Thank you for the reviews, they really made my day. I hope everyone's a fan of long chapters because it looks like this whole fic is going to be comprised of long chapters.
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Winry wiped the sweat off her forehead as she stuck the stick of molten hot metal into a bucket of water. Swords weren't a particular favorite of Winry's but nobody in this town could make stronger material for it than her. Right now, her grandmother and her were smelting a sword for a courier who wanted to be able to defend himself. Outside, Ed and him were somewhere talking about places that they each had traveled to. They worked wordlessly, performing each step together like it was some synchronized dance; there was no need for words. About halfway through the work Pinako suddenly spoke up.
"Winry can I talk to you?"
Winry looked up to see her grandmother putting down the scabbard that would eventually come with the sword.
"Yes Granny, of course." She answered.
Pinako was serious as she looked Winry straight in the eyes. "I need to talk to you about Edward."
"What!?" Winry's eyes widened. Why did she want to talk about Ed? Had he done something wrong? Did Granny want to send him away?
"I'm not firing the pipsqueak if that's what you're worried about." Pinako said. "I need to talk about something else."
"What is it?" Pinako now had Winry's full attention. Winry sat down on the bench, waiting for her grandmother to begin talking.
After a moment of silence Pinako started speaking, "I want to talk about you and Ed."
"Errrrrrr….what?" Winry had no idea what was going on.
Pinako sighed, this was going to be a lot harder than she had originally thought.
"Winry." She said simply. "Describe your relationship with Ed."
"My relationship with Ed?" Winry asked confused.
"Mmmhmm." Pinako confirmed in deadpan tone.
"Uhhh...well...Ed and I...we..are..friends." Winry stammered out.
"Friends?" Pinako raised an eyebrow.
"Well what the hell do you want me to say? What is this Granny?" Winry stood up defensively.
"Settle down kid, I just want to know how dumb the two of you are." Pinako shook her head.
"Dumb!?" Then it hit Winry. Suddenly it all made sense; the questions, the sarcastic responses. "Are you asking if Ed and I are romantically involved somehow? If so then I can tell you right now that we aren't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't have feelings for him." Winry snapped.
"Why not?" Pinako asked, not convinced in the slightest.
"Because…" Winry paused to think. What was wrong with Ed? He had a temper, but that was hardly a problem for her anymore. He wasn't very tall, but that was just being picky. Other than that there wasn't really anything she could say to Pinako that could qualify as an answer.
"It-it's Ed! Why would I have feelings for Ed?" Winry said exasperated.
"Well I could think of a few reasons." Pinako smirked at Winry's mortified reaction to that. "One, he's actually kind of cute for a little guy. Two, he's pretty handy around the house. Third he's a good person who cares about other people. And fourth, and most importantly, he treats you with the respect that you deserve."
Winry opened her mouth to reply but couldn't come up with anything to counter her grandmother's claim. She looked down at her feet for a moment before looking back up at Pinako. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked quietly.
Pinako's face softened and she had a gentle smile on her face. "I'm just looking out for my granddaughter...do you have feelings for Ed?"
Winry bit her lip as the question bounced around in her head.
"I already know you find him attractive." Pinako said, Winry's head snapped up at that remark.
"How?"
"I saw you staring at his ass the other day."
"WHAT!" Winry screamed as her face turned tomato red.
"I'm just kidding." Pinako laughed "But thanks for confirming that."
If anymore blood traveled to Winry's face, the rest of her body would probably shrivel up.
"OK! I have feelings for Ed! Happy?" Winry yelled, then quickly covered her mouth having realized what she had just said.
"Quiet down, you don't want the shrimp to here you, do you?" Pinako shushed her.
An awkward silence filled the room as Winry and Pinako stared at each other, Winry too horrified to speak and Pinako choosing her words carefully.
"Winry, I need you to be careful with this." Pinako spoke gently.
"What do you mean?" Winry asked suddenly concerned.
"How long do you think Ed is going to stay here?"
Winry frowned at the question. How long was Ed going to stay here? Why was he even staying here at all?
"I don't know." she said in almost a whisper.
Pinako sighed, "Ed's a very private person. He's been here for months and we know very little about him. Where he comes from? What things does he hope to achieve in his lifetime? Does he have a family that he's planning to return to eventually? Really, if tomorrow he said he was heading out by the end of the day, I wouldn't be shocked. Ed's a traveler, I've seen his kind a thousand times. One day they act like they're here to stay and the next they're practically knocking down the door on their way out. The thing is you never know with people like that. Once some people get the sense of adventure in them they can't stay in the same place for too long. Your grandfather was that type. One day he was here and the next he was gone, leaving me to raise your father by myself. I had no warning and no way to deal with it. All I could do was limp on because I had Urey to care for. Now Ed may be different. He might stay, but he also might go, you don't know. You can't blame people who are like that and you can't control them either. All you can do is make the smart decisions while you can."
Winry absorbed these words in silence. When Pinako was finished she finally spoke up.
"Why did you just drill me on having feelings for Ed and then pull the rug out from under me?" Winry asked looking at her feet.
Pinako walked over to Winry and took her hands, giving them a comforting squeeze. "As I said, I'm looking out for my granddaughter. I want you to be happy and I believe that Edward could make you happy. But I don't want you to have your heart broken by something you have no control over. I don't want to see that happen to you too."
Winry blinked as she felt tears pricking at her eyes. Pinako pulled her into a hug. Winry felt the tears slide down her cheeks. "Winry, what do you feel for Ed?" Pinako spoke softly.
"I-I-I don't know. I have feelings for Ed, but it's not just…" Winry trailed off, unsure of how to describe what she was trying to say.
Pinako smiled, "Then follow your heart sweetie. Just be safe. Ok?"
"Ok" Winry smiled back. Exhaling, she sat back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Why am I even crying?"
"I'd blame your mother. She cried the first time I told her about your grandfather. Take the rest of the day off, I'll finish this toothpick."
Winry nodded and stood up to leave. She was still wiping away some extra tears as she exited the smithy, passing Ed as he was coming in. Noticing her tears, Ed paused to look at Winry's retreating back, then to Pinako, and then back to Winry.
"Is she ok?" Ed asked concerned.
"She's fine." Pinako jumped off the bench she was sitting on. "Now if you want to make yourself useful, grab that leather on the shelf, Well hurry up! I'm not getting any younger."
"I would never have guessed?" Ed muttered to himself as he got to work.
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Later that day, Winry was watching Ed as he sat on a stump, staring into the distance. The sun was setting so the sky was right now a brilliant contrast of pink and yellow. The stump was situated on the top of a hill that was right in the middle of their property.
'What is he thinking about?' Winry though the as she watched him. 'Could he be thinking about his home?'
After her conversation with Pinako, Winry had been thinking about the points that had been brought up. Winry understood that her grandma was simply looking out for her and didn't want her to get hurt. Despite that, she really did have feelings for Ed. When granny had asked her about it, Winry hadn't been able to give an actual answer.
'I wanted to say that what I feel is more than just a crush. But what does that mean?' She thought. 'I want Ed to stay here with me and yes, I'd be crushed if he left. So what exactly do I feel for him?'
It was meaningful, more meaningful than anything else she had ever felt in her life, but that also scared her. This was stepping into a realm that she had no experience whatsoever existing in. Going down this path meant leaving behind what she was comfortable with and going into the unknown.
Winry found herself walking over to where Ed was sitting. He turned his head in her direction as she neared him and gave her a smile.
"Hi." Winry gave a small wave as she came to a stop next to the stump.
"Hello." Ed looked back at the sun. "Nice evening isn't it?"
"Yes it is." Winry pulled up her skirt a little so she could comfortably sit down on the ground.
"Oh!" Ed stood up after seeing Winry sit down "If you want to sit down, you can have the stump if you want."
"No, I'm fine. But thank you." Winry smiled at him from the ground.
"Ok, if say so." Ed looked unsure for a moment and then sat down next to her on the ground. Winry raised an eyebrow at him and he just shrugged.
A comfortable silence enveloped them as they enjoyed the pleasant breeze that blew across the hill they were on.
"Hey Ed?" Winry asked looking sideways at Ed.
"Yeah." Ed continued to stare lazily into the distance.
"Do you have a family?"
Ed looked at her with a surprised expression on his face. When he didn't immediately respond, Winry began to regret asking the question.
'Aarrgghh! Why did I just ask such a personal question out of the blue?' She berated herself. 'What's wrong with me.'
Before she could berate herself any further Ed finally spoke up. "No, not really." He seemed somewhat somber.
"What do you mean?" Winry hoped she wasn't being too nosy.
"I lived with my mom for most of my life, but she got sick when I was about 8 and died just after I turned 9. After that I started traveling around on my own, going from place to place."
"Oh." Winry felt bad for bringing this up. "I'm so sorry."
"It's old history." Ed still seemed a little solemn. "Don't worry about it."
"What did you mean when you said 'not really?" Winry wondered.
"I had a father, but he left shortly after I was born and he took my younger brother with him."
Winry raised an eyebrow, "You have a brother?"
"Somewhere I guess." Ed shrugged. "I don't remember him or my father or know either of their names, so I suppose I don't really have a family."
"I'm sorry, that must be hard." Winry said sympathetically.
"Oh it's okay, it's doesn't bother me anymore." Ed spoke sincerely.
The two of them were silent for a moment before Ed asked curiously,
"Why did you ask me if I had a family?"
Winry blushed lightly, "I was curious, you've been here such a long time. I just wondered if somewhere you had a family to get back to."
That got Ed thinking. It was true that he once planned on leaving, but things were different now. He had a very big reason to stay and no reason to leave. 'But what's the use, she probably still thinks I'm an annoying asshole.' He thought sadly. 'She'd probably want some handsome prince or a knight in shining armor.'
Still he had no reason whatsoever to leave. When he had first set out after his mother had died, he tried finding his father and brother. But years of dead ends and strangers shaking their heads had strayed him from that mission. 'What is out there that I could possibly find? I get food and shelter here, and there's...Winry.' Just thinking her name made him smile. 'Winry makes me genuinely happy. So yeah, I guess leaving really isn't an option for me.'
Winry couldn't keep it in any longer so she blurted it out. "How much longer are you going to stay here?" She squeaked and covered her mouth. 'Why can't I keep my damn mouth shut these days?'
Ed was taken aback by the question then felt slightly hurt, "Do you want me to leave?" Was that why she brought up his family? Was she looking for an easy way to tell him he was fired. Despite his earlier decision about not leaving, if she didn't want him here any longer he would leave. He'd do anything for her, even if it meant he had to leave.
Winry gasped and shook her head frantically, "NO! I don't want you to go. I uh-I just wanted to know if you were planning on leaving?"
Ed looked solemn, he was unconvinced. "If you want me to go Winry, I'll go."
"No that's not what I want!" Winry nearly screeched.
"Then what are you asking?" Ed asked. He was starting to get impatient.
Winry muttered something under her breath that Ed couldn't hear.
"What?" He asked.
"I..I..uh" Winry swallowed hard, then suddenly shot to her feet, startling Ed, and bolted towards the house. Not looking back until she was well out of sight for Ed.
'What the hell was that?' He thought, confused and a little hurt.
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Winry avoided Ed for the rest of the evening. When Ed was in the house, Winry was in the smithy. When Ed ventured out to the smithy, Winry had gone to feed the horses. After he looked for her out in the fields, he found out she'd gone back to the house. She ate dinner early and wasn't at the table, by then Ed had had enough. Right after dinner he found himself standing outside her door.
He knocked on the door. "Winry, it's me."
"Go away!" He heard from the other side of the door.
'What could I have done to upset her this much?' Ed thought.
"At least tell me what I did?" he asked.
There was silence on the other end and Ed's patience had run out. "I'm coming in Winry." He warned before opening the door.
His eyes scanned the room until they landed on Winry. She was laying on the bed with her face in a pillow. Ed's anger softened and he cautiously approached her. He sat down on the bed and put on hand on her shoulder.
"Winry, what's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing." Her muffled voice came through the pillow.
Ed growled, "Come on, just tell me already."
Winry turned her head so she was resting her cheek on the pillow, looking at him with those blue eyes. "It's you."
"Me?" Ed said bewildered. 'Shit, what did I do.'
"Yes dummy, you! I can't stop thinking about you. Everyday all I can think about is you, Edward Elric, and it's driving me crazy!" Winry turned her face back into the pillow. "But please don't go Ed, I couldn't bear it if you left me."
Ed's heart was pounding and an indescribable feeling was filling his chest, 'Is she saying what I thinks she is.' He thought hopefully.
"Winry? What are you saying?"
Winry let out a loud muffled groan into the pillow. She sat up suddenly and turned to look Ed directly in the eye,
"Ed I-I love you."
At this she looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Scared for any kind of rejection that he might throw at her. She was surprised when she felt his hand tilting her chin up. Her azure eyes met his golden ones and what she saw almost took her breath away. Ed had the happiest smile that she had ever seen on another person, and his eyes seemed to be clouded by something. It wasn't like the time in the smithy where his look had startled her. Right now the way Ed was looking at her was filling her with warmth and she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Ed gently cupped her cheek. Winry's breath caught in her throat as Ed leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
Ed couldn't believe what was happening! Winry, the woman he was hopelessly in love with, had just told him the she loved him and he was kissing her! It was everything he thought it would be and more. She tasted so sweet, and her lips were so soft. 'Oh god if this keeps up, I might have a heart attack.' He thought as he continued to move his lips against hers.
Winry had yet to respond to the kiss, as she was no doubt still reeling from the flood of emotions going through her head. Ed kept kissing her, gently running his hand through her hair, trying to coax her into enjoying the kiss. Winry snapped out of her stupor and began to kiss Ed back enthusiastically, much to his delight.
'Oh my!' she thought, 'I'm kissing Ed. But wait, what does this mean?' Winry pulled back from the kiss, panting. Before she could speak, Ed beat her to it.
"I love you Winry, I have for a long time."
That was all Winry needed as she smiled brightly before pulling Ed back into a another mind numbing kiss. The two of them fell back onto the bed, their mouths still connected in a sensual dance of tongues and lips. Ed, laying on top of her, began running his hands up and down her body; venturing to all of the places that had teased and enticed him. His hands set her skin on fire and she welcomed his touch.
His traveling hands caused Winry to moan softly and arch her back, breaking the kiss. Undaunted, Ed began kissing and sucking at the soft, perfect flesh on her neck. The sounds she was making were music to his ears. Winry, eyes closed in bliss, whimpered and exposed her neck to give him more access while her own hands began exploring his body. As the two groped each other insatiably, Ed moved down her neck to where it meet her shoulder, leaving love bites in his wake as he started running his tongue across her flesh causing her to whimper softly. Soon it was Ed's turn to moan as Winry began nibbling on his ear. Both of their minds were clouded by compassion and lust. Ed stopped his assault on her neck to kiss her lips again as his right hand grazed her left breast. Winry stilled for half a second then took his hand in hers and placed it on her breast, giving him a smile and an affirmative nod. Groaning, Ed began to gently knead the soft mound of flesh in his hand while his other slid under her to cup her magnificent bum. All the while he continued to kiss her with as much passion as he could muster.
Due to their activities Winry's skirt was riding high on her thighs and she wrapped her left leg around his hip, pressing them together. Ed's hand left her bum to run along her smooth leg. Suddenly Ed's mind began to clear from the lust when he felt himself digging into her inner thigh. 'Wait-wait is this moving too quickly? Shouldn't we at least talk about this before we go there?' Sighing in annoyance at his own thoughts, he reluctantly broke the kiss with Winry and pulled his head back.
Winry whined in protest and tried pulling him back to her lips. Ed grabbed her hand in his, "Wait Winry, think about where this is going?"
"Don't you want too?" She asked innocently.
"Hell yes I want to, it's just uh...I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Who said you were taking advantage of me" she flashed a seductive smirk.
Ed almost felt his nose bleed, when did she get so damn sexy? "I just don't want to do anything that we may regret." He said as he sat up on the bed and moved away from her. This helped Winry's mind clear as well and she realized that Ed was right.
"Ok, maybe you're right." Winry huffed and sat up, resting her back against the headboard. "We did kind of jump right into it." She tried to keep her face from blushing.
"I guess." Ed's face had gone red from the embarrassment. Winry's had too, but she also looked troubled. "Hey, what is it?" He asked cupping her face.
"So did you mean it? When you said you loved me?" Winry asked, her azure eyes big and innocent.
"Yes." Ed said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
"Well...good." Winry blushed, "I meant it too."
"I know." Ed smiled. A moment of silence fell over the two as they stared into each other's eyes before Winry looked down.
"So what happens now?" She asked shyly.
"What do you mean?" Ed asked.
"How is this" she referenced herself and Ed with her hand. "Going to work?"
Ed inhaled. "I don't know. I'm not leaving you, that much I know." As he said this he moved himself so that he was sitting next to Winry against the headboard.
Ed paused for a second then exclaimed "Oh Shit!"
"What?" Winry startled.
"Your Grandmother! What are we going to do about her?"
Winry smiled, "Relax Ed, she already knows." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"How can she..?" Ed was confused.
"She talked to me the other day. She guessed that I had feelings for you and gave me a warning."
"Was that why you were asking all those questions earlier?"
Winry nodded, then her eyes drifted to something still prominent in his lap. "Uhh Ed?
"Yes?"
"You...still have a situation there" Winry looked away blushing as she pointed.
Ed paled as he looked down and saw that he was still going strong in the hard-on department.
"Oh shit" He covered himself with his hands.
"It's nice to know I have that effect on you." Winry smirked.
"You have no idea." Ed muttered under his breath.
"So you told me we should stop because it wasn't the right time?" Winry asked
"Yeah."
"Is there ever a right time?"
Ed thought for a moment. "Whenever we think we're ready. I won't force you to do anything that you're uncomfortable with."
Winry bit her lip. "Have you ever...done it?"
"Yes." Ed said after a pause.
"Oh." Winry said quietly.
Ed looked at her. "Are you a virgin, Winry?"
She nodded her head nervously.
'He was probably hoping for a woman with experience. What if I'm no good, I don't know anything about pleasuring a man.' She thought pessimistically.
Ed could see her troubled thoughts written on her face. The woman with whom he had slept with before had meant nothing to him, so at the time he hadn't felt the need to prove anything. Even with his experience he was worried about disappointing Winry. A woman's first time, anyone's first time really, was a very special moment. During his previous encounter his partner had seemed to enjoy it, but she could very well have been phoning it in.
"Hey." Ed took Winry's hand in his. "Just because I've done it before doesn't mean I'm some kind of a expert or that I'm even any good. Don't feel like you have to live up to anything. And besides." Ed smirked mischievously, "From what I saw a few minutes ago you'll be fine."
Winry blushed a dark red, "Shut up." She mumbled.
Ed's grin widened as he decided to tease her more, "No I mean it, you were really getting into it. I would never have guessed you were such a hellcat in bed." He whispered in a husky voice.
"Ed, please stop." Winry whined.
Ed chuckled and kissed Winry on the forehead. She huffed and turned away from him but he knew she wasn't angry at him.
"Winry?"
"Yes?"
"Can I stay here tonight? In your bed, just sleeping" Golden eyes once again meet azure.
"Just sleeping?" Winry raised an eyebrow.
"Just sleeping." Ed confirmed.
Winry smiled brightly, causing Ed to feel warm inside. "Ok."
"Great." Ed smiled as he repositioned himself so that he was under the covers; he held up the blanket for Winry to join him. Winry happily scooted next to Ed and laid down comfortably as Ed wrapped his arms around her, her head resting on his chest. Ed smiled, ever since his mom died he had been traveling from one place to another. He never stayed in one place for too long. But this was different, 'I feel at home here, at the Rockbell home. For so long I was looking for my family, but I think I found something better' He tightened his grip on Winry, loving the feel of her in his arms. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, enjoying her pleasant scent. She made him feel complete and he was never going to let her go.
"Hey Ed?" Winry spoke after a few minutes.
"Yeah"
"What about your little problem?"
"Oh yeah." Ed said awkwardly as he pushed off from Winry. "Um, give me a moment." He got off the bed and left the room. The door closed and there was silence for a few moments before Winry heard Ed shout.
"WAIT! LITTLE?"
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In the following weeks, Ed and Winry discovered that being in love didn't really change how they acted. They still bickered and fought over the smallest of things. But there was now a playfulness to their spats. For Ed and Winry the following weeks passed in complete bliss. They often acted like love sick children, much to the annoyance of Pinako. She accepted their relationship, but kept an eye out for any funny business.
At the moment they were on their way back to the house. Winry laughed as Ed continued to struggle with carrying the sack of horse feed and mechanical tools that they had bought at a market in Resembool. Recently they had been short on money but the vendor had given them half off for fixing his stand.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Winry skipped next to Ed as he trudged along the road leading back to the house.
"I'm fine. But if you want to buy some more useless junk, I think my left shoulder isn't totally dislocated." Ed grumbled.
Winry laughed again and gave Ed a kiss on the cheek. "By the way it isn't useless. This is our livelihood. How else are we supposed to put food on the table."
"Buy a pack mule." Ed grumbled, but smiled none the less.
When they reached the house Ed dropped all of the weight off his shoulders and fell to the ground with a tired groan.
"Don't be so dramatic." Winry rolled her eyes, looking down at him with her hands on her hips.
"I'm not." Ed weakly protested. "My back was telling me to collapse like a dead goat. I had no objections, so why not?"
Winry sighed, but smiled anyway. Suddenly both their attention was grabbed by Pinako shouting.
"Well why don't you take the whole damn house!"
Ed and Winry watched as a tax collector came stumbling out of the house, carrying a bag of whatever he had collected.
"Sorry ma'am" The man said as he barely ducked a spoon that was flung at him. "But this is the king's tax."
"Well shove it up your ass!" Pinako shouted.
Ed and Winry stared, unmoving, as the scared man ran past them and down the street without looking back. They both turned to Pinako who looked at them, having calmed down considerably. "Well don't just stand there, get that equipment into the smithy".
Ed let out a long-suffering groan as he dragged himself to his feet and started picking up what he had just put down. Winry grabbed a good chunk of it too, receiving a thankful smile from Ed.
"What did they take this time Granny?" Winry asked.
"Just some schillings I was saving for a rainy day" Pinako grumbled, "Damn that King and his blood money."
"You know" Ed trudged past as he carried the now lighter load. "From what I hear the King is too busy trying to remember what his name is to lead a nation. It's his stinking son that's raising all the taxes."
"What does that brat need more money for? The chair he eats breakfast on is worth more than our house." Pinako headed into the door.
"I heard it was for the military." Winry added.
"Oh great" Pinako humorously laughed. "That's just what we need another fuckin war!"
"Apparently he keeps going on about the dangers of Creta." Winry continued after placing the horse feed down. "That we need to prepare ourselves for an inevitable attack."
"That's horseshit" Pinako took a swig of ale. "How do you know about that by the way?"
"The last tax collector was very talkative." Winry said. The last collector had tried flirting with her until Ed chased him off.
"Well it has nothing to do with us." Ed came back in from the back door before looking at Winry. "Hey Win?"
"Yes Ed?" Winry perked up.
"The smithy door is sticking again."
Winry let out a loud groan. "How many times do I need to fix that damn thing? I'll be right back."
Ed snuck in a kiss to the forehead as Winry passed him and a quick smack on the bum, causing her to punch him lightly in the shoulder. Ed watched her leave and then turned to Pinako suddenly solemn.
"How much longer can we keep this up?" He asked.
"If you're referring to the smithy, then my answer to you is forever." Pinako took another swig.
"I checked the extra shillings we had stashed under the stairs. It's almost empty." Ed argued.
Pinako shrugged, "It's been a slow couple of months."
Ed narrowed his eyes. "You know it's more serious than that!"
"Well what do you insist we do about it?" Pinako snapped
Ed went quiet and looked at the ground.
"Is there a reason why you didn't want Winry to be in here while we had this conversation?" Pinako looked Ed straight in the face.
"I, uh, I was thinking about leaving." Ed's eyes went to the ground.
Pinako's face remained emotionless, but her eyes were blazing with potential fury.
"We need the money." Ed continued, "And I know some guys far away who can help us out. But I would have to leave for a while in order for it to work out."
Pinako sighed, eyes softening. "How long would it take?"
"Maybe a year."
"Will it be dangerous?" Pinako demanded softly.
"No" Ed said, "At least it shouldn't be. It involves sea voyages so the dangers of the sea could be taken into account I guess."
"Ed" Pinako said "You don't have to do this. We've had hard times before. We can outlast this one as well."
"No." Ed spoke determinedly. "This is my home now and I need to provide for it…...and I need money so I can marry Winry."
Pinako's mouth opened in surprise as her response died in her throat. She collected herself and smiled sadly, knowing that these upcoming months were going to be hard on Winry but also that her granddaughter had truly found the man of her dreams.
"Well I was hoping for a guy a little taller, but I guess you'll do." She smirked at him.
Ed bit back a blowup and, before swallowing it down, went back to looking somber again. "I wanted to let you know first. I-I..don't know how to tell her."
"Depends, when do you plan on leaving?"
Ed shrugged, "Soon."
"Just tell me one thing Ed." Pinako stared him down.
"What?" Ed asked.
"Tell me that you're coming back."
"Of course!" Ed almost sounded angry.
Pinako smiled, "Then tell her that."
"What if she doesn't believe me?" Ed asked running a hand through his hair.
"Ed, you dimwit, Winry loves you. If you tell her you're coming back then she will believe you." Pinako said.
OoO
OoO
Ed watched Winry as she combed her hair. He stood silently in the door frame just watching her. She looked so beautiful. Her white night gown always gave her an angelic look. A happy smile was on her face as she brushed her flowing hair with her comb. She didn't have much of a mirror or a comb, but they had to work with what they had, so it was enough.
Ed took this moment to imprint the image of Winry being happy into his mind, as he figured he wasn't going to see much of that before he left.
Reluctantly breaking the happy peace, Ed knocked on the door. Winry looked over and her smile grew at the sight of him. "Hey Ed, what's up?". Her cheerful voice caused his heart to squeeze.
"Winry, we need to talk."
Hearing the seriousness in his voice Winry frowned and put the comb down. As she turned around in her seat, she searched Ed's face for any explanation.
Ed could see concern in her eyes and decided to get this over with as soon as possible.
"I'm going to be going away for a while." He said. "But I promise that I'll be back."
"What!" Winry rose from her chair, confusion and anger mixing on her face. "Where are you going?"
Ed sighed, "It's far away."
"Why?" Winry's voice cracked.
"It's for us." Ed took Winry's hand in his. "We need the money."
"Money!" Winry screeched, she pulled her hand away, glaring at him. "We don't need money."
"You know we do, Winry. How much longer are we going to last like this?" Ed argued
"We'll manage" A tear escaped Winry's eye, which she quickly brushed off.
"Do you really want to risk it? You're just as worried as I am, I can see it in your eyes. We're running out of money and when that happens you and Pinako will lose the smithy."
Winry wiped away some more tears. "You said you'd never leave." She quietly wailed.
"I know" Ed pulled her into his arms. "I don't want to leave, but I have too."
"I'll come with you." Winry said into his shoulder.
"No" Ed gently pulled her head back to look into her eyes. "Pinako needs you here."
Winry pushed herself off of Ed and walked away.
"Come on, Winry!" Ed followed.
Winry sat down on the bed, looking at her lap. Ed sighed and sat down next to her.
"How long?" Winry asked.
"I don't know" Winry could tell by the way his voice sounded that he truly was reluctant to do this. "Maybe a year."
"A year?" She mumbled. It was more of a statement then a question.
"I'm sorry." Ed leaned his head against Winry's.
"What exactly are you going to be doing for a year?"
"Once when I was traveling near a river I saw a man drowning right in the middle of it. I jumped in and saved him. He asked me my name, I told him. He said that he was a captain of a trading ship for a company called Briggs, and if I ever felt like becoming a sailor then he'd make room for me."
"You're going to set sail with a sea captain who almost drowned in a river." Winry looked at him incredulously.
"He was having a bad day, the skiff he was using was- nevermind, it's not important. I'll send most of the money I make back to you."
"Ed, you d-"
"The little that I keep" Ed paused, the moment of truth. "I'm going to save up so that when I come back...we can get married."
Winry's head snapped up as she looked at Ed in complete shock. Ed couldn't help but smirk at her dumbfounded expression.
"What?" She asked softly.
"When I come back, I'm going to use the money that I make so we can get married." Ed smiled as he repeated himself.
Winry's mouth hung open for a second until it was replaced by the most genuinely happy smile that Ed had ever seen on her face. Winry was crying again, but it looked like these were tears of joy.
Ed pulled Winry into a kiss that had no wandering hands or tongues. The type of kiss that said all that needed to be said. When Ed pulled back Winry was still crying.
"Hey" Ed brushed a tear away. "Enough with the crying, you'll dehydrate at the rate you're going."
"I love you Ed" Winry hugged Ed.
"I know" Ed said. "And that's why I'm coming back."
OoO
OoO
It was finally the day. In a reply to the letter that Ed had sent to the captain, his job request had been accepted and he had to report to the harbor docks in Dublith by the morning of the 15th. Because of the distance between Resiembol and Dublith Ed would have to leave on the 14th. Winry had been dreading this day for the last week and although she was masking her growing dread, Ed could see it plain as day. He himself was also experiencing his own source of dread. The more he thought about it the more he was worried that when he got back, Winry would have moved on. He felt bad for doubting her and the love that she had consistently shown throughout this hard week. But he had to be honest with himself, it was going to be a year, at least, until he ever saw her again. A lot can happen in a year.
'What if she doesn't feel like waiting anymore? What if she meets a guy who can provide for her without having to travel to the other side of the world? Can I really ask her to wait like this?'
As he thought this his eyes fell on her. They were standing there at the road that was going to lead him far away from her. He had said goodbye to Pinako and even to Den, but saying goodbye to her was something else entirely. They stood in silence. Unsure of what to say even though they knew that these last moments were the only ones they were going to get.
Ed cleared his throat and opened and closed his mouth. Winry looked to be on the verge of tears again, but was holding it together. He had to say something.
"Well I guess-"
Before he could finish Winry flung herself onto him wrapping her arms around him. Ed quickly hugged her back just as fiercely as he buried his face into her hair.
"I'm going to wait for you." Her heard her whisper against his neck.
Ed looked into her watery eyes, feeling his watering as well.
"I'm going to wait for you" she repeated. "No matter how long I have to wait. I'll do it for you."
Her lips met Ed's in a final moment of compassion. Both of them trying to to push all their love and desperation into this act of love as they clutched each other like their lives depended on it.
They broke the kiss together and both their hearts fell knowing that the moment of separation was upon them.
"I love you." Ed said. "Never forget that. I love you."
"I won't. I promise." Winry hugged him again. The lost of warmth and security that Ed felt when she ended the hug almost made him want to forget the whole thing and stay.
"You should get going, you're going to miss your boat." Winry had tears flowing down her cheeks.
Ed sighed and looked down the road. 'Time to go.' He looked back to Winry. "I'll send a letter with money every time we port ok?"
"Ok" Winry said.
"I'll be back before you know it." Ed forced a smile and after a moment's hesitation started walking down the road.
"Ed!" Winry called for him after he had walked a good distance. Ed turned around to look at her. "I'll wait for you, just come home safe."
Ed smiled, "I know, see you soon."
And then he was gone.
OoO
OoO
Ed had followed true to his word. About every week or so Winry would receive a letter from a courier addressed to her. With the letter was a bag filled with most of Ed's earnings. That plus the cash that they were able to squeeze out of the smithy meant Winry and Pinako were able to keep their business floating.
What Winry enjoyed more than the money was the letters themselves. In it Ed often wrote about all the new places that he had been too and the people he had met. Despite everything she still wished that she was with him and hearing about his adventures made the ache even worse. But she loved them none the less. At the end of every letter Ed would tell her how much he loved her and missed her.
Winry didn't think that this day was going to be any different. After several packages from Ed she had become pretty good at predicting when the next one would arrive. As she chopped wood for a fire, Winry looked up to see a courier walking towards the house. Smiling excitedly, she dropped the ax and ran over to meet him. She gave the man a shilling for his troubles and waited happily for him to give her Ed's package.
Her expression changed to one of confusion when the courier only gave her a letter and no bag. Taking the letter with uncertain hands, Winry looked up to see the courier already leaving.
"Wait!" She called. "Was there a bag of shillings that came with the letter?"
"No miss." The courier said. "Just the letter." With that he turned and walked away.
Confused, Winry headed into the house clutching the scrolled up paper. Sitting down by the kitchen table, she unwrapped the ribbon that kept the paper sealed. Unrolling the letter, Winry felt anxiety begin to rise in her when she saw that it wasn't Ed's handwriting.
Dear Rockbell Household,
As a representative of the Briggs shipping company, I regret to inform you that the Xerxes, the ship that Mr. Elric was stationed on was-
Winry froze when she read the rest of the sentence. It was like every inch of her had suddenly gone numb. She felt her throat squeeze and her eyes sting.
-attacked by the pirate known as Greed.
The was no reason to read any further. The letter didn't have to explain it for her. Everybody knew that the pirate Greed never took prisoners.
"No." Winry croaked as she grabbed handfuls of her hair and began pacing around the room in a pitiful attempt to quell the burning agony that was rising in her chest.
"no, no, no, no, no, no"
Winry tried to fight it but the misery consumed her and she let out a strangled sob.
Attacked by the pirate known as Greed
It felt like something snapped inside of her and all of strength that was keeping her up vanished as her world fell apart.
"Edward!" Winry whimpered out as she sank to her knees on the floor. It was overwhelming; she couldn't breath; she couldn't think. All that she knew was that Edward was dead. Her Ed was gone! Sobs wrecked her body as the world around her disappeared. It was like waves of agony crashing into her again and again. She didn't acknowledge Pinako rushing to her side or her dropping the letter in shock when she read its contents. Trapped in the depths of despair Winry was able to form one lucid thought.
'I will never love again.'
OoO
OoO
They say it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
It's going to be Winry's boat for a while. Get ready, things are going to get nasty.