25. Adoration
Ed feverishly read through stacks of Alchemy books. There was an abundant wealth of knowledge, but he had to be careful. It would look suspicious if he searched for human transmutation. Even if he had such free access to knowledge, he had to be patient enough to get through all the extra layers of information.
As he worked through his piles of books, he pretended not to notice his brother playing with yet another one of his charity case cats. If that brought some cheer to him, he would tolerate them.
Finally tearing his eyes away from the book, he saw the framed picture of both him and Winry. It brought forth a sense of comfort within him. For some reason or another, seeing the photo made him feel more at home.
Closing his book, he addressed his younger brother, "Come on, Al. I heard that there's a new automail shop opening." Flinging his red coat over his shoulder, he chuckled, "Winry will be green with envy."