Chapter 29: Roll Back

(Jean)

There wasn't much to look at, but he continued to look out the window because it was better than the alternative. He muttered something about not being up for any more visitors as Rebecca left the room in tears. There was nothing to say to her, they were nothing to each other and now he was nothing at all. It felt justified that he stopped making eye contact as they too avoided looking at the damage.

Havoc sighed and looked back down at the two limbs that stretched out from his hips. A small part of him kept faith that maybe, if he thought about it hard enough, one of them just might move.

Wishful thinking.

When the footsteps of another person entered the room, he turned his head sharply, his anger fishing for a target.

"I said no more visitors!"

"Yeah, the nurse said you were being an asshole too."

Jean stared down at the large man blocking the entrance to his room. His anger began to dissipate as the large man remained resolute. Honestly, he was probably the first person to walk into the room without pity leaking out all over the place. It was strange, almost refreshing.

"Since when do girls talk to you Heymans?"

His fraternity brothers mouth twitched in good humor.

"Since all the good guys are laid up here being dicks."

"Yeah. Well, I'd get up to kick your ass but you know."

Heymans must have taken that as permission because he came in and settled himself in the chair next the hospital bed. His fraternity brother chanced a glance at the uneaten tray of food still on the cart off to the side.

"So, you're being an ass and you're not eating? I feel like I should be offended."

Jean rolled his eyes. "Is that your way of saying you want to eat my bland hospital food Breda?"

Breda shrugged, "I've had worse."

"I could use a smoke." Jean answered wishing the place would let him light one up. He might never walk again, the least they could do was let him smoke off the anxiety of dealing with people.

"I was going to sneak you in some food the Kappa Delta girls made for you, but I sort of ate it on the way here. Figured you'd rather I sneak you in something else." He held out a vape pen.

Nothing beat the real taste of a cig in your mouth, but Jean was amendable. "Hell Breda, I take back everything I just said."

"Well, you should probably take back what you said to Rebecca."

Jean take the pen roughly out of his brothers outstretched hand. "Maybe you shouldn't have been eavesdropping."

"Its not eavesdropping if you're yelling."

Breda probably had a point. He took a draw from the pen and immediately felt the nicotine. "Fair enough."

"I just want to make sure I got this right. I might be paraphrasing, but the gist I got was that Rebecca cried for you, said she loved you and you would get through this together and you told her to get the fuck out?"

"Pretty much."

"Piss off man." Breda spouted off.

"I told the nurse not to let anyone in, it's your own fault you came in." Jean admitted.

"Not to point out the obvious, but haven't you always had a thing for her?"

Jean thought that should be obvious. "I'll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I'm not doing that to someone, I'm not pinning this on them."

"Because you think you're some kind of martyr?"

"No." Havoc tried to squeeze his hand into a fist but his hand barely managed to close. "I used to think that if I couldn't hack it here in the city I could always go home and work on the farm. Now I can't even do that." He swallowed hard, "Do you know what my dad said when I called them?"

Jean saw the look of pity that flashed across his friend's face and shut up.

Breda leaned in, "It can't have been that bad, he was probably just upset or caught off guard."

"I bet he was." Havoc scoffed, "He said that cripples had no business on a farm. How ironic is that? I always said I never wanted to work on the family farm and now I can't."

A part of Jean also reminded him that he had wanted to be better than his father. To come home with a savvy business degree, three figure salary, cushy job, beautiful wife and loving family to shove in his face.

Heymans stood up abruptly his face unreadable. "You're worse than I thought."

"It's a miracle I'm alive." Jean laughed but even he knew it wasn't funny. "At least that's what they keep telling me."

"Not talking about the legs Jean. I'm talking about this." He took his large index finger and thumped him hard in the middle of his forehead. "You sound like you're already six feet under and we're all just dirt to you."

Jean went back to looking out the window at nothing. The sound of footsteps leaving was his only indication that his brother had left the room.

(Winry)

She hadn't been actively looking for a relationship on that rooftop the first time she had kissed Edward Elric. The more she thought about it the more she convinced herself that it should have never happened. They were both hot headed and going off on entirely different paths. She had found love where it wasn't supposed to be, it had been right in front of her and now she wasn't sure where it had gone. How much were you suppose to give up in a relationship in comparison to what you receive? Was there some sort of balance to it all?

Seeing Edward standing there at the opposite side of the waiting room, a foam coffee cup in his hand and bags under his eyes gave her pause. There were stores of rage she had for that man but it was hard to find them when he looked like he just needed a hug.

Winry thought she was a generous person but she remained seated, her decision pending his next move. He seemed to be mulling it over himself and maybe Edward was a generous person too but when he turned and walked back out the room Winry wondered if only she could hear her heart breaking.

It had been such a stupid argument, so why did it feel like it had stripped them bare?

A hand rested on her shoulder and she nearly jumped at the touch. She had been staring at the place where Edward had just been with such intensity, she didn't notice Sam.

Sam was grinning and Winry was brought back to why she was sitting in a waiting room to begin with.

"And?" She asked hopefully.

Sam nodded, his grin stretching into a smirk. "Rose did amazing."

Winry wondered at that, she had heard Sam talk about almost everything, but the way he spoke about Rose was noticeably different. Instead she smiled and pretended that Rose actually cared about Sam as much as the devotion that was written all over his face. Because at the moment her heart was in her stomach and with all the love in the room, she was feeling alone for the first time in a long time.

(Riza)

It boarded on frantic and Riza could almost feel the burn of his hands against her back. Scraping along the rough and uneven shards of her skin. They were both broken here, but it felt good to be reminded that this was real. Honestly, she felt Roy might have wanted to talk but once they started, they fell into a silence that left them complacent.

Still, there was that ghost in his eyes and when he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his dresser drawer, she knew something would have to be said.

The old window of the fraternity house squeaked as Roy pushed it up, sitting on the sill as he exhaled out a puff of smoke.

Riza propped herself up on her elbows, still enjoying the lingering tingles that ran along the surface of her skin. "You smoke now?"

Roy shrugged, "Not sure."

"I'd rather you didn't."

Roy took another drag before squishing the end of the white stick against the ledge, smothering the tip.

Riza continued to stare, her mouth a bit ajar at his abrupt action.

"What?" Roy asked as he joined her back on the bed.

"I didn't think you'd actually listen to me."

"I've been working on that if you haven't noticed."

Riza gave him a once over, "You've been working on a lot of things lately. When was the last time you slept through the night?"

There were those ghosts again, images and events she knew were running through his head when he didn't answer her right away. The accident had left him physically sound, but Riza worried about the things inside, things that remained unseen and thus untreated.

"I sleep better when you're here."

Riza pushed him back against the pillow and pulled the covers up to his shoulders before relaxing against him. "Liar."

"Yeah." He breathed out, his warm breath rustling the hair on her head. "Guess we don't sleep much."

(Edward)

The fraternity house was filled with goods and cards of well wishes. He looked around the place and felt guilt. It had been a stupid fight, several stupid fights both physical and verbal that had brought him to this point. His head pounded, the hangover long gone, but the guilt still ringing through his thoughts. Roy had come home that afternoon but Jean was still at the hospital and while Ed had gone to visit, he had found the experience overwhelming.

Seeing his brother laid up put things into perspective, things he would have rather stayed oblivious to. When he saw Winry sitting in that waiting room he had almost lost it. She didn't need to see him break down; she didn't deserve to have a drunken frat boy who couldn't protect her.

Several members of the Greek community had come forward to offer their support and while the girl in the other car was facing criminal charges, it was a miracle it hadn't been worse. Edward wondered about his own role in the night, maybe if he hadn't of gotten drunk and started a fight, Jean wouldn't have been in that car at that particular moment.

"Hey Ed."

Jerking his head around Edward scowled. "Not in the mood Ling."

"Easy, just wanted to tell you I'm sorry about last night, I should have never said that about Winry."

Edward clenched and unclenched his fist before facing the pledge brother.

Ling put his hands up, "Honestly Ed, there's no competition between you and me when it comes to Winry."

He could feel his adrenaline pump up for a fight. "If this is your way of apologizing, you suck at it."

"I guess I do." He smiled, "Winry was never interested in me, you know that right?"

Edward scoffed, "Of course I do."

"Then why are you acting like she cheated on you?"

"What's any of this got to do with you?" Edward sneered.

"I just think it's a shame that you are treating someone who loves you like she's a ghost."

Edward rolled his eyes and waved Ling off. "Yeah, thanks for the advice."

Turns out Winry had tried to call him, several times, but he didn't know what to say. Not that there weren't things to be said, he just didn't know how to say them without being embarrassed or angry. He was trying to be mature about it, but then again, he had gotten wasted, brawled and puked his guts out so mature might be stretching it.

About a week later his younger brother called and despite not wanting to socialize he agreed to visit him downtown. Heading into the coffee shop he looked around and spotted Alphonse first, Winry second.

He was set up, by his little brother none the less. At least he wasn't alone, from the look on her face Winry had been unaware of this arrangement.

"You've got some explaining to do." He spit out through clenched teeth, low enough for only his brother to hear.

Alphonse had the decency to look chastised but when he motioned for him to sit down, Ed complied.

Winry suddenly looked very interested in her coffee mug as she began to stir the cup vigorously.

"I know somethings up between you two, but I have something important to tell you."

That perked both of their interests.

"I've decided to transfer from Xing to Central University."

Winry brightened up, her smile making Edward wish he was closer to her.

"That's wonderful news!" Winry beamed before pulling Alphonse into a hug. "Are you transferring now or are you waiting for winter semester?"

Edward watched the warm embrace and he couldn't breathe. The ache in his chest opened, the emptiness he had let settle now seemed to echo. Affection came so much easier to Winry, and if he was a better man, he could find a way to return it without causing them both pain. Could they roll back to a time when she would have told him exactly what was on her mind, when they would have yelled and then somehow found the other smirking and admit that whatever it was, they were fighting about wasn't important?

"I won't be a student here officially until winter semester, but I'm going to need to be on campus a few times to get my classes scheduled and my dorm room figured out."

Did she suddenly feel it too? Is that why she refused to make eye contact?

"Brother?"

Edward felt the pull back to reality and raised his brow, "Hmm?"

"I'm transferring to Central." Alphonse gave him a strange look.

"That's great." He admitted.

"Don't mind him," Winry was now fixated on him only it was a hard glare. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

That was a challenge so he rose to it. "Don't believe Winry, she's been known to lie."

The pretty blonde sat back in her chair pushing the coffee mug away. "I'm happy for you Al, but I should probably go."

"Winry." Alphonse grabbed her hand for a moment. "I'd like you to stay."

Winry smiled before placing a kiss to his cheek that even if it was platonic, it sent Edward reeling.

"I'm so happy for you Alphonse." She took a deep breath. "Which is why I'm not going to ruin this by setting your brother off like this."

She fished a few bills out of her purse, mumbled something about keeping the change and maybe it was an apology to his little brother, but Ed was already turning his head to look away. When she was gone he finally rounded on his brother.

"That was bold, inviting her here."

Alphonse looked disappointed. "You're just going to let her walk away?"

A shred of doubt blossomed from his brothers' words. What if this pissing match was more than that, what if he was letting her walk away? What if the farther she walked, the less likely it was that she would come back? Was he still angry with her? Yes. But it was hard to remember why that should mean he let her walk away because Winry was everything, she was the reason his body was ablaze with anger, she was the reason he was pouting and sulking. She was it. She made him feel whatever it was, she made him feel.

"She's not a boomerang brother, just because she's done it before doesn't mean she'll keep coming back."

"You don't know what she did."

"She lied about a letter from Scar because she thought you would freak out."

Ed narrowed his eyes. "She told you?"

"I listen." Alphonse shrugged, "You just wait for your turn to talk."

He rolled his eyes at the comment but the silence that followed gave him pause. "I'm happy you're coming to Central, just caught me off guard with Winry."

"I happen to like Winry."

"What?" Edward backtracked feeling a bit put off by the comment.

Now it was Al's turn to roll his eyes, "Winry's smart, kind, talented, beautiful and best of all she gave me back my brother. How can you let something this petty get between you two?"

Edward shrugged because he could at least admit that the whole thing was rather petty.

"I didn't let- "

Alphonse leaned across the table, "Does it matter whose fault it is?"

Edward sneered at his younger brother before shaking his head. "How'd you get to be so damn wise?"

(Winry)

There was no lie in the world that would ever fool her grandma. One simple phone call and the old woman had already dug to the root of the problem.

"You can't pin your happiness on a boy Winry."

"That's not what I'm doing." Winry protested even as she swallowed the poison.

"Its only love Winy, some of it lasts and some of it is temporary. When you've had enough, you'll be left with whatever you've made of yourself."

Coming from a woman widowed so early and left to raise her own sons' child, the sentiment was not lost on Winry. Her grandmother had proven time and time again that she could stand on her own two feet. Winry had thought she could too, but then Edward had snuck in and now the lines between what she wanted and what she needed seemed blurred.

"I feel so stupid." She finally admitted.

Her gran chuckled. "Winry dear, any boy to let you go is the stupid one. Now you go and ace that interview and get yourself that fellowship you've been talking about. You hear me? You are too smart to let your dreams die because you heart is hurting."

Gran made it sound so easy. As if she could turn off her heart like a switch and move on just because she decided to. That's where her second family came in and not for the first time, she realized how lucky she was to have found a family so far away from home.

Back at the sorority house the girls had been more than supportive. Her sorority sisters had caught on quickly, even if she refused to say it aloud. To say that she and Edward weren't speaking would make it final in ways she wasn't ready to accept.

That's the thing about family, they understood something was wrong but neither her Gran nor her sorority sisters dug deep enough to open up her fresh wounds. Instead they helped her paint over her problems in ways that made them not seem so ugly in the light. It might have been a pep talk over the phone or a late-night dance party in the common room with feather boas, spatulas as microphones and the most heart wrenching ballads to be shouted from their lungs.

When at last her interview day came, Winry was as ready as she would ever be. Dressed in Riza's perfectly pressed pant suit, Rebecca's blue blouse and a pair of heels dropped off from Gracia. It was silly to think clothes can build confidence but she felt like she wasn't alone. Her sisters had given her a piece of them and it felt like armor as she walked through those office doors. It was steel that could hold her pounding heart and deflect the questioning stares by several male applicants that loitered in the hallway, all at least two or three years her elder.

Winry decided she would take her grans advice. She would stand on her two feet and when it was over, she could wait to see if Edward would rise to meet her or she could face the next phase on her own. Winry had family now, she wouldn't ever be alone.

When the secretary called her name, she walked past those boys with confidence and entered the office with a firm handshake and strong sense of purpose. She was going to help people; she was going to use her hands to heal and she would be one step closer if she convinced this man she was deserving.

It seemed nothing could knock her down until the man began to ask her questions and that confidence went zing, right out the window. Speaking of windows, she wished he would open one, she felt like she was suddenly sweating and oh god did she forget deodorant? The interviewer looked up as Winry paused, her thoughts jumbled. The head of the medical program, Mr. LeCoulte, was about as intimidating as they came and despite her best efforts she felt as if every response were slowly killing any chance, she had at securing a spot.

Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.

"I grew up reading medical textbooks my parents left behind and I've been assisting with my grandmothers automail surgeries since I was seven."

The man's face changed then, his eyes widening slightly, "Rockbell."

He said her name like a funny smell had wafted through the air.

"You wouldn't be talking about Pinako Rockbell, would you?"

Winry never dreamed her grandmother would know the head of the medical program at Central University. "Yes, she's my grandmother."

"I'll be." The old man's face scrunched together. "You said you've been training under her doing automail surgeries?"

"Yes sir."

The old man looked as if he had seen a ghost. "I knew your grandmother a long time ago."

Winry wasn't sure what that meant, but from the looks of it they had some kind of shared history.

"That woman- excuse me, your grandmother, is not an easy person to work with." He sat back in his chair and spread her resume and transcripts out in front of him before standing up and offering her his hand. "You'll hear back from my office by the end of the week."

Winry stood on shaky legs, careful to wipe her sweaty palm on her pant leg before taking his hand and leaving the room with an awkward thank you and stumble to the door.

Out in the hallway she breathed out the nerves and felt the weight of the day hunch her shoulders. Her gpa was a 3.9, she had added her work experience and position within her sorority, but she had a feeling her relationship to her grandmother had been the deciding point. Central only accepted twenty students into their medical fellowship and she had already been made aware that she was the only sophomore to apply. Most people to apply were juniors or even seniors, but Winry had worked hard, maxed out her credit hours and was anxious to get her career started. And to be honest the mistakes with Edward had pushed her to do something drastic to change her circumstances and thankfully her sorority sisters had talked her out of an emotion hair cut or color decision. Nothing like making a rash hair decision to haunt you for a few months.

Outside it had gotten dark, the sun setting much earlier as the fall semester sped by. Without really thinking she dialed the number and when he answered she straightened her spine and tried to muster the confident version of herself that still refused to emerge.

"I'm at the Yule Science building on the east side of campus, can you give me a lift to the sorority house?"

There was a distinct pause before the other person answered. "Who is this?"

Winry scowled. "Edward, I swear- "

"I'm on my way."

When that red corvette pulled up Winry found herself rolling back to the beginning. Back to that horrible night at the fraternity house and the morning after when he had taken her home. She had been pissed at him that day too. In her head she saw it all, she would say all the right things, he would do all the right things and poof things would be okay again. They would be okay again.

"Thanks for picking me up."

Edward nodded, but didn't give her any verbal response.

That was fine.

They could drown in their silence.

But it still felt good to have him within arm's reach, she had missed the comfort of his familiarity.

"Wait." Winry looked out the window, "Ed, the sorority house is back that way."

"I know."

Winry crossed her arms over her chest. "Then where are you taking me?"

Edward brushed her knee as he maneuvered the clutch into the next gear. "You'll see."

The boy she had fallen in love with was oblivious, rude and at times utterly unbearable. But then he goes and does something like this.

Stepping out of the car she followed Ed to empty baseball field they had once coached together on. The headlights of the car keeping their path lit. "I'm not really dressed for baseball Ed."

Looking miserable Ed shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm still pissed at you."

Winry narrowed her eyes. "Clearly. I'm not too happy with you either."

"You scared me." Edward stepped closer, indecision flickering across his face. "I need you to be honest with me."

"What if you don't want to hear the truth?" Winry countered feeling cornered.

"That doesn't matter."

Winry was aware he was closer than before. "It doesn't matter?"

Edward scoffed aloud before reaching up and touched her face. "It's equivalent exchange, it's what people who love each other do, right?"

Winry knew she was the one who initiated the kiss, but she was grateful he returned it and damn if they were infinitely better at physical affection. It hadn't been that long but even a few weeks had left her with a wound she was desperate to heal. So maybe it felt messy and rushed, but if the dark masked all that was wrong, this felt so entirely right. Free at last, free from the responsibility of a relationship and just freedom to feel.

Winry thought her name sounded like redemption when he said it not once but over and over again, each time lacing it with more desperation than before. Winry hoped she could be enough in this moment, that this was an apology for everything that remained unsaid. They could have been a million miles away on another planet, circling the sun for a year or an eternity. Nothing mattered except that patience was overrated and neither of them had it is spades to begin with.

At some point, when it was over, they fell back into silence.

"I'm sorry." Edward admitted as they sat leaning against one another in the backseat.

Winry could feel her eye twitch as she shot him a glare.

He put his hands up in defense, "Not about that."

Winry huffed, Edward really was desperately behind when it came to properly communicating.

"I meant I'm sorry I let this get out of hand and I know that was unfair."

"Well…I could be better at communicating." Winry offered as she buttoned her blouse back up.

Edward shrugged. "I could be better at explaining myself."

"You could be better at listening too." Winry agreed.

Edward often had selective hearing when it came to most topics and people.

"Okay." He challenged her. "I'm listening. What where you doing at the science building all dressed up?"

Despite all the warm fuzzy feelings Edward had reawakened she had forgotten about the interview.

"I applied for the medical fellowship program."

"Shit, that's a big deal Win."

Edward was hard to impress so Winry took it as a compliment, even if she believed it wasn't deserved. "It's nothing, I doubt I even got it."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I'm sure you applied for something you assumed you would fail at."

Winry frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

He leaned in and thumped her forehead with his index finger. "When was the last time you threw yourself into something you weren't a hundred percent dedicated to? Something you were sure you were going to fail at?"

Winry wasn't sure what to say to that because she thought that would be obvious. "Every time I kiss you."

(Edward)

It probably wasn't his place, but when had that ever stopped him before. He watched the man with the scar on his face disappear around the side of a building and Edward picked up his pace.

"Shit."

The man was waiting for him.

"Why are you following me?" The much larger man demanded.

With what he hoped was a menacing stance he pointed his finger at the man. "Its over. From now on you want to send threatening letters to my girlfriend you're going to deal directly with me."

The man lowered his chin, making the skins look more severe. "You best stay out of it."

Like a warning had ever stopped him before; laughable.

"I don't get it, what could she have done to have you treat her like that? What, she turn you down for a date? Embarrass you? What's with this serial killer vibe you're trying to send off?"

The man exhaled, "I'd move out of the way if I were you."

"Big man, all those threatening words on paper to an innocent girl, but you can't back it up in person huh? You have to wait until she's alone to pray on her, don't you?"

"Move." The man deadpanned.

Ed could feel his blood pulsing in his veins, this guy was something else. "No. If you want to fight someone so badly, do it, fight me."

The man didn't hesitate, he lunged but Edward was quicker. He dodged the first swing and then the second. Feeling the adrenaline, he thought about what it meant to stand on your own two feet. When was the last time he had been given the chance to really fight for something he loved?

His automail fist caught the man's jaw at last, turning his head at the impact. He would have to tell Winry how it good it felt to hit him with her automail. His second and third punch hit their mark, building Ed's confidence that he was in the right, that this had to happen to protect Winry.

Riding high on the feeling of justification and entitlement he didn't see Scars foot as it swung, knocking his feet out from under him. Once on the ground Edward found himself at the mercy of the man's steel toed boats.

Clutching his stomach, he moaned in pain as his sides took a beating.

"Hey!"

Scar stopped the assault, his breathing heavy before he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I told you to stay out of this. Next time there wont be someone to save you."

He took off then, rounding the corner out of sight.

The man who had shouted was running and Edward groaned as the face of Roy Mustang materialized. "Fullmetal!"

Of all the damn people…

Ed tried sitting up to sink back down clutching his side. "I'm alive." He muttered.

"Probably shouldn't pick fights with those that aren't your size." Roy mused for a second before extending an arm.

He should probably punch Roy in the face but he had already tried that once and it didn't work. Come to think of it he had started a lot of fights lately in which he seemed to be on the losing side. Taking Roy's hand, he got to his feet with a few curse words and groans.

"How'd that guy offend you? Lemme guess, he called you short?"

Ed scowled. "For your information that guy's been threatening Winry."

"Have you contacted the police?"

Edward snorted in derision. "Not sure if you remember that one time you had to come pick me up from the police station because I was piss drunk screaming about Winry's disappearance? Don't think they have any interest in helping me."

"Okay, well what's the big guy got against blondie?"

Rubbing his side, Ed shook his head. "Something about him knowing her parents, but I have no idea what that has to do with her."

The look on Roy's face stopped him in his tracks. "What?"

"If he's a student here, Winry needs to report that kind of behavior."

"Well when you convince her to actually ask for help, let me know, in the meantime I'll wait to see pigs flying."

There was a brief glint of seriousness in his big brothers face before it disappeared. "Well you have seen Heymans attempt a cannon ball, that counts."

(Scar)

She was manipulative. The kind of girl that wrapped boys around her finger until she could point them in any direction she fancied. Scar wasn't buying the innocent girl act, nor was he amused at the little metal boyfriend she had sent after him.

Sitting at the bar he grimaced as his hand made contact with the bruise already forming along his jaw. Damn automail, no doubt the work of the girl. Everyone in that family must be Dr. Frankenstein's. Putting people back together in inhuman ways.

"Rough night?"

Scar looked up to see a smaller girl across the bar, her hair in braids that were neatly piled in pigtails on her head.

He grunted in response.

"Rough night." She amended with a smile, the panda clip in her hair making Scar seriously doubt she should be old enough to be behind a bar. She slid a glass across the bar, "So what will it be?"

Scar muttered something about whiskey but she was already humming away, and the concoction that sat in front of him looked and smelled nothing like whiskey.

"I said whiskey." He amended.

The girl laughed, "Well you also look like you could use some first aid so how about you drink my special tea and then if you start perking up Ill give you that whiskey."

He frowned at the drink. "I'm not paying for this."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, directing his attention the name tag that read Mei.

"Listen, you'll drink the damn tea and then I'll let you drain this bottle and believe me by the time your done attempting to drink away your sorrows it won't matter what number I throw at you. So, you are going to drink my tea, pay your tab and somewhere in between I bet you'd feel a whole lot better if you talked about how you got those bruises."

Scar felt distinctly caught off guard. No matter how much he tried to scare her away she just stood there, like a dog waiting for someone to throw them a bone.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Mei looked unimpressed, "Should I be?"

"Don't these scars scare you girl? How about the color of my eyes? Aren't you afraid of an Ishvalan?"

"In case you haven't noticed, you aren't the only foreigner in here. So, spill the beans, I do get paid to listen to drunk people."

Scar didn't talk much, but at some point, he also stopped actively trying to scare the girl off either.