Notes from Shardy: Normally I don't post two chapters on the same day, but noticing the sorry short state chapter four was in I decided to give you all a break. And sorta redeem myself at the same time for Ed's past actions.
Disclaimer: Why do we have to put these stupid things? Fanfiction is pretty self-explanatory that nobody owns the series displayed here. If you own the story, you're supposed to post it on FictionPress or something.
Chapter Five
Warm summer sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling illuminating heat upon her face. Winry stirred awake and the first thought that poked through her mind was wonder at how she had gotten into her room. For some reason, her left shoulder ached, not painfully but still uncomfortable.
What happened? Had she fainted again?
By this times the memories of the previous night were slowly coming back to her and she shivered, whimpering slightly. Her worst fear had come true; Ed hated her. Now that he knew everything…
A warm weight rested around her waist, her groggy brain suddenly realized. Now that her head was clear enough to think, the majority of heat she felt did not come from the sun but rather from something lying next to her.
Or, more accurately, someone…
A small snore erupted and Winry raised herself on her elbows to further give her the ability to turn and see just who she was sharing her bed with. Ed lay fast asleep beside her, his left arm wrapped securely around her waist. She smiled to herself as she watched him dream, remembering when she, Ed, and Al used to sleep together in one of the grown-ups' bed during overnight visits. How they would stay up, talking about magical fantasies of faraway lands, giggling when they got in trouble for being too loud. Though Al would snuggle with her too because he was sweet like that, it was Ed who held her like she belonged to him and only him (he always was a possessive little booger).
Careful so as not to wake him, Winry began to scoot towards the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, Ed's arm had other plans and tightened its hold around her.
"Ed…!"
"Don't move," Ed breathed without opening his eyes. "Just lay here…with me…for a few minutes…"
She obliged, leaning her head in the crook of his neck as he shifted his body to a more comfortable position. Nose pressed against her hair, she could feel his breath trickling down her ear with each exhale, causing the hairs to stand straight on end. After a moment, she squirmed again in another attempt to get away.
"Edward," she began in a warning tone.
"Don't leave."
"Ed, I hafta go to the bathroom!"
"So?"
"Do you want me to pee on this mattress?"
She could tell that his eyes were open and he was glaring at her. "You wouldn't do that."
"Wanna bet? It is MY bed, after all."
She could tell he was weighing the possibilities: Keep holding onto Winry and risk getting urinated upon, or letting her go do her dirty business.
"Fine," he pouted, removing his arm. "You've got two minutes."
Soon as his arm was gone, she jumped off the bed and whirled around to stick her tongue out at him. "Psych!" she exclaimed gleefully.
"WHAT?" he cried, jerking to a straight sit-up, eyes wide at being so easily duped. "You tricked me!"
"Not my fault you're so gullible," she giggled, then shrieked when Ed pounced at her. She tried to get out the door but he was too fast, and next thing she knew she was pressed flat against the wall with both of his arms planted beside her head. His eyes were glittering devilishly at her. "I…I guess you win," Winry remarked with a small, slightly nervous laugh.
"Oh, no, sweetheart, the game has only just begun," he replied, his grin screaming pure evil.
Her eyes darted as he continued to leer at her, prolonging this for as long as possible. "Well, we're sorta in a precarious position, aren't we…?" she declared, smiling wavering.
"Really? I kinda like this position."
His left hand moved from the wall to trail down her thigh, pulling their hips against each other. "And if I recall correctly, you really liked this position, too."
"Ed!" she gasped, face flaring three shades of crimson. "I have a boyfriend!"
"Me? Yeah, I know."
"NO! Felix…!"
Ed snorted, rolling his topaz eyes. "Please. It's not like you're married."
"I'm still devoted to him!" she hissed, unable to believe this guy's unconcern for the sacredness of a relationship, even if it was only dating. Then again, she hadn't really been concerned either, had she?
"Are you, Winry?" he replied, serious expression replacing his earlier smirk. She gave a tiny squeak when Ed ever-so-lightly rubbed himself into her, and, in spite of the seeming impossibility, her blush increased. She struggled to keep from losing her train of thought.
"O-o-kay," she managed to choke out, "I admit…I do want you, Ed. I-I want you so bad! But…but it's not the same…desiring someone…and loving someone is not the same thing!"
He tilted his head to one side, blinking at her. "It's not?"
Feeling braver, as long as she kept her focus away from his suggestive grinding, she barged on, "You know it's not! For two people in love…there has to be more! There has to be more than just desire and sex!"
"Is that so?"
All of a sudden the world was tilting dramatically as Ed picked her up and slumped her over his shoulder with ease. "Edward, what in the world--?" Winry cried but he said nothing as he plopped her down on the bed. For a second or two, he looked down upon her, his smug leer returning, liking how she looked like that lying there with her golden hair sprawled about the mattress, face the softest hue of red…
"I KNOW YOUR TICKLE SPOT!" he yelled, pouncing on her and proceeding to abuse her sides. She screamed, flailing about in poor attempt to get away, laughing hysterically until tears started rushing down her face.
"Hee hee….dammit, Ed!" she gasped out in between desperate breaths of laughter. "Eeek! Don't…yip!…do that!"
"I know your tickle spot, I know your tickle spot…!" he continued to jeer in a sing-song tone, showing no mercy as his fingers crawled around her undersides. Eventually, in her light-hearted despondency, she tackled him back, turning the tables.
"No!" Ed screamed, his own laughter ringing in the small bedroom. "Not the neck! Anything but the neck!" Out of all his body parts, Winry had always known that the area between his jaw line and his shoulder blade was the most sensitive…to tickling especially…among other things.
She was reminded of that one time she had given him a hickey on his neck, the way he clung to her, breathing tiny moans of pleasure in her ear…she shivered in the morbid satisfaction of having him completely at her mercy, both then and now.
They rolled about the bed, tangling themselves in the blankets, giggling childish sniggers as if they were both five again as they each tried to dominate the other. Eventually, they lay still, exhausted, still snickering softly. And Ed was on top of her.
"Pinned ya! I pinned ya!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "I WIN!"
She giggled again, instinctively tracing her fingers along his shirt front without realizing it, feeling the hard muscles underneath the black fabric. "And what prize does the winner demand?" she inquired with a smile. She felt strange. Strange, sexy, naughty all rolled into one sensation. Whenever Ed looked at her, no matter when or where or under what condition, she felt like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Ed had always made her feel that way.
For the moment, Ed dodged the question as something more important needed to be addressed. "Earlier you said that in order for us to be in love there has to be more between us," he reminded her softly. "Winry…how much more could there possibly be?"
"Ed--" she began but he silenced her by placing his left index finger upon her lips.
"Shh…don't. I don't want you to answer right away," he countered. "I want you to think about it. Think about it for a long time. You were always telling me how I tend to overanalyze things. Maybe you should start following your own advice."
He smiled down at her, removing his hand, and she felt her heart begin to pound more rapidly than it ever had before.
"But let's discuss this later," he continued cheerfully. "As for my 'prize', I want you to spend the entire day with just me."
She blinked. "What?"
"Yeah! It's really pretty out; let's go to the lake. Have a picnic lunch! You know, like we used to!"
"But what about Al?"
"He'll be fine. Besides, he would rather stay here with the cats, anyway. So grab your swimsuit, unless you wanna skinny dip!"
She frowned, not amused by his grin, in spite of how cute it made him look. "Oh, trust me, I'll be wearing one," she promised.
Like a couple of preschoolers, they chased each other along the trail to the lake in their swimsuits; Winry carrying blankets while Ed carried the large picnic basket Pinako had been so kind to prepare for them. Ed allowed her to keep ahead of him, watching her hair fly behind her, blazing like spun gold in the sunlight. She turned her head to blow him a raspberry, and something plummeted straight to his gut, causing his face to grow warm. He really liked this view, especially when her running at that angle gave him a view of certain…female parts bouncing…hee hee…
"Yeah, you keep running, Winry!" he yelled. "I'm gonna catch ya sooner or later!"
She yelped and increased her pace.
As if just for this particular occasion, the day was far warmer than usual even in the summer. Sweltering, even. By the time the two of them arrived at the lake, they were jubilant to see the sparkling blue water of the lake greeting them. "Ahhh," Winry sighed as she set the blankets down under the shade of a tall pine tree. "I don't know what I want to do first; eat or go swimming."
"I know what I wanna do," Ed threw in helpfully.
"Something platonic, for once?"
He just smiled widely.
"Didn't think so."
"Wanna settle it with another tickle match?"
"You never give up, do you?"
In the end, they decided to snack a little first, take a swim, and then eat. After all, they had the entire rest of the afternoon to goof around. Sipping apple juice, Ed watched as Winry ate some strawberries, allowing his gaze to take in her curves. And that skimpy two-piece bikini she was wearing was driving him insane!
Winry sniggered silently to herself. She was fully aware of Ed feasting on her with his eyes. That was the entire reason why she wore it. Certainly she had other swimsuits in her closet, and far more conservative. Instead, she had chosen the one sewn with the least amount of material, strings tied in all the right places that could come loose with the simplest tug. Ed's first reaction was priceless when she emerged from her room wearing something that probably only took two minutes to piece together. Needless to say, his nose practically burst in a fountain of blood.
What else could she do to torture him?
"Well, I'm going in the water now," she announced, putting the rest of the strawberries back in the basket. "You coming?"
"Nah, I'll just sit here for a minute and finish eating," he replied, beginning to munch on a ham and cheese sub.
She winked at him. "Your loss."
Damn, how was it possible for her to get any sexier?
He was going to make her regret having even considered wearing that bikini in front of him.
Meanwhile, in the water, Winry was starting to forget Ed was watching her from the bank. The heat was starting to become unbearable from the afternoon sun and the icy-cold water of the lake was so inviting…
She found herself lost as she began to swim, body a little shocked at the sharp contrast of cold water to the hot atmosphere, but once she got used to it she became next to a fish as a human could ever get. For a while she floated on her back, staring up at the bright, cloudless sky above her. Then, feeling a little lightheaded and kooky, she dove into the water only to break the surface again, shaking droplets out of her hair.
The way her body arched and her hair flew when she came back up, diamond-like liquid splashing around her was too much for poor Edward. Wasting no time taking off his black tank, he headed for the lake at a full run, diving underwater once it was deep enough and made a beeline for her.
Jerking out of her daydreaming upon hearing the nearby splash, Winry shrieked when something brushed suggestively against her leg. "ED!" she screamed, splashing out of the way as he jumped up in front of her.
"What?"
The afternoon wore on into the early evening, Ed and Winry played various games as though time had never passed between them over the years. She was glad his automail was waterproof, otherwise they would have some serious problems. While she concerned herself with his mechanical limbs, her eyes were occupied elsewhere. Here, all alone with him, laughing like they were children again, Winry looked at Ed as if seeing him for the first time. Drops of water glistened off his muscular chest and rolled down those rippling abs, the hem of his swim trunks hugging his hips a little lower than most guys would have modestly preferred. Braid unraveled, his playful expression was framed by long, wet blonde hair slightly passed his shoulders, that one strand of hair still stubbornly sticking upward.
Blushing vividly, Winry glanced away, feeling confused. This was not the first time she had noticed how handsome and desirable her best friend had grown. It was just that…the light seemed different somehow. She couldn't figure it out but it wasn't the same.
Then it happened. So quickly that she had no chance to react or defend herself.
Waist above water, she discovered Ed had somehow gotten behind her. She felt the brush of his fingers along her back, the light quick tug of bikini strings…
…and the sharp draft that slapped across her exposed chest.
"EEEDDWAAAAAARDDDD!" she screamed, covering herself with her arms and diving underwater. Squatting there chin-deep in the lake, she glared murderously at Ed already on the shore, dangling her bikini top between his thumb and forefinger.
"My, my, what have we here?" he sniggered slyly, his wickedly smug expression enough to make the Big Bad Wolf die of shame.
"Ed, give that back!" Winry yelled spastically. Lake water was very, very cold.
"I will on one condition," he replied. She should've seen this coming.
"What is it?" she shot back dryly.
"Dump that Felix guy!"
"What? I can't!"
"Sure you can. It's easy. Just say 'Felix, I don't love you, anymore. I love Edward Elric'!"
The annoying, squeaky pitch he used to imitate her voice did not please her at all. Winry sighed. "Ed, it's not gonna happen. Now will you please give me back my top?"
"Not until you say you'll marry me!"
Completely guffawed, Winry gaped at him. "Are you freaking serious?" She didn't understand why she was so surprised. Knowing Ed, of course he was after more than a free peep show.
"No less serious now than the time I asked you when we were four."
"Ed…" Strange. She was struggling with her negative reply; after all, it could never work. The word "no" and all its equivalent associates could not seem to form in her vocal cords. "Ed…" was all she managed to repeat.
Seeing the inner conflict etched in her face, Ed quickly changed the subject. "Okay, fine," he declared with a nonchalant shrug. "If you want your precious top so bad, you'll have to come get it!"
"Ed! You know that's impossible!" she cried.
"Why?" he inquired in a seemingly innocent tone. "We're the only ones here. And it's not like I've never seen them before." His wolfish grin made its reappearance upon the word "them".
"I don't care!"
"Oh, c'mon, remember when we used to take baths together?"
"Ed, we were three."
He sighed deeply. "You're no fun, Winry," he whined. Shrugging again, he placed her bikini top on the ground in front of his feet.
Winry felt her face drain of its color as a sickening feeling retched in her gut. He…he wouldn't…!
"Let's see," Ed muttered, staring down at her top contemplatively. "What can we transmute this into?"
He WOULD!
"Ed." Winry began very, very, VERY slowly before she gave him the peep show he wanted if it meant beating him to death. "Give. Me. Back. My. Top. Now."
"Hang on a minute, Winry! I'm being creative!" he shouted back as if HE were the one annoyed.
"Creative?"
Rolling his eyes, he stated, "Honey, I can't decide when my creative drive pops in. It comes and goes at random." He began waving her dismissively. "Now hush. You're running the artistic moment.
"Stay in the water, Winry, she told herself firmly when she felt her body start to rise. Stay calm, and for God's sake stay in the water! "My top was not made for you to practice your alchemic artistry!" she shouted.
she told herself firmly when she felt her body start to rise. "My top was not made for you to practice your alchemic artistry!" she shouted."Then what's it made for?"
That did it. Let him enjoy her exposure in these last few moments of his life. Hands clutched at her sides, she bolted upright and stormed after him.
"HOT DAMN! Baby, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Ed cat-called, then "eep"ed when he saw her glower that promised a thousand deaths. Snatching the bikini top, he held it high above his head as she tried to grab it. He turned in circles while she jumped at him, evading the top just out of her reach, laughing at her frustration…until her hands grabbed his neck, squeezing viciously.
"Give it to me or I'll strangle you," she snarled, her voice almost demonic.
His infamous grin returned. "Okay, I'll give it to you."
Instantly, his arms hugged her waist, holding her tightly as he kissed her so soundly that when their lips parted she was completely breathless. "You know I'm just doing this to irritate you," he chuckled, stroking her hair. "Sure you're beautiful…all over…but my favorite feature will always be your eyes."
Her face burned almost as bright as the sunset behind them. His lips lowered to her neck, and her hands once determined to choke him now clutched at his shoulders. Ed moaned softly in the appreciation of feeling her breasts brush against him. "One more time," he begged huskily, kisses growing hungrier. "Please. Let me be with you at least one more time."
"But…but you said…"
"Forget everything I've said. All that matters is being with you…within you."
He looked deeply at her, some unspoken emotion blazing in his eyes. A wave of guilt passed over her making her feel colder than the lake water had. More than desire burned in those amber orbs. He really was in love with her, wasn't he? Hopelessly…desperately…possessively…
"Edward, I'm not in lo--"
She was silenced when his lips returned to hers. "Don't say anything," he whispered. "Just…don't…Tonight, nothing matters but this moment…"
Unable to resist him, Winry gave in, kissing Ed back with passion to match his own. He picked her up with ease and carried her back to the picnic blanket, her bikini top abandoned and forgotten. Gently, he laid her down on the blanket, settling completely on top of her while her legs encircled his hips. His left hand cupped one of her breasts while the other tugged at the bottom half of her swimsuit. Considering the fabric was thin and probably hadn't used up half a yard of material, it ripped off with no difficulty. In fact, it just plain ripped.
She didn't care, glad to free of it in fact, as her fingers dug into his hair and Ed's mouth moved lower to nibble on her collar bone, left hand still toying with her breast. His other had now moved to the string of his shorts. He had all night to make love to her properly, to pleasure her beyond anything she had ever felt before. However, right now, he needed to be inside her. He had been completely abstinent for the past four months, she had been driving him insane all day, and if he didn't get some satisfaction soon…
KA-BOOOOOM!
A tree nearby suddenly burst into flames, causing both Ed and Winry to jump. They stared at the burning timber, shocked and confused, Winry clutching to Ed from her fright. Then they heard voices.
"Dammit, Sir, don't start a forest fire!" a familiar-sounding female voice snapped.
"Hmmm…the exceedingly high temperature must have amplified the spark when I alchemized it," an even more familiar male voice mused out loud.
Oh, no, it couldn't be! Ed thought with horror, and quickly grabbed the picnic blanket beneath them. He barely had it wrapped around Winry's completely nude body when a figure stepped out of the forest, not noticing the couple at first for he was too busy staring at his handiwork.
"Well, at least we have a bonfire now," Colonel Roy Mustang remarked rather dumbly.
"Why is it men have this phobia of admitting when they've SCREWED UP?" Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye shouted, barely able to contain her emotions. They had been running around Amestris for the past two days trying to find Resembool because a certain someone sent the wrong alchemist home, got lost because that same certain someone didn't bother to ask for directions and got on the wrong train, and now this.
With a sigh, Ed quickly approached the flaming tree, clapped his hands together to alchemize it to a steel pole. The embers fell to the ground without nothing to cling to and luckily were too small to spread to the rest of the brush.
"Edward!" Mustang exclaimed jubilantly. "Finally a familiar face in this godforsaken forest!"
Ed was not as pleased to see him. There was a flash of light and metal and next thing the colonel knew, the sharp end of the Hand-Lance was tickling his Adam's apple. "We are alone and in the woods and there are plenty of places to hide your carcass," the Fullmetal snarled viciously. Winry pulled the blanket closer around her.
"As much as I would almost love for you to do it," Riza intervened, "I can't allow you to. Better put your lance down, Fullmetal, or I'll have to write you up."
Pouting, Edward changed his arm back to normal and took a few steps back, glaring daggers at the other alchemist in front of him. Mustang blinked at Ed for a moment, crooking one brow. "Why are you…in just your shorts…?" he asked.
"There's a lake by here," Ed spat, pointing in the general direction behind him. "My girlfriend and I went swimming."
"Girlfriend?" Mustang echoed, glancing at a surprised Riza. Winry fought the urge to jump up and throttle Ed. Why, that little--how DARE he say such a bold-faced lie? Ed grinned sheepishly in Winry's direction and the other two pairs of eyes followed his gaze.
"That her?" Mustang inquired and approached her before Ed could reply, Riza following.
Winry stood to her feet, the huge picnic blanket covering her completely. As long as Mustang wasn't the type of guy who liked to kiss palms of those he was meeting of the opposite gender. Taking even one of her arms out of their safe position in keeping the blanket secure would make the situation even more awkward than it already was.
"Hello, miss, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang," he introduced himself with a polite bow. "And this is my aide, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."
"Pleased to meet you," Riza added with her own bow. "You must be miss Winry Rockbell."
"Y-yes," Winry began slowly. "How'd you know?"
The two officers smiled, glancing back at an infuriated Ed. "We heard a lot about you from Edward," Mustang explained, and then his dark eyes took a sly glint. "He was right; you ARE very cute. I can definitely see why little Edward is so smitten with you."
Ed's Hand-Lance returned and his eyes burned with rage. Sure, he might not kill the Colonel, but Mustang wasn't leaving these woods in one piece, either…