Author's Note: I realize I've been very late on this and I'm so sorry TT_TT I'vebeenbusydon'thitme? But here's a long chapter for you :)

After taking a look at my poll in my profile I have discovered that people seem to prefer seeing The Sightless Alchemist getting updated than this, so the table turn and this story comes in second priority. Sorry if you disagree, but then you'll have to go to the poll and change my mind, I'm only doing what my readers want me to..

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any characters, they all belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

Enjoy.

Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic

.:Alienized:.

Chapter 9 - Rain, Rain, Rain

--

The sun came later than usual.

Winry didn't notice it was morning before it was already about nine in the morning. Fall was approaching rapidly it seemed, whoop-de-doo really, the most boring season of them all. Winry frowned at the thought. Or at least she wanted to, but not that day. This was the first morning where she woke up in the two Elric brother's house and frankly she couldn't be more happy. Her dream had finally come true after all that time, they were all together again. Or maybe not entirely, Winry's little stunt had made them believe that she wasn't Winry, but she didn't regret doing so. Just seeing their sad faces when they thought Winry had given up everything to be with them was enough to change her mind. So this would do, and it was enough, too. She could relish in their company just fine being 'Nadine'. And the two brothers hadn't changed as much as she'd feared, they were still Ed and Al and to her, they were still her best friends.

Winry got up from her bed and got dressed. She didn't really have that much clothing since her departure from Amestris was to say a little hasty, but at least there were enough to choose between one or two once in a while. Though the clothes in this world could use some color.

The house was quite dormant in the morning. Not much of a surprise though, she had learned that, just like his older brother, Al loved to sleep in. Besides it was weekend anyway so it wasn't all that unreasonable.

Winry made it down the stairs and into the living room and as assumed found it empty. Maybe she should treat them, as a sign of appreciation for taking her in. She could make them some good breakfast, they would no doubt be happy about that, Winry thought with a smile. And besides, lots of good food would probably help Ed gaining some weight.

She checked the fridge. Eggs, bacon, cheese, some sausages and various greens. The cupboards were filled with a few different types of bread, coffee, tea, flour sugar etc. The stable job Al had been talking about might not make them rich, but it still looked like they had enough to provide for a family of two and perhaps also one more. The thought made Winry wonder what kind of job Ed had. The only thing she knew he was really good at was alchemy and that was pretty much out of the picture it seemed, as she had found that alchemy was not prioritized over machines and steam engines. Sure he was a genius and all, she had gotten that confirmed several times when he proved his imposing intelligence, when he could figure out complex equations and read difficult books, but that was all alchemy, what would he do in this world?

Winry just pushed the thought aside, she was living with them now, it would be kind of odd if she didn't figure out what his occupation was.

So she went to the lower cupboards and pulled out a frying pan. First came breakfast.

--

Just as she was starting on the bacon, a pair of feet sounded descending the stairs. "Definitely not Ed. He'd be dragging his feet down the stairs at this time." Winry thought with a chuckle. That dummy was just not a morning person.

As she had assumed it was in fact not a grumpy, flaxen haired chibi who came down the wooden stairs, but instead said chibi's younger brother who was surprisingly fresh considering he had probably just woken up. He rubbed his eyes and looked up to see Winry cooking in the kitchen and flashed a toothy grin.

"Oh, Nadine, you sure are early this morning. Are you always up this early?" the youngest Elric asked and went to watch Winry as she cooked. "Mm, looks great."

"Well, first no I am definitely not an early riser and second, it's actually ten in the morning already so technically it's not really all that early. Guess we're just all late risers then." Winry said with a smile and looked down at Alphonse. The bacon seemed to be hit by a devil at that instant and squirted a few drops of hot fat up on Winry's hand while she was turning them.

"Ah! Owie!" she wailed and rubbed her hand. Alphonse noticed it all and grabbed the spatula from her with a bright smile.

"Why don't you just go upstairs and get Brother. I'll finish this up and put it on the table. This is the reason why Brother and I rarely eat things such as bacon, they sprout up at you and it hurts, such meanie things." Al said and smiled at Winry, who returned the smile and went to the stairs to get the older Elric.

She carefully made it down to the far end of the small hall and opened the door to the room she recalled as Edward's room. But when she opened the wooden door she was met with a whole lot more light than the last time she had visited the 18 year old Elric's room. Her eyes first wandered to the window to see the drapes removed and light escaping through the big window, then to the bed in the end of the room, which Winry was surprised to find unoccupied. For an instance she wanted to go and pull the covers away just to see if he was hiding, but her senses changed her mind. Ed was never one to hide like that. That had always been Al. She chuckled. Didn't always go well with Ed's temper in those days.

Winry exited the room, on her way to ask if Al had seen his brother, when she heard a cough on the other side of the door closest to the staircase. She recognized it as the research room she had seen the other day. Hesitant she opened the door as quietly as she could.

Inside there was as big a mess as the last time she looked, although this time a figure was sitting on the chair in front of the desk. Even more books (if that was even possible) was placed in big piles on the table and a few test tubes and flasks was placed in stands in front of the many books, all filled with various liquids in different colors and powders and metals spread around the stands. The figure, who was easily recognized as Edward, was sitting with one of the test tubes in his hand and shaking it carefully while taking notes in one of the thick books. His hair was not tied in his usual ponytail nor his infamous braid, a hair tie was merely tied around the three last inches of his golden hair tying it loosely together and keeping it away from the face. He had a pencil behind one of his ears and well, making him look comically like some sort of librarian, he just needed a pair of glasses. He was wearing his black pants and a white starched shirt. He looked a bit like he has practically stumbled out of the bed and into his research room.

Winry would have chuckled at the nostalgia if it wasn't for the fact that she always got enchanted by watching him so absorbed in his research. It wasn't like it was the first time she saw him like this. She merely thought there wouldn't be anything he would be so engulfed by other than alchemy.

She carefully and silently moved across the room next to him. Then she just stood there and silently watched as the young Elric placed the test tube back down on the stand and wrote some more. Winry became even more interested as he began sprinkling small metallic flakes into one of the liquids. He then returned to one of the books and read it while shaking the test tube in his hand and wrote down notes as the liquid began bubbling. It was exciting to watch, but Winry found herself being more enthused with watching his concentrated golden eyes as they repeatedly scanned over his work, only blinking as little as possible as if not to miss a thing than the actual work he was doing.

It was only when Ed coughed again that Winry was awoken from her stupor and her breath caught in her throat, making Ed flinch as that was the first sound Winry made the entire time. He looked alarmed up at her.

"N-Nadine! What are you doing here? When did you come in?" he asked, while holding a hand to his chest right above his heart, visibly showing his surprise. He began to absentmindedly twirl his pen between his fingers as he kept his gaze fixed on her.

"Well I uh.. Al's downstairs preparing breakfast and he asked if I would go and wake you up. But you weren't in your room so I went looking for you. But it looked so interesting with all the liquids and stuff I couldn't help but watch. I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Oh.. no, not at all." he said and glanced back down at his notes. He let go of the pen and instead began rolling the corner of a blueprint between his fingers.

"So, what were you doing just now. Looks pretty complicated." Winry said and took a good look at all his papers, blueprints, books, test tubes, liquids, various powders, metal flakes and small metal scraps. Even the glass of crystal clear water behind two thick books. Without thinking and only reacting on sheer curiosity, she gingerly poked a white crystal like powder in a petri dish. Ed abruptly interrupted her poking by slapping her hand lightly.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you. That's nitroguanidine, it's poisonous and can make you deadly sick." he said with a frighteningly nonchalant voice, though still serious. Winry immediately pulled her hand back with a frightened look on her face. "Don't worry, that little poke can't kill you. But it's still a pretty bad idea. That's why I use this to move it around." he said and held a pair of tweezers in front of her. "This stuff is for my research. As you might already know, I'm a rocket scientist. I started learning about it two years ago with my friend Alfons from a professor at Munich University. Alfons and I wanted to make space ships and travel into space, that was my goal then." he explained and began fiddling with the test tubes at his left side. "I still try to create space ships, it's way more interesting than trying to make faster cars or airplanes for war and whatnot. I work at a kind of factory where they try to create space ships. We've made small ones, but it takes a lot of work to make it possible for people to fly it. Though I'm not really the most effective handyman they need my knowledge of elements and stuff like that. You could say that they buy knowledge from me, but on second thought don't do that, it makes me sound like some sort of vending machine." Ed chuckled at that point, but continued. "These liquids and powders are for my current research. I'm trying to develop a more powerful fuel for the engine. 'S kinda hard though... You keep thinking you could just add some more stuff into the original fuel, but that only makes it more explosive, but I'd still have to use hydrocarbon as nonpolar solvent, petroleum as the base... But adding nitroguanidine will perhaps just make it detonate too quickly..." Ed began muttering and Winry had jumped off the wagon a long time ago. She decided to make that clear before he got too much into it. (A/N: I'm in deep here with Ed's muttering there. He's way smarter than I am, but don't think about it too much. Basically I just tried to make Ed sound as clever as possible and say things we don't understand, but I just know too little about it to make that happen.. :P)

"Eh, I don't understand one bit of what you're saying." Winry laughed

Ed joined her laughter fondly. "Well, I wouldn't expect you to anyway, it has taken me years to get to where I am now. A few minutes of explaining wouldn't be nearly enough to get it all. But anyway, you said Al had made breakfast, right?" Ed asked and received a nod before continuing. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm starving." He said and got up from his chair.

Winry chuckled and followed him out through the door, when thought hit her. "Hey Ed, how are you feeling? You were pretty sick last night, are you sure you're well enough to be up and around?"

Ed turned his head and looked at her before flashing a cheerful smile at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just something that comes and goes. I don't know, maybe it's because the weather's turning colder. I heard the flu is going around, too." he said and looked ahead as he descended the stairs. When they entered the kitchen the table had been made and Al was still in the kitchen. Ed strode towards his little brother with his nose in front of him and then ending up beside the youngest Elric. He sniffed the air and smiled.

"Smells good Al, did you wake up just to do all this?" Ed sounded a bit impressed as he was obviously acquainted with his brother's morning habits in the weekends.

But Al shook his head and grinned meekly. "No, Brother, I wasn't the one doing all this, it was Nadine." Ed looked at the blonde girl surprised and with a look of subtle appreciation on his bright face. He did look a lot better than yesterday, maybe a good nights sleep had helped him come around.

"Huh? Nadine did all this? Thats great, but you really didn't have go through all that trouble just for us." Ed said and turned around so he was leaning against the counter, this time is was Ed's turn to smile meekly.

Winry blushed lightly and smiled. "No it's nothing, I just felt I had to do something to show my appreciation for you taking me in. It's really more you that goes through all the trouble." Winry muttered embarrassedly.

Ed laughed. "Well I don't care, you make us food so I'd call it a win-win situation." he said and went to sit at the table. He put his head on his hand and gazed out the window with a bored look. It was first when Winry and Al accompanied him that he spoke up.

"What a sucky weather..." he mumbled and sighed.

"Why do you have to be so negative all the time Brother? Fall is approaching, it's no wonder its bad weather, and besides, I like rain." Al said and Ed flinched at his words and let his forehead connect with the hard wood on the table and a groan emerged from the mess of blonde hair. "Don't do that here at the table when there's food Brother you'll shed in it!" Al complained and received a glare from his older brother.

"Humans don't shed."

"Well you do Brother. You're shedding like a little doggy!" Al laughed and pointed at Ed who pretty much began to act like he always did.

"The hell I don't! AND DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

"Oh look there's a hair."

"That's your hair you idiot!"

"No, my hair is short and brown, this is long and golden." Al exclaimed fondly and held out the offended hair in the air.

"Why you- Oh look what I found, a short hair!"

"Brother you're not even holding a hair..."

"Uh, guys...?" Winry tried carefully.

"What!?" Ed exclaimed and Winry jumped. She pointed at the food on the table.

"Shouldn't we eat? I mean before it gets too cold..."

"Oh yeah you're right, I totally forgot because of Brother shedding hair all over." Al said and raised his index finger in surprise.

"I didn't sh-!"

"So lets just dig in!" Winry cut off the loud blonde and began to fill his plate for him, seeing as he was too busy yelling to manage to feed himself.

"But he-!"

"Brother just be quiet and eat."

Grumbling Ed obeyed and quieted down enough to eat and the other two joined him immediately.

After that the breakfast went on quietly and peacefully, the only sounds was the tinkering of the cutlery and occasional comments, all dulled by the rain, constantly pattering against the window.

Winry observed the two brothers as they sat by the table and enjoyed their morning together. It was so peaceful she just wanted to stop eating, put her head in her hands and just look at them. She sometimes wondered how one could love his brother so much, so infinitely, so immeasurably, and so boundlessly. She had always admired the two brothers for that. That was their drive, their goal and their reward and they demanded nothing else. That was the beauty of brotherly love and there was nothing corny in that. She just sometimes wished there was someone who would love her the way they did each other. But that was when they both looked at her and smiled, and even though Ed also exclaimed a perky remark, it warmed her heart. They still smiled at her the same way they always had, even though they believed she was another person. She figured, and hoped, that that smile would never change. That was her proof that she belonged somewhere.

Her thoughts were cut off by Al raising his voice effectively and easily breaking the comfortable silence. He looked at his older brother excitedly.

"Brother, now that we're all about done eating why don't we-" Al exclaimed, but was cut off by his brother's drawling words ending his sentence.

"Go outside and catch ourselves a cold?"

Al sighed. "Brother why are you so negative? Why don't we go outside in the rain and don't catch a cold and have good time. Say that instead Brother." Al said and stood from his chair, still looking at the older Elric.

"Go outside and catch a cold and a have a bad time..." Ed said and put his head on his hand while giving his younger brother a bored glare.

"Nonoo Brother...! It's fun, you always come with me, this time we can bring Nadine too."

"What, so she can get drenched too? Al, seriously I don't see how standing outside in the rain, getting all wet can be referred to as "fun". We're not going outside."

"But Brother-"

"No Al we're not going outside and thats final." Ed said and turned his head away from his brother. It didn't take long for him to direct his gaze at the younger Elric, still with his head turned away. Al's head was bowed down and he looked up at his brother, giving him the best doggy eyes he could manage.

The older Elric sighed, glancing at Winry, obviously asking her for some backup, but he just him her most innocent smile, really not wanting to butt in. Ed finally turned his gaze at his brother while scratching the back of his head.

"Damn I'm just too nice..." he grumbled and Al jumped in the air.

"Yaay thank you Brother!" he exclaimed happily and went to hug his brother.

"No hugging you dummy." Ed said and stood up as well, Winry following him in tow shortly after. "Just get your coat on."

"But Brother, I don't wanna wear a coat, I won't be able to feel the rain that way." Al said and pouted.

"No buts Al I'm not gonna let you get sick and I'm not going to be fussing around you if you do get sick. Get your coat on."

"But Brother, then I-"

"I already said no buts Al. I agreed with going outside with you, but I wont agree with you going out with no coat on, now get that friggin' coat on!" Ed demanded and it was clear to see that there was no way to make him change his mind. Al had obviously also noticed that and sighed in defeat.

"Okay Brother I'll put on the coat, but I wont fuss around you either then." Al said and stuck out his tongue at his brother. Ed just smiled headed towards the coat rack, knowing all too well that he didn't mean that.

"Of course you won't Al. Hey Nadine you wanna go outside and catch a cold, too?" Ed asked the female still standing by the table with Al, successfully receiving a glare and a protest from his younger brother.

"Uh, sure," she agreed and went to accompany Ed by the coat rack. He grabbed a long red one with the infamous black Flamel on the back and threw it at his brother, who got his whole face covered by the red cloth as he failed to catch it in the air. Ed let out an amused snort of some sort, making Winry want to laugh more of him than Al. Then he proceeded to his own brown one and looked at it for a short while before throwing it at Winry, who also got her face covered by the thick brown cloth. She faintly noticed that it smelled of him.

"Wear mine Nadine, I don't want it on my conscience if you end up getting sick."

"What about you then?" Winry asked as she stepped a bit closer to him, followed by Alphonse who had just put his own coat on and looked up at Edward with worry evident in his eyes.

"Would you stop looking at me like that? I'll be fine in that short time we're going out, and besides I bet I'll probably end up in bed the whole day tomorrow anyway, so it won't make any difference."

Al looked at his brother and sighed before grinning and knocking the blonde on the head with a knuckle. "If you say so Brother, but then you'll do the dishes when we come back. And please don't push yourself."

"I won't. H-Hey! Why do I have to do the dishes!? That makes no sense, I'm the one going out in the rain with you!" Hey are you even-!" Edward yelled, but was cut off when Winry poked his shoulder and pointed at the open front door. There was definitely no Al in sight.

"That little-!" Ed growled and went outside as well. Winry stood a few seconds on the other side of the door and looked out. Ed was already completely soaked as he turned around and made a gesture for her to follow. He was definitely not letting her just stand there with his coat on while he was outside getting soaked because of her.

"Come on out you wuss." he laughed and received a glare from Winry. No matter how much she was going to act like she didn't know them, she was not letting him get away with calling her a wuss.

"I'm not a wuss!" she yelled through the rain and ran out to him. It didn't take long for her to get drenched either. They stood there a while in silence not looking anywhere in particular. Winry was just enjoying Ed's company and she could only hope he was doing the same. She felt a huge urge to hold his hand all of a sudden. It just felt right that moment and it was right there beside hers. Her hand twitched, demanding contact, but her mind stopped it before it got any further than brushing his left, making it seem like an accident. He looked at her and grinned when he found her cheeks getting flushed and her eyes strayed from his.

"My brother's a weirdo sometimes. You'll have to excuse him. I don't know why, but every time when it rains he want to go outside and feel the rain on his skin." Ed said and successfully broke the silence. In Winry's opinion it hadn't been necessary at all, the silence was comfortable and calming. But seeing as she had somehow come to like practically everything about the blonde next to her in a very short time, she had also developed a strong fondness of his voice. Strong, confident, but still soft and honey coated like his hair. So a conversation was also in order she decided.

Winry laughed. "I don't mind really. We all have something we like, and apparently it seems to be that your brother enjoys getting himself wet in the rain. Besides, I kind of like the way it feels on my skin, too."

"Yeah... It washes you cleaner than any bath can. It's refreshing" Ed said and looked up. "My brothers he's... he's... he's just a weirdo sometimes..." Ed said and chuckled, but Winry could hear that wasn't what he had on his mind.

"Yeah... " she just replied, going for the comfortable silence again. Ed seemed to silently agree and again they just stood there. And the urge came again Winry irritably noticed.

"Oh hey Edward, what are you doing out here in the rain? Is it that little brother of yours again?" a voice suddenly sounded at their right.

Ed had answered before Winry got a good enough look at the person to recognize it.

"Oh hey Mr. Breda. Yeah Al insisted that we went out in this shitty weather and... you know how it ends.." Ed said and grinned. He coughed a few times, but the man didn't seem to pay much mind to it other than furrowing his eyebrows a bit.

Winry looked on as Ed spoke with the broad man in front of them. Winry couldn't really say that she knew him, but he did seem familiar and the name Breda did ring a bell somehow. She was pretty sure he was one of Ed's old colleagues in the military. Though of course this Breda wasn't the real thing.

"Hey by the way, who is this young lady standing there?" Breda asked and took a better look at Winry who almost squirmed under his gaze. Ed looked in her direction and grinned.

"This is Nadine. She moved in with us yesterday. She comes from England and moved to Germany recently. The family she lived with before couldn't provide for an extra person, so Al and I, being the extremely kind and giving people, took her in."

Winry didn't miss the amused look on Breda's face at the 'kind and giving' part and she guessed it might be that Ed wasn't one you'd immediately put in the category of 'kind and giving', even though if you knew him well enough you'd learn that he was more than just kind and giving. But hearing him say it just like that, did make the idea sound quite amusing, she had to admit.

"It seems you've got your hands full then. Maybe your life needed some freshening up or some relaxing time. I never see you much outside anymore aside from when you're going to work."

"Well we are pretty busy at the factory, they keep bugging me about that rocket fuel." Ed replied and sighed, his shoulders visibly slumping.

"They're still going on about that?

Edward nodded. "Yup, though you'd figure they'd know by now that it doesn't help me think when they keep bugging me. I can't really do much though, not when they allow me to have that many sick days." he said with a sad grin and shrugged it off like anything else. "So where are you going by the way? I couldn't imagine this to be the best weather for a stroll, excluding my brother of course."

"I'm getting some medicine for my friend. It seems everybody gets sick at the moment, maybe it's the flu. My neighbors have three who are sick and then there's my friend and my mother. You're sick too aren't you?"

Ed's eyes widened for a moment before he plastered a big grin on his face. He sniffled a bit as if to prove a point. "Hah yeah looks like it. Al has obviously not considered that I might even get worse out here, but maybe it's just me being too nice all the time." he said and chuckled. Breda joined him at that. They looked at each other fondly.

"Well anyway I'll have to go now. It was nice talking to you Ed, and nice to meet you Nadine. I'll see you some other time." Breda said after he had looked at his watch. He waved at Ed and Winry.

"Yeah, bye." Edward replied and gave a small wave in return before crossing his arms and looking to his right, far into the distance. He wore a strange expression at that moment, Winry noticed. Distant and longing and with a flash of regret and hesitation, and perhaps a bit of sadness as well. She had never seen such an expression on his face before. But if it somehow sadly fitted with the new sullen appearance he had taken on after he went through the gate the first time. She wished more than anything that he would be the same Ed again. But Edward grew older and with a life filled with misfortune and pain it was no wonder he looked like this when he was almost grown up.

It was then that Al came walking to them, he looked like he was about done with being out in the rain. He was just as soaked as the two older teenagers and his hair laid flat on his head. His smile was wide and he had something in his arms. He looked beyond happy about the object in his arms.

"Brother..." he said and Winry recognized that tone. She knew already what it was that he has found.

Edward slowly turned his head away from his distant gaze and when his eyes met Alphonse's they gave him a disapprovingly and tired stare. He sighed deeply.

"Al... how many times do I have to say this?" he grumbled.

"But Brother, you always said I couldn't have one because we didn't have a real home to keep it in, but now we have a good home and Nadine can help take care of it." the young Elric pushed. Winry was involved in the mess so suddenly she never got a chance to object. She wasn't sure if she found that amusing or the exact opposite. Ed didn't look very convinced, but then Al used his last secret attack, the one with the puppy eyes and the guilt trips. "Can I keep it? Please? It gets so lonely when you're not around."

Ed quickly looked at Winry for help, but, already being enough involved in it, she refused to do more. Sorry Ed... He looked back at Al, then grabbed the small fluffy kitten and held it up in front of him, examinating it. Small, white and fluffy, even Ed wouldn't be able to resist.

"Fine."

Alphonse literally jumped with joy at that and immediately jumped at his brother, throwing his arms around his neck. He buried his face in Ed's brown and very wet waistcoat, while Ed stood bewildered with a small white kitten in one of his hands.

"Err... yeah enough with the hugging alright!" Ed exclaimed with a strained voice. He patted Al on his shoulder lightly. But Al didn't let go, just tightened his hold on his brother and sniffled.

"Can we really keep it Brother?" Al whispered, tears faintly straining his voice. Realization dawned subtly on Ed it seemed and he smiled and ruffled Al's short wet hair. "Yea sure of course we can keep it." he said with a gentle voice. He looked up and smiled and apologetic smile at Winry, the message of "Sorry, but this means more to him than you know." shone clearly in his eyes, but Winry just smiled reassuringly back at him. She knew why Al suddenly got so emotional over such a seemingly trivial thing. In all their years of searching they had gone with no home of their own to return to. It was fine with them, but it still hurt. Winry knew Al well enough to know that he still from time to time brought a small cold kitten to Ed, asking if they could keep it, and in the end, always knowing the answer anyway. Ed had a fair enough reason though, it would be hard to keep a cat with no home for it to live in, but Al sought that feeling of homely reassurance anyway. After they had crossed the gate they had moved in an apartment together and so when he came with the small cat in his arms, asking if they could keep it, there was a hidden question behind the otherwise familiar act. He was asking his brother of this really was their home and if they would stay here. Was his brother finally content? And as Ed took the kitten in his hands sighed and agreed he, in return, answered Al's question. Yeah, we're home now, this is home. And the cat was the promise, that Ed wouldn't change his mind. It was only to be expected that this was exactly what Al wanted to hear. The house they would return to when they all got too cold from the rain would be called home, it would be called Edward and Alphonse's house, Nadine's house, too, their house. Their home. And plus he finally got his kitten. Winry understood it all and just watched as the two brothers exchanged their crypted conversation. They both looked like they could be standing there for a couple of hours more, but in the comfortable silence a rough cough split the silence, painfully and abruptly and the other two flinched from the sudden loud sound and looked at Ed, who had his hand behind his head and grinning.

"Hah sorry for startling you guys, guess the weather's getting to me." he said and chuckled.

"Maybe we should go back inside again then? We've been out here for quite some time already and I have the feeling Al's had his fill with being in the rain." Winry proposed and clutched the coat tighter to her body. She wanted to indulge in the feeling of Ed's coat and his scent lingering in the rough fabric. Al looked at Winry and nodded with a smile.

"Take the cat Al." Ed said and held the small fluff ball to his brother, still holding it in his one hand; it has begun to squirm in his grip.

"Oh right." the younger Elric said and carefully took the kitten from his brother. "You shouldn't hold it like that, you know, hold it like this." he said and turned the kitten in hand and gingerly held it in his hands like it was a newborn baby. He looked back up at Ed with a 'See this is how you do it' look. Ed just sighed.

"Yeah sure whatever." he said and turned to the door, obviously not intending to stay outside a minute longer. The other two followed behind him, also having had their fill with the rain.

Once inside, Ed stomped up the stairs, growling comlpaints that he really should have come with earlier. Soon after he descended with an armful of towels, blankets and some clothing. He threw a towel at both of them and dumped the blankets onto Winry and the clothes onto Al.

"Go upstairs and change your clothes." he demanded and draped one of the towels over his head.

"That's not necessary Brother, it'll dry up in no time anyway and also, the kitten-" Al said, but was quickly silenced by his brother's persistent voice.

"Go change your clothes!" he exclaimed rather loudly and shoved at the back of Al's head playfully, wearing his perfect stubborn scowl. But if you didn't know Alphonse then you would never assume him to be able to muster a stubborn face to that caliber, but knowing him you knew the he sure could.

"Well I won't!" Al exclaimed not as loud as his brother. Winry sighed inwardly, Ed always seemed oblivious to this, but at times Al enjoyed pushing Ed's buttons and excite him by just acting as stubbornly as him, the procedure hardly ever failed too, though much of the act was quickly ruined this time by Al's perky grin. So this time it seemed Al was just pushing the right buttons the wrong way, but Winry was fine with that, she wasn't really up to a fight between two Elrics only the second day of her life at their house.

Ed sighed and grinned as he looked back at Al. "Okay how about if you go upstairs and change your clothes, I'll go make us some hot chocolate, how's that sound?"

Al's grin widened greatly in just a matter of moments and he jumped from his seat exclaiming a small 'Yay!' and soon after he had raced up the stairs in a blur of chestnut hair and white furry kittens, leaving Winry to realize that this might be what Al had aimed for the whole time.

Ed looked at the staircase for a while and then slowly he turned his head to look at Winry almost as if he were in a daze and spoke slowly and calmly, "My brother likes hot chocolate a lot."

"Sure looks like it." Winry replied and suppressed a laugh at the older Elric's reaction to his brother's actions.

"You should go and change too, though, you'll get a cold if you stay in those soaked clothes." Ed said and went into the kitchen while pulling out his hair tie from under the towel and proceeded to dry his hair with the towel. Winry followed his advice after watching him begin to rummage through the cupboards. Upstairs Al seemed to occupy the bathroom and Winry continued to her own room. She liked the thought of having her own room in Edward and Alphonse's house, plus it really felt like home. There was just something about it that made her want to spend all her time just sniffing in the scent of the apartment, it felt like home a whole different way than back in Risembool, here it felt like you never knew what might happen, but you still knew you had a place where you belonged. Winry really liked that feeling, she had to admit. She could feel she was going to lead a life where she would look forward to waking every single day, simply because she would wake up to her two best friends. She might be far away from the homey comfort and security in Risembool with Granny Pinako, but with the Elrics she knew she was just as safe – if not more - and welcome. Things were truly beginning to brighten up for her.

She began peeling the wet clothes off and frowned when she found that she had no clean sets of clothes left, she only had two and she used to mix them so she could have more combinations and then wash them frequently, the family she had lived with barely had enough money to live off after all, there was no way they could go around buying a lot of clothes for her just because she didn't feel like she had enough to choose from. She decided for the clothes she had worn the day before, they were fairly clean, she'd have to remind herself to clean them when she got the time.

Outside she could hear Al call to his brother from the stairs, asking if they had more milk left or if he had drank the last of it, receiving a heated retort from his brother in return. Winry quickly buttoned her shirt and dried her hair one last time with the towel before walking out through the door. Down in the living room Alphonse was sitting in the couch watching the small white kitten drink contently from a saucer filled with milk. She pushed the bundle of blankets aside and sat down next to Al, though with some space between them, as to let him have some personal space if he wasn't completely comfortable with it, it felt easier being close to Ed somehow, she guessed it might be because she still hadn't gotten used to being close to AL in his human form. Al looked behind his back into the kitchen and grinned before looking back and turning his attention towards Winry.

"I wouldn't exaggerate if I said that my brother makes the best hot chocolate in the world." he said with a big smile and Winry felt her heart warm at the earnest praise he gave his brother. He continued. "He is a complete disaster in a kitchen and it always ends up with him blowing something up, but when it comes to hot chocolate, and coffee for that matter, but I don't like that stuff anyway, I have met none who can make it taste that good. I don't know how he does it, I've tried countless times already to no avail, maybe it's because he puts less milk in it or something. But I won't try and surpass him, this way at least he's got something he can do in a kitchen other than set things on fire." Al finished and laughed. Winry did find herself a bit surprised at what she had just been told. She'd known for a long time that Ed and kitchens didn't go well together and so she had never expected him to suddenly find something he actually knew how to do in a kitchen, even if it was just a thing as simple as making hot chocolate. It might be something he'd only tried when he came back from the other side of the gate the second time, that would explain why he'd never even considered making some for her, she was pretty sure that Al would praise Ed to the skies if there was anything he knew how to make in a kitchen. "I can't wait to try it then." she said finally and smiled back at Al, whose eyes brightened at that.

"I promise you, you won't be disappointed." he said happily, watching as his older brother began to pour the steaming brown liquid into three mugs.

"It's already beginning to get darker, huh?" came his voice from behind them as he placed the three mugs on a line on the coffee table in front of them and then squeezed himself in between Al and Winry. The couch fit perfectly for three people relaxing on it. Ed reached over Winry and grabbed one of the blankets then draped it over Al's shoulders and gave it a small pat before leaning back in the couch. "I brought those blankets for you guys to get warm, not just to be shoved to the end of the couch, you know." he said and took another blanket and shook it in front of Winry. She took the hint and draped it around her body. Her gaze wandered to the three steaming mugs on the coffee table and she reached forward and gingerly took the one closest to her and held it to her mouth. She sniffed at it a few time, taking in the smell. It smelled of normal hot chocolate. She looked to her right and saw Al looking at her expectantly his eyes gleaming in eagerness. She laughed inwardly and took a small sip of the brown liquid, just a taste.

She paused all movement as she savored the taste for a moment, and found herself speechless. Suddenly she could understand why Al had been so quick to obey Ed. The word she was contemplating on using was not even close to doing justice to the taste of the small piece of heaven swirling around in her mouth and flowing thickly and softly down her throat leaving a tingling feeling of craving remaining and begging her to take another sip, which she didn't hesitate to do. Yet she knew no other words than the simple and too common sentence of "It's delicious!" She did try to put as much feeling into the words as possible, as to say that it was actually a lot more than just delicious.

Al beamed, holding a mug of his own, and Ed just smiled in appreciation. She eagerly took another sip.

"Really?" Ed asked jokingly and Winry took yet another sip before nodding with a wide smile. She wasn't sure if she had ever tasted something this delicious. Who would have known that the most delectable thing she would ever get to taste would be hot chocolate made by Edward, of all people.

Al chuckled and took a sip himself. "Told you so." he said and beamed again. He snuggled close to his brother and sighed. After a while he looked down at his lap to see the small kitten he had found earlier carefully walking up and lying down in Al's lap. It's chin was still damp from the milk and it purred contently.

"Well have to find a name for it." Ed said with a soft voice and Winry smiled at the comforting feeling his words brought with them as they themselves showed that he was at peace himself , a rare thing Winry knew she would always treasure.

"Yeah, but not now. Tomorrow maybe." Al said and buried his face in Ed's white shirt. Ed sighed a humored sigh and reached forward, quickly receiving a displeased groan from Alphonse.

"Sorry, but I'd like to have some hot chocolate myself, thank you." Edward said and closed it automail hand around the mug, giving out a small clinking sound as the metal hit the ceramic, and sat back down. Al had immediately returned to his original position when Ed had made himself comfortable again. Ed took a sip absentmindedly and stopped as he raised his eyebrows in silent self-praise.

They sat there for a while just enjoying each other's warmth, the comfortable atmosphere and the heavenly delectable hot chocolate. Winry didn't know, but she assumed that it was beginning to get near dinnertime.

After a while Ed stirred beside her. She had begun to suspect him of being asleep. He had probably just been resting. He pointed at a book on the coffee table and gently nudged Winry with his metallic elbow. "Nadine, can you get me that book over there?" he asked and Winry supposed that his reluctance in moving might be because that his younger brother looked like he had fallen asleep beside his big brother. Winry didn't reply, just reached forward and grabbed the book and handed it to him. A novel it seemed. So he did read other things than scientific literature. Though the genre did seem to be science fiction. He gave her a nod and a small smile as thanks and opened the book from where a bookmark has been placed between the pages. He didn't get to read for a very long time before Al suddenly moved and reached his arm forward toward the coffee table to grab a small, black, rectangular case and opened it once it was being held in both of his hands in front of him. He pulled out a pair of rectangular, bronze colored, half-rimmed glasses and placed them lazily on his brothers nose. "Reading glasses." he announced to no one in particular.

Winry ogled at the golden haired youth in surprise as he furrowed his eyebrows in exasperation. Glasses? She'd never get used to seeing Ed with glasses, she knew that. They did look good on him, but he began to look like some kind of scholar. Poor Ed, he'd always been strongly opposed by the thought of wearing glasses, but in the end he ended up wearing them anyway.

"I don't need those shitty glasses Al." he grumbled and glared at the top of Al's head.

"Maybe not, but if you don't wear them when you read you'll end up having to use them all the time. We wouldn't want that would we?" Al replied and snuggled closer to his brother. Ed just sighed and straightened his glassed on the bridge of his nose.

And they all went silent again, Al snuggling affectionately against his brother, obviously asleep this time, a soft snore emerging from his half parted lips with a white kitten purring in his lap, Ed reading a book placed in one hand, a cup of lukewarm hot chocolate in another and a pair of bronze colored reading glasses on his nose and last Winry who was just enjoying their company and everything about them, and her own lukewarm hot chocolate. A perfect evening for the nostalgic golden trio of Risembool.

A/N: So there we have the 9th chapter, hope you liked it ^^ I can't tell you when the next chapter will be out, since I haven't started on it yet.

Thank you for reading.

Until next time.

-Shirou Hana