Summary: Ed confronts Envy...or is it the other way around? And what did Ed find out about the sin's weakness...

Disclaimer: Apparently I need one of these things. Here goes. This fanfic is brought to you by the suffix -ING. For me not ownING any of this, and it not belongING in anyway to me, so please let there not be any sueING in response. Thank you.

Pairing: Shonen-ai. EdxEnvy. (Look what my fangirl sister made me do now)

Warnings: Boy and boy. Mild religious referances. (I am with Ed in opinions about the Bible...All my information came from A Glossary of Literary Terms, by M.H Abrams. A reccomended book, if you like reading the dictionary...) Some fluff maybe, and some angst.

There was something Edward Elric was forgetting. He sat at his desk, one reluctant auto-mail hand on a book that he would rather not be reading. The Bible. To a scientist such as himself it was complete nonsense. They were just children's stories to delight and temper the public into religious conformity.

But somehow, in these pages lay the answers to his enemy's weakness. He and his brother Al were fighting against the seven sins, yet they had yet to meet them all. Was it a coincidence, this reference to sin, heaven and hell? Edward was a scientist, and a state alchemist; he had no time to sit around and read the bible.

But here he was. And it was frightening to find how accurate it was all becoming. This religious handbook told of Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Wrath, and Greed. They had met them all, yet not the sin who took the name of Pride. Ed expected this to be so. Pride was the most deadly of all the sins; it could hide in your heart, disguised in plain sight. Ed gently turned the page of the bible with his metal fingers, gingerly wrinkling the old paper.

The rain battered against the window, and Ed worriedly looked over to his brother's still form in the dimly lit corner of the room. As usual, the blonde's heart hardened as he saw the giant suit of armor where his brother's body should be. Ed jerked his head away, and brought his eyes back to the book.

His golden eyes widened at what he read next. He brought his other hand up to rest on the words, what he had been searching for. Saint Paul's I Corinthians, 13:13. He spared a tight grin at the superstitious thought at seeing the number thirteen. Ed read swiftly, but his eyes narrowed as the words absorbed into his mind. The Fullmetal Alchemist flipped the page, but to his anger, found nothing more written on the subject.

With as much violence as the quiet would allow, he slammed the ridiculous book shut, and hurled it lightly to the other side of his desk. What a stupid waste of time. Ed rubbed the bridge of his nose with his flesh hand, and stood abruptly from the chair. He stalked out of the room, hands dug deep into his pockets, and he left Al in his brother's in between place. Al couldn't really sleep, but it was close enough that he didn't see Ed exit.

Grabbing his red coat, he swirled it around him, and fastened it tightly. He needed a walk, and fear to god himself if He thought that rain would stop the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed pulled on his boots, and despite the late (early?) hour, hurled the door open and stepped out. Golden eyes widened at whom…what…he saw ghosting about his doorway.

"Envy!"

The sin looked up, and Ed tensed, ready for the imminent battle. But Envy did nothing, simply looked at the alchemist, and said softly, "Hello, Chibi." Rain dripped off the boy, flattening his green-black hair and giving his pale skin a shimmer even in the dim pre-morning light.

Ed was still in battle mode, his hands held close incase he had to use alchemy. His golden eyes were calculating. It was obvious that Envy had been there for quite some time, for the post of the hotel that he had leaned against was dry where his body protected it from the rain. The alchemist wondered briefly and vaguely if homunculi ever got sick. "What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed instead, his eyes scanning for any trace of Envy's allies.

Envy looked up when a drip of water splashed his cheek. He blew at a strand of wet hair that obscured one eye, but it didn't budge. "Just standing here until you interrupted me, Chibi." Envy's eyes flashed but then he leaned back as if a fight was simply too much work. He ran his eyes up and down the alchemist's body, and Ed felt a faint and unwanted blush stain his cheeks. "You look about ready to kill. I hope you aren't as stupid as you are short, I don't want a fight with you right now."

Gritting his teeth so he didn't just explode and leap at the sin, Ed clenched his metal hand. "If you don't want a fight, then what do you want?"

Envy looked to the side, and if Ed didn't know any better, he would say that the sin looked sad. But homunculi have no souls, they aren't human. Envy shrugged, but did not look back at Ed. "I came here like a good little messenger, and I haven't killed you, either. I am supposed to ask you, just once, if you…" the sin gritted his own teeth and Ed pushed aside the thought of how similar they were. Envy's mood changed in a second, and he spun and grabbed Ed by the shirt collar and hoisted the alchemist up so his feet dangled.

Instinctively, Ed raised his own hands to cover Envy's, trying to pry the sin away from him. But even when the auto-mail began to crush the homunculi's hands, he still did not let go. Envy's face was inches from the alchemist's. "Listen you short bastard. I'm supposed to ask you nicely if you wouldn't mind and help us little monsters make the stone, if you aren't too busy." His sarcasm was biting, as were his fingers into Ed's collar bone. He abruptly threw the shorter blonde away from him, and tossed his damp hair out of his own eyes.

Rubbing his collarbone, and feeling the two wet spots that Envy's hands had made on him, Ed collected himself. "You're here to ask me?" he echoed, the ghost of teasing in his voice, though he reminded himself sharply that he spoke to a soul-less puppet, and nothing more.

"I wont repeat it," Envy snapped, and flicked water off of his arm in Ed's direction with contempt. The sin looked to the sky and sniffed when he saw that the rain was beginning to recede. "Just answer it." He ground out.

"No."

Envy shrugged sharply at Ed's refusal. "Now I get to tell her 'I told you so'," he muttered, though he did not say who 'she' was. He turned sharply on his bare heel, and was about ready to go, when Ed reached out desperately and grabbed the sin's cold, wet shoulder.

Without hesitation, Envy hurled Ed to the ground and pinned him, his hand reaching up and back; ready to strike. But he held fast, looking down at Ed's face which was surprisingly calm. "I am not allowed to kill you, but no one said I couldn't beat you into the ground." The sin hissed.

Ed felt the rain hit parts of his body softly, sending a cool chill through his remaining real limbs. His face was protected because Envy loomed above him. One drop of wetness rolled down Envy's cheek and was poised, ready to fall onto the blond below him. When it did, Ed thought mutely that this was perhaps as close as a monster could come to crying. His golden eyes widened as Envy's fist slacked, and he let it rest gently on the ground on the other side of the alchemist's head, looking at him with curious and intense eyes.

The sin straddled the smaller boy, without touching and without moving. Edward Elric was forgetting something. In his mind's eye was the reading he had done not minutes ago, and he whispered under his breath as it became clear. "I know what it is," he said aloud, surprised how calm his voice was. "Corinthians 13:13."

"What are you saying?" Envy demanded, looking down at the chibi. "You know what?" Was it a trick, or did the sin sound frightened?

Ed stared up into the eyes of his enemy. Can I truly think of them as soul-less mistakes? He quoted from what he had read. "Pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, sloth, greed. Envy. The seven deadly sins, so named for their ability to put the soul of anyone manifesting them in peril of eternal perdition; such sins can only expiated by absolute penitence."

Envy's cold eyes widened. His mouth opened, but no word came out. He scrambled up and away from Ed, but the alchemist followed suit and stood on the muddy ground before the sin. Ed took a step towards the other his chest heaving for breath, but Envy didn't move. "The cardinal sins. The sins of the alchemists who made you." He kept advancing, and it was as if Envy was rooted to the spot. Ed was close now, he almost had his answer.

"These seven sins are balanced with the seven theological virtues." Ed took another step closer, the rain had almost stopped now, and his voice was loud in the almost dawn silence that descended over the world. "And now abideth these virtues, to repent for the cardinal sins, and to despell their power over thee. Faith." He spoke the name of the first virtue as he took another step. Envy looked as if he would run at any second. "Hope."

The sin was shaking his head as Ed approached, his eyes were frightened but he felt if he moved he would shatter into pieces. The golden eyed alchemist continued, one word, one more step closer.

"Justice."

"Prudence."

"Temperance."

"Fortitude."

He was so close now that his chest just touched Envy's damp one. Ed moved, as if in a daze to lean in and whisper in the other's ear the last secret. "And the most holy of all the virtues…do you know what it is?" he waited until he felt Envy shake his head just a bit, the wet hair brushing against his own cheek.

Envy felt Ed's breath feather over his ear. His heart—did he have one?—beat alarmingly loud. The sin waited, unaware that he held his breath until Ed spoke so softly. "It's simple, really, Envy. It's called Love."

You guys made it to the end. Now to commemorate this occasion, please review. Its my first fic ever! I dunno if this is a one shot or not, it's up to you. If you would like a continuance, let me know loud and clear, s'il vous plait. Special thanks to Torr who is my beta reader. Any mistakes, please submit your formal complaint to her, though I would duck when I did so. This story was written for her fangirl obsession with Ed and Envy. You are WELCOME, Torr.

-G.A

P.S: "chibi" means "shorty" in english. It's what Envy calls Ed in the japanese version of FMA. It's more endearing in my opinion becasue Ed rarely freaks out when Envy calls him that...