"Nothing's perfect, the world's not perfect, but it's there for us, trying the best it can. That's what makes it so damn beautiful."
"Shut up and eat."
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Secret Memories
By Gingeh (who owns nothing but much love for this pairing)
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"I really think you should leave, Hawkeye."
"I'm afraid that's not a possibility, sir."
Roy Mustang paused in his drawing of the alchemical array. "You know you have no obligation to be here. Work ended an hour ago."
"My obligation is to protect you, sir," was her firm reply. She watched him sharply as he shook his head and gripped his chalk.
"I'm not in any danger, Hawkeye."
"Then why do you want me to leave?"
"You're distracting me."
She cocked a brow. "I might believe that, if I didn't know for a fact that you've been drawing arrays like this for almost twenty years."
"This one is different."
"Which implies that it would be difficult, which also implies dangerous. I'm staying, sir."
He opened his mouth, but after another look at her unwavering stance, whatever argument he was about to make turned into a loud sigh. "Then at least sit down. My neck hurts just trying to talk to you."
She sat, facing him directly with her back against the nearest wall, and he reluctantly turned back to his work, muttering under his breath.
Riza continued to watch him for a moment. "What is it, exactly, that you're trying to do, sir?"
This time, he didn't even look up as he answered. "I'm trying to create a new way of interrogating – the military's current system is barbaric, and any information we get is uncertain at best. This new alchemy technique should, if it works the way I want it to, actually allow the user to see into the prisoner's mind and retrieve what they need."
"That's a powerful idea, Colonel," Hawkeye said, a finger absentmindedly stroking her gun. "It could be dangerous, in the wrong hands."
He barked out a laugh. "I know. That's why the military isn't getting their hands on this until after I become Führer. I know exactly what they'd do with it, if they knew," he added darkly.
She nodded once before allowing the room to lapse once more into silence.
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The clock had just reached three AM when Mustang finally completed the large array. He carefully stepped out of the circle, doing his best not to smudge any of the lines, and surveyed his work. He mentally patted himself on the back for a job well-done. He'd actually been working on this…project, for quite some time. But tonight, tonight was the night to see if it would really work. In theory, this new alchemy should work inanimate objects as well as humans (that had been a tricky little array in and of itself – who knew inanimate objects had memories at all?), so he was planning to test it out first on the potted plant resting next to his desk.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he glanced at the dozing Hawkeye. Shortly after one AM, he'd started encouraging her to rest - if she wouldn't leave, she ought to at least get a little sleep. Although she'd been resistant at first, the recent long hours and accumulating late nights had caught up to her and she had drifted off. She looked much less intimidating when asleep than when awake, he mused, studying her closely. Her lashes (long lashes, he realized suddenly) were unmoving against her face, her lips were parted slightly as breathed (he gulped at he watched her chest move slowly up and down). Her hair had come loose from its tight restraint, and was now tumbling down to lie across her shoulders.
When he realized he'd been staring at her for much longer than was strictly necessary, he coughed and quickly turned back to his masterpiece and avoided looking at her entirely.
Which was why he didn't notice at all when, as she shifted in sleep, one of her feet moved to rest lazily on the edge of the array.
He removed his gloves, placing them far off to the side (you never knew what would happen when two arrays got mixed up together), and rolled up his sleeves. He placed the plant in the center of his creation, took a deep breath, and, once again picking up the chalk, prepared to connect the final lines on the outside of the array.
"Boo."
The whisper, accompanied by a small tap on his shoulder, caused Mustang to jump about three feet straight up in the air. As he came back down, he whirled to glare at his 'ghost'; Havoc, who was grinning widely at his surprise, as well as Breda, Falman, Fuery, and both the Elric brothers.
Ed, who was holding a Polaroid camera and looking rather like Christmas had come early, was the first to speak. "This," he said, waving the quickly-drying picture around, "Is going straight on the military billboard tomorrow."
Roy was trying to keep his temper. "What are you doing here?" he asked, in as calm a tone as he could muster with his teeth clenched tightly together.
Havoc, obviously the ringleader of this little escapade, lit a cigarette. "Well…we noticed neither you nor Hawkeye left the office at your usual time. So we, as a group," Here he sent a quelling glare towards Fuery, who quivered and adjusted his glasses – apparently, the sergeant wasn't a willing participant of this, "Decided that we should stick around and see what happened between you two."
"Not that anything did happen," put in Breda. "You just don't know a good opportunity when you see it, do you, Colonel?"
"I don't know," said Falman thoughtfully. "There were a couple of longing glances here and there…"
Roy sputtered, his face turning red.
"Um," said Al hesitantly. "Do you guys think maybe we should take this outside?"
"Why?" Ed asked, pausing for a moment in gleefully chuckling over his blackmail.
Al glanced nervously over his shoulder. "Because I get the feeling Lieutenant Hawkeye isn't a heavy sleeper, and she still has her guns with her."
There was a mad – albeit silent – rush for the door. But said rush came to a screeching halt when Havoc blocked the exit with his body. "Oh, no," he whispered. "We're not leaving until he does!"
Indeed, Roy was still standing in front of his array. "Why should I leave? I'm in no danger."
"He's got a point."
"Shut up, Falman," Havoc snapped, voice rising slightly. Hawkeye stirred, and Fuery clapped a hand over the smoker's mouth, eyes wide.
"Shh!" the sergeant cautioned, so quietly you could hardly hear it.
"Look," Roy said in a normal tone (causing Fuery to remove his hand from Havoc's mouth and start making frantic shushing noises in his direction). "I've been working on this for a good two years now, and I don't feel like letting your little games ruin the climax of my work. I'm finishing this; you're getting out."
He pointed turned his back on them, and (once again) picked up his chalk.
Havoc was having none of this. Throwing his cigarette down and crushing it into the carpet beneath his boot (Al winced) he grabbed Fuery – for no apparent reason – and marched up behind the Colonel, preparing to forcibly drag his superior out of the room so he could continue the conversation. Ed, excited at the prospect of seeing the man who annoyed him so much manhandled, was close behind, a concerned Al trailing after him. Breda and Falman looked at each other, shrugged, and joined the crowd.
Fuery was protesting silently, trying to tug his hand out of Havoc's hold. In doing this, he tripped – over Ed. Al, Breda, and Falman all reached to catch him at the same time, bumped heads, and fell to the floor with Fuery, who, in turn, fell on top of Ed.
Havoc was still holding on to Fuery's hand throughout all this. As the sergeant fell, he pulled the smoker backwards, and Havoc's other hand reached out blindly for a hold. He found the colonel's shoulder – just as he was completing the array.
The light of the completed alchemy flooded the room, illuminating the array, the pile of people and…
"Hawkeye," Roy whispered, horror in his words as he realized too late the position of her foot. She was glowing from the inside, somehow still asleep, still beautifully asleep.
…Was she getting closer?
No, he was getting closer, he and the rest of the squadron, who seemed to have finally realized what was happening and were looking at him in terror. They were trying to communicate him, he could see their mouths forming words…but they made no sound. He tried to tell them so, only to find that he was mute as well.
Hawkeye's sleeping face drew ever nearer, and it was growing. The light was brighter, the room was huge and empty, and suddenly all he could see was her face.
Then it was gone, the world was black.
…Am I dead?
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Author's Note:
Happy Royai day! Yes, I posted a fic - no, I wasn't just saving it for today. I wrote it, like, just over the past two nights. So no worries, I haven't been holding out on you! But I'm so excited - this is the only pairing I know of that has an actual day. All you RoyxEd shippers out there...be jealous. Be very jealous. *evil grin*
Memories is definitely an appropriate title for this. Approximately one year ago today, I wrote my first Royai fic, and posted it for the holiday. Sigh...it feels like so long ago! Way back then, I would never have imagined that Royai would be the pairing I'd write for the most often. I feel so amazed, also, at just how far my writing has come. Thanks so much, you guys, for all your support and many reviews. :)
Also, this Royai day fic also happens to be a landmark: This will be my first multi-chapter fic - not a oneshot, or a twoshot, but something ongoing! Thrilling, isn't it? ;P. And I couldn't have picked a better time - I'm going on a semi-vacation for two weeks, where all I'll have to do is lie in my room and write. Whee! ^_^
Cookies go to all reviewers, as always ;D
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