Title: Schoolyard Scuffle
Author: S J Smith
Rating: K+
Summary: It's a fight.
Disclaimer: If I had any part of this, I wouldn't be living in Boxtown
The first thing she heard was the shrill cries, like birds piping, at least until they translated themselves into words.
"Fight, fight!"
The second thing she noticed was the dust, rising in clouds, coating the kids circling the combatants, some of them shoving at each other in their excitement. The noise was louder now, and she broke into a run. Where are the grown ups? The school teacher? But it doesn't matter, kids always know the best place to hide out and to take care of their own business.
The kids chanted and drummed their feet, shouting advice at the fighters in the middle of the ring. Shoving between a pair of boys, Winry gasped, the taste of dust coating her mouth. She saw the three kids, recognized that golden head even with the coating of dirt. Blood ran down Edward Elric's face, but his fists were cocked up and his head was lowered. Michael Todd faced him, and his toady, Josh Nedobeck, jeered while working his way around behind Ed. She saw Al, his face white beneath a powder of dust. His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear him over the shouts of the other kids.
Josh crouched, a smile on his face, and Winry didn't even think, lunging into the ring, jumping onto Josh's back. She latched her arms around his neck, wrapped her legs around his waist. She screamed in his ear. Spinning and shouting, Josh grabbed for her hair, pulling at it hard. "Get 'er offa me!" he howled, as Winry jerked her head, leaving hair in his fingers, but she didn't let go of him.
Ed punched Michael in the face, and Michael staggered back. Shaking his head, he roared and leaped at Ed, knocking Ed off his feet and onto the ground. He sat on Ed's stomach, hauling back for a punch Winry knew would hurt. She dropped off of Josh's back, stumbling, but got her balance and flung herself at Michael with a scream.
Frozen, he stared at her. Ed grunted, and hit Michael in the gut with his fist. Michael tumbled sideways with a groan, and Winry grabbed Ed's hand, hauling him up before Josh thought to kick him. Winry tried to pull Ed out of the circle but he's like a stupid weight at the end of her arm, showing his teeth at Michael.
"If you ever say anything like that again, I'll hurt you worse!" he promised. "Do you hear me!"
Michael groaned, but didn't say anything else. Josh licked his lip and looked from Michael to Ed and her and back again. Ed jerked Winry along with him as he stomped toward Josh, who pushed through the ring of kids, screaming his threats over his shoulder as he ran away. Michael rolled onto his knees and puked, making everyone step back, except for Ed, who trembled through the link of their hands.
"Do you hear me?" he asked again, leaning down, nearly in Michael's face.
Michael bobbed his head, gasping, and Ed straightened, his shoulders back, eyeing the rest of the kids still circling them. They were mostly quiet now, and watching him. "If any of you think about saying anything like that, you'd better not do it where I can hear you, or I'll do the same to you!" He jerked his head at Al, and twined his hand with Winry's, pulling at her to take her out of the ring.
Covered in dust and blood, Ed ground his teeth. Winry gave his hand a shake. "He's bigger than you! He could've hurt you bad!" She fished in her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, shoving it at him. "You're still bleeding!"
As Al caught up, Ed took the handkerchief and wiped his face. "Ow," he said, poking at his nose, then, when he saw Winry staring, "It was just a fight, Winry. I'm okay!"
"Why did you fight him, anyway?"
The brothers looked at each other, and not at her. "Men's business," Ed said, and won't say anything more about it.
Winry got ready for school the next day, and walked to meet the Elrics. Ed had a black eye, and he wasn't talking. Again. And Al wouldn't say anything about what started the fight yesterday. But when you get to the school, Ed glared at Michael and Josh, and they don't say anything, even backing away from him.
"You know what I said," Ed pointed a finger at them both. "If you say anything like that again." The threat hung in the air, and he snorted, heading into the schoolhouse. Al followed him, leaving Winry in the schoolyard without any answers.
Winry didn't get those answers until years later, after Ed and Al tried to bring their mother back to life, after they went on their journey to get their bodies, after they finally came home, triumphant, only to leave again for a little while.
Josh Nedobeck was there when Ed and Winry married, and chucked Ed's shoulder as he brought up that schoolyard scuffle. "I remember the two of you brothers jumping on me and Mike," he said, laughing, "and I don't even remember why."
Ed took Winry's hand and gave it a squeeze. "You teased Winry about her parents getting killed in Ishbal," he said, looking at her, his gaze dark with memories. "It made her cry."
Of all the things he didn't remember from when they were kids, that fight was one of the things he did. Her heart swelling, Winry loved him, all over again.