BURN THE HOUSE DOWN
by My Rude Awakening
06.11.2017

written for Royai Week 2017, originally posted on Tumblr
PROMPT: Day #7 (6/11) - Incendiary

This story happens immediately after the events of Roy Mustang Observation Diary, where Falman was still a sergeant (instead of a warrant officer), and Fuery was a private, up until the end where Roy promoted him to sergeant, at least according to the translation somewhere on Tumblr.

PART I: INITIAL IGNITION

Tuesday, 15:15 hours
Office of Colonel Mustang, East City HQ

The newly promoted Sergeant Kain Fuery's eyes lit up at their commanding officer's statement.

"So it's really your treat?" the bespectacled soldier repeated Colonel Roy Mustang's words, who was blatantly gloating after he received the notice that there will be an increase in his salary. The report sent to Central by the junior officers led to the colonel's positive performance evaluation so the higher-ups decided to give him a raise.

"That's what I said, sergeant. You guys can choose the place," the superior officer replied smugly, "just make sure it's a good one."

"Yes, sir!" Fuery affirmed with a crisp salute, then stumbled out of the office in a hurry to inform the rest of their unit.

Tuesday, 15:20 hours
Office of Colonel Mustang's Unit, East City HQ

The violent banging of the door announced the entrance of Sgt. Fuery.

"Listen up, everyone!" Fuery exclaimed, stealing the attention of the officers in the room.

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye looked up from the file she was reading.

"Is something the matter, Private Fuery?" Riza asked coldly, her eyes narrowing dangerously as it focused on the youngest member of their team.

The look on his face spoke of an impending ruckus with the men, a distraction that was totally unwelcomed since she was already having a lot of trouble with the badly written report in her hand.

"Oh, it's sergeant now, first lieutenant," he corrected proudly. "I've been promoted!"

The rest of the officers called out their congratulations to the young man who accepted them bashfully.

"Anyway," Fuery adjusted his glasses before resuming his announcement, "the point is, Col. Mustang's treating us out! He told me to choose a good place, but I don't know that many good places. Any ideas?"

"Oh, it's been a while!" Breda put his pen down and said, "I haven't been to a nice place lately, being broke and all after I lost a bet, but since the colonel's paying, we should choose a real fancy place. After all, it's not every day he's this generous."

Havoc nodded in agreement.

"I've been eating in for the past weeks since I was saving up for that date last week which ended tragically, no thanks to the colonel." The blonde man sighed bitterly as he continued, "and the fanciest place I know is Antonio's down Charles Avenue, but that's nowhere near the high class restaurants the colonel goes to for his dates. How about you, Falman?"

Sergeant Vato Falman scratched his chin as he rummaged his mental database of all the restaurants in East City.

Riza exhaled loudly. Seriously, this interruption was the last thing she needed, especially when it was taking her everything to focus on the damn report.

She turned to the men as she began speaking.

"Rebecca… I mean, 2nd Lt. Catalina knows this supposedly ultra exclusive place with a posh dining room that transforms into a – I quote – 'snazzy club with an amazing bar, I swear it's the place to be after 10PM. Everyone who is anyone in the East go there to see and be seen' – end quote." She recited her friend's words so flatly, the men could almost not believe they were from the overly energetic Second Lieutenant Rebecca Catalina herself.

"It sounds promising. If 2nd Lt. Catalina is recommending it, then there is little doubt that we will all have fun…" Falman trailed off as he saw Fuery grimace at the mention of the female officer.

"Do you think she'll be there?" their youngest member asked nervously. "…because the last time we went out with her–"

"You passed out 15 minutes into the drinking game," Havoc finished for him as he tried to contain his guffaws. Breda was snickering beside him as they watched Fuery run a hand down his face in despair.

"She would have to be there since she's the one who has the connections," Riza confirmed, turning to the other officers. "We don't have to go there. It's just a suggestion."

"But it sounds really interesting, and if the restaurant's as posh as Catalina says, then it's our chance to milk the colonel's offer for what it's worth," Breda pointed out matter-of-factly with a malicious grin.

Falman's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, 2nd Lt. Breda?"

It was Havoc who answered with his own devious smirk as he rubbed his hands together. "It means dinner and the drinks afterwards will be on the colonel!"

"Oh!" the gray-haired officer nodded as a smile slowly formed on his face. "Not bad at all."

Riza patiently watched as the scene unfolded, and could not help but be amused at the amount of scheming that was done in less than five minutes. If only the men did their paperwork just as quickly…

The first lieutenant let them mull over the idea for a while as she went back to the file on her desk. She was about to pick up her pen to resume her work when Fuery cleared his throat.

"I've decided to take one for the team. If everybody's fine with 2nd Lt. Catalina's place, then I shall relay the details to the colonel now."

The corners of the Riza's mouth lifted at the dramatic declaration. After all, she wanted to check out the place herself. It had been quite some time since she had gone out with her best friend and she needed to unwind a bit.

No, not just a bit, she corrected herself mentally. She had to unwind a lot after all the trouble her colonel and their team got into in the past few months.

"We still have to decide on the date," Falman reminded the others gently.

"The colonel said tonight…" Fuery supplied hopefully.

"No way. We're swamped with reports right now," Riza stated bluntly, motioning to the stacks of folders on their desks. "and we'll have to work really hard until the end of the week to finish them on time."

"How does Friday sound then?" Havoc proposed as his eyes shone in unbridled excitement (most likely at the thought of free – and not to mention good – food and drinks, and maybe at the presence of Rebecca that night). "Promise, first lieutenant, we'll all work really, really, really hard so we can leave the office early on Friday!"

The other officers nodded in assent.

Well, it's been a while since the team did something fun together… Riza pondered silently.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Riza finally smiled weakly, and Fuery went on his merry way to notify their commanding officer.

Your wallet's going to hate you for this, colonel. She thought to herself as she dialed the internal line for Rebecca's office.

Friday, 19:31 hours
Dining Room, The Verve, East City

Rebecca mentally patted herself on the back as she observed the men's reaction, particularly Mustang's. The colonel scrambled to his feet the moment Riza entered the room. Surprise and admiration was clearly painted on his face while he watched his adjutant gracefully walk towards their table. The rest of their team wore similar expressions, but with much less intensity, and definitely without the potent desire radiating from their commanding officer.

Riza was wearing a deep blue, floor-length dress with an eye-popping thigh-high slit. It had a high back, but was sleeveless, and revealed just the slightest hint of cleavage with its sweetheart cut neckline. Her hair was flowing freely down her shoulders with the ends curled to perfection. Riza was adamant about putting only the bare minimum of make up, but even that was already enough to transform her into a goddess.

And then there's her sinfully red lipstick… gods have mercy on the men within the vicinity.

Oh hot damn, Rebecca cursed inwardly. She was pretty sure she was straight, but seeing her best friend all dolled up like this was making her question herself for a moment or two. Riza was undoubtedly scorching in her outfit, no wonder the flame bastard's lost his cool so early in the evening.

Oh wait, there's Jean Havoc, she continued her musing, biting her lower lip unconsciously, he seems to have cleaned up nicely… hmmm, not bad at all.

The said blonde man stood and pulled out the chair for her, shocking her and the rest of the team (except Mustang who was still mesmerized with his pretty lieutenant). Rebecca could not help but blush at the display of chivalry.

"T-thank you, 2nd Lt. Havoc," she stammered as she sat down.

He leaned towards her and whispered huskily in her ear, "Why are you being so formal now, Catalina?"

Rebecca's blush deepened at their proximity and the deepness of his voice, but she recovered quickly. She honestly needed to stop swooning over Havoc right about now if she wanted her plan to work.

"Stop being a tease, Havoc," she scoffed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I was just being polite because you were being awfully nice."

Breda let out a ridiculously loud cough and muttered, "Can we please stop with all the flirting?"

Fuery laughed nervously and said, "Shall I ask the waiter for the menu?"

Mustang reluctantly averted his eyes from Riza to Fuery as he nodded in assent.

While waiting for the waiter to return, Rebecca assessed each guy.

She expected Mustang to be comfortable in coat and tie, but the others looked really good in their formal clothes as well. Breda was able to contain his protruding belly in his dress shirt, Falman looked slick with his striped tie, and Fuery was absolutely adorable with his red bowtie. She didn't even know where to start with Havoc…

A tug on the skirt of her dress halted her reverie. She turned towards Riza, who had a hint of blush on her cheeks (and it was certainly not from the cosmetics she put on). Her friend didn't say anything, but her eyes were pleading. Rebecca couldn't figure out for the life of her what she was trying to convey.

Riza suddenly stood up.

"I'm going to the ladies' room. Would you like to come with me, Becky?"

Rebecca was so surprised with the use of her nickname that she could only follow her mindlessly.

Friday, 19:37 hours
Ladies' Room, The Verve, East City

"Becky, it's so awkward!" Riza began complaining the moment they reached the ladies' room.

She rarely whined like this, but the discomfort from the attention from the guys – both from their team and the other patrons in the restaurant – was too much for her. She could handle it during missions since she always had a goal to focus on, but it's a different thing altogether when it's her personal time.

Rebecca chuckled. "It must be bothering you a lot since you called me Becky already. You haven't called me that since we graduated from the academy!"

"I'm being serious here, Rebecca," she snapped, "I think the dress you chose for me is too flashy and I never should have put on that lipstick!"

Her hand was poised to wipe off the coloring on her lips, but her friend grabbed her wrist harshly.

"Don't you dare, Riza Hawkeye!" Rebecca warned her viciously. "There's nothing wrong with looking pretty…" The dark haired woman carefully let go of her hand, then patted Riza's cheeks as she continued, "…you're a beautiful woman, darling. There's nothing wrong with that. Do we have to go through the entire lecture again?"

The blonde shook her head. "It's just been a long time since I've been out and about like this and it's getting to me. You know how I hate being the center of attention."

"I know," Rebecca assured her, "but you have to get used to it, especially when you'll be the future first lady of Amestris~!"

"Rebecca!" Riza was taken aback with her bold statement. "What in the world are you saying?"

"Oh please, you know what I'm talking about." The second lieutenant simply winked at her, then began fixing her lipstick. "By the way, have you seen the way your colonel looked at you? He's like a lovestruck puppy, it's almost too cute!"

"No, he wasn't… I think?" Riza hated sounding so unsure, but she knew Rebecca was right. There was something different about the way her commanding officer looked at her tonight. His gaze was all too familiar to her. It was the same one he gave her when they were younger, before the war had tainted them for life…

…but it was a lifetime ago and lingering affection – if that's what it was all about – would only serve as a hindrance to their journey to the top, and not to mention a possible weakness that the enemy could exploit.

Rebecca shook her shoulders lightly to snap her out of her trance.

"Are you OK?" she asked, eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Riza responded quietly. "I apologize for being overdramatic."

"Please, Riza," Rebecca begged, "let's just enjoy this night with free food and drinks. I was really looking forward to having fun with my best friend whom I haven't hung out with in forever."

A grin slowly took over the blonde woman's countenance as her friend pulled her into a comforting hug.

"I missed you," Riza admitted meekly.

She wasn't used to expressing her emotions verbally, but this was Rebecca, her fiercely loyal friend who saw her at her best and worst and loved her anyway. She would understand. Becky always knew even without Riza telling her anything, and she loved her for it.

People thought she's stupid and loud, but Rebecca Catalina was anything but those. Others often wondered how the two of them could be best friends, but what they didn't know was Becky had a heart of gold and knew how to really listen. She might be harsh with her words at times, but Riza appreciated her honesty and directness.

"Me, too, honey," the black-haired lieutenant replied. "You have no idea how much."

She let go of Riza carefully, then wiped away her tears surreptitiously.

After spending a few minutes to collect and fix themselves up, the blonde asked her friend playfully, "Are you ready to return out there, sexy lady?"

Rebecca winked at her cheekily.

"I'm no Flame Alchemist, but I'm ready to set the house on fire if you are!"

Friday, 19:39 hours
Dining Room, The Verve, East City

Heymans cleared his throat as he extended his open palm towards Falman.

"Pay up, man. Catalina's nickname is Becky, not Becca."

Mustang shook his head distractedly. "I can't believe you made a bet on that."

The red-haired lieutenant shifted in his seat after taking the cash from the gray-haired sergeant. He then regarded the colonel with heightened interest. He had always wondered what the real deal was between their commanding officer and Hawkeye. The tension between them had always been so intense, everyone in the office expected it to snap sooner rather than later, but it never did.

Tonight, the Flame Alchemist was acting out of character: he was staring unabashedly at his adjutant, sneakily pulling her chair closer to him, and whatnot. Mustang was being overly possessive of Hawkeye – at least, more than usual, and definitely more openly than what was normal, and not to mention proper for a superior officer.

Maybe it's because of her outfit… he speculated.

Heymans had to admit that the blonde lieutenant and her friend were looking way too hot for their own good this evening. Even Havoc seemed to have been knocked out of his socks when he saw Catalina.

…but something did not make sense. If it was just her look tonight, and nothing else, then why did their commanding officer seem to be getting jealous from all the male attention Hawkeye was attracting?

Something was definitely up with Mustang, and Heymans was determined to get to the bottom of it before the night ends.

Well, I better slow down on my drinking if I want to keep my wits about me, he told himself.

Friday, 21:27 hours
Dining Room, The Verve, East City

Kain let out a soft sigh as he rubbed his belly contentedly. He could barely move, thanks to the sumptuous meal he just had. The appetizer was a salad with some Cretan cheese with a name he couldn't even pronounce. The steak was bigger than any he's ever had, and was grilled to perfection, while the strawberry cheesecake tasted so divine, it was to die for…

The young soldier briefly closed his eyes to thank his lucky stars for having such a generous boss.

The colonel certainly played the part of a gracious host by letting them order whatever they wanted. He didn't even look at the prices on the menu.

He really must have gotten quite a raise, Kain thought as he savored the 15-year-old wine that was served to them – the third one for the night – also care of the colonel.

In general, the dinner went well, and was only interrupted by 2nd Lts. Havoc and Catalina's occasional bickering. Their commanding officer himself seemed to be distracted, and was drinking more wine than eating his meal.

All throughout dinner, Kain watched as Col. Mustang continuously engaged 1st Lt. Hawkeye in a conversation with a permanent grin on his face. The lieutenant seemed to be enjoying herself, too, if the soft chuckles the colonel coaxed from her were any indication. At some point, it felt as if their two superior officers were in their own world, but the bespectacled sergeant could not be certain because of the alcohol in his system.

Maybe it's just my imagination… he waved his ideas away as a waiter cleared the space in front of him.

"We should head out to the garden soon," 2nd Lt. Catalina spoke up when the waiter left. "They'll be removing the tables to make way for a dance floor in a while."

"What will we do while waiting for the 'club' to be ready?" Sgt. Falman asked.

"Hmmm," the dark-haired lieutenant contemplated for a second, then replied, "Let's first grab a table, then decide once we've settled."

Friday, 21:41 hours
Outdoor Bar, The Verve, East City

Vato secured one of the bigger cocktail tables near the outdoor bar where the bartenders were already handing out drinks. He waved to the rest of the team as they made their way across the garden.

"Good job, Falman!" 2nd Lt. Breda stopped next to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Before anything else, we have to ask the colonel first…" Sgt. Fuery mumbled as he stood beside the rotund officer.

"Sir, are you paying for the drinks as well?" 1st Lt. Hawkeye inquired straightforwardly on behalf of the team.

"Of course!" Col. Mustang beamed brighter than the sun as he replied – a little too quickly in Vato's opinion.

Everybody let out a sigh of relief at his response.

It really was a brilliant idea to make 1st Lt. Hawkeye ask their superior officer. 2nd Lt. Breda was right when he claimed that the colonel could never say no to the female lieutenant.

The two ladies and Sgt. Fuery headed towards the bar after losing in the coin toss. The remaining men watched them idly as they conversed with the bartender.

"Thank you very much for the wonderful dinner, colonel," Vato said without preamble.

Col. Mustang adjusted his collar as he spoke, "No, thank you for your hard work and dedication. It's the least I can do to show my appreciation," he stated candidly, as he looked at each one of them in the eyes.

The sincerity in his reply astonished the gray-haired sergeant.

Their commanding officer rarely revealed his real emotions and thoughts. He didn't become the infamous Scheming Womanizer of the East for nothing, after all, but tonight, for some reason, he was being a little too honest.

Maybe it's the alcohol…? He mused. Or maybe it's the lieutenant…

His fellow officers often teased him about his inability to read the situation, but even he could see how their boss was giving the only female member of their unit more attention than usual tonight.

No, scratch that. He was giving her almost all of his attention tonight. Vato corrected himself, then added, but I can't blame the colonel. 1st Lt. Hawkeye really is gorgeous… even in her regular uniform.

"We're back!" Sgt. Fuery exclaimed as he passed the beer mugs to 2nd Lts. Breda and Havoc.

The two men muttered their thanks, then proceeded to gulp their drinks with very little finesse.

"Here's your rum on the rocks, Falman." 2nd Lt. Catalina slid the glass across the table, and he caught it clumsily.

"Thanks!"

Vato gave the colonel and the first lieutenant one last look, then decided that he's better off enjoying the night. There was no point in obsessing over his superiors' affairs right now when there's free drinks to be had and a dance floor to try out.

Friday, 22:10 hours
Dining Room (turned into a Club), The Verve, East City

If someone told Roy that Falman was a party animal two hours ago, he would have choked on his dinner, and then probably laughed his head off.

He cradled his drink as he watched the man burn his soles on the dance floor. Who would have thought that the quiet, awkward sergeant was actually skilled in dancing?

The colonel shook his head in incredulity as he shifted his gaze to his favorite lieutenant (not that he would admit it to anyone else, except probably his foster mother – but only under the heavy influence of his favorite whiskey).

Riza looked so carefree – so alive – as she spun around on the dance floor with her best friend. That was how he wanted her to be all the time: happy, at ease… safe.

Tonight, he was finally able to do the one thing he'd always wanted: take Riza out for a luxurious dinner in fancy clothes. He hated the fact that he could do so with every and any other girl in this damn country, except for the most important one in his life.

Their dinner conversation was something he would relive in his mind again and again. Little by little, the wine did its magic on her, and she eventually relaxed as they spoke more. Her feminine laugh – the one he hadn't heard in years – would haunt him for a long time.

Roy wanted more, but he knew he had to be content with what they could get away with right now. They are still so far away from their goal, and one wrong move could compromise everything they had worked for.

Theirs was such a cruel fate. It had been almost three years since they returned from the war, but he found himself asking every so often, why did things end up like this?

Oh, he knew how they ended up this way, but he could never understand why they had to end up standing next to each other, but unable to express their feelings. They both agreed they were doing this for the future of Amestris, but during those rare moments of weakness – when his longing for her was so strong he could hardly breathe – he had been more than willing to simply damn the whole world to hell if it meant he could be with her.

Maybe he was still in denial, and maybe he was the only one who felt this way. The uncertainty was driving him mad. There were nights when he fervently wished he could turn back time so he can undo everything… so he could redo everything from the beginning.

Then he would never let her go and–

"Damn, look at those legs, chief!" Havoc uttered with perverted reverence, effectively cutting off his depressing train of thought.

Roy's turned towards him, his eyes narrowing ferociously. "How dare you talk about your superior officer like that!"

The blonde man's eyes widened as he quickly responded, "I was talking about Catalina, sir!"

"Sorry, I… uh–" The Flame Alchemist could only run his hand through his hair.

"It's OK, colonel," Havoc assured him, "we know how protective you are with the lieutenant."

The lieutenant.

His lieutenant.

"No, it's not like that, 2nd Lt.," Roy insisted, but his subordinate raised a hand.

"Then let's just blame it on the alcohol tonight, alright?" Havoc grinned impishly, then added, "and let's keep this conversation a secret from the ladies as well."

The two men stood side-by-side as they continued admiring the beautiful women of the Eastern Headquarters.

Friday, 22:53 hours
Dining Room (Turned into a Club), The Verve, East City

"Colonel, here's your whiskey neat."

Rebecca turned just in time to see Mustang's eyes light up as Riza approached him with his fourth – or was it the fifth? – glass of the liquor.

Oh boy, the Flame Alchemist had it bad. Really bad.

She and her best friend went back to their VIP table a few minutes ago after spending more than half an hour dancing their pretty butts off. It was the most fun they'd both had in months.

She initially had a hard time convincing Riza to dance with her, though. It took several shots of vodka, and some pep talk (We're young and wild and free and only 23, Riza!) before the blonde woman finally let Rebecca lead her to the dance floor.

"Sooo…" she began, "is everyone game for a round or two of Spin the Bottle?"

"How old are you, Catalina…" the colonel slurred ever so slightly, "twelve?"

Rebecca brushed off his comment, and countered "Ohhhh~ the mysterious Flame Alchemist doesn't even have a secret or two to spare for a childish game?" She then placed a finger under her chin as she resumed her taunting, "Or maybe he's not man enough to handle the dares!"

Mustang clenched his jaw at her mockery. She widened her mischievous grin despite Riza's threatening stare. One more word and she knew she could be accused of insubordination, but she's taking her chances for Riza's sake.

The blonde woman placed a hand on her commanding officer's elbow, and all of a sudden, the annoyance on his visage melted into a smirk.

"Bring it on, 2nd Lt. Catalina," the Flame Bastard challenged her, but she simply responded with a wink.

Bingo! Rebecca screamed, but only inside her head. Everything was going according to her plan. She only had to keep the ball rolling until the right moment came.

"How are we even doing this if we don't have a bottle to actually spin?" Havoc questioned her condescendingly, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired woman.

"So why don't you get one instead of whining like a bitch?" Rebecca demanded icily, crossing her arms.

"But it was your idea!" the blonde second lieutenant retorted. "And who's being the bitch here, huh?"

"I'll get it!" Fuery piped in as he wobbled on his feet. "There's no need to fight, y'aaaaaall~!"

"No, I'll get it," Breda volunteered, then guided the bespectacled sergeant to a seat, "Fuery, settle down for a while, will you? I think you've had too much to drink."

"I'm not druuuuuunk~!" the young man insisted, but the redhead ignored him, and made his way to the bar. "I'm having the tiiiiime of my liiiiiife~!"

Riza chucked at the inebriated officer and asked, "Sgt. Fuery, would you like some water?"

Mustang caught her gaze and shook his head. He leaned closer to her and murmured something against her ear. The blonde woman nodded twice, then turned to Rebecca.

"The look in your eyes tells me you're planning something…"

"Me?" The dark-haired woman exclaimed with faux surprise, her smile contrasting the innocence she was trying to project. "I'm simply making things more interesting!"

Riza was about to reply when Falman came into view.

"Woah, man! I didn't know you had the moves." Breda hollered as he made his way back to their table with an empty champagne bottle.

"Thank you!" he replied breathlessly, looking dazed as if he were coming down from a high. "I think I need to get a drink or four ASAP or I'll pass out from dehydration…"

"Well," Havoc began as he sat down next to Fuery on the leather couch, "you'd have to go get it from the bar since the waiter hasn't been here in forever… so much for VIP service."

"What did you expect? It's a Friday night and the club's packed," Rebecca reasoned out. She was about to continue, but Mustang beat her to it.

"Let's just start the game," the colonel commanded, taking control of the situation.

"One moment, sir. Falman's still getting a drink," the first lieutenant reminded him.

"Then everyone should get a drink now so we don't have to stop the game for a refill," Rebecca suggested as she pulled her best friend towards the bar. "And no more for you, little boy!" she warned the half-asleep Fuery.

"Yes, ma'am!" he replied with a left-handed salute.

The dark-haired woman simply shook her head at his wasted state.

Riza stopped walking, and turned around to face their superior officer. "Would you like me to get you another drink, sir?"

"No, lieutenant, but would you please get a bottle of a good Drachman vodka, and a shot glass or two for our game?" he requested, then winked at her conspiratorially. "Catalina wanted it interesting. Let's humor her."

Riza could only give him a nod as she let herself be dragged by Rebecca.

A/N: I know, I know. It has been done so many times before, but I'll make this worth your while, I promise! Please let me know what you think! It's one of my first fics for FMA/royai so I hope everyone's in character.