I'm back with a story that is not so angsty as my other one XD. This is for fma43's challenge to write a story centered around the theme 'sacrifice'. Not sure if I was successful or not… I tried to make it humorous P:

Oneshot

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA…;__;

Has some EdWin.

Two golden haired boys sat on the floor of a small room piled with thick books, chatting about complex theories in alchemy like all little boys do, heavy volumes and notes scattered all around them.

The younger one with round innocent golden eyes suddenly said excitedly, "Brother…we should tell Winry about this!" smiling expectantly.

The elder scowled and said huffily, "Why should we? This is men's business; our discoveries are between you and me, Al. She wouldn't understand anyway."

Alphonse frowned, "But Winry's been getting angry at us recently for keeping her in the dark. I really think we should tell her, brother. It wouldn't hurt."

Edward shook his head solemnly, "What we're doing is forbidden, Al. If Winry were to tell Granny, someone would definitely try to stop us! And we can't let anybody do that until we bring mom back!" He punched a fist into the air confidently.

"Well, then you have to promise to let me tell Winry once I marry her! That we needed to keep her in the dark because we were working on bringing mom back."

Ed blinked, his jaw dropping and his cheeks showing a tinge of red, "Since when did you decide to m-marry Winry?" (Al wondered why this was the only part of what he had said that Ed seemed to have heard.)

Al pouted, "Well, brother, your observation skills seem to be missing, as always. Winry's been really sad about how Auntie and Uncle Rockbell have…passed…away…" the child's eyes grew bleary as he remembered the times when Winry's parents had still been alive, the happy memories still fresh in his mind.

But he shook his head to rid himself of the depressing thoughts, and suddenly his head snapped back up, and he stated with conviction, "So that's why I want to make Winry happy again, because I know Granny and mom both said that people are happy when they're married!"

Ed looked away, his eyes narrowing, resting his chin on his knees, "Yeah, I know Winry's been sad…but once we bring mom back, she'll be happy again, so we can't tell her now. And then you won't have to marry her." He added that last part in slyly, giving a resolution and also suggesting that he didn't really appreciate Alphonse marrying Winry.

Al, not getting the hint, said brightly, "Yeah, once we bring mom back, we might also be able to bring Auntie and Uncle Rockbell back, too! And then Winry will be happy, and once I marry her, she'll be even happier!" He smiled innocently, looking as if all the world's problems had been solved.

Ed did a face palm, "Al…" his voice sounded a little choked, "…you don't need to marry Winry."

Alphonse tilted his head curiously, "Do you want to marry Winry, brother?"

Edward's face grew bright tomato red, "N-N-NO! I mean, m-maybe…well – yeah…" his head was shaking furiously from side to side, unable to make up his mind, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Al thought he could hear a muttered 'how did this conversation turn into this…!'

Al sighed, "Brother, make up your mind. If you're gonna marry Winry, just say so. But I'll get to her first!" he was smiling confidently, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Ed finally stood up in indignation, "We're not going to tell Winry about bringing mom back, nor is anyone going to marry her! END OF CONVERSATION." And Al could tell his brother was serious about it this time.

Al pursed his lips, frustrated, but let it slide. For now.

~*~

Three children strolled leisurely down the worn dirt road, having just been released from school.

The girl with the chin-length sunny hair was pouting at the other two boys, "Why won't you guys ever tell me what you're doing? It can't hurt to let me know once in awhile!"

Alphonse looked at her apologetically, "Winry, we–"

"Men's business," Ed cut in quickly, "you don't need to know. You wouldn't understand anyway."

Winry scowled, "That's what you said last time!" She took her chance and scooched closer to Alphonse, "What were you saying Al?" she smiled cheerfully, trying to elicit the information she wanted from poor little defenseless Alphonse by picking up where he had left off.

Al glanced at his brother, "Sorry, Winry, but I'm not supposed to say…" he didn't get to elaborate as Winry leaned closer, still smiling, but her eyes having a gleam of menace in them now, and Al was getting the same feeling from Winry whenever she got angry at Ed and started throwing wrenches everywhere.

"Are you sure you don't have anything to say, Alphonse?" she asked a little too cheerfully, while still achieving a sense of malice about her.

Then Alphonse struck upon an idea that could get him out of this dangerous situation and score him a point against his brother. A creepy grin spread slowly on his face. Ed flinched when he saw the evil gleam in his younger brother's eyes when he turned around to smile at him, and then turn to Winry.

"Well, Winry, I might be able to tell you…if you tell me one thing," He turned back to his brother then, "Brother, how about it? If Winry accepts my proposal instead of yours, I won't tell her about what we're doing, but if she refuses and accepts yours, I will tell her," he smiled; this would be a win win situation for him.

Ed gasped, "Al, how could you?! Such an underhanded trick!" But he was cornered, and he knew it. He ground his teeth in frustration.

Winry, of course, was clueless to what the brothers were talking about, "What proposal?" her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion and irritation. Really, sometimes she really hated it when these brothers spoke in these coded exchanges.

Al turned to her, and this time his smile was the dangerous one, "Winry, would you rather marry me, or brother?"

Winry scowled, not really understanding what this had to do with anything, but still seeming to take it in stride, "Neither of you. I don't like guys that are shorter than me."

Silence. The trio had come to a halt in the middle of the road, and the brothers were staring at Winry. Al was thoroughly disappointed; he hadn't thought that this would be her answer…hmmm, this situation isn't a win win after all.

Ed almost choked on his words, "Sh-sh-short?! YOU SHOULDN'T JUDGE A MAN BY HIS HEIGHT!!" He huddled to the side of the road, wallowing in the depths of despair from the blow to his ego.

Winry was very amused, "Especially you, Ed, you're such a midget. You're the same height as Al even though you're one year older—"

"DON'T CALL ME A MIDGET! I'M NOT SHORT! EVERYBODY ELSE IS JUST FREAKISHLY TALL!!!!" Ed burst out in objection.

"How did this conversation wander onto the topic of height?" Al sighed in the background as Ed continued his tantrum towards Winry about how he wasn't short. Al decided that Winry refusing both of them probably meant that he could say what he and his brother were up to, since technically she still had refused him.

"Say, Winry, you still wanna know what brother and I are doing, right?" Al said loudly, interrupting the two's bickering.

This snapped Ed back to attention, "No, Al! It doesn't count if she refused both of us!"

"Yes, it does," he stated with finality, "I made the deal, and so I get to decide the rules."

Ed was desperate, Winry couldn't find out that what they were doing was forbidden, "Al, don't do this!" and he made a quick decision to move to his last resort, "It's fine Al! You can have Winry! Just don't tell her what we're doing, okay?"It was a sacrifice that Ed had to make, in order to preserve their secret, and he winced as Al smiled in satisfaction, as if he had had this planned since the beginning.

"HEY! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT ME AS IF I WERE AN OBJECT THAT CAN BE POSSESSED! YOU'RE SO SEXIST!" she almost strangled Ed in her anger, hands wrapped like a vice around his neck, shaking him vigorously back and forth.

Ed was finding it hard to breathe, and he barely managed to gasp out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay?! Please– stop– shaking– me!"

Winry harrumphed and consented, having blown off her steam, and finally let go of him. Ed collapsed on the road, panting and clutching his throbbing throat. Alphonse chuckled in the background, satisfied even though the situation hadn't turned out exactly how he had wanted it to.

~*~

Sometime later, the two boys had continued down the winding dirt path, having parted ways with Winry when they had reached her house.

Alphonse turned to Ed, grinning, "Brother, I win this argument again." And Ed turned his head away, scowling.

Al smiled when he thought he heard a muttered, "Shut up."

END

That's all, folks, hoped you enjoyed this very short oneshot. I think I made Al too OOC when he was being evil =.=;;….and I'm not sure I really accomplished making this story centered around 'sacrifice'….but, bleh, I still enjoyed writing this ._.

Hmm…I think this is pretty different from my usual style of writing, I cut back on the descriptions and had more dialogue…

I hope you think this is okay fma43! .