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Ed knew it was going to be a bad day three days before the said day actually began.
Really, why wouldn’t it have been? He’s Edward Elric, king of disasters.
But he knew because of his automail.
He could feel storms and rain, depending on their size and ferocity up to five days in advance.
So yeah.
When he woke up Friday morning with terrible cramps in his ports, he knew it was going to be a big, long, heavy storm.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Ed knew what he had to do. Unfortunately, with Al watching him like a hawk, that was going to be somewhat of a challenge.
He grumbled and got out of bed. He ignored his pain, like he always did, and got dressed in his normal garb.
Ed stepped out of his bedroom.
“Oh, brother! I didn’t hear you get up!” Al was standing at the stove in the kitchenette.
Ed griminced. That was kind of the point.
“Yeah. Morning Al. Listen, I’ve got to stop by the office today, so why don’t you go to the library alone and I’ll catch up with you later?”
“Oh. Okay.”
“And I have to leave now.”
“But I made breakfast,” Al looked at the pan, then back at Ed.
“Sorry Al, I can’t be late for this meeting.” Ed shrugged. “See you later!” He called and stepped out the door.
Ed did not go to headquarters. That was a bold-faced lie.
Instead, he took a turn that would lead him into the red light district.
Ed had done this before and he’d probably do it again. Because the doctors he went to didn’t give anything close to a decent amount of pain medication, he had to find his own.
And that was done through less than legal means.
Ed wasn’t stupid about it. He knew the best people to go to in central for the drugs he required.
Normally, what the doctors gave him, was able to keep him sustained. His automail ached constantly. There wasn’t a single second of any day that he wasn’t in pain.
But the weather could increase pain significantly.
It was because the humidity made the metal of his ports shrink onto his bones. And the metals that were drilled into his bones shrunk as well.
And it made him ache.
But Ed couldn’t stop.
He wouldn’t let himself.
So that meant he had to take alternate routes to stop his pain.
Ed knew a guy. Who knew a girl who knew a guy who knew another guy who swore up and down that the best shit was sold by a woman named Nadia.
And that’s where Ed went.
According to his sources, Nadia was expensive to buy from. But her shit was the best and Ed had a fuck ton of money from research that he never actually used.
So he might as well use it on this.
Ed took a deep breath. His automail was wearing him out much quicker than it should be.
Ed ducked into a familiar alley and shed his red coat. He transmuted a hole in the wall and stashed it there. As much as he loved his coat, Ed knew it was an identifier and that was one thing he didn’t need.
He passed a clothing store and went in, paying 12,000 cenz for a cheap jacket. Ed didn’t need it to be good quality. He just needed its hood to hide his telltale golden hair.
He continued on his way and soon he got to the correct address. Ed stood looking up at the bar in front of him.
Or rather, the brothel.
Because this was definitely a hostess bar that doubled as a brothel and Ed was no dummy when it came to Central city.
However, who he was looking for, was in the back.
He slipped behind the bar and saw a metal door. There was a knocking code along with the address in his pocket and Ed followed its instructions.
Three rapid knocks. Then one.
The door clicked open and a woman stood there. She was wearing a skin-tight dress and heels, and expensive jewelry.
“Who’re you?” She demanded in a tone that defied her appearance. She blew a bubble with her gum and it snapped loudly.
“I was told I can get opium here. I’m looking for Nadia.”
“Yeah, you’re talking to her. Come in and I’ll get you the stuff you need.”
Ed nodded and followed her into the small room. There was a desk in the corner and several boxes of stuff Ed did not want to even consider the contents of.
Ed sat down in the chair near the entrance. Nadia gave in a sharp look. “I didn’t say you could sit in the chair.”
“I didn’t say I could stand,” Ed said back.
He saw her eyes roam his body but she went back to digging.
“How much you want?”
Ed tossed his roll of cenz onto the desk.
“As much as that can get me.”
The woman picked up the wad and unrolled it, leading through the bills. She gave a sharp intake of breath.
“Kid, this has got to be the most anyone’s ever paid upfront.”
Ed knew that.
“Mhm. I don’t plan on coming back. I just need this to last me for a good while.”
“You want the pills?”
“Yup.”
“Well I hate to tell you, but I don’t have the full supply you want. It’ll take me a couple of days to get it all.”
“How much do you have?”
“A bottle. Most only come for two or three pills at a time. This is strong stuff.”
“Will it last someone with chronic pain three days?” Ed asked seriously.
“I suppose so. If chronic pain is your problem then this shit should be good enough. Best of all, it’s clean.”
“I’ll take it.”
She handed him the bottle. It was filled with rattling pills and looked like a pharmaceutical prescription bottle.
Ed took two pills dry right there. Already he could feel the pain ebbing away. He gave an audible sigh of relief at that. Nadia gave him a weird look but Ed ignored it and hopped up.
“I’ll be back in three days,” he said.
Then he left.
Three days went by and Ed was taking more pills. He was a quarter done with the bottle already and desperately needed the others.
However, just as he was getting ready to leave (Al was already at the library) the phone rang.
“Hello?” He answered.
“Fullmetal, I need you to come in today,” Mustang said.
Ed groaned and just as he did, a clap of thunder shook the building.
He really needed to get the rest of his pills and soon.
“It’s important Fullmetal.”
“Fine!” He snapped and slammed the phone down onto the receiver. He grabbed his red jacket and left the dorm.
On the way, his ports started their painful dance and he took another pill.
He sighed heavily and kept up his stomping to HQ, mostly just to keep up appearances.
Ed didn’t kick open Mustang’s door, instead, he opened it and was surprised to find an empty office. Oh right. They were probably at lunch.
Ed opened the door to the colonel’s inner office and saw the colonel look up from where he was working at his desk.
“Fullmetal. Take a seat.”
Ed did so gladly. He was sore and achy.
“What am I here for bastard?”
“I got a call from my sister the other day, and she said she had an interesting customer at work.”
“And I care why?”
“Because you paid 200,000 cenz for opium.”
Instead of reacting in a shocking way, Ed just slumped onto the couch. He was so tired and he didn’t feel like making up an excuse anymore.
“What do you want me to say?” He finally asked.
“An explanation as to why you’re spending so much on drugs.”
“Okay then. I have chronic pain. I have two metal limbs fused to my nervous system and seventeen bolts welded into my bones and muscles on each limb keeping them there. I’m in constant pain. And when it rains, it just gets worse.”
“Oh,” Mustang said softly. Maybe he had been expecting a drug addiction. Ed doesn’t know which would be more surprising at this point. “I take it Alphonse doesn’t know?”
“Of course not. And I won’t ever tell him. And before you give me a lecture about him being my brother and I shouldn’t keep secrets I don’t wanna hear it.”
“I understand. I won’t go into that specific talk. Yet. But why didn’t you come to any of us with this?”
“Because it’s not your problem,” Ed snapped. “You really want to involve yourself in my life that much? My fuck up of a life?” He hated when people pretended to care. Nobody cared about him, not really. It was all just so that they could use him until he was no longer useful. It made Ed so mad and sad at the same time.
“Yes, Edward. I do want to be involved in your life.”
“Why?” Ed’s voice cracked. He didn’t realize he was sobbing until he felt the tears hot down his face. He's didn't know why he was crying. He didn't think he cared that much. He tried not to. But if Mustang actually wanted to be in his life, Ed didn't know how he would react.
Mustang stood from his desk and sat next to Ed. He wrapped an arm around Ed’s shoulder.
“Because I care about you. About your life.”
Ed looked up at him with teary golden eyes. “you’re lying.” He buried his face in Mustang’s chest.
Mustang wrapped his other arm around Ed. They say there for a few minutes.
“Y’know, I’m not doing this cause I like you. I’m on a lot of meds right now.” Ed said into the man’s coat.
“Of course Edward.”
“I don’t like you.”
“I know.”
“Good. Cause I really really like you a lot,” he said quieter. He had hoped that it had gone unheard.
“Don’t worry kid. I like you too.” Mustang gave Ed an extra squeeze for good measure.