Fever Chapter 17: Killing Me Softly, a fullmetal alchemist fanfic

Fever

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's note: We already know: I don't own the song either. (Sung by Frank Sinatra, I'm telling you guys he's got one sexy voice melts)

Chapter 17 – Killing Me Softly

7:00 finally rolled around and Hughes invited his family over to The Red Herring for dinner. He wanted to make sure that Riza saw this show no matter what. The lights went down and the manager appeared on stage. Riza looked over her shoulder from her chair next to Hughes to Sam at the bar. He winked at her and smiled wide. She returned the smile and turned to watch the manager. All signs of the man's earlier nervousness were gone. Suddenly he was back in the circus, running the show. The manager turned ringleader began his introduction, "Ladies and Gents, regulars and first timers! Some of you watch me up here week after week and usually I make the same intro. It usually starts off with a welcome and then I throw in something about tonight's amateur acts being the best in Central—though we all know they aren't" he said with a wink. "But tonight, I don't bring you the usual amateurs. Tonight, we've got a very special act, for a very special lady. As some of you may know, I'm a romantic at heart, and when I heard about this I couldn't resist lending my stage to help the guy out. Please put your hands together for the one, the only, the Flame Alchemist!" The manager sidestepped off stage and Roy made his way on. He usual cocky grin played about his face. As he stepped up to the mic though, all cockiness slipped away. Riza was sitting in the table closest to the stage and she was the only thing he could see, the truth be told, the only thing he wanted to see.

"I've screwed up a lot in my life. I've done some things I'm not proud of, and I've gotten myself into some situations I shouldn't have. But through it all there was someone really special that stood by me. She smiled at my idiocies and knocked sense into me when I needed it the most. But most of all she's been there to keep me straight through it all, and I'm sorry to say that for years…I didn't notice. I didn't notice all the things she's done for me—all the things she does for me. It wasn't until last week that I really saw her not just for the friend she was, but for the woman she is. This entire week, she's ignored me and given me the cold shoulder. All I can say is that its been killing me softly everyday. I've done this woman a grave injustice and I believe I've got to make it right. So here's trading one humiliated ego for another." Roy said. Suddenly a slow jazz band began to play softly in the background. He waited patiently for the intro to finish. When his cue came his sweet baritone voice rang out,

"I heard she sang a good song, I heard she had a style.
And so I came to see her and listen for a while.
And there she was this young girl, a stranger to my eyes."

"Strumming my pain with her fingers,
singing my life with her words,
killing me softly with her song,
killing me softly with her song,
telling my whole life with her words,
killing me softly with her song" The words rang true…all of them, he'd just been too blind these past years to see it. The entire time he sang, he never took his eyes from her face.

"I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd," he felt himself blush a little remembering he was singing to more than just her.

"I felt she found my letters and read each one out loud.
I prayed that she would finish but she just kept right on." As he started into the chorus again Riza smiled a wide teary-eyed smile. She was never very emotional, but no one had ever done something like this for her. It was one of the best gifts she could have ever received…especially coming from him. She knew how much this had to be killing his pride, to stand on stage and not just admit that he was wrong, but to sing about it too!

Roy put his heart and soul into the next stanza because it seemed to sing exactly what'd happened that first night in the club,

"She sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
and then she looked right through me as if I wasn't there.
But she just came to singing, singing clear and strong."

Riza could feel his intense emotion through the words and she could feel her heart catch in her throat.

"Strumming my pain with her fingers,
singing my life with her words,
killing me softly with her song,
killing me softly with her song,
telling my whole life with her words,
killing me softly with her song" The last stanza had been sung and the music came slowly to a close. The spotlight turned off and Roy disappeared off stage. Riza sat spellbound in her seat. A handkerchief was offered in front of her face and a familiar voice asked "So, are we forgiven?" Hawkeye took the handkerchief and smiled at Hughes as she dabbed the corner of her eyes. "Yes, your forgiven." She said. A little part of her didn't want to forgive them…on the bright side, if she never forgave them it meant they'd try little stunts like this all the time and seeing Roy humiliate himself was quite entertaining. Still smiling she stood up and handed the handkerchief back to Hughes and made her way to the stage door.
It didn't take long to find him, he was putting on his coat and attempting to escape out the back door without being noticed. She followed him out the back and caught his arm as he was walking down the street. She hooked her elbow in his. Definitely a move that was more natural to her Lady in Red counterpart, but something about it felt right. Roy turned to see her on his arm and smiled wide. "Does this mean you forgive me?" he said, adding in his trademark smirk.
"Oh I don't know. Seeing you humiliate yourself once a week to try and get me to forgive you does sound enticing." She said, more of her Lady in Red traits flowing into her character. There was something liberating about having someone beg your forgiveness in song. It made her feel almost giddy…but that could have just been because she was so close to him. "I suppose I forgive you. It's kind of hard to stay mad at someone that serenaded you."
"I know what you mean." He said back to her. "Sometimes things come out better in song. Don't you think?"
She didn't say anything for a moment and just continued to walk with him arm and arm. After a little while she smiled and said, "Sam said that your rehearsals were murder."
Roy was a little stunned, he'd assumed that this whole thing had been kept a secret. "So much for being a surprise." He mumbled.
"Serves you two right for making Black Hayate sick."
"Yeah I suppose so." Roy said looking at her. There was something different about her. This wasn't the same Hawkeye that he saw day in and day out in the office. She looked like the same woman…but it seemed that there was just a little of that Lady in Red still shining through the mask.
"Regardless of Sam's opinion, I'd have to say that you really did well."
"You think so?" he said looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm thinking about taking my show on the road, care to join me?"
Riza sighed happily, and snuggled closer to his arm in the cool breeze, "Don't mind if I do."

Roy walked her the rest of the way home, he knew that even with his serenade there was no chance of getting invited inside. She wasn't that type of woman, but maybe with time, and a few more serenades he'd make it beyond the front doorstep. Looking at Riza in the dark his mind echoed back his thoughts in the bar that first night, but for now, he was just happy to see the smile on her face…it was even better because he knew she was smiling because of him. Roy, being the risk taker he was couldn't quite help himself and decided to try his luck. His arms remembered well what her slender form felt like. In a slow, but fluid motion he wrapped his arms around her and he said, "So what am I going to have to do to keep you from telling the guys about my little performance back there?"

"I dunno, do you have a little serenade in there for that?" she asked slyly, his face inching closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips as he said, "I think I might be able to work something out…" his lips lightly brushed hers and she was too stunned to say or do anything. All the chill from the night air was gone, only a blushing fever remained. Before she knew it he was gone, walking down the street and throwing a goofy smile over his shoulder to her. She hadn't actually thought he'd be so forward—not with her, but something in her was glad he was.

His arms remembered well what her slender form felt like. In a slow, but fluid motion he wrapped his arms around her and he said, "So what am I going to have to do to keep you from telling the guys about my little performance back there?"

"What are you going to do to stop me?" she asked slyly, his face inching closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips as he said, "I think I might be able to work something out…" his lips lightly brushed hers and she was too stunned to say or do anything. All the chill from the night air was gone, only a blushing fever remained. Before she knew it he was gone, walking down the street and throwing a goofy smile over his shoulder to her. She hadn't actually thought he'd be so forward—not with her, but something in her was glad he was.

She turned and went inside, muddling through her house as if in a dream. The restlessness was long gone. As she got ready for bed she glimpsed herself in the mirror. For some reason her reflection didn't seem quite the same…there was something different. It seemed that there was just a little of the Lady in Red still shining through her mask. After looking a little longer she decided that it wasn't the Lady in Red…it was her. Riza smiled at her reflection, the Lady in Red hadn't been as make-believe as she'd originally liked to think. The more she looked at herself, the more she realized that the Lady in Red was apart of her, just as much as her soldier self was, it was just that for once in her life, she was letting the Lady in Red out…'and maybe' Riza thought, 'that isn't such a bad thing.'

This fic started out as pure fluff that I'd estimated to be like three pages long…well over 20 pages later, I guess I underestimated myself. I had fun with this fic and I hope you all did too. Hopefully the characters weren't too far out of character (though I do think I murdered Hughes at times). Also, for anyone that hasn't heard it I've got Frank Sinatra's version of this song on my comp for anyone that wants to hear it. Just email me.

On a side note, don't ask me to continue this fic. It's done, I'm done, there aren't going to be anymore chapters…a sequel maybe, but no more chapters (though a sequel is highly unlikely, so don't get your hopes up—unless you've got a story idea…)

I've had a few questions in the past about when Sam told Riza about Hughes and Roy's plan. Sam told her when she showed up to get the money and Hughes told her to wait while he got the manager. While Hughes was doing that, she walked over to chat w/ Sam and he mentioned it to her. That's why she wascooperating a little more when Hughes came back. I gave clues, but they're really subtle I know it may sound strange for a bartender to blab secrets but Sam could see that it was going to totally fall apart if someone didn't tell her...besides, he still thought she was pretty hot and he didn't think it was a bad idea to try and win points with her.