Her eyes were blue, like home. With one gaze he felt like he was swept into a warm embrace that embodied summertime. They made him feel peace, something he hadn't known for a long time.
She was also a human, but nobody had to know that.
Ed was used to the stares by now, anyways. He had been fascinated by humans and their science since he was young, collecting whatever fell from the surface in hopes of discovering something new about their culture. Al wasn't as obvious about it as him, but Ed could tell he was just as interested in the surface as he was.
It was hard for them to hide their hobbies though, being the princes of the kingdom and all. It was why Ed snuck out at night, hoping to catch a glance of the strange girl working on her metal machines, or playing with her… creature outside. He couldn't remember if it was called a dog or a frog, but he supposed it didn't matter much anyways.
The most important thing was, Ed wanted to know all about her, especially all those objects she always carried around. He'd like to think he was well-informed on human chemistry and physics, but he'd never seen anything about fake arms and legs. If his kingdom hadn't been so close-minded and annoying, maybe they could've adapted the same technology. It certainly would've been a help five years ago, after he had lost his arm to a harpoon.
He had been stupid, and had it not been for the girl, he would've given up on humans long ago because of that. It was his fault and he knew it.
It was his ego and obsession that had almost gotten Al killed, and yet here he was, still pursuing it like the idiot he was.
He swam closer to the rocks by the beach, keeping an eye out to ensure he wouldn't be seen. His coronation was just around the corner, and he'd be damned if he got caught on one of his last nights of freedom.
The girl was swimming, something she did often. Ed wasn't sure what her obsession with doing laps in the water was—it couldn't have been easy without fins—but it was a routine he had grown accustomed to. She would bring food down to the beach, work on her machines, and swim until the moon was high in the sky. He just couldn't understand what was so appealing about swimming when she had the entire world to explore on her legs. Humans were weird.
It should've been an ordinary night, but Ed was all too aware of how danger could strike when least expected. The human was already swimming out much further than she usually did—reasons unbeknownst to him—and the waves were rapidly picking up in intensity. He ground his teeth in frustration, wanting to yell at her for her carelessness. All merfolk knew not to swim near the surface during a storm; it was common sense. For a human, even a moderate storm could be deadly.
Ed remained perched behind his rock, not knowing what to do other than watch. The girl seemed smart, and hopefully she'd tune in to the changing air pressure and greying clouds before it was too late.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the girl didn't seem to even be considering turning back. If anything, her eyes had hardened and she only swam harder, fighting the waves as if they were an opponent that could be bested. The sea was ruthless, and it would swallow her alive with the way it was going.
Ed steadied his grip, waves threatening to sweep him away if he wasn't careful. Even with his tail, he still only had one arm. He wasn't the talented swimmer he used to be, and trial and error had led him to know what waters he shouldn't challenge. The sea was roaring and crashing around him, and he had to strain to even see the girl in the chaos.
Thirty seconds had passed, and he still couldn't see her. He grit his teeth and dove beneath the water without a second thought. Damn the rules and damn his promises; he wasn't about to let this girl drown right in front of him.
He swam towards her as fast as he could, using more force on his tail than necessary to propel himself forward. She was clearer to make out now, fighting to pull her head above the water. With every move she made to the surface, she was pushed down again, tumbling even further from the shore.
When he was close enough, he didn't hesitate to grab her arm, pulling her up to the surface so she could breathe. That would be enough, right? He spared a glance at her face and immediately noticed that her eyes were closed. Why were her eyes closed?!
He may have been making a stupid decision, but there really wasn't room to argue with his inner Hohenheim when this girl's life was at stake. Screw getting discovered; leaving her to swim to shore on her own would be a death sentence, and Ed was no murderer.
He shifted his arm to support her and swam towards the beach, trying his best to keep the girl's head above the water. Without his arm to steady himself, he was held hostage to the waves. They attacked him like he didn't belong in their waters, and it took all his strength to move towards his destination.
As soon as he neared the shore, the waves did the rest of the work. They pushed him and the girl onto the beach in an exhausted heap, leaving him completely vulnerable above the water. Great. He couldn't decide which was worse: falling victim to the sea, or leaving himself stranded and exposed on a beach where he was unable to move. With a human.
Screw it. Ed pulled himself closer to the girl, using his arm to balance himself on the sand. He'd never seen a human so close before, and he had to force himself to tear his eyes away from her legs and instead focus on her condition. He settled on his left side and moved the hair from his face, not used to it being so… heavy. Arm now free, he held it above her mouth to try and feel her breath.
After moving his fingers as close as he could without touching her, he felt the slight ghost of a breath leave her lips. It was weak, but at least it meant she was still alive. For now, at least.
He faintly remembered coming across something while studying that mentioned humans drowning, and how to revive them. Something about blowing air back into their mouth? That sounded right.
Ed pushed himself up with his arm so he could see her from above, and balanced long enough without it to tilt back her head and part open her lips. Please don't let her remember this…
Sucking in a breath, he leaned until their lips were almost touching. Before he had the chance to make contact, her cerulean eyes shot open in surprise. He reeled back, almost falling over before steadying himself with his arm. Why couldn't she have done that before he had attempted to save her?
The girl immediately turned on her side and began coughing up water, eyes squeezed shut again as she purged herself of all the liquid she had swallowed.
Was it too late to retreat? She was clearly not coherent enough to acknowledge him, and slipping away would most definitely be in his favor. He looked back at the sea, as turbulent as it had been when he'd escaped it.
No turning back now, it seemed.
The girl finished hacking up seawater, shivering as she pulled herself up from the sand. Slowly, she turned back to face him, the fogginess in her eyes clearing as they widened in awe.
Ed couldn't do anything except stare back, waiting for her to do… something. He was losing his patience, and despite his own amazement with humans, being looked at like some specimen was starting to get on his nerves.
Her mouth opened slightly as she sucked in a breath. "You're-"
"What made you think it was a good idea to go swimming in the middle of a storm?!" he shouted over her, adjusting to the foreign sensation of speaking the human language. "You nearly died!"
He was thankful he and Al had picked up on human speech at such a young age, because otherwise he would've had no idea how to communicate with her. As it was, he was sure he sounded strange, but the girl had to know what she had almost done. What if he hadn't been there to save her?
She didn't seem bothered by his words. In fact, she seemed even more amazed. "You're a… a merman!" she squealed, leaning in closer until he felt his face heat up.
"Really? What gave it away?"
She ignored his words again and turned to look at his tail, golden scales shimmering under the light of the moon.
"Hey, are you even listening?!" He flicked his fin at her, splashing water onto her face.
She frowned and swiped at her eyes. "Of course I am, but you can't expect me to just pass over the fact that I'm looking at a merman. It's just… incredible. My parents always used to tell me stories about merpeople, but I never imagined they would be real."
Ed was finding it hard to stay annoyed with her, not when she smiled like that.
"The merfolk tell stories about humans too, but they're usually not very… positive."
Her face softened as she looked back to his face. "Well, I hope I can change that notion for you then." She paused to pull a piece of seaweed out of her hair. "I haven't done a great job at it so far, have I?"
Ed chuckled. "At least you're not trying to kill me."
"I suppose that's true," she grinned. "Thank you for saving me, by the way. I really mean it." She thrust her arm towards him with her hand open. "My name is Winry. Winry Rockbell."
Ed stared at her hand, not knowing what she was intending to do with it. "Edward Elric."
She looked down at her outstretched hand, then back to him. "You're supposed to grab my hand and shake it. It's a type of greeting."
Ed only looked at her in bemusement. What enjoyment did humans get out of shaking their hands together? Regardless, his hand was the only thing keeping him sitting up at the moment, and he wasn't about to lose his balance for a greeting. Winry seemed to get the message, pulling her hand back to her side.
"You never answered my question, you know. About why you were swimming in that storm."
Winry's expression quickly shifted to something unreadable. "I thought I could handle it."
Was she serious?
"Even I could hardly handle that! What made you think you could?!"
"I don't know! I was being stupid, trying to prove to myself that I could push through it. I've been practicing my swimming for years, so this just seemed like another obstacle to overcome." She scrunched up her face, staring a hole into the sand beneath her. "Clearly I was wrong."
There was more to it, Ed could tell, but he wasn't about to press her for details. Whatever her reasoning was, it seemed personal.
Great, when he had thought it to be impossible, he had somehow made things even more awkward. The crash of the waves on the shore should've been comforting among the silence, but it only served to make Ed feel like he shouldn't be where he was.
The biting air cut at his scales like a dagger, and suddenly he was becoming all too aware of the dryness he definitely shouldn't have been feeling. He needed to get back in the water. Soon.
Winry continued to sit beside him, glancing over to stare at his tail when she thought he wasn't looking. How was he supposed to end the conversation? Just… leave? Ed had never been good at that sort of thing, and his lack of communication skills were beginning to taunt him.
"I should-"
"Wait! One more thing." Winry had scooted closer to him, and Ed couldn't help but stare into her ocean blue eyes. "Why did you save me? I mean, you're supposed to be a secret, right? You even stayed to talk."
Ed was not about to expose himself for human-watching, but that was precisely the only reason she had been saved. For decades, the merfolk have stayed distant from the shore, hiding and living in secrecy. Ed was sure that if he hadn't had such a knack for getting into trouble, nobody would have saved Winry. Merfolk don't save humans, it was as simple as that.
She didn't have to know that, though.
"I was there, and you were drowning. What else was I supposed to do, let you die?"
"I don't know, maybe! Why were you there in the first place, anyways? You weren't spying on me… were you?"
Shit.
Ed felt his face heat up again, and quickly turned away. "What? Of course not. Why would you think that? You're just some human, why would I spy on you?!"
A fit of giggles made him whip his head around. "Oh my God, you're such a terrible liar!" She paused to laugh again, clutching her stomach. "I never would have imagined merpeople would be such… such dorks!" she laughed even harder, wiping her eyes.
If Ed could see himself, he was sure he'd be bright red. How could this girl see through him that easily? He was trying to be composed—maybe even have a cool and mysterious energy to him—but with every attempt he had failed. Great first impression, Ed.
Granted, her laughter sure was contagious, and soon he found himself chuckling alongside her.
"Fine, I come here every now and then, but it's only because you're the only human in the area! It's just interesting to see how things are different up here, that's all," he said. "And besides, you always have those cool metal limbs with you. I've never seen anything like them before."
"Well, if you ever decide to pay me another visit, maybe I can show you a few." She gestured to his missing arm. "I might even be able to make one that works underwater! I've never tried, but I love a challenge." She paused. "If you're… interested, that is."
Another visit? A human was offering to meet with him—even craft him an arm—and wasn't trying to kill him? In all his seventeen years, Ed had never thought he'd encounter a person that was kind and wasn't some kind of threat. The stories his mother had told him about the humans were starting to make sense, and suddenly he wanted to know more and more. The artifacts he and Al had collected were nothing compared to the opportunities this could bring.
There was always that shadow of doubt, though. The last time he had chased the sun, he had gotten burned. The ship he had forced Al to follow him to was full of nothing but evil beings who had tried to attack and capture them, and he had promised he wouldn't make the same mistake again. Al was the most important thing to him—he always would be—and Ed wouldn't risk another disaster happening because he couldn't keep his curiosity at bay.
He had to go back home, he knew he did, but he couldn't contain the giddiness that threatened to bubble out of him. This was the chance he had yearned for his entire life, and it was being given to him on a silver platter.
"I'll… I'll think about it," he stumbled out, not quite ready to commit to anything yet.
"Sure. I'll always be here, guppy."
"Guppy? I'll have you know I'm normal-sized for our kind— not that you'd know that. Maybe even above average, actually." It wasn't like she had another merperson to compare him to, after all. He could lie all he wanted and get away with it.
"Like I said before, you're a terrible liar."
"And you're weird! With those" —he struggled to remember the word— "things on your feet!"
She grinned again, in a way that made his insides turn to mush. "You mean toes?"
"Yeah. Those." The dryness in his tail was beginning to get irritating, despite the fact that his fin was in the water, and he knew staying any longer would be a bad idea. "I should head back now. Just… don't swim during a storm again, okay? I might not be there to save you next time."
"I won't. I promise." Blue eyes gleamed, and it took everything within him to look away. "Thank you again, for saving me. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful to you."
"S'fine. You can always repay me with that arm you were talking about." He felt his lips curl up, and he quickly turned back to the sea. Right. Get home first.
He started to push himself forward with his arm, forcing himself not to look back at the face he knew was smirking at him. He knew he looked stupid, but what else was he supposed to do without legs?
The sea had calmed substantially since he had last been in it, but luckily the current was enough to help him glide back into the water with ease. Once he was far enough to submerge himself and swim, he turned back to the shore. Winry was standing and waving her arm at him, a look of pure amazement on her face.
Ed quickly turned back around and gave a short wave over his shoulder.
He had a long trip back, and a lot of explaining to do.
this is a 100% self-indulgent fic, but i'm excited to continue it! apologies for cliches and such, this is just a fun little thing but i hope you enjoy!