Blau Und Gold, Chapter Two
Title: Blau Und Gold, Chapter Two
Rating: G (Eventually, NC-17)
Type: AU, yaoi
Characters: Alfons, Alphonse
Warnings: AU
Summary: What would happen if Alphonse was sent through The Gate to Munich, and not Edward?
A/N: Chapter two, guys! I wanna say thanks to everyone who's been reading so far! :D All of your comments are so loved, and I hope I can keep you all entertained! ^_^
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Al looked around curiously as Alfons led him into the university, down a hallway that went to the labs. They'd walked in silence most of the way, Alfons only explaining where they were going, and taking few words to do it. Alphonse didn't blame him for being so... awkward. He could feel Alfons' tension and couldn't help but let the same feeling creep over into his own mind, tinting his thoughts. Why had he come out here when he passed through the gate? Just how similar was Alfons to himself? And... Al shuddered as he wondered if there were doubles of other people--maybe even Edward--here in Munich...
Alphonse gave himself a shake to dislodge the thoughts as he was shown into a large room by Alfons. His eyes widened slightly as he took everything in. It was slightly cramped, tables littered with blueprints and strange-looking... were they models of something?... filled most of the floor space, along with a few chairs. There were already several people already at work, hunched over desks and scribbling on papers.
“You can sit here, if you'd like,” Alfons said as he pulled a chair out from his desk, offering him a small smile.
“Th-Thanks,” Al said, nodding and taking a seat.
He leaned back in the chair slightly, eyes still roaming around the room as he wondered exactly what it was that Alfons... did. A frown crept over his face as he stared curiously at one of the odd... things that were scattered about on desks. He'd never seen anything like that before, long and cylindrical with a few small fins at the bottom. Finally, Al's curiosity got the better of him and he turned to Alfons, clearing his throat slightly.
“Alfons?” he said quietly, waiting for the boy to look up from his blueprints. “What's that?” Alphonse asked, pointing to one of the objects in question.
“Mm?” Alfons asked, standing straight and following Alphonse's finger. “That's a rocket,” he said, giving a smile before turning back to his work.
Al tilted his head, eyes widening a little in confusion. Rocket... ? He'd never heard that word before. Al hesitated for a moment, certain that he was about to ask a very stupid question. But, he'd never learn anything about this world if he didn't ask things, so...
“What's a rocket?”
Alfons blinked up at Al, a look of surprise on his face. He stared at Al for a moment, almost as if trying to determine if the boy was joking or not.
“Well, it's sort of like... uhm...” Alfons paused, rubbing at the back of his neck in thought, clearly trying to find the least painful way to explain it to Alphonse. While letting out a thoughtful hum, he reached for one of the models and handed it to Al, who took it and turned it over in his hands, taking in all of the details of it. “It's a vehicle meant to carry a person blast up into space and enter orbit. Well... if built right.”
“Wow...” Al breathed out, eyes darting from the small rocket in his grasp up to Alfons and back again. “And is that what you do? Build these?”
“Not quite. Not yet, anyways,” he said, glancing at the schematics on his desk before continuing. “Until we get more money, we can only draw the blueprints and make models and small prototypes.”
Alphonse nodded and looked up at Alfons, seeing a familiar light in his eyes. It was the same look that Edward would get when talking about Alchemy, or the Philosopher's Stone.
These rockets must really mean a lot to him...
“Do you think they'll really work?” Al asked, head tilting slightly as he trailed a finger along one of the rocket's fins.
“Of course they will!” Alfons said without hesitation, even giving a small snort as if he thought Al were daft for even questioning whether the rockets would work or not. “Some of the smaller ones we've made have even gone as high as thirty feet in test launches,” he said, his tone quickly becoming excited.
Alphonse's eyes widened and he let out a small, amazed noise at that. He couldn't even imagine that, one of those small rockets making it that high into the air. Or... into the air at all, really. Alfons gave a quiet laugh at Al's stunned reaction, moving the model back to where it had been before so it didn't get knocked over at all.
A slightly disappointed look crossed over Al's features when the rocket was taken away, but he didn't say anything, simply going back to watching Alfons work, asking the occasional question, now that he knew Alfons didn't mind explaining things to him.
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“Mm, suppose it's time to go now,” Alfons said, somewhat absently, while he watched his coworkers starting to pack up and leave. He pulled some things from his desk and put them into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and looking over at Al. “Want me to walk you home?” he asked Al with a slight smile.
Al's face fell at Alfons' question and he looked away immediately, fussing with a stray lock of hair, pushing it behind his ear.
“I... n-no, that's fine,” he said, offering the best smile he could.
“I insist, Alphonse,” Alfons said, almost frowning as he looked the boy over, clearly noticing that something wasn't right.
“It's just... I don't... have a place to stay,” Al said quietly, eyes on the floor.
Alfons' frown deepened and he sighed, scratching at the back of his head, licking at his lips slightly.
“Well, your home can be with me, then,” he finally said, smiling warmly at Alphonse. “Let's go,” he said, leading the way out and leaving no room for argument.
“But--” Al started. He cut himself off, though, as Alfons walked off and he hopped up from his seat and jogged a few paces to catch up to the boy. He wasn't sure whether to be amused or disconcerted by how similar to himself Alfons was turning out to be. Taking in a stray off the streets as he was...