Draped in Wires
by. Poisoned Scarlet

Theme 032: Health

Edward crunched to a stop, his boots sinking into the rocky soil of Resembool. The sun had broken over the horizon an hour ago. He was finally able to hear the birds sing their tunes and the cool breeze was welcomed, as he wiped away some sweat using the back of his hand.

He stepped up the porch steps and entered the silent house, making his way to the kitchen after he grabbed the plain white towel he had laid out an hour prior on the couch.

He slung it over his neck and poured himself a cup of water.

"Winry, you awake?" Ed yelled into the hall, drinking some water and serving himself another cup full. "Winry!"

"Shut up, Ed, granny's still asleep!" Winry came into view, still dressed in her jumpsuit and wielding a bandanna in her other hand like a whip. He noticed she didn't look the slightest bit tired, despite the hollow-gashes under her eyes, and made a mental note to force her to sleep more often: it could not be healthy to pull so many all-nighters in a row. "Has Al woken up yet?"

"Nope." Ed rolled his eyes. "I tried waking him but something tells me he's tuckered out from last nights activities." He grumbled, a little annoyed that his younger sibling and Mei had more time together than he did with Winry.

She had a sudden influx of clients the past two weeks and she was working harder than ever to fulfill every single order thrown at her. He admired her dedication... until it began to leave him in the dark about things or completely ignored at times. He often found himself wondering, during these times if that was how she felt when he scampered off on a dangerous adventure or immersed himself in an alchemy tome...

It was a sobering thought, to say the least.

He was also annoyed with the fact that Pinako didn't even catch Al and Meiwhile they were at it! He had the sneaking suspicion that the old woman was allowing such a trespass for the sole reason that the boy spent nearly all his adolescence as a walking suit of armor...

"Granny's getting really annoyed with us." Winry softly laughed. "She told me she'd rather have us screaming curses at each other than trying to catch us in the act!"

"Heh." Ed smirked a bit. "According to her, she expected all of this, right? So she can tough it out." He poured himself another cup and tossed his head back to drain it; sweat trailing saltine lines down his neck. His black shirt was soaked, showing his intense workout, but he believed he needed it; he hadn't been able to do anything more than laze around and Winry's pies were beginning to show their damage...

A slap to his ass made him splutter out water, nearly dropping his cup, and Ed sent Winry an incredulously look while she grinned back devilishly; stretching out the bandanna in her hands suggestively.

"I guess granny will have to tough it out from now on, huh?" She shamelessly groped his butt and added: "You should run a little more – not that I mind. As long as you wear those leather pants, that is!" She skipped off back down the hall after grabbing an apple from the basket, leaving Ed to gawk after her.

His hand touched the place she had slapped and he felt his face heat in embarrassment. "Geez..." he mumbled,"what the hell was that all about?" He had noticed one extra thing about her after they decided to give a relationship a try: she seemed to have some sort of fascination with his ass.

He didn't know if that was a good thing or not but he did know it existed and it was something to be reckoned with...

"Brother, whats wrong?" Al yawned, sleepily rubbing his eyes out as he entered the kitchen; their ruckus having woken him up. "Edward?"

"Nothing." Ed cleared his throat, tossing the cup back into the sink. "I'm gonna' go run some more – wanna' come with me?"

"Yeah, let me just change." Al smiled, more awake. "I'll be with you in five minutes!"

"I'll be waiting outside then!"

Leather pants? He thought back to the pair he used to wear when he was younger and gasped in realization. I KNEW IT! I knew she was checking me out! HA! In your face, Alphonse!

He would wear those pants again – just for her.