Never Really Left

By: Ichigo Neko

Disclaimer: TT Must you really remind me. . .? I own naught but 3 mangas, two volumes, an Aru Plushie, some collectable cards, and playable cards….Nope. Nothing about owning the show/manga… -long sigh-

"Is it true that we can't go home again, or is the inverse true? Perhaps we never really leave."

Edward Elric read the line over again. Then again. Then once more. How in the world did he get a hold of a book with those words? They certainly didn't come from an Alchemy book.

The blonde 15 year-old State Alchemist huffed into the cold, his breath visible in the air. He sat outside in the winter weather, waiting for his younger brother to come out of the pet store.

Being the guy that Ed was, he stayed outside on the step. The sharp stinging breeze wisped over him as he responded to the wind with a shiver. He thought about trying to press and rub his hands together to help warm up, but having a cold auto-mail hand against a warm flesh hand really didn't do any good, he knew.

How long has it been since Al first begged his brother to at least look at the kittens, birds, dogs, and other various animals? Ed had really long forgotten. It could have been hours, for all he knew.

He absent-mindedly closed the book he still held open in his hands, placing it onto the step below him. He leaned back against railing, his golden eyes becoming glazed over from his thinking.

"Perhaps we never really leave..."

The same line. It repeated over and over again in the short blonde's head. But he didn't know why. But he did know it was extremely hard to ignore, and it started to bug him to no end. Now he knew he had to find out what it meant. 'Least he miss out on a night's rest because of it.

A tap on his shoulder, a small voice, and the scrapping of metal against metal broke Ed from his thoughts. He moved his gaze up, seeing the 7 foot armour that was his brother, Alphonse Elric.

"Hey, Nii-san. Sorry abo—"

"Al."

Ed's voice startled the younger. Was he really in there all that long to make his older brother so annoyed? He had certainly hoped not. Being surrounded by furry animals made him feel warm inside that the time or even checking on his brother had completely left him mind.

He cautiously replied, "Yes…Nii-san?"

"Have we…." The blonde stopped, his eyebrows furrowing. He licked the cold from his blue-turning lips. He looked lost in his thinking, as if he wasn't quite sure of what he was going to say. Or how he was going to word it.

But being the guy Al was, he waited patently as he watched the older.

"Have we…" Edward began again, "ever truly left home…?" the boy asked, looking up at the other with curious waiting eyes.

"What?" Al asked, caught completely off-guard by the question.

"You heard me. Have we ever truly left home?" he irritatedly repeated, crossing his arms. Al knew he should answer the question as fast as he could.

"Well…Nii-san. Do you still find yourself thinking about when we'd have cookies at Christmas, or those delicious turkeys Mom made at Thanksgiving…And on Valentine's Day when we'd make a huge mess trying to create the perfect card? Or even on St. Patrick's day when we'd spend all day long with Winry looking for a four-leaf clover, but with no avail and we'd run back home when the light flashed from the second floor?"

Ed smiled, nodding at each event, remembering them as if it was all just yesterday. "Of course I do, Al."

"Then you've never really left home." The younger told him before turning, walking through the snow-covered sidewalk.

"But…Al! We don't have a home to remember or leave!" Ed called out, running after the suit. He really didn't understand what in the world Al was trying to tell him. "We burnt it down."

"Ed..." Al sighed out, stopping in his tracks. Ed jumped back to avoid running into the metal armour of his brother. Said armour simply pointed towards Edward's heart next. FullMetal blinked, watching him in utter confusion.

"You've never really left home." He said again, turning around as he continued down the sidewalk to the Military Dorm.

"What does that mean, Alphonse?!" Ed wined out after a moment of thinking, chasing after his brother again.

And Al thought Ed really was a child prodigy.

'Riiiiight'

-Owari-

Ichigo: Yayness! I completed my first one-shot. Wh00t! -smiles and dances- Anywho!

This is a one-shot that I actually got after I was finished with my homework! Crazy, huh? Well, it's the truth!

I was doing my English work, and the last question actually was "Is it true that we can't go home again, or is the inverse true? Perhaps we never really leave." Except I had to fill out the inverse thing…-sweatdrop- Yeah.

So, I looked at my wall, which had a picture of Edo and Aru, when it suddenly hit me. Wouldn't Ed ask something like this if he ever got the question? I would think so. Maybe…-raises eyebrow-

Ed probably would understand the meaning, but I thought it'd be entertaining to write that he doesn't.

Heh…So, anyways. Rate for me and message if you'd like.