This was supposed to be a one-shot... a short one-shot. BUT I COULDN'T DO IT, I LOVE THIS PUPPY DOG WAY TOO MUCH! FMA and FMA:B was way too cruel to this cinnamon roll and he deserves better. His fate was brutal, a literal fucking crime. But anyway yeah, this might be a two/three/four part, I'm not sure anymore. No specific plotline from here on out, just some cute fluff and maybe some juicy bits in another part.
I feel Dolcetto would have a really cute, innocent girly. The inspiration for his crush is the girl in the cover.
Steely gray eyes watched her intently. Choppy, dark brown hair that barely brushed the base of her neck; a short, rounded face with vibrant, peachy skin; and large, blue eyes that glimmered with a smile, always. Dolcetto squatted on the roof of the building that sat across from the bakery she worked at every day. His gaze never deviated from the girl's cheery face as she did the most mundane things- sweep the porch, fill the displays, wipe the windows; no matter what it was, a small, pleasant smile graced her thin lips. Dolcetto was enamored with her. From the many (shameful) times the dog chimera had watched the woman, he had learned a few things about her; she was always in a good mood, she was very kind and giving, she was hard-working… watching as one of the town's residents passed by with their dog, the woman raking the leaves outside let her everlasting smile twitch into a large grin. The pet owner smiled back and began talking with the girl, approaching her and letting the baker pet the dog excitedly. And she loved animals.
Dolcetto set an elbow on his thigh and rested his chin in his palm, not once looking away. On more than one occasion he thought of approaching her, but refrained for a multitude of reasons that deluged his self-conscious brain; how would he even begin to start a conversation? He was a human chimera, a criminal, an ex-military test subject that worked for an inhuman homunculus, how could he even have the gall to speak to her?
"There you are," A familiar voice said behind him, startling the canine chimera. Turning, Dolcetto saw one of the other Devil's Nest's misfits silently stalking towards him- Martel. "Greed's been asking where you've been," She informed, standing next to her ally and looking down at where her friend had his attention. "What'cha looking at?" She asked, earning a jumbled stutter from Dolcetto. When her hazel eyes locked with the woman below, a sly grin crossed her face. "This is what's got you so distracted lately?" A crimson blush dusted Dolcetto's cheeks and he smacked the woman's leg.
"Shut up," He mumbled, turning his eyes back at the woman who was waving the dog owner goodbye. "What does the boss want?" Dolcetto asked, changing the subject.
"Recon," Martel answered, now watching the woman as well. "He's got a plan in mind, a big one by the sound of it." By now the nameless woman was finishing up raking all the stray leaves in front of the bakery and scooting them over to the side of the entrance where a trash bag laid on the ground. "Why don't you talk to her instead of being a stalker?" Martel suggested dully, getting an incredulous look from her friend.
"Are you kidding?" He growled, seeing Martel's hazel eyes look down on him questioningly. "And say what? 'Hey, I've been watching you and you're beautiful, wanna go on a date with me?'" Martel frowned and placed her hands on her hips.
"No, you dunce!" She hissed, "Order something from her shop, start a normal conversation- ask her about her day or something." Dolcetto blinked, earning a sigh from the snake woman. "Honestly, Dolcetto," She drawled, rubbing her eyelids. "Sometimes I think that dog brain replaced yours." Dolcetto pursed his lips at the insult as Martel turned to leave. "Hurry and come back to the Devil's Nest, you can finish your stalking later." And with that, she slithered off. Dolcetto looked back to the bakery, seeing his infatuation was back in the shop and had answered an incoming phone call. He watched as she seemed to laugh at something that was said, and her eyes involuntarily moved to the building he was on. Quickly, Dolcetto hopped back before she could see him and he sighed. Running a hand through his short, black hair he took back off towards the Devil's Nest as swiftly as he could before Greed got too irritated with his absence.
#
Gently closing the front door to the bakery, Amille hummed an upbeat tune as she twisted the key in the lock. Turning to look at the sky, she noticed it was getting quite dark- it was a bit later than normal for her to be closing shop. She was so busy cleaning out the displays, she hadn't noticed the time until too late. Shrugging her jacket on her thin shoulders further, Amille made sure the bag of leftover baked goods was right side up before swiftly making her way down the dark streets.
The streets of Dublith were never very packed, especially around the later hours and around her part of town, and that night was no different. A soft tune purred in Amille's throat as she walked, her focus not so much on her stride, but on the next day's duties. In her mind she tallied up an estimate of what she had sold and what she needed to make more or less of the next time. Gripping the bag of goodies a bit tighter, Amille bobbed her head lightly to her tune- at least the leftovers never went to waste.
Turning down her usual route, Amille heard some chatter down the road. As she got closer, she noticed it was two men coming her way. They were babbling to each other quite loudly and Amille assumed they had just left the bar down the street. Paying no mind to them, the girl got closer and moved to pass them.
"Oh, hello, sweetcheeks!" One of the inebriated men slurred suddenly as she approached, causing her to stop and turn to him out of respect. Cursing herself silently, Amille gave the man a nervous smile. She couldn't help herself- she couldn't find it in herself to ignore someone when she was addressed.
"Oh, h-hello," She greeted back, her voice soft, but polite.
"What're you doing out so late, sweetie?" The pet names made Amille shift her feet uncomfortably, but she stayed out of obligation.
"Oh, I just closed up shop, I was about to head home." She explained, taking a small step back. "I'm sorry, but I really should get going, I have to go back in early tomorrow." She said, her fear telling her to run, but her polite nature just hoping they would leave her alone. When the shorter man nudged closer, her hammering heart nearly stopped, and she shifted her weight on her back leg.
"It's not too late, why not stay out a bit longer?" The other man spoke this time and Amille had to swallow the lump caught in her throat before she replied.
"I-I really can't, I'm sorry. But I hope you guys have a nice night." Amille said with a forced smile as she turned to leave.
"Woah, now wait a second, sweetheart." A clammy hand went to wrap around her bicep, but Amille lurched away and went to book it down the street. Before she could get too far, she was jerked to a stop by a hand grabbing her coat and she almost fell back from the sudden jolt. "Oh no, you won't be leaving so soon, girly." Feeling one of the men tugging at her jacket to pull her closer, Amille shrugged violently to get the coat off. Reacting fast, the man gripped her shoulders tightly and pulled her to his sweaty chest.
"Let go of me!" She squealed, her voice cracking from the tears threatening to fall.
"No need to struggle, darling," The man cooed, putting his face near her ear. Amille could clearly smell the alcohol- so strong it almost made her gag. "What's that bag you got there?" He asked, the other man moving over to grab it from her. Ripping the pastries from her hand so violently it no doubt ruined any cupcakes in it, the thug opened the plastic bag.
"A bunch of baked goods," The one holding Amille let out a sound of realization.
"You're the girl that owns the bakery down the street." Amille clutched her hands to her raging chest and she nodded vigorously.
"Yes, and if you let me go, you can stop by tomorrow and have whatever you want, just please let me go!" She pleaded, making both men laugh at her attempt.
"No, that's ok, I like what I have here more." He drawled, pressing his chapped lips to Amille's neck. A disgusted shiver racked Amille's body and she struggled to run, but the grip on her shoulders got painfully tighter. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, we can all have a good time." Chest heaving, Ammile reached up to try and pry his hands off her shoulder but couldn't even lift his finger.
"Let me go!" She wailed as loudly as she could, struggling against his grip.
#
Dolcetto could almost feel his ears twitch.
"Did you hear that?" He mumbled to Martel who silently walked beside him. Martel stopped when her comrade did and raised her head to the chilly, night sky when the noise caught his attention. The two were silent for a small moment, but Martel quirked a brow.
"No?" She stated quizzically, seeing Dolcetto strain to hear anything else of whatever his powerful ears picked up on. She had other perks to her chimera side than the super sensitive hearing.
"I swear I heard it," He mumbled to himself, sniffing the air. Martel rolled her eyes at the other perk the dog hybrid had- she always found it odd. Seeing Dolcetto stiffen, Martel took a cautionary stance.
"Dolcetto? What's wrong?" She asked seriously. Without answering, the male chimera dashed off in the opposite direction of the Devil's Nest, ignoring the concerned calling of his name from Martel.
He was positive it was her, he could smell her, and it was mingled with two other pungent scents he didn't like. Skidding around a corner, Dolcetto sniffed the air once more. Quickly bolting off again, the chimera stopped briefly when he crossed a street exuding the scents. Halfway down the road, he saw figures pressed up against the buildings; in an instant, Dolcetto's feet had moved. Approaching them before either the thugs or the girl knew, the hilt of Dolcetto's sword smashed into the back of the head of the woman's assailant, making him release his hold from over her mouth and slump to the ground unconscious. The other man whipped his head around but couldn't react to the fist in his face and stumbled backwards from the impact. Not even letting the man recover from shock, Dolcetto nailed him in the temple with the butt of his weapon, making him collapse to the pavement as well. Dolcetto turned to Ammile who had slid down the wall and sat silent and unmoving. The dim light hid her puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks, but he noticed she stared at the unconscious men in shock before looking up to him.
"Are you alright?" He asked carefully and slowly reaching a hand out to her, afraid of scaring her further. She had to blink as if snapping out of a trance and gave her savior a grateful smile.
"Y-yes, thank you." She choked, her clammy hand reaching out for Dolcetto's. Gently helping her up, the woman pulled her coat tightly around her shaking form, passing it off for cold instead of panic. "I should have listened to my mother when she told me to no talk to strangers," A poor joke and a strained laugh left her quivering lips, making Dolcetto frown worriedly. Her attention went to the upside-down box across the way and she warily walked over to it. "The pastries…" He heard her mumble sadly, having opened the box and found all the baked goods strewn everywhere.
"I'm really sorry, miss," Dolcetto blurted, earning her attention, a dejected smile, and a gentle wave of her hand.
"Why are you sorry, you helped me." Closing the box and placing it back in the bag, Ammile gave Dolcetto a deep bow. "I should be sorry for causing you trouble. I should have just gone home when I had the chance." Hearing one of the men groan, the chimera instinctively threw a lazy kick to his face, knocking him back to the floor while Ammile gasped. "P-perhaps we should go," Agreeing, Dolcetto let her walk in front of him, keeping an eye out for the thugs until they reached the end of the street. Turning the corner, Amille stopped and held out her hand for Dolcetto to shake. "Thank you again, I really appreciate the help." Shaking her thin hand, Dolcetto's cheeks heated up slightly.
"I couldn't have left a beautiful woman in trouble." He blurted before he could stop himself. The heat in his face spread to his ears and Amille giggled. "W-would you like me to walk you home?" He asked with a stutter. Amille shifted her now ruined treats in front of her and lightly shook her head.
"That's okay, I wouldn't want to bother you further." He wanted to say that nothing she did would bother him, but her appreciative smile rendered him speechless. "I'm sure I won't run into any more trouble, I should be fine. Please have a good night." Dolcetto could barely mumble a 'yeah you too' as she turned to leave with a wave. Suddenly stopping and turning back to him, Amille fidgeted with her bag. "If you want, you could stop by my bakery tomorrow. Anything you want is on the house, as a thank you." Before he could give her an answer, she gave him a toothy grin and scurried off, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"There you are!" An irritated voice barked next to him, making Dolcetto jump and grip at the hilt of his sword. Martel glared at Dolcetto, her arms crossed angrily over her chest. "What the hell happened? Why'd you take off?" Relaxing at the sight of the female chimera, Dolcetto directed Martel's gaze over to Amille with his own.
"She needed help." Dolcetto muttered, hoping the snake woman refrained from making fun of him- he always seemed to be the butt of the crew's jokes. Instead, Martel was silent and Dolcetto rested his hands on his hips. "I'mma make sure she gets home safe, think you can handle the Boss?" He asked, watching Amille turn the corner.
"Yeah, yeah, I got you." Martel replied, getting a small thanks from Dolcetto as he disappeared to the rooftops of Dublith. He made sure to remain quiet as he kept an eye on her, his gaze occasionally drifting into the distance to make sure she didn't run into any other trouble. She was dangerously close to the Devil's Nest which was just around the block and he wondered why a woman like her would be in such a shitty part of town. As she snuck off into an alleyway, Dolcetto's chest clenched and he bounded off to keep her within his sights. When he saw her kneeling down in front of a scraggly-clothed person, he paused. What was she doing?
"Sorry," He could barely hear her mumble to the cloaked figure- they were hunched over and covered head to toe in rags and Dolcetto couldn't tell if they were a man or woman. Amille continued to speak but was so quiet that Dolcetto could make out only a few words from atop the tall building. "…trouble… ruined…" She then set the bag of food on the ground next to them. The stranger reached their thin arms for a hug which Amille accepted immediately before she stood. "…more tomorrow…" Was the last thing Dolcetto heard before she waved the stranger goodbye and rushed out of the alleyway. Curious, Dolcetto eyed the figure for a moment, seeing them move the clothes away from their face to eat one of the broken bagels. The sight of how thin the now revealed woman in the shadows looked concerned the man but realizing what Amille had done caused the corners of his lips to quirk. She truly was selfless. With the smitten grin locked onto Dolcetto's face, he silently guarded the woman home.
#
The bell rang quietly as the front door of the bakery opened, earning an excited glance from Amille. When a familiar old man walked in, the woman released a held breath of slight disappointment, but smiled warmly at him. Amille couldn't stop thinking about her savior from the night before. She really wanted to do something to thank him, if he hadn't shown up when he did… well, she didn't want to think about it. She had hoped he would take her up on her offer, but it was only 2 hours until closing and he had yet to show. Waving the old man she just served off, Amille propped her elbow on the display and rested her cheek in her palm with a sigh.
"I hope those men don't come to bother me," She mumbled under her breath, knowing the thugs that jumped her last night knew who she was. "I need to start carrying pepper spray." Just the thought of having to take precautions for walking home made her grimace, but she shook the worry away and replaced her frown with a small smile. The ringing of the bell made Amille look up again and the smile widened considerably when she saw who it was. He was quite short for a man, though not any shorter than herself; had short, black hair with a very prominent widow's peak; sharp, grey hooded eyes; his face was small but well defined and he had a large nose which didn't distract from his good-looks at all. "You came!" She said excitedly, quickly fidgeting with her short hair when she realized how eager she sounded. "I mean, I didn't think you would come, and I really wanted to thank you." He seemed taken back by her reaction and lifted his arm to rub at the back of his head with a coy smile.
"Ah, there's really no need to thank me," He admitted sheepishly, a light blush tinting his cheeks. Amille had to fight back a giddy smile at how cute he looked and leaned over the counter as he approached. "But I did want to stop by to see how you were doing." He seemed nervous and Amille gave him a warm smile which only seemed to deepen his flushed cheeks.
"Nonsense, please have anything you want!" Amille cooed, gesturing to the display case. Clasping her hands together in front of her gently, she rocked back and forth on her heels. "But that's very sweet of you to drop by, I'm doing lovely." A smile crossed his face and Amille leaned back on the counter to get closer. "I'm Amille, by the way."
"Dolcetto," He said with a grin, leaning on the counter himself and locking eyes with her. Feeling her own face heat up, Amille's cheeks began to sting from trying keep the giddy grin off her face.
"Well, Dolcetto," She began, loving the way his name rolled off her tongue. "You're welcome in my bakery anytime."