Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, FMA:B or any of the characters. Why would you assume otherwise?
A/N: Just a quick little writing warmup inspired by a tumblr post. hehehe. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of writing more often when I get back to school this weekend!
"Why can't Winry do it?" Al whined, only slightly put off by his brother's overly-protective attitude. He sank further into the pillows of his hospital bed, almost being completely swallowed as the down cushions clung to his bony frame.
"Because, Al. She's busy. And I can do it. I don't have anything else to do." Ed picked up a pair of scissors and came towards him, "It'll only take a few minutes."
"No. Nope. I'm not doing it."
"I'm not going to mess it up." Ed said, exasperated, "Let me just fix it. You look weird." Ed glared at his brother, but couldn't keep the act up for long. His eyes softened and he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Look I really want to be there for you, every step of the way."
"You think I don't already see that?" Al leaned foward and grabbed ahold of his brother's shoulder. "I know you're going to be here. You've always been here for me, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything by yourself."
Ed looked down at the scissors clutched tightly in his hands. One was still visibly weaker than the other, a mark of how much both of them had lost and gained in the last few months.
"I'll always be here. And I might not always make the best decisions or know what to do, but I just want to do what I can." Al nodded. He already knew all of it. He held out his hand for the scissors. Ed handed them to him. He then reached forward and pulled the black hair tie from the bottom of his brothers braid. When Ed protested he shushed him.
He pulled his long hair into a ponytail and secured it with shaking hands. He raised the scissors and with three hard snips had taken the entire thing off. His brother watched in amazement as he pulled the complete ponytail onto his lap and handed the scissors back to his brother.
"You can make it even if you want to." Al said, smiling. Ed had him move to the end of the bed and placed a towel behind him and around his shoulders. As his brother continued to cut his hair shorter and shorter, Al felt the weight of the last few days lifting from him. At first his body had felt foreign, but he could now see that, like everything- it was an adjustment.
"So what are you going to do with that extra hair?" Ed asked as he worked on his brother's bangs.
Al ran his fingers through the silky smooth blonde hair.
"I was talking to the nurse earlier. There's a little girl here who is very sick and has lost all of her own hair. I know what it's like to feel different because of your appearance. I think she could use it more than I can."
A/N: Please read and review. If you have questions about donating your own hair please contact me or visit the Locks of Love foundation website. Thanks,
Lee