A/N: This was originally for FMA Day but that came and went and yeah. Have this. It's...kinda cute. I hope.
Those Elrics…so unreliable, never home, always moving and never staying still. His wife wisely said they were the embodiment of the saying 'a rolling stone gathers no moss'.
Ever since their dear mother died, mail had stopped coming to their house. Who was there to pay the bills? Their father was gone, their mother resting quietly in the graveyard, unknowing of her children's fate. As much as little Eden insisted she was old enough to handle her own affairs, the postmaster refused to allow any financial documents to go to her. After a few months, Pinako Rockbell informed the post office that 'the Elrics' mail was to be forwarded to the Rockbell residence for the time being'. A highly irregular situation, but then again, when had those Elrics ever been regular people?
Very little by way of mail came for the orphans who lived on the hill. But after that dreadful accident that left Eden crippled and Al in a enormous suit of armor, (a suit of armor! Little, quiet, sweet Alphonse Elric!), mysterious letters postmarked from East City began appearing among the automail catalogues and bills and postcards for the strange little family.
The enormous envelope, made of the finest, thickest paper, with sharp black letters handwritten on the front and a shiny red seal on the back, direct from Central, was a shock. Well, it was a shock to the postmaster and his wife. Such a fancy letter had to be delivered by hand. And if he was curious about the contents, who would blame him? It wasn't every day that a letter from the Furher's office was delivered to Resembool.
The little Elric girl hadn't noticed or acknowledged his care, merely snatching the letter from his outstretched hand with eager, greedy eyes. Not even a word of thanks was tossed in his direction.
The sharp-toothed, vicious grin that spread across her face as she tore open the letter to read its contents made him glad he wasn't the one on the receiving end of that grin.
Only a few months later, both siblings were gone from their hometown, leaving only ashes and a lingering sense of regret behind.
He never did find out what was in that letter.
Eden Elric never sent a change of address after they left and so, dutifully, he held on to the mail the siblings received. Any packages he forwarded to the Rockbells but the letters and postcards were tucked carefully into a postal bag. Letters came for them from all over the country; postmarked Dublith, South City, Fius, East City, Posternm, Liore, Youswell, Duazil… The list went on and on. Some were addressed to the Elrics but written to the Fullmetal Alchemist or 'armor boy'.
Why did those Elrics never come home? They needed to collect their mail.
When they finally blew back into town, Eden grinning so hard her face might crack and Al no longer in that suit of armor, the postmaster didn't know what to think. His good sense fled and within moments he was hurrying toward the Rockbells with the mail bag in hand. The laughing face of Alphonse Elric greeted him. With a choking sort of cry, the postmaster thrust the bag at him and fled.
They were home, they were alive, they were safe, and he didn't have to hold onto their mail anymore.
Life in Resembool was finally, finally, returned to the way it was supposed to be.