Chapter Text
May 15, 1915
Ed took another spoonful of apple pie. It was ridiculously good. The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and apples. Apples had a smell?
Not much had changed since he last came here. He was in a better mood this time, at least. The last time he'd sat at this table, it had been night. Afternoon light filled the kitchen and spilled across the table. Winry's hair was catching it. She had flour on her cheeks. Not that he was looking.
“When did you get good at cooking?” he asked. Needling her had always been his third or fourth favorite thing. He couldn't remember which.
She used to be bad at it when they were kids. He wasn’t that great either.
“I practiced, dumbass!” She rolled her eyes. But she was yet to stop smiling. She hadn't stopped smiling since she tackled them in the front yard. At least she wasn’t crying anymore.
Ed tried not to smile back.
Al ignored them and took another slice.
“Should you be eating this much, Al?” Ed wasn’t sure. Al had eaten more than Ed himself. His metabolism was still weak. He couldn’t keep things down sometimes.
“It’s fine!” Al glared at him, holding his plate protectively. Ed sighed.
The apple pie was big. The crust crisscrossed over it. Lattice? He'd watched her weave it strip by strip. Winry had started baking the moment they walked in.
Al yawned. He was tired after walking all the way from the train station on his own, refusing to let Ed help.
“What have you been up to today, Winry?” Al asked. Winry had been staring at his face. Ed couldn’t blame her. It was just so nice to see Al human again.
“I finished a few orders. I was asleep when you got here.” She rested her chin in her hand.
Winry stood up and asked, “What do you want for dinner?”
Ed glanced outside – it wasn’t even evening!
“Lamb stew?” Al pleaded with his eyes.
“I’ll start it!” Winry exclaimed.
“Do you even know how to make it?” Ed asked dryly. He loved Granny’s lamb stew too, but he had never seen Winry cook. He wanted to live!
Maybe he hadn’t come here enough to see her cook.
Winry glared at him. “Of course I do!”
Ed shrugged. “It’s too early for dinner!”
She glanced out the window. “Well, yeah. But it’s fine? Did you have lunch?”
“We ate on the train,” Ed said through a mouthful of pie.
Winry sat down. “So, w-what happened?” she asked quietly. Her voice was thin.
Ed glanced at Al, who looked unsure, then back at her. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean by nothing?” she snapped. “What happened during Promised Day?”
A shudder ran through Ed, his eyes focused on Al.
He lazily leaned back in the chair throwing his arm over the back of it. “Punched the Father guy in the face. Got Al back too. Saved Amestris. Successful day.”
Winry frowned. “You punched that guy? How did you get Al back? What about your arm?”
Ed looked down. Al flinched.
“You don’t need to know that,” Ed muttered.
Winry groaned into her hands. Ed didn’t particularly like hiding things from her. It was better if she didn't know. Why make her sad? What was done was done!
“Fine!” she snapped and stood up.
“Sorry, Winry! We really don’t know how to explain it to you,” Al said softly.
Winry glared at Ed for a moment. He kept his eyes on his plate.
She turned to Al with a smile. “Okay. I’m glad you idiots are fine.”
She should let it go and drop that stupid frown. They really couldn't help it!
She was halfway to the kitchen when she spun back to Ed. “You need maintenance, Ed!”
She always turned to automail when she wasn’t sure what to do. He sighed. Then his head jerked up.
“How do you know I still have it?” He had thought he would have to tell her. He’d been dreading showing her his automail leg, not wanting to disappoint her. Well, maybe she would be glad. It was hard to tell.
Winry sat beside him and pulled on his pant leg. “I can tell by the way you were walking, Ed!”
Gearhead. Ed wondered if she could smell automail!
“It’s bothering you, right? You haven’t maintained it!”
It needed repair. Ed knew that.
Al set his plate down. “Winry, it’s not his fault. We were stuck at the hospital. He couldn’t come here.”
“And he won’t let any other mechanic touch it.” Al smirked.
Smug bastard! Why did he have to say that?
Ed felt his cheeks heat up and looked away from Winry’s face. How was it so close?
“You would have killed me if I had gone to any other mechanic.”
She had rolled his pant leg all the way up and was already running her hands over the plating. “I wouldn’t have. You should’ve gotten it repaired.”
Ed didn’t say anything, letting her check the limb. His stump hurt. He must have messed something up during the fight and it had gotten worse with time.
“I’ll need to pull out the plates and check the inside.” Winry bit her lip. “You fought with it?”
Ed tried to shake his head but ended up nodding instead.
“Why? You used to mostly fight with your arm, right?” She turned to Al for confirmation. Al ducked his head and nodded.
Ed stared at her hands not wanting to look at her.
“His arm had broken down,” Al whispered.
“I-I don’t have the automail with me! It got lost in the rubble. Sorry, Winry.” Ed's eyes snapped to her. He didn’t want her to start yelling about his arm. She hated it when he broke her automail.
Winry was quiet for a moment, eyes on his flesh right hand. “It’s fine. You got your real one back!” she exclaimed, beaming at him.
But she had made that arm.
“It must have been a hell of a fight,” Winry said, leaning back on her hands on the floor beside his leg.
“It was.” Ed swallowed. “You can repair it after dinner.”
He didn’t want to ruin her mood. She had been happy chatting with them.
She hesitated, then nodded.
“Is there more apple pie?” Al asked again. Ed blinked at the tray. All of it was gone! He’d wanted to eat more.
He would have punched Al if he wasn’t weak.
“I-I can bake more!”
She stared at Al before leaning in to whisper in Ed’s ear, “Should he be eating this much?”
“No, he shouldn’t,” Ed snapped, not bothering to whisper.
Al smiled innocently at Winry.
Winry looked at Ed, rather helplessly. Al had been back a few hours and she already couldn't say no to him.
“No, Al. You can’t eat that much. You need to control yourself.” Ed tried to scold gently. Tried.
Al pouted. “Winry, please?”
“You can get sick if you eat more of it, Al. I’ll make lamb stew in a while.” Winry smiled. “Sorry?”
She didn’t need to say sorry. She would spoil Al more like that.
Al sighed and gave up.
“You sure you don’t need to sleep?” Ed asked again. Al looked ready to collapse any second.
“No, brother. It’s fine!”
“Al, it would be better for you to sleep. You’ll be able to eat more later,” Winry remarked, smiling softly.
Al nodded and stood up. Ed was beside him before he could stumble.
Al did listen to Winry more than him! He was his big brother, damn it!
“I can carry you,” Ed offered. Winry came to Al’s other side, her hand under his arm.
“I can walk!”
Ed gave him his crutch.
Al took two steps but then his face scrunched up.
“Winry! Get a trashbin.” She was moving already and came back with a bucket.
Al threw up all the food he had eaten.
Winry frowned as Al cleaned up his mouth. Ed crossed his arms. He had done this a few times at the hospital too! He shouldn’t have eaten that much.
“You shouldn’t eat that much at a time!” he yelled.
Al scoffed, wiping his mouth, “Worth it!”
“You threw up, Al! It wasn’t worth it. You should be getting nutrients in your body. You need to gain weight!” Winry scolded before Ed could retort.
Ed would have never imagined a universe where Winry took his side.
“It was just so tasty!” Al whined.
“You can have it in small amounts,” Ed said before Winry could snap. She could be scary when she was actually mad.
“Will try.”
Ed and Winry both followed him as Al walked up the stairs.
Ed stood back as Al settled into the bed. It was downright amazing seeing him sleep. Actually sleep.
Winry tucked the blankets around him as Al closed his eyes and fell asleep within seconds.
She stepped back and smiled at Al, sleeping peacefully. They stood there in silence for a while before slipping out and closing the door behind them.
“Don’t you need to sleep too?” Winry whispered like she was afraid Al would wake up.
Ed shook his head. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon. He was restless with pent-up energy. He hadn't been able to spar with Al in a while.
Ed hovered at the bottom of the stairs. Where should he sit?
The hall looked the same. Same couch, same rug with the burn mark Granny still blamed on him. Den was asleep by the dining table.
The floorboard creaked as he walked.
He went and plopped down on the couch. Would Winry come here? Would she go to her workroom?
Why was he thinking like that?
Winry sat beside him, leaning against the backrest. “It’s so nice having Al back.” She smiled down at the table.
Ed sat up and smiled back. “It sure is.”
“Do you want some tea?” she asked suddenly. Why was she behaving like he was a guest?
“No need.” He waved his hand.
She sighed.
“You're still not used to your right arm, huh?” She took his arm in her hand, examining it, “It’s so thin.”
“I’m not a scrawny little pipsqueak!” Ed yelled.
“I didn’t say you were, moron.”
“Did you get some physiotherapy?” Winry turned his arm in her hands. He couldn’t feel her touch properly not the way he felt things in his left arm. It was just… different.
“Doctors had suggested it. Will do later maybe.” Ed shrugged, taking his arm back.
“Get it checked properly!”
“Sure.” He needed to build up muscles in it. He knew that. No need to get it checked. Winry was almost a doctor herself.
“You should do some exercises for it.”
He nodded. Why not?
He shoved his hand in his pocket and tipped his head back. His mind had never been this empty before. It was strange having nothing to do, even if he had only been here for a few hours. The clock on the wall ticked. He'd never noticed how loud it was. They should fix it!
His fingers brushed against metal in his pocket. Oh, right. He pulled out the earrings.
The silver sparkled in the afternoon light. He stared at them like he had multiple times in the last few months.
“You still have them?” Winry sounded surprised.
“Of course!” She had told him to hold onto them.
He passed her the earrings, almost not wanting to let them go.
Stupid!
“Thanks, Ed.” She beamed at him.
He nodded. Why did they suddenly have nothing to say? They used to talk for hours as kids. Winry liked talking!
“Um… you not going to put them on?”
“Right, I should.” She picked one up.
He tried to look away from her. Really, he did! But he ended up staring. She didn’t seem to notice, so it was fine... right?
“Ow.”
“What?” He leaned closer. Was it supposed to hurt?
“I think the holes got smaller. I’ll pierce them again.”
He sighed, leaning back. Made sense.
For some reason he had wanted to see her with her earrings on again. She could only get some of them on.
He brushed a finger along her ear and she jerked back.
“T-the other ones also look um… tight?” They were red. She had tried too hard to put them on. She’d need to take them off.
“Can I?” he asked. She nodded.
He took off her earrings slowly, trying not to make it hurt more. She still hissed twice, making him curse under his breath.
She rubbed her ears. “I’ll go poke the holes!” She stood up hastily.
What?
He grabbed her hand to stop her. “They are red! Do it tomorrow!” he snapped.
Her gaze moved to his hand holding hers. He dropped it quickly.
“Right.”
Ed rolled his shoulders a bit, watching her from the corner of his eye as she sat down.
“I should start dinner now.”
He was surprised they hadn't had a yelling match yet.
***
Ed stared at the ceiling, watching the dampness form some weird shapes. Where was this leak coming from? He'd already read the book he'd picked up.
He wandered toward the kitchen. Winry hadn’t come out for a while now.
“Winry? Need help?” He had never helped before. Granny always cooked alone.
Winry blinked, knife stopped in midair. “Sure. Cut these.” She passed him some vegetables.
Ed took the knife. Carrots. Fine. He tried cutting with his right hand before giving up and using his left instead.
He peered into the pot on the stove. He had never watched Granny cook lamb stew.
The meat was sitting in water going grey at the edges. The potatoes were already in there with it.
“Are potatoes supposed to be with lamb?” he asked Winry.
She shrugged. “They both can cook together.”
“They’ll go to mush. They go in at the end.” Teacher had made him stand at the stove for two hours once for putting them in early. He could still hear her saying it.
He was sure lamb was cooked the same way as beef. It was all meat, right?
Winry stared at the pot. Then at him. “Since when do you cook?”
“Since our teacher made us.” He set the knife down and started fishing the potatoes back out with a spoon. They were still hard. Good. “And you didn’t brown the meat.”
“Am I supposed to? It can technically cook in water.” Winry continued peeling the potatoes. He remembered now.
That was why she shouldn’t be allowed in the kitchen! She did whatever she wanted whereas he was just uninterested.
“You don't just boil it.”
Winry raised a brow. “Why?”
“I don’t know! It’s just different.” Maybe he should look it up and give her a reason. Only then she would listen to him.
“Okay! You cook then.” She threw the peeler down.
“I have never cooked lamb stew!” he snapped.
“Then don’t lecture me!” She stood up and came in front of him.
“You said you know how to cook!” He looked down at her and retorted. Wait, down?
“I know how to cook!” she yelled but then glanced toward the stairs and sighed.
“You are shorter than me!” Ed screamed. Winry slammed a hand over his mouth.
“You’ll wake up Al, idiot!”
She pulled it back when he nodded.
“You are shorter than me!” he said in a quieter voice, grinning.
She huffed. “You aren’t that much taller than me!”
She pulled out some onions, passing half of them to him. Whatever they made, it only had to be edible. That’s fine.
“You noticed I was taller?” He grinned wider, sitting down to cut the onions.
She only grumbled something under her breath.
“Since when?” He was curious. When did he get taller than her? He didn’t even notice before! Maybe during the time in the hospital? But that would be too fast!
“I think I noticed when we met here after Briggs.” Oh. He had been in her room and she –
He turned red, remembering what happened or almost happened. He never properly apologized. Well, it wasn’t his fault.
“I have just stopped growing. I don’t think it has anything to do with you growing more!” Winry teased.
His eyes were stinging from the onions.
“Why would you stop growing?” he asked, a bit concerned. Some problem?
“I’m a girl, Ed! You just have the privilege of being a boy!” she snapped. Her eye was twitching.
Oh! Right. He usually forgot that. He knew Winry was a girl! But…
He wasn’t sure whether to feel smug or disheartened. He wanted to beat her fair and square! Maybe she should do some stretching. Sitting down all day was bound to make her stop growing!
“Just wait! I’ll be way taller than you!” He pointed the knife at her.
“You’ll need to drink milk for that.” She sniffled, tears flowing down her eyes too. Damn onions.
“I grew just fine without a single drop of that white substance.”
Winry shook her head. “You are still short!”
“Who are you calling a bean-sized speck of dust you'd need a microscope and a magnifying glass and a good pair of eyes to find!” he yelled.
Winry glared at him. “Keep it down. And how can you be bean-sized and microscopic at the same time?”
Ed opened his mouth to yell again. But he saw her smile. Her eyes were filled with tears. So were his. How could someone look like this while sniffling?
He looked away.
“What happened?” she asked. He didn’t dare look back at her.
“N-nothing.” He was almost done with the onions. Onions.
“Weirdo.” She stood up and went to the kitchen counter.
He went over to the sink when he was done. He splashed some water over his eyes. Winry bumped him aside with her hip and threw water over her own face.
He forced his way back.
“Hey! Let me do it first!” Winry elbowed him.
“I came here first!” He didn’t move back.
“Ladies first!”
“I don’t see any ladies here.” Ed smirked and held a hand over his eyes, peering around the kitchen like he was searching for one.
Winry groaned but didn’t leave. She turned the stream of water towards him, drenching his shirt.
He glared at her and splashed some water over her clothes. She laughed, grabbed a glass, filled it, and threw the water at him.
He almost clapped his hands to make a bucket and throw all the water on her. He swallowed.
She threw more water at him. His hair was stuck to his neck now. He wouldn’t give up!
He pulled out a pot and threw more of it at her. Her clothes were soaked now. She looked funny with her hair sticking to her forehead. He laughed.
“Ed!”
She got a hand in his hair and dragged his head down under the tap. He couldn’t stop laughing.
He twisted free and put her head under it instead.
She tried pulling back and he let her. They both collapsed on the floor laughing.
“You’re a bonehead!” Winry exclaimed.
“Gearhead!”
“Alchemy Freak!”
Nobody got up.
“Ed?” Pinako was standing there pipe loose in her hand.
Ed turned to Winry. They were sitting close. He hadn’t known they had been this close. Their shoulders were touching.
He turned red and got up. He slipped and fell on her.
“Ah! Ed, you are heavy!” Winry pushed him off. He blushed even more.
“Sorry.”
“When did you come back?” Pinako asked in surprise.
“A few hours ago.” Ed scratched the back of his neck.
Pinako nodded. “What did you do to my kitchen?” She raised an eyebrow.
He nudged Winry forward. “It’s her fault!”
Winry turned to glare at him, then turned to Pinako, “It’s this moron’s fault!”
Pinako surveyed the counter. “What the hell are you doing?”
Ed felt a shiver run through him. He felt Winry go still too.
“Clean up all this mess. Fifteen minutes.” She took a drag. “Where’s Al?”
“He’s sleeping upstairs.” Ed smiled.
Pinako didn’t say anything for a moment.
“He is?” Pinako glanced at the stairs and smirked, “Good.”
Ed nodded.
“What are you cooking?” Pinako asked dryly, eyeing the pot. “Lamb?”
“Lamb stew?” Ed tried. Winry was looking down now rubbing her arms. He was right! She didn’t know how to cook!
Pinako shook her head turning to Winry, “That’s why you aren’t allowed in kitchen.”
“Sorry.” Winry tucked a hair strand back. He grinned, it was nice seeing get her scolded! It was rare!
“Why is there water on the floor?” she asked him.
“Winry! She splashed it.”
“You never grow up.” He saw Winry grin.
“I didn’t do that!”
Pinako waved a hand and pulled out the lamb.
“I’ll be back. Clean it. Fifteen minutes.” Ed gulped and nodded. Winry ran out.
“You too, Winry.”
Winry groaned and came back.
“Go and change first. You’ll catch a cold.” Pinako went out of the kitchen.
Ed went to open his suitcase.
Winry peeked at his suitcase from behind as he opened it. Nosy.
“Got something for me?” She batted her eyelashes. Wet eyelashes.
“No. Why would I?” He pushed his dripping hair back from his forehead.
She plopped down on the floor beside the suitcase. “You can take the other room. Al can have his own.”
“No need.” He wanted to stay with Al.
She nodded leaning back on her hands. “It’s nice having him back.”
Ed stopped pulling out his clothes. Was she needling him on purpose?
“It’s not nice having me back?” he asked annoyed. “I can go back if you don’t like me here.” He wouldn’t. He crossed his arms and huffed.
Winry laughed, then tapped a finger against her lip. “You aren’t exactly the best company.” He groaned.
She leaned closer suddenly. “But I don’t want you to go.” She smiled.
He blushed and nodded stiffly.
***
Ed shook Al’s shoulder lightly. He didn’t want to wake him up. But he needed to eat. Granny was almost done now.
He knew she wanted to meet Al too.
Al rubbed his eyes and sat up.
He blinked at the dark window. "It's night?" Ed nodded.
“Take it slow.” Ed put his hand on his shoulder. Al stood up holding his head. Ed passed him the crutch.
Ed kept a hand under his arm as they walked down the stairs.
“Did Winry make lamb stew?” Al asked. Ed scoffed.
“She still can’t cook. She made a mess!”
Al furrowed his brows. “She tried because I asked?” He looked sad.
Ed shook his head. “Don’t feel bad about it! She’s just stubborn.”
Al sat down at the dining table as Winry came with the pot.
“Sorry Al! I couldn’t make it.”
“No, I’m sorry, Winry! I didn’t know you can’t cook.”
Winry smiled and scratched her head. “I can cook. Just not lamb stew.”
Pinako snorted. “If you call burnt eggs cooking.” She scanned Al head to toe and nodded to herself. Al smiled.
Winry slapped her forehead muttering something under her breath. Ed laughed.
“She can’t even make eggs?”
Al glared at Ed. “Be nice!”
“I can cook eggs! And it’s not like you are a great chef, Ed.”
“I am better than you!” He could actually cook!
Winry rolled her eyes. “You never cooked, Ed! You have no proof.”
“I learned–“
Pinako slammed down a bowl. “Eat.”
They both nodded and started eating.
Ed closed his eyes, savoring the meal. It was great!
Al exclaimed, “It’s delicious, Granny!”
Pinako passed him more. “Eat more, you need to gain weight.”
Al smirked at Ed. What?
Granny poured some milk for them.
Ed turned his face away from the glass.
Al drank it happily. Winry sipped slowly.
“You will be a pipsqueak your whole life like this,” Pinako commented dryly.
“I am not a thumb-sized shrimp you could lose in a bowl of that stew and never find again!” They all sighed.
“And I don’t need to drink that disgusting liquid! I am taller than Winry.”
Al blinked. Winry tilted her head. Pinako raised an eyebrow.
They didn’t believe him?
He pulled Winry up by the arm. “Hey!”
“Stand straight!” He stood beside her and placed a hand over her head showing the difference. He smirked.
“Okay. So what?” Pinako asked, unimpressed.
Al shook his head.
It didn’t matter to them?
“You’re still a shorty.” Pinako took a spoonful.
Ed’s eye twitched. Al was a bit shorter than him! But he couldn’t bring that up.
Winry pushed his hand away. Why were her cheeks red? Was he imagining it?
He tried to take a closer look, but she sat back on her chair and glared at him.
He continued eating, glaring back at her. He liked these glaring contests too.
***
Ed stretched as he walked into the workroom. Winry pointed to the bench. He nodded and sat there.
He moved his hands to the hem of the shirt, about to pull it off. He stopped. Oh, he didn’t have automail arm anymore.
He pulled off his pants as Winry came with her tools. He saw her furrow her brow and start checking his leg.
He leaned back and looked at the ceiling as she started unscrewing it. He never said anything during repairs and tune-ups. She needed to focus.
“Ed! Why is there sand inside?”
He scratched the back of his neck. How?
“Shit! There is grit here too! You should be glad it didn’t mess up the wiring too much.” Okay, he was glad. She’d have killed him!
She looked up and whispered, “It must hurt so much.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” she exclaimed after a moment.
He shrugged. He was able to walk. It was fine.
She groaned and went back to work. “I should have repaired it the moment you came! You were in pain the whole day.”
Ed didn’t say anything.
“You not mad about the arm?” he asked hesitantly as she put the plating back on.
She blinked and then turned to look at him. “Why would I be mad?”
“I lost your automail arm,” he said quietly.
“You were in a fight! And what would I have done with that! You have your real arm back!” Winry yelled.
“You made it,” Ed said simply.
Winry sat beside him and swallowed.
“It’s fine!” she said cheerfully after a moment.
She added quietly, “I’m glad I was able to help you in that fight even if it broke in the end.”
He flinched. She didn’t like it when he broke her automail. He could never fully understand what made her so angry exactly.
“I’ll miss that arm but you have your real arm now!” She took his hand, grinning. So, she was a bit disheartened after all. But mostly happy?
“Your leg is fine now.”
He stood up to test it. It still hurt but his leg was easier to move now.
“You’ll need to take it easy. It’ll take time for the swelling to go down.” Winry jumped down. “I think you should detach it before sleeping.”
“I don’t want to.” He didn’t like sleeping with it detached. He always felt weird in the mornings.
She sighed.
“Show me the shoulder joint.”
“What?”
“Your right arm. It got there suddenly. I want to check the joint.” She even talked about the human body like automail. Gearhead.
She started putting back her tools.
He moved to pull up his shirt. He froze staring at the scar. He covered it quickly. He was glad she wasn’t looking. How would he explain it to her?
“What’s wrong?” She folded her arms.
“Um… you can check it later?” He couldn’t tell her no.
“Why?”
“It’s late now! You should sleep.”
“I sleep late, Ed,” Winry stated flatly.
“I need to sleep, then!”
Winry glared at him and huffed, “Fine.”
He was glad that she dropped it.
He walked out the room, hearing her set a limb on the bench. She would work now?
He turned. “Rush order?”
Winry didn’t look up. “Not exactly.”
“Then sleep?”
“I usually work at this time.” She shrugged. He hadn’t known that. She did work on his arm through the nights but then he was always in a hurry.
He closed the door behind him softly. She wasn't upset, right? She had been happy seeing them back. He seemed to have a tendency to ruin her mood. He raked a hand through his bangs as he headed toward the guest room.
He smiled at Al, still fast asleep, and took the bed on the other side of the room. He pulled up the blankets and closed his eyes. It had been a long day. He sighed into the pillow. It was easier to fall asleep than he’d expected.