A/N: I think this one probably went through the most revisions from "final" to "posted" version. Also, Garfiel has clearly adjusted to Ed and Winry's tantrums.
53. Outcome of a fight
Winry slammed her hands and wrench down on the table. "Ed, you're not my only client- I am not moving to Central!" she shouted.
Ed threw his mismatched hands up in obvious frustration. "Fine, Risembool then!" he shouted back.
Winry cocked her head into a frustrated glare. "What makes you think I'm going to leave Rush Valley?" she asked.
For the first time in what felt like hours, Ed was silent. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and stepped back a bit from the table. He seemed to be fiddling with something in his left pocket. "Well, with Al back, we're looking to settle down, and Garfiel had said something abou…" he trailed off, hardly intelligible.
Winry threw her hands onto her hips and continued her tirade. "Oh, so you thought you'd just drag the little grease monkey away from the life she worked so hard to build, that is, when she wasn't rebuilding the limbs you threw around like a stupid oaf!" she shouted.
"No!" Ed yelled. "Al and I just want everyone tog-"
"You two are the homeless ones, you move here!" she shouted, stabbing her finger into his chest.
"And get assaulted by rabid mechanics every time I step outside? Hell no!" Ed snapped, and caught her accusing finger. "Besides, Gar-"
"Right, you want to uproot me but GOD FORBID you make any compromises!"
Ed mumbled something to himself that Winry didn't quite catch.
"Speak up, shorty, your tiny voice is too high for normal people to hear," Winry taunted.
"You know what? Screw it, I've had more than my share of battles, and I don't need this," said Ed. His left hand seemed to be clenching around the something in his left pocket. "You can tell Al you're not coming. I'm done dealing with this crap," he added, grabbing his jacket on his way out.
"Selfish jerk," Winry mumbled to herself.
Not a moment after the shop door slammed, Garfiel poked his head in. "Winry, dear, was that Edward just now?" he asked.
"Yes, and he's an ass," she groaned. "Can you believe he had the nerve to ask me to leave with him and Al? To just leave everything I've done here and take off?"
Garfiel's eyebrows contracted. "Didn't he tell you? I was thinking of expanding to Central, and having you run the new shop. I'd be willing to settle for East City if you kids wanted to move back home," her mentor explained.
Winry was vaguely aware of her jaw plummeting, right along with her pride.
"Ed?" Winry asked very quiely. She stood in the doorway with her hands clasped in front of her.
He scowled without looking up from what Winry assumed was an alchemy notebook. "What now?" he asked, dripping with sarcasm. "What else could I possibly have done to piss-"
Then he looked up and was at the door immediately. "Winry, what's wrong? What happened?" His flesh arm was already around her shoulders. She felt the guilt mounting, seeing how quickly he sprang into action in response to her being upset.
"I'm sorry about earlier," she said, and his eyes bulged- probably in surprise since she rarely apologized for anything. "Garfiel told me about the expansion, and if you offer's still open, I'd love to go with you and Al back to Central."
In the most uncharacteristic move of his life, Ed crushed Winry to his chest. "'Course it's open, I'd miss you too much without an obsession to distract me."
"Great, I'll start packing," she replied as she threw her arms around him before running out of the room.
Ed chuckled to himself as she dashed off. "Damn, if the outcome is like this, I'm picking fights with you more often," he said.