WONDERFUL TONIGHT: A Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfiction

Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse weaved their way through the stalls at the Annual Resembool Sheep Festival. Generally, people parted way due to the size of Al’s hulking frame. Others stood in awe at the walking suit of armor. Would they ever be surprised if they knew it was empty. They were working their way back to Winry Rockbell’s stall. Winry was their childhood friend, and Winry’s grandmother Pinako had raised them after their mother died. Both Winry and Pinako were automail mechanics. Automail was an advanced artificial limb system that ran off motors and belts, and it allowed full access of movement with enough rehabilitation. Ed had two automail limbs: his left arm and his right leg. He had lost them and his brother’s entire body in a horrible alchemy accident years ago: they attempted the taboo act of human transmutation to try to bring their mother back from the dead. Ed managed to save his brother by binding his soul to a suit or armor. Ed was one of the youngest ever recipients of automail limbs and had successfully rehabilitated himself within months. Winry and Pinako were the two that crafted the limbs. 7 years since the incident had passed, and Winry still remained Ed’s mechanic. She did most excellent work.
Merely 1 year after his surgery to receive the limbs, Ed became a State Alchemist. Due to the automail, he was dubbed the “Fullmetal Alchemist”. Being only 15, he was the youngest State Alchemist in history. It was not an easy life, for alchemists registered by the State of Amestris were called out as “dogs of the military” far too often. Ed and Al had continually been on the road for the past 2 years trying to find the most powerful item in the world: the Philosopher’s Stone. This mythical stone had the power to magnify any alchemy reaction by thousands of times. They planned to find this stone and get their original bodies back. They had searched the nation of Amestris aimlessly for months with little to no leads. When they got an invite to come back to their hometown of Resembool for the Annual Sheep Festival, they unanimously decided it was time for a break. Ed and Al had enjoyed themselves greatly so far, but it was approaching the end of the last day of the Festival. After it was over, they had to depart again. Winry had also quite enjoyed having Ed and Al’s company again, and was begging them to stay for a few weeks. Al wanted to badly, but Ed was determined to get on the road again.
Though he did not show it, Ed was contemplating staying as well. He wanted to spend as much time around Winry as possible. Ed had deep feelings for her that he himself couldn’t describe. All day long, Ed had been going over a way to ask Winry to the dance that sent off the Festival every year. He had even mentioned it to Al, but Al was just as clueless as he was. Ed had decided that the best way to do it was to ask outright. He had watched the local farm boys hitting on “that feisty automail mechanic” and he had to admit it made him a bit jealous. He wasn’t quite sure why, though. It wasn’t like they were together or anything, or that they were planning on getting together. They couldn’t get together because of how much he and Al were on the road. Winry couldn’t just pack up and leave Granny Pinako in charge of the business. The whole situation seemed to bother Ed to no end. Ed worried most that Winry had already agreed to go with someone else to the dance.
As Ed and Al made their way towards the Rockbell Automail stall, Ed picked the sheep wool off his mechanical limb. “Ah, dang it… this wool sticks to the automail’s heat like a bee to honey….” he complained softly.
“How’s the heat bothered you today? It’s hotter than it was yesterday….” Al asked.
“Eh, not as bad. I’ve stayed in the shade most of today. I mean, we’ve seen all the booths and activities so far. I only ventured out today to go find you or get something for Granny and Winry.” Ed responded.
“Just as long as you don’t overdo it. If you overheat that automail again, Winry’s gonna’ kill you.” Al said. Ed wasn’t in the habit of keeping good care of his limbs, and Winry hated it. Sometimes it couldn’t be helped, but otherwise he refused to do standard maintenance on it. Therefore, when it broke down on him, Winry would always swing her mechanic’s wrench at his head, and give him a good chewing out. All in all, Ed feared Winry’s wrath more than anything. Ed rubbed his head where she normally hits him. “That’s what I thought.” Al snickered.
“Alright, let’s hurry on up and head back to the stall.” Ed snapped back. The two made their way through the gradually thinning crowd. The crowd always thinned around mid afternoon, then picked back up again towards the evening hours for the nightly activities. The smaller crowd was a blessing to Al. He had lost count of the times he had accidentally knocked a child over, only to have the child’s mother call him a maniac for wearing full body armor. Naturally, that made Al feel a little subconscious, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. All day long, and even the past two days, people had been asking him why he was wearing armor. He usually answered it was a “hobby”, or a “special kind of training”. He did enjoy the way the kids responded to him, though.
Ed didn’t get as much reaction. In fact, kids were usually wary of his limbs. Ed was rather short for his age, an average of 5 foot. He was only a little taller than the kids, so that also led to their distrust. Plus, Ed had a nasty temper and tongue, so kids scared easily around him. But, for all Ed cared, kids were wastes of space. He wasn’t exactly a kid type of person.
As Ed and Al approached the stall, Granny Pinako waved at them. “Well, well. Where have you two been?” she asked, laughing.
“Al thought it would be funny to pull me all the way to the other side of the Festival to see a box of free kittens!” Ed snapped, looking at Al. He shrunk back.
“I… I just thought we could keep one!” Al whined.
“You know you can’t have a cat on the road, Al!” Ed shot back. Al dropped his head.
Granny Pinako laughed heartily. “Now, now, Ed. You could at least let your brother see the kittens.” she said.
“Yeah, but then I’d have to keep going and getting him! He can’t have a cat!!!” Ed exclaimed.
Pinako merely shook her head. Al said nothing. Ed looked around and noticed Winry’s absence. He started to say something, but Pinako interrupted. “She took off with the neighbor boy. He was setting out to go get some water, and she went with him.”
Ed was taken aback by this fact. He let out a slightly exasperated sigh, and dropped his head. He ambled over to the chairs in the stall and flopped down. Al stooped down and followed Ed. “Aw, Ed… don’t worry. She’s… probably just tagging along. As a friendly gesture.” he said, trying to support his brother.
“Wait… Edward. You were going to ask my granddaughter to the dance tonight, weren’t you?” Pinako asked. Ed cautiously said yes. “Well, I’m sure Winry would drop everything if you asked her. Even if she agreed to go with someone else. Ed… that girl thinks the world about you. There’s not a day that goes by where she doesn’t talk about you. And worry.”
Ed looked up at her. “Really?”
“Yes, Edward. If only you would actually show some interest in her instead of being all flabbergasted about it.” Pinako responded.
“Well, I was planning on asking her to go to the dance as soon as we got back here. But… she took off, so….” Ed mumbled. Off in the distance, Pinako spotted Winry walking towards the stall with a shirtless, muscular teenager.
“Now’s your chance, Ed. Prove dominance.” Pinako snickered.
They approached and Winry was laughing hysterically. She sat down next to Ed. The muscular teen followed her in. After she stopped laughing, the boy smiled. “So, Winry… you wanna’ go to the dance with me tonight?” he asked.
Ed stood up quickly and started pushing the boy out. “Alright, get outta’ here! Get, get! This ain’t your stall! OUT!” he hollered at the boy.
“HEY! What’s your problem man? Get off me, jerk!!!” he yelled back at him. He pushed Ed. Al stood up and picked the boy up. The boy’s eyes widened as he saw Al’s armor.
“You’ve not been very nice to brother! Now, get OUT!!!” Al screamed as he chucked him out of the stall. The boy scrambled away.
Winry sat with her mouth hanging open, clueless and shocked about what just happened. “Edward Elric! Why did you just do THAT?!?!” Winry yelled at Ed, clearly angry now that he had chased her boy-toy off.
“Because I… I… uh… I… wait….” Ed stumbled over his words. Pinako gave him a piercing glare.
“EDWARD!!! You better have a valid reason for this! If not….” Winry growled as she pulled out her wrench. Ed flinched.
“Fine, fine! I was gonna’ ask you to the dance tonight!” Ed snapped.
Winry stopped her wrench in mid-swing and looked at Ed. “Wh… what?” she stammered.
“Well. Will you go with me?” Ed questioned bluntly.
“Absolutely yes!!!” Winry shrieked as she rushed forward and squeezed Ed. Ed gasped, and slowly hugged her back. Al laughed as quietly as possible. Pinako looked at Ed and mouthed nothing to worry about.
“And here you were upset.” Al said, laughing.
Winry pulled back from Ed. “So, wait… how long have you been planning this?” she asked him.
“Well, since I heard the announcement of the dance. Which would have been Friday morning. I’ve been wondering how to approach this since then.” Ed responded.
“If it’s Sunday afternoon now… man, you need some better planning, Ed!” Winry exclaimed.
“Aw, shut it, Winry!” Ed retorted.
“Hey! Be nice! Both of you!” Granny Pinako snapped as Winry went to pull her wrench again. Ed sat down next to Al, and Winry sat down on the other side of Pinako. Pinako looked at Winry, and smiled. She pulled her chair away and said, “There you go, girl. You can set next to him.”
“What?!” Winry said, exasperated. Ed looked at Pinako, and she grinned devilishly. He rolled his eyes as Winry scooted her chair over to him. The four of them sat in silence for nearly a half an hour. People slowed down as they walked by to glance at the assorted hands, arms, and legs in the display case. They were Winry’s pride and joy: those automail pieces were not for sale. She had spent hours working on each hand-crafted piece. The only limbs she was more proud of were the ones attached to Ed. At his request, she had made about 5 inches of extra steel on top of the arm. He could then use his alchemy to shape the extra steel into a sharp blade. Ed relied on this blade more than his alchemy sometimes in combat. For that, he owed a lot of blessing to Winry. He never really showed it, but he respected Winry almost as much as Al. Respected her almost to the point of love….
Winry was tossing over her own issue in her mind as she sat next to Ed. She could feel the warmth coming from his automail leg, and a few strands of his hair were rubbing against her bare shoulders. She had initially worn the sleeveless t-shirt because of the heat, but she eventually started noticing Ed’s gaze at her chest and arms. She would admit that it creeped her out to a certain extent, but she still very much liked it. Winry glanced down at Ed’s hand. Sweat was beading up around his wrist. She knew it must be hot on him, with the automail and all. Not to mention he had a black t-shirt and jeans on. At least he wasn’t wearing his jacket. Suddenly, an odd urge overtook Winry. She wanted to grab his hand and hold it, squeeze it. She didn’t know why, but she reluctantly reached over and laid her hand on top of his. Ed flinched at the sudden touch, and then just looked at Winry in wonder. He turned his hand over, and their fingers intertwined.
The look on Ed’s face changed from wonder to a certain degree of disbelief as Winry squeezed his hand. They sat there, staring at each other. Both of their faces shifted between so many looks, they both lost count. Finally, they just stared at each other with blank faces. But, though there was no expression, the looks were filled with meaning for the both of them. For Winry, it meant the resolve of a long-time desire, and a state of utter joy. For Ed, it meant an action of uncertainty that set him at an odd peace. Either way, they sat there, hand in hand, enjoying each other’s embrace and presence. They had no idea of how much time had passed, but they must have been lost in each other for a while. “Winry. Winry Rockbell. WINRY!” They both came back to the real world at Pinako’s yell. They hadn’t realized it, but there were people in the stall.
Ed immediately recognized the navy blue of Amestrian military uniforms. He looked up to meet the faces of 2nd Lieutenant Highmans Breda and Warrant Officer Votto Fallman. “Good evenin’, Mr. Elric.” Breda said. Ed looked at the sky. The sun was definitely lower than it was when he had first sat down.
“Uh… hey, 2nd Lt.” Ed responded, in a very fake casual tone.
Fallman had a sly smile on his face. “Seems as though you’ve lost track of time, Edward.” he said.
Winry interrupted before Ed could say anything. “Would you gentlemen be interested in the newest model of automail arm?”
“Naw, our limbs are still intact. We just heard Fullmetal was here, and thought we’d check in. See what trouble he’s gotten himself into.” Breda said.
“You act as though I’m the one who gets in trouble!” Ed snapped.
“Well, of course, sir. Alphonse here is too innocent to do anything… irresponsible.” Fallman said, glancing between Ed and Winry.
“Hey! Cut it out, Officer!” Ed exclaimed. Winry’s face was beat red.
Al was snickering in his seat. “Now, sir, leave brother alone. He’s just a little jailed lovebird….” he said, bursting out in laughter. Before anyone could react, Winry had stood up and tossed her wrench at Al. The wrench clunked, and his head piece went tumbling to the ground. Al quickly stopped down and picked it up as though nothing had happened. But, both of the military personnel had noticed it: Al was empty inside.
“Uh….” Breda said, at an apparent loss for words.
“I… I’m… I’m just a little short for this armor, is all. The headpiece falls off all the time… yeah, all the time!” Al tried to quickly cover.
Breda and Fallman didn’t believe him, but didn’t question him farther. “Well… we better go. We’re technically on guard duty now….” Fallman said slowly.
“Visit the actual shop if you’re ever in the area, gentlemen.” Pinako said as she waved. The two MPs waved back as they walked away. They muttered to each other as they left. Pinako quickly turned on Winry. “Child, you HAVE to be more CAREFUL!!!!!” she yelled at her.
“I’m sorry, Granny! I didn’t mean for Al’s head to fall off!” Winry yelled back.
Ed was angry, but really couldn’t say anything to her because of the moments they had just shared. Al spoke up, “Don’t worry, Winry… it was an accident. I don’t really mind if those two are suspicious of me. Most people are suspicious of me, anyway.”
Winry slowly sat down. Pinako shook her head with discontent. Ed looked at Winry. She gave him a truly apologetic look, a look that almost made her appear like a little hurt child. Ed immediately lost his edge, and smiled gently at her. He mouthed it’s okay to her. He stuck out his hand and laid it on her knee. She relaxed a little and wrapped her arm around his.
They sat in silence for another 15 minutes or so, then Pinako spoke. “Well… it’s getting late. The stream of visitors is thinning out. I guess we can close up for the year.”
“I guess you’re right… will we be back in time for the dance tonight?” Winry asked.
“Well, by the time we can get a cart rented and get everything packed up, it’ll take about a half an hour. Then, we’re about 15 minutes out from the house… about an hour to get unpacked, cleaned up, changed, and to get back here. That should give us a little bit of time to spare, at least.” Pinako responded. “Ed… would you be a dear and go rent a cart for us?” she asked.
“All right, I guess….” Ed looked at Winry, then at Al. “C’mon, Al. Let’s go get the cart.” he said.
Winry quickly, softly, and weakly said bye, almost as though she thought they were leaving for good again. Ed and Al waved bye as they walked towards the cart rental stall a few rows down. Al didn’t say anything, but instead just looked at Ed. “Aw, Al… don’t give me grief.” Ed moaned at him.
“I didn’t say anything, brother…. Only, I think Winry was waiting for that. Like I’ve told you time and time again.” Al responded.
“And I’ve been waiting for her. Just didn’t realize it, I guess.” Ed said.
“See? You should’ve done it before now, Ed.” Al said with a slight hint of told-you-so.
“Greif, Al, grief!” Ed snapped.
“No… this is grief. Edward and Winry, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!!” Al yelled aloud. Everyone jerked their heads around to look at him.
“Al! Shutup!!! You’re attracting attention!” Ed yelled back. Al hunkered down, snickering uncontrollably. Ed knew how to get Al back. He quickly darted around behind Al and jumped up on his back. Ed started jerking on Al’s long strand of hair coming from the top of his headpiece. “Onward, steed!” Ed hollered. Al started sprinting around in circles.
“Ed! Ed! Ed!!! Get… OFFA’ ME!!! Now YOU’RE attracting attention! EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!” Al screamed. Ed laughed hysterically. Finally, Al reach up and slung Ed off his back. Ed hit the ground with a hard thud.
“Ow… Al! You locked my arm up!” Ed whined.
“You started it!” Al retorted. Ed got up, trying to flex his automail. It popped loudly every time it moved. Al looked around. People were staring at them in many odd ways. Suddenly, Al spotted it: his source for revenge. Al reach over and grabbed Ed by his locked-up arm.
“Hey, hey! Get off, Al! You’re gonna’ break it!” Ed snapped. Al started walking Ed towards a stall a few feet off. Ed looked up and gasped in horror. It was the dairy stall! “Al! Al! No! Please! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!! Don’t do this!” Ed yelled as he started squirming viciously, trying to break Al’s iron grasp. He got nowhere. Al pushed Ed inside the stall and then blocked the entryway. “Al! Lemme’ out of here!” Ed sniffled.
“No, brother. Grab the sample cup… and drink it.” Al said, laughing evilly. Ed dropped to his knees and starting begging at Al’s feet. Al was like a brick wall: he was not to be moved. Finally, Ed stood up, almost to the point of tears. The man running the dairy stall was laughing, realizing what was going on. Ed slowly and shakily reach over to the cups and grabbed one.
“I guess this is what I get… I shouldn’t pick on you, Al….” Ed said sympathetically.
“You’re not getting out of it. Drink it.” Al stated bluntly. Ed gulped deeply, then lifted the cup to his lips. He took a deep breath, and swallowed the milk.
He crumpled the cup and yelled out, “Eww!!! That’s disgusting!!!”
The man running the stall stopped laughing long enough to spit out, “Milk’s good for you, son.”
“Who would want to drink white liquid secreted from a COW?!?!” Ed retorted. Al finally moved out of the way. Ed stomped out of the stall, jamming a finger into Al’s chest. “You’re dead, Alphonse. Just wait until we get back to Granny’s place….”
Suddenly, off in the distance, the two of them heard the one voice they did not want to hear. “I can’t leave you two alone for 5 freakin’ minutes, can I?!?!”
Ed and Al jerked around to see the wrath of Winry in it’s fullest and finest extent. She already had her wrench pulled. “Uh-oh….” Al said lowly as he took off running the opposite direction. Ed was still in shock from the milk, and didn’t think to run. Winry took off after Al. As she ran by Ed, she swung her wrench, hitting him square in the jaw. Ed hit the ground whimpering, waiting for the remainder of his beating. Instead, Winry took off after Al. Al, being the size that he was, couldn’t outrun Winry’s sleek and nimble form. She started wailing him across his back and head. Though Al couldn’t feel pain, he still hated the feeling off any form of rough physical contact. After a few good smacks, Winry turned on Ed, who was crawling away as quick as he could with his locked-up arm.
“Aw!!! Ed… what did you do to your ARM?!?!” Winry hollered.
“I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it, I swear! Al did it! Don’t hit me! Don’t hit me, please!” Ed begged. Winry was breathing heavy at first, then started to calm down at Ed’s pride-less figure. She pocketed her wrench again, and stretched out a hand to Ed. Ed looked up at her, unsure what to do.
“Well, c’mon, Ed. Let’s go get the cart. I’ll fix your arm on the way back. You’ll need it fully operational for the dance….” Winry said, giggling. Ed took her hand and she pulled him up.
Al cautiously made his way over to the two. “Is…. Is it over now?” he stammered.
Winry laughed. “Yes, it’s over now, Alphonse. C’mon, you two.” she said. Together, the three of them headed for the cart rental stall. They got there in a few minutes, and Winry reach into her pocket.
“No, Winry. I got it.” Ed said.
“The reason I went looking for you is because Granny forgot to give you the money for the cart. This is hers, not mine.” Winry responded.
“Oh… well, go ahead, then.” Ed muttered, perturbed that he lost his chance to look good. Winry pulled out 70 Cens from her pocket and handed it to the cart rental man. He took the money and pointed over to the last remaining cart. Al hoped into the back of the cart, and Winry took the reigns. Ed scooted his way in next to her. She looked at him and smiled.
“Away we go. Let’s not keep Granny waiting.” she said. Winry flicked the reins, and the mules pulling the cart snorted as they took off. She controlled the cart down the cart lane in the middle of the rows back to Granny’s stall. She stood there waiting for their return, all the sample automail packed back into the crates.
“What took you kids so long? Geez, when you want something done around here….” Pinako mumbled.
“These idiots were fighting.” Winry said bluntly. Pinako turned a piercing glare onto Ed. He shrunk down and laughed nervously, putting on a fake smile.
Pinako huffed and shook her head. “Alright. Winry, help me out.” she ordered.
Ed saw his opportunity and said, “Now, this one I do have.” He stood up to help out. Winry reach up and grabbed him by his shirt and jerked him down.
“Oh, no you don’t! Your arm’s already locked up. No more damage!” she barked. Ed crossed his arms, grumbling. “Granny… I’m gonna’ start on Ed’s arm, if you don’t mind.” Winry said politely. Al hopped out of the back of the cart to help with the crates, since he was the only one left to help.
“Ed! Seriously?!?!” Pinako snapped as she saw Ed’s locked-up arm.
“No, I did it by accident, Granny. Don’t yell at brother.” Al covered. She gave Ed a death stare, but let it go. Winry pulled out her wrench and started twisting bolts off on Ed’s shoulder. Eventually, she revealed the gears, and saw that there was sheep wool in them. Ed glanced down at the gears and moaned.
“Well, Al, don’t feel so bad. This lock-up was coming.” Winry said back to Al.
“What do you mean, Winry?” Al huffed from behind a crate.
“There’s wool from all the sheep stuck in the gears.” she responded.
Al dropped the crate into the back of the cart. “Ed was complaining about that earlier today. That’s the last of them, Granny!” Al said.
“Yeah, the wool would be attracted to the high temperatures of the automail.” Winry said. She plucked the wool out of the gears and put the metal covering back on. “Well, check it out, Ed.”
Ed flexed his arm back and forth. “Yeah, yeah… that feels much better… thanks, Winry!” Ed said, opulent about being able to move his arm freely again.
“Alright, move over, you two.” Pinako said as she climbed her way into the cart. Al jumped into the back again amongst the crates. Pinako flicked the reins hard, and the mules took off at a fast pace. It was a tight fit in the front seat with the three of them, but Ed didn’t mind being so close to Winry. Her slender body felt good up against his. And though she didn’t show it, Winry enjoyed Ed’s muscular leg pressing up against her skinny leg. The warmth of Ed’s automail arm caused Winry’s own arm to sweat a little. She spent all day with the heat, smell, and feel of automail, so she usually wasn’t too enthused by it. But, Ed’s was different. She simply wanted to touch it, and wanted Ed to know she was touching it, though he couldn’t feel it. She wasn’t sure why this was, maybe it was because it belonged to Ed that made it so magical. She slowly reached her hand over and gently laid her fingertips on Ed’s arm. Ed, of course, paid no attention. He was busy watching the fields pass by. Either way, she was content being so close to him.
Pinako often had to pull the cart over near the ditch, for the roads around Resembool weren’t quite wide enough for two carts. She softly cursed the amount of traffic under her breath. With the Sheep Festival going on, there were easily double the amount of carts traveling the roadways. Suddenly, pulling up slowly to the side of the cart was a rare sight indeed for Resembool: an automobile. As it came closer, Ed saw the Amestrian military logo on the side door of the vehicle. The window rolled down, and Warrant Officer Fallman stuck his head out. “Edward! Alphonse!” he hollered.
“Hello again, Warrant Officer Fallman.” Al said cheerfully, pretending as though nothing had happened earlier.
“We’re done here for the year. We’re heading back to East City. We’ll let Lieutenant Colonel Mustang know you’re still alive.” Fallman said.
“Alright, thanks! Tell him we’ll check in before we leave!” Ed responded.
“Will do.” Fallman stuck his head back in the car. The window rolled back up, and the car drove away slowly so it wouldn’t spook the mules.
“Do you think the Colonel will tell those two your situation if they asked, Ed?” Winry questioned, looking at him.
“I could see him doing it just to piss me off.” Ed responded.
“Brother… don’t be so harsh on the Colonel. He only tests you, you know. He doesn’t really mean what he does.” Al said softly from the back of the cart.
“Yeah, well… he does a real good job of it!” Ed snapped. Winry giggled and laid her hand on his knee. Ed looked at her and smiled. She smiled back, and they began looking forward. Within a few minutes, the old household where Ed and Al spent countless hours as children came into view.
“We’re almost home, everyone.” Pinako said. Ed’s eyes seemed dreamy as his thoughts traveled back to a time that seemed like decades ago. He, Al, Winry, and Den would run around the yard, chasing each other just for the pure joy and thrill of the chase. Pinako would observe from the porch, making sure they wouldn’t get too rough. Behind Ed, Al had turned halfway around to see the house. Even though they were just there that morning, the feelings remained as they approached, even for Al. As they pulled into the driveway, Den stood up from his post at the front door and growled at the cart. His automail leg gleamed in the dimming sunlight. “Shut it, Den. It’s us.” Pinako snapped. Den whimpered and wagged his tail.
Granny got off the cart and opened the garage door. She then pulled the cart on in. The four of them got up to help move the crates of automail. “Hey, uh… Winry? Can I help this time?” Ed asked cautiously.
“…Yeah, but be careful.” Winry said with a piercing glare. Ed quickly went to the back of the cart, eager to show off in front of her. Den had come into the garage and reared up on Winry. She kept him busy while Ed and Al got the crates. Pinako merely observed. Ed’s attempts to show off were slightly flawed, however, by Al. Al’s size allowed him to carry two crates into the kitchen to Ed’s one per load. In three trips, the crates were unloaded.
“Alright, boys. That’s enough. Go get washed up for your big night.” Pinako said. Winry and Ed smiled at each other. The four of them entered the house, followed by Den. Den went and laid down on the living room rug.
“Hey, Al! Come with me. I’ve got something for you.” Winry said.
Caught off guard by her request, Al stammered, “Oh… okay….” He followed her upstairs. Ed turned and looked at Granny Pinako.
“Well, Ed? What are you going to wear?” she asked him.
“Oh… I suppose just my undershirt and dress shirt…. It’s… really all I’ve got. I never really though about what to wear….” Ed pondered.
“Well, at least let me iron them out for you. Here. Take this spare shirt and pair of shorts. Go change into them.” Pinako ordered. Ed took the clothes and went into the spare bedroom that he had slept so many nights in during his childhood. The plain wood walls and flooring brought back pleasant memories. Ed had been sleeping on the couch since he came back, for it just didn’t seem right to sleep there anymore. He changed into the spare clothes and came back out, handing his old and dirty clothes to Pinako. He sat at the kitchen table while she got busy doing her ironing. He had set there for about a minute when he heard the faced-paced clanging and creaking: Al was running down the stairs. He came bursting into the kitchen.
“Ed! Ed! Ed! Look what Winry made for me!!!” Al said excitedly. He put his hands on his hips. He wore a brand new silk loincloth with the symbol of the alchemist(a snake curled around a crowned cross) embroidered on it. His old loincloth he usually wore was getting pretty old.
“Wow, Alphonse! That’s pretty awesome! Did… did Winry sew that?!?!” Ed exclaimed.
“Why, yes she did, Edward. She wanted to make something nice for your brother. It’s not expert work. She’s still got an amateur’s hand. Arts and crafts isn’t her strongest skill, after all….” Pinako chuckled.
“Yeah, this is so cool! I can’t think her enough for this. Oh, and Ed… your gonna’ love what Winry’s wearing….” Al said adoringly.
“What? What’s she wearing?” Ed questioned.
“She’ll be down in a minute or two! Just be patient, brother.” Al chided. Ed huffed and set back in his chair.
“Here’s your clothes, dear.” Pinako said, handing the warm clothing back to Ed. He went into the spare bedroom again and changed back into his original clothing. Even though it was the same clothes he had worn day in and day out for a year, he still looked nice with them freshly ironed and unwrinkled. He stepped back out. “You can leave those spare clothes in there, Edward. I don’t need them. They’ve served their purpose.” Pinako said. Ed tossed them onto the old bed. He sat back down, flexing his automail. Al sat down next to him. In a few seconds, Winry’s voice rang from the top of the stairs. “Is everyone else ready?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Come on down.” Pinako responded. Winry slowly started making her decent down the stairs. Ed’s heart pounded as he anticipated her appearance. She finally came into view. She had on a beautiful red dress that hugged her form tightly. The bottom was straight and design-less. The dress was actually rather plain, but still stunningly breathtaking. She had amazing rose corsets on each wrist, and her hair was pulled into a long braid behind her.
“Well… how… how do I look?” Winry nervously asked.
“Winry… you look… just… just…. Wow….” Ed stammered. Winry giggled, her face beat red.
“Stop it, Ed! I don’t look THAT good….” Winry said.
“Ed’s right, Winry. There’s no words to describe your beauty….” Al said softly, his voice trailing off.
“Well, I guess I look decent….” Winry said, still being critical of herself.
“I knew you weren’t going to go wrong with that dress, Winry.” Pinako reassured her.
“I love it, Winry! It’s… amazing!” Ed said, still struggling to fully accept the serene beauty standing in front of him.
“Well, that’s the important part. Are you ready, Ed?” Winry asked.
“Not quite. Al! Go get me a comb!” Ed ordered. Al took off upstairs to the bathroom. Ed reach up and pulled the ties out of his hair. It fell down to his mid-back. He fluffed it up, shook it, then looked Winry over again. “You put my clothes to shame.” he said jokingly.
“Now, Ed. It’s not the clothes that are worn, but the person in the clothes that determines love and beauty. You look fine.” Winry chided.
Ed dropped his head, his face a dark shade of red. “But… you’re gorgeous….” he said lowly.
“Enough. Nothing I can do could make me as handsome as you.” she responded. Ed looked up, grinning from ear to ear. She laughed somewhat nervously.
Al came bounding back down the stairs. “Here you go, brother!” he said, handing the comb to Ed. He went and stood by the door, waiting as he looked at his new loincloth. Ed lifted the comb and straightened out all the knots and curls. Completely straight, it came down to his waist. He sat the comb back on the table and fluffed his hair a little.
“Now I’m ready.” he said laughing.
“Back into town we go, then.” Pinako said, following Al into the garage. Ed stood up, and locked his arm around Winry’s. His heart skipped heavily as they looked at each other. They exited the house, and Den had gotten up and returned to his post on the porch. Ed sat in between Pinako and Winry this time, and Al climbed into the back as before. Granny Pinako spurred the mules on, and they left the old house behind at a steady clip.
Ed had his hand laid on Winry’s mid-thigh, and she had her hand on his knee. They sat there staring into each other’s eyes as they had before. Ed noticed that there was something different in Winry’s eyes now: something most like desire. Winry felt the unreserved flow of love and affection coming from Ed. It was definitely something odd for her to feel coming from him. Ed had always been the “tough boy” who would never cry for anything to her. Now, she saw those walls breaking down to the one thing that claims everyone’s heart in time: love. Winry admitted to herself that it was nice to see him loosening up for a change, but it was also very weird for her. She could only imagine how Ed must’ve been feeling about that.
In truth, Ed didn’t really mind loosing his guard around Winry. He was among friends when he was in Resembool, and he knew no one would take advantage of his weakened state, especially her. Ed would almost rather loose his guard around Winry than keep it up. But, years of anguish and being on the defense made it difficult to just drop those walls. Now that they were finally down, it seemed a relief to him. Ed knew that keeping the walls lowered around Winry was the best thing to do, for it leads to bigger and better things, as he had discovered. The relations between him and Winry were no longer simply on the surface. Together, they had dug deep, and emotions never before felt by either of them were coming through. And Ed liked it.
He cautiously moved his hand around on Winry’s thigh. He meant no harm by it, he was doing in more in fascination than anything. Winry leaned in and whispered softly in his ear, “Easy with the fingers, Edward….” She snickered lowly. She then began to rearrange herself. She wrapped her arms around Ed’s middle, careful not to crinkle the corsets. She then laid her head over on Ed’s shoulder and made herself comfortable. Pinako glanced over and smiled gently, for she knew how both of them were feeling. Behind them, Al made what sounded like a low gasp. Ed glanced back, and Al was looking between him and Winry. Ed put a finger to his lips and pointed at his brother. Al dropped his head and turned back around, giggling. Ed rolled his eyes and put his head down on Winry’s head. She breathed heavily as Ed squeezed her knee. Ed wondered if this was the first time Winry had ever been treated like this. He figured it was, for she was completely at his mercy now, and Ed had certainly never done anything like this. He knew he wasn’t smooth at all, but whatever he was doing was working. They sat there in that position until the Festival grounds came into view again. Pinako parked the cart at the now-empty Rockbell Automail stall to avoid the hustle and bustle of the public parking field. The four of them got out and they made their way towards the sounds of music coming from the town square.
Together, Ed and Winry walked a little bit ahead of Al and Pinako. As they came closer, the sounds of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck became clearer. They were saving the dance-related songs until more people showed up. The four of them picked out seats along the edge of the dance floor and reserved them. Pinako and Winry sat down. “Ed, could you please go get some drinks for us?” Pinako asked.
“Sure.” Ed responded.
“I’ll come.” Al said. The two brothers walked towards the refreshments. “So… having fun yet, brother?” Al asked Ed.
“Heh. Nervous fun, maybe.” Ed retorted.
“Well, you’re doing fine, I think. Considering you really haven’t done anything….” Al laughed.
“Hey! I asked her to the dance, did I not?” Ed snapped.
“Yeah, but she’s done all the rest.” Al said.
“So what? Suits me better. Let’s just get the drinks.” Ed shot back. The two of them grabbed cups of cold ice water and headed back to the seats. They handed a cup to Pinako and Winry. Ed sat down next to Winry and Al next to Ed. The song had changed to Van Halen’s Jump.
“Winry… I’m old fashioned, but how do you dance to this?” Pinako asked.
Winry laughed. “Grandma… you’re not supposed to. I guess they’re just waiting for more people to show up before they start the dances.” she said. Ed and Al had heard of Van Halen, but didn’t really recognize them. They were on the road so often that music never really appealed to them. But, the two of them would occasionally participate in a dance here and there when they stumbled across one.
The four of them sat there, watching the people come in and out of the square. The crowd had now picked up to an almost magnificent size: much more than what was at the Festival. Al looked over the people with a somewhat exasperated stature. He knew getting around in the crowd would be a nightmare for him. Eventually, the music stopped and the mayor of Resembool’s voice came over the loudspeakers. “Is everyone ready to get this year’s Annual Resembool Sheep Festival dance on?” The crowd cheered loudly. The first dance song of the night started to play: Come On, Eileen by Dixie’s Midnight Runners.
Winry looked over and smiled at Ed. “You ready, Edward?” she asked. Ed smiled back and nodded. They both stood up.
“You coming, Al?” Ed asked.
“Nah… not yet. I’m… gonna’ see if the crowd thins later.” Al responded.
“Suit yourself. Let’s go, Ed.” Winry said, wrapping her arm around his. They walked onto the dance floor and claimed their spot in line. Winry knew the dance well, but Ed struggled to pick it up. “Oh, Ed… you’re helpless….” she sighed at him.
“Hey. Dancing’s not exactly my forte.” Ed snapped back.
“Come here. I’ll teach you.” Winry said as she dragged him away. Off to the side, Ed blundered his way through the primary steps of the dance. Across the floor, Al tapped Granny Pinako on the shoulder and pointed over at the two of them. Pinako and Al laughed heartily at Ed’s failure and Winry’s hapless attempts. Ed spotted them laughing and extended his middle finger to them. Al stopped laughing and pointed at him, but Pinako just laughed even harder. “Be a gentleman, Ed! You got the dance down now?” Winry asked, exasperated.
“Sorry… yeah, I think so.” Ed said sulkily.
“The song’s almost over. Hurry up!” Winry exclaimed. They got back in line and finished the last minute or so of the dance. They walked back to their seats, laughing. Ed admitted he was having more fun than he ever had at any dance, even though only one song was done. Winry took a drink of her water, and giggled at Ed. “See? You can do it!” she said.
“I’m warmed up, now. I should be able to get the rest of the dances pretty easily….” Ed said.
“Brother, warming up doesn’t entail extending rude gestures to your family.” Al said accusingly.
“Oh, like it wasn’t warranted!” Ed snapped back.
“Oh, leave him alone, Alphonse! It’s good for him to have a little feisty spirit.” Granny Pinako chuckled. Al huffed and relaxed a little in his chair. The next song began to play: The Stroke by Billy Squier. Ed and Winry made their way back onto the dance floor. Ed picked up the moves as easily as he expected, and found himself laughing nearly the entire song. After it finished, they got another drink, and headed back out for the next song, which was Ram Jam’s Black Betty. This time, though, Ed fell into a sort of a trance as he watched Winry’s divine body fall into rhythm with the song. He was fascinated by her movements, almost like an Indian dancer. The song was over before he knew it, and an intermission song in the form of Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome To the Jungle began to play. Ed followed behind Winry, still slightly entranced. As they approached their seats, Al was surrounded by a group of teenage girls. Winry gasped and looked back at Ed, shocked that Al wasn’t freaking out. Ed was just as surprised, for Al can’t function around girls. Granny Pinako pointed at Ed and motioned for him to come quickly. He hurried over and she whispered just loud enough for Ed to hear her, “They’re picking on Alphonse… bugging him to take his armor off.” Ed took a deep breath. Somehow, he knew something like this would happen. He walked over to the girls.
“Hey, leave ’em alone. Can’t you see he doesn’t want you around?” Ed snapped. Al was making a form of a low whimpering sound, but wasn’t saying anything to defend himself.
The girls spun around, and one of them stepped forward. “And who are you supposed to be?” she asked with a sarcastic tone.
“I’m his older brother, that’s who!” Ed exclaimed. The girls just looked at him and laughed. “I’m also Edward Elric, the Fullmetal ALCHEMIST!!!” he screamed at them. Two of the girls immediately stopped laughing.
One of them spoke up, “Uh, girls… that means he’s a General in the military….” The others girls also stopped laughing.
“Get outta’ here, and leave my brother alone! I don’t want to see you again, you hear?!?!” Ed said forcefully. The group of girls scattered in every which direction. Ed turned on Al. “What happened?” he asked him.
“Oh, Ed… I… I didn’t know what to do…. They just… started picking on me, and… and I couldn’t say anything to stop them!!!” Al said, almost to the point of tears.
“Aw, Al… c’mon… you’re a walking suit of armor! You can’t be intimidated by a group of snobbish little girls!” Ed chastised him. He turned to face Granny Pinako. “Why didn’t you do anything?” he asked.
“They wouldn’t have listened to an old hag like me, Edward! Plus, it’s Al’s fight, not mine….” she said with an exasperated tone.
“People… really are scared of your rank, aren’t they, Ed?” Winry asked cautiously.
“Yeah, but I don’t take it in a bad term. Instead, I see it merely as an advantage.” Ed responded.
Winry rolled her eyes. “Typical Ed response….” she huffed. Ed rolled his eyes back at her. The Guns N’ Roses song finished up, and was replaced by Europe’s The Final Countdown. Al had heard the song on occasion, and absolutely loved it. He stood up, the event that had just passed clearly out of his mind. “You gonna’ join us this time, Al?” Winry asked.
“Yeah! I love this song!” he said, laughing. Together, the three of them got in line and viciously stepped out the moves of the dance. By the time the song had finished, the three were laughing uncontrollably. They didn’t even bother stopping for drinks as they waited for the next song. After a 30 second layover, Queen’s Killer Queen began to blare through the speakers. Even Ed knew this song, and he knew the moves to the dance decently well. They danced through this song, then got a drink. Al even joined them on the next song, which was You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi. They danced it out, and the night’s second intermission song started to play: You’re Just What I Needed by The Cars. The three of them made their way back to their seats. Pinako had taken off somewhere. They sat down, Ed and Winry breathing heavily. “I guess this is one benefit to my body… I don’t get hot!” Al said, jokingly.
“Lucky….” Winry said. Al laughed. “You know, you’re not such a bad dancer, Ed. Why were you so worried?” she asked.
“’Cause I didn’t know I was good at it. I still don’t think I am….” Ed muttered.
“Well, don’t think that way! You’re great, handsome!” Winry exclaimed. Ed turned to look at her, smiling tenderly. She giggled and dug her head into his shoulder, completely embarrassed by what she had just said. Then, in the corner of Ed’s eye, he spotted someone he wished not to see: the boy who had asked Winry to the dance earlier in the day. And he was walking toward them. Ed instinctively put his flesh hand on his automail arm, ready to transmute a blade. He stood in front of them for a few seconds before Winry said something. “Go away, Malcolm…I really don’t need the additional stress….” she muttered.
“Why should I go away? This little prick stole you from me!” he snapped.
“Uh… excuse me, but I don’t think I exactly stole her, so to speak….” Ed smarted off.
“What your mouth, shorty!!!” he shot back.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!?!” Ed screamed. “I’LL THRASH YOU!!!!!!!!!!” Ed lunged forward at the boy and gave him a swift kick from his automail leg.
“Ed! Easy!” Winry exclaimed.
“Brother!” Al yelled.
Ed clapped his hands and transmuted his blade. He stuck the point at the boy’s throat. “Now, Winry is mine, you hear me? When I’m gone, you better not as much as lay a finger on her, or I’ll tear you apart!” Ed growled. The boy nodded vigorously, terrified. Ed pulled the blade back and reversed it back into part of the automail. The boy sprinted away. Everyone around was silent and looking at Ed with disbelief. Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out his silver Amestrian Pocketwatch, the one item that signifies someone as a State Alchemist. He held it up. “It’s okay. Official State business.” he said. Everyone looked away, knowing better than to interfere with “State business”. He turned around to face Al and Winry. Al’s head was down, and Winry was almost crying.
“You overreacted, brother….” Al said lowly.
“Oh, no… Winry… I’m sorry… so sorry….” Ed stammered, walking over to her. She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. She jumped up and hugged Ed in a tight embrace. Ed was caught off guard, and slowly squeezed her back.
She pulled away from him and wiped her tears away. “Never… EVER… do that again, okay?” she asked forcefully.
Ed pretty much figured that was an order, not a question. He said, “Okay… I’m sorry….”
“Quit apologizing.” Winry scolded. “Malcolm started the fight, he deserved it.” Ed turned and looked at Al. Al merely shook his head.
“I’m gonna’ go find Granny….” he said. He stood up and walked off.
“I’m gonna’ hear about this one later….” Ed sighed.
“Oh, well. It won’t be from me.” Winry said, reassuringly. The intermission song finished, and The Electric Slide started to play. “Now, this is more my style!” Winry exclaimed, laughing. She pulled Ed into the dance floor. Together, they danced through a few dance classics. They took drinks in between, and finally, the two words Ed wanted to hear all night came over the speakers: slow dance. He turned, and Winry smiled softly and serenely at him. Over the speakers came the sweet and sultry first notes of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight. Ed gently laid his hands on Winry’s waist. She wrapped her arm around his neck. The began their slow and mindless shuffle back and forth. Ed looked deep into her emerald green eyes. She obliged by staring back into his eyes. To Ed, her eyes almost seemed mystic, much like an enchantress. Her amazing body moved so sweetly beneath his hands, her gorgeous hair flowed off her shoulders. Emotions were stirring deep within Ed’s consciousness, and he was greatly confused by them. But, he knew he enjoyed it.
Winry was feeling much the same way. She ran her fingers through Ed’s course blonde hair. She admitted that she thought he looked much better without the braid. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Winry knew that Ed was absolutely perfect in almost every sense. She always knew she had loved him, but never openly admitted it to the extent that she was now. During the breakdown of the song, the words involuntarily slipped from her mouth: “I love you, Edward Elric….”
Ed responded to this with a natural body reaction: he pushed his forehead hard against hers, then leaned in slowly, ever so slowly for that glorifying moment…. He was anxious and nervous all at the same time, and Winry was elated by the fact that she finally was going to find out how Ed’s lips felt against hers. With a slight hesitation, their lips made contact. Winry gasped and breathed out heavily through her nose. Ed, reluctant and unsure what to do, pressed his kiss from the surface to a deep kiss. Winry followed suit and squeezed Ed’s hair. Ed squeezed her hips in response. They held the kiss for some time, before they finally broke contact. Their foreheads touched again, and they noticed that each other’s eyes now had a fiery passion in them, burning with such an intensity that it could cut the air like a hot knife through butter. Winry then dug her head back into Ed’s shoulder, and she laid there, breathing heavily. Ed put his lips, now buzzing, on her now fairly bare neck. He didn’t kiss, but instead just hovered there, enjoying the feel of Winry’s hot breath on his shoulder. He was completely immersed by the natural beauty that held him close, and was satisfied by the fact that she was his.
They stayed this way for the remainder of the song, holding each other in a tight embrace. As the song went off, everyone in the crowd clapped, and Ed and Winry pulled away from each other, smiling like they were on top of the world. They made their way over to Granny Pinako and Al as the mayor of Resembool announced the closure of the Festival. Pinako asked if they were ready to go, and they both said yes. As they were walking back to their cart, Al leaned over and whispered to Ed, “Great job, brother.”
Knowing Al didn’t mean it in a sarcastic way, he responded with a simple thanks. The four of them clamored into the cart and took off towards the house. It was dark outside, and little could be seen. Therefore, little was said. Winry had her head laid on Ed’s shoulder in content. Ed would occasionally kiss her forehead. Other than that, the ride home was calm and tranquil. Of course, as they pulled in the driveway, Den greeted them with his usual vicious tone. He settled down at a whistle from Pinako. They made their way inside with little hustle, and Pinako took off upstairs with a sultry good night. Before Winry made her way upstairs, she turned and asked Ed, “Are you sleeping in the spare bedroom tonight?”
“Yeah, why?” Ed responded.
“Oh, just asking.” Winry said, then proceeded upstairs. Ed turned and looked at Al. Al just shrugged his shoulders. He then went and sat in the living room.
Ed asked, “You staying out here tonight?”
“Yeah.” Al responded. Ed nodded to say goodnight. He went into the spare bedroom and closed the door. It was just bright enough to see the bed. He stripped down to a tank top and boxers, then laid down.
He thought back to the amazing night he had experienced. He finally accepted and was comfortable with the fact that he loved Winry. He knew she felt the same. He knew that there was a strong and bright future for the two of them, whether they were apart or not. He covered himself up, preparing for sleep. However, he instead tossed and turned for a few hours. Finally, knowing he was restless, he got up and made his way out onto the front porch. He stood in the moonlight, his automail arm and leg shimmering in the celestial glow. He stood there, looking up at the gorgeous moon, when he heard the door open behind him. He assumed it was Al, but he was surprised to hear the padding of bare feet. He turned around to see Winry’s soft smiling face. “I thought you were staying in the spare bedroom.”
“Nah, I couldn’t sleep.” Ed responded. He leaned back against the sturdy railing. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. They kissed each other again. It was just a slight peck on the lips, though it felt just as good to the both of them as a real kiss. She pulled away, and they both turned around to look at the moon.
“So… are you leaving tomorrow morning?” Winry asked.
“Well… I… I was actually thinking of staying. At least for a few days.” Ed responded.
“Really?!?!” Winry said excitedly.
“Yeah. Al won’t shutup about it, and, well… I kinda’ wanna’ stay a little bit, too….” Ed said, his voice trailing a little.
“Any particular… reason…?” Winry asked, insinuating the real reason Ed was staying.
“Well, our next target was to pay another visit to the old architect Arlan Glostner in the village of Bord’Wan, so it’s not like it’s something that has to be done immediately.” Ed responded.
Realizing that she wasn’t going to get Ed to say what she wanted, Winry sighed and laid her head on Ed’s arm. They stood like this for some time, looking up at the mighty moon. It shined most nearly like some holy God, and Ed was always entranced by it’s mysterious attributes. It entranced him even more when he saw how it’s light was playing on Winry’s unkempt hair. Ed started to say the words Winry wanted him to say, but paused for a second. He thought that if he made too many connections, it would be rough on both him and Winry when he and Al left. But, he changed his mind, and said the words anyway. “I love you, Winry.” he stated bluntly. She left out a relieved sigh, then looked at him. His eyes shone with passion and unrestrained love. She leaned in and gave him a deep kiss. Ed grunted slightly, and Winry leaned back, grinning from ear to ear.
“I love you too, Ed.” she said. They looked at each other for a few seconds. “We should get to bed. If Granny sees us out here, she’ll freak.” Winry laughed. Ed chuckled and nodded. They headed back inside. Al was no longer in the living room, but Ed didn’t worry. He often wandered throughout the night. “Good night, Ed.” she said.
“Night, Winry.” Ed responded as he headed back into the spare bedroom. He fell back onto the bed. He laid for a few minutes, then he finally fell into a light surface sleep.
He had only slept that way for about an hour before he was disturbed again. In the darkness, he felt someone get into the bed with him. He got ready to clap his hands together to use alchemy, but he felt a small kiss on his neck from a pair of lips he knew. Winry curled up and wrapped her arms around him. She gently squeezed as she nuzzled her chin on his back. Expecting nothing more, the two of them fell into a deep sleep, enjoying each other’s presence.
When Ed awoke, Winry was no longer in his bed. He could tell it was morning by the smell of breakfast wafting through his half open door from the kitchen. Ed got up and stretched. His automail joints were stiffer than usual from being overly used the night before at the dance. He flexed them as steadily as he could, and they popped and creaked in protest. He yawned and walked out into the kitchen. Pinako was busy cooking gravy and sausage. “There’s biscuits on the table, dear.” she said, smiling at him.
“Thanks, Granny.” Ed responded with the same cheerful smile. Den stood at Pinako’s feet, waiting for some kind of “donations”. He walked into the dining room, and was met with the soft smile of Winry. Al sat opposite of her. “Morning, Al. Morning, Winry.” he said.
Al turned his head. “Good morning, brother.” he said happily. Ed sat down next to Winry and helped himself to a biscuit. After eating the warm pastry, he leaned in and whispered to Winry, “You told him about staying yet?”
“No. I thought it’d be best for you to tell him.” she whispered back.
Ed leaned back in his chair and casually asked, “So, uh, Al… you started packing yet?”
“No… not yet….” Al said sulkily, disappointed at the fact that they were leaving.
“Well, don’t worry ’bout it.” Ed said, smiling. Al looked up at Ed and gasped. “Yeah, I thought we’d stay for a little while.” Ed chuckled.
“Really, brother?!?!” Al exclaimed.
“That’s the same response I had.” Winry said, smiling gently.
“I’ll phone the Colonel after breakfast, let him know we won’t be back on the road any time soon.” Ed claimed.
Granny Pinako poked her head through the door. “What made you decide to stay, Edward?” she asked.
Ed thought for a second and said, “Let’s just say… I have more than enough of a reason to stay for a while….” He looked at Winry and smiled. She giggled and blushed. Both Ed and Winry were overly content. For the first time in years, everything was utterly and perfectly right with both of their worlds….

I feel wonderful because,
I can see the love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all,
Is that you just don’t realize,
How much I love you….​