Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. I just like to torment and control the characters. Bwahaha. And throw new ones in there... -shifty eyes-
Author's Note: Well, I've gotten as far as chapter two. Oh man, hope you all are liking it. It's fun to write, just my plot is kind of going in every direction at the moment. So, not even I know what's going to happen. Bwahaha. Oh, sorry if anything I have the characters do is uncharacteristic. ; I'm still also working on getting Marinna's picture up.
Chapter Two: Cold body, Warm heart
After practicing the rest of the day until dinner, Marinna was happy to stop practicing making auto-mail. She probably wouldn't have to change Edward's auto-mail for a few days at the lastest. It's not like Winry or Pinako had a problem with that. They liked the boys to stay as long as they could. To make sure they're out of trouble and harms way.
At dinner that night, the table was arranged so Edward and Alex sat on one side, Marinna across from Edward and Winry across from Alex, Pinako sat at the head of the table while Alphonse sat at the end across from Pinako. With a dinner of turkey, mashed potatos, and corn, everyone would soon be feeling sleepy, thanks to the turkey. Everyone except for Alphonse that is. He didn't eat food.
"How's the auto-mail going, Marinna?" Edward asked the girl as everyone was getting food on their plates.
Suprised that Edward had noticed her, Marinna smiled and said, "Oh! It's going pretty good. I should be able to change it the day after tommorow."
"Are you sure you're ready to do this Marinna?" Winry asked, attempting to not allow the girl to take her place with the brothers.
"I'm not sure. Pinako seems to think so. I'll try my best," Marinna said shyly.
"Are you sure you don't want me to do it, Grandma?" Winry said, looking at Pinako.
"Winry, I'm possitive that Marinna is plenty capiable of doing this," Pinako said.
Edward, Alphonse, and Alex sat there, listening. None of them were sure if they should butt in and say something or not. Alex tested it though.
"Mrs. Rockbell has good judgment and if she thinks Miss Turner is ready, she is ready," Alex said, looking from Marinna to Winry, to Pinako.
"Thank you Alex," Pinako said, nodding.
"You're welcome, ma'm," he said.
"I don't think she is ready," Winry said, quiet jealous and angry on the inside. She was trying to keep it from showing.
"She is ready, Winry," Pinako said.
"That's alright. If Winry doesn't think I'm ready and would rather do it herself, it's okay with me," Marinna said, looking very disappointed. "Winry has, after all, had more experience with this, expecially with Ed."
"Are you sure Marinna?" Pinako asked.
"Yes. Winry can do it," she said, smiling, though her eyes held all her sadness and disappointment.
Proud of herself, Winry happily ate and enjoyed the meal and table conversation. All the while this was going on, Alphonse had saw how upset Marinna looked when she had given up the job of making and putting on Edward's auto-mail. He didn't say anything at the table, keeping that to himself. He'd say something to her later.
Not touching her food much, while everyone else was halfway done with eatting, Marinna looked at Pinako and asked, "May I be excused, please? I'm not feeling very well."
The conversation stopped and everyone looked at her, and Marinna's cheeks turned pink, feeling their eyes on her, but she kept staring at Pinako, waiting for the answer.
Nodding, Pinako said, "Yes."
"Thank you," she said, standing up, and leaving her plate at the table. "I think some fresh air will do me some good."
"Of course. If you need to go outside, go right ahead," Pinako said.
"Thank you," Marinna said. She left the room and went outside, all the while she could feel the eyes on her and the silence in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Alphonse watched her leave as well and continued to stare at the door while everyone else picked back up the conversation. He knew what was wrong with her. Did he go and try and comfort her or stay there?
"Al, why don't you go try and see what's wrong with her?" Pinako said, looking at him, seeing him watching her like he had.
"Ah!" he said, looking at Pinako, suprised. "Okay." And with that, he stood up and left the table, heading out the door.
He didn't need to go far before he found Marinna sitting down on the ground, her hands covering her face. A light sobbing sound was coming from her, it was obvious she was crying. Alphonse walked over to her and sat down beside her.
She looked up quickly, tears freely running down her face, her whole face looking sad now. It was very different from what she normally was. Feeling great sympathy for Marinna, Alphonse wished he could smile and show emotions. He wanted to show her he felt sorry, that he wanted to make her feel better. The only thing he could do that with was his voice and words.
"Marinna... I know you wanted to do Ed's auto-mail," he said in a very gentle tone.
Looking down at the grass they were sitting in, the tears still running down her cheeks in a steady stream, she nodded. "Yeah... I did. But Winry seemed to want to do it so much more."
Yeah. She did. More than usual... "I don't know why Winry was acting like that. She is normally nice. She should let you do Ed's auto-mail."
"I know she's nice. She's been... different since you and your brother came back, Alphonse," she said, looking back up at him, tears still flowing down her cheeks.
"Call me Al," he said, slightly off-handedly. "I'll talk to Winry about Ed's auto-mail. Maybe she'll let you do it if I ask her to."
"Really Al? You'd do that?" Marinna asked, her eyes now holding a little bit of hope. The tears even stopped coming so quickly.
Nodding, he said, "Yeah. I think your work is really good."
"But you haven't seen any of it..." she said, confused.
"Yeah, Pinako showed me some of your practice ones. I hope you don't mind..."
"Oh, no. It's okay. Thanks though."
"For what?"
"Everything," she said. Reaching over, she touched Alphonse's hand. "You may have a cold body..." Then, she stood up and put her hand where if he were alive, his heart would be. "But you have a warm heart. I can feel it." And with that, she blushed, and smiled a smile that caused her eyes to close.
A light blush line came across Alphonse's cheeks as Marinna slowly let her hand fall from the spot on his chest.
Sitting back down next to Alphonse, Marinna sighed. "I don't want to go back in there yet."
"Why not?" Alphonse asked, curious as to why.
"I don't want to see your brother or have him see me."
"Huh? Ed? Why?"
"Because... I want him to notice me but I don't want him to see me," Marinna said. It was a very confusing emotion to feel: to want someone to notice you but don't want them to see you at the same time.
"What? He won't notice you if you don't let him see you," Alphonse said, hurt on the inside that Marinna wanted Edward to notice her more than she wanted Alphonse.
"I know... But I don't want him to think bad of me either," she said.
"Brother isn't like that. He doesn't think bad of you."
"But he also hasn't known me long enough," she said, laying down, putting her hands behind her head.
"I don't think bad of you. I couldn't if I tried," Alphonse said sincerly.
Smiling brightly, Marinna said with a slight giggle in her voice, "There goes that warm heart inside that cold body again."
