Day 05: Secrets

"Winry," Edward calls, rapping his knuckles on the outside of the bathroom door. "It's almost four, they're going to be here soon."

"Hey Ed, can you come in here for a moment?" Winry responds, her voice muffled slightly from being on the other side of the door.

"Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, just come in here for a moment."

Ed grips the gold colored bathroom door handle and pushes, stepping into the master bathroom. The tile floor is warmed by the sunlight flooding in from the skylight overhead as Ed walks in barefoot. Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.

They're supposed to be hosting a celebration for the holiday, inviting Granny and Alphonse and Mei, Teacher and Sig, and even Mustang and Hawkeye over to celebrate it. Teacher and Sig had declined the invitation, already having plans to travel west for what Sig referred to as a romantic getaway, whatever that meant. The rest, however, were due to arrive pretty soon and Mei and Al probably an hour later when their train gets in. It's supposed to be quite the evening.

Nicholas and Genevieve are also quite excited to see all their family in one place. Ed feels bad they don't get to see more of them, not with Granny staying back to manage business in Resembool and Hawkeye and Mustang being so busy with their efforts to fix this country from the inside out and Mei and Al gallivanting across Xing.

Ed walks up to where Winry stand, her back turned towards him, looking down at something she's holding in her hand.

"Win," he starts, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "are you sure you're alright?"

She wheels around to face him. "Ed, I'm pregnant."

"You're what?"

"Pregnant. Look," she extends an arm out, holding out the test to him. Sure enough, she's pregnant. "I had a feeling I was too. In the mornings when I—why are you making that face, you look concerned."

He barks out a laugh, "I'm not concerned, I'm just shocked."

Winry shrugs. "It was going to happen sooner or later."

"Fuck, Winry. We're having another kid. Holy shit. Holy shit we're having another kid!/b" He picks her up by the waist and swings her around, Winry screaming in excitement. Then, with dawning realization, he puts her down realizing he most definitely shouldn't be roughhousing with her like that because holy fuck my wife is pregnant. For a second they're lost in the moment, nothing else around them mattering. Their entire worlds are filled up in each other. Once they're both on the ground, Ed leans forward and they kiss for a moment, their lips at the same height.

"Isn't it great?" she whispers into it.

"It really is."

"Mama!" a voice whines, breaking the moment entirely as the door bangs open. "Gen won't let me open the door for Aunt Riza and Uncle Roy because she says only you or Papa are allowed to open it!"

They both stare at their son standing the doorway looking up at them.

And the moment is over.

"Okay, Nick," Winry starts, recovering more quickly than Ed. "Tell Genevieve you can open the door for them, I give her permission."

"Aren't you and Papa going to come downstairs?"

"Yes, hon, just give us a moment. Can you do that for me?"

Nicholas nods and turns around and exits, leaving the bathroom door wide open.

Winry rears on Ed. "That was close."

Ed nods, still in some kind of state of shock that Winry's pregnant.

"We can't tell anyone," Winry says, going over to the mirror and making sure her hair is still in place, "it's too early on to tell anyone yet, we have to keep it a secret for now, you got that?"

Dumbly, Ed nods.

"Good, now let's go greet our guests!"

.oOo.

Keeping the good news a secret is a lot harder than Ed was expecting it to be, especially once Alphonse and Mei arrive. Ed's so used to telling Al everything and keeping something this major a secret from him is next to impossible.

At least the kids are overjoyed to see them. Mei and Al will be in Central for the next few months, something to do with working out further alliance between the two nations, though Ed hasn't gotten around to asking them the specifics of it yet.

Mei brings both the kids gifts from Xing and they're over the moon about it. Genevieve won't stop trying to get Mustang to play dollies with her now that she has two new ones until he eventually concedes (though based on the face she's making right now, Ed would have to guess that Mustang isn't as great of a playmate as she was hoping he would be.)

For a while the thought of the secret leaves the forefront of Ed's mind and recedes to simply sitting on the outskirts, not quite gone but not so pressing either. There's tea and cheese and crackers and for a while, Ed sits on the couch sandwiched between Granny and Riza and just basks in the thought of getting to spend Solstice in the company of such great people.

At around seven they all head into the dining room and take their places around the table for dinner. Hawkeye and Mustang brought a casserole and Granny brought some of her famous homemade mashed potatoes. Mei and Al spent the last few weeks traveling so they show up empty-handed, but Al spends the few hours he's here before dinner baking with Winry in the kitchen.

The table is completely full with all nine attendees packed around it. Ed has to pull a chair in for Genevieve from the kitchen because the dining room table really only seats eight. Soon they'll have to start pulling up two extra chairs to the table once their son or daughter is born.

When the food is all eaten, Ed leans back in his chair and listens in on the conversation. Both Nicholas and Genevieve have fallen asleep at their seats at the table and the adults sit around chatting over their empty plates.

The food was good tonight, a little filling, but the holiday feast always is. He's left sitting his chair feeling warm surrounded by all the people he loves and just a tad bit too full.

"You're unusually quiet tonight," Hawkeye comments from where she's sitting on his left. "Any reason for that?"

Yes. "No—no reason," he responds, stuttering out the words like an idiot.

He swears she must know, the woman is unnaturally perceptive, but she doesn't push the issue either further and Ed falls back into his silence.

He has to be careful or he's really going to be found out.

Damn. In not too much longer there's really going to be another little one running around here. At least they'll be more prepared for it this time than they were for the first two. And there are also plenty of hand me downs that the baby can wear and gender won't be an issue on that one.

They'll have to make Nick and Gen share rooms, though, and give the baby one of theirs. The kids aren't going to like that, but Ed thinks that having a new baby around the house will probably make them forget about their temporary bedroom loss, at least for a little while.

From the corner of his eye, Ed watches Winry. Of course she's an absolute natural at all of this. No one would have any reason to speculate that there's something more going on here, that she's harboring some life-changing secret. Her face is perfectly positioned, every eyebrow raise and glance so natural. She would make a damn good actress if automail hadn't swept her up in its metalwork arms from so early on.

The noise around the table lulls and Ed looks to see everyone has fallen into their own little side conversations. From his left, he can overhear Hawkeye and Granny chatting away about something to do with dogs and to his left Winry, Mei, and Mustang are all in deep conversation about the benefits to opening up trade expansion even further.

God do they really have to be working out political policies at his dinner table?

Ed's eyes catch Al's who looks just as spaced out as he is. Clearly there's something on his mind too.

Ed tries to signal to him in question of what's up, but Al immediately turns to look at his wife and starts whispering something rapidly in her ear until her face breaks out in a smile. Whatever he told her, she clearly likes the idea and kisses him on the cheek.

The pair rise from their seats and everyone turns to look at them.

Well this is… interesting.

The voices of the room fall into silence.

"Um," Al starts, fiddling with his hands in a nervous fit, "Mei and I have an announcement."

Mei giggles beside him, wrapping both her hands around his arm and looking up at him with sparkling eyes. Ed always forgets just how significant their height difference is until he sees them standing side by side like this.

"Well you see Mei—or rather Mei and I—we're going to…" Al trails off and Ed takes a heavy sip of his grape juice.

"I'm pregnant!" Mei interjects.

Ed spits grape juice everywhere.

Winry gives him the dirtiest look from across the table and both Al and Mei gape at him.

They're going to have a baby? Mei's pregnant. And holy shit Winry's pregnant too. Ed has a feeling this pregnancy secret thing is about to get a lot harder from this point on tonight.

Well Ed sure knows how to draw a crowd. Winry looks utterly disappointed and Al has his head in his hands though Ed can see he's secretly laughing. The vest Al wears is completely splattered with the flecks of the red juice that Ed managed to spray all over him and there's grape juice running down Ed's face and onto his lap.

"Ed, you have a problem with that?" Mustang mocks, leaning back in his chair and raising an eyebrow at him.

"No—no problem," he manages to get out, mopping up his chin with his napkin and staining it red. At least he has the decency to look embarrassed about it. "Congratulations," he adds for good measure and means it. He really is happy for them, truly. It's just the timing for such an announcement—especially with the huge secret he's keeping—well it's awful to say the least.

Immediately the chatter rises up again, everyone congratulating the couple and asking all the usual questions that come with such an announcement: how long have you known? and when are you due? At least for the moment, Ed's faux pas is forgotten.

The party relocates back the living room to talk and Ed and Winry carry their sleeping children up to their bedrooms.

"Ed," Winry starts when they're finally alone together in the dining room picking up the sleepers. "You really are going to have to be not quite so obvious."

"What did you expect? I mean I haven't exactly been able to think about anything else tonight after what you told me. And then, out of the blue, they come announcing that they're expecting?"

The stairs creak as they march up to the kids' rooms.

"Just focus on the moment, Ed. It's too early to say anything."

"I know, I know."

"Just—don't do that again, alright?"

"You mean spit grape juice all over the table?" Ed asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Ed, I mean don't spit grape juice all over the table."

"You got it then."

They return downstairs and it seems the party is in full swing. Granny is playing something on the piano in the corner—a skill Ed didn't even realize she had—and Mustang and Hawkeye along with Al and Mei are dancing to an upbeat tune across their living room.

Ed and Winry join in until the next song starts up and Al cuts into Hawkeye and Mustang's dance, taking Hawkeye's hand for himself. Winry turns back and takes on Mei for the next song which leaves Ed with Mustang.

"Well, Fullmetal," Mustang says as they try (and fail) to dance around the others, "that was quite the reaction you had back there."

Ed grumbles something incoherent and Mustang smirks.

"It seems Mei and Al are catching up on you and Winry. If you're not paying too much attention they might have their second soon and then they'll pass you. You and Winry might want to get working on that third kid if you want to keep your lead."

Ed blanches as that statement.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," squeaks out Ed. "Why would you think anything was wrong?"

"Well I don't know, Fullmetal, but you've been acting awfully strange this entire evening which leads me to believe you're hiding something."

Ed pales. "I'm not hiding anything. Why would I be hiding something?"

"I was your commanding officer for five years. I've heard it all from you and I know when you're hiding something. You're not as slick as you think you are."

Ed looks away, his face burning at the thought of oh fuck Mustang knows.

They don't say anything else for a while until Mustang yells out an oh fuck Ed, you just stepped on my foot with your automail leg, which gets Ed laughing.

The bastard deserves it for trying to stir Ed up like that.

When the music stops, Ed stalks into the kitchen to grab drinks for everyone and Al follows after to help him. Al grabs all the cups while Ed busies himself with grabbing some soda out of the fridge, the only thing he can seem to find to drink besides water.

Just before Al steps out of the kitchen, Ed puts a hand on his little brother's shoulder and Al freezes.

"Hey, Al."

"Yes, Brother?" Al turns around to face Ed.

"Congrats. On the kid I mean. I'm really happy for you."

Al beams like he's been waiting all night to hear exactly that and Ed wonders why he didn't say anything sooner. He reaches forward and ruffles Al's immaculately styled hair just for good measure, messing up his perfectly side-swept bangs.

"Thanks. I feel like I should hug you right now but my hands are full," Al says, nodding his head at all the cups he's holding.

"I can hug you later, after you've put those down."

They trail back into the living room to find everyone back into a deep chat about babies again and Ed groans.

"You and Winry planning on having any more?" Al nudges, setting the glasses onto the table and straightening back up.

"Something like that," Ed mumbles, pulling Al into the hug he told him he was due.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Al releases Ed, looking him dead in the eye. "Winry's pregnant too, isn't she?"

"What—I—" Ed sputters but knowing there's no covering this up now.

"Holy shit she is!"

"Oh for the love of God," Ed cries, smacking a hand over Al's mouth though it's clear everyone in the room has already heard.

"Is it true?" Mei asks, turning to look at Winry, "are you really pregnant too?"

"Ed," Winry groans.

"What!"

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone!"

"I didn't!"

"Yeah well clearly everyone knows now!"

"That's not my fault!"

"Yeah, well then how did Al figure it out?"

"Because he's a perceptive little shit."

"And—" Al struggles to break free of Ed's hand over his mouth, "and because you're the worst at keeping secrets, Brother."

"That's not true!"

Both Al and Winry give him such a strong sideways look of really, Ed that Ed just rolls his eyes in defeat.

"Okay, so I'm bad at keeping secrets but it's not like I told anyone."

Winry crosses her arms and just sighs where she sits. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I'm pregnant."

Mei squeals in delight and hugs Winry, gushing on and on about how cool it is that they're pregnant at the same time. Winry hugs her back though Ed can see her heart's not in it.

He sighs. He disappointed her.

Hawkeye, Mustang, and Al take on congratulating them with Mustang poking fun at Ed for being figured out.

"So how long have you known?" Granny asks when the initial shock has washed away.

Winry and Ed just look at each other and Ed pales.

"A couple of hours," Winry supplies and Mei gasps as Mustang lets out a low whistle.

"So Ed couldn't even keep it a secret for more than a day?" Mustang inquires and Ed feels the urge to get up and hit him. "Any other secrets you have worth sharing?"

"No, not really."

"None at all?" Mustang raises an eyebrow at this. "That seems unlikely."

"If you must know," Ed says, and a devilish smile grows across his lips. "The person who spilled ink across your favorite jacket that one time was me and Hawkeye totally saw me do it too and covered for me. I didn't let that one slip."

Mustang rears on Hawkeye. "You covered for this brat?" he asks incredulously.

"Just doing my job sir and protecting the youth," Hawkeye says, completely nonchalantly.

He gapes at her and Ed laughs at his helplessness.

Ed settles into the couch beside Al after that and Mustang has his go at telling secrets about Hawkeye which seems to get everyone riled up and before Ed knows it everyone is up in arms about different secrets they know about each other.

Winry gets up and takes her place on Ed's other side.

"Hey, Win," Ed starts, leaning in close to her to the point where he can feel her breath on his skin. "I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's only family."

"Yeah, but you didn't want me too—"

She shushes him. "If you must know, Ed, I already let it slip by accident to Riza and Granny so—"

"You what?"

She smiles and pulls him into a gentle kiss, cutting him off.

Maybe they're both terrible secret keepers.