Title: Cold Offerings
Author: phoenixjustice
Series: Manga
Word Count: 249
Rating: G
Characters: Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric
Summary: It was the sound of screams that broke Alphonse out of his self-imposed reverie
Warnings: none
Prompt: Comfort
A/N: written for prompt 50 "comfort" at fma_fic_contest over at livejournal.
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It was the sound of screams that broke Alphonse out of his self-imposed reverie; for, since he hadn't been able to sleep ever since his soul was put in the armor, he had to think of different ways to keep himself occupied throughout the night when his brother finally fell asleep.
Edward always put off sleep as much as possible for many reasons; though he would say it was only so he could do more research on getting their bodies restored, it was also, Alphonse knew, to try and keep the monsters at bay. The ones that only haunted Edward.
He thought he could guess some of them, but the voices and memories and phantom apparitions were all for Edward to deal with. If he were able to cry then he would have, at the sound of the soul-wrenching cries let out by his older brother.
He gets to Edward's side in an instant, leaning down, taking one of Edward's hands in his own. He strokes the hand, leaning his helmet down toward Edward's ear, murmuring the same sort of words his mother would say to ease them out of nightmares.
He couldn't offer his brother the warm embrace their mother could.
He didn't know if his hand was cold to his brother.
He could only offer his words and hope that they were enough.