Lightning shattered the sky above the yellow house where Ed and Winry busied themselves with their individual hobbies. Al and Granny were a few towns over making a house call. Al had developed an interest in human anatomy and wanted to learn from Pinako before heading East to study Alkhestry.
Ed and Winry had been avoiding each other since after their almost kiss the day after Ed came back. With Al and Pinako gone, things were weird. They were stubborn and thought if they ignored the awkwardness and unspoken feelings, they'd just go away.
Winry retreats to her workshop, Ed wanders between the kitchen, the front yard, and his room. Earlier that day they accidentally met in the hallway during one of Winry's bathroom breaks. Unfortunately Ed had just come in from a run and some strength exercises to build his weakened human arm back up. A shirtless Ed dewy from a hard workout pushed inside by a brewing summer storm was NOT what Winry had needed to encounter in such close quarters. The sight had chased away her growing courage to confront him just as the blush chased the dignity off her face.
Well, a grease streaked Winry wearing a tube top and a form fitting jumper zipped to her waist didn't help poor Ed much, either. Now he'd have to take a COLD shower after his workout.
A ferocious storm had been brewing all day, and when the sky finally opened up and let loose the deluge, as well as that sonic crash of thunder, it was almost a relief. They didn't need anymore tension in that house. Ed looked up from his book, listening to the torrent just above him.
"Shit...this old shacks gonna spring a leak." He growled irritably. This awkwardness with his oldest friend was really getting on his nerves. A usually cantankerous Ed was even more moody then usual, cursing the rain, his weather-sore leg, and most of all himself. He should just buck up and go talk to her.
Suddenly a steady DRIP, DRIP, DRIP alerted him.
"Damn it!" The roof had indeed sprung a leak. Right above his desk where his books were piled. Rushing over and clearing his desk, he noticed a few ore drips all over the room. Figuring that he couldn't predict where the next leak would spring, he packed his books into his rucksack.
"The whole place will be soaked soon." Mumbled the scowling young man, looking dispassionately up at the leaky ceiling. Shrugging his shoulders as he lifted the rucksack onto them, he made his way downstairs.
Winry sat in her workshop slumped over her desk. Normally she'd be referencing one of her hundreds of medical texts, but today she was fast asleep and snoring loud enough to wake the dead. She'd been pacing outside of Ed's door the night before, stopping countless times, her curled fist hovering centimeters from his door, almost knocking before shooting back to hang at her side as she continued her furtive march. An hour passed, two, three before she gave up and went to her own room. The stupid idiot was too stubborn to talk to her about it so she'd have to.
But she was afraid. Foolish, cowardly, and afraid.
She didn't want to pour her heart out to him and have him her the almost-kiss was a mistake, or that he'd be leaving to study soon...she didn't want to hear it. So she kept her girlish fantasies fed by the over dramatic fantasies in the back of her mind, like how the books that fed said fantasies were crammed under her bed.
Suddenly, thunder followed by a sudden downpour boomed her out of her slumber, and she jumped up.
Rubbing her eyes, she checked the clock on the wall. She'd only been asleep for a half hour, which meant she should probably fix herself some lunch. She wasn't hungry but she knew from experience that not eating regularly would bring the wrath of Ed upon her.
"Stupid shrimp!" She grumbled, stretching the sleep from her limbs.
Zipping up her jumper, she walked up the short flight of stairs to the kitchen. She made her way to the fridge and pulled out the milk bottle and started making herself a sandwich.
As she spread mayonnaise over her bread, she heard the familiar *tap CLUNK tap CLUNK* of a certain blonde teenager making his way down the stairs. This sound had become synonymous with Ed's departures, having always heard it early mornings along with Al's thunderous clanking. She had come to associate this noise with loss and worry, and even now with him at home the sound caused her breath to catch in her lungs.
Looking over her shoulder, she was shocked to see him with his rucksack over his shoulder. Well, not totally shocked. She had half expected it, he was always running off. But now? It was fucking STORMING out.
Turning back to her sandwich, she said in an aloof tone "where ya goin, Ed? At least wait until the rain lets up if you need to leave so bad." Allowing the tiniest bit of hurt into her voice.
"Leave...? No! No no no I wasn't leaving I was just...saving my...books..." He trailed off.
She put her sandwich on her plate and sat down, facing away from him, doing her best not to look at him.
"...okay." She could hear him mumble as he walked away. *tap CLUNK tap CLUNK*. Her experienced ears could hear his slight limp, probably due to the humidity wreaking havoc with the port of his leg. She couldn't even be mad at him for not taking care of it...she knew he oiled it every day.
She snorted in derision. NOW he takes care of it when there aren't any homunculi trying to rip it off and bash his thick skull in with it!
"You do know you're supposed to chew your food, not snort it, right?." She heard him comment from the couch. She could almost HEAR the shit eating grin on his face as he said it.
"I'm just fine, short stuff. I didn't even need the step ladder to reach MY food." She replied immediately, smirking.
"SHORT STUFF?! I'M TALLER THEN YOU ARE YOU WITCH!" Shouted Ed in an indignant rage.
"Not taller then Al is!" She said in a sing-song voice. She knew how that song-song voice got under his skin. Right on cue he exploded into a long, expletive filled rant about how it wasn't fair because he had automail and it stunted his growth.
She laughed mockingly at some points, still refusing to look at him, until another crack of thunder broke them from their argument.
Silence. The only sound was the pounding rain and their breathing. His ragged from shouting, hers choppy from the sudden shock.
Shocked from his tirade by the ear piercing crack, Ed sat back down. He watched Winry out of the corner of his eye, making it a point to not look directly at her. Instead staring out the window at the soaked plains, the dirt road transformed into a muddy river.
"Hey, Win. Remember when we were little and we used to slide down the hill in the mud after it rained?" He asked her.
"...yeah. I do. Heh. Remember Al crying when he ripped his pants on that rock?" She chuckled.
Ed grinned. "So I transmuted them back? Yeah."
"Buuuuuut you got the stitching all wrong! So we had to rip it AGAIN and I sewed it back!"
"Hahaha...and Al wouldn't stop crying because he thought Mom would notice!"
They lapsed into laughter, which turned raucous when they remembered Trisha had INDEED noticed the difference. By this time Winry had put her dishes in the sink and turned her chair to face him. He loved the way her eyes twinkled when she laughed. This was good...they were talking about old memories, not new feelings. Nothing awkward and confusing here, just their shared childhood and the innocence stolen all too soon.
He loved each and every one of their shared memories. They were basically been family, having always been there for each other no matter what. She had even saved his life after his arrogance caused the loss of his limbs. He owed her everything.
Smiling, he asked "Hey, any advice for the humidity? My legs really bothering me today."
"Yeah, I could tell. Your steps sound different when you're limping." She said back, standing up and walking over to the couch and sitting on the chair next to it. "Not too much I can do. It's just how automail is...but I HAVE been working on some new plans for a weathertight design I've been meaning to try..."
"You can tell just from me walking? Thats's kinda...creepy!" He flashed her that roguish smile of his, and he watched with no small bit of amusement as her face reddened and she looked down.
"Shut it, idiot. It's my job." She mumbled.
"Well, good thing I pay you then. Maybe I'll start helping out at Pitt's farm for some extra cash...my State Alchemist money won't last forever ya know." He said, rubbing his leg ruefully.
"Ed...I don't care about the money. I'd do it for free. YOU'RE the one that insists on paying!" She continued, quieter, hesitantly "besides...I don't mind taking care of you."
Her shy, honest tone surprised him. She caught his gaze and held it. It was his turn to blush a bit, but he smiled as he looked down, noticing she took amusement in his discomfort as well.
"Yeah, well...thanks, Win. For...for everything." The last part came out quickly as he flushed a deeper shade of crimson.
Luckily, she wouldn't notice his deepening complexion as just then, another bolt of lightning struck the sky and the lights went out. A cute "Meep!" escaped Winry's lips as her and Ed were plunged into the darkness.
"Well...shit." Ed cursed. "What now?"
"Powers out. Nothing we CAN do but wait for it to come back on, I guess."
They sat there for a minute, he on the couch, her on the chair. Their eyes adjusted to the dimness, the only light came from the window and the rain streaked hills of their childhood home. He could see her on the chair through the imposed twilight, she had drawn her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them as she watched the rain.
He closed his eyes and steeled his nerves.
"Hey, you can come sit here. I know that chairs not the most comfortable seat in the house...I won't bite, promise." He said casually, hoping to mask his nerves.
"Oh. Alright."
-
"I can't believe I meep'd again. That's so EMBARRASSING." She thought to herself as she sat on the far side of the couch, keeping a whole cushion between her and Ed.
"Hey, you okay? I remember you demanding that all three of us cuddle on this couch during these summer storms when we were little." He chuckled.
Truthfully, she WAS shaken by the storm. She'd always been unnerved by storms as a little girl, and being in the dark seemed to have brought that old fear back. She'd love nothing better then to grab a blanket and throw it over Ed and herself. Would it be weird without Al there?
"Yes. It'd be freaking weird, Winry." She thought, admonishing herself.
"Uhhh...yeah. Yeah I'm all good, Ed!" She laughed back, hopefully convincingly.
"Yeah...yeah, okay." He said, maybe with a small hint of disappointment. Was he thinking of those old cuddles on this very couch? She surely was. Their little bodies all smushed together hugging the daylights out of one another. Many of her happiest memories were of her wedged between the brothers, her face in little Ed's chest.
Some time went by, and the two teens were lost in thought. Another crack of thunder, Winry jumped.
"You're so jumpy. Are you sure you're fine?" He asked, turning his head to face her.
"Well...maybe im a little freaked out." She admitted, laughing nervously. Silly girl. 16 years old and afraid of a little storm.
"You, uh...you could sit closer if you'd like." He said, turning back to face the window. The rain showed no sign of letting up.
Without a word, Winry scooted to the empty cushion between them, her shoulder barely brushing his.
Suddenly, she shivered a bit. And then she trembled slightly, suddenly very very nervous.
"Hey, you cold?" He asked, looking at her again.
"Y-yeah, must be! Heh this old house is drafty ya know!" She giggled nervously.
"Are you GIGGLING?! STOP it!" She thought furiously.
"Oh...Kay." He said skeptically. "Hold on I think I saw that old blanket on the back of the couch."
He got up and grabbed the blanket. Unfolding it, he draped it over Winry's slim shoulders. Withdrawing his hand, he accidentally brushed her cheek with his fingertips, sending shivers down her spine and making her jump instinctively.
"Sorry" he stuttered instantly, sitting back down and moving over towards the other side of the couch as far as possible.
It seemed to be getting even darker out, the sun behind the blackest cloud. It was like night had come early.
"Idiot! Now he thinks you don't want him to touch you!" An angry voice told her.
"But you DO want him to touch you! A lot! Everywhere!" Said another voice. The pervert.
"Scoot over to him!" Said a third voice. This one seemed to give good advice.
She scootched over towards him. Then again. Then a third time, but more then she meant to.
Now, they were shoulder to shoulder, and their legs were touching.
Now it was Ed's turn to shiver a bit.
"Cold? She asked ironically, a small smile twisting the corner of her lip.
"Heh...yeah. I guess." He said back nervously. He was cute when he was nervous.
She threw some of the blanket over the two of them. Somehow it covered both of their shoulders with ease, just like it did when they were kids.
They sat there for a while, listening not to the rain but to each other's breathing instead. They were VERY aware of each inch of skin touching the other. Neither were cold in the first place, but now they were almost hot. The sun was completely hidden by now, casting an almost eerie darkness on Resembool.
The dark used to inspire fear in the two, leading to many nights cuddled in each other's bed, plump young hands locked together in safety. But today, it gave a sense of anonymity, and just enough courage to do what they had been wanting to ever since he returned from his nightmarish journey.
Winry gasped slightly as a rough, strong hand took hold of her and gently squeezed.
"Hey." Ed whispered quietly.
"Hey." She whispered back. Her insides were on fire, her heart racing. And they were only holding hands!
They sat for a few seconds, holding hands. Ed's thumb swept out and traced gentle circles on the back of her hand, sending more shivers down her spine. The storm was picking up pace, rain lashed the windows and the old tree in the backyard was groaning like a ghost haunting the old house.
"Hey, Ed? Would it be alright if...maybe..." She trailed off, not finding the words to ask for what she wanted.
He understood, and with a small chuckle he pulled her down into his chest as he spread out across the couch.
Readjusting the blanket so it lay over them both, she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her in. Her riotous heart was suddenly stilled. If holding hands made it gallop, shouldn't being snuggled up with him on the couch make it pound out of her chest and down the hallway?
He never had a way with words, but he always knew what to do.
"Feel better?" He asked her.
"Hmmm?" She murmured back.
"Feel better? The storm?"
"Oh!" She giggled again. "Yeeeeah! Much better!" She said, still giggling.
"Hey! What's so funny!" He demanded looking down at her.
"I...have a confession. I did hate storms when I was little but the cuddling was just an excuse!" She giggled even harder, shoulders shaking under her barely contained mirth. She felt GIDDY like never before. Was it Ed's close presence? And why wasn't she nervous anymore?
"You! I...I KNEW IT!" He laughed back. They lay there stifling laughter for a few seconds until Ed thought of something.
"So...if it was just an excuse then...what about right now?" He asked in a serious tone.
She looked up into his fierce golden eyes, meeting their gaze.
She paused. Then, after a second, "Somehow it's still nice without Al, huh Ed?" She asked innocently before burying her face in his shoulder.
"Heh...yeah." He said. Then, whispering, "Even better."
"...I heard that. I'm RIGHT here." She laughed, then tilted her head back to quickly kiss his chin impulsively.
Her eyes went wide enough to cast a reflection of him, even in the lack of light.
"Ed I-" she started hurriedly before he shut her up with a swift kiss on the lips.
Their lips parted, still laying together. Taking the opportunity, she kissed him. Softer, more tentatively, as if she thought he'd scold her for the act. Instead, he sighed softly and brought his hand up to cup her face lightly. Hearing his gentle sigh and feeling his rough hand on her face, she found the courage to kiss him again, longer. Molding her lips to his, she sank into his embrace.
He broke the kiss, but kissed her softly on the forehead before drawing her head back into his chest.
"I've been wanting to do that for years." He admitted with a small laugh.
"Then why didn't you? Ass." They laughed then.
When Al and Pinako walked in an hour later, dripping wet, they had a rush of déjà vu as they witnessed Ed and Winry snuggled under their old blanket. Her head buried in his shoulder, nose nuzzled against his neck, both fast asleep. What was different, however, was the look of contentment and peace on Ed's face as he held her close.
Al felt a slight tinge of sadness at being left out of this oldest of traditions, but that was overtaken by a sense of relief.
"Finally." He murmured to himself.
Even cranky Pinako couldn't find the heart to disturb them. They weren't necessarily doing anything wrong...all hands were accounted for above the blanket...
And so, Ed and Winry were left to their blissful closeness under their old blanket. Even as the storm reached new heights, tearing the moaning old tree apart in the backyard, they slept. Nothing would stop them now. Not fear, not embarrassment, not even the protestations of nature herself.
