DISCLAIMER: Hagaren is Arakawa's.
Pairing: Alphonse/ May
Prompt: New Year
Rated: K
Alphonse's hand was nearly throbbing.
May was dragging him across the cobbled streets of Xing, gripping him tightly so as not to lose him in the hustle and bustle of the country's capital. Their skin seemed to change color under each paper lantern they passed under, blues and reds and greens illuminating them. The moon was nearly full in the sky. Men with painted faces and women in colorful dresses paraded through the square, children running amok beneath their feet. Each body they passed seemed to pulse with the combination of tunes coming from various corners of the town, the cacophony of it all somehow blending together into an odd melody.
"Uh, May, could you, maybe-"
"What's that?" she called, turning briefly to look at him before refocusing her eyes on the road before them. "You have to speak up." She was right; the volume of the crowd around them was too high for him to hum and haw.
"Can you please slow down?" he asked, louder this time.
May merely tossed a grin his way before pulling him with more force, his stride suddenly meeting hers. She looped an arm through his, ignoring his request and keeping her brisk pace. He struggled to keep up.
"Where are you taking me?" he finally asked, pitching his voice loud enough so she could hear him. She'd only told him that today was the Xingese New Year; the details were still a mystery to him.
Her only answer was a laugh.
After what felt like an hour of a half-sprint, May finally slowed. They had reached the outskirts of the city; a little ways past the gate was a small hill that overlooked a large pond. Al could dimly make out a small group of people on the other side of it with what looked like a large stack of… something, he wasn't quite sure what.
The dark-haired girl (well, she was a woman now, really, Al couldn't help but notice) led him to a small patch that hadn't been taken yet by the other groups that had had the same idea. She reached into the backpack Al carried, spreading out a blanket for them to sit on on the damp grass. She pulled him down to sit with her, surprising him with how gentle the action was compared to the tugging and yanking he'd been subjected to all night.
"Will you tell me why we're here now?" he asked, smiling at her, still slightly out of breath.
She looked up at him and returned the grin. "It's a tradition; every year, when it gets close to the end of the night… well, you'll see," she answered, not wanting to ruin the surprise. May shifted suddenly on the blanket, using the opportunity to snuggle a little closer to him, a blush coloring her cheeks as she simultaneously hoped he would and would not notice her advance.
For his part, it would have been nearly impossible for him to miss it –he seemed hyperaware of her tonight. His arm still tingled a little where she had clung to it. Alphonse blushed nearly as hard as she did, allowing himself to scoot in a little closer to her as well.
After a few minutes of only slightly awkward silence, Al heard several voices begin to chant, and then more as others join in. He stiffened, casting his gaze down to the woman who sat beside him. She sat up, unaware of his distress, and started chanting with them in Xingese. Only after the final note did she notice the expression he wore.
"It was a countdown," she explained airily, laughing.
"To wha-" he began, stopping abruptly when he heard a loud whistle, followed by a loud bang and a sudden burst of color in the sky. His face lit up as he slowly registered what he'd just seen and heard. "You have fireworks here?" he asked excitedly. "I haven't seen any since I was a kid!"
May fell against him, laughing with him. She hadn't seen him this ecstatic in a very long time, if ever. The sidesplitting run had been worth it for the look on his face in this moment.
When the light show was drawing to a close, May felt the blonde next to her suddenly stiffen. She peered up at him in concern. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting forward.
If she wasn't mistaken, there was a slight blush across his cheeks. "Um, well…" he trailed off, not thrilled with the fact that she'd noticed his sudden tension. "I-I was thinking, since y-you showed me one of your country's traditions to celebrate the New Year…" he began, willing himself to stop stuttering, "I-I thought, maybe, um, I could show you one of mine. My country's, I mean. Not mine, I've never done this one before, but…"
His golden eyes met her dark ones as he finally shut himself up. She was closer than he'd realized – close enough for him to raise a hand and brush a stray hair from her eyes. May shifted closer to him, just slightly, and he took that as his cue. Swallowing all of his doubt and fear, he closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed her.
She sighed as his lips met hers, and he gave his own sigh in relief before adding a little more pressure, tilting her head up to give them a better angle. Alphonse had to refrain from smiling into the kiss, reminding himself that that wouldn't be very helpful.
It only lasted a brief moment, and when they pulled apart, Al was relieved to see a smile and pink cheeks.
"I'd have to say your country's tradition beats mine," she said, breathless. He laughed at that, taking her hand in his.
"Yeah, I'll say. There's a lot less running involved."