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Winry couldn’t breathe. No matter how desperately she tried to draw air into her lungs and force her ribs to expand, it wouldn’t happen.
It was Eclipse day, all over again.
She was in the basement. Granny called her name. Her vision faded into black, then red, and she was caught in the screaming torrent of pain again.
Trapped in hell as the swirling demons around her clawed at her skin and hair and screeched her name.
Her name? That wasn't right. It should have been wordless screams filling her ears.
"Winry!" Her body was shaken. "Please... please, wake up!"
Riza. Riza wasn't supposed to be here in hell; she'd told Winry she was safe on Eclipse Day, at least from this part of the nightmare.
Nightmare.
"Winry!"
Air. Blessed, cool, life-giving air finally filled Winry's lungs. She sat up, gasping, relieved when Riza's face filled her vision instead of broken souls.
Winry flung her arms around Riza's neck and sobbed.
"It was just a dream, Winry," Riza whispered in her hair. "Just a dream."
Winry hiccuped. "How long do the nightmares last?"
Riza stilled, and Winry found her face was pressed to the scar on her lover's neck. Another reminder. She gave it a gentle kiss, then moved down to lip at Riza's collarbone. The taste of her skin was soothing.
"The dreams may never stop, but I promise they will fade, eventually."
Never stop... Did that mean... "You still have nightmares, Riza?"
Fingers started combing through her hair from scalp to ends, where Riza paused to trace small circles against Winry's bare back.
Riza gave a heavy sigh and sat back, legs bent beneath her, in the middle of the bed. Moonlight fell through the window and over the older woman's bare body. Winry couldn't help but follow the broken lines of shadow and light with her gaze.
"Yes, I still have nightmares," Riza confessed.
Winry stood up on her bent knees and waddled across the mattress to Riza. She traced the sniper's sleep-mussed bangs with her eyes, then followed with her fingers. Loose tendrils were gently smoothed back before Winry curled her fingers into the closely-cropped hair along the back of Riza's neck, tilting her face up so their gazes met.
"I've never woken up to yours," Winry said.
"I've had a few more years to practice pulling myself out of them." Riza smiled softly. "Besides, I have something that helps now."
"What helps the nightmares?" Winry asked.
Riza reached out and clutched Winry's hip, pulling the girl up to straddle her thighs. Her other hand reached to stroke down the side of Winry's breast, then waist and hip and thigh. Winry's hand still cupped the back of Riza's head as the woman leaned forward to nip at the underside of the girl's breast.
Winry inhaled sharply, tossing her head back. Her long, blonde hair - the hair Riza had made her promise to never cut - rippled down her back.
"You help."
Riza's heated mouth closed around her nipple. Winry couldn't help but clutch Riza closer to her breast when she felt calloused fingers combing through the hair between her parted thighs. They dipped inside her warmth, then spread wetly over her clit. Winry trembled.
It was impossible to remember nightmares of hell when heaven descended.