I do not own the Fullmetal Alchemist

Ed was almost willing to trade beds with Dahlia if it meant he didn't need to go to school. Almost.

'Come on, Charlie.' Mustang pointed to the uniform. 'All students need to wear it.'

Ed growled angrily. 'It has a tie! And how do expect me to defend myself in case this murderer starts chasing me or something when I'm wearing leather shoes? Who wears a tie anyway?'

Hawkeye sighed. 'Charlie, it's your first day of school. And we need to do this.' Ed could tell she was referring to the mission. 'Just wear it, honey.'

Ed scowled and took the uniform into his bedroom to change. The apartment they'd gotten was as tiny as it was cheap. There was a small kitchen and bathroom, two bedrooms. The larger one had two separate beds where Mustang and Hawkeye slept in, Dahlia had a makeshift bed made out of old-looking fabric and torn shirts. Ed's bedroom had a wardrobe in the corner and a window that overlooked the garden below that only had scrawny weeds sprouting out of the stiff-looking dirt.

Their temporary home was on the third floor of the ten-level building. Ed wondered if he could possibly jump on the flowerless garden if he had to escape Mustang's snoring. For a guy who was known for blowing stuff up with a snap of his fingers, he could certainly destroy it easier with his snoring instead. He wondered how Dahlia and Hawkeye were able to sleep with Mustang imitating a power drill all night.

Ed tugged on the grey slacks furiously. When was the last time he'd gone to school? When he was still learning addition and subtraction? He was a military Major, for goodness sake, and he was expected to go back to school of all things, even if it was just for a mission.

His thoughts were cut off as a sharp pain flared on his wrist. Ed gritted his teeth as he pulled his arm out to look at it. A few cuts had smeared blood over the inside of his school sleeve when he examined it carefully, he had to look closely to see it so no one else would possibly be able to notice it. But just in case, he pulled his school jacket over his shirt. For a short moment, he felt alone, but he firmly told himself his undercover family weren't going to notice anything, and Al definitely wasn't going to know either.

Hawkeye and Mustang were already in their disguises. Mustang was wearing another trench coat that was dark brown. Hawkeye was in her uniform for the restaurant, it was a grey long-sleeved blouse and a black shirt that reached below her knees. Her glasses made her face look as plain as her outfit.

Hawkeye pointed at the kitchen table. 'Breakfast, everyone,' she called in a cheerful voice. 'School starts at nine, so you two have to arrive in twenty because it's your first day.'

Ed sat down grumpily. He immediately brightened up at the food. 'Wow, H-mom,' he said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. 'This is really good.'

Hawkeye smiled warmly. 'Of course it is, have you forgotten I always use a little milk in them for you?'

Ed choked. He almost spat out his mouthful right in Mustang's laughing face. If it wasn't Hawkeye who said both the words "little" and "milk" he would've jumped straight out of his chair and become a murderer of her scrambled eggs.

'What? You do?' He coughed, trying to dispel his mouth of the evil milk. 'Since when?'

'Since today.' She smiled at him without a hint that anything was wrong. She sat down between the boys and began eating her own breakfast, shutting Mustang up as she shoved a piece of toast in his mouth. Breakfast was soon devoured with Ed making a mental note to never trust Hawkeye's wicked eggs ever again. He was still shuddering at how he'd almost had milk on the way to his school.

'Remember Charlie,' Mustang said as they walked. 'Your mom and I are going to be working at the street two blocks across from our apartment. If you need to find us, go there.'

Ed rolled his eyes. 'I know that, Uncle Thomas. You've said that like a hundred times.'

Mustang nodded. 'Just checking.'

A car had been parked outside the apartment. Before they'd left Hawkeye had told Ed it was for emergencies only, such as a quick getaway in case they found themselves compromised. Ed thought the dull grey paintwork was so boring it could make him fall asleep if he'd stared at it long enough. Nevertheless, he had to walk to school. With Colonel Matchstick to make small talk with, it was going to be extra irritating.

By the time they'd finally arrived at the school, Ed wanted to jump out of the window and run away. There was a handful of students playing with each other outside. Ed wondered whether he was going to earn detention on his first day for beating one of the little cockroaches up or actually getting along when them like he was as friendly as Al.

He disagreed with the latter.

A tall woman with her mahogany hair in a bun walked to Mustang and Ed. The wide smile on her face reminded Ed of the nurses that all tried to stab him with needles.

'Mr Jacobs,' she chirped. 'Charlie Jack Jacobs. You're enrolling, aren't you?'

Mustang nodded. 'Yes. And you are?'

'Mrs Anne.' She walked to an office and took out a timetable. Ed was a million miles away as she explained everything about school and the rules, finally the conversation was over.

'Alright then, Charlie?' Mrs Anna said.

'Wha- yeah!' Ed nodded. 'I heard that.'

Mrs Anne smiled at Ed like he was a little kid. 'Good, and so we expect you to get along with the other students.'

Ed nodded. 'Uh huh. Okay.' He shuffled his feet. 'Can I go now?' This is so boring, he wanted to add.

'Go on, Charlie. Enjoy this school.' Mrs Anne waved them out.

The school was large for a small town. Ed had memorized the layout in a few minutes walking around. There was still time before the bell for the school to start rang, so Ed spend the time in the school's giant library.

'Hey, you're the new kid, right?' A voice said from behind him.

Ed spun around, snapping shut a thick book he was reading. A blue-eyed tall and gangly boy with blonde hair pulled in a ponytail was smiling down at him.

'Uh, hi?' Ed waved awkwardly. He hadn't talked casually with kids his age in... how long?

The boy shuffled his hands nervously. 'Hi, my teacher said there was going to be a new student in class today. Would that be you?'

'Yeah, I guess.' Ed rubbed the back of his neck. Did he introduce himself now?

'Oh, what're you reading?' The boy peered curiously at his book.

Ed showed him the cover. 'It's about alchemy.' Did he need to be specific about it or was that enough?

'Oh, sculpturing alchemy?' The boy chirped, 'Wow, that's hard. Well, the little details are. There aren't really any alchemists in this town, it's pretty hard to learn when everything's so poor here we have to work all the time.'

'Do you want to be an alchemist?' Ed asked.

The boy's face turned wistful. 'I kind of want to, but well, it's not like I'm ever going to get out of here.'

Ed raised an eyebrow. 'What do you mean?'

The boy shrugged and said, 'This is pretty much it for me. This town doesn't exactly have the best education and employment rate, so hardly anyone ever leaves this place if they grew up here. But you know what they say, "Home sweet home".' He sighed before smiling again. 'But I guess I can earn a living in South Pebble, as painfully boring as it is here.'

Ed frowned before deciding to try and become friends for the sake of blending in for the mission. He smiled and held out his left hand, trying to ignore the pain from the fresh cuts as he moved. 'Well, I used to live in a different town. I liked alchemy too, maybe I can teach you some basics I picked up from there when I can?'

The boy shook his hand happily just as the bell went. 'Thanks, I guess.' The two began walking to their classroom. 'I'm Miles, by the way. What's your name?'

Ed hesitated before saying, 'Charlie.' The other students were disappearing inside their classrooms.

'Nice to meet you, Charlie.'

'It's- uh, great to meet you too, Miles. What do we have first?'

'Math,' Miles responded automatically. 'What?'

Ed made a face. He hadn't used much math during his years as a State Alchemist, to be honest. 'Uh, I'm not... good at math.'

'Well,' Miles said. 'Maybe I can teach you? Only if you teach me some alchemy, that is,' he added.

A grin beamed across Ed's face.

'Deal.'

Thanks for reading!