Lessons in Life and Love

Title: You Can't Hurry Love
Author: NekoEro
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist nor do I make any money from the writing of this fic.

Summary: Futurefic. Ed has grown far too comfortable in his intimate relationship with Winry and his self-centeredness coupled with his tendency to be an outright oblivious idiot leads to their breakup. Will Ed learn what love really is and that there’s more to being a man than just being of legal age and being in a sexual relationship? This is the second of three stories in the “Lessons in Life and Love” series.

April 1, 2010

At last! An update! This ended up being my entry for FMA Big Bang on LJ, which means it's over 27,150 words which made it necessary to break it up into three parts. Equivalent Exchange will be the next and final story to the LLL series.

You Can't Hurry Love
Part 3


The brothers stood outside of Garfiel’s automail studio yet again, ignoring Rush Valley’s heat, the bright sun, and the eyes that followed them, especially the elder sibling with the automail arm. The scenario was beyond deja vu; it was their fifth trip in three months and the young men had acquired quite a following, not because of their fame, but because they had become the object of a betting pool; would the young blonde automail mechanic turn the elder, hot-headed brother away again or not?

While vaguely aware that people were betting against him, Ed really didn’t care. His purpose for returning time after time was singular; he had to convince Winry to listen to him, to accept his apology, and at the very least go on a date so he could at least prove to her his remorse was heartfelt. Ed’s determination was distilled, his focus singular, as dedicated as when he was searching for the Philosopher’s Stone, only this time his goal was to persuade Winry to take him back.

“Well, here we are again,” he muttered under his breath as he looked at the sun-bleached entry door like it was his worst enemy.

“We sure are,” Al sighed, thrusting his hands into his pockets and rocked back onto his heels, “Fifth time’s the charm.”

“Isn’t it ‘third time’s the charm’,” Ed asked facetiously, frowning in concentration as he maintained his staring match with the door.

“Yes, normally. But you’re just not…normal, Brother. You seem to do everything the hard way. Even learning about women.”

“Shut— Oh hell, why argue.” Ed grimaced at the realization; Al was right. “You got me, ” he conceded in a grumble. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Al smirk at his blunt confession.

“One more time, Ed. Try one more time. Eventually she’ll see that you’re sincere and will at least talk to you.”

Ed looked up at the façade wistfully without actually seeing it. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, striving to bolster his confidence; all his life, Ed had relied on his self-assurance, which had never failed him until he realized he had fallen in love with Winry. Now it seemed like ambivalence had ruled his every waking moment, ever since she had dismissed him from her life. “Al, if she turns me down again, I…I don’t know what I’ll—”

He felt Al give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“You won’t know until you try, right? Try talk to her again. Even Winry can’t stay mad at you forever. At the very least, you two can be friends again.”

Ed’s jaw worked without a sound before he was able to speak, “I don’t know…if I can go back to being just friends. I…” He cleared his throat and turned away so his younger brother couldn’t see the outright distress on his face.

“You love her, right?”

His answering nod was so slight that he wasn’t sure that he had done it.

“Then, you can’t give up, brother. You have to keep trying. That’s what Vice Chancellor Mustang told you, too.”

The mention of Ed’s former superior officer caused him to turn a sour scowl on Al. “Don’t remind me. I still get queasy whenever I remember the morning after our ‘little talk’.”

“You have no one to blame but yourself for the hangover, Brother. You shouldn’t have drank yourself stupid if you hadn’t wanted to get sick.” Al chastised with amusement, “You do realize you gave Mr. Mustang plenty of ammunition to taunt you with for years.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Ed muttered under his breath, still unwilling to tell his younger brother deeper details about the conversation between him and the former Flame Alchemist, or that Mustang had suggested that a forward young woman by the name of Barbara should be his ‘tutor.’

“What was that, Ed?” The jocular tone in Al’s voice said it all. Al had become quite the smart-ass since being returned to his body and aging into a normal teenager.

“Nuthin’!” Ed grumbled, pinning Al with a dirty look.

“Best get it over with, big Brother.”

The brothers shared a long glance at one another then Ed timidly approached the door.

‘Please, please listen to me this time, Winry,’ Ed silently entreated and turned the doorknob. The familiar bell jingled a merry tune as the door opened and he drew in a deep breath before taking the first, decisive step forward into the building’s darker, cooler interior.

Even before his eyes adjusted to the lower light level, a high-pitched masculine voice with a very slight lisp greeted him from the direction of the counter, “Why Edward and Alphonse, how good to see you again!”

That the last word had been pointedly emphasized didn’t escape Ed’s notice, but before he could formulate a snappy come-back, Al piped up, “Hello, Mr. Garfiel! We’re just here for a visit, Ed doesn’t need any repairs this time.” Al crowded Ed farther into the room and closed the door behind himself.

As his sight adjusted, Ed couldn’t help but notice Garfiel’s colorful, yet too tight deep purple muscle shirt. His pants were a very mundane black; it was the silver pin striping that was anything but common. Still, even this attire seemed perfectly normal for a man to wear, but it was the fuzzy pink slippers that caused Ed’s brain to freeze with horror.

‘Doesn’t this guy believe in basic black? At least he isn’t in his feather-trimmed housecoat today…’

“Come in, make yourself at home,” the burly, effeminate man invited hospitably and started for the back room, “Winry is out running errands right now. If you don’t mind waiting for her, I can make us some tea.” Of course Garfiel would know they were there to see her; they had been here under the same premise as their previous four visits.

“That would be great!” Al called after him. Ed felt his younger brother’s hand return to his shoulder and steer him toward the table and chairs sitting in the corner of the room.

“See Ed, Mr. Garfiel didn’t even make eyes at you this time,” Al said, his voice quiet, but it was obvious he thought the scenario worthy of tormenting Ed with.

“Mustang torturing me is enough, Al!” Ed growled under his breath, “I thought you were on my side!” He plopped down onto one of the wooden chairs beside the table.

“I am, Brother! I’ve been trying to convince Mr. Garfiel that you’re not his type; you’re just too hot-headed for him.” Al’s grin was anything but serious and Ed glowered at his sibling as Al pulled out a chair to sit down beside him.

The bell above the door jingled again and Ed fairly bristled when a tall, sandy-haired young man entered the room.

It was his rival for Winry’s affections, Jonathon. Ed knew him from their last visit to Rush Valley when they had happened upon the couple while walking down the main street. They had seemed quite chummy, strolling side by side, with Winry’s arm threaded through her new suitor’s bent elbow. It had taken monumental control on Ed’s part to keep his temper in check, the outright jealous rage nearly blinding him. Of course, it had helped that Al held him back with a tight grip on his shoulder—just as he was now—otherwise Ed was sure he would have ripped him to shreds. Fingers dug into Ed’s flesh shoulder as Al grasped it and the elder brother remained seated and silent although he continued to seethe on the inside.

The other young man crossed to the counter and looked about before his gaze settled on Ed and Al. “Hey, do you know if Winry is in?”

“No. She’s out,” Ed ground out through clenched teeth before Al could answer. He came close to wincing when his younger brother’s fingers closed tighter in an unspoken warning.

In a cocky gesture, Jonathon leaned back onto his elbows against the counter and flashed a confident smirk at the young alchemist, “Don’t happen to know when she’ll be back, do you?” He nodded in the direction of Ed’s automail arm, “I remember you. You’re one of her clients, right? If you have an appointment with her, she shouldn’t be gone too long.”

Ed started to tremble so hard that both his metal arm and leg rattled quietly. He badly wanted a piece of this guy, to punch him in the face until a bloody mess replaced the pompous grin on his face. Jonathon might be taller, but Ed was certain he could take him out without even using alchemy; he was, after all, good at hand to hand combat and this civilian without a doubt hadn’t participated in anything more sophisticated than an occasional brawl.

Garfiel returned from the back and looked at Jonathon as if he were something slimy and distasteful. “She’s not here. And I don’t know when she’ll be back.” The automail mechanic crossed his arms over his chest with certain finality, his body language speaking volumes about his animosity toward the younger man.

Jonathon returned Garfiel’s cold shoulder with one of his own, “Fine. I’ll stop back later.” He levered himself upright and shuffled to the door, “Let her know I stopped by, would you?” As he crossed through the waiting room again, he hesitated at the table to bend toward the gold-haired men sitting there, “Geeze, you’d think he was her mother. She’s old enough to think for herself.”

His smile morphed into a leer as he leaned even closer to Ed, who was now red-face with rising fury. “She’s quite the looker, isn’t she? What I wouldn’t give to get into her panties. I bet she’s a pretty sweet piece. Too bad she’s never let get to second base, although with time and a little charm I bet I could easily make a home run.” Jonathon turned and continued to the door, not seeing Ed fairly launch himself from his chair. Ed did manage to break free of Al’s hold just as the door closed, but his sibling jumped to his feet and grabbed for Ed’s shirt, snagging it and stopping his lunge across the room.

“Ed, no! I know how you feel, but if you hurt him you’ll only make Winry angrier! You don’t want to do that if you want Winry to take you back!” Al shouted and Ed froze in place, torn between listening to this brother’s voice of reason and giving in to the urge to tear the disrespectful punk apart. The bell’s bright sound seemed incongruent with the mood that had settled over the room and it took several seconds before Ed suppressed his rage enough to heed his younger brother’s warning. He sat down once more but his fiery gaze remained on the door and his breathing was slow, controlled.

No one spoke of Winry that way, not if he could help it.

“What the hell does Winry see in that asshole, anyway!” Ed asked no one in particular, venting his anger and frustration out loud.

“Not a thing, actually,” came Garfiel’s flippant reply and retreated into the back room again as the shrill whistle of the kettle coming to a boil beckoned him.

The brothers exchanged looks of confusion; had they heard correctly? Hope rose within Ed when the words fully sunk in. Did he still have a chance with her?

Before they could further ponder just what the flamboyant man had meant, Garfield returned, carrying a tray laden with teacups, a teapot, a sugar bowl, spoons, and a small variety of teacakes. He carefully set it on the table then doled out cups for each of them.

“Um, Mr. Garfiel? Just what did you mean by—” Al started but when the older man flapped a hand at him, he fell silent.

“First tea, then gossip,” Garfiel told them firmly in his effeminate lisp and he poured tea for each of them before delicately settling down into a chair across from the two young men. Fixing them each with a saucy look and a sly smile, he took a dainty sip of his tea and frowned when Ed and Al didn’t follow suite. Realizing they were being impolite, the pair snagged their cups and followed his example, Ed scorching his tongue in the process.

Suspense hung in the air for a long moment as Garfiel exercised his flair for the dramatic to the fullest extent, then pinned Ed with a raised eyebrow and smiled coyly.

‘No flirting, dammit! Just tell us!’ Ed fumed silently when the answer wasn’t coming fast enough to suit him.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but she dumped him after the first week,” Garfiel finally revealed and sipped his tea again, “Jonathon was very sweet when he first started hanging around, but soon after Winry began dating him, he turned out to be a sheep in wolf’s clothing. She dumped him in a heartbeat, but he still thinks he has a chance with her.” He rolled his eyes dramatically, “As if. Besides, I think she’s still has feelings for someone else.” He grinned knowingly at Ed and took another sip of his tea.

Ed sat straight and leaned over the table toward the automail engineer, his eyes alight with excitement, “You mean…me?”

“I’m thinking yes. However, she’s still not happy with you, young man,” Garfiel said, waggling a finger in Ed’s direction.

Ed sagged in defeat; it sounded like Winry was still far too angry with him and probably wouldn’t talk to him this time, either. He was beginning to wonder if she would ever give him a chance to make things right. Even if she still felt something for him, there was nothing he could do if she wasn’t willing to listen.

“Don’t give up, though, Edward dear. After the last time you were here, she moped around the shop like a lovesick puppy for days.”

Ed perked up at this; did Winry miss him as much as he missed her? Would she be open to the idea of getting back together?

Garfiel chose a teacake from the tray and pointed it at Ed it before taking a nibble, “If you play your cards right, Winry might give you another chance. But if you mess up again, she’ll not only dump you, but there won’t be a third time. You can break a woman’s heart just so many times before she moves on for good.”

Ed nodded in understanding and took another swallow from his cooling tea to allow the words to fully sink in. Winry had already considered moving on and her brief relationship with Jonathon had proven this. He couldn’t fail this time around; somehow he had to persuade her to give him another chance. The thought he might go through the rest of his life without her caused a dull pain in his chest and his stomach to twist into knots. He would do anything, try anything to get her back and keep her happy.

As if on cue, the bell chimed again and Ed looked up to see Winry enter, her arms loaded down with various sized parcels and a loop of electrical cable hung over her shoulder. He shuddered from the thrill that shot up his spine at the sight of her, blonde hair pinned up in a pleasing manner, her beautiful features relaxed into a gentle smile, eyes so blue and clear, that they resembled a deep mountain lake. Ed drunk in her beauty and grace, feeling himself go weak and his body glow with a rush of emotion. This wasn’t lust he was feeling, but something unnamed, something deeper than he had allowed himself to feel before.

‘I-Is this what love really feels like?’

“Winry!” Garfiel gushed, breaking Ed from his trance, “Let me help you with those things!” The automail engineer jumped up from his chair, temporarily blocking Winry from Ed’s view as he took some of the parcels from the young woman. “You have guests waiting to see you! Come help me, Alphonse.”

When Garfiel turned to address Al, Ed could see Winry’s surprised, then annoyed look as she realized whom her guest were. He could only venture a timid smile in return, hoping she would even give him a chance to speak. Those stunning blue eyes turned icy and Ed swallowed back panic when it rose up into his throat in the form of a knot.

In the next second Al rose from his chair and went to Winry’s side, taking the electrical cable and the last parcel from her, breaking the uncomfortable moment.

“Glad to help,” Al chimed in then smiled at his childhood friend, “Good to see you again, Winry.” He tipped his head in Ed’s direction, “Please talk to Brother before he becomes any more pathetic.”

“Yes, Winry dear, you do that! You two will have plenty of time because Edward and Alphonse are staying for dinner!” Garfiel added, throwing the young woman a conspiratorial wink, “Come along, Alphonse! We’ve things to do!” The pair bustled their burden off to the back rooms, but not before Ed spied his younger brother giving him a ‘thumbs up.’

The tension in the room rose perceptively as Winry stood in place, her arms now crossed under her bustline, her gaze lowered to the floor to avoid Ed’s questioning eyes. He soaked in her beauty again, noting how the close fitting denim Capri pants accentuated her form and how the crisp, white sleeveless blouse set off her tanned skin. Thin beams of sunlight streamed through the cracks around the doorframe, catching strands of her sun-lightened hair, causing it glitter like polished gold and making her look even more angelic.

‘Don’t screw this up, Elric. This might be your last chance.’

“Um…hi, Winry.”

Winry didn’t look up and there was a long pause before she responded quietly, impassively.

“Edward.”

At least she didn’t toss him out, not yet, but neither was she totally open to him.

‘What do I do now...? Maybe offer her a chair?’

Ed rose and stepped around the table to pull back the chair Garfiel had occupied, making the legs scrape harshly over the wood planks of the floor. He was encouraged when Winry held her ground and didn’t retreat to the back of the shop.

“Would you like to sit—“ he offered in a feeble voice and glanced about for another excuse to persuade her to stay. His eyes rested on the tea tray when he noticed that there had been more than three cups upon it; a fourth, unused cup sat on the tray next to the plate of teacakes. “—and have some tea?”

Winry glanced over at the chair Ed was holding out for her then scrutinized his face. There was a perplexed look in her eyes, and her gaze shifted from the chair to his face several times, but she still wouldn’t budge from her spot in front of the door.

Desperate, Ed fidgeted. Had he been improper in some way, had he forgotten some important detail from one of the many books on manners he’d read during his recent trips to the Central Library? No, he was sure he’d remembered the key things, which meant Winry was still unwilling to compromise. It seemed like he had nothing left to lose but his stubborn pride.

“Winry, please,” he entreated, holding back the wave of fear that threatened to engulf him and turn him into a begging wreck. He tipped his face away so she wouldn’t see the open distress on his face, “Please…can we talk?”

Winry cleared her throat and Ed just knew she was going to refuse and command him to go home. His breath caught in his throat and he snapped his head around when she said, “Who are you, and what did you do with Edward Elric?” A tinge of humor colored her voice and moderated her expression as she walked toward him and stepped in front of the chair. Stunned, Ed almost forgot to push the chair forward and was relieved when she settled into it as he gently glided it against her legs. A rush of hope caused his heart to flutter as he poured her tea and placed the cup, a spoon, and the sugar bowl on the table in front of her; she accepted it with a slight nod of approval and took three sugar cubes from the bowl and dropped it into her cup. She had always liked her tea sweet, even when they were kids.

He lingered for a long moment, breathing in her clean scent, one of citrus and flowers; was she using a different shampoo?

“Don’t hover, Ed. It’s rude,” she said, breaking him out his trance. She stirred the sugar into her tea with a calm motion, the spoon tinkling quietly against the fragile porcelain.

Ed took this as his cue to return to his chair. “Sorry,” came his meek apology as he sat down again. More moments of silence followed with Ed watching his restless hands as they fiddled in his lap while Winry calmly sipped her tea, her eyes shuttered demurely. When Ed finally worked up the nerve to speak, his voice cracked with tension.

“I-I’m sorry about the way I treated you, Winry. It was wrong, I know that now.” He glanced up at her; she still wasn’t looking at him but she didn’t seem to be angry or upset. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

Winry continued to avoid his gaze. “I forgave you a long time ago, Edward. But you broke my heart. You were selfish, inconsiderate, and you used me. Give me one good reason why I should let you back into my life.”

Ed sat, deep in contemplation, for an extended moment before looking up to study her face. “I can do better than that. I can give you more than one.”

She lifted her head to raise a skeptical eyebrow at him and frowned. “That’s a pretty bold statement. Are you sure about that?”

He sat straight and met her steady gaze with heartfelt sincerity, folding his hands together on the table in order to keep them from shaking. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Winry,” he said, his voice now balanced and his mind clear, “I promise I’ll never treat you like that again. I was stupid, immature, and selfish. At the time, I had a lot of growing up to do.”

“And you’re grown up now?” she asked dryly and sipped her tea again. Her posture was rigid, guarded, which meant she still wasn’t fully open to his entreaties.

Ed couldn’t help but snort with self-derision and shrugged. “No,” he answered honestly, “I know I need to be more mature. I can see that now. But I’m learning, Winry, I really am. I’m also trying to be a better person. A better man.”

She nodded thoughtfully, “Okay. I can accept that. And your other reasons?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, carefully phrasing his response in his head before speaking, “I’ll treat you like you deserve to be treated, with respect. I’ll be more considerate of your feelings and not just think about myself.” Ed shifted a bit in his chair before continuing, “And…I want to take you out and do things and go places with you. I want to show you off to everyone I know because…because you’re very special…to me.”

Winry nodded. “That’s a good start, Edward. Is that all?”

“No.” He looked down at his hands as he clasped them even tighter, “W-Winry…I—I don’t know what I’ll do if you won’t give me another chance. I…” his throat tightened, threatening to choke him, “I don’t want to spend my life without you.” Emotion welled up; at this point he had nothing left to lose and decided to not fight back the words that came freely to mind, the words that had seemed so ‘girly’ in the past. Ed looked back into her face, his gold eyes searching her face for any sign of rejection as he said, “I love you.”

Winry’s expression went blank and the teacup came close to slipping from her fingers. Her deep blue eyes went wide a second later and she slowly lowered the cup onto the tabletop.

“Ed?” Her voice was soft, shaky.

“Damn it, Winry! I—I love you!” Ed blurted as he began to lose his nerve. Even as he spoke the words again, they didn’t feel girly at all. This was simply how he felt, what he wanted her to know.

The young woman’s expression softened and Ed could see tears glitter at the corner of her eyes, “E—Ed, I’ve waited a lifetime for you to say that to me.” Her following smile was warm and almost bittersweet.

“However…”

Ed’s heart sunk; here it came, the rejection he so dreaded. He fixed a vacant stare on the silver tray sitting in the center of the table, waiting for Winry to tell him she wouldn’t take him back.

“However, you have to prove to me that you won’t hurt me again. Can you do that?” she asked, her voice soft and warm. Her hand drifted over the table top toward him, fingers reaching out in a tentative gesture and beckoning his attention.

‘Sh—she’s giving me…another chance?!’

Almost fearful, Ed allowed his natural hand to reach for hers and brushed his fingers over it with tenderness before allowing his hand to settle over it. He risked looking up at her and saw a gentle, wistful expression on her face, her eyebrows raised inquisitively.

Emboldened, Ed threw down his last trump card. “I’ll do everything I can to prove to you that you’re the most important person in my life,” he rasped, his eyes fixed with hers, “If you’ll just give me one more chance.”

Winry beamed a vibrant smile at him and it was like the sun had burst free on an overcast day, warming Ed’s heart and chasing away the cold darkness hidden there.

“Won’t Al get jealous?” she quipped, lacing her fingers with his and giving them a slight squeeze.

“Al doesn’t need me to take care of him anymore,” Ed shot back with a faint, rakish grin, “Besides, he has enough girlfriends to keep him busy; he doesn’t have time to be jealous of us.”

“I heard that, Brother!” Al’s far less than angry voice called out from the back of the shop, “And I don’t have as many girlfriends as you think I do!”

“Hey!” Ed retorted in irritation “Mind your own business!”

Winry’s soft giggle pulled Ed from his short rant and filled him with quiet joy. Again, she looked positively angelic, her eyes sparkling, her mouth curved in a gentle smile, suffusing him with the now familiar feeling of adoration and devotion.

“So…where do we go from here?” Ed asked, willing to accede to her wishes, whatever they might be. He watched as her gaze turned thoughtful for a long moment and offered her a goofy grin when she looked up with calm poise.

“I think it’s best we start over. Like the incident in the shower never happened.” Ed assumed he must have looked totally lost when she frowned and added, “We start from scratch, Edward. As if we’ve never had sex. I think we need to start with a clean slate and not bring sex into our relationship right away, or anytime soon.”

His face grew warm as comprehension set in. “Oh… O-kay. No problem.”

“Also, we should act like a couple and do things together, get to know one another a little better.”

“B-but, we grew up together…don’t we already know each other pretty well?” Ed cringed, waiting for Winry to chastise him for such an obvious and stupid question, but was relieved when she answered in a calm, thoughtful voice.

“Yes, we do know one another, Ed, but not as adults. Believe it or not, we’re different inside than when we were as kids. Our hopes and dreams are different, the way we look at the world and life has changed, especially with all that’s happened to us. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Ed searched for the meaning of her words then nodded once when he felt he understood. “I…I guess I do.”

“So, is there something you would like to ask me?” she pressed with an upraised eyebrow, implying he should take the lead.

‘What the hell is she talking…oh, she wants me to ask her out…’

“Would you like to…um…go out sometime?” he stammered, hoping he was doing this right.

“Sometime?” He recognized that look in her eyes; irritation. And it was slowly building into anger.

“Um, eh…”

‘What the hell do I do? What does she want me to say?!’

He was saved when Garfiel returned for the tray and tea set, “Oh, Winry, cut the poor boy some slack! He does want to take you out on a proper date, right Edward?” the hulking man asked and threw a wink at the young alchemist as he placed the cups onto the tray.

Ed threw Winry’s superior a grateful look and nodded with enthusiasm at her, “Yeah, Win! I want to take you out to a nice place. Or to a movie, or, or…” He fell silent when the words he needed escaped him.

“Or you can have your first date here,” Garfiel supplied as he stood straight with the tray. “Alphonse thought it might be nice if we were to fix a special dinner for the two of you.” A dreamy grin spread over his face as if anticipating the setting for the young couple, “Some candlelight, the table set with my best linen and dishes; oh, I get to use my dishes imported from Xing! And some soft music—I can bring the phonograph out here.”

“You would do that for us?” Winry asked, astonished yet pleased.

“Of course I would, dear! I would be delighted to! Besides, there’s no nice restaurants here in Rush Valley, and I’d love a chance to cook a gourmet meal for the two of you!” Garfiel gushed and spun on his heel to return to the kitchen. “I can make Chicken Marsala or maybe a mushroom-stuffed pasta and what to prepare for a side dish—oh, yes! A chocolate mousse for desert! After all, chocolate is the food of love! Alphonse! As soon as I make up a list I want you and Paninya to go shopping for me!” His voice trailed off as he disappeared into the back of the shop once more.

The pair gaped at the door behind the counter with blank expressions, wincing as the unexpected, sharp clatter of pots and pans cut through the relative quiet of the shop.

As the commotion in the kitchen continued, Ed turned back to Winry and gave her a feeble smile, “You sure? Are you okay with having our first date here?”

Winry blinked then smiled at him. “Yes, I’m sure. Garfiels’ cooking is the best you’re going to find in Rush Valley. Gourmet cooking has always been one of his favorite hobbies and he’s a very good cook.” She cringed at her words. “I should say he’s a very good chef. Garfiel would be highly insulted if he heard me call him a cook!”

Ed gave a sigh of relief; Winry was meeting him halfway and giving him the benefit of the doubt. Although he would rather have had their first official date in a more private place, (‘To talk, nothing else,’ Ed reminded himself.) this arrangement had its advantages, too. With the presence of others about to keep things platonic, Ed knew Winry would feel more at ease and more willing to talk openly without worry. So a good meal and time with Winry was just what he needed to help convince her that his intentions were pure.

He watched as she animatedly talked about Garfiel’s various and amazing dishes, not really hearing the words but basking in the sound of her voice. Gratitude filled him; she was giving him another chance. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.

“Thanks, Win,” he said, interrupting her ongoing critique of Garfiel’s Chicken Marsala.

She fell silent, surprised at Ed’s unexpected expression of gratitude. After a moment of confusion, she asked, “For what?”

“For giving me a chance to make it up to you.”

“Just remember our agreement, Ed, and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Deal.”

“All right you lovebirds, why don’t you take a walk and come back in about two hours,” Garfiel spoke from the counter, startling the pair. They retracted their hands and blushed, suddenly bashful of their contact. When the large man disappeared again, the pair laughed, amused by their reaction.

Ed stood and stepped around the table to offer Winry his hand. When her expression turned confused, he clarified his actions, “May I help you up?”

Winry gave him a wry smile.

“Seriously, who are you and what did you do with Edward?” she jibbed and took the proffered hand, rising to her feet as Ed assisted.

“Don’t knock it,” Ed countered dryly, rolling his eyes self-consciously.

Any answer Winry might have had on her tongue changed to a greeting as the front door opened once more, “Hello, how can I—“ She never finished; Jonathon stood in the doorway, a wolfish grin on his face.

“’Bout time you got back, sweet stuff,” the young, very tall man said in a saccharine, simpering tone as he entered and saw Winry standing next to Ed, “I’ve been looking all over for you.” He thrust a thumb in Ed’s direction, “If you’re done with this guy, why don’t we go for a bite to eat and head back to my place and get to know one another a lot better?”

Every muscle in Ed’s body went rigid; to hell with making Winry angry. There was no way he was going to let this creep speak to her in this manner or treat her like a mere toy.

However, Winry was already on top of the situation: “I already told you, Jonathon, I’m not interested in seeing you anymore!” She crossed her arms over her chest in an abrupt and very final manner, throwing up a virtual barricade between her and her persistent, former suitor.

The man merely scoffed at her, “Oh, come on, Winry! You don’t mean that!” Jonathon’s smile was oily, forced, as he reached for her arm, “Let’s go. We can talk over dinner.”

Winry jerked back in reflex, her revulsion practically radiating off of her, “I said, NO!” When Jonathon lurched forward and took her arm in a tight grasp, she reacted by bringing her heel down hard on his bare toes. He yelped in pain, letting her go to lift his leg and rub at his injured digits; sandals had done little to protect them.

“Sonuva—why’d you do that?! Crazy bitch!” The injured man cast Winry a look that spoke of retribution.

Ed had had enough. Her safety was imperative and he herded her behind him with a careful sweep of his arm, putting himself between her and this poor excuse for a human being. He might be jeopardizing his renewed relationship with Winry, but he would not let anyone treat her in such a manner.

“NO ONE CALLS HER THAT!” he bellowed and bared his teeth at the other man in unbridled aggression, “I THINK YOU OWE HER AN APOLOGY!” The irony of demanding Jonathon to apologize to Winry for calling her by an offensive term was not lost on Ed. After all, he’d made the same horrible mistake only a few short months before.

Jonathon, a bit taken back by Ed’s furious reaction, stood straight and looked Ed over with a critical eye as if he were no more than an annoying insect. Then he uttered the words that sent Ed over the edge, the words that finally broke the restraining wall to Ed’s full-blown wrath. “This is between me and my girl! What the hell is it to you, shorty?”

Ed’s vision tinted red with rage. With a furious roar, he touched his palms together and touched the upper plate of his automail forearm. When the alchemic light died down, a wicked, curved, and very gaudy blade had replaced the plate, which Ed brandished with sadistic glee as a maniacal laugh spilled from his throat. Somewhere near him, he could hear Winry’s loud protests about the structural damage to her automail whenever he used alchemy on it, but her voice seemed distant, muted by his heartbeat thundering in his ears. Actually, he chose to ignore it: there was a matter of his damaged pride and the offense to Winry’s honor to deal with and nothing else mattered.

Jonathon’s face blanched and his expression changed to one of extreme alarm as Ed pointed the blade at him with menacing intent. Not taking his eyes off the newly created weapon, he backed up a step or two.

“W—wait,” he stammered, jabbing a finger in Ed’s direction and gawking at Winry, who was now standing at Ed’s side reading him the riot act, “Is this your old boyfriend, the one you said is a State Alchemist?!”

“YES, THAT WOULD BE ME!” Ed snarled, leaning toward the panicky young man and grinning at him with a wicked, feral smile, “The lady said NO. What part of ‘NO’ didn’t you understand?! ‘N’ or ‘O’?!” He was certain to emphasize the word ‘lady,’ letting Jonathon know in no uncertain terms that he owed her an apology.

Jonathon stood, rooted to the floor. Ed could see his knees shake ever so slightly and felt quite pleased with himself that he could invoke such dread in such a conceited jackass. Yet, it annoyed Ed to no end that he would not leave, standing up to him and the possibility he wouldn’t be the winner in this fight.

“Th—this is none of your business! She belongs t—to me, now!” His poor attempt at belligerence was lost on Ed, whose fury was bordering on meltdown.

“SHE BELONGS TO NO ONE!! SHE GETS TO CHOOSE WHO SHE WANTS TO BE WITH!!” Ed leaned forward in a threatening posture, “AND YOU MADE IT MY BUSINESS WHEN YOU TRIED TO HURT HER!!” Adrenaline coursed through his veins at the thought of taking this punk down several notches.

Jonathon retreated another step but only a step. It was obvious the other man was terrified, trying to put up a brave front and not show fear in front of an opponent, but Ed knew just the trick to change his conceited notion about being superior.

Besides, Ed never could turn down a good fight…

“WELL?! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THAT, YOU FUCKING BASTARD?!!” Ed roared even louder. The young alchemist took another ominous step toward him, waves of hostility radiating from his compact form.

Winry’s former suitor took Ed’s last, firm step as his cue to flee. He spun and bolted from the shop with Ed on his heels.

***

“Don’t forget to look for the Xingese cardamom. It’s more expensive but it has a much nicer spiciness on the tongue,” Garfiel told Al, pointing to the said item on the shopping list, doing his best to ignore the rising din in the other room.

Al poked a finger at another item on the list, “Where can I find the white wine?”

Garfiel waved him off, “Don’t worry about that, Alphonse-kun. I keep wine on hand at all times.”

“Edward, what are you doing to my automail?! Every time you use alchemy on it, it messes up the molecular structure of the metal and carbon compounds!”

Winry’s voice was too loud to ignore this time. Garfiel and Al exchanged puzzled looks.

“I hope that boy isn’t doing something stupid. Again,” Garfiel bemoaned, touching a hand to his cheek and shaking his head.

Al sighed, “Remember who we’re talking about, Mr. Garfiel. Sometimes I think stupid is his middle name.”

“W—wait… Is this your old boyfriend, the one you said is a State Alchemist?!” The all but hysterical voice was neither Ed nor Winry’s.

“Uh, oh,” Garfiel gave a worrisome cluck of his tongue, “I think Jonathon came back.”

Al’s shoulders slumped in defeat, “Oh boy, this isn’t good. Not good at all.”

“THAT WOULD BE ME! The lady said NO. What part of ‘NO’ didn’t you understand?! ‘N’ or ‘O’?!”

Al cringed; he knew that tone of voice all too well. Things were about to get violent.

Jonathon’s timorous answer was indiscernible, but Ed’s response was anything but.

SHE BELONGS TO NO ONE!! SHE GETS TO CHOOSE WHO SHE WANTS TO BE WITH!! AND YOU MADE IT MY BUSINESS WHEN YOU TRIED TO HURT HER!!”

Garfiel began to view the escalating quarrel it in a different light; “Ooh! A challenge for Winry’s hand! How romantic!” He tiptoed down the hall toward the waiting room door with Al trailing behind him.

Al shook his head in disbelief. Ed and Winry had just made up and now his older brother was behaving the very opposite he should in front of her. Adding insult to the sure to come injuries, Garfiel thought that all of this screaming and yelling was romantic!

There was a short pause in the male posturing, but they heard Winry continue her tirade about Ed abusing her automail.

Then: “WELL?! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THAT, YOU FUCKING BASTARD?!” This time Ed’s voice was almost loud enough to loosen dust from the rafters and rattle the windows. Al was certain Ed could be heard as far away as Dominic’s automail shop in the mountains.

Just as the two reached the waiting room and peered around the doorsill, al and Garfiel saw Jonathon spin on his heel and take flight out the door with Ed in hot pursuit.

They watched Winry sprint to the door but not follow after the two men. Instead, she stood fast, hands braced on the doorsill, leaning forward with her effort as she raised her voice even louder, “EDWARD DON’T YOU DARE HURT HIM! IF YOU LAY ONE FINGER ON ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, I’LL RECONSIDER OUR ARRANGEMENT!” she screamed after him, fuming with frustration, “AND DON’T YOU DARE BREAK MY AUTOMAIL, EITHER!!”

Perhaps now would be a good time to point out some important facts to Winry, information that just might help her forgive Ed a little easier, especially if things turned nasty.

“Um…Winry?” Al beckoned casually, gambling on his safety as he stepped out behind the counter.

She spun on him, “WHAT?!!”

“You do know Ed’s just defending your honor, don’t you?” Al pointed out, the very picture of innocence. “You know, Jonathon made some remark to the effect that you’re a ‘sweet piece,’ right?” He feigned a moment of thought and added, “He’s also under the impression you’ll easily cave into his charms and let him have a ‘home run’ with you.”

“WHAT?!” Winry’s volume surpassed Ed’s without even straining. “That…THAT BASTARD!!” She stomped a foot then looked around for something, anything to use as a weapon. Her eyes flashed as they settled on a huge, twenty-inch adjustable crescent wrench tucked into a cubby holes in the shelves behind the counter. Al was astonished at the speed at which she retrieved it and headed toward the door.

“EDWARD! WAIT FOR ME! I WANT FIRST CRACK AT HIM!!” she bellowed as she exited, giving Al the impression that she was an angel of death, dressed in white with the long, loose strands of her blonde hair trailing behind her. She held the wrench high over her head, brandishing it with menacing intent.

Al heaved a sigh of exasperation. ‘Maybe Grim Reaper might be a more apt description…’

The shop was left in a deafening silence, a marked difference after all the shouting.

“This is so romantic,” Garfiel purred with a beatific smile, taking his face in his hands.

“Only with Ed and Winry could that be considered romantic,” Al groaned.

Seconds later, a lopsided grin replaced Al’s frown.

“It’s nice to know some things just never change.”


End of You Can't Hurry Love.


A/N: Next, Equivalent Exchange. The smut will return full force in the final story of the Lessons in Life and Love series!