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Prompt: Ed gets lost in a crowd and Mustang's punishment if hardly a punishment at all.

Warnings: This is aimed mostly at PARENTAL!RoyEd. Depending on your goggles you may be able to skew it to see RoyxEd. I will always have my issues with that particular pairing, but you crazies see what you wish to see. Just know this was intended as PARENTAL and PARENTAL only. Oh, also I admit everyone is pretty OOC. Normally I claim, "'Tis the nature of fanfiction," but normally I also try to keep them in character at least a little. This was more, "screw it I'm writing what I want to write." -(That's how all these one-shots will be.) Oh, also, there's not really a plot in this particular one-shot. Let's just think of this as a free write with purpose.

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This was not good. Nope. Not good at all. But Ed would catch up eventually, he was sure. Well, he was mostly sure. He hoped...

And if he didn't, this wasn't entirely his fault. This was the worst place for a stakeout ever. It was too busy. Busy didn't exist where he was from. Plus, who really cared if a few goods were being taken from the market? Or maybe they were being sold? He probably should have read the file for today's mission. Too late now…

Ed tried to look through people's arms and catch any glimpses of his comrades up ahead, or to the left? The right? He turned in a circle and tried to find a landmark on one of the perimeter buildings. "Crap." They all looked like brick buildings. "This is why I hate the city…" he muttered to himself.

In the absence of anyone he knew, he couldn't help but grow a little anxious, and his eyebrows knit together as he tried to decide which way might be right.

Should I try to find them? Or do I just wait here? If I wait here maybe they'll come back for me. But what if they don't? Then I'll just be standing here. I wish Al was here. He's tall enough to see over everyone. Why do I have to be so-

"Oof!" Ed got jostled to his left by an old lady hurrying by with a basket full of green vegetables. "Hey!" He shouted after her, but she was already lost in the crowd. "Sheesh, lady. Just because you're old doesn't mean you have the right to be rude…" He looked at his surroundings. "Dammit. Now I really don't know which direction we were going."

He took a step toward the street on his left and then hesitated because that didn't feel like the right way. Right seemed better. Or maybe straight?

This was no longer funny. It had been initially, but he also thought he'd be able to catch up before...now he wasn't so sure. And they didn't seem to notice he was gone. What if they fire me for being incompetent? I didn't mean to get lost.

"Uh, Havoc?" he said just loud enough for the man next to him to give him a funny look and roll of his eyes before continuing on his way. Ed grimaced and started futzing with the hem of his coat. This was so embarrassing. He was yelling out for an adult like some needy child. "Hawkeye?" he called a little louder and very unsure that anyone was listening. He was getting frustrated with this predicament. "Colonel?" he all but shouted, his voice wavering slightly.

"Fullmetal, I said to stay close." He turned around and Mustang had come back. The man looked displeased, but like also somewhat relieved as he approached. Ed felt an unknown weight come off his shoulders. "This is the opposite of close."

"But, I didn't do it on purpose," he defended. "I got cut off by some lady pushing a cart…and then I lost sight of you...and then..."

Mustang raised an eyebrow. "And then what? You couldn't run and catch up?" He smirked. "Let me guess, you couldn't see us over the crowd, could you?"

Ed's head tilted downwards and he looked away. He would normally blow up, but that actually had been the case this time. "So what..."

Mustang held back a laugh by coughing into his hand. He was amused by the entirety of the situation. This was ridiculous. He couldn't believe Ed had actually gotten lost in a crowd. Even more, he couldn't believe he himself had gone back to look for him. He should've left his new recruit find them on his own. That had been his plan until he thought about it and changed his mind.

Mostly because he was afraid the young alchemist would cause a riot or something crazy. In the past three months, he'd learned that this tiny twelve year old was capable of amassing quite the sum for repairs to be billed to the state. So he'd told Havoc and the rest to keep moving ahead while he dropped back. Then he'd gotten close to the main square where he'd assumed he'd lost the boy and never in his life did he think he'd actually appreciate that this kid liked red so much. He'd stuck out like a sore thumb.

Now Mustang studied Edward for a moment and decided he knew how to fix the problem of getting lost and it might even be a suitable punishment.

"Alright, Fullmetal. If you're going to get lost like a child, you will be treated like a child." He firmly grabbed the blond's left hand and started dragging the boy behind him.

He didn't see Ed's eyes, they were wide as they could be, and his mouth dropped open in a surprised 'Oh.' Too shocked to protest, or say anything really, Ed just followed behind his superior.

They weaved through the square and Ed looked up at the back of Roy's head. Then he focused on the large gloved hand holding his much smaller gloved one. Mustang's hand was warm, and it sent little sparks up his arm. Memories of a time long past flashed through his head. His mother had held their hands, nearly every time they walked to the Rockbell's or went to the small market. Her hands were lovingly soft and very gentle.

This was different. Mustang's grip was firm and somehow very comforting. He blushed to himself. No one had held his hand in years. And the older man's hand fully enveloped Ed's smaller one and he felt...well...safe. He was sure he wouldn't get lost again if it was like this. He almost wished it could be like this more often. He blushed to himself even harder because that train of thought was so preposterous. This was Mustang after all and the only reason his hand was being held now was because he had failed to keep up. He was that stereotypical lost kid in a crowded market. This was his 'punishment'.

Ed felt a bubbly kind of happiness in his chest, and the corners of his lips twisted up. Maybe he should get lost more often, he thought. But just in case he didn't get lost again, he would bask in what was offered to him today. He unconsciously squeezed Mustang's hand back and held on tight.

Mustang felt the smaller hand curl around his, almost desperate for the contact it seemed. He peeked at the blond out of the corner of his eye, and his eyebrows shot up for a millisecond before he masked his surprise.

Edward Elric, youngest State Alchemist ever, was smiling. Not a smirk, or a mischievous grin, it was a carefree, true, and young smile. He probably had no idea it was even on his face. He looked just like any other child his age, content to be dragged along by the people they trusted most. Why this kid seemed to trust him was beyond his comprehension.

His heart skipped a beat and a flash of fear shot through him. This wasn't how their relationship was supposed to work…

Mustang second guessed his decision to hold the boy's hand now. People might get the wrong idea. What if they think I'm stealing him? We don't look alike at all. I can't even pass for a brother or cousin...

He almost decided to let go, but another chance glimpse of the contented look on Ed's face wouldn't let him. Instead he tightened his grip and kept walking. An unknown smile of his own found its way onto his face.

It wouldn't hurt to indulge this child just this once.

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A/N: Okay. So This is probably the first of many one-shots that will or will not be related. I just need to get some ideas out of my head. These will be all the things I wish happened, but in reality were never possible because that's not how their relationship worked. Still, I enjoyed writing this fluffy piece of crack fluff. Hope you enjoyed reading. And if you didn't I'm sorry. Elle, oh Elle.

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