Title: Shoehorn You In

Author: S J Smith

Rating: Teen

Summary: Edward wants to welcome Winry home from her master's tests.

Disclaimer: If I had any part of this, I wouldn't wonder if I can pay my bills this month.

Notes: This was written in response to a post on the Dreamwidth community, Fandom Secrets. Yeah, I wouldn't have thought I'd have gotten a prompt from there, either.

Winry groaned as they reached their apartment, luggage spilling out from under her arms almost as soon as Edward had the door unlocked and opened. "Oh, god," she whined, "I just want to get out of these shoes and get comfortable."

Edward moved the bags out of the way. "Go sit down. I'll make you some hot tea." He caught her hand as she started past, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Welcome home."

Smiling at the kiss, Winry patted his chest. "Thanks. I'm glad to be here." She went on down the narrow hall to the tiny living room, moaning as she dropped onto the sofa. The cushions seemed to suck all the will to move from her body and Winry snuggled into them, grabbing one of the pillows and putting it behind her head. The nicked and battered coffee table invited her to throw her feet onto it, and Winry took advantage of the invitation with a comfortable sigh. "My master's tests were horrible," she called.

"Yeah?" Edward half-yelled back. "How'd you do?"

"I guess I'll find out in three weeks." Winry stretched her arms over her head, arching her back until something went 'pop', and sighed in relief. Train rides were still the worst. She'd never understand how Edward and Alphonse traveled all over the countryside on those things without permanent spinal damage. Or at least broken butts.

"How do you think you did?"

"I guess I did all right," Winry said, remembering the questions she'd had to answer about her automail piece and shuddering.

In the kitchen, the kettle whistled, announcing the fact the water was boiled and, a short time later, Edward came into the living room, carrying a tray with two cups, a gently steaming pot, a creamer and a bowl of sugar. He grinned at her, setting the tray on the table, near Winry's feet. "It's some of Al's good tea." She started to sit up but Edward waved her off. "It's not steeped yet, you know that."

"I can hope," Winry whined, and squirmed on the couch.

"Sore?"

"Uh, huh, and tired." Her eyes narrowed a bit as Edward picked one of her feet of the table, beginning to unlace her boots. "What are you doing?"

Edward snorted. "I'd think it'd be obvious." He finished unlacing them, pulling the boot off her foot, then tugging her sock off as well.

"Ed," Winry whined, wriggling her toes.

"Shut up." He picked up her other foot, unlacing that boot, and pulling off that sock, too. Discarding both, Edward ran his index finger up under the arch of her foot.

"Hey!" Winry tried to jerk her foot out of his hand. "That tickles!"

Edward pressed his thumb into her arch, rubbing the bottom of her foot. "How about now?"

Winry moaned, sliding deeper into the cushions. "Ed, that's."

"Amazing? Wonderful?" Edward flashed a wicked grin at her. "Arousing?"

Using her free foot, she poked him in the ribs with her big toe to make him jump. "I'm tired."

"How tired? You know, someone taught me how to give pretty good massages." He pressed both thumbs into her foot.

Winry groaned, head thumping back into the sofa. "Ed," she whined.

"Winry," Edward whined right back. "It's been six weeks. I've been lonely." His hand stroked up her calf, sliding under her dress to rub her thigh. "And it'd be a good way to warm up your muscles."

"And yours?" Winry opened one eye to fix him with it.

Edward shrugged, grinning. "I'm only thinking of you."

"And your blue balls," Winry grumbled.

"I'll still give you the massage," Edward wheedled, squeezing her foot in emphasis.

Winry folded her arms. "Do you think I'm that easily bought?"

"I made you tea and carried half of your luggage home from the train station?"

"You did, didn't you?" Winry wriggled her toes, contemplative. "Well, how can I say 'no' to someone so romantic?"

"Is that a yes?" Edward moved her feet out of his lap to half-crawl over the sofa to Winry. "Please let it be a yes."

Winry slid her hands up his shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss. "It's a yes."

Happy Valentine's Day!