Better Days to Come
[[Chapter 2: Flowers with Happiness
Ed's buzzer did the sound off at ten o'clock in the morning the next day. Ed slams his hand down on the snooze button. "I'm still sleepy alarm clock five more minutes…" Just then Ed realizes he has to get up and ready to go see his old friend today, at the flower market. "Looks like Winry dragged Al outa here already, ha-ha, poor Alphonse." Ed says to himself throwing clothes all over looking for something that smelled clean. He grabbed his black button down shirt, but it was wrinkled to high heaven. "Hmmm… Looks like I'll have to buy a new outfit. But, I don't have enough time." Ed stops to think, he can't seem to find anything clean… but then he remembers. "I can wear what I had on in that place called Germany."
Ed runs to his closet hopping over clothes and shoes on the way. He puts on his outfit and adjusts himself in the mirror. "I feel like I'm gonna be sick…" Ed says allowed nervously. It's been so long and what he and this mystery woman had shared was true. Ed puts on his boots and runs out the door before he winds up late, and disappoints her again.
"Hey Al?" Winry asks, wanting to ask another, more important question. "Yes Winry?" Al responds politely. "Do you think Ed likes me at all?" Alphonse grows confused, "Of course brother likes you he talks about you all the time." Winry's face gets red and she squeals a little inside. "I think we should go get him a present, let's go Al." Al chases after Winry, again.
Ed wipes the sweat from his brow, "This is it, and I hope I don't screw up again." He looks for the right flowers she had mentioned in her letter; the same ones he had laid on the night table beside her head; the night he left her. "Are these for a special young lady sonny?" The old woman asks holding Ed's hand. "Uh, uh, yeah… They are, Can-can, yea thanks." The woman let go and rang up the flowers. "Well, she must love you, because you seem small for a seventeen year old." Ed's face goes red, "who you calling' a bug so small you could squash with a dime huh?!" Ed realizes how frightened the old woman was and apologized and continued to search, for her.
"The black roses… Black roses… Oh, there they are." Ed runs towards the black rose field. "Is that her?" He squints to see a young lady dressed in a black dress with a butterfly on her finger. "Yeah, that's KiKi…" Ed begins to run again, but slows down when he's just about to her. "KiKi, I…" She turns, "Edward, I've missed you so much." She flings her arms around him, in a big embrace. "KiKi It's been so long how've you been?" Ed scratched the back of his head nervously. "I've been ok… How about yourself Eddi?" Ed's mind is running a mile a minute and he can't believe she's finally here, in front of him again. "I've been busy, with studying for the exams and all. Not that I need to, because General Mustang could put me back in because I was…" KiKi lets out a giggle, "Oh Eddi, you do still boast about yourself in the worst ways." She smiles and moves the hair from his face, just like she used to. "You've actually grown some since the last time I saw you." Ed smiled in accomplishment.
Ed looks slightly down at her and smiles, "hey lets sit and you can tell me what I've been missing, huh?" KiKi agrees and sits next to him. Ed keeps studying her face, and way she moved when she explained things with her hands. "Ha-ha you actually did that?" Ed says in amazement. Not in amazement just by the words she was saying, but by how the sun was hitting her face. The way the day seemed to be endless and perfect for the moment, almost like time had stood still. "So, Eddi, tell me about your adventures." KiKi scoots over towards him and puts his arm around her shoulder. Ed blushes and goes on telling her about how he and his brother fought alongside scar, and about the homunculi.
"And that brings me here, sitting with you… hey, look..." Ed sits up from lying down with her, looking up at the sky. "What is it Ed?" She questions. "What I did to you those years ago was wrong. And I'm so sorry I caused you so much pain, I heard about what happened to you after I left town." KiKi is just about in tears, wondering why he would bring something so painful back up. "Ed, stop, its ok don't worry about it…" Ed cuts KiKi off mid-sentence. "No, it's not ok, and that night I left, I left my heart with you. I didn't want to leave, but I had to. I had to get my brother back to his human body… I-I..." Ed stops and thinks before he continues. "Well you what Edward?" Ed looks at the ground to stop the tears from flowing.
"If I would have stayed, If I would have just said forget it I'm happy… You wouldn't have ended up in the hospital… Alone, and depressed." KiKi takes Ed's hand and stands up. "I still love you Edward that will never change, no matter what happens In the long run. The past is the past, don't dwell on it." Ed sighs and grabs her waist to lift her in the air, and twirl her around, just like he used to, those years ago. "Well, I think… Hey is that brother?" Alphonse points out Edward in the field holding to them the "mystery girl" close. "Who is that with him?" Winry goes running as if he was running for her life. "Ed!" She shouts from the beginning of the field. But he's so caught up in KiKi that he didn't even notice the flowers being ripped up from the earth, or Winry for that matter.
"Hehehe, yes Edward." KiKi giggles happily, with her and Ed nose to nose. "Hey Ed, whose this?" Winry gets jealous and fast. "This is an old friend of mine, Winry, KiKi, KiKi, Winry." KiKi and Winry shake hands and then Winry tries to run off with Edward. "Hey Winry I'm gonna stay a little longer so uhm yeah, can you tell Al I'll see him later?" Winry gets angry and says ok before running off towards Alphonse.
"So, where are you staying?" Ed asks KiKi before kissing her, just like old times. "Well I haven't found a place yet I just got here today. The letter was just perfect timing I guess." She smiled at Ed, intently. "Well, you can always stay with Al and me." KiKi pulls away from Ed and agrees to stay at his three bedroom apartment. They walk hand in hand down the dimly lit street, past the boutiques and the eateries, up to the front door. "Hey stay right here ok I have to do something real quick." KiKi agrees and sits on the step in waiting. "KiKi!" Alphonse yells happily before running up to her. "Can I help you?" She questions not realizing its Al. "It's me Al, you remember me right?" KiKi's mind flashed to the big suit of armor, which was once Alphonse. "Of course I do! How are you?" She gives Alphonse a big hug and smiles at Winry peacefully. Winry thinks bad of her and pushes past her to go inside.
"Hey Ed, I…" Ed pushes past Winry to go get KiKi and bring her inside of a clean apartment. "Ok, we're all set now… Allyoop!" Ed picks KiKi up and carries her inside. "Hahaha, Eddi… Will you up me down already?" KiKi laughs along with Edward. But off in the bedroom Winry pouts. "Oh Eddi, Eddi, Eddi this… Who is she anyway, I've known him longer, and he like me right?" Winry comes out of the bedroom and sits on the couch next to Alphonse. "SO KiKi tell me about yourself then?" Winry says roughly. "Oh, uh, well I grew up in a little town…" KiKi continues with her bringing up of life. "Hey Edward?" She questions. "Yes lovely?" Ed looks at her like he hasn't seen anything that beautiful in decades. "Where am I sleeping, and where should I put my things before it gets too late?" Ed smirked and pointed to a bedroom, his bedroom.
Winry's jaw dropped, she couldn't believe what she was seeing today. "Brother, uh, that's your room though; I can sleep on the couch its ok really." Al says wondering if he pointed there since there were no more bedrooms. "No Al, she's going to sleep with me like old times right KiKi?" her face turns cherry red and she shakes her head yes. Alphonse looked dumbfounded and Winry, well she was red with anger and jealously. "Ok, well, I'm really tired from traveling and talking so much today, so I'm going to head to sleep, goodnight Al, Winry… Ed." Ed smiles and grabs her arm as she walks by, to turn her around for a kiss goodnight. After they kissed and KiKi went into Ed's room and shut the door, Winry flipped out on Edward.
"What's this?! I thought all this time you liked me!? Now she comes along and your all over her!?" Winry takes a breath. "Because Winry, she's my ex-fiancé!? Stop freakin out over nothing and yea I do like you, as a friend!?" Ed's stress made him fall into the chair. "So stop yelling you'll wake her and Alphonse." Winry gets her purse and bag and walks right out the front door. "Winry!? Winry, where are you going?! Winry?!" Ed screams from the door way to his apartment.