Settling Down

Chapter 1: Truly Official

The sun shone through the curtains as Edward began to stir and wake up. He thought back on what had happened last night and saw that him and Winry were in bed together, the bed sheet being the only thing covering them up. Ed smiled at the memory, he couldn't believe that the woman he fell in love with not only returned his feelings, but also gave him something he'll never forget. As he was reminiscing the night before, Winry woke up to see Ed smiling. She slightly giggled because it was rare to see him happy.

"Good morning Ed" Winry greeted while planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Morning Winry" Ed replied, "Last night was amazing"

"Yeah" She said happily, "Hey Ed?"

"Yes Winry?" Ed answered.

"What exactly does this make us?" Winry asked.

Ed smiled, "Well, I'll answer that question for you when we go have a stroll" he told her.

Winry was confused, why would he want to tell her later. Maybe he preferred to tell her when they weren't in bed without clothing. The two got up and had breakfast and decided to go have a walk together. Before leaving, Ed grabbed the important component to his answer and the two left to the park they used to go to as kids. It was a quiet morning, the only people up were the market salespeople. As they made their way towards the park, Ed decided to finally speak up.

"Ok, now you can hear me out" Ed started.

"Go on" Winry complied.

"You see, I was always thinking about you throughout my travels. And after what we did at the station, I knew I had to do this right" Ed explained, "Everyday told me how important you are to me and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be the person I am". He reached into his pocket to grab the small box.

"I know we have had our scuffles throughout the years but there isn't anyone I want to have by my side other than you" Ed added, "And you're the only person that has ever made me feel this way"

Ed dropped down to one knee and opened the small box to reveal the silver ring. Winry was surprised, she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her. To top it off, the blue of the sapphire on the ring shared the same shade of blue as her eyes.

"Winry Rockbell, will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?" Ed asked.

Winry couldn't help it, the tears started running down her eyes. "YES!!!" She cried as she pulled Ed into a tight hug sending them to the ground. After they got up, Edward placed the ring on her finger and the two shared another kiss only this one was more passionate. The two eventually returned home and Winry decided to hop onto the phone and call her grandmother about the good news. Ed smiled at how she will become his future wife. Al sent him a letter that he'll be returning the next day with Mei so he can break the news to them soon.

"So, I've told Granny, Paninya and Garfiel and they were all happy for us" Winry told him.

"That's great, Al and Mei are coming tomorrow so we can break the news to them then" Ed replied.

"Great, I can't wait to see the look on their faces" Winry said, giving Ed yet another kiss.

The Next Day

Al and Mei had arrived at Resembool at around 11AM and Ed went off to pick them up. Upon their return home, both Elric brothers had announcements to make to one another.

"Hey brother, I've got something to tell you" Al said.

"Huh, funnily enough, I've got something to tell you too" Ed replied.

"So, who goes first?" Al asked.

"You go ahead" Ed answered.

"Well, to tell you the truth, Mei and I started a relationship a few months ago" Al said as he pulled Mei by the waist.

"Yup, and my brother Ling has approved of our relationship so we're good to go" Mei added.

"That's wonderful, I'm happy for you two" Winry exclaimed.

"I knew it was going to happen" Ed smiled.

"So, what did you want to tell us?" Al questioned.

"Well, you might find this hard to believe but, Winry and I are engaged" Ed said happily.

Upon telling them, Al's jaw had pretty much dropped as low as possible while Mei was covering her mouth with her hands in shock. After the initial shock, the two hugged them for the engagement. It was such a happy time, it was like an early Christmas present for them. As night began to fall, the two were getting ready for bed. They decided to sleep in Ed's room together for now.

"I'm glad you proposed, I was worried you had forgotten our promise" Winry stated.

"I would never forget, especially since I promised myself that I would return just to be with you" Ed exclaimed.

"Thank you" Winry said, hugging him.

"Question, when we were kids, was it true that you wanted to marry someone who is taller than you?" Ed asked.

"Oh Ed, I only said that because I didn't want you and Al to fight over marrying me" Winry explained, "And besides, I would still marry you, even if you weren't taller than me"

"Really?" Ed questioned.

"Of course, there is no one I would want to be with other than you" Winry confessed.

"Good night my gearhead" Ed said, turning off the lamp.

"Good night my alchemy freak" Winry replied, kissing him one more time before the two dozed off. Soon, the couple will see what there is to come in the future.