Chapter thirty-three: A smile and a kiss

What happened next was the best thing that had ever happened to Edward Elric, Fullmetal alchemist. Coniniaue ran up, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

This surprised Edward, but not Ryoko. She just smiled and imagined she and Tenchi in the same situation. Then she had the sudden urge to watch Tenchi sleep and imagine what he must be dreaming about. (Though tonight Tenchi was dreaming of a giant dumpling, but oh well.)

"So I guess we're together now, right?" Edward asked.

"… Crap. If the colonel finds out about this…"

"Who's going to tell him?"

They both glared at Ryoko, who detached her mouth from a bottle of sake and said, "Hey, I'm not THAT mean of a space pirate."

"Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we go shopping tomorrow?"

"…Oh, no…"

Tomorrow

"Eek! Haha! Ed? Can you buy me this?"

Edward sighed. "Sure, Coniniaue… Sure…"

"And can you buy this for Ayeka?"

"Sure…"

"And…"

"ALRIGHT!" Edward turned around and sat down at a table at a café. "Take my wallet, Coniniaue, and go shop. I am staying RIGHT HERE!"

"So am I." Tenchi sat down across from him. "I hate shopping."

Coniniaue snatched Edward's wallet and ran off, Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami and Mihoshi trailing behind her.

"That Coniniaue is almost as strange as the alien girls I live with…" Tenchi commented, shaking his head.

"Huh, you're telling me? I work with her." Edward replied.

"I work at my grandfather's shrine." Tenchi replied.

Edward watched the girls disappear around the street. "I work with the military. I hate having to listen to Colonel Mustang, but I have to."

Coniniaue and the girls sat down at a café the next street over. Like the girls they were, the decided to show each other what they bought. Coniniaue stared at Ayeka, wondering. Where have I seen her face? She thought. Where?

"Coniniaue?"

Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Sasami paused, and looked at Coniniaue. Ayeka tilted her head to one side. "What are you doing?"

Coniniaue was still staring at Ayeka. She reached out and thumped her finger into Ayeka's forehead.

FLASH! THUMP!

"Coniniaue!"