Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hilbert was never a big fan of cooking. Usually his mom or Hilda made dinner while he sat in his room and waited for it to be ready. This night however, was different. He’d have to help a new friend of his, (one from another time period to be exact) make a meal for the two of them.

That friend in question is Edward Elric. An Alchemist whose attempt at bringing his mother back resulted in him losing his brother and his limbs. Hearing about Edward’s struggle always fascinated Hilbert, team plasma didn’t seem nearly as bad compared to what Edward went through. 

After nearly burning the house down, Hilbert scrambled together subpar quality servings of Mac & cheese. He relied too heavily on Bisharp to turn on the oven, as if it knew how to operate the stove knobs.

The cheese was barely mixed together, the macaroni itself wasn’t fully burned, but at the same time some of it wasn’t cooked all the way either. If anything, it looked more like soup.

“Dinner’s ready.” Hilbert deadpanned, not proud of his work. He set three bowls down on the table as Bisharp scowled at the slop in front of it. Bisharp glanced at Hilbert with the facial expression indicating ‘you’re really gonna make me eat this?’

“This is definitely something…” Edward nervously held his fork. 

“Oh Arceus, I can’t cook for shit.” Hilbert thought as he also stared at Edward. Both of them took their first bite. Hilbert swallowed anxiously, disgusted by his own cooking. Edward didn’t say anything for a moment, causing Hilbert to internally freak out more.

Bisharp stared down at its bowl in discomfort, making Bisharp miss the meals Hilbert (and to an extension its) mother made for them. 

Hilbert anxiously watched Edward take his first bite, sweat starting to build up in his palms. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, Edward told him a few hours ago that he had eaten worse before. Maybe it was the stress of cooking for the first time? Once he finally swallowed, Edward didn’t say anything again.

Hilbert couldn’t bear to look at him. Sweat continued creeping down his forehead and his hands became numb. Bisharp gave him another glance that read; ‘It cannot be this strenuous’.

Finally, Edward spoke: “…Not bad!” Hilbert was taken aback, looking up in stark confusion.

“Really??” Hilbert tried to maintain a composed demeanor.

“Yeah, honestly it’s pretty good!” Edward reassured Hilbert. Hilbert could feel his face heating up, though he kept trying to ignore it. Edward continued eating his dinner, not seeming disgusted in the slightest. “You gonna eat yours or what?” He pointed at Hilbert, startling him a bit.

“What-! Oh yeah, sorry. I just didn’t expect you to like it, that’s all!” Hilbert laughed nervously. Both of them ate their dinner while Bisharp sat down and glared at them both, judgingly. 

“How’d you make this?” Edward waved his fork in front of him, swirling it around his food.

“It’s my mom’s recipe, but I botched it a bit so it’s all sloppy.” Hilbert admitted. “She’d usually make this when we didn’t have anything else to eat and she hadn’t gotten paid yet.” Edward’s expression changed a little. Hilbert was really lucky to have a mom. When he first saw her, he was instantly reminded of his own. Hilbert’s mother appeared eerily similar to his. “I’m really grateful for her meals, I wish I could spend more time with her.”

“Why don’t you?” Edward’s voice sounded more stern. “She does a lot for you, doesn’t she?”

“I’m not home most of the time. I’m only here now because I get time off from going to tournaments. Not to mention she also has a full time job now!” Hilbert explained.

“Right, I forgot you do tournaments and stuff like that.” Edward put his fork back inside his bowl, but realized he finished all his food already. “Sorry if I sounded rude just now.”

“Hey man, don’t worry about it! I get where you’re coming from so it’s all good.” Hilbert gave Ed a small thumbs up. “Also there’s extra Mac & Cheese if you want some. Or you can have Bisharp’s.” Hilbert eyed Bisharp’s still uneaten bowl. Bisharp scowled and kicked Hilbert’s leg. “What was that for??”

“Biiisharrpp…” Bisharp rolled its eyes, taunting Hilbert.

“I think I’m good, I don’t like eating too much before bed.” Edward picked up his bowl and utensil.

“I’ll wash the dishes, just leave yours in the sink.” Hilbert pointed at said sink.

“You sure? I can wash my own, it’s fine.” Edward offered. 

“Oh, I’ve never had a guest that cleans up after themselves.” Hilbert smiled. “That’s really nice of you, Ed.” Hilbert stood up and took the rest of the dishes off the table. He dumped the leftovers that weren’t eaten in the trash. The two of them had an uneventful time scrubbing bowls and silverware. The only noteworthy aspect of it all was the close proximity and the occasional bumping shoulders. It made them both a tad bit flustered each time it happened.

A few minutes later after everything had been cleaned up and put away, Ed and Hilbert were watching something on TV together. Both of them were snuggled up in a blanket, feeling each other’s warmth.

“Y’know, a few of my friends were actors in this movie, they work at this place called Pokestar Studios.” Hilbert pointed at the TV, though his mannerisms indicated he was growing tired.

“How’d your friends become actors at such a young age?” Edward furrowed his eyebrows.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how they do it. But they’re my age when I did crazy things like that. So it’s not too bizarre.” Hilbert shrugged as he leaned back into the couch.

“Fair point, I don’t watch a whole lot of movies so I guess it’s kind of interesting…” Edward trailed off, trying to scoot closer to Hilbert. As he got closer, Hilbert felt a warmth creep back onto his face. 

“You should totally watch more movies.” Hilbert tried keeping monotone speech pattern. But looking back up at Ed made him notice an uncomfortable expression on his face. “Hey Edward, you okay?”

“Huh..? Oh I’m fine.” He lied, the frustration on his face becoming clearer by the second. 

“Doesn’t look like it, at all.” Hilbert tried examining Edward, trying to figure out what was causing the strain. Then it clicked, Edward kept twitching his shoulder. Specifically the Automail half. “…Your shoulder is bothering you, isn’t it.”

“I told you already, I’m fine.” Edward tried ignoring the aches. “It’ll go away soon.” It was hard for Hilbert to believe him considering the constant wincing.

“I think you need a massage, Ed.”

“Can you just leave me alone? It’s not worth stressing over!” Edward tried to shoo away Hilbert, but moving his arm caused a sharp pain, causing him to cower over. “Dammit…”

“Do you believe me now?” Hilbert looked down on Ed with a semi-worried but also semi-‘told-you-so’ sort of glance.

“Y-yeah…” Edward gri his teeth.

“In order for this to go smoothly, you’re gonna need to relax,” Hilbert moved Ed’s hair out of the way so he could properly place his hands on his shoulders. “Here goes nothing…” 

Hilbert began gently stroking his hands against Ed’s shoulders, trying to sooth him. Once Edward’s shoulders were less stiff, it gave Hilbert the opportunity to properly knead his skin. Then he slowly moved his hands down his shoulders, pressing his fingers into Edward’s back. Leaning closer to him, he could hear Ed quietly sighing. 

“How’d you learn how to massage so well?” Edward allowed Hilbert to maneuver his hands around his lower back as well.

“I’m not sure. I wanna say my mom taught me, but I don’t recall any point in time of her doing that.” Hilbert continued to focus sternly on releasing any tension.

“You’ve got one amazing mother…you should really thank her more often…” Edward muttered, he couldn’t be bothered to say his advice in a more serious voice. Any ounce of stress he had left was long gone.

“I promise, I’ll spend more time with her. Just for you.” Hilbert’s newfound smile softened. “Especially since I plan on staying here at her house for a while.”

“Thank you, Hilbert.” Edward smirked as he looked back at Hilbert. Hearing Edward say his name caused his smile to widen. Hilbert eventually traced his way back up to Edward’s shoulders, wanting to rub his fingers around his neck.

“You mind if I massage your neck as well?” Hilbert murmured, very close to Edward’s ear. Causing a noticeable flustered reaction.

“Go ahead, I won’t be complaining.” Edward nodded.

Hilbert grasped his hands around Edward’s neck, careful not to choke him. Kneading with his fingers once again, allowing him to properly calm Edward’s pain. Amidst this, Edward started silently giggling. He enjoyed being treated with such intimacy. 

“You seem to really enjoy this.” Hilbert laughed a bit.

“I feel so at ease, so why wouldn’t I?” Edward smiled coyly.

“You’re practically asking for a hug right now, y’know that?” Hilbert glared down at Edward with an unchanging joyous expression.

“I’m not stopping you. You’ve proven to me that you’re capable of doing great things Hilbert.” Edward turned around to properly face Hilbert before their close embrace.

Both of them practically melted due to all the warmth they both felt. The only thing making things feel somewhat cold were the automail limbs, but even that hadn’t made much of a difference.

“This thing is supposed to be made out of metal, right?” Hilbert looked down at Edward’s mechanical hand.

“Yeah, that’s what Winry implemented after all.”

“So, since it’s not actually a limb, can you feel this?” Hilbert lightly pressed his lips against the knuckles of his metal hand. Despite all the factors making it seem like it wouldn’t really affect Edward, he still melted into a rosy mess.

“Gah- Hilbert! What was that for?” Edward’s face flourished pink.

“…You felt that?” Hilbert froze. “Isn’t that arm of yours made of metal?”

“It is, but I still can feel whenever things touch my arm!” Edward wanted to be angry. A part of him wanted to punch Hilbert, but another part wanted to kiss him on the mouth. “If anything…this arm’s a lot more sensitive.”

That gave Hilbert an idea, “Sensitive?” He slowly wrapped his arms around Edward’s automail, causing Ed to flinch. “How does this feel?”

“It feels like you’re trying to rip it off, dumbass!” Edward tried to convey an angry demeanor, but that only made Hilbert get closer to him.

“You’re tense again, Ed.” Hilbert ran his finger across Edward’s steel shoulder. “Maybe this’ll help.” Hilbert kissed the scar that distinguished Edward’s skin from his automail. Being a very delicate area, contacting it caused Edward to squirm a bit. 

“Hilbert- man, I compliment your cooking one time and now you’re all over me.” Edward tried suppressing a pleased sigh.

“Well you’re the first person I’ve made food for, other than myself. So it really does mean a lot that you enjoyed it…” Hilbert trailed off, resting his head on Edward’s shoulder. “Y’know, you’ve inspired me to try doing things more independently,” Hilbert’s fingers traced Edward’s jawline.

“What d’you mean?” Edward looked back down.

“Most of my life, I’ve stuck around my sister. She’s been the center of everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m genuinely happy for her accomplishments, but I’ve neglected to prioritize myself over her.” Hilbert thought back to his time when he first traveled around Unova. “I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like if I’d lost her to Team Plasma back then, I could never forgive myself.”

“No, it’s not stupid.” Edward held Hilbert’s other hand. “Me and my brother Al are going through the same thing right now. Until we got here, my number one priority was to get his body back. I've hated myself for getting him sealed inside that armor and losing his body” 

“I wish I could empathize with you more, Edward.” Hilbert frowned, withdrawing his hand a bit. “Nobody your age should suffer like you have.”

Edward clutched Hilbert’s hand, trying to reassure him, “I know, and until I get his body back, I won’t let myself go.” Hilbert blushed a little, admiring his dedication.

“You’re an amazing brother, Edward. Alphonse is very fortunate to have you as a sibling.” Hilbert leaned closer to Edward’s face as he complimented him.

“I’m sure Hilda’s lucky to have you too, despite your actions sometimes.” Edward chuckled a bit, finally closing the gap between them. Everything in that moment felt so right. There was no rush to it, nothing about it was sloppy either. Somehow, it was perfectly sweet. Edward’s lips were somewhat chapped, but Hilbert didn’t mind. He was too caught up in the moment to realize it anyway.

After they parted, all they could do was stare at each other. A newfound understanding was formed. Being open and honest with one another allowed for intimacy to be more possible. Glancing at each other knowingly again, they went in for a second kiss. This one being a smidge more passionate. Then a third, then a fourth, then so on and so forth. They only came to a stop due to how tired they’d grown.

“Good night, Edward.” Hilbert muttered as he snuggled closer to Edward, the two of them intertwined in a tight hug.

“G’night Hilbert.” Edward yawned, nuzzling his face against Hilbert’s slightly. Hilbert chuckled a little at this action, reciprocating it. Soon enough, both of them fell asleep.

Though, Bisharp was still awake. Judging the two of them. They snored a lot, irritating the Pokemon.

“Sharrrrp.” The creature rolled its eyes, waiting for Hilda and their mother to arrive home. Luckily for it, that time came around five minutes later. The door handle turned, allowing them to enter. They instantly noticed the two guys passed out on the couch.

“Awwww, Hilbert and his friend fell asleep on the couch together!” His mother gleamed obliviously.

“Mom, I think they’re more than just friends.” Hilda furrowed her eyebrows, unaware of the slight smirk tugging at her face. She looked down at Bisharp, both of them exchanging knowing glances. 

Chapter Text

Spring was in full swing, paving everything around it in a pink hue. Flowers swirled around you everywhere you went, and if you had allergies, you were miserable. Rosa on the other hand found spring to be the perfect time for a picnic. 

Recently, she’d grown fond of a boy from another time period. His name being Alphonse Elric. Him and his brother were Alchemists, in a failed attempt at trying to revive their mother, they lost parts of themselves. Edward, his brother, lost his limbs. Alphonse on the other hand lost his body, forcing him to be bound to a suit of armor. 

Feeling sympathy for him, she asked him out on a picnic. Was it unclear if it was a date or not? Very. But regardless, both of them agreed to meet up in Pinwheel Forest. Alphonse got there first, searching for any trace or mark of some kind. 

“She said she’d be here around 1:30…and it’s 1:36…” Alphonse worried she might’ve bailed on him. He heard stories about people flaking on first dates. Though, if this wasn’t a date to begin with, why did that matter so much? Nevertheless, he continued trekking deeper into the woods.

The farther he went in, the less sunlight was visible. Pokemon started at him from shadows, hissing from the trees above. Now feeling shrouded in darkness, Alphonse’s optimism began to fade. The longer he walked, the more anxious he grew. Eventually he took a resting stop near a giant tree. Twiddling his thumbs, he tried thinking of other things to keep his mind busy. 

“I wish Rosa was more clear when it came to a meet up spot,”  Al thought, saddened by his current circumstances. “At the very least, a marking would’ve been nice…” trailing off, he heard a twig snap in the distance. Something was either approaching him or trying to avoid him. He stood up again and started trudging deeper in again. Little skips could be heard from the trees above, indicating whatever was running wasn’t all that big. 

Strangely the farther he went this time, the more vibrant the surrounding environment became. The leaves felt like they’d been splashed in watercolors, light seeping in again from the glistening sun. Admiring the warmth surrounding him again, Alphonse stood tall. 

“Amazing, it looks like the forest keeps outsiders away from this area by scaring them off with the cold exterior!” Alphonse crossed his arms. Suddenly, something jumped on him from behind. It startled him a bit, sure, but its attempt to actually hurt him was futile. Picking it up from his back, the creature turned out to be a Purrloin. “Hm? What’s up with you, little guy?”

“Purroinn!” The creature hissed. It kept trying to claw at his hands, but tickled more than anything. It’s not like he could feel what that would’ve been. Al smiled, petting the little Pokemon on the head. The Purrloin still tried biting Alphonse, but had no success.

“It’s okay little one, I’m not here to hurt you.” Al stared Purrloin down, unintentionally intimidating it. It froze, but Alphonse continued petting it. Eventually, it succumbed to the petting and laid down complacently. As Alphonse was about to sit down again, another noise came from the distance.

“Alphonse? Alphonse!!” The voice cried. It was Rosa, wooden basket in hand, picnic quilt in the other. “Oh Alphonse, I’m really sorry I couldn’t find you sooner!!” She hugged him tightly, only reaching up to the armor’s waist.

“Oh, hi Rosa! It’s fine, really!” Alphonse jolted a bit. Despite being hollow armor, he felt as if he was flustered. Rosa suddenly let go of him, feeling idiotic for coming on too strong. She set the blanket down on the grass beneath them, placing the basket on the corner of it.

“Whatcha got in your hand?” She peered over his hand, seeing a Purrloin resting in his palm. “A Purrloin, huh? Seems like it warmed up to you nicely!”

“It tried attacking me from the trees, but I eventually calmed it down.” Alphonse rubbed the back of his helmet. “I didn’t know that this world had cats as well!”

“There’s a few Pokemon that are classified as ‘cat Pokemon’ so I guess that would count!” Rosa dug inside of the basket, trying not to draw attention to herself. Alphonse, not aware of what she was doing, continued coddling the Purrloin. Soon enough, the Purrloin started purring (like the name suggested). 

Rosa turned back around, holding something behind her back: “You have a soft spot for cute things, don’t you?” 

“I guess you could say that, I’ve always liked cats so…in a way it’s kind of like that.” Alphonse opened his armor chest plate so Purrloin could sleep inside of him. Then, looking back up at Rosa he realized she wasn’t wearing her normal clothing. “Wait a second, you’re wearing something different today!”

“You just noticed?” Rosa’s face flushed again.

“Yeah, it looks pretty!” Alphonse analyzed her outfit. A white skirt and blazer weaved together with a red vest underneath. A yellow ribbon that bridged the gap between her collar and outerwear. A few pins attached to the skirt and blazer, indicating achievements of some kind presumably. Instead of her normal leggings and athletic shoes, she opted for more casual footwear in the form of loafers and basic white socks with a red stripe laced on top of them. Lastly, a pink headband instead of a visor. “How’d you get it?”

“It was supposed to be for special days at my school. But I rarely go to my academy anymore so I thought it would be nice if I wore this for our outing,” Rosa twiddled her hair a bit. “I’m glad you find it pretty, it’s a tad more comfortable than my athletic gear if I’m being honest.”

Alphonse nodded, then noticed something behind Rosa. “Hmm? What’s that behind you?” Alphonse tired looking over her shoulder.

“WAIT- WAIT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISE!” Rosa exclaimed, waving her hands in his face. Seeing it was no use hiding anything from Al (because he’d be able to see it regardless), she sighed in defeat. “Might as well show you now, Al.” Rosa quickly grabbed the object from behind her, swiftly revealing it to Alphonse. The object in question was a bouquet of flowers, all distinguished from one another and exploding with colors. “This is for you, Alphonse Elric.”

If Alphonse could smile, he’d be grinning from ear to ear. It was easy to maintain a calm demeanor when your face had a lack of emotion to it. Slowly, he reached out for the bouquet and asked: “Really? They’re for me…?” Excitement seeping into his voice. 

“Yes! I thought you’d like them, so I wanted to give you something nice.” Rosa wasn’t fully sure if be interested in flowers. “Unless…you don’t want them.”

“W-WHERE’D YOU GET THAT IDEA!?” Alphonse panicked, not wanting her to think he hated the gift. “I really appreciate these flowers, honestly!” Alphonse, without thinking, put his hand on her shoulders and held her closer. Al hadn’t realized how close they were now, not being able to feel much and all that didn’t help.

“Alphonse…?” Rosa tapped his shoulder, trying to get his attention.

“Hm?” Alphonse glanced down, flinching when he noticed their proximity. “OH– Oh no…I’m sorry Rosa!”

“No no, it’s fine!” Rosa liked being in his embrace. Despite the cold exterior of his armor, she felt a warmth in his arms. “It feels nice being able to hug you.”

Alphonse’s expression wilted, he felt jealous of her, almost. She’d never know what it was like to lose her body. Being bound to a hollow suit wouldn’t allow her to give him a true embrace, and couldn’t reciprocate the comfort of their embrace. “Thank you…” He muttered solemnly.

Once they broke away, Rosa noticed his change in demeanor, “...You’re thinking about getting your body back, aren’t you?” 

“...Yes.” Alphonse stifled. “It hurts thinking about that day. Me and Edward– it was a complete accident. We just wanted to see our mom again, but we couldn’t do it properly. It’s not fair Rosa, I just want to be normal again…” Alphonse began to weep. Rosa frowned, wishing she could empathize with Al.

“I’m really sorry you had to go through that Alphonse. I truly wish I could understand your frustration. Though, I’ve never experienced losing a relative, nor myself for that matter.”

Alphonse sniffled, unable to properly let out his grief. “Edward thinks I hate him for getting me trapped in this armor,” He paused. “But the truth is, I could never hate him. No matter what we go through, he’ll always be my brother!” If Alphonse could cry, he’d be sobbing by now. “I don’t want to lose him, the last thing I want is to burden him!”

Rosa wiped a tear that formed beneath her eye. She couldn’t make eye contact with Al, not in his grievance at that moment. She couldn’t imagine losing any of her family members in the way Al had. 

“You’re not a burden Alphonse.” Rosa murmured. “Even though I’ve only known you for a few days, I'll tell you right now, you’re not making anyone’s life harder!”

Alphonse’s weeping hitched. “You don’t get it, Rosa…” He shuttered.

“Look, Alphonse. I may not be able to understand your struggles fully, but I want you to know it’s not your fault.” Rosa approached Alphonse again. “You’re very brave for what you’re going through. You’ve lost yourself but you keep going, that’s very admirable of you!”

“I don’t know how much longer I can last, if I’m being honest.” Alphonse held his head in his hands. “It’s been so long since I last ate, or even drank water for that matter. I can’t truly feel any affection in this state either!” Alphonse's voice was coated with despair. “At this rate, I don’t even believe I’ll get my body back…”

Rosa rested an arm on his shoulder once more, “Alphonse, if there’s one thing I can be sure of, it’s that you’ll get your body back!” Rosa couldn’t hold back tears, but these tears weren't out of sadness. “You’ve come this far, you can’t quit now!”

“But I– what if me and Edward-”

“You’ll be yourself again! I promise Al!” Rosa grinned, smearing tears off of her face. “You can do it, I know you can! You can do everything you’ve wanted to ever since that day!” Rosa took a long inhale. “I’ll believe in you, I just wish you could believe in yourself too…”

“Rosa… I—“ Alphonse was caught off guard by Rosa suddenly hugging him tightly. 

“You’re an amazing person, Alphonse. Never forget that.” Rosa coddled his helmet. “Please, don’t give up on trying to be yourself again.” 

Alphonse didn’t respond. He instead wrapped his arms around her waist, still crying, but it wasn’t out of anguish anymore. 

“Thank you, Rosa.” Alphonse embraced her in a way where she wouldn’t get hurt by his exterior. He then felt something crawl in his helmet, the Purrloin from earlier had woken up.

“Ruloinnn.” The creature yawned, sitting back down on Alphonse’s shoulder. Alphonse smiled as it purred gently.

“Ah that reminds me, there’s still more things in that basket I wanted to give you!” Rosa reached for the basket, flipping the lid off and revealing the Pokeballs inside of it.

“You didn’t pack food?” Alphonse worried a bit.

“I’ll eat after we leave, I thought it wouldn’t be fair if I ate in front of you…” Rosa furrowed her eyebrows. “Anyway, here you go!” Rosa pressed on the pokeball, revealing the pokemon inside of it to be Skitty. Upon seeing Alphonse, it gleamed and jumped on his helmet. Then came another, this time being Espurr. The last two to be sent out were Litten and Shinx, which also coddled around Al.

“Woah, I can’t thank you enough Rosa!” Alphonse was overjoyed, practically giggling at all the cats. A few of them buried their way into his armor and others stayed on the outside and curled up beside him. “Hehehe…” Alphonse had a a faint blush on his face, which was odd to Rosa because of the whole metal thing.

“How are you-“ Rosa dropped the question before it was even asked. She enjoyed fixating on how happy he was at the moment. “Nevermind, I’m just glad you're at peace now.” She then pulled something else out of her basket, it was a bundle of flowers woven together. 

“What’s that for?” Alphonse glanced at the object. 

“Well…if I’m being honest— it’s for you!” Rosa placed the ornament around his neck (if you can call it that). 

“It’s really pretty, Rosa!” Alphonse beamed. “I’ve always loved carnations, and sunflowers.”

“I also put roses in there as well— but I guess that was obvious because I’m named after them after all.” Rosa chuckled a little, feeling embarrassed about what she just said.

“You really had a lot in mind for me…I feel bad for thinking earlier that you didn’t plan this out well enough.” Alphonse leaned back.

“To be fair, I should’ve been more clear about the location.” Rosa rubbed the back of her neck. “It all worked out in the end, so that’s all that matters to me.” Rosa planted a kiss on Alphonse’s armor, and surprisingly enough, he felt it.

“So, does this mean we’re a couple now?” Alphonse asked, feeling a newfound warmth surrounding him.

“Yes, absolutely!” Rosa cupped the metal helmet again, peppering it with more kisses. “You mean a lot to me, Al.”

“Pfft— That tickles!” Alphonse shuttered, putting his arm around her back.

“I’ll make sure, once you get your body back, I’ll be a lot more affectionate with you. That’s a promise.” Rosa intertwined her fingers with Al’s, resting herself on his shoulder. As the other Pokemon continued to climb around Alphonse, he found himself in a state of ease. No concerns of homunculi, nor the Philosopher’s stone, or even retrieving his own body. It was all in the back of his mind, for now.