Chapter Three: Picture (Kid Rock and Cheryl Crow)
A/N: Manga references from chapters in the late 50's or early 60's. You've been warned. I'm kind of adding my own twist to it that I know isn't right, though, so it's kinda AR.
Roy didn't enjoy this life, as much as he'd tell any girl he was with otherwise.
Sure, they were all just harmless flirtations that had led to the bedroom only at first. He had learned better quite quickly.
Anyway, most of the girls knew exactly what he was there for, and it wasn't them. Still, they were glad enough to give a few words (hardly payment at all!) in exchange for an hour or two out in public with the famous Roy Mustang. Maybe some of them hoped for more, but hearing Roy speak of "Elizabeth-chan" even once was enough to let anyone know that Roy wasn't interested.
That wasn't to say that Roy hadn't ever slipped. He had, and on more than one occasion. He really tried not to, though. It wasn't fair to those girls, and even less fair to Elizabeth-chan.
She'd accompanied him once, and all the girls had cooed and fawned over her. One girl, though, had taken an immediate dislike to her, and, to the shock of everyone in the little bar, had sauntered up and pulled Roy into a rather passionate kiss.
It had taken just the click of one of Elizabeth-chan's guns and another two girls hauling her off to make the point clear: Nobody takes their flirtations with Roy Mustang seriously.
Roy had gotten a little bit of a verbal beating for that one, though. It was even mostly by the other girls!
"Roy-san! How dare you lead Elise on like that!"
"Yeah, Roy-san! You need to treat Elizabeth-chan better, or she'll leave, and it'd serve you right!"
"And we'd boycott you, too!"
"Yeah!"
Poor Roy could barely get a word in edgewise. "Now, now, ladies… You know perfectly well that I'd never lead any of you to believe that these things last any longer than while I'm in this bar-"
"Wha-? You're the worst, Roy-san! Breaking girls' hearts when you've known them hardly an hour!"
Elizabeth-chan had laughed about it the whole way home.
Roy looked at her hopefully. "So I'm forgiven?"
Elizabeth-chan nodded. "Do you want to come with me tomorrow night?"
Roy had stopped in surprise. "Wait… You… do this, too?"
"You men are more starved and desperate for attention than those women," she reasoned. "I only have to promise to stay there for as long as it takes them to have a round before I have all the information I need."
Shaking his head, Roy had to smile. "Figures you'd be more efficient."
THE NEXT NIGHT
It was probably one of the more respectable bars in the area.
But that wasn't saying much.
Roy tightened his grip around Elizabeth-chan's waist as they made their way to the bar itself.
"What'll it be for you tonight, Miss Elizabeth?" the bartender asked knowingly. "The usual?"
Elizabeth-chan nodded, and the bartender went to see other customers.
Roy looked between Elizabeth-chan and the bartender, confused.
"My usual is nothing," she informed him laughingly after a moment.
"Oh."
"Lizzy, m'darlin'!" a jolly man called. "Izzat who I think it is?"
Elizabeth-chan nodded.
"Aww!" the man's friend moaned. "And here I thought you made 'im up just so that you didn't have to hurt him!" He jerked his thumb in the direction of his friend, nearly poking him in the eye.
"Sorry about that." Elizabeth-chan flashed them a smile. "Now you know."
The first man smiled, then gave Roy a half-menacing look. "Yer a lucky man, but just make sure ya don't hurt 'er, 'cause we're all waitin'!" He let out a deep laugh, and his friend joined in.
OUTSIDE THE BAR
"Roy, are you alright?"
Roy sighed. "You don't have to do this for me, you know."
Elizabeth-chan raised her eyebrows. "I do this as much for me as for you. I like to know what's going on, if you haven't noticed."
"And you can stop them using as much physical force as you want," Roy added.
They walked in silence for a moment or two, and then Roy broke it with, "I'm sorry."
Elizabeth-chan turned to face him. "Sorry for what?"
Roy grimaced. "I just didn't want to see you with all those other guys. It made me jealous, even though I know you'd never do anything. It makes me feel like I'm some kind of dirty, rotten-"
Elizabeth-chan put a finger to his lips. "I know. You don't have to worry, though." She pulled one of her guns out and caressed it almost lovingly. "I can take care of myself, whether I'm breaking hearts or someone else is breaking mine."
"Ah." Roy gulped. "Wow… Riza… you're something else." He smiled. "It's rather endearing."
She smiled at him. "Don't play those games with me, Roy. We've got work tomorrow."
Roy sighed almost miserably. "So we do… So we do."
A/N: There. A little more lighthearted than anything else thus far.
I can see Riza being a little more flirtatious and able to let her guard down if she did this. Now, she doesn't really, and I don't think it'd work particularly well, but I had a ton of fun writing this one. It came pretty easily.
Please review! I may be able to write, but that doesn't mean I am a psychic, psychologist, or brain surgeon. I like to know what's going through your head, even if it's completely random, so please let me know!