Trying to both contribute to the Almei tag as well as expand on it. Hope you enjoy this, let me know what you think! :)

He had been in Xing about six weeks when the nightmares started again.

Alphonse Elric jolted in his sleep and sat up, rubbing at one bleary eye, trying to clear his vision and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a moment to remember he was in his room at Xing and not his familiar room at the Rockbell house.

A little black and white ball of fur started awake next to him and gave him a panicked look. Xiao Mei had started taking turns in who she slept with at night and did not enjoy the tumble she took from the crook of Al's neck.

Al took a couple of deep breaths and waited for his heartbeat to slow to a normal pace. When he had first returned to his human body, Al had had nightmares for almost two weeks straight- the byproduct of experiencing countless tragedies and having them all rush in to make sure he didn't forget them any time soon.

But once he had adjusted, once things had calmed down and returned to some semblance of normalcy, the nightmares had stopped and he could truly sleep peacefully.

Until now. They seemed to be back, with a vengeance. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand and gave the little panda a reassuring pet with his other.

Probably stress, Al thought as he shrugged out of his pajamas and put on some day clothes despite the clock on the wall reading past midnight. He knew this was no time for a walk but he knew he wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon and figured the fresh air might help clear his head. Xiao Mei hopped onto his shoulder and snuggled back into a comfy position.

Luckily, he really didn't have to worry about any passersby seeing him and judging him for being out so late- his room was connected to a large private courtyard deep within the wing in the Imperial Palace that was reserved for special guests of the emperor. There were several other rooms connected to the same courtyard as well, Jerzo and Zampano each had the room to the left or right of his own.

The courtyard was beautiful and full of lush plants and flowers. There was a small koi pond, a gazebo surrounded in honeysuckle, and creeping vines trailed across the tall garden walls that blocked out the outside world. The courtyard was a peaceful escape from the chaos of the palace that he quickly found to be one of his favorite places.

Al made a beeline for the gazebo and leaned against the railing once he got there. From here he could see and hear the bubbling of the koi pond and every now and then he would see the silver flash of scales in the moonlight or hear a loud splash as a frog leapt into the water. He smiled as the wind ruffled his golden hair and the anxiety and trepidation his bad dreams had caused all but melted away.

He had been in Xing for over a month now, and while the first month had been full of excitement and wonder and getting to experience a whole new world and taste new foods and see amazing new sights, the wonderment of it all was slowly starting to fade away and was replaced by the frustrations of his daily work studying alkahestry and struggling to accept the fact that he just didn't get it.

He had been so sure that once he got his body back, once he was back in proper health again, he would finally be able to get a grasp on the Dragon's Pulse and begin to master alkahestry just as he had alchemy and martial arts.

Sadly, six weeks in, that didn't seem to be true. He still struggled understanding the vague, spiritual concepts, he didn't understand the energy source and he had not so much as felt a tiny ripple of the Dragon's Pulse that Mei swore was in abundance around them. The only thing he seemed to excel in was memorizing the complex history behind alkahestry and the actual act of throwing kunai (which, to be honest, he wasn't that good at, yet).

Not to mention, life in the Imperial Palace was a whole new ballpark. It required an in depth knowledge of how the class system worked and a lot of etiquette training, and despite all that he found he still fumbled something up on an almost daily basis which was almost always excused with a "don't mind him, he's Amestrian."

Which was true. But it was still embarrassing! Al had always prided himself on being polite and intelligent and yet somehow he managed to piss off a whole room of elders by somehow pouring tea the wrong way!?

On top of all that, he knew Jerzo and Zampano were looking up to him to help get their bodies back to normal. He didn't even know where to start with that! He was intelligent and had an amazing understanding of alchemical theory, sure, but Ed had always been the mastermind, the true prodigy- Al was on his own without his brother for the first time and he was starting to wonder if he was really capable of all that much without Ed by his side.

Al sighed and leaned back against the railing of the gazebo, trying to push all the negative thoughts aside. It wasn't like him to be so hopeless but a lot had happened in a short amount of time and it was really beginning to take its toll on him.

A little voice of doubt whispered in the back of his mind that maybe he had been too presumptuous in coming to Xing, wasting Mei's time with the task of teaching him alkahestry. She had seemed eager when she agreed to show him everything she knew but as the days went on and Al didn't seem to be getting anywhere, he couldn't help but feel he was just another burden in her already busy lifestyle.

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the callouses that were already beginning to form on his fingertips from the daily practice of throwing knives or even just writing.

Maybe I should just go back to Amestris… he began to think, allowing his doubts to creep through the cracks in the mental wall he had built around them. He tried to shake them off. He couldn't let his chimera friends down that easily! Plus, he still had a whole world to see. And even if he was a bad student, Mei would be upset if he just up and left, right? He hoped so, anyway, but seeing as she seemed to be frustrated with him by the end of each lesson, he really wasn't so sure.

Speaking of Mei, Alphonse suddenly realized he might not be the only one awake at this ungodly hour.

Each of Ling's brothers and sisters had their own set of rooms at the palace and while most of the imperial family members chose to live in the more lavish, heavily guarded houses in the royal sector, Mei had moved into one of the rooms connected to his courtyard, seeing as they would be involved in some form of training almost daily. Her rooms were across the courtyard from his and, standing in the middle of the gazebo, he could see a light coming from her garden (unlike his room, Mei's had its own personal garden attached to it, where she tended to different plants that were used in the medicinal arts).

Al couldn't help but wonder why Mei could be awake, or maybe she had just left a torch on in her yard? If that was the case, should he jump the wall and put it out? Maybe he could send Xiao Mei- could a panda put out a fire?

He walked up to the wall that divided the main yard from her garden- about ten feet tall, it was draped in creeping ivy and latticing. It would be a piece of cake to climb up or, even easier, he could just transmute a ledge and hop over and see for himself.

If she was awake though, he wouldn't want to intrude, especially since she may not be properly dressed, given she thought she was alone. He wouldn't want to barge in on her if that was the case. He picked up a couple of pebbles from the ground and bounced them in his hand for a bit, mulling it over. Maybe he could toss a rock and wait for a reaction? If none came he could scale the wall and check. Or he could just knock on her door, but he didn't want to wake the girl up…

In the end he decided to ignore it, knowing what he really wanted was some company since he couldn't sleep, but he shouldn't risk waking Mei for something so silly and selfish.

He was halfway back to the gazebo when he heard her call his name. "Alphonse!"

She was perched on the garden wall like a cat in the night. For some reason, that image of her stuck in his mind for a long time. Maybe it was the way she was bathed in moonlight, or maybe the way the wind flirted through her long hair, or maybe, even, it was the way she was perched above him as if out of reach yet smiled to him so warmly, so invitingly. No matter what it was, he knew, years later when he would look back on everything, that this was the night that something was set into motion, the night something began to change.

"What are you doing up so late?" She asked in a voice that was almost coy, repressing laughter.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied with a smirk of his own, crossing back to the ivy covered wall.

With a clap and a quick burst of energy, a flight of stairs erupted underneath him, giving him just enough height to break Mei's fall as she leapt down to his level; he caught her about the waist and set her down gently before dissipating the stairs altogether. Again, her grace reminded him of a cat.

"Hello, traitor," she said playfully, booping Xiao Mei on the nose. The panda just huffed and then leapt to her master's shoulder instead.

"I saw your light was on and almost came to check on you but I didn't know if you were asleep or not," Alphonse said.

She shook her head. "No, I was awake. There are a few flowers that only bloom at night this time of year so I've been monitoring them…" Her brow knit together in worry. "Oh no, my light didn't wake you did it?"

Al chuckled as they wordlessly made their way back through the courtyard. Instead of heading to the gazebo they took a turn to the right to pass by the koi pond. Mei seamlessly slid up against him, wrapping her arms around one of his as they walked. He had quickly discovered that Mei was very physically affectionate and almost always linked her arms with his this way when they went anywhere. He didn't mind; he had already adopted the habit of extending his arm to her whenever they went somewhere together.

"No, I can't even see your room until I'm in the gazebo. I was already awake. Do you always do your gardening at night?"

That got him the smile he was hoping for and a playful nudge. Despite having come to her as a student, Mei had quickly become a close friend and he enjoyed making her laugh or smile when he could.

"Not usually. I do like spending time in my garden, though, especially at night. It's one of the few places I can actually take a break from everything and just be alone," she added in response to his questioning look.

"Oh," he replied a little crestfallen. "Sorry, if I disturbed you then."

"Ah, no!" She quickly corrected, pulling him in even closer. "I didn't mean- I always enjoy your company, Alphonse!"

She gave him a genuine smile and that helped lift his spirits.

"Really?" He gave a short laugh. "Even after how badly I did in our last lesson?"

Mei rolled her eyes. They had left the koi pond and made their way back to the gazebo. She broke away from him to sit on the railing and his side felt cool in her absence. "Yes, even then. I'd rather have the company. I don't really like being by myself anyway, but I never really have a choice."

He leaned on his elbows against the railing next to her, overlooking the peaceful garden. The moon was bright enough that he could make out every individual honeysuckle on the bushes surrounding them; their scent filled the air with a pleasant aroma.

"What do you mean?"

Mei shrugged.

"I just mean… I don't really have any friends besides Ling and Lan Fan, and I never get to see them anymore, and all my family is back in my hometown so it was pretty lonely before you and Mr. Jerzo and Mr. Zampano showed up so I'm really grateful to have you here."

Mei caught his eye and immediately blushed, realizing what she said, and quickly looked away. Al bit back the smile that tugged his lips at the flustered look on her face; he was actually relieved to hear Mei in fact enjoyed having him around and didn't see him as the burden he felt he was.

"Um," Mei continued after a moment once most of the color had left her face, "you never told me why you're awake anyway?"

She shot him a questioning look that said I told you why I was up, now how about you?

"Oh, um," he faltered a bit, not wanting to admit to his recurring nightmare issue. "Just couldn't sleep. A lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

Alphonse Elric didn't like lying, but he also didn't like making people worry about him. So he chose a half truth and said,

"Oh, just frustrated at myself for not getting the hang of Alkahestry yet."

Mei's eyes knit in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Al was already starting to wish he had kept his mouth shut. He felt awkward already.

"I guess I just thought I would be getting it by now? I know it's only been a few weeks, but…"

Alphonse flexed his hands in and out, willing them to suddenly just know how to transmute from a distance. "I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere closer to anything."

When he turned to face Mei again he was shocked by the stern, huffy look on her face, one he had seen quite often at the end of each failed alkahestry lesson.

"Alphonse!" She practically barked and he flinched. "That is your problem!"

"What?" He was confused and set back by her accusatory tone.

She sighed and said a bit more softly, "You need to quit being so hard on yourself. You've only been studying for a few weeks, right? Alkahestry isn't something you just get overnight."

"I know, but… I feel like I don't get it at all. Still."

She gave him a calculating look and then a soft smile. "That's okay." She hopped down from her spot on the railing and picked up one of his hands, turning it palm side up. "Alkahestry can take years to master. No one understands it in just a month. You're making more progress than you realize, I think." She pointedly ran her thumb gently across the callouses forming in his palm- reminding him he was at least excelling in throwing knives if nothing else.

He gave a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Mei. I guess I just feel like if brother were here instead, he would have already figured everything out."

She frowned and dropped his hand. "Now that right there is your main problem!" She turned so she was facing out into the courtyard with him, pressing up against his side again. "You are every bit as capable as your brother, Alphonse, and just as smart and talented as he is- if not more so. You're the only one who doesn't seem to realize that."

Al had to bite back the automatic laugh from Mei dragging his brother, and managed a soft, "Okay, okay, you're right. Thank you for reminding me," he added quietly.

Mei smiled and they settled into a comfortable silence after that. A warm wind blew through the garden, rustling the trees and flowers and picked up the ends of Mei's hair.

He had been so preoccupied by their conversation that he only just then really noticed that he had never seen Mei's hair down before. She always wore it in some form of buns and braids and now it was loose and spilling down her back, almost to the tops of her thighs. The warm breeze stirred up not only the scent from the flowers but the scent of her shampoo which was sweet and fruity itself.

Alphonse smiled and reached out, letting a few black strands tangle in his fingers in the wind.

"I've never seen your hair down before," he said with a bit of wonder. A lot of the younger princesses wore their hair loose it seemed, but Mei never did. "It's so long."

She smiled and swiped a couple loose strands from her face. "I haven't really cut it since I was little. It honestly gets in the way so I always pull it back during the day."

"I like it," he said simply, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "It's pretty."

Again he caught the slight blush on her cheeks and the sparkly look in her eyes and he wondered if that was an inappropriate thing to say and do- but then he realized he was alone, late at night, with a girl pressed right up against him.

It was his turn to feel a bit flustered. He knew if someone caught him alone at night with a princess (in her night clothes, no less) there was no telling how much trouble he would be in. But Mei was his friend and just being with her had a calming effect on his troubled mind and so he figured he would just have to not get caught.

They chatted for a bit after that, about casual or mundane things. He asked about her garden, about their upcoming lessons, about the meetings she was dreading with Ling's stuffy old council members. He knew it frustrated her that they never took her seriously due to her age, her gender, her status.

A far away clock chimed in the distance, signaling it was well past 2 AM, but neither of them acknowledged it. Maybe each one had realized this was their first time truly alone together since Al had come to Xing and neither one of them wanted to disrupt the little bubble of privacy they had somehow created in the dead of night.

He told her about his days with Izumi-sensei and Mei balked at the harsh treatment the woman had put two children through. But then he told her the story about Ed eating ants and she almost died of laughter.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she choked out around sobs of laughter, "He won't drink milk, but he will eat ants?"

Alphonse felt guilty for making fun of his brother but he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it either. Finally the laughter was put to an end by one of Mei's huge yawns. Xiao Mei had already fallen asleep again in the girl's arms and he realized it was so late that it was getting early.

"Oh, um, I guess we should probably get to sleep, huh?" He said with a sheepish grin.

"Mm, yeah," she mumbled, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand. "It'll be morning soon."

He stood and took her hand to help her up as well.

"Goodnight, Alphonse. C'mon, Xiao Mei."

"Goodnight. Oh, and thanks."

She turned back from her side of the gazebo. "Thanks for what?"

"For talking with me." She shot him a confused look; he had never told her about his nightmares or how her company helped calm him down. "Never mind. I'll see you in a few hours, then?"

Finally they parted ways and when Al shrugged out his clothes and crawled back into bed, he felt a lot better than he had before.

...Until dawn came, and his chimera friends gave him a rough, rude awakening. They had no idea he had spent most of the night awake so they were baffled when the usually punctual Alphonse had to practically be dragged out of bed a half an hour later than he usually got up. An hour later he was showered, dressed and in the main hall where Ling and his special guests and inner court members all met for breakfast.

He caught Mei's eye more than once and they both silently acknowledged the other's dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep, but no one else seemed to catch on and the little smiles they shared told a simple secret that only they knew about.

They started meeting more frequently after that. It was always at night, in the courtyard. They never really discussed or planned it, but they would frequently find themselves passing the hours in the gazebo or under the stars by the koi pond.

Some nights Al would head to the gazebo and find she was already there, waiting. Some nights he would stand outside her garden wall and catch her just as he had that first night. Some nights he would wait outside her room for her to join him, but no light would be on and he would eventually accept she wasn't going to show and would return to his own room. And some nights she would wake him up by tapping on his window and she would smile and apologize for showing up so late but he never minded; honestly, those nights were his favorite.

They didn't meet every night or even every week, but they always picked up where they had left off as if hardly any time had passed between their last twilit conversation and the next one.

They talked about their daily lives, because seeing each other on a daily basis, they were both wrapped up in numerous obligations about the palace: Mei had duties to function as the mouthpiece for her clan and as one of the residing imperial alkahestrists, and Alphonse was roped into countless meetings regarding foreign affairs with Ling-objected constantly that he was in no way qualified to be part of such discussions, but Ling said he trusted Al's judgement and mostly wanted him there for his second opinion of people's character and not for his actual advice or input on social matters.

He had just finished going into detail about one such meeting and laughed to himself about how pointless it felt since most people spoke Xingese in these meetings and he only knew polite greetings.

"They must think I'm a total idiot," Al said, sitting on the steps of the gazebo. Mei was sitting on the bottom step, twisting flowers that Xiao Mei was fetching into a sort of braided crown. "I don't know why Ling keeps bringing me to these things, I have no idea what's going on until he explains them later."

He wasn't even sure if she was listening until she looked up and smiled.

"It's because they like seeing you."

"Uh-what? Who does?"

"Well, um, everyone?" Mei said, accepting another cluster of flowers from her pet panda. "We don't get that many Amestrians here due to the desert and your appearance alone has people impressed, not to mention being a well-known, talented alchemist!"

"What do you mean by "my appearance"?"

"Well everyone knows of the legends of the Western Sage- he was an immortal man with gold hair and gold eyes who came from across the desert. I'm sure you can guess what they are all thinking!" She said in an almost playful tone.

Al fought back a blush he felt creeping on his face. He didn't realize he had been on the radar this whole time.

"Surely they don't think I'm some sort of… second coming of the sage, right!? I'm just some guy, studying alkahestry!"

"You kind of are though, in a way!" Mei said excitedly, turning towards him. "Your father was the original sage right? And he traveled here just like you did, so it's a pretty accurate assumption to make!"

"Yeah, but, dad was like… amazing!" Al said a bit bashfully, thinking there was no way he could ever live up to his father's abilities. "He introduced alchemy here and changed the way people used it and- again, I'm just here to learn from you."

"Yes, but that's amazing in and of itself! And relates back to the fundamentals of alchemy, right?" Mei had the bright sparkly look in her eye she got when she was excited about something.

"Uuuuuh… you lost me," Al admitted.

"No, it makes sense!" Mei babbled as if she was just realizing the thing she was saying as she was saying it, pressing her palms together and almost squishing the flower crown she had made. "Your dad was the one who came to Xing to teach us about alchemy and the Xingese people took that and developed it into its own philosophical practice and art form and made something totally unique! And now, centuries later, you're the sage's son come to learn about the practices that your own father set into motion. The west taught the East and now East teaches the west, in turn! Isn't that amazing!"

Al couldn't help but smile and be reminded of the way Winry excitedly babbled about automail with the way Mei got excited about pedantic alchemical bits of information.

"Okay, it's pretty cool when you put it like that," Al admitted. "I never really thought of it like that. I still can't believe my own dad had such an influence on a whole country- or the world, even."

"It's so cool," Mei said as she rose and came to sit beside him. "It's like that concept your alchemy teacher drilled you in."

"All is one, one is all? Yeah, I guess it is like that. A cycle, of sorts," Al smiled, thinking about it. It was kind of ironic- he had been taught by two different people about a practice his own father was responsible for spreading. He had studied alchemy as a child from his own father's books- hearing about the eastern sage and not realizing that he had practically been hearing it from the horse's mouth.

"The people here don't really think I'm him do they? I mean, I know it isn't crazy, but it really is kind of crazy to believe."

Mei shrugged. "People in Xing are still kind of superstitious about alkahestry- a lot of people think it's more like magic than a science. Also, the people who frequent the court are absolutely saturated with gossip and rumors and can't go a day without talking about who did what to whom, so, really there's no telling what they actually think of you," she said with a laugh. "I think most people just find you… intriguing? A mystery? You just show up one day and are already close with the Emperor, so of course people are going to talk."

"Wow. Can't wait til everyone finds out how boring I really am," Al joked but Mei jabbed at his side with her elbow.

"You aren't boring! Even if you aren't the Sage incarnate, you're still really talented! You can transmute without a circle and you've done so much at such a young age and- you saved the world, even if most people don't know it! That's amazing, way more amazing than even being the western sage's son!"

Al couldn't help but swell with a bit of pride that Mei thought so highly of him even after all this time.

"Oh, well, thank you," he replied, thinking most girls wouldn't be impressed by this stuff. He was lucky he somehow wound up meeting the one girl it would impress. Like himself, alchemy was one of the major driving factors of Mei's life and interests and it was something they never tired of talking about or exploring.

"Your father came from Xerxes, right?"

"Yeah, before… well, before, everything happened."

"So, that makes you and Edward the last of the Xerxian people, right?" Mei pointed out. "I don't think anyone has ever seen anyone with gold hair and eyes since your dad was traveling back in the day. That's really unique. You're like the last surviving descendant of a long thought extinct race. If that's not interesting, I don't know what is," Mei said with a finality of sorts.

"Wow. I hadn't really thought about it but I guess we really are the last of the Xerxians. I mean, brother said he met some people living in the ruins of Xerxes but they were all Ishvalan refugees. We would be the last descendants, after our dad died…"

He trailed off, lost in thought and only snapped back to reality when he caught the teasing little smile on Mei's face.

"What are you grinning about?"

"Oh, nothing," she said in an almost sing song voice. "Just thinking that with you being the last of your people and all- doesn't that kind of automatically delegate you to some role of power?"

"What?" He asked with an incredulous laugh.

"Xerxes had a king right! Lineage laws dictate that the right to rule passes to a named heir or next of kin- and by default, that's you!"

"I think you're being ridiculous-and forgetting my brother. He's older, right? He would be next in line."

Mei made a face. "Edward has no temperament to rule."

Al laughed and said, "And I do, huh?"

"Yes. You would make a wonderful prince, who ruled with kindness and tolerance to all." He could tell by her voice she was just being playfully dramatic by now, so he decided to play along.

"Alphonse Elric, Prince of a Pile of Rubble; loyal subjects- none."

"You'd have subjects!"

"Oh, excuse me- Prince of a Pile of Rubble, subjects- a bunch of stray cats."

It was probably due to it being half past one in the morning but they both laughed a lot longer and harder than they should have at that- Alphonse's love for cats was no secret among the Xingese Palace, seeing as cats were allowed to live freely as mouse catchers and he had made it his personal mission to find and pet every single one.

"Alphonse Elric," Mei said regally when she had sobered up from her fit of giggles, the way young lords and ladies who held titles were often announced. She lifted the flower crown she had made and dropped it atop his head like an actual crown. "Theoretical Prince of Xerxes."

He chuckled and plucked one of the loose flowers, leaning in just enough to tuck it behind Mei's ear.

"Mei Chang," he said in a similar voice. "Actual Princess of Xing."

Mei smiled, gingerly touching the pale pink flower. At the time he assumed she had discarded the flower after they parted, but years later Alphonse would learn she had actually kept that very flower pressed between the pages of her favorite book.

"I think I'm glad you're not a prince," she said quietly after a time.

"What?"

She wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees.

"The life of a prince, being cooped up in a palace and tied up in political affairs… Being stuck in one place wouldn't suit you."

Alphonse frowned, removing the flower crown and beginning to fiddle with it. "What do you mean?"

"You'll be leaving soon. Right?" She gave another smile that didn't meet her eyes before turning away, but she continued, "Isn't that your plan? Once you've mastered Alkahestry, to continue east, travel the world?"

"Oh. Yes, it is," he answered flatly as if he had just realized this himself, despite it having been his plan from day one. Once, travelling the world had filled him with excitement and high hopes but suddenly Al found the idea of moving on dampened his mood and darkened his heart.

It didn't take him long to realize why. While he may have been a "theoretical" prince, Mei was, as he had said, an actual princess. And she wasbound to this place, whether she liked it or not.

That's right, Al thought, One day, I'll be leaving.

And just as he had left his home and family behind in Resembool, he would be leaving Mei behind here. The thought of one day no longer being able to count on their nightly visits and talks suddenly filled him with dread and a hollow sadness he had not felt since he had been in the armor.

"Well," he said aloud in a cheery tone, "that won't be for a long time anyway!"

"It won't?" Mei looked confused, hopeful.

"Nope," he smiled and stood, brushing off his pants then offering a hand to help Mei stand as well. "If I'm not leaving till I've mastered Alkahestry looks like I'll be here a while- I'll be grey instead of blonde and then no one will think I'm the Western Sage anymore!"

That earned him a smile and an elbow to the ribs. "Don't you start on that again, Alphonse Elric!" She scolded, but there was no heat to her words, just mirth.

"It's late. We should probably go to bed," Al said while stifling a yawn. He would rather end the night on a happy note instead of dwelling on the uncertainty of the future.

She agreed and said good night but as she turned to leave Al was filled with a sudden dread and before he fully processed what he was doing, he reached out and quickly grasped her hand in his, stopping her in her tracks with a breathless, "Wait!"

He was never sure why he did it. Maybe the sight of her leaving reminded him of his own eventual departure. All he knew was that he was suddenly standing there with her hand in his, staring down into her worried brown eyes. He felt his heart hammer in his chest and his tongue tie in knots and a jumble of words tangle in his mouth as several things threatened to pour out.

He wanted to thank her for all her help, in both Alkahestry and reassuring his doubts in himself. For talking to him and being his friend.

He wanted to tell her not to worry about him.

He wanted to reassure her that no matter where he went he would always come back even if he couldn't actually make that promise.

He wanted to hold her, he realized suddenly. To pull her into him and hold her close and feel her warmth pressed into him just like the time she hugged him when he got his body back, but this time he wanted to return it tenfold with arms that weren't wasted and atrophied.

He didn't, though. He faltered and stared and crushed the crown of flowers he still held in the hand that didn't hold hers. The petals rained to the ground between them.

"Um…," Was all he managed, feeling the blush creep into his face.

He wasn't sure if it was something she saw in his face or some grace of god but before he could speak or do anything else even more embarrassing, Mei stepped into his arms and pulled him into a hug as if she could read his mind. He hesitated for a moment before pulling her tight against him.

"Mei…," he muttered in a hoarse whisper, burying his face on the top of her head; she still smelled sweet. He opened his mouth to continue but then realized he didn't need to, and for a moment he just held her close, trying not to think of all the things he didn't want to think about.

"It's like you said," she said when she finally pulled away. She smiled up at him despite the little tears pricking at her eyes. "That's a long time away. Right?"

He couldn't help but smile back, wondering how this girl he had met by chance almost three years ago always seemed to know exactly what to say or so to comfort him.

"Right. Thanks."

With that they both went to bed, and the days passed as they had; by day he continued to study and struggle and learn about alchemy and ways of the east and at night they continued to share their stories and sometimes, when they passed each other in the hall or caught each others' eye they would share a secret smile that only the other truly understood.