#she should mean comfort and home to ed and al just like the rockbells

[norellenilia]

I am SO MAD that Izumi is considered Ed and Al's motherly figure. She's so mean to them: she speaks to them very harshly (this may be different in other dubs, but in french she uses a very angry tone when she speaks to them, when they're younger or even when they're having lunch in Dublith and she says to Ed "Eat!" with a very pissed off voice), she punishes them by violently hitting them (and we're not talking slapstick humor), she scares the hell out of them... She's very, very abusive.

And what also struck me in episode 27 is that she speaks very gently to the other kids, like she's very calm with the boy who broke his toy train and rudely says that her mending looks weak, she patiently berates him, and when Ed asks a question that, yes, is a very touchy subject for her and she knows she must prevent Ed from even considering the idea of human transmutation, she just punches him. I know this was during a training session but what was the point?

And don't get me started on the scene where she beats them up after they tell her they tried to bring their mom back to life. I can understand a slap out of anger or fear, Maria did this to Ed but she apologized right after, here we have none of that, she just beats them up and never apologizes, in a scene that is in no way meant to be funny. She beats them up after they finally decided to tell her what happened to them (and to me, the fact that they were literally too scared to tell their "motherly figure" what they had done, to seek help, advice, or just have her presence, tells a lot), Ed gets ready to get punched again but she hugs them and they lean into the touch because it seems like it's one of the very rare occasions when she actually shows affection towards them.

That, to me, is typical of abusive relationships. You get all the negative things, the beating, the yelling, the contempt, but then there are the good moments, like her stroking Ed's hair after putting a bandaid on his nose, or the hug of "comfort" after they tell her of their trauma, so you're ready to forgive the rest. And of course they're gonna accept that hug they desperately needed from her, she IS indeed the closest they had to a mother after Trisha's death.

I also remember that later, during a fight with the chimeras, she says, "I can't let any of my children die again" when she fights to protect Ed and Al, to show us that she loves them as her own children.

But if you love your child, you don't hit them. Plain and simple. I don't care if you stroke their hair or hug them afterward.

I really don't like how she's portrayed.

[poppy-pelican]

Darkness on Fire (Chapter 3)

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692747/chapters/65866213#workskin

Chapter 3: Mustang and Hawkeye escort the Elrics to what they hope is a safe place.

Roy went back to bed while Hawkeye stayed awake. They were all unnerved after sending Dr. Rockbell home with a vial of blood to give to the rest of his family just in case they had been compelled, too. Hawkeye promised to keep watch so the vampires could sleep. She seemed well, full of vitality, thanks to his blood. It was more than he could say for himself. She’d taken a bit too much from him. He drank some animal blood before going back to bed, but it was unappetizing when he was craving hers so badly.

As he slept, he dreamt of being wrapped in sheets, Hawkeye’s bare skin, his fangs deep in her throat. He woke up with a gasp, his cock hard, fangs elongated. It took him a few minutes to orient himself to where he was, not in his comfortable basement apartment, but in Hohenheim’s study. Roy was grateful Hawkeye wasn’t in the room—and the temptation to have one off quickly was there, but with two impressionable boys around, he stewed in misery instead.

This assignment had gone to shit, fast. As he dressed, he realized why his dreams were plagued with images of Hawkeye. He had given her his blood, and for vampires that was as good as attaching a piece of your soul with them. He’d given his blood to his aunt, and a few others he had fed from, and he could sense them distantly. But Hawkeye was in the same house, tantalizingly close.

Downstairs Ed and Al were complaining to each other because they weren’t allowed to say goodbye to Winry or the rest of the Rockbells.

The moment Roy caught sight of Hawkeye, scrubbing her bloody shirt in the sink, his fangs descended, his whole body tuning toward her. He made sure to keep his mouth shut and went to grab more animal blood. He poured it into a glass, and Trisha swung by and offered him some wine.

“It helps it go down easier,” she said.

“Having more already?” Hawkeye asked, eyes crinkling in concern. “Did I take too much?”

“You’d been stabbed. I think you took what was necessary,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. She would worry too much otherwise. Her guilt about his vampirism was greater than it should be, especially considering how much he enjoyed his new lifestyle. Sure, burning to a crisp in the sun was a major sacrifice, but it was manageable most of the time.

“Hmm,” was all she said in reply, going back to her shirt. “I might have to call this done for. Even if I could fix the hole, this blood is not coming out.”

Roy took a final swig of what he was going to call sheep wine and ignored the urge to offer to suck the blood out of her shirt. He admonished himself. He wasn’t even thirsty in the usual way. It could be compared to wanting a dessert, delicious but not essential.

“Let me see if I can’t find something else to try. The boys are always staining their clothes,” Trisha said, disappearing to search upstairs.

“I think I might have a quick look around in town before we leave,” Roy said to Hawkeye. “I shouldn’t be gone more than half an hour.” If possible, it would be easiest to take the Elrics to a safe house Hohenheim owned by train, although he assumed the station would be watched—Selim would expect it.

“You’re too thirsty to go burning energy like that,” Hawkeye pointed out. “You’ve only had animal blood after giving me a lot of yours. You know how you get.”

“Well, this town doesn’t exactly have a wide selection of willing humans. And Hohenheim would kill me if I asked Trisha…though it would hold me over a lot longer.” As it always did with vampire blood. He needed human blood at least once a month, preferably once a week, to keep him at full strength. When he acted as a donor it was more frequent. Vampire blood could sate his thirst for twice as long.

“You could drink from me. Just this once,” she said, holding up a finger in warning. “Since you gave me some of yours earlier. It’s only fair.”

“But you were just hurt.” His hunger told him to shut up and go for it. It was exactly what he wanted.

“And I feel twice as healthy as normal. I can spare some.” She dropped her wet shirt into the sink, drying her hands on a towel.

“I shouldn’t—”

His fangs betrayed him, descending with thirsty enthusiasm. He covered his mouth as she gave him a smug smile.

“Go ahead.” She rolled her eyes at his hesitation. “Just because I don’t want to be a regular donor doesn’t mean I can’t handle it.”

“I know.” That wasn’t why he held back. The last time he’d tasted her blood, he’d wanted to rut against her like an animal. But that was different, he reminded himself. He had better control now, more practice.

“Wrist or…neck?” she asked.

He shouldn’t. There was a reason he always drank from the wrist.

“Neck,” he said lowly, the words flying out before he could stop them. So much for control.

She pulled her hair to the side, revealing the beautiful curve of her neck. Before he could second guess himself, he cradled her head and shoulder, holding her in place. She gasped at the suddenness, and he heard the warm, wet gushing in her heart pick up speed.

He bit down, taking care to ease his fangs in gently.

She’d always smelled better than anyone else to him. He wondered if it was because her blood initiated him into this lifestyle. It was overwhelming, flavors and feelings pulsing through him rapidly. He usually hurried to drink and leave, but he slowed down his pulls to savor each flow of liquid across his tongue. Why was it so good? Would she let him do this again? God, he hoped so.

He couldn’t stop himself. The quietest moan escaped him, and suddenly it was just like the first time. He was unbearably aroused—almost senseless. He wanted to bury his cock inside her while he fed from her, something he had always thought was overkill. He grunted, biting down the tiniest bit harder.  Her breath hitched, and he wanted to grind against her, but he held himself in check, remembering the Elric brothers in the next room—and Trisha upstairs.

Caving to one last taste, he released her with a gasp, licking the wound closed out of habit. Hawkeye shivered against him and he leaned back just enough to gauge her reaction. Her amber eyes were soft, pupils blown wide, and her steady heartbeat danced just a little faster. He wanted to kiss her, but he was also a coward.

“Better than the sheep wine, that’s for sure,” he said, breaking the tension. He didn’t want to let on how turned on he was.

“Sheep wine?” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to know.”

 #

 Roy sprinted to town as soon as it was dark enough and found several humans standing suspiciously still and quiet near the train station, positioned at every entrance. They were waiting.

He expected it, but Hawkeye wasn’t going to like it. This meant they would have to cut across the country on foot to the next town over.

Returning to the Elric house, Roy gave Riza the bad news. She sighed. “Well, I better go consolidate our bags—two bags will be too cumbersome if I have to be carried.” She held up an angry finger. “On your back.”

Roy laughed, his smile lingering until he took his post outside to keep watch. He settled under the tree, checking his gun and his gloves.

It wasn’t long before Ed appeared.

“Riza is not happy about this,” Ed informed him. “She told Mom it makes her feel like an invalid.”

“Well, to make it to our destination before sunrise, it’s what we have to do. She knows that,” Roy explained, watching the boy in amusement. Ed was fidgeting—tugging his braid, tucking his hands in and out of his pockets.

“Why is she still human?” Ed asked out of the blue. “She has your blood in her. Why don’t you just snap her neck and keep her forever?”

Roy choked. “What?”

“Riza,” Ed clarified, as if Roy just hadn’t known who he meant.

“Turning someone…isn’t a science. It fails almost as often as it succeeds.” And Roy had no plans to live forever. He would step into the sun when the time was right. Immortality had no appeal to him. Hawkeye’s own thoughts on immortality were…murky. She once said being a vampire was better than being dead, but he wasn’t sure she thought it was better than being alive and human. Going out into the sun.

Roy wouldn’t say vampirism was superior to humanity, but if he could choose to return to being a human, it would be a difficult choice.  Blood was divine—Hawkeye’s was especially intoxicating. Smells were stronger, but not in a bad way. It made things interesting. And with the difference in his vision and senses, the moon felt as warm as the sun had when he was human. Regular food tasted better, too. He didn’t need as much anymore, but what he did eat was a full explosion of flavors, even if it was just a simple tomato off the vine. The increased strength and speed were undoubtedly his favorite though.

Ed must have been deep in thought too because he said, “That must be why Dad says I can’t go around changing all my friends into vampires when I’m older.”

Roy held back a laugh. “Probably not the best idea, no.”

“But…I don’t want to live forever without Winry.” Ed sighed. “Don’t you feel that way about Riza? You guys are best friends, right?”

A dark something twisted in Roy’s gut.

“Yes, best friends. I’ve known her since she was about your age.” Back when her best friend was a dog, and Roy’s best friend was his alchemy studies.

Berthold Hawkeye was a brilliant man, but a mediocre father. He’d been fearful of vampires ever since his wife was killed by one, and his research in flame alchemy was born from his desire to destroy vampires. It had taken precedence over everything in his life, even raising Riza. But Berthold loved his daughter, and Roy guessed that some of his obsession in finding a weapon against vampires came from the need to keep her safe. Roy had been tossed out of the house when he’d argued making peace with vampires was for the good of all, but when his master was dying…he had asked Roy to protect her.

  #

 An underground tunnel beneath the house had been as much a surprise to Edward and Alphonse as it had to Riza and Mustang. Trisha had given a nervous smile as she uncovered a secret opening in the closet floor.

“Wow!” the boys cheered, jumping down into the dirt, bags over their shoulders. Riza was much less enthused, but grateful they could leave the house unseen from the outside.

“Hohenheim has been working on these since he turned me,” Trisha said. “About fifteen years ago.”

“This is the best trip ever!” Al said, his voice muffled inside the tunnel.

Trisha dropped down next. “Boys, don’t run ahead. There are some dead ends your father constructed on purpose. You’ll get lost on your own and wind up in Xing or someplace.”

“Al’s right. This is kind of fun,” Mustang said, grinning at Riza as he took their bag and leapt into the tunnel. Riza was last. She peered down the opening. It was a farther drop than it looked. Of course, Hohenheim built it with vampires in mind, not a petite human.

“Is there a ladder?” she asked, without hope for an affirmative.

“Just slide down on your stomach and I’ll catch you,” Mustang said.

And probably get an unflattering view of her backside, she thought sourly, but she did as instructed, aware that dropping straight to the floor would likely sprain her ankles if Mustang missed.

“Ugh,” she said, fighting the urge to kick her legs for a foothold the farther down she went.

She felt Mustang’s hands steady her, easing her descent. Then things went in a different direction as she lowered herself more. His hands ran up her legs, across her hips, until she was on the ground pressed against him, chest to chest. Oh, that was—

He released her with a nervous chuckle, practically shoving her away.

“See? Simple,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, taking in the tunnel before them. It was pitch black. “I won’t be able to see a thing.”

Mustang snapped his fingers, illuminating the long tunnel before them. He also lit a candle Trisha was suddenly holding.

“You’ll still have to be carried,” he told her, “but any light will just blow out.”

Riza understood. Not only did she have to be carried like a child, she had to do it while blind. She couldn’t shoot in the dark.

“I can’t remember the last time I rode on someone’s back,” she groused, as the boys giggled at her predicament.

“Just hop on!” Al said encouragingly. He demonstrated by tackling his older brother, then squeezing his neck in a pretend chokehold while Ed dramatically gasped for air.

“I hate being such a burden,” Riza said, but as Mustang squatted down, she winked at the boys and ran at him, pretending to choke him just as Al had done to Ed. She grinned as they laughed—even Trisha’s worry lines fading as Mustang acted like he was going to drop her. He recognized what Riza wanted to do for the family: put them at ease.

“I’ve given you a piggyback ride before, you know,” Mustang said. “You must’ve been twelve because I was about sixteen. You sprained your ankle and couldn’t walk home from school,” he said.

“Oh! I forgot. That might have been the last time I did this.” She’d been in too much pain to have any fun with the experience back then.

“And here we are again,” he said fondly, except when he gave her thighs a friendly squeeze, it made her heart race in a very non-platonic way.

The rest of the run through the tunnel was as unpleasant as she expected. Her human body wasn’t made for being jostled at high speeds, and her teeth were clenched together to keep from biting her tongue. No matter how careful Mustang was, he could not cushion her perfectly. Worse, being totally blind meant she could only concentrate on her other senses. The smell of Mustang’s aftershave, the way his large hands adjusted his grip on her thighs whenever he took a turn or ran down a steep slope, the warmth of his back…

Forcing those thoughts from her mind, she concentrated on alternate routes to the safe house in Central Trisha wanted to go to.

They finally stopped at an exit, which was as bad as the entrance at the Elric home. This time Trisha gave Riza a boost while Mustang pulled her up. Out of the tunnel, they found themselves under a bridge that reached over a wide creek—which explained the earthy-fish smell that had appeared in the tunnel.

“I know my way around, so I’ll go check the train station. They have a midnight train we could still catch,” Trisha said.

“Mom,” Ed started to protest, but she blew her sons a kiss and vanished. Mustang didn’t have time to argue either.

“It’s probably for the best. You’ve never been here before,” Riza said. “And leaving me with the boys in the dark—” She shrugged.

“Yes, you’re right,” Mustang said. “If your mother takes longer than thirty minutes,” he addressed the boys, “I’ll go after her.”

“At least the tunnels were fun,” Al said optimistically. “I wonder why Mom and Dad didn’t tell us?”

“To keep you quiet about it. You know you can’t keep a secret,” Ed teased.

“Yes, I can!”

While the boys began listing the various secrets the other had spilled over the years, Mustang turned to Riza.

“We might have to separate,” he said. “You could go with the boys to the safe house. Travel in the daytime.”

“Only if we have to,” Riza said, but his logic was sound. She was torn between her responsibility to watch over Mustang versus the family. She could not protect them all.

 #

 When Trisha returned, she was running at full tilt, her dress flying behind her. Roy heard her arriving before the others, so he leapt to attention, nudging Hawkeye.

“Quick,” Trisha whispered urgently. “Back to the tunnel!”

The boys dropped in first, followed by Trisha, Roy made the executive decision to grab Hawkeye and leap down with her in his arms. He could tell it was a rough landing, but she only grunted.

“We need to seal the entrance with alchemy,” Roy said. Ed was quick, concentrating for a moment before clapping. With a brief glow, it was done.

“Now we run. They can probably still hear us down here,” Hawkeye said, wiggling out of Roy’s arms. He was momentarily confused as she kept her hands on him, fingers tracing across his chest and arms, before he realized she couldn’t see in the darkness and was trying to climb on his back. He helped her up, reveling in the sensation of her arms around his neck. She smelled good, and his fangs, wildly misbehaving on this assignment, were aching to sink into her veins.

They kept a brisk pace until the boys tired and needed a more human speed. Roy could feel Hawkeye’s relief as she relaxed against him.

“I could walk,” she said, and he heard the sluggishness in her voice. He wondered how much sleep she’d managed the past few days.

“Stay put,” he said. “If we need to take off, you’re already in position.”

The group remained quiet, fearing anyone following them would overhear them. Trisha led the way—only she knew where they were going.

It was almost sunrise when they neared the other safe house’s entrance, stopping far enough out that their presence wouldn’t be noticed.

“A friend lives here,” Trisha said. “Well, Van’s friend. I haven’t been able to meet him much. He doesn’t know about the boys.”

That wasn’t ideal. “Can you trust him?”

“Van believes so. And they have an agreement about the tunnels. Barry can come to our home as easily as we can go to his in an emergency. It’s been a couple of years and he’s never abused it. He’s one of only a few who have direct access.”

Roy clutched Hawkeye closer. He wasn’t sure how he felt about introducing an unknown vampire to his very human companion.

“How about Hawkeye stays back with the boys while we introduce ourselves?” Roy suggested.

“Good idea,” Trisha said.

Roy reluctantly put Hawkeye down, guiding her to sit beside the boys. He got the candle Trisha had brought along, setting it up in front of them with a snap of his fingers.

“Can we eat something?” Al asked. “I’m so hungry.”

“Just wait until I get back. I have some snacks in the bag,” Trisha said.

“And what if Dad’s friend doesn’t let us in?” Ed asked.

“Then we sleep in the tunnels. It will be like camping,” Trisha said, forcing a smile.

No one wanted to sleep in the cramped tunnels. It wasn’t even wide enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side. Not to mention the many little creatures who had made their home here.

It was with this concern in mind that Roy and Trisha hurried down the tunnel. Unlike the other exits they had passed, this one had a heavy door with an elaborate “S” carved into the wood—an old symbol for vampires to know they could find shelter there. Trisha forced open the trap door. Roy watched from below, ready to snap.

“Hello!” a grating voice cheered from above. “Trisha, my beauty, is that you?”

“You shameless flirt,” she said, flustered.

A stocky man with wild, stringy hair peered down at them.

“And who’s this guy? You cheating on my man Van?” Barry asked, his voice teasing. Then he inhaled deeply, his eyes focusing on Roy. “And you have a tasty smelling human with you. And…two others?”

Roy was impressed with Barry’s sense of smell, but very displeased with his description of Hawkeye. Even if he agreed.

“We’re in a bit of a bind,” Trisha said, letting Barry hoist her out of the tunnel. Roy pulled himself out, keeping an eye on Barry. The tunnel connected to a small, messy wine cellar. There was more wine than it could contain, and the bottles had been lined in tight rows on the floor with no semblance of order. Barry was either a lush, a hoarder, or both.

As Trisha explained the situation to Barry, the vampire just laughed and laughed as the story got more outrageous. He didn’t seem to hold it against them that Hohenheim and Trisha hadn’t mentioned their sons before, but Roy didn’t know Barry well enough to tell if he was putting on a front. Barry was also delighted to have a vampire celebrity gracing his home. The Flame Alchemist had a reputation, for better or worse. At least he knew Roy could burn him alive if he tried anything.

 #

 An hour later, Barry had put together a small but strange feast in his blacked-out dining room. The table had been covered in old newspapers, dishes, and knickknacks, but Barry had cleared it off without complaint while cooking dinner.

“I used to be a butcher, but I was never a good cook,” Barry said as the water boiled over. Trisha had stepped in to help, and together they found enough to feed everyone. Trisha acted cheerful and helpful, but she had borrowed Barry’s phone and gone through half a dozen numbers attempting to reach Hohenheim. He hadn’t answered, meaning he had no idea what had happened to his family. When Roy saw her hang up the phone the last time, she had looked defeated, her face pinched unpleasantly.

At dinner, Ed and Al were all over the sandwiches and spaghetti like it was the perfect pairing. To kids, it probably was.

Hawkeye tackled the spaghetti with perfect manners, but Roy could tell she wanted to dig in with the same gusto as the boys. Her stomach had been growling with hunger for hours. Roy and the other vampires didn’t need to eat as much, so he gave her half his sandwich when she wasn’t looking. He could admit some of it was for selfish reasons—her blood smelled better when she was well fed. She ate it without complaining of his generosity, which said something of her hunger.

“Dad said you used to kill people when you were human,” Ed said to Barry, in that forthright way he always used. “Is that true?”

Barry guffawed. “Oh, he told you that, did he?” Roy looked over at Trisha who was avoiding his gaze. “It’s very true. You might know me as Barry the Chopper.”

Roy’s eyebrows shot up. He knew well of that serial killer. “You were supposed to have been executed!”

“And I was,” Barry said, putting on a ghostly voice as the young boys listened raptly, eyes wide. “Before my execution, a strange woman came and started asking me questions. Was I related to any other vampires? Had I had vampire blood before? Had I let a vampire drink from me? On and on. After I was executed…I woke up in a lab, and they studied me like a lab rat.”

“Then the government was behind this?” Hawkeye asked, putting down her fork. Her undivided attention to her food had been diverted.

“They wanted to see if there were any conditions that made vampire transformation more favorable,” he said. “There were many others there in the labs—some prisoners, some folks taken right off the street. All vampires. And just as many corpses leftover from the failed attempts.”

“So they wanted to turn more vampires,” Roy said, the grim truths behind the former regime were endless. Just when he thought he’d heard the worst of it, something new was uncovered.

“For a vampire army,” Barry said, laughing again. “Crazy bastards.”

“How long were you there?” Hawkeye asked.

“Only a year or so. Then the uprising began. They wanted us all to fight for their side, but many went AWOL. Including me.”

“And did you start killing innocent people again?” Hawkeye asked. The conversation was beginning to sound like an interrogation.

“Nah, as a vampire, turns out my bloodlust is easier to sate now that I drink blood,” Barry gave a toothy grin. “I’ve been on my best behavior since I turned.”

Hawkeye looked skeptical but said nothing. Roy wagered she didn’t approve. He mused over the ethics of Barry’s situation. Technically, Barry had suffered the punishment of his crimes. Should they imprison him again? Capturing vampires during the uprising had been challenging, usually ending in death rather than imprisonment, but they had found the right blend of reinforced metals that had successfully held vampires. Or most. Alchemist vampires were a different breed altogether.

But Roy had a bigger question on his mind he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “Did they learn the secret to becoming a vampire?” He tried not to look at Hawkeye because he wasn’t going to change her when she was healthy and well, but if she was dying…

“No. It remains a mystery,” Barry said. “Ol’ Van delved into it, too, when he found this pretty thing,” he said, leering at Trisha.

“Gross,” Ed said under his breath.

“You and Hohenheim were together before you were a vampire?” Hawkeye asked her. Roy had heard the story from Hohenheim. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell Hawkeye about it. It wasn’t a story he would share in front of children, either.

Trisha nodded. “We were. I found him irresistibly charming.” She said softly, eyes misty. “We were already married when I became very ill quite suddenly…” she drifted off. She looked at her sons and was able to summon a genuine smile. “And luckily when I died, I was able to return.”

Trisha left out the worst of it. Hohenheim said she was so ill near the end, her quality of life in shreds, that she had asked for his blood one last time. The next morning while he was in town, she’d ended her suffering. Alone.

Roy hid his grimace with his glass of wine.

He reflected on Hohenheim’s original plan. After marrying Trisha, he wanted to age himself alongside her. Vampires usually manipulated their age to be younger, but growing older beside a treasured human had been done on occasion—or so Roy had heard.

If Trisha’s transformation had failed, her husband would have let the sun end his immortal life.

Roy could think of only one person whose death could drive him to do the same, but he also had made her a promise to destroy the vampires who sought to enslave humanity. Could he strive for that goal without her by his side?

“What about little missy here? How’d you get mixed up with the Flame Alchemist?” Barry asked, his eyes on the pulse in Hawkeye’s neck. Roy fought the urge to pull out his gloves.

“He used to give me piggyback rides when I was a girl,” Hawkeye said, glancing at Roy as her amber eyes twinkled.

Barry laughed uproariously. “So you’re just…old friends? Or do you hang around as a donor?”

“To be most accurate, right now he’s my boss,” she replied, casually twirling her fork on her plate. Didn’t she see where Barry was headed with this line of questioning? Roy threw back the last of his wine like a shot.

“I just need to know about the sleeping arrangements,” Barry said. “If you two want to bunk together, or if you want to share with me, or—”

“Barry! Can’t you tell Uncle Roy is about to incinerate you?” Ed chimed in, causing Al to spit out his water as he giggled. Trisha halfheartedly scolded Ed for rudeness, but she was smiling too much to be effective.

Hawkeye turned to Roy. “Really, sir?”

He held up his hands in surrender.

“Uncle Roy and Riza were sharing a room at our house,” Al said innocently, slurping up a noodle. “And I saw him drinking her blood in the kitchen.”

“I see how it is!” Barry said.

“It’s really not like that,” Hawkeye said, and Roy was pleased to see her cheeks were pink.

“So you didn’t give him your blood?” Trisha asked, sounding a lot like her younger son. Deceptive. Trisha came off sweet and motherly, but there was a feisty vampire in there, after all. Roy’s respect for her rose.

“Well, yes,” Hawkeye stumbled over her words.

“From the neck!” Ed added. “And everybody knows what that means.”

“What does it mean?” Al asked, baffled.

Trisha shushed them. “Boys, finish eating. It’s far past your bedtime.”

 #

 Living the bachelor life, Barry had only one extra bedroom. He gave his own to Trisha and the boys, offering Hawkeye and Roy the other while giving an obscene wink. He also insisted on taking over the watch, saying the five of them needed their rest. Roy was hesitant, but there was no polite way to refuse him. Besides, it was daytime, and threats could only be compelled humans. Easy enough for one vampire, and there were two more on hand plus a sharpshooter.

Roy and Hawkeye each took a look around the house, familiarizing themselves with the floor plan before returning to their assigned bedroom. Everything was a bit messy. Barry had haphazardly tidied up, shoving books and clothes onto the floor with enough room to walk to the bed. Roy was sure it was never used for guests. There was a disturbing collection of butcher knives displayed on one wall, warning anyone who wanted to sleep here that their host was a madman.

Hawkeye crawled onto the bed with the determination of a soldier, boots still on.

“You’re just going to sleep?” Roy teased, but he was oddly apprehensive seeing how small the bed was. He didn’t trust himself. Her cloying scent invited him closer, and he barely kept his fangs in check.

“I could go keep watch with Barry, if you’d like,” she said, propping her head on her hand. Roy buried the rush of unreasonable jealousy at the thought of her alone with their creepy host.

“Just wondering where that atrocious nightgown is,” he said instead.

“I had to leave it at the Elric home,” she said. “Not enough room in one bag for both our things.”

The disappointment must have shown on his face because she sat up on the bed.

“I’m on to you,” she said, wagging a finger at him.

“It’s hideous,” he insisted, even as his cheeks grew warm.

She grinned and settled back down to sleep. Roy turned off the light, deciding to take his cue from her and keep even his shoes on. Even with the light off, his vision still allowed him to see her. The room was stuffy and warm, but it meant no blankets, so he watched her curl up on her side, leaving him space behind her back.

He crept in beside her, aware of the creaking of the bed as his weight joined hers. It all felt incredibly intimate. He only shared beds with women he had sex with. He listened greedily to the swiftness of her breathing and heartbeat. Outwardly, she was stoic and still. If he were still human, he’d think her unaffected by his proximity. She was not.

Why she was reacting was a mystery he couldn’t confidently solve. Was she attracted to him? Possibly. Was it merely the novelty of sharing a bed with a man? Or because he was that man? Since learning she was still a virgin, he had been replaying the years of their friendship in a new light.

Hawkeye had been so young when she gave him the secrets to flame alchemy—only sixteen. Roy had been twenty, but his thoughts had been academic and focused. Now it made him wonder if he was the only one to have seen her lethal tattoo, and why that made him so happy.

 #

 The ambush came midday. Riza was awakened by Mustang jostling her awake.

“Get your guns, head to the Elrics’ room,” he whispered. He bolted out the door.

Familiar with this kind of wake up from her days in the militia, Riza was out the door in under a minute, heart pounding, mind focused on her destination.

Gun drawn, she heard scuffling and snarling downstairs. A snap followed by gut-wrenching screams. Riza knocked on the door where the family had been sleeping.

“Trisha? Are you all okay?” Riza asked, watching the staircase—the only way to access the upstairs. Windows, maybe, if they were desperate.

“We’re fine,” Trisha said through the door, her voice strained. “They somehow transported vampires here. I think there are at least two.”

As if summoned, an unfamiliar vampire blurred at the top of the stairs, rushing at Riza. He was heavyset, but frighteningly fast—and armed. Riza aimed her pistol for his bald head, pulling the trigger at the same time the vampire returned fire. Blood and brains sprayed across the wallpaper, and Riza dodged, tumbling into a stack of boxes. Something sharp cut across her hand, but the vampire’s bullet missed her. She repositioned herself behind the boxes, adrenaline thrumming through her as she waited a moment to see if anyone else appeared. The violent noises from below continued.

As stealthily as she could manage, she hurried down the stairs, past the corpse of the vampire, pausing at the bottom to peer around the corner. The clutter of Barry’s home looked like a tornado had swept through. The stench of burnt vampire hung in the air, and two humans writhed on the floor in agony, while two others wrestled against Mustang’s far greater strength. Riza could tell he was trying to be gentle, in case they were compelled, but Riza had no such qualms. She shot one in the leg, the other the arm. The pain overrode their ability to fight back.

“Thanks,” Mustang huffed.

“Is that all of them?” she asked, not moving from her post.

“Two more humans outside. You got the big guy?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “And the family is safe.”

“Good. Can you take care of the two outside? I’ll deal with these four,” he said, binding the intruders’ hands with scraps of fabric he ripped from their own shirts. The humans were all large, younger men, dressed in rough clothes—something poorer folks would wear. Riza suspected they had been compelled because of their strength. If they even had been compelled. Sometimes people pretended to be compelled to escape consequences. Mustang would find out.

Riza slipped outside into the bright sunshine, seeing Barry’s home from the outside for the first time. It was an isolated house, surrounded by trees, with a long driveway where a large truck was parked. There was no sign of the two humans except the truck’s motor rumbling. Riza bumped into a large box, and she figured it must have been used to somehow smuggle the vampires into the house—unless they had known about the tunnel, which was a possibility if Barry had betrayed them. She hadn’t seen him with Mustang.

Riza hunkered behind the box, wishing for a little more coverage to approach the truck. There was too much open space.

But her targets made it easy for her. They dropped out of the truck, guns drawn without skill, more for threatening her. Riza disabled them as she had many soldiers over the years. A bullet for each of them.

“Drop your weapons!” she yelled, approaching with caution. She didn’t want to shoot either of them again, but she would. They refused, and one of them aimed at her. She shot at his wrist, forcibly disarming him. The other took a shot at her, but his arm had already been shot. His bullet went wide.

After that, her greatest challenge was dragging two grown men across the wide expanse of yard as they cussed at her and cried out in pain. One of them took a swing at her, and her cheek was still throbbing when Ed and Al tiptoed into the yard like skittish kittens.

“Mom said we could help you,” Ed explained.

“Go for it,” she said. Or she was going to lose her temper and shoot the intruders dead.

The brothers had no sympathy for the humans, pulling them through the gravel without mercy much faster than Riza was capable. She took more satisfaction than she should have from the men’s shock as they were bested by mere boys.

Inside, Mustang was donating blood to each human, and compelling them for answers one by one, despite what looked like worrisome injuries. He was pushing himself too far again, Riza thought.

Trisha had also made an appearance and had her wrist in Barry’s mouth. He was covered in slashes. It looked like he had been thrown against a wall, based on the dent above him.

He finished feeding and groggily waved Riza over.

“Oh, missy, you have a shiner marring that gorgeous cheek of yours,” he said, his words slurring as he sat up. “I’d give you some of my blood, but as you can see, I’m fresh out.”

Riza smiled gently. “It’s nothing serious, but thank you for the offer.”

Trisha joined Mustang compelling the humans. After they had their information, they compelled the men to forget everything and go home in the truck.

“Two of them did it for money, the rest were compelled,” Mustang told Riza grimly. “I think the female vampire,” he pointed at some ashes, “was the same one who used Dr. Rockbell.”

“That’s a relief,” Riza said.

“Yes and no,” Mustang said. “How did they find us here? Do they know the tunnels and where they connect to?”

“Maybe we should avoid the tunnels for now,” Trisha said, attempting to sweep some cracked drywall from where Barry had been smashed into it.

“I think that’s best,” Mustang agreed. He ran his hands through his hair, falling into a chair in exhaustion. “We’re all tired. We have no way to contact Hohenheim safely…Let’s rest until sunset, then head out on foot.” Riza’s exhausted body approved of the idea.

“I could drive you part way,” Barry said. “I have a safe place on the way to Central. It’s not much, but you’ll be protected from the sun.”

The boys were sent up to bed while the adults sketched out a more thorough plan for nightfall and fixed up Barry’s house. It was only when Riza finally marched up the stairs to return to bed that she remembered the body of the vampire she had killed—but it was gone, only a black, smoky spot left behind.

She hoped the boys hadn’t seen it before Mustang took care of it. As if reading her mind, he caught up to her.

“Only Trisha saw him. And good riddance to that bastard,” he said, giving Riza a nudge toward the bedroom door. “He took a bite out of my arm!”

Riza looked closer at Mustang with concern. His black shirt disguised the fact he was covered in blood. Like Barry, his wounds had healed, but Mustang and Trisha had only had animal blood from Barry’s stash. Mustang was still stronger than Riza, without question, but he wouldn’t be as strong as a well-fed vampire. His thirst would be a weakness she would need to compensate for.

“You’re a mess. Why don’t you go wash up first?” she offered. He nodded and left.

Riza went to the bedroom, brushed her hair and picked out a clean change of clothes while Mustang was gone. Then she took a turn in the bathroom. Looking in Barry’s dingy mirror, she could tell she was going to have a black eye. And while washing her hand she reopened the cut on her palm. She would have to dig through her bag for some bandages.

She opened the door to the bedroom quietly, and found Mustang already lying down, hands tucked under the back of his head. The moment she shut the door, he scurried to the end of the creaky bed.

“Uh, you’re bleeding,” he said, his whole body rigid and focused on her. Like a predator. It was very unlike him. She had cut herself numerous times in front of him—and other vampires—without issue.

“Oh, yes, I scraped my hand. Nothing major,” she said. She gasped when suddenly he was only a foot away.

“Sorry,” he apologized, stumbling back to the bed. “I’m a bit thirstier than I thought.”

“I don’t want to make a habit of it, but…I can give you mine again.”

His tongue ran across his fangs. “You’re tired. And hurt.”

“You’re the one best equipped to protect that family. You need to be at your best.” She thought of the embarrassing teasing from the boys at dinner and offered her wrist, resisting the urge to crane her head to the side.

“You’re far too generous, Hawkeye,” he said. He took her hand instead, spreading her fingers apart and studying the thin slice that marred her skin. His breath fanned over her palm while she held her own breath in anticipation. He merely licked across her hand to ensure the wound would close.

She shivered at the sensation of his tongue but was startled by the burn of disappointment he wasn’t going to feed from her. Then he quickly yanked her into his lap as he settled them on the bed, his hand hot and intimate on her waist. His lips brushed the side of her neck, hesitating as he waited for permission.

And part of her thought she should stop him, offer her wrist and return to the vampire hunting partnership they had before—nothing but a professional friendship.

She arched her neck.

“Please.”

His fangs pierced her neck, groaning as he sucked on her flesh. His hand stroked down to the small of her back, resting just above the curves below.

Heat flooded through her, radiating to her core. Fighting the urge to squirm on his lap, she clutched his shirt tightly as she panted raggedly. What was it about feeding him that aroused her so much? She knew there was a relaxant in their saliva, kind of like certain spiders, but this was different. Her whole body hummed in anticipation, like his bite was just preparing her for something more carnal. Maybe she should be worried. She wasn’t.

A woozy feeling overcame her, and she reached her hand to cup his cheek.

“Roy, that’s too much,” she said.

He immediately pulled back, biting his wrist and holding it up to her. Still high from the intoxicating experience of feeding him, she bent her head to drink, the heady taste buzzing through her like strong wine. It was addictive.

Her mind lost to sensations, it was with dim awareness she realized she was rocking against something thick and hard. She stilled her hips as embarrassment coursed through her, releasing his wrist and licking her lips.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him.

“Never be sorry for that,” he gasped. And then he rolled them so he was on top of her, her legs wrapping around him instinctually to grind against him through their clothes. She wanted more friction, more bare skin.

“You taste so good,” he murmured, nuzzling into her neck as she carded her fingers through his hair. “I want to taste you everywhere.”

Then his hands froze at her waist, body tensing.

“What is it?” she asked, mirroring his posture. The high of being in his arms was washed away with cold fear. And something that was almost regret seeped into her bones.

Then Mustang rolled off her with a string of frustrated curses, and she realized she was missing something.

“Barry is a bastard,” Mustang said, voice at regular volume. A cackle came from downstairs. Oh.

“It’s for the best. You’re always mixing food with pleasure. It was bound to happen,” she said, giving him an out. Or herself. She wasn’t sure.

“Uh, yes,” he said with palpable relief. “I’m sure your father would disapprove of you working for a vampire, let alone…” He trailed off awkwardly.

“Very true.” Her father would have never given a vampire sympathizer his alchemy, or even worked with a vampire. And he would have thrown her out for willingly sharing blood with one.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Mustang said, disappearing without another word.

She heard Barry laughing again and another rush of mortification hit her. If Barry had heard her with Mustang, the Elrics could have, too. With shame, Riza remembered they were on a dangerous assignment, protecting a lovely family from harm. It was not the time to fall into bed with her boss. And realistically, it should never happen, assignment or not. There was a complex, painful history between them that she was sure sex wouldn’t help whatsoever.

Maybe if there were some genuine feeling on his end, but she knew Roy Mustang. He flitted from woman to woman, and while moments ago Riza wanted to lose herself to the thrill of touching and being touched by him…She also knew she was a serious, monogamous person. It was one of the reasons she was still a virgin. And with Mustang, her heart could not afford to be careless. He was too important to her.

[flourchildwrites]

Heart, Mind, Soul & Hand

Alphonse considered himself a lucky man to meet Mei for a second time on equal footing. And, if he was being honest with himself, he knew it would be an honor to remain by her side for as long as she would allow. But first, as always in Xingese culture, the formalities had to be observed — intricate, perplexing and time-honored formalities that found the younger Elric brother in woeful need of advice. What does one get for the alkahestress who has everything?

By @waddiwasiwitch, @ruikosakuragi and @flourchildwrites

Written for @fmasecretsanta2019 for @linksphilosopherssock

Fandom:  Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types  

Relationship/Pairing:  Mei Chang/Alphonse Elric, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric

Genre:  Romance, Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Marriage,

Rating:  General Audiences

Word Count:  2,674 words

Read on AO3

Alphonse Elric understood many things.  He could wax poetic about the difference between alchemy and alkahestry, expertly parsing the differences between tectonic energy and the revered dragon’s pulse.  He could ruminate, at length (in either his native Amestrian or Xingese), about the ethics of human transmutation with a fire in his eyes that dissuaded the most curious upstarts.  And after many years of instruction, Mei Chang had even managed to teach him how to brew a decent cup of tea.

It was impossible to say when Alphonse had fallen for the Chang clan’s most respected alkahestry practitioner, but if he had to guess, he’d wager that it happened during their quiet hours of study in Emperor Ling’s palace archive.  Often, Al suspected that a force other than fate had so often placed them on the same committee or seated them side-by-side at the lengthiest banquets.  And whether this force’s name started with Li- or La- or Ed- or Win- didn’t seem to matter when all was said and done.

Alphonse considered himself a lucky man to meet Mei for a second time on equal footing.  He felt privileged to be able to make her smile and giggle at his (still) awful pronunciation of Xingese words.  And, if he was being honest with himself, he knew it would be an honor to remain by her side for as long as she would allow, pondering the precise tone of her chi, admiring the intricate plats of her trademark braids or debating about what to have for dinner.

But first, as always in Xingese culture, the formalities had to be observed — intricate, perplexing and time-honored formalities that found the younger Elric brother in woeful need of advice.

Alphonse knocked on the office door and heard a familiar “Come in.” A warmth filled his chest at the sound of Captain Hawkeye’s voice. He stepped inside, and Hawkeye stood up, her eyes wide.

“Alphonse!” She smiled, her eyes crinkled around the edges. “It’s so good to see you. What a nice surprise. The team will be disappointed to have missed you.”

He smiled back. “I was actually hoping to talk to you and General Mustang.” He glanced at the door to the inner office. “Is he in?”

She inclined her head. “He is, but he is on the phone to the Fuhrer at the moment. If you wouldn’t mind waiting a while-”

The door to the inner office opened suddenly and revealed a purple-faced Mustang with clenched fists. “That sneaky-” He cut himself off when he saw Alphonse standing there, and his anger evaporated. “Alphonse!”

Still, he couldn’t help but notice that Mustang’s eyes searched the room. Alphonse suspected he was expecting to see his brother standing there. After all, they had been inseparable back when Ed was a state alchemist.

“Congratulations are in order if the rumours I hear of upcoming nuptials are true.” Mustang wrung his hand.

Alphonse smiled, pride bursting in his chest. “They are.”

“Well, well, you have aimed high.” Mustang winked. “Well done, snagging yourself a Xingese princess.”

“Sir,” Hawkeye scolded. She turned to Alphonse and embraced him. “Congratulations, Alphonse, we’re delighted for both of you.”

“Didn’t I just say the same thing?” Mustang muttered.

Hawkeye rolled her eyes as she pulled back.  

Alphonse dipped his head. “That’s part of why I came actually, I wanted to give you invitations in person. Xingese custom dictates we deliver the invitations in person if possible.”

Mustang and Hawkeye glanced at one another. As usual, the pair seemed to be having a completely nonverbal conversation before turning back to him.

“Of course, we’ll come.” Mustang beamed from ear to ear. “Before you say anything, Hawkeye, we’ll reschedule any necessary meetings. We can’t miss this. Especially after Alphonse came all this way.”

Alphonse reached into his pocket and took out two ornate envelopes. He handed them reverently to the officers.

“Xing?” Mustang ripped open the envelope while his subordinate opened hers carefully. “I’ve never been to Xing.”

“How is Mei?” Hawkeye asked. “Pass on our thanks.”

“She is well, but she had to stay behind. There is a lot to plan before the wedding.” Alphonse sighed. “Her family has some very specific plans for this wedding.”

A small frown appeared on Hawkeye’s face. “Is there something bothering you, Alphonse?”

“Well, can I just get an opinion from a woman’s perspective?”

“Of course,” she said.

“It’s just that I wanted to get Mei a ring, but she seems bemused by Amestrian customs.”

“It doesn’t have to be a ring.” She patted his arm. “But it should be something that means a lot to you both. One of the reasons why jewellery is traditionally given is because women didn’t always have control of their finances.”

Alphonse nodded. “I guess I can understand that. It just seems wrong somehow not to give her something as a symbol.”

“Have you explained this to her, Alphonse? I’m sure you two could come to some sort of compromise.” She smiled reassuringly. “Try not to worry. I’m sure you two will figure it out in no time.”

“I hope so.”  

“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked.

He nodded. He was still unconvinced.

“I couldn’t help overhearing,” Mustang began as Hawkeye stepped out of the office. He was sitting on the edge of Hawkeye’s desk. “If a woman says she doesn’t want jewellery it means you haven’t given her the right one. You have to give her a ring to show your love and your commitment to her. What displays that better than a ring?”

Alphonse’s face fell. Confusion reigned.

Mustang slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, I know of an amazing jeweller. He even makes bespoke rings if there is something there that you don’t like. By the end of this visit, I’m sure you’ll have the perfect ring.”

The young man had little time to reconcile the contradictory advice as Captain Hawkeye turned the corner, balancing a modest tray of milk, sugar and tea.  Alphonse took his cup, bowing his head in thanks and inwardly thinking that, perhaps, Hawkeye had not steeped the tea long enough.  Still, he sipped, grateful for the small comfort.

“Ring or no ring, what’s important is the bond you share,” Hawkeye said in summation.

Yet, Al couldn’t help but notice Mustang ostentatiously mouthing the word “ring” over his Captain’s shoulder with a confident nod.

...

There wasn’t time to visit the jeweller that General Mustang had mentioned.  In fact, there was barely time to catch the day’s last train to Resembool.  As Alphonse watched the scenery outside the window shift from industrial warehouses to rolling fields of farmland, he felt the hands of the clock rewind back to lazy days of traveling alongside the Fullmetal Alchemist.

As a disembodied soul, Alphonse’s existence had sidelined him from the simple pleasures life had to offer.  Nevertheless, the young man smiled as he grounded himself in the moment that and assured himself that, indeed, he could feel the weight of his suitcase leaning against his leg.  He knew that there was a warm bed waiting for him in the Elric family home.  He expected that the sweet scent of Winry’s apple pie would greet him as he approached the modest steps of the rebuilt estate.

And he was right on all accounts.

“Uncle Al!” Yuriy Elric exclaimed.

Ed and Winry’s oldest son must have grown half a foot since the last time his Uncle Al had visited, but no one would have known it from the way Alphonse scooped him up, hoisted him atop his shoulders without skipping a beat.  The blond boy kicked his feet and raised his arms high into the cool evening air.

“He’s here!  He’s here!  Do you see, Dad?  He’s here!”

The stocky build of Edward Elric carefully descended the steps with a small baby girl nested within the crook of his right arm.  It did Alphonse good to see his brother like this — paternal and settled with bags under his eyes but a sincere smile stretching the corners of his tanned face.  A tight feeling shot through Alphonse’s chest as he realized that their mother would have been especially proud of the father her oldest became.  Maybe, she would have been proud of him as well.

“Welcome back,” Ed greeted.  “Long time no see.”

“Brother,” Alphonse responded as the siblings exchanged a soft look.  “Happy to be back, for a little while at least.”

Ed helped Yuriy down and ushered him indoors.  “Run down to the workshop, and tell your mother Uncle Al has arrived.”

With little Sara still swaddled securely in one arm, Ed took Alphonse’s suitcase and bristled at the weight.  “Did you bring the Emperor’s whole library with you?”

Al chuckled.  “Just a little light reading for the trip, and about a dozen wedding invitations.  Mei sent some gifts for the kids too.  Don’t worry.  She’s holding off on the kunai until Yuriy turns 10 or 11.”

Ed grinned mischievously, jest concern dripping from his words.

“That doesn’t make me worry any less.”

With Ed’s response came the unwanted memory of an attempted human transmutation.  It had happened when the Elric brothers were 10 and 11 in this very house.  Nevertheless, those events felt foggy, like something from a past life.  Alphonse shrugged, good-natured smile intact,  as he ignored the tectonic remnants of such powerful alchemy seeping up from the basement that was now Winry’s workshop.  The weary traveler took infant Sara in his arms and admired his niece for the first time since her birth.

“I can’t imagine why,” he said.

...

Ed cooked beef stew for dinner though Winry’s apple pie was easily the best thing passed around the table.  It was second only to the small bottle of sake Alphonse presented as a present to his sister-in-law alongside his wedding invitation.  And as the stars burned brighter in the night sky, the conversation also flowed.  Alphonse confessed his dilemma to Winry and Ed, tacking on the contradictory advice of the General and his Captain.

“I think, perhaps, Mei would appreciate a family heirloom over a ring that would normally cost hundreds and thousands of cenz,” Winry suggested. “I could give you one of grandmother’s rings that she received from grandfather. I think Mei will love it.”

But Alphonse shook his head, determined that the answer to his dilemma was not the treasured ring that he knew sat in Winry’s jewellery box. “No. I can’t take something as precious as that. Pinako gave them to you.”

“I don’t mind parting with one.”

“Winry, thank you, but I really can’t. It won’t feel right,” he insisted with a reassuring smile.

“Then what are you going to do?”

Before Alphonse could voice his thoughts, Ed sprang from his seat and raised his index finger knowingly towards the sky. And had it not been for the baby he had rocked to sleep only minutes ago, Al could have sworn that the sweet effects of the sake had taken control of his brother, turning his cheeks a little too red and making his laughter much too loud for the sleeping baby.

With a wary glance at little Sara’s room, Winry attempted to shush her husband. But Ed followed with a hard clap on his back that threatened to regurgitate the spoonful of apple pie that Alphonse had only swallowed.

“You know we’ve still got your old suit of armor in a crate out back,” Ed exclaimed with much enthusiasm before a sneer crept along his potty mouth. “Bet I could dig out that metallic jockstrap looking thing since Mei’s clearly got you whipped.”

“Ed!” Winry warned with a hiss sharper than usual.

Distraught by more pressing matters, Alphonse simply offered a halfhearted chuckle as he rose to his feet, sliding his chair backward and stacking the empty dishes on the table into a short tower of plates. “I can help you clean up, Winry. And then I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

...

It was surreal to be in a bedroom that looked like the one he grew up in and sat in the same position but was, in fact, different down to its bones.  Alphonse would never tell Edward that his recreation of their family dwelling was anything less than a perfect replication. But, had he been critical, it was worth noting that the ceiling felt too low and the window was situated a few inches to the right of the original.  Or maybe Al was simply shorter now.

He smirked at the novelty of that concept.

Alphonse adjusted his sheets in an attempt to get comfortable.  He turned onto his side, propped a book against his pillow and rubbed at his tired eyes.  Still, sleep remained as elusive as the perfect gift for Mei.

He agreed with Captain Hawkeye — it did not have to be a ring.  But, as General Mustang had opined, there was no better analogy for unity than a circle, the many curves life could take molded by choice into a single line with neither beginning nor end.  And while Granny’s rings were precious, they were more meaningful to Winry.

As for Edward’s advice, well, he could be an ass.  A punch drunk, sleep-deprived ass who (for reasons unknown, perhaps guilt) never missed an opportunity to remind Alphonse that he had spent years cutting an imposing figure within a hollow suit of armor.  A suit of armor that neither man could bring themselves to part with.  A suit of armor that was sitting in the shed out back and…

Lightning struck in the form of a clever idea.  Alphonse sat straight up and pushed the covers aside.  He crossed his room in three determined strides and rummaged in the suitcase propped open on the desk.  Down the stairs, Alphonse moved with a rudimentary alchemy book and several pieces of chalk in hand.  With his feet crammed into Edward’s galoshes, he entered the small storage shed out back and re-emerged the next morning with a piece of handiwork that brought tears to Winry’s eyes.

...

Alphonse stepped into the library, his eyes landed on his soon to be wife who was writing what appeared to be a letter. Mei’s face lit up and his heart skipped a beat.

He was home at last.

Before he could utter a word, he had an armful of his Xingese princess. His arms pulled her close and he breathed her in.  

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“Not as much as I missed you.”

Her fervent reply made him chuckle and he kissed her temple.

“How is the preparation going?”

Mei’s eyes flashed. “I feel like I am going to kill someone one of these days.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think The Emperor would be very happy about that.”

“It’s him I want to kill,” she muttered. Before Al could say another word. “Well, tell me did you bring me any presents from your travels?”

His girl could read his mind. He was sure of it. Feeling the inside of his coat, he pulled out a small box.

“I made this from my old suit of armor.” Al opened it to reveal a small ring. It was dull silver and plain with the smallest hint of copper blush. The only unique adornment was a white filament twisted around the band. “I transmuted pieces of armor from my breastplate, my hand and the place where Ed put the blood seal to make the ring. The white strand is what was left of my old hair.”

“Why those parts?” Mei asked as she regarded the simple piece of jewelry, holding it up the light. “Surely, that armor was precious to you.”

Al smiled.  His reply was well-rehearsed, but sincere all the same. “You’ve given me a place in your heart, a piece of your mind, an insight into your soul and you’re about to give me your hand in marriage. I thought I should return the favor. It’s equivalent exchange.”

Her eyes welled up. “It’s beautiful, Alphonse, I would be glad to wear it.”

A/N:   Happy (seriously belated) holidays, @linksphilosopherssock! You have not one but three back-up Secret Santas who tackled this gift as a team. We heard that you liked Royai, Edwin and Almei, so we decided to give you a little bit of everything. We hope that you like it and that the fic was worth the wait! We certainly enjoyed creating it for you.

[winryofresembool]

Fic: A Birthday to Remember

A/N: Happiest of birthdays to @mcgonnagle!! :3 ♥ When I started writing this fic, I was not imagining it to become 3k+ words, but somehow that just happened :’D But I still hope you are going to enjoy it! I sure enjoy myself some parental Edwin and I hope you do too :D

Summary: Edwin daughter Emma’s 10th birthday (sorry, I have no idea how to summarize this mess otherwise :*D)

words: 3400+ (woops)

genre: floof, I guess some hurt/comfort

warnings: Ed’s language

...

”Emma?”

”Yeah, dad?” the eldest daughter of the Rockbell-Elric family lifted her gaze from her book. Her father, Edward, was standing next to her, staring at her with a weird expression.

“Is there something you’d like for a birthday gift, Bean?” he asked.

“Sure. That the twins would go away and I could hear my thoughts so I can read.” She gave her dad a pointed look. She had made it clear many times the twins annoyed her, and Ed sighed.

“Listen, Emma. We know that the constant crying is getting into your nerves. Heck, it’s getting into all our nerves. But they are just babies, Truth knows you were just as loud when you were of their age.”

“You’re not helping, dad.” Emma rolled her eyes but decided to change the topic. Slowly, she said: “If you really want to know what I want though, it’s someone to play with. Alan… is always tinkering something in the workshop when he’s home, and Elena likes playing with her pretty dolls. I want to go out and explore and there’s no one I can do that with.”

“You’re not having friends at school?” Ed asked worriedly. He could still remember what it felt like when he only had Al to rely on.

With brutal honestly Emma answered: “They’re all stupid, they don’t understand when I rant about my favorite books and they call me know-it-all behind my back just because I know the answers to teachers’ questions better than they do. So no, I don’t want to be their friend.”

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Ed grunted, not sure what else to say. He wished he had Winry to help him with this talk. “You know… sometimes we misinterpret things a lot. And we judge other people too fast. Do you know how I got to know the Emperor of Xing? He was in Amestris illegally, without anything to eat or drink, so he bought some with my money when we had just met. A shitty thing to do, right? But I learned to know him better and found out he was actually very serious about his country, and he seemed less bratty after that. Not to mention, he and Greed actually turned out to be pretty valuable on the Promised Day. But my point is, sometimes we find friends in very unexpected situations if we just keep eyes open. I’m sure you will too.”

“Uh, thanks dad. I hope you’re right,” Emma said awkwardly, focusing her eyes on her book.

“I know I am. And Emma,” Ed added after a brief silence.

“Yeah?”

“Your old man may be an annoying guy a lot of the time…And I know the twins have taken a lot of our time lately… But whenever you need to talk, know that I am always here. And I do want to know how you’re doing. And so do your mum and your siblings.”

“Oh… Yeah, I’ll try to remember that.” Emma nodded. She wouldn’t admit it, but she had needed to hear that.

“Good,” Ed said and turned to leave.

“Dad?” Emma said hesitantly when Ed was almost out of the room.

“Mmmh?”

“Can I… get a hug?”

Ed was caught a bit off guard, but he was happy about Emma’s question nevertheless. “Sure thing, Bean,” he said and returned back to her.

“Don’t call me that,” Emma mumbled against his shirt, but was still happy to wrap her arms around him.

“You’ll always be my Bean.”

“Ugh, why do you have to ruin the moment like that?” Emma growled, although not very seriously.

“Because that’s my job, right? To annoy my kids. Anyway, I should probably get going because I just got an idea,” Ed said mysteriously.

“Oh?”

“You’ll see eventually!” He shouted from the door and left a very confused Emma behind.

 …

“Winry, did you say you had seen Major Hawkeye recently?” Ed asked his wife only a few minutes after his talk with his eldest daughter.

“Yeah, Riza and I had a cup of coffee together when I was in Central to meet up with a client last week,” Winry admitted.

“Right. Did she mention anything about the puppies? I heard from the Gen…  I mean Mustang that some of them have already been claimed…”

“Why do you ask?” Winry asked with surprise. “I thought you were against taking one when we visited them the last time.”

“Yeah but… sometimes opinions change.”

“They don’t usually change when it comes to you,” Winry eyed her husband suspiciously. “What caused this?”

“Well… It’s Emma. Remember how much she loved that black puppy? She… she just told me she wanted someone to play with, but she doesn’t like her classmates. And I can’t just magically change people’s attitudes, so… what’s a more loyal friend than a dog? And we haven’t had one since Den… Maybe it would be about time…”

“I guess we could consider that,” Winry agreed. “But she has to take the main responsibility herself because you know we don’t have a lot of extra time in our hands.”

“True. But if given the chance, I think she’d be more than happy to accept that challenge.” Ed grinned at his wife.

 …

 “Hello Edward, what brings you here?”

True to his old habit, Ed hadn’t called Riza Hawkeye, now ranked a Major, before arriving to her doorstop. Riza didn’t seem too perplexed by this fact though; she brushed it off and instead wanted to know what the reason for his sudden arrival.

“It’s my daughter. She wants… well, I was thinking that this might be the right moment for a new dog, after all. Despite what I may have said during our last visit.” Ed shrugged.

“Oh! Well, you were in a luck because one of the people who had planned to adopt one of our puppies just canceled the other day. Apparently their kid has allergies. So, we do have one left!”

“Which one is it?” Ed asked, hoping it would be the one that Emma had bonded with earlier.

“Come see yourself,” Riza invited Ed inside.

..

“General Ba… Mustang, why are you here?”

Ed found his ex-superior in Riza’s living room watching the puppies intently, a mildly amused expression on his face.

“I just had to drop some work things to the Major…” Roy answered casually while leaning against the puppy fence.

“I almost believe you,” Ed rolled his eyes and stepped closer to look at the puppies. “One would think you have gotten soft and want to get a puppy of your own.”

“Tell me, Fullmetal, how many puppies do you have at home, though? I have lost my count,” Roy claimed.

“They are human children, Mustang, and there are 6 of them, have been almost a year now.” Ed glared at him.

“Don’t mind him, Ed, he’s just… doing what he usually does,” Riza said, a tiny, mischievous smile on her face. “The other day he asked me weirdly specific questions about them, so he does actually remember their names and even birthdays.”

Ed wanted to throw Roy another snarky comment, but when he saw that the older man was looking at him with a serious expression now, he decided to change the topic. “The thing is… Emma really needs some company. Winry and I… can’t really offer her what she needs, even though we are trying our best, and her siblings, besides Alan of course, are still too young to understand her mindset. I know a pet can’t talk to her back, but it can at least give her some distraction and company when she feels the family isn’t enough.”

“That does sound like a good idea,” Riza nodded. “Hayate and the ones after him have been a very big help to me as well.”

“If I remember correctly, the one Emma seemed to bond with the most was the black one with a tiny white dot in his neck. Is he free still?” Ed asked, trying to spot that one among the puppies.

“I’m afraid he has been claimed…” Riza said apologetically. But then a smile spread on her face. “But I remember that the person who claimed him seemed to like another one too and he was debating between them for a long while… I could pull a couple of strings and see what I can do!”

…

15 minutes later, Riza had managed to call the person who wanted the dog Emma had fallen in love with. At first, he was reluctant to switch it to another puppy, but when he heard it was for a 10-year-old girl, he eventually softened and gave in. Ed promised to compensate for it somehow, even saying that he’d fix roofs or anything if needed but the man laughed it off and said that the husband of Winry Rockbell didn’t owe him anything. It turned out Winry had helped the man’s wife with her prosthetic limb a few years prior and they both were still very thankful for her help. Ed thanked his wife in his mind and sighed of relief when the phone call ended.

“Emma will be so happy!”

“I’m sure she will. I wish I could be there to see her face,” Riza said.

“Oh but you can,” Ed told her enthusiastically. “After all this trouble, the least I can do for you is to invite you to her party. I’m sure she’d be happy to see you too” Then he casted a dark look at Roy. “I suppose you can come too. If you really insist.”

“You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Roy smiled smugly.

“Right,” Ed snorted. “Anyway, remember, no one is allowed to know about this! I want it to be a surprise.”

“Don’t worry, Fullmetal, the secret will go to the grave with us.” Roy said wryly and got another poisonous glare from Ed.

…

Emma wasn’t in her best mood when she woke up in her birthday morning. The twins, who slept in the room right below hers, had been screaming a lot the previous night (she had heard her dad suspecting they were ill, but Emma was positive they had done it just to ruin her night), which naturally meant also Emma had slept badly. She had tried to read for a moment but her flashlight had run out of batteries and she didn’t have candles in her room either, afraid of turning on the big light because her parents may notice and ask her why she was awake at that hour. So, it was no wonder that when she marched into the kitchen for breakfast, she was far from the “sunshine” as her dad described her when he greeted her.

“Happy birthday to my sunshine! Big 10 today, huh? How does that feel?”

“Would feel better if I wasn’t tired as hell,” she gave her dad a pointed look, letting him know nonverbally that she had been awake because of the twins.

“I’ll let that language slip this one time because it’s your birthday. But don’t let me hear that again,” Ed warned, cocking his eyebrow.

“Whatever,” Emma snorted, knowing full well Ed had probably been worse than her with his language when he had been 10. She buttered a bread and then started looking around, asking: “Why isn’t there a cake on the table? I thought it’s a tradition…”

“Bean, we’ll get it later this afternoon, we’ve been so b…”

“Busy, yeah, I know,” Emma said, disappointment clear from his voice. “I feel like that’s what you always say these days when you need some excuse…”

Ed glanced at his other kids who gave each other vary looks and decided this was not the place for this discussion. She told Emma to follow him into the living room, and she did, arms folded over her chest.

“Listen, Emma. I can understand why you are bummed, but the twins simply need more attention right now because they can’t help themselves, unlike you do. I’m pretty sure they’ve been crying a lot is because they have an ear infection or something like that bothering them. And your mum didn’t want to take that new patient, but she had to, because her pride wouldn’t let her say no. She wanted to keep this as a surprise, but she already told me that once she was done with the automail and got the payment for it, she’d take you to Central for a trip. So please, don’t imply that we don’t care because we do. I hope that today we can show how much.”

“Are you… saying… that you have actually planned something for me?” Emma wasn’t sure how to react, but her face reflected both genuine surprise and relief.

“Of course we have! Why would you even think otherwise? Have we ever forgotten your birthday?” Ed asked.

“No… of course you haven’t…” Emma said regretfully. “Sorry. I guess… I just wasn’t expecting anything because you have had your hands full…”

“Well, I promise that something you’ll like will happen today but I can’t say anything else because it would ruin the surprise.”

“Okay. Then you don’t have to. But where’s mum?” Emma realized suddenly. “She’s always the first one at the breakfast table.”

“She… Uh… I think she may have run out of some automail parts and went to buy them,” Ed lied quickly, but from his face it became quite obvious it wasn’t true. In reality, she had gone to buy some necessities for the dog.

“Dad, you are a bad liar. But don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me.”

Ed swiped his forehead in relief. “Good, because I’m pretty sure your mum would have killed me if I had slipped something…”

Emma seemed already happier when she said: “It’s rare to see you so mysterious, dad, I really can’t help but wonder what you’re hiding! But guess I’ll see soon enough, right?”

Ed ruffled his daughter’s hair a bit. “Of course you will, Bean. Now, let’s go back to the others, your porridge is getting cold.”

“Daaad, do I have to eat porridge on my birthday?”

“Of course you do! Otherwise you won’t grow big and strong like me!”

Emma couldn’t help but snort at his dad’s silliness, but she elbowed him on his side softly, letting him know they were good now.

…

In the afternoon Ed and Winry kept staring from the window nervously. Riza was supposed to bring the dog any moment now, but the problem was keeping Emma out of the way so they could bring him in without her noticing. Thankfully Alan knew about his parents’ plot, so he took Emma out for ice cream before his dad started showing signs of exploding from keeping the secret.  

Finally Riza brought the puppy and she, Ed and Winry took him in the livingroom where Emma’s gift pile (including a lot of dog necessities) was waiting. Ed had built the puppy a wooden box with cushions inside to make it comfortable, and that’s where he was planning to put him when Emma got home.

Soon Winry had finished decorating the cake Al and Mei had brought for them, the younger kids were hanging out quietly upstairs, even the twins sleeping, and Alan and Emma would probably be arriving soon. Riza, Roy (who had not wanted to miss a chance to tease Ed for being a doting father), Al, Mei and their kids were already waiting for the birthday girl, and the rest of the guests would visit later that evening.

While they were waiting, the puppy was acting a bit restlessly, as if it was sensing something interesting was going on. Riza tried her best to keep it occupied by clinging her keys. It seemed to have developed a weird interest on them; when Emma had first met the puppies, she had showed this same puppy her keys to her diary and the puppy had kept following her since then.

Finally, Ed saw some movement on their yard and told Riza to set the dog to the spot he had planned for him. For a moment that plan seemed to work. The puppy sniffed his surroundings and tried to mouth the pillow in the box a bit before laying on it. But when he heard the door going, he didn’t want to stay in the box anymore. Unfortunately, Ed had underestimated the puppy’s jumping skills and when he turned away for a moment, he was already out, running mindlessly towards the hall. On his way there, he managed to push a broom Ed had left leaning against the dining table, hitting the juice jug on it, which fell over and spilled the contents on the tablecloth, floor and Ed’s clothes. Emma and Alan could hear their dad’s cursing from the livingroom before their attention moved to the black little storm approaching them.

“What… is this?” Emma asked with wide eyes when the puppy stopped right in front of her, jumping against her legs excitedly. She stared at it for a moment, her eyes suddenly flashing with recognition. Then she took out the door keys she had had in her pocket and made a ‘clink’ sound with them. The dog immediately reacted.

“Oh my… Truth! It’s him!” She exclaimed and crouched down to pet him. Finally, she turned her head to address her parents: “Mum? Dad? What does this mean? Is he… Is he…” Her voice was starting to break.

“He’s all yours, sweetie!” Winry said softly.

Emma was silent for a moment. She looked between the dog that was now licking her hand, and her parents, and suddenly she jumped up and squealed louder than Ed and Winry had probably ever heard. Then she almost tackled her parents as she pulled them into a hug and shed a few tears against Ed’s shirt.

“I wished… I wished… but I never thought you actually would…”

“For you we’d go through the portal of Truth again, Bean,” Ed was the first to speak.

“Emma, sweetie,” Winry added. “I wish you had told us earlier how you felt. I’m so sorry for not seeing it until your dad told me about your discussion. If you want to, we can try to switch schools after the summer break so you can meet new kids. And we are going to do our best to give you the attention you need. But for now, will you take care of this puppy? I have a feeling he likes you already.”

“Of course I will,” she mumbled emotionally, wiping the corners of her eyes quickly.

“Remember, he’s a lot of responsibility,” Winry said as she was stroking her daughter’s hair. “We are expecting you to help with the feeding, training and walking because we can’t do it alone. You can do that, right?”

“Of course, mum!” Emma said without even thinking about it.

“So,” Riza stepped in, “How are you going to name this boy?”

Emma looked at the puppy for a moment, and without hesitation she noted: “Key!”

 …

A couple of weeks later, Emma took Key to a local park. They had been doing surprisingly well considering the puppy had only recently been separated from his family: Key already seemed to enjoy sleeping in Emma’s bed, did pretty well with the potty training and even knew how to sit already. That’s why they were allowed to go out on their own without the watching eyes of Emma’s parents. The two of them were simply enjoying their time together, Key sniffing everything he found from the ground and Emma being happy when someone stopped to compliment the puppy.

Just when they were about to leave, Emma noticed a little girl by the road staring at them. She was probably a little younger than her, her curly hair kept under a big sun hat, but even that couldn’t quite hide the fact that she had a lot of freckles on her face. She stopped there only for a moment, giving them a tiny wave when she saw Emma noticing. However, that moment ended fast when the girl’s mother came out of the shop she was standing in front of, and urged the girl to continue walking in what seemed a pretty cold fashion to Emma. The two girls continued to their own ways, but little did they know that one day the fate would reunite them and create the most beautiful form of bonds between them. Meanwhile, Emma just scratched behind Key’s ears and smiled at him, her face expressing that she had just met a friend.

[schrijverr]

Professor Elric?

After The Promised Day Edward is sent on a miliary mission to Hogwarts where he will teach Alchemy to his students. He is told not to interfere with their business, but he has a hard time not getting involved with this weird Voldy prick.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none

Chapter 7 out of 10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost Christmas break and the fifth year Alchemy class filtered into the classroom. Most could now make an element different shapes, but all struggled with changing elements.

They were waiting for Mister Elric, which was strange, because the man was usually on time and already waiting for them, even when they had him first in the morning. When asked about it he told them he did exercises before breakfast, which everyone found horrifying.

They heard a curse coming from Mister Elrics room and the a thunk against the door that was followed by another curse. The class exchanged some looks and in the end it was Dean who was brave enough to walk to the door and knock. He said: “Mister Elric, are you there? Do you need help?”

“Oh, you’re already there?” came Mister Elrics surprised reply, then he said, “Can you open the door for me, my hand’s full.”

“Uh, sure, no problem.” Dean said, as he turned to give the class a confused look, it was mirrored right back at him.

He opened the door and there Mister Elric was. He had discarded his usual vest and shirt for a plain black T-shirt. In his left hand he held a big box, but his right, his right arm was gone. He put the box on the table and some of the students shrieked. He looked at them with wide startled eyes and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Neville squeaked: “Sir, your right arm is gone.”

He looked at his right arm and said: “Yeah, so?”

“That’s not natural, sir.” Dean exclaimed, “Did you go to Madam Pomfrey? Are you cleared? What happened?”

A look of comprehension crossed over his face and it was soon exchanged for apologetic. He said: “Sorry about that, I forgot you guys didn’t know, everyone back home knows. I haven’t had a right arm since I was eleven. It’s totally fine, I have automail. I already wrote my mechanic, so I should get a new arm when I go home over the holidays.”

Hermione raised her hand before saying: “How did you lose it again? And what’s automail?”

“Oh, did you guys know that your forest has gigantic aggressive spiders that want to eat you?” he said.

And that was Nevilles cue to faint, he had already been looking quite unwell since Mister Elrics appearance without an arm. Mister Elric rushed forward and checked him over. “Nothing is wrong, he’s fine.” he then grabbed his coat and used it as a pillow for the boy as he laid him in a more comfortable position.

He was sure he would wake up soon, so he just let him be. He then turned back to the class and asked: “Does no one here know what automail is?”

He got a negative back from the class and looked surprised. “What do you do then when someone loses a limb?”

“Uhm, a prosthetic made of wood or plastic. Kind of hard to move with from what I heard.” Dean told him.

“That seems useless.” Mister Elric said, “Well, since Winry would murder me if I didn’t educate you on automail I will tell you a bit about it. It’s a mechanical replacement for your limbs, you’ll get a port inserted in your flesh and with that you new automail limb will be connected to your nerves. You don’t need a outside power source, since it’s powered by the electric pulses your body gives off to operate it. Although it is painful to get it installed and it’s heavy and hard to get used to, it’s almost like getting your limb back.”

“What does it look like?” Draco said and he quickly added, “If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, I don’t mind. Winry is the best mechanic in the world. If you’re ever in need of a limb go to the Rockbell Prosthetic Limb Outfitters! I can show you my leg, it’s more intact than the arm at the moment.” He grinned at his own comment.

The rest of the class was trying to comprehend that Mister Elric wasn’t just missing an arm, but also a leg and that he had been out in the forbidden forest and he had apparently fought spiders and lost his arm again.

Mister Elric himself meanwhile had stripped of his left boot and was currently rolling up his trouser leg. Under it wasn’t normal flesh like they had expected, but an intricate machine of metal and wires that formed a leg, with feet and even toes. Mister Elric proudly held up his leg and wiggled his toes. In that moment he looked more like a seventeen year old than he had this whole year.

When everyone had seen his leg he put his boot back on without tying his laces. Then he turned serious again and said: “Well, that’s enough excitement for one day, don’t you think? Let’s go back to transmuting one element into another.”

He could have predicted the rumors that spread after, especially when he just casually showed up to the Great Hall with one arm to eat lunch and later dinner.

But Hermione soon forgot everything about that, because her Christmas turned quite hectic when Mister Weasley is bitten by a snake and rushed to St. Mungo’s in critical condition.

~

“Could you hurry up?”

“I would if you’d just stay still, Ed.” Winry replied,  “How did you even lose your arm again?”

“It’s not my fault no one told me the forest was forbidden and it had gigantic man-eating spiders in it.” Ed huffed, before he was cut of by pain from his shoulder.

Winry made a face as she moved on to the next nerve to reconnect. “Iew” she said, “Do those really exists?”

“It’s probably called forbidden for a reason, brother.” Al commented as he passed on his way to the kitchen.

“Shut up, Al. Apparently they’re only found in that forest, but yeah. They’re real.” Ed  said through gritted teeth.

“Winry wiped her hands on her pants and said: “Well, I’m done. Try not to ruin my beautiful automail again.”

“I will don’t worry, sheesh.” Ed waved her away.

She gave him a concerned look and asked: “Are you really okay there? You must miss home.”

He shrugged and said: “I do, but it’s good for me, I think. I like teaching a lot more than I anticipated, but I do wonder how they got so far with how little they know and understand.”

“Just because you’re a genius, doesn’t mean everyone else is dumb, brother.” Al called from the kitchen door as he came in carrying some tea.

Edward gratefully excepted and smiled as his brother took a cup as well, it was great to see Al drink again. Then he replied to his brother: “Not just that, they think Alchemy is magic, which is disgusting, honestly. Besides that, they don’t even know what automail is, how can they live without it?”

Winry gasped: “They don’t know automail?”

“Yeah, they don’t. Everyone was completely horrified when I showed up without an arm that last week. I had to explain automail, I don’t even know much about automail!” he said, horrified for her sake, which she appreciated.

“Hopefully, you didn’t give me a bad name.” she accused, playfully, but with a serious undertone.

He raised his hand in surrender and said: “I didn’t I swear, please don’t pick up your wrench.”

“Okay, I believe you.” she laughed, and she honestly did. When she had been introduced to people Ed and Al had met over their journey almost all had recognized her as ‘that great mechanic he’d talked about’, he had been out there fighting for his life, but still giving her a good name.

When it had quieted down a bit Al asked: “When are you going to central to give General Mustang your report?”

“Well, since he’s coming over for Winter Fest anyway, he told me that I didn’t have to come all the way to Central Command, but I could tell him all after or during dinner.” Ed told them.

“Really, brother, that’s great!” Al exclaimed.

“Yeah, it is.” he said, “Hey, did Ling and Mei respond if they’re coming and has teacher told you which train they’re taking?”

“No not yet, but she did say she would come early and I didn’t hear from Ling, but Heinkel and Darius are coming and Mei said she’ll be here as well.” Al informed him.

“That’s great! When are we going shopping? I know we’re going to need a lot of food.”  Ed said with a smile.

It really was great that those two had met so many amazing friends over the years and that they were all willing to come and spend the Winter Fest in such a small town as Risembool.

~

There had been a lot of commotion and a lot of days spend in the kitchen, but in the end everyone was sitting peacefully around the table. They were with fifteen people total: Edward, Alphonse, she herself and Granny, Heinkel and Darius, Mei, Havoc, Breda, Kain, Falman, Hawkeye and Mustang and Izumi with Sig. Ling had send his and Lan Fans apologies, but they were too busy in Xing and couldn’t make it.

All were eating and laughing with each other and it reminded Winry of how different it used to be when Ed and Al were still looking for a way to get their bodies back. Just two years ago she had spend the Fest with just Grandma and an empty table. So much had changed.

The next morning they said goodbye to most of their guests and just Mustang and Hawkeye remained.

~

They were sitting comfortably by the fire. It was already evening and they were drinking tea to calm their stomaches, which were filled with the leftovers from yesterdays Fest. Finally Mustang leaned back and said: “So, Fullmetal, how have the Wizards been treating you?”

Edward shrugged and said: “Pretty good, but man are they incompetent. There is this Dark Wizard dude, who named himself Voldemort, don’t ask, but no one says his name, cause they’re scared so they just call him You-know-who, which is really confusing if you don’t know. Anyway, he’s been gathering followers in the shadows, from what I gathered and he wants to restart a war a baby ended years ago. It’s really confusing, but this baby was apparently protected, because magic. The Ministry, aka the government, is denying he exists.”

“That sounds confusing.” Mustang said.

“It is, but I feel like you’re still following me. I explained it better in the letters.” Edward replied with a shrug.

“Yeah, you did. You also complained a lot about this Umbridge person, who you creatively refer to as Umbitch, which I have to correct in each report.” Mustang said sufferingly.

Edward grinned at that and said: “Must suck to be you, General Bastard.”

After that Edward just laid down the facts efficiently. If there were magic folks in Amestris they wouldn’t know and it wouldn’t fall under Hogwarts. Magic was dangerous, it didn’t abide the rules of Alchemy and you could kill with a word. Wizards themselves weren’t so dangerous, they didn’t have an army of any other form of violent task force, just Aurors, but those were more police not men of war. They had cut down violently on rebellions in the past, but only by those they considered less, which was quite a list that Edward didn’t agree with. He had also read up on house-elves at Hermione's recommendation and he had been horrified.

In the end Mustang concluded: “So and allegiance would be useful just because of how powerful magic is, but the people themselves or on the brink of war and not that competent.”

“If I’m honest,” Edward said, “we should probably wait with an allegiance, if we ever make one, until they’re done with their fight. We are just starting to make peace and the last thing we need is to be sucked into a war we’re not a part of. I’m willing to finish this year and to see how it goes, but I feel like there isn’t all that much more to discover there.”

Winry looked at them from the door, she often missed the brash teenager and confident child. She especially did when he was being so seriously, talking strategies for war and politics. He had tried the easy country life, she knew he’d tried. He had been here while Alphonse got back on his feet, literally, and helped around in the shop, but they both realized this wasn’t for him.

He wasn’t made to for this life, he was made for adventure and trying to fix the mistakes he knew his country had made. She knew that, she also knew that Alphonse wouldn’t stay forever. He was almost as good as new and she had seen him look at maps and read the Alkahestry books Mei send him. He wanted to explore as well.

She also knew Granny wouldn’t live forever and she herself was making plans of leaving. She would start her own shop in Rush Valley, take Granny with her, so that she could have a normal retirement.

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when she saw her old friend sitting down talking with one of the biggest name in the Military. She often forgot Colonel Elric in favor of seeing Ed, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

She sighed some more and turned to make some more tea. Eds break wasn’t over yet, she had time to get used to the idea of an emptier house again with mail tied to an owl and short phone calls.

[edxwin-elric]

You’re My Shooting Star

Happy Birthday, Edo

Rating: T

Pairing: Edwin/Edward Elric x Winry Rockbell

Disclaimer: I don’t own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Word Count: 2126

Title: You’re My Shooting Star

Description: Edwin One Shot/fluff - Post-Promised Day/Ed is still traveling on his birthday, and Winry is missing him.

A/N: A lil something for Ed’s birthday featuring my favorite thing—Win wearing Ed’s coat/jacket.

ffn || ao3

Winry

The sun disappears over the horizon, leaving faint traces of pink in the sky. I exhale slowly, and rest my elbows on the railing of the porch, ignoring the chilly February air.

“Happy Birthday, Ed,” I murmur to no one as stars begin appearing overhead.

I should probably head in, but I just can’t bring myself to leave. If I close my eyes and listen carefully, I can make out the faint sound of the train pulling into the station. I already know Edward won’t be on it, but… I like to pretend.

The sound of the door opening behind me startles me, and the moment vanishes.

“Winry…it’s getting kind of late.”

Paninya walks up to the space beside me and puts a hand on the rail. She came all the way from Rush Valley to visit me. I feel a pang of guilt for being such a negligent hostess.

“Sorry. You can go ahead and go to bed without me, if you want. I’ll be there soon.”

“No, I’m good. I just was wondering how long you thought you’d be out here.”

“I like the air at night,” I tell her softly, not at all answering her question.

“You’re going to freeze if you aren’t careful.”

I glance down at my bare arms covered in goosebumps and feel a shiver run down my spine.

“I’ll be okay.”

“You’re being really quiet. Is everything okay?”

I nod, turning my head to face her.

“It’s…It’s Ed’s birthday,” I explain.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” I look back out at the pastures with the darkening sky above them. “I just miss him.”

“Did you call him or anything?”

“I tried.” I run my fingers over the grain of the rail. “But the hotel said he’d already checked out. I guess he forgot to call me with his most recent number.”

“That sounds just like him,” she says with a smile before she suddenly yawns. “Anyway, I think I’m going to head in for the night. Are you coming?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I think I’m going to stay out here for a little bit.”

“Okay. Do you want me to bring you a jacket or something?”

“Sure. That’d be fine.”

I glance back at her as she heads back into the house before I tilt my head back and look up at the stars. Somewhere out there Ed is underneath the same stars I am. Somehow that thought is comforting.

“Here.”

I look down just in time to see a flash of red fabric.

“I figured this one was a good choice.”

The material slides over my shoulders, and I reach up to grab it, pulling it close. On closer inspection, I realize what she brought me.

“Is this–”

“It seemed appropriate,” Paninya cuts me off, “since you’re staring off into the night, pining for him and all.”

“I’m not ‘pining for him.’ I just…”

Her eyebrows rise, and I shake my head. She’s not going to believe anything I say anyway. Instead, I slide my arms into the sleeves of Ed’s ridiculously edgy red coat and flip the hood up, surrounding myself in him, in a way.

“I don’t get it, but okay.” She shrugs. “I mean, he’ll remember to call eventually. Just tell him ‘happy birthday,’ then. It’s not like he’s going to forget about you. You did that whole eighty-five percent thing, and he hugged you before he left.”

I turn to face her even as she continues to talk.

“Personally, I think he should’ve kissed you given that he basically proposed.”

“He did not propose,” I scoff.

“Oh yeah? Well, that whole equivalent exchange speech of his sounded a lot like wedding vows to me.”

“You weren’t even there,” I remind her.

“I’m just saying.” She holds her hands up in surrender and turns toward the door. “Anyway, I’m going to bed.”

“Okay.”

“Come in before you catch pneumonia. Ed won’t appreciate it if you stay out here missing him on his birthday just for you to get sick.”

I wave her away, releasing a long breath when I hear the door close again.

Paninya is right. I should just tell him when he calls again. I fiddle with the sleeves of the coat and bite my lip. Before he left he did confess his attraction to me, I guess. Since then I’ve been telling everyone he’s my boyfriend when they ask, and when we talk on the phone it’s different than it used to be. He asks me about my day and…how I am. So, I feel pretty confident in our relationship. Or whatever it’s called.

Still.

I would’ve liked to tell him “happy birthday,” today.

As I turn to go in, something catches my eye, and I gasp as a shooting star cuts across the sky. Silently, I make a wish on Edward and then pull the coat close.

“Come home soon, Ed.”

And then I go inside and head upstairs to bed, where I fall asleep wrapped in Ed’s coat.

Edward

I grunt as I haul my suitcase up the road. I was supposed to be here hours ago. The train got delayed because of some cargo mix-up and then there was a problem with my identification because of my military ID which took way too long to sort out.

I was really hoping to be here before dinner. Instead, I had to eat on the train. And I have to find my way all the way to the house in the dark. What I wouldn’t give for a flashlight.

The silhouette of the Rockbell house comes into view, and I pause to sigh with relief. Of course, I could already be there if my luggage didn’t weigh a ton and a half. But I couldn’t very well travel all over the west without bringing some gifts back for Winry.

Hauling my heavy bag over my shoulder, I force my legs to work faster until I finally reach the porch.

“I thought that was you I saw coming up the road.” Granny meets me at the door as Den happily wags her tail at my feet.

“Sorry, I’m so late. I hope you didn’t worry.”

I called ahead and told Granny I was coming home today, but that I wanted to surprise Winry, so I hadn’t told her.

“I always worry about you, boy,” she answers as I shed my traveling coat. “But I’m not the one who was missing you.”

“Yeah…” I glance up the stairs and then look back at Granny.

“She’s already gone up to bed, but she might still be awake if you want to go check on her.”

“Are you sure?” I blink in surprise. I figured I’d just have to wait until morning. Granny always had pretty strict rules about Al or me going into Winry’s bedroom. Not that Winry would let us in there either.

“She told me what you said at the train station,” she grins knowingly. “And I feel confident that I raised you with enough sense not to do anything too stupid.”

“Well, I guess that’s fair,” I mutter.

“Go on, then.”

She nudges me toward the stairs, and I let my feet keep going. I stop outside Winry’s door and take a breath. My palms are all sweaty. Gah. Why does my stomach feel all twisted? And why does my chest hurt?

Cursing silently, I wipe my hands on my thighs and reach for her door. I knock, but no one answers. I debate for a second about knocking again or leaving or…

I mean, Granny said it was okay, so…

The latch clicks softly as it slides open and the door swings in. I enter quietly, shutting the door behind me.

“Winry,” I whisper.

I wait for a long moment, trying not to think about how fast my heart is racing.

“Winry!” I whisper louder.

She turns in her bed, and I feel my heart jump into my throat. But she doesn’t wake up.

Fuck. What should I do? I already made it all the way in here; I don’t want to just leave. But should I wake her up? Will she be mad? Maybe I should just sleep on the floor…

She moves again, and I suddenly get a glimpse of what she’s wearing. Wait a second, is that…

“Winry?”

I step closer to the bed and carefully slide the covers down until I can tell for sure.

She’s wearing my coat. She’s sleeping in my coat. Winry is sleeping in my coat.

Without thinking about it, I slide off my shoes and climb onto the bed beside her, sitting on the edge of the mattress. I watch her sleep for a minute.

God, she is so beautiful.

I reach out to touch her hair, and her eyes flutter open.

“Ed?” she whispers.

“Yeah.”

“Wait. Ed?” she says louder, rising up on her elbow. “How are you here? I thought you were still–”

“I wanted to surprise you,” I confess. “Unfortunately, I was held up.”

She blinks at me for a second, and I wait.

“It’s your birthday.”

“Well, it was,” I correct her softly.

“I wanted to tell you ‘happy birthday,’” she says rapidly, “but when I called the hotel–”

“I left early this morning for the train. Otherwise, I would’ve been there.”

“Oh.” She nods before looking up at me shyly. “Happy Birthday, Ed.”

I close my eyes and let her words wash over me.

“Thank you, Winry.”

“Do you…want to stay in here tonight?”

I choke on my tongue and feel my face go up in flames.

“You don’t have to,” she amends quickly. “I just thought since you’re already here, maybe–”

I cough for a second before regaining my voice.

“I’d like that,” I gasp hoarsely. “If you’re sure it’s okay.”

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

I take a second to shed my shirt before stretching out beside her on top of the covers.

“You know you can get in with me,” she murmurs.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Given how much I want her right now, I’m thinking there should be more fabric between us than just our clothes.

“Oh.”

“You can go back to sleep now, Winry,” I tell her, pulling one of her pillows under my head.

“I wished for you.”

I freeze and look over at her.

“You what?”

“I…I saw a shooting star while I was outside earlier, and I wished…for you. And you came true.”

I fight it as hard as I can, but I can’t stop the laughter bubbling up in my chest.

“Don’t laugh!” she hisses, poking my arm. “I was serious.”

“I know,” I choke. “I know you were, but it just sounded… I’m sorry.” I take a breath and regain my composure before looking down at her again.

I suddenly feel nervous again, seeing her looking up at me, wrapped in my coat, knowing she missed me enough to wish for me.

Shit. She fucking wished for me. How am I supposed to live up to that?

“I’m really glad to be home, Winry,” I murmur, pulling her into my arms.

“Yeah,” she sighs, her breath hot against my neck. “I’m glad you’re home, too.”

Suddenly, there’s a loud banging on the wall followed by an equally loud, “GO TO SLEEP!”

I jerk and look over my shoulder before turning back to Winry.

“What the hell was that?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? Paninya is here.”

“What?” I frown.

“Oh, calm down. She’s my friend.”

“Oh yeah,” I grumble. “Your friend, the pickpocket, who likes to steal my stuff.”

“She doesn’t do that anymore, Ed.”

“You mean she doesn’t do that to you anymore. We’ll just have to keep an eye out in case any of my things disappear while she’s here.”

“Edward,” she whispers on a frown. “I thought we were having a good moment enjoying your homecoming. Don’t ruin it.”

“Sorry.” I shake my head before dropping it back onto the pillow. “Where were we?”

She slides over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Going to sleep,” she slurs drowsily as her eyelids droop closed.

“Wonderful. I’m exhausted.”

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tight against my chest, before tilting my head down so my lips are in her hair. After a few minutes, I feel her breathing change, and I shift my lips to her ear.

“I love that you wished for me,” I whisper, “but you’re more than a wish to me, Winry. You’re what I wish on. You’re my shooting star.”

She makes a soft sound, and for a second, I think she heard me, but she goes quiet again, and then I’m falling asleep to the sound of her breathing.

[elfpen]

Imperfect Affection

Don't worry, the next chapter of Reprise is in the words, but I needed a brain break from Star Wars, so here, have a mushy snippet from my newest obsession:

Sleep became a mystery to anyone who thought about it for any amount of time. Alphonse Elric had had five years to think about it, but would not let the mystery keep him from diving in head-first.

He'd been in the hospital for just half a day, and he'd slept most of it away. It'd been bizarre - he'd forgotten what it was like to miss whole chunks of life because of sleep. The nurses told him his body was too exhausted to do much else, which made sense. They'd made him as comfortable as he could be to just lie down and rest a while: they'd helped him drink a few sips of water, cut his fingernails and trimmed and washed his hair.

They'd encouraged him to take a bath, too, but hadn't forced him to. Of all the senses, touch was the most overwhelming, and even the fact that he had skin would take some time to accept. Still, Alphonse had taken them up on their offer and fallen asleep in a soapy tub of warm water, only to wake up later fully dressed in bed with an IV in his arm.

"They had to have dried me off, dressed me," Alphonse had agonized to Ed later, red-faced and mortified. "They saw me naked."

"Aw come on," Ed had elbowed him - gently, of course. "Some guys would kill for an opportunity like that. They were pretty cute, weren't they?"

"Brother!" His whole body turned red.

Edward had cackled, and then started coughing up blood again, because he was an idiot.

They'd wheeled Edward away for surgery in the afternoon to remove the bolts in his right shoulder, remove bits of rebar from his left arm, and see what they could do for his broken ribs. He'd be spending the night in a post-op suite, which left Al alone in his darkened hospital room to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

...and wake up again to a pitch-black room and the ghost of another presence in the room with him. It should have panicked him, but it didn't. A hand brushed softly against his temple through the short spikes of his hair.

His eyelids felt like lead weights, and his eyes refused to focus, but he could hear the rustling of clothes and see twin glimmers of glass, a smudge of blond hair.

"Dad?" he said, quiet and groggy. Above the bed, the figure froze, and relaxed again.

"Alphonse," came Hohenheim's voice, just above a whisper. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Al told him drowsily. "Are you hurt, too?" in his brain, this question made sense. But now out in the open, it made Hohenheim laugh. Alphonse liked the sound of his father laughing. He couldn't remember having ever heard it before.

"I'm fine. Major Armstrong told me he brought you boys here - looks like they're taking good care of you."

His eyes were trying harder to focus now, and he could see that his father was smiling. Inexplicably, he longed for older times, for impossible times, when he and his brother and mother and father could've all been smiling together. But if the last five years had taught him anything, it had taught him that longing for the lost was a fool's errand.

"I'm glad you're here," Al said, and reached out his hand. His father caught it in both of his and squeezed. After a thick silence, Hohenheim choked and said,

"I am too." He ran a thumb over the edges of Alphonse's fingernails, filed short and tidy, and then reached out to brush a hand over his hair, which was still damp from his bath. "It suits you," he said. Alphonse's eyelids fluttered. He remembered falling asleep like this as a child, with his mother brushing her fingers through his hair. "I'm so proud of you, Alphonse." It made him smile, even as his eyes drifted shut. "Take care of your brother for me."

That struck a flat note. Alphonse wrenched his eyes open again, and found the strength to lift his head. "You're leaving?"

"Just for a bit," Hohenheim put out an apologetic hand. "I'm doing no good here. I'm not injured, they need all the space they can get for those who are."

"But… your philosopher's stone," Al made the connections groggily, "can't you help…?"

"No, not anymore."

"Oh."

"They've cut off all communications in and out of Central," Hohenheim told him. "Pinako and Miss Rockbell will be sick with worry for you boys. I'm going to Resembool, to tell them you're both alright."

"Oh." Alphonse wished he could come up with something better to say. "It'll be good to see them smile again," he mused wistfully, and Hohenheim smiled himself.

"Yes, it will."

"Thank you, dad." His eyes were pulling themselves shut again, that mysterious, luxurious pool pulling him offshore to float away.

"Go to sleep, son. I'll see you at home." Alphonse could never be completely sure, but as he fell asleep, he thought he felt his father kiss him on the forehead.

They rested. They mended. After six days, they let Alphonse eat real food. After ten, they let him eat twice a day. And after three weeks, they let him eat whatever he wanted - within reason, anyway.

"Chicken pot pie, pork dumplings, strawberry strudel, tea, sausages, eggs, and bacon?" Ed read off his brother's order with rising incredulity. "What kind of breakfast is… and milk? I know you're starving, Al, but this is too far!"

Alphonse only laughed. In the end, they didn't grant all of his requests, but he got a hefty plate of eggs and bacon and and an early dessert of strudel. They also brought him a pot of tea and a whole pint of milk to drink at his leisure.

"Do you want some, brother?" Alphonse raised the milk jug with a pristine innocence that only younger siblings can manage. Edward's whole body seemed to grow spikes.

"Are you insane?"

"That's okay," Alphonse drank deeply and came away with a white mustache. "It's not like I have any catching up to do - I'm already taller than you."

Edward screeched, and Alphonse finished eating with a smile on his face.

By the time they headed back home, the Elric brothers were in high spirits. Saying goodbye to Central and all of their comrades and friends had been hard, but seeing Lieutenant Havoc and Colonel Mustang healed had been a massive boost.

Teacher had even cried when she hugged them goodbye, and then threatened to kill them if they said anything about it. Sig, weeping openly and silently at her side, gave Alphonse a bundle of home-cooked bacon to eat on the train home.

It was a long train ride, and a longer walk home, but then they were home, and Winry tackled them to the dirt and it was like nothing but everything had changed. Den barked and ran circles around them until they were all the way inside. Winry started crying nearly every time she looked at Alphonse. But then, Edward began to gloat,

"I told you they'd be tears of joy!" And suddenly Winry was no longer crying, and was throwing wrenches instead.

Alphonse peeled and cored apples for the pie Winry had already started preparing, and Granny cut out cold pats of butter for the crust. Amid the din of Winry and Edward's shouting, Alphonse became aware of an absence in the house he hadn't registered until that very moment. When the arguing died down and the house went quiet, Alphonse turned to Granny and asked,

"Where's dad?" The house seemed to slow to a halt. Alphonse looked between Granny and Winry, who'd both gone suddenly still. "He said he'd meet us here."

Pinako put down her knife and wiped her hands on her apron. She drew in a shaky breath. "Maybe you boys had better come with me."

"He didn't even make it to the house," Granny had kept her explanation short because of her own tears. "He came straight here. I think he knew he didn't have much time left. I didn't even get to say goodbye." She sniffed, a terrifying display of emotion for both boys. "I'm very sorry."

She left them to their thoughts, and the brothers sat in front of their parents' headstones for a long time.

"That bastard," Ed said after a long time, even though his eyes were shining with unshed tears, "of course he would leave just to kick the bucket. What a coward. What a," he wiped furiously at his eyes. "Damn rotten father."

Alphonse didn't say anything. He sat with his knees drawn up to his chest and stared at the name on the stone. He remembered the man in the hospital who'd said he was proud of him. "I'll see you at home." Surely he wouldn't have lied. Surely he hadn't meant for it to be like this.

"Ed, Al," it was Granny. The boys turned to her, and backlit by the setting sun, she was holding out two letters. "When I… found him, these were in his pocket. They're addressed to you."

Alphonse took his, and with more hesitation, Edward his. Granny left them alone. Edward and Alphonse glanced at each other, and then opened their letters and read silently each to himself.

Dear Edward,

Dear Alphonse,

I am writing this on the train from Central to Resembool. I did not want to have to write this – I wanted to be able to tell you all of this myself, in person, as I should have years ago. But I realize now that I do not have enough life in me to manage even that.

It was my blood that created the homunculus, all those years ago, and since the fall of Xerxes our lives have been intertwined as one. Now the homunculus has died, and I am living on borrowed time. I may not look it, but as I write, I am just shy of my four hundred and fifty-first birthday. It's absurd, isn't it? That I can be so ancient and only just now as I'm dying do I find a reason to keep on living.

I realize that I am not the father you deserve. In my determination to thwart the homunculus' plans, I abandoned you and your mother and I know I can never atone for that. I can only hope that you believe me when I tell you that your mother and you boys were all I ever wanted. You gave me all I could have ever needed. I am so proud of you.

...I have never seen a more noble sacrifice than your sacrifice for Alphonse. You are a far better man today than I have been in four and a half centuries. Trisha would be beside herself with pride if she could see the man you've become.

...You grow stronger each day, and each day, I see in you a man I wish I could have known better. You are wise beyond your years, and carry your mother's caring spirit into a world that needs it desperately. She would be so proud to see you now.

...I realize you want to hate me,

...I realize you wish you'd known me,

...And I understand why you feel that way, and do not blame you if you never stop,

...And I can assure you I wish I could have known you better all your life,

And I know that nothing I do will change my role in the pain you've suffered these past long years. But I hope, if nothing else, you can accept that in my profound imperfections, I loved you more than I could ever hope to tell you.

In deepest affection,

...Van Hohenheim

...Your Father

When Alphonse looked up, Edward was crying, too. Edward crumpled up his letter, shoved it in his pocket, and stomped off. Alphonse stayed with his parents.

"It's okay," he told his dad, trying to rub out the tears that had stained his own letter. "He's always like this."

Later, Alphonse went to Edward's room and knocked before letting himself in. He noticed their father's letter, wrinkled and torn, smoothed out on the desk and flattened under the only book they'd saved from their father's library.

"Winry's pie is almost ready to eat," Al told his brother quietly. Edward was sitting on his bed, staring out the window. In the distance, the green swell of the graveyard was just visible.

"Do you think he even knew how long he was gone?" Ed asked. Alphonse was taken aback.

"What?"

"If Hohenheim was as old as he said, do you think he even knew how many years had passed before he came back, to find mom dead, us without bodies?"

Alphonse hadn't ever thought of it. He sat down next to Edward on the bed and stared out the window.

"I don't know. Maybe." It was not quite dark out, and the countryside was awash in a dusky blue. Past the cemetery, a string of lights and smoke traced the path of the 7:00 train. Alphonse watched the smoke become clouds and fade into the atmosphere. "I think he loved mom. A lot." It was somehow uncomfortable to say so, but it soothed something deep in Alphonse's gut. "I think he loved us, too. I really think he did. He just…" he shrugged. "Didn't really know how. In his shoes, I'm not sure I would either."

"Hmm," was all Edward said. The two boys watched the sunlight disappear to reveal a world full of stars. Eventually, Edward glanced past Alphonse to see the clock, and his eyes stuck on his brother's hair.

"Your hair's growing out already," he gave it a rough tousle, and Alphonse complained. "You'll have to get it trimmed again soon."

"Better than leave it long," Alphonse combed his hair back into place, miffed. "I don't know how you stand it, brother."

"What can I say?" Edward shrugged, holier-than-thou, "it takes a certain stature to pull this off."

Alphonse rolled his eyes and was about to say something cruel about Ed's height, when Winry shouted across the house to announce,

"Apple pie is ready!"

Alphonse picked up his cane and zipped to the door in an instant. The stairs thumped and groaned as he practically fell into the kitchen, offering to whip cream and put out plates, and anything else that would help him get the pie to his mouth sooner rather than later.

Edward lagged behind and laughed. The night had transformed his window into a mirror, and he caught sight of his reflection as he stood to his feet. He resented the red rims on his eyes, the crusty tear tracks on his cheeks. He scrubbed them away. Then, he picked at the frayed mess of his hair, which was coming undone in all directions. He undid the hair tie and combed at it with his hands.

"We have the same look," Hohenheim had said, when they met at his mother's grave. Edward had braided his hair so fast, it'd been matted for days. He looked again at his reflection, and began to divide his hair into thirds.

"Edward! Do you want pie or not? Better come and get some before Al eats it all!"

"Hey!"

Edward hesitated before gathering his hair into a single, familiar ponytail.

"I'm coming!"

He closed the curtains on his reflection and joined his family downstairs.

[wineds]

compromise

happy holidays @blogitlikeitzhot, i’m your secret santa!! i’m so glad that you share my love for edwin! you wanted some hurt/comfort so here you go :) hope you enjoy!

(thanks @wrongnote for being my beta for this <3) 

@fullmetalsecretsanta

summary: All Ed wants is one more hour in bed with his fiance.

It was morning.

Ed groaned as he felt his fiance stir next to him, gently wiggling out of his embrace. He tried to hold on for just a little longer, but Winry was already in work mode. She was already stretching, getting out of bed, and walking to the restroom to brush her teeth.

It had been about two months since Ed had returned from his research in the West.

He wasn’t going to lie, he loved his research and he loved seeing more of the world; but ever since that fateful day at the train station, all he could think about is coming home to Winry.

He would think about her constantly. Her blonde locks, her bright smile, her soft touch, her ocean eyes. Talking about her was another factor; secretly having taken a picture of her with him, he showed it whenever he had a chance. The dreams he had about her, ranging from embarrassingly romantic to graphically lustful, any awakening him with a bright red blush.

He was a fool in love. He had been for a long time, but he had never imagined he would actually get the girl. There had been too many obstacles standing in his way for so long. Now that he had, he never wanted to be away from Winry again.

Unfortunately for both of them, the Rockbell Business had taken off. Granny had retired, and Winry was bound and determined to handle everything by herself. She had been getting countless orders a week, and they just kept coming. She could never catch a break, and in turn neither could Ed.

She was always working.

He was happy for her, he knew how hard she had worked for this. She was talented, and she deserved to be renowned as one of the best automail mechanics in Amestris (in his opinion the best).

Winry’s work had saved his life, helped him stand again, relit the passion in his soul. Many were missing out on the privilege of calling Winry Rockbell their mechanic. He carried that name with pride, as he know many others did as well.

But he was the only one who was able to call her his fiance. He knew that her ambition made her work near the top of her list of priorities, a common trait shared between the both of them.

He knew she was just busy.

He just missed her.

He had been looking forward to coming home and being around her all the time. That had been the case for about the first two weeks of his homecoming, them barely leaving each other’s sides (some days, not even leaving the bed); but ever since business had picked up, they barely saw each other, besides when they woke up, had dinner (that wasn’t Winry quickly whipping something out and going back to her study), and went to bed.

They were also supposed to be planning a wedding, something that Ed had no idea how to do and something that Winry didn’t seem to have time for.

He had come home with a beautiful (and slightly expensive) engagement ring that Winry only took off while she was working, in fear of ruining it. He knew she loved him, he knew she wanted to marry him, and he knew that she wasn’t meaning to ignore him.

He was just feeling a bit put out.

Okay, maybe very put out.

As Winry came out of the restroom, Ed made one last valiant attempt.

“Come back to bed,” he whined, “it’s Saturday, you shouldn’t have to work on Saturday!”

Winry sighed. “Ed, I can’t afford to take a break. If you still want a roof over your head and food on the table, I have to get this work done. Besides, it’s not like you and Al ever took a break when you were trying to get your bodies back.”

Ed paused. “Not all your points are wrong,” he said. “But you have bags under your eyes, you’ve barely had any human interaction all week, and isn’t your brain at all tired?”

His fiance sighed, clearly vexed. “Ed, I’m fine. Now would you please drop it and let me get to work?”

“FINE?!” He fired back, exasperated beyond belief. “You have been glued to that work desk! Do you know how many times I’ve had to wrench your tools from your hands and carry you to bed?”

“I have a business to run, if you didn’t remember!” Winry snapped, her voice becoming louder. “I’m going to have a couple of sleepless nights and busy work days, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Do you remember how many rush orders I had to fill for you?”

“You would rush the order and then spend the next couple of days sleeping it off,” Ed counteracted. “When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep?”

Even if Winry tried to argue, Ed knew he was right about this one. Even when he had been able to drag her to bed, she would spend the night tossing and turning. If she even dreamed, she was dreaming about her damned orders.

“I’m still moving,” Winry replied nonchalantly. “I’m okay, Ed.”

“Fine, you want another point?!” Ed snapped. “You’ve been completely neglecting me! News flash, I like spending time with you! Forbid seeing you once in a while!”

She rolled her eyes. “Ed, you’re such a baby.”

“You’ve been doing nothing but working for over a month now!” Ed argued. “I barely see you, and I miss you damn it! We’re also supposed to be planning a wedding, we’re engaged if you didn’t remember!”

Ed knew he was just being bitter and over dramatic, but all he wanted was to spend some more time with his betrothed. Was that too much to ask?  

“Ed, that’s not fair!” Winry fired back. “Look, I miss you too and I care immensely about our wedding, but I’m running this business all by myself and if I get too far behind, I’ll start losing customers and then we’ll start losing money and then the Rockbell name will be tarnished-”

“Win,” Ed said softly. “You’re crying.”

Winry brought her hands up to her eyes and sure enough, tears were starting to stream down her cheeks.

Ed got out of bed and wrapped his arms around her, her head burying itself into his shoulder.

He felt like a complete ass. Although he knew that it was more of the stress than his words that was making her cry, he didn’t have to be so harsh. He really wasn’t good as this whole “showing concern without yelling” thing, was he?

“I’m so sorry Ed!” She cried, her voice a bit muffled. “I’m just so stressed out, and our wedding should be my number one priority I just don’t know what to prioritize anymore-”

“Winry,” Ed said as he ran his fingers through her hair, “it’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

“I’m failing!”

“You are not failing,” Ed said firmly, “You’re just stressed, and I’m not making it any better. I’m sorry, I should be more supportive. I just miss you.”

“I miss you too, Ed.”

He pulled away from her, putting both of his hands on her face.

“We’ll figure something out,” Ed stated. “Isn’t that what this whole relationship stuff is about, compromise?”

Winry laughed, sniffling a little.

“You do need to work,” Ed continued, “that’s important; but I still want to see you.”

“You also can’t stress yourself out like this. Your business is expanding, which means more customers, which means more work than even you can handle. You need to hire some help.”

“Ed–” Winry started.

“I know,” Ed cut her off. “No one can make automail the way you do, but you can’t keep going on like this. At this point, you’ll never get anything done, and we won’t get married until we’re old and grey. Come on you can apprentice some mechanics, and train them like you were! Does that sound so bad?”

Winry hesitated. Letting people outside of the family into the business? Was that really something she was willing to do?

But she was so tired. Ed was right about her lack of sleep. She was a hard worker, but it was so difficult for her to run a business as demanding as automail all by herself.

Plus, things were different now. She had a house and a fiance and a wedding to plan. When was the last time that they sat down and discussed guest lists or dates or colors or any of it?

“Well,” Winry replied, sniffling a little, “the extra help would actually be nice. I’d like to get a good night’s sleep for once.”

Ed chuckled, kissing her on the forehead.

“I’d like that too,” Ed said, wiping away some of the leftover tears. “ I can practically hear the gears turning in your head in the middle of the night, and I think it’s affecting my rem cycle.” 

Winry gave a small laugh at that, kissing her future husband’s hand before walking to her desk. 

“But if I’m going to do this,” Winry started, “I need to start now. I need to make applications and create a hiring process and–”

“You need a break,” he gently cut her off, “at least a small one. Can you forget your orders and the hiring processes and come back to bed? For at least an hour?”

Winry sighed. But he had won.

“You’re impossible,” she griped, getting back into bed anyways. “One hour.”

“Well,” Ed started, smirking, “there’s a lot we can do in an hour.”

“You’re right!” Winry exclaimed, getting up. “There’s a lot I can get done in an hour–”

“NO!” Ed exclaimed, yanking her back down beside him. She laughed at him.

“You’re evil.” He said, shaking his head and leaning down to kiss her.

No orders were filled that day.

[winryofresembool]

Edwin week, day 7: Promise

Summary: Ed brings Winry a special gift from Creta (and may also attempt to ask a question). (Part 2/2)

A/N: here is the second part to the fic I started yesterday! <- Go read it first if you haven’t, as this will make more sense after that. This is my last post for the Edwin week (;_____;) this year so I’d like to thank the mods for organizing this event, and everyone for the amazing contributions! ♥ It’s been a real blast, and I hope to see you guys again next year! But now, enjoy this, and don’t forget to review! 

@503week

AO3

Words: 1900+

Genre: floof

Warnings: Ed’s language

The day of Winry’s homecoming started surprisingly smoothly. When she exited the train, Ed was at the platform waiting for her, with a small bouquet of flowers he had picked on his way to the station in his hands. Al had once again insisted that’s what he should do, especially after what had happened to his automail. That way he could most likely protect himself from Winry’s wrath for a moment longer.

Winry was all smiles when she spotted her fiancé’s (she wasn’t sure what name to use) golden hair among the crowd. As she got closer, she noticed he had flowers in his hands, and her happiness changed into confusion. Since when was Ed so considerate that he’d even bring flowers? She got a strong suspicion that Ed had some ulterior motive, because the Ed she knew wasn’t usually that thoughtful. Of course it was possible, she thought, that Al was behind it… She decided to not question it as she finally reached her destination and gave Ed a warm hug.

“Hi! I wasn’t expecting to see you here!” she greeted him when they separated, Ed offering to carry her bag.

“Of course I came! You’re… I mean, that old hag would have made me wash two months’ worth of laundry if I had stayed in the house,” Ed claimed. “She’s still doting on Al; he only has to peel a couple of potatoes for the stew…”

“Right,” Winry snickered, seeing right through him. The blush on his face told her that was actually not the reason why he was there.

“Uh, these are for you,” he pushed the bouquet in Winry’s hands awkwardly.

“Aw, thank you, Ed! They look nice.” She buried her face into them for a moment, taking in their nice scent.

“That was nothing… So, how was your trip?” he asked quickly before Winry could think of some other way to make him blush.

“It was good! I am so close to getting my official automail mechanic license now! Mr. Garfiel still wants me to write a final analysis on the use of different metals in automail limbs, but that’s easy for me, I have years of practice on… why are you looking at me like that?” Winry asked when she saw Ed stare at him weirdly.

“No reason… I had just forgotten how passionate you get about mechanical limbs,” Ed grinned, making Winry glare at him angrily. “Sorry, sorry. Please, go on! You were about to say something about that analysis…” Ed had realized that the longer he let her rant, the less likely she was to pay attention to his slight limping, but there was something else too; he actually found himself interested in what she had to say.

“You were actually listening?” Winry asked with surprise.

“Why do you sound so surprised, I always listen…” Ed retorted.

“Yeah, right. Well, anyway… As you know, some metals are lighter and thus more comfortable for the user to wear, while…”

Winry continued her ranting happily all the way to the Rockbell house, while Ed made an occasional short comment. He sighed of relief when they made it inside the house without her noticing his issue at all.

…

Later that afternoon, it seemed it would start raining soon, and a neighbor of the Rockbells came to ask if someone would be willing to fix a hole on the roof of his sheep barn before that. He would have done it himself, but his back had been acting up a lot recently, and he didn’t think he’d be able to climb on the roof in that condition. Ed volunteered, happy about an excuse to get away from Winry’s knowing look for a moment.

In about 15 minutes, Ed managed to get the roof fixed with no problems. However, things took a turn for worse when he was trying to come down the ladder. It had gotten slippery in the rain, and unfortunately for Ed, he was wearing a shoe only on his real leg because he hadn’t bothered to put the other one on for such a short period of time. The combination of smooth, wet wood and a metal leg turned out to be dangerous for Ed, who could only scream when he slipped on the ladder and fell several meters before hitting the ground. Thankfully, there was nothing sharp under him, so his real limbs got off with relatively little damage… but he wasn’t so lucky with his automail. It got big dents on the surface, and based on the weird feeling on his leg, Ed was worried the wiring had gotten damaged too. Winry would definitely kill him now…

“Are you alright?” the neighbor asked him worriedly when he saw Ed lying on the ground helplessly.

“I… think so,” Ed lied, cringing as he tried to put on some weight on his automail leg.

“You don’t look OK… Let me take you home with my horse,” the man offered. “You are lucky that you have two medical experts living under the same roof with you… They will surely be able to check you up.”

“Lucky… or doomed.” Ed mumbled under his breath as he sat down on the carriage that took him back home.

…

“What happened?” Al yelped immediately when he saw Ed’s condition.

“I just fell from the ladder a couple of meters… The damn automail made me slip. But don’t worry about it… I have been in much…”

“Brother!” Al stopped him angrily. “I don’t care if you have fought Homunculi and gotten me back from the gate! You should be more careful. That could have ended badly.”

“Al, relax… I swear I’m OK, I just…”

Ed didn’t get to finish his sentence because a young woman’s voice said quietly:

“Edward…”

The blood seemed to escape Ed’s brain when he saw the sadness in Winry’s eyes. She had of course seen that the automail she had built with love was hanging from its port in an awkward position, and the skin of his arms was scraped badly.

“Win, please, let me explain…”

“What is there to explain? That you are the most reckless, irresponsible…” At that point Winry’s voice got so high pitched that Ed couldn’t figure out what else she said. She swept the corners of her eyes with her hands and ran back inside without looking back again. To Ed, that reaction was far worse than if she just started yelling at him.

“What the fuck was that about? Shouldn’t she be happy that I didn’t break my neck or something? Does she only care about her automail?!” Ed asked, kicking the ground with frustration.

“Brother…” Al said calmly. “I really don’t think she was upset about the automail this time, no matter what she says. She must have heard what happened to you and she simply freaked out.”

“Yeah but why?”

“Edward,” Al said seriously (Ed noticed that he used his full first name instead of the usual ‘brother), “you asked her to become your wife, and you still don’t understand how she’s feeling? Imagine how you’d react if Winry fell the same way you did and hurt herself in the process? Possibly because of your automail?”

“Oh,” Ed finally understood Al’s point. “I guess I really messed up. Again…”

“But it was an accident!” Al reminded him. “Just go tell her you are alright. I’m sure she will want to fix that automail of yours.”

“Fine.” Ed gritted his teeth. “Uh, can you help me out a bit? It’s a bit hard to walk with this…” He pointed at his automail.

Al helped Ed inside and upstairs where Winry’s room was but left him alone as Ed braced himself to knock on her door.

“Winry…” Ed said tentatively.

No response.

“Winry, I’m coming in.”

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Winry working on a blueprint at her desk.

“What are you doing?” he asked, just to say something. He had never been good at this kind of stuff.

“Drawing an automail leg blueprint for an idiot who can’t take care of it,” she said without lifting her gaze from her paper once.

“About what you may have heard outside…” Ed said hesitantly, “I never meant it was your automail’s fault I fell. In fact, it has saved me from more accidents that you know…”

“I know, Ed,” Winry sighed. Her voice had already lost most of its earlier edge. “I just… freaked out.” Just like Al had suspected, Ed thought.

“But I’m OK, I swear. Aside from a couple of scratches…” Ed showed her his arms.

“I know,” Winry repeated. “It’s just, worrying is in my nature; I spent years worrying about you guys, and when you came back, I thought you guys were finally safe… and then incidents like this happen… And I feel it’s my fault…”

“Okay, first of all, it’s definitely not your fault. I was being clumsy, OK? Second of all, I’m sorry. I really should take better care of my automail.” He tried to lighten the mood a bit by saying: “If this is how you react to a little scratch, it’s a good thing you don’t know about my shark fight…” “Your what?” Anger flashed in Winry’s eyes again, and Ed realized he had made a mistake again.

“Eh…” he rubbed his neck. “We just did a little fishing, that’s all…”

“Let’s get back to that topic later,” Winry decided to give up on trying to understand Ed. “Now, let me see your automail.”

Ed sat down on Winry’s bed and Winry lifted his automail leg on her lap. She removed some of the metal plates to see if the wiring was damaged, and that’s when her mouth went into a widest ‘O’ Ed had ever seen on her face. He had forgotten what was inside the leg.

The ring.

“Ed… what is this?” She took the necklace with the ring out of there and dangled it in her hand.

“Oh fuck, I forgot…” Ed cursed, slamming a hand against his face. “This is not how I was supposed to give it to you…” “Could you please explain a bit further?” Winry asked, even though she had an idea about what he meant. Her face turned a shade redder.

“I was…” Damn it, why did he always have to get so flustered in her company, Ed cursed in his head, “… Well, remember when I was leaving to Creta a year ago and we were at the railway station?”

“How could I forget that?” Winry asked. They had… they had promised each other to spend the rest of their lives together, after all…

“Yeah, well, anyway…” Ed stuttered. “I realized I never gave you a ring… uh, as a proof of my promise… So… this is kinda it… Winry… are you still willing to give those 85%... or how much you want… of your life to me?”

There was a long silence.

“Of course I am, you silly!” she finally exclaimed and forgot all about the automail when she threw herself at him, making him fall on the bed. The hug lasted pretty long, and when they finally pulled apart, Ed offered to put the necklace on her.

“I think it suits you,” he said, admiring the smooth surface of the golden ring.

“Thank you,” Winry beamed, and leaned to kiss him on the lips. “It’s beautiful. Now, how about we take care of your bruises?” She pulled some disinfectant and bandages from her drawer and started cleaning Ed’s wounds.

“So, I’m more important than that automail, after all?” Ed asked smugly.

“Of course you are, you dumbo. One question, though: was it already broken when I came here?”

“Let’s... talk about that some other time,” Ed said and pulled her for another kiss. She didn’t complain.

[winryofresembool]

Edwin one-shot: “Do I love you? Yes. Do I like you? That’s still up for debate”

Summary: Winry wakes up in the middle of the night to find a very upset and slightly drunk Edward in his room. But how will this encounter change their relationship?

A/N: @odadesu​​ do you still remember sending me this prompt? Because I finally wrote about it :’D This is a truly sappy (and a tiny bit angsty but mostly just sappy) modern!Edwin fic in which they are each other’s flatmates. That’s all you need to know, really.

Words: 1300+ (making up for the long wait)

Genre: fluff, bits of hurt/comfort

Winry Rockbell woke up at around 1 am to loud sounds coming from her flatmate’s room. For one moment she wondered if thunder had struck their home or something else as frightening, but once her brain had woken up enough to count 1+1=2, she concluded Ed must have caused the noise. She grabbed her wrench from the floor and decided she would make her dear flatmate pay for waking her up. She was particularly grumpy because she had been working on a school project with little to no sleep that week, meaning she really needed a good rest now.

“Edward Elric! What the hell are you doing?!” She waved her wrench threateningly at the door even though he couldn’t see it from his room.

No response.

“Ed?”

Still nothing.

“I’m coming in!”

She swung the door open rather fiercely, causing it to bang against the wall so loudly it would probably wake the rest of the building, and was greeted with a worrying sight: Ed was lying on the floor under a pile of books, not able to move.

Instantly, Winry started throwing the books off him and saw him opening his eyes, a pained expression on his face.  

“What happened? Are you OK?” She asked with a worried tone, crouching next to him and let her fingers travel on his face, checking it for injuries.

“Yeah... I was trying to take a book from the top shelf… But that damn thing is still too high!”

Winry could guess the rest. He had lost his balance and somehow managed to take a good number of books with him.

“Why were you trying to read at this hour? Don’t you have classes tomorrow morning?” She asked, knowing better than to make any height related comments.

“Uh… couldn’t sleep,” Ed answered simply.

When Winry reached to help Ed up from the floor, she recognized the smell around him as the same as around Granny Pinako after particularly intense poker nights. “Wait a second… Have you been drinking?”

“What? No! Just a couple of small glasses!” he admitted when Winry narrowed her eyes, not believing him for one second. She could see a bottle on his desk, emptied enough to make Ed’s movements sloppier than usual.

“You were drinking alone in your room? On a school night? You don’t do that unless something wrong, I have known you long enough to know that.”

“It’s been a rough day.” Ed shrugged and wished Winry would change the subject, but she didn’t.

“But… Oh.” Winry stopped herself when she realized what day it exactly was. Third of October.

The day when Ed and his brother Al had become homeless.

They had lost their mother when Ed had been only 5 and Al 4, and their father had been taking care of them alone after that. But on October 3rd, 6 years later, a fire destroyed their house and their father was severely injured while trying to save his sons. He was taken to the hospital, but it was already too late; Van Hohenheim died of his injuries and the boys had no place to go. Winry’s grandmother, who lived near the Elrics, had taken the boys in, and Ed and Al grew up with Winry.

A couple of years later Ed had decided the regular school wasn’t for him, and he had become Izumi Curtis’ student, main focus in chemistry and martial arts. In order to do that, he had moved out of Resembool for a while, but after applying to a college, he returned to his hometown for the summer. It had been decided that he and Winry would get an apartment together if they both got into the college they wanted, which was why they were now living together in Central.

“Ed…” Winry tried to find something comforting to say. “I know nothing can give you back what’s lost but… I have a feeling that he’s watching us from some other dimension even now… probably laughing at our idiocy… and he’s very proud of how far you have come.”

“You think?” Ed asked, allowing himself to have a rare moment of fragility. Winry took the moment to intertwine their fingers (Ed looked up at her in surprise) and sighed.

“Yeah.” She nodded and took one step closer. From there, she could see a tiny bit of hope in his sad and unfocused eyes and decided to push it a little bit further:

“You’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met. Sure, so annoying, loud and hotheaded sometimes, and messy too…” She gestured towards the pile of clothes on Ed’s floor.

“Hey!”

“… BUT you genuinely care about the people around you, even though you rarely show it. And you try to act so strong even though I can see what happened still hurts you. Let it go, Ed. Please. If not for you, for me. I don’t want to find you trying to drown your feelings into alcohol anymore.”

To Winry’s surprise, Ed wrapped his arms around her and buried his head against her neck. They stayed like that for a good while, and even though Ed’s eyes were red from crying, some of the old fire had returned into them.

“Thanks, Winry.”

“You’re welcome.” She wanted to take his mind off of the past, so she suggested: “Hey, since we are both awake… How about another round of Mario Kart? I’m Yoshi this time!”

“Hey, Yoshi is mine!” Ed yelled and chased Winry to their livingroom where they often had their video game tournaments.

Winry beat Ed in the first round, but after that Ed found his momentum and beat her in the next two rounds.

“Now who’s the best?!” he exclaimed after Winry nearly threw her joystick through the TV screen.

“I would have won if you hadn’t left that banana there, ugh!” She put the joystick on the sofa and sat down, hiding her face behind a pillow in embarrassment and frustration.

“You could have dodged it!” Ed argued back.

“Oh ho ho. You are so annoying.”

“You love me either way,” Ed stated happily – possibly still slightly under the influence of alcohol, not thinking through the whole meaning of his statement.

“Hmmm,” Winry looked as if she was considering it, “Do I love you? Yes. Do I like you? That’s still up for debate.”

Suddenly her eyes widened at her own confession – she had never said that to him before even though she had known about her feelings for him for a good while – and she tried to take it back, but it was too late. Ed was laughing at her expression shamelessly.

“You should have seen your face!”

“Is that how you react when someone confesses their feelings for you?” she growled, hurt clear in in voice. Ed quickly realized the mistake he had made and calmed down, putting his hand on her shoulder as a sign of peace.

“Oh no no, Winry! I didn’t mean to… I was just surprised! So… you really mean it? In a non-platonic way?”

“Yeah,” she admitted after considering it for a moment.

Ed blushed and gave Winry a smile that made her stomach do flip flops and pulled her into another hug.

“We really are a bunch of idiots,” he said into her hair quietly.

“Hmm?” Winry asked, confused.

“All this time we have been in love with each other and neither of us has realized it.”

“Wait… are you saying…?”

“Yeah. Love you too.”

“This isn’t alcohol talking, right?”

“No.”

Winry had secretly wished she’d get to hear those words from Ed one day, but Ed had always been so oblivious that she had lost her hopes a long while ago. That’s why, now that it really happened, she had no idea what to do with it. Surprisingly, Ed was one step ahead of her. He pulled away from the hug and instead cupped her cheeks with his hands, looking for a permission to close the gap between them. Winry gave him a small nod and slowly, he inched closed until lips finally met. It was a bit awkward at first, as the couple tried to figure out how to tilt their heads so their noses wouldn’t bump, but eventually they made it work. Winry couldn’t help but smile a bit when she felt his lips moving against hers.

Did she love him? Yes.

Did she like him? Yes.