It had been years since it had happened, but the memory still stung freshly in his mind. Throughout the year, it would become a dull ache, and on very special days, he would barely notice it. But as soon as October rolled back around, the pain would hit him freshly, and it would take every ounce of his being not to spend the day in bed. Memories could be awful things.
"Brother?" Al's voice lulled Ed out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"
He lifted his head from his pillow and tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine."
Alphonse was silent. Then he walked over and sat on the foot of the bed. Every clank of his armor rang through Ed's ears and tugged his stomach even lower. My fault. All my fault.
Neither brother said a word. It wasn't like them to openly discuss 'that day'. They would mention it, but the feelings behind it, really, were hidden. It was partially due to guilt, but mostly due to fear. And who knows that opening up the past could bring? Nothing good, surely.
"We have a mission today, you know. And you still haven't eaten breakfast."
Edward shifted slightly. "I'm not hungry."
The younger brother stifled a sigh. Ed tried to hide it, but he knew he felt bad about every bite that Al couldn't have. And on The Day, it would get worse. Sometimes, he wouldn't eat all day. He didn't do it on purpose. The sadness just stopped him, Al was sure. That had to be it.
"You have to eat something, Brother," Al said concernedly, but firmly. "You need your strength."
Ed let out a sound that could have been a chuckle, could have been a grunt. "Say, Al … you know what day it is, don't you?"
"…Yes. I do."
"It's been years."
"…That's it." The younger brother got up suddenly, and whipped the blankets from his older brother's body.
"What the—AL! Put me down!"
"Okay." Al let him plop to the floor, where he landed on his rump in a not-so-graceful manner.
"What the hell, Al?!" Ed glared up at him, rubbing his rear end. "What was that for?!"
"For moping!" Alphonse bent down, looking him right in the eye. "I get it, Ed. I miss her, too. I … I miss Winry and Risembool and … I miss home. And most of all, I miss having a body. I get it."
Ed looked away, eyes growing dark, but then Al spoke up again. "But we made a promise, didn't we? That we wouldn't forget. And that we'd do whatever we could to try and repair what we lost. Well, we can't do any of that by sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves! Now, come on. Let's go get you some breakfast."
Edward stared back, speechless for a rare moment.
"Ed!"
"Right, right!" He got up, smiling wistfully at his brother. "Al, I—"
"You can thank me when you've eaten."
And for a while, things were okay again. The two managed to hold on a bit longer.
