Barry
By hpswst101
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fullmetal Alchemist in anyway shape or form. The inspiration for this story comes from one of my best friend's who loves the character of Barry.
Roy Mustang was busy in the refrigerator, pulling out vegetables and a meat to prepare for dinner. Riza Hawkeye was on the floor, a large packing box open in front of her labeled "Colonel Mustang's -MISC". On either side of her was organized piles of Roy's "stuff." There was his civilian clothes, towels and bedsheets to one side and alchemy and historic books with some of his own alchemic research notebooks, pictures and items he's picked up over the years while traveling for the military.
Finishing off the box, Riza put a hand to her back, feeling the muscles and tendons stretch and pull after sitting for the extended period. Getting up, she continued to stretch. Amber eyes watched her husband's figure.
When cooking there usually was a spark or energy to his movements. He would sing or hum along to the music playing from the radio. But this time, as it has been since Maes Hughes funeral, he was slow, lethargic and quiet.
He wasn't sleeping. All the usual tricks; warm milk, reading him boring military reports, listening to night time radio, sex. None of it was working and Riza was really starting to worry. As both his lieutenant and his wife, she knew he was hurting and that given time it would affect his other performing areas.
"Did you want to try sleeping here alone tonight?" She asked, breaking the silence between them. He shook his head.
"I know I haven't been sleeping well but there is still no where else I'd rather be." Was his quiet response. He brought out a cutting board and started to cut the vegetables.
Walking over to him, her flowing skirt leaving a wake as she passed. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a warm kiss on the shoulder of his old military academy calisthenics t-shirt.
"Is it because you actually like my place better or because you don't want to sleep alone?" She asked.
He gave a mild shrug, "Both?" He added weakly. "I may have trouble sleeping but at least then I know you're with me." He gave her a tired, loving smile as his hands stopped chopping the food; briefly kissing her head. Looking back at the food he turned the topic of conversation, a small teasing smile on his face. "So are you going to take up Barry's offer and go on a date with him."
Riza laughed, pulling away from her husband and moving back to the living room. Taking one of the finished boxes she started to break it down. "Hmm. I don't know. He's actually about my height which is kind of nice." She finished cutting the last piece of tape and folded the item up to place away somewhere."Regardless of if you approve or not, he has a thing for me. And it's not like he even knows about us." Getting back to the floor, she picked up her small Drachma army knife and pierced an unopened box with it. "Why what bothers you about it," she gave him a teasing smile. "That he's a serial killer? A man attached to a suit? Or that he's in love with me?"
Finishing the cutting, Roy grabbed one of the pans and placed a dollop of oil in the pan. Picking up the cooking equipment he started to turn the pan from side to side. "More like the fact that he's a serial killer who's in love with you. I'm no expert on the serial killer brain but I'm fairly certain he wouldn't be a safe person to be in a relationship with. Who knows when he'll snap and just add you to the list of people killed." He poured some of the vegetables into the pan, briefly stirring to even them out before turning around to face her.
"Lt. Riza," he started in a soft voice gaining her reddish-brown eyes moved from the large blue vase in her hands to him. "if anything happened to you I don't know-"
"You would continue on," she interrupted softly. "And become Furher. You have experienced lots of death, most at your own hands, and each time you keep pushing through, not for me, but for the people of Amestris."
"You underestimate your worth," he muttered quietly.
"And you underestimate your ability to persevere." She turned back to the vase. "Now what do you want me to do with this vase."
"It's a family heirloom. My Aunt gave it to me when I first moved to East City after the war. It's meant to be part of the bride-price, a house warming gift. I had forgotten it even existed until we had to pack for the transfer here. I figured I would just give it to you here."
"I appreciate the gift Roy but I honestly don't know where I would put it. It's not like either one of us buy the flower arrangements to begin with."
"Maybe we should change that," he gave her a tired smile but turned back to the cooking.
Setting the big vase to the side, Riza started to pull out some more items.
They became quiet, Riza shifting through his things as Roy cooked. Soon the vegetables were done and Roy started to work on searing the meat when Roy's phone rang, "Can you get it, Riza? My hands have food residue on them." Black Hayate woke up at the sound of the phone and gave a playful bark, his tail wagging as he lowered his forward body into a haunch, ready to play now.
"Yes," Riza answered. As she navigated her way to the set up phone by the window, she asked her husband, "Any voice request?"
"Don't care." Was the tired response as Roy flipped the salmon and placed it into the pan.
Riza picked up the phone on the fifth ring.
Making her voice a few octaves higher and more bubbly, she answered the phone with a, "Hello you have reached the residence of a Colonel Roy Mustang, who may I say is speaking?" Roy looked at her, giving her a helpless look at hearing what voice she chose. He mouthed a small,
'Really? That voice?' As the other side of the line came to life, "This is Lt. Falman and I need to speak to the Colonel. Is he around?" It sounded like Falman and he sounded desperate.
"Give me a second, darling," Riza continued in the voice before moving the receiver away from her mouth and covering it with her hand. In her normal voice, eyes now hard and serious, Riza continued, "Colonel it's for you. Lt. Falman and he sounds pretty bad."
Roy nodded his head, "Tell him, I'll be there in a minute." And started to put the food on low and wash his hands.
"He'll be with you in just a second," Riza relayed back in the fake voice.
"Are you his wife?" A second voice, tinney and high asked somewhere in the background on the other end. That must be Barry and Falman gave a very loud, "Shush!" to the other male. "I will not shush! This might mean I have a chance with that hot Hawkeye girl!"
"We told you, numerous times now!, that she's not interested!"
"That's just because she hasn't had a chance to really get to know me!"
"You tried to kill her, in a dark alley, at night!"
"Well, what else was I supposed to do? Offer to take her groceries? Walk her dog who didn't like me? I'm a serial killer, what do you expect from me?"
"Why, Lt. Falman," Riza breathed into the mic, she didn't have to be serious and disciplined. Falman didn't know it was her and she was going to have a little fun with this. "What saucy beast are you keeping company with?"
"Oh crap, the Colonel is going to have me shot," Falman muttered somewhere in the distance before becoming clear. "I… I… I'm helping my friend recover… recover… recover from some alcohol poisoning, Ms. Uh, Ms. uh… I never did catch your name. What is it?"
"Why my name is Susan B. Beauregard," Riza came up with clearly, she once had a classmate with that name. The girl was an annoying brat if there ever was one.
Having finished the fish, Roy was now drying his hands on a towel as he walked over to her. Fun time was almost over. "And the Colonel is now here for you two boys. Oh and Roy, by-the-way," Riza said loudly as she passed the phone, clearly intending for the other two to hear. "I'll be in the bedroom waiting for you, dressed only in a bow. Don't make me wait too long!"
Roy gave her a look that would make any lesser woman (or man) grovel on the floor. Riza didn't budge except to pick up and scratch Black Hayate's head. "No. Lt. I can assure you, that kink is not mine's. It's hers. Now why are you calling me on my private line?"
The frown became more pronounced and a furrowed formed deep in his brow. "Really? You're sure about this?"
She could hear the tinny voice of Barry talking even though she couldn't understand what he was actually saying. The bags under her lover's eyes became more pronounced as his shoulder's sagged. Another weight was just added to him. "Well, that changes things," he added darkly. "Barry," Roy after a moment's thought, turns properly facing Riza. Her face now appropriately blank even as her eyes glistened with curiosity. "I have a proposition that you might like.
"I need your help with breaking her out. You're a terrifying soul bound to armour, I just need you to promise me that you're not going to kill any of the guards." Roy waited a moment and Riza raised an eyebrow. The response must have been satisfactory as Roy asked him where would be a good place to meet up and keep it quiet from Falman.
Roy hung up the phone. Taking a deep breath he set his shoulders back, "I need you to put on your uniform. Date night's over."