Best Friends and True Love
Can Love Conquer All?
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Well, this is the last chapter! I got bored and started reading this chapter last week and I totally forgot I wrote the story and I was really getting in to it! Thanks for the reviews. They made me happy and they really amused me. I really want to thank all of you for reading. I'm really happy you like my story! Oh, and if you get the time, then please read my other FMA fic, "Nothing But Trouble". So here's the last chapter! Can love conquer all?
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Winry had been right. What would happen to us after graduation? We were seniors and we were a month away from graduation. We both had to make some decisions and make them fast.
She told me that she didn't want to lose me, lose our friendship. I felt the exact same way. I never wanted to lose her. We'd had a great day, but the best part was when we were dancing on the dock as the fireworks went off.
I'd been thinking about it ever since we'd watched the sunset. I'd thought about what I should do. And when I finally reached a decision, I wondered if I was doing the right thing.
But as I looked into her eyes, I realized that there wasn't a doubt in my mind. She loved me, too, she had to. It should have been obvious to me for a long time now, yet it hadn't been, not until more recently.
I was just about to tell her that I loved her when Alphonse had called for me. Of course Winry had told me to go ahead, even though I knew full and well that it was the last thing she really wanted.
"Hey Alphonse," I said as I reached him. "What did you want?"
"Guess what brother," Al said as he put his arm around Rose. "Rose and I are getting married!"
"What the…!" I said in shock and disbelief.
Al and Rose broke out into laughter. I didn't see the humor in it. Al was only seventeen! And mom would have a fit, I just knew.
"Relax Ed, he's just joking," Rose said as she put her hand on my shoulder to placate me.
"Nope, we're not getting married, but Rose did say she'd be my girlfriend!" Al said.
I sighed. That was why he interrupted my big moment?
"Gosh Al. I've seen you reject and turn down so many girls…How did Rose reel you in? What's her secret?"
He shrugged. "Maybe it's the dress…Or maybe those other girls just weren't right for me?"
"Winry picked out this dress for me, I'll have you know," Rose said as she spun around in it.
"Ah, Winry had a part in this? That explains it all," I said as I looked back and could barely see her through the crowd. "She may not look like it, but she's a real schemer."
Al lowered his voice and came close to my ear. "Hey Ed, do you remember what we were talking about earlier when Winry passed by in the car?"
I nodded.
"Well, you should go for it."
With that said, he gave me a rather hard pat on the back and walked away with Rose attached to his arm.
"Yeah, that was what I was trying to do when you interrupted me, Al!" I called after him.
"Sorry brother!" he said with a wave and without looking back.
They did make a nice couple, I had to admit, but I had business to take care of now.
What Al and I had been talking about earlier was me finally confessing my love to Winry. And then, like now, he had told me to go for it.
As I started to walk back to Winry, I felt somebody grab onto my arm and interrupt me. It was Noah.
"Hey Ed," she said with a smile as she looked up at me. "You look great!"
"Um…thanks, so do you," I said as I began to walk away.
"Ed, wait," she said as she kept a firm grip on my arm.
"I'm sorry Noah, but there's something I have to say to Winry right now…"
She leaned to the side and saw Winry standing there. I watched as her eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed slightly and then took on an innocent look.
"She sure looks nice tonight," she said in a low tone.
"She looks beautiful. And it'd be a shame to let all that pretty go to waste, so I have to go."
"Ed, wait," she said again. "There's something I have to tell you."
"Noah, I really have to go right now. I'll talk to you later, oka…." I started saying before she cut me off with a kiss.
I was so shocked that all I could do was stand there about five seconds before I pushed her away.
"Noah, what are you doing?!" I said as I took a step back.
"Edward, I love you! I always have. You love me, too, don't you? I know you do!"
I shook my head and took yet another step back.
"No Noah, I love Winry and I always have. I'm sorry, but I just don't feel that way about you. You're my friend, but that's as far as it goes…"
I didn't feel sorry as I walked away and left her there with her hand hanging low. I actually felt angry that she'd do that. She just threw herself at me without a moment's notice.
I didn't lead her on, did I? All I ever did was be nice to her, help her out in Chemistry, talk to her sometimes…
As I reached the dock, Winry was nowhere to be found. All I saw was the teddy bear I'd won for her. I was laying in the exact spot she had been standing at.
"Oh no!" I said as I realized what had happened.
Someway, somehow, Winry must've seen Noah kiss me and she must've thought…she must've thought…Ugh! This was horrible.
"Winry!" I called as I ran through the crowds, looking for any sign of her. I didn't see her anywhere.
I pulled my cell phone out of one of my pockets and dialed her number. There was no answer. Wait, did she even have her cell phone on her? Probably since she always carried her cell phone with her. But I had no idea where she was hiding it…probably the same place she'd been hiding that wrench I'd bought her…
I kept dialing her number and looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found.
I ran my fingers through my hair in a truly frustrated fashion. Where did she go? Where could she be? I had to explain what had happened to her, I just had to!
Noah had kissed me, not the other way around.
I had no idea where Al was at the moment so I called him on his cell phone.
"Brother?" he said as he answered. "What's wrong? Where are you?"
"I'm still at the party," I said as I leaned against a wall. "Look, you'll have to find yourself another way home Al, I'm sorry.
"Why? What happened?" he asked in his concerned tone.
I took a few moments to gather my thoughts and actually remember what had happened.
"Well…after you left me there, I was going back to Winry to tell her how I feel when Noah stopped me…"
"Noah?" Al said.
"Yes, Noah. Anyway, I tried to get away so that I could go talk to Winry, but Noah kept insisting that I stay there…Well, one thing led to another and she kissed me and told me she loved me! And I just…damn…!"
"Oh no…" Al said. I could imagine him slapping his hand to his forehead as he usually did in the "oh no" cases.
"Of course I told her I didn't love her back and I left her there, but when I went back to the dock, Winry was gone. I haven't been able to find her and she won't answer her cell…Anyway, I think she might've gone home and I have to go look for her."
Alphonse sighed.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
I shook my head even though he couldn't see it.
"No, you stay here with Rose. I'm sure you'll be able to find another ride home."
"I will," Al said confidently. "You just go ahead and find Winry."
He hung up and I stuck my phone back in my pocket.
After about another ten minutes of searching, I went back to my car and got back to Winry's house as fast as I could. The door was locked. I knocked, rang the doorbell, I even climbed up that tree and knocked on her window.
I got no answer, no response.
"Dammit!" I said as I jumped out of the tree and landed on my feet. "Where the hell could she be?!"
There was always the possibility that she had barricaded herself in her house and just wasn't answering me…I seriously considered breaking down the door when I noticed that her car was gone from the garage.
She hardly ever drove her car anywhere since she was usually in mine or walking somewhere with me. She must've gone somewhere…
But where? Where would she go at a time like this? I kicked the tree, hopped to my car since I'd hurt my foot, and drove off.
I went everywhere that I could think of, but there was no sign of Winry anywhere.
It had been such a clear night before, but now I saw dark clouds gathering and I knew that it was going to rain.
I had to find her before that happened, otherwise locating her would be even harder.
I stopped at a nearby gas station to fill the tank and get something to drink. As I stood there in front of the drinks, I decided to get me a bottle of orange juice.
Orange juice…Winry hated orange juice unless it was poured over some ice. She refused to drink it any other way. I smiled weakly, though it was also very bitter.
I drank all of the orange juice quickly without stopping to breathe. I didn't care if I chocked on it at the moment, anyway.
I remembered yet again the very first time I laid my eyes on Winry Rockbell as she pulled back her curtains and looked at me with a shocked expression.
That face. From there on, it was the beginning and the and to me and even everything in between. We'd become inseparable, me, her, and Al.
We always spent time together in school and out. And we had a blast during summer vacation. We'd been born in Resembool, Al and I. But we'd moved shortly after Al was born.
When we got back, I didn't recognize a thing. All I knew was that this was the place my life began. It didn't really feel like home to me. But Winry changed that.
I had her to thank for so many things. Like Spanish class…There were times when I was just having a hard time in life and she was right there, wanting to hear my problems and help me out.
I always did the best that I could to return the favor. Whenever she needed me, I tried to be there for her the best that I could.
And I just knew that right now, she needed me. I knew that she needed me even if she didn't want to need me.
I had to find her and I had to make her understand that she misunderstood what she saw, that I didn't love Noah. I needed her to know that I loved her.
The wind began to pick up slightly and I knew that the storm would come soon. Where could she be? I'd called Winry's cell, her house, her friends, even her grandmother. Nobody had seen or heard from her.
Where was she hiding? Where could she possibly be that she was sure that people wouldn't find her?
That was it! I knew where she was, where she had to be! She didn't want people to find her and there was one place that I knew about that was perfect for just that.
I hurried back to my car and sped off in that direction.
I sat there in the cave, leaning my head against the cool rock. Not long before, I'd leaned my head on something much softer and much more warm. Ed's shoulder, though, made this rock seem very desirable at the moment, though.
Seeing Ed and Noah kissing was like a slap to the face, a stab to the heart. I dropped the bear and ran as fast as I could. All I wanted to do was to get away from that place, to escape.
I ran blindly through the crowd. What I hadn't expected was to bump into somebody and almost fall. But a pair of arms caught me and prevented my fall.
I looked up at the face of Russell Tringham. Russell had always been my friend, hadn't he? I could trust him, right? Even if I couldn't trust him, I didn't give it a second thought as I threw my arms around him and began to cry into his chest.
He was in shock for a couple of seconds before he wrapped his arms around me, trying to soothe me the best he could.
I remembered Ed trying to calm me down many times before the same way, and it made me cry harder. When I calmed down a bit, he finally asked me what was wrong.
I merely shook my head and asked him if he would take me home.
The ride to my house was silent. I could tell that he had questions that he wanted to ask, that he wanted answers, too, but he didn't say anything.
I sat there quietly, looking out of the window. As the blurred shadows of buildings went by, I did my best not to think about Edward, not to think about what I'd seen. But I couldn't help it, couldn't stop it. But I really did try not to get so upset again.
When the car came to a stop in front of my house, I turned to Russell and thanked him.
"Look," he said as he put his hand on top of mine. "I know that something's wrong, that something happened…Ed did something to upset you, didn't he?"
I shook my head.
"No…it's nothing, really…" I trailed off.
I made me look him in the eye.
"Winry," he said softly. "You're my friend. You've been my friend even since before Ed came along. And even though I really like you, I always knew you liked him more. But if he did something to hurt you…I'd gladly do the same to him if you wanted because…somebody like you deserves to be treated better."
I shook my head again and lowered my chin before thanking him again and leaving the car.
I turned and waved at him before I opened the front door. I couldn't stay here, not right now. I mean, what if Ed tried to come after me. Come after me? Ha! Why would he come after me? After all, he looked pretty happy smooching with Noah, right?
But then again, my cell phone had rang a bunch of times on the way home…
Still, even if he didn't care enough to come after me, I knew that I couldn't lock myself up in my house. I ran up the stairs two at a time and reached my bedroom. I needed to change. I just threw on the first clothes I pulled out of my drawers.
After that, I grabbed my keys and hurried to the garage. I never really drove my car unless I really needed it, if the situation really called for it. This was one of those times.
I drove around for a few minute, not really knowing where to go. I didn't want to be around anybody right now. I wanted to go somewhere that people couldn't find me.
And I knew that there was one place where people didn't go, where I could be alone.
And here I was, sitting in that cave at the lake. The boat was sitting only a few feet from me now. I'd gotten tired of hearing my phone ring, so I'd turned it off and left it in my car.
The only person who could find me here was Edward, but he didn't care enough to actually do that, right?
I sighed as I felt the tears arise yet again. I stood up and left the cave, deciding that it was time to go some place else, maybe even go home. I couldn't stay there all night. I had to leave.
As I was walking back to my car, that was when it happened. It began to rain. I was soaked within seconds.
"Oh, great!" I said as I stomped up and down. "Why me dang it! Why me? What else could possibly happen now?!"
And that was when I saw Ed drive up in his car.
I let out a frustrated growl.
"Winry!" he said as he hurried out of his car. "Winry, there you are. I've been looking for you!"
"Why?!" I said as I slapped him, something I should've done the second I saw that kiss instead of running away. "So you can tell me how much you love Noah? Yeah, I think I'll pass on that.
I began to walk away, but he caught my arm. I pulled out my wrench and I was going to whack him a good one, but he interrupted me.
"No Winry!" he said as he rubbed his cheek. "I don't love Noah. I was trying to get back to you, but she kept talking and talking and then she just kissed me!"
"And I'm supposed to believe that?!" I said as I tried to get him to release my arm.
"It's the truth Winry! She…I think she's known all along…how I really feel about you…And I think she was jealous of you…And I think she got desperate…"
"That tramp!" I said as I glared up at the rain. "I should've messed her up when I had to chance, the little hussy…!"
I sighed. The look in his eyes the moment I dared to look at them…I could tell he was telling me the truth. Besides, his eyebrow usually twitched when he lied. How could I doubt him in the first place? I wouldn't put something like that past Noah. And I think she wanted me to see the kiss, too.
At that moment I realized that she'd been trying to tear us apart.
"Winry," he continued. "I…before Al interrupted us, there was something I was trying to tell you, something important. It's something that I think you really need to hear…"
I didn't say anything, just waiting for him to speak, to hear what he had to say.
"Winry…you…you're my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without you and I don't ever want to lose you. I don't know when it happened, but one day I realized that I'd fallen in love with you. And even if you don't feel the same way about me…I want you to know that I do love you."
I stood there for seconds, not really knowing what to say. Did he really love me? Could he really? I loved him. I'd always loved Ed, right? And here he was standing there telling me that he felt the same way.
I began to cry as I threw myself into his arms and kissed him gently, yet passionately, my tears lost as they mixed with the rain that ran down my cheeks. Kissing him was everything I'd ever dreamed about and more. It felt so right, so perfect, so…complete. And yet something was still missing.
I didn't break the kiss as I yanked on his ponytail and pulled the rubber band lose, letting his wet hair down.
"What are you…?"
I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. "Now…now everything's perfect," I said as I brought my face close, my lips lingering so close to his. "And you look hot."
As we stood there, kissing in the rain, I knew that we'd always be best friends. But better than that, I knew that he loved me, too, and that as long as he was right by my side, as long as I knew I could be held in his arms, that everything would be just fine.
I laughed on the inside as I thought about one fact. I thought about the fact that we'd started off being best friends, but we ended up with true love.
The end.