Alfons squinted hard at the blueprints spread out before him. There'd been too many thin sheets to arrange across the workshop table, so he'd shifted himself to the floor. Edward Elric was already there, his nose buried in a copy of Frankenstein. His back was propped against the stacks of books that huddled in the workshop's back corner.

Al stared at the lines and numbers on his set of charts until his sight went bleary. At last he paused to watch the young alchemist instead, his pen ticking back and forth absently as he neglected his blueprints for the sake of observation. The Elric boy's hair fell into his eyes when he turned the page of his book, but he made no move to brush it back. He appeared to be entirely absorbed.

"You giving up already, Alfons?"

Al started. Edward hadn't so much as blinked, and as far as Alfons could tell, the alchemist's eyes were still flying over the words on the pages.

"Uhm," he swallowed, and was glad Edward didn't look up to see the astonishment that was creeping onto his face. "No, I'm not giving up. I could use your help, though."

"I'm reading."

Al's lips fell into a frown. "How is reading Frankenstein supposed to be scientific or helpful? We're surrounded by all sorts of educational books. We've even got Einstein and Newton. Why not read those?"

Ed still didn't look up. "I've already read them." Alfons choked back his surprise. "Besides," the alchemist went on, "The book I'm reading may be fiction, but it proves a point. This doctor tries to create a human life, because he thinks the power of science can make it possible. But life can't be created that way no matter how great science is. The doctor only ends up with a twisted imitation of a person, nothing like a real human being at all. He creates a monster, and then he has to take responsibility for the results of the taboo he's committed."

"Sounds like the doctor was a bit of a fool," Alfons said, picking up his ruler and laying it over his chart with a shrug. "Didn't he think about the cost of what he was doing, or listen to other people's warnings?"

Edward's response was so quiet that Al strained to hear him. "He didn't need to," the alchemist whispered. "He believed, and that was all that mattered."

Alfons went still. He'd experienced the smallest of chills after hearing the words, but he shook it off and began labeling his diagram. "In any case, Ed, it's not like you to be reading a novel when you could be studying. You must have a good reason for choosing that book." He glanced over at the Elric boy, slightly shocked to see that the novel had been closed and placed aside.

"I'll tell you why some other time." Ed leaned over and pointed at one of the figures near Al's right. "What's that? Looks complicated." He grinned.

Al's attention was drawn quickly to the jumble of numbers that Ed indicated. "Those are complicated. They're the coordinates for the innermost gears on the new rocket engine I'm developing. If I get this right, the finished rocket will reach a speed of almost eleven kilometers per second."

"Alfons," Ed said, "That's fast."

"I know! The fastest one to date. It'll set a record if it works." Alfons knew he must have sounded giddy with enthusiasm, but the prospect of designing a new class of rocket washed away his embarrassment. Then he stopped. Edward's face was tight and serious.

"You think it's too fast," Al said flatly, feeling his insides go sour as he caught the look on Ed's face. "You're worrying again about the use my rockets will come to if I attract the attention of the military."

There was no trace of apology on Edward's countenance as he answered. "The military will use you, Al. You'll be like a dog on a leash, and they'll manipulate your talents to get what they want without your even realizing."

Al clenched a fist. His good mood was spoiled. "Why? Is that what happened to you? I'm not like you, Ed." He was growing increasingly annoyed. There he was, on the brink of a ground breaking new development, and all the blonde alchemist could do was tell him how that development would be abused and turned against him.

Ed must have sensed his displeasure, for he retreated to the other end of the book stack and promptly began to adjust a wooden compass. "I'm just saying that you have to watch out, Alfons." His tone was lighter now. "Sometimes when you get too wrapped up in your own goals, you miss the big picture. Other people take advantage of that."

Al felt his shoulders relax. "I won't let my rockets get turned into high speed missiles, if that's what you're worried about." He allowed himself a little grin, and Edward mirrored the expression. Then Ed leaned over to mark the fuel gauge on the chart, and his arm brushed Al's chest.

A shiver ran through Alfons's body, a sensation that was completely different from the chill he'd felt when Ed had been talking about Frankenstein. At once Al was highly aware of the way they sat beside each other on the workshop floor, the way Ed was currently positioned so as to place his head directly beneath Al's chin. Alfons stiffened. Edward didn't appear to notice a thing. He shifted again to extend his reach – now he leaned across Al's lap on all fours, scribbling away on the blueprints. There came an increase in Al's heart rate, and he swallowed as discreetly as possible.

It seemed an eternity before Ed got up again, rubbing ink off his hands and looking satisfied with himself.

"There," he said, "Now that you've increased the speed, those calculations should account for the higher amount of fuel that'll be burned."

Alfons found his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth. "Th-thanks," he managed, and Ed nodded before turning to a scale model at their left.

Alfons's head was reeling. He hadn't wanted Edward to draw away, and yet he'd prayed the older boy would do just that before he lost his control. When Ed had slipped past him, he'd caught the scent of the alchemist's silken hair, and the realization had driven him wild. Al gritted his teeth and forced himself to resume his task. He was being a fool – he couldn't afford to waste his thoughts on strange feelings of attraction. He had a rocket to build, and precious little time.

"Tell me more about Amestris," Al said weakly, praying that Ed would take off on another of his fantastical rants.

But Edward froze at the request, another painful look engulfing his features. "To tell you the truth, Al, I don't really feel like talking about my home right now. You're right. I'm stuck here, so I've got to focus on this world."

Alfons didn't give up. "What about that guy with the gloves that made sparks? What was his name?" His prompt had the desired effect.

Ed let out a mischievous hiss, and his lips transformed into a sinister smile upon which hovered myriad unspoken death threats. "You mean the colonel with the god complex?"

Al couldn't help the chuckle that came bubbling forth. "Yeah, that one."

"Roy Mustang. Heh, the only one that liked him was his first lieutenant Hawkeye."

"That's not what you said. You said he was popular and that his men were all loyal."

Ed grimaced. "Did I? They only liked him because he swore he'd become Fuhrer and dress all the female officers in mini skirts."

Alfons burst out laughing. "I don't believe you."

Edward's grin matched his. "Fine. But it's true. So is the story about that lady-thief Psiren who thwarted me with her chest." His smile grew when Al failed to answer through his fit of mirth.

When Alfons could finally breath again, he straightened and reached for his toolbox. "I can't concentrate on these plans anymore," he said. "Why don't we work on the prototype for the carnival?" When he stood up, he knocked into a stack of books that Edward had moved. To his horror, they wobbled perilously.

Before either of them could react, the books went cascading down and crashed into a model of planet earth. It was a wooden skeleton meant to illustrate the way the planet tilted on its axis, with a solid orb in the center to mark the earth's core. And it was teetering from impact.

Alfons shot upward and sought to steady it. He readied himself for a sigh of relief, but almost too late he noticed that Edward had sprung up as well. He stepped to one side to avoid a collision. Still, while he'd grabbed the model by its sturdy base, Ed had latched onto the delicate wood skeleton.

Al panicked, flailing his free arm before he could think to do anything more useful. "Ed!" His voice came out high-pitched. "Don't hold it by that part – it's too fragile! You'll break it!"

Ed released his hold at once, and Al sagged in relief. He steadied the wooden globe on its stand before he dipped to reclaim the toolbox he'd dropped in the chaos. Suddenly he caught the look on Ed's face.

Edward hadn't let go because Alfons had told him to.

"Al…"

The alchemist's mouth hung open just slightly, and Al resisted the urge to reach out and pinch it closed. The expression in Ed's eyes frightened him. There was something deep and moving behind the golden stare, a look of utter shock mixed with adoration and passion, and even a little sadness. Alfons knew that look. Edward was gazing at him the way a person would gaze upon the ghost of someone they once cared for, someone that was supposed to be long gone.

Edward Elric had just seen his brother.

Alfons suppressed the emotions he felt rising. He strove to keep his voice calm and level. "I just did something that almost fooled you into thinking I was Alphonse for real this time, didn't I?"

It took Edward a long minute to answer. "You started freaking out and yelling at me, just like Al used to whenever he thought I was going to break something or get hurt," he said at last. "He was so funny when he did things like that." There was an apologetic smile hovering on his features.

Alfons hesitated. He felt the familiar frustration well up inside him, but this time it was eclipsed by something else. Al indeed felt helpless when Ed looked at him like that, like he was merely a shadow of what was real. But at once he realized it was Edward that must have felt the most helpless.

The knowledge did nothing to ease Al's wounds, yet a sudden impulse seemed to seize him, and he acted.

Without a sound, he reached out and caught Edward's forearm – the one made of flesh – before lifting the shorter boy's wrist to his lips. Ed's breathing hitched at the contact, but Alfons didn't halt his progress. He kissed the sensitive underside of the skin there, feeling the way the blonde alchemist ceased to move as if Al had placed him under a spell. He worked his way slowly down Ed's lower arm, trailing over the milky smoothness of flesh until the boy shuddered, then reversed his direction so he was brushing his lips gently over the outer curve of Edward's hand.

Alfons didn't dare allow himself time to think. Somehow, he knew he'd left Ed's skin tingling with a sensation that only another's lips could cause, just as he somehow knew Edward had frozen out of fear of his own rising desire, as well as wariness of Al's identical craving. Al hadn't meant to draw out their contact for so long. The last thing he wanted was to incur the Elric boy's wrath and risk Ed leaving for good. He sucked carefully on Ed's little finger and pulled away slowly, reluctantly.

Edward's eyes were wider than Al had ever seen them, his face flushed so pink that Al worried he'd angered the only person worth his attention in their busy age of rocketry and science.

But Edward's voice was low and shaky when he spoke. "A-Alfons, wh-what was…"

"Sorry Ed," Alfons couldn't find it in him to muster any sort of facial expression. He was too horrified with himself to react. "It was just my way of telling you that everything will be all right, and you'll find your brother."

Edward seemed to relax, but his face was still red as he hollered, "That isn't the way people usually go around spreading pity, you know!"

"I wasn't pitying you." Edward was strong. Al knew that pity wasn't what the alchemist needed.

"Good! Because I don't want your pity!"

The embarrassment on Ed's face made Al want to laugh, but he stoically refrained. "If you're done comparing me to Alphonse now, we can go work on that prototype."

"GAHH! Yes, I'm done, I'm done!" He shot off to locate the rocket.

"It's the other way, Ed."

There came an echo from halfway down the far isle. "I KNEW THAT, YOU IDIOT."

A/N: Finally got into the boy love! Now that I've done it, I fear for Alfons's character. And Ed's. Hope they weren't too OOC.