It’s the second year of Edween! If you aren’t sure what Edween Week is, it's a week centered around Halloween Edwin content. It can be anything from fanfiction to art to music. This year we will be doing things a bit differently! The week will run from October 25th to the 31st, and there will be themes this time.
The themes will work alongside a Trick-or-Treat concept, meaning you can choose to interpret the theme in a Fluffy (Treat) or Angsty (Trick) way. Feel free to specify which one you're doing at the beginning of your content!
The themes are as follow:
October 25th: Corn Maze
October 26th: Haunted House
October 27th: Costumes
October 28th: Supernatural
October 29th: AU
October 30th: Creatures
October 31st: Candy
Make sure to tag your post with #edween2018 or @ us at @edweenweek so we can reblog your content! We will be accepting late entries for a week after the event ends.
We can’t wait to see all the lovely Edween content this year! 💖💖💖💖
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Been too busy (and lazy) to finish any fics lately, but since today’s @edweenweek day theme is AU, I decided to use this opportunity to draw my fave dorks, hockey player Ed and figure skater Winry ♥
Here’s a “What if...” au for you all. Sorry it’s so late.
I hope you all enjoy it!
Winry stared at Ed from her chair, eyes wide and searching. Ed looked back, eyes hard, lips curled into a sneer, and arms crossed at his chest.
“I don’t understand,” Winry breathed. “What do you mean that’s not Ed?” Ling placed a hand on her shoulder, brows peaked in worry. He spoke slowly, regret weighing down his voice.
“He has another soul in him, Winry,” he explained. “They have to take turns using his body. That’s not Ed right now.”
“Then, who is that?” Her voice trembled, but her gaze never wavered, turning pointed and threatening.
“The name’s Greed, sweetheart,” Ed replied, voice smooth, grin sharp and wide. Winry had never seen such a predatory look on him before. Her skin crawled and shivered.
“Where’s Ed?” she whispered. Ling leaned down further.
“He’s still there-”
“Where is he?!” She shot up, the chair tipping back and crashing to the floor. She stormed to Ed, eyes ablaze and shoulders tensed. She reached out, fisting her hand into the collar of his shirt and yanked it down. A startled expression passed over Ed’s face. It was so Ed-like, a flicker of hope rose in Winry’s chest, but the look was quickly covered by cold annoyance, not the heated, burning kind she was so used to seeing on him.
“Hey, hey, lady,” he growled. “Watch the shirt.”
“Where’s Ed?” she pressed again. Ed’s eyes rolled, purple with a slitted pupil. Winry’s chest ached at the loss of gold.
“Listen to what the prince says,” he spat. “That little brat is still in here.” He tapped the side of his head. Something on his hand caught Winry’s attention. She snatched his wrist, turning it until she saw the back of it.
“What is this?” she hissed.
“An ouroboros tattoo,” Ling supplied. “It’s the mark of a homunculus.” Winry’s fingers dug into Ed’s wrist.
“Woah, woah,” Ed stammered, twisting his arm under her grip. “Geez, lady, you’re strong.” He ripped himself away, smirking. Winry glared back.
“I want to see him.” Ed blinked, eyes widening, smirk falling away into confusion.
“What?”
“I want to see him,” Winry repeated. Ed’s brows furrowed as his lip curled.
“Look, sweetheart, it’s not that simple,” he scoffed. “What, do you think that brat and I just switch out whenever we want-?” He cut off, eyes squeezing shut, teeth clenching closed with a snap. He hunched over, groaning. Winry took a shaking step back.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. “What is he doing?”
“Don’t worry,” Ling rushed forward. “This happens sometimes. Give it a minute.” They waited, the air stiff and stifling. Ed remained where he was, body trembling. Suddenly, he snapped up, snarling, face twisting in fury.
“Fuck off, Greed!” he screamed. “This is Winry, let me talk to her!” He stared distantly at the ground. “I was patient. You’re just greedy, you fucking homunculus.” His scowl intensified. “Parasite!” he yelled, seemingly to the air.
“Hey, Ed!” Ling called out in a cheerful greeting, waving and smiling. Ed’s gaze snapped to him, clearing. His shoulders loosened.
“Hey, Ling,” he sighed. “What-” His eyes fell on Winry, his sharp intake of breath cutting him off. He gulped, shoulders re-tensing. “Oh, uh,” he gave her a sheepish smile. “Hey, Winry.” Her blue eyes pinned him to his place, emotions flickering through them, a thousand a second. She took a step towards him. Ed’s legs locked, stiff and unmovable. She took another step, well into his personal space now. Ed swallowed, eyes trapped in hers. He couldn’t have looked away even if he’d truly tried.
Winry reached up, fingers brushing against his face.
“Ed?” she whispered. Ed exhaled a trembling breath.
“Hi, Win.” Her eyes shimmered, tears filling them. She brought her other hand up, cupping his face, staring into golden eyes.
“Oh my gosh, Ed.” She flung her arms over his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. “Ed. It’s you. It’s really you this time.” Ed clung to her, closing his eyes as he absorbed her warmth, the comfort soothing his racing mind.
Greed, trapped within him, quieted, allowing Ed to have one moment of peace. He silently promised to thank the homunculus later.
Winry pushed him back, trembling, hands fisted into his shirt.
“What did you do?” she growled. Ed blinked, a part of him aching for the comfort she’d given him just a second ago.
“I didn’t do anything!” he cried, glaring down at her.
Wow, what a way to lie to your girl, Greed chuckled, unhelpful as always. Ed decided to take back his personal promise.
“Shut up,” Ed barked. “And that’s not a lie. It was that fucking Father guy’s fault for sticking me with you.”
“Ed.” Ed snapped himself back to the present. Winry watched him, brows peaked and eyes cautious. “Who are you talking to?” Ed fidgetted, hesitant to answer.
“It’s Greed,” he muttered. “I can still hear him. He’s... an ass.” Winry nodded, her gaze turning confused.
“So, you two...” she swallowed, mouth opening and twisting as she tried to find the right words. “You’re just... stuck together? Forever?” Ed bowed his head, nodding.
“Yeah, pretty much,” he shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I mean, it could be worse. I could be stuck with Lust or something.” Winry flinched, brows flying up.
“What?” she squeaked. Ed quickly waved a hand, shaking his head.
“Forget it, sorry.” He looked her over, hoping to change the subject. “So... how are you?” Winry blinked, surprised expression falling into a scowl faster than Ed could transmute a spear.
“How am I?” Her voice grew from a rumbling growl to a trembling scream. “How am I?! I’m fine, compared to you! We are not changing the subject here, mister. How did you get another... person inside you? Why do you both have to share the same body? What-” she choaked, head falling to his chest, her fingers twisting into the fabric of his shirt. “What happened to you?” Ed pressed her closer, resting his cheek on her head. Something warm soaked into his chest. Panic clawed up his gut.
“Woah, wait, Winry,” Ed tried to lean back to get a look at her face. “It’s ok. Come on, I promise. Please, it’s-” She brought her head up, tears trailing down her face, reaching her chin and dripping off. Ed watched them fall, mind scrambling for a way to stop them.
“I’m sorry,” Winry sniffed, wiping her face. “I know I promised I wouldn’t cry until you and Al- I just... Ed, this is...” A sob broke free from her. Ed pulled her back to him, closing his eyes.
“I know,” he murmured. He rubbed a hand up and down her back. Her sobs were quiet, muffled in his chest. They stood together, supporting one another.
“Look, sorry to break this up,” Darius spoke up after a few minutes. Ed and Winry flinched, having forgotten the three men watching them. “But the Promised Day is tomorrow. We need to get out plans moving.” Heinkel and Ling nodded in agreement, the latter giving Ed a sympathetic look.
“They’re right,” Ed found himself saying. Winry’s grip on him tightened. She didn’t move, and Ed made no motion to do so either.
Winry buried her head further into Ed’s chest. She felt him tense under her before the hands at her back grabbed her shoulders, gently pushing her back.
“Ok,” he growled, voice foreign and strange. “Cuddle times over, lovebirds.” Winry snapped her head up, catching purple eyes again. Her stomach twisted, flipped, and dropped. “He said we gotta go, so we gotta go.” Winry nodded, releasing her grip.
“You’re right,” she sighed, wiping her eyes. Ed, or Greed, Winry guessed, blinked at her, eyebrow arched in surprise.
“Oh, I was actually talking to the brat,” he admitted. “He’s throwing a fucking fit because I didn’t let him say goodbye or something like that.” He rolled his eyes, sighing. “The hug was enough, kid. You don’t need to waste time with more shit.” He turned on his heel, grabbing the bright red coat that hung on a chair. “Let’s move out, boys!” he called over his shoulder. Darius and Heinkel followed behind, grumbling at the order. Ling brought up the rear, patting Winry’s shoulder, face apologetic.
Winry trailed behind them until she reached the porch. She clung to the railing, watching the bright red, black flamel back. The wearer suddenly halted in mid-step. His three companions paused, looking back at him with various expressions of concern and curiosity. Ed turned, gaze meeting Winry’s. He raised a hand, a small smile gracing his lips.
“Have an apple pie ready for us when we get back!” he called. Winry beamed, a final tear trickling down her cheek as she waved back.
There we go, Greed!Ed. Just wondering what would happen if Father had chosen Ed instead of Ling. Intrusive thoughts are annoying (especially if they’re from a homunculus).
If I told you that I knew about the Sun and the Moon, I'd be untrue
@edweenweek
Day 3 | October 27th: Costumes
Trick (angsty) AND Treat (Fluffy)
Description: this takes place after the Promised Day and before the marriage. Feel free to choose if it’s before or after the proposal. I apologize in advance for any errors -_- A little note: as you probably already know Samhain is the original Celtic name for Halloween.
His mask was golden. It depicted the Sun.
And the worst thing was that he had chosen it.
Here's what happens when you're in love.
In Resembool there would be a ball organized for the Halloween party and Winry wanted to go there at all costs. Initially Edward clearly and categorically refused but had to surrender, exhausted, because trying to win arguments with her was a losing game from the start.
So, he had absent-mindedly chosen that mask in a shop where his woman had dragged him telling him to choose something suitable and not too flamboyant or she would have made the choice for both. In the end, he had opted for something simple, inconspicuous, that covered only the eyes and didn’t make him look tacky.
Or someone who had "horrid tastes", just to quote Winry.
Only when he opened the package he realized what he had decided to wear for the party.
He had taken it from the cardboard box and placed it on the desk, staring at it carefully. He didn’t know why, but immediately he thought of the mask that he had worn for years every day to conceal that perennial sense of anguish that, despite trying to forget, still came back to torment him from time to time, even without reason.
The way the light reflected on the golden mask reminded him of the brilliance of that automail that had been part of him for five years, and also that one which still continued to support him. The empty holes for the eyes were open windows on the horrors that cyclically haunted his nightmares.
He reached out and took it between his fingers. It was light, not like the burden he had been burdened with throughout his life. When his past returned, whether he wanted it or not, he could still feel that weight on his nerves, on his skin, for a long time in contact with the cold metal that shone under the moonlight.
He would have liked to let go of that stupid ball, but he had promised it to her and, despite the obstacles of life, Ed had never failed to be true to his word.
Never.
He placed it on his face tying the laces behind his head, then hiding them in his golden, loose hair. For a moment he found himself catapulted into his past, when he left at night from the place that was their home – once the one in which he was born had been razed to the ground just by him – wearing a coat that was red like blood.
He remembered every time he have returned home. The warm walls of the Rockbells home or among the debris of the Elrics house.
Exhausted, with no hope in his heart. Driven only by the will to redeem his sins, to lighten his soul, looking for a redemption that he had never believed he deserved.
They came to mind every time he metaphorically took that damn mask off his face with despair and horror, and he gripped his aching shoulder by sticking his fingernails, scratching his skin, almost as if he could take away the pain from himself. Together with every horrible memory.
He remembered Alphonse’s metallic hand on that shoulder, with his silent support.The alchemist closed his eyes, forcing himself to come back to the present, telling himself that those years had finally passed. They were distant, sad memories.
Just this. Memories.
He touched his right arm, still grateful for having regained it, together with his life. All that remained was scars.
Everything was different now. He was free. And, for the first time in years, he really was.
The ballast was less heavy. His heart was no longer forced by the pain and, finally, he had allowed himself to be loved. Loved by someone who had never run away from his shadows. Someone who loved him without reserve, without wanting to change the way he was. Someone who had deeply shaken his soul and had made him do things unthinkable; like going for a romantic walk surrounded by warm autumn colors.
He smiled and his old life’s memories disappeared.
They would return, he knew it well, but that night they would not torment him again.
He got up and left the house; his smile was quickly concealed thanks to just a few years of experience in which he had pretended that there was nothing but affection between them, wearing his usual mask of the unfriendly disappointed Ed, that, perhaps, was no longer credible.
He arrived in the square decorated for the Halloween party. He had seen hundreds of candles arranged along the way to get there; there were candles even on the tables full of food. They illuminated the clear starry sky with a soft amber light. The orange and black decorations, accompanied by little spiders with white webs drawn by the school children, seemed to shine under the warm light of the candles. Pumpkins carved by the peasants were arranged in every corner.
All the boys and girls from Resembool were there, masked for the dance, the faces were covered with thin colored masks. The older ones had opted for more sober clothing, but they also had a mask that hid part of their face.
He looked around without seeing her.
Annoyed, he sat at a table with Alphonse. He wore a thin black mask that concealed only his eyes just like his and preferred not to comment on his brother's golden mask.
Ed poured himself some wine and waited.
----
Her mask was silver. It depicted the Moon.
The alchemist stared at her as she arrived in the large square, wrapped in that blue dress with a cleveage that would have appeared in many of those boys dreams.
She had told him not to be flashy but she had dressed up like that! Edward knew, however, that everything had been designed by her to attract not theirs, but his attention.
Winry kept complaining about his cold attitudes in front of other people. She always told him that it was weird for her being treated like she was just her childhood friend and then, as soon as they found themselves alone, to frolick as if it was something forbidden.
She was right. Yet he felt embarrassed to show his feelings so openly. He wasn’t used to blatant manifestations of affection.
Perhaps this would never have changed.
But she had decided to give him a push that night, and he understood it as soon as he saw her.
Dressed that way, with that silver mask, opposite to him.
She was calm and bright like the moon.
The light of Ed instead was made of fire and made the steel burning, unbearable.
At that point, he expected to see her walking towards him, he would have expected to see her sit at their table throwing sarcastic jokes. He already imagined Alphonse giggling without even trying to hide it.
Instead, she gave him a challenging look through her mask and went to the other side, where he knew there was a young and attractive automail mechanic. The two of them were Resembool's younger mechanics.
He felt himself pervaded by jealousy, as usual.
How could he not be?
That guy had no shadows in his past, no giant and horrible scar, no nightmare that woke him in the middle of the night. And they also had an interest in common.
How could the comparison hold up?
But she had told him clearly that she was not interested in anyone else and that, among other things, it was full of idiots driven only by testosterone – her exact words – and she had never even wanted to hear about them.
He knew it was an irrational fear, yet he was indomitable. The fear that she might get tired of staying behind – these were his words, instead – a capricious alchemy freak.
"I’ve always loved you, Ed; you and only you," she had told him with a smile and then she had loved him with all of herself, as always. It had been their first night together. Edward felt his stomach contract pleasantly thinking about it and felt close to those idiots driven only by testosterone more than she could imagine.
Trying not to get noticed, he tried to glimpse her through the dancing people.
Alphonse, beside him, barely shook his head without hiding an irritating, amused smile.
"Something to say, Al?" He asked, trying to look more annoyed with him than with that shameless woman who made him jealous in front of everyone.
"She's provoking you," his brother replied simply.
"I don’t know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about the girl who, coincidentally, wears a mask to complement yours."
The alchemist blushed like a clumsy child. But, just as he was pondering over a pungent and sarcastic answer, he saw the two automail mechanics laughing amused. James stroked one of the long white gloves that covered her arms to the elbows.
Then Ed jumped up, leaving Alphonse to his amused smiles, and headed for them.
He barely heard the end of their amusing discussion, grabbed Winry by the hand and dragged her to the dance floor without saying anything.
"Took you long enough," she smiled, as they danced there for all to see. "James was almost out of jokes."
Despite the mask, Ed still managed to raise an eyebrow questioningly.
"He volunteered," she explained with a slight grimace. "Now I owe him a favor."
"You ... little-"
"He also wanted to pretend to bend down and kiss me. I told him not to try if he didn’t want a brain trauma."
He felt stupid. She made a fool of him. Ed should have felt offended, but having her in his arms made him forget everything. He laughed and held her tight to his body, looking at her closely.
Winry blushed, "Stop it, Ed."
"Stop what?"
"Looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
She gave him a pungent look, "As if you had seen me naked!"
The boy leaned over her. Approaching his face, he could better see her eyes through the decorations of her silver mask.
"But I saw you naked," he whispered making her blush even more.
Despite the blush, however, the blonde girl smiled and looked around, "They are staring at us. Didn’t you say you wanted to be discreet? Tomorrow, Resembool will know that we’re a couple. "
The alchemist didn’t look around, he knew that Winry was right. But he didn’t care.
From an ancient alchemy book, when he was only a child, he had learned that the feast of Samhain celebrates the death of the male divinity, represented by the Sun, and his rebirth through the female deity, represented by the Moon. In fact, Winry had literally put him back on his feet, brought him back to life; from the very beginning they had been destined to complete each other. When the Sun and the Moon unite, they create the perfect being. Even the little one in the flask was aware of it, taking advantage of the alignment of the two stars to achieve perfection.
True, during the Halloween night, a crack opens between the worlds, a weak point of which the ghosts made of nightmares and anguish take advantage. But it’s only a moment, before the rebirth.
He and Winry were the Sun and the Moon.
The Xingese Yin and Yang.
In fact, he noted, there was nothing that could be more natural for him than loving her.
"Then..." he said, making her looking in his eyes, "let's give this audience something to talk about."
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Starting a new relationship right now can't be a good idea. But then, Ed always did have the worst timing.
Written for @edweenweek Day 5: AU
It really wasn't much of a coincidence that Winry should run into one of her clients in the Ouroboros Clinic's waiting room. It was one of the best used providers in their network, after all. And it was nice to see Ed again.
Winry had long since lost contact with her grade-school pal, only to reconnect when she’d fitted him with a new prosthetic about a year ago. They'd friended each other on Facebook since then and commented on each other's posts a few times, though Ed wasn't on Facebook all that much. Still, he was just as bold and brainy as Winry had remembered him.
Winry waved him over as he walked into the waiting room. Ed waved back with a casted right arm. Winry was sure the story behind that cast would be entertaining.
“Hey Winry,” he greeted her, with a glance to Winry's baby bump. “Wow, I guess congratulations are in order?”
At six months pregnant, Winry was starting to get tired of that being the first thing people brought up. Still, she tried to be gracious about it. “Thanks, Ed.”
“Is it weird if I touch your belly?” Ed asked as he took the seat next to her. “I mean, if it's okay with you . . .”
“Yeah, here.” She took his uncasted hand and laid it just above her belly button. “It's sweet of you to ask. Most people just grab me.”
“Ugh, people are jerks.” And then, as the baby kicked, “Wow, there's really a baby in there!”
Winry laughed. “You don't say?”
“Sorry, I'm not trying to be a complete dweeb. I just think the whole pregnancy-new-life thing is really cool. Like, there's a whole other person inside you. That you made. It's fucking incredible.”
“Aw.” Winry hadn't been expecting this behavior from Ed of all people. It was refreshing to see such a brash personality gush over the miracle of life. “You’re terrible at convincing me you're not a dweeb.”
Ed rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You got any names for this tiny fucking miracle?”
“I'm still mulling over my options.”
“You should call it something kickass, like Puma or Diesel.”
“Oh god. Promise me you'll never have children, Ed.”
“Never say never.”
“So what's with the cast?” asked Winry.
“Oh yeah. Would you believe I broke my wrist fighting a dragon?”
“What?”
“Yeah, you know those Chinese costumes with like ten people inside it? I thought my brother was hiding in there.”
“So you tried to beat up the whole dragon?”
“Nah, I tried to tackle what I thought were his legs. Which was really kind of stupid, but my impulse control sucks sometimes. So I tripped up the dragon and one of the guys fell on my arm. As far as wrist-breaking stories go, there are definitely more embarrassing ones.”
“I guess so.”
“I'd ask you to sign my cast, but I came here to get it off, so I guess there's not much point.”
It didn't look like there was any room left on the cast to sign it, covered as it was with red and black signatures, doodles, and even a few chemical equations. “Eh,” said Winry. “I already signed your leg anyway.”
“True, true,” Ed said with a laugh.
Winry's doctor was ready to see her before Ed's was to see him. When her checkup was finished, she briefly took a seat to check her email. She had just finished writing a reply to Garfiel when Ed sat next to her.
"Yech," he said. "I hate how gross your skin feels after a cast comes off." He rubbed his right arm.
"Don't pick at it," said Winry. "You'll irritate the skin."
"I'm not. I'm just trying to relax these muscles. It's so stiff."
"Your doctor showed you wrist exercises to build up your strength, right?"
"Yeah. They hurt, though."
She shrugged. "They'll hurt less the more you do them."
He snorted. "You know, for a healthcare provider, you're pretty indifferent to my pain."
"What do I get for kissing every little boo boo?" Winry asked with a smirk. She and Ed both knew that he only liked to whine about the little things. If he were really hurt, he'd pretend he was completely fine. "You're not my client right now."
"You're such a mercenary," Ed grumbled. "So how'd the checkup go?"
"Good," said Winry. "We're both healthy and hitting all the milestones. Doctor Briggs just prescribed me some folic acid."
"Nice," Ed said. "Hey, you wanna get lunch or something? I've got some time to kill before Al comes to pick me up. Doctor Knox says I'm still not good to drive for a few more days."
"You haven't been allowed to drive?" asked Winry. "You must be hating that." He was such an independent person, it had to be driving him crazy.
"You have no idea," Ed groaned. "Public transportation sucks and Al won't let me bend the rules. He hid my car keys!"
Winry laughed. "Sounds like Al."
They ended up going to the Applebee's around the corner. Winry had been eating there more since she got pregnant than she had in her entire life. She'd been craving ribs and Applebee's had a good deal on them.
"Doesn't baby daddy know how to work a grill?" asked Ed. "That's the best way to eat ribs."
Winry shook her head. "Baby daddy's not in the picture."
"Oh. Sorry. That sucks."
She shrugged. "It is what it is."
"I don't need to knock some sense into him, do I?"
"What? No! He's not around because I don't want him to be. I don't need him, and I don't need you to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
Ed raised his palms apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - I know you can take care of yourself, Winry. I guess I'm just projecting. You know, since my dad walked out on me."
Winry didn't know the entire situation with Ed's father, but Ed had complained about him so many times over the years that Winry could read between the lines. "Yeah, okay," she said. "Thanks for apologizing."
"Of course. I know I can shoot off my mouth sometimes. That's why I hang around people who call me out on my shit."
And then, because Winry's mind was still on the subject, and it was nice to have another listening ear, she kept talking about her baby's father. "His name's Russell. The dad. We were never serious. When I got pregnant, I figured I was in a good enough place, financially, to keep it. And I always wanted to be a mom. But I didn't want Russell to be a permanent part of my life. He probably would've stepped up if I'd told him about the baby, but I just didn't want to coparent with him. So I broke up with him. He doesn't know about the baby, and I want to keep it that way."
Ed nodded. "I guess that makes sense."
But she could tell he was holding something back. "Whatever it is you're thinking, you should say it."
"You probably don't want to hear it."
"Ed, come on."
"Fine. I'm not saying you have to do things my way, but . . . if it were me, I'd at least want him to know he had a kid."
"I get why you'd say that," said Winry. "I just think it's more trouble than it's worth."
"I guess. Hey, you want to see this picture of Al at Pet Barn?"
Winry welcomed the subject change, and the rest of their lunch passed with little incident. Ed had tried to cut his food himself, only to wince as the muscles in his right hand spasmed. She teased him as she took his knife and fork. "Guess I better get used to doing this now," she said.
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you don't have to make the pieces that tiny. I'm not gonna choke."
It had been nice to catch up with her old friend. They'd only kept in touch peripherally since he'd become her client, and it was nice to confirm that he was still the rough-and-tumble personality she remembered. She also couldn't deny that puberty had been kind to Edward Elric. She tried not to think about that too much, though. Her second trimester was a horrible time to start a new relationship, let alone with a client.
However, they were in touch much more than peripherally now. Ed had started messaging her regularly. He liked taunting her with pictures of well-cooked ribs. She teased him back with reminders that he couldn't drive, and she quickly found more material once he was allowed behind the wheel again.
They'd been messaging for about a week and a half when Ed invited her over for dinner at his place. Winry said yes because she knew Al would be there, so it wouldn't be a date exactly, and anyway she couldn't say no to free ribs. So she knocked on Ed's door that evening with a fresh-baked apple pie in hand.
He opened the door wearing a bright red apron with his hair up in a messy bun. Winry couldn't tell if he was seriously rocking the barbecue chef look or she was just hormonal, but damn did he look good.
"Hey!" he greeted her brightly. "Um, Al had to bail. His girlfriend surprised him with concert tickets."
Double damn. This was starting to turn into an actual date. No, she couldn't read into it more than there was. They were just doing this as friends. He probably didn't find pregnant women attractive anyway. She tried to forget how much he gushed over how cool he thought pregnancy was.
Ed invited her out to the patio, where the grill was. "You should probably keep your distance though," he told her. "I don't think the fumes are good for the baby."
"It's sweet of you to worry," said Winry. She noticed how well he handled the spatula and tongs and said, "Your wrist's looking a lot better."
"Thanks," said Ed. "It still gets sore easy, but at least I can use it." He shut the grill. "Sorry, these are taking longer to cook than I thought. How hungry are you?"
Pretty hungry. Pregnancy had a way of kicking a girl's appetite into gear. "Why don't we switch it up and do dessert first?" Winry suggested, holding up her apple pie.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Ed approved. "That thing smells amazing."
They didn't even bother with plates, just split the pie down the middle and ate right out of the tin. Ed groaned when he took the first bite.
"Holy shit, Winry, that's fantastic. Why didn't you tell me you could bake like this?"
"I'm a woman of many talents," said Winry.
"I'm pretty sure pie isn't allowed to taste this good. Did you make a deal with the devil or something?"
"The only devil I've seen lately is you." The remark was out of her mouth before she could think.
His grin widened. "You think I'm the devil? You haven't even seen my naughty side yet."
Shit, shit, they were totally flirting! She had to deescalate the situation. "I don't think it gets much naughtier than the pillbug incident back in third grade."
Ed laughed. "I totally forgot about that! And you put those bugs down my shirt, too!"
"You looked like you were having a seizure," Winry said, chortling.
Their conversation after that was more friendly than flirtatious. By the time the pie had been reduced to mere crumbs, the meat was finally ready. Ed had always had a large appetite and Winry was not ashamed to match him. They both had room for a couple racks of ribs along with potato salad and coleslaw. When they were done, Winry insisted on helping with the dishes. After a few protests, Ed finally relented.
So far, doing that chore together had been the quietest part of the evening. That is, until Ed cried out and dropped the pie tin back in the sink. "Hand cramp," he explained.
"Lemme see." Winry took his hand and started massaging it. She felt along his wrist for strained muscle and rubbed it too. After a moment she started feeling Ed's eyes on her.
She looked up to see him standing closer than he had before, his flushed face closer to hers than it had ever been. Winry's heart picked up, and so did the baby's kicking. But she didn't notice that so much as she noticed his eyes on her mouth.
Ed leaned in first, and Winry closed the gap. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a kiss like this, soft yet unyielding. Ed's left hand wrapped around her back, drawing circles down her spine. Winry traced her own hand up Ed's right arm and clutched his bicep. When the kiss finished, it took Winry a minute to remember that this was not how she had wanted this dinner to turn out.
Intellectually, anyway. Physically, it was clear her libido had other priorities.
Winry shook her head. She said, "Ed, this is crazy."
Ed's fingers drummed on her back. "Is it?" he asked.
"Yes, Ed, I'm about to have a baby."
"I noticed," he said, his left hand tracing around her waist and resting on her belly.
"Ed!"
"Come on, Winry, babies are awesome. I want to get to know the baby too."
Winry supposed that was a good way to put it. It was far too early for Ed to even consider being a father to the baby. On the other hand, impending motherhood was Winry's main focus and anyone she dated would need to be on board with that. Ed had accepted that he'd be spending time with both her and the baby. But still . . . "You're my client."
"What was it you said? When you didn't care about my pain? I'm not your client right now?"
He wasn't wrong. It had been a year since she'd treated him, so it wasn't an offense she could lose her license over. Still, they were cutting it close.
"If we do this," she said, "and your leg breaks in the next year, you wouldn't be able to go to me. You'd have to go to someone else."
"You said it would last me three years, right? Don't you trust your own work?"
He was such a smart alleck. She wanted to smack him. His smirk was obnoxious and alluring at the same time. She wanted to make out with him. He had such a tender look in his eyes. She wanted to hold him tight and never let go.
Winry said, "You're going to be the death of me, Edward Elric."
Ed said, "Yeah, I get that a lot." Then he kissed her again. This one was more fervid than before. Hands wandered down backsides and lips caressed the most sensitive spots of their faces and necks. Winry was pressed close enough to Ed that she was sure he could feel the baby kicking too.
"I think the dishes just need to soak for awhile," Winry murmured in Ed's ear.
"Hell yeah," he agreed. Then he picked Winry up and carried her to the couch, where they could sink into the supportive cushions and feel as close to each other as they possibly could.
Summary: A few scenes showing Rockbell-Elric family’s Halloween celebration
A/N: written for @edweenweek day 7: candy (could be trick or treat as well)! Special thanks to @criis55 for the ideas and the dog’s name! <3 Please enjoy and review! Also, I guess this is an AU in which Halloween exists, but that goes without saying..
Words: 1700+
Genre: family
People stopped on their tracks on the street when they saw the Rockbell-Elric family walking past them. There were two small children in the family, a 3-year-old boy and approximately a year-old girl. They were dressed in a way that made those who knew the family believe their father had picked the costumes. The son was wearing an armor made by his mother, and the daughter was wrapped into ripped sheets like a mummy. Edward himself was sporting a vampire outfit, with a black suit, cape and fake teeth. Winry was dressed as a witch, carrying their smallest in a huge cauldron.
The son, Alan, seemed way too pleased about the fact that he had managed to get half a cauldron (thankfully, a bit smaller one than the one with her sister inside it) of candy by trick or treating. Winry had been a bit reluctant to let him do it in the first place, as he was still so young, and as a daughter of doctors and nearly a doctor herself, she knew the dangers of overeating sweets. Ed (not having all too fond memories of his own childhood Halloweens, but wanting his kids to experience better) had managed to persuade her, however. Alan had beamed of happiness when Ed told him he could dress up and trick or treat.
As Alan’s parents tried to figure out what kind of costumes they should make their children (something both were excited about even though especially Ed didn’t want to admit it), Alan was watching an old picture of his uncle from when he was just a suit of armor. Suddenly he shrieked: “I want the same kind of costume uncle Al had!”
“What costume… oh!” Ed understood when he saw where Alan had gotten his idea from. “Are you… are you sure about that?”
“Yes, dad! I want to look like him!”
Ed couldn’t help but feel upset when he was reminded of the times he rather forgot these days. Alan didn’t know Al’s story yet… and Ed wasn’t looking forward to the day when he would have to explain it to him. He hid the sadness quickly and forced a smile on his face instead: “I think we still have some leftover metal from that armor left! What would you say if your mom made you a similar looking armor?”
“Yay! Mama is the best!”
“I know, kid, she is. But don’t tell her I said that.” Ed told him.
He hadn’t noticed Winry had sneaked behind him and heard everything.
“Edward, we have two kids. You had better think I am the best or we might just as well get a divorce.”
“O-of course you are the best!” he stuttered, expecting a wrench on his head. “H-how could you not be when you have created something alchemy never could, two new lives!”
“Alan, your father is a dork. But maybe that’s why I married him,” Winry smiled at her boys fondly, ruffling Ed’s hair a bit, then scooping the smaller one into her arms. “C’mon, let’s get you measured so I can draw the blueprints for the armor.”
A day later Alan walked around in the living room wearing his armor, beaming of excitement. Ed had to admit his wife had done an amazing job, the armor looked like a miniature copy of Al’s. It even had a little hair tuft in the helmet.
“Look, daddy! I am uncle Al now!”
“You sure are,” Ed said, trying to keep his voice happy even though his throat felt a little bit dry. While Alan was looking beyond thrilled, Ed couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was staring at his worst nightmare in front of him. What if his son had to go through the same he and Al had? No, he stopped himself, he would not allow that. He would always make sure to be present in Alan’s life and make him understand how dangerous alchemy can be. If he ever got interested in that. So far he had seemed to be more into tinkering with his play tools.
“Hey, let’s take a photo of you!” Winry suggested and pulled her granny’s old camera from behind her back. “C’mon, Ed, you should be in the photo too. Please. It’d make me happy!” She tried to coax him, and to her surprise he did what she told him to do.
“Ed! At least try to look a little more excited!” Winry scolded him when he still looked reluctant with Alan on his shoulders.
“OK, say ‘equivalent exchange’ now!”
That and the fact that Alan lifted the visor of his armor and looked at his father right in the eyes, saying “dad doesn’t need an armor because he already has the coolest leg!” lifted his spirits and he gave the camera a genuine, wide smile.
The young parents regretted taking their kids trick or treating about 5 minutes after leaving their house. Emma had been cranky the entire day and seemed to find the tiny armor walking in front of her frightening. She wailed so loudly that Ed and Winry wouldn’t have been surprised if the families who they tried to visit pretended to not be home when they knocked their doors. She didn’t like the wraps around her either, thrashing around in the cauldron so angrily Winry declared she would never have another Elric baby. That made Ed pout and soon Alan was the only one who was still enjoying the trip.
Thankfully, Emma finally fell asleep once Ed took her into his arms, and after that the mood got calmer. The family saw many different kinds of households on their trip. In one place a cranky middle-aged man nearly didn’t give Alan anything because apparently his armor didn’t look ‘real’ enough. That infuriated Ed to no end because in his opinion, no one in Rush Valley could have made it better. He happened to notice the man had an automail arm, and it ‘slipped’ from him that Winry was one of the best known mechanics in the entire town, having a lots of ‘relations’ to other talented people in the industry. The man understood it meant she could make his life miserable. After that he had been busy to give Alan half a kilo of candies and Ed smiled wider than Alan as they left the house.
In another house the family met an old granny who nearly didn’t let Alan and Emma leave the house at all. Apparently she was very lonely and seeing kids coming to her door during Halloween was the highlight of her year. Ed and Winry promised they could visit with the kids more often in the future, seeing they enjoyed her company as well and the kids needed a grandparent just as much she needed them.
Finally, they got to Garfiel’s where also Paninya was spending her evening. Garfiel gave Alan almost more candy than the cranky man with the automail and Paninya seemed to get along with Emma exceptionally well, promising to teach the kids all kinds of mischief once they were a little bit bigger. Ed started yelling at her, revealing his fake teeth, and Paninya noted: “Oh, so you are a vampire? I thought you were only dressed as yourself, just look at that outfit.”
Winry had to drag her family (mostly: Ed) out of there before things escalated any further, but overall the trick or treating trip had been rather successful. Especially for Alan who had gotten enough sweets for an entire year.
Late in the Halloween evening, the Rockbell-Elric family was lighting the candles in the pumpkin lanterns they had carved earlier (Ed had been surprisingly enthusiastic and carved more skulls and dragon heads than Winry could count). Suddenly Winry realized it was weirdly quiet in the room. She had seen Alan about 5 minutes earlier, saying he would take the pumpkin he was carrying (with no candle in it) outside, but she hadn’t seen him since then. Worried that Alan would go too far in the darkness and get lost, she decided to go and look for him. When she opened their front door, she could hear the dog’s howling nearby. She went to check what was wrong and found the poor puppy the family had gotten only a few months earlier from Brigadier General Mustang with a pumpkin in his head. Somehow, he had gotten his head through the hole on the top of the pumpkin. The culprit was hiding in the doghouse, giggling loudly at the silly sight, and Winry dragged him inside, irritated, after removing the pumpkin from the dog’s head.
“No more candies for you! Alan, how do you think Doggo was feeling when you did that?”
“I… I thought he’d like it…”
“Would you like it if someone put a pumpkin on your head?”
“Sure! Pumpkin is delicious!”
‘Oh boy,’ Winry sighed in her mind, ‘why do I even bother? He’s got Elric blood in him’. Then she came up with a plan. “But honey, Doggo doesn’t like pumpkin. He hates it as much as you hate milk. What would you do if I forced you to drink milk?”
“I’d be angry!”
“Right. So do you understand now why you can’t put a pumpkin on his head?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Let’s go find your dad, he’s probably worried already.”
Finally, Ed managed to get Alan and Emma to sleep. He had wished to get some alone time with his wife that night but he was rather exhausted after a long day out with the kids and he knew Winry was tired as well. The couple was cuddling in each other’s arms, about to fall asleep, when suddenly something white started moving in the room. Winry asked, slightly panicked:
“Um, Ed… do you believe in ghosts?”
“No, why the fuck would I… WHAT IS THAT?!” He screamed when he saw the ghost like creature getting closer.
“I don’t know but it’s definitely moving.”
“Could it be Doggo?”
“Doggo is outside, there’s no way that’s him.”
“Alan?”
“No, I know he’s sleeping soundly in his bed.”
“OK, that’s it, I’m putting the light on.”
Ed did that and saw that the ‘ghost’ was a sheet under which was…
“Emma! How… When… Winry look, she’s walking!”
“I didn’t know you already knew how to do that! Aw, sweetie, that is amazing!”
The little Emma just giggled at her parents silly expressions. They hugged her excitedly, both wondering where the girl had gotten that idea from. And how had she gotten out of her bed?
Here’s day-1 for @edweenweek , I hope you all enjoy it!
(BTW, no warning. Yay!)
Winry scowled at Ed, hands on her hips.
“I thought you said you were good at mazes.” Ed cast a disgruntled glare over his shoulder before staring back at the forked path.
“I am good at mazes,” he huffed. “It’s just easier when you can see the whole thing.” Winry sighed, watching in dwindling patience as Ed tried to figure out which direction to take.
“Let’s go this way,” he decided, heading down the right pathway. Winry jogged behind him, grabbing his arm to stop him.
“Ed, we’ve already gone down that way,” she pointed out. Ed gave her a baffled look.
“How the hell can you tell?” Winry jabbed her thumb at a cornstalk, where a ‘W’ and ‘E’ were etched out.
“I marked that,” she declared, pride evident in her voice. “So I’d know if we got turned around.”
“Anybody could have written that,” Ed huffed. Winry glowered at him. She released his arm, crossing hers over her chest.
“We’re going to take three rights and then a left, straight into a dead end. Just watch.” Ed narrowed his eyes at her smirk. He turned and stomped off, a confident Winry at his heels.
Three rights and a left turn later, Ed growled at the wall of cornstalks. He turned on his heel, meeting a smug Winry.
“Not a word,” he grumbled, teeth grinding against each other. Winry’s smirk grew as she patted his arm in a mockingly calming manner.
“It’s alright, Ed,” she soothed, the smirk still hanging to her lips. “You can’t be right all the time. How about I try this time?” She pranced away, leaving Ed to sulk behind her. Until they reached a dead end. Again.
“I don’t get it!” Winry cried, hands tearing through her hair. “This was the last option. It should have taken us straight to the end!” Ed came up to her side, releasing a weary, aggravated exhale.
“Got any other bright ideas?” he half-heartedly teased. Winry’s hands fell from her hair, a stony, determined look crossing over her face.
“Carry me on your shoulders.” Ed stared at her as though she’d announced she hated automail.
“What?”
“You heard me,” she turned to him, expression leaving no room for argument. “Put me on your shoulders.”
“Why?”
“So I can see over the corn, Ed. Now get down so I can get on!”
Ed growled and grumbled, but crouched for her anyway, knowing arguing now would only waste time and air. Winry clambered onto his shoulders, pulling on his hair by accident during the process. Ed tried to stand when he assumed Winry was situated.
“Wait, Ed!” Winry screamed, hands grabbing his shirt. “I’m not on yet.”
“I thought you were,” Ed yelled.
“I’m not, you moron! Now put me down!”
“Stop squirming or you’re gonna fall!”
“I’m losing my balance! Put me down!”
“Winry-!”
The two yelped when Ed stumbled and fell face first into the wall of corn. They landed amidst the cornstalks, creating a cacophony of noise that startled a flock of birds a few meters away. Ed groaned, feeling like thousands of sparking fires were spreading across his face, hands, and arms. A large weight on his back moved and shifted.
“Ed?” Winry crawled over his back, shaking his shoulder. “Ed, are you ok?” Ed grunted, trying to turn his head far enough to see her.
“Yeah,” he wheezed. “I’m ok. What about you?” Winry sighed, sliding off of him.
“I’m fine. Just a few scratches from the corn leaves, that’s all.” Ed rolled over, the fire burning under his skin. He sat up, wincing, and scanned over Winry’s body, looking for any hidden injuries. She looked over at him, her blue eyes widening as she gasped. Her hands snapped out to cup Ed’s face, her thumb brushing his cheek. He hissed at the contact.
“I’m sorry, Ed,” she apologized, thumbs flinching away before gently returning. “Oh my gosh, look at all those scratches. You said you were ok!”
“I am,” Ed insisted. Winry gave him a pointed look.
“For future reference, saying you’re ok means you’re not harmed, not that you’re not dead.” Ed frowned, but nodded, accepting the change in definition.
Winry returned her attention to his face, quietly fussing over the multiple cuts left by the cornstalk leaves. Ed reached up to pull her hands away, but all that did was reveal the scratches on his arms and hands too, which Winry worried over as well.
“Hey,” Ed tried to pull her attention away. “You’re hurt too.” He tapped one of her knuckles that had a long, slim cut sliced across it. Winry glanced at it, paying it no special attention.
“Yeah, but it’s just a few on my hands. You have them all over you!” Ed sighed, engulfing one of her hands with his own, squeezing it firmly. Winry paused in what she was doing, taking the time to look at him, completely.
“I’m ok, Winry,” he asserted, giving her a comforting, assuring smile. “I promise. It just stings a little, that’s all.” Winry’s eyes didn’t stray from his face, flicking between his eyes and the cuts. She leaned forward, kissing one on his cheek, just beneath his eye.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, lips brushing the scratch. Ed’s smile broadened and warmed as he found her lips.
“You don’t have to apologize,” he murmured. “It’s fine.” He leaned back, smile morphing into a grin. “We’re still stuck in this damn maze though.” Winry groaned and plopped her head onto Ed’s chest, muttering out an “I know”. He laughed, kissing the top of her head.
“Come on then,” he chuckled, gently pushing her off so he could free himself from the weaponized leaves. “We don’t want Al or Granny to worry.” He stood, brushing off the back of his pants before extending his hand down to Winry. She took it, beaming at him.
“Ok then,” Ed grunted, pulling Winry up. “Any bright ideas?” The determination returned, along with a dangerous smirk.
“Let me get on your shoulders.”
“What?! Winry, we just did that! It didn’t work!”
“That’s because you stood up too soon. This time I’ll be ready before you stand.”
“No way. You want me to get more scratches? Are you trying to kill me, Winry?”
“Of course not. Now quit being a baby and give me a lift!” Ed grumbled and cursed as he crouched, hoping this time, the outcome would be different.
Ok, I hope this turned out alright. I can just imagine those two being so smart and still doing stupid things.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed it!
