Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and it's characters. K?
Alphonse couldn't help but smile as the rain reminded him of a certain person he loved who hate's the rain...
Pairing: RoyXAl, slight Elricest and HughesXRoy
Rating: PG-13, fluff with a little hint of... angst
Notes: Complete change of the movie's decision's for the chara's. 'Cause I obviously hated it. Anyways, I really wasn't planning to remove Ed out of the plot, but I just HAD to do this fic somehow... I really like the rain. Guess what? I once lived in a place that ALWAYS floods when it rains hard. (I miss it somehow)
Reflection in the Rain
A darkening sky was hanging over Central City, a promise of rain a little later or now. Alphonse slowly walked the road towards the Central HQ, to meet up with General Roy Mustang to report his progress about his brother, Edward Elric.
The boy stopped as soon as it started to drizzle, he was at the gates of the bulding. He looked up at the sky and smiled, a sad smile, it was another year- and he couldn't find his brother and yet he is here. Human. Feeling the rain in his face proved he is already one.
Though he liked the rain, he knows very well that his brother does not. It gives him pain in his automail ports whenever it rains- also, the young Alchemist remembers, the man he'll be meeting doesn't like the rain as well, he'll have to expect that the General is in a bad mood.
'Slowly... my memories of that time are returning...' he thought, as he enters Central HQ.
-
Roy lazily sat on his office chair as he looked outside his office's window, mentally cursing the weather over and over again. He hates the rain, and he doesn't even like to carry an umbrella with him- he knows he doesn't look good with it. Maybe he'll just wait for it to stop so he can go home... If it doesn't stop, he's stuck in his office overnight.
A knock on the door was heard, 'This would be the second time Alphonse would be meeting me'... he turns his chair to face the door, "Come in," he kept his voice calm, he doesn't want his annoyance to appear in front of this boy- who only knew him for just a few months.
The door opens, and Alphonse enters. The General noticed, the boy didn't have the atmosphere of the Armor he knew- but the way he walked towards Roy reminded him of the older Elric. An arrogant little bastard- still he had this gentle look on his face.
The last thing Roy wanted to happen, was to see the boy in tears. Another visit without his brother beside him, how can the fragile Alphonse go on without his brother? Honestly, 'The boy doesn't look like 13 anymore, he looked like he's 15...' the General thought as he stared at the boy from head to foot. His problems is making him look older than his age...
"General Roy Mustang...," Alphonse stood in attention and salutes.
The boy blushed as soon as he heard the older man chuckle, he wasn't working under the man, yet he still had to salute. Roy waved a hand, "You don't have to do that, Alphonse-kun."
"G-general, you give me funds to look for my brother-"
"- Yes, and that's because I feel resposible for his dissapearance. I don't want a kid to work for me anymore," how ironic, Alphonse's still risking his life to look for his brother, and Roy let's him do what he wants.
Alphonse's expression saddens, "I'm sorry. I couldn't find him in the west either..."
Roy already knew when Alphonse entered. If his brother is ever found, he's probably the first one to enter, to thank or to scold Roy for letting Al go alone. "No need to apologize. If you need any more cash, I'll gladly lend you some. Besides I got tired of spending them on women," the Flame Alchemist mused.
"Th-thank you, General..." the boy bows, feeling grateful. He knows he wouldn't be able to move forward without anyone helping him with... money. He's not a State Alchemist to have easy-money.
The boy looks out of the window when he heard the rain outside grew stronger and noisier, then Roy's annoyed snort. He sat down on one of the couches there, knowing that he's also stuck inside the office- if he doesn't want to get wet. "Being the Flame Alchemist, you had a lot of enemies..." Alphonse plainly pointed out the rain.
"I am NOT useless when it rains," Roy said offensively, "I just hate to get wet, that's all," he added, but the younger Alchemist wasn't contented with the answer. Maybe it's just like his brother's reason...?
"Ehh? Niisan doesn't like the rain because of... his automail and some- memories..." Al made sure his memory doesn't fail him while he was talking. He doesn't want to start blurting out false stories. "You have bad memories about the rain too?" he curiously asks, as soon as he noticed the troubled look on Roy's face.
"Lately, just one, I guess," Roy held the eyepatched side of his face. Was he going to talk about it again? He was hesitant as soon as he turns his gaze at the boy in front of him. The boy worries a lot- 'and he rarely get's to talk with anyone...'
Alphonse frantically waved his hands, "It's alright if it's too hard to talk about! I-I was just a bit..." the General shook his head, smiling.
Then he started, "It was a few days after those incidents happened," Edward's dissapearance and the Fuhrer's death, "It was raining hard at that time, I've decided I wanted to lower myself to Private, because of my- uselessness..." he didn't like to use the term, but it's the best word to be used on him.
"Y-you weren't useless!" Alphonse objects, Roy had to grin at that. He likes it when someone says he's not useless.
"Calm down Alphonse-kun. If your brother was here, he could've did the same thing Havoc did to me," Alphonse looked at the man questioningly, "A punch on the face, then everyone gave me a silent treatment after scolding me."
They said--
"You're useless..."
"You're weak..."
Roy closed his eyes as soon as he remembers the last thing they said to him, "Brigadier General Hughes' death would be in vain if you lower yourself like this..."
"I had a promise to keep, and everyone reminded me that..." Roy trails off, as he stares at the boy.
"To be... Fuhrer... Am I right?" the older Alchemist nods. "Havoc punched me on the left side of my face," Roy pointed at his eyepatch, then a sarcastic laugh, "It hasn't healed much at that time. Every now and then whenever it rains, it starts to sting. A very painful reminder of my foolish decision."
Alphonse still looked at him with a worried face, "Same as Niisan, then..." much to Roy's surprise, the boy stood up. His gaze followed the Alphonse until the boy's behind him, "Alphonse-kun?"
A pair of gloved hands rested on the General's shoulder's, "You're just like a kitten that's afraid of the rain..." the boy whispers as he started to massage the man's shoulder's.
Roy relaxed at this, Alphonse's hands were gentle even with the glove on and his movements were like a woman's, he smirked at the thought, "Not a kitten, I'm probably an old cat by now," he corrected the smiling boy.
"Am I doing alright? I haven't been doing this for years..." Alphonse worriedly asks, but was relieved when Roy gave a nod, then turns to look at him, "You're doing great..." he smiles assuringly at the young Alchemist.
"I'm glad that I cheered you up on this rainy day," Alphonse cheerfully said, "At last you smiled for real this time!"
The smile on Roy's face didn't falter, "So I did..."
"See? Rainy days aren't that bad. It get's rid off the heat of the sun, and it keeps you really cool-," Alphonse continues his massaging as he gives his reason why he likes the rain, "- and it's wet-"
"- Yes, it's wet, that's why I hate it," Roy frowns. He has already forgotten about the rain when Alphonse reminded him about it, 'Thanks for ruining the mood you freakin' rain,' he mentally cursed.
"I- I'm sorry, General," the boy was about to move away when Roy held his hand.
"Stay. You didn't do anything wrong."
Alphonse looks down on his feet, Roy could tell that the boy was feeling... guilty? "I shouldn'tve... It's just like I'm trying to cheer Niisan up- but you're not him- I-" he stuttered.
Roy had to smile at that, he wasn't offended by it. His subordinates has always said that him and Edward usually fight because their ego's were equal, and none wanted to loose to the other- they were very much the same in some ways. Maybe his actions reminds the younger Elric about his older brother, "Cheer me up all you want, Alphonse-kun."
"Eh?" a pair of confused dark-golden eyes gazed up at him.
"The rain will take a while, all we can do is keep each other company until it ends..." a confident smile appeared on Roy's lips, that encouraged the boy to smile a bit.
Alphonse slowly walks back towards Roy, "... Niisan likes it when I... massage his back..." again, he lays his gloved hands on the General's shoulder's, "The pain of the automail... and the bad memories will be left forgotten..."
"You're brother's really lucky to have you..."
The boy blushes at the compliment, but... "Thank you, but, General..."
"Hm?"
"I sense a hint of jealousy..." Alphonse sadly stated.
Roy sadly smiles, "I always feel jealous of everyone eversince Hughes died. It seems everyone had their partners while I... ... ... Please don't mind it."
The atmosphere inside the room started to feel heavy when it became silent, and both didn't like it. "Uhm... It's kinda cold isn't it?" Alphonse honestly said as he felt a cool breeze pass by him.
The General gave a sound of agreement, "Any suggestion's on how to keep warm?" Alphonse's face flushed, and he moves away from Roy. The older man notices this and he laughs at the boy's misunderstanding, he didn't mean to talk about sex or anything, "I mean if you remember Edward cuddling beside you in front of a warm fireplace--" That would be a nice thought if it was him and Alphonse, "- drinking warm milk or the likes."
Alphonse gave a sigh of relief, and he feels slightly stupid for his reactions earlier, "Ah, we prefer drinking Hot chocolate, since Niisan didn't like... milk..." there was a nostalgic smile on the boy's face as he reminisces, "That was when we were younger. I couldn't remember much when I was in the armor."
"Hot chocolate? Are you good at making some?" Roy inquires, and the boy nods, smiling. Maybe the boy would get the hint that Roy wanted to drink some... right now...
"I'm quite good at it since I had to try some different mixtures so Niisan will enjoy it without milk," Alphonse grins, "I can make some if you like-" Roy smirk's at this, "- but it looks like we don't have some hot chocolate ingridients..." the boy sadly stated.
Alphonse smiles a broad smile suddenly as a thought hit him, "There's a grocery store just outside the HQ, maybe we can... go out in the rain and..." Roy's good eye widens, realizing what the boy's implying.
"No, no, I won't run out in the rain," he glares at the still smiling boy. Now his eyes were sparkling as he spoke to the General again, "It'll feel a lot nicer if we're wet from the rain, then we'll drink hot chocolate afterwards in front of a fireplace," he says dreamily.
"I have a fireplace at home, but you can't push me out in the rain," Roy huffed, as he crosses his arms over his chest.
-
After a few minutes of persuading, Roy gave in and found himself outside the front door of the HQ, he hasn't stepped out in the rain- yet, but he was glaring at the dark sky.
"Genera-l!" Alphonse happily called out, waving his hand vibrantly, "Come on!"
He didn't want to embarass himself in front of the boy. 'Roy. You are a brave man, and a brave man is not afraid of-' he looks up the sky, it's still very dark, '- getting wet in the rain' he moves a foot forward, then another, until he could feel the rain on his head. Then he started to shake. 'I can hear them... calling me useless' he thought as he imagines the people who teases him useless...
But... "Roy, come on!" he can hear Hughes call him. The taller man was already out in the rain. Roy sighs as he remembers the man... he was a bit thankful, for Alphonse's slight encouragement to go out and get themselves wet. A little reminder of what he's lost and missed...
Hughes was the only person who can push him in the rain...
Alphonse jumps around, clapping his hands gleefully, then he held the older man's ungloved hand, "Let's go then!" he led the poor shaking General out in the cold rain.
-
"Thank you, for the treat, General," Alphonse grins as he held the cup of hot chocolate, while he shares a blanket with Roy, in front of the fireplace, getting themselves dry.
"I'm never going to do that again..." The older alchemist was still shaking, now from the coldness of his wet skin and hair, "I think I might get a- Ha-" he hurriedly faces away "- Ha-ching!" he sneezed hard, and this made the boy beside him giggle.
"You should get out more often. You're body's not used to the change of the weather..." the boy kindly suggested, but the General shook his head.
"No... I just hate the rain, and it hates me..."
The boy giggles again, "It happens to Niisan too... You really are the same in your own little ways," he teased, and this made Roy scowl at the mention of the Fullmetal Alchemist.
"It makes the weather more bad. Please don't talk about Fullmetal while I'm feeling sick..."
"Don't worry, the hot chocolate will keep you warm, you won't get sick," the boy assures him.
"Hope so... I still have a lot of paperwork to do and I have to give your allowance tomorrow," he reminded the boy, who smiles up at him.
He was really thankful for the General's help, "If you're going to do that paperwork tomorrow, lazy General," he had always known- heard about the General's laziness from his subordinates.
"Don't ruin the mood again, Alphonse-kun."
Wakas
Mmm... Hot chocolate...XDXDXD I obviously hurried the few last parts, so sorry about that. I was already lacking of describing words...
'Haching' is more like a tagalog form of 'hachoo', FYI
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Thanks for reading!
Salamat!
Pictomancer Murasaki