It is customary in the Hughes/Mustang house (No, Edward, we will not add Elric onto it, Maes and I are the ones who make the payments) for someone to sit down and make sure Ed does his homework. (Al is up in their shared bedroom doing his own homework, since he can be trusted to actually do it.)

This is always an uphill battle; Ed despises homework almost as much as he does milk, and insists that he shouldn't do it, he's a state alchemist, dammit.

Due to the high rate of explosions his boredom causes, Roy's usually the one stuck with this job, against his free will.

Usually they get it done with minimal force; days when the barometer drops and makes Ed's automail hurt or days when someone awakes before anyone else because of nightmares go easier than normal.

But some days go well even without Ed's consideration for others. This usually happens when Ed has had a particularly good day; days where he gets away with small transmutations in class, or when he gets a good grade in a class he's been struggling in. As much as he's been through, Ed's still a teenager, and being treated like one is good for him.

Another way you can tell he's in a good mood is that he doesn't grumble or complain when he pads barefoot into the kitchen and can't reach the top shelf where they put snacks out of Elicia's reach. As much as he's grown since Al's gotten his body back he's still small for his size; just an inch or two below his peers, but it's still a sensitive subject, even if his arguments are more out of habit than they are him being offended.

Today is a pretty good day; Ed's humming some popular song from the radio as he works, answering Elicia's questions with a smile before sending her off to play again. Occasionally he'll get up and refill his glass of juice. Roy almost isn't paying attention, a tumbler of good scotch sitting in front of him (and away from the edge of the table).

Roy's just opened the newspaper when he sees a hand reaching for his glass. "Don't even think about it, Edward." He says casually, watching as the hand freezes and retracts, Ed's grumbling floating from the other end of the table.

Riza comes in, smiling softly at the scene, even if Ed's face is full of thunderclouds. She brushes a kiss against his temple all the same, reveling in the shocked wonder that blooms across his face before going to start dinner.

tada? have some cute.