Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
A/N: Don't worry, no spoilers... just Black Hayate ;;
"My Hayate"
by: Chibi Viki
Col. Roy Mustang held out his hand to catch the light falling rain. He stood in front of Central Military Headquarters' Entrance where he mentally debated with himself whether to go back inside and wait for the confounded weather to improve; or to call for someone to drive him to his apartment with a military vehicle; or to simply make a run for it since his apartment wasn't so far.
"You could always ask someone to lend you an umbrella, you know"
Mustang jolted at the sound of the familiar voice. He turned around to find his First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye standing behind him with an umbrella in one hand, and the other one hugging alittle blackpuppy snug against her chest under her trench coat.
He smiled at her reluctantly… she always had such a cold way with words.
"Are you going to lend me yours, Lieutenant?"
She smiled back, a rare smile that only came on rare occasions.
"I know you are useless in the rain, sir…", she chided, her words hitting his pride like a rock splashing into the water, "But my little ward would get wet… and that is not acceptable".
Mustang stared at the little puppy. She held it tightly and securely. The puppy, in turn, stared back at him panting happily. Its little paws hung unto the lieutenant's hand and if it could, it would've wagged its' tail as well.
"I see… this is a problem…", he replied, a hint of pleasure in his words, "I guess I'll just have to wait for it to stop… or disturb a certain second lieutenant from his rest to take out a car to take me home which isn't really very far and…"
Hawkeye suddenly glared at him, she knew what he was up to.
"I'm afraid I can't let you choose any of those options", she said rather strictly, "Last time you stayed over to wait for the rain to stop, or ran through the rain, you called in sick the next day to play hooky. And I don't think it'll be right for you to use a military vehicle for personal use."
He grinned all the more, "So, my dear Lieutenant, what other option have I got left, then?"
"It's obviously to share my umbrella since my apartment is on the way to yours".
Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye walked the nearly empty streets of Central city as they made their way, side by side, home to their respective apartments. There was unperturbed silenced between them, neither one even noticing.
"Ouch!", the Colonel yelped as a tip from the First Lieutenant's umbrella hit his head, "Hey, watch it!"
They stopped in front of a deli as Hawkeye apologized to him.
The Colonel sighed in resignation. This rain was making him cranky. So, without any word, he took the umbrella from his subordinate and lifted it above their heads for the both of them.
Hawkeye smiled inward, "I'm sorry for my inability to keep the umbrella well over our heads, Colonel. My little ward would not allow me to lift it any higher".
Mustang eyed her puppy warily, "Don't tell me you're already fond of it".
She smiled all the more and held the puppy tighter as memories of an old companion filled her mind. There was tenderness in her eyes, those that say, I have not forgotten.
They continued to walk in silence, both having something in their minds. But this was nothing unusual between the both of them. They were fond of each other and knew that silence was sometimes the best conversation.
"Do you know what I named my puppy, sir?", Hawkeye suddenly began.
The Colonel looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "Huh?"
"I named him… Black Hayate"
Roy Mustang remembered those days before the war. And during those days, there was only one person who plagued him more than Brig. Gen. Basque Gran did.
"What a pain in the neck", muttered the young Major Roy Mustang. His colleague and trusted friend, Second Lt. Maes Hughes, could only nod in agreement… after all, SHE really was a pain in the neck.
This pain in particular… was none other than Sgt. Major Riza Hawkeye. Renowned for her remarkable skills as a talented marksman, she was also the most strict and most well-disciplined soldier among the troops. All cower in fear of her presence, even though her rank was not well above others.
She commanded an air of respect and dignity… of pride and commitment. And this was the reason why, Major Roy Mustang, the renowned Flame Alchemist, came to despise her. He could never tolerate such a person. She was never the friendly type. It was as if all she cared about was work… work… work… all of which he despised the most.
She was cold and uncaring... she was as cold as ice.These were the words that always entered his mind when it came to her.
"But you have to admit", added Maes, "She's really good looking". He grinned and took out a photo from his jacket and with glee added, "but not as lovely as my girlfriend, Gracia!".
Roy sighed in frustration. He looked from his friend, to the tons of paper work on his desk, care of one Sgt. Major Hawkeye.
"That's it! I'm outta here!", he grumbled, "There's no way I'm going to do all that paperwork after I just finished the first load! She's making me work so much… but she's only my subordinate!"
"Well, it's your fault after all", said Maes, "If you hadn't skipped the one before that, your paperwork wouldn't pile up like that… besides, if not her, then your superior will definitely kill you", he scratched his head, "Honestly, Roy, how will you make it to the top if you're being lazy?"
"You're starting to sound like her"
Maes grinned mischievously, "I do?"
Mustang rolled his eyes, "I'm leaving… are you coming with me?"
Suddenly, the door from their office opened and in came Sgt. Major Hawkeye followed by her huge pure white, wolf-like, husky.
She gave them both a salute while her dog sat silently beside her. They saluted back, both of them hoping she wouldn't see Roy's workload still piled and untouched on his desk. But her sharp eyes would not miss a beat.
"Sir", she addressed Mustang, "the paperwork…"
Mustang smiled smugly, trying to hide the guilty look on his face, "Ah, yes, well…", he turned to Maes, looking for an answer, but the next thing Roy knew, Maes had already bolted for the door. Just before he disappeared, Maes gave Roy a hearty thumbs-up and left.
I'm going to kill him… I'm going to kill him…, Roy thought.
"Sir", she called his attention, "the paperwork…"
"Ah, yes, I was just about to do that".
He hoped she would leave. But she didn't. She stayed beside him, making sure he did his work. Her stern figure hovering over him every now and then making sure he did everything correctly like a strict teacher to her young student.
Her dog, had settled itself beside Roy's desk and slept. He looked at it and smiled… he always loved dogs.
There was a tense silence in the air as Roy continued his work. He hated it. He preferred to be outside chasing skirts… not that he needed to do much chasing since women fell high over heels for him anyway… except for this one.
But Maes was right… Sgt. Major Hawkeye was rather beautiful. Her oddly colored eyes which were neither hazel brown nor blood red made her look exotic in a way. Her short blond hair was thick, soft and shiny. And her creamy soft white skin seemed to glow, even under intense conditions.
Blond… he liked blondes.
Then, an idea hit Mustang… maybe all this strict and stern discipline was all just an act. What if there was more to her than meets the eye. Surely a charmer like him could work his way into her heart and make her soft just like the rest of the women of Central.
Yes, the idea gave him a sort of thrill that he had never felt before. It was a challenge! And it will all start tonight…
Roy Mustang sat up, stretched his arms upward and yawned loudly. He had just finished his work and Sgt. Major Hawkeye picked them up carefully from his desk.
"Good work, sir", she muttered, her face expressionless.
Mustang laid back, a smug smile on his face, "say, sergeant… have you ever gone out on a date with anyone before?"
"The office is not the place to talk about my personal life, sir", she replied rather coldly. She headed for her desk where she arranged the paperwork properly according to type, date, and urgency.
"Well then…", he stood up and approached her, "… how about we go out tonight? Just you and me…"
"Thank you for the offer sir, but I have training at 05:00 tomorrow and I do not wish to be tardy".
Roy scratched his head, "then, how about coffee?"
"It is unhealthy to drink such a beverage at this time of night".
His face fell, "fine… then how about if I just walk you home? Surely that would be healthy and will not make you tardy for your –uhm- training tomorrow".
He heard a sigh escape from her lips, "Do as you please sir…"
It was a cold evening as Mustang and Hawkeye walked side by side on the way to her apartment. Hayate followed his master closely at his own pace.
"Your dog… I never got its name"
"You never asked"
Roy looked at her, surprised to hear her reply.
"Well then… what's your dog's name?"
"Hayate"
"Huh… what a strange name. Where did you get it?"
"My father gave him that name"
"Oh… He's your father's dog then? How old is he?"
"About 13 years old… I expect him to die soon"
At that moment, Roy suddenly stopped. He knew she was cold, but he didn't know she was THIS cold. Didn't she even feel any kind of fondness for her own pet?
"I know what you're thinking", she continued, "but it is reality… 13 years is already well beyond the expected life span of a dog let alone a husky".
There was no warmth in her voice… no sense of resentment or grief. This is not what he expected to find out.
"You are a very cold person, Hawkeye… just like this weather", he muttered in quiet bitterness.
"Be that as it may… I—"
Suddenly, a barrage of bullets rained upon them. But quick to her senses and her feet, she had managed to get herself and her superior out of danger. Taking her gun from its holster, she looked around… it looked like someone was out to get them.
They hid in a nearby alley. Hawkeye scouted the area with her eyes. The moon was full… there was enough light to see their assailants. She looked from one building to another as she charged her gun with bullets.
Roy on the other hand, took out his fire gloves and slid them onto his hands.
"What's going on? Why are they shooting at us?", he asked in a whisper.
"Assassination", she whispered back. She looked closer… her eyes as if zooming in unto the roof of the building just across the street from them, their assailants wore the black uniform of the military police. "Looks like someone doesn't like you much", she added.
"There are two men on the rooftop on the building just across us", she continued.
"I just need to know their precise location… then I could burn them"
"All damages to the surrounding area should be kept to a minimum"
"Then, I'll go in as decoy"
"Run as fast as you can, sir", she replied, her voice monotonous.
This really wasn't the reaction he was expecting. There was no trace of worry, just that stern, cold and yet confident tone in her voice.
"If I die, it's your fault".
With that, Roy ran out into the sidewalk and ran. Bullets once again rained on him. Suddenly he heard a counter-shot followed by two short screams… it must've been Hawkeye's doing.
Later on, the military had come to the scene of the crime. The bodies of their assailants were identified as members of the rebel group from the east. Apparently, they were also responsible for killing 2 military police to whom the uniforms they wore belonged to. It was later learned that the reason for such an attempt was to prove to the government that their organization was capable of killing someone as powerful as a state alchemist like Major Roy Mustang.
As Hawkeye and Mustang were question separately during the on-scene investigation, an officer approached Hawkeye. Mustang could see the officer whispering something in her ear. She nodded and followed the officer back into the alley where they hid. Mustang followed shortly.
He found her standing before the blood soaked, lifeless body of her dog, Hayate. It was shot twice, one by the chest, and another by the left hind leg. Such a critical shot in the chest and nothing could've saved the poor dog.
Immediately, he felt remorse.
Hawkeye bent over and took off its collar. Standing back up, she turned to the officer.
"Please bury him", she ordered. The officer saluted, and she left. She walked passed Mustang and said nothing.
He was aggravated by her actions. Was she so heartless as not to even mourn the loss of her dog?! The only companion she had ever had?!
They had walked a few blocks away from the scene before Mustang finally let out his emotions.
"Heartless!", he started, his words filled with grief and anger, "You do not even cry for anything, do you?"
"He was already dying", she replied.
"Yes… everything for you is work… work… work. You don't care about anything"
For once, she could not say anything back.
"You are… the perfect soldier, indeed!", he cried out in mock praise, "You know… you deserve a medal!"
There was silence.
She walked a few steps ahead of him. But he didn't bother to follow.
"So, you're just going home?", he said, quite bitterly.
She looked up at the sky, her back still facing him slightly.
"Yes… because, it's starting to rain"
Rain? What rain? Not a drop fell from the sky. but from where he stood, he could see the fresh tears rolling down her face outlining her cheeks. Her hand firmly gripped Hayate's collar. Then, she left without a word. It was pouring, indeed.
Seeing her like that, Roy felt foolish for making his own conclusions about this woman. He felt the cold sting of guilt as he watched Hawkeye open the door of her apartment building and vanished. There were no goodbyes, no goodnights, just silence as they parted.
And that night, he understood a little about Hawkeye, and a little about himself. She intrigued him now, more than ever. So, as he made his way to his apartment, Roy finally decided on something… now that he had seen her cry, the next thing he wanted was to see her smile. And soon, he would see everything that was Riza Hawkeye. The ice cold image of her had finally melted.
"I see", he replied warmly, "I'm sure this one will live as longor even longer thanHayate did."
"Yeah…" she replied, her voice soft and warm, almost to a whisper.
He never forgot that day, and, apparently, neither did she. How long has it been since that day. All these years he saw her show her different faces; one that smiled, one that frowned; those that showed tenderness, those that showed discipline, and those that showed love. And he, in turn, showed her his, something that only the privileged few would ever see.
Each day that they spent together, they came closer and closer to understand each other. Seeing them as they were now, Roy would never have imagined themselves being so close.
Now there was only one thing left…
"Say, Hawkeye…"
"Sir?"
"Do you have training tomorrow at 05:00?"
Owari
A/N: Agh! Me writing drama is simply unheard of, but here it is.
I wrote this in November, but kept revamping it since some parts sounded dumb... some parts still sound dumb but I decided to keep them anyway since I couldn't think of anything else to replace them with. This is my final version. Again, I would like to apologize for any grammatical or typographical errors. Hey, I'm only human.
If you read my past work, "Special Brew" you'd understand why I named Hawkeye's old dog, Hayate, and why I specified it to be white... as for it being a Husky, well, let's just say it's my personal preference (wolf-like dogs are so cool! XD ). I'm planning to write about her (fictional) father soon, hehe, when inspiration hits me.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my fic and I'm just happy with all the lovely new Royai fanfics and their dedicated authors. Hurray! More Royai for me to read! :,3