Sacrifice [Edward Elric x Reader]

chapter 48

It's him. It's really him. He's sitting up in his bed, looking more dead than alive, but still alive.

You feel your heart leap in joy, and you're fighting the urge to grin with great difficulty. You just stare at him, his beautiful golden eyes lit with life again. But when you see his expression, your joyful feeling falters.

Ed is tense in his sitting position, hair ruffled and fists clenched. You can see his tightened jawline and the fire burning behind his golden eyes as they flicker between you and Al.

There's no sign at all that he had just passed out for hours.

You can't find the strength to get up from your position against the wall, and when Ed's eyes meet yours, there's nothing you can do but look away.

"Al." Ed growls. "Al, what did you think you were doing?"

Al doesn't reply, just opens his mouth, then closes it again. There seems to be a silence that, even though you knew was short, seemed to stretch on for years. Everyone is at a loss for words.

After a few moments, Ed breaks the silence. "Do you really hate her that much?"

Al squeaks a bit under the fury his older brother. You yourself can almost feel the waves of anger radiating off of Ed. You catch the girl's eyes, and she gives you a sympathetic look.

"Well... well, no, not anymore, now that you're... alive..."

Ed closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath of agitation, though his jaws are still clamped together in rage. He opens them again, glaring at Al, but you don't miss the flash of confusion.

"Al."

Al shrivels backwards in fear. This anger, it is different than the ones Ed would break out in when someone called him short. It was the serious type. You can tell — he's truly angry.

"I... I don't want you here. Get out of this room."

You take in a sharp breath. Ed may be mad, but you didn't expect him to say that. You stand up quickly.

"But-" Al starts.

"Out. NOW." Ed points to the door, and you can almost see the anger in him.

Al squeaks again and starts moving backwards, but you grab his arm.

"Don't leave." You murmur, and immediately let go of his arm. When you turn to Ed, you press your lips together and frown. You can still feel your cheek burning from Al's slap, and you guess that it probably looks red.

"Don't. It's all a misunderstanding."

Ed stares at you for a few seconds before raising his eyebrow at you. "You still stand up for him after—"

"By no means," you start, cutting off Ed, "am I forgiving him. In any way." You say roughly and forcefully. By the flicker of movement that hinted at attention loss in Ed's eyes and the sound of movement behind you, you can tell Al probably flinched. Ed's attention returns to you shortly after. "He said and did things that... hurt me, and we all know that he was wrong to do that, but we know as well that he was... grieving, if you could call it that. I'm not forgiving him, I'm just telling you that there's something odd happening."

The same flash of confusion takes over Ed's features. "What do you m—"

And for the first time, Ed seemed to notice the shrill note playing in the background. He whips around, staring at the computer that supposedly showed his heart rate.