Chapter 8; Tourniquet

Bane; "A couple of comments before we start."

A; "And this isn't one of them; where can Bane and I find the Full Metal Alchemist movie? Blockbuster is a piece of…"

Bane; "Yes, well… two of my reviewers said some things I'd like to contradict and or add to. And one of them seemed a little afraid of me. I don't want anyone afraid of me; I'm one of those people that just loves hugs. : 3 .

EvilSqueede;"Jebus! You'd have to be either realy evil, or have known someone who tried suicide to write like that. I know Ed's always been a bit of an angst bunny, but what happened to make him loath himself so much. Maybe Al should try contacting Izumi. If Ed wants physical pain to help him deal I'm sure his old teacher would delever that request. Pluse I'm guessing she can help him emotionaly. When she tried to bring back her dead baby, Izumi lost most of her internal organs. I'm sure she was feeling pretty low about not being able to have childern anymore. She might have even felt less like a real woman, or even a human being. But I'm sure Sig whold have helped his wife cope with her deppression, and I'm guessing you're going to have Winery try something simalar with Ed."

Bane; " Umm…okay. Yes, I'm evil, but no…not that evil. But…Damn…um…I know a few friends in low places right now. And those thoughts I wrote from Ed? Most of it was just made for this fic, but some of it came from a person dear to me. She has not commited suicide, and will not. I know her too well to misjudge that fact. But I know she thinks about it, and I know that sometimes she longs to. Izumi? Mmm. Yes, I suppose it would have been fitting."

Silent:Tears:Fall; "I was right! Haha! I knew there was gonna be a suicide attempt! jumps up and down wait... Should I be sobbing cause pityED! is dying... strange me... at least he tried to turn back slightly.

FMA bag? O.0 I want one! I'm so jelous you have plushies! Curse you mother for making me save my money for university!"

Bane; "Misunderstanding. I don't have plushies. I said I shall buy them…eventually…in a few months…My mom makes me save up too…-sob-…"

X-Baka-Inu-X ; "Wow, I love this so far... O.o; Please update soon!"

Bane; "See! That's a weirded out face! Why the weirded out face!-sobs-"

A; "Oh, and Evilsqueede? Due to your suggestion, Bane might mention Izumi, but… she doesn't know the character that well. It'd be too easy to make her out of character if she had her make an appearance. So…We'll see…"

Bane; "By the way, didn't I mention lemony scenes? I mean, really. I worship Edward. So you think I'd just randomly kill him off?"

A; "Well, according to a couple of theeight reviews you earned for the last chapter, I'd say so."

Drumstick; "Is this gonna' be a long chapter?"

Bane; "Nope, relatively short, actually. Muahaha. But that's only because I have a VERY lemony scene after this chapter…"

A; "YAY!"

"Al, did you…?"

Her eyes were red from tears, and she was frantic. Al himself could barely hold himself upright. His brother, the last of his family, was… Tears didn't come; they weren't enough to express the fierce pangs of guilt that throbbed, one after the other. Maybe if he hadn't been so vicious about Ed's way of showing his despair, he wouldn't have taken that last unnecessary step.

"Al!"

His thoughts shattered.

"WHAT?"

She drew back, startled by his reply.

"D-do you he-hear that banging?"

"What bangin—"

He paused to listen, and abruptly understood.

"He's…" Winry never finished the sentence. The door to her room burst open, and she turned right into the stairwell. The attic steps groaned under her sprint. Fingers gripped clumsily over the doorknob.

"No!"

It wouldn't move. The threshold stole another precious minute from her. Yet, finally, with one enormous effort, she managed to thrust it open, hitting the wall behind it. Her breathless squeak of triumph dissolved into a choked sob at the sight of him.

He lay there, still attempting to rise into a sitting position. The crimson tide was everywhere. It flooded the floor and marked both flesh and steel. His harvest-moon-coloured braid was nearly scarlet. In his right arm he cradled what was left of his lacerated limb.

Bane; "To those who didn't understand, it's not 'cut off'. His arm is just extremely cut up."

The metal hand was clamped across the wrist of his human hand, attempting to cease the flow. His still falling tears merged with the blood. And his amber eyes held no light, no sparkle.

"Ed?"

He winced at her words, and gazed up at her.

"S-sorry…wasn't ready…not ready."

"Oh, Ed...why…?"

She knelt down beside him, brushing the hair away from his face. Edward grimaced, almost expecting her to yell, to scream at him as she had before. Her touch warmed his cooling skin.

"…Winry…I…"

"Ssh, it's okay. I'm going to help you."

"N-no…I wanted…to—"

He coughed, a spasm running through him.

"—to…tell you…that I…I…"

She leaned over him, her nose milimeters from his. Their eyes melded into eachother's. Their lips touched slowly, each savoring the other in case…in case it would never happen again…

Edward felt something soft and dry wrap around his wrist, and felt the moisture begin to dissapate.

It was then that he drifted slowly into darkness, blue eyes dancing in a swirl of black.

Bane; "Mmm. Wouldn't it be absolutely cruel if I left it off here?"

A; "You…You wouldn't..." 0.0

Drumstick; "…Would you?" :'(

Bane; "No. I still need to play an event in this chapter…"

A; "Mm."

Bane; "By the way…For those who actually plan to review about it…Al isn't REALLY out of character. I mean, I'd be out of character if my brother tried to committ suicide. Wouldn't you? And plus; this scene opportunity was too much to pass up."

A mild prickling in his wrist woke him. At first, he dared not open his eyes. Maybe he was in Hell…paying for the ultimate sin. Then, feeling that at least Hell wasn't as hot as he would have imagined, he let his eyelids recede slowly.

If this was 'the Deep South', it was identical to the world he had just left. Edward was lying on Winry's sofa, a thick padding of gauze at the base of his hand.

So, he hadn't died. This new turn brought mixed feelings to him. He now had a purpose to live; he knew exactly how deep his love for Winry had grown. And yet, living would still be as hard as it had been since he'd last left off. And how would Al react…

A pair of golden eyes watched him stir. Although worry had been the primary response for the last three days, now that Edward was recovering, Alphonse couldn't help his fury from bubbling over.

Suddenly, he noticed his sibling observing him unblinkingly from an armchair situated some two yards away.

No words passed between them.

Abruptly, guilt slithered through Ed's mind. What must Al be feeling? Attempting to prop himself up, he leaned on his mangled hand, earning him an intense shot of agony to jut straight up his arm. He had to grit his teeth to keep from cyring out. Unfortunately, Alphonse seemed to think this an appropriate signal to converse about his least favorite subject.

"Blood transfusions…But I've asked myself over and over, Why? How could you need one in the first place? But I can't think any reasons over. So I was hoping you could."

Edward recomposed himself in a matter of seconds.

" 'Why' is a very broad question."

"Well, suicide is a very broad possibility."

"Not if you think about it that way."

"Well, if I didn't, my blood would probably be raining down on my only brother and my childhood friend too, now wouldn't it?"

His voice was decidedly calm, but it remained apparent that the cover would blow soon enough.

"I…I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"Then when else are we going to find the time to talk about it?"

"When I haven't just woken up—"

"Woken up from trying to kill yourself. I see this as a perfect time. Especially just when you're fresh from the kill. Or…almost."

Al was close to hysteria. Something was wrong…something…Although nobody could see it, everything was unraveling inside him. Life was not as it should have been when he got his body back. And his (brotherly) love for his sibling was seemingly disintegrating as his fury began to increase.

"Alright, you want to know why?"

"Yeah."

"Because I'm so sick of being like this, in this dying body. I'm sick of hurting Winry. I'm sick of hurting you. And I so damn sick of this fucking world."

"What dying body?"

His heart shredding, he held up his arm.

"The dying body that's given up waiting for me at the gate. And the inhuman steel that practically makes up by being."

"You can talk."

He hadn't meant to say that. It had just…come… Edward's face mirrored his guilt, and Al's anger evaporated. Ed rose to his feet a bit unsteadily, and began to walk to the front door. Snatching up his red overcoat, He opened the doorway.

"Brother, I-I didn't mean…"

Amber eyes gazed at him for a moment.

"It's my fault, Al. I mean, I've practically killed my own soft-spoken sibling."

"No—that's not…"

But he begun to make his way down the driveway, not even bothering to close the doorway; not even knowing where he'd go next.

Bane; "Obviously, there are still some questions. Ed wasn't killed because Al did some blood transfusions. (yes, it can be, and has been done to people who have attempted tocommitt suicide …)

Anime-lover-95 commented on how I should name the last chapter Crimson Death, but I think that although this is a good suggestion, the present name is more suiting. 'Claret Tears'. But most wouldn't know what 'claret' means. So…it means bloodred, or deep wine red. So…bloodred tears…yay?"

A; "Sex is next, right? Sex?"

Drumstick; -still sobbing- "What'cha' do that for? Al and Ed were always nice to eachother…"

Bane; "Adds angst, and it's fun to write. Plus, it's a reasonable reaction. : 3"