"Elegance is refusal."
~Coco Chanel
Chapter Nine
Dress Blues
There was monster in Edward's closet. It slithered within the darkness, slowly feeding words of woe and sadness into his mind. It was hardly normal either, nothing like the horrid creatures that hung within the back of his mind. The monster was real. If he dared, or rather, had enough courage, it would be possible to touch the thing that lurked within his wardrobe. Of course, he was too childish to do such a thing. Monsters, as he had once learned long ago, are better left in the dark.
"Ed?"
A chill slid down the base of his spine. It was far from pleasant. The feeling nearly sent him reeling into the closet, which was something he did not want to do. If he came into contact with the creature—Edward suppressed a wince filled with anxiety—he did not want to imagine what would occur. More likely than not, he would swear and proceed to scream for his wife in vain. After all, she was the one who was to blame. Without Winry, he would never have had to encounter the monster in his closet. He would have never have had to face his unrequited fear.
With frustration, Edward breathed deeply and clenched his fists. He starred into the depths of the wardrobe, challenging the creature to a battle of wits. Without a doubt, he would win. It wasn't like the monster had a brain or a mouth to speak. It was pretty silent, which only enforced his petty fear. It was almost distracting, nearly interesting, to imagine what the thing would say. The conversation would likely be dull.
"Edward, are you ready yet?"
The sound of Winry's voice continued to send shivers down his spine. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was possible to completely ignore the situation, but that would only cause more harm than good. His wife had excellent aim. Disregarding her demands would only lead to a blow in the head, which was something he desperately despised. Anything was better than receiving an injury from a wrench, a tool meant to heal and help.
Instead, Edward remained silent, continuing to glower at the so called monster within his closet. He couldn't bare the injustice of it all, and soon, without a sound, collapsed toward the ground. Embracing the floorboards was far better than confronting the thing that was situated in-between his clothing. He enjoyed the slight chill that sunk within his skin. It reminded him of old times, when he used to stare up at the night sky and wonder what existed above. The grass would tickle his arms and legs, reviving every nerve within his body. That of course, was different from lying on the floor, but the idea was the same. He wanted to get away. Edward wanted to escape.
"For heaven's sake, Edward. Are you ready? I'm not getting any older over here."
When Winry's voice came toward his location, Edward prepared for the worst. He closed his eyes, envisioning the night sky. It was hardly realistic, but it had to be better than dealing with the monster. For a moment, he could taste the night air on his tongue. He could feel the grass that brushed against his skin. A starry sky could be seen within the depths of his mind. It was bold, bright, and beautifully warm. It was everything he imagined it would be. Of course, it had to end.
"Oh, Ed!" Winry said in an annoyed tone. She was now standing along the edge of the room, her blonde hair shining in the pale afternoon light. "What are you doing? I thought I told you to get ready!"
A loud groan slipped through his lips. Edward squeezed his eyes shut, wishing the the whole world would just fade away. "I'm dying, Winry. Just leave me alone."
A frustrated huff slipped through her lips. Edward cracked open his eyes, just wide enough so he could see the details of Winry's face. Her lips were pressed into a hard line, and her eyes, usually glowing with life, were filled with disappointment. The expression on her face - he didn't like it. In fact, Edward never enjoyed being the cause of her discontent. Long ago he had promised that he would make her smile. Now, he was obviously violating that solemn vow. It was almost selfish, but had never been one to quickly judge.
"Hey, don't give me that look. You know I hate that thing." He muttered while running a hand along his face.
"You can't hate it that much."
Edward cracked open his eyes again, sending Winry a sceptical look. "I hate it. That thing is a piece of crap. I tried to burn it once, remember?"
"Yes, and I stopped you from making the worst decision of your life." She replied, leaning down and brushing a strand of hair from the centre of his head. "Can't you just wear it this once? It won't kill you."
A positive reply nearly slipped through Edward's lips, but he quickly stopped himself. Winry wasn't playing fair. After brushing his forehead, she had continued to fiddle with his hair. Her fingertips occasionally lingered along his skin, which sent jolts of heat across his cheeks. No, she was certainly not playing fair. Her actions were distracting in more ways than one. In order to save himself, Edward reached and grabbed her hand, which stalled the process of simply losing control.
"It will kill me. I'm already dying."
Winry released a heavy sigh. She tried to pull her hand away from Edward, but he continued to hold onto it tightly. It was almost as if he had claimed ownership of her fingers, completely refusing to let them go. It was childish, but in a cute and endearing sort of way.
"You're not dying, Edward. Now can you please get ready? The closet is right there" She stated, clearly pointing in the direction of the so called monster.
"I can't." Edward whined loudly, his head tilting to the side. "I hate it."
"You hate everything."
"That's not true."
Silence danced throughout the air again, but not for very long. Winry was not one to run from an argument or a foolish confrontation. Edward suppressed a small laugh as he starred into his wife's eyes. For the first time he realized that she was dressed up. Ringlets framed her delicate features, falling onto her shoulders softly. The dress she wore was a dark navy blue. It fell smoothly and was simply breathtaking. It would have been enchanting if it was any other day or time. Sadly, he was sprawled across the floor, ignoring the obvious problem within his closet.
"Oh, really?" She suddenly said, her voice filled with sarcasm. Once again, she attempted to pull her fingers away from Edward's grasp, but he held on tight.
"I don't hate you." He said softly before placing a small kiss along the palm of her hand. It was a simple touch, a mere peck, but it was enough to force a smile to cross her features. For a moment, the whole situation was rewarding. Watching light bloom across her face — it was one of his favourite things in the whole world. He would never trade it for anything, not even the ability to preform alchemy again.
A pained sigh slipped through Winry's lips. "If you don't hate me, why don't you get dressed?"
Another groan exploded within the air. Edward dropped Winry's hand and threw his arms into the air. "I can't! That damned thing will kill me!"
Winry rolled her eyes and walked toward the closet. She grabbed the cursed thing and placed it along the edge of their bed, which was centred in the middle of the room. The sight of the object nearly gave Edward a stroke. He choked, the oxygen within his lungs suddenly becoming scarce. At that very moment, he realized that the dreaded monster had to be the ugliest thing he had ever seen. It was blue and utterly horrible, a creation that had simply gone wrong. Perhaps it was the person who made it. Edward would never know.
"Please, just get rid of it!" He moaned, suddenly throwing an arm over his eyes. "It's a bloody eyesore!"
"Edward," Winry began in a steady tone, "if this suit doesn't kill you, I will. Get dressed, or I'll start doing it for you. We can't be late. Not to an event like this."
Helpless wasn't even a word used to describe Edward's condition. He peaked over his arm and sent Winry a frustrated scowl. He didn't care for parties, especially those that required the use of his dress blues. The suit was horribly uncomfortable and didn't suit his personality at all. It was ugly and blue, a colour that wasn't awesome in any shape or form. Red would have been better, but the thing was a suit. There was nothing remotely attractive about it, at least, in his own eyes. He knew Winry found some amusement in the uniform, but even for her, it was difficult to wear.
"Don't give me that look. What would Roy think?" Winry muttered as she pulled a piece of lint off from the fabric.
"I don't care what that ass would think!"
"He's Fuhrer. I know you care."
A grimace consumed Edward's features. He didn't want to care, but was truly proud of his friend. The man was certainly an idiot, but had a heart of pure gold. Amestris would certainly improve under his control. Democracy, an important ideology within government, would prevail once again. He had seen it in Roy's eyes; a drive to succeed no matter any and every consequence. There were barriers within his path, but nothing he couldn't conquer without the help of his friends.
"Mustang's opinion won't change my mind. Like I said, he's a conceited bastard."
"What will change your mind?" Winry asked in a flustered tone. She looked up from Edward's uniform, her eyes glittering with a foreign emotion, one that could not be deciphered.
For a moment, he considered the words that had popped through his wife's lips. In all honestly, there was little that would change his mind. He didn't want to attend Mustang's party — it would be an uncomfortable and terrible bore. Random people would hull him around as if he were a stray calf. More likely than not, he would be forced to tell others about his depressing past, and that was far from desirable. Of course, Winry had to ask what would 'change his mind'. There was at least one thing that could possibly allow him to deal with the whole mess.
"I'll take you up on your previous suggestion." Edward managed to say quietly.
Winry slapped his arm. "No! Get dressed yourself!"
A small grin consumed Edward's features. He met his wife's gaze and allowed a laugh to slip through his lips. Her assistance would have made the whole process easier, but it was not meant to be. Winry would never help him get undressed, especially in a questionable mood. They were on the verge of becoming extremely late, which most likely escalated her feelings of annoyance and anxiety. It was shocking that she hadn't tossed something toward the back of his head. Normally that would have been her first reaction to his foolish position along the floor.
Edward groaned again and forced himself to stand on his feet. "Will this whole thing make you happy?"
"Yes, Ed." Winry began in a dull tone. She glanced at his uniform again and sighed deeply. "If you get dressed, I'll be very happy."
A snort exploded throughout the air. "I always thought it was the other way around."
That, of course, resulted in his ultimate demise. In a matter of seconds, Winry had whipped his crappy uniform right into his face. Edward released an unearthly shriek, jumping backwards as if a bug had suddenly appeared on the floor. Sadly, that didn't allow him to completely avoid the fabric. A pant leg had wound its way around his head. It looked like an incredibly stupid hat, which only served to make his wife laugh.
"Uh, look what you've done! I'm touching it." Edward stated with disgust.
"Look," Winry said, her voice still filled with laughter, "if you put it on, I might be able to help you later."
He stood quietly within the room, his fingers tugging on the fabric draped across his head. In the end, there was a slim possibility that he could wear the ugly uniform. His wife had made a modest proposal. It was certainly something he couldn't turn down, not without another worthless fight. After all, Winry came before anything, even the clothing that was now situated within his hair.
"I'll hold you to that."
Winry walked across the room and planted a kiss upon Edward's cheek. Her lips lingered along his skin for a moment, but quickly vanished. It was nearly disappointing, but he knew better than to hope for the very best. He had, after all, acted like a complete child. A simple peck on the cheek was all he deserved.
"I'm sure you will. Now hurry up! Time is of the essence!"
When she had retreated from the room, Edward shook his head. He glanced at the uniform - the monster, that now rested between his fingertips. It continued to send mixed feelings throughout his body and heart. It represented so many things, most of which was lost within the past. He never wanted to look back, but had to every day. Perhaps that was why he locked the suit deep within his closet. It was better, far more convenient, to allow his memories to linger in the darkness. They could never haunt him there. He could sleep better at night, knowing that the past was truly something that no longer existed in his life.
Unfortunately, today had to be different. Today was the day he would display his misfortunes to the world. He would wear his troubles like a bright red cape, and walk around with pride. After all, he was the hero of his own story. He had to define himself.
A/N: Hello, everyone! I haven't posted a new story in awhile, so after gaining some free time, I managed to type this up. Exams are coming, so I may not be able to update quickly, but that's alright. Like I have stated many times, these pieces are in no particular order! They are completely random! This oneshot was inspired from a review, which I received awhile back. I thought it would be amusing, so BAM. I created a story with Edward and Winry. Yay!
Prompt: Ed has to wear his military uniform for some prestigious event and doesn't want to.
Simple enough? I thought so as well! Anyways, feel free to leave a review and prompt! It will make my day!
~IronEclipse
