Note - This is actually sort of a an auto-biography I guess? I love this fandom and I felt it therapeutic to write about what happens in my life. Might as well let other people know the story anonymously. It's a story of love, friendship, and lessons in your twenties. I hope you enjoy.

Marlboro Nights

Part I Continued

A few weeks later every thing had changed. I had quit my job when I gotten back, started up smoking again, and returned to the job hunting world. I had been unhappy for months with my job, minimum wage wasn't cutting it when I was restarting people's hearts. Also, I think it was taking a toll on my mental stability. I had been having nightmares, the first night I didn't have them was Saturday at beer fest in the comfort of my friends. That weekend had changed my whole outlook on my job, and I knew I wasn't ready to constantly be under the pressure anymore.

Also, I had a whole new group of friends despite one of them living eight hours away. I was currently talking with him on the phone as I searched for jobs in my favorite fuzzy robe toking away on a menthol.

"So, kid, you find anything good yet? Maybe I can help you find something when I come visit in a few days."

"Nothing at the moment, but I have a great lead on another mechanic job."

"You really want to go back to that? I hate my job, hate my life here mostly. I'm tired of living with five roommates." He said absentmindedly as I heard the crank of a wrench. He was starting to become one of my closest friends, and I was finally happy in a long time to have such great ones.

"I mean, Gracia has that basement room and Roy has the spare room if you wanted to move out here." I mentioned with a small laugh.

"'Cause I definitely want to live with an old man." He joked.

"You are an old man."

"Hey, I am only twenty-nine, he's nearing forty, kid!" He laughed too hard at his joke, but then he got very serious."Also he is saving that room when Riza wants to move out."

"She's never going to do that." I responded quickly.

He sort of chuckled, and I heard the clatter of tools. "I got to go, I'm getting a phone call. Tell your man child I said hello."

He clicked off.

Oh yeah, I was still engaged to Pitt despite being horribly unhappy. Once we had gotten back into our normalish routine, I scratched any doubt in my mind. He was caring, attentive, and he was at least trying in bed. He wasn't the best I had ever been with, and he was quite selfish—but I "loved" him, so it had to be better, right? Well, he switched back to asshole mode once the waves had settled from the party weekend.

Speak of the devil he had come blazing into the apartment whipping his shoes off in a frenzy. I said hello to him, but he just completely ignored me. I sighed, and thought well, the season was over of nice Pitt for good. He brought a beer over to me, and cracked it open. I nodded at him in thanks as he plopped on the foot rest beside me.

"Did you find a job yet, babe?"

"No, Pitt, I told you I'm trying to find something I actually like." I mentioned as I turned around in my swivel chair. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Edward is coming this weekend. He's going to crash at our place."

He slammed his hands down on his thigh, and stood to faced me. "You didn't think to ask me?"

I looked at him, puzzled, and then raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think I needed permission, I mean I pay the bills around here."

"You won't for long." He mumbled quietly, but I heard him say it. I stood up, and closed my robe tightly.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Because you don't have a fucking job! It's been three weeks."

"Yeah! It's been three goddamn weeks! I'm working my ass off to buy you cigarettes, booze, food, and all that."

"That's what you fuckin' do when you help people. I did it for three fucking years when we lived with Granny!" I screamed back as I walked towards him. He backed away from me and put his hands up.

"I don't want to argue, just have fucking Edward over." He ground out as he pushed past me, and went into our bedroom with the door still open.

"This isn't about the job, this is about Edward. What's the issue with him? He's a friend." I told him honestly. He coughed and put his hands on his hips.

"He's just too close to you. You guys talk on the phone all the time, he texts you constantly."

"Yeah, that's what friends do! Plus he's interested in Riza anyway, not me. I don't understand why you do this all the time when I am with you, Pitt." I said sadly as I tried to catch his gaze. He just glared at the wall, and then blew air out of his nose angrily.

"I'm going to bed, see you later."

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath and cracked my knuckles as I turned to leave and head to the living room. I laid on my couch, and just didn't realize how exhausted I was until I passed out. I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing so I clumsily leaped off the couch to find my phone in the dark.

"Hello?" I groaned out half awake while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. However I woke up when I heard a panicked voice yelled back at me.

"Hey, kid, it's Ed. I need help, bad."

"Edward, what's wrong? It's like one in the morning." I whispered quietly to not wake Pitt.

"I was on my way to Drachma, and I crashed my motorcycle on the highway. I have no money to get a tow and nothing to eat, my leg hurts real bad too." He explained curtly. "Can you call someone up here? Do you know anyone that lives in Drachma?"

I was suddenly scared for him, he sounded so stressed and I didn't know anyone in Drachma except Pitt's family, but that was a shot in the dark. Hell, that was nine hours away.

"Ed, I don't know anybody, you need to go to a hospital."

"I can't, kid. I—actually have been driving on a suspended license and they will call my ex-wife in Aurego about me since technically this is her bike. I have been avoiding her and I need someone. Can—can you drive up here?" I was shocked, completely flabbergasted that he was running from something.

"Uh, Ed, that's really far. I don't know-"

"Winry, I wouldn't ask if I didn't have anyone else."

"Why are you even in Drachma? Can't you call Riza?"

"I live closer to the border of it so I was selling some of my junk to get out to you guys when I crashed. Also, Riza doesn't know about any of this so I can't ask her."

I looked back to the silent room in the back of the apartment, and I knew what I had to do.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Edward." I stated before hanging up. I quickly ran to my desk and started looking up flights to the closest airport to Edward's area. I wasn't about to drive my broken down truck nine hours. Tickets weren't that expensive and I knew I had a bit of savings in my account I hide from Pitt. I dressed as fast as I could, and printed the tickets at the same time. I snatched them from the desktop, and made my way right out the door.

. . .

"Winry! Jesus, thank god." Edward cried out as he piled into my rental car. I laughed easily, and I saw that he was bleeding on his leg. He observed the fancy car I had percured before hissing in pain at his leg.

"Ed, your leg." I mentioned as I put my hands on it to feel any bumps.

"It should be fine, just a bit of pain."

"You could have internal bleeding."

"Kid, please, just drive." He whispered as he fished a cigarette out of one my packs. "Marlboro, good brand."

I was a blunt, brash person so I was just going to come out and say it. "Why are you running from your ex-wife?"

I saw him tense up a bit, but then relaxed as he exhaled. "We were married for seven years. I divorced her because she was an alcoholic and wasn't going to get any better. I also wanted kids and she didn't, but the motorcycle is registered in her name."

"I'm sorry," Was all I could say. I wasn't great with getting emotions out or comforting those who did, but I was good at getting people to talk.

"Pitt pissed you left?"

"I didn't tell him, why do you think I'm hauling ass back home? We need to get to the airport and back before he wakes up."

"Are you fuckin' serious? Winry, you can't dance around him like this. I hear the way he talks to you and I've seen how he is. Why are you still with him? You're a cute, scratch that, hot woman who is intelligent and could have any man you wanted. So . . . why him?"

The question I had been dreading these past few months and even prior to this moment. Gran had asked, Riza had asked, and I had even asked myself. I knew the answer, but I just didn't want to say it out loud, so I lied.

"Because I love him."

He also knew I was lying.

"Alright, kid, just get us home safe. I'm going to sleep."

. . .

"What the fuck is he doing on our couch?" Pitt said sort of quietly as he jerked my leg. It woke me with a start, and I almost swung at him but I calmed myself. I blinked my eyes a few times, and looked at my fiancee with a scowl on my face.

"He came early." I lied.

I had to stop lying.

"He said he was living here now like living with us?" He growled with a wave of his hand towards the living room. Fuck, I didn't think Edward would say that to him. What the fuck was he thinking?

"I invited him to stay here until he got a place."

"Babe, it's almost Christmas, and I have two unemployed people in my fuckin' house."

"Your house? I still pay the bills, sir." I argued back.

"Just find him a place . . . soon." He basically ordered as he walked away. With his back turned I flipped him off and just decided to start getting dressed. I was interrupted once again, but was completely startled since I was naked.

"Oh, shit! Winry, I am so sorry." Edward rushed as he covered his eyes with a slight giggle.

"It's all right, man. Just knock next time, shit." I announced as I hid in my closet. Once I was out of sight I heard him sigh heavily.

"So, he's pissed isn't he?"

"He will get over it, he's just such a jealous pussy. He never learns."

"Why is he so insane about me? Did I do something?"

"He's intimidated by you. You are an attractive, single man in my life and he's scared that I'll skip off away even though you are clearly interested in Riza."

I heard him chuckle. "Actually that's over, she's back on her solitary train. I wonder if Roy will take a crack at her."

"Roy's way too old for her she thinks. I personally have no issue with age gaps unless it borders disgusting. She likes to fuck around once in a blue moon but never settles."

"Yeah, it's kind of infuriating." Edward said as I popped out fully dressed, and running my fingers through my hair. Edward looked me up and down, and grinned fully with his teeth.

"You look beautiful by the way."

. . .

Another few months went by, Edward was living here now thanks to me but with Garcia. We were all out at the bar tonight with everyone and a new friend who also moved here. Someone I had known for years but never had met in person, our friend Maes.

Maes was a guy we had spoken with online back in the day when we spent our nights gaming instead of working, and he decided to jump ship and move in with Roy. He was good looking man, with glasses and slicked back hair. He was a complete sweetheart, and I could see the looks he was giving Garcia since the moment he got here. Whenever we drank at our homes they would sneak off to the unknown, but they never established if they were dating.

Riza had flown the coop and hadn't been out with us anymore, and that had brought Edward and I closer together. He was honestly my best friend now, I confided in him about everything. He was a huge help since he had gotten a job with Pitt and heard the smack talk about me from him. Thursday's were the days we would drive around in my beat up truck, smoking cigarettes and listening to music as we talked. It was quite nice, I hadn't had an intellectual conversation in years.

I was out having a smoke by myself, nursing a beer when Edward came out with his coat on and a frown on his face. He itched his full beard that he decided to grow out in the winter, and then dug his hands deep in his pocket.

"Hey, old man." I cheekily smiled as I nudged his arm. He sort of chuckled but went back to moping. I saw him fidget a few times, and then sigh.

"I slept with Garcia."

I coughed on the inhale of my cigarette, and wildly whipped my head to glance at him. Garcia? Of all people he could find in this suburbia. Secretly deep down inside, I wish it was me. I knew this was more than friendship even Pitt knew I thought. We hadn't slept together since Edward moved here. We flirted back and forth on those late nights in the car, he constantly wished every girl he spoke to was just like me, and he called me beautiful. Nobody had ever called me that.

"Um, why?"

"I was sad, she was sad, but this was a month or so ago. Now, I see Maes all over her and I just feel bad, you know? I know he would be angry with me because he confided in me at that time he was liking her. I'm such a douchebag."

"He was here when you guys fucked?"

"Yeah, it was a few weeks after he got here."

"Then it's in the past, old man, let it go." I said as I patted his chest, and then turned to toss my cigarette. It was frigid tonight and I had enough to drink, I was ready to go home. Home to a loveless house, that I wasn't prepared to enter.

"Hey, Winry, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"All right, I also wanted to tell you, well, Pitt was talking about y'all moving to Aurego so I thought maybe you were upset by that."

I spun around, and waved a finger at Edward who looked completely taken back. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"What? I thought you knew. He applied to a job down there, Winry."

I could feel the tears hit the back of my eyes and the lump at my throat. I couldn't go through this fucking shit again, he did this every goddamn year. I had to get home, I needed to get to the bottom of this shit.

"Edward, I have to go." I stated, and started down the street towards my car.

"Winry! Wait!" He called after me, I was surprised how fast he ran because he was right behind me, pulling my hand. "Don't drive upset, let alone drunk. What the hell is going on?"

He spun me to face him, and I didn't want to cry in front of him. I didn't cry in front of anyone, but I couldn't keep it in anymore.

"He does this every fucking year. He wants to just sweep me away and horde me from everyone. He is a fucking child, he just never listens. Then he tells shit like this to people he barely knows and tells me last second. Edward, is he bad for me? I've been with him for almost six years and nothing has fucking changed!" I screamed and turned around to punch my car. Edward was a short tempered guy, but he didn't take the time for violence. He sighed, and pulled me into a hug. He was warm and I could feel his chest hair tickle my face through his open collar. He ran his fingers through my hair as I held in my breath.

"Winry, I notice things quite easily. Pitt is a nice guy when he wants to be, but not anymore. I think you are still in love with what he used to be." He whispered into the top of my hair.

I wanted to cry fully now because I had word vomit and I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I'm not in love with him at all anymore. I haven't been for months."

Edward just hugged me tighter to him, and let me be sad.

. . .

Christmas Eve, one of my most hated holidays—just from past experience but I was also working and my fiancee had been missing for twelve hours. I had gotten a shitty mechanic job about the same time Edward moved here officially, and I was doing overtime on this F350 truck with a set of bad wheel bearings. The truck had been giving me issues all day so I was thrice-fold frustrated.

I thought maybe it was time I called Pitt again for the thirteenth time to see where the fuck he was, he needed to take care of the puppy he gotten us for Christmas. A cute puppy that I loved dearly, but I could tell was a pity gift for missing my birthday since he had also disappeared then. I placed the receiver to my ear, and heard it ring for a few moments. However a female voice picked up.

"Why the fuck do you keep calling? It's almost midnight on Christmas Eve."

"Um, his fiancee is calling to see where the fuck he is. Who is this?"

Deadline.

Oh, this was not fucking happening. I lurched up so fast that I smacked my head against the bottom of the truck. I swore loudly and grabbed my swollen eye, and whipped around to grab a smoke for myself. I called again, and Pitt actually picked up this time.

"Babe, what's up?"

"Who the fuck answered your phone earlier? Where are you?"

"Babe, I left you a note."

"No, you didn't you fuckin' liar. Where are you?"

"I'm in Drachma."

"And you couldn't fucking tell me?"

"You didn't fucking tell me that Edward was moving in! You didn't tell me you spent four hundred dollars to fly and help him three weeks after meeting him!"

"I'm not in love with him, Pitt! I want you, I want to fix this! But you are so keen on being a fuckin' dick all the time. You don't come out with us, you stay home, you talk to other fuckin' girls! Don't think I haven't noticed, I saw your phone!" I screamed back at him as I held back the tears. I loathed being screamed it, it sent an internal message to revert back to my childhood when my parents hollered at me.

"Fuck you, Winry. I'll be in for my stuff this week. I'm done, you can have your apartment, your friends, and I want my fuckin' dog!" He seethed before hanging up.

I only wanted to talk to one person, and I knew he was free tonight.

I called Edward, and he picked up on the first ring. "Hey, kid! Happy Christmas Eve."

"Edward," I said softly with a crack in my voice.

"Winry, what the fuck? What's wrong?"

"He cheated on me. He's with some other girl right fuckin' now, Edward. I need you to come over."

"I'm already getting dressed, kid. When can you pick me up?"

"Five minutes."

I could see him running to the car when I screeched to a stop in front of Garcia's place. He was still buttoning up his shirt as he slammed the door behind him. He almost slipped on ice, but he made it. He climbed into the car, and just smiled at me but a tiny one. I couldn't smile back. My heart hurt so bad, I couldn't believe Pitt did this. I didn't love him, but I respected him and I was waiting for a good time to end this or fix it. I didn't want it to end like this.

"Edward,"

"Honey, I know." He just softly whispered, and rubbed my shoulder. All I could was just drive for now.

We made it back to my empty apartment, and all I saw was a sarcophagus. His clothes were still here, our dog excitedly jumping at my feet—that wasn't really my dog at heart and apparently "his fuckin' dog". Edward leaned down, and gave Den a pat on the head and shooed him away.

"I brought some liquor."

"I don't want a drink." I sadly said as we went to the couch. It was amazing to me that I didn't want to drink now, it was a routine to at least have a beer or drink a night. Now, I was terrified it was going to bring the worst out of me-Edward didn't need to see that.

"So what happened, kid?"

I groaned, and wiped the tears forcing themselves out of my eyes. "He went missing this morning, I thought maybe he just went to work. But he is in Drachma right now, I called and a girl answered. He just yelled at me about all this junk and about you. He has been talking to some girl for a few weeks, I put it off as them just being old friends, but he's fucking her. I'm such a goddamn idiot!" I cried out and put my face in my hands.

Edward just stared at me in sadness and I could see he wanted to help but he knew I was so closed up that nothing would do it. So he just hugged me.

"You don't deserve this, kid. You don't deserve this." He said calmly in my ear.

"Thanks, Ed. You are such a great friend. I mean it."

"You can start by bumming me a marlboro."

. . .

A week later nothing was packed and fights had been happening everyday via phone between Pitt and I. He was coming today to get his stuff and move back to Drachma, back to his family. Edward however had been a complete amazing person and stayed here the whole week with me. It was hard adjusting to being alone, I hadn't in six years so he was more of gentleman to sleep on my couch. I moved in way too quick with Pitt and now he was leaving way too quick. We had been through everything together, and now he was just slamming the door on the life we could have had.

"Hey, kid, I heard a car." Edward called out, and I turned around to see him completely shirtless and just in boxers. Den pawed at his feet for pets as Edward kept on grinning. I had never seen him this exposed before, and I was floored for a second until I heard the knock at the door. That dreaded fucking knock.

Edward turned to get the door, and I immediately grabbed his hand. "Don't go like that!"

"Wouldn't it be fun just to be petty for once, kid? C'mon, live a little." He smirked at me and waltzed to the door. I could hear Pitt's teeth clicking in anger from here as Edward made a big show of welcoming Pitt into the house. I heard the gentle laugh of Edward as feet padded back towards me.

As both men strutted into the hallway I leaned against the wall, and just sort of grinned. Pitt just kept on glaring at the both of us, in his mind he must have been flipping the fuck out. However this vengeance was quite sweet. This was it, a new chapter into a whole fucking new life. I don't think it would have never happened if I had never met Edward and stuck another marlboro in my mouth that Friday night long, long ago.