Fic: Prompt: Home made ice cream

[evil_little_dog]

Title: So Close
by syolen
Rating: K+
Chosen prompt: Cold: Home made ice cream

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So Close

Al buried his nose further into his book, desperately trying to ignore the noise coming from the kitchen. In vain. And to think that this time it was all his fault… So much for being the voice of reason wanting to placate his brother and Winry's temper -he had always known it was pointless, but if Al was anything it was optimistic, so he kept trying anyway. He couldn't even go downstairs to stop them; his body was still too weak to let him.

Sigh.

He and Ed had been home for two weeks now, and it felt good, so good after the fight against Father and his homunculi, after weeks in a hospital trying to put on some weight, after the political chaos that plagued Central, after hours and hours repeating the simplest moves to help his body regain some strength - did they know how much bending joints that had been still for five years hurt? -, after… after everything. After. Resembool was still never-changing Resembool, all lush fields and endless sky during summer, and he wanted nothing more than to simply enjoy the day.

Which was exactly why Ed and Winry had started bickering and fighting again.

Because Alphonse had had the misfortune to ask for ice cream. Ice cream.

Since he had woken up in Central, Edward had been faithful to his post at his bedside, tending to his every need, helping him move around the room. Winry had eagerly joined him once they had returned to Resembool. They both were always supportive and encouraging, always smiling and asking if he needed anything. Al had never taken advantage of it, not once, but the day was warm, and he had fancied ice cream. So he had asked if they wouldn't mind making him some, please.

Harmless, innocent ice cream.

Or so he had thought, ever the optimistic. He really should have known better.

"Sure Al, what flavor do you want?" Ed had answered, grinning -Al knew he would make some for himself too. Even if he didn't have to support Al's body anymore, Ed was still a bottomless pit. Sitting beside him, Winry had nodded in agreement. Not a problem at all, really.

Alphonse had said he did not mind. Whatever they felt like making would be perfect.

Oh fatal error.

Sighing again, Alphonse closed his eyes, letting his forehead hit the page he had been staring at -not reading, because that required concentration and he just didn't have that right now.

"Mint with chocolate chips, then. You loved it when we were kids." That had been Ed's suggestion, and Alphonse had nodded in approval.

"Or would you prefer chocolate ice cream? I remember you used to ask for that one a lot." Winry.

"Mint's better."

"Just because you like it better doesn't mean that Al does."

There, Alphonse had thought it safer to intervene, reminding them that he liked both and really did not mind. But too late.

"Don't worry Al, I'll have your ice cream ready in no time." Ed had offered him what he had probably intended to be a reassuring smile, but it looked more feral than anything to the younger brother.

"Chocolate ice cream." Winry had added. Edward's eyes had widened for a second before he had turned to her, ponytail whipping the air behind him, glaring at the mechanic.

"Mint." His tone had been final, his glare dangerous and his teeth slightly bared -feral indeed-, but Winry didn't seem to notice, or simply did not care.

"Nuh-uh. I make better ice creams than you, therefore I decide. It will be chocolate ice cream."

Mortified, Alphonse had watched -and heard- them take their argument with them downstairs and into the kitchen. How the most trivial things kept getting monstrous proportions around them was beyond him. All he could do now was to listen to cupboards being violently opened and slammed shut, hoping there would be something left of the kitchen when they were done. At least they had stopped screaming at each other…

*
**

Ed and Winry stood face to face in the kitchen, ingredients and utensils haphazardly thrown between them on the table. Ed was still glaring at his friend, her smug look infuriating him more and more by the second.

"Fine", he managed to say through clenched teeth, "we will see which one Al prefers. It will be mine, of course, but I'm feeling magnanimous, so I'll let you hope."

"Very well. You don't stand a chance, pipsqueak."

Short joke. Low blow. All-out war. Ed's eyebrows twitched and, hands slamming on the table, he leaned slightly forward, ready to attack. Completely unimpressed, Winry merely shook her head. Ed took to bait so easily it wasn't even funny. Or too funny, she had yet to decide. But to her surprise, Ed then leaned back, giving her a sly smile. Concentrate on what you're doing, Elric. Al's your brother; he would never side against you. So keep calm and concentrate. She'll swallow that look soon enough.

"Use of any weird machine of yours forbidden." He replied in lieu of the rant she had been expecting.

"As long as you don't use alchemy."

His smile broadened. "I won't need it."

They stared at each other for a few more seconds -for good measure- before getting to work, Edward mixing egg yolks and sugar while Winry stirred the milk and sugar slowly heating in a saucepan on the stove. She stopped when she saw him pouring milk in another saucepan and placing it on the stove too.

"You dare using milk? Your courage astounds me, Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Shut up. You'll be even more impressed when you taste the result."

"Whatever."

Ed snorted, and they both turned back to their respective pans.

When Pinako wandered by the kitchen later that afternoon, she found Ed with his fingers completely covered in the chocolate he was grating, and Winry adding cream to some mixture, often pausing to stir it gently. There was a streak of said cream on her chin. Broken eggshells lay abandoned on the table, as well as a knocked-over but thankfully empty bottle of milk. They were focused on their tasks, but sill managed to give each other a mocking look every now and then.

Whatever they were doing, it seemed to be yet another contest between them, a challenge in which one had to prove the other wrong or suffer from eternal teasing. No matter how stupid this actually was, the two teenagers obviously took it very seriously.

Nothing new, really.

Lighting her pipe, Pinako walked out of the room and of the house. Her afternoon would be much better spent quietly smocking on the porch than watching the kids' antics.

They hadn't even noticed her presence.

*
**

"Ha! Done!"

Edward walked to a drawer to take two spoons, giving one to Winry and keeping the other for himself, using it to gesture to the bowl containing his mint and chocolate chips ice cream.

"Now try this and admit defeat."

She glared at him, holding her spoon in front of her as she would a sword. She could smell the mint from her end of the table, and if that was any indication…

Grinning, Edward pushed the bowl across the table toward her. Never tearing away from him, Winry's look became skeptical as she lowered her hand to the cream, taking a small spoonful. She lifted it to her mouth and…

Damnit.

It melted on her tongue, the fresh taste of mint filling her mouth. Then came the chocolate, strong enough to be felt but never overshadowing the mint, perfectly mixed and balanced.

Delicious.

Damnit, damnit, damnit.

Winry did her best to keep her expression neutral, but Ed's grin-turned-smirk told her she had failed. He knew it was delicious. Still, she wouldn't let him win easily. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. Oh hell no.

"Hn. The mint's too strong."

Ed's smirk didn't waver.

"No it's not, and you know it."

"It is. Sorry Ed, guess you can't be a prodigy at everything." She crossed her arms over her chest, smug look firmly back in place. And, once again, Edward took the bait. Once again, his hand slammed on the table. Once again, he threw everything he had in his glare.

"It's not."

"It is, and if you don't believe me, have Al taste it."

"FINE!", he bellowed, snatching the bowl and stomping upstairs to Al's room. Amused -it was so, so very easy to make him mad-, Winry took the one containing her chocolate ice cream and followed him.

*
**

Alphonse refrained a shudder when Edward burst into his room, Winry close behind him. They both shoved a bowl of ice cream under his nose, urging him to "try it I'm sure you're gonna like it".

He tried Winry's first -"Ladies first, I'm a gentleman. Don't snort, Brother"-, taking time to savor it. Then he reached for the glass of water his devoted caretakers always kept full on his bedside table, taking a sip -"So the flavors won't mix together"- before turning to Edward's -"See, Brother? I'm taking exactly the same amount. No favoritism here". The older teenagers followed his every move, obviously impatient to hear his verdict. To their credit, they remained silent.

… Until said verdict was announced.

"There isn't one I prefer. Like I told you, I like them both. You both win." Al offered, shrugging.

Honestly, wasn't this the only thing he could say?

Edward and Winry wouldn't hear any of it though, stuttering an outraged "What?" before reciting the list of everything that was wrong with the other's ice cream, voices gradually rising and eyes throwing daggers at each other. Edward hastily run the spoon he still had with him in the chocolate ice cream, tasting some before going back to the argument, firmly intent on proving his point. Apparently forgotten, Alphonse let them ramble for a minute, then, realizing they wouldn't stop anytime soon, he reached for his book and tried to immerse himself in it again. And failed, again.

Frustration growing, he let out an annoyed "I wish you'd just shut up and kiss already…"

Complete silence, deafening after the previous yells, met his words.

Surprised, Alphonse looked up to discover a fierce blush spreading on Edward and Winry's cheeks. They stared at him, mouth slightly opened, as if unable to process what the younger Elric had just said. A satisfied smile curled Al's lips. Ha. I win.

"I… I don't want to… to…" Ed bravely tried, but fell quiet again.

Now grinning at their reaction, Al turned to the mechanic who still looked in shock, speaking slowly to make sure she understood, as he would to a child.

"Winry, why do you think Brother keeps provoking you?"

Her eyes widened as she realized he had asked her something and she searched for an answer.

"Uh, because… Because he likes getting attention?"

"No, it's because he likes getting your attention."

Out of the corner of his eye, Alphonse saw Edward's blush turn to a darker shade of red. Good.

Mercilessly, Al then turned to him. Time for the final blow.

"Brother, why do you think Winry never backs down from a fight with you? No, don't answer that, I'll save you the trouble. It's because she wants to be more than your automail mechanic."

More darkening of blushes. Edward was now crimson from shoulder to hairline while Winry's face was the brightest scarlet. Yup, a definite win for me.

Pleased with himself, Al leaned back against his pillow. That would give them something to occupy their minds and maybe he would be able to finish his book.

Or not. Edward's timid voice - Timid? When did Ed become timid? - once again broke the silence.

"Then why does she insult me all the time?"

That seemed to wake Winry out of her trance.

"You're the one who's always insulting me!" she snapped.

"It's called denial, don't you get it?" Al cut in, sounding uncharacteristically exasperated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've been trying to read this book all afternoon." He turned to his page -yet again-, effectively putting an end to the discussion.

Startled by Al's sudden outburst, Edward and Winry stood there for a while, perfectly immobile. Then, when she deemed it safe enough, Winry gestured to the two bowls forgotten on the bedside table.

"We should put these in the ice box, and clean the kitchen before Granny gets mad…" she murmured.

"Yeah…"

Still blushing and careful not to disturb Al, they slowly made their way downstairs, not daring to look at each other.

"I… guess your ice cream isn't that bad", she whispered.

"Yeah… And you didn't mess up that much either."

Heavy silence wrapped around them again until they reached the kitchen.

Winry spoke first.

"By the way, I'm not denying anything. You are an alchemy geek." Her voice was louder this time, but didn't sound as cocky as it should.

So maybe he did spend days and nights in libraries, fascinated by the yellowed pages of old books…

"And you are a mechanic freak." Edward fired back, but it lacked more energy than he cared to admit.

And maybe she could clearly recall the excitement she felt every time she saw a special feature on an automail…

She looked at him then, still not making eye contact, but close enough. He offered a tentative smile in return.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

A real smile, albeit a little awkward, stretched their lips as they started to clean their mess. They worked in silence, but both were relieved to find it much more comfortable than before.

Edward risked a glance toward his friend. He knew Al hadn't lied. Hell, he'd been teasing him about this for months. And now that they were home, he and Winry had all the time in the world to work it out, didn't they? It would be all right. If he was completely honest with himself, he knew he wanted it to be all right.

Silence stretched and soon they were done, and Edward knew it was his turn to say something. Something intelligent, if possible. He looked at her for a second, thinking hard.

"Uh, Win? You've got cream on your chin…"

He was more than slightly confused when she turned away from him, wiping her chin and blushing furiously.

Okay, so maybe all the time in the world wouldn't be too much.

But God, was she cute when she did that.