Part 3: Roy-in-a-Box (or The Elric Matchmaker)

Christmas morning was once more inflicting itself upon Roy Mustang as he pulled himself out of bed. For a moment he let his early-morning thoughts run through themselves, until he realized what had happened yesterday.

Pink.

Mistletoe.

Kiss.

Riza acting all jumpy, leaving the office 'on an assignment' and not returning.

Crap.

Roy sighed deeply. He shouldn't have done that stunt with the mistletoe. Riza would probably never talk to him again. He didn't even know why he had done it. It wasn't the kind of thing Roy Mustang did.

He approached his kitchen, finding a large bucket of blue dye and a now dry and restored uniform on the bench. This triggered memories of the fact that he had to go to work. He sighed and stated to get dressed.

Ooo.

Full-metal was in the office when Roy arrived.

"Why are you here on Christmas morning, kid?"

"I'm just dropping something off, that's all. I don't plan to stay for longer than 5 minutes. At the most. I suppose you have to be here, right?"

"Correct. But I don't have many people to spend Christmas with, so it doesn't matter anyway. The military is my life and family. Oh God, that was mushy." Roy opened a draw and started searching through mounds of paper. Elric grinned.

"Don't expect to get off Christmas that easily, Mustang. It's not like you can run from it."

"Watch me."

"You're in a bad mood. I suppose it's to do with Riza, yes? Thought so. Why don't you talk to her?"

"I don't feel like this kind of conversation this early in the morning, Full-metal." Roy stated through gritted teeth. Ed smirked as he exited the office, turning around in the door way for one last comment.

"If I were you, Roy, I wouldn't give up just now. You never know. Maybe you still have a chance. But if you are serious about her, well, maybe you should show her that. Christmas is the time for truth and love, you said it yourself. I sure as hell am not going to let the person I like slip through my fingers after receiving a rather infuriating yet sweet present, not today, so maybe you should rethink. By the way, Hawkeye is coming in to the office at 11:30. That gives you 3 hours. I'm pretty sure I saw Fury and Havoc around here somewhere. Get them to help." And he was gone.

Roy stared at the open and empty doorway. First he was jealous of the midget, now he was being given advice by him. The world was definitely insane. But maybe. . .

Roy hated to think that someone over 10 years younger than him was smarter than him, but maybe Ed was right. Maybe he should try one last time.

Ooo.

Hawkeye was down at the shooting range, practicing targets. She hadn't gotten one bulls eye I the time she had been down here. Something was obviously wrong. Edward Elric moved down the stairs and into the gallery.

"Riza."

Riza spun around. "Agh, Full-metal, you scared me. Why are you here?"

"Something is wrong, isn't it?"

Riza frowned. Was she going to be counseled by a 15 year old? Still, he was a pretty smart one . . . she frowned and gave in.

"Yes Ed, something is wrong and I have no idea what it is."

Well, that didn't help.

"So it wouldn't, by any chance, have anything to do with a certain Roy Mustang?"

Riza's shot missed the target bored completely, instead drilling a hole in the wall.

"I thought so."

Ooo.

"I'm not going to suffocate in here, am I?" Questioned Roy, and Havoc pushed him into an over-sized cardboard box. Fury was adding the last touches to the wrapping paper.

"Err . . . of course not." Havoc replied, rather unconvincingly. Roy let out a low growl that reminded Havoc of Riza's dog. Fury looked up.

"You can't suffocate in cardboard."

"Well that's a bloody good thing for you two." Roy said in the tone of voice that made Havoc and Fury want to run out of the office as fast as possible.

Ooo.

A large group of people had now gathered in the office. Fury, Havoc, Falman, Alphonse and Winry stood or sat around the room, waiting for Ed to return with Riza. A large box sat on the floor next to her desk, and if you listened really carefully, you could here Roy Mustang's faint breathing sounds and occasional grumbles about how stuffy and small the box was. Finally, Edward Elric entered the room and made a motion to announce her arrival. Havoc got up and kicked the cardboard box hard to make Roy be quiet, his face grinning evilly. Riza Hawkeye rounded the corner and entered the office, staring at everyone.

"Merry Christmas, Riza. Someone has left a present for you." Announced Falman. Riza stared at the large box and at the large crowd of people, taking in all of them . . . and Roy's absence. This made her heart sink slightly. But maybe the present was from him? She made her way over to it. Everyone leaned forward slightly in anticipation. Hawkeye looked at the card.

"To Riza Hawkeye. Please stop running." It read cryptically. Fleeting images of Barry the Chopper somehow found there way into her head, but she pushed them away and started to undo the ribbon. She lifted the lid, to be met by two black eyes and a familiar face.

"Merry Christmas, Riza." Roy managed to say, before falling over from lack of oxygen, half-unconscious on the carpet.

Havoc glared daggers at Fury. "I thought you couldn't suffocate through cardboard!" He hissed. Fury looked sheepish.

"I forgot about the wrapping paper."

Roy lay on the carpet, staring at the ceiling, taking deep breaths. Riza leant over him.

"Hypochondriac."

And she kissed him.

Ooo.

The End!

Merry Christmas to you all! Or Happy Chanukah! Uh . . . MERRY CHRISMUKAH! Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Kwanza, and whatever else you celebrate, have a good one!