al_truism | (Old) IC Contact Post

[Al sputters and bursts out laughing, wiping at his eyes with his free hand.]

I-I'm not going to cry on you, don't worry-

Are you sure? [He pats one shoulder.] This spot is still dry, limited time only~!

[He breaks down into cracked laughter again, shaking his head and wiping his eyes.]

... we could both use a hug, though, at least.

_{[Chuckling, he circles around to Al's side of the table, arms open.]}

Now, now~ There was no need to be so coy if that's all you wanted!

[Al shook his head a little and reached up for him. Urahara gave very good, warm hugs.]

_{[One strong, warm hug coming right up as Urahara bends down to his level, resting his chin on top of Al's head.]}

[He smells like smoke and tea. Al stays where he is, breathing in slowly, mind wandering. They'll get through this. They're strong enough for this. It'll be difficult but they will handle it.

After some time, he pulls back enough to get up.]

Come on, I'll get fresh blankets for you.

_{[He gets an affectionate smile and another nod as Urahara gestures for him to lead the way before following behind him, pausing briefly outside the boys' room, head cocked, listening, sensing.]}

[Al doesn't falter in his step, but he looks back at him as he turns to the linen closet, getting out sheets before continuing down the hallway more. The room is a simple one, but cozy. Al starts to quickly change the sheets.]

... are they okay?

Sleeping.

_{[He lets a few tendrils of his reiatsu flow into the room to soothe away any restlessness brought on by bad dreams before following Al into the room.]}

Ah, I hope I haven't taken anyone's room.

Good.

[He gives a little smile and shakes his head, patting the blankets into place, making hospital corners.]

... no. This room's been... free for several months now.

_{[A curious little look.]}

It seems I stepped on something a little sensitive...

... people go home sometimes. It's a part of life out here, that's all.

[But if Urahara takes a look at the desk, the bookshelf -- this is Negi's old room.]

_{[It takes him a short while to look around and connect the dots, but when he does... Well, certainly not what he was expecting.]}

Ah... My apologies.

[Al wilts a little, feeling self-conscious and gut-wrenchingly sad, and just shakes his head.]

Please don't worry about it, okay?

_{[There's a hum before Urahara flops down on the bed. Before quickly reaching out and tugging Al down with him to wrap him up in another strong hug. He doesn't say anything, and Al is free to pull away, but really... That dry spot doesn't need to stay dry.]}

[Al freezes for a moment because it's Negi's bed. Everything about it is familiar, and he just... hasn't been held like this in years.

He tries to swallow and can't, tries to breathe and can't. Sometimes it hits him like a punch to the gut, the reality of it.

It occurs to him that Urahara is holding him because Negi can't.

That's all it takes for him to muffle a tiny sob.]

_{[Long fingers brush through Al's hair before a warm hand soothingly rubs his back.]}

Let it out, Alphonse-san... Today's ending and tomorrow will be a new day, so let go and just be in the here and now.

It's supposed to get better.

[It's not. Years and it's not, never mind that the memories are so fresh he can taste them.]

Does it?

No.

_{[Unyielding and blunt.]}

You think you're over it. Months, years, even decades pass without it hurting every day, with you opening your eyes to just another day instead of another day without them. Then something... a song, a certain way of pronouncing a word, a breathless laugh, even the briefest of looks or the way someone holds their head, will bring it all crashing back and it's a fresh as the first moment it happened.

It does get better and go away... Only gets a little more buried with time.

... well, damn it.

[It's a tiny whisper, under his breath, and it ends with a laugh that isn't a laugh at all.]

Yes. [Urahara's chest rumbles underneath Al and his arms tighten just a bit more.] Quite the unpleasant deal, I'm afraid.

[Al stays where he is, lingering in the hug, the feel of being held and not alone. He won't be able to sleep, for sure.]

... it was worth it, though.

He was.

And that's all we can live for... Not an eternity, but something that's worth the pain and regrets, something so beautiful that the future can't rip down because painful as the memories are, we'd still refuse to give them up because of how much we lived and loved in them.

There's someone you lost.

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