The Important Things
Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye knocked softly on the thin wooden door of Mustang's office and waited for an answer. When she didn't get one, the blonde woman tried once more, thinking in irritation that maybe he had fallen asleep at his desk again. After knocking a third time with no success, she shifted her weight, balanced the stack of papers she was holding on her hip, and opened the door.
"Lieutenant colonel?" she called, sweeping her gaze over the room. Frowning at the lack of her superior officer, she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. It took no more than a few steps to cross the small office to the desk. Setting the papers down, she folded her arms and scowled around the room.
How did he expect to get promoted if he always put things off?
Riza followed him for his ideals, and because she believed he was a good man, but his work ethics really needed some improving if he was truly serious about becoming the leader of the country.
Well, she wasn't about to let him get away with this slacking off.
Turning on her heel she headed out the door determined to find him.
"ISN'T SHE JUST THE CUTEST LITTLE GIRL YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE?" Major Hughes exclaimed in elated excitement as he thrust his one month old daughter into Roy's face.
"Did I miss the 'take your kid to work' day memo?" Roy asked, dark eyes dancing with amusement as baby squealed and wriggled in her father's hands.
"I just had to bring her in! I just know you're all sooo jealous!"
Roy shook his head, and chuckled. "Okay. It's official. You're a dork, Maes. What about the pictures you've been waving in our faces for the past month?"
The tall major scowled in good humor. "Roy… it's just not the same. You should know that. Would you rather have a picture of a sexy chick, or the real thing?"
Roy had to admit that was the truth, but this was different.
"Here," Hughes held the small infant out, "hold her."
"What?" Roy asked in alarm. Drool was dripping down from her mouth onto Hughes' hand.
"Hooooold Heeer! You don't know what you're missing until you do." The man coaxed zealously, unmindful of the slobber, then cooed down at the baby. "You wan' ya Unc'a Roy to hold you don' ya my wittle Elicia?"
"No way," Roy said, trying to decline as the child was placed in his arms.
"Awww… that is just too cute Roy…I'll be back. I've got to get a picture of this."
"Wha…? Now wait just a min…" But Hughes was already running down the hall to get his camera.
Roy glared at the retreating man, then turned his attention to the infant. She had an unhappy look on her face, and decided it probably had to do with the clumsy way he was holding her. Awkwardly, he repositioned the baby in his arms before using her shirt to wipe the drool off her face. He smiled softly down at the girl as she gazed intently at him. Maybe he was jealous… Hughes had a beautiful wife and a darling little girl.
A family.
What did he have?
He frowned.
What did he have?
He tickled the child's cheek with his finger, and watched as she gurgled and smiled up at him. How would it be to have his life filled with family? With people he cared about, and people who cared about him?
You're one lucky little girl, he thought. I suppose I could be your Uncle Roy. I don't have any other family... Your daddy is the closest thing I have to a brother...
Suddenly there was a click and a flash.
Roy looked up in surprise as Hughes took another picture.
Laughing, Hughes tucked the camera in his pocket, and walked over to them. "That was just the cutest thing ever." He looked down at the girl. "Did you say anythin' to Unc'a Roy while I was gone?" he asked in a 'baby talk' voice.
"Actually, she did," Roy drawled, and grinned when the Major looked up in shock. "She said she likes me more than you."
Hughes' face instantly darkened, and he held out his arms, demanding his daughter back.
Riza marched swiftly down the hallway, determined to find her delinquent superior, unmindful of the people scrambling to throw themselves out of her path.
Suddenly she heard a loud, boisterous voice call out, "Lieutenant!"
She exhaled loudly in exasperation. This was not what she needed right now. Turning, she blinked in surprise to see a baby filling her view. Suddenly the child was gone, replaced by the beaming face of her father.
"You're so lucky today!" he cried enthusiastically.
Sighing, she listened to the Major babble about his daughter. The lieutenant liked little babies as much as the next person, but right now she wanted to make sure the work got done. Unfortunately, Maes Hughes out ranked her, so she nodded in all the right places, waiting for an opportunity to get away.
Roy looked down at the slip of paper, read the title of the book written there, then around the room.
"Now, tell me again why you need this book," Roy asked.
When Vato Falman looked up to reply, a few books toppled from the stack he was carrying and tumbled heavily to the floor. The warrant officer sighed wearily, then said, "It's important to that terrorist case I'm working on. I have it here somewhere, but it's packed away in one of these boxes…"
Running his fingers through his dark hair, Roy nodded, then looked down at the paper again.
While searching through the boxes, they chatted idly about all the crap the military was giving them about the case, and how much they really should be getting promotions and raises; not to mention better benefits.
Almost forty-five minutes had passed by the time Roy plopped the thick book into Falman's hands.
"Great! Thanks a lot lieutenant colonel. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do. I appreciate the help."
"Anytime."
"No, really, I owe you a beer. Plus, I've been working on this case almost non-stop, so I haven't had much of a chance to talk to people. I think I needed that as much as the book"
Vato looked up in surprise as Riza Hawkeye stormed into the room.
"Have you seen the lieutenant colonel?" she asked in aggravation.
"Uh… Yeah… about two hours ago… I think…"
The woman passed a hand over her eyes in frustration, then growled, "Do you know wherehe went?"
The graying man shook his head, and watched her leave the room thinking that he wouldn't want to be in Mustang's shoes right now…
"So which one do you think I should pick?" Jean Havoc asked, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Roy looked over the pictures of the two women. They were both beautiful…
"Tell me again why they're going out with you?"
The taller man punched Roy's shoulder lightly. "You're just jealous."
"Hardly. I know that no matter which one you pick you'll end up getting dumped in about a week."
Havoc puffed on the cigarette, and glared at his commanding officer. "Jealousy is an ugly thing boss. You just wish you could be playing two different girls at the same time."
"I date," Roy muttered defensively, still studying the pictures.
"When? You're always here. You need a life man. Now tell me which one."
"Why me? Shouldn't you be the one to decide this?"
Jean shook his head. "This is really important. I need your advice."
With a sigh, Roy handed the taller man the picture he was holding on his left hand. "This one. She has a bigger chest."
Instead of taking the offered picture, Jean snatched the other one from Roy's right hand. "Thanks."
For a moment Roy just stared at his subordinate, then asked, "You're going to pick the one I rejected?"
"Of course! If you picked the other one, then I know she isn't the right woman."
"What?"
"Come on boss. You stink in the love life department. If I pick the one you didn't, then I'm bound to have better luck, right?"
"Have you seen the lieutenant colonel?"
Jean looked up from the newspaper he was reading, and saw a very disgruntled looking Lieutenant Hawkeye staring down at him.
"Uh… Yeah…" he replied around his smoke. "'Bout…" He looked at his watch. "'Bout…an hour and a half ago…"
"Do you have any idea where he went off to?" she asked irritably.
He shook his head, then yelped in surprise as she yanked the cigarette from of his mouth, crushed it, and threw it away. "You know there's no smoking in here."
When she turned to leave he screwed up his face, and silently mimicked her words at her retreating back. The second lieutenant was a beautiful woman, but she was just too strict for his taste. He lit up another smoke after she left and chuckled. If Roy Mustang ever made it to the top, it would be because she'd drag him there.
Roy blinked in surprise when he saw Kain Fuery, a normally quiet, mousy man, crawl out of a small area that led to where the power connections were and start swearing.
"What's going on here?" the lieutenant colonel asked as he walked across the grass to his subordinate.
The master sergeant looked up in surprise and blushed slightly at being caught in the middle of a rant. "I've been working on this since this morning and just when I thought I'd had it, my flashlight went dead." Fuery held up the offending flashlight in frustration. "This means I have to go back to the supply room and get more batteries. That's going to take at least an hour… I just hope I don't forget what I was going to do during that time…
Roy grinned and pulled out one of his gloves. "I think I can give you a little help with this."
The master sergeant looked surprised for a moment, then relieved. "You're a life saver."
The dark haired man grabbed a piece of wood from the ground, then snapped his fingers to light the end of the stick.
For the next half hour Roy kept a light behind the small man as he worked, lighting a new stick when needed.
When Fuery finished, he backed out, stood up, flipped the switch, and grinned. "Thanks a bunch!"
Roy shrugged and extinguished the flame. "No problem."
"Yo!" a voice shouted and the two soldiers turned to see a stout red headed man sauntering toward them with a grin. When Heymans Breda reached them he grinned at the short master sergeant and said, "Get it done?"
Fuery nodded and said, "With the lieutenant colonel's help."
Breda grinned broadly and drawled, "You know I could use some help if you guys are willing."
"Sure," Roy said, tossing the stick to the ground.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Breda asked with an eager grin.
The other two shook their heads and Roy asked, "What does that have to do with helping you?"
"Well there's this new restaurant that has just opened up not far from here. I wanna check it out, but you know three opinions are better than one," Breda chortled.
Riza stormed back into Roy's office, and slammed the door.
She looked down at the little note on the desk for a moment, then crushed it and tossed it in the garbage.
He left for lunch?
She stared at the stack of untouched paperwork.
The man hadn't done one thing since coming to work today. Not one!
She looked at the clock that now read 2:00, and growled deeply in her throat before getting to her own neglected work.
As Roy made his way back to the building he saw a small figure in a long red coat run out across the empty parade field, and disappear under the bleachers. Curious, Roy jogged lightly in that direction. As he neared the metal bleachers, he slowed.
Was that crying he heard?
"I hate this stupid job! I hate being a State Alchemist! I just wanna go home!"
Roy frowned. Given the circumstances that had led Ed to become one of his subordinates, one would think it would be easy to feel bad for the boy. A father that ran off when the boy was only a year old, and his mother dying, leaving the then ten year old to care for his younger brother. The child had been so desperate to get his mother back that he had tried to bring her back with human transmutation, but failed miserably. The result was a missing arm and leg for himself, now replaced with automail, and the soul of his younger brother attached to a large suit of armor.
Yes, when thinking about those events Roy truly did feel sorry for the blond boy. However, the kid was generally bratty enough to dispel any sympathetic emotions from the lieutenant colonel.
Slowly, Roy lowered himself down so that he could see under the bleachers. Ed was sitting on the ground with his knees pulled up to his chest, and his head buried into them.
"Hey," he whispered.
The boy's head shot up in surprise, and Roy felt a stab of pity for the young alchemist. The child's nose and eyes were red from crying, and there were long wet streaks trailing down his dusty face.
Roy crawled under the bleachers, and sat next to the small eleven-year-old…. no… twelve… the boy was twelve now…
The child's bottom lip trembled slightly. He looked hurt, angry, and defensive all at the same time. "What are you doing here?" Ed asked, his voice conveying all the emotion his eyes displayed.
"Oh, well, I was just passing by and thought I heard something. When I saw you under there I figured you might want some company."
Ed sniffled and said, "Who are you, and what did you do with the real lieutenant colonel?"
Roy smiled faintly. "It's okay to cry you know. I think everyone needs to do that sometimes."
The boy looked down, and muttered, "What do you know…"
Roy scooted closer and wrapped an arm around the young boy. For a moment Ed stiffened then relaxed into the half hug. "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on every once in a while. Tell you what. If you need to cry, go ahead. If you promise not to tell anyone I was being nice to you, I promise not to tell anyone you were crying. Deal?"
"You'll just make fun of me later," the child mumbled.
"I won't. I'll never even mention it. Never. I promise."
For a moment Ed said nothing, then he burrowed deeper into Roy's arm, and wrapped his own arms around the man's chest.
"I want my mom," the boy whispered, and Roy nodded sadly.
As he sat there rocking the small alchemist, Roy thought back on the day's events, and smiled softly. He supposed did have family. His core group was his family; his surrogate siblings, and he could help them, be there for them. They would be there for him too, he supposed. They followed him even though he was lazy sometimes, and they cared about him. They were close, just like a family. He could be an uncle to Hughes's daughter and a brother to his subordinate officers.
He rubbed Ed's back in a comforting gesture, trying to sooth the distraught boy.
He could be a father too.
Perhaps he was just as lucky as Hughes…
The old flower vender looked up from her cart as a young military man with dark hair approached her. He took his time looking over the flowers, asking for the meanings of each before carefully selecting one. She smiled slightly at his choice, one symbolizing 'admiration', and wrapped the stem in a damp paper towel. She took the money from the handsome young man, handed him the flower, and watched as he slipped it carefully into his military uniform near his chest, hiding it from view.
The romantic in her thought he laid it near his heart…
Riza looked up when the door opened, and Lieutenant Colonel Mustang walked into the room. He looked like he had rolled around in the dirt…
"Where have you been?" she demanded.
"Out," he said simply, and made his way to the coat rack.
She scowled. He was not getting ready to leave… no way…
"I think I'm going to call it a day," he said, brushing the long black coat with his hands.
When he turned around to grab his hat, she got up and began advancing on him. No way. No way was she going to let him leave with all that work left to be done.
"Lieutenant colonel!" she barked. "What about all the paperwo…" She trailed off when he turned around to face her. In his hand was a soft pink rose. He held it up to her short blonde hair, as if comparing the two colors then slowly slid it down her jaw line to her lips.
"All the important things have been taken care of."