For a Tumblr meme request: "I didn't know you could do that"
Royai Collection
Chapter 51
Forgery
Riza was quickly scanning the documents she was about to sign before inking a signature on them. She had already read these at some point in the last week and they had passed her criteria for making into the pile on Roy's desk, however actually signing them and giving them approval was another matter entirely. Especially because she wasn't signing her own name.
Roy had once again neglected his paperwork, this time in favor of going out with Hughes on some investigation his best friend was working on. Unfortunately, this time, the paperwork wasn't just simple bureaucratic garbage that could wait for another week or two. Quarterly budgets had just been approved and many department heads were waiting to move forward with projects with they had hanging in limbo until funding came available. The phones were ringing off the hooks in the office thanks to aggravated officers demanding to know why Mustang hadn't followed through with his promises to move their projects forward.
The team was trying to cover for Roy, trying to avoid the office filling with uniforms demanding to talk to the Colonel who was not even here. This put them all in a position they didn't want to be in, lying for their Colonel and forging documents. She was frustrated by the situation and irritated with the cacophony of phones ringing that she had to go back and reread the document she was working on again. She didn't look over her shoulder when the door to the office opened, she knew the men wouldn't let her be ambushed by anyone while she was doing this highly unethical and illegal task, she assumed it was one of them needing more authority to handle an angry officer on the other end of the line.
"I didn't know you could do that."
Riza could hear the humor in his voice, the smug smirk that was clearly plastered on his face as he said it, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of even looking at him right now. "Colonel Mustang, nice of you to show up to work today."
Roy leaned over her shoulder and looked at what she was working on as she slapped her pen down and started organizing the items she already signed for him. His forged signature looked better than what he usually scribbled down. He knew she was capable of signing for him with the utmost accuracy, but seldom used that skill. "Looks good. Almost like you've been practicing writing my name."
It was the inflection of his voice that made her take a deep, angry breath. That hint there was something more to this than saving his ass, that implication that she was just a smitten schoolgirl practicing writing her future surname in her diary instead of forging government documents. He had definitely been out with Hughes all morning, he always came back with seeds planted in his head of some fairy tale ending that Hughes spun while they were alone. Now was not the time and he knew it. She turned to him, fury fixed on her face and death glare radiating from her eyes, then she saw the state he was in and her anger was instantly gone.
"I'm fine. Condemned house. Hughes's suspect barricaded in attic." Roy said. He had plaster and wood particles in his hair, dust covered his black coat like ash and he was sure he could feel the fine layer of filth covering his face with every muscle he moved. The smell of it all, complete with ages of grime and rat shit contained inside the hidden voids of the old house, was embedded in his sinuses and nothing could wash the taste of it out of his mouth. "My stupid idea to take the floor out from under him so we didn't have to be in the line of fire. The second floor wasn't stable enough to support the weight of the ceiling coming down on it. Nor, in fact, was the first floor structurally sound enough to handle it. It was condemned for good reason, apparently. Hughes is taking the guy to the hospital. Sorry I'm late, I didn't anticipate having to dig a screaming, crying counterfeiter out of a pile of rubble in a musty basement."
"You should take a shower." She said and watched him take off his coat, very carefully, and hang it on the coat rack. He then ran his hand through his hair and shook some dust out. "You look dignified with gray hair but I don't want to deal with you complaining about it."
He gave her a smirk and went to his chair. "Sorry I left you to handle this all yourself and put you in the position to cover for me. I'll make it up to you."
She couldn't chastise him, he went as Hughes's back-up for a reason. Had Hughes gone into that situation alone he would have been at a disadvantage at at a much higher risk for injury. Knowing Hughes, he wouldn't have waited for backup, and Roy's unconventional option would not have been available to him. Paperwork could wait. "I'm sorry I doubted you."
Roy sighed as he looked at the stack of work she had done on his behalf. They could go back and forth apologizing for hours. Instead he chose to give her a warm smile as he settled down into his chair and wait for her to come over with pen and papers. He reached over and picked up one of the papers she had signed for him already and smiled. "Seriously though, how long have you been practicing writing 'R. Mustang'?"
"Get back to work sir." She said and dropped the stack of papers next to him, the blush of air from it's fall enough to blow some more dust off his uniform.
"I like the looks of it." He said softly. "I look forward to the day I get to watch you write that on official documents legally."
She sighed. Perhaps she had jumped the gun and started forging his name, assuming he was just screwing around with Hughes. "I wish you would have told me where you were going."
"There wasn't time. He had a lead and he was going to follow it, breakfast and coffee in hand." Roy said and regretted putting her in this position because he couldn't be bothered to just call the office and tell her breakfast with Hughes took an unexpected turn. "I'll be sure to keep you informed, next time."
Riza smiled at him and reached over to pick a piece of debris from his hair and let that be their moment before getting back to work. "Please look over the signed documents so I can file them and keep some of the wolves at bay."
"Of Course." He said and the moment ended as she retracted her hand to place the first one in front of him for inspection. He smiled, he really did like teh way his name looked in her handwriting.
