Author's Note: This mainly takes place when Ed and Al arelittle kids. It's a one-shot and there are no spoilers as far as I know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist nor any of the characters that you could just glomp to death. Even chibi Ed and Al.

Hot Chocolate

It was during stormy days like this that their mother made them hot chocolate. In Alphonse's opinion, it was the best hot chocolate ever. Stormy days were his favorite kind of days as a kid. Their mother let him and Edward stay in their jammies all day and they would play with some of their toys until the power went out. Then, the two brothers would curl up together on the couch, Al would nestle his head on Ed's shoulder and wait until he heard their mother come in the room with three mugs of hot chocolate. He was always flexible with his hot chocolate; to him it didn't matter if it was made with milk or water, marshmallows or whipped cream, or blue cup or green cup. However, with Ed it was always the same. Hot chocolate with water and lots of marshmallows and in the red cup. Sometimes, when Al wanted to be a good little brother, he copy his brother and have the same exact thing. Their mother thought it was the cutest thing ever; Ed just got annoyed or cocky.

"Brothe-er!" a five year old Alphonse whined once the power went out in the middle of their game of hide and seek. "Where are you?"

The two boys had been playing hide and seek for a while, so Al knew from experience that Ed was officially the best hider ever. When the lights were on, the sandy haired boy didn't have much of a problem when looking for his brother… until he was missing for a good ten minutes and Alphonse got worried and was reduced to tears. So with the power out and no big brother to race to the couch with, the youngest of the two was left whimpering and rocking back and forth on his heels while he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Gnawing on his lower lip anxiously, he came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to find the best hider ever at a game of hide and seek in the dark in the middle of a thunderstorm.

He decided to back up so that he could find the wall, then maybe find his way out of the room from there. Taking cautious steps, he concentrated on keeping his breathing even and not panicky. As his fingers lightly brushed against the hardness of the wall, Alphonse became aware of a heavy breathing from somewhere in the room. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, he gulped and turned his head in the direction of the breathing.

"BOO!" a loud voice shouted, thunder crashing right after the outburst.

Alphonse shrieked and hurled himself forward, crashing right into a wall somewhere opposite him. There was a throbbing pain in his nose, he realized as he sat himself up. He rubbed at it fervently, hoping to alleviate some of the pain. He could feel the prickling sensation of tears in the corners of his silver eyes. Blinking rapidly to keep them at bay, Al suddenly screamed again when he remembered the monster that was in the room with him. Something hard whacked him on the back of his head, causing the shriek to began a cough.

"C'mon Al! You trying to make me deaf over here? I was only playing." the reassuring, yet taunting, voice of Edward reached Al mid-sniffle.

Timidly, he raised his head so that the older boy came into view, "B-brother?"

"Yep!" even without being able to see Ed's face, Al knew he was grinning triumphantly. "Your big brother Edward here to save you."

Alphonse pouted and opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself as the faint glow of candle reached the room. "Edward? Alphonse? Are you boys alright? I heard a scream."

"Ah, sorry mom. Al got scared so I came to rescue him. We didn't mean to be so loud." Ed quickly explained, giving his little brother no time to explain why he screamed.

Their mother smiled down at them, "What a good big brother you have Alphonse. Now come on you two, your hot chocolate's waiting."

With that, their mother turned back down the hall taking the candle with her. Ed took this chance to ruffle Al's hair, "See Al? Without me, where would be without someone to help you and chase away what scares you, hmm?"

"Yeah, you're-" Alphonse had started to agree with his brother, but paused as he remembered why he was so scared in the first place. "Brother! You're what scared me!" he yelled out as the older boy took off down the hall. "Get back here!"

Ed won the race to the couch; but that was only because Al ran into another wall. He blamed it on the fact that he trusted his senses of touch, taste, smell, and hearing better than sight. Too bad that in five years, three of those trusted senses would be gone.

"B-brother…?" Alphonse whimpered, tip toeing across the floor to his brother's bed.

A streak of lightning caused the small boy to freeze, dark eyes growing wide as the anticipated clap of thunder followed. Alphonse dreaded the nights of thunder storms; they were different from storms in the day. At night all the monsters came out and roared the thunder and their teeth flashed the lightning. Trembling from cold and fear, Alphonse darted to Ed's bed once another roll of thunder sounded in the distance and began to shake his brother's shoulder frantically.

"Brother! Brother!" he cried, stopping once a few grunts came from the lump that was Ed and a hand swatted at him.

Mumbling into his pillow, Alphonse could barely make out what was being said, "Mmmm… whazzit Al?"

Ed lifted his head and blinked wearily at the younger boy in front of him, Al looked down at the ground in shame. "Come on, spit it out Al. You must've some good reason to wake me."

"S-sorry brother…" he choked out, flinging his arms around Edward's shoulders and clinging to the warm body, "I'm s-scared."

"Again?" Ed yawned, squirming uncomfortable in his little brother's death grip, "Leggo Al." he didn't budge. "Alphonse, go to your own bed."

"No!" Al cried out, tightening his hold on his brother, "No! The monsters will get me there!"

Edward rolled his eyes, "And they won't get you across the room?"

"Not if you're here…"

There was silence between the brothers for that moment. All that could be heard was the pitter patter of rain and the fading booms of thunder and the howling of the wind. The older Elric had stopped squirming by now, slowly giving into his baby brother's plea.

"Alright." Ed sighed, patting Al's back, "But only tonight!"

Al nodded, releasing his brother as the blonde pulled back the sheets so both of them could lie down comfortably. Once Alphonse was safely tucked in, Ed leaned back and collapsed on his side of the bed, body flung out and shirt riding up his stomach. He cracked open a single golden colored eye when he felt Al tugging down on his shirt so that his stomach wasn't exposed. He clamped his eye shut again when Al looked up, but it was to avail because they flew open again when he felt two small arms wrap around his waist and the soft hair of his brother's brush against his arm. Alphonse nuzzled his head into Ed's stomach tenderly, then yawned as silver optics slipped closed.

"Thank you brother… good night…" he murmured sleepily against the blonde's chest, the storm and the monsters now forgotten.

Ed smiled, laying back carefully so's not to disturb the younger, "Goodnight Al."

The older brother berated himself for never putting his foot down and reminding Al that every time he came crying to him at night that it was 'just for that night'. He didn't have the heart or want to push the younger boy from his bed when he was scared.

Alphonse hadn't been afraid of thunderstorms since he was six. He had stopped looking forward to cuddling on the couch and drinking a steaming mug of hot chocolate and wrapped up in a big fleecy blanket that covered him, his brother, and their mother. Ever since their mother had fallen ill, neither of the boys had had the time to spend. All their attention was focused on their bed-ridden mom.

Honestly, Al wasn't looking forward to much since she'd gotten sick… well, except for her getting better and things going back to normal. Despite Auntie Pinako and Winry's attempts had persuading the boys to just relax and go play, the brother's rarely left their mother's side. When they were apart from her, they clung to each other. Neither spoke of their fear of losing their mom, but both understood the other's pain.

Now… she was gone…

Alphonse had forgotten how much he hated thunderstorms.

It was the first storm since their mother's death, the first storm where she wasn't near him to tell him it was okay and as soon as she got better she'd make them hot chocolate. The first storm where Ed had locked himself in their father's study, the father that didn't seem to exist. Al huddled himself into a little ball on the couch. The blanket seemed to swallow up his nine-year-old body and wasn't as soft on his skin as the soft touch of his mom. Pressing his face into his knees covered by the fleecy blanket, Al slowly counted the seconds between the thunder and lightning.

"Four miles…" he whispered to himself, recalling when he would count at the urging of his brother and their mom would be so pleased that he knew how far away the storm was. "Three miles…"

The power hadn't gone out, Alphonse knew that much since the crack of their father's study had a beam of light shining through. He didn't bother getting rid of the darkness around him though. It suited the boy's painstaking loneliness. Ever since she had died, it seemed that Ed was solely focused on bringing their mom back to life. Although Al desperately wanted their mom back, he couldn't help but be a little angry at his brother for leaving him alone so he could study in peace. It was true that he could go to Aunt Pinako's, where they were currently living, and play with Winry… but it wasn't the same without Ed. And he wasn't about to walk home in the middle of a thunderstorm alone. It was too close anyway.

Another crash of thunder, Alphonse no longer felt like counting the seconds. His voice had sounded so misplaced in the empty room. A shiver passed through his body. It was cold even with the blanket. He tugged it closer to his body, wrapping it about him securely. He began humming the tune of their mother's lullaby to calm himself as lightening streaked across the sky and lit up the room. The hum cracked, so he stopped so that he wouldn't be reduced to tears again. He cried too much since her death. He had to be strong for her and for his brother. Too bad he just wanted to crawl under the blankets and hide until someone found him and made him feel safe.

Al jerked his head up at the sudden warmth that brushed against his exposed hand. The scent of melted chocolate filled his senses. He blinked back the tears of surprise that came to his eyes, allowing his vision to focus. Alphonse could only stare at Ed, brow creased in worry and holding two mugs in his hands. One cup was held out away from him, as if signaling to the younger Elric that it was for him. Al sniffed, reaching forward and taking it into both hands gratefully.

"What're you doing sitting in the dark?" Ed asked once he settled himself next to Al, tucking some of the blanket around himself. "You do know that the power still works, right?"

The boy nodded somberly, "Uh… yeah. I know."

There was silence between them, save for the gentle blowing of Ed's breath on his hot chocolate to cool it. Alphonse considered blowing on his own, but every time he pursed his lips to do so, something kept him from doing it. It wasn't long until a lump had grown in his throat. Soon after that, there was a burning sensation in his eyes as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He sniffed again, trying to hold back the waves of nostalgia and sadness that washed over him. A muffled sob broke through his lips, vaguely aware that the body pressed next to his was stilled in their fidgeting. Salty tears began to mingle in the warm drink cradled in his hands, falling with soft splashes.

Holding back his tears for a moment, Alphonse brought the mug to his lips and sipped a little before choking on the hot chocolate and the pent up sobs. He felt a hand on his back, patting lightly so that his coughing fit would stop. Once that passed though, he was left with the fat tears and the childish sobs. He couldn't come to terms with the fact that his mother really was dead. That the three of them would never cuddle on the couch with her hot chocolate again. His brother switched from patting his back to rubbing soothing circles to calm him down, murmuring quiet words of comfort like she had once did.

Finally, Al's never-ending tears stopped falling and his crying came to a slow halt. Sniffling and rubbing hastily at his eyes, he was thankful that Ed didn't stop rubbing his back. Releasing a hiccup, Alphonse gulped down the remainder of his hot chocolate, which wasn't very hot anymore, then set the mug down on the floor. He waited for Edward to put his mug down too before letting his head fall onto his brother's shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry…" he mumbled into the fabric of Ed's shirt.

The blonde just sighed, letting his own head knock against his little brother's, "It's okay. I miss her too…"

Al swallowed thickly, clinging tighter to Ed, "T-thank you for not forgetting me…"

"What do you mean?" confusion was evident in the elder's voice.

"You came out to check on me right? Even though you were studying and trying to figure out how to bring mom back. Thanks."

Alphonse could feel his brother frowning at that, "Oh, Al. I wouldn't forget you, idiot." Ed could sense that the younger boy beside him was still uneasy, so he continued to attempt to lighten the mood, "My hot chocolate really isn't so bad that it would you cry, is it?"

Al giggled at that, shaking his head, "It was horrible, brother."

"Yeah- wait. What!"

"A monkey could make better hot chocolate."

"Shut up! Fine. That's the last time I make you hot chocolate to cheer you up!"

"Aw, brother! Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

"Neither did I."

"…"

"Al…?"

"Meanie! You're so mean big brother!"

"Whoever said I was nice- AAAH! AL! You bit me!"

"Sorry brother! I didn't mean to bite your arm! Honest!"

"Al?"

Silence met the young State Alchemist as he entered his dorm, surprised to be met with an empty room. He groaned with exasperation. He's given his brother strict orders to stay put while he delivered his report to Mustang. Now Alphonse was missing.

"Once again, I've lost a seven foot tall suit of armor." Ed grumbled, now searching the darkened halls for his younger brother. It was storming outside and the power had been cut momentarily (much to Mustang's delight and Hawkeye's displeasure) "It shouldn't be this hard to find him!"

"Brother!"

Edward turned around immediately, positioned so that he could immediately begin to berate Al for not listening to 'big brother'. However, his complaint was stopped short when he noticed the armor that housed Al's soul was holding something delicately in his hand. Brow furrowed in puzzlement, Ed convinced himself to inquire about what he was holding before releasing his wrath.

"Brother, there you are!" Al chirped gleefully, "I was looking for you."

Ed frowned, "And I was looking for you. Where were you? And what's that? It better not be another cat…" he glanced out the window, seeing as it was still raining heavily and looked over the armor to make sure it was not wet or anything.

"No brother, it's for you!" Al held out a cup to his brother, making sure to keep a good grip on it so it wouldn't fall.

Ed merely blinked at the cup thrust out at him. Steam was steadily rising up from it's contents that smelled oddly familiar and quite delicious. There was no scent of dairy anywhere near the drink. Several white, puffy marshmallows rested atop the drink, serving as a makeshift blanket. It was hot chocolate. Made with water. With lots of marshmallows. In a red cup.

Ed took the cup into his mismatched hands, speechless, "A-al? What…?"

"It's hot chocolate brother! The way you like it." if he could, Al would be beaming, "Lieutenant Hawkeye helped me make it, but I told her how to do it. Is it okay brother?"

Ed had already began sipping the drink, oblivious to how hot it was. He smiled warmly, "It's great. Thanks Al."

Owari