Apparently 'tomorrow morning' actually meant '10 o'clock tonight', for that was the time a grumbling Edward stalked into the house, slamming the door behind him. The ranting and raving Elric could be heard throughout the small apartment, and probably a few of the neighboring ones as well. The younger brother simply sighed, shoulders drooping. Back to hiding from his older brother, hoping that somehow he could seem the same as he used to be and not alienate the one he cared most for, and hide the fact that beneath his calm, cheerful facade his body urged to pin the shorter teen to the wall and-

Al cut the line of thought short before it ran away and became a full-blown fantasy. The thought that he was able to think about his brother in such a way, that he would willingly think about that sort of thing, had the teen nearly in tears. He curled in on himself, fighting back the instinct to cry and burying his face in his knees. The couch's tendency to be soft and comforting wasn't particularly helping at this point in time; he would've much preferred the cold stone of the walls and floor, but no way was he going to move with his brother in the room. Unfortunately, he had momentarily forgotten said brother's almost paranoid way of worrying whenever Al showed the slightest signs of being upset. Being in the fetal position definitely counted as being upset, and stopped the short teen's raving instantaneously.

"Al? You okay?" The concerned touch on his shoulder was more than the already hysterical boy could take.

"No, I'm not fucking okay! It's just wrong, that- No, I promised I wouldn't say anything about that. Ever." Ed prodded carefully. He was still worried, but now he had to be careful not to send the younger teen into a flying rage.

"Wouldn't say anything about..." The blond let the sentence hang, sitting gingerly next to his little brother. Al looked up, bronze eyes flashing angrily, and the odd fact occurred to Ed that if there was a God, this is what he would look like when angered. Furious, fierce, and full of fire... and absolutely glorious in his rage.

"The fact that I fucking love you, as more than a brother, more than family, and it's not fucking right but I can't keep my mind from going that way and I don't know what to do, and, and..." Bony fists clung to Ed's pale shirt as Al lost his ability to speak. The god-like eyes disappeared as the brunette buried his face in his older brother's chest, and the slowly spreading wetness told the blond that his little brother was crying.

Edward, to say the least, was completely and utterly flabbergasted. Al was in love with him? That... oy. Completely at a loss for what to do, the alchemist rested his head on top of the younger teen's, flesh hand rubbing circles in his back, automail arm looped around his little brother as best as he could manage. He let his little brother cry on his own; there wasn't much he could think to say, anyways. Maybe if his brain would start functioning again, rather than sitting and doing nothing more than being the useless lump of carbon, nitrogen and other elements it was, he would be able to comfort the crying brunette. As it was, he could do nothing but let the younger boy cry himself out. When the shaking of Al's shoulders had died down to small twitches, Ed sighed.

"Al..." The younger Elric shrunk away, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry, brother..." Eyes Ed knew would be dark and cloudy in confusion and hopelessness were closed and turned towards the couch. Ed's brain decided to switch on, and he thanked it mentally. Not particularly thinking about what he was doing- he got the feeling he would ruin everything if he over-analyzed it-, the blond reached out a hand and tilted his little brother's head upwards. Swallowing the lump in his throat- he just spilled to you, you do the same, idiot!- Ed started to talk.

"Al... there's... damn, I'd say there's nothing to apologize for, but we're both sinners anyway. What will one more strike do to our record?" He shifted closer to the younger teen, resting his forehead on that of his little brother, and hoped to whatever ruled and directed life that he wouldn't screw things up with this.

"If we're going down, we're going down together." His arms looped around Al's slender frame, feeling the alternating tensing and relaxation as the brunette tried to at the same time relax and keep himself rational. Not thinking- thinking would ruin it-, Ed leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his younger brother's lips.

There were no fireworks, no angels singing in the background, no flames rising out of the ground to engulf them and label them as eternal sinners. All that was needed- all that happened- was Al's quiet response, melting against his brother, pressing himself upwards into the slight pressure, arms twining around Ed's neck. They stayed like that for a moment, but were forced to break apart due to a need for air. Somehow or other, Ed had managed to wriggle onto his little brother's lap during the exchange, and it didn't take a psychic to tell what was on either boy's mind. Especially in Edward's case, as his previously-cursed leather pants let his younger brother know just how turned on he could get in the space of thirty seconds. It wasn't an entirely one-sided exchange, for the younger teen's hard-on was most definitely pressed into the back of his older brother's thigh. The two simply panted for the next few seconds, enjoying the feel of the heated breath on their faces, but it wasn't long before Ed's hands started roaming up and down his little brother's torso, impatient as ever. The elder Elric might not be one for words, but when he decided he wanted you to know something, he made sure he got his point across. Each feather-light brush of a hand made Al's breath hitch; since when was his brother such a goddamn tease? Pleased at getting such a reaction from the younger teen, said older brother rose slightly so he could look at his brother without giving himself a crick in his neck. Why did Al have to be so damn tall? The boys' lips met again, Ed arched over his younger brother, content in his dominant position. Alphonse seemed just as content to become submissive, responding so sensitively that it was impossible to forget just how inexperienced the teen was. Slowly, oh so slowly, they eased downwards until Al was flat on his back, his blond relative's golden eyes staring into his own as his stocky, lithe body somehow lengthened itself so as to be able to both look his brother in the face and keep that lovely contact of thigh-to-groin that was driving Al mad. Lust had darkened the younger, less controlled teen's eyes, but something snapped in the older brother's mind, and Ed backed away, forcing himself to leave the innocent, untouchable Alphonse pure.

"Al, look... yeah, I like you, like that, but slow down here." Golden eyes closed as Ed forced himself to calm down. The brunette sat up as well, pulling his knees up to his chin, and nodded, face falling slightly.

"You're right... sorry, brother." A grin slid over the older alchemist's face.

"Already told you. Nothing to apologize for."

A/Ns:

Yeeeaaah..... Here we are, the beginning of the true Elricest. These two just won't leave me alone! Honestly, they're getting me weird looks when I try to illustrate this story. Dang you, hot incesty Elrics!

Again, beta-read by the wonderful Iarrod!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. The twisted mind that wrote this story owns me. Arakawa-sensei owns FMA and all affiliated characters, contrary to said characters' opinions.

Next up- what'll happen when the boys have to go to Risembool and face their perceptive Rockbell friends? Will they be able to keep their new relationship a secret, or will the ever-omniscient female mechanics see through the Elrics' facade? Find out next time!