Heavy ch 7
By Suzi a.k.a. Katsy Kat
Last Chapter: "Al offered his arm, which Winry took in good spirits. Returning to her seat she couldn't help but notice that having been instructed Ed looked infinitely more confident. And soon a small stack of mostly golden pancakes stood as testament to his quick learning."
While Ed finished cooking the pancakes, Al busied himself setting the table.
Winry asked for a couple things Al didn't remember having when they were kids… Sugar, and strawberries, joined the usual toppings of butter and syrup. And in moments Al had two plates and silverware waiting to be used.
Ed plopped into the chair opposite Winry, who sat next to Al, and proceed to swipe the first two pancakes off the pile he unceremoniously tossed on the table.
Quickly dousing his plate in butter and syrup he grinned at Winry before stuffing a quarter of both pancakes into his mouth. He chewed loudly, barely able to keep his mouth closed around his huge bite.
"These are really REALLY good!" Ed cried, after swallowing.
Winry nodded, acknowledging his compliment but not ready to commit her agreement without sampling them first. She had taken a few moments more to prepare her pancakes choosing to butter them lightly and sprinkle some sugar on top. She was still in the process of slicing strawberries on the top when Ed's exclamation reached her ears.
"These taste just like I remember auntie making when we were kids!" Ed cried suddenly, his mouth still half full and a wide grin on his face.
Winry bit back the reminder that by society's standards they were still 'kids'. But she could understand that from someone who had more or less raised himself and his brother from the tender age of 11, the definition of childhood was a little less than normal. And the atmosphere, since Ed offered to wash her hair was so pleasant she couldn't see bursting it by splitting hairs over the technicality of his "adulthood".
She finally got her first bite, the strawberries slightly tart against the sugar, but balancing perfectly with the pancakes. She couldn't resist a small moan. It really had been too long!
"No body in the world makes them like this!" Ed continued complimenting around slightly smaller bites. "Trust me, I know!"
Winry blinked, obviously startled.
"Really?" her smile was slow in coming but blossomed fully on her face, "I'm not sure I believe that. But Grannie did teach me how to make these. Considering I don't make them often, I think they turned out rather well." The small tell-tale blush on her cheeks radiated pride, despite the casual tone she tried to maintain.
The two teens ate rather fast. Winry unexpectedly keeping up the pace with Edward – despite her longer prep time.
"You got the hang of cooking them rather fast." Winry complimented, after a few silent moments of eating had passed. She had already decided not to mention the slightly over-cooked side of one of her pancakes. For his first time cooking them – he really had done well. Winry, herself, had burnt almost half the batter before she started getting the hang of it. Of course she was only 6 at the time.
"Wasn't that hard." Ed boasted, taking another bite.
"Once Winry helped." Al couldn't help but add. It didn't do to let Ed get too exuberant about his minor achievements. It made it unbearable when he accomplished something worthy of praise.
"Yea… well, I'd have figured it out eventually." Ed countered, a small pout forming around bites.
"Before or after we had to make another batch of batter?" Winry's eyes gleamed with mischief. Her headache was much improved – and with her appetite being sated, she found herself in a playful mood.
Ed scowled, but tactfully chose not to comment. Winry was not the only one who felt a contented sensation at the three of them sitting at the table together. For Ed, ever since reassuring himself that Winry really was going to be ok – the evening had been one his most pleasant since… since a long time ago.
The two teens wasted no time in cutting down the stack of pancakes. Soon only two remained.
Winry pressed her fork down to snatch the larger of the two. It looked to be the largest of the lot, easily bigger by half than any of the other pancakes.
Ed intercepted, sliding his fork under hers and deflecting it with a metallic twang.
"Surely the cook, deserves first dibs on the last pancake?" Ed's eyes were beady and focused, his tone taking on a possessive tone, as a playful spark, rarely seen, lit up his face. He held up his fork as if it were a sword, pointing it at his childhood friend.
Winry's blue eyes flashed as they locked with his. She slowly swapped her grip and raised her own fork, accepting his challenge.
"Then surely the one who made the batter in the first place deserves to reap the honor of choosing her last morsel." She taunted.
Al groaned, recognizing their seriousness of purpose.
"The big one is mine." Ed said saucily, thrusting the fork at Winry as if fencing with her.
Winry quickly countered his fork with her own. Another metallic twang resonated throughout the kitchen.
"No way a shrimp like you needs that big of a pancake!"
"Oh yea? I bet a fat old hag like you wouldn't miss a few bites!"
Winry lunged forward and very nearly caught Ed's head with her angry swipe. If not for Ed's quick reflexes he would be sporting a very awkward cut. Instead of perturbing him from their mock battle, it excited him. He didn't know Winry had such good reflexes.
Ed jumped to his feet, hoping to gain a momentary advantage of height.
But seconds later, Winry also sprang to her feet and his advantage was now a weakness.
Al watched for a moment, as the two fenced with forks, wicked grins splayed across both their faces.
Under their noses, but completely unnoticed by the warring teens, Al pulled the center plate to him. Using a knife, he neatly sliced the cakes in half transferring exactly half each onto his brothers and Winry's places. The switch was easy. Getting their attention was harder.
"Um... guys?" Al called tentatively.
"Be quiet Al." Ed commanded, his eyes not leaving Winrys as he tried to read her next move.
"Yea – Al. Don't distract him. I don't want him to cry 'interference' like a little five year old, when I beat him to this pancake fair and square."
"But..." Al began.
"As IF you could beat me with this arm," Ed pulled his automail arm up and showed off his metal bicep. "YOU'VE unwittingly given ME the advantage!" Ed laughed – waving his fork menacingly.
"But I know your weak spot!" Winry cried, dropping her fork and wiggling her fingers.
Ed paused, she was threatening to tickle him. Over pancakes? In the silence of his shock Al finally found an opening.
"You each have half! Now sit down and eat them before they get stone cold!" he bellowed.
The older teens looked sheepishly down at their plates and the pancakes halves.
Winry shot Al a smile.
"Thank you Al. That was really sweet."
Ed grumbled. "You're just happy cause I SO would have beaten you..."
"Anytime you feel frisky." Winry managed to hold her fork out and keep a serious face for about two seconds. Then she burst out laughing. Al and Ed's laughter joined her shortly.
"Wow… I haven't had this much fun in a long time." She commented once she could breathe again.
"Yea…" Ed agreed
"It reminds me of how we used to try to keep each other awake when you would stay over. Do you remember that?" Winry turned hopeful eyes on the state alchemist.
Ed's eyes glazed over, as he struggled to recall the moment Winry was talking about.
Winry shifted her gaze to Al who seemed to be thinking deeply as well.
She sighed. What a curse it was to remember all these wonderful times, when the two people she shared them with didn't recall them! It was almost as if she made them all up in her head, even if she knew she didn't. She struggled not to sulk as it became apparent the brothers were clueless.
Damnit. Ed was raking his brain… he knew he should know this. He knew that by NOT knowing, it was upsetting Winry… but for the life of him he couldn't remember what she was talking about. Finally Al's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Ano… wasn't it because the person who even fell asleep first… got the first pancake?" Although he didn't have an expression – the smile in his voice was evident as well as contagious.
"First, AND biggest." Winry reminded. Ed realized with a startle Al was right.
"Oh man, how could I forget?! That's how that old hag used to get us to go to sleep every time!"
Winry giggled.
"Yup. She used to say that if she didn't do that we would never have gone to bed at all!"
"And you guys always cheated!" Ed yelled suddenly, his face red and angry. To his dismay, Al and Winry broke out laughing.
"That's because… you… always used… to win!" Winry cried out in between laughs.
"Yea, brother, you've always been able to go right to sleep."
"But that doesn't mean you get to cheat!" Ed cried, "You guys were mean!"
"I hardly think putting make-up on you constitutes as mean." Winry said haughtily.
"It is when you let the dog lick it off!" Ed countered only to inspire more giggles.
"Oh wow… we… we did do that… didn't we, Al?" Winry's face was read and she was barely able to talk in-between laughs.
"I don't understand… why Den liked… the lipstick so much!!" Al cried, still laughing.
"But… you were so funny when you'd wake up!" Winry addressed Ed as she and Al dissolved helplessly into laugher once again.
In the light of such joy, Ed wasn't able to keep the scowl on his face, and slowly without his being aware it morphed into a tender smile.
As Winry settled down, she did a quick mental check. Her headache had lessoned so much that she had actually forgotten about it. Although it was still there – a dull throbbing – it was quite bearable. With her hunger abated, she felt much better. Laughter really was the best medicine, she supposed.
As a comfortable silence once again fell over the occupants of the kitchen, Al spoke up.
"You guys really should finish your pancakes." He said.
Automatically, Winry reached for the butter when she caught Ed's guilty face. She looked down at the untouched cakes on both their plates and put two and two together.
"You're not hungry any more!" She pointed a finger at Ed. "After all that – and you're not even hungry."
Ed sputtered angrily for a moment until he realized Winry wasn't in any hurry to finish her own.
"I don't see you tearing yours apart."
"Well… I'm actually pretty full." She admitted.
"Me too." Ed grinned.
"After all that – you don't even want them?!" Al groaned.
"Nope." Winry snatched Ed's plate and dumped the cakes onto her plate, set it on the floor and whistled for Den.
The faithful dog came from the living room, where she had retreated to sometime between Al setting the table and Winry and Ed's fork battle.
Sniffing the plate tentatively, the dog wasted no time wolfing down the pancakes by halves.
"Hey… I thought you didn't like pancakes." Ed addressed the dog in a hurt tone, looking back at her bowl which contained his previous failures.
"She doesn't like pancake batter." Winry pointed out. "When they're cooked – she likes them just fine. Don't you girl?" Winry cooed as she began petting the dog. Suddenly a huge yawn split her mouth open.
Ed's eyes swung to the clock. It was after 2 in the morning!
"Wow… it got late." He commented.
"Yea." Winry agreed, not having to look at the clock to guess the hour. She almost didn't want to go to bed… to end this wonderful evening. But she knew she was already going to be cranky tomorrow. She stretched a second, wincing briefly when her back pulled back, reminding her of her fall earlier. "I should just get this..." she reached for the plates front of them and was startled by Ed's hand on her own.
"Don't worry about that. Al and I will clean up."
Winry opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself quickly. Hey they never offered to do chores before – why not let them help now? She wondered.
"But…" She heard herself protest almost against her will. "What about your train, it's early in the morning…" Al spoke up.
"Honestly, Winry, it will give me something to do tonight." Al agreed eagerly.
Winry only hesitated a second. She knew how lonely Al could get at night. After all she and he had spent many of them awake together after Ed's loss of limbs.
"All right then, if you're sure." She agreed.
"Positive. Don't you worry about it – we'll take care of everything." Ed agreed, standing to escort her to the stairs.
"And don't just stack them in the sink, Ed. Syrup's a bear to get off the next day." She warned.
"Got it." Ed said. "Goodnight." He chimed as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Winry opened her mouth to respond in kind with Al's voice cut her off.
"Winry are you sure you'll be ok on your own until auntie Pinako comes back? I mean…I'm sure we could..." Al trailed off as he caught the reproachful look on Ed's face, as his brother turned from their friend to affix his gaze on Al. It startled him. Al was sure Ed was worried too. While Winry seemed much improved from her fall... he wanted to make sure she'd be alright. Maybe she needed… or would like them to stay a day or two. So why did Ed look so upset that Al had brought it up and asked her? Was Ed really so determined to get going on their quest and ignore the possible needs of their best friend?
Winry paused, her lips thinning slightly. Hadn't she already proved to them that they needn't worry so much about her? But before she could get angry, a warm feeling settled in her stomach – they really were concerned, because they cared. It was touching to know, if Al's almost question were any indication, if she really needed them to – they would stay. She found a smile already blooming at their… at Al's consideration.
"Al, I'll really be just fine. Thank you for being so concerned, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You two..." she hesitated here; unsure exactly how to phrase it as she looked from Al to Ed… Ed to Al. "Be careful." She settled on. Her thinly arched eyebrows furrowed above her sparkling cerulean blue eyes, speaking louder than words, her gratitude over Al's incomplete gesture and her concern for them as they departed once again from her life.
"We will." Ed said softly. "Feel better." He chimed in, a disarming grin on his face.
"Don't worry, I will." Winry couldn't help but return... as she headed up to bed. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask them to wake her the next morning before they left... but she was afraid they would refuse, or agree and still not do it. She decided that accepting the inevitability was beter than being dissapointed, and continued up to her room silently.
As soon as the click of the closed door reached the brothers, Al turned to Ed.
"Brother... What's going on?" he asked in a knowing tone.
Ed grinned. He and his brother were so well tuned to each other, there wasn't much he could keep a secret for long.
"Well, Al. I have an idea..." Ed's golden eyes twinkled and Al eagerly listened to his brother's plan.
tbc…
WHEW! Sorry for the delay in updating. First I got way sick and then Easter – and now I'm final coating drywall so I can paint my room! Really I've been sleeping in the basement WAAAAY too long!
So… I promise my next update will be faster – you shouldn't have to wait a WHOLE WEEK! LoL Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading thus far!
