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Edward Elric, one-time Fullmetal Alchemist, sat on the edge of his bed. His fingers laced loosely together hung between his knees, and his head bowed, his face curtained by his thick hair.
“Ed?” Her voice came to him, soft and questioning.
The skin on his shoulders flinched, like horseflesh when a fly walked over it. He didn’t raise his head. He wasn’t sure he could.
Winry must’ve crossed the room, because the mattress dipped, and Edward could feel the warmth of her body, even though she didn’t touch him. Her hands appeared at the corner of his eye, tightening together. “Ed.” She repeated his name, a prelude to a lecture that he didn’t want to hear.
Instead, Edward let himself fall back onto the mattress, laying his arm over his eyes. His head ached, his whole body ached, like he had a low-grade fever or his automail wasn’t adjusted properly. He didn’t want to talk. Even more, he didn’t want to listen. “Winry,” he said, and realized his voice was so rough, he could barely understand himself. “Lie down with me. Don’t talk. Just lie down.”
He could almost feel her hesitate before she huffed out loud. The bed springs squealed as she obeyed without arguing. Once she was down, Edward reached out blindly. She caught his hand. Her warm fingers moved over his palm, and he tightened his hand around them, giving them a tug. Winry grumbled half-heartedly and rolled against him. Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder.
Sighing, Edward buried his nose in her hair. Her warmth, her scent, the weight of her body against his, all combined to soothe him more than any words possibly could. He kissed the crown of her head, closing his eyes. “Just lie here with me,” he murmured, “and let’s forget the world.”