Yo everyone! Here's another chapter for you all!
I humbly ask for some patience...I just have these ideas stuck in my head since forever and I just want to write them down so that that little annoying voice (which suspiciously sounds like my own) will FINALLY shut up and let me fulfill your requests in peace! . (Yeah, yeah I'm crazy :P ) ;)
ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:
Lily: haha Thanks! I re-watched FMA Brotherhood (I'm on episode 52 atm) and after I re-watched the scene where Ed and Winry had that small fight at the Rockbell house (I think it was episode 41-42 something like that) I had that idea on how they would react if the other would be jealous ^^ For your newer review on Chapter 3: *.* T-thanks girl! (hugs) Naw thank you! I was sure I had screwed up since I kept writing the scenes from my memory alone, I haven't started re watching the series then. T.T
Bob: (hides in a corner in shame) Ohh...oh...OH...T_T Thanks Bob...sometimes I'm such a tin can...ugh...well in my defense...I didn't get much sleep . I'm glad there are smart and NORMAL people around me sheesh
Anonymous J: (grins) Thanks! Yeah, I get the feeling like Pinako is that deceptive, quirky grandma that knows exactly what's going on and ships EdWin :3 Yeah, I made Robert look like something of a hunk but sound like a wimp... meh ^_^
Jadasimone16: Hihi, I have full intentions to write that one! Hope you're happily surprised! ;)
Penguin19: Ohh I like that scene! I love it, so dramatic :D haha Sure thing, I'll try to be quick with the other updates, hope I can capture the moment well.
00cdf: Hey there! I'm sorry if I misunderstood your review earlier, did you mean that I should try and continue the story the 'Shinobi Alchemist'? I'm not too sure if I'm good enough to continue it though eheh...
Panic: T_T (sniff) (sniff) You are awesome Panic! Nawww (wipes tear away) I can't believe someone seriously dedicated their awesome work to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you SO much! (hugs tightly) Sorry...so overcome by feelings right now! ^^ This came so completely unexpected...oh god I feel like I'm gonna cry happy tears! (weeps like a baby)
OF COURSE I like the pic, I love it! To be honest, I never thought anyone would even bother reading any of my fics, since I'm an amateur writer and all, but I'm so unbelievably happy and glad that people enjoy them and draw comfort from them in their time of need :) Thanks for this wonderful work of art Panic/ Celestiallnk! :D You've made a amateur writer very happy today! And yes this sounds weird, but I check regularly to see if my awesome followers/readers reviewed/favorited my stories and I get so damn excited over it! :3 Thanks again Panic! :)
Enjoy!
A Mechanic's Wrath
Winry smiled politely and sipped her tea, her right eye twitching ever so subtly as she made conversation with her not so usual...guests.
Ever since Edward and Al had returned with their original bodies and the months had steadily passed, these so called 'guests' of Winry's, women of all ages, had started to come to the house at random times and were asking for a certain older Elric brother.
Winry's eye twitched again as a young woman of twenty years of age, Rebecca from Central, cleared her throat and looked all around the kitchen, "Say, Winry was it? I don't mean to be rude but...where is Edward?" all the women, which must have been six at least, started whispering loudly.
Winry had no idea why a woman from Central was even here in Resembool to begin with...she couldn't imagine anything that Ed would help her with and if she did need help with whatever it was she needed help with...why didn't she simply ask authorities in Central and not travel all the way here?
For once, Winry bit her tongue from offering a quirky remark she knew would end in a cat fight, "I'm sorry, um...Rebecca was it? I told you all, Edward and his brother Alphonse are helping out a neighbor, I'm not sure when they will be back,"
"Really? But you said that over half an hour ago! How long do they need for whatever they must be doing? Well, in actuality we only need Edward Elric, we don't need his brother Alphonse," another woman, this one in her late thirties, said.
Winry rose an eyebrow for the umpteenth time, "Um...I know I asked this before, but why exactly do you only need Edward? Does he know you all?" Winry felt her pulse beating quicker and her hands itching to grab for her trusted wrench, but she decided to be ladylike this once.
Thankfully, or not, a woman from Resembool Winry saw a few times, Lena, said casually, "Well, I'm not so sure if he does. I think he may have seen me a couple of times but knowing is a tad too much. You see Winry, I need my roof fixed, my idiot husband is too stupid to even use a hammer right, let alone fix a roof, and you know I'm completely clueless with these things," she shrugged nonchalantly, scratching her cheek.
Winry blinked, looking at each of the annoyed women, before leaning back in her chair and sighing heavily.
"Let me get this straight, you, you, you, you and you need all your roof fixed, right?" the women Winry pointed at nodded, "And you, you and you need your...kitchen to be fixed?"
A woman Winry had pointed at, which she guessed was well over fifty clarified, "Well, actually, my sink is broken and my husband is too lazy to do it and I heard Edward is adept at fixing things," Winry had half a mind to ask the woman from where the hell she heard that but she kept her mouth closed.
"Aha..." Winry rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"Ugh, damn it Al, I thought you were holding it steady! I almost got kicked in the balls for that!" the voice of one irritated Edward Elric could be heard from just outside the house, all the women perked up.
"I'm sorry brother, I had no idea the horse would be so aggressive! Holding it steady while you cleaned it's hooves was harder than I thought..." Al's lighter voice could be heard, tired to reply to Ed.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I say we deserved a nice hot shower. Man, I hope Winry still has that apple pie left, that was delicious-" as Edward opened the door, holding his sweaty, dirty over his shoulder, leaving him in a dark navy blue, sleeveless shirt, exposing his muscular arms and most of his collarbone, his eyes widened at the sight of all the women in the room.
"Brother? What is it? Why aren't you going inside the-" Al's next words were cut off as he blinked rapidly, registering only just so all the women in the house.
"-house?" Al finished lamely, confused.
"Uhh...Winry? What is going on here?" Ed looked at the strangely eager and happy faces of all the women and wondered what the hell they were doing there. Were they here for Winry?
"I hope your balls are ok by the way," Ed froze when a younger woman with dirty blonde, short, curly hair suddenly said, offering him a sly smirk.
Ed felt his face grow hot in embarrassment, wait...they heard that? Oh boy...
Winry looked ready to murder him.
Damn it all to hell.
"Edward, outside now. Alphonse, boil some coffee, I'll be right back..." Winry forcefully grabbed Ed by his navy blue shirt, dragging his panicking state outside of the crowded house. Al looked after them as Ed gave him signals of panic and fear for his life, he slowly closed the door and turned toward the annoyed women.
Oh, oh.
"Uhm...h-hello...would you l-ladies like some coffee?" Al felt sweat rapidly forming on his head as he kept thinking of ways to escape when the females all fixed him with glares.
He was sure Ed was the luckier one in this situation.
"Ow! Not the hair woman! Ow!" Ed yelped in pain when Winry was tugging on his braid!
When they were far enough away from the house, Winry let go of his braid and turned toward him with her hands on her hips and an angry aura about her.
Ed sensed he was in trouble but for what he had not a sliver of an idea.
Wait...
Maybe he fed Den too much and Winry noticed her automail couldn't support the extra weight? Maybe he forgot to feed Granny and she was cranky about it? No wait Granny could feed herself...
Ed crossed his arms stubbornly, "Well, I have no idea why you are all angry at me! Who were all these women back there? Friends of yours? Looking for automail check-ups or what?" Ed blinked in confusion like a innocent child.
Winry's eye twitched again, "I was about to ask you that Edward! They all came here looking for you! Tell me – why do women for the past few months come looking for you all of a sudden and asking you to 'fix their roof' or things like that? Most of them are married for god's sake!"
Ed pointed a accusing finger at her, "Hold it! Don't drag that fantasy deity into this! I'm an alchemist for...cookie's sake and I welcome it if you stop using that name in my presence!" Ed nodded, smiling in satisfaction.
"EDWARD!" Winry bonked him on the head hard, this time with her fist and not the wrench.
Ed glared at her, rubbing the aching spot on his skull, "Man, am I glad you don't have that blasted wrench on you now..." he straightened up and looked down at Winry in all seriousness, "Look, I don't know why they suddenly come all the time, alright? Not like I asked them to come! Besides, the past few women kept telling me their husbands were stupid or something like that..." Ed scratched his head in confusion.
Winry sighed heavily, "You don't say..." she shook her head, "Any other reason they may be looking specifically for you and not Al too?" she couldn't wait to hear his answer.
Ed just looked as confused as ever, "How am I supposed to know? Maybe I'm just the better help in the house than him huh?" Ed smirked proudly, thinking that was the reason.
Winry looked at him for a few minutes, her eye twitched again and she hit him again, "OW! DAMN IT WINRY!" Ed hollered in pain.
"Alright Ed, go on and help them with whatever it is they need help with! Not like I need help or anything around the house," she turned away from him and started walking back toward the house.
Ed jogged after her, "Wait! What? What do you need help with around the house? Why didn't you tell me? You know I always have time for you!" Winry tried hard not to think too hard on that last statement.
"Forget it Ed, just go to those helpless women," Winry ignored him and left him standing completely confused.
The former State Alchemist watched his childhood friend go back inside the house with a frown, he ran a hand down his face in frustration.
"Oh man...what did I get myself into?"
"Oh thank you so much Edward!" Rebecca from Central, twenty five years of age, gushed happily as Edward craned his neck when he crawled away from underneath the now-repaired sink.
"You're welcome ma'am! It was nothing really," Ed grinned happily, massaging the aching muscles in his neck, he had been forced to bent at an uncomfortable angle for the past hour and it was starting to really bother him.
"Oh please stay and have supper with me! I have to repay you somehow! And please call me Rebecca," the woman smiled brightly, leaning slightly forward so her décolleté was more pronounced.
Edward though kept his gold eyes politely on her face, "Uh, no, no thank you. It's pretty late and I promised Winry I would be home as soon as I can," Ed smiled politely at her, grabbing his black leather coat from the chair he had placed it on.
Rebecca seemed persistent, "Really? Are you sure? I bet miss Rockbell will understand if you stay for a small chat and supper," she smiled like a cat, winking at the taller male.
Ed blinked, not quite understanding the obviously flirty gesture, "Uhm, didn't you say your husband was home? I bet he will want to eat with his wife in peace," Ed scratched the back of his neck, chuckling nervously.
"Oh well you know...he is very ill, he hadn't felt well in days-"
Suddenly, a deep male voice from above shouted loudly:" STOP TELLING THAT DAMN ELRIC THAT I'M SICK YOU BAT! STOP FLIRTING WITH THE POOR BOY AND PUT THAT RING BACK ON YOUR FINGER!"
Ed jumped at the loud volume the man had used and felt very out of place now, wait...the husband shouted he wasn't ill, then why was he here?
"Uhm...thank you for the offer but I think I'm gonna go home now, good night! Good night sir!" Ed called at the presumably ill husband of Rebecca and was quick to get out of the house and out in the fresh air, straight toward home.
He cringed when he heard loud shouting and a few porcelain dishes being broken.
"Poor people...I hope they fix their marriage problems soon," Ed shook his head, whistling with his hands in his pockets as he walked along the dirt path, lost in his thoughts.
"Hm...Winry mentioned something that she needed help around the house too...but with what? I fixed the roof a couple of months ago and called Greed over so he could harden it to perfection! I cook Tuesdays and Thursdays and I help clean around the house too. Ok, I don't do the laundry but she got mad at me for coloring her overalls black! It hadn't been my fault to begin with! She even told me to never touch the laundry again! What did she mean with that anyway?" all these thoughts were running through Ed's mind as he looked up at the pitch black sky, at the shining stars covering the entirety of it.
"Sure is a beautiful night today, though slightly chilly too," Ed pulled his coat slightly higher and closer to himself, "Who knew summer nights could grow this cold,"
Winry's words weren't giving Edward any peace, "Help around the house...I don't get it. She can fix almost anything by herself, she's a master mechanic for cookie's sake! But she did have a point though, why all these women never asked for Al's help is beyond me. He can do most of the things I can, he can definitely fix broken sinks and roofs. So why me?" Ed rubbed his chin, so distracted by his thoughts that he almost bumped his toe against the flat underside of the stairs of the Rockbell-recently-Elric house.
Ed looked at the old house in surprise at his own distracted mind, before he climbed up the steps and opened the door, locking it behind him.
He breathed out a sigh of relief when the warmth from within greeted him and relaxed his tense, cold muscles.
It was good to be home.
Ed slid off his coat from his broad shoulders and hung it near the door on a rack, stretching his whole body before going toward the kitchen quietly. He figured that Granny, Al and Winry were asleep by now, as it was very late, so he opted to get a midnight snack before retiring for the night too.
Fixing sinks wasn't exactly a Sisyphus task but it hadn't been so easy either, the whole sink looked completely beaten up, dented in all sorts of weird places, like someone had kept beating it repeatedly with a hammer or something. At times like these, Ed missed his alchemy, it would have been done in seconds if he were able to use alchemy, but he didn't regret anything at all.
He loved the life he led now. A normal, relatively peaceful life. Free of pesky Homunculi, except for Greed of course, free of power hungry beings that almost swallowed 'God' and free of vengeful, powerful Ishvalan alchemists that had been after his and Al's hide.
Ed sighed, noticing that the light in the kitchen was still on, oddly enough.
Weird...did Winry or Granny forget to turn off the lights?
To his shock, it was none other than Winry sitting at the kitchen table, drinking what Ed assumed was tea and cookies.
Winry seemed startled to see him as well, her eyes widened when she spotted him and she released a barely audible gasp of surprise. However, she was quick to turn her attention back to her cup, her brows furrowing in a deep frown.
Ed's lips drew into a thin line and he sighed heavily, opening the fridge and finding, to his astonishment, a well stocked sandwich, wrapped in transparent foil inside.
He took it out and turned it around, looking it over, before he could open his mouth and ask if it was Al's, Winry cut him off, "I made it a few hours ago, I thought you might be hungry when you return,"
Ed closed his mouth shut, feeling his heart suddenly quicken at Winry's thoughtful and kind gesture. He unwrapped the thick sandwich partly at the top as he held it by the foil in his hand and took a healthy bite, his expression softened.
He swallowed down the food in his mouth and closed the fridge door, taking a seat beside Winry, "Thanks," he noticed his voice had turned slightly deeper with a softer tone to it.
"It's ok," Winry still didn't look at him, holding her tea with both hands to warm them as she impatiently waited for it to cool enough to drink.
She had gotten a little hungry before going to bed so she decided to drink some fresh tea and cookies, but she hadn't expected Ed to come back now. Winry sighed, today was not her day.
She hated it when they fought, not when they playfully bickered but when they seriously fought, she would feel all awkward and have that intense need to avoid Ed like he was the plague until she sorted out her thoughts.
In her younger days as a temperamental teenager, she would have confronted Ed head on so long until he gave up the fight, but she wasn't that girl anymore. She had grown, matured and she figured things couldn't work out her way all the time by attaining it with outbursts of anger and commands.
"Her husband wasn't ill," Ed suddenly said, breaking the awkward silence they had been in for far too long for Ed's taste.
Winry blinked in confusion and surprise, "W-what?" she had no idea what Edward was talking about.
Ed met her gaze, "The husband of that woman, Rebecca, I had to repair her sink today because her husband was apparently very ill. Well...turns out, she kept asking me to stay and have supper with her but I told her I had to go home. Then her husband suddenly shouted from upstairs that she should stop telling me he was sick and to 'put her ring back on her finger',"
There was a moment of silence before both childhood friends burst out laughing.
Winry wiped a imaginary tear from her eye," W-wait! You want to t-tell me that she didn't even n-need any help with her sink?"
"No she did, her sink looked even worse than me when my automail arm would be demolished," Ed chuckled, chewing on his sandwich.
Winry giggled and sipped her tea, dunking her cookies in it slightly and chewing on them, Ed looked at the cookies briefly, "Can I eat one too?" Winry couldn't help but giggling again at Ed's puppy look.
"Help yourself," she pushed the little plate of cookies towards him, "You want some milk with it?" she winked playfully.
Ed swallowed the cookie and glared at her playfully, "Ha ha, very funny," Winry and him laughed again at the age old joke.
"Hey, I...I'm sorry, whenever you need help around the house just tell me alright?" Ed couldn't bring himself to look at her.
Winry stopped laughing, noticing Ed's conflicted emotions, "Oh Ed...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just annoyed that's all,"
"But why?" Ed rose an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter. I just didn't want them to use you and tire you out. I didn't mean what I said alright? It's ok," she smiled.
Ed frowned, "No, I mean it. If you need help with anything then please tell me alright?" he looked into her eyes, honestly.
"Ed..." Winry looked at him slightly surprised.
Cliffhangeeeer! Hihi, sorry! I actually meant to finish it but it seems like my laptop charger doesn't quite agree with it today ^^ I'll finish it tomorrow don't worry! Ideas are welcome though! ;)