#nocturnix

He silently hoped that Winry had gotten his letter in time and that she would be waiting for him. As he exited the train carefully, for he did not want a repeat of the snow incident in Briggs, he was met with bright blue eyes and he couldn’t be happier. She had her pink peacoat on to try and escape the chill, which only made him blush at how the material clung to her in just the right way. It brought back memories of when he realized he felt more for her than just brotherly affection.

“Edward! You’re back!” Winry exclaimed as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug, breaking him from his less-than-friendly thoughts about her. He laughed, dropping his suitcase and embracing her.

“Yes I am, Winry,” he smiled, leaning back and wiping the small tears that leaked out of her eyes.

“Those better be tears of joy,” he murmured.

“Of course they are,” she smiled, leaning forward and tucking her head under his chin. “I’ve missed you so much and I am glad you’re home.” Home. The word brought a fuzzy, warm feeling to his chest. He was home.

“I also don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon,” he promised, breathing in her scent, which instantly calmed him. She smelled of grease, flowers, and apples and to him, it was the best combination in the world. He felt her stiffen at his words and he frowned slightly.

“Idiot, don’t make promises that you can’t keep,” she huffed, pulling away and looking up at him with a small frown on her face.

“Who says I’m making a promise I can’t keep?” he asked as his hands settled on her hips.

“Really Ed? You’re always on the go, you and Al both. Who’s to say that tomorrow something won’t compel you to go to Briggs or even to Xing to see Al?” she sighed.

“Winry…”

“I mean, I appreciated that this time you at least wrote and called regularly,” she said, cutting him off. “It still hurt though, you know? Just when I finally thought you were back for good, you leave again.”

“Winry,” he tried again.

“Not to mention that confusing conversation we had before you left for Creta. I thought-”

“Winry will you listen to me?” he interrupted and she looked at him, startled. “You’re right about not knowing if I will have the urge to travel somewhere in the near future. After being on the move for years, it’s hard to readjust to a simple life.” Her expression fell at this, but he continued on. “However, if my time in Creta taught me anything, it’s that being away from you now that I know that you’re not in any danger is nearly impossible. Do you realize how hard it was for me to not catch the next train back to Resembool after I left you here? The only reason I continued on was so I could do the research I needed to do so I could come back to you.”

“Edward,” she breathed, tears flowing once again.

“As for the last face-to-face conversation we had, I meant it all Winry. I want to give you my life.”

“A-are you asking me to marry you?” she asked, trying not to get too hopeful. She struggled while he had been away with over-analyzing that conversation, worried that she misinterpreted his strange exclamation as something more.

“For such a brilliant gearhead, you can be dense sometimes Winry,” Edward laughed and she puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Alchemy Freak?”

“It means yes Winry. I asked you, and am asking you, to marry me, albeit in less romantic terms than you deserve,” he admitted, cheeks reddening as he waited with baited breath for her response. He really hoped that he hadn’t overstepped his bounds with her in asking her to marry him. It was something he fretted about on the train ride to Creta once the question left his lips at the platform those six months ago.

“Yes,” she whispered finally. “Yes, Edward Elric, I will marry you!” she cried with a wide grin, throwing herself at him once again. Her happiness was contagious for he picked her up, spinning them around, still mindful of the snow, his grin rivaling her own. He placed her down lightly and fished in his pocket for the small jewelry box that he had been panicking about for months. He opened it and placed the petite band on her finger. The band was simple and made from a scrap of his automail that he had found lingering in his suitcase and embedded in it was a small sapphire.

“It’s beautiful, Ed,” she whispered as she admired the ring, trying to get herself used to the weight of it on her hand.

“I’m glad you like it, Win. It’s not much, but I figured that using some of my old automail would make it mean more to you than me just going and buying a random ring at a store.”

“I love it Edward. I mean it,” she smiled. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his. His eyes widened in surprise momentarily before he let them close, his hands anchoring themselves on her hips and pulling her close as his lips pressed against hers. It was slightly awkward at first as they tried to figure out how to move their faces so their noses didn’t bump into one another, but once they found a position that worked, they both sighed in contentment as their lips worked against each other’s, savoring their first kiss as the snow fell softly around them.

“I-I love you Winry,” he breathed as they separated, his hands tracing her sides lightly.

“I love you too Edward,” she smiled, her fingers toying with the end of his ponytail.

“Could-could we do that again?” he asked, breathlessly and was instantly embarrassed at both her laughter and how eager he sounded.

“I think that could be arranged. But how about we get home first and warm up? I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing.” He hadn’t even registered the cold since he stepped off the train, too excited from seeing her again, but now that she mentioned it, he could feel the cold creeping into his bones.

“That sounds good to me,” he laughed, releasing his hold on her and grabbing his discarded suitcase. Her hand slipped into his, fingers lacing with his.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she sighed, leaning against him as they began their journey back to their childhood house.