OMG! It's chapter 43! Do you guys know what this means! Do you! It means— it's chapter 43! I'm kidding -partially-. It means that this is the last chapter. No, you would not have known that unless I told you or until you got to the end, but whatever. In any case, this is indeed the last chapter. It's One Hundred and One pages long, on Ari's computer! Which is really amazing. The longest story Ari ever wrote before was 36! So this is certainly a landmark. Anyways, enjoy the end of The Sins That Bind Us.

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Sleep was not a necessity for the returning Roy and Riza. They returned to his house, and had no sooner walked in the door than they were in each other's arms, kissing each other fiercely. They had staggered across the living room in this manner, and when they parted, he smiled. Without a word, he lifted her into his arms and carried into his bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. He hovered over her for a long moment, and she noticed all the bruises and scratches that covered his body.

"You must be in so much pain..." she had commented worriedly, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I don't care," he replied before descending on her.

Now, as they lay in each other's arms, their bodies glazed with sweat, they smiled at each other peacefully. Roy leaned over and kissed her gently.

"I love you so much, Riza."

"I love you, too, Roy."

"Stay by my side, forever."

"Forever is not long enough."

His eyes narrowed and he kissed her again.

"You know, Envy said that we are all bound by ours sins, but when I'm with you, I feel as though those strings have been cut, and I don't ever have to worry about it again."

"Good. Then think no more of the war, or of the past, because none of those matter anymore. I love you for who you are; it doesn't matter who you were. So, think only of now, and our future together."

The two fell asleep in each other's arms again, smiling, their lips just barely touching in a kiss that lasted the rest of the night.

The End

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Ta-da! So, this is the end. -sniff- I must admit, it makes Ari a little sad that this is really the end of The Sins That Bind Us. I spent nearly two years on this story (I think), and it was really a lot of fun! I hope you all enjoyed the story, and thank you all so much for reading! There might be a sequel, Ari doesn't know, but for now, she's going to continue to write short stories, so I hope you read those, too! In any case, thanks again for reading, it's been a pleasure. See you next time! Ja ne!

Words of Wisdom:

Whipped Cream. Enough said.