Under the Weight of Your Wings

Raeluvs

A/n:

Konnichiwa! I have returned after a whole two weeks of lapse. I was struck with a thread of inspiration around one or so in the morning, as most of my ideas come to me around that time. Dream a Dream fans, I hope you're reading this as it's another FMA chap fic and I'm writing it for you guys. However, I get the distinct feeling that it's going to be relatively short. Not nearly as long as Dream a Dream from what I can tell. Also a note: the spelling of our favorite librarian's name is Scieszka. In Dream a Dream, it is spelled Sciezka. This error is being corrected. Thank you.

This fic is based around Roy Mustang and… well I'll let you figure it out. Thank you for reading; please continue watching over me XD.

Chapter 1: Eavesdropping

"I am working!" he shouted, frustration plain in his tone. A flurry of papers flew into the air, falling lightly about the disheveled desk; his hand, clenched in a gloved fist pounded against the hollow tabletop. Riza Hawkeye shook her head, smiling thinly, books propped up against her chest. She set them down atop the cluttered mess with a sigh; they were heavy books. So much research was to be done, Roy Mustang had told her. But research toward what? At this question that he would smile, his eyes casting themselves downward toward the floor, becoming distant and clouded.

"I don't want to hurt you." He put a warm hand on her shoulder; she stiffened with surprise, an unexpected blush breaking over her face. Concerned eyes searched his face; what had he to hide? "Forgive me…"

"Surprisingly, I can see that, sir." She replied with a smile. "Here's the most recent of files that Scieszka could write up regarding the note that you sent her." She felt slightly spurned that Scieszka had some kind of idea what was going on with her superior and she didn't. She had half a mind to ask her, but she didn't want Roy to think she was poking her nose where it didn't belong. Betraying him would be more guilt than she felt she could bear. But…

"Ah, great, thanks." He didn't sound particularly thankful, but his begrudging voice had left him. She wondered why someone who hated working, the greatest procrastinator in Central and quite possibly the entire military, now barely slept, ate, or left his desk, with the exception of seeing someone that was relevant to his research.

"Is there anything I can do to be of assistance?" she asked, hoping that he would let her in, let her help him. She tried not to look too eager, keeping her face taught, and blank. Roy looked up at her and smiled, shaking his head once.

"Forgive me." He answered, opening a book and scanning over it briefly, flipping the pages of Scieszka's notes. She searched for something to say, anything that could make him change his mind, or give her some kind of clue as to what he was getting himself into. There was a pause; when she said nothing, he simply stated, "You're dismissed, Lieutenant."

The warmth in his voice had faded; he seemed no longer connected to this world, lost in the black and white void that was the print on the pages before him. She sighed, forgetting her place in the sound of it, then hurriedly saluted, removing herself from the room. Her eyes brushed over the cover of his books, her gaze catching the words, 'Telephone records'. A thousand thoughts shot through her mind at once, but she couldn't place what that could mean. The door slid closed behind her.

He sighed, clasping gloved fingers about the bridge of his nose. He wished that she could understand, but he didn't expect it of her.

'I can't hurt her.' He reminded himself. 'I can't risk her in my own foolishness.'

'You know, if you'd just ask her to marry you she'd say yes. And God knows you need a good wife.'

"Oh, shut up, Maes." He said aloud, turning a page. His hand stopped mid turn, reflecting upon what he had just said. He sighed loudly, frustrated. "I may actually be overworking, talking to someone who isn't there."

"Maybe you're too close to the subject matter to see it clearly, sir." Scieszka hobbled in, arms filled to the brim with paperwork. Roy looked up, surprised, wondering how much of his babbling she had heard.

"Eavesdropping is a felony, you know." He offered weakly. She smiled thinly and dropped the papers with a thump on his desk.

"I only heard the last part, don't worry." She said simply. "These are in conjunction with the phone records from around four months ago you had me send up."

"But you already gave me the phone records."

"I gave you who called what department at what time and date." She agreed, and then prodded the papers. "However, I didn't give you where they called from or what sort of noise was picked up off the call."

"Background noise…" he repeated. "That's perfect. Thank you, Scieszka; I'll let you know what else I need when I can come up with it." She nodded, smiling and saluting and turned toward the door, her arms limp at her sides, happy to not hold books. She paused at the door, her thin hand resting lightly upon the doorknob.

"Sir, are you searching for…?" her voice faded; if he was going to answer her, then she didn't need to finish her question. She heard him sigh.

"Don't worry." He answered. "Thanks for your help, Scieszka. Dismissed." She nodded and left, closing the door lightly behind her. Roy smiled down at his work.

"All this fuss over my research." He said lightly, turning another page. "To think I'm doing exactly what Maes did… covering up his tracks and keeping thing secret from the people he cared for." He shook his head, chuckling to himself.

"Hopefully this information won't produce the same results."

"Well, did that help?" she asked, walking down the hallway; her notebook was pressing against her chest. Riza sighed; she nodded once, walking alongside Scieszka.

"Somewhat." She replied, eyes distant, drifting about the floor. Lost in thought for a moment, she was silent. She looked up and smiled hurriedly. "Thank you, for letting me…"

"Commit a felony?" Scieszka replied, grinning. Riza allowed herself a wide smile at that; she laughed softly. "Anytime. I'll keep you posted on what's happening."

"Thank you." She said softly. She saw a wistful look pass over her superior's face.

"If he wanted us to know, we would know." She said simply. "And eventually, you will know." Riza looked surprised, but Scieszka smiled to see a glance of reassurance pass over her face.

"Thanks, Scieszka."

"Anytime. And if you'll excuse me, I have more and more to transcribe." She said with a loud sigh. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Dismissed." Riza said, smiling. Scieszka saluted and moved off down the hall, already calculating what she had to record.

Riza walked a few steps back down the hallway and hovered outside of her superior's door. She heard him mutter a few incoherent phrases and smiled, shaking her head. She had no right to listen in on his work, shuffle around under his nose and prod for information, as though she was a parent, trying to protect a child; yes, she knew that. But just the same, she had vowed long ago that she would protect him. For that alone, she would betray his trust.

She turned, slightly satisfied, and walked down the hallway, as the phone shrieked from behind the hollowed door.

"Hello?"

"Yes, Colonel Mustang?"

"Yes, speaking." His replied, leaning his head against his palm. He sounded bored; he was tired, his mind drifting about other things.

"I know what you're doing."

The cold tone in the voice on the line sent a chill through him; a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

"Excuse me?" he replied, his voice remaining neutral.

"I know that you're researching how Hughes died. Or more technically, why." Roy felt his temper waning. Words burned caustic on his tongue, angry, thoughtless words biting into his lips. Furious silence exuded throughout the room.

"'When your opponent has a caustic temper, seek to irritate and then make your move', isn't that right, Colonel, sir?" The voice was mocking, a sing-song tone sliding through the line like molasses dripping from a vat. Roy's eyes widened with surprise. That voice… was annoyingly familiar.

"Do you know who this is now, sir?" Roy was at a loss for words for a moment, an event that rarely took place upon the stoic Colonel. Disbelief spilled over what had been anger as he breathed a name that couldn't true:

"Edward… Elric?"

A/n: All righty, so ends chapter one! Chapter two is on the way so please stay tuned. Also remember: Things are not always as they seem and objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear. Ciao!

Raeluvs