Uncle!Ed
...
The fluffy bunny keeled me.
Her hair smelled faintly of apple juice and baby shampoo. How on earth the child had managed to retain that scent (he was sure that they had run out of juice that morning and she had already been through the cycle of mud and garden hosing and a thorough bath that surely should have removed any hints of it by now) was probably among the phenomenal feats the creature known as the common toddler was capable of which gave reasoning behind her parents being exhausted enough to request a complete day off with Uncle Ed left in charge of their humble household.
They probably hadn't wished for their cozy shack to be brought into this condition, but then again, nothing in Edward's path really could be called unexpected, and although Winry wasn't the type to let things slide, she had seemed so uptight over her work for the past few weeks that a broken dish or two (Or five) probably wouldn't faze her at this point. And though Alphonse was as serene as ever, his wife's burdens overflowed to him by imminent default, and even his zen composure could only handle so many fingerpainting fiascos a week. If ever a couple deserved a day off, it was certainly them.
He shifted to look over Hannah's head as she rolled her cheek on his shoulder and dribbled on his shirt, and he examined the day's damage on her younger brother who was sleeping serenely, face on the floor with his tiny backside pointing skyward and the new model horse Uncle Ed had made for him encircled protectively in his arms. Edward leaned over and gently nudged the boy with his toe, just to assert that he was still alright (Didn't it hurt to sleep like that?) and was calmed when the child burbled happily and took a deep breath to calm back into his sleep cycle. Hannah- Alive. Miles- Alive. The house- ... dubious. Taking proper priorities into account, all was right with the world.
There was the slight worry of whether or not the ants were already attacking the kitchen; after all, it's the kind of Smorgesborde that a sugar loving insect dreams of when a lapse of human judgement allows for the consumption of ice cream and peanut butter cookies with no hygenic restraint. Oh yes, his sister-in-law was going to give him hell for this one; not to mention the fact that the tots had fallen asleep before he found the chance to attend to the brushing of their vulnerable little sugar coated teeth. She probably wasn't going to be too happy about them staying up until- what time was it- quarter past ten?- and him leaving the cleanup of the day's atrocities until the last hasty minute, but for now, this little world was positively wonderful, and no worries about vengeful parents who would wring his neck for letting Miles put a turtle in his mouth (Only for a second, really!) would stop him from adoring this moment of peace in the midst of a chaotic household. Yes, if he could face the sugar induced demons of his own creation and love every minute of it as he had that day, then such an encounter would be no problem at all.
He glanced at the hands of the clock, hearing the little ticks faintly over the skipping record they had been listening to, and resigned to the everpresent foe of Time, nestling Hannah against his right arm, noting how the metal casing was still smudged with grimy fingerprints that would probably begin attracting ant brigades of their own before coming off, and bent down to scoop up the second cherubic monster with his left. Funny how he looked so innocent in his sleep after screaming his lungs out the whole day through. It was almost reminiscent of his own childhood, when he had been widely purported to be the louder Elric. Although Hannah was the one who took after him most in all other traits. After all, she was the one who got a kick (Pun unashamedly intended) out of the fact that she could launch continuous violent attacks on Uncle Ed's shiny left leg and elicit no consequence except for the dull ring of metal that sounded gleefully similar to her favorite instruments of the kitchen pots and pans.
Rascals, the both of them. They were definitely going to get into bigger trouble someday, but he knew that they would make it through whatever ordeals they found themselves in so long as he was still alive to watch them. Until then, he would have to settle for mixing up their peaceful little lives as the wacky uncle and holy bearer of sweet treats otherwise restricted by Mommy and Daddy.
It was funny, really, he mused, ascending the stairs with the sleeping cargo in his arms, how two little children provided enough evidence to make him perfectly willing to flout and deny the Truth of The World as he had been taught from his birth.
'Equivalent Trade? Yeah right. I get to do this for free.'
The fluffy bunny keeled me.
Her hair smelled faintly of apple juice and baby shampoo. How on earth the child had managed to retain that scent (he was sure that they had run out of juice that morning and she had already been through the cycle of mud and garden hosing and a thorough bath that surely should have removed any hints of it by now) was probably among the phenomenal feats the creature known as the common toddler was capable of which gave reasoning behind her parents being exhausted enough to request a complete day off with Uncle Ed left in charge of their humble household.
They probably hadn't wished for their cozy shack to be brought into this condition, but then again, nothing in Edward's path really could be called unexpected, and although Winry wasn't the type to let things slide, she had seemed so uptight over her work for the past few weeks that a broken dish or two (Or five) probably wouldn't faze her at this point. And though Alphonse was as serene as ever, his wife's burdens overflowed to him by imminent default, and even his zen composure could only handle so many fingerpainting fiascos a week. If ever a couple deserved a day off, it was certainly them.
He shifted to look over Hannah's head as she rolled her cheek on his shoulder and dribbled on his shirt, and he examined the day's damage on her younger brother who was sleeping serenely, face on the floor with his tiny backside pointing skyward and the new model horse Uncle Ed had made for him encircled protectively in his arms. Edward leaned over and gently nudged the boy with his toe, just to assert that he was still alright (Didn't it hurt to sleep like that?) and was calmed when the child burbled happily and took a deep breath to calm back into his sleep cycle. Hannah- Alive. Miles- Alive. The house- ... dubious. Taking proper priorities into account, all was right with the world.
There was the slight worry of whether or not the ants were already attacking the kitchen; after all, it's the kind of Smorgesborde that a sugar loving insect dreams of when a lapse of human judgement allows for the consumption of ice cream and peanut butter cookies with no hygenic restraint. Oh yes, his sister-in-law was going to give him hell for this one; not to mention the fact that the tots had fallen asleep before he found the chance to attend to the brushing of their vulnerable little sugar coated teeth. She probably wasn't going to be too happy about them staying up until- what time was it- quarter past ten?- and him leaving the cleanup of the day's atrocities until the last hasty minute, but for now, this little world was positively wonderful, and no worries about vengeful parents who would wring his neck for letting Miles put a turtle in his mouth (Only for a second, really!) would stop him from adoring this moment of peace in the midst of a chaotic household. Yes, if he could face the sugar induced demons of his own creation and love every minute of it as he had that day, then such an encounter would be no problem at all.
He glanced at the hands of the clock, hearing the little ticks faintly over the skipping record they had been listening to, and resigned to the everpresent foe of Time, nestling Hannah against his right arm, noting how the metal casing was still smudged with grimy fingerprints that would probably begin attracting ant brigades of their own before coming off, and bent down to scoop up the second cherubic monster with his left. Funny how he looked so innocent in his sleep after screaming his lungs out the whole day through. It was almost reminiscent of his own childhood, when he had been widely purported to be the louder Elric. Although Hannah was the one who took after him most in all other traits. After all, she was the one who got a kick (Pun unashamedly intended) out of the fact that she could launch continuous violent attacks on Uncle Ed's shiny left leg and elicit no consequence except for the dull ring of metal that sounded gleefully similar to her favorite instruments of the kitchen pots and pans.
Rascals, the both of them. They were definitely going to get into bigger trouble someday, but he knew that they would make it through whatever ordeals they found themselves in so long as he was still alive to watch them. Until then, he would have to settle for mixing up their peaceful little lives as the wacky uncle and holy bearer of sweet treats otherwise restricted by Mommy and Daddy.
It was funny, really, he mused, ascending the stairs with the sleeping cargo in his arms, how two little children provided enough evidence to make him perfectly willing to flout and deny the Truth of The World as he had been taught from his birth.
'Equivalent Trade? Yeah right. I get to do this for free.'