A/N Part one got such an awesome response! Thanks everyone, you've really made me feel welcome in my new section!

Part two was actually written first, it's not quite as happy as the other. I set out for something that leaned toward AlWin, but it's also a bit EdWin. and both pairings are extremely light, since poor Winry isn't even there.

A note to MithLuin: no. Neither Elric has any intention of getting Ed's body back. At least, that was my impression of the end of the movie. That's what I'll be sticking with.

I hope you all like this part too, have fun reading! As always, feel free to point out any mistakes.

xXxXx

Part Two - "Homesickness"

Two months. It had been two months already since it had happened...since they finally found each other again. One would think, after that long, that Alphonse Elric would be starting to get used to this new life.

But he wasn't. Seeing a familiar face pass him unknowingly in the street still hurt. The strange way that this place worked confused him sometimes. Even with all that, the worst thing of all was Winry. Through the past two years he had gotten so used to having her to go back to. In his brother's absence they had needed each other. Winry for comfort, Al because no one else understood him anymore, not the way his brother had. Winry had been the closest thing to a sibling left to him.

Al sighed, his head dropping sideways against the rain spattered window. Pale light filtered in, falling across the bed at the back of the small room. His eyes followed the beam, glancing over the figure curled beneath the thin blanket. It was Ed.

The first few weeks Al had spent here, he hadn't given his home much thought. Having his brother again after so long had driven away his homesickness. Just knowing Edward was close to him...for a while it had been enough. As he had grown accustomed to his brother once more, it had come back to him. Homesickness...Winry-sickness...he wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Dimly he heard Ed stirring behind him, waking as he realized the body sharing his bed had gone. Al remained where he was, staring dismally through the blurry window pane. He listened as his brother moved toward him, one foot thunking lightly against the wood floor. He spared a glance toward his brother, a faint smile working its way onto his face as he noticed the white kitten trailing after Ed.

"Al, you're the one who picked this thing up, take it or it's going back outside." the younger brother chuckled at the empty threat, scooping the kitten into his arms. He'd found it in the street outside this little inn. The familiar scene had followed, with Al eventually pushing the poor kitten into his brother's arms.

Two minutes later, Edward had gone soft.

Ed dragged their suitcase from the corner, tilting it upright and sitting on the edge close to his brother. For a long while they sat in silence, listening to the pattering rain against the glass. Al had the kitten flipped onto its back, his fingers stroking the little thing's plump belly. Next to him, Ed was scrutinizing the fingers of his automail. It was the automail Winry had given him, the day they had returned through the gate. They didn't know what he was going to do with it, but until it wore out he was trying to be easy on it, hoping to keep it for as long as possible.

Al watched him from the corner of his eye. His brother's face was blank, his eyes hiding his emotion. The young Elric suspected that he too was sick for Winry. "Brother?" he broke the heavy silence, turning to look into the other's face. Ed slowly raised his eyes to meet his little brother's. "Did you miss it this much too?"

"Miss what?"

"...Everything." Ed sighed, his eyes falling back to the joints of his hand. He rubbed absently at the metal as he answered.

"To tell the truth, I didn't. For a while my main concern was for you. I had no way of knowing if it had worked, you know? I was alive, so I wondered if you had..." he trailed off, letting his hands fall to his lap. For a moment he couldn't look at his brother. "After a while, I began to miss using alchemy. All the time, I'd find myself thinking 'I should redo that, it won't work that way.' After that, my automail got busted up pretty bad. Once I'd started using Dad's prosthetics, it sunk in that I couldn't go see Winry anymore...let her fix everything the way she always did..." he fell silent again, turning to look at his younger brother. "Al, I...I miss her."

"Me too."

"I wish I'd gone to visit her more, maybe thanked her."

"She always took care of us, didn't she?"

"She sure did! Didn't manage to beat much sense into us though, did she?" Ed's tone changed and he gave a forced chuckle. He was reluctant to think too seriously on the girl. Nothing would come of it now. Al recognized his brother's defenses going up and stared at him knowingly.

"Ed..." the eldest quieted at the name, the grin sliding from his face. "You never liked to go back to Resembool because it upset Winry, huh?"

"I didn't want to go back for a lot of reasons."

"Brother..."

"Let's go back to bed." He rose, clearly wanting to end the conversation. Al followed, scooping the Nii-san off his lap. The little money they possessed had bought them a single bed for the night. Wordlessly they crawled under the cover together. The kitten pattered around their heads, stopping to paw at Edward's long hair. He swatted it away half-heartedly.

Al fidgeted around a little, turning on his side to stare at the back of his brother's head. At length he broke the silence that had fallen over them. "I'm sorry, Brother." Ed moved to look at him, his face vague and shadowed in the darkness.

"What for?"

"Upsetting you." A grimace crossed his face, and he lifted a hand to ruffle Al's short hair.

"It wasn't you. It's just thinking about them...it gets depressing."

"Brother?"

"Hmm?"

"Whydidn't we go home more?" Ed didn't answer right away. He turned onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. After awhile, he closed his eyes, a sigh escaping him.

"I guess...I just hated saying goodbye."

Al turned away from him, plucking the kitten from the pillows and cradling it against his chest. He curled into his brother's side, nestling his face against Ed's flesh arm.

"Brother, we won't have to say goodbye again, will we?"

Ed glanced at his little brother, a sad smile crossing his face.

"No, Al. Not anymore."