31_days | [June 6] [Fullmetal Alchemist] Change Trains Here

Title: Change Trains Here
Day/Theme: June 6, 2011 "Think how many paths circles cross"
Series: Fullmetal Alchemist
Character/Pairing: Ed, Winry, OC
Rating: G
Additionally: Several years post-series. Some ending spoilers for the manga/Brotherhood. More light writing from me. (Inspired by a picture I drew while going up to Beverly Hills this morning.)

"Can you read the board? We aren't late, are we?" Winry juggled her precious (her daughter) and not-so-precious (the baby bag) burdens. Everything took longer with two small children in tow- longer to plan, longer to do, longer to recover from.

"Not quite- give me a second, I'll get closer," Ed shouldered his way carefully through the crowd until he'd cleared the majority of the bodies blocking his view of the timetables. He let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. They weren't late. Actually, they were far enough ahead of schedule that the situation just resembled what they would have encountered had they been late. It was funny. Nice to be early for a change and all that.

Ed's eyes skimmed over the platform. There was plenty of activity going this way and that to confuse things, but standing up near the edge, briefcase in hand, stood a sort of familiar kid. Doubly familiar, really, because when Ed looked at him waiting there, he saw himself, back when...well, not that long ago, really. He had no intention aging himself prematurely here. But the boy was also just someone he knew, simple as that.

"Fancy meeting you here!" he declared, putting on a something of a show (unaware that Winry could see him goofing off and was making her own, more difficult, way forward with their children to scold him over it).

"Oh," Daniel turned around, droopy eyelids lifting, letting a flush of happiness come into his plain face, "Mr. Elric!"

It'd been a while since they'd last met, but Ed hadn't forgotten that this was one of his favorite things about Daniel (so he was biased- so what!)- here was someone who knew how to give him a little respect. "Where are you headed? Home?"

"No, the other way. I'm going to stay with one of Grandmom's friends in Central and to take a look at schools. But...I can trust you not to call up my grandparents about this, right?" Daniel squinted up into the light. He didn't have to try hard to look serious. It was his natural appearance.

"Sure," Ed agreed.

"I want to find out where it's good to go to study alchemy. ...And I'm going to try and see if I can...I guess this sounds stupid... I wanna try and see if I can meet the Führer."

"Ha ha!" Ed let out a burst of laughter, "That's funny! My family and I are going to Central too! To see that bastard even!"

"Ahem!" Winry interrupted their light conversation. "Ed," she gave him that, "Watch your language in front of the kids!" tone.

"Oh, uh, Daniel, this my family. Winry, this is Daniel. Maybe we can ride the rest of the way together."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Winry Elric," she put on a bright face even as their daughter tugged on her hair. "I can't imagine where Ed meet a nice-looking boy like you. ...If you don't mind toddlers, I don't see why you couldn't sit along with us. Do you have any younger siblings?"

"I'm an only child. ...But I don't mind. I guess you know the Führer too, Mrs. Elric?"

"We run in some pretty privileged circles," Ed half-bragged. Winry tolerated him with a smile.