Draped in Wires
by. Poisoned Scarlet

Theme 003: Memory

He allowed the fresh scents of the south soothe him. The wind tousled his hair, making his choppy bangs fly over his tan face as he hefted his heavy suitcase on his shoulder. He was greeted by many of the townspeople, waved at by some old childhood friends and drenched in the bright sunlight of Resembool as he made his way up that dirt path.

It was early, he guessed around seven in the morning as he had taken the dawn train from the Sans Rosa station that bordered on the edge of Aerugo, a country he had also taken a few days to explore in the beginning of his journey before heading off deeper west.

Being in the west had proved to be a magnificent choice. He had been more willing to go to the east but he figured his brother would have more luck there as he still had his own alchemy. The west's alchemy was more covert and secret, something he needed to dig up on his own as it was not as wide-spread nor used as in Amestris due to religious matters who qualified the art as witchcraft and trickery.

I can't wait to tell Al I'm a devil in their eyes, Ed mused, remembering he had been called a devil incarnate when he had explained his views on alchemy to a rather ignorant civilian during his first few days in the wild, wild west. He'll crack up.

The house sat atop the hill, unchanged and unmoving. There was nothing that could have tipped him off that the house had been tampered with or changed. It was as his memory told him it was and he was more than relieved to see that during his absence there had not been any major changes.

He hadn't really been in contact with his new family ever since he had left, two years ago. He rarely sent Al letters and he had only seen the Rockbell's once a year and a half ago, when he came back to Winry after being away for six months and hauling a half-working automail leg in the process.

Ed cringed at that memory.

Winry had been so furious with him and it had been partial reason he was hesitant to even think they were together or had some sort of thing going on.

The goodbye at the train station had been cold and tense as well, so he had left the countryside feeling emptier than how he had come.

A whole year and a half, huh? Edward thought, as he stood before the quiet house with a tugging sense of nostalgia in his chest. I wonder what I missed out on... He strode forward, walking up the porch steps and to the screen door; knocking a few times before poking his head in.

He could smell breakfast.

He could hear light chatter come from the kitchen.

He wondered why he felt so damn nervous as he entered and closed the door behind him quietly, setting his heavy suitcase down by the entrance and shaking his long brown trench coat from any dust as his dress shoes thumped against the rough wood of the floor loudly.

Fuckin' shoes, he glared at them. He preferred his boots when it came to stealth and the dress shoes when it came to comfort.

"I think I heard someone at the door," he heard Al say. "I'll go check! Maybe it's brother!"

Edward smirked when his brother came out of the kitchen, stopping still at the sight of his older brother. Alphonse gazed at his brother in shock, at the mature yet haughty aura that hovered over his strong build; unchanged and familiar.

"Brother!" Al greeted laughingly, rushing forward and grabbing him in a headlock, making Ed laugh with him as he grabbed his arm and twisted out of the lock, instead bringing his little brother into a squishing embrace that had Al wheezing for air and Ed crackling evilly.

"What have you been up to, Al?" Ed grinned, looking up just in time to see Mei come out of the kitchen with a ladle in her hand. His grin transformed into a frown. "What's the bean-sprout girl doing here?"

"She came with me!" Al coughed, finally freed from his brothers crushing hug. "I decided to take her along since, well, she'd be really bored all by herself in Xing and, er—!"

"Oh, I get it," Ed interrupted, with a cunning grin: "You like her."

"NO I DON'T!" Al shouted, much too loud and face too red.

Edward grinned, slyly adding: "Oh? So what, you brought her along as your personal cook? Gee, Mei, never knew you'd lower you standards so much—OUCH! WHAT THE HELL?" Edward grabbed his head against the dizzying spell as the spoon clattered on the floor.

"Edward! Stop being so mean to Mei!" Winry's voice barked from beside the girl. "Apologize to her right now!"

"Why should I?" he mumbled, dodging another projectile thrown by the annoyed blonde. "Alright! Fine! Sorry! Geez, I was just joking..." Ed groused. "I see you still can't take my jokes," he looked up, momentarily stunned by her appearance.

She seemed to have matured more during his absence as well, to his pleasant surprise. She still had the childish innocence in her big blue eyes but there was also an air of modest superiority in her every movement. Her hair was still long, tied into a lazy ponytail, and the pink apron made the arrival back home feel more...awkward.

He didn't know why but he liked seeing her in an apron – a domestic attribute she had adopted a while back...

"You are in so much trouble!" she snapped, eyes flashing. "We haven't heard a peep from you for nearly two years! Two years, Edward!"

"Not two years, you liar! A year and a half!" Upon her murderous look, he haistly took it back: "Okay! I know! I know! I should've written or something but it's damn expensive to send letters all the way down here and I never got time anyway... I was too busy with other stuff," he grumbled.

Winry narrowed her eyes. He could tell she was restraining herself because of Mei's presence. In that instant, he was glad for the younger Xingese girl as he had been saved from Winry's full wrath as his brother bombard him with questions and Winry huffed and stormed back into the kitchen; leaving Ed with a whirlwind of thoughts that revolved around:

"Kiss her when you see her!"

So much for that.

He wanted to live, thank you very much.