Yeah... I know it took me a while to update this story... Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll try to get the next chapter up faster than this one.
Disclaimer- I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (DUH!)
Roy nodded. "Ah, so nothing?" He paused, then looked down. He pulled a clock from a drawer of his desk, and looked at the time. Well, since there was nothing more to talk about on the previous topic... "Oh, look, it's later. So, what didyou do wrong?" Placing the clock back in its drawer, he shoved it closed.
Folding his hands in his lap, he looked at the two teens. His stare was hard, and he wanted to be sure that nothing escaped him. The slightest sign of guilt could be shown... That and it was an excuse to stall from doing more paperwork. He was supposed to go out and investigate some area after paperwork, so he was eager to get past it, or avoid it.
Amaya sighed. "Nothing. You don't need to pry into our lives, thank you." She quite hated it when people would prod at her life. It was like the adults in her family were trying to live her life, know every aspect of it. Usually visiting Roy was the time she could escape to time alone. But no, he felt like bothering her too.
She was ready to leave; More than ready, in fact. It was so annoying to have to talk to her uncle. Why couldn't she just be let go, free to do whatever? Maybe they just wanted to control her life, every aspect of it.
Ed didn't say anything for a moment. Amaya had a really good point. Well, that and this was starting to just get... annoying. He knew he was stalling from something.
He wanted to leave more than ever. Not because of the subject they were talking about, but because Mustang was just plain annoying the hell out of him. Seemed like he knew how to do that the best.
"Can I just leave now?!" he asked in a louder tone than he had been using previously.
He drummed his fingers one the table a moment, considering the previous question. "Well, you didn't sleep with her, so you're clear. Go ahead and leave..." He lifted a pen from his desk, then looking at the stack of paper on his desk. Mnh... Was there any other way he could stall the writing?
Apparently not.
Amaya, quite relieved, slid back out of her chair and walked confidently to the door. She was free for the rest of the day. What a great feeling it was, having nothing that she had to do. It was just her and the world, nothing stopping her from doing as she pleased. Well, the law, but other than that, nothing would stop her. Thank god.
Pulling the door open, she took a step out. Pausing, she considered saying a goodbye, and decided on remark of her own. "Nice meeting you, Edward." She actually used a civil and kind tone, but it was also a bit teasing. Edward was such a formal name... No wonder most called him 'shorty' or 'Ed'. Pulling herself into the hallway, she closed the door behind her and moved for the door. Ah, sweet sweet freedom.
So he really expected the two of them to sleep together... the perverted bastard. He shook it off as he headed for the door.
He wasn't really too fond of the way Amaya had said his name when she left. He wasn't quite sure why... maybe it was just the way she had said it.
He closed the door on his way out, making his way closer to the door. He was so glad to be getting out of here.
The great outdoors... So much to see, so little time to see it in. And yet, it seemed like she had all the time in the world as she walked confidently from the steps of the headquarters to the street. She was planning on going off somewhere and getting lost, just for the fun of finding her way back. Or maybe meeting someone while asking for directions. That was always exciting.
She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going, in order to get lost. But maybe she would take a train to somewhere, no where in particular. Just... Somewhere. Where she wouldn't be known as Mustang's niece, but as Amaya. Or a foreign girl, coming to the average place. Just somewhere to get away from her reputation.
Ed walked out of Headquarters and started wondering the streets. It felt odd that he didn't have anywhere to be or anywhere to go. It was kinda... nice. Maybe he could find somewhere to eat... yeah, that sounded good. Come to think of it, he was getting hungry. He looked about the streets, looking for somewhere to eat.
He soon came upon a small little restaurant, though being small, it was packed. Luckily, he was able to find a seat and order a little bit to eat. Boy, was he hungry.
She was a bit hungry, due to the fact she hadn't eaten all day. Maybe breakfast would be nice... Or, at this point, probably brunch. Either way, she headed into a small cafe. It was packed.She managed to get a table, closed in by quite teh amount of people. Flipping through the menu, she decided on a fruit bowl. Yes, plain and simple.
Waiting for a waiter/waitress to come, she sighed. After this, she would get lost. No stalling. Her main event today was getting lost, and she had no intention to delay it longer than she had to.
Ed sat there... waiting... for what seemed like a while. Seems like the waitress who had taken his order was also taking her time.
There she is, Ed thought to himself. She had her hands full as she seemed to be dodging the other waiters and waitresses that were busy taking delivering orders from the people they were serving. Though, she seemed to be doing good, it didn't last long. She managed to get to Ed's table, but she was then hit by another waiter, obviously in a hurry, which caused her to drop all she had near Ed's feet.
"I'm so sorry..." she said to him. She sounded as though she was going to cry.
"It's alright." he said, trying to make it so the two of them didn't start a scene.
A crash... It sounded like someone had dropped something. Seeing where, Amaya slid out of her chair and knelt down to help. Sure, she was unaware that Ed was sitting right next to her, but that was what she got for ignoring her surroundings. She began picking up what she could in an attempt to clean the floor. Broken dishes, glass... But it didn't bother her.
After a minute, she bothered to look up and noticed Ed. She felt a light pang in her stomach, as if someone had just hit her. Hard. Pretending that she hadn't noticed him, the girl piled the broken dishes and glass into the one (thankfully) not broken bowl. It was annoying to have her hands burn from a couple of cuts here and there, but nothing more.
What? Amaya was here too? Should he say something to her or...
"Thank you." the waitress said to Amaya, "I'll be right back with your food in just a second." she told Ed as she picked up the bowl which all the broken glass was in and hurried off to the kitchen.
Kinda nice that Amaya helped picking up the glass for that waitress... Maybe she wasn't as bad a person as Ed had thought, but that's just maybe.
Standing, Amaya had to notice Ed. She was looking right at him... Crap. "Uh... Hey." Wiping her hands on the back of her pants, she paused. "I'll just be going now." The teenager tried to slip off, only to be blocked by a group of people exiting. It was a large family... Maybe she could blend in?
Trying to get through to the door, she sighed and waited. So much for the quick exit...
"Doesn't look like you're going to be getting out as quick as you thought you would." he said. It was kinda funny to him, actually, though he wasn't going to laugh about it.
Just by the that way she acted, he could tell she really didn't want to see him. There or anywhere, more than likely. That made it even better. Though, he really didn't mind it at all.
Amaya frowned, clenching her left hand into a fist at her side. Smart-ass... She glanced over her shoulder at the boy, her eyes set in a glare. "Shut up, Shorty." Looking back ahead, she watched as the crowd slowly broke down, the mass of people progressing toward the outside. If only they would hurry...
Drumming her fingers on her pant leg, she played a song in her head. 'Dark Blue' by Jack's Mannequin. It was one of her favorite songs because it had that sort of feel. That feeling that made you feel like there was something, or someone, waiting for you. Waiting to love you. That feeling... It was wonderful.
Ok, that had seriously pissed Ed off, "Who are you callin' shorty?!" he yelled as he got out of his seat headed over to her. Forget his food, he really didn't care about it right now. His hunger was now replaced by anger, and it didn't seem to want to disappear.
If only she hadn't called him that one word. It was the thing that pissed him off the most. He just couldn't stand that word... or anything that was closely related to it.
Closing her eyes in an attempt to calm herself, she angrily glanced at Ed over her shoulder. He could be a real idiot sometimes... But he probably couldn't help it. Wait. Pity for him? I think not. "That would be you, the shortest person here." Her gaze returned forward, the crowd almost clear now.
Come on...
The last person left, and Amaya walked out behind them. Before leaving, she looked back and said in a smart-ass voice, "Though, you can measure if you'd like and look for someone shorter." With that comment out, she slid back out onto the sidewalk, making her exit calm and evil. Yes, evil. And she loved it.
"Fuckin' bitch!" Ed yelled, getting some unwanted attention from some of the other customers. She got on his last nerve. She had gone over pissing him off. He stomped out of the restaurant. He was too pissed to eat now.
Ed sighed, as he walked away from the restaurant. The warm sun on his shoulders felt nice, though his mind continued to race around all that just happened. Out of all the people... why her?! He asked himself. Why did she have to act like that to him? Why did she have to be there?
-ooo-
Something made her pause in step and think a moment. If she was going to get lost, then what if she bumped into one of Roy's dogs again? What if she bumped into Ed? Oh HELL no. Slipping around the corner of the nearest building, she considered her options. She could go back and get something to eat, she could get lost and risk meeting up with someone she knew, or she could go back up on the roof of some building.
She sighed and looked back around the wall. If she went back, there was a high chance of seeing Ed again. Maybe she should just look around for somewhere else to eat. Glancing right and left, she just shrugged and began to step back into the crowd. She would go and find somewhere else to eat, get lost, then find somewhere to stay.
Perhaps if she had noticed that there was a small pipe by her foot, that would have been a wonderful plan. Maybe, if she had even held her balance and not fallen to the ground, the close people in the sea of pedestrians wouldn't have laughed. And maybe, just maybe, if she hadn't scraped one knee no one would have noticed her after that. Really, it is a shame when plans go wrong.
-ooo-
Ed continued walking on. Well, that is, until he heard a few people laughing. Wonder what's going on? He wondered. He walked a little closer over to where the laughing had come from.
He didn't exactly go over there, just close enough to see what was going on.
There lied Amaya. Ed kinda felt sorry for her... No! He couldn't feel sorry for her, not after what had just happened. He sighed as he then turned back to where he was heading. He was still a little mad, or else he would have helped her.
With her cheeks flushed red, Amaya picked herself up from the ground. "Well, that was embarrassing..." Blinking a couple times, she looked at her knee with a scowl. It was bleeding, not a lot, but enough to make her want to go and fix it up. Maybe she should go back? No. If Roy found she was incapable of even handling herself for a couple of hours.
Shaking her head, she tore a bit of her shirt off and tied it around her knee. It wasn't the best, but it would do until she could get something better. She kept her leg bent, for it hurt far to much to walk on it while holding it out straight. Where to go... She'd just get lost. Loosing herself seemed like the best idea now. Little did she know, a certain blond was not too far away.
Why? He continued to wonder to himself. Why do I keep thinking about what just happened to her? He knew it was something Al would scold him over. Al would have told him something along the lines of, "It doesn't matter what she did to you, you should still help her!"
Ed sighed. Even if Al wasn't with him, it seemed as though he acted as his conscience, nagging at him to do what was right. No! He thought, I won't go back. If I see her again, MAYBE I'll help her out. But, if she's acting like an ass, I'll just leave! Yeah, that was a good idea.
Glancing around, she could've sworn that she had seen Ed. But, she decided that her mind was just playing tricks with her. Really, in a crowd of people, what were the chances that the stupid, stubborn, short, cute alchemist was near by? Wait. Cute? I think not. Scoffing as if she had just thought of one of the least intelligent thing ever. Which, to her, she had.
Closing her eyes and walking along, she tried not to think of where she was. She just moved along with the crowd, trying to get lost in the recesses of the city. When she accidentally bumped into someone, she opened one eye and said a quick sorry, then carried on. What she didn't notice, though, was who it was. And if she had known, she probably would've walked a little faster.
What the... come on! A girl had ran into him... and out of all the girls it had to be Amaya. He sighed, noticing that she had scraped her knee. He sighed yet again. He knew he had said he was going to help her. Al would kill me if I went back on what I said. He was really going to hate doing this.
"Amaya!" he said as he started walking over to where she was walking off to. He couldn't believe he was going to do this... Please just tell me to leave! Just act like you always do, please! He hoped madly.
Damn. She recognized that voice. Slipping off to the side of the crowd, she scowled and looked back into it. Yeah, she was right about who it was; Ed. Edward Elric... What. An. Ass. Glaring at the boy, she folded her arms just below her chest. "What," She answered in an icy tone. Quite frankly, she was in no mood what-so-ever to talk to this... This... Army dog.
And yet, she was standing there with a bleeding leg and a bad mood. He probably wouldn't wan to talk to her either. Then why was he calling her name? What in hell did he want from her? Amaya tapped her foot impatiently, thoughts whizzing around.
What could he want with her? They hated each other... Or at least they seemed to.
Ed slipped to where Amaya now stood. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this. Though, he was a little surprised at the fact she hadn't told him to leave her alone. She will after this, though. He was almost positive she would.
"I saw that you fell... and that your knee was bleeding...you ok?" he asked. Though, through that whole sentence, he didn't look her straight in the eyes. He was a little surprised that he had just said that.
Amaya raised an eyebrow in a questioning way as Ed came over. After he spoke, she felt her cheeks burn. Damn it... He saw me fall? But since when did I start caring what the hell he thinks... Looking away, she held her scowl and glared at the ground to her right instead of at the person she was really angry with.
"I'm fine."
Once again she had an icy tone and sharp words as she spoke. She couldn't help blushing, but she could help from going soft on the alchemist. "Not like you give a damn," She muttered afterward, quite angry with herself for blushing. She was about ready to bolt when she noticed that he was also looking away. Wow, can't even look at her.
Ed quickly looked up at her,"Look, I was just trying to be nice." Figures she'd start acting like a bitch once I was actually nice. He thought that, but didn't say it. He knew they'd just end up yelling back and forth with each other if he did. He then noticed her blushing, but why was she? Does it really even matter why? Why am I even noticing that?
Ed really didn't feel like starting a fight or anything. To be honest, he just wanted their bickering to finally end. All it did was cause his day to get worse.
"Right. Of course you were... To be frank, I've never heard a man or boy say that and mean it." Turning around, she felt her heart sink. Sure, it was true what she had said; She wasn't one to lie often. Unless it was to someone that had power over her, in which case she would have no conscience when it came to lying to them. It was only people that she cared about, were about her age, and trusted her. Sadly, Ed was her age.
Shaking her head, she began to walk away. "Do us both a favor and leave me alone, will ya'?" Now she was just annoyed... If only she could just skip this stupid trip and go back home to her friends and family. Then she would be content. Walking the streets when there's nothing to do but watch strangers stare wasn't the most fun thing ever.
"Fine then." he said turning away. If she wanted to be like that, then she could. He knew that she wouldn't change. Why did she have to act like that towards him?
It's not like he really did anything bad? Did he? He kept wondering about it. Wait! Why did he care? Why?!
She felt a bit sorry, brushing him off like that. But why should she care? He was just another army dog. Nothing else. And yet, for some reason, she said what she was thinking. She didn't want to, though, it just came out. Blinking a couple of times, she then spun around began thinking. That was awkward... She replayed the scene in her head.
Sigh.
"Thanks for caring; Not many people do."
That wasn't what she had expected it to end like. In fact, she wasn't even sure if it was over. Hopefully he would just drop it. She knew for a fact that she wasn't about to go off and talk to him like some kind of sad puppy trailing another. But she also felt like she didn't want it to end. As if there was something else to say, something left to hear.
What?! Did... did she actually just say that to me... no way! Ed was more than shocked. She actually... thanked him... He never thought that she would do that. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but he couldn't just...
"No problem..." he said.
That... just seemed odd. Though, what was going on just didn't seem right to him in the first place. It's all because I asked if she was ok. Then again, they weren't fighting. What was so bad about it then? There wasn't anything bad about it. And if he wanted to leave, then why did he say what he just said?
No problem...
She almost turned around then, and yet something made her walk on. She wasn't one of those sappy people who would turn at a simple 'your welcome'. No, she just kept moving on, not even looking back at Ed. Why should she? It was just him... Nothing else. SO why not just continue on, and get lost? Loosing herself seemed to be the best way to deal with things she didn't want to confront.
So much for having it continue. At least this way she could get lost in teh city and be alone with her thoughts. She did this a lot, anywhere she went. But suddenly, she didn't want to be alone. She almost wanted to be back home with her large family, with all those people. But no, maybe something a bit smaller. Like, another person. Or even two people... A person like Ed. But no, she wouldn't go back... Would she?
Ed sighed as he turned back walking on to where he had been going before. It's not like it really mattered to him that she didn't say anything back. No, it didn't at all. He sighed again as he tried clearing his mind.
It didn't seem like there was much else to do now, just keep walking. Though he walked on, he didn't go too quickly. He slowly made his way, looking at things as he passed by. Even though this, though, his mind was still elsewhere thinking of other things. It was... odd, to say the least.
I made this chapter longer than I normally do since I haven't updated in a while. Just thought I'd give you all a treat by doing that. Please review!
Thanks for reading everyone! I really appreciate it!