Reception
She sidles up to him and takes his arm, giggling, as though they are nervous teenagers on a first date and not newly married, husband and wife. She takes his hand, their fingers interlocking, and kisses him again, just because she can. Then she stands on tiptoe and leans up as he bends marginally, so she can whisper in his ear.
"Have you seen Mustang?"
He glances around. Mustang, adjusting his tie almost unconsciously, is letting his eyes roam openly and appreciatively over the varied assortment of female guests, from the three young bridesmaids- none of whom seem entirely comfortable in their long skirts and sleeveless bodices- to a cluster of Winry's school friends, to, lastly and with a guilty start, Hawkeye, who also appears to have noticed his wandering gaze. He chuckles sheepishly as he sees her glare and makes some excuse; she withers him with her eyes before firmly taking hold of his arm and steering him away.
On the other side of the room, the newlyweds try not to laugh.
Ed too, Al notes, seems to be giving the room a quick once-over, his alert gaze scanning intently around for points of particular interest and appeal. Eventually it settles, and he stares, slack-jawed, at what is clearly the most attractive thing he has seen all evening. He looks nervous, as though he dearly wishes to approach and become better acquainted, but feels that it wouldn't be appropriate, and would result in a telling-off. So he stays where he is, fidgeting in his stiff new suit, and pretends not to have been affected, although his eyes betray him, constantly flickering across the room to land on the source of the lure he so clearly feels.
Ed is eyeing up the buffet table.
In fact, Al could and would have stood there for a long time, just holding the hand of his wife and observing the guests, had Nelly not threaded her way through the crowd and over to the couple at that moment- after practically having to fight herself loose from the ever-persistent attentions of a tuxedoed and hopeful-looking Havoc- and distracted Winry's attention with her excited congratulations.
Al himself is in turn lassoed by the Tringhams, and he smiles and nods his confounded way through Fletcher's tumbling, confusing manner of speech as the young man introduces his fiancée- who is, it turns out, dark, plump, and pretty- while Russell stands, disinterested and a little embarrassed, behind the pair. After Fletcher, having happily delivered more information about his wife-to-be than it seems possible for anyone to contain, has finally run out of sentiment and moved away, Russell wearily explains to Al that his younger brother is always like that, these days, and that it would be wise- although in all likelihood futile- not to bring the subject up again.
After this encounter, Al feels obliged to make the rounds of the room, and soon ends up sucked into a whirlpool of blue-uniformed bachelors- all of whom appear to be asking him for advice as to how in the world he does it, he's so young and she's so pretty, it isn't fair- whose clutches are nigh impossible to escape. In the end he is rescued by Granny Pinako and Izumi, both of whom appear to be feeling nostalgic- which results in the two women sharing a merry time swapping various anecdotes about him over his head, some of which he has mercifully managed to forget, and all of which he would like to.
What with this, and various other humiliations, it is difficult for him to continue observing the reception, and soon he gives into the tide and allows the crowd to pass him freely around between them. This means that he is unable to watch several happenings which he would have enjoyed witnessing. One of these is Roy Mustang's two brief flirts: first with a pretty girl, a client of Winry's; then with a sudden violent death as he is abruptly faced with three large metallic items, ranging from tools to prosthetics to weaponry, held alarmingly close to his face by three equally pissed-off females.
Another incident is Fletcher's good-natured attempt to acquaint Winry with his fiancée- and his descent into a state of shock after Armstrong overhears the endeavour and tears off his jacket in enthusiasm as he triumphantly declares that such love is inspiring. Al would have been extremely amused to see this exchange, and the results it produces, as the poor young Tringham sits dumbstruck in his chair whilst having to be fanned, brought glasses of water and be patted reassuringly on the back by his brother, his girlfriend, and any other nearby sympathisers that happened to witness the event.
However, out of all the incidents he missed, what Al would most have liked to watch- and what he most mourns not having been able to, when he hears of it later- is the slow, gradual process by which Ed's focus of attention shifts from the formerly oh-so-alluring buffet table, to a certain young bridesmaid with sparkling green eyes and square black glasses and soft brown hair; and the difficulties he encounters when attempting to ask her, as privately as possible, if "maybe, perhaps, when you've got nothing better to do, we could go somewhere- to Central or something- just so you can help me with my research, of course."
Author's notes: Wow, look at the cameos fly. XD Hooray for random hints of various side pairings! The light Royai and Ed/Scieszka included here is experimental- there won't be any more of that in this series (unless requested), so if you don't like it there's no reason to worry. :3
Reviews for this chapter would be especially appreciated.