[XD thats one way to get rid of Alphonse.. now hes playing the protective brother dammit... XD]

I sighed and looked up at the sky... I had hoped he would have come out with me by now... I went to the side and leaned on my folded arms and closed my eyes halfway. I couldn't get him off my mind... i longed for him to be near... i just... couldn't stop thinking about him and how cute he was, and all time at the pool... it was all... just wonderful and what I had hoped for in my first love... I couldn't help but smile into my arm, letting out a long sigh as i kept on waiting for him... hoping he could slip out somehow.

((XDD Of course why should anything be simple for these two?))

Edward had opted for sitting with his back to Alphonse and the Colonel and leaving his hands under his chin staring at the back door wondering what Shiba was doing.
"It's not going to do you any good brooding you know."
Heavy was the sigh.
"And neither is that...you know if anything happens between you two, the Colonel's going to want to hear about it. Do you really want to explain to him that you two bathed together." Edward twitched and let out a groan as his head fell to the table.
"Thought so." Blast Sparky and his meddling nose...but then again, Edward had to thank him in the same breath...it was the talk that he'd had with him that had given him the advice about Shiba.
"I can't win either way can I?" He muttered looking back at him.
"Nope."

I finally gave in and yelled out:
"Edward, are you coming in or what??? I'm lonely!!!" I figured Alphonse was giving him a hard time and I just grinned as I laid my head back down on my arm, only my back exposed to the door he would come out.
The crickets seemed to chirrp louder after I yelled out.

Edward turned with a hopeful face only to find Alphonse trying his best not to laugh.
"You should know by now Brother, yours is a lost cause, and I've given up on you." He glared from one to the other and then narrowed his gaze.
"Alright, I won't tell him what's going on....but it's on your heads if he finds out anyway."
"That's how I planned it in the beginning anyway."
"Liar.."
"Maybe."

"Coming..." Edward called from the cracked door as he made a quick change, taking only a towel out there with him.
"Wait on me long?" He asked with a smile as he skirted his way around the spring.

[XDD yay!!! naked Ed!!!]

I looked up at him as he made his way out, the towel around his waist and I blushed, closing my eyes.
"I said that invitation for a reason... and I was waiting just as long as I was in here...." I covered my breasts and turned, pressing my back against the side of the spring. It was really steamy in here, I could barely make him out on the side.
"Ya think Roy will kill us if he found out we werre both in here like this?" I asked quietly.

((One day my computer will quit dying on me >.>))

Ed smiled and chuckled.
"Must not have been that long then, you're not pruny." He hissed as he slipped under the water, as far from Shiba as he dared and sighed.
"Hardly...I think Armstrong and Mustang have been waiting on this moment." He splashed his face and rubbed away the sleep that was beginning to form. Now was not the time to want to drift off.

[geeeyyy....]

I pouted and looked over at the moving white object through the fog.
"Why you so far away? Is it because I'm naked? C'mon now, like you said, youve seen me naked before.. and I practically saw you..." I said to him.
"So... tonight is our last night in the resort... then..." I sighed. "Then I gotta start earning some money to support myself..." I sighed.
"And you gotta get back to Risembool..." I said quietly.

((Gonna KEEL IT! RRWWWAAARRR!!!))

"Ahh, but I'm sure that you, having already warmed up in here, wouldn't want me, cold as I am, to suck all the heat away, now would you?" He smiled, but did however, scoot a little closer.
"Mmmm....what about your art? Doesn't it sell well enough that you can afford to live on your own?" Edward looked upward through the steam and sighed.
"Not that again, yes, I'll go back, but do you honestly have a reason not to go with us this time?"

[ XD *hands her padded knife*]

"Theres enough heat to go around... besides, I could warm you up easily..." I said quietly. I figured he was uncomfortable, so I didnt bother to ask him to come closer. I did turn my back to him, so he didnt feel as awkward if he did decide to get closer.
"Noone will pay good money for an ameture[sp?] artists art. I'm not that good anyway. Besides, the rich folk live in Central and Lior. I gotta do some hefty traveling if I'm to make good money on my lame art." I sighed and let a yawn slip though my teeth before closing my eyes...
"I guess... I don't have a reason not to..." I replied quietly.

((*Stabs computer repeatedly* D:< RRWWWAARRR!))

"Another invitation?" He asked on the sly.
"Mmm..you're right about that, besides, it doesn't look like there's much of a need for that sort of stuff here." He stretched out and shivered.
"Guess fine art is more of a luxury..." He smiled, thinking she looked cute when she wasn't trying to kill anyone, and nodded firmly.
"Good to hear, so you'll be ready to go with us tomorrow right? Alphonse and I agreed to leave here at first light when our vacation was up."

[XDDD are you gonna play Winry, or shall I?]

"I wont make you do anything you feel uncomfortable doing, Edward. You dont wanna be near me, thats fine, and I respect that." I brought my shoulders under the water and moaned- it felt so great and warm.
I nodded in agreement.
"This city is too... poor to afford art. And I'm too greedy to sell it at a low price." I laughed, still my back to him.
With a heavy sigh I nodded.
"I guess... but I can't stay for that long... I need to learn to support myself after you go back to your military duties... you cant stay on leave forever now... I really... dont wanna meet Winry... I kept telling myself I wouldnt go with you guys... but... I wanna stay with you... for as long as I can.."

((You can, I'm starting to think that this POS is doing this on purpose! *gets into fight with computer*))

He tried to look polietly away, but it didn't help. He turned a bright red and coughed.
"S-sure...thanks?" He splashed his face again wondering how he looked.
"Well, you shouldn't sell it for anything other than what it's worth." He nodded firmly, glad to have his mind on something other than Shiba for the moment...though it wouldn't last long.
"Why don't you want to meet her? I'm sure she and Granny Pinako would love to meet you."

[POS?? O.O' *hands her boxing gloves*]

"Well, if I spend alot of time on it, or I really like it, I want to sell it for alot... but I dont want to be too greedy..." I sighed.
"Maybe I should just set up a shop and see what people will pay for it..."
I shook my head.
"See, you may see Winry as a sister, but she may not see you as a brother. She may have, when you were all kids, but as you got older, I'm sure she noticed how cute and handsome you had become... I just... lets just not tell her we.. 'like' each other okay??" I said looking over my shoulder at him.
"I'm only going for you, ya know. I really dont wanna go..."

((Peice of Crap. *Bites mouse wire* OOOoooo....I could go for a hot spring dip right about now *shivers* It's cold in here))

Edward shrugged. He knew about alchemy, and to some that might have been an art all to itself, but as for the other kind of 'art' he was completely clueless.
"Well if she does, it's sure hard to tell." He scoffed and put his arms behind his head.
"Ahh, and I just now got to the point that you don't hate me, why do you want to hide it?" He looked over, his lip stuck out in a childish pout.
"I'm not forcing you...it's up to you if you want to go..but I can't say for how long I'll be gone if you don't come with us."

[my friend put up padding in my windows today, so its not as cold and drafty as it used to be in here tonight...]

I shook my head.
"She's probably always hitting you... and yelling at you, and making a big fuss over the little things, but its because she really cares about you... and you probably dont see it... if it werent for Kiri and Roy... I dont think you would have seen all my signals either... she probably has no help like that..." I sighed.

"I just dont wanna cause trouble okay?? I feel weired enough telling Al... and Im sure Roy will find out sooner or later... I just dont need mixing up trouble with the only family you have... so.. just between the three of us okay? And who knows... how long we'll stay together anyway... love is a frail thing.. and we both have lives to get back to..."
I finally turned around, keeping my arm over my breasts and looked at him, he was about 10 feet away.
"I want to stay with you as long as I can... I want to cherish all the time I have with you until... the end."

((That sounds nice))

Edward said nothing, but slipped further into the water, until at last only the top of his head, from his nose up, poked out of the water. He burbled and bubbled mulling over what Shiba said, nodding every now and again, when he thought it polite, but really it all went in one ear and out the other, it was silly to worry about things like that, especially since Edward had went through hell and back, trying to express his feelings...true, Roy and Kiri, though annoying they were, had helped him, did it matter if Winry liked him? It wouldn't have made a difference if she had, if Edward hadn't liked her in return.
"I'd like to stay that way as well." He mumbled, raising out of the water just enough so that his words didn't end up as gurbled nonsense.

[I just wish Misty wasnt hogging all the blankets... >.>]

I sighed and ran my hand over his still dry hair.
"Youre so cute, you know that?" I said quietly, smiling at him.
"I dont know why we're torturing ourselves like this..." I sighed and stood up, the water just above my waist line.
"I'm... getting out... ill leave you alone in here..." I knew he was feeling awkward... so I decided to remove myself. I walked to the side and hopped out, my back bare to him. I didn't care really. I grabbed up my towel and walked to the side and kept my back to him and dried off, pulling my towel left and right across my back.

((X3 She's keeping your bed warm))

He blushed a pink color and sighed.
"I don't know why either." He darkened and turned to look at one of the lion's that were spouting water.
"Be careful." He said softly. It was going to be a while before he could get out again..so why not enjoy the water while he could.
"Shiba.." He called as she made her way to her towel.
"I liked you first....just so you know."

[the FOOT of my bed x.x']

I nodded and dropped the towel and pulled on my kimono.
I let out a sigh and looked over my shoulder at him as I tied my robe together.
"I.... highly doubt you fell in love when you first saw me fall off the train... 'cause that's when I did..." I turned again, to have my back face him and ran my fingers though my wet hair.
"I dont think you know how much...how hard it was to keep my feelings from you for so long... I... Edward." i sighed.
"I long to hold you... I... long to have you by my side, and to feel your warmth and your touch and hear your voice in my ear and have your fingers run over my skin and your lips-" i cut myself off.
"I... said too much..." I covered my mouth and sat down on a rock. I didn't really want to go inside... but I had a need to.
"I'm going inside before I make more of an ass of myself. Excuse me."
I stood and and went inside quickly, shutting the door silently behind me. Roy was still asleep, Al was at his side asleep against the wall. I went to the table and pushed the pillows together to make my bed for the night. I would let Ed have Al's futon.

((I'm gonna dieeee -_-*sweatdrop* got sooooo much stuff to do >.>))

Edward thought...he really couldn't remember when it had started...but..for the longest time...Shiba...felt like home. That was all he needed to know. He turned towards her and found himself turning pink as she talked.
"Oh..Ah.." He reached out a hand as she stood to move inside and then let if flop to his side.
"It's odd..." He said out loud to himself.
"That there are times...when I want the same things."

"Shiba?" Alphonse asked looking over from the Colonel.
"Are you alright?" He offered her his futon but he wasn't sure if she'd take it or if her sense of pride would let her.

[what do you need to get done?? Im finally done all i had to get done and now i can focous on all the artwork piled up, like from angelic twins LOL]

I sighed deeply looking at the floor of the silent room, them my thoughgts were shattered by the once sleeping Alphosne. I plopped down on the waiting pillows aka makeshift bed.
"Oh, Al, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I said softly, being careful not to wake Roy.
"Oh, I'm fine, I think I just embarassed myself infront of your brother, thats all" I scratched the back of my head and smiled at him and dragged my bag closer to me and pulled out my hairbrush.
"You should go in while you can, its our last night here after all.. even thoiugh it IS late..." I looked up at the clock and sighed; 1:30 am.

((XDD I've got two webcomics to catch up on, and then I've got Lights of Myndell, And of course, the LiamXSota piccy that I need to be working on LOL
...Oops, I didn't see that he was asleep XD oh well))

He shook his head.
"Not really, I wasn't really asleep...just..dozing." He smiled wearily and nodded.
"You both tend to do that...I think that's why you get along so well."
He setteled back into his odd sleeping position, upper body at a ninety degree angle, while his legs were tucked into his stomach, and stifled a yawn.
"You should get some sleep too...you'll need it...to.." He yawned again, trying to talk through it.
"--eal -ith --Anny --inako...tomorrow....she can be quite a handful" He snuggled into the pillow that had found it's way into his arms instead of under his head, and sighed, slipping back into his doze.

[I look forward to the Liam and sota pic <3]

I nodded, still smiling at him
"I guess youre right, but I may have said too much this time.." I brushed my hair, brushing out the few knots I had in my notty hair and yawned, looking over at him getting cozy beside Roy.
"Get some sleep sweety, no worries." I placed the brush on the table and pulled out my planner and looked it over.
"Okay... 3 months, exactly 10 weeks until my next semester... I need to start working, so I can start paying off my loans..." I said to myself, jotting things down in my planner as I went along. It grew silent in the room, the only sound heard was the running water from outsdie and the faint sound of Roys breathing on the other side of the futon divider.

((XDD That's going to be my first project to tackle))

"I doubt that..." He mumbled.

Edward had gotten hot, then cold since moving out of the water. He sat on a nearby rock watching the water as it shimmered in the early morning light. He didn't want sleep..he was too worried about seeing Pinako Rockbell...she was surely going to give him hell for not telling her about him and Alphonse sooner...and Winry..she was going to have a fit when she found out that he was back...should he call her to let her know he was coming home? Nawwww....he hadn't before, why ruin a perfect record? He held his chin in hand and watched the sky lighten. It was going to be that time again once everyone woke and they gathered their things....and then threw Mustang out on his head...honestly, Edward had half a mind to ask him what he was doing with that bottle last night.

[yayy! Did you see my art of Shiba and scar fused? and the one art of Shiba in the hotspring? Its on the firstr page of the rp.]

I fell asleep at the table, pen still in hand. I slept so soundly and softly, arms underneaith my head, my legs swung out to my right side. I dreampt of flying that night... flying so high that I couldnt see the earth anymore below... only Edward.. getting smaller and smaller as Winry made faces behind him at me, taking a grip of his arm.