Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey Within ❯ I Can Do This ( Chapter 5 )

~I do not own our favorite pint-sized alchemist or any of his friends, but I certainly wished that I did. That way, I wouldn't have to put up any disclaimers.

~And remember; reviews are loved, criticism is welcome, flames are not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Journey Within

Chapter 5- I Can Do This

 

 

 

 

 

By the time the Elric brother's had reached the Rockbells house, both were soaked through from the downpour of rain that had settled over the sleepy town of Rizamboul. Stopping at the front steps to the house, Ed mulled over if the visit to his “house” and the “talk” he had with Al helped him settle his nerves at all.

 

`Well, this is it. It truly is now or never; I don't know how many more times I can crush her feelings before she really will never wait for me again.'

 

Wiping the rain from his brow, Ed took off his boots and placed them neatly next to the front door. And even though the overhanging roof now sheltered them, both brothers were forming puddles in the places they stood. Suppressing a sneeze, he turned to look back at his younger brother, who seemed to be contemplating how to get into the house.

 

“Hey big brother, I'm going to go in the back way so I don't wake everyone up. My armor gets kind of squeaky when it gets wet, and I know Granny keeps some old towels by the back door that I can use to dry myself off.”

 

Ed felt his sneeze dissipate, and he wrinkled his nose as he sniffed.

 

“Sure thing, Al. See ya upstairs.”

 

Creaking as he turned around, Al moved to make his way around to the back door. But as he reached the porch edge, he stopped. With his back still to Ed, he looked into the night sky, letting the rain hit his metal face.

 

“Edward.”

 

Startled by the use of his full name, Ed's thoughts of sneezing quickly faded, and were replaced by a look of concern.

 

“Yeah, Al?”

 

“I love you.”

 

A gentle breeze began to blow, as the rain started to slow to a soft, summer's rain. For once Ed didn't try to stop swell of emotions in this chest that he tried to shield his little brother from, and they trickled from his eyes as his voice cracked.

 

“I love you too, Al.”

 

Al stepped into the rain and disappeared around the corner of the house, as Ed stood stock-still, unmoving until he heard the back door swing shut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving through the house as quietly as his slightly squeaking metal would allow, Al had reached the front room when he saw something that made his heart melt. Tiptoeing across the floorboards, he smiled softly at the sight of Winry curled up in a ball on the couch, a blanket strewn on the floor next to her. Reaching over her to grab it, he winced as his metal made an exceptionally loud groan; but Winry still hadn't moved.

 

`Whew…the only thing worse than Winry throwing wrenches is Winry when she doesn't get enough sleep.'

 

Exhaling the breath he didn't know he had held in, Al laid the blanket over his childhood friend. Almost immediately, she snuggled into the newfound warmth, stretching back out from the fetal position she had been sleeping in.

 

`I know you would never admit you waited up for us.'

 

Al turned to make his way to the room he and Ed were sharing.

 

`But thank you.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slowly wringing out his loose hair, Ed shivered in the cool night breeze.

 

`I can do this.'

 

His fists clenched at his sides.

 

`I have to do this. For her sake; and my sanity.'

 

Ed hastily re-braided his golden hair, and straightened his back. Slowly opening the front door of the house, Ed could barely make out the form of Al silently making his way up the stairs to the room they were sharing. Creeping inside, he gently slid the door closed, and started to make his way to the staircase.

 

“Humph…stupid Ed….love…..Fullmetal Jerk…”

 

Ed froze at the sound of Winry's voice.

 

“New automail…..shiny….must…take apart….”

 

And then sighed as he realized Winry was passed out on the couch, talking in her sleep. Trying desperately not to make any noise, he was almost by her side when the sharp metallic THUNK of an automail leg hitting a wooden coffee table resounded through the quiet house.

 

`Hum, Ed's home.'

 

Cracking one eye open, she could see Ed silently cursing out the table that had given his presence away. With his fist mid-shake at the offending table, Ed could see out of the corner of his eye that Winry was moving to sit up. Timidly, he quickly moved his fist to tuck a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

 

“Hey Winry. I'm sorry I woke you.”

 

“No, that's alright Ed, I hadn't meant to fall asleep here anyway.”

 

The ever-diligent grandfather clock in the hall ticked a few seconds by as Ed contemplated what exactly to do next; thankfully, he was saved by a loud, obnoxious sneeze. Fully awake now, Winry gasped when she realized the state he was in.

 

“Ed, you're soaked!”

 

Even though he had removed his boots at the door, the soft squishing of water could be heard as he nervously rubbed his socks against the wood floor.

 

“Yeah, Al and I went for a walk and got caught in the storm.”

 

In an instant, Winry had sprung off the couch, wrapped her blanket around Ed's shoulders, and was making her way to the back room where the clean laundry was kept.

 

“Dry yourself off, Mr. State Alchemist, before you catch a cold. I'll get you some dry clothes.”

 

`Shit, why does she do this to herself? She just chewed me out a few hours ago, and even though it's killing her she continues to take care of…of me.'

 

“Winry, you don't have to do this.”

 

Mid-stride, she turned her head over her shoulder.

 

“I know I don't have to, Ed.”

 

`I just want to do everything in my power to help you; in any way I can. And somehow, I get the feeling that you just aren't talking about me getting you some dry clothes, either.'

 

As Winry moved about in the back of the house, Ed let his gaze settle on the pale glow of the last of the embers in the fire.

 

`I can do this…I can do this…'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winry fumbled through the laundry basket, her mind reeling.

 

`Damn, what the hell was I thinking.'

 

She snorted.

 

`I should've just sprang into his arms, proclaiming love sonnets. It might have been a little less conspicuous.'

 

Finally managing to retrieve some dry clean clothes for her water-logged friend, Winry sighed.

 

`It serves me right. I let him steal my heart, and then when he tries to give it back I throw it in his face. But then again…'

 

Eyes downcast, Winry clenched Ed's clothes in her fists, and slowly walked back to the front room.

 

`I still don't care what it does to me. I HAVE to stay by his side, even if it's only as his friend. I HAVE to love him.'

 

Blinking furiously against the tears that threatened to fall, she resolutely continued on.

 

`I don't know how else to live.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I'm sorry, Ed.”

 

Ed turned from the dying fire to see Winry standing a few feet from him, his clothes clenched between her tiny fists.

 

`Shit, I didn't even hear her coming.'

 

“I could only find these down there.”

 

Flinging a pair of boxers at him, they landed directly on his face. Sliding down, they reveled a fuming state alchemist. Catching them in his automail hand, it suddenly dawned on Ed what it was that she threw, and the look of rage instantly transformed into a furious blush.

 

“Maybe that will teach you to do your dirty laundry yourself.”

 

“Well…will you turn around so I can change?”

 

A light pink quickly danced across her cheeks, and Winry crossed her arms as she turned her back to Ed. Hearing the rustle and splattering of wet clothes on the wood floor, she grimaced, knowing she'd have to clean up the puddles before Granny woke.

 

`Do NOT turn around, girl. No matter how much you want to.'

 

Winry bit her lower lip as her eyes focused on a knot in the floorboards.

 

`After all that's happened, there is no way he would ever want you as anything more than a friend.'

 

Her vision shimmered, and she quietly cursed under her breath.

 

`Just remember, he's your friend. And that comes first.'

 

“Winry, you can turn around now.”

 

Clad in the blanket she had given him, Ed was sitting on the couch, lazily reclining into one corner. Motioning for her to take a seat next to him, a sudden wave of shyness hit Winry square in the face. Tugging on the hem of her nightshirt, she tentatively sat down, pulling her legs up underneath her; never once looking him in the eyes.

 

“I really should clean up the mess you made with all that water.”

 

“Don't worry about it; I can get it later.”

 

The seconds dragged on, slowly turning into minuets. Outside, the rain had all but stopped, and the moon had begun to shine through the front room window. She fidgeted in place, realizing that Ed had not once taken his eyes off of her the entire time she had been sitting there.

 

“Ed, why are you staring at me?”

 

He adverted his gaze, but only for an instant.

 

`Come on, Ed, it's now or fucking never! You'll never get a better chance.'

 

“Winry, I…”

 

His voice caught in his through.

 

“I…”

 

She turned to glare at him, aggravation written clearly across her pretty features.

 

`GODDAMNIT, I swear I'm fucking CURSED!'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upstairs, Al could faintly hear two voices cut through the stillness of the house.

 

`Come on Brother; tell her. I know you can.'

 

The winds outside shifted, and the ominous roll of slowly building thunder told Al what was coming.

 

 

 

 

 

A clap of thunder rang loudly across the countryside of Rizamboul, and Ed suddenly found his lap full of a trembling automail mechanic. Clutching frantically at the blanket draped around his shoulders, Winry just didn't care that he was almost naked and underneath her, and she shuddered.

 

`I can't believe I'm still so afraid of storms. I can't fucking…EEP!'

 

As a flash of lighting that filled the front room with a n errie yellow light followed by another boom of thunder sounded, and she seemed to shrink further into Ed's chest, burrowing her head underneath his chin.

 

`Hum, it's almost like when we were kids again; me sobbing and throwing myself at him, with him yelling at me to get off of him. Any second now, I'll be deposited in a heap on the floor.'

 

But the expected backlash from Ed never came. Instead, he slowly slid them down the arm of the couch so that they were lying down. Using his automail arm, he cradled her against his body, and with his other arm draped the blanket across the both of them.

 

“I've got you, Winry.”

 

`Yeah, Ed, you sure do.'

 

She shifted, and the sudden coolness of his automail shoulder against her face felt strange in contrast to the heat radiating from the rest of his body. Along her leg, the same feeling of automail sent chills down her spine that weren't from the temperature change. Letting her eyes close, she let her entire body go lax against Ed's.

 

`I guess it won't hurt to pretend. If only for one night.'

 

Winry slid her arm around Ed's chest, and buried her face against his side.

 

`Just for one night, I want to pretend that you love me as much as I love you...'

 

His automail had smoothed her hair away from her face, and Ed gave it an angry glare before he allowed it to gently rest against her back. Staring up at the ceiling, Ed could hear her breath even out, and finally slow.

 

`Saved by the weather.'

 

As the wind and rain increased outside, Ed felt his resolution building within him.

 

`Tomorrow, I'll just show her.'

 

He snorted, and shifted his body to accommodate for a growing bulge in his boxers.

 

`Since I've blown it twice with words, maybe the third times a charm crap will work if I just fucking SHOW her.'

 

Turning his head towards her hair, Ed inhaled deeply as his eyes closed on their own accord. Drifting off to sleep, he gave Winry one last reassuring squeeze before darkness overcame his tired body.

 

And even though she was deathly afraid of storms, Winry Rockbell fell asleep listening to the sound of Ed's heartbeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much love,

The Cerulean Alchemist