As soon as Al had arrived, Winry had felt the energy in the air shift into something more natural. She hadn't noticed it before, but Ed's guard had begun to chip away little by little ever since his brother had joined his side.

It was like a piece of him had suddenly been snapped back into place, and with both brothers reunited, Winry wondered how they could ever function apart.

When they thought she couldn't hear, they spoke to one another in a language composed of melodic tones and lyrical phrasing, speaking one after another like a well-oiled machine. It was entrancing, and more than once she'd needed to shake her head to bring herself back into the present. When not speaking, they communicated with simple looks, and Winry was completely mystified by the way they just seemed to understand one another.

It had taken a much needed sleep for her to be hit with the reality that two very strange not-quite-people were now living in her house. She didn't know how she'd managed to get herself into a situation as bizarre as the one she was currently living, but now she had no clue as to how to move forward. She couldn't entertain them forever—she had her business to tend to—but she couldn't just leave them on the street.

At least, not as they were now.

From what she'd gathered, Al was more sensible than his brother, thinking things through before acting and speaking. He didn't have the same brash forwardness or impulsive behaviors as Ed, but that wasn't to say he was a saint, of course. The Elric brothers both seemed to have a knack for trouble, and if her intuition was to be trusted, the younger could be just as stubborn as the older, if not more so.

She hadn't missed the way Ed would unconsciously stand in front of his brother as if guarding him from invisible demons that refused to dissipate. She had no doubt he was fiercely protective, and something in his eyes told her he was far more than who she'd thought he was. With the way he redirected conversations whenever they got too personal, getting to know him would be an adventure in its own right.

The brothers were a puzzle, and she was determined to figure them out.

For now, at least, she had an arm to blueprint. She'd taken Ed's measurements already, and now all she needed was to develop a lightweight and waterproof model. She was certain that after a bit of tinkering she'd be able to make a prototype in no time, and the challenge threatened to consume her until she produced a product she was proud of. Rockbells didn't make shoddy work, and Winry was intent on making a piece better than any she'd created before.

Ed was almost as excited as she was, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. It was clear from the way he'd gawk at her automail and talk with an excited lilt whenever she brought up his arm-to-be.

It felt… nice to help, and despite only just meeting the brothers, Winry's own protective instincts had taken charge. She was the one responsible for their first impression of the world, and she'd do whatever she could to make them see all the goodness humanity was capable of.

The task alone seemed daunting, so she instead focused on taking things step by step. It was Al's first real day on the surface, so naturally she'd needed to prepare an apple pie tasty enough to win him over.

After a morning of discussing automail and giving walking lessons, the menial tasks of weaving dough and chopping apples were calming enough to make her mind drift away until she was running through motions without needing to think about them. She still hadn't quite grasped the fact that merpeople were real, but at least pies were something she was familiar with.

"Winry Rockbell." She jumped into the air with a yelp as the voice pulled her from her reverie, and as she turned she was met with Ed's unimpressed gaze.

He lifted an eyebrow, continuing as if she wasn't holding a knife inches away from his own face. "We're going swimming."

"What?"

"You heard me. You taught Al and I how to walk, so it's only fair that I help you swim."

She set down the knife and brushed her hair from her face. "You do realize I can't just grow a tail, right? At least with walking we all had legs."

"I can still help!" His voice was somewhere between a shout and a whine. "Come on, I'm trying to be nice!"

Suddenly, the pieces began to come together. All her interactions with Ed had shown that he believed in giving back what he received, and he stuck to it as if it were a law. Maybe it was something merpeople lived by, but regardless, her gratitude and willingness to help without wanting anything in return must've been bothering him. Though he'd teased about her paying him back for saving her, his expression alone told her he hadn't truly meant it.

Beyond all of that, she really just wanted to see the way he swam again. The part of her that admired the complexities of automail was dying to see another glimpse of his golden tail up close.

"Okay then, as long as you don't try and make me do any weird tricks."

His face lit up, and he quickly morphed it into one of indifference. "As if you could do more than some basic moves with those legs of yours."

She ignored his quip, instead moving to point out the obvious. "Doesn't Al want to come?"

Ed shifted his weight, hand braced on the countertop for added balance. "Nah, he's still adjusting. Said he wanted to rest for a while after walking. It… takes a toll on his joints."

Winry nodded in understanding. Even without her medical knowledge, one look at Al was enough for her to know he'd need to take longer to adapt. She didn't want to push him, especially considering how achy and sore his new legs must be feeling.

"No problem, I'm sure he'll love to wake up to a fresh apple pie!"

Ed scrunched up his face, leaning forward until his hair almost touched the dough. "Is that what this is? It looks… mushy."

She pulled him back by the collar of his shirt, holding him up so he didn't fall. "It needs to bake first. We don't just eat everything raw, you know."

"Well duh, I knew that," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"Uh huh. Last I checked you didn't even know what an oven was."

"It's not like that thing could work underwater! And besides, I'd like to see you try and prepare something without all that added help. The food up here is good for a reason."

Winry suppressed a shudder at the thought. Cool tail aside, she could not imagine living off of raw seafood.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not. Now, instead of bickering about ovens, how about we head down to the beach?" she suggested.

"Race ya there!" Before Winry had the chance to yell after him, he was out the door, doing an awkward jog to keep his balance.

She sprinted after him, easily catching up within seconds. She reveled in the way the leaves crunched beneath her feet; wind blowing kisses at her as she stuck her arms out to her sides. As she passed him she stuck out her tongue like a child, feeling more carefree than she had in weeks.

Ed scowled, pushing forward until he began to resemble a runner rather than a baby deer. His messy self-done ponytail began to fall out of its band, but he hardly seemed to notice if his laughs were any indication.

"Not so fast!" he shouted, returning to her side once more.

"Not bad, guppy. You're really getting the hang of things."

She struggled to catch her breath between laughs as he turned crimson, tripping over his feet. He playfully shoved her—hardly enough to hurt but plenty effective in making her lose her balance.

To make matters worse, they'd just reached the peak of the hill.

Her cheek collided with grass and dirt before she had the chance to shout, Ed following behind her in a heap. They rolled with enough force to knock the wind right out of her, every collision with the ground feeling like a punch to the gut.

Her head spun as she landed, and she clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to recenter herself.

When the churning in her stomach finally toned down, she looked up to see Ed perched directly above her, golden eyes staring into her own. He had dirt smeared across his cheek and twigs tangled in his hair, yet she was somehow completely transfixed by his gaze. They stayed like that for a moment, both too mesmerized to dare make a sound.

It was Ed who moved first, eyes snapping back to awareness as he scrambled off her with cheeks tinted pink. If she had a mirror, Winry was sure she'd be looking the same way.

"Shut up." He glared at a leaf, as if challenging it to dare acknowledge what had occurred.

"I didn't even say anything-"

"You were going to!"

They froze, and as if on cue they both broke into a fit of laughter that only got louder as time passed. Nothing about it was very funny at all, but the combination of adrenaline and the sheer ridiculousness of it all somehow made the moment radiate hilarity.

It was so easy to just let herself enjoy the little things when she was with him, and the more she thought about the weeks she'd been cooped up at home with automail, the more she realized how much she had needed a distraction like this.

Sure, Ed was the embodiment of the fantasies she'd grown up with, appearing from the place she'd grown to fear, but somehow it was so easy to accept him and his brother into her life. Her responsibilities and grief had been holding her beneath the waves like an anchor, and she hadn't even noticed until she began to drown.

Now, as she laughed besides someone she hardly knew, she felt more alive and free than she had in a very long time.

She wanted to hold on to that feeling. She wanted to remember it. And hell, if it meant dealing with something beyond her wildest dreams, then so be it.

Winry felt like she could finally breathe, and she wondered if this was how Ed had felt after he'd left his home behind.

"You're gonna be the death of me someday, I swear," he grumbled, having finally calmed down from laughing.

She raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you weren't the one who shoved me."

"Whatever, small details don't matter." He pushed himself up, holding out a hand to her. "Now come on, it's gonna be dark by the time we even start swimming."

She took his hand, and together they stumbled their way to the shore.

Winry was good at many things, but she was a shit swimmer.

Okay, maybe Ed was a bit biased, but it seemed impossible for someone to be so awful at moving through water.

Her problem was simple, yet extremely difficult to correct. With every stroke she made, she worked against the water rather than with it, and it drove him mad.

It seemed like ages had passed since they'd begun, and he was only growing more frustrated. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this was a job better suited for Al. His patience came in much larger supply, and his fuse was much longer than Ed'd had ever been. (Though when he snapped, the effect would be ten times worse.)

Regardless, he had to admit it felt nice to be back to himself, if only for a short period of time. He'd turned back as soon as his legs had been fully submerged in water, the transformation feeling much less uncomfortable than it had the first time. The shift from dry skin to scales felt amazing, and as much as he loved the surface, nothing felt as natural to him as the sea.

Clearly, Winry wasn't the same way. He suspected part of it was due to her willingness rather than her skill, and if she never let herself truly trust the sea, she would never be able to improve.

Where he glided through the water with ease, Winry had to kick her feet and move her arms to push herself forward. He'd quickly given up on having her do it the way the merfolk did, because apparently legs needed to move separately to produce any significant movement. Convenient for land, but annoying as hell in the water.

Winry was clearly agitated as well, trying again and again but never meeting her standards. For a human, he supposed she swam decent enough, but it still wouldn't be able to help her if she wanted to fight against another storm.

She returned from another lap and steadied herself on a rock, breathing heavily. "No matter how many times you say to 'move with the water,' it's not going to help! What does that even mean?!"

"It means exactly what I said! Stop fighting it and listen!"

"Like you're one to talk!"

He racked his brain for a reply, but before he had the chance to speak, Winry had completely turned away from him.

Ed followed her line of sight to the shore, and nearly ducked under the water after realizing what—who she was looking at.

Another human—one he'd never seen before—was watching them both with an expression somewhere between mild shock and amusement. Two shining legs of metal stuck out underneath her shorts, and he was almost sure they were Winry's work. Well, at least she wasn't a stranger, then.

Winry spoke up, words tumbling out after shaky laughter. "Hey Paninya, what are you doing here? I thought your appointment wasn't until tomorrow?"

The human—Paninya—scoffed, a crooked grin overtaking her face. "I was in town and wanted to say hi, but I guess you're already occupied, huh?"

"That's not-"

"No need to make excuses, Winry, you know I won't judge ya." Her eyes fell on him, and suddenly Ed felt like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment. At least the water had concealed him, though he was still feeling much more exposed than he should've been.

"Haven't seen you around these parts before. You come to get automail?"

Ed nodded, unsure of how he was supposed to interact with this new girl. He was silently hoping Winry would be able to steer her away so he didn't have to. For a prince, he'd never been very good at tact.

Though he'd been the one to approach Winry, and Paninya seemed to be a friend of hers, he still struggled with the thought of trusting humans. The fact that even one had been so relaxed around him and Al was incredible considering his past experiences. Maybe he was just a little paranoid, but he always figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Who knew how others would respond to seeing him?

Not that he couldn't kick their asses if need be, but still.

Paninya tilted her head to the side. "Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking? Not much goes on around here, so it's always fun to drill Winry's patients for some excitement."

He froze, turning to Winry in silent desperation. He didn't know anything beyond Resembool, so he couldn't even lie if he wanted to.

She spoke up before he even met her eyes, face smoothing out to the point where he couldn't even see her panic anymore. "He's from South City, and he's on a competitive swimmer team. He's training me, nothing else."

He had to admit, she was scary good at lying. Her story sounded real even to him, so he nodded in agreement and let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Ohhh, that makes sense." Paninya rocked on her heels, hands clasped behind her back. "Mind if I watch? Can't swim with these legs, but I always liked watching other people do it."

Ed sucked in a breath and decided to take charge. He couldn't let Winry do all the lying, after all.

"I don't normally let people watch when I teach. It's... distracting," he said.

"Oh yeah? I teach track and field, and there's always a big crowd watching. You must be an amazing teacher, if you're so dedicated like that."

Ed didn't bother to stop himself from scoffing. "Sure am."

He could almost hear Winry rolling her eyes, but he refused to break eye contact with Paninya. For as carefree as she acted, he didn't miss the way she absorbed information like a sponge. He was sure that if the opportunity were to arise, she would be a force to be reckoned with.

She walked closer to the shore, remaining steadfast in her gaze. "Makes sense, because I've never seen an instructor work without clothes before." She gestured to the pile of garments sitting in a messy bundle by the towels, and Winry let out a short squeak.

Whatever was being insinuated, Winry's reaction was enough for him to know that he should be feeling very embarrassed at the moment.

"Paninya!" she shrieked.

"See ya' later, Win! Have fun with your new friend!"

With that, she ran before Winry could say anything else, metal legs moving in a flurry that hardly seemed possible.

Ed raised an eyebrow and looked over at Winry, who seemed two minutes away from bursting a blood vessel.

"Your friend is weird."

She froze, voice scarily calm in a way that gave him shivers reminiscent of the times Kimblee spoke with him. "Edward Elric, I will kill you."

Okay, so maybe he'd been generous with his estimations.

"And lose your only teacher? C'mon Win, you know you don't hate me that much."

"Are you sure about that?" She glared at him, but the effect was lost by the way her face was still colored with blush.

He began to swim around her in circles, gliding on his back with an arm behind his head. "You'll have to catch me first!"

She lunged forward and he dove under the water, splashing the surface behind him for good measure. Winry followed close behind, rocketing forward at a speed she hadn't reached all day.

He slowed down in a way that wasn't obvious, giving her enough leeway to catch up with him. Objectively, it was impossible for her to catch him if he swam at full speed, but he knew that if she even thought she had a chance, she'd grow even more determined. It was how he had felt during the first race, and he knew Winry would push herself in the same way.

She came up for air and switched to a front crawl, demonstrating every motion he'd guided her through prior. Her motions were fluid and natural, and he was sure she hadn't even realized the fact.

It wasn't the most conventional method of testing, but when had he ever been conventional?

When her breathing became more strained, he casually rolled backwards and rose to the surface, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Nice work, gearhead. You could've passed for a 'professional swimmer' there, if that's what you wanna call it."

She caught her breath, holding onto him for balance. "What? I didn't even come close to catching you."

"No, but I don't think anyone could've," he pointed out. "What you did do was move with the water, which is exactly what I told you to do. Not so impossible now, is it?"

She had a dumbfounded look on her face, which slowly shifted into a small smile. "I really did it, didn't I? I wasn't even thinking about it, really."

"And that's exactly why it worked. You can't let the water guide you if you're thinking about how to conquer it."

"Huh, I suppose you're right." She paused, eyes flickering down before rising to meet his own. "You're not too bad of a teacher after all."

"Oh, so you finally realize it?" He smirked, earning himself a smack on the arm.

"Learn how to take a compliment, you dummy. I'm being serious!"

He winced. "Well, it wasn't really my doing. You did it on your own, so you should be proud of yourself."

"Still, I wouldn't have been able to get there without you. It means a lot that you're here, so… thank you."

She looked at him with such sincerity that his stomach suddenly exploded with tingles, keeping him locked in place. It felt like a rock had ledged itself into his throat, and he struggled to swallow it down.

"R-right… no problem," he spluttered. "We… we should get back to Al now. He's probably done now, a-and we don't want your friend finding him, right? Right. Let's go."

He dove underwater before she had the chance to reply, squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for his heart to calm itself. The hell was his problem? He never let his emotions get the best of him, but it wasn't his fault Winry was just so… Winry.

He was used to always relying on his own abilities, hoping that at least he'd done enough to give Al the life he deserved. To hear that he'd actually had a positive influence on someone else was just… strange.

Surprisingly, he didn't mind the feeling.

He opened his eyes to Winry in front of him, bubbles escaping her mouth as she attempted to giggle. She placed her hand in his and pulled him ahead, swimming back to the shore.

He followed.

The mutual pining is getting painful... but I promise things will escalate soon! (Also more Al next chapter, don't worry!)

With moving and schoolwork and stuff, posting every other week has made things easier on me, but I won't let space between updates get any longer than that!

More artwork has been posted on my tumblr (wrongnote), you'll find it if you search "chantey" (and it's linked on this ao3 chapter!)

Thank you for reading and the continued support! :)