Fic - Waiting for the Wheel to Turn
Aug. 8th, 2008 01:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessWaiting for the Wheel to Turn
By![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cornerofmadness
Disclaimer – So not mine, all right belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, no profit made, just a lot of fun to be had
Rating – PG-13
Pairing – Ed/Winry
Timeline - manga based, post series, spoilers up to ch 85.
Summary – He’s finally headed home
Author’s Note – written for the random lyric meme, forevil_little_dog who wanted Ed/Winry and got Capercaillie’s Waiting for the Wheel to Turn.
lyrics Sadly there seems to be no You Tube of it. My drabble has an extra 0 at the end and wouldn't fit in a comment...
Warning - character death, and unbetaed at the moment. 0_0!
XXX
The wagon’s wheels moved too slowly, damn it. The train hadn’t been much better. Ed knew he should have just called home with the news but someone had to escort the coffin home. Ed hoped it was his last duty before he retired. Besides Central had spotty electricity and phone lines after the battle.
His crutches banged against his thigh. Ed had pinned his empty trouser leg up and he had spent the trip trying not to look at the vacant space. He didn’t want to face Winry but if he got the leg replaced in Rush Valley on the sly, she’d still know and still kill him. Besides, no one beat Winry’s automail, no one. Damn Wrath anyhow and damn Mustang for saving his ass. Ed would never live that one down. He could see the smug bastard’s face right now and wondered if Mustang would just have strike plates put into the fingertips when he got his new hand to replace the one Envy had torn off.
Al had miscalculated giving the homunculus to Mei. No one should have that power, no matter the reason. Mei would be lucky to survive. She wasn’t conscious when he left Central. They didn’t know why she turned around and headed there, right to Father who revitalized Envy. Three of her limbs would end up automail, along with Colonel Shit’s hand.
No, Ed decided, the Bastard would want his hand smooth, shiny, maybe with decorations etched into it to impress all his lady friends. Well, one lady in particular. The jerk didn’t have Ed fooled. Squirming in his seat, Ed squawked as the damaged port on his thigh fired. His balls nearly retracted into his chest, trying to avoid the feedback washing up and over his pelvis.
“You okay, son?” Old Man Gerrad turned a curious gaze on Ed.
“Can’t that mule go any faster?” Ed grumbled to his driver. He needed to see Winry, the faster the better. Glancing back at the coffin and the flag draped over it, Ed’s gut twisted. He didn’t want to think about what lay under the wood. The pain of that loss was both unexpected and overwhelming. He had wept. Ed couldn’t remember when he had last done that. He had been so concentrated on being strong that there hadn’t been time for tears.
“Patience. You still haven’t learned it, young man,” Gerrad said, ignoring Ed’s glare.
Finally, the yellow house came into view. Gerrad had wanted to go straight to the mortician’s and get the coffin out of his wagon but Ed had insisted, paid extra, to get to Winry’s first. The dead would forgive him. Ed drew in a ragged breath. Winry and Pinako were waiting on the lawn. He should have known word would travel fast in a small town. Some busybody probably called from the train station the moment they noticed he had a coffin in tow. Now he really regretted not calling.
“Ed!” Winry’s voice rang, tight and tense as she started running toward them even as Gerrad was pulling his pokey mule to a halt.
Ed pushed himself up on his crutches, trying to lever himself out of the wagon without Gerrad’s help. He would have ended up face down in the grass without Winry’s strong arms encircling him. He tried to smile at her, to speak, to tell her how good it felt to be home, even temporarily but nothing squeezed past the tightness of his throat.
“Your leg, oh, Ed,” she sobbed then held him tight. Her wet face tucked alongside his neck and he lost one of his crutches as she pulled him closer. Winry’s head lifted and he knew she had to be looking into the wagon. “They called…Ed, did Al…”
“No!” Hell, he was so stupid. “No, Winry, Al’s in Central, in a hospital. The phone lines were cut in the battle. I should have called from one of the whistle stops but I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to come home and see you.”
“Then who is it, boy?” Pinako called, obviously within ear shot. He looked at her and he watched her age before his eyes. “Your father.”
Ed nodded as Winry released her death grip while trying to steady him and retrieve his crutch at the same time. “Hohenheim ended up saving us all but it cost him his life.” Ed glanced back at the wagon. “I think that’s what he wanted. He wanted to come home with Mom.”
“I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t get to know him for long but I liked him,” Winry said softly as her grandmother moved past them to rest her hand on the coffin.
Ed barely registered her telling Gerrad to take the coffin on to the funeral home. “Thank you, Winry,” he said, feeling those unexpected tears trying to form again. While he willed away the cloud burst, Winry took his single bag out of the wagon. As Gerrad headed off to deliver Ed’s father to his next-to-final rest, the young man hobbled slowly up the walk. Winry got the door for him and let him thump his way into the living room. Ed dropped gratefully onto the couch. He’d take a loaner leg as soon as Winry could fit it on him. Crutches were work.
“But what about Al?” Winry asked as Pinako sank into a chair, crying quietly. She put a hand on the old woman’s shoulder but her grandmother waved her off. Winry sat next to Ed.
“He’s back.” Ed cracked with the relief and a tear escaped his vigilant watch against them. “He’s so thin, Winry, so weak. He’s drifting in and out but the doctors’ said he’ll be okay. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.”
“And you believed him? Oh, Ed.” Winry slipped an arm around him. “We’ll go back as soon as we take care of your father. Al needs us.”
“Everyone needs you.” Ed shot her a wry look. “There were a lot of lost limbs.”
“Oh,” she said quietly as Pinako got up.
“I’ll call Mr. Griffith and make arrangements for Hohenheim,” Pinako said. “Unless you want to, Edward.”
He shook his head. “Whatever you think best is okay, Granny. You knew him better.” Ed sighed at that. She just favored him with a sad look then headed into the shop area to make her call. He waited a moment to be sure Pinako wasn’t coming back then said. “I’m sorry, Winry. For everything. For these last years, for not telling you things, for getting you into danger, for leaving you behind, for ruining your good work, for…for…” He flailed for words. “Just for anything I might have done.”
“It’s alright, Edward.” Winry squeezed his hand. “There’s nothing to forgive. I’ve never blamed you. You didn’t choose that path. It was one you had to follow.”
Ed didn’t know what to say. He tipped up her chin with his metal fingers and kissed her. Winry melted into him, her arms constricted so tightly around him he could barely find breath needed to keep kissing. Shifting his weight, Ed hit the faulty port and the kiss ended in a yelp. “I need you, Winry.”
She pushed his hair back. “And I’m right here with you. I always have been.”
This time Ed didn’t even try to stop the tears.
By
cornerofmadness Disclaimer – So not mine, all right belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, no profit made, just a lot of fun to be had
Rating – PG-13
Pairing – Ed/Winry
Timeline - manga based, post series, spoilers up to ch 85.
Summary – He’s finally headed home
Author’s Note – written for the random lyric meme, for
evil_little_dog who wanted Ed/Winry and got Capercaillie’s Waiting for the Wheel to Turn.lyrics Sadly there seems to be no You Tube of it. My drabble has an extra 0 at the end and wouldn't fit in a comment...
Warning - character death, and unbetaed at the moment. 0_0!
XXX
The wagon’s wheels moved too slowly, damn it. The train hadn’t been much better. Ed knew he should have just called home with the news but someone had to escort the coffin home. Ed hoped it was his last duty before he retired. Besides Central had spotty electricity and phone lines after the battle.
His crutches banged against his thigh. Ed had pinned his empty trouser leg up and he had spent the trip trying not to look at the vacant space. He didn’t want to face Winry but if he got the leg replaced in Rush Valley on the sly, she’d still know and still kill him. Besides, no one beat Winry’s automail, no one. Damn Wrath anyhow and damn Mustang for saving his ass. Ed would never live that one down. He could see the smug bastard’s face right now and wondered if Mustang would just have strike plates put into the fingertips when he got his new hand to replace the one Envy had torn off.
Al had miscalculated giving the homunculus to Mei. No one should have that power, no matter the reason. Mei would be lucky to survive. She wasn’t conscious when he left Central. They didn’t know why she turned around and headed there, right to Father who revitalized Envy. Three of her limbs would end up automail, along with Colonel Shit’s hand.
No, Ed decided, the Bastard would want his hand smooth, shiny, maybe with decorations etched into it to impress all his lady friends. Well, one lady in particular. The jerk didn’t have Ed fooled. Squirming in his seat, Ed squawked as the damaged port on his thigh fired. His balls nearly retracted into his chest, trying to avoid the feedback washing up and over his pelvis.
“You okay, son?” Old Man Gerrad turned a curious gaze on Ed.
“Can’t that mule go any faster?” Ed grumbled to his driver. He needed to see Winry, the faster the better. Glancing back at the coffin and the flag draped over it, Ed’s gut twisted. He didn’t want to think about what lay under the wood. The pain of that loss was both unexpected and overwhelming. He had wept. Ed couldn’t remember when he had last done that. He had been so concentrated on being strong that there hadn’t been time for tears.
“Patience. You still haven’t learned it, young man,” Gerrad said, ignoring Ed’s glare.
Finally, the yellow house came into view. Gerrad had wanted to go straight to the mortician’s and get the coffin out of his wagon but Ed had insisted, paid extra, to get to Winry’s first. The dead would forgive him. Ed drew in a ragged breath. Winry and Pinako were waiting on the lawn. He should have known word would travel fast in a small town. Some busybody probably called from the train station the moment they noticed he had a coffin in tow. Now he really regretted not calling.
“Ed!” Winry’s voice rang, tight and tense as she started running toward them even as Gerrad was pulling his pokey mule to a halt.
Ed pushed himself up on his crutches, trying to lever himself out of the wagon without Gerrad’s help. He would have ended up face down in the grass without Winry’s strong arms encircling him. He tried to smile at her, to speak, to tell her how good it felt to be home, even temporarily but nothing squeezed past the tightness of his throat.
“Your leg, oh, Ed,” she sobbed then held him tight. Her wet face tucked alongside his neck and he lost one of his crutches as she pulled him closer. Winry’s head lifted and he knew she had to be looking into the wagon. “They called…Ed, did Al…”
“No!” Hell, he was so stupid. “No, Winry, Al’s in Central, in a hospital. The phone lines were cut in the battle. I should have called from one of the whistle stops but I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to come home and see you.”
“Then who is it, boy?” Pinako called, obviously within ear shot. He looked at her and he watched her age before his eyes. “Your father.”
Ed nodded as Winry released her death grip while trying to steady him and retrieve his crutch at the same time. “Hohenheim ended up saving us all but it cost him his life.” Ed glanced back at the wagon. “I think that’s what he wanted. He wanted to come home with Mom.”
“I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t get to know him for long but I liked him,” Winry said softly as her grandmother moved past them to rest her hand on the coffin.
Ed barely registered her telling Gerrad to take the coffin on to the funeral home. “Thank you, Winry,” he said, feeling those unexpected tears trying to form again. While he willed away the cloud burst, Winry took his single bag out of the wagon. As Gerrad headed off to deliver Ed’s father to his next-to-final rest, the young man hobbled slowly up the walk. Winry got the door for him and let him thump his way into the living room. Ed dropped gratefully onto the couch. He’d take a loaner leg as soon as Winry could fit it on him. Crutches were work.
“But what about Al?” Winry asked as Pinako sank into a chair, crying quietly. She put a hand on the old woman’s shoulder but her grandmother waved her off. Winry sat next to Ed.
“He’s back.” Ed cracked with the relief and a tear escaped his vigilant watch against them. “He’s so thin, Winry, so weak. He’s drifting in and out but the doctors’ said he’ll be okay. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.”
“And you believed him? Oh, Ed.” Winry slipped an arm around him. “We’ll go back as soon as we take care of your father. Al needs us.”
“Everyone needs you.” Ed shot her a wry look. “There were a lot of lost limbs.”
“Oh,” she said quietly as Pinako got up.
“I’ll call Mr. Griffith and make arrangements for Hohenheim,” Pinako said. “Unless you want to, Edward.”
He shook his head. “Whatever you think best is okay, Granny. You knew him better.” Ed sighed at that. She just favored him with a sad look then headed into the shop area to make her call. He waited a moment to be sure Pinako wasn’t coming back then said. “I’m sorry, Winry. For everything. For these last years, for not telling you things, for getting you into danger, for leaving you behind, for ruining your good work, for…for…” He flailed for words. “Just for anything I might have done.”
“It’s alright, Edward.” Winry squeezed his hand. “There’s nothing to forgive. I’ve never blamed you. You didn’t choose that path. It was one you had to follow.”
Ed didn’t know what to say. He tipped up her chin with his metal fingers and kissed her. Winry melted into him, her arms constricted so tightly around him he could barely find breath needed to keep kissing. Shifting his weight, Ed hit the faulty port and the kiss ended in a yelp. “I need you, Winry.”
She pushed his hair back. “And I’m right here with you. I always have been.”
This time Ed didn’t even try to stop the tears.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-08 06:06 am (UTC)I like it, especially the way their kiss ended. Just a bit of humour to break things up. Very Ed.
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Date: 2008-08-08 06:09 am (UTC)glad you liked it. thanks
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Date: 2008-08-08 11:17 am (UTC)Great work!
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Date: 2008-08-08 02:01 pm (UTC)Roy didn't like this ending
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Date: 2008-08-09 01:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 10:34 pm (UTC)BTW, I had a dream you'd appreciate - Roy, Riza and Olivia were in plainsclothes doing an investigation....
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Date: 2008-08-09 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 10:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 03:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-02 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-02 02:55 am (UTC)hmm? did a raw come out or something
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Date: 2010-02-02 03:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-02 03:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-02 11:54 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-02-02 04:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-08 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-08 03:09 pm (UTC)Roy's unhappy. Last time I blew off his leg, now i blew off his hand
no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 02:05 pm (UTC)Ed squawked as the damaged port on his thigh fired. His balls nearly retracted into his chest, trying to avoid the feedback washing up and over his pelvis.
I'm amused that we both came up with the concept of feedback, though probably from very different standpoints. Obviously my biology learning doesn't go as far as yours, so where your concept stemmed from the biological knowledge, mine came from my knowledge in electronics and (actually) music, and I just applied it back, what happens when you have a crossed wire, and one of them is connected to a living nerve? But your description of it is particularly funny here. Did you know kangaroos suck their balls into their bodies when they are boxing? Hee!
no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 02:56 pm (UTC)that's right you did use feedback on the port didn't you.
I mean it only makes sense. It's connected to their nerves. If the port is arcing that has to cause pain. Poor Ed, his femoral, pudenal and sciatic nerves would be involved. It can't feel good
no subject
Date: 2008-08-08 03:12 pm (UTC)That line where hoho would've wanted to be with Mom really got to me.
Still, I don't think I appreciated the pokey mule comment. XD *snickers*
no subject
Date: 2008-08-08 03:48 pm (UTC)glad you enjoyed it.
Roy is very angry with me right now
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Date: 2008-08-08 11:32 pm (UTC)I don't blame Roy for being irritated with you just now. Though you didn't do like
no subject
Date: 2008-08-09 02:24 am (UTC)I'm glad you liked it.
If Al dies, I will freak
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Date: 2008-08-11 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 03:42 am (UTC)