Disclaimer: I do not own FMA!
:Randomnormality: Hey everyone! This is the start of a new story in the FMA universe, following the original anime (I have nothing against Brotherhood, but it just flows better following the original). I have a deep love for each character in the FMA world. This story is aiming to be a romance, with political stress due to Creta-Amestrian relations, and will have action in future chapters.
Pairings: Edward/Samantha (OC), Al/Winry and future Roy/Harumi (OC).
BEFORE READING:
Since Amestris is a more mirror-version of Germany in our world, and Xing is more Asian, as Ishval is Middle Eastern, Creta would resemble more of a France/England/Ireland mix. So, when my OC (Samantha) speaks in French, know that it is Cretari and not actually French in this story.
Please leave reviews and let me know what you think of this story. It is slow developing in the beginning, but I hope it is understandable that it takes time for people to gain firm foundations to build friendships on. Do know that I take time to reply to my reviewers and give shout outs in the chapters following. Thanks for reading and please enjoy!
When people ask how they met, many immediately assume they were introduced during a wedding, but very few know the truth of how the little coffee shop on the corner had been the beginning of it all.
Edward
He remembers the first time she caught his attention. It hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. They didn't even speak or exchange formalities of greeting a stranger. After returning to Central from doing some service to the country, rebuilding broken homes and towns from the 'Civil War' Amestris had thrown itself into, Edward Elric stopped at a familiar coffee shop at the corner of two main roads. Ordering himself a mug of black coffee, he thanked the barista with a small, tight smile before taking one of the small, round tables set up outside on the patio dining area. As thoughts of his life, being pulled back through the Gate after two years of living in a world resembling a meer reflection to his Amestrian home had been harder than people realize. He had been more than pleased to return to a world where Alchemy was a consistent science and hadn't changed through ambition and technological breakthroughs. His little brother, Alphonse, had taken a great interest in Alkahestry and had been offered a chance to study in Xing, though he wasn't expected to leave for Xing for another month.
"Can I offer you a refill, Miss?"
Ed's thoughts were pulled away from his inner musings when he realized his own mug had been empty. Hoping to signal the waitress, Ed's gaze lands on the brunette waitress standing next to another table just a few feet away from his own. Two books, one apparently a notebook while the other appeared to be a sketch pad of some kind, splayed open on top of the round table. His sulfur-gold eyes settles on the young woman, no older than himself, sitting at the very table. Bangs colored an almost unnatural black-cherry red color blocked his view of her features, but the tightly-spun curls pulled back, some strands of the odd colored hair loose and draping over her shoulders. Her head nods in a distracted manner as her nimble fingers drag the tip of a pencil along the pages of her sketch pad.
As he thanked the waitress for his own refill, Ed finds his attention settled on her. She didn't appear to be anyone of great importance and he finds it odd that her hair color alone doesn't attract more attention. Her stature, even as she sat in her focused pose, appeared petite and while Ed knew Winry to be more 'top-heavy', from the way this young woman sat, it seemed her curves lay along her hips. His observant gaze continues to look over her and it isn't until a distant chime fills the air that he realizes he's going to run late meeting up with the recently promoted Brigadier-General Roy Mustang. Standing up, he tosses a few Cens onto the table with his empty mug and walks away.
He figured it would be the last time he saw the young woman with strange hair but as days progressed into weeks, and weeks into months, he noticed she occupied the same table, every day at the same time. When he had time, he would watch as she focused on whatever it is she does.
It wasn't until a month after his first glimpse did he realize he made a routine of it to get a glimpse of her at least once a day. Sadly, it wasn't even himself that brought it to attention, but instead his brother, Al.
"Where are we going, Brother?"
Ed glances over at his brother as they walk down the street. Many people knew of the Elric brothers. Ed always sees a reflection of his mother looking back at him from Al's face and it makes him remember just how important family is. Alphonse Elric really did resemble their mother, his hair two shades darker than Ed's, pulled back in the Elric Family pony tail His grey eyes gleam with hints of their mother's brown and Ed always manages to smile when looking at his brother.
"I thought we could go have a cup of coffee and spend some time before you ship off to Xing," Ed states casually as the turn down the street to head to the coffee shop.
Al chuckles at his brother, "You had coffee at your apartment."
Ed rolls his eyes as he enters the coffee shop with a small jingle above the door, instantly making his way toward the barista behind the counter, "Good morning, Lisa."
The brunette behind the counter grins widely, "Mornin', Ed. Who's your friend?"
"My brother, Al. Can I get my usual?"
The brunette turns to make both Ed and Al's requested coffees before Ed leads his younger brother to the outdoor patio. Taking a seat at his usual table, he catches a small glimpse of the ruby-haired woman sitting a few tables away, once again engrossed in her work. Today it seems that her hair was left down and brushed the tops of her shoulders, the tightly-spun curls bouncing with each shift of her body.
"Who is she?" Al's question pulls Ed's attention away from her, looking at him in confusion, "The girl you've been staring at for five minutes. Who is she?"
Ed cocks an eyebrow, not realizing he had actually been staring, "Not sure. She's always here, always at the same table and always during the same time."
"Is this why you were so adamant about coming here?" Al asks, his own gaze observing the heavily focused woman, "Is that her natural hair color?"
"I don't know," Ed responds, shrugging his shoulders, "So, how is Winry taking you being in Xing for the next three months?"
As Al blushes and begins telling his older brother about the developing relationship with Winry Rockbell, Ed inwardly sighs as the subject is changed. It had come to a surprise to many people when Al and Winry began dating, but Ed had always known the two of them carried a special bond. To Ed, Winry had always been an older sister, always worried about them during their more tragic years and always smacking sense into him when he acted stupid.
As Al spoke of his excitement in traveling to Xing, movement catches Ed's attention from the corner of his eye to see a brunette approaching the red-head's table. Tension fills Ed for a brief moment. For the past month of observing the red-head, not a single person (other than the waitress) has approached this woman. The brunette's hair is cut in a pixie-styled bob and Ed cocks an eyebrow at the vibrant white streak along her cheek as she greets the red-head with a broad grin.
"Hey," the brunette says, startling the red-head out of her concentration.
"Damn it, Harumi!" Surprise fills Ed as the soft tone decorates the curse, emerald eyes turning up to meet the brunette's own sapphire, "You screwed up my sketch."
Harumi giggles as she drops herself into the chair next to her, her gaze sweeping over whatever the red-head had been sketching, "Sorry about that Samantha," Ed wonders to the slight flinch at the use of her full name, "Though, I have to say, this looks amazing. When are you going to put this into reality?"
"They want it done at the end of the week," Samantha replies, her tone soft and collected, a dimpled grin tugging at her lips, "So, what pulled you out of the mess you call your haven?"
"I just dropped off the newest batch to Maria," Harumi replies, the Xinganese accent affecting her otherwise flawless Amestrian, "I saw you from across the street and figured I'd stop for a quick chat."
Ed watches as the two women speak with a heavy familiarity and the tension fades from him. Sharing a glance with his brother, he ignores Al's cocked eyebrow as he stands from his chair, dropping the Cens on the table. He had never seen someone with such vibrant, deep-green eyes. Maes Hughes and his daughter Elysia had green eyes, but their shade hadn't been that dark of a green. Why did this random woman enter his thoughts? Why did watching her in her heavy focus and calm demeanor become a constant in his life? Why does it matter if he shows up or not?
"Have you ever talked to her?" Ed glances up at Al's question, shaking his head, "Why not? She seems nice."
"I don't even know her, Al."
Al shakes his own head, "Brother, how do you expect to meet new people if you don't try?"
"The past month I've come here, today has been the only time she's acknowledged anyone," Ed states, "I'm more curious than anything. Until today, she's never spoken, or even looked away from her work."
Hours later, the two Elric brothers watch as the train pulls into the station and Al takes the moment to approach his brother about the red-head again, "Brother, just...say hi to her or something."
"I told you to drop it, Al," the golden-haired brother states curtly, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
"Fine, but if you haven't at least approached her by the time I get back from Xing, I'll approach her myself," Al promises, ignoring his brother's glare and flashes him a wide grin, "Just, take care of yourself, Brother. You've already given up a normal childhood and never took the chance to make any connection to people outside of Mustang, the guys, Hawkeye and Rose. Don't let an opportunity pass you up."
Ed snorts but says nothing in response. Giving his brother a clap on the shoulder, Ed forces a grin on his lips as he wishes his brother a safe journey. As the train pulls out of the station and Ed watches it disappear into the distance, Ed groans at the predicament he found himself in. How do you greet a complete stranger without making an ass out of yourself?
Samantha
Samantha D'Angelo had noticed a change in the atmosphere of her favorite coffee shop a month ago. She hadn't been sure what the chance was, or why the hairs on the back of her neck stood, signaling someone was indeed staring at her. Looking up through the veil of blood-red bangs, she feels the air leave her lungs as gleaming gold eyes stares directly at her. Thankful that the full fringe of her bangs blocks her burning cheeks from view, she wonders how someone could have such a peculiar eye color. The color of honey, or Xinganese Whiskey. Shifting her body, she forces down the nervous tick at the blatant staring she is on the receiving end of. It isn't the first time someone has stared at her, but never has it been for very long. Her blood-red hair coloring, so abnormal for Amestrian decent, only makes people realize she is not a native to the country. Most Amestrian's were not fans of her people, Cretari (or more commonly referred to as Cretins), and though she was raised in Amestris, most would see her heritage and their faces would tell of disgust.
As Samantha (or commonly called Sammy/Sam by the few friends she has) forces herself to ignore the burning stare at the top of her head, she continues outlining her newest piece. As lines and shapes take form on the page, her thoughts travel to her memories. She had only been an infant when her mother smuggled her across the Creta-Amestris border to take refuge in the town of Hightower located the West Quadrant of Amestris. She remembers stories of her mother being weary, exhausted and frail by the time she made it to an inn located in Hightower. Apparently the change in atmosphere hit her mother's immune system hard, her mother dying only two years after arriving in the town. The townspeople had been kind enough to take her on as a ward of the state and she lived with an older couple that had done everything they could to help her mother.
A distant chime signals the nine o'clock hour has hit Central City and she is relieved when the burning gaze along the top of her head disappears, heavy footsteps disappearing down the street. Lifting her gaze from her completed sketch, she watches the golden-haired young man disappear among the pedestrian traffic. Inwardly thankful that she would never have to deal with the blatant stare, as if she was some kind of freak, again. Standing from her own seat, she gathers her things and slips it into the single-strap messenger bag. Dropping a few Cens on the table, she begins her trek back to her three-level townhouse located on the outskirts of the Central hub.
If only she had been correct in her belief that the golden-eyed man would never be seen again. Days upon days he arrived around the same time, only to sit at the same table and stare in her direction. Did he know she had been a Cretari refugee? Was there something in her hair? Did she really appear that out-of-place? She noticed he was always alone and sometimes, when she gave into the need to return his glance and looked up through her bangs, she would see a ghost of dark, painful memories gleam as his thoughts and his eyes deepen. Did he lose someone in the Civil War? From the few greets she witnessed him receive, she noticed the respect and authority he is bestowed, and wouldn't be surprised if he had been in the military (although, he did seem a bit young). Then again, they say a twelve-year-old had become the youngest State Alchemist, a prodigy and genius in his own right.
Though, she really wouldn't know. She avoided all of the war propaganda. She traveled all around Amestris to small towns and cities, always hearing tales of the horror some of the major city-states bared witness to.
A month had passed, and slowly, she grew accustomed to the burning stare in her direction. She sat in her usual spot, sketching out the newest piece she needed to finish by the end of the week, when the familiar heavy footsteps greets her. Looking up through her bangs, she double-takes when she witnesses another slightly-younger man with her golden-eyed stalker (the term used loosely and not meant to be taken literally). This new addition had his hair, two shades darker than the golden-blonde, pulled back in the same pony tail. Instead of the same golden gaze, this one's eyes were a soft grey-brown (a rather beautiful color in its own right). He appeared to be taller than the blonde and as the two spoke, she recognized a close familiarity.
"Hey!"
Jumping at the familiar Xinganese-tinted voice, Samantha's eyes widen as the tip of her pencil swipes along the sketch, "Damn it, Harumi! You screwed up my sketch!"
Turning her gaze up, Samantha's dark green eyes meet the sapphire-blue eyes of Harumi Lao-Winslow. The short, pixie-cut styled bob suited the brunette, framing her inter-racial mix of Amestrian and Xinganese features. The slight slanting of her eyes indicates her heritidge, her complection a perfect mix of Xinganese (light tan) and Amestrian (soft pale), nothing like Samantha's stark-pale complection (she could stand in the middle of a desert and her skin would never darken or burn). Samantha always envied her friend's charm, poise and general ease around people, then again, Amestrians are more welcoming to Xinganese than most of the surrounding nations.
As she begins to talk shop with Harumi, Samantha hears the subtle tings of Cens being dropped on the table. Glancing up briefly, she watches as her golden-eyed stalker walks away from the coffee shop with his friend in tow.
"So, Jackson told me before I left the shop that your fabric order came in and he wants you to come in and make sure they were the ones you were hoping for," Harumi states as the two young women leave the coffee shop.
Arriving at the shop, 'Love in Layers' posted above the entrance, the two friends ignore the chime above their heads as they enter the two-level shop. Samantha's rattled nerves instantly relax as the aroma of baked goods and delicious warmth surrounds her as they pass through the parlor area. Harumi murmurs something about starting on the cake designs and Samantha giggles gently at her friend before slipping into the back area of the shop. Rolls of fabrics, beading, lace trimmings and such fills the majority of the room.
"Sammy!" Jackson greets with a wide smile. "I hope this is the fabric you were looking for."
Running her nimble fingers along the powder-blue satin, Samantha smiles as she meets Jackson's gaze, "It's perfect. It's just what I need to do those bride's maids' dresses."
Collecting fabrics and such, Samantha heads up to the second level of the shop, the entire layout catering to dress-making. Getting lost in ideas, fabrics and sewing, Samantha finds it easier to escape the constant mental-appearance of gold eyes.
Two weeks pass and Samantha finds herself patting the head of her Cretari Husky pup as she slips out of her apartment flat. As the early morning sun breaks dawn over the horizon, the ruby-haired woman brings up the hood of her black duster jacket. The last few days have brought forth a decline in temperature around Central and she immediately began pulling out her Autumn/Winter clothing. Her calm and steady gait leads her away from her apartment and further into the waking city of Central. Coming around to her favorite coffee shop, Sam pauses briefly at the sight of the crowded, busy shop. Blinking in surprise, the red-head enters with a chime and patiently waits to make it to the counter.
"Oh, good morning, Sam," Lisa, the barista, greets with a warm, welcoming grin.
"To you as well," Samantha cocks an eyebrow after briefly glancing around the packed cafe, "You seem busier than usual. Did I miss the memo?"
Lisa giggles in good nature, "Today marks the tenth anniversary of the coffee shop's grand opening. We always have a special going on and this year is a free pastry with any coffee order."
Hearing the mocking tone in Lisa's voice, Samantha gives a light laugh, "Well, I will take my usual coffee, but nix on the pastry. I get enough baked goods from Haru-chan."
Taking her coffee, Samantha steps onto the patio area and shifts at the sight of a group of four strangers sitting at her usual table. Glancing around the area for an empty table, her emerald gaze settles on the familiar golden-eyed stalker (the very thought make the situation amusing and bearable). Her eyebrows knit together when she realizes he is glaring relentlessly at her table full of strangers. Seeing no other open tables, Samantha swallows down the nervous lump as she approaches his table.
"Excuse me," she tenses as the golden glare turns on her, the annoyed gleam quickly overtaken by surprise, "Seeing as though there are no open tables, may I join you?"
Edward
He knows the shock shows on his face as he stares into the same deep emerald eyes. Such an impossibly dark shade. Blinking out of his thoughts, he realizes her disposition had become more nervous and he shakes his head to clear his thoughts.
"Um...sure," he murmurs.
"Thanks," she huffs out in relief, dropping into the chair opposite of him, her single-strap messenger bag set by her feet, "Do you mind if I work on something?"
He shakes his head mutely and once again becomes enthralled as she pulls out a small notebook and a large sketch pad. Within minutes, it's almost as though he wasn't even sitting at the same table as her dark gaze focuses. As lines and shapes take form and begins to fill pages, he smiles gently. Of everyone he's ever known, only himself and Al had ever shown such fierce dedication.
"What are you drawing?"
The words leave his lips before he realizes he is talking and amusement trickles in his mind as she jumps slightly. Her gaze shifts between him and the paper, as though unsure how to reply. The subtle nervous ticks in her demeanor, nibbling on her bottom lip and a shift in her posture, causes him to tilt his head in a curious manner. Ed had never really seen such a human version of a puzzle.
"Oh? I'm designing a wedding dress," His eyebrow cocks in surprise, that being the last possibility in his mind, "I run a Wedding Planner service called 'Love in Layers'. I design and make dresses and tuxes, plan and decorate, provide floral arrangements and musical entertainment."
Both of Ed's eyebrows shoot up. That sounds like a lot of responsibility for just one person, but the bright gleam of pride and the dreamy smile on her face is all he needs to know. She truly adores what she does for a living.
"What about you?" she inquires curiously.
"I'm a State Alchemist," he rattles off.
"That's impressive," He blinks curiously, wondering how it's impressive, "I can't even look at an Alchemy book without getting a headache."
He chuckles, echoing her own light giggle, "Well, to be honest, Alchemy is all I've ever really known." He pauses briefly before extending the gloved hand of his right, automail arm, "I'm Edward."
He feels the faint grip along the pressure plates of his false limb, but the warm smile staring back at him causes him to return one of his own, "Samantha, but all of my friends just call me Sam, or Sammy."
"So, what caused you to get into a profession such as wedding planning?" Ed asks curiously, tilting his head slightly.
"Seeing two people pledge their lives, their love, their hopes and dreams, and everything in between, to each other until the end of time, it's enlightening," a soft gleam causes her eyes to glow with adoration, "Knowing that two people are willing to put so much in each other to know that they will always be each other's other half. That kind of love and being seen as a tool building the foundations of such is a high honor."
Ed finds himself lost for words. He had never seen someone have such an innocent outlook on life in general. Surely this woman knew what occurred during the past decade or so. As the morning drew closer to mid-morning, Ed wanders off toward Central Command Headquarters, his thoughts surrounding the almost-naive woman. Maybe it wasn't naive. She seemed to be the type of person to look on the bright side of life, see the good in people.
As his thoughts surround Sam, it isn't until a week after their official meeting did he find himself always sitting with the young woman. Sometimes she would be so focused they would never speak. Other times they would talk for hours until it was time for him to meet up with Mustang and the others.
It was the beginning of a new friendship between the two and it would only grow deeper as time passes.
