The Value of Things Like Paperclips

Author: MoonStarDutchess

Part One: New Everyday Routines

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and gain no profit from this fanfiction.

AN: This is a fic for my lovely friend OTP for her birthday. It started as an oneshot but hen more came and the oneshot just blended in with it. Then it expanded and now I don't have a clue how long it will actually be. The entire fic is done in first draft form with about 10000 words, then when I do rewrites and it gets longer because of added details and things.

New Everyday Routines

Brigadier General Roy Mustang stepped out of the shower, steam rising from his body thanks to the hot water. Grabbing a towel off the rack, he quickly dried off before wrapping and securing it around his waist. He grabbed another to dry his hair and walked over to stand in front of the sink. After rubbing his hair vigorously with the towel, he rested it on his shoulders and opened the medicine cabinet to grab his razor and shaving cream. He began to shave but paused when he saw the scar, haunting him there on his skin, reminding him of a past he would rather forget. He put down his razor, put some lotion on his scar, and covered it with his eyepatch before going back to shaving.

After all of his every day bathroom routines were done, he left the room. He smiled and stopped in the doorway to see something that had just become, "every day" in the past month. His girlfriend, Riza Hawkeye, was standing in front of a full-length mirror, in just her bra and uniform pants, unfolding one of the many dark brown shirts that she always wore with her uniform. If she looked up, she would see his half-naked reflection in the mirror, notifying her that he was there. Of course, it was very likely she'd already noticed he was there by the mere slapping of his bare feet against the cool morning floor. Her excellent hearing, along with her eyesight of course, was one of her more impeccable attributes.

He approached her as she began slipping her shirt over her head, and when she donned it fully, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the part of her neck not covered by fabric.

"Good morning," he said, "you weren't in bed when I got up."

After finishing the task of tucking her shirt into her pants, she looked up at the mirror. She smiled when she saw Roy's reflection. She moved her arms up to curve around his neck and turned her head up toward his. He moved his lips down to kiss her deeply, so deeply that he wanted to take her back to bed.

She pulled away. "Good morning to you too. I wasn't in bed because I made some breakfast and strong coffee. We are going to need it."

She turned back toward the mirror and began to tuck in her shirt a bit tighter, making herself more presentable. Roy tightened his embrace around her body and kissed her ear. "Is that so? You are becoming just like a good wife you know?"

When Riza was satisfied with how she looked, she turned in Roy's embrace and stared up at him, resting her arms on the arms around her waist. "And you are saying I wouldn't be a good wife if I didn't fix you breakfast?"

Roy shook his head. "I was just saying that you are becoming more domestic. Sort of like a stereotypical housewife."

"So, because a wife is stereotypically the one who fixes breakfast, that means you won't ever fix breakfast for me?" Her voice was obviously teasing him, baiting him for a response that would fit with her early morning humor.

"I would fix breakfast for you, but I don't want to kill you," he said, causing her to laugh aloud. "I'm a pretty bad cook Riza. I'd end up giving you food poisoning somehow."

"Have you gotten any better than the time you tried to make Maes and I breakfast in Ishbal."

"I haven't. Not at all."

"Then just leave the cooking to me."

"Done deal," he said. He gave her another quick kiss. "Let's go eat then."

Riza smirked at him mischievously and trailed her hand down to his towel. "You need to get dressed first," she said. She yanked the towel off him and then walked over to her dresser. "And I have to pin up my hair."

Roy smirked and made his way over to his closet to put on his uniform. Roy turned halfway toward her. "Riza will you hand me a pair of box-" He was cut off when a pair of his boxers hit him in the face. He grabbed them off his head and began putting them on. "Thanks," he said with an amused tone.

"No problem," Riza said, her reply very nonchalant. She picked up her brush and began running the soft bristles through her hair. After it was well brushed, she began to brush it back, gathering it in her hands at the back of her head. She twisted it upward and pinned it securely with her brown hairclip. The typical and plain thing she always did. Every time she fixed her hair, it crossed her mind to cut it in the bob she had when she was younger. Sometimes long hair was such an annoyance.

As she stared at her appearance reflected back at her, a small frown appeared on her face. When whatever made human beings was passing out looks, he or she really skimped out on her. She had a chubby face, thin hair, and odd colored and shaped eyes. She was definitely not one of the pictures of perfection that Roy used to date.

Roy walked up beside her, now fully dressed, and opened the drawer to remove a pair of his gloves.

"I guess this is as good as it gets," she said with a sigh.

Roy kissed her cheek. "Yes, the most beautiful woman in the world can't get any better," he said before walking out of the bedroom.

She stared after him, her face neutral for a moment before blossoming into a sweet, pleased smile. Roy always knew the right things to say when she was feeling down for whatever reason. What made his words even sweeter was that she knew he really thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

She grabbed her jacket and made her way into the kitchen where Roy was already sitting down two plates of food on the small table. She walked over to the percolator and poured them some coffee.

After sitting his cup beside him, she walked around the table and sat down. They ate in silence for the first few minutes of breakfast, the ticking clock hanging on the wall the only disturbance to the morning ambiance. Soon, that silence was broken when Roy heaved a large sigh. Riza lifted her head and looked at him with concern only to see what she labeled his "lazy face".

"I wish we could just take the day off," he said, then took a bite of his food, "I wish we could call in sick for once."

"You've said that every single morning since we started living together," Riza said then began eating once again.

"I would have said it before we started living together but I lived alone and I don't really relish talking to myself," he replied, opening the paper to the science and discovery section.

"Well," Riza laughed, "Even if we did take a day off one day, a day like today would be impossible to choose."

Roy kept his gaze on the paper and took a bite of eggs, "Why is that?" he asked with his mouth half full.

Riza looked up at him again, resisting the urge to tell him not to speak with food in his mouth, and smiled slimly. "I have evaluations today and you are one of the alchemists in charge of the alchemist recertification."

Roy's eyes widened and he looked over at her. "That is today?"

"You forgot?" Riza asked incredulously. "There are evaluations all this week."

Roy picked up his mug and held it up to his lips. "Yeah, I completely forgot," he said, then took a sip, savoring the hot, bitter liquid.

Riza shook her head, "It figures." Her voice wasn't angry or frustrated in the slightest; it was tinted with a bit of amused affection.

"Hey! Wait a minute! You didn't scold me for suggesting we take a day off," he said.

"Huh? Roy, that was at the beginning of our conversation. You are just now realizing that?"

Roy grinned. "That means that you would consider it right?"

"Consider what?" Riza asked, playing stupid. She stood and took her dishes over to the sink, then began washing them.

"That you would consider calling in to work. It wouldn't be all that weird for both of us to get the flu at the same time after all," he said.

"Are you done with breakfast?" she questioned.

"You are avoiding my question."

"Yes I am," she said honestly as she put up the dishes she just washed and dried.

Roy stood, grabbed his dishes, and walked toward her. Much to his disappointment, she moved to the kitchen door before he got a chance to stand beside her and tease her more. She turned to face him.

"I'm going to work. I have to get some things done in the office that I didn't do last night. See you at lunch," she said and left the room.

A few moments later, Roy heard the door shut. A large smile appeared on his face, and he laughed out into the silence of the kitchen. He knew Riza didn't have anything to do at the office that morning since they'd finished all the work the previous night. He'd be sure to call her on it to get her flustered again. Riza always left the room when he managed to get her in an awkward position or conversation. It was endearing and the way her face blushed slightly was quite cute. He didn't realize it was possible to get Riza that way until they started living together. It was one of those amazing discoveries that one uncovered when cohabitating.

When he finished the dishes and put them away, he retrieved his jacket from the bedroom and left their small apartment.

--

As he expected, Riza wasn't anywhere to be found in the office. He knew that she was likely near the parade grounds, more specifically, at the shooting range where the marksmanship evaluations would take place. Everyone in the military knew Riza always kept up with her practice. He saw no reason she should have to put up with these evaluations every year. No one would complain if she were exempt. In fact, the evaluations as a whole were ridiculous. They were a hard, time-consuming way of checking up on soldiers. If the council would just enact a require practice regimen with logged times it would save a lot of money and time every year. But no, they had to do things their way, it was one of the bad things about the recent revamp of the government.

He left the office and made his way out of the building, waving off the salutes that various soldiers gave him as he passed by. The soldiers were already stressed about the various evaluations this week; there was no use for them to focus on saluting him as well. If he could rid them of one formality, no matter how temporary, he would do so.

He opened the back door to the range and walked down the long narrow hallway that led to the area he figured Riza would be residing. He started to turn the corner but stopped when he heard his name mentioned by one of the women.

"How is it living with Roy Mustang?

He was surprised over the question and now knew for sure that his hunch about Riza being there was right. Who else was living with him after all?

"Yeah, what's it like?" another woman inquired, her voice filled with curiosity.

Roy was a bit taken aback. He was just a normal guy and didn't realize what the difference living with him would be verses living with any other man. He wasn't really one to eavesdrop but he just could resist knowing what Riza was going to say. He grinned at the opportunity that fate presented him and began listening intently.

AN: Happy Birthday to my dear friend OTP. I luvs you. Hope you and everyone else enjoyed it. Part Two coming soon.