AN// An idea I've been playing with for a while Hope you like -Rissy
Chiisai Hime
Little Princess
Chapter 1
Riza Hawkeye was a morning person- the sort of person who could appreciate the little things that made each and every morning special, and different from the rest. Today, it was the faint scent of roses wafting over from the crystal vase on her bedside table, and the perfect way in which the light filtered through the gap in the curtains and stroked through it, refracting a spectral masterpiece in every direction.
On of these rainbows had fallen across the bed to play on the face of her husband and she smiled as he let out a familiar rumbling groan that meant that he was awake but unhappy about it.
Roy Mustang was definitely not a morning person.
"Morning, Roy,' Riza whispered softly, but his only reply was moving to hold her slightly closer around her silk-covered stomach. This was a typical response.
Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang had been married for six years, and had been blessed with an adorable pair of twin girls named Georgeanne and Rayliza Hawkeye. They had taken their mother's surname simply because it was easier, though Rayliza was absolutely nothing if not an infant mirror of her father's personality and many bad habits. The ease of it came from the 3-year-old twins looking remarkably and undeniably like Riza, and from the fact that Mustang wasn't supposed to be the father at all. She frowned bitterly at the thought and ducked her head to place a gentle kiss to the ring that hung on its silver chain around her superior's neck.
She wondered, sometimes, what would happen if anyone found out at work- if someone called around her apartment looking for her and found two young children and Roy Mustang, her superior officer, crowding around her in the small kitchen of their two-bedroom apartment.
"Havoc would probably swallow his cigarette," she mused to herself, not realising, for a moment, that she'd said it aloud.
"Hmm?" Roy murmured, opening his eyes slowly.
"If he saw us like this," Riza expanded. "You know- here with Georgeanne and Rayliza."
"He's bound to find out someday," said Roy, grinning as his wife's mental image entered his mind too.
"I don't know," said Riza, also smiling a little. "We also thought that the men would figure it out when I was off work for more than half a year." She shivered slightly as he rubbed her soft but outstandingly flat stomach- even before her pregnancy, she had always been sensitive there and he knew it. "I wonder if they'd realise it if I had any more children…" she wondered lazily, closing her eyes and then opening them again slowly.
"I think I'd have to find myself some sharper subordinates if they didn't," Roy agreed. Then… "Do you want more?"
Riza just kissed him gently, "I will love our children no matter how large or small in number they may be," she promise. "But right now, I'm happy with just our little angels.
"Me too."
"What do you think that you'd say if someone asked you about our relationship?"
"Well, Maes knew. He was practically begging me to propose to you ever since he first found out that we already knew each other in Ishbal during the war, you know? Then again, he was Investigations- he probably could have run the entire unit by himself, I always thought." Roy grinned here. "I used to just slam the phone down and avoid the question with him and all I needed to do when Havoc asked was distract him with a pretty face on the street… I'm not sure what I'd do if someone asked me face-to-face these days."
Riza smiled. "Every time I see Winry Rockbell she wants to know if I've made any progress in asking you out yet- I think she's convinced that I'm shy or something."
Roy chuckled softly and played with the chain around her neck, bringing the ring on the end to his lips fondly.
"…What time is it now?"
"I forbid you to check," said Roy firmly, tightening his arms around her, but she did anyway…
"It's 8!" she cried, baulking, as she double-checked her alarm clock in horror.
"It's a public holiday, Riza," Roy reminded her, refusing to move as she fussed about, collecting her uniform together.
"What?"
"Well, it's election day- voting for the new Fuhrer President and all," he went on, grinning in amusement.
"Of course… With you being a candidate, I suppose I should have remembered that." Riza relaxed and switched her blue military uniform for a simple white blouse and a navy blue skirt, slinging the new outfit over her arm as she walked towards the bathroom.
Roy was out of bed in an instant, "I'll take a shower with you!" he volunteered quickly.
Riza smiled and rolled her eyes. "Not today," she said firmly. "But you can shower Rayliza and Georgeanne when I'm done if you want to help so badly."
Roy just mock-sighed loudly and went off to gather the kids from the second bedroom.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.
"Riza, door!" Roy called loudly from the sitting room, where he was sitting with two very sleepy toddlers in his lap.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Riza called back. "I'm in the shower!"
"Well I can't go opening the door to your apartment this early in the morning!" Roy complained.
"Oh, it'll just be the paper or something, Roy- I'm not expecting anyone! Go and answer it!"
"Fiiiiine…"
Roy set Georgeanne down on the couch and picked up Rayliza, who was prone to rolling off it whenever she was laid down there, as he went to answer the door. The doorbell rang again as he approached it.
"Coming!" he called out to the visitor and he shifted Rayliza into one arm as he opened the door.
"…Colonel Mustang- good morning! …Huh? Is that-? Oh my goodness, it must be!"
At the sound of her friend's familiar stuttering, Riza had immediately shut off the shower, dressed as quickly as possible and dashed out, appearing now at Roy's side to help him out.
"Gracia, I-"
"This is your daughter, isn't it?" asked Ms Hughes, smiling widely. "She's beautiful."
Roy and Riza both looked confused as they stepped aside to let her in. "Excuse me?" said Riza cautiously.
"Oh, come on," said her friend, chuckling. "I know what it means when a woman is 'ill' for nine months- I do have a daughter myself, you know! I didn't know, however, that you would have kept the child- I must say, I'm relieved."
"Well actually- children," Riza corrected her, blushing a little as they entered the sitting room. "I gave birth to twins."
"Well, I know it's a little late, you two, but congratulations anyway!" said Gracia sincerely.
"You aren't mad?"
"Of course not," Gracia replied, beaming. "Though I can't wait to see the looks on your co-workers faces when they hear… Or are you not going to tell them, either?"
"It would only raise unnecessary complications," said Riza, pulling the sleeping Georgeanne into her lap as she sat down. "Actually, I'm very thankful that it was you at the door and not one of the men."
Gracia laughed at this, "I'm sure you are," she agreed. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."
"Uhm… Do you girls want anything to eat or drink?" asked Roy awkwardly- standing a little way off with Rayliza in his arms.
"I'll have a cup of tea, Roy," said Riza, as he handed her over. "What about you, Gracia? It's no trouble."
"All right, then- if you don't mind," said Gracia politely. "I'll have a cup of tea as well." Roy left and she giggled happily, "He's such a sweetie!"
"I know," Riza agreed, smiling. "He was a lot of help while I was pregnant and off work. I just couldn't bring myself to abort the little angels- didn't even want to- so I couldn't have done it without him. And my grandfather, as well- he watches them a lot when he visits Central. My elderly neighbour's daughter looks after them quite a bit as well, though naturally Roy and I try our hardest to when we're not working."
Gracia smiled brightly. "I know what you mean. Maes always scraped together every spare second to spend with Elysia and I, but it was very hard for him. Well, anyway," she went on, "I came to ask whether or not you'd like to come with me and some of the girls out to lunch today? I think the men are organizing something too, actually, but Edward and Alphonse don't want to go after 'what happened last time' so they're sitting for Elysia. You know, I'm sure that your girls would get along with her, and the Elric brothers wouldn't mind watching them at all."
Riza looked down at her sleeping children doubtfully.
"I'm sure they'd keep it quiet about it, if you asked them to, as well."
She contemplated this as Roy walked back in with their drinks and asked him what he thought.
'Fullmetal? You want to tell Fullmetal our biggest secret and entrust the care of our daughters to him?!"
"They'll be fine," said Riza, frowning as she took her cup of tea from him. "They're watching Elysia too- him and Alphonse. And you know that Alphonse –at least- is responsible enough to take care of children. Besides, it would be good for the girls to be around someone closer to their own age for once, especially since they don't start school until next February."
"Yeah… okay- if you want to," Roy agreed reluctantly.
"Thank you, Roy."
He only grinned a little, "No- it's been a while since I went out with the guys anyway. Last time, they were convinced that I had turned gay because I wouldn't flirt with this one pretty waitress- everyone else tried and she turned 'em all down."
Gracia snickered quietly and Riza smiled. "Are Edward and Alphonse at your house already?" she asked her.
"Yes, they arrived just before I left," said Gracia. "Do you want to drop the girls off now?"
"If that's no problem," said Riza, setting her children down on the couch before setting about waking them properly. "I just need to get them showered and ready. –Georgeanne? –Rayliza?"
"Goodness, Riza- they're so adorable!" Gracia sighed in awe as the small girls began protesting wearily. "And they look just like you, too!"
"Except that they have my good skin," said Roy, grinning at them both as Georgeanne squirmed about on the couch and Rayliza blinked her big black eyes open. "Liza has my eyes too."
"And Georgeanne has mine," said Riza, smiling fondly as their second daughter opened her eyes.
"Mummy, 'm still sleepy," she mumbled wearily.
"It's time to get ready, girls- we've arranged a little play-date for you today," said Riza. "Does that sound fun?"
"Mmhmm," Rayliza yawned.
"Cover your mouth when you do that," Riza reminded her, but when she gained no relevant response she went on anyway. "Daddy's going to get you ready so go with him, okay?"
"Okay, Mum."
"'Kay."
"Why me?" Roy whined -mock indignant- as the two young girls each grabbed one of his hands and propelled him towards the bathroom door.
"Because Mummy's the boss," said Rayliza easily.
"How come her, not me?"
"Proper grammar around the children, Roy!" Riza called after him, smirking as he left and she smiled, walking over to the hall mirror to fix herself up a little before returning to sit down across from Gracia.
"You and Colonel Mustang make such an adorable couple,' said Gracia, smiling at her friend fondly. "I wish I could have seen the wedding."
"Our only guest was the priest and a legislator- it wasn't as though we wouldn't have invited you if -well- the circumstances were better."
"Oh I know," said Gracia easily. "But once your men find out- whenever that may be- I'm sure they'll insist that you renew your vows in front of them anyway so I won't miss out altogether."
Riza just smiled, "I definitely wouldn't object to getting to go on a second honeymoon," she agreed and they laughed brightly.
"Reaaady!!" Roy called, parading Georgeanne and Rayliza into the sitting room a little while later. "Would've been done sooner if Mommy was there to help us!"
"Oh, stop complaining," Riza chuckled, waving off Roy's half-hearted whinging as she stood. "Have you two brushed you hair? Ready to go?"
Both girls nodded sharply.
Riza looked back up at Roy and shook her head, "now, I know that you haven't brushed your hair. It looks like a rats nest!"
"I like my hair!" Roy protested but a few minutes later she had combed it into submission regardless of objection. "All ready now?"
"Yes, Mummy!" the three of them chimed and Gracia laughed in the background.
"Then I'll just put our cups away and we can leave."
-
It was almost 11 by the time Gracia arrived back home with Riza and her twins- mainly because, upon leaving, Riza had found several million problems with the apparel of her small family. For example, that Roy's shirt wasn't straight, Georgeanne's bun was too loose and Rayliza was wearing a pair of old mittens as socks…
Still, as Gracia turned the key in the lock and Riza waved goodbye to Roy as he drove off, she was able to feel satisfied that her daughters were absolutely immaculate. Rayliza and Georgeanne were wearing identical pink dresses with white trims (Rayliza's just a little less white) and silver heart-shaped pendants, looking pretty much like the perfect little angels (Rayliza being just a little less angelic as well…).
"Edward? Alphonse? I have a favour to ask you," Gracia called as they stepped inside and soon the sound of clinking metal grew closer as Al came to answer the call.
"Ms Hughes, what're you doing back already? Oh! Lieutenant Hawkeye and- …Wha-?! They look like-?!"
Gracia smiled, and she seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh. "Can I tell him?" she asked Riza, beaming, and Riza nodded her assent. "Thank you!! Alphonse, these are Riza's children, Georgeanne and Rayliza."
"Actually," said Rayliza as Gracia indicated her second. "I'm Georgeanne and she's Rayliza."
Gracia blinked in surprise and redid the exchange apologetically.
Riza narrowed her eyes slightly. "You were right the first time, Gracia. You can tell Rayliza from Georgeanne because no matter what you do to her, she is always ten times dirtier and one thousand times cheekier." She concluded with a sort of 'what can you do?' sigh. "She's her father's daughter, through and through."
"Uhm… Lieutenant, who is the father?" asked Al, somewhat cautiously.
Riza caught him glancing down at her left hand and shook her head, reaching for the chain around her neck and pulling it out of her blouse carefully before unlinking it and passing it to Al so that he could look at it properly. "I've been married for six years now," she told him.
"Wow! So pretty!" cried Al as he stared down at the ring in his large prosthetic hands.
"It is, isn't it?" Riza agreed, smiling as Rayliza and Georgeanne stood on their toes to see as well.
"But who, Lieutenant Hawkeye? And how come me and Brother never knew? Is he in the military too and that's why?"
Riza hesitated for a moment, sensing that all eyes were on her (except her daughters'- they were still staring in awe at the sparkly ring in Al's hands). "There was no reason to tell you," said Riza eventually. "I don't speak about my personal life to anyone if I can help it. But yes, he's in the military too and that's also a part of the reason." She paused again here. "It's- that is to say… the girls' father- is Roy Mustang."
"WHAT?!"
No, it wasn't Al who yelled, but Ed, who was standing in the doorway with Elysia on his shoulders.
"Niisan, please don't yell!" cried Al. "It's all echo-y in my head!!"
"You and Mustang?!" Ed exclaimed, ignoring his little brother. "And I thought that you were the only girl in Central City that he hadn't scored with!!"
Something snapped in Riza just then and she exploded, reaching instinctively for her gun. She might have shot him too, if it weren't for Gracia's hand on her arm. She lowered her gun and shot Ed a look that was half apologetic and half furious. "The Colonel and I have been married for six years," she said eventually- repeating the part of the conversation that he had missed. Her usual stoic mask back in place but her voice was still a little tense. "I'm sorry for going off at you but-"
"I understand," said Ed, surprising everyone in the room. "I just meant… I'd kill him if I found out that he'd just gone and taken advantage of you, Lieutenant."
Riza smiled. "Thank you, Edward," she said gratefully.
Gracia beamed, "Edward, this is Georgeanne and Rayliza," she pointed to each, then looked to Riza for confirmation. She nodded. "We thought that they could stay here with Elysia if that's alright with both of you."
Edward lifted Elysia off of his shoulders and bent down to look at Riza's twins properly for the first time. "They're so cute," he said sincerely and Riza smiled. "They look just like you."
"Rayliza has Roy's eyes… and personality," she told him bashfully.
Seeming to take this as a compliment, Rayliza beamed too.
"I'm Elysia," said the slightly older girl. "Wanna come play with me and my big brothers?"
"What're you playing?" asked Georgeanne quietly, while her sister vigorously accepted the invitation.
"Dollies!!" said Elysia happily and this was confirmed by the look of total agony on Ed's face.
"Well, have fun then," said Gracia, smiling apologetically at the Elric brothers as she turned towards the door.
"Thank you for agreeing to look after them," Riza agreed, before bending down to kiss her girls goodbye. "Please behave, okay girls?"
"Yes, Mummy," said Georgeanne without hesitation and everyone turned to Rayliza who was blowing really hard through pursed lips in an attempt to whistle innocently.
Eventually she gave up and sighed. "Okay, mummy."
"There's my girl," said Riza, straightening up with a smile. "Have fun, you two."
Gracia waved and the two women made to leave, but were stopped by Ed's voice. "Hey, Lieutenant?"
Riza turned her head to look back at him briefly.
"What I said about the Colonel- I- You know, I-"
Riza smiled and nodded. "Apology accepted, Edward."
"Uhh… thanks," said Ed, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.
And with that, the two women left the house.