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AlMei Week: Travel
I’ve been very fortunate to have traveled a lot these past few years, so I thought it would be fun to have Al and Mei visit some of the places I’ve been! Click on the captions to see where in the world they are! All photos are mine. :)
Day 4: HAIR
Hello again, dear AlMei shipper! Today is day 4, with the prompt Hair! I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you’ll enjoy!
Mei stared in the mirror, grabbing the cold handle of scissors off the shelf in the bathroom and feeling the icy iron between her hands, the rough material leaving marks as her hand curled dangerously tight around it. She inhaled deeply, feeling her lungs fill with the humid air of the chamber: she was going to do it. She would cut her hair.
She had told Al she would do it last night and, after staring at his soup for a few moments, he looked up at her with a smile that hid a tinge of sadness:
“If you feel like it.” He answered, not pushing the conversation any further. She loved that about him: he understood what she implied and didn’t need having everything spelled out to him.
She pointed the scissors to the roots of her long bangs, widening the space between the two blades as if to cut her hair. She forced her eyes shut as she performed the gesture, feeling the steel against her scalp.
It was her mom that had taught her how to braid her hair like she had it now, in six intricate layers that intertwined with each other in a perfectly symmetrical pattern. Her mother used to do it for her when she was little, and she had later taught her how to do it herself, saying it was something all women of the Chang clan wore.
She had worn her hair like that ever since she could remember, and it had acted both as her fellow and her conscience when she played the role of Princess of Xing. It actually became her trademark, and everyone recognized her after the six fluttering braids that she left behind with every corner she took or whenever she was in a hurry. She had even taught Lan how to do it as a sign of their close friendship, and it felt like disclosing a highly important secret.
Over the years, her long hair became a memory of her mom and her clan. Every single morning, when she woke up, she did her hair and reminded herself that she was representing the Chang clan. She was their Princess and the only one who could change something for them. And it was her hairstyle that helped carve her duties into her mind. Whenever she felt like she had enough, like she was too tired to continue, the tails pulled at the roots of her hair and the pain brought her back on the right path.
But right now, she wasn’t primarily the Chang Princess, but Alphonse’s wife. No, the Eastern Administrator’s wife, she corrected herself. She had to detach herself from her Xingese duties and attend to her Amestrian ones, as a citizen of this western country. She had sealed her fate the day she had married Alphonse, and she didn’t regret a single thing. Had she been able to relive her life, she would do it all the same.
She was about to close the scissors shut and cause the long braid to fall heavily to the floor, when she suddenly stopped herself. Or rather, she felt like she couldn’t move anymore.
Other memories flashed before her eyes: she recalled having the same hairstyle when she first came to Amestris and met Alphonse. And not only that, but he also complimented her on these braids of hers, that he considered a true form of art.
Mei knew that Al never considered it necessary for her to make such a sacrifice. He never meant for her to cut ties with her family and past just because he became her husband. He even thought of refusing Mustang’s offer of becoming the Eastern Administrator just so that he wouldn’t have to drag Mei out of Xing. She had been the one to tell him such a thing was out of the question, and that not her needs, but his wants should have dictated his decision.
She lowered the scissors to her shoulders, feeling a strange physical pain at the thought of cutting it all, in a hairstyle similar to Mrs Mustang’s in her late teenage years, as she saw in Winry’s album. But keeping it long was also wrong: a compromise had to be done, and this was the only way around it. She shut her eyes and cut.
The first thing Mei saw when she reopened her eyes were the dark locks scattered over the bathroom floor. They painted the floor in black, but besides their material meaning, they represented her past, now spread out in front of her. Her heart made a somersault at the sight, as Mei felt herself distanced from her life in Xing.
She slowly, fearfully raised her eyes to gaze at her reflection in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize herself: her hair wasn’t bound by the clippers anymore, now flowing freely around her pale face. The unpleasant clutch of her stomach suddenly disappeared, as she straightened her back and smiled at her reflection. This was her life now, she realised as she brushed her hair behind her ears.
She took another half an hour to trim her ends and brush her hair, and then another ten minutes to clean the floor. By the time she had gotten out of the bathroom, Al was standing in front of the doorway, his hand formed in a fist, ready to knock.
When she opened the door, he gaped at her for a few moments before breaking into a wide smile and gently ruffling her hair:
“It suits you.” He finally disclosed, brushing a few wisps behind her ear and caresing the dark locks. She peeked up at him with wide eyes, through uncharacteristically loose hair, and sighed in relief. She had indeed made the right choice.
“Thank you.” She muttered, digging her nails into his back and pulling him in closer for a kiss. She felt his hands clench on the back of her neck through her hair and smiled against his lips.
This was the new Mei: princess of Xing and wife of one of the most important men in Amestris. And she loved every bit of her life.
Home
I think this came out over the course of 1 hour. Read also on FF and AO3
Disclaimer: Still don’t own Fullmetal Alchemist.
When Ed and Al burned down their childhood home, they’d decided that they would never stop moving forward. In some ways, that meant that they had never intended to settle down anywhere. At that time, Al hadn’t had any problems with that.
Now that he was older, Al did feel the need to have a place he could call home. Someplace other than his suitcase to put old memorabilia. Someplace he could rest at when the stress of travel and work got to be too much. Someplace he could build a family.
At first, his vision of family consisted of the memories of a deceased mother, the disappearing back of an absent father, and Ed. As far as he was concerned, family meant blood relatives. It wasn’t until after he’d started watching Mustang’s team interact like a family that he realized that a family could consist of more than just immediate relatives. And so, over time, he began to count all the people who’d helped him and his brother as family: Mustang and his team, Teacher and Mr. Curtis, the Fort Briggs soldiers, and Winry of course.
But as Al got even older, he noticed how Ed looked at Winry differently and realized that his brother was starting to find a family all his own. Sure, Al would always be his brother, but Ed was going to someday marry Winry and maybe have some kids, and Al wasn’t sure how he’d fit into that dynamic.
So, Alphonse packed his belongings in a single suitcase and crossed the desert, following an old promise to a Xingese princess and a desire to learn a new form of Alchemy.
This was the first time Al had been anywhere new without his brother or Winry, and it was a different country with a different language and a different culture. For Al, it was a new start. He had spent so long traveling as “Fullmetal’s little brother,” and now he got to figure out what else he could be.
After a little trial and error, he started to form a new identity in this new country. First he was “The foreigner,” though soon people specified as “The Amestrian.” He later became “a beginner Alkahestrists.” When he got in trouble he became “a good fighter” or “an accomplished alchemist.” His personal favorite though, was “the Chang princess’s companion.”
Being with May was kind of liberating. He found that he could be himself around her and she accepted everything about him. Sure there were disagreements and other problems sometimes, but they found their way to get through them. Before long, Al found himself figuring out who was part of his family again, and May got a special place at the top of his list.
Months turned into years, and suddenly Al found himself sitting in a house he and May could call their own. It had been a wedding present from May’s grandfather, a kind of underhanded way to try and get them to stay in one place not that far from his place.
It was built in the Xingese style, something Al would have found odd when he first got to this country. It wasn’t overly extravagant, but it was comfortable, with four bedroom, a decent kitchen and dining room and a nice garden. Xiao-mei and Al’s cat (named, ironically enough, Panda) got accustomed to it easily.
May thought it was cozy and sweet. Al still couldn’t believe he now had a house to his name.
A few years later, they were grateful for the extra bedrooms since they were filling up with kids.
AlMei Week 2017 - Adventure/Home
Sorry for this later upload – things got in the way. But at least it's still on the correct day! This chapter is kind of a precursor of how things are going to play out in the final chapters, if that makes any sense. Anyways, I hope you enjoy Day 5: Adventure/Home. This chapter fits more with 'home.'
Read this chapter on fanfiction.net here.
Read Day 4 here.
xXxXxXx
A few days had passed since the discovery of the unique hair in the dried blood – neither of which matched or was even similar to that of Maes Hughes. Despite the moment of rejoicing that had brought, almost no progress had been made since then. DNA and hair were completely useless if there was nothing to compare them to. Edward was trying his best, but unfortunately he couldn’t just walk up to Neid and Luxure and politely ask them for DNA and hair samples.
Mei chuckled to herself. The obnoxious officer had said he would be completely on board to do that, but both she and Alphonse had advised against it. In the end, being so blunt wouldn’t really work in their favor. If anything, it would make getting samples even harder.
She took the coffee off the pot and poured it into a cup, mixing in only a little sugar. She’d preferred her coffee black for as long as she could remember – it dark and bitter, like how she felt at the end of every day. Such a thing was only too fitting.
She sighed as she headed to the main room and slowly sat on the couch, taking extreme care not to spill the hot liquid onto anything. The Xingese woman had been so tired lately. She assumed it was a mixture of performing an average of four autopsies a day – which really was sad when one thought about it – and stressing constantly over the Hughes case.
Mei knew they had to be close to catching the killer. And this time around, it wasn’t just her gut instinct telling her that. She’d started receiving more threatening letters, and after dusting the prints for herself and examining it under the microscope, she was able to determine that it matched not only the prints from other threatening letters but also the one found at the crime scene.
She cursed under her breath upon realizing she’d completely forgotten about checking Hughes’ body for latent prints. She’d have to do it first thing the next day. In fact, it’d probably be best if she arrived at the office early to spray the body before anyone got there...
She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. It was late, and she’d been at the office all day. According to her watch it was almost midnight, meaning she had been up nearly 24 hours, since she’d been called around two that morning to report to a scene. That was why her coffee was decaf – she didn’t need to be staying up any later than necessary.
Her own yawn interrupted her thoughts, and the Xingese doctor considered dumping the rest of her coffee and just heading right to bed. For all she knew she’d be called out in less than an hour because someone had tripped and fallen into traffic, resulting in their untimely death.
Unfortunately, that had happened before.
Mei slowly got up from the couch and returned to the kitchen, emptying what was left of her coffee into the sink before rinsing the cup out. She started to head to her bedroom, but paused when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.
It was the letters.
After a moment of hesitation she picked them up, no longer caring about smudging prints or not. She was almost certain she’d gotten anything she could possibly get from them off already, so she considered herself free to handle them.
If you don’t learn to keep your nose out of other people’s business, Doc, there’ll come a day when you have to face the consequences.
You’re dancing awfully close to the fire. You planning to get burned?
Remember this, Doc: you’re never alone. And you never will be again.
You are going to die.
Mei hadn’t told Alphonse about the new letters. She knew he’d be furious and would probably go so far as to tell her to move out of her house, which she knew she could never do in a million years. He’d also take them a hundred times more seriously than her – she just wasn’t bothered by them.
Well... There was one letter. She’d only received it that morning, and for some reason it was getting to her in a way that the others weren’t. It was only two words:
Watch out.
Unlike the other few letters, it seemed to truly be hinting at something. Some sort of action. And she was absolutely terrified it was going to happen soon.
Mei shook herself, trying to get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach. She couldn’t allow nerves to keep her up all night if she planned to report to her office early. She placed the letters back onto the counter and left the kitchen quicker than she’d care to admit.
She’d deal with it all tomorrow.
xXxXxXx
Mei was awakened by the smell of smoke slamming roughly into her nose and rapidly filling her lungs. Her eyes flew open only to find that dark, thick, ‘fog’ was creeping into her room from the crack underneath the door. Coughing, she jumped out of bed, mind reverting to autopilot strictly from the will to survive. Instinctively she pressed her hands to the door, only managing to keep them there for a second before jerking them away.
The heat was intense even through the door, which meant the fire was either started just outside of her bedroom or had spread there – and either way it was threatening to burn through the wood.
Her coughs grew faster and more the frequent. The Xingese woman knew she couldn’t stay in there much longer if she wanted to escape at least relatively unscathed. She hesitated before grabbing her phone off of her dresser and shoving it underneath her arm. Relieved her bedroom was on the first floor, she flung open her window and jumped out, running all the way to the edge of her yard before turning around. What she saw nearly made her heart stop.
Her entire house was on fire.
Flames appeared to be shooting out the windows, and black smoke was leaking out of places she didn’t think were possible. She could faintly smell the familiar stink of gasoline, and suspected that was the accelerant used to set her house ablaze as quickly as possible.
Watch out.
The words danced in her mind and spiraled right in front of her eyes. Alphonse had been right. She’d been a fool not to take those letters seriously.
Mei pinched her arm and snapped out of her reverie. She couldn’t dwell on what she could – should – have done. What was happening now was happening now, and that was something she had the power to change.
She dialed 911 into her phone, unable to stop herself from anxiously tapping her foot on the ground as she waited for the operator to pick up.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“My house is on fire.” The Xingese woman winced at how exhausted and scratchy her voice sounded. “I live at 1628 Willow Street. Please hurry.”
“I’m sending people your way immediately, ma’am. Is there any way you can somehow contain it?”
“No. I was lucky I woke up before it spread into my room.” She laughed, a strained laugh full of bitterness. “I’m not going to have a house after this.”
“Firemen and police officers are headed towards you, as well as paramedics just in case. I ask that you do not leave the immediate vicinity, ma’am.”
“Of course.” Mei hung up, her heart heavy. Everything. Everything was gone, or was going to be. Anything that made it through would have done so by a hair and would be rendered completely useless. She’d be lucky if the framework of her house was still standing at the end of this.
Out of the corner of her eye Mei noticed something sticking out of her mailbox. Frowning, she walked over to it, her burning home momentarily pushed to the back of her mind. She pulled it out, realizing it was an envelope.
“Oh no...”
Not caring whether she destroyed any prints or not, the Xingese woman practically ripped it open to get to what was inside, ignoring her gradually building nausea.
You continued to play with fire – and now you’ve gotten burned. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, Doctor. Soon you’ll be ashes like everything else.
Mei knew her face had to be white as a sheet. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to give up and yet she didn’t. How could she give the killer that satisfaction? The answer was simple – she couldn’t. And yet she still felt as if something had just been broken inside her. Something she wasn’t sure could ever be fixed.
Thankfully her attention was taken away from the letter when she heard sirens wailing, getting louder by the second. Before she knew it three firetrucks and several police cruisers were in her driveway. It was almost a blur as they hooked up their hoses to the fire hydrant and started dousing her home.
But what really distracted her were the strong arms that suddenly wrapped around her body.
“Mei,” Alphonse mumbled, burying his face in her messy hair. “I was so worried. But you’re alive.” He inhaled a shuddering breath. “Thank God you’re alive!”
Mei crumbled, turning and throwing her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest. Tears starting flowing, she knew they wouldn’t stop anytime soon.
And together they stood as the fire blazed, neither one daring to break away.
xXxXxXx
“And this is the one I found in my mailbox after – or during, I suppose – the fire.”
Mei watched Alphonse’s hands tremble in rage as he read the letter that had made her burst into sobs and not stop for what felt like years but couldn’t have been longer than twenty minutes.
“I swear,” he said, his fist clenching and crumpling the corner of the paper, “that I will kill whoever’s responsible for this with my bare hands.”
She gave him a soft smile. “That won’t be necessary. Locking them up in prison will do just fine.”
He sighed. “I don’t understand how you can be so calm about this. Mei, you’ve just lost everything. I hate to put it like that, but you know it’s true. And yet you don’t seem to be angry at all. If I didn’t know you so well, I’d say that you don’t even care.”
Mei shrugged. “I attribute part of it to exhaustion. It’s three in the morning and I only slept for a few hours before I was rudely awakened. It doesn’t help that shock is one hell of a drug.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I still haven’t come to terms with it, in all honesty.” She shook her head. “Tomorrow it’s going to slam me in the face. I already know it.”
Alphonse looked as if he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. “I understand. You should get some rest. I’ll –” His phone rang, interrupting him. He rolled his eyes before answering. “Yes?” He frowned. “You want me to – alright, alright. Fine.” He removed his phone from his ear and tapped the screen. “Alright, Ed. You’re on speaker.”
“I’ve got some good news and some bad news, I’m afraid. What do you want to hear first?”
Mei groaned. Just when she’d thought things couldn’t get any worse. “Get the bad news over with, please.”
“Alright. Tell me – were the photographs of Hughes’ case as well as any other paperwork relating to it lost in the fire?”
Her eyes widened, then shut in relief. “No. I left them at my office.”
“Is it possible that the person who burned your house down was not only targeting you but also the evidence gathered that could incriminate them?”
“I... I mean, it’s certainly possible, though I can’t say for sure –”
“That’s okay,” Edward interrupted, though his voice held no malicious intent. “I don’t need confirmation. I just need your agreement that it’s a possibility.”
Mei hesitated, then nodded, though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Yes. I agree that it’s a possibility. In fact, it’s likely it was a case of two birds with one stone.”
“I figured that, too. Now here’s the bad news – Yoki has been arrested. Or will be, anyways. Neid got a warrant and plans to arrest him early tomorrow morning at your office, Mei.”
Her face paled. “What?” She shook her head fervently. “That’s impossible! Yoki is innocent! How did Neid manage to falsify evidence so well he was able to convince a judge?!”
“I don’t know, Mei – but Neid’s been in the FBI for nearly fifteen years. He’s got a lot of experience under his belt.”
Mei groaned. “That’s not fair! Is there going to be a trial?”
“Not if Neid can help it. He’s undoubtedly going to at least try to convince Yoki to plead guilty. Probably gonna threaten him or something.”
Alphonse noticed how distraught this was making the Xingese woman, and decided it was time for a change of subject. “You said you also had some good news, Ed – what is it?”
“Oh yeah,” his brother said. “That’s right. I’m afraid I’m going to have to hold off on that a bit. I’m almost at your hotel. Another five minutes and I’ll be knocking on your door.” He chuckled. “I noticed you were Mei’s room, Al. Any particular reason –”
Alphonse immediately hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket, cheeks bright red. “I’m so sorry. Ed is such an idiot.”
Mei just shook her head, his words going in one ear and out the other. “I can’t believe Yoki is going to be arrested without any proof. And it’s my fault! If I’d just been a little faster with figuring everything out – with putting the pieces together – then maybe I could have prevented it. Our killer could be locked up right now if I’d just –”
Alphonse clamped his hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her. “Mei, I want you to listen to me. This is not your fault. Okay? You’ve worked harder and done more with this case than anyone else. Don’t undermine your efforts and make them seem less because of things that are out of your control. You’ve got the killer in your grasp – now all you’ve got to do is grab them.”
Mei chuckled. “Easier said than done.”
“Maybe, but you’ve got all the evidence you need. Almost everything you’ve gotten would hold up in a court and convict someone.”
She sighed. “I know. But the DNA samples and all those prints and that hair are completely useless at the moment because I don’t have anything to compare them to. I also forgot to check for latent prints on his body, so I need to do that first thing tomorrow morning.”
“And you can,” Alphonse interrupted her. “Though maybe not first thing in the morning. You need some rest. After Edward gives us whatever his ‘good news’ is, you’re going to bed. I don’t care what you say. You’ve had too long a night to be up any longer than you have to be.”
Mei wanted to argue, but decided against it. “Fine.”
“And I’m ordering that you don’t get out of bed until at least eight tomorrow.”
Now that was something she couldn’t agree to. “I can’t sleep until eight! Winry would be forced to open up everything on her own. I can’t do that to her. She’s already had to cover my shifts several times when I was out investigating the Hughes case.”
Alphonse sighed. “Fine. Seven o’ clock.”
Mei nodded, playing along, though she knew she would be getting up around five or six to head to her office. It was just that Alphonse didn’t need to be aware of that information.
A knock at the door started the two and caused both to jump slightly.
“Hey!” It was Edward. “What are you two lovebirds doing in there?”
Alphonse looked as if he wanted to strangle his brother as he stood and walked over to the door before unlocking it. “Your ‘good news’ better be worth all this talk you’re making us put up with.”
Edward laughed. “Oh, don’t worry – it is.” He stepped into the room, allowing Alphonse to shut the door behind him. “I have two bits of good news, actually. Hopefully that’ll make up for what you’ve had to go through this evening, Mei.” Edward’s eyes were heavy. He wasn’t an idiot – he knew no matter how good the news was it couldn’t change how much had been destroyed for the Xingese woman. Even so, if he could so much as lessen the burden by even a tiny bit, he wanted to do so.
Mei managed a laugh. “Is that so? What’s your good news, Edward?”
The older Elric sat down in the chair across from them. “The best news is that Winry and I have a date tomorrow. I’ll be picking her up from work and we’re going to go to a nice restaurant and have a grand time.”
Mei’s eyes widened. “Really?” She laughed again, this time with more energy. “I can’t believe you managed to snag Winry! Just so you know, Officer – Winry is way too good for you. I’m going to remind her of that every day. So you’d best tread lightly, understand?”
Edward mock-saluted her. “Roger that, Captain.”
“What’s the rest of your news?” Alphonse asked, not wanting to seem impatient but also not wanting the conversation to drag on too long. He wanted Mei to be able to get as much rest as possible.
“Well, it’s not as great about the fact that Winry and I are going on a date together, but...” He reached into his pocket pulled out four plastic bags, each with a label stuck near the top. “I may have managed to get DNA and hair samples from Luxure and Neid.”
Mei’s eyes widened as she snatched the bags from him, not caring that such actions could be perceived as rude. “No way!” She looked up at the two Elrics, eyes twinkling in excitement. “This is amazing! I can run tests tomorrow morning, and I think today – yesterday? – was the last day of prints being added in the system, so I can scan those for hits, and we might be able to –” She shook her head, unable to find the right words.
“You’ll be able to nab them tomorrow,” Edward agreed confidently. “I’ve been around Luxure and Neid a lot lately because I was trying to get these samples, right? Let’s just say I don’t like how they were acting. Maybe it’s personal bias, but their behavior was kind of shifty.”
“In what way?” Mei asked curiously.
“Their whole demeanors were already kind of odd,” the older brother explained. “Neither talked to many people, and if they did, it was concise and either really arrogant or simplistic. I’m sure you can figure out which of them acted in what way.” He frowned. “They mostly hung around each other, in all honesty. I get the feeling they’ve known each other for a long time.” He snapped his fingers as he was reminded of something. “I almost forgot!” He reached into a different pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I got an FBI profiler to give us a basic idea of what our killer may look like and what their past could consist of.” He handed it to his brother. “You read it, Al. I’ve gone over it so many times my mind’s completely numb.”
Alphonse unfolded the paper. “White male. Late twenties to early thirties. Likely has a past history of violence but on a smaller scale. An emotionally troubled person. Both verbally and physically abusive family.” He continued to read off traits for another five minutes or so before placing the paper in his lap when he was finished. “While this list is definitely a realistic list of your typical serial killer, I don’t think that’s what we’re dealing with right now.”
Mei nodded. “There’s a chance some of those qualities could apply to him, but as a whole it just doesn’t sound right.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Edward agreed. “But when I asked the profiler to try to create a different profile aligning a bit more with some of the ideas we’ve gathered, he refused, saying it was pointless.” He rolled his eyes. “I disagreed, of course, but I couldn’t pressure him. I’m only a guest on the FBI campus, after all.”
“Even so, it’s still information I think we can use to some extent,” Mei said. “So it wasn’t a total loss.”
“Some is better than none,” Alphonse added.
The three talked for a few minutes before Edward decided to take his leave. Soon it was just Alphonse and Mei in the room again.
“I want you to get some sleep, alright?” Alphonse said, crossing his arms. “If you need me I’ll be in the room across the hall.”
Mei yawned in response, already feeling tiredness overcome her. “Fine. But you need to get sleep, too – understand?”
He chuckled. “I think I can work with that.”
xXxXxXx
Hopefully this chapter wasn't a disappointment. It was interesting for me to write – and we finally got a real AlMei-type moment! Yay! Anyways, I hope you return tomorrow for Day 6: AU-Crossover/Early Mornings!
DAY 3: AROMA
Hello lovelies! This is the prompt for Day 4 of AlMei week, Aroma! I really loved this one, so I really hope you enjoy!
The fragrance of the steaming hot beverage tickled Al’s nostrils pleasantly, causing him to smile warmly as he buried his nose in the hot and humid steam to taste his tea.
Ever since he had come home, there were two scents that specifically reminded him of Xing, and the aroma of the self-brewed green tea was one of them. He had picked up the habit of drinking tea each morning back in Xing, since it was one of Mei’s personal favourite pastime. Soon after he tasted it, he understood exactly why: the drink had a special and unique way of putting one at ease, and at the same time, it gave one energy for the day. In a way, it was the perfect drink for the usually calm, reserved yet always-working Xingese.
It was associated with the bitter feeling that forced one to wake up and with the pleasant smell that whispered ‘harmony’.
But there was something else about the beverage that Al found fascinating: the atmosphere it dictated. Drinking tea always supposed a tranquil and charming ambiance between the occupants of the table.
It was a trademark for quiet mornings spent with the Royal Family, the only moment in the whole day that gathered them all around the table, pushing the stress out of their minds and managing to strike a balance between family life and work. It was the guiding tool through the transition period and they all knew they enjoyed those moments greatly.
Whenever Al knew a hard day was ahead of him, a cup of tea helped get him through. And after a tough meeting, it was also tea he drank as a reward. There was just a certain mood that each type of tea was able to put him into, an unexplainable feeling that drawed him into drinking tea as one of his favourite pastimes, as well.
If he had to find a logical explanation for it, he would have had to admit it was thanks to Mei. It was her that first introduced him to the miracle that tasting the hot beverage was, and she was also why he ended up putting the drink on his list of “best thing he had tasted after he got his body back” immediately. In a way, he was thankful he hadn’t discovered it earlier, because he doubted being able to get through five years without enjoying it.
But the reason that weighed the heaviest was probably Mei’s impossible to break connection with the habit. Whenever he drank tea at his morning meal, she was there, next to him, hair not yet into her usual braids and stray, dark strands of hair mingling with the steam, falling from their place behind her ear to shine in the morning glow against her pale face. It was because she was mirroring his smile, blurry through the steam, nevertheless warm.
But most likely, it was because she added to the aroma, her own scent mingling with the tea’s. And that was doubtlessly Al’s favourite fragrance and the other scent that reminded him of Xing.
She smelled like several things. For once, she smelled like her own perfume, which had a strange scent of flowers. It was a scent that left a trace behind her, without being heavy. That was its special feature: it was simple, yet powerful. Just like her.
Then, she smelled of things one only noticed if one spent more time with her: she had borrowed the distinctive odor of old alkahestry books and ink. Spending time in the Imperial Library caused one to catch the redolence of the place, which was linked to quiet evenings spent together, deciphering a new transmutation circle or medicinal books, in her case.
And then she carried the special smell of home, which actually meant safety, warmth and love. Al guessed that was something he had simply associated with her, well aware that such things shouldn’t be able to be sensed with a human nose. But whenever she plopped onto the pillows late at night, the smell that emanated was, beyond the physical description, Al’s definition of ‘home’.
“What are you smiling about?” Mei would ask him with a suspicious look, wincing at him. He’d simply chuckle and answered:
“Nothing.”
And then, there were mornings like today, when she entered the kitchen sleepily and sat down beside him, groggily wishing him: “Good morning!”
He’d return the same greeting, handing her a cup of her own and watching her enjoy it. This feeling was his most precious souvenir he took from Xing, and he wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.
Her scent would mix with the tea’s, resulting in something Al could only describe as ‘perfection’. He doubted he needed to even try finding other word. And he blessed fate for allowing him to get his body back and sense this aroma.
Day 6: EARLY MORNINGS
Hello! We have finally reached my favourite prompt of the week! Hopefully, you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! But without further ado, here we go:
Alphonse had sworn to himself never to play at God again, but when he was all alone in a fast-asleep world, all he could do was inhale deeply and feel like he could seize the day.
Sometimes, Al woke up when the skies split in two, the dark of the night fighting with the blinding white of the day, causing crimson red to color the sky in between, as a testimony of their neverending war. Other times, he woke up when the fight was put on hold and the two were dancing in a waltz of peace, the red mingling with shades of shy rose and soft beige, with confident purple and light blue, with calming yellow and jolly orange.
Al loved watching the colors of the sky slowly melt into blue and the colors drop slowly onto the still-sleeping world, coloring the otherwise dull life on earth. If there was one thing Al believed in, it was that there were as many colors as human emotions and that each person was a mixture of those different and beautiful colors.
If there was such a thing as the perfect place to see the city drown in the dim light of daybreak, that was bound to be Resembool. The town’s people started their day quietly, slowly, waking up from their dreams to make them reality. Alphonse relished following these slow starts, feeling as if he was protectively watching over the town’s folk. He could stand in front of the window minutes on end, watching unknown people stroll rushedly down the dusky roads, heading only they knew where. Al found pleasure in trying to imagine their lives and what they did up so early: maybe they provided for their families, or maybe they made sacrifices for their work.
But none of these were new for Alphonse. He had been able to do such things during his years in a suit of armour as well, even staying up all night and contemplating human life or simply watching strangers and establishing a new, strange connection with them through sheer eye contact. Not that they knew they were watching a human in an armour, but that didn’t diminish his will to protect them and every other breathing soul.
The new things were related to the ability to sip a cup of hot mint tea while starting his day and to feel the waves of steam tickle his face. The thrilling experience was to be able to smell the flowers of the garden and the fresh eastern breeze. To feel the texture of the wooden window sill under his fingers. And, since he was home, to recognize the tinge of cinnemmon in Winry’s apple pie.
But what Al loved above all else was to be awake when he heard his brother and what he supposed to be his future sister-in-law wake up. They had a weirdly accurate timing and almost always woke up roughly at the same time. As soon as they were up and about, the house echoed with bickering sounds:
“How long are you going to spend in the shower gearhead?”
“Ed, what did you do to my towel yet again?”
The high-pitched sounds were music to Al’s ears, who slowly got up and approached the kitchen quietly, trying not to make his presence felt much.
“Why did you put milk in my coffee?” Edward yelled. Al could swear he heard the smile in Winry’s voice as she answered:
“You’ll be small and stunt forever if you don’t drink it! Besides, the coffee you make is way too bitter!” she argued, but her voice broke into a chuckle at the end. Edward also lost from his ire when he answered in an even tone:
“I’m already taller than you. And my coffee rocks!”
Alphonse smiled fondly and stopped for a moment before the kitchen door, his eyes caught by the ink reflecting a blueish life in the stray morning rays, forming an irregular pattern on the letter underneath. The words “Dear Mei” were written caligraphically on the otherwise empty page, and for a moment, Al stalled in front of the door, his mind weighing the possible subjects he could approach in his next letter.
“Why do you hate milk so much, anyway?” Winry asked for the umpteenth time and Al heard her pulling her chair to sit at the table.
“Morning!” he announced himself, opening the kitchen door and letting it swing behind him.
He would tell Mei about the miracle of being alive and the beauty of the Resembool scenery at the break of day after the had a slice of Winry’s pie.
Mei enjoyed getting out of her comfortable bed and fluffy pillows early only to see the birds as they gave their first performance of the day. Watching them come out of their nests, feed their babies and make people happy at the same time was something she looked forward to each morning. She had done that ever since she was a kid, because it gave her something to look forward to in the political mess that Xing was. The birds, in all their glory, were the highlight of her day and proof that liberty did exist.
She always wondered what they sang for: to praise the nature for the joy of life? To communicate? Or maybe it was simply to please the ears. If it was the latter, she had yet a lot to learn from them.
Seeing them soar through the skies above the Imperial Court was also a sight to behold. Each bird had its own unique trajectory, yet they all came together to form a whole. She guessed they were the same as the people beneath them, starting their days by carrying boxes around, the guards doing their training and the cooks starting their work in the kitchen, each of them part of a bigger whole.
Mei found it reassuring that she was never the first one up, too. She felt like another small component of the machine the world was, a gear that helped the others tick but couldn’t work without the further chunks.
Another aspect of the mornings she liked was going onto her balcony and humming a song, which sometimes attracted a lonely bird to come closer to her, despite the obvious fear. It helped her connect with the nature, as she felt her qi flow into every living fibre of the planet.
She also enjoyed starting her day with Xiao-Mei next to her, as they let themselves be tuned to the world around, closing their eyes and simply basking in the mild rays of the morning sun, which toyed with her black, unbraided locks and bare feet.
Mei also loved feeling the eastern breeze dance through her dark hair and part the bangs from her forehead, opening her eyes to the Xingese landscape, the most beautiful she had seen in her whole life. Be Xing as messy as it may from a political point of view, it sure offered breathtaking views:
Behind the stunning Xingese Imperial Court laid the capital town, with its Bazarrs and small cottages. The painted rooftops and golden shrines, a melange of white, red and yellow shone pleasantly in the morning sun. It wasn’t so bright it blinded one, but it was dazzling enough to assure one a beautiful day was waiting for them. The sun also sat in line for an audience at the Court behind the town, as if guarding the people there, making sure they were out of danger’s way.
Mei squinted her eyes when said sun rose high enough on the sky to send flashes of light in her direction. Despite the light invasion, Mei didn’t feel blinded, but carased by the gleam. A roaming ray of sun landed on Mei’s writing table, drawing her attention back to what she was working on late through the night.
Tens of written messages were crumpled on the floor, obviously failed attempts to find the right words to express her thoughts. The only words written on this new attempt were “Dear Alphonse-sama,” taunting Mei to finish the letter.
She strolled to her desk confidently and picked up the pen, not bothering to brush her bang first. She’d also talk about the beauty of early mornings in Xing.
Alphonse had to admit it: Xing was indeed breathtaking, all the more so when admired in the early hours of the day. The place emanated a certain charm, drawing one in with its light colors and warm breeze. If the Resembool sky displayed a fight, the Xingese one was already at peace, as if the colors didn’t need to drop from the sy to the people, but the humans themselves were one with the sky and sent their colors to paint it.
Another thing Al couldn’t help but notice was the proximity to the sun here, as if he was even closer to divinity. He wondered how come all Xingese could wake up to such a sky and not think themselves to be God. With the heavenly breeze ruffling his hair and cooling him down, bringing the smell of the mint Mei loved planting herself to tickle his nostrils. Given the circumstances, Alphonse could only suppose his hypothesis was close to reality.
Here, he also got to enjoy the quiet mornings and take in the miracle of being alive like nowhere else. If he thought watching people in Resembool was satisfying, it was because he hadn’t been on one of the balconies of the Xingese Imperial Castle before. From here, he could see every person mingingling in the blend of colors, and he could swear he saw fates intertwine in the web of active people.
What he missed here in Xing were only his childhood friends, who were back in Amestris, probably planning their wedding. But that loss was soon compensated by the arrival of Mei’s figure, still dressed in her long nightgown, her face fresh and her unbraid hair adorning her face as she also got out on her balcony to start her day.
It usually took her a while to notice Al there, but when she did, she bat her long eyelashes repeatedly and gazing him a smile more dazzling than the sun, making Al’s cheeks borrow the color of the pink sky home. The dark, black, almond shaped eyes were Al’s favourite landscape out of all this new country had to offer: they displayed multiple stories at once, and yet were mysterious at the same time, dazing Alphonse to the point where he’d lose himself in them. He only noticed that when she stopped talking and smiled knowingly.
It was when he noticed how her untied hair framed her pale face, bringing her features into evidence; the line of her round face; her arched eyebrows and, most of all, her thin lips, that Al realised there was no way he could be God, for he was not able to create such a beautiful being.
Mei inhaled the cool breeze from Resembool and let her lungs be filled with the fresh scent of it. She was resting her elbows on the window sill, the one on which Alphonse must have spent countless mornings leaning on that very same place. The thought caused a small blush to creep on Mei’s cheeks, and she bat her eyelashes quickly to brush off the thought.
The birds were singing as sweetly as home, urging Mei to try calling out to them again with her humming voice.
The woman raised her head to admire the landscape from the window: she truly understood why Alphonse loved his hometown so much. It had a much more relaxed atmosphere than Xing, like the people enjoyed their life and had less worries, at least less than those in the Imperial Court. She felt like she was among the peasant that enjoyed their life, like she was finally not a princess but Mei. Just Mei, the person, the one people liked for her personality and her way of being, not the Princess people had to look up to.
What she liked the most was that Alphonse’s whole family saw her like that. If it was Edward, he always picked up on her for being short of stature and he always made fun of the small panda she was attached to. Mei always found snarky comebacks to answer him, which started a little war. Yet it wasn’t mean, and they ended up laughing together: she never said it out loud, but she enjoyed it greatly.
Winry treated her like a sister and loved her for who she was. She also had a talent to make her feel comfortable and Mei always found herself opening up to her without realising. Actually, Winry told her Mei was like the sister she never had, and Mei secretly thought the same thing.
Even Winry’s grandmother became her own, making Mei comfortable with calling her ‘granny’. She always shielded Mei from Ed’s menacing remarks (or so she claimed before engaging in the “war” as well).
And then there was Alphonse himself, who wa so natural around her that it astonished her. If she had thought he was comfortable around her in the castle, he was even more relaxed at home, all the while being polite and very careful with her needs. If she seemed tired, he massaged her back, pressing all the right pressure points. If he ever felt Edward overstepped his boundaries, he interjected in the discussion and stopped his brother’s rant; otherwise, he simply listened and laughed. Sometimes, he gave Mei tips about what drove Ed crazy, but Mei always refused: she wanted to find his soft spot herself.
And if he felt her voice was more ragged than usual, he placed a mug of hot tea in front of her and smiled softly, like he had done this morning.
Al stepped next to her, placing his own cup next to hers carefully and taking the free place in the frame of the window. None of them spoke, the only gesture they sometimes made being sipping the tea, which slowly turned colder.
When the steam stopped flowing out through the window, the liquid low in their cups and the sky already blue for the most part, Mei finally broke the silence with a mutter:
“I really like it here.” She stated, watching the old tree in their garden wistfully. Al nodded, hiding a smile Mei felt in his voice behind the cup:
“I’m glad!”
“Edward, where’s my brush?” Winry yelled from the bathroom. Seconds later, Mei and Al saw a guilty, unbraided blond young man running away with a brush in his hand out in the garden
The sun shone through the creamy curtains, borrowing their warm color. The beam of light reached for the covers of the bed, dancing on the margin in an uncanny way, guided by the breeze shifting the curtains. The birds were dedicating the lullaby to the nature, their mates and, perhaps, the sleepy couple inside.
Mei rolled on her side, knowing she should probably get up and start her day around now. She needed to grab a bite and change into her work clothes before leaving the house.
Al also knew he should get up to shave and get dressed and then walk through the fast asleep city for about twenty minutes to reach his office.
And yet, neither of them moved. Instead, they stared at the ceiling, view blurred by sleepiness and stray strands of hair. They didn’t even talk: words only disturbed the quiet wee hours of the morning. Instead, Mei snuggled closer to Alphonse in search for warmth in the cold eastern breeze.
“Alphonse.” she eventually broke through the silence with her soft, groggy voice. He turned to face her, letting one of his hands roam through her silky dark hair, shorter now than it was before they got married.
She simply stared at him for a moment before stretching and yawning. She wasn’t entirely sure what she had to tell him: she simply liked how his name rolled off her tongue. Alphonse felt the way she said his name was one of the many things only she was capable of, sending shivers down his spine and sending his heart beating much faster than healthy.
He pulled her closer and planted a chaste kiss on the crown of her hair before she tangled her hands around his neck, cupping his face as she pressed her lips against his. He didn’t hold back and let himself enjoy the taste of her soft lips against his, the feeling as thrilling as fighting against the homunculi, yet so, so much more pleasant. It was slow yet passionate, innocent yet sexy. It was Xingese yet Amestrian. It was theirs.
“We should get up.” she muttered when they broke apart, but didn’t push him away when he hugged her and inhaled the perfume of her shampoo.
“Just a bit longer.” he asked, and she muttered in agreement, not denying him such a simple pleasure.
Day 2: Tradition
And here we are, with day 2 of almei week! I hope you guys enjoy this, too!
“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Mei asked, holding the light, silky material that was supposed to be draped Al’s waist and tighten the kimono around him. There was concern painted across her face, like she didn’t want Alphonse to force himself into something unnecessary.
“I want to!” He told her softly, trying to look as excited as possible and placing a hand over hers to encourage her to continue her work. He gave the best smile he had, trying to hide his nervousness.
It had been about two weeks since Alphonse arrived in Xing, and Ling had decided it was high time for him to hold a ball to welcome Al in his country. And what a ball! All the court and the other 50 clans were invited! The Amestrian had a gut feeling the Emperor just wanted to hold a sumptuous feast and Mei’s roll of the eyes confirmed it, but he couldn’t deny him this pleasure. Moreover, he was seeking to show the Xingese court that he was fit to be there and that all the judging glances thrown in his and the Chang’s clan leader direction whenever they were seen together weren’t grounded.
Alphonse did everything in his power to make sure he wouldn’t make a foul out of himself: he read all the books on Xingese culture he could find in Amestris and even learnt as much as he could of the language; he reread all of his letters with Mei to pick up any custom or important gestures the easterners had as to not commit any kind of insult; he had even asked Mei to write the last few letters in Xingese only for him to exercise.
“Is it too tight?” Mei asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. He realised he must have been frowning while trying to recall all of the advice Lan Fan had offered him and forced a smile on his nervous face.
Mei’s brows knitted and she inched closer to his face, her breath now warming Al’s flushed cheeks. He stared at her dumbfounded, trying to understand her motives for closing the distance between them so much: he remembered Lan insisting on the fact that Xingese people don’t like having their personal space invaded.
By the time he had started running possible scenarios through his head, it was already too late: Mei bumped her forehead against his with more force than he remembered her having, causing all of the redness from his cheeks to rise to his forehead.
“Ouch!” He exclaimed, rubbing the injury confused. “What was that for?” He asked, glancing at the woman through his fingers. She had crossed her arms over her chest and was now fuming:
“Because you’re worrying too much again, Alphonse!” If she had dropped the “sama”, she must have been really angry.
Al let his hand drop against his sides and suddenly felt his body go numb as he muttered:
“I just… Don’t want to mess up.”
Mei’s expression softened and she picked up his arm, which felt heavy as led and foreign, as it was while Al was in an armour:
“And you won’t!” She said in a healing voice, probably regretting having snapped at him earlier. Al had discovered Mei was the type of girl who changed moods quickly, though she was much more balanced than his childhood friend. In times like this, he blessed Winry for her mood swings that gave him years of exercising how to deal with them.
“Whatever you do, you can never mess up, Alphonse-sama. At least not in my opinion.” She smiled, squeezing his hand and offering him a bright smile. Xiao-Mei climbed up on Al’s shoulder, rubbing her face against his cheek as well.
“Thank you, Mei!” He smiled, trying to hide the fact that these kind of encouragements only made him more nervous. Maybe he couldn’t embarrass her, but the impression he made on the others affected their relationship, as well.
Mei sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and shaking her head. Al should have known that no matter how good of a front he put up, he could never fool Mei. Not only because she could read his qi, but more so because she didn’t miss anything when it came to him. She could even pick up the smallest lie when their only method of communication was writing, let alone now, when they were face to face.
“I’ll get ready and join you in half an hour.” she finally sighed. “Meanwhile, you go out there!” She said, pushing him towards the entrance to the huge dining room, which also served as a ball room.
Al reluctantly stepped towards the exit from his safe zone, stopping in the doorway to straighten up his back and turn around to offer a confident smile to Mei, who mirrored his gesture. Confidence was the last feeling his brain intercepted at the moment, but nailing this was something Al had to push himself to believe.
He stepped into the room with the right foot first, twenty minutes early. Even so, the place was far from empty: there were servants putting up the table, and Ling, along with a few others Al recognised as the heads of the Wei, Wang and Xiu clans, were sitting at the round dinner table.
“Alphonse!” Ling called out to him, friendly and yet official at the same time. The Amestrian was still amazed at how dignified the Xingese Emperor carried himself when in high-class company, much in contrast with his usual aloof self.
As he approached him, Al also spotted Lan Fan behind the Emperor’s chair, her dark costume blending in the shadows as she stood there, ready to protect Ling with her life.
Al stopped three steps before the King and bowed, his body forming a perfect 135 degrees angle. Once the King raised his hand as to put him at ease, he turned towards the three other clan leaders and performed the same gesture.
“I must excuse myself for interrupting your discussion.” Al started in the most formal tone he could, relieved that his brain hadn’t gone blank when he began talking. “I must introduce myself. I am Alphonse Elric.” He added, refraining from extending his hand for a handshake and indeed bowing again, this time much less.
The rest of the introductions went on without a hitch. Slowly, more and more people came in and Al repeated the steps and then proceeded to make small talk (usually politics-related) only to then pass to the next person and so on.
By the time Mei arrived, he was already exhausted and felt the muscles of his cheeks might be blocked in the position of “polite smiling” forever. Out of habit, he bowed in front of Mei, too. She immediately started chuckling, and jokingly bowed, as well.
“Sorry.” Al got up fast, scratching the back of his neck. “Force of habit.”
“Don’t worry. You seem better now.” She noticed, following Al as he led the way to her seat.
“Yeah well, the people here are friendly.” He admitted.
“See? Told you it would be fine!” Mei beamed, sitting down next to him without breaking eye contact.
The dinner started and everyone inquired about Amestris, and how come Al came here and about the start of his friendship with the Emperor and Princess Chang. Al explained everything in polite words and omitting the disturbing facts, asking formal questions as well.
“Now then!” The Emperor clapped his hands as soon as the first course was over, attracting everyone’s attention. They turned to him, waiting for Ling to continue:
“I figured it would be a good idea to ask Alphonse to show us one of the traditional Amestrian dances!” He smiled, directing the statement into Al’s direction.
The blonde froze, his mind going blank at the words. He didn’t have problems with the Xingese dances, Mei had taught him everything he needed to know, and his brain could cope with speaking the intricate language, but Amestrian dances phased him. Al doubted he even knew the songs! Being stuck in a suit of armour trying to save the world wasn’t exactly the most favorable context to learn how to dance.
“What do you say, Alphonse?” Ling asked.
Al gulped down and nodded: what else could he do? Ling happily got up and made a sign for the Xingese Orchestra to start the music. Al got up slowly, feeling his body even heavier than before and even more so than when he was in a suit of armour. He needed all of his self control to keep a good front and not to fall into despair. ‘All that effort… For nothing!’ he thought as his feet led him to the dancing ring.
As soon as the song started, Al was surprised to hear the familiar tone: it was a waltz!
“This is a dance for two.” Al politely explained the others, glimpsing at Mei from the corner of his eye. She must have read his mood again, because she let out a sigh of relief as soon as he started talking.
He confidently went towards her and extended an arm with the usual Amestrian bow, asking something he was very much familiar with from Führer Grumman’s Military parties:
“Would make me the pleasure of accepting this dance?”
Mei smiled in return, placing her had in his and getting up: “I’d be delighted to.”
They headed back towards the free space that served as as a dancing ring and Al placed his hand on her waist, bringing her closer. She, in term, placed her hand on his shoulder and tuned her body movements to his, so that they would move into the familiar waltz-square at the same rhythm. It proved to be an easy task for them: after all, they had done it before at Edward and Winry’s wedding.
It had been awkward back then, and they had moved clumsily, so much unlike the gracious steps they took now. Mei was no longer averting her gaze, instead holding his fond look with an equally infatuated one.
“Alphonse-sama!” She had scolded him during one of their dancing lessons. “You must remember, dancing is communicating feelings you can’t otherwise exteriorize!”
And right now, he perfectly understood what she had meant. Holding her so close, he could feel his love overflowing and flowing into her spirit in a continuous connection. For what seemed like an eternity, the world was just theirs, the dancing ring was their little universe, but it was enough, because they had each other.
The song finished sooner than either of them wanted, but they didn’t realise it was over until they heard claps from the table.
“That is one amazing dance.”
“Yes, please teach us!”
“Do Amestrians always dance it?”
The questions were coming from all around the table, making Al smile: Mei might have just been right. He had worried over nothing.
Ling was watching the guests learn the Amestrian waltz proudly, nodding like a doting parent (despite the small age gap) at Alphonse’s progress in getting integrated into the Xingese community.
He felt Lan’s stare on him and smirked. “Something weighing on your mind?” He asked her, reading the unspoken question.
“When did you get the performers to learn this song, Young Master?” Lan inquired, stepping out of her shadow.
“Oh. It was after we returned from Ed’s wedding. It was the song playing while we danced on the roof.” He reminded her, innerly sulking at the fact that she had to wear the mask, which was doubtlessly covering a delightful blush right now.
“Did you know? It’s an Amestrian tradition for this to be the first dance the married couple shares.” He told Lan, smirking in Mei and Alphonse’s direction.
Lan followed his gaze and smiled under the mask: soon enough, they might see them share that dance yet again.
Breath & Pulse
Content warning for pregnancy. Final submission for Almei week! Read also on FF and AO3
Disclaimer: Still don’t own FMA
Alphonse Elric was in his favorite position: lying in bed with his arm around his wife. It was a lazy morning in the Xingese Chang Provence. All work relating to either their management of the clan or their duties at the school could be put off until later, and they weren't expected anywhere. The only information they had on the world outside their bedroom was the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof.
All in all, it was the perfect day to sleep in.
Al was starting to feel sore from staying in one position for too long, so he squirmed and scooted a little, though he was careful not to disturb the sleeping princess.
May was still dead to the world. The only indication that she wasn't a porcelain statue was a small rise and fall of her chest.
Alphonse frowned. Now that he thought about it, May had been unusually tired a lot recently. He should probably check to make sure she didn't have anything wrong with her.
Al took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let his senses reach and feel the dragon's pulse.
Learning to read the dragon's pulse had been an essential element in his Alkahestry training. It had been his inability to understand this concept that had prevented him from learning all those years ago in an abandoned house near the northern wall of Briggs. When he'd first arrived in Xing, he had known that it would be necessary for him to learn it before meeting up with May and learning the actual science.
At the advice of his translator, Al had taken lessons from an elderly woman who taught future bodyguards how to read the dragon's pulse. It had been extremely difficult at first, especially since the woman's Amestrian was very poor and Al's Xingese was nonexistent. However, after a whole week of bad analogies and seemingly pointless meditation techniques, the teacher had mentioned how everything is connected, from the food we eat to the worms that will one day devour us.
At that point, Al immediately recalled his first lesson from Izumi Curtis and the riddle his brother had discovered the answer to. All is one, and one is all.
When Al made this connection, he finally understood what the dragon's pulse truly was: the flow of energy between all things that were connected in this world.
After that lesson, which resulted in Al's first success in the basic exercises, he wrote a letter to his brother and old teacher thanking them and explaining what he'd discovered. Ed still gets a kick out of that story.
Right now, though, Al was less concerned with the philosophy of Alchemy and Alkahestry, and more focused on checking to see if May was healthy. He felt the pulse of May's heart, a sturdy rhythm that Al knew was normal. He felt the energy around her lungs, rising and falling with each breath. He moved his focus up to her neck and head, where he didn't sense any anomalies. He moved on to her stomach area, and there was a little discomfort there. May had also been having morning sickness, but Al could tell that was only a symptom of some other issue.
Al turned his attention to just below her stomach. Her intestines seemed fine, but her energy was doing something odd right below, a strange twisting sensation, and the presence of another chi signature, somewhat similar to both her energy and Al's own…
Oh.
Ooooohhhhhh.
If Al hadn't already been lying down, he probably would have fallen over. As it was, his hand fell down on the bed with a loud "thump" that woke May.
The woman in question rubbed her eyes. "Alphonse? What is it?"
Al gulped. He was going to have to tell her. He had barely registered it himself, and now he had to…
Al shook his head. What was he freaking out for? This was good news! He and May had wanted this for a while now. They should be celebrating.
"You know how some people say they can sense an unborn child through the dragon's pulse?" Al started.
May's looked up at him, confused.
"Well, I think I can now say that they're right," Al said.
May looked even more confused. "Where did you sense…" Then, it dawned on her. Al could literally watch as she went from confusion to sudden realization and finally settled on pure joy.
"I guess we now know why you've been so tired recently," Al commented.
