For You, I Would Wait a Century

A/N: FUUUUUUUUUUCK THIS IS SOFT. I wrote this on an impulse and now I regret nothing (everything). I've always wanted an Edling proposal, and I wanted to write a sort of sequel/prequel to To Hold the Sun, so here y'all go you thirsty fuckers. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMA.

The Promised Day has passed, and with it, it brought a new age to Amestris.

Ling Yao, for all that he has gained with his achievement of the Philosopher's Stone, found that he couldn't care less for that. As he gazed at the body of his grandfather in all but blood, Ling found that all he could think of, all he could feel, was a wave of grief so sudden he collapsed to his knees. He kneeled by the once warm body of his friend and stared blankly as his emotions churned inside him.

He wished he could say he was thinking of how this would hurt Lan Fan as well, but he wasn't. For once… for once Ling was allowed to be selfish, right? He'd just lost part of his family, he was allowed to just cry for himself and not his people, right?

As he lay by Fu's body, Ling felt a presence next to him. His first thought was Lan Fan, but no, he knew Lan Fan enough to know that she was probably crying by herself somewhere he couldn't see her. She's always tried to be so strong for him, Ling thought bitterly.

Ling looked to the source of the presence and stared right into molten gold, wet with unshed tears. Edward Elric, his lover, smiled sadly at him and simply wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. Ling burrowed closer to him, burying his head into Ed's neck, and let himself weep.

Ed never said anything to him, only pulled him closer and placed a chaste kiss to the crown of his head (just like Fu did when he was a kid).

Ling pressed closer, inhaling Ed's natural musky scent, and let himself be.

When Ling managed to calm down, his sobbing now soft sniffling, he pulled away from Ed's embrace and wiped at his eyes. He took a moment to gather himself, and then he finally turned to meet his lover's worried gaze.

"Ling," Ed started. He paused, unsure what to say to his distraught boyfriend. What do you say to someone that just lost one of the only family they had left? Ed was too young when he'd lost his mother, so he wasn't sure what to say to Ling.

Ling seemed to get that as he let out a small, somewhat forced, chuckle. "Still completely useless at comfort, I see. How am I supposed to take a lover like that?"

"Hey!" Ed scowled, but he could never stay mad at Ling. After a valiant attempt, he finally let out a small helpless smile as he said, "You chose to date me, idiot prince. Now you gotta deal with all of me, even this."

Ling let out a small laugh, and Ed couldn't help the relief that came with it. He really did suck at comforting, so all he could do was try to lighten the weight on Ling's shoulders. Ed knew that feeling all too well, that feeling of the world crashing down on you; it hurt him that Ling had to know what it felt like, but Ed would do his best to make sure Ling didn't give out under the weight.

It was the least he could do for him after all that Ling had sacrificed for them.

They remained silent for a moment, simply breathing together. Finally, Ling spoke softly, "Fu… Fu has been there for me for as long as I could remember. He taught me everything I knew, from martial arts to royal etiquette. When I told him I wanted to journey to Amestris to find the Philosopher's stone, Fu was the first one to agree. Hell, he's the one that basically ordered me to take him with me."

Ling laughed humorlessly, and Ed reached out to grab his hand. "Who did he think he was, ordering me, the twelfth prince of Xing?"

Something wet fell on Ed's hand, and when he looked over at Ling, he found that he was crying softly again. Ed's heart broke for the boy - no, the man - next to him. He's already suffered so much, how was this fair? How was any of this fair?

Ling grip on his hand tightened. Ed squeezed back, trying his best to say 'I'm here, I'm right here for you, Ling.' Ed parted his lips to speak, but Ling beat him to it. "Even though he was opposed to us dating at first, I knew it was because he loved me. He didn't want me to get my heart broken, he said. Still, I can't help but think that… that he would have been happy for me if he knew how important you were to me."

"Ling," Ed said softly. What else could he say to him?

"Ed," Ling said, his voice tremulous and shaky. "I wanted to tell him in person that you accepted my offer. That you said yes to coming with me. I wanted to see him reprimand me for being stupid and rash. I wanted… I wanted him to live to see this!"

And as Ling broke in front him, Ed's own heart broke as well. As Ling fell to pieces, sobbing over the body of his grandfather, all Ed could do was tighten his grip on his hand and try to reassure him that he was there for him.

But there was only so much he could do. He was only his boyfriend. Though they were in love, he knew that nothing could ever make up for the love Ling had for Fu.

And so Ed simply watched, and if he cried a little himself, there was no one to tell.

As much as they didn't want to move, they had to get up at some point.

Now, standing with his arms around his little brother's restored body, Ed watched as Ling declared his victory to Mei. Ed didn't believe his façade one bit, as he'd been there as the prince broke down, but Mei seemed to as she broke to tears. As quickly as he'd broken the news, Ling affirmed that he would protect the Chang clan when he achieved emperor status.

Really, Ed thought with a smile, his boyfriend was such a dork.

That was when the reality of the situation dawned on Ed. The Promised Day had passed, which meant that Ling was leaving for Xing now. Ling had to leave, and Ed had to stay because his brother was finally back.

As though he could sense the shift in his mood, Ling turned to him with a serious expression. Was this where they broke up? No no no, Ed quickly corrected himself. Ling had asked him to come with him, he said he'd wait for him-

"Ed," Ling interrupted his thoughts. "You should stop worrying so much, it's written all over your face."

"Well excuse me for being sad about seeing my boyfriend leave for another country!" Ed countered. Really, was he a kid? Ling promised him, why was he so worried about this?

Ling's expression softened. With renewed vigor, Ling purposefully strode up to Ed.

Lan Fan moved forward at the same time, grabbing Al so she could support him instead. Ling stepped closer to Ed as he started, "Edward, we've already talked about this, but I'll say it again: my offer will always stand. I don't know how long you'll take, but whenever that happens, I'll be in Xing, waiting for you."

His eyes watered dangerously. Ling noticed, and he moved his hand to wipe away the unshed tears. Blushing at the soft contact, Ed said, "Y-You dumbass! Who said I was worried about that?"

Ling grinned in response, as though he knew what Ed was hiding. "Love, you couldn't fool me no matter how hard you tried."

"Damn you," Ed said, severely lacking the bite he was supposed to have. Damn it, Ling made him soft. How was he supposed to intimidate him if he made him melt like this every time?

Ling laughed, his hands falling from his face. Ling peered down at him as he grabbed Ed's hands in a soft grip, his thumbs caressing the back of his hands. Something in Ling's expression shifted, but before Ed could question him, Ling was speaking again.

"Edward," Ling started, suddenly nervous as he swallowed around the lump in his throat.

Ed raised a brow at the sudden nervousness. "What is it? Spit it out already."

"I'm trying to be romantic, darling. Give me a moment."

"Screw that!" Ed said as he grinned. "Don't sugarcoat, tell me!"

"Damn it, Edward," Ling laughed. "You have no sense of romance."

"Yup, zero romance here," Ed rolled his eyes. From the corner of his eyes, he found that Mustang seemed to be chuckling at their antics. That's when Ed remembered they had an audience, a bright red blush coloring his face.

"Oh, he's shy now," Ling smirked.

"S-Shut up! Can't we do this somewhere else?" Ed scowled. "God, how did I end up dating such a dork? You're ruining my badass reputation!"

"Of course, love," Ling said in that voice he used when he wanted to appease him without agreeing with him.

"Ling-"

"Marry me!"

Utter silence went through the courtyard. Suddenly, all his peripheral vision and hearing vanished, and all Ed could do was stare in shock at Ling's very flushed face. A blush bloomed across his own cheeks, going all the way to his ears, as the question finally sunk in.

A very manly squeak escaped him as he stuttered, "W-W-What the hell! Ling, you don't just-"

"I might not know much about Amestrian customs," Ling spoke, his own flush still visible. "But in Xing, when two people start dating, it means marriage is on the table. I didn't want to spring this on you early on in our relationship because I didn't want to scare you off, but all I could think of recently was how much I wanted to see you stand beside my throne in Xing as my consort."

The sudden information dump barely registered in Ed's mind as he continued to stare at Ling in shock. Ling finally looked into his eyes with a determined look to his expression as he repeated, "Please marry me, Edward. I know what we promised inside Gluttony, but I want to give you something more solid than a simple promise. I want you to go on your next journey with peace of mind, knowing that you have a fiancé waiting for you in Xing that will never stop waiting for you."

A choked sound escaped Ed, which sounded suspiciously like a sob. Ed frantically tried to gather his thoughts as he choked out, "Y-You realize that this means you're stuck with me forever, right? You can't ever go back on this, you can't even have your stupid harem-"

Ling laughed, his own eyes very misty. "Edward, I've always been planning on getting rid of that ridiculous custom. You're the only person I want to be with, physically and emotionally."

For once… for once Ed gave himself some leeway and sobbed. "You stupid idiot prince! Yes!"

Ling's face lit up, and in a surge of emotion, he grabbed Ed and pulled him into a frantic, deep kiss. They barely registered the applause around them as they poured all their feelings into the kiss, hands wrapped tightly around each other, never daring to let go.

There was the distinct sound of Mustang grumping about "a brat getting hitched before me!" and what suspiciously sounded like a sniffle coming from Al and Lan Fan's direction, but he couldn't tell who it came from.

Oh, well, he thought as he was pulled into another kiss. Who cares?

When they finally pulled away, both panting with big goofy smiles on their lips, they leaned into each other and pressed their foreheads together, just breathing together.

Ed looked up, speaking softly, "You didn't even get me a ring, you bastard."

Ling laughed quietly, and that action alone felt more intimate than anything else they'd ever done together. "My apologies. It seems I'm already being terrible to my betrothed. Don't worry, I'll get you one soon."

With another laugh, Ed pulled away and said, "You better."

And then he pulled his new fiancé into another kiss, and they remained lip-locked for a long, long minute.

Ling and Co. had to leave the next day, but Ed found that he didn't really mind as he awoke in his hospital bed. Ling wanted to give Fu a proper burial, and Ed wasn't so heartless as to hold that against him.

With a tiger's yawn, Ed sat up and stretched. The nurses forbade him from doing his usual morning practice, so he had to settle for that. He dropped his arms, and his gaze fell on his brand new right arm. It was so thin compared to his left, Ed was surprised it didn't break upon contact.

But that was nothing compared to the damage on Al's body. His gaze traveled to Al's asleep form, and a warm weight settled in him. Al finally had his body back.

Al finally had his body back.

The thought overwhelmed Ed, and it took him a moment to gather himself. After four long years of pain and suffering, he finally had his brother back in his body, and he even got his arm back! Ed had never heeded his own body any thoughts, but now, staring at his new arm, Ed found that he couldn't be happier with this outcome.

He moved his gaze from Al onto the small bedside table by his bed. He felt comprehension as he found himself staring at a small square box. Curiously, he grabbed the box and observed it. It was black, with an intricate red dragon drawn on the front of it. It also felt soft, like the fancy jewelry boxes Ed got whenever he bought Winry a new pair of earrings.

His breath hitched suddenly. Could this be…?

His hand shaking, Ed opened the box slowly. His eyes widened as he realized, yes, it is. Inside the box, between lush red cushions, sat a golden ring. Ed removed it from the box tentatively to observe it closer; the golden ring wasn't just a band of gold, it was golden dragon wrapped in a circle, and in its eyes laid two green gems, glowing fiercely under the hospital lights, like there was a fire in them.

Oh, Ed breathed softly.

Then he noticed there also a note attached to the bottom of the box. Slowly, gently, putting the ring back in the box, Ed opened the note.

My dearest Edward,

I'm sorry I couldn't give this to you in person, but I promise when the time comes for our wedding rings, you'll receive it properly.

I've actually been carrying this around for a while, but I'd left it somewhere for safekeeping while we were journeying because I didn't want to risk losing something so important. You deserved better than that.

When I said that dating in Xing meant marriage, I was very serious. I was aware that you didn't see it that way, but that could never stop me from buying this ring for you. Even if you hadn't said yes then, I would have waited a century just to ask you again.

I hope you'll accept this humble gift from me. The next time we meet, I hope to see you wearing it. Perhaps one day, I'll get to see you wearing another ring on your left hand as well.

I love you.

Your shitty fiancé,

Ling

Al would never breathe a word of this to anyone, but he's the only person that witnessed as Edward Elric broke into tears, crying as he laughed giddily, "That stupid prince, of course, I will."

Three years later, Emperor Ling Yao would smile largely as he watched as another ring adorned his lover's hands.