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Ed sprawled on the couch in the den, a particularly smug expression on his face. His arms stretched out along the back of the couch, his ankles crossed, and he seemed more than willing to lounge there like a young lord. It almost made Winry want to ask just how he'd been treated in Xing while he was visiting Al, but that was all too evident in that smirk and pose. She wasn't reminding herself that Ed usually sat like that. No.
"Looks like you had a good trip," Granny said pointing at him with the mouthpiece of her pipe.
"Xing is beautiful." Ed leaned forward, elbows landing on his knees. "It's…I mean. The architecture. And the landscape! There are imperial gardens that take up acres! Full of fountains and rock formations and statues and fishponds." His mobile face slipped into a scowl. "And peacocks. Gah, those birds are noisy."
Granny chuckled, puffing. "Birds usually are. Even chickens."
"Pretty flashy, though. Some of the courtiers had peacock feather designs embroidered into their clothes. Not everyone wears those stupid flames that Ling did." As if that thought galvanized him, Ed unfurled from the couch. "I brought you some presents." He grabbed a bag, not one of his usual tiny suitcases, but a large, canvas bag, like the military might use. Dumping it on the floor, he unzipped it with a flourish Major Armstrong might be proud of. "Here, Granny!" Reaching inside the bag, he flipped her an aromatic pouch, the scent of it wafting to where Winry sat. "Some sort of special tobacco. Ling picked it out for you. He tried to get me to try it but I don't smoke."
"A little pipe won't hurt you, boy." Granny opened the pouch, pinching a few leaves between her fingers and sniffing at them. "As long as you smoke in moderation."
"Yeah, yeah." He dug into the duffle again, pulling out a square of shimmering fabric. "Here, Winry." Ed didn't toss her gift, actually reaching over, balancing on his free hand, to pass it to her. "I…uh…Al helped pick that out." She thought he might've said, "And Ling, too," but that part was mumbled. As Winry untied the square, Ed went on. "It's traditional women's clothing. Uh. Not like Ran Fan's. That's different. But this is what a," he pitched his voice higher, failing in imitating someone Winry was pretty sure she'd never know, "high class lady would wear." His smile less smug and more embarrassed, Ed scratched at the back of his neck. "I hope you like it."
Winry shook the outfit out, surprised at the weight of it. The fabric was dyed soft lavender blue, stitched with gold and embroidered with colorful silk thread. The design wasn't one Winry recognized; a pair of brass-colored cups, and on the back, a symbol she thought might be fire, but might be something else, too. "Ling chose the designs," Ed told her.
Fingering the cloth, Winry nodded a little absently.
"Go try it on, Winry." Granny shooed her. "I want to see you in those Xingese clothes."
"Me, too." Ed's smile was back to being smug and Winry wondered at it.
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The robe felt like it weighed a tonne. Winry wasn't sure how the women of Xing managed to do anything, wearing this outfit. A pair of silky, flowing trousers fitted up under the robe and Winry was reminded of the clothing Mei had worn while traveling in Amestris. She spared a thought for the younger girl, wondering how she was. If she'd been able to finally teach Al something. If Al had finally succumbed to her charms.
"Wow."
Spinning, Winry folded the robe around herself, staring at Ed. "What do you think you're doing?"
He had the decency to blush, though his quickly averted eyes switched back to her and away again. "You were taking so long, I thought you couldn't figure out how to put on the clothes!"
"You idiot! They're clothes." Winry couldn't figure out how the robe closed. It kept trying to gape open. "Nnph. I can get this."
She could almost hear Ed's smirk. "You sure you don't want some help with that?"
"I'm fine."
Ed sighed. "You're doing it wrong." He pushed the rest of the way into her bedroom, batting lightly at her hand when she tried to keep the robe closed. "There are ties on the inside." Opening the robe, Ed took two silky strings, tying them in a tight bow at her hip. "Now," he tugged at the other side of the robe, fitting it across Winry's torso, "this gets tied over," he tugged again, frowning. "Over…"
Winry felt her cheeks flush. The top didn't want to close over her breasts and Ed pulling at the robe just squeezed them even more tightly. "Ow! Ed!" She swatted at his arm, earning a glare.
"I know how this goes on, Winry!" Stubborn, Ed kept hold of the robe. "Just stand still a second."
"Ed! This top is too small!" She caught his wrist, fighting to hold it away from her body. The robe gaped open. "It's too tight! I can barely breath!"
"It can't be too small! Al said it'd be a perfect fit. So did Ling! You must've gotten bigger up top."
"What?"
"Not that that's a bad thing!" Ed backpedaled hard, grimacing.
"Ed. Tell me why. Ling. And Al. Would know my size?" Funny, Ed was turning red. Everywhere. Well, the whole room was, actually, almost like it was on fire. Winry thought steam might be coming out of her ears.
"Gllk!" He waved his hands frantically. "They didn't! They guessed! I mean! I didn't know your size and I asked for their help!"
Winry stabbed a finger at her bedroom door. "Get out!" She realized, too late, the gesture let the robe drop open, revealing her left breast. Still firmly caught in a bra, it nevertheless had the ability to make Ed's mouth drop open and turn his eyes into saucers. "Ed!" she shrilled.
"Ulp!" His face went red with embarrassment and Ed flung himself toward the door of her bedroom, stumbling over a rag rug and falling flat on his face. The crash shook the floor though Ed's feet kept twitching, as if to continue propelling him out of her room. He groaned, shoving fitfully against the floor. "Damn."
"Winry!" Pinako's voice floated up from downstairs. "Don't destroy the house! Ed can't fix it with alchemy any more!"
"I won't!" Winry hollered back, using her foot to prod Ed in the ribs. "Get up."
"I think I'm dead," he wheezed.
Pulling the robe across again, Winry managed to tie it. It still gaped around her breasts, but maybe she could wear something else under it? Or get it sized up? No, where would she find fabric like this in Amestris? "You're not dead."
"You killed me." Ed spat rug fibers. Or dog hair. Den usually slept on that rug.
"I did not! You tripped on the rug yourself. That's not my fault." She nudged his ribs again, a little harder.
"Ow, ow!" Swatting at her foot, Ed rolled over, his loose cotton shirt riding up over his stomach. "You're so violent!"
"Violent?!" Winry snarled at him. "I have every right to chase you out of my bedroom, you jerk!" She drew her foot back again.
Ed winced at the threat alone, nearly making a crescent with his body. "Winry!" he whined. "Cut it out!" If he kept wiggling around, he'd go up under her bed. Winry scowled at the dust ruffle, then back at Ed. He hunched his body protectively, shooting a quick glance toward the door, his thoughts of escape almost audible.
"Edward." Flinching, he slowly turned his gaze toward her. Winry sighed. Somehow, he managed to remind her of the little boy who'd transmuted the newel post of the staircase into something frighteningly ornate, with lots of sharp teeth and bulging eyes, when he was just six. "Next time you want to bring me a gift, don't make it clothes."
"But I thought you'd like it!" Ed relaxed his defensive position a bit, leaning his elbows on the floor and pushing, so he was almost sitting up. That made his shirt slide back down over his stomach, catching Winry's eye.
She blinked. "Ed?"
"What." He sounded sulky now.
Winry really didn't remember Ed's clothes much. He used to always wear that red coat, but after he gave up his alchemy, he started wearing more sober colors than the eyecatching red and black he'd worn when he was younger. There were those black pants, Winry remembered, though she hadn't really paid much attention to them (her eyes were drawn to shoulders and hands, rather than waists, butts and thighs, though, her memory admitted, Ed did have a nice butt when he was younger). These pants, she was sure she'd never seen before. For one thing, they were black – no real surprise – and had the same sheen as those pants he'd worn years ago. And they were close fitting (and Ed had some nice thighs, too, Winry realized). But the thing that really caught her attention were the scarlet lacings instead of a fly and zipper, and just how low slung the waistband was. (She tried to ignore that trail of golden fur that started below Ed's navel and disappeared under those lacings. Tried. And failed.)
"What?" Ed sounded snappish and spoiled and so like himself, Winry was jarred out of that…whatever it was. At least until she met his eyes and something jolted right through her, making her drop to her knees and pin him back on that rug so she could properly welcome him home.
And if his pants got unlaced and her top got lost and Granny downstairs rolled her eyes and took herself and Den outside for the rest of the afternoon, that wasn't exactly Winry's fault.
She could blame it all on the Xingese clothes.
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