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[ it's been some time since val has arrived and al has noticed a few things that leave him feeling a little unsettled. for one, the way they still share a bed with a girl he barely knows when it should be his and ed's bed alone. and for another, it seems in al's confused mind and jumbled thoughts like the girl keeps her distance from him, and al doesn't know what to make of that. coupled with the distance that seems to grow each day between him and his brother, on top of the way he's noted his brother is drinking more, eating less... it's all enough to make al concerned and just a bit tetchy.

he likes to think he gets it. that ed and val had to rely on each other in a place like hell, and that made them close as a result. but al can't help feel a twinge of jealousy that his brother focuses so much on her when al barely knows her. figuring he should talk to ed about it, he approaches his brother sometime in the afternoon. ed's doing research like they'd normally do, but al doesn't join in. instead, he settles down nearby, pulling his eevee into his lap before looking up at his brother. ]

How much longer, Brother?

Edited 2017-12-01 21:54 (UTC)

[Ed is, in fact, doing research. He doesn't even bother to look up when Alphonse settles nearby, so used to the motion at this point, to the comings and goings of bodies from having so many room mates and especially his brother specifically.]

Hm?

[He's stopped reading but his gaze is roaming from one set of notes to another as if trying to work out where to mark what he'd just read rather than focused on his brother's words. Of course, he has no idea what Al's referring to so it doesn't even occur to him to pry his attention away from what he's in the middle of.]

[ with ed as focused as he is, al isn't surprised by the distracted air that surrounds his brother. it does make al a little frustrated, but he knows he can be just as distracted when he's working too, so he stamps down the frustration he feels over that and thinks about the irritation he feels about val still sharing their bed. ]

How much longer? Until Val gets her own bed?

[Ed blinks slowly, dragging himself out of the research by force because obviously this needed his full attention. He doesn't comment that now probably wasn't the time considering how deep he was in the subject matter, simply slides a page into the book and closes it to give his brother a questioning glance that bordered on wary. He hadn't exactly put a time limit on it, or thought of putting one for that matter, and Alphonse hadn't brought it up- but he was bringing it up, now.]

What are you... talking about-?

[He couldn't imagine kicking Val out to her own bed anymore than he could think of doing the same to Alphonse, the thought just did not make any sense to him.]

[ sitting where he is, alphonse sighs, petting his eevee as he frowns. it seems obvious to him. he and his brother were close than anyone else in their group of friends and he was unaware of the fictional twenty years ed had shared with val. so it didn't make sense to allow a woman al hardly know share a bed with them when she was hardly someone important.

( at least, in al's mind ).

furthermore, he could feel the twinge of jealousy sparking inside him. it wasn't that he wanted his brother to himself, but he felt so disconnected from ed lately that anyone else seemed closer in comparison and that made al burn with envy. ]

Val. Brother, our bed isn't made for three people. Don't you think it's time that she had her own?

[When Alphonse repeats her name Ed almost comments that he'd already made that much clear, at least - but then his brother continues and Edward stills. He doesn't respond right away, but when he does his voice is soft - guarded.]

I already told you, Al. She's not used to sleeping alone. I might have had to get used to it, but she just came from that place.

[A beat, before pointedly adding.]

Besides, there's plenty of room for the three of us.

[ frowning more now, almost pouting, al's brows furrow as he nudges his eevee off his lap. he stands, approaching ed with hands held out in an attempt to make his feelings heard. he doesn't like it, he wants to say. their bed should be a sacred place for the two of them and he feels as though val is encroaching on that, not used to sleeping alone or not. ]

Brother, she's a grown woman. She needs to get used to sleeping by herself again. Otherwise, we're just coddling her. Besides...

[Something in Ed's gaze shifts at the word 'coddling' - a flicker of fear before setting with determination - he says nothing in response, head tilting slightly as if to prompt Alphonse to continue with that thought.]

Besides?

Besides...

[ he notes the flicker in ed's eyes, knows he's on thin ice. but he can't stop how he feels, can't push away the frustration and envy. it coils in him like a snake ready to bite and he drops his gaze to the floor. ]

I don't like it.

Being an adult doesn't make dealing with this alone any easier, Al.

[He would know, he'd had to. When Alphonse glances away Ed's expression softens, shaking his head.]

Living like that isn't something you just get over. That place was crawling with monsters, you saw how run down the General Store was when it arrived here, the buildings there weren't protection from anything, we didn't have some fancy electric wall either. The animals there were the least of our worries, anyway. Just because I had to adjust entirely alone doesn't mean she should, I wouldn't wish that on some of the worst bastards in that place.

[He shifts slightly, gaze not settling anywhere in particular. Ed remembers what dealing with those nightmares alone was like, something Alphonse had no scope of, and he himself was distanced from having been in Attollo before arriving here.]

It's not coddling to prevent unnecessary suffering.

[He doesn't touch on the subject of Al not liking it, there isn't really anything he can say to that. He wasn't going to justify it by kicking Val out of the bed, but he also wasn't going to tell his brother that his feelings weren't important on this topic, either.]

[ the words ed says almost seem to go in one ear and out the other. jealousy still rankles inside him and he isn't sure how to overcome it. he knows, logically, that even though he doesn't know val that well, that she's someone important to ed. and he knows logically that what ed says make sense. but that doesn't make the frustration he feels go away.

turning on his heel as his hair whips around, he huffs. ]

But how long, Brother. How long is this going to continue? You can't expect me to share a bed with someone I don't know very well for a long period of time. It's supposed to be our bed. For the two of us.

[His jaw clenches at Al's words, any trace of the fear in his gaze gone as he regards his brother almost curiously.]

Everyone has their own bed, Al. Nevermind that the longer we're all here you'll get to know each other better.

[The possessiveness over the bed strikes him as a little weird, Al had his own room in Purg and although sharing a bed had barely crossed his mind as a big deal here it certainly had to his brother.]

If you spent years sleeping outside the wall of this city would you want me telling you when you should feel safe enough to be on your own?

[Closed]

[Alphonse - November Talk]

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