AN: So I don't know how this will work but now it's Ed's rehab time!
Ed stood outside with the wind whipping around him; it had only been about 2 days since Al and Winry found out about him smoking and since then they had been pushing Ed's every button. They only let Ed have 2 cigarettes a day and that hasn't been helping, Ed could feel himself getting more and more irritated, and at times like this he wished he could have one, but as Al says he could have one when he woke, and before he went to sleep, this was neither of those times so Ed would have to suffer or face Al's metal hand and Winry's wrath. He shutter now really want to do that right now. "Man I wish I could have a smoke right now." Ed mutters looking down at the ground 7 stories underneath him.
"You know you can't do that Ed," Al came up behind ducking so he could stand beside him. "We made a deal only 2 cigarettes a day Ed." Al put his hand on his shoulder.
"I know, I know," Ed sighed looking at his brother, he could almost imagine the look on Al's being one of concern, these last few days have been hard on Ed, and he knew Al felt just as bad about the whole thing. "But seriously Al, can I please have one more just today I swear." Ed begged. Man he hated this, having to ask his younger brother for a cigarette when he could just have one in the past, he also hated that he couldn't keep his hands steady anymore, they were always shaking.
"No brother, you know that you have to stick to the plan and you'll be stopped in no time." Al said overly cheerful.
"Yeah whatever," Ed snapped harshly walking away from his stunned brother and into the elevator that lead down to the ground floor, if Al wouldn't give him any he would find some on his own.
"Brother wait!" Al started to go after Ed but the doors closed before he could.
Good Ed thought I need some time to myself but then when the elevator started to descend and Ed was met with silence he was gripped with guilt. "Damn it, why did I have to yell at him, god I'm so stupid!"
Ed sank to the floor and curled into a ball, almost the same time the doors open to Warrant Officer Falman standing at the entrance. "Ed? What are you doing on the floor?" He said walking into the elevator. "Are you getting off?"
"No," Ed muttered not looking up.
"Hey umm what's the matter there Edward?" He said hitting the button to take him up to the top floor. "Why are you so down?"
"My brother is trying to help me stop smoking and he won't let me have a cigarette, so now my hands won't stop shaking, and to top all that off I go and yell at him." Ed blurted out without thinking tears starting to blur his vision.
"Umm… I didn't know that you smoked Ed," Falman spoke softly not sure of what to say.
"Yeah I have for about 4 years now." Ed muttered, shifting so that he could stand up.
"Wow I guess you learn something new about someone every day." Falman said looking at Ed asking, "How many did you smoke a day?"
"About 5 a day about, sometimes more depending on the situation," Ed answered, "And Al wants me to go down to 2 a day, and well it's not working I'm so shaky and nervous," as he spoke his foot starting to tap as though to emphasize his point.
"Does he know that's not a good number for you to drop to, I mean that when Havoc tried to cut back he had to go down 1 cigarette a week for a while to get where he is now." Falman mused looking at the lights flashing telling the boys that there was only one more floor to go till they got to their destination.
"Really? Doesn't Havoc smoke like a pack day now?" Ed was shocked by that bit of news.
"Yeah he does but well…" Falman muttered looking at Ed, "I think you should tell your brother that 2 a day isn't working for you and you need to go up to maybe 3 because I can tell you now that part of your attitude is from the stress your body is under because you don't have the chemicals in it enough."
"Yeah I know that," Ed snapped, instantly regretting it as Falman takes a step back from surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." He apologized just as the doors opened to let them out. Ed takes this opportunity to run out of the elevator and to the stares in order to get away from a shocked Falman.
As Ed ran he could feel tears welling up behind his eyes. He ran over to the stair case and started down not caring that he had about 7 flights of stairs to go. He just needed to run, to try and work of the anger that was boiling in him. By the time that he made it down a flight his lungs were burning and he whad to resist the urge to start coughing. He made it down 2 more flights before he absolutely had to stop because he could not breathe. "GRAAHH!" Ed yelled in frustration, despite running down 3 flights of stairs he still wanted to punch something, and he wanted a god damned cigarette.
He stayed like that for about 30 minutes, panting because it hurt to take deeper breaths, before he calmed down enough to think clearly. Finally he decided he should go find his brother and apologize for getting so mad at him earlier. So with that thought he gets up from the stairs he had been sitting on and starts down them to where the barracks were located. When he finally gets to the landing that lead to his room his nerves where getting the better of him and he started to pick at inside of his pockets, but despite his nerves he kept on walking and soon found himself in front of his room that he shared with Al and Winry.
"Al where do you think that Ed ran off to," Ed heard Winry say from the room.
"No I don't," Al answered. "He just got mad and stormed away."
Ed froze with his hand on the door knob not really sure if he could actually go through with this he didn't want to face them. He went to turn away and leave but ran into Falman, "No, Edward go and talk to them, you will feel better if you stop holding in everything." Ed nodded looking at the door, feeling Falman push him slightly toward it. "Go."
"Fine but don't treat me like a child," Ed spoke with his normal defiance laced into his voice and his eyes light happily. "Thanks." He said and without giving Falman a chance to reply he opens the door and walks in to see Winry and Al sitting on the bed facing each other. "Hey, guys." Ed spoke shyly looking at them.
"Ed!" Al yelled happily as he grabbed him into a huge hug. "You had me worried about you were did you go?"
"Out for a walk, I needed to clear my head." Ed said standing there when Winry came over and held her hand out. "Winry?"
"Turn out your pockets Ed." She spoke sharply as she stood there watching Ed.
"Winry, I don't have any cigarettes on me Al has them all," Ed said defensively hurt that Winry didn't trust him enough to stay true to his word. But either way he turned his pockets out just to get her off his back. "I keep my word Winry; you of all people should know that." Ed snapped still feeling the sting of her mistrust.
"Sorry Ed, I just don't want you smoking anymore." She muttered.
"Yeah well obviously I do to or I wouldn't let you guys stop me, so stop thinking I'm going to cheat every time I'm not in your sight." Ed snapped his anger rising again, "Look I can't do this anymore, I can't cut down that much right now can I go up to 3 a day for a sometime right now." He knew that they did not like that but he could not cut down that much right now. With the resent attack of sloth and everything about the higher ups coming to investigate and the bastard Kimblee breathing down his neck and threatening Winry.
"No Ed you," Winry started only to be interrupted by Al.
"Brother I think I understand, so here." Despite Winry's objection Al knew his brother and he could see that Ed was trying. "I don't like it brother not at all, I can see that this is not working, so we will have to change the way we go about things." Al's voice was calm and thoughtful.
"Al…" Winry sounded defeated when she spoke, "You know that Ed agreed to cut down that much you can't just let him cheat." She grabbed the pack before Ed could even react to what was said.
"Winry," Ed muttered he spoke soft reaching for her arm. "I don't want to cheat and I only agreed to it because if I hadn't you would have beaten me with that wrench you always hold!" Again Ed was getting angry his tendency for having a short temper was coming back to bite him in the butt. "Look do you know what's happening around you! You're a prisoner kept here to make sure that we don't go and mess up the military's plan! Do you know what kind of pressure I've been under and now with that damned homunculi being after us and trying to kill us!" Ed was yelling his anger at the boiling point. "And you wonder why I smoke! I have to get mine and Al's body back, it was my fault that everything happened the way it did so its m responsibility to get it back to normal," Ed knew he should stop but he could make himself he is just too angry, but as he went on he could see Winry began to cry, "Something you know nothing about I might add-"
"Brother stop now!" Al's voice boomed as he grabbed Ed's arm to pull him away from Winry. "Brother, what has gotten into you brother?"
"Are you that ready to kill yourself Ed?" Winry said her voices laced with anger that matched the way that Ed felt. "You know what; don't answer that because I already know the answer. Ed I may not know what you have been through but have you ever thought that could be because you never tell me! So take this things," She threw the pack that she had been holding at Ed's face as hard as she could, forgetting that his reactions were faster than most people and he caught them with little difficulty. She let out a huff and started to the door
"Don't go, Winry, please; I'm sorry for yelling I mean it. Just please don't go." Ed's voice held a softness that made Winry stop dead in her tracks, "I never wanted to kill myself, if I did I would be dead and there would be nothing you could do about that," His voice turned sharp again and he could see in the way Winry was standing that she knew he was telling the truth, at one point, with Scar, he might have thought that dyeing was the best idea to save his brother but he learned that it wasn't and he was never going back on that. "But I know myself, I will stop smoking but I can't cut back that much right now. Not with what is going on."
Winry didn't say anything more but walked out the door and left a stunned Al and a pissed off Ed behind. "Maybe you were too harsh on her brother." Al said moving so that he could sit back down on the bed.
"Damn it," Ed muttered and out of habit pulled a cigarette out of the pack bringing it to his lips reaching into his pocket for his lighter.
"Here you go brother." Al said sadly handing him the lighter.
"Thanks," Ed said not really looking at him while he lit the thing breathing in the chemicals that calm him down again. "I'll talk to her when she calms down." He pauses looking down almost shyly, "Al?"
"Yes brother."
"None of this is your fault," Ed said with conviction, Ed brought his hand up to stop his brother from talking. "I chose this because I was too scared to talk to you about what was on my mind. So don't blame yourself."
"I know brother, and I think that Winry will understand when she calms down, so why don't you come and study the books I was able to find and get your mind off of things." Al suggested pulling a book out so that he could look at it.
Ed smiles looking at his younger brother again, it could be hard to tell who the older brother was when Al made such a valid point, but still worried about Winry and the way she stormed out. "I don't know." He spoke at the same time Winry came in with a smile that quickly turned into a frown when she saw that Ed had a cigarette in his hand.
"Will three a day be good?" She asked with her hand behind her back.
"For about 7 to 10 days just so that I can get used to not having the same amount of nicotine in my system, then down to 2 a day for a while and so on till I'm able to not have any a day, it will take some time and I will not be in a good mood but that is the best way for me to stop." Ed spoke matter of factly feeling slightly better that she wasn't yelling at him.
"Okay then you are going to need more so I took the time to go to the store, I don't know what you like but here." She hands him a new pack. "I'm sorry for yelling."
"What made you change your mind?" Ed asked grabbing the pack with some caution.
"I ran into a man that identified himself as Falman, he told he about Halvoc and well it helped me think clearer." Winry gave a soft smile, "When did you tell him."
"After I blew up at Al, I kinda needed someone to talk to and he showed up." Ed spoke rubbing the back of his head, and again without thinking taking a draw from his cigarette. "Sorry."
He went to drop the half-finished end, but is stopped short by Winry's hand. "No more hiding."
Ed smirked and quickly pulled her into a hug. 'this might not be as bad as I thought it would be' he thought as Winry blushed pulling away quickly. Ed laughed and grabbed the book from Al plopping on the bed to read, and as an unspoken thing everyone in the room goes about the rest of the day in comfortable silence.
AN: Well that was longer then I thought that it would be, I had fun playing with Ed's tendency for having a short temper so he had to have a few temper tantrums.
Thanks for reading!