Title: Shield
Author: jordannamorgan
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Characters: Al and Ed.
Setting: General.
Rating: G.
Length: 350 words.
Summary: A body made of armor has its benefits.



“Hold still, Brother!” Alphonse chided, struggling to corral a squirming lapful of Edward. The end of the bandage roll he was trying to wrap around Ed’s left arm jerked out of his nerveless grasp and unfurled.

“I told you I don’t need fussing over,” Ed shot back grumpily. “It’s just a scratch!”

“It’s a deep cut, Brother. It could get infected if we don’t take care of it.” Successful at last in wrangling Ed back into a manageable position, Al caught the fluttering end of the bandage and resumed tending to the wound. “You’re lucky this is all that happened. If I hadn’t been able to get in front of you and deflect that spear with my armor, it could have gone right through your heart.”

Ed scowled and shifted his gaze away, petulantly red-faced. At least his fidgeting had stopped.

“I’m the older brother,” he muttered through his teeth. “I’m supposed to be the one who protects you.”

“You’re also way too reckless. Besides, I’m the one who has a metal body. If I couldn’t stop bullets and blades, you would’ve gotten yourself killed a long time ago. …Times like these make me glad I’m the way I am.”

“Don’t say that,” Ed huffed quickly. “If you didn’t have a metal body, we wouldn’t have gotten started doing all this State Alchemy crap in the first place.”

A subtle flinch quivered through Al’s huge steel frame. The reminder that Ed was fighting and bleeding to regain what he had lost never failed to stir a pain in his soul.

Ed must have felt the vibration, because his expression instantly became contrite. “I’m sorry Al, I didn’t mean—”

“I know. It’s fine.” Al neatly tied off the bandage. Then his big leather hands moved higher, coming to rest on Ed’s shoulders. “You’re doing it all for me. I’m just glad being like this gives me ways I can help. So don’t feel bad when I get a chance to save you for a change, okay?”

With a thin smile, Ed lightly knocked his automail knuckles against Al’s chestplate.

“…Okay.”

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2021 Jordanna Morgan