Walking in Shadow, Seeing the Light

Author's Note: Hey guys… three new chaps now huh? Wow that's a new record for me… three in two months… lmao NOT! Thanx for the reviews

Disclaimer: Don't own it… for I am Host… thinking about changing my name to host…

Summary: Past meets present the clash of a haunting past lingers overhead as the Elric brothers attempt to find peace. Can an angel who guards the gate help them discover the secrets of her past as well as theirs? EdxOC and AlxOC

…from up here the city lights burn, like a thousand miles of fire…"

Anthem of Our Dying Day, Story of the Year

Chapter: Anthem of Life

Ed paced back and forth inside the hospital room. Asuna watched him curiously. He had his hands behind his back and it seemed as though he was deliberating. Her eyes followed him curiously. He felt her gaze boring into him and stopped, turning towards her.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. He sighed and hung his head. She cocked her head to one side.

"I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"Look… I- I wanted to say-" He ducked his head, looking to the side, "I'm… sorry I couldn't protect you." He muttered. Her face faded from confusion to gentle understanding.

"That's alright, you have no idea what we're up against." She leaned up in the bed. Now three weeks later she had come along quite well, healing quickly and cleanly. Now all they were waiting for was the bruising and Ed's ankle to heal. "You shouldn't be walking on that by the way…" She watched him begin to pace again.

"It's almost-" CRACK. "DAMN!" He yelped and crumpled into a blonde and black heap. She chuckled darkly and his head lifted up from the floor. "What are you laughing at?" He grumbled, pulling himself back up. One of the nurses walked into the room.

"SIR! You aren't supposed to be walking on that yet!"

"See what'd I tell you?" Asuna sighed as the nurse helped him onto Asuna's bed. Ed gave the nurse a nasty look as she handed him a pair of crutches.

"Now stay off that ankle!" The nurse scolded and left the room. Asuna watched Ed closely. She noticed the way the morning light filtered in through his glistening blonde hair, sending cascades of gold, red and white through the strands of bullion silk. The way his retracted pupils brought out the deep polished bronze and specks of green in his eyes. The way that the wisdom in his eyes, brought from great responsibility, showed his true character. Bold and daring, yet kind and gentle, always protective of those he loved, a clear thinker in times of danger, but most of all, a man of many secrets, always hiding things from people to protect them from the trouble he got himself into, a man who above all else would rather have death brought upon him, in the most brutal of ways, before he would have someone he loved hurt or injured in any way. Confidence radiated from him, his fierce grace allowing no one to underestimate him, his title, his embodiment of power and of calm and cool judgment, all of those things were what made her respect him and love him.

"What'cha lookin' at?" But certainly not his mastery of the English language…

"Uh… nothing." She looked off to the side. Then it was his turn to look at her in a different light. Her long reddish hair shone like fire in the bright sunlight and her eyes, the clear cerulean blue of her eyes, shuddering from pure blue to a sparkling amethyst with deep blue flecks in it, the way her smile lit up even the darkest of his days. Before he had only seen a pretty face and a great sense of self but now he saw beyond that. He saw the fear, the need for someone to understand her, and her reasons. He saw agony and pain, he also saw courage and a feisty spirit and will to survive. But beneath all of the obvious things there was a sense of the need to be loved, her desperate chase for someone to be willing to stay by her side until the day that she died and also the thing he loved about her, the unstoppable wish that people would stop worrying about her and her want for others to be happy above herself. "Now you're staring at-" His lips met hers desperately and she willingly allowed him to push her back on the bed. "Me…" She breathed, her voice muffled against his lips.

"No, I was looking at that other girl…" He mumbled between hot fresh kisses down her neck.

"Always have to get the last word in." Her hands brought him back, their lips meeting fervently and repeatedly, each of them suspended in time, both forgetting to even breathe as his hands worked their way down her body to the furthest point that he could reach without the sheets blocking them, her waist.

"Not here Ed." She whispered. "Not here, not now…" He pressed his forehead against hers gently.

"You… are absolutely… no fun… at all." He panted, god how he wanted her, it was beyond his wildest dreams, this feeling was empowering, every time their lips met, every time he felt her skin beneath his fingertips was like another world of nirvana alone.

Then there was the part of him that would be a smart-ass until the day he died that could not resist sending this out, 'It's called testosterone Sherlock.'

I know that.

'Sure you do.' Replied the smart-ass.

It could get me in trouble.

'It's the reason you're you… you, as a man, have higher testosterone levels than many men your age.'

Why are we talking about testosterone?

'Because it's the reason you get into dangerous situations.'

What would happen… wait she could get pregnant…

'Brilliant deduction… that's what usually happens… and you call yourself a prodigy.'

Ed tried to shut out the thoughts as he moved to the other side of the bed. Asuna looked over at him.

"You alright?"

"Yeah… just the testosterone talking to me…" She looked a little confused as he spoke and he shook his head, "Please… don't ask."

HAHAHAHAH! THAT WAS FUN FILLED BEYOND BELIEF! BUT! Where are our bad guys? How the hell should know… I'm on vacation…

NEXT: Chapter: God's Curse to Man

HUGZ 3

Ringo.