Sleepless: Sleepless

Disclaimer/Note: Fullmetal Alchemist is the property of Hiromu Arakawa and Square Enix. I do not own the rights to Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters, nor do I profit from my fanfiction.

Sleepless

By velvetarms (aka jojo-kun)

Sighing loudly in the dark, Edward lay on his back in bed and stared at the white ceiling of the military dorm room. He couldn't sleep.

Al hadn't returned from his after-dinner walk yet, and it was getting really late.

Ed knew he shouldn't be worried; his brother was fully capable of taking care of himself. Although from the size of his bulky armoured body he looked like he would be slow and awkward in battle, Alphonse was a skilled fighter, and was actually quite fast. Even the lighter and wirier Ed had trouble winning their sparring matches. If some idiot were to pick a fight with Al, they would definitely have their hands full before he finally knocked them on their ass. Still, he was late, and it was unlike him.

Maybe he was out saving some stray kittens or something. Judging by the bleeding heart that Edward knew Alphonse to be, it was probably something like that.

Sighing again and turning over onto his left side, Ed gazed out of the window at the night sky. It was a clear night, and in his sleepless state, Ed found himself counting the stars. He'd gotten up to forty-three when he finally lost track of which ones he'd already counted and gave up.

Groaning in frustration, he rolled back onto his back and impatiently kicked the twisted sheets off of his legs. He was never going to get to sleep at this rate, and he had some fucking meeting he had to go to in the morning. Colonel's orders. That bastard.

Ed had a love/hate relationship with sleep. On the one hand, it felt damn good; on the other, it was a goddamn nuisance. Sleep was always getting in the way of more important things like research. Al was always telling him to get to bed, and practically had to wrestle him away from work saying things like, `You won't be any good to us if you get sick, will you, Brother?'

Sometimes he envied Al for his metal body. In his armoured shell, Al didn't have the need to sleep. He would never get sick or hungry or have to pee or do any of that stuff that Ed found so annoying. If he were the one in that body, the only things he would have to worry about would be physical damage, or breaking the blood seal that kept his soul in the world. But the point was that he'd be able to stay up all night working and go to meetings at the crack of dawn without any problems whatsoever.

Despite all of those things, Ed knew that he would trade anything to have his brother back in his original body, the way it was meant to be. It was his fault that Al was stuck like that. No matter how much Al protested that they had both been responsible for what had happened, Ed knew better. He had seen the Gate that night, and he should have been able to stop it from happening. Instead, he had failed, and his brother had been taken from him.

Fucking hell, why was he thinking about that stuff?! He had to get to sleep! He knew that if he turned up late to that meeting in the morning, he would never hear the end of it from Colonel Bastard, and that was the last thing he wanted to have hanging over his head.

Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, Ed willed himself to relax. After a few minutes, his breathing gradually slowed and his hands unclenched, but he was still as restless as ever. Just relax, he told himself. Nothing would be accomplished by getting upset. Sleep would come to claim him eventually. It always did.

The minutes ticked by, and as Ed lay there with his eyes closed, waiting, he lifted his shirt with his left hand and absently scratched an itch on his belly. With his hand resting idly on his navel, Ed felt the trickle of an idea forming in the back of his mind. There was one way of making sleep come a little easier. He'd done it a couple of times before when Al wasn't around and it had worked like a charm. Al still wasn't back, and he still wasn't asleep, so he decided that it was worth another try.

Pushing his hand under the elastic waistband of his boxers, Ed touched his penis with tentative fingers. He didn't do this very often. Al was usually around and obviously never slept, so even when he had the urge to do it, Ed would normally push it out of his mind and bury it deep within himself. It wasn't fair that he was able to enjoy his body like that while Al was stuck in the armour.

Closing his eyes, Ed grasped his penis and gave it a couple of strokes with his fingers, feeling it start to stiffen slowly under his touch. Grumbling under his breath, he used his automail hand to push his boxers down around his hips and out of his way. The cool night air kissed his skin, and he felt the skin of his balls tightening pleasurably as he increased the timing of his hand on his cock.

Ed bit his bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth as he arched into his hand. God, it felt good. All over his body, his skin tingled with pleasure. He could feel his nipples hardening under his shirt, and the skin around his automail ports seemed to be particularly sensitive. It was a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one. His cock throbbed and he could smell the scent of his own arousal mixed with the sharp odour of machine oil from his arm. He had just oiled it that night, and the smell of the oil made him start thinking about Winry.

Winry naked, running her hands up and down his body, Winry kissing him, Winry taking his penis into her mouth…

“Oh fuck!” he cried out despite himself, and he immediately regretted not having bitten it back. Someone might have heard, but he just couldn't get himself to care enough to stop. He kicked his boxers further down his legs and past his knees, and spread his legs wide. His hand was moving so quickly that it was a blur in the half light of the room, and his cock was so hard he thought it was going to explode. With his eyes shut tightly and the sound of his blood pounding in his ears, Ed didn't hear the quiet click of the doorknob as it turned, and he didn't see the light from the hallway spill into the room as Alphonse opened the door and stepped inside.

“B-Brother??”

“WAAAAAAAI!!!!!!!!” Ed shrieked and jumped at least three feet off of the mattress as he realized what Alphonse had just come home to. Turning about fifty shades of red, he clawed the entire mass of bedcovers into his lap and sat with his back hunched and his head bowed in shame. Gasping for breath, he immediately felt like throwing up and forced himself to swallow the bile that was rising in his throat.

“I… I'm sorry, brother. I should have knocked first.” Al's voice was squeaky with embarrassment and he closed the door quickly to save his brother from further embarrassment if someone happened to be walking by their room.

“Not… your fault…” Ed croaked painfully, gulping lungfuls of air as he spoke. “It's… your room, too…”

“Still…” Alphonse countered. “I was late coming home. I'm sorry.”

Sighing, Ed flopped backwards onto his pillow, his left arm covering his eyes. “It's okay, Al. What kept you, anyway?”

“Well, I… I met a girl.”

Ed quirked an eyebrow and peered at his brother from beneath his arm. “Oh really? She must have been something special to have kept you out so late.”

Sitting down on the floor next to his brother's bed and leaning against the wall, Alphonse looked sheepish. “I guess so,” he said quietly. “She was nice to talk to, but she had the wrong idea about me.”

Careful not to let the pile of sheets slide off of him as he turned onto his side to face his brother, Ed held it in place with his mechanical arm. “What do you mean, `the wrong idea'?”

If Al could blush, he would probably have given Ed a run for his money. “She thought I was real underneath the armour. I couldn't let her know the truth so I left.”

“Oh... yeah. Sorry.”

It was all Ed could say. He felt stupid. Of course that's what Al had meant. Turning back to face the ceiling, he mentally kicked himself for having had to ask. Wincing, he shifted his position on the bed. His balls felt like they were cramping, and they were causing a tight, hollow sort of feeling in his abdomen. It was very uncomfortable, but he suffered in silence.

An uneasy quiet fell between the brothers, and it stretched on for several minutes until Alphonse could not bear it any longer.

“Brother?” he asked hesitatingly, waiting for a reply.

“…Yeah?”

“Are you… lonely?”

Ed turned his head sharply at his brother's question. “What do you mean by that? I have you, Al. Of course I'm not lonely.”

“That's… not what I meant,” Al almost whispered, turning his glowing eyes in Ed's direction. “I meant, are you lonely. You know…”

Ed's golden eyes narrowed in confusion, and Al sighed in frustration.

“Gah! You really are clueless sometimes, brother. I saw what you were doing when I came in.”

Fuck. Ed groaned and palmed his face with his hand.

“It's okay, you know… It's natural.” Al's voice was plaintive and understanding. It wasn't helping.

“Can we… not talk about this, please?” Ed's voice was tight with embarrassment, and he could feel the burning heat of his blush slowly creeping back into his cheeks.

Al's armoured body scraped a bit as he shifted uncomfortably against the wall. “Okay… It's just that…”

Giving his brother an uncertain glance, Ed took the bait.

“What?”

“Do you remember when we were little? Before Mother died?”

“Yes,” Ed replied hesitantly, wondering where Al was taking the conversation.

“We used to…”

Oh fuck.

“Ed… You remember, right?”

“…Yeah, Al. I remember.”

“Sometimes I think about how it felt,” Al said wistfully. “I can't really remember, but I remember liking it.”

Ed held his breath, not wanting to make a sound. Maybe if he didn't make any noise, he would cease to exist and become invisible.

“It felt good, right brother?”

Damn.

“Uhhh…” he responded eloquently, unable to make his invisible escape and cursing himself for it. “Umm… yeah I guess it did. It was a long time ago.”

“Brother?”

Ed took a breath and held it, letting it out slowly. “Yeah?” His voice sounded tiny.

“I want to see you do it. I want to see you feel good so I can remember.”

Ed's insides suddenly felt like they had dropped out of his body and onto the floor. “Whaaaaat?!?!!”

“Let me watch you. Just pretend I'm not here.”

Sitting up so fast that his head spun, Ed couldn't believe what he was hearing. He clutched the bedclothes in his fists and stared right into Al's glowing eyes. “Are you kidding?! I can't do that!!” Looking away, Ed hugged his bundle of fabric close to his body. “Anyways, it's different now. We're older. It's not right.”

“Please, brother?” Al scraped onto his knees and placed his gauntleted hands on the edge of the bed. His voice was heartbreaking. “Please? I've been thinking about it a lot lately. You said that you'd do anything for me. Just this once.”

Crap. Ed felt his resolve start to crumble.

“I want to know what it feels like. Please.”

Crap, crap, crap. The guilt was too much.

Sighing, Ed loosened his grip on the bundle of sheets and sat forward slightly. It wasn't as if Al was a stranger or anything, and it wasn't like he hadn't already seen Ed naked. If he could give his brother something that he wanted, he should do it.

`Just pretend I'm not here.'

“How do you want me to do it?” he asked, trying not to mumble. He couldn't bring himself to look at his brother.

Al perked up immediately. “What? Oh… I guess just however you would normally do it.” He paused, reaching his huge hands out toward Ed, not quite touching his brother's knees. “Does that mean you'll do it? Thank you, brother! Thank you so much!!”

Al sounded so happy that his brother had agreed to jerk off in front of him, it was just weird. Ed's limbs felt awkward and heavy as he reclined on the bed and laid his head on the pillow. He turned to Al and managed a nervous smile. “Give me a minute, will you?”

“Oh, sure!” Al chirped cheerfully and pulled his arms back, placing his hands in his lap. “Whatever you need.”

Closing his eyes, Ed tried to relax and forget that Al was sitting only a few feet away. He wasn't sure if he could perform under pressure - What if his dick didn't get hard? What if he couldn't get off with his brother watching him?

“Are you okay, brother?” Al sounded concerned, and Ed turned his head to look at him. “You look worried. You don't have to do it… I'll understand if you don't want to.”

Although he was huge, Alphonse couldn't have looked smaller or more vulnerable than he did at that moment. Half-concealed in the shadows, he knelt piously on the floor. His armoured body was hunched, his hands clasped in his lap. His glowing red eyes were prominent in the shadowed sockets of his helmet, and they looked so sad. It was obviously something that Al wanted very much, and also something that only Ed could give him.

“No, it's all right, Al,” Ed said resolutely. “I'm all right. I'll do it for you.”

Sitting up slightly, Ed reached under the pile of covers, and, pulling his boxer shorts the rest of the way off of his legs, tossed them to the foot of the bed. He took another moment to collect himself before lying back down and pushing the twisted mass of bedclothes up and out of his lap. His penis was limp and lifeless, curved innocently against his navel, and Ed was looking at it as if it were the most fearsome creature he had ever seen.

Swallowing thickly, he reached down and took it in his left hand.

First, he gave it a little squeeze in his fist to let it know what he expected of it, and then set to work. He started with a slow rhythm, gradually increasing the pace as he felt his organ expanding and filling with blood. The strange tension that had collected in his groin and abdomen slowly disappeared, and was replaced by a different kind of tension; one that was much more pleasurable. His cock felt tight, and his hand felt good as it slid up and down his shaft. Again, his body was alight with electric tingles, and in a haze he thought that they were sort of like the kind he got when he performed an alchemical transmutation… but they were different. The tingling sensations that were created by alchemy were localized, and these were not. He felt them in his toes, his eyelids, his ribcage, along his thighs… everywhere. But especially his groin.

He could get used to this.

Taking deep, even breaths as he worked himself, Ed remembered dazedly that Al was watching him. Opening his eyes, he turned his head and saw the hulking form of his brother standing a few feet away from him. It had bothered him so much before, but now his embarrassment seemed silly and childish. Al had wanted him to do this. He shouldn't be ashamed.

With his golden eyes fixed dreamily on his brother's armoured form in the darkness, he realized that having Al watch while he defiled himself was kind of turning him on. As if it could hear his thoughts, his cock surged in his hand, and his jaw dropped open. He was really close.

In an effort to draw things out a bit, Ed slowed his hand almost to a stop. He was panting, and his cock twitched impatiently. Holding it upright between his fingers so that this brother would have a really good view, he motioned for him to come closer.

“So do you like what you see, Al? Is that what you wanted?”

“B-Brother…” Al's voice was shaky as he approached the bed. “Tell me how it feels.”

Continuing to caress his cock with slow and even strokes of his hand, Ed looked up at his brother with a distant look in his eyes. “It's kind of difficult to describe.”

“Would you try to? Please, brother?”

“It sort of feels like alchemy, but not just in your hands and arms. It tingles all over, kind of like a really mild electric shock.”

“Really?” Al was mesmerized. “Tell me more!”

“Umm…” Ed shifted a bit, and his eyebrows drew together in concentration. “My skin feels really tight, and I feel like I'm blushing all over. The air feels cool even though it's warm out.”

“Are you cold?” Al's voice sounded alarmed, and Ed shook his head.

“No, it's okay, I'm fine,” he answered quickly. “Are we done talking now?”

“I guess so…” Al said hesitatingly. “Uhh… Brother?”

Ed's brow furrowed in frustration. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Can I touch it?”

Ed's eyes snapped open at his brother's request, but immediately softened when he saw the innocently hopeful expression in Al's eyes.

“Sure, Al. Go ahead.”

Opening his palm and holding his erect penis steady in his hand, Ed watched as Al reached out and brushed the back of his huge knuckle gently against the firm flesh, testing it. He shuddered at the contact of Al's gauntlet on his skin; the boiled leather of his brother's glove felt strange on that part of his body, but he didn't mind it. Extending his finger, Al ran it over the slit at the tip of Ed's cock and gasped when he realized that it was wet. He withdrew his hand to examine the mysterious wetness more closely, and Ed took up the pace again, feeding his aching erection with quick, steady strokes. Whatever amount of arousal he had lost during the interlude with his brother was quickly regained as he pounded himself furiously and brought himself back to the point of orgasm.

Just as he was about to peak, he stopped stroking himself, and Al watched silently as his brother shivered with pleasure.

“Why is it wet?” he asked as soon as Ed had gone silent.

Ed looked at him quizzically. “Don't you know where babies come from, Al?”

Al jumped and looked embarrassed. “Oh! Oh yeah.” Pausing, he didn't look completely satisfied. “…But why is it wet before you finish?”

Ed's brow wrinkled in confusion. “I dunno… Lubrication?” he shrugged. “It feels better when it's wet. I tried it a few times in the shower before. You done asking questions?”

Nodding quickly, Al took a step back to allow his brother some room, and Ed began to stroke himself again. He started slowly, seeming to test himself before quickening the pace and letting himself go, and Al watched, mesmerized by his brother's fascinating display of male sexuality. He wanted to feel what Ed was feeling so badly it hurt, but it was okay. Although it made him sad to watch, he was immensely grateful to his brother for what he had given him. He didn't know how to explain it, but watching Ed touch himself put a lot of his own rising tensions at ease. When they found out how to retrieve his body from within the Gate and restored his brother's body as well, everything would be okay, and he would finally be able to experience everything that he had been missing out on. It was something to look forward to.

Ed was nearing completion, and Al leaned forward in interest. He watched as his brother's chest heaved with increasingly ragged breaths, and his hand pumped faster and faster, fisting his hard shaft like a piston in an engine. Ed's back arched, and he threw his head back with a loud, strangled gasp as white fluid spurted out over his hand and belly, and all over his black shirt. Al couldn't believe how much of that stuff had just come out of his brother. It was all over the place!

Ed looked exhausted. Looking at the clock, Al could see why. “Don't you have a meeting in the morning?” he asked, immediately concerned.

His brother groaned and covered his face with his arm. “Ohhh man, don't remind me! That fucker is going to have a field day. I'll never make it on time!”

“Better get to sleep, then. I'm really sorry I made you do that for me, brother. I forgot about your meeting.”

“It's okay, Al. Don't worry about it,” Ed replied wearily. “I wanted to do it.”

With that, Ed lifted his shirt over his head and used it to wipe the evidence of his arousal off of himself. Throwing it aside, he grabbed his boxers from the foot of the bed and hastily pulled them over his hips. As he did that, Al untangled the sheets and then watched as his brother pulled them around himself and snuggled into bed.

“Night, Al,” he called out, yawning.

Sitting down on the floor next to his brother's bed, Al looked up. Ed had flung his right leg over the side of the bed, and was already snoring loudly.

“Good night, brother,” Al whispered, drawing his knees up to his chin and leaning against the wall. “…and thank you.”

The End.