A Walk in the Park
Author: MoonStarDutchess
Oneshot
AN: I don't own FMA but I do own my OC's and my idea. Any opinions that may be written in this fic are not necessary the opinions of the author.
Note: Maeve's bad grammar and odd phrasing in her dialogue, point of view, and thoughts is intentional.
Little Maeve Mustang cringed as she heard the beginnings of what would turn into an argument between her parents. If Maes had been there instead of spending the day with Gramps Grumman, he'd be sitting near her crying.
She missed him when this happened. She didn't like to be the only one here when her parents fought. She knew nothing bad would happen after, and they'd be nice to each other by the end of the day. It seemed they had a lot of grumpy days lately.
Maybe they needed a nap, or something to eat, or had a booboo. Maes and her always argued and got grumpy when they needed a nap time. Mommy and Daddy's bedtimes were really late, and she hadn't heard them play their games in their room for a long time.
She listened as their voices grew louder, expecting them to turn into yells, but was surprised when they didn't.
Instead, her father came into the living room and slumped down in his favorite recliner. She waited for him to say that they weren't going to leave each other.
It helped her brother to hear it, but she only needed to hear it once, not more than ten whole times. She may be very young, but she was very smart. Her daddy and mommy said so. She knew they wouldn't ever go away from each other. Mommy was super sad whenever Daddy had to go away for a meeting and she couldn't go.
He didn't say anything as he sat there. It was like he didn't see her. After a few more clock ticks, he stood and put on the sunglasses he kept in his pocket. Her mommy always told him to wear them because he was blind one time and the sun hurt his eyes.
Roy put on his sunglasses and moved toward the door. As he turned, he noticed her. She smiled at him and he returned it. He bent down and kissed the top of her head.
"If your mom asks where I am, tell her that I went for a walk, okay?"
"Can I go too?" Her mommy wasn't very much fun to be around when she was angry and liked to be alone when she had mad times. Her daddy didn't like to be alone that much, so she wanted to go.
"Yes. Go put on your sunglasses and hat. It's hot and sunny out today." He walked over to the hall table where her mother kept a notepad and started writing.
She slid down from the couch and rushed to her room. A few minutes later, she returned with her pink sunglasses over her eyes and a white floppy sunhat on her head. Roy put some sunscreen on her bare arms and face, and then they left the house.
-/-/-
The sun beat down on the street to the point where one could see the heat rising from the sidewalk and road in the distance, but with hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses, it was tolerable enough to walk outside. Maeve was holding Roy's hand and squeezed it.
"It's super-hot, Papa, but it's so nice! I like it better than the snow too."
"Me too, Maeve."
"It's cause snows wet, right?" Roy looked down at her and she continued. "It's wet like rain, and Mama says you hate rain and she had to kick you on your butt once."
"Yes, she did, but she never did it again."
"That's not what I heard Uncle Havoc say!"
Roy stopped. "What did Havoc say?"
"He said Mama has you whipped. If you whip someone, it's on the butt!"
"Ah." They started walking again with Roy muttering.
She frowned. "Did I say something bad, Papa?"
"No, no, in fact we should talk more about what you've heard your Uncle Havoc say when we eat ice cream."
"I get ice cream?" she said with a huge smile.
"Yes, you do."
"Today?"
Before he could answer, someone yelled, "Roy!" She furrowed her brow and looked around them. That was her daddy's name. They often got smiles from people and some of them waved at them, but when the nice ones talked to her daddy, they called him General or Mister Mustang.
The voice called his name again, and she looked ahead of them. A red-haired woman was coming toward them. Two other ladies followed behind her like she saw the baby ducks at the park follow the mommy ducks.
One had brown hair and the other had black. They skipped with every step, and she wondered if the women were in a contest to see who could bounce their boobies the best. Or maybe who could grow them bigger. There was a contest like that in school once about whose flower grew the biggest. Maybe this was the grown-up lady version of it.
"Roy! It's been so long since you've called me!" She jutted out her bottom lip. Maeve rolled her eyes. This lady was a grown-up! She shouldn't act like Maes did when Mommy told him he couldn't have an extra cookie.
"It's been eight years," Roy said, incredulously.
"That long?" she said. Maeve didn't like this woman.
"Yes, well, I've been busy with my family." He bent down to pick up Maeve. She giggled. Now she was going to be used as her papa's shield. If it would help her papa get rid of the women, she would do it."
"Oh my god! Is this your daughter?"
No, I'm his puppy. Woof woof
"Yes, this is Maeve."
"I have a twin brother too," she said.
"Oh? Is that so?"
I don't lie, lady.
"Who'd you marry?" asked the red haired woman. She sounded like she was mad and looked like she tasted something bad. This wasn't the first time she saw a lady act like this when they heard about her mommy.
"He married my mommy," Maeve said. "You need to leave my daddy alone because my mommy is really tough and pretty and can kick your butt if you touch my papa."
"Awww, she's adorable!" the black haired woman said.
"I know," Maeve replied, and shrugged one shoulder.
The redhead narrowed her eyes. She wished her mommy were here to tell her off. The other two seemed okay.
With that, it was time to get her daddy away from these women. "Daddy, can we go to the park and get ice cream now?"
"Yes, absolutely." He turned to the women. "We'll be going now. I'm spending some quality time with my daughter. Have a good day," he said, and walked away from them.
"Congratulations," the women said, and she knew the redhead didn't say anything.
-/-/-
Roy walked through the park gates and moved Maeve so she was sitting on his shoulders. There was an ice cream vendor in the distance, and they were going straight to him.
"Papa?"
"Yes?"
"Why do women come up to you all the time? Some of them are hard to get away from too."
"It's not all the time."
"Yah huh! Every time. Lots and lots of women come up to you unless Mommy is with you. And almost all of them get mad too."
Roy sighed. "Because I dated a lot of them."
"What's dated?"
"It's something you do for fun when you're older," he said. "Sometimes you do it to find the person to marry, but I dated just for fun and a few other reasons."
"But you don't date anymore, do you, Daddy?"
"I do, but the only person I take out on dates is your mom," he said.
When they arrived at the ice cream vendor, Roy ordered two ice creams. He handed one to Maeve.
"But those women didn't look happy that you were with Mommy."
"Those women are jealous of your mom because I love her and not them."
"Ohhh," she said. "You love my mommy a lot don't you, Daddy?"
"Very much."
"You guys shouldn't fight so much!"
"We don't fight, we have discussions."
"Daddy, I'm not stupid. I've seen disgustings before. You and mommy fight."
Roy chuckled. "Yeah, we should stop. Does it scare you?"
"Nope!" she said and took a lick of her ice cream cone. "It scares Maes though. I have to keep telling him you aren't going to go away even when you tell him."
"I see," he said. "Your mom and I have been through so much. I'd never leave my family, Maeve."
"I know, but Maes sees it so much with our friends' moms and dads that he's afraid."
"Your mom and I will talk to him about it. We'll try harder not to argue, okay?"
"Okay."
They walked down the paved pathway in the park, quietly enjoying the environment and finishing off their ice cream. Maeve broke the silence that came between them. "How come mommy doesn't wear clothes like some of the women you dated?"
"Huh?"
"Mommy doesn't let her boobies hang out and show all kinds of skin and stuff."
"Oh," Roy said. "Well, that's because your mom doesn't like clothes like that. She thinks it makes her look like a slut."
"What does slut mean?"
"It's a term used to refer to showing a lot of skin or being untidy, and I'd better not go any further. You're too young to know right now."
She hated when her daddy said that. "So they're sluts?"
"I used that word Maeve, but it's impolite to say. I want you to remember not to judge someone based on the way they look. The way they treat other people is more important. Your mom feels bad wearing clothes like that, but she doesn't treat anyone badly because of it."
"Like aunties! They're sluts."
Roy opened his mouth to retort but found himself speechless. There was never a day one of his children didn't shock him. She wasn't wrong about what she said either, and he had to hold back a laugh. "Yes, and some of them are proud of that, but don't use that word around anyone."
"I won't."
"That's my girl."
"So now that I learneded something new. When are we going to go get flowers?"
"Flowers?"
"When you go for a walk, you always get Mommy flowers when she gets mad, and then mommy kisses you and stuff. Then you and mommy play games after Maes and me go to bed."
Roy lifted his daughter off his shoulders and settled her in his arms. "Games?"
"Maes don't live across from you. His room is down the hall now, so he don't hear you and Mommy giggling and making funny ghost noises sometimes. I close my door when I hear you so I can sleep. It's not nice to play games and keep people awake, Daddy."
A blush spread over his face. "Your mom and I will try to be quieter from now on."
"You haven't played in a long time, but I want you to again because you like it," she said.
Roy coughed. "Okay then, let's go pick up your mom a present too. This time the argument was my fault."
Maeve giggled. "Let's get her a teddy bear!"
"A teddy bear? Why a teddy bear?"
"Because they make everyone happy."
Her daddy may have dated lots, but he still had a lot to learn about girls and teddy bears and flowers. He was lucky she was around to teach him.
2022 Author's Note: I have an account over on AO3 that either has a version or will have a version, of many of my fics with a bit more jokes, slightly sexier moments, etc. The reason I don't post it on here is that the ratings are so vague you never know who is going to report you just because they think you don't meet the ratings.
RW: 2022