-Is incredibly suprised she was able to get next chapter done already- Hurray for inspiration! Now I just need to get rid of the writer's block on everything else -sighs-

Disclaimer: Ed, Al, and FullMetal Alchemist are Square Enix's, but since this si an AU, everything else belongs to me! Wow! I actually own something...

Café Elric

By: KatYoukai

Chapter 2: Reason

The sun shone brightly, shedding its light and warmth in thin rays like a veil. Although it was almost winter, this Saturday was warm enough to not wear a coat or jacket.

The smile on the golden-brown haired teen, who was strolling down the sidewalk, matched the sun's brightness. Alphonse's eyes followed the sights as he went on his way. He lived on the less busy side of town. Unlike in the city regions, where the sky was grey with pollution, here the skies were blue and clear. In place of towering, imposing, dull office buildings and apartments, little shops, stalls, vendors and the rare community building every so often where there.

The street was littered in all the colours of the rainbow, and some not in the rainbow, splattered in random places but seemingly to flow as on an artist's canvas. A few steps ahead was a flower shop. The little Shoppe had a glass door with a rose design imprinted on the glass. Bouquets of sunflowers, daisies, roses, lilies, and a dozen other types of flowers were laid out in rocks just outside the shop, seemingly to welcome visitors in. The shop had a warm friendly glow coming from it.

A few steps back was his own family business; a butcher shop. ( A/N: -sweatdrop- Haha… that sounded ominous… it's not… really. I just thought that well the Curtis family runs a butcher shop in the Hagaren world… so why not in this AU?) A few minutes ago, he had just waved a goodbye to his father from outside the door that was always open and welcome. The shop held the same warm, homey feeling every other little business in this area did. This area of town was a closed in place. Tourists and newcomers were extremely rare.

Al had grown up in this place and knew it like the back of his hand. He was well acquainted with every store owner on this street.

The café he was meeting Kyekiel and Takeshi at wasn't on this street however so it wasn't that surprising that Al hadn't set foot in the place once in his life.

The teen could visibly feel his jaw drop as he saw the name of the building he'd stopped in front of: "Café Elric".

Alphonse's eyebrow twitched,' You've got to be kidding me. Not that bastard!'

Looking through the glass walls, he saw Kyekiel and Takeshi waving at him from a corner table. With a resigned sigh, the boy headed inside. The restaurant was clean and tidy. It was set out with a small area out front with room for two circular tables complete with parasol and chairs. Said tables were set one on either side of the cobblestone pathway that trailed off the sidewalk and up to the café doors. Where the sidewalk and cobblestone merged was a low wooden gate to either side of which was a brick fence if you could really call it that. The 'fence' was inlaid with flower designs on the smooth concrete surface. As the boy entered, he also noticed that the floor was kept spotless and the windows polished. That in itself was amazing because as we all know public eating places are seldom that clean. The only thing was… the place seemed to lack that warm homey feeling you could find anywhere else in this neighbourhood.

Brushing the though aside, Al ventured over to the corner where his friends were already seated.

" Yo," The teen with the chocolate hair said raising a hand in greeting,

Al replied distantly, addressing the other by his nickname," Hey Kyle…"

Kyle, or Kyekiel, blinked at the boy. He was Al's age, with blue tinted crystal eyes and deep brown lock. The two were in most of the same classes.

Takeshi was 17, the one that Al had talked to the previous day.

The Japanese boy asked," Is something wrong?"

Al forced a smile," No, I'm fine." Why was he letting such little things bother him so much?

The grey-eyed teen took his seat next to Kyle and the group began engaging in meaningless banter. Whilst his friends argued over a trivial matter, Al's eyes wandered around the café. The place was quite busy actually. The small restaurant buzzed with lively chatter. What perplexed Al was not that there was only one waiter but who that waiter was. He stared at that golden ponytail and unmoved face for some time.

It must've been long enough though because Takeshi commented," What're you staring at Curtis?"

Al blinked and turned his attention back to the older teen.

The Japanese boy looked in the direction the other had been staring in. Then he turned back to Alphonse with a raised brow and an amused smile.

" That's Edward Elric," The teen remarked then smirked," He's an eyeful isn't he?"

Al's face twitched for the second time that day. Takeshi was just about as straight as a circle! Hadn't he promised to not talk in such a disturbing manner anymore? But then again, the raven haired teen was hardly one to keep promises.

Takeshi continued in a tone that made Al wish dearly to punch him in the face hard," What? You don't agree with me?"

" WHAT THE HELL TAKESHI, I'M STRAIGHT DAMMIT AND HOW COULD I EVER THINK THAT WAY ABOUT THAT COLD BASTARD!" Alphonse exploded, which drew them several odd looks from around the restaurant. ( Aru-kun's really not suited for cussing is he? That sounds more like something Ed would say about Roy in an EdxRoy fic neh?)

Al flushed and sat back down – he had jumped up in his colourful protest- hard in his seat, an irritated look on his face.

Takeshi gave the younger teen an amused look before asking," Oh so you know him?"

" Bumped into him once," Al retorted with a breath of frustration.

The Japanese boy shrugged, leaning back in his seat," Not that it'd matter. You're right about him being cold though. God knows how many times I've approached him," At this Al cringed and Takeshi smirked," Not that I blame him though."

Al raised his brow," Sounds like you're well acquainted."

The other waved it off," We were in some of the same classes last year."

Grey-hazel eyes blinked in surprise," He's 17…? I've never seen him in school before…"

Takeshi looked at him, a look of seriousness on his features – which seriously freaked Al out since Takeshi was never serious- and replied," That's cause he left mid-year."

" Why?"

The 17 year old sighed and turned to gaze out the glass unfocusedly," I'm not clear on the details. I heard his father just up and ditched one day without warning. Not long after his mother died. After that he took up the family business here."

When Takeshi looked back at Alphonse he discovered the boy's eyes weren't on him. Al was watching a certain blond across the café who was dealing with a particularly difficult customer. A particularly naughty boy stuck out his foot tripping the blond haired young man, sending the soup he had been holding splattering all over the man in front of him. The mean looking guy screamed at him for his clumsiness to which Edward only returned with a forced apologetic smile, many apologies and disappeared into the kitchen for a towel. For it to be so easy for a complete stranger to tell the smile and apologies were forced, life must've been hell for him.

And there, it's done! Bwahahahah! Take this writer's block! Words cannot describe how happy the reviews made me n.n It really is fun to restart writing anime fanfics. You get to start all over at the bottom eh? I'm probably the only one to find this fun though heh… Sadly I can't reply to reviewers but thank you all for informing me of Sig's name.