FicWad

Title: Forbidden Acts
Author: HaganeNeko
Pairing: EdxWinry
Rating: This chapter is PG-13 for language


Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist/Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (鋼の錬金術師) belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, Bones, TBS, Square Enix, Viz, and Funimation. No infringement is intended. Written for entertainment purposes only; I make nothing from this fic.

I made an illustration for this chapter, but I have no idea if FicWad's systems will allow for the code or not and am not willing to find out; if interested, it can be found on AO3, same username, same chapter.

Again, many thanks to my awesome beta elasg/ArielPHF!

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Chapter 3: Idle Gossip


“Ahgh! I’m glad we’re almost done!” Rebecca gave the spoon one last swipe and set it on the towel next to the other finished silverware. “Polishing silver is such a pain in the ass.”

Maria laughed nervously at Rebecca’s crude language. She picked up a knife and proceeded to clean it. “Really, Rebecca, you should learn to watch your language,” she said.

“Hmphf! Where’s the fun in that?”

When the two women burst into playful laughter, Winry eyed them with bewilderment. Even after a week of employment, she still didn’t know her co-workers well enough to know when they were joking or serious. The three women were currently camped out in the formal dining hall, cleaning the silver as part of their afternoon chores.

“So, how do you like working here so far, Winry?” asked Maria Ross, a reserved yet friendly brunette. She stopped working at a stubborn spot on a knife long enough to glance up at her. Maria was one of the other three maids, and only the second Winry had met so far.

“It’s okay, I guess,” Winry replied with a shrug, “It takes time to learn all the routines and schedules, but it’s no big deal. The shift rotations can be a little confusing, that’s all.”

“It’s not too bad once you get used to it,” Maria said brightly, “The schedule may seem confusing at first, but it’s really not. You just have to remember that there are at least two maids on duty during the day—today’s an exception, because there’s a rush on certain chores—and only one at night. You can find the schedule posted by the changing rooms.” She reached for another piece of silver.

“Ms. Riza set the schedule up so it’s fair. We each have to work two nights in a row, and the days we work coincide so we have the next day to sleep,” Rebecca said with a wink, “It’s not so bad when it’s only two nights in every eight days. I don’t think I could handle more than that.”

Winry nodded. “I’m actually used to staying up all night every now and then; sometimes automail orders are rush orders and I don’t’ go to bed before dawn just so I can get them done.”

“I’m still amazed you’re so accomplished at your age,” Maria praised, “It’s too bad you haven’t been able to finish your apprenticeship so you can be fully licensed. You wouldn’t need this job in order to make ends meet if you were.”

“It’s this job that will give me the income I need so I can find a good mentor while helping out my Grandmother,” Winry sighed. “I hope I won’t need to be here forever, just long enough to get bills paid off and some money put back.”

“I wish you luck; and I have to say I’m a little envious.” Maria smiled warmly.

“At least I can honestly say I’m earning my wage here, there’s so much to do and so many things to learn in the process.” Winry pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped from her bonnet.

“I hear that.” Rebecca sighed, “I’ve been here for at least five years and I’m still learning. This place needs a lot of daily upkeep; I’m just glad I’m not the dishwasher. I hate washing dishes.”

“That’s Mr. Furey’s job, right?” Winry inquired.

“Yup. He doesn’t seem to mind it much. He’s always seems to be happy, no matter what he’s told to do.”

“Unlike you, Rebecca?” Maria teased.

“Hey, I already have to put up with that brat, Edward, more than I care to. Dealing with his attitude day in and day out is tiring; if he weren’t my boss, I’d turn him over my knee and give him a good spanking.” She gave an evil laugh. “That would make me very happy!”

Winry could feel herself blushing at the mention of Edward’s name and tucked her face down to keep it hidden until she could get her responses under control. She felt so conflicted over her attraction to the handsome young man; his raw animal magnetism called to her but his harsh and angry personality frightened her away.

“Rebecca, really!” Maria admonished, shaking a spoon at her in emphasis, “Be careful what you say! You don’t know who might be listening!”

“Hey, I can go toe to toe with the little ass—“

“Shhh! You’ll get us both fired!”

Wanting nothing more than to stop Rebecca’s tirade, Winry cleared her throat. A question came to mind that would steer the conversation away from her co-worker’s tirade over the moody young man. “Um…I was wondering why Master Edward and Alphonse’s last name is different from their father’s. Would either of you happen to know?” She became very self-conscious when two pairs of dark eyes focused on her.

Maria shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’ve always wondered, too. I’ve just been too afraid to ask.”

Rebecca put the finishing polish on the last knife and placed it with the other clean silverware on a cloth laid out on the table. “I’ve only heard rumors, but I’m not sure how true they are.”

“Somebody call for a ladder? And help taking apart the chandelier for cleaning?”

The three women collectively jumped. Winry turned to see a very handsome blond man carrying a long stepladder over his shoulder approach from the hall entryway. Rebecca humphed! at him.

“What took you so long?” she asked tartly.

“Now, now. I don’t recall you putting in a rush order, my dear.”

“Just to make up for that remark, you’ll have to take me to an expensive restaurant this weekend, Jean!”

The man’s face fell. He came to an abrupt halt and eyed her as if thunderstruck. “C’mon, babe, cut me some slack!”

“Remember what I said when we first met? That I would only date men that had money?” Rebecca jammed her fists onto her hips, challenging Havoc to say something else untoward.

“I don’t think there’s a man rich enough in all of Central to satisfy you, except for Mr. H, and you know about the rule against fraternizing with the employers, right?” Havoc shifted the ladder on his shoulder and smirked back with a wink.

Now Winry was becoming concerned; was an all-out argument about to break out between these two? A glance at Maria told her there was no great threat, but Winry preferred to keep her own counsel on the matter. A moment later the pair broke into laughter and Winry sighed, relieved. It was odd how some couples chose to flirt.

“Hey, who’s the new grunt worker?” Jean asked once he and Rebecca finally settled down.

“The new maid is Winry Rockbell,” Rebecca supplied, “She started about a week ago.” The raven-haired woman began placing the finished silver into the buffet drawer. “Winry, this is my boyfriend, Jean Havoc.”

Jean’s smile was bright and friendly, putting Winry at ease. “Nice to meet ‘cha, Miss Rockbell.”

“Please call me Winry,” she politely corrected then added, “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Havoc.”

He shook a finger at her, “Uh-uh, just Jean, thank you.” He then turned to Rebecca. “Are you ready to start taking apart the chandelier yet?”

“Just finishing up. We’ll have the table cleared in a few minutes.” Rebecca went back to the topic they had been discussing before his interruption.

“Jean, do you happen to know why Ed and Al’s last name is different from their father’s?”

Havoc frowned at her. “Why in the world do you want to know something like that?”

She nodded at Winry. “She brought up the question and we were trying to answer it.”

“Hmmm….” Havoc scratched at the patch of beard on his chin, “What I’ve heard is from idle gossip, but I think the boy’s surnames come from their mother, not Mr. H. It’s no secret he never married their mother, but he took them on when she passed away about ten years ago.”

“How sad,” Winry remarked in a near-whisper, but it was loud enough for the other occupants of the room to hear.

“Maybe, but all things considered, they did pretty well,” Jean scoffed, “I wished I had a rich parent to take me on.”

“Be nice,” Maria admonished, “You wouldn’t have want to come into money like that; losing your mother at that early an age can’t be easy.”

“No, it’s not,” Winry added wistfully. “I lost both my Mom and Dad when I was only nine. They were casualties of the war.”

A silence fell over the group as the older members digested the new coworker’s confession.

“Sorry to hear it,” Rebecca soothed, “Were they soldiers?”

Winry shook her head, “No, they were doctors. Their medical facility was attacked and they were killed because they wouldn’t leave the wounded behind.”

“Wow,” was all Maria could come up with, “That’s terrible.”

“Is that why Master Edward seems angry all the time, because he lost his mother when he was little?” Winry was now eager to direct the conversation away from her past and this seemed like a good way to do it. Besides, she could learn more about her employer’s son without seeming too interested.

The three’s outburst of dry laughter startled Winry.

“I’m sure that’s part of it, but he has a lot of other issues that make him outright disagreeable.” Jean took a toothpick from his breast pocket and clenched it in his teeth. Winry had the impression this was a habit borne from obsessive smoking, but the mansion’s rules didn’t allow smoking on the premises.

A loud voice, accompanied by steady footsteps, coming from the front of the house interrupted the group and they fell silent. They turned their attention back to the chore at hand as the sounds grew closer.

“I can let myself in!” a shrill feminine voice proclaimed as it echoed through the house, “Really, I don’t need your help to get around!”

Jean offered a smirk to Winry. “As a matter of fact, here comes one of his biggest issues now.” He kept his voice low as to not be heard by the approaching guest.

Winry followed the direction he was pointing and caught a glimpse of a well-dressed young woman walking past the wide archway to the hall. Her brunette hair was long, with the portion around her face dyed pink. She walked in front Mr. Sig, the butler that had brought Winry to the study on the day of her interview. There was a look of complete distaste on the woman’s face and she held her nose high.

“But, Miss—“ Sig started to say, only to have her cut him off.

“If you want to be useful, tell Edward I’m here!” she snapped. “Useless,” she mumbled, “When I’m mistress of the household, you’d best pray I decide to keep you on!”

Sig’s humble response was lost as the pair continued down the hall.

“Speak of the devil. Literally,” Jean chuckled when he was sure Sig and the woman was well out of earshot.

“Who...?” Winry was lost for further words.

“That,” Rebecca started with a dramatic flair, “Was Edward’s fiancée, Rose’ Thomas. And one of the reasons he’s so obnoxious, if not the main one.”

Winry’s blood ran cold; Edward was promised to someone? She shook off the queasiness that bloomed in her stomach. After all, why should she care? Even if Edward was a kinder person, she was well out of his league by simply being much poorer. The wealthy didn’t hobnob with the downtrodden.

Then the question presented itself: “Why should she be the reason he’s so…” She twirled her hands in the air instead of finding another analogy for Ed’s bad disposition.

“Because her father and Mr. H. arranged the marriage between them, and that cuts into Eddie’s favorite pastime,” Jean supplied. When Winry could only gape at him in confusion, he added, “Being a playboy.”

“Oh.” Winry gave a faint nod. Now it all made sense, the heated stares, the suggestive comments, and wicked smiles that meant to seduce. “I see.”

Maria placed the final piece of silverware in the drawer and Jean opened up the stepladder and pointed at the chandelier. “Are we ready to start tearing that beast apart for cleaning?”

All three women collectively sighed and nodded.

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“Brother, you can’t keep running away!”

Edward pushed past Alphonse and ducked through the gate in the hedge at the back edge of the mansion’s manicured lawn. “There’s no way in hell I’m sticking around as long as she’s here!”

“Ed!” Alphonse called after him. He could hear the exasperation in his younger brother’s voice, but had no intentions of arguing out in the open where he could easily be found.

A looming sense of dread urged him to walk faster to the stable. All he wanted to do was mount his horse and ride out into the forested part of the family’s massive estate, where he could hide from any unwelcome attention. Jensen, the stable hand, was just tightening the cinch when Edward stepped into the barn.

The older man acknowledged Edward with a nod. “He’s all ready to go, Master Edward, per your request.” Edward barely nodded in response and almost ripped the reigns from Jensen’s hands. He vaulted into the saddle with ease and dug his heels into the black and white horse’s flanks. The animal bolted, narrowly missing Jensen, and Edward reined it onto the riding trail that led to the woods. He urged the horse faster, wanting nothing more than to put distance between him and the whiny, annoying woman that had claimed herself as his fiancée.

The freedom was exhilarating, if temporary. Once they reached the tree line, the agile stallion sidestepped brush and cleared obstacles with ease, all the while maintaining a brisk gallop. Edward relished the cool air washing over him. The wind whistling past his ears tugged at his long hair, and the rhythmic thud of hooves digging into the soft loam filled his senses. Still, all this wasn’t enough to drown out the memory of Rose’ shrill voice as it had echoed through the mansion.

The voice that sounded more like a death knell than one promising a bright future.

Damn that old man!

He shook his head in an attempt to clear the distressing thoughts and leaned into the pinto’s neck as they passed under a low hanging limb. It grew dim as they continued on into thicker timber. Scattered spots of sunlight that had managed to struggle through the dense canopy were all that helped them find their way and keep them safe.

Finally, horse and rider reached a secluded clearing, a bright oasis of long grass and wildflowers buried deep within the vast stand of oak. Edward reigned in the animal as they broke into the small meadow, and once the horse slowed enough, he slipped from the saddle and into the tall grass. The horse trotted a few steps more then circled back to its owner. Edward gave the animal’s velvety nose an affectionate rub then pushed at the animal’s shoulder, signaling that he was free to wander.

“Go on, Spike, leave me alone for a while.” As if the tobiano* understood, he wandered off and dropped his nose into the fragrant grass.

Edward plopped onto his back, hiding himself in the tall vegetation, and stretched out like a lion basking in the sun. He folded his arms beneath his head, took a long, slow breath, and willed his body and mind to relax, using the relaxation exercises Izumi had taught him during many of their martial arts lessons. He was only partially successful; he did manage to coax his body to release its tension, but the persistent turmoil that followed him everywhere nowadays still buzzed through his mind like angry bees.


Too much was expected from him. He simply wanted to live his life as he saw fit, without any interference from his father or anyone else. A white-hot coal of hatred towards his father burned deep within, for never having married his and Alphonse’s mother, and over the elder man’s attempts to control him. As far as Edward was concerned, what he did with his life was none of his father’s business; he was an adult and could make his own decisions on the matter of marriage. Once more, the urge to pick up and simply leave gripped him, but he knew his younger brother wouldn’t follow, and Edward was reluctant to leave him behind.

Would he marry a woman he hated just so he could stay close to his brother? He just didn’t know. Every fiber of his being rebelled against the idea of being legally connected to a woman who would slowly extinguish his spirit.

The effort to empty his mind coupled with the sun’s warmth on his body soon made Edward drowsy and drifted off into the peace of nothingness.

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Edward woke to the sound of approaching hoof beats. He bolted upright in alarm, mind still groggy from his impromptu nap, and struggled to make sense of why his nerves were taut like a drawn bowstring. An instant later he remembered why he rode out to the meadow.

“Shit!” he muttered and moved to get to his feet, “Either that bitch or the old man followed me out here. How did they find—”

“Brother! I thought I’d find you here!”

His relief was immeasurable. Edward sighed and sank back into the grass. It was only Alphonse.

Spike nickered a greeting to Al’s dapple-grey mare, Gracie, as she walked into the clearing, and Alphonse brought her to a halt next to Edward.

“What do you want?” Edward growled. He threw an arm over his eyes to shield them from the sun. Its position in the sky indicated it was now mid-afternoon; it had been late morning when he had made his dash for freedom.

Alphonse dismounted and gave Gracie a gentle pat on the rump. The mare drifted over to graze with the stallion, leaving the brothers to themselves. “What do you think?

“Our old man sent you out here to bring me back.”

“No, he didn’t. As a matter of fact, I came out to tell you Rose’ went home, and bring you some lunch.” Al settled next to him and held out a leather pouch. Edward grunted as he sat up and took the parcel from his younger brother. His rummaging turned up two wax paper-wrapped sandwiches, an apple, and an insulated flask, which he guessed was filled with lemonade. Izumi knew he hated milk and would never have served it to him under any circumstances.

“Thanks,” Edward murmured with honest gratitude. He realized just how hungry he was and tucked into his sandwich—roast beef piled on homemade bread and slathered with horseradish mayonnaise. As he finished it and reached for the other one, Alphonse broke the silence.

“I managed to smooth things over with Dad and Rose’ this time.” The younger man turned a stern look upon him. “But I can’t keep this up forever. How much longer do you plan on avoiding the issue, Brother? You can’t run away every time she comes to visit.”

“I can damn well try,” Edward muttered and practically inhaled the second sandwich. He unscrewed the flask’s lid and took a long drink from it. Yes, it was lemonade, and it was sweet, just how he liked it.

Alphonse sighed. “You’re going to have to leave the country if you want to avoid marrying her, you know.” His expression softened to sympathy, “I know you don’t want to marry her, Ed.” He leaned back on his arms and watched the horses munch on the long grass at the other side of the clearing. “I wish I could change Dad’s mind about the whole situation, I really do.”

Edward smiled. No matter what, Alphonse always had his back. “Yeah, I know you do, Al. If only our old man would bother listening to anything either of us say.”

There was a long silence, then Alphonse took Edward completely off guard by asking an out of the blue question:

“If you had to pick one girl, who would you choose?”

Edward blinked at question then sneered. “Why does it only have to be only one?”

“Because it’s the mature thing to do?”

“Now you’re starting to sound like him.”

Alphonse shook his head. “Ed, I know you like to have your choice of the ladies, but deep down I know that’s not really who you are. Could it be you’re trying to compensate for Mom dying when we were so young? That you’re looking for attention, comfort, when you’re with them?”

“Oh, now you’re a psychiatrist,” Edward countered sourly and lay back into the grass. He was full, content, feeling sleepy again, and in no mood to venture into a tangled discussion about his feelings with his brother.

“It doesn’t take a psychiatrist to figure out that you’ve been angry at the world since Mom died and Dad took us in to live with him.”

Edward remained silent, staring off into the sky. It was Alphonse’s turn to be startled when he finally spoke minutes later. “He has no right to tell me what to do or who I should marry. He gave up any right to being our father when he abandoned Mom and left her to raise us on her own. All because of some stupid “tradition.” The last word was spoken with venom.

“Then I guess you should have picked someone other than Rose’ to stay with for so long, or you should not have hung around her at all,” Alphonse scolded without anger, “Why did you stay with her for so long anyway, Brother?”

“None of your business,” came the terse answer, then a sigh. “I got stupid, that’s all.”

Alphonse nodded then cautiously cleared his throat. “You do realize that Dad set a date for your formal engagement announcement. That’s why all the help has been called in to clean the house. They’re getting everything ready for a dinner party next week.”

Edward fought down the sick feeling coiling in his gut. “That figures.” He turned to watch Spike drift a few steps, trying his best to hide his panic from his brother.

After another long pause, Alphonse changed the subject with yet another unexpected question, and Ed knew he had done it in order to distract him from the painful situation. “ Speaking of the help, what do you think of the new maid? She’s nice, isn’t she? She’s also very pretty, and smart, too.”

Edward chuffed derisively. “I hadn’t noticed.” He could feel the younger man’s stare bore into him. Just like Alphonse to pinpoint his dark vices and drag them into the light of day.

“Yeah, right, Ed. I see you ogling her whenever you think no one else is looking.”

He rolled his eyes to glare at Alphonse. When he couldn’t come up with a valid argument to put his brother off the trail, Edward simply said, “So?”

“So,” Alphonse said with pointed emphasis, “You like her. Wouldn’t you like to know her better?”

A low, sinister chuckle answered him. “Yeah, I’d like to know her better, all right.” Edward left the rest of his statement unspoken; I’d like to know what she’s like in bed. “But I don’t think she likes me much.”

“Ed.” Alphonse’s warning tone went unheeded. “Maybe if you were nicer? I think you scare her.”

“Shut up, Al.”

Alphonse shook his head and heaved a sigh. “Fine, Ed, whatever. Let’s go home. If we’re late for supper, Sensei will beat us senseless. Besides, we’d better face Dad and get the lecture over with.”

They climbed to their feet, brushed the dust and grass of their clothing, and retrieved their horses. The ride home was in companionable silence.



*A tobiano is a pinto that is more dark coloring than light.