AN: It's been awhile. This is Chapter 8 of my originally 23 guaranteed chapters.

Hope you enjoy!

War of Words

"Ungh." Al crouched down by his bedroom door, hands pressed tight against his ears, trying to block out the sounds coming from his parents' room.

It was late at night and Al knew he wasn't supposed to be awake, but he couldn't sleep, so he went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. After drinking and washing the glass, he tiptoed the way he came and that was when he heard the shouting coming from the master bedroom.

He dashed to his room and shut the door quickly, finding himself in the crouching position he was in now. What's happening? Why were they shouting at each other? Tears threatened to fall from his lids. It was the first time the boy witnessed something like this.

His troubled thoughts were put on hold when he was shoved to the floor as his door was forced open.

"Sorry," said Ed, closing Al's door.

Al sat upright when Ed did the same. They had a theory that sitting on the floor helps one think more clearly. "What are we going to do, brother?"

"I don't know." Ed grinded his teeth. "But if he hurts her, I swear I'll -"

"Pop won't hurt mom!" scolded Al. How can he think like that?

All Ed did was scoff and look away, focusing on the sounds coming from the next room.

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"I don't know, maybe you were out with your boyfriend."

Here we go again. He said it with such venom in his tone Riza can't help but narrow her eyes. "Really? I told you where I was going and who I was going to be with."

"You didn't tell me you were going to be out this late."

"Roy," she exhaled slowly, "I rarely go out with friends. Of course this took longer than expected." Unlike your bi-weekly meet-ups with Hughes, she thought, but bit her tongue.

"And this rare going out is an excuse to shuck on your duties."

"As what, exactly?" Her eyes couldn't get any narrower. "I told you I left food for you to reheat. As for the office, who was it again who delayed his paperwork until the last minute today?" Probably so I won't go out anymore.

"Sure, because reheating is healthy!"

"What?!" He really didn't just say that, given he was the king of reheating! "So you want me to cook a new dish for every meal?"

"That would be great if it would ever happen! But no, you go out with your 'friends'." He motioned quotation marks with his fingers.

"As if this was any different from you going out with your 'sisters'." She did the same gesture with her fingers.

"Those are my sisters!"

"They're not related to you!" If he was going to be petty, she had the right to be petty as well.

"Yeah, well," he crossed his arms. "The next time you decide to play hooky on me and our children, remember I thank you for weighing your priorities properly." Shit. I did not just say that.

"One night out, Roy. That's all I asked for." She toned down her voice, hoping this discussion would end and she could get some sleep. She already keeps house and even works with him, did she have to be a wife and mother 24/7?

"You call this night?! It's twelve thirty in the morning!"

So much for sleep. She stomped her foot on the floor. "Only because you shouted at me the moment I got in!"

"Because you didn't tell me you would be out this late!"

"I told you I'd be out!" She turned her back on him, nostrils flaring, angry tears starting to line her vision as she held her purse. "Sorry I didn't know I had a freaking curfew." She grabbed the handle of their bedroom door, yanked it open, and stormed out.

Roy stormed after her, continuing their shouting match in the hallway. "And where do you think you're going?!"

"Anywhere but here!" Really, all she wanted to do after a night out was sleep and cuddle next to him instead of come home to… whatever this thing was her husband started.

Both Ed and Al's eyes widened when what followed Riza's shouting was a series of thudding sounds followed by more, albeit farther, screams. The two boys inched out of Al's bedroom and snuck a glance at the living room where their parents were still screaming at each other.

Riza's fingers grasped the knob of their front door. What was she doing? Where was she going?

Roy scoffed behind her. "Sure, because that will get your duties in order."

She angled herself in a way she could look at him without letting go of the knob. "What do you want me to do, Roy? The last time I went out with friends was two months ago." Was it so unreasonable for her to enjoy every now and then? She curled her toes inside her shoes to control her voice lest she scream at him again. "I cook, I clean, I do the laundry, I fold and iron it all, I take care of you and the boys… I work for you in all facets of my life. Is it so hard to ask for half a day for myself?"

"I want you to come home on time!"

Great. Without another word, Riza gripped the door knob and walked out of her home.

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"In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have walked out on him." She found herself knocking on Rebecca's apartment at two in the morning and was grateful her friend didn't have a visitor.

"He's lucky you walked out, I would have shot him." She wasn't a big fan of Mustang, even if she was Riza's Maid of Honor at their wedding. Like most men in the military, Mustang had the tendency to be sexist.

"I just… exploded." She sighed. "What's odd is we have this argument every time I go out. I should have weathered it out like always. You know, kept quiet."

"Wait…" she held up her hand, "every time?"

Riza nodded. "It's just the way it is."

"Oh, hell no." Rebecca pointed a finger close to the blonde's nose. "You've been with him since you were 18 and -"

"16," she corrected her friend.

"Huh?"

"I've been with him since I was 16."

Rebecca's jaw dropped open. "And he still can't trust you when we go out?" Riza only had one group of friends that didn't involve Mustang: their sniper unit back in the Academy composed of her and Riza with six other men they treated like brothers. While they often came out to drink every week, Riza only joined them every other month or so.

"I don't know." She didn't want to believe it was a lack of trust. They wouldn't be working the way they did if they didn't trust each other.

"It's a yes or no question, hun." Uncertainty did not look good on Riza Hawkeye-Mustang.

"I think it's harmless jealousy." Sure they have this fight every time she goes out with Becca and the others, but it always resolves itself after a little while.

"Harmless that makes you come running here at a godforsaken hour."

She crossed her arms. "I didn't… run."

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The days that followed in the Mustang office were so tense the men rotated their break times in order to get out of the office as often as possible. The couple noticed, of course, but they were too wrapped into their refusal to talk to each other to address the situation.

When the clock struck the end of the day, four chairs scraped as one and Havoc, Breda, Fuery, and Falman dashed out the door.

Riza followed, her bag slung on her shoulder, but Roy stopped her. "I brought the car today." He knew she walked to and from work since their fight to avoid riding with him, but he figured it was time to smooth things over with her.

"Can't wait a second longer. I have other duties I have to get in order."

"Ri -" but she was out the door before he got another syllable out.

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Ed and Al stood watch as their adoptive mother stomped all over the kitchen, clattering cooking tools against pans and throwing used items in the sink with a grunt each time. When she finished cooking dinner, she set the table the same way - as noisily as possible.

"Eat," she told them then walked out of the kitchen.

The boys flinched in their seats when they heard the door of the guest room slam close. They munched down their still-hot food when the front door opened and their father walked in.

"Wel… come home," greeted Al, side-eyeing Ed when he noticed Roy's sour mood.

Roy plopped down on a seat and served himself a plate. The only sounds heard were the clinking and scraping of spoons and forks against plates.

Al gulped when he was done. Were they supposed to keep eating, or pretend to, while their pop finished his meal?

Luckily for the younger Elric, Ed had a plan for him. He took their plates and put them in the sink with a quick, "Al still has homework. Don't you, Al?"

Realizing it was his cue to leave, the boy dashed out of the kitchen.

Roy huffed upon seeing the back of Al's head disappear. He couldn't blame him for wanting to avoid the tense atmosphere. He checked the time and shot to his feet, hastily gathering the rest of the plates and dumping them in the full sink. Rolling his sleeves up, he made quick work washing and drying the sink's contents.

"What are you doing?" asked Ed.

"Dishes." It was absurd, but he didn't know how to apologize to his wife. Maes told him to "man up and just say it" as if it was that easy when Riza caged herself up in the guest room. He figured the first step to earning her forgiveness was lightening her workload.

"Did you hit her?" With his secret fear of Riza's temper in the past days, Ed was too afraid of broaching the topic with his adoptive mother. Maybe Roy would be more receptive to his questions.

"Never, kid." He sighed, this was going to be another long night ruminating and debating with himself. Ed already thought the worst of him, now he was entertaining the possibility of him hitting his wife?

"Thank you."

He twisted his neck from the sink to check if he heard it correctly.

"I know it's not my business," Ed dug his hands into his pockets as he backed away from the kitchen, "but I can't forgive you if you lay a hand on her, even if it was her fault."

He smiled despite himself.

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Riza eyed the clock and judging from the sound of doors opening and closing earlier, she figured Roy and the boys finished their dinner. She got up and left the room to do the dishes, though the sight of her husband's broad back stopped her in her tracks.

He sighed every now and then, scrubbing away the last of the remnants of the previously full sink. He didn't know what washed over him. Riza certainly deserved to go out with friends like he did, why did he get so angry? His aunt would smack him upside the head if she heard him that night.

She furrowed her brows. It's been awhile since Roy last did the dishes. Why was he doing this now? She willed herself to move before he noticed she was there, but confusion and curiosity glued her to the floor.

He muttered under his breath, frustration bubbling inside him. He knew who she was going to be with and he knew it was uncalled for to tell her she was neglectful. Was it an issue of trust, like Maes suggested? Of course not! Riza was loyal; even after he'd been gone for years to get his State Alchemist certification, she waited for him and even stepped in when he had to get out of Grand's command. So why can't I wait a few hours while she's out with friends?

When she heard his muttering, she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "I'm in-charge of the dishes, at least during the weekdays." During weekends, she made Ed and Al do them to teach them responsibility.

Roy stiffened and turned around. His wife always did have an uncanny ability to sneak up on anyone. Why did he think he could accomplish this behind her back? "Riza, I…" I'm sorry. Just say it, damn it!

Her gaze strayed to the dish rack. It didn't need a State Alchemist to figure out this was his way of starting to make amends.

He dried his hands on a nearby towel - how was Riza so efficient in every aspect of their lives? - and faced her fully. Sorry. I'm sorry. Man up, Roy. Sheesh. Say it.

She pushed herself off the wall and closed the gap between them.

Roy braced himself to be punched only to be caught in surprise when her fingers, light as feathers, caressed his cheek.

"Words were said - "

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, his tongue nearly tripping over itself.

"I didn't appreciate them, but," she smiled, "I'll still love you in the morning after all is said and done."

AN: I hope everyone is keeping safe. A small life update: I finally passed the Bar exams, so I'm not sure how this will affect my already slow updates. I still plan to finish the 23 chapters I outlined ahead of time, then time and inspiration will tell if I continue adding based on some of your lovely suggestions.

For now, sending love!