Disclaimer: I do not own FMA

AN: I know that the first chapter was short, but please bear in mind that it was a prologue which is why it is shorter than the actual chapters. Upcoming chapters will be longer and I will always try to at least reach 2000 words per chapter.

Thank you to everyone who read my story and also to those who reviewed it, favourite it and followed it. I'm really excited to continue writing it. I will try to always reply to your reviews, if they are from an anonymous I will post the reply in the next chapter.

To Hyper Twitchy V: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story. I'm happy that you like it but I'm sorry that I will have to decline your kind offer as a beta. I will try to diminish the number of mistakes if possible, but otherwise please bear with me. I'm fully aware that the first chapter was very short; the upcoming chapters will be longer. Thank you.

And now, excusing the tardiness, enjoy the second chapter!

2 Hn, stew would be good

What—?

Edward read the letter again.

And again.

Then he checked that his father had sent it to the right person.

Edward Elric no doubt the receiver was right. The letter was in the right hands. But Edward just couldn't believe it. Since when did he have a little brother? Since he was a year old sure, but was he from the same mother? Was he also Trisha's son? If so Alphonse never met their mother, Edward had no recollecting memories of a younger sibling. But there was a possibility that he had a different mother as well.

That bastard, Hohenheim!

With too many unanswered questions to count he made his way into the empty guest room from where he had heard a shifting sound from. Was this Alphonse already in his house?

Edward walked with heavy steps making sure the guy would hear him coming. He just couldn't believe it. At the age of eighteen he found out the existence of seventeen years old Alphonse he'd now have to take care of.

Wait- he thought –could be… damn him, he waited till I was eighteen.

Yes, eighteen, he was now considered a legal adult, was that the reason why Hohenheim decided on this perfect moment? If Alphonse really was his biological brother, then Edward could have legal custody over him. It all clicked in, it made sense. Damned Hohenheim he repeated in his mind.

Reaching the door to the guest room he stood firm for a few seconds. He brought up a fist to the door to knock; he didn't want to seem rude did he? Rude? He thought of the word again. Edward didn't really have to knock on the door of his own house, the rude one was Alphonse; coming to a stranger's house uninvited expecting them to take care of him.

Without further though he hastily turned the handle swinging open the door.

The first thing he noticed was a small suitcase by the leg of the bed. Screw that, the first thing he saw was a teenage boy sitting on the bed with a book in his hands. He had the same pair of golden eyes that he himself possessed and butterscotch long hair tied in a ponytail a shade darker than his own. Alphonse widened his eyes in surprise and looked at the stranger he acknowledged as brother. Edward immediately noticed how much he looked similar to Trisha, yes, this was his brother.

"Mom…" he muttered in a strangled breath.

"Huh?" Alphonse wondered whether he had heard right, did he just say mom?

"I mean, you must be Alphonse right? I'm Edward." He immediately regained his composure.

"Oh, yes. Nice to meet you… b-brother?" Al was unsure whether he was allowed to call him that, he muttered the word with such shyness.

"Just so you know I don't like having people in my house. I always lived alone. Since this is a special circumstance you will have to follow my rules in my house." He folded his arms. Al nodded twice. "First, you stay out of my business I stay out of yours, don't talk to me if it's not necessary." Alphonse nodded once again, this time a bit more unsure, did this at least mean that he could call him 'brother'? "Second, don't call me brother, we are strangers." I guess not. "For now that's it, you stay in this room; I still need to think this through."

With that he walked out of the room closing the door shut behind him.

Edward walked back into his own room. He removed the brown coat and lay on his bed, face on the pillow. For tonight it was alright, tomorrow he would explain the rules better. He was tired from a day of hard work anyways.

But was this really alright? Hadn't he been a bit too cold to his little brother? Scratch that, there was no way he could recognize him as a little brother. He did look similar to his beloved mother, but this boy was just a stranger.

A stranger he was going to start living with that is.

The blond took out the letter from his father from his pocket and read through it again. "He'll explain the details." Which details? These were the facts: his father suddenly broke into his house leaving some pain in the ass he'd have to take care of. Yet when Alphonse called him brother, the heart that froze thirteen years ago on the day Trisha died seemed to melt a little bit.

And with thoughts of the little guy calling him brother stuck on repeat in his head Edward fell to deep slumber.

…

When Edward next woke up he did his usual routine. He washed and dressed up and tied his hair in a braid as he quickly run out of the house taking his keys with him. It was only when he'd arrived at work and prepared a big cup of coffee that he suddenly remembered: Alphonse.

Not being used to him being in his house yet, Edward had completely forgot about the seventeen years old. However, believing that the boy was old enough to cook himself something to eat or go buy something he rested at ease and proceeded with starting his work. By lunchtime Edward had already consumed three cups of coffee when he decided to take a break from work as he finished reading the last of the third stack of papers.

Thinking back to the events of the day earlier it still seemed so unbelievable, and then he thought about things more carefully and realized that in his house there was no food and that he took the only pair of keys of his house with him… locking the front door. Right now, what would Alphonse be doing? Could it be he is wondering around the house looking through shelves yet finding nothing but empty cupboards? What should Edward do if his little brother got really hungry because of his trip from the west the day before? From what he remembered from his father, it took three days to reach the Centre City, one day by train and two days by foot.

Without his consciousness acknowledging it, Edward had admitted two things in the last few minutes. That Alphonse was his little brother and that he cared for him more than he should for a stranger he barely just met. Was it because of the resemblance to his mother? When the boy smiled last night he couldn't help but feel it was such a familiar smile.

But Alphonse didn't seem stupid either, quite smart actually. And Edward lived on the second floor of the condominium; he could easily jump through the window to buy himself something to eat.

With that as an excuse in mind he quickly consumed his own lunch and continued his work. Paper work was what he hated the most.

It was late afternoon when the young alchemist had finally finished his work. Laying the last sheet upon the last stack of papers almost ceremonially, Edward subsequently crashed his head on the finally empty desk resting for some moments. After some ten minutes he made his fifth and last cup of coffee for the day and hastily drank before throwing his coat on and leaving the office without saying goodbye to any of his co-workers.

Entering the headquarters canteen he took the usual set before setting himself down in an isolated corner. Before he started eating he thought back to Alphonse, once again. What if he had no money on him? Edward didn't leave anything for him today, not a note not some money, nothing. Could it be even now, he was still starving without having eaten anything? It can't be can it? He took a spoonful of soup and with much difficulty gulped it down. Yet what if when he got back home he'd find Alphonse collapsed?

Clearing the tray away he ran off in a quick pace. When he reached the door to his apartment he fiddled with his keys before finding the right pair. If when he opened the door he'd find the collapsed body of his little brother, it was all going to be his fault.

Yes as he opened the door there was none of that. Just a smell detergent and the living room some great tones brighter and cleaner.

"Welcome home, brother!" exclaimed cheerfully the boy sitting on the couch with the same book as yesterday in his hands.

Edward let out sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He hadn't collapsed. Changing his expression from one of relief to one of a scowl he looked at Al with a glare, frightening the younger.

"I told you to not call me that." Immediately he regretted it. Softening his expression just a little he tried again "You really didn't have to clean the house, it's not your job."

Al smiled brightly "I wanted to! Since I'm going to be living here anyway I might as well make myself useful."

Edward couldn't believe how positive this guy was.

"More importantly have you eaten?"

"I ate what I brought with me, I tried to look for something to cook but it's all empty… ah! Sorry if I rummaged through your cupboards." He was obviously scared of his older brother. Edward inwardly chuckled at that, he wouldn't admit it but he found Al to be somewhat cute.

"No it's alright." Without apologizing as he should've had Edward continued. "I hope you didn't enter my room."

"No, I wanted to respect your privacy, but if you would like me to, I could clean it." He smiled wide again.

"I'll do it myself." the mess in his room was his own mess, it was a mess that in a twisted way it was tidy so that only its owner knew the place of everything. "Take your coat; we're going out to buy some groceries."

…

It was late afternoon and some shops started closing already, Edward walked quickly through the streets while Alphonse followed a few meters behind trying to keep up with his brother's pace. He kept glancing around taking in everything he could see. The Centre sure was different from the place he lived in before. Centre City was so full, so crowded; Alphonse thought he never saw so many people in one single place.

Less than ten minutes of quick walking later Edward came to a halt. They had reached the closest grocery store. Al still couldn't believe how close chops were, how many there were! Upon entering the store Edward curtly greeted the shopkeeper. He looked around the shop before finally realising that he couldn't cook to save his life, thus didn't know which ingredients to buy.

"Let's make this clear, I can't cook." He told Alphonse.

"Oh, I can, I used to cook for dad every day! What would you like to eat tonight?" Al cheered.

"Anything is fine." Handing Alphonse the money he told him: "You buy it, I have some things to do."

Now it made sense, that's why he left the front door open. Hopefully the youngster had memorized the road well; in any case it was a short walk.

Leaving his brother behind Edward proceeded to walk out of the store. As far as he remembered there was a blacksmith on the parallel, street, he should get a copy of his apartment key done as soon as possible for Al.

Some half an hour later Edward was already on his way home with two pairs of keys in his hands. As he opened the front door he smelt a wonderful odour of homemade cooking that he has not smelt in years. As a simile to describe the difference between this smell and the one that came from the headquarters dining room Ed would use like heaven and hell. The food from his workplace was not bad, just horrible, or more. In contrast right now he could feel the warmth of a real home from the strong aroma of pork cutlet and roasted potatoes.

"Alphonse?" he called.

"Yes bro— I mean, Edward?" Al smiled as he skilfully turned the pork cutlets in the frying pan with a slight motion of his arm. Turning he looked at his brother with a broad smile.

"I'll leave your copy of the keys on the table." Edward grimaced; this guy was getting too familiar with him.

Sitting down on the sofa he heard his brother say: "Alright, thanks Edward. Dinner is almost ready."

Standing up once again he noticed that the table had already been set. He sat in one of the chairs staring at Alphonse.

The younger teen placed the cutlet in one side of the plate adorning with broccoli and roast potatoes. A few minutes later he set one plate in front of his brother and one in front of himself.

Alphonse looked expectantly as Edward took his first bite. Noticing the staring, Edward sighed.

"It's… not bad" delicious, he hadn't tasted this kind of homemade meals since the death of his mother.

Satisfied with the answer Alphonse turned to start eating himself.

"Bro— Edward, if there's anything you want to eat for tomorrow breakfast or lunch tell me." He smiled cheerfully

"It's alright, I'll eat out." Catching Al's disappointed look Edward rephrased the meaning "Just take care of dinner for now."

Eating at home wouldn't be bad, honestly he would rather eat his brother's cooking than the dinner lady's horrible meals, but Edward refused to get so close to the one he intended on rejecting.

Alphonse perked up, his smile bright once again. "Is there anything you'd like for dinner tomorrow?"

"Hn, stew would be good." His favourite.

Thanks for reading!