Talking With Their Hearts
Edward Elric awoke to a warm hospital room, the window by his bed open and allowing a slight breeze to waft through. The sheets felt soft and cool under his fingertips. As he looked down, he saw that there was an IV needle in his hand, taped down to ensure it wouldn't move and slip out of his vein. He tried to sit up, but his head ached dully. Edward couldn't quite remember how he had come to be in a hospital, until like a flash of light, the memory of Alphonse and a transmutation circle hit him. He bolted upwards despite his head and cried out, "Al! Alphonse!"
But, even as he said the words, he heard no sound come forth, only a hoarse whisper. His eyes widened in panic as he continued to try to speak and got nothing. He bolted upright in his bed and started to throw back the covers as he saw Alphonse come through the door with a cup of coffee.
Even if he had been able to speak, right then he wouldn't have said a word. There, right before his eyes, stood Alphonse as he was meant to be. Smiling, Al set his cup down on the bedside table and walked over to his brother. Tears filled both of their eyes as they embraced. Edward, momentarily forgetting his earlier experience, opened his mouth to say, "Alphonse, you're back."
Nothing came out. His eyes narrowed as he remembered, and he looked to Al, silently asking what had happened. Alphonse's smile faded as he hesitantly explained. When he had activated the circle, the Gate had seen fit to…take what it wanted in "Equivalent Exchange". In this case, the price of Alphonse's body being returned exactly as it had been was Edward's voice. The Gate had taken his vocal cords in exchange for getting Al back.
Edward lowered his eyes at this news; surprised to find it didn't bother him half as much as he thought it might. It seemed such a pittance compared to what he had already and would have given up for Al. Seeing Alphonse sitting right here in the flesh, right next to him, made losing his voice seem so very trivial. He could reach out and touch his brother, and Al could feel it. It seemed like a very good idea, sort of enjoying his accomplishment, so he did just that. He reached out and grasped Al's hand. He had forgotten just how soft his brother had been, an easy thing to do when Al had been encased in cold, unyielding armor for so long.
Alphonse smiled weakly, but there was something in his eyes that Edward didn't care for. Something that shimmered in those silvery eyes that Edward recognized from his own golden ones; guilt. There was guilt in his eyes for causing this hardship for his older brother. Edward had always been a very vocal person, and for someone like him to lose his ability to speak had to have been quite a blow…right?
Edward frowned and turned Alphonse's head towards him. Al looked puzzled as Edward kissed him, almost shyly, on the cheek. They both blushed crimson. Alphonse, almost unsure of what to do, slowly slid his arms around the blonde and buried his face in Edward's shoulder. Edward reciprocated and relished the feeling of holding his brother again. He breathed in Alphonse's scent deeply, savoring his success.
Alphonse pulled back and asked, "Are you sure this is okay? Was it worth it?"
Edward smiled as he thought how silly a question that was. He found it so amusing he burst out laughing, as well as he could with no vocal chords. For the second time in just a few minutes Alphonse looked confused, and Edward simply nodded 'yes'.
And as Alphonse took Edward's hand in his own, Winry, Scieszka, Roy, and Riza walked in the room to see how he was doing. They knew what had happened to him, so they were expecting to have Edward find some way to communicate. Little did they know, he already had an "interpreter".
Edward found he could make sound when they asked him questions, but it was very hard to make out, nearly unintelligible. It was incredibly frustrating for both sides of the conversation…well…both sides except for Alphonse. He knew his brother well enough to interpret the sounds he was making, also using his eyes and expressions as a guide. Winry could guess a word here and there, but the other three were at a complete loss.
The two Elrics smiled; this was their secret. They didn't need words to communicate; their hearts did all the talking.
-Fin-