"You know, it would be nice if – just once - you could report back to me after a mission without any mechanical issues. It's like the first thing you do after I brief you is bang your arm or leg against a rock. I know how much you love seeing that automail mechanic of yours back home, but the military generally doesn't reward state alchemists with a vacation every time they successfully complete a mission, Ed. I have so much paperwork piled up on my desk, because of you alone, that I couldn't even see you if you stood behind it - not that that would take a whole lot."
It usually didn't take much, especially when it was coming from Mustang, to rile Ed, and Roy's scolding was no exception. In one short monologue, Colonel Mustang managed to annoy, anger, embarrass, and enrage his subordinate – all of which were immediately illustrated as Ed's face flushed bright red at the mention of Winry and Al struggled to subdue his brother when Roy poked fun at his diminutive stature. When the tension in the hospital room subsided a bit, Mustang continued.
"Go to Resembool. Get your arm fixed. Again. Come straight back here afterward. Understood?"
Ed rolled his eyes, reluctantly mustering a response.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it, Colonel. Anything else?"
"Yes," Roy retorted coolly, "say hello to the Rockbells for me while you're there. And be sure to use protection, Fullmetal."
Mustang made his exit with a small chuckle as Edward's face began to glow bright red. He felt like pulling the blanket on his bed over his head to hide his face, but didn't want to draw any more attention to himself - or that subject in particular, for that matter. He tried to calm down, resting his head on the pillow and breathing deeply, and both Ed and Al sat quietly while they waited for the color in Ed's face to return to normal. Al was the first to break the silence.
"Brother," he began timidly, "you know, if you DID feel that way about… uh… Winry…"
He stopped before continuing to push the subject, studying his brother's face to gauge his reaction. Not surprisingly, the color had returned, leaving Ed's head looking like a blond tomato.
"I mean, I know it was just a joke and all," Al stammered, waving his arms apologetically, "but… you can talk to me about things like that. We're family. I just want you to know that, brother."
Al expected Ed to immediately deny the allegations that he had any feelings for Winry at all, let alone romantic ones - like usual – and was taken aback when his brother replied. Though the red in his face had yet to fully subside, Ed's response was surprisingly composed.
"I know, Al. It's just… nevermind."
"Ed…"
Al sighed. He wished that Ed would open up to him but he knew that talking about emotions with someone as stubborn as Edward Elric was like pulling teeth. Silence fell upon the room once more until the hue of Ed's face looked more like his normal skin tone than ketchup. After he calmed down, he propped himself up on his one good elbow and turned to face the bulky mass of armor sitting quietly next to him.
"Well, you heard Mustang. Better go get packed, Al; we'll leave first thing in the morning."
A cool breeze swept across the rolling hills of Resembool, gently swaying the unkempt grass in the midday sun. It felt good on Ed's face as pebbles crunched beneath his feet on the winding, gravelly road that lead to the Rockbell's home. Being here again just felt… right. It was an odd sensation that he didn't quite understand until he saw Winry staring out over the horizon on the balcony. Normally he would have just assumed she was taking a break from her automail work, but she wasn't wearing her usual work clothes. A snug tank top clung to her body, showing her figure, and her miniskirt billowed in the wind, mimicking her golden hair which danced in the breeze and glinted in the sunlight. The jaw of Ed's blushing face dangled loosely until he realized he was rooted to the same spot he'd been in since he first caught a glimpse of her. Slightly embarrassed, he continued on his way to the Rockbell home at a noticeably quicker pace.
Just as Ed was passing the threshold where communication was actually feasible, something… changed. The cool breeze turned into icy, howling winds. The clear skies and bright midday sun were eclipsed with dark, ominous clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder echoed throughout the countryside, destroying the quiet serenity that had existed only moments before. Alarmed, Edward glanced back up at Winry and his heart skipped a beat. A tall man in military garb was standing directly behind her. His expression was serious – angry, even – and the eye patch that usually covered his left eye was gone. Ed tried to scream – to warn Winry – but he found himself unable to speak.
'What's going on?'
His mind raced as he watched in terror as Bradley effortlessly lifted Winry by her neck and wheeled her around into the nearest wall. She tried to scream, but couldn't manage after having the wind knocked out of her. Wrath's hand closed tighter around her neck as he slowly reached for his sword with his other hand. Winry's eyes widened in terror as she realized what was happening.
Ed couldn't move. He was paralyzed and mute, struggling with every ounce of his being to prevent what he was being forced to watch. He wanted to scream. Bradley's sword was out of its sheath now. It was moving closer to her. To her. 'No! No no no,' Ed was shouting in his head now, 'no, God! If you're up there, PLEASE! Not her! Please! NOOOOOOOOO-'
"-OOOOOOOO!"
The scream tore through the night air in the Elrics' room as Ed sat bolt upright in his bed. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, glistening in the moonlight as he panted and struggled to calm himself. When he finally realized he was in his room at Central – that the whole thing was just a dream – he let out a short sigh before realizing that he had just woke up screaming.
'Oh no,' he thought frantically, 'did Al hear?'
As if on cue, Al's metallic body stirred in the corner of the room.
"Was it about Mom again?"
' …Of course he heard, that was loud enough to wake up half of Central and he doesn't sleep.'
"Not this time."
"What's bothering you, then?" Alphonse looked over quizzically as Ed used his good arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"It was... it was about..." Ed struggled to form the words. He could have just said "nothing," like usual, but for some reason he found himself struggling to confide in his brother about something he didn't even completely understand himself.
"...It was about Winry. I don't know, Al, it was just a weird dream - never mind it. I'm going back to sleep; we're getting up early tomorrow to catch the train."
It was just like his dream. From the moment Ed stepped off the train and onto the platform it was all he could think about. The sun sparkled brightly in the clear, blue skies, and the cool spring breeze rolled lazily over the green hills of Resembool. Ed wasn't worried – he knew it was only a nightmare after all – but something, some feeling, from his dream still stirred inside of him. He tried to put it out of his mind as Al helped him retrieve their luggage.
When they finally left the train station and started their walk to the Rockbell home, Ed found himself lost in his own thoughts. Al realized his brother had something on his mind – after all, he'd been trying to get him to talk about it for the better part of the past day – so the two walked in silence nearly the whole way. When they were approaching the top of the last hill where they'd get their first glimpse of Winry's house, Ed's stomach started feeling like millions of butterflies were inside it, flapping their wings frantically as they searched for a way out. He didn't know why, but his nerves were at an all-time high. He even held his breath for the last couple of steps, fully expecting to see Winry waiting on the balcony. When he realized she wasn't there he cursed himself for being so foolish and for getting worked up so easily. With a long, calming sigh, he turned to his younger brother and smiled. "Race you there."
After the ruckus of scurrying metallic limbs and armor died, the two sat on the front porch of the Rockbell home, laughing and breathing heavily.
"I'll give it to you, Al – I don't think I've ever beaten you in a fight, but I think we can both agree I can out-run you."
"Well, if you think about it, my body never gets tired, so even if you can sprint faster than me I can still run longer than you can, brother."
"Ha, good point. Come on, let's get inside and unpack."
It didn't look like anyone was home, so Ed and Al let themselves in the front door and started to make their way up the staircase to their shared room. It may have been a small gesture, but knowing that both Ed and Al always had a room to stay in with Pinako and Winry really did mean a lot to them. The two started unpacking – or perhaps haphazardly throwing their things around the room – until they heard footsteps rushing towards them. Even the noise alone made Ed's heart skip a beat, but when Winry appeared in the doorway, beaming with a broad smile that stretched from ear to ear, he could feel his face getting hot.
"Welcome home!" Hearing Winry's voice made Ed tilt his head downward, hoping that his bangs would sheild his rapidly reddening face from her.
"Thanks Winry!" Al's cheery tone helped to calm Ed a bit, snatching him away from the deep pool of thoughts he was drowning in. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before greeting her.
"Hey, Win- OW!" The wrath with which Winry brought the wrench down on Ed's head knocked him to the floor, and he writhed in pain for a few moments before jumping back to his feet, matching her fiery gaze with one of his own.
"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!"
"LOOK AT YOUR AUTOMAIL! DON'T YOU TAKE CARE OF IT AT ALL? HOW COME EVERYTIME I SEE YOU YOUR ARM IS DANGLING AT YOUR SIDE?"
Al sighed and smiled. Whatever had been bothering Ed, it was gone now; he was back to his old self. Al chuckled as he let himself out of the room, leaving Ed and Winry to scream at one another until they went hoarse.
After several minutes, the shouting finally subsided, though the air was still thick with tension.
"Just fix it, okay?" The annoyance in Ed's voice remained, but the anger had gone.
"Humph." Winry clearly wasn't pleased with him, but she crossed the room quickly, pausing in the doorway.
"Lay down. I'll get my stuff."
As she disappeared from the door frame, Ed walked over to the bed and slipped out of his jacket. Unbuttoning his shirt with only one good hand was a bit of a challenge for him, but after fumbling around with it for a few moments, he managed to get it off. Getting a good look at the condition of his automail for the first time since it had broken, he finally realized why Winry was so upset. The damage was pretty extensive – even by Ed's standards. Slumping down into the bed, Ed let out a sigh as he got into an all-too-familiar position, swinging his broken arm over the table beside the bed for Winry to work on it.
She reappeared moments later, carrying her toolbox with her, and paused once more in the doorway before Ed realized she was back. The sight of him lying there, shirtless, made Winry's heart flutter. She could feel the color creeping into her face as she lowered her head, hiding behind her bangs with slight embarrassment. Before she let herself get caught up in the moment any more than she already had, she quickly crossed the room and set to work on Ed's arm without another word.
The two sat there in silence for the better part of an hour as Winry tinkered with the metallic limb. When she had finally finished, she threw her tools back into her toolbox and closed it with a smile.
"All done, Ed. You're good as new."
"Thanks, Winry." That feeling was back. The feeling from Ed's dream that had been lingering since he stepped off the train platform was consuming him again. He looked over at Winry to meet her smile with one of his own, but when his eyes met hers, he froze. He finally understood. He must have known it before; he must have known it all along, but now he could admit it to himself: he had fallen in love with Winry Rockbell. In that moment, he gazed into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to tell her exactly how he felt, but he was at a loss for words. Winry blushed. She had realized that she'd fallen for Ed long ago, but no matter how much she wished for him to return her feelings, she never actually thought he would.
'This time can't be any different, can it? Of course not – you're just reading into things too much. Ed doesn't like you that way. But… he's never looked at me like that before…'
Winry struggled to regain her composure, breaking the strong gaze the two shared to hide behind her bangs once more.
"Of course, Edward."
She managed another smile as she got up to leave, turning towards the door before something cool lightly grasped her wrist. She looked down, surprised, to see Ed's automail arm holding her in place beside the bed.
"Winry, I…"
Ed struggled to form the words that he wanted so badly to say. It was as if he were back in his dreams, mute and helpless when he was so desperate to talk to her.
Winry's heart was beating frantically in her chest as she turned to face Ed again, inching closer to him.
Suddenly, something stirred within Edward, and he started pulling Winry closer to him. She hopped onto the bed with him as he pulled her in, straddling his body as he moved his hand from her wrist to her waist, pulling her body even closer to his. Winry's heart was thumping wildly now. She was sure he could hear it. All she could do was stare, blushing and wide-eyed as he pulled her close. She was on top of him now. What was going on? Ed was doing this? It felt so surreal! And so… right.
Winry started leaning into him now, lowering her face so that it was just inches from his – inches from his lips. She could feel her face getting hot now and knew she was turning red, but she didn't care. His cool breath tickled as it washed over her, blowing her bangs to and fro.
Ed couldn't believe what was happening – what he was doing. It was almost as if his body was moving of its own accord, acting freely on behalf of his wants and desires. Winry was on top of him. Her lips were so close to his. He could feel her chest pressed against his as she leaned down into him. Ed leaned closer. He paused for one last, brief moment to look into her eyes before closing the distance and pressing his lips against hers.
He heard Winry's sharp intake of breath right before they touched. He could feel her pressing herself closer to him.
She felt like her heart was about to explode. She knew Ed could feel it too now, but she didn't care. She didn't want this to end. It was so… passionate, so… tender. This was the side of Ed that she had always longed to see – that she had always longed to be with – and it was actually happening.
The two remained intertwined, kissing each other passionately, for several minutes before Ed pulled away. Winry followed suit, pushing herself off of Ed's chest and meeting his gaze as she looked at him.
"I love you, Winry."
She tried to choke back the tears, but her effort was in vain as they started streaming down her face, framing her smile. Her voice was shaky when she spoke, but the words still carried absolute conviction.
"I love you too, Ed."
As the tears continued to fall from her face, landing gently on Ed's bare chest, he reached up to her and pulled her into an embrace. His lips were right by her ear now, and he began to whisper to her.
"I told you, Winry."
"You told me what?"
"That the next time I made you cry it would be with tears of joy."