When Natalie came back into the apartment, Edward was sitting on the couch, his face in hands. He’d spent the entire time she’d been gone trying to figure out why he had acted like he had.
“Hey Ed, you OK?” she asked as she walked over to him.
Hearing her voice he looked up at her. When it registered that she was there, he got up and hugged her. It took Natalie off guard, she wasn’t expecting this. He’d been afraid she wasn’t going to come back. She hugged him back and just chuckled a bit. “Did you hit your head again Ed? You’re acting really weird today.”
He let her go and looked at her a bit embarrassed. “No, I just thought…”
She put her hand on his shoulder. “Ed, I’m not just going to go off and leave because we had an argument alright. We promised remember? No more running away. It was just better to walk away for a few minutes. I know you have a short fuse sometimes so I figured it was just best to give it a little bit. Let cooler heads prevail you know?”
Edward nodded, “Yeah I know but I don’t even know why I lost it like that.”
She just shrugged. “Some habits die hard I guess. I knew you had trust issues from the start, I just thought you and I had squared that away already.”
“I thought so too, like I said, I have no idea where that came from. I’m sorry.”
Natalie smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it just don’t let it happen OK?” She winked at him and went over the little kitchen. “It’s been a long day and I don’t know about you but I’m starving. Let’s see what’s in here.” When she opened the cabinets there were all kinds of simple, easy to heat things. “These will do,” she said as she took noodles out and heated them up.
They sat at the table and ate. “So what did the Headmaster tell you while I was gone?” she asked Edward.
“Plenty actually, he really wasn’t that bad for an old guy.”
“Told ya he would be useful,” Natalie said with a laugh.
Edward just made a sour face at her and continued. “Seems the magic users have and use circles a lot like the ones used in alchemy. This world actually relies on magic like mine relies on alchemy but they don’t perform it openly like we do. I guess the normal people can’t handle it here. I get it though, most people are afraid of what they don’t understand. I’ve seen enough of that from the outer villages in Amestris alone to know why these guys would want to keep their magic a secret.”
“Most regular people don’t even believe this sort of stuff is even possible. It’s actually like that in a lot of worlds, my own included.”
“That’s the first time I think I’ve heard you mention your own world outside of explaining how you know so much about all of these other ones,” he said sounding a bit surprised.
“My world really isn’t something all that special. It’s actually a lot like this one except I come from a different country within it.”
“This America that the Headmaster mentioned?”
Natalie nodded. “Yup. Right now we’re in a version of Japan. Where I’m from is pretty much on the opposite side of the world from here and it’s a slightly different culture from the one here. I’ll have to take you there someday.”
Edward smiled at her. “I’d like to see it.”
After they’d finished eating and cleaning up Natalie thought it might be time for a shower. It actually just dawned on her that she had yet to find the bathroom in here. After poking around she realized it was off of the bedroom. “Edward, do you want to go first or should I?”
“You can go ahead. I wonna look through some of the books the Headmaster sent over. I have a theory that I want to look into.”
“Suit yourself,” she said with a smile. “Just no peeking OK?”
Edward turned red. “What kind of guy do you think I am?” he said sounding a bit insulted though he wasn’t actually.
“You’re adorable you know that?” she said as she closed the door to the bedroom so she could get undressed then hop in the shower.
Edward’s cheeks flushed more. Who did she think she was making fun of him like that? He wasn’t some pervert. The thought of peeking hadn’t even crossed his mind, well not until she’d said something about it anyway. He had to admit he was a bit curious though. “Damn it, have to get that thought out of my head,” he said to himself, shaking his head. “She’d kill me, or worse, if I did that.” To get his mind off of that he picked up one of the books and started reading.
About fifteen minutes later she came out of the bedroom in a t-shirt and shorts, her hair down still as she was still trying to towel it dry. This was the first time he’d seen her with her hair down like this. It was a lot longer than he’d thought and it made her look different, prettier.
Natalie just grinned at him as she had caught him staring. “It’s your turn space case,” she said snapping him out of the semi-trance he’d been in.
Edward blinked and shook his head. “Sorry, lost in thought,” he said as he got up.
“I’ll bet,” she said as she threw her towel at him playfully. “Put that in the bin in the bathroom for me would ya?”
Edward caught the towel and just laughed at her. “Yeah sure, no problem,” he said as walked past her, brushing against her as he did.
When he came out later, he found her sound asleep on the couch. He couldn’t help but to chuckle to himself. The couch was no place for a girl to be sleeping. He went over and lifted her up. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into him. She looked so sweet and vulnerable. Carefully, he took her into the bedroom and put her into the bed making sure to cover her up. “Good night Natalie,” he said softly, kissing her on the forehead before going back out and taking the couch himself.
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