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“Stupid piece of crap,” Ed grumbled, banging his fist against the steering wheel of the car. “I swear this thing is nothing but junk.”
Alfons gaped at the back of Ed’s head. “Ed,” he began. “Are you seriously blaming the car for your inability to drive?”
Ed twisted around and stared at his roommate, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the car did not in fact suffer some sort of mechanical failure as opposed to wrapping itself around a tree as a result of faulty driving. Ed’s faulty driving, to be exact. “Well…” He paused, thinking of a suitable response. “That’s beside the point,” he concluded stubbornly.
Alfons smiled and shook his head. Far from being annoyed by the loss of his car, he was amused and even somewhat touched by Ed’s rare and random acts of petulance. It was as if he was catching a glimpse of the teen as he might have been at a younger age, back in that fabled world he was always rambling on about. "Whatever you say, Ed."
With a loud grunt, Ed crawled out of the heap and extended his left hand. Alfons took it, all too aware of the quickening of his heartbeat, and allowed Ed to help him out of the backseat. He landed awkwardly on the ground and found himself enclosed in the tight circle of Ed’s arms, the only thing that saved him from falling.
“Thank you,” he muttered, quickly averting his gaze.
“You’re welcome,” Ed replied quietly.
They remained in their accidental embrace until the faraway sound of a passing car reminded them of their present dilemma. Reluctantly, Ed lowered his hands. “... I guess we should get going.”
Alfons let out a shaky sigh. “Yeah.”
The young men grabbed their haul and made their way towards the road from which Ed had so carelessly veered. And while the conversation gradually returned to normal, that fleeting moment remained in the back of their minds, along with the cautious hope that perhaps it signaled the long-awaited turning point in what had always been a rather special sort of friendship.
If only time would be so kind.