Not in chronological order, but the boys' ages will be listed at the top of every chapter.

Edward, 12. Alphonse 11, Winry 11 ½

Milk is the Root of All Evil

Winry had been given permission to stay with Edward and Alphonse for a few days following the emergency repair to his arm. After the initial fear of her wrath, and turning in his perfectly detailed report, Ed was glad to have the company of his best friend for a couple of days. That was, until dinner.

It started out innocently enough. They had gone to dinner as usual in the café around the corner from where Ed and Al were staying. Ed asked that Winry go ahead and order for him while he ran to the rest room. This was his first, of many, mistakes.

He returned from the restroom and Winry happily informed him that tonight's special had been stew so she ordered it for both of them. He was happy with this selection and thanked her before he once gain launched into a detailed complaint of his recent mission.

He should have known something was going on when Winry listened happily to him. No one wanted to hear about it anymore, including Winry. Everyone agreed that Edward was being dramatic and his three day excursion into the wilderness with Princess Chen couldn't have been as bad as he was claiming, especially since Al claimed the girl was very nice.

Their dinner arrived just as Ed got to the part where he had been forced to tackle the girl, so he nodded his thanks but otherwise paid no attention to the waitress as she set down their meal. Between bites he then described Mustang's arrival and the way his commander had completely disregarded Ed's plight. Winry nodded along as she ate and took a sip from her mug.

Ed finished with the girl leaving and took a huge mouthful of his water, not very thirsty. Moments later he spit back into his mug. It wasn't water at all, but milk! "Winry! Why?!" Ed exclaimed pointing to his mug.

"Eww, Ed! You can't just spit like that! Drink your milk or you're never going to grow." Winry said in return.

"No! I hate milk and you can't make me drink it." Ed said stubbornly.

"It's good for you Edward." Winry replied.

"Fine, you like it so much you drink it." Ed replied pushing the mug in her direction.

"I'm not drinking that! You spit in it. I don't want your spit in my mouth, eww." Winry replied as she shoved the milk back toward him. "Drink it Edward."

"No. I'm not drinking it." Ed replied shoving it back toward her.

"Well I'm not drinking it either. It's yours. If you don't drink it I'm telling Granny and Mr Mustang that you wouldn't finish your milk." Winry replied.

It was then that Edward made his second mistake of the evening. He was livid that she had decided to stoop so low as to tattle on him, and he was mad that she ordered him milk in the first place and tried to trick him into drinking it. He stood up, face red with anger, and picked up his mug. "If you like it so much here!" Ed declared as he overturned his mug over the top of Winry's head.

They both froze. The other patrons of the café froze. The waitress started toward them. Ed started with growing horror as milk ran down Winry's face. Winry inhaled deeply before she yelled. "Edward Elric di you just dump your spit on me?!"

The way Ed saw it there was only one option at this point. He pulled a handful of cens out of his pocket to throw on the table, and then he ran. He ran passed the waitress, and the old woman who looked like she was going to lecture him. He ran passed the family who's children were now clapping. He ran straight to the door, ignoring Winry's battle cry and slipped passed the man about to walk through.

Ed ran as fast as he could away from the café. He kept running until he reached the East River Bridge. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath. Now, he realized, he hadn't heard Winry behind him since about a block from the café. He felt a bit guilty over the whole thing now.

He should have been the mature one, he was the eldest after all. He was now supposedly an adult legally according to the paperwork he was given. Though no one treated him like he was, and he hadn't acted like it tonight either. He hoped Winry had given up quickly and returned to his room so that she didn't get lost or mugged.

It was then that it occurred to Ed that he was going to have to go back to his room, where Winry was staying. Winry was going to kill him in his sleep he was certain of that. There was no way around it. Well… unless he found somewhere else to stay the night.

He seriously considered his options. However, the only person who lived near by was Colonel Mustang, and he could just ask the Colonel to stay with him! That would be too weird. Plus Mustang had sided with Chen Li and would probably side with Winry too. Ed didn't know where anyone else from the office lived, and he didn't have enough cash on him to rest a room.

With a heavy sigh Ed decided he was going to have to go back to his room and face Winry. Eventually. Later. First though he was going to give her enough time to calm down and hopefully fall asleep so that he could just go to bed when he got there.

Ed wandered around the city waiting for it to be late enough to assume Winry was asleep. He absolutely did not get lost at one point, until he found the river and followed it back to his neighborhood. Just like he absolutely did not stop at that shop and buy a pound of chocolate, which he had fully intended to give to Winry as an apology. Only, he got lost, and he hadn't finished his dinner. The next thing he knew the chocolate was eaten.

Ed threw away the bag when he got to the next trash can, then continued to wander around wondering if the library would let him in. He passed Jean Havoc on his way out of a restaurant escorting a blonde woman in a dress that seemed like she must have bought it in the wrong size to Ed. Jean waved at him so he stopped for a moment, as Jean asked. "Hey boss. What are you doing out so late? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just decided to take a walk after dinner. I'll see you later." Ed said with a wave.

"Who's that?" he heard the woman ask before he turned the corner.

"Oh, that's Fullmetal. He works out of my office." Jean replied. Ed missed whatever else was said because he grew out of range, and he was raised not to eavesdrop.

He passed Heymans and Vato coming out of a bar a couple of blocks down, but decided to pretend not to see them because he didn't want to answer any more questions and since it was a bar they might be drunk.

Next he passed Riza Hawkeye with a bagful of groceries. This was where his upbringing caused his third mistake. "Hi Lt. Do you need help with your bags?" Ed asked polity. He was raised to ask if an adult needed help when coming from the grocer. It's just what was done.

"Edward, what in the world are you doing out this late?" Riza asked in the same tone he had heard many times in his life from his mom and Granny and Teacher. That was a 'you are in trouble' tone that he would never stop cringing from.

"I was taking a walk, ma'am." Ed replied as he took the heavier bag to help her carry it home. He was hoping she wouldn't ask anymore questions because when That Tone was used you could not lie.

"Why are you taking a walk half past midnight?" Riza asked.

"Why is there a grocer open this late?" Ed asked hoping to divert the conversation.

"They cater to soldiers on nightshift. Why are you up and about Ed? I know you didn't get enough sleep last night."

Great now he had to answer. He explained what happened on their way to her apartment, which as it turned out was only half a block from his own. Riza was now giving him The Look. He squirmed uncomfortably as she sighed as if disappointed. "I hope you intend to apologize Edward."

"Yes ma'am. I just was waiting for her to not be so mad anymore." Ed said.

"Well don't let me keep you, go on now, there's a young lady that needs to hear that you were wrong and are sorry." Riza said before taking back her bag and giving him a pointed look.

Ed nodded dejectedly as he walked slowly toward his apartment, kicking pebbles and bits of trash along the way. He walked passed the front desk, nodded sadly to the private sitting there, and slowly went up the stairs. He was doomed, and he knew it.

He made it up to his place far to quickly, before letting himself in and nodding at his brother who was reading quietly in the front room. Al gave him a look of pure disappointment, which both amazed him that Al could be so expressive without moving his face at all and made him cringe again. He asked in a whisper if Winry was still mad and Al nodded silently.

It was time to face his fate, as Ed moved to the bedroom. The room contained two single beds with a night table between them and a dresser next to the door. It was dark in the room, Winry curled under the blankets of Al's bed. Ed sighed with relief before shucking his leather pants and jacket and crawling into his bed.

He rolled over to get more comfortable only to be faced with Winry's wide awake and angry glare. Ed did the only sensible thing he could think of and screamed loudly. Once his racing heart had slowed and Winry still had not spoken, Ed apologized before laying back to bed.