all i can do is wait.

     LOST  IN  THOUGHT  YET  AGAIN ,  swept  away  by  tangent  ideas ,  grasping  straws  and  chasing  ghosts ,  golden  hues  distant  and  unseeing  —  it’s  only  the  sound  of  your  own  name  that  pulls  you  from  those  threads ,  slow  turn  of  the  head  towards  the  young  Rockbell  to  show  you  are  listening .    The  way  she  fidgets ,  there  is  certainly  something  of  considerable  solemnity  on  her  mind .

     But  the  silence  following  her  question  is ,  perhaps ,  more  telling  than  any  words  that  rest  upon  your  tongue  in  response .    The  boys .    The  last  you’d  seen  them  .  .  .  well .    Edward’s  choice  words  from  his  hospital  bed  had  more  than  assured  you  he  will  heal  in  due  time .    Alphonse ,  on  the  other  hand  —  mere  skin  and  bones ,  appearing  so  fragile  even  as  he  rested .    Even  if  Edward  had  allowed  you  past  ( even  though  you  know  far  better  than  what  your  mind  tells  you ) ,  you  surely  would  have  been  afraid  that  the  slightest  touch  would  SHATTER  him .

     The  girl ,  Winry  .  .  .  you  would  not  dare  describe  such  a  state  to  her .    Though  she  asks ,  you  are  unsure  she  is  prepared  to  hear .

     ❝ .  .  .  I’m  not  sure . ❞    A  hedge .    You  shift  a  little ,  shoulders  hunching .    ❝ I  didn’t  stay  in  Central  for  long . ❞    Because  your  own  son  all  but  physically  chased  you  out .    Even  so ,  you  manage  a  small  smile .    ❝ Edward  will  be  just  fine ,  but  I’m  sure  he  won’t  be  coming  back  until  Alphonse  fully  recovers  too . ❞

       even now, it appears waiting is all she’s good for.  winry looks down at her hands and wiggles her fingers.  (  ed told her they were meant to give life, to heal, and yet there’s nothing she can do for two of the people she loves most.  )     as always, edward’s loyalty touches her  ;  he seemed unsettled the last she saw him, as if being apart from alphonse was eating away at his wellbeing.   “of course.”  she glances towards the door, half-wondering if she should make a trip to central herself.  would they welcome her company?

       “i just hope they’re doing okay.  hospitals can be so lonely.”  maybe it’s better for alphonse to recover in peace  ;  who knows what his body’s been through all these years?  if the brothers’ theory was correct, al’s physical form lived purely on ed’s sustenance.  that wouldn’t be enough for a growing boy   ----   either of them.

Returning home has always felt good ( until he saw winry’s look of rage when he revealed his newly broken automail ). Well. That aside. Tasting fresh air, free from pollutants, the ability to wander through sprawling plains and pick grass, fingers forming whistles from their blades…it’s Ed’s favorite feeling in the world.

Even if his soul has been imbued with wanderlust, Resembool has always been Edward’s haven.

It’s been a few months since he last set foot in his hometown, and as the train pulls in, Ed can’t fight the beating of his heart. He feels foolish for it / he’s fought with a deity / nearly died numerous times / held a coup’de’tat against the emperor / and yet………..to see Winry is to fill him with adrenaline.

Shifting on his feet, Ed heads to the door, lining up behind equally-anxious citizens who are eager to see their own loved ones. He can see beams of light streaking through the window of the train’s door—-so close!

Finally the cage opens, and a sea of people exits into Resembool’s belly. Ed follows suit, immediately scanning for the familiar shape. Even though he’s grown a bit, especially after Al regained his body, Ed’s still loathe to admit that he’s shorter than average and as such has little luck spotting Winry.

“Ed!”

The ex-alchemist barely has time to respond. He turns around to face the source of her voice, when——”Oomf!” She collides with him, fingers splaying against his back, arms wrapping tightly around him. Ed’s taller than Winry by this point, but he still has to fight to keep himself afloat, his own hands reaching to hug her.

“Jeez, Winry!” He comments with a tone akin to their early bickering, “You about knocked me over…” He pauses to look at her, his grip tightening slightly as Ed takes in every inch of Winry.

God. I missed you.

“……………………………..Yeah. I couldn’t wait either.” The smile that spreads across his face is exceedingly fond, fingers reaching to push hair behind Winry’s ear. “Ya gotta fill me in on everything that’s happened.”

     she got ahead of herself, didn’t she?   she thinks he might be looking for a spat, until he brushes a stray strand of hair away from her face. blush sweeps over pale features as she looks up at edward.  his eyes, their color so reminiscent of the sun, stare down at her, and winry loathes and loves in equal measure to say that she melts beneath their warmth.  she beams up at him, pulling away, but sliding her hand into his own.  “things around here have been pretty quiet since you and al left,”  she admits.  at times, it’s like they’re out searching for their bodies all over again.  

      she leads him away from the bustling crowd, in the direction of granny’s house.  “the most excitement i’ve had lately are my trips down to rush valley.”  she returns there every once in awhile, just to be sure her customers are getting along okay.  (   she can’t leave them without maintenance for good, even if her home will always be resembool.  )   “but i’m more interested in your adventures.  where were you before you came home?”  she gives his hand a squeeze.  “we got a letter from alphonse a few days ago  ;  he made it to xing safely. it seemed like he’s doing okay.”  she wonders how often the brothers get to talk to one another  ;  they never were fond of being apart.  (  in fact, picturing them on entirely different sides of the world is near impossible.  )

Suspiciously, Ed continues to eye Winry. She’s so quick to cover up her feelings in favor of trying to get Ed to open up about his. It’s one reason they could be at odds: Winry never expressed her feelings until she was sobbing, Ed let his shine in his anger and frustration. He finds it peculiar how expressive the two of them can be with their happiness. Neither one of them are stoic. Not in the slightest. But when it came down to talking about the negativity in their life…sometimes things were better left unsaid. There were ghosts in their past, and they were scared to talk about them lest they be haunted.

They’re working on it. And frankly Ed thinks they’ve come a long way. He’s excited to see them grow more———out of their childish banter and into something…else?

She approaches him with the rag, which Ed continues to regard with suspicion. “Will this seriously help?” Despite his tone, he takes the rag between his hands, tilts his head back, and places it on his forehead. The water seeps into his lashes.

“It’s dripping too much,” he complains, fulfilling Winry’s prophecy, but he makes no move to remove it. His head really hurts.

At her next comment, Ed just ‘hmf’s. “I lost my arm and leg–I can handle a headache! No need wakin’ you up just so you can baby me…”

     she puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head at his words.  why is he always so stubborn?     “i could have kept you company,”  she responds.  winry loathes to think of ed alone, left with his thoughts  ;   she wonders how many regrets swim around in that mind of his. how often does he dwell on his mistakes?   her gaze glows fondly as she looks at him, the barest hint of a smile teasing at her lips.  more than ever, she wants him to know he’s not alone, even when he has something as simple as a headache.

   a trickle of water runs down his cheek.  unthinkingly, she brushes it away with her thumb, smoothing it over his face.  her eyes widen as she realizes what she’s done, her hands flying back to her sides.  winry spins on her heel when a touch of pink rises to her cheeks, turning back towards the kitchen counter.  “um  i  ---  have you eaten anything.  maybe that would help!”  she suggests, tone almost too cheerful.