Chapter 8

Well really! How rude! You don't know why, but Roy has decided that you are not fit to serve in his oh-so-important, extra-cool-but-top-secret, devious scheme of…you don't even know what he was planning! But it must have had something to do with miniskirts. And now you'll never know, because he has just thrown your overly-conservative backside out of his office and slammed the door, after telling Hughes to find something useful for the "newbie" to do. Newbie? Well. Really. And your torture is not over yet. Cause Hughes' idea of "something useful for the newbie to do" amounts to staring at photograph after photograph of his smiling daughter.

Yes, she's cute, oh, she must be soooo smart, wow, she has an adorable smile, awww, look, she's blushing in that one, oh yes, she's bound to grow up to be beautiful, yes, and successful too, yeah, you can just tell.

Yadda-yadda-yadda…

Okay, time to ditch Kodak-Man.

You get up from where you are sitting on the floor in the hallway and go pound on Roy's door. No Answer. So you kick it and bang and scream. By God, he will NOT ignore you!

The door jerks open. Roy glares at you.

"I told you; you're not qualified for this mission."

"But Colonel! I can't just sit around all day!"

"Sure you can! You and Maes will have a blast!"

"But I'm at work! I'm supposed to be working!"

"Hmmm… I've got it!"

"Yes, sir?"

"You can go help Gracia bake me a cake like a good little housewife!"

"I've been chosen to serve the state! You have to give me something to do!"

"No I don't. I don't take orders from women." He tries to shut the door in your face.

Your jaw drops. *anime vein* You pull a machete from nowhere and brandish it at him fiercely. (Even if you didn't buy one. I'm giving it to you. Use it well.) "Now listen here, you chauvinistic pig, or I'm gonna chop you into so many pieces they'll be able to use you as sawdust! You give me a job right now or I'll… I'll kick you all the way to Risembool and back again! And then I'll take this up with the Fuhrer!"

"Tch! Yeah right! You don't know the Fuhrer!"

"Well… Well, I will after I go take this up with him!"

…

Roy rolls his eyes at you and looks at Hughes. Slowly, a wicked smile spreads across his face.

"You think you can handle a mission? Alright then, how would you like to serve as a body guard to a very special, gifted child?"

"Is it Hughes' kid?" you whisper conspiratorially so Kodak-Man won't hear.

"No."

"Then I'd be glad to, sir, I'm so happy you've seen reason."

"Yep."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Anytime. Come along now, let's go introduce you to your charge."

You leave Hughes sitting in the hallway and follow Roy to the cafeteria.

"There he is."

You look around and he points out a small blond head among the blue uniforms. The two of you make your way in that direction.

"What's he doing here at Headquarters?"

"He's a very precocious little fellow."

"Awww…" you giggle. "Advanced placement class or something? You're letting him visit for the day? That's so cute. I bet he'll want to see the whole city."

"I must warn you though; he has a tendency to throw tantrums."

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle it." You shrug. "Say, he looks a little old for tantrums…"

Roy chuckles. "He's, uh…very large for his age."

You bend over and tap the not-so-little boy on the shoulder. "Hey there, sweetey."

"Wha?" he spins around and gives you a wide-eyed look.

Roy grins. "Edward, this is your new baby-sitter."

"My new what?" Funny, he doesn't sound like a kid either.

"Well, must dash!" Roy races off, back to his office to sit around and procrastinate like a true professional. To procrastinate paperwork, taxes, cleaning…to procrastinate procrastinating.

You pat the allegedly gifted child on the head. "Don't worry little guy, we'll have lots of fun, I promise! We can-"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A KID SO TINY HE COULD GET BULLIED BY A FETUS!!!"

Your hair is blasted back and you are almost blown over by the force of his howling.

"Whoa!" you gasp, "Roy wasn't lying! Tantrums!"

The kid is breathing hard and his face is turning funny colors.

You know what? I don't think that's a kid.

"MUSTANG!!! YOU'RE DEAD!!!"

You swallow and try to speak, but nothing comes out.

He turns and looks at you, and then freezes. "Oh… geez. Sorry."

"Uhh… s'ok." You manage to squeak.

He is definitely not a kid.

The hot boy, who is kind of short but makes up for it in being flat out adorable, is blushing furiously and stammering. He trails off and looks at you sheepishly.

He is by some means unknown to man able to fit into the categories "hot" and "cute" at the same time. Need I say more? And he has the most adorable, huge, gorgeous eyes you've ever seen. They are… no joke, honest to goodness, bet on your life, swear on all that's holy… the most perfectly incredible, absolutely make-you-want-to-melt-while-your-insides-go-squirmy-and-you're-loving-it, tepid/sweet, shimmering gold color that just made your heart rate shoot up faster than a skyrocket.

Forget gold.

They're like…liquid sunshine.

And his hair is more or less the same color.

Have I mentioned that he is HOT?!?!?

And CUTE?!?!?

"Ahhh…sorry about yelling at you like that." He says, finally managing to compose himself. "Roy's an ass."

You shrug, and he swallows uneasily, running a gloved hand through his hair.

"You're the new girl, aren't you? God, I can't believe what a jerk that guy is. I…"

He studies you for a moment and then quirks a lopsided smile.

"Look, how about we get out of here? There's a café just up the road.

I'll buy you some lunch and we can plot that idiot colonel's demise."

You grin, put on a mock military air, and link your arm around his.

"I could go for that."

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