: Rainy Nights :

Summary: Elricest. Al finds that the rainy autumn nights in the strange, unfamiliar town of Munich, Germany can be quite calming. Ed finds himself agreeing with this little idea...

Warnings: Shounen-ai, fluff (and lots of it), and the tiniest bit of angst.

Pairing: The cutest, most adorable paring ever, EdxAl! The boys we all love :D

Genre: Romance ('course)

Rating: T

Disclaimer: No I don't own them or the series, obviously. For if I did -- and I'll exaggerate this a little -- Ed and Al would be the main pairing, Roy and Riza would get together officially, and Havoc would propose to Fury! No, he wouldn't be drunk. Oh, and you can't even imagine Winry's doomed fate... -laughs evilly-

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I like the town on rainy nights
When everything is wet--
When all the town has magic lights
And streets of shining jet!

When all the rain about the town
Is like a looking-glass
And all the lights are upside down
Below me as I pass

In all the pool are velvet skies,
And down the dazzling street
A fairy city gleams and lies
In beauty at my feet.

(Irene Thompson)

It was one of those nights. The streets were gleaming with glorious brightness, reflecting the glow of lampposts which were placed every few feet apart. The trees and their branches dripped a moist residue which fell into tiny pools created by the previous storm of the night. All was calm now, all was quite, all was fast asleep. All, that is, except for a young boy peering through the window of a small house which lay practically smack in the middle of an entire row of houses -- apartments, rather.

His name was Alphonse Elric. Not a particularly tall boy, though not too short either, who's height didn't quite own up to his true age of 16. He had the most adorable grey eyes any kid such as himself could have. Long, lush lashes extending from his beautifully crafted eyelids. And if that wasn't enough to yet dazzle one's mind completely, it got even better. His hair, though short and rather scruffy at his bangs, was delicate and soft to the touch; the honey-ish color of it was enough to intoxicate the senses. That is, if you hadn't smelled the rich vanilla-like scent it usually gave off after a good rinse. Yes, though embarrassed as he was, Al couldn't find the will to stop using the addictive-like shampoo. Ed seemed to like the scent well enough so why should he even bother? Besides, no one was going to call him a girl just because he liked to use woman's shampoo. He didn't really know anyone. No one but Ed. Who, well, wasn't even around much anyways...

Al's gaze flickered toward the clock tower which hung high above the rest of the buildings. 12:34 it read. Al breathed a sigh of saddened disappointment as he realized that, once again, Ed was late. An hour late, to be precise. An hour and four -- wait, make that five -- whole minutes. It wasn't surprising to him, Ed was always out late. He had work to do, or so he would say...

"A new rocket," he'd asked just this morning, "wouldn't that be great, Al?"

The only reply -- and this Al remembered clearly -- he found himself able to give was in agreement. "Whatever you say, brother," he replied with a substantial lack of enthusiasm.

"Al?" Ed asked worriedly, wondering if he'd done, or said, something wrong.

"Yes, brother?" Al asked, making eye contact with what he'd hoped would pass as a contented look -- the worried expression on Ed's face giving him the clear his that he'd obviously failed.

"Are you... alright?" he asked, his voice wavering just slightly -- slightly enough that none other than Al would be able to find the deepness of his concern in that slight waver of his brother's voice. "I... I know I haven't been around much, here, with you. But I promise it'll all be worth it when we're able to make our way beyond the gate and back into our own world, our home," he said sincerely, laced with what was now obvious concern.

Al gave a reassuring smile, feeling he could do nothing else as he stared into the golden hues of his brother's eyes, a burning hope gleaming within them. "I'm fine, brother. I know this is for the best, even if I do wish to see you--"

"Thanks, Al," Ed said warmly, his expression brightening as he reached to grab his coat. "I'll be back before 11:30. Promise."

Al looked away as Ed slammed the door behind him in record speed. "Yeah..." Al whispered gently, feeling what seemed like the millionth tear that week roll down his cheek. Honestly, he shouldn't feel this damn depressed right now. Not when he had what he'd grieved over for the past year, searching endlessly for it. And that, which he had searched so hard to find was none other than his brother -- Edward.

Blinking out of his trance, Al sighed yet again. The twenty-seventh time that day, not that he was counting. It was more of an instinct now than anything, sighing was. Staring out the window at the tall willow trees which swayed so peacefully in the gentle breeze, he decided he felt like a walk. He'd barely set foot out of their new apartment since he'd arrived with Edward, hardly even speaking to his brother, save for maybe during breakfast, but that was still slow and Al couldn't find much other to talk about other than Winry and perhaps Colonel Roy Mustang and how he's really changed for the better. Ed didn't believe him. Or take even much interest in Winry, which was probably what surprised Al the most about him. Al had always though he'd liked her and couldn't help but to feel a twinge of jealousy each time they'd hugged. He used to think it were because he liked Winry but now he found he wasn't so sure anymore...

Slipping on his jacket and sliding into his boots, Al callously made his way to the door, feeling only that he needed to be free of the apartment he shared with Ed, though he usually felt it was just him, feeling as if it had become more of a cage then a real 'home.' The word was so, well, what to call it? Unable to find? No, that wasn't it... Al knew, deep in his heart that all he had to do wad to try harder. Look for someway out of these prison walls…

And as he broke through the front door of the apartment and the cool air met his warm, unsuspecting skin, he took a deep breathe of relief so as to relish in the moment. The cool night air sent chills sent chills down his spine as he did so. It was surprisingly relaxing and, as he continued walking along the wet sidewalk, he felt himself begin to feel... better. As if something tremendously heavy was slowly being lifted off his shoulders by a helping hand.

There were small pools that looked like wavering glass mirrors as Al stepped in them, as if the were the portal to another realm, another world. Al sighed at this thought, memories of home beginning to cloud his thoughts. Oh, how he missed home. Ed wasn't exactly himself here, in the small town in Germany, he seemed different for some reason. More concentrated and stern had he become, and it was beginning to bother Al. Oh -- and he could say this theoretically -- how he missed his brother. He knew Ed was buried deep within that familiar clone of his brother somewhere, just... where?

Al tried to distract himself by looking up at the sky, trying to imagine himself flying with the stars, anywhere but where he was now. This helped, the soft, cool breeze gently grazing across his face soothed his aching heart, dissolving any momentary depression. He felt... calm.

Al's cheeks began to numb as he kept walking, slowing slightly as he came to a halt before a stout-like willow which leaned to one side, the opposite direction of where the street lay. A soft smile crossed Al's lips as he noticed carvings of hearts and initials in it. There was one, however, which especially caught his eye. E.E. & A.E. it read. There was also a heart enveloping these letters. Al tilted his head to the side to ponder this for a moment. His and Ed's initials, huh... No, Ed wouldn't do this. It was much to cliché and 'romantic' to even... Wait, had Al really just been entertaining the idea that these initials were his and Ed's…? He blushed in embarrassment, feeling a tad bit ashamed of himself.

He heard the pitter patter of small feet approaching behind his and instantly froze. It wasn't so much that he was afraid as he was startled. He turned his head slowly in the direction of the small noise, coming from almost-directly behind him. There was a cat sitting not far away, perched atop a black Volkswagen. The automobiles here weren't much different from the ones back home, Al had noted upon his arrival to this place. That, and the people. Some bore familiar faces of which sometimes scared him, though he did not like admitting it to his brother, so he had just kept quite about it.

The cat meowed at Al, tilting its head just as Al had in that same curious manor. Al smiled a breathed a small sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about the homunculi in this world, though that was probably one of the few good things that came of this foreign land. In Al's opinion, at least. Ed, too, though, seemed rather set on getting home still. Though Al did admit this world was all that bad. It still had cats, after all.

Al smiled and began walking over to the cat, reaching out a friendly hand to rub its matted, yet still soft, fur. It meowed and began purring softly in reply, nuzzling up against Al's gentle hand. "I've never seen you around here before," Al said softly to the cat.

It just continued purring and nuzzling Al's palm.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I suppose you have a home then, don't you?" Al noticed that cat wasn't morbidly bony or thin and looked rather healthily normal to him. Probably well cared for, too.

The cats ears straightened suddenly and its purr came to a slow halt. It looked almost worried. Al felt himself become much like the cat: stiff and still, waiting apprehensively. The cat then lowered its ears after a period of time and looked over to the willow tree where Al had just been standing. It meowed. Al felt as if it was trying to tell him and, foolish as it was, Al couldn't help but feel the need to check it out just in case. He stepped carefully over to where he'd previously stood, wet drops of water dripping over his hair as he stepped beneath the leaves of the willow tree. He slowed his pace, adding much to the suspense of the moment, to peer over behind the wide trunk of the tree before him. He sighed in relief as he found, yet again, nothing wrong. He stepped back to once more admire the E.E. & A.E. initials on the tree, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't help but to give in to the small luxury of smiling and brush his hand against the base of the tree. "I love you, too, brother." Though as he said this, he realized the double meaning behind his words. He really did love his brother. Really...

His expression changed to worry as he wondered briefly of what Edward might think of him, playing a bunch of scenarios through his mind, each one ending with an outraged or downright petrified brother. Then, almost as if the universe were trying to terrify him tonight, a voice came from behind. "…Al?" But it was different this time. The voice which spoke his name so familiarly sounded nothing but kind a warm and Al even noticed that familiar, small as it may be, twinge of concern laced evenly through it.

"Brother?" Al asked before turning to see Edward standing there before him.

"What are you doing out here, Al?" he asked again, his suspicions correct that this was indeed Alphonse he was looking at.

"I was just..." said Al, looking for some sort of reasonable excuse, "taking a walk." He regretted it the moment he'd said it, however. Ed's expression didn't look the least bit pleased.

"It's one in the morning, Al. Who takes a walk at one in the morning?" he question incredulously, using a bit more anger than was necessary.

Al, though he felt foolish for it, couldn't help the tears that began to flow. The tone of Ed's voice alone was enough to unnerve him. Though, the more he thought about it, the more he seemed to recall of the year he'd spent alone, without Ed. Even as a young, brother-less boy, Al hadn't cried, not once. He'd keep telling himself each and every night he spent alone telling himself that he would one day find Ed and rescue him as the good little brother he was would. He wanted to save Ed to save himself. And with that obligation came certain responsibilities. Never was he to cry. Ever. Though, at the present moment, Al found his attempts to stop the tears were in vain and simply let them flow as he began to tell Ed of his past week. "Ed, I hardly ever see you. It's not fair. You left me for a year and I was so sure that you had been wanting to see me, too. But this week... this week has proven just how you feel about me. Obviously, I'm nothing but a burden to you, brother. You're always late from work, no matter how many times you promise, I know it's just another lie. If you want me gone..." and on this, Al hesitated momentarily. "I'll gladly leave."

Ed gazed at him in a mix of emotions: fear, guilt, concern. All became a haze in his mind and Ed nearly felt himself fall over himself. "A-Al..." he stuttered, trying to get closer to Al who, in turn, took another step back. "I'm sorry, so sorry, Al..." he said, knowing Al deserved more, an explanation, but Ed could seem to find the words to give him one.

"Sorry for what, brother?" Al asked, clearly trying to prompt an explanation from him.

"It's just that I... I thought..."

"Yes?" Al pushed as Ed lapsed into silence once more.

"I thought that you had regretted coming here. To see me," Ed said, looking away with an ashamed look on his face. "I didn't think you would follow me. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done." And, at this, Al realized the truth behind Ed's words as Ed began trying to stop the tears from falling. "I didn't want to, you have to know that, but I had to save you." Ed raised his gaze to meet Al's for a moment in earnest sincerity. "And then," he continued, "you were in this world. There couldn't have been a happier moment in my life, save for maybe the day you were born, that could match up to the way I'd felt right then. But I knew it would be difficult. Just adjusting to this place is, well... I couldn't get over the fact that I couldn't use alchemy in this world. Or not to mention the fact my prosthetic limbs didn't function in this world so I was forced to make new ones. Dad helped me with that." By the end of Ed's speech the two had fallen into yet another moment of silence, though this one was different. There was no tension between the two, no awkwardness. In fact, Al found himself staring up -- yes, Ed had, indeed, grown taller in the span of a year -- at Ed in awe. This was the most he'd spoken in the past week and Al finally felt as if he'd found Ed. The real Ed. His brother.

Al took a few steps forward, each moment still gazing into the golden eyes of his gorgeous brother as he approached, opening his arms to envelope Ed in a warm embrace. "I missed you, brother," he said into the crook of Ed's neck, his voice muffled slightly.

Ed smiled warmly down at his brother, resting his chin atop Al's befuzzled, vanilla-scented hair. "Me too."

"Um, Ed...?" His voice was quiet, nervous.

"Yeah, Al?" Ed questioned, still maintaining his soft-hearted look as he pulled away ever so slightly to look Al in the eyes.

"Uh... never mind... It's stupid." A blush was creeping across his cheeks as he said this and he looked away nervously.

Ed tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. "No, it's not. Say it," he encouraged gently.

Al turned around, making Ed wonder if he'd pushed him just a little too hard before he noticed Al gently grazed a hand over the tree before beckoning him over. "I... found our initials," he said, an immediate blush lighting his face in slight embarrassment. Ed peaked around his shoulder. Alright, scratch that; Al was flushed now, cheeks a blaze and fingers mingling nervously. He felt anxious.

Ed noticed immediately what Al had been talking about. "Oh..." he paused briefly to laugh nervously and scratch the back of his head. "Yeah, Alfons, your look alike, thought it would be funny to carve our names," Ed paused to correct himself, it was obvious now to Al that Ed was just as nervous as him and struck Al as a little odd, "initials, sorry -- on this tree after I'd told him about all our adventures and..."--Ed sounded as if he were about to say more but cut it off there--"...yeah."

"'And...' what, brother?" Al inquired, pressing for an answer.

"And..." Ed began and cut himself off almost immediately. "Nothing, Al, really." Al looked less than convinced.

"Ed... I wish you'd just tell me..." he said sadly, feeling a little unworthy.

"Al, it's not like that..." but Ed could hear the raw dishonestly in his own voice.

"Whatever, brother," Al said coldly. "I'm just gonna go home now." And with that, he turned to leave, feeling rather miserable with himself for just doing that to Edward just now.

"Wait," Ed called, grabbing Al's arm, his worried eyes staring at the pale brown of the back of Al's coat.

"What is it?" he hissed, surprised by the harshness of his own tone, not even bothering to turn around, feeling even more disgusted with himself. What was wrong with him...?

"You're right. You deserve to know the truth and... and that's just what I'll give you," he stated firmly. His face was downcast and his slightly wet, golden bangs shadowed his eyes in such a way that gave Al knots in his stomach to see Ed like this.

"Ed...?" His eyes wavered in worry as he said this, a sort of fear of the truth blossoming within him.

"Let me finish," he commanded, though he wasn't harsh about it.

Al stayed quiet, anticipating his next words.

"When I came here, I wasn't sure whether you were okay or even if you were still alive. The day I made it through the gate was the most horrifying day of my life"--Al grimaced as he said this--"and yet, the happiest," he added, making sure Al didn't get the wrong idea. "It was horrifying to see all I had managed to bring back with me to our world was more fighting. A whole year I spent worrying over you Al, it was terrible. And then I met Alfons. We just sort of clicked – as friends -- and he understood why I had to see you again"--Al noticed that as he said this, he shifted his gaze with the slightest hint of guilt in his eyes as if he still refrained to tell him one major factor. "Al..." Ed lifted his eyes to meet Al's and a small blush came over his face. "I just need you to know that..." he paused for a moment to take a deep breath, calming himself in only the slightest, "that… I love you."

Al was dumbstruck. Had Ed really just been fretting about telling Al he loved him? That didn't make any...

But Al's thoughts were interrupted as he felt the slightest of touches caress his lip. Al's grey eyes glistened and opened wide with shock. It was in that very moment did he realize what Ed had really meant when he'd said he'd loved him. He hadn't just meant as a brother... Al felt tears gathering in his eyes.

"Al..." Ed said sadly, breaking the small contact. "I'm sorry, I knew this would happen... I should never have..." But just as Ed was turning to leave Al alone, as he was sure Al would want him to, he felt an unexpected hand grasp his and force him back into a familiarly warm embrace.

"No..." Al whispered through small gasps, tears pouring down his cheeks. He looked up into the golden pools of Ed's eyes and felt his lips curl into a smile -- as he was crying. This nearly confused Ed beyond belief.

"Al... why...?" but he couldn't finish. The way Al was acting temporarily destroyed his train of thought.

"Because of this..." And Al leaned up to caress Ed's lips in a gentle kiss. He pulled back only but an inch to smile and giggle a little. "Because I love you, too, brother."

Ed's eyes fascinated Al; the way they could change so fast was incredible. At first, they showed signs of worry and discomfort but slowly changed to confusion and then finally a happy contentedness. "You... you really...?"

Al nodded. "I always have, brother." And with that, Al snuggled closer against Ed's warm chest and tightened his hold around Ed's slim waist.

"Oh, Al..." Ed said softly, resting his head atop Al's and letting his eyes fall closed in utter bliss. "I love you so much."

And they stood there together. The clouds rumbled with thunder and Ed felt only the slightest drops of rain begin to mix with that of his tears. Happy tears of which he shed in the joy and comfort of knowing his beloved brother felt the same way. The same love they now held together for each other. "Hey, Ed...?" Al asked quietly.

"Yeah, Al?"

Al smiled. "I think I'm beginning to like it here."

Owari!

A/N: You know, I'm actually quite pleased with this fic. I was doing my homework one night, poetry to be precise, and I suddenly felt totally inspired! I'm actually supposed to be memorizing a bunch of works by Irene Thompson (for my report) and thought I might just take a little break. This is the result. I hope you enjoyed it! (I know I should be updating my other fics, please forgive my unthoughtfulness -bows-) Thanks for reading! Please review, I love you, and goodnight! (It's nearly 2am right now) Sincerely yours,

xMysterious Darknessx