Brief Commentary:
Well, I was sick earlier this week and got a free head start on the next chapter of RNFYE, although I was unable to finish it. Today, I threw up. :D Lol. It's a new magical power - whenever I dislike some one, I barf on them. It's like Izumi with her former coughing-up-blood-problem-of-doom. I'm so awesome. I haven't eaten in over twelve hours though, seeing as I skipped lunch today and threw up the two waffles I had for breakfast (there must've been something in those waffles...because I was fine afterwards). But anyway, when I got home I took a three hour nap (3 to 6 PM, lawl), and will be going to bed early tonight. So I figured I should get this finished up quickly. Btw, if you've found the website, PM me or post in the guest book. ;D Vote on the poll, too! 'Cause then I'ma love you forever. ;3 (POSTED A DAY LATE DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)
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Reasons Not For Your Ears
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Winry had opened the door to her apartment to find a peculiar crowd sitting idly by in the kitchen/family room, two of the people there looking incredibly anxious (and not to mention extremely pissed off), while the other four (including the only animal in the vicinity) were looking incredibly bored, if not content.
Ling and Ranfan sat side-by-side on their bloody couch, the latter of the two with a small smile on her face and the former with a satisfied grin playing on his lips, one of his arms draped around the back of the couch. Mei sat on the floor, a small frown on her face and her arms folded across her chest. The miniature panda beside her mimicked the posture. Pinako sat stiffly in a near by arm chair, her expression containing a scowl, while, to Winry's surprise, Alphonse stood against the wall not a few feet away from Mei.
As soon as the door swung open and the two had made their way in (a growl rumbled in Edward's throat as his eyes found Alphonse), all heads turned to face them. The younger Elric made a choking sound as his eyes met his brothers, and he gave him a deadly glare, before turning his attention to Winry, his expression of hatred melting into one of concern at her filthy, slightly blood-caked condition. At the same time, Pinako had given the pair the fiercest glare she was able to muster, and the sudden tension in the air increased by a tenfold.
The three exchange students and the panda were completely oblivious.
"Winry-san, hello! Was Ranfan's marksmanship not brilliant?" Ling gushed, the hand that had been behind the couch cushions rising to pat Ranfan on the head. She blushed profusely, lowering her eyes to the floor and muttering modest words that no one could really hear.
"Um-"
"Winry, are you okay?" Alphonse strode quickly forward, snatching her away from his elder sibling and pointedly ignoring him as he brought her out of the foyer.
"I-I think that-"
"Winry-san," Mei spoke up, "Do you mind if I eat while I'm here? I've been hungry for a while now, and-"
"But Ranfan's been working on her aim for years, and it paid off so well! It was fitting that she would be the one to finish Scar off, seeing as Mei Chan-san and I were butting heads so often, and-"
"No, no, I wasn't really...I'm not that...well, that's true but-"
"Winry, do you need anything?"
"I won't eat much, I promise. All I really need is-"
She couldn't sort out the voices attacking her like hyenas, as she specifically felt two glares boring into her back. One belonged to her grandmother, who had remained silent through all of this banter and chatter, tight-jawed and eyes blazing angrily. The other was from Edward, stonily quiet as he pressed his hand to the bullet wound, his blood hissing almost noiselessly as it dripped onto the tile floor.
Winry winced. There would be hell to pay later...unless they were merciful and the rebuking/yelling would start fairly soon.
Eventually the talking subsided, as the three speakers realized that she wasn't paying them any attention. Ling and Ranfan were able to shrug it off, although Alphonse still looked concerned, as if he was worried that she was suffering A.D.H.D. caused by a hard blow to the head. She only noticed that he had been gripping her forearms rather tightly when he removed his hands, only to make a grab for her wrists to examine her blood-caked palms.
"Is this yours?" he demanded, gesturing towards the dried red flakes coating her skin.
"Some of it," Winry admitted, still a little dazed.
"Do you hurt any where?" Alphonse's tone grew sharper.
She absently touched her lips before she shook her head, wet yellow hair releasing a few drops of rain water as the young Rockbell woman moved.
"No, not really. Just skinned my knees, and my palms are a little sore...well, same with my shoulders, but that's okay."
Alphonse sighed, examining her scraped hands before muttering something about getting a wash cloth before he released her wrists. Turning on his heel and passing Edward in silence as he made his way towards the kitchen-portion of the room, it was easy to see how very irritated he felt. His older brother let out a snort as he passed, glancing away to avoid looking at him. The room lapsed into silence, the only sound being the trickle of running water as Alphonse wet a few wash cloths and rummaged through their cabinets, searching for the first-aid kit.
Winry felt the need to some how break the tension in the air, mumbling,
"Um, we should really get that bullet wound treated, Edward. Baa-chan, I bandaged it and the bullet went through him, so we don't have to, uh...you know, pull it out again."
Alphonse visibly restrained himself from slamming the cabinet door shut. Her grandmother let out a long exhale, replying calmly,
"All right, let's fix up the moron, then. I don't want any more blood on the floor - the manager will kill me."
Her aged gaze flickered towards the bloody couch for a brief second, and she arched an eyebrow.
"You three," she pointed at the three exchange students. The panda growled somethng. "Four," Pinako corrected herself.
"Make yourself useful and clean up that couch for me."
They hesitated briefly, before Pinako barked,
"That wasn't a suggestion, damn it!"
Winry was surprised to see them quickly do as ordered, Ling and Ranfan jumping off the couch and bowing, a blush on Ranfan's cheeks, before they all turned their attention to the couch and began to speak in hushed voices. The miniature panda turned to give Pinako a glare, but visibly shuddered as she returned the glare with a much higher level of intensity. Eventually, they seemed to have sorted something out, as Mei departed for the bathroom down the hall, muttering something about extra towels.
"'Scuse me?" Edward grumbled, "I'm still bleeding to death here."
"Doing something useful, for once," Alphonse glared pointedly at him. Edward's gaze was seething as he glared back. Alphonse, predictably, was unfazed.
"Shut the fuck up, you goddamn sonuvabitch," was the retort.
"As immature and vocabulary-challenged, I see."
"I thought I said to shut your fucking mouth."
Alphonse rolled his eyes, muttering,
"Idiot."
Edward narrowed his eyes into an even sharper look, then glanced away from his brother, as if he was sickened to look at him.
Pinako motioned for Winry to fetch the gauze, snapping at Edward to lie down on the floor so they could get this the hell over with. Both obliged, one nervous, the other thoroughly irritated and reluctant. As Alphonse had already gotten out the first aid kit with the intention of using it for Winry, it was easily within reach. Nodding to the younger Elric in a silent apology and thank you, she clamped the metal lid shut and turned back to the bustling scene on the other side of the room.
She quickly handed her grandmother the kit and nearly whimpered as it was snatched from her hands, the white metal box already open again on the floor and the gauze in the elderly Rockbell woman's hand.
She was not in the mood to be gentle as she tore away the make-shift bandaging job her granddaughter had done earlier, and applied disinfectant and ointment to the bullet wound. Edward visibly flinched every time she pushed too far. He kept any noises from escaping him, however, obviously not wanting to look vulnerable or weak in any possible way in front of his younger brother, despite how much he might loathe him. When Pinako began the process of properly bandaging him in gauze, he couldn't help but flash Alphonse a smirk that read entirely, Look at me, you damn bastard. I have a fuckin' hole in me and I'm not even complaining about it. I bet you've never even bet shot at in your entire life, asshole.
The medical treatment was almost over as Winry was beckoned over for her fair share of cleaning up. At the very least, Pinako was more gentle as she cleaned off the dried blood from her scratches and from her skin, in the case that the blood was occasionally not hers. A quick spray of disinfectant, a few applied band aids of different sizes, and the tension in the room seemed to lessen by a few degrees, quite inexplicably.
Ling, Ranfan, Mei and the panda were still occupied with the task of cleaning the couch, Pinako choosing, for the moment, to ignore the small puddle of blood on the floor and settling back in one of the chairs. Winry was left with little choice but to sit on the floor, with Edward not too far away and Alphonse back in his position against the wall.
"So, Winry," her grandmother drew out slowly, her hand finding her pipe again as she brought it to her mouth. She inhaled and exhaled loudly. "Would you mind explaining what the hell is going on?"
Her gaze dropped to her knees, and she opened her mouth as if that would stimulate a rush of confidence...and not to mention, words.
"It's...it's long..."
"Oh, we have time," was the reassuring tone. It had the opposite effect as Winry found herself lifting her gaze to two waiting glares.
Okay, I cheated a little with this chapter...XD I'm sorry. And it ended up being late. -shot- I hope the mafia won't be getting angry any time soon...? Again, this ain't over. Not for a while, anyway.
