I just realized that it's been nearly a year since I updated this, which is insane and unacceptable. So here's an update! I hope it isn't disappointing.

Writing this reminded me just how much I love this fic and writing these characters, and it was fun and stress relieving to write this during my break at work. So hopefully the next chapter will be written soon too. :)


Sunday AM

Al was gone when Ed awoke. It was probably for the best that he woke up alone since he felt so dumb for getting upset in the first place. Flame could have been anyone, yet Ed had trusted him. Trusted him despite knowing he was a soldier. He'd told him about his brother, their past, and his research, and had even liked him, and then Flame turned out to be the asshole soldier that he'd met so long ago.

Ed didn't like people. Or rather, people didn't like him. Not that often at least. Not as someone that wasn't just part of a package deal with Al, the nice brother. But Flame had been different. He'd been Ed's. Ed's alone, and Ed had enjoyed talking to him. And now he couldn't talk to him anymore because Flame—Roy Mustang—had betrayed him.

Betrayed him years ago before he even had Ed's trust. Did that count?

Did any of that matter? He'd started talking to Roy only a week ago. Why should he get so upset about ending a friendship that had barely even started?

Rolling over, Ed groaned into his pillow before leaving his face against the soft cloth, ready to pass out again so that he didn't have to think anymore.

That planned was ruined when Al opened his bedroom door, prompting Ed to lift his head so that he could see his brother. Al had brought breakfast. Strange how Ed and his empty pit of a stomach hadn't smelled the food cooking.

"You know," Al said as he sat next to Ed on the bed, "we're lucky your screen didn't break again." Only then did Ed realize that Al had his cell phone in his hand. It looked shiny and new, or at least as new as Ed's refurbished, constantly dropped, sometimes food covered phone had looked before his revelation about Roy yesterday.

How dare it not look as hurt as he felt.

"I'm just going to put it here," Al said, placing the phone on the bedside table, "So that you don't throw it again." Al knew him too well. "And I brought breakfast," he added, even though it was obvious from the tray of food on his lap.

"'m not hungry," Ed grumbled as he grabbed a slice of toast. Somehow the whole slice managed to fit in his mouth in one bite. It tasted pretty good actually.

Al didn't comment on that, which Ed couldn't blame him for. Together they ate the food in silence for a short while before Ed finally spoke again. "I'm an idiot."

"Well, yeah," Al said, proving that he'd been spending too much time with Winry, "but not about this." He paused for a second. "I'm sorry he wasn't who you wanted him to be."

Ed flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling as he said, "I didn't want him to be anyone or anything. Just—I don't know—not him." That sounded awful, didn't it? "It doesn't matter. He's nothing to me."

Al didn't say anything, but he didn't look convinced either. "He's just some guy on a phone, a wrong number," Ed said. You were supposed to just forget wrong numbers, weren't you?

"He was your friend," Al said, voice quiet.

"Don't you have study group today?" Ed asked because he just remembered right at that moment, not as a distraction or change of topic. Really. He'll swear on any science textbook you can find.

"I thought I should stay here and—"

"No. Go learn things," Ed said as he kicked his leg out and shoved Al out of bed.

"Hey!"

"No uneducated people in my bed. Go." And with a wave, Ed flipped over to face away from Al.

Al sighed, and without being asked, picked up their dirty dishes and left, just like Ed knew he would.

Ed let out a sigh of his own. Now he was alone with his thoughts again. Great.

Maybe he should just go back to sleep.


Buzzzzz.

It felt like only a few minutes since he closed his eyes, but when Ed picked up his buzzing phone, he saw that he'd managed to sleep for half an hour.

(8:23) You okay?

(8:24) I'm fine

(8:24) Stop texting and study, slacker

Without letting go of his phone, Ed closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep. Only, he was too awake and distracted to nap. Before he could give it much thought, Ed opened the messenger app and clicked Flame.

If it had been Winry. If Winry—

He couldn't even think it, but if Winry were…gone, Ed would scream and punch and lash out at every unfortunate bastard that crossed his path.

Would he hurt a kid though?

He didn't know the answer to that. But…

(8:46) I'm still mad at you

He was an idiot. Why was he doing this?

(8:47) I deserve it.

'Hell yeah, you do,' he thought, but didn't send. Should he send anything else? Should he still be talking to Flame, Roy, Mustang, whatever the damn soldier's name is?

(8:48) I'm just glad you wrote me.

But would Ed write him again? Was he still talking to him? Al wouldn't be happy even about the first text.

Not sure what else to do, Ed dropped the phone and pulled his pillow over his head.


(11:00) You could have told me you were going to Ling's.

(11:02) Hey, Al. I went to Ling's

(11:03) Funny -_-

(11:04) And now you're leaving?

(11:04) Did you leave just because Ling told me where you were?

(11:06) No. I got bored

(11:06) Stop texting Ling about me!


Sunday PM

(12:52) Now you're at Winry's?

(12:53) Do you have a spy network in place just to track me?

(12:55) No.

(12:58) We're just concerned.

(1:00) I'm fine

(1:02) It's okay to not be fine.

(2:34) I'm so mad at you

(2:34) I just

(2:35) I want to throw my phone

(2:36) I'll throw it in front of a car. Pretend it's you

(2:37) Please don't do that.

(2:38) It's a new phone.

(2:40) I hate that you remember that

(2:41) It's how we met.

(2:42) Our meet cute.

(2:42) We have a meet cute, and you want to throw it in front of a car.

(2:44) Stop being…whatever you're being

(2:45) You're supposed to be a bastard

(2:46) Act more bastard-ish

(2:47) I've been trying for a while now to not be one.

(2:48) I'm sorry that you met me before I put in the effort.


(3:13) Call from: Flame

(3:14) Call rejected


(7:02) Where are you?

(7:05) Away from your spies

(7:05) Brother…

(7:06) Relax. I'm just taking a walk. Be back soon


Monday AM

(1:16) You need to yell at me.

(1:17) I deserve it and it'll make you feel better.

(1:18) Probably, but I just got home

(1:18) Al will hear the yelling

(1:19) Don't call me again

(1:24) You just got home?

(1:26) FFS if you comment on it too then I am ACTUALLY throwing my phone

(1:27) No comment here.

(1:27) Good.

(1:31) Maybe we could meet in person.

(1:31) And you can yell at me to my face.

(1:33) In front of people if you want.


Ed groaned as he flopped onto his bed with little regard to his brother, who was already lying in it. He should have known Al would wait up for him, and that he'd wait in Ed's room.

"You're freezing," Al said as he gathered Ed closer and rubbed his good arm.

"I did something stupid." Al stilled, and Ed took it as as good of a signal as any to hand Al his phone.

He felt Al's sigh of relief more than he heard it. "Well," Al said after reading through Ed's messages, "You could have been more stupid, so that's a win. I guess."

"What exactly did you think I did?" Ed asked, eyeing his brother skeptically.

"I don't know! You were out all night," Al said, and only then did Ed realize he was typing on the phone.

"What are you doing?" A brief struggle over the phone, and then a cry of "Al!"


(1:40) The Lion Café on Alchemy Lane. 1PM.