Author's Note: Brotherly love. It's one of my favorite things to write about, if not my overall favorite.

Sorry it's kind of rambly (but short). My last one was more focused in on Ed, so I thought I'd center this one more on Al. They both convey their bond with each other differently. Ed is more subtle, but Al is honest and sweet. Besides, it's nice to have characters say they love someone once in awhile. I mean, there's more than one kind of love. Give a little credit to tin-can Al, though; I find it amazing how well a solid form like that can manage to convey emotion if it has to.

Reviews appreciated. :)

"Didn't I tell you the last time that I hated those stupid carriages?" grumbled Edward Elric as he stumbled out of the wooden coach and out onto the darkened streets. Alphonse followed him out as carefully as his steel frame would permit, but still the carriage leaned almost threateningly as he stepped down. Ed stretched stiffly. "Great. My back's all messed up." He swiveled in time to see the horse-drawn vehicle started off again. He sneered bitterly at it as it disappeared down the paved road and then turned hotly to his steel brother.

"Remind me never to trust one of those stupid things again!"

Alphonse withdrew. "It really wasn't the driver's fault. The roads back there were really bad."

"No kidding." Ed stormed darkly to a nearby streetlight. "The information we get here had better be worth the ride!" However, it was very apparent by now that they would have to wait until morning to attempt picking up any research materials at the municipal library. It was getting late now, and the streets would have been obscured by darkness if not for the illumination of the street lights. He was tired from the trip, and from the jolty ride, and his back hurt from sitting so stiffly in a feeble attempt to keep from bumping around. The young alchemist sighed and blew his blonde hair from his face. "Guess we better find a place to stay before it gets any later." He heaved his stuff over his shoulder and commenced trudging down the sidewalk. He had a reasonable supply of reading material with him; mostly things he borrowed and would need to return as soon as he got back to headquarters. It was heavy...

The load was lifted off him, and Ed turned to see Al tucking it under his broad steel arm.

Edward smiled vaguely. "Thanks."

The inn was a welcome sight. Ed dragged himself in, made arrangements, and then dragged himself upstairs with his brother at his heel. The only sight more welcome than the inn itself was that of a bed. He flopped gratefully onto it, face first, still wearing his boots. A day of frustration, bad rides and general impatience had at last led him to a place to sleep. With his back as stiff as it was, it was especially nice to finally be able to lie down. Al sat down on the edge of the bed opposite his brother's, plunking Ed's belongings down next to the foot of it. He sat quietly, watching as his older brother lay absolutely motionless, still face down. Just as it was starting to bother him a little, Edward exhaled deeply into the pillow.

FullMetal shifted his shoulders slightly, obviously in some attempt to relieve his back of tension.

Al felt a little bad for his brother. Ed did a lot. He tried a lot harder than he was really given credit for, too. Everything that Ed did seemed to be in the overall best interests of his little brother, and any possibility of regaining the human body he'd lost years ago… even joining the State. With a creak, he got up, wandered over, and sunk onto the edge of Ed's bed instead. The other alchemist hardly took notice of him, as he appeared to be rather engrossed with enjoying the bliss of lying face-down in a pillow.

Alphonse Elric's gauntlet hands reached over and as gently as possible, kneaded into Ed's back. The other flinched and lifted his head. "What're you doing..?" Ed mumbled in query, clearly having been near sleep.

The suit of armor drew back just slightly. "You said you were tense."

The blonde haired boy sighed in defeat and mushed his face back into the pillow without further argument. Again, Alphonse made due with his awkwardly large hands, and resumed attempting to unstiffen his brother's back. There was silence. The nearby open window produced a cool breeze from outside. The rigidness of the muscles slowly receded. He could vaguely remember his mother rubbing his back once when he couldn't sleep due to a fever. It had been comforting. Maybe this would remind Ed of their mom, too... Al smiled inwardly at the thought.

"Ed..?" No reply. He was probably asleep.

There were a lot of things to think about when Ed was sleeping. Al himself had been at the Gateway and retained no memory of it, although he sometimes thought very hard in an attempt to recall anything at all. He never could. Soon his mind would wander to the thought of how his brother's arm had been the sacrifice to bring Alphonse's consciousness back into this world. That he had willingly and freely given that up just so they wouldn't lose each other. They were, after all, all they had left of their old life, really. His gauntlet hands slowed and stopped as the last of Edward's body relaxed in sleep. Al felt himself filled with warm fondness; a fondness and respect he often had for all of the things his brother had done for the two of them as brothers, their mother, or for anyone else. Fondness that made him feel closer to his brother, and, through this, almost closer to their mother as well... wherever she really was now.

Ed turned onto his side without warning, startling him. His eyes were closed. "What were you going to say before?" he asked, only half coherent in his still half-asleep state.

"Brother..." Alphonse started softly in the warmth of the quiet and in his lingering memories of their time with their mother. "I love you."