Draped in Wires
by. Poisoned Scarlett

Theme 063: Déjà vu

"I'm sorry, Al, I know you and Mei wanted to go on a date today!" Winry apologized, holding her grocery basket in her arms. The sun was out, bright and hot as it beat down upon the plains of Resembool. She could already feel herself sweating as she stood by the doorway of her grandmothers house, said woman tinkering with some machinery down in the basement at her own leisure. "But Ed isn't here right now and I can't take him with him…"

"It's okay, Winry! I don't mind at all!" Al cheerfully said, dismissing her concerns. He held baby Nicholas in his arms like he had been doing this all his life, making Winry think that Al would make a wonderful father one day. She also though that perhaps Ed could learn a thing or two from his younger brother. "Mei and I can just eat here with granny!"

"Well, if you say so! I'll back soon!" Winry promised, hurrying down to the market without wasting another minute.

"Alphonse?" Mei called as she walked into the living room, finding him sitting on the couch with Nicholas cradled in his arms. She smiled softly at the sight and rounded the coffee table to sit next to him, watching the baby sleep soundly against his uncles shoulder. "He's so small!"

Al chuckled. "Yeah, he looks like Ed when he was a baby."

"Really?" Mei asked, astonished. "Edward-san was this small, too?"

"Ed wasn't always so tall, remember?" Al prompted, causing Mei to laugh as she remembered her hopes and dreams being crushed by the elder Elric's stature. "I wonder if Nick is also going to be short like his dad…"

"Don't say such things, Alphonse!" Mei scolded. "Nick will be a handsome, tall, young man that will inspire all young girls everywhere!" Mei giggled girlishly, reaching over to brush her fingers over the baby's cherubic cheek. Nicholas barely stirred. "Just like his uncle!" She added teasingly.

"Don't let Ed hear you say that!" Al joked. "He'll throw a fit!"

"I shall keep this between you and me then," Mei murmured, reaching over to stroke his cheek with her hand. Alphonse leaned into her touch, her lips nearing his as she whispered: "It will be our secret—!"

"Just what is going on in here?" Pinako sharply asked, startling the young couple from each other.

"G-granny!" Al gasped, mortified to be caught in such a comprising position by the woman he deemed a mother.

"Mrs. Rockbell." Mei stiffly greeted, sitting two feet away from Al with her hands clasped and stuck between her thighs. Her head was bowed, cheeks a brilliant shade of pink. "Is there something you need?"

"Nope." Pinako flatly said. She eyed both of them before her eyes landed on Nicholas. "Is Winry here?"

"Oh, no!" Al shook his head, stilling when Nicholas roused in his arms. "She went to the market for some food. She asked me to babysit him for a bit."

"Hmm, I see." Pinako nodded approvingly, sending her grandson a soft smile before slowly making her way to the dining table. She grabbed her wrench from there, holding it up for them to see. "I just came out for my wrench. Now I want you two to behave!" She gave both of them a severe look they both nodded stiffly to. "I don't want to have to be chasing after you like I did with Ed and Winry! I'm too old to be keeping an eye on you two!"

"Yes, granny." Al said, subdued.

The room descended into silence as Pinako hobbled downstairs to the basement and continued with her work.

"Uh…"

"I shall make some lemonade!" Mei suddenly spoke up. "Winry and your grandmother will be parched after they finish their duties!"

"Right!" Al cleared his throat, patting Nicholas' back a little when the baby began to groan as if he were going to cry. "That's a great idea, Mei! You do that!"

"Yes… I'll be leaving now." Mei slowly inched from the room, darting into the kitchen as Al sighed. He slumped back into the couch, looking down at the baby for a moment.

"You have it easy," Al mumbled. "All you do is eat and sleep."

Nicholas yawned a little.

Al laughed softly, resting comfortably on the couch with his nephew tucked safely in his arms.

A/N: Oh, my! I'm suddenly swamped with work! I actually uploaded this because a reviewer said she had been waiting over a month for an update! I already had this one made, and was going to upload it sometime within the next two weeks, but she encouraged me to post it today and continue writing more chapters in the mean time. I'll try to update this story every month! I really do want to finish it before school begins to consume my fanfiction life once more D:

The battle between fanfiction and school has begun! I won't go down without a fight! XD

Scarlett.