A/N: You know what, let's just agree that I'll have three updates a week, and call it a bonus if I actually make it to MWF. Delays this week can be attributed to new ink yesterday (loving it, and killing anyone who touches my arms in the next two weeks), SWTOR's release today (Star Wars meets WoW- here is my social life: please devour it), mandatory fun with coworkers followed by Stein Night tomorrow (incidentally, Wednesday's update will likely come on Thursday), and of course driving home for Christmas on Friday. I'll do my best.
Today's offering is primarily Brotherhood/manga.
26. A suddenly remembered instant
Winry went back to her room to pack things up after Ed and the chimeras left. Leave it to Ed to be paranoid, she thought. He'd always found a way to do what he needed to be done, so why freak out and send her away?
Then again, she thought, he's always been looking out for me. Ed had always been protective of her. The other kids in school made fun of her for being a tomboy, but she was just enough of a girl to be hurt by their taunts. She pulled a piece of paper from under a pile on her desk and it made her remember one specific day- before Al was in school- when a few bullies had taken her early schematic doodling. She had tried not to cry, but they had torn it in half and the tears just flowed. Winry remembered that out of nowhere, she heard one of them shout in pain. Winry had looked up to see the other get hit on the nose with a rock
"Give it back to her!" shouted Ed as he stormed over to the bullies.
"Or you'll do what, draw some symbols? Science freak!"
Winry heard the scratching of chalk, and she got out the way fast. Alchemy was still foreign to her, and even prodigies needed some practice. She stood behind Ed as he finished his circle, and then his hands hit the pavement.
In retrospect, it was a surprise that the small, ankle-high spikes Ed made from the pavement had scared anyone; then again Winry had seen Ed reconstruct his brother with a mere clap of the hands since then, so perhaps her hindsight was a bit skewed. But all those years ago, the bullies had dropped her drawing and ran like the wind.
Ed caught the pieces and examined them a minute before turning them over and drawing another circle. A moment later, the paper was whole again.
"Here, Winry," said Ed, holding the paper out to her. She wiped her eyes and took her design back. A quick once-over showed her that Ed really had made everything all better.
"Thank you, Edward!" she cried, and she threw her arms around his neck. He sputtered in surprise and confusion, and eventually threw her arms off (the other kids had seen his spike routine, so they didn't dare tease either Ed or Winry about cooties).
Winry smiled as she came out of her daydream. The paper from all those years ago was in her hand. On it was her original design for Den's leg… and a small heart on the corner. She was pretty sure she hadn't drawn the heart.