[It's an impulsive, instinctive response. He can't let himself consider that. She's not--theirs. They can't raise a kid--there wasn't time, they weren't the right people for it, he could never put a kid in that kind of situation--hadn't they just gone through this? That conversation suddenly feels like it happened yesterday, and he shifts, twitchy, before his hand settles on Elicia's back again.
They couldn't. They couldn't. She had Ed and Winry. Who might still be teens, but capable enough. Winry was exactly the type of girl he'd peg for a mothering type--Elicia would be fine with them. She doesn't need adults. Not like him and Pepper.
He can't slip into another man's position like that. No no no, he won't even think about it, no. How could they--it wouldn't be--she'd--no.
He won't even let himself think about it. Because he knows it won't happen. Because as far as he's concerned, it shouldn't.
Even if the weight of this situation reminds him that a lot of things happened here that shouldn't.]
Pepper--
[--can't just pick up someone else's kid like you're in the middle of a book, it isn't that simple and it'd never be okay and how would he even handle that, this was a bad idea, why had they even come--
His mind continues racing, and now his heart's accelerated, eyes searching for an empty corner of the room to be cast in.]
[action]
[It's an impulsive, instinctive response. He can't let himself consider that. She's not--theirs. They can't raise a kid--there wasn't time, they weren't the right people for it, he could never put a kid in that kind of situation--hadn't they just gone through this? That conversation suddenly feels like it happened yesterday, and he shifts, twitchy, before his hand settles on Elicia's back again.
They couldn't. They couldn't. She had Ed and Winry. Who might still be teens, but capable enough. Winry was exactly the type of girl he'd peg for a mothering type--Elicia would be fine with them. She doesn't need adults. Not like him and Pepper.
He can't slip into another man's position like that. No no no, he won't even think about it, no. How could they--it wouldn't be--she'd--no.
He won't even let himself think about it. Because he knows it won't happen. Because as far as he's concerned, it shouldn't.
Even if the weight of this situation reminds him that a lot of things happened here that shouldn't.]
Pepper--
[--can't just pick up someone else's kid like you're in the middle of a book, it isn't that simple and it'd never be okay and how would he even handle that, this was a bad idea, why had they even come--
His mind continues racing, and now his heart's accelerated, eyes searching for an empty corner of the room to be cast in.]