food out of my mouth.

"This is a biscuit." I told him.

He shrugged, pouring another cup of tea. "Same thing."

I sighed, wanting to tell him that they kind of weren't, when my own thoughts stopped me again. Dragging me back down. What was I doing? Thinking I could have fun like this? That I was actually smart enough to correct him on anything?

What was I even thinking, acting like I could correct him on anything? Acting like I was smart enough to do anything of the sort?

"Hey."

I looked up, back to Ed. Trying to conceal myself again. He only grew more worried, tea positioned by his mouth. Lips that moved behind the steam to ask another question.

"You okay?"

I nodded, hands behind my back. "Yeah! Perfectly fine!"

He moved a little closer to his tea, bowing slightly. Eyes never leaving mine. "Okay..." he said quietly, before those eyes of his searched my face. "Smile more," he said, bringing the mug up to his mouth. "I think it'll help with the drawing."

I noticed his face tinge with red before he instantly sipped his tea, taking a gulp that was much too hot. I raised a hand to my own burning face, wanting to ask if he was okay.

He answered the question I never spoke aloud, bent over with one hand on his knee, the other toasting with his mug. "I'm okay! Fine! Just warming up my mouth! Gotta keep the tastebuds sharp and all!"

I had no idea what to say to that, so I just kept smiling.

He smiled back.

We talked over tea, wine, and fine cheese, during that first break. It was... Something I just might be able to get used to.

"Is your mouth okay?" I asked him, taking my place at the windowsill again, stomach pleasantly filled.

I briefly caught a glimpse of him blushing again, his head bowing a bit more towards the paper.

"Yeah," he replied in a murmur, "It'sokay."

I quirked my lips in a bigger smile, realizing Ed was so weird sometimes. I can't be sure, but I thought maybe he smiled a little too, before looking back down again. But as soon as his eyes glancing up, I returned to my normal position. Crossing my legs, placing one hand on my knee and the other hand right on top of it. My smile, however, was something I changed. I placed my lips in mostly a dipped curve, small but hardly the width of a c. It was enough to make him laugh, and from the very corner of my vision, I saw him double over, one hand pushing back the side of his bangs.

"What is that smile?!" he asked, laughing through his words. I had to fight back the amusement wanting to go past my throat, keep the smile on my face without twitching it upwards. "What--"

His words ended there, taken over by a deep breath that released more laughter. More sounds I had to fight to keep myself from releasing as well.

I spoke through the very corner of my lips, voice pinched.

"What?" I said. "This is how I normally smile, Ed."

He laughed again, the sound reduced to a low giggle against closed, smiling lips. His hand raised near his mouth, too, and it took me more than a moment to register he was picking up my traits. Why? Why would he do that to himself?

His throat cleared, posture straightening and his smile never faltering as he shifting how he sat with one hand on the seat below. His eyes rose to me as he did this, and softly he shook his head, eyes closing again.

"Keep the smile," he said, and a tinge of pink touched his face. "I like it."

I tried to hold down my grin. I really did.

Ed bowed a little, laughs belting against his smile again, and I nearly broke my position, settling instead to just close my eyes in playful defeat.

"We're never going to get this done..."

But eventually, we did.

Alphonse came in, while Ed and I were finishing up the last quarter of the wine, the sketch book lingering at the table's edge. When the door opened, and Alphonse smiled, Edward's head bowed, casting shadows over his eyes. When he spoke, Ed's voice was suddenly lower, quieter. A roughness to it. "That bet." he began. "The one we made when we were kids. What was it about?"

Al seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly his demeanor matched his brother's. He too grew solemn. Mourning, almost. 

Ed didn't wait for him to respond. He got up from the couch, speaking to himself this time.

"Yeah, it's him."

I looked up, wanting to ask how he knew. My attention was captured by Alphonse, however, when the younger Elric grinned with his eyes.

"I see you have the sketchbook out!" he said. "Have you been drawing again, brother?"

Ed paused, the steps that were carrying him to the kitchen stopping. He looked back, allowing me to see the blush on his face as Al picked up the sketchbook. 

"Uh..." Ed tried to smile. "Y-yeah, I mean, just a little bit."

Al must have gotten to the right page because his eyes went wide. "Wow! This is even better than the last one!"

Ed straightened, blinking. "You think so?"

Al nodded. "Yeah. I like your use of shading. You got that smile on her face, too."

Ed gave me a small grin. "Yeah, well, she's a good model. Didn't even move an inch when I was trying to draw her!"

I blushed, searching for some comment to deflect the attention and put it back onto Ed. I found one, and with a sly look to the State Alchemist, I sauntered up to stand besides Alphonse. 

"I'm not sure how good it really is," I said, keeping my voice low, "He wouldn't let me see it."

Ed's pupils slowly expanded, and I didn't miss the way his mouth opened just slightly, partially blocked by the water glass he held. His stare never left me as I looked down to the drawing. My focus flicked back up, bȧrėly even seeing the drawing as I met Ed's stare from beneath my eyelashes. I let a sly smirk cross onto my lips, and once again his pupils responded by growing just a little bit. 

I locked away that part of me, innocently looking down to the drawing.

I could do this.

I could scan the page, skim over the drawing and get the general idea of it all. I could do that. I noted his proportions were right; no grotesque lumps on my face. Small smile. He didn't add the birds in, only drawing the cluster of leaves poking out from one side of the window behind me. His lines were better, too; not as sketchy and jagged as they were before. More confident. 

I felt my stomach turn, becoming a little lighter and a bit more nervous. I backed away from the sensation, blinking at the drawing. Telling him aloud that it was much better than before. 

He was staring at me, when I looked to him. Blinking a few times, the rim of the glass perched at his lips.

"Y-you think so?"

I grinned, giving one that almost felt genuine. I saw a corner of his mouth curve up before my eyes closed, feigning happiness once again.

"Of course!" I replied. I forced down a laugh but I couldn't really hold down my smile as I nodded a few times. "It's really great, Ed! You're getting even better at realism."

He cleared his throat, one hand raising to the back of his head as he looked off to one side of the floor. "Okay. Um, I mean, thanks." He tried to grin, but the expression was horribly forced. Nervous, too. Who knew a few looks and some words would do so much to him?

Al and I smiled to each other, our stares moving back to Edward as the State Alchemist finished taking a sip.

"What did the military want with you?"

"Well, they actually wanted to talk to me about the stone." Al said, and his voice seemed a bit sad. 

Ed was nervous. "N-Not like a 'hey there, Sacrifice' type of talk about the stone, right?"

Al quickly shook his head. "No! He just wanted to know more about it. What we've found out."

Ed nodded, taking a seat at the kitchen's bar stool.

"What'd you tell him?" he asked after a silence. 

"I said a lot about how it's been really hard to find," Al smiled a bit with his eyes, finger still on his chin, "And he replied with 'Well, yeah, of course, it's just taken you guys over six years!' I tried to laugh at that, but it was a bit hard..."

Ed nodded along, using the silence that came between us to take a sip of water.

"So," Al continued, "I mentioned this amulet, and they seemed really interested in that. I mean, it's something that's rumored to be even more powerful than the stone, so of course there's gonna be interest!"

He laughed a little, the sound bubbling from his suit. And Ed smiled just a little.

"Anything else happen?" he asked.

Al shook his head. "Just that your paper is due next week."

Defeat slammed against Ed.

"Dammit..."

He sighed, taking another sip. "Well, guess if they're so interested in this amulet, I could write about that. Use up a few pages on everything we've heard."

Nodding, Al looked back down to the sketch book. He flipped to the previous page, turning back and forth. Comparing the two, I suppose.

"General Mustang is right," Al commented, those eyes made of light disappearing and reappearing as he blinked. "You could definitely sell these drawings..."

"Didn't say that in the damn note he gave me," Ed murmured, glaring off to the side.

"Huh?"

Ed shook his head, dismissing Al's question as he stood. "Nothing. I'm gonna go get some sleep. Trying to achieve perfection takes a lot out of you, y'know?"

I twitched a smile as he grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. With a goodbye, he headed off to one of the two bedrooms, leaving Al and I to quietly talk until the sun's light faded.

_________

We were on our way out of Kuijec when it happened.

We were all walking together, headed past buildings and shops and stores, in the direction of the station.

I didn't spot it. Not at first, anyway.

Ed was the first to notice something. He stopped, one foot still positioned to take a step. And his eyes were wide.

"That's..."

I tried to follow his gaze, not seeing anything in particular.

"That's...!!!"

"What is it—?" Alphonse's words suddenly cut off as Ed clapped his hands. 

The ground above him rose, catapulting him into the air. Red lightning cracking around it. More platforms came, and I saw where he was headed.

A flash of light; a shimmer of something grand. 

High above, standing on the tallest building in Kuijec, was someone holding a green Amulet.