Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Fatherhood

Miriae

The Fuhrer's office was silent except for the constant scratching of pens against papers.

Until.

"Riza? Do you want anything?"

She looked up from her own paper. "No, sir."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"Are you sure? I mean, anything?"

"Yes, sir."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"Do you want to eat mangoes?"

"No, sir."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"How about apples?"

"No, sir."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"What about pea---"

"For the last time, sir," Riza glared at the man sitting across the room who visibly cringed at the tone of her voice. "I am not hungry."

Pleased at the sight of the said man nodding hesitantly, she went back to arranging his schedule for the next two weeks.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"Riza? Are you comfortable in that chair? I mean, it's quite old. Should I order a new one?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, not anymore bothering to look up. "And this chair is only a year old."

"But--"

"I'm fine."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"Riza? What do you think about Mark?"

"Mark?" she briefly glanced at him massaging his chin, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

"Or James? Maybe, you want Phillip?"

"Who, sir?"

"Damn, too common, not good enough," he didn't seem to hear her reply as he picked up his pen and scribbled hastily on the paper.

Shrugging her shoulders, she resumed her work. Occasionally, she would hear him curse under his breath and mutter 'ugly', 'not striking enough' or downright 'stupid'.

After a while, the cursing stopped and Riza guessed, from the movement of his hands, that he was now sketching.

"From here to here, it would take at least fifteen minutes, then.." He was muttering to himself again.

More sketching.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Finally the scratching of his pen stopped.

"Riza."

The worried tone of his voice made Riza look up. When he did not continue, she pressed, "What is it, sir?"

His expression was troubled. "Are you sure you still want to work?"

"..what..?" It was one of the few instances that she was rendered loss for words, not completely because of her surprise but because of the absurdity of his question. Her amber eyes narrowed with suspicion. "We still have a lot to do, sir. You still have a huge amount of paperwork to do."

"No, no, it's not like that." There was a hint annoyance in his tone. "I'm not going to skip on paperwork but," his hesitated before continuing. "you should go home and rest--"

"Rest? I'm perfectly fine. I'm not tired, sir."

"--and maybe take the remainder of the next five months off."

"What?" She placed her pen down and raised her eyebrows. "Sir---"

"You should not overexert yourself, Riza. Come on, take it easy.--"

"Sir, I won't--"

"Just stay at home and relax, please, Riza." He stood up, taking with him the piece of paper he was working on and crossed the room to reach her desk.

"Sir--"

"And please stop calling me sir," he cut her as he knelt by her side.

"Roy--."

He locked his gaze on her and said seriously, "Riza, you'll be much safer at home."

A tiny shot of pain ran through her heart at the thought that he didn't need her here-- that he thought it was better for her to stay at home than support him in every way she can in his task as the Fuhrer.

"You know I can't do that," she replied almost bitterly.

He sighed and placed the paper he was holding on her desk. "This office is too far."

She blinked in confusion. "..Far..?"

He nodded and she studied the paper on her desk. There were doodles of 'A, B. C's' and a list of names mostly of men. At the lower right of the paper was a sketch of a map from the Central Head Quarters to the Central Hospital.

She almost laughed when everything clicked into place. "Roy.."

"See?" He pointed at the calculations on the side of the sketch. "It would take at least thirty-seven minutes to reach the hospital from this office. But from our home," he pointed to another set of calculations, "it would only take at least eighteen minutes! Imagine, it's half the time!"

She couldn't help but smile as she took his hands, placing them on her slightly enlarged abdomen. "She's not due for another five months, Roy," she explained, watching his eyes focus on her abdomen." So I can still work."

He glanced at his wife, pouting. "She?"

"Yes, she." She arched her eyebrows and glanced again at the names on the paper. "Who said it was a he?"

"It's a boy," he declared as his palm softly massaged her abdomen. "He'll be a great alchemist like his daddy! And very good-looking one too!" He grinned widely.

She playfully slapped the top of his head. "It's a girl, Roy, I'm sure about that."

"If it's a girl," he said slowly and Riza didn't like his smirk. It was the same smirk he wore when he taunted Edward Elric on his height. "I will have to torch a lot of men."

"Roy.." she warned.

"She'll be as beautiful as her mother," he affirmed while gazing at her. Warmth flooded her cheeks. "I'll have to make sure all those men that will be mesmerized by her will treat her right."

"No need. I'll gun them down," she said as she placed a soft kiss on top of his head. Roy took her hands and kissed them.

"So, should I file a vacation leave for you now?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she insisted. "Only when the time is near will I stay home which is nearer to the hospital."

"B-but Riza--"

"That's not at least another four months from now." She pursued her lips in mock sternness. "Now get back to work Fuhrer Roy Mustang, or else.." She patted her holster. Roy swallowed his protests and nodded.

She watched as he scrambled back to his desk and began to furiously sign papers. She smiled and glanced at the group picture at her right side, her gaze falling on the bespectacled man.

All those times, he complained about Hughes's annoying rambles about his wife and later, also about his daughter.

How ironic.

Did he realize?

Roy's a more pestering father than you, Hughes.

--End--

I know it's a bit out of character for Roy to be as, if not more, worked up than Hughes when it comes to fatherhood. But with all he has experienced as a soldier (especially all those killings in Ishbal), I believe this new experience as a father will bring about a certain level of fear in him. Before, he used to protect his subordinates who were like family to him. And he failed with Hughes. Now, as a father, he is bound to protect his own child and wife.

Enough rambling. What do you think? Please review!

Thank you for reading!