Al wasn't an idiot.

He didn't need to be, considering how awful his brother and Winry were at acting.

They gravitated towards one another like they'd known each other for years, yet turned away with cheeks tinged pink the second the other got too close.

Anyone with eyes would be able to see how they'd absolutely fallen for one another. It was as cute as it was frustrating, because knowing his brother, Ed would never dare to make a move if he had a choice in the matter. He'd deny and deny until his last breath, choosing to push away his feelings rather than embrace them.

One glance at Paninya was all it took for him to know that she could see it too, with the way she'd watch the two bicker while snickering into her hand.

Al could only hope that something would happen between them eventually, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stand watching them skirt around each other for much longer. Despite what he thought, Ed deserved this, and as soon as he was able to accept that, Al knew he'd finally allow himself the happiness he'd spent so long trying to deny. Now that he was older and ready to follow his own path, he hoped his brother would allow himself to do the same.

The festival was packed, now, and the three had spent the majority of it looking at everything they possibly could throughout the emptier streets. After Ed had ended up accidentally hypnotizing the town, (the thought alone was hilarious) they decided some time away from crowds would do all of them some good.

Somewhere along the way, Al had drifted away from the others, having become too distracted to pay attention to where they kept running off to. He rolled his eyes as he spotted the two arguing over how to eat ice cream, and instead focused his attention on the many pieces of art that'd been displayed on the street. It was so different from what he was used to, and each unique piece infatuated him with their creativity and designs. With the money he'd made from working, he'd already purchased a few small things to decorate his room with. It was a stark contrast from the things he and Ed had collected from the surface, but just as valuable to him in the end. Whether old or new, he'd admire it all the same.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Ed walked up behind him with two cones in his hand, gesturing for Al to take one.

"Music boxes," he replied, taking the ice cream with a thankful nod. "It's like the one we found when we were kids, except these actually work."

Ed leaned in closer, causing Al to pull him back before the ice cream ended up dripping onto the display. "Woah. Bet Winry knows how they work, don'tcha think? They've got those gear things in them."

"Probably." Al glanced back to where they'd been standing before, noticing that Winry had started up a conversation with someone else. "Do you want to keep looking around with her? Alone? Just let me know if you want me to leave, I swear you won't hurt my feelings."

"Nah, are you kidding? I wouldn't want to miss seeing this with you." Ed nudged him with his elbow. "Besides, you've been so busy with the bakery I feel like I've hardly seen you since we came up here."

He should've known that Ed would miss his hint, but he couldn't complain. He'd gotten so caught up in the feeling of doing things for himself that he hadn't gotten to spend as much time with his brother as he'd wanted to.

"Alright then, let's see who can name the most human things on this street without cheating."

Ed frowned. "Fine, but you already have an unfair advantage with food."

"And you have already read tons of books before I've even gotten a chance to grasp the writing yet. We're even for the most part," Al retorted, feeling the familiar rush of competition. When they didn't know what else to do, he and Ed would always jump to friendly rivalry. They were practically experts when it came to marine knowledge because of it, and somehow, it was the fastest way for them to learn.

They started before they'd even gotten a chance to finish their food, jumping from booth to booth with answers that were both correct and absolutely ridiculous. It had quickly become clear that Sheska's human knowledge might not have been as foolproof as she'd insisted.

Around halfway through Winry joined back up with them, intentionally hiding the right answers as if taking joy in their ignorance. Al found her comments hilarious, while Ed had just responded with half-hearted glares and quips.

"What's a borglesnof?" she choked out through a mouthful of bread.

"I dunno, it was worth a shot!" Ed threw his arm up in the air, clearly sour about losing. "You know, if this were a test on the periodic table, I'd be winning by a long shot."

"Yeah, because we'd be sleeping through it," Al scoffed, earning a high five from Winry.

"Your comments lose a bit of their punch when they apply to you too, little bro. Who's the one here who spends hours looking at moss?"

Al ignored how his cheeks flushed at the comment. "If you're trying to start a nerd war here, I don't think any of us are winning."

"He's not wrong," Winry added, finally regaining her composure. "We've all got our own obsessions, but that's what makes us interesting, right?"

"If it helps you sleep at night," Ed muttered, earning a slap to the shoulder. "Seriously, though, it feels weird seeing the stuff we used to collect just sitting out in the open."

"Like it's finally real," Al agreed, immediately knowing the feeling he was referring to. "And we've hardly even made a dent!" He attempted to continue forwards to view what was down the next street before feeling his legs begin to shake in a way that was all too familiar.

Ed, perceptive to his health as he was, immediately jumped forward to lend a hand. "Woah there, I think we can leave the rest for later, right? You need to rest your legs."

Al nodded, hating the way his body always betrayed him at the worst possible moments. He made a mental reminder to bring his crutches out for the remainder of the night.

"It's okay, a lot of these booths will be up for longer than a day," Winry said. "It'll be better to take a break before the dance, and that goes for both of you."

Ed grumbled out a reply, but Al could tell he was forcing his stoic attitude. Whatever this dance meant, it was something he was clearly looking forward to.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Al grabbed his brother's wrist and began pulling him back to the house. "We'll see you later, Winry!" he called out over his shoulder.

Ed quickly caught up to his pace, doing his best to support him with one arm. "What the hell, Al?"

"You're dancing with Winry tonight, aren't you? It'd be bad for both of you if you ended up collapsing on top of her."

Ed pursed his lips, looking down at the ground. "What's it matter to you?"

"I want you to enjoy this. It could be your big chance to… I dunno, share some feelings you've been pretending don't exist."

Ed's cheeks had started to resemble tomatoes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Exactly like that." Al squinted at him, noticing how his clothes and hair had become damp with sweat. "Besides, you can't go out there looking like how you are now. You have to look at least somewhat presentable tonight."

"You'd think this was my actual coronation, with the way you're talking," Ed huffed. "I'll… see what I can do, though."

Al grinned, proud to have even planted the thought into his mind. "You'll do great, brother."

Ed's face was no less pigmented than it'd been before, but Al noticed the small smile that had risen from the corner of his lips.

Progress, he decided, was a wonderful thing.

Ed hated nerves.

He always had, but with the addition of legs, it was all the more apparent due to the way his knee refused to quit bouncing up and down.

Legs could be stupid, sometimes.

He'd spent the last hour cleaning up, which had meant taking a shower one limb at a time. It was a risky routine, but somehow this attempt had worked thanks to his decision to use a towel along the way.

Al had helped him pick out what to wear, because apparently all of his choices were too "warm" or "tacky." They'd settled on an outfit Winry had bought for him, and he couldn't deny that her sense of style was fitting for the occasion. (Only second to his own, of course.) Despite only being a puffy white long-sleeve shirt and fitted black pants, he felt comfortable and formal at the same time. He'd thrown in a dangly earring for good measure, just so he'd have a pop of something less mundane. Al had even helped him pin down the loose sleeve, which was something he hadn't even thought about, having never worn one before.

They'd worked together braiding his hair the way Winry had shown them, and somehow it had ended up… nice? It had helped that his hair never became tangled like hers did, which was something he would always be internally smug about.

After finally finishing, the only thing he had left to do was wait for Winry, who'd somehow snuck into the house when he hadn't noticed and locked herself in her room.

He wasn't even sure why he was so nervous to begin with. This was just another part of the festival, wasn't it? After everything he'd done to get to the surface, this should've been the easiest thing for him to conquer.

At least, that's what he told himself. It didn't help that Al kept flashing him goofy smiles and thumbs up, for whatever reason.

Winry was just a human. That was it. He was drawn to her because of that fact alone, and absolutely nothing else.

The jitters he got when he looked at her were only a part of that. There was no way that he was…

Nope.

It was because she was human. He'd just keep repeating the fact.

After what felt like hours, she finally emerged from her room, and Ed stood without thinking.

Holy shit.

Instead of the grease-stained clothes he always saw her in, she emerged in a deep blue dress that fell just above her knees. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and there was something on her face that made every feature pop, though he had no clue how.

She looked stunning.

"What, is it too much?" she asked, lightly grabbing the fabric before letting it fall.

"N-Not at all," he stammered, feeling more and more foolish by the second. "It's, um. Really nice."

She smiled, the gesture alone enough to make his heart skip a beat. "Thanks. You look nice, too. Like a prince."

"Yeah yeah, so funny-"

"It's true," she said softly, a hint of blush coloring her face. Ed wondered if he looked the same.

"Oh." He scratched his cheek, thinking of a way to redirect the conversation into something less… strange. He wasn't used to whatever this was, and as great as it felt, he knew his chances of screwing up had risen exponentially.

"You uh. Wanna head out now? I think the sun's supposed to set soon," Winry spoke up, gesturing towards the window.

He nodded a little too hard. "Yeah. Al said he'd meet us there as soon as he's done getting ready."

Winry led him out the door and they began the stroll into town, enjoying the atmosphere in comfortable silence. Ed had become extra aware of his walking at some point along the way, hoping he'd finally learned to look natural while doing it instead of wobbly and unbalanced like he once had.

"So this stuff happens every year? In other places too?" he asked, still clueless as to what the rest of the surface was like beyond Resembool.

"Not everywhere, but it's pretty common for different towns in Amestris to celebrate in different ways. I'll have to take you into a city some time, I think you'd freak at the sight of one."

A city, huh? He'd read about a few of them, but beyond more buildings and people, he had no idea how they differed from where he was now. The fact that Winry was willing to take him to one, even after everything he'd burdened her with, was almost unfathomable to him.

"Is that another promise? I thought you'd want me out of your hair by the time you finished making my arm."

She looked at him like he'd just insulted her to her face. "Who do you think I am? I'm not just gonna leave you out on the streets!" Ed felt himself shrink back a little as she continued. "You'll always be welcome here, regardless of whatever deals we made. Against whatever you may think, I enjoy having you and Al around."

Maybe he'd made a thoughtless comment, but the reassurance meant more to him than she would ever know.

He'd all but thrown himself into her life, using promises and deals as excuses to stay around. He'd never imagined that she'd want him to stay on her own accord, rather than out of a necessity to help.

"Sorry, that was dumb, huh?" He chuckled, relaxing as her expression softened. "It's hard to imagine someone wanting me around for anything other than to gain power. I'm used to trusting Al and Al alone."

She shook her head, looking ahead at the soft lights that started to appear over the hill. "No more thinking like that, alright? There's plenty more out there that I'd love to show you."

Ed vividly remembered the story she'd told about how she lost her parents, and then her Grandmother too. He couldn't imagine how lonely she'd been, swimming alone every night and working in her shop for hours on end. Unlike him, she didn't have anyone, so it only made sense that this had been good for her, too.

He could be a real idiot, sometimes.

After a few more minutes of walking they finally arrived at the town square, which looked more vibrant than ever due to its decorations. The lights strung overhead shone brilliantly against the darkening sky, illuminating the square with their vivid hue. Streamers and banners adorned almost every empty space, dangling and swaying like decor often did undersea. As he looked on, he noticed that Maes and a few others had begun playing cheerful tunes on their instruments, all with different sounds he'd never heard before.

Everything felt as wonderful and exciting as he had hoped, as if the imagery his mom had described had come to life before his eyes.

"Damn."

Winry snorted from beside him, practically glowing beneath the lights. "Really? That's all you can say?"

"What else is there to say? I don't know enough words in your language to explain it even if I wanted to."

"Fair enough," she replied. "I've lived here my whole life and it's still amazing to see every time. I've never had a real dance partner before, though." Ed followed her gaze ahead, noticing more and more people running into the square to move and jump around one another to the music. If he had to guess, he assumed that's what Winry meant by "dancing."

"You're gonna have to show me how to do it first, before you can actually call me that." He pointed ahead, already prepared to make a complete fool of himself.

Winry held out a hand, and it took Ed a moment to realize she intended for him to take it. He'd ended up zoning out again after meeting her eyes, which had become a bit of a trend for him, lately.

He really needed to pull himself together.

She led him into the square with a hop to her step, turning him to face her as soon as they were close enough to the music. "Slow dancing is the only thing you really need to practice for. I'll show you all the rules and positions for that later. For songs like this, you can just move with the music in any way you'd like."

She almost made it sound easy.

Ed tilted his head to see the people behind her, taking note of how they all seemed to make it look so… effortless. Each and every one of them seemed to be enjoying themselves above all else, gliding across the floor and weaving between one another like schools of fish.

He startled back to reality as Winry lightly pushed his head back in place. "You're not going to get anywhere by studying them. Just… look at me, okay?"

She started to sway in time with the music, leading him along while still holding onto his hand.

"I feel silly." He frowned, suddenly aware of the lack of dexterity he still had on land.

Winry giggled. "Remember what you told me about the water? You just have to let it guide you."

He snuck another glance behind her at all of the practiced townspeople. "But-"

"Pretend it's just us. Only us." She met his eyes, entrapping him in her gaze and throwing away the key. There was a genuine passion to every shift in her expression– from the fluttering of her eyelashes to the subtle rise of her lips.

He needed to focus. What was he supposed to be doing, again?

The music he'd tuned out had begun to speed up, and in a flash Winry led him into a spin, jumping from foot to foot without a care for who was watching.

Ed shook himself out of his trance and followed, picking up speed with only a few stumbles here and there.

They'd somehow found themselves in the center of the square along with everyone else, hopping in tandem to the sounds of fervent strings and claps. Not a single person cared about his inexperience, and one glance at Winry told him all he needed to know.

He let the crowd pull him in, joining in as strangers began to link elbows with one another while still spinning along the way. Everyone moved as a cohesive whole, free from any judgment or contempt.

He let out a laugh as the music got even faster, hardly noticing that Winry had drifted further away. It wasn't long before he spotted her again, dancing with her eyes closed and a grin filled with pure joy.

She twirled closer to him—her dress resembling a blooming flower—and somehow the crowd had carried him right to where he wanted.

As soon as the song ended they collided, both breathing heavily and buzzed with adrenaline.

"I get what you mean now," he said between breaths.

She remained in place, so close he could feel the rise and fall of her chest. "I only copied your advice."

He opened his mouth only to shut it again, shaking his head in amusement.

Just how did he end up so lucky?

He wondered if he'd been standing there too long—if he was supposed to do something, but Winry seemed to get the idea first.

She pulled away from him as if she'd been burned, bowing her head with a groan that completely contradicted her earlier attitude.

Ed followed her line of sight before making assumptions, and found himself reacting just the same.

Sometime during their dance Al and Paninya had mysteriously appeared, and to make matters worse, they were both obnoxiously cheering at them from outside the square.

Yeah, he was going to kill his little brother.

He followed Winry out of range from the other dancers, taking the moment to catch his breath. Just as he suspected, Al and Paninya ran over to meet them, and Ed wondered with a shudder if they'd somehow become accomplices in the five minutes they'd been standing together.

"You guys look amazing!" Paninya squealed, practically vibrating where she stood. "Since when did you have clothes like this, Winry?"

"Since always, I've just never had a chance to wear this one." Winry sheepishly grinned, twisting the skirt between her fingers.

"Well it's adorable." Paninya suddenly whipped over to face him, pointing an accusatory finger to his chest. "You told her that, right? If you make her cry I swear-"

"Paninya!" Winry shouted with wide eyes.

Ed was at a loss. He shot a questioning look at Al, who only shrugged in response.

Neither of them were used to… this.

He at least knew that now wasn't the best moment to argue with Winry's friend, who had glared at him so intensely he almost wondered if she was hiding weapons in her automail. If Al had taught him anything since he'd been a teenager, it was that fights didn't always solve every problem.

Al seemed to catch onto the mood, and changed the subject gracefully. "You two looked like you had fun out there. I was having fun just watching you."

"You wanna join?" Ed offered. "If you're up to it, that is."

"I think I'll wait until the music gets a bit slower. Don't worry about me, though, I'm enjoying myself just by being here and socializing." Ed saw him nudge Paninya in the ribs out of the corner of his eye.

She straightened up in an instant, giving Al the most obvious wink he had ever seen in his life. "Oh. Yeah. We're fine! Don't worry about us and go have fun! We'll just… get out of your way now."

She dashed away in her usual style with Al following close behind, leaving Ed with more questions than answers.

"Sorry about her," Winry sighed with a smile. "She can be a bit… much, sometimes."

"Eh, that's the same thing Al says about me. I've seen worse." He waved a hand, deciding to pry Al for answers after the festival had ended.

They fell into silence again, and Ed let his gaze wander up to catch the last glimpse of the sunset. Just like their first night in the town, they stood side by side with eyes trained to the horizon—watching brilliant red streaks burn through clouds like wildfire. Blue turned to violet as the sun met the sea; an impossible combination that was as ephemeral as it was beautiful.

Soon enough the sky was submerged into darkness, with the glow of the overhead lanterns serving as their only source of light.

As if on cue, the musicians shifted to a slower tune reminiscent of ones Ed had grown used to in Xerxes.

Winry stepped in front of him and bowed, holding a hand in front of her. "May I have this dance, Your Highness?"

Ed took it and rolled his eyes. "Dork."

She pulled him back to the edge of the square, close enough to the music but distant enough to remain unseen.

"Follow my lead, okay? We'll start simple." She wove her fingers through his, resting her other arm on his back.

It was more… intimate than he'd expected it to be.

"Step back, then to the side, then forward again," she instructed, guiding him slowly as he fumbled to keep up. "Just do as I do, and don't– ow."

Ah. Ten seconds in and he'd already stepped on her foot.

"Sorry. This is a whole lot harder than walking was." He glared at his legs as if they'd magically start working better. "These things are dumb. They won't do what I say."

"You say that like you weren't gaping at them the other day." She led him into a spin, leaving him reeling in more ways than one. "Besides, everyone has to start somewhere."

"I guess so." He looked down, careful to avoid stepping on her again.

As time passed he found himself falling into routine—each step coming easier than it had before. With each fluid movement his mind began to drift, and he'd suddenly become much more aware of just how long he'd been holding Winry's hand. The shimmer of the lanterns reflected off her eyes like tiny galaxies as she stared back into his own, wearing the same entranced look she had after he'd sang.

This time, though, he hadn't done anything beyond ordinary.

"Hold out your arm," she spoke, stepping outward as the song fell into an elegant decrescendo.

Ed did as she said, and in one graceful movement she twirled back into him. As soon as the song reached its end, she dipped herself over his outstretched arm, letting herself fall back with complete confidence.

"Not bad for your first time." She beamed.

Ed scoffed and pulled her up, hoping she wouldn't notice the redness in his cheeks. "I told you we'd be the best, didn't I? It was easy."

It had definitely not been easy, but who was he to deny a challenge?

"Duh, I should've figured."

The melodic strings had started up again, but Ed made no move to return to his former position. As interesting as it had been to learn proper dance, he didn't know how much more stiff formality he could take. It was all too reminiscent of the events he'd spent his entire life attending.

Instead, he placed his hand on her back, pulling her closer to him until their noses nearly touched. His heart felt ready to burst out of his chest, but well, he'd already come this far, hadn't he?

"No more fancy step sequences this time. Let's just… let the music guide us, yeah?"

Winry's eyes were wide, almost like how they'd been the first time she'd seen him. "Yeah. Okay."

She rested her arms over his shoulders and started a slow sway from foot to foot.

"You know," she continued, a humorous glint to her eyes, "I used to read a book that was just like this."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She hummed. "It was about a mermaid princess who'd traded her tail for legs. I thought it was silly after I'd grown up, but it was always my favorite one to read."

Ed could hardly believe it. He thought his admiration for humans had been purely one sided; that they all viewed merfolk as monsters just as the fishermen who'd hurt him had. He'd thought Winry was a rare anomaly, but perhaps she'd just had a heart that was a bit more open than the rest.

"How'd it end?"

Winry bit her lip, wincing slightly. "It was tragic. She fell in love with a human who didn't love her back, and ended up turning into sea foam at the end."

"Yikes."

She let out a chuckle. "Yeah. I guess it's not very similar at all, huh?" Her eyes wandered to his own, as if searching for something.

Ed could hardly hear her over his own heartbeat. He wondered if she could feel it, being as close to him as she was. He felt every shift in her movement as they continued to sway, but he just couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from hers.

She leaned in closer, and it was as if he'd forgotten how to breathe. His eyes darted down to her lips as he remembered how she'd touched them to his cheek the night before. How he'd spent the entire night playing that moment over in his head, unable to believe that she'd cared so much about him, of all people.

He'd never known this feeling before, but whatever it was, he didn't want it to end. He could feel her breaths on his face now, but he didn't dare back away.

"Can I kiss you?" she whispered, close enough so only he could hear.

Ed didn't know what she meant, but hell, he could hardly bring himself to care.

He gave a small nod, trusting her fully.

Carefully, she leaned into him with closed eyes and let her lips brush against his own. It was a gentle motion, but filled with such emotion that the coil in his stomach tightened and his vision flashed with color.

She pulled away much too early, leaving him wavering and wanting more.

If a "kiss" was what she wanted, then he would give her one to remember.

He lifted his hand to her cheek and pulled her in once more, squeezing his eyelids shut as he basked in the feeling. She met him with just as much passion, returning the "kiss" with more force than she had before.

It was like the first time he'd breathed air, and suddenly he was grasping for more as if oxygen wasn't nearly enough. His senses had dulled and heightened at the same time, leaving him dizzy with adrenaline and alone with the feeling that had taken root in his chest.

Their teeth clashed together for a moment before she moved to suck on his bottom lip—lifting her hands to rest on his neck. He leaned into her touch, reminding himself that he'd have to breathe at some point or another.

Every emotion that he'd convinced himself to hide left through his lips as he pushed his body closer to hers—the elation of humanity washing over him like a heavy current.

He finally pulled away to gasp for air, steadying himself under the weight of her grasp.

"Holy shit." He spoke in his native tongue, forgetting that Amestrian was the language he was supposed to be speaking.

She smiled back at him and let out a stifled laugh, giving him no less fascination than he'd had since the first day he saw her. His increasing feelings of adoration began to make sense, and all at once, everything was suddenly clear.

He'd fallen in love with Winry Rockbell.

Of course.

finally... the scene i've been waiting to write since the beginning! i hope it was worth all the waiting, and once again thank you so much for reading and for leaving such lovely comments! :)

(i couldn't resist dressing ed up like howl lol)