AN: Winry/Ed. first time with this pairing. Might not make sense, is a bit jumpy.
Disclaimer: Don't own FMA.
Sometimes and Always
He shows up once in a while, usually with his automail arm in disrepair or sometimes even in pieces. His brother would be next to him, sometimes walking, and sometimes in chunks of metal pieces, like his brother's arm.
She would smile softly, before throwing a wrench at the older brother's head, sometimes knocking him unconscious, but always leaving a bruise, which she would later, lovingly brush her fingers across, when she was sure that no one, especially the younger brother, was watching, and that he was unaware. Sometimes though, he was aware, and he would guide her hand gently away from the bump.
Even rarer was when he would brush his lips across her knuckles, and she treasured those moments.
It was the rare moments that she savored when he was away, and the rare memories of him holding her hand when they walked by the river, or even the rarer memories of him kissing her. Sometimes, he kisses her gently before he leaves, early in the morning, when she is sometimes asleep and when she sometimes is not.
She pretends to stay asleep in those moments that she is awake, but he knows and she knows that she will not get up to say "good-bye", because "good-bye" seems so final.
So the night before, she would tell him to come back when he needs repairs, or just come back to visit, even though she knows and he knows that he won't come back unless it was absolutely necessary. She also tells him to be careful with that arm because she made it for him.
And he would always, always, laugh at her and tell her that he would take care of it because she made it for him.
To him, it was more important than the State Alchemist watch he carries. "It's a piece of you that I carry around with me, to remind me that you are where home is."
"Come home to me safely," she would whisper into the night, when she is sometimes sure that he is asleep. And he would always, always, turn to put his arm around her, and pull her close to his chest for a tight hug, and she misses the weight of his arm when he wakes up to leave.
So she keeps up a daily routine, to look for the tell-tale red coat, and the sometimes walking suit of armor. And when she sees it, she would smile softly before throwing the wrench, and sometimes knocking him unconscious, but always, always, leaving a bruise.
