When It Snowed

[miss_auto1621]

Author: miss_auto1621
My Prompt: Ice: Shoveling Snow
Title:  When It Snowed
Rating: Let’s go with Teenish for some implications.
Disclaimer:  This is a derivative work of Arakawa Hiromu’s story, Fullmetal Alchemist.  No disrespect is intended.  All rights revert back to Arakawa, BONES studio, Square Enix, Gangan Manga, etc.
Notes: I’m indebted to Vanessa for providing the major root for this. If it wasn’t for her comments about the sun while I complained in Stats, I wouldn’t have had my inspiration.  I was also influenced by evil_little_dog’s fics, which are awzum. This is post manga, which means there are spoilers, so beware. Auto hopes you enjoy!
Summary: Just when she thought he was home for good, he has to leave again.
Part of LiveJournal's fireandice2011 challenge


When It Snowed

Winry shivered as she felt warmth around her arms mix with the frosty air. She felt that nothing could actually ruin the moment; nothing could wake her up completely, even if Ed’s arms circled hers. Even if the kids knocked on the door so their parents could wake up. Even if the phone rang with an emergency on the other end. Even if someone were to come crashing through the window. Except for the damn, bright rays of light that passed through the glass and suddenly reached her face. She loved the sun, but sometimes, she hated it. How dare it interrupt her blissful feeling?

She considered getting up to close the curtains, but she was such a lazy cat, cuddling closer to her husband to keep their body heat from escaping. Make-up sex was, in a word, euphoric. It was better than their usual, since Ed was the best at apologizing with actions. Winry loved those actions. The way he simply kissed her let her know how sorry he was for making her cry; the way he hugged her let her know he cared so much more than she could possibly imagine. In a way, she looked forward to arguments with him. He might not realize it, but he turned her on when he was fierce.

The only thing that bothered her was that they fought over a minimal matter. Well, it was supposed to be minimal, since she was supposed to be used to Ed’s habit of travelling.

)X(

Winry didn’t seem to get it. She had never had a problem with her husband going off to distant places. As long as he came back safe, sound, and in one piece, she was fine. But she just felt so angry when he told her he had to go on another trip. Again.

“You said you were finished with your research,” she hissed as she turned to face him after ordering the kids to go to their rooms. Their family dinner was officially over.

“I am. But there’s just one place that I need to travel to for some info - ”

“You’ve told me that five times already.” He tone was icy, surpassing the weather outside.

“Winry, it’s not like it would surprise you that I have to go somewhere,” he said as he rested his left cheek on the palm of his hand, digging the skin deeper into the bone. He had to remain seated for this one.

“I’m not.”

“Then, why are you acting like I’ve never left to places?”

“Trust me, Ed; I’m very used to it.”

“Then, why do you sound like you mind the idea of me researching?”

“Because it’s not just this ‘one place’ that you need to go to. It’s ‘this place’ and ‘that place’ and so many ‘other places’, after claiming that there’s no more.”

“So? Winry, the world develops. I can’t really determine that I’m actually done!”

“Then, stop saying that you’re done!”

Ed stood from his seat. “Well, then, what else do you want me to say!”

“I don’t want for you to say anything!” Winry took out her wrench. “I want for you to stop lying.”

“Who said I’m lying?” Ed asked as he came closer to her.

“I did,” Winry pointed at herself. Her wrench was gripped tightly in her hand, but Ed didn’t back away. He had to fix this. Now.

“Why would you ever think that?” he asked as he held her arms.

“Because you repeat yourself,” she broke his hold and turned so her back could face him.

“I don’t get you sometimes,” Ed mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Winry’s frown deepened. “I don’t get you, either.”

She didn’t notice, but he diverted his attention from her to the kitchen window, noting that the afternoon’s snow had done its job and piled up as much of the white material as it could around their home. They knew he had to clear it. Walking out of the kitchen, he left Winry to give her some space and went to the basement to retrieve the shovel. On his way out, he heard sniffling from the kitchen.

That didn’t make him feel better about the situation. She was supposed to understand this was important. She was supposed to understand that he was needed. But she was just so moody and that killed him. He didn’t want for her to be so upset about something as small as him traveling somewhere. Although, when he thought about it, it did seem like a big deal. It took him a while to realize that he was being like his father. He was going off to research on something foreign, leaving his wife and kids alone. He felt like such a hypocrite, but he had explained since the very beginning that he would try not to take so long. Winry knew this. She agreed to wait for him, even if she knew he’d take a while.

But he married her and had two kids with her. And it’s not like he left all the time. She was just exaggerating. However, he had to understand that when he left, it hurt her inside. She had never complained about this. If anything, she had been supportive of the plans he and Al had for coming up with the new law for alchemy. She was just used to having him around and had taken his word many times, that he was home and he was done. She did have a reason to feel like he lied.

That’s why he stood in the living room, thinking of what to do. The snow wasn’t going to shovel itself, but Winry was hurt. He didn’t need for anyone to tell him what he should do in a moment like this.

Placing the shovel in the entrance of the basement, he walked toward Winry’s workshop, which was where she took refuge after an argument. She was holding her current project - an automail hand for Mr. Dulhnerham - trying to focus on it despite the tears that blurred her vision. She heard the uneven steps of her husband and forced herself to concentrate, but she failed as he entered the shop.

“You should check the snow outside,” she began. “Might as well start shoveling.”

“Do you want me to freeze out there?” he asked.

“You’re leaving. I thought you would like to enjoy Resembool’s snow,” she suggested with her soft, sarcastic tone.

“I’m leaving next week. And it’s only for a few days,” he reminded. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Winry stopped trying to focus and placed the metal hand on her bench. She suddenly felt tired and needed to reach her room - their room.

“There’s going to be a lot of snow waiting for you tomorrow,” she said as she tried walking past him, but she subconsciously knew that her intention was to get him to react. She didn’t want him to leave and they both knew it.

If it weren’t for the weather making them conserve their heat, she would have concluded that Ed couldn’t take it anymore. Although with the tense atmosphere, she couldn’t contain herself either. She was just glad she had dismissed the kids because the way Ed pulled her in to kiss her was too intimate, even for her eyes and lips. But she accepted his silent apology and let him take her to their room to continue making amends for causing her pain.

She, too, apologized for her roughness and kissed him lovingly as she convinced him to remove his sweater. He shivered, however, when she touched his warm skin, not because of the cold air. She loved that effect she caused on him, and the way he blushed as he lied on top of her body, kissing and nibbling on her neck, collarbone, and shoulder blades.

)X(

She continued to stare at her light-filled window as she nestled closer to Ed’s neck. The sun was out, which meant that they had to wake up. Damn it.

Edward stirred as he felt the sunlight through his closed eyelids. Winry observed him as he brought the sheets up to his face and tried covering his eyes with them. She did love one sun at all times, even if he would sometimes heat up too much. She could manage to stare at him without squinting, or damaging her eyes. She didn’t mean to think of something so corny, but he brightened up her day, and she was damn lucky she had him to herself. Nevertheless, that sun had to rise to start the day. And his task was to shovel the merciless snow that had continued to pile up through the night. He sighed as he looked through the window and put on his pants.

“Is there a lot of snow?” Winry decided to ask. He hadn’t noticed that she was up.

“You could say that,” he answered. She had warned him that there would be a lot snow waiting to be shoveled.

“Do you need help?” she offered.

Ed smiled at her. “Nah, it’s not something I can’t handle.”

Winry stood and walked to where he stood, covering herself with the sheets. She wanted to see for herself that it really was manageable because Ed’s pride got in the way sometimes.

She raised an eyebrow. “Stop being a macho man, Ed,” she said as she stared out the window and into the beautiful color of the snow.

Ed’s arms circled her waist through the sheets and gave her a morning kiss. “Only if you stop being sexy.”

“Ed…," she gasped as his breath tickled her lips. It was obvious that she had forgiven him for having to leave the following week. She didn’t even want to remind him now.

“Mommy!”

“Daddy!”

They froze, almost expecting their children to open the door to greet them. They really hoped they just kept pounding on it to get their attention.

“I’m cold,” Nina said with her fragile, six-year-old voice.

“There’s a lot of snow! We have to go outside for a snowball fight. Now!” Their eight-year-old son, Maes, was the total contrast of his sister. “C’mon, you know you wanna wake up!”

Edward chuckled as he touched his wife’s forehead with his. He couldn’t resist his children’s cuteness.

Winry broke away from his hold and located her nightgown. “You need to eat breakfast first,” she pointed out.

“Aw,” her son whined, “but breakfast’s for sissies.”

Winry opened the door. “Who said?” Within a moment, she felt two small arms wrap around her leg.

“All the guys and I say so in school,” the boy pointed to himself proudly.

“Well, tell your friends that if they don’t eat breakfast, they’re the sissies,” Winry advised. “Right, Ed?”

“Listen to your mother, son,” Ed began, crushing the boy’s anticipating look. He was hoping his father would say otherwise.

“But Dad, come on,” Maes said as he entered the room to talk to his father face-to-face. “It’s snow against breakfast. Which one do you think I choose?”

Ed buttoned up his shirt, trying to contain his laughter for he knew his son was talking seriously to him. “It doesn’t matter to your mom what it is you choose. She chooses for you. You know why?”

Maes pouted. “Why?”

Ed pulled his son closer so only he could hear what he had to say. “She has something called a wrench. It really hurts. If you catch my drift…”

Winry saw a pained expression on her son’s face. She figured Ed must’ve told him about the wrench.

)X(

The sun had been blocked by puffy, gray clouds. Winry couldn’t determine whether that was a positive or a negative sign.

Edward moved snow in an even rhythm. He had learned over the years that to shovel snow successfully, he had to keep a proper posture, and work at a steady pace. He realized that he was progressing a lot faster this year, unlike the times he would start quickly to finish in a short amount of time. He wasn’t in a hurry, though. His partner was helping him, and he had no doubt that she could handle shoveling just as much as he could. It was more convenient to work in teams. But his team was a bit hyperactive.

He had warned his kids to play on the snow he and Winry had not shoveled. They were just lucky their parents decided to work slowly. After a while, though, the kids didn’t find snowball fighting so entertaining.

“What if we’re bored, dad?” Maes asked.

“Make snow angels,” Ed suggested.

His son thought about it while Nina dropped on the snow to start on hers. “What if I don’t wanna do that?”

“Draw circles on the snow,” Ed said.

“I already did,” Maes pointed that out.

“Build an igloo.”

“We have two.”

“Make a snowman.” Ed was running out of ideas. His mind wasn’t really that open at the moment to concentrate on activities for the kids. His wife’s movements absorbed his attention.

“That was the first thing we did,” Maes whined. “And mom helped with half of it.”

“Try making one without her,” Ed suggested.

“Nina’s too small to make a snowball bigger than herself.”

Ed looked at Winry, hoping she’d meet his gaze. “Help me out,” he mouthed out.

“Why don’t you help us with shoveling the show?” Winry asked.

Ed swore he saw a light bulb pop out of his son’s head. He looked at Winry incredulously. Was it safe to have kids handle a shovel?

“Okay!”

Even Nina rejoiced at the sound of the activity. But they decided to do it the Elric way. Back when Ed and Al were around Maes’s age, they used to take care of the snow by just drawing a circle and bringing their hands together, impressing everyone that surrounded them. Now, it was time for Ed to watch what Winry and he had created.

Bright lights shone from where their kids stood and the path was cleared from the fluffy snow.

Ed saw that they took care of it all with a single clap from both kids, realizing why. Maes had been busy drawing circles where the snow covered most of the area. He smiled at his son’s brilliance.

“Now they’re just showing off,” Ed mumbled smugly as Winry dropped her shovel and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“I wonder where that trait came from,” she said.

“Ha!” Maes exclaimed. “Now, we fight!!”

Ed and Winry were confused for a moment until they saw the first snowball being thrown. It was so close to hitting Ed, but it was off by a few centimeters.

“Now we fight,” Ed mumbled as he nodded his head in approval. His son was daring enough to throw a snowball at him. At him, his father. He taught him well!

“If you don’t mind, honey, I’m going to throw a snowball at my son and miss on purpose,” Ed said as he crouched down to collect enough snow to throw.

“Why would you miss?” Winry asked.

“I can’t hit my own son.”

“Oh, but you hit me with snowballs when we were little,” Winry said, pretending to be hurt from long ago.

“We were little, Winry,” Ed pointed out. “And I didn’t even hit you that hard.”

“I’m kidding,” she smiled as she came closer and kissed him, making him almost forget that their kids were present.

Another snowball flew past them. “We’re waiting,” Maes said.

“Come on, mommy! I wanna play!” Nina was getting demanding.

“How about we run and leave them here?” Ed asked.

“How about no?” Winry answered with her own rhetorical question.

Ed whined against her cheek. “Fine. One round and then, we go in.”

“But it’s colder at night,” Winry said, suggesting with her tone her impish idea.

Ed raised an eyebrow. “Come on, mom,” he said as he handed her his snowball. “I made this one for you.”