Author's Notes

Hi again everyone.

If you're waiting for updates on progressing stories, I'm really sorry but I somehow lost all the data files on my computer. And my fanfiction, not being important in my parents' eyes, wasn't backed up. Meaning I've lost all plans and incomplete chapters, so with most of those, I'm trying to remember what I originally had down and rework the plans, before trying to write up the chapters I lost. Also, since uni has started, I don't have much time to do all that, so expect updates once a week (generally Sunday) at the earliest, and for the most part longer than that, though I might get lucky occasionally.

Not that that note had anything to do with this, but just in case.

Anywho, this is set after the last episode of Brotherhood, in reference to the Edward and Winry scene. Some random thought that occurred to me on the train. If it's a little out of character, I apologize, but I felt the Elric brothers don't quite act the same way with each other as they do with other people.

So enjoy, and R&R.

It Doesn't Add Up

Edward had said he gave half his heart to Winry. So Alphonse wants to hear what's with the other half. Post Brotherhood.

Edward E & Alphonse E

Rating: T

Genre/s: Family/Hurt/Comfort

'Brother?' I've been thinking…'

'Hmm..?'

'You love Winry.'

Al could practically see his elder brother blushing on the other line as he spluttered something nonsensical, trying to form some coherence.

'Why are you asking me that Al?' he cried eventually. 'You know the answer already!' He had, after all, spilled the story at the mercy of his younger sibling's teasing and innocent charm. Despite the fact that he was in Creta and the other in Xing; the long distance seemed entirely inconsequential to their brotherly relationship.

'Well,' Al's voice murmured, and something about the tone made Edward pause.

'Do you?' he asked quietly, and slightly afraid of the answer.

'Not like that,' the younger's frantic voice came through immediately. 'Just like a sister. I was just wondering…why only half?'

'Huh?' Now Edward was just plain confused.

'Why only give her half your heart?' Alphonse clarified. 'There was a time when you would have given far more. She gave you 85% after all.'

Now the elder brother was wishing he hadn't disclosed the details.

'Well…half is for you, and then Granny and Mum and-' he sounded rather flustered, and stopped rather suddenly and not because of why cam next in the list by default either.

'That doesn't even add up,' the other's skeptical voice floated into his ear.

'I realized.'

'Come on Brother. What's the real reason?'

'It's just that-' He really didn't want to discuss that, especially since he was in a public terminal. However, Alphonse seemed to realize where the trains of thought were heading, despite the distance between them.

'Brother…' Now the younger's voice sounded like a mother scolding her child. 'How long are you going to carry that weight? Everything's fine now, has been for more than two years, and the world's moving on, so why do you keep looking back to the past?'

'I can't just let it go,' the other muttered. 'Mum-'

'We agreed.'

'Hughes, the soldiers at Briggs-'

'And what exactly did you have to do with that?'

'-and the Gate knows who else, Lan Fan-'

'I hear she's quite enjoying her automail. She says it's quite handy.'

'That's not the point!' Ed snapped, forgetting for a moment that his side of the conversation at least was audible to public ears and thus earning some odd looks in return.

'Neither is all that!' Al shot back, trying to drill some sense into his brother…again, and causing said brother to hold the earpiece away from him before hastily covering it as he finally noted the stares, successfully muffling the next sentence much to his brother's indignation.

'Are you even listening to me?'

'Sorry Al.' he muttered, this time making sure to keep his voice low. 'People were staring. So what were you saying?'

He heard Al's exasperated sign from the other end, before he responded.

'I said that the world doesn't revolve around you. Remember what Teacher taught?'

'I know,' Ed sighed. 'Part of me recognizes and accepts that, but the other part still sees all that blood, and-'

'You know what Teacher would do if she heard-'

'Eep!' Al could almost imagine his brother looking around in panic, especially as his voice echoed back in mild irritation. 'Dammit Al! Don't scare me like that!'

'Sorry Brother,' he chuckled. 'Couldn't resist.'

'Anyway…part of me also remembers what Major Miles and Kimblee said.'

'Which was?'

'We're too soft and that gets the people we love hurt or killed. Or ourselves.' He trailed off, remembering how the collapse of the mineshaft had left a support bar impaling him.

'Brother?'

'Sorry,' he said again. 'Just remembering how I wound up with a metal bar through my stomach and the Gate knows what else.'

'You never told me that!'

'Umm…whoops?'

'Ed…'

'That's old news,' said brother protested.

'All right,' the other gave. 'But you're explaining when we meet up again.'

'Fine.'

'Back to what I was saying. Winry knows all of that…well, most of it,' he amended, realizing that the time period in which they had been separated was still partly a mystery to her as well. 'And she still loves you. You know she wouldn't want you killing when it can be avoided, and she knows your stubbornness well enough. After all, she's just as stubborn as you.'

'Hey!'

'All that just makes you you,' Al continued, ignoring his brother. 'And you wouldn't go back and change any of it even if you could, because it all went towards the person you are today.'

'Yeah…I get ya.'

'Good.' He paused for a moment. 'How many times have we had this conversation, or variations of it?'

'Not too many,' Ed mused. 'We generally never get around to it.'

'You mean you set us on another tangent.'

The elder laughed sheepishly. 'Not always.'

'So…'

'So what?'

'What are you going to do with the other half now?'

'Um…'

'And don't bother saying you're splitting it amongst everyone. It would never add up.'

A light bulb suddenly flashed. 'Hey! What are you lecturing me for? What about you?'

'Well…umm…'

'Al! Start talking!'

'Hey! We were talking about you.'

'Not anymore. So why aren't you together with May yet? And don't say because she didn't attempt the taboo and wound up bonded to a hollow armor for four years. Or you're too shy, because you don't even have to say anything with the way she attaches herself to you.'

Now it was Alphonse's turn to blush.

'I guess…I'm not over it all either.'

'Which means it's your turn to spill.'

'But you didn't even-'

'Al!'

THE END