Title: Indebted
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist is not mine. I own nothing but my computer.
Rating: G
Pairing: Wrath/Al
Warnings: Shounen ai, drabble-ness
Author's note: Just a little drabble I thought of. I wonder why my spellcheck wants to make "Alphonse" into "Earphones"…?
…
Sometimes, on rainy days, Wrath wondered why the humans took care of him. After all, they sheltered him when he was lost, kept him when he was alone, fixed him when he was broken; all the while he did nothing for them. It didn't make any sense, for all they were going out of their way to give for him, he was doing nothing in repayment.
At first, he assumed they wanted something from him in return, they were expecting him to repay his debt some way or another. Every day, when they offered him food or clothing, he would assure them that he was not able to give them anything in return (and wouldn't, even if he could), but they would just smile and tell him it was all right and to consider it a gift.
When Wrath finally grasped the human concept of gifts, he began to think they cared for him out of pity. Humans were like that, after all; they saw people who were worse off than them and felt some sort of need to stick their noses into that person's business. Wrath found it all rather counterproductive in the grand scheme of things, but he supposed that it was benefiting him in this situation and not to push it. But as time went on and he learned more of the blonde and old woman's feelings (eavesdropping when they thought he was asleep) he realized that they could not possibly feel pity for him.
So why was it, then? Why did the humans welcome him into their household? He would lean against the cold, damp window pane and ponder for a few hours on those dreary days, watching the rain fall from the grey sky.
But then Alphonse would burst into his room, giggling, and grab his arm, dragging him outside into the rain without an umbrella, despite Wrath's protests. The two would run down the dirt road and splash in the puddles and, when they got too tired, collapse back into the damp grass. And Alphonse would smile at him, laughing and panting and finally, Wrath would break down and laugh too, and the two boys would lie there and laugh. They would laugh until they ran out of breath, and then they would smile at each other, communicating more without words. And it was in those moments, when there was nothing but he and Alphonse and the rain falling from the cloudy sky, that Wrath would see everything clearly.
It didn't matter why the other humans helped him. The only one Wrath was indebted to was Alphonse.