Title: Return for Grace
Author: vanillavinegar
Rating: K
Summary: It's the first time it's rained since the Promised Day.
Warnings: SPOILERS for the end of the manga/Brotherhood.
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Hiromu Arakawa-san. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.
Author's Notes: This fic was written for prompt 120 at fma_fic_contest, where the instructions were to incorporate song lyrics into your fic. Song used is "Beautiful Day" by U2. Pure brotherly fluff. Don't say I didn't warn you. Thanks to everyone for reading, and special thanks to silverymoon19 for reviewing!

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Al woke, slow and lazy as he turned to the window – he had cajoled his brother into leaving the shade up, even at night; he liked to be woken by the warmth of the sunrise – and found that the gentle tapping he had faintly registered was the sound of droplets hitting the glass.

"It's raining," he breathed. He glanced at the other bed. Ed was sound asleep, chest moving regularly in time with his breaths. Al grinned and silently rolled out of bed.

This early, no one in the hospital was looking out for patients who should have still been sleeping. Not that they would have stopped him, exactly, but they would have told him to use a wheelchair, or wait for someone to carry him, or just rest again today. Al didn't want to wait for someone else and he definitely didn't want to spend all day in bed, so he carefully snuck past the nurses' station on his way to the stairs.

At some point since the last time he had been to the roof, the hospital had installed a little covered patio there. Probably for smokers, he thought, remembering Doctor Knox. He settled onto the bench gingerly; the metal was still cold from the night and his thin hospital gown was poor protection.

Thunder rumbled moodily in the distance. The steel-gray clouds rested over his head. The rain slowed as he sat watching it, but didn't stop. From his perch atop the hospital, he could see cars splashing through the water in the concrete street down below. Dark circles of fabric - umbrellas – marked people weaving their way to work. On the horizon, he dimly made out a pale growing light – the sun trying to break through the clouds.

Al pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. It was so peaceful up here; the only sounds were that of the rain, and someone stomping through the puddles nearby. He blinked, looking around to find his brother ducking under the patio roof.

"You're going to catch a cold," Ed grumbled in time with another groan of far-off thunder. He dropped a blanket unceremoniously around Al's shoulders and squeezed water out of his ponytail.

"It's the first time it's rained since the Promised Day," Al whispered.

Ed gnawed at his lip, but plopped down next to him after a moment. "Yeah," he said simply.

"It's a beautiful day."

Ed rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about? Sky's falling."

"It's a beautiful day," Al repeated. "I didn't want to let it get away."

"Don't be stupid. There'll be plenty more rainy days." But Ed sat and let Al lean slightly into his warm, sturdy side, until the doctors came looking for them both, scolding them for going out without jackets or umbrellas or even shoes.

And when Al simply snuggled pointedly into his blanket, Ed laughed and threw an arm around his shoulders.

It was a beautiful day.

THE END