I enjoyed writing this chapter- it's been a long while, but that's okay. Ed and Winry are worth it, right?
Please enjoy.
Beautiful World
Chapter 8: Without Losing Sight
If one of my wishes were to come true...
Hand in hand the two walked down the path towards the giant, empty house…the one Winry had loved so much, the house that was a secret known only to the both of them. She smiled happily, and though Edward felt his heart thump hard in his chest, he didn't dare show it on the outside.
Slowly, Edward peered over at Winry, her bright smile a sharp difference to what she had this morning, his slip up. How he could be so stupid as to say he loved her like that…and then take it back…astounded him, despite the fact they were his words.
"Do you remember…when today…?" He drifted off, and looked away from her as soon as she turned her eyes to him, almost as if he was ashamed of her gaze. And wasn't this the most perfect situation? He promised to spend the day with her and yet his heart ached when he looked into her eyes.
"Look, there it is!" Winry said suddenly, pulling her hand away and pointing up towards the house. It looked the same as it did a few days ago, completely untouched, like in a place of its very own. Edward looked it over and his eyes traveled towards the door with the tree craved into it. He took a few steps forward and reached for Winry's shoulder as she started to run ahead.
"Are you going to the back of the house?" He asked her and she nodded.
"I'll meet you there…there's something…I wanna see." He said it brokenly, partly because he was unsure if this was the right thing to do…but the other part of him knew he needed to go inside the house alone.
She made a strange face and nodded slowly, "Please don't take too long, Ed." She reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing it quickly before she ran off. Edward took a deep intake of breath as he made his way to the door and opened it wide. The entire house echoed in his entrance as he took a few steps in, glancing down at his and Winry's footprints from days before. He smiled softly but then turned and quickly made his way up one of two flights of grand staircases.
When he reached the top he glanced around the hall, completely lost and hesitant where to go. From outside he could hear birds chirping, a slight buzzing he assumed was bees, and water splashing. That pulled a part of him away, and yet still his feet continued to move, though his head was irresolute of what to do. A few steps more and he stopped in front of a door, nothing like the one that adorned the front step. And there he stood in front of it.
There was something important on the other side, he felt it. He let his hand linger on the knob for a moment before he turned it and peered inside. The sunlight beamed through the window and illuminated the stale, dusty room. Even from the doorway it was obvious no one had touched this room in years. Slowly he walked inside and his shoes left prints in the heavy dust that covered the floor. Glancing around for a moment he spotted something familiar in the corner of the large dresser across from the bed. He moved forward, his hands trying their best to brush away the dust.
He was right about the familiarity of it. It was the same box that Winry's kept on her own dresser. He opened the top slowly; afraid it would break and looked inside, finding a simple faded white envelope. Picking it up, he made no hesitation to open it and read the contents inside.
To whom it may concern,
I wonder how many years will pass before this letter will be read? I bet you're wondering how we could have left this house, left Resembool all together. Truthfully, I believe by now it's like my family never even existed there.
My wife and I built this house, built it from the ground up and filled it with the warmth it once was so full of…but after our eldest son died in the war in Ishbal and our daughter left to start her own family, we just decided that it was too empty for the two of us, and full of memories that were hard to face…
As I write this I'm starting to think we just weren't strong enough…
…But…
We could never sell the house; we believe too much in fate…too much that maybe this house we built was made for someone else, made for a family who deserves it. And so, I figure since you found this letter, that person is you…so guess what? The house and everything inside it belongs to you to do with what you wish.
I hope you'll live here…or find people that deserve to live here but the choice is yours, as is the deed you'll find with this letter.
Thank you for taking your time to read a few of my final words…
Sincerely, John Thurman
Edward stuffed the letter back into the box and immediately began pacing the room with this new proposition. He owned this house now, he OWNED Winry's dream house…but what to do now. Everything suddenly felt heavy on him, like now he was forced to take a step in his relationship with her, one he wanted to take but still felt afraid to do so.
Grabbing the deed and folding it into his pocket he rushed out of the house towards the back, where he found Winry lounging in the grass by the pond. He walked to her and stopped when he reached her head, looking down and meeting her eyes.
"There you are!" She reached her hands up and he grabbed on to his for a moment, an awkward pose for the both of them, "Have fun exploring?"
"Hmm, yeah." He said lazily. He didn't want to seem too excited, he hadn't even clearly thought over what he wanted to do yet, so instead of fret, he decided that right now it was best to do as Winry wanted him to do; it was her day after all.
He dropped her hands and sat down next to her, she, immediately moved to let her head rest on the top of his thigh as she dreamily gazed over the water.
"Beautiful." She murmured quietly and Edward nodded despite the fact she couldn't see him do it. "I think we should run away…"
Edward tensed then glanced down, meeting Winry's distant gaze.
"What the hell does that mean?" He asked seriously, as she lifted herself up off the ground to look him better in the eye.
"I know you told me to pretend all those years you were gone never happened, Ed. I know, I know but I can't help but remember it. I know that things have changed between us, can't you feel it?" She moved up, placing her hand on his inner thigh as she moved closer towards his face. He could feel her warm breath on his lips as she moved closer, inching her way slowly. "I know it…we should run away."
Fighting temptation he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked away, "Winry, stop it. Al and Granny need us." He breathed out a deep, heavy breath as her head fell and a sob escaped her throat. He flashed a look to her, disbelief and hurt covering his face.
"Crying? Don't cry Winry! Damn, why are you crying?" He tried to be soothing, placing both hands on her shoulders and trying to pull her into an embrace but she quickly pulled herself away.
"Is it because I'm not good enough?" She asked in between quiet sobs.
"What?" He asked unsurely. He dropped his hands from her as she looked up at him, her eyes red and her lips pouting and yet seemingly begged for his own.
"Are we not equal enough to be together?" She asked bluntly, her voice broken and weak. She hated acting like this, she knew she was better and braver then this weak little girl who cried before him now. "Are we not equivalent?" The sadness twisted into a deep anger as she raised her eyes to his.
"What the hell does that mean?" He could feel his own flame raise in his stomach, belittling her self like that was wrong and it was pissing him off. His eyes narrowed and hers did in return. He was so angry that he barely even realized that Winry wanted them to be together, to be more then they were.
She thinks she isn't good enough for him?
"You know what it means, jerk! Don't make me explain myself!" She bit her lip and looked down. She took a moment to think before she finally spoke again. "I don't believe in this equivalence you hold so high."
"What does that have to do with anything you just said Winry!" Edward threw his arms in the air in exasperation. He didn't understand what was wrong with her, why she was spitting out all this non-sense.
He stared at her, livid blue eyes poured into gold before he spoke his mind. "Equivalent exchange…it's simple, one for one, two for two. You can't get more then you put in…" He looked over at her and sighed, "But it doesn't work the same with people. When I was younger, when it happened…"
Winry said nothing as she looked away from him and out towards the water.
"…I didn't understand. One is all and all is one was drilled into my head, enveloped my brain. The first law is equivalent exchange and I thought a bit of blood would do it. I was so wrong, so off…but still, even after the fact…I was all for equivalence, and don't get me wrong a part of me still is. But when it comes to people…"
He stopped and looked over at her. The wind suddenly picked up and blew the scattered leaves around the two, surrounding them. Her hair blew around her face and his flapped gently behind him. When it finally died down, still his gaze burned into hers.
"Hmm…" He mumbled lightly and her ears perked at his voice.
"What?" She asked quietly.
He stared at her for another moment then glared.
"You seriously think you aren't good enough…for me? What the hell is the matter with you?" He barked and his eyes sharp and unsympathetic.
"What do you mean? Don't put it like that! It's embarrassing!" She snapped in return, avoiding the question completely.
"You just said we weren't equal! Why are you acting like this?" He screamed now, coming close to pulling at his hair.
Her blue eyes narrowed into daggers as she slapped him as hard as she could in the shoulder; unfortunately she was without her wrench.
Giving up after her beating, he sighed and fell back into the grass. She turned away from him, her back facing him rather then her face. He saw how tense she looked, knew he didn't have to yell or scream…knew he couldn't help himself…
And he knew she wasn't as angry as she made herself pretend to be.
He knew her better then he thought he did.
"Stupid wench..." He reached up and grabbed her shoulder, knocking her down beside him. She looked over at him, her eyes wide. "I have no clue what the hell you talk about sometimes." He told her honestly, looking up into the blue sky above.
"Because you're stupid..." She told him as a matter of fact.
"I know." He agreed, patting her forehead. She pushed his hand away and laughed, turning on her side. Scooting over just a bit she whispered in his ear, "Why wouldn't you let me kiss you Ed?" She asked softly and then turned over on her side, away from him. She didn't want him to see how red her face was.
He didn't move for a moment as he thought over her words and a reply. Finally, thinking of what to say he sat up, and let his lips linger over her ear as he whispered, "Probably because I wouldn't have been able to stop myself." He snickered lightly which caused her to turn and slap him upside the head, beating him up all over again.
He could take it…
"Don't lie." She hissed, sitting up herself.
"I'm not lying! Damn it." He touched the sore spot lightly before staring her down. "I like you." He snapped then flinched away, afraid of getting hit again. Actually, he was in love with her…but he didn't feel brave enough to say that…not just yet.
"You…like me?" She asked, her eyebrow cocking slightly…and then…
And then she laughed.
He turned his head fast and watched her giggle. He glared, angry at himself for ever saying something so stupid. "Shut up Winry. I take it back…"
She ignored him, "Oh you like me!" She jumped from her spot on the ground and encircled her arms around his neck, knocking him back into the grass.
Taken aback for only a moment, he recovered and too, forgot his words from a moment ago. "'Course, dumbass, I'm no liar…so what about you?" He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him as he waited for her words.
"I do. I like you too!" She nodded furiously and then pulled back and looked into his eyes, "I'm no liar either." She told him with a fake seriousness. She was too happy to be completely serious.
"Really?" He released his hold on her and sat back up, Winry following suit. "…So all those times you said you hated me? Truths?" He asked playfully and she hit him again.
"Shut up, don't ruin it."
He laughed as he grabbed her again, rubbing the top of her head, then she started to tickle him and there they playfully fought together in the grass behind Edward's house.
The house he'd one day give to Winry.
…Now he was one step closer…
