Chapter II

Ed returned home around noon that day. He found that Al had moved from the couch, which hopefully meant he had pulled out of his most recent episode.

"Al," he called softly into the empty wooden house. His voice didn't echo. Al didn't answer.

Sighing, Edward moved down a dead end hall that stopped at a small dusty closet. He hung his coat haphazardly over a bent up hanger, and pulled off his under jacket. His usual military norm was not something he liked to wear anymore. Now he wore a green tank top with no other color to it whatsoever. His undercoat was a rusty brownish-red clay color. He wore with this a thin pair of gray, or black slacks.

He still had all of his old clothes, but they were in the bottom of the hazard of a closet he just closed.

"Al?" Nothing. "Fine," Edward said to himself. "I guess I'll just have to come get you myself."

Clomping his way up the wooden stairs, Ed rounded the corner and found that every door was open. He sighed. He had hardly taken a step when the door to his left suddenly burst open.

Ed almost shrieked, but knew better by now. After gaining control of his now erratic breathing, he peered down at Al. He offered a small smile in return to the one his brother shot at him now. The soft look Alphonse was giving him was almost sad. But he knew that this was how Al looked when he smiled. After years of just hearing the smile in his voice, it was nice to just see it. But it was still hard to get used to, even after three years.

"Hey," Edward said softly. Al's face broke into a huge smile, all teeth and dimple. His eyes almost closing forming the smile. Edward sat himself on the dusty-feeling wood, eye-to-eye to Al.

Edward lifted his hand and softly placed it against Alphonse's pale, warm face. "Sorry it took so long." Al smiled a bit more, pushing his hand insistently into Edward's hand. Ed pushed back lightly and leaned into close to Al. His smile was gone. Al's soft and almost sad.

Al leaned towards Edward and their lips met, sloppily. Al couldn't take on any kind of shape with his lips, just pushing them hard against Ed's. Ed pushed back, his chapped lips taking in the soft, smooth lips of his younger brother. Al was making small noises, more like vibrations than actual sounds. Ed read the message being carried through the uncomprehensionable sounds.

The soft lips parted under the persistence of Edward's eager tongue. His tongue swept hungrily through Al's mouth. Al's caramel-colored hair wound around the hand Edward pressed insistently against the nape of Al's neck. One of Alphonse's hands reached to mimic Edward, but only succeeded in catching onto the side of Ed's face and clawing at Ed's ear and strands of hair. His other hand--God knows where it was going—ended up cramped up between him and Edward, resting on his older brother's smooth, strong stomach.

Edward moaned into Al's mouth as his brother's tongue wound around his in a sloppy little dance. But he almost cried out as his brother's hand found what it had been looking for…Ed groaned loudly and pulled away.

"Al," Ed whined, he had meant to reprimand him for the heated contact. Alphonse's hand just squeezed a little and started rubbing and moving all the while pressing hotly to the apparent bulge in Ed's leather pants. Edward broke away from Al violently.

Standing up, he growled breathlessly under his breath. "Sorry, Al. Just wait until tonight. You never know when someone's going to drop by."

"Yeah," Al nodded. Edward wasn't sure, but maybe Al was remembering the last time they had indulged themselves in the middle of the day. It had been…interesting. And embarrassing for Ed.

(this is a flashback)

"Ed!" Alphonse whined, his hips arching up into the warm, wet mouth of his older brother. His breath was becoming erratic, body relaxing into the rhythm and feel of his older sibling. "Nii-san!…Nnng…" Al may not normally speak much, but he knew a few words perfectly. And those were the ones he used only with his Brother. Those words were really just names. But occasionally, Al would surprise Edward.

"Ah…! Nii-san!" Ed put his weight against his brother's hips to keep him from triggering his gag reflex.

BAM!

Winry came flying through the front door as Edward froze completely; Al now bucking freely. Ed jolted up and pulling on his pants and shirt as fast as he could. Pretending to ignore the whimper from Al, Ed shot out the door, slamming it closed behind him.

"Ed!" Winry called as she saw him. "You'll never guess what happened!" She burst out. Her voice was pitched high with excitement and her hands were clasped together. Somehow she was bouncing off her heels but she never left the ground completely.

Edward sighed. "What?"

Decidedly ignoring the bored tone Ed was using, Winry said, "Master Sotashi is coming to the shop!" Winry sighed at the blank-as-paper look her long-time friend was giving her. "He's the most famous automail mechanic. More famous than Rush Valley and all the alchemists in it combined. He's even more famous than you." Winry said slyly.

"That's great," Ed said, trying to sound pleasant and fight back a yawn all at one time. The weird bubble in the back of his throat, produced by the unreleased yawn, reminded him uncomfortably of how tired he was. The fatigue produced by his "activities" with Al. And that reminded him of the state Al was in right now. And now he couldn't concentrate on what Winry was saying at all. He could tell from her tone and the way her hair was flipping around, like a horse trying to swat away flies with its tail, that she was yelling about something.

After his thoughts ran into several dead ends and repetitions, he decided to tune back in to the ranting mechanic in front of him. "…believe that you don't know who he is. It's like all you care about is what concerns you. You don't try t involve yourself with anyone, and you're now like anti-social or something –"

THUMP!

To Be Continued…