"That was quick," A voice met my ears. I sat up, rubbing my temple.
"What can I say, a moment wasted is much more significant to us humans," I mumbled, rocking up to my feet. Truth grinned widely.
"Your voice is nice to hear after so long," It said, and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm still a little mad at you for leaving me hanging," I said, pursing my lips. "I almost entertained the idea that you died." Truth laughed at my statement.
"I don't die," It said, seeming slightly amused. "I am the world, I am god, I am all, I am one, I am Truth, and I am you. I have no beginning, and I have no end, and you know that."
"Yes, yes," I waved Truth off, "I've heard enough of those "I am all and I am one" speeches to know that." I rolled my eyes.
"So, you're going home." It was a clear statement, and I sighed.
"I'm going to have to introduce him to my parents!" I groaned, tugging at my hair. "And I have to explain my voice, and everything! This is gonna be fun." I smiled bitterly.
"You can't stay here forever," Truth said, and I gave it a sour look.
"I know that, oh all-powerful god," My voice dripped with sarcasm, "I just have to figure things out before we meet them." That's when an idea popped up. I abruptly turned on my heel, striding over to my Gate. "I'll see you soon," I said, prying open the thick, dark doors. Once they opened, I jumped in before the black hands had a chance to grab me, leaving a chuckling Truth to stare after me.
She is one of the more amusing humans.
I rolled over, stretching. Sitting up, I squinted, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.
For a second, I stopped to ponder the fact that, with all the things I've been through, I'm so used to waking up in random places that I didn't even panic anymore.
Shaking that off, I looked around at my surroundings.
"Ed?" I whispered, and I was met with a groan. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and crawled over to where the sound had come from, shaking his figure.
"Lynette?" He asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Follow me as quietly as you can," I said, standing up. Ed held out a hand and I grasped it, pulling him up. He stood really close to me, but I denied the impulse to kiss him and just settled for grabbing his hand as I pulled him away.
"Where are we?" He said quietly, and I pursed my lips.
"We're in my backyard," I said, and glanced at the watch on my wrist. I scowled, tapping the glass. "Stupid watch... But it's pretty late, so we can't exactly barge in there. I have another idea, come on."
"What?" He muttered, but I ignored him and just tugged him along.
I dragged him over to the garage, where I left him to stand awkwardly in the paved driveway while I snuck into the garage to grab some keys from the key hook. I walked back out, twirling the keys on a finger.
"Alright, get in." I said, striding over to the other edge of the driveway toward my car.
My car was a sight. A sleek, polished black 67 chevy impala with a marvelous leather interior. I had saved up for god knows how long for the beauty, and it had all been worth it up to now. It had been my pride and joy ever since I had bought it, and I was just a little excited to flaunt my baby off to Ed.
"That's... A car?" He said, surprised. I laughed, unlocking the car.
"Probably the most expensive car you'll ever get the chance to touch," I said, and Ed withdrew his hand from the shiny black paint job almost as soon as his fingertips brushed it. "It cost a little over $50,000, considering the condition and a few tweaks I made." I got in, and reached over to push the passenger side door open for him. His mouth had dropped, and he seemed hesitant about getting in, but I gave him an impatient look and he awkwardly slid in and shut the door.
"Relax," I said, grinning. "I know how to drive very well, actually." Once I twisted the key in, the engine roared to life, and it was like music to my ears. "Its good to be back, baby." Ed raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged.
"What can I say?" I grinned at him, "This car was an ancient relic, a real fixer-upper. New engine, new interior, new paint job and everything. But man, listen to that pur." I relished the sound of the engine as I backed out of the driveway, and Ed sighed, crossing his arms.
"That's a lot of love for just a car." He mumbled, and I pursed my lips at Ed.
"Don't listen to him, baby." I stroked the leather-padded steering wheel. "He's just too old to appreciate modern beauties like you." I started off down the road, and could see Ed sulking out of the corner of my eye. I laughed.
"Are you really pouting over there?" I asked, smiling.
"No." Ed said shortly, and I rolled my eyes.
"I don't have to pull over this car to have to tell you I love you more than this car, do I?" I said, and I saw him try to hide a smile.
"No," He said, seeming a bit brighter.
"Good," I said, "Cause I do love you, you know. It's just... This car has been the only thing keeping me running all this time, and I'm really gonna miss it."
"Really?" He said, and I hummed quietly. He added, "I wonder, was this car my only competition?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, and he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Did you date anyone while I was gone?" He questioned, curiosity clear in his voice. I coughed, my cheeks turning red and turning my head away a little. I felt his gaze bore into me, and he growled.
"How many?" I awkwardly adjusted my grip on the steering wheel, and stared out at the road.
"Nine..." I said in barely a whisper.
"WHAT?" He exclaimed, astounded. I bit my lip, not knowing to laugh or feel bad.
"Hey!" I said, "Come on! I thought I would never see you again! I couldn't... I needed someone to fill that hole in my life."
"And you dated that many?" He said, and I sighed.
"It was five years, Ed! And what about you? You dated, didn't you?"
"Well..." He trailed off.
"Aha! You did!" I said, "How many?"
"I only dated six." He mumbled, and I gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Were you still dating someone when I came back?"
"No, I had to leave her to come back to Amestris. What about you? Were you dating anyone when you left?"
"No! I didn't even have a date for prom." I grumbled, "It's hard to find guys when you're kind of mute!"
"Still, you seemed to find a whole lot." He retorted.
"Well I never got far with any of them, because they all eventually realize that I'm still hung up over some guy they knew nothing about! You had it easy, you know." I shot, "At least to you, I had died. To me, you were still alive and out there, and I had to live like that."
"You thought I had it better?" His voice rose, and I cringed. "Every single day, I thought of you. Every single day, I regretted how I failed you, how I let you die to try and save us! They have a grave, with your name on it. Do you know how many times I visited that grave, and struggled to believe it was all real? Do you know how much I missed you?!" I pulled over the car, my eyes blurred with tears.
"Its better than what I went through." My voice cracked. "I had to live with knowing you were still there. Do you know what it was like, being silent and broken and alone, wondering if the man I loved was getting over me and starting a family? Every day I was left to wonder if you had already gotten a wife and kids, if you had a house and a car... I was left here to wonder if everyone had moved on, and I had become just a passing thought. That even if I did somehow miraculously manage to make it back, no one would want me and I would be too broken and disabled to function on my own. Do you know what its like to have everything you've ever loved just out of your reach? And even if I did manage to incredibly appear back, wonder if anyone would even remember me?" I turned away, furiously wiping the tears that spilled over and onto my cheeks.
Ed pulled my arm, trying to get me to face him, but I stubbornly refused, trying not to sob. Eventually, though, his hands had slipped over my cheeks and he turned my head back to him.
His gold eyes burned with an intensity I hadn't seen in a long time, that he was hurt and he wanted to know why.
"And..." I stuttered, "The worst part was... I was the one who let you go. I faked my death because I thought you could move on... If you had known that I went back, who knows what you would've done to find me. It turned out... that I couldn't handle it as well as I thought I could." I closed my eyes, trying to make my breathing even.
"Then... why did you go?" He asked quietly.
"If I was there, Father wouldn't have died. Mustang had to be the fifth sacrifice or else your ending wouldn't have been as good as it was. And since I had to leave... I thought that I might as well have left for good, because... Because no matter how much it hurt, I thought you'd be better off without me." I felt my face being pulled forward, and when I opened my eyes, his face was mere inches from mine.
"Don't you ever do that again." His voice, thick with anger, intimidated me to the extent that I was left to gulp nervously, eyes wide.
"O-okay," I stuttered, my thoughts consisting of wow that was a little frightening and wow that was really hot. My heartbeat went wild, and I trembled slightly.
"Good." He said, assured by my reaction. He leaned in closer, his lips skimming mine as he spoke, "You're mine, and don't ever forget that."
"Dominance strangely suits you," I remarked. He chuckled.
"I would have never guessed you were submissive," He replied quietly, and I stared at him.
"Only when I'm embarrassed."
"Well then, I guess I have a lot to look forward to." He said, and I hit his shoulder and turned back to the windshield.
"Shut up," I muttered, blushing furiously. He leaned over and kissed my cheek softly, smiling.
"You're cute."
"I care too much about you," I murmured, rubbing my eyes before shifting gears to get back on the road. Ed let out a soft sigh.
"What about those other guys?" He brought up, and I rolled my eyes.
"You're still on that?" I said, eyes glued to the road. "Well, all of them were kind of cute, but plain. None of them knew how to really fight, they had no interest in doing anything exciting with their lives," I glanced over at Ed, a twinkle of humor in my eyes,"And none of them had luscious blonde hair." He cracked a smile at that one.
"I bet." He mused, and I puffed up my cheeks.
"So..." I said hesitantly, "What about... those girls?" Ed groaned.
"They all needed too much attention." He said, looking over at me, "Too passive, and none of them were very smart. None of them had ambition or real beauty, not like you."
"Aw, I'm flattered." I said, pursing my lips. The air to the conversation had faded back into a casual one, so I decided to roll with it. "So, what did you think of me when you saw me for the first time in five years?" I passed it off as if I didn't care, when in reality, I was paying rapt attention to his answer.
He thought for a moment, "Well, it was how much you had changed. You had gotten... So much prettier." I blushed, and he continued, "And, well, I was pretty shocked when I found out you were mute... But you had grown up."
"Yeah," I said, humor laced in my voice, "I had a pretty unstable childhood, but it turned out okay in the end, I guess. I've learned to really appreciate some things that a lot of other people take for granted, like talking. Do you know what its like to have the perfect sassy comment to add in but no voice to say it with?" I got a laugh out of him with that one.
"That must've stunk like hell." He said, and I hummed in agreement.
"Although, to see you again, it was worth it," I said, grinning. "You really filled out while I was gone... So, basically, you are one of the most gorgeous men I've ever seen. Your voice got deeper, and... You seem overall happier."
"Well, I just found out two of the people who were missed the most are alive an kicking, if that's what you mean," He mused, and I shrugged.
"Whatever it is, I'm glad," I said, "I missed that smile."
"So..." Ed started, changing the subject, "You're going into the military again?"
"I would like to," I said, a little excitement creeping into my voice. "I don't even have to go to college and I get one of the best jobs in the country!"
"College?" Ed questioned, and I held back a laugh. I forgot, college is more of a privilege versus a requirement.
"Here, college is kind of a necessity," I said, "Anyone, really, can get into college. And depending on what kind of scholarships you're eligible for, you could even go to college for free!" Ed gasped at my statement.
"Really?" He said, and I nodded.
"But it's such a nuisance," I said, "In this world, to get a good job you have to stay in school until you're an adult, and even then its kind of hard to work your way up the ladder. Unless we start off as wealthy, the majority of our lives is creating a steady means of financial income so we can use the little life we have left to do things we want. Nothing seems to have any real meaning here. Our laws are restricting, and nothing we can do will really make a difference because everything the public knows is what is hand-fed to us by the government." I let out a weary sigh. "I'm probably the luckiest person in the world, since not only do I have the benefit of access to all of the knowledge that this world can provide, but I can use it to help your world grow without making any of the mistakes we here have made. Hell, there are probably so many places left to explore, I could name a country after myself! There are endless possibilities, and not only that, but I'm acquainted with some of the most important people in the entire country, so my life actually does count for something already!"
"Wow," Ed said, surprised. "You really are eager about this."
"Hell yeah," I said enthusiastically, "Not only do I get a job doing the thing I love the most, have wonderful friends and a marvelous boyfriend, but I can be whatever I want and I can help create the base that the future will stand on!"
"I never really thought of it that way," Ed shrugged, "Although our country might have a few more setbacks than you think."
"The whole country was based on the homunculi, so the country was really run how they pleased, and all the bloodshed was planned ahead of time." I said, "But their downfall didn't seem to destroy the country, so all they did was give us a canvas to paint on. Mustang was handed the brush, and we, as people, are the paint. I trust him to do a good job with it, but I think I'll try and stick around for the most part to help him with it." I threw a glance at Ed, "What about you? What do you plan to do?"
"I... Honestly don't know." He said, "You already seem to have made up your mind on staying in Amestris... Before this, Al and I had decided to travel the world, researching alchemy to explore all of the possibilities. Al had taken the East, and I decided to head West. We've made a lot of progress, but there is still so much more to learn, so I think we may try to do that again." He said, and I pursed my lips.
"Seems we have two very different things in mind," I said. "I've always wanted to travel the world... I don't know. I think I need to grow up a little bit more, and make sure that I trust Mustang with the paint brush. After that... I think I may want to tag along with you, if its not too much."
"Well... Equivalent exchange." Ed said, and a smile crept onto my lips.
"Half of my life for half of yours, huh?" I said, and he hummed in agreement.
"What do you say?" He looked over at me.
"I say, screw those laws," I said with a shrug. "You can take all of my life. Even if you aren't there with me for a while, you can bet your ass that I'll be thinking of you the entire time. I never thought I would meet a man that finally fit my expectations, none the less soar above them. I know for a fact that I will never meet someone like you again, so even if I'm still young and stupid and quick to make decisions, I want to keep what we have for as long as I can." I let out a small chuckle as I turned, pulling into a driveway, "But first, we have to make sure that I can break ties with this world once and for all, since the cost to come here is more than I can morally stand paying."
And with that, we got out of my car, a cool night breeze caressing our skin.
Hi guys! I know, stupid me for having a summer hiatus. Well, I do have a life, too! I even went to Europe! It was awesome!
But right now I've been having kind of a hard time with life in general, so I decided why not finish the chapter I've been putting off for ages instead of sulking in my room like I've been doing for the past few weeks. Ugh, life is stupid sometimes :T
Anyway, eyup they didn't meet the parents. But they are going to meet someone else, someone who made cameo appearances in the previous chapters. Who do you think it is? Mysterious~!
Blah blah blah, conversations, blah blah, fight, blah. Yeah, this chapter was pretty much a sneak peak inside their heads and to leave some hints to what's going to happen. What do you think will happen next? I can assure you, I have something awesome in store for you guys... I just need to make sure I'm not lazy in putting it off.
Celebrating 2,000 views! Not that bad, guys! :33 Thanks for sticking with me this far!
My lovely readers, please review~
Thanks!