Even in such a chaotic world and current events, mornings have been easy.

On the most part.

Noah is making coffee for herself and Alphonse, Edward away to college. Al doesn't usually wake up past 9:00 AM. Ed leaves earlier, at 7:30 or 8:00 when he gets late, but Al eventually meets with him at college to study at the library and support him.

So, Noah is certainly not expecting sickening sounds when she's setting the breakfast table.

She rushes to the bathroom door and knocks. "Al?"

The sounds appear to be swallowed when Noah talks to Al. The boy tries to be silent, but she hears his tenseness.

"Al, is everything okay?" Noah insists. She finds out the door is locked.

"Y-Yeah! Yeah, just give me a minute—" Al gags and makes a vomiting noise. It sounds really painful.

"Al, what's going on? Are you sick?"

"N-No," he manages out, "I'm okay."

Noah certainly knows that isn't true. Although she's aware she's a good reader, Al is not exactly being good at lying right now. Not when he's vomiting multiple times.

"I'm sorry, Al, I don't want to be inconvenient," she clarifies. "But I just want to help. I mean it."

Al seems to think over her pleads, even if he doesn't answer just now. It takes a couple minutes, but then the bathroom door opens, and it smells horribly like vomiting, and… something else she might not want to know. Al looks like he's slept too much but not well.

"… I drank Brother's whiskey bottle," he reveals.

Noah's eyes are horrified.

"Alphonse…"

Al shrugs, "I wanted to know how it felt like."

Noah shakes her head, he's so young to end up like this. Ed isn't really a good example, though, the older Elric has never gotten rid of his alcoholic behaviors since she met him. He'd still regularly buy whiskey bottles and drink himself to sleep when he couldn't.

But Al, of course, is still just a child. He's 13. Whiskey of all things…

Noah sighs, as she shouldn't be stuck in her own thoughts.

"Alright, I'll call a doctor to check up on you. For now, you need to stay hydrated. The water will help clean up your stomach," she decides. "You can't eat anything, can you?"

Al denies. "I vomited the entire breakfast."

"Right. I'll get you some water then. Would you rather stay in your room or the couch?"

"Couch." Al already gets his feet to the small living room, lying on the sofa without much holding back. Noah makes sure to get an empty bin in case he can't go back to the bathroom for any reason.

Before she heads over to the house phone, Al makes her a sad request.

"You're not going to tell my brother about this, right?"

Noah pulls her hand away from the phone, taking a deep breath.

"Al, you can't just hide you're sick. He wouldn't want to see you hurt."

"Exactly. He can't know."

Noah thinks over. "He's going to find out at some point, Al. You can't run away from it."

"Then don't tell him just yet. Please, Noah."

She knows she shouldn't, but she can't throw away Al's trust either. Noah has promised herself to respect other people's secrets and personal life. She promised she would never read someone's mind without their consent again. Noah also knows she can't simply not tell Ed, because she is lying to him even if by omission.

But then Noah decides to call the doctor and Ms. Gracia only, the latter to ask if she knew something homier for Al to cheer up. Gracia of course questions what happened, but Noah tries not to give many details, only tells her that Al has a stomach bug. So, she emphasizes on the water and tells her she'd be baking a pie for him to eat later. Noah smiles at her motherly words and reassurances.

The doctor takes about ten minutes to arrive. He does the most common habits, like measure Al's heartrate and blood pressure. The checkup is quick enough, the doctor only tells them Al will need a lot of rest and requests some specific medication for the hangover. He tells Noah to keep alcohol bottles away from him, so after he leaves, she removes the ones hidden in Ed's room. There's quite too many for her likening.

Noah ends up asking Gracia to buy the medication, otherwise she'd leave Alphonse alone and she couldn't do that. The bright-eyed woman readily accepted it and told her she'd be there soon to see Al, too.

The phone starts ringing, and Noah takes it, keeping an eye on the boy while she answers the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Noah."

"O-Oh! Ed!" Noah blurts out. Al actually goes to his room as soon as she says it, and she watches him go with conflict, knowing she needs to stay next to him, but Ed is talking to her like nothing is going on.

"Hey. Are you okay?" She sees him giving her his signature worried frowning. "You sound a little… tense."

"Let's just say my night of sleep wasn't the best," Noah jokes awkwardly. She's never good at jokes.

"Right, I get it. Anyway," Ed clears his throat, "is Al home? We were supposed to meet at 11 here, but he hasn't shown up… is he okay?"

"Ah…" Noah actually forgot they had a schedule sorted out specifically today. She recalls Ed talking about it early morning. "Al won't be going. He's sick…"

"Oh?" Ed is instantly on alert. "W-What does he have, is it deadly? Is it manageable?"

"He just has a stomach bug," Noah uses the same excuse she told Gracia. "I called the doctor, he said Al just needs to drink lots of water. Ms. Gracia is on her way with the medication he prescribed."

Ed sighs in relief, "Oh, alright. Thank god…"

While Noah feels some warmth knowing how much Ed worries about Al, she's haunted by the dreadful lie she's giving him. Noah doesn't want to hurt Edward again, but she promised Al, too. What gives them to talk to one another? She hopes Al really does come around to it.

"I-I could come back if he- if you need," Ed suggests. "I'd take a while to be back, but—"

"It's alright, Edward. Al will be okay."

"Okay. Sorry. I know you take good care of him, but…" Ed hesitates, "Sorry. Nevermind."

"It's okay. You can go back to work. Al will be just fine."

"Yeah. Yeah," The older Elric mumbles to himself. "But if you guys need anything, anything at all, please call me right away. I'll make sure to be back home soon. I'll try to get home earlier, too. Otherwise, I'd be gone until 7 PM today…"

"Do what you're able to do, Ed. Right now, we have no emergency. After Al takes the medication, I'm sure he'll be better."

"Alright, good. I'll see, then. I'll try to call later to know about him, if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't."

"Okay. Thanks, Noah. I'll be going now."

"You take care of yourself, will you?"

Ed laughs, "Sure thing. I'll call you later, then."

"Goodbye, Ed."

"Later."

Noah heads to the room as soon as she lets go of the phone, finding Al lying miserably in bed. He looks sad but he's awfully quiet about it. Almost numb, apathetic, like he's vomited all of his feelings away.

"He's worried, isn't he."

Noah sighs, "Of course, Al. He loves you more than anything."

Al turns his head and sleeps to the wall, only his back exposed. The curtains have been closed due to the hangover migraine.

Ms. Gracia arrives just in time, having also brought flowers for Al. At the very least, the boy talks some more to her. Al really likes her, and she loves mothering the boy whenever she can. Al helps them at her flower shop when he's free from university.

Gracia stays in for quite a while, until the day darkens, and Al is half asleep due to the remedy. Ed really does keep the promise of calling once more, though he's quicker about it. He says he's on his way home, likely arriving in at least twenty minutes.

Noah tries to grab a book to distract herself, but she really can't with the smell of alcohol in Al's room. Noah has cleaned the floor to disperse some of it, but she's not certain if Ed won't notice. She doesn't really know what to do anymore.

Regardless of her actions, thankfully Al is getting better. He's stopped vomiting and now he sleeps peacefully. Maybe he'll be able to eat Gracia's pie when he wakes up, likely to eat for dinner. Ed would have a pleasant surprise with her food, too.

Even then, Noah is simply… heartbroken at all this.

She found a home with the Elric brothers for the first time in her life. Noah's life has been nothing but hardships. Not that they have disappeared completely, but she's certainly safer with the two brothers. She also really enjoys Alphonse's company. He reminds her of a face long lost, but Al has a genuine, lighthearted innocence that Noah wishes she could have. Al helps her with the house chores, sometimes doing all of them, and he helps her with groceries when they have enough money to buy their own food.

Needless to say, Al has become a very close friend of hers. She feels some responsibility, as she's an adult and he's a young teen. Noah doesn't know much about Al save for what Ed has told him (and what she'd caught from when she disrespected Ed's privacy). Noah also tries not to read his mind whenever she touches him.

Noah really, truly does mean to caress his messy, long hair, not for any other intention. She avoids reading all of his mind.

But she feels…

Loneliness.

Anger.

Repression.

Al doesn't look like an angry person, but his rage is like nothing she's seen in her whole life. Noah ensures not to read the full details, because that's none of her business. But it worries more than enough. He should really talk to his brother.

Speaking of which…

Ed is home like he's run an entire country, his things falling off his hands. Despite the fact he called Noah not too long ago, Ed comes rushing to Al's room like Al is in high-risk danger. He relaxes when that's not the case, of course.

Al jumps at the sudden noise.

"What…?" He asks, his voice small.

"Hey, Al. Sorry for waking you up," Ed whispers, standing on a knee next to Al's bed.

"Brother?"

"Hi, Al," Ed smiles, "Are you feeling better?"

"Mm-hmm."

"That's good." Ed ruffles his little brother's head. "You hungry?"

Al stretches his arms. "A little," he admits.

"I smelled something really good at the kitchen. Noah said you have a surprise from Ms. Gracia?"

"Oh yeah… she gave me a pie…"

"You mind if I take a piece?"

Al hums. "… Half a piece."

"Gee, Al, you want to starve me?" Ed complains. Al laughs for the first time today.

Noah smiles behind them but lets out a sigh when they're not watching.

She leaves the book on Al's desk.

Al in fact does eat dinner.

He eats quite a lot of the pie. Ed tells him to be careful, but Gracia's cooking makes it almost impossible not to exaggerate.

Al is better than he expected. He does hold in some of the migraine from earlier, but drinking water helps lots. He quietly thanks Noah for all her help, and certainly for keeping his secret.

He can't help but remember her words. He's going to find out at some point. You can't run away from it. It's an obvious statement, but Al admits he's… terrified of the truth coming after him when he least expects.

Before he goes back to his room after dinner, Ed stops him, but not to limit him. Ed just seems really, really concerned despite seeing that Al isn't too sick.

"Hi," Ed says, awkward, "you're going to bed again?"

"Yeah, I don't really have the strength to do anything…"

"That's okay. It's important to rest." Ed pats Al's arms like they're dirty and need to be adjusted…

But as it turns out, Ed doesn't let go of Al's shoulders for anything.

He eventually notices and pats them again, laughing and avoiding Al's eyes.

"Sorry. I know I'm being clingy," Ed apologizes. "I just, um…"

As Al knows what he's going to say, he only nods and says nothing.

Ed hesitates, tries a couple times, but he finally pulls Al in a hug like he's trying to prove that Al is real and actually there. Ed is insecure about it at first, but then he tightens his grip on his little brother, clutching tight at his messy, possibly sweaty shirt.

"I really hate seeing you sick," Ed whispers. While he doesn't add anything else, Al senses it weighing on both their heads.

Al remembers it very clearly now. He's never been someone who gets easily sick. Al is maybe the healthiest (or used to be) out of the two brothers. Apparently, his father didn't get sick often, either. Ed and Mom were prone to allergies or colds that would hit Resembool every now and then.

When Al did get sick, Ed used to freak out because he'd get surprised Al was sick at all. After… After Mom died, his fear got much worse, even though Granny was there to pick up the pieces. Ed wouldn't leave Al not even to go take a shower or use the bathroom unless Al needed.

Of course, Al didn't get sick for three years. His time at Resembool without memories wasn't filled with sickness, either. Al seemed okay for the most part.

But it was never the truth.

The hug lasts longer than a normal hug should be. Al suppresses the childish need of desperately clinging to Ed like he used to. Al is the one that pushes his brother away, but obviously not harshly. Ed respects it.

"I think I'm going to bed now," Al makes the excuse.

"Okay." Ed sounds… disappointed.

"Good night, brother."

"Good night."

Al doesn't close the door, knowing Ed and Noah would be watching him carefully. Before he does get to bed though, he quite literally hears his brother biting his own lip.

"Hey," Ed calls him, in a lower tone. Once Al looks back, Ed whispers, "I love you."

In spite of everything, Al can't help but smile back. "I love you too, Brother."

He finally turns back, avoiding Ed's big sad eyes.

Only this time, Al can't sleep again.

Ed has never been an easy sleeper.

He's dealt with insomnia after Hohenheim left. He never admitted to Al, and never would in a million years, but some childish part of him had begged their father to come back home. But of course, Hohenheim never did, even if he had his reasons as Ed found out.

Ed didn't sleep for three days straight after Mom had died. He would sink himself in books while Al would fall asleep next to him. Winry would yell at him to get proper sleep, but he never did, not while he and Al lived alone in that empty house.

During the three years of discoveries and tragedy, Ed wouldn't rest well, either. Not while knowing his little brother couldn't sleep at all, Ed tried to include Al as much as he could. He knew Al felt really, really lonely at night, so he'd lose sleep sometimes for Al. Well, until Winry dragged him back to bed with a cup of chamomile tea.

He misses her.

…

Well, here he is now.

The only thing that can soothe Ed is a whiskey bottle. Not that he would end one in one night… But it was the only thing that would calm him down. He and Alfons almost had arguments over it. Alfons begged him to see a doctor, but Ed knew no doctor, no one would get it.

He regrets pushing Alfons away. Just thinking about it makes him want to drink. Funnily enough.

Now that Al is back, Ed is noticeably drinking less. He's… good at hiding it, or so he wants to believe. Al never questioned, and he wasn't an ignorant person, far from it. Al always knew when Ed was down, especially when he was in an armor and could only focus on other people rather than himself.

Ed is trying to stop the habit. Noah quietly begs him to seek help. He wants to listen to her.

… but just this one time… he promises himself. He won't exaggerate. Truly.

He pulls his chair to get one bottle, except…

There's nothing down there.

Ed frowns and rubs his eyes to ensure he's not hallucinating.

No, there's really nothing there.

It can't be, Ed remembers buying it yesterday.

He looks all over his room, wondering if he hid anywhere else – while remaining as quiet as he could while everyone else slept.

Nope.

There's nothing.

Ed doesn't get it. Noah never went into his room. She doesn't like his habit, but she wouldn't enter his room without his approval, at least not after what happened with the Thule Society.

Which means…

…

No.

No.

No.

No.

He prays to God or whoever is there, don't be that, don't be that.

Ed slowly opens his door, his destiny right next to him. The other door is still open, and… a lamp is lit, illuminating the dark apartment.

Although he's tense, he does knock on the door before coming in, so he doesn't scare Al. Some shuffling ensues before Ed opens the door fully.

"B-Brother?" Al lets out, like he's been caught doing something wrong indeed. "Weren't you sleeping?"

"No, not really," Ed sighs. "You're not feeling worse again, right?"

"No, no. I'm fine."

Ed knows through it.

Al is hiding something behind his back, his covers and clothes messy and all over his room.

"What're you doing?" Ed asks curiously.

"Nothing."

The older Elric smells the tense air, and his stomach drops even though he's known it all along.

Ed looks at Al unbelievably, and his brother notices.

The former finally approaches the bed.

"Al," Ed calls him, serious, "show me what you have."

His little brother looks away to the wall, relying on it to hide the thing from Ed.

"Al."

No answer.

"Al, I'm serious, just drop the act already."

No can do.

There's a beat inbetween…

And Ed advances.

Al fights back and growls in protest, but Ed isn't afraid. It's very similar to when Ed is disarming a villain.

He isn't able to actually get the thing, but the fact he's easily beating Al, who's always been better at fighting even before he was an armor, should be a warning sign.

Distracted, likely still affected by the sickness, Al exposes the gun of the crime. Only it's not an actual firearm.

Instead, it's a whiskey bottle.

Emptied to its half.

Ed only stares at Al. He doesn't verbally ask him the questions in his head, but he's sad, he's so sad and heartbroken, and Al is just…

Al just looks older than his fresh thirteens.

"Al, give me the bottle," Ed begs. He tries to take it, but Al pushes him. "Al!"

"Stop! Leave me alone!"

"No!"

Due to his shock, Al gets off his bed and tries to run away from his room, but Ed is fast enough to catch his free arm.

"Let me go!" Al screams.

"Stop it, Al!"

"Just let me go!" Al tries to break free, but Ed's automail arm is no match.

"I'm not letting you go drunk out there!"

Al shivers at the d-word, stopping for a second, but then tries aimlessly.

"Al, I'm ordering you to stay!" Ed shouts.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"I'm your older brother, and you're a child!"

"What do you care?!"

"Look at me for once!"

"No!"

"AL!"

"Shut up! You're NOT my mom!" Al finally has it, "YOU KILLED MOM!"

When Ed lets go, Al is so surprised that the glass in his hands shatter. Somehow, not louder than Al's rightful accusation. There are whisky and broken shards splattering on the floor, but Ed can only look at his little brother, unable to defend himself. Unable to fight.

Despite his emotional immaturity, he's not the one who cries.

Al does.

Al cries because he's still a child, like Ed said.

But he's a child because of Ed.

His little brother almost falls on his knees, but Ed puts an arm in front of him before he gets hurt by the spreading glass. Rushing steps come over, Noah is in her pajamas and looks panicked, only to realize what happened.

They don't do anything while Al sobs, the apartment only filled by grief.

There's nothing but the masks shattered, and feelings taken out of their twisted minds.

Noah and Ed clean up the whisky together. Ed finds out Noah was the one who took his bottles away, but apparently Al found them. Noah swears she tried to keep them away from him, but Al is smarter than they give credit.

Well, not smarter.

In any case, Al has stopped crying, he and Ed are both sitting on the couch. Noah stands in front of them, a plethora of feelings shared between them.

Noah finally breaks the ice.

"I expected this would happen. I'm sorry I can't help you more than I can," she says, "but you two… you need to talk to each other. You need to stop keeping secrets."

Ed and Al only share glances, and soon enough they avoid each other's eyes.

Noah sighs and walks away, "I'll make you some tea."

She leaves to the kitchen, though Ed knows she won't be back any sooner.

Al holds a bin but doesn't vomit anything. His hands tremble against the plastic object. Ed only plays with his own skinned and metal fingers, unsure what to do with them.

He wishes he could punch himself.

Ed is not stupid. He tries to be ignorant, but he isn't.

Turns out he hasn't changed from his equally ignorant teenage years.

Ed has always known Al was hiding something, Ed has always feared Al was furious with him after everything. His brother wanted to reunite with him at all costs, and so did Ed, so he avoided talking about it. Even though he was the one spewing the speech "we can't pretend only our dreams exist". He's a fucking hypocrite, that's for sure.

And he should do something. Ed owes Al that.

"Al…" He opens his mouth but silences himself. Suddenly the words disappear.

He gets nothing in response. Nothing to counter his argument.

And that hurts more than being yelled at.

"… I'm sorry."

Ed sniffs before he can think of it.

"T-That won't fix anything, I know," he explains, "but I'm sorry, Al. I'm- I'm really sorry."

Al is staring at nothing in front of him.

"I didn't want to admit anything, and- and I forced you to watch it. I made you suffer, and I acted like I didn't care," Ed says, "I'm still a coward. I'm so sorry, Al."

Even though he isn't crying anymore, Ed hears it like he heard Wrath mourning Sloth. Wrath and Al do look the same when he thinks over it. Turns out Wrath helped Al get Ed home, too.

"You don't need to forgive me. You have the right to be angry. You can even hate me, I swear. But I promise you, I'm not gonna ignore it again. I promise I'm not going to hurt you again. I'm not going to fail you like I did Mom."

Al looks hurt, guilty. "Ed…" He gives up.

Ed reaches out his metal hand, taking Al's left arm.

"Let me help, please," he begs. "You don't need to hurt yourself like that."

Al frowns slightly. "You need to remind that yourself, too."

Ed smirks sadly. "You're right. I promise I'll try if you try."

"You're blackmailing me?"

"Maybe," Ed smiles. "But I mean it, Al. I love you. I want to make things right."

Al considers it and nods. "Okay."

Ed pulls him with his arm and kisses the top of his head. Al takes it, relaxing on his shoulder now that he's relatively smaller. He knows Al will grow a lot more, but he'll take advantage of this opportunity, as Al wants.

Noah returns with the tea for the three of them after such a hard day. Al lies his head on Ed's lap while he and Noah talk about the more normal aspects of their routine. Al falls asleep not too long after. Ed doesn't have the courage to interrupt his good sleep, so he accepts another sleepless night.

Well, the tea betrays him.

Ed wakes up on the couch cuddling his brother, a blanket thrown over them.

This is probably the first time Ed feels like they're really home after so long.

He'll take care of Al, and himself. For real this time.