There was a knock on his office door and he looked up to call whoever knocked to come in. "You called for me, Mustang?" Edward said as he entered. He was surprised. Roy had this sad, maybe even depressed look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you later," the older man almost snapped back. From his seat, it seemed like he was trying to look around Ed. "Where's the other one?"
"Other one? You mean Al?" Ed asked, rather confused. "You only asked for me."
"No, no, the Grace girl."
"You do know there's two of them."
"The older one. The black-haired one. The one that's always with you. Your girlfriend. Raven, I believe."
Ed blushed slightly at this and how bluntly he said it. "She's not my-! Ah, who am I kidding," he stammered out, giving up. "She didn't come. You only called for me."
"Well, I figured she would tag along or you would bring her with you or something," he said placing his hand on his head in frustration. "Just…go get her." He waved the younger alchemist away.
Now Ed was very confused. "What? Are we in trouble or something?"
"Just go get her!" Roy was becoming impatient, clearly. Edward turned for the door, muttering something about him not having to yell like that. When he opened the door, two bodies and a hunk of metal fell through the doorway.
"H-hi brother!" Al said looking up from the floor. Lying next to him was the Grace sisters, one on top of the other. "How are you?"
It was Hayden who fell on top of Raven and she was now struggling to get up.
"Get off of me!" Raven shouted.
"I'm trying!" Hayden said back. "And you could say 'please'! Maybe I'll stay here for a few since you placed that heavy blanket on my face."
"I was asleep! It was two years ago!"
"You tried to suffocate me."
"I was asleep! It was an accident! And you're still here aren't you!? [1] Why are you bringing this up now anyway!?"
The sisters continued to argue while Ed helped Al off the floor. They knew it wasn't serious. They had this playful argument every once in a while. Roy just sat there watching the commotion happen just outside his , the sisters got up and fixed themselves. "Hi Edward," Raven said.
"We weren't eavesdropping of anythi-hey!" Hayden started to say but was stopped by a gentle nudge in the stomach by her older sister. Ed just stood there, smiling and shaking his head.
"Mustang actually needs to speak with us, Raven," Ed said. Raven nodded and started to walk into the room. Hayden tried to follow. "Um, what are you doing?"
"He said he needed to speak with us," Hayden said.
"Just me and Raven."
"Just you two?" Hayden stood there, confused. But a sly and amused smirk soon spread on her face. "What did you two do, huh? Did you do something you weren't supposed to in a storage closet or something?"
The couple blushed almost as red as Ed's coat, which was left back at the Grace house.
"H-Hayden!" Raven scolded her sister. "H-how-?! W-why-?!"
"Even if we did, we wouldn't do it here!" Ed blurted out.
"E-Edward!" Raven blushed even more. Hayden just laughed and grinned.
"My work here is done," she said as she turned around to leave. She grabbed Al's metallic hand, causing him to also blush through his armor, and tugged him down the hall. "We'll see you guys outside or something! Have fun~!"
Ed sighed and closed the door then turned around to face Roy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Raven covering her face and shaking her head a little a ways next to him. He sighed once again before speaking. "Well, we're here."
"Alright then," Roy said as he leaned forward on his desk as Raven eventually removed her hands from her face, still a bit pink. "What Hayden said is actually a bit related to what I need help with…"
Ed looked at Roy confused while Raven muttered something about what was wrong with people today. "What in the world do you mean?" Ed asked.
"I really messed up…" Roy said, shaking his head. "I forgot our anniversary…"
"I'm still confused…
"My girlfriend, Fullmetal! I'm in the doghouse. I forgot our anniversary and now she's pissed off at me!"
The younger couple looked at each other in realization and the turned back to face Roy but not before a stifled laughed escaped Ed's throat.
"You actually have a girlfriend?" Ed smirked. "Since when?"
Raven spoke up. "Well, considering he missed up and missed his anniversary, a year or more. But since he messed up-"
"Shut up!" Roy shouted at the teens. Raven jumped and scooted closer to Edward while he glared at Roy for causing her to jump. The Flame Alchemist exhaled some before speaking again. "I just need your help…"
"I don't know anymore, Mustang," Edward said, getting closer to Raven himself. "Why us anyway?"
"You're a couple, you're close. You're the closest people I know romantic-wise."
A shade of pink crossed over both Ed and Raven's cheeks as they looked at each other shyly.
"Really?" Raven asked softly. "W-we're not that close…"
"Come on!" Mustang said and looked at Raven. "When you're not with Hayden, you're with him. And Ed, when you're not with Al or alone, you're with her."
Raven glared at Ed and looked at the floor. "This is true…" she said."So, explain."
"We met about a year ago. She's in the orchestra and left to be with me. Our anniversary was three days ago and I forgot it…"
"And you want us to help you?" Ed asked.
"Yes."
"Then you must be desperate."
"I am. The orchestra is returning soon and she threatened to leave me."
"So? Dozens of girls have left you. Why do you care?"
"Because I actually care about this one…" Roy placed his head in his hands. "You just got to help me."
"Shocker," Edward said sarcastically. "But why come to a couple of teenagers? ...And why is your forehead all messed?"
"Because I don't trust anybody else…And she threw a block of ice at me…"
"Ice?"
"Yeah…she's an alchemist… The Ice Queen Alchemist."
The two teens nodded, understanding. They have heard of her once or twice before.
"Fire and ice, huh?" Ed said looking at Raven. "I guess we'll have to make something up then. Of course, I don't mess up as bad as you do."
"Yeah cause you're so perfect," Raven said, using some of Hayden's infamous "Grace Sarcasm" and rolling her eyes, thinking of the many times he has messed up. "Do you know what she likes or any ideas?"
Roy folded his hands and placed them over his mouth in a contemplating manner. "I want to be able to find some way to apologize."
Raven nodded and bowed to her superior as she slowly headed for the door. "We'll think about it," she said reaching for the doorknob and motioning for Ed to come. "We should have ideas by the evening. Where can we find you?"
"Here," Roy said as his eyes slightly lit up. "Thank you so much for doing this."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Ed muttered, exiting the room with Raven.
"So we need to help the Colonel win back his girlfriend?" Al asked when they were back at the brothers hotel room. Raven nodded. "Why us?"
"Because he doesn't trust anybody else," Ed spoke up. Al and Hayden gave them weird looks. "I was surprised, too."
"We have no ideas though…" Raven said, looking over towards her sister.
"What?" Hayden said when she noticed the staring.
"You usually have brilliant ideas when it comes to stuff like this," Raven said. "Well?"
"I do have something…"
"Great!" Al said. "Let's go back to HQ and pitch it to the Colonel before it gets too late."
The team arrived at HQ and did indeed pitch the idea to Roy. He liked it. The four teens headed back to the Grace house because there was much to prepare and the brothers had to be on close contact with the sister and woke up early. Roy stayed at HQ until he had to return home an create his side of the plan. While the teens slept in best Roy has to sleep on the couch considering Kathrin kicked him out of the bed.
The next morning, Kathrin woke up once again alone. As she got up, she noticed a folded card with her name in neat cursive on her nightstand along with a red carnation. She promptly pick up the card, unfolded it an began reading the inside writing.
"I know I was wrong for putting work before you, my love. Please do forgive me…
If you do, please follow the clues to your surprise."
She recognized the handwriting as Roy's when he wanted to be neat. There was an arrow right below the small paragraph as if telling her to look on the back. She did and found a continuation on the filed half that didn't have her name on it.
"Clue #1
The place where I first saw you and fell in love with you.
Central's Gran Concert Hall on March 21st.
Find section F, row 12, seat 4 for your next clue."
Confused, Kathrin walked out of the bedroom still holding the note and looking for Roy.
"Roy," she started, walking into the living room. "What's this all a-"
She stopped, noticing he wasn't there. Even though she was ma at him, there was no way that he would leave for work without saying goodbye.
"Okay Roy, I'll play you little game."
With that, she walked back into the bedroom to prepare for the day and the "surprise" she had in store.
At a local cafe, Raven had just arrived with the boys. Hayden had to go ahead because she had some work to do with the plan. Roy didn't know that.
"Where's Primal?" he asked, calling Hayden by her alchemist name. "She plays a big role in this."
"She's getting some stuff done for…the plan," Al said. "Don't worry though. Everything should work out."
"You better hope it does," Roy threatened. "'Cause if it doesn't, I'll send all four of you guys on some ridiculous assignment that you won't be able to return for a long time."
"Stop getting your panties in a bunch," Hayden announced as she walked into the cafe. "She just left the house. I planted all the cards and asked Ethsa to keep watch. She will announce when Kathrin returns so we can go."
"Great," Raven said. "Now all we have to is wait."
Kathrin was heading inside the concert hall and saw the tell-tale gleam of white of the next note card on the seat. She rushed over and picked it up, beginning to read it immediately. It was in the same format as the first one.
"I'm glad that you're giving me a second chance. This time
I won't blow it."
Once again there was an arrow seeming to point to the back of the card.
"Remember the first time I told you I loved you…December 24th, under the
pine tree where we carved our initials in. There you'll find your next clue."
Kathrin was taken aback by the sincerity within the words. He obviously put it in a lot of effort into something like this. Waking up early and running around Central to try and "get her back: (little did she know, he wasn't the one doing the running). She smiled and began to head to their tree.
It was near the outskirts of the residential area of Central. Walking to the tree, she could see the Grace house off in the distance. Kathrin smiled, thinking about the two girls. It had been a while shince she's seen them and she wondered how they were doing. They sort of told her about their situation but she had a feeling they were hiding some details. Especially the youngest one, Hayden. She seemed to have a lot that she was hiding. But she knew she had her oder sister and the brothers to help her.
She approached the proper pine tree and saw the note destined for her. When she removed the pinned note it revealed their initials, RM+KA. It seemed like such a childish thing to do at the time. Something the sweet and innocent Alphonse would do for Hayden. But now she was glad they did it in the long run.
She opened up the paper with her name on it and began to read.
"That was the best Christmas of my life. I wouldn't have traded that for anything."
She smiled at his words and turned the paper over.
"Your next due is back at our apartment on the bed waiting for you."
She immediately thought it would be Roy himself and laughed quietly as she walked away.
"I'm playing your little game, Roy," she said to herself as she tucked the note in her pocket. "But don't expect me to sleep with you just yet."
Hayden's head shot up as she heard a familiar howl while sitting up on the roof of the cafe. She quirky jumped off and landed safely in front of the door before she entered said door.
"Ethsa just howled," she said, looking around for her sister. Raven walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth. "We should get going now, sis."
"We should," she said as she grabbed a bag of the stuff they needed. "We'll see you guys later."
Kathrin entered their apartment and walked over to their bedroom. But instead of seeing Roy as she expected, she saw another note next to a lacy black dress, She took and read it.
"Remember the first time we made love? July 5th. The day you told me that
you were staying in Central. That was the first tie I have ever made love
instead of having casual sex with a woman."
She blushed as she read this and eventually turned the note over.
"I bought this for you. Hope you like it. Get all dolled up and meet me
at the cafe at 7pm.
P.S. The Graces helped pick it out and are willing to do you hair."
7pm? That give a good hour and a half to get ready. But where are the Graces? Just as she finished that though, she heard someone come though the door of the apartment. She quickly ran to the front door, thinking someone broke in.
"Heh, hi Kathrin," Raven said as she smiled sheepishly and Hayden smirked. Raven was carrying a black bag and Hayden stuffed something in her pocket. "We're here to help you get ready."
"How did you two get in?" the older girl asked suspiciously.
"You forgot to lock the door?" Hayden said, turning the end of the sentence into a question. Kathrin dismissed it. "Anyway, let's get started."
The girls helped Kathrin get her make-up ready and get her accessories set. They braided her hair intricately and tied it up into a bun. When she was getting her purse together though, the sisters had to go.
"We'll meet you at the cafe, okay?" Hayden said after they packed up the bag. "Bye."
"Wait what? Girls? Girls?!" she tried to call them back but it was too late. They were out the door.
Kathrin finished getting ready and grabbed jacket before she headed out. It was still rather cold considering it was March and the Sun was starting to set. She waked to the cafe and entered only finding a single booth lit up and set up for two. Upon a plate was another note card addressed to her. She placed her purse down and picked up the note to read.
"Our first date was the day I realized that you were the perfect girl for me."
She turned the note around only to find two simple words.
"Turn around."
She turned around and found Roy in full uniform with his arms open. "Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"Yes," Kathrin whispered. "Yes I do. I love you Roy."
"I love you, too Kathrin."
She walked up to his arms and hugged him tightly. They then closed the gap between each other and kissed each other softy. The four teens emerged from somewhere they were hiding and clapped for the two.
"I can't believe you ran all over Central just to set this up," she sad as she hugged him again.
"Uh, yeah," Roy said and glanced over to Hayden. When he looked away, something metallic hit his head like bottle cap. Music started playing and stepped away from her. "Would you like to dance before dinner?"
"Of course."
So they danced and after some persuading on Al and Hayden's side, Ed and Raven danced too.
"I wish I could dance with you, Hayden," Al said as they watched the two couples.
"Don't worry," Hayden said as she leaned over to place a kiss on his helmet. "It'll be one of the first things we do when you get your body back."
Al smiled beneath his armor and Edward passed Roy and Kathrin, muttering to Raven something about Roy being desperate enough to ask a group of teens to help with his love life and Raven laughed.
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