"Aa, home sweet home."
Edward and Alphonse Elric stood calmly on top of the cliff overcoming the small village that had watched them grow up, taking in the diminutive people and houses underneath them with a wide smile on their faces. The wind blew gently at the older brother's red coat, fluttering the long thread of hair coming out of the other's metal head. The sun had risen not two hours ago, yet everyone was already up and running, going on about their businesses just like they remembered. It was such a nostalgic sight that both brothers' hearts experienced a light jolt of anticipation.
"Let's go! Aru!" Ed's fist pumped in the air as he began to stroll determinately down the small hill, the armored alchemist on his tail.
"Hey, nii-san," Al spoke. They were nearing the main road, which remained deserted apart from the occasional farmer leading a horse-pulled carriage or women coming from their vineyards carrying baskets with freshly picked grapes.
"Hmm?" Ed continued to smile at the familiar landscape. More than happy to leave Central and its many problems behind, he was glad to finally be back to the place he had learned to call home. Despite it harbouring memories he would rather forget, Risembool also brought back many good moments he had spent alongside his family and friends. It was a place where he could, for once, relax and not worry about anything other than Winry's wrench. Here, the sky seemed to be bluer and the sun shine brighter. It was a place where he felt safe and cared for. Which was more than he could say for the Central HQ.
"How do you think Winry and Granny will react when they see us?" the younger Elric's small voice had a speck of worry to it, "We never did call to say we were coming..."
"Bah, it will be fine," Ed waved his gloved hand carelessly in the air, "We never call anyways."
"Yes, but we've never been away for so long," the other tried to reason, now sounding unsure, "And you know how upset Winry was the last time."
Oh, Ed knew. The pain of her heavy wrench colliding with his head was enough reminder of their childhood friend's wrath, and he still had a ghost of a bump lingering behind to prove its authenticity. He grumbled under his breath.
He was more than aware of what awaited them at their family friends'. Especially because, as Al had put it, they had been gone for longer than any of the other times. A lot longer. Yet, for the time being, Ed forced himself not to think too much of it. He didn't want that to spoil his good mood.
"Winry is a pain in the ass!" he complained loudly, attracting the attention of a few passersby, as they were now within the local market place. Placing his hands behind his head, he leaned onto them as he scowled to the sky, "She should be grateful that we come to visit her at all."
"Nii-san! That's mean," Al scolded, which caused Ed to merely turn his head away from him with a 'hmph', "Winry is our friend," the younger brother argued, failing to notice that Ed had his attention focused on a golden lock that had fallen to his nose. He attempted to blow it away unsuccessfully, "...She has the right to be mad that we don't come to see her even when we have some free time."
Ed was beginning to feel frustrated about the persistent hair that always returned to tickle his upper lip. He blew more insistently, resembling a pissed off horse.
"We really should try and visit more often," Al continued. Ed blew so hard, the piece of hair went flying to the back of his head. He grinned, satisfied with the result, "It's only when you need her to fix your automail that we stop by."
"Yeah, yeah," Ed interrupted, arching an eyebrow at the clouds moving above them, "It's not like we'd come if we didn't need to, anyway."
"Nii-san!"
"Wha-it's true!" he replied, hotly, receiving a reprehending (or so he imagined it to be) expression in return, "And she could be just a little less rough on us. All right, me. That way we wouldn't..." he stole a glance at the taller male, who was looking down upon him with the same reprimanding aura surrounding him. He emitted a growl, uttering the rest by the corner of his mouth, "...I wouldn't make excuses not to come."
Al sighed heavily, obviously not agreeing with his brother's views, "Nii-san, you're impossible."
"Heh, neh, enough about Winry already!" the other yelled, frustrated, "We're here and that's what matters. If it makes her upset, that's her problem. It's not like we will take any more of her time than we need to, anyway. A couple days and we'll be gone again. Let her deal with our absence any way she wants to. For now, let's enjoy our stay the best we can."
Without waiting for a response, Ed picked up his pace and began to take long strides, his arms accompanying the movement by his side. Al was forced to hurry himself up to keep up with him, his metal junctions jangling along. An urge to roll his eyes at Ed's childish antics was still very much alive as both made their way down the path of stones leading to the Rockbell's household.
Despite his previous offhanded attitude, Ed's features began to twist with apprehension as both he and Al approached the old yellow stoned house peeking at the top of the small hill. What he wouldn't give to have that spirited girl locked away in the basement before they could step foot into the yard. She would slaughter him for sure!
Though, he admitted (to himself, of course), he would probably react the same way if his childhood companions, practically brothers, abandoned him with his only blood-relative and dog, not knowing when they would be coming back. For someone like Winry, so lively, so sociable, it must have been unbearable. Stuck inside that huge house, rarely leaving her room/workshop, amongst tools and oil and automail...
Wait. She couldn't be completely miserable. She might feel lonely once in a while but she loved mechanics. It was her passion. So, really, letting her do what she loved, even though her only friends were gone, was bliss.
At least, that's what Ed tried to convince himself of. It made his chest so much lighter. Yeah, she was definitely doing ok on her own. Besides, she had Pinako, the person she most cherished in the world. And Den, who was like a friend to her. Oh yes, Ed had a complete imaginary set to ease his guilty stomach. And it seemed to work, for as he stopped at the Rockbell's front porch with Al by his side, baggage in hand, everything concerning his and his brother's conversation seemed to have vanished from his mind.
"Granny Pinako!" he howled to the door, his gloved hands cupping his mouth, "It's us, Ed and Al!"
Den began barking inside the house, his threatening roaring turning into friendly cries upon recognizing his voice. Ed smiled despite himself, yet didn't advance any further.
The sunlight showered his features, glowing in Al's polished armor. He had made sure to use the oil Winry had offered him in their last visit before coming here. Buttering her up was always a productive way to escape the blonde's fury. And letting her know that they were taking good care of themselves was one step closer to getting her full comprehension towards their situation.
Ed had managed to keep his automail unharmed for the most part. A few scratches here and there but nothing too serious. They were wholly functional, both arm and leg, if a little too small for him.
A proud grin crawled to his face at the thought: he had actually grown. And without allowing any milk into his system. After so many years enduring being called a 'shrimp' and 'pipsqueak', he was finally tall. His growth spurt, regardless of coming a little too late, had come full force. The several inches he had missed throughout the years were added to his height in an impossibly short period of time. Getting used to the sudden change was less complicated than one could predict: he had waited too long to disregard it now.
Ed had evolved from a 5'5 feet person to one of 6'0. It was still very far from his goal, but it was what an average, healthy eighteen year old male at least should measure. Statistics certainly nagged Ed's ego to no end.
Ha, what would Winry say about that, then? She would be about what, 5'9? He found himself rubbing his hands together in expectancy. She wouldn't be able to find a single thing to point out to him anymore.
"Granny Pinako!" it was Al's greeting that brought Ed back from his thoughts. Only then did he take notice of the elder woman's frame at the door.
She was smoking her trademark pipe, her gray hair held in the usually erected ponytail. From what Ed could see, she was the same as ever. And – the corners of his mouth turned up some more – the same midget of always.
"My, my, if it isn't the Elric brats," she mused aloud, taking a short puff out of the pipe. The dark cloud of smoke ascended in the air, dissolving into nothingness, as she descended the few steps to meet them, Den right behind her. She kept her head low as the distance between them grew shorter, cleansing her oily hands to the white apron tied to her waist absentmindedly.
She stopped a foot away, Den obediently following, tail wagging madly. The loyal animal rushed to the two brothers with utter joy, licking their hands and jumping at Al. Ed gave him a little petting before turning to Pinako. She still refused to regard them, her fingers holding the pipe's bowl steadily as she inhaled the intoxicating substance.
Finally, she looked at Ed, her face blank and contemplative.
This wasn't exactly how he had imagined it to go; Granny had always been quite receptive to their arrival, nothing like her granddaughter. She always welcomed them with open arms... Even if not as warmly as Winry did after having her little fit.
Out of the blue, the elder's face opened in a wide smile, "Welcome home, shrimp."
Al visibly flinched, watching Ed by the corner of his eye. If he had a human body, he would have beads of sweat already forming in his forehead. He was ready to change the subject when his brother made the unexpected: instead of flaring up like a firework on holiday, he simply straightened himself to his full height, grinning down his nose at Pinako. Both Al and Den stood very still, as if unsure whether their movements would trigger something inside the alchemist's cool attitude.
"Would you look at that," Pinako said, slowly, looking him up and down with mild surprise, "The pipsqueak grew up."
"HA!" Ed dismissed his collected demeanor in a flash, sticking his index finger in front of her nose obnoxiously, "Who's the midget now, Granny?"
"Hmph," Pinako easily swatted his hand away with her pipe. Ed cried in pain, cradling it protectively against his chest as a lump started to form where the hard wood had contacted with the bone, "Don't you get all high and mighty. It was about time you put on a few inches."
After giving a warm greeting to Alphonse, she turned on her heel and walked back to the house, a silent invitation for them to follow her. Ed immediately sprung into action, regained from the injury, "It's not just a few inches, Granny! Look, I'm 6'0! I grew 5 inches in two years and five months! How's that, huh?" he was now jumping up and down in front of her, emphasizing the change with his gloved hand above his head.
When she continued to ignore him, he began to get frustrated, "Let's hear how much do you measure!"
"Well, considering I don't have platform boots or a ridicule 5 inch antenna stuck on my head, I'd say I don't measure that much," she countered, calmly. Ed's jaw hit the ground, and he found himself incapable of formulating a response, "Now quit pestering me and go do something useful like chopping wood. We have tons of logs piled up in the back. Make yourself at home."
"Wait!" the fullmetal interrupted, picking up his chin and hurrying to keep pace with her as she headed inside, "I need my automail looked at!"
"How shocking," Pinako replied dryly, not even turning around to face him. She munched quietly on the pipe's mouthpiece, as if meditating about something, "Either way, I have too much work on my hands to deal with you right now, so that'll have to wait."
Al, who had by then joined them at the doorway, stole a curious glance at the older woman. She rarely refused to fix Ed's automail right away, giving him preference over other clients (something which probably had to do with the fact that he paid live cash in the same minute) but she still made a point to always check him before anything else, "What about Winry, Granny?"
"She's not home," were her last words before she disappeared inside the house, "By the way, I made some cookies this morning, in case you're interested. They're in the kitchen, second cupboard on the left. Help yourselves," she called, already deep within the house.
"Oh, yay, cookies," the seventeen year old Elric clapped enthusiastically. His metal body clanked loudly as he followed Pinako inside, eager to dive into the cookie jar.
A gloved hand on his shoulder stopped his actions short, "Hold your horses, Augustus," Ed spoke, his amber eyes fixated on the opened door before them with determination, "Didn't you hear what Granny said?"
"Nii-san... That's exactly where I'm g-"
"I meant about Winry!" the older boy exploded, throwing his hands in the air, "She said Winry's not home!"
"Oh," realization hit Al, and for a moment he forgot about the cookies, "Well, she must have gone to do errands somewhere..."
Ed crossed his arms, looking ponderous, "Winry is always home when we come here. She never leaves that room unless the world's about to end..."
Al frowned mentally as he watched his brother go on about a matter he didn't find especially relevant. But that was Ed for you, always seeing underneath the underneath. Regardless of the risks of his brain detonating in the process.
"I think you're over-analyzing this, nii-san," he opined, scratching the back of his head, "Just because it's unusual of Winry to go to town, doesn't mean she's permanently confined to her working room. She's more than likely done it while we're away."
"Heh," Ed conceded, nodding his head slightly. He pulled at his red coat, dusting the sleeves unnecessarily, "You're probably right. Maybe I am over-analyzing things."
And before either of them could consider each other's points of views further, a familiar feminine voice echoed loudly across the yard, "ARU! EDO!"
Both boys turned around to see the subject of their conversation walking along the pebble trail leading to the house, waving enthusiastically at them with a small plastic bag dangling from the crook of her arm. Ed was forced to place his hand against his forehead, shielding his sensitive eyes from the strong sunlight.
"Winry!" Al exclaimed. He waved back at her, a content laugh escaping his metallic jaw.
Ed almost smiled at the sight of their childhood friend: her blonde hair was loose and flowing freely in the breeze, long and glowing like she rarely allowed it to be. A pale pink summerdress swirled around her skinny knees, which due to her work clothes and rare sunlight exposure appeared unnaturally whitish. Her slightly more tanned arm cradled a large cloth bag to her chest, which Ed could only presume to contain a bunch of sparkling new tools.
Winry picked up her pace, assuming a light jog as she began approaching the stone wall enclosing hers and her grandma's property. Her hand fumbled with the bag in her hands.
Ed inwardly flinched, bracing himself for the impact of a shiny wrench against the side of his head. He was sweating profusely, his teeth barred and his brows knitted together so tight a fine vein was pumping in the centre of his forehead. He pleaded to whichever God was out there watching over him to spare him from one of his childhood friend's violent blows, but without much hope that this God would listen to him. His lack of faith over the years would for sure influence the Almighty's decision in protecting an infidel.
Ed was so absorbed into his own cowardice that he failed to notice Winry already standing before his own two eyes. That is, until he opened them. Something he would regret later on.
The fullmetal slowly looked up at his mechanic, searching for any signs of truce present in her. Yet his vision didn't make it to her face at all. His eyes fell upon a bundle of wrappers, which he had previously mistaken for a 'cloth bag', resting in the crook of her arm. From the inside, he could glimpse a tiny, rosy face and an equally tiny pair of rosy hands. Two fair lashes opened, revealing large blue orbs peeking curiously up at him.
It wasn't machinery supplies.
"Ed?" Winry asked, watching her friend with apprehension dawning into her once cheerful features. His eyes had widened like saucers, the words intermittently forgotten in the tip of his tongue.
"Ed?" the blonde female's voice seemed impossibly far away. Oh, he was doomed...
"NII-SAN!"
And the last thing Ed saw was darkness.
A/N: Ok, so here's a cliffy... Sorry about that! First chapter of a story I began to write out of the blue... See how it goes ^^ Please review if you want me to continue. I will be working on some other projects but if I get enough feedback I might as well give this one piece a bit more attention. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames will also be accepted since it's been so cold and because Christmas spirit is in the air =)