Who:Ed and Al What: Brotherly secrets When:Backdatd to sometime after Al's arrival Where:Ed's room Warnings: none Status:Complete
Since Al had arrived, Ed hadn’t once taken off the bright red jacket he favored. Even though it was currently starting to feel like summer, Ed couldn’t do it. He worried that it might trigger many things if he did. He was trying to protect his brother from the things that Orange County did to them all. Part of him wished he could share his alchemy with him the way they had in the dreams, he’d have someone on his level to talk to finally-but he’d do anything to keep him out of that armor suit.
Ed wanted to show him so many things he learned how to do over the last few months, but he hid that part of himself away. Most of his alchemy books had been shoved into a drawer, and Ed only felt like half a person again, hiding. But if that was what it took to keep his brother safe, that was what he would do.
Once again he waited until the house was silent before he slipped into a shower after a long particularly hot day. He cleaned away the sweat and dirt off the metal of his automail until he could feel it move around smoothly again before getting out of the shower. He hated sneaking around like this, but thought it was for the best. He managed to make it all the way back to his room without any problems so far, but forgot to shut the door. His light flooded the hallway as he at least changed into a pair of pajama bottoms, it was too hot for a shirt that night. He flexed the automail fingers of his to make sure they were moving right, it took him a while before he’d been able to control it-but now he could move around like they were flesh parts again.
Al lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, watching as the fan spun in an attempt to circulate the air. Part of him still couldn’t believe he was here. And that there was a room already set up for him, like he was supposed to be here from the very beginning. He had assumed that once his dad decided that he was going to keep him, his aunt would have put this room to better use. But here it was, proof that she continued to fight to keep the boys together.
Things felt different though. There was a disconnect between him and Ed. Something that had never been there before. He and his brother had always shared everything with each other and now it felt as if he were being left out of something. That his older brother was hiding something. It didn’t help at all that Ed seemed to despise the fact that Al had discovered the social media site that was popular around here. It was all very odd.
Unable to lay there any longer the blonde haired boy kicked off the covers and rolled out of bed. Meandering out of the room he headed towards the kitchen with the intent of getting a glass of water he paused when he noticed that the light to Ed’s room was on. He had thought he was the only one awake in the house. The water now forgotten, Al headed towards the source of the light, hoping his brother would maybe want to talk.
“Can’t sleep either? What are yo-” The remaining words of whatever the younger boy was going to say died in his throat, staring in complete shock as he looked upon his brother and what was now on his body. Where flesh and bone used to be now held metal rods and plates. screws and bolts replaced joints and sinew. Al’s mouth open and closed a few times as he tried to find the words to say what was going through his mind. But really, what could he say?
Ed rarely slept these days with all the dreams. Most of them turned into nightmares for him. He avoided sleep as much as humanly possible, but tonight he’d been considering it. Between Lina and Neal’s disappearance and a giant fucking kaijuu spider in the city it was proving more difficult to fight anymore, he worried about everything lately.
They had something in common, Ed had thought he was the only one awake at that time now. He was gravely mistaken. The sound of Al’s voice at the door caused any color in his face to drain away, and golden eyes hesitantly leveled on Al. He had no words at first, this was not how he wanted Al to see him. “I-it’s..”He didn’t know what to say either, his eyes fell away. On the best of days he was still self conscious about his automail. “It’s okay. It’s still me.. Don’t be afraid.” He worried Al would be. He never wanted him to see this.
Al stood frozen for another few moments before taking a tentative step forward. The look of shock melted into one of concern and worry. His mind filled with a thousand scenarios of what could have happened to his brother that resulted in this. Surely if there had been some terrible accident, Riza would have contacted him wouldn’t she? Was this why his brother had stopped talking to him so suddenly?
“Oh Ed,” He managed to get out, his voice quiet. “What happened to you?!”
“...This is what this place does to you.” Al would see if he kept going on that network, but Ed was going to throw out some cautious hope to the wind that just maybe if he did dream he wouldn’t be that suit of armor. He hoped he wouldn’t have to bind his brother to it any time soon, once was more than enough. He wanted to see him flesh and blood standing in front of him as long as he could.
The closer Al got to him, he could see it wasn’t just a trick of the light or any simple procedure. The metal was fused to his body and acted as working limbs. “I did something stupid..” His voice shook slightly.
Al's hand reached out cautiously to touch the metallic arm, eyes fixed on his brother. Any slight look of discomfort would have him pulling back immediately. He couldn't believe this was real. That Ed had some weird robotic arm.
"This place? How did just being here do this?" He asked, examining the older boy to make sure there was nothing else wrong. That it didn't cause his brother pain.
Ed didn’t flinch, even if it had caused him pain he’d never have shown it to Al. That was how he’d always been, always hiding any sort of discomfort so he could take care of his brother when he was needed. He didn’t move away as much as he wanted to, he just let him near. The others were right, there was no real hiding it. Al was going to find out eventually-better it be from him than some other source. “Being on that network does something. Activates these ..dreams. Past life they call them.” Ed sounded skeptical at that, but he’d always been a hard believer in science and not science fiction. And yet, there he was with an automail arm and leg. When Al came closer he could see his left foot was also made of the same stuff. “I did something in those dreams to bring our mother back..”
It sounded absolutely insane. A mere website causing dreams that changed you. But on the other hand Alphonse had no logical explanation for what happened to his brother. The arm and the leg didn't even look medically possible now that he was seeing them up close. "This is why you hate me being on there." He concluded softly.
At the mention of their mother, a pained look fell on the younger blondes face. It was still hard to accept that she was gone. The thought of bringing her back was even more painful because no matter how hard he wished it, it just wasn't possible.
"Did...did it work?" He finally asked, looking over at Ed.
“It’s different for everyone, this is just my fate.” The expression on his face was entirely sober, it wasn’t some kind of joke or cruel gag. “I don’t want you to go through it.” It was it was his job to protect him, but if he was on that network he couldn’t do it.
“..No. Nothing brings back the dead.” A hardened look crossed over his golden eyes. “Nothing will either.” He was trying to tell himself more than Al really. He could see that look on his brothers face and he wished he could make it better, but this was still something he was dealing with as well. “Heh. It’s called automail, this thing. “ He tried changing the subject a bit. Showing off the stuff now more than hiding it, he was a little proud these days of it.
"It looks..impossible," he commented as he looked over the arm watching with slight interest as he watched the joints flex and move. He had heard of prosthetics that could give a small range of movement but nothing like this. "But I can see it and it's real. It's so weird."
Wanting to lighten the mood a little and to show that he wasn't disgusted by his brother he gave a small grin. "Does it turn into a canon? Can I call you Mega Man now? Or the Six Million Dollar Kid?"
“Still feels impossible sometimes.” He shrugged a bit. The range of motion was indeed impressive, he could move his hand and arm nearly like a real limb with little effort now. It had taken a bit of training, but he had it down nearly to a tee. Ed rarely even broke things anymore. “Tell me about it.” He needed the change of subject, his entire body was tense though it was hard to tell with so much metal.
At Al’s next comment though he gave him a lopsided grin and actually laughed at that. “You dork.” And gave him a light shove with his regular hand. He was stronger though than likely Al remembered. “I don’t know about the canon thing, but heh it’s got a few tricks.” Ed wasn’t one to reveal all his secrets to anyone normally, but this was Al. For years Al was the only one he ever had to talk to. Ed got up out of range of his brother and for half a second a blinding and harsh blue light filled the dim room. When it faded he was left standing there with an intimidating looking steel knife.These days that trick took little effort, he’d come a long way in a short period of time with his training.
Al smiled when he heard his brother laugh. He was glad he could cheer Ed up, even if it was only for a short while. He remembered how sad and serious his brother had gotten when their mother died. He’d spent every moment he could, just trying to get the other to smile, even if it was faint.
He’d needed to turn his eyes away slightly at the light but when he looked again, his eyes widened in awe. Where there was once a forearm there was now a dangerous looking blade. It made him briefly wondered if he were actually dreaming. But he knew it was real even if it seemed slightly insane.
“How?” Was all he was able to ask, the only word that formed.
“Heh, alchemy..it’s..complicated?” Ed was rather good at it now, but he didn’t want to scare his brother away with too much at one time. Quite easily the lethal looking blade reformed itself back into the metallic intricate hand Al had seen moments before. “It’s science. A few various types all thrown together really” But don’t let anyone tell you it was magic, Ed would throw a fit over that. He’d defend it’s scientific state to the death.
"Alchemy..." the younger Elric brother echoed thoughtfully. He was sure he had heard that term somewhere before in something he had read. Probably the comics he enjoyed often. If he hadn't been sitting less than a foot away from Ed he would have been sure it was some kind of crafty illusion. But it wasn't and Al had started to realize since joining that online community that there was a little strangeness going on.
"I wish you hadn't kept this from me" he said, motioning to the metal limbs. "But I kind of get why you did even though I hate it."