I wanted to upload this on Valentine's Day, since I wrote it in honor of V-Day, but I couldn't wait! XD Consider this sort of like a parallel companion to 'The Ungiven Box of Chocolates' fic I wrote. Everything here is the opposite of that fic; the time period (pre-series, rather than post-series), Hughes and Roy's relationship, who has the box of chocolates to give, etc.
I hope you enjoy. :) Happy early Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day everyone! XD
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To single people, Valentine's Day was a pain. For those who were involved but wished to appear single, it was also a pain.
When he was younger, Roy Mustang quite enjoyed this day. He loved all the attention he received from girls. Plus, despite being younger, he always raked in more goods than his older siblings (to their dismay). It was a day where his ego was inflated with a super pump. But no more.
Now it was just a pain. He had grown tired of all the attention on just one day. He couldn't even flirt with all the girls that gave him chocolate in one day. And it was becoming too much not just with girls, but presents as well. Sure, he used to love chocolate, but too much of it easily revoked that love. Especially because of cheap and bad homemade chocolate. Now he only liked fine, expensive chocolate, and even that he would rarely accept.
Also…never mind the fact he was currently seeing someone.
So, it had become tradition for Roy to skip Valentine's Day altogether and hide in his room all day. Even if it came on a school day, he'd just play hooky.
But now, one of his 'fan girls' discovered which dorm room was his at the military academy and told the rest of the pack. There was a ginormous pile of chocolate at his door this very moment as a result.
One girl was currently attempting to speak to him through the door. He moaned in annoyance.
"Roy-sama. I brought you some chocolate I spent all night making. Please open the door…"
Roy clutched the pillow over his head harder to drown her voice. Go away, go away…
"Roy hates chocolate you know." Another voice, a male one, said from outside.
Roy felt his heart skip a beat. Maes…Finally something to look forward to.
"But you can give it to me, you know. I love chocolate!"
The girl outside sounded disgusted. "No, this is for Roy-sama, and Roy-sama only!"
Roy hated her tone and wanted to throw chocolate at her face. Stupid girl, Maes was just as handsome as he was, and much kinder. Yet his whole 'fan club' hated the other boy, because he was Roy's roommate and spent all his time with him. One could only wonder how they would react if they found out about the 'secret relationship'. Roy wanted to set the whole group on fire…the things they said about Maes…his Maes…
"Well then, leave it in the mailbox." Maes answered coolly, but politely.
"But! …But it's stuffed!"
"Too bad."
"Now you listen to me Maes Hughes-"
"No."
And with that, Maes slammed the door in her face.
They could both hear her frustration outside, followed by the sound of what must have been her chocolate falling on the pile. Finally, came the gradually distancing footsteps.
"And the ironic thing is, none of them realize all that chocolate is going to me anyways." Maes remarked on the situation. "By the way, she lied. It wasn't homemade at all. It was store bought."
He then turned his attention to the bed Roy hid in.
"Hey. Pony-Boy. Get out of bed." He ordered.
Black eyes narrowed despite being hidden by a pillow.
"Maes…don't test me today." He warned. He couldn't stand that name.
"Come on, I have something for you."
"Lemme guess; chocolate."
The pause told Roy he was right.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeees………"
"What? I didn't get you the cheap kind, or jack some girl's homemade crap. I went out and bought an expensive box, just for you! Now get out of bed, or I'm telling the instructors how you weren't really sick at all today."
But Roy refused to move. "Forget it Maes. I hate you right now. You completely ignored everything I told you…"
"Yes, that's why I've spent almost my entire food allowance for this week on good quality chocolate. Get the hell out of bed Muffin, before I tie you up and forcibly feed you this chocolate."
Now Roy actually liked being tied up, so that wasn't what made him sit up and glare hatefully at Maes. It was Muffin.
"You KNOW I hate that name!"
"Yes, more than Pony-Boy. Get out 'ere!"
Roy reluctantly got out of bed and stood before the table in their dorm. Maes smiled at him and set on the table a gold wrapped rectangular box.
"Rather big isn't it?" Roy said skeptically.
Still grinning, Maes lifted the lid. One layer of different shaped chocolate pieces met them.
"So…it's an assorted box of chocolates…"
"Mmhmm." Maes began, sitting down. "I figured there's at least one kind here that you would like."
But Roy remained unhappy. "No, there isn't. You just wasted your money Maes. Now if you'll excuse me…"
As Roy turned around, Maes shot out of his chair.
"Roy!" he shouted, upset. "Come on, I really tried! All I wanted to do was make Valentine's Day and chocolate special for you again!"
"Too bad, didn't work."
"Muffin!"
"Oh, for crying out loud, DON'T-CALL-ME-THAT!"
Maes drew in a deep breath.
"Muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin, muffin-"
"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, SHUT UP!"
Roy turned back to Maes (who looked rather pleased) with a scowl and a twitch in his eye. Then he got an idea.
"Fine, I'll tell you what. There's only one kind of chocolate I like nowadays. If you can find it, I'll eat it, but that's it!"
"Okay then, what kind?"
Roy grinned.
"Maraschino cherry."
Gold eyes slightly widened.
"Maraschino cherries?"
"Mmhmm."
As Roy smirked, Maes frowned.
"They rarely make those anymore…"
"Yep."
"And if they do, it's one per box…"
"That's right."
"And those are the only kind you like?"
"You got it."
Maes flumped in his chair, staring at the long box. He was cursing himself for throwing away the sheet that stated which chocolate was which. He had hoped he and Roy could have some fun guessing, hence why he threw it out. Now he had no idea if a maraschino cherry was in this box at all.
"There must be one here…" he muttered to himself. "There's too many for there not to be…"
"Good luck finding it though." Roy told him.
Maes was momentarily silent, then: "Okay, I'll find it somehow!"
This caught Roy off guard. "You're joking, right?! There must be five hundred chocolates in this box! How will you find it!?"
"Well, the cherries are always the round ones, and half of these are round. That narrows down my search enough. I'll just taste each one till I find your cherry!"
Roy watched as Maes wasted no time picking out and tasting a chocolate.
"Hmm…nope. Coconut."
Astonished at his determination, the other decided to sit down and help.
Minutes went on.
"What was that one?"
"A truffle."
"Try this one then."
"…Caramel."
"This is hopeless."
"No it's not…damn. Another coconut."
"You don't have to do this you know…"
"When my boyfriend hates chocolate, of all the things in this world, I have to."
Roy blushed. His boyfriend… It always made him happy to hear that, no matter how many times it was said.
"Hey! I think this is one of those liquor ones! Score!"
Roy's head met the table.
They went on for half an hour.
"Almost done…" Roy sighed, seeing only three round chocolates left.
"I'm sorry hon, looks like there's no cherries in here at all." Maes frowned.
"Don't worry about it…" Roy muttered, resting his head on the table.
Maes grabbed one of the few left and popped it into his mouth. They had come to the point where he stopped bothering to just take a small bite. After all, he ended up eating the whole thing anyways.
But the instant Maes bit down, he froze.
"Roy…" he said, trying not to bite down on it again.
The mentioned one looked up confused. Maes was beckoning him closer with his finger.
"Um…" he began, coming closer. "Yes, Maes-…!!"
Maes locked lips with him almost immediately.
Roy was caught completely by surprise, his mouth still slightly open. This gave Maes the perfect chance to deliver. Roy felt the other's tongue slip in, bringing something with it, then, just as smoothly, retreat and leave that something behind.
When they parted, Roy noticed the slightly crushed object left in his mouth. He bit down.
He tasted cherry.
"See? Told you I'd find it." Hughes grinned broadly, with pride.
Roy's face practically became a cherry.
"Now then…the rest of these are mine I guess…I suppose I should save them for tomorrow, although I'd love to have another of those liquor ones…"
"Maes…?"
The bespectacled one looked back up, confused.
"Uh…yes, Roy?"
"Erm…well I…" he began, still red. "I…I also like…raspberry creams and strawberry delights…"
Maybe…for Roy…when it came to chocolate…it was all in the delivery…