Title: Thank You
Genre: General/Romance
Pairing: Winry x Schiezka
Summary: Schiezka didn't have a boyfriend, and she didn't like to talk about boyfriends either.
Warnings: Spoiler for the infamous episode 25. Shoujo-ai/yuri. What may be OOCness. And Fading wind's bad grammar.
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

Thank You

Schiezka was hanging out in the coffee lounge during break time. There were several other young female officers there, chatting about guys with much enthusiasm. Every day this same group of female officers would gather in the coffee lounge to gossip. Sometimes there would be a new guy added into their discussion, and sometimes a guy they had been talking about for quite some time would slip out of their conversation. Schiezka felt that she didn't belong. She didn't have a boyfriend, and she didn't like to talk about boyfriends either. She listened to the conversation with little interest, only because she was bored and had nothing to do. Occasionally a girl in the group would blush, or there would be an squeal of excitement from another. The only other person in the coffee lounge who seemed out of place was Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who had never been known to reveal any details of her love life to other people. Some people even wondered if she had a love life. Schiezka once heard a man saying that no one would fall in love with a woman who was in love with guns.

Schiezka finished her cup of coffee and left the coffee lounge, refreshed by the coffee and ready to start work again, but her heart was heavy. She was disturbed by the thought that she wasn't a normal girl. She was a girl of twenty; almost twenty-one, and she still hadn't had a single boyfriend. Schiezka couldn't understand why guys were so interesting. She knew there must be something wrong with herself, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She had been troubled by this for a long time already, and she needed to speak to someone about it. As she entered the office and saw the male officer she was working under the command of, she decided that he would be the best person to speak to about such matters.

"Lieutenant Colonel," Schiezka began. She regretted saying the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. How could she possibly talk to a guy about this? Why not talk to a girl instead? But another part of her assured her that it was the wisest choice to tell Hughes of all people. Hughes was an understanding,caring person. He would know how to deal with the situation.

Maes Hughes looked up from his work with a cheerful face. "Hi, Schiezka!" Then he frowned as he noticed the sober expression on Schiezka's face. "What's up, Schiezka?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant Colonel," Schiezka admitted, fighting her embarrassment. "I don't know how to begin." She paused for a while to gather her words. "Well, there's always this group of female officers in the coffee lounge at break time, and they're always talking about guys."

A knowing smile floated onto Hughes's face. "So you're havingsome troublewith a guy?" he asked.

Startled by Hughes's misunderstading, Schiezka quickly shook her head and corrected him, "No, no, no! I don't have a boyfriend."

"Ah. So?"

"Well, the problem is here, you see. I don't seem to... like guys."

Hughes raised an eyebrow at this. "You don't like guys? Do you happen to like girls then?"

Schiezka's jaw dropped. This was what she had least expected. The possibility of this had never come to her. "What?"

Hughes shrugged. "Well, it's the only logical explanation."

"I don't think I like girls," Schiezka said in an uncertain voice, but just as she spoke, the image of a girl with long, pale blonde hair came into her mind, and she gulped uncomfortably. "Okay, so maybe I do..." she muttered.

"What did you say?" Hughes inquired. "I didn't quite catch that last bit there."

"I said maybe I do like girls," Schiezka repeated, her cheeks colouring.

Hughes grinned. "The problem's solved then. Now, if you don't mind telling me, who's the lucky girl?"

Schiezka hesitated before saying quietly, "Winry Rockbell."

Hughes pondered this, and then he smiled. "I'll help you hint to her in a subtle way, if you like," he offered. "She's a clever girl, and she'll get the hints."

Schiezka was overwhelmed by Hughes's kindliness. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that she had such a nice man as her superior. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Hughes winked.

---

"Do you love me, Schiezka?"

Schiezka looked up, surprised. "Winry?"

"Hughes-san told me that you're in love with me when I was at Elysia-chan's birthday party," Winry explained.

Schiezka blinked a few times before speaking. And when she spoke, she was stuttering, "Oh... Oh... Well... Yeah, I guess... I guess I'm in love with you, Winry." She lowered her head to hide that furious blush.

Winry chuckled. "You're so cute, Schiezka." Winry pushed Schiezka's chin up so that they were face to face with each other, and then she leant in and pressed her lips against the other's.

When she broke the kiss, Schiezka said, "Does that mean you love me too?"

"Yes, it does," Winry replied.

The two of them smiled at each other, and there was nothing in the whole wide world which could cease their happiness at that moment. All of Schiezka's fears about being a different girl; a lesbian, was gone. She cared about nothing but the blonde in front of her. Winry Rockbell was all that mattered to her, and she was all that mattered to Winry Rockbell.

---

It was a fine, sunny day, and two girls were standing in front of a gravestone.

The brunette knelt down to lay a bunch of white flowers onto the ground before the gravestone, and then she turned and smiled at the standing blonde-haired girl, who returned her smile.

"Thank you very much, Hughes-san," both girls murmured together.

Then the brunette stood up, entwined her hand with the blonde's, and the two walked away in silence.

The End

A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this. In memory of Maes Hughes. Please read & review!