She doesn't realize it, but he watches her as she sleeps.
It was borne out of the paranoia of being attacked, and is now a habit he cannot seem to break. He doesn't know why. Perhaps it is because seeing her in her dream-realm, her strange cat next to her curling up in the exact same position she is in, her mouth slightly curved upward in a quiet happiness he will never be able to reach, gives him some sort of peace.
"Immortality!"
He did not fully understand, but the way her voice became desperate and panicked as soon as the word left her lips filled him with quiet fury.
"Dr. Marcoh, do you really know how to make the Stone? How?! Where is it?!"
"Uh...well, that's..."
She was searching for a way to save her clan; he knew at least this much from hearing her speak to Yoki earlier.
But suddenly, as she asked the question, the stone seemed to him a truly evil thing. Not just evil--but terrifying. Something this girl should never come in contact with. Something she should never have to see, or know the true power of.
"Stop that."
His voice, quiet and with barely controlled anger, had made her turn around and stare at him in confusion.
"You mustn't ask about that. It's not something you should desire."
She had not understood, but that was to be expected. She did not yet know what the cost of a Philosopher's Stone was. And he wanted her to never find out.
Watching her now, her chest rising and falling, her face void of everything except contentment, he realizes how odd this is.
She started out as just a strange girl Yoki had found and saved, who insisted on staying and following them in order to repay a debt he had already told her was ignored. She had helped him, that was true--her purification arts and her fighting skills had been of assistance more than once. In fact, she had probably repaid her debt two or three times already and hadn't realized it.
But she was still just a little girl. In fact, that was what he called her--"girl."
But now...
Watching her, the light on her face dancing as the flames of the fire flicker, he finally comes to a realization as to what this feeling is. He has done nothing but destroy for so long he has almost forgotten what it felt like...to want to protect.
Slowly, a quiet smile finds its way onto Scar's face. He cannot remember the last time he really smiled--the muscles feel almost out of use.
He raises his left hand and pats the girl gently on the head.
"Sleep well, Mei."
Disclaimer: The authoress does not own Fullmetal Alchemist. If she did Envy would be wearing pants instead of a skirt and Scar would finally tell us his real name.
A u t h o r ' s N o t e :
The authoress wishes to inform you that no, this is not ScarxMei. The genre of this fic is "family," which means father-daughter relationship. True, we usually don't see Parental!Scar too much (or at all), but the authoress thinks there really should be more of it around. Which is why she posted this little drabble.
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