Disclaimer: Copyright of Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Arakawa Hiromu and Square-Enix.
Timeline: after ch44 of the manga
Spoilers because of the timeline? None really.
Vanilla presents for you to shred or possibly enjoy:
Waiting
When did his back strengthen like this? He was never heavily built, always just that inch shorter than his younger brother and I. Always the one who acted on impulse and childishly careless of the consequences of his actions. Al was always the one who played peacekeeper and I was the one holding Ed back (With violence if needed be)
That is if he wasn't playing peacekeeper between me and Ed.
So when did his back seem this big? His shoulders seem to have broadened. Those shoulders are different from the ones that carried a school backpack filled with junk food. He carries something intangible now. Something I can't see. Something he won't tell me.
You know, sometimes I wish I was their sister. I believed they'll tell me more if I was. I'm not so sure now, after all these years he comes back once every while to get his scared, chipped or shattered automail fixed. Maybe this is what I'm better at.
Teasing him had always been fun. He reacted dramatically and amusingly if the right buttons were pushed, such as… "milk" and "short". There were other reactions though, less amusing ones. The ones where his eyes darken and his lips press tighter together as he glared at whoever dared to mention his "dad".
Al is always the one acting responsibly. Telling him to not talk with his mouth full, not to sleep with his belly exposed, not to snatch things without asking, not to do this and that. I thought Al played the 'big brother' role way better than Ed back then. But when it came down to it after the death of their mother, Ed was the one who stood strong. I think he regrets that now. He should have just listened to his mother's last words, made use of the money they had and lived a peaceful life with Al at his side.
He didn't though.
So now he carries remorse, pain and the additional weight of automail on his shoulders. Those I know and understand, but they would have just pushed him deeper into the dark wouldn't it? He wouldn't stand before me, walking forwards… away from me… if it was just that. I wonder what other experiences he carries on those shoulders. What has he seen? What has he done? What has he been through? I know nothing of it all.
What else can I do apart from waiting?
Nothing.
But I'll make sure he knows I'll be waiting.