Draped in Wires
by. Poisoned Scarlet

Theme 015: Technically It's...

"Give it!"

"Brother – just let me – !"

"No way!"

"ED!"

"Give me those damn scissors or so help me I'll – !"

"HEY!" Winry snapped loudly, turning glaring eyes to the brothers out in the porch from her place on the sofa. They were scuffling over a pair of scissors, apparently. "What're you two yelling about?"

Alphonse peeked his head into the house, grumbling: "Edward asked me to cut his hair but now he doesn't want to!"

"I never asked you!" Ed shouted from behind his brother. "It was a suggestion, you idiot! Learn how to tell the difference!"

"Then stop suggesting things you don't want!" Al retorted with an exasperated sigh, ignoring the annoyed look his brother sent him. "Either I cut it or I don't! Make up your mind! When you do, come get me – I'll be in the back helping Mei meditate!" He entered the house and left Ed out in the front, glaring at the pair of scissors that began the entire argument in the first place.

"How can you help someone meditate?" Ed grumbled to himself, slumping back on the porch swing to watch the sun slowly die out ahead. His hair was beginning to annoy him with the length and he had not had time to take a trip to the hairdresser so they could properly trim it. His hair was getting to be longer than Winry's and frankly that was when he knew he had been neglecting it; no matter how soft or managable his fellow family members, mainly Winry and Mei, commented it was.

"Why do you want to cut it?" Winry's voice floated from above him. He felt her hand touch his wet hair, as he had just showered, and he swatted her hand away. "It's so pretty."

"That's why," he grunted. "It's not suppose to be pretty. Pretty is for girls."

He felt her sit beside him, fingers still touching his hair. "Well, I can't argue with that," she laughed at his glare. "How about I cut it for you?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"I used to do it for you when we were little kids, you know," she told him, matter-of-factly. "I was the one who taught you how to braid your hair in the first place, remember?"

Ed pinked a bit, remembering how long it took him to be able to properly braid his hair. She had been patient throughout the learning process – correcting him a couple of times before beaming once he finally got the hang of it. He remembered blushing back then, too. "I guess," he vaguely answered.

"Great!" She snatched the scissors from him. "Turn around!"

"U-uh," Ed eyed the scissors nervously. "You're not going to cut it all off, are you? I mean, I just want it trimmed a bit!"

"Duh," Winry rolled her eyes, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to turn his back to her. "I'll only cut it a little bit. Stop worrying so much!" She tapped his upper back, between the space of his shoulders. "It'll be like before." She combed her fingers through his moist hair before he could answer, taking the scissors and, after measuring quickly, snipped a piece off.

In the beginning, he nervously waited. He expected her to chop off a whole chunk of his precious hair but he knew it was ridiculous to think so: Winry would never do that, no matter how much he complained about her evil ways. A few more minutes of hearing the distinct snip and feeling a few more inches of hair pool below gave him enough time to finally relax. He remembered his mother would always do the same, especially when Winry began to hum a made up tune under her breath. His shoulders unwound, slouching, and her soft humming made him drowsy.

"Oops..."

Ed's eyes flew open. He whipped his head back, gritting out dangerously: "What did you do?" and expecting the worst.

Instead, he was met with giggling. She poked his nose, causing him to go pink again. "Got ya'!" she smiled. "I was just kidding – you're all done! Do you want me to braid it for you, too?"

He reached behind him, touching his trimmed hair speculatively. He suspiciously looked at her, as she gathered the hair she had cut into a small pile. His eyes widened at the amount that had collected.

"Hey! You said you'd only cut a little bit!" he shouted, indignantly.

"I did!" she replied, annoyed. "Stop freaking out already – you look fine!"

"I am not freaking out!" His fingers touched his trimmed hair again, worriedly thinking that perhaps she had cut it all wrong and now he was going to have to look like a freak for a few days until he went to a hairdresser and let the professionals handle it.

"Yes, you are!" She snorted in laughter. "Ed, it's just hair! It'll grow back eventually!"

"Not soon enough, it won't!"

"Anyway, you look better now," she smiled, adding a little fondly: "You look cute."

His face grew pinker if possible, bordering on red. He scowled and looked away, scoffing: "Guys aren't cute, Winry! Don't be ridiculous!"

Winry laughed at his immaturity, thinking that as long as he did not lose that charming trait, she would not mind putting up with his sometimes insufferable ways. She corrected herself, a little coyly: "Since you're so technical about these things, then you're very handsome!" She wiped the flat side of the scissors on her pants and went back inside to dump the hair in the trashbin, giggling when she heard Ed groan and sink further into the swing; a small smile on his face regardless.