Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in any of it's incarnations. Please see author's notes below.
Riza exhaled heavily, and shuffled through the papers on her desk. When she took the position under Colonel Mustang she'd expected more organization from him. In retrospect, she should've known better. Even as a boy he'd been hopelessly indolent and scatter-brained, despite the alchemic brilliance that captured her father's attention.
She jumped when a hand came down suddenly on her stack of seemingly never-ending work. Riza quirked an eyebrow and glanced up at a grinning Jean Havoc. "Can I help you with something, Lieutenant?"
"Yeah, you can ditch the mess, and come have a drink with me." He leaned his hip against the edge of her desk. "You look like you need one."
"If I don't finish this, no one else will."
"Is it a life or death matter?" He lifted the corners of a few sheaves of paper, pretending to glance them over.
"No, but-"
"Then it'll keep until tomorrow. Come on. I'm buying."
Riza glared up at him briefly before slumping in her chair. "Fine. I think I do need a drink after today."
"That's my girl. I know a great bar on over on State Street, not too wild or anything. I hope it'll suit a partier like you." Jean winked at her as she shrugged on her coat.
"Yeah, I'm a real animal. Think you can keep up?" Riza deadpanned. Jean threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"Don't go too rough on me, Hawkeye, I'm not as young as I used to be." He held the door open for her, and she didn't protest as his hand strayed to the small of her back.
The Blue House was nestled between a clock shop, and dressmaker. Riza would never have noticed it unless pointed out. Inside, the bar was dark and the mixture of voices and music were at a tolerable volume. Not at all like the establishments frequented by the Colonel. She was grateful.
Jean brought her a vodka cranberry, and they sat in companionable silence at a table near a quiet corner.
"Thank you," Riza smiled at him.
"You're welcome, Riza, you've been pretty harried this week."
"Yeah, well, to be honest I didn't anticipate the position of adjutant to be so… taxing."
"The chief is lucky to have you. I doubt he'd function at such a high level alone." Jean smirked over the rim of his glass.
"He definitely requires some guidance. He always has." A small smile crept across her lips.
"I get the impression you two have something. Am I wrong?"
"That depends on your definition of something. We grew up together, in a way."
"So it's not… you know…"
Riza laughed. "No. No we aren't involved romantically."
"Because of the regulations?"
"You don't waste any time do you, Jean?" Riza took a long sip of her cocktail. "No, not because of the regulations. The Colonel and I are very close, don't get me wrong. I love him, trust him with my life, and would take a bullet for him, but we aren't compatible that way."
"You mean, he isn't into women or what?"
The vodka was taking a hold, and she outright giggled. "No, he likes his women. Maybe a little too much." Riza gently stirred the ice in her glass, and smiled at Jean. "Let's just say Roy wants a buffet, and I'm more of a one-course kind of woman. Besides, the one time we tried each other out, the whole thing felt… incestuous. We agreed never to speak of it again."
"I see. Well that's too bad. For him, I mean."
Riza rested her chin on the heel of her palm. "Is it now?"
Havoc only smiled and asked if she'd like another drink. Wordlessly, she pushed her empty glass in his direction. Riza watched him as he approached the bar. She'd always found the man ridiculously attractive, and even without the aid of vodka Riza knew flirting with him would come easy. Jean wasn't technically her subordinate, and there would be no need for sneaking around. She hoped the Colonel wouldn't pitch a fit if the two of them became involved. He wouldn't tolerate awkward discord on his team, and he'd dismiss Havoc in a heartbeat if things went south.
Fresh drinks in hand, Jean returned. "You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"
"We aren't in the office, and you don't need my permission to be yourself." Riza smiled lazily.
He shrugged, and fished his pack of cigarettes from a pocket. "Some people don't like it."
"It doesn't bother me."
"Good."
Riza sipped her drink, enjoying the buzz. Her eyes focused on the way Havoc's lips held the cigarette steady as he lit it.
"So why don't you date?"
"Who says I don't?" She couldn't manage an offended tone. Her entire body felt pink with alcohol.
"We've been working together for over a year, Riza. I'm not as creepily observant as Falman, but I see you."
She sighed. "It's hard to find peers, to be honest. I hate lying, and most men ask too many of the wrong questions."
"You don't seem to be put off by any of mine."
"The night is still young, Havoc." She smirked, and elbowed him lightly. "When the time comes, I think you'll know which questions are the wrong ones."
"That's awfully cryptic, but I do like your use of when and not if." He inched closer to her. Close enough for their shoulders to brush.
Riza angled her body towards him, and ran her fingers along the chest flap of his uniform. She looked up at him, and found his eyes already on her. "I have confidence in your future, but right now?" She pressed herself against him as close as she dared in a public setting."Right now, I'm going to need you to kiss me o-"
Jean's lips were soft, and he tasted of smoke, and whiskey. Riza found the combination oddly pleasant and arousing, though, she doubted it would be so on anyone else. It wasn't the flavor, it was him.
His fingers traced her jaw, and when he pulled back he smiled down at her. "How was that?"
Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips curled up into a grin. "I think it's gotten really hot in here." Riza took his hand, and twined her fingers with his. "Let's go."
The air outside was crisp. Not quite cold enough to warrant the close way Riza clung to Jean's side, but he didn't seem to mind. He only wrapped his arm around her shoulders tighter.
Riza's apartment was only four blocks south of State Street, and she was sorry to see their walk together end. Jean kissed her again with her back pressed against the front door. His hands clutched her waist beneath the blue military uniform top, and her fingers threaded through his hair. She'd never had to stand on her toes to reach a man's mouth before, and she found the extra effort to be something she enjoyed.
"Do you want to come in?" Riza whispered breathlessly between a series of softer, but no less searing, kisses.
"Of course I want to come in, but-" Jean pulled back and caught her eyes with his. "I won't."
Riza frowned. "But-"
"Listen, Riza, I like you. So much that it's painful for me to pull away from you right now, but you're drunk."
"I'm not th-"
Jean chuckled, and brushed his lips against the pink apple of her cheek. "Yeah, you are." All the humor in his eyes disappeared when he pinned her down with a heated stare. "When you pull me into your bed, I want it to be because you're sober, and still want me."
He kissed her once more, and smiled against her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Author's Note: Just a bit of a grievance... I've seen a lot of drunken sex, and dub/non-con in this fandom, and almost zero of it is labeled as such. I have to chalk this up to writers and readers not fully understanding the idea of consent. And to be honest, that both terrifies and saddens me.
No, Riza was not totally trashed at the end of this chapter, but that's the point I'm trying to make. Havoc didn't feel comfortable having sex with a woman for the first time when she's not sober enough to take that step and realize all the implications. It's a poor omen at the beginning of a relationship. They are co-workers, and partners. Anything less than totally sober consent would have been inappropriate.
This doesn't make Jean a hero or anything special. It just means he did the right thing.
I can't say how long this fic will be, but I like this pairing and won't weigh them down with boring plot I don't care about. Like the summary says, it's just a love story (that definitely has not been beta'd). I don't know exactly how things will fit into the manga/Brotherhood timeline, but *waves in it's general direction* maybe just squint a little?