[RL, Apollo comforts Alphonse]

[thesoulbound]

Alphonse can't even stand being in the Rockbell house. He sat out in a field, trying to count the stars. He couldn't believe that the imposter could be so...bluntly cruel. No hope...It was as if that person didn't want Al to find his brother. But how could Ed think he wasn't worth looking for? Risking everything like Ed had to bring him back

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[sine_sole_sileo]

One of the stars in the bed of indigo flickered, then came hurtling from its perch towards Earth, beautiful and glittering as it made its descent. It landed several meters from where Alphonse sat in the grass, making neither a crater nor a crash when it made contact.

Apollo coughed once and stood up straight, brushing a bit of dirt off his shoulder. He was a bit rusty on the landing, but after all, he hadn't done that in quite a while. The sun god made his way over the rise in the grass towards the sobbing boy, his movements graceful, but hurried.

"Alphonse..." Apollo knelt beside him, placing a hand on the black symbol emblazoned across the back of the boy's jacket. Such a curious shape! He'd have to ask about it later. "Alphonse, it's me. Apollo."

[thesoulbound]

He missed the flash in the sky, since his eyes were cast downwards. Rubi had come to sit at his feet with a dainty paw on his leg. He stiffened when he felt a hand on his back and finally turned towards the quiet voice. His face was deeply haunted and streaked with tears. He was always the emotional one, and even now he brushed them away furiously, trying still to be the man.

"H-hi...." The boy's voice was thick and choked as he looked away, emberassed that this man would find him in the middle of a field like this.

[sine_sole_sileo]

"Hello," Apollo said softly, lips upturned in a slight, worried smile. He lifted his hand from the boy's back, reaching for his chin and gently pulling his face towards his. "You don't have to hide your tears, Alphonse. There's no shame in crying."

[thesoulbound]

Al looked up then, his chest heaving from the heaving of keens that went unsounded. Then his cheeks puffed out and then sucked back in as he held his breath, still trying not to cry. His brother never cried. His brother never listened to the skeptics and disbelievers. He was so much stronger than everyone, and Al was the weak shadow.

Huge tears rolled down his cheeks and the fragile dam broke. It didn't matter that Apollo was practically a stranger. He gave Al the large red cat that was meowing and rubbing up against his knees, didn't he? Stranger or no, it felt comforting to have another living person before him. Alphonse could lean and cling and cry and there was no one but the kitty and the stars to bear witness to it.