A/N: Today is Sibling Day where I live, so I ressurrected this old idea!

The first sign of a shaky breath is what startles his eyes awake.

And when Alphonse notes where it comes from, he already knows what it is.

"… no…"

Then Al is right beside his brother's bed, trying his best not to touch him – because after years of experience, he knows it's best not to touch someone having a nightmare.

Of course, it doesn't make it any less tormenting to watch Ed in distress, muttering nonsensical and broken apologies, shaking his head, sweating, at worse crying, which is something Al hasn't seen in the last couple of years. Yet now that they're back home, Ed has been letting out tears more often again, like he is right now.

Al senses his stomach dropping at the mention of his name.

"Al… Al, no!" Ed yells, suddenly jolting awake. "AL!"

It's now that the younger Elric finally speaks to him, "I'm here, brother. It's okay."

Ed is panting furiously, then he's gaping at Al like the latter is a ghost. After so many years, Ed is probably questioning whether this is real or not, because he always woke up to a daunting suit of armor staring back at him, unable to comfort him, unable to touch him.

"I'm going to touch you, okay?" Al is slow with it, reaching his older brother's shaky hand. "Can you feel my hand?" He gives only the hint of a squeeze, so he doesn't scare Ed. He suppresses his own awe at the contact, at the fact he can finally feel someone's warmth, someone's veins and heartbeats again.

Ed must feel the same way, as he's the one who squeezes their hands tighter, maybe a little too much but Al cuts him some slack.

"Al?" Ed sounds young. Too young, like he's the same eleven-year-old who lost everything in one night.

"Yes, it's me," Al reassures him, and will repeat these words as much as necessary. "I'm okay."

Ed is dead silent for a second, only to bawl his eyes out and hug Al the tightest he can.

"I-I'm sorry, Al… I'm so sorry…" he mourns.

"It's okay, brother. It's okay." Al nuzzles his head against the other's shoulder. "I'm home."

Ed doesn't quiet down – in fact, he loudly breaks down. Although this situation is very familiar to Al, it seems more intense this time. Maybe it's due to the relief of Al being back in his still adapting human body. Ed refuses to let him go, clutching Al's shirt in fists. His automail arm shakes, metal noises echoing in the room. Al tries not to pay much attention to it right now.

Eventually, Winry arrives in their room. She's not surprised at the situation, either. As she approaches, Ed notices her and for once releases Al so he can welcome and absorb her comfort as well.

Al tells them he'll be right back with a glass of water, and while that is true, he finds himself letting out the deepest sigh once he's out of their sight. He stares at the currently empty glass for a few seconds before filling it with water and swallowing his own strange feelings, as his brother needs him right now and he can't abandon him.

Al and Winry stay with Ed until he falls back asleep, this time in Al's thin arms. Winry will likely not go back to sleep, knowing her active mind, and neither does Al.

He has so many thoughts.

The sight of the rising sun is never old to him.

Al has seen it countless times. He could count every inch of the sun coming up at this point, and while it might seem he's sick of it, it's quite the opposite. It's truly beautiful.

It helps. Helps sort out of his mind. Soothe the metal barriers that once trapped him. The knots that encircle and tighten around his heart.

It's a moment for himself, a moment he could think and find hope again, even if for a little while.

(… well, it should be.)

(Today, the knots feel tighter.)

Al's grateful smile fades. He sighs in quiet frustration.

"… Al?"

He turns around, finding Edward rubbing his eyes.

"You're already awake, brother?" Al raises an eyebrow.

"Look who's talking," Ed remarks, annoyed, but it's the concerned type of annoyed. His eyes even soften. "Al, you look terrible. Did you sleep well?"

Sometimes Al forgets that people can see through him, and he's not sure if he likes it or not.

"It's nothing to worry about, brother. I woke up just in time for the sunrise," he argues. He turns back to the sun. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Ed doesn't sound enthusiastic, only suspicious.

Al stays for a while, knowing he can't really avoid his brother's worrywart-ness. When the sun is big enough in the sky, he takes his cane and stands up.

"I should get breakfast ready," he says.

"I'll help you."

"You don't have to—"

"Race you to the kitchen!" Ed runs before he can reach him.

"Hey!" Al protests, but he ends up laughing. It almost quiets the knots down.

He's worried about Al.

To be fair, there isn't a time where he isn't worried, and it doesn't help that Al won't talk to him.

There will be other mornings where Al is watching the sunrise, or times where he isn't there at all, instead Ed finds a set breakfast table with a little note saying, "gone for a walk".

Ed wants to punch himself.

His sleep has never been peaceful. Ed has woken up in cold sweat far too many times to count. Sometimes he's yelling, sometimes he's crying, always drowning in guilt.

Tonight is… different, like his senses are acting up. The same sensation he has when he knows Al is in trouble – something Winry likes to call his "big brother instincts".

Edward attempts to rub out his tiredness of his golden eyes, only for him to look to the side and find no person occupying the other bed. Even with the weakest light from outside, he can tell the sheets are all messy and the pillow is on the floor; and he's only able to see it thanks to the door creaking open.

Ed is quick to get out of his own bed and go to the door, and when he opens it wide, the scene he faces is heartachingly familiar.

Al is sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, hugging his own knees and hiding his face. The thing is, he isn't the armor anymore, now he's just a boy – not that he was never a boy, but now it's clear that he is, because the armor was hard to read. It was hard to get close, even if Ed tried his best.

Now, you can see that boy suffering, shaking, probably crying. Only he's hiding himself from the world, afraid he might be found.

Ed swallows the guilt inside him, because he knows it will only make Al feel worse, and he slowly approaches.

"Al?"

His little brother lets out a tiny gasp.

"B-Brother?" Al sniffs, quickly drying his face. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare again?"

Ed inhales, trying to shut up the urge to cry himself. "No, Al, I'm fine," he says calmly. "What are you doing here, on your own?"

Al bites his lip for a split second before avoiding his look. "I couldn't sleep, but it's nothing, brother. You should go back to bed."

Ed has heard it many times. You don't need to worry. It's nothing. It's fine. And even when he doesn't explicitly hear it, he can also tell… I'm not worth your concern.

The older boy sighs softly, so Al doesn't take it the wrong way, and takes slow steps forward.

"Yeah… not gonna happen."

"Brother—"

"Al, I'm not leaving you alone like this. I'm your older brother, it's my job to take care of you, just like you do for me."

Al would have protested more, but Ed is sitting next to him, and he will certainly not ever leave. Al has spent too many nights alone, because Ed wasn't always able to fight off his exhaustion to stay with him. He knows he'll never understand what his little brother went through, but to imagine Al under any sort of pain is unacceptable, and now that he actually can help him, he can't leave him to suffer.

Right now, in spite of his protests, Al seems… to relax. Their arms and legs are touching. Al's shoulders don't feel tense anymore, and his breaths seem to return to their normal rhythm. Ed only listens to his presence, and he too feels calmer.

When Ed finally looks, he realizes Al is already staring at him. Not at his face, but instead… his metal limbs.

Al instantly sniffs.

"Al?" Ed puts an arm around his shoulders as the other hides again. He pulls Al close, but not in a way to trap him.

The other weeps, making tiny noises like he's still just a child. Ed's heart aches for him.

"Al, can you look at me?"

The younger boy shakes his head, his face still against his knees.

"Okay. Can you talk to me, then?" Ed suggests. At the lack of response, he tries again, "Why can't you sleep?"

Al only weeps in response.

"Do you… have nightmares?"

This time, he shakes his head.

"… I-I just can't sleep," Al responds for once. "Too many thoughts."

Ed inhales, "Okay. You don't need to tell me what they are, okay? It's okay, Al." He squeezes his brother in a half hug, kissing his head. "I'll be here for anything you need."

Rather than comforting him, it seems to do the exact opposite.

Al pushes away, he pushes the soothing words away aggressively.

"I-It's not fair," he sobs.

Ed blinks. "Fair?"

"Y-You shouldn't be here with me, brother. You should get your rest."

"No, Al. I told you; I'm not leaving you like this—"

"Why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"Why do you keep sacrificing yourself for me?!"

Ed frowns. "Wh—"

"You've sacrificed your arm, your alchemy, you keep doing this for me," Al argues, his nails tight against his skin. "It's not fair to you, Ed!"

He sounds so brutal, so genuinely hurt, that Ed is shaken for a good couple of seconds. He's always known Al never liked him doing so much for him, but he never expected it to be so intense.

"You didn't even get your arm and leg back!" Al insists. "We agreed we would do anything for both of us to get our bodies back, but you didn't – and you PROMISED!"

"Al," Ed lets out before he thinks. "Al, listen to me: I would rather not have my limbs for the rest of my life than ever live without you."

"WHY?!" Al's voice waters more. "You've been in so much pain for all these years, all because of ME! Why do you keep doing this to yourself?!"

Ed's hands shake.

"Al…"

"I don't want you to suffer. I don't… I'm not worth this."

"No."

Ed is putting his hands on Al's shoulders tightly.

"Al, look at me. Look at me." Al only shakes his head, his lips quivering. "You're worth everything. Your life is not any less worthy than mine or anyone else's."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is."

"Shut up!"

"I will never shut up. I will tell you this every single day until you finally believe me. Even if it takes forever."

Ed is far from angry. Or at least, not at Al. Never at Al. He can't possibly imagine what it must be to be in his shoes, but what he certainly knows, is that Al is worth his whole world, more than alchemy, more than the knowledge of things. Al is his home, his refuge, his everything.

"Don't you see? Everything is my fault," Al insists. "You losing your limbs, everyone who died, everyone who lost…"

"No, I chose to defy nature, too. I should've known better. You're not the one responsible to carry the weight of the world. I should carry it with you."

Al seems to relax again, as he stops defying him, and his look is no longer furious.

"Please, let me carry some of it for you," Ed begs. "Please."

Finally, his little brother allows it; he falls against the other's chest. Al is so small, especially after years of being deprived of everything. Ed wraps both arms around him, metal and flesh together, their legs also tangled up. Al sobs in his chest, like a massive weight is being released. Ed can't possibly tell how long he's kept this to himself, and he can only be thankful that Al is allowing himself this, that he's accepting the comfort and reassurance that he longed this entire time.

At one point, Al pretty much blacks out, likely the exhaustion getting the better of him. Ed doesn't dare move, despite them not lying in a comfortable surface, yet he doesn't want to wake him up. Winry eventually finds them glued to one another, and she gets Al doesn't want to be disturbed either, so she takes the blanket from their room so Ed can wrap them both up. She smiles at them and goes back to her room.

This time, Ed stays awake the whole night for his brother, and he's the one who sees the sunrise.