oOo

Chapter Three

Ed ducked inside the house just as the first dark gray clouds appeared. He could hear Winry and her grandma in the kitchen.

"I hope she doesn't get caught in the rain," Winry said. "And Edward, too. Where did he run off to?"

"Miss me?" Ed said sadistically as he entered the kitchen.

Winry looked up at him, surprised. She had obviously been discussing something secret with Pinako.

"Oh, there you are. We were just wondering where you'd-"

"Yeah, and who's this 'she' you were so worried about?" Ed interjected, wondering what the hell was going on with Winry.

"Well, um, Ed, you see-" she stammered, not really knowing how to begin. She wrung her hands nervously and bit her lip, to excuse her lack of words.

What's the big deal! Ed thought. 'The hell has she been keeping from me? Then finally, he remembered the girl he had heard the night before. She sounded like...Wait-

"Winry," Ed began. But he never finished, as just then, the front door opened and Alphonse, who was in the living room, spoke, sounding rather confused.

"Um, I think you have the wrong house..." he said unsurely.

"What? Oh, no, I'm staying here," said a voice that was all too familier.

"Here? You're sure?" Al asked.

"Well, yeah, this is the Rockbell's house, right?"

Ed looked to Winry incredulously. She was looking at the floor, trying to hide her reddened face.

"Um, Ed, we've kind of had someone living with us for a few months..." she admitted lowly, a guilty smile crossing her face.

Ed's lips struggled to form words but sound could not be brought out of him. Then the girl with the long, dark brown hair came into the kitchen, carrying a wicker basket.

"Uh, Win? I think I-" The girl stopped dead when she saw Ed.

"...W-Winry?..." Ed began shakily, not looking away from the girl's surprised eyes. "What's going on?..."

Winry looked back and forth between the two.

"Um, well..."

"You're Edward Elric," the girl stated numbly, unable to draw her gaze from his.

Ed swallowed, trying to regain his ability to speak.

"Yeah."

The girl shook her head slightly, as if breaking a trance.

"So, you're the Fullmetal? The State Alchemist?" she recited, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Ed suddenly recovered from the shock.

"Yeah, so? What's the big surprise? Did'ja expect me to be taller or something!" he snapped.

"No," the girl stated, unswayed by Ed's anger. "Really, I just..."

Ed softened a bit.

"What?"

"I...just didn't know it was you, that's all," she said quietly, with some reluctance looking away from him.

"You guys...know each other?" Winry asked.

"Well, actually...we just met," Ed said.

"And you didn't get any names!"

"Oh, yeah, I knew I forgot something..." Ed muttered, then looked up at the girl and smiled. "Well, we know who I am. This is my younger brother, Alphonse," he said, gesturing to the armor standing awkwardly next to him; Al bowed slightly to the girl. "And, you are?" Ed asked.

"Colette," the girl said. "Hayse."

"Nice to meet you," Ed said, smiling at her.

He could see her face turn a deep red.

Keeping to her world-renown talent of ruining the moment, Pinako stepped between them, setting a steaming bowl of soup on the table.

"I told you it was a bad idea to keep her a secret," she said dryly.

An apologetic smile appeared on Winry's face.

"Heh, my bad..."

oOo

Ah, skill. Update. ...Short update, but it'll keep you busy. I have actual ideas as to what's happening next, so...that's it.

I was thinking about the original idea I had for this fic like a year ago, and I was like huh, this is...totally not gonna work. But then I thought about it more and was like oh, ok. I'll pull it together. Lol, I also have this kick-ass fight scene I wrote a while ago that I want to incorporate in this. S'pretty bitchin'.

Ooh! And guess who got their YELLOW BELT in Shaolin Kempo last Sunday! ME! And Macki, but mostly me, cuz I'm the one who made her start in the first place. All white-belts: Have "Fun" on your first test. I know I did, lol.

Ok, so, rock on.

Happy Valentines Day! (Hope yours wasn't as awkward as mine... Wyatt like sat on me...But Benji wasn't an asshole, so it rocked! Muaha)

Ahem –

3 Morbid Original

PS New Screen Name: rokmetallica9

...I don't even listen to Metallica...I only made it up to prank this annoying kid (which I haven't done yet), but whatevs.