Chapter 8: Web of Lies

Ed woke up early the next morning, feeling much more well-rested. His head had cleared up, and his automail didn't seem to wear him down any more than usual. His stomach was still angry with him, and his throat was dry and gross from having thrown up the night before. However, it was a welcome improvement from where it had been. Especially considering what he'd been through for the past few days.

Scratch that: past few weeks.

Or, if he really wanted to admit it: past few months.

Sighing, Ed shifted to sit up and nearly bit his tongue off at the sharp wave of pain that coursed through his stomach and torso. Taking a deep breath to try and ride out the pain only made it worse, and left Ed sputtering for air.

In a panicked haze, Ed quickly rolled his shirt up and peered down at his stomach, eyes widening ever-so-slightly at the dark purple and yellow bruise that was blossoming across his abdomen.

His ribs may not have been broken, but boy were they bruised to all hell.

Letting his shirt drop back down, Ed wrapped his arms around his torso and leaned forward, letting his head hang towards the bed. His bangs cascaded in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision and hiding his face, though there wasn't anyone to hide it from.

It hurt.

His stomach hurt, both inside and out.

His ribs hurt, his throat hurt, his head hurt, his pride hurt.

His spirit hurt.

Taking one shaky breath after another, Ed moved slowly and slid himself to the edge of the bed, where he let his legs dangle from the side. He counted to three softly, before pushing himself off the bed and walking over to the bathroom, still clutching at his stomach in a vain attempt to ease the pain.

Glancing at himself in the mirror, Ed was relieved to see he looked at bit more put-together than he felt. Other than the already fading bruise across his face and the slight bags under his eyes, he didn't seem any worse-for-wear than he usually did. Even before things started going downhill.

Getting ready was a chore amongst itself, and took Ed nearly twice as long due to the sensitivity from his ribs. He was grateful Al hadn't come in and pestered him about anything; Ed wasn't sure how he'd explain away the giant bruise on his stomach.

Though, Ed thought, Al was probably still upset with him for last night's conversation.

As if he could dare call it a conversation, considering how one-sided it had been.

Frowning at the idea, but understanding that it was the most likely case, Ed walked out of the room and headed downstairs. The thick scent of coffee hit his nose about halfway down, and he froze.

Hohenheim was awake.

He shouldn't have been surprised, but the thought still sent shivers down his spine and made him hesitant to step foot on the first floor. Though, perhaps if he went down to start doing chores, Hohenheim would be nothing but grateful to him and would even provide him a decent meal.

He didn't have much time to think on the matter, as Al stepped out of the kitchen and noticed him standing on the stairs.

"Ed! You're up! How are you feeling?" Al asked immediately, walking over to get a better look at his brother.

Ed was relieved that Al didn't harbor any obvious anger towards him, but that only made the guilt bubble up in his gut. Al should be angry with him; he had every right to be angry with him.

He deserved it.

Not bothering to try and dismiss the thought as he usually would, considering it was painstakingly true, Ed merely gave a weak smile.

"I feel better," Ed stated plainly, not keen on trying to explain anymore to Al.

"I'm so glad to hear it," Al muttered truthfully, "but you still seem kind of tired; are you sure you shouldn't still be in bed?"

Ed rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I'm ok Al. Besides, being in bed all day is boring."

Al merely huffed at that, but didn't push anything. Ed was up and moving, and joking around with him. While he still may be hiding something, and not feeling 100%, he was doing better than he had the other day. Al would count that as a win.

Any small improvement, no matter how small, was still an improvement. Still a step in the right direction.

Ed was grateful Al didn't argue with him too much, and he moved to continue heading downstairs. Yet as soon as he hit the last step, he turned too suddenly, twinging his ribs in just a way that sent searing pain down his midsection.

Stifling a groan, Ed couldn't help but arch forward slightly, gripping his stomach tightly as he closed his eyes and attempted to ward off the aching.

"Ed? Are you ok? What's wrong?" Al asked, placing a gentle hand on Ed's shoulder as he rode out the pain.

"I think my stomach is a little sore from me getting sick yesterday," Ed lied smoothly.

Al nodded eagerly to this, understanding and accepting the lie as if it were nothing. It almost made Ed feel even more guilty, but he knew what the price would be if he said otherwise. Especially if Hohenheim was in the kitchen, listening in on their conversation in any way.

"You should take it easy Ed, that's why Mustang gave you those days off anyways! Better put them to good use."

Ed scowled at the mention of Mustang, though his stomach merely churned with guilt and fear.

"Mustang gave me these days off because I fucked up, and he doesn't want anything to do with me for a while. Don't act like he did this for me, he did it so that he could have a break too," Ed snarled. A small part of him knew Mustang was doing this for his own well-being, but by keeping him home for a few days: it only did more harm than good.

Though, Ed couldn't reasonably blame Mustang for that. It's not like he knew what would happen, and Ed was intent on keeping it that way.

"Ed…don't say that! Mustang cares about us a lot, we're like family to him. We're part of his team; you know he sent you home because he's worried about you, just like we all are…" Al muttered dejectedly.

He hated seeing Ed so harsh on himself, and while he knew Ed was going to harbor blame for this incident for a while, he hadn't expected him to be so venomous about it. Ed was no stranger to foul language, something that often got him in trouble on the job, but he usually wasn't so quick to jump there. Especially when he wasn't extremely pissed off.

Ed sighed, nodding quietly to Al. He shouldn't have snapped, shouldn't have gotten so angry; he was just so damn tired.

"Don't worry about me too much Al," Ed chuckled. "You've got enough things on your plate. Besides, we still have a stone to find!"

"The stone is the last thing on my mind right now!" Al snapped, metal creaking as he visibly tensed up. Ed jolted back, not expecting the harsh reaction.

"I just want you to be ok…" Al murmured. He let some of the unresolved tension fade away, knowing he wasn't going to get a clear answer from Ed, and that he didn't need to get as worked up about it as he was. He knew Ed was trying.

He hoped Ed was trying.

Al glanced over at Ed, bright soul fire eyes flickering with what could best be described as sorrow.

Ed was taken-aback by the sincerity in Al's voice. Not that it surprised him that Al cared for him, but it did surprise him just how worried Al was. It just made him feel immensely guilty; he hadn't meant to worry Al so much, hadn't meant to cause him this extra stress.

Ed opened his mouth to respond, letting Al know that he'd be ok eventually, but nothing came out. He couldn't get the words past his tongue, as if his body was physically preventing him from lying to Alphonse about that.

There was no guarantee he'd be ok eventually, and apparently, he didn't believe it enough to be able to say it. No matter how much of a lie it was.

"I made breakfast, if you're hungry," Al stated after a bit. "It's just oatmeal so it should be ok on your stomach. I figured something plain would help…"

Ed nodded, biting his lip into a frown. His lack of response hadn't gone unnoticed by Alphonse, and Ed knew Al was upset about it, but too polite to push any farther.

"Thanks Al," Ed muttered softly, following his brother into the kitchen. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

If Al heard the softer second part, he made no show of it, instead humming softly to himself as he pulled dishes from their respective cabinets. Ed was relieved to see Hohenheim wasn't in the kitchen, though his lack of presence made Ed paranoid about exactly where he was.

There was a chance he wasn't even in the house, but Ed sure as hell wasn't going to gamble on that.

Al placed a small ceramic bowl with warm oatmeal in front of Ed as he sat down, the cinnamon-scented steam gently tickling his nose and making his stomach rumble with hunger.

Grabbing a spoon, Ed was about to dig in when Hohenheim's words from the other day echoed back at him.

His stomach churned with unease, and all of a sudden, the oatmeal seemed much less appetizing than it had mere seconds ago.

"Hey…Al?"

"Yeah Ed?" Al had his back to him and was busy washing the dishes from earlier that morning.

"Did…did you make this oatmeal yourself?"

Al turned his head a little and gave Ed a weird look (as weird as one could look in a metal suit of armor), "I told you I did, didn't I?"

Ed bit his lip and nodded; it wasn't Al's fault he didn't know what Ed was talking about.

"Did Hohenheim eat any?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course!" Al chuckled. "He got up earlier this morning while I was making breakfast and had some before he took off for the day. Something about being at the library for a while."

The paranoia and tension that had reared its head calmed for a bit, content to wander off as Ed took a deep breath of relief.

"Why do you ask?" Al inquired, pulling out a towel from the nearby drawer to lay the washed dishes on.

Ed paused for a moment, unsure as to what to say that would be convincing enough that Al would let it slide.

"I just…wanted to make sure he had a chance to have some too…" Ed trailed off, fiddling with the metal spoon as he nervously awaited Al's response. He hadn't sounded very convincing, nor had the lie he'd come up with been anything more than half-decent.

Al paused for a moment, and chuckled lightly. He wasn't sure why Ed was being so cautious about it, but he found it touching that Ed was seeming to open up slightly to Hohenheim, even if just barely.

"Don't worry Ed, I know you usually eat a lot but he had plenty so you can have as much as you'd like," Al laughed warmly, running the dishes through the fresh towel and placing them on the counter to be put away later.

"Thanks Al," Ed mumbled, his stomach still churning with the nervousness of eating, not eager to repeat what had happened the other day.

"Actually, Al, you should go take a break. I can finish the dishes after I eat, since you were kind enough to make breakfast," Ed suggested. Al paused for a moment, before tossing his brother a pointed glare.

"As if. You're still under the weather, I'm not going to make you do anything other than eat, drink water, and rest."

Ed rolled his eyes, though Al's back was turned to him.

"I'm fine Al. I can at least do the dishes, it's not as if it's physically demanding," Ed huffed. "Besides, I just want to do something to help…" Ed trailed off. While part of him was attempting to save his ass from Hohenheim screaming at him for letting Al do his job, he did genuinely want to help and feel useful.

Al sighed, and set the dish he was currently working on down.

"Alright brother, but only because I've already gotten half of them done anyway. Just be careful ok? If you start to feel bad just go lie down and I'll finish up," Al insisted. "And make sure to finish breakfast first!"

He was hesitant to let Ed push himself too much, but he could also hear the desperation in Ed's tone, and understood how much his brother hated feeling helpless. After all, they were just dishes, and it shouldn't be terribly taxing on him.

Ed shot him a thumbs up and shoveled a spoonful of the oatmeal into his mouth as Al dried his gloved hands and walked into his room to continue his studies.

The oatmeal was warm, with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. It was clearly made with love, which is why Ed didn't understand why it left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. It felt as if he had just swallowed lead, as opposed to the warm meal Al had spent the morning putting together.

Sure, oatmeal was nothing fancy, but it never upset his stomach before.

Sighing, Ed chalked it up to his stomach still being irritated from what it was put through the other day, and quietly washed the oatmeal down the sink- taking care to do it slowly as to not clog the drain. It only added to the pool of guilt settling in his stomach, but he'd rather see the food going down the drain now, than coming back up later.

His ribs also ached in protest as he stood over the sink, but he dismissed it and continued taking care of the dishes anyway. After all, it was his responsibility now. In pain or not.

The rest of the day went by quietly, and Ed was grateful that Hohenheim's cold gaze wasn't staring him down as he got things done. Ed made sure to clean everything he was supposed to before Hohenheim got home, all the while avoiding Al so he didn't have to explain his actions.

Cleaning the floor nearly made him pass out, as the strenuous effort and constant state of being half bent-over didn't sit well with his ribs or the headache building behind his eyes. However, he knew if he didn't at least try and get it clean, he'd be in for a whole other world of hurt.

By the time he was finished with his chores his automail had started to ache, most likely due to the lack of food. Al had been kind enough to help Ed put lunch together, something his stomach was thankfully able to tolerate and keep down. However, he knew that he'd be needing more than a sandwich to keep his body functioning properly.

It was a start.

When Hohenheim returned home later that evening, Ed didn't even have to be downstairs to know. The creak of the door, and the intimidating footsteps were tell enough, despite Hohenheim's gait being lighter than Alphonse's.

Ed sucked in a breath and listened intently, waiting to hear Hohenheim's footsteps on the stairs. Waiting to see his shadow under the door and for him to stride into his room, anger permanently carved onto his face. Waiting for Hohenheim to berate him for existing, for breathing, for doing something wrong.

Ed's heart hammered in his chest, and he was hesitant to let out the breath he was holding for fear of missing hearing Hohenheim coming upstairs. That little bit of warning wasn't enough to prepare him for anything, but it was enough to at least make him aware of what was coming.

However, after waiting long enough that Ed had no choice but to suck in a hasty breath, the feared noise never came, and Ed felt ridiculous for waiting for it.

It felt childish to be so nervous, to fear getting in trouble. He felt like he did when he was four all over again, accidentally spilling a glass of water and fearing the punishment he would surely receive.

Except, Trisha was no Hohenheim, and merely handed him a towel with a warm, understanding smile, so that he could clean it up before she handed him a fresh new glass.

Now, if Ed so much as breathed in the wrong direction, he feared Hohenheim would strike him again, leaving a mark that scarred both physically and mentally. If Ed were to spill a glass now, Hohenheim would surely make him regret even touching it.

The night continued to creep along, Hohenheim never daring to make an appearance in Ed's room. Eventually Al called Ed down for dinner, and Ed hesitantly made his way down the stairs, trying to be mindful of his ribs and not show any pain in front of Hohenheim.

The three of them sat at the dinner table, Al chattering away to Hohenheim about the project he'd been working on, and the research he was getting through. Ed couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as he sat there and listened, watching them have a pleasant conversation.

Al had no fear of Hohenheim at all, not that he ever gave Al a reason to fear him. He was cheery and welcoming, asking Al questions and engaging in the conversation as a father should.

Ed knew he shouldn't be jealous, and should be relieved that Al was safe and happy, oblivious to everything going on. However, he couldn't help but long for the peace that came from not being victim to abusive behavior.

Abuse.

Ed's eyes widened at the thought, and suddenly the meat pie Al had helped prepare for them seemed incredibly unappetizing.

The word had sat at the back of his mind for ages, ever since they visited Resembool and things started to get strange, and uncertain. It had poked at his conscious when Hohenheim yelled at him day after day, and had weaseled its way into his train of thought when Roy and Riza kept giving him odd looks.

However, it had never blatantly intruded in on his thoughts, making itself known for what it was.

Abuse.

It was such a strong word, one that held an incredible amount of power and weight to it. It wasn't something anyone took lightly, and if he were to mention it to anyone, they wouldn't hesitate to act against it.

So why couldn't he?

Maybe it was because he doubted that they'd even believe him in the first place. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still just a child. A rowdy teenager known for causing chaos in the alchemical field.

Maybe it was because people might look at him differently, treat him differently, think he was weak.

Al's cheerful laugh broke his train of thoughts, perfectly illustrating at least one of the answers to the question he was asking himself.

If he told someone what was happening, and they did believe him, Hohenheim would be taken away and they'd be sent back to the dorms. Al was much happier here than he'd ever been in the dorms, and Ed knew Al was overjoyed to have a father in his life. Someone else to talk to, to look up to.

Hohenheim might not be the father Ed needed him to be, but he was a father to Al, and Ed couldn't take that away from him. No matter what happened, Ed couldn't take anything else away from Al. He owed him that much, and much more.

"You've been awfully quiet Ed," Hohenheim stated, seemingly absentmindedly. Ed's body tensed almost immediately, and he had to scrounge to collect his thoughts.

"I'm just tired, I did a lot of cleaning today," Ed responded, wanting to appease Hohenheim as best as he could.

"What?! I told you to just do the dishes!" Al interrupted, slamming his fist down on the table, making Ed jump.

"I-"

"You need to take better care of yourself! You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard today," Al sputtered. looking down at the floor. "I can't believe I didn't notice you weren't resting, I got so caught up in the medical books I was reading…"

Hohenheim placed a hand on Al's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself Al, Ed is old enough to make his own choices and take care of himself," he shot a pointed glance at Ed that sent chills down his spine.

He'd messed up. He shouldn't have said anything, not with Al there, not after he'd been so careful all day to avoid Al's watching eye.

He was just so eager to appease Hohenheim, to make him proud, to avoid getting punished.

"But he won't take care of himself," Al muttered, making eye contact with Ed who was quick to look away.

"It's not your fault Alphonse, I promise," Hohenheim stated calmly. "Why don't you step outside and clear your head for a while so I can talk some sense into your brother about taking better care of himself."

Al merely nodded, clearly upset at Ed having gone behind his back. He got up from the table and stepped into the entryway.

Ed barely registered the sound of the door closing as Al made his way outside, too overwhelmed with the sheer terror from the implications Hohenheim had made, and the fact that with Al out of the house the two of them were now left alone.

"You know, sometimes I don't understand why Alphonse cares so much about you."

Ed's head shot up, and he made eye contact with Hohenheim who merely sipped away at his coffee. His tone wasn't angry, or even upset, just blatantly stoic.

"I understand with the two of you being brothers, there's that tie there that keeps you close. But after everything you've done to him, and after the guilt and pain you keep putting him through, I simply can't fathom why he still cares as much as he does about you," Hohenheim stated coldly.

"I…I don't know," Ed admitted. It was definitely something that had always sat at the back of his mind, taunting him on nights of restless sleep and poor dreams. However, it had never been made so strikingly clear to him, especially not by another person.

"That's beside the point though," Hohenheim muttered, setting his empty cup down and folding his hands under his chin. "I'm glad you were able to get everything you needed to done today."

Ed simply nodded, waiting for the disclaimer to soon follow.

"However, I'm disgusted that you mentioned it in front of your brother. You clearly upset him, and after all you've put him through don't you think he deserves a little more grace? I mean, he spends so much of his time caring for you and cooking for you. Can you imagine how much further he could get without you?" Hohenheim sneered.

Ed blanched, simply at a loss for words. He didn't want to argue back, but even if he had wanted to, he wasn't sure he could argue with anything Hohenheim was saying. He wasn't wrong…but everything he was saying seemed to poke at every last insecurity Ed had been harboring and tore away at them little by little, exposing the pain for what it really was.

"You really need to be more careful. I still expect you to get everything done, but if you know it's going to upset your brother you need to keep your mouth shut." Hohenheim snarled.

"Yes sir," Ed stated plainly, too exhausted (both mentally and physically) to do or say much else.

Hohenheim scoffed at that, seemingly pleased with Ed's cooperation and submission.

"That's a good boy. I'm glad you finally are starting to see some sense and behave," Hohenheim smirked as he stood from the table and put his cup in the sink. His choice of words disgusted Ed, though he wouldn't dare show it.

He walked up to Ed, who desperately tried to stop his hands from shaking and exposing his fear.

He failed.

Hohenheim placed a cold hand on his shoulder, and leaned down so that his lips nearly brushed Ed's ear.

"All dogs can be trained," He whispered, satisfaction oozing in his voice. "Sometimes all they need is some sense knocked into them."

With that he left, the door closing behind him as he walked outside, likely to find Alphonse and console him.

Ed felt sick to his stomach, and not because he'd actually eaten, or because his stomach was still reeling from both yesterday's breakfast and the physical assault he'd suffered.

No, Ed was sick because Hohenheim was right. He was no more than a mere dog, both to the military and to him.

Is this how Mustang saw him too?

Ed shook his head at the thought, not able to stomach more than he was already attempting to process.

He hated this. He hated been treated like this; he was the Fullmetal Alchemist, damn it!

He took orders from no one, he lived his own life, he relished in the freedom he had to explore and hunt for the stone.

At least, he used to.

Now, all he cared about was keeping a low profile, both for Hohenheim and for Mustang. So long as he got his chores done and was respectful, Hohenheim wouldn't hurt him or hurt Al.

And so long as he did his jobs cleanly and professionally, Mustang wouldn't get angry with him or schedule more days off for him.

Ed sighed, pushing his chair in and turning the sink on. He assumed the two of them wouldn't be back for a while, as Al tended to wander when he was lost in thought.

After he did the dishes and made sure everything was cleaned up, Ed retreated upstairs for the night. He was exhausted, and desperate for a good night's sleep so that he could wake up tomorrow feeling better and able to better handle the chores he knew he'd have to get done.

Unfortunately for him, good sleep wasn't on the schedule for the night.

The worry of him failing, of him not being able to get things done, of him upsetting Hohenheim, and now also of him upsetting Mustang- it was too much for his brain to handle, leaving him restless and stressed throughout the night, barely able to get more than a few hours in before the sun peaked over the horizon.

While he may have been tired, Ed was still able to get his chores done throughout the day. Hohenheim had taken Al with him to the library, with a pointed look tossed at Ed so he knew to really get things done.

Having the house to himself, Ed also took the opportunity to sneak a few light snacks into his room, hiding them in the bottom drawer of his nightstand.

He hated sneaking around, and was terrified Hohenheim would potentially notice them missing, but he was worried about future meals and wanted to make sure that once he returned to work, he had something to keep him going, something to prevent him from making more mistakes and hurting more people.

Hohenheim and Al had returned later that night, Ed upstairs in his room to give them the space he'd assume they'd both want and need. Al never came upstairs to talk with him, something that left a pit in Ed's stomach.

Hohenheim did, however, come upstairs to berate Ed for not having dinner made for them when they returned. Apparently, Ed's not wanting to use food items without permission wasn't a good enough excuse, and he went to bed with a few new bruises on his arm that night, and a few extra chores to get done the next day.

Ed woke up the next morning after yet another restless night, stressed about everything he knew he'd have to get done today. He was supposed to return to work, but he also had been given those extra things to do around the house as punishment for the previous night.

As if the physical pain wasn't punishment enough.

After a solid half hour of near panic and contemplation, Ed rolled out of bed and stepped outside of his room.

His stomach churned with nervousness as he picked up the phone from the upstairs hallway and dialed Mustang's office, praying that anyone aside from Mustang himself would answer.

His prayers fell on deaf ears.

"Colonel Mustang speaking."

Ed paused for a moment, unsure as to how to proceed despite having rehearsed what he was going to say at least four times before calling.

"Hello?"

"Um, morning Mustang…" Ed trailed nervously. He was terrified that Mustang would still be furious with him, that Mustang would tell him to never return to the office, that Mustang would get mad at him for what he was about to say.

"Ah, Fullmetal. Yes, I suppose it has been three days since our last conversation. It's a bit odd for you to be calling though, is something wrong?" Mustang's voice may have sounded stoic and uncaring through the phone, but in his office a small hole was being nervously drilled into the desk with a pen, earning a certain Colonel a glare from his Lieutenant.

"No, nothing's wrong," Ed was quick to respond, not wanting to stress the Colonel out more than he probably already was.

"What are you calling for then? If you need reassurance that you're allowed back into the office you have it, and I assumed I'd be seeing you in about an hour." Mustang replied calmly. Or at least, his voice was calm. Ed still didn't sound like himself, at all.

"About that…" Ed gulped. "I…I still don't feel quite back to 100% and…was wondering if I could postpone coming into the office until tomorrow."

Ed bit his lip and drummed his fingers on the table nervously. Mustang was silent for a moment, which only added to Ed's fear and anxiety.

"I must say I'm surprised to hear you admitting as such, and asking for more days off," Mustang started. "But I'm relieved to hear you're taking care of yourself and willing to admit when you need more time. I'll have Hawkeye file the paperwork right away, but your request is very much granted."

Ed let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, thankful that Mustang didn't seem angry at him for asking for more time. He felt guilty for lying, as he was really only asking for the day off so that he could get his extra things done around the house. However, if Mustang was happy with him, and he had time to get things done and leave Hohenheim pleased with him, all was well.

"And thank you, Fullmetal. For taking yourself seriously and being willing to ask for what you need." Mustang added, after some cold glares were sent his way from both Hawkeye standing next to him, and Havoc peeking in through the doorway to listen in once he'd heard the name Fullmetal drift off Mustang's tongue.

The entire office was worried about Edward, especially after how things had gone with his last assignment. It seemed that everyone picked up that something was off, which both worried and relieved Mustang. He was glad that he wasn't alone in his fears, and that other people cared for the boys as he did. However, he was worried that if other people were picking up on it, something seriously wrong was going on, and he still knew little to nothing about it.

"I'll see you in the office tomorrow then," Ed clarified.

"Of course. Take care Fullmetal."

Mustang hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath. Edward asking for a day off wasn't completely uncommon. But with everything else going on, while Mustang was glad Ed was taking better care of himself, something just wasn't adding up.

Ed hung up the phone and took a shaky breath, relieved to have that part of his day over with. He was worried about not being able to afford rent, which was coming up in a couple of weeks, but he was more worried about not being able to eat a non-poisoned dinner and sustain himself physically.

And in order to guarantee that, he had to get his things done today.

Ed made his way downstairs, and let Hohenheim know Mustang had extended his days off after something came up at the office. Lying to Hohenheim was three times as terrifying as lying to Mustang, but Hohenheim accepted the lie with ease and simply reminded Ed he had shit to get done that day regardless, before leaving to run errands and continue his studies.

Al didn't approach Ed, nor did he question Ed's staying home an extra day. It was likely that Al had forgotten, or hadn't kept track of the days he was supposed to be home. It was also likely that Al was still upset with him, and was avoiding him.

It hurt, it hurt that Al was seemingly giving Ed the cold shoulder. Ed missed talking with him, sharing his life with him. It had only been a day, but Ed felt torn and overwhelmed with guilt at what their relationship was turning into. He knew it was for the best, and it was to keep Al safe, but it still hurt.

He felt like he was losing him, both as a friend, and as a brother.

Though, after everything he'd put Al through, maybe it was about time Al stopped wanting to be around him.

Not that that hurt any less, if anything that thought only hurt Ed more.

Still, Ed managed to work hard and get the things he needed to done. He could feel Al's eyes on him every so often, but the gentle giant didn't say anything as Ed cleaned around him.

Later that afternoon, after finishing everything, Ed retreated back upstairs to attempt and get a few hours of sleep before Hohenheim returned home. The past nights hadn't been kind to him, and while food wasn't an issue for the time being, he was still utterly exhausted.

Downstairs, Al was attempting to shove away his worries by burying himself in medical alchemy. He'd been eager to learn more about it these past few weeks, and was grateful to have the time to work on it what with Ed not having to go into work, and he not having to tag along.

However, Al couldn't help but still feel worried. Ed was doing a lot more around the house than usual, which at first Al thought he was just bored and trying to keep himself busy, but the more Ed cleaned the more Al noticed he seemed stressed about it.

Al desperately wanted to talk to him, but Hohenheim had told him that Ed was dealing with some things and needed some space for a few days to sort things out. Al was immensely relieved Ed had apparently told Hohenheim about what was going on with him, and was grateful that Ed was willing to open up to Hohenheim more.

But Al was also unsure, and worried about it. He felt bad that Ed didn't trust him enough to tell him about it, and instead turned to Hohenheim, who he seemingly hadn't trusted prior. He also felt bad that Ed didn't want to talk to him, and was needing space. He knew he had reacted poorly at dinner the other night, when Ed had confessed to doing more around the house than he had been supposed to.

He just cared. He cared about Ed, and wanted things to go well for him. Al knew Ed had been struggling, and he just wanted to make sure he was ok.

Which is why when Mustang called the house to check in on Ed, who had reported sick for the day and asked for more time, Al was dumbfounded. He'd assured Mustang that Ed was resting and doing much better than he had that morning, only for the sake of preserving whatever Ed was trying to hide from Mustang.

However, he wasn't sure why Ed had bothered lying to Mustang about him not feeling well, when he clearly felt well enough to get a lot of housework done that day. Something just wasn't adding up, and when Hohenheim returned from his studies that day, Al was eager to gain some clarification.

"What do you mean he called in sick?"

"Ed called in sick from work today, but he was busy working around the house. I didn't know if he'd told you anything, or if he was still struggling with something," Al confessed to Hohenheim.

Of course, this was the first Hohenheim was hearing of this, after being told that morning Ed had been instructed not to come into the office that day.

"I'm sure he's doing fine, he probably didn't feel well this morning and ended up feeling better as the day went on and decided to do some stuff around the house," Hohenheim fibbed, trying to wrap his own mind around why Ed would dare lie to him.

"Maybe, I'm just really worried about him. It's not like him to make up lies like that, and it's not like him to be as secretive as he has been. Are you sure nothing's going on with him?" Al asked again, desperate for some kind of information, some peek into what was really going on.

"I don't think your brother is in his right mind right now, he seems to be eager to lie about all sorts of things. Tell you what, I'll go have a talk with him and see if he's doing alright," Hohenheim smiled warmly, patting Al on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure your brother will be fine."

Al nodded to this, still unsure, still anxious as all hell, but willing to set that aside with the hope that their dad would be able to support Ed and provide for him in a way Al had never been able to.

Meanwhile, Ed's attempt at getting some sleep went poorly, and he had only had about a thirty-minute nap before his door was rudely yanked open, thundering footsteps making their way closer to the edge of the bed.

Ed woke in a panic and scrambled to get out of bed and stand in front of Hohenheim, who was peering down at him with an indescribable rage.

"Take your shirt off," Hohenheim growled.

Ed was terrified, but he did as he was told merely out of pure panic and foggy uncertainty. He didn't understand, he'd gotten everything done and he'd done it well. He'd been quiet, and respectful, and hadn't strayed from what he was supposed to do.

Maybe Hohenheim had found out about the stolen snacks.

Ed gulped at the thought, but as unreasonable as Hohenheim seemed to get he didn't think he'd be quite this mad at that.

Ed tossed his shirt to the floor, and glanced back up at Hohenheim, who was positively fuming.

Maybe Hohenheim had figured out he'd lied to him.

Ed trembled at the sudden realization that that was probably what it was, and opened his mouth to say something, say anything that could make the situation better for him.

He barely registered the belt whipping through the air to strike him, the hissing noise of the leather ringing in his ear as it snapped through the air.

He was too late.

A/N: Wow, it's been a while. I didn't intend to take as long of a hiatus as I did, or to take one at all. Life caught up to me and between school and everything going on in the world currently, my life has been a rollercoaster for the past few months. I'm stuck at home, which if this story is any indication, means things are a little more rough than usual. Though by all means nothing quite like what I've put poor Ed through. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, though I'm attempting to get back into the swing of things. I apologize for it having been so long though, and I do assure you I fully intend to seek this one out until the end! I have too much planned that I'm looking forward to, to just abandon it.

Thank you immensely for the continued patience and support; I still read through all the comments and I'm so overjoyed that so many of you are still with it and still looking forward to new content. I'm so glad to provide something that so many of you thoroughly enjoy, and I hope to continue providing it. It means a lot to me that so many of you enjoy what I've been working on, and I hope this new chapter doesn't disappoint. Thank you, thank you, thank you.