"…I'll take the test."

Al's eyes widened and he embraced his brother in delight.

"Good to hear it." Marly stepped up behind them and stood just inside the door.

The boys stepped apart again, startled for an instant, and Ed smiled sheepishly at her while Al beamed. He was so excited that he had finally convinced Ed that taking the test would benefit the both of them.

"You really need to get back in the bed though, Edward. The heart monitor misses you and the IV looks lonely…Are you really able to be without the oxygen right now?"

Ed let himself stumble mild-dramatically back onto the bed and he rubbed his temples, with real cause, with a soft chuckle and a temperate grin, "Barely; it does somewhat hurt to breath, but it's alright, I can deal." He glared at the needle, "This, on the other hand, I'll do without for sure."

"You talk too much." Marly shook her head and stepped over to put the IV back into Ed's wrist; he squirmed as the needle slid into place. Once he was resituated comfortably in the bed, she put the oxygen mask back over his mouth and nose. "I recommend keeping this on for a while… Honestly, I've never met a patient who would disconnect their own equipment. You really pushed yourself this time too." She extended a hand to rest on Ed's forehead.

The mask lifted slightly due to the facial flex of a smile that spread innocently across Ed's face.

Marly shook her head again and ruffled his hair, "Just take it easy until you can go home, alright."

The ICU door closed, and Al smiled at it.

Ed, eyeing his brother's expression, curled his lips in to suppress an inevitable smile that broke ground and Ed moved the mask to laugh a little.

"What?" Al turned to him.

"You… Are hopelessly crushing on her aren't you?" It was quiet for a moment and Ed snickered again.

"Oh, shut it. I'm just grateful to her." Al reached over and gently snapped the mask back over Ed's face.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Ed continued to tease through the plastic and Al simply shook his head in denial.

***

The next day, just like the last few times, Ed was released from the hospital, free to do as he pleased as though nothing had happened; which was the best part.

It would be three or so weeks before the test results came back, nevertheless it didn't matter much to Ed, so long as he continued to fight it off on his own.

Dr. Cropton had a hypothesis, and if he was correct, Ed shouldn't even be breathing at that moment; he should've died the first time- but nothing else seemed to fit the symptoms. In conclusion, if he had lived this long, there was nothing to worry about. So, he ignored the doctor's ideas and facts about him.

Ed's eyes drifted from the sky back to Al's spacey face,and he shoved him, then took off running toward their house now in sight. Al scoffed… Then laughed, and chased after his brother.

Reaching the door, it became a battle of who's would key would unlock it first. As the door swung open, having undone one lock each, it became about who would be able to slide through the opening to take the gold.

Soon, both flopped into the entryway, Ed falling against the wall and Al catching the coffee table were he left his keys as he straightened. They stood panting for a moment, looked at each other and chuckled.

"You… You're impossible." Al shook his head catching his breath.

Ed chuckled and adjusted to fully face Al with a grin. "Meaning?"

"You're unstoppable!" Al threw his hands in the air, pacing around the edge of the couch into the living room, "Edward Elric, the unstoppable; the infamous Full Metal Alchemist! The brave hero of the people, the ever-so-temperamental-when-called-short MANIAC, that won't stop fighting… or running," Al plopped down on the floor at the end of his rant. He beamed up at his brother from the floor in front him "even when he's ill."

"Ill, maybe, BUT I AIN'T SHORT NO MORE! 5'8" BABY! YEAH!" Ed threw a prosthetic fist into the air with a triumphant smirk.

Both boys laughed again and settled into lounging positions on the rug.

Ed spoke up after a brief quiet, "So, sir chef-"

"You're hungry already? You just ate twenty minutes ago!"

Ed grinned mischievously and Al shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey," Ed leaned in suddenly serious, "That's what you get for makin' me run."

Al stood, "Unbelievable. Besides, I'm not the one who made you run." Al ruffled his hair as he stepped over Ed's stretched legs.

"Lies! You're so scary when you're quiet, I had to! I hadn't a choice!" Ed lay down and laughed at his own joke while Al laughed sarcastically sauntering into the kitchen.

The sound of clanking pans, the click and puff of the stove burner, and the rippled crackle of dry noodles tumbling onto the metal strainer followed by the sound of running water… This was home, and the one cooking… Had flesh. Ed smiled up at the ceiling with pained eyes at the memory of how things once were; the things that brought them here… to Earth. His mind began to wander back to Amestris, his real home…

Unexpectedly, Al gasped and dropped the pot of freshly rinsed noodles on the floor. Ed curled his legs to his chest before jolting them out to launch himself to his feet and he staggered- due to a head rush- to the kitchen. When his vision was clear, he looked in at Al. He was on the floor shamefacedly scooping the steaming bare pasta back into the dish.

"Did you burn yourself?" Ed bent down and picked up one of Al's trembling hands to examine it.

"Well, no actually. I… guess I just though I saw something in the window is all."

"Why does everything bad always have to happen in the kitchen." Ed wondered aloud as he pushed the last of the food at Al who picked it up, slapped it back into the pan with the other now 'toxic' noodles, and began rinsing them in the hot water again.

Ed snuck a peek around the disappointed blonde in front of him out the window. There was nothing there. Ed patted Al's shoulder who smiled apologetically at him.

A gentle smile returned and Al shut off the water and walked over to the stove.

"What did it look like?"

Al twisted to stare at Ed with surprise, "I might not have even seen anything, brother, don't sound so angry. I'm okay."

Ed sighed, "It just concerns me."

"Brother," Al dipped his head to the side to look into Ed's eyes gazing at the floor to his left, "I'm still shaken from your attack the other day. I really really want to know what they come up with for a cure."

"You can at least tell me what it was." Ed walked over to the now bubbling pot and stirred it around with the spoon.

"I'm not sure, actually… But…"

Ed shot Al a look over his shoulder, "But?'

"I don't know. I didn't get a good look."

Ed huffed and returned his focus to the boiling pasta, He talks about it like he knows there was something there… "The foods almost done… Do you want me to prepare the sauce?"

"Sure, Ed. I'll get some bread warmed."