Iridescence

8.29.11

1. Argent Engravement

Edward didn't know anyone who knew about it.

Save for the impulsivesness of a certain blonde gearhead, one that didn't so much as pity the bitter-tasting "no's" and "don'ts" he spat at her, too sprung on popping open the lid of his pocket watch he so purposely bound with alchemy.

He exhaled from his nose, the nostalgia making his temples pound. And the click is much more aggressive.

Edward didn't know if he had been followed.

He'd trained his automail foot not to step around with such sharp bounces, instead with delicate prudence. Prudence he's adapted from situations such as sneaking out of the hospital to get some much needed fresh air, quite like tonight. With a few steady leaps he was down the stairs, out the door, and off the porch, making sounds of success that passed the sensitive ears of the black dog curled into a quiet little ball beside the old door.

All he knew was that it was well past midnight and he wouldn't risk sentencing himself to rest only to arise a potential insomniac: casual black tank soaking onto his back, heart exploding in his chest, hand and automail alike showing signs of battery from chasing (and evading) some monster few and far between...

Click. Metal fingers squeeze around the trinket that holds his destiny in his hands.

The fifteen-year-old presses the sides of the object and opens his palm again, transfering the cooling surface from steel to flesh. Two silver circles greet him, one with thin black hands ticking time, one that burdened a timeless carving. As his fingers overlap this carving he's greeted with yet another, one that dubs him: Edward Elric, Youngest State Alchemist, Dog of the Military.

Never thought his sins would make his stature teeter between that of an animal or a God...

A snort passes his nose again, and he resorts to the feckless motion of opening and closing his watch. It's soothing somewhat. Spring! Click. Spring! Click...

He leaned against a young, skinny tree adjacent to another nostalgic site before him. Some cinders that let gravity be their grave had stuck around - he could even make out the heady scent of half-burned pages of alchemy books. The rest made their home in the wind, signing off elsewere. That same wind nearly covered the crescendo of clanks that stopped just at his side, followed by a concerned, "Brother?"

Ed lifted his eyes, straightened his posture, and pocketed his once solitary recollections.

"What are you doing here, Al?" he managed gruffly. His hand secretly quivered at his side.

The younger Elric was going to answer back with his brother's question but knew better than anyone: the only way to get a straight answer from Ed was to get into his mind, body, and soul.

The armoured boy answered, "Same as what you're doing." Whatever that was. But as he observed the setting of ashes in the moonlight, he sighed. "Our old house...I think I'm standing on our front porch."

Ed flashed a grin within Al's line of sight. Al smiled too - so this was what he was thinking about.

If only Al knew. If only he knew what his own brother was keeping so preciously in his sight, in his pocket, within the tight locks of his alchemy, engraved like stone...

"Al," the older Elric began, stepping across the ashen planks and rubble, "promise me something, alright?"

"Yeah, sure," piped Al optimistically.

"Just..." The sigh he released was deep, exhaling coldly from his pounding chest. "Don't forget...that day...October 3rd, 1911."

There would come the day when Ed would actually sit down with Al, open the watch, and pour out his feelings.

Until then, he would drop the subject until Al would ask again.

"I haven't forgotten," answered Al, his eyes disappearing from the slits in his armour. "We never will."

Late night writing! (It's a little past 9:30 pm at my place!)

This drabble-fic has been brought to mind by a major inspiration: Sincerely, Yvette and Auto-Alchemechanist. They both make perfectly vivid drabbles and I want to do the same.

This a brotherly drabble fic for the Elric brothers (with some moments of EdWin or AlMay in some chapters). Every title is based on a color and the subject of the chapter.

This is my LAST week of summer! T_T So updates will come fast, slow, medium, whenever, idk.

Thank you for reading!

~pink