AN: Hey guys! I am so sorry I haven't updated, my Aunt passed away along with another that I have known many years so it has been an emotional lapse in time. I appreciate everyone who made their way over to my Tumblr, Heartmadefullmetal503, to give their opinions on the direction of this story. I have decided to up the rating so that is my warning to you thank you to; Le Confidant, sarabethloves, hyblueluvr, lovelylunalight, Sokkasm, Soprana, Shalcro, Mikigotagun, rosiemontgomery1, Tairulz, KarmaHope, MemoriesofVoxei, midnightstardust, xIcyChanx, RockingCass12, TheMistOfThePast, The Girl of the Moon, Schisalda, ZilSepam, BloodRedPetals, StoriUrahara, evilpika, fangirl2013, rumia, Tsuruchinmara and guest for all of your wonderful reviews! You guys are the best!
I had someone ask how many chapters I thought this would be, if I do not continue this story passed the first arc like I had considered then it will probably end around Chapter 20 maybe? As I posted on Tumblr, I have wanted to continue this after that but if I do I know I will lose a lot of people in the inbetween. The content will change drastically and also people may not be happy about what happens with Winry and Edward for the second arc, so I am hesitant to write it and am considering just cutting ahead to the ending I have in mind.
Also anyone who doesn't want to read the citrus scene please stop reading at the - and continue at the next -.
The sound of birds twittering was the first thing to permeate Winry's slightly fuzzy mind. Irritated, she pulled a pillow over her head to muffle the tune that they were joyfully carrying. While she had not been drunk the night before, she had certainly had more than she typically imbibed due to the celebration of Alphonse's 19th birthday, and was now feeling the after effects of that choice. As she lay there just attempting to dull the thudding she felt in her temples, the feel of heat being puffed evenly onto her collarbone instantly wakened the confused blonde. Lifting the edge of the pillow, Winry cautiously cracked one eye open to ascertain just who was next to her.
At first all she noticed was a tanned, toned arm wrapped around her middle, but as she let her gaze travel the bare skin of her bedmate, Winry saw sunny, golden hair spread around his sleeping form. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she was relieved to find Edward laying next to her. Holy shit, Ed was in bed with her...or rather, now that she thought about it, she was in his gaudy bed again. The glint of the bright rays bounced off of his automail arm, and she couldn't help but want to run her fingers down the metal she had lovingly crafted for him. Her fingers curled absently at the thought, however when his grip tightened around her a moment later, she stayed completely still. Hearing no change in his breathing, she gently uncovered her whole head so she could fully look at him.
Winry decided right then that there was no better sight in the world than Edward Elric shirtless, with his hair down and muscular chest exposed to her. A quick intake of air was audible as she took inventory of all of their parts that were currently touching. One of her legs was caught between his thighs; leaving her able to feel the smooth mail which had been warmed by their contact. While her right hand was free to move, her left was between both of their bodies and resting comfortably against the taut skin of his abdomen. Tugging her lip between her teeth, she waged an internal battle on whether or not to risk running her fingers down the honeyed trail that disappeared beneath his blue boxers. Unable to resist, she closed her eyes in case he woke from the action and moved her hand down a mere fraction, then stopped. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, and a blush stain her cheeks at her sudden impulsiveness, but being there tucked into his side, feeling him pressed so close to her, was messing with her sense of logic. Timidly, she spread her fingers while also lowering her palm. He seemed to make a contented sound as he slid his flesh leg further between hers, effectively closing any gap there may have been between their lower bodies. Feeling something hard against her hip, Winry's sapphire eyes popped open in awareness only to be met by Ed's molten ones, leading her to wonder just how she had ended up here.
The week had sped by at a rate she hadn't expected despite looking forward to Saturday, possibly because she missed Monday which left her one day closer to the outing. When she had returned on Tuesday, she had spent the whole day filled with nervous energy over how Edward would react to having her in class again after everything that had transpired between the two of them. Being powered by multiple cups of coffee and few hours of sleep, Winry had nearly forgotten the events of the weekend regarding a certain scarred man and his pushy friend until she walked into her night class and was greeted by the sight of them sitting separately, sparing nothing but baleful glares towards each other. Due to this stare down, neither of them had noticed her arrival. Worrying her lip between her teeth, she wondered how Michael would greet her after she had decided to stop dating him. Or even more concerning, how the red headed prick with both eyes blackened and a strip of white covering his nose would react to seeing her.
Glancing to the front of the room, she was largely disappointed that the reason for her unrest was not there yet. Setting her books on the table next to Michael like normal, the man finally turned to face her with his exotic crimson eyes and she nearly cringed as she waited for the verdict to come in on how he would treat her now. She nervously shifted her weight from her left foot to her right, unsure if she should find another desk. Giving her a small nod of acknowledgement, his eyes flicked back to Chad who was currently murdering her with his mind. Michael surprisingly looked at her with an almost apologetic expression. Had he heard about what happened? Winry wondered silently before a venomous voice addressed her only inches from her ear.
"Well if it isn't the whore that broke my nose." Whipping around to face the source of the vile words, Winry's hand slipped into the bag on her side and curled around her wrench. No one was going to speak to her like that; she had never been the type to cower in fear of anyone, least of all him. Michael was already rising from his seat as she responded to Chad.
"You mean that broke your nose twice?" Questioning in a sickly sweet voice, she watched the confusion cross his face only to be replaced by anger.
"What do you mean by that bitch?" Without hesitation she swung the tool, but was stunned when it was stripped from her hand and she was pushed behind a sturdy back. The braid that hung down the middle of his back identified him instantly. Edward. He took a step towards Chad and stood menacingly within the student's personal space. In a tone that was barely more than a whisper, Ed spoke.
"Verbal abuse goes against the rules of this institution and as I see it, you have two choices here; you can transfer to another university of your own will or mine. Either is fine with me, but if I have to have you moved your chances of being accepted elsewhere are much lower." She wished she could have seen his face then, though by the tense set of his shoulders he was clearly suppressing whatever his initial reaction to the words would have been. Strangely though she had no evidence to support the thought, Winry believed Ed would be more than capable of laying Chad out flat.
"Fuck you buddy! I'm not switching schools because of some disfigured asshole who thinks he has jurisdiction over me and a dumb blonde!" Suddenly she saw the fabric on Professor Elric's right arm be turned into scraps, revealing her finely crafted automail arm. Shining under the bright lights in the room, she peeked around Ed to see the stunned faces of her classmates. While some appeared simply dumbstruck by the situation unfolding before them, others seemed to sneer in disgust at his missing limb, instantly provoking her into anger.
"As you can see, I am not lacking in any way that will impede my ability to do anything I might need to; I happen to have the best mechanic out there. Now will you be leaving of your own accord, or should I escort you out myself?" Winry had slipped from behind him right before he declared that he had the best mechanic, drawing color abruptly to her cheeks. Now she too was staring at him open mouthed upon seeing his intimidating posture and determined look. Witnessing him like this was bewildering. She had seen him angry before, but this was totally different. Edward struck her as territorial, a man protecting what was dear to him. Did he really consider her dear to him? They had never talked about where they stood in their tentative 'relationship', but she could only hope given that he had gone as far as to come to her house in an attempt to make things right between them, that he had some feelings for her...however it was evident in every line of his face and body that he was defending her because she was important to him. That idea was enough to set her pulse to racing.
"No, no, I'll leave," Pausing dramatically, Chad began grinning at Edward before continuing "I can hardly wait for the day when you realize how badly you just fucked up, Elric." After picking up his stuff, he gave Winry one last leering look and left the room. For a moment the golden eyed man stood stock still, facing the back wall, before shaking whatever thoughts had been lingering in his mind and beginning class as if nothing had even occurred. Michael, who had been standing the whole time, raised an eyebrow at her to silently inquire if she was okay, and once she had nodded in answer, he too took his seat. At least he wasn't acting any different than before they had dated, finally, one thing was in her favor that day.
Throughout the lecture, Winry tried on multiple occasions to make eye contact with her teacher, only for him to shift his gaze to someone else the second theirs met. If they could get through one damn day without him taking four steps back from her, it would be a miracle. When it was time to leave, she debated staying behind to speak with him, but she figured if he had anything to say he could make the effort to talk to her. To her disappointment, he didn't stop her or follow her out, but she had to make it to The Dark Horse anyways for her shift, so she pushed those thoughts from her mind. Instead she reminded herself to pick up the unique item that she had been thinking would be perfect for Alphonse's birthday. She would need to buy it tonight in order to get it engraved before Saturday. Finally smiling for the first time all night, Winry hurried to make her purchase, feeling lightened by the vision of the younger Elric beaming over the gift.
On Wednesday, she met Al and Sheska at the coffee shop during the break between classes for a short birthday dinner since she would be heading straight to the Complex after her evening lecture was over for her first night professionally installing and building automail. As soon as she saw the couple she let go of some of the tension that had her all worked up. Why couldn't things be as easy with Edward as they were with Al? Today with the stubborn blonde hadn't been much less awkward than the other night, though he had at least looked at her without abruptly averting his eyes. Thinking about how much his lack of interaction bothered her, she became mad at herself for letting anyone effect her so much. Ever since Edward's advent into her life, she had found herself on a veritable roller coaster of highs and lows. With Alphonse she was able to have open conversations, even about things she hadn't talked about with anyone else, including the loss of her parents and granny. Once he had even told her how hard adjusting to life in a wheelchair had been, though he had shied away from giving any details regarding what caused that loss. All she could imagine was that it must have been something traumatizing, and according to Sheska, something that he couldn't even bring himself to talk about with her.
If she could get her theory to be in the test stage and receive positive results, she would love to give him a gift he would never forget. Sometimes she even wondered if she had met the brothers in some round about fated way so that she could help them, and in Al's case maybe even fix the damage that was previously thought to be permanent. Unfortunately as much as she might want to do the same for Edward, it just wasn't possible with his limbs severed, the most she could hope to do was continuing to build him the best automail possible. Though if he didn't speak to her again that may be difficult.
As Al waved a hand in her face she realized that she had been caught up in her wandering thoughts and tried to allay their worries by letting them know as much. Watching how the two were together made her wonder if she would ever have the chance to be as carefree and connected to Ed, or if that was merely a moot point given who he was. Sheska was animatedly reciting the plot of a new book she had practically memorized, while Alphonse looked on with an expression of complete absorption. Though they hadn't been together long, but they had fallen easily into step with one another, possibly because they were so similar. Winry grinned at Al's version of the same story that sounded completely different than Sheska's interpretation, then began to laugh when the wide eyed brunette fervently contested that the focus was the romance and not the suspense. The pair were a welcome break from the monotony of the confusion that was Edward Elric. Unfortunately despite wanting to sit with them longer she needed to get headed to her last class. Crossing behind Sheska's chair she leaned forward to give her a quick squeeze before turning to Al and copying the motion, adding a 'Happy Birthday' while hugging him tight. As she moved to leave, he caught her and spoke softly.
"You know Winry, you don't always have to put aside whatever is bothering you for my sake, we are friends, if something is on your mind I will always be around to listen." His green gold eyes pierced her with their sincerity, of course he would offer to hear whatever was bothering her, despite it being his birthday.
"I know," Coughing a bit to cover the wistful sigh that had emerged, Winry continued after a beat, "I am going to be fine, just have a lot going on with school and work and starting my contract job too, besides today is about you!" Giving him what she thought was her best smile, Winry attempted to put him at ease.
"And I have had a great day with everyone, but I know that isn't all that is weighing on you." Immediately her face fell and slipped into a scowl that was becoming too common.
"Sometimes I think you are too damn perceptive."
"What can I say, looks and intelligence, I am the full package." Rolling her eyes at the cocky remark, she couldn't help but snort in response.
"Oh man, don't lose your humility Al, you are starting to sound just like your brother." At the mention of the moody man, she felt a dull pang in her chest.
"Which means I may be able to give you some insight on his often times skewed perspective." Al brushed some of his now shaggy bangs out of his eyes as he stared intently at her.
"Well I won't argue with your conclusion, but honestly, everything is fine." Plastering on yet another smile for him, she glanced to Sheska as if asking for back up, which he apparently caught.
"Alright, well then I guess I will see you on Saturday right?" Changing the subject to avoid her further discomfort, Al was ever the gentleman.
"Oh yeah, you are going to be gone the rest of the week. Yes, I will definitely be there, even if I have to ignore a certain man's skewed perspective." She felt her sense of ease return, when they all laughed after a moment. "See you guys later." Waving brightly, she made her way out of the shop, hearing them call a goodbye after her.
The rest of the week passed without incident, though there was no improvement in her situation with Edward either. As Saturday arrived she had simply decided to set aside whatever was going on with him and just go with Sheska that night instead of holding out hope that her idiot Professor would come to his senses. The two girls had made plans to get around together at Winry's place so that she could doll her friend up for her boyfriend's birthday celebration. Once Sheska arrived, she wasted no time hurrying her into a chair much like she would with a customer for automail, but instead of screws, nuts and washers surrounding her it was eye shadows, perfumes and nail colors. For as little she actually used the latter, it was surprising the knack she had for it.
The brunette sat admirably and allowed her to make decisions without showing her the progress. Really Al had gotten lucky with her because she was a natural beauty, so keeping that in mind, Winry gave her a neutral smokey eye. Before she could apply the nude lipstick on Sheska, her phone beeped loudly from inside the kitchen signaling the arrival of a text message. Telling Sheska to stay put threateningly, the blonde picked up her phone and walked back to her makeshift makeup counter before reading the message, however when she did a frown crossed her face making her friend quirk a curious brow up at her. Ignoring her look for the moment, Winry read the text again.
'Hey, I'll be there at 8:30 to pick you up - Ed'
Glancing at the clock, she felt herself twitch in irritation when she noted that it was already 7:30 and quickly typed a message back.
'Sheska came over to go with me, since it seemed you had changed your mind. Thanks anyways.'
After sending her reply, she pushed the power button and shut off her phone not wanting to be anxiously awaiting an answer that would probably not come knowing him. Seriously, did he really think after avoiding her all week that he could just pick her up at his convenience? Continuing where she had left off, Winry began brushing Sheska's hair so she could style it when the girl spoke.
"Was that Professor Elric?" Looking at her without the large glasses she always wore, it was easier to discern her expression without the glare from her lenses that was often present. Although she clearly knew the answer, Sheska wanted Winry to talk about him, which she was in no mood to do.
"Yup." Deciding to tell her the truth, but not wanting to elaborate, she kept her answer short.
"Alphonse had told me that you two were coming together tonight so I was surprised when you asked me instead." The bookworm persisted.
"Yeah, well, not anymore." Responding tersely, she instantly regretted the unintentional harshness in her voice.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to pry Winry." A slight blush covered her cheeks, as she turned her face sheepishly, making the mechanic feel like a jerk. She was only trying to make her feel better by letting her talk about the source of her inner turmoil.
"You are fine, Sheska. I am just frustrated with him constantly running hot and cold. I just don't know what to do, when it comes to him I feel like I can do no right. He is always shutting me out without even trying to explain his reasoning for doing so. Sometimes I almost feel like he can't allow himself to be happy because he doesn't feel like he deserves it or something." Edward Elric had a sort of stigma that surrounded him, and while it was annoying that it indirectly affected her, it was also kind of intriguing.
"I could see why you think that, I don't know much more about him than you do, but from what Al has told me he never does anything besides work and train." The last word caught her attention, and she asked about it.
"Train? What do you mean?" Running her fingers through the now smoothed strands of hair, she began to straighten the ends gently.
"Apparently he is a nationally ranked hand to hand combat specialist." Winry was stunned, she had often suspected given his musculature that he would be more than physically capable in a confrontation, but to know that he was held in such high regard for the skill was jarring. Thinking back to Tuesday, she wondered just how hard holding back such an ability would be, even if it was necessary given his profession.
"WHAT!? He has never said anything to me about it at all!" How had this never come up in the months she had known the Elrics?
"I guess when Al and him were little their father used to teach them. They used to participate in all kinds of competitions, when Ed was twelve he was even offered a place in the military that would be like an open invitation when he was old enough to join." Her head was still spinning over him being little more than a child when he must have been at an experienced man's level in combat.
"I wonder why he chose teaching if he had that type of opportunity open to him." Taking the left side of her hair and holding it back, Winry stuck a couple bobby pins in her mouth as she better situated the placement.
"Well, Alphonse has never out and out said so, but I think it has something to do with the fact that their father is in the ranks and Professor Elric wants nothing to do with him." Now that she was thinking about it, he had never mentioned his family besides Al. She wondered what had happened to sever the bond between father and son. Clearly family ties were important to him based on how he acted with Alphonse.
"Wow, I had no idea." Actually it was kind of depressing; she knew next to nothing about the man she had invested so many sleepless nights of thoughts into. How was she able to feel so strongly for someone who was little more than a stranger to her? Noticing her melancholy, Sheska spoke.
"Don't feel bad Winry, this is all stuff that Alphonse has told me and you know how open he is. In fact Edward has said only a few words to me the whole time I have been with Al. You are the only person he seems to be different with." Ha, different in the sense that instead of casual aloofness, he practiced outright avoidance with her.
"I wish I knew if that was a good thing." Sighing as she teased a bit of volume into the crown of Sheska's hair, Winry gave her a small smile as she checked over her work. "There, all done." Finally she passed over the mirror so her friend could assess her appearance. When she saw the completely astounded woman start to get watery, she quickly halted that action in it's tracks, warning her of the hell she would have to pay if anything smudged. Letting her know that she was going to change clothes, Winry headed down the hall. Disappearing into her bedroom she undressed, then pulled out a dress that she had saved of her mother's and slipped it carefully over her head. While she put on nude shoes with a small heel, she thought back to how she had felt when she had begun to mature much faster than other girls her age and she had despaired at going bra shopping for the first time with her mother. She had done everything possible to hide the developments that were quickly annoying her; she swore that she would never wear dresses in a million years, despite her mom's knowing laughter over how she would eat those words. Standing in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom, she couldn't help but be grateful that she had filled out as well as she had, if for no other reason than her being able to wear her mom's clothes now. Hooking on a small, single pearl necklace that had been her great grandmother's, Winry gave herself a quick once over before heading out of the room to face the evening that was ahead of her.
Arriving at the hole in the wall bar, Winry and Sheska looked at each other perplexed, simultaneously wondering if they had gone to the wrong place. There was just no way that Alphonse wanted to spend his 19th birthday at 'Barney's Bar' when he was always the first to suggest the most up and coming places typically. Maybe this was actually a strip club, they had been asked to provide identification before they even entered. Oh, she would let Edward meet the business end of her wrench if that were the case, she promised herself mentally. After standing outside awkwardly for a few minutes, they decided to at least go inside and see if the others were there already.
There was a clear smell of cigarettes in the air, though their city had banned them in businesses long before and when she walked in the large jukebox and pool table took up most of the floor space on the top level, along with the bar itself. People were scattered all over the modest sized room, some already belligerent and hanging all over each other, others shooting a casual game of pool. The thing that was the most noticeable though were the four men by the worn, wooden bar top laughing loudly before clinking their oversized shots together. Al's expression was certainly the most humorous as she could see him cringing at the taste of whatever the men had bought him. They hadn't seen each other yet, so Winry just watched for a few seconds as Edward smiled a bright, toothy grin at Mr. Mustang, vaguely she thought she heard the word 'bastard' amidst the noise around her. When Alphonse finally saw them, he practically shouted in happiness as he moved his chair around other the few tables separating the space between them. Sheska closed the gap first, all but jumping onto his lap to hug him excitedly. Giving her a chance to greet her boyfriend, Winry waited before reaching into her purse for the gift and stepping forward.
"Happy birthday, Alphonse." Handing him the neatly wrapped present, he set it gently down before pulling her in for a hug as well. He smelled like whiskey and expensive cologne, that had a hint of sandalwood filling her nose.
"Thank you, Winry, but you know that you did not have to get me anything." His eyebrows puckered in consternation as he bristled over the expense that could be involved, not that that would have mattered anyways. When she saw the item, she knew she had to get it for him.
"Yeah, yeah, save that line for someone else, you only turn nineteen once after all." Attempting to allay his concern, she smiled widely at him. Black eyes met hers as a hand was extended in her direction, which she took, though inwardly she eschewed the formality in this setting.
"Ms. Rockbell, good to see you again." She wondered if she would ever get used to people referring to her so properly, but highly doubted it.
"Please call me Winry, is Riza coming tonight?" Correcting him in an easy tone, she hoped Riza would be there to help loosen him up around her.
"She should be here anytime actually." Well there was good news, since Sheska was going to be spending most of her time with Al, Winry was happy she would have another woman to talk to. The man she hadn't recognized with the short ruddy brown colored hair and large nose came to her side. "This is one of my friend's Heymans Breda." Mustang introduced the husky man courteously.
"Nice to meet you." Beaming brightly at him for not offering his hand in greeting like Mustang had, Winry was happy that at least someone realized they were in a dive bar.
"You as well," Turning to Sheska who was currently fawning all over Al, he continued, "and you must be Al's girlfriend, Sheska." As they continued talking, she saw Edward behind them, staring openly at her. Of course he would note her presence now, only serving to irritate her further. He shuffled his weight from his right leg to his left nervously, seemingly preparing himself to speak to her, though appearing apprehensive. Rightly so, she mentally intoned. Reminding herself that tonight was for Alphonse, Winry avoided any exchange he might have been thinking he would have with her then and went to the bar for service. A gorgeous blonde girl, with a perfect figure and smile greeted her and took her drink order. As she went to pay, a hand with a card shot forward.
"Anything she is having goes on this tonight." Edward's voice said smoothly to the bartender. Of course she accepted his card and looked like the gesture was a romantic one, which if the events of the last few days hadn't happened, she probably would have as well. Unfortunately, this was not going to be the key to his redemption with her and she stated this fact a bit acerbically.
"Oh, so you think that either you can buy your way out of trouble, or that enough booze will do the trick?" Feeling her hand move to rest defensively on her hip, she stood there like an idiot waiting for him to say something to somehow negate his avoidance recently. Regrettably just being close to him and seeing him dressed in old Levi's, wearing a faded concert t-shirt that was covered by a worn flannel, was nearly a sufficient distraction from his transgressions. She had seen him dress his age the day they painted, but this was...wow. The cerulean in his shirt made the honeyed color of his irises even more enticing. Shit, she needed to stop checking him out or she wouldn't be able to hold her ground.
"No, not at all, however I did want to take you out tonight despite my behavior this week." No cocky response tonight? That was surprising, though it didn't extinguish her anger.
"Yeah, well, I don't know how you expect me to just forget about you treating me like a pariah. I know that I am a strong person, but that doesn't make you ignoring me any less hurtful." Trying to keep that wounded inflection out of her tone, she exhaled the rest of her statement.
"Look I-" Being cut off in the middle of his sentence by a woman jumping into his arms, Winry just watched on as a dark skinned, tomboyish brunette ambushed him in apparent excitement and not looking like she was letting go anytime soon. Clearly this conversation was over. Seeing Riza walking past her with Mustang and Heymans, she began following after them. "Winry, wait!" The dark eyed stranger was so delightedly still clinging to him that she didn't even notice him attempting to call out to her. Obviously this woman felt completely comfortable wrapped around him, like this gesture was nothing out the ordinary for them. A sharp stab of pain and disappointment jabbed her heart as she realized that she was no where near as familiar with Ed as this woman, and even worse than that, was she never would be.
"Thanks for the drink, Professor. Enjoy your night." Giving him a wan smile, she waved once before turning to head down the stairs that led to the majority of the bar and away from the sight behind her.
Prying the ever increasing pain in his ass, Paninya, off of him, he gritted his teeth together as he watched the silvery blonde mane of hair he was enamored with disappear down the stairs. Fuck, not only had he acted like a complete child this week, but now the image of womanizing asshole was firmly ingrained in Winry's mind. She probably thought the worst about the scene she saw, though she couldn't be farther from the truth.
"Paninya, get the hell off of me!" She looked up to him mischievously, making him wonder how he had ever become friends with this trouble maker to begin with.
"What's the problem Elric? You would think you weren't happy to see me or something!" Reaching up she messed up his neat ponytail, irritating him further.
"Goddammit! You are pissing me off! You are lucky that you are a girl or I would kick your smirking face in!" Pulling the tie from his hair, he tried to rectify the damage she had done.
"Woah, woah Eddie, no reason to get huffy with me, if anything I improved your hair." Laughing as if she was hilarious, she grabbed his beer and began heading after Al and everyone else. This bar may be a bit rough, but at least they had made it accessible for all their patrons unlike most places in town. As she took a long swig of his drink, she waved it in his face tauntingly. Grouchily he snatched the glass from her hand as he unwillingly made for the lower lever. "I sure liked you better when you were short, it was much easier to keep things away from you." Stopping his knee jerk reaction wasn't even an option.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU COULDN'T EVEN SPOT HIM IN A CROWD OF MIDGETS!?" Sneering at himself for his outburst, he looked around to make sure no one else had noticed his momentary decline in maturity. When the mocking gaze of Mustang caught his, he quickly averted his eyes deciding not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how embarrassed he was. Searching the group that had grown by another four people when he wasn't watching, he tried to find Winry amongst their friends. Finally he saw her talking with Roy's girlfriend in the back left corner of the large space. Al and Sheska were just joining their conversation, and her face lit up when she saw his little brother, making him wish she was that unguarded with him. Unfortunately the mechanic's reticence was mostly his fault, though he still couldn't help but be jealous of their easy bond. For a minute he thought about when they first met and he thought Alphonse liked her; sometimes he still held that speculation despite the fact that Al was happily in a committed relationship with Sheska. Then again, who couldn't be attracted to Winry? She had a warm personality that a person couldn't help but be drawn to.
Walking up the pool table in front of the one the group was standing around, the mouthy brunette stopped and suggested that they shoot a game of pool. At this point it would probably be better to let his student have some distance to see that she had misjudged the connection between Paninya and him.
Winry would get through this night, probably not very sober, but still she would survive regardless of the pinch she felt every time the tan woman touched Edward. Was it really necessary to be in contact with him every few minutes? Not that she could blame the dark haired girl for wanting to, but really how much was she supposed to be able to watch without crying? Al and Sheska were speaking with some other mutual friends of both the Elric's and Mustang so Riza had been talking with her for a while. Inquiring how she liked her other job so far and then telling her about some new 9mm she had recently acquired due to it's easy concealment, when her redwood eyed coworker had noticed her half hearted interest.
"Is Edward giving you trouble?" She asked sternly, tapping her pistol threateningly, nearly making Winry laugh out loud. The other blonde cracked a small smile at her expression.
"No, I guess I just misread his feelings." Chest becoming heavy with the idea, she couldn't help but find her gaze flicker to her wayward Professor yet again. Seeing the boisterous companion bump her hip playfully against Ed's after making a tough shot, she quickly turned her attention back to Riza.
"Really? From what Roy has told me that would be a surprise." Cocking an eyebrow in the direction of what she deemed flirtatious behavior, she waited to see what her companion thought. After a moment, she continued. "Actually, I think Ed is quite annoyed with the girl." Speaking in a sure tone, her assessment was absolute.
"Probably because she outed him." Winry remarked dryly, hating that she was letting anyone bother her this much.
"I don't think so, gaging by the fact that I have seen him look over at you a nearly absurd amount of times for someone I always thought was so uninterested in the opposite sex, I would venture that you are incorrect. Also I believe that the female with him is simply trying to get a rise out of him, so maybe they are just friends. Either way unless you speak to him you won't know for sure." This was a point well made, even if she wouldn't like what he had to say, it was for the best if she talked things out with him. Who knows maybe this was just a misunderstanding. Now his previous avoidance on the other hand, was a different story.
"Yeah, but he blew me off all week and this isn't the first time he has kept me at arms length when it suited him. I just wish I understood why he runs hot and cold with me." A knowing look crossed her friend's face as she tilted her head in Mustang's direction.
"Men are all like that in one way or another." Glancing over to the handsome man who was receiving attention from nearly every other woman in the bar, Riza frowned some. "Women are always throwing themselves at Roy. Sometimes it is difficult to deal with especially considering he actually has had physical relations with many of them, but part of being together is having to trust your partner." At some point, said man had stealthily come up behind Riza and snaked an arm around her smoothly.
"And at all times you should remember that your significant other is heavily armed and an excellent shot if you get out of line." A wry smile curved his face as he kissed her on the mouth, drawing a lovely blush from her typically taciturn friend. Realizing that she had been lucky to gain two wonderful women as friends, she finally felt a bit lighter. "Now how about we go get some shots for the birthday boy and ourselves?" Following the couple upstairs, she couldn't help but think that was a perfect idea.
As they walked up the ramp next to the stairs, she noticed that the lights began to get dimmer, which must mean that the bar was getting busier. Despite her initial misgivings, she was starting to see what the guys probably liked about this atmosphere. Everyone seemed to know everyone else and if they didn't, people appeared quick to make friends of each other. Even while waiting to order, a man handed her and Riza shots that were in strange, neon colored tubes, made luminous by the black light that was cast down on them. She looked worriedly to her friends, making sure it was safe to take shots handed out by random people. Roy had just chuckled and explained that the owner was the one who always sent them to the women he found attractive; apparently he was a widely known as a lecherous, but kind man. Pointing to a circular table that was only a few feet from them, she saw a larger man in a floral button down shirt, wave coyly at them. Returning the wave, both her and Riza raised their tubes to him, as he raised his own in response and they all tipped back the contents. The taste was different from anything else she had had in her limited experience and she was told a moment later that it was something called a 'Raspberry Long Island' that had been split between the tray of tubes.
When their turn to order came, Roy purchased an obscene amount of shots. Explaining that this would save them a trip later, to which his girlfriend rolled her eyes disbelievingly, Roy also replaced each of their drinks. Winry wondered briefly just how drunk he was planning to get all of them, or if this amount of imbibement was normal for him. The bartender filled two trays with multiple beverages, however they were picked up before she could even offer to help and when she turned to follow, she walked directly into the firm chest of Edward Elric. No wonder they had taken the booze and ran, traitors.
"Professor Elric." Acknowledging him stiffly, she sucked in a breath as she gradually and a bit unwillingly lifted her eyes to meet his. Ed just stood there silently, though he tried and failed twice to find the right words. When this was unsuccessful, he began to blush and spoke bluntly.
"Winry, look, I'm no good at this shit," Pausing, he glanced around almost to make sure no one else would hear what he was about to say. She nearly laughed as the pink on his cheeks deepened to a nearly tomato red before he continued as if admitting something truly damnable. "but I can tell you without a doubt that there is only one woman here that I am interested in, and I'm staring at her now." Feeling her heart speed up at his admission, her breath caught in her throat when she noticed just how close he had gotten to her face and soon she felt her own cheeks prickle with what she would venture was a very splotchy color. For one minute she allowed herself to enjoy his words, but then quickly she reminded herself this man was the same reason she had been upset all day, or week rather. Rocking to her toes she spoke directly against his ear.
"You sure you mean me, or are you just saying this now because the other girl is downstairs?" She had barely touched her heels to floor when he yelled in response.
"No!" His voice was thick with anger and it didn't get any less loud as he continued. "Paninya is nothing more than a friend, sometimes she's such a pain that I wish she wasn't even that. She has no understanding of personal space and is determined to constantly push my buttons." Running his fingers exasperatedly through the end of his golden ponytail, he attempted to calm his aggravation. For some reason, his vehement dismissal of the girl, Paninya immediately doused the jealousy that had previously plagued her and an impish grin slid onto her face as she decided to ruffle his feathers some more.
"Oh, so what you are telling me is that she should be my new best friend then?" Ribbing him gently, she waggled her brows at him, laughing at her own goofiness.
"Very funny." Edward said dryly.
"I'm not kidding, maybe she is the key to dealing with you." Remembering the other part to her frustration with him, she became serious again.
"I'd go a long way to avoid that."
"Then you should really stop keeping things from me." Placing both of her hands on her hips, she glared up at him intensely.
"I-I don't know what you mean." He stuttered worriedly and for some reason she briefly thought he was genuinely shocked by her words.
"I don't get you at all, Monday you come to my house and chastise me for skipping class but then after Tuesday you wouldn't even talk to me. If I did something wrong or if you have something on your mind, I wish you would talk to me instead of letting me think the worst." She tried hard not to let the extent of the depression she had felt be obvious in her voice, but even if she had been successful at suppressing that, she was sure that her eyes would give her away. She had always been too open, at least once that barrier was already down.
"Right," He seemed to sigh in relief, though she couldn't understand what she had said to put him at ease. "You are right Winry, I should have just talked you about what was bothering me. Like I said before I'm not used to needing to explain my thoughts to anyone. I'm sorry." His nearly whispered and solemn agreement didn't seem to lift the strange sense that something was off, but at least he seemed sincerely apologetic for his behavior.
"Alright, I'll forgive you, if you talk to me about what is going on and promise not to keep things from me anymore." Seeing him nod his head, she took his hand determined that from here forward they were going to have a good night, when a set of arms wrapped around them both, startling her.
"Hey lovebirds, the party is downstairs, can you guys come do these shots with us for your little brother's birthday or what?" Big, coffee brown eyes blinked into her own as the words she said registered, immediately drawing another flush of crimson. Ed smirked lightly at this reaction.
"Winry, meet Paninya, as you can see there is no such thing as personal space around her." Presenting the woman who she had formerly thought was his girlfriend, she finally got a better look at her. Paninya had only a small nub of a ponytail, wore large pants and a tight tank top that fitted her well. Really, she was in excellent shape.
"Nice to meet you Winry," A wide, bright white smile covered her face as they shook hands. "Wow Edo, never thought you would land such a looker, oh shit, is she blind?" The comment directed towards Edward made her laugh along with the set of his jaw at being called 'Edo' in public.
"Ha ha ha, about done?" Enunciating each sarcastic word, her Professor rolled his eyes and began heading towards their group.
"So grouchy, how do you put up with it?" Paninya asked with an air of real curiosity.
"Anything is better than his cocky alter ego." Answering honestly, Winry couldn't help but think of all the smug moments they had shared when they met.
"Yeah, well don't let him fool you, he was just able to reach that bar top to order last year." The anger that radiated from Ed then was like nothing she had ever witnessed, he had always been so reserved and cool, even when dealing with Chad. Seeing him like this was totally new for her, but since she decided she liked Paninya and that he was going to go nuclear on her she acted quickly.
"Why you-" Cutting him off with a wrench pulled from her cleavage, his rant was halted as he held his head in pain.
"Oh, Ed I like her, she is definitely the one for you!" The instigator crowed in declaration. Without a doubt, her and Paninya were going to get along, she could tell.
"Jesus! Where did that fucking unholy thing come from!?" Edward complained after regaining his senses, making her giggle again.
"Such language from a Professor? And from here of course." Sliding it back into the elastic band of her bra where her underwire was, she snickered as she noticed his eyes trail the same path, which made her straighten a bit under his penetrating gaze. When they lifted to her face, she felt her stomach tighten at the heat in his molten eyes, making her wish they were anywhere but in a bar full of people. He must have come to the same conclusion because he shook something from his mind before they rejoined their friends. Glancing sideways at him as he stepped next to Al, she wondered how one man was able to make her run the full gamut of emotion a person possibly could.
There was no denying he was handsome, both his face and his body, but those two alone weren't enough to draw these responses from her. She had known plenty of attractive of people back home, however none of them had his hard demeanor, intelligence or quick wit and truthfully at the time she hadn't been ready to pursue a relationship of any kind even if she had been easily accepted by the boys she grew up with. Even now being in college, she had met many men who had seemed interested in her, but none could compare to the golden, closed off man who starred in her every fantasy. The only other thing in her life she worked as hard at obtaining was the goal of her future, and just like with that she knew that every trial and tribulation would be worth it. No matter how difficult things were, the reward was tenfold. For her, Edward Elric was it, even if he made her crazy sometimes.
As the night wore on, the group became increasingly more belligerent, and the bar announced 'last call' though they were no where near ready to wind down. At her and everyone else's complete surprise, Ed told their friends that everyone was welcome to come to his and Al's home to continue celebrating. A few people had filtered out over the evening, but the core group was still standing, so they decided to get two taxi vans and ride together. Al, Sheska and Paninya would take one, while Roy, Riza, Edward and her would take the other. This seemed like a great idea until they were headed to their destination, and realized the other couple was silent but for the sounds of frenetic kissing coming from the back row. Ed and her were both fairly inebriated due to the encouragement of Mustang, and were unable to cork the laughter at every grunt from behind them. They had sunk low into the seat of their row, huddled close and found themselves to be rather hilarious in their current state.
Winry had figured out that she loved drunk Edward, he was much less taciturn and far more handsy. In fact she was sure that they had been touching one way or another most of the evening, which had not gone unnoticed by their friends. They had been teased mercilessly initially, but eventually everyone had fallen into a comfortable stride. She enjoyed boisterous Paninya, and Kain, who was bashful and sweet. A man who insisted on being called Armstrong, yelled loudly about the virtues of young love, while trying to hug Al and Sheska. Every person had a place within their group, almost like a family, which was something Winry sorely missed.
A gentle squeeze of his hand brought her attention back to the man next to her. Though they had sobered some, their proximity hadn't widened an inch. Ed hummed lowly along with the radio in the van, making her wish she knew the name of the song so she could listen to it later. Having rested her head against his chest, she could feel the vibration of his quiet crooning. She concluded that no man who looked like he did, should also have his velvety voice. Edward singing the words next to her ear was doing funny things to her, and even ignoring that the lyrics were coincidental, she couldn't help but apply each word to their situation.
Arriving at their home, everyone shushed each other as they noisily migrated inside. However, they didn't make any less of a commotion than their raised voices had to begin with. Immediately heading for the liquor cabinet, Roy rummaged around, and mumbled incoherently about the lack of 'decent alcohol' or something to that effect. Finally his eyes lit upon a bottle he considered to be acceptable. Ed pulled out glasses for each of them, as Mustang filled them as he saw fit. Personally, she believed that he had given the girls far larger servings than he had distributed to the men, but she was past the point of getting huffy over this fact. Al flipped on their impressive stereo, which was already attached to a MP3 player, and selected a loud, upbeat song.
At Paninya's suggestion, a game of euchre began. Claiming she was devious and would find a way to empty all of their pockets by the end, her professor quickly evicted her from the game. So instead Riza and Sheska played Al and Roy. If she were being honest, the game was not in the guys' favor. The women had started using their feminine wiles to distract them, and she could hardly keep the smirk off of her face. Also noticing what was going on, Ed sent her conspiratorial looks across the table. At least he did before Paninya, who was still miffed from his earlier accusation, called them out on their silent communication.
After the men lost the first round, Winry looked to the clock and realized it was 4:30AM. She decided to sneak off to bed while everyone was distracted with switching partners. Thankfully, despite the late hour, or early depending on your point of view, Al hadn't turned down the music so she was able to slip away unnoticed. If anything, everyone would probably think she had gone to the bathroom, and by the time they realized she hadn't, she would already be blissfully asleep. Actually, she thought using the restroom before she crashed wasn't such a bad idea. When she entered the familiar room, she felt around for the light, and was blinded upon succeeding. Shutting the door, she stepped in front of the mirror unsteadily, to exam herself. And oh, what a sight she was.
Winry's once full hair had gone quite flat, and she cringed at how pink her face was from all the drinking. How was Edward able to only get better looking the more he drank? After relieving herself, she washed her hands with the fresh scented soap. Briefly, she wished that she had a toothbrush, but settled for brushing with her pointer finger. This wasn't the best solution, but it greatly beat going without. Opening the door, she flipped off the light and yelped when she walked into someone else.
Edward just stared down at her intensely, almost as if he was memorizing every detail of her face. Beginning to say something about being glad the music had been loud enough to drown out her surprised sound, he cut her off with his hot, hungry mouth. For a millisecond, she wondered if he had been fighting doing this all night, though his urgency answered the question wordlessly. Lips moved steadily on hers, pressing for complete access to her. Flicking her tongue out to taste him, she traced his upper lip, then sucked the lower gently. The quiet groan she gained from him sent a shudder through her. Flattening her into his bedroom door, he moved one hand up her side then across her bare shoulder before slipping into her silky hair. When his tongue met her own, she could faintly taste the salty, yet sweet mix of the beer and whiskey. She decided that the combination was now her favorite flavor, or more likely, he was the addictive quality. Softly sucking on her tongue, Edward had the fine balance of teasing mastered. Tilting her head slightly, he deepened the kiss as he leaned into her soft figure. The heat of their bodies fitted together was enough to make her will her dress into non existence, and not just her clothing, but his. She wanted desperately to feel both his metal and natural hands all over her. With this thought, she reached her hand back to turn the knob and let them into his room.
Even while entering the darkened room, neither of them had been able to separate from the other. Backing her into the bed, Ed chuckled a bit at the gasp she exhaled upon dropping onto it. Without any prompting, he began to undress and she thanked the heavens that the moon was bright enough to illuminate his defined muscles. Unable to stop herself, she pulled him next to her and ran her fingers greedily over every dip and line. He looked uneasy at her hand trailing towards the scar tissue where his automail joined with his uneven flesh, almost as if this was where she would halt their intimacy. To his surprise, she trailed light kisses down his neck and then over his exposed collarbone, before dipping to alternate between kisses and licks on his puckered skin. A metal hand paused her from progressing lower, and she looked to him confusedly before seeing an expression of complete awe and utter adoration as he once again captured her lips. In this way, he was unable to keep things from her. There was honesty in his actions; from the slight tremor of reverence when he ran his hands over her, to the depth of attachment behind his hazy honey eyes.
Running his hands tenderly over her full breasts, he inhaled sharply as he saw them tighten and tense underneath the sheer fabric of the cream dress she wore. Edward's golden hair brushed against her open neckline as he sucked at the sensitive skin of her nape, making her insides clench in anticipation. When his natural hand skirted down her side and spread to massage her thigh, she felt time stop as he slowly slid her hemline upwards. Timidly, his fingertips edged along the lines of her lacy panties, and she could hear the too loud sound of her breathing. As he skimmed down the center of her arousal, she gasped at the unfamiliar contact, though she was eager to repeat the action. Ed's intense amber gaze fixed on her unnamable one, and he seemed to be waiting for her to agree to continuing. The small nod she gave was all the answer he needed and he claimed her mouth once more. Focusing on the warmth of his lips, she shivered harshly when he placed the pads of his fingers flat against the spot that was aching to be touched and began to rub in a deliberate, circular motion. Within minutes of this, she felt herself panting into his neck as he laid siege to her senses. Edward knew just the right pressure to apply and then to take away to drive her crazy; it was all she could do not to writhe embarrassingly under his skillful touch. She felt like she was going to scream every time he had her on the edge of her completion and wouldn't fulfill her need, because that was exactly what it was at this point, a need. Breathily, she told him as much. "Edward, please..." Looking to him with eyes full of longing, she grinded herself into his hand, trying to gain the friction she so desperately needed. However, he retracted his fingers with a cocky grin as he spoke huskily against her ear, leaving her frustrated.
"Please what, Winry?" Running his tongue across her bottom lip, he was clearly enjoying her being flustered.
"Please..." Feeling his fingers ghost over her, she trailed off, reveling in the thrill that the pressure returned. "Don't stop touching me, Edward." Meeting his gaze levelly as she spoke the words, he instantly complied, causing her eyes to screw shut at his direct contact. Already he had her body responding; nerve endings at a fever pitch, her heart hammering as her release approached. When his hardness pressed against her, she felt attractive and heady that he was aroused because of her. This was the thought that pushed her over the edge. As she ruptured, she clung tightly to Edward while riding out the aftershocks of her intense orgasm.
When she was able to think coherently again, she realized that despite the fact that he hadn't taken a stitch of her clothing off, he had been able to make her feel more acutely than she had ever imagined she could. Seeing the heated look on his face, she began inching her fingers over his firm body with a set purpose; she wanted to make him feel as good as he had made her feel. Taking his lips a bit roughly, she caressed his tongue with her own as she ran her fingers just under the top of his jeans, stroking the indentations that led where her eyes couldn't follow. Sucking on his bottom lip, she tentatively slid her palm over the thick bulge of his manhood. Feeling the material of his jeans strain at his stimulation, she moved to thumb open the button fly when Edward broke away from her mouth and pulled her hands up to his lips, kissing each softly. Staring at him blankly, she wondered if she had done something wrong.
"I know you're not drunk, but I still want you to be sober when you choose to take things further with me." He looked like he was worried about her response to his words, but she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face at his consideration. "I would really like it if I could wake up next to you in the morning." The beat of her heart sped at his suggestion and she nodded happily before she searched around for his discarded shirt. Upon finding it, she quickly peeled off her dress and slipped his top on. When she turned around, her heart pounded even harder when she watched him strip his pants off for bed. Shaking her head of the image, she found that she still had a buzz. Climbing under the covers, she felt a thrill of excitement when his body joined hers. There was a small space between them, and she wondered if she would even be able to sleep with as focused on it as she was. However, when his strong arm pulled her into his a chest a moment later, she found herself feeling more comfortable and complete than she had in many years.
AN: Of all things long and holy, I never thought this chapter would end. Ever. For those of you who skipped past the more citrus-y scene, the last paragraph should be safe and give you enough to start the next chapter. Thank you all for being beyond patient and as always, please review and let me know what you thought!
Be kind, I don't have a beta and this was a monster of a chapter : )