Pacing.
Somehow, it made his nerves calm down just the tiniest amount from the surge of adrenaline that he had just experienced. I mean, it wasn't every day that someone took the State Alchemy Exam!
And it certainly wasn't every day that the son of the Fuhrer of Amestris took the State Alchemy Exam either.
And pass with flying colors.
As Drew continued to pace outside of the Fuhrer's, his father's, office, he heard people approaching, their voices getting louder.
"… no one thought he was old enough, but I'm sure all of those pompous jerks are holding their tongues now. I mean, did you see him? He was brilliant! I don't think I have ever seen a more exciting Alchemy Exam in all my life! It was,"
Drew paused his pacing as soon as he saw his mother and his Aunt Rebecca round the corner, the former's eyes lighting up instantly. She left behind her friend who continued to convey her exuberance at the display she had seen only minutes ago.
Riza approached her son with as much grace and dignity as the wife of a Fuhrer should, but embraced the seventeen-year-old with the love and pride of a mother.
"You were amazing," she whispered into his ear, Drew hugging his mother tighter.
"Thanks Mom," he replied, the smile on his face clearing evidenced in his voice.
"I take it from the closed door and your continual pacing that you haven't had an audience with your father yet?" she asked, pulling away from her son to adjust his blue uniform's jacket. He had opted to not wear the jacket of his uniform for the examination, something that his father had actually suggested.
"That would be a good assumption," Drew told her, smirking.
Riza rolled her eyes at the expression on her son's face that was clearly from his father.
"I'll talk with him," she told her son, walking to the large, wooden door and nocking twice.
"Roy?" she asked, hearing the shuffling of feet and papers.
"Not now!" he replied, irritation permeating his voice.
"Roy Bartholomew Mustang. I am your wife. You will let me in this office,"
"Now?" Roy whined, his voice sounding slightly muffled.
"Now," she ordered.
Roy opened the door to find his wife standing in front of his office door, her blonde, immaculate hair hiding one of her raised eyebrows and her hands on her hips.
Roy peered around his wife to see Rebecca pestering Drew with questions about how he did some move in his exam. At what seemed like the speed of light, Roy grabbed his wife's wrist, pulled her into his office, and slammed the door.
"Roy, what is taking you so long?" she asked her husband.
"Shhhh! He might hear you!" he whispered, making wild hand movements to somehow inform his wife that she needed to lower her voice.
Riza rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
"Roy, I will ask again. What is taking so long?"
"I need to make sure that all the right paperwork is in order," he replied, starting to pace behind his desk.
"No, you don't," she said simply.
"I don't?" he asked, almost as if he didn't know the answer himself.
"You did all the paperwork a week ago. You made sure that all you would have to do is sign your name on the final document," she informed him.
"Ah, right. Well then I'm trying to find the final document," he supplied instead.
"No, you don't have to do that either,"
"I don't?" he asked again, sounding a little more disappointed.
Riza shook her head.
"I made sure that it was the first piece of paper on top of your desk for the last four days. It hasn't moved from that spot since,"
"Well, then I have to refill the ink in my pens,"
"All of them?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes. All of them,"
"Roy, what's really going on?" she asked her husband watching him as he continued to pace.
"Nothing," he muttered.
"You're chewing your thumbnail," she observed out loud.
"So?"
"So, you never chew your nails. You always claimed that it was as horrible a habit as getting drunk,"
"Well maybe I decided I'd pick it up!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth, glaring at his wife with a look that could burn through steel.
Roy sighed, bracing himself with his hands against his desk.
Riza's expression softened as she watched her husband's body language, his shoulders beginning to shake as he continued to grit his teeth, his eyes shut in a very hard manner.
"Roy, what's wrong?" she asked, carefully approaching him.
"What will happen to him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he plopped into his office chair.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what will happen to Drew, to our son, when he becomes a State Alchemist?"
Riza paused for a moment, for once at a loss for an answer.
"Once I hand him that pocket watch, that's it. There's no turning back. He's forever a dog of the military in one way or another. Edward Elric saw some of the most horrific things throughout almost his entire life, things that not even a grown man should have to go through for one minute. I don't want my son to see what Ed and Al did,"
"He won't,"
"And how can you be so sure?"
"Because of you,"
"What?" Roy asked, looking up at his wife.
"Because of you. You have changed the world we live in so much from when Edward was in the military. You've made Amestris batter and safer for our son and all those who come after. It's not a perfect world by any means, but you have certainly made a positive impact,"
Roy simply stared at his wife, unsure of what to say or do.
"There is a young man outside that door of your's who was pacing almost as horribly as you," she said, pointing at the office door.
Roy looked at the wooden surface, the doorway that separated his son from a life as a State Alchemist. A doorway that he felt he was finally ready to open.
Roy sighed, looking up at his wife with a sad smile, the knowledge of what was about to happen settling into both of their minds.
"Bring him in," he said.
Riza nodded and left her husband's side, returning to her son.
Once she left the room, she instantly recognized that it wasn't just Drew and Rebecca anymore. A significant group had developed since she had been gone, all the members of Mustang's original team present aside from Breda. Currently, Jean was congratulating the boy, Kain trying desperately to get a word of compliment in edgewise towards the seventeen-year-old.
Riza simply smiled at the sight of all the well-wishers who were present, knowing that somehow, Rebecca was responsible for them all being here.
"Drew," she called to her son, her voice carrying over the rest of the noise quite easily.
In an instant, everyone was quiet, the teenager approaching his mother with a questioning look.
"It's time,"
Drew's eyes widened when he realized just how much weight those two words had.
Riza stepped out of the way of her son, allowing him to knock on the office door this time.
"Come in," Roy's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
Drew swallowed hard and took a deep breath before he opened the door, his mother following behind him. Fuhrer Roy Mustang stood with his arms behind his back, looking out the window of his office upon the world below him. The height of his position in the country was only escalated by the distance his office was from the ground.
"Close the door if you will," Roy said, not bothering to turn around to see if his request would be carried out.
As soon as he heard the door close, he spoke.
"You realize the severity of what you are about to do, do you not?" Roy asked Drew, still with his back to him.
Drew nodded before replying with, "Of course,"
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye-Mustang," Roy said, turning to his wife.
"Yes Sir?" she asked, saluting as if she were in her Amestrian military uniform and not her Fuhrer's wife outfit.
"You are a witness to what is about to happen,"
"Yes sir!" she replied, clicking her heals together before she let her salute fall.
"You have already announced that you are fully aware of what you about to do, so I, Fuhrer Roy Mustang, present this pocket watch as a sign to all who come in contact with you that you are an Alchemist of the State of Amestris. And so, Corporal Drewin Maes Bartholomew Mustang, you are now a full-fledged dog of the military and the official Blaze Alchemist," Roy said, presenting the boy with the silver time piece and his official papers.
"The Blaze Alchemist. It has a nice ring to it," Drew said absentmindedly before he remembered where he was. "Thank you Sir! I shall wear the title proudly!" he exclaimed, clicking his boots together as he saluted to his superior officer.
"You better. It took me the better half of a month to come up with that title!" Roy muttered.
Drew smiled at his father, letting his hand fall from his brow.
"Now get out of here! Don't want to keep everyone listening outside my door in suspense, now do we!" he said, putting undo emphasis on the final words he spoke, knowing for certain that the majority of the crowd outside his office had their ears pressed up against the door.
As soon as Drew exited the room he held up the pocket watch, the group cheering for the boy and shaking his hand as quickly as they could.
Riza went to her husband's side, reaching down to hold his hand, a gesture that he gladly returned.
"You did the right thing," she said, kissing his cheek.
"I know. Is it bad to wish that I hadn't though?"
"Not at all. He's your son. He always will be. But remember that you can protect him now. More than you were ever allowed to protect the Elrics," she reminded him.
"You're right; as always," he said, smiling at the blonde.
She returned her husband's smile, squeezing his hand tighter.
"Well you certainly have your own moments, Sir,"
Ok, so Bartholomew is just what I wanted Roy's middle name to be. Drew had to get it from somewhere! Also, I thought Roy's name might be longer, but I decided against it. If it were longer though, it would be Royden. I have an uncle with that name.
Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed this new one shot! Haven't updated this story in FOREVER!
WOBE
