Subject line: Fullmetal Alchemist: Envy/Winry Challenge: #10

Title: You Win.

Author/Artist: BlueSai

Pairing: Envy/Winry

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Theme: #9 Dash

Disclaimer: Envy, Winry, and all other mentioned characters and places are property of Hiromu Arakawa.

You Win

"You don't visit enough." Winry mumbled, turning her head this way and that to find the person for whom she had left her home for. He had left the usual sign by her window that he was around: that of another special trinket for her to take apart. A small thing so it could hang from her windowsill without falling or being noticed unless looked for, but something difficult for her to get here in Rizenbul. Each day the blonde would check for them. They rarely came, perhaps once or twice a month but the idea of accidentally missing one of his visits frightened her so much she went through the process each day—searching sometimes more then necessary in hopes that she just missed it. One time Al had caught her leaning precariously out the window, staring up and down the expanse of their home and even leaning over to try and climb the roof a little. She had nearly fallen off at that point, shocked when he had questioned what she was doing.

"Er! There was an animal on the roof!" It was the lamest excuse she had ever used, and that was saying a lot considering Winry had always been a horrible liar. Despite Alphonse's naturally trusting nature she knew he hadn't bought her lie for a second, but he nodded and didn't question her any further. Winry had a feeling that the young boy knew what was going on…she doubted he knew with –who- but he probably had gotten some idea ever since then for he never mentioned it to Edward who would have been nosy.

Winry let out a huff and placed her hands on her hips in a haughty manner. "Did you hear me? I know you are around." She yelled to seemingly no one. Her hand went roughly into the pocket of her pajama pants and pulled out a silver wind up toy as proof "Just come out already!" she snapped, voice raising a decibel. She didn't particularly like coming out in the morning breeze in pajamas, but then again she only had her own impatience to blame for that. He usually stuck around all day, so it wouldn't have mattered if she'd taken a few moments to brushen up a bit.

"I am out." a voice purred right next to her ear.

Winry jumped up high, an arm instinctively swinging back where the voice had come from. She then proceeded to make erratic, angry gestures that almost made it seem as if she was having some sort of seizure before she finally coordinated her arms enough to point an intimidating finger at the boy who had managed to sneak up behind her. "...You!" she yelled intelligently.

A devilish grin crawled up the homunculus' face at the girl's spastic motions as he deftly dodged the arm. "Me?" he said, replacing his grin with a mocking look of innocence and pointing at himself.

Winry dropped her arms and gave a roll of her eyes "I've told you not to do that." she muttered with an exasperated sigh, chest still heaving from surprise.

"I do that every time and you still are surprised by it, I would have expected any shock to wear off by now." he retorted as means of apology. Some things about the sin would never change.

For once the usually combative girl didn't initiate an argument at the playful insult and instead dropped near him, pulling her knees up to her chest so she could sit comfortably. Her disposition seemed a little different then it had been just moments ago, Envy noted with a raised eyebrow. She was twiddling her fingers and tapping them in a manner that lacked pattern and decision. Clutched against the palm of her right hand with her thumb was the toy he had gotten her. He was a little surprised she had yet to decimate the thing. He knew how the girl could get around clockwork objects or anything machinery.

She paused her drumming to look at it, as if only remembering just now that it was in her possession before holding it up so he could see it more clearly. "Thank you." Though the gratitude did seem genuine she still appeared rather distracted.

Envy's expression remained blank at the 'thank you', though his lips were ever slightly turned down. However they didn't seem to contain the distaste usually accompanied by a frown. Using courtesy was simply something he didn't do, but neither would he be crude when it was aimed at him. Well, at least not towards Winry.

...most of the time anyway.

He took a seat next to her, the couple back to back in a momentary silence as they just relaxed in the presence of the other. Several minutes passed before the girl finally broke the silence "You know, you still haven't responded to what I said."

The violet-eyed teen cked an eyebrow "What?" he questioned suspiciously. Usually when she used that tone she was about to say something stupid or bizarre. A quality that could somehow manage to be both bothersome and endearing.

"About visiting. You really should do it more often; once or twice a month isn't enough. Can't you come by at least once a week?" she asked

Ugh. It had to be something stupid, didn't it? "We've had this conversation before, remember?" the homunculus snapped, "If the other homunculi were to find out about you, you'd get hurt. None of them are very fond of being pushed around by me." he explained, a twisted and fanged smirk replacing his scowl.

He could feel her shift around and his body practically bristled when she leaned over him, draping her arms gently over his shoulder. "I thought there were none left except for Wrath, and just why are you 'pushing around' these other homunculi?" she questioned, resting her head lightly on top of his.

Envy held back a frustrated sigh but physically relaxed a little more when he felt he was in check. "You humans are stupid, you know that?"

Winry snorted, "Unless I've somehow managed to miss all the other hundreds of times you've said that, yes, I do."

"You make the same mistakes over and over again." he drawled out in an airy tone, continuing on as if he hadn't heard her. "There will always be people attempting to bring those dead back, as long as there is alchemy, as long as there is that temptation it will be tried, and homunculi will exist. Some may die, but in time new ones will replace them. I'm overseeing these new ones. Maybe perhaps with them I can finally get a philosopher's stone and make myself human." Though not direct, it was suggestive of a lie. Before when he had worked under Dante he hadn't cared about the prospect of becoming a human. Now he had a reason.

"Oh like they'd get to me, you could wipe the floor with their asses." Winry snorted, raising her head off his.

"You've never given me my due credit before, stroking my ego now isn't going to make me change my mind." Envy warned, though there was that definite tone of arrogance in his voice that was so common. He tilted his head slightly upward so he could meet her eyes. They look more serious then he had expected and her lips were pursed tightly in a manner that almost made her resemble a bird. She leaned down a bit and place a small peck against his bandana. Unfelt, but the significance remained there all the same.

"Seriously, think about it please."

He stared at her determined look before giving and exasperated sigh and sitting straight. He stood up, brushing his skirt off before giving a slightly puzzled looking Winry a hand up. "How about this, first to reach the line of trees wins. You get there, I'll visit once a week, I get there, it stays the same." he said pointing to their destination. He would almost have laughed at the flat expression he received.

"Is this your way of telling me there's no way in hell you are going to change your mind?" she asked, angrily, not finding this funny in the slightest. Though she could be every bit as arrogant as her boyfriend Winry was definitely not stupid. There was no way she could outrun him.

"C'mon, I'll even give you a head start." Envy egged, nudging her forward slightly. The blonde stared for a moment before sighing and giving a small shake of her head.

"Fine, I'll play your game, though we all know how it's going to end." the girl mumbled dully, breaking out into a full-fledged dash. Even though her loss was inevitable, she'd still give it her all. The distance wasn't all that far really, and about three quarters there was when she heard the faint sound of footsteps. This would be where he'd pass her in seconds and make her look like an unfit fool. She was going to look behind her to see him when she suddenly felt herself being lift up from under her arms and carried forward. A surprised yelp escaped her lips but before she could question what the hell Envy was doing he stopped before where the shade caused by the trees appeared. One hand left it's place under her arm and quickly caught one of her legs, swinging her entire body back.

"Hey! Wait what are yo--!" before the girl could finish her protest she was thrown to the other side like a useless sack of potatoes.

The sin snickered rudely, staring at the sprawled Winry who was currently massaging her aching rear and giving him a deathly glare.

"Oh look at that, you win."