Disclaimer: As much as I wish it wasn't true, I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. *pouts*
It was an ordinary day. He had procrastinated, like usual, causing Riza to empty a magazine into the wall around his head. He rushed to get his papers done, trying to look casual when someone walked in. Hughes had come right at noon, like clockwork every day, and shown Roy his newest pictures, pictures that he really didn't care about.
The only thing different about this particular day was the omnipresent tension hanging in the air, everyone in the vicinity practically sweating in nervousness. Fullmetal had just got back from a mission, but he had to be admitted to the hospital. Everyone was on edge, fidgeting more than they usually do. They all let out a unanimous sigh of relief when he strode though the door with only a slight limp.
"Ha, that'll teach those bastards! Come on, Al, we've got a report to turn in."
The door to his office burst off of it's hinges, one of Fullmetal's legs (probably the left one) still poised in a kicking position, smirking slightly. It didn't really bother him that much, but to humor the boy he said: "Easy, Fullmetal. I don't think the door can handle much of your abuse." He peered up at them through amused eyes. "Although I don't thing that your small body effected it much."
The explosion, while magnificent, was also very destructive, which meant more paperwork for him. Sigh.
They wrap up their meeting, but before the two young man can leave, he stops the older of the two. "Fullmetal, can I ask you something?"
The younger alchemist looks wary, but he sits back down anyways.
Roy sighs, not knowing how to phrase this. "Well, this has been bothering me for quite some bit, but I didn't know how to ask you."
Fullmetal looks even more suspicious. "What do you want to ask?"
Roy rubs his temples, looking at the blonde cautiously. "I just wanted to know... What does Alphonse look like?"
He has never seen the boy as silent as he was now, his eyes wide and his jaw gaping. It must have occurred to the boy that while they've all known Al for a long time, none of them actually know what he looks like.
Finally, he stands up and leaves. Roy isn't surprised.
He is surprised the next day, however, when Fullmetal hands him an envelope the next day. He waits until he gets into his office to open it.
'Dear Colonel bastard,
I thought about what you said yesterday. I realized that none of you have actually seen Al. I guess I just assumed that you all knew what he looked like. Anyways, I scrounged around a bit and I found this picture. It's a little bit after our mother died. I look at this picture sometimes because his face gets blurry to me sometimes as well. Give it back soon, okay?
-Fullmetal'
He shakes the photograph out of the envelope. It's thin and ragged, worn by years of being in the bottom of suitcases and pockets. He carefully unfolds it, unknowing of what's inside.
The first person he sees is Edward, only because he's familiar. His hair is short, like the first time he saw him, and he was grinning widely, bigger than he had ever seen on Ed. His eyes were happy and carefree, and Roy almost doesn't recognize him. The eyes of the little boy in he picture are so much brighter than the haunted eyes of his subordinate. He's holding a long, sharp stick, a fish skewered on the end.
Next to Edward there is a boy that Roy does not recognize. He's slightly bigger than Ed, and he has darker hair and eyes, still similar, but not quite the same. He has a big smile as well, but it's not the shit eating grin of the other boy. His smile is soft and full of life and happiness. His bronze eyes say the same thing. He realizes that this is Alphonse.
He realizes, with a painful jerk, that that face, those wonderful smiles and lively eyes have been forcefully removed by a force beyond their comprehension. He realizes suddenly what Ed is fighting for. Before seeing the picture, Al was a huge suit of armor, simply because that's how he's always been to them. It was like Ed was born with automail and Al was born armor.
But now that he can connect a face to the voice, to the name, this whole thing is so much more real. Al is not an indestructible 6 foot tall sheet of metal, he's a little boy with big eyes and even bigger dreams.
He shows the picture to his office. They need the motivation. They all do. They need to help.
Because they'll be damned if they let this small boy continue to live the hell he does.
Later, Roy slips the picture to Ed. They don't need the picture. None of them do.
They all know what they're fighting for now.