Author's Note: I know Christmas has passed but I just finished this story. If you don't find it fitting just think about it as a usul party, not a christmas one! I hope you enjoy this "short" story. Reviews are always welcome!
Disclaimers: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemsit. I wish I did though...
Enjoy!
Why did I ever agree to come here? He wondered eyeing the guests who lingered in the large room. He stood to the far end, leaning against the wall, near the roaring fireplace. The fire inside cast a dark red glow over his black jacket, heating the left side of his body while the other stayed cool and hidden in the shadows. His dark eyes scanned the room once again before returning their attention to the glass he was holding. He took a quick sip before looking over the small crowd once again.
Two men sat at a small table on the opposite side of the room, deep in conversation. One was short though large, with dark red hair, cropped close to his head. His dark brown eyes were quite alert to his surroundings even as he kept eye contact with the other man who was talking. I think his looking out for Black Hayate, thought the silent observer, a small smile playing at his lips. Poor Breda, I think Hawkeye was planning to bring him.
The person who sat in front of Breda seemed older than he did. He had short, salt and pepper coloured hair, which he had a habit of passing his hand through. His narrow eyes were busy looking at his hands, which were being used to explain a concept to Breda, who did not seem the least bit interested. Falman, we are on vacation. Why in the world is he still talking about work? The silent observer took another sip of his drink, shaking his head sadly at Falman's actions.
He looked over the room once again and saw four people sitting at the two sofas near the door of the room. One of them, a young, short, dark haired man shook slightly in his seat. His dark grey eyes, barely visible underneath his black trimmed glasses, were downcast, avoiding eye contact with the person sitting next to him. Even with the low lighting of the room, the observer noticed a slight blush of the man cheeks and his uneasy stance. I have never seen Fuery so nervous. He must really want to impress her.
Next to Fuery sat a petite and thin woman. She had shoulder length, light brown hair, her bangs pinned to the side with two discreet yet sparkling hairpins. She also looked slightly nervous and she had turned her dark green eyes away from Fuery, desperately trying to hide her blush as well. To think, Sheska is actually wearing a dress. The observer's silent remark was indeed correct. The quiet ex-librarian preferred jeans or formal pants and had rarely been seen with a dress or skirt, apart from the military uniform she wore on occasion.
Sitting on the sofa opposite the two shy adults was a tall, laid-back man. He had dark blond hair cropped close to his head with lighter blond bangs covering his forehead. His sky blue eyes would sometimes look over at the person sitting next to him but quickly returned their attention on something else in the large room. Havoc is getting a second chance and he isn't even trying to start a conversation. And then he complains he can't find a girlfriend.
Next to Havoc sat a young, bashful looking girl. She had long blond hair, which was pinned in a high bun with many strands falling from it. She carefully drank from her cup, her light green eyes barely lifting off the dark liquid. Armstrong's little sister. Who would have ever thought she was related to him. Wonder if Havoc will have any luck with Catherine.
The observer sighed and took another sip of his drink. He was bored. He looked over the room once again and noticed that a group of four had arrived. They were clearly the youngest in the room. Wait, youngest? He scanned the area and found that there was actually someone younger. She was sitting on her mother's lap, her dark blond hair bouncing slightly as she swayed to the music that was been played. Her dark green eyes noticed every detail around her. Her mother who, like her daughter, had dark blond hair, cut to her shoulders, was smiling at the man in front of her who was ready to take a picture. Her green eyes shone brightly in the low lighting of the room. Just as long at Maes decides to take pictures of his family and not of me, I will be all right. Maybe not, he'll probably show the pictures of Gracia and Elysia to me once he has them developed. Especially those of Elysia. He really loves his daughter.
The observer returned his attention to the group, which had arrived. The first one in the room had short, dirty blond hair, his bangs covering his forehead. His warm smile light up the room as did his sky blue eyes. He helped to person next to him with her coat, smiling even more. Alphonse has grown since I last saw him.
The person Alphonse had helped with her coat was a tall, thin, young girl. She had long brown hair, which flowed down her back until her waist. Her bangs, however, were pale pink and framed her tanned face, making it look even darker. Her dark brown eyes were now looking at the other girl who had arrived as they chit chatted happily. I would never have guessed Alphonse would be with Rose. I will have to watch them.
The girl who was talking with Rose was slightly shorter than she was. However, the girl seemed better built, her arm muscles faintly showing. Her long, light blond hair was tied close to the top while the rest of it flowed down her back. Her bangs covered her forehead until longer strands framed her face but kept going, ending further down. Her dark blue eyes switched from Rose to the room and back, trying to swallow everything. Winry hasn't changed. I hope there will not be any tension between us tonight. That's the last thing I need.
The last person in the group was helping Alphonse with the four coats. He was much shorter, slightly less than Winry. He had long, golden hair, which he had tied a high ponytail instead of his trademark braid. Unlike the others, his hair still held tiny snowflakes and droplets of those, which had already melted in the warmth of the house. His golden eyes were concentrated on the task on hand, which consisted of holding three large coats while Alphonse hung the first one with those of the other guests. Fullmetal came. This party will no longer have any quiet time.
The observer took a last sip from his drink before setting it on the nearby side table. However, he had not noticed a person sneak up on him from the side until he was right next to him.
"Roy! Want to see some pictures of my darling Elycia?"
"Hughes, why in the world did you sneak up on me?" growled Mustang through clenched teeth, lifting his right hand, which was poised to snap, proving his point.
"Now Roy! Why in the world do you have your gloves with you? It's a Christmas party! Enjoy yourself!"
Mustang eyed his best friend. The tall man had barely changed since he had met him all those years ago. He still had messy black hair and a distinct eye color: a mix of yellow and green. He still wore his square glasses and his slight beard still showed on his square chin.
"If you say so," sighed Mustang, leaning against the wall and placing his hands in his pockets.
"Come now, once everyone arrives, Armstrong said that there will be activities. He did organize the whole event in his mansion," stated Hughes, looking around the room. "And since those four arrived, there is only missing one more person."
"Hawkeye," replied Mustang, noticing her absence for the first time that evening.
"Exactly!" Hughes looked around once again and a wide smile spread across his face once he spotted an adorable scene in front of them. "I have to take a picture of this!"
Hughes pulled out his camera and quickly dragged Mustang with him towards his daughter and wife, as well as two boys. Elysia was sitting in Alphonse's arms, playing with Edward's ponytail. The three of them were laughing when Hughes snapped a series of shots, the bright flash making the two boys blink a few times, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Hughes!" laughed Alphonse, spotting the happy father. "It's great to see you!"
"Same here Al, Ed," greeted Hughes, putting his camera back in his pocket for later use.
"Colonel," nodded Edward, looking at Mustang.
"Fullmetal," he replied.
"Come now! It's Christmas, no official military names tonight!" called Rose and Winry from the other end of the room while they sat with the four adults on the sofas.
"Yes, you should listen to her, Full-"
"Mustang!" called Rose from her seat. "His name is Edward!"
Mustang looked over at the girls who raised their eyebrows, waiting for him to reply. He rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. When he looked back at them, they were still waiting, sly smiles playing on their lips.
"Good to see you too, Edward," replied Mustang, making sure to look down at the young boy, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
"You too, Mustang," answered the older Elric brother, keeping his gaze on the man, a sly smile plastered on his face.
Before they could look away, another bright flash momentarily blinded them. They turned to face the source and spotted Hughes quickly putting his camera away once again. Next to him, Elycia was clapping happily and Alphonse was laughing with her.
"Uncle Roy and Uncle Ed were smiling at each other!" cheered the young girl, laughing even more.
"Hughes," threatened Mustang, his fingers poised to snap once again.
"Daddy? Can I keep that picture afterwards?" asked Elycia, her face bright with hope. "And the one with Uncle Al, Uncle Ed and me?"
"Of course Elycia!" agreed happily Hughes, picking her up from Alphonse's arms and twirling her around.
"Yay!" she cheered loudly, catching the attention of the other guests in the room.
Mustang sighed and returned his hand to his pocket, looking out one of the many windows in the room. He stared, surprised for a moment at the change of temperature that had occurred. When he had arrived an hour ago, the dark sky had been clear of any cloud and the world was lit by the almost full moon. At the moment, however, snow was falling, being pushed back and forth by the strong winds. A terrible snowstorm had hit Central that night.
"Hughes?" called Mustang, keeping his eye on the snow outside.
"Ya?"
"Do you know when Hawkeye left her apartment?"
"Why do you-" he followed the direction where Mustang was looking at and understood his question. "This could be a problem."
"What Daddy?" asked Elycia who was now hanging from Edward's right arm, trying to get him to pick her up.
"Aunt Riza may be late," replied Hughes bending down to face his daughter.
"Why?" she asked innocently, still hooked on Edward's arm tightly, pulling him down a bit.
"There is a lot of snow that's falling right now and she has to drive slowly in it," replied Hughes, smiling to reassure his daughter.
"Oh!"
Edward finally gave in and picked the young girl up, making her laughed loudly once again. He's taking her mind off Hawkeye being late, realized Mustang, eyeing the short blond teenager who held Elycia in one arm and a glass in his other, perfectly balancing both.
"We should wait a while and if she doesn't show up by then, we'll go look for her," suggested Hughes, straightening from his knelling position.
"Alright," agreed Mustang, taking his eyes away from the windows.
His attention was pulled towards the two blonds next to him: Edward and Elycia. She was once again pulling at the boy's ponytail, both laughing. However, Mustang could just make out a slight bit of pain in Edward's golden eyes. The man then spotted the glass in the boy's other hand.
"Don't tell me you drink Full…, I mean Edward," remarked Mustang, quickly glancing at the two girls who were still talking with the four adults on the sofas.
"Never Mustang," replied Edward, trying to pull his hair out of Elycia's reach. "And I don't plan to tonight either. I'd rather stay sober and have fun than looking like a drunken idiot."
"Uncle Ed, can we go see Winry?" asked Elycia, finally letting go of Edward's ponytail and was now playing with his long bangs.
"Sure," he agreed, slowly trying to pry her tiny hands from his hair with his left hand, which still held a glass.
As Edward walked away, Mustang returned his attention to the frosted windows from where he could still make out the snow, which continuously fell with even more determination than before.
"Mustang," called Breda, waving to get the colonel's attention.
Mustang walked over to Breda and Falman and took a seat next to them. He noticed, while looking at the two, that they had something in mind. Moreover, they planned to include him in it.
"So, you heard what Elric said about him and alcohol?" asked Breda in a low whisper, eyeing the mentioned blond boy from the corner of his eye.
"Of course. I'm the one who asked him," replied Mustang, leaning back in his chair. "Why do you want to know?"
"We may be planning a little switcheroo later on in the night," added Falman, smiling broadly.
"What?" asked Mustang, shocked at his subordinates plan.
"You heard us. Come on, it will be fun to see him a bit disoriented," added Breda, hoping Mustang would agree with them.
"I will take no part in this idea," replied Mustang, getting up from his seat. "But I will laugh when it happens."
Breda and Falman understood that, even though Mustang was not going to help them, he did find their idea ridiculous enough to refuse. The colonel left the table and his eyes fell once again on the frosted windows. Where could she be? He thought, heading towards the main hall. There, he found the host of the evening himself sitting near the front door.
"Armstrong, any news on Hawkeye yet?" asked Mustang, walking up to the tall man.
Armstrong looked up, his light blue eyes meeting Mustang's dark ones. The host was a well-built man who took any opportunity to show off his abundant amount of muscles. He had a tiny twirl of blond hair on his head and a large moustache to match. When Mustang addressed him, he got up, towering over him.
"No," replied Armstrong, shaking his head sadly. "I'm planning on going to find her if a while."
"No, I'll go," suggested Mustang, heading for the closet near the front door. "I'll take my car."
"Alright, I'll go tell the others," added Armstrong, heading towards the room where the guests were waiting.
Mustang pulled out his long, thick coat and quickly pulled it own. He searched the top shelf and found his hat, placing it without hesitation on his head, smoothing his black hair out of his face as he did. He took one last look towards the room where his friends sat, warm and safe before he opened the door, letting the cold and powerful wind inside the house for a few seconds before closing the door behind him. He made his way towards his car, which was parked the closest to the street since he was the first to arrive at the Armstrong mansion. He quickly pulled on his ignition cloth gloves, snapping his fingers together. A strong flame surrounded his car and the snow, which had once covered it melted away, revealing his now clean vehicle. He entered it, starting the engine, which groaned in protest at first, but burst into life the second time.
"Now, to go find Hawkeye," stated Mustang to himself, pulling off the driveway, into the snow covered street.
He had a lot of difficulty not only seeing through the blizzard but also controlling his car on the slippery road. He kept his eyes on the road, searching for any signs of Hawkeye's vehicle in front of him since he took the road, which she would have taken to get to the Armstrong residence. He drove for about a quarter of an hour before he could make out a dark shape up ahead through the thick blizzard. He slowed down even more and stopped his car next to the shape: it was another car. He turned off the ignition and left the safety of his vehicle, trudging through the thick snow. He came next to the other car and made out a shape on the other side, bent next to a large snow pile. Underneath the fur hat, he could make out a bundle of blond hair.
"Hawkeye?" he called, loud enough to be heard over the gusting winds around them.
The person looked up and Mustang realized right away that it was Hawkeye. Her auburn eyes squinted against the strong winds, trying to make out the figure that stood before her. Once she recognized Mustang, she sighed in relief, carefully making her way through the thick snow.
"Mustang sir," she called, leaning on the car for support. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to find you. You are late for the Christmas party after all."
"You're right, sir,' she replied in a sigh, making her way around the last corner of her car.
However, at the last moment, her boot was caught in a large pile of snow, making her lose her balance and fall forward. She placed her arms in front of herself and closed her eyes, prepared to hit the soft, cold snow on the ground. Instead, she felt the rough but warm texture hold tightly around her waist. She opened her eyes and looked up, into the dark eyes of Mustang who had quickly moved forward to catch her. Hawkeye felt her cheeks warm up, even with the cold wind stinging them continuously.
"Thank you sir," she finally replied as he helped her straighten and stand.
"You're welcome, and please drop the sir. It's Christmas. Besides, Winry and Rose will tell you to stop once we get to Armstrong's place. They made me call Fullmetal by his name and vice versa."
"That must have been hard si-, Mustang," she replied, a soft smile on her lips.
"So, what happened?" he asked, eyeing her car which had its front deep inside a large snow pile.
"I lost control of the car and it hit the snow bank. I was trying to get it out when you came."
"Well, we'll worry about it later. We'll use mine to get to the party. We can't do anything in this weather," suggested Mustang, walking back towards his vehicle.
He got in and waited for Hawkeye to follow. She opened the other door and slid inside, a large bundle in her arms. Mustang cocked an eyebrow, eyeing the bundle. Hawkeye noticed this and pulled at the top, revealing a thick black and white fur with big black eyes and a large wet nose: Black Hayate, her dog. Mustang smiled and turned the key to start the ignition. However, try as he might, the engine would not turn on.
"Damn…," he whispered, trying for the fourth time.
"Mustang, I don't think it's working," Hawkeye stated, trying to warm the bundle in her arms.
"We'll have to use yours," he answered, frustrated.
They got out and Mustang pulled out his gloves once again. He snapped and a flame encircled the snow bunk, freeing Hawkeye's car and warming the two adults. Hawkeye let him take the driver's seat and he tried to start the engine once again. However, the result was the same: the motor would not start.
"Mustang, I think we will have to walk…," stated Hawkeye, looking outside the window at the snowstorm.
"I guess so… Better get started," he sighed, leaving the safety of the car and walking onto the road, waiting for Hawkeye to do the same.
Once she caught up, they started the long and cold walk back to the Armstrong mansion. The wind blew even stronger then before, half blinding them as they trudged through the thick snow. Half way to their destination, Mustang noticed Hawkeye shiver, holding on even tighter to her dog. He pulled one of his hands out of his pockets and placed it around her, pulling her closer to him, trying to warm her. She tensed up slightly, her cheeks turning pink, not only because of the winds that pinched them continuously.
After a moment, they passed a dimly lit house and Hawkeye looked inside. She gasped, catching Mustang's attention. He squinted towards the windows and made out five figures inside, two huddled in a corner while three encircled them. The two adults stopped in the middle of the road, staring at the scene. Once one of the figures who encircled the two other ones moved forward and swiped at the nearest one, who surprisingly stopped it, Mustang and Hawkeye made up their minds. They ran as quickly as possible towards the house, lifting their feet as high as possible to cover more ground. Once they reached the door, they found it slightly ajar, confirming their suspicions on the three figures. Mustang pulled out his gloves and Hawkeye reached for her boot, pulling out a small pistol. They made their way towards the source the noise and spotted the five figures they had seen from outside.
The three two encircled were large, muscular men. Their clothes torn and dirty. The two they encircled were much younger. The smallest one knelt behind, his silver eyes worried as he watched the other boy fight off the three men. He, like the younger one, had light blond hair, part of it covering the right side of his face and his silver eyes.
"Halt!" yelled Mustang, poised to snap in the direction of the three men.
"Step away from the children!" yelled Hawkeye, pointing her gun in their direction.
The three men turned their attention towards the adults, surprised. They had not expected someone to show up. Even the two boys were shocked, wondering where they had come from.
"And who might you be?" asked the man in the middle, supposedly their leader.
"Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist," replied the man.
"Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye," she continued.
Recognizing the names, the three men looked at each other, scared. They searched the room and ran towards the next door, then the next, letting the cold wind enter the small house. The two boys huddled closer to each other as the wind hit them, chilling them to the bone. Hawkeye quickly followed the men but realized they were already far gone. She closed the door, keeping the cold out. Once she returned to the room, she saw Mustang talking with the two boys. Surprisingly, they reminded her at first of the Elric brothers.
"What happened?" asked Mustang to the oldest as he held on tightly to the younger blond boy.
"You did say the Flame Alchemist, right?" repeated the eldest, recognizing the name.
"Yes."
"Then Ed works under you!" realized the youngest, surprised.
"You know Edward?" asked Hawkeye, wondering when the Elrics ever befriended boys their age.
"Yes we do, him and Al," replied the youngest once again, cheerfully.
"I'm surprised, I don't recall them ever mentioning you two," thought Mustang aloud.
"We met in Xenotime. I'm Russell Tringham and this is my younger brother, Fletcher Tringham," answered the oldest, watching Mustang's face light up with understanding.
"Ah, during the red water incident," recalled the man, nodding his head.
"That's right," cheered Fletcher.
Hawkeye smiled warmly upon seeing the young boy that happy. Her attention then turned to the contents of the room and realized something crucial. There were not any stockings, lights, a warm fire nor a Christmas tree. She then realized she did not hear any other noises in the house, telling her that the two boys lived alone. She looked back at them as they had a conversation with Mustang and got an idea.
"Do you two have anything special planned for tonight?" she asked, surprising the three of them.
"No, not really," replied Russell, a bit ashamed.
"Then why don't you come with us?" she asked, Mustang nodding in agreement, understanding her idea.
"Where?"
"At a Christmas party at the Armstrong residence. You're welcome to come," she added, hoping they would agree.
"Fletcher, do you want to go?' asked Russell, looking down at his brother.
"Will Al and Ed be there?" wondered the young boy.
"They are there, don't worry," replied Mustang.
"I'd like to go if that's okay brother," whispered Fletcher, looking up at Russell.
"Of course," agreed the older brother. "We'll have to change though; it is a Christmas party after all."
The two boys ran upstairs, leaving the two adults and the dog in the living room. Mustang started a quick fire to warm themselves up before they had to confront the cold winds once again.
"That was a nice thing you did," complimented Mustang after a while.
"I don't think they had any family so, it's probably best that they spend Christmas with some friends instead alone in this house."
"It's still a nice thought," continued Mustang.
"It wasn't mu-"
"A thank you would suffice Hawkeye," he sighed, making the woman blush slightly.
"Thank you," she repeated, looking away.
Ten minutes later, Russell and Fletcher both descended into the living room, fully dressed to confront the cold winter winds outside. Mustang and Hawkeye both stood and they left the house, Russell making sure to securely lock the front door. They made their way through the deep snow, Mustang and Hawkeye, who held Black Hayate, in the front, both huddled together to keep warm while Russell and Fletcher drudged in the adults' footsteps, Fletcher holding on tightly to his brother.
After another quarter of an hour, they finally made it in front of the Armstrong residence, out of breath, faces pinched by the cold winds and the coats, hats and hair filled with tiny snowflakes. Mustang made his way to the front door, ringing the doorbell quickly, his fingers becoming numb. Finally, the door opened, revealing a large, muscular man behind it.
"Mustang! You finally made it back!"
"That's all good Armstrong but can you let us in, it's freezing out there," replied Mustang, motioning towards the three people behind him.
"Of course," the man moved aside and let his guests in, looking around curiously. "Where are your cars?"
"Stalled on the side of the street half an hour from here," replied Hawkeye, shaking off the snow from her hat as Black Hayate shook as well before running into the warm living room.
"You walked all the way here?" repeated Armstrong, surprised.
"Sadly," added Mustang, hanging his coat and helping Fletcher with his.
"And who might both of you be?' asked Armstrong, looking down at the Tringham brothers.
"Russell and Fletcher Tringham," replied the oldest, holding out his hand which Armstrong shook gratefully. "Mustang and Hawkeye helped us out at home."
"Well, you are both welcome! The more the merrier!"
"And they both know the Elrics," added Mustang, putting the hats on the top shelf of the closet.
"Even better! Come all of you, everyone's here!"
The small group made its way towards the living room where the other guests were waiting. Once they entered the room, the others cheered, happy that the final party guests had arrived safely. However, upon seeing the Tringham brothers, the Elric brothers had different reactions.
"Fletcher! Russell!" called Alphonse happily, running the meet them.
"You!" yelled Edward, pointing the older brother, surprise clearly showing in his face.
"You too Ed," replied Russell, a small smile on his lips. "You've grown since we last saw you Al."
"Thanks," answered Alphonse and continuing his conversation with Fletcher.
Edward approached the older brother who held out his hand. Edward took it and it seemed there was a silent agreement of a truce for that night. Surprising both of them, Elycia skipped towards them, tugging on Edward's sleeve once again. This time, he picked her up the first time, making the little girl laugh happily. She looked at Russell then at Edward, a confused face showing.
"Is he you brother like Uncle Al, Uncle Ed?" she asked, pointing at Russell's direction.
Those around them who heard the young girl's question laughed, Alphonse and Fletcher the hardest. Edward stared at Russell, shock etched into his features. The older Tringham brother, however, bent down slightly to face Elycia, smiling.
"No, I'm not his brother. We are not related," he explained, making the young girl blush.
"Oh, you look alike though. Both of you are pretty," she replied, making the two boys blush.
Everyone this time laughed since their attention was drawn towards the three blond children at the entrance. Fletcher was holding on to Alphonse for support as he doubled over in laughter. Alphonse, on the other hand, tried to hold his laughter but it still escaped in burst before he finally openly let it out, holding on the younger brother so he would not fall.
"Well…,um, thank you," coughed Russell, straightening while a dark blush coloured his already red cheeks.
"That was… very nice Elycia," replied Edward, readjusting his hold on the young girl in his arms.
"You're both welcome!" she cheered, unaware of the discomfort of the two older boys.
As the laughter slowly died down, Edward headed towards the sofas, taking a seat next to Winry, placing Elycia on her lap. Russell followed his brother and Alphonse as they sat at one of the small tables and caught up since the last time they saw each other. Mustang was left at the entrance with Hawkeye, unsure of what to do. However, he did not have to wonder for very long when Armstrong appeared next to them, sparkles dancing around him.
"I think it's time to eat, no?" he declared to the room.
The guests cheered in agreement, stopping their courant activity to follow the host towards the dinning room. As they walked through the large mansion, they were amazed at the architecture and the paintings around them. Once they reached the dinning room, they found a long table in the middle of the room, set for dinner. As they approached, they found small cards on each plate, each with their name on them. Even Russell and Fletcher found their papers since they had arrived late and they were not expected.
The guests took their seats, some of them laughing at the arrangement. One of the reasons was, at the middle of the table, on the right side, Edward sat between Mustang and Winry with Russell facing him. The rest of the guests were seated as such: on the right side, Catherine, Havoc, Fuery, Sheska, Russell, Fletcher, Alphonse, Rose and Breda; on the other side, Hughes, Elycia, Gracia, Winry, Edward, Mustang, Hawkeye and Falman. At the head of the table sat Armstrong himself, next to his younger sister. All the guests looked around the table at the amount of food and the decorations around them, amazed.
"Well, dig in!" cheered Armstrong, sitting down, allowing the guests to serve themselves.
They all started filling the plates, wanting to enjoy all of their favourites that night. Russell and Fletcher were especially happy since they would have spent their Christmas Eve alone in their rented house. The older brother looked over at the two adults who had come to help them and smiled, catching their attention.
"Thank you," he whispered, making both of them return his smile.
Once dinner was done, the large group made its way back towards the living room. They returned to their former conversations, aware that their host had some activities planned for later. Armstrong entered the room, face shining with happiness as he explained the activities, catching the interest of everyone in the room.
"Let's begin!" cheered Armstrong.
"Yay!" laughed Elycia, clapping happily.
Near the end of the night, Armstrong explained the last activity he had come up with for that occasion. He separated the men and the women, leaving a large, empty area in the middle.
"Alright, this time, the women will go and ask of the fine gentlemen on the other side of the room to dance with them one song. However, there is a catch," explained Armstrong, eyeing each of his guests. "You cannot ask the man who accompanied you here."
The women looked at each other and then at the men on the other side of the room. To everyone's surprise, the first one to make her way towards the men was Elycia. She had let go of her mother's hand and skipped towards the men, already sure of how she wanted to dance with. She stopped in front of the Elric brothers and held out both her hands in their direction.
"Uncle Ed and Uncle Al, can I dance with you?" she asked innocently, aware of everyone's gaze on her.
"We would be delighted," answered Alphonse picking her up in his arms.
"Sure," replied Edward. "There are more men than women anyway."
"Yay!" she cheered as the three made their way towards the center of the room.
"Now, you won't let the youngest dance alone will you?" asked Armstrong, eyeing the women.
"Don't worry girls, we'll narrow down your choices," called Falman as he and Breda moved away, back to their table.
"No one came with us so we'll sit back," added Breda as they sat down.
"Don't mind us!" laughed Falman eyeing the men left.
"And me!" added Fletcher, joining the men and landing on Breda's lap, watching everyone else.
"Alright," agreed Armstrong, returning his attention back to the women. "So, who will it be?"
The women looked at the men available thinking it over. Winry took a deep breath and walked over to one of the men, her cheeks slightly pink.
"Mr. Hughes, would you dance with me?" she asked facing the man.
"Of course," agreed Hughes, a smile on his face, accompanying the girl to the middle of the dance floor.
Gracia eyed her husband, a large smile on her face. She was picturing this scene later on in Elycia's life when she would dance with her father. Seeing Winry and Hughes, she imagined the scene clearly. Gracia then decided to go ask someone. She walked towards the men and noticed Rose doing so as well. Gracia headed towards the man in the middle and curtsied.
"Would you dance with me Mustang?" she asked.
"It would be my pleasure," he replied, offering his arm and accompanying her to the middle of the dance floor.
"I'm watching you Roy," whispered Hughes from behind him.
"Don't worry Hues," replied Mustang just as softly, turning his head slightly, a smile on his lips. "You should be watching the Elrics."
"Oh, I am," joked Hughes, nodding towards the two boys with his daughter.
Meanwhile, Rose had gone up to Fuery and asked if he would dance with her. He accepted, his face red and slightly embarrassed. The next women to go to a man were Hawkeye and Catherine. The first headed to the tall, blond man, holding out her hand.
"How about it Havoc? Do you want to dance?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.
"Brother…, can I dance with you?" asked Catherine to Armstrong shyly, looking at the others.
"Of course! I would be honoured to dance with my lovely little sister!"
They both made their way to the dance floor, waiting for the last woman to ask someone. Sheska approached the remaining man, her face red and embarrassed.
"Russell, would you like to dance with me?" she asked to the younger man.
"It would be a pleasure," he replied, accompanying her to the dance floor.
"Now that everyone has a dance partner, we can begin!" cheered Armstrong, heading over to the stereo system and pressing the 'play' button.
A soft music started playing and the group spread out, placing themselves for the dance. Elycia held on to Edward's hand while she had her other arm around Alphonse's neck as he held on to her. They slowly danced around in a circle, switching Elycia from arm to arm, as the song progressed. Winry and Hughes slow danced, talking at the same time and laughing. Mostly Winry since Hughes kept glancing towards his wife with Mustang and his daughter with the Elric brothers.
Gracia and Mustang quietly danced, Mustang being a perfect gentleman as he felt Hughes staring at the back of his head. Rose and Fuery were softly talking, laughing quietly as they spotted Hughes staring at the men with his wife and daughter. Havoc tried his best to dance and not step on Hawkeye's feet. She even helped him when he was no longer on beat to the music, making both of them smile. Catherine looked quite petite next to her older brother and they danced. Lastly, Sheska was still slightly red while she danced with Russell who, surprising her, could dance very well.
The small group kept dancing until the last note played. Once the song ended, the couples broke apart, everyone smiling at the event. Elycia, who was in Edward's arms, kissed him on the cheek and stretched out to kiss Alphonse on the cheek. Hughes then approached and Elycia laughed happily when he picked her up, patting both boys on the head. Gracia joined them and the small family moved onto the sofa, cradling the small child who yawned.
Mustang, still smiling, took a seat next to his two subordinates, Falman and Breda. The two of them, however, were looking across the room, confused faces plastered on their faces. Mustang then remembered their plan from the beginning of the night.
"So, was your mission a success?" he asked quietly, leaning towards both men.
"We have no idea," replied Falman, turning his attention to Mustang.
"How is that?"
"We have been switching his glasses all night with wine but he has not shown any signs of being the slightest drunk, he doesn't even look tipsy," continued Breda, sounding disappointed.
"He either knew and didn't drink the contents of the glass or," explained Falman.
"He can hold his liquor pretty well," finished Breda.
"Well," thought Mustang, "everyone has a limit to alcohol, try giving him one last glass to see if that gets him drunk or not."
"Alright Mustang. Let's hope it works. We can finish this party with a bang," laughed Breda heading towards the bar and filling a glass. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck soldier," joked Mustang. "I hope he comes back alive," he laughed when Breda was out of earshot.
The men watched as Breda approached Edward who was having a heated discussion with Russell. Edward was ranting about something when Breda offered him the glass. Still talking, Edward accepted the glass, stopping his monologue for a moment to thank the man and continued to discuss with Russell. Breda made his way back towards Mustang and Falman, a smile on his face. He took a seat, all watching Edward.
It took a while but once the two blond boys were done talking, Edward stood and walked away, drinking the contents of the glass. He was talking to Winry now when the men noticed that he continuous blinked, looking confused.
"Hey Ed. Are you alright?" asked Winry, noticing the boy's different composure.
"I…I… I feel great actually!" he called loudly.
"Ed! Lower your voice!" hissed Winry, noticing that everyone's attention was now on them.
"Why? I was born to stand out anyway," laughed Edward, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.
"Have you been drinking?" asked Winry, her anger rising slightly.
"Of course not! You know I hate that stuff! Right Al?" he asked turning to face his brother.
"Don't worry Winry, he never drank before and I doubt he would now," answered Alphonse, playing with Elycia on his lap.
In the corner, the three men silently laughed, congratulating each other on the success of their idea.
"Well, calm down Ed, you're making a fool out of yourself," sighed Winry, looking disappointed at her friend's actions.
"It's not my place to do that Winry," he replied happily, leaning forward. "Besides, to stand out is what I do, you know that."
He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek before jumping towards the stereo system looking at the CDs and placing one in the player, pressing 'play' and turning the volume up. Winry looked at him, her hand reaching towards her cheek slowly, her face turning red.
"Stand Out!" yelled Edward, taking a place in the middle of the room, a huge smile on his face.
The music started, Edward moving to the beat, catching everyone's attention. To everyone's surprise, he started singing over the music and he had a good voice on top of everything.
Open up your eyes take a look at me.
If the picture fits in your memory,
I've been driven by the rhythm like the beat of a heart,
And I won't stop until I start to stand out.
He danced on the spot, addressing everyone in the room, a huge smile on his face.
Some people settle for the typical thing,
Livin' all their lives waitin' in the wings,
It ain't a question of 'if', just a matter of time,
Before I move to the front of the line.
He started to move around the room, singing to each person he passed, making them laugh at his antics.
And once you're watchin' ev'ry move that I make,
Ya gotta believe that I got what it takes:
He stopped at the corner of the room where the three men sat and faced Mustang, making it seem that that part of the song was directed to him.
To stand out!
Above the crowd,
Even if I gotta shout out loud,
'Til mine is the only face you see,
Gonna stand out 'til you notice me.
He back flipped twice towards the middle, singing the chorus of the song. He punched the air a few times while singing, getting others to join him.
If the squeaky wheels always gettin the grease,
I'm totally devoted to disturbing the peace,
And I'll do it all again, when I get it done,
Until I become your number one.
He danced on spot once again. When he started singing the rest of the song, he moved to his brother and Elycia, picking the girl up and pulling Alphonse to his feet. He twirled both of them, the girl in his arm while he held on to Alphonse's hand. He stopped and gave Elycia back to his brother, making his way to Armstrong, jumping onto, and sitting on his shoulders, making a point to be taller than anybody in the room for that moment, emphasizing the words 'number one' with his finger.
No method to the madness and means of escape,
Gonna break every rule I'll bend them all out of shape,
It ain't a question of 'how' just a matter of when,
You get the message that I'm tryin to send.
He jumped down from the grinning man's shoulder and ran through the small crowd, twirling Gracia around, then Rose and lastly Sheska, getting the three of them dizzy and laughing aloud. He reached Fletcher and lifted him up, tossing him in the air for a moment before catching him and placing him back on the ground, surprising the boy. He spun in front of Russell, his ponytail hitting his friend in the face, making the older brother grab the hair. Edward stumbled back, into Russell but pushed himself up, facing the blond boy grinning smugly.
I'm under a spell, I'm in over my head,
And you know I'm going all of the way, till the end:
He spun towards Winry and bent down since she was sitting on one of the sofas, watching him. He leaned forward but pulled back quickly, making his way back to the center of the room for the chorus once again.
To stand out!
Above the crowd,
Even if I gotta shout out loud,
'Til mine is the only face you see,
Gonna stand out 'til you notice me, yeah!
The spectators laughed with Edward, enjoying the show he was putting on. The music slowed and he walked on the beat towards Winry once again.
If I could make you stop and take a look at me instead of just
Walkin' by,
There's nothin' that I wouldn't do,
If it was gettin' you to notice,
I'm alive!
Edward slowly bridged the gap between himself and Winry, a smile on his face. He hopped onto the arm of the sofa, looking down at the girl.
All I need is half a chance, a second thought, a second glance'll prove,
He leaned forward once again, getting closer with each short sentence he sang.
I got whatever it takes,
Edward bent down and his lips brushed Winry's, making the girl blush even more. She looked into his golden eyes and noticed the awareness in them: he was not drunk.
It's a piece of cake.
He smiled at Winry and pulled her onto her feet, leading her to the center of the room once again.
To stand out!
Above the crowd,
Even if I gotta shout out loud,
He danced with her, making her laugh even more and the others joined in. Rose pulled Alphonse, Gracia pulled Hughes who held Elycia, the girl laughing and clapping happily, Fuery and Sheska both joined in, slightly shy at the beginning. Hawkeye approached Mustang and motioned him to join her in dancing with the others. He complied, leaving Falman and Breda at the table.
'Til mine is the only face you see,
Gonna stand out,
Stand out, hey!
Stand out!
Edward danced towards the corner table and pulled the two remaining men to their feet, pushing them towards the dancing group. Both of them laughing loudly.
Stand out!
'Til mine's the only face you see,
Gonna stand out!
'Til you notice me!
Edward had made his way back to Winry and they danced together until the end of the song, making the girl smile broadly.
"I guess you were born to stand out Ed," she whispered close to his ears, making the boy blush in return.
Mustang watched the young couple from the edge of the dance floor where Hawkeye had pulled him. She was now standing next to him, leaning on him, smiling at the sight of Edward and Winry. She looked around the room and spotted Hughes and Gracia in each other's arms, Elycia sandwiched between them. She also saw Sheska and Fuery close to each other and, further, Alphonse hugging Rose by the back, rocking slowly to the music. She turned her attention towards Mustang and caught him looking at her, smiling. They both blushed and looked away. Mustang spotted a light blue light from the ceiling and, when he looked up, noticed a piece of mistletoe hanging above Hawkeye and himself. He looked down and noticed Edward standing up, brushing his hands together, a small smile on his lips.
"Come on Mustang. You know the tradition, don't you?" asked Edward slyly.
Edward had performed alchemy and he had moved the mistletoe from the door entrance, over their heads.
"Want to take our place, Edward?" asked Mustang, eyeing Winry next to the boy.
"Come on Mustang!" called Havoc, joined by Hughes, Breda and Flaman while the other laughed slightly.
Mustang turned towards Hawkeye, her cheeks slightly pink. She did not look him directly in the eyes, her face lowered in embarrassment. Mustang gently moved his fingers to her chin and slowly lifted it so she could look at him. She gazed into his dark eyes and he stared into her auburn ones. He bent forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, making everyone around them cheer and applaud. Mustang was even certain he heard Hughes yell out the words: "At last!" They pulled away and smiled at each other, their faces slightly red.
"Merry Christmas," whispered Mustang softly.
"And it's even better since I spent it with you," she replied just as softly.
Hawkeye placed her arms around Mustang's neck, pulling him closer. She smiled and kissed him once again. He encircled her waist, pulling her closer, both swaying to the soft music in the background.
"I feel the same way," replied Mustang, breaking their second kiss for a moment.