more fic!
Ed just wanted to pop in and surprise Winry that day. His arm was actually not broken, and his leg was in even better condition. Al had been clunking along beside him. It was a crisp fall day, a cool breeze ruffling their hair even under the hot Rush Valley sun. Ed had money in his pocket to take Winry out shopping and to lunch, and Al had brought her flowers - daisies, specifically - on a whim. They were in a good mood.
Until they reached Garfiel’s automail shop, that is. Then, Ed’s mood soured - but that traitor Al could barely smother his laughter.
Ed kicked his brother, then winced as pain shot up his leg. Dammit. Scowling even more fiercely now, he peeked back into Winry’s workshop. She was bent over a complicated looking gadget: an open case of metal with wires poking out in a tangle. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration - not that Russell appeared to notice.
Why was that pretty-boy-identity-thief even there? He didn’t have automail. So why did he need to see Winry? When he had first seen them together, Ed had been ready to walk in and greet them both-but then he had heard what they were saying.
“So, you have a boyfriend?”
“Mmhmm.”
Good girl, Winry! He had been so proud of her - not only for lying (well, he hoped…) to ward off Russell’s (unwanted!) attention, but also for not showing him the slightest bit of interest. She hadn’t even looked up from whatever it was she was working on.
“What’s his name?”
At that, Winry had looked up and leveled Russell a very flat gaze. “Edward Elric. Maybe you’ve heard of him?” Russell blushed, and Ed realized that the scumbag had taken his name - again!
That was when he had nearly stomped right into the room, but Al stopped him, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. When Ed looked back, Al stared at him for a moment.
“Didn’t you hear her?” he had whispered. Ed rewound through what Winry had said and - whoa.
Immediately, a goofy grin had spread across his face, and he settled in to listen to the rest of the conversation. He wasn’t full of himself - but Winry never really complimented him, not when she was too busy physically, verbally, and emotionally abusing him. so of course he was eager to hear her say nice things about him for once.
That had been ten minutes ago, and he had yet to hear a nice word about him. There were a lot of “He’s such a little brat”s, scathing remarks about his lack of a brain, and many whacks of her wrench against her palm when the frustration became too much for mere words.
Al snickered. Ed hated him.
“Like I’d ever date Winry,” he muttered sullenly, even though of course he would, given half a chance.
Al seemed to realize this, if the sly way he said, “Suuure, Brother,” was any indication.
Meanwhile, Russell was blinking at a particularly violent description of Ed’s pigheadedness. “Uh. Then… why do you stay with him?”
Ed perked up. Russell would have to become his new best friend now, just for that. Winry had to compliment him now-
She looked up from her work, set down a screwdriver, and smiled in a way Ed would describe as beatific, but only in his head. She opened her mouth. Ed leaned further around the doorframe to listen…
“I stay with him,” she began dreamily, “Because he buys me things.”
Ed fell over. Russell jumped, spinning around to see him. al sighed, getting to his feet and stepping over Ed into the room.
“Hi, Winry,” he said in a resigned voice, handing her the flowers. She beamed at them and opened her mouth to thank Al, but Ed interrupted.
“You are a mean, shallow, materialistic person. I would never go out with you!” he howled, bounding up to his feet and stomping towards her. he paused to glare at Russell as he passed. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Winry didn’t look impressed. Instead, she turned to Russell, pasting on a sarcastic smile. “And that’s the other reason Ed has my heart. He makes me laugh.” She rolled her eyes. “He thinks he’s sneaky, but he really isn’t.”
Ed sputtered. “Wait - what - you knew?”
“How stupid do you think I am, nimrod?” she demanded, smacking Ed upside the head. He stepped back, rubbing his skull. At least she used her hands this time - they weren’t made of metal.
“Very,” he said bluntly, stepping back when she tried to smack him again. “Because I would never date you. Ever. You are a mean, mean girl, and not pretty, and I don’t like you at all, and your hair is stupid.”
Winry raised her eyebrows, propping her fists on her hips as she appraised him. “Is that so?” When Ed nodded sullenly, she looked past him to Russell. “Hey, you.”
Russell blinked. “Hi?”
“I’m single now,” Winry said casually, stripping off her gloves. “Wanna get coffee? Your treat.”
Ed felt himself go white. Russell was smiling, clearly surprised. “Ah, yeah, sure,” he said, sneaking a glance at Ed, who was probably an attractive shade of purple right then. Russell looked faintly alarmed. “But that might break Ed.”
“Nah,” Winry said, breezing past Ed with a pat on his cheek. He choked. “Ed doesn’t like me, remember?”
“You are a sneaky, manipulative, machine-geek,” Ed said - he tried for scathingly, but sounded whiny, even to his ears. “I’m sure you two will make horrible, evil babies together.”
“That means we have his blessings,” Winry translated, hooking her arm through Russell’s to lead him out. Ed could hear her laughing as she left the building, and he scowled.
“What idiot would like her long enough for that?” he demanded, turning to Al. he was determinedly avoiding his brother’s gaze. “And besides, Russell’s a bad person. I don’t trust him. if he touches Winry inappropriately,” he added, “I will feed him my arm.”
Nodding decisively, Ed turned to follow the happy couple, grumbling about Russell’s less attractive qualities, most of which Al was sure he was making up.
“Careful, Brother,” Al called, amused. “Your affection is showing.”
Until they reached Garfiel’s automail shop, that is. Then, Ed’s mood soured - but that traitor Al could barely smother his laughter.
Ed kicked his brother, then winced as pain shot up his leg. Dammit. Scowling even more fiercely now, he peeked back into Winry’s workshop. She was bent over a complicated looking gadget: an open case of metal with wires poking out in a tangle. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration - not that Russell appeared to notice.
Why was that pretty-boy-identity-thief even there? He didn’t have automail. So why did he need to see Winry? When he had first seen them together, Ed had been ready to walk in and greet them both-but then he had heard what they were saying.
“So, you have a boyfriend?”
“Mmhmm.”
Good girl, Winry! He had been so proud of her - not only for lying (well, he hoped…) to ward off Russell’s (unwanted!) attention, but also for not showing him the slightest bit of interest. She hadn’t even looked up from whatever it was she was working on.
“What’s his name?”
At that, Winry had looked up and leveled Russell a very flat gaze. “Edward Elric. Maybe you’ve heard of him?” Russell blushed, and Ed realized that the scumbag had taken his name - again!
That was when he had nearly stomped right into the room, but Al stopped him, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. When Ed looked back, Al stared at him for a moment.
“Didn’t you hear her?” he had whispered. Ed rewound through what Winry had said and - whoa.
Immediately, a goofy grin had spread across his face, and he settled in to listen to the rest of the conversation. He wasn’t full of himself - but Winry never really complimented him, not when she was too busy physically, verbally, and emotionally abusing him. so of course he was eager to hear her say nice things about him for once.
That had been ten minutes ago, and he had yet to hear a nice word about him. There were a lot of “He’s such a little brat”s, scathing remarks about his lack of a brain, and many whacks of her wrench against her palm when the frustration became too much for mere words.
Al snickered. Ed hated him.
“Like I’d ever date Winry,” he muttered sullenly, even though of course he would, given half a chance.
Al seemed to realize this, if the sly way he said, “Suuure, Brother,” was any indication.
Meanwhile, Russell was blinking at a particularly violent description of Ed’s pigheadedness. “Uh. Then… why do you stay with him?”
Ed perked up. Russell would have to become his new best friend now, just for that. Winry had to compliment him now-
She looked up from her work, set down a screwdriver, and smiled in a way Ed would describe as beatific, but only in his head. She opened her mouth. Ed leaned further around the doorframe to listen…
“I stay with him,” she began dreamily, “Because he buys me things.”
Ed fell over. Russell jumped, spinning around to see him. al sighed, getting to his feet and stepping over Ed into the room.
“Hi, Winry,” he said in a resigned voice, handing her the flowers. She beamed at them and opened her mouth to thank Al, but Ed interrupted.
“You are a mean, shallow, materialistic person. I would never go out with you!” he howled, bounding up to his feet and stomping towards her. he paused to glare at Russell as he passed. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Winry didn’t look impressed. Instead, she turned to Russell, pasting on a sarcastic smile. “And that’s the other reason Ed has my heart. He makes me laugh.” She rolled her eyes. “He thinks he’s sneaky, but he really isn’t.”
Ed sputtered. “Wait - what - you knew?”
“How stupid do you think I am, nimrod?” she demanded, smacking Ed upside the head. He stepped back, rubbing his skull. At least she used her hands this time - they weren’t made of metal.
“Very,” he said bluntly, stepping back when she tried to smack him again. “Because I would never date you. Ever. You are a mean, mean girl, and not pretty, and I don’t like you at all, and your hair is stupid.”
Winry raised her eyebrows, propping her fists on her hips as she appraised him. “Is that so?” When Ed nodded sullenly, she looked past him to Russell. “Hey, you.”
Russell blinked. “Hi?”
“I’m single now,” Winry said casually, stripping off her gloves. “Wanna get coffee? Your treat.”
Ed felt himself go white. Russell was smiling, clearly surprised. “Ah, yeah, sure,” he said, sneaking a glance at Ed, who was probably an attractive shade of purple right then. Russell looked faintly alarmed. “But that might break Ed.”
“Nah,” Winry said, breezing past Ed with a pat on his cheek. He choked. “Ed doesn’t like me, remember?”
“You are a sneaky, manipulative, machine-geek,” Ed said - he tried for scathingly, but sounded whiny, even to his ears. “I’m sure you two will make horrible, evil babies together.”
“That means we have his blessings,” Winry translated, hooking her arm through Russell’s to lead him out. Ed could hear her laughing as she left the building, and he scowled.
“What idiot would like her long enough for that?” he demanded, turning to Al. he was determinedly avoiding his brother’s gaze. “And besides, Russell’s a bad person. I don’t trust him. if he touches Winry inappropriately,” he added, “I will feed him my arm.”
Nodding decisively, Ed turned to follow the happy couple, grumbling about Russell’s less attractive qualities, most of which Al was sure he was making up.
“Careful, Brother,” Al called, amused. “Your affection is showing.”