The Long List Of Women Taller Than Edward Elric

"Having one?"

To her amusement, he jumped a bit when she pressed the cold bottle on his shoulder, but soon surprise became pleasure, the icy beer bottle felt amazing on his feverish skin. That must have been the worst heat wave to hit Resembool since they were children, well, he wouldn't know for certain, would him? But it was bad, worse than Xing where the nights were pleasant even if the days were hot and dry. The heat on his hometown just wouldn't ease, and made inside of the house feel stuffy and hard to breathe, so much that he couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep and made him seek for fresh air on the porch.

"Brother didn't see you coming with that, did he?"

He looked over her shoulder for Ed, but there was no one.

"He doesn't care that I drink. We drink together most evenings."

He accepted the bottle and she sat by his size, she was still on her working clothing, Al wondered if she would ever lose the habit of working odd hours, but he had no right to judge, Mei was always saying that he would need glasses soon if he kept reading his nights away.

"But he cares that I do. You know how he likes to baby me now he can."

"Weird." She drank and made a face, Al didn't know if it was because of the conversation's topic or because of the bitterness of the beer. "I'm younger than you and a girl and he never does that to me."

Al raised his eyebrows and took a sip before responding.

"That's because he sees you as his equal. Do you remember those nasty fights you two had when we were little? Mother used to talk his ear off about how to treat women after them."

"What are you talking about? You guys show brotherly love beating each other to dust till this day and call that sparing!"

"And he always proudly claims he has never won. Why do you think is that so?"

Al smiled at the obvious affection to take on Winry's features.

"Oh gosh, Ed is such a dork, and also a cutie."

Al laughed.

"Don't let him hear you say that!"

"And what about you? I know he is your older brother, but look at how he behave, don't you ever feel the urge to baby him?"

"I baby him enough, just not as much when you are around, no. I didn't need to do it in the old times. And every time we came here, I saved myself from the retaliation if I tried. Ed is so proud. I used to be glad for all the fuss you made about the state of his automail when we would come back. I knew it wasn't about the automail per se, but about of the careless dimwit attached to it."

She laughed, her entire face frowning with mirth.

"Just a bit of alcohol in you and you vocabulary is already becoming more fun, we should drink more often, Al." She paused for a bit and took a few sips. "But you are wrong, of course I care for Edward, but I wasn't using the automail for pretext, I was reeeeally mad because about the treatment my masterpiece was getting."

He laughed.

"Really? I should have defended my brother better then."

She snorted.

"I mean, I did exaggerated a bit sometimes because I didn't want him back with another missing limb even it meant more money."

"You did lost your best paying costumer, didn't you?"

"Not only that, now I have to support him!"

"Oh, come on, I know he tries to help around." He tried to defend his brother but she could see that his heart wasn't in it.

"Oh yes, and the cellar is full of stuff to prove if, he keep breaking things because of his neglected arm is still weak, and forgetting that he didn't have alchemistry to fix them anymore."

Me made a face between laughter and pity.

"I fear that would happen. I'll fix them later."

She sighed, drinking a little more.

"Thank you, it'd be nice of you."

They stayed in silence for a few moments, looking at the starts, just happy to be safe and together, knowing that shouldn't be taken for granted but not daring to think about how could this get wrong again.

"What are talking about out here all by yourselves? I bet it is about me."

They both turned their heads to look up the arriving figure of Edward, barefoot and shirtless, hair piled on his head in a messy knot, Al guessed he was asleep a while ago and was awakened by the heat.

"You have such a big ego for someone so small."

"Oi, gearhead! I'm taller than you!"

Al saw her face get darker, and he knew it had nothing to do with the alcohol or the heat.

"That's a very recent development! And so you should, being a boy and all."

He sat in between them, purposely brushing on Winry's arm and staying in there despite the fact that the last thing she should be wanting in that hellish weather was skinship. Al could never stop being surprised how his brother could match pettiness and romance so well when it regarded Winry.

"Hmm," he pretended to think about it "I think Major Amstrong's sister is taller than Ed."

"But she's not a normal woman!"

He stole the bottle from Winry and took a sip, she let out a "Hey!" in protest, but he ignored her.

"When I think about it, I reckon Lan Fan is also taller then you, brother."

"But she didn't went through adolescence having to carry two heavy automails, did she?"

"I think Paninya is also a bit taller than him." And with that, she stole the bottle back.

"Can you stop that?!"

But of course they didn't, and the list of women taller than Ed just kept getting bigger and his protests more exuberant, but he never pushed Winry away or moved from her side, Al noticed, never once.

A/N: I can only write slice of life fic about these kids drinking at it seems. I'm not good with plot usually, but when it comes to them I don't even wish I was. I just want them to have peaceful days where nothing happen, they deserve it.