Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Seasons ❯ Spring: Rainy Days ( Chapter 6 )

Warnings and Disclaimers: Any and all characters from the anime Fullmetal Alchemist do not belong to me. I only torture them for some stories. There may be some teenage content in the story but it is very limited. This story is set after the movie which means there are some spoilers and if you have no idea what any of this may be about, then don't come crying to me please. It's not my fault, I warned you *sheepish grin*.

 

 

A/N: Okay guys, I'm sorry I haven't been updating very quickly lately, but now I have finished part 1 (Winter) and we head into the season of the birds and the bees -:wink:- just kidding, it's rated teen for a reason you perverts =P

 

 

 

Seasons

Spring: Rainy Days

Chapter 6

 

By: RomanceFanFicLover

 

 

Winry sighed softly as she leaned on her balcony railing with a steaming mug of tea warming her hands in the slightly chilly spring air. A rain drop fell from heaven and onto her neck, making her shiver lightly and look up into the sky.

 

 

Winry's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the large thunder clouds approaching Risembool. She loved rain but she hated downpours and she loved lightning but she hated thunder. Furrowing her brow, Winry turned back into her workshop.

 

 

Setting the mug down with a small `thud', she flopped into her seat and stared at the automail design lying on the table before her.

 

 

“You're never going to get any work done that way Win.” Whirling around in her chair, Winry shot a glare at the smug not-so-midget-anymore midget in front of her. She hated that he grew, well actually that wasn't true. She loved the fact that he was the height as her now; but now she couldn't tease him and she was done by a lot in the insult category now.

 

 

“Hey Ed, is it just me or did you shrink again?” She grinned sadistically as he struggled to produce a response; maybe she still had a few short jokes that could work.

 

 

“Winry did you get fatter?”

 

 

“WHAT?!”

 

 

And so the morning began in the Rockbell household; yelling, throwing random objects, running around the house. Pinako grunted in response to Winry's plead, “Granny! Stop Ed so I can pummel him to death with the wrench he bought me last week!”

 

 

“Hey I gave you that for automail not my skull; you really must be stoooopid!!” Ed taunted as he stood a safe distance from her; hiding behind the couch.

 

 

“You're the stupid one for buying me it then aren't you? Stupid!”

 

 

“Shut up! Machine Freak!”

 

 

“Alchemy Geek!”

 

 

The fight ensued as they ended up back upstairs and Ed darted into Winry's room.

 

 

Winry arrived at the doorway only to freeze in horror. Ed stood in front of her bed holding a tiny red notebook.

 

 

“Well lookie here! What has the wonderful, NOT-SHORT, child prodigy found in the machine freak's room? A D-I-A-R-Y!”

 

 

Winry's face suddenly dropped and Ed watched curiously as emotions flew through her expressions; surprise, shock, fear, embarrassment, and then anger.

 

 

“Ed, what are you doing?! Put it down please.”

 

 

“Make me.” Ed stuck his tongue out at her before slowly opening the cover.

 

 

“Ed!” He looked at her cockily as he placed the last written-on page between his human thumb and forefinger.

 

 

“Oh, the latest entry! Let's see what the completely non-sexy and non-cute automail fanatic has to say, shall we?”

 

 

“No!” Winry flung herself at Ed and heard Ed's surprised intake of breath before her body collided with his own.

 

 

The force of Winry's tackle went unnoticed as Ed caught sight of his name written several times within the entry, however when Ed noticed that he had landed on the bed with Winry on top of him…It was kind of hard not to take notice.

 

 

Ed lay on the bed in shock and Winry took the opportunity to grab the book. Once she felt the smooth cover securely in her hand Winry pushed off of Ed and made a run for the door. A cold metal hand wrapped around her wrist with extreme force and Winry fought not to scream in agony as the muscles bruised immediately.

 

 

Ed got to his senses when Winry had pushed down onto his chest and grabbed her wrist before she could get away. Pulling her back towards the bed and pinning her down was surprisingly easy.

 

 

“Give it back, I want to read it.”

 

 

“No!”

 

 

“I'll tickle you!” Ed threatened half-heartedly.

 

 

“You wouldn't dare.” Winry narrowed her eyes at him venomously.

 

 

“Behold the newly renamed Tickle Alchemist!” Winry's laughter bounced off the walls of the room and reverberated into the hallway.

 

 

“Ah!....Ed! Stop!” Getting the words in between her giggles was extremely exhausting and Winry fought for breath. `Retaliate, Winry! Retaliate!'

 

Ed loosened his hold on Winry's rib cage and was about to let her breathe when suddenly the ceiling was in his vision.

 

 

“What the…?”

 

 

“Revenge is sweet.” Ed looked at her in horror; she wouldn't serious tickle him back would she?!

 

 

“Brother, Winry! What did I say before?! Just tell me and Auntie Pinako if you want privacy and we'll leave!” Al's body was suddenly covered by wood as he closed the door in time to avoid the red notebook flying towards his face.

 

 

Ed took this time to notice Winry was straddling with her black skirt on. Blushing furiously, Ed tossed Winry off of him and ran out the room.

 

 

When he had gotten outside his grin was uncontrollable, he had gotten the diary and she never even noticed. Ed stopped running and slowed to a walk.

 

 

“Edward!!” Ed blinked quickly, `When did the ground get so close?'

 

 

..+..------------------------------..+..

 

 

“DON'T TOUCH ME WITH THAT THING!”

 

 

Winry winced as a tray full of medical supplies clattered to the floor.

 

 

“Sir, if you would please just…!” The nurse frantically pleaded with the raging teen who was supposed to be finishing his meal and then resting before going home.

 

 

“NO WAY IN HELL! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!”

 

 

Winry had had enough; ten minutes of this was fine, but not an hour. “Edward Elric, drink your goddamn milk for once!”

 

 

Ed's look was enough to provide her an answer. It clearly stated “Are you nuts?!” Winry decided to use a technique that proved to be successful in getting the eldest Elric to obey.

 

 

As she reached in her jacket for her wrench Winry paused. `That's what got him into the hospital in the first place…' Rethinking her options, Winry resorted to playing dirty.

 

 

Ed's eyes widened as Winry crawling onto his hospital bed with him and rested her torso over his shoulder as she leaned into his face. “Please Ed? The sooner you drink it, the sooner you get out.” She pouted just incase. Ed fought ruthlessly in his internal battle. `Don't fall for it Fullmetal! You're stronger than this!' Winry saw the look in his eyes and decided to pull her last resort; she flashed some metal. `She has the wrench. Drink the milk.'

 

 

Making a face, Ed slowly grabbed the bottle of milk and dragged it closer to him. The milky substance splashed against the side of the bottle. An idea struck his head and after strategically placing his metal arm beside the bottle Ed coughed harshly.

 

 

With a smash the bottle collided with the floor and milk decorated the walls and floor.

 

 

“Oops?” Ed laughed sheepishly before he caught Winry's death glare and looked the other way with equally dark eyes. The actions reminded Ed of the time he had been in the hospital after the 5th Laboratory incident.

 

 

“I can't believe he's afraid of milk…” Winry murmured to herself as she left the room.

 

 

Ed lay back against the pillows and shouted after her, “I'm not afraid of it!” The soft pitter-patter of rain hitting the window caught Ed's attention and he watched as the droplets made patterns as they traveled down the window pain.

 

 

Blowing on the window to create a mist, Ed took his index finger and started writing in the fog he created. Another memory flooded Ed's brain as his actions once again reminded him of something of the past.

 

 

“Winry, when we grow up, I'm going to marry you!” Ed stated as the three young children played by the river.

 

“No way, brother! I'm going to marry Winry!” Al growled back furiously.

 

 

“Na-uh!”

 

 

“A-huh!”

 

 

“No! Never, she's going to marry me.” Ed tackled his brother and instigated a mini-wrestling match.

 

 

“Winry Alphonse Elric!”

 

 

“Never! Winry Edward Elric!”

 

 

“Ew! I'd never marry either of you!” The two brothers stopped their fight to look up and the angered young girl before them.

 

 

“Why?” They both demanded.

 

 

“Al is too much like a little brother to me and Ed is just short.”

 

 

Ed broke out of the memory before he ended up shouting in the hospital. Grinning like an idiot, he started to write onto the glass.

 

 

Al leaned against the doorframe and watched his brother stay in his thoughts before breaking into a large smile and continued writing on the window. “Hi Brother, ready to go?” Al allowed his brother to be aware of his presence.

 

 

Ed turned around and nodded enthusiastically. “Finally! What to you so long?” Ed hopped out of bed and changed his clothes quickly before racing out the door ahead of Al.

 

 

Al made his way over to the window in curiosity. `What was brother doing that made him so happy?' He started reading from the top down. First there was a smudging picture of someone who Al was pretty sure was supposed to be his brother, although didn't seem like it due to this characters height, standing on top of what he assumed was the Colonel Mustang. Next up on the masterpiece was their teacher's sign of a snake on a cross and the military sign beside it. Directly under those was a transmutation circle and a wrench.

 

 

Al laughed at the symbols; he had no idea his brother was attempting to be an artist anyways. Glancing down at the very bottom of the window Al smiled gently and turned after his brother.

 

 

In the corner, written in very neat and small letters was “Winry Edward Elric”.

 

 

..+..------------------------------..+..

 

 

The doctor watched as the two of the teenagers traded insults while the third tried desperately to maintain peace. Turning to the old woman who was supposed to be caring for them, the doctor handed her the young man's prescription. “Young love is wonderful isn't it?”

 

 

“Oh, you see it too?”

 

 

“Indeed I do, it's a wonderful thing.

 

 

“Mmhmm…” was his only response as the elderly woman called out to the three and headed out the door. The doctor turned back to watch the three in time to see a rather large wrench coming into contact with his previous patient's skull.

 

 

Wide eyed, the doctor began to make a connection between this family's frequent doctor's visits, the two teens and the elderly woman's attitude towards it all.

 

 

“Mmhmm indeed.” Before he saw anything else that may ruin his image of the town's peaceful youth, the doctor hurried into his office.

 

 

“What's wrong with him?” Winry muttered. Ed simply shrugged.

 

 

 

..+..------------------------------..+..

 

 

“Oh my God! Ed! Look, their just calling out to me. Can you buy them for me? Please?” Winry's eyes sparkled in hope and delight as she stared lovingly at the endless array of nuts, bolts and screws.

 

 

“Winry, we're supposed to be going home, not deeper into town.” Ed sighed, exasperated by Winry's energy.

 

 

Winry had dragged Ed away into a mechanic shop on their way home from the doctor. His desperate reach to Al had only resulted in Al doubling over with laughter and his Auntie Pinako giving him a look of pity before telling Winry that they'd head home ahead of them.

 

 

That is what lead Ed to being where he was now; buried under a pile of tools, sheets of metal, blowtorches, blowtorch masks, working gloves, screwdrivers, wrenches, full toolbox sets, hammer, saws and all the rest of the works. For some reason the thought of escaping had never really occurred to Ed until that particular moment, looking at her fill an entire sack with the bolts she had been admiring.

 

 

Carefully placing down the items, Ed inched towards the door.

 

 

“Ed! Look! These wire insulators are rumored to be the best! Ed come look!” Grabbing Ed by the end of his braid as he slunk past her and dragging him towards the back of the store, Winry squealed in delight at the amount of multi-coloured insulators she found.

 

 

Sighing in defeat, Ed looked down at the wire colours she had specifically picked out; she had carefully sorted them out in the palm of her hand. Ed had noticed before that the wires in his leg and arm had different coloured insulators on them.

 

 

“Hey Win?”

 

 

“U-huh?” She muttered absently as she considered whether or not she should get the thicker red insulators or the thinner red insulators.

 

 

“Why do the insulators have to be different colours?”

 

 

“For the different nerve endings. There are quite a few unimportant ones but if you cut the important ones it could deliver extreme pain to the automail wearer.” Suddenly realizing that it was Ed who was asking the question, Winry gave him a suspicious leer. “Why?”

 

 

Ed laughed nervously and backed up a few steps. “I was just curious I swear!”

 

 

“Oh okay! Now I need some blue ones…” Ed leaned against the counter and waited for her to finish up her shopping spree.

 

 

When Winry had finally settled down and put away the items she didn't really need, she turned sheepishly to Ed as the price was rung up.

 

 

“Looks like I owe you a few free automail maintenance checks.”

 

 

“A few?! Try a lifetime supply.” Ed didn't mean anything by the statement and willingly fished out his wallet.

 

 

Upon paying, Ed noticed that their were way too many items for them to carry, even if Al and Pinako were there, there would still have been way too many bags and boxes.

 

 

“Hey Win, they deliver right?” Finally noticing the growing piles of bags, boxes and carts, Winry leaned around the pile and asked the shopkeeper if they could have it delivered to the Rockbell residence. Extra payment was made and they finally headed out the door.

 

 

“SUNLIGHT! OH GLORIOUS SUNLIGHT! I'M FREE, I'M FREE!” Ed ran out the door and twirled around aimlessly.

 

 

“Don't be stupid, it's not that stuffy in there. And anyways there isn't much sunlight out right now; it's supposed to drizzling, you are an idiot.”

 

 

“Then we better hurry home.” Ed's logic was taking over his playfulness again.

 

 

“We have time, don't worry.” Winry smiled sweetly, too sweetly in Ed's opinion, and grabbed Ed's hand before dragging him to another shop.

 

 

“Marcus Family Jewelers…?” Ed looked at Winry in shock. “You want to go to a jewelry store?!” Ed stood on the doorstep looking white as a sheet as he stared up at the sign.

 

 

“I am a girl you know!”

 

 

“Really? Never noticed.” A flirtatious voice whose body soon followed into the doorway joked to Winry.

 

 

Growling at the young man, Ed clenched his fists tightly. He was looking at Winry way too closely in Ed's opinion. “Who the hell are you?” Ed's voice was ruder than he had wanted it to be, but caught the man's attention nevertheless.

 

 

“Oh, you must be the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric! I've heard a lot about you. I'm Jonathon Marcus; my father owns this store. Ed nodded dumbly; why was this chump being so friendly with him?

 

 

“Win, let's go home.”

 

 

“No, please Ed? I wanted to take a look inside.” Winry pouted softly and looked at Ed was pleading eyes. It didn't work this time though, Ed's furious mind was too busy overworking itself in it's anger. `So that's why she suddenly liked jewelry, because of that Jona-whats-it jerk. My ass that I'll go into that shop with...What the…?!' Winry had managed to drag Ed into the store during his internal rampage.

 

 

Huffing angrily Ed glared at ever piece of jewelry, every painting, every wall and every crevice of the store in disgust. Suddenly, he had an intense dislike for jewelry and he also seemed to recall a `memory' of a jeweler who raped young girls. Those jewelers were crooks; he'd better tell Winry before she got hurt, it was for her sake of course.

 

 

As Ed was about to open his mouth Winry put her hand lightly on his own. “Ed, can you wait here please? I have to talk to Jonathon about something.” Ed watched in a daze as Winry walked away from him and into the backroom door. “Employees Only” was written on the door, and wasn't that the door that that Johnny guy had gone into?

 

 

Pulled out of his daze, Ed shook his head in disbelief. She went back there with him?! Ed shook with rage and stormed towards the door, “Winry get your ass out here, we're leaving!”

 

 

“Hold on, Ed! You're so impatient!” Ed was close enough to the door to hear something being snapped shut and slight whispering before the door slammed open and hit him in the face.

 

 

“Fuck! Watch where you swing that thing!” He snarled at Winry as she giggled in delight at the sign of his pain.

 

 

“Ed, it's a door, I didn't purposely swing it in your face. It's your fault for standing so close to it anyways.

 

 

“Well aren't you ever so caring?” Ed whimpered sulkily before dragging himself out of the store.

 

 

He felt depressed; it was the store's fault. It had to be. As soon as they got near it, things went downhill for Ed. “I hate jewelry stores” He mumbled incoherently as he heard a clap of thunder resound in the sky surprisingly close. Searching himself, and finally pulling out his state alchemist watch, Ed checked the time.

 

 

“7:00?! Winry! Hurry up!” Ed called over his shoulder before started to make his way down the street.

 

 

“Ed! Don't just leave me, I didn't take that long.”

 

 

“Yeah whatever…” For some reason, Ed couldn't bring himself to look at her. The strange feeling in his chest insisted that if he looked at her, something bad would happen. And the feeling inside his heart insisted that she had done something wrong and did not, in any circumstance, deserve his attention at the moment.

 

 

“What's wrong with you? You were fine a couple of minutes ago. What are you, homesick?” Winry teased playfully but stopped as she caught sight of the scowl placed on Ed's face.

 

 

Lightning lit the dimming sky and the clouds opened to relieve themselves of the weight they were burdened with. It wasn't just the usual drizzling rain that starts off a storm, it was a full downpour out of seemingly nowhere.

 

 

“Shit! Come on, let's run.” Winry nodded in approval and began jogging along side him, her arm brushing his every now and then as they made their way through the town.

 

 

The feeling in his chest coiled tighter and Ed fought for concentration as Winry's fingers linked with his briefly before falling back with the momentum of her arm. Closing his eyes against the thoughts that rolled around in his head, Ed listened to the venomous feeling in his chest and moved farther aside from Winry.

 

 

Kick. Yell. Slam. Crash. Groan.

 

 

“Ed!” Winry was half worried and half laughing. Ed had run straight into a pile of wooden crates that lay in front of the local grocer's and now she couldn't catch sight of him inside the pile of shattered wood.

 

 

Ed's head swam as his sight was filled with wooden splinters and knots. “Uugh…” was his only reply to let Winry know he was at least alive. The wood in front of his face was lifted away and he was presented with a much better sight in his opinion. “Hello pretty angel…” Ed mumbled before falling into the now all too familiar blanket of darkness.

 

 

Winry blinked slowly at his response before she realized he seemed to be sleeping.

 

 

“Ed, don't be stupid, get up.” Winry started to walk ahead of him with her ears trained meticulously onto the pile of wood. Not a single sound was made except for the small puff of air escaping Ed's lips everytime he breathed.

 

 

Running back to the pile and kneeling down, Winry began clearing away the wood before dragging Ed into the alley beside the store.

 

 

“You really are an idiot…I have no idea how you survived in another world long enough to come back to Amestris if you can't even live safely in this world fro your own clumsiness.” She had meant to say it with a certain degree of malice in her voice, but it came out sounding a little more loving. She sighed and rested her head against the cold stone wall as her fingers stroked Ed's hair subconsciously.

 

 

Ed's world began to clear slightly when he felt warm hands stroking through his hair lovingly. For some reason, this both pleased and irritated him. Part of him expected to see a nurse cleaning his hair and another part of him expected to see the Colonel petting him like the dog of the military he was always supposed to have been.

 

 

Winry watched carefully as Ed sat up slowly before turning around to look at him. He blinked once. Twice. Three times, before speaking. “Win…ry?” He still seemed barely conscious. Was there such a thing as unconscious walking? His eyes widened and the anger shout the tore through his throat was enough to confirm that he was indeed not unconscious walking.

 

 

“Winry! What the hell is wrong with you! You're soaking wet, what happened to you?!” Winry smiled despite the hard anger that Ed's eyes held. He was worried, that seemed so like him and yet it didn't. Everything seemed like that now. She looked down at the hands she now held folded in her lap.

 

 

The sound of shuffling and gravel sliding told Winry that Ed had gotten up. Red clouded her vision before Winry realized he had thrown his coat on her. “What..?”

 

 

“Put it on before you get sick.” He looked away quickly so she wouldn't see the faint blush that tinted his cheeks and made up an excuse. “I don't want Auntie yelling at me, I've been in the hospital enough for the rest of the year.” He kicked at a lose stone and followed it as it tumble into the street. “Let's go”

 

 

“But Ed…”

 

 

He turned to her with a warm and confident smile beaming at her. “I've been through worse, I don't get sick easily. Don't worry.” He turned back around and walked ahead of her.

 

 

Running to catch up, Winry fell into pace beside him and wrapped the coat closer to her, inhaling deeply, before throwing half of it over Ed's head. “Don't be stupid.”

 

 

He grinned at her and her heart felt like it was going to burst. She couldn't remember Ed smiling as much as he had since he had returned to Risembool, and she was happy that most of them were directed at her.

 

 

His apology went unnoticed and the couple fell into a comfortable silence.

 

 

Ed hesitantly slipped his flesh hand into her own before giving a stuttered explanation, “You seem cold still.” Winry nodded, blushing. Winry also hadn't remember blushing as much as she had since Ed returned to Risembool.

 

 

“This feels nice…” Winry whispered shyly. Ed could barely hear her, but decided she probably didn't really want him to. Nonetheless, he squeezed her hand a little tighter to let her know he agreed.

 

 

No, he didn't agree actually. It didn't feel nice.

 

 

Once Ed had gotten comfortable in his bed and watched the rain pelt his window mercilessly, Ed finally decided what it had felt like.

 

 

“That feeling…” Ed pouted slightly in concentration, just to make sure he was right. “It feels…right.” Smiling self-consciously, Ed slipped farther down into the sheets and fell into probably one of the most restful slumbers he had experienced in a long time.

 

 

..+..------------------------------..+..

 

 

A/N: Opinions, Compliments, Criticism, Suggestions! Tell me what you think. Feedback is needed and loved!!

 

Xoxoxoxo!