I dunno why but I love writing anything with Envy and Ed's kids. Envy and Maes in The Passing of Time were fun and awesome, and Envy and Nina in Flickering, and Envy and Nina again here. Clearly, a different Nina, because this one's the first-born child, but that's just because I play fast and loose with Ed and Win's kids. :P

The lullaby Ed sings is 'Trisha's Lullaby' from the Brotherhood soundtrack by the way Just because. And he's singing it in Latin because he's dorky like that.

60. Noise

That wretched baby was cryingagain.

Intellectually, Envy knew he should be hiding anywhere but the Elrics' basement, and that he could go just about anywhere else. But he happened to like their basement, and it happened to be mostly quiet, until their stupid daughter started wailing.

"What the hell does she even want?" So far she'd started crying because she was hungry, because she needed a diaper change, and because she was gassy. What could possibly be left?

With a muted growl, Envy got to his feet and crept up the stairs to the ground floor, through the kitchen and up the second flight, following the sound of wailing. Somehow Ed and Winry were sleeping through this, although from the other sounds he'd heard, they'd tired each other out pretty thoroughly.

Still completely soundlessly, he slunk into the room where the baby slept, poking his head over the top of the crib and gripping the edge with his long, slender fingers. "Hey," he whispered in his harsh voice. "You."

The baby was still screaming, eyes squeezed shut and face the red of an overripe cherry.

"Shut up."

She didn't obey. Envy picked up a pillow which had gotten thrown over the side of the crib at some point and held it over her head, debating the merits of shutting the girl up for good.

Suddenly, he heard voices, almost blocked out by the baby's wailing. "Oh no, Nina's awake again."

"Don't bother me, it's your turn."

"My turn? Need I remind you who carried that baby-shaped terror for nine months – and the size of what I had to squeeze her out of?"

"No, no you don't. Go back to sleep, Win."

Envy jolted in action at the sound of mismatched footsteps, shifting as quickly as he could into the shape of a mouse and darting into the half-open closet.

No sooner had he done so than Ed appeared at the doorway, grumbling and rubbing sleep from his eyes. However, he looked down into the crib and his grumpiness faded, replaced with a tired smile. "C'mere, you." Leaning down, he picked up Nina from the crib and held her in his arms. "What's got you all antsy?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him with blubbery blue eyes. "WAHHHHH~"

Ed sighed, and then began to softly rock her. "It's alright, Nina. It's okay. Daddy's here." He touched her nose gently, and a look of wonder crossed his features, as if he still couldn't believe that he'd helped create this being.

Envy admired his patience. He'd probably have dropped the brat out of the window by now.

Then, Ed began to sing, soft and low. The words weren't in English, as far as Envy could tell, but the tune was gentle, to the point where he found himself nodding off. Soon enough, Nina had stopped crying and was sleeping.

"There we go," whispered Ed. He kissed her forehead, and then laid her back down in the crib. "Love you." Quieting his footsteps as much as he could, he crept back to bed.

Envy shifted back to his normal form inside the closet and crawled out, staring at Nina in wonder through the bars of the cot. She was actually asleep. Holy crap. Envy felt his grudging appreciation of the ex-Fullmetal Alchemist go up a couple of notches. Defeat a centuries-old evil homunculus alchemist? Yeah, whatever. Quiet a crying baby without using violence? Now that was real skill.

"Hold on to that one," muttered Envy to the sleeping baby. "You're a lucky girl."