Hundred Themes EdWin - 040
Egoism/selfishness
Edward Elric was a great many things, and selfish was one of them.
He also happened to have an extremely large ego, a surprisingly startling contrast to his height, but he was selfish, too.
He didn't want to put Winry in danger.
And pigs could fly, he would think sometimes, for all the others will care. He wanted to grow taller, and it wasn't happening, (not as fast as he'd wish, at least.) No one wanted to die, yet it happened.
That was the way it was, and wanting things to happen, or wanting things to not happen was nothing. Nothing at all.
Winry might be in danger.
She would be in danger, maybe because of him.
But he couldn't help and be selfish and hope it won't happen all the same.
Winry was to be protected, not because she was weak (She wasn't; she was infinitely strong and he knew it well), but because she was important.
That was why there were casualties sometimes, namely Ed's arm and leg.
Ed did it anyways, because he had someone to protect. That was why he did all this, because he was still selfish, Alphonse Elric thought ruefully. But then again, Winry was selfish too.
This would hasten the coming of the apocalypse.
Alphonse Elric would have winced if he had a body. His brother and Winry were screaming up a distinct storm.
He could feel the very walls of the house vibrate, could see Winry's trembling of rage, could see how both of them yelled at the other.
It was a ritual, and Winry was the one tossing in the physical abuse, Ed not even lifting a finger to stop her, just sullen.
Once, Al noticed that both their eyes shone slightly with unshed tears. He realized that, maybe, this was how they made sure the other was fine.
They were selfish like that, he thought. But he understood.
Each moment she hit him, he was strong enough to whine, to protest her calling him short. Each moment she hit him, she was strong enough to scream at him, to call up past grievances and to charge him obscene amounts of money.
They were just like that, possibly due to their pride that prevented them from being normal. It was because they were selfish like that, but they somehow...
Somehow... they sort of understood each other. Winry cared, Ed cared, that was all that mattered.
Al smiled inwardly. His brother and Winry could, after all, be odd that way, but it was their love.