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"A bookstore?"

Ed scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Yeah…Is it okay? I know it's sort of casual, but…I dunno, you like books, I like books…It's not weird, is it? I've never been on a date before…."

Sheska looked at him with the biggest smile he'd ever seen. "It's perfect."

He smiled back and opened the door for her; Sheska stepped in while Ed closed the door behind them, taking a deep breath as if she wanted to inhale all the books in the store.

The boy laughed. "I like the smell of new books too."

"Isn't it just the best feeling in the entire world?" she sighed, a blissful expression on her face. "Being around so many new things to read, I mean."

Ed remembered how excited he had been when he had just gotten his State Alchemists' pocket-watch, his ticket to all the knowledge that comprised the legendary Central Library. There had been a feeling there, an excitement that had nothing to do with fixing their bodies; He wanted to read everything in the library—not just the alchemy books but everything else as well, purely out of love for reading.

"Yeah," he said, a little bit surprised despite himself. "I guess it is."

"Come on, we won't be able to read any of it if we just stand here all day!" she said sternly. "I want to check out the fantasy books first."

Sheska hurried to find the right aisle, Edward following behind her, struggling to keep up.

They slowed down as they neared the fantasy books, and Ed started wondering what Al was doing. He wondered if his date was going well, if Al was being awkward like he usually was with girls…He also had the sneaking suspicion that Al had wanted Ed occupied simply so that he couldn't spy on him.

Scowling a bit at the thought (because he really would have liked to spy on him), Ed absently took one of the thicker, older-looking volumes off the shelf and began flipping through it.

"Oh, do you like stories about magic too?" Sheska asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Not particularly," he said bluntly.

"Oh." She blinked at him, looking a little bit lost. "What sort of books do you like then?"

He snapped the book shut and slid it carefully back on the shelf. "Well, alchemy books, mainly. But I also like different sciences…mathematical theory…philosophy…that sort of thing."

"Philosophy? Like Plato and Aristotle and Socrates?"

"Well, yes, but those are only a few of the more famous philosophers. In order to formulate a real bearing on science, you've got to first see it from all points of view."

The girl breathed a little sound of admiration. "Wow…Is there anything you haven't read?"

"Shakespeare," he said immediately. Sheska, who clearly had not been expecting an answer, looked up at him questioningly.

"I have no time for romance," he explained with a little bit of a smile. "Or comedy or historical fiction, really. I need to work toward my goal with everything I have…so I can't waste my time on pointless stories about love and adventure."

She looked at him with the strangest expression for a few moments, then glanced away, running her hand down the spines of the books on the shelves, all neatly filed and inviting her to read. "That's sort of…sad," she said at last. "You won't let yourself read for enjoyment at all? I mean, that's just…well…" she trailed off, unsure if she was right to have started talking at all.

"I get enjoyment from reading about science and philosophy," Ed told her defensively.

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself: "Well, maybe, but when's the last time you let yourself love a book? When's the last time you read without having to write notes and wonder if that was the book that would tell you the last pieces of information that you've been missing?"

His eyes were hard, focusing on the floor as if it would be able to give him a rebuttal.

"Look," she said, her voice softer. "I'm…not telling you that you have to read different books now. But…it really is amazing when you read and the characters come alive, and you understand them and sympathize with them and cheer them on…" Her voice rose with excitement as she spoke, and she smiled the way she only did when she talked about reading. "There's an entire universe in a book….and there are people, and relationships, and families…. There are princes and monsters, wizards and goblins, sword-fights and disguises and magic and love. It's just…There really is something magical when you read to read."

Sheska looked at Edward and found that he was staring straight back, an unreadable expression on his face. She ducked her head as an embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks. She was desperately trying to dredge the nerve up to apologize when she heard Ed mutter, "Well…I guess a little bit wouldn't hurt…."

Sheska looked up quickly to see him pulling a copy of "Romeo and Juliet" off the shelf, his face slightly redder than usual.

"Yeah," she grinned, and searched for something more interesting to say. But then Ed grinned back, and suddenly that was all that really needed to be said.

~Finis