HoS: A Mother's Shadow
Feb. 12th, 2005 01:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bard_linnOops..was supposed to post Furniture over at HoS but put Kindred Spirits up instead. Oh well, Furniture will go over tommorow. Welcome home is progressing (in between Number Theory problems.) I hope to have a rough draft of the first two LG fics by tonight. No promises though.
A Mother’s Shadow
“What are you cooking?” Gloved fingers inched towards the batter on the stove.
CRACK
“HEY!” Roy pulled back his smarting knuckles.
“You’ll get to taste it when everyone else does,” Ed replied. “Al, are you done scrubbing those potatoes?”
Al shook himself briefly and nodded. “Yes Niisan.” He passed the cleaned vegetables to his brother.
“Good. Now get out of my kitchen!” Ed waved the spoon in a menacing fashion. Roy, Al and Masuta scampered.
“We’re not that bad,” Roy huffed.
“Are you alright Al?” Masuta asked looking down at his youngest lover.
Al smiled brightly. It didn’t hide the sorrow in his eyes. “I’m fine! Really! I’ll go clear off the table!” He hurried to remove the large pile of books and notes.
“…and we only blew up the kitchen once. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.” Roy suddenly realized he had lost his audience.
“Roy! Go make the bed, the sheets should be done!” Masuta commanded peeping over the pile of books in his arms. Not only did they have to clear the table but the chairs as well. They should just set book cases up in every room.
Roy huffed but did as his alter self requested. A few minutes later Riza arrived home from the office. “How’s Roy?”
“He’s fine,” Al replied carrying in plates from the kitchen.
Riza frowned. “He SAID he was sick.”
“Food poisoning,” Alphonse explained. He vanished back into the kitchen for silverware.
“That’s it. Ichiro is NEVER cooking again,” Riza muttered hanging up her coat.
“Actually I think it was the doughnuts Havoc brought in,” Al replied. “He and Brenda weren’t feeling well either.”
“No wonder we got so much done today,” Riza mumbled. Fury, Falman and herself got far more accomplished without the usual distractions.
“Why were all of those books out anyway?” Masuta asked as he reentered the room.
“Niisan’s working on a project for the government,” Al answered.
“He is?” Roy looked surprised. “He didn’t mention it.”
“That’s because it’s top secret. You don’t have the clearance,” Ed retorted carrying in a large pot.
“I don’t have the clearance?” Roy repeated incredulously.
“Let’s just say it involves the alliance with Xing and leave it at that,” Ed replied. He began ladling out dinner.
“Niisan, is that…”
“Yup! Granny Pinako had the recipe.” Ed grinned madly and sat down. The others followed suit.
“What is this?” Masuta asked.
“Milk Stew.” Mass stare minus Al at Edward. “What?”
“But it has milk in it…”
“And?” Ed glared.
Talk turned from the food to what everyone had done that day. “We got a lot accomplished too. Far more than when SOME people goof off all day.”
Roy raised his hand in a particularly familiar motion. Ed grabbed it. “Not at the table.”
Masuta watched Al freeze wearing the same expression he had in the kitchen. “Al?”
The younger Elric didn’t answer. Masuta frowned. “And now,” Ed announced vanishing quickly into the kitchen, “for dessert!”
“You made blueberry cobbler!” Riza looked impressed. “I didn’t know you had a recipe.”
“Winry brought back a whole book,” Ed grinned. He carefully cut five pieces then poured milk over his. Mass stare minus Al again.
“Its tradition,” Al smiled. Masuta, however, noticed it looked more than a little strained. “Mother always made it so Niisan would eat milk.” The rest dug into their own pieces and expressed their appreciation.
Ed looked thoughtful. “Not quite right. It’s gotta be the berries. The farm grown ones just aren’t like the wild ones.”
Al nodded. “We used to have fun picking berries.”
“Yup! Though more ended up in your mouth than in your bucket.”
“I distinctly recall you STEALING mine.” Roy and Riza listened to the brothers reminisce while Masuta covertly watched the younger. The three agreed to go out to Risenbourg someday to go berry picking.
Eventually Ed dragged Roy off to help do dishes while Riza went to get a shower. Masuta seized the chance and snagged Al’s attention. “Shall we go feed the cats?” Al nodded and fetched the cat food. They left the house and moved to the outdoor feeding dishes. “What was bothering you earlier?”
“Nothing!”
“Alphonse…”
Al petted the cat in front of him. “He looked just like her.”
“What?”
“Niisan looked just like mother. For a second it felt like I was back home.” Grey eyes darkened. “In Risenbourg I mean.”
Masuta remembered his own mother. Though a stern taskmaster she had undoubtedly loved her son. “Why don’t you tell me about her.”
And under the silent stars, he did.
The Al angst bunnies seem to be frolicing lately. I suppose that means all the Al fans should be worried.
A Mother’s Shadow
“What are you cooking?” Gloved fingers inched towards the batter on the stove.
CRACK
“HEY!” Roy pulled back his smarting knuckles.
“You’ll get to taste it when everyone else does,” Ed replied. “Al, are you done scrubbing those potatoes?”
Al shook himself briefly and nodded. “Yes Niisan.” He passed the cleaned vegetables to his brother.
“Good. Now get out of my kitchen!” Ed waved the spoon in a menacing fashion. Roy, Al and Masuta scampered.
“We’re not that bad,” Roy huffed.
“Are you alright Al?” Masuta asked looking down at his youngest lover.
Al smiled brightly. It didn’t hide the sorrow in his eyes. “I’m fine! Really! I’ll go clear off the table!” He hurried to remove the large pile of books and notes.
“…and we only blew up the kitchen once. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.” Roy suddenly realized he had lost his audience.
“Roy! Go make the bed, the sheets should be done!” Masuta commanded peeping over the pile of books in his arms. Not only did they have to clear the table but the chairs as well. They should just set book cases up in every room.
Roy huffed but did as his alter self requested. A few minutes later Riza arrived home from the office. “How’s Roy?”
“He’s fine,” Al replied carrying in plates from the kitchen.
Riza frowned. “He SAID he was sick.”
“Food poisoning,” Alphonse explained. He vanished back into the kitchen for silverware.
“That’s it. Ichiro is NEVER cooking again,” Riza muttered hanging up her coat.
“Actually I think it was the doughnuts Havoc brought in,” Al replied. “He and Brenda weren’t feeling well either.”
“No wonder we got so much done today,” Riza mumbled. Fury, Falman and herself got far more accomplished without the usual distractions.
“Why were all of those books out anyway?” Masuta asked as he reentered the room.
“Niisan’s working on a project for the government,” Al answered.
“He is?” Roy looked surprised. “He didn’t mention it.”
“That’s because it’s top secret. You don’t have the clearance,” Ed retorted carrying in a large pot.
“I don’t have the clearance?” Roy repeated incredulously.
“Let’s just say it involves the alliance with Xing and leave it at that,” Ed replied. He began ladling out dinner.
“Niisan, is that…”
“Yup! Granny Pinako had the recipe.” Ed grinned madly and sat down. The others followed suit.
“What is this?” Masuta asked.
“Milk Stew.” Mass stare minus Al at Edward. “What?”
“But it has milk in it…”
“And?” Ed glared.
Talk turned from the food to what everyone had done that day. “We got a lot accomplished too. Far more than when SOME people goof off all day.”
Roy raised his hand in a particularly familiar motion. Ed grabbed it. “Not at the table.”
Masuta watched Al freeze wearing the same expression he had in the kitchen. “Al?”
The younger Elric didn’t answer. Masuta frowned. “And now,” Ed announced vanishing quickly into the kitchen, “for dessert!”
“You made blueberry cobbler!” Riza looked impressed. “I didn’t know you had a recipe.”
“Winry brought back a whole book,” Ed grinned. He carefully cut five pieces then poured milk over his. Mass stare minus Al again.
“Its tradition,” Al smiled. Masuta, however, noticed it looked more than a little strained. “Mother always made it so Niisan would eat milk.” The rest dug into their own pieces and expressed their appreciation.
Ed looked thoughtful. “Not quite right. It’s gotta be the berries. The farm grown ones just aren’t like the wild ones.”
Al nodded. “We used to have fun picking berries.”
“Yup! Though more ended up in your mouth than in your bucket.”
“I distinctly recall you STEALING mine.” Roy and Riza listened to the brothers reminisce while Masuta covertly watched the younger. The three agreed to go out to Risenbourg someday to go berry picking.
Eventually Ed dragged Roy off to help do dishes while Riza went to get a shower. Masuta seized the chance and snagged Al’s attention. “Shall we go feed the cats?” Al nodded and fetched the cat food. They left the house and moved to the outdoor feeding dishes. “What was bothering you earlier?”
“Nothing!”
“Alphonse…”
Al petted the cat in front of him. “He looked just like her.”
“What?”
“Niisan looked just like mother. For a second it felt like I was back home.” Grey eyes darkened. “In Risenbourg I mean.”
Masuta remembered his own mother. Though a stern taskmaster she had undoubtedly loved her son. “Why don’t you tell me about her.”
And under the silent stars, he did.
The Al angst bunnies seem to be frolicing lately. I suppose that means all the Al fans should be worried.
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no subject
Date: 2005-02-12 07:12 pm (UTC)It had been a while since I've seen an Al-Centered HOS fic. So thank you!
Your banter/dialog between everyone was spot-on perfect. I can -hear- them saying those things.
...And Ed is the housewife, isn't he? :D
More more!!
no subject
Date: 2005-02-12 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-12 09:36 pm (UTC)Damn you... I have a sudden craving for blueberry cobbler now... *stomach growls*