[AN] Just a reminder about the contest and upcoming revisions. I have not yet decided a deadline for the contest, but it will likely be in May. Please let me know if you're interested! Thank you, everyone, for reading! [/AN]

Epilogue

Edward slunk around the kitchen in search of food. Alphonse would wake soon, and he needed to eat. Since returning home, Alphonse's appetite quickly decreased. Worry and flashbacks plagued Edward to chase away hopes of sleeping in the hauntingly empty house.

Edward had not ventured far outside the house since the return to be able to care for his brother at all times. The two weeks at home without replenishing the cabinets left the shelves nearly empty, save the eggs Edward harvested daily from the chicken coop.

Pain medication forced Alphonse into sleep for the majority of the day and he easily slept through the night. Edward forced Alphonse awake every four to six hours to administer more painkillers and antibiotics to ward off the ever-stalking agony and infection. Edward obsessively refused to leave his brother alone for more than a few minutes.

Edward commenced humming quietly to disperse the lonely silence during his search through the kitchen. He scrunched his nose in dissuasion at the sight of the eggs. He did not know how many more times he could eat the same food and not grow sick of the taste. He sighed and grabbed a couple handfuls to set on the counter.

He jumped in surprise when a loud knock echoed against the front door. Edward tiptoed through the house to peek out the window. He sighed with relief and continued to the door.

Turning the squeaky handle as quietly as he could, Edward pulled open the door to smile awkwardly at his guest. "Hi, Winry," he muttered.

She shifted her feet uncomfortably. "Grandma and I made stew, and we thought you would want some…"

Fighting against habit, Edward backed away from the entryway and suggested, "Come on in."

Winry stepped across the threshold hesitantly, surprised to be invited inside. Never before had she— or anyone else she knew of—been allowed in the house so freely. She attempted to contain her curiosity while she glanced around the home. The interior held an ominous presence like a long-abandoned scene of a massacre or battle of war. Despite the unsettling hollowness, the house stood in perfect condition: clean, well-kept, and yielding a bright appearance of feigned normalcy. The happy photographs and décor haunted Winry like a staring audience at her intrusion. Knowing of Edward's lack of talent for interior decorating, she vaguely wondered if the arrangements remained in the order his mother left them upon original placement. Her access to the home on the few previous occasions had been severely restricted to one or two rooms, certainly never free-reign. The visits were so suffocating, she never dared to observe her surroundings closely. She could not decide if she preferred the emptiness over the suffocation yet.

"Where's Alphonse?" she asked softly, surprised to hear herself speak in the soulless home.

"He's sleeping in our room," Edward answered nonchalantly.

"I heard about what happened at school and from Grandma," Winry muttered. "I wish you would've said something…"

Edward did not respond to the comment. His eyes wandered around like absorbing the sights at a museum. When he turned to her once again, he offered, "I'll take that for you, if you want."

She looked down at her hands in surprise like she did not know how the two thermoses arrived in her possession. Nonetheless she held out her hands to pass her burdens to Edward.

He carried the containers to the kitchen, secretly euphoric to have food other than eggs.

Winry followed in a daze. "Has anyone been checking up on you guys? Nobody has seen you around town or anything…"

"Teacher stopped by last week or so before she left to move back to Dublith to make sure we were settled and stuff."

"Is that it? Nobody else?"

"That's it," he confirmed.

"I wish I'd come over sooner…" she sighed guiltily to herself. "But the principal said you'd probably want to rest for a while…"

"It's okay," Edward assured. "That's partially true, but I'll bet Al will be really happy to see you when he wakes up."

"How about you? How are you doing with all this?"

He shrugged, "Fine."

"You look exhausted."

The mental image of his open-chested younger brother flashed before his eyes, but he shook his head dismissively. "Just making sure Al gets his medications."

She eyed him doubtfully, but she did not argue. Winry diverted her gaze to her fidgeting hands and announced, "Grams told me not to stay long, so you guys could rest…"

He nodded in understanding. "Thanks for the stew."

"Um, Grandma is letting me take the car more now," she began. "So I'll come over more and stuff. You guys can eat at our house anytime; just call if you need a ride, okay?"

Edward blinked, dumbstruck, for several moments before he processed the offer. He smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay. Sure."

Winry carefully stretched her arms around his neck in an embrace. She knew too well how reluctant her friend was to ask for any form of assistance unprovoked. "I'll come back tomorrow."

He squeezed firmly back. "See you then."