Proclivity: Spectacles
Story Title: Proclivity
Episode Title: Spectacles - 1
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 2,780
Summary: When Ed has a mishap and ends up needing glasses, he finds that Schezka starts acting differently towards him.
Author's Note:
This story started as a second attempt to venture into the fanfiction realm (the first was Alchemic Laser Tag). This series explores an idea where characters/pairings are formed or destroyed by certain people's fetishes. The stories are meant to be lighthearted and somewhat wacky, and the ones that I write personally will attempt to be kept PG-13.
This first posted episode, ‘Spectacles’, was originally titled ‘Proclivity - Chapter 2: Spectacles’, with the idea that each chapter would be about a different fetish. Chapter 1 was going to be about another fetish, and I wasn't sure when I would write it, and whether I would post it if I did. Now, however, after learning more about fanfiction and what a 'pairing' is, I'm instead planning on continuing this story with its current pairing for perhaps 1-2 more chapters.
I will continue with a new ‘Proclivity’ episode, which will likely have a different pairing, and be only vaguely connected, if at all, to the other ‘Proclivity’ episodes. Thus, this story is now titled ‘Proclivity: Spectacles - Chapter 1’. I hope you enjoy it and can help me out by pointing out the parts that you thought were the most exciting/interesting and the most boring. Thanks!
This is also an open invitation/call/challenge to send in/write up your own ideas for stories or full stories/one shots/drabbles that fall into this category. If you would like to submit an idea, you can comment on this post, or email me. If you would like to write a story for this series, nothing is required, but it'd be nice if you used the format Proclivity: (Your title) for the title and comment here or email me about it. If you want to include a link here from your story, that'd be nice, too. ^_^
Proclivity: Spectacles
Chapter 1
It had been an unusual month for Ed. Spending time with the strange sisters had been enjoyable, and maybe even changed him a little bit. One thing he knew for sure was that now he would never be the same. He could still see the color... it was orange. Orange surrounded him, engulfed him. Shreds of orange flowed over his head and behind him, swirling around him as they merged and split again and again. They brushed against his body, sliding across the skin of his hands and face with a soft, refreshing, energizing sensation. They whirled faster and faster, closing in more and more... warmer... softer...
Ed's boot soundly thudded into solid rock as its path was suddenly and rudely interrupted. Ed sailed forward, blond ponytail trailing behind him as he braced for the fall. With his head bowed forward in rapture, he had not seen the vehement curb rising out of the street edge, waiting its chance to strike. His head was the first to hit, luckily buffeted somewhat with the red sleeve of his coat. Unluckily, this sleeve also contained a fairly solid right metal arm. Ed's eyes closed as they made contact, the pain coming sharp and quick. It didn't register completely because there was still much left to follow. Fortunately, most of the impact was absorbed by a strong metal left knee, but still, pain flared through Ed's body as the minor scrapes and bruises began registering with his mind.
"Owwww..." Ed muttered, after a small outburst of a few choice words.
Pressing his right arm into the ground to raise himself up, he was grateful yet again for his automail and its maker. The pain would have been a lot worse.
As it was, he dismissed the minor scrapes and bruises, and tried to open his eyes. Everything was blurry, and he could see four pairs of black-leather-clad legs extending down to the sidewalk. Raising his head up, he saw four gloves pressed to the sidewalk, holding him up. His mind ached with pain as he imagined stars dancing across his vision. He could still blink. After taking a few more quick breaths, he stood. Moaning over his misfortune and worried about his vision not clearing up after blinking for several minutes, Ed decided to continue his trek.
* * *
Ed shuffled along, taking his time heading back to Central’s military complex. His body ached, and he paid more attention to the ground around him. As his now alert mind processed the various odds and ends surrounding him, he noticed something calling out to him on the wayside. Ed's route took him through a park of some sort, and here, partially obscured under some bushes across the grassy grounds of the park, Ed could see an orange patch. He was drawn to it, wanting to know what it really was.
Stepping onto the grass, he reached down and lifted the orange cloth from its place. It was a hat. It had a wide brim- good for covering the face when the sun was harsh. The cylindrical top looked a little goofy, but the color filled Ed with memories and heated emotions. Plopping it on his head, he felt a little better, and continued down his path. Leaving the park, he soon made it to Central. Flinging open the door to Roy's office, Ed spread his arms out in a 'grand entrance' display.
Roy heard the telltale stomps of Ed's boots as he came down the hallway. Looking up, curious what news Ed would bring of his little adventure with the mysterious twin sisters, Roy saw the doorknob turn. As the door swung open and Ed made his entrance, there was suddenly only one thing that Roy could see....
Pink. Ed was wearing a pink hat. Roy was speechless.
“What, no smart-aleck quips this time?” Ed asked cynically as he swept his hat off. A small “ggkk” emitted from Ed’s throat as he caught sight of the hat for the first time under full light. Roy and Ed both sat frozen momentarily, stunned.
Roy broke the silence first, laughing uproariously at the look on Ed’s face. Ed scrunched up his face in annoyance, and was about to open his mouth to retort/explain himself, when suddenly he heard the door open a little wider. Spinning around, he saw Schezka, mouth open and eyes wide behind her large frames, with her brown strands of hair flailing about as they usually did.
“My hat!” she exclaimed, and immediately went to retrieve it. The hat slide easily from Ed’s bewildered hand, and she held it to her chest as she would have one of her books.
Turning to Roy, she bowed, and then bowed again to Ed in thanks. Ed saw... red? Her cheeks looked flushed, and not just from excitement or running...
“This is your hat?” Ed asked the eyes that peeped over the top of the hat’s wide brim.
Schezka nodded, “Yes, thank you for finding it. Mmmm... I couldn’t find it anywhere after the wind blew it off my head in the park.”
Ed raised an eyebrow as Schezka emitted small purring noises, rubbing against the hat as she walked off. Sighing, Ed rubbed at his eyes, the blurriness still not going away.
“Well, that was interesting. What were you doing wearing that hat anyway?” Roy asked.
It was Ed’s turn to hide flushed cheeks, as the memories flooded back into his mind.
“Well, er... I thought it was orange...” came the lame explanation.
“Orange?” asked Roy, curious.
Ed began to relate the tale of his encounter with the mysterious twin sisters, and... only leaving one or two parts out, finished with the story of his stumble and subsequent discovery of the hat.
Roy looked at Ed with a mix of wonder and confusion. How could just a ‘chat’ have such a profound effect on the young alchemist’s mind? What could have enough of an effect that he would suddenly be endeared to all things orange and... cloth-like? Perhaps Ed wasn’t telling him the whole story...
Ed rubbed at his eyes again, and cursed, drawing breath in a slow hissing sound. “It’s not going away.”
Roy looked at Ed, concerned. “Maybe you should go see the medical doctor. I’ll call them right now.”
Ed wanted to object, but hesitated when he could not clearly see the numbers Roy dialed. Dejected, Ed sat on the couch, trying not to worry, and unable to get the look on Schezka face out of his mind.
After a short conversation, Roy hung up the phone and turned back to Ed. “There appears to only be one person on staff at the moment, but don’t worry- old Knox will fix you up.”
* * *
Dr. Knox held the pair of glasses up to Ed’s face. Ed looked at them, mouth twisting into a frown as he began to protest.
“I do NOT need glasses!” Ed roared. Angrily he pushed himself off of the doctor’s table and began to storm towards the door of the small white office.
“Ed, that’s not-” the Doctor tried to warn.
*CRASH!* went Ed, right into a closet full of bandages, which summarily draped themselves over his head and body. Ed moaned and grumpily squinted at the sign on the door that read “Supplies”. Suddenly the sign became clear and readable. The Doctor had slipped the pair of glasses on over his head.
“There now, you see? It’s not so bad.”
Grumbling to himself he thanked the Doctor and made his way out of the medical wing. Glancing around, he noticed just how empty the Central building was at night. He made his way back to Roy’s office, but the door was locked. “Stupid colonel,” Ed thought. He had gotten what he needed from Ed, and no doubt was off on another one of his ‘dates’. Now in a triply bad mood, Ed turned to head back to his apartment room.
Suddenly, he was hit from behind by something small and soft. Spinning around, startled and surprised, he found Schezka, who looked up at him and gave a small squeak. She was wearing the hat, and had her jacket on, prepared to travel home.
“Oh, it’s you,” Ed said.
Schezka stared at him.
Ed raised an eyebrow at her for a moment and then sighed, hunching forward. He was feeling down, but that was no reason to act grumpy to her. Taking a breath he straightened back up and smiled.
“Sorry...” Ed muttered. “Look, why don’t I walk you home. It seems like we’re both headed out for the night.”
Ed turned and walked off, and soon heard footsteps follow behind him. Ed’s mind wandered as he watched the floor tiles pass. Thoughts surfaced of the strange sisters, of Roy’s laugh, of Schezka’s face...
Stopping at the door, Ed’s mind took a split second to consider how to proceed. Brief images flashed as the always did, his mind weighing the various scenarios and possible results of each action. If he continued on through the door and into the rain, would he get a reproachful glare? If he held the door open from the inside, would he earn a smile? Time ran out as his body automatically pushed the door aside, and he decided to hold the door open a little longer for the one following behind.
Glancing at the red-cloaked figure in front of her, Schezka hurried through, and clutched her things to her chest under her jacket. The cold night air struck her and the rain pelted at her coverings. She saw Ed looking at her, and she could not help herself. The golden bangs, hanging over them- the bright golden eyes, shining through them- the soft curve of his cheek, magnified in them... She realized she was blushing and looked down quickly, embarrassed to find herself staring.
Ed paused, again seeing a strange look on Schezka’s face before she hid it. Ed let the door close behind him as he prepared himself for the trip through the rain. They began trudging through the city, following the sidewalk edges and waiting at crosswalks. Ed’s braid was hidden away under the hood of his cloak, and Schezka’s tousled brown hair was obscured by the wide-brimmed hat. Ed squinted at it, but it still didn’t turn back to orange.
* * *
Closing the door behind her, Schezka sighed and looked at Ed. They stood in the front room of Schezka’s apartment, the rainwater dripping off of their coats. Schezka placed her coat on the nearby coat hook and began to wipe off her glasses. She was startled to see Ed doing exactly the same thing. They laughed nervously at themselves and fidgeted in the awkward silence afterward.
Finally, Ed sighed and broke the silence, asking, “How long have you had glasses?”
Schezka put her finger to her chin in thought, and responded after a moment, “Ever since I was a little girl, I think. I don’t remember how old I was. They’ve just always been a part of my life.” She shrugged apologetically.
Ed sighed again, front bang drooping. “I don’t know how I’m going to get along with these hanging off the bridge of my nose all day...” He turned and looked through glass to glass to wide, innocent eyes.
Schezka realized she was staring, and averted her eyes, searching for something else to say. “You’re welcome to stay until the storm blows over. You don’t need to ...” she changed what she was going to say at the last second, “... be somewhere or something, do you?”
Ed raised an eyebrow at the halting question, but dismissed it. “No, I don’t.” He looked out at the rain pounding down on the other side of the windowpane glass. “It’s not that bad, I’ll head...”
At that moment a large bright lightning bolt struck a building somewhere nearby, filling the room with a blinding flash of light. Not more than two seconds later a loud *KR-KRACK!* thundered through the room.
Ed’s hairs stood on end, spine-tingling chills running up and down his spine. The brightness faded, and Ed stared at the rain, falling nearly sideways in the harsh wind. “... Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer...”
Schezka recovered from her stunned state and quickly took a breath, suddenly realizing she had stopped breathing. Her shock turned to a half-smile as the rim of Ed’s glasses caught the lamplight.
Ed cleared his throat.
Schezka gulped and bowed hastily, fumbling out a hasty apology and quickly changing the subject. “Tea? Cocoa? Oooh I have some soup if you like, too. Do you want some soup? Sure you want some soup; I’ll hurry and make it for us! Ahahahahaha...”
Schezka scurried off, and Ed took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. What was up with that girl? Shutting his eyes, Ed shook his head and went to rub at his eyes. His fingers abruptly stopped on the surface of the clear glass lenses, his knuckles pressed onto the surface. His mouth formed a half-pout as he grasped the frame in his thumb and index finger, slipping them off and blinking around.
Ed sighed and thought to himself, “Still blurry.”
Letting out a breathy moan, Ed dropped his hands to his sides and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes closed as he imagined himself back in Roy’s office. He could hear the colonel’s voice, deep and echoing, “Ed...” He could see the colonel staring down at him, looking at him with those dark eyes... eyes framed by thin, dark-rimmed glasses???
Ed opened his eyes wide and looked around in confusion. The book-filled rooms confronted him, blurry, but stolid as ever. Ed sighed and slipped the glasses back on, just in time for Schezka to call cheerily, “Here we are! Nice hot soup on the table! Come and get it!”
Ed shrugged and slipped out of his boots, tossing his coat on the coat hook next to Schezka’s, and headed to the kitchen. The salty soothing aroma of chicken noodle soup filled the air as he spotted Schezka standing next to a tiny kitchen table, pressed against one wall of the kitchen. Ed smirked, amused to find that even under the kitchen table were piles of books, with barely any room for legs. Seating himself obediently, he lifted the first spoonful to his lips, blowing on it to cool the hot liquid before opening and tasting the soup as it traveled down to warm his stomach. He could feel his body relaxing as the warmth took effect, and he let his leg stretch out luxuriously to the side of the small table.
“This is very good, thank you.”
Schezka beamed happily and got herself a bowl as well, sitting across from Ed. They sat and ate in silence for a few moments, the storm raging just outside the windows. After a few more moments, the steam from the heated soup had clouded both their glasses, and Ed could barely make out Schezka wiping her glasses clean with a small cloth. After a small pause, she tentatively reached over, and slowly, softly, pressed the cloth against the frame on Ed’s face. The motion was smooth and clean, clearing first Ed’s right lens, and then the left. Ed blinked and peered at the strange, somewhat goofy smile on Schezka’s face. She placed her hands in her lap for a moment, just looking at him.
They stayed that way for several minutes before Ed quietly finished off his bowl and leaned back, stretching his arms behind and above his head. “Ah.. that sure was satisfying,” Ed began. He shot a glance towards Schezka to see if she was still staring. The brown bangs hung slightly forward on her head as she leaned into her elbows, straddling her half-finished bowl of soup. Her chin was nestled into her palms. As Ed stared, she switched to one hand, her chin perched on her now closed fist.
Suddenly Ed felt his glasses jostle as her other hand brushed fingers against the rims. Ed froze in terror as he saw a small smile creep onto her face across the table. He felt the fingers drifting along his cheek, his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier. A numb feeling spread throughout his body, flowing up his chest, out to his shoulders, down his arms, into his fingers. It spread into thighs, feet, and toes. Ed tried to move one last time before the darkness took him, and he felt his glasses slide partially down his nose. The last thing he felt was a finger, slowly pushing them back into place.