Okay, so this is my first try at FMA fanfic, taking place after the movie left. As you can see, this is Roy/Ed, although that's eventual. Maybe later I'll try and put some more others with different pairings, but for the mean time I guess Roy/Ed will be the one that I clung onto. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my first try!


- Chapter 1 -

The busy afternoon life in the city of Munich did nothing to reduce the coolness, although it could still bring a quite annoying headache to a certain blond sitting inside a café. The café itself was located pretty far from the center of the city, and was quite vacant.

Edward stared at the white porcelain mug in front of him, steam floating from the black coffee below. He sniffed the steam, the sharp scent filling his nose. He exhaled, and raised his automail to support his head. His eyes wandered around the interior of the café, two couples were busy chit-chatting with each other, and several ancient-looking furnitures with dim lighting added to his boredom level. He turned his head back to the mug in front of him, and sighed. He still had about half an hour before Al would come out from the college, and he didn't really have anything to do, so that's why he had ended up here. He brought the white mug to his lips and sipped the black liquid, savoring the taste and letting it flow down through his throat, warming his body.

After finishing half of the contents, he placed the mug back onto the table. He didn't feel like emptying the mug, and walking to his brother's college would take him approximately 15 minutes, so he stood up and left some money on the table. The door clunked closed behind and cool winds immediately welcomed him. Shivers ran up his spine, and he looked up warily to the grey sky. It seemed like it would start snowing again soon, so he hurried as he headed up to the college, hugging himself as he walked. At times like this, having automail is a bit annoying, those metals absorbing the coldness quicker than your body. He wore his grey jacket around himself, red scarf circled around his neck.

Edward finally arrived at his brother's college, after several times of nearly crashing into someone. None of the students seemed to be out already, so he decided to stroll around the park, until he found an empty seat. His body fell gracelessly to the cold wood, taking the medium-sized chair only for himself. Closing his eyes, Edward leaned his head to the hard steel grip. His mind flew farther away, out of this world and passing through the Gate, and landed into Central-his home.

Alphonse ran through the crowds of people, arriving outside the college a minute later. His breaths came out as a white mist, and he began turning his head a bit frantically to search for his brother. He sighed in relief as he found the almost-covered-in-snow footsteps of his brother, and followed the tracks until he found Ed on a garden chair, looking like he was asleep. Normal people may have thought so, but Al knew better than them. His brother is not asleep… he's thinking about his home-their homeland.

Al felt kind of bad to wake his brother up from his thinking, but they needed to head back to their house. So he approached his brother slowly. "Brother?" he called quietly.

Ed, hearing Al's voice, cracked open his right eye slowly, followed by the left one. Slowly, he lifted his head up, and messed his hair, not caring about the braid. Now in a complete sitting position, he could see his brother clearly. He let out a tired groan from the pain of his back, and finally dragged himself down and off the chair. "Come on Al… let's go home."

Al noticed what state his brother was in, trailed behind him quickly, and asked, "what's wrong, Brother?" He'd been living with Ed long enough to know that there's something bothering his brother.

Ed slowed his pace a bit but said nothing, instead just shrugging it off like nothing. Except that it is not a nothing, but a very important matter. He shoved his hands into the jacket pockets, his automail was starting to get cold.

Al's expression turned softer, and he paced to get at his brother's side. "You know, Brother, if there's something bothering you, you could always tell me. I'm here to listen and help you, because isn't that what brothers are for?"

Ed slowed into a stop, and turned to face his brother. He stared deep into his brother's eyes, as if searching for something… an answer. He closed his eyes and continued to walk to the car park, muttering, "later, Al, I'm… not really ready to tell you just yet. Maybe later, when we get to the car, or the apartment."

Al said nothing more, leaving his brother to think about the problem as the two of them walked the path to their vehicle. They entered the black vehicle and Ed turned it on; the engine roared to life, bringing the machine forward.

Ed took off his red scarf and threw it carelessly into the empty seat next to him, since Al was sitting in the back seat. He turned the heater on, feeling warmer already. As they passed the roads and buildings, Ed saw the reflection of his brother from the head mirror. He mustered some self-confidence to talk about this to his brother, and so he called slowly, "Al?"

Hearing his brother, Al answered, "yeah?"

Ed bit a bit of his lower lip but went unnoticed by Al. "I was just wondering… will we ever be able to return to Central-I mean, Amestris? It's not that I hate this place, it's just… ah, how am I supposed to tell you?"

Truth be told, Al was caught a bit off-guard when Ed asked that question. Being here for almost two years now, and never once Ed asked something like that. He was going to ask why, Brother? first, but decided against it. "I hold the same hope as you do, Brother, to be able to return to Amestris someday, somehow… I miss the country badly, and our friends there. I want to see them all again, to use alchemy again, to have the real thing again, not any imagination or dreams." Al sighed, then continued, "it's like a part of me is missing, and could never be filled with anything from this world…"

Ed lifted his automail hand, and stared at it for a moment before returning his attention to the road. He let out a sigh also, and said, "it's all the same for me, Al… I miss our home. Miss the wrench goddess, old Auntie Pinako… I even miss the colonel bastard." Ed paused, as if letting those words evaporate first, before continuing under his brother's soft gaze, "I need my automail repaired. And however hard I try to adapt, I still can't throw away the feeling to use alchemy sometimes… I guess it's the side effect of being an alchemist." Ed finished with a bitter chuckle. "Aside from the fact that it robbed us from our dearest things."

"It did rob us from things we loved, I agree with you, Brother." Alphonse moved his eyes to the passing vehicles and buildings, before continuing with a softer voice, "but then, we wouldn't be able to be here, in a place like this, in a state like this. It robbed us of our mother, then it gave something else for us to live in. The Gate is unfair at times, I know, but when you think about it, having a brand new experience because of our loss, it pays off also, even though not fully."

"Equivalent exchange, right?" Edward confirmed, and after Al nodded invisibly, spoke again, "even still, I couldn't help but to believe in it… that we have to lose something to gain something, despite the fact that sometimes the theory we've always believed in needed us to pay an even greater price." Edward sighed, "blasted theory and Gate."

Alphonse twiddled his fingers, and stayed silent for some time. Instead of replying, he turned to face the car window. Before his brother had asked him about Amestris, he had already tried to forget about it… but however much you hated the country you were born, home is always something you'll miss.

Noticing Al's sudden thinking state, Ed waved his flesh hand at Al, saying, "drop the topic, Al. It's not interesting anymore." But he was lying.

Alphonse merely nodded, the look in his eyes said otherwise. Al knew, when Edward asked something like that, then there must be something bothering him very much. "I promise we'll eventually find a way back home, Brother. I promise you that with all my heart, mind, soul, or whatever I am worth of." Alphonse said firmly, eyes staring at the back of Edward's neck intently, which he could guarantee Ed could feel. His brother had some sort of a very high sense of surrounding… and an awesome instinct.

Had Ed not been driving, he'd probably stop for one second before continuing again. He just cracked a sad smile, contemplating about the possibilities of their return to Amestris.

The black vehicle skidded to a halt in front of their apartment, letting Al out first. Edward parked the vehicle in the small field next to the apartment, and then followed Al with his jacket on his right shoulder. He spared a glance to the snow-covered surroundings, before entering the orange-lighted room inside, eyes searching for Alphonse. He found Al near the stairs, waving a hand at him, so he ran up the stairs along with Al.

Unlocking their apartment door, Alphonse flicked on the switch, Ed slumped into the black, long couch. Their apartment was big enough for the two brothers, even with the cheap price.

Two bedrooms with single beds, each packed with a small bathroom; a kitchen complete with the utensils; medium-sized living room and a balcony with a view to the outside… what more could they ask for? The apartment itself was owned by an ex-military doctor, whom had been surprisingly nice to the siblings, giving a cut of price to them. Sure, it was located on the outskirts of the city, being more like in a village or something… but that's what Edward and Alphonse were looking for. Their neighbors were also friendly, sparing halves or parts of their food, even though both Elrics are able to buy their own. Living in Munich also taught Edward something new… the art of cooking. Alphonse has yet to study, but for the sake of the living being nearby, Edward must really watch Al when the word 'cook' is mentioned. He won't give Al another chance of the kitchen blowing up, black with ashes, and smoke on the windows. That's another thing Ed must thank the old man for… he even bought them a new stove and refrigerator without asking them to pay! Sometimes Ed wondered if the grandpa knew about them…

Al poked his head out of his bedroom's door, peeking out at his brother. The said man was currently lying on the couch like a dead man, flesh hand covering his face. Feeling his stomach's urge to grumble, Al cleared his throat and called, "Brother? Can we have dinner?" Waiting for a reply that never came, he continued again, "or should I make one?"

In a flash of movement Edward was in the kitchen already, jacket now replaced by an apron. "You stay out of the kitchen, Al. Never touch anything again until I allow you, except for the one and only refrigerator left. No touching the stove, or anything like that. When dinner is ready, I'll call you… and in the mean time, you might turn on the television or the radio, whichever you prefer." Edward commanded.

Al just grinned at the reaction his brother had given, believing that Ed wasn't exaggerating about the fact that he and the cooking world weren't meant to be together. He slumped to the armchair for a minute, but stood again to go to the kitchen to grab a cup of tea. After returning from the kitchen, he turned on the TV.

About 15 minutes later, Edward appeared from the kitchen, plates on both hands. The scent called to Al, who immediately went to the dining table.

Edward took off his apron and threw it somewhere, shrugging, and sat on the ancient-looking chair. "This is the only thing I'm capable of making right now… while you go to college tomorrow, I'll go find us some cooking ingredients. The refrigerator is out of content right now, so just enjoy the dinner."

Al scooped up a spoonful of fried rice, munching it for a very short amount of time, before gulping and eyes widening. "Are you serious Brother? This is the best fried rice I've tried! Even better than those that they serve in restaurants!" Al took a spoonful of the rice again, before continuing, "where did you learn how to cook fried rice with this kind of quality?"

Edward just grinned, and took a spoon of the rice for himself. "Being an older brother has its good and bad also… this is one of the good things you get." Edward opened an eye to see his brother eating gluttonously, "from the gypsies before I went to Central the last time…" Ed trailed off at the sudden look from his brother and turned to face the dawning dusk, "before you came."

Al merely stared at his brother, before putting his spoon and fork down. Sighing, he said, "really, Brother," Al paused, and when Ed turned to face him, continued, "I know that there's something that's been bothering you for a while now. You can just tell me, or is it something too private for me to know? I'm here for you, you know. That's why I decided to follow you here in the first place, even though I could have just stayed back in Amestris, not leaving my used-to-be happiness there. If you're not going to tell me, are you just going to save all those thoughts for yourself? Humans are living social beings, Brother, we need each other to continue living."

Letting the spoon and fork clunk onto the table, Edward looked down towards the plate, his brain working on what should he tell Al. It's true, if he kept more of these feelings, he'd go nuts someday later.

Al was waiting patiently for the answer to come. When his brother seemed like he was ready to tell him, he braced himself for the reply.

Edward took a deep breath, before staring right into his brother's eyes with a force that could bore a hole through the wall if possible.

"Ever heard of the word 'sick' and its meaning, Al?"


Well, that's it. Updates are probably going to be slow... but please bear with me? Reviews and critics are greatly appreciated!