She really didn't know why she agreed to go. She was completely out of her element surrounded by freshly pressed blue uniforms and elegant ladies. And the high heels! Why did she even say yes when Ed asked her here?

Slouching against the far wall, next to the punch bowl Winry Rockbell was the picture of discomfort amidst the decadence of the Officer's Ball. Her soft blue cotton dress set her apart from the other women's taffeta and silk gowns. She wobbled unsteadily in her new white heels even while standing still. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a modest ponytail unlike the artfully arranged buns and braids of the other dates.

And speaking of dates…

Winry's date, Major Edward 'Fool metal' Elric left her almost the moment they stepped through the door to prowl around the Führer's private library. She would have thought that after all the trouble Ed went through- stammering for ten minutes before abruptly blurting out his request in the middle of a tune up, that maybe…

She snorted aloud. Of course there wasn't anything meaningful about asking me out, he only asked because I'm the only girl available. Winry glared at the punch bowl in front of her seething with anger at how stupid she was. He just wanted to come to the Führer's mansion to read!

"Now what did that punch ever do to deserve a dark look like that?" someone purred close to Winry's ear. With a start, she jumped and nearly fell to the ground if it weren't for a pair of strong arms wrapping around her.

A cascade of dark hair. Mysterious lavender colored eyes. A mischievous quirk of his lips mere inches from her own.

While she had been stunned by her enigmatic savior, he had stood in one fluid moment and set Winry onto her unsteady feet. He chuckled as he brushed back the strands of hair that managed to escape the ponytail at his nape.

"Now I've had women fall for me but never literally." He commented with a grin then innocently cocked his head, "So, are you going to answer my question?"

Winry jerked her thoughts away from admiring the cut of the man's dark suit and focused on what he had to say. A question?

"I asked why the punch bowl earned that nasty look you were giving it." The young man said almost reading her thoughts.

"Oh!" she replied with realization and sheepishly added, "It's not the punch, it's my date."

"You got ditched too?"

Winry's eyes flew open in shock that someone, anyone would get rid of the gentleman before her. Unlike her, he fit in perfectly. A silken midnight colored shirt underneath a pressed dark jacket the same greenish black color as his slacks. Compared to her, he was a prince at a ball.

"I doubt your date ran off to peruse the host's private collection." She said sourly and he chuckled in response.

"No." he drawled. "Mine ran off to do her job. A secretary's work is never done."

"God he's such a jerk!" Winry exclaimed in irritation and she stomped her foot, almost falling again if not for the stranger's helpful grip.

"He gets me to dress up, wear heels of all things...knowing full well that I've never worn them before."

"That much is apparent." The stranger said with bemusement but Winry went on as if she hadn't heard him.

"And then he goes off to bury himself in books."

The young man cleared his throat and Winry saw he was silently laughing at her obvious displeasure.

"Seems like what you first need to do is lose the heels."

Intense disbelief touched her pale face at such a notion. Winry began stuttering and the young man held up a hand to stop her from voicing all the reasons as to why not to do such a thing. He smiled as he drew out something from his jacket's inner pocket.

"I find ties pretty stupid so I removed mine." He told her dangling the thin green scrap of satin before her. Then he added with a smile "Wanna join in my little rebellion?"

There was something compelling about him. Almost hypnotic. Like he was a snake charming his way into his prey's den. It was almost before she comprehended what she was doing that Winry had removed her shoes.

Immediately she felt better for it. She no longer felt like the awkward ugly duckling or country mouse in the big city. She was Winry Rockbell. Granddaughter of famed automail mechanic Pinako Rockbell. Creator of the limbs that saved countless lives, even stupid Ed's own. Why without her, he would have never became so famous!

"Much better, right?" he asked her snapping her out her reverie. "Ready for step two?"

"Step two?"

The grin on his face grew wider as he chucked his tie into the punch bowl, "Step two: Making that moron realize how stupid he was to ditch you!"

He found him surrounded by two piles of books sifting through a third. He carelessly tossed his uniform shirt behind him where it was collecting dust from two discarded volumes. Colonel Mustang to say the least was rather disappointed in his junior officer.

But then again, he's still just a child, Roy thought wryly. Regardless, he needs to learn.

"Edward, didn't you bring a date?" he inquired. "Don't tell me you abandoned her out there."

"Winry's fine." Ed replied without removing his nose from the book. "She's probably standing in a corner near the punch bowl or dismantling someone's watch."

"Or Winry could be enjoying herself dancing barefoot with another man." Roy countered. "Which by the way, is what she's doing."

"Good for her."

"Edward, the man in question is one of the homunculi." Mustang revealed and Fullmetal's head shot up. "Your drawings of them do look similar enough that with a bit of squinting I could recognize this one."

"Which one?"

"The one that looks like a demented tree." Roy replied and with an angry growl Edward raced out the door.

He dipped her backwards and Winry let out a shocked shriek that morphed to giggles when she felt his strong hand supporting her spine. He winked at her and jerked her back into his arms. Her face began to turn red when she felt his lips brush her ear.

"Don't look now but a rather angry blond pipsqueak is making his way over."

"That would be Edward." Winry replied and a glint of something evil appeared in his eyes.

"Oh, I know who he is." she heard him murmur before he moved to her side and addressed a fuming Ed. "'ello Edo, finished reading for tonight."

"Envy." The young state alchemist growled and the homunculi's face erupted into a grin.

"Shame on you for leaving poor Winry alone." Envy told him and added maliciously "Didn't your mother teach you any manners."

Edward swung at the creature and he easily ducked the blow while moving Winry safely out of harm's way. Envy tisked at him.

"Careful now, you almost hit her! Winry here might not be too happy to make automail for a guy who decked her."

"You know my name?" Winry asked Envy who smiled brightly at her while still keeping an eye on Ed.

"Of course I do." He replied. "I also know that every time Ed comes home with his arm or leg busted you clock him with a wrench…which is awesome!"

He shrugged, "So when I saw you moping in the corner I thought I'd pay you back for all those time you knocked Ed unconscious. Now it's time for Step three."

Winry looked at Envy oddly, "What's step three."

Before she knew it, Winry found herself in his arms and her lips crushed against Envy's. Wide-eyed in shock, she saw the homunculi staring back at her and then cut his eyes toward Ed. Envy heard the alchemist's squawk of disbelief and anger and felt himself begin to grin.

The alchemist lunged for him and Envy quickly released Winry, sending her into Ed. In the same move he flipped backwards up over the crowd that gathered around them and landed close to the exit.

"Bet you're regretting ditching her now, half pint!" Envy shouted with a laugh.

"Who're you calling so short…!" Edward screamed however the homunculi had already left. He spun toward Winry.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked Winry who seemed a touch pale and a tad wobbly. "Did he do—"

"He kissed me." She laughed as she shook her head. Edward put his arm around her and he began leading her to the exit.

"I promise I'll never let him near you again." He told her with a serious expression on his face and Winry silently laughed.

"And how are you going to do that?" she asked hoping she sounded properly traumatized instead of amused.

"Easy, I won't ask you to come with me to the Officer's Ball." Edward replied without any hesitation. "I'll just take Al."

"So you both can hang out in the library."

"Exactly."

At that moment, Winry finally did what she had been itching to do all night. She hauled back her arm, clenched her fist and drove it right across his face.

From his perch, Envy cackled as he watched Edward drop like a rock and Winry march off. He was tempted to jump down and offer to carry her to her room since she was still barefoot. The Führer's driveway was full of rocks and such. But he knew Winry was a big girl and could easily take care of herself.

Plus, he had company.

"Did you really have to kiss the girl?" Sloth asked him. "If you wanted to aggravate the boy there were other ways."

"You jealous that your date went off with another girl?" he teased.

"This was business. The Master told me to bring you."

"Still a date." Envy replied and a thoughtful expression came over his face, "Though don't you find it weird considering..you know."

"You're old enough to be my grandfather." Sloth asked before a bright flash nearly blinded her and Envy leaned back to look at her. Blond hair falling into his golden eyes. Something inside Sloth cringed and Envy smiled. He could see it and couldn't help adding the final nail.

"Considering you're technically dating your son."

There was no visible reaction except one moment Sloth was there and the next there was a puddle. Envy laughed and changed back, returning his gaze to Winry's retreating back.

"I wonder if she'd react the same way."