Alphonse Elric

Al was overwhelmed with sensation. As he lay on the bed, nurses and doctors making final preparations to leave him to rest for a few hours, he couldn't believe that he had his body back. He could feel the softness of the blankets around him, the warmth of his own frail body, the hair gently tickling his neck. He could smell odours that he couldn't quite recognize in the air: foods that he had long forgotten. Al made a mental note to go back for his little black book the minute he could.

He glanced over at the bed next to him, feeling a rush of warmth in chest as his brother's smile greeted him.

The last nurse in the room gave him and Edward one more look-over. "I'll be back in a couple of hours," she said. "Get some rest, the both of you."

The room fell silent as the brothers settled back, easing worn muscles and tired eyes after a day (and years) of fighting. Both Ed and Al were only now truly able to rest, their missions finally completed.

Al had his body back.

They had survived.

"Good night, Al," Ed murmured.

"Good night," Al returned after a few moments, still unused to having a throat and an actual voice-box for sound to come out of.

His brother might be going to sleep, but Al wanted to do one thing before he did the same. He let his head fall back and went through every memory he could remember since the day of the failed transmutation.

Al felt the burning in the back of his eyes and his chest started to shudder…but nothing happened. He began to panic; what if his body had forgotten—?

He felt a light touch on his arm and turned to see his brother sitting at the edge of his bed, having completely disregarded the nurses' instructions to sleep. Ed gave him a look of complete understanding, tinged with the slightest discomfort (because, of course, Al thought, this was Edward and he was bad with crying and old habits die hard) and very gently wrapped an arm around Al's shoulders, pulling him close.

The dam broke. For the first time in years, for all the grief and anger and sadness he and Edward and all his friends had suffered, and also for all the happiness that he now felt, Alphonse Elric cried.