A/N:So sorry! So sorry! *bows profusely* Sooooooo soorrrrrrrryyyyyyy it took so long, guys! School was being a bitch and making us do homework. And it doesn't help that we take smart kid classes...Damn our brains! ;) Anyway, in order to make up for it, this chapter is like twice as long as normal. Also, it really doesn't have any RoyXAlice in it. Like at all... Don't go away yet! This chapter is featuring Benji! Yay! Because we're all secretly Benji fangirls. Personally, I really like this chapter and I hope that you all will appreciate its awesomeness. Yeah. That's about it... So, um...
Special thanks to our lovely reviewers: Requiem (WE MISSED YOU! *glomps* We seriously thought you died! We were worried!), Lady Skorpio (You won't get to see our evil plans for Jean until next chapter... Mwahahaha!), chocolvr (It's totally fine! We still heart your face! And I'm very pro Len/Kahoko myself...^^), Charlie (We didn't leave you, I swear! I would just like to take this time to say that we love you and that we're sorry for not updating very fast. But we'll try to fix it, just for you, okay? ^^), Cecil (Hi! I'm so glad you like how we write Roy! We're always so worried about keeping him in character. And thanks soooo much for reviewing! ^^), Fire and Ice (I HATE IT WHEN I'M KICKED OFF THE COMPUTER! I feel your pain. And we're just glad that you review at all!)
Random Bittersweet Fact #4: Sometimes, when we're really tired of writing, Lex and I put Roy in very awkward situations for our own amusement. I think one time, we decided that he would be into role-playing. Hehe...kinky... ;)
And to make up for Lex's forgetfulness last chapter:
Random Bittersweet Fact #5: The whole idea for Bittersweet came as Lex and I were swimming (she was swimming, I was trying not to drown) in her gramma's lake. Needless to say, that lake is magical.
Disclaimer: We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. If we did, I would have Falman die in Hughes' place. Because no one likes Falman anyway...
The boy sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He always got up with the sun. It was something that his father had taught him, so as not to waste the day. The boy stood and made his way to the bathroom mirror. Light brown eyes and black hair was reflected back. The boy sighed as he went through a mental list of the day's planned activities. "Just another day in the life of Benji Jeck... How very exciting."
Benji made himself a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, careful not to make too much noise so as not to wake his mother. Benji was never a big fan of oatmeal. But his father had always taught him to eat a good breakfast; and oatmeal was the man's very definition of a good breakfast. Benji didn't know why he still followed his father's guidelines to living life. He supposed that they were just apart of him. It was almost as if it was in his genetic codex to be exactly like his father.
The boy shook his head. He wasn't exactly like his father. His father didn't appreciate music. That, he got from his mother. Though, his father often sang to him as a child. Demetri Jeck's voice was deep and full. It was almost never on key, but it would still always put young Benji to sleep. Benji finished his breakfast and quickly cleaned the dishes. He couldn't figure out why he was thinking of his father so much all of a sudden. And then he realized...
It was his father's birthday.
Demetri Jeck would have been forty on that very day, and accordingly, Benji's mother was nowhere in sight. With a sigh of helplessness, Benji knew he was entirely incapable of getting his mother out of the funk she'd been in for countless years. He stayed on his feet briefly, swaying barely before deciding to head out the door.
Sadly, there were no piano lessons to be had that day, although he was definitely tempted to drop by and check on his piano teacher. The woman worried Benji; Alice reminded Benji too much of his mother, and it wasn't almost as though she was a second mom to him after all.
He decided against that impulse, however, breathing in the air, and deciding that it was going to be a day to do nothing. Benji Jeck was, of course, far from correct in that assumption; but frankly, the teenager wanted to do little more than nothing regardless. Any work of any kind would be lost on him. It was just that kind of day.
So, on that particular day, Benji decided to go to the market. He really had no business there; he just needed something to do. The marketplace bustled as it always did. Wives getting groceries, men buying hardware, children purchasing candies; it was all a familiar scene to Benji, who had lived in Central his whole life. Benji heard his name called out from somewhere behind him before he was attacked by a certain short redhead. "Benji!"
The boy sighed slightly, "Liz."
"I haven't seen you in a very long time and all you can say to me is, 'Liz'? You're a jerk, Benji Jeck. A real jerk. And to think that I grew up so well, considering that I've known someone like you my whole life..."
The boy sighed again and suppressed a small smile. "Hello, Liz. How are you?"
The girl nodded approvingly. "That's better," she said with a wink. They lightly chatted until Liz brought up the fact of the fire that engulfed Alice's home. She was surprised to find that Benji knew nothing of the incident. "Well, she's staying with that sexy colonel-boyfriend of hers. I wish my house would burn down..." the girl sighed dreamily.
"...There is something wrong with you." Benji received a shove that didn't accomplish what it was intended for. At this, Liz decided to do something more effective...
The redhead's foot managed to make the taller boy stumble and fall into an unsuspecting shopper. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me help you..." Benji mumbled as he offered a hand to the blonde girl on the ground. Once the girl was on her feet again, Liz pounced.
"Hi, I'm Liz! This is Benji. You're not from around here, huh? What's your name? Where did you come from? On a scale of one to ten, how attractive do you find Benji? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you free tonight?" As the girl opened her mouth to reply, Liz started up again, "GREAT! It's settled then! You two have a date tonight at seven! Have fun you two! Bye, Benji! And you're welcome~!" And with that, Liz took off down the street, leaving the teens alone with puzzled looks on their faces.
Benji's jaw had dropped, watching Liz practically skip down the way before looking to the pretty blonde beside him. The girl was blinking rapidly, as if she was trying to regain herself after being knocked down by the whirlwind that was Liz. Shaking her head with finality, the blonde looked to him expectantly.
"Uh... Benji. Benji Jeck. You?"
The girl smiled slightly before saying, "Winry. Winry Rockbell."
An awkward silence ensued momentarily before Benji said, "Well... is there anything I can do to make up Liz's outrageous behavior to you?"
With a smile and a wink, Winry Rockbell laughingly said, "Buy me lunch?"
And Benji, with a smirk, gladly agreed; what could he say? She was cute, and honestly, he needed something to do anyway that day.
Winry, despite her earlier shocked disposition, was actually quite the chatterbox; but not an obnoxious one, not like Liz. He learned quite quickly, barely getting a word in edgewise, that Winry was from a village in the country, and had come to Central to search for a couple friends of hers who worked for the military.
She was definitely the kind of distraction that Benji Jeck needed on a day such as this, one that could've been full of a hell of a lot more heartache. It seemed that, for once, Liz's over the top personality had actually been somewhat beneficial to the teenage boy's well-being.
"So, what about you? What's it like to live here in Central?" the girl asked him with an expectant look on her face.
"Oh. Um... There's really not much to say. I've lived here my whole life, so Central really isn't anything special..."
"Oh, come on," she prodded gently, "there's got to be something special here."
Benji thought over Winry's words carefully. What was so special about Central, really? What kept him and his mom tied down there? "There are only a few special things here. Besides that, it's military headquarters."
"Well, my friends won't be needing me for a little while. Would you mind showing me around a bit?" the girl asked, eyes glittering slightly.
Benji couldn't help but let his cheeks go ever-so-slightly pink. Why him? Out of all the people in Central, why did she want him as a personal escort? He glanced back at her and mumbled quietly, "Yeah, I guess I can." The blonde smiled widely.
After Benji paid, they made their way into the street. "Well, uh, where do you want to go?"
The girl thought for a moment. "Well, why don't you show me the 'few special places' here?"
Benji panicked a bit, not that he showed it. "I don't think you'd really find them interesting... And they aren't really tourist attractions. Plus they're kind of personal favorites."
"So? According to your friend, we're on a date. Doesn't that mean that I should learn more about you? And what better way then for you to show me your favorite places?" The girl grinned, knowing that she had won. Benji sighed and lead the girl over to a certain shop. "A piano store?" she asked, obviously confused.
"Yup." The boy wished that he could take her to Alice's house, but unfortunately, it had been burned to the ground only days before. "There was somewhere else I wanted to take you, but...that isn't going to work out," he said sadly. Winry cocked her head to the side, watching Benji's fingers as they feathered up and down the black and white keys.
"...Can you play?"
He sent her a smirk before nodding briefly. The blonde smiled weakly, saying, "Um...Could I hear something?"
Benji obliged. His fingers gracefully glided over the piano keys. It was a song that the boy's father had often sang to him. It was a simple little tune that was soothing and slow. He closed his eyes and let the notes wash over him. Despite the song's originally cheery tune, Benji's rendition was deep and sorrowful.
Regardless of the song's tone, Winry clapped when the performance ended, smiling brightly. "Wow...That was beautiful, Benji. Who taught you?"
"Her name is Alice, and I care for her deeply. She's like my second mom, or an older sister or something..."
The girl shot him a confused look before saying, "Yeah, I guess I know what you mean." Her thoughts drifted to Ed and Al; her not-so-brotherly un-brothers. She shook her head slightly. "So, where to next?"
Benji frowned as he rose from the piano bench. He figured that he should pay his respects to his father sometime that day. "Well, I have to go somewhere today..." When Winry's face fell slightly, he quickly added, running a nervous hand through his dark hair, "But, uh, I guess you can come along... If you really want to..."
With a sigh, Benji thought that where he was going wasn't exactly romantic, or even moderately attractive. If anything, Winry was going to see a broken mess of a teenage boy; nothing less, and certainly nothing more.
"You probably won't be too enthralled with where I'm taking you..." Benji mumbled under his breath, but began walking anyway, with Winry close behind.
With a dark chuckle, Benji said, "You'll be the first girl I've ever taken to meet my dad, Winry."
They walked for a while, saying very little. It wasn't long before they stood before a headstone among a sea of them. All were lined up in perfect, uniform rows, like soldiers marching into battle. This both disgusted and made perfect sense to Benji. Sure, it probably conserved space. But it also left the soldiers forever in marching formation. They thought they escaped the military by dying. But, in reality, they only escaped their physical pain and worldly thought.
"So, um, Winry... This is my dad," Benji said quietly, gesturing towards the headstone that read, "Major Demetri Jeck."
Winry's eyes widened before she bowed slightly. "Hello, Mr. Jeck," she said quietly with a tiny smile. "Military, huh...?" Panic flickered in the blonde's heart, and briefly the deceased's name was Elric, rather than Jeck.
Benji smiled sadly as Winry's expression slowly fell. "He's been gone a long time. I hardly even feel it anymore..." His voice trailed off as Benji Jeck told the lie he'd been trying to convince himself of for many a year.
"Both my parents are dead, Benji. I'll never ever get over that." Winry's words were cold, as if she were steeling herself to handle the pain.
All Benji could manage was an almost inaudible, "Oh."
Winry looked around briefly before quietly saying, "I'll be back."
When Winry was out of earshot, Benji knelt down as if to see his father eye-to-eye. He sighed.
"Hey, Dad. I know that I haven't been by since Mom forced me to come five years ago. I just..." He sighed again, trying to find the words. "I don't know what to say, really. Mom seems to be getting along a bit better. She doesn't cry as much anymore, but she still stares off into the distance a lot. It's as if she's still waiting for you to come home. I still play piano. I know that you wanted a soldier for a son, but you got a musician. Sorry, but it's the only thing that keeps me from breaking." Benji heard soft footsteps behind him. "I must look awfully foolish, talking to a grave," he said quietly, not bothering to turn. Winry laid a single white lily in front of the headstone.
"No. Not at all." Benji smiled sadly as the girl placed the flower there.
"Winry, you're the only thing good that has ever come of me knowing Liz."
Winry didn't respond, apparently lost in things long ago. Benji's father was near the back of the cemetery, a long walk from the entrance. "So... Military, huh?" Winry repeated, and Benji nodded. "My parents were doctors in Ishbal." Benji waited for more of the story, but Winry stopped, unwilling to say any more.
Benji gulped. "You don't know how they died, do you?" The girl shook her head sadly. "I don't know what happened to my dad, either. According to the military, 'What happens in Ishbal stays in Ishbal'..." When the girl didn't say anything, he sighed and looked down at the ground. "Sorry. I'm not really good with people."
Winry smiled sweetly. "It's alright. Um, by the way, could you direct me to this hospital?" She handed him a slip of paper with the hospital's name written on it. "My friends are there, and I should probably get there soon..."
"Yeah. We aren't far. I'll just walk you there." Winry shot him a radiant smile, one Benji couldn't help responding with one of his own. It was a five minute walk, tops, but Benji decided to take the long way. When Winry began walking in, Benji gave a slight bow before turning away. He was stopped by a hand on his wrist, with the blonde grinning brightly at him.
"Come on, silly. You've got to meet Ed and Al." She winked before pulling Benji up with her, utilizing surprising strength.
The short boy in the hospital bed looked up to find his automail mechanic. "Jeez, Winry! It's about time you got here! I thought I'd have to fix my arm myself!" He then noticed the tall boy behind her and his expression darkened.
"Who is that?"
Ed! Look at what you did to my beautiful handiwork!" the girl seemed to melt into a pile of wailing mush.
"Uh, hi. I'm Benji Jeck." He bowed his head in place of an actual bow.
"I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. So, Jeck, what's your relationship with Winry?"
Benji cocked an eyebrow at the use of his last name in place of his first. "Relationship?" Cockiness crept into the boy's voice. "I bought her lunch and she met my dad today. Make of that what you will."
Ed sent a questioning look in the direction of the girl, who was practically crying over the treatment of her handiwork. "Winry! Winry! Who is he?"
"Just like he said, idiot! He bought me lunch because you were stupid enough to get landed in the hospital so you couldn't buy it for me! Don't talk to me that way, Edward Elric! I don't care if you're part of the military, you still need me if you want your limbs back!"
Ed fell silent in fear. "Hello, Winry. I heard you yelling from the hallway." A suit of armor walked in and stood by the hospital bed.
"Hey, Al. Benji, this is Alphonse, Ed's little brother," the girl explained as she got our her tools and began to work.
"It's nice to meet you," Al bowed slightly and Benji returned the favor. "It's good to see that Winry has made friends here in Central."
"Yeah. We sort of fell head over heels into each other..." What Benji said wasn't a lie, but he really just wanted to get under the short boy's skin.
"Tell me, Jeck," Edward began with an irritated expression on his face, "do you have any blood ties to one morally-bankrupt Colonel Roy Mustang? Because you two seem to have a lot in common."
Benji grew rigid. "I have no relation to, nor am I at all like that man. Unlike him, I take care of my chosen girl." His mind reverted back to the times Roy had made Alice cry and he clenched his fists slightly
Blinking once, Ed shook his head in disbelief. "You actually know him? Honestly, it was an empty insult. Regardless..." The blonde boy's head whipped around, lighting upon the young woman who was still tenderly handling her precious metal equipment. "What the hell? Who in the name of goddamned Christ are you?"
"Told you. Benji Jeck. Moderately attractive. Pianist." Benji leaned up against the door frame, an overconfident grin on his face, certain that the other person couldn't leave the hospital bed. Winry rolled her eyes.
"Frankly, Ed, I've only known him a few hours, and he's been a lot nicer to me than you ever have in all the years I've known you." Winry's words weren't said with malice; they were more matter of fact, than anything.
"What can I say, Miss Rockbell? I fell hard..." Benji lightly put a hand to his heart, and as Winry turned to him with a questioning look, the dark-haired boy winked suggestively.
A small smiled formed on the girl's lips as she turned back to Ed's arm. "And I'm also sure that Benji would take better care of my automail!" the girl said as she began tinkering with the arm.
Ed glared. "Well, of course he would. It's not like pianists actually do anything worthwhile that would make it break."
Benji's expression grew dark and his voice became more arrogant. "On the contrary, Elric. Though I may not be an alchemist, I am a military man's son. I've been doing fitness regiments since I could walk. And my father specialized in hand-to-hand combat. Those skills, he passed onto me. And might I add that though we may seem weak and sensitive; pianists are fierce lovers." He sent another wink Winry's way, which made her blush slightly before rolling her eyes.
"Say, Benji, why don't we go into the hallway so Winry can concentrate?" Al interjected nervously. Benji nodded and followed the suit of armor into the hall.
"So, are you a State Alchemist too?" Benji asked quietly.
"Oh, no. I'm an alchemist, but Brother's the one who got State certification." An awkward pause ensued. Al was far more subdued than his brother, something which Benji was both disappointed and thankful for. Despite the intimidating suit of armor he wore, the boy, er, man, er, whatever he was, Al exuded a far less mature aura than that of his brother. Perhaps, despite his size, Ed was the older brother?
For once, Benji was the one to break a silence. "Winry and I haven't done anything. I just wanted to get under your brother's skin." An airy laugh came from the large suit of armor beside Benji. It was almost funny, he thought; the suit sounded like a little kid was inside it, even though the figure dwarfed Benji by quite a few inches - no small feat.
"I know, although it's funny that Winry didn't stop you from saying anything. She's been our best friend since a moment after she was born."
Al's voice trailed off, some kind of pain or emotion that Benji didn't recognize hidden behind his words. He thought of asking the other what was wrong, but just as he opened his mouth, Winry came bursting through the door, grabbing Benji by the sleeve and saying, "Al, your brother's an idiot!"
They had just exited the hospital when Benji finally regained control of his feet, and it was then that he felt Winry begin shaking with sobs. Benji's eyes narrowed, and briefly he considered running back into the hospital and laying into the blonde boy who was still in a bed. Then, however, Winry stared straight into his eyes, and said desperately, "They're just so stupid!"
And so there, on the steps in front of the hospital, Winry Rockbell cried as Benji Jeck awkwardly put his arms around her, trying wholly to comfort her without really knowing how. Because, frankly, when she cried, Winry reminded the boy far too much of his mother.
"Um, uh, everything's gonna be alright."
The girl laughed and sobbed at the same time. "You don't even know, Benji. You don't know how reckless those two are! You don't understand to what lengths they'll go to to get what they want! They're going to wind up dead!"
Benji didn't know what to say to all that. He stared off into the distance for a moment. "We're all going to wind up dead, Winry. We're going to be planted under a rock that has our name on it somewhere. And people we knew will come to it until they're planted under their own rock. It's how things work. So even if they do wind up dead, at least it will be in pursuit of whatever it was that they wanted. I realize that I've known them for only a few minutes, but I think they would be happier to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all..." The girl stared up at him with a strange look on her face. "I'm sorry, I've just been thinking about that since we went to see my dad. He thought he could make things better by being in the military. I don't know if he did or not, but he died trying."
With that, Winry re-entered the hospital alone. Benji didn't know if they reconciled, but when she came out of the building there was a smile on her face. And when she got on the train, to head back home, she even let him give her a kiss on the forehead goodbye.
"Goodbye, Winry. Find me the next time you're in Central, okay?" The girl nodded as the train began to pull out of the station.
It was several years after she had met that boy in Central. Winry went out to her parents' graves to pay her respects. In front of her parents' headstones rested a single white lily. "Benji..." the name escaped from her lips before she even realized the memory. At the edge of the graveyard, behind a tree, stood Benji Jeck.
"I'm just returning the favor. That's what Dad would have wanted me to do." With that, the man turned and went back to the train station. His commanding officers would be beyond upset if he missed the train. Benji joined the sea of military blue at the station. The boy sighed. Just another ordinary day in the life of Benji Jeck ...How very exciting.