Work Text:
Ed was sprawled over the couch, leaning on the armrest, working through a book he'd brought back from Creta. He'd noticed patterns in Al's alkahestry notes that itched like Cretan history of alchemy, so his book came off the shelf again. Winry had her feet in his lap, lying down with a journal on automail nerve connections. She'd been hunting for new ways to enhance sensory input for weeks.
They heard a knock. They both turned to the door.
“Ed, open the door,” Winry drawled out. Her feet were warm on his lap. Today was her day off. Whoever it was could knock till their knuckles gave out.
Ed kept reading the book and shrugged. “We can just leave them.” Yeah, he didn’t want to move at all.
Winry huffed and glared at him and he glared back. The knock broke their eye contact. Winry finally got up, rolled her eyes at him and made her way towards the door.
Ed sighed, annoyed. So much for keeping her there. He followed her from the corner of his eye as he continued reading.
She opened the door and froze, her face going white. He dropped his book and was at her side in two steps. “Winry?” He squeezed her shoulder lightly, brows furrowed. She didn't move, her eyes still on whatever was outside. She quickly schooled her expression and put on a small smile, her eyes going to the newcomers.
He turned to look at their guests then beyond them, noting the military car. The car. For her it never once meant anything good.
“Hello, Fullmetal.” Mustang smirked down at him. Ed had no idea how the bastard managed it when he was no longer taller than Ed.
Yup, he’d grown up (finally).
“What are you doing here, Colonel bastard?” Ed bristled. Mustang coming to him always meant trouble for him. And his smug expression was bothering him.
Mustang tried to retort back at him but Hawkeye’s side glare stopped him.
“Hi Winry, Edward,” Hawkeye greeted warmly.
“Hello, Miss Hawkeye. How’ve you been?” Winry asked politely.
“Hi, Li- Captain Hawkeye.” He smiled at Hawkeye.
“You two can call me Riza,” Hawkeye said as they all walked inside. They nodded. Ed knew it was not possible for him, old habits die hard.
They took their seats on the sofa.
“I will go get some tea.” Winry stood up, going towards the kitchen. Ed watched her till she entered the kitchen.
“So, what’s up?” Ed tried nonchalantly, curiosity and dread both filling him.
“How’s the countryside treating you?” Mustang started, the smug smile in place.
“Hm, it’s been nice, I guess. But why are you here?” Ed asked again, confused.
“The reform's slow. Grumman's tenure was always going to be transitional, everyone knows that. He's ordered every officer under him reviewed. My team went first, we cleared, and now the job's mine.”
“Ok, why are you telling me all this?” Now, Ed was very suspicious. He saw Mustang make that usual eye-contact with Hawkeye, something passing between them.
“I want you to join the military.”
Nobody said anything. Winry walked in at the exact moment, her hands almost slipping the tray.
“I don’t want to.” Ed looked at Mustang straight in his eyes. Winry took a seat beside him, putting the tray on the table.
Mustang sighed like he’d been expecting that.
“How long are you going to keep wandering around, doing aimless research?”
Ed glared at him. He felt Winry do the same.
“You know what, you can ju-” He leaned forward to yell at him.
Mustang cut him off.
“There were facilities. Human chimera work, funded out of Central, no registry entries. Nobody searched after the Promised Day, we were busy. Some of the research is still ongoing,” he continued like he’d never been stopped, his face going dark.
“Human chimera? Wasn't it stopped after the Promised Day?” he exclaimed. Nina. He leaned back, folding his arms to his chest. Mustang hesitated, glanced at Winry, then continued.
“Not fully, Fullmetal. I want you to investigate the State Alchemists. You can travel and keep doing your research too.”
“Why me?” Ed hissed as he put his hands back down on the couch. He actually wanted to know what prompted Mustang to come to him of all people. He couldn’t even-
“Because you are the best alchemist in Amestris,” Mustang replied bluntly.
Ed fell silent at that. Best alchemist? Him? Had Mustang forgotten about what happened? He felt a hand squeeze his, he turned to find Winry smiling at him. He tried to smile back and gave up.
“Have you finally lost the one brain cell you had, Mustang?” he seethed in anger.
“Take your time to think about it, Edward. We will wait for your reply.” Hawkeye smiled. They both stood up and turned to leave.
Ed sat there thinking. He felt two warm arms envelop him in a hug. Winry pecked his forehead as he pulled her closer to him, encircling her waist, putting his head against her neck.
“What should I do?” he asked, more to himself than to her. They stayed like that for a while, Winry running her hands through his hair.
Ed retrieved the fallen book and went back to reading while Winry collected the forgotten tray.
***
Winry kept pondering as she entered the kitchen.
What should I do?
She had never seen Ed this unsure; he had always been determined. Always known what to do. She knew Mustang had meant well but she found herself getting angry at the man. Why did he have to come and reopen Ed’s old wounds? She dumped the tea and put the tray and cups in the sink, rather more forcefully than she needed to.
She should start lunch. She was already missing Al, he may have been able to help Ed better. She sighed and started making stew.
Ed came in the kitchen when stew was on the stove almost done and she was rolling dough. Apples sitting on the counter.
“Smells nice in here.” Ed smiled at her, and kept staring at her. She was sure she was covered in flour.
She huffed. “You can come and slice the apples instead of just standing there.”
“Damn, gearhead. Always making me do work,” Ed muttered, as he took the knife and apples, starting to cut them.
“What was that?” Winry narrowed her eyes, pointing the rolling pin at him. “Nothing-nothing.” Ed deflected eyeing the rolling pin, waving his hands in front of him.
“Hm.” She went back to rolling the dough, smiling secretly to herself. Ed dropped the apple slices into a bowl one by one.
“Is it ready?” Ed asked taking the lid off the pot. He sure loved stew even if it had milk in it.
“Almost done.” Winry started making the apple pie filling.
“How much time will it take for the apple pie?” he grumbled. She rolled her eyes. He could be such a kid.
“You need to learn to wait, Ed.” Then, he threw flour at her face, laughing. Her head snapped around and she glared at him. As much as she wanted to throw it back, she couldn't; her hands were covered in filling. He laughed harder, realizing her predicament. She internally smiled at that but kept her face in a vicious glare.
He threw more flour at her. She elbowed him in the ribs, backing him against the counter. He was still laughing when she started swatting at him.
Suddenly he stopped. His eyes stayed on her face. He turned them around moving her towards the counter. Her glare faltered. He leaned in closer his lips hovering over hers, hand coming to wipe some flour from her face, other hand placed on the counter beside her. She held her breath as he pulled her up on the counter. He pressed his lips over hers gently.
Someone cleared their throat in the doorway after – Winry didn’t know how much time passed. They broke apart, both flustered.
“You two can get a room. Don’t scandalize my kitchen.” Pinako smirked. They both went beet red. Ed helped Winry down from the counter. Both going back to their prior tasks.
Soon, they had apple pie in the oven, and were eating their lunch on the dining table.
“Mustang offered me a job today.” Ed looked at Pinako. She stopped mid-chew, expression unreadable, then continued eating.
“What does he want this time?” Pinako muttered more to herself than him.
Ed went back to eating, having no proper answer to that. Pinako didn’t say anything for a while.
“Are you going to join then?” she said seriously. Ed gulped, moving his eyes to Winry who was looking at him expectantly, then back to Pinako.
“I don’t know. Still need to answer.” Pinako nodded at that continuing to eat.
The alarm went off. Winry ran to the oven and pulled out the plate, the smell filling the room. She placed it on the counter to cool down.
***
Winry was having a hard time concentrating. She had been working on the arm for an hour now. It only needed a tune-up. She sighed. She stretched her limbs and walked out into the hall.
“Ed! Do you-” She went out the main door. Ed wasn’t there. He had told her he was exercising, and he was, last time she’d seen him. He’d been at it for an hour. She frowned and scanned the yard. She went inside, checked his room, then other rooms.
She thought about waiting for him but changed her mind, he needed someone to talk to now.
She checked the graveyard, then the patch where his old house used to be. She headed for the lake they used to go to as kids.
She saw Ed lying there, hands folded beneath his head looking up the sky, his ponytail was lying on his shoulder. She could see a tension in his jaw.
She went and lay down beside him quietly.
After a moment he broke the silence. “I think I'm going to say yes.” He rolled his head towards her. She already knew that. She waited for him to continue.
“That sly bastard knew I can’t say no to the offer,” he said bitterly, glaring at the sky now. “He knows I can’t do alchemy anymore and wants to turn it to his advantage.”
She was a little confused at that. Then it landed – Mustang needed someone who would have no chance of doing anything that could jeopardize him, someone who could study others’ research without actually being able to do anything with it. She wanted to punch Mustang for that. But she realized – yes, Ed had the potential to do the job better than anyone.
Because you are the best alchemist in Amestris.
It was more than him being a safe option, Mustang trusted him. He knew what Ed could do even without alchemy. Winry knew that too. And Ed needed to accept that. She turned to look at him.
“You are the best alchemist in Amestris, Ed.” She smiled softly at him.
Ed looked at her shocked, mouth open.
“Y-you really think that?” She just nodded.
“B-but I can’t even do alchemy anymore, how can I be? Am I even an alchemist?”
She looked up at the clouds. She didn’t know much about alchemy. But she could still see the light in Ed’s eyes when he talked about alchemy, when he found something new. Him buried in alchemy texts all day, traveling to another country just to learn more. How could he think he was not an alchemist at all? Her heart clenched at the thought.
“Ed? Does only performing alchemy make someone an alchemist? Will I stop being a mechanic if someday I am not able to work on automail?”
She moved her head to look at him again to find him staring at her. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Of course not,” he said to both her and himself. His hand found hers in the grass, intertwining their fingers. She smiled at him and felt him exhale slowly.
They both sat up, looking at the lake. Her head finding his shoulder, hands still held in between. She knew he didn’t fully believe her. But that was okay. Someday he would.
“Are you okay with me joining them?” Ed thumbed her cheek.
Was she? She closed her eyes. Her stomach had done something at the car that morning. Old reflex. Stupid — it was just Mustang and Hawkeye.
“Yes, idiot. Of course.” Ed sighed, relieved.
“Are you sure though? I may spend even more time away from home. I don’t know what the terms are but it will surely include lots of traveling.”
She knew that. Of course she did.
She looked up at him, glaring,
“Hm, make sure to keep your automail intact. Or you are going to get my wrench on your head.” He laughed at that, pulling her closer.
“I may break it just to come back,” he joked. She punched him lightly on the chest, annoyed.
Then she gave up and relaxed into his chest laughing. They both stayed silent, watching the sunset.
***
Ed stood with the phone on his ear, waiting. It seemed like it was taking forever to connect. He tapped his automail foot against the floor, over and over, sound filling the house. He just wanted to get done with it.
“Hello, Brigadier General Mustang speaking. Who is this?” He cringed.
He had no idea how to start this.
“Um, Edward Elric here.” He felt stupid, he didn’t need to say it like that. There couldn't be many Edwards Mustang knew. Could there?
“Aha, Fullmetal. How can I help you?” The bastard was enjoying this. He knew exactly why Ed had called.
“How is Hawkeye?”
“She is doing fine.” Couldn’t this good for nothing bastard ask him himself?
“Okay. No, that’s great.”
He stood there for a moment.
“I-I was calling for the job you were talking about.” He hated this. He felt like he was back to being twelve.
“What about it?” He wanted him to say it?
“You know what it is about, you bastard,” Ed yelled. He wanted to punch something or someone.
Mustang laughed.
“I will join the military,” Ed said quietly.
“Good.” Ed could feel him smil- smirk.
“But I want to be able to research at my leisure and I want my work to be as independent as possible.”
“Yeah, Fullmetal. We can discuss the details when you come to Central to sign the paperwork,” Mustang said seriously.
“Okay. When do you want me to come?” He knew discussing this on the phone was not the best idea.
“You can come anytime in the next week and join the next month.”
“Okay.” Then he placed the phone back in the holder and sighed. At least he had a month before joining, he thought, looking at the calendar.
He picked up his books and some of his research papers from the sofa table, walking towards the workshop. He found Winry kneeling up on her chair, leaning over the bench to tighten a screw.
He put all his papers and books on the table nearby, taking a seat to start working again.
“So, how was it?” Winry turned to him; he could see the sweat at her temple.
“He wants me to come next week for paperwork and I can join next month.” She nodded, going back to inspecting the leg she was working on.
They both kept working in silence, light falling from the window inside the room.