Author's Note: Hi everyone. I hope you've all been doing well/have had a good year! I wanted to get this out so much sooner, but honestly a lot's been going on. Between trying to figure out where I want to go to grad school/figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life (*screams into the abyss*), my brother's wedding, and my concussion (yeah…I got a concussion playing field hockey again *laughs uneasily*), there hasn't been a lot of time to write.

I finally managed to crank this chapter out though! I had another idea for a second part that timeline wise would take place in-between the two sections, but it just wasn't willing to be written. So I decided to just post what I had. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Thank you for all the suggestions! I've made a list and will attempt to write them all to the best of my ability! Hopefully my muse will cooperate with me, for now I hope you guys like this :)

Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated :) I really value your guys' feedback!

"Winry."

Winry glanced at him over her shoulder, raising a single eyebrow in a silent question. She didn't seem surprised by the indignant expression on Edward's face.

"Give it back."

She frowned before turning back to play with the toy dog in her hand. "No."

Ed's frown deepened to a glower and he stamped his foot on the ground in frustration. "I had it first!" he fumed.

"So?"

If looks could kill Winry would be a pile of dust on the ground. "So I just put it down for a second cause my Mom called me!" He whined, positively fuming in frustration. Why couldn't she understand that he wanted his toy back? "I wasn't done with it yet!"

Winry harrumphed, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. "Well I have it now," she taunted, sticking her tongue out at Ed. "You'll just have to wait your turn!"

"No!" Ed yelled as he lunged at Winry, "Give it to me!"

Winry screeched as Ed flung himself forward, almost knocking her over in his attempt to retrieve his toy. Ed kept grabbing for it, but every attempt he made was thwarted by Winry dashing out of his reach. "Give it me Winry!" He reached.

"No!" She dodged to her left.

"It's mine!" He closed the distance between them.

"I'm using it!" Winry screeched to a stop, in her attempts to get away, she had accidently cornered herself against the house. She wouldn't be able to duck away with Ed so close.

She turned to see Ed glaring at her, tapping his foot impatiently, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Give me my toy back Winry."

Winry, unwilling to give up but unable to see a means of escape, did the only thing she could think of. "Sure," she smirked, "You can have it if you can get it!"

Ed's eyes widened as Winry pulled herself up to her full five year old height. Her smirk widened into a full on grin as she took the toy in one hand and raised it above her head. Ed ran forward and jumped up as high as he could.

Winry stood on her tip toes, bracing herself against the wall behind herself.

His fingers didn't even brush her outstretched hand.

He tried to brace himself against Winry to go for another reach, but she wouldn't stand still long enough for him to do so.

He stood back from Winry, looking back and forth between her face and the toy in her hand. He was starting to get upset.

"That's not fair!" He cried, stamping his foot in frustration. "Just give me my toy back!"

"I told you could have it back if you could get it," Winry retorted sticking her tongue out at him, "I can't help it you're so short!"

The color drained from Ed's face entirely as a fire lit in his eyes. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HALF-PINT SHRIMP!" he exploded, jumping up and down in place in his tantrum.

"You called yourself that dummy! And I'm not going to give it back to you! I'm not done with it yet, so there!"

Ed's face darkened, growing redder in pent up rage. There may have been a few tears in his eyes, but no self-respecting five year old would ever admit that to anyone. Especially not to a girl.

Running out of options, Ed did the first thing his tiny mind could think of.

He kicked Winry in the shins.

As Winry crumbled, crying out in pain and surprise, Ed quickly snatched his toy back. Grasping his prize, he raised it above his head cheering over the body of his fallen enemy in jubilation.

Winry's wails were probably a good sign he should clear out before someone investigated the commotion, but he was too overjoyed to even think about escaping while he still could.

"Edward Elric!"

Those cheers were quickly cut short when he heard his Mom yell his name, all color draining from his face. Glancing at Winry on the ground and back to the toy in his hand, he realized belatedly that he was probably going to get in trouble for what he did.

A whole heap of trouble.

His mother pushed passed him and knelt beside Winry on the ground. She was still holding her shin to her leg to her chest, her wails having quieted to sniffling and a dripping nose as she wiped at her eyes.

"Winry, what happened?"

"Ed kicked me!" She cried, nearly wailing again as she held her shin even tighter.

His mom frowned, looking at Winry's shin. When she finally leveled her gaze on Ed, he had gathered all the courage he needed to argue his case.

"She took my toy!" He protested, holding out the small dog as evidence, "And she wouldn't give it back!"

"So you kicked her?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Well, yeah. She wouldn't give it back! And she called me short!" His scowl deepened at that. "I'm not short!"

His mother's frown deepened. "Regardless Edward, that is not how we treat our friends. Or anyone else for that matter."

Edward continued scowling. He crossed his arms angrily and looked down at the ground. This wasn't fair at all! "Why are you taking her side?" He grumbled out.

"I'm not taking anyone's side Edward." She knelt down so she was eye level with Ed and placed both hands on either of his shoulders. With a murmured word of encouragement, he lifted his eyes to meet his mom's gaze. "What Winry did wasn't very nice either, but that doesn't give you the right to kick her, do you understand? By doing that you're making the situation worse."

To be completely honest, Ed only somewhat understood. He knew he shouldn't of kicked Winry, but he really wanted to get his toy back. And he did! But to appease his mom, he slowly nodded his head. "Yeah I get it. I'm sorry Mom."

His mother smiled, "Don't apologize to me, apologize to Winry alright?"

Ed huffed but nonetheless turned to Winry. By that point she had stopped crying and had picked herself up off the ground. Ed looked back down at the ground, toing his foot into the dirt as he ground out a soft "I'm sorry Winry."

His mom cleared her throat and Ed glanced up at her for confirmation. She raised her eyebrow and prompted him to continue: "And?"

Ed grit his teeth, "And I promise I won't kick you again."

"It's okay Ed. I'm sorry for taking your toy before you were done." A look from Ed's mom made her continue, "And I'm sorry for calling you short."

Ed stuck his chest out and struck a pose, "Yeah! How could you every call a guy like me a puny little pipsqueak!" A look of complete confidence and serenity graced his face.

Winry frowned. "Well I mean you are. You're shorter than me!"

Ed grimaced and made a noise like the wind was knocked out of him. "Winry," he ground out, a dark aura emanating from his small frame, "You're supposed to agree with me and tell me what a tall guy I am."

"I can't do that!" She cried out, a slight smile in her eyes as she darted past Ed. Calling over her shoulder as she went, "That'd be feeding your de, your delu..your fantasy!"

Ed made an indignant noise before chasing after her. "You take that back Winry!"

Ed's mom watched the two children take off and sighed, shaking her head in fond exasperation. "What are we going to do with them?" Picking up the toy Ed had discarded as he ran after Winry, she returned back to the house to finish making the children's lunch. They'd be hungry after chasing each other around the yard all morning.

*Many Years Later*

"Hey Ed, where's the cinnamon?"

"Huh?" Ed asked, looking up from the newspaper he'd been reading. He glanced over to where Winry stood looking through cabinets in search of the wayward…seasoning? Spice?...Thing. Thing was good.

"The cinnamon," she clarified, turning from the cabinets to look at him. "I need it."

"I haven't a clue. Why?"

"I need it for the new pie recipe I'm trying out," she told him tapping her fingers against the countertop in thought. "I can't remember where I put it last time."

Ed placed his newspaper down on the kitchen table and stood up. Wandering over to his wife, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a small kiss against her forehead. "Why don't I help you look for it then? The faster we find it, the faster you can make that delicious pie."

Winry smirked up at him, "You're only agreeing to help because you want the pie."

Ed put his hands up in mock surrender. "Guilty. But can you honestly blame me?" He asked as he turned to the nearest cabinet and began searching through it, "You're pies are a gift to mankind. And husband-kind. They're just as good as Mrs. Hughes'."

"High praise indeed," Winry murmured, turning to help her husband look.

After a few minutes of searching Ed's triumphant cry filled the kitchen's silence. "Hey Winry, I found it!" He turned to her holding his prize aloft, eyes dancing in merriment.

Winry sighed in relief, a smile gracing her own features at the sight of her grown husband's childlike joy. "Thank you so much Ed," she said reaching out to take it from his hand, "I honestly looked everywhere and–"

Before Winry could grab it, Ed quickly moved the cinnamon out of her reach. Winry frowned, "Ed. I kind of need that if I'm going to finish making the pie."

Ed shrugged. "Yeah, but I went to all that trouble trying to find it. I think I should get a little something for my efforts," he smirked waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "A kiss for my stunning work maybe?"

Winry rolled her eyes and huffed in indignation. "You'll get a pie soon enough if you let me have the cinnamon." She held out her hand, "Now please give it to me."

Ed shook his head, "Yeah no. A kiss for the cinnamon seems like an even trade."

"Ed, give me the cinnamon!"

"No!"

What followed was a chase similar to the many ones they had as children, but one that quickly ended with Ed cornered against a wall, a small smirk still present on his face as he watched his wife stalk towards him.

"Ed give me the cinnamon now."

"How about no?"

She stamped her foot in frustration, "You're being such a child Ed! Please give me the cinnamon!"

Ed's smirk turned into a full blown grin, "And you love me for it. Just give me a kiss and I'll give you the cinnamon."

At this point, Winry was far past the point of no return. She couldn't give into Ed's demands now! It was a matter of principle!

So instead, she lunged forward in a desperate attempt to snatch it out of Ed's hands.

Ed was ready for such an attack it seemed, because as soon as she tried, he caught her around her waist and pulled her to his chest, the hand holding the cinnamon outstretched far above his head.

Ed chuckled as Winry tried to reach the cinnamon, all her attempts falling short. "Well now would you look at that," Ed murmured his grin becoming a soft smile as he looked down at his wife. "Look who's taller now Winry."

And before Winry could protest, he swooped down and captured her lips in a small chaste kiss. Winry quickly stopped her struggling attempt in pursuit of this more pleasurable activity.

When Ed lifted his head away, he smiled before releasing Winry and presenting her with the cinnamon she so desired. "Now was that really so difficult?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Winry grinned as she grabbed the cinnamon, giving Ed a small smack on the shoulder before turning back to her baking, "Shut up you dork. And no using your height to your advantage. It's not a fair fight!"

Ed let out an affronted noise. "You did that all the time to me when we were kids!"

"Yeah," Winry smirked, "Because you were a tiny little shrimp."

Ed's face twisted into a look of indignation, and it looked like he was ready to break into one of his rants about how he was not in any means short, until suddenly his expression smoothed over and a mischievous light grew in his eyes. "Yeah, I was. But now," he lazily strutted over to where Winry was standing and placed his hand upon her head, bending over so they were at eye level, "You are."

Ed darted away as Winry swung at him, laughing as he retreated back to the kitchen table to resume his reading. He placed his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey, I'm just telling the truth!"

Winry shook her head in fond exasperation as she turned back to continue baking, a tender smile spreading across her face.

"Shut up dork."