Title: Failed Expectations
Day/Theme: 4 October / given the scalpel, they dissect a kiss
Series: Fullmetal Alchemist
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Mei, Al
A/N: Oh god, why did I write this? I wanted to write a Mei/Al, sure, but the ending. So fluffy. X.X And not to mention how monologue-ish it is. D:
Summary: There were things that Mei never expected to find, all those years ago when training was her life.
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Years ago, when Mei trained to the bone (memorizing symbols, improving stamina, gaining strength) she never expected this to happen. She expected many things, some of which did happen, but never this.
(She remembers wishing for power and honour and to never have to fear that they'll die alone. She remembers wishing this in the pre-dawn morning, the stars still glittering in the sky, her hands chilled as she started her morning practices.)
"We're almost there," Al grins to her, as they walk those last kilometers to their next town. It's a small town, one that can't be found on a map. There are farms scattered here and there on the road, cows lifting their heads to greet the strangers before returning to chew.
"Finally!" She groans, slightly, her feet tired from walking all night.
It's peaceful here, she thinks as they spot the town, its small form growing larger with each step. Peaceful and quiet and not unlike her hometown.
Only, there is a difference, and that is the lack of tension. There is no one watching her, expecting her to bring back glory and power to her clan. Each move she made then was corrected, until she knew without a doubt what to do, where to go, how to react. Immortality would be found by her, would be delivered by her, and she would be the pride of the newly risen clan.
Yet, life never does work out that way, does it? She almost laughs at that. She isn't a pampered princess or a disgraced heir. No, she's walking through the middle of nowhere, dusty and sleepy, with only the sun as her compass.
It's almost refreshing.
"Ready to get some rest?" Al asks her, smiling gently as he nods to the nearest hotel.
This is something else she didn't expect-his blonde hair shifting in the breeze, his eyes laughing gently as she looks at him dazed. His hands curl around her wrist, tugging her carefully so she follows him in the building.
She had wanted a prince (to save her, to give her something to hope for) and had instead found Al.
And had found the one thing she didn't think she would ever get, those evenings when she'd collapse on her bed, dead-tired and lost to the world:
Happiness.