Did You Ever?
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, or the songs featured here.
Summary: Who knew Edward could sing? Nicole certainly didn't.
Ed was fuming.
'What could she possibly see in that boy!? He's like a year younger than her!' He fumed mentally, and he reached the lake where he had helped Nicole skate just few hours ago.
"Heh. What a waste of time now." He said silently. The lake was empty now; the kids were in school, the adults working.
He used alchemy to put the snow blades on his boots.
"How dare she start swooning? What does she see anyway?" He yelled, throwing his hands up and his voice echoed around the forest that surrounded the lake.
"I can tell you what she feels!" A voice called out, and standing on the ice a few feet from the trail that led back to the village was the one girl he was venting about. He turned away, but turned his head back when he heard a squeal.
She pulled herself back up and tried to get up but she slipped and fell on her face again.
She grunted and got herself steady, and took a couple slides when she yet again slammed on the ice and slid a couple feet.
She cried out and held her nose, which was bleeding profusely.
He turned around fully when he saw the blood seeping through her fingers.
"What happened?" He called, and she tried to answer, but she got blood in her mouth.
He skated over and pried her hands away from her face.
She started crying as his eyes widened.
"No! No don't cry! Here!" He took a handkerchief and pressed it against her nose, tipping her head back.
"Why did you come out here? You could have had much worse than a bloody nose if you hit your head on the ice." He scolded gently.
"I'b tho thorry! I dint mean to make you so anbry! I was onbly teathing! I'b thorry! I'b feel tho bad!" she cried, and pushed the handkerchief away.
Her nose had stopped mostly stopped bleeding and her face was puffy. His anger melted away at the sight of her so broken.
"Hey…Hey no more crying. I'm sorry for over reacting." He whispered, and used his thumb to wipe the tears on her face away.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
He didn't stiffen up, but hugged her back.
"Shhhh…It's ok. I over reacted, that's all." He whispered, petting her hair back.
"No Ed, it's completely my fault! I shouldn't have done what I did; I know you're still touchy about him." She whimpered, and he slumped, giving her a tight squeeze before holding her at arms length.
"No more crying. We're both sorry, ok? No more crying." He said firmly, smiling and she snuffled, rubbing her face and nodding.
"Now, how about we skate?" He asked, and she tried to stand, but almost fell when he caught her.
He helped her steady, and skated a couple slides away, and they practiced until they heard someone calling.
"Brother! Nicole!" Al was waving at them to come over.
Nicole slowly made her way over, and did another face plant into the snow.
"Ya Al?" Ed asked, gliding over.
"The local shops are going to close soon, so if you want to buy new pajamas, I'd do it soon." He said, and Nicole fell over again trying to stand.
Ed started laughing, and Nicole growled, before sitting up and melting the haphazard blades she had clumsily made, Ed following the lead.
"Are you sure?" Ed asked for the tenth time as she made her way to the register.
"Yes. Why? Do you have a problem with them?" She asked, turning to him.
"No…they're just so…well…plain." He finished lamely, pointing at them.
The pair she had bought was a two piece, pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt. They were both stock white.
"So? It's not like I'm going anywhere." She said, and Ed rolled his eyes.
"Yeah? What about the time you snuck down to Mustang's office in the middle of a thunderstorm because you were scared of the thunder? As I recall, you were wearing pink and purple satin tank top and long shorts." He said pointedly, smirking.
She flushed.
"Well I wouldn't have left if you would've just opened your door! And for your information, Colonel Mustang was not bothered with me there." She said.
"He called and asked me to take you home. It was three in the morning." Ed said; sweat dropping, remembering the moment.
Flashback
"…ZzZzZz…SHE'S WHERE? Yeah, I'll be right over." Ed was half asleep when the phone rang, Roy Mustang asking them to come down to HeadQuarters to pick up their partner, who had knocked on his office door because she was scared of storms.
"Why did you come here?" Roy asked, putting the phone down and turning to the shivering girl, who was curled up on the couch.
"Storms scare the squirrels out of me. Al was babysitting Elysia and Ed wouldn't open his door. I hate storms." She shuddered and yelped as another crack ripped the air.
"I see." The door burst open and a very soggy, angry looking Ed stood in the door, and the lighting cracked again, thunder following.
Nicole let out a small cry and jumped off the couch into the corner of the room, knees up by her nose and covering her ears with her hands.
Ed stared at his usually snappy partner.
"She's scared of storms, Ed. The least you could have done was stayed up with her for a moment." Roy said, folding his arms.
"How was I supposed to know?" Ed snapped, and more thunder came, and Nicole looked as though she wanted to melt into the floor.
"Take her home and get her to bed. She's exhausted." Roy said, before going back to his paperwork with a kind 'Goodnight' to Nicole, who shook and nodded her head.
"Come on Anderson." Ed snapped, coming out of the room. Nicole ran after him, but yelped and crashed against the wall with another 'Crack'.
"You ok?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow at the paleness of his partner.
"J-just get me h-h-h-home E-Elric." She muttered, stalking past him, flinching greatly at the noise.
She ended up staying up all night, tossing huddled in the corner of the living room before Ed forced himself to sleep on the floor while she took his bed.
End Flashback
"I was scared." She said, but before taking another step, a scared child came crashing in, screaming.
"My goodness child! Whatever is the matter?" The old lady behind the counter asked, wiping her hands on a brown apron.
"It's Mile! Her snow fort collapsed on her!" the boy cried, still screaming.
"Where?" Nicole pounced, bending down beside the child.
"At the school yard!" He cried.
"Take me there, quickly!" She said, and the boy took her hand, pulling her down the street. The old lady, Ed and Al along with a few anxious townspeople.
In the little schoolyard, kids were standing around a big pile of snow, and teachers were digging at it, looking panicked.
"MILE!" A kid screamed, frantically repeating it.
"Everyone step away! STEP AWAY!" Nicole cried, and Ed and Al pushed frightened teacher and children back gently.
Nicole clapped her hands and shoved them into the snow.
It morphed into a giant ice castle. Inside that ice castle, in the middle of the cold ground was a small girl.
"MILE!" The boy cried, fighting Ed to get free. The teachers realized what was happening and helped the brothers keep the children back, ordering them into class lines.
Nicole knelt beside the girl, who was very cold, but breathing.
She had a slow pulse, and Nicole picked her up, going into the school.
Ed followed, with Al and kept people from crowding.
Nicole laid the girl down on a teacher's desk and took off her jacket, laying it over the blue girl.
Only Ed, Al, Nicole and the principal were in the room now.
"How is she?" the principal asked, looking at the little girl.
Ed took off his jacket and put it on her as well.
"Doing better." Nicole felt the girl's head, it was getting warmer.
"She doesn't have pneumonia, and she's warming up. Her heart beats getting stronger." Ed said, feeling her wrist for the latter.
Al went out, to help the teachers keep class under control.
The little girl stirred, and opened her eyes. Nicole and Ed stood on each side of her, and she whispered.
"Where am I?" She stared wearily at them. "I'm not dead, am I?" She asked. Nicole smiled and shook her head.
"No sweetie. Your fort collapsed, remember?" she said, pushing a hand threw her hair, relieved, making her hair ruffle pleasantly for a change.
"Who are you? I've never seen you here before. What class?" She asked, trying to sit up, but Ed pushed her back gently.
"We're out of school. My name is Nicole Anderson, and this is Edward Elric." She explained and the girl looked confused.
"Then how come you're so short?" She asked, and Ed growled and Nicole counted to ten.
"I'M NOT SHORT!" Ed exploded, and the little girl laughed.
"I know, he is pretty funny, hey?" Nicole giggled as Ed's angry red face turned to her.
"WHO ARE YOU CALL-" He was cut off when a little boy and his parents came into the room.
"Momma!" Mile jumped off the desk and into the arms of her mom.
"Oh hun!" the lady cried, enveloping her.
"The nice girl and her boyfriend saved me!" Mile said, and the lady turned misty eyed on the blushing teens, who were trying to explain that they weren't romantically involved.
Because, of course Nicole can't just sock her in the nose like she did to Havoc.
"Oh thank you, thank you for saving my baby!" She cried, and pulled them both into an embrace, Ed blushing like crazy.
The father came forward next, while the little boy who had come into the shop earlier played with the girl on the floor with chalk.
"Thank You very much. Can I ask what your names are?" He asked, holding out a hand, which Ed shook then Nicole.
"My name's Ed Elric, the 'Full Metal Alchemist'!" He said proudly, and the principal, the lady her father and the children gasped, then looked at him.
"I THOUGHT I KNOWS YOU FROM SOMEWHERE!" Mile cried, jumping up and pointing at him. Ed rubbed the back of his head, grinning while the little boy tapped his chin thoughtfully and said
"No wonder you're so short." Ed turned red and looked as though he was about to explode.
"I'm Nicole Anderson, the 'Note Alchemist'. Pleased to make you acquaintances." Nicole said, smiling politely.
The lady gasped again and smiled widely.
"You're the alchemist of East! Right?" She said, and Nicole shook her head.
"No, no. You must have heard an old rumor. I went by that name when I sang, but now I go by Note, or Note Alchemist, if you don't mind." She said, and the lady smiled bigger.
"It's little Mile's birthday here soon, and could-" Nicole cut her off.
"-Sing at her birthday? Sounds good, but I'm only here for a week. When's the bash?" The lady grinned.
"Tonight." Nicole fell over, grabbing the desk for support.
"T-T-Tonight?" she gasped, swallowing.
"Is that too little notice?" The man asked, before laughing. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Felio, my wife Tanbrea, and my son Felce. You've met Mile, of course."
Ed looked at his partner, who was calming herself down, and then she smiled, surprising Ed.
"I'm sure my friends can live a night without me. Sure, time and place." She grinned, and Mile danced up and down, grinning and squealing.
Al came in, and the small family cowered before warming up to him, realizing he was a factor in saving Mile. The scrabbled the address and time on a scrap of paper and left, Mile in tow.
The principal ushered them out, and they fought through the throngs of kids getting to class again.
They stepped past the ice castle, and Ed was about to take it down when Nicole stopped him.
"Let them have their fun. It'll melt in the spring anyway." She grinned, and he grinned in return, nodding.
"So you're singing at a party then. Should be fun." Ed said, and Al snapped his attention.
"Huh? I'm guessing I missed something." He said, scratching his head.
"Nicole's singing at a kid's birthday." Ed said bored, and crossed his arms.
"I'm going to go review some songs…Later!" Nicole turned into the hotel and Ed turned in the direction of a store.
"Brother? Where are you going?" Al went after him.
"Christmas is on Thursday, right? We'll be here for it." Ed said, and Al still looked confused.
"…I'm going shopping." Ed sighed, and Al nodded, going into another store, saying something about deciding to do the same.
With Nicole, she was playing some songs and decided to play 'Humuhumanukanukau'Pua'a', 'Same Old Christmas', 'Pumping up the Party Now', and 'Who Said'. She grinned, and started practicing for that night, not knowing what her partners and friends were doing at that minute.
End Chapter
