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Colonel Mustang and Major Elric returned from their appointment with General Winslow the same way they had been heading for it; arguing.
“… need to learn to watch your conduct around superiors,” Mustang said, entering the room with a frown on his face. He was followed by Elric, who pushed past him into the office while Hawkeye remained standing by the door, just behind the Colonel’s shoulder. Mustang continued, “General Winslow isn’t the only one who doesn’t appreciate foul language around here.”
Elric threw his red coat over a nearby chair and whirled around to the Colonel, his hands balled into fists as he glared up at him. “He doesn’t have a clue about alchemy, though.”
Vato stood, handing Mustang a file he’d been waiting for. Mustang accepted it and flipped it open. “Yes, I did hear you say that to him, and that is not the point.”
“I don’t get why I have to be nice to idiots like him.”
“Because they outrank you,” Mustang replied firmly, adding his signature to the file and handing it back to Vato. “It’s as simple as that, Fullmetal. And if you want to advance in your career-”
“I don’t.”
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking.” The Colonel sounded calm, almost a little amused. Vato had noticed that to be a pattern when Mustang dealt with Elric. Not that he indulged him because of Elric’s age, not at all. He just seemed quietly amused by Elric’s inability to keep his thoughts to himself, especially when there was a rival or disliked superior officer on the receiving end of his words.
Elric’s jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing. “Then don’t take ages to finish a sentence.”
Mustang raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “You know, there is always more paperwork that I could assign to you if you keep it up.”
The threat of overtime was clear and Elric flinched, his lips pressing together as he seemed to try to figure out whether the Colonel was bluffing. However, as amused as Mustang was right now, everyone could tell he was also serious.
Even Elric.
He swallowed what could have been another insult and broke eye contact, staring off to the side.
Mustang smiled. “Finish your expense claim, Major, then you’re dismissed.”
“I did finish it. It’s on your desk.”
“And I sent it back to yours. I need it typed up. Your handwriting is atrocious. Accounting will reject it if you leave it like that. Plus, half of the required paperwork was missing.”
Elric’s face set into a mulish expression. “Then don’t fucking pay me back. Who cares?”
Mustang sighed in exasperation. “You kiss your mother with that mouth, Fullmetal?”
Vato noticed how Elric’s shoulders stiffened, his expression torn and pained for a moment. Then it shifted again, smoothing out, becoming almost blank as he turned and headed for the desk he was using during his stay in East City.
Hawkeye breathed, “Colonel.”
It was a reprimand and Vato only heard it because she was standing so close to his desk. And Mustang, he looked uncharacteristically caught, his eyes following Elric as he slumped into his chair and stared down at the rejected expense form before him.
The light mood from before had evaporated, leaving behind something sour and sad.
The Colonel straightened and went into his office, Hawkeye following. She closed the door.
Leaving Vato and Elric alone.
Vato felt the heavy atmosphere push down on his shoulders and shifted awkwardly. He wished Havoc or Breda were here to lighten the mood. However, they had not yet returned from their break and Fuery, who was usually also good at dealing with Elric, was working with another unit for the day. Not even Alphonse was here, but at the library to get a headstart on whatever research the brothers intended to conduct over the weekend.
It was just Vato.
Who had no idea how to deal with Elric.
He wasn’t even sure yet how to feel about a superior officer who was basically still a child, barely thirteen and clearly waiting to hit a growth spurt, while carrying the adult responsibilities of a military rank on his shoulders.
Vato cleared his throat. “Do you need assistance with the form?”
Edward looked up at him from under his fringe, his gaze murderous. “I’m not stupid.”
“I know, sir, I was just… intending to help. The Colonel mentioned that the paperwork was incomplete, so I thought…” He trailed off and nodded to himself.
Edward opened a drawer and grabbed a new expense form, jamming it into the typewriter. Vato winced at the thought of the creases the paper would have. The Colonel would surely complain about them. He’d been trying to instill proper handling of paperwork into their youngest team member.
Which was ironic, considering he probably couldn’t care less about that. It was usually Hawkeye who made sure everything that left their office fulfilled military standards.
Vato stood next to his own chair for a moment longer, clasping the file the Colonel had handed him and unsure how to proceed. Thankfully, the door opened and Havoc and Breda filed in, laughing about something. It gave Vato the opportunity to just sit down and continue his work.
Havoc fell into the seat next to him, chewing on the end of an unlit cigarette. “And here I thought it would be sunny today.”
Vato shot him a confused look.
“Small stormcloud,” Havoc added with a wink, nodding towards Elric’s desk. “Right there.”
Breda choked on a laugh.
“You can fuck off,” Elric muttered. “I can hear you perfectly fine. And I’m not small.”
“Just chatting about the weather,” Havoc replied. “Sir.”
Elric continued to glower at his typewriter, but he didn’t reply anymore, uncharacteristically quiet. Havoc and Breda seemed to notice that something was going on and shot Vato questioning glances, but Hawkeye’s return from the Colonel’s office stopped any further chatter.
For a few minutes, the room was only filled by the sounds of pens scratching over paper and a typewriter being viciously murdered.
Vato was used to it and zoned out so much that he didn’t even notice Elric having come to a stop in front of his desk until he cleared his throat.
“Sir?”
Elric winced and held up his expense claim. As expected, the bottom was creased and there was a smudge of ink below his signature. “How do I…” He swallowed. “What do I need to hand in so it’s complete?”
“You attach it to your report.”
“But I handed that in last week already. Why does he need it again?”
“Accounting will need it. It will be in the filing room, down the corridor. I’ll get it for you-”
“No, I’ll get it,” Elric snapped and turned, striding out of the office and slamming the door.
Vato looked towards Hawkeye, who was staring at the door with a frown and then inclined her head for him to follow. Vato nodded and complied, tugging his uniform into place as he made his way down the corridor to the filing room. He found Elric glaring up at the box containing his latest mission reports, perched on the highest shelf. He looked about ready to climb it when Vato grabbed the box and brought it down, setting it on a nearby table.
Elric glanced at him, muttering, “Thanks.”
He leafed through the files until he found the report he needed. He shoved the expense claim into the file and jammed it back into the box.
“No, sir,” Vato said gently and took the file out again.
“What?”
“The Colonel needs to sign it, remember? Then it needs to go to accounting so that you can get the money back.”
“Fucking…” Edward trailed off and his brows pulled together. “…bureaucracy.”
“Here, sir,” Vato said, clipping the handwritten and the typed expense report together. “And then you put it in here, on top of the detailed report, behind the summary.” He smoothed his hand over the file and handed it to Elric. “He won’t find anything wrong with it now.”
“He always does.” Elric pressed the report against his chest. “Thank you.”
It sounded sincere. Given how rarely Vato heard him say those words, it probably was.
“You’re welcome, sir.”
Elric turned to go and Vato cleared his throat, “If I may.”
He didn’t turn back around but he’d stopped walking, so Vato took it as an invitation to continue.
“Are you alright, sir?”
Elric’s shoulders pulled up. There was a long moment of silence, then he said, “She’s dead. My mother.”
Vato nodded slowly, regret for having asked forming. “I’m sorry to hear that, sir.” He’d assumed already, as had the others. It was still sad to hear it confirmed.
He heard Elric leave while he busied himself with packing up the box and setting it back onto the shelf. He returned to the office to find the Colonel standing by Hawkeye’s desk, looking at the report. His thumb brushed over the creased bottom, a frown growing on his forehead, but then he looked at Elric, standing before him with his arms crossed and his head ducked and winced. “Fine,” he said and signed it before handing it over. “You can take it to accounting and then leave for the weekend.”
Elric turned towards the door to leave, snatching up his coat on the way, when Mustang added, “Good job, Fullmetal.”
He paused, his shoulders slumping. Then he looked back at Mustang and gave a sharp nod before leaving.
END
April 2023