A/N: much love to you all who even clicked here. XD I apologize for the horrid summary, but who really needs it? you all know Titanic, right? even if you might not like it, pffft. I adore it though, and I thought it would be way too much fun to do it Ed n' Al style. Though of course, so this wasn't a TOTAL copy job, I have my own little twists and turns to make it a bit more original. so maybe if someone reading this didn't like the movie, they might even like this!

I know it's a stretch, but hey. either way, posting the rest of the story will depend on the response on I get, kay? It's just going to be a bunch of short little chapters depicting only the relationship, and I've got pretty much till the end written up. So it'll be finished quickly (if I see you guys want me to), and it won't get too much in the way with 'Tell Me What it Means'. which I promise I shall update soon.

Disclaimer: Neither Ed or Al belong to me, nor do I own 'Titainc'. They belong to their respective owners.

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"More than a Lifetime"

Chapter I - "Light in the Darkness"

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The darkness finally took him. It threatened for nearly all of his life, and at last it kept to its promise. No longer was it just a whispering in his ear, but a screaming demand. It told him to do the only thing that he could that would have nothing to do with his mundane, pointless life. There was no use in trying, in living, it all ended the same, and it seemed like he was the only one who knew that.

He arrived at his destination before he'd barely realized he'd left the dinner table. His hands gripped the cold and unwelcoming railing, over which was nothing but a black horizon and the roaring of water. The chilled wind bit at his skin and tousled his long hair, free from its proper ponytail. He leaned over the cold metal bar, breath coming in heavy takes from the running he didn't remember doing.

Slowly then, he lifted one leg up onto the lowest rail and hoisted himself up and over. Once on the other side of the railing, he carefully turned himself around to face the night, still hanging on. It was odd… he could picture himself falling so gracefully, arms spread wide as if welcoming the end of his life. He thought for a moment of how his mother might react. How long would it take for them to figure out what happened to him?

"Alphonse, don't."

He turned abruptly, nearly losing his grip on the railing. He resented how his heart skipped in fear of falling. Weren't the dark and roaring waves beneath him supposed to be a warm welcome?

His gaze landed on a boy who couldn't have been any older than eighteen or nineteen, dressed in shabby clothing. Obviously someone from the third class.

Embarrassment kicked in, forming anger. "Get out of here!" he snapped, trying his hardest to keep the tears from falling. But then… "Wait, how do you know my name?"

The boy smiled and took a step forward, putting his hands in his trouser pockets. "That doesn't matter right now, does it?" he said. Then he extended his hand, taking yet another step closer. "Come back over."

The brunette glared at him. "Stay away from me! You don't know me-!"

"That's just it though," the other boy interrupted. "The cruel thing is that I don't know you, or why you're doing this. But that's why I can't let you do it."

Alphonse looked on at him, bafflement etched all over his face. What in heaven's name was he going on about? And how could he just stand there and talk like seeing someone hanging off the back of a ship was completely normal?

He took another daring step forward, the light from the pole above finally illuminating his features. Alphonse gasped, silver eyes going wide.

"You're…" he rasped out, hardly able to find his voice. His hands trembled against the hard metal of the rail. "You're my… brother."

Again the blonde smiled, but his golden eyes shone sadly. "I can't let you go over," he replied, his hand still outstretched. For a long moment, Alphonse could do nothing but stare. How he was able to tell, how meeting with him was at all possible, he had no idea. But… amidst the overwhelming feelings of monotony, entrapment, and helplessness that had lead him to the back of the ship in the first place… the boy before him shone like an unknown light of hope of which he'd never seen before. Something foreign sparked to life inside of him, and was in control when he tentatively took his hand off of the bar and grabbed hold of his.

Their eyes met as Alphonse managed to turn himself back around, tears falling from both.