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The girl's blonde hair splayed out on her best friend's chest, the boy who wasn't quite a boy anymore at seventeen.
She had been with him the days he could not sleep or feel, staying up nights on end when his brother couldn't for fear of falling asleep on his feet fighting for their lives the next day. She talked him through his moments of depression back into happiness.
Until one day, he realised it was her mere presence that caused him joy. He didn't dare tell her, what with his brother's seeming infatuation with her. His own happiness seemed the tiniest of prices to pay for his brother's, considering all Edward had given for him. He was ready and willing to find another woman - and he almost did, one with black hair and a Xingese accent.
But the evening he mentioned he might move to Xing after he and his brother got their bodies back, his best friend went absolutely ballistic. The suit of armor realised there was no way he could move to Xing forever and ever, not with a pair of crying, desperate lips connected to the place where his would be. When she fell asleep in his arms, he rearranged his List of Things I'm Gonna Do When I Get My Body Back. A simple taste of apple pie no longer reigned.
He was whole and flesh now, touching and smelling and tasting anything in close proximity out of some strange fear that he might wake up from this cruelly kind dream. Ed was beginning to suspect something was up, something his brother wasn't telling him. He badgered Ed incessantly about going to Resembool...and the strangest thing, he never used the word "visit". He wanted to go. He wanted to stay.
As soon as his muscles worked properly, Ed gave in and took them on a train down to their motherland.
Truth in not-heaven, how excited the younger Elric was! To finally feel his love? How could he fathom it?! He'd longed for a soft, squishy hug from the greatest woman he could ever imagine for around two years. And at that point his dream was finally coming true.
She'd see two people coming from far off..probably think they were customers, especially with one leaning on a cane, so she'd come out with a wrench to inspect the problem...realise it was Ed and throw her wrench and bestow him with her usual endearing yells of why he hadn't called...then she'd notice his friend, so familiar somehow, like some sort of déjà vu..she would ask who he was... And he would smile. He would smile and say, "Hello, Winry." And she would know, and the light that would spark in her eyes would be brilliant.....
Nobody was outside when they arrived, so he had Ed call her name. That way the surprise wouldn't be ruined by Winry recognizing his voice before seeing his face. Ed grinned and Al blushed and Ed called for his best friend to come out and see what damage he'd done to his leg this time. Both of them, but especially Al, waited outside with bated breath and rising anticipation. Not on her doorstep, cause that'd be too close. Just...in front of the house. They hadn't had a good, long look at it in years. They hadn't had the chance.
"Hey, Winry! What're you doin' in there, building a tank?! I haven't got all day!" Hollered Ed, when the irony was that he, Al and Winry had all the time the world had to offer.
"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist! I'm coming!" And that was Winry's familiar voice, irritated and caring as always.
A small crash sounded from the house causing the Elrics to look at each other and exchange perplexed and worried expressions. Both wondered what in Amestris was going on in there.
"Huh..maybe she is building a tank...." Ed said softly, confused.
Al almost spoke but Ed stopped him by smacking a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. He knew how much his little brother wanted this cute dream to come true. He'd talked about it so many times with passion and vigor rivalling that of alchemy. No, this wasn't worth it, Al decided. He removed Edward's hand from his mouth.
"Hey, Winry, are you - "
Creak. An open door. Footsteps into the outside world.
"Are you....."
Eyes to meet eyes, but one of those eyes doesn't see.
"Huh? Is that you, Al? I can't- AH!"
She tripped over a box someone had left in the front yard. Only her arms kept her from faceplanting. Winry got up onto her knees, chuckled a little, brushed off her shirt, enjoyed the breeze wafting through strands of her blonde hair. Then she lifted her head as if speaking to someone, glassy eyes gazing off into the sunset.
"Ha... Guess I look pretty stupid, don't I?"
And one tear fell down her cheek out of the thousands she'd held in. While Al's pupils dilated in shock and slight horror. How could this have happened?
Alphonse dropped his cane. He ran across the grass lawn to Winry and held her in his restrengthened arms. Her shoulders shook while she wept.
"Oh, Ed... Don't let Alphonse see me like this," she said low enough so the other Elric couldn't hear. "I don't want him to know."
He nuzzled into her hair. For a moment she didn't understand why Ed was doing that, until "Ed" smiled and said,
"Hello, Winry."
And Winry's mouth was wide with shock and disbelief.
"But, but Al? Al? Is that you? But you're -" her hands roamed all over his face and arms and legs and hair just to make sure her unreliable senses hadn't tricked her.
"I got my body back. So did Brother."
And the spark that lit her eyes was brilliant....
The girl's blonde hair splayed out on her best friend's chest, the boy who wasn't quite a boy anymore at seventeen. They laid together atop the roof of their home, totally relaxed and at peace.
"Al," she asked, "show me the sky?"
He grinned from ear to ear, rather reminiscent of his brother's signature smile, and acquiesced.
"It's beautiful out here. Like you. Warm but not hot. Cool but not cold. It's pleasant and smells like home."
She shook her head, tickling his cheek with strands of flax. "No, not like that! That doesn't put a picture in my mind. Don't say it. Paint it."
Al took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"The sun looks like a brilliant, gleaming coin sinking into shades of orange, harvest gold and a blast of lilac. The stars are shyly peeking out from the whipped cream clouds littered across the heavens, shining brightly in the dusk sky and twinkling like white sparks of a flame.".
And though Winry Rockbell may have been blind, she could have sworn she saw an iridescent future with Alphonse.