Bendy-Timed To Last Weekend.
Title:
Author: Firebird
Rating: G
Genre: Gen
Characters: Ed/Riza
Word Count: 542
Warning/Notes/Disclaimer: Characters are not mine and I am not making any money off this. However, they do belong to Hiromu Arakawa/Square ENIX, MBS, ANX, BONES, FUNimation Productions, Ltd.
Ed was waiting for Riza when she got home. "Happy belated day we don't celebrate that lots of people in the Nexus do," he deadpans, holding out a wooden box with a small metal latch.
She blinks at him, caught between varying needs. "...What?"
Ed chuckles. "I'll explain while you're looking at it and eating the food I picked up for you. I'll also go put this down on the kitchen table so you won't have to try to mess around with it while you're putting away your stuff."
Riza nods, looking puzzled as she finishes closing the door. When she reached the kitchen, Ed was already sitting down with a mug of coffee in his usual place. Seating herself, she proceeded to unlatch the lid and opened it; revealing several small bottled-shaped candies in foil wrappers.
"They're little chocolates with tiny amounts of different kinds of alcoholic drinks in them. The wrappers have the names of the different brands and stuff. I thought you might like a chance to try them. And that you would appreciate them more than some tacky stuffed toy and balloon," Ed explained, his tone wry at the last addition. "I picked the box I did because I figured you'd probably be able to find a use for it when it's empty."
Riza nodded slowly as she looked at the labels while listening to him before looking up. "Thank you. And for the other explanation..?"
Ed shrugged. "Supposedly, a royal dead guy forbid young men from getting married, thinking that unmarried men made better soldiers; person the holiday's named after secretly got the soldiers and their sweethearts hooked up, and was found out and killed for it. Sometime much later, the day got turned into one big thing celebrating coupledom and commercialism. I imagine it's rather a kick in the teeth for those that're single though."
Riza stared at him for a moment before shaking her head and finally turning her attention to a plastic bag that was also on the table. "I assume this is..?"
Ed nodded. "The food I got you, yeah. Just a basic chicken salad."
He gazed out the window at the darkening sky for a few minutes, letting Riza eat in peace before speaking up again. "I, uh, been kinda thinking of taking you to visit the Nexus for awhile now since it's way past time I did that. Y'know, give you a chance to see some of the weirdness for yourself."
Riza finished her mouthful of food before asking "How long a trip to the Nexus did you have in mind?"
"Just a few hours. Probably a break for lunch in the middle somewhere. Also a trip to the apartment. Both so you can see the place and because I'm sure Al'd like a chance to see you again. I'd understand if you didn't want to do it this weekend since I sorta just sprung this on you but maybe next time I come here?"
Riza nodded agreement. "Next time sounds fine."
Ed looked relieved. "Oh good. Because, well, I miss being able to go places with you and while it won't be the same as going places here..."
"It would still be going somewhere that isn't the house," Riza finished for him.