(AU)

Rain

Winry didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. It was really hard enough trying to avoid the harassment of that annoying senior girl while she was at school. Long days of name-calling, yanked ponytails, and chair kicking were easy enough to put up with so long as she was still at school and in the company of her supportive friends, but having to encounter her on a relatively dead business day as she worked overtime at the shop, all alone; Now that was a different matter altogether. It had crossed her mind to maybe get her back by refusing service, but her grandmother's long speeches of how a Rockbell never turned down a job, and the foreboding projections of getting lipstick smeared all over her locker kept her still while the taller blonde pushed open the door, running her fingers through her rain-beaded hair.

"My bike's busted," She stated plainly, flicking her palms over the slicked surface of her leather coat, sheeting the droplets in random directions, "And it's raining."

Why hello, Miss obvious.

Winry separated herself completely from the underbelly of the Elric Jalopy (as Edward had so fondly named it) and wiped her grime encrusted hands down the front of her coveralls, critically inspecting the new customer. First things first, she couldn't just let the girl stand there sopping, so she grabbed one of the cleaner towels from the corner where all her jumpsuits hung from the wall, and chucked it in the delinquent's direction.

"You look like hell," The biker commented, smartly smirking as she brushed the towel over her head, eyeing the mechanic's oil streaked face.

"I'm most certainly shocked to hear you talking, Miss wet-rodent Martel." Winry raised an eybrow as she shot back. She thought over how she really never learned Martel's first name. It was just the mysterious, criminally tinged sound of her last name by which angered teachers, familiar security gaurds, and sketchy gang-mates always addressed her. And between smuggled cigarettes in school, class cutting, bullying complaints, and that damned facial tatoo that had gotten the school board in an uproar for several weeks in a heated debate over the school policy, there was definitely a lot of yelling going on.

"So, do you need your bike fixed?" Winry asked begrudgingly, hands on her hips.

"What do you think, pinhead?" Martel shot back.

"I can't very well get it while it's out there in the torrent, now can I?" She guestured to the garage window, which was waved with sheets of heavy rain.

"Nope," Martel grinned, giving herself a seat in a spare chair against the wall, "I guess you're stuck with me."

No. Way.

"Well, just keep quiet," Winry pouted as she returned to slide back underneath her current project. She worked in silence for a while, happily drifting back into her happy land of mechanical workings, when she heard a 'click, click, click' from Martel's direction. She turned her head and promptly sat up in a panic.

"OOOOOWWW!" She screeched, favoring her sore forehead, but not pausing to stomp angrily toward the lighter-happy girl, who had a cigarette in her mouth, "What do you think you're doing, you moron! Do you want to start an oil fire?" She swiped the lighter quickly from the older girl's fingers. Martel just grinned jovially.

"So, you are awake," She sniggered, "I was just checking. Don't get your panties in a bunch, dweeb."
Winry'd had it.

"Why don't you just shut up for once? It's always 'dweeb' this, and 'machine freak' that. I'm really sick of it! What makes you think you're so much better than me?" She snapped out viciously, glaring at a mildly stunned Martel.

"I don't think I'm better than you,"

"Oh, suuure. I hear the crap you're always talking about me with your friends. Does it ever occur to you that you might hurt somebody's feelings?"

"Sh-shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't say that unless you mean it."

"No, really. I am. I didn't think you took it so seriously. It's just- look; I won't do it anymore, 'kay?"

Winry scoffed,

"So you say. But only for as long as your bike still needs fixing."

Martel looked up as if to respond, and lowered her head again, somewhat ashamedly. After a brief pause, she spoke up,

"But really... do you think you would have even noticed me if I hadn't done all that shit?"

The mechanic tilted her head, a bit startled, "Hm?"

"Would you even know my name? Or would we just be total strangers?"

Winry frowned and considered this for a moment before she shook her head,

"No. You and I are way too different."

"Is that so?" Martel muttered and chuckled, shrugging, "I guess I always sort of knew that." She set her hand on her knee and got up, heading toward the door, where the rain still hadn't ceased outside.

"Wait," Winry ejected, "Your- what about your bike?"

Martel looked back, her hand against the door frame,

"Oh? That... I guess it's not so bad after all. It'll still work. Thanks anyway. Sorry for wasting your time."

She walked out into the downpour and let the door slam shut after her, leaving a shocked Winry standing alone.

Winry froze, and dropped her arm, sliding a hand against her elbow, and noted that the room was suddenly somewhat colder.

(End)

Postscript: Hee. I really liked this one. The pairing initially frustrated me, because it made no sense, but then, that's what this is all about. This is all stereotypical opposite-side-of-the-tracks/teasing-the-girl-you-like, and all that jazz, but I enjoyed the idea nonetheless. Ciao till next time!