pairing: ed/winry, post-promised day
themes: fluff
summary: she only asked one thing of him when he left for creta. well, two.
a/n: okay hi so this is my first ever (thank my lucky stars) multi-chapter edwin fanfic! i've already posted the first couple of chapters on my tumblr (which is rckbell, in case you're wondering!) and the response has been phenomenally positive, so i figured, eh what the hell. time to start posting on ffnet as well! i'm super excited about this, and i doubt it'll be more than maybe a few chapters but who knows? i just hope you guys like it as much as i do!
enjoy!~
When Edward had announced his and Alphonse's plans to travel to the west and east, respectively, he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from his mechanic.
He only predicted that it would involve either screaming, yelling, crying, a wrench ground into this skull, or some sort of horrible combination. He expected her to extremely unhappy with the situation, given how much she'd loved having them around those past two years.
And it should be known that he and Al both had loved it, too. It wasn't that he wanted to leave Resembool, but he and Al just couldn't sit still any longer. That was just the way they were; always moving, always exploring, but always coming back home in the end.
Although he'd never admit it, being able to just relax and do simple housework and not have to worry about being killed or sacrificed or any of that stuff was a very welcome change of pace. Contrary to his original beliefs, life in the small, quiet countryside wasn't nearly as boring as he'd made it out to be. There was a lot to love about the small town, which also meant there'd be a lot to miss.
The morning walks into town with Den, sparring and studying every last book with Al, sleeping well into the afternoon, the friendly residents of the area, the delectable cooking, the cozy and comforting Rockbell house that he found it easy to call his new home. But the thing, the person he'd miss the most?
The certain blonde mechanic that he'd grown up with, the one who gave him an arm and a leg, who always welcomed the brothers into her home with open arms. The very same one who, no matter how many wrenches she threw or how many insulted they spewed out at each other, was always constantly caring. The one who made these last two years some of the best in a very long while. The girl that for years people had vowed he'd fall in love with. The woman who, unbeknownst to those people, he'd fallen in love with a long time ago.
And that, perhaps, was the reason Edward was dreading to tell her that in just a few short weeks, he'd be on a train heading to the western country of Creta. He was so positive he knew exactly how she'd react, and that certainly wouldn't make it any easier to leave. Leave her.
And that's why he was so surprised at how she'd actually taken the news.
—-
"So, let me get this straight," she started, her voice level and unreadable. "You're going to West, to do… research?"
He gulped as her sapphire eyes met his. He was anticipating some sort of fist or welding tool to connect with his head momentarily, but he figured with some smooth talking, he might be able to avoid it.
"Well, yeah. See, there're some cities and towns over there, in Creta. They're not any kind of alchemic powerhouse like Amestris, but I'm interested in what they're brewing up over there; if it's any different from our kind of alchemy. I mean, it'll really only be a few months; maybe a year, and I'll be back home before you know it!"
She studied him for a moment, her expression still completely unreadable, before she swept her hand up.
Ed cringed, bracing for impact, only to find her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose; not colliding with the side of his head.
She exhaled deeply, lowering her hand and eyeing him curiously. "Did you really think I was going to hityou?!"
"You aren't mad?!" He asked, ignoring her question and looking at her in disbelief.
She rolled her eyes at him, sighing. "You idiot. Did you really think I didn't notice the two of you hunching over maps of Xing and Creta these past few months? Did you really expect me to think that you'd just never leave ever again? For crying out loud, Edward, I'm not stupid."
Her expression softened. "Of course I'm going to miss you, dummy. But you've been growing stir-crazy for weeks, months, even. It'll be good for you," she said, smiling.
He laughed softly, running his hands through his bangs, totally relieved. "Oh my god, Winry. I was so sure you were going to kill me, or-"
"Alright, if you're going to be traveling again, I need you to do two things for me."
He glanced at her, slightly confused. "…O-kay?"
She smirked for a second, then quickly masked the smile with a serious gaze. "First things first: for the love of god, Edward, please keep up with your maintenance."
He rolled his eyes at her; that one earned him a smack on the shoulder.
"Ow - Damn it, Winry!"
"I'm not kidding! Unless you want to be back here every single month, you have to take care of it! And do you even know how much work it is, especially yours - !?"
He waved a hand in front of her, annoyed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'll keep up on it, sure. What's the second thing?"
—-
And it was that one request that landed him in this current predicament.
Sitting here, at an old, wooden desk in the room he'd be staying in for however long.
Only days after he'd proposed to her at the train station in an act of sheer bravery. Or idiocy; he wasn't sure. He just thanked his lucky stars she said yes.
He sighed, staring at the parchment in front of him that inevitably would be read by her. Her; the woman he loved. God, it'd only been what, two days since he'd arrived in Creta and he already missed her?
This was going to be a long couple of months.
He blinked at the paper again; thoughts and recaps swimming through his brain. He was actually a little excited to tell her about Creta, so far. But where to even begin.
He'd written only a very small handful of letters in his lifetime, and almost all of them had been something for the military.
He didn't even know where to start.
"Practice makes perfect," he muttered under his breath.
He grabbed a pen, testing the ink on a scrap note, before carefully constructing his handwriting on the parchment.
Dear Winry…
