Life with Maes Hughes
Edward Elric always thought that there was something terribly wrong with how discipline was handled in the military; he could never quite put his finger on it until now. But as the car Roy Mustang drove pulled up to the house of Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, the words cruel and unusual crossed his mind.
"Its only for 30 days brother, and Mr. Hughes has always been good to us" Al said sitting next to Ed in the car.
"That's not the point Al, I still think this whole punishment thing is stupid!" he pointed out blankly getting out of the car with a sulky expression on his face. Al followed carrying Ed's trunk easily over his shoulder. Because this was a form of disciplinary house arrest, Al was not allowed to stay with his brother or even see him for the next 30 days.
Al hoped that the severity of this punishment would make Ed think twice before being so impulsive, though he highly doubted that, and merely hoped Ed would just at the very least behave himself.
As they approached the house of Hughes, the door flew open wide revealing an over the top Maes grinning from ear to ear. Ed sighed his stomach turning over, it wasn't that Ed disliked the lieutenant colonel, in-fact out of all the officers Maes was one of the few that Ed really trusted. It was the silly spasms of carefree joy that intermittently gushed from the man that annoyed Edward. He could usually tolerate it because he never spent more than two hours with him, now he had 30 days.
"Edward! Come here you little delinquent!" Maes said with a hearty laugh then grabbed Ed playfully around the neck with one arm, and with the other hand using his knuckles he scruffed up the top of Ed's head, giving him a classic noogie.
"Thanks for bringing him to the house Roy." Maes said waving at Mustang. Ed looked pleadingly at the colonel for a second; But Roy only seemed to be suppressing a satisfied look as he got back into the car.
"Come on in Ed, Gracia has a great big lunch ready for you, and Elicia has been jumping up and down for hours, she cant wait to show you your room, she has been decorating it all day...can you believe it!..she is such a little interior designer just like her mommy!"
Ed had no choice but to let Maes drag him into the house, Ed hadn't said a word, Hughes had not given him a moment for one. For a second Ed was wishing that the military would have just put him in solitary confinement for 30 days, it seemed much more humane than this.
All during lunch Ed picked at his plate glancing up ever so often, watching Hughes and his small family interact, Gracia smiling making sure everyone's plates were full while Maes helped Elicia cut her peanut butter sandwich.
They all conversed so easily, all wearing smiles. All such a happy family... child, mother and...
Ed stood up out of his chair suddenly.
"I'm going to my room." he announced throwing his napkin on the table top. He had to get away from them; he needed to be alone.
Elicia's eyes looked at Ed wide and her small chubby face betrayed one of shock.
"You didn't say 'scooz me!" she said in awe. "Daddy says it's rude to not say scooz me!"
Ed pressed his lips together; he was in no mood to be reprimanded by a three year old.
"Its alright Elisa." Maes said patting the top of his daughter's head, looking up at Edward, his eyes looking kind. "Big brother Edward has had a long day, I'm sure he is just so tired that he just forgot is manners...But I am sure he will remember next time wont you Ed." Maes said lightly, still keeping his eyes locked on Fullmetal.
Even though he was smiling Ed knew that Maes had given him a warning and he felt his cheeks flush.
"Yes, sir." Ed forced out then turned around hastily retreated to the guestroom that had been dubbed by Elicia as 'Big Brothers Room.'
It took every bit of willpower he had not to slam the door.
He did allow himself to stomp over to the bed and threw himself angrily into it. Clutching the pillow, he fought the tears that seemed to be pushing themselves to the corner of his eyes.
He wished desperately that Al was with him; Al had always been there for him, the only one whom he could show his tears to, Al was all he had left of family.
Rolling over on his side, he looked at the far wall and saw a row of crayon drawn pictures decorating the room. They were mostly pictures of rainbows, sunshine's, and flowers. He then looked at the desk and saw that Elicia had left her crayons and paper there.
He closed his eyes his mind suddenly flashing back to the last time he rememberd-using crayons.
"Mom!!..mom..Alphons is eating the crayons agaaaainn!!" Three-year-old Edward angrily looked at his two-year-old brother and promptly smacked the top of his head to make him stop.
"waaaaaaaaaaa" Al opened his mouth to cry and the crayon dropped from his mouth.
"Edward, don't hit your little brother." Trisha Elric said quickly stepping into settle the two-squabiling siblings.
"AL started IT!!..there are MY COLORS AL!"
"colwor" Baby Alphonse tried speaking angrily through tears.
Trish picked up Al kissing the top of his head.
"Edward you need to be nice to Al, he wants to color pretty pictures just like his big brother."
Trisha then pulled out a new piece of paper and took a blue crayon from the pile.
"Instead of yelling at your baby brother, why don't you teach him the right way to use a crayon." Trisha smiled holding the crayon out to her oldest son.
Ed pooched his lips out in a pout, but took the crayon and scowled at Al who had stopped crying and was watching in great interest, while Trisha sat him back down on the floor and returned to the kitchen.
"All right Al, pay attention" Ed began holding the crayon in his fist, and started drawing a circle on the paper.
In no time, both Ed and Al were happily coloring together, though Al was mostly scribbling.
The back door suddenly opened and both boys looked up to see a tall man standing, looking solemn.
"Da-da!" Al said happily and began toddling over to him.
Ed jumped to his feet grabbing up the best picture he had colored.
"DAD LOOK...Look at what I colored!!..I colored it just for you!" Ed grinned holding the page out.
The man looked at the picture, his face emotionless.
"You colored the sun blue." he stated mater-o-factly.
"Yes" Ed said some excitement lost in his voice now. "Blue is one of moms favorite color."
"The sun isn't blue Edward, its yellow." The man said again then turning he walked down the hall.
Ed stood watching him as he disappeared down the hallway then shut the door to his study. Ed's fingers begin to tremble as he held the picture in his hand and there was the sound of tearing paper behind him.
Ed turned around to see Al happily ripping the scribbled page he had been working on.
Ed looked down at his picture and watched the bright blue sunshine tear in half.
The door to Ed's room slowly pushes open. Hughes popped his head in and saw the boy laying curled up asleep in the bed, the curtains drawn tight.
"Poor kid must be exhausted." he said to himself then seeing Elicia's missing box of crayons, he quietly tiptoed to the desk and silently closed the door leaving Ed to rest.
"Here you go sunshine." he said handing the box to his daughter.
"Thanks daddy." Elicia beamed and happily plopped on the floor ready to color more pictures.
Hughes sat back down to his newspaper.
"Daddy."
"Yes, pumpkin?"
"One of my crayons is missing...can you find it?...its the blue one."