Title: Voracious
Author: jordannamorgan
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Characters: Alphonse and Edward.
Setting: General.
Rating: G.
Length: 294 words.
Summary: The Elric brothers had a system.



The Elric brothers had a system.

“Okay, I’m getting hungry,” declared Edward, flipping shut the book that lay before him on the bed. He yawned, stretched, and looked up expectantly at the towering steel figure that was his younger brother.

Alphonse shook his helmet incredulously. “I don’t know how you can be hungry again already. Dinner was just two hours ago—and you already had seconds then!”

“Easy for you to say. You never get hungry at all!” Ed smacked a gloved automail fist against Al’s stomach. “Now give.”

Heaving a sigh, Al opened up his chestplate, and began to produce the morsels of food he had plucked from his own plate and squirreled away when the innkeeper’s wife wasn’t looking.

It was easy enough for him now. After all this time, he’d become good at it. Watching the eyes of people around them with his own invisible gaze, catching just the right second when their attention wandered elsewhere… and poof, another bite of food was gone, slipped inside his armor before anyone could notice.

Outwardly Al’s sleight of hand was a cover for the fact that he didn’t eat. But in practical terms…

“Thanks, Al.” Grabbing up a chunk of roasted chicken, Ed stuffed it in his mouth with a noise of satisfaction.

In practical terms, it helped with the fact that Ed’s stomach was utterly bottomless.

“Would you hand me the next book?” he mumbled with his mouth full, waving a hand toward the stack of rare alchemy tomes they had visited this town to find.

Smiling on the inside, Al passed his brother the book he wanted.

After all, Ed’s appetite for food may have been insatiable, but it was balanced out pretty nicely by his appetite for knowledge as well.

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2022 Jordanna Morgan