The Glass Alchemist ( An Envy x Oc Story )

♕Happy Birthday Elicia♚

"Daddy!!!"

As soon as Hughes opened the door to his apartment, bright warm light rushed out to greet us, as well as a small, round, and angelic ball of energy- who barreled right into Hughe's arms, getting swept off the floor and into the air.

It made my heart ache- Elicia, Hughes daughter, was adorable. Hughes was very clearly the best father anyone could ask for, seeing the two of them together was enough to make everyone's hearts fill with warmth.

But watching them, so genuinely happy, father and daughter, it made my heart curl in on itself. What had I missed? What had I lost? Could that have been me- if only things had been different?

At the end of the day, however, it was Elicia's birthday, and I had spent far too much time disturbed and on edge today. Hughes wanted me to relax and heighten my spirits after the grim, grotesque events of the day. So, I should at the very least make an effort to be happy and enjoy everyone's company here.

So, plastering a smile on my face, I stepped into the Hughe's residence, which was bustling with children running around, parents mingling along the walls, and family members.

"Oh, Amari! Hello, I wasn't expecting you! If I had known you were coming over, I would've cleaned the boxes out of the second guest room!" Mrs. Hughes spoke from the kitchen, poking her head out from around the corner.

"Oh, no need, I can just crash on the couch! Do you need any help, by the way?" I asked, stepping away from Hughes and Winry to make my way into the steamy kitchen, that was busy with whistling cooking pans and pots rattling on the stove burners, the oven glowing with fiery warmth.

"Oh! Well, Dinners about ready, so can you help out with getting the table set?? But after that- no more working !!"

I let out an awkward laugh, before grabbing a stack of plates and starting to arrange them out on the table.

Seeing all these happy, carefree people gathered together, celebrating... if made me feel estranged and outcasted.

I had to wonder, when had I ever been at a gathering like this? A celebration? I'm sure I had been to one, in the very least, but when I tried to recall there was a firm barrier blocking my way thorough.

A barrier, of grief, regret, fear. Feelings that had sat and bubbled up in my chest for many, many years. That same barrier that subjected me to suffering, even after all these years when all had been said and done, blocked the memories of a kinder, softer world that I had once lived in.

I jumped a bit at the sudden weight on my shoulder, glancing over it to see Hughes smiling and talking to Elicia, with his hand on my shoulder.

"-She's a very nice girl Elicia, one of my good friends!"

"She's pretty!" she squealed.

I put the stack of plates down on the table and turned to face her, crouching down to her height with a flustered expression.

"Thank you, Birthday girl! You're very pretty too- look at how cute your little pigtails are!! You look just like a princess" I said, smiling and patting her head gently.

"Emm... I like knights more!" Elicia said, wiggling in spot with a disarmingly adorable glance through her lashes, eyes sparkling like youthful emeralds. Immediately, all woes and negative feelings were washed away, replaced with a fuzzy feeling in my chest as my heart melted.

A genuine smile broke across my face, and I held her soft, tiny hand.

"Oh? How come?"

"Because they're more like daddy!!! Daddy's a big, strong knight! Mhm!" Elicia said, doing a little shimmy of a dance with excitement.