A/N: Hi!

This time we'll leave a little bit aside the drama of the love square (more or less) to welcome Al, who was already taking his time to arrive hehe.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you very much for reading!

Golden

Ed rocked on the tips of his toes over and over again as the hands of the train station clock kept moving. It was noon on the Saturday after the military gala and his first day of rest after rejoining the military. The week had been long and tedious because of the work Ed had had to do since just because he was newly reinstated didn't mean the paperwork would wait for him to adjust to his new role at Central Command.

However, the tiredness and annoyance of the day evaporated when he returned to Rose's house where she and Eddie were waiting for him with open arms. Eddie was always eager to tell him about his school adventures and with a thousand and one questions about the alchemical homework Ed had given him and Rose with a warm smile and delicious hot food that helped him release the tension of the day.

The memory of Winry was still there constantly but Ed was trying hard not to let her memory overpower him so he spent his time getting used to and adjusting to the new "family life" he now found himself in. It was so nice to have someone to greet him cheerfully and warmly every day that Ed's adjustment process was going faster than he expected.

However, despite the pleasant home environment he now enjoyed, there was still one very important element missing in Ed's life: Alphonse.

And it was precisely for that reason that Ed found himself at the train station. After the long wait caused by the slow means of communication to Xing and the necessary transfers back to Amestris, Al was finally about to arrive at Central.

When Ed could finally see that the train was approaching the station, a huge smile appeared on his face and he walked as close as he could to the area where the passengers were getting off the train. Being a weekend there were many people filling the station at that time so the young man couldn't get as close as he wanted to.

Straining his neck at all times to be able to locate his brother, Ed managed to see him when Al had advanced only a few meters from the entrance of the train so, with some difficulty, Ed made his way through the crowd managing to advance a few meters.

"Al!" He exclaimed when only a few people separated them as he waved a hand to attract his attention.

Al also wore a wide smile and was walking towards him with a hurried but careful step so as not to accidentally hit someone with his suitcase.

When they were finally face to face, Al dropped his suitcase and rushed toward his brother, who hugged him just as tightly as he did.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed gleefully. "I can't believe it, it's really you!"

Ed laughed. "Even I can't believe it. When did you grow up so much?" Ed replied after patting him and turning away so he could get a good look at him.

Al laughed too. "Maybe at the same time as you."

"Hahaha how funny, Al." Ed replied sarcastically but without wiping the huge grin off his face.

"Give me a few more months and I'll be taller than you for sure." Al said, unable to help but tease him a little.

Ed looked at him carefully. Al's boyish face had been left behind to give way to the 17-year-old youthful version he now had before him, who was almost as tall as he was and who, fortunately, had left behind the shadow of guilt and pain that had been lodged in his bright eyes during the invasion of Amestris.

The happiness of being reunited with his younger brother and seeing him in such a good state made Ed have to clear his throat of the lump that wanted to form in his throat so he could speak. "Little brother, you're all right like that. Let your big brother keep the height, okay?"

Al laughed again before answering seriously. "There's nothing that can be done against the natural growth of human beings, brother."

Al's serious response caused Ed to laugh good-naturedly and ruffle his younger brother's hair. "You'll have time to bully me all you want later, now we'd better go over to Rose's house so we can talk. There's a lot to tell you."

"Sure."

Ed leaned over and picked up Al's suitcase. When he repositioned himself he received a fist to his flesh and blood arm. "Ouch, now what did I do?"

Al turned serious. "That's for your occurrence of going back to that strange world by yourself."

Ed grimaced. "Okay, yeah, I deserved it."

Al smiled again and gave him a quick hug before he started walking. "You may be an idiot but you don't know how glad I am to have you back. I missed you so much, brother."

A warm smile appeared on Ed's face. "And I missed you, Al. Very much."

A few minutes later the Elric brothers entered Rose's house. Because there was a cultural event going on at the school, Rose and Eddie weren't there at the time so the Elrics had the house to themselves so they wasted no time and spent it talking catching up on what had happened to them over the years.

Although a little more open with Al than he had been with Rose at first, Ed didn't tell him all the details of his life on Earth. He did tell him a few things about what he had done and even told him about the doppelgangers he had met except for Alfons Heiderich. But then he was quick to distract him with the alchemical terms and other research he had done that together had enabled him to return to Amestris. He also told him how his return had been so Al was surprised to learn that Gluttony had survived the transmutation he had made 3 years ago.

For his part, Al told him what the first few weeks after the invasion were like as the alchemists were busy helping to repair the damaged streets and homes. Some time later he resumed his travels around the country trying to find a new portal or something similar that might allow Ed to return to Amestris.

Ed scolded him lightly for continuing with that research when he should have been enjoying his life but when Al, with teary eyes, told him that he could not bear the thought of going on with his life without ever seeing his brother again, Ed felt a lump in his throat and hugged Al tightly since, although he had made the decision to return to Earth, he had spent every day regretting his decision since he also could not imagine how his life would go on without Al and Winry in it.

Thus both brothers continued to share some of their stories of joy and sorrow, excitement and disappointment. The topics of Pinako and Izumi's death left them grieving for a while as they both felt guilty for not being with them in their last days of life (Al was made aware of Pinako's death a couple of months later since he was in Xing).

There were also times when Al would notice his brother somewhat lost in thought, making him notice that there seemed to be a pattern that triggered those moments when Ed's gaze seemed distant: Winry. However, Al simply stuck to making his mental notes and not forcing the issue for the moment since he noticed him even more down when Ed surprised him by letting him know that Winry had become engaged to Russell.

Despite the moments of sadness and longing, their talk also had pleasant and cheerful good times, even bringing up livelier topics where Ed and Al felt as if they had gone back in time and were learning alchemy together before the human transmutation. In addition, Ed also felt even more cheerful when Al told him that as time went on he seemed to be regaining memories of the years he had lost. They were occasional dreams that had increased in frequency over time and now that Ed was there to confirm to him that what he remembered from his dreams had actually happened, Al couldn't help but break into a beaming smile at the thought of regaining those precious memories. From what he had been told, Al was aware that within his memories there would be painful moments but that did not matter to him because in the end, it was his past, a past he had shared with his older brother and from which he did not want to be left out no matter how painful it had been.

They were just reliving the memories about the time Al had been stranded in an unfamiliar town having been mistaken for someone else's luggage, when Rose returned to the house.

"Al, how nice to see you!" Rose said with a huge smile as she came over to hug him.

"Hello, Rose. You look great today." Al said gallantly as he reciprocated her gesture.

Rose pulled away and patted him on the chest in a friendly way. "Always so flattering, Al." She laughed before continuing. "But look at you. You're becoming a more attractive man all the time. You sure have a lot of fans in Xing."

Al laughed. "Not at all."

"Maybe you haven't noticed because you seem to be captivated by your apparently beautiful teacher." Ed interjected with a slightly joking tone to tease his brother.

Once in Xing, Al immediately joined the classes that Mei (the Xingese girl he had met in Amestris) in the hope that the alchemy of her country could give him a clue on how to bring his brother back. As time went on he became more and more interested in alkahestry so, now that Ed was back, he would return to Xing after a few months to finish his training as it had really caught his interest. Although certainly, Mei was a really nice girl...

"Brother!" Al complained as his cheeks flushed.

Ed shrugged with a smug smile on his lips. "You're just further confirming to me what I'm saying. If your clearly excited talk about how wonderful she is wasn't enough, your face right now is the ultimate proof."

"Wow, Al. You should bring her with you next time." Rose said kindly as she walked over to where Ed was sitting.

"No, that's not it. She's just my teacher." Al shook his head frantically.

"Don't let that be a deterrent, little brother." Ed continued to tease him.

"She's older than me too." Al said, trying to defend himself as he sat back down.

"That doesn't matter, Al." Rose said with a kind smile. "A couple of years are no impediment, are they, Ed?" With that said the brunette leaned over and kissed Ed on the lips causing Al to lose his blush at the surprise.

Ed reciprocated the kiss and as he finished he smiled. "Right." He took one of Rose's hands and gave it a squeeze. "Hey, where's the little imp?"

"He's playing at a friend's house. He won't be long because he knows he has to be back for dinner..." Rose replied before craning her neck a little to look at the clock resting on a nearby wall. "That's in about half an hour." She gave Ed's hand one last squeeze before pulling away. "I'd better get cooking."

Ed looked at the hands of the clock in surprise. "Geez, is it that late already?"

"Well, they say time flies by when you're having a good time." Al said cheerfully.

Ed smiled. "Of course." He stood up. "Well, let's get dinner ready."

"None of that, Ed." Rose leaned over and gave him a kiss on the tip of his nose. "You stay here so you can keep catching up with Al."

"We can continue later, Rose. We don't want to take advantage of your kindness." Al interjected.

"Don't worry, Al. It'll only take me a few minutes and you guys need all the time you can get to chat because I'm sure the day hasn't given you enough time." The chestnut said with a slight chuckle. "Believe me, you're going to thank me, because as soon as Eddie finds out you're here he's not going to get off your backs for one minute."

Al laughed. "Okay, thanks, Rose."

"Thanks. I'll take care of the dishes then, okay?" Ed said.

"Deal." Rose replied before heading towards the kitchen.

When he heard the clatter of pots assuring him that Rose was busy, Al leaned slightly to be closer to the individual couch Ed was in so he could speak to him at a lower tone of voice. "Hey, brother."

"What's up, Al?"

Al raised an eyebrow. "You hadn't told me you and Rose were dating."

"Oh, that." Ed said with a nervous chuckle as he ran his automail hand over the back of his neck. "Well, it's just that we've barely been together a week."

"I'm still surprised you hadn't mentioned it to me in all the time we've been talking."

"It's just that I'm still not used to talking to my little brother about these things. So I wasn't sure how I should bring it up."

Al fell silent and stared at him for a few seconds before speaking again. "I don't think that's it."

"What are you getting at, Al?"

"Brother, what about Winry?"

Ed couldn't help but flinch slightly causing the smile that had remained on his face since the kiss to disappear. "What does this have to do with her?"

"Hmm I don't know, maybe because you are in love with her?"

Ed was quiet for a few seconds before forcing a laugh. "Where do you get that from?"

Al held up a finger. "Your look always gets weird when she gets to be mentioned." He held up another finger. "From what you told me, it sounds like you had a super good time with her while you were recovering." He held up one more finger. "I've dreamed of memories of you staring at her with a silly look on your face. AND." He made a marked emphasis before lifting one last finger. "I have my suspicions that something happened between you on the day of the invasion."

Ed averted his gaze and said nothing.

"Ed." Al tried to get his attention in the absence of a response.

Ed sighed and looked at him again. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"Are you still in love with her?"

Ed bit his lower lip before answering. "Maybe."

"Did you tell her?"

Ed contemplated for a moment telling him about what had happened the night of the military gala but gave up the idea knowing that Rose might come out of the kitchen at any moment. "No, what's the point, Al? She's getting married."

"I understand." Al said. "So if you're in love with her doesn't it seem too soon to start a romantic relationship with Rose?"

"Al, Rose is a good woman. She's been very nice to me and I actually have a great time with her. What's wrong with me wanting to move from friendship to romance?"

"Do you love her?"

Ed remained silent pondering his answer. He couldn't deny that being with Rose made him feel at ease and he had a good time with her and Eddie, but it was hard to figure out his feelings when he had just recently had to resign himself to let go of his feelings for Winry. With all that turmoil inside him, Ed decided that the best answer he could give Al was the one that seemed simplest. "Not yet."

"Ed."

Ed sighed. "I'm trying, okay? I know I can fall in love with her because, believe it or not, I am very fond of her. It's just a matter of time. Besides, not all relationships start out of love, sometimes it's just physical attraction." Ed bit his tongue realizing his words weren't helping him.

"All the more reason you should reconsider it, brother, I don't want you playing with her feelings!"

"Yeah, I know." Ed exhaled heavily. "Listen, my intention isn't to play with her. Rose is very attractive but that's not what made me want to have a relationship with her. I told you, I have a great time with her and she's been wonderful to me. Being with her and Eddie I feel at peace and I really believe we can have a good relationship. Besides, I have a right to be happy and decide who I date, don't I?"

Al sighed. "Yes, you have every right to do what you think will make you happy. I just hope this relationship didn't come about because of your pain and jealousy of knowing Winry is going to marry someone else."

Before Ed could respond there was a light bang indicating that the front door had been opened with a little more force than necessary followed by the sound of excited footsteps. Only seconds later, Eddie appeared at the entrance to the room stopping his footsteps before the people who greeted him.

"Uncle Al?" He said as if he didn't believe his eyes. "Uncle Al" Eddie exclaimed happily as Al smiled at him to then began to approach the young man.

Al gave Ed one last brief glance to give him a hint that he had been serious before squatting down to embrace Rose's son, who was quick to bombard him with questions.

Dinner went merrily along accompanied by excited chatter from the 4 people who were sharing the table. As Rose had anticipated, Eddie was hogging Al and occasionally Ed, especially when Eddie told Al that Ed was teaching him alchemy.

They went on like that for a while longer until night fell causing Eddie to start nodding off a while later causing his mother to send him to bed.

Having had a very busy day with all the school festival management, Rose also excused herself to go to bed before the Elrics, delegating to Ed the task of guiding Al to the guest room.

Once inside the room and as soon as they had both finished unpacking Al's suitcase, the younger Elric plopped down on his back on the bed, taking the opportunity to stretch his arms a bit.

"Gosh, I'll surely sleep like a baby today." Al said cheerfully though already with a hint of sleepiness in his voice.

"With how uncomfortable train seats are, I wouldn't be surprised. I just hope you're not going to wake us all up with your snoring." Ed said in a joking tone.

Al laughed. "If I remember correctly the snorer is you."

Ed shrugged with a smile. "Well, at least so far they haven't complained about me."

"They probably sleep with earplugs in their ears." Al said with a chuckle before sitting up and glancing at the single bed he was sitting on. "I hope we don't fall out of bed."

Ed reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "If you do fall off I'll do my best to be the first one to laugh at you." Ed said with a smile before turning away. "Sleep well." He added as he waved his left hand over his shoulder.

"Hold on, brother." Ed stopped and turned to look at him, finding Al with a confused expression. "Where are you going?"

"To sleep, isn't it obvious?"

"I was kidding about falling over. You don't have to sleep on the couch."

Ed put his left hand on the back of his neck. "I'm not sleeping on the couch."

"Then wh-?" Al interrupted himself when he realized what was going on. "You're going to Rose's room?" He asked with the hints of a blush on his cheeks.

"Yes, for the past two days we've been sleeping together." Realizing that his words could be misconstrued, Ed hastened to add. "Literally. I don't mean... you know." He said somewhat embarrassed at having to broach that subject with his younger brother.

"Ed." Al said with a slightly reprimanding tone.

Ed sighed. "We just sleep in the same bed. That's all. Rose invited me to her room so you could sleep well without me kicking you at night. I had my doubts but we talked it over and in the end, you can't deny it's not a bad idea can you? What was the point of not letting you rest when there's another free space in the house?"

"Brother, I insist, don't you think you're moving a little fast with your relationship with Rose?"

Ed had to be quiet for a few seconds as he thought about what his brother was telling him. He too had been surprised by Rose's invitation, as they had only shared a couple of kisses over the course of the week since he had tried to keep the displays of affection on a light level so as not to overwhelm her knowing full well what she had gone through years ago. So when she told him they could sleep together, his first impulse was to tell her he was fine with sleeping on the couch or on the floor itself but seeing her disappointed face it didn't take long for him to relent.

"Al, I appreciate your concern but everything is fine. I know maybe this was a bit rushed but I really respect and care a lot about Rose so there's nothing to worry about ok?"

"Alright... just remember what we talked about earlier, okay? Don't hurt her."

"Okay." Ed turned away again. "Good night." He said before leaving the room.

"Good night."

When the door closed, Al dropped back down on his back on the bed. He understood that his brother was seeking his happiness in the company of a good woman like Rose but he couldn't shake the feeling that his brother's actions were motivated by Winry's recent engagement. He also understood and respected his brother's decision to let Winry be happy with Russell but it pained him to notice the sadness in his gaze that his brother couldn't completely hide whenever Winry was mentioned.

Speaking of Winry...

Over the past three years, Al had come to think that Winry was in love with Ed. He didn't have as many memories to rely on compared to the ones he had of his brother but over the years that Ed had been in the other world, Al had noticed a longing and fondness so present in Winry's gaze every time he came to tell him of some clue that might help him bring his brother back.

He never asked Winry directly about her feelings because he was afraid of depressing her since he had no guarantee of when and if he would actually succeed in bringing his brother back, which was why he began to stop mentioning Ed to her when she told him that she had started dating Russell. He had seen very little of her over the last three years but had naively believed that her relationship with Russell would be a passing thing but now it turned out that they were getting married.

Al sighed and got out of bed to change into his pajamas. Maybe he was overthinking the whole thing but he really would have liked Ed and Winry to end up together. When he knew that his brother was back he had begun to be happy for them thinking that everything was falling into place so that they could venture into that kind of relationship but now everything indicated that he had been too naive to believe that would happen, so he would have no choice but to accept the turn things had taken even though he had the feeling that something was not quite right.