A/N: Hello!

Let's go for the next prompt, this time in the Brotherhood universe. This story is set a couple of months after Ed's declaration.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you very much for reading :)

Golden

Home

It all started with a simple question.

Excuse me, Mr. Elric, I hope I am not being imprudent, but is your land for sale by any chance?

Land. That was the only word to describe what had once been a warm and happy home. You couldn't call it a house since not even the foundations were left, let alone a home, but Ed was still very much aware of the reason he had decided to burn it down and, despite witnessing the barren earth and rubble, he couldn't get it out of his mind that, in a way, he still saw it as the home where he and Al had been so happy in the company of his mother. The home to which they could never return.

Ed squatted down and ran his fingers through the soot and then brought his hand in front of his face to look at the dark dust covering his fingers. He sighed and looked up to survey the place carefully.

It was hardly the first time he had come to this place. Despite the pain and nostalgia for what they had let go when they decided to burn the house down, Ed couldn't completely let go of the good memories that had been created there, so every so often he found himself drawn back, especially once he and Al had recovered their bodies.

However, as connected as he still felt to it, he had never given any thought to the fate of the land. It certainly had a very good location being midway between the town and the river so it was not surprising that someone would be interested in acquiring it.

"I knew you'd be here."

Ed looked over his shoulder at Winry who was approaching him. Seeing her he couldn't help but smile. "Hey."

"Hey." Winry reciprocated his smile. She stepped behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Everything okay?"

"Why the question?"

"Al told me what Mr. Michaels asked you."

"Oh."

Winry immediately felt the tension on Ed's shoulders. "What's going through your mind?"

Ed stood up and turned to face her. "Nothing." He told her with a smile before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

Winry merely raised an eyebrow.

"Ok ok, yes there is something." He sighed. "There's a lot I've been thinking about. I just... you know, I feel like a bit of an idiot." He looked over his shoulder to see the rubble. "It's been years and it's never occurred to me what to do with... the land."

Winry brought a hand to his cheek to make him look at her again. "Hey, it's okay. You had a lot of things to do"

"I think if Mr. Michaels hadn't said anything to me I wouldn't even have thought about what to do."

Winry shrugged. 'And? Sometimes a little push comes in handy for all of us."

"I just didn't think I'd have to make a decision today."

Winry laughed lightly as she stroked his cheek. "Come on, Ed, no one's pushing you. Take your time."

Ed took her hand, kissed it, and then brought it down to intertwine their fingers. "No, Win. It's a decision I want to make now."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Winry tightened the grip of their hands. "Okay.'

Ed smiled at her and released her hand to position himself beside her so he could drape his arm around her shoulders. Winry laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.

They stood there staring at the rubble in silence for a few minutes until Ed spoke.

"With all the time that's passed the logical thing to do would be to sell it, wouldn't it?"

"Not at all. It all depends on what you and Al decide."

"More like me."

"Huh?"

"Al told me the decision was mine. That he intended to keep traveling around Xing and that he wasn't sure when he'd have a permanent residence here so he was more than willing to go along with whatever I decided, the traitorous bastard."

Winry laughed lightly. "You know he does it because he trusts you completely."

"Nah, he just enjoys putting me on the spot. He has to make the most of the times he's here."

"As if you wouldn't do the same with him."

Ed laughed. "Okay, you have a point." He sighed before speaking again. "You know? If I concentrate hard enough I think I can still remember all the parts of the house." He stretched his free arm out in front of him to point out what he was visualizing. "As you came down the stairs you could see the picture of flowers that Mom had hung above the front door." He pointed upwards to the left to indicate that he was talking about the first floor. 'That was the room that would be Al's or mine. Mom said she and Hohenheim were thinking of giving us our own room when we got a little older." He laughed lightly. "But Mom didn't contemplate how much Al and I would enjoy sharing a room since then we could talk late, pass books to each other, and even fight without her noticing." He pointed to the center right of the lower level. "On the other side was the back door leading to Mom's garden." A sad smile formed on his lips. "And practically opposite that door was Mom's room. So she could go check her crops as often as she wanted."

Winry hugged him tighter. "Ed... this house means a lot to you. It's obvious you don't want to sell it."

"To be honest, no, I don't want to sell it." Ed said before kissing her forehead feeling a wave of warmth wash over him as he saw how much Winry knew him since she hadn't referred to what had been his home as just a piece of land.

"So?"

Ed was silent for a few seconds before responding. "Wouldn't it be selfish of me to deny a family the ability to create their own memories here? Is it okay for me to want to create new memories here?"

"Oh, Ed, how could you even think of that? You're one of the most selfless people I know. What's the problem with someone being interested in buying it? If you want to keep it, keep it. That's your right."

"Despite the horrible mistake I made here?"

"All the more reason. You made a mistake but you moved on and made up for it. You more than deserve to enjoy this house as you please."

Ed slid his hand from Winry's shoulder to her hand so he could feel the engagement ring he'd deposited on her ring finger just a couple of weeks ago. "The memories of Mom and the time we all lived here together are precious to me but you know what is one of the most important reasons I want to keep this house?" Without letting go of her hand, Ed continued without waiting for a response. "I want to make this house a home again. I want to hear the laughter of our children running through the new walls. I want this house to feel the warmth and happiness of home again. I think it would be very special to do all that here because I will do it with you by my side, in a home built on the foundations of the house where I met the love of my life. Maybe my memories aren't so clear because we've practically known each other since we were in nappies." He laughed lightly. "But I do have memories of when Aunt Sara used to bring you over here us to play and well... maybe I didn't know it back then but those simple visits changed my life forever."

As soon as he finished his words, Winry moved to hold him tightly burying her face in his chest.

Feeling the wetness forming on the front of his shirt, Ed said. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, Win. Sorry, I should have checked with you first. Shit, I'm an idiot. Surely you don't want to leave your parent's house and I totally understand. That's where all their stuff is, their memories, and obviously Granny Pinako. Maybe you're even thinking of moving to Rush Valley or another town, if so don't worry, it's fine by myself-'

Winry pulled away from him enough to look him in the eye, covered his mouth with one hand, and gave him a bright smile. "Did you forget the promise we made?"

Having his mouth covered, Ed merely raised an eyebrow.

Winry laughed lightly. "You have nothing to worry about. These are happy tears."

Ed pulled Winry's hand away from his mouth though he didn't let go of her hand. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am, silly." Winry intertwined her fingers with his. "Of course I want to make this a home with you. That's a wonderful idea." She stood on her tiptoes and stole an intense kiss from Ed, who wasn't far behind. When they broke apart, Winry continued. "Obviously I'm very fond of my grandmother's house but we can go visit her all the time. Besides..." She glanced at the remains of the house. "this place means a lot to me too and I can't think of a better place to make our life together and raise our children. God... I can't wait to hear their footsteps and laughter all over the house.'

Ed smiled hugely. "Well if you want we can go work on that." He told her waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Winry laughed, "Patience, we still have a wedding to plan. Of course, that doesn't mean we can't have fun in the meantime." She said winking at him at the end.

"Gosh, I'm so happy you want to marry me."

"No more than I am that I'm your fiancée." Winry told him with a bright smile. "So, Ed, before we go, what do you say we start thinking about what our house is going to look like?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, future Mrs. Elric." Ed replied with an equally bright smile.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon touring the place, drawing up estimates and talking excitedly about the layout of the home, visualizing in their minds what their home would look like once they had completed it and dreaming of the time when they would finally live there.