When We First Met
By Nicole StormEye
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. If I did, this would have really happened.
Summary: Do you believe in love at first sight? Not really...especially when the first time someone sees you is when you look particularly stupid.Hints of RoyAi, based on a photo in Photobucket.
A/N: Yes, this is another "based on a Photobucket photo" fic just like The Red Book...whose author I do not remember. The photo I saw was kinda manga-ish in its drawing style and almost looked like it was directly out of the manga. Think of this oneshot as the alternative beginning to "Calculated RiskTaker"...except that CRT isn't humor. Pre-Hughes Death.
It was another balmy day in East City, with the wind blowing cautiously, hesitantly through the city's streets, parks, and alleys. Inside East City's military headquarters, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye let out an obvious 'ehem' as Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang shook off another bout of heat-induced lethargy.
Staring with a groan at the veritable mountain of paperwork on his desk, Roy sighed, then let it develop into a low, exasperated groan. "It's like this thing is alive or something..." he said, his voice in a tone of what he thought was inaudibility. Unfortunately...not so.
"It isn't. No living thing grows because of neglect. Paperwork, however, does." Riza's snappy, cutting comment was another of those things that seemed to perfect the picture of a too-hot-to-work day. Sighing, Roy stared at the page in front of him, sweat collecting near his eyes and blurring his vision.
Riza sat placidly completing work of her own, sweating bullets (ironic for a practiced sniper) and trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling the heat induced. She had long since rid herself of her jacket (and they said cotton was breathable), which was tied, somewhat casually, around her waist. She worked meticulously and quickly, having developed a technique of accurate speed reading over the time she had spent processing paperwork in the military. It was very convenient, since now she had to do double the amount of paperwork. It was no surprise that after these years, Riza had also developed a nifty way of forging Roy's signature.
But at the moment, she was feeling a tad lethargic. The heat was getting to her too, and the cramped quality of the office was somewhat annoying as well. She willed herself to focus, her innate stubborn quality forcing her to complete the work. Riza sighed, inaudibly of course. The day was too long and her temper was setting short. She was about to complete another of her fastidiously neat signatures when a question caused her to smear it.
"Hawkeye, do you believe in love at first sight?"
Roy didn't know how the question came to be, but he had to say it. For some strange and innate reason, nothing seemed better at the moment then asking his second in command a highly personal question. Of course, this was a question that was printed on every cheesy, backwoods, sidewalk-shop "autograph book", but it was still a very loaded question. Hopefully the loaded question wouldn't cause any gun-loading?
Riza carefully looked up and studied her commanding officer. The expression on his face wasn't particularly romantic. In fact, he looked rather childish. She sighed, the blush that had popped up on her face receding. He didn't mean anything by that, so just answer quickly, she told herself.
"No, sir, I don't. For obvious reasons."
Puzzled, Roy open his mouth to speak, thought the better of it, then decided to throw caution to the wind and say what was on his mind.
"Why not?"
Riza looked blankly at Roy, then suddenly, inexplicably, stifled a snicker. He doesn't remember? She thought. Composing herself, she stared coolly at him, willing herself not to laugh as she spoke her next sentence.
"You effectively removed all belief from me in that event Sir."
"And what do you mean by that?" Roy was sure there was a carefully hidden insult there. Was she implying she thought he wasn't good looking? No, no, impossible...Every girl thinks I'm handsome, his overactive ego assured him.
"You mean, you don't remember?!" Riza stopped stifling her laugh. She...giggled, quite madly, like a schoolgirl. Then, clearing her throat, she looked up at Roy again. The genuinely puzzled look on his face gave way to more bouts of laughter.
"I'm serious Hawkeye! Remember what?" Roy was beginning to think his second in command was insane. Or insubordinate. He mentally came up with a list of proper punishments if he ever decided to report the blonde lieutenant who, at the moment, was trying to bottle back her laughter. Maybe I should make her wear a miniskirt for a week? He thought to himself then grinned inwardly.
"Remember when we first met?" Riza looked directly into his eyes, a smile playing on a normally straight face. She couldn't believe he'd forgotten!
Roy was sure there was something bad about the expression of mirth in Riza's eyes. But for the life of him he couldn't remember. "Refresh my memory then, since you find the thought so amusing," he said, trying to project the image of being in control.
Riza rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I know this is only to escape paperwork..."
---000---
It was a fantastic spring in the countryside. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and families were picnicking carefree on the freshly mown grass. Two such families were sitting side by side on the grounds, the matriarchs of each introducing their children...
"...and that's Rowena, Hannah, and Sophie over there." The elder of the two women, who had long, silky, dark hair, pointed to three raven-haired little girls apparently tackling another little girl. The younger mother, a blonde woman, smiled and nodded.
"But who's that they're tackling?" she asked.
"Oh? Oh! Rowena! Hannah! Sophie! Get your hands off your brother!" The elder woman rushed over and pried her two daughters off of her son. The black-haired boy stood up and spat out grass, scowling angrily at his sisters. Brushing himself off, he was about to turn away when he spotted a lithe blonde figure behind his mother's companion.
Immediately hit with a wave of admiration he found a daisy and walked bravely to the little girl. He couldn't help but blush though.
"Hi," he said as he reached the blonde whose red eyes he found quite endearing. The little girl stared back, taking in her admirer. Looking at him strangely, she walked away, leaving the boy in an advanced state of shock.
The two mothers noticed the scene. "So, my Riza has met your...uh...son," the younger mother said, looking puzzled, "He seems to have an interesting...hobby."
The elder, dark-haired mother laughed. "Oh, Roy? That's none of his doing. It's his sisters...they seem to like dressing him up in girl's clothes." The two women laughed loudly, leaving Roy and Riza to contemplate each other from a safe distance across the field.
And so Roy's first childhood love ended quickly.
---000---
"And a petticoat! You were wearing a petticoat!" Riza smiled, well, grinned at the memory. Roy was caught between turning beet red and hiding behind his mountain of paperwork, or admiring the rare show of emotion from his lieutenant. His lieutenant...wait...since when had she been his? Roy shook the thoughts from his mind and blushed.
Riza noticed her commanding officer's face redden. "What's wrong sir? Have I unearthed deep childhood issues?" Her voice returned to its cool tone, though not without a hint of amusement.
"No Hawkeye...I think I'd permanently blocked that from my memory..." Roy said in embarrassment. Riza stopped another round of laughter and returned to her seat, turning back to her papers. Unfortunately, her laughter couldn't be controlled for long, especially with the comment about to come next.
"Oh hell, I probably made for a pretty hot girl anyway."
Nicole's Notes: Okay, sure, not much RoyAi, but still...I loved this one. I cracked up reading the comic. For reference, it's in Kikyo29's FullMetal Alchemist, Roy and Riza album in Photobucket. Go visit the site and see for yourself!
laughs like a loony