52. Hair Clip
The small, brown hair clip she wore in her hair on a daily basis had always been the most practical of things, as far as he had noticed. It managed to hold the long cornflower-yellow tresses up and tight, properly in place, throughout the day. It was a practical little device, plain and simple.
Their trip had been fairly uneventful; they went to the East Headquarters to check up on things. Hawkeye had fallen asleep on the train nearly half an hour ago, her forehead resting against the glass as she rested. He was peering across at her, drinking in the strangely relaxed form of his First Lieutenant, when he noticed the clip.
As the sunlight danced across her sleeping form, it illuminated the crevices in the clip. What had once been a plain hair clip suddenly was revealed to have an intricate design. A small, circular pattern wound its way up and down the clip. It nearly imitated an alchemical array. When he peered closer, he had to swallow back surprise. In the lower corner, hidden in the runic patterns of the barrette, was exactly what he thought he had seen. The familiar array that he could draw with his eyes closed, the small flame resting in the upper center and the salamander on the bottom.
In the lower right corner of that hair clip was the exact replica of his alchemical array.
It took a moment or so, but the purpose clicked suddenly. His ever-faithful and loyal First Lieutenant meant to carry around a replica of his array, so should something happen to his gloves, there would be yet another array to use. The practicality of it being hidden in her hair clip didn't elude him.
By then, she was stirring, and shortly thereafter, amber eyes were staring at him, puzzled. "Sir? What are you staring at?"
He bit back a laugh, folding his hands in his lap. "You are always beyond practical, Lieutenant Hawkeye," he said quietly, leaning forwards. One hand slid closer to her; her eyes followed it warily as it traveled past her cheek to her hair. He unsnapped the clip, and held it in range of their vision.
His finger rested gently over the circle in the lower right corner and her eyes widened when she realized that he had finally noticed it. "Thank you."
Author's Notes: This is so…random. The original plan was to have her somehow break her first clip, and Roy would notice that it had some sort of pattern on it which he hadn't expected.
Then…this happened. Don't ask me how, because I have no idea.
Bizzy says I don't own FMA (someone wanna get it for me for Christmas?!)