Irenic Moons: Once again, everyone, thank you so much for the comments! Now I have a serious issue to address (well not really). You may not have noticed, but sometimes in my stories the wording is a little awkward (ex. Woops I thought to myself). I wanted to say I just found out that fanfiction doesn't let you use asterisks (you know, the star things?). I had been putting Winry's thoughts in stars, but then fanfiction took them out. From now on characters' thoughts will be in single quotes (''). Sorry for any confusion…Oh! I updated my profile in case you cared…
Only You: Chapter 3-Realization
Ed's POV
I watched as Winry ran about the kitchen, preparing breakfast for us. She was different. Or maybe I just saw her differently than I used to, but I didn't think so. Now whenever she was near me she'd start sighing or looking upset. Soon afterward she would stomp off to her room somewhere. And then this morning, when she came down…Her eyes were puffy and red, and her face was strained. She looked abused…I pushed the thought from my mind, 'I will never understand women' I thought to myself.
I went back to watching her. She'd filled out since I last saw her, finally leaving the adolescent stage. Not that I had any bad thoughts with her recently, how could I when my brother was most likely dead because of me? I used to, but that was over now. I didn't deserve anything. How could I enjoy the pleasures of the world without feeling guilt? I hated that feeling, which is why I decided that until I ever found Al, if I ever did, I would push away all of the joys in the world. It was a very small price to pay.
But I couldn't, because every single time I saw Winry I enjoyed one of the most beautiful things in the world. I hated her, why did she do this to me? Make me feel all shaky inside? And that is the reason why I also made another decision when I returned two weeks ago. I decided I would avoid her at many costs. She walked over to the table carrying two plates of food, placing one in front of me and the other in front of her. I ate, silently asking Al for forgiveness for being able to eat. She said some things, asked where Pinako was, but I didn't really pay attention. But then she asked something that almost made me spit out the food in my mouth,
"Edddddd….Since we're, ALONE here, what are the two of us going to do for the next two days?" she asked with a look of innocence on her face. I gulped,
"Uhhh, I wasn't really planning on going out…" I muttered. Her eyes widened, and then she looked down at the table, her bangs covering her eyes.
"Winry," I started, "is something wrong?" Though I had an idea about what was going through her mind. She looked up, all past expressions replaced with anger.
"Yes there is something the hell wrong! You disappear for a year, nearly kill yourself and when you come back you've completely changed. You won't talk to me very much, won't let me touch you without flinching and you're constantly looking off somewhere." She took a second to breath, "But there's one thing that hasn't changed about you Edward Elric, you're a complete clueless jerk!" I stood up quickly, knocking the chair behind me over. My abruptness startled me.
"Sorry." I whispered. I picked up my plate and fixed the chair. I walked over to the sink and began scraping the remnants of the meal into the sink.
"See! See what I mean! A year or two ago, you would have fought back and stood up for yourself…" I just kept scraping into the sink, even though there was nothing left on my plate…If she only knew how I really felt.
"Who are you?" she said in a frightened, broken tone. "… not the Ed...love. He doesn't act…this." I couldn't hear everything she said as I was walking out of the doorway and into the living room.
"Edward Elric! You can't just walk out of the room and ignore me like that!" she yelled and something in the sharpness of her voice made me stop. I stood there back towards her, just staring out ahead of me. The only noise was the sound of the grandfather clock ticking away.
Suddenly, I heard a chair scraping against the wood floor. Before I knew it Winry's arms were around my chest, securing my arms to my sides. At first I recoiled, hands springing up as a reflex, but I relaxed. My back was still to her.
"Winry, what are you doing." I said as more of a statement than a question. She didn't answer. "Winry," I continued, "please let me go."
"No." she replied. There was such power and opposition in her voice. I was shocked.
"Wh-what d-do you m-mean?" I asked.
"You need to be hugged right now," she said in a voice that still wasn't sure of itself, "I don't know or understand half the things you've been through these last months Ed, but I know you've seen terrible things." Her voice gaining confidence, "And as your best friend I refuse to let you handle these emotions on your own!" She buried her face into my back.
"Winry, I-"
"Don't ruin the moment Ed!" she almost begged. I smiled, it was small, but I could feel it inside. I took her hands in mine and pulled them from me so I was holding one in each of mine. I turned around and the look I saw on her face was devastating, she thought I was shoving her away. But before she could say anything, I let go of her hands and embraced her. But only as a friend, I thought. Her small frame was trembling and her hands were still stuck in midair where I left them. But then…I felt her tiny arms wrap around my waist.
"I'm so sorry Winry, I…Thank you." And I knew at that moment that it would be impossible to ignore her. I didn't want to hurt anymore people, 'besides' I thought 'there's nothing wrong with being a friend to someone.'
"Ed, please don't do that to me ever again. I know you like your privacy, but I don't want to be removed from your life completely…You and Pinako are the only things I have left."
"Psssh, only things left? What about Mr. Wrench? You sleep with him."
"Ed you baka!" she said in an amused tone as she released from our embrace. Unfortunately, she then decided to flick my nose, which was rather painful.
"WINRY! What the…" I shouted as I pulled my hands to my face, "Owwowwowwowwoww."
"Awwww, big baby…Would you like a get better kissy?"
"Like that would help!"
"Like I would do that!"
"Like I would want it!"
Then we shouted in unison, "SHUT UP." Both of our faces twisted in very hilarious angry sneers. We paused for a second, and seeing each other, suddenly burst out laughing. Pretty soon we were both on the floor, stomachs in pain from our hoots. We stopped to catch our breath.
"Ed?" Winry asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you really not want to go anywhere today?"
I sighed, "No Winry, it's just that…I've been gone so long, people wouldn't understand…And to top that off, if the military found out I was back, they would drag me away to Central, and I'm not really in the mood for that."
"Are you ever going to be in the mood for that, because you know Ed, it's not that thankful for you to just leave us all the time. We can't just be your source of comfort when you're feeling down." She argued, speaking quickly.
"Winry, I still have to do research, there might be a way to save….him." 'Arg,' I thought, 'why are we getting to this topic again?'
"And WHY can't you do your research here?" she said with her hands on her hips as we were both sitting up now.
The thought had never occurred to me…Researching in Risembool? Where would I get the books, the data…I'm sure I could figure out something, maybe ask Mustang, if he was still around…
"ED! Why aren't you answering me?"
"Oh sorry! Uh, yeah, it might be difficult, but I'm sure we could try. I'd really rather stay here anyway, find a nice house nearby, it would be great! We would always be near."
"House? Just stay with us!" she ordered.
"Winry," I began, "I couldn't possibly. First of all, it would mean Auntie Pinako would have to provide for all of us and second of all I don't even have my state-alchemist salary coming in any more, probably. I can't rely on you for everything."
"Don't be ridiculous, you couldn't live alone if you tried. Where will you get money?" she asked in a demanding manner.
"I could find a job around here…" The idea sounded ridiculous.
"Why don't you just reconnect with the military?" she said simply. I thought to myself, 'she makes that sound so easy, yeah, not.'
"I thought we just went over this! They find out I'm back, I get stuck in Central."
"Well, then do it secretly, isn't there anyone in the military who would cover for you? I'm sure," her voice became quiet as she remembered the man who killed her parents, "Mustang would. He's kept secrets for you before." I sighed and scratched the back of my head. It really was the only reasonable plan. If I got my salary back, then I would feel fine about staying with the Rockbells.
"I guess so-"
"BRING, BRING!"
"Aiee!" I screamed as the phone rang.
"Ed, it's the goddamn phone-"
"BRING, BRING!"
"What?"
"GET IT!" I jumped to the phone, picked it up and said "hello" in a rather exhausted tone.
"Why hello Ed! It's Pinako, and I don't have much time, very busy. So anyway, I am in Central right now, and there is a man who is very interested in Winry's new design of automail for his daughter. He is rich so we should make a good profit from this…Anyway! You and Winry have to get down here now. Tell her to bring all her things and you have to come too of course! There's a train that leaves from Risembool to Central in about 50 minutes, if not there's another one a half an hour after that. There'll be someone waiting for you. Ok well, gotta go, time is money!" And with that she hung up the phone.
"Um..." said Winry, "what just happened?"
"Pack your bags and get your tools, Pinako says we're going to Central."
……40 Minutes Later……
I explained to Winry as we walked to the train station. 'Wow' I thought, 'feels like old times…' Except that Winry was with me, instead of Al, but, I did have my red coat. Apparently I had left it there a long time ago, and Winry had kept it ever since.
I should have been smiling, it was a beautiful day, I had my coat back and I was with Winry, but of course, being the gentleman I had to carry a few of her suitcases (three to be exact).
"Winry," I panted, "what the hell do you have in these things?"
"Well, my tools and metals and stuff. Clothes too of course, what'd ya expect?" I grumbled a few words.
"What's that Ed? I heard something about traveling with women?"
"Oh, nothing…"
……On the Train……
Luckily for me, we had not encountered anyone I had previously known. 'Ha,' I thought, 'no terrible reunions…' We talked for awhile, about random things, just stuff that had gone on over the years, the weather, the train compartment we had together. But we ran out of ideas, and soon the gentle rocking of the train put us both to sleep. I dreamt…
In the Dream: I wasn't in my body, instead, it seemed like I was looking in on a scene. I was in a room I didn't recognize and so was Winry. We were talking, but I couldn't hear anything we said. Winry was crying, or at least she looked like she had been. She was sitting on a bed. I was just standing looking out the window, my hands in my pockets…She kept on talking, I wasn't replying, not even trying to calm her down, whatever was upsetting her. Her hand reached into her pocket, and when it came out she was holding a silver pistol in her hand. I hadn't even noticed. She spoke a few words and my head jerked towards her, but it was too late, because in the split second she had put a bullet into her heart. Then the picture paused. I saw face wide-eyed in horror staring at Winry's lifeless body. 'What the hell is this?' I thought. Then I heard Al's voice calling me, calling me, he had something to say…
But he never said it because at that moment I woke up to the sound of Winry's scream.
Winry's POV
We were both on the train, but I soon felt myself bobbing off to sleep…
In the Dream: Ed and I were sitting on a picnic cloth. It was hot, but we were in the shade. We had just eaten. It was a beautiful day, but as I closed my eyes I felt cold hands wrapping around me and I screamed, Ed opened his eyes and saw me in the arms of homunculus. "Nooo!" I shouted…I kept on shouting, screaming I couldn't see anything.
But at that moment, my dream became a reality as I woke to find myself in the hands of Gluttony. I screamed.
Irenic Moons: You likey? Well, I've decided that I don't really want people to review my stories if they don't like them, because it just makes me feel sad. I write what I want because it is in my head. You don't like, you don't read. On a nicer note, I'm sorry I didn't get this one up quite as soon, needed ideas…