Title: Simple Things, Easy to Break
Summary: Alphonse has a weak spot for kittens; Envy has a weak spot for sensitive, intelligent Elrics.
Disclaim: Don't own.
Warnings: Language.
Notes: Fuck. ff(dot)net was being absolutely retarded so I typed this thing from my memory. Fuckfuckfuck. There's an entire paragraph I can't remember. I'm pretty sure you can tell where it was.
Simple Things, Easy to Break
"So…I heard you got into a argument with my brother?" Alphonse slowly says as he eases himself onto the foot of their bed—well, Envy's since he was nice enough to offer his bed instead of dumping the Sin on the floor like Edward suggested.
"Should that come as any surprise to you…shorty?" Envy takes note that he needs to come up with different nicknames for the brothers. Alphonse isn't that short, but both brothers are growing so Envy doesn't know if his insult still holds true.
"I know you're upset about your...err. Predicament," Al continues conversationally.
"Understatement of the century," Envy mutters.
"But you'll have to adapt when you're here. It should be easy for you. After all, isn't that what you had to do every time shifted?"
"Can't shift anymore, dumbass," Envy says, and Al gets the feeling the other boy isn't really paying attention.
"If it makes you feel better, Envy, I promise that when my brother and I open the Gate, we'll give you your powers back."
Envy thinks Alphonse is joking and starts laughing uproariously. The stunned look on the blonde's face only encourages his laughter. When he calms down, he grins, "Don't play me for a fool. There's no way that pipsqueak would do that. I know that once he opens the Gate, he's going to send me back to that Hell. I plan getting to the other side before he gets me."
Alphonse frowns. "Brother doesn't hate you as much as you think. We decided a long time ago that we'd do that for you. We know what it's like to be homesick."
"Homesick, bleh." Envy sticks his tongue out, and Alphonse marvels at how childish the oldest Sin can be. Envy needs some convincing.
"I know what it feels like to be hollow, to be separated from the body you're most familiar with." Alphonse curls his fingers into his palms as if he can still remember the sounds his metal hands made. To know the absence of a beating heart, a pulsing Philosopher's Stone. Envy wants to throw up when he realizes how similar he is to Al. The only difference is that he hates Edward, and Alphonse would die for him.
Still, he retorts, "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough," Alphonse replies in a way that makes Envy want to hit him. That superior, mocking tone reminds him of Dante. Fuck, stop thinking about her. It only proves that the brat is right. Homesick is such a weak human emotion. A Homunculus doesn't have a home, a monster like him doesn't belong anywhere.
"And I know enough about you," Envy mimics just because he can. Alphonse raises an amused eyebrow and smiles warmly. He doesn't know if this means Envy is in a good mood.
"Okay. Tell me something about myself that I don't already know."
"You know that German boy Edward was with before we came along?"
Alphonse nods.
"Well, you ever think Edward looked at him like he was his brother? With that chance he might never see you again... Do you like that idea? That you could be replaced?"
Alphonse is glad he isn't Edward because if he was, he would punch the Sin. But by now, he's figured out that this sadistic teasing is Envy's defense mechanism. Envy's remark stings a little, and he looks uncertain for a moment. It's enough to get Envy laughing. The Sin is stopped short when Alphonse says, "Edward would never do that to me. We've been through so much together. He would never give up on us."
Envy sneers. "You sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Envy," Alphonse snaps. Envy looks taken back.
"Hmp. Whatever you say."
"Apology accepted."
"What! I never apologized, brat!" Envy splutters, but Alphonse's smile leaves no room for argument. Damn that younger Elric.
"Let's change topics. It seems like the one you chose is making us both uncomfortable."
"Hm."
"You know. If you don't make Brother as mad as often, he might let you go out soon."
It works. It catches his attention. Envy tries to hide his eagerness at the statement. He's always been a good actor, but his skills have been slipping lately. Alphonse easily detects the childish glee.
Envy catches himself before he lets something embarrassing slip out. "Why would I want to walk around with a bunch of humans?"
Alphonse rolls his eyes. Typical Envy.
"I could take you somewhere you'd enjoy. Or maybe a restaurant! I hear the ice cream parlor down the street is good!"
"What the fuck is ice cream?" Envy dead-pans.
"Oh, you lived four hundred years ago. I always forget that."
"Moron."
"Gee, thanks."
Envy taps his foot impatiently under the bed covers. This is taking too long. When will Al leave him alone?
"Well, there can't be much you could've done back then." Alphonse looks thoughtful. "If you were as nasty as you are now, I doubt the other children wanted to play with you. Hmm. Was there anything you liked to eat? They had uh...bread and...corn back then...right? That doesn't sound tasty."
"I liked to read," Envy interrupts his musings.
"Really?" Interest lights up the golden-brown eyes, and Envy wishes he kept his mouth shut. "Liked to read what?"
"Books."
"Any favorite ones? I like to read books about alchemy."
"Just books," Envy grounds out, but Alphonse isn't deterred at all.
"Were you allowed to keep pets?"
"What the hell do animals have to do with books?"
"Well, if you had a pet, we could always buy you one. To keep you company," Alphonse says meekly.
"Are you always this annoying?" Envy finally explodes and chucks a pillow at him. Alphonse's chuckle is muffled when the pillow strikes him in the face.
"I promise I'll go away when I've found out what I want to know."
"I like to read! Take me to a fucking library or something."
"Brother's been buying books lately, and they all end up in your room. I knew you liked to read a long time ago."
"Insufferable, little--"
Alphonse holds up his hands in a mock-surrender gesture. "Just tell me one thing about yourself that I don't know."
Envy falls silent and thinks. He has to make this good otherwise he'll never have some peace. Dante's already spilled so much about him. The fuck is he suppose to say? Revealing he was Hohenhiem's son would've been the best thing to say, but oh no, that bitch spoiled it for him.
Envy's pensive frown reminds Alphonse of Edward. It stretches wide across their faces and then curves down toward their chins. Maybe Envy really is their older brother.
"Well?" Alphonse prompts after a moment.
"Shut up. This is difficult."
"I have a weak spot for kittens," Alphonse confesses to help, expecting Envy to snicker, but he doesn't.
"I died when I was ten," Envy admits quietly.
Ten, so that's younger than him. . . "But that form we saw!"
"Fake, made-up," Envy sighs condescendingly. "My real form looked too much like you two. I shifted into a younger face of that bastard so Edward could easily make the connection."
"Oh."
"Shut up. You got what you wanted, so fucking leave me alone!" Alphonse call tell Envy's embarrassed from the sour expression and heavy pout on his face. "Stupid brat." Why the hell did I tell him that? Damnit.
Alphonse glances at the door and says, "Edward's home. He bought a new chair."
"What about it?" Envy, though relieved for the distraction, puts on a clueless expression, pretending to not hear Edward's calls for help from downstairs.
"If you stay in bed every day, you're going to get fat, Envy," Alphonse states in a matter-of-fact way, struggling to hide his grin. Envy immediately pales and leaps out of bed, nearly running the blond over in his haste to get to the stairs. Ah, using Envy's vanity against him is the best way to get things done. When Alphonse arrives downstairs, he sees Edward on the ground, massaging his head as he yells at Envy, who looks like the epitome of innonence.
"You fucking bitch!" Edward screeches, about to tackle Envy.
"Brother, language!" Alphonse admonishes almost angrily.
"He curses all he wants, but I get called out on it?" Edward gapes. "Traitor!"
"Calm down."
Edward can hear Envy behind him singing softly, "Shit, damn, fuck, asshole. . ."
"No, that bastard tripped me!"
Envy smirks. "Must have been his own clumsy feet. So short, he can't even see over the top of the chair."
Edward's voice rises to an almost unbearable decibel.
"Brother!" Alphonse has to restrain Edward. "The chair, the chair!"
"Right, right," but Edward continues to glower at Envy, "The chair is more important."
Edwards picks up the chair again, and on his way up, he rams his shoulder into Envy, but it doesn't knock the haughty grin of his face.
"Come on," Alphonse says, "It's your chair."
Envy gives him a don't-you-fucking-dare-tell-him look as Alphonse brushes past him to follow his brother to their room.
All Alphonse does is smile.