Chapter 2: Fleeting Memories

Ed winced as he cracked his eyes open, the bright lights of the unfamiliar room assaulting his brain. Between the stress of dealing with Hoenheim, and the lack of food, his head was pounding.

Groaning, Ed turned over slowly and glanced at the clock beside his bed. The hands moved achingly, but clearly showed that it was 9:30 in the morning.

He was supposed to be at Central by 9:30.

Cursing softly Ed swung his feet out of bed, wincing when his automail leg hit the floor. The joints were sore from overexertion, and the lack of sustenance to fuel their heavy energy requirement. Lucky for him, his stomach had stopped complaining and had seemingly settled for the cold emptiness.

Lucky huh, Ed thought with a quick shake of his head. That was one way to put it.

Ed quickly pulled his clothes on, a tight grimace stretching across his face as he fumbled with his coat, his arm aching for assistance and fuel. It had only been a day, but his limbs were fending on scraps and were very clearly protesting their anger about it.

Ed strolled downstairs and peered around the banister. Hoenheim would be up by now, no doubt making breakfast for himself, or just finishing up. He thought about popping in and grabbing something quickly, but he didn't want to risk it. Better to leave Hoenheim be; Ed knew he'd be grateful for the space and would maybe even be in a better mood when Ed returned later in the day.

Al's voice echoed across the room, as he appeared to be talking with Hoenheim, discussing their plans for the day. They still had a lot of furniture to move in, furniture Ed would be helping with if he didn't have to report to work. Luckily that was the one thing Hoenheim hadn't dared take from him; be it because it got Ed out of the house, or he didn't want the military breathing down his neck – Ed wasn't sure.

Ed thought about at least saying goodbye to Al before he left for the day, but Hoenheim's presence made him nervous and if he dared interrupt their conversation, he knew there would be hell to pay later. He couldn't risk it; dinner was far too important to miss today.

Instead, he slipped out, making sure the door closed softly. That had been one mistake he'd made back in Resembool; his old habit of slamming doors open and closed hadn't gone over well with Hoenheim. Ed didn't particularly want to hear that lecture again, to feel Hoenheim's breath on his skin as he screamed awful things inches from Ed's nose. He had made Ed repair the door without using alchemy later, even though most of the cracks and chips had been there long before Ed was even born.

Shuddering at the memory, Ed began his stroll to Central. Their house was only a couple blocks away, and it was a much nicer day out today than it had been yesterday. The rain had paused in its barrage, only a few clouds daring to dot the bright sky.

Ed loved walking; he and Al had walked all over Amestris during missions, and his body was used to the light strain. Although, it was also used to him eating decent meals.

The walk today was draining, and it seemed to take Ed twice as long to arrive at Central than usual. His limbs screamed as he walked, his vision swimming slightly as his head throbbed painfully. He didn't even bother to glance at the clock as he made his way inside the cool building. Military personnel were wandering about, each doing their own jobs and tasks. Ed was glad none of them paid him any mind; it gave him a chance to catch his breath and rub gently at his thigh where the automail was leeching any energy he had.

Once he had settled (as best as he could, given his situation), he made his way upstairs and to Mustang's office to report in. The crew glanced up at him as he walked through, doing his best to hide the slight limp and the painful grimace on his face. He clearly hadn't done a very good job, considering the concerned glance Riza threw his way and the way everyone seemed to hold their breath around him, hesitant to speak up about his obvious discomfort.

"I'm here to report in," Ed grumbled, coming to stand in front of the Lieutenant. She looked him over, scanning for any obvious wounds or problems. However, finding none, her face only crinkled in worry even more.

"Of course, I'll let him know you're here," Riza nodded to him. Ever since yesterday Ed had been acting off, and him asking permission to enter instead of barging in per usual – was strange.

"Is everything alright Edward?" She asked.

Ed's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he recovered quickly, and spared a glance up at her.

"It's fine."

Riza opened her mouth to argue back, but decided against causing a scene in the middle of the office. No need to piss off the blonde any more than Roy probably would.

Instead, she slid into the office, her heels clicking as she made her way to his desk. Roy was in the middle of signing a few papers when he heard her come in, his head rising on instinct.

"Lieutenant?"

"Fullmetal is here to report in," She stated, her eyes scanning over the measly pile of paperwork left on the desk. Mustang was clearly stressed over something if he actually got his work done, and she assumed it was for the same reason she was.

"Ah I see," he muttered back, folding his hands under his chin. "How does he seem?"

"He looks… almost like he's in pain, sir. In all honesty, I'm not sure what's wrong with him, but he still doesn't seem to be himself."

Roy nodded to this, his mind trailing off into deep thought.

"Send him in, maybe he's finally experiencing some growing pains," Mustang said with a light chuckle. Riza smiled at that, but it was quickly replaced by her usual stoic features. She nodded to him silently, and slipped back out the door.

Edward was leaning up against the wall, his head hung slightly and his eyes closed. His face was slightly paler than usual, and his arms were crossed tightly against his chest. Riza glanced around, catching Havoc's eyes as he motioned towards the alchemist with worry.

"General Mustang is ready to see you Fullmetal," She announced, standing at attention a few feet from his position. Ed raised his head slowly, blinking wearily up at her.

"Thanks," He mumbled, pushing himself off the wall. His automail leg nearly buckled with the sudden weight and he stumbled sharply to the side. He would have fallen flat on his face if Riza hadn't placed a firm hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Damn leg," Ed laughed, though it was strained. "Always gets stiff after it rains, how shitty is that?"

"If it's acting up you should have Winry come to repair it."

Ed just shook his head and smiled shakily, "Nah it's fine. Just need to get it movin' and work the gears."

"If you're sure," Riza replied, hesitant to believe him. Ed simply nodded at her and made his way into Mustang's office. His leg screamed at him, threatening to stop working without any means of energy to keep it functional. He would get an early lunch as soon as he finished checking in with Mustang, but as more time passed the ache only grew more present.

Limping into the room, Ed all but collapsed on the couch, grateful for the moment off his feet.

"Make yourself at home Fullmetal," Roy droned sarcastically at his lack of manners.

"Oh shut up, I'm just here to report in. What do you have for me?" Ed snapped back at him. Between his empty stomach, his leg and arm aching, and the headache that was starting to press even more aggressively against his skull, he was in a foul mood.

"Well, there's a rouge alchemist causing some issues a few cities over. I can get you on a train later this afternoon and have you there tonight. I would have given it to you yesterday if you hadn't left in such a hurry, though I suppose it takes you twice as long to get places with legs as short as yours," Roy smirked, obnoxiously proud of his retort.

"I'm not short," Ed snapped, lacking some of the usual fire, but still more responsive than he had been the other day. Roy counted it as a victory.

"And I enjoy doing paperwork," Roy grinned.

Ed just rolled his eyes, shifting his weight slightly so that his automail arm could rest against the back of the couch better, taking some of the strain off the over-exerted joints.

"Actually, do you have anything in Central? With Hoenheim moving in he needs me around to be able to help," Ed asked quietly, slightly worried about the response he'd get.

Of course, Hoenheim didn't really need his help much, and if Ed tried to help there's a good chance he'd get yelled at anyway. However, Ed was mostly worried about leaving Al behind with Hoenheim.

Al usually accompanied him on his missions, but with Hoenheim wanting to spend "more time with them", he'd surely see no reason for Al to tag along this time. Especially considering Ed was the military dog, not Al.

Hoenheim hadn't done anything to Al, he hadn't yet been physical with Ed either, but Ed had always been there to take the brunt of any verbal anger Hoenheim decided to take out on him. Better him than Al.

It seemed ridiculous that he couldn't get out of the city to do a job he was signed up for, just because of how his asshole of a father might react. It drove Ed nuts, and he bit his lip worriedly. He hated not being able to gauge the outcome, to not see a clear path of logic to what might happen or what could happen. Alchemy was simple in comparison: you knew the path you were taking and you knew what the intended outcome would be.

The unknown's and unpredictability of Hoenheim's moods and actions were daunting, and they stressed Ed out beyond belief. He didn't have to worry about all this before, and while he may have spent years resenting his father for leaving, he secretly wished that he'd walk out the door and leave them once again.

Roy's eyes widened slightly at the request, but he saw the clear reasoning behind it. At least the reasoning that Ed fabricated.

"Of course, I understand that. I think it's admirable that you're helping your father out."

Ed felt his stomach drop as soon as Mustang said those words. His heart hammered in his chest, and the room all of a sudden felt three sizes too small. Hoenheim might be his father, but he'd never be his father.

Ed's teeth grit together and his eyes were ablaze in golden fury.

"Don't call him that," He snapped viciously, glaring at Mustang from underneath his messy bangs.

Roy stiffened at the sudden change in behavior. Ed was usually unpredictable but the sudden wave of violent anger that stemmed out from the small boy was frightening and surprising.

"What? He's your father is he not?" Roy tested the waters, curious as to why Ed was providing such an aggressive attitude.

Ed jolted to his feet, stomping over to Mustang's desk. His leg burned and his automail was stiff but the white-hot anger drove him forward without hesitation. He slammed his hands down on the desk, part in dramatic anger and part in desperately needing support to stay standing on his bad leg.

"Don't… don't ever fucking call him that again."

Ed's golden eyes bore into Mustang's dark ones, and Mustang was taken aback by the pure hatred stemming from them. Normally he'd take the moment to make a short comment or poke fun at the alchemist, but some part of him realized that Ed was being genuine.

"Understood," He muttered, grabbing a manila case file from a corner of his desk and glancing through it. "Give me a minute to find something for you. I'd be more prepared but I wasn't planning on you being extra-picky."

Ed stood frozen for a minute, before he nodded and took a few steps backward. He was more relieved about not leaving Al alone than to pester Mustang about the rude comment. His leg screamed for a rest, but he didn't dare sit down again and seem weak.

Roy skimmed through current files, looking for something in Central that Edward would work well for. He was still shaken from the boy's unexpected fury and sensitivity towards the mention of Hoenheim. It was giving him second thoughts on signing the release forms, and he was questioning everything.

If Ed was still so angered with Hoenheim, why did he agree to move in with him?

Why did he spend a month in Resembool?

Why did Hoenheim move to Central?

However, Roy could also see from the corner of his eye how unsteady Fullmetal was on his feet. His body was tense, and he seemed to barely be putting any weight on his automail leg. The boy's face was slightly pale, and he seemed to be shaking just slightly.

Of course, Roy also knew Ed, and that if he was in pain or not feeling 100%, he'd be dammed if he let anyone knew.

"There's been some trouble with the drain system downtown, all the heavy rains we've been getting lately have revealed some problems with the foundation and piping. Normally this isn't something the military would take any interest in, but having a skilled alchemist step in and fix the situation would save a lot of time and money, and it would reflect the state really well," Roy explained, handing the file over to Ed who gingerly took it from his grasp.

"You want me to act as a plumber? You do realize I'm a state alchemist, right?" Ed scoffed. "I get not wanting to waste time but this is child's work."

"Last I checked Fullmetal you were a child," Roy smirked. Ed rolled his eyes and huffed at the man.

"Besides, the piping system has five different outputs that would need updating. That's a lot to take care of with normal construction crews, having you there to help would free them up to take care of some of these houses that have been water-damaged."

Ed groaned, and started to hand the case file back to Mustang. It'd be easy work, but he was a state alchemist for crying out loud, doing small work like this was just patronizing.

"There's not much else for me to give you, Fullmetal. Either you help out with the flooding, or you're on the next train to catch that rogue alchemist. I know you have plenty of research to do, and while I don't have any new leads, you're welcome to take a few days to research," Roy told him, pausing on a certain memory that floated into his mind.

"Although actually, a couple weeks ago you were the one who told me to, and I quote: give you more jobs so you could get the fuck out of the rainy season in central since it makes your automail act up, not that a bastard like me would understand."

Roy smirked at the memory, and continued to revel in his power over Fullmetal as the young alchemist glared at him from where he was standing.

He quickly seized the paper back and tucked it away into his jacket.

"Yeah yeah, I remember. It's fine, I'll fix the damn sewers," Ed scoffed. He remembered the phone call distinctly.

Roy had called him a couple of weeks into his stay in Resembool, asking when he was going to be back so he could gauge what kind of workload to have ready for him. It was partly a joke, and Mustang being an ass per usual, but he had needed to know their planned return. Ed had yelled at him about it, telling him he'd better have jobs for them to do when he got back. With how their visit had been going for the past couple of weeks, Ed knew he'd need any excuse possible to stay out of the house.

Research just wouldn't cut it. Ed had desperately wanted to dive into some old reports and continue the search for the stone, but he knew Hoenheim would demand to see what he was working on, and if he told him it was mere research, he'd make him do it from home.

Of course, Ed would weasel his way around that if he could, but thinking back to a certain day-trip he took back in Resembool had him hesitant to try anything.

Winry had asked if Ed would help her fix up some old parts that had eroded and been tucked away. It would be easy alchemic work, and Ed was more than happy to spend time out of the inn and away from Hoenheim. He had told Hoenheim about it, and gotten the permission he needed to go to the Rockbells (like he ever needed permission before).

He spent most of the morning with Winry helping out, but she had a lot of orders to catch up on so when they were done, he made to head back home. Strolling through town towards the inn, Ed remembered seeing the new bakery some old family friends had opened, and had decided to stop in. He'd been asking Hoenheim for days if he could go, but was shot down viciously every time for reasons he was too afraid to ask about. As he had sat there munching on the pastry he had purchased, he was content and smug over the fact that what Hoenheim didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Hoenheim knew.

Ed had walked through the front door, careful not to slam it as per one of their first altercations. He quickly slid his coat off and hung the red garment on the rack near the door before making his way to find Al. He had walked through the hallway to find him, running into Hoenheim on the way, almost literally. He hadn't noticed him standing there.

"You were at Winry's for a while, I thought you were just fixing old parts?" He had asked, bearing down over him.

"Yeah, but we got to talking and it took a little longer than we thought. I didn't think it'd be worth it to phone over," Ed retorted, not really wanting to have to explain his every move to his so-called-father.

"But it was worth it to go to that bakery in-town, even though I've told you not to?" Hoenheim snapped.

Ed had been lost for a moment, unsure of how to react or what to say.

"H-how-"

"I stepped outside to pick up a few groceries, and you can say I was surprised to see you hanging out there when you were supposed to be returning from Winry's. You're lucky I was considerate enough to save this talk for now, as opposed to walking in and talking to you then."

Ed scoffed at that.

"Considerate? Yeah right, if you'd come in there and made a fuss about something as stupid as me eating a pastry it'd be more embarrassing for you."

This had clearly been the wrong thing to say, as Hoenheim had strode over to where Ed was standing, and grabbed the collar of his shirt tightly. He snarled down at him as he lifted him ever so slightly off the ground.

"You will watch your tone around me," He growled. "Or you will not be allowed to return to the Rockbells for anything other than needed repairs."

Ed's eyes grew wide and his stomach churned.

"You can't do that-"

"I'm your father I can do as I please. I want you to tell me when you're going out, and I want you to be honest with me. If I think you're being dishonest there will be a price to pay, do you understand?"

Ed had nodded quietly, before squirming slightly.

"Why didn't you want me to go there anyways? We've known that family for forever, and they're nice people. It's a really good bakery, they're skilled at what they do. There's no reason to not let Al and I eat over there," Ed piped up, wanting to understand his "father's" motives.

"Bakeries are expensive, and unhealthy. Unless you've done something to deserve getting something nice like that, there's no reason for you to be wasting our money on it. Last I checked, you didn't do anything to justify it," Hoenheim snapped, his fingers tightening on Ed's collar.

"We're moving to Central in two weeks. Do you understand how costly that is? I'm doing you boys a favor in paying for you and providing for you, so for you to go out without asking and waste my good deed - it's sickening."

Ed rolled his eyes (wrong move).

"I wasn't wasting shit, I'm a state alchemist. I make my own salary and the military pays for a lot of what we do. I didn't spend one penny of yours' so don't you worry about that," Ed argued back.

Hoenheim pushed Edward back so that his neck was pressed against the wall. The moment was very similar to the door argument they'd had a few days prior, and the similarity made Ed shudder.

"What makes you think you can run around and spend the military's money on pastries and shit whenever you want? You don't deserve to do whatever you want, and you don't deserve to waste the military's resources on stupid shit like that. You're being a selfish brat. If you're going to be so damn cocky about the money you make it had better at least go to something worthwhile," Hoenheim sneered.

"From now on, you can pay rent, how about that?"

Ed had gaped at him, eyes growing wide. Pay rent? Hoenheim had come into their life, nearly demanding to take back his place as their parent, and now was going to make Ed pay rent? It was absurd, and Ed would have put up more of a fight but truth be told, he was scared to.

"It's the least you can do to pay back my generosity for taking care of the two of you. You're lucky you have me to watch out for you, that's not something that comes easily and it's not something that should be taken lightly. Paying rent is the least you can do to help out and actually contribute to anything worthwhile."

Hoenheim had calmed down slightly upon this realization, finally letting go of Ed's shirt and taking a few steps back.

"From now on you're going to tell me where you're going. You will be completely honest, and if something changes you will call. As consolidation for my kind-heart and the financial and physical effort I'm putting in to manage you and your brother, you will pay rent to me twice a month. You will not return to that bakery without expressed permission, and until rent is paid you will not make any frivolous purchases," Hoenheim stated, seemingly pleased with the rules he was determined to set down.

Ed had simply stared in shock, unsure of what to say. The rules were absurd, extreme, and completely unwarranted. He had stopped in for a quick snack for god's sake, with money he had rightfully earned and worked towards.

However, Hoenheim's words weaseled their way into his head and he wondered if he was being selfish and entitled.

"Do you understand?" Hoenheim demanded, eyes still glaring at Ed's over the rim of his glasses.

"Yes," Ed muttered, hanging his head with the shame of having to relent to the older man. The rules were ridiculous, but if they kept Hoenheim from getting mad at him and Al, they'd be worth it.

At least, that's what he had thought.

Ed shook his head at the memory before glancing back up at Mustang, who was watching him carefully.

"Did you need something?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired man.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes," He stated.

"Oh."

Ed hadn't realized he'd zoned out so much. It had been becoming a more present problem, he noticed. Either it was the lack of food, lack of sleep, or some other reason, but Ed had found himself having a harder and harder time paying attention to things. It was so easy to let his mind drift and escape from the current reality.

He probably should have been more worried about it than he was, but he chalked it up to being tired.

"I was asking you when you wanted to head out to the sites, I can have a car ready to take you," Mustang supplied to the still-semi-unfocused blonde.

"Oh," Ed repeated. His mind was still reeling from the memories he had been thinking on, and his body was aching with exhaustion and the lack of sustainable food. The longer he stood, the more he became aware of how off he felt. How his vision seemed to waver ever so slightly, and how his legs were shaking with the effort of standing still for so long.

Since when had he started feeling so bad?

"Is everything alright Fullmetal? If you aren't going to pay attention you should stop wasting my time," Roy snapped. He was mostly getting frustrated at the lack of response, but part of him was growing concerned. One moment the boy was furiously angry about Roy's choice of words, and the next he was silent and zoning out. It was too much to keep up with, and Roy could feel a slight headache coming on.

"Yeah it's fine," Ed grumbled. His head ached with the sharpness in Roy's voice, and the bright lights of the military room weren't helping. He had to have been really deep in his thoughts to have been able to tune out how awful he felt, because now that he was back in reality he felt like shit.

"If everything's fine, then you are dismissed Fullmetal. If you need a car to drive you to the locations you know how to procure one. I have work to do, so please excuse yourself," Roy stated, motioning to the door.

He was ready to be done with their time together. Edward's mood swings and weird attitudes were wearing him out. Now that he wasn't as worried about something being wrong, and was chalking it up to Ed being a pissy teenager, his prior concern was quickly overthrown with irritation.

"Yeah ok," Ed muttered. If Roy had any malice in his voice it went unnoticed by the alchemist, who was more preoccupied with keeping his vision steady and legs from collapsing under him.

Shaking his head slightly, only to wince at the pain it brought, Ed swiveled around to make his way to the door. He was ready to head down to the cafeteria and get some food in him.

However, despite desperately wanting food, his body had other ideas. Ed took a step forward before his knees wavered, and he had to quickly lean to grip the edge of the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Roy watched as Ed gripped the table tightly after a shaky turn, slowly getting out of his chair to help.

"Fullmetal, are you alright?"

Ed swung his head around to look at Mustang, and caught his eyes briefly. His vision was growing more and more blurry by the second, and he opened his mouth to say something before it faded to white all together.

Roy watched Ed struggle to make eye contact with him, his face seemingly getting paler. Before Roy could register what was happening, Ed's eyes rolled back into his head and he keeled forward.