Author's Notes: Hoorah for chapter four! Hopefully I'll get to do what I set out to accomplish in this chapter. To tell you guys the truth, the first two chapters sucked in my opinion. But I'm starting to see myself mature as a writer with each chapter I write. The third chapter was a little bit of an indication of that to me. I recently went to the library and printed off all of my stories, including all of Era of Confusion, and 'Everything.' I'm noticing that the writing is slowly progressing in maturity.
Warnings: Now that my ranting is done, I can get to my warnings. Angst, Horror, Gore, Language, Violence, Death, Vampirism, Elricest -somewhere in there- and abuse. Alas, I'm lacking the right motivation. I know where I'm heading, but not how I'm gonna get there. :sigh:
Life was heavy. Death was heavier.
That was something Edward had come to realize in his time being one of the undead. He was starting to comprehend just what it was like to know that he was no longer able to feel the sunlight on his skin, or to watch it reflect in a vast pool of water like a lake or a pond. Those were the things he missed, honestly missed about being human.
He had time to contemplate this in the time that Al was inside Isaac's house, speaking with him. On his haunches behind those sticker bushes, he had quite a few long moments to think on this, and was slowly beginning to see how very fortunate Al was to still be able to live in sunlight. To be unafraid, and to be wholesome-- unmarred.
And now, as they were walking away from that small mobile home, Ed couldn't help but look at his companion and feel somewhat envious. If there was anything he wanted from Al, it was his mortality. He would gladly give up being immortal for just one day of life in the sun again. Oh, how wondrous that would be.
They walked in silence, because Edward could tell that the other male obviously had something or another on his mind. Something that was troubling him. It was best though if he didn't interfere; he wasn't much good as far as giving advice. And if anyone needed advice, it was he himself. He was confused about the future just as much as anyone else. He needed that guidance, needed it desperately.
Someone tell me where to go. Someone show me whom to trust. Someone carry me from this...
He felt pathetic. He shouldn't be asking for help! He should be giving it.
When they had walked about a block and a half, the silence was becoming irritating. The noise of after-work traffic was buzzing merrily in their ears like a bad song you can't get stuck out of your head, and that alone made the need to speak that much more urgent.
"Are you satisfied with how things turned out? What I mean is, did the good bye come out the way you intended it?" Ed finally asked, his hands behind his head, and his gaze focused on some distant building. It was easy for him to look preoccupied-- half the time he was.
Alphonse was lost in thought, deep inside his own mind. So when Edward spoke to him, it made him jump a little and his heart thumped quickly in his chest. He had only heard half of the sentence, and he felt guilty for not listening better. "Ah! Y-yes. I think it went fine." he opted to stay away from the fact that Isaac had kissed him, thinking that perhaps the vampire would have something snotty to say about it.
It's bad enough he thinks I'm gay. I don't need him knowing it could be a possibility. He shook his head. But it wasn't a possibility! He... didn't like guys. He cast a quick glance toward Ed, and felt his cheeks flare up. No, No, NO. You do NOT like him. He's... arrogant, bossy, self-righteous, not to mention---
Perfect.
"NO! He's NOT." the words spilled out of his mouth as though he had meant for them to. And instantly he received an awkward look from the vampire. "Eh... sorry. I was talking to myself." Al's cheeks were even redder now, and he wanted to shove his face into something to hide that fact.
Edward rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah. So, do you think you'll ever change your mind? About being with Isaac?"
Why does he want to know so badly?
"I think that it's none of your business. Leave it alone, okay!" Alphonse snapped harshly. He hated being prodded for information, and just to avoid the conversation, he sped up and walked ahead so that he wouldn't have to endure the damn ridicule.
... he needed to breathe.
"Ack! I just remembered! I left my back pack where I was when I ran from you!" Al said about a half an hour later, turning around to look at Edward. That pissed him off; how on earth had he been so distracted when running to just... forget? Had he really been that spirited about getting away? As it turned out, there really wasn't anything he had to be afraid of.
Ed looked at him with a sort of weary expression- he looked tired. "Well, if you would've just taken a chill pill and not spazzed out like you did, maybe you could still have your backpack." he replied with a tone of reproval. He was beginning to feel like Al's mother, rather then the man who could potentially kill him. He didn't even want to think of the killing part-- he was just beginning to feel a sort of friendship with the other male.
A heavy guilty feeling fell on the mortal with a sort of sharp twist. There hadn't been any doubt; he had jumped to conclusions the night before, thinking the worst of Ed. If he had only been more logical, he would've realized that if the intention had been to kill him it would have already happened. He needed to start trusting Ed, for both Ed's sake, and his own. It would be the most effective way to get this whole ordeal over with before too much happened. Al didn't even know what he was supposed to be helping the man with; he never was told what he was expected to do or why Edward was in trouble in the first place. In fact, Al didn't know anything about the vampire, other than the miniscule details of his life he'd given so far.
Things like how he never knew his mother or how he didn't have many memories of what happened before hand. He's just like me... we're just alike. I can't remember things that well, either. I don't remember my father, or anything... Mom made me forget, I think. She didn't want it to hurt anymore then things already did. She knew how much it hurt me for her doing drugs. But... not enough to make her quit.
The look on Al's face told Ed that the boy was in deep thought, and was contemplating something serious that was close to home for him. They had long since stopped walking, and they had already made it out of the town where the younger of them had lived his entire life, and were headed to the place Ed had been living in his afterlife. They were on a back road, passing by lots of fields and farmlands and though it was cold and dark, in the distance large farm houses could be seen with lights on and cows and horses were heard in the fields they passed. Other than that, these lands were completely desolate and the one or two cars that passed every ten or so minutes would seem like ghost cars.
Not a lot of travel was done between the two towns. Al's town was really too big to be considered a town, so they simply called it Elay City. And the smaller and older town that was their destination (And Ed's home) was named Rochester. It had lots of large Victorian Era houses that Al had seen when he went with Isaac and his mom to their county fair that was held annually. It was an older town, and lots of the people there hadn't seen much else. It was very isolated; an additional reason that the Vampire wanted to live there.
It took a good minute for Alphonse to realize that his companion had begun walking already, probably dull waiting for him to say something. There were still so many questions to be answered, and mysteries to be solved, and only half of those were presently thought up. More questions would arise, unbeknownst to the two of them. Al wouldn't be the only one with questions-- soon, Ed would be the one bitterly confused about the things they were set to encounter. It was all going to be one large chess game... and they played the deadliest role; the Pawns.
The night wore on, mind numbingly slow. They probably walked a little over 20 or 30 miles in the time they spent on the off roads. Easily, if they had a car, they could've breezed right through this. But getting a car required stealing one, and neither of them wanted to do something so idiotic. They were boys, but they weren't that dumb.
After about ten or eleven o'clock hit, they could see the faint glow of lights over a large slope of grass that radiated from a town.
Rochester.
It was then, after hours of silence, that Ed finally nudged Al in the side, pointing to the distant place. "There it is; just over that hill is my home," he explained happily, gold eyes excited and anxious all at once. It felt like it had been forever since he'd been back home. And even though she was there waiting for him, he was still overjoyed that he could sleep easily again, back in his house and away from the outsiders. Damn, that was a good feeling.
The road wound up over that hill the vampire had been talking about, and as their feet passed over it, and Rochester came into view, the sight was simply breathtaking.
Huge houses surrounded the whole vicinity, outlining a wonderfully enchanting town that ached and smelled of culture- rich with old, rural history, and a sense of home that Elay City couldn't compare or measure up to in a million years. This place held real families, real homes, real people whose dreams outlived and stretched farther than those of the people in Al's home city. Rochester was an amazing collage of unexplainable mystery and it had a certain glow about it that was radiating the feeling of acceptance and love- but also a dark past and something oddly forlorn. It was certainly clear why Edward would choose to live here.
Of course, Alphonse had seen Rochester before, but never had it looked this way. It was so uplifting to see it in all its glory that it ebbed away the tension that had been carried with him, and left him with a fond, admiring smile as he stood with his new friend atop the hill gazing at the beauty of such a simple thing.
"Cool, huh?"
"Yeah, it is." It was the only thing Al could manage in response, because his breath had suddenly ceased and all that was left was that out-of-place admiration and envy he felt. If only he had lived in a place as wondrous as this, maybe his father would've stayed, and maybe his mother wouldn't have turned and relied so heavily on drugs. That thought saddened him, as it always did, and he tried to force himself to think of something else, something happier. "Where's your house?"
Edward grinned with a look of satisfaction at the pride he took in his hometown. "Down there," and he pointed toward a small mass of older houses, all large and broody looking. Of course, they were still on a hill, so exactly which house he was pointing at was indiscernible at this point, but that didn't matter; all the houses in Rochester were suitable. It was a town where money didn't mean stature-- love did.
"Just what in the world are you doing in a place like this," Al said softly, his eyes searching the town sadly. "It doesn't suit your character at all. You don't have the type of morals or values these people do. You're a vampire!" And he turned quickly with his teeth bared to attempt to glare at the older man, but failed miserably when he noticed a gloomy, eerie, distant smile on those thin lips.
Ed didn't speak for a moment, just continued looking at the town as Al had. He was considering those words, and thinking perhaps a bit too much on them. But if he were honest with himself-- which he rarely ever was-- he'd realize that the mortal was absolutely right. He didn't deserve to live in a place where his namesake was trusted, or his face was the face of an almost-saint. He had earned the admiration of people there, and before long he was going to have to break that trust; he couldn't live forever without food. That was when he'd take his leave to the next town, and so on after that. It was something he hated, but was his way of life. It was the reason the only friends he had, or cared to keep, were the ones who were just like him.
Then, without even responding, Ed trudged down the hill, waving his hand to motion for Alphonse to follow him. Rocks and dirt slipped underneath him, but he didn't want to walk on the road anymore. The hard feel of the concrete was killing his feet. He could hear Al struggling to keep up, and once or twice losing his balance, but he wasn't too worried. The kid had a pretty good handle on things; he could take care of himself. Almost.
The landscape evened out again after a moment or so of sliding down that slope, and Al was glad when it did because he was sick of accidentally landing on his rump and scraping his elbows. Already his whole backside was covered in dirt, and his hair was messed up and half falling out of the hair band it was held back with. His bangs stuck to his face with sweat, and his limbs felt tired. They had been walking all night, and he was ready to get into bed and sleep. He could tell that Ed was, too.
There were two lampposts on either side of the road by the entrance to the town. A large sign on the left of them read, "Welcome to Rochester! Home of the Rochester Apple Festival!" the same festival that Al had gone to with Isaac.
He didn't look at the sign.
Instead, what caught his attention was a small booth looking thing that sat next to the first building in the town. There was no one in it, and it looked creepy sitting there by itself. Edward was a couple yards in front of him, and he stopped in front of the booth, sliding open a glass window and peaking his head inside. Al stopped to watch intently.
Ed reached in as far as he could, and grabbed a slip of paper off the back wall. The side of the booth had a door, but apparently it was locked, otherwise he wouldn't have been using the window. His feet were off the ground; that was how far he was leaning in to get whatever it was he was trying to get. The paper dropped to the floor helplessly, and he grunted in displeasure. Trying again, this time he managed to grasp a hold of another of the same paper, clenching it tightly in his hand before withdrawing and settling himself back on the ground.
The mortal caught up with him, and glanced over his shoulder with interest.
The paper looked like a newspaper. There was a headline reading, 'Report of a Woman's Death in Elay City' and below it was an article explaining everything about it. The first line read, 'Cause of death is still unknown, but suspected foul play was induced upon her death. The victim's mouth was badly bruised, and vague puncture wounds were found on her neck. Autopsy specialists still haven't found what the total cause of her death was, but after a thorough analysis, conclusions of drug usage were found. The time of the death was estimated around...'
Alphonse stepped back, a horrified look on his face. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and he felt his stomach muscles tighten in absolute agony. How had they found her already?
" 'Signs point to the victim (Name stated as Trisha Elric) having a son around the age of seventeen (Name cited to be Alphonse Elric), with long dirty blonde hair and bronzy-silver eyes with a lean build. Victim's son not yet found, but police are scattering and searching the area in Elay City for any signs of him. He's suspected as the first murderer of the victim, his mother. If you have seen him or may know where he is, please call the number at the bottom of this article... ' " Edward's voice filled the night air, and sent a cold chill running down Al's spine, mercilessly. He had quoted about half the news article, and none of the information was very comforting.
In fact, it was so unpleasant that Al had crossed his arms over his stomach, an elbow cupped in each hand, shivering involuntarily. His perfect teeth gnawed nervously at his bottom lip, and he couldn't help but let his eyes well up with unshed tears. "You forgot to get rid of her body. I can't believe we didn't think about it. . ." he murmured quiet enough to be a whisper. But that question remained-- how had they found her body so soon? They couldn't have, unless Isaac...? He shook his head.
No, Isaac wouldn't do that. I told him we needed to lay low, and it seemed as though he understood. Besides, he's my best friend. It had to have been someone else. . . But who?
"Hey, listen to this," Ed said suddenly, grabbing the boy's attention again. His eyes were fixed on the page with misplaced curiosity, and his eyebrows were furrowed. " 'This case was reported by a source that asks to remain anonymous.' Doesn't that seem a little fishy? I mean, you don't think your friend could have told anyone, do you?" he asked, turning around to face Al, the paper held in his hand at his side.
Shaking his head, Alphonse sighed. "No, I don't think so. He cares about me too much to do that." His eyes were down turned, but Ed could still see embarrassment mingled with regret on those young features. It stirred something unfamiliar inside of him.
Not really believing that notion, though, the blonde shrugged passively and looked at the newspaper again. "I don't think it could've been the ones who are after me. They don't know I was in your city, unless... they found out. But I don't see how that could happen. Right now, Isaac is our only suspect. But it doesn't matter much. You're in another city; no one will find you here."
A large THWAP noise was heard when Al's hand collided with the back of Ed's head in an annoyed manner. "What are you, an idiot? Of course someone could find me here! The newspaper was here, wasn't it? That means they'll have missing signs up for me in this town, too! Don't you see? Because of you I'm a wanted criminal now!" Al's voice was hoarse and raspy from the cold, but he trembled like crazy with the anger inside of him. Aghh, it pissed him off so much that he had been pulled into this crazy mess!
Muttering a soft 'Ouch', Edward rubbed subconsciously at the back of his head, and through one open gold eye glared lazily at the younger boy. "Look, people here trust me. They'd never think I'd be harboring a wanted criminal in my house. And besides, the girl I live with will help out, too. She's kind of like a miracle worker around here. You'll be fine, just relax, okay? And anyway you're with a vampire, remember? I wont let anything happen to you. Ultimately, I hold all the cards in this game." But what he didn't know is that he couldn't have been more wrong.
But for now, it got Al to sigh and nod his head in forced agreement. What could he say, anyway? He had no idea what the hell was happening to him. It felt as though he were being ripped away form everything he had seen the world as for all the 17 years of his life, and all of a sudden in two days everything was upside down and the rules had shifted and changed beneath him. "So you're saying you wont let me become jail fodder? Because from where I am right now, that's where it looks like I'm headed."
Patting Alphonse on the head fondly, Ed grinned his usual over-confident grin. "Don't worry about it! Sheesh, you're so paranoid! And if need be, we can always disguise you. A hair cut wouldn't do much harm. . ." and those golden orbs went straight to the long locks of hair that Al possessed, his grin becoming a smirk and his fingers making scissoring motions in a teasing way.
"You've got to be kidding! It took me my whole life to grow my hair out this long! There's no way I'm cutting it!" Al jumped back, protectively touching his hair. If there was anything he'd fight to protect, it was his freedom and God-given right to have his beautiful long hair. Besides, he liked looking like Ed. It made him feel like he belonged here. "If anything we should cut your hair," he shot back, smirking just as the other had.
Edward made the same shocked face that Al had, but threw it off and tried his best to look threatening. He didn't have to try too hard-- he was a vampire after all. "You're fucking crazy, brat. I've had long hair for as long as I can remember, and just why the hell should I break the tradition now? You're out of your mind." He turned away indignantly and crossed his arms across his chest, eyes narrowed.
Al simply smiled. "There you go. We both love our long hair, and neither of us are going to cut it. If I have to make a sacrifice, you have to make a sacrifice. I'm not doing anything if you don't. Simple as that." He was very proud of himself, not only because of his logical reasoning, but also at his witty-ness and the backbone he was slowly gaining.
Touché. Ed thought, rolling his eyes. He hated it when he was wrong-- it meant that someone else was right.
But almost suddenly, there was an abrupt change in the winds of conversation, and Alphonse's voice was taken and molded with surprise and confusion. "Wait a minute-- You live with someone?" It had been late, but for some reason it had only just hit him that Edward had said that.
And besides, the girl I live with will help out, too. She's kind of like a miracle worker around here.
"Are you just now realizing I said that? Damn, Al, you ARE slow!" shaking his head in annoyance and turning back around to look at his younger friend, Ed's hands instantly went to his hips. "You need to start paying attention, because if something happens and I give you directions you won't know what to do! And who pays then? Who?" Again, that maternal feeling washed over him, and he felt the anger drift away of its own accord, and his face soften from the irritated look into a small pout. He didn't especially like getting mad, or yelling for that matter, but he was really only doing this to keep his companion safe.
Taken aback for the second time, Al stepped back a step, feeling bad about making the vampire aggravated. He just couldn't win! "I pay," he replied gently, eyes still full of the tears he hadn't cried yet. He didn't plan on crying anyway; it made him feel weak, which was definitely something he didn't like to feel in front of Ed. Sighing, he tried to put on a smile. "Can we just go? If you have a friend, I'd like to meet her, if it's okay."
"You don't exactly have a choice," Edward muttered crossly. The good mood he had felt moments before had tanked down somewhere low. Sometimes it didn't surprise him how fast he could turn on a dime-- it was like vampires suffered severe bipolar disorder, and he got the worst of it. He began walking once more, entering through the large archway that followed the toll-booth/information stand and Al followed like a puppy.
Inside the town, there were still some people closing up stores and bars were just opening, alive with the bustle of the night. Even in a town, parties still occurred. For a moment, the younger man thought that the other would want to go into one of those bars, but when Ed's eyes were focused on a distant area away from them, he could tell that their destination was still home. The streets were hardly over-crowded; quite the contrary to Elay. This new, smaller place was so much nicer without the pollution and bad attitudes of city dwellers.
They walked along the sidewalk, Alphonse stopping every now and then to gaze inside a window of a club or a small closing store. His curious bronze eyes traveled along, looking at all the marvels of small town life. The clubs looked just as lively as the ones in his city, but for some reason there was something a little more innocent about them- something not so rushed and vivacious and animated as the clubs he'd seen and heard of. Tagging along quite slowly, Al lost his way a few times, but caught up after a moment.
They were going on a back street now, away from the town center and downtown, and back to the 'Old District,' as Ed had put it. Back where they kept the older, extravagant homes for the well-endowed and rich people. It was a private section where the Victorian houses were kept, and they were just as marvelous as what Al had imagined. Because when they got there, his breath was stolen all over again.
Edward's house was so very large and old that it nearly seemed to be singled out from the others. In all, it was probably about three or four stories high, with twelve bedrooms, and the works. It wasn't large enough to be called a mansion, but not small enough to call it a house. It was a manor-- huge, hauntingly beautiful, and very, very vampiric. It emitted the look of classic vampire folklore, just as Al had suspected. The front doors were massive, black French doors that had a gargoyle knocker and brass knobs. Windows were surrounding all over the sidewalls of the house and in the front too, but it was clear that they either had black curtains on them or some kind of boards.
One small light was on, however, in the first story window all the way to the left, as could be seen when the light filtered in through the cracks.
All Alphonse could do was just stare incredulously at the manor in front of him, and admire its Gothic structure and beauty that would've been surpassed by so many passers by. But no, not he. Not he. He was the type of person to look beyond rough exteriors and see through to the core of the artwork. And this manor was, indeed, a piece of artwork. "Amazing. . ." he whispered thoughtfully, his eyes wide with subtle dumbfounded ness.
"Well, let's go inside then? Okay?" without waiting for a reply, Ed was already walking briskly over the huge stone steps, with grace only the owner of the house could have, and pulling out a key from his rear pocket. Inserting it in the brass keyhole, he turned, wiggled it, and opened the French door with a loud, ominous creak that only a vampire's home would have.
The second the door opened, Al could feel darkness exude out at him; everything that made up Edward's character was held tight within the ancient walls of that place, and he felt a slight churn in his lower tummy in anticipation.
The vampire had already entered the home, and so Al ran up the steps, following him. He tripped a little on the wet leaves on the stone, and he fell hard on his stomach, hands clinging tightly to the steps. But he cast aside his minute indiscretion and got to his feet, skipping the last step and running inside after the man.
The first thing he saw was a flash of harvest blonde hair, and a slender body and a girlish voice.
He stopped in the doorway and observed what must've been the girl Ed had been talking about, hugging said boy close.
"Don't you ever leave again without telling me where you were going! I was worried sick! What if they had found you? I would've never known!" she yelled at him harshly, pulling away a bit, her hands digging into his shoulders in a motherly sense.
"Listen, woman, back off! You're not my God-damn mother, you bi--"
"Excuse me? I'm the closest thing you have! And respect your elders, you twerp!"
"Are you trying to imply something by the word 'Twerp?' Maybe that I'm SHORT!"
A giggle followed that, and a swish of hair over the shoulder. "Of course not, Ed. Who could ever accuse you of being short? Why, everyone knows you're the tallest person in town!" The sarcasm was so heavy and sugary in that sentence it made Al cringe just hearing it.
"You better watch it, Winry. I can kick you out of here so fast your-- "
Alphonse coughed a little to interject his presence before things got anymore out of hand. All the arguing stopped, and the girl turned around, her face obviously pleasantly surprised at the attendance of the mortal. That was made clear when she grinned happily, her fangs quite bright and brutal looking as she looked at him with interest that was to be rivaled. "Ed, you didn't tell me we had company. . ."
There was something he didn't like about the way she said 'company.'
Edward walked over to his friend, placing an arm around his shoulders casually. (Little did he know that it caused Al slight discomfort, and a small twist in his insides.) "Al, this is Winry Rockbell-- my best friend ever, and the world's most annoying female vampire. Winry, this is Alphonse Elric. He's going to be, well, you know." Golden eyes flashed hesitantly over to the blonde girl, and he offered a sly smile.
Where as Al smiled shyly, waving with vacillation at the pretty girl who had looked so menacing a moment before.
"Oh, Edward! He's absolutely adorable! Don't tell me you've claimed him already, because I certainly wouldn't mind getting a piece of that!" Winry's face was positively alight with pleasure, the cerulean in her eyes shimmering hungrily.
That was when Ed shook his head disapprovingly, and pulled the boy a bit closer in a subconscious sort of protective sense. "No, I haven't claimed him. But that means you can't either. This one needs to stay human. For. . . those reasons we talked about before, right?" he nodded at her, and she nodded back with understanding.
A slender, pale hand with crimson fingernails came foreword and brushed the loose hair out of Al's face, almost lovingly. "Hey, sweetie! Wow, you're just the cutest human I've ever seen," her voice was hushed with happiness, and she was most certainly sincere about what she was saying.
Alphonse felt his face flush darkly in embarrassment, as her fingers gently put a few excess strands of hair behind his ear with care. "Th-thank you. You're pretty, too." And he tried to smile at that, but it turned out to look more like a wayward grimace.
Winry didn't notice.
She had very large breasts.
That was the first thing that Al had really noticed about Winry Rockbell when the three of them sat down for dinner at around two o'clock. In fact, they were so large and swelling that it seemed as though her shirt would burst if they grew even a centimeter more. They were round and firm looking, and every time he'd look up he'd notice the way they would jiggle or press tightly to the white, lacey blouse she wore. It was making him increasingly uncomfortable, and he shifted in his seat, poking with a fork at the piece of steak on his blue and white plate.
Ed's steak was very, very rare. So rare that it was still mooing. The blood ran out all across the fine china, and a bit of it dribbled down his chin as he ate at it with the ferocity of an animal. He and Winry couldn't feed off of people from this town; thus they were forced to eat cow's blood from nearly raw steak. It did them well for a while, until they couldn't handle it anymore. That's when they would venture off -- Like Ed had -- to a different town to find a meal.
It was rather unappetizing watching Edward tear at his steak with his animalistic eating habits and his gnashing of the teeth at the barely cooked meat. In fact, it was so barely cooked, it was almost as though it had just been run through a warm room. But he was satisfied, and gulping up the meat hungrily and quickly, looking as though it weren't quenching his inhuman thirst, but causing him to be thoroughly sated all the same. When he was done with the meat, he lifted the plate to his lips and downed all of the blood that ran freely.
Al watched with fascination as the male's Adam's apple made strange movements in the hallow of his neck while the sweet liquid slipped down his throat. If he looked close enough, it was as though the veins in that perfect neck seemed to expand with the fluid they were being filled with, and the cold, dead look of Ed's skin seemed to ebb away, and a faint rosy color took its place.
Winry, on the other hand, ate her food with disdain and a noncommittal sigh would escape her lips occasionally between bites. She evidently had no problem taking her time when it came to satisfaction. That was good-- it showed how much self-control she had, where as Ed had the eyes of a wild beast, and a drive to match it. He had no self-control whatsoever.
After watching the two of them for countless minutes, and sitting in silence all the while, Alphonse felt his stomach ache with disgust, but also hunger. But after the display, he didn't feel much like eating. Just how long had it been since he had eaten anyway? A day? Two?
Picking up his knife, he cut away a miniscule bite of steak off from the larger portion, and examined it closely for any signs of non-cooked ness. It looked fine, because he was, after all, a human. Placing it in his mouth daintily, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine something that wouldn't make him sick. (Edward still hadn't cleaned up his mouth and jaw from his little feeding frenzy from before.)
The only thing that arose into his thinking pattern was the last look he had seen on Isaac's face before he had left him. And that didn't help at all. In fact, it made him lose his appetite even more than before. But he swallowed half-heartedly, bronze eyes opening with sadness. It was then that he realized that both blondes had been watching him with curious eyes, and faint smiles.
"S-sorry," Al said with discomfort. He shifted again in the chair, his legs restless and tired at the same time. He couldn't eat. His stomach wouldn't let him. Nothing sounded good, certainly nothing looked good, either. He grimaced again, hands clenching nervously into the tablecloth's rim, and for some reason tears began to form in his eyes. Slowly, they fell down his cheeks and in a moment he was sobbing into his arms, the plate pushed away, blood sloshing miserably out the side onto the stunning bright linen that covered the surface.
Winry dropped her fork and walked around the table to his side, placing an abnormally warm hand onto his trembling shoulder.
Edward bit the inside of his cheek in mild frustration, and fingered his steak knife in an anti-social sort of way. He wasn't especially good at making people feel better as affection wasn't his strong point. In fact, that was why he had had a hard time with consoling the boy the night of his mother's death. He simply wasn't emotionally equipped for caring for someone; let alone a whiny little mortal who burst out in tears at any random time.
"I-I'm so sorry," Al repeated again, weeping softly in his clothed arms, feeling as though all of his confidence had been shredded away piece by pathetic piece. "I just don't know what to do! I have no idea what I'm doing here, or why I'm even alive anymore. I don't have any reason to be alive when my mother is dead, and my best friend is alone," he mumbled, sniveling and trying his hardest to be strong.
It wasn't working.
That light hand on his shoulder rubbed soothing circles into the tense muscles and Winry's voice was calm and gentle and caring. "It's alright, sweetie," she cooed in a relaxing tone, cerulean eyes deep and thoughtful. "Believe me, I know what it's like to be in your situation where nothing feels like normal anymore and everything is surreal and eccentric. Things get like that sometimes when you're with vampires. It'll get better, Al. I promise!" She smiled and hugged him tightly around his top half in a motherly sort-of embrace.
It was right then that Alphonse decided that he liked Winry very much. Then, when he decided with half-hearted happiness, that she was a good vampire. A good soul. He could trust her with everything, and that was made clear right then, no extra encouragement needed. There was just something confident and assuring about her that let him know that she could be trusted and she wasn't fake.
He liked that feeling. It was something that Ed lacked, but might soon inherit from his friend. Al hoped. He longed to be able to trust Ed like he now felt he could trust Winry. But those thoughts were kept private, and the pain in his heart was still throbbing from before, but fortunately his crying and sniffing had dulled down to a minimal sniff now and then, and he rubbed roughly at his eyes attempting to dry them.
When his bronze eyes looked up again, Edward was busy cleaning off the table, placing the plates into the sink along with empty wine glasses the two vampires were drinking out of that still had the after residue of alcohol settled around the dip at the bottom. He watched for a moment, and Winry's touch faded away as she helped him out by collecting the remaining, unused silver wear and taking Al's still-full plate. He regretted not finishing his meal, but there wasn't anyway he could have. All that was left of his appetite was gone, even though the hunger aches were still there. He was hungry, but desired no food.
Sniffing once more, he dabbed at his eyelids again with his sleeve, getting up and blowing out the short vanilla candles whose wicks had somehow become increasingly undersized since the meal began.
At once Winry began working at the dishes, scrubbing them in the way that the mother of the house would, azure eyes focused intently on the task at hand. Al noticed Ed about to leave the kitchen, but stopping short he turned towards the mortal with tired eyes. "I'll show you where your room is, and the other rooms on the next few floors."
Downstairs was obviously the largest portion of the house, with a humungous living room and family room and dining room (That was never used) and a kitchen with a wrap-around marble counter and black cupboards and refrigerator slash freezer and a good-sized oak table off in the right corner where they had eaten dinner.
Later, upstairs Ed showed Al the second floor which held a library, a study which was more like an office with an outdated computer and several filing cabinets in it, and two fairly big bedrooms, both with attached bathrooms. The second floor was pretty blah, but Al liked the library from what he'd seen of it.
Row upon row of books on ceiling high shelves with desks in every far corner of the room, and categorized sections for different books. It looked mysterious and musky and very old-fashioned, but maybe that was what appealed to the young man. He loved things like that.
The third floor was made up of what Edward called 'The Party Floor.' He explained as they went through each room that this was the floor that the parties were held when he and Winry would entertain. Which would be during Halloween or Christmas time; the only holidays they cared to entertain during. Christmas wasn't as special, but Halloween was their favorite-- It was the only holiday where they could be themselves for an entire 24 hours. Of course, most of those hours were spent sleeping, but for the remainder of the evening they were free to act like they did 365 days a year, and Ed told him that was the most precious part of the whole Holiday.
That third floor was such a party floor that it still had torn streamers and banners and confetti lying in some of the rooms and some places still hadn't been cleaned from previous parties; there were beer bottles and stained carpets and overturned couches all over the entire third floor. It was almost sickening, but Ed said that the two of them hardly ever went past the second floor anyway.
That left the fourth floor, which half of was the attic. The attic, the vampire explained, was never to be gone into. "You just don't want to do that. Trust me." He had advised with a mild tone of bitterness. All that was left on that floor was about five different rooms, where Al was told the guests stayed if they ever had any company. Which they never did.
Basically, the over-all conclusion Alphonse got about the manor was that over half of it wasn't even being used. It was just a huge mass of empty space that someone or something needed to fill.
After the tour was over, they stood at the top of the stairs on the fourth floor in silence, listening to the howling autumn wind brush against the houses frail walls. It was eerie, especially in a place like this. You could hear the house settling in the night, it's inhabitants still very much awake though.
"Where do I sleep?" Al asked at long last, the noiselessness getting the best of him.
"The second floor," Ed answered promptly afterwards. But there was something strange about the way he said it. Like he didn't want it to be true or something. Also, his tone had left an unsure wring in the air.
"And?"
"That's all."
"It doesn't seem like it. Are you sure--"
"I said that's all." Golden eyes rose defensively, and Al knew he needed to stop prying. But after a second or two more, Edward sighed and shook his head, leaning against the banister with casual yet strained easiness. "I know I promised you I'd tell you everything you wanted to know when we got here, but I lied. I can't tell you everything you want to know, but I can tell you everything you need to know. We're not in danger until we leave this house. Just remember that."
And he turned to start heading back down the long length of stairs that went in a spiral, but Al's shaking hand on his arm brought him right back. "No, wait. When can you tell me? When can you tell me what I 'need' to know?" he asked worriedly.
Smiling in his same forlorn and lost way, Ed sighed again. "Tomorrow. I'll tell you tomorrow night after I've had a good day's sleep. Okay? C'mon, I'll show you your room."
Choosing not to argue anymore, Al nodded and followed the vampire down the stairs keeping close to him. Despite the mundane duties he had to engage in everyday (i.e. Drinking blood), Ed still smelled really good. He smelled of candles and incense and sensuality and musk. And like a fresh coffin. That sent shivers up the younger boy's back, but he held closer to him as they descended the stairs, passing the third floor.
(Somewhere in the back of his mind, Al thought that maybe it'd be good to install an elevator in such a huge house.)
He took in a deep breath, wanting to catch that smell again but failing when the vampire would move away a little bit subconsciously. Eventually he gave up and continued walking in his footsteps.
That smell never left his memory.
At 5:30 in the morning the mortal boy collapsed onto his freshly made bed. His muscles ached and were clenched tightly and he needed a lifetime's worth of sleep to refurbish all the lost energy of that night. Walking for hours on end had killed his feet as he soon found out when he took off his tight little black Converse, and peeled off his dirty socks that stuck to his feet with sweat and revealed fresh blisters. The skin had already begun breaking away, showing pink skin that looked nearly white because of the newness of the wounds. They stung and ached horribly when he curled and uncurled his toes trying to work feeling back into them.
He hadn't even gotten a shower yet, but he was far too exhausted for one at this point. The next night, for sure, he would get one. His hair was still matted down with perspiration and dirt, and he had long since given up on his hair-tie. It had been taken out ages ago, and now his hair hung limply around his shoulders and halfway down his narrow back.
Winry had put clean sheets on the bed, because when the three of them had opened the guest bedroom's door on the second floor and pulled back the sheets of the bed, a nauseating cloud of dust had floated up from the blankets. That was when the girl decided that it might be best if that bedspread was just discarded entirely. Besides, Ed had pitched a fit.
No Goddamn guest of mine will be sleeping on a dirty bed!
Alphonse had to admit that it flattered him slightly to be catered on in such a way, but hey, Ed owed it to him. He was helping him out, right? The least he deserved was clean sheets to sleep in. These ones smelled like linen, fresh clean linen just out of the dryer.
Lying back on the bed, his dirty hair splaying across the pillow, Al tucked his hands behind his head, reclining uncomfortably. He felt agonizingly pained, and winced once or twice when he attempted to pop his back. Nothing functioned right. Part of that also came from sleeping on a stone floor the previous night, killing his once-proper-working body parts.
Trying to ignore the pain, he concentrated on the voices he heard from downstairs. He could hear Ed's voice, husky, worn, and tired filtering up from down there. He and Winry were discussing something or another, because they didn't have to be in bed till around 6:30. Al had just been too tired to stay up any later. His eyes felt heavy, and he thought that if he had to walk another step he might fall apart permanently.
When the voices became dulled and he couldn't decipher syllables any longer, he began staring at the ceiling. A fly flew past him, and his bronze eyes observed it. It landed once on the curtain of the boarded up window (He distantly wondered why a boarded up window would need a curtain anyway) and then flew away again. The fly landed in several different spots, before flying up higher and landing into a spider's web.
Al cringed, foreseeing the next movement.
Alas, he was right. A moderately sized Daddy-Long-Legs crawled forth from beneath the panel of the corner, slowly at first, watching its prey with hungry, vicious eyes. He could've sworn that he saw saliva frothing from the spider's fangs. It made him twitch unnervingly, shifting a little on the bed, but stopping when pain twinged up his spine. Instead he continued watching through nervous eyes.
The fly writhed and wriggled with every ounce of its pathetic life, attempting to free itself through the sticky, clinging web. It tried so hard, in fact, that it could've brought the human to tears. That indomitable need to live was crying out in every movement that fly made. Al could see the web shaking with the resolute effort that thing put up. He was struggling and trying his best to just be free, apparently knowing his fate if he couldn't.
It ended in a moment. Sneaking up stealthily, the spider plunged its fangs deep into the fly's stomach to slow him down, then begun spinning him up with the thread from his abdomen, creating a cocoon; a coffin to bury the living in. Alphonse could still tell the fly was making a big fuss, not willing to die so easily, but the spider's determination was just as great-- if not greater.
Once more those frothing fangs went deep inside the fly, silencing him eternally this time. The struggle ended abruptly, and the web became still again, the spider's legs weaving the slightly broken web again, mending it with care. He would save his meal for later, and eat it when it had dried a bit.
Al gulped, and brushed away the unnecessary tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.
He honestly hoped he didn't become like that poor, helpless fly. Hoped that he could break free of this strenuous web that had him so tight against its surface, before the predator sank its fangs into his neck. Quite literally. He didn't want to become a fly in a spider's web, or suffer the same fate that little housefly had suffered.
It took Al a very, very long time to fall asleep after that.
End Chapter Four
Closing Notes: I'm really satisfied with the outcome of this chapter, and I hope you are, too. If you're not, too bad. I did my best. :smiles: Thanks for staying with me so long, those of you (You know who you are.) I love you all so much for reviewing. You're the reason I'm still writing this crazy fanfic!
About this chapter-- I really wasn't sure what I was going to do until halfway through, and then I thought about it really hard and decided to just let it come as it wanted to. Turns out that works way better than planning ahead. I think I'm getting a better handle on this whole 'Plot Development Thing.' Not that you care, I'm just saying. XD Haha, anyway. I encourage you to click the button below if you want to submit a nice little review. Thanks a bunch.