Fic - A Father's Love

[cornerofmadness]

Title A Father’s Love
Author – cornerofmadness
Disclaimer – Arakawa owns all
Rating – PG-13
Characters – Hohenheim, mentions of Al and Ed
Timeline/Spoilers – spoilers for the last third of the manga
Series – manga
Summary – He might have failed them but he loves them dearly
Word Count - 403
Warnings – none
Author’s Note– while visiting evil_little_dog, I said I had no ideas for this prompt. I was wrong and thanks to her for the beta. This was written for fma_fic_contest's 'repair' prompt and it won second place. Yay. Look at the pretty award (thanks sky_dark


Daddies don't just love their children every now and then.
It's a love without end - George Strait, Love without End.



X X X

Hohenheim cast a long look back over his shoulder then steeled his nerve, walking away from the dome of dirt, away from his child hidden inside. It made him simply ache in every fiber of him that was still human to think of Alphonse trapped in the dark, trapped inside an armor shell alone except for the monstrous Pride. How could he just leave his son there? How could such a young boy be willing to make a sacrifice like this? Hohenheim felt vaguely shamed by his son’s nobility.

He had failed his children. It hadn’t taken Ed’s punch to the jaw to remind Hohenheim that he had been a miserable father to the boys. What happened to them was just as much his fault as it was theirs. The ache of leaving Alphonse behind doubled when he recalled the look of fury, almost hatred, in Edward’s eyes that day over Trisha’s grave. What would she think of him and her sons now?

It was far too late to repair the rift between his boys and him. At least Alphonse knew his whole history now. Hohenheim thought maybe Al understood, at least a little, why Hohenheim had walked away, why he felt so much more inhuman the longer he stayed with a family he should never have dared have. How could he have denied Trisha her dearest wish? Answer, he couldn’t.

Even if he lived – and while he might not voice it to his sons, Hohenheim had no real plans of it – it was too late to patch things up. He had been too far gone for far too long. Alphonse might forgive him, but Hohenheim doubted Edward ever would. That boy didn’t just look like him, he practically was him as he had been at that age centuries ago. Hohenheim understood Edward best of all.

Whether they wanted him to or not, Hohenheim would help his children. Let it be his best, maybe only act, of true fatherhood. There were so many lives inside of him, there should be at least one left to barter back Alphonse’s body. He couldn’t tell them his plan. They wouldn’t allow for it. A parent sacrifices for his child. Hohenheim didn’t expect the boys to understand. He barely did himself. He just knew how it would all end, if it ended well. So long as they lived, he could go and keep his promise to Trisha.

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I really liked this story, a lot.

[guety.livejournal.com]

I loved it! Really touching and well written. I think you made a good job capturing Hohenheim's character.

[fractured-chaos.livejournal.com]

Ouch! Just... ouch! You did an amazing job of capturing that unconditional love and parental guilt. It made me sniffle! Beautifully written

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it.

also I love the coloration of winry's dress in your icon. that's one of the prettiest colors I've seen for that scene

[guety.livejournal.com]

I didn't made the icon, but thank you! I've seen a lot of colourings for that panel, but I think this one is my favourite.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That's dreamer1789's work, silly, I had it as my default last week.

[ishte.livejournal.com]

Nice I really liked this a lot. Hohenheim gets parenthood even if he doesn't think he does. Somehow I think once Ed's been a parent for a while he's going to figure that out too.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I think you're right

thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that was last week. you think i remember that?

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

...well, a version of dreamer1789's icon (she did two), at least.

Yeah, I should have remember Dorie wouldn't remember my icon from last week.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i'm barely able to remember my own

[0-mother-0.livejournal.com]

Congrats!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks