I was listening to the song Blackbird by Serah McLachlan and somehow connected it with the elric brothers. More specificly Al. This story was born from that. This is kinda AUish. It's after Al got his body back after Fullmetal Alchemist but Ed didn't die and go to the other world. I wrote this a long time ago but now that I decided to post it I'm not changing anything about it. This is the first of a few unconnected drabbles that I named the vanilla drabbles. Sorry if this is not all that good.
Rating K+ Genre; family/hurt/comfort Warnings: brotherly fluff and possible elricest if you squint
Edward Elric could not sleep. He had been restless since Winry had brought up delicate topics and accidentally upset Al at dinner.
As he had passed by Al's room, he'd heard sniffs and crying. It worried Ed. Al was normally so happy. The tossing and turning in the next room made him worry even more because it meant Alphonse was not getting the sleep a fifteen year old needed.
It also didn't help that Al was scared of the darkness that wouldn't leave him alone. It was a struggle every night for Al to face the darkness he had known for four years.
Al liked being able to feel things again. He especially liked the feeling of hair and could sometimes be caught playing with Ed or Winry's hair. Winry didn't like it when Al played with her hair constantly but Ed didn't mind. Al also liked to touch skin but he only touched Ed.
Al also liked to smell flowers and run barefoot through the grass, but Ed had forbidden that when Al had gotten a huge splinter in his foot. One that left him limping two days after the splinter was taken out.
Ed heard a door opening and closing quietly. Light footsteps came down the hall to his room. The door opened and his little brother stepped in the room. The light of the full moon lit up his smooth,creamy skin turning in almost translucent. The light made his light brown hair shine with a silver halo and it also lit up his soft gray eyes. Al was standing there in front of Ed wearing nothing but his gray undershorts and a green t-shirt.
Ed propped himself up on his elbows, exposing his bare chest. Bare because all he was wearing was jeans.
"What's wrong Al?"
"I...um, had a bad dream."
Al looked like he hadn't been to sleep at all much less had a nightmare. But what brother wants to tell his sixteen year old brother he was scared of the dark.
"Come here," Ed patted the spot on the bed next to him. Al didn't hesitate to crawl under the covers with Ed just as he had so many nights before. Ed wrapped his arms around Al's midsection and pulled him back against Ed. Ed was always surprised by how perfectly A fit against him. Al's legs bent and Ed's knees fitting perfectly in the bend. And despite them being almost the same height, Ed could comfortably lay his head in the crook of Al's neck. Ed breathed in the faint scent of vanilla. Ed loved the smell of vanilla and it happened to be the scent Al wore.
"Ed will you sing a song for me? One of the ones mom used to sing to us?"
"Sure Al. Which one?"
"Blackbird."
"Okay but I don't remember all of it."
He repositioned himself and freed an arm from under Al. This hand he used to smooth Al's hair from his eyes. Then he sang a few lines:
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly all your life. You are all invited to this moment to be arise."
Ed continued to stroke Al's hair as he sang out the next lines.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these sunken eyes and learn to see. All your life. You are all invited to this moment to be free."
Al closed his eyes as Ed sang the last line he could remember.
"blackbird fly."
Ed finished the song and heard Al sigh contentedly. After a considerable amount of silence,Al spoke up. His voice was so soft Ed almost didn't hear him.
"Ed? Will you kiss me on the forehead like mom used to?"
"I'll do you one better Al." Ed leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Al made a choked sound and then began to cry. He rolled over and buried his face in Ed's chest. Ed could feel Al's tears on his bare skin.
When Al had turned over he had made their position uncomfortable for Ed because now Al's legs were straight and between Ed's. And Al had bony knees.
Despite that Ed pulled Al closer and said,"Al please stop crying."
Al wrapped his thin arms around Ed. Ed rubbed circles on Al's back until the sobs stopped and Al's breathing became slow and even. Knowing that Al was asleep and safe allowed Ed to finally settle down. He fell asleep with Al's head nestled in the crook of his neck, his brother's soft hair brushing his face, and the smell of vanilla on the air.
Well I hoped you liked it. Excuse me if I messed up the song lyrics I wasn't listening to the song when I wrote this. I hope you liked this. Please tell me what you think!:) I may eventually do a revised version later which will just be a separate chapter cause I really like this version even though it could use work.