Marlow
Chapter one: Simple People, Simple Lives

Rated T
Non-slash. [No HeiEd]
FMA (c) Hiromu Arakawa. Stroy, Uncle Benner, and Alice Rockbell (c) me. No stealing!

Alfons Heiderich did not want to get out of bed. It was cold- he could feel it on the tip of his nose and in the tightness of his chest. He yanked the blanket over his head and curled his body into a tight ball. All he wanted to do was sleep.

Then he remembered he had books to return to the library.

Great. At least it was quiet. Ed must not be up yet.

Alfons groaned. He rolled onto his side and looked at the window. The curtains were drawn over them. He couldn't see out, but he could certainly feel the draft. He really needed to get the window fixed. He sat up, staring at the table clock on his dresser. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Eventually he mustered up the courage and threw the blanket down to the foot of the bed. The cold air seeped into his bones, and he shivered. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretched his arms over his head with a long and rather ungraceful yawn.

Alfons didn't bother with being quiet. He wandered out into the kitchen in his jammies, not really caring if Ed was awake or not.

The flat was cold and dark. Alfons hated the cold, and he despised the dark. Personally, Alfons was more scared of hearing things than seeing things. After all, seeing is believing, right?

That could be logical. Alfons knew that if something could be touched or affected by humans and nature, then it must be real. There was no other explanation!

But that also wasn't logical. He was a man of science, not petty faith and religion. If something cannot be outright explained, then what was the use of that thing's existence? It was just a load of crap and a waste of time.

No, Alfons thought. It's too early to be doing this.

He sighed. He decided to go get the mail when he got back from the library. It would take him at least an hour to walk there and back, and he would not leave the warmth of his flat until later that morning.

Well, almost warmth. Alfons switched the radiator in the corner on. Warm air swirled around him. He stood there for a few minutes in an attempt to regain the feeling in his face.

By the time Alfons opened a cabinet to search for the frying pan- he always forgot where he put it- Edward Elric had lurked into the room. His red-blond hair was strewn around his shoulders in a rat's nest, and his amber eyes were still glazed over with sleep.

"Morning," Alfons greeted.

Ed grunted in reply. He rubbed his eyes drowsily. His joints ached. It was going to rain today. He said as much, then thunked his head onto the dining table.

Alfons sighed again. Once he found the frying pan, he flicked the top of his roommate's head. "No, Ed," he scolded. He opened the icebox, covering up a silent cough.

Ed moaned in protest, but sat up nonetheless. He smiled slightly. His brother Al would have done the same thing. He missed Al. He missed Winry and Granny... and Colonel Mustang. The bastard.

Ed envied Alfons's life. It was so simple. Alfons didn't have to worry about a Philosopher's Stone. He didn't have to worry about men like Scar or Homunculi or gates or Truth or parallel worlds. He just existed. That was his purpose. He just existed to keep Ed from going insane. Sometimes all the simplicity of this world twisted his brain into all kinds of knots. Some days it felt like a noose, ready for one set off to tighten and end all the confusion. And sometimes it just felt like he was going through the motions.

Ed stared at the back of Alfons's head. His hair was white-blond, a true Aryan. A person safe from Adolf Hitler's tirade. It would be just like the Ishbalan War, he could tell. Ed didn't know how many more exterminations he could put up with. Pure German race, my ass. And what would happen to me?

A gnawing headache was starting to form behind Ed's eye. Alfons's finger was stronger than it looked. The German's incessant search for the right plates and glasses didn't help either.

He wanted to go to the university today and just focus on his studies. There was nothing he wanted to do more, but as luck would have it, the university was closed. He sighed and rubbed his temples with the heels of his hands.

...

Alfons had questioned his roommate's sanity many a time, but none more than when Ed started one of his stories. He sighed, which ended in a weak cough.

If Ed noticed, he didn't say anything. This time he was going on about some laboratory used to make Philosopher's Stones. There was no escaping now. Once Ed began, he was an unstoppable force. "...and then Lust speared him through his blood seal. She came out of nowhere."

"He? But isn't a suit of armor a thing?"

"A soul was bonded to it, like my brother Al."

"Oh," Alfons murmured. He glanced out the window of their apartment. The sky was gray and overcast, but it had not rained yet. The grass was vibrant and alive; trees bobbed and nodded in the breeze. In the courtyard below a young girl was reading. She looked to be about Ed's age, if Ed wasn't so short.

Alfons smiled to himself. He watched the girl as Ed rambled on. She had her long hair thrown into a ponytail, and it shined dimly when it caught in the wind. He couldn't see her face, but if he was imagining her correctly, then he would see blue eyes when she turned. She would be safe.

"Hey, Alfons!" Ed's voice snapped Alfons back to reality. He strode over. "What could possibly be more entertaining down there than up here?"

Alfons breathed a laugh. "Just a beautiful day." Alfons opened the window and inhaled the fresh air that wafted in. There was a metallic twinge to the scent, a smell that meant a storm was coming.

Speak of the devil. It started to drizzle right as Ed spotted her.

He stared at the girl in the courtyard. She was putting a marker in her book and gathering her skirt. When she stood up and turned, and when both boys could see her face, Ed froze.

So Alfons had been right. He could see her sparkling blue eyes from here. She certainly was beautiful. He glanced at Ed and saw that his eyes were becoming misty. "Ed? Are you okay?"

Ed nodded absently. "She just-" His voice cracked, and he broke off.

"Looks like someone from your world?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"I haven't seen her before. She must be new."

Ed didn't respond.

"All right, well... I'll go down to the library, then." Alfons received no response again; he watched Ed a minute longer. He grabbed his wallet from his room and his jacket from the coat rack by the door. He slipped it on, then grabbed the stack of books waiting to be returned from the coffee table. He eased the door closed behind him.

Alfons was feeling oddly healthy today, so he hopped down the stairs two at a time. There was a spring in his step when he passed Ms. Gracia's flower shop. "Morning!" he called. She smiled and waved at him before he could turn the corner and enter the open market.

The market was just a street with food and accessory vendors lining the sidewalks. Colorful striped tarps protected the merchandise and vendors from the harsh sun and rain. On sunny days, the vendors would shout out their wares and hope that someone would buy from them. But today was more subdued, so they were as well.

Alfons's stomach growled. He realized he hadn't eaten lunch yet when he passed through. He stopped at the bread stall and purchased a muffin. He only briefly glanced at the other stalls as he nibbled and made his way past the crowds.

To get to the library, Alfons had to pass the pub that most officers hung around after work hours. He hated having to come this way, but there was no alternate route.

"Oh, good morning, Alfons!" someone called. "How're you and Ed doing?"

Alfons stopped to see Officer Hughes leaning against the wall, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Morning, sir. We're both doing well, thanks."

"Good. Hey, you look like you're on the mend. Am I right?"

"I feel like I am. I hope I am."

"Great." Officer Hughes grinned. He glanced at his wristwatch and swore. "Well, I need to head off to work before I'm missed. Looks like the rain won't let up anytime soon."

Alfons chuckled. "Looks can be deceiving."

Hughes pushed himself off the wall and headed the way Alfons came. "I'll see you around."

"All right," Alfons called after him. He ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Hughes's shrinking back for a second before continuing on his way.

...

Dearest Alfons,
I apologize for not writing any sooner. I wish I could come to Munich and see you, but I cannot. Marlow is facing some quite unusual times. Unfortunately, I have not the time to digress on this matter.
I hate to ask you of anything, but do you think you could come down? Things are getting quite dangerous here. Pack light if you do decide to come. And make sure that you are armed. Anything could happen at dawn and dusk.
Phone lines here are dead; I am not even sure if this letter will get to you. I must keep this letter short regardless, for they are starting to come out. I will explain everything once we are face-to-face, I swear.
-Benner

"Uncle Benner doesn't waste any time getting to his points," Alfons chuckled. He leaned back in his seat. "So what do we do?"

It had stopped raining earlier that day. Now it was seven thirty in the evening, and both he and Ed were seated at the dining table. Dinner had been light.

"You're actually asking for my advice?" Ed couldn't hide his surprise. Not once since they had met had Alfons asked for Ed's opinion. On the one hand, Ed would be glad to have some action. It had been a while, and he was getting restless. On the other, this world was not his own, and Ed wasn't sure if he wanted to get tangled up in its affairs. "Well, I won't lie. I'm itching to punch Colonel Bastard in the face, but since he's not here... I guess a thug would do."

"Ed," Alfons said patiently and slowly, as if Ed was stupid, "we would be going to visit my uncle Benner, not punch someone in the face."

Ed huffed. "Yeah, well, you asked me."

"And I regret that," Alfons sighed. "Sounds like he needs help. Wonder what's going on down there."

"Sounds to me like he doesn't know what happening. He lives in Marlow, right?"

"Mhmm. I've never been there. It's been years since I saw Uncle." Alfons rested his chin in his hand. "But... something about this doesn't feel right."

"Yeah. There's something he didn't say. And who exactly are they, anyway?"

A silence fell over the two, each trying to ponder out what could be causing their unease. It stretched on, only altered by the radiator switching itself on. Alfons would have to get that checked. That model wasn't supposed to do that.

Finally Ed scooted his chair back with a flourish and stood. "Well, whatever it is, I'm going to go pack." He made his way back to his bedroom.

"Whoa- where are you going, Mister Sir?" Alfons furrowed his brow.

"To Marlow."

"Not right now, surely!" Alfons called after him.

"No time like the present!" Ed shot back.

Alfons sighed. "Well, you're not going alone!" The German hesitated. Then he got to his feet and jogged to his own room.