Draped in Wires
by. Poisoned Scarlet

Theme 064: Limited Options

"Ugh, damn it," Winry muttered, resting against the sink counter. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tentatively rose a hand to press against her sore breast. She winced at the pain she felt when she did and quickly dropped her hand, hanging her head again.

The fact was, she always knew it would hurt to breast feed, but she just never knew how much it would actually hurt. She would swear she increased two cup sizes from the sheer swelling. It was painful and now she even dreaded feeding time, as that would entail Nicolas latching onto her and causing her burning bouts of pain for at least half an hour which bled onto three hours unless she took some painkillers or put some ice on her sore breasts.

"That's Den, he's a dog," she could hear Edward coo to Nicolas. She heard a bubble of laughter from the baby, which caused her to smile despite the pulsating pain. "C'mer, Den, say hi to Nick! Oi, not that close!"

She finished drying the dishes and placed them on the rack, sighing softly before forcing herself into the living room. She spotted Ed sitting on the couch, the baby in his arms protectively; in the way she held him, she realized, and another, wider, smile spread on her face. He refused to allow the nurse, or any other person, teach him how to hold his child in the beginning. He'd glare or stare them down until they got the hint that he had read this in a book and knew how to it without anyone needing to teach him. She always thought it was ridiculous: of course he wouldn't know how to hold a child properly! And there was only so much a book could teach him about these things although he'd fiercely beg a differ. But try telling that to a stubborn man who did not swallow down lectures well...

"Okay! It's feeding time!" Winry smiled, trying her best transform her glum mood to something more chipper. "Here, give him to me, Ed."

"It's already been four hours?" Ed whined, handing her the child carefully.

"It'll be your turn to change him, don't worry!" she smugly said, giggling at his groan as she settled the baby in her arms. Hesitantly, she took a breath and, after a few seconds, began to lower her shirt from the neck line. She was aware of Ed's curious gaze on her, as he had not yet seen a real feeding session although she had been doing it for the past two weeks or so.

"Ow, shit!" Winry cried, mouth twisting into a grimace. She tried to adjust his mouth, tried to somehow lessen the flaring pain she felt, but it only seemed to encourage Nicolas to suckle harder. "Oh, you little monster... Oww..." Winry bemoaned fondly, something which just told her that her hormones had yet to truly settle down.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ed asked quietly, noticing the way she bit her bottom lip and her face flashed with pain every few seconds.

"It's okay," Wiry replied, strained. "I'm just really sore. It's normal when your breast feeding but - ngh - I'm going go have to ween him into a bottle soon," she took a steady stream of air. She needed to just forget the pain for just a few minutes.

"If you're in that much pain, you should do it now," Ed suggested hesitantly. "I can go buy some bottles - wait, didn't Al buy some for us? I can go get them if you want."

"No," Winry shook her head. "It hurts but it's better for the baby to drink breast milk for the first few weeks. Breast milk has more - ugh - nutrition."

Edward watched her carefully, watched how, even though he could only imagine how painful it was for her, she persevered through the pain just to bring their child the best nutrition possible.

It made him feel guilty.

There wasn't much for him to do except the usual: change diapers, bounce him to sleep, play with him... In a way, he seemed to always be on the positive end of having a child while she had gone through so many trials: intensely agonizing childbirth, the blowback, breast feeding, which, he saw, was apparently painful, and waking up at the ungodly hours of the night to care for him..

He clenched his fists. He could not make the load easier than it already was; if it was easier at all. He had work to go to, he had his duties to complete, and he loathed the fact that Winry stayed home all by herself while he was miles away, taking care if their child... alone.

"Here, Ed," Winry whispered, gently easing the little boys head from her breast and carefully transferring him to Ed's arms. He roused only slightly; nothing a little motherly cooing couldn't fix. "Go place him in his crib, I'll be in the kitchen getting some ice!"

"Ice? For what?" She was already rushing to the kitchen, a hand pressed over her right breast. He scowled and hurried upstairs as quietly as his automail leg would allow him and cautiously placed the child in the crib, watching him for a moment in case he woke before easing out of the room, leaving the door ajar like Winry told him too, and jogging downstairs once more.

"Win?" he called when he didn't find her in the kitchen.

"Shut up, Ed, you'll wake Nicolas!" Winry snapped from the dining room.

"Maybe if you weren't all over the place, I wouldn't be yelling," he grumbled to himself, looking away when she shot him a look. "Do you feel any better?" he asked softly, as she adjusted the pack of ice on her breast.

"Yeah, the ice is reducing the swelling," Winry assured. "I'll be okay in a couple of minutes."

Edward lowered his eyes to the floor, unsure of how to comfort her.

"Stop making that face," Winry teased, his eyes snapping up to meet hers in surprise. He remembered telling her that, once. "What's bothering you now?"

"Noth—"

"And don't say nothing because I know it's something," Winry warned with a hint of a smile on her lips. She stretched out a hand, beckoning him to step closer to her.

He moved hesitantly, face warming a bit when she wrapped an arm around him and rested on his chest contently. He was still unused to the coddling he received from the woman; the random acts of affection and happiness. That didn't mean he disliked it - he was just, as she often put, adorably clueless although he had reason to believe that she was slipping an insult in the otherwise fond remark.

"Well?" Winry spoke up again, when all she heard was silence from the man. "Are you gonna' tell me or do I have to force it out of you?"

He snorted softly at that. "I thought the random spurts of violence would stop once you had the baby."

"Apparently not!" She giggled.

"I feel tricked," Ed sighed, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

"Ed?" Winry prompted softly after another few seconds of silence.

There were few options Edward could utilize at the moment. The first one was the most obvious one: lie and somehow detach from her disarming ways. The second one would be to tell her and suffer through the awkwardness of being helpless and the third would be to somehow circumvent the reason and ultimately discover the answer simultaneously. But neither options seemed to be appropriate. Neither option seemed to offer a grounded solution. Neither option made him feel anymore secure.

Because I don't know what to do, he discovered grimly. I have absolutely no idea how to solve this. But he knew there had to be an answer; a solution. Everything had an answer. He just wasn't thinking clearly. Think, he told himself, think! Think!

"Ed, what's wrong?" Winry looked up at him, all humor drained. She looked worried now.

"Winry, are you still on pregnancy leave?" He asked, suddenly.

She blinked, confused by the sudden light in his previously blank golden eyes. "A couple of more days. At least two months so I could settle down and... everything. Why?"

The corner of his mouth lifted, eyes suddenly bright. "Then you can come live with me! In Central!"

"What?" Winry stammered. "Edward, I can't—!"

"Yes, you can!" he insisted. "You and Nick can come live with me for the next two months! Look, if it's space you're worried about, I can make a deal with the landlord to rent us a bigger apartment—!"

"But, Ed, why?" Winry interrupted, confused. "I—Nicolas and I are fine here in Resembool with granny..." She trailed off, eyes searching his own troubled ones. "What's this really about?" she pursed her lips, resisting a scowl at his secretive ways.

"Just promise you'll come live with me!" he stubbornly said.

"But what's this all about?"

"Just promise then I'll tell you!" Seeing the indecision in her eyes, he hugged her tightly. "Please..?"

Winry grunted, pushing herself away from his suffocating embrace. "Fine! Now can you tell me what's this all about?"

"Yes!" he grinned, pushing her forward from behind. "Okay, go pack – we're leaving tomorrow!"

"WHAT? Ed, we have to pack the crib, his toys, diapers a-and—!"

"Then I guess you better get at it!"

"THAT'S IT!" she screeched, fed up with him avoiding her question. "What's this all about? You better tell me now or so help me—!"

A cry came from upstairs.

"Geez, Win, way to wake up Nick," Upon receiving her deadly glare, he added sheepishly: "I just really miss you guys," and proceeded to jog upstairs to tend to a wailing Nicolas Elric.

Winry sighed heavily, pinching her nose and sighing again when the baby's crying only worsened.

There were few options she had at the moment and she decided, as she heaved herself up those flight of stairs, that she'd rather choose the easiest option and just go ahead with Edward's request until her headache abated.