Every Visit Counts | FMA

Chapter 7

Silent Birthday

Ed's POV

[Central, Amestris, you and Ed are *gasp* 12!!]

Today was a day that I thought I'd be celebrating happily. A day that I'd be smiling. A day I'd have an arm and a leg, and not be on a train.

[A/N: haha no, not happenin bud]

A day that maybe, I'd at least get to be with [y/n]. Heh. I guess this is the sort of birthday I deserve, what with what I've done. A silent one. Winry practically begged me to drop by at least once before I left, but...I wasn't so sure.

Quickly, I glance at Al. Just a fleeting glance. He was sitting back, staring out the window, apparently lost in thought. I sigh and look at my hands. For whatever reason, my thoughts began to drift towards [y/n].

Her adorable laugh.

Her sweet smile.

Her wide, thoughtful, [e/c] eyes.

I missed her, and that much I couldn't deny. I still haven't forgotten that I saw her in the Truth. I. Saw. Her. And it concerned me. I don't want her having anything to do with such things. Especially now that it's harder to protect her, since I'm far away.

"Brother, you're thinking of her again. Aren't you."

I look up, startled, and see that Al has finally snapped out of his trance. Then, I feel my cheeks grow hot. I'm blushing in front of my little brother! Gosh, this is too embarrassing.

"What!?" I shout, turning redder by the second. "Heh heh I worry about you Al, your mind's been all outta whack!"

"Only cause I can't remember anything," he grumbles, and I look down. I felt stupid for being so insensitive; he couldn't remember that much since...you know.

"Fine," I confess, muttering angrily. "I'm thinking of her."

"OMG BROTHER YOU'RE IN LOVE!" Al declares, suddenly extremely happy. I grab my hood and pull it over my head, hiding.

"I AM NOT IN LOVE!" I yell back, feeling scandalized. Why would he think that? I mean, he thinks of family once in a while, too. And do I accuse him of being in love? NO!

"Okay okay, I'm just kidding," Al giggles, sounding just as he did when we were little. No, when HE was little. I'm not little! "What my point was, maybe you should visit."

"But we need to research!" I protest, though I really did think that I wanted to visit her. More than researching, that's for sure. Al brushes this off immediately.

"We just barely started, it's not like we'd be stopping anything," he dismisses. "Besides. I think it'd be fun to visit."

"But we don't have a home..." I remind him, thinking back to the day where we stood before our burning house. Sometimes, I still saw the smoke and the flames.

Even more so, the broken look on [y/n]'s face.

"Well...I'm sure Winry would give us a place to stay," Al encourages, sounding like he wanted nothing more than to return back to Resembool for a few days. I sigh; could I really deny him of that? Especially now, of all times?

Besides. I'd get a chance to see [y/n].

"ALSO!" he shouts, as if another reason reached his empty head. "It's your birthday. This shall be your present!"

"Fine," I sigh, finally giving in. "We get on the train to Resembool at our next stop."

~*~

We finally finish our hour-long train rides, and my rear felt like poo. Seriously, the seats were harder than the most unyeilding rock. Not very good service, if you ask me.