Okay… well so much for the five reviews tactic XD I just realized there's 6 more days till Christmas so… . I'd better get my ass working or I'm in deep shit… After the Christmas party chapter, I'll also have a little bonus chapter… but… well we'll get there eventually. Basically, I'm hoping that I can keep the updates up to one chapter every two days till I get to the Christmas Party part… and then if I finished the bonus chapter, I'll merge it with the Christmas one… anyways, no more time to waste here! Onward!

Disclaimer: FullMetal Alchemist doesn't belong to me (please insert some kind of lame pun since I don't have time to make one)

And I'm too lazy to go through and see what Japanese dialogue I used so there aren't any translations this chapter around… Gomen nasai! But I think the dialect used in this fic have already been run through (I don't even use Aru or Edo . )

Café Elric

By: KatYoukai

Chapter 6: Enter the Tringham Brothers

The snow was falling lightly, blanketing everything in a thin white veil. Three silhouettes stood against the flurry of white in the distance, engaged in conversation. Alphonse Curtis jogged up the sidewalk towards them. His breath chilled in the air, causing clouds of vapour to billow past him as he ran. He came to a halt a few feet away from the three.

Al blinked in confusion at the newcomer. The young man standing with Takeshi and Kyle had pale blond hair worn somewhat long- although it was quite short in compare to Ed's –and periwinkle eyes. He was quite tall and had a sort of bittersweet expression on his face.

" Oh hey Al," Kyle looked up from the paper the three had been inspecting just now and gestured to the stranger," This is Russel Tringham, he's in our Biology class."

" Eh?" Grey orbs blinked in bewilderment. So he was 16 too, but he looked atleast 17 or 18. Of course, you couldn't judge people's age from their height. Take Edward for example… Alphonse grinned inwardly.

" Ah yes, he also owns the restaurant across the street from the place you work," Takeshi commented as he too looked up from the paper.

Now it was Russel's turn to look up in surprise," You work with Elric?"

" Ano… yes," The golden-brown haired teen said slowly.

The blond let out a breath, scratching his head and straightening from the hunched position he'd been reading from," Wow. So you're the one he hired a while back huh? I have to say, I was shocked. I mean, he turned down everyone else that had asked before; a whole lot of teenage girls applied for a job there. Not that I know how they can be interested in a shrimp like that. And—"

The teen continued to rant on. Al sweatdropped.

" Uhm… your point Tringham?" Takeshi finally butt in.

" Er…," Rusell coughed," Sorry bout that, but that guy really annoys me sometimes."

" Yea well we all know he's a c—"

" He doesn't yell or spaz when I call him short, he's no fun anymore."

This time they all sweatdropped.

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Alphonse sighed, scribbling down notes on a small piece of paper with an open book in his lap. This was what he was reduced to, getting notes in between every little task Ed threw at him. Al scowled; the bastard was probably enjoying himself too.

The boy unconsciously flinched as the front doors swung open. He looked up and sighed in relief. Edward still wasn't back for the time-being.

A small boy around Wrath's age stood at the doorway. He held a brown paper grocery bag in his thin arms. Pale blond strands stuck messily out under a deep green cap and shimmering light purple eyes. In short, he was absolutely adorable.

Shy purple lemon drops met quizzical grey ones. The boy smiled timidly.

" Ano… is Edward-san here?"

Al shook his head.

" Oh," The boy sounded a little disappointed," Well, I'll leave this here. Can you tell him Fletcher Tringham came by?" (A/N: Yes Ed already knows the Tringhams… and yes Fletcher now wears a cap because I don't think you'll see a little kid wearing a green pilot-hat thing on the streets these days.)

" Tringham…?" The world seemed to have shrunk in the past month.

At that moment, Ed came walking back in. He stopped for a moment, blinking at the boy also standing at the door.

" Ah… Fletcher. What are you doing here?"

The boy smiled brightly up at him," Edward-san! I brought some groceries over! Nii-san says that if you don't drink more milk, you won't grow!" He held the bag out to Ed who took it from his hands slowly in a manner that seemed almost awkward.

" I… see…" From the look on the younger Tringham's face, he must have expected a different response besides that awkward, passive reply.

" Hey Fletcher!" A pale blond head stuck in through the doorway.

The three turned their attention to the door.

" It's almost time for dinner," Russel told his younger brother," Didn't you promise you'd help me cook it tonight?"

Fletcher blinked at him for a moment, seemingly absorbing the question before he snapped back to attention.

" Oh! Hai! Coming Nii-san!" The boy paused a moment, waving to Ed and Al, then dashed out the door past his brother.

The elder Trigham remained where he was, head still sticking into the room. He looked at Al.

" Oh, Alphonse, so you really do work here after all!"

With that he pulled back, his head disappearing with an audible pop- though Al was fairly sure that was just his imagination- before the teen could reply.

A moment passed. Edward abruptly marched over to the counter and set the groceries down before he turned to open the cupboards, rummaging through the contents in search of something.

" You know them?"

The blond didn't turn to reply," Of course, it's hard not to know the people that live across the street if you've lived all your life in a holed-in town like this."

' Oh well yea I guess that was a really stupid question,' Al looked back down at his book,' Still it seems I can't help but try to make conversation…'

Pale slender fingers tugged the textbook out of his grasp. Al blinked and looked up into honey-coloured lemon-drop eyes.

" Shouldn't you be cleaning up the kitchen?"

Alphonse yelped," A-ah hai! Gomen! Gomen!"

He jumped up, sending his notes flying, and dashed into the kitchen. Edward sighed, shaking his head, and picked up the scattered notes, setting notes, book and all in a neat stack on a nearby table.

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" Huh? Well okay… we'll come home together then. Yes, yes, arigato Kaa-san."

The golden-brown haired teen hung up the phone with a sigh. So Wrath was still out at this hour? Alone? With friends no one in the family had met yet? Al twitched, his overly protective older brother senses kicking in again.

' I guess there's nothing I can do but stay here and wait for him to come by then…' Al thought in resignation.

He worried and he paced. As the clock ticked away, the teen's worry grew. As his worry grew so did his pacing and frustration. Alphonse was just about to kick several tables over when Edward yelled for him to stop pacing before he tread a hole in the floor.

The boy immediately apologized several times over and forced himself to sit down. Somehow, the elder teen's strict words always had such control over him.

The bell signalling the arrival of customers rang causing Al to jump to his feet. His head jerked in the direction of the door.

" Nii-san! Sorry I'm late," A small boy with cascading raven locks stood in the door, two taller figures behind him," Ah, by the way, these are the friends I told you about."

Alphonse nearly screamed.

And that's it for now! Update directly tomorrow! If not tomorrow, then latest the day after! Must update quick! Only one more chapter before the whole Christmas propaganda! Thank you to all you reviewers, and please remember: criticism is GOOD! But it doesn't have to be CC as long as you review! (I eat reviews!)

>.> All of this was typed yesterday night... and I went through hell to try to get this to you people earlier... but to no avail XD You see, RIGHT when I was uploading this to my router completely died on me o.O And thus all internet connection was lost and believe me I spent an hour trying to get back online... but anyways I failed so I have it here now... oh well... I should still be able to make it before Christmas >.>