Disclaimer: This story contains corporal punishment / spanking of a minor

Bee Stings
7-Pistol

Ed returned to Mustang's office, shut the door behind him, entered several feet, and said, "Can I go home now?"

Mustang stopped working and looked up. Across his office his newest twelve year old recruit was standing near the door, staring at him looking sour. Roy was perplexed with this question. Adults did not suddenly ask to go home in the middle of a work day. "What did Hughes say?" he asked.

"Nothing," Ed snapped, beginning an uncomfortable and nervous rub of his left thigh.

Roy was sure Hughes would have said something. Removing classified documents you didn't have authorization for and did not sign out was what the military deemed a theft of military secrets. The only reason they weren't taking more aggressive action was because their culprit was twelve and gave the book back, although reluctantly, and with lots of argument as to why he wanted to see it. They were going to file this under ignorance to avoid lots of paperwork and a blemishing mark on Ed's record. With the boy only three weeks old in the military, Roy thought this was just early enough they could get away with such a lack-lustre response.

"Surely Hughes said something," Roy said, pen poised above his work. It was Hughes's office which was breeched after all. He had sent Ed to speak with the man out of respect.

"Yeah, he said it was a military crime," Ed said angrily, still rubbing at his thigh. "He said if I was an older soldier you guys would have had to report it and I would have been placed in solitary until an investigation could be held, and that I would have been charged."

Roy found this accurate.

"He was really clear about that," Ed continued, tone becoming angry and sour. Ed's hand migrated off his thigh and made a quick rubbing pass over his rear before returning to his thigh. "Then, he beat me!"

Roy dropped his pen. "What?" he asked, startled.

Ed nodded, expression still tormented and hand still rubbing.

"He beat you?" Roy was flabbergasted. He didn't know what to make of this statement. It collided with his image of fun-loving family-orientated Hughes, but Ed didn't look as if he were lying. Ed's tone was annoyed, like that of a standard complaint, and the boy looked uncomfortable where he stood, as if he'd been stung by a bee.

Before Roy could manage anything else there was a brief knock on his office door and Hughes entered looking eager to follow up. On sight of Ed, Hughes broke into kind laughter.

Ed scowled and ripped the hood of his red jacket up and down over his face as far as it would go. This left his frowning mouth and chin exposed, and to Roy it looked as if the boy was trying to hide in his own coat.

"How ya feeling Ed?" Hughes asked, dropping a hand on top of Ed's hood-covered head as he passed and rubbing at it affectionately.

Ed fumed, "Can I go home!"

Hughes strolled to Roy's couch grinning and took a seat. Roy planted an elbow on his desk and pointed at Ed with confusion. "He says you beat him."

"What?" Hughes broke out laughing and he waved dramatically at Ed as if the boy were full of nonsense.

"Oh, that's preposterous," Hughes said, grinning. "I didn't beat him, I spanked him."

Roy felt his confidence Hughes was going to explain what had to be Edward's exaggeration crumble, and replacing it was a rush of alarm for his young alchemist. He didn't believe in spanking children, not that he had any to spank. His understanding of it was a dark and cruel thing, where the children were frightened, screaming, and injured.

"What?" Roy blurted, rising to his feet before he'd he told himself to move. His eyes shot directly to Ed who was still living almost entirely buried in his coat and rooted near the door. "Edward, come here."

Ed groaned, and the boy buckled his knees a few inches in protest. "I just want to go home colonel, please dismiss me." This request was now two-fold. Ed wanted to be dismissed from the room as much as he wanted to be dismissed from work.

Roy left his desk in a quick walk and went to the boy. He took a seat on the couch parallel to Hughes and closest to Ed and reached for the boy. Ed's hands were both in use holding his hood over his face, and Roy grabbed the automail wrist and pulled Ed to him. Ed didn't cooperate, keeping his heels locked down. He groaned miserably as he was dragged in front of Roy's seated form.

Face to face Roy could look up into the hood Ed was hiding in, and Ed could look down and out of it. This close Roy could see a red rimmed color to Ed's eyes, and he imagined the boy shoved into a dark closet, trying to protect himself from the strength and fury of adult swinging instruments. Disturbed with his own mental imaging, he grasped Ed's shoulders tightly and stared up at the boy. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

Ed gave a miserable exhale and blew his bangs out of his face. Keeping his voice down he muttered, "Can you just dismiss me, sir?"

Roy was shocked he could see evidence something had happened to the boy, but otherwise Ed was behaving normally.

"Ed," Roy said, clipping the boy's name as if to keep his attention.

"Yeah?" Ed muttered, eyes cast to the side pouting.

Roy didn't know what to say. He gave the boy's shoulders a tight, reassuring squeeze and a bit of confusion crossed Ed's face. His golden eyes glanced towards Roy's white gloves as if Ed didn't know why the grasp was happening and Roy began to get the feeling he was the only one alarmed. "I mean…" Roy said, at a loss for words. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Ed asked, twisting his expression into one of repugnance, as if the question were stupid. "Well, it was unpleasant, but I'm not going to die." Ed rolled his eyes. "I just want to go home now. So can I?"

Roy swept his eyes over Ed's body, and had to admit, the boy looked fine. He was standing obediently, not a single article ripped or disheveled. Roy sent a fast glance at Hughes, who was sitting with his legs crossed, both hands tucked behind his head, and grinning the shit-eating grin of one witnessing a star performance. Roy gave Ed a soft nod.

"Good," Ed said, wiggling his shoulders to break them from Roy's hold. He stepped away from the colonel looking eager to leave.

"Ed, stop at reception and ask them to send us some coffee will you?" Hughes asked. Bristling, Ed began stomping for the door. "Black, but with maybe seven or nine sugar packets, okay?" Ed made an angry slapping gesture at his side, giving Hughes the universal signal to shut up. "At least nine packets."

"Okay, yes sir!" Ed snapped, leaving and slamming the door behind him.

Hughes chuckled with Ed's departure before turning a humored gaze to Roy's blank one. Roy sat at the edge of his couch cushion with both elbows resting on his knees, slightly in shock. "I can't believe you did this," Roy said.

"Oh, come on," Hughes said, sitting up with a wide smile. "In talking to him I learned he knew exactly what he'd done, he just didn't think we would notice." Hughes paused, as if to exaggerate how insane that was. "Can you believe that? We wouldn't notice? Wouldn't notice top secret documents, which should definitely not be walking around with a twelve year old, missing?" Hughes sat back shaking his head. "That's an insult to me and my entire department and I told him so."

Roy frowned. "Physically."

"Roy, you're taking this the wrong way. I am surprised at you, it's a common thing. You were a private school boy, you must have had your share of childhood lickings. Ed knew exactly what was going on." Hughes took his glasses from his face and began cleaning them on his shirt. "I let him see how serious it was; I explained frankly, told him he could be arrested. You should have seen his little face."

"He probably had no idea what he was doing," Roy argued.

"No, he knew exactly what he was doing," Hughes countered, lifting a serious gaze. "Just because he looks small doesn't mean his brain is, you know that." Hughes used a small white cloth from his pocket to scrub the right lens. "I used a thin wooden paddle, and the minute he saw it, he knew what was happening." Hughes looked up and smiled. "He tried to talk himself out of it and almost did." Hughes moved to the left lens. "I put him over my knee and he was still and quiet. He did a good job."

"Still and quiet!" Roy snapped. Still and quiet? Edward Elric?

"He comes from a rural farming town, Roy. He knew the drill," Hughes said. "And I only gave him twenty over the seat of his pants."

Roy didn't know what to make of this. He felt mind blown Hughes had actually done this in his office, to one of…technically…to one of their employees and co-workers, but to hear that Edward had in some fashion gone along with it, made him unsure with his own response. Was he overreacting? "Is twenty a lot?" he asked.

Hughes gave a shrug and slid his glasses back on. "You know defining 'a lot' depends on a couple things, but in this situation no. I let him feel a good sting, but that was all." Roy's expression tightened with something near concern, not particularly for Ed, but the entire practice. "Roy, it would be nothing worse than him sitting on a bee," Hughes said, beginning to chuckle. "I can't believe how worked up you are about all this. It's a harmless little bee sting, to help drive the message home to him."

"I disagree with corporal punishment on children," Roy said quickly. "I think it's barbaric, and I don't think it sends the right message. You can't learn from abuse."

Hughes stopped laughing, but he didn't lose his smile. "You know I would never hurt him, and I am telling you, if you do it right, it can be very healthy for a boy." Hughes tucked his cleaning rag back into his pocket. "I explained everything, made sure he understood his infraction, how we felt about it, why it was dangerous, and what he should have done and should do in the future." Roy felt reassured when he heard this. This is what he felt should have happened, verbal reprimanding. "Then I told him that because he deliberately decided to break the rules the way he did, for such a flippant reason, and for making myself and my entire department look bad, making us worry, and threatening his own career, I was going to chastise him for it." Hughes gave a brief shrug. "He was far more argumentative about our policy and how he thought it was misplaced, than he was against his own guilt, because he knew he was guilty. Roy, I am telling you, he took it responsibly, and like a good sport."

"How can you say that when he didn't have a choice?"

"Okay, so if he does it again, I'll invite you to watch so you can see for yourself," Hughes said, beginning to laugh. He was expecting a big reaction and he got one; Roy was immediately shaking his head.

"No, this is the last time. The last time it happens Maes." Roy was serious and Hughes loved it. It was hard to get the serious side out of Roy Mustang. He was a rather easy going guy when you got right down to it. "Edward is my charge, and I will decide his discipline."

Hughes kept laughing. "Oh, is that what this is about?" he teased.

Roy looked a bit flustered. "No, that is not what this is about, it's about my views on what I think is appropriate, and I don't think it's appropriate to hit children, so I don't want those in my office hit."

"Oh, you don't want yours hit," Hughes teased.

"Maes, I am going to get up," Roy said angrily. "I am being serious with you, I…" Roy paused when his door handle turned and Ed entered carrying two cups of coffee. He shut the door with his foot and then gave them both a dull irritated look that said, where do you want them?

"Ed, reception would have brought them to us," Hughes said quickly. "I didn't mean you had to." Ed clenched his teeth and gave Hughes a furious glare. "I am sorry if I wasn't clear." They saw the boy's hands tighten on both cups and Roy was shocked Ed had actually obeyed the order to fetch coffee. He didn't think Ed would have listened if he had asked. Did Hughes really have some new found power? Was there actually good to all this madness? "But since you're here, will you tell the colonel I haven't scarred you for life?" Hughes said, gesturing to Roy with an open palm.

"He has scarred me for life," Ed said dryly.

"Oh, come on Ed," Hughes said, smiling.

"This never would have happened if your librarian wasn't such a nosey snitch!" Ed snapped. "I didn't think you would even notice, and your policy is completely stupid! State alchemists should be able to use whatever research notes they need to complete their theories! I was told I would have clearance to top secret stuff when I joined!" Roy was shocked Ed was responding exactly as Hughes had described.

"But you were well aware they were sealed as classified documents you didn't have access to," Hughes countered.

"The policy is stupid," Ed snapped. "It's probably limited tons of people's research and is slowing us all down." Ed gave a heavy sigh of resignation. "But whatever, I paid my dues for it, and I'll follow your stupid rules from now on." Hughes turned a slow and pointed stare at Roy and lifted a single eyebrow. The meaning was clear: You see?

"Ed, from now on any infractions you have will be dealt with by myself only," Roy said quickly, startled by Hughes's expression. It was full of confidence, and even though Ed seemed intact, Roy was still rattled by the entire idea.

Ed's face lit up at this news. "Hey, that's great colonel," Ed said, sitting both coffee cups down on the coffee table. "Then here you go. One for you," Ed pushed a cup towards Roy, "and one for you." Ed threw the unopened nine sugar packets into Hughes's cup and turned on his heels to leave. "See you tomorrow!" he said, slamming the door behind him.

They looked at the marshmallow sugar packets growing fat black coffee stains and sinking to the bottom of the second cup. Ed had returned to normal much faster than Roy had anticipated and he lifted his gaze to Hughes feeling unsure. He didn't agree with the concept, but he knew he was also ignorant to it. The fact Hughes did agree, both as a father and an intelligence offer, begged there was something he wasn't seeing.

"Geez," Hughes said, reaching forward and taking Roy's coffee cup. "You're really going to have your hands full Roy." Hughes smiled before taking a sip of his coffee.

Roy watched the very last sugar packet soak into a wet disgusting mess and slip below the surface. He had felt unwavering confidence he could do it his way until Ed returned, and now…

Roy glanced up at Hughes. After making such a stink, he didn't have it in him to ask.

He didn't need to. Hughes gave a single chuckle and said, "I'll leave the paddle in the top right drawer of my desk." Hughes gave Roy a wink. "Just in case you ever come over to the dark side," Hughes said laughing. "Like me."

You guys I have to say, I love this one! I have done a story in which Hughes is leading (that's this one obviously) and then flipped it around and I have a story where Roy is enlightening Hughes (Entitled: The Father - that one is so good and just gushing with Parentalness). But this one cracks me up.

Any who...this is the first story I am posting on FFnet, but it won't be the last! Favorite/Follow me if this is your thing! I promise there are more spanking fics, and some fun smut fics to come. I am curious to see what type of reaction readers have on here, so please let me know! That will tell me with what vigor I post with.

Now - Reviews will be rewarded withRice Krispy Treats! Don't be too shy to leave one! *Sets out a plate* Please drop a thought and take a treat.