Okay, this is my first try at a fanfic so no flaming, just constructive suggestions, please o-O;; This story came to me so randomly...I guess I'm suffering from lack of FMA -glares at Adult Swim for taking it off on Saturdays and smearing it on the weekdays-
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or any of it's characters/ideas/etc. (If I did then Ed would be MINE, forget Winry x3 shoves Winry away and cuddles Ed 3)
Hundreds of uneasy thoughts tumbled through his mind as he trudged up to the familiar old house. How could he have messed up again? It had only been a month since his last auto-mail tune up and here he was, once again, knocking on the Rockbell door with a busted arm. He could have called her…but it was the least he could do to come on his own; a small peace-offering. Ed stiffened as he heard the soft step of feet coming down the stairs from within, the light flashing on in the hall.
Maybe it wouldn't have felt so strange if Al was there with him…but it just wasn't one of those days…Al'd know by now that Ed had left in the night, leaving only a short note letting Al know he was okay and just went to get his arm fixed, but the thought made him uncomfortable. He'd never, as far as he could remember, left Al behind for anything. So why now did he have the sudden urge to go off on his own?
The door creaking open on its rusty hinges snapped Edward back into reality; funny an auto-mailist like Aunt Pinako wouldn't keep the metal parts of her house in better condition.
"Ed?" a voice asked softly, yet suspiciously. Ed could see her taking a swift look over his head for Al, a puzzled look forming on her face when she didn't find him.
"Hey Winry." Ed choked out, pasting a grin on his face. "Long time no see, eh?"
"Did you break your arm again!" Winry suddenly demanded, snatching Ed's auto-mail wrist and lifting it to look it over.
/Damn, she noticed. So much for breaking it to her slowly.../ "It's a long story…" Ed replied with a small sigh, the fatigue of the journey to the house catching up with him.
Winry gave him a sharp glare before moving aside to let him walk in first. "Where's Al?" She asked as she slowly shut the door behind him, her eyes lingering on the street searching for her other friend.
"I uh, came without him." Ed answered blandly, making himself comfortable on the cushy couch in the Rockbell living room. He stole a glance at Winry to see her reaction and he got exactly what he'd expected: her face took on a gaze of worry, looking at Ed with utter concern.
"Is everything alright? Al's not hurt is he?"
"What?-No! That lug couldn't get himself hurt even if he wanted to. And I could fix him anyway." Ed said with a small hint of jealously. Al didn't have to face Winry because of that fact, and she'd be fuming again once she was sure everything was okay.
"Don't talk like that Ed." Winry said firmly.
"Well it's true."
"That's not the point-uhg, never mind. Let me see your arm." Winry sat down next to him and looked the auto-mail over, furrowing her brows a bit in frustration then sitting back into the couch with a more relaxed look. "Well it's not as bad as last time…shouldn't take too long to fix. Stay right there, I'll get my tools.
"You're going to fix it right now?" Ed asked in surprise as Winry got up. "It's already dark out. You can do it tomorrow…" he called after her as she left the room.
"Oh come on, you think I'm going to miss a chance to play with your auto-mail?" Winry said with a grin, returning with a box of tools and looking utterly pleased.
"Fine, whatever." Ed shifted so that he was sitting with his back to Winry when she sat down, making it easier for her to work on his arm. Ed had been expecting her to demand an explanation for why he was here alone and with a busted elbow (as it had turned out that's why he couldn't move it, but it had been difficult for Ed to tell, after all, he couldn't actually feel it break, it was just there.) but she determinedly set off to work without a word, her hands occasionally brushing his hairaside when it fell inin her way again.
As minutes ticked by and still nothing was said, Ed opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. What was he supposed to say? And besides…this quiet was kind of…well relaxing at the very least, but there was something else there as well…Pushing that idea out of his head, he looked around the room with mild curiosity. Nothing had changed in the house since his last visitas far as he'd seen; still the same old furniture and other little appliances.
As Ed's golden eyes slowly made their way across the room they came to rest on a mirror on the wall in front of him. There he saw his own face gazing back at him with quiet wonder. Strange…after all this time he'd never really sat there and registered what he looked like…his hair was a bit messy but other then that he wasn't…too bad. Hell he could pass as a hot guy if he tried.
He scrutinized himself in the mirror for a bit longer, pleased with the idea that somehow in his deep imagination he'd grown taller since his last visit although he knew quite well that if he had Winry would have suggested a new arm and leg. Winry…that's when he saw her in the mirror as well; working contently on his arm, all her attention locked on getting it fixed.
Ed frowned slightly as he watched her reflection, guilt forming a knot in his throat. How could she do that? How could she just sit there and work like it was the most important thing in the world? After everything he'd done to her…after all those times he'd idiotically claimed he had to place to go home to…it had taken him time but he'd eventually realized how moronic that was. He did have a home…here with Aunt Pinako…here with Winry…
The guilty feeling in his throat was starting to get to him; he could feel tears forming in his eyes. Damn it now wasn't the time to start crying. Why the hell was he crying anyway? Ed shivered as he suppressed the pain, locking it up inside him like he always did. Winry didn't need to be bothered by anything else, not by him anyway.
"Ed, you okay?" Her voice slipped into his consciousness like a dream; so soft…so gentle…so full of concern…for him…"Ed?" She repeated when he didn't answer. Her hand touched his 'real' shoulder, her skin so soft and warm…reassuring...
"Sorry, I'm fine." Ed replied softly, avoiding her eyes by all means possible. But when he looked away he saw the mirror…saw the reflection Winry gazing at him with gentle concern, a look of hurt lingering in there too…he had turned her down again; exactly what he'd just been beating himself up over. Slowly he felt her warmth consuming him in a gentle embrace. Ed could have sworn his heart skipped a beat before speeding up at a quicker pace, his face flushing along with it.
"You know…I'm not going to get mad at you…I just want to help…" Winry said slowly, almost as if she'd been thinking this over just as deeply as Ed had. He felt her head leaning against the back of his, her body shaking slightly as tears formed in her eyes. "I feel so helpless you know…you and Al go off on these dangerous missions and all I get is a letter every now and then letting me know you're still alive…I just want to help…I just…I just want to be able to-to do something f-for you." She whispered, tears streaming down her face at this point.
"Winry…" Somehow he'd managed to find his voice, somehow he'd managed to lift his human hand and rest it comfortingly on hers, somehow he'd let his will-power fail him and his body shook as tears threatened to stream forth with hers. "No…Winry, you've got it all wrong…" He whispered, leaning his head on her hand slightly, anything to keep her as close as possible. "I'm the one…who hasn't done enough…I've left you here all alone…I'm so sorry for ever making you feel this way…so please, please don't cry…" He pleaded, turning himself around and pulling her into a tight hug.
"Ed…" Winry choked out but didn't say anything else; she just buried her face in his shirt, clinging to it feebly as her tears soaked into it.
He was suddenly so thankful Winry had already finished fixing his arm. Any more of that and would have stopped her on his own...now wasn't the time for it...because..."Winry I l…" Ed trailed off. What had he been on the verge of saying? Did he really feel that way? Was it just the moment playing tricks on him? He shuddered and hugged her tighter, not daring to let go; let the moment last forever…but slowlythe spontaneous shivers that racked her body as she cried began to die and though her grip didn't loosen on his shirt he could feel her full weight against him.
"Winry…?" Reluctantly he let go of her and held her out a bit, a soft smile forming on his face. After all that…she'd cried herself to sleep… "…I love you…" He whispered, so soft she might not have even heard it had she been awake, but just that simple statement made him feel like he was in heaven; a feeling of blissful contentment swelling in his heart. "It's because you're there for me that I have the will to keep living…" He continued as he gently laid her down on the couch. He pulled the throw blanket off the top and rested it on her, her head in his lap. For a while he sat there stroking her soft blonde hair, just watching her as she rested serenely. But after a while he began to doze off, falling into a peaceful sleep as well…
Occasionally he'd wake up and look to see her one more time before drifting off again; smiling gently when he found that she hadn't left him, even after waking up when he had fallen asleep…
