Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It will never happen. Ever.
Summary: Riza is engaged. But to whom? As the truth is revealed, danger lurks nearby. Love comes with a certain measure of brutality.
A/N: This fanfiction fits somewhere in the time line of the manga before a majority of the plot has taken place. I have put together bits and pieces from the pasts of Colonel Mustang and First Lieutenant Hawkeye to develop a more realistically believable story. It has a slow start but it will pick up the pace. 'Thoughts' are in italics. Review and enjoy.
Hi and welcome. This is the partially revised version so if you haven't reread it recently, please do so.
UNSPOKEN: ENGAGED TO BRUTALITY
By: Ixion of Moonlight
Chapter 1: Engaged?!
Jean Havoc was the type of man that walked in the direction of danger with a cigarrete hanging from his lip. Glancing at his superior for a moment, he immediately cringed and tugged out a pack of fresh smokes.
'There's enough for at least an hour...' Things were not looking good. They quickly progressed to worse.
Black heels rested on the office desk that was cluttered with miscellaneous files that held everything. Packed full of information on his subordinates, ebony eyes eagerly scanned them. Finding nothing of importance he sighed heavily retreating to boredom. Randomly glancing at Lieutenant Hawkeye's file, he noticed a small detail that he wasn't aware of. Slamming his palms on the table, Roy had to resist the urge to snap and blow his office to smithereens.
"Sir!," Havoc saluted, uneasy at the tension in his superior's shoulders. Roy looked grimly over at him and passed the file across the desk. Scanning the document quickly he looked over at the Colonel with slight annoyance.
"Sir, I don't see anything unusual. Or what, did the Lieutenant have a pimple on her face marring your reputation? You're overreacting again."
"That doesn't have anything to-"
"How about some coffee?"
"No, thank you. As I was saying Lieutenant-"
"You sure?" 'He's acting suspicious. What has gotten into my Lieutenant? Women...probably.'
"Yes. Hawkeye-"
"I had no idea you were such a giving man." Havoc grinned at the confused face of his superior. Ebony eyes widened in rage as realization graced him in that moment.
"Have you been planning something?"
"Not exactly. We just wanted, your other subordinates and I, to let you in on an office bet that pertains to you. We've been guessing how long it will take you and Hawkeye to finally tie the knot. The winner gets a pay raise, courtesy of the boss man himself. You can thank your subordinates for that." Their Colonel looked at them with sharp eyes, but they weren't revealing anything more behind their muffled smiles. They quietly turned back to their paperwork, leaving him scrambling for options.
Seriousness settled on his countenance as he pondered the awkward doings of his significant others but gave up after finding none of the answers to his questions. Flopping into his chair, Roy rested his boots on the papers cluttering his desk, crushing the pages. A nonchalant look was plastered on his face as he dismissed his 2nd Lieutenant to his assigned position near the door.
Riza Hawkeye gracefully stepped into his office, fully prepared for the task at hand. He slid his legs off the desk with the look of a man in need of answers and marched over to his right-hand woman. Staring into her eyes with deliberate seriousness,
"Are you engaged, First Lieutenant?" Blinking at him, she answered with precision,
"No sir. Unless it's to someone I don't know." Strong eyes locked but neither of them could find any of the elusive answers they were looking for. Riza let out a quiet sigh that he barely noticed and turned to her seat.
"Please allow the Colonel to continue his work." Her intentions were meaningful but unfortunately interrupted,
"Yo Roy! I heard the news! So you finally popped the question?! You lucky dog, you got yourself a wife! Not too shabby either." Whapping his long-time friend on the shoulder, he spit out a disgusting (to Roy) tirade about commitment.
"That would help if I had proposed Maes!" Colonel Mustang was now furious.
"What?" He wasn't following his obvious mistake.
"Hughes, did you take off the sign on my door?"
"Eh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play innocent! It says "I'm busy. Go away if your name is Hughes."
"Oh come on Roy. That's harsh."
"Not as harsh as I'm going to be if you don't give me back that damn piece of paper!" Hughes put his hands up in mock surrender and handed it over. Grinning wickedly, Mustang suddenly had a very bright idea. Maes looked questioning as the Colonel revealed an innocent, small, rectangular piece of thin, glossy surface. Roy's fingers lingered over the edges, straining its durability. It was a picture of the Lieutenant Colonel's daughter, Elysia.
"You have one minute Hughes to turn around and walk out of my office or I will rip it. And I won't come to her next birthday party," he grumbled, thinking it was ridiculous to negotiate this way. But it was effective. (Sort of.)
"The love for my daughter could never be broken by a ripped picture." Gold eyes blazed with defiance and an irritating devotion.
'So you're trying to play tough huh?' "Three seconds Hughes and counting. 3...2...1..." An imperfection had begun its path down one edge before Maes ran screaming.
"I win. And goodbye." Roy snapped and burned the picture to bits of crumbling ash and it wasn't because he didn't love the kid. It was because he didn't want the nightmares.
After getting rid of one clown, the world produced another in the form of a Kain Fuery. He was low on the military chain but as a way of thanks, he decided to bring a large pie to share. (Suck up.)
'How is this not going to make a mess?'
Roy ran his fingers through his dark, flyaway hair before letting go of a deep sigh.
"We love you Fuery!" Crumbs scattered everywhere.
"What the hell is this? Appreciation day? Get back to work! Clean up the remains!" (Roy tried to ignore the fact that that sounded like a dead body removal.)
If he had noticed the tight line of her lips he might have been sensible but instead he was forgiving.
"Go home, Lieutenant. You can take the day off. I'll save you a slice of pie for when you get back." 'You are coming back, right?' (that never happened)
"Thank you sir." She was unsettled.
Something was calling her. A dark void with a flash of a blond, intricate braid.