Disclaimer: I do not own FMAB. Yes, this story is based on the Brotherhood/manga plotline. Idea adopted from five headcanon posts that I will quote at the bottom.

"Gone?! What do you mean, gone?" Al exclaimed, close to hyperventilation. His hands fisted in the blanket covering his newly recovered human body. He shifted slightly, and the hospital gown he wore crackled as it folded in response to his movement. "Brother wouldn't leave, and he can't just disappear! He just barely got the last bits of metal out of his shoulder yesterday, didn't he?" Al looked at the doctor desperately. "He was exhausted after that operation; he can't just be gone." Al panted shallowly, a feeling of lightheadedness building in his brain while tears of panic blurred his vision.

"Mr. Elric, you need to calm down," the doctor frowned at him, sympathy and worry spilling over his professional expression. "You are hyperventilating again, and that will do nothing to help your brother. Take a deep breath, hold it, and now release," the doctor ordered, watching Al as he struggled to do as commanded. "We have all the hospital staff on the lookout for your brother, and the public has been alerted that we have a missing patient. Don't worry. We'll find him."

Hardly comforted, Al nodded, and watched the doctor go. A nurse came in a few minutes later to make sure he wasn't still hyperventilating, and then she too left.

Worried beyond belief, Al turned his head on his pillow toward Ed's empty hospital bed. Everything was fine until Al woke up this morning to the sight. Ed was missing, and no one knew why or even how. Softly, Alphonse began to cry.

Al's emotions had been so difficult to control in the two weeks he and his brother had spent at the hospital in Central. The doctors theorized that his body needed to release the built up hormones and chemicals in his body. Thus Al had been a hurricane of emotion the past few weeks as he struggled to take control of his rebelling body. It was a losing battle, but Ed had been understanding enough to let Al randomly start crying until the tears were gone or to let him laugh till he ached all over.

It was the second night. The first time hadn't been hard. Alphonse could barely remember what it felt like to sleep, but his exhaustion overweighed him the first night he and Ed were in the hospital, and Al fell asleep without realizing it. But now he lay awake, and he was afraid. Alphonse Elric, the boy who had missed so much about having a human body, was afraid of falling asleep.

Uncharacteristic quiet loomed in the room like a heavy cloud. If Al didn't already know so well the sound of Ed sleeping, he might have guessed he was the only one awake now. Ed had fought hard with the hospital staff to keep them in the same room during their recovery. They wanted Al in the ICU, but he didn't quite qualify, so Ed argued that he would act as a backup alarm system should anything unexpected happen to Al. Al was grateful now that they shared a room. If he didn't have Ed's comforting presence, the darkness and silence might have crushed him.

"Brother?" Al called to the darkness.

A drowsy hum answered.

"Are you awake?" Al asked, hating the slight quiver in his voice. He had longed to feel emotion like this for years, but now it almost suffocated him.

Ed picked up on the slight waver and Al heard him turn over in bed. The golden gaze pierced through the dark clouds in the room. "Everything okay, Al?" Ed checked.

Al shivered. A dark feeling welled in his stomach and a void swallowed his heart completely. "I can't get to sleep," he admitted. With those words, he began to cry. The tears slipped out without notice at first, but when Al realized what was happening, he started to cry harder. It was the first time he had cried in almost five years, and now he couldn't stop.

Ed's intense gaze lightened a little in concern when Al's tears turned into sobs. "Al…"

"I'm afraid, Brother. I'm a-afraid…of falling asle-eep," Al sobbed. He turned his head to the side so the cold, wet tears soaked into his pillow.

With no regard for his injuries, Ed grunted as he literally crawled out of his bed over to Al's. Gently, Ed helped his little brother sit up. Ed sat beside him, hugging him like their mother would if they had a nightmare. Al leaned heavily against Ed, using him as a solid pillar of support. They stayed like that till Al's fit of emotion subsided.

Ed continued to hold him even after the tears were gone. Al felt the leftover screws and metal plates in his brother's shoulder. A bit guiltily, Al hesitantly asked, "Your shoulder…Does it hurt much?"

Ed scoffed. "Nah, it's not so bad, and the doc said he could get someone to dig the leftover metal out of me."

Al frowned. "That sounds painful."

Shrugging, Ed brushed it off, "Nothing I can't handle." He paused before awkwardly checking, "Are you okay now, Al?"

It took a minute to determine a truthful answer, but finally, Al nodded a bit and said, "I think so…but," he stopped suddenly before gathering his courage and asking, like the younger brother he was, "Could you sing to me? Like Mom used to when we were scared. Please, Brother?"

Ed's arms stiffened, but by degrees, he relaxed and nodded. He glanced discreetly around the room like someone might hear him, but seeing no one eavesdropping, he started to sing in a low, quiet voice. He had only ever sung to Al when things got really tough, like now, so no one knew about the Fullmetal Alchemist's decent singing voice. It was better that way, anyway. The only songs he knew were the lullabies their mother sang.

Al sank into sleep while Ed still held him upright. With all his faults, Ed really would do anything for his little brother.

Ed really would do anything for him. That was why Al worried. The last thing Ed said before disappearing last night was a simple, "What do you miss the most, Al?"

Al couldn't even remember his answer now. Now that his brother was gone, that's what he missed the most.

Ed self-consciously tugged at the hem of his hospital pajama shirt. At least he wasn't wearing a hospital gown. That saved some of his pride and cut his embarrassment in half. He panted in soft, quick exhales and cursed the pain in his right shoulder. The doctors had warned him not to move around much after the surgery, but after talking to Al last night about things he missed, Ed refused to put it off.

Al had waited long enough.

That didn't mean that Ed's mini mission didn't require courage and fortitude and patience that did not come naturally. This task was harder than many of the solo battles he had fought – and that included fighting his way into Pride.

But it was almost over.

The daylight faded fast overhead, and Ed felt a pang of gratefulness strike him as he stood in the street. The Promised Day was over, and everything was back to normal. Except that he was in hospital pajamas, covered in scratches and tiny puncture wounds, and wincing from the pain in his repaired shoulder. That was ignoring all the rubble and construction crews rebuilding the damaged parts of the city around him. And the fact that Ed was standing in front of the grocery store, steeling his nerves so he could go through with something he had never done before.

Why was he doing this again? Right, for Al.

With a puffed-cheek sigh, Ed made sure the messenger bag (the strap resting on his left shoulder, thank you) would stay secure and the flap would stay tightly shut. He clutched the borrowed money in his fist and entered the shop.

The man at the counter reminded Ed vaguely of Havoc as he waved self-assuredly to Ed. Ed gave him a nod of recognition, but kept walking like a solid mass of nervous determination. It took him longer than he thought to locate it, but once he did, Ed stared through the refrigerator door at it, unable to force himself to do it.

On the shelf inside the glass sat a few quart bottles of milk.

Ed glared death at them.

He had never told anyone. The only person who had known was his mother, but Trisha had died long ago, leaving him the only one stuck with his secret. Edward Elric was lactose intolerant. Anything in small amounts was okay, like stews or cakes, but anything with heavy cream sauces or straight milk– Ed shuddered.

For the most part, he managed to avoid dealing with it and even put up with Winry's nagging in order to keep it secret. Ed could have told her or Al, but he saw it as a weakness. A vivid memory of him bent over a toilet for an hour with severe stomach cramps, having drunk milk at school lunch one day to prove a point to Winry, kept him from testing his intolerance further. He just didn't have a good history with milk, and that product specifically.

It's not for me, dummy, Ed scowled at his hesitation. Something in his bag moved, and Ed discreetly placed his hand over the shifting fabric as he scanned the area around him for curious observers. No one. Just grab the bottle and get out of here, he kick started his resolve.

Without looking, Ed reached in and grasped the cool surface of glass which contained that cursed white liquid. He stalked to the counter, a bit irritated at himself, overly tired from the surgery and subsequent painkillers (which had worn off some time around noon), and subconsciously anxious that he might be worrying Al in his sudden disappearance.

At the counter, the Havoc-like cashier asked cheerily, "Milk. Is that all?"

Ed slapped some money on the counter and grumbled something that the cashier interpreted to mean "yes". The fabric of Ed's bag moved again, but Ed ignored it. A second later, Ed's eyes popped when a squeak erupted from inside his bag.

MEOW!

The cashier's eyes widened incredulously, and Ed clutched his bag closer, grabbing the milk in a choppy, embarrassed gesture. Without looking back, Ed exited the store.

Safely two streets closer to the Central General hospital, Edward leaned against the side of a building. He tipped up a tin lid from the litter on the road and carefully poured a moderate amount of milk into it. Then, one by one, he removed his captives from the messenger bag.

The kittens – previously starving, wild, fierce monsters with the will to eat Ed alive – mewed contentedly as they lapped up the peace offering.

"We don't want you scratching up Al when I take you to him." Ed laughed to himself, "Al would never forgive me if he thought I'd starved you either."

One of the kittens growled and tried to bat its neighbor with its paw. Ed stroked the fur of the traumatized kitten till it got brave enough to approach the dish again.

Ed had never been a cat lover, but back in Resembool he used to take the milk he never drank and set it outside in a dish. The cats all over Resembool came in packs, saving Ed from drinking his milk and giving Al his love of cats.

Smiling fondly at the memory, he scooped the kittens into the bag and sealed it shut again. The sunlight was nearly gone, and he really wanted to lie down and sleep. The best time to get back would be right after the nurse did her rounds to check up on their room. If he waited till after then, Al would have longer to play with the kittens before the nurse discovered what Ed had sneaked into the room.

Alphonse played with the hem of his stiff hospital blanket, trying to focus on the feel of the course fabric and not his bubbling anxiety over Ed. Only days ago, Al wouldn't have worried too much at Ed's sudden disappearance, but Al could barely keep himself together for over fifteen minutes before he felt overcome by sensations and emotions.

"Oh, Brother," he sighed, clawing the nap of the blanket with tender fingertips. "Where are you?"

As if summoned by the words, the door opened quietly and a familiar face peeked in.

"Brother!" Al cried out, a smile or relief and happiness spreading across his face.

"Shh!" Ed glanced quickly around the room. "The nurse has already been by right, Al?"

The smile dimmed in confusion. "Yeah, a few minutes ago."

Satisfied, Ed came in all the way, closing the door quietly behind him. In his arms, he clutched a large messenger bag. Al started to speak again, but Ed hushed him. "I don't want those nosy nurses to come back until they have to, so try to keep it down, okay Al?"

"Brother?" Al frowned at the secretiveness, but Ed had lost himself trying to figure out how to get Al's bed to sit him up slightly. He found the button with a triumphant, "Ha!" but suddenly remembering the need to be quiet, he eyed the door threateningly, daring a nurse to interrupt his machination.

Al allowed Ed to sit him up, and even stayed quiet as bidden, but he couldn't help but notice the obvious scratches on Ed's face, hands, and arms joining the bruises and marks from their battle only a short time ago. "Brother, what happened to you? Are you okay?"

Brushing aside his brother's concerns, Ed said, "I'm fine, Al, really. I was just out getting something for you, and it took longer than I thought it would."

"Something…for me?"

Ed grinned, and it wasn't entirely that wide, determined, and near maniacal grin he often donned before revealing something big. This time when he grinned it openly showed his excitement and big-brother pride. The full-toothed smile was even enough to hide the exhaustion and pain causing Ed's body to shake slightly with strain.

Reaching into his bag, Ed pulled out a handful of black and white fuzz. He carefully placed it on Al's chest, near where Al's hands rested on the blanket. As Al felt the weight on his chest, he realized the fuzz had four legs, tiny claws, a head, and a tail. He stared at it, eyes huge with stunned joy.

But Ed wasn't done. He produced kitten after kitten until all five stumbled around Al on his chest and stomach.

"Brother…" Alphonse curled his fingers into the soft fur of one calico kitten. He looked up at Ed who stood with a satisfied smirk, hands fisted and resting on his hips. Al opened his mouth to say something, but something wet sliding down his cheek stopped him. Ed's stance shifted, letting Al know his brother was worried that he'd upset him. "I'm not sad," Al reassured and smiled bigger than he ever had. "I'm just really, really happy."

Ed nodded. "I'm glad. Play with them until the nurse comes back." He walked over to his bed, the covers annoyingly tucked in and tidy. Sitting down, Ed rubbed the raw soles of his bare feet. His shoulder stung with an obtrusive pain, and overall he was plainly exhausted. Ed lay down on his stomach without much ceremony, burying the side of his face in the pillow. The pain and fatigue didn't disappear or lighten in the lightest as he watched Al laugh with the kittens purring and cuddling close to him; but Ed knew it had been worth it.

Headcanon posts that inspired this fanfiction:

1. After the series, when both brothers were hospitalized and recovering before they could go home to Resembool, Ed escaped. Al was worried sick, but a day or two later, Edward sneaked into his room and dropped about five kittens on Al's chest so he could play with them in bed until the nurse discovered them. It was worth it.

2. Ed still had a lot of metal in his shoulder after getting his arm back, and he had to have it surgically removed. This process was almost as painful as the initial automail surgery.

3. Ed is actually a decent singer. He just never sings to anybody except Al because the only songs he knows are the ones their mother used to sing as lullabies, and when it got really tough, Al would ask Ed to sing to him.

4. The reason Ed doesn't like milk is because he's mildly lactose intolerant, only able to eat milk products like butter and cheese or in small amounts of milk that's been cooked in stews or cakes or the like. Whenever he eats anything with heavy cream sauces or drinks milk straight, he ends up in the bathroom with cramping and diarrhea. Winry and Al don't know because Ed sees it as a sign of weakness and manages to hide it well.

5. Ed used to take the milk he never drank and leave it outside in a dish. He attracted farm kittens from all over Resmbool.

-Dante