Let's just say, I'm not EdWin fangirl. /3
I Love Her More
Winry Elric. I knew one of us had to marry her eventually. She honestly didn't mind if it was me or Ed—even though it was obvious she slightly preferred Edward. She had gotten her slightly preferred choice, and I hated it.
It was late at night when I had received the call from Winry. I knew Ed was going to propose to her, for he had told me. I had been okay with it, too.
"Al! Oh, Al, it's wonderful! Ed proposed to me tonight!"
"Congrats," I muttered, yawning.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"
"Just a little. You know, you didn't have to call me, at least in the middle of night. I already knew Ed was going to propose to you tonight."
"Oh, well…I didn't think that far ahead. I'm sorry. I'll let you go now, I guess…bye."
"Wait, Winry."
"Yes, Al?"
"I love you." There was some silence on the other end. "As a sister-in-law, I mean."
"Oh! I love you too, Al! Good night." Click.
I wish I could've just said "I love you" without that sister-in-law crap.
The next few months were excruciating. Ed and Winry couldn't stop talking about wedding plans and how much they loved each other. And all that crap was passed on to me, their closest friend. I was Ed's best man. I wished I was the groom.
My feelings for Winry couldn't be ignored. After the proposal, I started to spend more time with Winry without Ed. All she talked about was the wedding and Ed, but my feelings for her still just got stronger. When I looked at her with lustful eyes, all I saw was her and Ed together. I started to loathe my own brother secretly, filling my mind with all sorts of insane thoughts of jealousy.
I Love Her More
Six weeks.
"What do you think, Al?"
"Hmmm?" I sat at the Rockbell table with Winry with a wedding catalog. My thoughts were consuming me yet again.
"I said, what do you think of these wedding colors?"
"Can we not talk about the wedding for once?" I said, angrily.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I just don't want to talk about it, all right?"
"Really, Al, you can tell me what's wrong…"
"I…can't."
She frowned. "Why can't you tell me anything anymore?"
I looked the other direction. She continued looking through the catalog.
I Love Her More
Four weeks. Edward wanted matching tuxedos. We had to take a trip by train to Central, for we had been living in Risembool since Ed had quit being a state alchemist after he got my body back. There's where the wedding was going to take place, in Central headquarters. It had all been arranged. The least the officials at Central could do was honor the retired Fullmetal Alchemist with a wedding ceremony at their headquarters. No doubt this was going to be more of a business deal than anything else, with all the military personnel there. It wasn't like Ed at all. It made me sick.
I looked out the window with sleepy eyes. I hadn't gotten much sleep. I had been too busy thinking of plans.
"Is something wrong?" my brother asked, worried. As usual, the train was completely empty except for us. Risembool was still extremely small even after all these years.
"I just didn't get much sleep last night." I turned to look at him. "What kind of tuxedos are you think of getting?"
"Winry wants the tradition pinstriped black." He rolled his eyes. "Women."
I tried not to glare at him or be angry, but it didn't come out as well. "You realize how lucky you are to have her, right?! She's an amazing girl and there must've been guys lining up just waiting to propose to her, but you got to her first!" And I was the first in line behind you. "You realize that, right?!"
He was taken aback. "Geez, Al, I was kidding. And I do realize all of that."
"Then act like it." I huffed, looking out the window again.
I Love Her More
Two weeks. Winry and Ed are counting down the days. I'm also counting down the days. Now that I have a plan, I'm far more excited than before. Winry and Ed are glad that I've "turned around," but they don't know the half of it.
Winry wants me to see her wedding dress today. I'm sitting in my room on my bed at the Rockbell's, waiting for her to change. She was talking to me through the bathroom door.
"Hey, Al?"
"Yeah," I said, letting her know I was still on the other side.
"Do you think you can zip up the back of my dress? I can't reach."
I tried not to redden while I complied. She unlocked the door, waiting for me to come in. She held up her beautiful blonde hair up and right in front of my face was the back of her bra. I sighed heavily, and zipped up the dress. I'd never get to undo that bra strap.
"Do you like it?" She said, swirling around to face me.
"I love it," I said automatically. Then—I'm not sure what happened—but we just looked at each other in the eyes for a second, and I kissed her. The thing is, she didn't pull away. She didn't step back into the counter and knock something over and say "What are you doing?!" She kissed me back. For a second there, it was almost like the wedding dress was for my wedding, not Ed's.
After a few seconds, she pulled back, and said, "Ed's going to be back soon." But my arms were still around her waist and her manicured hands were still on my chest. I frowned and let her go, leaving the room.
I Love Her More
Today's the day. I'm standing outside the wedding room, abundant with pastels and tulle, with Ed. He is, of course, a bundle of nerves and stating a bunch of what if's.
"What if she backs out on me on the last second, Al? What'll happen when she walks down the aisle and denies that she loves me?"
"Nothing, because it'll never happen. Here," I said, turning around, getting a glass filled with water, and taking a packet out of my pocket.
"What's that?" He said, trying to look over my shoulder.
"It's some powder you mix with water that's supposed to calm your nerves." I ripped the packet and poured the contents into the glass. I mixed it with my finger and then gave it to him, fully aware of what I was doing. He took a sip of it. There was no turning back now.
He started coughing right after he drank it all. "That tastes awful!"
"Hey, I didn't say it tasted good." I smiled. My plan was in full effect.
The minister (we had to tell Ed about a million times that there was no way he could be legally married without a minister involved,) peeped his head through the door and told us that we were going to have to walk down the aisle soon. We nodded, and he went back inside.
"Well, this is," Ed told me. Yes, it is, I thought. I was to walk down the aisle first; then Ed; then Winry, in all of her wedding dress glory. Winry was no where in sight, but I knew she just didn't want Ed to see her dress.
We heard the cathedral music start to play and I entered. The room was filled with familiar faces and not-so familiar faces. From the crowd I could pick out some of the people Ed used to work with. I walked down the aisle with the biggest smile on my face. This was going to be perfect. I couldn't wait to see it happen.
Ed walked down the aisle with a smile that would charm any girl in that room. I continued smiling. It was like we were smiling twins.
Then Winry walked in. Everyone stood up and turned around, smiling at her. Ed looked like he was about to cry. Then a look crossed his face that read pain. It was working.
Winry got to the front and everyone sat down. But before the minister could even start talking, Ed started to cough. "Go on," he tried to say, but he just kept coughing. I eyed the small steps that he was about to fall down, and he did. Everyone gasped and some of the people in front row gathered around him and everyone else stood up. Winry slid down next to him, supporting his head, holding his hand. I looked down at him with a smirk across my face. No one seemed to notice me.
"Ed? Edward! Edward! Speak to me!" Winry cried. He looked up at her, weak-eyed and blood trickling down his lip. He looked at me then back at Winry.
"W-Winry…I l-l-love you…" he muttered. He smiled, closed his eyes, and stopped moving.
"EDWARD!" She screamed, echoing through the entire corridor. "He'd dead, he's dead, he's dead!" she screamed over and over again. Everyone gasped once again and made a large crowd around the corpse. Winry started to cry hysterically. This was my cue to go over and hold her. She complied, clutching onto me for dear life, sobbing her eyes out. I kissed the crown of her head. I showed no emotion. This happy event had just turned into a funeral.
I Love Her More
…The packet of powder Alphonse Elric had told his brother was beneficial which he that he had mixed into Edward's water right before the ceremony has been identified. It was an underground substance that has been used in many recent homicides and suicides. On it had small instructions and in larger letters it read: HIGHLY TOXIC, DO NOT CONSUME.
Alphonse Elric was reportedly found dead in his living quarters in Winry Rockbell's home from suicide. The tragic-stricken Miss Rockbell reports that "…it must be because he killed his brother, his only brother, that made him do it [commit suicide.] The guilt was what killed him." She also says "In only a week, I lost both of the loves of my life." (After saying this, she told our crew to leave her home…)
I Love Her More
Pretty depressing, eh? Tell me what you think.
