Work Text:
You promised yourself you wouldn’t laugh but…
“HEY! WHO THREW THAT?!”
…it was just too funny.
You’re standing outside and you’re smiling so wide that your cheeks start to burn. But you know that the cold has a lot to do with that too. Even as you try your best to stifle your giggles, a little puff of air would pass through your lips- showing up in a wispy white cloud in front of your mouth. It disappears before anyone but you could notice, but you know you’re all too distracted with the hilarious sight of a flailing blonde prodigy screaming and shouting about the snowball that had just made contact with his cheek.
Truthfully, it was Ed’s idea to have you and Alphonse visit North City during his time off at Central. It started with you making an offhanded comment about how you always found the pictures of North City blanketed in a deep layer of snow to be extremely beautiful. It was then followed up by an absent remark about how you didn’t think you’ll ever make it up there. And for you, that was fine. A little disappointing, but you knew you could live a perfectly normal, happy, fulfilling life if you never made it up to the northern part of the country. But Ed- who a little too conveniently heard you- was having none of that.
So with his deep pockets and more than generous attitude when it comes to you, you found yourself with a new, perpetual winter-ready wardrobe and a round-trip ticket to North City with Ed and Al as your dutiful escorts. And so far, it’s been a dream come true. The ride was smooth. The city was gorgeous. The lodgings were perfect, the people were friendly, the food was delicious, and the spirits were high. But now…
“Oh, brother!” Al begins with a voice laced with an equal amount of guilt and laughter as he has the audacity to try to look around as if he wasn’t the culprit the entire time. His obviously over-theatrical movements accompanied by a more than dramatic shrug had you struggling to keep your laughter to a minimum all over again. “Hmmm, I don’t know who could have possibly thrown that at-”
“STOP LYING, IT’S WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE!”
At Ed’s second outburst in less than a minute, you folded. Your soft snickers turned into full-on full-body giggles and laughs as you doubled over and held your stomach. It takes only mere seconds for Alphonse to join you, barely being able to keep it in himself. And the sound of his joy- unkempt and free- easily has tears welling up in your eyes as you find yourself laughing impossibly harder at this impossibly silly moment you get to witness between two of the most mature brothers you had ever seen. That was, until…a snowball landed right in the middle of Al’s forehead.
With enough force to knock the boy down, down, and down.
Immediately after hearing Al’s exclamation of surprise as his body hit the snow-covered ground, the three of you fell into a tense silence. Your eyes turned over to look at the older of the two brothers. Ed’s arm was still extended as if he were a picture frozen in time, mere seconds after the ball had left his hands. You didn’t dare move. Your mind wouldn’t allow you to. Your body wouldn’t allow you to. You were afraid of facing the same wrath as poor Al over there who still hadn’t recovered from his brother’s vicious snowball attack. And you had every right to be afraid . Especially now that Ed had woken up from that spell that had left him frozen in the air.
Especially now that Ed turned his glare in your direction.
You let out a squeak of surprise once you finally noticed the intense gaze focused on yourself. Furrowed brows, a twisted frown, and a body now turning slowly, slowly, slowly towards yours. It was now a stand-off. You couldn’t afford to take your eyes off of his for a moment. Not to check for an escape route. Not to check for any backup. Not even to check up on Alphonse. You hoped and you prayed to whatever deity there was- that he would ensure your safety from this moment onward. That he would ensure that you would live to see another day. That he would ensure that at the very least- Edward would go easy on you.
But Ed didn’t give you time to pray. Ed didn’t give you time to worship or bargain or protest or reason with him. Because before you knew it…
“Edward, no!”
…he was sprinting full force in your direction.
You turned on your heel and booked it as fast as you could. You know you couldn’t outrun him. You don’t know why you even tried. Perhaps it had to do with your human nature. The desire to give into our innate design. The desire to find a way to live. Or perhaps it more so had to do with just how scary Ed looked in those two seconds you saw of him kicking up snow and breaking out in a sprint toward you. Whatever it was, doesn’t really matter now. All that mattered was just how far your boots could take you. And just how fast they could do it. Your life was on the line here. You better fight for it.
You’re dashing off in a random direction. Behind you, you hear Alphonse call out your name and tell you to run faster. You take the little brother’s words to heart as your push past the cold wind and your burning lungs. If you’re quick enough you could duck behind a nearby building and wrap around the side before returning to where you started. Maybe that could allow you enough confusion to get Al and to take him with you! Or maybe it wouldn’t. Either way, you had to try to save him while you were still ahead. You were the only thing that you both had left in this fight. The only one still standing. The only one left untouched. The only one who could stand up to him and to-
The feeling of another body crashing into yours was so unbelievably sudden that you could have toppled over if it weren’t for the heavyweight behind you.
This time, you couldn’t help but let out a shriek as arms circle your waist from behind and squeeze tight. In your mind, you’re mourning your epic loss. Hoping that Al could hear your mental calls for forgiveness that you were caught and failed to avenge him. But out loud, you’re still fighting. Squirming and squealing and calling for him to let you in between the little barks of laughter that you just can’t contain.
“ Surrender !” He tells you in between labored breaths and his own puffs of laughter, a slight faux smugness dripping from his voice. The arms around pull you closer to his front- giving you a taste of the warmth you could enjoy if you just gave in to him and apologized for ganging up with his brother. But you already made your decision. “Surrender and I’ll be kind. I’ll be merciful. ”
You made it when you decided to laugh at him.
“Hmm… never .”
You made it when you decided to run from him.
“Then you shall feel the wrath of the great Fullmetal Alchemist !”
You made it when you decided to love him.
“Bring it, shortie .”
“HEY, WHO YA CALLING SO SMALL YOU WANNA CRUNCH LIKE A TINY LITTLE ANT!”
Even with his quirks and all.