Author's Note: This was yet another hard one. The theme is so vague! DX I don't even remember how I finally came up with this idea anyway; I probably just imagined Al sighing and what kind of situation that would be. Then the ending occurred to me as I was about to start writing it.

Timeline: None

Theme 53: Sigh

Most people saw Alphonse Elric as somewhat naïve and gullible, believing that there was good in everyone and letting his older brother run his whole life. Some people said to themselves that he should have more initiative, that he shouldn't let Edward command his every move.

They obviously didn't know how manipulative Alphonse could be.

When they had been children, Edward would often be reading a book when Alphonse would want to play a game. Alphonse would never say anything. He would just stand at Edward's side, holding the ball or toy he wanted to play with. He would stare at the side of Edward's face for a long time, waiting for Edward to look up. Sometimes Edward would look up as soon as he sensed Alphonse's presence; more often, it became a test to see how long he could keep reading his book and stubbornly ignoring his little brother. And just when it seemed that Edward had won, Alphonse would give a little sigh.

Edward said it was the most pathetic, plaintive sigh in existence; he didn't know how Alphonse did it. Regardless, it always snapped his concentration. He would look up, grumble a little, and snap his book shut. Then he would run off and play with Alphonse.

Alphonse even used this technique when Edward got angry with him. Edward would cross his arms, look in the other direction, and pout angrily, refusing to apologize even when he had hurt Alphonse's feelings. Alphonse would sit looking timidly at him, and sometimes the pressure of his eyes, the tension of his silence, would be enough to soften Edward's heart and make him feel bad about the things he had said. But more often, he would just grit his teeth more stubbornly than ever. And when the silence had gone unbroken for so long that sound seemed no more than a memory, Alphonse would let loose a little sigh. A sigh that seemed to say, I guess you're never going to apologize, are you? Does this mean you hate me?

And Edward's shoulders would slump, his scowl would unfurl, and sometimes a lump would even form in his throat. "I'm sorry, Al," he would say. "Will you forgive me?"

Alphonse would rush to his side, suddenly realizing how much their dissent had hurt him. "Of course I will."

When Alphonse's soul was trapped inside a suit of armor, he could no longer breathe, so he could no longer sigh. But Alphonse discovered that he didn't need to be so manipulative anymore. Edward seemed to be extra sensitive to his pains and desires, so Alphonse didn't even need to look at him before Edward would quickly apologize. Edward already felt so guilty that Alphonse didn't want to make things worse.

But things change when you're in danger, when lives are at stake. When Alphonse lay helpless on the floor, watching his dear brother advancing on the crowd of prisoners, ready to transmute them into the Philosopher's Stone, he knew he would have to do something.

Edward knelt before the transmutation circle, stretching out his hands, inches away from using these people's lives to bring his brother back. He wasn't going to stop. He had made his stubborn resolve, and he wasn't backing down.

Then Alphonse made a sound like a sigh, which echoed around the tensely silent room. And Edward stopped. He hesitated, fingers quivering above the stark black lines. Then he squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Al."