"Aaaand another hotel that didn't want us!"

"Sorry, brother. If I didn't break that vase, then maybe..."

"Nonsense!" Edward shrugged his suitcase a little higher up his shoulder. "You repaired it straight away! Besides, it's not your fault you're..." He trailed off, and the young boy's eyes widened a little before he closed them with a deep sigh. "Anyway, I should have seen this coming. An armored giant and a twelve-year-old. Who wouldn't be suspicious?"

"Brother..."

The two children lapsed into a solemn silence as they walked down the road, passing parked cars, apartment buildings, shops, street lamps, and the occasional passerby. The sun was already setting, leaving long shadows in its wake which would eventually draw out clubbers, bar-hoppers and whatever nightlife adults refused to tell kids about. Nightlife two preteen country bumpkins had no business with.

Alphonse winced when suddenly, a frustrated scream cut through the air. Edward stomped his feet and waved his free arm. "That idiot Lieutenant! I swear, I'll punch him in the face!"

Alphonse lifted a hand in a placating gesture. "I don't think he did it on purpose..."

"I don't care!" Edward yelled. "He should've given us a number we can actually call, or at least a note to prove that I'm going to take my State Alchemist exam tomorrow! The military would've given us a place to sleep!"

"Ed..."

"Hey, you!" a voice sounded from further up the street, making the brothers turn forward. An angry-looking guy was just getting out of his car, one hand on the door and the other pointing at Alphonse. "You, armor! Keep your little brat in check!"

Both kids looked at each other in confusion, underlined by blinking on Edward's part. Then realization dawned, and Alphonse' hand darted out to grab the back of Edward's collar.

Not a second too soon. A resounding "Who're you calling little, you jerk?!" tore through the street, followed by an indignant "Al, put me down!" when Alphonse wrapped an arm around his struggling brother's chest, using the other hand to relieve him of his suitcase. Edward braced his hands against the metal restraint in a token attempt at breaking free, but eventually quietened down and instead placed his elbows on Alphonse' arm to pout.

Alphonse sighed and, suitcase at his side and brother in the front, marched up to the man. "Sir, I know my big brother can be a little hotheaded, but he's right. Calling him a brat was just rude."

The man seemed a little taken aback by Alphonse' politeness as he looked back and forth between the two kids. "I... Wait, did you just say 'big brother'?!"

"Got a problem with that?!" Edward challenged, calmer now but still slightly too loud for comfort. Alphonse was halfway into reprimanding his brother when the sound of crying interrupted him, making all three of them freeze. The man cursed under his breath and took a dive into the car, and Alphonse, momentarily forgetting about the boy still pressed to his chest, bent down to look what was going on. Edward gasped as the air was driven from his lungs and automail met armor with a hollow clonk. Shocked, Alphonse dropped his brother like a hot potato, and Edward hit the ground with a low grunt. He didn't care though, just straightened and looked into the car through the backseat window. Alphonse ducked behind him, and the two children watched the man and a woman trying to calm a crying baby.

"That explains a lot," Edward mumbled through contritely gritted teeth and stepped back, nearly bumping into Alphonse again. Before long, the man crawled out of the car. Edward bowed apologetically, and Alphonse hastily followed suit, his helmet rattling.

"I'm sorry for waking your baby."

"We're still getting used to the city," Alphonse added. "Ed could yell as much as he wanted back home without anyone complaining."

"Al..." Edward grumbled, but neglected to mention that they'd lived in East City before. He could understand that Alphonse wanted to banish those scary memories.

"Don't mention it, kids." When Edward looked up, he found that the man had a rueful half-smile on his face. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, either."

He opened the car door and took the baby from the arms of his wife, so she could get out as well. The baby looked at them curiously, and Alphonse nearly dissolved into squeeing. "She's so cute!"

"Al, pull it together!" Edward chided gently, pretending to be embarrassed even though it was blindingly obvious he was delighted, too.

The woman smiled. "Her name is Melina."

"Awww!" If Alphonse could blush, he would've been doing so now. His hands lay against the sides of his helmet, Edward's suitcase still bobbing at the back of his left, and even though he had no expression, he was radiating pure joy. At this point, not even Edward could keep a lopsided smile from spreading on his face and he knuckled the front of Alphonse' armor.

"Don't break my suitcase up there! It would be a pain to pick everything up from this grimy street."

That snapped Alphonse out of his rapture and he awkwardly returned the suitcase to its rightful owner. "Sorry, brother."

"So, you two really are brothers?" the man asked before looking at Edward in wonder. "And you're the older one?"

Edward shrugged and hefted his suitcase. "Long story." He turned away, directing his gaze up the street. "Come on, Al. We should get going."

"But Ed, maybe we could–"

"Al!" Edward interrupted and nodded at the couple before pulling his brother aside. "You're not seriously considering asking these people for lodging, are you?"

"Well, yes!" Alphonse insisted. "It's getting late and we're out of options. I mean, I know we don't know them, but they seem very nice and it can't hurt to ask. Besides, we're going to sleep on the street otherwise!"

Edward lowered his eyes, teeth gnashing. "I'd rather sleep on the street than answering any questions." The thought alone caused Edward's chest to constrict and his stomach to do backflips. He caught himself grabbing the front of his shirt, bunching the fabric in a fist that didn't even feel it. "If word gets out that there's an empty armor about, it's only a matter of time before someone figures out what we did. And me getting banned from becoming a State Alchemist would be the best outcome, if the reaction of that idiot Lieutenant is anything to go by."

He didn't mention that it simply hurt too much, too, but Alphonse didn't need his brother to say it out loud. He felt the same, after all.

"Okay." He looked at the confused couple, then back at Edward. "But we should still say good-bye, don't you think?"

A corner of Edward's mouth twitched into a wistful smile. "We should."

They found themselves a clean back alley not far from East City's military headquarters. After a bit of puzzling, Alphonse sat down with his legs crossed around Edward's suitcase. Edward himself was small enough to fit into the resulting space when he curled up; he just needed to take care that his braid didn't get caught on Alphonse' knee spikes. But considering how claiming that Edward slept like a log would be an insult to logs and how armors weren't particularly prone to fidgeting, neither of them saw much of a problem with it.

True to form, Edward was pretty much comatose in a matter of minutes. He took barely enough time to put on an extra set of clothing and transmute his cloak into a blanket before bedding down on Alphonse' thigh and passing out, leaving his brother to another long, lonely night, with nothing but his thoughts for company.

And pleasant thoughts they were not. This whole arrangement struck Alphonse as a little reckless. Since he had lost his body, he'd also lost his sense of touch. It meant he couldn't feel pain anymore, which was very convenient in fights, but it also meant he couldn't feel pressure. Whenever he ran into something, he couldn't feel it until it was too late.

It wasn't so bad with objects like vases. They could repair those in a heartbeat, especially Edward, who didn't even need to draw a transmutation circle. With living beings though, that was a very different matter. When he stepped on Den's tail, or Winry's toes, or crushed his brother in a death grip, they couldn't repair that.

And yet, none of them minded. Den still loved him. Winry still comforted him. Edward still trusted him enough to sleep in his lap. Even though his sleep was so heavy, chances are he wouldn't wake up in time to make a noise.

Which was another point that worried Alphonse. He'd always figured Edward for a light sleeper, alert and attuned to his baby brother's nighttime needs. When they were studying together, he'd always go to bed later than Alphonse, and wake up earlier. At times, it had even seemed to Alphonse that his big brother didn't need any sleep at all.

And now he slept like a rock, even in the most impossible of places, and making Alphonse wonder if there was something besides taking his leg that the human transmutation had done to his brother – something even worse, something they couldn't see. Perhaps something that even played into...

Alphonse shook his head. Winry had had a growth spurt over the course of the past year. Edward did not, and he'd become incredibly sensitive about it. But attributing that to their human transmutation seemed like an incredibly silly thing to do, and not only because Edward might just be a late bloomer.

Of course, Alphonse had never told Edward any of these things. His brother had enough on his plate, enough guilt to wreck him twenty-four seven. They both had – Edward even in his sleep, Alphonse outside of it. So Alphonse did his level best to make sure his brother didn't notice, to play things off or pretend they never happened until Edward let them go. Unfortunately, however, he'd been blessed with a very observant elder brother indeed, and Edward's been dropping a fair amount of hints lately that he very much did notice.

Rustling snapped Alphonse out of his thoughts and he automatically leaned forward, one arm hovering protectively over his sleeping brother while the armor scanned the darkness for the source of the sound. It was quiet for a while, and Alphonse was about to lean back when he caught movement. A small form came into sight, carefully inching closer, and Alphonse heaved a sigh of relief.

"Just a stray dog," he whispered to himself. He almost reached out a hand to pet it, much like he would've done with Den. He never knew how much he could miss the feeling of raking his fingers through a fur coat, the way the little tips of hair would tickle the sensitive flesh between the roots of his fingers.

Was he even remembering it right? Or was it a fantasy?

The dog, for its part, had started sniffing around Alphonse' lap, encouraged by the motionlessness of its target. Alphonse hastily waved his hand at it. It wasn't that he didn't want the dog around – quite the contrary, in fact – but fleas were about the last thing his brother needed at the moment. "Shoo, shoo! Go away!"

The dog whined, but it eventually left. On his own again, Alphonse carefully picked at Edward's coat, tucking it back into place where the dog had messed it up.

He took his time. His brother couldn't feel it anyway, and it was better than doing nothing all night.

A part of him lamented how they didn't ask the couple to stay with them after all. While Alphonse understood his brother's standpoint all too well, he wouldn't have minded some light. He could have read a book, or practiced drawing transmutation circles until he was out of chalk and had to wait for Edward to get up and transmute the circles back into a stick. Or they'd discuss them first, running their theories by each other until Winry dragged them off to breakfast.

Alphonse sighed as his gaze landed on the small bundle in his lap, red and energetic in the sunlight but dead and colorless in the dark. "Well, these days are over now, I suppose."

The bundle shivered. Perhaps Edward had a nightmare, or a subconscious part of him had registered the distress in his brother's voice. Or he was just cold. Alphonse really had no way of telling, but he pulled the coat a little further up Edward's shoulders, and while the boy didn't wake up, he undeaded for just long enough to curl up even tighter and completely disappear into the fabric.

Cold then.

Alphonse chuckled. His body was hollow now, but the sight of his brother still made him feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. They had messed up beyond measure, they had ruined their lives, and sometimes it felt like they'd lost everything they had. But they still had each other.

And they'd fix this together.

Somehow, Alphonse made it to sunrise without any major breakdowns, or crushing of brothers, or crushing of stray dogs (there must have been a whole pack of them nearby). It was only a matter of time until the sun climbed high enough for its rays to stretch across the town and reach their shadowy little alley, and the thought alone was enough to reinvigorate the younger Elric. He could barely wait for his brother to stir, even though the first thing Edward was likely to do was complain.

A lot.

But before that happened, there was another whine of yet another dog and Alphonse reflexively swiped at the general direction of the sound. "No!" he said without missing a beat, then the rest of him finally followed and he realized that this time, the dog was, in fact, attached to a leash. And at the other end of the leash...

"Alphonse? Is that you? Alphonse Elric?"

If Alphonse had eyes, they probably would have bugged out. The owner of the dog was a blonde woman who looked vaguely familiar, but it took him a second to recognize her. "Lieutenant Hawkeye!"

She smiled. "I see you know my name already."

Alphonse nodded. "Winry mentioned it a few times." He lowered his gaze to the dog again, who, for once, wasn't snooping around his lap, but just sat there like a good boy, tail wagging. "I didn't know you have a dog."

Hawkeye chuckled quietly. "You do now. His name is Black Hayate."

Alphonse reached out a hand, but changed his mind halfway and pulled back. Black Hayate was only half Den's size and Alphonse didn't trust himself to judge it correctly.

Hawkeye noticed. "You can pet him. I'm sure he'd love it!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Alphonse shook his head, putting on a brave facade. "I like cats better."

"Is that so?" Hawkeye inquired, seeming a little taken aback by the sudden change of subject.

Alphonse nodded enthusiastically. "They're so graceful and fluffy and adorable! But Granny won't let me have one!" He huffed indignantly. "The Rockbells are dog people. And Ed's not really into either, so no support from there, too!"

Hawkeye didn't seem too impressed by Alphonse' ranting, but at least she didn't disagree. She just changed the subject again: "Where is your brother, anyway?" She looked the street up and down. "I'm sure he wouldn't leave you alone?"

"Uh..." Alphonse mumbled, looking at his lap. He awkwardly pointed at the red bunch of fabric, already fearing the worst. "Ed's right here."

Hawkeye's eyebrows took a detour upwards. "Really? That bundle seems a little small for a twelve-year-old..."

Right on cue, movement came into the coat. The hem slid down, just far enough to reveal a shock of blond hair and a pair of very vengeful golden eyes. "Who ya callin' little, old hag?"

By the time Hawkeye finished blinking, eyes and hair had disappeared back into the fold they popped out of, and there was audible rattling and clanging as Alphonse started flapping his arms like it was going out of style. "I'm so sorry! He didn't mean that! He's just still sleeping and used to defending himself against Granny, that's all!"

"I see..." Hawkeye stated flatly, then pulled herself together. "And why, pray tell, are you two out here and not in a hotel?"

"We didn't find any that would let us stay."

"But didn't the Colonel..." she trailed off and rubbed her face with her free hand. "Of course he didn't." She sighed and looked straight into Alphonse' eye holes. "Well, we can't have Edward show up to his exam looking like a street urchin. How about you come back with me to my apartment and have some breakfast and a shower?"

Alphonse perked up at the offer. "Really? Are you sure?!"

Hawkeye nodded solemnly. "It's the least I can do after my superior bullied a disabled orphan and then left two kids to sleep on the street. I've been meaning to get back at you about the former, anyway. The Colonel was wildly out of line back then. I hope there wasn't any lasting damage."

Alphonse hummed uncertainly and rubbed the back of his head. Summarizing Edward's feelings towards the 'idiot Lieutenant' in front of his assistant probably wasn't the best idea. "Well, there was a... lasting impression, at least. But Ed is really tough! You'll see when he wakes up!" He paused and looked away. "I really need to thank you two. You brought my brother back."

Judging from the look in her eyes, the Lieutenant did not expect Alphonse to say that. But eventually, the surprise faded from her face and made room for a gentle smile. "I'm happy to hear that." She held out the leash to Alphonse. "Would you take care of Black Hayate for me? I'll carry Edward."

Alphonse waved his arms frantically. "Oh nonono, that's okay! I'll just wake him up!"

"Right before the big exam? He'll need every ounce of sleep he can get." Hawkeye simply dropped the leash at this point and squatted down to push her arms under the sleeping twelve-year-old.

"Oof!" she panted, but before Alphonse could react, she was back on her feet, Edward safely in her arms. "He's heavier than expected."

"Of course," Alphonse pointed out, pushing himself off the ground. "Winry made his automail as light as she could, but it's still two huge chunks of steel."

"Right..."

"Do you want me to take him back? I don't feel the strain anymore anyway, so–"

Before Alphonse could finish his sentence, Edward stirred. The movement undid the already loose coat blanket and Edward curled into Hawkeye's chest. The lieutenant's eyes widened while Alphonse couldn't keep a gasp from escaping from whatever was responsible for gasps in this hunk of metal, but he couldn't deny a certain amount of sense. Of course his brother would be searching for the warmth that Alphonse couldn't provide.

Alphonse beat at the sides of his head to chase those thoughts away and picked up Black Hayate's leash as well as Edward's suitcase. "Are you sure about this?"

"Well, I didn't plan on carrying him like this, but..." Hawkeye nodded at her upper arm, which was currently in the grasp of Edward's left hand. "I don't think he's letting go any time soon."

Alphonse was at a loss for words at this point, but his brother saved him the effort. A sharp intake of breath from Hawkeye's side alerted Alphonse to the fingernails digging into her arm as his brother tensed up like a bowstring. A jumble of words reached his non-existent ears, slurred but perfectly understandable to anyone who knew what to look for.

"Mom... I'm... Mom... Sorry..."

Suitcase and leash clattered to the ground. Black Hayate barked, upset, and Hawkeye tried to do some damage control by tightening her grip on the babbling boy and stabilizing him.

"Is this normal?" she asked, surprising Alphonse with her composure.

It calmed him a little, too. "Somewhat... ish. I mean, Winry shares with him sometimes, so..." Alphonse sighed and his shoulders drooped. "Yes, I suppose it's normal."

"Perhaps you should take him back," Hawkeye told him. "He could wake up any second, and it would probably be best if he didn't do it in the arms of a strang–"

She was cut off by a head butting her jaw. Edward dropped to the ground and, the moment his feet hit solid pavement, pushed off again, propelling himself backwards and clapping his hands in midair. In the blink of an eye, he got into a battle stance, a part of his automail transmuted into a makeshift blade.

"Brother!" Alphonse shouted, jumping between Edward and Hawkeye. "Are you okay?"

Edward blinked, shaking off the last traces of disorientation and fatigue. "Al...?" He looked around, and Alphonse suddenly became aware of their audience. It was still early in the morning, so the amount of rubberneckers wasn't all that high, but still enough to make things very embarrassing for everyone involved. Well, everyone except his brother, who didn't care at all. He only transmuted his automail back into its original form and rubbed his forehead. "That hurt. What happened?"

"Um..." Alphonse mumbled, then Hawkeye stepped out of his shadow, Edward's coat hanging from her arm.

"I'm afraid we've butted heads."

Edward jumped and pointed at the young woman, aghast. "Lieutenant Hawkeye?!"

"Oh, so you remember me."

Edward threw up his hands as his freak-out abruptly turned into indignation. "I have a very good memory, thank you very much!"

"I can see that."

Alphonse decided that this was a good moment to reinsert himself into the conversation. "Lieutenant Hawkeye says we can go home with her, so you can have a shower and a bite to eat before your exam!"

That gave Edward pause for a moment. His stance finally relaxed and he crossed his arms. "I'll be fine."

"Eee-heeed!" Alphonse spoke up, a warning in his voice.

"Come on, Al, I just know that id... Lieutenant Colonel Mustang would make fun of me forever!"

"I'll shoot him if he does," Hawkeye deadpanned, drawing concerned gazes from the two boys. Which she ignored. "Besides, he's not going to find out."

"But..." Edward started to protest again, but was interrupted by a grumbling. He stiffened, and his face turned scarlet.

Alphonse placed his fists on his hips. "See, even your stomach argues against you!"

Edward mumbled something unintelligible, but eventually remembered his manners and bowed politely. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

That was a weight off Alphonse' mind. Finally, he could relax, too. "Just a warning, though: I don't know where he puts it, but my brother's like a barrel without a bottom when it comes to food."

"Al!"

Hawkeye chuckled. "Sounds like we better get to the market. I'm sure Black Hayate won't mind the exercise." She smiled at her dog, who barked happily, then turned back to Edward and held out her arm with the coat still slung over it. "I believe this is yours?"

"Yeah, thanks." Edward stepped up, clapping to transmute his coat back into something wearable. Hawkeye watched him with interest, and it didn't escape his notice. "What?"

"I can't find a transmutation circle on you."

"I don't need one."

He didn't elaborate, and Alphonse noted with relief that Hawkeye seemed to accept that. Else, they might have found themselves in a position to talk about her.

They did not speak of her.

"Alright, where are we going?" Edward asked, snapping Alphonse out of his thoughts.

"This way," Hawkeye announced, and the quartet started down the street. Or at least they tried, as Alphonse found himself matching pace with Hawkeye, who was considerable faster than his brother and his unfortunately short legs, even more so when weighed down by his suitcase. Edward gave it his all not to let it show, but Alphonse could see that he was struggling to keep up.

"Uh, Lieutenant Hawkeye? Do you have any milk?"

"Alphonse, I swear–!" Edward was cut off when Alphonse used the moment of distraction to scoop his brother up and place him on his shoulders, where the brother in question kept yelling down the whole of East City like there was no tomorrow. However, before long, he settled and crossed his arms around the helmet spike, pillowing his chin in them.

"I'll punch you."

To someone else, it might have sounded like the grouchy muttering of a tantruming child. Perhaps like a threat, even. But to Alphonse, it was a promise.

I'll get your body back. You will feel again. Trust me, I've got this.

Alphonse couldn't hug his brother, or smile, or anything. But at least for now, it was okay.

That evening, Edward flopped onto the bed with a loud groan. "Fffff... Boah, I never expected that idiot Colonel to have friends like this! I bet the words 'Gracia' and 'I'm gonna be a dad!' are permanently etched into my eardrums by now!" He lifted the pillow and pressed it to his head, his face buried in the mattress. "I'm so sick of baby talks."

"Don't be such a grouch, Ed!" Alphonse half-chided, half-chuckled. "Someone might think you're ungrateful. Besides, they're so nice and kind! And I really prefer this over the street."

A muffled "Pfft!" emitted from the pillow. "The Colonel's just too stingy to lend me some hotel money until I get my first payment."

Alphonse crossed his arms. "You really have it in for the Colonel, don't you?" He sat down on the bed – there was plenty of space between Edward and the footboard. "Did something happen between you two while you were gone?"

Edward jolted upwards and was sitting back on his heels in a heartbeat, but when he turned around, there was no trace of dismay or aggravation in his expression. His face was completely blank as he settled on Alphonse' enormous thigh.

Saying the younger Elric was mightily concerned would've been an understatement. "Ed?"

"I want you to braid my hair."

"What," Alphonse stated flatly before the surprise at the abrupt change of subject turned back into concern, and from there into alarm. "Why?"

"Well, I don't have eyes at the back of my head!" Edward argued, as if that was the biggest issue they were currently having. He pointedly pawed at the loose hair falling down the back of his neck. "I can't feel a thing, either, and the stuff gets everywhere! My automail's gonna look like a haystack, and Winry's gonna have my head if I jam it!" He waved his arms. "And there won't even be any hair on it!"

Under different circumstances, Alphonse would've probably been amused by his brother letting out his inner drama queen. However, the circumstances weren't different, and Alphonse was not fooled. "Ed? Remember what Granny said about your acting abilities?"

"Come on, Al!" Edward whined. "We don't have all night, and it's so fiddly and painstaking!"

That just about did it. That didn't sound like Edward at all, and Alphonse had no doubts about what his brother was aiming at.

Something he wanted nothing to do with. "You're doing just fine on your own. Besides, I've never braided your hair before."

"That's okay, you can practice!" Edward turned around to grin at his brother. "We have all night!"

"You just said we don't."

Edward's face fell and he turned forward again, huffing through the nose. "Don't look at me like that!"

"You're impossible," Alphonse sighed, but he couldn't quite keep the gratefulness and warmth from his voice. He pulled his brother a little closer. "Alright. But don't blame me if you end up bald!"

"You'll make it." Edward rapped on Alphonse' thigh encouragingly, using his automail arm to do so. "You'll be an expert braider in no time. Just you wait!"

At least Alphonse didn't need to pretend anymore. It was an odd feeling, knowing Edward had picked up on his brother's control issues and even came up with a plan that didn't involve anything – or anyone – else. And Alphonse was determined to make it work.

Endlessly careful, he lifted a hand and ran it through the blond strands, searching for knots and snarls which could get stuck in gaps or screws. His brother cared a lot more about his hair than he let on and always brushed it very thoroughly, but one could never be too sure, and Edward had been right – it got everywhere. Before Alphonse knew it, somewhere, something snatched on something.

It was amazing how high Edward's voice could get. Alphonse could not recall ever hearing his brother squeak before, but Edward just gritted his teeth and insisted he keep going until he got it right.

The result wasn't very pretty and left Alphonse feeling more guilty than anything, but Edward was proud enough for both of them. He didn't even untie the braid before diving back into the pillow. "Thanks, Al!"

Alphonse shook his head. "Ed? You can stop pretending you didn't notice, you know?"

Edward rolled over and sat up, guilt and badly hidden self-loathing written all across his face. "Al, I..."

Alphonse would've cut him off with a hug if he dared to. He couldn't bear it when his brother was in this state.

But for now, he was stuck with words. "Thank you, Ed."

Edward's features softened a little and he drew up his knees, crossing his arms on top of them. "We can do this every night if you need to."

Alphonse stood up from the bed to settle next to it instead, not quite knowing what to say. It was probably the atmosphere of general misery, but what he ended up with was "I hope it won't come to it."

Edward dropped back into the pillow and covered his eyes with his healthy arm. In the silence of the night, Alphonse could hear his heavy breathing. He could only guess at its meaning – perhaps his brother was holding back tears, perhaps he was in pain. Maybe he was just trying to block out the world, but eventually, he crawled under the covers and turned his back.

"I hope so, too."

Hi there! I originally wasn't going to write an A/N for this OS because it's not in any particular need of one, but since some hateful Anon latched onto me and leaves comments on pretty much all of my stories just to tell me how much they don't care about what I have to say (find the contradiction here), I'll do it now just for the sake of it. Because I'll be damned if I let people like that win!

So, basically, I started a writing project I found on LJ, which is about writing 120 one shots for certain keywords. I don't really expect to do all of them, but it's good for fighting quarantine fatigue and making short work of plot bunnies, some of which have been bothering me for years.

The keyword for this one is 'delicate'. FMA wasn't exactly the first thing that sprang to mind reading that, but after thinking about it for a little, well... This is the result. And there are a lot more to come. (Or so I hope, at least.)