Title: Smoke
Characters: Ed and Al
Summary: Edward could still smell the scent of smoke in his hair, no matter how many times he lathered it up he just couldn't get that smell of burning wood out.
Rating: K/PG
Disclaimer: If I owned FMA, then I wouldn't be poor and this wouldn't be a fanfic.
Warnings: Eh, angst, one or two spoilers for Ed and Al's past, really vague Ed/Al-ness, but you could really ignore it if you were so inclined.
Notes: We now take a short break from "The Yock Island Correctional School" to bring you this brief one-shot.

Edward could still smell the scent of smoke in his hair, no matter how many times he lathered it up he just couldn't get that smell of burning wood out. It was driving him crazy and he didn't even seem to care as strand after strand slipped free in his hands. It was bad enough that he could see their house burning down (among other things) every time he closed his eyes, but did he have to smell it to?

The heat he could suffer through, even though that also just reminded him of the night before, feeling the heat of the blaze trying to burn his back as he and Alphonse had walked away; but if he tried to use cold water then that wouldn't get the smell out of his hair. Not that the hot water seemed to be doing a much better job anyway.

He wasn't certain how long it had been since he'd locked himself away in the bathroom, but it must have been a while, he realized, because Alphonse had to come and get him.

"Brother?" the younger boy's voice called through the door, metallic and painfully familiar, "Are you alright? Did you fall asleep in the shower again?"

Edward flushed slightly at that but grumbled back, "I'm fine, Al. I'll be out in a minute."

Actually, he had no intention of leaving the bathroom, or even unlocking the door until he couldn't smell the smoke in his hair anymore.

"Um... Actually, Brother... The innkeeper was just here and...he said you should get out now because you might use up all the hot water and the other guests need it too..."

The blonde cursed to himself but called back that, yes, he'd be out in a second, he just had to wash the shampoo out of his hair. It hadn't really occurred to him that, staying in an inn meant sharing facilities with other people. Well, he'd been trying not to think about it, about the fact that he and Alphonse were staying there partly because their home was little more than a pile of ashes after the night before.

Nevertheless, Edward finished washing out his hair and, even though he could still smell the smoke, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel as he stepped out of the shower. The bathroom was filled with steam and he didn't bother glancing at the fogged up mirror, instead wrapping the towel around his waist and plucking a smaller one from the towel hanger and beginning to work it through his hair as he exited the bathroom among a cloud of steam.

"Are you okay, Brother?"

Edward blinked at the bulky suit of armor that addressed him and forced a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

The way the suit's posture fell just slightly, the older boy could tell that Alphonse didn't believe him, but he just crossed the room to the bed he'd claimed for himself earlier.

"It's just..." the younger boy mumbled, "You were in there for a while... I thought something might be bothering you..."

Edward thought he caught just the faintest note of hope in his brother's voice, but ignored it, as he usually did. "Why would something be bothering me?" he asked in a barely convincing casual tone as he reached for the suitcase sitting on the sheets of his bed.

The suit of armor creaked and groaned as he shifted to turn around on the bed, making the older boy wince. "I don't know," came the quiet reply, "A lot's happened and-..."

"And what?" Edward snapped, dropping his suitcase loudly to the floor. "Nothing's wrong, Al, okay? So just drop it already!"

There was another squeak behind him and, when no response came, Edward just shook his head and collapsed onto his bed without changing. He rolled onto his stomach and pressed his forehead to his arms, staring at the pillow beneath him.

The two brothers sat in silence for a long time, the only sounds those of the other guests at the inn, leaving and returning and generally bustling about in their rooms. Edward thought he felt the slight charging of the air from an Alchemic reaction, but since it wasn't followed by any screams of terror, didn't even consider finding out what was going on.

Alphonse finally spoke up when the sky outside began changing colors. "Brother, did you call the Lieutenant Colonel?"

The older boy peeked out from behind his arms and shrugged half-heartedly. "Yeah, I called him when we first checked in. He said to catch an early train and call him before we leave."

"Did you buy the tickets?"

"I'll pick 'em up before we leave."

"Brother," Alphonse chided, "You should have picked them up before. What if something happens?"

"Al, it'll be fine. I'll pick up the tickets tomorrow morning, okay?"

The suit of armor didn't answer, which Edward took to mean that he wasn't going to get anymore protests. He didn't really feel like getting off of the bed, let alone dragging himself to the train station to buy tickets for the next day when he was just going to have to go to the train station the next day anyway. The older boy thought he was in the clear for anymore questions Alphonse might have, but his stomach began to growl and he once again heard the suit of armor squeak.

"Brother, why don't you go downstairs and get something for dinner?"

Edward groaned mentally, cringing as he fought the urge to snap at his brother again. "I'm not hungry."

There was no way Alphonse was going to believe that, he knew, and was proven right when the younger boy responded, "Brother, I know you're lying. Why won't you just go downstairs and get something for dinner? I heard some of the other guests saying that the chef-..."

"Al, that's not-..." Edward sighed and rolled over so he could look into the expressionless metal face across from him. "We only have enough money for the tickets, with maybe a little left over."

"Oh," the other boy murmured, creaking as the armor sagged.

Edward turned back onto his stomach, hiding his face in his arms and mumbled, "Don't worry about it, Al. The State Alchemists get paid pretty well, from what I've heard; and most of their expenses are paid by the Military anyway. So once we pass the Exam we won't have to worry about it."

The armor just nodded in response and groaned as it lay back on its bed. After another few moments of silence, Alphonse spoke up once again, "Brother?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"Where are we going to stay when we get to Central?"

It took too long for the older boy to answer, Alphonse noticed.

"At an inn; where else? It's Central City, Al. There's got to be at least one inn."

"But...you just said-..."

"I know what I just said, Al. Just...let me worry about it, okay? I'll figure something out when we get there."

As the sun sank below the horizon, casting the boys' room into darkness, the two brothers fell into silence. Alphonse occasionally glanced across the room at his brother, seeing the slow rise and fall of his back indicating that he was probably asleep. He mentally chided the older boy for falling asleep all wet and dressed in nothing but a towel, but he didn't dare get up, not wanting the squeaking of his armor body to possibly wake Edward up.

Alphonse didn't sleep anymore. Not in the traditional sense anyway, but he did rest, mentally. It was almost like shutting off a light, Edward had explained to Winry once; even someone who didn't have to rest physically had to rest mentally once in a while, or they'd burn out. It was hard to tell when Alphonse "slept" anymore, though because there was no physical change. He thought he was getting fairly good at telling, though, and, when the older boy peeked out from behind his arms, he was almost certain that the suit of armor was "asleep."

Silently as he could manage, Edward slipped out of his bed, flinching a little at how his left foot thunked against the floor as he traveled the five feet separating him from Alphonse. There was barely any room not taking up by the hulking suit of armor, but Edward was small and found room, pressed right up against the cold steel. He shivered at the press of the metal against his bare skin, but soon enough his own bodily warmth warmed the armor and the older boy was soon nodding off.

Though he had no sense of touch, Alphonse could hear the squeak of both himself and the springs of the mattress as it shifted under the weight of his brother. Not being a particularly deep sleeper anyway, this awakened the younger boy and he was shocked to find Edward curled up next to him. He thought for certain that the cold of his armor would keep his brother awake all night, but even so he seemed to already be drifting off to sleep. Alphonse didn't mind at all, only that he couldn't feel his brother pressed against him, like he had just a few months ago.

Edward shifted slightly as he slept and a few locks of hair fell over his face. Before Alphonse could move them, though, the older boy mumbled something he had to strain to hear.

"Al...? Do you smell smoke?"

The younger boy hesitated before reaching out and brushing aside his brother's hair and whispered, "No, Brother; there's no smoke. Go back to sleep."

-End