Author's Note: I have realized that two out of three of my FMA stories center around bad weather... Weird. I have also noticed that I love teacher/student or boss/worker relationships... Anyway, this is another AU FMA story, only in multi parts this time. I really dig Winry/Roy as a pairing with all of their history. I am using the Anime history though, as a parallel, by killing her parents somehow. This was written over a year ago and I just now got around to typing it up from a hard copy.
I know that normally Winry is quite a strong willed girl, and so bullying probably wouldn't affect her as much. Of course, some of the nicest and strongest people are bullied too. I could just see this story unfolding in my head and knew I had to at least write it down. While right now it is probably T content, there will be M later on. I have a plan.
As an AU story, I apologize if anyone is out of character, as things sometimes happen when they are moved from their world to ours. I tried my best!
Enjoy!
Summary: AU. High school student Winry has dark secrets. Her teacher, Roy Mustang is only trying to help. If she doesn't let him in soon, something terrible is going to happen. Can old wounds be forgiven? Will Ed ever grow taller?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its associated characters. I do not own the title of the story or the lyrics used within; they belong to Paramore. No money is made from this.
When It Rains
Part One: Downpour
And when it rains on this side of town
It touches everything
Just say it again and mean it
We don't miss a thing
Paramore – "When it rains"
The rain couldn't help but pour down; hundreds of thousands of drops per minute, touching everything with an inaudible 'splat.' It seemed to be washing away the sins of the city, into the harsh metal gratings and out to sea.
Her shoes were soaked through, as canvas versus water goes. Her grandmother didn't like her to wear her combat boots to school, though sometimes she snuck them in through her backpack. It was funny though. Her grandmother did not mind the short skirt or low tops her granddaughter wore.
Then again, Winry wasn't exactly sure her grandmother could see them as well. It just depended on her mood. But none the less, this canvas pair was ruined and she would have to wear the others until they dried out.
Even with her plain black umbrella, her clothing was damp from the air with a combined windy day. Her naturally straight, blond hair was curled and full of waves like a golden cascading ocean view.
Her strong legs carried her as fast as possible without running at full speed, which would have been dangerous for the high school senior on her way to school. She didn't actually want to trip and fall, like she had been explaining to anyone that asked when they noticed the plum abrasions in random and visible places.
She wasn't fond of lying to everyone but she didn't want to own up to a dark and almost unbelievable truth; the she was being bullied by girls in her grade, ones who had been her friends she thought.
It sickened her, to the point of losing sleep several nights a week at least. She couldn't tell a soul or it would get worse. It would get back to them through some network of teenage lies and scandal, and then they would do more than just push her in the hallway when no one was looking, bump into her with their expensive backpacks, knock her books from her arms, pull her hair, spread rumors about her personal life that always ended up blown out of proportion, call her names, and get in constant trouble with staff and faculty.
It was already bed enough for all of her teachers and most of her former friends to believe that she was a troublemaker.
Of course, a girl as strong willed as Winry had tried to fight back, to handle all of it on her own, just like she had been doing her entire life since her parents had been killed when she was a child.
One day they had not come home from the practice they ran and Winry didn't understand until her grandmother explained. She couldn't remember exactly how old she was then and rarely brought it up as it was such a painful memory.
There was an auto accident, a big mess, and the other driver escaped with their life. Winry had found that unfair for a long time, how they escaped with minor scars and her parents kept their same ages forever. There was such thing as immortality, when graves were concerned. Someone could be thirty-something forever engraved on stone.
It was nice to have at least two people her age that understood. Her friends and neighbors since birth, the Elric brothers, understood exactly how unfair life could be, after losing their father first and then their beautiful mother not so long after both of her parents.
She would have loved to say that she remembered her parents as strongly as they could recall their mother, but she couldn't. Pictures and stories could only bring them back so much. She felt guiltier than she could ever let on, even around the brothers. They had led much tougher lives than she had; she felt like she had no right to bring them into her troubles, no matter how much they wanted to know.
Well it was mostly Al that wanted to know outright, while Edward pretended not to be concerned. They had been that way their entire lives. She and Edward never seemed to get along, but they cared for each other as deeply as if they were blood siblings.
She had never thought of either him or Al in boyfriend terms, despite the fact that the rumor was always surfacing. In fact, Winry had never had a boyfriend before, which was where all of the trouble started. Her "friends" weaseled information out of her to actually find her a boyfriend, at the time.
It backfired. The girl that was sealing the deal decided that she would rather have the boy in question, even though he was already interested in Winry. It was a typical case of high school jealousy and blowing everything out of proportion as usual.
Every day she was surrounded by faceless hate started by faceless girls with no other motives than their own insecurities. The boy was stupid enough to believe everything, like all of the other sheep. Her reputation was trashed until graduation at least, and that was still months away.
And so Winry was quiet about her suffering, just doing all the time assigned to her before she learned that fighting back was as pointless as trying to bring her parents back from the dead. But the poor thing was starting to lose her grip, being isolated from nearly everyone.
She continued hurrying through the rain, hoping all the clocks in the world were wrong, because if not, she was going to be late once again to Mr. Mustang's class.
She had pulled an all-nighter trying to study for his test. With everything going on, she had forgotten the date of the test until the night before; something that never happened. Sure she had been late before, but not when something so important was so close.
"Oh please, let time be on my side, just this once," she muttered only blocks from the school.
Roy Mustang watched the diligent heads of the students bent over their work or someone else's. He bit back the urge to sigh and sit down at his desk. Being a teacher wasn't high on his list, but it was the only option he had at the moment.
He had been hired on as a substitute and a few years later they decided that he should just stay. His best friend, Maes Hughes, loved teaching and kids while Roy had a hard time understanding them. They could be downright cruel to each other.
He knew a lot of what happened in the classrooms and in the hallways, since the teens were arrogant enough to believe that the faculty never listened. He knew how guys could fight over nothing essentially and how underhanded the girls could strike out at one another.
His dark eyes always observed one student that he had only been acquainted with this year; Winry Rockbell.
Thinking of the young woman, he strolled by one of the wide windows, looking past the rain that sloshed there, to see a feminine figure making her way across the soggy lawn. The water in the fading emerald puddles splashed up her calves and pure white legs. They would be able to hear her coming down the hall when she finally got in the building.
He saw and heard the way the other girls treated her. Did they think him blind or stupid, like a lot of the other staff? He should have disciplined them instead of Winry all the time, but he only had her side as proof, when everything was finished.
He would have to hold her after school again today, but because of her own fault, not someone else's. They were becoming quite the friends, he had kept her so much now.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, came the sounds of wet rubber against linoleum flooring, as she appeared just beyond the other side of the glass. It had taken her a few minutes to argue a tardy slip out of the secretary, since she already had so many for just this semester.
She clicked the door open as quietly as possible, opening it just enough for her slim body to slide into the room, trying not to disturb anyone. She knew as well as Roy did, that she had disturbed everyone.
"Miss Rockbell," Roy started, looking away from the window. She could see Edward's golden head shoot up from his test and hoped he was the only one. She just wanted to take her test if he would let her.
"Yes?" she asked almost painfully. She knew when she was in trouble and right now was one of those times. It was better just to comply with his demands, whatever they might be.
"You're late," he pointed out, as if she didn't already know and as if the rest of the class wasn't already aware from her noisy entrance.
"I know," she winced. She was starting to lose count of how many times she had already heard that this year from only him.
Out of all her teachers, Roy Mustang was probably her least favorite. It wasn't his style of teaching, his assignments, or even how he looked. In fact, to most of the staff, he was something of a model, a piece of art to be worshipped and adored.
It was the single, simple fact that Roy's car had killed her parents years ago. He was the man that had crashed into them, killing them instantly, so she would never see them alive again. He had ruined her life.
But lately, in their afternoon sessions of him watching her as she quietly worked on homework, she found herself hating him less. He seemed less arrogant and haughty that way.
In fact, he was polite and almost caring towards her. It made her re-think the way that she had been behaving all year. Maybe he wasn't her enemy, maybe he was like her, a victim of unfortunate timing and general case of rotten luck.
She couldn't fairly judge if she didn't know the whole story. Her grandmother sure didn't tell her and Roy had never mentioned it in their silent sessions. She and Roy had history, to link them together, something probably not al lot of other students could say.
"Take a seat and then speak to me after class," he told her, handing her one of the tests. She hoped she would at least be able to pass it, to keep from further disgracing herself.
Roy's dark, nearly obsidian eyes carefully surveyed her. Despite her damp appearance, she was flawlessly Goddess-esque as ever.
Her golden hair was like rich waves down her back, swishing as she walked with an air of slight humiliation, to sit beside the always boisterous Elric. Today it covered the slim white shoulders of her black, waist length jacket covering her white tank-top.
His jaded eyes couldn't help but notice that the material was slightly damp, causing it to be nearly translucent where her undergarments were located. Whatever she was wearing, it was lacy. He never would have guessed with her.
That is, until he glanced down to her lap and shapely legs. She was wearing one of his favorite outfits today; her black pleated miniskirt. It fell a ways just above her knees, tempting him for a creeping look.
Roy loved miniskirts. He couldn't help himself; he was just a man after all. He knew it was wrong, sick even, because Winry was one of his students. She wasn't legal age yet. Worst of all, it was his fault that her parents were dead.
He shouldn't have been looking at her that way, but he did, every day she was at school. He wondered if it was part of the reason that he didn't plead her case more, why he insisted on keeping her after school so often. It wasn't punishment or protection was it?
But any way he looked at her, she was beautiful and naturally good natured, loyal.
She would make someone a wonderful girlfriend and an excellent wife once she was ready, or if someone stole her. He figured maybe Edward would develop some hormones and realize the gem he had free access to.
Winry shifted, feeling the intensity of Roy's concentrated gaze upon her. It was nearly always this way though, even when she would stay after school. She wondered if it was because he already knew things about her; if he knew the girls were attacking her privately. It was more like who didn't know.
Winry could hardly concentrate none the less, all the way through class; her normally clear thoughts muddled by stress and the weather. Even Edward finished before she did. Everyone was waiting on her to answer the questions so they could talk.
They all glared, with the exception of Edward, as they filed from the room with quiet whispers. She just remained where she was sitting, while Roy organized the messy stacks of tests.
There was really nothing to look at while she was waiting, except for him. She could feel her body flush some. She didn't want to look at his body, but she found herself unable to look away.
Even through the cornflower blue of his pressed cotton button-down, she could see how developed the muscles of his back were. Any shade of blue looked wonderful on him, her mind filled in. She figured it must have been something about his black hair.
He had been letting it grow out some since the first of the year. It had been very short when they had commenced in September, but now there was enough that it began to fringe over his eyes.
When he would swish it out of the way, half of the female student body would swoon. Winry had found she had been able to resist it less and less.
"Winry?" he was asking, raising both eyebrows as he leaned in. She must have spaced out, not to notice him appearing in front of her like that. She lightly shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs away.
"Huh?" she asked dumbly. Roy had noticed that the girl had rather drifted off in space, like something was on her mind.
"Is everything alright?" he requested again, hoping that she would answer with the first critical thing on her mind. She probably wouldn't though.
"Um sure, it's nothing," Winry explained, trying to pick up her books. She shouldn't have slept in so late and missed a ride to school. It was just as Roy thought, nothing revealed.
"Well, I'm going to have to keep you after school today."
"I'll be here," she smiled humorlessly as he collected the test. Roy continued watching her, even as she walked from the room and met Edward outside.
"What was that about?" he asked as they headed for their next class. She could see Alphonse headed for them as well, a large and friendly smile pasted on his face despite the heavy rain lashing against the windows outside. Al always seemed to be happy, no matter what was happening.
"Just the usual," Winry avoided, knowing all the while Ed would continue to press her about it. "Mustang riding my case."
"Why were you late today?" Ed asked, Winry trying to avoid his sharp and interrogating gaze.
"I just slept late again and Granny didn't get me up in time." She didn't add on why she had been unable to sleep; the nightmares that plagued her of the girls attacking her, of her parents dying, and of Mustang; though he seemed to be moving into another part of her dreams faster than she could comprehend.
"Winry, what is going on with you lately?" Ed asked sternly.
Before she could answer however, Alphonse reached them, cheerfully chattering about his first class and the teacher's remarks on his work. Winry was only happy to provide him with an ear.
Roy sighed, heading for his desk, where his still warm cup of coffee was waiting patiently for him. He had nearly doubled up on drinking the liquid fuel. He wasn't sleeping well these nights, and he didn't want to admit to himself why ad it would be added to his list of wrong.
He could imagine the surfaces of his pillows as her fair skin pressed against his, visualize the golden sheen of her hair fanned out beneath her as he hovered above her, her scent, her soft voice, her intense blue eyes.
He was going to hell for sure.
He held his head in his hands for a while, waiting on students to come back, and for his day to end.
X
"Roy, you can't be too hard on yourself," his best friend and colleague, Maes Hughes explained, holding his hands out as a sign of surrender. "It's not like it's your fault."
"I know, it's just complicated," Roy shot back as they waited for his one detainee to show up from her locker. The bell had just rung moments before and Maes had come down the hall to chat.
"Complicated?" the other man asked, pulling his glasses off to clean them on his shirt.
"Yeah and I bet you can figure out as to why."
But before Hughes had a chance to reply, the complication appeared in the doorway. She gently rapped her knuckles against the frame, not having heard a word of their conversation.
"Oh, Mr. Hughes, I didn't know you were in here," Winry smiled. She knew Hughes well, from babysitting for his wife Gracia, with their daughter Elicia some weekends.
"Winry, would you like to see some pictures of Elicia I took last night?" Hughes beamed.
"She can't Hughes, she has detention for being late," Roy interrupted. If he disliked anything, it was the endless pictures and all of Maes talk of getting married. The man was nearly obsessed with it.
"Roy is so mean isn't he?" Hughes grinned. Winry nodded, trying to smile. Too bad Maes wasn't going to stay. She wasn't looking forward to being alone today. It was unfortunate that she was the only one in trouble with him today, or any day.
Roy cleared his throat, trying to make Hughes move along. He had no business being there.
"Alright, I'm going," he surrendered. "Winry, do you want a ride home today?" Maes hated to think the girl was going to walk around in this type of weather alone and he knew her grandmother wouldn't want her to. It wasn't the first time he had offered.
"Sure, if it's not too much trouble," she smiled. Why make the day worse than it already was?
"No trouble at all," Maes grinned. "Gracia won't mind. Roy, when will detention be over?" he requested, turning his attention back to Mustang.
"Four," Roy said, crossing his arms.
"I'll be here at four then," Maes told them as he headed from the room before Roy decided that he did indeed have heat vision to use on him.
"Come in and take your seat," Roy waved at the desk she had been in hours before. "You know the drill, homework only, no talking, blah blah blah," he smirked settling in to work on test grades.
"I gotcha." She sat down on the cold, plastic surface, taking time to cross her ankles to keep her legs together and not give him a free view. She had been there enough now.
The rain continued softly 'pattering' against the windows, the sky dark from the storm tempest, both of them working in silence.
"Winry, is anything wrong?" Roy asked, his voice quiet and low. It took her a few moments to notice that he was speaking to her, before she made an answer.
"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to play it off as innocent. There were only a few more minutes left anyway. This wasn't much of a detention. If she didn't know any better, she could have thought that Roy was just trying to keep her a little longer.
Almost like he was protecting her. If only he could extend detention until five when the cheerleading practice was over, and the few bullying girls had gone home. But he didn't know all of the practice times or days.
"You know very well what I mean Winry," he said slowly getting up from his desk. She bit her lip furiously, as she began to pack up her things. "The bullying?"
She stopped packing, listening to her heart pounding. So he did at least see, but he didn't understand.
"Oh that," she whispered, avoiding his gaze. "It's nothing."
"Don't say it like its nothing."
"It is nothing," Winry all but snapped, her voice firm, her mouth forming a hard line. She didn't mean to be so short with him. She was plotting how best to leave the school.
Roy was a little taken back by her sudden fervor. He had never heard her raise her voice like that to anyone. It was a touchy subject then; very touchy.
"Alright, just trying to help," Roy explained, trying another, softer approach. Maybe guilt would work better. Maybe she would instantly reconsider the importance of what he wanted her to admit to him. But she didn't give one inch. Whatever it was, she wasn't planning on releasing.
"Look, I need to go meet Mr. Hughes," Winry whispered, shouldering her beg and brushing past him. If she hurried now, maybe she would avoid them. She didn't want to admit anything to Roy of all people. "I'll see you tomorrow, early," she tried to smile, to throw him off.
"Tomorrow," he confirmed stiffly, watching her back retreat. The soft graphite pencil in his hand snapped under his excessive pressure, the pieces falling to the floor with soft 'clacks.' He wanted to burn something. He sat down on the nearest desk before his quiet anger got the better of him.
But much to his utter dismay, a little while later Hughes ran in, rain-soaked and half out of breath.
"Roy, did you keep her longer?" he demanded. Roy's gut twitched. The girls.
"No, I let her got a little early." Maybe she had been pissed enough with him to actually walk home. But Hughes would have seen her if she had left through the front.
"Maybe she went to the bathroom," he suggested.
"I already checked," he explained. Leave it to Hughes to search the whole school for her already. How long had she been gone then? He glanced at the clock. Four thirty already?
"We'll split up then for the classrooms. Then we'll meet at the gym and check there." Hughes nodded to agree and they took off running, checking each individual classroom for her. How had a teenage girl disappeared into thin air?
If nothing else, they could call her home and check to be sure she had maybe just walked. Or find Ed and Al to see if maybe she was with one of them.
But each classroom, hall, and bathrooms were as empty as the next. His gut was twisted so much now, Roy wasn't sure he would ever be able to eat normally again, but his face was stone cold betraying no emotions.
It was his job to keep her safe and he was failing.
"Roy, any luck?" Hughes asked as they met outside of the gym.
"If I had found her, wouldn't I have her with me?" Roy fumed. Hughes was used to it and brushed the tone aside. Hughes green eyes flashed behind his wire glasses warily was they opened the gym doors with a 'creak.'
It was eerily silent, as the girls must have left, their sneakers and squeaky laughs faded away. It was the most opportune place to hide something.
Hughes must have had the same idea, for he signaled Roy to follow him toward the locker rooms. Their footsteps echoed enough to be a heard of animals as they hurried.
Roy's gut was so twisted in on itself now that he was certain that eating would never be the same. He knew, even after they opened the door that Winry wasn't alright.
The semi-dimmed lighting flickered as they divided once again, between all the rows of tall lockers. Roy hoped she wasn't crammed into one of them, but remembered these were girls not boys they were dealing with, so Winry wasn't like Edward and wouldn't be in one of them.
There was a sliver of hope that she had escaped home and that they weren't going to find her here either, but all of that ended when he saw blond hair and fingers curled across the floor behind one of the locker rows.
X