The EdWin Chronicles

Written By - Stripe

Excerpt 4 - Everything I'm Not

It was exciting news. Roy Mustang had called two days ago, informing them that Edward was back, alive and well, and that he was heading on a train to Resembool. Rose couldn't believe her ears when she heard it. Edward was coming home! Everything was going to be great - a perfect happy ending. If only she could muster up the courage to tie it off...

She had been waiting for this day for a while, now. Ever since Edward had told her to move on her own, she had known she'd had feelings for him. They'd only grown after he saved her from Dante, and sacrificed himself. And they'd festered over the past two years while she stayed in his hometown, up to the point she could hardly bear it anymore. She'd kept them bottled up all this time, itching to tell someone - anyone - but had never felt the moment was right.

But finally, this was to be her moment. Her lifechanging moment. She could barely stand the wait.

Having busied herself with chores around the Rockbell home to distract herself, Rose paid a quick glance out the kitchen window, brushing away a strand of pink hair. Still no sign of him. She fidgeted a bit, glancing down at her hands, and quickly eyeing herself in the hall mirror. She looked alright. Good enough for a reunion. Ed would find it suspicious if she were all dressed up when he finally came back. Besides, she'd never got the impression he particularly like nice clothing. He wasn't shallow enough to care entirely about that.

Which was why she loved him.

And he would be back any minute now. Rose felt her heart rate pick up considerabley, as well as feel the metaphorical butterflies come out of their cocoons in her stomach. How much longer could she stand to wait?

Well, there couldn't be much harm in going outside. After all, it would make sure he knew how much she had missed him.

Walking a little quicker than normal, she came out to Rockbell Automail's front porch, staring at the horizon. Still no sign of a red coat or blonde braid. She glanced to the porch swing, and was surprised to see somebody already sitting there.

Winry.

Edward's childhood friend and mechanic. Rose supposed that Winry might have been her "competition" of sorts, if she were looking at it that way. But really, she couldn't help but feel that the girl didn't pose a threat as far as Ed's affection went. Winry was too plain, too tomboyish. She looked like any other Amestrian girl - blonde hair, blue eyes. Her hands were rough from always working with metal. She was tough, both mentally and physically, which Rose really did admire about the mechanic, but she had pushed it past the zone of comfort. She was disorganized, outspoken, and often quite lazy. Those qualities were too much like Edward's own, meaning they'd clash and fight too often.

And fighting was perfect for siblings or close friends - they had disagreements from time to time, but they still cared about each other. Really, Rose respected Winry. She knew Winry had known Edward since childhood - seen a side of him Rose would never see. But romantically, the two didn't fit at all. It was simple fact.

And Rose was sure Winry knew that as well.

The mechanic was currently sitting out on the porch, looking blankly at the horizon, a wistful expression on her face. Rose felt bad for her, too. She must have felt as Alphonse did - that a figure from childhood had disappeared forever. Still, she shouldn't look so sad. Edward was coming back! Shouldn't she look a little more excited?

However, due to trying to analyze Winry's expression, Rose missed the blonde head appearing at the top of the hill, older, but still handsome as ever. Winry noticed right away. First, her blue eyes widened a tad, and her expression brightened considerabley. Then, with no time wasted, she pushed herself off of the swing and dashed toward the familiar figure. Glancing over, Rose thought she could see Edward smiling. Of course, Winry was a symbol of home for him. And hopefully she herself would soon be a symbol of love.

Ed wouldn't turn her down, would he? What if he already had another girlfriend in the past two years? Suddenly, Rose felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She hadn't even thought that, maybe, Edward might have found someone else while he was gone.

Still, she'd wait for him to come to her. She wouldn't seem so desperate for his acceptance that way.

Winry and Ed met at the top of the hill, and Winry engulfed Ed in a huge hug. It looked like she was crying, but from this distance, it was hard to tell. Rose smiled a bit. Even from here, she could tell Ed was glowing with hapiness. Well, it didn't seem as if Ed had brought his girlfriend with him, at least. So that probably meant it wasn't serious, or he'd never had one in the first place.

However, as Winry loosened her grip around Edward's shoulders, Rose could tell something wasn't going according to plan. The two were looking at each other as two friends never should. And suddenly, Ed leaned in for a kiss.

Rose felt her blood freeze cold.

She had been wrong about him finding somebody else while he was gone. He'd already had somebody. Rose realized she'd been turned down by him from the first day they'd met. He'd never really had eyes for any other girl.

More than ever, Rose wished her dark skin, violet eyes, and pink-streaked hair could disapear. She wanted to be Amestrian. Pure Amestrian. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, rough hands, and a boyish attitude to boot. The kind of girl Edward wanted.

And suddenly, Rose realized it wasn't Winry who was crying.

It was her.

A/N: This is actually something I didn't do last summer. I was about to put something else from summer, but then I realized the other thing I wouldn't put up would have been funny, too.

I needed some drama in this ficlet collection, durn it!

I wrote this to cheer up a friend, who asked for some sort of resolution on the whole Rose/Ed/Winry situation. I figure this is as good as any.

No Rose bashing is meant by this ficlet. She's just extraordinarily hard to get into character.

Enjoy!