Very Swampeh, Orange Singer, baconinthesoap64, Pink Pagoda, deddosora-, WingedMusicAlchemist, shinespire, peaceofmindalchemist, dark0shade, DreamsDeath-RaysAndAlchemy, Lady-x-Exorcist, Holly Short of the Lep recon, merlyn1382, Maybird123,Phoenix07, Sherry Leblanc, S J Smith, and the Curse of Forever, I give all my thanks! I love you all! Thanks for reviewing and sharing your opinions and comments!I mean, really! I'm sooo excited! 28 comments may not seem like much too many, but that is SO uberly EPIC to me! : D Thanks again!~

Me: Okay, everyone ready?

Al: Uh huh!

Me: Okay. One…two…THREE!

Me, Ed, Al, and Winry: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERY SWAMPEH-CHAN!

Me: Thanks for being such an awesome reader and keeping up with this story. And you know...Just being amazing and all. That helps. So I hereby dedicate this chapter of War's Fever to you! And as an epic EdWin fan like myself, I hope with all my heart this makes you either

Go 'awwwwwww!~'

Squee like the fangirls we are

Both of the above

Me: So, yeah! I hope you have an awesomeamazingfantastic birthday, and may you enjoy many more as we all get to feel even older every year! Whoo!

Ed: She said something about me giving you a hug, Swampeh, but…Uh..Well…

Me: -glare- Come now, Ed. This is important.

Ed: …

Me: Well, everyone can go on and read now. x'D Enjoy~

Al: FullMetal-EdwardElric-Fangirl doesn't own or claim to own anything in FullMetal Alchemist!

Chapter Seven: The Letter (Part Two)

.

Dear Winry,

Do you remember when we used to pass notes folded like this in English class way back when? Either of us was truly interested in the class, so we just kind of didn't pay attention…at all. It was kind of like: nouns? Who cares about some damn noun? Science has nothing to do with that!

It still amazes me how we never once got caught and we STILL passed the class.

…I know this isn't really helping you. I mean, what am I supposed to say? "I'm sorry?" Come on Winry, you know that sounds just as bad.

I really don't know if you've cried or not. But I suppose you will sometime later, even if not over me, and I'll still blame myself. I've broken a promise to you Winry. The next time you cry, it won't be because of the joy I tried to make. And I hate it.

Your promise wasn't the only one I broke, either. I didn't get Al's body back. That is something I'll never forgive myself for. It's my fault Al is the way he is. And then I just went and got myself killed? There is no word I could use to explain the hate I'd have for myself!

Truthfully, I wouldn't blame you if the first thing you did if I miraculously came back to life is give me a concussion with that wrench I gave you when we were nine.

Considering you still have it…Uh huh. Remember the one you hit me with a few days before I left? Oh yeah. That was it. My initials are on the bottom, if you haven't seen.

But you probably knew that, didn't you?

Winry, I'm a fool. I didn't even say goodbye! I left and only said "I'll be back." I've just been lying and breaking promises a lot, now, haven't I? Any apologies I may offer in this letter will do no justice to all the things I wish I could've said in real life.

I have so many regrets, you know? Al is still a suit of armor, the homunculi are still out there…And I left you, Winry…How could I ever forgive myself for that?

That's exactly the point: I couldn't.

"'Now, this isn't one of the smoothest things I've ever done," Winry was reading the entire letter out loud to herself, fingers trembling and voice cracking every now and then. "I'll admit, I'm not one of the most…chivalrous, love-striking men, but this is truly sad. It's corny; like something you'd see in a play…Well, here goes nothing.

"'We're both stubborn. Don't even deny it, you are and you couldn't hide it to save your life. And I'm not the most…lovey-dovey one out there…So, of course this didn't ever just come out and say itself. But wouldn't my life have been easier if THAT had happened?

"'I guess I was waiting for the right time. I wanted Al to be human, and the threats I've been dealing with vanquished. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to just come to you and say—'"

"'I love you, Winry.'"

The blonde girl's head shot up and her breath hitched. There, standing in her doorway, was none other than the tired-looking boy who wrote the letter in her hand. Still though, despite her expression, he continued reciting the letter in a soft, almost-raspy voice. "'I wish this letter never had to be sent, Winry. And I'm sorry, for all that's worth. What does an apology even count for anymore, anyway? Nothing, from my point of view. Not in this kind of circumstance.

"'With every sincere ounce of my heart…I love you, Ed.'"

The boy leaned against the door frame, looking tired, and almost…sad. His golden-eyed gaze was softly resting on her, not intent, but not unfocused, either.

Winry's hands were shaking so bad she lost her grip on the paper in her hands. It floated gently to her carpet, resting there, barely visible past the outer ring of the lamp light. Her head lowered, blonde bangs casting a shadow over the emotion-filled oceans that were her eyes. Her shoulders shook and she could only mumble, "Oh...Ed…"

Ed blinked a few times, unsure of what to do. He'd said it himself, right? He wasn't the romantic man of the century! Far from it! Even Al (though Ed would never admit it) was better at those kinds of things than him! He squinted to try and see her better, but then he realized it wasn't the lighting, but that his vision was going blurry. "Da-…Damn it…" He cursed under his breath, and used his left hand to stead y himself on Winry's wall. He'd planned on walking over there…But that wasn't going to happen…

Nor would going down the stairs be an option…It amazed him he'd managed going up them without passing out. He felt awful but happy all the same.

Taking in a deep breath, he tried to take it slow and keep himself from passing out right there on Winry's bedroom floor.

Only then he noticed the girl's silhouette moving through the darkness, having stepped out of the bubble of light her lamp produced. She shuffled across the carpet, eyes downcast and head down. When she reached him, her forehead bumped into his chest, nearly threatening to knock him over. She lifted a hand and gently placed it, palm-down, beside her head. "Ed…I…I…"

Then she realized how, all of a sudden, his breathing had evened out. She lifted her head to look up into…closed eyes? "Ed?"

Was he…asleep?

She took her hand off his chest and placed it on his forehead, flinching when the heat from it touched her skin. Idiot! He's burning up! Why did he come up here with a bad fever like this?

"Ed," She said a little loud, and noting with a smile that his eyelids slowly lifted. She took his hand and pulled him gently, but carefully stopped and balanced him when she saw him sway. Finally, with a bit more difficulty than she'd imagined, she got him onto her bed and under her sheets. She hurried to her bathroom and wet a rag, bringing it back and setting it on the boy's forehead. Brushing a stray strand of gold hair from his face, she offered his sleeping form a sweet smile. Running her thumb over his face, she noticed the tips of his mouth turn upward slightly.