A/N: Hi! This supposed to be about four chapters long, each a different instance of someone's troubling sleeplessness. Maybe not that interesting, I suppose, but this idea's been on my mind for quite a while. After several tries, I finally got this chapter right, and at the same time discovered that I am simply incapable of writing a story one-three pages long.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within. I cover a few scenes from the show, but nothing's verbatim and I added a few bits and pieces here and there.

It had been a week. An entire week since the Elric brothers had attempted to resurrect their dead mother. Not that it had worked. All of that preparation and training, and what did they have to show for it? Nothing. In fact, Al considered, they had even less than they did before the transmutation.

There was a thought. Was this equivalent exchange? Losing all of this for simply trying to bring back the dead? It sure didn't seem equivalent, but then again, neither did half of the bad things that happen to people who did things wrong in the world. Maybe two lonely brothers who wanted their mother back was worth losing a body. Worth an arm and a leg.

Ah, but there was the mistake. "Simply trying to bring back the dead," huh? No, maybe Al did deserve this punishment if he thought things like that. Before the transmutation, both he and Edward had thought it would be a cinch to bring back their mother, especially with their level of training and their equations. After, when Al "woke up," he'd been confused as to why his older brother's calculations hadn't worked. Ed had barely managed to tell him that it hadn't been the calculations that were wrong, but just bringing back the dead in general. That was what had cost the brothers their bodies.

Ugh, enough of that.

Even with this extended train of thought, Alphonse still didn't feel like the effects of the transmutation were fair. Not when he sat next to his unconscious fever-ridden older brother, watching as Edward sometimes writhed in his sleep, listening as he moaned quietly, unable to hide the pained sound when unconsciousness was in the way.

Even if the price was fair, it wasn't. Al stifled a laugh that fought it's way up his...what? Not his throat, because he didn't have one. Blood seal? Even if it wasn't right, it was close enough.

Alphonse brought his mind back to the present as Edward once again moaned, rolling over onto his bandaged side and curling into a fetal position beneath his blankets.

"Brother," Alphonse sighed. He reached over, gently straightening out his older brother's limbs as carefully as he could, attempting to not awaken him. Golden eyes flickered open, dazed and foggy with sleep and pain.

Those eyes stared at the suit of armor, no sense of recognition in them for a solid thirty seconds. Just when Al was beginning to get a little worried, intuition flickered behind the pain and a small, croaking sound choked it's way out of Edward's throat. "Al."

"That's right, brother. I'm here."

"Water?"

"Of course." Al picked up the cup from beside the bed, carefully lifted up his brother's head and tilted water down his throat slowly, being careful not to spill. When Ed could drink no more, Al set the water cup aside and his brother's head back down. Edward's head turned to the side to look at him. "Why aren't you sleeping, Al? It's late." His voice wasn't quite so raspy, though it was still quiet.

Al was a little hesitant to tell him. He wasn't quite sure he wanted his brother to know yet, unsure of what the elder might attempt in his weakened state. But in the end he did.

"It doesn't seem like this body will let me go to sleep, brother. There's no eating or drinking or using the bathroom either, but I think you already knew those last three."

Edward's nod was tiny, and Al could see the emotions roiling inside his mind, guilt being the primary one.

"I'm sorry, Al. If I'd just-"

"If you'd just what, brother?" Al interrupted, quiet but firm. "This was the only choice you had, aside from letting me die, and I'm glad you didn't do that. This was the best solution you could come up with at that moment at that time. Don't blame yourself for it."

"Don't ask me not to blame myself, little brother. You'll never be able to make me." A small smile flickered across the tired face.

"That's not funny, brother."

"Sure it is, Al, when you take things into perspective."

"Into whose perspective?"

"God's."

Al was silent, then, "Go back to sleep, brother. You have a fever, and Granny Pinako says some sleep might help."

"...No."

"What?"

"I said no. And once again, you can't make me."

"I can too! How about I ask Granny to give you a sedative?"

"How about I go into a screaming fit if the old bat comes near me with a damn needle?"

"How about I go at you with a wrench if you scream at Gramma, Alchemy Freak?" That was Winry, who stood on the landing with her hands clenched into fists settled upon her hips. Ed turned his head to the side to stare at her, acting like he didn't think she really would, and inwardly wondering if that was the truth. Deciding that Winry really would, Ed closed his mouth and looked away.

Seeming satisfied, Winry went back up the stairs to her room. Ed wondered what it was she did up there, because she certainly didn't sleep. There were always loud-ish sounds coming from within, and no one, not even he, was that loud a snorer.

Al stared down at his brother worriedly. Ed's face was still flushed with fever, and Al figured that if he could touch his brother's skin, it would be flaming hot to the touch. He really honestly didn't like the thought of that. "I really think you should go back to sleep, Ed."

"I told you I won't, Al. I put you into this body, this body without the ability to sleep. It's only been a week since the transmutation, and already you're sick of it. When Granny, Winry, and I are all sleeping, you're all alone."

"It's nothing I can't deal with, brother. Really. I can just read the whole night away, I'm okay with that."

"Well, I'm not! I won't leave you alone all throughout the night! It's my fault you're in this body, so I'm going to suffer through it with you!"

Right. Because logic. Al shook his head. He hoped one or two nights of no sleep would be enough to put Edward to sleep, willingly or not, but he also had to take into consideration Edward's determination.

Al knew that his brother had an iron will and was concerned that that might be the only thing keeping Ed from sleep in a few days. Even when his body was weak from lack of sleep, his mind muddled and unable to think clearly in a short amount of time, Ed would never let himself fall asleep. Because of his love and loyalty toward his younger brother.

Still, Al could hope. And if the sleep deprivation itself didn't send Edward to sleep in a few days, then Al really would have Granny Pinako give Ed a sedative. He knew Ed would be unhappy with him for it, but if his older brother got better and sleep, then Al didn't really mind.

As it turned out, one or two days wasn't enough. While his older brother was certainly exhausted, with large dark bags under his eyes that steadily grew bigger, he still refused to go to sleep. He stayed up with Al at night, talked with him, played card games with him, and even just read with him. Ed would focus on his books for hours at a time, and Al would do the same. While they didn't talk, they still seemed a lot more relaxed in each other's company.

They didn't read together often, mostly because Ed was more afraid of falling asleep during those moments when he was so calm, so relaxed. A few times, Al had watched Ed's eyes close for a few seconds or minutes at a time, and Al would breathe his metaphorical sigh of relief, hoping against hope that his brother would stay asleep. But it always seemed that as soon as Al caught himself thinking that thought, Ed's eyes would snap open again. He would shake his head, pinch himself, then go back to reading as if nothing had happened.

Three or four days wasn't enough either, though by the end of the fourth day, Edward had barely enough energy to eat. His body was still subject to on-and-off fever. Al doubted the lack of sleep was doing his brother's healing process any favors. He decided that if he hadn't convinced his brother to go to sleep by the end of the fifth day, or if Edward hadn't done it by himself, then he would go to Granny and ask for her help. Really, Edward's body couldn't take much more of it's sleepless treatment.

Even though his energy was fading rapidly, and he now actually needed help to lift even his spoon to his mouth, Edward still remained obstinate in his decision to not sleep. Al had to wonder what his plan was. What? Never sleep again? That's a lot of decades to not sleep because of a decision. It's one thing if you literally, physically cannot sleep. It's another if you decide not to sleep because you put your brother's soul into a body that can't sleep.

It was the fifth day, and while Al couldn't say his brother was still going strong, Edward was definitely hanging in there. The dark circles under his eyes seemed like heavy weights, and there was barely any energy in his sleep-deprived limbs. The only thing keeping him awake right now seemed to be the argument Ed was holding with his younger brother, trying to convince Alphonse to take he and his wheelchair outside.

Finally, and it was only because of Alphonse's endearingly kind heart, Edward succeeded. Al picked his brother up carefully and set him in the wheelchair, laying a blanket over his knees quickly after that. Al was halfway to the door when he heard a car pull up outside. Less than a moment later there was a harsh knock at the door, and Edward stiffened, though he wasn't quite sure why.

Pinako answered the door. "Hello? What can I do for-HEY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" A tall man in a blue military uniform barged in past Pinako, looking around the large room until he spotted Ed and Al. Ed seemed to wilt under the man's gaze, and it didn't take much to figure out what he was so angry for.

He stomped at a frighteningly angry pace toward Ed and Al, grabbing the former by the shirt and lifting him out of his seat. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He all but roared. "I went to your house, and I saw that thing on the floor! What did you do?!"

The thing was, Al thought, the man looked less angry and more terrified. As if the idea of such young boys doing human transmutation had scared the living- forgive the Aerugonian, here- shit out of him.

It was then Al realized that he'd seen the man before, if only for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how long ago it was, but it had been right about the time that State Alchemists were being sent to Ishbal to squash the rebellion.

***flashback that is completely falsified bullcrap***

Soldiers on their way to Ishbal generally took the train from Central, which had a stop in Resembool for refueling and to give its passengers a chance to stretch their legs. Ah, that was when Al saw him. He and Ed were about to get on the train with Teacher and Sig on the way to Dublith. The train opposite theirs had been unboarding. The train carried more soldiers than not, and these soldiers were getting off to stretch their legs or find something to eat.

As the man Al never would have noticed otherwise walked by, a sealed letter dropped from his bag. Little Al saw it and quickly sprang forward, snatched it up and ran after it's owner before Edward, Izumi or Sig could stop him.

"Hey, mister!" Al called, almost slamming into several people before he could catch up with the older man he was actually after. "Hey! Mister soldier!" The man paused, as if thinking that title could be referring to him. He turned, looking around for whoever might be calling him.

Al ran up quickly, holding out his hand with the envelope. "You dropped this!"

The man stared at it a moment, as if surprised. Then he reached out his own hand and took it. He stared at the child a moment longer, then said, "Thanks kid." He reached out and gently ruffled Al's hair before turning and continuing on his way, his eyes focused on the now-returned letter.

***end of flashback that is completely falsified bullcrap***

Al thought of that moment, then felt sad that the man might never associate the kid who gave him back a dropped letter with a ten-foot-tall suit of armor. A dry sob echoed through his armor at the thought and this man's fear and anger for a couple of kids he didn't know, that this man might never actually know Al as he was, that he and Ed had gone through with their plan, that he no longer had a body to call his own and that his brother was in such physical and mental pain.

"We're sorry, mister soldier. We're sorry." Al wasn't sure how many times he repeated those words. He just knew that he did. His brother looked sad, devastated really. That devastation mixed with his sleep deprivation made his older brother look almost defeated, though Al knew it was far from so.

The man looked at him now, wondering to hear the empty rattling that emanated from Al's armor. He sucked in breath quickly, as if surprised. "Wait, are you...?" The sentence went unfinished. The soldier suddenly looked back down at the boy in his hands, then set him back down gently. "Sorry," he muttered. The soldier stepped back, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I, um, I came here with a proposition for you. Will you hear me out?"

Ed stared up at the man with tired eyes. "Sure. As long as you don't start yelling again." Not with my brother here, bastard.

"Say what you have to say and leave."

Al watched out the window as the Lieutenant Colonel and his Lieutenant drove away down the hill. "What do you think, Ed? Are you gonna join the State Alchemists?" He turned to look at his brother.

Ed gave him a tired grin. "What do you think? This Mustang guy is willing to give us a chance to get our bodies back! Of course I'm going to join up!"

"And how're you gonna do that, brother?"

"Well, first I gotta get back on my feet. I'm going to ask Granny to give me automail. Then I can go find Mustang."

Al stared at his brother with unreadable red soulfire eyes, thinking. "And I'll go with you. But first you need to get some sleep."

"No, Al. I told you. I'm not gonna let be all alone all those nights."

"You can't get automail when you're weakening your body like this, brother! Both your brain and your body need that sleep!"

Edward stared at his little brother for a few moments before looking down. "But I don't want you to have to be alone for all those nights, Al. Not for something that was my fault. You don't deserve to be punished for my mistake!"

"It was both of our mistake, brother," Al answered calmly. "It's not your job to take all the blame and put it on your shoulders alone. In order to stay healthy, to give your body the ability to endure the automail, you have to sleep! Five days, and it's already weakening you! Brother, you can barely hold up your own spoon! You can't get our bodies back if you're exhausted and half asleep all the time! As a State Alchemist, I imagine you would run into trouble a lot. You can't fight if you're sleepy!"

Edward continued to look down, like he was thinking deeply. He took a deep breath, then sighed. "I suppose you're right, Al." Ed bit his lip, looking around the room. "I am really tired," he admitted with a slight grin.

Al would have rolled his eyes if he could have. "I should think so, brother. I mean, you've only been awake for five days in a row with a body that is struggling to heal itself."

Ed glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just roll me over to my bed, wise guy." Al did so with a cheerful attitude, then watched happily as his brother settled down beneath his covers and closed his eyes. "Goo'nigh', Al," he mumbled sleepily, finally succumbing to sleep.

Al's soul smiled as he watched his brother sleep peacefully for the first time in almost two weeks.