I was feeling gloomy, so I decided that Elric Brotherly Fluff would cheer me up. It did. So here it is- maybe it can cheer you up, too.

This is NOT, in any way, Elricest. This is purely brotherly love.

It is slightly AU because Al never got made into the Philosopher's Stone. Scar made it on his own, but the transmutation was too much for him and he died. The Elrics found it in the ruins, and after defeating the homunculi, they decide to finally put it to the use they had been hoping to since the day they joined the military.

I own nothing.

Elation

It was Edward's masterpiece, of that there was no doubt. The transmutation circle that stretched across the floor was a thing of beauty, deceptively simple, breathtakingly elegant, every arc calculated to the very last degree, every symbol carefully chosen and lovingly drawn out on the floor. They had been over it a thousand times, and there was not one fault visible to their trained eyes. The lines flowed smoothly around one another and into one another, meeting and spiralling without so much as a single smudge or blemish. The symbols were clear as day, and the calculations that had gone into this array had been checked and rechecked a thousand times over. Within its center, there was yet another transmutation circle- arrays within arrays. It had never been tested before, but Edward felt it was necessary.

The second transmutation circle, drawn in his blood, was an exact replica of Al's blood seal. Edward would be performing two transmutations at once- making the body and binding the soul.

Al took a seat in the center of the circle, a tiny identical array etched into his forehead with a master jeweller's precision. Beside him was a basin of mixed elements- the same elements they'd had in their circle when they tried to bring back their mother.

Edward looked at his little brother. In his hands was the stone they'd searched for for so long- the Philosopher's Stone.

"Ready Al?"

"I trust you, brother."

Edward clapped his hands, and placed them on the edge of the circle.

It was the hardest and most exhausting transmutation he'd ever done, even with the Philosopher's Stone.

The circle glowed so brilliantly it was impossible to see what was happening within- the light was a blinding white colour that obscured everything. Edward could barely see, exhaustion and light and heat and the buffeting wind his reaction was producing all assaulting him at once. The stone was glowing brighter than it ever had before as Edward drew on its energy to feed his transmutation.

The brilliant white glow began to fade, but where Al had been stood a cyclone of red light spun. It was the blood seal, hanging in the air before- Edward almost couldn't believe his eyes- before a silhouette, an outline of a human form that was slowly beginning to be filled in.

Soft, unblemished, new skin, soft sandy brown hair, four limbs, each ending with a hand or foot. Ten fingers, ten toes. A rapidly forming face- young, with wide, silver eyes and a sweet smile...

It was Alphonse. In every wonderful, amazing, breathtaking way, it was Alphonse. The glowing blood seal in the air before him flashed brilliantly bright and then etched itself across his forehead, across each arm and leg, and over his heart, before fading until only the one on his chest remained, tattooed permanently over the place that was said to be the seat of the soul.

Edward wasn't sure when he'd started crying, but the tears of relief and joy came thick and fast as the energy he was pushing into the circle ebbed and Al fell to the floor, his form still and unblemished and naked and breathing.

He rushed into the circle to take his brother into his arms and cried into sandy brown hair. He pulled off his coat and wrapped it around the slightly smaller form, and hugged him as he hadn't been able to in so many long, painful years.

Alphonse had not felt anything for all of those years, but now as he felt his brother's mismatched arms around him he could feel every last detail- the hardness of metal and the softness of flesh, his brother's rough, callused hand, his brother's tears, his brother's hair falling over his face, his brother's coat wrapped around him. He could feel the pressure of fingertips in his shoulder and the warmth of another human being beside him.

There was nothing said, nothing that needed to be said, as Alphonse turned and buried his head in his brother's shoulder and wrapped new arms around him. They sat like that for a long time, overcome with relief and gratitude and pure elation.

They didn't move for what seemed like hours, but Ed pulled himself away to fetch the clothes they had bought for Alphonse into the circle. Al pulled them on a little unsteadily, but he quickly found that moving his new limbs was easy. It came to him without thinking, the way he supposed a baby's limbs might, although they didn't always want to go in the right direction. Edward was laughing and crying all at once as he helped Al button up his shirt and tie back his long, sandy hair. He hoisted his brother to his unsteady feet and pulled him close again, unable to stop himself from reaching out to make sure it wasn't a dream, he was really there, flesh and blood, warm, breathing, a pulse racing through his body. It was so amazing, so utterly amazing, to really be here, holding his human brother in his arms and feeling his heart beating and the warmth of his breath and the totally, utterly human tears that spilled down his cheeks. His little brother. His little brother, whole, complete. Really, truly Alphonse Elric.

"Al," he said, hoarse, quiet, voice struggling through choked sobs and relieved, ecstatic laughter to be heard.

Alphonse smiled a wide, brilliant smile, and hugged Ed back with all of his new strength.

"Brother."