(Note: I got the comparison Al does in his head from "Naruto". Don't complain to me because I am already acknowledging it. Thank you. Enjoy!)
(Second Note: My Romanian is very rough and I am using a translator. I got the name, Florin, from a Romanian guy I know. It's a nice name.
"Florin, I don't think you're a loser."
"You know nothing about me Alphonse. You know I'm a freaky albino who woke up from a coma."
Al frowned. He wants to know more about her and become her friend. He imagined all these potential back stories for her. Before he got too caught up, a knock came at the door. His brother burst in, cheerful as ever, along with Winry and Pinako. Al grinned wildly and opened his arms for hugs which, he received. He saw Florin look over with tears in her eyes. She put her head back under the blanket.
"She woke up?" Ed whispered to Al.
"Yeah. Don't talk to her. She's not in a good mood." Al whispered back.
Cheerful conversations with accompanying food lit up Al's world. Food never tasted so great. Warm morsels filled his stomach but he wanted to eat more. He loved feeling their hands. Human contact. It felt wonderful and he felt so glad to be around his family. Ed made some jokes to lighten Al up and Pinako left tubs of food by his bed for him to eat later. Winry made Al a small souvenir of his armor, a Flamel symbol made of the armor. Also, Winry framed the scrap of metal containing the Blood Rune at the Rockbells' house. Al found this all so flattering but he couldn't help feel bad for Florin.
"Hey there! I'm Ed! Al's brother!" Edward had extended his hand to the blanket lump.
The lump rustled and slowly uncurled. A dainty hand stretched out and Florin muttered her name.
"Hey come on out! No need to be shy!" Winry smiled and trotted to her bed and Pinako sighed.
"I…I don't want to. Please leave me alone." The blanket shifted slightly.
Ed and Winry looked at Al who nodded. He mouthed, 'Leave her alone.' And, disappointed, the two blondes left the young girl alone. Feeling guilt, Florin carefully unraveled and sat up.
"I-I shouldn't have been so rude." Florin hung her head again, careful for the others to not see her eyes.
"Florin, these are all kind people. Don't worry. They won't judge you." Al smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
Slowly, she lifted her head and gave a meek smile. Winry's pupils widened and Ed gaped.
"Woah…what's wrong with you?" Ed asked concerned.
"Brother! Leave her alone! Don't ask her that!" Al yelled at his brother while tears pricked in Florin's light eyes.
"He's right, Al. There's something wrong with me. I'm albino. I have very little skin pigment. I'm a freak. Tuberculosis hasn't made it any better." Winry slapped Ed on the back of the head.
"Damnit Ed you're such a jerk! Florin I-" Winry touched Florin's hand and Florin yanked away.
"Don't touch me. Please. Stay away." Tears began to flow slowly.
A coughing fit hacked at Florin and Winry backed away slowly. Al pointed to the door. Pinako gave him a kiss and told him she'd have Ed apologize. Al wasn't mad at her so he gave her a kiss on the cheek. The trio left and Al gave a deep sigh. He got up and grabbed tissues from his bed since Florin just ran out. He started to dab her face and Florin looked petrified.
"As I said, don't touch me. I'm a freak." Florin coughed into Al's tissue.
Blood spattered on the cotton softness of the tissue. Al stared at it and threw it away, swiftly. He pushed the hair out of her face and her lip kept quivering. She explained that she was so upset because she doesn't have a family to visit her. No love. She kept crying and Al sat by her side.
"Is it okay if I give you a hug?" She hesitantly nodded and cried harder when he wrapped his arms carefully around her.
"It will be just fine. You can count on me. Don't worry." Al whispered and Florin shook.
She blew her nose and took deep breathes. Monique noticed her wracking body and rushed in. Al explained and oxygen was given to the young girl. Florin closed her eyes and focused on her breathe. She remembered the trip down the mountain to the hospital. She died for a moment but was brought back somehow. After being in the hospital for a few days, she slipped into a coma. Even though people talked to her during her coma, Florin was alone.
After Al went back to his own bed, Florin looked at Monique. "Monique, can I take a bath? I feel dirty from not bathing for so long." She nodded and grabbed a wheelchair.
"I can do it!" Florin pushed Monique away.
She took a couple of steps and then fell forward. Monique scolded her and picked her up. Placing her into the wheelchair. Monique told Al to not be too headstrong like Florin. Florin pouted the whole way to the bath. Al stared out the window. He started to frown realizing that he knows how to feels to lose parents. But then, he did a mental comparison. He imagined both himself and Florin. Both sad but then, as the thought continues, Al's brother appears, as does Winry, Pinako, Roy Mustang, Jean Havoc and Riza Hawkeye and others. Yet, Florin had no one. But Al decided to be that someone for her. When, Florin's wheelchair rolled back in, Al snapped out of his vision. Florin, decided to go round two, got up and slipped. Her gown, not yet tied flew off. Al couldn't help but look.
"Don't look pervert!" Florin covered her medium sized breasts and was safe down south due to panties.
Monique quickly shielded her and helped her put on a bra and her gown as well as her new IV. Monique gave Al a look which caused him to shutter. But she smiled and he took a breath from relief. Florin dove back into bed and wrapped herself in blankets again. She began to brush her hair and became frustrated.
"I don't remember how to braid my hair! Gah!" She almost threw the hairbrush until Al spoke up.
"I know how. I've seen my brother do it to his own hair a million times. I can do it for you."
"I-I can do it!" She aggressively tried and again and failed miserably.
Al laughed and walked over to her bed and grabbed the brush. Florin submitted to him and crossed her arms. He brushed her hair and felt it on his hands. Soft. Smooth. He had forgotten what nice hair felt like. Well, the only nice hair on a woman he had ever felt was his mother's. But still, he smiled to himself. After it was fully brushed, he began braiding. When she sensed his final braid, she handed over a hair tie and he finished off the braid. She also handed him a ribbon. A light purple ribbon that matched her eyes. He took it carefully and tied it in a nice bow around the hair tie.
"Thanks…" She mumbled.
"You're welcome."
"Your nails are really long." She pointed it out and he hadn't noticed.
"Let me trim them for you." She sat up and carefully walked over to him, relying on her newly hooked up IV pole. She went into the nearby drawer and found nail clippers. Al's hand was placed in hers. Florin concentrated and carefully clipped down each nail. She offered to do his feet too and he obliged. When she finished that, she smiled at him. When he thanked her, she put her hand up and told him not to worry about it.
"Can we play the game again?" Florin asked while getting under the blankets again.
"Sure. It's your turn." Al smiled at finally scratching the surface of Florin's mysterious persona.
"Right…um…" She decided to sit up. "Why did you deal with a Blood Rune?" She scratched her neck.
"My brother, the blond guy, and I tried to bring our dead mother back to life. He lost his arm and leg and I lost my whole body. He sealed my soul into a suit of armor. We both just got our bodies back." Al chewed his lip remembering the failed transmutation.
"I see. How unfortunate. But I bet you both learned a lot in your struggle. Your turn." Florin closed her eyes for a moment.
"Ummm…do you know alchemy?" Florin shook her head, looking slightly hurt.
"No. I don't get involved in that. Though I am an excellent potioneer. I can create a concoction for anything. Except for tuberculosis I guess." She frowned.
Al frowned as well and sighed. He looked over at her body. Her arms were like winter white twigs and the veins painted blue and green streams on the skin. She almost looked like a ghost. Her eyes seemed like the only part of her with real color. The light purple looked so innocent and peaceful.
"Right. My turn. Umm…What's your favorite color?" Florin smiled slightly.
"Blue."
"Blue is nice. Mine's mint green. Specific I know." Al pondered the color and shrugged.
"Where's your family?" He regretted asking.
Florin hung her head, mouth twitching at the corners. "My family is dead. I was an only child as well. They were killed by State Alchemists." Al gasped, "They wanted to take them during Ishval for imprisonment. The alchemists thought my parents were involved with the Ishvalan uprising. When they refused to leave me behind as a toddler, they were struck down. I'll never forget what my father said to me as he died." She grabbed tissues and blew her nose.
"He said, 'Florin, sunteți palid să eclipseze întunericul." She spoke so flawlessly in her native language. She then translated.
"You are pale to outshine the darkness." She smiled and tears rode over the bumps of her flushed cheeks.
"Wow…that's so…I don't have words for it." Al scratched his leg, in thought.
"Yeah…I know. My village took me in and cared for me. But then, that jackass elder thought I was cursed because of my albino skin and left me out in the cold unkempt areas. I developed TB from the unsanitary conditions. Seeing as I was contagious, they put me in a cart and took me here. Sorry for rambling." Florin had a straight poker face.
"No…don't be sorry. It's interesting. Er I mean, it's sad but I'm glad I know. I'm so sorry that happened."
"Don't feel bad for me. It's a waste of your time. I don't feel bad for you at all. You made a stupid mistake." Al clenched his fists as her words cut him. "But, I respect your tenacity and I understand why you did it. For the love of a mother."