Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, or the Shrimp Shishkebab. Nor do I own the song, "The Tower," by Vienna Teng.
Author's Note: Well...it's been over a month. Oopsie. But, I have 6400 words for you. ;) So, be happy. If you have been checking the LJ, you will know I'm in Alaska, visiting family. Hence the bought of inspiration to reach more than 5000 words in a few days. Anyhow...this is a Winry perspective chapter. You all will be glad to know that I have up to chapter 27+ (yes, possibly further than chapter 27) planned out in my head. Whoot! And read the note at the end for a pleasant surprise...
Chapter 24: The Tower
Winry woke early the next morning. She was rather warm, in comparison to the previous mornings since returning to Edward's house from the motel. She liked the change. It was very nice to wake up to warmth rather than a cold, empty bed. It was especially cold in the Elric house this morning for some reason unknown to Winry. She shivered a little and snuggled closer to that, oh, so lovely warmth. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and saw the dark material of Edward's shirt. Winry involuntarily blushed, but rested her head on his chest anyway.
Sometime during the night, he had turned so he was facing her, instead of his back, and managed to put his arm around her. That caused Winry to be pretty much stuck where she was until he moved, woke up as well, or she achieved the task of carefully moving his arm off of her waist. Luckily, it was his flesh arm rather than the heavy steel of his automail. That might have been a little uncomfortable and rather difficult to move. But he wouldn't feel it; he couldn't feel anything in his metal limbs. Right?
Just to test, out of sheer curiosity, Winry sought out his left foot with her right foot. She knew she'd found it when her toes touched cold metal. It made her shiver. But once that subsided, she rubbed her toe against the metal; there was no response from Edward. She chuckled a little as she lifted her head, pressing a small kiss on his chin. After a few moments of enjoying the fact that he could feel absolutely nothing in his metal limbs, Winry felt a yawn coming on.
Carefully, Winry pushed herself up onto her hands and tossed her head back, her hair falling over her shoulders. A few pops sounded from her neck as the movement released the pressure between her joints. That might hurt later. With a sigh, Winry turned a little so she was sitting, facing the wall. Her left hand was near Edward's hand, where it had fallen off of her back. She smiled and touched his skin lightly. He was warm from sleep still.
She turned her head and looked down at him, still smiling. But her smile faded when she saw Edward's eyelids squeezed shut. His eyes were moving rapidly in his dream. There was a small amount of perspiration on his face, but more than there should have been in his sleep. That worried Winry. She slowly reached out and touched his shoulder. Through his shirt, his skin almost burned her. Why was he so hot?
"Edward," she said softly. He hadn't felt like this when she'd been lying down with him. "Edward, wake up." Winry gently pushed his shoulder. His eyes continued to move rapidly beneath his closed lids, making her wonder what he was dreaming. "Edward," she said again, a little louder.
It happened so fast, Winry couldn't respond at first. The moment his name left her mouth a third time, Edward shot to a sitting position and threw his arms around her neck. His action had been so sudden; it left Winry wondering what to do. His harsh, quick breaths in her ear sounded akin to small, ragged sobs. It tore at Winry's heart to hear him. Aside from his pitiful breathing, Edward was hot and trembling in her arms, his body damp with feverish sweat. Was he...was he running a fever? Winry slipped one of her hands beneath his hair and felt his skin on his neck. It was rather warm, but he didn't feel feverish.
"Edward," she said softly, dragging one of her hands down his back slowly.
They both stayed silent for a few more moments until Winry felt Edward move his arms a little. The metal of his automail clinked a bit in her ear. A feeling of uneasiness on the alchemist's part began to manifest between them. No matter what, Winry knew that Edward would always be a little afraid of touch, and she knew, especially after last night, he was probably even a little wary of how she would react to him.
So after a few more moments, Winry brushed a very light kiss against the end of Ed's jaw line before she let go of him. But surprisingly, before she was even able to put two inches of distance between them, Edward pulled her close to him again, a little tighter than before. If a little startled, Winry remained where she was, perfectly still, with Edward's arms around her shoulders and his face pressed against her neck in the slightest. It was, to say the least, a little strange feeling, but welcome nevertheless.
She wanted to say something, anything at all, but no words were coming to mind to speak. Either they sounded funny or they just didn't sound right.
After a few more moments of searching for words, Winry finally let go of that thought and relaxed in Edward's arms. A blush touched her cheeks as she bent her head a little so only her eyes could be seen above his shoulder.
Winry didn't know what to do. She didn't know whether to speak or to stay quiet. She didn't know if she wanted to stay like this or pull away. She basically didn't know which way was up! It was a scary, slightly annoying feeling, but she couldn't do anything about it until she figured things out. If she spoke...it might break the spell of what was between them. That would be find and dandy if she knew whether she wanted to pull away or continue to be with Edward this way. So she buried her face further into his shoulder, blushing a bit more.
How was it this man could make her feel so...confused?
Before she could answer any questions she was asking herself, the phone rang. Winry could feel Edward hesitating to answer it, unsure as well if he wanted to let her go or not. But after a few moments, he pulled away from her, leaving Winry feeling a little cold again.
She watched Edward as he twisted around to grab the phone. When he answered, it was with a very curt, "Hello." Winry shook her head, smiling a little cynically. He was so rude, especially in the mornings. But she loved him for it anyway.
Winry took the opportunity to get out of bed to use the bathroom while Edward was on the phone. As she stood up, she saw the promise chest on his desk. The memory of what was inside made Winry shiver a little. She didn't know what to make of it all. Last night had been so...strange. She'd seen a side of Edward she'd never seen before, and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She honestly did not know what to think. It had seemed so different for him to be so...needy. He'd needed comfort, love, assurance; he had just needed in general. Winry even dared to say he had needed to be needed by someone. It was a very big contrast to his usually independent, not-really-needing-anyone-or-anything self. When he'd woken her up, Winry had almost been in a panic, thinking something was wrong. Something had been wrong, but not what she had expected. And to hear him ask her for help had left one question in her mind that still was not answered: Why?
She hadn't asked him—she'd been too afraid to ask since it probably would have made him turn away with a harsh "never mind" if she had. Winry knew why he'd needed help; looking at his past like that must have been hard. He'd wanted to call it off after seeing the first thing out of the box. But the why that Winry really wondered was: why her?
Why hadn't he gone to Alphonse with the box? Surely Edward could have related better with his brother concerning the items in the box. Why had Ed gone to her, instead?
Winry sighed as she closed the bathroom door. To have seen Edward crying as they looked through the box together had been...stirring? She'd seen him cry before, but not like that. He'd seemed to really release everything: his fear, his guilt, and his regret. Everything. He released it all much more so than he had at the motel after telling her his "story."
Winry couldn't imagine how it had probably felt to experience everything Edward had gone through. And to have his metal prosthetics as a constant reminder of what he'd done just seemed like a little on the rough side. Winry hated to be reminded of her past, and the things she regretted. She just wouldn't be able to bear it to have a constant reminder like Edward had.
When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, it was to see Edward bent over a little, writing something down on a sheet of paper on the nightstand. She watched him continue scribbling in the notepad as she walked over to him. As he hung up the phone with whomever he'd been talking to, Ed didn't seem to notice her right behind him, since he dropped his head back on a sigh and stared up at the ceiling. He tilted his head to either side, bringing forth a few pops, and lifted his hand to his neck.
With a small frown, Winry touched his back. "Something wrong?" she asked quietly. If she was completely honest with herself, Winry had no clue how to handle Edward at the moment. She didn't know if he was going to be his sarcastic, cynical self or if he was going to be...different. Worse yet, she didn't know which one she would rather face.
It seemed as though Edward had been in his own world completely, because he jumped a bit when Winry touched him. He turned around with a slightly unreadable expression on his face before he shrugged. "That was Mustang," he said, jerking his thumb back towards the phone. "He was reminding me about the Christmas party at the station tonight."
Winry nodded a little, taking note that he was still soft spoken and not cursing about Mustang. But this was the first time she'd heard about a Christmas party. "Are we...are we going?" she asked carefully. Winry wasn't sure if he often attended the parties at his office or if he was as introverted as he claimed to be.
But Edward gave her a shrug. "Maybe. I haven't gone before." He turned and looked out of his window. "This is the first time someone's called me to remind me about the party." He sounded a little...weary. But at the same time, he also sounded a little happy that he was being included.
It made Winry wonder why no one had called him about it in the past. Was he really that much of a Scrooge around Christmas? Or was it because it was the day after his mother's anniversary? Whichever, Winry was glad that someone had called him this year. At the same time, though, she was sad, since she didn't know if Edward would accept the invitation. If he didn't, then they would just sit at the house and do whatever came to mind. If he did, then they would go and do what? Do whatever came to mind? Surely they would have things to do there.
"Do you want to go?" Winry heard Edward ask her. He still wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed out the window.
He was asking her what she wanted to do? This was a first. The case usually went, he decided and God help anyone who said differently. Maybe the whole "facing his past" last night had stirred something in Edward, either waking part of him up or putting another part to sleep. Either way, he was a lot mellower than he had been a few days ago. Winry still wasn't quite sure what to do with him.
But did she want to go to the party? She didn't know; she had never really been much of a party person, opting to stay at the sidelines if she did attend anything special or spectacular. But...that had been because she hadn't had anyone to go with, and people were a little intimidated by her to ask her to dance. This time, she would have Edward. Maybe it would be different with him?
She saw Edward shrug. "It might be nice. I don't know. I've never been much on parties, so..." he continued, but trailed off and stretched his metal arm across his chest. Winry watched him for a few moments.
"We don't have to go, then," she said softly, clasping her hands in front of her lightly. She didn't want Edward to do anything he didn't want, just for her.
But he smiled a little and shook his head. "We can go. I don't mind," he told her, bringing his other arm across to stretch it.
Winry's lips curled a little into a small smile. "I'd like that," she said softly. A small blush touched her cheeks as she turned her face down. Why did she feel so...girlish at the moment? Winry felt like a teenaged girl with the cute captain of the football team flirting with her. But, Edward wasn't really flirting with her. He was just talking to her. About going to a Christmas party together. Maybe that was what made her blush.
She was a little surprised when she suddenly felt a light grip on her chin, lifting her face once more. The blush in her cheeks deepened when she saw the smile on Ed's face. His lips were curved in the slightest. To accentuate his smile, Edward's golden eyes were soft and full of an emotion Winry couldn't quite identify. Whatever it was, it left her at a loss for words.
"Thank you," she heard Edward say quietly. Winry's eyes shut slowly from the feel of his thumb trailing from her chin to her mouth. It was rather distracting.
Before she had half a chance to ask why he was thanking her, Winry felt Edward's thumb part her lips. Immediately after, his mouth closed over hers softly. Her lips quivered beneath his, the kiss leaving her at a loss. Winry's knees buckled and gave beneath her, causing her to fall against Edward. She clutched at his shoulders to remain standing, since Winry knew Edward wouldn't make a move to help her.
One could say she was a little surprised, again, when she felt his hands on her sides. Winry prepared herself for one of Edward's rare bouts of affection until she felt a sudden distance between them. Blessedly, it wasn't so much an emotional difference as it was a physical one. Though she had to admit, she was disappointed to feel him holding her away at arms' length.
Winry strove to hold the contact between them, to not let the moment end. She held tighter to Edward's shoulders, her fingers almost digging into his skin. But he was stronger than she. Winry felt him push her away completely with a firm, but not painful grip. She couldn't even feel his breath on her face. That made Winry feel a little hurt as she opened her eyes to see a stern look on Ed's face.
"Edward," she whispered helplessly. Her mouth worked for a few more seconds, even though he was shaking his head at her.
Wordlessly, he set her down onto the edge of the bed. Edward didn't touch her after he let go of her sides. Winry blinked a few times, feeling confused. What was he doing? She watched him walk around the bed towards his desk. Winry didn't bother to look after him when he went out of view. Her mind was too busy contemplating his actions.
A few moments later, Edward came back around with the promise chest under his arm. Winry sighed and turned her gaze into her lap. The door shut a few moments later. She winced involuntarily from the ominous noise it left in her ears.
Why did he do that to her? Did he have any idea what his touch, alone, made her feel? And when he did what he'd just done, given her a taste of one of the things she held as a rare, treasured gift only to leave her, did he knew how that made her feel? It made her feel cold all over, and confused. She didn't know what to do after he left her, high and dry. Part of her wanted to go after him and demand to know why he left her like he did, and the other part told her to accept it as Edward.
A little more than occasionally, mean thoughts would enter her head and often leave her unable to look at Edward for a while, for fear he would see them in her eyes and shun her. Sometimes, an upset voice in her mind would tire of him picking her up and dropping her when he pleased. That voice would rise to the occasion and fill her head with things like, "He can't maintain a normal relationship; you're wasting your time with an incompetent person like him," or "He's only using you. He said he hadn't had a girlfriend in six months; a guy is bound to need a woman companion after a while. You're convenient for him. Work and play all in one."
Often, Winry would curse herself for the thoughts and go outside to freeze the thoughts away. Those were the times she stayed out for so long, Edward would poke his head out and demand that she get back inside the house. That mad voice would tell her to ignore him and stay out, that he was only trying to use her again. But then her blessed voice of reason, the strange love she felt for him, would speak up.
It would argue with the upset voice and tell her that he really did care for her, past his job, and past the perverted male-in-need-of-woman-companionship thoughts. If he didn't, if he was only using her, he would let her stay outside in the cold and freeze. Then it would remind her that, if he was using her for woman companionship, he could have taken advantage of her plenty of times in the past. And, he would let her stay outside until she was too cold to protest against him if he tried to "warm her up." That thought would make her blush and cause her to go in. He would often comment on how cold she was, set her on the couch, and put a blanket on her shoulders. Then he'd leave her be.
That was another thing that irked her. He would extend so much kindness at first then he would just ignore her. Once she was situated, he seemed to forget about her existence and lose himself in his thoughts. Thoughts of what? She was dying to demand to know what was on his mind so often, what he thought about that he couldn't share with her.
Then she would remember as she shivered on the couch that he had been through much in his life, so much he couldn't talk to her about. But she knew, now, about his past! He'd asked her to help him deal with the ghosts of his past come back to haunt him. What would stop him from sharing his thoughts with her now? What would stop her from asking him?
If Winry could answer that for herself, she would rejoice and be able to possibly have a relationship with Edward.
With a sigh, the blond looked at the nightstand. She saw the paper Edward had written on while he'd been talking to Mustang earlier. Winry looked at his messy scrawl and began to decipher it. Nothing of horrible interest jumped out at her, just the time and place. But as her eyes scanned further, she paused. It was a formal event. That meant nice dresses and black ties. Winry didn't have anything nicer than sweaters and jeans, and a skirt or two.
Winry looked back down into her lap. Not only did Edward often leave her feeling cold and confused, he also left her feeling, well, sad.
It made her wonder why she still loved him if he made her feel that way more often than not. The vague thought came to her that she couldn't wait for him forever.
About an hour later, Winry emerged from the room. As she hesitantly ventured towards the front of the house, she heard the two men talking in the kitchen. She turned her head before she entered and saw them at the bar, with some of the contents of the promise chest between them. Al looked up at her.
"Good morning, Winry," the younger Elric smiled at her. He held something shiny in his hands, but Winry found herself not curious and rather disinterested.
She smiled vaguely at him, but didn't look at Edward. "Morning, Al," she mumbled as she walked into the kitchen. Winry made her way to the fridge and pulled out some eggs and the soymilk.
There was a slight, awkward silence before Al spoke again. "Sleep okay?" Winry had the feeling he was implying about the promise chest and Edward looking through it last night.
But she smiled a little more, trying to be convincing, and nodded her head. "Yes, I slept fine," she said, then turned to prepare scrambled eggs. She really had slept fine. It was just the waking up part that wasn't so enjoyable.
There was yet another silence, save the sound of Winry preparing her own breakfast. The silence, she felt, was more so between her and Edward than the trio altogether. That made her think of how poor Al felt, being on the outside of whatever Ed and Winry were silently fighting about. The uncomfortable stillness continued as Winry began to eat, leaning against the countertop.
The men would occasionally poke through the items, or Edward would turn a page in the scrapbook from his mother, dwelling over whatever his mother had put there. There was some mild curiosity in Winry's mind about what was in the book, but she quickly stifled it. She was upset at Edward. She wouldn't speak to him until she had cleared her thoughts a little, and could actually say something to him without needing to bite his head off.
With a sigh, Winry finished her eggs and the glass of soymilk she'd fixed earlier, and set them in the sink. She would clean up later. The blond singer turned her gaze to Alphonse, completely ignoring Edward.
"I'm going to go outside for a little while," she said softly. There was a small nod of confirmation from Al, but nothing from Edward. That was just fine with Winry. It wasn't like she was talking to him at the moment, anyway.
After a few minutes, Winry was standing outside in the snow-covered yard. The cold air was a little rough on her lungs, but not as rough as Edward was on her heart. How had she gone from wanting to be around him to being shy to being depressed in the span of maybe ten minutes? And now she was silently angry. He was such a jerk. How could he expect her to just…let go of that moment so easily? That kiss of his…however brief, it had been so soft, so…meaningful to Winry, letting her think that maybe, just maybe he might…love her. But then, just as she was readying herself for some form of passion, he pushed her away and put up some wall between them. It hurt that he could just pick her up like that then drop her, hard and fast, seconds later.
Just like that angry little voice in her head told her he would do.
Winry leaned against the post on the porch, shivering. She sighed lightly and wondered what she would do. She was upset at Edward right now, but she had come outside to try to get over it. However, she felt the only way that she could actually get over her annoyance was by spending a lot of time outside. Though Edward would probably make her go inside before she was even halfway finished brooding.
Why did he have to be such a jerk? Couldn't he see that Winry wanted to help him? The only way that she could help him was if he let her. But if he kept pushing her away like he was doing now, then she'd never be able to get close enough to him.
Well, Winry told herself, she would just have to figure out a way to push back. She was determined to help Edward. God help him if the twenty-one-year old continued to think he didn't need help. He did, whether he realized it or not. And Winry would be the one to help him.
For about ten more minutes, Winry stood, devising ways to get under his skin and convince him he needed her to help him. None really jumped out at her. None, except for one. That one idea seemed the least promising, though it was still a workable idea. Why it stood out, if she didn't like it as much, Winry didn't know. If it would work, though, far be Winry to say no.
That one idea consisted of just acting casual, and not really trying. Reverse psychology. Would it really work on Edward, though? If Winry acted disinterested, would he really start to wonder why she wasn't asking him questions or anything like that? If he did begin to wonder, would he even ask her why she wasn't bothering him? And if he did ask, what would Winry say? Would she continue to be casual and unbothered or would she take that small opening and try to fit into it?
There were so many questions that Winry wasn't sure of the answers. She guessed that they would just be something she answered with time.
"Winry?"
The blond was startled out of her thoughts when she heard Edward's voice from behind her. She turned around and smiled a little at him. If she was going to be casual, she couldn't be mad anymore. She wasn't upset, really, any longer. Maybe slightly annoyed with him, but that could be easily covered. So Winry wordlessly stepped up onto the porch and walked over to him. She stopped about a foot away.
Perhaps she wouldn't just be totally casual and utterly impassive. Maybe she could imply and encourage, just a little.
"Are you going to stay outside all day?" Edward asked, leaning in the doorjamb. There was something in his voice, something that made Winry realize a change in his mannerism. For better or worse, she couldn't tell, but she hoped it was for the better.
Winry shook her head. "No." Her smiled stayed intact. "I was just thinking."
Edward paused. "Ah. Okay." Silence fell between them, though it wasn't horribly awkward as it had been earlier. It just seemed a little uneasy from Edward's perspective; that was all. "Well, if you're done thinking, come inside. It's freezing out here."
A small chuckle escaped. "I'm used to it already," she told him. But she took a few steps forward and, deciding that she should imply a little, walked straight into Edward. She bent her head a little and rested her head on his shoulder, giving him no choice but to either stand there stupidly or reciprocate her action somehow. She could feel his surprise as his hands went up in a startled manner, so Winry smiled and leaned against him. In an attempt at humor, she said, "Hmm, maybe it is rather cold out there."
After a few moments, she felt Edward's hands come down around her upper back a little warily. He still seemed a little iffy about the public displays of affection with her, but at least he was trying. That was a good thing. Winry could take that and run with it, and run she would.
She stayed, leaning against him for a little while longer, just enjoying the warmth she felt in his arms. It was moments like these that Winry wouldn't mind if the world ended, or time just stopped. She was completely content to merely let Edward hold her; adjust to a form of affection towards her. Winry could really tell that he wasn't very comfortable with touch, in any way, shape, or form, be it accidental or purposeful. Sure, they had shared affection in the past, but all on his call and his whim. Those had been times he'd been comfortable with her and totally relaxed. But then, something had happened that had more or less put a wedge between them, another barrier. And, ironically, it had been right when they had broken that first one. Such was life, Winry guessed. Just when things started to go right, something else went wrong. But it was her job in life to overcome such things.
When Winry felt that perhaps Edward was feeling maybe a little awkward or possibly a little uncomfortable with her leaning on him, she stepped back and smiled at him. Well, at least he wasn't jumping away from her the moment she backed away. Edward was looking at her, if a bit confused. Well, now he knew how she felt. But Winry wasn't about to rub the feeling in his face.
"I, ah, saw on that paper, earlier," Winry said quietly, "that the party tonight is formal."
Edward seemed to think for a moment, trying to recall what she was talking about when the light bulb above his golden-blond head turned on. "Oh. Yeah. Black tie," he shrugged.
Winry nodded. "Yeah. I don't…have anything here that would be considered formal." A sheepish smile touched her mouth. Edward looked at her, silently, causing Winry to roll her eyes. She really had to spell this out for him, didn't she? "I was thinking, maybe we could go up to my house and I could find something to wear?" The sheepish smile widened. Again, Winry felt the strange, girlish shyness overcoming her. Why did she have to feel that way at random intervals?
The previously dim light bulb brightened to perhaps a sixty-watt glow. "Oh, yeah. Sure. When did you want to go?" he asked her.
"Probably as soon as possible," she told him, "because, everyone knows girls take forever to get ready for a party." Winry winked, trying her mind at some humor again. Things were so awkward between them! It was annoying! She knew that they could have the relationship Winry wanted, and if Edward could only see that, then things would be okay! But no, the man had to be a little more than dense and not want to realize the obvious.
Edward chuckled a little, seeming to loosen up a bit. "All right. Well, when you're ready, we can go." He paused when Alphonse began to talk from inside. Ed rolled his eyes at his brother and stepped inside, pulling Winry with him.
"It's freezing outside," Al said, shivering. "You guys are letting all the cold air in, and the hot air out." He gave them a mock annoyed look.
Winry blushed and ducked her head. "Sorry, Al," she apologized, shrugging her coat off. She was surprised to feel Edward take it for her.
Al smiled. "Are you guys talking about the Christmas party tonight?" he asked them, resting his hands on his mother's scrapbook.
Ed nodded. "Yeah. Were you going to come with us?" he asked, hanging Winry's coat on a coat tree.
The younger Elric shook his head, "Nah, I have work I need to catch up on. I got a couple orders a few days ago that I've been putting off. Tonight is a good opportunity to work on them."
Winry saw Edward nod at his brother. "All right. Sounds good to me." There was a pause in which the three were all completely silent, looking between each other. But Edward spoke up again. "I'm going to take Winry up to her house so she can get some stuff for the party tonight." She could tell he'd left the invitation open in case Al wanted to come with them.
But Alphonse nodded. "All right." Winry noticed a little bit of a stern, implying look on the younger man's face as he looked at his brother. "You two go on. I'm going to finish looking through Mom's scrapbook, then go check my inventory, see if I have enough materials."
There was yet another silence, causing Winry to roll her eyes a little. They were brothers! How often could they have silences? Well, quite often probably. Understood silences, at least, where one brother knew what the other meant. That made Winry sigh now. She supposed there was a lot of understanding going on between the two brothers in these silences. So she looked up at Edward.
"I'm going to go outside and wait for you," she said, reaching for her coat.
Ed nodded, for a moment seeming to think nothing of it. But then he seemed to correct his own thoughts and grabbed her shoulder. "Hang on. Take some gloves with you; you'll need them. And wait in the garage." Winry blinked at him for a few moments as he held gloves out to her. A small, but possibly cocky smile touched his face. It seemed to soften the delivery of his orders, but it also made Winry wonder what he was planning.
"Okay," she said slowly, taking the gloves. Winry shook her head, puzzled, and went out towards the garage door, muttering things like, "Crazy man," or, "Weird ideas."
Just what did he have planned, Winry asked herself as she stepped out into the garage. She looked around and saw the car, parked rather messily over on the far edge of the cluttered room. She continued to survey the mess, either guessing why they had bought one item or wondering what another item was, exactly. At the same time, she pulled on her gloves.
When her eyes fell on the motorcycle, Winry shook her head. The door opened behind her and she saw Edward walk out, warmly clad and bearing keys. She turned and continued to shake her head.
"Oh, no," Winry held her hands up. "We are not riding that thing with snow on the ground." She gave him a stern look.
Much to her annoyance, Edward grabbed one of her hands and pulled her over to the motorcycle. "Yes, we are riding it," he told her. Winry swore.
"Are you insane? There's ice on the road! If you aren't careful or watch where you're going, then you'll run over a patch and we'll crash!" She took a moment out of her scolding to rap on his shoulder. In payment for that effort, Winry drew back her knuckles quickly from his right shoulder. "Plus, you have no feeling in your right arm!" she added in an attempt to emphasize riding the motorcycle was a bad idea.
She pictured Edward rolling his eyes as he said, "That's never stopped me, Winry. Nor," he paused, stopping abruptly to turn and look down at her, "has it ever stopped you."
There were too many meanings behind what he'd just said, and Winry fell silent. He knew that's what he'd wanted, and it killed her to oblige him so easily, but she couldn't help it, or the blush tainting her cheeks. She was still contemplating his words when Edward tossed a helmet to her. Without argument, Winry put it over her head, just like she'd done a few weeks ago with Al, and Edward a few days later.
Once the helmet was secured on her head, she looked up to see Edward sitting on the motorcycle, fidgeting with the strap under his chin with a small scowl on his face. Despite her discomfort of riding a motorcycle with black ice on the road, Winry found herself smiling. That was the Edward she loved, the slightly annoying, more or less anal, but sweet-in-his-own way Edward. He'd just been going through so many changes Winry couldn't really place him. It bothered her that he kept going from affectionate to depressed to anti-social or to whatever else in the span of a few minutes, each. To see what she hoped was more than a glimpse of the Edward she recognized as the one from her front room, drying his hair in a towel from a horrid storm was hopeful.
"What are you grinning about?" she heard Edward ask as she hopped on the motorcycle behind him.
Before she answered, he cranked the engine and the loud roar filled the small garage. Winry wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as the garage door opened. "Just remembering the first day we met," she told him.
There was a little bit of the silence between the times they spoke. The motorcycle and the garage door were the only sounds until Edward spoke up. "Now hold on," he told her.
Winry, not being able to hear him as he revved the engine, let go of his waist and leaned up to try to hear him better. "What?" she nearly shouted.
She vaguely saw Edward roll his eyes at her. Before she could retort, he grabbed her hands and put them around his waist securely, forcing her back down. "Now hold on," he yelled at her.
A sheepish grin crossed Winry's face. "Oh." He'd told her to hold on, and she'd done the opposite. How bright?
As Edward pulled the motorcycle out of the garage, Winry hadn't expected the amount of force that it used to take off. It nearly jerked her head back violently. As a chain reaction, Winry's grip tightened around Edward, holding her nearer to him. When the wind whipped her face like a chilly slap on her cheeks, the blond bend her head and rested the side of the helmet, which would have been her face if she hadn't had the protective item on, against Edward's back. It was a feeble attempt to keep the wind out of her face, but it was working well enough, in more ways than one.
Just one more note to bother you all, but the next chapter will be if a little different, neither from Ed's, Al's, or Winry's POV. :) I'll leave you guys to guess from whose perspective you'll be reading from next time. Oh...and how were the Shrimp Shishkebabs Saturday night/Sunday morning?
