A/N: FMA 2003 and CoS came into my house, stabbed my heart and kicked me in the gut :) I loved it
"Brother?"
He hears Rose call out his brother's name too.
Yet all Alphonse sees is red.
And fading golden eyes that look at him. Ed spills out blood.
Then his brother falls back, bleeding endlessly.
Rose screams.
No.
No. No. No. Not him.
Not again. No.
"It can't be! There's no way brother can be dead!"
Envy laughs at his demise, at everyone's disgrace.
"Brother can't die! That's not right!"
Ed is gone.
He's…
"Brother! Brother !"
"This is real life," Dante says. "Perhaps he just hadn't paid enough. We always come off just a little short of the price."
No.
It's not fair!
Ed didn't deserve it! Ed could never!
Al should have…!
He should've…
Much like the guilt and the grief, Al is eaten piece by piece by the famished bites from Gluttony. The red of the Philosopher Stone shines through his empty armor.
Al can't be bothered by the Homunculi or by anything else.
Brother…
Edward…
It should've been me.
I should have died.
Then you wouldn't…
…
No.
He won't allow it.
Al claps his hands together, decomposing Gluttony's mouth. His entire body shines red. His determination, his grief, his regret… his love.
He's been used time and time again, so his brother comes to save him. And Ed suffered for it, for Al and his stupidity. Ed can't possibly die for him.
Dante tries to stop him and say the same absurdities, but Al is done, he's done making mistakes, being manipulated, he's done.
Alphonse finally walks to Ed's fallen body.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Pools of blood dirty his metal feet, Ed's empty eyes staring back at him.
Although it's hard to see…
He's not gone.
Not yet.
Al can change that.
He ignores Dante, and once Envy is ready to strike, Al claps his hands one last time.
"Watch out."
Bright red surrounds the theater and blinding blue comes out from his hands against Edward's chest.
"Brother…"
Brother
Brother!
The light is gone.
It's all dark, save for a dim light from outside.
Alphonse is…
He's not… a Philosopher Stone.
Nor is he made of metal, bound to his brother's blood.
Al frantically touches his own face, his hair, his clothes, the covers that embrace him…
He's home.
But…
It's not Resembool.
Oh.
Right.
But what if—
Al has no time to finish the thought, for his legs move before it. Even so, millions of what ifs, the reds staining his head, his hands, the endless pools of red to suffocate his yells—
He almost knocks down the door beside his room, even a little hopeful by the warm light that illuminates inside…
"Whoa, what the heck!?"
Al halts.
Ed has dropped his book and prepared himself to fight.
"Al?" The older Elric softens. "What is it?"
He doesn't respond.
Ed was just reading in his bed, wearing the same clothes as earlier. His hair though is down and messy; it's been a quite common look for him, no longer braiding his blond locks. So many books are filling the bed, some have fallen on the floor – it reminds Al of when the two of them would steal their father's books and study alchemy when Mom wasn't looking.
His older brother still wears the automail, the most advanced one Winry has given him. The last remainder of Resembool they have.
But most importantly, he's alive. He's there. He's not far away on the other side. He's so near. So, so near him.
"Al, what's wrong?" Ed jumps off his bed, though he hesitates as Al shakes.
He's shaking so terribly, that if he were an armor, he'd probably make the loudest metal noise. It used to be the only way he could communicate he was in distress. Either that, or he'd be gone again.
Why is he distressed, though? Ed is fine. His brother is safe.
He's not bleeding, he's not gone. He isn't…
"Al-?"
"Brother!"
Al runs, the fastest he can, and meets his brother just a few feet away. They almost fall back, but then Al remembers he's not huge like before. He also remembers he can actually touch his brother now.
He holds onto Ed like a lifeline, when he couldn't reach his hand while he disappeared. Al squeezes him the tightest – maybe the Gate won't take him. Maybe Envy won't kill him again. Maybe nothing is going to happen this time.
"Al. Al," Ed calls him again, more serious, "what happened? Are you okay?"
Despite all the words racing in Al's mind, the only response he has is… tears. Sobs. He cries like he was a child.
He is still a child, right?
"Whoa, hey, hey…" Ed hugs him back, even if confused. "Al…"
He's warm.
He's still warm and colorful and himself. His hands are gentle and his hair smells like his old shampoo…
Not dead. Not dead. He's not dead.
"Brother… Brother, you're- I'm—" Al can't even speak right in midst of his weeping, his aching and grieving sobs.
"You're okay, Al. You're going to be okay."
His hands turn into fists against his brother's shirt.
"No, I won't! I-I let you die !"
His brother stills.
"Y-You died because of me!" Al cries. "B-Because I was s-so dumb, so stupid… you were dead, and I didn't do anything…"
"Al…"
"Y-You were bleeding… so much… it was all I could see," Al somberly whispers, "and I was just lying there, I did nothing until it was too late…"
"Alphonse," Ed's voice raises even if slightly, and yet Al flinches. He almost lets go, almost runs away. But Ed doesn't let him, as he stops him by his shoulders, forcing them to look at one another. They're still so close, though.
"I-I'm sorry, Ed," Al says hopelessly.
Ed shakes his head. "There's nothing to apologize for."
"I-I could have saved you…"
"You did. You saved me, Al."
"But you ended up here…"
"That was on me. Because I couldn't stand the thought of you gone." Ed's automail fingers reach his tears, gently wiping them. "I couldn't be home without you."
"Why ?"
Al doesn't actually say it, but he can't help but think he shouldn't have come back still.
And yet…
"Because you're my home, Al."
The sentence shouldn't have shocked him, Al reminds himself. But after everything he did wrong… all Ed wants is to be with him.
That's enough to make him cry harder, like waterfalls are coming out of his eyes.
"Y-You're my home too!" Al weeps, launching himself back to his brother's arms.
"I promise you I'm not going anywhere." Ed buries his face in Al's shoulder. "We'll be okay."
Al hopes. God, he hopes so.
He makes a mess of tears in Ed's clothes, but not that his brother really cares about that.
Later that night, Ed and Al fall asleep in each other's arms, in midst of the many books.
They truly are home.