#fullmetalsanta2017

"No way!"   This time, the automail mechanic grasped the young man's wrist, pulling his hand, upper body and the bill back toward her.   "I've been planning this for months, besides, you just got here, you're MY guest, not the other way around!"   The raised voices started garnering stares.    

"Do they act like this often?"   Mei leaned very close to Alphonse's ear, puffing a little bit of breath into it as she spoke.   She smiled as said ear and the younger Elric's cheek for that matter turned pink.    

"Only all the time."   Al sighed.   "It's sort of their thing."    

"Oh, I get it...it's like flirting?"   The princess chuckled.

"If you say so."    

"Edward Elric!  Just because you're the MAN, doesn’t mean you have to take charge of everything!   I'll have you know that MY business is doing just fine and I can perfectly afford this meal."    

"It's not about me being the MAN, Winry!   It's because I wanted to give you this as a gift!"   Ed immediately stepped back after letting it slip, that this dinner served as his Solstice present to Winry – so that she, her friends and the Elrics could have a happy meal together.   "Ugh, I mean..."  he stammered.

"A gift?   To me?"   Winry also backed off a little.   Her cheeks turned red and this time, not from anger but from admiration of Edward's true intention.    

"Well, yeah...I missed...you."   Ed scratched the back of his head.   "...and thought that if we all got together, it'd make you so happy.   I love to see you happy..."   He grimaced as he realized his attempt to make Winry happy ended up in them both having a yelling match over who would pay the bill.

"Ed... that is...so..."  The blonde girl smiled at the now reddening boy across the table.  "...so...SWEET!"  She sailed around the table and hugged the young man as everyone, Al, Mei, Paninya, Garfiel, and the whole restaurant watched.    

"Well...I..."   The young man stammered as the girl hugged him tighter, his face now bright with embarrassment.

"...and keep the change!"   Alphonse handed the waiter a wad of cash with the bill right on top, the younger Elric having swooped in and stolen the check while his brother and soon-to-be-sister-in-law bickered.

"Al!"   Winry and Ed yelled in unison.  

"What?   Now it's MY Solstice present to the both of you."   He offered his elbow to Mei, the little princess stuck out her tongue at Edward as she hooked her arm with Al's and they sauntered off.   The rest of their friends snickered and followed.

"Edward, darling..."  Garfiel pat the young alchemist on his back and whispered into his ear.  "You'll have to give Winry some other present later."   He winked and left the two standing there as the bus boy came to clear their table.    

"What did he say to you, Ed?   Your cheeks are all pink."   Winry gave him an incredulous grin.    

"N,n,nothing."   The young man took his brother's cue and offered the young woman his elbow.   She raised an eyebrow at the old-fashioned gesture, but hooked her arm in his anyway.   "Just thinking of something else I can give you for Solstice later."    A mile-long grin spread across his face as they left the restaurant arm in arm.

"That sounds, great, Ed..."  Winry leaned into the former alchemist's ear.   "I can give you my real present later too."    

This was how he found himself at the local coffee shop. Al had been here before on a date with Mei, and said that there was nowhere better that Ed could go for a good cup of coffee. Ed had to take his word for it, considering Al was the coffee-drinker in the house.

Never in Ed’s life, however, did he think that it would smell so welcoming. He expected the numerous different smells to disagree, but he found that it somehow worked. The strong scent of coffee, the sweet smell of melting chocolate, and even the scents of Christmas melded together to create a warm, cozy atmosphere.

Ed had to admit, it was heavenly.

He claimed a table with his textbook and backpack, then walked towards the front of the shop. In a case beside the counter, there was an array of freshly-baked goods on display. Ed had to stop himself from pressing his face against the glass as he looked. There were cookies, brownies, cupcakes…

Mmm, Ed thought, cupcakes.

“Sorry for the wait. Can I help you?” someone said, walking to the cash register. Ed glanced over at him; he was strangely familiar, but Ed decided to leave it be for now.

“Yes,” Ed replied, walking to the counter, “Can I have a cup of your strongest coffee, with three sugars and… and a shot of espresso?”

The cashier didn’t seem surprised at Ed’s order- in fact, he seemed almost bored, “What size?”

“Whatever your largest is,” Ed said.

The guy punched the order in. He looked over at Ed once again, “Anything else?” “Uh… yeah, actually. Can I get one of those cupcakes?” The cashier nodded, punching in the order, “Which kind?”

“Just vanilla, I suppose.”

“Will that be all?”

Ed nodded. The guy forced a smile, then grabbed Ed his cupcake. He looked so familiar, but Ed just couldn’t put his finger on where he knew the cashier from.

The cashier came back with Ed’s cupcake. As he handed it to Ed, he said, “I’ll bring your drink to you when it’s done.”

Ed nodded again, and that was the end of the conversation. He paid for his order, then took his cupcake to the table he claimed. It was quiet, and the silence paired with the gentle scents of the coffee shop was calming, almost therapeutically.

Just as he was opening his textbook, someone else walked into the coffee shop. “Sorry to leave you so long, Ling, traffic was absolutely insane.” the person said, “Now that I’m here, you can clock out.”

For some reason, the name “Ling” rang a bell in Ed’s head.

The person walked into the back, and the shop was almost quiet. Ed’s textbook was open in front of him, but he couldn’t seem to focus on the words. He instead skimmed through the text, picking out certain words- stoichiometry, limiting reagents, formulas...

“Are you okay?” the sudden statement pulled Ed out of his dissociative state. He looked up to find the cashier- Ling, as the other person who walked in called him- holding two to-go cups.

“Yeah, I’m good. Is one of those…?”

“Oh, here!” Ling handed one of the cups to Ed, “Here, this is yo- are you doing chemistry?”

Something clicked in Ed’s brain- Ling from chem! Of course!

“Yeah,” Ed replied before taking a few sips of his coffee; it burned his tongue, but not long after he drank it he felt a small surge of energy.

Ling sighed, “Oh, please tell me you understand how to figure out what the limiting reagent in an equation is.”

Ed placed his cup on the table. “Yeah, I can. Why?”

Without asking, Ling took the seat across from Ed, “Teach me.”

“Why should I teach you?”

“Please.”

Ed knew that there was almost no winning with Ling- he had an uncanny ability to win the arguments he had with his fellow classmates, even if he was wrong- and even though Ed was sure he could win, he decided that he was much too tired to try.

“Fine.”

“Thank you!”

Ed simply nodded. He figured that it’d be fine; Ed had never played teacher, but he was sure that he could explain better than their chemistry teacher nonetheless.

* * * * *

“There you go,” Ed said. He tried to be enthusiastic, but the coffee was starting to wear off, leaving Ed struggling to keep his eyes open.

Ling sighed, “I can’t believe that it was that easy. Mr. Mustang really needs to work on his explanations.”

Ed snorted, but didn’t say anything further. He tried one more time to get the last drop of coffee from the bottom of the cup, but failed and placed the cup on the table, defeated. Slowly, he let his eyes close, though only for a moment.

“Ed. Ed,” Ling said, shaking Ed awake.

Ed shook his head, then glanced around the shop confusedly.

“You fell asleep, so I bought you another coffee.”

Sure enough, there was a new to-go cup on the table in front of Ed. He looked up at Ling, “How long was I out?”

“About five minutes, I guess?” Ling replied, shrugging, “Long enough for me to make you a coffee, short enough that you probably don’t feel any more rested.”

“Wow,” Ed said, “very exact.”

“Look, I understand that you’re tired, but that doesn’t give you permission to be an asshole,” Ling said, sitting back down.

Ed sighed, “I suppose.”

Suddenly, Ed’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen to find a text from his brother.

“Shit.” Ed said, quickly closing his chemistry textbook and shoving it in his bag, He stood up and turned to face Ling, “I’m glad that I could help, but I have to go.”

“Do you need a ride?” Ling asked.

“No, I’m good.” Ling raised his eyebrows, “Are you sure? You look like you’re falling asleep just standing there.”

He was, but he really didn’t want to admit it.

“I can drive you home.”

Ed really didn’t want to walk home.

“Fine.”

Ling smiled, “I’ll pull my car up to the front.”

It wasn’t long before Ed was sitting in the passenger seat of Ling’s car. Ed was sure that it would have been awkward if he wasn’t so tired, but Ling didn’t seem to care either.

“Where do you live?” Ling asked.

Ed had to think for a moment, “Turn left at this set of lights, then go down two blocks and turn left again. I live in the apartments at the corner.”

Ling nodded, then pressed on the gas. The car was silent for a moment before Ling spoke up again, “Are you done all your studying yet?”

“No,” Ed sighed, “I still have one more chapter to review.”

“Me too,” Ling said. He was silent for another moment, then cleared his throat, “Are you free tomorrow?”

Ed glanced over at Ling; he was focused on the road, but there was a dark red tint to his cheeks.

“I just figured that we could finish our studying together,” Ling finished, glancing over at Ed.

Ed couldn’t help but smile, “Sure.”

It was Ling’s turn to smile. He parked his car, then turned to face Ed, “I’ll pick you up at one. Be ready!”

It was straight-forward- and almost rude- but something about Ling made the statement charming. Something fluttered in Ed’s chest.

“I’ll be ready at twelve.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Before she could flatten her hand against the wall he was moving again, walking her backwards up the stairs. The slippers were gone at this point, as well as her balance. Winry’s hand traveled up the frame of a stray painting she hadn’t bothered to remove, and she finally mustered up the nerve to close her eyes. It was funny how she had forgotten that part, with everything else she had noticed.

Ed kept her from falling as they travelled up to the second floor, and she put her arms around him in full trust that he’d grant her safety through his ravenous yearning. She ran her hands through his hair - soft as ever - before he pushed her down onto a nearby couch. Wasn’t this a bit fast, considering how he had been a stuttering mess just a few days ago? Winry supposed it was the engagement that was doing this to him. Perhaps he had gotten over his hesitations after all, and was relishing in the new power he had over her.

If Ed could do it, so could she. Her lower stomach seemed to coil as she pulled him closer to her, sucking on his bottom lip harder than she usually would. It was tame, but the noise he made in the back of his throat was exhilarating, and she dared to go for more. She shifted her grip to the nape of his neck before he abruptly pulled away, standing up with his arms at his sides and a pleased, yet stoic expression across his face.

“What are you doing?” Winry eyed him up and down, checking to ensure everything was normal.

“Let’s stop here,” Ed announced, seemingly blind to her surprise. Did he really just say that? After that entire ordeal, and now he decided to stop?

“What? Why?” She dared to challenge him, wondering if she had gone too far.

Ed raised his eyebrows. “‘Why?’ ...Did you want to keep going?”

Winry realized her mistake and sucked in a breath, covering her mouth. “No… no… nevermind.” How could she have read him so poorly? Not only had she made things awkward, but she had insinuated her desires as well. She breathed out a sigh. It was so hard to understand what was going on in his head sometimes.

To her surprise, Ed gave a mischievous grin, leaning in until she could feel his breath against her skin. “Not so fast, Rockbell. We have to save some things for later, don’t we?”

Before Winry had the chance to respond, he was gone, leaving her slumped in awe on the couch. She smacked a hand to her forehead and spoke her thoughts aloud. “I swear he gets too much enjoyment out of messing with me.”

There were so many quirks and nuances to Edward Elric beyond the obvious, which was one of the many reasons why Winry loved him. She could typically keep up with him, and vise versa, but lately he had been full of surprises.

Not two days ago had he popped a ring out at her, despite the fact that they were at Roy Mustang’s Christmas party. She had to admit, seeing Roy speechless with wine dripping out of his mouth had been an entertaining sight, as nobody was expecting Ed to propose without prior warning. He had custom made the ring itself by using her welding supplies, remarking “I know it’s shit compared to what you do, but I thought it ended up pretty cool!”

They were always on their toes, and that was the way she liked it. They could act young and stupid like teenagers and neither would get embarrassed, often trying to outplay one another. Though they understood every part of the other, it could go without words, and simple gestures would always be enough.

Winry Rockbell was certain she had fallen straight into a cliché romance film, and she was loving every minute of it.

(8:44pm) You know you’re going to have to come out at some point, right?

(8:44pm) I’ll kill you if you make me watch the season finale of Game of Thrones by myself.

(8:46pm) like you think i’d miss that? i was just getting us some snacks ;)

(8:46pm) God you’re so weird

(8:47pm) yup. it’s part of the package deal. also, how dare you think i’d miss the finale? i’m planning on keeping mustang up all night with my incoherent screeching

(8:47pm) He’s just going to compare you to Tyrion again, you know that right?

(8:48pm) doesn’t stop me from trying! you know he just likes to brag about being taller than someone for once

(8:50pm) ...where are you? you’re not on the couch

(8:53pm) Sorry, I had to head out. Something came up. I’ll be back soon.

From the moment Winry left, Ed knew something was wrong. There’s no way she’d just bail on a season finale like that, especially one she was so excited for. If something were to come up, it’d be major.

Ed would be lying if he said his heart wasn’t still pounding from their make-out session a few minutes prior, but knowing Winry, this held no correlation. She wasn’t the type to get seriously mad over such trivial things.

Whether he had caused this or not, Ed decided to wait it out. Nothing good came out of a clingy fiancé, and he surely didn’t want to imply that she couldn’t take care of herself. He knew how capable she was, which meant he’d bide his time in front of the television.

After a half-hour passed, Ed grew increasingly worried. He hadn’t received a single text or call. Biting his lip, he dialed Paninya’s number.

“Hello?”

“Do you know where Winry is? She isn’t answering her phone and she left without saying anything.”

“Um I don’t think so… I haven’t heard from her since this morning. This is just a guess, but did you do something stupid again? Knowing you you probably pulled a total dick move and made her mad again. You have to be more sensitive!”

Ed sighed. “No, I don’t think it was that. The least she’d do is just not talk to me. She’s never done this before.”

“Wait, is she outside right now?” Ed could hear Paninya’s voice raise in pitch. “You know there’s a snow storm coming tonight, right? There was an emergency broadcast a few minutes ago. The roads will be shut down for hours.”

“Shit.” This was going much worse than he had anticipated. “Okay, I’m going to look for her. Call Al and whoever else you can think of in the meantime.”

Ed grabbed his coat and ran down the steps two at a time, hastily pulling his arms through the sleeves. What the hell was she thinking?

The white mass of snow swirling outside the window wasn’t promising, and if he didn’t know better he’d say a blizzard was already in motion. Frowning at the decreasing visibility, he tried to text Winry once more.

(9:45pm) where are you? it’s snowing like crazy out here!!

Ed bit his lip in anticipation, hoping for an answer that would explain her behavior. He knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

(9:47pm) seriously win, this looks dangerous. tell me where you’re headed and i can meet you there

Fuck it, he didn’t have time to wait. Gritting his teeth, Ed flung open the front door, blinking away the snowflakes that flew into his eyes.

It was in moments like these that he was glad they lived in Upstate New York. He would’ve been terrified out of his mind if she had been missing in the city. The streets were wide and empty, so if she was near, he’d be able to spot her.

The winter air bit at Ed’s senses in a matter of minutes, slowing him down and reducing his eyesight to nothing but an endless flurry. If Winry was still outside, he couldn’t fathom how she’d be able to find her way back.

After minutes of calling Winry’s name and senselessly running through the town, Ed’s phone vibrating brought him back to the present.

“Hello? Winry?” he yelled, unable to see the contact name on his screen.

“Nope, it’s Al.” Ed cursed, hoping Winry had finally decided to call.

“I’m calling about Winry. She texted me earlier saying something about losing her engagement ring? She seemed really upset about it and said she wanted to find it before it got covered by snow. Wherever you can remember going last with her, she’s probably there looking.”

“Damn it! Do you know how far away we were?! It was miles Al! How could she be so stupid?!”

“She obviously thought you’d be upset about it, so try to cut her some slack. Just hurry before the storm gets worse, I’m really worried.”

“I’m going, I’m going. Thanks, Al.” Ed hung up abruptly and started searching for a cab, or any vehicle on the road for the matter. He doubted anyone would be out in the current weather, but he had no other choice. Since Winry had left before the storm, she must’ve been able to walk there in time. The same couldn’t be said for himself.

Car after car passed, and no matter how many times he waved his arms and yelled to stop, they continued to speed by.

Ed stared as another pair of headlights came into his view, and grit his teeth. It was now or never, and he was fed up with waiting.

Damn, he was definitely going to pay for this.

Running into the street, Ed held his arms out and prayed to whatever God he didn’t believe in that the driver would notice him.

Though the light flooded his vision, it didn’t seem to grow closer, and above the wind he heard tires screeching to a halt against the snowy asphalt.

Ed practically flung the passenger door open, stunning the burly driver inside. “I need to go to the park with the hill, it’s an emergency.”

There were many parks in the area, but everyone local would know exactly which one he meant. It was a popular sledding location, and Ed and Winry had picnicked there the day prior. If she had lost her ring anywhere, it would’ve been among chaotic children and bustling crowds.

“Are you outta your damn mind, kid?! You nearly just killed yourself!” The driver’s protests didn’t match with his actions, as he turned around and started heading to the nearby clearing.

“Someone I know is stuck there, and if risking my life means I can safe hers faster, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

The driver gave a high-pitched whistle. “You’ve got guts, kid. I’ll give you that. Just don’t expect me to hang around, I’ve gotta get home before this storm gets any worse.”

Ed nodded, it was kind enough that a stranger was willing to drive him, and he hadn’t expected anything more. As long as he was with Winry, he’d find a way to keep her safe.

Though it had only been a few minutes, it had seemed like hours before Ed finally arrived at the park. He thanked the driver and started sprinting up the hill, hands cupped at his mouth as he called her name.

The storm had gotten worse by now, and he knew if he didn’t hurry, he’d be trapped in the snow as well. Fear surged through him at the thought of Winry’s lifeless body, buried under layers of ice with no way to escape.

He would not let her die, not while he was supposed to be protecting her.

“Winry! Winry!” Ed’s voice grew hoarse from yelling, and the visible puffs of air in front of him were an indicator of the unrelenting frigidness that refused to cease.

Just as he was about to leave to search another area, he saw it. That bright pink hat she always wore in the snow, sticking up over the peak of the hill.

“Winry,” he breathed, putting a hand to his head. She was lying face down in the snow, though by the amount covering her it couldn’t have been for long.

“C’mon Win,” he turned her over and shook her gently, trying to measure the extent of her condition. If she had hypothermia, they were in big trouble.

He clutched at her and held her close, checking her body heat and pulse. “Wake up. Please.”

“Ed…” her voice was faint and slurred, but she was responsive. That was a good sign.

“Yeah… it’s me. Ed. Are you okay?”

“I… I came to find your ring. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to lose it…” her head fell to the side as if there was nothing holding it up, and Ed moved to steady her.

“Don’t be stupid! I don’t care… I couldn’t care less.” He moved to lift her up. “Do you think you can stand?”

By the way her body sagged against him, he doubted it. This was definitely one of the first signs of hypothermia, and he had to get her warm fast.

As he adjusted his grip on her, he noticed her cell phone fall out of her pocket. Dead. No wonder she hadn’t called him.

Ed lifted her onto his back and began searching for the nearest shelter. He would break into someone’s home if it meant getting her instant help. Winry was one of the strongest people he knew, and seeing her in such a fragile state was enough to worry him out of his mind.

“Almost there… almost there…” The silhouette of a small cabin, used mainly to store spare sledding supplies, began to rise over the hill. Nobody would be inside, so it would be the perfect place to take cover.

Ed adjusted her on his back and checked inside, ensuring that they weren’t intruding on someone. The last thing he needed was the police after him.

As expected, the room was empty and stacked to the brim with wood and sleds. Since there was no furniture, Ed settled for propping Winry against a stack of wood closest to the fireplace, figuring he’d be able to light one in due time.

He hesitated before continuing. Al must’ve been worried to death, and he’d feel terrible without alerting him that Winry was all right.

(10:26pm) i found winry, we’re in the cabin at the park we visited yesterday

(10:27pm) Is she okay??

(10:27pm) i don’t know… might be early hypothermia

(10:27pm) i’m going to try to warm her up. i’ll keep you updated

Winry’s clothes were damp with melted snow, doing nothing to help with her body temperature. Without thinking, Ed started to peel them off. It was only until he started unbuttoning her blouse that she stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“You have to take these off, they aren’t helping.”

“What?” her voice was wavering and weak, but luckily stronger than before. “Do they need to be washed?”

Confusion, another sign of hypothermia. Ed groaned and reached for the button once again.

“You’re going to freeze to death if you don’t let me remove them, Winry. Just work with me here.”

“But why aren’t we in bed? This place… too… too dirty.”

Oh god. Winry wasn’t thinking what he thought she was… was she? Luckily the cabin was dark enough to hide his cheeks, but it did nothing to help the embarrassed stammering in his voice.

“It’s not like that! I’m not trying to do anything, don’t worry.” He took off his own coat and shirt and wrapped them around her, surely doing enough to bring her warmth. They weren’t as wet from the snow, and had enough layering to provide heat.

Though he was left half-naked, it brought some peace of mind to know she had some coverage. He set to work on a fire, and prepared for a cold night ahead.

When Winry awoke, she didn’t expect to be lying in the middle of a sleeping Edward’s arms. Especially a shirtless one, at that. A fire crackled to her left and she became aware of the multitude of garments wrapped around her, keeping her snug and warm.

Ed shivered as he held on to her, and she could tell he had been trying to conserve warmth with their own body heat.

“Hey…” she shook him until he sleepily blinked his eyes, looking up at her with a dazed expression.

“Are you all right?” he asked immediately, husky voice betraying the state of wakefulness he tried to emanate.

Winry heard the worry in his voice and immediately felt guilty. She knew going out so late had been a stupid idea, but she felt even worse at the fact that she hadn’t found the ring he had worked so hard on. It may have been something trivial, but the look in his eyes as he gave it to her was one of accomplishment, and she couldn’t stand to know that that sign of love had now been lost.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She heard his sigh of relief and kept talking before he could speak. “I’m really sorry about worrying you, and losing the ring too… I know how hard you worked on it.”

He sighed again. “Honestly? As dumb of an idea as it was, I would’ve done the same. I guess we’re both too reckless for our own good, aren’t we?”

Winry chuckled halfheartedly and looked at the ground.

“Hey, really. I don’t care. That ring was lousy anyway, and we both know it. How about we make a new one even better than the first? Or… or I can buy one this tim-” Winry stopped his stammering with a kiss, leaving him speechless.

“As much as I appreciate the effort, you don’t have to do anything crazy. I’m the one who lost it, and now you’re making excuses? That just isn’t right.”

Ed’s face turned thoughtful, then downright mischievous. “All right then, you wanna know how I’ll forgive you, Rockbell?”

Oh no. He was in one of those moods again. The kind where he liked to mess with her and leave her mind spinning.

He grabbed her lower back and pulled her even closer, causing stray jackets to tumble off her lap.

“How about we finish what we started?”