Author's notes: So this is the 2nd chapter. Hope you like it ^^! I've been editing, so thank you for your comments, S J Smith!
Disclaimer: Again, FMA is not mine in any sense.
Destiny to come
Two Years Long Plan
II. First 24
"HEY SHORTY! Breakfast is only going to be on the table for another 10 minutes. If you ever plan to come down, now is your last chance!" Pinako's voice climbed up the stairs and slipped through the brothers' room door's slim opening.
Ed twitched. Honestly. He had been up until Winry had fallen asleep, demanding to know every little detail about their last mission, Promised Day, Father, and how they had gotten their bodies back. Ed, reluctantly, had started to tell her, being continuously interrupted by Al's special remarks on Cute May, Courageous Scar, Mysterious Lan Fan, and Witty Lin. Ed had raised an eyebrow at the last name. That wanna-be-emperor had caused him a lot of trouble. If he could see me now, I'd never hear the end of it Ed was sitting peacefully on the top of the hill where the Elric's house had once been. Winry and Alphonse were both currently lying on Edward's legs. Al was at his ankles, helping himself with his right arm to rest his chin, looking Ed's way. Winry was right on his thighs, looking up at him, listening carefully to every word, caressing unconsciously his right hand's fingers every now and then. It was too dark for her to notice his blush.
"So, I just scratched the floor and made a human transmutation circle that took me to the Gate." Ed wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her how dangerous that might've been, but…
"That was really risky, you know, Niisan? You could've lost your life had you made the wrong choice!" Al had the perfect interrupting comment right on time. Winry suddenly gasped, hoping they hadn't heard her. Her nails digging holes in the grass.
"But I knew what to do, right? It was no big deal, Al!" His frown, not really of anger at his little brother, but of concern. No more tears. Please. I don't wanna make you cry anymore.
"What did you have to sacrifice to get Al"s body back?" Almost like her wrench, her question had hit him RIGHT .TO .THE .FACE .He knew she'd be mad.
"I… had to give up alchemy" Silence Silence Silence Nails digging deeper. "But it's ok, you know? It was worth it! I got my brother back, and I know I'll never need it because I got something much more important!" At this, Winry was listening intently to him again. Azure orbs widening at his outburst. Silence He figured telling them everything would be the best option. He didn't want more lies. Sigh. "When the entity at the Gate asked me if I was sure about giving up my alchemy, it mentioned I might lose everything I was: An alchemy Freak, right?" he winked at Winry, who smiled half heartedly. "But I said I'd never lose myself, as long as I had my friends and family with me" Looking at the sky, his face showed a broad smile. "I could hear all of you calling my name when I was there" This, Alphonse didn't know. He was as surprised as Winry.
"Niisan, do you think Colonel Mustang will call us again when he goes back into action? I mean, he might want some help with the Ishbal agreement." Apparently, Al had been thinking about that all along, fearing his brother would have to go back to be a dog of the military, even if he couldn't do alchemy anymore.
"Nah, even if he did, he knows I'd tell him to get lost. That goddamn Colonel is not that stupid." Ed was smiling now at his little brother, assuring him with a firm stare that they had reached peaceful times. No more fighting. No more blood. Just happiness.
Whisper. "Niisan?" Al looked a bit nervous.
"What is it Al?" Paranoia started to take over. Was there something behind him? Were they being watched?
"I think we should go back. Look" a finger pointed to Ed's hips, and he noticed then the slow breathing coming from the girl lying on him. "Winry fell asleep already." Al's comment brought him back to reality and then he stopped staring at her glowing face in the dark, lit only by the crescent moon.
Yeah "Yeah, let's go back. You must be tired too, right Al? I wanna get some sleep real bad!" Al got up. Ever so carefully, Ed lifted Winri's head and put it slowly on the grass. He got up. Leaned down. Winry was in his arms in just seconds, resting her head on his chest, still fast asleep. Chuckle.
The boys started walking to the Rockbell house. "So typical of girls, demanding to know every single detail of a story, then falling asleep right before the 'happily ever after', right, Al?"
The younger Elric could only smile and nod. "Yeah. But you know, Niisan, she's not that typical. You should've seen the holes she dug in the grass with her nails back there without you noticing."
"Eeehhh? Really?" Ed glanced back, then back to Winry's sleeping face, then her dirty fingers. "I see" He put on a stern look until they reached home.
"SHRIMP! Really, just 5 more minutes!" Pinako's voice pierced his ears again.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, Old Hag. And stop calling me that! I HAVE GROWN, didn't you notice?" Ed was pulling a blue shirt on. He had, after all, slept in because her granddaughter was too eager to listen to the whole story and couldn't wait 'till morning, so he had gone to sleep very late. "Stupid Winry, giving me problems already" he mumbled.
"Ed, I'm going to the market. Do you wanna tag along?" Speaking of the devil. Winry was all perky and ready to go out. "Al says he wants to help Granny in the house, so maybe you wanna keep me company?" She yelled. Ed was still in his room.
"Are you dumb? I still need to eat something. I slept in because of you, remember, Mecha-Maniac?" His remarks weren't very welcomed. As soon as he showed his face at the top of the stairs WHACK! Came the wrench.
"IF YOU DON'T WANNA COME, THEN DON'T! STAY HERE, EAT EVERYTHING AND CHOKE, FOR ALL I CARE!" SLAM! Ed was still sitting on the stairs, recovering from the hit.
She was gone. Furious, if he might add. Oh…no.
Alphonse and Pinako had witnessed the whole thing. "Niisan, was it necessary?"
Al's expression showed… disappointment? Sigh. No, it hadn't been necessary, but it was all part of a well learned routine. How could he change it from one day to another? He would usually make a remark on her tomboy looks, or her obsession with automail, or even her nagging. In return, she would throw a wrench, insult his height and call him a geek. Then she would just fix his limbs, both would forget what had been said, and then he would leave again. Good old routine. But, he knew he had to change that. Nothing was the same. She wasn't fixing his limbs. He wasn't planning on leaving again.
"I'll be back soon" Almost automatically, with resolution on his face, Ed got up and went out through the recently slammed door.
Pinako and Alphonse looked at each other in understanding silence. "He's dead meat" Pinako walked into the kitchen.
"Yes, I think so too" Al followed suit.
"WINRY!" Ed called her. She wasn't stopping, pretending not to hear him. He caught up with her. "Winry, didn't you hear me calling you?" Silence "Jeez, why do you have to take my words so seriously?" Putting his arms behind his head, he continued walking next to her, eyeing her every now and then, unsure if she had noticed his presence. "Anyway, where are we going?" Ed asked, trying to bring down her wall with casual comments.
"I need fruit, vegetables, milk and flowers" she said softly.
Maybe she wasn't that angry anymore. Relax.
"Do you need anything? Or is your only reason for coming with me to remind me how stupid I am for caring about you?"
Ouch. Well, maybe she was still that angry. "Winry, I didn't mean it that way! You know that! I'm just…" Frustration filled his mouth. Arrrrgh. "Just forget it, please?" He smiled at her and she couldn't hold the angry expression anymore.
"Ok, alright, whatever. You've always been too dumb for a genius anyway" Giggle. He was off the hook. For the moment.
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"We're home!" Winry came in the house and put some grocery bags on the table. Behind her, a very annoyed-looking, somewhat upset Edward came in, carrying his own set of grocery bags and four bouquets of white flowers.
"Yeah, we're back" came his throaty voice.
"Ed, put those bags over here and then…" SLAM! She turned in surprise, only to not see the blond standing where she thought he was. On the floor, only the bags and the flowers. Door closed. Edward was gone.
"Winry, Niisan, is that you?" Al came from the basement carrying a box of tools and mechanical parts. He saw Winry standing alone, looking at the entrance door. "Winry?" She was still. "Winry, where is Niisan?" She turned around to see Al. Still surprised.
"I don't know Al, he just…we were just… I don't know." What just happened? The nerve of that man! Well, he can go wherever he likes.
"I think I'll go look for him, Winry. Can you please tell Auntie I went out?" Al ran outside. Winry only nodded, completely red faced. So frustrating.
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"Niisan! Are you here?" called Alphonse. He was, again in less than twenty four hours, on their old house's terrain. His brother wasn't. This place brought back so many memories, a chill ran through his spine. He found himself wondering what would've happened if he and his brother had never tried human transmutation. Never would've gone training with Izumi-Sensei. Never would've followed Roy Mustang. Ed would've never become a dog of the military. Maybe their lives wouldn't have been so complicated. But still. Still, he was sure this had been the right path for them. As crazy as it sounded, Al was satisfied with what their lives had been like so far. The people they had met. The things they had seen. The places they had been. The new and old friends. Friends. Al grinned. Well, I guess there's only one more place where he can be. He started walking down the hill. To the river bend. Their very own place. Jackpot.
Stupid Automail Junkie. She thinks she's all that. And then all those "GGGRRRAAAAAARRRR! I'm never going to the market with her again. No, wait, she's never going to the market again!" The colors on his face went up and down as he kept yelling at the river and throwing stones. Figures. Alphonse walked towards him
"Niisan, what's wrong? Winry was pretty shocked when you left. What happened with you guys?" Al looked at his brother's face and smiled inwards. Edward was completely flushed. Either he had been running for three days in a row, or something real weird had happened at the market with Winry. The latter was an interesting possibility. "Has it got anything to do with Winry,? Al pushed it. Silence Pebbles in the water
"Maybe" Al heard Ed mumble.
They finally sat together by the river. After a few minutes, Ed was ready. "AAAAAAARRRRHHHHH" Ready to scream. "SEROIUSLY, AL" Again. "SO STUPID!" and again.
"Niisan, calm down and tell me what happened!" Al was covering his ears now.
Ed relaxed, took a deep breath and lay on the grass, hands behind his head. Heavy sigh "It's stupid, Al. You'll laugh for sure." Ed kept staring at the sky. "But somehow, it got on my nerves and so I just ran. I didn't want Winry to notice." Sigh
"So it has to do with Winry after all, huh? Well I must tell you, she did notice something was wrong, since you slammed the door and left all the bags scattered on the floor. I couldn't tell if she was shocked or mad, Niisan." Al, too, was staring up to the sky.
"Damn it Al, this wasn't the way it was supposed to be, you know? But I keep screwing up! Yet, I gotta tell you, it's not just my fault, ok? First of all, she has to learn to be nicer to me. Second of all, it's not me the one who keeps flirting with every guy in the market. And third…"
"What, Edward? She should've thrown herself in your arms and cried out of happiness? I got news for you, then. SHE DID!" Al suddenly interrupted "For heaven's sake, stop pretending that we are sixteen and GROW UP! We are not after the Philosopher's stone anymore, we are back for good, and you have no more excuses to run away."
Ed had straightened himself up and was looking wide-eyed at his little brother. Did he call me 'Edward'?
Al turned to look at him. "Is that it, Niisan? Are you looking for a reason to keep away? If you are, you are doing a great job. Less than a day and you guys are already on cold shoulder terms. What's next, then? You could now insult her in public and make her cry again…"
"Stop it, Al!" Ed's fists hit the ground. "Stop. That's not what I want. I don't wanna hurt her any more than I already have. She shouldn't have to suffer because of someone like me. Ever! And I don't wanna stay away!" Relax. Breathe. Ed looked at his brother with a blushed face again. He was so embarrassed. "I just couldn't help it. It was not easy to watch, you know?"
Al relaxed too. "Then tell me what happened, Niisan." Al put a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave him a nod.
Sigh again. "We were going down the market street, stopping to buy whatever she had on her mental list. Then this guy comes up to her with a stupid smile and tells her how grateful he is for his automail, and has the nerve to tell her how pretty she looks, then asks her if she'd like to drink a cup of coffee with him. Of course she smiled back and brushed him off gently, but then another guy, about a head taller than Winry, approaches her and tells her he's got something for her: A 'thank you' gift." At this, Ed couldn't help frowning "So she's acting really shy and tells him it was not necessary, because it was her job anyway, right? But he insists and gives her this little velvet box" His frown intensified "So, she opens it and there's two pairs of black pearl earrings. Mr. Charming tells her that he noticed her ears were pierced, but she had no earrings, so he decided to give her a special pair and- I quote- 'I thought, why not two?' So, Winry says she can't accept them, but he insists until she takes the box. Then he kisses the back of her hand and says goodbye, not even looking at me standing right behind her!"
Al was beginning to understand now.
"Damn he, Al. WE are the ones who should be giving her earrings back, or new earrings, or whatever. That's our special gift for Winry! It's not something for Mr. Tall to do so casually, especially not in front of me!" Chuckles. Ed looked at his little brother in disbelief. "AL! This wouldn't be happening if she wasn't so friendly with those guys to begin with! It's all her fault!"
Al couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. He was rolling on his back, laughing out loud. "Niisan, is that it? You were angry because Winry is popular with boys and one of them actually dared to give her a pair of earrings?" Al wiped tears from his eyes.
"He gave her two pairs!" Ed was still frowning and blushing. Al couldn't stop himself. More laughter. LOUDER. Then it slowly came to a stop. "I knew you would laugh…" A very embarrassed Edward looked away and to the river. Enough said.
The Elrics were walking back to the house. They had been out for hours now. Ed had calmed down after Al had told him it was very probable that Winry wouldn't wear the black pearl earrings. After all, she wasn't the very girly kind of woman. Besides, she didn't wanna take the gift in the first place, right? Right Ed thought. Maybe he had overreacted. Now he had to apologize. Or something.
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"Auntie! Winry! We're home!" Al walked inside the house followed by his brother.
"Oh, hi Al! Are you hungry? Dinner's almost ready." Winry didn't even acknowledge Edward.
Ed walked right past them and went upstairs to his room. Hi Al. Only Al, huh? You'll see, Winry. Ed searched in his old red coat, found what he was looking for and went downstairs again. Rushing. Winry was setting the plates on the table. "Hey! Come with me, ok?" Came Ed's voice. Was he shivering?
"What do you want Ed?" She didn't even bother to look at him.
Ed snapped. "You have to come. I need to talk to you" He took her by her wrist and forced her out of the house. It wasn't easy. Or quiet.
"LET GO, EDWARD! I'M WARNING YOU!" but he wasn't listening "I'LL HIT YOU UNCONCIOUS THIS TIME, I SWEAR!"
He moved fast and reached for the wrench she had in her apron's pocket. "Not this time Winry. Just come for a minute, ok?" Winry was stunned. He had taken her wrench. He was so serious. She stopped fighting back and followed. He didn't release her wrist. The door closed behind them. Silence
"Do you want to eat, Alphonse? I think they will take their time."
Al, who was staring at the door, looked at Pinako "Yes, let's eat, Auntie."
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They kept walking. It was dark already. Winry was being dragged by Edward. "Where are we going?" If not mad, she was really annoyed.
"Here" He stopped underneath a big tree with many low branches. He let go of Winry's arm and sat on one of the nearest branches. "You wanna sit?" Winry didn't know how to react, so she just went with the flow and sat on another branch, fairly away from him.
"So what do you want?" she crossed her arms and looked his way "You wanna put a cherry on the cake and have a last fight? You better hurry 'cause the day's almost over" This was NOT going to be easy.
"Winry" He got off the tree and stood in front of her. A very stern look on his face. "I'm sorry."
What? "What?" Now, she was dumbfounded. He reached for his pocket and put his right hand in front of her, taking her hand with his left one.
"I'm sorry. I should've given these to you sooner." She took a look at what he had placed in her hand. Her silver earrings. All of them. "Please put them on again, Win." He suddenly looked away. A blush came to his cheeks again. It was too dark for her to see it. Again. "I think silver and metal look better on you than black and pearls. But I'm just saying" Realization came to her. All this trouble over a pair of earrings? She looked at him. There was no way he would look back at her right now.
"Ed, I thought I told you guys the reason I wore earrings?" He coughed nervously. "Well, I can tell you again then." She started putting her small metals on. "I wear these because you and Al gave'em to me. They are special, and I would've never taken them off if it wasn't for you" It was her turn to blush. "I-I m-mean, I thought it would make a great lucky charm" she stuttered.
Ed then looked at her. She was always this warm. She was always worrying about them and trying to do everything she could to keep them safe. It was so like Winry. "So, I'm sorry about today, ok? I guess I just, maybe, I'm not saying it's all my fault, but, I might have overreacted and said things I didn't really mean." Ed was leaning back against the branch she was sitting on.
Giggle. He then looked her way. Winry beamed at him. "It's ok, Ed. Apology accepted." He couldn't help staring into her beautiful blue eyes. She looked so beautiful when she smiled at him. Only at him. GRRROOOOOOWWWLLL. He blushed and looked down. "Was that your guts, Ed?"
He then realized "Oh DAMN! I was so distracted all day I totally forgot to eat AT ALL! I'm SO HUNGRY! Let's go back, Winry." He grabbed her wrist again and ran back. Only, this time, she was willingly running after him. Laughing.
Author's notes: YAY! Ok, so now chapter two's up! Please R&R, I promise I will read you all.
BTW, I stopped using the Japanese terms, in general. Still, if you want to know the meaning of any word, just ask *v*
Chapter 3 will be up soon!
