"Hey Al, look over there." Ed said, pointing out the window.
The Elric brothers were just coming back from Central to Resembool on a boarding train. And to their joy, it would be their last trip. Their life mission was complete and Ed no longer had to worry about going to and from the military base to get info and research done. Everything was back to normal and Ed and Al had their bodies back. Well, besides Ed's arm. He had to sacrifice that again in place of Al, but it was perfectly fine with him. What was not fine, though, was that the automail arm was pretty beat up; meaning Winry would beat him up when she saw it. But then again, that's later on into the story.
"Huh? What are you pointing to, Big bro?" Al asked. He tilted his head towards his brother and then to his finger's direction.
"Look. That cloud," Ed calmly responded, pointing to the only puff of white in the endless sea of blue.
Squinting, Al's eyes moved to scan the sky above him at the object his brother was pointing at. When his eyes finally rested on the distinct and lonely cloud, his mouth slightly parted into an "O".
"What about it?" Al asked while turning his attention back into the train compartment to face his older brother. The older Elric frowned and looked up again, his eyes were keen and observing while his thoughts collected.
"..Doesn't it look...like a heart?" Ed asked slowly. In curiousity, the younger alchemist looked back out the window and perked one of his eyesbrows up in wonder.
"Well, now that you look closer, yeah. I guess it does, " Al chuckled. His brother could be pretty amusing sometimes.
Ed blinked and shot a questioning glance at Al. What was so funny?
"Big brother, I think its a sign."
"Huh?"
"Well, you're sure about what you're going to do once we're at Resembool?"
"..Yeah. I'm sure." A determined look passed through Ed's face. It was now or never.
"Maybe the cloud's telling you it'll go well, " Al said thoughtfully, while rubbing his chin.
'I sure hope so,' Ed thought in reply.
"No wait...Now that I look closer, it looks like two teardrops," Al said, teasing the older Elric.
"Huh?! No way!"
"Haha. Just kidding."
xXx..Later..xXx
"Woot! We're finally here!" Al smiled as he caught sight of the Rockbell house.
"Yeah..my back was about to break due to those stiff train seats."
"Big brother, you're just restless." Al glanced back at Ed before continuing on the dirt path road.
"Sheesh. At least it'll be the last time I'm boarding that train from Central," Ed said happily. He was pretty content at his decision. He and Al had resigned from the military as soon as the brothers had obtained their bodies back. After all the farewells, Ed and Al had planned to stay at Resembool for the rest of their, hopefully peaceful, lives.
"Yeah..you could put it that way, big-BIG BROTHER!"
"Huh?" Ed said as he saw in slow motion the world going upside down. With a thud, he fell to the ground. His eyelids felt heavy as he last saw his brother's wide eyes and running self towards his direction.
xXx..Later..xXx
"He's awake!" Al cried out in relief.
"My head..." Ed muttered as his eyelids slowly blinked open. His hand slowly inched up to the side of his head, where he dramatically felt a sore bump. He looked around him and to his surprise, found that he was on the Rockbell's living room sofa. With bandages over his poor wounded head.
'What the hell happened?'
And as if reading his mind, Al answered immediately soon after Ed had found a comfortable position on the couch.
"Eh-heh. Winry was kind of...too overjoyed to see us..," Al scratched the back of his head as he stretched the word "overjoyed".
"...And?" Ed asked, suspiciously. It was obvious, of course, but he felt as if he had to ask.
"So she threw the wrench she was holding at you." Al bluntly blurted out uneasily.
"..." Ed twitched in annoyance as a moment of silence passed. His irritated thoughts went along the lines of: 'What the hell is her problem?!'
"Uh...she also took your arm." Al's words got quieter as he pointed at his older brother's missing limb.
Looking down, Ed frowned as he discovered his right, metalic arm gone.
'Oh.'
"Yeah...she was about to kill you. But don't worry, I calmed her down while you were out cold."
"...Thanks Al." Ed said as he shuddered. It wasn't hard to imagine Winry reaching for her tools...and storming up to him..and then knock him out when she was in the close throwing range...oh dear.
"No problem. But I think you should let her calm down a bit more until you can ask for your arm back. She's fixing it right now." Al chirped in an advising tone, twisted with a wise and knowing look.
"Oh. Okay. Thanks again Al. You'd make a great therapist."
"Uh-huh. Get a bit more rest, big brother," Al said as he exited the living room.
'Haha. Big bro, that's exactly what Winry said,' Al cheerfully thought.
xXx. Later that night. xXx
Ed stopped in front of Winry's door. He was debating on what to say before he knocked.
'Gee Winry, thanks for the head injury. I really needed it as a welcome back gift.' Ed thought heatedly. Soon after that commenting thought, he shook his head. No, no, no.
But as his thoughts grew more out of subject and into the category of curses, he simply just stopped and grumbled.
'To hell with it. Just get it over with,' Taking a deep breath, he knocked.
After a moment, when he heard no reply, he opened the door.
"Winry?" he asked cautiously as the door inched further open. He looked around him and saw Winry sitting idly on her bed's edge. As he closed the door, Winry's blonde head turned his way, her deep and warm filled cerulean eyes glancing his way.
"Huh? Oh hey, Ed."
"Uh, what were you doing?"
'Yeah. What was she doing so badly that she couldn't even hear my knocking?'
"Oh. Nothing...just looking at the stars. I keep thinking I'll see a shooting star one night," Winry replied dreamily.
"That's the most stupidest and pointless..-Winry, why are you reaching for the wrenc-HEY!" Ed shouted as he dodged her thrown wrench. One head-wrench injury was enough, thank you very much.
"No it isn't! Breaking your automail arm is the most stupidest and pointless thing to do!" Winry shouted back while picking up her wrench in fury.
"Oh. About that...I wanted to...apologize about that." Ed stopped and his stern look faltered.
"..Huh? Really?"
"...Yeah..could you, uh, put that wrench down?"
"...Fine..I'm sorry about your head," Winry huffed, placing the wrench close beside her on the bed.
"Uh, is my arm ready yet?"
"Mhmm! Want to put it on right now?"
"Yeah..Lets get it over with," Ed sighed, feeling utterly defeated. He sat down on Winry's bed and waited for the worst.
Winry suddenly grinned. Just for insulting her watching the stars...she would be...gentle while putting back the auto mail arm. Note sarcasm.
"Uh, Win? Could you be a little careful?" Ed asked, a bit uneasy seeing her mischievious eyes.
"Certainly."
"...I-AUGHHH!"
"See? That wasn't so bad."
"You're, hah, a very, ah, evil.."
"Aw, Ed has a boo boo pain?" Winry teased. She dipped her head down to playfully kiss him on the cheek. She giggled as his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed.
"Win-"
"So what's the most stupidest and most pointless thing?"
"A shooting star.."
"WHAT?!"
"No! Look! A shooting star!"
"Huh?" Winry turned around to her window and gasped. She pulled Ed up to his feet and dragged him to the window.
"Winry, I could see perfectly fine from the bed-"
"Shh! Lets make a wish!" Winry exclaimed excitedly.
Both closed their eyes for a moment and for that moment, there was peace.
But soon the moment was ruined when Winry's eyes blinked opened and she smiled.
"Ed? What'd you wish for?"
"Uh..for the answer to be yes."
"Huh? What kind of wish is that?"
"Nothing. What'd you wish for?"
"Hehe. It won't come true if I tell you. Well, it'd probably never come true anyway..but still," Winry gave a sad smile but quickly recovered before the older Elric could question it.
Ed's eyes immediately reveiled concern as he saw Winry frown. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone.
"Mm..goodnight Ed."
"Huh? Oh..Goodnight Win..." Ed said in reply. But he couldn't resist it. He gave her a peck on the lips before he smoothly closed her door and went on to his room...
Leaving Winry with a shocked expression plastered all over her face.
But she quickly regained herself and stubbornly thought, 'Two can play at this game, Edward Elric.'