Disclaimer: I own nothing…D;
Note: Kudos to anyone who can guess what fan fiction inspired this. I'd tell you but it'd give it away. XP
Also…remember to look out for 'Bonding Memories' :3
Hollow Heart
It was nights like this that gave the room a heavy, empty feeling.
Hollow, if you'll pardon the pun.
Edward would be found staring up at the ceiling, quietly contemplating nothing in particular, he would try to break the silence.
"Hey, Al."
But Al would not answer, perhaps too scared to do so.
The sound of cracking metal always seemed to fill the air.
"Al…Al, please answer me."
Still no reply would come, and Ed would grow anxious, looking over to the dim shape of his brother in the shadows, "Why won't you answer me…?"
"Brother…?" the whisper would come, chilled and quiet, questioning.
"Al, I'm right here. I promise."
"Brother?" the armoured form repeated, sounding like a scared, lost child.
"Al, it's okay. I'll protect you."
"Brother, it's…dark."
Edward could only smile, that eerie, small smile, pulling himself up, placing light, ghost-like footsteps across the floor, making his way over to his little brother. "I'll protect you, Al. I may have failed you once, but never, ever, again."
"…" Alphonse let silence drag on for a long moment, "Thank you." Came the hushed whisper.
Edward placed a cold hand on to a doubly cold shoulder. "I'm always here for you, though the others may not see it."
"But…" Al whispered, quietly, "Can I really be here for you?"
Ed's smile faded, "No…Al…don't say those things. Please don't."
"I'm sorry brother. I failed you. Not the other way around."
"No…" Ed shook his head, pulling his hand away, taking a step back, and then came the hushed, "Don't say those things."
"Brother…you can't keep lying to yourself like this."
"No…I'm happy with the lie, lying to myself is the only way."
He turned away, going back to his bed, grumbling a, "I'm going to sleep." As he climbed in, turning his back on Al for another night.
X
The mornings were always the same, too. The air was always chilled and cold this time of year in Central, and so Edward would pull on layer after layer of clothing over his uniform (he felt the urgency to blend into the crowd at the headquarters recently, though he always wondered how well it worked with a large suit of armour following him). He'd be pulling on his boots to go to work when Al would scold him, telling him to get something to eat before leaving. Ed would grumble but comply, and go get some fruit before leaving.
The winter winds laced everything in the streets, giving Central that desolate, grim and grey look. Edward hated it.
"Brother." Al would say, looking to the sky, "It's lovely out, isn't it?"
"Only if you can't feel the weather." He spat coldly. Al did not reply. He gave a soft, apologetic smile to his little brother, and continued to walk.
"Brother…" Al began again, looking to the side of the road with longing. Ed followed his gaze to see a small white cat, looking starved and hungry at the side of the road.
Ed shook his head, "You know we can't take it, Al."
"Oh but brother!" Al protested whole-heartedly, "It'll freeze."
Ed sighed, knowing al was right, but also knowing he could not take it himself, "Al. We can't."
"Can't you at least get someone else to take it, brother?"
Ed sighed once more, grumbling compliance again, and moving to a woman with her young child not far from the cat, "Hey!" he called to her.
The woman continued to speak to her son about something Ed didn't care to listen to.
"Hey," Ed repeated himself, frustrated, "Excuse me. Miss."
"Come on, sweetheart," The woman scolded her boy, "We can't dawdle, or we'll be late." And with that, paying no heed to Ed at all, she walked briskly down the road, her son's hand in hers.
Ed grumbled, knowing Al would not be satisfied, so he pestered one or two more people, until eventually a little girl, with out Ed even having approached her, went to pick up the cat on her own.
Ed stalked back towards Al, grumbling something about people in the city being jerks and the like.
Al laughed a little, "C'mon, brother. You don't want to be late, do you?"
Ed gave Al's large metallic hand a quick squeeze with his small, gloved one. "Yes, but that's besides the point."
Al sighed, leading his brother to headquarters.
X
"Yo." Ed called over the counter to Scieszka, "I need you to check some records for me."
Scieszka continued to busily work, not noticing Edward.
"Scieszka!" Ed called, waving his arms frantically over his head, "I sure as hell better get no excuses along the lines of 'Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't see you over the counter.'"
She continued to ignore him, working.
Ed punctuated his frustration with a loud groan, storming off back to Al near the doorway, "Maybe Colonel Bastard can help me." He grumbled as he passed Al, both making their way to Mustang's office, out the open door.
X
Nights…repetitive.
"Al." Edward whispered, "I'm sorry if I've upset you…"
Al gave wanted to give him a soft smile, "You've no reason to apologize, brother."
"Yes, I do." Ed frowned; sitting closing to the cold, dull armour. The shapes were always so hard to make out, especially in the dark. The hotel room was very dark in the evenings.
"Brother…why are we here?"
Ed blinked, caught off guard, "Because I have to work to do, why else?"
Al looked away, as if thinking it over, and he probably was with the silence that befell him, "Unfinished business…?" he mused quietly.
Ed shrugged, "Something like that."
"Are we…are we living in denial, brother?" Al asked, looking to his older brother for console, "I mean…we've no right to be here…right?"
Ed blinked, perplexed, "You're weird. We're together here, that's all that matters." He leaned up giving a chaste kiss on the side of the metal skull and shrugged it off in his usual manner, standing up and going to bed. "'Night, Al."
Nights…repetitive.
X
Chill winds, cold streets. Dull, dismal skies.
The mornings were always the same.
"Hey!" Ed called at work. How many days? Who was counting? "Colonel bastard." Al waited patiently outside.
Roy sighed, turning, exasperated to the young blonde boy in his office, "What is it, Fullmetal?"
"I think I've found another lead on the stone, I want to check it out."
A deep frown creased Roy's face, "Fullmetal…why must you continue to search for the stone?"
Ed blinked, caught off guard, confused, "To restore Al's body…why else?"
"Fullmetal…Edward…" Roy began slowly, unsure of how to put it, "He's gone, Ed. You can't keep going on like this."
A shocked look crossed Edward's face, but it quickly contorted into rage, "I'm getting Al's body back, no matter what!"
"I know he meant a lot to you, but you can't keep lying to yourself like this!" Roy practically shouted the 'advice'.
"Shut up!" Ed yelled back, fully enraged now, "You can't tell me what to do!"
And with that Ed stormed out the door as it opened, shoving past Hawkeye as she entered.
"Please, think it through, at least!" Roy called, worried.
Hawkeye blinked, confused as she closed the door behind her, looking Roy straight in the eye as she placed some paper work on his desk, "Whom were you talking to, sir?"
"Why, Fullmetal, of course." Roy answered casually; flipping through the papers she had just given him, nonchalantly.
A deep, worried frown crossed Riza's features, "Sir…I know he meant a lot to you, but you can't keep lying to yourself like this."
