"This method of falling in love has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!"
Alex sat down at his desk, his muscles flexing and relaxing under his uniform. He sighed animatedly as he glanced out of the window thinking of the only woman he felt he was in love with. Her voice entranced him, her talent was impeccable. He knew he had to make her his, he couldn't hold out much longer.
Ever since he had taken Edward and Alphonse back to Resembool to get repairs, he had felt strange inside, whenever he saw her his heart skipped a beat and when he heard her talk he felt like nothing else mattered.
-Flashback-
The sun shone brightly as he carried Al on his shoulders, Ed stepping next to him clutching his suitcase with his only hand. The fields stretched for miles, cows grazing in them while basking in the sunlight. The trees swayed gently in the breeze catching his words in his throat.
"It certainly is beautiful here," he said after a few minutes with wonder.
"It's rural," Ed replied with a smile. "The nice way of saying there's nothing going on."
"It's been four years brother," Al interrupted after a moment of silence.
"It's really been that long?"
Alex looked ahead and noticed a small puff of smoke rising in the air. As he continued walking with Al on his shoulders he saw a small woman standing there. Her green dress and white apron catching the light. Her glasses perched on her nose reflecting the scenery around her while her grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun which stuck up from the top of her head as if defying gravity.
She smiled slightly and called inside, "Winry, you'd better get out here… Honoured guests."
When he heard that, he was entranced, all sense of where he was just disappeared.
-End Flashback-
He wished that Winry had brought her grandmother with her to Central to repair Ed's automail.
"Pinako," he whispered to himself, "why do I love you so?"
As he asked himself this, the phone rang making him jump. He grasped the receiver and almost dropped it as he brought it to his ear.
"Hello, this is Armstrong," he said firmly down the phone.
"Oh Mr Armstrong," the voice said, "It's Pinako Rockbell."
His heart skipped a beat. "Hello Mrs Rockbell, it's nice to hear from you."
"Yes, it's likewise. I thought I'd call you to let you know that I will be visiting Central in a few days. I thought it would be a good idea to come and help Winry mend Edward's automail after last time."
"Okay, well, how about when you come here we go to dinner?"
There was a short pause of awkwardness, "why that would be lovely Mr Armstrong. I'd love to take you up on that."
"Please Mrs Rockbell, call me Alex."
"Well in that case, why don't you call me Pinako?"
His heart was all a flutter, he couldn't believe that his prayers had been answered, and in such a short time as well.
"Pinako, tell you what, I'll meet you in Central station when you get here, I shall see you in three days." He smiled at the phone and resisted the urge to jump up and punch the air and shout 'YES!'
"Okay Alex, I'll see you then," she replied as she hung up.
He stood there in a daze holding the phone in his hand as Roy walked in.
"You know Armstrong, you'd swear you had just found the love of your life," he said after a moment with a wide smirk.
"I have," Alex replied. "I have fallen in love with Pinako Rockbell."
Ignoring the stupefied stare of Roy, he got up and danced around the desk singing at the same time, humming songs as he moved around the room.
Roy stood there highly amused at Alex's performance. He sneaked outside and grabbed Maes as he was passing the room with his camera. Pulling him to one side and stifling giggles.
"Hey Maes, check this out," he whispered as he grasped his arm. "Armstrong's fallen in love."
"AWHHH!" Maes grinned, "I've got to see this."
He snuck into the room, his camera ready and armed as he lifted it and pressed the button with a loud click. Armstrong didn't notice one bit, he was still too busy dancing and singing about how much he loved Pinako Rockbell.
-A few days later-
He arrived at the station in his bright blue uniform, clutching a humungous bunch of flowers as he waited in the crowd for Pinako. He'd told Ed and Al that he would meet her as they had a lot to talk about. The boys thinking nothing of it grinned and sighed with relief that he wasn't going on about his illustrious family background.
As the train pulled in, he could see the top of her hair bob amongst the crowd who had come off the train. He motioned to her as she dragged her suitcase over to the man who caught her breath and stood out among everyone in the building.
She smiled at him and held her hand out to shake it.
"Hello Alex," she said with a grin, "It's been a while."
"Yes it has Pinako," he replied, "how about we go for dinner now?"
"Sounds nice, let me just drop my bags off at the hotel."
"There's no need for that Pinako, I shall get one of my lieutenants to pick it up and drop it off at your hotel room."
"That's very nice of you. Thank you."
He signalled to one of the men standing by the car. They rushed forward and picked up the suitcase and stuffed it in the trunk of the car. Alex held out his arm for the small woman to take it. She linked her arm with his and smiled happily as they walked over to their escort.
"You know," he said after a moment. "this method of falling in love has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations…"