Disclaimer: Rowan is tired and can think of no clever way to say this. So: Rowan does not own FMA. She did not write it, she did not create it.

AC (Author's Claim): The OC in this chapter belongs to me, got it? Julie Halcrow is my invention! Yay, something here is totally and completely mine!

Darling

Chapter Two- Kono ai wo

"Edward! Brother! Welcome home!" Alphonse called, his brown head lifting up to see above the multitude around him. Ed felt his veins turn cold and the blood, like tears, run out of his face. Not this, he prayed. No, he was imagining things. No way Al knew he was coming. Just. No. Way.

But a moment later, Alphonse was standing in front of Edward, panting heavily. His face was pink from pushing through the people crowding the station platform. There was once a time when Al never had to worry about finding a way through a crowd; this was better. He grinned up at Edward. "Welcome home, Ed," he repeated, still a little breathless.

Al bent down, his hands clutching his knees as he caught his breath. Ed blinked at his brother, then turned away. So he wasn't imagining things. Edward turned back to his brother. "Al, how'd you know I'd be here?"

Al grinned up at his brother. "Winry called me. I wasn't doing anything this afternoon, so I decided to meet you here."

"Th-that's nice of you, Al. I would have thought you too busy, which is why I didn't call…"

"Too busy to see my brother again?" Al cried and at the same moment took Ed's suitcase from him. "Don't be ridiculous, Ed. I'm never too busy for that! And anyway, you're staying with me this trip, not like last time." Al began to lead their way toward the station lobby. He frowned at Ed behind him. "You remember that, don't you?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Al glanced ahead, then looked back to his brother, a scowl on his face. "You weren't planning on staying in the barracks again, were you?" Ed turned his eyes away in reply. Al sighed. "Honestly, Ed, I don't get you. Why would you pay that much money for a house you've never lived in?"

Ed shrugged. "It wasn't for me, really," he admitted, his voice low with embarrassment. "I meant it for you to live in, so you can have some stability in your life and won't have to travel anymore." He looked at Al and grinned. "You always hated those inns."

Al laughed. "Well, I am thankful for it, brother. It's nice to have some place to call home again." A shadow fell across his face for a moment, but then passed. "I can't wait for you to see what I've done with it, brother." Al grabbed Ed's hand with his free one. "Come on, Ed, I hired a taxi and they charge by the hour, so let's go!" Alphonse pulled Ed through the crowd and out towards the street, a bright smile on his face. Ed reluctantly allowed Al to pull him along, all the while cursing Winry in his head.

He swore he could feel Al's fingers burning through his white glove to his metal hand.

The house was on the outskirts of Central, in a neighborhood so far from the military base that one would wonder why the FullMetal Alchemist bought it. Certainly not for its convenient location, though a perfect excuse for Ed to stay in the barracks with Fury, Breda, and Farman when he was in Central at all, which was not often to begin with. The proud face of Alphonse, however, explained everything, and with a cursory glance at the cheerful garden planted out front, the bright yellow siding, and the homey picket fence lining the street, it looked like a place to call home. Perhaps that was why Ed rarely ever found himself there.

The taxi puttered to the curbside and stuttered to a stop. Alphonse thrust a handful of coins into the driver's hand, then hopped out of the vehicle and ran up to the doorstep. Edward followed at a more reserved pace, his gloved hands clenching the handle of his suitcase as he gazed up at the small house. He swallowed, uncertainty in his eyes, as he joined Alphonse at the door.

"Close your eyes, Ed," Al instructed. Ed obeyed with a reluctant sigh, and he heard the key in the lock click and then the door swinging open. Al took Ed's hand- Ed tried to shrink away from his brother's grasp, then remembered where he was and let Al pull him into the house. "Okay, open your eyes," Al said quietly.

Ed opened his eyes to see a large room lined with bookshelves. Ed glanced at Al, puzzled. "What-"

Alphonse blushed. "Okay, it's not much, but what I really wanted to show you was this," he said, directing Edward over to a shelf in the corner of the room. Here, most of the books' bindings looked relatively new, though one or two appeared to be at least seven or eight years old. The remarkable thing was the absence of dust lining the books or the wood; it was obvious that these were Al's favorite books, though none of the bindings gave a clue as to why that was. Ed, curious, pulled a red-bound book off the shelf, the pages' edges lined with gold filagree. Flipping open to a random page, which he noticed was dog-eared in the corner, he was surprised to see a picture of himself. Reading the caption beneath the photo, he discovered that it was right after he had become a state alchemist.

Ed glanced at Alphonse. "What are these books about?" he asked.

Al smiled. "Do you like it? Most of them are about the Philosopher's Stone, though some are just general alchemical texts. The thing they all have in common is that, at some point or other, they reference you as a leading alchemist of our time."

Ed looked at the shelf again. There had to be a good forty or so there, and he was in all of them! "Al, I didn't even know I could be in a book," he said. "And you've found this many with me in them?" He closed the book in his hand and placed it gently back in its place, then stood back to admire all the dark bindings. "Al, that's incredible."

Al nodded. "Thought you'd like it."

Ed shook his head in wonder. "Amazing. Al, why'd you do this?" Al shrugged sheepishly.

"Oh, just in case you happened to drop by. I was sort of saving it for your birthday last year, but..." Ed looked down at his feet in shame. "Well, you're here now and that's what matters. Anyway, let's get you settled." Al picked up the suitcase sitting in the hall. "Let me show you to your room."

Ed stepped forward. "Oh, um, Al? I won't be staying long, maybe only tonight. I have a lot of work to do in Central and I'll probably need to stay near the base. Um, so I won't be getting very settled, since it's only one night."

Al's face fell. "Oh, uh, okay Edward. I understand."

"You don't mind, do you?" Ed wished he could take back his words, but the thought of staying alone in the same house as Al terrified him more than his brother taking offense.

Al shook his head vigorously. "No, I-I don't mind. I mean, I understand where we are isn't very convenient for you, but...and that's what I don't get. It's like you bought this house just so you wouldn't have to live here."

"Well, I..." Ed turned his eyes out the window towards the peaceful street. "I wanted to take you away from the military. You've followed me around for four years, following their orders; I wanted to remove you from that now."

Al walked towards the door, the suitcase still in his hand. Then he looked back and sighed. "Well, I wish you could too. Then we could both call this place home." He walked out of the room, and after a moment, Ed followed him.

Dinner was just the two of them, with little conversation passing between them. Ed could tell that Alphonse was still sore that he was leaving in the morning. Al's pouting face across the table did little to help Ed's disposition; he hated to see his brother upset, especially when he was the cause.

At the same time, those lips were so alluring stuck out like that. Like an open invitation. It didn't help.

Edward stabbed the steak a little too roughly with his fork. His hand crushed the metal handle, twisting it in a fist-shaped design. He released the utensil and laughed, uneasy. "Oops. Sorry Al, I think I broke it."

Al glanced up coldly. "Amazing, brother," he said with dispassion. "You should do all of them like that, that way they'll all match. You're quite the artist."

"Hah, yeah, maybe I'll do that. Don't know where I'll find the time to do that, but..." Ed tried to laugh again, but, failing, trailed off into silence. He grabbed the fork again and coaxed it out of his dinner, placing it on the table with a loud clank. "Or maybe I'll toss it. Looks ugly anyway."

"I don't care what you do with it. It's your fork."

Ed stood and picked up the fork, then stomped over to the trash can, tossing the twisted metal in the bag. Then he turned on Al. "Look, Al, I'm sorry I can't stay. You know I'd rather be here with you than with the military, but that's my job. It's the price I have to pay, and you'll just have to live with that." Al glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye. "Now, I'm supposed to have my examination in a few months, and if I fail, they won't renew my license."

"So, what are you planning to do?" Al asked grudgingly.

"I don't know. But Al, all I would need is the word from you and I'll fail it on purpose. If you want me to, I'll give up my title as State Alchemist. No more research grants, no more traveling around, no more damn reports for Mustang. Just ask, and I'll do it."

Al looked up at Edward, his eyes wide, puzzled. "But I...I couldn't ask you to throw your examination. I know how much alchemy means to you."

Ed leaned over Alphonse, his automail arm holding the back of his chair, his flesh one resting on the table. "Then you understand why I have to stay. I don't like being a dog of the military, but I'll sacrifice that freedom if I can continue my alchemical research. There's so much out there still to know, and I can't know what that is without the backing of the military's purse." Ed's eyes were intense; Al felt himself shift back in his seat because of his penetrating gaze. "But I promise, Al, that one day I won't need the military's money; I've already saved up a lot for that time. And when that time comes, I promise I'll never leave you, okay?"

Al grinned. "Yeah, I understand Edward." He nodded. "But that's a promise, don't you forget!"

"Hey," Ed said, stepping back. "I keep my promises!"

"Not to Winry you don't," Al pointed out. How many times had they promised to write Winry, and then grew too busy to remember?

"Well," Ed said, sobering, "I keep my promises to you, don't I?" His golden eyes pierced Al's eyes with a deep gaze. Al nodded slowly.

"Uh huh."

Ed looked away suddenly, then walked back over to his seat, picking up his spoon and transmuting it into a new fork. This time, when he stabbed the steak, the metal did not bend.

"Ed, I have plenty of forks," Al said, reaching behind him to grab one.

Ed looked up, a large bite of steak on its way to his mouth. "That's okay Al, this one works fine. I changed the composition of the metal so it would withstand the pressure."

Al shook his head and smiled. "You're just lazy, brother."

That night, Edward tossed and turned in bed, sleep as unattainable as Alphonse's heart. How long had it been since Ed last saw his brother? he wondered, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And now, after so many months, it was torture to know that Al was only on the other side of the wall, lost in dreams. Ed wished for a moment that those dreams were about him, though he knew it was a foolish thing to wish for.

Eventually, Ed fell asleep, just as the sun began to color the sky. But the dreams that haunted him as his eyes sealed shut were no better than his waking thoughts, his deep-rooted contempt for himself, and the even more penetrating longing that took unrestrained form in his slumbering mind.

This particular night, the dream dwelt painfully on Alphonse- Al as a suit of armor, and particularly the moment that the armor was lost and Alphonse was there, all flesh and bone and blood and…

There was a tremendous flash of blue light, more than Ed had ever seen, more than he had ever produced in a transmutation. It was…blinding, all he could think about was that blue flashing in front of him. It scared him; what if this was wrong, what if something had gone wrong? But as bright as the blue was, it was just as fleeting, and soon Edward could see what lay in the middle of the room- Alphonse, his brother, more beautiful and more alive than his imagination ever pictured. He was lying on the floor, face up, and as Edward rushed toward him, seemed as though he was merely resting, as though he had been sleeping for a very long time.

Like that story their mother read to them so many years ago, of the sleeping princess who slept for a hundred years, waiting to be awoken by love's first kiss. Ed remembered those bed time stories, how he pretended to be the prince, the knight in shining armor, would climb up to the castle tower to rescue the princess, whom Al was always forced to play. But this wasn't play anymore; this was real life and, just for a moment, Edward felt like that magnificent prince.

That thought was fleeting too, only to be replaced by the absurd, yet equally tempting thought- would Al wake up if he kissed him? It was a ridiculous idea, but the first completely conscious manifestation of the lurking desire that had hid in Ed's heart for years, unnamed, unnoticed, but finally, with Al so accessible before him, so clear. But as the thought jumped into his head, Edward pulled away from Al, who really was quite vulnerable, lying there before him, lacking any sort of garment that might have protected him from Ed's wandering eyes. And wander they did, even while Ed was screaming inside, telling himself that this wasn't right, that this wasn't proper, and dammit, it wasn't fair. Yet his eyes crept further and further down, until Edward, too filled with self-loathing and disgust, flung himself to the other side of the room.

Minutes passed, Edward's back turned to Al. When nothing happened, the room silent and eerie, when Al didn't come over and kill him for what just happened, Ed turned back around. Alphonse remained as still as ever, as though sleeping, and the thought came creeping back into Edward's mind. What if…what if he did kiss him? Would Al wake up? It was worth a try, Edward thought, and he moved across the room again, leaning in close to Al.

He…really is beautiful, Edward thought, staring down at his brother's face. It was not hard to imagine kissing him, so Edward only hesitated for a second before closing the distance between them, his lips falling perfectly into place against Al's.

"I…I think I love you, Al," he whispered against Al's mouth, then let his lips linger for a second more.

Sitting up, he smiled at the peaceful face. "No, I know I do."

Mustang was smirking down at him again. Ed ignored it by now, he'd learned how to, and that took the power away from his superior officer. Secretly it still angered him, but Ed was more mature now and knew how to handle his rage. Besides, it was routine now. Where would Ed be if Mustang didn't smirk at him, as usual?

"Well, FullMetal, I understand you were going to Resembool for your bride. I don't see a ring on your finger. Too embarrassed?" Roy asked as he filed Ed's report.

Ed scowled. "I don't know where that rumor came from. Actually, I went back to Resembool to give Winry my consent to marry someone else. She's just my mechanic, not my girlfriend, Colonel."

Roy shook his head. "When are you going to settle down, Edward?" he asked. "It's not good that you don't even have a girlfriend, you know. There are rumors, Ed-"

"Yeah, what kind of rumors?" Ed snapped, irritated. "Besides, why's it any of your concern? Since when are you interested in my love life?" Ed had not slept well last night, tossing and turning with fleeting dreams of Al…

"As your commanding officer, Edward, it is my business." Ed raised a questioning eyebrow at that and Roy smiled. "Okay, well, as your friend then. As a concerned friend, Edward."

"Well, as my friend, tell me. What rumors?" Ed ground out.

Roy turned his head to glance out the window. "…I'm not going to lie, what I've heard isn't good. I don't know of any specific rumor, but in general, the rumors about you are…"

"Just tell me," Ed said, eyes so narrowed the gold barely showed from the dark creases.

Roy looked down at his desk, then up at Ed, then away again. "Well, uh, the rumors are that you're, ah, a eunuch."

Ed relaxed into his seat. So they didn't even suspect that he could…well, that was a relief. Still, he'd want to know what all those rumors were. What if someone had learned the truth? "Is that the bulk of them, or are there others?"

Roy looked up suddenly. "Huh? Uh, most rumors don't come to me, at least not in their virgin forms-"

"I bet that's one too, isn't it, Colonel?"

"What?"

"They also think I'm still a virgin, don't they?" Ed said with a grim smile.

Roy turned his head to his desk, embarrassed. "That's actually more of a bet."

"And what's your pick?"

"…30."

Ed nodded slowly. "And how do you expect to find out who's right?"

Roy smirked. "…We have our ways." He tried not to laugh.

Ed's eyes narrowed again. "I see," he said.

"Alphonse?" Ed peered into the house, calling timidly. That morning, when he left, Alphonse had pressed the spare key into his hand. "Come home, anytime you need to get away" he said. And after Edward carefully searched his dormitory and found the four cameras and multiple microphones placed throughout, he decided he needed to get away. It was an invasion of his privacy, first, and second…Ed suspected he talked in his sleep.

The house was dark, however, and Edward frowned. Placing his suitcase in the front hall, he carefully searched the house for his brother. But Al wasn't there, and with no note- after all, he didn't expect to see Edward for months, unless by chance- Ed was at a loss. Once he discovered that Al was definitely not home, though, Edward ventured back into the library. Curious, he approached the shelf dedicated to him and pulled a book off the shelf.

This time, he chose a dark blue binding as it reminded him of Al. He flipped to the first dog-eared page and read the text. There were no pictures on this page, just straight text.

The FullMetal Alchemist, so named for his automail arm and leg, for which he is nearly more famous than for the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone, was born Edward Elric on February 3rd, 1899 in Resembool. He was the first son of Hohenhiem and Trisha Elric, who died when Elric was eight. His younger brother, Alphonse Elric, was born a year later (for Elric family photo, see page 81.)

Elric began his career as an alchemist at a young age. His father, Hohenhiem, was already well-versed in the science, and though he left when Elric was no more than four (the exact year is not precisely known), the children both managed to read and understand the basics of alchemy by the time they were five. Elric was the more proficient of the two, though Alphonse was never far behind.

Soon after their mother died, the children found themselves a teacher, and for the next three years of their lives lived in Dublith. When Elric was eleven, he returned to Resembool with his brother. Presumably, they had completed their training.

The circumstances are not quite known, but it is understood that somewhere during this time Elric lost his right arm and left leg. Also around this time, Alphonse took to wearing a large suit of armor, presumably for protection, though the exact reason is unknown (for picture of Alphonse's armor, see page 103.) Elric underwent a painful operation, the grafting of automail parts, after which he and his brother traveled to Central to take the State Alchemist exam. At age twelve, Elric became the youngest person to join the military's service.

"Be thou for the people" is the motto that Elric made into his philosophy. His unconventional ways soon made him famous throughout the country. Some especially notable cases that Elric worked on were-

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be Edward Elric?" a soft voice asked suddenly from behind Ed. He turned around hurriedly, closing the book and hiding it behind his back.

A young woman stood in front of him. She had long auburn hair that curled at her slender shoulders. Her lips were thin and red, her eyes bright green. She wore a simple dress suit, the coat a heavenly yellow, and in her hands was a matching purse, which she clutched to her side.

"Yeah, I'm Edward Elric. Um…who are you?" Ed asked, confused.

The girl smiled. "My name is Julie Halcrow. Alphonse has told me so much about you, Mr. Elric."

"You know Alphonse?" he asked, a lump of foreboding in his throat.

The girl, Julie, nodded. "Yes. Has he not mentioned me?"

Ed shook his head. "No, can't say he has. What are you doing here?"

The girl lowered her eyes sadly. "Oh, I was so sure he would mention me." She glanced up into Ed's eyes, her eyes so deep with innocence. "Alphonse and I have a date tonight." Ed froze, his fingers grew sweaty, and he nearly dropped the book in his hand. His mouth moved, speechless, for a moment, until his voice returned from its trip to hell. "...a date? H-How long have you been dating Al?"

The girl smiled shyly and brought a delicate hand to her face. "Um, about six months now."

He could not look at her anymore for fear his eyes would fall out of his head and roll toward the tips of her feminine heels. Quickly, he turned around and shelved the book, his finger unconsciously stroking the spine before he dropped his hand. "...to think my brother forgot to tell me he had a girlfriend!" he exclaimed, voice uncommonly high-pitched. Ed turned back to Julie and smiled awkwardly. "S-so, um, do you love him?"

Julie blinked. "Excuse me?" she asked softly, her eyes widening.

Ed blushed and looked at the ground in embarrassment. Damn, why was he so obvious about it? "Um, I asked if you love Al. Do you?"

She blushed, her delicate hands clutching her pink cheeks as though they were threatening to fall off. "Oh, well, I am not sure. I have only known him for half a year. I do like him a lot, he is very nice to me, but...I am not sure if this is love." Her blush spread to her forehead and neck. "I mean, I would be delighted if I could fall deeply in love with Alphonse, and I am attracted to him." She laughed. "Oh, I am speaking nonsense. I am not sure of my feelings, to be honest. However, Mr. Elric, I assure you that I would never hurt your brother intentionally."

Ed began to walk around the room, a scowl on his face. Damn. Damn Alphonse for not telling him. At least he could have been prepared to hate the girl, but now that he'd seen her...

He hated her more than he wanted.

The epitome of femininity, beauty, grace, and charm. Nothing like him at all, but a girl, small, sweet, innocent...Ed frowned. Oh, he was foolish. What was he doing, even hoping? Hoping that...well of course Al was going to date, why shouldn't he? But couldn't she have been a little been more plain, a little more course, not this well-bred mare? Ed could have taken it if she were more like Winry, if it had been Winry herself...well, that would have been perfect. They could all be one happy family. But this girl, this girl he could never get along with. She was too...perfect.

"Mr. Elric?" the girl asked, watching him pace around the room. "How long do you plan on staying in Central?" Ed's head snapped up, a confused, challenging look on his face.

"Why?" he asked sharply.

"Oh!" She clasped her hands together. "It is just, I would love to get to know you better. You are, after all, the elder brother of Alphonse. I just feel that we should become great friends."

Ed gaped at her. Friends? With her? Why would she want that? Unless, perhaps, she had lied to him before. Maybe she was in love with Al...what if they were engaged? Ed searched her hand desperately, but no ring graced any of those tapered fingers. No, that wasn't it. Did she plan on sticking around?

Ed looked away from the girl. "Um..." He shook his head. "Look I-" He glanced over his shoulder. "I'm really tired, so I think I'll be turning in. It was nice to meet you, Miss Halcrow." Ed pushed past her as he entered the hall, his hand brush against her chest in an innocent gesture. "Oh!" Ed snickered in his head. That probably ruffled her feathers, he thought with wicked pleasure.

Ed returned to the front hall to retrieve his suitcase when the door opened and in walked Al. Ed, bent over his bag, glanced up through his bangs, his eyes meeting his brother's, wide with happy surprise. Ed stood and turned quickly to venture back into the house when Al's voice stopped him.

"Brother!" Al rushed forward and laid his hand on Ed's soft shoulder. "I didn't expect you back so soon!" He grinned into Ed's face.

Ed moved away from Al, his face beginning to glow. "Oh, yeah, well...you know, they hadn't gotten my dormitory ready. They forgot to get a mattress for the bed. But it should be there within the week, so I'm sure that I'll be returning there shortly."

Al's face fell. "Oh, I understand." But he tried to brighten, grinning again, though his eyes looked dull. "Well, I'm glad you'll be staying a few more days, at least. Anyway, make yourself at home." Al grabbed Ed's suitcase, forgotten in the hall. "Let me put this in your room." Al hurried down the hall in front of Ed, who followed behind slowly. As they walked past the open door of the library, Al stopped suddenly and Ed ran into him.

"Julie!" Al cried, smiling brightly as he entered the room. The girl, who had taken a seat on the edge of one of the arm chairs in the room, stood up when she saw him, her eyes shining brightly.

"Alphonse, so good to see you," she said, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek. Ed choked on his air.

Al turned to Edward. "Brother, I didn't know you met Julie! That's wonderful!"

Julie laid one of her tiny hands on Al's arm. "Alphonse, I think we ought to be properly introduced, as we do not really know each other."

"Oh, right. Edward, this is Julie Halcrow. Julie is my girlfriend. Julie, this is my brother Edward, the FullMetal Alchemist!" Al smiled from one to the other. Julie nodded her head politely at Edward, while he tried not to scowl.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Edward," Julie said with a curtsy.

"Pleasure's all yo-er, mine," Ed grunted out.

An awkward silence passed over, dispelled by Al's enthusiastic "Hey!" He turned his attention to Julie. "I know tonight we had a date, but is it okay if Ed comes too? So we can catch up, and you two can get to know each other."

Julie nodded. "That is such a good idea, Alphonse. I would be delighted to get to know your brother better." She turned her gaze to Ed. "Will you join us for dinner, Edward?"

Ed saw the excited look on Al's face and nodded reluctantly. "Sure, why not?" he said. But his insides screamed that his brain had been turned off and someone please turn the switch back on!

Given the choice to dine with Al's girlfriend or drink milk for the rest of his life, Ed would have taken the milk.

The dinner was nearly finished and already Ed had resisted the urge to grab his steak knife and murder her. Julie Halcrow. That beast who could not keep her hands off his brother! Well, okay, it wasn't that bad to the public eye, but to Edward's jealousy-infected innards, any time her hand brushed his, any time she laid her eyes on him, any time she smiled at him and he smiled back...they could have been making love in front of Edward and it would have been the same exact thing in his eyes. And it wasn't so much her as it was Alphonse. How dare he hold her hand, kiss her on the cheek, laugh at her jokes in front of him? Didn't he know, didn't he realize, how he was killing Edward with each little gesture?

But of course he did not know. Thank God. So Ed died in silence.

And then a lull in the conversation, Al pushed his plate away from him, and slid his arm around Julie's little waist.

Did they not see his corpse, rotting on the floor? Did they not realize that they had murdered him? Were they that blind?

But they were. To everything save each other.

Edward coughed, and they turned to him, surprised eyes. "Um, Miss Halcrow, I've been wondering. Are you any relation to General Halcrow?"

Julie nodded, her vibrant hair moving up and down like a funny fire dance. "You know my uncle?" she asked.

"Er, can't say that I do, though Al and I did save him and his family from a group of terrorists."

Al's eyes grew wide. "Oh yes! I remember that. We were on our way to Central to take the State Alchemist exam when the train we were on was hijacked. Brother took out the two guys in our car, just because they called him small!"

"Hey!" Ed barked. "I'm still sensitive about that, you know."

"Oh, but Ed, you shouldn't be. You'll never get a girl if you get so uptight about your height. Girls don't like that."

"Yeah, I bet you know a lot about that, don't you, Alphonse?" Ed said before he could stop himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Al asked, puzzled. "Are you sore because I didn't tell you about Julie before? Because if that's the case, I'm sorry. It just never came up."

Ed looked away. "Oh, never mind. I forgive you."

"Hn. I don't," Julie said, a sparkle in her eye. "How could you never mention me to your brother, Alphonse? Aren't I important enough to mention?"

Al blushed in shame. "I'm sorry Julie. It's not that, I just never thought Ed would be interested in that."

"Alphonse, he's your brother. Of course he's interested."

"Oh." Al looked down at his mat.

Julie turned his face back up to hers. "Well, I'll forgive you, if you give me a kiss."

"Okay," Al said, smiling again, then took Julie's face in his hands and led her gently to meet his lips. Edward turned quickly away, feeling very much like he had turned that steak knife on himself. It wasn't a bad idea, at the moment. But then the moment ended when they separated. Neither seemed capable of breathing. Edward seethed inside.

Luckily, the waiter came by and cleared away the plates, taking that steak knife with him. They were safe; Ed was safe...for now.

"Can I bring you some dessert?" the waiter asked. And how fitting, Ed thought. Alphonse ordered the angel cake, Julie had the peach parfait.

Edward got the devil's food cake.

Chapter Two- I believe in this love

First, why does Ed seem to eat nothing but steak? Well, the first night it was in honor of Hiromu Arakawa (those who buy the manga know what I mean.) And it seemed appropriate to stab the steak with the fork and actually break it. The second time was for the steak knife. A butter knife just does not sound threatening.

So, before I ask you to review (and I do), who out there hates Julie? Don't be shy; let me see those hands! Until next time- Rowan