Cream
She does not have very many opportunities to visit Central these days. She does not normally travel for work: most of her clients live far closer to Risembool, and it is rare for her to be forced to go to the capital to buy a certain necessary tool or piece of equipment- usually, Rush Valley has everything she needs. As for recreational visits, they have become an impossibility. Whatever little time she may have had for recreation when she was working her apprenticeship or with a partner has completely evaporated now that she has become the leader of her own business, number one around the house. She is pleased, of course, that her career is going so well, but it is consuming her life at such a rate that she worries whether she will have any free time at all by next year.
So when, much to her surprise, she discovers that against all probability she has a spare day approaching, she resolves to take advantage of the unlikely freedom and visit Central.
"I think I'll go shopping," she says to Ed and Al at dinner that evening.
"I thought you said Rush Valley was the best place for that?" Al says, confused.
"Well- for automail tools and so on, yes. But I won't be shopping for work. I'll be shopping for me."
"Automail stuff is you stuff," Ed says; Winry cuffs him lightly.
All the same, she thinks later, clutching her bag on her knees as she sits awkwardly in the crowded carriage, feeling distinctly scruffy and rural amongst all the smartly dressed commuters riding the train to Central, there is not really much she can think of that she might buy. She does not need any new clothes or shoes; the house is fully furnished; they are never short of food. It would, in fact, be very easy for her to return home having bought nothing but work-related items after all- but wouldn't that just prove Ed right?
She steels her resolve.
Jewellery, she thinks, I could buy that. But she does not normally wear necklaces or bracelets- too inconvenient- and she knows that buying earrings would scare the brothers. Ed had told her just a few days previously that both he and his younger sibling were growing increasingly concerned about the amount of metal weighing down her ears.
"That's why me and Al don't buy you earrings any more," he had said, "in case it acts as a… catalyst. I don't want people to start thinking you're the Fullmetal Alchemist, do I?"
Winry supposes the worry makes sense. She has after all had rather a lot of holes punched in her ears over time, and is approaching the stage where she would have to move on to other areas of her face in order to accommodate any more piercings. To Ed and Al, the idea of someone having a needle pushed through their flesh is vaguely unsettling, and when this is added to how protective they- especially Al, and especially now- are of her, the doubt and apprehension morphs into a moderate dizziness and nausea. Winry would most likely have to ply them with alcohol before even broaching the subject with them.
She resolves to stay away from the earrings, at least for now.
So she wanders aimlessly around the streets of Central, bag in hand, gazing into shop windows as she walks and thinking, I don't want any of this. She is beginning to suspect that it was a bad ides to come here at all. She should be spending this time at home relaxing, or visiting her friends, or-
"Miss Winry!"
She turns to see Riza Hawkeye crossing the street towards her, stepping delicately in her small-heeled shoes and holding a paper bag of groceries close to her chest.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Riza says as she reaches the pavement where Winry stands.
"Um, hello," Winry begins- and then realises that she has no idea how to address this woman.
"I'm just finishing here," Riza says, smiling at her. "If you like, you could come with me. There's a café on this street that I always visit after doing my shopping."
"Thank you," Winry says with genuine gratitude: she has been growing distinctly unsure about what to do with herself all day.
They fall into step beside each other, and Winry soon notices an advantage to her new companion. Normally she would have had to battle her way through the seething masses of people, using force and the occasional well-placed elbow- but the crowds simply melt away before Riza, peeling off to either side as if they are all too aware that her brisk pace could crush them easily. All Winry has to do is stay close to the taller woman's side and hope not to get lost in the crowded streets.
The café, when the reach it, is clean, smart and highly efficient: they are greeted, shown to a table and served in under two minutes. In short, it is just the sort of place she would have expected Riza Hawkeye to like.
Riza drinks coffee, it turns out. What's more, she drinks it strong, with no milk and minimal sugar. For a while, Winry feels childishly ashamed of her unsophisticated hot chocolate- until Riza dollops a spoonful of cream into her mug and spreads jam onto he thick slice of teacake.
"It's nice here," Winry ventures.
"No personal touch," Riza replies coolly, wiping her fingers on a napkin. "They only want to serve you and then get rid of you as quickly as possible."
"…Oh."
Maybe not the sort of place Riza Hawkeye likes, after all.
"So," the older woman says, pushing her plate to one side, "what brings you to Central? I thought you didn't come here often."
"I don't," Winry hastens to affirm. "I don't have much spare time, you see. But I'm free today, so I thought I'd go shopping." She decides not to add that she has no idea what to buy.
"I see," Riza says thoughtfully. Her fingers wrap loosely around her mug and she stares pensively at the thick cream melting spirals into the hot coffee.
"Are you alright?" Winry asks, leaning forwards and cursing herself all the while for failing to pay enough attention.
"Actually I wanted to apologise," Riza says, again demonstrating her fondness for coming straight to the point. "Roy told me last month that you and Alphonse had got engaged, but-"
"He told you last month?" Winry says in surprise.
"Yes," Riza confirms, "about three or four weeks ago."
Winry frowns in confusion; Riza notices, and a suspicion forms in her mind. "What is it?" she asks slowly.
"It's just," Winry says, still regarding the tablecloth with an expression of bewilderment, "Al only asked me about a week ago."
There is a pause.
"There's probably been a misunderstanding," Winry says eventually- but Riza knows differently. She makes a mental note to interrogate Roy about this tonight. At least this explains why he stopped me from telephoning to congratulate them, she thinks.
"In any case," she continues, deciding that Winry does not need to know about this- at least for now, "we ought to have visited you, or at least sent a letter. It's an important time for you."
"That's alright," Winry says hastily. "I know you're busy."
"Hmm."
They lapse into silence. Winry takes a sip of her hot chocolate; Riza watches thoughtfully, amber eyes narrower.
"Congratulations," she says softly. "I'm sure you two will make wonderful parents."
Winry chokes on her drink.
Startled customers turn to look at them as Winry clutches a napkin to her mouth, eyes streaming; Riza half-rises, but sits back down as the coughing begins to subside. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you-"
"H- how did you know?" Winry manages, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
Riza realises, somewhat belatedly, that the younger woman may not have told anyone about her pregnancy yet; uncharacteristically, she flushes a little, and has to suppress the urge to shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Is it a secret?"
"Not really," Winry says, still stunned. "Ed and Grandma know- and Al, of course- and my friends, and a few people in the village. But I didn't realise that you and Mr Mustang knew about it… Did Scieszka tell you?"
"No," Riza says, "I could tell. I can usually sense these things."
"Oh."
"Do you feel ready?" Riza asks after a while.
Winry hesitates- but then nods. "I wasn't sure I would ever be," she admits. "That's why I was nervous to start with. But… Al's been so great, and everyone's being so supportive. I think now is as good a time as ever."
"You'll make wonderful parents," Riza says again.
This time, Winry responds with a heartfelt smile.
Author's notes: Finally, something of decent length. And Riza, too! What joy.
As ever, please comment if you can. :)