Getting everyone into the kitchen was a lot harder than anyone had anticipated. Armstrong, himself, seemed to fill up the whole kitchen. It took two tables to be slid together and a lot of shouting before everyone could fit into the small kitchen.
Edward sighed in relief as he finally took his seat, draping his long coat over his chair and firmly checking his coat pockets.
They talked as they waited for the food and Edward found his eyes being drawn to Winry. He couldn't help but marvel at the way her lips curved as she smiled and the way she leaned forward in fascination to listen to everyone's adventures.
"How is the restoration of Ishval going?" Alphonse asked.
"Well. The cities have been rebuilt. Most of the Ishavalans have returned…. It won't be long until I can become Fuhrer," Mustang replied with a confident smile.
Olivier harrumphed from across the table; her head leaned against one hand.
"You don't believe that I can be Fuhrer?" Mustang grumbled.
"Maybe if you had any real merit. Without Scar, your restoration would have failed," Olivier retorted, straightening. Mustang clenched his fist and a vein throbbing noticeably on his throat at the mention of Scar.
They glared at each other from across the table Alphonse swore he could feel the clash of sparks from their gaze. He glanced at his brother and raised an eyebrow at his brother's lack of reaction. Alphonse followed Edward's gaze, grinning secretly as he realized the reason for his brother's glossy look.,
"So Al, what were you guys discussing upstairs?" Ling asked, changing the topic and leaving the two to bicker among themselves. Alphonse began to speak about their discoveries and hoped that his brother would just make clear his emotions soon.
Edward looked at the gleam in Winry's eyes when they asked her about her most recent achievements with automail If it wasn't for her, Edward remembered, he would never have been able to get Al back. He wondered when he began to become conscious of his feelings for her. Was it after Lieutenant, no, Major Hawkeyes' remark after telling him about Ishval? No. He knew he had feeling for her long before then. Maybe when Winry first made his automail ? Wait…Could it be that he had begun to love her even before then?
"…Hey Ed, are you ok?" Jerso asked, giving him a quizzical look.
Winry turned and caught his eyes. Edward felt his cheeks redden. She leaned towards him and reached over. Suddenly she was very close. She touched his forehead with one hand. Edward froze and felt his temperature rise drastically.
"Do you have a fever Edward?" Winry frowned worriedly.
"Wah!" Edward scuttled backwards in a panic, knocking down his chair and landing on the floor in a heap. He gripped his head and groaned. He realized that Winry was still watching.
"I'm fine! All fine!" he stuttered, jumping up and righting his chair. Though her hands were no longer there, his forehead still tingled from her touch.
"Edward…"Winry said in a concerned voice, confusion clouding her expression.
Edward laughed nervously and turned quickly toward Pinako who presided over a steaming pot on top of the stove, "Isn't dinner done yet? We've been sitting here for a while."
Pinako whipped around and pointed her ladle at him. "Be patient Edward or come and help me cook!" she barked at him.
Alphonse rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong with Edward?" May whispered to Alphonse.
Alphonse sighed and scratched his head, "Nothing at all."
Alphonse saw Hawkeyes hide a smile behind her hand. Everyone knew of Edward's feelings for Winry, yet Edward was still trying to hide it.
A gentle scratching at the window drew everyone's attention.
"Huh?" Edward squinted out into the darkness. It had begun snowing again; the porch light making visible the feathery white flakes that swirled to land on the white mounds already piled on the sides of the road. Edward could not see any sign of life…
Something pounced on to the window, hitting the glass panel with a muted bang. Edward toppled backwards.
"Aww, it's a squirrel!" Alphonse exclaimed, jumping up and hurrying to lift the wooden frames. A gust of snow made the flowery curtains flutter wildly and a small grey squirrel leaped in, its tail flicked back and forth.
"It must be hungry," Hawkeye remarked, joining Alphonse in looking at the little creature. It chattered at them and sprung onto Hawkeye's shoulders.
"How cute!" roared Armstrong. The image of Armstrong crushing the squirrel within the folds of his muscles sprung unbidden to Alphonse's mind and he snatched the squirrel out of the way as Armstrong reached for it.
"My animal instincts tell me its food," Zampano declared. Jerso nodded in agreement.
"Geez. You can't eat it," Edward sighed, regaining his composure and approached the squirrel. He peered at it and held out a finger for it to sniff. It studied him and paused before opening its mouth wide and clumping its teeth down on his finger.
Edward shouted in pain and waved his finger wildly while the squirrel stubbornly held on. Finally, it let go and landed on Edward's chair, looking innocently up at him.
"I take it back! It should be eaten," Edward fumed, pointing at the squirrel accusingly. Alphonse face palmed at his brother's reaction and Edward turned back to glare down at it.
"I'm going to you fry for dinner," he growled, cracking his knuckles and feeling his veins throb. The squirrel's eyes glinted as it paused to sniff at the pocket of his coat. It seemed to grin.
"Oy…you-" Edward began, an awful suspicion creeping into his mind. He lunged forward, but it was too late. The squirrel moved first—darting into his pocket and scrambled away, its mouth closed tightly on his parcel. Edward felt his fingers brush its furry tail and close on empty air.
"No you don't!" he yelled, furious, clapping his hands together. Edward's mind drew a blank as nothing happened. In his hast, he had forgotten that for him, alchemy was a thing of the past. It was enough time for the squirrel to scamper between the table legs and into the living room.
"You're not getting away with that," Edward growled, squeezing around the guests to get out of the kitchen door.
"Fear not Edward, I will get it back," Armstrong said pulling on his steel gauntlets and raising his fists over his head, before driving them into the ground. The wooden floorboards crackled with alchemy as they rose to form a giant hand that snatched at the squirrel. However, the squirrel only weaved its way nimbly between its fingertips.
"No alchemy in the house!" Pinako roared, her small figure suddenly loomed over the kitchen.
Armstrong gulped and backed away as everyone shrank from Pinako's gaze.
"I-I'm sorry madam," he apologized.
"I'll fix it!" May said, raising a hand eagerly. Kunais blossomed between her fingertips like magic. She fluidly drew an alchemy circle with her foot as her kunais whistled through the air, landing on the transformed floorboards. Another flash of alchemy and the floorboards reverted back to their original positions.
"Thank you," Armstrong sighed with relief.
"In that case…"Olivier murmured, her eyes narrowed dangerously as her hands reached for her sword.
"Oh! I'll help too," Ling volunteered, seeing Olivier's actions.
"No weapons in the house either!" Pinako roared, eyes flashing. They both quickly re-sheathed their weapons.
"I don't have time for this!" Edward growled, forcing his way out of the kitchen. He grasped for the squirrel that effortlessly twirled and spun around him. It kept up a continuous delighted chatter as it scampered around the household.
Edward felt his blood rise. He was so close, yet it always slipped away.
"I'm going to kill you!" he roared. The desk lamp thumped onto the ground and rolled away, its light flickering off. The porcelain vase crushed onto the ground in a thousand pieces and the sofa toppled sideways as Edwards bulldozed his way through.
"Edward!" Winry shouted, smashing her wrench onto his head, "how many times do I have to tell you to not make a mess?"
"Brother's soul!" Alphonse cried, dragging away Edward's bloody body and stuffing back the white spirit that leaked from Edward's mouth. Edward trembled as he peered at Winry with watery eyes.
Winry sighed in exasperation, taking in a deep breath and placed her hands on her hips.
"Don't do that again, all right?" she said firmly. Edward nodded obediently.
"I have to find a way to become immortal or I'm going to die," Edward mumbled to himself as Alphonse helped him to his feet.
"It's not that bad Brother," Alphonse told him, slapping Edward encouragingly on the back. Edward doubled over in pain.
"On the second thought. Good luck," Alphonse gave Edward a thumb up. Edward gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to the squirrel that now lingered in the crowded kitchen. The kitchen was pure chaos as guests dodged around the chairs, table, and each other (a remarkable feat that no one was squashed), all the while keeping an eye on Pinako who emitted a menacing aura that kept them on their toes as they tried to capture the squirrel.
In a span of seconds, the squirrel scampered over Xiao Mei and leaped out the still open window.
Edward's jaw dropped. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Sorry Fullmetal, seems like you'll just have to get another one of whatever it took," Mustang shrugged nonchalantly, sitting down in his chair as if nothing happened. Following his example, everyone in the kitchen squeezed back into their seats, discreetly jostling each other for arm room.
Edward had not moved an inch.
"Edward. Edward!" Mustang said forcefully.
Edward turned robotically towards his voice, his mind barely registering the words.
Alphonse squeezed his brother's shoulder in concern. Sweat had began to run from Edward's face and there was a dazed look in his brother's eyes.
"Brother. What was wrapped in the cloth?" Alphonse asked carefully.
"So-something t-terribly important," Edward stuttered out, rivulets of sweat dripping off him.
"As important as the philosopher's stone?" Ling joked in an amused voice.
"Mhm," Edward nodded his head rapidly, "more-more important."
It couldn't be…Alphonse thought with alarm. The package must have contained the results of his brother's discoveries in the West.
