Author's Note: I did not finish proofreading this...

Disclaimer: I do not own Alphonse Elric or his sexy brother, or Winry :)

Restless Heart Syndrome, Part 2

About a week later, I woke up early to find Ed already awake drinking coffee on the couch in the living room deep into a book.

“Hey brother, what the heck are you doing up so early? Your usually that last person to wake.”

“Ahh, I couldn’t sleep...” He muttered not taking his eyes off the book. I sat down across from him when the phone rang. My heart skipped a beat for I had a slight feeling for who it was. No one called her at seven in the morning in less it was a dying patient of Winry’s, witch didn’t happen very often.

Brother was finally distracted by the phone and marked his page getting up for the phone. Wait a minute, if it was Stephanie, he wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. Plus, Edward was known to be a jerk on the phone; Or maybe a jerk period.

“Wait brother, I’ll get it! Why don’t you sit back down and read some more.” I stated jumping to my feet.

“No problem Al, I’m already up.” He said continuing to the phone. I froze not quite sure what to do. I hadn’t really had the intention of hiding this from my brother, although he might of had secrets kept from me, I never did the same.

If I acted to strange he would know for sure something was up... I ran over and placed my hand over the ringing phone right before he grabbed it. He shot me a famous death glare waiting for my excuse.

“Um, well it might be a surprise for your birthday.”

Shut up, it was the first thing that came to mind.

“Alphonse, my birthday isn’t for another few months.

“I know but, it’s a secret.” I answered the phone pushing him aside as he was shocked. I managed to squeak a ‘hello’ while he grabbed the phone and hung up on whoever was on the other line. What should I expect, I was fighting fire with fire.

“Ah, a secret Al... Yeah, like what?” It was then Winry came down rubbing her eyes looking as pissed off as ever.

“What the hell you guys, next time the phone rings just answer instead of fighting over it. It’s freak’en seven in the morning, I hardly got any sleep last night...”

“Why was that Winry?” I asked smirking.

“Shut the hell up Al!”

For the next three days I made sure I was the first to wake up unconsciously becoming obsessed with that mysterious girl. And hell, I wasn’t even sure if she was the one who called. She didn’t even have my number... But I just had a feeling.

Once I woke up, I would peek into Ed and Winry’s room to make sure they were still sleeping, as I walked around the house waiting.

And with my luck, the phone rang at seven in the morning three days later. I ran to the phone and answered.

“Hello, is this Alphonse Elric?”

It was her. I knew it.

“Y-yeah, that’s me, your Stephanie right? And you called a few days ago?” Great, now I sounded like a stalker. I heard her laugh.

“Yep, that’s me. I remember someone answering, and the line went dead.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“No problem, I won’t ask questions. But I was wondering if you could maybe you could do me a favor, if it’s possible.”

“Sure, what ever is fine.” I answered like a clueless little boy.

“Well, I was wondering if you would take me out on a date this Friday night. How does that sound?”

I was speechless. She, was asking me, on a date.

“Hello, are you still there Alphonse?”

“Yeah, sure that sounds great. Where should we meet then?”

“How about the same place we met?’

“Sounds good.” Then there was a moment of silence. Hey, I was still in shock alright?

“I got to go now, see you then. Bye!”

“Bye... Hey wait, how did you find my number?” But I was too late. Stephanie had already hung up.

We ended up eating at a really tiny restaurant near the train station. She was wearing a black t-shirt with baggy jeans, her long hair pulled behind her. She was stunning.

“So, how about you tell me how it was serving the military.” I looked up at her eyes, wondering why she would have any interest in that.

“Well, acutely it was really my brother who was a state alchemist.”

“Did you have to fight bad guys and stuff?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say there were a good number of ‘bad guys’”.

“Must of been pretty scary. But you handled those guys the other night well, so I guess your used to it.” I laughed.

“Well thanks, but it was acutely pretty scary. The both of us almost lost our lives many times, and unfortunately a lot of people died, too.” I looked down.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I lost my father when I was little, he was fighting in the war. After my mom realized he was gone longer then he was supposed to, she went out to search for him. Practically a month later we received a letter of his death, and my mother never returned.” I would have never guessed such a tragic story was behind those beautiful brown eyes of hers. I guess Ed, Winry and I weren’t the only ones to have a ‘tragic’ story in Risembool.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. Losing parents is hard, probably one of the hardest things that could happen.”

“What happened to yours?” She asked quietly, barley above a whisper. Although I missed mom just as much as Ed, this subject was always more touchy for him. He’s never been able to talk about her with out swallowing tears.

Yet for some reason, with her, I was able to make it. I let of a small breath.

“She past away after our father left us years ago. With out her, there would have never been the Full Metal Alchemist.” She knew not to ask questions for she understood.

“That’s tough, but I guess life is like that right? Always throwing hurtles. God hates those who go against him.” I looked straight at her eyes shocked of what she had said. God hates those who go against him. Those words sounded almost exactly like something Edward has said a long time ago.

Who was this girl?

She smiled.

“Well enough of that talk. What are you going to have for dinner?” I smiled as well, looking at my menu and turning it toward her with a finger pointing to the very first thing.

“A cheese burger?” She laughed. “We came to this nice restaurant on our first date, and all you want it a cheese burger? Don’t you eat those all the time? I don’t know about you but I am going to have this salmon. It’s really expensive, so it should be amazing or I want my money back.” She smirked.

“Acutely, I don’t think I have had a cheese burger since I was nine.”

“Seriously? Where have you been? Let’s get ten burgers then and enjoy every bite.”

“Salmon sounds good too though. I have to give you that.” We laughed at the most stupid things that night, and really enjoyed our selves.

Three days after our first date, I asked her over to the Rockbell house since Ed and Winry were out that night.

“This is huge, Al! Do you live here all by your self?” She explained walking in the door. I was dressed in a white dress shirt with black pants as she wore a burgundy summer dress down to her knees. Tonight her hair was pulled into a lose pony tail.

“No way, this is my friend Winry’s house. My brother and and I live here with her. She’s, uh, Ed's girlfriend.”

“Really, the Full Metal Alchemist has a girlfriend? Wow, from all the things I’ve heard about you guys, he’d be the last person I’d think to have a girlfriend.” I laughed. “So are they here?” She looked around as I took her jacket.

“Nah, their out on a date themselves.” We walked to the kitchen as she sat down and I served her bread before the dinner, that I cooked myself.

“What’s for dinner?” I gave her a big smile and lifted the lid of a huge pot.

“Salmon.”

We went on dating, secretly for the next two months. It was either out to dinner or at the Rockbell house when my brother wasn’t home. Brother must of noticed something was different about my mood for he kept giving me the weirdest looks when I went around randomly cleaning the house.

“What?” I asked one day after I had noticed he hasn’t taken his eyes off of me for about five minutes. And trust me, it’s scary when he’s looking that long at you with those golden eyes of his. He sat cross legged at the end of the couch eating an apple pie.

“What the hell are you so happy about?” He mumbled between bites of pie.

“What makes you think I’m so happy?”

“You’ve been like humming while you scrubbed that fork Al, something’s up.”

“I don’t know what your talking about. Where’s Winry?”

“Working on a leg; Yeah I’ll go see what she’s doing.” He’s smart when it comes to science, but I swear he never can tell when someone's in love.

Took him 16 years with Winry.

It was one late August night after a real nice date with Stephanie when I just couldn’t hide her any longer. I knew my brother and Winry were home, but it was pouring and storming out in the country, and the Rockbell house was much closer then hers. I couldn’t let her walk home in the storm.

Though of course when we opened the door, there was Ed and Winry passed out on the couch to the left in the living room. (I was just happy they were fully dressed) Brother was on his back with his right arm wrapped behind his head; His hair in a messy braid with Winry curled on top of him.

I knew he wouldn’t wake, but Winry was the lightest sleeper in Risembool. I was acutely shocked the thunder wasn’t keeping her up; And well, if she woke up, her stirring would cause Ed to.

I took her coat not taking my eyes off the two. She turned toward me and smiled.

“Guess that’s Ed and Winry?” I nodded. “Aha, they’re adorable-”

“Yeah, but try to be a bit quieter.”

“Why? They got something to do tomorrow?”

“No, I just, well... they haven’t found out I had a girl friend yet.” She pouted sort of confused.”

“Why not, am I some sort of secret or something?” I took her into the kitchen and explained everything about the teasing and what had happened the first morning she called the house, and to my surprise she took it well. She understood, and like most people I would have thought she could have left me there.

“I know you have your reasons Alphonse, no reason to worry.” I smiled.

“Thanks Steph, it means a lot.” She blushed and took my hand leading me out of the kitchen into the living room.

“Where do you want to go?” She smirked. Although I had only known her for two months, she had come to know Winry’s house like the back of her hand. I had given her a tour of all of our rooms, the bath rooms, Winry’s studio, and everywhere really.

“Let’s go to your room, that way we won’t have any chance of waking them up.”

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, don’t thank me.” As she let go of my hand entering the living room she must of misplaced her foot, falling forward. My first instinct was to reach out for her catching her, but unfortunately I stumbled myself and she gasped.

We landed on the wooden floor and froze; Both of us looking to the couch.

Sure enough, the two of us watched Winry slowly open her eyes, bring her wrist to her face and rubbing it. I watched in horror as she pushed herself up on Ed’s chest... Damn, he was sure to wake up, either that or she would make sure he’d wake.

“Winry, shhh....” I whispered jumping up from the floor leaving my girlfriend frozen from where she fell. Winry’s eyes found Steph immediately as she froze and I covered Winry’s mouth. The two of us watched Ed bring a hand up to his nose, scratch it, then continue to sleep.

God, thankfully he hadn’t woken up yet.

“Al, who is she?” She whispered threw my hand.

“Well, Win... She’s my girlfriend. Her name is Stephanie...” Because I had known Winry for so long, she must of understood right then I didn’t want Edward to know. And Winry knew if Ed knew he wouldn’t let me date her.

It would be the end of it.

His guard as an older brother would come in, and he wouldn’t let me.

“Winry, do you think you could some how bring brother upstairs with out him seeing Steph yet?” I let go of her mouth and backed away slowly.

“No problem Al, just take her into the kitchen. But trust me, are you gonna hear it later.” She teased with sleep still in her voice. I crept over to my beautiful girlfriend helping her up and lead her to the kitchen as Win had told me to. We watched as Winry carefully got off of Edward and grabbed his hand that now lay on his stomach pulling him up.

“Winry... What are you do’en...” He mumbled.

“Come on Ed, let’s go upstairs. Your uh, snoring too loudly and Al’s trying to read.” She coed waiting for him to look at her.

“Yeah brother, your hogging the couch too.” I stated walking out of the kitchen.

“Mmm, I don’t understand... Al’s never had a problem with me sleep’en before...” He sighed rubbing his face with his free hand. Winry pulled him to his feet with all her weight. She put her hands on his shoulders walking him towards the stairs.

“Winry... But I was comfortable...” He sighed stepping on the first step.

“Aw you baby, you’ll be comfortable upstairs, too.” She turned her head smiling as I mouthing a thank you.

Steph and I didn’t move until we heard Winry’s door close.

“Heh, your brother’s adorable. You’ll have to let me meet him some time.

“Yeah well, enough for tonight. C’mon, I have an extra bed you can use for the night.” She laughed.

“But Al, don’t you think I’ll be cold in a bed all by myself?”

And that’s all she wrote.