Al prided himself on his intuition. No matter the circumstance, he was often able to automatically read someone inside and out through his own observations. It was a crucial skill for someone in his position, and had saved him more times than he could count.

When it came to Ed and Winry, however, intuition was about as useful as fish out of water.

Needless to say, the two were so horribly obvious with their emotions that anyone would be able to tell what they thought of the other, perception be damned.

It had been hilarious at first, but now he couldn't stop himself from cringing with every interaction the two had. While he'd been getting acquainted with walking and eating all new delicious food, their conversations served as his entertainment. They shot insults at each other like arrows, yet turned completely red from one innocent touch.

It was almost unbearable to watch, and Al knew that if he didn't do something, they would be wound up into stammering messes for as long as physically possible. Knowing Ed's stubborn nature, that could mean forever.

It was amusing—no doubt—but Al would rather not spend his new time on the surface with his palm slapped against his forehead.

When the two wandered into the house, sopping wet with eyes cast down, Al knew it was time for him to take some action. Discreetly, of course.

"Have fun?"

Ed opened his mouth and closed it, smoothing his expression over into one of indifference. "If you'd call 'two hours of trying not to drown myself from frustration' fun, then yeah, I had a blast."

"Good thing it's impossible for you to drown." Al redirected his attention to Winry. "I'll take it he was an awful teacher?"

She shook her head with a soft hum. "Surprisingly, I learned more today than I have in months. Your brother has a weird way of teaching, but it was somehow effective."

That sounded like Ed, all right. He was a genius, but he'd never been good at keeping his patience with others. Sometimes, though, his phrasing and methods worked far better than any type of patronizing or flowery language. If he wanted to, Ed could easily lead Xerxes in a heartbeat, and Al knew he'd be able to pull it off.

"Whatever." Ed shifted on his feet, gaze wandering over to Al. Slight concern tugged his features, no doubt caused by the way Al was holding himself up against the wall. "You feelin' better?"

"Yep! I think I'm getting the hang of walking now, and I'm not as tired as I was before."

Though his balance could use some serious improvement, the fact that he was standing and moving around was a testament to the fact. It was enough for now, and the outside world called to him stronger than ever before. One small nudge would be all he needed to completely immerse himself in everything it had to offer, and he could hardly stand to wait any longer.

"How about a trip into town, then?" Ed perked up, and Al had to keep himself from breaking into laughter on the spot because of how excited he looked.

He ignored the unsteadiness of his legs, and instead focused on the incredible feeling of the ground beneath his feet. "It's about time."

Winry walked past him into the kitchen, tying her hair up as she walked. "You two have fun!"

"You're not coming?" Ed asked.

"Nope, that little swimming trip was already enough to throw me off schedule." She frowned and lifted a strange dough-like shape off the counter. "Besides, I think it would be good for you two to do some exploring on your own. Even if it seems like it, I won't always be around to help you."

Winry was right, of course, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard to lose the only safety net they had on the surface. No matter how quiet Resembool was, everything was new and unfamiliar to them. Ed clearly thought the same, but he made no attempt to vocalize the fact.

"We can handle ourselves! I'm practically an expert on human-ing by now, anyways," Ed said.

"I don't think that's a word, brother." Al steadied himself on the wall, standing up straighter as he looked Winry in the eye. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"I'm the one who's supposed to be keeping an eye on you!"

Winry laughed and focused back on the blob she was messing with, her hands already coated in the sticky substance. "Just don't get too distracted by everything, alright? You can take some money if you want, and there's some spare crutches in the back if you want to use them, Al."

"Crutches?" he asked, having never heard the word before.

"They help you walk easier, like extra legs."

Al nodded, and Ed left to find them before he had even said a word. For as oblivious as he was sometimes, Ed had a knack for always knowing what others needed. He hid his intentions with simple gestures and relaxed phrasing, but Al knew better than to be fooled by his front. His brother had always been a softie behind his harsh exterior, after all.

He stood there awkwardly as Ed searched for the "crutches," staring at the gaps in the wooden flooring with intensity. He'd never spoken to Winry one-on-one before, and suddenly he felt as if he were intruding in a place he had no right to occupy.

"Ed told me a lot about you, you know." Winry's voice was quiet, as is reserved just for him. It was calming.

"Really? What sort of things did he say?"

"Nothing too specific, but with the way he talked you'd think you two had been separated for months rather than a day. He thinks the world of you, that's for sure."

Al wasn't surprised, but he couldn't help but smile upon hearing the fact. "We've stuck together our whole lives, so we're used to relying on one another."

Winry made a sound of acknowledgment, and Al took the cue to continue.

"This opportunity… it couldn't have come at a better time. Brother's too proud to admit it, but you really did help more than you could ever know. I haven't seen him look this happy since we were kids."

It wasn't just Ed, either. Even in his short-lived time as a human, he already felt more exhilitared than he could ever remember.

"I'm glad." She beamed, setting down her pan to face him. "Ed never really told me about your situation, or why this is so important for you both, but I'm honored to be able to help."

Al almost continued, before realizing what Winry had insinuated. Ed was never one for sharing details, but had he really left out the most important ones?

"Hold on, he hasn't told you anything?" he asked, baffled at the possibility.

She cocked her head to the side. "Well… he told me some things, like what type of place Xerxes is, and about merpeople in general."

Honestly, Al was surprised he'd even said that much. He supposed he should've felt grateful that Ed had even put his trust in someone else to begin with. If Ed was uncomfortable sharing more, he understood why. Even Al was wary against sharing details with strangers, but he felt Winry deserved to know the basics. If they all wanted to develop trust with one another, she needed to know exactly what she was dealing with.

"But not who we are, right?"

She frowned, furrowing her brow. "Is there more to it than just being merpeople? That alone was shocking enough."

Ed was going to give him an earful about this, wasn't he?

"Our father is the king," he explained. "Ed and I are the last of the royal lineage."

Winry's mouth fell open, and in that moment Ed returned with a long stick under his arm. Al leaned back into the wall, waiting for the whirlwind that was sure to occur.

"You're…" Winry breathed, wide eyes flickering between both brothers. Her expression shifted, and suddenly she broke into a fit of laughter so intense that she doubled over with her hands on her knees. "No way!"

"What the hell?! No way what?!" Ed spoke up, looking between the two in a combination of confusion and suspicion.

"There's no way that you're a…" —she stopped to catch her breath— "...a prince!"

Ed whipped his head around—eyes flaring with anger—and if Al were anyone else he'd be fearing for his life.

"You told her?!"

Al rolled his eyes. "It's hardly a secret, brother. She deserves to know."

Ed groaned loudly, and Winry made a noise of disbelief.

"You're joking... right?"

Their silence spoke for itself, stiflingly long and increasingly uncomfortable. Winry's head darted between them, and Al began to wonder if the situation was as unbelievable as she made it out to be.

Winry continued, eyes sharper as she composed herself. "It's just… hard to believe is all. With the way you are, I never would have imagined—"

"We left for a reason," Ed interrupted, "and we sure as hell aren't going back."

Al nodded. "We don't exactly act like royalty… especially brother" —Ed shot him a look— "and we've always been much more interested in the surface."

"Us simple humans were interesting enough to make you want to leave a life of royalty?"

This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He eyed the door, and looked back to where Ed was standing— distracted by the crutch under his arm. If he escaped fast enough…

"I wouldn't say simple," he chuckled. "I still remember the first time Ed watched you swim… he wouldn't shut up about you for weeks. We've always been interested in humans, but this—"

Ed rocketed towards him faster than Al would've thought possible on two feet, dropping the crutch and slamming his hand over Al's mouth.

"We're leaving now," he all but growled, face alarmingly red.

Al saw Winry stifle her laughter out of the corner of his eye, and in a flurry of motion Ed threw the crutch into his hands and dragged him out the door by his ear.

He ignored the dull pain from Ed's grip as he waved his farewell, a satisfied grin plastered across his face.

Al was an asshole.

Ed should've left him to start a new life with the sharks, after the way he'd been acting.

As if revealing their identities wasn't enough, he just had to string together the most embarrassing combination of words possible, making Ed look like some sort of freakish stalker. Things had been weird enough since the swimming lesson, and now he felt as if Al had ripped out his heart and put it on display for the whole world to see.

Al was an absolute shitface, yet Ed still couldn't stay mad at him. With the way his eyes sparkled as he looked ahead at the town, Ed could almost forget the fury that'd been stewing inside him minutes prior.

"Awesome, isn't it?"

Al's gaze was trained ahead, his lips parted in a smile. "Are you kidding?! This is incredible!"

Ed was sure he mirrored his expression. Even though he'd already seen it, it was no less amazing the second time around. Somehow, standing side by side with Al made it feel all the more real.

They'd actually done it. After years of wishing and dreaming, they could finally be human.

His little brother was standing and walking beside him, and all at once nothing else seemed to matter. The wind nipped at their necks and the sky was painted with the greys of an oncoming storm, yet he felt so alive in the moment that even a hurricane wouldn't be enough to discourage him.

Al took a tentative step forward, using his crutch for support. The thing had been a genius move on Winry's part, but he shouldn't have expected less from someone who made prosthetics. She was attentive to every need, and Al undoubtedly appreciated her efforts.

Ed joined him, straying to the side of the walkway to avoid coming into contact with any passing humans. Without Winry to guide him, he felt more exposed than he ever had, and he internally struggled to piece together his memories of the place.

He knew the library would be enough for them to handle, at least. He'd picked up enough from Winry to get the hang of reading, and Al would surely appreciate the knowledge just as much as he had.

"I've been thinking," Al spoke up, shifting to look at Ed.

"That's new." Ed tried not to wince as Al's crutch crushed his toes. Okay, he might've deserved that one. "Fine, what's up?"

"Well, we both want to see the world and learn all there is to know about it, right?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

"Uh huh. Well, to travel, I'm pretty sure we'd need currency to get around. Now matter how generous Winry is, we can't just mooch off of her forever."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "I like breaking rules as much as the next guy, but I dunno if stealing money a couple days after getting here is the way to go."

"I don't mean that!" Al exclaimed. "I mean I want to work!"

"How do you expect to do that? No offense, but I don't think either of us would do a very good job blending in."

Al sighed. "I know, but that's the best way to learn, isn't it? You should think about it too, if you wanna pay Winry back for that arm. I'm sure she'd love some help around the shop."

As usual, Al was right. Just from the quality of the metal, Ed could tell how expensive automail was, and asking for it for free was hardly fair considering the craftsmanship necessary to build it.

"Yeah yeah, I'll think about it." He waved his hand absentmindedly, continuing to observe the buildings around him. "You planning on doing something different?"

"I'm thinking of working in town, actually," Al said. "I want to learn something new without needing to bother Winry about it."

Ed nodded. It only made sense that Al would want to expand his expertise as soon as possible. When Ed was away scavenging or exploring, he'd always return to see Al mastering a new skill. He was scarily good at picking up hobbies, and Ed wouldn't be surprised if he'd managed to learn every duty around the palace in his free time.

"Let's hope the townsfolk are patient then," he chuckled.

After a few more steps, Al threw his arm out in front of him, stopping Ed in his tracks. He opened his mouth to protest before noticing where Al was pointing, and promptly clamped his lips shut.

There, huddled into a small ball in a shadowed alleyway, was a small clump of grey fur that Ed was almost certain was called a "cat." Al had seen one once, and since that day he'd never stopped talking about the creatures.

Ed didn't understand why a strange looking hairball was so special, but he didn't dare vocalize his opinions when Al was standing right next to him, gaping like a tuna.

Ed watched as he knelt down and held out a hand, tentatively waiting for the cat to approach. It lifted its head, copper eyes piercing straight through him. It stood with grace, sulking towards them as if they were hardly worth its time. Four limbs moved in a tandem, and Ed had to remind himself to let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

It seemed too smart for its own good, but that didn't stop Al from reaching out to set his hand on its head, stroking it as if he'd practiced or something. It leaned into his touch, making a thrumming noise that almost sounded… cute.

"It's so soft." Al gawked, scratching behind its ears. "Come on, pet it!"

"Fine, but if it bites me, I'm telling Winry it's your fault." He crouched next to Al, bringing forward his hand slowly enough to not startle the cat. It's gaze was affixed on him as if challenging him to make a move, and when skin met fur, Ed almost reeled back at the sensation.

Nothing under the sea felt even remotely similar, and Ed found himself smiling as he ran his fingers through the soft fur. It continued to thrum, curling itself around him with a soft "mew."

He sort of liked the thing.

"We should name it," Al proposed.

Why Al even bothered saying "we," he didn't know. If Ed was awful at anything, it was coming up with names. He decided to abandon all thought, grasping onto the first word that came to mind.

"How about Fish?"

Al turned, face comically stoic. "Fish? You know it's called a cat, right?"

"Duh, but it reminds me of a fish. It's got the big creepy eyes and everything."

Al shook his head, amusement creeping over his features. "You're terrible, absolutely terrible." He paused, leaning back as if to get a better look at the thing. "It's sort of cute, in some weird nonsensical way. Like a piece of home, huh?"

"See, I'm a genius and you know it!"

"I said nothing of the sort." Al carefully stood, the cat making a soft sound as he removed his hand. "We can't just leave it here… it could get hurt."

A quick dismissal died in his throat, crawling back to the pool of negativity inside him that he'd worked to suppress. It was hardly worth the effort to argue, because in all honesty, he'd expected a remark of the like ever since Al had first noticed the little creature. Who was he to deny his little brother a small shred of happiness?

Regardless, he still attempted to plead his case in the slim chance that Al would realize what he was committing to.

"How exactly do you expect us to take care of a cat? And besides, what if it belongs to someone?"

"If we find out someone's missing a cat, then we'll just give it back. It's as simple as that!" Al affirmed, scooping "Fish" into his arms with ease.

As it turned out, Ed was incredibly bad at saying no to his brother. They'd returned to strolling through town just as they had before, save for the cat that had somehow found its way snuggled over his shoulder.

He really hadn't intended to hold it, but the crutch had gotten in Al's way, and he wasn't that heartless.

Ed had gotten softer than he would've liked to admit over the past few days, that was for sure.

Children cooed at the creature as they passed, the attention threatening to taint his otherwise perfect mood. Al was personable as always, greeting everyone he saw with a smile and a wave as Ed sulked besides him— the fluffy animal ruining any semblance of intimidation he dared to show.

Disregarding the gained stares, Ed couldn't help but take in his surroundings just as greedily as Al did. It had been overwhelming as hell when he'd been with Winry, but the second time around he had a chance to stop and just observe.

Despite it all, humankind remained fascinating.

As if the universe knew exactly how to fuck with him, not even five minutes had passed before someone crashed face first into him, flinging him and the cat to the ground. The little bastard landed on his face, its claws digging into his cheeks.

"What the hell is your-" He looked up, a familiar face making him pause in his insult. It was the girl from earlier, Paninya, and she had just spilled an entire bag's worth of brightly wrapped bundles.

"...shouldn't be running around here… so stupid..." she mumbled under her breath as she picked up the bag's contents, not even sparing him a glance.

Al stepped forward, helping her pick up the items with his spare hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yep, I'm fine!" She looked up, and her eyes grew wide as they wandered over to Ed. "You're that guy Winry was with!"

He felt his face heat up as Al quizzingly tilted his head.

"You didn't mention meeting someone, Ed," he said, voice rising in pitch. Ed didn't like his tone one bit.

He looked away, feigning ignorance. "It's not important."

"Your name's Ed, huh? Nice to meet you for real this time." Paninya said. "Did the 'swimming lessons' go well?"

Al snickered into his hand, and Ed quickly moved to change the subject. "As well as swimming lessons go, I guess. Never mind that, though. What's all this shit you dropped?"

She raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "What's with the cat?"

Al's faint chuckles grew louder, and suddenly Ed was glad Winry hadn't installed his automail yet. If he had it, he'd no doubt be making threats with the steel appendage.

Abandoning violence, he instead kept his face passive. Next time, maybe. "Found it in an alley. Now will you answer the question?"

"I'm helping the bakery prepare for the festival in a couple days, and they're making an excess amount of sweets for it. It's a pain to deal with, but at least they're tasty!" Paninya said, her lips rising into a grin.

"Festival?" Ed prodded, standing and regaining his hold on the cat.

She finished putting away the small bundles and scratched her head. "Oh, I forgot you're not from here. Resembool always holds a Summer Solstice festival, and most of the town's businesses contribute to it. While I'm here, I always help the Wilsons with their bakery since they're so understaffed."

Ed didn't even need to look over to see Al's reaction to the comment. Just moments ago he'd been talking about work, and now an opportunity was seemingly falling right into his hands. The fact that it involved food was only an added bonus.

"Lucky for you, my brother Alphonse is looking for a job."

She shifted her gaze to Al as if seeing him for the first time. "Seriously? Shop's closed by now, but come by tomorrow and I'm sure they'll have you start work straight away."

"Thank you so much!" Al said, his enthusiasm not going unnoticed.

"It's nothing." Paninya waved a hand in dismissal. "I've really gotta get going, but I'm sure I'll see more of you soon." She winked and ran off, and Ed wondered if that was the only way she knew how to end interactions.

They began their stroll once more, the sun having disappeared long ago. There was a tranquility to the marketplace at nighttime, sweeping over the buildings and passerbys like a calm wave. It was the same feeling Ed got when he swam around the reefs under the moonlight, and it wasn't one he felt often. Being so used to feeling stressed or energized, it was nice to relax every now and then.

"She seemed nice," Al said from beside him.

Ed frowned. "To you, maybe. I swear she's up to no good." Just from her little stunt earlier he knew she was already keeping tabs on him, and he feared to know what she'd do if he ever got on her bad side. Not that he couldn't handle it, but still.

"Like you're any better?" Al accused.

"At least I don't tease strangers about their personal lives!"

Al sighed, a long drawn-out motion he typically saved for when he was frustrated. Needless to say, Ed had become very used to it.

"No, but I don't think it would hurt for you to be a bit more honest. Seriously brother, how did you go this long without telling Winry about us? She won't trust you if you don't open up."

"I was making a comment on Paninya, not asking for a complete rehash on my personality." Ed huffed, loud enough to cause Fish to startle on his shoulder. "And I did tell her stuff!"

"You know what I mean. Promise me you'll talk to her at some point? She deserves more explanation than whatever she got earlier."

Ed wanted to protest, he really did, but he knew the best way to move forward would be by being honest. Winry had told him so much already, so it was only fair that he repay her in the same way.

If honesty kept her from pushing him away, then he'd tell his entire life story on the spot. She was all he had on the surface, and he wasn't about to lose her because of his own dumbassery. He couldn't lose her.

"Fine, but you're explaining the cat."

Al's face lit up; brighter than the stars. "Deal."

once again im so sorry for the delay! college is sort of crazy and i lost motivation for awhile trying to get this chapter out, but i think it'll be much easier for the future ones because of what they'll entail... hehe. enjoy some fun sibling times until then!

(also, fish is named after my friend's kitten named fish, which is an amazing name)

thank you so much for reading and the feedback! :)