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Part one: Chapter two! Where the Heart Lies
Chapter Two: Falling in Love
“So this guy really stopped her from working on auto-mail?” Al whispered glancing at Winry from the dining table as she cheerfully cooked away. If there was something he couldn’t believe Winry would ever stop doing, it was auto-mail. And here the two brothers were, both in their boxers, staring at the woman in the kitchen with disbelief.
“I’m serious. I squeezed everything out of her last night.” Edward’s hair cascaded lazily down is back, having just woken a few minutes ago. His eyes were dull and lifeless as he took the time to gaze at everything in the line of his sight. He found it hard to believe they were home… He had awoken in the morning to find himself in a strange environment at first, until his memory clicked back into place. His eyes however became filled with concern as the last words of his sentence spilled from his lips, and he also cast a worried glance in Winry’s direction. He proceeded to lower his voice even more when he sensed her awareness of their conversation.
“So all she does now is cook and clean for him? But Winry would never be like that!” Al shook his head stubbornly. IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Not Winry. Not today. Not yesterday. And not ever for that matter.
“I told you! She is a totally different person… She offered to make me breakfast this morning… what is that? Usually she harasses me to make it…”
“Well Brother… it’s been four years really. Maybe Winry has just homed into her womanly side more…” Ed shot Al an ‘are you serious’ look, causing Al to squint as he rethought his statement slightly. “Okay so maybe it’s a little weird…”
“A little?!” Edward almost squealed, instantly flinching when he heard her heavenly voice.
“What are you two talking about over there?” Edward and Al instantly sat up straight in their seats as Winry took a glimpse at the two of them curiously, although Edward could tell suspicion was hidden under the hidden curiosity.
“Nothing!” Edward laughed as he scratched the back of his head. That didn’t entirely make the situation any better. Winry immediately suspected Edward whenever he acted in that way.
“Alright then…” She shot them another careful glance before turning back to the pan. When her back was turned the two brothers lowered themselves and their voices even more than they had first thought possible.
“You weren’t here last night Al… I know you were seeing some people about jobs… but… this guy works a night shift that finishes at eleven… I stayed up with Winry last night because I was worried… and he wasn’t home till three. She seems so alone… who knows what he is out doing…” Edward shot her a momentary look of distress before turning his attention back to Al.
“I know… there are rumours he is a big drinker… I hope he doesn’t…”
“Abuse her? He was bloody close to it last night… if I wasn’t there who knows…” Edward felt his anger boiling again and tensed his fists at his side. He was sick of being able to do nothing about it. Well he wasn’t just going to sit back and watch the woman he had always loved crumble. This meant a war, a war he was going to have to play with Winry’s consent.
“But maybe he has a sweet side Winry likes… honestly brother I think you should let it go. If you tamper too much with their relationship, Winry will start suspecting you’re jealous.”
“Jealous? Why the hell would I be jealous? I’m worried about her! If this is even half of what he is usually like, I don’t like it at all! Winry deserves better…” Edward paused for a moment, leaving the sentence hanging and Al leant forward slightly. “I can’t believe she stopped working on auto-mail… That shows he is just a freaking dictator.” Al sighed and entwined his fingers on the table.
“But she agreed to fix yours brother since you have grown… so there is nothing to worry about right?” Al replied, trying to soothe his brother out of the red faced temper he had gotten himself into.
“Yeah but in secret!” Ed flopped his head down onto the table causing the whole thing to vibrate violently that Al gasped and removed his hands with shock. “I can’t believe it… whenever I want to talk to her it has to be in ‘secret’ because she doesn’t want to upset him… where the hell is he now anyway?” Yeah, and he was definitely going to do something with her in secret, that was for sure. When the time was right… when the time was right.
“Still sleeping I think, well he was out till three as you say, it’s only eight thirty so he is surely tired. Don’t forget to meet at the military base at nine for your shift.” Al reminded his brother, perfectly aware that his attention was still focused on the woman in the kitchen. “They do have some work for you to sort out; they need the mind of a genius down at the base.”
“Un whatever, so he is out all night then sleeps all day… and what the hell is Winry supposed to do if she isn’t allowed to work?” Edward’s chin fell onto his tensed fist as he wondered. Maybe he could help keep her occupied, he could think of one or two things she would find interesting.
“Brother, just leave it alone for now.”
Edward was so busy plotting a way to kill Winry’s husband without being caught, that he hadn’t realised the woman in his thoughts sneak up behind him.
“Yes Edward, its best you leave it alone.” Winry winked at Al as Edward froze up and blushed.
“You didn’t hear any of that did you?” Edward asked with racing concern as Winry placed their breakfast down on the table.
“No… but if I know you… then it’s best if you leave what Al is telling you to alone.” After another glance from Winry, Edward shrugged and dug into his meal. She shook her head with a small smile and returned to the kitchen.
“You better find out more while I’m at work today Al…” Edward was instantly delighted by the taste of the meal and turned around to compliment Winry. “THIS IS REALLY GOOD!” He called out with a mouthful of food, only to receive a chuckle from her and a small shake of her head.
When Edward had finished eating he didn’t have much time to get dressed and ready for god knows what at work. He didn’t know since when there was a base in Resembool but it sure was convenient. Winry went quiet whenever he mentioned it. She would simply reply with ‘There are bases in every town now’.
He could only assume that something had happened while Al and he were busy fighting their own battles. Amestris had also been fighting theirs. It would take him less than a second to discover what was going on with the Amestris once he arrived at the base to help with paperwork. Now that Roy was nowhere to be seen Edward and Al had to start from the bottom, not that it really bothered either of them. They’d had enough of fighting, the both of them. But they really were suspicious about Mustang’s and Hawkeye’s whereabouts. If Edward knew those two well enough… they wouldn’t just slink back into the shadows that easily, unless it was intentional.
“Leaving already Ed?”
Ed swung around to meet Winry in his doorway. He gave her a slight chuckle before turning back to a natural position to finish doing up his shirt. “Trying to get a peek again Winry? This is the second time since I arrived home yesterday that you have been in my doorway while I was changing.” He turned to face her and shrugged. “Nothing suspicious or anything...” He raised his eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.
“Just a coincidence”
“Sure” Edward swung around to grab his coat off the bed and was once again startled by her voice.
“What time will you be back tonight? Al leaves at six for his shift.”
“I’ll be back at about six thirty I think or maybe seven… or who knows… maybe eight. I might want to go out you know?” After seeing the desperation on her face become even more than he could handle, he sighed. “Or maybe I could just come home straight away I guess…”
“Okay, I’ll cook you something for dinner then?”
“Why don’t you go out with your husband?”
Winry frowned at his quick comment. “He is working tonight.”
“Why doesn’t he take the night off? Does he ever take the night off for you?”
“Oh yeah, like all the times you took time off for me?” Winry rolled her eyes.
“I see. So you’re comparing your husband to me? Were we married Winry?” Edward threw his coat on and stepped closer to her.
“No…”
“That’s right, we weren’t married, we never had a relationship, and we never will because you’re married right? So why don’t you stop getting angry at me for something I never did when it’s really your husband you should be taking this up with.”
Winry coughed slightly and stepped out of his way. “I guess that means you don’t want dinner, have a good time at work.”
Edward watched as Winry walked slowly down the hall to her own room with regret… and sighed.
“Wait Winry…” She turned around with surprise and cocked her head to the side waiting for perhaps an apology. “You know… why doesn’t some-one make dinner for you once?” Edward turned back into the lounge room briskly, leaving Winry confused and totally bewildered. Sometimes things just came out in the wrong way. He couldn’t help it.
“Perhaps your too harsh brother…”
“Oh shut up Al, I’m pissed off.” Edward pushed past his younger brother and headed for the door. “Make sure nothing happens to her while I’m gone”
“Like what?” Al inquired as his older brother reached for the front door handle.
“Like one of the fights that could have happened last night if I wasn’t around.”
Al sighed when his brother had slammed the door behind him. “So much tension…” Al looked towards Winry’s room and furrowed his eyebrows. What the hell was she doing in there? Her husband was sleeping, perhaps she felt like a nap too? No matter how ridiculous Edward could be when it came to Winry, Al had a terrible feeling about her husband as well, and he would definitely look out for her while Edward’s protective eyes weren’t here to.
Al soon settled down in the lounge chair with his favourite alchemy text, a book he and his brother had probably read more than one hundred times. His mind couldn’t help but travel back to their last few months in Munich. The death. The devastation. Their own crumbling bodies. Why couldn’t he just forget it when they were home now? Why did he have horrible nightmares about being sucked back up into that very hole they arrived back home through. Was Edward thinking like this too? Or was he too concerned with Winry at the moment.
Al smiled slightly as the thought of his brother and Winry came into mind. His brother was better since he had come back to where he belonged, and Al was no longer having vivid dreams of the dead. They had been foolish, stupid, to think they could live in another world. Their bodies and minds were made for Amestris; it was only a matter of time till they had some sort of reaction… They had just been too stubborn in the start to think anything like that would ever happen.
He was just dozing off when he heard Winry’s bedroom door open and shut. His eyes flicked open and watched her as she moved her way into the kitchen.
Al glanced at her with concern when he noticed the slight limp in her step. She was having difficulty just walking her way to the fridge.
“Winry? Are you okay?”
“I’m FINE! Will you and Edward please just get off my back?!” She shouted with force, stomping her foot down with frustration. The milk she was holding fell to the floor with her sudden outburst and the contents spilt everywhere, causing a less than pleasant reaction from her as her scream rose to amazingly high levels. Al had heard her scream, but he was sure Edward had only pissed her off enough to hear that sort of sound from her mouth.
“FUCK!” She fell to her knees and collapsed into her hands. Al instantly rose from the seat when he heard her frustrated tears. Something was definitely wrong; no-one had such emotional outbursts, even a woman with PMS. Winry was edgy, scared and totally frantic.
“Here Winry I’ll get it… its okay!” Al said cautiously, hoping not to instigate another terrible scream from her. He ran to her side with a towel and instantly wiped the contents up with a few flicks of his wrists.
“Oh Al I’m so sorry!”
Al chucked the now soaked towel into the sink and kneeled down by her side.
“Winry… you don’t have to tell me anything. But my brother and I just want to see you smiling again… that’s all…” He placed a hand to her shoulder as he chewed his bottom lip with concern.
“I know… I know… I’m just a little bit over-sensitive right now okay? I’m sorry just try to avoid me.” She sighed as Al wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“Never Winry, remember, I’m here to talk to. If there is anything you want to get off your chest then I’m here.”
“Thanks Al, but for now I think I’m just going to go to sleep on the couch.”
“Okay sure.” Al let the woman go and helped her rise to her feet, for being seemingly fine about half an hour ago, her energy had somehow drained completely. Al sighed as he watched the woman easily drift into sleep and could do nothing but return to his book. How could he fully concentrate on this good read when he knew something was wrong was going on in this house.
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