THREE – MUSIC OR THE MISERY?

That morning Roy Mustang wasn't awoken by his alarm clock set on 07:45 am. He was awoken up far before that, by no other than his neighbours. Stramans, a lovely old couple during the day. But when the last of the sunbeam disappears, the couple that has a serious problem with insomnia, turn into the most hardcore fans of the 1880's music. It is dance music and Roy hates it from the depths of his soul. They turn on the record so loud that Roy feels like banging his head on the nearest hard object. In rare times when he manages to ignore that horrible, horrible music and falls asleep, when he is dreaming that wonderful dream where all female personnel are obligated to wear miniskirts, then Mrs. Straman starts to sing along. After that Roy is fully awake just like today.

But Roy would have never thought about telling that lovely couple that they should lower their record a bit nor that Mrs. Straman has a singing voice that could kill a mockingbird. No, Roy would have never done that because of one thing. As lovely as Stramans were during the day, they always invite him to an apple pie. And their apple pie was the best. Even better than Gracia's. So as the Roy gave up trying to fall back asleep he got up to take a shower. Maybe he would get to work early and finish that paperwork from yesterday. Or he would get to work early just to surprise his Lieutenant.

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The First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was already at her desk when the doors of the office flew wide open. Not expecting anybody to get to work this early, let alone the Colonel, she was surprised seeing his black eyes looking at her teasingly.

"Why are you so surprised at seeing me, Lieutenant?" he asked the frowning Lieutenant.

"Because I didn't expect to see you for at least an hour, sir" The clock on the wall showed that it was barely past 7. From experience, Riza knew that Roy has never been able to wake up this early.

"Well, you know what is said: 'He, who wakes up early, catches two fortunes.'" he said with a knowing smirk.

"And you can also start on your paperwork early." the Lieutenant replied with a smirk on her own while sorting out his paperwork.

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As the day continued Roy wished he'd never got up from his bed no matter how awful Mrs. Straman had sounded. His desk was filled with unfinished paperwork and he was starting to have a headache. He was just thinking would Riza send him home if he said he is sick when somebody knocked on the door of the office. Hawkeye got out from her desk to open the door to reveal General Rickson. Then Roy's headache really kicked in. General Ricky Rickson was an annoying man with whom Roy went in an academy. They were room mates in the dorm for 2 years until Roy couldn't keep up with his bragging any more. He was from a very wealthy family so he thought he was better that everybody. After that they went their separate ways.

As the Rickson entered the office, Roy stood up to salute him. He was a senior officer after all - his money had bought him a pretty title.

"At ease Mustang. Is that how you treat your old friend?" Rickson gave him an amusing smirk.

"Long time, no see." Roy smirked back. "What brought you to the East?" He asked, hoping that he wasn't stationed here.

"I had some bussines with other generals over here so I thought of giving my old friend a visit. You are still a Colonel, aren't you?" He questioned with a smirk, sitting on the chair before Mustang's desk, as Mustang did the same.

"Yeah, still a Colonel." He eyed his gloves just when his Lieutenant came to give him a fresh new stack of papers. She shot him a glare, daring him to even think about using Flame Alchemy on his 'friend'. These thought were even harder to ignore as he saw how Rickson was eyeing his Lieutenant who was retreating to her desk.

"I think you haven't introduced me to your lovely subordinate yet, Mustang." Rickson said.

Roy clanged his jaw and started signing papers to occupate his hands not to reach for his gloves. "Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, General Rickson. General Rickson, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." He muttered not even looking up from his papers.

"You can call me Ricky."

And that was it. Roy was about to do some desperate measures. He rose from his chair and said a little rudely: "Excuse me, General but I really need to get back to my paperwork."

"Really?" the blond Lieutenant asked, looking quite astonished to her lazy superior officer. Roy and paperwork? She couldn't even imagine that.

"Yeah." he glared at her as she rolled her big brown eyes. "So that's why you need to go. It was really nice to see you again."

"Sure." Rickson said, rising from his chair. " I know how the lower officers have extra paperwork. That's why we can afford ourselves the night off. Mind if I ask your lovely Lieutenant out for a dinner? I'm sure she does her paperwork in time unlike you."

"As of the matter of a fact…"

"No, he wouldn't mind. I would love to go with you, sir" Hawkeye interrupted him and shot him a glare.

"Great. I would invite you too, Mustang, but as you got the work to do…" Rickson started faking displeasure.

"No, no, I think I can manage to sign all of these before dinner." Roy replied quickly.

"Even better!" Rickson said with a smirk. He got up from his chair and Roy saluted him. "I should take my leave. So see you at 7." And with that words he exited the office but not before greeting Riza with a kiss on the hand. That is just like him, Roy thought, he is showing me that the fraternization laws don't apply on them. Stupid bastard!

As the Colonel started banging his head in his ebony desk, his Lieutenant came to his desk.

"Why did you say that you'll go out with him?"

"Because I knew you would be too jelaous too let me go alone. So I knew you would need to finish all of your paperwork to acctualy be able to go there." she said with a knowing grin.

"I didn't know you can be so mean." he muttered.

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Roy could describe the dinner with only one word: awful. And now as he was slowly walking with his Lieutenant to his home (because she was his bodyguard and she didn't let him go alone) he was trying to delete this entire dinner in his head.

"Sir, why are you sulking?" Riza asked, noticing the Colonel's mood.

"I'm not sulking." He answered in a way as every sulking 5-year-old would answer.

"Yes, you are sir."

"Well ok." He sighed heavily." But I have a good reason."

"And what is that, may I ask?" Riza sarcastically asked, knowing that it's probably not good nor the reason.

"Rickson." Roy gritted through his teeth.

"What about him? He was nice."

"Nice?" Roy snapped, stopping in his pace to glare at Riza's eyes. "How do you mean nice?"

She answered not really knowing what her answer would cause:"He asked me to dance."

Then Roy shouted:"I asked you to dance, too!" With that he got some loud 'shushes' that was coming from the house in front of which they argued. Riza pulled him by his sleeve and started walking quickly towards Roy's house, not wanting to arouse any more neighbors. After they turned around the corner and the Roy's house came into view, she slowed down and said quietly: "But he asked me first and it was not my fault that the violin from the band that was playing in the restaurant broke after that so I couldn't dance with you."

Roy murmured something like It's was all his fault or That bastard but he stopped when he bumped into street lantern. Riza was quickly at his side, supporting him not to fall on the ground.

"Sir, you need to be more careful." She said worriedly.

"I'm not drunk!" he stated though she never said he was. Riza just sighed. "Ok, I am! But I'm an adult and I can drink if I want!" he snapped.

"I know that but I would prefer that you didn't drink that much. That comment on Rickson's tie was rather rude from you."

"He deserved it. Who the hell buys a yellow tie?"

"But you didn't need to shout to everyone that it looks like a big banana." Riza tried not to chuckle at the memory. Roy really has a silly imagination while drunk.

"But it does! And you think so too." Roy whined. Riza just sighed at that. She really didn't want to argue with him any more tonight but she couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry sir that I didn't dance with you and that I left you alone at the table when the General wanted to introduce me to his friend who was there. From now on I promise I'll be as rude as possible to the people you dislike. Happy now?"

But Roy didn't notice her sarcastic tone. All he could hear was that horrible dance music that was coming from Stramans' house. For once in his life he grinned at this sound that kept him insane for years. He quickly turned around, for a moment loosing his balance.

"Dance with me, Lieutenant." he asked suddenly, looking pleadingly into her eyes. His voice turned soft and Riza couldn't have not to notice a small hint of shyness in it.

"Now? Here?" she asked frowning. It was almost midnight and the light from the street lamps began to disappear, leaving them to the darkness of the hot summer night. The music was filling the darkness around them. Riza could only make out the silhouette of her commanding officer. She heard his voice so close to her as he answered positively.

His left hand somehow found hers and she was grateful that he didn't see he blush as his right hand sneaked around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She could feel his warm breath on her face as he started counting the beats. Soon, he started to move his legs and she followed. They were waltzing underneath the shining starts as long as that song lasted. And for Roy, it seemed the song lasted forever.

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As Roy got to his comfortable bed which he left early in the morning, he began to listen to the music coming from that old couple that was probably too deaf to know how loud it really was. A wide grin appeared on his sleepy face. The music didn't feel so horrible any more.

A/N That proverb 'He, who wakes up early, catches two fortunes' is translated from Croatian and that's why it sounds silly.