Yo. I'd like to thank my reviewers. Um, you get the Fullmetal Alchemist Premium OVA Collection DVD! Trust me, it's great. Go watch it. Well, not now. Read this chapter first. :D
Enjoy.
Roy and Alphonse stayed downstairs conversing with each other, while Ed went back upstairs.
This time, he actually knocked on Noa's door, not being interrupted by anyone.
He got no response.
"Noa, it's me, Edward. We need to talk." he said sternly.
She opened the door and moved aside to let him in.
"Noa, I'm sorry." he began.
She turned and looked at him, convinced that he was still somewhat in love with her. "For what?"
Ed sighed and sat on Noa's bed.
Noa looked at him with a worried expression.
He cleared his throat. "Noa, did you-"
"Yes. You came to tell me that you're not going to marry me, right?" she asked him calmly.
Edward rubbed his forehead. "Listen, I don't know why this is so hard," he commented.
Noa nodded. "Maybe it's because you felt as though you betrayed me." she stated matter-of-factly, but at the same time trying to make him feel guilty.
Edward glared at her. When he noticed that he was being a jerk, his expression softened.
"Maybe."
Noa sighed in relief, as if she had just accomplished something.
Edward looked at her inquisitively. He was becoming suspicious.
"So, um, do you plan on marrying Winry now?" Noa asked, changing the subject. She seemed a little chipper.
Ed smiled a small smile. "Yes."
Noa smiled back. "That's great." she said.
Edward became even more suspicious. She was acting a little too happy, especially in a situation like this. It was clear that she was still in love with him, and Noa wasn't really the person to give up on something so easily. Especially with this whole 'love' deal. She was hiding something from him, something important, or at least that's what he thought.
Edward snarled. "Don't give me that." He looked down at the floor angrily, and he could hear Noa scoff quietly.
"What do you mean, Edward?"
He looked up at her. "What are you hiding?"
Noa looked up at the ceiling, innocently. "Nothing, really. Just my feelings."
Edward frowned. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Do you really think I'm happy about this? That you're leaving me for that girl?"
Ed turned red, but out of anger. "She isn't just any girl, Noa! And, what, do you think I'm some kind of dumbass?"
Noa shrugged. "Yes, I do, in fact."
Ed said nothing for a few seconds.
"Why?" he spoke in a very soft voice.
"Because you're ditching me! Why else?"
"Why else would I 'ditch' you?" Ed sounded very cocky.
"Why would you ditch me?" Noa spat out.
Ed froze. "Because.." he thought of Winry. ".. you weren't the one.. for me,"
Noa gasped. "You jerk. Why?!"
"You can't question this. Especially since I've already made my decision."
Noa grimaced at him. "Yes, you have. But I haven't. I still want to marry you, Ed."
Ed frowned. "I've made up my mind. I want to marry Winry now."
"What makes her so special?" Noa asked furiously.
Ed looked down at the floor again. "Something about her makes her so.. amazing. I don't really know what it is. You have to understand, Noa." he said calmly.
Noa smirked. "Tough luck. I don't understand."
Edward shrugged naively. "Then I guess you'll have to live with the fact that I'll be marrying Winry instead of you."
Noa growled. "Enough small talk! We'll deal with this fairly."
"How so?" Ed asked.
Noa bit her lips and jumped on Edward, hugging him.
Edward stood there, sort of dumbstruck, as Noa hugged him tighter and tighter every few seconds.
"N-No..a.." he managed to choke out, since she was hugging him so tightly.
She loosened her grip on him but didn't stop hugging him.
Pretty soon, Edward felt something wet on his shirt.
"Noa, why are you crying?" he asked sympathetically.
"Because.. I just noticed... that if you want to marry her, then I'd have to let you. It wouldn't be fair for me to force you to love me against your will, just so that I and I alone can be happy. These past few days, I haven't been thinking about anyone but myself. You've known her since you were a little kid, and I've barely known you for a year," she paused. Everything she said was rushed, but Edward managed to understand. Edward hugged her back.
"And I know.." she paused again. "..that there isn't anything that I can really do to make you love me again. You love her, don't you? Well, then so be it. We weren't meant to be, and I guess that's just how fate wants it. We can't change fate, let alone know what fate has in store for us. I'm sure she loves you back, who wouldn't? So you guys had better get a move on and start planning your wedding and making the invitations. You guys want to spend the rest of your lives with each other, go right ahead. Now that I think of it, we couldn't last a year together. I'll look forward to a brighter future, and I'll probably leave, to go find a job or something. Life is short, and I must make the most of it."
Edward let go of the embrace and walked towards the door, but stopped in his tracks.
"You know very well, more than anyone else for that matter, that fate can be changed. And if what fate has in store for us is to change fate, then I think I'll start believing again." he declared without turning around.
Noa stayed quiet.
He continued to walk towards the door, until he stopped again.
"Noa?" he asked, turning around this time, not expecting to receive a response from her. "Good luck."
To that, he walked out the door, leaving Noa on her own, to think about what he had just said to her.
Noa, unable to control herself, ran to the door and opened it, expecting to see Edward somewhere, but he was no where to be found.
A while later, she noticed that he had let her keep the ring.
Guys, I have news. I'm traveling to New York tomorrow. While I'm there, I will not be able to update this story or any of my other ones. I'm coming back on Monday, but the next day I have school. I'm pretty busy on Sundays, so the only time I have to update any of my stories is on Saturdays, but I assume that sometimes I won't be able to update. So please bear with me and my no-longer recent updates. Please review, as I will still be checking my e-mail from time to time, but that's the only thing I can do while I'm there. I know this is short, and this story is close to it's end. When I do have the time to update, I promise that I'll try and make the new chapters long enough for you to enjoy. I know this one is short, and I hope you forgive me. So, please try and be patient with me.
Thanks, and I guess I'll see you when I see you.
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