Chapter Four A Day With Claira part one

Ed was sleeping peacefully in his soft and warm bed, getting some of the best sleep he had gotten in ages, thinking that he didn't need to wake up early and go anywhere, since he needn't leave central for two more days. He groaned and rolled over to his side and buried his head deeper into the fluffy pillow, clutching tighter onto the sheets before easing his grip and falling into a deeper sleep.

He was awakened by his wonderful slumber by a loud shout erupting from somewhere in the house. He laid there, groaning as another voice was added that when the other voice shouted again, Ed was able to make up much of what, and who, was screaming.

The voice had said something that sounded like:

"….without my permission….you should've called….you're too generous….never do it again!…."

And the voices stopped. Ed sat up and pulled the covers off, bit by bit, then got up and went to the door. He heard footsteps, one going downstairs, and another walking up towards his room. When he heard that one of the footsteps stopped near him, he opened the door a crack. He stuck his head out the door and looked around.

Ed saw Claria's figure standing outside her door, wearing black, loose pajama pants that were plain except for the two stripes of pink that ran down each of the sides, and a pink loose-fitting shirt, that showed some bits of her shoulder and her bra straps. Her hair was let down, and reached her waist, and was tangled in a mess, telling him that she had either just woken up, or had been awake but hadn't had the time or energy to comb her hair.

Claira stretched and yawned deeply, then stopped in mid-yawn. Ed stiffened, wondering if she had somehow known he was standing there staring at her. She slowly turned, her body still in the position she had been when she froze, her hands above her head with her fingers interlaced, and standing on her tiptoes.

"How long have you been there?" Claira asked, suspicious, with her midnight blue eyes narrowed as they stared into his gold ones.

Ed felt heat rush to his face. "I-I just woke up…" He stuttered. But then felt relived when he noticed Claira's expression change back to being normal; her dark blue eyes softened, and she relaxed her body, now putting her hands back down at her sides, standing on the bottoms of her feet.

"Oh, really." Claira said, almost asked. Ed nodded meekly. "Oh, another thing, Ed." He looked at her completely confused. "We're out of food…" Ed's jaw dropped, and Claira added with a smirk, "When I get up we'll go shopping."

"And when will that be?" Ed asked, worried that the meal he ate the previous night might not be enough to get him through the day.

Claira smirked again, placing her hand on the bronze doorknob. "When I wake up at four."

Ed's jaw dropped to the floor. 'Till four! Damn it all, I can't wait that long for food.' He crossed his arm over his chest, and said with a serious face, which Claira thought was pretty amusing. "Then I'll just have to eat out!" Ed said defiantly.

Claira roared with laughter, which caused Ed to open one of his closed eyes. "I'm just kidding. I'm going to change and then we can go!" She turned the knob and pushed the door slightly open, allowing Ed to see some of her room, but not enough, so he was only able to see that it was painted red. "You better change and get your brother up…" Ed nodded and turned to go back inside the room, when Claira added, just loud enough for him to hear, "…Shorty."

"I'M NOT…." But Ed's rage was cut off when her door slammed shut. Ed threw glares at her through the wood door, and headed back inside, muttering curses under his breath. He closed the door and walked over to the wooden chair that was placed near the end of the bed. He had placed his clothes there the previous night just before going to bed.

Ed glared at the innocent pile of clothes as though blaming them for not having a stocked fridge so that he would have to starve. He slipped into his pants and buckled it, making sure that his military issued pocket watch was safely tucked away in his pants pocket. He reached for his black tank top, and, just as he had slipped his arms into the sleeves of it, there was a light knock at the door.

"Hold on." Ed called out, sliding his shirt over his head with ease.

"It's me, brother." Said a muffled voice through the door.

"Oh, come in Al." Ed said reaching for his black jacket.

The door creaked open, as a suit of armor stepped in through the door, not having to duck since the door was big enough so he could walk out normally. Ed looked up at Al and frowned. Al was covered in mud and was dripping wet, which, if he were human, people would've confused with sweat.

"What happened, Al?" Ed asked, sounding a tad annoyed. "Why are you like that?"

"Well…." Al began to rub the back of his armored head. "Nothing brother. I just went to get our stuff from the hotel…and then I…well I…."

"Well what?" Ed asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"…A dog chased me….thinking that I was a…" Al faced the floor space between his metal feet. "… it thought that I was a…umm, fire hydrant."

Laughter burst out from somewhere behind them. They both turned to see who it was; Al had to turn around to get a full view, meanwhile Ed poked his head around Al's enormous metal body.

There, just outside the room, in the hallway, bent over laughing and holding their stomach, was the Psychic Alchemist, laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. Ed frowned at this while Al felt like blushing from the humiliation.

"Are you ready to go?" Ed asked walking towards her, while putting on his red trench coat.

"Ye-ye- yes….I'm r-r-ready…." Claira managed to say before she burst out laughing again.

"Going where, brother?" Al asked him, although he was staring down at Claira, who was turning red as she wasn't able to get enough oxygen into her lungs. He noticed that she was taking big gulps of air, while trying to get her laughing under control, but failing terribly.

"The store, that is if the girl here can get under control, and not die from lack of air." Ed said harshly to her.

Claira's laughter immediately ceased and she glared at Ed. "Well, then lets go, before you die from starvation even though you pigged out all night yesterday, you little piggy." Then she walked away before letting Ed argue back.

Ed's jaw dropped, hating the fact that she not only called her short earlier, but that she dared to call him a pig, and in front of his own brother, nonetheless. Al was behind Ed, hand over his 'mouth' trying hard not to let Ed hear him giggling.

"Let's go, Al." Ed said angrily, not looking at Al at all, but glaring at the place Claira had been when she had insulted him. He walked in the same direction as Claira had, being followed closely by a still giggling Al, his boots stomping angrily on the hardwood floor.

When they got down to the first floor, they looked around for Claira because she was nowhere in sight. They heard a voice say, "See you later, dad." And then they saw Claira emerge from a room hidden behind the stairs, stuffing, what appeared to be money into the pocket of her black sweater.

"Ready, Al. Let's go." Claira said looking up at the suit of armor with a smile, as she walked closer to the two brothers, completely ignoring Ed.

"There are two people, dimwit." Ed said fiercely. But annoyed that Claira was continuing to ignore him, by walking past him and grabbing Al's arm gently and walking out with him, leaving a speechless Ed behind, at the bottom of the stairs, wide eyed, mouth hanging.

Al chuckled nervously, and paused just when they got onto the front porch. Claira wasn't paying much attention and was pulled back. She looked up at Alphonse but found him looking at Ed. "Are you coming or not, metal boy?"

Ed took a step forward, "Yes?"

Claira sighed, then motioned for him to come foward with one hand, but to her dismay, Ed stood there, not moving from his spot. "What is it this time?" Claira asked, sounding exasperated.

"I'm not going until you appologize." Ed said crossing his arms, with a sad, yet somehow adorable pout.

"I'm sorry." Claira said, whole-heartedly. Al looked down at her, feeling glad that she really meant her appology. Claira looked up at him and blinked, confused at first, then smiled at him warmly.

The moment was broken when Ed pulled Al away from Claira's gentle hold, and behind him. "Let's go. The food isn't going to by itself, you know." And he walked ahead of her, making it to the bottom step only stopping because Claira called his name. He turned to look at her, and raised an eyebrow when he saw her mischievous smirk.

"What?" Ed asked, almost shouted.

"Are you afraid you'll lose your little brother to me, Ed? Is that why you're peeved, again?" Claira asked with an innocent face.

Ed blushed. "N-n-no. Of course not. Why would you think that?" He stuttered, staring down at his feet, as if he was embarrassed that she would ask something like that, which was something he would never admit to, especially to her.

"So, are we going or not?" Claira asked again, as though this time it was all of his fault. He looked up at her with a frown. Claira stared at him innocently. "What?" She asked, which would've made her a famous actress for some stupid opera, or whatever they had there in Central.

Ed was about to shout again, when Al stepped in between them, arms spread apart, one foot on one step, while his other metal foot was on the other. "Can you guys stop your bickering and be friends again?" Al asked, looking from one to the other.

"Of course, my dear Alphonse. Anything for you." Claira said with a smile, walking over to Al, latching herself tightly onto his arm. She looked up at Al, and when she did, Al jerked his head several times in the direction Ed was in. Claira understood and, with a sigh, reluctantly let go of Al's arm and walked towards Ed.

"What?" Ed shouted in her face when she stopped in front of him. She frowned and glanced back at Al, who simply nodded. She sighed again. And then, before Ed could complain anymore, she swung her arms around him.

Ed turned beat red, and began to struggle against her, shouting, "Claira, what the…what are you…let me go…come on his is embarrassing…Claira!"

And then Claira let go of him with a huge grin on her face. "Don't worry Edo, you don't need me to embarrass you, you somehow manage to do that by your self."

"Why you little…" Ed shouted, turning red from anger, shaking his fist in the air.

"Let's go." Claira said, to both Al and Ed. Ed blinked when Claira grabbed onto his arm and dragged him down the path that led up to their house and onto the sidewalk, Al following them, completely contempt that he was able to get them to stop fighting.

The day wasn't off to such a bad start…

YAY!!!! I FINALLY UPDATED! sorry about the long wait. its just something screwy happened to my computer and i couldnt save it, and i also had another major writers block. but there will be more chapters much faster because im going through a genious moment right now and well yeah. so thanks for waiting so long. I think i might post another one tomorrow. yeah! so review! Arigato, i think thats how u spell it. LOL! And thanks to you reviewers, and i hate all the people that read but didnt review. like there's so many people reading an all that, but not many reviewing, which either means that its great or that its horrible. so just to let you know, im not gonna be bugging u guys to review anymore, cuz i know that gets annoyin, and im gonna continue updating for the little people that do review.