Tranquility (Alphonse Elric x Reader)

Tranquility

You stared wide-eyed at the frail, emaciated boy before yourself. Bare to the world around him, you watched as he gazed around at the crowd of people who had gathered around him and his brother, who held his weakened body close to him with careful arms; a delicate hold for his delicate frame.

"Al?" you uttered.

Your voice sounded far away. Not quite grounded enough for the situation fallen upon your group. You supposed it would be odd if you had acted as you always had; carefree, easy-going, unbothered by everyday problems. Being emotional was a natural response to overwhelming situations such as these. It was alright. Hell, everyone else around you was being far more open about their current turmoil of emotions than you would ever allow yourself to be.

This is okay.

Mei, now crouched down beside Alphonse, wailed on about how she knew he would return with his real body. Knew that everything was going to be okay. How worried she was. How glad she was to meet the "real" Alphonse.

It brought a bitter smile to your face.

Seeing Alphonse's flustered reaction only caused the smile to grow.

You knew the feelings the princess held for your childhood friend. Everyone knew.

Everyone but Alphonse.

But that was okay. He was tired. He needed to rest. He needed food.

He needed time.

And you needed to finish your goal.

Two years passed. During those years, you accompanied Alphonse on his great journey through the east (Edward refused to take anyone along for his trip through the west, and Alphonse was much more accepting of guests after Zampono and Jerso insisted on being his bodyguards) and finished up the final details for the story you had been working on since the beginning of the Elric brothers' journey.

"Oh?" Alphonse queried, eyeing the thick stack of parchment paper you held in front of him. "Is this the final draft?"

"Yep," you replied, an eager grin plastered across your face. "I figured I'd give it to you now before we moved towns again. That way I won't forget to give it to you before we head back to Amestris."

Alphonse chuckled lightly and took the final draft out of your hands with delicate hands. "Please, we still have a long ways to go before we even have to think about going back." Another chuckle. "I also highly doubt you would forget something so important."

Your grin grew larger as you leaned against the desktop Alphonse had occupied, the old structure groaning from your added weight. "You never know. I did almost forget to get Ed and Winry their wedding gifts, after all."

Alphonse laughed lightly and flipped open the first page, eyes scanning the wall of text carefully written onto the fragile parchment. "Ah, yes. I remember now; Brother almost threw a fit when he overheard you panicking in the background during our phone call."

You giggled, lifted yourself off the desk, and stretched your arms above your head, a groan rumbling up your throat at the faint feeling of joints popping.

A broad swath of silence filled your hotel's room, with Alphonse skimming through your final draft and you lounging atop the back of the couch while staring out the open window set behind said couch. A faint breeze blew past the quiet room (if you didn't count the various noises arising from outside) and ruffled your hair with delicate hands.

Peace.

After so long, it was possible to achieve such a thing while in the same room as an Elric.