Future Memories

Epilogue

Whisper of a Dream

Roy opened his eyes and lifted his head off the pillow before letting it drop again when he saw that he was alone in the bed.

So…Ed had already left…

He sighed and rolled onto his back.

What a dream…

Roy had never met Ed's mother, or seen Alphonse as a child, but…

He shook his head. The dream had seemed so vivid…

'Remember what I said, colonel.'

The dark haired man laid an arm over his eyes. Though much of the dream was already fading, that part was still fresh and clear… If he loved Ed, tell him; if he didn't, end it…

In an effort to escape his thoughts, Roy got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen for some water, then stopped when he saw Ed standing by the window, looking out over the city.

He was still here…

"Ed…?" the colonel asked softly, and the short blond turned around and gazed at him with shining eyes. When Roy stepped closer, he saw streaks down the teen's cheeks from tears. It wasn't like the boy to show such personal emotions. Even though they were intimate with each other, it was only physically. They weren't intimate emotionally; they didn't share things...

"What is it?" he asked in concern.

Ed cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "I had this dream... I must have fallen asleep after… um…" he blushed and went on. "I dreamt of my mother, but…but it was a good dream. I dreamt that I told her everything about me and Al, and well…just everything, and…and…." He swallowed and looked out the window toward the full moon. "And she forgave me…" he finally whispered. "She said that she loved me and that she forgave me…"

The blond turned back with a look of relief painted on his face. "Even though it was just a dream, I…it makes me feel so happy…"

Roy nodded slowly, thinking of his own dream. He'd never believed in such things as 'the beyond' and stuff of that nature, but this was definitely a strange, and interesting coincidence…

'Remember what I said, colonel.'

The thought drifted back in his mind and he sighed. He really didn't mean to play with Ed's feelings… This dream woman was right though. He needed to stop playing with the boy's heart. Roy ran his fingers through his hair in nervous apprehension. This was not something he was looking forward to…

"Ed…" The teen looked up at him, and the moonlight reflected in his large, golden eyes. "We need to talk…" At those words the blond tensed, and his lips pulled into a frown, but he didn't say anything, only nodded. "Maybe we should sit down..." Roy suggested, but Ed just shook his head and waited.

"Okay…" He took a deep breath and said, "Ed, you know that none of this," he gestured with his hand, "was meant to happen. I never meant for it to happen. You never meant for it… I think we need to stop…" Roy let his voice trail off and he passed a hand over his eyes and muttered, "This is so hard…"

"It's okay…" Ed whispered dejectedly, "I think I know what you're going to say…"

"Ed..."

"…and I completely understand why…"

"Ed, just listen for a mo…"

"…this isn't going to work…"

"Ed!" Roy shouted, and finally the teen stopped his rambling and looked up, liquid eyes radiating the hurt he was feeling. "Just…stop for a moment." He sighed, then walked forward and knelt in front of the short teen before taking Ed's hands in his.

"What I wanted to say was…" He hesitated feeling afraid and nervous. He'd never said something like this to anyone, and he'd never imagined saying it to a fifteen year old boy.

"What I wanted to say," he repeated. "Was…that…I…yes, I want this to end. I want this senseless meeting up to end. I…want something different…something more that this," he shook his head, unable to go on.

"More?" Ed asked in confusion.

"Yes, more Ed…" he sighed, and looked up into the teen's face. "Somehow you've done what no one else has been able to do… you penetrated all my invisible walls and barriers, gotten past my emotional fortress, and found a place in my heart."

"In your…heart?" the teen asked in amazement.

Roy nodded slightly, and swallowed hard.

Ed's features softened and he smiled broadly before saying, "I never even dreamed that you… I couldn't even hope…I…"

The colonel let go of the blond's hands and laid his head on Ed's chest. When he felt the teen wrap his arms around his neck, Roy circled his own arms around Ed's body. "Let's stop all of this meaningless playing around, okay, Ed? I want to see what we can do in a relationship that means something."

Roy felt Ed nod his head, then heard him say softly, "I would like that."

fin

I'd like to thank Neo Diji for coming up with the challenge. For those of you who haven't read some of the other fictions written for this challenge, you can find a link to her profile in my profile. She has all the other stories listed there.

Next, I'd like to thank: Kikiko, cuylerjade, and Larania Drake for letting me ask them questions, and being willing to look over a paragraph or two when I was unsure about something. You guys are great.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who has been reviewing. Thanks for all the support you've given me. Originally, I had only planned on updating this story once every two weeks or so, but when I saw that so many people were wanting more, I put in the extra effort to update just about every week. If it wasn't for all of you, this story would definitely have taken longer to finish.

For those of you who still want more 'Future Memories', the drabbles will be an ongoing project until I run out of ideas (which won't be for a while)

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story.

- ZaKai Stonewall