The Empath Alchemist {Edward Elric X Reader}

40

(A/N): thank you so much for your patience. it took a little while to be able make some time to write & publish. please enjoy.

[cw: vague allusions to sex & slightly suggestive themes ahead; nothing graphic, just teenagers being teenagers]

The second of these five days leading up to the Promised Day began with a phone call.

Winry Rockbell was startled from her sleep by the shrill ring of the kitchen telephone. She jolted instantly out of bed, her blond wisps of hair flying about her face. She had momentarily forgotten where she was, having grown unfamiliar with her surroundings. The blonde had arrived very late last night, or rather terribly early that morning. She turned her gaze to her window and caught sight of the hardly risen sun. She couldn't have gotten more than three hours of sleep in her own home.

As the phone proceeded to ring, she rose from her sheets and headed into the direction of the sound. The blue eyed girl stumbled into the space with half closed eyes, stepping blindly over the unconscious body of Ling Yao lying directly in the middle of the floor. With a soft groan, she threw her hand onto the phone handle and lifted it to her ear, ceasing its nagging chirp.

"H'llo, Rockbell residence," Winry grumbled, rubbing the corner of her eye gingerly with scrunched brows.

"Winry!" the voice on the other end greeted urgently, sounding rather thankful to have heard the sound of the sixteen year old's voice answer his call.

Winry instantly perked up, her eyes widening as she registered Edward's all too comforting tone through the hand held tool. "Edward! You- You called," she breathed, unsure of what else to begin with. The call had come as a shock to her, for she had just arrived back in Resembool hours prior and didn't expect any communication from anyone in Central this quickly.

The mechanic rubbed her fingers across her forehead as a means of forcing herself to grow more alert. She looked around the silent house for any signs of other motion, cautious as to not disturb anyone. Fortunately, not even the Xingese boy at her feet had risen from his seemingly deep slumber.

There was a pause on Edward's end, and Winry could only assume that he had taken a moment to calm his rapidly beating heart. The alchemist had been trying to give Winry time before he called the house in case it took the group of people a bit longer to reach the Rockbell's childhood home. Even with the time Ed had allowed Yoki and Ling, he dreaded picking up that phone and failing to reach Winry. Failing to hear her answer him ever again due to Wrath's success in... catching up to her.

But there was no need to fear for the possibility anymore. Winry was alright. She was safe. Ling, Greed, they kept their promise and protected her.

"Of course I called," Ed exhaled. "Are you alright? You made it to Resembool safely?"

"Um, yeah," Winry nodded, resting her palm on her cheek as she leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Ling snore with his cheek pressed against the cool tile of the floor. "Yeah, we made it back at around three this morning."

"And you weren't followed or anything? Wrath didn't track you up there?"

"No. No, Ling took care of him."