A Paradox Called Life
Ling was relatively sure that it was after the first time Greed saw Lan Fan. After, that Ling first wanted her. He'd noticed her beauty and admired her skill before, of course. But this was different. Greed's reaction to her had been immediate and obvious. Greed was never ashamed of wanting. It was, after all, his defining character trait.
Sometimes, he wasn't sure where he ended and Greed began.
Sometimes, Greed didn't think it mattered.
Except, of course, when it did matter. When he realized he had to pull the two of them apart.
Greed valued his possessions, and Ling was no exception. He had to leave the prince as unharmed as possible. Greed only needed enough of himself to defeat Father, after all.
And in the end, Ling still surprised him with the strength of his own want. Despite all logic, the prince clung to him. Like a wild dog to a freshly killed carcass. Like a little child to a beloved doll.
If he left more of himself behind than he had intended, what did it matter? He dealt the death blow. Father was defeated. He was dust, drifting in the uncaring wind.
And Ling still wanted Greed with an all too familiar aching hollowness in his chest. It wouldn't be the first time he'd wanted something he couldn't have. The red stone in the bottle was a poor consolation prize, and they'd both known it.
As he caught himself smiling a little too warmly at Lan Fan, he wanted to blame Greed and decided he might as well.
He'd lost the power to armour himself, but some of Greed's personality had obviously rubbed off on Ling.
They both agreed it was an improvement, anyway.
A/N: The title is a quote from The Crüxshadows' song, "Immortal," which also served as something of an inspiration for writing this. I highly recommend looking up the song; it's a good song, and some of those lyrics really fit with Greed's character.
I am very honoured that this story was nominated for both "Best Drama" and "Most Original Concept" in The Reviews Lounge, Too, 2014 Reviewer's Choice Awards.