Never Too Late
"Winry, I'm home!" I heard the lazy voice of my childhood friend call from the floor below. Edward was finally home.
"Ed!" I rush out of my workshop, abandoning the scraps of automail I was toying with. I tumble down the stairs, almost scaring Den out of her skin. I jumped the last two steps, scooping up my friend into a big bear hug.
"Hey," he whispered in my ear, breath kissing the back of my neck. I could feel my face going slightly red.
I released him, and looked into his eyes. His beautiful, gold eyes. I could tell he was hiding something, some unknown emotion was lacing his words. His eyes were deep with god-knows-what burden he was carrying this time. It was always like this, even after Al got his body back. Ed would never stay more than a week, Al always by his side. Wait, where was Al?
"Ed, where's Al?" I asked, wondering where Al could have gone. By the creek, maybe?
"Al's back in central, with his girlfriend, Rosa," Ed said dully, as if uninterested. He should be happy for his brother. At least in my opinion.
"So, why aren't you happy for him?" my voice was being taken over with anger, my hand, slowly itching it's way to my back pocket, where I kept my favorite wrench.
"I-I-It's not like I'm not h-happy for him," he said, inching backwards from my wrench-wielding hand, "It's just that he doesn't need his older brother anymore. It's crippling the pain. Winry, I don't know what to do!" he sobbed.
I, Winry Rockbell, was shocked. Edward Elric, the famous Fullmetal Alchemist, expressing his feelings?
I walked up to him, pulling him into a gentler hug this time, trying to comfort him. He pulled me in closer, tears finally breaching the protection of his eyelids as he cried the pain away.
"Winry, Al's going to be a father. Rosa's gonna have a baby. A family, Win," he said between sobs. Yet again, I was shocked. Al was only eighteen.
We stayed like that until Ed ran out of tears to shed, and I offered to make dinner.
---
"Mmmmm… I always loved stew," Ed was rubbing his stomach, delighted after a morale-lifting dinner. It was all jokes, trying to lighten the mood. It worked, I noticed.
"Yup. Even though you still won't drink your milk," I said, staring pointedly at him.
Too happy to start an argument about the disadvantages of drinking milk, he sighed lazily, "I'm going to turn in for the night."
After he left, I worked silently in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes, and feeding Den. Then, felling tired myself, decided to turn in for the night. I walked quietly up the steps, careful not to step on the creaks, as so not to wake Ed.
As I passed his room, I heard quiet sobs, and I paused. I opened the door a crack and there Ed was, shirtless and in his signature blue boxers, curled up in a ball on his bed. I closed the door and knocked. I heard a muffled, "Come in," and saw Ed trying to right himself.
I went to sit beside him on the bed, staring straight ahead as I tried to figure out his sudden change of character.
It was then that I realized his bedroom window was wide open, letting in the cold December air. I got up, and began shutting the window when he spoke.
"Winry, life has gone on without me."
Speechless, I finished shutting the window, and retook my place beside him on the bed.
"I suppose it has, huh," I said realizing it struck the chords of truth. I did move on with my life. And it seems like I left a certain blonde alchemist behind in my wake. I guess I finally got tired from waiting for him. Even unconsciously.
"I guess no one needs me anymore then. I suppose since life has moved on and I haven't, no one would care if I died."
"Ed, don't think like that!"
"No one needs me. Al's got a family now, you're one of the most famous automail engineers there are and I quit the military. What's left for me to do?" Ed explained dryly from his spot on the bed.
"What are you trying to get at, Ed?"
"You all have your lives, complete, whole, while I've been left the shattered remains of mine, and the guilt of committing so many unthinkables. I'm not needed now, nor will I ever be again." He explained. I was stunned. Not needed?
"BAKA!" I shouted, and finally brought my wrench down on his head.
"What was that for?" he screamed, rubbing his sore head.
"Don't you DARE think that no one cares about you!" I yelled, furious at the idiot in front of me.
"But Win, I can't live with the guilt. I came here to say goodbye, for good. I trapped Al in that tin can he called a body, and I hurt you. You waited so long for me, even though I hurt you every time I came home, or didn't come home. All I can do is hurt people!"
"Ed, why would you say this? Is it so bad you want to kill yourself? It'll be alright."
"This world will never be what I expected. After all the mistakes I've made, sometimes, I can't help to think it's too late for me."
I grabbed him by the back of his neck and growled, "It's never too late," I pulled his lips to mine and whispered against them, "It's never too late."