"Dammit Winry," Ed whined as they trudged along in the snow. "Did you
have to pick the coldest day of the year to teach me how to skate?"
"Oh, shut up, Ed," Winry said adjusting her scarf. "Why don't you go complain about the weather to all of the people stationed at Briggs? I'm sure they'd love to hear it. Especially the people on icicle duty."
With a 'hmph', Ed stopped talking and they walked in silence for the next few minutes.
"Where is this place anyways?" Edward said, finally breaking the silence.
"Just keep going for a few more feet," Winry said as she stopped walking.
"Uh, okay, but why-Agh!" Edward's sentence was cut off by his boot making contact with a slippery surface.
Winry watched as Ed struggled for his balance until he finally fell into the snow.
Walking carefully over to Edward, Winry stuck out her hand. "Need a hand?" She asked with a smile on her face.
Edward frowned. "You can't use arm jokes anymore. I have both—"
"Yeah, yeah," Winry said as she pulled him up. "No more arm jokes and no more short jokes." Edward started to yell about his height but Winry cut him off. "I know, you're taller than me. Blah, blah, blah." She sighed. "Now shovel off the pond and try not to break anything in the process," said Winry as she handed him the shovel they had brought.
After wiping the snow off his butt, Edward grudgingly took the shovel.
"You know," Edward said as he shoveled off a section of the pond. "With all the stuff I've been doing, you and Granny should start paying me. Slavery is illegal."
"Oh be quiet," Winry said as she tossed a bit of snow at him. "Just think of this as payback for all the times I fixed your automail after you completely destroyed it."
"Excuse me for dinging up my automail in the process of saving the world." Edward said as he shoveled off the last pile of snow.
Winry stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, there were times when you could've been more careful."
Ed opened his mouth to argue but Winry avoided any further argument by telling him to put his skates on.
Edward plopped down on the snowbank he had made and Winry joined him.
Ed yanked off his boots and pulled his skates on. Noticing the laces weren't like any shoe he had worn, he quietly asked, "Uh, Win?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you tie these things?"
"You can't even lace up your skates? You're such a baby, Ed."
"Well not all of us had such a carefree childhood," Edward said it jokingly. He knew her childhood was far from carefree.
"Fine. Figure it out yourself," Winry said as she stood.
"I was just kidding, Winry. "
Winry arched her eyebrow, telling him to go on.
"Uh, I'm sorry?"
When Winry didn't say anything he tried again.
"You're the best automail mechanic in the world?"
Winry giggled. "There we go," she said bending over to tie his skates.
When Winry was done, she grabbed Edward's arm and helped hoist him up.
"Okay," Winry said as Edward grabbed her arm to help keep his balance.
"Keep your knees bent, and just push off with your foot."
***
It felt like the one hundred falls later, but Edward seemed to be making some progress.
"Okay, I think I got the hang of this," Edward said, finally letting go of Winry's arm. He tentatively pushed off with his left foot. When he didn't fall, he confidently pushed off again and again, picking up speed, with Winry staying close.
"Win! Look! I'm skating!" He cried.
Edwards victory was cut short by the rapidly encroaching snowbank at the pond's edge. "W-wait! You didn't teach me how to stop!"
"Just turn your foot sideways!" Winry exclaimed.
Ed heard the scrape of skates as Winry started slowing down.
"Oh no you don't!" Edward said as he grabbed Winry's arm. "You're going down with me!"
As they hit they edge, Edward pulled Winry into his arms. They both landed with an "oomph!"
Ed looked at Winry as she lay on top of him. Her hair framed her face, her cheeks and nose were red from the cold, her blue eyes were wide and clear. Edward had never seen a more beautiful woman.
"Win, can we go home? This day has been a disaster."
Winry looked into his eyes and smiled.
"I wouldn't say a complete disaster," she said.
And then she kissed him.