((More filler, yay. To be honest I don't know what I was thinking with this chapter... It's short and pointless and makes no sense at all. I've been trying to alternate worlds every chapter, but I've been having a hard time doing the FMA universe chapters, so I might screw the formatting and just write whatever comes out. I don't know.))

Ed lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly. The time was 2:27 AM. He had stopped trying to go to sleep hours ago. Ed was no stranger to insomnia, but this time it was worse than ever. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't sleep, not without Al there. Even though Al was usually quiet and still throughout most of the night, something seemed wrong without him. It was like when the power goes out, and everything is silent; You never notice the noise was there before, but once it's gone, everything feels strange and foreign. Ed didn't know what was missing. Maybe it was the way the moonlight reflected off his armor, or the smell of oil and metal, or simply the reassuring knowledge that Al was there, safe and alive and with him. Whatever it was, something was missing, and it was keeping Ed awake.

Sighing, Ed glanced at the clock. 2:28. Why couldn't it be morning? He needed to be out there, looking for a way to get Al back, but there was no way he could get anything useful done when the rest of the world was sleep. All he could do was lie in bed and wait for the sun to come up.

I wonder if this is how Al feels every night.

And thus came a fresh wave of guilt, tearing a hole in Ed's heart as he recalled just how many ways he had ruined his dear little brother's life. How long had it been now? Three, four years? Yet still Al was trapped in that awful steel prison, only half alive, unable to eat or sleep or feel or do anything normal people did. And as if that wasn't enough, now he was missing. He could be anywhere, all alone, and Ed didn't have a single lead. His only clue was a seemingly insane young man who claimed to be from a country he had never even heard of, much less been to. Even if he interrogated him, it probably wouldn't do much good. Ed hadn't felt so hopeless since the aftermath of That Day.

I just want Al back… Why won't the world ever leave him alone? He doesn't deserve any of this. Me, maybe, but not him. Never him.

Ed's depressing train of thought was rudely interrupted by the loud growling of his stomach. Deciding he might as well eat, Ed reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and wandering sleepily over to the door. He clumsily felt around for the light switch and flipped it on, quickly shutting his eyes against the blinding light.

"Eeeeeek! Ok, I'm awake, I'm awake! I'm sorry, please don't kill me!" Italy shrieked, jumping up from the couch.

Ed stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to remember why there was a half-naked guy in his apartment.

"…oh… Forgot you were there," he mumbled sleepily, heading to the kitchen. Italy hesitated and then followed him.

"Ve… What are you doing?" Italy asked curiously, glancing over Ed's shoulder.

"Makin' toast," Ed replied, haphazardly shoving a piece of bread in the toaster.

"Oh…"

They waited in silence for a moment, neither quite awake yet not really asleep either, until finally the toast popped. Ed grabbed it and sat down on the small wooden table, smearing a little bit of jam on his toast and eating it with his hands. Italy watched him quietly, thinking.

"What's that?" Italy asked innocently.

"What's what?"

"That." He pointed to Ed's right arm.

"Oh." Ed shrugged. "It's automail."

"Automail? What's that?"

"This is," Ed replied simply.

"…Oh." Italy didn't get it, but decided it must be another thing he was just too stupid to understand.

Maybe I'll get Germany to explain it to me when I see him again. He's so smart, he knows about everything!

Italy smiled at the thought of seeing Germany. Even when he wasn't there, Germany always cheered him up, because he was his best friend and that's what best friends do.

"Hey, do you have a best friend?" he asked Ed, curious about his new friend.

"…Huh?"

"A best friend! You know… Someone you spend all your time with, who always makes you happy, and doesn't care if you're stupid and clumsy and threw the wrong grenade and they're always so nice to you!" Italy explained excitedly.

Ed thought about it for a minute, still munching on his toast.

"I guess that would be… My brother, Alphonse," he decided finally. "He's been there for me for as long as I can remember… We always do everything together. I can't imagine living without him."

"I have a brother too! His name is Romano," Italy said, nodding proudly. "He's kind of a jerk, though… But I love him anyway."

"Al's the nicest person I know," Ed admitted, being completely honest.

"He sounds nice. I wonder if he's at my house."

"Wherever he is, I hope he's ok," Ed said worriedly.

"Don't worry! If he ended up at my house, he's probably with Germany," Italy explained. "Germany is kinda strict, but he's really nice and smart and strong. I bet he'll take good care of your fratello," he said reassuringly.

"Al can handle himself… I just don't want him to be scared. He hates being alone," Ed said quietly, staring at the floor. "He's just a kid…"

"It's ok! He won't be alone! I bet he'll make lots of new friends."

"Well, he is good at that…"

"So there's nothing to worry about!" Italy smiled reassuringly. "He'll be just fine."

"Yeah, probably…" Ed felt a little better. Italy seemed fairly trustworthy, and it was true that Al was more than capable of taking care of himself. He still hated being separated from him, but Ed felt better knowing that Al would be ok.

Of course, he was too busy thinking about all this to notice that Italy had stolen the rest of his toast.