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Destiny to come

Misunderstandings

XIV. Awakening

"Edward!…"

A slight dripping was starting outside.

"…"

"Edward, w-what are you d-doing?" her heart was beating out of control.

"Winry… I can feel your neck throbbing on my mouth." He was as good as hypnotized, enjoying the new sensations.

"Edward, stop being weird, what's with you?" she was shivering; her voice was barely making its way out of her throat.

"I'm trying to let you know…" Please, understand. He placed a soft kiss on her collarbone and felt her chest pump faster.

Winry could not control her breathing anymore. Her blue pools lit up when one of his hands cupped her face and his eyes came up to meet her stare. His golden orbs were full of life. It's really him this time…

"I'm so sorry, Winry." His frown deepened. His eyelids were heavy.

Sorry? "Sorry?" she couldn't connect a single dot of Edward's behavior. "Why, Ed? Why are you sorry? What's going through your nerdy brain?" For the first time in hours, she was smiling sincerely, though her whole body kept shuddering.

His eyes were a sensual mix of regret and affection, trying to convey a whole speech that he was too scared to say out loud.

"I can't keep the promise I made" a mere whisper.

"What are you talking about? What promise?" The smile was gone.

"I made a promise…to myself" Self-kick Self-kick "I… I swore I'd try to heal your heart, because you've suffered so much for us, for Al and for me; you cried every time we refused to cry; you were held hostage, and still didn't try to get away from us; you put your faith in me during all the Promised Day crap and…"

"Ed" she interrupted "I know what I've done, there's no need for you to go through it."

"There is! I mean, you…"

"I" she cut through his speech again "did what I wanted to do; what I felt like doing. I did it for me, because seeing you guys smile again was the only thing that would make me happy."

"That's exactly what I mean!" his voice was getting louder "I wanted you to be happy, and have everything you've ever wanted, and everything you deserve. I told you, it was time for you to move on and forget about us!" he was close to yelling now, but then his voice came down again. "I wanted you to have a great life…" a mere whisper, full of guilt.

Acting on habit, she smacked the side of his head. "And I told you I would have the life I wanted, so I don't know why you're making such a fuss…" her easiness lasted a second. He didn't even react to the attack. His bangs were covering his face and a deadly silence fell on them.

"… I swore I wouldn't hold you back any longer… but I don't think I can help it."

He still wouldn't look at her.

"… I told you to marry a good man…" he gulped "But I don't want you to…"

He clenched his fists and felt as if the room had started spinning.

"… I said you didn't have to wait for us anymore…" He raised his eyes to look straight into hers "but I'm going to ask you to do it again."

"Edward…" she wasn't sure if she was following. So many times before had she misunderstood what he had tried to say, that she chose not to get her hopes up. It might be "brother's protectiveness" again…

"Winry" his golden orbs were intense as ever. His blush was hidden in the darkness. "I choose to be selfish. Please, forgive me; I cannot keep my promise." He could feel his brain bursting. It was as if it was processing too much information at once. When he couldn't take the dizziness anymore, he collapsed on top of Winry.

"Hey, Ed!" she whispered "Edward, are you alright?" she was freaking out. "ED!" she tried to move him, but her hands were trapped under his strong chest, and the air coming from his nose and brushing against her neck was making her weak. Well, he's breathing… "Edward, are you sleeping?"

"….msbns…" he huddled and put his arms under her body, rubbing her back with his thumbs. "msbs…bsI… smsbelongzzs…zmsherezzs…" he nuzzled her collarbone.

"What? What did you say?" did I get that right? Why did he fall asleep? Stupid!.

"mmmh…" It was useless. He had fainted and she was trapped beneath him. He was probably exhausted. After all, he had just had a brain shock again. A good one, but still a shock. She smiled and relaxed.

"I'm glad you don't always keep your promises, alchemy freak." She whispered "You are allowed to be selfish, and to want things." She snaked her arms around his back "I missed you too."

Eventually, sleep took over her too, oblivious to the smile that had made its way to Edward's features.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Ohayou, Niisaaaaaaaan!" Al's voice could be heard all over the house.

"Alphonse?" Ed woke up on the couch and looked behind him to see his very energetic brother standing beside the table, setting some plates and cups on it.

"Hey! So, you had a good night's sleep?" the smile he was flashing him, seemed to imply much more than what he had asked.

"Hmm…" blank "Well…" blurry "I don't even remember when I fell asleep" fuzzy "but…" clearer "wait…" realization "OH! AL, WHERE'S WINRY?" he was up and running up and down the stairs in no time.

Al laughed "She went to the market to get some apples. Said she'd be back for breakfast."

"The market? I bet that Leo-creep will be following her around asking her on dates and…"

"He's not a creep, Edward!" Winry came in the house "and he's not about to ask me on a date ever again." She placed the bag full of apples on the kitchen's counter. "A lot has happened in the last few months, and we broke up"

"You bro-broke up? W-when were you even together?" Pure shock.

"It was nothing serious… it was when you were acting all weird, with no memory of whom I was"

A needle to the heart "Winry, I told you, I don't know why my brain…"

"I know" she turned around to smile at him. A real, caring smile. Then she went back to peeling and chopping.

"Wait!" Al was speechless. "Wait, Niisan, you remember Winry?" He was about to jump in joy.

Edward blushed and yelled "OF COURSE I DO!" come on, how could I forget the woman I… he shook his head. The time would come for that. "I get it… I know my brain was stupid enough to forget my best friend…" He looked over at Winry with longing eyes "but I'm ok now"

"That's great, Niisan! Welcome back!" Al ran and hugged him.

"Err… yeah" he patted his little brother's back and cleared his throat. "So, why did you and Leo broke up?" he asked nonchalantly as he released himself from Al's hug and walked behind Winry. Alphonse, being the smarter of them when it came to feelings, smiled and decided to take his leave silently.

"Uh… actually…" she stuttered "I guess you could say we broke up over a pair of earrings."

"Hm." He nodded "If it was those pearl earrings, then I can understand. They weren't your style at all! If he wanted to date you, he should at least have known the littlest bit about you…"

Winry touched her ears then. Her silver earrings were sparkling there. "Yeah, I guess you're right" her smile was forlorn, and it made him blush. Somehow, it was as if, by touching her earrings, she became closer to him. "It worked for me…"

"Huh? What worked for you, Ed?" he was taken aback. Had he said that out loud?

"Eerr…" think of a way out Her eyes were sincere and beautiful. There was no escaping her now. Sigh. "I mean… when I was out there, fighting the Homunculi and Father, all I could hold on to was your earrings." Breathe, Elric "And that made me think of you, waiting here; that kept me going…" his blush became a fire. He reached for her hand and pulled her in for a hug. "And I know it's wrong, but I'm glad you didn't change your silver earrings for those pearl ones; and I'm glad you won't see that brat again." The knife she was using fell noisily in the sink.

This is the second time he's been so close to me since he recovered his memories. What do you want, Edward? You tell me to move on, and then you don't want me to stop waiting for you. "I don't get it"

Ed came out of a daze he hadn't realized he was in and noticed that Winry wasn't returning his hug; more like, she was clinging to his jacket. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her slightly away. "What's going on, Win?" her pet name coming from his lips made her shiver.

She sighed "I just don't understand what you want from me, Edward." She didn't look at him "a few months ago, you were willing to give me away at the altar; then you lost your memories and were acting really strange, even hit Leopold to the ground…"

"I did that?" He couldn't stop himself from smiling in self-pride.

"Yes! And then, last night you were being so… and you were saying things…" she punched his chest with her fists "and I don't know what to think anymore!"

She wasn't teary; she wasn't mad. She was demanding an answer from him, and he laughed. Hard.

"What's so funny, Edward?" she punched him again.

"Hahahaha…it's you…hahahaha I just… hahaha" he was absolutely nervous.

"Stop laughing and tell me what is it you want from me already!" she yelled.

"Winry…" his laughter died down, but a smile remained "when I was at The Gate, trying to get Al back, I could hear everyone's voices calling my name, cheering me on…" he was looking at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I remember you told us that when you got home. What does it have to do with…"

"I told you I could hear everyone, but I didn't tell you that it was you, who convinced me that I was doing the right thing." His eyes locked with hers. "When I was questioning myself if the Gate was right; if I was no more than an Alchemist; if there was nothing else in the whole world for me…" He lifted her chin "I heard you calling my name, and I knew."

Her stare was begging him to finish the sentence.

"I knew everyone… Al, Auntie, Mei, the people from the military, even Mustang and Ling… everyone trusted me and I couldn't let them down." His blush intensified. "B-But" he stuttered "yo-your voice m-made me re-realize" control yourself, ElricHe gulped. Her eyes were a piercing blue. "Even if I was just a normal human being; even if I failed every single time…" their faces were drawing closer with every word "I'd still have everyone"

Letting his deepest instincts take the lead, his mouth went straight to her ear.

"I'd still have you, Win." He whispered "And even if I tried to let you go, I now know I'm not that strong."

Edward placed a small kiss on her earlobe. Then a kiss on her temple. "So, what I was trying to say last night…" a soft kiss on her jaw line and she wasn't shivering anymore. She was shaking. "…is I'm keeping you for myself, Gear Head"

The sound of that nick name brought her back to her senses just enough to push him away slightly. When blue stared into gold, there was barely enough time to take a breath, for his lips had found hers in an eager, almost desperate first kiss.

I know I mixed some of the manga with Brotherhood... but I think it worked for the purpose of the story. I hope you guys liked it!

Please R&R. Your comments and cheers keep ME going!

'till next chapter!