WARNING: Set in pre-anime time… No spoiler.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hagane no Renkinjutsushi. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa sensei.
PAIRING: RoyRiza

Of Arrays and Guns

#1. First Meeting

OXOXOXOXO

When she first saw him, he had been burying his nose into the library books, his tired, dead charcoal eyes focusing on the book, only the book as if nothing else mattered to him.

His skin proved of his diet, pale and dry. She knew that shade of skin, the skin that lost the sheen it used to carry, lost the healthy blood that pumped through the flesh. Maybe if he took care of himself a bit more, he'd have been the catch of the military women. His eyes were dark, no spark of liveliness in those depths. The military's usually clean crisp uniform he wore was wrinkled, though it was thankfully clean. But it was painfully obvious that not only did he not take care of himself, he also didn't care about his things and surroundings.

She remember standing over there, mesmerized by the sight of dead but determined military man, until a young librarian with dark skin asked her if she needed any help. She quickly said that she was okay and scurried away with the books she needed, which she already checked out. She was slightly ashamed, mentally scolding herself for not being focused on her task, which was to get some books for her boss, who was an alchemist. Without looking back, she hurried away.

She didn't think about that incident for a while until she met him face to face like a week after. He had been sitting on the couch outside the office, concentrated on the book on his lap while he waited for his meeting with the General. She approached him and asked him how he was, saluting, in a crisp business and military-like manner like she always did. He was a lieutenant colonel, a higher rank than her while she was a 2nd Lieutenant at that time.

"I'm fine," he only smiled at her, though it was weak and forced, "Thank you for asking." His voice was soft and polite, defeated, lacking the business-like, the crisp tone of a soldier. Then he went back to reading before she could say anything else. She just shrugged and walked into the office, and handed her boss the documents he needed. As she went back to her desk to carry on with her work, her boss called him in, and he disappeared through the door, his gloved hands firmly by his side just like any military men.

She found out that day that his name was Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist and the young lieutenant colonel, due to her acquaintances' gossip during lunch. She had been surprised that the military women still found him attractive even when he looked like a man going to his own funeral.

Then she bumped into him again at the library few days after, him occupying his previous seat and a new book in his lap, and her carrying out another errand for her boss. She briefly debated mentally whether to go greet him or not, but her polite side finally won and she approached him carefully, as quiet as she can.

He didn't even twitch when she stopped right in front of him, his eyes still on the book and unmoving. She stood there, feeling dumb, watching the Lt. Colonel read his book. She wasn't sure what to do to catch his attention, to be precise. She knew that if she just stood there, she'd never catch his attention, but she thought that it'd be rude to clear her throat right in front of him just to do that. So she just walked away, sighing, never realizing that his eyes left the book and was watching her stride away.

OXO

"2nd Lieutenant Hawkeye, you've been instructed to work under Lt. Colonel Mustang," her boss said firmly, a remarkable image of a leader, "It was a pleasure working with you."

"Sir," she only said, saluting and bowing slightly in appreciation, "I thank you for what you've done for me."

Their last meeting was sealed with a firm handshake, one gloved and other bare.

He was reading another book in his office, alchemy notes piling around him and the end of the pen between his teeth. He chewed slowly, frowning as his dark eyes swept across the book, taking in the content and trying to understand the concept. He occasionally tappedhis chin with the chewed end of his pen, and thenwritefuriously when struck with a thought.He didn't notice it when she entered quietly. But she definitely caught his attention when she abruptly slammed the door shut, her face expressingsatisfaction when the Lt. Colonel looked up from his book, startled.

"Sir," she saluted quickly, with a light smile, "I've been told to work under you starting from today."

"So I have heard," he said with a polite, but weary smile, standing up and closing his book with a book mark set on the page he was just reading before she came into his office, "Welcome to the crew, 2nd Lieutenant Hawkeye."

OXOXOXOXO

Author's Notes:

Kya! This is crap! CRAP! (runs off to hide under a random bed)
Sorry, Rikku-chan! I tried! I really tried! (cries)
RoyRiza is hard… Except for this dedicated drabble series, I shall only write RoyEd. Everr.
Arggh. Never knew it'd be this hard…
The ending was crap.