Chapter 7

Lumps and bumps and bruises. Alphonse Eric was sure that's all he was made of as the train chugged across the country, ceaselessly bouncing and shaking and rattling along without a care in the world for its fragile passenger.

Before then (more accurately, since he had gotten his body back), the furthest Al had traveled was in the car that escorted them from the hospital to the train station earlier that day. And, before that, it had been when he would take walks on the hospital grounds or do a lap around the hospital itself.

In retrospect, he really should have worked his way up to this long of a trip: Central to Resembool was hardly a short jaunt. Maybe they should have done a couple of blocks in the car first, like a practice run. Then they could try a few more the next day, then maybe an hour drive the next...you know, baby steps. But no. Instead, they had ~brilliantly~ decided to do it all at once. Al had to admit, it was nice to think that he would just be able to get it over with in one fell swoop, but he hadn't taken into account just how sore and tired he would be. These train rides are hardly kind to the people who have body fat, let alone those who are still trying to gain it back and have no cushion between themselves and the rumbling of the carts.

If Alphonse was being quite honest: his butt was still incredibly bony, and it was already sore… That, and they still had five more hours to go.

The ride from Central to Resembool was just shy of six hours long. That is, if you weren't factoring in each of the stops the train made along the way. All things considered, In the grand scheme of things it wasn't too bad of a trip. The Elric brothers had gone on much longer train rides before, and at least with this one Al knew exactly what was waiting for him at his destination: his family and (perhaps more importantly, given his current predicament) a comfy, soft bed.

Had he mentioned how sore he was?

It was a ride that Alphonse had always enjoyed. However, he did remember liking it a lot more back when he was in the suit of armor. You know, back when his butt wasn't made of bone (or flesh) at all and he couldn't feel all the bumps and vibrations the train was making. Though, he did remember hearing his armor clanking against itself with every jostle, which could hardly be considered better. Well, he knew for sure it wasn't better for the other passengers. He got plenty of sour looks over the course of his travels. So, at least he wasn't causing a ruckus anymore. That was a plus, he supposed.

Al hadn't been able to sleep on a train ride (or at all, technically) in a long time. Ed, however, would often pass out in the first half-hour or so and be unresponsive for the rest of the trip. So, since Al hadn't had the option to join his blissfully dreaming brother, he would resort to staring out the window - watching as the landscape around him changed and letting his mind wander with it.

Over the years, Alphonse had gotten pretty good at that: letting his mind wander. It was something that passed the time, which he often had a lot of to himself, and he was almost always thinking about something anyway. It was more of a hindrance now, though. His thoughts were racing as the excitement of the journey and the anticipation of their return settled in. Here Edward was, slumped haphazardly in his seat across from his younger brother, his head lolling as he tried desperately not to sleep, whereas that's all that Al wanted to do.

How did Ed just turn his brain off so easily anyway?

...Had Alphonse been able to do that too, once?

It would be really nice to be able to re-learn that trick right about now.

He wished that his brain had an on/off switch, like light switches do. Something simple, easy even. With a simple flick of your hand, you could provide light or be cast into darkness.

Although the light was always nice, Al couldn't help but think that the dark sounded very welcoming right now--

"Cheese."

Alphonse blinked, his attention pulled from his musings and redirected to the person sitting across from him. Confusion etched creases into his brow and Ed couldn't help but let out a laugh in response.

"...What?" Al asked, his own bewildered smile teasing at the corners of his lips.

"Cheese!" Ed stated again, more enthusiastically this time. He leaned forward expectantly, all the traces of sleepiness that were present only moments ago gone from his features. Al wasn't entirely sure if the sleepiness was truly gone, or if his brother was just masking it well. Either way he didn't really have the energy himself to try and figure it out.

"What about it, Brother?" he asked, his smile still softly showing. His brother's train of thought (ha, get it? Train?) was sometimes a little difficult to follow, but it usually at least led to somewhere entertaining. And Al could use some entertainment right now.

"What are your thoughts on cheese?"

Al was caught short. "Uh...I mean, I'm not really sure."

It was Ed's turn to look slightly confused, though his wide smile didn't falter. In fact, a flash of elation flickered across the older Elric's face and his grin turned coy, as though he realized he had knowledge of something that his younger brother didn't. "What do you mean you aren't sure?"

Al squinted slightly, trying to decipher if his brother had actually forgotten about the last four-ish years, or if he was just pulling his leg. Edward seemed to be sincere enough, Al supposed… "I mean, I haven't had it in a long time, Brother. I suppose it's good? I liked it back then, so I would assume I like it now?"

Edward nodded slowly, teeth glinting in the midday sun. "Go on."

Alphonse was growing slightly impatient. This was not the entertainment he was looking for. His nostrils flared with his exhale of breath as he shifted his gaze back to the window. The trees were flying by outside, but they were still only an hour or so into the trip. They were probably still in Central, honestly. The station was in the middle of the city after all, and it was a big area. They had to get through the rest of Central before they could even think about the countryside. It was going to be a very long day, and it was going to be even longer if Edward kept up his shenanigans. It was a way to pass the time, though, so Al guessed he could placate it. Just for a little longer.

"I mean, it was pretty good, I think. The texture was nice, and the different types always kept it interesting. Different cheeses for different flavor profiles and all that. Plus, it was always good to make a snack or small meal feel... I don't know, more well-rounded? I used to think it was really good on crackers, and it's hard to go wrong with a ham and cheese sandwich--"

It dawned on him: Edward was being coy because he had a right to be.

Alphose had eaten a ham and cheese sandwich earlier that day.

Just before they boarded the train, Ed had grabbed them a quick lunch from a street vendor by the station. Al hadn't even thought about it - there was no menu or choice and they were running a little late, so he just ate what Ed had chucked at him. Well, he ate part of it. He could eat solid foods fairly easily now, but his appetite was still lacking compared to what it used to be.

But that wasn't the point here.

The point was--

"I ATE A HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH!"

The exclamation drew the attention of some of the fellow passengers, but the boy was too ecstatic to care.

Hospital food can barely be considered cuisine in and of itself. But, it gets especially bad if that's all you have to eat for a whole year. At first you're just excited to eat food again: you can taste! Swallow! Chew! It's exciting, and anything is better than nothing.

Or so you think. After you have only liquids for weeks, you get sick of it.

But then! Solid foods! A whole new realm of possibilities!

You get over the novelty quickly, unfortunately. The reality falls short of the high expectations you've been building up to for years. So, so, so short. And, it gets even worse when you can smell the food your brother brings in from the cafe next door, and the beautiful sandwich and fries have the audacity to tease you with their delicious scent when all you have is a piece of bread and butter and some soup.

Alphonse was pretty sure he would never recover from that heartbreak. Edward took it away the minute he noticed Al's longing eyes, but it was too late. The deed had been done.

Even when you're upgraded again, it isn't trying to get food (any food) into your system or make you excited about eating again: it's to try and get you to become more than just skin and bones. It becomes carbs and veggies, and not even the good kind. Everything is lukewarm, conglomerated mush and it's hard to even tell what's what. They aren't trying to make you happy, they're trying to make you healthy. It doesn't matter what's on your plate, as long as it's in your system and it's giving you a variety of much needed nutrients.

In all actuality, it's entirely possible that Al had eaten cheese in the hospital and just didn't realize it. Everything tasted the same, no matter what label had been slapped onto it.

It's rather unlikely, though. Rich foods? In a hospital after you've been extremely malnourished? You can forget about it. They may be fatty and effective at adding some padding and pounds to your body, but often times they're the wrong type of fat. Plus, a stomach that isn't used to rich foods doesn't take to them too well. Ed did try to sneak Alphonse some ice cream once but...let's just say it didn't end well. He didn't try again.

So this? The idea of eating cheese? Amazing.

The fact that he had been in such a rush that he hadn't even noticed or been able to stop and savor it? Devastating.

Al's eyes grew wide as Ed's flickered to the bag sitting next to him.

Even in a rush, Al would never have thrown away half of a perfectly good sandwich. And Edward, hungry as he may be, would never take food away from his brother. Not after everything that had happened...he wouldn't dream of it. In fact, Ed was pretty sure he would be giving Al first dibs at second helpings for the rest of their lives.

All thoughts aside, Alphonse immediately dove into his satchel, hands searching for the tell-tale paper wrapping…

GOT IT.

He pulled it out of his bag like a precious, ancient artifact. He held it like it was the last flower in the entire world. He looked at it like it was his newborn child.

He could hear Ed snickering and he knew he was blowing this whole thing out of proportion, but in that moment, he couldn't care less.

Alphonse Elric had promised that he wouldn't take these experiences for granted ever again. He did earlier today, but he was going to make sure that was the last time he would make that mistake.

You never knew which bite of a ham and cheese sandwich could be your last, and dammit he was going to make sure that if it was, it would be the best bite of a ham and cheese sandwich anyone had ever had.

Cheese, Alphonse decided as he took a bite of his leftovers, was still very delicious. The tangy taste, the oddly pungent smell, the melty texture as he held it in his mouth.

It was amazing.

It was perfect.

It was a ham and cheese sandwich.

And it was the best food Al believed he had ever tasted.

-

The remainder of the train ride was a blur. The sandwich was gone before Al knew it, and the Elric brothers were both so excited about it that they spent half of the trip just talking about food. Alphonse went over his list of foods to try now that he got his body back once, twice, three times, each time adding more.

It wasn't too long after that that Al's light switch finally decided to turn off. Ed had moved next to him to peek at Al's list while he wrote, and he had fallen asleep just a short while previous. The consistent, rhythmic, slow rise and fall of his chest was like waves against the shore. Mesmerizing, and also quite peaceful. Al looked out the window one more time before he leaned against his brother's side, the soft breathing and the rocking of the train putting his mind at ease at last as he drifted off to sleep.

This was the best day he had had in a long time, and there were only more to come.

A bumpy train ride and bruised butt were more than worth it.

AN: HELLO!! I AM ALIVE!!! I am so sorry that I haven't posted in so long...what a wild year 2020 has been, huh? You would think that with all this time to sit around in my house I would actually have written more but uuuuh... quarantine sure does like to squash motivation, huh?

Again, I am so sorry for the delay. I've seen all of your lovely comments, and honestly they were what brought me back to this piece! Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope all of you are staying well and safe~

I would love to keep writing for this collection, but I can't promise anything at the moment I'm afraid. I have some ideas for upcoming chapters, so hopefully I can flesh those out a bit before this writing bug goes away!

I love you all, and thank you for being so patient and kind! Stay fantastic, and I hope to update again soon~ 3

PS. I honestly did not expect this chapter to be mostly about cheese but hey, gotta go where the inspiration leads you I guess haha.

I'd love to hear what you guys think, or if you have ideas for any upcoming chapters you'd like to see! I think the next one is going to be the boys coming home, so be prepared for some Winry and Granny content!!

Again, I have no beta reader, so any and all mistakes are entirely my own! I also completely guessed on distance/time from Central to Resembool because I was lazy, so if it's wrong I apologise.