notes: it actually only loosely fits the theme but whatever I'm half asleep right now. I was gonna lead up to them having sex, but... yeah. I'm exhausted. Maybe another time. I like these two. Amestris, post-canon. Alphonse is 18 and Mei is 16.

Day 7: Breath And Pulse

It took a while for Alphonse and Mei's relationship to get to... that point. Alphonse found her pretty even when he first arrived in Xing, but he convinced himself that it would never work, and that they were just very good friends. ...Mei had different ideas.

She came to visit him about four months after he arrived back in Amestris. Alphonse and Winry prepared a room for the princess and her panda, while Ed complained that "the little annoying girl" was coming to stay with them for a while. Al and Winry both rolled their eyes at him, and Winry promised to bake a fresh pie for the day when her train was due, and Alphonse made sure that the house was clean from top to bottom. Ed, again, complained from the couch... until Winry made him help out.

Mei came right on time, and hugged Alphonse when she saw him at the train station. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too." He hugged her back, and wondered why he felt so strange.

Ed was thoroughly shocked to see Mei. He hadn't seen her since shortly after the Promised Day, after all, and she had certainly grown in that time.

Mei smirked. Xiao Mei bit Ed's finger.

She went back to Xing only too soon for Alphonse's tastes.

The day before she left, she asked to speak to Alphonse in her room. He obliged, naturally, and sat down next to her on the bed.

"This has been wonderful, Alphonse!"

"It really has. It's been great having you here..."

She kissed him. Alphonse's brain couldn't fully comprehend what was happening; his body took over, and he closed his eyes and kissed her back as his heart beat wildly. It was clumsy and somewhat awkward – clearly neither were particularly experience with this sort of thing just yet. She pulled away before the kiss got too intense, and blushed furiously, her heart racing as well. "Alphonse...?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think... when you come to Xing next time... we could go on a date?"

"I'd love that."

Mei smiled. "I should be seventeen by then..."

"Mm, then we'll have to do something special to celebrate..."

She exhaled and kissed him again, this time burying her fingers in his beautiful golden hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist. There was no tugging at clothes or anything like that just yet – which was a good thing, because Ed opened the door without knocking to find his brother kissing the princess.

He blinked, once, twice, three times, before closing the door and walking away.

Neither Alphonse nor Mei noticed.