Of Alchemists and Wizards

Truths and Comfort

I'M BACK BITCHES!!!!

Gosh, only took me like three months. I apologize for the extended wait time, but I'm still getting attuned to college. Thankfully, I already have an amazing group of friends and an amazing roommate. Everything is going well, I'm just very very very busy.

Well, I do hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

Winry's POV

A sigh escaped my lips as my eyes opened to the darkened room, the only illumination coming from the moonlight streaming through the windows. My brows furrowed as I tried to pick out what had woken me from my peaceful slumber. I sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, taking a minute to realize I wasn't at home in my own bed. Instead, I was in a world not my own in a bed across the room from Edward's.

Looking over at the boy, I discovered the reason for my late night wake up call. The elder Elric boy across the room from me was twitching in his sleep, a few disgruntled noises leaving his lips every now and then. He had shoved all of his blankets off the bed and had curled in on himself. Even in his withdrawn position, I could see his shoulders shaking and back heaving as he dreamt.

"Ed," I whispered under my breath, my voice thick with emotion. I moved to throw the covers back from my body to try and wake him, but he bolted up with a gasp before I could even move a muscle. I remained frozen in place as I watched him heave for breath, his long hair falling loosely around his shoulders in a golden halo. I heard him loose a heavy sigh before he dragged his automail leg up against his chest, leaning his forehead against his metal knee cap.

"Ed?" I whispered though it was loud enough for the blonde across the room to hear it. The boy flinched, pulling his leg even tighter to his chest as if he managed to make himself small enough he would just disappear altogether. Realizing I wasn't going to get a response from the boy, I threw the covers back and lifted myself out of bed before I made my way to his bedside.

Gently, so as not to startle him, I sat myself on the edge of his bed next to him, placing a hand on his back slowly. I grimaced when I felt the cloth soaked through with sweat. I could only guess his hair was in the same state. One pass through of my hand through the golden strands proved my assumption to be correct.

"Ed," I murmured before I reached for the hair tie that was sitting on his bedside table. I gathered his sweaty hair into my hands before tying it into a bun to keep it off his neck. When I had successfully pulled away all of his hair, save his bangs of course, I was shocked to see tears dripping down his flushed face, his eyes screwed shut.

"It's okay," I whispered to the trembling boy, placing one of my hands on his back, rubbing what I hoped were shooting circles into his tense muscles. He inhaled sharply through his mouth before bringing a clenched fist to cover his lips. As his back lurched in another suppressed sob, he bit down on his knuckle. "Ed, don't do that," I soothed, placing the hand that wasn't on his back on his clenched fist. I pulled his shaking hand away from his, twining out fingers together to keep him from biting himself again.

"You're okay, Ed," I whispered, bringing my hand that was resting on his back to gently stroke his flushed cheeks with one of my knuckles, wiping away a stray tear. "You're okay, Ed," I repeated, shuffling back, still holding his hand, to rest my back against the headboard of the bed. I gently pulled his head to my chest before wrapping my arm around his shoulders, our clasped hands resting in my lap. "You're allowed to cry," I reminded him. "You don't have to be strong all the time." I felt more than heard him let out a huff against my collarbone, but he didn't speak.

For a while, I just held him in my arms, my one hand still clasped with his, my thumb running over the back of his hand, while the other toyed with his golden bangs. He didn't say anything and neither did I. Sometimes, nothing needed to be said, and right now was one of those times. Ed had seldom taken comfort in the arms of others much less myself, so I wanted to let him soak in it for as long as he needed to.