VKLOREO23: Thank you, I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as possible.
Bloodynessie: It was time for Ed to stop moping around and get back on his feet. I'm glad you enjoyed their scene.
Noseinabook145: They might be able to enjoy a few other things, but some things will eventually start going to hell.
Mother Of The Universe: I do really like writing plot twists, there will be quite few more before this story is over. It's funny that you mention Alphonse, because originally he was supposed to have a scene in this chapter. But I couldn't find a place to work it in with the rest of the scenes. That's one of the issues of writing a story with such a big cast, trying to give everyone equal 'screen time'. Don't worry, Al will be in the next chapter. As for Bradley, I don't think I will use him for this story. There's already enough villains and characters to keep track of.
ninelanterns: Grumman's character was always a bit shady in Brotherhood. I wanted there to be a lot of moral grayness in this story. On the one hand, you can excuse Grumman for wanting to get rid of the Hohenheims. But working with someone such as Kimblee could be even worse. As for Ed and Winry, she just needed time to break through his stubbornness.
Frankensnow: It's alright if you miss a few chapters I understand. Usually in the time its taken me to get this chapter out, I would have uploaded three or four. I'll try to get the next ones out sooner. The story in the next few chapters will start to focus more on the growing relationship between Ed and Winry, but we'll still see what's going on in other parts of the city.
Poudinha: I'm glad that their relationship is coming across as realistic. Since this was a slow burn, I wanted their growth to feel genuine.
Criis55: Sorry, as the gap between this and the last chapter have shown I don't really have a schedule for updates. I try to get each chapter out as soon as I can though. My goal is to upload one or two chapters a month, but recently I've been distracted. Thank you for your compliments, they're really appreciated. I do proofread my chapters, but there are always a few mistakes that I inevitably miss. Good news, Envy is in this chapter.
Bleached Socks: Kimblee isn't working for the police, per se. He's working with Mayor Grumman and even then, we're not really sure who's in charge. The challenge of writing AUs is that Ed and Winry usually start off not knowing each other and have they have to build a relationship. Thank you for appreciating this.
SleepinBeautyK: After all of the stress and arguing between the two of them, it was nice to write a pleasent scene between them. Though the baby making process might take some more time.
BakaFangirl: Thank you! I've missed your reviews.
GothPanther: Sorry, I can't promise that no one is going to die. I agree with the Shou Tucker comment, though. I think this version of him is the most despicable character I've ever written. He doesn't get any better this chapter.
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"So what do you two think of this Kimblee guy?"
Yoki glanced up from his cards at the question. There was a slight nervousness just barely visible in the smaller man's eyes. He looked between Frank Archer, who had just spoken, and Shou Tucker who was holding a solid poker face from across the table.
They were currently in the back room of one of Tucker's establishments as they played their weekly card game. Scantily clad men and women were serving them food and drinks, the former making Yoki squirm uncontrollably. There was also the occasional traffic of employees who had just come off the workroom. They came in various forms of undress and physical conditions.
"Is it safe to be talking about all that so freely?" Yoki whispered looking at the staff members. "You never know who you can trust in this town."
"Are you afraid Kimblee's going to leap from beneath the table like some boogeyman." Tucker drawled, not taking his eyes off the cards.
"He warned us about not getting anything out." Yoki said sheepishly as he adjusted his cards in his hands.
"Oh they won't say a thing." Tucker said looking proudly at the staff members. "Let me show you, Bella!"
A red haired woman, who had just stumbled in from the front of the building, turned towards them. Yoki and Archer had to stop to take in her appearance. She had a black eye and various other bruises scattered around her body. She was cradling her hand which looked to have been recently burnt. Her head snapped robotically towards Tucker's direction at the calling of her name. Like an obedient dog, she shuffled over and stood in front of the table.
"Yes sir?" She asked in a monotone voice. Fresh droplets of blood escaped her mouth as she spoke.
"Kindly inform these gentlemen about what just happened to you." Tucker told her.
The woman turned her head to look at Archer and Yoki. The movement was almost mechanical. Archer was a bit taken aback by the lifeless look in her eyes.
"Nothing at all." She said.
"Good girl." Tucker nodded. "Now go get cleaned up, you're needed for tonight's later events."
"Yes sir." She shuffled away.
"See." Tucker said turning back to his guests. "We don't have to worry, my merchandise are well trained." He looked at Archer. "Now to answer your question. I'll admit I came away with a good impression. And as we can see here, dear Yoki is a bit intimidated by him."
Yoki huffed, but didn't deny it.
"What say you, Franklin?" Tucker asked.
"We'll see if he delivers." Archer said. "Do you think he can do it? Really bring down Van?"
"Maybe." Tucker said.
"He's well connected." Yoki said as he picked up some new cards. "Did he tell you that-" Yoki's speech was cut off when he felt a pointed edge dig into his leg. He looked down to see the pen that Tucker had abruptly jammed into his thigh. Loki glanced up at his friend who gave him a look that said 'shut up'.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Frank looked over at Yoki with a confused frown.
"I...uh….nothing." Yoki shifted his cards to try and draw Archer's attention back to them. Maybe he could pass that off as him being excited about new cards.
Frank narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything.
Thirty minutes later, the rest of the game finished up and Archer had departed. After their companion had departed Yoki turned to look at Tucker questiongly.
"Why didn't you want me to tell him that Kimblee has Lyra Rial working for him?" Yoki asked.
"I want to see what he does first." Tucker responded as he watched Archer drive away.
OoO
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The Hohenheim Manor:
"Come on Eddy, just a little bit more. You're about to beat a world record." Envy chuckled.
"You're an asshole." Ed grunted, his body starting to strain as he pushed himself up one more time before collapsing onto the mat below him.
"Oohhh, he trips at the finish line. His career is over! Now we shall watch as he descends into a life of depression and alcohol abuse." Envy grinned as he looked down at his exhausted brother.
Ed turned his head to glare at the spiky haired Hohenheim. "Why the hell were you only one available?"
"Because little Al is busy with work, Ling is taking Lan Fan on a date, and I'm here because I love you." Envy sat down on the workout mat. He had tossed his leather jacket to the side in favor of just wearing his leather pants, spiked boots, and skulled t-shirt. He'd been sporting a grin the whole time
Ed sucked in a breath, the grey shirt he was wearing was almost black with sweat stains. For the last hour he had been conducting the workouts that Winry had assigned him. It had been about a week since Edward returned to the Hohenheim manor and Winry had finally gotten him to stop acting like a bitch. Since then, Ed had followed her advice with daily exercises that strengthened his abdominal and back muscles. At first he did this therapy with Winry, but recently he had tried doing it outside of their sessions. These workouts included push ups, planking, and sit ups among others. Now these activities were quite difficult with only one arm and a leg, but they had found a way to do it without killing Ed. Winry had decided that there needed to be someone supervising Edward at all times in case he was hurt or needed help. Due to convenience, and other reasons, Envy had been the one to join him today. The two siblings had each apologized for the incident in the hospital room and were back in good graces.
Envy watched his tired brother pant on the mat for a few moments before grabbing a nearby water bottle, opening it, and handing it to Ed. "Thanks." Edward muttered as he grabbed the bottle and began chugging it.
"Sooo….that was about 34 sit ups. Not bad brother." Envy patted him on the shoulder.
"Can't keep me down." Ed chuckled. "Next time I'll get to 50."
Envy smiled at those words. Not a grin or a smirk, but a genuine smile. Although he wouldn't say it outloud, Envy was overjoyed to see Edward acting like this. Whatever his mechanic had done to him, possibly magic blowjobs, had worked. Ed was no longer moping around like a sack of depressed potatoes, instead he seemed actively interested in getting better. His old competitive nature and ego had also reemerged. Take today's workout for example; Ed had wanted to get over 30 sit ups just to prove that he could do it. If he was a lesser man, Envy might have started crying and given Rockbell a hug.
"Still, I think that's enough for today." Envy suggested. Ed looked at his brother with a raised eyebrow.
"Look at you, being responsible and telling someone to take it easy." Edward laughed. "I think you might become a mature adult yet."
"Oh, I only act like a child around you." Envy said before his face morphed into a smirk. "But when I'm with Solaris, I act very adult."
"Pass me a barf bag will you." Ed muttered with fake disgust.
Envy chuckled before glancing at Edward's stumps. "Do they hurt?"
"They sting a bit." Ed confessed. "But it's nothing I can't handle."
"That's the Ed I know." Envy said before a sly look cane over his face. "Speaking about the old you, have you restarted your women wooing ways?"
"My what?"
"You know; your libido, sex drive, primal instincts. Come on, I'm running out of synonyms." Envy nudged him. "Last time I checked you were missing an arm and a leg, not a dick."
Ed sighed, remembering fondly the times he could simply walk away from such conversations. "Why do our talks always seem to devolve to you talking about sex?"
"I don't know. You tell me." Envy raised his eyebrows. "So what's it like having a hot-as-hell babe for a mechanic?"
Ed has to resist the urge to facepalm, not liking where this was going. "I'm not sure if that's any if your business Envy." He kept his tone friendly as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
Envy sat cross legged. "Come on, I need details. Have she seen you naked yet, or have you seen her naked yet? Does she wear revealing clothes? The two of you spend several hours a day all alone in the basement. Some people start wonder if automail is the only thing being done down there."
Ed groaned. This was just Envy's depraved curiosity trying to get him to admit to something. "I'm not playing this game with you."
"Come on, don't tell me that you haven't thought about it." Envy said. "You sure thought about it before she became your mechanic."
Ed looked away from his brother. "I think I missed my chance on that." He sighed. Memories from the night of the accident had slowly come back to him over the last several weeks, more specifically the moments leading up to crash. He had been thinking of Winry in those moments. How he had enjoyed their conversations, how he had enjoyed being around her.
'When I'm around her, I don't need to be Van Hohenheim's son. I can just be me.'
Although they had only just met, Ed had found himself drawn to the blonde mechanic. He hadn't even been very shy about it, if his memory served him correctly.
'I did flirt with her pretty heavily at the office and then in the coffee shop.' Ed thought with a chuckle, remembering how he had made her blush multiple times during their interactions. Her flushed face had made her already pretty features look even cuter. 'And if I recall, she did flirt back.' Ed counldn't deny that in those two encounters, and the phone call after, a connection had been forged between them. Unfortunately it had been interrupted by a crazy cancer patient with a misguided revenge plan driving an SUV.
"Who says you missed anything. Why, because she's your mechanic it'd be weird to fuck her?" Envy asked crudely.
"Well that, and also…" Ed trailed off as he motioned to his stumps. "Most women I knew tend to like men who who are all there."
Envy frowned at his brother's comments. But since emotional comfort wasn't his fortay, he decided to go for a different approach. "Hey Ed, think of it this way. You can just sit back and let that sexy blonde fox do all the work."
Edward gave him a deadpan look. Envy's descriptions if Winry were really starting to irritate him. "Is there a point to all this?"
Envy raised an eyebrow before smiling. "Alright, I was just wondering if there anything between you two." He raised his hands in surrender.
"There isn't." His response was almost instant.
'Sure, sure." Envy replied before smirking deviously. "Although I did mention to her that you may have had a itty bitty crush on her."
"You what?" Edward's eyes widened. "When the fuck did you do that?"
"It was the day when she moved in." Envy said nonchalantly.
Ed stared at his brother with a look that was a mixture between exasperated and murderous. But before he could figure out how to kill his brother with only one arm, a thought did hit him though.
'Is that where the whole, 'I'm going to be all nice and move at your pace' turnabout come from?' Edward pondered curiously as he thought back to their interaction over the last few days. Winry had been nothing but professional and kind towards him, which made sense since she was a automail mechanic. 'Don't read to much into it Elric, your damn life is complicated enough.' He thought with a shake of his head.
"Just help me up, will you." Ed grumbled, holding out his hand.
Envy grasped Edward, and with a tug, pulled him to his feet. Like a pillar being lifted by ropes, Ed straightened into place with his brother steadying him. Edward winced as a familiar pain shot through his body at standing on one leg. Wrapping his left arm around Envy's shoulders, the two siblings made their way towards Ed's chair. Winry had strictly warned Ed that if he tried hopping around by himself she'd brain him with a wrench so they gave gave him the chair to use. Edward begrudgingly agreed to it, but did prefer moving around on crutches despite how it tired him out eventually.
"Your seat, milord." Envy chuckled as he helped Ed into the wheelchair.
"Hmphff." Ed huffed as he was once again sat on the damned chair. 'Can't wait to be out of this thing.'
"Can you bring me to the kitchen. I'm starving here." Ed asked his meddlesome brother.
"Sure thing, Eddy." Envy began to push him. A few moments past in silence before Ed's curiosity got the better of him.
"How did she react when you said that?" Edward cringed at how the question sounded. Like he was some nervous middle schooler asking about a crush.
He could practically feel Envy's grin. "I think she blushed like a virgin on her wedding night. It was more 'deer in a headlights' look, probably because I was waving a katana around. Can you believe someone actually cleaned it?"
"You're an absolute trainwreck of human being, you know that." Ed facepalmed.
"I think trainwrecks are cool." Envy quipped back.
OoO
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Central General Hospital:
"Please ladies and gentlemen, the Captain is resting and can't be disturbed at this time." Hawkeye did her best to keep a calm and professional voice, despite how much she wanted to snap at the people in front of her.
Her and Vato were currently trying to disperse the small crowd of reporters that were down the hallway from Roy's hospital room. The attack on Edward Hohenheim had been the biggest news story in the last year, so the death of the suspect and shooting of a highly regarded police captain were just the latest bit of juicy developments.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant." One man near the back waved to catch her attention. "What do you say to our readers who think that Patrick Vincent was framed through false evidence that you planted?"
'The hell?' Riza scowled and was about to respond when two dark haired women suddenly stepped around the small crowd.
"Alright, everyone." A short haired officer spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. It took Riza a second to recognize her as officer Maria Ross. "We need all of you to move back to the lobby, you're clogging up the hallway and the staff here needs to do their jobs."
The other woman Riza knew instantly. She had longer hair and was dressed casually with a blue turtleneck and black trousers. "Hey guys, I know we all want the next big headlines but let's not get anyone killed." Rebecca Catalina, investigative journalist for the Central Times, smirked towards her fellow reporters.
There were some hesitant and disappointed grumbles from among the journalists, but they begrudgingly allowed Ross to heard them out of the hallway. Maria turned around and gave Riza a wink to which the Lieutenant responded with a grateful smile. Rebecca moved as if to follow them, but then stopped as soon as everyone was out of view. Quickly the chuckling woman made her way back towards Riza.
"Looks like you owe me…again Riza." Rebecca smirked, placing her hands on her hips. Vato stepped away to give the two women a little privacy.
"I can handle a few reporters, Becca." Hawkeye responded to her with an arched eyebrow.
"Yeah…" Rebecca said slyly with a smile. "But that last guy seemed to get under your skin."
Riza groaned, placing a hand on her forehead. "Who was that dipshit?"
"Oh just another dumbass bloodsucker from those magazines who think that all liberals are secretly lizard people or that climate change is just a scheme by Xing." Rebecca shrugged and leaned back against the hallway wall.
There was a brief moment of silence before the two of them spoke more casually and honestly. "So how's Roy doing?" Becca asked, genuinely.
Riza let out a sigh. "He's recovering."
Rebecca laughed. "I doubt anything could keep that man down, well except for you." She nudged Hawkeye's shoulder suggestively.
"Rebecca." Riza warned with narrowed eyes.
"I'm just kidding." Rebecca laughed before her features softened. "But in all seriousness, how are you holding up?"
Riza was quiet for a moment. "It wasn't the first time I've shot a man."
"Yeah I remember that one." The journalist replied. "I'm surprised they didn't kick you out of the academy for that."
"So am I." She shrugged. "They did kick you out though."
"Hey!" Rebecca replied with mock offense. "I wasn't expelled, I left willingly. It's not my fault if those old men don't like the truth."
Riza looked at her former roommate before chuckling. "Still the same old Rebecca I see."
"I find personal change overrated." She shrugged before glancing at a nearby clock. "As much as I'd love to stay and have more girl talk, I have to vamoose." Rebecca then smirked evilly. "But in return for helping to chase off those snobs earlier, you owe me a statement."
"No."
"Come on, do it for an old friend." The dark haired woman pleaded.
"Fine, but not now."
"That's alright, I know where to find you." Rebecca replied simply. "Tell Roy that Becca says hi." With that, the brunette turned and made her way towards the elevator.
"How come you don't act that friendly around me?" Vato asked with a raised eyebrow as he stepped next to the lieutenant. Riza's responding glare made him back off.
"Soo…" Vato began, looking around the mostly empty hallway. "Now that it's less crowded out here, do you think one of us should go see how the Captain's doing?"
Falman's question caught her off guard slightly. By one of them, she knew he meant her. "Are you sure?" Riza gave one last look to Vato who nodded that he would be ok. Riza nodded back and turned around to head to Roy's room.
Despite being technically off duty, she still wore her usual work suit. Riza cast one last look down the hall before entering her Captain's room.
"Sounded busy out there. What was your excuse?" Roy Mustang glanced up from the files on his lap to look at the blonde lieutenant.
"Falman said I should check on you, see if you're resting." Hawkeye arched an eyebrow at the papers strewn about his hospital bed. "I can see that you're not."
"Hey, just because I'm not at the office doesn't mean that I still can't get work done." Roy shrugged.
Riza tried to not let the surprise show on her face. Roy usually despised paperwork, so it was quite shocking to see him currently going through several stacks. For a few long moments Riza stayed by the door, unsure if she should disturb him or not. Finally Roy lifted his head to look at her once again.
"Well don't just stand there, Lieutenant. Come over here." Roy closed the file on his lap and lifted it onto a side table next to the bed.
Riza crossed the room, moving to sit in the chair by the bed. However it seemed that Roy had other ideas as he moved more papers out of the way. He then patted the side of the bed next to him. Rita sighed, but she still sat on the edge of the bed.
"So…" Roy drawled. "How were things down at the precinct?"
"Everyone's still working hard. They're looking forward to having you back, sir."
Roy frowned slightly at the use of 'sir', but decided not to bring it up immediately. "Anything else?"
Riza turned her body more towards him so that she could see his eyes more easily. "We got a call from narcotics, apparently they've gotten an increase in drug trafficking over the last week or so."
Roy grunted. "The Hohenheims?"
"More than likely." Riza answered. "So far it's been mostly crystal meth. But whoever the Hohenheims have making it, they're very good. The lab tested a sample and said that it was the purest product of heroin that they had ever seen."
Roy nodded thoughtfully. "I can't think of anyone in the city who knows how to cook to that extent. They must have gotten a player from outside of Central." He looked back at Riza, he could see there were several other things on her mind.
"What is it, Riza?"
The use of her first name seemed to make her relax slightly. "It's…Commissioner Raven officially closed the Edward Hohenheim case today."
"I know." Roy sighed, thinking back to how it had ended. "He called me earlier. Says that the evidence against Vincent was overwhelming." Which was true. They had him buying the same type of car used in the attack, he had a connection to the victim, and the evidence in his apartment showed that he'd been stalking Edward Hohenheim for some time.
"But something still doesn't seem right to you?" She asked, noticing the frown on his face.
"I'd be lying if I said that this outcome was satisfactory. Maybe it's my pride trying to lick its wounds" Roy offered.
"Do you think Van Hohenheim will be satisfied?" Riza asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hell no." Mustang laughed. "He'll keep quietly looking under every rock in the city until his paranoia has been quenched."
Almost two minutes passed in silence before Riza spoke next. "This is the first time since the surgery that it's just been us in this room."
"Has it?" Roy said with a small grin, fake surprise in his voice. "I hadn't noticed." He stopped, however, when he saw the serious look on her face.
"Roy…I…" Riza felt her eyes start to grow heavy as small tears started to form. Images of that day started to flash through her mind; hearing the gunshot, seeing the bullet hit Roy, watching his body fall to the ground. Riza's hands started to grip the blanket tightly.
Mustang's eyes briefly widened before softening. It was rare to see Riza act vulnerable. She was someone who kept her emotions behind a closed door, only opening it for brief moments. It has been that way ever since her father had died. Many people might consider Riza to be a stoic person, closed off from everyone else. But Roy saw through it all.
"Come here." He whispered, reaching out and pulling her into a hug. Riza accepted it without any resistance, burying her head in his shoulder as she hugged him back. She needed to know that he was okay, feel his heartbeat and the warmth coming from him.
"I'm sorry." Riza whispered with a thick voice. Tears falling onto his pale hospital gown.
Roy stiffened at her words. "What did you say?"
Riza pulled back to look into his onyx colored eyes. "I'm sorry. I saw him going for the gun, but I wasn't fast enough. I should have-"
"Don't." Roy's eyes hardened, he was now gripping her shoulders. "Don't you dare apologize for what happened."
"But-"
"If you continue that sentence I will fire you." The dead serious look on his face made her inclined to believe his threat. Roy paused to loosen his tight grip on her, moving his hands to cup her face. "I knew the risks of trying to take down Vincent. I knew them the day I graduated from the Academy. Our jobs are dangerous, but they are necessary. As members of the Central Police Force it is our jobs to protect this city, maintain law and order, and keep hope alive. We don't do it for the money or recognition, we do it because we believe in something greater than ourselves. Everyday that I put on the badge, I know that there is a slight chance it might be my last. But until that day I will do everything I can to save this city. Because that is what it means to be an officer of the law."
There was silence following his speech before Riza looked down at her lap. "Did Maes say that?"
A sad yet nostalgic smile appeared on Roy's face. "Well I may have paraphrased a bit, but he told me something similar to that. Three months before his death actually."
Hawkeye nodded. "That sounds like something Hughes would say. He was always good with words."
"What?" Roy narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that I'm not?" His tone was playful though.
"Perhaps." Riza said with a chuckle. The silence that followed then was more comfortable. The two of them slowly realized that Roy had practically pulled her onto his lap. Seeing their positions, Riza was about to move before Mustang suddenly gripped her shoulders again
"Roy wha-" Her words were cut off as Roy slammed his mouth onto hers. Hawkeye immediately responded, kissing him back eagerly while delving a hand into his dark hair. His tongue probed her lip, beggin entrance, which she gave greedily. For several minutes the two sat there in a passionate embrace, uncaring that at any moment they could be interrupted. Eventually air became an issue and the couple was forced to pull back.
"God, I've waited all week to do that." Roy murmured, their foreheads pressing together.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't visit you sooner." Riza breathed out. "This last week as been hell."
"Says the woman who didn't get shot a few inches from the heart." He chuckled while she glared. Roy then glanced at the clock before grinning slowly and deeply.
"You know, I told the hospital staff not to bother me for a another hour-"
"Roy." Riza said warningly.
"-and I don't think anyone else will be coming in." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, hands running up and down her sides. "Why don't we make up for lost time."
"No." She said firmly.
"Oh come on." Roy sounded like a wounded animal. "It could be exciting."
"Perhaps a little too exciting." Riza drawled, eyeing the area of his chest that still bore the stitches from the surgery. The thought of them bursting and him bleeding out all over her didn't sound very appealing. She grabbed his wrists and moved the wandering hands off of her.
"Fine. Excuse me for trying to be adventurous." Roy pouted in a way that almost made her laugh. "I still love you though." He looked back at Riza to see her staring back at him in surprise. It took him a few seconds to realize why.
Roy gave a sigh. "We've never said it out loud before. Haven't we." It was a statement, not a question.
"I don't think so." Riza shook her head. Since their secret relationship had started, they had done plenty of things but never said the 'L' word.
Roy nodded thoughtfully. "Why do you think that is?"
"I…" Riza trailed off. "I'm not quite sure actually."
"Hmm." Roy moved back so he was leaning against the bed. His hand was clasped in Riza's. Eventually she looked at the clock as well.
"It is starting to get late. Perhaps I should leave before Vato gets suspicious-"
"Don't." Roy cut her off. His voice and face serious before softening. "I…I'd really enjoy it if you stayed a little bit longer. Besides I think he's already figured it out."
Riza gave a small laugh. "I'm pretty sure half the precinct knows about us."
Roy let out a sigh. "Thank god they can keep a secret." If word got to their superiors that the two of them were in a relationship, it would be fatal for both their careers. Plus, Grumman would probably never speak to Roy again or allow him within half a mile of his granddaughter. "Speaking of secrets. I have a proposition for you."
Riza raised an eyebrow.
"When Commissioner Raven called me earlier, he practically mandated that I take a least a few weeks of time off." He then chuckled. "If I knew getting shot would get me some extra vacation time, I'd have asked you to-" He trailed off at the glare Riza gave him. "Anyways. It seems like I have some me time, Chris suggested going to some beach resort down south."
"That sounds relaxing."
"She said that I'm working myself into an early grave, and that this city can survive a few days without me." Roy paused before taking the leap. "Last time I checked, you have some vacation time stored up as well." He gave her a wry grin.
'He's asking me to come with him!' Riza was momentarily caught off guard by the suggestion. They'd been in a relationship for a long time but, believe it or not, they'd never left the city on a trip together. Due to the secrecy, they'd never risked being in public. It had always been them sneaking around; stealing kisses behind closed doors and passionate nights in hotels or on top of abandoned office desks. Seeing the concentrated look on her face, Roy could see that Riza was considering all of this and was weighing the risks.
"Riza, I've been doing some thinking these last few days. Almost dying does that to you. And I decided, for this one instance, that the rules can go fuck themselves." Roy gave her the most charming smile that he could muster.
Riza pondered his words for a moment before giving him a smile. "Fuck the rules then." She answered before pulling him in for another kiss.
OoO
OoO
The Hohenheim Manor, later that afternoon:
Winry heard Edward being brought down the stairs well before she saw them. While the staff at the manor had gotten the hang of carrying him down the stairs to the basement, it was still pretty rickety for the passenger.
'Huh, is it that time already?' Winry asked herself as she glanced at the nearby clock. Time often got away from her when she was working.
The creaking floorboards were accompanied by a few muttered curses and rather loud intakes of breath from Ed. Perhaps setting up shop in a basement wasn't the most strategic location, but they could always move upstairs for the later stages.
'Also I think Mr. Comanche would hate me if I had him and the others bring all of this stuff back up stairs.' Winry thought as she placed her grease stained wrench and screwdriver down then whirled around to face Edward as he was placed on the ground.
"Thank you, butterfingers." He grumbled sarcastically. The staff members all gave Winry an acknowledging nod before heading back upstairs.
"So." Winry started, getting Ed's attention. "How was your workout earlier?"
Edward gave a nonchalant shrug. "Not too bad. Did 34 sit ups."
Winry narrowed her eyes dangerously as she took the goggles off her face. "34? I thought I told you not to go over 20."
Ed left fingers drummed against the armrest of the wheelchair as a cocky grin appeared on his face. "You did, but I thought I'd go bigger."
"Dammit Edward." Winry stood up, folding her arms angrily. "I warned you not to push yourself. You could have pulled a damaged muscle or reopened a-"
"I also recall you saying that we were going to do this at my pace." Edward leaned back into the chair. "So shouldn't I get decide how many sit ups I can do?" His damn shit-eating grin was back in action.
"I've created a monster." Winry rolled her eyes. Just a few days ago he'd been depressed, now he was acting just his old arrogant self. She still couldn't fully decide whether this was a positive or a negative.
"Don't take credit just yet, I was a monster way before you came into my life." Edward used his left hand to move the chair closer to Winry's workbench.
Winry shook her head and turned back to the desk. "I honestly can't tell if you were complimenting yourself or not."
Ed chuckled. Their daily meetings usually opened up with playful banter such as this. It was pleasant and had helped to smooth over any old wounds from when she first became his mechanic.
"I'll be with you in just a second, Edward. I need to add some more touches and then I have a surprise for you."
Ed raised his eyebrows, his mouth curved upwards into a smirk. "Is this going to be good surprise or a bad one?"
Winry chuckled, looking at him over her shoulder. "I can assure you that it will be good."
Edward nodded his head, his eyes looking around the room. He had to give Winry credit, she certainly was able to keep her shit organized. The entire room was full of various metal parts, tools, and devices yet it seemed to be in some sort of order. Looking back at his mechanic, Ed noticed that she was clad in her normal peach colored jumpsuit, her blond hair held back by a black bandana.
He knew it was best to not disturb her, but he grew curious as to what Winry was working on. Rolling the wheels forward, Edward was able to crane his head enough to see what was on the desk. "Holy shit, someone's been busy down here."
Winry smiled, looking down at her work with pride. On the table were the port systems that would connect the automail limbs to Edward's body. The last time Ed had really seen them a few days earlier, they had just been exoskeletons. But now both of them looked nearly completed. Both ports had their outer layers mostly attached, the insides of them filled with various wires and gadgets that he couldn't make any sense out of no matter how many time Winry tried to explain them.
"Oh yeah, I was finally able to attach the nerve interfaces." Winry pointed to small devices that sorta looked like satellite dishes to Edward. From what he had gathered, they were inserted on the side of the port where the automail limb itself was connected. According to Winry, these interfaces were what past information and movement from his nerves to the metal limbs themselves. "I'm currently syncing up the wires from one end of the port to the next." Turning back to look at him. "Do you remember what those do, Edward?"
"Uh…"
Winry gave a sigh. "Edward, you really need to start paying attention to this. It's important that you understand how your limbs will operate."
"Care to refresh my memory." Ed drawled.
Winry shook her head, but explained anyway. "Basically these various wires are what take in electrical pulses from the nerves. They then use this pulses to power and regulate the various electric motors and pneumatic actuators inside the automail limb itself. Did you catch any of that?" She looked at him questionably.
"Yeah, I think so. So when's the test?"
"You already failed it." Winry fired back, turning to continue working on the ports. Edward decide to be quiet now, he had disturbed her enough. It was best to stop before she got legitimately annoyed at him. With not much else to do, Ed sat back and watched his mechanic work. Several times over the last few days he had found himself doing this, simply observe her. It was slightly fascinating to watch how into it she got. It was almost like Winry's brain went into its own little world. Several minutes passed before Winry seemed to realize that she didn't have a tool that was needed.
With a sigh, the blonde mechanic stood up from the stool and started walking to a cabinet where she stored her tools. Edward's eyes followed her on autopilot. But as he did this, a frown appeared on his face. For some odd reason he found himself unable to look away from his mechanic as she crossed the room. Something about her had definitely changed, because she looked fucking spectacular in that jumpsuit.
'Holy shit.' Ed could practically feel his mouth watering as his eyes devoured her body. 'Has it always been that...tight?'
While not revealing, the outfit outlined Winry's body spectacularly, leaving not much to the imagination.
When he had first seen her at the Xerxes, Winry's outfit had hinted at a well defined figure. Well now he could confirm that theory one hundred percent. Winry's body was a perfect hourglass figure if he had ever seen one. His wandering eyes were first drawn to the the accentuated swells of her breasts. Purely based on appearances, each one looked to be well above a handful. The thought of that caused Edward to groan quietly as he continued to unashamedly examine her. Unfortunately she heard him.
"Everything okay Edward?" She stopped walking and turned to look at him.
"I uh…" He tried to fight the heat that was threatening to show on his face. "Just thinking about something crazy that Envy said to me earlier."
Winry arched an eyebrow. For a moment Ed was afraid he'd been caught in a lie, fortunately she chuckled.
"I'm guessing it was something horrible?" Winry asked humorously. "You're brother's quite a character." She had done her best to avoid coming into contact with the oldest Hohenheim son ever since she saw him waving a katana around.
"Understatement." Ed muttered as Winry resumed her work, cross the room and pulling a box of tools out from under the work table. Edward hesitated for a moment before looking her up and down again. Fortunately or unfortunately he couldn't quite tell, Winry was busy collecting things for their session so she was walking back and forward from one side of the room to another.
"Give me a second, Edward." She said. "I'll be ready soon."
"Take your time." He responded.
The swells of her breasts were hypnotic yet he forced himself to look away to do some more exploring. The jumpsuit slimmed down to a narrow waist, highlighting every perfect curve and contour. From there it hugged her rounded hips like a second skin. Winry was facing him as she returned to the workbench, oblivious to his staring. Ed watched the ever so slight sway of her hips that occured with each step. Her legs were surprisingly long for a woman with an overall small frame. His last, but certainly not least, location on his voyeuristic journey presented itself when Winry turned around and Ed found himself staring at her ass. Much like her hips, the suit was particularly tight at this region showing off what was quite possibly the best ass that Edward had ever seen.
'Christ! Get ahold of yourself.' Ed thought as lurid fantasies began to cloud his mind. 'Has she been wearing this outfit all week? I'm gonna need to get my fucking eyes examined...or get laid. One or the other.'
On the other side of the room, Winry watched Ed out the corner of her eye. She noticed with amusement his flushed features and deeply frustrated expression. From the beginning she could feel him eyeing her up, he wasn't being as subtle as he thought. However Winry didn't feel particularly offended by his wandering eye. Patients had been eyefucking her since day one of being an automail mechanic. Winry was well aware that she was beautiful, not that she bragged about it, and during some sessions the patients didn't have much else to do but watch her. The fact that the mechanic jumpsuits drew attention to certain areas of the wearer's body probably didn't help.
It had been uncomfortable at first, men leering at her while she worked. But after a while it stopped being creepy and just became normal nuiscence. She could handle men looking to a certain degree, but anything else there was zero tolerance for. Any patient who had wandering hands got a wrench straight to the forehead. If the staring got too uncomfortable and constant, she'd tell them to stop or get themselves a new mechanic. That method almost always worked.
As Winry walked back to her desk and sat down on the stool, she again stole a quick glance at Edward. He was looking in the opposite direction of her, that frustrated expression still on his face. Winry found the sight oddly cute. 'So now you've decided to be a gentleman?' She thought with a quiet chuckle.
When she had caught him watching her, the look in his eyes wasn't the usual lecherous leer that most men had. Those looks ended with wrenches to the face. The closest she could describe the look in his eyes was…awestruck. 'That's certainly new.' She thought, quickly turning back around so that Edward couldn't see her blush. 'I wonder how he would react if he knew I was doing the same thing to him.' Winry's slight blush intensified.
As professional as Winry tried to be, she was still a woman; and any woman who didn't think that Edward Elric was mouth wateringly attractive would have to be blind. He was by far the most aesthetically pleasing patient that Winry had ever had worked with. Over the last few days, and even in the hospital, Winry had seen Edward in various states of undress. And although Winry would sooner give up being a mechanic then admit it, she had taken a few peeks.
It had only gotten worse once they started doing the exercises. Due to the initial difficulty of the tasks he had to perform, Winry had to lead him through how to do them. This meant a fuckton of touching and body parts being pressed together rather intimately. Edward had taken very good care of his body before the accident and was in an excellent shape, even sporting a damn six pack. It had been a challenge not to simply run her hands over every ridge and tight muscle on his sculpted chest, to test their firmness for herself. Another bonus was that their workouts usually resulted in Ed covered in sweat, hot, and panting. His strong chest expanding with every breath while beads of sweat dripped down his back. God! Even just thinking about those sinful images made Winry shudder.
'Keep it together girl.' Winry thought. 'I don't think Van Hohenheim would appreciate it if I took advantage of his son. Even if he is a rather fine specimen.' Thankfully her attraction to Edward hadn't gotten in the way of her duties as his mechanic. She found him pleasing to look at, there wasn't anything wrong with that. Seeing that she was done with working on the ports for the time being, Winry finally put both of them out of their misery by getting his attention.
"So are you ready?" She asked, turning on the stool to face him.
"For what exactly?" Ed answered, trying his best to be indifferent.
"To walk." Winry said with a smile.
Ed raised an eyebrow. "Easy there Doc, I think you have the timeline of this whole thing mixed up. Aren't you supposed to insert the ports or something before that happens."
"Yes, that's for the automail." Winry said. "But while I finish up with the ports, I think you're ready for this."
Winry turned around and leaned over slightly to pick up something that was covered by a blanket under the workbench. Ed moved his gaze to to stare at the wall, trying his best to not let his eyes return to their previous destinations. Winry turned around, smiling brightly, with a long object in her arms. She grabbed ahold of the rough sheet covering it and pulled it off to reveal a wooden leg.
Ed stared at it for a few seconds. "What the hell is that?" He asked.
"A wooden substitute limb." Winry told him. "I created it using the castings of your legs. Basically you'll be able to strap this on yourself and it'll let you walk around."
Ed looked at the wooden contraption skeptically. It didn't look very sophisticated.
"I'm going to walk on that thing?" He asked dryly.
Winry huffed. "Yes Edward. It's to help you get used to walking in preparation for the automail. And besides, don't you want to finally get out that chair?"
Ed glanced down at the damned wheelchair that had been his prison for the last few weeks. "Yeah." He said looking up. "But I….how does that thing work?"
"I'll show you." Winry said, stepping closer to kneel down in front of him. "We'll go slow. I'll take you through every step." She said confidently before following up with a softer, more gentle tone. "Do you think you're ready to take this step? If not, we can try again whenever you feel ready." She was still determined to move at his pace.
"No." Ed shook his head before looking her straight in the eye. "Get me out of this fucking chair. Let's do it."
Winry smiled again. "Ok, let's do it."
She pointed down to the prosthetic limb. "So this thing isn't going to be as smooth of a ride as automail. You'll have to walk a bit stiffly." She pointed specifically to the joint. "This right here will lock whenever you stand still or are seated. But when you put pressure or move the leg it will unlock." She looked back up at him to make sure he was still paying attention. "Don't take any big steps. That'll just end with you on the ground. Instead take small, steady steps with it. When you move the leg up, the springs in the back will…"
Ed was only slightly paying attention to her words. He got the basic gist of her describing the functions of the limb, what made it do this, and what made it do that. Instead the majority of his attention was on the look of her lips. Must like the rest of her body, Edward hadn't realized just how pleasant looking they were. Plump and red, perfect for kissing. He watched them move as she fired out words like there was no tomorrow. Now he wasn't even absorbing what Winry was saying, instead Edward found himself unable to look away from his mechanic. Finally tearing his gaze off of her lips, Ed began to study other parts of her face.
'Damn, her skin is fucking flawless.'
It was true, there wasn't a single blemish for him to see. The softness of her face was a complete contrast from the tough and independent woman underneath. Her cheekbones were high, yet still gentle. Her jaw was not nearly as pointed as his, but it was a still strong looking. With an internal sigh, Edward admitted to himself that on top of having a killer body, Winry had a more than attractive face.
Realizing that she was still talking, he tried to focus again but was unable to ignore how her normally bright blue eyes were alive with excitement. One that he had never seen from her until they were this close together. Automail wasn't just a job for Winry, it was her passion and she poured that passion into everything she did. Every action from Winry was done with maximum precision. From the tiniest tweak of a screw to the last flair she added when finishing up a project; every movement was graceful, precise, and deliberate.
'Make it fucking stop.' Ed thought with an internal groan. All week he had been fine, but then Envy had to go and put evil thoughts in his head. Now he couldn't stop objectifying the woman who was literally going to give him his life back. Although Winry didn't seem like someone who was scared off easily, it could make things uncomfortable if she noticed. 'Why can't my life ever be easy? Why does there always have to be a catch?'
"Ok now that we've gone over all of that, let's get this thing on you."
Ed mentally kicked himself for getting distracted again. He was Edward Hohenheim, dammit, he shouldn't be losing his focus so easily.
"Alright." Edward answered, trying to sound as if he'd been paying attention.
Amusement showed on Winry's face as her lips curled into a small smirk. "You zoned out about halfway through my explanation, didn't you?" Before he could stutter out any response she was already moving on to the next step.
"Okay, it's not too hard so just follow my lead and we should be fine." She said, positioning the end off the leg towards him. There were straps and buckles clicking around.
"So this goes around your waist." Winry lifted a leather belt. "And these goes around your hip and other leg." She then lifted smaller straps."
"Alright." Ed said, his eyes bouncing from one little strip of leather to another.
"And your leg goes into this." Winry positioned the opening of the leg near him. "I based this off of the impression that we took at the hospital. Your thigh should slide right in with no problem. So just sit back and let me do all the work."
'And just like that my left hand will be busy later.' Ed thought with a sigh, Envy's earlier words coming back to him.
"You can just sit back and let that sexy blonde fox do all the work"
Shaking his head Edward focused as Winry began strapping the wooden leg to him. This was mostly done in silence, with Winry occasionally giving him a soft command such a leaning forward so she can get the belt around his waist or leaning back so she can work the straps around his right leg. Once she was done strapping the replacement leg to him, Winry sat back with a small smile on her face. Ed looked down at the replacement limb with furrowed eyebrows. Seeing what resembled a leg back where one used to be was off putting. For a second he almost believed that his leg had come back somehow. When he ran his hand over the cool wood he reminded himself that this wasn't what was going to keep him on his feet permanently. He lifted the stump of his leg and winced a little at the added weight.
Ed barely got the replacement limb an inch off the chair before he had to let it fall back down. He released a breath that he had been holding and tried to move it again. Normally it was very easy for him to move his stump around. Ed had practiced it in the efforts of keeping his strength up. Now however he had to strain against the heavy weight that had just been added. Winry watched him carefully as he did this. When it seemed like Edward had gotten the hang of it, or at least the pain had faded slightly, she decided to move forward.
"So...ready to give it a go?" Winry asked.
"No time like the present." Ed mumbled out.
Winry nodded and held out her hand. With a shaky breath Edward reached out and took it, their fingers clasping together as she pulled him closer. Winry wrapped her other arm around Ed's shoulders, making sure to get a firm grip on him. Edward swallowed at how close they were, he could feel the heat of her body through the jumpsuit. He wasn't someone who usually enjoyed hugs, except in certain intimate bedroom settings, but Winry's arms around him felt strangely comforting. Immediately pushing these thoughts aside, Ed focused on the task at hand.
"Put your hand on my shoulder. Don't be scared of holding too tight." She instructed as she tightened her grip on him. "I can tough it out."
Ed did as he was told, putting his hand on her for support. His hand looked rather large on her small shoulder. But he could still feel her muscles through the jumpsuit. It made sense. She'd had to have gotten strong to carry all of the heavy equipment around.
"Okay." Winry said, their foreheads practically touching. "When I count to three, you're going to stand up. I'm not going to lie, it will hurt. But I won't let you fall. Do you trust me?"
Ed let out a breath. "Do I have much of a choice?" He tried to sound cheeky, but the serious of the situation bled into his tone.
Winry gave him a smile. "Okay, when we start I want you to put most of your weight on your right leg. Once you feel its okay, start gradually putting weight on the wooden one. It will sting a bit, but you should get used to it."
"Can we just get this over with." Ed didn't even care how nervous he sounded. This was it! After all this time, he was finally going to be standing on two legs once again. Winry nodded and got ready.
"One."
His fingers tightened a bit on Winry's shoulders, she gave him a reassuring look. Both of them stared into each other's eyes, unable to look away.
"Two."
Ed's body tensed as he got ready to stand up. This was it!
"Three."
"Ahh!"
Ed gritted his teeth, but kept pushing forward. Propelling his body upward, using his right leg and Winry's body for leverage. Her grip on him tightened, pressing them even closer together. They worked together to get him up on his feet. As soon as Ed finally pushed off from the chair he thought that Winry was going to give way under his weight. After all he was bigger than her. But she held strong, bearing his weight with only a barely audible grunt. Ed more or less collapsed into her. For a few moments they simply stood there, Winry keeping them up while Edward tried to get use to the sensations. Letting out a pained gasp as his real and fake legs nearly gave out from under him. Winry barely wavered in her stance, holding on to him with a solid grip.
Still, Ed panted from the exertion of getting to his feet. God, it hurt! The veins in his head were threatening to pop out. He felt the strain in his legs and lower back as his body got used to standing after being immobile for so long. Edward grinded his teeth as the nerves on his left thigh were burning in pain. Across from him, Winry herself was wincing due to the death grip his hand had on her shoulder. No doubt there would be dark bruises, yet Winry didn't care. All that mattered was Edward.
"You're okay." Winry whispered into his ear. "You got this."
"I got it?" Ed wheezed breathlessly. He opened his eyes, not even realizing that they had been closed. Azure blue stared straight into him.
"Hell yeah." She said, grinning.
Ed stood in the position for several moments before he moved to stand up straight. He started by moving his left leg. The wooden prosthetic moved with him when he stepped back and locked into place so he could stand. He still had his hand on Winry's shoulder while her's were holding onto his waist tightly. Ed let out a breath before moving his right leg and taking a step away from Winry. The vertebras in Ed's spine popped as his back straightened. It had been a while since he last stretched. Edward let out a small groan at the feeling and closed his eyes again. When he opened them, Edward saw that he was standing for the first time in weeks.
His gaze fell to the floor where he could see both his real and fake leg supporting him. They were trembling slightly, but holding him up nonetheless. A smile broke out onto Edward's face as he started looking around the room. He hadn't realized how much he missed seeing things from this height.
Finally, his gaze met Winry's. He was looking down at her for first time since they got coffee at that diner.
'I forgot how tall I was.' Ed thought dumbly.
She had a bright smile on her face. Ed didn't know if he had ever seen her this happy before. Quickly releasing her shoulder, he suddenly found himself unsure of where to put his hand. After a moment of deliberation, he put placed it on her waist. The brief moment caused her to laugh quietly.
"I knew you could do it." Winry said, her eyes growing a little moist.
Ed couldn't help but return her smile unashamedly.
"Thank you."
OoO
OoO
A motel just outside of Central, that night:
It was a low rent motel room. The furniture wasn't very expensive and the wallpaper was concerningly cheap looking. That did not matter to the two naked occupants of the bed who were peacefully sleeping under the covers. One was a man with light blonde hair and the other a woman with short black hair. The air around them still had a musky scent to it as the two lovers slept together.
Suddenly a cellphone on the bedside table rang wild.
The man groaned and turned away from the obnoxious ringing. The woman let out a muffled sigh.
"Your phone." The man grumbled sleepily as his eyes blinked open.
"On it." The woman reached out and picked up the phone. She immediatly recognized the contact of the person who was calling her. She quickly pulled herself together and answered it.
"This is Lyria Rial." She answered. She paused after speaking as the person on the other end of the phone began to say their piece. Her expression changed from a bored professionalism to slightly scared.
"Are you sure?" She asked. The person on the other end answered.
"And who was the name of the man?" She followed up. "Thank you, I will let Mr. Hohenheim know immediately." She hung up the phone.
"What was it?" The green eyed man lying next to her asked in a drawl.
"We have a problem." Lyra said.
Narrowing his eyes, Atlas pushed off the covers and sat up in the bed. He'd been hoping for a second round once they woke up, but based on Lyra's serious face that was not happening.
"Tell me."
OoO
OoO
I don't think Lyra and Atlas have ever been shipped together. So I'd like to take credit for creating this union.
Due to how use life has been getting, there might be longer gaps in between chapter updates. But I promise to do my best to get them out as quickly as possible.
Please review!