This is my first story so please be kind in your reviews! lol. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this yet, but we will see where the words take me I guess!

Winry's POV

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. If there was any way to explain how I was currently feeling - it would be pure agony. I bit my lip, tightening the lug nuts with my wrench with a furious speed.

" I really appreciate your help young miss! As you can see I'm not very handy when it comes to these things."

I turned my direction up towards the smiling woman leaning over me, placing a hand above my head to shield my eyes from the sun's fierce rays. She was a friendly woman, no older than thirty five. The shining pearls around her slender neck suggested a certain kind of wealth, while her plain yellow dress also suggested she appreciated a simple living. I returned the smile and wiped my hands on the rags hanging from my overall's pockets.

"It was no problem at all. I enjoy tinkering with cars. It's a breath of fresh air sometimes from my work on automail!"

"Oh! You're an automail mechanic? Well then, this must have been a piece of cake for you! My brother-in-law has an artificial limb and I've seen how complex they can be. Actually my little girl, Sally, wants to be a mechanic herself. Every now and then I catch her tinkering away at one of her father's radios or watches. Oh my goodness I'm sorry! I can be quite a rambler at times." The woman waved her hand with an apologetic smile.

"Don't apologize! I can ramble away at times too, but I like to think it's a good thing! We just have social personalities! " I chuckled. "But I'll be working here at Rush Valley for the next couple of months helping out a friend. Garfiel's shop! Bring your daughter by sometime and I'd be happy to show her a few things in the mechanic world! It's always a pleasure raising up another female mechanic." I felt a sense of pride. While I had been lucky to be around so many supportive people in my life, being a female in the automail world had its disheartening moments. Not everyone always took me seriously, especially during my early teens. When other girls were fond of shopping for clothes - I was fond of shopping for new shiny tools.

The woman continued to talk to me and I nodded nonchalantly, smiling. But my head had wondered off to the past. Our conversation had reminded me of the time I attempted to be more like the other teenage girls with their hair bouncing with curls, lips tinted with lipstick, and dresses that flowed in each and every direction. It was around the time I began to realize I had stronger feelings towards Edward, feelings that I resisted to show, but I still wanted him to notice me as a young woman despite only being fifteen.

"Winry! Look! There's the automail shop you wanted to check out!" Al waved his suit's metal arms around in excitement. We had been walking for only an hour around Rush Valley, yet Edward's groans started the minute we arrived. I rolled my eyes as he kicked at stones in disapproval. No one had forced him to come with Al and I on our adventures, but he refused to wait for us at our hotel. So there he was, a big ball of fun for us to deal with.

I found my voice squeaking with excitement and clapped my hands. But as I began to walk hastily towards the much desired shop, my feet froze at the sounds of whispers and giggles. My gaze was met with a group of girls seemingly around my age, and my heart hurt inside my chest as I discovered they were pointing in my direction...directly at me. I could tell by their hand covered whispers that they had been listening in on us. I suddenly didn't feel right as I looked down at myself. Normally I never had an issue with confidence, but as I heard their continued whispers of "tomboy" I could feel my walls being torn down.

Oddly enough Edward had noticed first at my abrupt stop. I tried to brush away the tears brimming at my eyes before he could see.

"Winry? Whats up? Did you sprain your ankle or something because you were busting tail a few seconds ago." He asked while shoving his hands in his pockets. He was so awkward when it came to strong emotions, and I could tell he didn't really want to ask me what was wrong, but unfortunately Alphonse had become distracted by a box of a kittens as soon as I had taken off. "Uh, Winry?"

I avoided looking at him. It was embarrassing even admitting it, but my pride had been royally hurt. Quickly looking up, I noticed the group of girls had caught sight of Edward and were now distracted by his handsome features. This made my throat tighten as anger began to boil up quickly.

"Uhhh..I actually don't really want to go there anymore. They probably don't have anything worth looking at since the newer models don't come out until January." I said, forcing a smile. This was NOT something Edward was happy to hear. He looked at me incredulously.

"What the hell? THEN WHY DID YOU DRAG US ALL THE WAY HERE?! YOU COULD HAVE WORKED ON MY ARM WITH THE OLD HAG IN RISEMBOOL! Edward growled. "God damn Winry...what the hell is yo-"

"I want to go there." I flatly stated, cutting him off. He could be so noisy when angered and I didn't want to cause a commotion for the young women to gossip over. Before he could say no, I grabbed his hand and began to walk with tremendous haste. "Come on Alphonse! Hurry!" I shouted for him. Immediately the sound of metal could be heard clanking on the ground behind us.

"Is this a joke...?" Edward squinted at me, confusion laden in his face. I felt a blush creep onto my face and flicked my hair over my shoulder in embarrassment.

"Be nice brother. We promised to take her shopping." Alphonse chimed in to save me from my awkward position. Edward's face looked unamused as he glanced around the boutique. We were completely surrounded by designer dresses of every shape and color. His gaze fell on me and our eyes locked. He wasn't buying it - he knew I'd never pass up an automail shop to go perusing for dresses.

"Mhm..." He scoffed and raised his eyebrows suspiciously. I felt my chest tighten and began to fidget with a strand of my hair while looking anywhere but at those golden eyes that continued to stare at me intently. "Well, I guess I'll just nap on this weird ass sofa thing if you're going to be doing this crap." Ed groaned, flopping down onto the furniture and seemingly uninterested in my actions now. I rolled my eyes and walked off to find something to try on.

"He can be such a rude asshole sometimes..." I muttered to myself. Despite walking away, Alphonse could be heard scolding his older brother for his behavior. I laughed softly listening to Edward continue to groan like a child. I guess I couldn't really be angry with him - actually I was a bit frightened how much he could see right through me, but then again we were childhood friends...

I gripped at the dress hanger and shook my head fiercely. Why did I care so much anyways? It was just Edward. This was stupid. I was stupid. Why was I even looking for a dress?

"Can I help you miss?"

I swung my head to the direction of the voice so fast my hair smacked me in the face. I quickly shoved it behind my ear and waved my hands awkwardly.

"Um...I'm just looking! I don't really know what I'm looking for...I mean I guess something nice looking?"

The woman smiled at me kindly.

"I can help you! You look like the same size as my daughter so I'll pick something out for you and we will have you try it on, okay?"

"Uh...well. I'm really only looking..." I said feeling awkward. I understood she was only helping but I found her to be a bit pushy. The woman didn't seem to mind what I had said as she plucked a rather slim fitting black dress from the rack. Despite that it appeared it would hug my frame, it also had modesty for a girl my age and I felt a sense of relief from that.

"This should fit you just right. The dressing room is just down that way...actually in the same direction you just came from! If you need anything else I will be at the register dear." She smiled one last time before turning on her heel and marching in the opposite direction. I felt a bit frazzled, being uncomfortable in the environment I was in, but I shook my head and heaved a deep sigh. I wouldn't back down from this, there was no reason for me to feel ridiculous about wanting to buy a dress!

I tried to build up courage but my anxiety began to overwhelm as I approached the dressing rooms where Alphonse and Edward waited. I scoffed at the grumpy older blonde, slouched over the couch grumbling profanities to himself. I stuck my tongue out at him as I grabbed the knob to one of the dressing rooms, catching his attention and earning me a blazing glare in return. I slammed the door and clutched the black dress tightly in my hands. My heart beating loudly in my chest.

"Why is he always such an ass?" I asked myself.

Quickly discarding my clothes, I grabbed the dress and slid it up my waist, zipping the back up before putting it on completely - which proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought. It fit rather snug on my body and the realization of getting it off began to sink in immediately. I stared in the mirror with a panicked look on my face and could feel the anxiety bubbling up within me.

"Crap crap crap crap crap!" I whispered as I desperately tried to free myself from the dress. It didn't even occur to me that it really complimented my frame as I spun in circles reaching for the stupid little zipper. It was like being trapped in a straight jacket! No matter how I twisted or turned I could not get out of the damn thing. I felt myself losing balance and before I could catch myself, my body fell into the dressing door. Unfortunately with my luck, I had forgotten to slide the lock to keep it closed, and the force of my body caused the door to swing open. My body thudded hard onto the ground, knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Uh...are you alright?"

It suddenly registered to me that two black boots were near my face. I slowly looked up and was met with a pair of amused golden eyes. Growling, I stood up and brushed myself off. Grabbing the hem of the dress, I tugged it down in desperate attempts to cover my legs - feeling rather exposed in front of the golden haired boy in front of me. I looked around for the woman who had helped me earlier hoping she was nearby. Of course with my luck, she was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Al?" I asked nervously. Maybe he could help me. Yes it was awkward but Alphonse was the more mature one out of the two brothers. I knew he wouldn't want to hurt my feelings or purposely embarrass me.

"He went across the street to play with that dumb cat. Why?" Edward asked. I noticed he was avoiding eye contact with me as he pulled at the collar of his shirt.

"Oh...but..." I began to fidget with my hands awkwardly, trying to gain the courage to ask him to assist me with the zipper in the back of the dress. Why oh why was this happening?

"So uh...do you want that thing or not? Or do you plan on standing there with the damn thing on?" He growled.

"Actually..."

"Come on Winry, I'm getting hungry. I don't even know why you wanted to come in here. You've never been into this crap. Hell, half the time I forget you're even a girl in the first place." He scoffed, standing up to stretch his arms. I growled in returned and grabbed his face in my hands to force him to look at me. I noticed his face was stained with a blush across his cheeks - I assumed it was anger.

"You ass! Maybe if you took the time to actually look at me you'd notice I need freaking help! Maybe you should start acting like a man and not a selfish little boy!"

"LITTLE? DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"UGH JUST COME HELP ME YOU ASS!" I yelled back and grabbed his hand firmly, pulling him into the tiny dressing room.

"Winry! I can't be in here with you! Have you lost your mind?!"

I heard him gulp at the sound of the door locking.

"Winry..." He stared at me, his eyes ready to pop out of his head. I sighed and rolled my eyes at the face he was making.

"I can't get a hold of the zipper on the back of the dress...I need help getting out of it." I flatly stated.

You would have sworn Edward's soul had left his body from the way the color drained from his face. I could feel my own face growing hot at my request. The embarrassment was going to end up killing both of us.

"You need me to...what?" Edward stated, pressing his body into the wall furthest from me.

"I need you to unzip it. I can't reach it...that's why I've been in here so long. I know it's awkward but..." I bit my lip as Edward made incoherent noises. He somehow managed to mumble out an "mmkay" without his head exploding.

"So are you going to turn around or what?" He asked irritably. I quickly spun myself away from him and found myself facing the mirror, my body feeling hot from the embarrassment of it all. I felt Edward's hands come into contact with the zipper and I held back the way it made my body shudder. Unfortunately for me, feeling his hand sliding the zipper down my back caused me to look at him in the mirror where I found that our eyes locked.

"God damn it Winry! Don't watch me do this! You're just making this awkward!" He growled and snapped his eyes in a different direction. I squeaked and turned my body out of reflex. I heard an odd rip of fabric and Edward began cursing like a sailor. Why I tried to turn around to face him...I'll never know.

"Why the hell would you move?!" Edward gritted his teeth.

"Well why were you unzipping it at the speed of a snail?!"

"Speed of a snail?! I WAS TRYING TO NOT LOOK! NOW MY GOD DAMN GLOVE IS CAUGHT IN THE ZIPPER!" He retorted.

I gasped as he yanked hard to free his white glove, but - you know the agonizing way fabric gets stuck in zippers? That thing was more stuck than Edward's height.

"You're going to rip the dress right off me!" I growled, trying to turn away from him.

"Stop turning!"

"Just let me see with the mirror."

"Winry! Stop!" Immediately I felt Edward's hands around my arms, strongly keeping me still. "Just stop moving for one second...you are killing me right now. Alphonse will be back soon and I will never hear the end of this. I'm begging you to just stay still." He sighed. "God damn embarrassing..."

My stomach was in knots with the physical contact. I nodded my head, looking back at him through the mirror.

For the next few minutes we were silent as I felt him tugging at the zipper and the glove that had been caught. He must've considered the silence to be worse on awkward terms and I heard him clear his throat.

"So...why did you want to come in here anyways...?" Edward asked, flashing his golden eyes up at me in the mirror quickly before looking back at the zipper.

"I...I wanted you to see that I can be feminine..." I managed to stutter out. I held my breath waiting for his response. I saw in the reflection that he had freed his glove and felt the zipper loosen around my midsection. I quickly turned around to face him to hide my exposed back, however that didn't really work with the mirror right behind me. But Edward didn't seem distracted by the situation anymore as he raised his eyebrows by my response.

"Why would you want me to know that you're feminine?"

I was surprised by his words, it wasn't like him to continue a conversation that could lead to emotional responses.

"I...well you said yourself that you forget that I'm a girl!"

Edward continued to stare at me. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or just stunned by the entire incident. I grabbed at my hair and ran it through my fingers, my fidgety ways coming back. After what I deemed to be an eternity, he opened his mouth to respond.

"You're dumb." He stated flatly.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me. Ugh Look Win. I know you're a girl. You don't have to prove yourself to me or anyone okay? Besides, where does being a mechanic make you less of a girl? That's just stupid." He scoffed.

"It's stupid to want to feel attractive?!"

"No one called you unattractive you gear freak. Stop saying embarrassing shit. You're fine just the way you are okay?"

My eyes widened as the blush returned back to both of our faces. Edward wasn't much for sincere compliments, but it was close enough to one. Suddenly we remembered once more that we had been standing in the same dressing room...with my dress unzipped.

"Um...you should probably-"

"Yeahhhh I'm getting out." Edward said, cutting me off.

I watched as Edward peeped his head around to make sure the coast was clear before making his escape. I oddly felt my heart tug as I watched him slip out quickly. Maybe it was just because I had watched him leave so many times...or maybe it was because I didn't really want his presence to leave...Maybe Edward was able to make emotional connections better than I thought...

"HURRY UP NOW! I'M STARVING!" Edward yelled, banging his fist on the door to my dressing room. I scowled at his sudden temperament and swore under my breath.

Maybe not. Maybe some things would never change.

"What about you? Any children?"

I snapped my head out of my thoughts and stared at the woman in front of me - trying to register with me what I had missed from our conversation.

"What?"

"I said - do you have any children?" The woman said with a slight chuckle.

"Oh! Oh No! No! No children at the moment, but I guess I do plan on having children eventually! Ha!" I tugged at the bandana around my head and laughed.

"Well I'm sure that you and your husband will raise beautiful children, and especially if you have daughters! With you as a mother I'm certain they will be raised strong!" I was a bit taken back by how flattering the woman was being to me considering we had just met, but I brushed it off - it was refreshing for people to be so positive honestly.

"I'm actually not married...well...I mean...I guess I'm engaged..?" I felt my laughter turning into nervous chuckles. Edward hadn't really made things very clear the way we left things off...it was dreadful trying to explain to Granny what had happened. As usual, Ed had turned it into a conversation based on Alchemy...although he was trying to come off as sincere. "To be honest that's why I'm a bit all over the place with my thoughts today. He's coming to visit me later on tonight...I guess I'm nervous."

The woman placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it in comfort. Her smile was so kind. Yes she was a stranger but sometimes talking to someone you don't know is so much less pressuring.

"Sounds like you need to be getting back to your shop then. Let's settle those nerves a little by getting you back. Hop in!" She said ushering to the car. "You really did me a favor by helping me, it's the least I can do to give you a ride."

I smiled in return and thanked her, strangely feeling a bit drained. A ride home actually sounded wonderful, and I wanted to get a hot shower in before Edward had arrived. The engine revved as did my stomach from my own nerves.

Things were always going to be so damn nerve wrecking with him...

Ah! Thank you so much for giving my story a chance! I just wanted to point out that I know the flashback is a bit long, but we often play out scenarios in our head much faster than it would be to read them! At least I do! lol. Please review without flames. I'm so happy to be writing this story! :) Thanks!