Al made his way down the stairs.
He almost fell three times and now gripped the banaster for dear life. His balance was a little off. He realized he was relearning how to walk. That didn't bother him. It made him wonder how little effort it was taking to learn. That bothered him and he couldn't say why.
"Al? Are you alright?" someone said and Al started.
Pinako stood at the bottom of the stairs and Al realized he had stopped in the middle of coming down and had been staring off into space.
"Yes!" he said quickly and laughed, embarassed, "Brother is awake, Pinako ba-chan. I was coming to get him some breakfast..."
Slowly, Pinako replied, a gently skeptical look on her face, "I see...Well. Hurry up. It'll get cold."
"Yes." Al said and hurried down wincing at the new sounds of his movement.
Clank.
Clunk.
Clang.
He slowed his step. It helped. A little.
When Al entered the kitchen, Winry was there. She looked horrible. Al noted the bags beneath her eyes. The redness of her eyes. The puffiness of her lips. He remembered last night when she had stood and cried in the doorway of Ed's room. "Al..." she began and smiled earnestly at him, "Good morning...did you sleep well?"
Al, pulling out a chair from the table paused, "Ah..." he began. He hadn't even thought about sleep and he didn't feel the least bit tired...
"Winry, help me here, will you?" Pinako suddenly said in a loud voice. Even Al jumped at the sound.
"Alright..." she said.
Al watched the two. The shorter Pinako stood on a stool and stirred something in a pan. She pointed to a plate across the room.
Last night Al hadn't thought about sleep at all. He had been intent on so many other things. His brother's face. The moon's face. That tiny silver latch he had finally managed to lock. He had felt a particular rush of pride when the device had finally connected and he heard the little sound that declared it locked. He had gazed at his hands with a sort of defiance then, daring them to try not working for him anymore. Now he looked at them dumbly. He wasn't tired...He wasn't tired...because although this armor looked like a body...in truth it was...
"Al..."
"Yes, ma'am?" Al said, startled again from his thoughts.
Pinako softly laughed. Al had never heard seen her like this, not even when their mother had died. Her every movement spoke of care, her words, her breathing were calm and gentle. Hearing her speak was enough to comfort him, but the words she spoke now lifted a weight he realized was redescending on his heart, "Don't worry, child." She said, "Everything is fine. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Al said.
Winry, yawning, returned with an armful of plates, then. Pinako took a plate from the stack and filled it with eggs and handed it back. Al stood and walked over to them and Winry, yawning again, placed it in his hands. Al turned and bagan to make his way back to his brother when Winry, stifling her third yawn asked, "Al...don't you want something to eat, too?"
"Huh?" Al said and paused. He gazed down at the steaming food in his hand and although he recognized it as one of his favorites, he realized that he didn't want anything. He couldn't even smell it..."Ah...No...No thank you..." he said and hurried out of the room.
Clank...
He wasn't hungry.
Clunk...
Not at all.
Clang.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: A great big THANKS! to Dragonflyr, Henrika, and Gozilla for reviewing my first FMA fic! You guys rock! Hope you liked this one too:) Bye bye:)