Six-year-old Alphonse Elric peeked out from under his covers and scanned the dark room. His eyes were wide open with fear. He thought he saw something move in the corner. Clutching his comforter closer to him he shrank farther back on his bed, still staring at the dark corner, conjuring up images of terrifying ghosts from his active imagination. Coming to a sudden decision, he jolted out of bed, blanket trailing behind him, and ran to his brother's bed, gasping with the sudden burst of activity and fear.
Eyes still darting between the dark corner and his brother's sleeping form, Al debated waking him up. Onii-san would be very angry to be woken up this late. But he was scared. He didn't know what to do. Brow furrowed in concentration, he willed his brother awake. But Ed continued to sleep, arms spread in an awkward position, mouth slightly open, a tiny sliver of drool leaking to the bed.
"Onii-san…?" Al said softly, voice quivering slightly.
Still nothing.
"Edward-san?"
Ed grunted and snuggled further into his pillow, hands tangled with his own legs.
Normally, Al would wonder how he could manage a position like that but now he was too scared.
"Onii-san!" he said more urgently.
Ed moaned and shifted.
"Onii-san wake up!"
Eyes flickering open briefly, Ed went back to sleep.
A little peeved, Al shook his older brother and yelled as loud as he could without waking his mother, "Onii-san, please wake up!"
"Huh, Al, wha-?" Edward slurred, eyes focusing on the disturbance.
"Ed-san, I have to pee…"
"So go pee, let me go back to sleep…" Edward said as he attempted to fall back to sleep.
"No, wait! Onii-san I'm scared. I have to pee really bad!"
"So why wake me up, go pee already!"
"Come with me to the bathroom…please?" Al begged, eyes large and threatening to fill with tears.
Staring at his little brother, torn between frustration and the desire to go back to sleep, Edward sighed and put his feet on the floor.
"Alright, get it over with quick, I'm sleepy," Edward muttered.
"Thank you onii-san!" Al said happily, trailing close behind his big brother as they walked to the bathroom.
When they reached the door, Al dropped his blanket on the floor and raced inside.
Edward yawned widely as he waited outside the door, trying to sleep with his head on the doorknob. His head fell to the floor when Al jerked the door open without warning. Well, actually Al did flush the toilet but Ed was too drowsy to notice.
Ed groaned and rubbed his nose as he stood up, glaring through his half-shut eyelids.
"Onii-san! Sorry!" Al whispered, worried he hurt his brother.
"Idiot! That's the last time you ever drink water before you go to bed you hear me?"
"Sorry onii-san…" Al said, shoulders slumped, head bowed, as the guilt welled up inside him.
"Whatever, come on, let's go to bed…or I'll sleep right here…" Ed muttered, already half-asleep, despite the fact that his nose was throbbing a bit painfully.
"Wait onii-san! I forgot my blankie!"
Ed groaned and waited for his little brother to catch up.
Quietly, they made their way back to their room.
Ed collapsed on his bed and started snoring almost immediately.
As for Al, he was snuggled up in his favourite blankie, smiling and no longer scared. No ghost could hurt him when his onii-san was here.