Only the Future
He was still as beautiful as always. His hair was longer, of course, but not quite reaching the middle of his back from its pony tail. His face was not shaven, but he did not have a beard. The most disappointing thing was that his eyes had lost their luster. That was the first detail that Winry noticed.
The desire that once burned so bright in his eyes was no longer there. His passion for his goal had been lost and somewhere in between when that had occurred and this very moment, he had lost his reason for living. It was apparent in his eyes. They were so lifeless it was as if he were already gone.
"Edo, I'm here to repair your automail." She tried to fake a happy voice.
She seemed to catch him off-guard because he had flinched when she said his name. He glanced towards her eyes for a second and scanned her from head to toe. Then, he averted his gaze to the floor. It did not matter how many years had passed or what had happened in those years, when he did that it always made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She almost felt like blushing. But she would not.
Winry gestured to an empty chair in the kitchen area. Edward complied by sitting down without a word, or a glance. She was use to this routine. Every year or so she would close up shop for a few days and make the trek to go and help an old friend; a friend that never showed gratitude or even offered her conversation. She remembered one year when he had wordlessly offered her money for her labors. She, of course, had refused.
Winry shook her head from the past and walked towards Edward, grabbing a stool for herself as she went. Automail had not advanced so much in terms of mechanics since when they were younger, but its appearance was very different now. People liked to be discreet now that the wars were almost nonexistent now. What use to be a metal badge of courage for men and women who came back from the war was now regarded by society as a burden. Winry felt is was pitiful, but as long as she could make a living.
So automail had evolved aesthetically. First, people in the trade had started painting the metal a flesh color. Eventually, someone invented a glove that would fit over the whole part. A breakthrough came when one chemist discovered a material that felt soft to the touch and could be molded to any shape. Therefore, the flesh sleeve became more and more human. Sometimes Winry had a hard time figuring out which arm or leg to work on. But, it was the touch or the sound that gave it away. A simple handshake or the uneven sound of their steps told her all that she needed to know.
Edward was sitting in the chair perfectly straight with his right arm poised carefully on the arm rest. Winry tried to comply with society and so she was fitting Edward for a sleeve today. She was taking measurements when his voice started her.
"Are you replacing the whole thing." He stated stoically.
It wasn't even presented as a question. Winry was confused. She had been visiting Ed year after year to tune up and repair his automail and he had never said so much as two words to her. Her shock was making her tremble.
"Uh... no. I am just fitting you for a sleeve. They are pieces of plastic that cover the automail and make it look more hum..." She stopped mid-word.
Ed was looking directly at her. She suddenly felt very ashamed. She had almost just told him that she was trying to make him look more human. More like something his younger brother was never able to achieve. She felt like dying in his gaze.
"I don't want it." He looked away.
When Edward turned his head, Winry let a tear fall from her eye. It continued down her cheek and landed on Ed's arm. Winry had never been so thankful for automail's lack of feeling. How could she have said something so insensitive to him? Of all the people on the planet, Edo was the one she wanted to hurt the least.
She reached out carefully and tenderly grabbed the back of his head by his pony tail and turned his eyes back towards her as she quickly wiped her cheek.
"Edo, I am really sorry." His eyes were fixed on her again.
The line between his eyebrows was showing and he seemed angry and confused and sad all at the same time.
"Please don't hate me!" She cried out before burying her head on his lap.
Edward opened his mouth as if to speak, but he had no words to say. He took his left hand, his real hand, and brought it to Winry's head. He started to stroke her hair gently. He wanted to say something soothing, something reassuring. But, he had never been good with words. He let the silence build. Little did he know that sometimes silence is the best healer.