Beach (1/?) by flirtyalphonse
Dedicated to the lovely soulelric. What matters is our experiences and growth through life, not necessarily our age. Happy belated birthday!
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The atmosphere distinctly smelled of salt which Alphonse could also taste on lips after dunking his head into the water. With his eyes closed, he floated on his back in the open ocean kicking his legs in a slow rhythm to keep his body buoyant atop the water simply enjoying the last remnants of the sun's rays on his face during sundown. While the air was getting chilly, hours spent in the water had insulated his body just enough to keep him warm.
A smile made its way onto his face. The vast expanse of the ocean never failed to make him feel safe in an odd sort of way. His body seemed weightless making him feel free both physically and mentally while in the water. Right now, he felt content and had no other worri—
Until he felt a light touch, tipping him over, and sending him crashing down into the water. "What the hell!" Alphonse spluttered, taking in a deep breath when he reached the surface once again. "Brother! What is wrong with you?" His eyes were tightly squeezed shut to prevent a burning sensation from the salty ocean and, although he sounded upset, Alphonse knew it was all in good fun. Thoroughly rubbing the water from his face, he finally opened his eyes to see Edward had thrown his head head back to laugh at him.
"Gotcha! Gets ya every time, Al!" Edward said in between fits of laughter.
"You're such a jerk." Alphonse paused for a second to find his footing in the sand, using his arms to create a swift wave, splashing Edward on the face.
"H-Hey!" Edward choked, spitting out some of the saltwater that had almost trickled down his throat. "Who's the jerk now?" Deep down, he knew he should have expected such a reaction from his brother considering the circumstances.
"Ed..." Alphonse cooed, trying to sound soothing. Taking a step closer, he cupped Edward's face into his hands, resting his forehead against the elder's. "You know I'm only teasing you." With that, he leaned down to capture Edward's lips in a kiss so soft and sweet that it actually caused Alphonse to curl his toes in the sand. Smiling into the kiss, he pulled back slightly—his brother still in a daze—only to dunk Edward's head underwater. He was satisfied with Edward's reaction: spluttering underwater, finally taking a deep breath as he reached the surface again and screamed, "Al!"
"You never learn do you, brother?" Amusement laced Alphonse's words as he spoke, the smile still adorning his features. "That gets you every single time!"
"Yeah, yeah..." Alphonse watched as Edward ran his hands through his mussed up hair, removing the hair tie to squeeze the extra water out of his blonde locks. "Who knew you could be such an ass?" He tied his hair into a neat ponytail, looking back at Alphonse with a tiny smirk. "We've been out here all day and it's gettin' kinda late. Last one to the house is a sore loser!"
"Or I can just let you win this time!" Alphonse shouted after Edward had gotten a head start. Their seaside cottage was near the beach but, thankfully, not close enough which offered them both privacy. Eventually, Alphonse slumped against the lounge chair and waited patiently for Edward to return from the house. He could see the city lights in the distance. The crescent moon was already peering out from behind the clouds, moonlight beginning to dance upon the ocean as gentle waves crashed on shore.
"Here you go, Al."
Edward's face was illuminated by a soft glow from the porch light. His arm was extended, offering a bottle of ice cold Corona. Taking one glance at the beer, Alphonse resisted the urge to snort at the fact that a wedge of lime had been jammed down the neck of his bottle. For some reason, his brother always insisted that the tartness of the lime brought out the flavor of the beer but Alphonse thought it was simply a marketing gimmick.
"Thanks." Alphonse replied instead, flashing a smile. He took the bottle, clinkingit with Edward's as a toast. "I missed this."
Edward hummed in agreement. "Me too."
Silence enveloped the Elric brothers. Ever since Alphonse had come home earlier this morning, they had spent the whole day outside on the beach enjoying all that a fine summer's day had to offer. There was mutual understanding between them and the silence felt nice in a way such that they didn't need reassurance through conversation.
Alphonse didn't know how much time had passed until Edward repeated the same phrase he had said earlier.
"It's gettin' kinda late." His brother was looking straight at him.
"It is late, isn't it? We should probably head inside before you catch a cold." Alphonse teased, grinning.
As soon as the door closed, he found himself pushed against it with Edward's lips crushed against his clumsily but before he could deepen the kiss, Edward was already trailing butterfly kisses down his jaw to his clavicle.
"You're never—" He said in between kisses. "—Allowed to leave again."
"Brother..." Alphonse closed his eyes, entangling his fingers into his brother's hair. He could taste a hint of lime when he licked his lips. "You know I have school." He sighed, tilting his head back to allow easier access to his skin.
"Halfway across the country." Edward mumbled, nibbling on the skin just above Alphonse's collar bone.
Alphonse trailed his hands down his brother's back slowly, letting them rest on Edward's hips. "I come home every few months for breaks."
"Couldn't find anything closer to home?" Edward asked. Without warning, he bit down hard on Alphonse's neck, not enough to pierce the skin but enough to leave a mark the next morning.
"F-Fuck, Ed!" Alphonse breathed out. His own grip tightened on Edward's waist, nails dug into the skin, and he was unable to stop himself from bucking his hips forward. "You know they have the best chemistry program in the country!" Despite the fact that they were both clad only in their swimming trunks, Alphonse was already craving more contact.
Edward was working his hands up Alphonse's chest, thumb stroking a hardened nipple. "I could show you chemistry right here..." He whispered in a sultry tone, hot breath ghosting over Alphonse's ear.
If he weren't in such a compromising position, Alphonse would have probably laughed at the (dorky) pick-up line but he shuddered instead, clinging to his brother. As much as he was relishing in the attention, he had waited too long to play games. Edward was right in the sense that every 'few months' was a few too long to wait before they saw one another in the flesh again. Right now, he could smell the salt from the ocean in Edward's hair and on his sun kissed skin; however, he hadn't even had the chance to taste it [the salt] or Edward.
Yet.
[Author's Note: I'd like to expand on this and write a part 2 with smut but we'll see. Not sure if/when that will happen!]