Did anyone see Saturday's FMA episode, The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant, & The Mystery of Warehouse 13? Haha, I loved it! Laugh out loud funny stuff right there. I loved it when Fury said, "Take pity and feed me!"
How was Thanksgiving? Hope it was good and food-filled!
Anyways, it's another chapter! This one took me FOREVER to think of, and it's quite long. And lots of fluff in the end. I practically ripped my hair out and I'm still not satisfied with it. –sigh- Oh well. I hope you enjoy!
Quick shout out to Sharon for the stupendously stupendous edit! You're so great, and awesome, and the best editor in the world!... –goes on and on and on-
The clock ticked at half past ten and while everyone else was lost in slumber, the two friends sat awake, eyes glued to the television screen. They knew they were avoiding the bed problem, but that was a dilemma they'd rather figure out when everyone was awake for negotiation.
Despite the Christmas spirit dominating the radio stations and various broadcasts, Ed and Winry were watching a horror movie, which was anything but scary. It was the least entertaining, but they found entertainment in making fun of it.
"Fullmetal Alchemist," Ed mused, reading the main menu aloud. "Hmm, I wonder what that show's about."
"Ed, take the menu off, I can't see what's happening in the movie," Winry said fiercely. Sighing, he did what he was told, both falling silent as they succumbed to the power of television.
"That girl's going to die," Winry said in fierce prediction.
"Which one?" asked Ed.
"The one with the boobs," she replied as Ed snorted. "The girl with the biggest boobs always dies first."
"I say the funny guy's going to go," he objected. "They always get rid of the annoying, comical relief."
"Well, I say boobey girl's going to die," Winry put her hand down.
"Funny guy," Ed retorted.
"Boobey girl!"
"Funny guy!"
They scowled at each other with a feigned glare before bursting out in laughter at the foolishness of it all. It was moments like these that they could latch onto forever if they could.
"Funny guy," Ed whispered loudly after recovering from his laughing fit.
"Oh shut up," Winry smacked him upside the head with a pillow. Of course, Ed being Ed, he wanted to get even, and hit her with a pillow in retaliation. This started a little war between them, both ducking and squealing like a pair of school children.
"Too slow!" Winry stuck out her tongue as she skillfully dodged a shot from Ed. He frowned, wondering how the hell she possessed such agility.
"You machine freak! Come back here!"
She narrowed her eyes at being called a machine freak, deciding to change weapons to some verbal abuse. "Hey Ed, the Lollipop Guild called. They said they're missing their munchkin!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"
Screaming, Winry took shelter behind the bed for protection against Ed's pillows of fury. Like a cannon, he fired one cushion after another, heeding no mercy, mind set on revenge.
"Ok!" Winry yelled frantically, waving a white pillowcase in the air. "Ok- I surrender!"
Ed's attacks came to a halt, a smug look laced on his face. "Sweet, sweet victory."
She rolled her eyes at him, words spilling out of her mouth before she thought them over. "You know," she caught his gaze and kept it, "we fight like a couple."
Embarrassment broke the trance, and she looked away, her heart pounding wildly in her ears. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she bit her lip, fearing a reply yet waiting for one.
Shit, she thought. Why did I say that? What was I thinking?
Seconds seemed to pass like hours and the only place Winry wished to be right then and there was in a hole, or somewhere far, far away. The once playful moment, ruined and thrown out the window, left her with the remnants of an awkward situation. She could feel his eyes boring into her, but she refused to look up.
"Well," Ed let his heart beat twice, closing the distance by scooting closer to her. He swallowed a painful lump in his throat, his mind racing with a thousand words yet he couldn't find the right ones to say. "Maybe… maybe we should-"
"Should… what?" Winry said, wringing the sleeve on her shirt.
Maybe we should be a couple.
Those were the words Ed was searching for, but somehow, it all got jumbled up with the thousands more swimming in his mind. He had so much to say, and unfortunately, the stupid things came out first.
"We should get some sleep."
He looked away, stupidity laughing at him, an opportune moment slipping away. Winry felt her heart drop, but something told her that it wasn't what he wanted to say.
"Oh…" was all that came out of her mouth. "Yeah… you're right." She watched him as he tucked a pillow underneath his arm, his refusal to look at her evident.
"I'll sleep downstairs," Ed said, heading out the door. "You can get the bed." With a soft "Goodnight," he left the room. He could've kicked himself right there; he had never felt so foolish in his life. His chance to tell her was there for him to take, but he slammed the door on the opportunity.
Then again, there was a reason why second chances existed.
"What the hell!" Ed shouted, falling out of the couch as a ringing sound shocked him out of his sleep. With a heavy thud, he landed on the floor.
"Wakey wakey lemon shakey," Al said, switching his alarm clock off. Ed groaned, scowling at his brother for the rude awakening.
"What the hell are you waking me up for?" he asked, irritated.
"It's ten-thirty," Al informed, shooting a question of his own. "What are you doing on the couch? Did Winry shun you out of the room?"
"No," Ed responded as he picked himself from off the floor. "I chose to sleep out here."
"Why?"
"Because I can," Ed retorted, looking around to see if the coast was clear from any snooping ears. "Hey, Al, can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing, brother."
Ed plopped himself on the couch, lowering his voice to a whisper. "See… I- I mean, I have this friend-" Al rolled his eyes, taking a big guess that this "friend" Ed was talking about was himself-"and he likes this girl. A lot. But thing is, I don't- I mean, my friend doesn't know how to tell her that he likes her. A lot. He's not very good with words if you want to know the truth. So, what should he do?"
"Well, let's see now," Al accompanied him on the couch, thinking of some advice that would help solve this dilemma. "There's that saying 'Actions speak louder than words.' Since your 'friend' isn't good in the verbal department when it comes to voicing out his feelings, he could do something instead. You know, like writing her a poem or giving her a gift. Something along those lines… do you catch my drift?"
"Actions speak louder than words, huh…" Ed repeated, the words sinking into his brain. He thought about it for a moment, hoping that enlightenment would come and spark up some solution.
"Do you think your advice will help your 'friend' at all?" asked Al, clipping Ed out of his wonderings.
"Yeah, it will," Ed answered, patting his brother on the back. "Thanks Al. You know, you should think about being one of those people in newspapers or magazines that give people a way out from their problems. You'd be famous and earn your own talk show."
Al chuckled, feigning cockiness as he wiped his nails on his shirt. "Yeah I know," he said, suddenly remembering the whole purpose of waking his brother up. "Anyway, Julia, Winry and I are outside."
Ed looked around, seeing two people missing from the picture. "Where are Roy and Riza?"
"Out buying a Christmas tree and shopping," Al replied, tugging on his mittens. "So I'll meet you outside, ok?" a sly smirk spread across his lips. "It wouldn't be nice to keep her waiting all by herself all day."
Ed frowned without the slightest clue what he meant, but Al had walked out the door, leaving a confused brother behind.
"I love the holidays," Riza gushed, peering into her shopping bags filled with Christmas gear. "The prices are always so reasonable at this time of year."
Roy nodded, holding his own load of merchandise as they walked down the venue of small retail stores. Sales were everywhere, an attraction that brought all the late shoppers scurrying inside.
"Hey Riza," Roy shifted the bags in his arms, "can we drop off this stuff in the car?"
"Sure," Riza replied as they neared their vehicle. But an unpleasant scene was taking place on their car that brought them to a halt. A man, dark-skinned, face scarred with an X, and a woman, exposing too much cleavage for such a cold day, were kissing each other passionately on the car's hood. Riza almost dropped her bags as Roy set his down and immediately took action.
"Hey! Hey, excuse me!" he yelled, approaching the affectionate couple. "You two are on my car."
Pulling away from the tongue duel, the man turned on Roy, annoyed by the interruption. Roy shrunk under his intense red glare, but kept his ground.
"May God take mercy on your rude souls," the man growled, leading his girlfriend to a more secluded area.
"Baby," she said in a lusty voice, "you're so feisty when you're mad."
"Come on Roy," Riza tugged him away from going after the man. "Let's go buy a Christmas tree. Now come on, what do you say?"
Roy glared at the man's retreating back; temper diminishing as he remembered to deal with the little things in a civilized manner. Brushing aside the uncouth encounter, he turned to Riza and said, "Alright, let's go."
Bundled up in layers of clothing, hands gloved in mittens, Ed's eyes scanned the white surroundings. Contrasting vibrantly with the white snow, he spotted a familiar head of hair he knew to be Winry.
I wonder if she's still thinking about what I didn't say last night, he thought, trudging through the snow. Well, I guess there's only one way to find out.
He found her lying in the snow, arms spread out, eyes shut. Seconds past before she realized he was there and quickly sat up, blinking the morning sunshine out of her sapphire orbs.
"What're you doing?" asked Ed curiously, attempting to start some conversation.
Trying to get that moment from last night out of my head. Guess all she'd like, she knew she wouldn't be able to come up with the right words to fill in Ed's sentence. But a feeling tugged at her heart strings, playing a song that told her the mystery of the day would be solved in time.
"Just sitting around," she replied instead, clumping a ball of ice in her hands.
"Oh…" he looked around, slipping his hands in his jacket pockets for better use of them. "Do you know where Al and Julia are?"
Winry shrugged. "I saw them over there making a snowman not too long ago, but now I don't know where they ran off to."
Ed nodded, an awkward silence enveloping the cold air. He stared at the ground, becoming highly fascinated by the sewing stitches on his boots. Seconds passed like hours until-
"Ow!" Ed said, wiping away a fresh ball of snow from his face. Winry suppressed a giggle, looking as innocent as possible as he fumed. "The hell was that for?"
"For calling me a machine freak last night," she stuck a tongue out at him.
"I was only kidding about that! God, you're so sensitive."
"What was that?" Winry raised an eyebrow, ready to pounce on him. "You shouldn't be talking- you're always sensitive about your height!"
"I am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am Not!"
"Are too!" Winry shouted, feeling the argument sounded anything but mature. However, as silly as it was, she couldn't help herself as she said, "Face it Ed, you'll always be the bean boy next door."
Ed twitched, a dangerous vigor ablaze in his eyes. Winry yelped and dashed away as far as she could go without slipping on the icy snow. Her getaway was slow, and it didn't take long for Ed to catch up. Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, having been tackled unceremoniously from behind. Ed towered over her, a palpable smirk plastered on his face.
"I will not!" he yelled before walking off in the other direction triumphantly.
Dumbfounded by defeat, Winry bitterly glared at his withdrawing back. But renewed vitality demanded for vengeance much before she could accept being overpowered, and she was not going to back down.
Springing to her feet, she tore down the slope, shrieking a battle cry as she charged Ed. Before he had time to react, Winry crashed into him from behind, slamming him face first into the snow.
"You talk more than you can swallow," she pinned him down for as long as she could.
Ed flailed and sputtered under her grip, not wanting this to be the cause of his demise. With a boost of rejuvenation, he shoved Winry back, spitting out the melted snow from his mouth.
"Come on," he sneered. "Is that all you've got?"
"Shut up!" Winry yelled as she collided into him, landing on top. Struggle all he wanted, Winry pinned back his arms, victory celebrating in her honor.
"Hi brother!" Al exclaimed loudly, jumping into the scene out of nowhere, hand in hand with Julia. "What're you-?"
Everyone froze; Al gaped, Julia gasped, Ed and Winry stopped their fighting. As though they were slapped in the face by the obvious, they realized the compromising position they were in: Ed lying on the snow, Winry straddling his waist. Cheeks tinted with red, they pushed each other away, avoiding the dare to even look at the other.
"You may have won the battle," Ed said, concealing the humiliation. "But you have not won the war."
"Doesn't matter," Winry crossed her arms. "I'm still victorious."
"Anyways," Al said, clipping the argument as he heaved two wooden sleds into view. "Enough chit-chat; Julia and I challenge you and Winry to a-"
But Ed had gotten to his feet, storming in the other direction. "You fight like a girl," he said as he past Winry.
"So do you!" she shot back, opting to look anywhere but at him.
Al shook his head, sighing. "There they go again. When will they ever learn?"
Riza had never seen so many Christmas trees in her life. All around her stood magnificent trees, some tall as pillars, others small and petite. The intoxicating fragrance of pine dominated the air, a sign reading "Armstrong's Pines" asked for attention as Riza and Roy walked in.
Roy whistled, impressed. "Alright, I think we came to the right place."
Nodding, Riza asked, "So, which one are you getting?"
"The one that's perfect for me," he said, eyes scanning around.
"Meaning, you want the biggest tree they have?"
"You read my mind."
Riza opened her mouth, ready to reply but a third voice beat her to it. "Welcome to Armstrong's Pines!"
The two of them jumped in fright, wheeling around to see a burly man with the strength of fifty men compacted into every flex of his muscles. He was bald except for the little ringlet of hair sprouted on his forehead; a mustache decorated itself above his mouth. Riza and Roy stepped back, not sure who this intimidating mass of muscle was.
"I am Alex Louis Armstrong!" the man declared, voice loud as though he had a megaphone built in his throat. "I am the owner of this humble tree shop. How may I be of assistance?"
"Well, I want to buy the biggest tree you've got," answered Roy, determined.
"The biggest tree, you say?" Armstrong repeated. "Of course we have one! This successful business has been in the Armstrong line for generations!" Out of no where, a galaxy of stars whirled around him, illuminating the pride of his family tree.
Roy stifled a laugh as he leaned over to Riza and whispered, "Hey, he looks like Mr. Clean- you know, that guy from cleaning products?"
"Oh yeah, he does!" she said, laughing softly.
"So, shall I show you the tree?" Armstrong asked, not noticing their suppressed chuckles.
Roy swallowed his laughter and replied, "Yes, Mr. Clean- I mean, Armstrong." With a confirmed nod, Armstrong took Roy and Riza by the arm and led them to three, all the while bragging and boasting about his family bloodline.
Minutes passes before a search party went looking for the missing Edward. It didn't take long to discover his whereabouts as Winry spotted him leaning against a tree. He was muttering things to himself to assure there was no loss in her victory, completely oblivious to her presence. Cautiously, Winry approached him, but was found out with the snap of a twig.
Ed glanced over to see who had sought him out, making no recognition as he saw it to be Winry. Clumsily, she set herself down on the ground, a clump of snow distancing her from him. Silence claimed its existence in the chilly breeze, both scowling ahead as they were too embarrassed to look at each other.
"Hey," Winry said so suddenly, she surprised herself, "do you remember that one time in the fourth grade when I pushed you into the pile of mud right before the Christmas play?"
The memory rushed back, hazy at first then clear like it had happened only yesterday. Recalling the absurdity of it all, Ed laughed.
"Oh yeah, and I got mad and pushed you into the garbage can… you know, I always thought you'd stay mad at me forever about that."
"I still am," she shuddered. "I never did get that trash stench out of my favorite sweater."
"You mean you're still angry about that?" he asked, almost disbelievingly.
"Outraged."
Ed snickered to himself, receiving a small punch to the arm in reward. He faked a pout, rubbing the spot as though the hit had done him major harm. Winry laughed, relieved that the contentment had resettled itself.
A gust of cold air swept through and she shivered. Looking over Ed noticed her shaking, teeth chattering in response to the chilly weather.
Actions speak louder than words, he found Al's voice echoing in his head. He glanced over at Winry then to his coat before shrugging it off and gingerly placed it around her shoulders. She didn't notice until she felt the warmth seep into her body.
She couldn't help the startled expression triggered by the gesture. "What are you doing?" she asked, surprised.
Ed shrugged, eyes set ahead. "Just amending for a past's mistake."
"Well…" said Roy, standing back to see the whopping six and a half foot tree in full view. He looked at it for a good moment, before shaking his head in rejection. "Do you have anything taller?"
Riza rolled her eyes. It has nearly been an hour of looking at trees, sixty minutes of Roy disapproving each and every one because its height didn't satisfy his grading criteria. She had no idea why he was letting this dire factor get in the way of choosing a tree, they all appeared the same to her: green, tall, and Christmasy looking.
"But we went through all the tall trees," Armstrong said, hoping the statement wouldn't disappoint his customer. "This is the last of the batch, I'm sorry."
"Roy," Riza gritted her teeth, patience wavering, "just pick one so we can go. Why are you making such a big deal out of this anyways?"
"Because," Roy turned to her, sincerity etched in his face, "I want to make sure this is going to be the best Christmas this year can offer. I want everything to be memorable; the tree, the lights," he took her hand into his, "us."
Lost for words that could even compare to what he had said, Riza kissed him, letting the gesture express far more than the human tongue can say.
"Ah, love is truly beautiful," Armstrong sniffed, moved by the scene as he wiped a tear. "You know what, I think I just might have a taller tree than this one. If we don't find it, I'll give you this one to you lovely people for free."
"Really?" Roy incredulously asked. Armstrong nodded.
"Yes sir," he replied, guiding the two of them towards another section. "I guarantee it."
Afternoon had settled itself when Roy and Riza returned, supplied with ornaments, decorations and a six and a half foot tree they had gotten, free of charge. With everyone's help, they managed to get the tree in the house, placing it near the window for all those peeking in to see.
"Whoa," Al gaped, stepping back to see the tree in its full glory.
"Holy ding dongs," Julia piped up in the most anyone –except Al- had ever heard her say.
"It's so… tall," Ed awed, feeling miniscule next to the towering giant.
"We are going to decorate it, right?" Winry asked. Riza nodded, dumping all the decorations onto the couch.
"I'll set up the wreath," exclaimed Roy, armed with a hammer and a pack of nails as he took himself and the wreath out the door.
Seizing the lights, grabbing the ornaments, Al, Julia, Ed and Winry immediately designated themselves as the decoration crew. Smiling at their enthusiasm, Riza turned on the radio, enlivening the joyous occasion.
The Christmas spirit breathed to like with the preparation; twinkling in the lights of green, red, white, lingering in the aroma of pine and candy-canes. Adorning the house with the small details, Al and Julia hung up the stockings, secretly hiding mistletoe in every unsuspecting corner. Riza was keeping an eye on Roy as he pranced around with his trusty hammer, nailing anything that need to be displayed on the wall.
Meanwhile, Ed and Winry were in charge of adorning the main project. Shimmering in tinsel, sparkling in illumination, they added some ornaments to the tree for the final touches.
"Looking good," Al said, plopping onto the sofa. Julia did the same as she nodded in agreement.
"Good work guys," commented Riza, impressed. Roy, whose hammer missed the nail a few times, gave a bandaged thumb up.
"Thanks," Winry said, hooking the last ornament on, Ed looking at the tree proudly.
As everyone settled themselves, gathered to share this time together, an odd feeling built into Ed and Winry. Glancing around, the obvious slapped them in the face. There, by the fireplace, were Roy and Riza, cuddled together. And there, on the sofa, Al and Julia nestled; both couples linked together so it was hard to decipher were one started and the other ended. Uncomfortable with being the only ones not in a relationship, Winry and Ed sat by awkwardly.
A song began to play on the radio, saving them from their misery. Winry squealed as she clasped her hands together, exclaiming,
"I love this song!" She began singing along, throwing on a performance as all eyes fell on her. "Rocking around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop!"
"Mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop," Roy and Riza chimed in, followed by Julia and Al.
"You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear, voices singing let's be jolly!"
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly!"
Standing up, Winry took Ed by the hand. "Dance with me- I feel like dancing."
"Huh?" Ed gawked as she tugged on his sleeve.
"Oh come on," Riza and Julia urged, giggling.
"Don't disappoint her now," Al and Roy said, concealing a snicker. But Ed shook his head, refusing.
"I don't dance. Well, I can't- Hey! Winry!"
Against his wishes, Winry pulled him to his feet. He protested madly, but eventually gave in, allowing himself to move in rhythm with her. Spinning her around, Ed heard a repulsive 'aww' coming from the others, but regarded it as nothing to worry about.
The song came to an end, earning the two of them a round of applause. Breathless from the many talents he chose to keep secret, Winry said,
"You never cease to surprise me, you know that?"
Ed shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah, I guess." He sniffed the air, detecting the aroma of something delicious. "Is that food I smell?" not waiting for a response, he zoomed into the kitchen. Winry shook her head, laughing at how nonchalant he could be one minute, then throw on a hungry act the next.
But Ed did indeed surprise everyone at the dinner table. No one had ever seen a person devour so much food and live to see tomorrow. Like a vacuum, he sucked up plate after plate until Riza stopped him, fearing that all that food would end up as floor decoration.
"You have an endless pit for a stomach," Roy said as he and the eldest Elric took the duty of cleaning up the dinner table. Ed belched loudly as though to say 'I know.'
"Anyways," Roy stacked up some plates, "how are you and Winry doing?"
Ed almost dropped a glass cup. "What do you mean?" he inquired, eyebrow raised.
"Oh, you should absolutely know what I mean."
Roy took his confused look as a no. Sighing, he set down his plates, ready for a man to man talk. "Ok Ed, let me share with you some advice on love. Love is a complicated thing-"
"No way," said Ed, sarcastically.
Ignoring the sardonic remark, Roy continued. "There are people that look everywhere for love, search high and low but never notice what's there. They never see that there's this wonderful person in front of them, just waiting, hoping." He paused to pick up a fork from the floor. "Case in point, don't think that love is out of reach; you can grasp it, but just look under your nose. The person that's meant for you is closer than you think."
"But," Ed frowned, confused, "why are you telling me all this? I-I don't understand."
"Yes you do," Roy said, patting him on the shoulder. "You just haven't realized it yet."
-
With everyone already gone upstairs and off to bed, Ed lingered downstairs, watching the roar of the fire diminish slowly. Still stumped from Roy's words, his mind drifted between the state of confusion and curiosity. What did he mean? Why did he tell it to me of all people? Damn Mustang, he's always doing something to mess with my head!
"Ed?"
Ending the useless battle with himself, Ed looked up and saw Winry at the foot of the stairs. Her eyes rested on his momentarily, as she approached almost shyly and seated herself next to him.
"Are you going to sleep down here?" she asked. "You can get the bed tonight and I'll get the sofa."
"Nah, that's ok," he shook his head. "The couch is fine for me."
"Alright, if you're sure," she said in conclusion, although she made no sign of leaving. Ed felt her eyes on him, he knew she was looking at him, but didn't look back in fear of getting caught under some spell there was no counter curse for.
Strangely enough, Roy's voice echoed in his mind, replaying the very words that frustrated him so much.
Just look under your nose.
Winry called his name. He turned, paying the price as he was spell bounded by her ocean pools. It became a revelation when he noticed just how close he was to her.
The person that's meant for you is closer than you think.
"Goodnight," she said so softly is could've been mistaken for a whisper. Then slowly, she leaned towards him, placing a tender kiss on his cheek. He froze.
"'Night," he said, voice cracking. Winry smiled a smile that would haunt his dreams, still looking at him intently as she vanished upstairs. Ed sat there, dazed in a trance and staring at nothing in particular, tingling sensations tickling his very skin.
I understand now, he thought, fitting together the puzzle pieces. Love has always been there.
Tada!
So I said they would go skiing in this chappy, but I decided to put that off till the next one. And I know thatEd and Winryhaven't done much for the whole sharing fiasco... yet. -evil smirk- I hope I didn't loose any of you half-way through!
A little off the topic with some Harry Potter. OMG, THE MOVIE WAS SO AWESOME! –spins around in chair- It was soo good! There are no words to explain how awesomely awesome I thought it was.
Ooo, this site has a review reply button thing now! I hope everyone got their review replies! Thanks a million again to all those who reviewed! I love you all! But here's to two people I couldn't use the review button to send a message:
Terrasina Dragonwagon: Haha, stupendous is a cool word! Fandom has done lots of damage to me, but that's ok! Did you get to go to the midnight showing of GoF? You're so lucky if you did! I wanted to go, but it was on a school night, even though I was going to see it anyways. Thanks a bunch cherry punch for the totally wicked review!
akai-ryu: Yay! You're so nice! Thanks a trillion times over the awesomely cool review!
Stay tuned for the next chapter! Holy ding dongs, there's only a few more chappies left…