Quiet

"Hey, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, but I've been too scared to."
". . . what is it?"

There was a secret that gnawed him for months. He would attempt to push it away, but it continued to punish him, glaring and grinning, showing what an idiot and selfish boy he truly was. It hurt – too much. He was afraid to reveal his hidden words, frightened for a response. Right now, a reply would be too much to bare. He would stand beside his oblivious brother confidently, and would sob bitterly when alone.

He had confronted mutilated creatures; species that belonged in Hell, but none scared them him as much as this secret. This... horrible fear. He would be angered with himself, and try to think of ways to punish his neglected body.

Those tears continued to fall.

"He can't even eat, sleep, or feel pain anymore. For sure. . . he hates me."

He didn't want to be all alone. He didn't want his brother to abandon him. What would be the point in life then? Without his younger sibling, he is nothing. For years, his life has gone on for his brother. If his sibling was to vanish, his heart would be snatched, ripped, torn and smashed. His tears would never stop dripping from his rough cheeks, and he would scream into the night.

Edward is petrified.

When he hugged the armoured body, it didn't notice.