AN: This is set after the ending of the manga - Al has his body back - yet Ed's taken to wearing his red coat combo again. because this girl likes it.
Rated M for sexual themes and violence although there's nothing really that explicit.
This was inspired by the 2008 film Taken, btw!
T a k e n
It was normally her that saw him leaving, not the other way around.
And yet here he was, Edward Elric with his red coat swirling by his ankles, watching as her sunny smile and matching hair waved to him from a distance, bags by her feet and awaiting train by her side.
It was a weird feeling. He felt a certain overprotectiveness begin to spring up in his chest, growing with each hastily-taken step that he took towards her, until finally, he felt like a volcano waiting to explode.
His mechanic didn't seem to notice.
"Ed! I'm so glad you're here- have you seen Paninya? She ran off somewhere!" Her excited babble almost calmed him down, a sad smile aching across his face.
That was at least one thing; she wasn't going alone. He knew that her and Paninya had become good friends now, and they could watch each others' backs.
"Ed?" He froze, realising that he was still standing there, caught off guard.
"Oh, uh… No, sorry. I don't know where she is." He stretched his face again in an attempt to be convincing.
Instead, he only got those blue eyes of hers, searching his.
"You're worried… Why?" Her tone almost made him laugh- she sounded as concerned as he was! He wasn't the one gallivanting across the desert to an entirely unknown country…
Guilt stung uneasily at him, his fists clenching. He was such a hypocrite. After all, wasn't he the one who had spent the last few years running off everywhere, leaving her behind?
"Edward!" The blond flinched as he found that he'd been lost in his own thoughts again, forcing himself to concentrate.
"Don't yell at me!" He hastily carried on as she opened her mouth for a retort. "I just want you to stay safe. Okay? Both of you."
The answer made her irritation fade from her face and Winry smiled.
"We'll both be fine. We're grown up, remember? Not little kids anymore. Stop worrying so much!"
It was almost an automatic reaction for her to reach out and touch his arm, the one made renew – but it still sent tingles up his spine. The feeling of her fingers…
It was only because it had been automail for so long. Right? Right.
"Uh- of course. Just still be careful- you shouldn't be too long anyway, my leg might get messed up- or something." Ed babbled out a reply whilst his hand patted at her gently, forcing himself not to grab her hand and entwine those fingers of hers with his.
For a moment it was all too tempting but then her touch was slipped from his and he found himself comforting only air for a few seconds.
"You better not do anything to it!" Anger flashed over her face before wisping into light happiness again. "It's okay. We'll only be a week or so- promise."
Promises. That brought up memories – all the promises he'd made her, sometimes unspoken, sometimes unkept…
But there was something in her voice that told her childhood friend that he could trust her to keep her promises. Because Winry was just that kind of person.
Relief flooded into his chest and a proper smile finally found it's way onto his face.
"Alright. I'll see you soon."
His blonde mechanic nodded and her back inclined slightly to scoop up her luggage- then she stopped.
He was engulfed in her before he could even speak; her arms wrapped tightly round his neck and one hand buried only slightly in his hair, warmth ebbing into his cheeks.
Then his arms clutched at her waist and time seemed to stop- and start again, all too quickly.
"Winry! We need to get going-!" Paninya's voice floated over from in front of him and Ed's eyes shot open, pulling away from Winry like he'd burnt her, face flaming.
He prayed that neither of them would say anything – he didn't feel like his embarrassment levels could take it - but Winry only turned and picked up her bags; and for once, Paninya stayed silent, her eyebrows only giving away that she'd noticed something.
"See you soon, Ed! Look after your automail- oh and say bye to Al for me too!" Her hand raised in a wave as she boarded the train, her eyes locked in his- and then, all too soon, she was gone.
Edward Elric stayed and watched the smoke fade into the distance before he turned and steadily started to make his way back, hands in his pockets and mind deep in thought.
Winry watched as the train station faded out of sight before she leant back, closing her eyes against the breeze flooding in at the window, attempting to sort out her mind.
Excitement was bouncing around in her chest – she was going to Xing, of all places! Where she could discover the mechanics of new cultures and meet new people, try new things! – yet… part of her couldn't help but feel guilty as those golden eyes of his flashed in front of her face, full of worry.
She couldn't really understand why Ed was so concerned – it wasn't like this was her first time away from Resembool or anything, she'd spent the last few months working in Rush Valley. And she wasn't going alone- Paninya was about somewhere, most likely harassing someone about getting food or something – but she was loyal enough not to leave Winry lost or anything.
And why did she feel guilty? Didn't Ed deserve to know what it felt like, standing there whilst you watched someone you cared about deeply, travelling off into the unknown? Hadn't she done that so many times that she couldn't even count?
Somehow, she didn't think so.
The seat opposite her creaked and made her jump, glancing up to find Paninya's bright eyes studying her carefully.
"You've got the tickets, right Win?" Her tanned hand gestured into the air and Winry nodded, angling herself so she could reach her bag and pull out the two pieces of paper carefully.
"Got them!" Her force of habit took over as she straightened the tickets out, studying them.
She must have been pretty lucky to win that competition; for one, it was the easiest question ever – what are the standard metals for winter automail – and it was held in Rush Valley, the home of practically every single automail engineer alive! She was sure that probably the entire population had entered that competition, yet she'd won- two tickets for a train to Xing with paid accommodation and everything.
At first, she hadn't known who to pick to take with her. Her mind had flashed to Ed and Al – she was sure they could pay for themselves – but something had stopped her. She knew that they were planning to go to Xing one day anyway and she was sure that they wouldn't want to go the same places as her. Ed wouldn't even set foot near a beauty spa and would spend all of his time in the nearest library – and although she was sure that Al was up for anything, she knew that he'd want to visit Princess Mei sometime and part of her didn't want to interrupt that. Their relationship was private – despite the fact that it made her smile knowingly inside.
There were the people in Rush Valley – her friends - but then Paninya had discovered the tickets and she couldn't exactly say no as her friend babbled on about how she'd always wanted to go to Xing and explore and stuff- so that was it. Decided. They were off on a holiday, the both of them.
The train whistled overhead and Winry smiled, pushing all thoughts of Ed and what she was leaving behind out of her head for another time. Onwards to Xing!