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Kain shivered in the frigid evening air, clutching the handle of his umbrella tighter and quickening his step as he approached the dorms. The umbrella wasn’t doing much to protect him from the torrent of rain that had plagued East City for the last hour, and the thought of his warm, dry dorm room spurred him on even more. Since Havoc would already be on the way to his date, Kain would have their shared accommodation to himself for the evening, and he planned to take full advantage of it. There was a book on his nightstand waiting to be read, and he looked forward to a hot cup of tea.
He turned a corner and found the dorms waiting for him at the end of the path. Most windows were lit up at this time of the day, forming blurry spots of light behind the sheets of rain. Kain slowed when he noticed a hulking a figure near the entrance, looking pensively towards the steps leading up to the doors.
It was easy to recognize Alphonse by the suit of armor he was wearing.
Kain also spotted a soggy cardboard box that he was clutching against his chest.
“Alphonse?” he asked.
He startled, his head turning to look at him. His eyes were clear to see in the dimness surrounding them, glowing a gentle red. Kain, like the majority of the team, didn’t know what exactly had happened to Alphonse, why he was only seen wearing his suit of armor. The Colonel knew for sure, which meant that the Lieutenant did as well, but the rest of them were left in the dark, only learning that there had been riots in the village the boys came from and they’d been caught up in those. That didn’t stop them from speculating amongst themselves, though. Riots explained Edward’s missing limbs, but Alphonse was another story. How a child that was younger than Edward could move in a hulking suit of armor that towered even over Mustang and Havoc was a mystery. Falman was the one who’d come up with the theory of some sort of alchemical accident and it sounded like the most logical explanation, yet that still didn’t explain why they weren’t allowed to know.
“Sergeant,” Alphonse said in greeting.
“What have you got there?” Kain asked, looking down at the box. He smiled in delight when a saw four kittens cuddled together, their dark fur wet from the rain. “Kittens?”
Alphonse nodded. “I just found them.” He paused and then added mournfully, “In one of the trashcans nearby.”
Kain felt his heart break a little, and he reached into the box to pet one kitten. “Poor little guys. What are you going to do with them?”
With a shrug, Alphonse replied, “The shelters are probably already closed.” He looked towards the dorms. “I thought they could stay with us for the night.”
“You know pets aren’t allowed in the dorms.”
“Just for a night. I’ll sneak them back out in the morning and bring them to the shelter. I’m not worried about the military finding out,” Alphonse said. “I’m more worried about brother.”
“Edward?” Kain asked, surprised. “Doesn’t he like cats?”
“He loves cats,” Alphonse answered, closing the flaps of the box to hide the kittens from view. “He even wanted one when we were little. But mom said no.”
They entered the entrance hall to the dorms, so Kain kept quiet, smiling at the guard, who only spared them a brief glance from behind his desk before focusing back on his newspaper. Kain knew where Edward and Alphonse’s room was, but he still let Alphonse take the lead, following him up the stairs and through the silent corridors. The boys’ room was on one of the upper floors, where the quarters of the higher-ranking officers were located. The rooms weren’t bigger, but they had private bathrooms attached. As a state alchemist, Edward had been entitled to such a room when he’d joined and Kain was glad that the Lieutenant had made sure he got one for his sporadic stays in East City.
It provided the boys more privacy.
When they entered, Kain found Edward sitting on his bed in the corner, several books open around him and a notepad on his lap. Edward gave Kain a distracted wave, but when his eyes encountered the box, they widened in alarm. “What is that?”
“Brother-”
“No,” Edward said, pointing his pencil accusingly at Alphonse. “I don’t wanna hear it.”
“But they’re so cute,” Alphonse answered and set the box down on the bed. “Look.”
Kain saw Edward’s features melt into a smile for just a second before he seemed to catch himself and turned his nose up. “They stink.”
Alphonse chuckled. “It’s just until tomorrow when the shelter opens.” He moved back towards the door. “I’ll see if I can find a dry box in the supplies room.” The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Edward and Kain alone in the room.
Edward threw a glance Kain’s way and huffed. “He constantly finds strays.”
Silence entered as Edward focused on his notes and Kain stood awkwardly. It was always easy to fill the silence with Alphonse. He was talkative and open. Edward was another matter altogether. He was more reserved than Alphonse and didn’t seem to enjoy holding up conversations that had no actual point. Kain had already noticed that Edward kept social interactions with the team to a minimum, turning down invitations to spend time with them outside the office. It wasn’t that he was impolite when he did, he just always found an excuse; research or a mission or meetings with booksellers who seemed to have exactly what he and Alphonse were looking for. Alphonse went along with his brother’s excuses, but sometimes, he didn’t seem happy about it.
He seemed to like being around them more than Edward did.
Kain watched Edward read for a few moments, then the silence got the best of him. He cleared his throat. “Did you know that the Lieutenant’s dog was a stray?”
Edward raised his eyebrows, but kept his gaze locked onto his notes, adding a couple of words in the margins. “Really?”
“Yes. I found him, but I couldn’t keep him myself because they don’t allow pets here. She was happy to take him.”
Edward’s eyes flitted towards the kittens and Kain saw one them was trying to climb out of the box, complaining at the top of its little lungs. It toppled over the edge of the box and landed on the bed with a mewl.
Edward focused back on his notepad.
Kain stepped a little closer. “Al says you like cats.”
He shrugged. “They’re alright.” The kitten tottered over to him, leaving wet paw prints on one book. He used his flesh hand to shoo it away, setting it back into the box when the kitten tried to curl up next to him.
Kain cooed in sympathy, picking it up to cuddle it against his chest.
Edward said, “It doesn’t make sense to get attached. We can’t keep them anyway.”
Kain nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true. I’d love to have a pet, though. It would be nice to have a companion waiting at home.”
“This isn’t home,” Edward answered, half-distracted by his book.
Kain frowned. “It’s not?”
Edward flipped through some pages, pulling another book closer. “It’s temporary,” he replied. “We’re looking for something and as soon as we’ve found it, we’re gone.”
“Even if it’s only temporary, it can still be a home.” Kain smiled. “I believe Alphonse thinks so at least.”
Edward’s gaze was sharp when it flitted towards him. “This is for Al.”
Feeling like he’d crossed some sort of line, Kain backtracked, “I know. I’m not saying… I just think a home can be temporary, as long as you’re part of a community. Part of a team.” He hesitated before he added, “You know, a place that allows you to relax, find some comfort. It might actually be good for you guys to have-”
“What?” Edward asked. “Soccer matches on Sundays and drinks on Fridays and trips to the museum and the zoo and whatever else Breda or Falman found in the paper?” He shook his head. “I have no time for that.”
“Nothing is wrong with taking a break.”
Edward scoffed. “What if there is? What if time is running out?” He snapped his mouth shut a moment later, avoiding Kain’s eyes, his shoulders tense.
Kain frowned. “What do you mean?”
Edward shook his head. “Don’t ever tell Al I said that.”
The door opened and Alphonse entered, carrying a dry cardboard box. “Here we go,” he said. “I found the perfect thing.”
He paused, seemingly noticing the tension in the room.
Edward was still not meeting Kain’s eyes, staring at his notebook.
Kain cleared his throat. “It’s getting late. I’ll leave you to it.” He smiled at Alphonse. “I could come by tomorrow during lunch break and we can take the kittens to the shelter together. I volunteer at a place, they’ll take good care of them. And I’m sure the Lieutenant will let us borrow the car.”
Alphonse nodded. “That sounds good, thank you!”
Edward was still not looking at Kain, so he stepped towards him and set the kitten he was holding onto Edward’s lap. “It’s only temporary,” he said, “but this one still needs a little comfort.”
Edward’s hand curled around the kitten.
Kain smiled and straightened. He patted Alphonse’s shoulder as he passed him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then,” Alphonse answered.
As he left, Kain looked back towards Edward one more time and found him still cradling the kitten, his fingers gently brushing through its fur.
END
Nov-22