Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Important Things ❯ The Important Things ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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The Important Things

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Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye knocked softly on the thin wooden door that lead to Lieutenant Colonel Mustang's office, and waited for an answer. When she didn't get one, she tried once more thinking in irritation that maybe the dark haired man had fallen asleep at his desk again. After knocking a third time with no success, she shifted her weight, balanced the stack of papers she was holding on her hip, and opened the door.

 

“Lieutenant Colonel?” She called. When no answer came, she slipped into the office and closed the door behind her. It took no more than a few steps to cross the small office to the desk. Setting the papers down, she folded her arms and scowled around the room.

 

How did he expect to get promoted if he always put things off? She followed him for his ideals, and because she believed he was a good man, but his work ethics really needed some improving if he was truly serious about becoming the leader of the country.

 

Well she wasn't about to let him get away with this slacking off.

 

Turning on her heal she headed out the door determined to find him.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

“ISN'T SHE JUST THE CUTEST LITTLE GIRL YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE?” Major Maes Hughes cried as he thrust his one month old daughter into Roy's face.

 

“Did I miss the `take your kid to work' day memo?” Roy asked in amusement.

 

“I just had to bring her in! I just know you're all sooo jealous!”

 

Roy shook his head, and chuckled. “Okay. It's official. You're a dork Maes. What about the pictures you've been waving in our faces for the past month?”

 

The tall Major scowled in good humor. “Roy… it's just not the same. You should know that. Would you rather have a picture of a sexy chick, or the real thing?”

 

Roy had to admit that was the truth, but this was different.

 

“Here.” Hughes held the small infant out. “Hold her.”

 

“What?” Roy said in alarm.

 

“Hooooold Heeer! You don't know what you're missing until you do.” The enthusiastic man said, then cooed down at the baby. “You wan' your Unc'a Roy to hold you don' you?”

 

“No way.” Roy declined as the child was placed in his arms.

 

“Awww… that is just too cute Roy…I'll be back. I've got to get a picture of this.”

 

“Wha…? Now wait just a min…” but Hughes was already running down the hall to get his camera.

 

Roy glared at the retreating man, then turned his attention to the infant in his arms. He smiled softly down at the girl, then awkwardly repositioned her in his arms. Maybe he was jealous… Hughes had a beautiful wife and a darling little girl.

 

A family.

 

What did he have?

 

He frowned.

 

What did he have?

 

He tickled the child's cheek with his finger, and watched as she gurgled and smiled up at him. How would it be to have his life filled with family? With people he cared about, and people who cared about him?

 

You're one lucky little girl. He thought. I suppose I could be your Uncle Roy. I don't have any other family... Your daddy is the closest thing I have to a brother...

 

Suddenly there was a click and a flash.

 

Roy looked up in surprise as Hughes took another picture.

 

Laughing, the taller man tucked the camera in his pocket, and walked over to them. “That was just the cutest thing ever.” He looked down at the girl. “Did you say anythin' to Unc'a Roy while I was gone?” He asked in a `baby talk' voice.

 

“Actually she did.” Roy said, and grinned when the Major looked up in shock. “She said she likes me more than you.”

 

Hughes' face instantly darkened, and he held out his arms; demanding his daughter back.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Riza marched swiftly down the hallway, determined to find her delinquent superior, and was unmindful of the people throwing themselves out of her path.

 

“Lieutenant!” Came a loud booming voice.

 

Sighing, she stopped, and turned around to see a baby in front of her face. Suddenly the child was gone, pulled back by her father.

 

“You're so lucky today!” He cried.

 

Sighing, she listened to the Major babble about his daughter. She liked little babies as much as the next person, but right now she wanted to make sure the work got done. Unfortunately, Maes Hughes out ranked her, so she nodded in all the right places, waiting for an opportunity to get away.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Roy looked down at the slip of paper, read the title of the book written there, then around the room.

 

“Now, tell me again why you need this book…” Roy said to Warrant Officer Vato Falman.

 

“It's important to that terrorist case I'm working on. I have the book somewhere, but it's packed away in one of these boxes…”

 

Roy nodded, then looked down at the paper again.

 

While searching through the boxes, they chatted idly about all the crap the military was giving them about the case, and how much they really should be getting promotions and raises; not to mention better benefits.

 

Almost forty-five minutes had passed by the time Roy plopped the thick book into Falman's hands.

 

“Great! Thanks a lot Lieutenant Colonel. I appreciate the help.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

“No really. I owe you a beer. Plus, I've been working on this case almost non-stop, so I haven't had much of a chance to talk to people. I think I needed that as much as the book”

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Vato looked up in surprise as Riza Hawkeye stormed into the room.

 

“Have you seen the Lieutenant Colonel?” She demanded.

 

“Uh… Yeah… about two hours ago… I think…”

 

The blond woman growled in frustration. “Do you know where he went?”

 

The graying man shook his head, and watched her leave the room thinking that he wouldn't want to be in Mustang's shoes right now…

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

“So which one do you think I should pick?” Jean Havoc asked.

 

Roy looked over the pictures of the two women. They were both beautiful…

 

“Tell me again why they're going out with you?”

 

The taller man punched Roy's shoulder lightly. “You're just jealous.”

 

“Hardly. I know that no matter which on you pick you'll end up getting dumped in about a week.”

 

Havoc puffed on a cigarette, and glared at his commanding officer. “Jealousy is an ugly thing boss. You just wish you could be playing two different girls at the same time.”

 

“I date.” Roy murmured defensively, still studying the pictures.

 

“When? You're always here. You need a life man. Now tell me which one.”

 

“Why me? Shouldn't you be the one to decide this?”

 

Jean shook his head. “This is really important. I need your advice.”

 

With a sigh, Roy handed the taller man the picture he was holding on his left hand. “This one. She has a bigger chest.”

 

Instead of taking the offered picture, Jean snatched the other one from Roy's right hand. “Thanks.”

 

For a moment the shorter man just stared at his subordinate then said, “You're going to pick the one I rejected?”

 

“Of course! If you picked the other one, then I know she isn't the right woman.”

 

“What?”

 

“Come on boss. You stink in the love life department. If I pick the one you didn't, then I'm bound to have better luck, right?”

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

“Have you seen the Lieutenant Colonel?”

 

Jean looked up from the newspaper he was reading, and saw a very disgruntled looking blond woman staring down at him.

 

“Uh.. Yeah…” He said around his smoke. “Bout…” He looked at his watch. “Bout…an hour and a half ago…”

 

“Do you have any idea where he went off to?” She asked irritably.

 

He shook his head, then cried out in surprise as she yanked the cigarette from of his mouth, crushed it, and threw it away. “You know there's no smoking in here.”

 

When she turned to leave he screwed up his face, and silently mimicked her words at her retreating back. The Second Lieutenant was a beautiful woman, but she was just too strict for his taste. He lit up another smoke after she left and chuckled. If Roy Mustang ever made it to the top, it would be because of people like her.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

“Yeah, right there. Hold it right there.” Kain Fuery said as he maneuvered himself in a position to tighten the last bolt on the power box. When he finished, he stood up, flipped the switch and grinned. “Thanks a bunch!” He said taking the flashlight from Roy.

 

The black haired man shrugged. “No problem.”

 

“Have you had lunch yet?”

 

When Roy shook his head, Kain said, “Well, I was just about to go grab something. I know it's pretty late for lunch, but I've been stuck doing this all day. You wanna come?”

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Riza stormed back into Roy's office, and slammed the door.

 

She looked down at the little note on the desk for a moment, then crushed it and tossed it in the garbage.

 

He left for lunch?

 

She stared at the stack of untouched paperwork.

 

The man hadn't done one thing since coming to work today. Not one!

 

She looked at the clock that now read 2:00, and growled deeply in her throat before getting to her own neglected work.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

As Roy made his way back to the building he saw a small figure in a long red coat run out across the empty parade field, and disappear under the bleachers. Curious Roy jogged lightly in that direction. As he neared the metal bleaches he slowed.

 

Was that crying he heard?

 

“I hate this stupid job! I hate being a State Alchemist! I just wanna go home! I just want my mom…”

 

Slowly, Roy lowered himself down so that he could see under the bleachers. The small blond boy was sitting on the ground with his knees pulled up to his chest, and his head buried into them.

 

“Hey.” He whispered.

 

The boy's head shot up in surprise, and Roy felt a stab of pity for the young alchemist. The child's nose and eyes were red from crying, and there were long wet streaks trailing down his face.

 

Roy crawled under the bleachers, and sat next to the small eleven year old…. no… twelve… the boy was twelve now…

 

The child's bottom lip trembled slightly. He looked hurt, angry, and defensive all at the same time. “What are you doing here?” Ed asked.

 

“I saw you run over here and I followed. When I got here I heard you crying, and I thought maybe you would want to talk or something…”

 

Ed sniffled and said, “Who are you, and what did you do with the real Lieutenant Colonel?”

 

Roy smiled faintly. “It's okay to cry you know. I think everyone needs to do that sometimes.”

 

The boy looked down, and muttered, “What do you know…”

 

Roy scooted closer and wrapped an arm around the young boy. For a moment Ed stiffened then relaxed into the half hug. “I think everyone needs a shoulder to cry on every once in a while too. Tell you what. If you need to cry, go a head and cry. If you promise not to tell anyone I was being nice to you, I promise not to tell anyone you were crying. Deal?”

 

“You'll just make fun of me later.”

 

“I won't. I'll never even mention it. Never. I promise.”

 

For a moment Ed said nothing, then he snuggled deeper into Roy's arm, and wrapped his own arms around the man's chest.

 

“I want my mom.” The boy whispered, and Roy nodded sadly.

 

As he sat there rocking the small blond, Roy thought back on the day's events, and smiled softly. He supposed did have family. His core group was his family; his segregate siblings, and he could help them, be there for them. They would be there for him too, he supposed. They followed him even though he was lazy sometimes, and they cared about him. They were close, just like a family. He could be an uncle to Alicia and a brother to his subordinate officers.

 

He rubbed Ed's back in a comforting gesture, trying to sooth the distraught boy.

 

And he could be a father too… Perhaps he was just as lucky as Hughes…

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

The old flower vender looked up from her cart at a young military man with dark hair. She smiled slightly at his choice of flower. She took the money from the nice young man, handed him the flower, and watched as he slipped it carefully into his military uniform near his chest, hiding it from view.

 

The romanic in her thought he laid it near his heart…

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Riza looked up when the door opened, and Lieutenant Colonel Mustang walked into the room. He looked like he had rolled around in the dirt…

 

“Where have you been?” She demanded.

 

“Out.” He said simply, and walked to the coat rack.

 

She scowled. He was not getting ready to leave… no way…

 

“I think I'm going to call it a day.” He said, brushing the long black coat with his hands.

 

When he turned around to grab his hat, she got up and began advancing on him. No way. No way was she going to let him leave with all that work left to be done.

 

“Lieutenant Colonel!” She barked. “What about all the paperwo…” She trailed off when he turned around to face her. In his hand was a soft pink rose(1). He held it up to her short blond hair, as if comparing the two colors then slowly slid it down her jaw line then to her lips.

 

“All the important things have been taken care of.”

 

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1) Light pink roses mean admiration.

 

 

A/N: I got the idea for this and couldn't get it out of my head. In an effort to clear my brain, I sat down and typed this out. I'm actually pretty happy with it. I really feel like it's full of deep meaning, but then again I could just be feeling that way because of the noodles I had for lunch…

 

I've never written anything that has even been remotely close to RoyRiza, so if you reviewed, and told me what you thought, I'd be super-duper happy. haha