OMGOMGOMG! My first one shot! You see, I'm more of a novel-ish writer, but I wanted to give it a shot! I always imagined Winry as the type to play piano, so I decided to kind of go off of that. It's kinda fluffy-ish, so please enjoy! READ AND REVIEW!!!
When Edward Elric had returned to the Rockbell residence, he distinctly remembered that they didn't have a piano. Yet, as Pinako eagerly ushered him and his brother in, a beautiful melody streamed down from the second floor, the sound clearly coming from a well-tuned piano. It wasn't a melody he recognized, yet it had a flowing sound that instantly soothed his nerves.
He was looking forward to seeing a certain blonde, a reason for his escalated heart beat and sweaty palm, hoping to God that she wouldn't bludgeon him with her faithful wrench on first sight. He knew he deserved it. He did leave her again, returning to Munich to destroy the Gate (which he and Alphonse could not do; alchemy did not exist in that world) with no good byes or explanations.
"When did you get a piano?" he questioned the surprised older woman. Of course, she did not expect to see the Elric brothers back on her doorstep. They were lost forever.
"There was an antique Baby Grand in Rush Valley, and Winry wanted it." she explained, looking up at the older Elric. He had grown quite a bit, maturing into a handsome young man. His flaxen hair was swept back into a neat pony tail and his eyes were as golden as ever.
Alphonse, the younger Elric, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's Winry playing, Auntie Pinako?"
Pinako nodded. "Yes. She's taken to it after you boys left. It helped her a lot."
"I don't recognize the song," Al noted, staring at the ceiling.
"I wouldn't expect you too. She wrote it." Pinako explained, taking a sip from her coffee cup. They sat around the dining room table as the music swelled into a peak, then trickled off into a dainty chord, then silence.
"She's good," Edward commented quietly, tapping his fingers on the table.
Pinako smirked. "I'm sure she'd love to hear that from you personally."
Ed felt himself grow warm. The older woman nodded to the stairs, as if saying, "Go on."
He felt himself rise as Al smiled encouragingly. His younger brother noted back in Munich that Ed himself was missing Winry sorely, and had confronted him about his feelings. Ed recalled that he never gave him a straight answer, but Alphonse was smart. He probably figured it out.
He rose uncertainly, and with another nod from Pinako, he felt his feet carry him to the steps as the piano started up again, another unrecognizable tune. He tip-toed up the stairs quietly, as if not to disturb her playing. Traveling to her room only caused his nerves to kick up again. He peeked in, and her sight took his breath away.
Her room had been cleared on the wall directly across from the door. The Baby Grand was positioned against that wall and her back was to him. Her hands flew across the ivory keys as the song grew more complex. She wore a simple white blouse and a pair of capri's and her blonde hair cascaded down her back. If only he could see her face. He longed for her to turn around, but he didn't want to disturb her.
He ran a nervous hand over his hair, then set to work on straitening his own white button-up shirt and olive vest. He could tell she was coming to an end, for she slowed, then stopped altogether.
She sighed forlornly, her hands resting in her lap. As Ed opened his mouth to speak, he felt his heart leap dramatically.
"That was beautiful,"
Winry gasped, twisting around. Her crystal-blue eyes were widened as she took in the form of her "lost" best friend. He offered a shy smile.
"E-Edward?"
He nodded, his smile growing. She flushed and slammed the cover over the keys. "I… I didn't know… You heard me play…?"
"Uh huh."
Ed quickly scanned the area around her, sighing in relief when he caught no glimpse of her trusty wrench.
He grew bolder and stepped into her room as she slid off of the piano bench. "Edward," she said quietly, pausing by the piano, not going any further. "I thought you were gone,"
"I know,"
"You left without saying anything."
"I know,"
"I ought to kill you,"
"Yeah, I know. Play another one,"
Her head shot up. "H-huh?"
"Play another song," he repeated, perching himself on one side of the bench. Winry blinked. She was acting rather calmly, Ed noted. He thought that she would definitely yell or attack him. She tentatively sat back down, shifting closer to the middle (in essence, closer to Edward himself) and opened the cover.
She thought for a moment, then positioned her hands, and began another song.
This one was sweet and melodic, flowing and smooth. The notes descended, and her arms moved to the left of the keys, moving dangerously close to Edward. She retreated as quickly as she came, the notes rising again.
Ed's golden eyes followed her hands, then lifted to study her face. She studied her own hands, a rosy glow on her face as if she were a bit self-conscious. She was still as beautiful as he remembered.
The melody came to a halt. She smiled a little then peeked up at Edward.
"I never knew you had it in you, automail freak."
She scowled. "Well, it's better than you could ever do, alchemy geek!" she snapped.
That was more like it. He chuckled, which caused her to scowl more. "W-What?" she demanded, standing up.
"You haven't changed,"
"Neither have you, you ass!"
He stood up. "Well, actually I have." he said nonchalantly, taking a step towards her, which caused her face to turn a lovely shade of red. "I've gotten taller,"
This was definitely true. Winry had to look up now.
"Well, I guess I can't call you a bean anymore," she commented, turning her head away. "That's a shame. I always enjoyed your little outbursts. They were ridiculously amusing. And a little over the top."
Ed raised an eyebrow. "It's not nice to call someone short," he whined. "That's why I'd get… a little mad."
"A little mad?" Winry asked incredulously, still avoiding eye-contact, yet she smirked. "Hah!"
He brought his flesh hand to her chin, gently turning her face upwards. Her eyes widened classically, the smirk disappearing, causing him to smirk instead. "You know, I took good care of my automail,"
"O-oh," she muttered, blushing like mad. Edward found it amusing that he could do this to her. "T-that's good,"
"Don't you think I should get a reward?" he asked innocently, inwardly surprised at his own boldness as he leaned closer.
"R-r-reward?" Winry squeaked. "What kind of reward?"
"Well, I have a few simple requests." he began, causing her to blush even more. "One: a fresh apple pie. Two: a free tune up."
"Th-those are simple enough,"
"There's one more."
He dipped down, pressing his lips against hers. He heard her gasp and stiffen, but she slowly relaxed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
It's about damn time! Ed thought victoriously as he gently ran his tongue across her bottom lip. They parted giving him better access.
They parted, gasping for air that they were deprived of in those moments of bliss.
"Welcome home… again," she murmured in his ear.
