Disclaimer: I don't own FMA and all things related to it. I do, however, own this plot.
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"Daddy, tell me a story." The little girl smiles at him, long blond hair spilling over her shoulders as she clambers onto her bed, her hands crumpling the lavender comforter that covers the bed. "A good story, like the ones Mommy usually tells. No 'Once Upon a Time' and then 'The End'!"
The man blinks, and then pouts as he kneels by his daughter's bedside. "But those are the only stories I know how to tell."
"Nuh-uh." The petite blonde shakes her head, her black eyes sparkling with anticipation. She knows that her father has better stories up his sleeve; he always does when she coaxes and cajoles, her face looking exactly like a miniature version of mother's (or so he says).
Most of the time, he'll tell her a fairy tale. Her favorite one is Cinderella; she loves how the doves bring Cinderella dresses of gold and silver, how Prince Charming sweeps the housemaid off her feet, how Cinderella lives happily ever after (while the wicked stepsisters get their just deserts). It's also her favorite fairy tale to re-enact, as it provides her with an excuse to wear her mother's wedding tiara, a reason to harass the aging, pleasantly plump family dog, and a justification to play with her "icky older brother". She never hears Cinderella enough at bedtime to suit her tastes.
However, on rare occasions, he'll tell her a true story, a real story. "A story about a real-life romance," as her father calls it. And she'll giggle, ask her father to go on as she snuggles into her sheets, listening to his voice. Somehow, she never gets to hear the ending of these particular stories. She always falls asleep before the story ends. And when she asks her father about the ending the next morning, he'll smile. And her mother, hearing her question, will laugh.
"How do you think the story will end?"
And the child always responds, "Happily."
"Well, then, that's good, right?"
But it isn't good. Not for her. She wants to know the REAL ending to the real-life romance. And tonight, she'll find out the real ending from her father. She'll stay awake, for once!
"Daddy, stop." The small girl pipes up, interrupting her father's fairy tale introduction.
The man stops, looks at her quizzically. "What, no bedtime story?"
"No, Daddy. I want to know the ending of the real-life romance," she replies. She flashes a grin at her father, one that she knows he can't resist. It's the same one her mother uses when her mother wants her father to mow the grass. (And if that doesn't work, she reasons, she could always try her mother's angry face. It's something that has always worked in getting her father to do something.)
Her father tilts his head, a look of surprise on his face. "No fairy tale? No Cinderella?"
"Nope. I want to know the ending." She nestles into her pillows, folds her hands on top of the blanket, and looks solemnly at her father. "I always fall asleep before the story ends."
"Well, then." Her father clears his throat, begins his story. "Where did we leave off?"
"The man still had to propose to his lady, Daddy!" She sighs, knowing that her father's just procrastinating, like always.
"Oh. Right." He clears his throat again. "Sure you don't want to hear anything else?"
"No, Daddy. I want to hear the ending! Just the ending!"
"All right, all right." He chuckles and shakes his head, noting the tone of impatience in his daughter's voice. Just as stubborn and impatient as her mother. "Well, the man had defeated all of the bad guys-"
"Villains, Daddy, villains. That's the right term for bad guys, right?" she interrupts.
"Right. Okay, so he had defeated all of the villains. So he had to propose to his lady, who had been waiting and rooting patiently for him all this time."
"She was with the mega-villain, right? As his secretary?"
"Uh-huh." He nods his head. "So, anyways, he goes and buys a ring for her."
"A big diamond ring?"
"Yes. A big diamond ring. But he doesn't know how to propose to her. He's kind of shy."
"But I thought he was a heartbreaker! Didn't the lady call him a scoundrel, a womanizer, and a thief of hearts? How can he be shy?"
"But even heartbreakers are shy, honey. So, since he can't figure out a way to propose to her, he decides to use a method that his best friend, Raes, had suggested to him."
"The one that died, right?" she asks, a somber look growing on her delicate features.
"Yeah." He pauses for a moment. "Raes had suggested that the man propose through a scavenger hunt."
"Ooo! So did the man, Daddy?"
"Yeah, he did. He wanted to propose to his lady through fireworks in the sky at night. But he wasn't too successful. He was never really aware of the weather, and that night, it rained."
"But he was a fire alchemist just like you, and he couldn't use his alchemy in the rain! He forgot to bring matches, didn't he, Daddy?"
"Right. He forgot to bring matches just in case his alchemy didn't work."
"Wow. He's pretty dumb. So was the lady mad?"
"Oh yeah. She was really mad."
"Mad like Mommy gets when you eat the last piece of chocolate cake when she's been saving it for herself?"
"… Yeah. Like that kind of mad. Only scarier. And then she started to cry. And cry."
"Why?"
"Because she was upset. She thought she was being made a fool of."
"What's 'being made a fool of'?"
"Well, it's like when someone plays a joke on you. And not in a nice way."
"Oh." The little girl's eyes widen. "But he wasn't, right?"
"Right."
"Then, then, why doesn't he tell her that?"
"Well, he did. He got out from his hiding place near the unlit fireworks and told her that."
"And what did she say?" She rushes her words, breathless.
"She called him dumb, stupid, an idiot."
"But did he ask her to marry him?"
"Yes, honey. But he stuttered a lot, and he nearly lost the ring in the mud."
"How?"
"Well, you see, she said yes! And he was so nervous and excited at the same time that he dropped the ring into the mud at their feet." He chuckles. "But they found it eventually, and he slipped it onto her finger. And they lived happily ever after."
"That's it?" Her tone is incredulous; she nearly sits up from her comfortable nest in her bed.
"Well, yeah."
"They don't get married?"
"They do. And they have kids."
"Then it's not over." She smiles, and settles back down into her pillows. A wave of exhaustion and excitement sweeps over her body; she's never made it this far! "I want all the details! Tell me, Daddy."
"Well, okay. They have a big wedding."
"Really big wedding?" She yawns, closes her eyes. "And the lady's wearing a dress… like Cinderella's?" The sleepiness covering his daughter's voice is audible to his ear; he knows it won't be long before she falls asleep.
"Uh-huh. The lady's wearing a gorgeous dress. I think it was made of silk. And she even had a tiara. And they had a huge wedding with all their friends."
"… Don't… don't… don't they have kids?" She yawns again, drifting off into sleep.
"They do. They have two beautiful kids. Wonderful ones, actually." He smiles as he gets up from the floor, tucking the lavender comforter around his daughter's slumbering figure. "They have one son and one daughter-"
"And they name their children Maes and Adelaide," a new voice interrupts quietly from the doorway. "… Really, I think she'll be disappointed that she didn't catch the entire ending."
"Do you think so?"
The figure strides over to her husband's side. "Yes, I think so. I remember when Maes heard the entire ending." She laughs, tucks her hand into her husband's as she watches her daughter sleep. "He was a bit upset with us, do you remember? He never figured out that we were the man and the lady until we told him what they had named their children."
The raven-haired man smiles. "Ah, but you're the one who decided not to tell him who the real-life romance was really about."
"Oh, c'mon. It was so much more interesting, hearing our life together as if it were some grandiose, majestic romance novel." She laughs again.
"It still is, you know. Just a little less romance, and a lot more adventure." He leans in, mischief sparkling in his eyes before he brushes his lips against hers. "Love you, Riza."
"Love you too, Roy," she whispers before kissing him back.
When they part, he grins wickedly at her, scooping her up into his arms. "Think we can make the ending to three beautiful children?"
"… You should've added sex addict to that list of names the lady called you."
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Author's Note: Hahaha. :D It's done! I was going to end the story at 'Love you too…' but honestly, I couldn't help but poke fun at Roy. And besides… all of that midnight lovin' (which I love to allude to!) has to have some consequences, eh? ;D And yes, the family dog IS Black Hayate. xD; Yay! Also, the version of Cinderella that I'm speaking of is the original fairy tale, not the Disney version. In this version, the doves fairy godmother and the stepsisters chop off various parts of their feet so they can fit into the slipper. ; Heh.
There's also more dialogue in the piece than I expected, but honestly… it adds just the right touch of mush, in my opinion. ;D And Adelaide's a curious little girl, as well…
I don't really have a rationale for naming the daughter Adelaide, besides the fact that I absolutely LOVE that name. As for naming their son Maes, well, hopefully, you can guess why.
I hope you enjoyed my fanfiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. : I wrote the piece to the tune of "Paper Pieces" by Michelle Branch (hence the name).
Thank you for reading, and please, review! I do love constructive criticism. : Flames, however, I do not love. But I will point, read, and laugh. xD;
Chatte