Title: Imperfect
Pairings: Elricest (EdxAl, specifically)
Genre: AU-ish, Fluffy, ... WAFF...?... One-shot.
Rating: PG13...?
Word count: 3843
Warnings: This fic is MPREGhas yaoi and incest. If the thought of a incestuous male pregnancy squicks you, please don't read. It's in third person, told from Al's POV, Ed's just on the third paragraph and on some lines towards the end.
The brothers are restored and... a bit OOC?
Disclaimer: Ed and Al are Hiromu Arakawa's propriety (how lucky her...)
Author Notes: This was written as a xmas gift to a friend. Merry Newtonmas, C-chan. :D
Beta reader: Yokokitsu----------------------
It was done! Al smiled slightly as he surveyed his work, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead and rubbing his aching back gently. A delicious looking cake sat on the kitchen table, surrounded by their mother's chocolate cookies that he knew his brother loved so much. He made these every year for Ed's birthday. Al looked around, to see if he had forgotten to make or clean something- nodding to himself when he saw everything was okay. Ed's birthday this year had to be perfect.
He yawned, feeling very tired now that his work was done, a quick glance to the wall clock showed him the reason for his sleepiness: it was almost three-thirty in the morning. He had to go to sleep now if he hoped to wake up at seven in the morning. Covering the food, he left the kitchen for the room he shared with Ed. He changed quickly and softly laid down on the bed, as to not wake his brother. He smiled happily to Ed's sleeping form and then looked down at himself, gently caressing his flat belly. He just hoped Ed wouldn't be as shocked as he thought he would be.
He slept with a smile on his face despite his still aching back.
...
Ed opened his eyes slowly, blinking to adjust them to the faint light that filtered through the curtains. Yawning, he looked up at his bedside table, trying to read the time with his still-fuzzy vision. Half past eight in the morning. He stretched slightly, wondering why Al hadn't woken him up at eight like usual, but as he sat up he soon saw the reason. Al still lay curled up on his side of the bed, seeming to be in a deep slumber. Ed frowned a bit, worried. He had rarely woken up before his brother these last years, yet it was already the fifth time that it had happened in the past two weeks. He caressed Al's face gently before standing up as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake his sleeping brother.
...
Al woke up to an insistent hand rubbing his shoulder, and unintelligible words being whispered gently into his ear. He frowned a bit at first, trying to understand those words. When his brain finally grasped that the voice's owner was his brother, he forced his body to wake up immediately. Turning towards the source of the sound and forcing his eyes open, he frowned even more. It was truly Ed- he had woken before him... An unexplainable sadness washed over him. Al's eyes blinked uncontrollably, watering, outraged by his lack of consideration to them. His body ached when he forced himself to sit up as well, and even his head started to hurt.
"Nii-san?" he asked groggily, and Ed looked worriedly back at him, carefully pushing him back down. His body happily complied, but his brain was still working hard on keeping it awake.
"What time...?" he asked again from his place on the bed, raising his hands to rub the sleep away from his eyes. He saw Ed looking quickly at the bedside table.
"Five past ten," he stated, and Al stopped mid-movement. What! It was that late! It couldn't be... He felt even more upset. He should have woken up before Ed... He knew he had to work a lot to prepare his brother for the news, and that would take time...
He felt tears filling his eyes as he lowered his hands to the mattress."Al? What's it...? Are you feeling that sick this morning?" He looked up into his brother's worried eyes when he felt Ed's hand gently wiping the tears that started to fall down his face. He forced a smile.
"I... Today is your birthday..." Al explained in a sad voice. He let his voice trail off, as if it fully answered the questions. He should have woken up first. Ed frowned a bit at him, caressing his face gently.
"Yes, it is," he stated after a while- he saw his little brother wasn't going to say anything more. "What are you feeling? Is your stomach hurting again? Is that why you're crying?" Al frowned up at his brother, shaking his head, rubbing his stomach unconsciously when it was mentioned.
"I... I'm not crying..." he sniffed, Ed quirked an eyebrow at that. "I wanted to wake up earlier than you today, so I could bring you breakfast in bed. I know you love when I do that..." Al whisper a little later. and his older brother smiled at that. Ed leaned over him and hugged him tightly through the blankets.
"Ah... And do you know what I love much more than that...?" Ed asked after a while, only when he felt Al was already relaxing into his embrace. He raised his head so that he could look into his younger brother's eyes as he asked.
Al looked back into his eyes and shook his head, and he gently kissed him on the lips before answering. "Bringing you breakfast in bed. Thank you very much for giving me such a rare opportunity for my birthday," Al looked up at him surprised, then smiled gratefully, hugging him tighter than before.
"I love you so much, Nii-san... Happy birthday," he said into his older brother's ear as they hugged, and Ed smiled, pulling back answering him with a longer kiss on the lips.
"Now... Shall we eat?" Ed pointed to his side of the bed, where the breakfast he had made for him and his brother to eat sat. Al blinked at it, still not believing on his eyes as he slowly sat up. Ed understood his expression, and he chuckled as he grabbed a plate with toast and placed it on Al's lap.
"Stop looking at the food as if it's only your imagination, it will make me feel that I am a bad lover," Al chuckled back and punched his brother's shoulder gently at the joke. They started to eat together then, Al seeming happier at each second that passed, and Ed looking less worried as well.
The two ate slowly, talking and laughing with each other as they did. Once they finished, Al leaned on the bed post, feeling tired, but with a smile on his face. Ed stood to get the dishes to the kitchen, and when Al moved to get out of bed and help him, his brother pushed him back down again. Al frowned at him, and Ed shook his head.
"I'll get the dishes down and be right back. Rest," Ed ordered as he left the room.
Al looked a angrily at the door for a minute, but decided against following his brother. No use in getting him annoyed today, even more so now that he had done everything wrong. Al sighed and laid down once more, feeling dizzy and weak. Why did he have to wake up late just that day of all others? He was still sulking when Ed came back less than five minutes later.
"Stop frowning... It doesn't suit your beautiful face at all," he looked up at his brother a bit confused when he heard his gentle voice, then blushed quite a bit. He hadn't realized he was frowning, and he really didn't want to make his brother sad, so he offered him a bright smile, but it turned weak. Ed smiled back and sat down on his side of the bed, going under the covers before Al could react.
"Ni... Nii-san? Are you going to sleep again?" Al asked confused, looking at Ed as he laid down next to him and snuggled closer. Al raised his head so he could slip his arm underneath, then turned to look at his older brother as Ed slipped his other arm around his waist and pulled him closer, both arms warm and soft around his body, despite the obvious cold outside his covers. Al guessed that his brother had warmed himself with alchemy right before entering the room, because his face was still flushed with the cold.
"Not really... But it's too cold outside the covers, and I want to be with you a little," Ed explained before he leaned down and kissed his lips softly.
Al closed his eyes and kissed back, enjoying the warm feeling his brother's kisses always brought to him. Ed tasted like chocolate, and Al had no doubts that it was because he had eaten his cookies already. He smiled as they parted, their lips still lingering near each other's.
"Nii-san, you shouldn't eat the cookies before Winry comes," he admonished gently, his words losing meaning as his eyes smiled up at Ed. His brother kissed him again, softly and briefly, once, twice, three times, many more times, until he was so relaxed by the warmth of his kisses and by the heat of his body that Al couldn't even force his eyelids open anymore, but his smile remained on his lips.
"Shh... I just ate two... You always make dozens of them..." Ed whispered very softly in his ear, kissing his forehead right after and letting his lip linger there as he continued talking, caressing his back lazily with his arm. "Besides, Winry never eats more than three of them... Neither do you, for that matter."
"Hmm..." Al murmured back, melting into his brother's embrace, too relaxed to even try saying anything coherent. Ed smiled and kissed his forehead again and continued caressing his back, murmuring silly things as Al felt himself becoming even happier and warmer inside, starting to doze off. It was not normal of Ed to want to cuddle with him, or to say those silly things that lovers usually said, but Al loved the rare moments Ed did those things. It seemed to be getting more common these past weeks for him to get this treatment from his brother. He lazily wondered why that was, just as his mind wandered off to his dreamland, lulled by Ed's warmth and the sweet words being whispered against his forehead.
...
When Al woke up again, he was alone in the bed. He slowly blinked his eyes open, trying to get his bearings, before looking at Ed's side of the bed. Ed was not there... He raised his head a little to look at the clock and opened his eyes wide when he saw the hour. It was almost five in the afternoon! He sat up with a frown, throwing his covers off himself and shivering at the cold of the room. Why did he sleep so much? It never happened before, why did it have to happen just today... Al sighed and stood up, getting his coat out of the dresser and putting it over his pajamas. He walked out of his room to look for his brother.
He soon found him by their living room's window, looking outside and seeming to be in deep thought. As Al descended the rest of the stairs, though, Ed heard him and snapped out of his reverie, looking surprised. He quickly walked to his brother's side with a bit of a worried frown on his face. Al answered it with a slightly angry and hurt voice.
"Why didn't you wake me up, Nii-san? It's already five in the afternoon," Al said as Ed reached him, looking down at his older brother with a blank expression. Ed had just raised a hand to his forehead, as if to check his temperature.
"You looked like you needed your sleep. Now go back to bed," Ed lightly pushed him toward the stairs, but Al held his ground.
"I've slept too much already. I'll clean the kitchen before Winry comes," Al looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, as if daring him to try and make him leave. Ed sighed.
"Winry just left, Al," Al looked surprised at him, but he just continued. "She said she wouldn't be able to party with us today because she had some important business, so she just came by to wish me a happy birthday and leave my gift," he pointed at an unwrapped sweater on the couch, and Al's eye's widened. He turned an accusing look at his brother after some seconds.
"She came earlier and you didn't wake me up!" He pushed past Ed and started for the kitchen. His brother followed right behind.
"Al! Go back to bed. It's too cold down here," Ed said as they entered the kitchen. Al just waved his words off and Ed frowned. "Come on, Al. You're still feverish, I don't want you getting any worse," Al stopped and looked back with a confused frown at Ed's words -now laced with worry- biting his lip.
"Feverish?" he felt his own forehead, and it seemed to be warm... But his hand was ice cold, so that didn't say much. He sighed. "I'm not feverish, nii-san, your hands are just cold," he took the cover off the food and mock-glared at Ed when he saw half the cookies were gone, but smiled inside, happy that Ed had liked them. Ed was frowning at him, seeming worried. He was starting to feel bad.
"Al, you are feverish. You've had a fever this entire morning and afternoon, and I want you in bed. Now." He walked to Al and hugged him from behind. Al sighed.
"No. Don't worry, even if I had a fever I'm better now..." Al looked up and half-pouted when he saw his brother was about to argue. "Nii-san! Please... Don't worry about me that much; I'm the one who has to baby you today." Ed raised an eyebrow
"Al, you baby me everyday. Stop arguing. Bed, now," Ed was still hugging him and started pulling him backwards. Al held his hands, trying to pry them out of him gently.
"Ok... I will go to bed. But before that, let's just cut the cake?" his tone of voice wasn't exactly pleading, but it was one that he knew his brother couldn't refuse. Ed sighed and let him go.
"Cut the cake, and then bed!" He said with a small frown, going to get a knife to cut the cake and plates so they could eat it. Al smiled, sitting down on the table and looking as his brother came back and carefully cut two pieces of cake for them. They eat in silence, only with some whispered praisings from Ed and some "happy birthday"s from Al. But as soon as they were finished, Ed commented in passing that it had snowed a lot that day... He regretted it immediately when Al looked up from his plate with sparkling eyes.
"Really?" Al asked with a hopeful voice and Ed groaned.
"You're not going out in the snow, Al," he said in a firm tone, and Al looked sadly at him.
"But nii-san, we always do!" he exclaimed, and Ed shook his head.
"No. Not this year. Not with your fever," his voice held a tone that said this was final.
"We would only be there for a while... Ther's something you need to hear, and I would love to tell you in the snow..." Al was blushing a little, with a smile on his face, and Ed frowned even more. "Please..." Al looked at Ed with his puppy eyes, and his brother sighed heavily.
"Go back upstairs and change to warmer clothes then. But we won't be out anymore than ten minutes!" Al hugged him with a big smile on his face, before running up to their room to change. Ed smiled a little too, but he was still wondering if he had made the right choice.
----------
Twenty minutes later the brothers were outside, Al still with a big smile on his face and Ed looking warily between his brother and the snow. When he saw Al about to run out to the path that went to the river, he held him by his arm.
"We are not going down to the river, Al. There is enough snow here," he said firmly. Al looked back at him and pouted.
"But Nii-san..."
"No," he said firmly. This time he was not going back in his words. Al sighed, he was pressing his brother too much, and all was too aware of that... He walked back to the tree they had near they house. Ed smiled and followed. "Now, tell me what it was you wanted, because we're going back inside soon."
"Nii-san! Don't be impatient!" Al frowned a bit at him, but soon smiled again. "Too bad it isn't snowing anymore..." he looked up at the sky and smiled a little. Ed frowned and clapped his hands, touching their leafless three making the little snow that was perched over their heads fall on them. Al blushed a little and looked back at his brother that had just crossed his arms over his chest, looking impatient.
"Now, tell me already- what is it? It's not good for you to be out in the snow..."
"Hm... Well... Erm..." Al looked away and bit his lip, this past week was definitely not going as he had planned. Ed walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder as if to encourage him, impatience showing in his eyes. "That is... remember that... you wanted to adopt a child...?" That had been Al's idea, not Ed's, but he had still accepted it after a bit of thinking... Al had wanted a child so much, he couldn't keep it from him. Ed wasn't against it himself, after all.
"What about it? Have you found a child you want to adopt?" he asked a bit anxiously, looking up at Al's blushing face and wondering if that was because his fever was already getting higher. It ,ust have been that, not of being because of their talk.
"Well... more or less it..." Al bit his lip and looked down, Ed frowned.
"More or less?" He asked after a while, prompting Al to continue.
"Ah... I... I found out something... that is a bit strange, but..." Al's voice failed and he started to play with the snow under his feet, looking at the small patterns he could draw with his boots. Ed frowned and put a hand over Al's forehead after a while in silence.
"Let's go, Al... You're getting warmer, and this talk is going nowhere," Ed decided firmly. He held his brother's hand and pulled it, walking back to their house. Al looked up again.
"Wait! Let me continue, Nii-san..." he seemed to be upset, and Ed stopped pulling a bit surprised.
"... Later, Al. Or now, but in front of our fireplace," he pulled at his hand again, but Al pulled back more forcefully and Ed stumbled back. "Al..." He looked back at his brother.
"I found the child I want to adopt. It's here," He pulled Ed's hand and put over his heavily clothed belly. Ed looked at him for a bit of time in confusion until his face turned into unbelieving surprise.
"What!" he asked in a breath, looking wide eyed at Al's blushing face. Al bit his lip, still looking down.
"I... I have no idea how that happened... But..." Al smiled nervously, now licking his dry lips, but still avoiding Ed's eyes.
"...You say you're?... You're kidding me..." Ed gulped, forcing Al's chin to the side a bit so he would look at him.
"Erm... No..."
"...How...? You didn't..." Ed's eyes widened even more. You didn't do a human transmutation, did you? He didn't need to ask the entire question, Al understood his eyes and intake of breath.
"No! No, I did nothing like that. I would never... I was surprised when I found out..." Ed breathed deeply again and looked away for a minute, looking at the snow covered field with glazed eyes. Al closed his, frowning a bit. "You... You don't like this idea, do you... Are you angry with me...?" He bit his lip. Ed looked back at him, serious.
"No... It's just... strange... Are you sure?" Al just nodded, looking a bit sad. Ed then took a stride forward and hugged him tightly, so tightly Al felt his breath leaving him.
"N...Nii-san..." He hugged his brother back fiercly, feeling his eyes watering. After a while, Ed looked up and forced Al gently to look down at him.
"I have no idea what's happening... But we will find out and everything will be alright, okay?" he said in a firm whisper, and Al smiled slightly as his answer. He gulped when he saw Ed's eyes were a bit too bright and a little red, so he kissed his brother's forehead to try and comfort him, if only a bit. Ed leaned up and brought Al's face down, looking right into his eyes for a minute, making him forget about the cold air in his face for a while.
His eyes fluttered shut as Ed caressed his face softly, his breath warming his lips from the cold hair as Ed touched them slowly with his own. They stood there for a minute that way, just touching their lips, hugging and enjoying each other's closeness. Ed then parted a little to take a breath, then kissed him again needily, a much less chaste kiss, that now tasted of tears as well as chocolate. Al leaned down and kissed him back with just as much need, hugging Ed closer to him with an arm and caressing his temple with his other hand.
They parted some minutes later to catch their breath, resting their foreheads against the other's as they lost themselves in their lover's eyes. Al's eyes were a bit red from his tears, but they were smiling to Ed, full of love and trust. Ed's eyes were full of love as well, but they held strength, they promised Al, mutely, that he would give everything he had to protect him. Ed breathed deeply and kissed his brother's lips again briefly, before finishing the embrace and holding his arm as tightly as he could with the layers of Al's clothes.
"Home, now. It's too cold, and it's starting to snow again. We finish this talk later when you feel better," Al released his embrace as well and let Ed pull him to their house, sighing deeply into the cold air and smiling at his brother's back. His reaction hadn't been as bad as first thought... He could only wait and hope that it wouldn't get worse once his health got better. But something in Ed's eyes just moments ago had told him that it was alright now, that the only unexpected reaction he would get later was a smile. He hoped so...