Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Protection ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

 

Protection

`Chapter Eight'

 

I was in total shock just as Scar was; but he hadn't turned around yet; he was still facing me with closed eyes. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing.

My eyes slipped to the open doorway and Scar released my shoulders. It was bad enough that he had been holding me that way when we were found, but it was worse to be as vulnerable as he looked.

I sat there; I knew, with a dumb look on my face as brother hovered in the doorway expecting an explanation for why Scar was here in the first place. I couldn't even begin to clarify it; the look on Scar's face wasn't helping me at all.

 

Brother remained hovering in the doorway, both hands occupied with bags and a mixed look of both confusion and anger; how in the Hell was I to explain this. Of course I had always thought of what I would say to brother if he ever came before Scar left; but I hadn't expected him to be home so early.

 

“B-brother.” God I hated it when my voice was shaken; it made me sound weak, just as it made me feel. I stared up and down his face; time had changed his appearance. He was sporting a pair of black jeans that hugged his hips tightly and only flared out when they meet his ankles; a red tank top that hung to his chest and stomach perfectly only to drape limply around his shoulders. The only thing that he continued to wear, and I knew it, were his high-soled shoes. (A/N: Evil I am!)

 

His blonde hair was now to his butt; still in his favorite braid though, he never liked keeping it down mainly because it would get in the way. I also noticed that he had a small goatee forming at the bottom of his lip and going in a straight line to the bottom of his chin. If it weren't for the circumstances at the moment I would probably be gagging on laughter to cover my pride; to me it seemed he was finally growing up.

 

He continued to stare at me as if Scar was never there, just looking at me with golden eyes. Scar turned around slowly and I watched the back of his neck; I could only imagine the look on his face now.

 

“Elric.” Scar hummed low in his throat and bowed his head; Ed glared deathly at the Ishbalan making me squirm; I loved brother, but I didn't enjoy the look he was giving Scar, it was worse than the looks he had given Mustang when we were at Central.

 

“Scar.” Brother's voice was too familiar except that it had gotten lower from being that voice that always gave you a headache if he went on a ranting spree about his height or size. Ed walked forward and directly at Scar, I held my breath tightly and watched; out of the corner of my eye I saw both Winry and Mustang squeeze into the doorway. Winry shrugged her shoulders apologetically and mouthed `I couldn't stop him.'

 

“Please leave us.” Ed whispered in an audible voice, Scar quickly applied and pushed his way past Mustang and Winry without looking back, brother kept his eyes on me the whole time.

 

“You guys too.” He murmured to the audience in the doorway; his face was relaxed but he looked like he was straining something, keeping something from me. Mustang and Winry both left, leaving me and brother staring at each other.

 

“Alphonse.” He whispered and walked towards the bed. I closed my eyes expecting the worst only to get his strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, his face buried into my neck tenderly. I stared off at the wall and placed my arms around Edward connecting them between his shoulder blades. It seemed like it had been ages since I had seen him; before he left I had to adapt to his scent, his touch and his new love; then he leaves putting me in an awkward state. Hugging him seemed alien to me, I didn't understand, I couldn't compute with this foreign weight against my chest; after all, I had to learn about brother with this new body; but I never grew used to it.

“Ed…” I closed my eyes tightly and hugged him closer, my cheek resting against the back of his neck, he kissed my neck gently and then pulled back to look at me with a sad smile. “I missed you, you know.” I smiled softly and hugged him again. “I missed you too.”(A/N: Brotherly love, remember that for you naughty minded people *wave's finger* Tisk, tisk:P)

 

We spent most of the time talking about how we had been since last we saw each other; brother explaining about the conditions in the East and how everything was slow so far except plans for him to be sent back down to Central. I explained everything up to finding Scar; which we hadn't even brought him up to begin with until now; and why I brought him back with me.

“Brother, I know how your feel about Scar, but, I just couldn't leave him…”

 

“Wait, what were you doing in Lior to begin with?” Ed was tapping his thumbs together but he still kept a steady pace with me, wanting to know all I did.

“I… well, I just wanted to, get out.” I looked away. Brother, I knew, didn't want me going alone like that even with a real body, but I couldn't just stand on the sidelines any more and be a voice, I wanted to be someone who meant something. I wanted to get out and be something I wanted to be.

“You know how I feel about that Al. I don't like thinking that you might get hurt or something; your strong, but I, “He sighed momentarily, “I just don't want you to get hurt”

 

I watched as he rubbed his thumbs together again; his right arm just as it was when he was younger; no longer a clanking piece of metal. Even though I knew auto mail was convenient; me living with Winry and all; the only memories from when I had the armor body were when Ed talked about getting me flesh again and him his arm and leg. Now, even I have trouble pulling up things that had happened. Was my memory leaving me like it had when I first got my real body back? I saw Ed study me under his bangs, waiting for a reply to what he had just said, or at least, something that would show I had heard him.

 

“I know.” I fumbled clumsily from my bed and dropped to the floor on my feet with a soft thud. We would have to talk later for there was too much to discuss at the moment. This wasn't the right time or the right place to talk, anyways, Winry and Pinako would want to see Edward as well.

 

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“Ed, you've gotten taller haven't you? Why, the last time you were here you couldn't even walk around without your elevator boots, you couldn't see over the table!” Pinako laughed rapidly while smacking the top of her knee; I slowly looked over at Edward who was clutching his fists and had his golden eyes narrowed. “What was that you old bat?” Here it goes, just like old times. I removed myself from the kitchen as soon as `who are you calling a shrimpy little dust particle that you can't even see without a high-powered telescope maximized vision?' Ah, the good days have returned.

As I left I remember seeing Winry doing her best to calm Ed down, Pinako throwing back words at brother, and Mustang in the corner looking oddly left out; the only person that wasn't here was Scar.

 

I checked everywhere I thought the Ishbalan would be, his room was empty, mine the same. I thought to check my room because I had found him in there before, I don't know why but he just was. The only other place that I would think to look for him would be outside. I walked in paced steps looking every which way making sure I couldn't have missed him.

“Scar?” It was pitch black outside except for a single, lit lantern by the shower and the glowing night sky. I strolled over and looked around. No one. Where could he be? “Scar?”

“Mm?”

Scar's voice, but no Scar.

Thrusting my head around I looked into the direction his voice had come from, still not in sight, what the Hell?

“Hey kid, up here.” I looked up abruptly to see Scar stretched out lazily on a branch, his arms draped across his chest and his legs twined together so they were tucked neatly under him.

“I was looking for you.” I said in a soft voice walking to the tree and leaning against it so that my chin was pushed up, Scar looking down at me with a raised brow.

“I noticed.”

 

Damn his sarcasm! I kneaded my hair furiously as I felt my cheeks go warm. “Yeah, I'm sorry about brother, and I'm sorry… for you being put on the spot like that.” I shifted from where I was leaning on the tree and propped my arm in its place, crossed my legs together and then glanced back up at the man.

 

“Don't be sorry.” He mumbled softly and then looked straight in front of him into the sky. It was actually beautiful with the darkness and few stars that were lined above our heads out here. I had always loved to come outside and lie on the grass at night, just staring at the stars and thinking. If I was lucky enough, Winry would forget that I had come out and I would be able to sleep under the tree.

I let out a gentle sigh and started thinking about the man above my head. I didn't want him to leave; I wanted him to stay with us. With me. I know how much Roy hates him, but I don't want him to go. I could try and convince him to stay for a while longer, talk with brother and just… stay. He's going to leave sooner or later, yes, but I want to spend every moment with him before he has to.

“Hey Scar?”

“Mm?”

“Um, when do you plan to leave?” I started squirming with discomfort. I could never tell him how I really felt; I could never admit to him how much he really meant to me. How much I loved him. I would rather suffer horribly than be rejected by him or have him think of me differently. I would rather die.

 

He looked at me for a moment and then looked back out towards the naked sky. “With things how they are now, as soon as possible. It's been very kind of you, Winry and Pinako to keep me while I was hurt. Thank you so much Al.”

“No problem.” My throat was shrinking, growing into a tight little knot that made my eyes water. He was going to leave because of brother. There was no doubt that he was leaving because of him.

 

“Why did you want to know when I was leaving?” Scar asked as he balanced a thin twig between his lips watching it go up and down whenever he moved his tongue a certain way. I shivered as I thought of what his tongue could do besides sparring with a twig. Jeez I was growing perverted nowadays.

“Just curious.”

“We're you wanting me to leave?” His voice had gotten softer and seemed to be full of hurt. I looked up at him as he glanced down at me in question. No I don't want you to leave Damnit!

 

“N-no, that wasn't what I was saying, I was just wondering when you were,” how in the Hell was I going to put this without him taking it the wrong way? “, going to be leaving me, “shit,” us; when you were going to be leaving us.” That was a close one.

He blinked a few times as if thinking over the correction I had just made and then returned to looking back at the pastel sky.

Silence remained between us for a while longer until I saw brother in the window, glaring at Scar. I guess spending time with him would have to wait a little longer, just until brother wasn't all in my space.

“I'm going in.” Scar flicked the twig between his teeth in a fast pace until it was beating against the round of his nose. “Okay.”

 

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After explaining to brother about why I was outside and barely scrapping my body out of the room when taunts went on about how Edward didn't have a life like I did, I scuffled into my room for a pair of black boxers and a red tank top. A shower would do well for me now.

The water was slightly hotter than usual, even when I turned it towards cold. It would have to do. I carelessly undressed and folded my clothes into one corner of the stall and then slipped into the shower. The sudden contact of heat made me gasp and plaster myself along the outer reaches of the cubicle. Even the steam left a blistering feeling to my bare skin. I slowly penetrated the flowing curtain of water and hissed some until my nerves got use to the feeling.

I had forgotten to ask brother why he had come down here to Risembol. He might have wanted to visit, I'm glad he did.

Just as I started lathering my hair I saw brother round the side of the house and start towards me. It looked like the taunts had gotten to him because he had a look of melancholy on his face.

 

“Hey brother.” I mumbled before dunking my head through the water, my left hand holding onto the side of the shower keeping me balanced so I wouldn't slip.

“Hey Al… oh, what's Mustang doing here? I could have sworn I saw him earlier but I wasn't sure.

 

“Mustang was in town and asked if he could crash here for a couple of days until he had to leave.” I grabbed a hanging rag and the bar of soap and began lathering them together, watching brother's expression change as he spoke.

 

“That cheap bastard can't even rent a hotel room.” Ha, I hadn't really thought of it that way. Perhaps he was trying to get out of paying hotel expenses. Not only that but seeing me; if brother were to find out what he did.

 

“Hey Al, I was thinking. You know how you said that you found Scar in a cellar?”

I watched brother for a moment and then answered. “Yeah?”

“Well, what if, what if he was brought back from the other side of the gate, like you were?” I stopped breathing for a moment and stared blankly at Edward.

“When I brought your body back, I was left beyond the gate until I was able to ignore the principals of equivalent exchange, what if somebody did the same thing with Scar, and they're still beyond the gate?” Edward had his fist tightened as he leaned against the stall. I had thought about how Scar was alive, I hadn't given thought to him being brought back like I had.

 

“But how brother? I mean, even though you explained to me many times I don't get it. Wouldn't they need some sort of key, or something of that matter? Like the baby you said Rose had and Dante used it to get the gate.”(A/N: I'm not sure if Dante was the woman's name, but that is what I was told.)

 

“They found a way Al, either through transmutations or some kind of key or portal.” Edward was staring down at his fist as if it was fixing to jump up and try to escape from where is was being pushed against the wooden surface.

“Brother, I was thinking; why would someone bring Scar back?” I had forgotten that I was still in the shower; quickly I finished washing and wrapped a large maroon towel around my waist.

“I don't know; but his presence troubles me. If someone brought him back then they had intensions for him. I don't like him being here at all.”

I wanted to argue brother's conclusion. Scar wasn't harmful, he couldn't be. Could he?

 

“Al, until we figure this out, please, don't be alone with him. I don't care if he acts innocent or like he doesn't know; I don't trust him.”

 

“But brother…” Edward took me by the shoulders and gave a soft shake. “Please Al; I don't want to loose you again. Please, promise me you won't be alone with him.”

 

Why were so many promises being asked of me? Why was I being dragged into the middle of this? I couldn't do this, I can't do that to Scar, he can't be harmful like brother thinks. He can't!

Ed gave another shake and looked at me waiting for an answer. “Al, promise me.”

 

“But…”

 

“Al.”

 

“I-I promise.”

 

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The rest of my night was ruined. After promising that I wouldn't be alone with Scar I hurried into my room and sat on my bed for the longest time. I didn't cry, but I felt this tight knot in my stomach. I just knew, if I thought about me not being able to be around Scar I would start sobbing. I understood what brother said and how he wanted to protect me but something in my mind wasn't connecting. It wasn't going to allow me to get away with cutting Scar off like that. It didn't want to let him go so easily.

Kneading my hands against the soft linen on my bed I squinted my eyes. Brother was probably blaming me for all of this because I brought Scar back. I wasn't going to leave him there though because if it were me in his place, he would have done the same thing.

I flopped backwards onto my pillow and glared at the innocent ceiling. I bet if I stared any longer and with as much anger it might light on fire. That would be entertaining to me. “Am I ever going to have thoughts that don't have so much weight on them?” I mumbled to myself and sat up letting my arms curl under my legs.

Something brushed up against my cheek making me turn to the left. I gasped feeling a weight going over both of my shoulders and then resting at my chest. Like two arms.

 

“W-what the...” Yes, it felt like a body. What ever it was, it was sitting behind me and was holding its arms around my chest, not so much as a forceful grip, but more of a relaxing posture.

“You know, you're cute and all,” The thing started roaming its hands around my chest until it found the hem of my shirt and lifted it up to my collar bone, “but I doubt the Ishbalan will find you as a suitable spouse.” The voice was very breathy, like wind carrying sound instead of being a vocal-like voice.

The hands teased my bare chest with its fingertips while the other hand came up and cupped my cheek. I tried finding words but I was too caught up in thought. What did that thing mean? How did it know that I had feelings for Scar; have I been spied on?

The invisible attacker nipped at the side of my neck with its lips until it reached back up my cheek; fingers were caressing my bottom lip gently.

 

“Ahhh, p-please don't.” I chocked out and took hold of the things wrist pulling it away calmly. The touches that were given were like what a lover would give, gentle and subtle; it scared me some by how much more I wanted to feel, to just hear the voice in my ear speak anything. Even if it told me to go jump off of a bridge and die I would have found it breathtakingly erotic.

“You're beautiful Elric, I would love to have you, but I must go.” I felt my head being bent backwards by the soft hands to where I could see the ceiling and warm lips pressed against mine in a goodbye kiss. “One thing though, do as your brother says and stay away from the Ishbalan. It would do you well, plus, you don't need to be getting into anything that will jeopardize the man of his thinking.” The door swung open suddenly, brother hovering in the doorway.

 

“You alright Al? I heard something…” I looked around quickly. It was gone; I hadn't even felt it get up, it just, vanished.

“Uh, yeah, I'm fine.” What the hell? What did that thing mean about Scar? Jeopardizing his thinking? Obviously I had been watched which started making me feel uncomfortable.

I inhaled deeply and then released it. Maybe I was just hallucinating, but, brother did say he heard something and those touches couldn't be in my imagination. They were too sensual to be made up.

 

I shook my head some and then looked over at brother as he pounced on his bed, his face slamming into the pillow as his body slid up and then fell back onto the sheets. I laughed at brother when he put on a look of embarrassment.

“What's so funny?” He complained while sitting up.

 

“You.”

 

“Yeah?” He raised a brow sarcastically and smirked.

 

“Yeah.”

I lay down on my stomach with my hands folded under my chin. I was still stuck on what happened before brother came in. This thing knows about me, it knows my name, and it knows how I feel about Scar. I'm confused, but I think this goes further than just me and Scar. The things brother said are starting to fit themselves together, but, there are still some missing pieces that make it hard for me to continue with a conclusion.

From what the thing said, it wants me to stay away from Scar, like brother had wanted, then that means we were being watched. I blushed as I thought of how long this had been going on, being watched by something I couldn't see. If the thing knows about Scar, then that means it has been around Scar too, watching him. Something about this was making me uncomfortable.

 

“Hey Al…thinking about your future girlfriend there?” I looked over at Edward who was unbraiding his hair and apparently had been watching me the whole time.

“Wha-no, I was just thinking.” Edward shook his head and gave a small smile.

 

“Thinking is always fun, hey, toss me that brush on your dresser.”

“Huh, oh, sure thing.” I said with a nasal-like voice and leaned over the edge of my bed barely scooping the small hair brush and flinging it in brother's direction. I think I overdid it with the flinging.

 

“Ow, ow, ow, nice aiming you dork.” Ed said dementedly while slowly turning his head to face me. I gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of my neck. “You're welcome?”

 

“Ha ha.” He took the brush and went in three long strokes until his hair was a curtain around his face. I was amazed at how fast it grew! I liked keeping my hair short, but after seeing how brother kept his in a braid, I longed to grow mine out to his original length.

“Are you going to put it back in a braid before you go to sleep?” I watched as he flopped the blonde locks over and combed vigorously until the strokes came out smooth.

 

“Nah, it will take too much time and I need to let it down once in a while or its going to go curly.” Damnit I wanted to braid it. I have a thing for playing with long hair, that's just my thing. “Okay, night brother.” I yawned suddenly and then collapsed back onto my mattress.

 

“Night, I'll turn the light out when I get done.”

I must say, I usually am not so tired when I lie down, but for some reason my eyes feel like weights. I knew from this that I was going to go to sleep quickly.

When brother turned out the lamp I looked up at the ceiling. Depending on how long brother stayed, I wouldn't be able to see Scar. By him saying I can't see Scar alone, that also meant I couldn't see him period, or at least while Ed was around. This was going to be tough, but I have to take my mind off of Scar and onto the thing. I would have to be ready if I encountered it again and maybe get some answers.

 

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Authoress Notes:

Woot Chapter eight! *does cult dance of the cheeseshirts* the `thing' has made its second appearance! Hurray! I've had people asking me if it was Alphonse, but it isn't, as you can see. Everything will come together in due time my prettyful persons. ^-^ In the mean time, I have welcomed Edward into the story, yippy yay! Oh yes, brotherly love will be through the story so when you see it saying Ed kisses Al on the cheek or whatever, think of siblings, not incest; incest is sexy though :P Why yes, I am disturbed.

 

Any whom, flamers, comments and ideas are greatly welcomed. I'll try to be quick-like with chapter nine, it depends on my mood, I got this chapter done mainly because of spring break boredom. I love you all my mini me clones of evil obsessive doomness! *flies off on giant energizer bunny, spring breakified style*