Chapter 1: Baby, It's Way Too Frickin' Cold Outside

Running into Roy never improved Ed's mood. In fact, it did quite the opposite. After storming into his home, Ed kicked off his shoes and planted himself on their living room couch. He heard Alphonse entering after him, pausing to pick up and clean the carelessly thrown shoes. Resting his feet on the coffee table, he picked up a red binder and began to peruse its documents.

"Brother! Look what we got in the mail!"

Alphonse had finished his task and arrived with envelopes clutched in his metal grasp. Edward glanced back at his papers.

"Bills?"

Edward could only hope.

"No! Christmas invites!"

Ed groaned.

"Who from this year?"

Al handed Edward the letters, knowing from experience how difficult it was to pristinely open envelopes with large tin hands.

Edward skimmed the address on the first envelope—a red one with slanted, cursive scrawl. Squinting, he made out the surname "Hughes." He sighed, tearing the letter open.

"It's from Hughes. He wants us to join him at the party he's hosting for New Year's."

"New Year's?" Repeated Alphonse, confused.

Ed frowned.

"Guess he's eager for it. Wait, there's another paper in here inviting us to their Christmas Eve party. Cost efficient…"

"Christmas Eve? That's tomorrow!"

Ed shrugged and tossed the invite elsewhere on the couch.

"Better late than never, right?"

"Are we going?"

Ed laughed.

"You can. Last year, when they dragged us there, we couldn't leave for hours, remember? Even Mustang thought we were going to have to fight our way out."

Alphonse uneasily chuckled.

"Yeah…But you have to admit that their hospitality is nice."

Again, Ed shrugged. Hoping Alphonse would drop the subject, he turned back to his binder.

"Ed, what does the other card say?"

The older brother groaned, picking up the second card and staring at its address.

He flipped it over to find a wax seal stamping the envelope shut. Frowning, he turned to the front once more.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?"

Ed frowned again.

"Do I have to? I keep hoping the name will change…"

"Ed!"

"Fine…"

Reluctantly, Edward tore open the envelope from the Armstrong family. Unlike the personally scrawled out letter from Hughes, this invitation was pristinely typed out with a watermarked background and illegible signatures at the bottom. After skimming the message, Edward turned to his brother.

"And?"

"It's from the Armstrong family, most likely Major Armstrong. It's inviting us to their Christmas dinner."

"Wow, really? When's that?"

Ed fell back into the couch.

"Tonight…"

Later that day, Alphonse was outside clearing snow off their driveway, whistling a tune all the while.

"Hello, Alphonse."

The armor looked up to see First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye standing before him garbed in a long blue peacoat.

"Hello, Lieutenant. How are you?"

"Well."

The lieutenant shifted, tightening her scarf.

"I stopped by to wish you boys an early Christmas."

She handed Alphonse a cubed package that she had been cradling.

Al stared at it, then turned back to her.

"What is it?"

The lieutenant wryly smiled.

"It's a pie."

"A pie? Thank you, First Lieutenant! I'm sure Big Brother will like this."

The two chuckled, both familiar with Edward's insatiable appetite.

"There are also some pieces for ornament making in there. I recall you mentioning the other day how you wished you could decorate but had Edward in the way."

"You remembered that? Thank you!"

A cold wind blew, messing up the lieutenant's neatly wrapped scarf.

"Would you like to come inside?" A worried Alphonse questioned.

Though he couldn't feel the cold, just looking around reminded him well that others could.

The lieutenant shook her head.

"No, I'll be going. I need to stop by the Colonel's and see how his decorating is coming."

She regarded Alphonse thoughtfully.

"What are you boys doing for Christmas?"

Al sighed.

"Oh, I don't know. Usually we just spend a quiet day at home. This year Ed's even more against the whole 'celebrate Christmas' idea than usual. He won't even let me mention it without having a fit."

The lieutenant's gaze softened.

"If you don't have any plans, feel free to stop by the Colonel's. The rest of the office plans on meeting there Christmas Day."

"Are you sure?" The lieutenant nodded.

"Colonel Mustang may not seem like it, but even he wouldn't want you boys to be alone on Christmas."

While Alphonse thought this offer over, the lieutenant took her leave and he waved her goodbye, watching as she walked down the street to Mustang's house.

Pausing in his chore, the armor teen returned to the house where he found Edward rearranging notes on the Philosopher's Stone atop their kitchen island.

"Brother, look what Lieutenant Hawkeye brought you."

Al set the box down on the page Ed was skimming, breaking the prodigy's concentration.

"Huh? What? Oh, Lieutenant Hawkeye was here?"

Edward glanced down at the box.

"What's this?"

"Open it." Al urged.

Shrugging, Ed complied and tore into the box, discovering a pie and numerous oddities for Christmas décor.

"Why is there a bag of popcorn in here? Pre-popped?"

Ed raised an eyebrow as he examined the food.

"For Christmas decorations." Alphonse chirped happily.

Ed's face contorted into a pissed-off glare.

"No! We don't need Christmas!"

Alphonse crossed his arms.

"Well, Lieutenant Hawkeye brought those over to be nice, so we at least have to use them."

Ed growled, leaving Alphonse to remember that his older brother had the stubbornness and rage of a toddler.