Disclaimer: The FullMetal Alchemist characters used in this fic are the sole property of Hiromu Arakawa. I own nothing, save it be my own plot ideas and original characters.
It's Not That Simple
Prompt: You can't buy love...
A/N: Written for LJ.
As funny as it was that he believed he could "buy" her affections, it was still stupid. But what could she expect? He'd never been one to express his feelings, let alone tell her what the hell he was up to, so how could she expect him to understand the stupidity of his own words? That was what bothered her most. How do you tell the moron you love that he can't treat love like alchemy? Now that he'd finally asked, all she could do was stare at him in shock.
He bit his lip, the way he always did when faced with an uncomfortable situation.
"Why do you always do this?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "Do all alchemists treat everything like some equation? You're an idiot, Edward."
Edward's golden eyes widened as he pulled himself upright. For the umpteenth time, she'd managed to stupify him. One of the few things in life that never got old. She smiled behind her hand, watching as he began toying with the lapels of his jacket, waiting for her to explain. For being such a genius with alchemy, Edward knew squat about how the real world operated. She'd seen him, every so often, trying his luck with alchemy when attempting to fix the roof or replace a broken window.
She'd have to spell it out for him.
"You can't give half and ask for the rest, expecting the final product to be whole, Edward." She smiled, the look on his face having remained unchanged. "You want half my life? Sorry, but that's not going to happen. It's all or nothing, Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist. Take it, or leave it."
Her eyes widened as he laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "You're really something, Winry," he chuckled, picking up his suitcase and boarding the train. "If that's what you want, then it's fine with me."
You idiot, she thought, staring through the windows as he took a seat. You never could just ask for something without making it complicated. I guess if that hasn't changed in two years, then it never will. Maybe when you come back, you'll understand that life's just not as "simple" as alchemy...
I really wish that Arakawa had made an omake about Edward and Winry's lives together. Oh, well. I suppose that's what makes speculating fun.
