Helllooo!

Sorry that this update may have taken a bit longer... It feels like it took me longer to upload it :P

Anywhooooos,

Enjoy! c:

I led the way down the stairs, Ed slowly following behind me.

Clearly, Riza had taken Al and Winry into the living room (which was attached to the library).

We crossed through the library, entering the living room which had two sofas, accompanied by an armchair, stationed around a coffee table. There was a giant window which allowed the warm afternoon sunbeams in, giving the atmosphere a warm glow.

Winry and Al were sitting on one couch, and Riza had set out some tea on the small table, along with some biscuits.

I couldn't help but notice Ed fix his face with a smile before making his presence known to his brother and Winry.

At the sight of the blonde boy, Winry had jumped up out of her seat and immediately went over to Ed and wrapped him in her arms.

"Ed – I've missed you!" The girl exclaimed, her tone light.

Edward half-heartedly returned the hug before seating himself in the armchair.

"I've missed you too." Ed said slightly awkwardly, while a faint pink tinge tainted his cheeks.

Without missing a beat, Winry had launched into some rant about automail. I had sat beside Riza on the couch opposite of Al and Winry, just observing the exchange between the teenagers.

It was clear that the girl was trying very hard to make things seem normal. Al would contribute to the conversation here and there, but Ed only listened and gave the appropriate smile or nod when needed.

If someone were to come and observe this very moment, they wouldn't suspect anything to be wrong in Ed's world.

Suddenly, I realized how he was able to keep it hidden for so long. He was good at pretending to be okay, for the most part.

His lack of participation in the conversation wasn't unusual by any means, in fact it was expected. Winry barely left any room for anyone else to speak.

The hours passed, Winry recounting everything that Ed and Al had missed in Resembool since their last visit, when the realization of the hour hit me, due to my grumbling stomach.

I checked my pocket watch, and sure enough – it was almost 6 o'clock.

I excused myself, to go prepare dinner, when I found that Riza had come with me. She claimed she wanted to cook dinner, and I sure wasn't complaining.

I lingered a little while, trying to help here and there, but the woman just sent me away saying, "You're only in the way, get out of here.", before smirking and shoving me out of my own kitchen.

In the hall, I stood dazed for a moment before deciding to make my way back over to the living room.

I had reached the edge of the library, about to enter the room, when the conversation I heard stopped me.

"Ed… why didn't you tell anyone how you were feeling?" Winry's soft voice spoke.

Silence followed, leaving me to assume that Ed had shut down and wasn't responding at all to them.

I chanced a glance into the room, just long enough to see that Al and Winry had relocated to kneeling on the ground beside the armchair, and that Ed had pulled his legs up onto the chair and was hugging a pillow to his chest, avoiding their eyes.

I leaned against the wall separating the two rooms.

"Brother… Please, talk to us. We care about you. Let us help you."

"Ed, you're not going to get any better if you don't let people in."

More silence followed.

I silently sank down against the library wall, feeling their frustration yet sympathetic towards Ed because I knew he wasn't ready to talk to them.

Winry gave an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of someone plopping onto a couch.

"You know we're here for you though, right?" Winry spoke into the quiet.

"Please, Brother, tell us what's going on. What's wrong? What's so bad that you felt the need to… to… to hurt yourself?"

I could hear the emotion in the younger Elric's voice.

Ed still had yet to speak a word in the conversation.

The sound of metallic footsteps clanged across the hardwood flooring of the living room.

I made to stand up and pretend that I wasn't just eavesdropping, but no one left the room.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I relaxed back against the wall.

"Edward. Please. Say something. We're trying here – really, we are. Can't you see how concerned we are? We're trying to figure it all out – can you at least help us?"

The desperation in the girl's voice was evident.

Silence.

A frustrated sigh was clearly audible, and was followed by,

"Well, when you feel like growing up, I'm here. But I can't help you if you refuse to say even a single word."

Heavy footsteps followed the biting tone in Winry's words as she stormed out of the living room.

I froze in my position, but she continued right past me without noticing anything.

Her words… Doesn't she know that they won't help anything? I could understand why she felt that way, but telling Ed that won't make anything better. It's only going to make him feel worse.

"Brother… Winry's just frustrated because she cares so much about you. She hates seeing you like this, and I'm sure she didn't mean what she said… She didn't think before she said that, that's all…" Al's soothing voice sounded.

Again, the words were met with a dead silence.

I stood up, and made my way back to the kitchen.

-Line Break-

After dinner, Winry and Al had left.

Ed hadn't said a single word since this afternoon.

Riza shot me a worried look as we both cleared off the table.

Ed remained sitting at the table, eyes downcast.

As I placed the dishes into the sink and began to fill it with water, Riza spoke in a hushed tone.

"They tried talking to him, didn't they?"

I nodded.

She glanced back at Ed.

"I don't get it. He seemed to be in a genuinely good mood before I left the room. It was almost as if… in a matter of minutes, his mood plummeted…"

By the end of her sentence, Riza seemed to be more thinking out loud rather than talking to me.

We finished cleaning up, and Ed still hadn't moved.

Dinner had lasted a couple hours, which had been followed by dessert. Riza had tried to involve Ed in the conversation, but to no avail. When it was clear he wasn't going to participate, Winry had mentioned she was tired and Al took the hint. I'm sure the younger Elric wanted to stay with his brother, but Winry couldn't very well walk back to the hotel alone. I had offered to drive them, but Winry declined.

I thought maybe after they left, Ed might at least speak… but he remained silent and detached from the current situation.

It was difficult to tell if he was lost in thought or simply zoned out and not thinking at all.

The time was nearing 9:30 p.m.

Riza and I stood in the kitchen, still speaking in lowered voices.

"It's getting late, I should probably get going. Unlike you, I have to work in the morning."

"You sure? I mean, it's pretty clear that I need all the help I can get…"

I didn't want to sound so needy, but it's true. I have no idea what I'm doing here, and having her here today made it easier on me.

It was like I wasn't alone in trying to help Ed.

Riza laughed a little.

"Yes, I'm sure. I can come back tomorrow evening, though, if you want."

"That would be greatly appreciated."

I smiled slightly, and she walked over to Ed.

"Goodnight, Edward. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

With that, she hugged the boy in his chair, and I followed her out of the kitchen.

As she was putting on her jacket and shoes, I said,

"Thanks, for today. You really helped."

"No problem. Goodnight, Roy."

Riza hugged me goodnight as well, and with that she was gone.

I locked the door behind her, and returned to the kitchen.

Ed remained motionless.

"Ed…come on, at least come upstairs and go to bed."

I didn't even know if he heard me, but after a few minutes of silence, he slowly pushed the chair back and stood up.

His eyes remained downcast, and I watched as he climbed up the staircase.

I shut off all the lights downstairs before making my own way up the stairs.

Passing the bathroom, I heard the water running.

I didn't think to question it.

I continued to my room, and got changed into a pair of sweatpants.

As I waited for Ed to come out of the bathroom, I decided to tidy up my room a bit.

I had just been discarding my clothes wherever lately, not bothering to pick them up, and so I began with placing all the dirty clothes in the laundry basket I had by my door.

I checked the bathroom again, and the water was still running.

I still didn't think to question it.

Figuring he was just taking a shower, a rather long one at that, I went back to my room and flopped onto my bed to wait.

It wasn't long until I felt my eyes drooping, and as hard as I fought to stay awake, eventually sleep won.

I woke up, and looked at the clock. Only about an hour had passed since I had accidentally fallen asleep – which was good.

I rubbed my eyes and stood, going out into the hall. I expected the bathroom to be empty, but… the water was still running.

Realization hit me then.

I knocked on the door.

"Ed?"

Silence.

"Ed, I know you're in there. Are you okay?"

More silence.

I began feeling slightly panicked. There was a part of me which knew he was okay, but… another part of me, the panicky part, was wondering if maybe he had done something drastic.

I tried turning the doorknob, to find that it was locked.

"Edward Elric, open this door."

My voice was half commanding, half panicking.

After waiting a few moments, I decided that I would just open the door myself.

I tried to alchemically alter it in order to unlock it, but the kid had beat me to it.

He had alchemically altered it when he went in there, so that I couldn't open the damn door.

Ed was smart. Too smart for his own good.

I felt the panic rising in my throat, taking the form of a lump which made it difficult to speak.

"Edward…Please. Open this door."

I hit my fist on the door repeatedly, before I heard something.

Something so quiet, I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not.

I stopped hitting the door, and holding my breath, I listened.

"… Go away… I'm fine… Just… leave me alone…"

"Edward. You can't honestly expect me to believe that you're 'fine' right now?! Please. Just open the door."

A slow shuffle towards the door told me he was now on the other side.

The sound of a faint clap could be heard, and the light of a transmutation shone around the dark doorframe.

I heard him shuffle away from the door, followed by the sound of someone dropping to the floor.

I turned the doorknob, and the door opened.

Ed had turned on the tap, and was sitting on the floor. Despite the jacket covering his wrist, I knew he had done it again.

I could feel it, in my gut. Just by the look in his eyes, and the way he had been acting all night.

It all added up.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

I knew my jaw had dropped, and that my breathing had become incredibly shallow.

Instead of interrogating him, I simply sat beside the boy on the tile floor.

His eyes were rimmed with red, and his face was tear stained.

How could a boy who seemed so strong, become so fragile, so…pained?

I decided not to think on it anymore.

I pulled the small boy closer to me, leaning him against my chest and holding him tight.

Ed had resisted at first, but eventually he gave in.

He began to cry into my shoulder, and I knew no words were necessary right now.

All Ed wanted was someone just to be there for him, as he broke down.

Thereeee ya have it.

So, thoughts? Good, bad, rainbow? (Sorry, I'm overtired and feeling random today.)

Let me know!

Feedback is beautiful. :3

And my story has been added to another community WHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT.

Man, I don't think I'll ever stop getting excited about things like this. IT JUST MAKES ME SO HAPPY ASDFLKJSDLK

- HazelEyes8D