Hey! This is Wedding Bells, and I'm Stormgirl415, obviously. This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fic on this site, so please, reviewers, be kind.
Disclaimer: If you think I own FMA, then you are completely and utterly blind. I do however co-own Britt with Firegirl210. If you want more stories in this versin of FMA, go check out her account.
"Hurry up, Ed! We're going to be late!" Al shouted up the stairs, Winry tapping her foot by the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!!" He shouted back, and pounded down, taking three steps at a time. Al snickered at his brother, who returned this with a glare. He was wearing a tuxedo and his usually unruly bangs were slicked back, his hair hanging in a long ponytail down to his shoulders instead of it's usual braid. The only thing that was usual about him was the shock of hair that stood straight up on his forehead. Al's hair, normally sticking up in every direction, had been forced back by large amounts of gel, and he was also wearing a tux. Winry had tied her hair back into a complex knot with thin bangs hanging in front of her face, and she was wearing an extremely pretty blue dress, a small white bag in her hand. Ed looked grumpy as they walked through the main room of the hotel they were staying at in Central City. "I still don't see why we have to be there three hours early." Winry smacked his shoulder as they walked down the street. "Because, I have to help Riza get ready, and you have to keep Major Armstrong from crushing Roy before the wedding!" Al nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "She has a point Big Brother. Armstrong tends to go a little overboard on the hugs. Remember that time in the hospital?" Ed winced. "How could I forget?" They turned a corner coming up to a large, beautiful building bustling with people setting up the wedding. People were getting decorations up, the seats arranged, and the floral arrangements in the right order. From another hall, delicious scents wafted out as the cooks prepared the dinner for the reception. Ed shook his head. "Heh heh. I can't believe Roy is finally settling down." He watched as some wedding manager directed where some arrangements of lilies should go before laughing out loud, so hard he nearly stumbled. "What's so funny Big Brother?" Al asked, looking a little confused. Ed kept grinning. "Imagine Roy as a dad in a couple years." Al and Winry both started to crack up, the mental image of their favorite General as a father too much for any of them to take. Al finally wiped his eyes. "Who knows...maybe he's like Dominic when it comes to kids." They all burst out laughing again, remembering Dominic with his grandson almost three years ago. Ed turned to Winry. "How is that old geezer anyway?" Winry shrugged. "He's doing pretty good. I go out to see him every few weeks when there isn't a lot of business. Jayson is really cute and getting even bigger. I think he's going to be really tall when he grows up." Ed shrugged. "Well, look at his grandpa." Winry and Al chuckled again, none of the teens noticing who were approaching them.
"Well hello there." The three of them looked up to see a familiar set faces. Havoc looked handsome in a suit of his own, and Naleen looked lovely in her bridesmaids dress. Ed grinned and gave a jaunty salute. "Hey there Captain Havoc. Hey... where's your cigarette?" Havoc grinned, although there was a slightly wistful look in his eyes. "I quit." Ed's jaw nearly hit the ground, but the Captain continued on. "All the other groomsmen are here except for Armstrong. Apparently he ripped his shirt on the way here and had to go home to change, so that gives us a little time." Havoc sighed and stared up at the ceiling of the church. "I hope it gives us time anyway. It's times like these I wish I had a smoke..." Naleen patted his arm, her blue eyes sparkling with laughter. "Just think about something else. Winry, thank goodness you're here, Riza's got a case of pre-wedding nervousness." Winry nodded, then waved back at the boys as Naleen pulled her toward the bride's room. Havoc shook his head. "Come on you two, let's go make sure the General doesn't spontaneously combust."
Havoc quickly led the boys through a couple hallways, careful not to bump into a runner with a major load on his hands. Al looked through all the chaos in astonishment. "If I ever get married, no way am I making it this big." Ed grinned. "Better check with Britt first." Al blushed fiercely, and Havoc grinned mischievously but didn't say anything. "Well, here we are." They had come to a fairly plain door. Havoc opened it to reveal Lt. Falman and Warrant Officer Furey, the other two groomsmen. Falman quickly patted the brothers on the back. "Hey you two, glad you finally got here before Armstrong did." He said, shaking their hands. "Glad we could make it. Where's..."
"Right here." Everyone looked up to see Roy standing in another doorway to the room, dressed in a suit, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway. Al went up to him first. "Congratulations on getting married Roy." The Flame Alchemist smiled as he shook hands with the younger Elric brother. "Thanks, Al." Ed shook hands too. "How'd you get her to marry you anyway? Did you trip her and make hit her head? Getting married with a concussion isn't a very good idea." Roy raised an eyebrow at the younger man. "Why are you asking Fullmetal? Hoping for tips?" Ed stared at him confusedly for a moment until he heard all the other groomsmen, including Al, stifling laughter in the background, and it clicked in his head as he turned bright red from embarrassment. He opened his mouth, ready with a witty comeback, but then the door flew open to reveal a large, blond, weepy man. "General Roy! You must take my most heartfelt congratulations at being married!" Armstrong started running forward to wrap everyone up in a big group hug, but most of them dodged out of the way just in time. Poor Furey wasn't fast enough, and Falman had to rescue his little friend from the Major. Roy laughed and patted the Major's shoulder. "That's very kind of you Armstrong, but could the hugs wait? I don't want to get married with broken ribs." Armstrong laughed and clapped Roy on the back, making the General wince slightly. "Ha! Of course my wonderful friend! May you and Riza have many happy days ahead and wonderful blessings on your home!" Roy was definitely starting to look embarrassed at Armstrong's rather flowery felicitations when Falman and Furey distracted him. The General gave a sigh of relief before turning his one good eye toward the Elric brothers. "Thank you for agreeing to serve as my groomsmen. It means a lot to me." His voice was uncharacteristically gentle and quiet, but Ed and Al could both tell that he meant it. Ed patted his shoulder, purposely using his metal arm and patting him harder than necessary. "Wouldn't miss it for the world General." Roy smiled as Ed gave a slightly crazy grin again. "After all, someone had to keep you from humiliating yourself at your own wedding." Al started laughing as Ed smirked. Roy rolled his eye before smiling craftily himself. "I forgot to tell you, your friends from Xing--Lin and Lanfan, right?--are attending the wedding. They arrived a couple of days ago."
"WHAT?!"
As she walked into the room, Winry could tell things were crazy. The bridesmaid dresses were all the same color as Winry's; beautiful, pale blue that was the same exact shade as the sky. But the designs and styles were all a little different, showing each woman's taste. Gracia Hughes was the only completely calm person in the whole room, and her dress was simple and slightly old fashioned, but beautiful and graceful. Elysia was running around with a basket of flowers, trying not to drop more than necessary and wearing a little frilly blue dress with darker blue flower petals embroidered on it. Sheska was biting her nails, looking self-conscious in her sky blue dress that had sleeves that fell gracefully on her shoulders, but kept sliding down. Naleen was saying something about not needing to fix her hair, assuring them that it wouldn't cooperate anyway. Her dress was exotic as ever, with a layered skirt of two different light blues and a sash of black that drifted across her waist like a shadow. Hayate was whimpering and chasing his own tail, and Britt was standing behind the bride, trying to do her hair, wearing her own simple but lovely dress. It wasn't blue, as she wasn't a bridesmaid. Naleen sighed. "We're all under a little stress." She muttered. Winry took a deep breath. "QUIET!" She yelled. Everyone stopped moving, and Elysia skipped over. "Hi Winry. You have a loud voice." Winry smiled and bent down to the six year old's eye level. "It's good to see you too Elysia. You've gotten so big lately!" Elysia smiled and threw her arms around Winry's neck. Gracia patted the younger girl's head as she picked up Elysia. "How have you been Gracia?"
"I've been doing well, thank you. I hear you've been doing well yourself in Rush Valley." Winry smiled and blushed. Just a year ago she had bought her own building and opened up her own Automail shop in Rush Valley. Unlike some other mechanics, she didn't have to beg for customers--her reputation ensured a steady stream of business. "It's nothing Gracia, really. I just like helping people." She turned to the woman known almost universally as the bookworm. "How've you been Sheska?" The mousy little woman gave a shy smile. "I've been doing pretty good; I've been able to keep a steady job, and I've been having fun with it. I'm also honored that Riza invited me to be a bridesmaid." The bride shushed her and waved off the compliment. "Sheska, you've been a good friend the last couple of years, of course I was going to invite you as a bridesmaid." Winry beamed at the bride. Riza Hawkeye looked incredible in a long white dress. Britt had taken advantage of the lull to work on Riza's hair, pulling it up into a knot, more delicate and fancy then her regular hair-do. "Hey there. Why did you take so long to get here?" Winry rolled her eyes. "Blame the boys. By the way, Al said to say hi." Britt blushed a little. She wasn't a bridesmaid, but she was still helping nonetheless. Her eyes wandered for a moment. "Kibble, do not touch the veil!" The guilty hamster ran back up to Britt, who picked him up and slipped him into a little purse that was at her side. Hayate whined a little bit more and lay down by Hawkeye's feet. "He's been like this ever since all the preparations got started. I think he's sad that he's going to have to share me." Winry knelt down by the dog and scratched the back of his neck. Britt smiled in satisfaction as she finished. "There, done. I don't think we need to do any make-up. You look lovely without it." Riza turned around to look in the mirror to see a beautiful, blushing lady. She smiled and turned in one direction, then looked straight on again. Winry had the feeling she didn't want to seem vain. She turned back to her bridesmaids, all of whom were smiling. Elysia ran up to her. "Miss Riza, you look pretty!" The military officer chuckled and hugged the little girl. "Thank you Elysia. I feel pretty too." Gracia and Sheska patted her shoulders. Winry smiled. "So, how do you feel about getting married?" Riza smiled guiltily as she patted her dog. "Honestly? I'm excited, terrified, and at the same time I feel like running around the room laughing." Gracia laughed. "Don't worry, that's how it's supposed to feel. There's no way around it, but it just makes the ceremony more exciting." Riza smiled and hugged all the bridesmaids and Britt. Naleen pulled back first. "So, are you ready?" Riza took a deep breath. "Yes, I think I am." She quickly picked up the bouquet and the bridesmaids left the room.
Waiting in the main hall for the music to start, the bridesmaids felt impatient. All the congratulations and happy laughs and worrying was out of the way, so now all that was left was the waiting. Rick, the ring bearer, was bouncing on the balls of his feet, the two rings tied to the little pillow on his hand. His red eyes were wide with excitement; this was very different from Ishbalan wedding ceremonies, and he was enthralled by every new thing he saw. Suddenly another door flew open, admitting a large, blonde man who instantly ran over and scooped Riza up into a hug. "Miss Riza, I am so happy to see you being married on this fine day! I wish you the happiest of homes and the most wonderful of days to come!" Everyone laughed and relaxed a little as Armstrong set down Hawkeye--thankfully he had been self aware enough to avoid breaking any bones. Riza laughed and hugged him for a moment. "Thanks for coming Major. It means a lot to me."
"Hey, what are the rest of us, chopped liver?!" Riza looked past the large blonde man to see Havoc, Breda, Furey, Ed, and Al all standing there. She assumed Falman was keeping Roy from incinerating anything in the church. She laughed and hugged Havoc, Breda and Furey around the necks before doing the same to the Elric brothers. "Thank you all for coming. I don't know who I'd rather have here today." Ed sighed and muttered something about Hughes, although made sure to keep it out of Riza's earshot. Breda grinned. "If you thought anything could keep us away from this wedding, you had another thing coming Riza." Everyone laughed as Havoc took the opportunity to murmur something in Riza's ear. She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry Jean, Roy told me, and I'm excited about it too." Havoc's face lit up. No one else had really noticed the exchange. Winry shifted nervously, shifting her flowers from hand to hand. Ed noticed. "What's wrong?" The mechanic blushed. "I'm worried I'm going to trip or something." Ed chuckled, patting her bare shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." Al had overheard and also nodded. "Yeah Winry, you'll be fine." Suddenly the door to the church opened a little. "Groomsmen up front please, we start in five minutes!"
Roy shifted in front of the alter, determined not to let his nervousness show. The church was filled with various members of the military and their families. The musicians were tuning their instruments, and the crowd was chatting quietly. Roy shifted again, starting to feel a little panicked as the room began to spin slightly. He felt a light hand on his shoulder and turned to see his Best Man, looking supportive for once instead of smirking or some other similar sentiment. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. You're marrying Riza, remember?" Roy blinked, then slowly smiled. Ed was right--he was marrying the most wonderful, beautiful, loyal, incredible woman in the whole country. Roy nodded. "Thanks." Ed backed up with a wink. "Anytime." As he stepped back, he pulled at the neck of his suit, feeling the hot, itchy thing closing around his neck. Al bumped his elbow into his side. "Stop it, you can't fidget during a wedding!" He hissed, and Ed sighed, squirming one last time. "Fine, I'll resign myself to torture." Suddenly the whole assembly quieted down as the music began to play. The doors opened, first admitting little Elysia, who threw flower petals high into the air and let them spin back down to earth behind her. Next came Rick the ring-bearer, looking proud in a small suit with the little pillow held out in front of him. Then came Winry, holding a small flower bouquet and blushing, looking excited and happy as she went to one side of the platform. Then shy Sheska, her glasses high on her nose, trembling slightly in excitement. Gracia Hughes came next, looking beautiful and regal, and then lovely Naleen, graceful and lithe as a tigress. Roy smiled to himself; who ever would have guessed two years ago that rebellious and dangerous Naleen would have agreed to be a bridesmaid at his wedding? Then the music changed slightly, and the bride herself walked in. Roy felt his breath catch. Riza looked incredible. She smiled beneath a delicate veil, holding an elaborate bouquet of roses in front of her, her simple white dress flowing around her. She looked up at the alter and met Roy's eyes, smiling. She stepped up and gently took his hand. He leaned forward before the music ended and whispered "You look beautiful." Riza blushed even harder as he drew back a bit and the music stopped. The priest cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
Ed smiled in the crowd of groomsmen, feeling...peaceful. Al noticed and leaned toward him, whispering very softly "What's up?" Ed sighed in happiness. "When you think about it, they'll be together forever. It's actually kind of...cool." Al nodded and smiled too, waving slightly at Britt, who was watching from the second row. She smiled and flashed him a thumbs up before holding a finger to her lips to shush him. By now the couple had put the rings on one another's fingers, and the priest was saying the vows. "Do you, Roy Mustang, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Roy smiled at Riza, and Riza alone. "I do."
"And do you, Riza Hawkeye, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?" Riza smiled even bigger, more excited now than she had ever been in her whole life. "I do." The priest cleared his throat again. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Roy leaned forward and kissed Riza, wrapping his arms around her as the whole assembly of people burst out into whoops and cheers--and in the case of Armstrong, tears of joy. Ed and Al clapped and whistled, and Winry laughed and jumped up and down in excitement. Britt was obviously trying not to cry, and Sheska and Furey had somehow gone from opposite ends of the stage to the corner, and were clinging to each other and sobbing. The couple broke apart and Riza wrapped her arms around Roy's neck as they spun around in pure joy, her feet lifting off the ground. Roy offered Riza his arm, and together they led the whole group of people out of the church to the party.
Winry and Britt carefully sat down next to Ed and Al as the food was served banquet style. Everything looked delicious, especially with all the talking and laughing and congratulations to the happy couple. Winry sighed. "It's so sweet, isn't it?" Al was waving his hand at his tongue, his face turning slightly red as he sampled some of the Xingan Spice Soup. Britt noticed, and motioned for Naleen--who was across the table-- to hand over her water glass."Mhm." Ed said offhandedly as he doused his little brother's mouth with their glasses of water. "Wow. That's hot stuff!" Al rasped, eyes watering from the amount of spice. Then there was a grinning face in front of them, so suddenly it was as if it had appeared out of thin air. "Lin!" Ed yelped as Al squeaked and nearly fell off his chair, saved by Britt. "Hello, friends!" Lin said, grinning so wide they thought his face should fall apart. "Idiot Prince! Why do you have to manifest out of thin air even at a wedding?" Ed snapped, trying to rub off the water he had spilled down his front when Lin materialized. Winry rolled her eyes and picked up a napkin as she greeted one of the Princes of Xing. "Hello Lin. How is Lanfan doing? Is her automail still working well?" She grabbed the front of Ed's shirt and started rubbing the water out, his face turning bright red as he realized he could have just transmuted it into air. "Ask me yourself instead of speaking about me." A voice said, and Lanfan appeared behind Lin, her mechanical left hand resting on her hip. "My Prince, I thought I lost you again." she said with a frown, obviously hoping he hadn't collapsed and begged for food again. "I had to come see our friends the Fullmetal Alchemist and brother. And who are you?" He looked over at Britt in curiosity as she held out her hand. "I'm Britt Taylor. I'm guessing you're Lin Yao of Xing, and Lanfan too." The Prince's grin grew wider as they shook hands. "Oh, so this is your girlfriend Al." Britt looked over at said boy with an amused smile as he tried to looked innocent. Lin was still grinning his 'I want something from you' smile. Ed huffed, pulling back from Winry who was still trying to clean his shirt. "What do you want, Lin?" He said, and the prince's grin wavered slightly. "I didn't become emperor." He said, and suddenly collapsed on his face, looking miserable. Then he looked up with an incredibly cheery face. "Ok, sorry, I had to have a moment." Ed rolled his eyes as he continued. "Actually, I'm a little relieved about it." Ed and Al exchanged a glance of complete disbelief. "If I was emperor, I'd be stuck in the palace, listening to people yattering in my ear all day, and I'd have to find a bunch of brides. This way, I get to travel in style, continue seeing my old friends, and hopefully marry a woman I actually like." Although he didn't say anything, Ed and Al didn't miss the momentary flicker of his eyes at Lanfan. The female bodyguard was preoccupied as Winry did an inspection of her automail. "So Lanfan, how's Foo?"
"He retired a year ago. He is currently training some of my younger cousins in the art of fighting." The pretty girl winced suddenly as Winry pulled at the automail. "It looks like it's in pretty good condition, but make sure you come see me before you go home. There are a couple parts I want to improve. I've gotten even better at automail ever since I built this one for you." The mechanic looked thrilled at the chance to do some automail maintenance on an arm that wasn't in total shambles. Lin slurped the spice soup, not even reacting to the spiciness. Al stared. "How the heck can you eat that stuff?! I burned my tongue on it!" Lin laughed as he finished the bowl. "The Xing people have more refined taste buds." Lanfan rolled her eyes. "Or have already burned their tongues beyond all possible repair."
Roy smiled as he took Riza's hand. His brain was still having a little trouble processing the fact that he was married--actually married--to the most loyal, incredible, stubborn, beautiful woman he had ever met. It probably meant that he would have to change the code he used for his alchemic notes, but every marriage had some compromises. He was also going to have to learn to deal with Hayate...all thoughts seemed to flee his mind as Riza tapped his shoulder. "It's time for me to throw the bouquet!" Roy smiled. "This should be interesting."
Ed watched as Riza made the announcement and all the girls started yelling and squealing and running toward Riza. He leaned over to Al. "Um, what's the deal with the bouquet?" Al didn't look away as Hawkeye started bouncing the flowers in her hand, eyes locked on the strawberry blonde ponytail that was bouncing at the edge of the crowd beside Winry. "Tell you after we see who catches it." Just then Riza turned around, her back to the other girls, and threw the bouquet into the air. It flew over the girls' heads and smacked Edward in the face. It dropped into his lap and he stared at it blankly. "What do I do with this?" He asked Al, who was laughing. "Brother, it means you're going to get married next!" He whispered, nearly convulsing with laughter. Ed turned beet red and squeaked, chucking the bouquet as far away as he could as everyone laughed at his reaction. It soared over more scrabbling hands and landed neatly in Naleen's arms. She smiled broadly and blushed as Havoc flashed her a grin, blushing slightly himself. Roy was laughing, and Winry was giggling so hard she almost knocked over a waiter with a plate of glasses. Ed's face slowly returned to it's normal color as he studiously ignored his brother, who was on the ground laughing. Just then the musicians started to play a little music, getting ready to play the real music for dancing. Roy stood and offered Riza his hand in a silent invitation to dance. She smiled and gently took it as he lead her out on the dance floor for their first dance. Slowly they began to dance, watched by all the guests, Armstrong weepy-eyed in the back. Another couple joined them, and then Kain Furey and Sheska stepped forward too. A few more couples joined, and before anyone knew it, the whole dance floor was full. Ed and Al watched from the side, unaware of the two girls glancing at them from the corner of their eyes. Al nudged Ed, tilting his head toward Winry. "Aren't you going to ask her to dance big brother?" Ed turned bright red again. "Shut up! Only if you ask first!"
"Hey Ed?" Both brothers turned to see Winry there, blushing a little. "Do you...want to dance? Maybe?" Ed blinked and smiled. "Um, sure? I'm not that good of a dancer..." He started to mutter, but she had already pulled him out onto the dance floor. Ed took a moment to look back and glare at Al, who was just smiling innocently. Then his smile turned to a blush as Britt stood up and slipped her hand into his, tugging him after his brother. Ed turned around and started to dance with Winry. It wasn't as hard as he thought, but they were mostly only swaying in place to avoid tripping. "This is kind of fun." Ed thought out loud. Winry shrugged. "It's a wedding. It's supposed to be fun." Ed looked around. Britt had her head on Al's shoulder, her eyes closed as he smiled blissfully and just held her. Roy and Riza were dancing slow and close, looking into each other eyes, obviously oblivious to everything else. Lin and Lanfan were dancing in a slightly different style, and a little awkwardly at being so close. Ed turned his head a little to suddenly see Al and Britt dancing slowly near the edge of the floor. He decided to store that little bit of information for later. Winry's eyes sparkled as she smiled, then she looked in another direction and started smiling a little mischievously. "Look at Havoc!" Ed turned his head slightly to see Havoc and Naleen on the dance floor, not dancing, and he was whispering in her ear.
Havoc smiled as he leaned forward to say something to Naleen. "You know, I have to be the luckiest guy in this room--even luckier than Roy. You're beautiful, smart, funny--and, I admit, little bit crazy. But that's part of what I love about you. Part of why I love you. So..." He unwound his arms from around her waist and dropped onto one knee, pulling a small velvet covered box out of his pocket. Naleen squeaked and covered her mouth, a blush tinting her dark skin with crimson. He opened the box, revealing a delicate silver ring set with a dazzling opal. Hundreds of colors flashed in the stone, catching the light. "Naleen, I love you. Will you marry me?" She dropped down and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her tears. "Of course I will you idiot." She whispered, and the room erupted into cheers. The couple looked up, not aware that the entire room had been watching them. They blushed and stood up, smiling as congratulations rained down on their heads. Roy and Riza were clapping and smiling the widest, knowing that their special day would be even more special because of this. Ed and Al were whistling and whooping, and Winry attack hugged Ed as she cheered, making him blush as Al and Britt laughed at him. Naleen started laughing as Jean slipped the ring onto her finger, the man smiling broadly. With a grin, he picked her up and spun her around once, her still laughing as everyone cheered and laughed with them. The band struck up a loud tune that sent all the couples spinning again, dancing and laughing and talking. Al spun Britt in a wide arc, her loose green skirt spraying out like a fountain as they twirled. Winry spun around with Ed, both of them smiling and breathless. "I didn't know that was going to happen." Ed grinned. "Well, it's not like we all weren't expecting it eventually. I think they'll be happy together." Winry nodded. "Also, Naleen will be able to keep Havoc in line." Ed laughed at that. He looked over to see Lin and Lanfan, who looked like they were planning something. Ed narrowed his eyes.
"What are those two up to?" Suddenly they both stopped dancing, stepped back from each other, and bowed. Then they fell into fighting stances, wrists against each other as they circled like fighters in a ring. Lin's foot shot out and arced towards Lanfan's head, and she gracefully swirled out of the way, snapping her arm towards him. He blocked it by catching her wrist and twirled her around him, sending her green and gold skirt spinning like a whirlpool. "Are they dancing or sparring?" Furey whispered to Sheska, and she shrugged, enthralled by the dance. "I don't know. I read something about the unique dance styles of Xing, but I never imagined anything like this!" Lanfan had danced to the edge of the circle of onlookers, and suddenly spun towards Lin, launching off his shoulder and flying over his head as the crowd gasped. She landed in a crouch and swept her leg out towards his. Lin leaped over it and did a back handspring, landing lightly on the floor and spinning to face her. Ed laughed and Winry clapped, excitement racing through the crowd. Riza and Roy both watched intently as the dance progressed, obviously impressed. Lin grabbed Lanfan's hand and spun her in, and they froze in their position with his hand on her back as he dipped her and her leg kicked out, both breathing hard. The other dancers broke into wild applause, and the two Xingans broke apart with another bow. "That was amazing! What was it?" Britt asked, and Lin gave her a jaunty wink. "An ancient and complex art of my people, taking several years to master, for it is truly an art. Ow." Lanfan had jabbed him in the side with her automail arm.
"It's called The Circling Dragon. It combines elements of classical dancing and martial arts to mimic the flow and shift of life and the world. That was only one small portion of it. It takes a master to learn it in it's entirety." Al grinned. "That is so cool. You have to teach us how to do that sometime." Just then, the chef came out of the kitchen, wheeling a cart with a tall, white, decorated cake. Everyone oohed and aahed as Roy and Riza stepped forward to cut the first piece of cake. Roy carefully pulled the piece out, but before he could set in on the plate, a certain black-and-white dog jumped up and snatched it out of midair. "Hayate!" Riza yelled--in too good of a mood and lacking her usual entourage guns-- to do more then laugh at the silly dog. Hayate looked up at his master and her husband, looking quizzical. Roy sighed. "Fine, but just this one time, you little mutt." Hayate wagged his tail hard, jumped up, and knocked the groom back, licking his face all the while. Riza continued laughing as Roy picked the dog up off of him and brushed himself off, completely unfazed--or at least wanting to appear like he was. He rolled his eyes at the dog before looking at his bride. "You should train him better." Riza smacked his arm. "He is very well trained, thank you very much. Better than certain Generals who go into the field and do stupid things." Roy shook his head and hugged his bride, giving her a quick kiss before muttering, "Someone has to." Riza shook her head and continued cutting the cake. Lin gobbled up his whole piece in record time, making Lanfan whack the back of his head for seeming greedy, and Al accidentally stuck his elbow into Ed's plate, making both girls laugh as Ed smashed a piece of his ruined cake in his brother's face. Roy handed a piece of cake to Riza, and as he turned around with his own piece of cake, he suddenly felt something on his nose. Looking down, he saw that Riza had put icing on the tip of his nose as she laughed. A photographer caught the shot on camera, Hawkeye laughing, Roy smiling and looking a little confused with an iced nose. As everyone crowded in and laughed and talked loudly, Ed decided it might not be the worst idea to step out for some air.
Out on the porch of the church looking into the city, Ed felt the cool night air blow through his bangs, all of which had come unslicked over the course of the day and now the evening. He leaned forward on the railing, noting the slight ache in his mechanical joints. The weather was probably going to change in the next couple days--probably rain from the feel of things. He closed his eyes and breathed in, smiling a little. Then he felt a little internal ache--his mom had always loved the smell of rain.
"Hey." Ed turned quickly to see Winry, walking up to lean on the rail next to him. He smiled faintly. "Hey." For a few minutes they just stood there, listening to the sounds of the city, both of them acutely aware of the other's presence.
"I wonder if theirs was like this wedding." Ed looked over at Winry, who seemed lost in thought. "My parents' wedding. There's a couple pictures with mom in her dress and dad in his suit, but I never got a chance to ask them about everything that happened during their day. I wish I could have asked them." Ed gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him slightly. "Sorry Winry. At least they had a wedding, and you have people you can ask about it still." Winry winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"It's ok. I still don't like my dad, but...I don't think I hate him anymore." Ed shrugged and pulled back from her. Winry wished he had kept his arm there. Ed shook his head. "I just came out here because it seemed like things were a little crazy in there." Winry laughed a little. "Well yeah, it's supposed to be crazy, it's a wedding! I loved it when you caught the bouquet!" Ed turned bright red and ran his fingers through his hair. "I really wish Al had told me what it meant before I caught it. I would have made it hit him or Britt." Winry cocked her head slightly. "Wait, you didn't know why the bride threw the bouquet?" A blush came up Ed's neck as he answered. "No. And I have no idea where Al heard that." Winry smiled. "Well, he always asks about things like that. He's really a sweet and sentimental boy. You, on the other hand, are too busy breaking your automail." Ed turned to her with an indignant expression. "Hey! It's been at least a month and a half ever since anything has happened to my arm, and the last time I broke it, it was because Al made me climb a stupid tree to get some cat!" Winry laughed. "Well, if you knew you were going to fall out of the tree, why'd you climb it?" Ed huffed a little. "Because Al was giving me that sad, please-oh-please-do-something look, and I can't just turn down that look!" Ed crossed his arms and continued to try and look grumpy. Winry giggled. "Well, if you didn't come back at least once a month to get your automail fixed, I'd get worried." Ed shook his head. "Why? I thought you would've been relieved if I took care of my arm." A blush slowly appeared on Winry's cheeks as she didn't meet his eyes. "Well...if you come in for maintenance, at least I know you're ok." Ed stared at her for a minute before feeling like his thoughts were coherent enough to answer. "You...worry about me? But I do call sometimes and stuff." Winry fixed him with a look. "Ed, you never say anything over the phone about things you've done that are stupid or dangerous." It was Ed's turn to turn red. "Well...you never know who's listening, and sometimes it's hard to call, and I don't want to worry you..." Winry blinked. "Wait, what?" Ed smiled a little sadly. "Well...if I tell you, then you start getting all worried, then you start panicking, and I don't want to make you cry." He looked down, not sure if he wanted to see her reaction.
"Oh Ed. You idiot." He looked up at her in surprise as she attack hugged him, burying her face into his shoulder. "I hate it when you do stupid things that you could probably kill yourself with, but I like it better when I know you're doing good." Ed blinked. "Well, if you want me to start being blunt over the phone..." Winry shook her head before leaning forward and gently touching his lips with hers. Ed's eyes widened in slight surprise, then he slowly closed them as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he kissed her back. After a minute or two, they both broke apart, still holding each other, a little red. Winry hugged his neck, hiding her face in the dip between his neck and his shoulder. "You are so clueless sometimes." Ed sighed. "Yeah, I've been told before. Mostly by you." Winry chuckled before gently kissed him again.
"Hey, are you two going to spend all night out here?" The teens broke apart to see Al standing in the doorway, grinning. "Breda just tripped and fell into the cake! Come on!" With that he disappeared back inside with a big grin that had more then just what happened to Breda on his face. Ed took Winry's hand, both of them smiling, and they walked into the room, Ed silently promising himself to smack Al later.
Al saw the whole thing from the doorway, and he knew he really shouldn't interrupt...but he just had to. He knew his brother would probably get back at him, but he supposed his revenge couldn't be so bad. He felt a slender hand on his shoulder, and a pair of beautiful green eyes looked up at him. "The porch is open." She said softly, and Al let Britt lead him out the door, her fingers hooked comfortably with his. The cool night air smelled like rain, and he breathed it in deeply. She smiled at him, then shivered as another gust blew by them. "Are you cold?" Her sleeveless green dress looked fairly thin, and Al took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Thanks, Al." She said, and he wrapped his arms around her to warm her up. "Look at the sky. You can hardly even see the stars here in the city." She said, and he looked up. Tiny, faint points of light dotted the sky, and he sighed, rubbing her shoulder. "They sure are bright back in our hometown." he said, smiling at memories. "We used to lie on our backs in the grassy field and just stare at them for hours when we were little. And then Mom would shine a bright light from the second story window, and Winry would run home and Brother and I would go in and be itchy from rolling down the hill..." He trailed off, smiling. "He was so much fun when he was younger." He said, and she withdrew deeper into his arms. "You're so lucky you have a brother." She said, and he nodded. "I know. He used to be everything to me. Him and Winry and Granny..." He trailed off, realizing how much he really had-- how much he had always had. He thought about the girl nestled in his arms and felt suddenly guilty; she had so little compared to him. Her father had died in the battle with the Homunculi, her mother had died long before. She never had siblings, and she had been forced to leave behind all her friends and the people she knew in her hometown of Moto when she discovered a little too much of the truth. He suddenly buried his face in her hair, squeezing his eyes shut and holding her like he would never let her go. "What's wrong, Al?" She asked, her voice soft and gentle in his ear. "Don't you ever leave me, ok?" He whispered, and she pulled back. "What?" He felt tears stinging his eyes as he looked at the strong, beautiful girl in front of him. "Don't ever leave." He wanted to say more, but he found that there was a lump as hard as rock in his throat, and he couldn't speak. "Oh, Al..." She took the hem of her sash and wiped the tears off his cheeks, kissing him when they were dry. "Why would I do a stupid thing like that?" She asked, and he smiled. "I just don't want either of us to loose anyone else ever again." She kissed him again, gently and slowly. "I promise." He sat down on the railing beside her and held her hand, and they watched as the moon rose over the city.
Riza Hawkeye Mustang smiled as she sat down on the sofa a few hours later in her and Roy's apartment, completely exhausted but happier then she had ever been in her life. Hayate jumped up next to her and nuzzled her hand. She smiled as she petted him.
"How are you?" She looked up to see Roy standing there, smiling broadly, his hair a bit ruffled as he sat down next to her. She leaned against him. "Happy. Today was amazing." Roy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. It was." Riza leaned her head back against his shoulder. "I'm just glad everything turned out right." Roy rolled his eyes. "Let's see, neither one of us falling over, Havoc proposing to Naleen, lots of good pictures, everyone being able to come, nice weather...I'd say it was a success." He smiled broadly before turning serious for a moment. "If only Hughes could have been here." Riza turned to her husband, giving him a light kiss and squeezing his hand. "He would have been so happy." They sat for a moment, contemplating, before Roy rolled his eyes. "He would also have been bragging about me settling down and probably suggesting baby names." Riza laughed and turned a little red before leaning against him. "I love you."
He held her close. "I know. I love you too."
Well, here was my story. Please review on your way out!
