Categories > Anime/Manga > Full Metal Alchemist > Red
A.N.: This story was partially inspired by the lovely art by Dzioo in her 30 Angsty Words challenge. The particular piece is # 22, "A Place To Sleep".
*
The voices rose and fell, laughter sometimes punctuating the conversation taking place down the hall and around the corner. Alex Louis Armstrong had excused himself earlier in the evening to allow the family, for what else were the Rockbell women and the Elric brothers if not a family, a chance to catch up without an outsider's intrusion. He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying in the spare bed but the voices were becoming more quiet and finally, he heard Ms. Pinako saying her goodnights. She padded down the hall past his door and he heard the faint creak and click of her shutting out the rest of the house. Of course she'd leave the children time to talk together, as well. Armstrong smiled slightly at the older woman's sensitivity.
The voices were lower now, a faint murmur that blended with the sounds of crickets outside the house. He realized he must have drowsed off when a soft, clanking noise interrupted his sleep. Blinking, Armstrong listened as Alphonse Elric left the house. He waited but when it seemed the boy was unlikely to return, curiosity pulled Armstrong from his bed.
As he opened the door of his room, Armstrong heard a yelp. Moving quickly down the hall, he mentally praised his forefathers for passing down their inherent stealthiness. He hesitated outside the living room, listening closely as Miss Winry said, "Don't be such a baby, Ed. This has to be more comfortable than using your arm as a pillow." She laughed soft and low. "Look. You've got an imprint of your wrist on your cheek."
"It's kinda hard to look at my face without a mirror," Edward Elric complained.
"There's a rivet and a joint hinge. I don' t know how you didn't pinch yourself."
"Lots of practice," came the somewhat testy reply which turned panicky with the question, "What are you doing?"
"Shh, you'll wake Mr. Armstrong," Miss Winry scolded.
Edward lowered his voice but the irritated note increased. "You haven't explained what you're doing."
"Can you think of something better for me to be doing with my hands?"
The mischievous tone in her voice made Armstrong's eyes widen and he risked a peep around the doorframe. Edward's head was pillowed on Miss Winry's thigh. The girl grinned down at him as she threaded her fingers through his hair. The boy's face was ruddy with embarrassment and his scowl would give strong men pause. "Winry," he growled.
"Edward," she said back in the same tone. Her expression softened. "I've missed you."
He folded his arms stiffly. "We're here now, right Al?" Armstrong ducked back as the boy sat up abruptly. "Where's Al?"
"He went outside to look at the stars. He said we ought to have a chance to talk alone."
"And you let him go?" There was a thump-clunk of Edward's feet hitting the floor.
"What was I going to do, tie him up?" Miss Winry asked tartly. "Ed," her voice cajoled the boy, "please sit back down with me."
The sigh was exasperated. "I don't want to leave Al alone, Winry. He doesn't deserve it."
"What about what I deserve, Edward? How long has it been? We haven't heard anything from you in four years." She took a deep breath, her voice cracking. "I haven't heard from you - Ed, I wasn't even sure you and Al were alive."
"Winry..." Pleading. For the girl not to cry? For her to understand? Armstrong didn't dare look, not now.
"Go on," she said thickly, wearily. "I'll...see you in the morning, Edward." There was a rustle and soft footsteps and Armstrong darted into the next room, hiding in the shadows. Miss Winry passed him by and he let out a sigh of relief.
A few seconds later, Edward stomped down the hall after the girl. "Winry," he hissed, catching her before she could mount the stairs at the end of the hall. "Don't do this, please."
She didn't hesitate, climbing the steps. "Good night, Edward."
Shoulders slumped, Edward turned away, walking back down the hall. As he passed the open doorway, he muttered, "Good night, Major Armstrong," and continued out the front door, leaving Armstrong in shock.
The night passed slowly after that but finally, the sun started to appear, brightening the day. Edward refused the breakfast that Ms. Pinako offered to fix, saying that they could get something in the dining car of the train. He was fidgety, obviously ready to leave. Alphonse asked about Winry and was told the girl was still sleeping after staying up to work on Edward's automail the past few nights.
"Don't wake her," Edward said, "I don't want to hear any more about automail maintenance." Armstrong raised an eyebrow at the boy. Edward flushed as he looked back, daring Armstrong to say anything. "C'mon, we should go. We don't want to miss the train." Shouldering his suitcase, Edward started down the path leading away from the Rockbell house. Alphonse turned his palms up at Armstrong and turned to follow his brother.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Pinako. Please say my farewells to Miss Winry."
The tiny woman crinkled a grin at him. "Keep an eye on my boys, will you, Mr. Armstrong?"
Before he could reply, a shout rang out in the morning air. "Ed! Al!" Both boys hesitated, turning around to see Winry leaning on the railing of the upstairs porch. Wiggling her fingers at them, her sleepy smile seemed almost warmer than the rising sun. "See you later."
Alphonse waved back enthusiastically. "Yeah! See you!"
Edward stared up at her and some of the tension eased from his stance. "Later, Winry," he called back, giving her a wave before turning to leave.
"Take care of yourselves, boys," Pinako shouted after them.
Armstrong knew if he looked back, he'd see the girl on the balcony, the woman on the front stoop, watching them walk into the distance.
*
(Fin)
*
The voices rose and fell, laughter sometimes punctuating the conversation taking place down the hall and around the corner. Alex Louis Armstrong had excused himself earlier in the evening to allow the family, for what else were the Rockbell women and the Elric brothers if not a family, a chance to catch up without an outsider's intrusion. He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying in the spare bed but the voices were becoming more quiet and finally, he heard Ms. Pinako saying her goodnights. She padded down the hall past his door and he heard the faint creak and click of her shutting out the rest of the house. Of course she'd leave the children time to talk together, as well. Armstrong smiled slightly at the older woman's sensitivity.
The voices were lower now, a faint murmur that blended with the sounds of crickets outside the house. He realized he must have drowsed off when a soft, clanking noise interrupted his sleep. Blinking, Armstrong listened as Alphonse Elric left the house. He waited but when it seemed the boy was unlikely to return, curiosity pulled Armstrong from his bed.
As he opened the door of his room, Armstrong heard a yelp. Moving quickly down the hall, he mentally praised his forefathers for passing down their inherent stealthiness. He hesitated outside the living room, listening closely as Miss Winry said, "Don't be such a baby, Ed. This has to be more comfortable than using your arm as a pillow." She laughed soft and low. "Look. You've got an imprint of your wrist on your cheek."
"It's kinda hard to look at my face without a mirror," Edward Elric complained.
"There's a rivet and a joint hinge. I don' t know how you didn't pinch yourself."
"Lots of practice," came the somewhat testy reply which turned panicky with the question, "What are you doing?"
"Shh, you'll wake Mr. Armstrong," Miss Winry scolded.
Edward lowered his voice but the irritated note increased. "You haven't explained what you're doing."
"Can you think of something better for me to be doing with my hands?"
The mischievous tone in her voice made Armstrong's eyes widen and he risked a peep around the doorframe. Edward's head was pillowed on Miss Winry's thigh. The girl grinned down at him as she threaded her fingers through his hair. The boy's face was ruddy with embarrassment and his scowl would give strong men pause. "Winry," he growled.
"Edward," she said back in the same tone. Her expression softened. "I've missed you."
He folded his arms stiffly. "We're here now, right Al?" Armstrong ducked back as the boy sat up abruptly. "Where's Al?"
"He went outside to look at the stars. He said we ought to have a chance to talk alone."
"And you let him go?" There was a thump-clunk of Edward's feet hitting the floor.
"What was I going to do, tie him up?" Miss Winry asked tartly. "Ed," her voice cajoled the boy, "please sit back down with me."
The sigh was exasperated. "I don't want to leave Al alone, Winry. He doesn't deserve it."
"What about what I deserve, Edward? How long has it been? We haven't heard anything from you in four years." She took a deep breath, her voice cracking. "I haven't heard from you - Ed, I wasn't even sure you and Al were alive."
"Winry..." Pleading. For the girl not to cry? For her to understand? Armstrong didn't dare look, not now.
"Go on," she said thickly, wearily. "I'll...see you in the morning, Edward." There was a rustle and soft footsteps and Armstrong darted into the next room, hiding in the shadows. Miss Winry passed him by and he let out a sigh of relief.
A few seconds later, Edward stomped down the hall after the girl. "Winry," he hissed, catching her before she could mount the stairs at the end of the hall. "Don't do this, please."
She didn't hesitate, climbing the steps. "Good night, Edward."
Shoulders slumped, Edward turned away, walking back down the hall. As he passed the open doorway, he muttered, "Good night, Major Armstrong," and continued out the front door, leaving Armstrong in shock.
The night passed slowly after that but finally, the sun started to appear, brightening the day. Edward refused the breakfast that Ms. Pinako offered to fix, saying that they could get something in the dining car of the train. He was fidgety, obviously ready to leave. Alphonse asked about Winry and was told the girl was still sleeping after staying up to work on Edward's automail the past few nights.
"Don't wake her," Edward said, "I don't want to hear any more about automail maintenance." Armstrong raised an eyebrow at the boy. Edward flushed as he looked back, daring Armstrong to say anything. "C'mon, we should go. We don't want to miss the train." Shouldering his suitcase, Edward started down the path leading away from the Rockbell house. Alphonse turned his palms up at Armstrong and turned to follow his brother.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Pinako. Please say my farewells to Miss Winry."
The tiny woman crinkled a grin at him. "Keep an eye on my boys, will you, Mr. Armstrong?"
Before he could reply, a shout rang out in the morning air. "Ed! Al!" Both boys hesitated, turning around to see Winry leaning on the railing of the upstairs porch. Wiggling her fingers at them, her sleepy smile seemed almost warmer than the rising sun. "See you later."
Alphonse waved back enthusiastically. "Yeah! See you!"
Edward stared up at her and some of the tension eased from his stance. "Later, Winry," he called back, giving her a wave before turning to leave.
"Take care of yourselves, boys," Pinako shouted after them.
Armstrong knew if he looked back, he'd see the girl on the balcony, the woman on the front stoop, watching them walk into the distance.
*
(Fin)
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