A/N: Just a little something my sister and I came up with while we were thinking about Al learning alkahestry from May in Xing. It was poorly thought out and written, but oh well. May mentioned once in the anime that the Chang clan was the poorest one in Xing, so I envisioned them living in royal tents. Some things have probably changed since the Yao clan allied with them, but like I said, oh well. xD I still had fun with this, and I hope it's at least somewhat enjoyable/realistic. Also, I'm in LOVE with this sweet couple, so I hope I did them justice and kept them in character. ^_^ Much thanks to my sister, Cara, for all her help!
Disclaimer: *tsundere mode* B-baka! Of course I don't own FMAB..! *blushublushu*
Al had awakened to the sound of rain pattering the royal Chang tent he was residing in, realizing with disappointment that this meant no alkahestry training today.
Despite the fact that he loved to stay active and keep learning, Al knew that skipping another alkahestry session wasn't what really disappointed him.
The fact that he wouldn't get to see May as much today, if at all, was.
Though it was true that, in the beginning, Al had disregarded any teasing about May that Ed, Zampano, and Jerso had to offer, now even any offhand mention about May brought color to his cheeks.
He wasn't sure what brought on the transition. Maybe it was the way May's ebony eyes had lit up when he'd first arrived in Xing and she'd gotten to see him for the first time since she'd left Amestris two years prior. Maybe it was the way she had matured while still maintaining some of her childishness to where it was endearing. Maybe it was the memory of May helping him transmute his armored body, the memory of her tearfully hugging him after he'd gotten his body back from the Gate. Maybe it was the cute way she giggled, the way her eyes warmed whenever she she smiled at him, the way she'd readily agreed to teach him alkahestry, the way she patiently instructed him. He remembered with a soft smile how he and May had clashed heads the first time she'd tried to teach him alkahestry, back in Amestris, in the snowy Ishvalan refugee village. Now... now she was a good teacher.
But maybe...maybe it was the way he realized that May had fallen for him back when he was in the suit of armor.. that she had liked him for him. Before even truly seeing him on the outside. She'd looked past the outward, into the inward. Seen him for who he truly was. Not as the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother (or even mistaken him as the Fullmetal Alchemist himself). Not just the "armor guy". But as Alphonse Elric.
That made Al feel.. special.
He was startled out of his reverie from the tent flap opening to reveal the course of his thoughts. "May!"
"Hi, Alphonse!" The Xingese princess was drenched as she ducked inside, the intricate braids delicately wrapped about her head soaked as rain droplets streaked her sheepishly smiling face. She had her hands cupped around something, but Al didn't take the time to figure out what it was. Instead he fetched her a towel, draping it around her shoulders.
"Have a seat. You're going to catch a cold," he chided gently, gathering up one of his blankets too.
May gave a shake of her head, beaming at him. "It's okay, I'm used to the weather here! But it's so sweet of you to worry, Alphonse-sama," she added, her eyes containing a glow that touched something deep inside of him he couldn't place. Then she extended what she'd been carrying, holding it out to him. "Here, I brought you some jasmine tea! Don't worry, I made sure no rain got in it."
Al bundled the blanket around her despite her assurance, then blinked as he sat in front of her. "For me? Aw, May, you didn't have to come all the way out here in the rain." He accepted the steaming mug, sending a smile her way. "Thank you."
"I wanted to," she insisted, seeming to brighten even more at his smile. "Hot drinks are nice to have on a cold day." May seemed to grow a little more bashful, lightly fidgeting underneath the blanket. Al admired how anything she said or did oozed cuteness. "Besides.. I... I wanted to see you," she admitted.
And, for a moment, Al forgot how to breathe. Which was a pretty bad thing, because he'd been in mid-sip, and it resulted in a paroxysm of coughs. It took "taking his breath away" on a whole new, literal level.
May's high-pitched voice squeaked as she characteristically freaked out. "Alphonse! What's wrong? Are you sick?" The torrent of questions flew out as she dashed to his side to pat him firmly on the back.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured with a sheepish laugh, lifting his free hand to rub the back of his golden head. "It just went down the wrong pipe, is all." He could've gazed into her concerned, vast ebony gems that were eyes all night, but he chose to swiftly change the subject instead. "Where's Xiao Mei?"
"Oh, she's back in my room taking a cat nap," May confirmed with a giggle.
Al beamed at the adorable mental image of Xiao Mei curled up sleeping. "Today's a good day for it," he remarked, then his amber eyes danced as he cooed. "Did I tell you she came and slept with me the other night?"
May's face lit up with a grin. "Awww! So that's where she went!" she giggled. "She's gotten so fond of you, Alphonse-sama. Ever since you took care of her back in Amestris." Her eyes softened a fraction as they searched his face. "Thank you for that, by the way."
"O-oh, it was no problem!" Al answered, smiling politely as something inside him stirred at the way she looked at him.
May happened to glance over at his study desk, open Xingese, alkahestric scrolls neatly arranged over the wood with a lantern amidst them. "You never take a break, do you?" she chuckled to herself, having long known that the Elric brothers knew the essence of hard work.
As if reading her thoughts, Al offered a bright smile as he responded with fervor, "Oh, but it's not work to me! Studying is fun! I grew up reading, especially my father's alchemic books. That's how I learned alchemy."
May gauged his glowing expression, glimpsing firsthand his passion for learning. She was fascinated, eager to know every little bit about him, and excited when she learned something new about him. Alphonse never ceased to stop amazing her. "You're so smart, Alphonse," she breathed. As he blushed at the compliment, she glanced over again at the dimming lantern. "I'll have a servant get you another one immediately," she nodded at it.
"Oh, no rush!" Al said quickly, not ready to leave her company anytime soon.
"Oh! Before I forget, I saw to it that servants are coming to serve you lunch soon," May beamed at him, and Al couldn't help but to smile in return. During his entire stay, May had gone out of her way to ensure that he'd been given everything he needed, and he couldn't even begin to express his appreciation for that. Just as he opened his mouth to share the course of his thoughts with her, she began to speak again, but this time quietly, her voice more plaintive. "Alphonse... you could have gone to any other clan in Xing to learn alkahestry. You could have gone to Ling and stayed at the Imperial Palace. You could stay somewhere luxurious and get more professional teaching." She lifted big eyes to him. "Why did you choose to come here? To the Chang clan?"
Al's breath hitched in his throat, lost in her gaze. Thoughtful silence ensued for a moment as he took the time to express his thoughts with carefully-chosen words. "People like this clan have more values. They can appreciate the small things more than people who have everything. And good values are a better aid to teaching something like alkahestry, the way I see it," he concluded sincerely, honesty ringing clearly in his words.
Even though it lacked the answer May had hoped for, she couldn't find the heart to be disappointed with such an earnest response. "Alphonse... you're so amazing," she murmured in complete awe of the incredible person he was.
Spots of warmth touched Al's cheeks. "I'm not.. but you didn't let me finish." He hesitated only a moment as he admitted, "I came for you, too. I wanted to see you."
May's breath caught. "Really, Alphonse? Did you really?" Her eyes shone, and Al knew then he didn't have any regrets of what he'd just confessed.
With a nod, he dared to continue. "Back home in Amestris.. in the past two years, a day hasn't pass where I didn't think of you." He was shyly averting his gaze as he pressed on. "You were always on my mind. So... I had to see you again. That's why I chose to come here. Even though you make a great alkahestry teacher," he added genuinely, finally raising his gaze to hers. ...Only to be chagrined at the sight of tears in those big beautiful eyes of hers. "N-no!" he squeaked, flailing his hands about in panic. "Don't do...come on... stop crying... please don't... wah! May!" He frantically searched around for a tissue. "Ugh, I don't like it when girls cry! I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm sorry!"
"Alphonse!" she interrupted him, drawing closer. "They're not bad tears!" she assured, sniffling and wiping at her eyes with the biggest smile on her face he'd ever seen. "I'm just really happy!" Instead of staying in place, she kept drawing closer, and Al was rendered breathless a second time that night, finding himself instinctively leaning in as well.
Their lips met just as the flame inside the lantern flickered out, shrouding them in darkness.