Ed finally got his shit together—and all the wood he had been holding—and walked back to their camp as slow as he could manage, pausing every couple of feet to drag it out even more. With each dig of his heals in the ground, his anger threatened to bubble up inside of him until it exploded all over. Ed tried to counter that feeling and get control of his emotions by sucking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly. He even tried counting to fifty. Unsurprisingly, it only helped him a little.

He closed his eyes and stood still. Ed knew he needed more time, but he also knew he didn't have a lot to waste in the forest. He wet his lips and moved his left hand over his forehead. What he did have was a few extra minutes he could use to calm himself down. His eyes slowly opened and took in what was around him.

A couple feet in front of him stood a wide tree with branches that split into two main ones. Ed went over to it and leaned his shoulder against the rough bark. His hair caught on the tree and pulled, but Ed ignored it. He glanced up at the sky through the split. The brightness from the sun made him squint. The wood dropped out of his hands and landed on the ground with a loud thwap when he lifted his left hand to shield his eyes. The sun sat almost midway in the sky now. Already the morning was gone and he was heading into the afternoon. Only a few more hours to go before nightfall then he could go to sleep and put this day behind him. If his luck was good enough, he'd find a way to keep himself warm and the nightmares at bay.

His eyes closed again as he breathed in the pine and crisp air of the forest. The birds that hadn't migrated south for the winter, chirped and rustled through the branches. Ed heard rustling of leaves to his right, no doubt a small animal foraging for food. He softly exhaled a quiet sigh. Nature always calmed him. Ed waited until his heart stopped beating so fast and the urge to punch Greed lessened, then he opened them, bent down, and picked up the wood. He grunted as he maneuvered the wood in his arms, cursing softly when a piece tipped and toppled out of his hands.

Ed gave it a swift kick and left it. He had run out of time to dick around without it looking suspect or without it looking like he was pouting. He wouldn't give Greed the satisfaction so he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and got moving. After chiding himself a few times, his legs began to move a little faster the closer he got to their camp.

The tree line gave way to grass, and Ed found himself back with the group. Sort of. Only a few more feet to go, yet he stood still until his eyes settled on Greed as he tried to assess the situation before fully joining them. His hackles were already raised enough that if he was heading into a fight, Ed wanted to brace himself for it.

Greed immediately turned his head away. He had been watching and waiting. Ed scowled as that thought fully settled into his mind. The bastard had been waiting for him to come back. Ed narrowed his eyes and hesitated. Now he was glad he hadn't torn in after Greed and made a scene. No one else needed to know they had been at each other's throats all morning.

"Hey, kid," Darius gave Ed a nod. "The boss giving you a hard time again?"

Ed glowered at Darius. Then he turned his attention to Heinkel because when one of them started in on something, the other always followed with an unwanted opinion.

Heinkel didn't say anything at first and only watched Ed for a moment before obligatorily chiming in with his own advice. "You know... if you didn't react, he might leave you alone."

A loud grunt slipped out of him before he could stop it. Ed closed his mouth immediately and glared harder. Heinkel might think he knew the situation, but he didn't. Ed was certain no matter how he reacted, Greed was damned determined to fuck with him. He could've stayed back here and refused to go, and Greed would've stayed behind too, probably needling him for being a baby. Or worse, by showing too much sympathy. Ed hated being pitied the most. That was why he left camp to begin with. He wouldn't have to face sympathetic stares from the rest of the group.

"Whatever." Ed looked away from them both, already done with this conversation. "The boss can get bent for all I care."

He half-stomped over to near the fire pit they had made and dropped his wood down next to Greed's. Ed took his time brushing the bits of dirt and bark off his clothes until all that was left was the muck embedded in the cloth. He clapped his hands together and touched his calves to get rid of the mud on his boots and any lingering bits that had clung to him. If they were going to help with errands, he wanted to look somewhat clean so he'd draw less attention to himself. A good, hot shower would work best, but they didn't have access to one so he made do with using his alchemy to clean up what a cold bath in the river couldn't.

After he finished, Ed went over to join everyone else, bracing himself for more questions or comments that might be tossed his way. Instead, Darius ruffled his hair. Ed hated that. It always made him feel like a little kid. He swatted the offended hand away with his own. "Hey, cut it out! You're gonna get it all knotted up!"

"That's for volunteering us without asking," Heinkel cut in, giving Ed's hair a good, hard ruffle himself.

Ed made a face and pushed his way between them. Why did they always go for his hair? "Take it up with Greed. It was his idea." At least Ed had managed to talk Greed into splitting up the chores instead of pushing it all on them.

"Didn't you say we were with you when this whole thing started?" Darius added. "That means you're supposed to negotiate for us."

"I fucking did. He," Ed jerked his thumb towards Greed, "wanted to have you two do all the running, but hey, keep blaming me, and I might conveniently forget about fairness next time and let him stick it all on you." He wouldn't forget about it, though, and they all knew it. "'Sides, figured you two might like getting' rid of us for a while so you can be alone and do your thing."

He closed his mouth as soon as he said it, and his face and neck felt hot. Ed wasn't even sure why he brought it up suddenly except maybe to prove Greed wrong. Prove that there was nothing going on between their two teammates and it was only his imagination. Darius and Heinkel both glanced at each other before shooting Ed confused looks. "I only meant that we've been gone most the morning anyway and all we do is bicker so it's probably been—" He sighed and scratched the side of his head. "Never mind," he muttered.

"You two always ar—" Darius started saying until Heinkel gave him a nudge in the shoulder.

Greed busted up laughing and walked past them. "Way to stick your foot in your mouth, Ed." He paused to reach back and ruffle Ed's hair too. "Get your shit together. We're leaving in five."

His face felt even hotter. Ed could feel hairs that came out of his ponytail sticking up on his head. It matched his mood and the mess he called a life. He half-stomped off again, making a point to let his left leg hit the ground with a loud thud. With each stomp, he felt a sharp pain near his port but ignored it. Ed didn't want to put full effort into it lest it seem like he was taking a temper tantrum, but he also wanted them all to know he was done with their hair ruffling bullshit and it was best to leave him be.

The next person to touch his head was getting a metal fist to the face. He'd go get his coat and money now. Why wait five more minutes when they could be heading towards that town Greed was going on about earlier right now? There was nothing more to say anyway.

What Darius and Heinkel did (or didn't do) while he and Greed weren't around was none of his business. Some things were better left unknown and going through the embarrassment of being teased wasn't on his agenda today.

The tent flap tore several inches down when Ed ripped it back. He cursed loudly, purposely ignoring the tear, and dug through his things. He kept a larger bag and a smaller bag with him. There wasn't much there. The larger held a couple trinkets friends had given him, a letter from Winry, and all the stuff he needed to keep his automail in working order. Only the small bag held anything of value to others. His money. They had avoided withdrawing any more since those two doctors patched him up in North City so that they wouldn't leave a paper trail on where to find them.

Ed grabbed the smaller bag and exited the tent. Greed was standing nearby—hands folded across his chest and shit-eating grin in place—waiting. Ed walked past, not bothering to spare Greed a glance. "I'm ready to go. The sooner we leave and get this shit over with, the better."

"Suit yourself." Greed shrugged and fell in step with Ed. "You sure you got everything you need? We might not be back for a while since we're walkin' there."

"I got my money and that's all we need. Since we already ate, don't gotta worry 'bout food for a while. If we get hungry, then we can probably afford something small to hold us off 'till 'we're done." Ed tightened his hold on the bag. He wanted to make sure he had it nice and close to him. "Bringing anything else would only slow me down."

His footfalls were heavy as they left the camp behind them and headed towards the town, which was in the opposite direction they had gone in this morning. Greed walked past him. Ed ducked his head down, moved his right arm around his bag, stuffed his hands in his coat pocket, and followed. The sun now rested higher in the sky and had warmed the day up a little. Despite the warmth from it, he still shivered a little whenever he felt the wind kick up. Ed missed his winter jacket he wore at Briggs, but that thing had been bloodied and torn up from his accident so he had left it behind up North.

If he had to be on this run, he planned on buying more material to make himself warmer clothing and incorporate some cushioning to his pants and shirts to pad his ports. The cold and rain and moisture in the air made his limbs constantly ache. Adding some extra warmth and dryness would help him manage the pain better and make him more efficient.

The small road they took wound around a stream and then led into open grassland and small, rolling hills. Ed had a clear view of what lie ahead. The towns rooftops looked so tiny and far away, like it belonged to the miniature homes and shops he had seen in some store fronts. Even though the road was plenty wide to have a car (maybe two) drive on it, none passed them as they moved around the stream and up a couple hills.

Ed didn't mind the quiet around them. Even Greed kept his thoughts to himself. He considered striking up a conversation to make it go by quicker but ideas of what to talk about escaped him. All he had right now were insults from getting his hair ruffled three times over. His head still ached a little, and trying to cobble together a half-assed topic seemed pointless. He'd just be trying too hard, and Greed would know it.

Greed seemed to share the same thought because he gave Ed a wide birth, choosing to walk on the other side of the road. Ed shielded his eyes from the sun and pulled out his pocket watch to finally check the time instead of guessing. It was almost one in the afternoon. Ed stole a few glances Greed's way, only to notice the other seemed in as much deep thought as he was.

Curious. He knew and understood that look well enough. Ed wondered what kind of demons had a hold of Greed. Given the type of family he had and the circumstances for leaving, Greed probably had a lot of them. Maybe it was a good thing he lost a good chunk of his memory. From what Ed had seen so far, Father never exposed any of the homunculi to the outside world unless he had full control over the situation... with the exception of Greed. Avarice aside, Ed sometimes wondered what he had gone through to make him leave both times.

But he wouldn't ask Greed something so deeply personal. Greed wouldn't want to tell him anyway so Ed kept his thoughts to himself and plodded on. The town came closer into view. It was smaller than he thought it'd be. The way Greed went on about how great it was, the buildings and houses themselves were surprisingly simple. This wasn't a rich town by any means. Even with the afternoon sun high and shining its rays across the rooftops, it did little to make the town look significant.

"Thought this place had it all?" His words came out before he realized he had said something, and the bite in his voice startled him a little. He pulled his arms in closer to his body and kept his eyes straight ahead. Guilt washed over him. Greed had been decent enough since they left camp and hadn't goaded him once, yet he was still so eager to snip and snap at the first available person.

"Nah, that's the city I told ya about. Darius and Heinkel are goin' there." Greed spared Ed a short glance then kept going.

Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. What did it matter anyway? There was food and goods here and that's all that mattered. He didn't care if they were going to the city Greed liked or this tiny shit-splat town. Except he did. Ed wanted to see for himself what had Greed going out a few nights a week. He would never admit to that out loud, but the curiosity had settled in his thoughts.

"Where to first?" Ed opened his bag and looked in even though he knew all the money was still there. Keeping himself occupied at all times helped him stay calm.

"Damn, kid, you gonna sulk the entire day?" Greed shook his head and shot Ed a slightly judgy look. "We can start with the closest stores and work our way down," he added as if Ed didn't already know how to shop.

"Are there any markets here?" That hadn't fooled Greed, but Ed pushed on like his antsy behavior and rechecking his bag hadn't happened. "Not that I care if we go from one store to the next. It's doable but'll take longer than a market will."

"Nah, there're no markets. Only been here once but it's only store fronts and homes and taverns." Greed clasped Ed by the shoulder. "You wanted something to do other than staying out in the woods. I don't want to hear any complaints that it's too much work."

Ed grunted. "I won't complain. Whatever gets our list done faster and us out of here is fine with me."

They started down the short hill, using the thin path to keep themselves from stumbling on the lumpy grass. The ground here was wet enough to make larger patches of mud. The path seemed to be the only part that had been kept clean. Without Winry nearby, Ed couldn't take the risk in damaging his automail. Something minor he could repair himself, but a larger injury would render him useless and compromise the group.

There weren't a lot of people milling about on the streets. Ed figured that by mid-morning, most people were off to work or started on their day already. The few stranglers who were out bustled quickly from one shop to the next. No one paid them any mind even though they clearly didn't come from here and smelled like they hadn't had a proper shower in a long time. Maybe the people in this town were used to strangers stopping by, but Ed couldn't shake his paranoia that would recognize them. It felt too calm, too easy.

Greed grabbed him by the arm and moved him along. Ed stumbled a little but twisted his body so he didn't fall. He pulled his arm away from Greed and huffed. Why did Greed have to help him stay on task? Why couldn't Greed let him wallow in his own misery for awhile?

The first shop they came upon was a clothing store. Ed tugged on Greed's arm to steer them in that direction. "My clothes are getting ratty and thin, and I need something warmer. Gonna go inside and see what I can find here."

A bell above the door rang sharply when Ed opened and closed it, startling him. Ed jumped when Greed's hand rested on his shoulder, and his heart pounded in his chest. He should've expected something like that since a lot of stores had bells to alert the clerk they had a customer, or at least braced himself for that possible outcome, but he had gotten so twisted up in his own thoughts that he had let his guard down.

Greed's hand moved from his shoulder down his back before breaking contact. Whether or not that had been a gesture of comfort, Ed couldn't tell, but by the time his attention focused on the clerk and everyone else, breathing was a little easier.

"Take it easy, alright?" Greed raised an eyebrow as he looked Ed over again before shooting him a questioning glance. "You're gonna draw attention to yourself doin' that."

Ed wished he could take it easy, but his senses were too overloaded. "It's not like I wanted to do it, and 'm not actin' any different than I've been all day," he said as he pushed away from Greed.

"Hn," Greed reached out and flicked Ed's shoulder. "Don't make shit-ass excuses. Won't work with me, kid."

Greed had gotten so good about calling him by his name instead of 'kid' that Ed's only response was a scowl. He roughly yanked his shoulder away. "We finished here? Cause I still gotta finish up my list, and we're wastin' time."

"Then what're you waiting for. Greed pushed Ed only hard enough to move him a few inches. "Go get me my shit."

Ed almost made a snide comment about how they weren't shopping exclusively for Greed only this time he managed to close his mouth before it got the better of him. Greed had been originally trying to be nice. Now he felt a little bad about being mouthy. "Yeah, fine, sorry I popped off on ya. Didn't mean to be a dick about it." He'd make sure to grab some material to make Darius and Heinkel something because those two deserved a goddamn medal for putting up with him and Greed.

He didn't wait around for Greed's response. Instead, Ed quietly slipped down an aisle and began to look over everything they had. Most of the material out looked too thin, but he could always make adjustments using alchemy. Looking down a little further, he spotted some wool.

That would keep him warm, though Ed hated the itchy feeling it left on his skin and all of the colors were too bright. Greed would have a fit if Ed came back with bright blue and yellow material. He could always adjust the color and line the inside but decided to pass it up and kept looking.

Behind the wool, he found some cotton material he could work with. It would feel a lot more comfortable against his skin with no adjustments needed. While it wasn't thick, cotton threads blended well together that all he needed was to make a simple array. The material had some of the right colors too.

Dark grays, black, and white were the colors Greed picked so they'd blend in more. Ed thought if they really wanted to blend in, they'd wear the blandest, brownest outfit they could find. No would remember them. They would look like a poor, simple group of people if they dressed like that. Ed never complained, though. He preferred black to brown anyway.

Ed also couldn't deny that a part of him wanted to stand out, to be noticed, make some kind of impact in the world. He knew logically, they needed to be patient and bide their time, but his body itched for a chance to take down Father and the other homunculi. It was foolish and a craving he refused to give into. Storming around now and picking fights could get them all killed.

He forced those feelings away and grabbed the material he needed to make himself some new clothes. The cloth felt soft and thick against the palm of his hand. Perfect. He could make something out of it that would help keep him warm, and that was all he needed. He even made sure to get enough for everyone else so they'd all be set for the winter.

The material bundled easily enough in his arms, leaving him enough room to peek over the top. As Ed went to pay for it, he favored his left leg. From the upcoming cold and stomping around, it still hurt. He had been able to ignore it their trip here along with not needing to carry anything. It was going to be killing him tonight after their trip back.

Ed glanced at the clerk as he piled the material onto the counter and waited. She gave him a funny look, but he ignored it. Greed came over empty handed, which didn't surprise him. He had never seen Greed pick out material before. Only clothes that were already made. His hand felt along his coat pocket to make sure his wallet hadn't fallen out. Ed exhaled a sigh of relief when the familiar square leather poked back at his fingers.

The clerk looked them over suspiciously. Their first store and already he was getting eyed up like a thief. Ed resisted the urge to lash out or make some smart-assed comment. He simply wanted to get what he needed, pay, and leave.

"How much you want for it?" Ed laid down the material and ignored the judging. His normal reaction of flashing his watch and shutting people up wasn't an option.

Greed stepped in closer as Ed pulled his wallet out. He got it. They were dressed in almost all black from head to toe with only white shirts mostly hidden beneath their coats. Once the clerk got a good look at them, really saw him and Greed, her suspicious stares had started. They were a motley pair. Ed got it.

Darius and Heinkel were much better at this. Ed knew what this lady was thinking. Same thing as the last time he went into a store. That he was some punk kid who wouldn't have the cash to pay. Once he proved he could, doubts rose about where he had gotten the money.

The clerk hesitantly gave him a price and Ed paid for the material. He pulled Greed by the arm towards the door, and they left the shop without another word. Relief washed over Ed once they left the store. He spared Greed a brief glance. "This town sucks. That lady in there seemed a little too eager to find something wrong with us. Surprised she didn't refuse my money."

"Should've taken you to the city instead of here." Greed pulled out of Ed's grasp, turned them around, then grabbed him by the arm and moved him from the walkway. They stopped near an alleyway. "Don't go bitchin' too much. She didn't do anything so drop it. Probably gets like that with anyone new in town."

Greed had a lot of nerve telling him that with the way he was dragging them off. "I'm not being too loud." Ed pulled himself out from Greed's grip. "And don't go manhandling me like that. You'll end making a scene for fuck's sake."

"Hey, ya listening to me?" Greed lightly smacked Ed across the base of his skull then grabbed him by the shirt. It was surprisingly gentle for someone who wasn't human. "Whatever still has a hold of you, shake it off before trouble finds you. You acting like you're up to no good, and you're mine, Ed. You belong to me now. I'll damn well manhandle you if I need to."

"I hear ya…" Ed's expression turned even crabbier. He didn't belong to anyone. He had agreed to work for Greed, though so he kept his mouth shut. It took all his strength, but Ed managed to pull away from Greed's grip. Damn bastard had a tight one on it this time. "We should get the food so we can go back."

"You worry too much. S'like havin' a damn grandma around." Greed sneered at him, though it only seemed half-hearted. "Where the fuck did your sense of adventure go? It die or somethin'?"

"How the hell would you know what havin' a grandma around is like?" he muttered. As soon as the words left, Ed felt like a jerk. He stood there quietly, keeping his eyes on Greed and waited.

Greed's eyes widen a fraction before he burst out into laughter and gave one hard pat to Ed's shoulder. "Wow, someone really did piss all over you this morning. Next time I'll have'ta make sure it's me."

"This place looks good for food," he muttered as his face burned red. He had gotten what Greed had meant, but the wording was about as fucked up as it got. No doubt that was intentional on the bastard's part.

He brushed past Greed and slipped inside the food store, grabbing a small basket on his way in. Ed refused to wait around for another messed up comment. His brain already had trouble letting the last one go. No matter how hard he tried the image wouldn't go away. Ed 'tch'ed' under his breath and immediately made a beeline towards the produce.

Working out their next meal would distract him. He picked up a few fruits to test their texture. Meat they could easily get in the woods, but fruit and vegetables were harder to find out in the wild. Ed didn't know enough about plants to risk poisoning three-fourths of their group. Storing them would be his only problem. He needed to get a few that weren't quite ripe yet along with some they could eat now.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Ed could hear Greed (or rather feel) Greed looming behind him. His shoulders tensed, then Greed spoke.

"If ya squeeze it too hard, it'll burst and make a mess all over the place." Greed snickered. "Reminds me of you."

"Your jokes suck, Greed." Ed barely spared a look over his shoulder before focusing on the fruit. He heard an irritated sigh behind him and then footsteps moving away from him. When he turned around, he saw a flash of dark hair rounding another aisle.

The succulent-looking food made Ed's stomach grumble. It tempted him to scrap his budget and buy whatever caught his attention. Instead, he pushed that thought away, and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

There were some oranges there. Ed hadn't expected any of the stores to have those this time of year. They looked ripe and not spoiled. They all needed more citrus in their diet. He only grabbed eight. With them being outside, the fruit would only last a couple days, and he wasn't sure how the oranges would hold up in the cold weather.

He'd look for more the next place they settled into. He also took a bushel of lemons with him to make homemade lemonade for all of them tonight. Ed grinned at the thought. It'd be a nice treat, and he already had the perfect array for it in his head to make it happen with relative ease.

Ed moved along and found an aisle with where the seasonings and spices were. He liked grabbing as much of this as possible. The containers and pouches were always small enough to carry around and spices never went bad. Anything that helped make their meals taste different won out the rare times he picked up supplies. There were only so many ways to cook rabbit and squirrel when being out in the woods before it all started to taste the same.

Once he collected what he needed, he moved onto the next items on the list. Ed stopped in front of the powdered milk and made a face. The idea of using the milk powder caused his nose to wrinkle. He had wanted stew for a while now, and stew needed milk. Regular milk wouldn't last long in the woods, and with the sun out today, by the time they got back to camp, it might be half-spoiled.

Hesitantly, Ed picked up the smallest box they had and put it in the basket. He glanced around the aisle, satisfied he had gotten all he needed from it, and went off to find Greed. A quick check up on his boss was always a good idea.

Ed wandered over to the meat area first since Greed liked meat the best, and he knew he'd find the tall bastard coveting it. He frowned. Ed found Greed alright, standing there, zoned out. Ed could almost see him salivating over it. The only problem was they didn't have the extra money for it.

"Hey, shouldn't we be workin' on the rest of our list?" No answer. Greed was still staring at the meat, and then Ed realized that his basket was empty. Ed shook his head and stalked over. "Staring at it won't make it get in your basket any sooner. Besides, what do we need meat for? There's plenty of that in the forest."

"Tch, don't get all bent over it." Greed stepped closer to it and gawked some more. "Aren't you getting tired of eating squirrel and rabbit?"

"Well, yeah... I am getting tired of it, but it's best if we save the money I have for shit we actually need." Ed had already explained to Greed several times this past week why he wouldn't withdrawal more money. He didn't even know if his account had been frozen or not. While they still had plenty to burn, it wouldn't take long to blow through it if they weren't careful.

"Then why all the bitchin'? Spending a small amount of money on this won't hurt anything." Greed picked up a package of wrapped up beef to put it in his basket. "You got the cash on ya. What's the point of havin' all that loot if you're gonna hoard it?"

Ed sighed. He really didn't want to argue, but beef cost a lot of money right now. Maybe Greed thought it wasn't expensive, but he already snuck a look at the price. He hadn't budgeted for that. "I can't stop and withdrawal any more money, Greed. I need to make it last long enough to get us through the winter." His voice lowered down to a whisper. "Unless we swipe it, which is a shitty idea since the clerk has been closely watching us, we're gonna have'ta do it some other time, alright?"

Greed hated being denied something he wanted. Ed knew that well enough. If he was looking to make Greed crabbier and push buttons, this was the way to do it so maybe he could extend a compromise of sorts. Something they both could benefit from. If he could teach his boss a little patience for a greater reward then Ed was going to give it a go.

His brain made a huh sound inside his head when he realized he was seriously considering teaching Greed the value of equivalent exchange. Ed had no idea if it'd work, but it could make Greed more compliant if he knew he'd get something in exchange, something better.

A loud thwacking sound pulled Ed out of his thoughts. He looked down at the tossed meat and then at Greed. That had been too easy. No dirty look or nasty comment. Ed swallowed loudly, looked around them, and then waited.

Nothing happened. Greed grunted and then shrugged him off, stalking around the corner. Ed narrowed his eyes but didn't go after him. Weird. Had Greed actually listened to his advice without an argument? It unexpectedly unsettled Ed. He stood there, mulling over it for a few minutes before shaking his head. He cautiously looked around, then back down at the meat again. His hand swiped across then into his inside coat pocket.

Ed wouldn't see Greed again until he went to pay for the food. Not even when he slinked down the candy aisle, eyes darting to his left and right, looking for the greedy bastard. He finished up getting everything on his list, making sure to quickly dodge in and out of the small aisles to avoid other people before setting his goods on the counter. It was then that Greed loudly appeared next to him, seemingly from nowhere.

"This is my half. Gonna step outside while you take care of it." The words were no sooner out of Greed's mouth before he slipped out of the store, leaving Ed to carry their bags.

Frowning, Ed looked back at the counter. Nothing extra or suspicious was slipped in. The clerk was friendly enough as she added up his purchase and bagged his food.

He grabbed the three bags and went outside. Greed was nowhere to be found. "Fucking hell," he cursed under his breath. Just what he needed. For them to get separated and him get stuck hauling all this back to camp.

Ed glowered for the umpteenth time today and headed down the street. When Greed stepped out of the shadows with an unholy grin on his face, Ed almost dropped the bags, surprised by the suddenness of it. "Holy fuck, what in—"

"Look what I got," Greed interrupted, grin widening and seemingly undeterred by Ed's odd behavior. He pulled back the opening in his coat to show up the wrapped-up meat he had staked out earlier.

"When the hell did you manage to steal that?" He kept his voice low enough so that no one else would hear. "I hope to fuck no one saw you."

"Relax, no one saw me." Greed shot Ed an annoyed and slightly disappointed look. "You really think I'm that unskilled I'd let myself get caught?"

Ed glanced around them before slipping around Greed. He started walking a nice steady pace. Speeding up might look suspicious. Same with moving too slow. "I don't know? You're not very quiet. Can usually hear you coming a mile away." He glanced at Greed. "How much shit have you stolen?"

Greed growled at Ed. "Don't even act like you think I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. It's bullshit and you know it. If I was going to get caught, it would've happened by now."

"Let's just get the hell out of here," he hissed. "We got enough food to take with us already and the list is done." They were only in charge of the food this time, and he had already put forth the effort to get them extras. He had done more than his part. Ed turned around and took a step but didn't hear Greed behind him.

Instead of going back the way they came, Greed was moving in the opposite direction. Ed followed, realizing they were heading towards another part of the town. This area looked poor and probably didn't have much to offer. What could Greed possibly want here? Ed scowled as he looked for a way through so they could double back around and leave.

"We haven't been down this section yet. There're a few taverns that carry good whiskey." He spared Ed a brief glance. "Been here once before. City's still better, and before you start bitchin' and moanin' about funds, I'll grab what I need myself." Then Greed shrugged. "Probably be better you go back to camp. Might get in my way."

Ed stopped and glared at Greed. "Fuck that. I'm not goin' anywhere." He kept his tone of voice level even though he was seething inside. If left unchecked, who knew what garbage Greed would get into or how long it'd take him to get out of it and turn up again. They couldn't risk anyone finding out who they were or who was after them, and he was not carrying everything back himself. "I'm good with taggin' along. Don't wanna take the chance of us gettin' separated."

"Whatever you say. Just don't slow me down or give me any self-righteous bullshit because you're not gonna like what I'm about to do, and you're not gonna like this part of town." Greed barely spared Ed a glance. "Fair warning, I don't plan on payin' for anything down here either."

"Fine by me. Doesn't look like there's anyone too upstanding here anyway. Doubt they're file a police report on you if you take anything from them." It was all probably stolen goods anyway. Ed noticed they passed the poorer part and headed into the seedier area. Every town had a bad street to it, and it looked like they landed in the middle of it here. "Just don't seriously hurt anyone if they give you shit."

"Don't tell me what to do, kid." Greed reached out and gave Ed's hair a hard ruffle. "Just gonna get the booze and we'll head back."

He made a face over the hair ruffle but kept his mouth shut. This was a bad idea, but Ed kept walking despite knowing that. "How long do ya think it'll take for you to grab what you need?" Ed finally asked. His attention was momentarily taken away from Greed when he noticed a small group of kids nearby them. With his attention split between them and the argument, he wasn't able to stop one of the kids from running by, taking a swipe of Greed's stolen meat.

It took a few seconds for what happened to settle in. A loud growl from Greed tore Ed out of his thoughts. Fuck. This wasn't good, but Greed was already gone before Ed could stop him. And so were the kids. They were too young and too scrawny to fend off a homunculus.

He tucked his bags close to his body and bolted after Greed. Those kids didn't realize who they stole from. While Ed didn't think Greed would seriously hurt them, he also didn't want them to get roughed up (and he couldn't be sure about the former). Not when they were simply hungry and trying to get by. They probably hadn't had a decent meal in a long time.

This part of the street was relatively empty, giving him a clear view of where the kids were going. Ed took in everything he could as he tried to catch up to Greed, noting that the few people who were around didn't seem surprised they were chasing after the kids. This was common occurrence. Shame none of them cared enough to help the kids so they didn't have to resort to stealing. Ed clench his fists and felt anger bubble up inside of him as he took off down the street.

After a couple sharp turns, Ed finally managed to catch up with Greed. He clapped his hands and pulled up a wall, small enough to not put too much attention on them but large enough to slow them both down. Greed hit the wall with his calves and stumbled. Ed ran faster until he caught up. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized Greed had the kids cornered.

"Greed, you can't take it from them." Ed panted as he put his hand on Greed's shoulder and shook his head. "They're kids." Young kids, probably around seven, eight-years-old. "Look at them. They're too little to fight. They need it more than we do." He nodded his head towards the small group. "It's wrong to beat on them, and you know it."

"No one gets away with stealing from me." Greed looked at Ed sharply and yanked his shoulder away. "Why should this be any different? If they're smart enough to take it, then they're big enough to see it for what it is and know the risks."

"I don't think I can tell ya much else other than they're kids... they don't have anyone takin' care of them. Don't be like your family. You're better than that." Ed knew what it was like being young and being on his own. And they had been luckier than most kids who didn't have much. Granny Pinako always made sure they had food and ate and that they had clean clothes, but they had still lived by themselves in that big empty house. "They remind me of when I was little, after my mom died. Al and I were orphans. Their clothes are ratty, and they're hungry. We both know they're living out on the streets. I feel bad for them... please," his voice lowered, "Don't do this." Maybe if he asked nicely it would appeal to Greed enough to stop this. "We can get some more later."

He heard a low growl coming from Greed and readied his hands. "C'mon, let's get back to camp with what we got. It'll be enough to get us through a few days, and by then there'll be a new town we can get supplies from." Ed reached out again, but this time grabbed Greed's upper arm and used a more forceful tone. "What good is it taking stuff from someone who has nothing to begin with?"

But Greed only pushed him away and made his move. "Fuck your bleeding heart. Not stealin' from them. It was mine to begin with."

"It was only yours because you stole it." Ed clapped his hands together again and this time some of the sidewalk wrapped around Greed's ankle. He shook his head. "Leave them be." His voice had an 'or else' tacked onto that. "I won't let you hurt them. Rather do this the easy way but I'll do it the hard way if you're not gonna listen to what I'm sayin'."

The last thing Ed had planned on doing was showing that if he wanted, he could really be the one in charge. That would upend their little group. Greed would leave, and he'd lose access to Ling and a powerful ally. He had to be careful about this, but he also couldn't let Greed give these kids a beat-down. His breath caught in his throat as he waited to see how Greed would react.

Greed balked but didn't push Ed away. He softly exhaled a sigh of relief. That was something. A small something but he'd take it. Ed clapped his hands again, grabbed Greed, and then pulled them backwards and away from the kids, stumbling a little as the sidewalk moved with them. The children scattered like he knew they would, taking Greed's meat with them. Ed turned his attention away from them. He doubted they'd follow them or tell anyone considering they were thieves themselves.

"Let's get the fuck outta here. We got enough shit to last us a few days at least. We'll find another town and place to settle into." Ed released Greed's ankle and righted himself. He let go of Greed's arm, letting out a small, frustrated sound as he did so. "It's gonna be late when we get back as is. I still gotta make dinner for everyone."

"Don't tell me what to do." Greed's voice came out more like a growl than anything else. He brushed passed Ed hard enough to move his body a couple inches and stalked on off but didn't make a move to go after what had been stolen from him.

Ed almost thought Greed was going to take a swing at him and let out a sigh of relief when nothing more happened. He jogged to keep up with Greed but lost sight of him. He left the alley and was back out on the street, but his boss had all but disappeared on him. Ed kept his head down but eyes alert. Ed swiftly moved down another alleyway when he caught sight of Greed's ponytail moving in that direction.

It was another dead end, with a couple of backdoors leading into the surrounding buildings. Greed was currently standing in front of one of them. Ed opened his mouth to call out to him then stopped when he glanced behind him. Something wasn't right. There seemed to be more people around than before. The vibe he got from this area of town made goosebumps break out across his skin, and the back of his neck feel tingly. He moved to turn around to check behind him, but before he could, Ed felt someone grab his shoulder and turn him around.

A tall, burly man, with greasy hair and dirty fingers, leered down at him. "Gimmie your money... all of it," he said shaking Ed.

"Son of a—" Ed twisted and tried to wiggle his way out of the larger man's grasp only to have the hold on his shoulders tighten. His legs flailed. "Let me go, asshole!"

The man only laughed and pulled his hand back. Ed knew what that meant and moved to clap his hands. The man followed quickly, putting his weight on Ed and keeping him from using his alchemy. They had been watching him deal with Greed. The only way out would be for him to either fight his way through or try to dodge any attacks. The safer way, the way to make sure none of their goods were ruined was the latter.

When the man's large fist pull back, Ed tried to duck to avoid the punch, but the guy still managed to clip his jaw and lower lip, splitting it a little. Blood trickled down from his mouth to his chin, and Ed twisted his body enough to give himself a little room to work with.

Ed kicked the guy's shin as hard as he could with his left foot, relieved that it gave him an opening. He went to return the punch when the man was lifted up into the air and tossed. He dropped to the ground and spat out a little bit of blood from his cut lip.

"How the fuck do you manage to find every scuffle to get into?" Greed gave the man a kick in the ass when he tried to get up and then held him down with a well-placed foot. "I can't leave you alone for one second."

Greed bent down, and showed the man a clawed finger. "Piss off before I decide ta peal your worthless skin off your body." He nodded to Ed. "That little shit belongs to me, got it?" Greed let the man up and gave him a swift kick to the ass before raising an eyebrow and giving Ed a questioning look.

"What? He tried to steal my money. Not my fault." He shrugged. "Told ya this town sucks." If anyone had told him he'd have to deal with this shit today, Ed would've stayed in his tent. First those kids and then this guy. "I'm going back to camp. If you wanna stay here and piss around then fine. I'm done."

"Not a chance." Greed took a step towards Ed and grabbed him by his jacket. "We came in together and we're gonna leave together. Last thing I need is for someone else'ta grab ya."

Ed scoffed. The only reason why that guy had taken him off guard was because he had been arguing with Greed. "Yeah 'cause I was tryin' to talk some sense into you before you tore into them kids."

"You weren't paying attention to your surroundings," Greed countered. "Next time you might not be lucky enough to have me around to bail your sorry ass out."

The words were no sooner out of Greed's mouth when he choked and blood trickled down his lips. Ed's eyes widened. It took him a couple seconds to figure out what was going on. There was another man standing behind Greed with a grin plastered across his face and a knife he had pushed through Greed's side.

A crackling sound drew Ed's attention to the wound. Already it started heal up around the knife. Greed's shield came up and snapped it while the bit stuck in him was forced out. His hand shot out and grabbed the man's. He heard the familiar sound of bones cracking and a scream of pain as Greed squeezed the guy's hand.

Seeing Greed with a knife in him, made Ed's blood boil. He knew most humans were no match for a homunculus, but the idea of standing idly on the sidelines felt wrong. Despite all of Greed's faults, they were a team. He had to do something. Ed moved and rolled his body across the ground, sticking his leg out to half trip the man. For the first time all week the fire was back in his eyes. He clapped his hands together and brought them down on the ground, ejecting the men from Greed.

"That asshole's with me." As much as Greed annoyed him and probably deserved a lesson or two taught in life, these bastards weren't going to be the ones to do it. That was his job. "If you're wanna fuck with him, you're gonna have'ta get through me first."

Now that Greed had freed him from their grasp, Ed had no intentions of letting any of these jerks grab a hold of either of them again. He could take down every single one of these guys without breaking a sweat. They had no idea who they were dealing with. To prove his point, he clapped his hands again and turned his automail arm into a blade. Ed motioned them to come at him. "You bastards want a piece of me then come get it."

One of the men moved towards him. Ed dropped down to a crouch and pressed his hands to the ground, making a fist come out of it and hit the guy square in the jaw.

The rest of the group dispersed in opposite directions, leaving the fallen man to his fate. Ed waited to see what would happen next as the guy carefully got up then took off away from them. He let out a quiet breath. "What a jerk. He didn't even try to fight once he realized we were stronger." A part of him was disappointed that it was over. Nothing would've satisfied him more than to teach those assholes a lesson. "You alright?" Ed turned to Greed, careful though not to take his eyes off what was around them.

"You're not s'posed to outshine your boss, you little piss-ant." Greed shot Ed a sour look but it held no real anger behind. His pride had been wounded at most. "Minions shouldn't be more badass than the person they're minioning for."

"That's not even a word and never said I was your minion. There's a difference between working for someone and letting them own you." Ed gathered the bags up off the ground. "'Sides, minions don't aren't usually all that smart. You really wanna trade in a State Alchemist for that?"

"Least they'd do what I want 'em to do without shitty morals gettin' in the way." Greed's words lacked the harshness to them that Ed had expected from it.

He grinned. "Well, looks like you're stuck with a smart one who won't let you get into too much trouble because his shitty morals won't allow it."

"You're a pain in my ass." Greed glanced at the bags on the ground. "And our bags are ruined."

"Nah, I can fix them. Cover my back, though. Dunno if those guys'll come back with more people." Ed crouched down and carefully took out their goods, setting them aside. Some of the fruit looked bruised, but if they ate it up tonight, it wouldn't go to waste. A simple clap and touch to the ground mended the bags.

"The city is a lot better." Greed made tch'ing sound nudged a couple of the fallen oranges with his foot. "Not that you'll get to see it since we'll be leaving, but I sure as fuck will miss it," he added in a smug tone.

His hands shook a little as he picked up the food and cloth that had fallen out and put them back into the bags. "Don't even go there. I don't need to hear about how great in bed the men and women there are." Ed wasn't sure why it embarrassed him so much, only that it did, and he'd be damned if he'd let Greed catch on to it.

"Jealous?" Greed said with a laugh before patting Ed on the shoulder. "If you want, I'm sure I can hook you up with someone in your age gr—"

"Hardly. In fact, I'd rather not hear about how many people you've slept with." He forced his sour look into disgusted one, even though Ed didn't feel quite grossed out by it, but boy he wanted to be. The last thing he wanted to think about was either Greed or Ling in bed with other people. "Got better things to stew over than who you're gonna fuck."

"You only say that because you've never done it." Greed's laugh turned into a smirk. "Am I right?"

He gave Greed a sharp look. What the hell did that have to do with anything? "Yeah, so what if I haven't? Got more important things to focus on like taking out your piece-of-shit old man and getting my brother's body back. There's no shame in not puttin' my dick in anything that breathes." Besides, he was saving himself for Winry... once he asked her to marry him. "I don't need to fuck a bunch of people to know I'm good."

"I don't fuck anything with a pulse. I got standards." Greed's grin fell and his expression turned into a contemplative one. "I think you got it backwards but suit yourself."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ed braced himself for another argument. He'd be damned if he let Greed tell him sex was more important than getting Al's body back or saving the country.

"It means keeping all that energy pent up'll only make you lose focus. It's good to get out, be around other people, and relax now and then." Greed poked Ed's chest. "You think I wouldn't hold back if I thought it'd get me closer to fucking over the old bastard?" He pushed his finger in a little deeper. "I'd give up all the ass and pussy for a chance to do that right now if I thought it'd work, but sittin' here, stewin' over how hard shit it'll only make me tense and that makes shit harder. It's a good way to unwind, and you'd know that if you'd stop refusing to let yourself enjoy life a little."

Ed's face warmed a little at the crude words Greed used. An odd silence settled over them as they stood there. He wasn't sure what to say to that because he had assumed Greed was simply having sex, because well, the man was a greedy bastard and wanted everything. Including sex. And apparently in large enough amounts that it made the top list of what being incarnate of greed meant. He had heard that spiel plenty of times to know, money, power, women (and a little to his surprise, men too), and sex were the preferred favorites.

The idea of using sex as a way to unload had never occurred to him before and gave Greed a little more depth. It made sense that it'd work for some people, but he was good on his end for it. How could he even look Al or Winry in the eyes again if he was out here, having a good time while they were...

Ed stopped himself. He wouldn't even go down that train of thought. He had no idea what they were doing, and he wouldn't allow himself to assume the worst. "Whatever works for you, Greed. Doesn't mean I gotta do the same thing, and it doesn't mean it's because I've never 'done it' before. That's got nothing to do with it."

"Look, all 'm sayin' is that you're hard on yourself, and it wouldn't hurt to cut loose now and then. Experience life a little. Go out and do normal shit for once. No one'll hold it against you if you did." Greed flattened his hand against Ed's chest before pulling it away. "They don't see you the way you see yourself. You're not a fuckup, Ed."

He swatted away Greed's hand and swallowed the small lump that had formed in his throat. "You don't have to," Ed glanced at the ground and then back up at Greed. "You don't have ta try an' make me feel better every time I feel down. It's not your job to always make sure I'm okay." Fuck if it didn't make him feel even more useless.

"I look out for anyone who works for me. Tough break for you I guess." Greed grabbed one of the bags from Ed. "Can't have you all fucked up in the head either. Bad for business."

"Right," Ed shot Greed an annoyed look even though he didn't mean it. He knew how to read in between the lines, and while Greed didn't lie, feelings weren't his bag either. They were heading into emotional territory and neither of them seemed particularly inclined to go there. "The same goes for you too, though. If you're gonna look out for me then I'm gonna give you the same courtesy 'cause that's what equivalent exchange is all about." Ed took the other two bags. "Guess it's gonna be a tough break for you too, huh?"

"Whatever. Just don't go poppin' off at the mouth too much or else I will kick your ass." Greed flashed him a grin.

Sparring actually sounded good to him. Maybe they both needed to blow off steam now and then to get rid of the shittiness inside. While going out and getting sex from other people didn't appeal to him, sparring might be the outlet Ed needed. "Anytime you wanna go rounds, I'm down with that. Just don't complain when I don't go easy on you."

"C'mon," Greed took Ed by the shoulders and faced him in the direction out of the shady part of town. "It's time to head back."

"Sure... but what about your booze?" That was the whole reason they came down this way. It'd be a shame for them to leave empty handed after they had gone through all of that. Ed glumly started following Greed. Darius and Heinkel were probably back at the camp by now with their portion of supplies. They really did need to get going.

"Next place we go, gonna grab some. Too risky to bother with it now." Greed grabbed Ed's right arm and tugged him along until they got back to the center of the town.

He patted his coat pocket and felt the extra little lump there. They had their supplies and nothing had been ruined. The run could've been worse. He had some bumps and bruises but that was nothing in comparison to some of the fights he had been in over years. Nothing in comparison to having his arm and leg ripped from his body. Still, Ed didn't relax until they made back to the center where all the shops were and left the shit-part of this town behind them.

As they left the town behind them, Ed mulled over their conversation and what Greed said. It was true that he didn't allow himself to enjoy many extras, not unless Al was around to enjoy them too, but the guilt of what happened to his baby brother gnawed at him. Until he managed to fix his mistake he didn't dare allow himself to slip up. Not after he had seen the shape Al's body was in when he had passed through the gate.

That image haunted him. Each night before bed, he always saw Al's frail body, sitting there, waiting for him to do something. Greed didn't know that. Ed never said anything to anyone other than Al, and he planned to keep it that way so he let the subject drop for now as they left the town behind them, and let his thoughts settle on what he'd do now. Greed made a good point. Ed just needed to find something small and simple to do help ease his thoughts while they waited out the winter.

Maybe if they did find an abandoned home to settle down into for the winter he could work some of it out. The constant moving around without actually doing anything made him restless, feel weak, unprepared, and lacking. When he had fought their attackers, those feelings had gone away. For the first time in a while, Ed had felt useful, needed. For a few seconds he hadn't thought about Father or the other homunculi or the military. Him and Greed even had a little fun afterwards.

Ed blew a few stray hairs away from his eyes and kicked a stone along the worn path. Idleness never had suited him. It didn't suit Greed either. "Hey, Greed... maybe we should spar." He glanced to his right. "Give us both somethin' to do to pass the time."

"This your way of sayin' you wanna kick my ass?" Greed chuckled and nudged Ed in the side.

He smiled a little and just shrugged. Ed then slipped ahead of Greed and kept walking.