[PRP] Christmas cookies... (Elrics)

[Trelweny]

Who: Trisha, Ed, & Al Elric. Maybe Winry Rockbell. Maybe Illyana Rasputin (very maybe lol).
What: Baking Christmas cookies!!
Where: The new Elric home (to the east of Bass'ken Woods, near Aekaa River)
When: Week before Christmas
Why: mother & sons time <3

Sun streamed in the kitchen window of the Elric home. It overlooked the snow-covered land between the woods and the river where their new home was nestled on a small hill safe from any flooding of the river. It was almost a replica of their original home with some small changes. Enough that they knew where everything was kept, but that there were always enough little things that they would not be fully tricked into thinking it was as it had been.

The three anthros inside were starting a new batch of cookies. Already the kitchen held the smells of baking. Trisha pulled out a ball of gingerbread dough from the refrigerator and set it on the counter. "Boys, will you get out the cookie cutters and cookie decorations please?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

Everything had just seemed... so surreal since their mother had returned to them. He felt happy... for he was with his family once more. Although he and Alphonse were older, it was almost like when they were kids again. Red coat was hung on a coat rack near the door, and blonde hair was put into a simple ponytail today instead of his usual braid.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Edward seemed to be in a far off place as he quietly thought, a light smile on his face. Hearing his mom's voice, his softened eyes turned to her and he stood up fully, "Sure mom" he replied, before seeking out the desired items. Finally, he came across the cookie cutters.. finding several shapes including a reindeer, christmas tree, and so forth.  

[Trelweny]

"Sure Mom!" With a grin Al was dashing for the cabinets, getting out the dried cherries, raisins, sprinkles, colored sugar, and other items used in decorating gingerbread cookies. His own red coat was hung by the door as well. As he set the things on the counter Alphonse grabbed an apron for himself and with a grin tossed one at his brother too, putting his on before getting out some flour to dust the counter for their mom. White flour would show up like crazy on their black outfits. He was just so happy.


Trisha was smiling as she got out the rolling pin, reaching out to rub each of her sons behind the ears before taking the cling-wrap from around the dough. "You boys and your long hair." She teased lightly, smiling. "Thank you both. Now... which shape should we make first? Trees? Or maybe angels or gingerbread girls?" The twinkle in her smile... was Trisha teasing her sons? Well she was a romantic. Of course she wanted them to find girls of their own. She scooped out some flour & dusted it onto the counter & her rolling pin then set to rolling out the dough.

Whether she was teasing or not the younger brother felt his cheeks redden, striped tabby tail flicking with embarrassment. "eh..."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Catching the apron, Edward just blinked at it before letting out an exaggerated sigh. Ah man... aprons were so... so girly! Look at his brother put his manliness to shame by wearing it! However, the rub behind his ear quickly got his tail to wagging and accompanied with a short laugh. Oh what the hell... they were family right? He peered at his brother and muttered, "I won't tell if you won't" he said as he put the apron on. Blech.

Then his mother's suggestion about the gingerbread girls also got his cheeks to redden before letting out his protest, "Mom!"

He then looked at the choices of the cookie cutters, smiling lightly as he picked up the angel as a fleeting thought crossed his mind. "How about this one?"  

[Trelweny]

Were the aprons more girly or having flour all over their black clothes? Al laughed quietly and shrugged at his brother's reaction.

Trisha smiled with a small sweet laugh and nodded. "I think that one's perfect Edward." Alphonse, trying not to blush more because of being still not accustomed to some of the things that went with being a teenage boy in the flesh, tilted his head slightly at his brother's soft smile over the angel. What was Ed thinking? Al knew what thinking of white angel's wings made him think of -and this time his blush did deepen. Quickly he turned away, grabbing a pairing knife and starting to cut the cherries into fourths with his back to them. When he spoke his voice was soft & smiling. "Yeah... I like that one too. Oh. I should cut in slices instead for their mouths..." So that's what he did.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Grinning at their approval of the chosen cookie cutter, he then watched as his brother cut the cherries. For the mouths huh? That was a good idea. You know... they could make the cookies a lot faster with alchemy.. but then.. where was the fun in that? Doing this... it felt like they were making up for lost time.

Unfortunately... Edward, as skilled at alchemy as he was, wasn't all that savvy in the kitchen. Thus he looked somewhat clueless as he glanced between the ingredients... wondering what he should do next.  

[Trelweny]

Catching her eldest's clueless expression Trisha smiled softly, her fluffy lilac point tail swaying against her skirt. "Edward dear, would you check that the oven's set to 350 degrees and put the cookie sheets in for a few minutes while Al finishes the cherries please? That's a dear." She gave him a special smile, her arms working hard on rolling the cold cookie dough. Alphonse sighed with relief that no one was commenting on his perhaps odd behavior -it had to be odd, his thoughts were so strange!- and he hummed a song lightly under his breath as he focussed on his task. His thoughts wandered and Alphonse quickly closed his eyes, sucking in his breath as he tried to push the thought and image away. They were only friends! Friends!

His mother glanced his way in concern. "Something wrong?" Turning his pink face just enough to give her a smile Al shook his head. "N-no. Just fine!" Please don't have let Ed have seen!  

[BlackPidgeot]

His confused look was replaced by a relieved grin as his mother gave him something to do. As far as cooking went.. he would need a little direction until he got the hang of it... atleast he would be learning something! Edward wasn't so great at making the food... he was better at eating it. "Sure!" he said as he shuffled over to the stove... and noticing the exchange between his mom and his brother as he went.

Edward laughed as he did manage to see his brother's face, "He's thinking about that girl, Illyana! I knew it! You DO like her!" he crowed in triumph. Turning on the stove to the 350 degree mark then placing the sheets in.  

[Trelweny]

Alphonse's face turned scarlet. "I do not!" He retorted hotly, then felt terrible for the half-lie (at least) and turned from his brother with a frown. A confused look flickered in his brown-gold eyes. "At least... not like that. And I wasn't... well intentionally..." The younger brother's voice dropped to less than a whisper to where his mother could barely catch the sound. Trisha was still blinking a little at the outburst from her youngest -it was usually Edward that showed the temper, but though rarer seen Alphonse had it too. Softly she smiled, a soft comforting sound coming from her. "Nothing wrong with liking a girl. And -Illyana, did you say?- she seemed very nice. Certainly pretty. And..." Green-blue eyes flickered with her smile before closing into her traditional smiling slits. "I got the impression she liked you too, Al."

If he could pale underneath his blush, Alphonse with wide eyes did so right there. "Mom!!" Oh no... he was never going to hear the end of this! He couldn't even look at his brother.  

[BlackPidgeot]

The elder brother just laughed at Alphonse's outburst, certainly not at all concerned about it. It was a natural reaction to his teasing and well... it just confirmed that he DID like Illyana. He quited as his mother spoke, his face softening a bit as he came up from behind his brother and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mom's right Al... I'm sure she likes you too. The way she held your hand like that and all... and its nothing to be ashamed about." Funny how Ed could instantly go from relentless teasing to the kind and understanding brother. The teasing was only playful... and really.. he did want his brother to be happy. If that meant involving a girl.. then by all means! After all.. when Al was a suit of armor, he didn't have the choice of such luxuries.... and it was Ed's fault that he'd missed out on that.  

[Trelweny]

Trisha smiled at her sons, proud of how Ed could go from teasing brother to supportive brother. Even as Alphonse jumped and turned, dropping the knife on the counter at the unexpected contact. Two years to grow up physically both the lost five he was a tincan and the two themself... Of which Al spent them looking for his brother... well it was no wonder he was a little startled sometimes when feeling contact. This was one of those times, as Al shot Edward a sheepish look of thanks while still being completely embarrassed. Keeping an eye on them she continued to roll the cookies until they were the right thickness.

This was one of those things Edward would be better able to understand where he was coming from than their mom. Sure, Ed hadn't sudo-lived it as Al had... but he had been there. When all they had was each other. But the thing was... Al wasn't sure what he felt. Especially not when it came to Illyana. It was nice to just be a boy to her. Then there was that shared thing about losing years, reverting to a previous age and not remembering those years only to remember them later. Like now. He hadn't even had much of a chance to talk to her about it... the one time he had run into her since they both basically just caught up on things. Al really just wanted to be her friend. So he kept telling himself. It was these darn feelings that he didn't understand. "Not ashamed." He whispered at last. "Just... don't know what to think, okay?" Brown-gold eyes looked past his brother, to the west towards Bass'ken Woods where the Rasputins were staying with the family that had taken him in. She had still been wearing the poinsettia crown he had given her, kept alive by the sweet cait cit Amaryllis who aside from Bellamue had been one Alphonse was the most comfortable with there. He had half wanted to make her a new one, but didn't know what she thought of Alchemy and remembered vividly Winry's reaction to when he & Ed made her that doll for her birthday. Sure, Winry hadn't been scared of them forever... but he didn't want to frighten Illyana away.

Then with a grin as if to say 'enough thinking about that' Al slipped from Ed's arm and lightly pushed him away with both hands flat to the chest. "Anyway... Why don't you say what you were thinking about when you picked the angel, Brother?" Alphonse suspected Winry, and thought that if she did arrive here angel wings would be perfect for their automail-making friend.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Okay" Edward said back, smiling to his brother and then looking somewhat distant. There was no reason Alphonse should rush into anything of course... but he hoped that he would find the happiness that he deserved. Noticing the look on Al's face, he glanced over his shoulder and out the window where the woods were and then looked back to him.

Then he waves shoved, stumbling back a couple steps. "Hey!" he protested, a broad smirk coming to his face. So that's how he wanted to play it huh? He would get into a spar with his brother if they weren't in the middle of the kitchen... getting ready to make cookies. That could be done later.

However, Al's question caused a startled look and a slight blush to come to his cheeks. Golden eyes looked down for a moment as he seemed to hesitate... then his eyes lit up slightly as he turned his gaze towards his mother. A smile returning to his face as he just looked at her wordlessly. "She's right infront of me" he said, eyes softened... for their mother could certainly be the closest thing to an angel... but was that the only thing he was thinking of?  

[Trelweny]

A flicker of 'oops! didn't mean to push that hard' in his eyes was all the apology Al managed before he was smiling at his brother's reply. He could accept that answer. Even if he still thought he was right. Think of Mom would not have made Ed blush or be caught off-guard like that. But... Winry wasn't here. If Edward was thinking about her -again. like always- as Alphonse suspected... it was cruel more than teasing to bring her up.

Too much at least. A little was still okay.

As it was... Al was feeling a little shamed he had not thought of such a good cover. His own smile lit his face as he followed Ed's gaze to see Trisha paused in her rolling with such a happy & pleased smile on her face. She opened her arms for the start of giving him a hug then paused halfway to laugh softly at herself remembering the flour on her hands and instead waved him over to her. "Aw, my little man is so sweet." Pride, not a comment about his height. To their mother they were always her little men. "Why don't you come press out the first angel with me? Don't forget to dust the cutter in flour so it will release the dough. Alphonse, the cookie trays should be warm enough by now. Get them out and set them on top of the stove please?"

"Sure, Mom!" Younger brother replied, putting on the oven mitt. Waiting until Edward came over to her Trisha gave him a hug from behind with just her upper arms over his with a light squeeze. "And while we cut cookies... maybe you'll tell me why your mother caused you to blush?" Her soft, gentle voice rippled with quiet laughter, lightly teasing while at the same time saying she did not need to know. She was loving simply being with her sons, having the chance to laugh with them again.

At the oven, Al nearly choked on a giggle as he felt the heat escape the oven when he opened it to get the cookie sheets out. Well... he had tried to cut Ed a break!  

[BlackPidgeot]

Even though Edward knew what his mom meant.. he still had to interject a feeble protest, "Mooom.. I'm not small" he muttered, but didn't seem too disturbed by it.. after all.. if anyone could really get away with calling him little, it would be his mother. He then came to her and dusted the cookie cutter with floor as she instructed... although paused when her arms came around him.. bring a soft smile to his face. She had no idea how much he had missed this.

Pressing the cookie cutter in the dough, the first angel was made... although he again paused at her question. He lightly laughed with her... but didn't make any reply to her question. It was a good thing she was behind him though, for there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. His brother had been right.. he'd been thinking of Winry. Even though the three of them were together again... there was still something missing. He wondered if their mother felt the same way... did she miss their father? He was certain that she did, even if Edward did not.

"How many?" he then asked, pressing the cookie cutter into the doe again to make yet another angel. They looked rather nice if he did say so himself. Edward Elric... master cookie cutter..er. Or something. Yeah. "You know what? We should get a tree..." perhaps this was Ed's way of changing the subject.  

[Trelweny]

Trisha smiled with some apology at his protest, tempted to ruffle his hair as she had when they were small. They had grown so much... and she had somehow missed it. Vaguely she remembered dying and it brought her much sadness knowing she had to leave her little men alone to take care of each other. She had half hoped their father... no... he had left for them. But perhaps, he could be here as they were. Would he come then?

She let Ed change the subject though she gave him a mother's suspecting smile as she moved the angels he cut onto the warm sheet Al brought over for them. "How about one sheet for now?" "Maybe two?" Alphonse smiled. silently reminding of Ed's reason for choosing the angel & agreeing. Trisha paused & smiled. "Two then. A tree..." Trisha repeated thoughtfully. Al smiled. "We could make the ornaments. Right, Brother?"