No Need to Knock
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Disclaimer: I don't make any money from anything I write. In fact, I often lose money because I have to buy research material. Research material being the manga, the anime, and my internet connection.
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A/N: Oneshot. Complete. This is something that has been running around in my mind for the past week. I know I already have so many stories that are in progress, but this one needed to be written. It's been almost two years since I wrote "Our Boys," and I felt the need to write another Parental!Izumi story regarding our favorite siblings. This story is just a bunch of fluff. There are things mentioned in this story that I want to expand on in their own stories. I really hope you all enjoy it. Please review. I've been feeling a lack of love lately, since no one has reviewed my new haiku...
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Synopsis: Izumi finally lays down the law to two young alchemists when they visit her home for the first time in many years.
Ed shifted his weight from foot to foot as he stood in front of the simple wooden door that, when opened, revealed his teacher's home. He and his brother, Alphonse, had been inside many times before, primarily when they lived with the fear-inspiring, black-haired woman for several months when they were much younger, but Edward Elric always felt a twinge of shyness whenever he came near the doorway after having learned all he thought he could from her. He remembered coming and going throughout the house when he was much younger, but once his live-in apprenticeship ended, he no longer regarded this house as a place he could freely enter and leave. His unease grew after he joined the military, knowing how his teacher, Izumi, felt about State Alchemists.
The blond took a step back and glanced toward the front of the building, and the entrance to the butcher shop Izumi owned with her husband. Walking in through there would be easier, and then, possibly, be invited into the house proper by Sig, Mason, or Izumi... If she were feeling well enough for company.
Turning his eyes away from the door, he passed his gaze over his younger brother's form, a soul still locked in an armor prison after all these years.
"Brother, just knock already."
Edward grunted. "I'm getting there, Al... I just..." the blond murmured, taking a step toward the door again and raised his fist to rap it firmly against the hard wood. Before he could strike his knuckles on the wood, the door swung open, and he barely missed crashing his metal fist into Mason's chest.
"Izumi was right. You two were out here," the young employee of the Curtis' smiled as he deftly dodged what would be an accidental blow.
"How?" Al's tinny voice asked.
Mason shook his head knowingly, a smirk on his lips. "Izumi could hear you. She may not want you to know it, but she is always aware of your presence," he whispered conspiratorially, a faint blush on his cheeks. "She has been that way since she met you all those years ago. I think it's her mother's instinct at work."
"Mason, you talk too much," a strong feminine voice called from within the building, causing Mason to straighten and peer over his shoulder. "Just let the boys in."
The dark-haired man turned back to the teens and winked before moving aside to usher them in.
Edward stepped over the threshold, his steps much more silent than those of his armor-bound sibling. Once both boys were inside, Izumi strode forward with purposeful steps.
"It's good to see that my foolish apprentices are still alive," she said, the twinkle in her eyes betraying her true feelings.
Ed and Al bowed slightly at the waist, understanding the joke. "Yes, Teacher."
She looked back and forth between the Elrics, taking in new details. She had not seen them for almost a year, and she noticed subtle changes in Edward. He was a few inches taller now, and his hair was longer. If she looked closely, she would have seen very pale patches of stubble on his cheeks and chin. Alphonse's armor looked more beat up, a testament to the rough life the boys chose to lead.
Alphonse spoke first, extending a hand toward the woman. "How have you been, Teacher?" He asked, remembering her strange sickness. It had been more than a little scary when he and Edward were younger, and living with Izumi, when she would cough up blood. Al, being the more silent and observant brother, could tell that she tried her best to hide the worst of it from the children. This had been something that reminded him and his own mother's failing health, and her successful attempts to hide it. He was afraid to ask if she had more attacks since they had last seen her.
Izumi smiled and gestured for the boys to follow her deeper into the house. As they walked toward the dining area, she answered, "I've been well. Better than in the past, actually." She stopped at the doorway that lead to their destination. Turning to look at the boys once more, she motioned for them to tell her about their recent lives.
Edward looked at the floor, studying the grain of the wood of which it consisted. "We've been well." He snorted. "And, we're still looking for a way to get back to normal."
Izumi sat at the table. The boys quickly followed suit. "I see. Any luck?" she asked gently.
Edward and Alphonse looked at each other before answering. "Yes and no," the older brother answered with a sigh. "I'd rather not get into it right now, if you don't mind." He knew, though, that if his teacher pressed him hard enough, he would end up telling her everything anyway. However, he did not feel like explaining his many, many opportunities to restore Alphonse to the flesh. He did not know whether he was being selfless or selfish when he refused to restore one human being at the cost of thousands more. Ed simply knew that neither he nor his brother could live with themselves if he had ever followed through with any of the temptations he had been presented with.
Seeing the expression on the blond's face, the older alchemist decided to allow the boys their discretion. They had always talked to her about anything that bothered them after a while, anyway. She could wait, and be there when they needed her.
"So, we've just been wandering around, from friend to friend, since we have no home to return to anymore," Al stated. It was true. The Elric brothers had spent time with Mrs. Hughes, feeling a sense of guilt for spending time with her, as they felt that they were the cause, though indirectly, of her husband's death. She forgave them easily, but only after a few months. Afterwards, they had spent time with Winry and Pinako in Resembool while Edward had some adjustments made to him automail. He had been experiencing a rather rapid growth spurt that started a couple prior to his sixteenth birthday. Once the augmentations had been made to the false limbs, the brothers considered where they should go next. Both the Rockbell women had tried to talk them into staying, with the promise that the Rockbell home would be their home as well, forever if they desired. Winry knew the outcome of the argument, though that didn't damper her adamance. No matter what the Elric boys might say, they always came back, for some reason for another. She would simply wait for their next visit, like she always did.
"Yeah, we burned down our home the day I became a State Alchemist," Edward added, his tone carrying shades of melancholy. Though overall he didn't regret that particular decision, he did miss having a home of his own to retreat to when the world became too big and scary for him to deal with. But, that was the very reason they had made the decision they did.
"This is your home, too, Edward, Alphonse," Izumi said softly, looking at each young man as she named them. "I love you boys very much, and I would never turn you away, no matter how angry you might make me sometimes."
"But... but..." Ed stammered, lowering his head. He had told her often before than he no longer believed he had a home to return to, not as long as he still pursued his goal of returning Al to his proper body. One look at his teacher's face let him know that she knew what he was about to say, and that she did not want to hear it.
The raven-haired woman cleared her throat. "How old are you now, Ed?"
Golden eyes stared unseeing at the floor. "I'm seventeen now, Teacher."
Black eyes smiled gently, shining with love. "Don't you think you're old enough now to let go of such foolishness?" she asked, raising a hand to still the protests she saw building on the boys' lips. "As long as I or Sig are alive, this is your home," she spoke, her tone heavy with finality, "There is no need to knock."