Riza woke up to the smell of food. "ED" she called out, seeing if it was him.
"Hold on, just stay there for a minute" Ed yelled back. Riza laid back down wondering why Ed told her to stay in bed. After hearing a bit of rustling Riza saw Ed come through the door with a tray of food.
"Oh Ed, you didn't have to" Riza said as Ed put the tray down on her lap.
"Well I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay... and the mess I made in the living room" Ed replied scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Whatever, it can't be that much of a mess" Riza replied offhandedly. Ed chuckled nervously as he left the room.
After going back to the kitchen and eating his own food, Ed saw Riza come out of her room. As she came out to the kitchen and living room area, Riza looked towards her couch and her jaw dropped to the floor. "What the, how, when" Riza asked barely able to make the words come out of her mouth. The entire living room was covered in papers and books.
"I couldn't sleep last night, so I went out and got some stuff for some research" Ed explained chuckling nervously.
"And did anything come of this, or did you just make a mess of my living room" Riza asked threateningly.
"Well I did figure out how to set a alchemic trigger that can be triggered by anyone. The specific purpose of this one is so I can turn the cover into a blade" Ed replied "Oh but for anyone to activate it someone that can use alchemy has to charge it, like pulling the hammer on a single action revolver for someone without a thumb... or two hands... okay, yeah you know what I mean though." he added.
Riza looked at Ed "Wow, honestly that's pretty cool. And I really don't like alchemy all that much" Riza admitted.
"I'm gonna go find a alchemist really quick so I can get mine charged up" Ed told Riza as he lifted his arm and showed her the sign on his automail arm.
"That's... that's really complicated, a lot more complicated than anything I've seen" Riza commented.
Ed grinned "Yeah the trigger took a lot of work so someone without alchemy could use it, then there's the transformation that the trigger causes, and then the part of the seal that stores energy for the transformation" Ed explained. "The first and third part took a lot of work, that's why it's so complicated" Ed told Riza.
Riza looked at Ed's arm; she knew that using his automail arm as a close range weapon while he jumped around was how he fought, and while jumping around it was the best way to fight since it was smaller than a sword, since there was a significantly smaller chance of him injurying himself. "Ok then, pack up your stuff and I'll meet you at the train station" Riza told Ed. Ed nodded and went back to his room to pack.
Ed sighed as he left Riza's house carrying his suitcase. Ed started to head down to central to find a state alchemist... preferably one that could perform alchemy. Ed looked down at his pocket watch and started wondering if he would have to turn it later since he couldn't perform alchemy.
After reaching headquarters Ed looked around "Let's see, the quickest way to find an alchemist would be to... go bother Mustang" he said to himself mischievously.
Walking up to the Fuhrer's office Ed stepped up to the secretary's desk "Um excuse me I have to see Mustang, I just received important news" he told her.
The secretary sighed "I know you don't, and the Fuhrer has important work that he has to do" she replied.
Ed sighed before pushing the doors open, much to the secretary's dismay "Hey, I was just asking as a formality" Ed told her with a smile.
"What is it Fullmetal" Mustang asked.
"Ah well, I need you to charge up this array I made" Ed told him.
Mustang took a closer look at the array "What does it do?" he asked inspecting it.
"It should allow allow me to store and release alchemic energy, but I haven't tested it" Ed explained.
Mustang paused for a moment "You're still registered as a state alchemist aren't you" he asked.
Ed flinched "Ha, I guess you were hoping I'd forget about it" Mustang mused leaning back in his chair.
"Hey as long as I come up with stuff I'm still qualified as a state alchemist aren't I" Ed asked with a small amount of doubt in his voice.
"Well I'll let you keep the position if you stop pestering me about everything, although this array you've made is interesting, so what do I need to do" Mustang asked.
"Just activate the inner transmutation circle"
ssssssss
Riza looked back towards central command after hearing an explosion. Sighing, Riza started walking towards command. It was almost certainly Ed and Mustang's fault. Ed almost certainly childish enough to actually go to Mustang to help him, and Mustang was almost certain to screw with him.
Walking up to the Mustang's office she sighed. The secretary looked quite annoyed as well.
"I didn't want to let him in, but he just ignored me" she said, not justifying herself, but wanting Ed to be punished somehow. After all, she was currently Mustang's only secretary, and Ed had blew her off more than once.
"I'll take care of it" Riza said.
Walking into the office, she thought it would be better to skip Mustang's lecture since he had actual work to do. Grabbing Ed by his ponytail, Riza dragged him out of the office. After getting out onto the street Riza turned towards Ed.
"What was that?" she asked looking agitated.
"Uh, hehe, I kinda forget the details on how you were supposed to use the array. It's a bit complicated and delicate and I kind of forgot that it isn't very easy to actually use" Ed said scratching the back of his head nervously.
Riza looked at Ed and sighed. This was basically his childhood so giving him a bit of a break shouldn't be too bad.
"Just don't forget to explain everything thoroughly next time, got it?" Riza said sending a glare that made Ed shiver.
"Yes ma'am" he replied quickly and quietly.
"Good" Riza said patting Ed on the head, much to his annoyance.
The walk to the train was mostly silent. They sat down in the train for several hours making small talk. Eventually Ed sighed. Seeing as Riza took no real notice, he sighed again, only a little louder.
"What is it" Riza asked, annoyed.
"Well if I remember correctly, you said you would get me some food on the train" Ed told her.
Riza facepalmed. "No I said you could have food on the train. I never said that I would get it for you"
"Well I made you breakfast" Ed replied.
"I thought that was an apology for messing up my living room"
"Well, can you do it anyways, I'll get dinner" Ed offered.
Riza sighed as she got up. She was getting a bit hungry as well, and the food wasn't brought around, but held in a coach that was converted to hold food. Walking up to the cashier in the coach Riza laid down a wad of cash.
"Just give me whatever that can buy"
The cashier raised her eyebrow.
"I have a teenage boy with me that can eat much more than me" Riza explained. She did have some self respect. She couldn't have anyone thinking that she would be eating all that food herself.
"Oh your son?" the cashier asked smiling brightly.
"State alchemist" Riza replied slightly annoyed. Riza looked over to see the cashier blushing a bit. "Oh you know of Edward" Riza asked.
The girl nodded. She didn't look much over eighteen years old. A lot of people had heard rumors of Ed due to everything he had done, and to most teenage girls they were more fantasies than anything. Riza remembered Ed telling her about Mei's reaction to him when he they had first met. After everything was over and done with he had gotten Mei to explain why she was so mean to him.
"Can you introduce me to him?" the cashier asked blushing.
"Don't you need to work or something?" Riza asked a bit annoyed. She didn't particularly want to share Ed's company.
"We take five hour shifts, and my shift is almost over, and" the girl was cut off with a glare from Riza.
"Look, he's with me and we're hungry so just give me the damn food" Riza ordered angrily.
Taking the food, Riza left. Who did that girl think that she was. Riza wore a glare as she walked down the aisle. Ed was her's, and now that she was finally spending time alone with him she wasn't going to let others intrude upon that time.
After reaching the cabin and looking at Ed, RIza felt a bit guilty. What the hell was she thinking. Ed wasn't hers. He just happened to be living with her. At this point in her train of thought, the fact that he was a minor had been completely abandoned. Though he stopped being a minor in many people's eyes a while ago.
After eating in silence for a few minutes, Ed noticed that something was bothering RIza. "Hey is something wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking" Riza replied. Putting her plate down next to her, she opened the door. She was thinking about going and apologizing to the girl, but that girl happened to be walking down the aisle. Riza motioned for the girl to come over, and the girls eyes lit up.
"Ed, this girl wanted to meet you" Riza said pulling the cashier in. "This is, um" Riza tailed off as she didn't know the girls name.
"I'm Amy" the girl said, her excitement frightening Ed.
Ed didn't particularly like too much attention being drawn to himself. Granted he could deal with it, but it was much easier to remain undetected. Granted in Liore pretty much everyone knew him.
Ed gave a small forced chuckle "Hey I'm Ed" he said was a small smile.
The girl sat next to Ed for a bit and asked him questions, which he answered mostly honestly. "Are you, uh, dating anyone?" the girl asked nervously.
Ed hesitated a bit. The question made him a bit uncomfortable. If he said no then the girl be able to assault him for as long as they were on the train."Her" Ed said pointing to Riza, who ended up blushing a bit.
"Ed, I thought you said we weren't going to tell anyone yet" Riza said playing along.
"What would you rather me have someone else hanging on me?" Ed asked, before glancing at the girl "no offense" he added,
The girl merely smiled. Now she understood why the blonde women didn't want to bring her back here. "Aren't you a bit old for him?" the girl asked with an obvious joking tone in her voice. She didn't want to be murdered by this woman.
"Yes probably, but to be fair, with everything that happened I'll probably end up dying before either of you anyways" Ed said, remembering all of the things that had happened to him.
Ed talked to the girl for a few more minutes on happier subjects before she thanked him and left.
"Well, since we're dating now, don't you want to sit on the same side as me?" Riza asked with a smile.
Ed looked away, his cheeks turning red "We wanna keep it a secret remember."
"Of course, my bad" Riza replied smiling. A few moments passed before Riza looked at Ed again. "What did you mean you'd probably die before us?"
Ed looked over at Riza "Well, I haven't exactly been treating my body nicely these past years. It's taken it's toll."
"Yes, but that could be said for all of us. It's fine if you don't want to tell me, I was just curious."
"No, it's fine. It's just, I still feel guilty about it. When I got stuck inside Gluttony's stomach I had to open the Gate of Truth." Ed said. Riza nodded. They had all gotten together and filled in the gaps for each other, but they all knew each of them left parts out. All of them had things they weren't proud of.
"I had to use the philosopher's stone that was part of Envy's body as the payment for opening the gate."
Riza went over to Ed and put her arm around him. She knew Ed had and did justify the of the philosopher's stone as a way to get out, but she also knew that because of who he was, he still felt terrible about using the souls of the people.
"I knew how to use that type of energy, so it was easier to prepare to heal myself when I was impaled by the beam." Ed said, talking more easily now. "I had to use my own life force as energy to heal myself after the beam was pulled out of me." Ed said nonchalantly. This part didn't bother him at all.
Riza, however, recoiled in horror when she heard.
Ed gave a comforting smile "Don't worry about it, I would do it again if I had to."
Riza sighed. There was no getting through to him about how much he worried her. Riza started to wonder if this was how a mother worried about her child. No that wasn't quite it, but every time Ed told her one of these stories where he got hurt, it tore at her heart.
"Ed, just promise me you'll try to stay out of danger from now on" Riza pleaded.
"You know I can't promise that anymore than you can promise me that," Ed replied "besides you are already making me carry a gun."
Riza sighed again. Ed merely grinned and put his arm around her shoulder "Just wait till we get to Liore, we'll have a great time. Fighting off evil, building houses, and sweating our asses off in the heat."
"You really know how to show a girl a good time don't you Fullmetal."
"You wound me Riza. Going back and using my state assigned title."
Riza rolled her eyes. Leaning into him she closed her eyes. She heard Ed take a sharp breath. "Just keep breathing, you're making an awkward pillow right now." Riza complained.
Ed let out a small laugh, and closed his eyes as well.