Yay for being bored while my parents and brothers were away! I was making dinner when I came up with this, and I knew my "other self" Shaynai would most likely be doing something similar. So, here's her story. It's AlxShay and RoyxRiza. Please don't hate me!

This takes place after Edward and Al return from the Other Side. Alphonse is nineteen, meaning Shaynai is eighteen, Riza is... thirty, and Roy is... le gasp Thirty-FOUR?! Yeah, I do the math. I'm a loser like that.

By the way, if I owned FMA, Shaynai would actually be part of the story, Winry would be less annoying, Maes wouldn't be dead, and Roy and Riza would've been together ages ago.

Oh, and this is in chapters because I'm too lazy to write the rest of the story tonight.

I remember it all perfectly. It was in the evening hours of the day, and I had taken the day off from work to prepare for that night. Hell, I'm a State Alchemist – a general, in fact – not a chef. Everything had be planned, everything to be perfect for them. My only issue was learning how to cook.

It was all planned out: Alphonse would head into town with Roy to do a bit of shopping for that night, while Riza was working on everything that Roy wasn't doing back at the office. They would all show up back at my home (I'd moved out of my sister's apartment) and would have a "secret" double-date. Roy and Riza had to lay low about it, trying to weave their way around the fraternization laws.

I ran around the kitchen like a crazed maniac. At eighteen, I had no idea what I was doing. I usually picked up dinner at work or on my way home. I've never actually cooked before, yet Pony-boy assumes I do. I opened up the fridge to find that Alphonse had been an angel and went to the grocery store and picked up everything I needed for the night's dinner. I scooped out a couple heads of lettuce, some fresh red onion, carrots, and some oranges to add to the salad.

After straining the vegetables, I stared at the orange. I knew I needed to peel it… but nobody understands the hardships of peeling a fruit with two hands… both automail. Steel has a horrible grip. Absolutely monstrous. I looked around; made sure no one was looking, and transmuted the little round fruit. I wasn't going to try to make a fool of myself by attempting to peel it.

I was sharpening a knife when the phone rang. I glanced at the clock – it was already five – and I quickened my pace. I picked up the phone and held it to my ear with my shoulder, "Shaynai."

"Hello, General," A voice was speaking formally.

I scowled, "It's me, you idiot, and you're calling from a payphone, right? Cut the formalities."

"I'm still adjusting to an eighteen-year-old girl being my supervisor," Roy replied, "And I called for a valid reason."

"Hit me."

"What sort of flowers does your sister like?"

I hesitated. No one had asked that before, "Well, I think she likes lilies..."

"Hey, give me the phone!" A voice in the background called. I chuckled as Alphonse yanked the phone from Roy, "Hey, Shay-chan, what about you? What sort of flowers-"

"Aru, tonight is all about Riza. No getting me anything."

"But… you're cooking for the first time tonight, I need to get you something to pay you back!"

Roy yelled in the background, "She's cooking for the first time?!"

I stifled my laughter, "Aru, I'll be fine. Trust me. Not ruining the food is good enough for me."

"Shaynai," Roy took the phone back, "Do you think… do you think Riza's ready?"

I blinked, in slight surprise and confusion, "Ready for what?" When he explained exactly what, I nearly dropped the phone in the sink, "Yes, yes, yes!! Most definitely!!"

"Alright, we'll be at your place soon." Roy replied as Al shot in, "See you, Shay-chan!" I laughed and hung up the phone. I finished prepping the salad and got the chicken out as my elder sister arrived, Hayate following at her heels. She looked around.

"Do you need help cleaning up, Shaynai?"

I nodded pitifully as I put the chicken in the oven. It was to be a 'simple' recipe. "Roy and Al will be over soon, they need to finish some things up."

Onei-san nodded and looked at the table outside, "Are we eating on the porch tonight?"

I nodded, sitting on the kitchen counter, "Yeah, it's supposed to be warm and clear, which is unusal. But I'll take the advantage."

"Unusual weather tends to be a bad omen, Imoto-chan," she forewarned me, "Oh, but you're an alchemist, you don't listen to omens. Everything can be explained by science."

"Well," I gave a small smile, "Not everything."

You know, I was NOT intintending on this ending on a happy note. Alas. Chapter two will come eventually. OH, and for those of you who also are reading my other Royai fanfiction, Trial and Error:

I have finals this week. I will be able to finish writing chapters, but I doubt I will have them up anytime before school gets out on the twelfth. GOMEN NASAI!

Coming soon: The Flame, The Hawks, the Armor, and the Chicken: Into the Oven