Author's note: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or its character. This story is slightly AU and takes place after episode twenty-five.

There For the Taking

Roy Mustang was not exactly a happy camper. As of last month, all women in the military were restricted from combat positions. They had the choice of being reassigned or leaving the military. And someone, in their infinite wisdom, had decided that working for Colonel Mustang was a combat position. She had fought them on it, but in the end, Hawkeye had left. Well, vanished off the face of the earth was more like it.

Roy missed her. It wasn't just that she kept the office running smoothly, though there was that, but he missed her. Her quiet presence, when he wasn't running behind on his paperwork, the feeling of safety he had when she stood just a step behind him, everything. He was so used to her being there that he hadn't realized it until she was gone. She'd been by his side for nearly ten years, and things just felt wrong without her around. Well, and there was the fact that he was fairly certain he was in love with her, but he tried not to think about that.

So, Hawkeye was gone, today was Valentine's Day, and he was inundated with love letters and chocolates. Typically, it was just the chocolates; Hawkeye had a habit of throwing out the letters. With a sigh, Roy dragged the trashcan over to his desk and began to clear his desk off. Soon he had a trashcan full of letters and a small stack of chocolates on his desk as well as a rather odd note.

It wasn't like all the other love notes he'd received. It was a simple half-sheet of cream colored paper folded precisely in half with his name written across in neat cursive writing that he swore he knew. The inside of the note simply read:

Colonel,

These are yours if you wish to claim them:

Ffyddlondeb

Cyfeillgarwch

Serch

There was no signature. The writing was familiar, but he couldn't place it. So, he had a mysterious note partially in a foreign language. At least, he thought it was a foreign language. Maybe it was a code? Roy pulled a notepad and a pen and got to work. A half hour later, Havoc walked in to find him ready to bang his head against his desk in frustration.

"Sir?"

"I wish Hawkeye was here, so she could shoot me. That would get ride of my headache."

"You have more paperwork, sir."

"Joy. Hey Havoc, I don't suppose you recognize this language?" He handed Havoc the note.

The other man stared at it, chewing on his unlit cigarette. "Nope. Sorry. Though it does look a little like what was on those letters Hawkeye used to get once a year."

Roy took the note back. "Thanks. Leave the paperwork on the desk. I'll get around to it."

He pretended not to hear Havoc mutter, "Yeah, right."

Roy sighed again and looked back at the note. At least now he had a lead. Hawkeye was fluent in Welsh and had gotten a letter or two from friends who spoke the language every year. However, he did not speak Welsh, and neither did anyone else in the office. He did have a small English-Welsh dictionary, but it wasn't very helpful as it took English words and turned them into Welsh, not the other way around.

With a sigh, he tucked the piece of paper into his pocket. He didn't know why this one note was bothering him so much. It was just another love note. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten them before. Anyway, it was lunch time, and he was going to get out of the office.

Roy enjoyed a sandwich and a cup of soup at a little café he often frequented when he could get away from the office. Of course, he was the only one there without a date, but there really wasn't anyone he wanted to spend the day. Well, there was, but he didn't know where she was. Deciding to window shop before heading back to the office, Roy paid his bill and headed out. He wandered along the store lined streets, watching couples and feeling generally miserable.

Seeing an ex-girlfriend he did not want to run into, especially today, Roy ducked into a shop. While he waited for her to pass by, Roy pulled the note out of his pocket and studied it once again.

"You're looking for Claddagh rings, sir? They're right over here." The shop girl had come up behind him unnoticed and was now leading him towards a display case. "We have a number of varieties."

By now, he stood in front of a case full of rings. They came in all shapes, sizes, metals, and stones, but they all had three common features: a crown, a heart, and a pair of hands.

"Is there any special significance to the symbols?" He asked.

The shop girl looked at him quizzically, like she couldn't quite believe he was dense, but replied, "The crown represents loyalty. The hands, friendship, and the heart, love."

Loyalty, friendship, and love. Well, that fit Hawkeye to a t. It looked like he was going to make another purchase for the box of 'things for Riza that would be inappropriate to give her because I'm her superior and don't even know if she likes me that way'. He looked through the various rings before finally choosing a simple silver one with a large heart and a Celtic knotwork band.

"That's part of a wedding band set, sir."

He sighed. "I'll take them both."

"Would you like an engraving on the inside?"

He paused. "Sure, on the lady's ring. Do you have a piece of paper?"

Another thirty minutes later, he had a small black box with two rings inside tucked in his pocket. He hurried back to the office; he'd been gone much longer than he'd planned, which meant he'd have more paperwork to do than he expected. He swore that the paperwork multiplied every time he turned his back.

"Long lunch, boss?" Havoc asked as he came back in.

"Something like that. Did Fullmetal drop by?"

"Nope. I somehow doubt he's going to show up today, especially since he mentioned something about visiting Rizenbool sometime soon."

"Ah."

Roy returned to his office and the paperwork. Glaring at the neat stack of papers that sat on his desk, he sat down and got to work. Every so often, he would pull out the rings and play with them, especially the one with Cariad engraved on the inside. It was the only word of Welsh he knew by heart. According to his little dictionary, it meant beloved, which Hawkeye was. His beloved lieutenant. His beloved protection. His beloved secret. Dear God, he was getting sappy when it came to her.

As he spun the ring around, a sudden thought occurred to him, sending Roy rooting through his desk for his dictionary. He quickly flipped through it, locating the entries he wanted and writing them down. Five minutes later, his note pad read:

loyalty , n , teyrngarwch (nm) , ffyddlondeb (nm)

friendship , n , cyfeillgarwch (nm)

to love , vb , caru (vb)

love , n , cariad (nm) , serch (nm, serchiadau)

Roy smiled as he then translated the note. Now it read:

Colonel,

These are yours if you wish to claim them:

Loyalty

Friendship

Love

It had to be from Hawkeye. Any woman would offer him her love in a note. Some might even offer friendship. He didn't know any other woman who would offer him her loyalty in a love note. So basically, Riza Hawkeye had offered him his heart's desire if he wanted it, which he did. Of course, she had neglected to tell him how to reply to her note. He felt like tearing at his hair. He could have what he wanted if he only knew how to get it.

"I see your procrastination habits have not changed, sir."

She stood by his window, the afternoon sunlight illuminating her hair which was down for a change. She wore a simple skirt and jacket and a smile.

"How long have you been there?"

"Since before you returned. I came in while Havoc and the rest were in the mess."

"You've been here all along? Why didn't you say anything?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to see if you would figure out my note. I take it that you did."

"Yes."

She walked over to him, stopping right in front of him. "And?"

He offered her the ring he still held. It was not how he'd planned on proposing, but it felt right at that moment. She took the silver band and slid it onto her left hand, the heart pointing inwards.

With a smile, Riza kissed his cheek and said, "If you have all the paperwork finished by six, I'll let you pick out dessert."

Havoc was quite surprised later on when he walked into the office to find Roy furiously signing papers with Hawkeye perched on the edge of her desk, cleaning her guns.