The Military Ball was probably the most elegant sight that Edward had ever laid eyes on. The rounded ballroom had pristine, marbled ivory floors and white stone columns spaced out to circle the room. The ceiling was high and the wood was hand carved into an intricate floral pattern. He admired it for a moment before scanning the room.
There were many familiar faces, and others that were not so familiar, but everyone was dressed in formal wear- the men in Military garb and the women in tasteful gowns. Even he adorned his cobalt Military suit, though it was more out of requirement than desire. If it were up to him, he would have wore something casual- or a black suit at most. He pulled on his collar to air his neck and turned towards Alphonse, "I don't get the purpose of a Military Ball."
"It's to honor fallen soldiers and show respect for Military Commanders." Alphonse replied. Edward huffed through his nose, wondering how such a thing would honor the dead. And the leaders of the ranks were given respect every other day, what was so special about this one day?
He didn't have long to brood over the superficial event because his eyes caught a flash of yellow to the side. He shifted his gaze to the entrance where Winry walked through with Hawkeye at her side. He gaped at his childhood friend, and his mouth fell wide open.
She looked so different.
Her golden hair had been set free of its usual rubber confines and it spilled over her shoulders and down her back like a rich waterfall. She had makeup on- something he'd never seen before- but it wasn't so heavily painted on that it changed any of her natural features. Her eyes were a bit darker around the waterline and there was a sheer silver sparkle on her lids. Her lips were painted in a deep, dark shade of burgundy and her cheeks were a little pinker than they usually were. He lowered his gaze to her dress- which was the same color as her lipstick. It hugged her every curve with its silky material and it was long enough to cover her feet. The straps were thin, like two threads that held a mountain of fabric, and silver, and her heart-shaped neckline dipped low enough to reveal the small trench in between her two breasts.
His mouth was wide open at the breathtaking sight of her. Winry walked down the short set of stairs that led to the ballroom floor and he met her warm sapphire gaze. Her lips curled into a smile and she lifted the sides of her dress as she began walking towards him, revealing the set of simple black flats on her feet. From what he could tell, most of the woman were wearing heels but he predicted they were uncomfortable and didn't think much on Winry choosing confort over style. Instead, he returned her smile with a nervous one of his own.
"Hey, Ed! Hey, Al!" She greeted cheerfully upon her graceful approach.
"H-hi." Edward managed to say, trying his best to keep his eyes directed towards her face and not how nice she looked in that dress.
Winry huffed a small puff of air and deflated her straight posture just a tad, "I feel like a fish out of water here. It's so fancy."
"You look really nice, Winry." Alphonse noted, his boyish voice echoing within his armor.
She grinned, "Thanks, Al." Her expectant gaze shifted to Edward and she cleared her throat a little dramatically. He cocked a brow at her, anxious at the way she placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. What did she want now? "Well?" She said slowly, narrowing her eyes into slits.
"What?" He asked, dumbfounded.
"Aren't you going to be a gentlemen and compliment me too? Or is Alphonse the one Elric brother who has manners?"
Al snickered at his side and Edward felt his face get warm. He would love nothing more than to tell her in detail how beautiful she looked, and how it should be scientifically impossible to be so appealing, but his mind went blank and he could only laugh a little nervously as he said, "W-well, do you really need to hear the same thing twice?"
Winry huffed and folded her arms over her chest, "I guess not," she turned towards Alphonse and beamed brightly, "Al, do you want to dance with me?"
"Sure!" Alphonse took her extended hand and let her lead him to the center of the floor. Edward tightened his jaw as he watched their backs retreat. Maybe he felt a little jealous that Winry had asked Al and not himself, maybe he should have told her what he really thought about her ensamble. If only he wasn't so bashful about those kinds of things. With a sigh, he turned around and made his way towards the bar.
Winry smiled softly as she swayed back and forth. Alphonse was a better dancer than she'd expected, and he seemed to know it because he moved without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Edward was at the bar sneaking a few alcoholic drinks. Technically, he wasn't old enough to drink, but the tender seemed to assume his Military status equated someone of age, and Edward didn't say anything on the contrary when he slid him a glass half-full of brown liquid. He downed it with a soured expression and almost immediately felt the euphoric affects swarm into his body. His head felt lighter and the tension that was always present in his shoulders dissipated away. He smirked and chugged a second shot, slamming the glass down onto the bar with a hard thud. It tasted better the second time- a little less bitter than the first. He waved a hand at the tender to indicate that he didn't want another pour before walking away.
His eyes roamed the room until they found their objective: Winry. With two servings of liquid courage to fuel him, he sauntered over to where they were. He stood a few steps behind her and locked eyes with his bother. They shared a silent conversation before Alphonse spun Winry around right into Edward's arms.
She blinked up at him, confused, and looked back at Al. The armored boy threw a wave over his shoulder and turned to walk away. Winry tilted her head towards Edward once more and smiled, "If you wanted to dance with me you could have just asked instead of stealing me away."
He hummed and wrapped an arm around her waist while placing the other on the small of her back. Edward pulled her closer, until they were chest to chest, and a satisfied grin curled his lips when he saw her cheeks redden, "Well, when I want something- I just go for it."
Her face deepened in color until it almost matched her dress, "Have you been drinking?"
"Maybe."
Winry slid both of her arms around his neck as he took the lead in their dance. The warm buzz of the alcohol in his mind made everything seem so different, and she was no exception. He gazed deeply into her sapphire eyes and she into his.
"Well, this should be fun then. I've never seen you drunk." She noted with a giggle.
"I'm not drunk, just tipsy."
"Oh?"
"I actually wanted to revise what I said earlier. I have a few compliments to give." He stated boldly, lifting his hand to brush a loose strand of hair from her eyes. It was as if the alcohol had washed away all of his insecurities and he was finally able to speak freely.
"I was just kidding about that." Winry replied.
"Hmm, well," He trailed his fingers up her back and felt her shiver beneath his touch, "I'll tell you anyways. You look beautiful tonight, Winry," her eyes widened slightly, "I like the way you look in that dress," her mouth fell open in surprise as he leaned closer to her ear to continue, "but then again... I think you're perfect no matter what you're wearing." He pulled away and gave her a big smile and he was satisfied with how much he could make her blush in such a short amount of time.
"A-are you sure you aren't drunk?" She sputtered, drawing a laugh from him.
"I'm sure."
Winry tightened her arms around his neck and enveloped him in a hug, "Thank you."
Edward decided that, while he still had it in him, he would try just one more thing that he normally wouldn't do. When she pulled away to look at him, he lifted one hand to caress her face while the other remained firmly around her waist. He leaned his face closer to hers and stopped when he was just a hair shy from her lips, "Can I kiss you?"
She stared at him as if he'd grown a second and a third head. "K-kiss me?"
"Mhm hm." He affirmed, his eyes flickering to her lips. Edward had half-expected her to push him away for his newfound forwardness, but to his surprise she said;
"Yes."
He closed the distance between them, locking his lips against hers. She was soft and sweet and they moved against each other at a slow but impassioned pace. His entire body tingled with pleasure and when she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, he moaned happily against her mouth. His hand that was on her face moved down to the back of her neck so that he could pull her even closer, and one of her hands slipped into his hair and entangled itself in his golden locks.
When they pulled away for air, they were both panting in harmony and he rested his forehead against hers so that he could gaze directly into her eyes.
She stared at him with those innocent cobalt eyes of hers and her cheeks were dusted in the lightest shade of pink, "I think I like it when you're tipsy."
He chucked sheepishly, "I wish I had the nerve to do that kind of thing when I wasn't."
Winry giggled softly, the pleasant sound warming his ears, "Then maybe I have to make the first move next time."