The Bloody Alchemist

When Does A Walk Become A Date?

        Cecelia walked slowly through Central, Ling at her side. He was quite glad to see that she had changed out of the outfit she had been wearing since she had come to central. Now she wore a cream sweater and a heavy red flight jacket. She had also put on a pair of high waisted, jean shorts, with rolled cuffs and light in color. Ling could see the bandages on her right calf from her time in the hospital.
"Aren't you hot in all that?" he asked.
Cecelia opened her mouth to say no, but that was an outright lie. Though it was overcast in Central, the humidity was killer. "I mean, yeah, I guess."
"Then why wear all that?" He was genuinely curious.
"The same reason Ed wears his get up, to cover my automail." If people couldn't see her automail, they couldn't ask about it. If Cecelia couldn't see her automail, she didn't have to remember how she got it. "It's not really something I like to show off, especially in Central." She held her left hand in front of her. She was still wearing her leather gloves.
Ling tilted his head and smirked. "Well, you are quite beautiful. You'd be doing the world a favor if you showed off every part of you, including your automail."
Cecelia felt her face heat up. Her lips curled into a smile and instinctually she covered her grin with the sweater's collar. "You stop that."
"Stop what?" Ling asked innocently, tilting his nose to the sky. "I'm only stating the truth."
Cecelia glared playfully at him, her grin growing behind the wool sweater.
"So where are you taking me? This is the most informal tour of your home."
"Oh my apologies, good sir, here allow me to give you the in-depth tour of Central, my treat." Cecelia composed herself by clearing her throat obnoxiously, then smiling brighter than a salesman. "If you look to your left you'll see the road, this is where cars drive and where children play streetball. If you look to your right, you'll see stores, that is a grocery store, and we are now passing a clothing store and now a jewelry boutique, and now a bakery, next will be a pizzeria, then another clothing store." Ling started to laugh over her 'tour'. "If you look down you'll see the sidewalk, where pedestrians walk to not be run over, and if you look up, you'll see the clouds that seem to always hang over central. Except of course when they don't and then you'll see the sky that also always seems to be above Central.
"That has been the tour of Central, remember, your guide always excepts tips in Amestrian currency."
Ling laughed and applauded Cecelia's performance, "Bravo! Bravo!"
"Glad you enjoyed." She smiled goofily with Ling, but he wasn't ready to let her be silent again.
"Now seriously, you grew up here, surely you have insider knowledge. Like who owns that curious store over there?"
Ling pointed at a store with a sign reading "BUY N' SELL". The shop windows had mannequins dressed in fashion from decades and even centuries ago. Cecelia could also see old test tubes and measuring cups, hand mixers, lamps, tea sets, and old automail models.
"An old man named Henry," Cecelia said gently, a small smile coming to her face as she remembered the days Maes took her in there to look around. "He served in the southwestern border wars when Amerstris was still asserting it's self as a global power. He came back from the wars with a new love for all things foreign, so he went traveling all over. He's been to Xing six times, crossing by the sea and through the desert. He's seen every country bordering Amerstris. He came back to Central with so much knowledge and Knick knacks, so he opened a store to sell his stuff and buy new and interesting gadgets. The upstairs is the real treasure though. It's full of all the things he won't sell."

"See! That is amazing," Ling exclaimed, "You have intimate knowledge of this town. Knowledge of one's people is the kind kings chase after, and you, Cecelia, have it!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Tell me more! Please!" Ling begged.

Cecelia felt a smile come to her face. "Are you hungry? We can get some ice cream."

"Where?"

Cecelia led him to the little shop and told him the story of the owner's life. When they passed buildings with an interesting history or a store she used to visit with Maes, Cecelia would stop in with Ling and tell him those stories as well. By the time the pair made it to the ice cream shop, the sun was already starting to set, but the two sat relaxed on a bench outside the shop.

"So that women behind the counter also runs the clothing boutique we passed earlier?"

Cecelia nodded, "Her daughter moved out west with help her grandfather on their farm and her son is in the military." Popping a spoon full of ice cream in her mouth, she asked "How do you like the ice cream?

"It's very interesting," Ling admitted. "I wouldn't expect a Honey-Rhubarb flavor to be listed right next to vanilla."

"Yea a lot of places in Central find a hook and stay with it. That ice cream place does a lot of experimenting with flavors."

"And what did you get again?"

"Roasted strawberry with buttermilk," Cecelia got a spoonful and offered it to Ling. "Would you like to try some?" Ling opened his mouth and Cecelia led the spoon into his mouth without a second thought.

Ling let out a moan of approval. "Now I almost wish I had gotten that!"

"Lemme try yours!" Ling fed her with a grin. "Oh geez, that is weird, I don't know if I like that," she laughed.

"You Amestrians just love sweet things," Ling goofed.

"I can't argue with that," said Cecelia decisively, taking another bite of her ice cream.

Suddenly the street lamps flickered on and the city was filled with an electrical buzz. The sun was halfway below the horizon and Cecelia realized night was quickly approaching.

"We'd better get back," sighed Cecelia. She pushed herself to her feet with great effort. Her leg throbbed and her sides burned, a day of walking was most certainly not what the doctor ordered. Ling saw her sway with exhaustion and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her support to lean on.

"You must be tired with those injuries," Ling stated. "Here let me carry you."

Cecelia put a defensive hand on his chest, almost ready to push him away, but her leg was not having it, and finally, Cecelia gave in. "Yeah alright."

Moments later Ling was making his way slowly back to the hotel with a sleepy Cecelia on his back. He was in no rush.

"I'll be honest, this was the most fun I've had since I got back to Central." Cecelia sighed into Ling's shoulder.

Ling grinned. "And we only covered a couple of streets in a day's time."

Cecelia started to smile wildly. "I didn't take you to the park that is in a flower field, or the national zoo, or the butterfly gardens."

"Looks like we'll have to get you rested up so we can head right back out as soon as possible," Ling said. Cecelia beamed at him. Ling suddenly said; "Your smile is beyond gorgeous, you should do it more often."

Cecelia felt her cheeks tingle with heat, blushing madly because of his flattering compliment. "Don't do that!"

"What?" Ling laughed infectiously.

Cecelia started to laugh with him, unable to stay mad at the boy who was currently carrying her. "But back to your point, I would love to walk through the city with you again."

"Then its a date!" Ling declared.

"Wait," Cecelia laughed. "A date?"

"You did just describe a date."

"I did not! A friend... outing... Yea a friend outing that's what I described." Cecelia laughed at her own idiotic response.

The rest of the walk back to the hotel consisted of the two debating whether or not their plans could be considered a date, both perfectly happy to banter about such a meaningless topic.

OoWAAAAAaaa

I"M ALIVE

like frankenstein back from the dead am I right? Long time no see

But yee thats all I got. I'll be back. I promise