Roche: Hey guys. So, I know this story is slightly rushed, and I apologize for that. But, the good news is, we're halfway through! Ling! Sound the trumpets!

Ling: (Blows trumpet in my ear)

Roche: Ow…not in my ear, Ling!

Al: Roche doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist; any quotes from Romeo and Juliet or the song Possibilities by Freddie Stroma. There's also a poll on her profile, so please feel free to answer it.


Chapter 8: Possibilities (Day 5)

Ed's POV:

"Wake up, Brother!" Al shakes me awake, but all I do is groan.

"Not now, Al, I'm having a good dream!" I complained.

"Well, you can finish it later." Al tried to pull me out of bed, to no avail. I give myself a minor victory cheer and get up from bed. I warm smell was wafting in the air. Did Al make breakfast? I run downstairs to see that breakfast has been set out for both Al and I, with Al already eating his.

"Come on! The pancakes taste great!" I couldn't hesitate but walk to table and stuff my face. Al was right, these were good.

"Al, I didn't know your pancakes were this good!"

"But, I didn't make them Brother." I cock my head to the side before I see a flash of white on the corner of my eye. I turn my head and grab the note from the other side of the table.

"Edward and Al,

Thanks for letting me sleep on your couch, and I'm sorry for slapping you on the face, Edward. As a thank you, I've made you guys breakfast.

-Winry.

P.S. Edward, how about we practice for our project? Same time, same place."

"Hey, Winry is the one who made us these pancakes. But where is she?" I looked in the living room to see that's its empty. She must of went home while were still sleeping. Once I finish my breakfast, I head upstairs to get ready. I do my usual morning routine and I head out earlier for football practice. We have a game in two weeks, and as the team captain, I want to lead our team into victory. I know Al would be cheering with the other cheerleaders (being the only guy, he's showing his pride) but, I hope no one is giving him a hard time because of it.

Once I get to the school, I get ready as usual, making sure I'm not late. I head to the field and see Roy and Havoc passing around the football to each other.

"Hey!" I yelled, and they turn to face me, not aware the football is still mid-air. The football soon lands on Roy's head, and I start to laugh my ass off. Not long after, Havoc joins in.

"Hey, you distracted me, you Pipsqueak."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK SMALLER THAN A FLEA WHO LIVES IN A DOG'S FUR?" I yelled, trying to pick a fight with him.

"Look, that's not what I said, Shrimp." I growl at his comment, and sigh.

"Look, let's just practice before Coach Armstrong makes us run laps around the entire school." I suggested as we start to throw the football around with each other.

"So, are you and Hawkeye a thing now? After what happened between the two of you at the party, it seems she couldn't get her hands off of you." I asked, a smirk spread on my face.

"Well, she had one too many drinks and, well, let's just say we're going out now." Roy bragged as both Havoc and I rolled our eyes. By now, everyone has arrived for practice. I see Coach Armstrong emerging from the locker rooms, a sneer forming on her face. Great, she's in a bad mood. I just hope she doesn't push us TOO hard.


*After School *

I groan in pain from this morning's practice. When Coach Armstrong is tired, you never know what evil plan she has up her sleeves. I look at my watch and sigh. I have an hour and a half to rehearse with Winry. I'm glad that we're ok now. The thing is, I don't know I was enemies with her in the first place. I mean, she was much taller than me, and she's not like any of other girls, who can't help but throw themselves at me. And then it hit me. I remember the first time we met…


Flashback

"Brother, this is Winry. Winry, this is my older Brother, Edward." Al introduced me to the girl. She had a kind smile, short blonde hair and these sapphire blue eyes that shone brightly in the sunlight; the only downside about her was that she was taller than me.

"It's nice to meet you!" Winry held up her hand, but I ignored it, showing a look of disdain.

"Ok, then. Why don't you two hang out? I'm going to get some stuff for us to play with!" Al suggested and left, leaving the two of us. Well, I clearly wasn't going to talk to someone like her.

"So, Edward do you have any hobbies?" Winry asked, a smile spread on her face. I just stayed quiet; I wasn't very social after all. Winry kept asking me a bunch of questions, and it was clearly pissing me off.

"Hey, do you wanna play ball?" Winry asked, holding up a ball.

"Can't you see I want to be alone?" I snapped, grabbing her ball and throwing into the river. I was so mad that day, I didn't realize my mistake. Tears started to flood her eyes as she ran home.

"Brother, what did you do?" Al asked, hand on his hips.

"She was annoying me with stupid questions" I protested.

"This is why you don't have so many friends." Al pouted.

"Well, she deserved it."

"You have to go apologize."

"Over my dead body!" I yelled as I run home.


End Flashback

That was stupid, how our rivalry started just because she annoyed me. Well, over the years, she wouldn't talk to me. And I gradually started to learn that she had a thing for mechanism, which I thought was not right for a lady. We were 6 when we met; and ten years later, I think it's fit if I apologize. While I patiently wait, I start to hum, and soon, break out into a song.

Don't give me hope if there's nothing to this

Don't let me in if you're not there

What I'm feeling doesn't happen every day

So baby, please play me fair

And it feels like there's something more

Than those crazy little crushes I've felt before

When you move in closer I can feel the rush

And now we're so close we can touch

All these possibilities

So many little possibilities

"Hey, I didn't know you could sing." A voice told me, and I whip my head around to see Winry standing at the doorway.

"Well, I'm like you. I don't like singing in public." I smile at her, and she returns it. She really is starting to warm up to me.

"Hey, I just wanted to apologize."

"You already did, you numbskull." She teased, and I couldn't help but chuckle. I hate to admit it, but she's right; I am a numbskull.

"No, I'm not apologizing about those stupid rumours. I'm apologizing for my behaviour when we first met. I was really annoyed when you asked me those questions, and I snapped when I threw your ball into the river. I'm really sorry." I hang my head in shame, but I start to hear her laugh.

"What?" I questioned.

"Edward, we were only kids. Sure, I was mad at you, for like ten years, but now that we're friends, I've forgiven you." Winry smiles at me. I huge weight has been lifted off my chest after she said that, making me breathe a sigh of relief.

"Now, with that out of the way, let's start." We get into our positions, and we perform our lines. We do everything from top to bottom, including the kiss. But after that one kiss, it just left me wanting more. What I did next was the most unthinkable thing I've ever done. I grabbed Winry and kissed her again, and she returns it. We stay like for a moment before Winry pulls back and slaps me in the face.

"What the hell was that?" Winry questioned, her face looking flushed after what just happened? To be honest, I didn't know what got to me.

"I…I don't know. It just got to me. I couldn't control it." I stand up and get my things.

"I have to go. Please don't tell anyone what happened." She nods her head in agreement.

"Ok, I won't." she promised and I run out of the room. What the hell did I just do? I kissed my partner. She was my friend, nothing more. But still…she looked really cute that night at the party, and when her blue eyes look into mine, it gives me butterflies. I run home, still very flustered about what happened. Once I get home, I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize Al wasn't home yet. I run up the stairs and into my room, closing my door slowly. I lean my back against the door and slide into a sitting position. What have I done?

"There's no way I can like her!" I told myself. No matter how many times I tell myself that, I just keep thinking about her. The way she smiles at me now, the way she acts as Juliet for our project, everything; my thoughts wander for a while before I hear the door slam, jolting me awake from my daydream.

"Brother, I'm home!" My eyes pop out of my head. There was no way I was going to tell him about what happened; he's going to start bugging me about it. I lock my door and just get a random book off of my bookshelf and start reading. Ironically, I was reading a romance novel. How did one of these get on my shelf? And then I smile. It was mom. I hear a knock on my door.

"Brother? Are you ok?" Al kept knocking, and it annoyed me.

"Can you go away?" I asked politely.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." I groan in frustration and unlock my door.

"I'm not in the mood, Al. Now can you please go? Finish your homework, practice flips outside, watch 'Cats' again, do anything but talk to me." I pleaded, but he wasn't buying it.

"I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what happened."

"Over my dead body," I growled before I slammed the door in his face.


Al's POV

I wonder what was wrong with Brother last night. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong with him. Maybe he had a bad day like Winry. She still got death glares from most of the girls; the others just ignored her or looked like the felt sorry for her. I looked at my homework, my mind drawing a blank on the solution. I gave up and went to seek help from Brother. Before I knocked on his door, I can hear him muttering to himself.

"There's no way I can like her! There's no way!" he muttered to himself. I couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"But do I? I mean she's just a girl that was my enemy, and now we're friends. But I don't want to ruin our friendship if one of us likes the other. Ugh, what the hell is wrong with me?" he yelled in frustration. I hear him stop for a moment and walk to the door that I start to freeze in panic.

"Al, I know you're listening." Ed unlocked his door and opened it, making me crash to the floor. I rub my head to soothe it.

"How did you know I was eavesdropping?" I asked, feeling a bit guilty for listening in.

"Well, I can hear you breathing on the other side." He replied with a sigh.

"Did you hear everything I said?"

"The one about how you're all 'there's no way I can like her'? Yeah, pretty much."

"Oh, good you didn't hear too much." Ed mumbled to himself, making me curious.

"Too much about what Brother?" I see Ed blush. That's when I got the clue.

"You like her!" I teased.

"I do not!" He retorted, his face redder than a tomato.

"You like Winry, you like Winry!" I chanted.

"I DON'T LIKE HER! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!" He insisted, but that wasn't enough for me.

"Admit it; you like her!" I taunted, sending over the edge.

"OKAY! I like her…are you happy now?" He sat down and pulled his legs close to his chest.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I just wanted to hear the truth, that's all."

"Well, you have a VERY cruel way of showing it." Ed looked up at me.

"So, have you told her yet?"

"No, and even if I did… she would probably laugh at me."

"No, she won't. You guys are friends now. You have to tell her how you feel or she'll never know."

"But what if she doesn't accept me as more than a friend? Remember when we treated each other badly? You can never change what happened in the past." Ed raised his voice, taking me aback slightly.

"Just like how mom died…" I muttered to myself, tears slowly forming as I think about her. She died when we we're younger. Our father left us when I was a baby, leaving my mother heartbroken and my brother in an unforgiving mood towards him.

"You can't change it, but you can learn from it." I told him before leaving the room, giving my Brother some time think about his confused feelings.


Ling: Well, there you go. That's chapter 8 for you. First time Al has a voiceover/POV

Al: Shut up! Roche felt it was best if I had my own opinions about what's going through Brother's brain. Please review your thoughts. The scene where Ed is contemplating his feelings for Winry was based on a scene from 'Cardcaptors Sakura'. Until Chapter 9!