This one is for SoronRocket :)

Do You Also Smell Burning?

"Sooo, you can shoot fire from your hands using these?" Hange closely examined the gloves and symbols on them, mind working overtime, ready to take in all the details.

"Yes," Roy gave the scientist a wide grin, feeling a childish excitement run through his body. He brought up a white-gloved hand. "Should I demonstrate?"

"Hange, don't encourage him to burn down this damn place, for fuck's sake!" Levi's grumble came from the side where he was seated, looking real grumpy for a lovely sunny morning. Hange waved him off. And it only heightened his already sky-high level of irritation. This whole week had honestly been bad for his sanity. He rubbed at his forehead. First the frog accident, he shuddered, his skin crawling in disgust, and now this-

"Yeah, yeah, grumpy." Hange completely ignored the dangerous tick of Levi's jaw at the jab. "We will be careful." She rolled her eyes in his direction. "Levi, really, how can you be like this right now?" She turned back to look at the man next to her, eyes sparkling. She gestured animatedly. "Honestly, someone here has the ability to make fire with his hands, and you are not even the tiniest bit excited?" She shook her head in obvious disappointment.

Roy looked back at Riza, giving her a crooked smile. She merely looked back at him. One stern look from her was enough to convey what she wanted to say to him, after all. He almost could hear her voice in his head. Wait, no- He could hear it echoing through his mind.

'If you dare to set anything on fire, I'll whoop your ass.'

His spine pricked uncomfortably. Roy would be careful. Of course, he would be! Was he not always mindful of everything he did? He was the Flame Alchemist! Someone who people looked up to and admired! His spine pricked anew. He swallowed. Well, alright, maybe he was sometimes a bit thoughtless when it came to certain things (and just the tiniest bit, okay!) Besides, if he was not careful- and now a real shiver made its way down his spine at the prospect of Riza's wrath that would undoubtedly follow. Better not to consider that possibility too much, hm. He did not want to jinx himself. Yeah, he would be careful. He was a master of the flames, after all. Roy shook away his musings and turned back to the woman standing next to him, who was grinning excitedly. Finally, he thought, someone who understood the art of his ability. He gave another grin.

Levi sighed as he watched the two of them, as they talked, wildly gesturing. The ability was definitely interesting, and- His mind halted at that thought, a sudden dread settling over him. No! No, no, no! Oi, no need to fuel the fire here (fuck, pun not intended, damnit!) He shook his head. He already had a vivid headache, and there was no need to make it worse now. Levi turned back to the table he was seated at. Luckily, there was a fresh cup of black tea waiting on him. Levi picked up his cup and took a sip before finally turning his attention to the woman sitting across from him. Riza had a good eye for tea, something he always could appreciate in a person.

"Is he always like this?" He took another sip, the pleasant warmth calming his irritation somewhat to a manageable level.

Riza took a sip of her own tea, looking thoughtful. "Yes, unfortunately, Captain." She raised an eyebrow. "Yours?"

"Yeah," he sighed, abruptly feeling too drained for a day that just had begun. "Always." He nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Gives me a damn headache with all the shit she pulls. If I would not be there, Hange would even lose her own damn head with her absent-mindedness and hyperfocus at times." He halted for a moment before adding sternly, looking down at his teacup, memories flitting through his mind. "Literally."

Riza nodded, brow drawing together. She understood what he was talking about. Keeping reckless idiots from dying was not an easy task, after all. He felt comforted in knowing that she could relate. Finally, he could share some of this pain with someone who had the same struggles.

His talk with Riza was honestly good for his frayed nerves. Riza was calm and sharp, interested in their 3dm gear. He got a good look at her gun too. Back then, during his days in the Underground, he did not really care what sort of gun he got his hands on. If it worked, it worked. Still, he was curious about the new mechanisms the gun, currently in his hands, utilized. Perhaps they could implement some of these unknown mechanisms into their own weapons. Hmm, Erwin would be pleased to hear the potential of improving their weapons. He touched his chin with his index finger, deep in thought.

Riza's calm voice pulled him back to reality.

"Where are they, though?"

Huh? He shifted to look at her.

"Don't you also smell burning?" She sniffed, fingers going to the gun at her side in conditioned familiarity.

At the same instant (and it would have been comical another time, maybe), both their eyes went wide at the realization.

Oh.

Oh, fuck no.

Levi felt the cold apprehension seeping into his veins, together with the return of his ongoing aggravation from the shit week he had been having (and from the looks of it, was still far from finished making his life hell.)

"Shit," Levi spat. He sprung up from his chair. And with a stern-looking Riza in tow, he ran off to see (and very dreading it) what damage their reckless idiots of companions had caused this time. He gritted his teeth while he barreled down the hallway. Fuck fuck fuck. To hell with everything. Was he even surprised anymore at this happening? Hell no. And he should have known better, honestly. He was going to ask Erwin for a fucking raise after this was over. And he was so going to beat Hange's ass too.

000

His fist landed on the table with a loud bang. "Fuck, Hange! I told you clearly: No burning!"

Hange and Roy burn down shit while Levi and Riza try to have some tea. Heh.

I tried my hand at writing a crackfic.