Chapter Three
"Thanks for doing this, Mrs. Hughes," Ed said shyly, looking at his snowy boots as he kicked them against the door jamb to shake loose the snow. He cast a glance back at Al, almost willing his brother to take a stand and save him from the indignity of going to this dance and of Al being a glorified babysitter. Al said nothing, probably too busy thinking about the new kitten, damn it.
"Oh, it's my pleasure, Edward," Gracia said, side stepping her daughter who came barreling out in full winter gear with a "Hi Ed, hi Al," as she flew by.
Hughes came along right behind her, camera in hand, with his own chorus of "Hi Ed, hi Al." "Elicia wants to play in the snow."
"Gonna build schnowman," she lisped. "Help, Al!"
"Sure," Al wheeled around and followed the child and her father out into the small yard.
Just as well, Ed decided. At least this way Al wouldn't bear witness to just how much he sucked as a dancer.
"Come on in, Ed," Gracia said, holding out her hand. "I'll take your coat."
Ed surrendered the snowy garment and followed Gracia into the living room. It was cozy with a fire going and a phonograph set out on a table. He wondered where Winry was. Probably at the hall working. Gracia took a critical look at him.
"Relax, Ed. This will probably hurt me more than you." She grinned.
"I'll try not to step on you," he promised, looking at his boots. That was all he needed to do, tramp on Gracia with his metal foot.
"Dangers of the trade," she replied. "Get comfortable, Ed. You can take off that jacket, too," She gestured at his usual black coat, "and your gloves. It's warm in here."
Ed looked at his hand. Winry wouldn't care about holding hands with him but would it bother Mrs. Hughes to have metal and screws cupped in her hand? What if she had to touch his metal shoulder? Dancers touched occasionally, right? Had Selena ever thought about that? It slowly sunk in that what Winry and Selena had been doing was fighting over him in that mysterious way women had. He could understand Winry; they were friends but what did Selena see in him? "Can I leave them on?"
Gracia gave him a sympathetic look. "Of course, Ed. I just want you to be comfortable. Shall we start with something slow or something you can kick your heels up to?"
"What's the difference?" he asked with huge eyes.
She smiled. "If you're that lost, I think we'd better start slow." She went over and put on some music. The slow, sweet orchestral music filled the room. "Just listen to the beat for a moment, Ed. Hear that strong first beat, that's the cue to make the biggest move. It's very simple, long gliding motion. You need to be fluid. Just listen one, two, three, hear it?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, totally clueless.
"Okay, I'll teach you some basic moves. Come over here." Gracia stood in front of the fireplace and held up her arms stiffly.
Ed shuffled over then looked at her. "What do you want me to do?"
"Take this hand." She wiggled the one held at shoulder height. "And put your other hand on my waist."
Ed's only move was to turn red.
Gracia laughed lightly. "Ed, you have to touch the girl when you dance."
"Oh," he whimpered and took Gracia's hand. So, touching was necessary. Damn. What if he bruised them with his insensate hand? His fingers barely brushed her waist. "Now what, ma'am?"
"Moving would be good. You just follow the three-step beat. Let me be the man for a moment. You have to guide your date, Ed. You have the easier part. You get to do everything going forward. The girls always have to do everything you do backwards and in high heels." Gracia smiled again.
"High heels?" Ed moaned. He'd be staring Winry straight in the throat if she wore heels. "Oh, damn."
She laughed again. "You'll do fine, Ed. Just follow my lead and you go backwards."
Gracia tried to get him to move. He only stepped on her once, until she made him switch roles and let him lead. "Left foot forward, Ed. No, your other left. Right foot to the side then sweep your left foot in to meet the right. Okay, right foot back now and left foot to the side and sweep in to the right...no, Ed, not like that. Really, there're just three moves, one for each beat. Either you go forward or backwards then to the side and sweep."
"I'm going to maim you," he lamented, wondering when he'd grown a third foot that seemed to be everywhere but in the right spot.
"No, you're not. It's not too hard once you get it...you do follow your alchemic recipes a little better than you do music, don't you?" Gracia looked a little worried.
Ed shot her a feral little smile. "That's easy. This is...frustrating."
"Because you're expecting to be perfect from the beginning. No one ever is. Dancing takes practice, Ed," Gracia said, soothingly. "Let's keep at it. Left foot forward..."
Ed almost managed to get the basic left box turn down when Gracia changed it up with the right box turn, which was pretty much the same thing in the other direction. He was feeling pleased with himself until he managed to ram Gracia into a side table. "Sorry!"
"It's okay, Ed. You're doing fine," she said encouragingly, rubbing her hip. "Let's try adding some hesitations and side whisks."
"What?" Ed swallowed nervously. At least he was only pouring sweat out of one hand. Poor Gracia. She probably didn't think she was going to be trying to train a bundle of nerves, he berated himself.
"Hesitations are just like they sound." Gracia paused, pressing Ed to her. She was warm and soft and he could see why Hughes liked this. "Like this. Trust me, it's very nice when you're with your date. And side whisks are trickier. Move your left foot to the side then cross your right foot behind it then shift your weight back to the left foot."
"Are you trying to kill me?" Ed groaned. He couldn't do side to side and now he was expected to cross his feet and shift his weight around?
"It's not too hard. Give it a try."
They almost ended up in a pile in front of the fireplace.
"Okay, maybe I should try the underarm turns with you first, then move on to side whisks," Gracia said, shaking out her throbbing, stepped-on foot.
"A what?" Ed filled with dread.
"You have to twirl the girl under your left arm," Gracia said then eyed up the logistics of sneaking under Ed's arm.
Ed grimaced, trying to not dig his fingers into Gracia's waist. "Great. I'll decapitate Winry. That'll make the night extra festive."
A camera clicked. "It's not as bad as all that, Ed," Hughes said, stomping into the room, trying to warm up. His cheeks and nose were red and damp from the snow. His camera was clenched in red fingers. "Elicia is having the time of her life...except for the attempt to kiss Al for helping with the snow man. Cold metal and wet body parts don't mix."
"Are they okay?" Ed asked, starting toward the door, imagining a lip-less Elicia.
"They're busy trying to build a snowman as big as Al," Hughes replied, proudly. "How goes it?"
"I stink" Ed replied, dejected.
"He's doing better than that," Gracia corrected, patting his back. "Maybe he just needs to see how it's done, Maes."
"Sounds like a plan." Hughes selected a different song on the phonograph and Ed surrendered Gracia to her husband willingly.
He stood back and watched them, feeling even more despondent. They moved so effortlessly together. They glided. They twirled. Hughes swished her under his arm as if it was the easiest thing ever. Ed knew he couldn't do this. His eyebrows climbed as Hughes dipped her. Gracia hadn't mentioned he'd have to learn to do that. Ed felt like a voyeur listening to Hughes whispering to his wife while he had her in the dip. She was giggling. When they started kissing as they danced, Ed realized he had been forgotten. A few more moments of watching and Ed took what they were doing as his cue to run for his life.
He grabbed his coat and bolted out into the snow. Al and Elicia really were doing a remarkable job of building the biggest snowman on the block. He glanced back at the house. The Hugheses probably wouldn't want their daughter wandering in now. He and Al could keep her busy for a little while at least.
"Can you dance yet, Brother?" Al sounded particularly flippant or maybe it was just Ed's imagination.
"Uh, well, not really," Ed said, rubbing the back of his head as a blush colored his cheek. "But it's break time."
"Help!" Elicia demanded, tugging on his coat.
"Sure." See, Winry, I can take time to play, he thought but taking the time off made him itchy.
X X X X
"Do you already have your gown, Riza?" Winry asked as she and the lieutenant entered the umpteenth shop.
The older blonde nodded. "Dress yes, accessories no, and Havoc will notice if I don't get things right...well, as much as any man notices that sort of thing." Riza smirked.
"Havoc? But I thought..." Winry trailed off blushing, realizing it really wasn't her business who Hawkeye went with.
She smiled and apparently read Winry's mind. "Colonel Mustang is my commanding officer. It would be improper for him to ask me, Winry."
"Oh, I see." Winry wrinkled her nose. "That's unfair. Lieutenant Havoc doesn't mind if you..."
"There will be plenty of unattached ladies he can go sniff around. You're a little too young for him to sniff your way but if he does, just whack him one." Riza smirked, not correcting Winry's assumption that she and Mustang would spend time together at the ball.
"I'll keep that in mind. Since Ed is more jealous than I would have thought possible, I'll be more worried at keeping him under control," Winry said, eyeing the mass of gowns blending together like jewel toned rainbows.
"That's the problem with powerful men, they need to be properly leashed. And Edward doesn't realize yet just how powerful he can grow up to be." Riza wrinkled her nose at a yellow silk dress and the salesclerk put it back.
Winry nodded. "Draken noticed. I mean, I'm not blind like Ed is. I know what Selena wants of him."
Riza's eyes widened. "That's perceptive of you."
Winry shrugged. "When you're from someplace small like Rizenbool and you don't have any talents, you hook up with men who can carry you with them." Winry hung her head, licking her lips. "It's sort of sad."
"And it's certainly not you," Riza observed, as the salesgirl pulled out a dress that had her and Winry shaking their heads in fear at the pallid orange thing.
The young girl smiled. "No. Ed, Al and I, we're definitely our parents' children, with all of their talents at very young ages. Sometimes I forget that while I'm busy making automail. I was only eleven when I helped Granny make Ed's first set of limbs. It never occurred to me that's not a normal thing for a kid to be doing. I'm probably the last person to yell at him for not taking time out to have fun." Winry's smile went wistful.
"It's sound advice for you both," Riza replied, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Well, I probably have a lot more fun than those boys. Sometimes Nelly and the other girls would drag me off to the Socials in town but nothing like this." Winry sighed. "At least I can dance. Mrs. Hughes told me she was going to try and teach Ed today. She'll probably have broken toes for the big night."
As Riza laughed, Winry's eyes popped. Her hand closed over velvet and silk, stroking the cloth gently. She held up the gown for a closer examination. It was beautiful. It was expensive. Ed would kill her before she had a chance to wear it.
"That's lovely. Go try it on," Riza encouraged.
That was all Winry needed. She stepped into the dressing room and shucked her clothing. She felt like royalty as the soft cloth moved over her skin. She was afraid of snagging the silk on her rough hands. She couldn't fasten it up all the way herself since it was opened in the back but who cared? She stepped out and looked at herself in the mirror. The midnight blue velvet gown dipped into a generous V down into her cleavage and the wide silk straps, attached to the halter bodice with crystal stars, were soft over her shoulders. A strip of white silk so embroidered with silver threads it seemed to glow cut down between her breasts to her navel carrying with it a sky's worth of crystal beads that glimmered when she moved. The velvet skirt split all the way up to her hips revealing a sapphire underskirt of silk. The velvet split in the back as well and there the sapphire silk swept out into a train.
Winry couldn't recognize the girl in the glass. The sleeveless gown seemed made for her. Trial and error had proven earlier that sleeves were not her friend, her muscular arms at odds with the slenderness of her body. The color highlighted her eyes. She flushed seeing how much of her bosom it exposed but she wasn't sure why. She wore tube tops after all but there was something about the way this was cut, the way it flattered the swell of her breasts. She looked at Riza wordlessly.
"You'll render him speechless in that," Riza assured her with a grin as the salesgirl fastened Winry into the gown. "He'll have no choice but to succumb to you."
"It's almost like not fighting fair." Winry smoothed her hands over her hips, twisting to see other angles of her body.
Riza patted her shoulder. "This is not a fight in which you want to fight fair. It's quite fair to make a man more insensible than he usually is and you and I have competition at this party. You can guarantee the Draken sisters will be there and they will be after our men. That's where our real battlefield is. The men are easy. The women are not."
The lines of Winry's mouth set grimly. "I know."
"And in this," Riza smiled, her gesture taking in the dress, "you are a weapon of choice." Riza smiled at her.
Winry smiled back. "I guess Ed won't cry too much at the price."
Riza waved her off. "He will. Men are cheap. You'll learn to ignore the whining."
Winry turned and looked over her shoulder at her backside in the mirror. "I've years of practice learning to ignore Ed's whining. I'll take it."
Riza took a handful of Winry's hair and piled it atop the girl's head. "You'll be beautiful. I know a good hair dresser. The Draken sisters won't know what hit them."
Winry laughed. "I like the sound of that."
Riza steered Winry toward the back of the store. "Okay, let's have the seamstress have a look to see if it needs altering. Next up, shoes then jewelry."
Winry nodded, dancing inside in anticipation of Ed's reaction to her. The ball couldn't come fast enough.
X X X
"This music doesn't sound like what Mrs. Hughes played," Ed grumbled, looking at Lieutenant Hawkeye.
"It's the same music, just double time," she replied, holding out her arms.
Ed looked around the outer office. It was empty and Hawkeye had assured him Mustang wasn't in his office but he didn't like this one bit. "We couldn't find anywhere else to practice?"
"Unlike Mrs. Hughes, I don't have a nice big home, Fullmetal, nor do you. Havoc and the others are out for the day. And the Colonel is in meetings elsewheres. No one will disturb us," Hawkeye assured him but Ed didn't feel particularly reassured as Hawkeye took hold of him.
Ed was quite sure he had forgotten half of what Mrs. Hughes had taught him and Hawkeye was a stern taskmaster. Where did she get that riding crop from anyhow? It was worth going back to the Hugheses even if it meant he might see something he didn't want to just to save himself bruised thighs from Hawkeye's corrections.
"We're going to try some reverse turns, Ed," Hawkeye said, her crop tucked into a belt loop.
"Oh no," Ed mewled. That sounded complicated. "What?"
"It's not hard. Left foot forward. Right foot to the side and slightly back then cross your left foot in front of the right," Hawkeye instructed.
Ed just looked at his feet dumbly. "I don't think I can do this." He winced as the crop found his back side.
"No defeatist talk, sir."
"I out rank you. Are you sure you're allowed to swat me?" Ed grumbled.
"Ask Colonel Mustang, sir." Hawkeye smiled at him.
"Fine. Reverse turns..." Ed sighed and fumbled his way through, only careening into one desk and kicking her ankle twice.
"Maybe if you didn't let him have so much space between you, Lieutenant, he'd be less of a menace."
Ed twisted around, hearing Mustang's voice. He glared over at Hawkeye. "You said he wasn't going to be here."
"He apparently came back, sir," Hawkeye replied, looking as amused as Mustang sounded.
"I'm just no good at this," Ed told his commanding officer.
"You're just not holding her right," Mustang replied, nosing through the pile of music Hawkeye had brought along. "You need to hold your partner closer."
"Um, sir," Hawkeye said, pulling Ed closer, stopping just short of burying his face in her cleavage. "That would be a problem."
Mustang looked over, saw where Ed's eyes were, and smirked. "Doubt Fullmetal sees it that way."
Ed blushed all the way to his hairline as he jumped back. "This isn't going to work and Hawkeye keeps hitting me."
"I told her to keep you in line." Mustang changed out the music. "Maybe slow dancing isn't for you. Perhaps this is more your speed."
Ed listened to the fast paced music Mustang selected. The syncopated 6/8 time left him breathless just hearing it. His blush quickly blanched. "No one can dance to that."
"Want a demonstration?" Mustang asked, smugly.
Ed's shoulders slumped. "Think Winry will believe I broke my automail leg the day of the dance?"
"Only if she dances with you," Hawkeye replied, rubbing her ankle.
"And only if you want to be the first state alchemist beaten to death with his own metal leg, Edward," Mustang added, his eyes dancing.
"Fine. Then put on some of that slower music Mrs. Hughes was teaching me to dance to. Maybe I can get just one dance down and Winry will be happy." Ed heaved an enormous sigh.
"You hope," Mustang said, complying.
"It's that or praying for food poisoning," Ed assured him.
Mustang snorted. "I have every faith Hawkeye can do something with you."
Ed eyed the crop. "That's what frightens me and I can't do this with you in the room."
"You'll have to do it in front of hundreds of other people," Mustang reminded him and Ed paled.
"You're not helping, sir," Hawkeye said sourly.
"Fine, fine." Mustang retreated into his office, smiling at the sounds of snapping leather and yips of hard earned lessons on where not to put one's feet.
X X X
Winry looked at the collection she had hanging in her borrowed closet. She was finally done with all the preparations for herself and for the ball in general. Maybe if she started rubbing lotion into her hands now, they'd be less rough in time for the dance. At Riza's urging, she had bought expensively milled soap, bath oil and lotion all of the same scent. Winry wasn't used to thinking in terms of scent and color. The sweetness of the tiare flower appealed to her so she bought the lot while Riza had gone for something spicy and exotic. She already had her pre-party ritual planned out with Gracia so they wouldn't clash, each woman slotting out an hour of soaking in hot water time. Men had it easy as far as Winry was concerned. Run a brush through their hair, shave -and she wasn't sure Ed even needed to do that - and pull on a uniform.
She had to soak in perfumed water; go to the hair dresser and get her long hair sculpted into a work of art; oil her skin until it glowed, paint her face, perfume herself and then get into her dress which required help getting it closed up the back. Why did women's clothing always close up the back? Her shoes had to match her dress as did her purse and her jewelry. She was lucky she had found both shoes and purse in velvet that perfectly matched her gown. The shoes had low chunky heels that served a dual purpose; one, she could wear them without feeling like she'd snap an ankle – she was certain a broken ankle was in her future if she had bought the slender, long spike heels that Riza favored - and two, she wouldn't totally tower over Edward in them.
A soft knock at the door caught her attention. Gracia was there, smiling at her. "I heard you found the jewelry to go with your dress. May I see?"
Winry smiled back. "Of course. I probably spent too much." She opened the velvet box, knowing there was no probablies about it. The necklace and earring set were obscenely expensive but she had to have it. She had fallen in love. Winry had spent her own money on this, not feeling right about making Ed pay for it. Though, in a way he was since she was using the money she made off his last repair job to cover it.
Gracia took out the bib necklace. The centerpiece of the necklace was a full moon made of a glossy pale blue moonstone whose adularescence was exquisite as it caught the light. Around it in the bib were silver stars inlaid with iolite, tourmaline, topaz, and pearl. The star burst earrings, with their moonstone centers, complimented them. Gracia gasped softly. "This is beautiful."
"I know and after the dance, I have no idea where I'll wear it. I don't know why I bought it. It's not like I have a place to wear it in Rizenbool," Winry said, almost regretting her impulsive purchase.
"This is one of those pieces that you keep forever and treasure. You'll have other occasions to wear it, Winry." Gracia put the necklace around Winry's neck and steered her toward the mirror. "And it'll be something he never forgets. You wouldn't think men notice such things but they do."
Winry didn't correct her hostess. She had no doubts Mr. Hughes noticed. Ed would be another story. She brushed a hand over her throat, the moonstone shimmering as if it held a ghost within it. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"
"Very."
Winry fingered the hoops of silver and gold running up and down her ears. Ed had bought her several of the earrings. She half wondered sometimes if she hadn't gotten so many piercings just to keep as much of him with her as possible. "I'll take all these out and just wear the star bursts."
"It'll look very classy," Gracia said, squeezing Winry's shoulders.
The younger girl smiled and took the necklace off returning it to its box. "Thanks. Well, I promised Elicia I'd play hide and seek with her. I'd better keep up my end of the bargain."
Gracia laughed. "Just don't let her wear you out."
Gracia watched Winry playing with her daughter then retreated into the study to pick up her phone. "Maes...no, sweetheart, everything's fine...Elicia is playing with Winry. I want you to do me a favor, love. Stop at Uncommon Adornments and find some moonstone cufflinks for Ed's dress uniform, preferably star motif if you can find them. Thanks, love. I'll see you soon." She smiled at the phone knowing how lucky she was to have a devoted man like Maes. She wondered if the young ladies in the next room would be so lucky in the future.
X X X
"I heard Havoc talking about you today, Brother," Al said slyly.
Edward looked up from stuffing his face, his appetite back in full force. "What?"
"About your dance lessons...something about bruises."
Ed glared around the mess hall but Havoc was nowhere to be seen. "How does he know?"
"I think all of Central knows, Brother." Al couldn't quite keep the amusement out of his voice.
Ed scowled and tucked back into his dinner. "Not funny, Al. Hawkeye has a crop and she's fast with that thing."
"Did you learn anything?"
He rubbed his bruised thigh. "How to dodge."
"That's not what I mean."
Ed smirked. "I think I can handle a slow dance without maiming anyone."
Al leaned his big elbows on the table. "So what color is Winry's dress, Brother?"
Ed shrugged. "How would I know?"
"How will you buy her a corsage if you don't know?" Al asked.
Ed paused mid-chew. "Huh?"
"You know, a corsage. You have to buy her flowers, Brother," Al said innocently all the while mentally wagging his head at Ed's total lack of social graces.
"Oh damn." Edward stabbed the roast beef viciously. "Flowers? I have to buy flowers, too?" Ed slipped on his best put-upon look.
"And they can't clash with her dress," Al reminded him.
Ed sighed. "Great, I'll be eye level with a passel of pansies."
"Don't be cheap, Brother," Al scolded. "You can get her one that ties around her wrist."
"Why? Isn't it enough that I'm there in a dress uniform?" Ed grumbled then gave Al the dim eye. How'd Al know about all this stuff anyhow? "Don't look at me like that, Al."
"I'm not looking at you like anything, Brother," Al said, not adding that he couldn't at any rate. "Colonel Mustang could help you...or Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," he added hastily, seeing Ed's look becoming more toxic.
"Fine, I'll ask her what color her dress is and I'll buy her flowers." Ed stuffed some beef into his mouth.
"You might want to think about not doing that at the party, Brother," Al said hesitantly.
"Now what?" Ed slapped his fork down.
"Eating like that. Mother would send you to your room if your table manners were this bad," Al said, wanting his brother to look good at the ball. Ed needed someone to look after him, after all.
Ed's face twisted up. "That's just mean, Al."
"It's true," Al insisted. "Winry will not appreciate you stuffing your face like you've never seen food before. I know you have better manners than this."
"Fine. I'll be the model of decorum, happy now?" Ed snapped. "Maybe you want to go in my place."
Al mentally bit his lip, knowing how hurt he felt couldn't show on his face. It didn't have to. Ed knew. His amber eyes dropped.
"Sorry, Al," Ed said and meant it.
"It's okay, Brother."
Ed shook his head. "No, it's not. Sorry."
"I know you didn't mean it. And I'm sorry for pushing," Al said. "It's just I don't want you or Winry to be disappointed."
Ed smiled slightly. "I know."
"So...what are you going to do with your hair, Brother?" Al ventured.
Ed's eyes narrowed. "Girls worry about their hair, Al. Guys just...they're guys. They don't have to."
"Whatever you say, Brother," Al replied, innocently.
Ed ran a hand over his braid. "Damn."