Author's note: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. I know there's technically not a Valentine's Day in the FMA universe, but I couldn't help myself. This is AU.
Love Is in the Air
Riza slid into the booth, signaling for the waiter. "Sorry I'm late. Garnet had a minor mishap before her date, and I needed to repair her skirt before she could leave."
"Again?" Gracia frowned. "You're practically that girl's maid. And don't give me that spiel about how it's the least you can do since they were so kind to take you in. They're your family. They're supposed to take care of you."
Riza just sighed. It was an old argument.
"That is not the subject of discussion," Winry intervened. "We wanted to see what you were planning costume wise for the Lover's Masquerade."
"The what?" Riza blinked.
"That's right. It's your first year in Central." Maria grinned. "Every Valentine's Day there is a masquerade ball here in Central. Everyone sixteen and older is invited. The only rule is you can't come with a date. You can meet someone there, but you can't come as a couple. Over the years it's become something of a showcase for who can come up with the most creative costumes."
"We have an idea for this year," Winry explained. "But we need you to make it work."
"I don't understand."
"Show her the designs, Gracia." Winry beamed. "Gracia and I did them ourselves this year. It was Maria's idea though."
Gracia slid several sheets of paper across the table.
"Ladies." The waiter had finally made an appearance. "What can I get for you today?"
"Four hot chocolates and a piece of the raspberry chocolate cake," Maria ordered. "And we'll want extra forks for the cake."
Riza found herself studying what appeared to be dress designs. Maria in a flowing dress that draped over one shoulder and rippled down to pool around her feet. Winry dressed in an airy creation that fluttered around her, and Gracia in another flowing gown, this one with a portrait collar. The last sketch was of herself in a backless gown that hugged her curves.
"We thought we'd go as the four elements," Winry explained. "Maria is water, I'm air, Gracia is earth, and you are fire. What do you think?"
"They're lovely."
"Are you in then?" Maria asked.
"Sure."
"Perfect. Gracia already has patterns made up. We just need to do measurements, and then we can get started on making them." Winry grinned at her. "We have a month, so it shouldn't be a problem. If you and Gracia take care of the difficult work, Maria and I should have no problem with the more basic stuff."
They started work on the dresses almost immediately. After their snack, the girls dragged her off to a fabric store and then back to Gracia's to take measurements. The work on the dresses started immediately with the cutting of the patterns. By mid January, the dresses were completely assembled and she and Gracia were working on the finishing details. Riza enjoyed the project. It gave her a legitimate excuse to spend time away from her family. They had been kind enough to take her in when her father had died, but other than her Grandfather, who lived in East City not Central, they seemed to see her more as live in help than a member of the family.
With the dresses nearly completion, the rest of the preparations for the ball came to the forefront. Make up, masks, jewelry, and shoes needed to be decided upon. And Riza now had the added task of working on her cousin's gown for the ball. Garnet had bought a costume but had found it not to her standards, so now Riza was modifying it to her specifications. She hadn't informed her cousin that she too would be attending the ball. That would just be asking for trouble.
Still, that did prove slightly problematic when Garnet wanted her help with her preparations for the Masquerade. Riza spent her afternoon running around making sure everything was perfect for Garnet. She finally had a chance to slip away once her cousin had left for her hair appointment. She hurried over to Gracia's flat where the four of them were getting ready for the ball.
"Riza, thank goodness. We were worried you wouldn't make it." Winry was already dressed in fluttering yellow chiffon. "Did you have a chance to take a shower?"
"This morning, yes." Riza touched her neat bun. "It's still damp. Why?"
"Gracia decided at the last minute that ringlets would better suit your costume."
Riza found herself rushed into her under things and seated in front of Gracia's vanity while Maria and Gracia fussed with her hair. Gracia traced the fine crimson lines of the tattoo on her back.
"I didn't know you had this."
"It's something of a family legacy, and it wasn't entirely my choice." Riza sighed. "I'm not sure what I think of it."
"It'll look wonderful with your dress though." Gracia thankfully didn't press the subject. "I think you are all set. Your dress is hanging in my closet. Winry, let's deal with that hair of yours."
The burgundy velvet brocade hung next to Gracia's gown of amber and pale green raw silk. Riza slipped the luxurious fabric over her head. It was a simple pattern: an ankle length dress with a scoop neckline that came up to hug her shoulders then swooped down to the small of her back. The long sleeves tapered into points across the back of her hands.
"Riza, can you help me with my shoes?" Maria called from the other room.
Riza grinned. She had chosen to wear a pair of knee high leather boots with her dress, and Winry had a pair of flat little sandals with ribbons that laced up to her knees. But both Maria and Gracia had insisted that heels were the way to go. Gracia at least had the sense to choose a pair that would allow her to walk around and dance without breaking an ankle, but Maria had insisted upon a pair of ridiculous sapphire stilettos.
"What's the problem?"
Maria perched on one Gracia's bar stools in her dark sapphire gown. She smiled ruefully. "I can't bend down far enough to slip them on in this dress."
"I told you those were a ridiculous choice. Give them here."
"But they match my dress perfectly." Maria handed her the shoes. "Besides, isn't that what formal functions are for, wearing ridiculous shoes?"
"At least my feet won't be complaining tomorrow."
Maria stuck out her tongue.
"Enough, children." Gracia smiled. "Are we ready?"
"I just need my boots."
"Good. Our ride will be here in five minutes."
"You never did tell us what you had planned for that," Maria complained. "It's not like you to keep secrets, Gracia."
Gracia just smiled. "Just because you don't know about my secrets, doesn't mean I don't have them. As for our ride, you'll have to wait and see."
Riza just shook her head. She loved her friends, but there were times when she was certain they were insane. A knock at the door prevented Maria and Gracia from getting drawn into an argument. A liveried man stood there.
"Your coach is waiting, ladies."
"Coach?" Maria raised an eyebrow.
Gracia led them out to the street where a horse drawn carriage waited. "Shall we?"
It wasn't more than a twenty minute ride to the grand ballroom. Riza found herself suitably impressed by the masquerade's setting. It would match any little girl's dreams of Cinderella's ball. The dance floor swirled with couples in fabulous costumes and airy music. The four women made their way down the grand staircase and on to the main floor. Winry disappeared almost immediately, latching on to a pair of young men costumed as an armored knight and a gypsy. Maria also deserted them for the first dance partner that came along.
Gracia just grinned and steered the two of them towards the refreshments. "I'll let Maes do the hard work. He knows what my costume looks like, so he should be able to find us."
"When are the two of you going to get officially engaged?" As long as Riza had known Gracia, she had been head over heels for Maes Hughes, and given that he felt the exact same way, Riza was unsure why the two were still dancing around the subject when the practically lived together most of the time. The fact that they each had an apartment was mostly to keep from offending their parents' sensibilities.
"Still convincing our parents mostly. His want him to finish his degree before getting engaged, and mine want me rethink the whole thing." She grinned. "It should be official this spring."
"Good."
Maes appeared a few minutes later to whisk her off onto the dance floor. Riza quickly found herself with a number of dance partners of her own. After two waltzes, a reel, and a foxtrot, she was ready for a break from getting her feet trampled on. To be fair, one of her partners had been a very good dancer. It was just the other three that had mangled to her feet.
Helping herself to refreshments, Riza found herself a quiet little corner to watch the festivities in. Maria had been right about people going all out when it came to their costumes. Everywhere she looked there was one fabulous creation after another. People were dressed as everything from sailing ships to desert princes. There was even one fellow who had even gone as far to construct a chariot to go with his Roman soldier costume.
"Is there a reason women wear ridiculously tall heels to these things? I mean they look painful." A young man sat down in the window sill next to her, rubbing his foot. "They can't be easy to dance in."
"I wouldn't know. I believe in sensible shoes." Riza stuck out a booted foot. "I always figured that a man must have invented them. It's clear that who ever invented them never had to wear them."
He laughed. "That's probably true. I hope you don't mind sharing your seat. My last dance partner was rather put out when I turned down her offer of leaving early."
"And so your feet need to recover? I suppose that would be one practical purpose for high heels: to inflict pain."
"She jammed a four inch stiletto heel into my foot."
Riza winced. "Ouch."
The two of them ended up chatting for quite some time. The young man was a student at the university, studying alchemy. She found they had quite similar taste in novels, and that he had quite a sense of humor. He had also been dragged to the masquerade by friends, and he was supposed to be a Victorian vampire. At least, that was what his friend had claimed the costume was. Her conversation partner rose to his feet, wiggling his toes.
"I think I've recovered enough for another dance or two. My I have the honor, my Lady Flame?"
"Of course, good sir."
He turned out to be a very good dancer. Riza's abused toes had nothing to complain about as he spun her around the dance floor. The two of them shared a waltz, a foxtrot, and several sets of country dances before they had to take a break to catch their breath.
"Would you like a glass of punch or something?"
"That would be lovely."
As she waited for him to return, Riza found herself approached by Garnet of all people. Of course, her cousin didn't know it was her, but it was still a little disconcerting.
"I don't know who you are," she hissed. "But stay away from my man. I don't share, and you won't come out well in a fight."
Riza raised an eyebrow. As far as she knew, Garnet did not have any sort of boyfriend whatsoever. And she didn't think her cousin would have much luck with her dance partner either. He didn't seem as interested in romance as he did his studies. Riza doubted he would have stuck around to talk with her if she hadn't been interested as well.
"Here you are, Lady Flame." Her dance partner had returned. He smiled at Garnet. "If you'll excuse us?"
He steered her back towards their corner. "I hope you don't mind being used as a shield. She's been trying to get a hold of me all night. That girl won't take no for an answer. She's even still going after Havoc despite the fact that he finally found a steady girlfriend. The last thing I need tonight is to have put up with her."
Riza shook her head. "It's not a problem."
"Thank you." He smiled. "You're much better company."
They danced some more before retiring to the sidelines once again. It wouldn't be long until midnight and the unmasking. Riza was enjoying herself too much to notice her surroundings until she felt hands on her hair and her mask slipping off. Her hands came up to fix it as she whirled around to see who had unfastened it. Garnet faced her flanked by both of Riza's aunts. All three of them were talking to her at once, and Riza quickly found herself being pulled through the crowded and bundled out of the ballroom and into a taxi with one of her aunts.
"Just for once couldn't you have been a grateful child? No, you had to go and make a fool of us. I told Ariana that we should have forbidden you from leaving the house tonight. This was Garnet's chance to snare a good match, and you had to go and ruin it."
She doubted that she personally had ruined Garnet's chances. In fact, Riza wasn't quite sure how her presence at the masquerade affected that at all. It was Garnet who was the problem, not Riza. But she knew her aunt well enough to know that pointing out the logic of the situation wouldn't help. Once they arrived back at the house, Riza was marched up to her garret room and locked inside.
Riza sighed. Well, at least most of the evening had been pleasant. Actually, it had been quite wonderful until the end. She carefully hung her costume up; it was gorgeous, and maybe some day she would have an excuse to wear it again. Riza struggled to unpin her hair. She wasn't sure how Gracia had gotten it to stay up like this, and it certainly didn't want to come down. Once that was done, she curled up in bed, content to dream about the past evening.
Her dreams were pleasant which was nice given her family's mood the next morning was decidedly unpleasant. Riza found herself heaped with extra chores as a punishment. She didn't mind too much. If she was doing chores, no one was going to lecture her. It was hard to keep a straight face and pay attention to their admonitions when the reasoning behind them was completely ludicrous. So despite the stiff breeze, Riza was perfectly happy to stuck hanging the laundry out to dry.
Hoisting the wicker laundry basket onto her hip, she crossed the brick patio at the back of the house. The line was already up thankfully, so she got straight to work. It didn't take long until she was down to the bed linens. Riza struggled to get the thick comforters over the line without dragging any of the ends on the ground when a pair of hands grabbed the other end and lifted.
A pair of dark eyes met hers. "Hi."
It was the young man from last night. Or someone with the exact same voice. He smiled nervously at her.
"I never did introduce myself properly. I'm Roy Mustang."
"Riza Hawkeye."
He grinned. "I know. Gracia told me. Maes Hughes is my best friend. Your departure wasn't exactly quiet, and it didn't take too long to track down some one who knew who you were. I wanted to make sure I hadn't gotten you in serious trouble or anything."
The last of the comforters went up on the clothesline, Riza stretching up on her toes to finish pinning it.
"My family was just being themselves. I'm something of the unwanted poor relation. And Gracia just gave you my address?"
"Apparently, she and Maes have been trying to set us up on a blind date for the past month or so. And Fanny Price you may be, but the Bertrams your family are not."
They stood there in the sunshine for a moment. Roy bent and scooped up the laundry basket as they headed back towards the house.
"Would you like to go out for tea or something?"
Riza bit her lip. On the one hand, she was in plenty of trouble already. On the other, her chores were all done. She smiled. Her family wasn't going to like this at all.
"I'd love to."
Riza returned the basket to the laundry room before slipping out the back door. Roy slipped his hand into hers as they walked down the street. The ball had been fun, but she had a feeling that this was going to be better.