As a wave of work-related exhaustion washed over her, Riza leaned against the door frame of her apartment. At this moment, she was thankful that her home was at least larger than the Colonel's (he could hardly fit himself, not to mention all those alchemy textbooks), yet small enough for her to quickly find her bedroom, and finally, her bed. Some people, but not to name names (Breda), were just a bit on the irritating side; and some people (Fuery), were overly-sensitive; and some people (Falman), just got to be a bit much.
Of course, a certain Colonel didn't help much either. He only laughed at the trio's misfortune and at times egged it on. Or rather, he instigated their foolish antics. Who else but the loyal Lieutenant Hawkeye to stop their foolishness and put the office back in order?
Which, naturally, made for a very stressful day. Not that most days in the Central Headquarters were stress-free and simple, but today just seemed to be a more grueling one. And Riza knew for a fact that the Colonel was enjoying himself. He seemed to do everything in his power to try to get the calm Lieutenant riled up, which only earned him a blank shot to the wall (thoroughly scaring the man).
The blonde was about to retire to bed with Hayate when a knock to the door alerted her. It was simple, three short raps, and the woman groaned inwardly. She knew who it was by the knock; and frankly, a loaded gun seemed to be much more appealing than an empty one at the moment. Still, Mustang was still her commanding officer, even after-hours, and she felt it her duty to open the door for the Colonel. That, and she couldn't deny herself the option to see him without all the daily burdens on his shoulders. At night, Roy was a different man - he let his hair down, so to speak, and laughed more freely. He was less fearful though just as cautious.
Roy Mustang was not a stupid man. He may seem arrogant to the untrained eye, but Riza knew better. It was easy to underestimate one's opponent, and it was certainly easy to underestimate the Colonel. He seemed like an idiot, with the way he was carefree with his women and alcohol. Oh, but when his eyes narrow and he laces his fingers together, placing them just in front of his nose, so that one can only see his coal eyes. He was obviously the most observant man Riza had ever had the honor of meeting, and the greater honor - he trusted her with his life.
She shook her head out of her thoughtful reveries. Despite her many efforts, it was hard not to over-analyze the Colonel. There was so much of him that he kept away from the public eye, away from the private eye; Riza supposed he felt most at peace when it was just the two of them (or so she hoped). Walking to the door in three large strides, Riza opened it and fought the urge to smirk. Roy was standing there, without his military uniform (in only a simple black pair of pants and a white button-down), and holding a waxy candle in his hand. ''Got a light?'' he asked, his voice smooth as always.
The blonde raised an eyebrow at the question. ''Sir, why . . .?'' she started, confused as to why he was holding a candle.
''You really don't expect me to walk home without a light source, do you?'' Roy responded, flashing a smile, ''There could be predators waiting for an unsuspecting me.''
Oh, yes; Colonel Roy Mustang might get jumped in the middle of the night. A certain part of Riza's brain (though she just couldn't understand why), believed that Roy had other intentions than lighting a candle. And yes, she was capable of sarcasm. Still, the blonde woman retreated to her kitchen to retrieve a box of matches and lit one, placing its tip to the wick of the candle. It caught, and the Lieutenant's living room was illuminated by the orange glow of the candle. Roy's eyes were interested in the fire, as he always was, and Riza noted the way he pulled his shirt around himself almost unnoticeably. Almost.
''You're shivering, sir,'' she deadpanned, willing herself not to laugh at the way his head jerked up; Roy almost dropped the candle but kept his hand steady as he kept his best poker face. Many a gambling night would go by with a certain Colonel gaining and a certain Maes Hughes losing.
Using one hand to brush away a stray bang from his face, Roy frowned in an almost-childlike way. ''They turned off my heat!'' The way he said it held so much indignity that Riza found herself forgetting that one has to ignore deadlines on bills to have their heat turned off. It was not a simple act of cruelty that some landlord with a receding hairline committed just to see the (in)famous Roy Mustang suffer. The Colonel was probably too engrossed in one thing (alchemy), or another (alchemy), to realize that the date on his bills had expired.
To say that Riza held no sympathy for her commanding officer would be correct. Catching the way her eyes narrowed, Roy forced his bottom lip into a pout, and Riza had to force her mind not to conjugate the word 'cute' or 'adorable' or regrettably 'precious'. ''Do you not have pity for a man that can hardly stay on his feet?'' Roy asked, his voice raising in mock-hurt. And despite the hurt in his voice, Riza did notice that he seemed a bit paler than normal. Perhaps he was sick, but it was his fault that he didn't properly care for himself.
Sometimes, she dared to think that he was as bad as Edward Elric was. Luckily, Alphonse was always at his brother's side to keep the two of them alive; though the blonde woman thought that perhaps the younger Elric would be the same way, if not for the suit of armor he was bonded to.
A few moments passed before Riza even noticed it, and she started when Roy quirked an eyebrow. ''What?''
She hated to think that he had nearly caught her staring at his dark hair. It seemed soft and silky when the moonlight reflected off of it just right, and the Lieutenant could only wonder if that hair came from his mother's or father's side of the family. The analytical part of her mind was geared more towards 'mother'. Yes, Roy Mustang had feminine hair that was very much stare-worthy.
''Can you make it?'' Riza asked with as little concern as she was really feeling. She had seen the Colonel with and without a cold, and all those romantic thoughts of the leading man being reduced to a polite and submissive creature when sick were thrown out the window. Roy was absolute ridiculous - he was needy and contagious; and everyone knew that Riza had a perfect attendance record. Why ruin it? Roy nodded as he kept his head held high, despite his Lieutenant's scathing comment.
''I just, you know, haven't eaten a whole lot. But at least the room stopped spinning,'' he chanced a glance at her, as if expecting a little more pity. Coal eyes met the nonchalant amber ones, and his hopes were deflated. Riza certainly wasn't offering him a place to stay for the night, if that was what he had in mind. No, she planned a peaceful evening with Black Hayate, of whom was curled onto her beige couch. When he noticed the way she kept her eyes focused on his, he asked, ''What?''
''Nothing,'' Riza responded quickly, forcing her eyes away from the soft smile on his face. It was the smile he had when he wasn't trying to be dazzling or impressive - it was simple, without showing any of his impossibly white teeth, but it was the way his eyes softened that drew Riza in. When he let down all his guards, and his eyes would lose their edge, and she was getting lost in his smirk again. ''I just could've sworn that I saw you this evening when I was shopping.''
The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow. ''The Lieutenant, out and about? Well, I was strolling around town, if that was what you were wondering. But it could've just been a special someone to you, right?'' As soon as the words left his mouth, a strong gust of wind from outside blew, and the candle was put out with a hiss. Riza reminded herself to close the door behind Roy, as she had neither thrown him out nor invited him inside. ''Light?'' Rolling her eyes, Riza lit another match, inwardly grumbling about the diminishing number of matches in her box.
''Well?''
''Yeah?'' A second after he said it, Roy made a pained noise as a bit of wax from the candle dripped onto one of his un-gloved (Riza just noticed that), hands. He only winced for a second, as wax never really hurt; just an initial shock. Then, Roy began to play with a bit of the semi-liquid, rubbing it between his fingers; and Riza was quite certain that candle wax should not and would not be used as a sexual instrument (never trust Roy Mustang with what could be an innocent object - it won't stay that way for long).
The door was still open, and the blonde opened it a bit farther for her commanding officer. ''Good night, Sir.'' While surprised, Roy only offered a cordial goodbye and made his way out the door. Maybe a minute passed until the door knocked again, three raps; Riza huffed audibly at the sight of Roy. ''It blew out again?'' she asked, already knowing the answer at the sight of the unlit candle.
''Yes, but I think I left my medicine here,'' Roy answered, already inviting himself in. The door closed behind him, and Riza followed. She knew that, by 'medicine', he really meant 'sleeping pills'. But Roy was a tactful man and preferred not to mention his insomnia, or any disorder of the sort.
The Colonel first glanced at the coffee table, then the kitchen and the small dining table; Riza, on the other hand, was still mulling over the fact that she was quite certain that she had seen him walking through the streets in a rather shady spot of town. Not that she was stalking, but he certainly hadn't noticed her; she would've noticed if he had noticed. ''I know I saw you, sir,'' she insisted, nearly groaning in frustration when he rolled his eyes.
''I had it the other day. The floor, maybe?''
''The floor?''
As Roy bent down to examine the ground, Riza fought off the deep blush that threatened to creep onto her face; after all these years, she was quite certain that she'd be use to seeing every part of him, but the clothed body of Roy Mustang was still a treat to all. Unfortunately for her, the Colonel seemed to pick up on this. ''You know, I've heard the strangest of rumors.''
''That would be?''
''They say that of all the men in Central, I have the best . . . certain asset.'' Roy accentuated the last word, his deep voice focused on a certain part of the last word. Riza turned her head to the left to keep herself from glaring at him. ''You're staring again.''
Riza mentally stuttered out some sort of lame response, though she only replied with a simple, ''I could've sworn I saw you earlier this afternoon.'' Very smart to avert the subject, Lieutenant Hawkeye. Very wise, indeed.
''Are you familiar with that nice little . . . pub . . . on the west side of Central, Lieutenant?'' Roy started, continuing with his story once Riza nodded. ''My mother owns it, and I was simply giving her a helping hand. So it was very likely that you saw me.''
''Is that the place where they tie the women up?''
''It's a living.''
''They also use handcuffs, correct?''
In response, Roy blew out his candle and held it out once more. At that moment, Riza realized just how much light such a tiny stick of wax produced. The room had lost its orange glow, and now Riza was reminded of the dark shadows cast over her Colonel's face; a part of her wondered whether it was from the darkness or lack of sleep. Looking through her box of used-to-be matches, Riza groaned. She had one left. Willing her immature Colonel to keep this one lit, she struck the wood against the box. Once again, the light returned to the room, and the blonde took a sort of fondness for it. ''Are these your . . .'' she drifted off, shaking a bottle of pills.
Roy's eyes shot towards Riza and huffed when the Lieutenant justified her statement by saying 'aspirin bottle'. ''Why don't you just try giving those up? You're nearly thirty.''
''Twenty-nine,'' Roy corrected. ''But I'm mature for my age.'' He said this without realizing that Riza had mentally called him the complete opposite. ''I just haven't been able to sleep.''
''Neither could I. But did you know that lack of sleep has been believed to cause sensitivity to cold?''
''I have no heat. And yes.''
''Bloodshot eyes?''
''I have a cold. Also yes.''
''You'll get addicted.''
''I already am.''
Riza shook her head at the response. ''Oh,'' she started, picking up a prescription bottle off the side of her couch.
''What's that?''
As much as she wanted to mentally laugh at her stupidity, Riza only put it back down. ''Aspirin bottle.'' A part of her smirked at Roy's crestfallen expression. She mentally cursed herself when Roy blew out the match in retaliation. He held it out to her as a hope that Riza would light it. Unfortunately, the Lieutenant realized, that had been her last match. ''That was my last,'' she explained lamely.
''Our eyes'll adjust. Thank God for the moon.'' This was humorous, for Roy never thanked any sort of deity for anything (mainly because the sceptic Colonel did not believe in one); yet he still used the term quite liberally.
''Maybe it's not the moon at all. I heard the neighbors down the road are setting off fireworks.'' Always the downer to a conversation - that was Riza. Yet somehow, Roy said that he found her addition to dialogue quite refreshing (never would the Lieutenant understand him).
Then Roy put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. ''While that is illegal, it at least adds some light to our dim world. So to you, Lieutenant Hawkeye, I say 'Bah, Humbug'. Bah, Humbug.''
Roy began to start towards the door as Riza opened it. Their hands touched, and neither recoiled. ''Cold hands,'' Riza observed, slightly amused at how pale his hands were (along with the scars encircled on the hands). Years of wearing gloves will do that to one. Pale hands.
''Yours, too,'' the raven-haired Colonel replied. ''But they're strong. Kind of like my mother's.''
As Roy began to edge his way out of the door frame, Riza found herself pushing her hand out to stop him. Dark eyebrows raised in an intrigued manner, yet Roy didn't stop. ''I guess this is goodnight, Lieutenant.''
''It's Riza.''
Stopping, the Colonel smirked his most handsome smirk. He closed the distance between him and Riza and closed the door behind him. ''They call me Roy after-hours.''
A.N.: So my sister and I were driving to our very private Christian school listening to RENT (can you believe it?). And I had the strangest of epiphanies. I found myself believing that Roy was kind of like a Mimi character; and in an ultimate universe, Riza would be a depressed Roger. And while I was going to go on some long AU, I just decided for a one-shot, as my GLEE fanfiction would be deprived (and no one likes angry Gleeks deprived of two months of their favorite shows with only fanfiction to keep them sane - I would know). I don't own FMA, as Miss Arakawa does; but I hope you enjoyed nontheless. The song this was based off was ''Light My Candle'' from RENT, which I also don't own.