Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of it’s characters.

AUTHORS NOTES: This is a Roy Mustang/Maria Ross fic. Dont hate me Royai fans but there's so many fics about Roy/Riza already and i wanted to experiment with the idea of Roy/Maria. Leave it to me to go against the social norm.
You're probably thinking "But Sword Alchemist, I thought by looking at your sig that you were a Denny/Maria fan." Well, I started writing this fic BEFORE Denny/Maria became my OTP.
Also, Ed and Al Elric will NOT appear in this fic. I just dont know where I can write them in so we're just going to say they're out looking for the Philosopher's Stone again.
Characters may be somewhat OOC.





Colonel Roy Mustang waited patiently in the break room at the Central military headquarters. He smiled to himself as he pulled a small jewelry box from his uniform pocket. He flipped the lid open and took a look at the ring inside. It was a gorgeous ring with a slim golden band and a beautiful diamond in the middle. He had spent a weeks searching in every jewelry store to find it. It had cost him a small fortune but he could care less. The woman it was for was worth it.

Today was the day. Roy was going to ask 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye to marry him. He had the ring and the confidence. She just had to say yes. If Riza loved him like she said she did then how could she not accept his proposal?

Roy had always been known as somewhat of a womanizer. He had dated several women but he always thought of Riza as something special. Ever since the day they had met, Roy had been enticed by her. Riza was always at his side, advising him, being the voice of reason, or simply just being there when he needed her. After his best friend Maes Hughes was killed in the line of duty, she was right there. Riza knew him better than anyone. Roy loved her. He couldn’t imagine any other woman but Riza to spend a life time with.

“Roy,” a woman’s voice called out pulling him from his train of thought.

Roy quickly put the jewelry box back in his pocket and turned to see Riza entering the room. He walked over to her and kissed her fully on the lips. Riza just closed her eyes and returned the sweet kiss.

“Is that the reason you wanted to see me?” Riza said with a smile after the kiss ended.

“Yes, that was one of the reasons,” Roy said with a playful grin. “You want to know the other reason?”

“Well you did call me away from my work,” Riza stated with a mock sternness, “so yes, I would like to know.”

“Well then follow me,” Roy said as he led Riza over to one of the tables and pulled out a chair for her. Riza took a seat and Roy sat down in the chair in front of her and took both her hands in his own. A serious look replaced the playful one on his face. “Riza, I have something important to ask you.”

“What is it?” Riza said as she noticed the serious tone in his voice.

Roy started to feel a nervous twinge in his stomach. The confidence he had earlier was fading away. He tried to regain his composure but failed. “Riza, you know I love you.”

Riza looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. Roy seemed so nervous all of a sudden “I love you too Roy.”

‘Dammit Mustang, get yourself together,’ Roy scolded himself. The last thing he wanted was to sound like a complete idiot to her.

“Roy, are you alright?” Riza asked, concern plainly written on her face.

‘It’s now or never,’ Roy thought to himself. He took a deep breath and took the jewelry box out of his pocket. He got down on one knee and opened the box for Riza to see, “Riza Hawkeye, would you marry me?”

“Roy,” Riza whispered, her eyes wide with surprise. Riza was usually so calm and collected but this time it felt like her world was being rocked. Roy Mustang wanted her to marry him. He wanted to spend his life with her. She loved Roy, but marrying him? She wasn’t so sure she was ready for that. She really couldn’t even see herself being someone’s wife. Sure, she thought about it like every woman did but there was still so much she wanted out of life before settling down for good. Surely Roy would understand that.

“Riza,” Roy said not being able to stand the silence anymore.

“Roy, you know I love you very much,” Riza said with a sad smile as she placed her hand on Roy’s cheek, “but I sorry, I cant marry you.”


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At those words, Roy felt as if his world had fallen down around him. The sharp pain of rejection stabbed at his heart. Riza Hawkeye, the woman he loved rejected his proposal. A painful lump formed in his throat when he tried to speak, “Riza.”

“Im very sorry Roy,” Riza said sadly, “Im just not ready.”

“Riza,” Roy said, not wanting to accept no for an answer, “think it over before you make that decision.”

“Please,” Riza pleaded, “please try to understand Roy.”

“Understand what Riza?’ Roy felt his voice raising in desperation, “I love you, I want you with me forever. What more do I need to understand?”

“Roy,” Riza said, her voice filled with frustration, “Im not trying to hurt you.”

“Not trying to hurt me,” Roy practically yelled as he stood up. His heart was breaking and Riza had the nerve to tell him she didn’t want to hurt him, “well Riza, you’re doing a damned job of it.”

“We have our whole lives ahead of us to worry about marriage. Cant we just enjoy what we have now?” Riza said as she got up and took Roy’s hands in her own. Roy didn’t answer. He just pulled his hands away and turned his back to her. It was obvious that he wouldn’t listen to her. “Dammit Roy, if you loved me then you would respect my decision. If you’re not going to respect that then maybe it’s time we end things between us.”

“Fine by me,” Roy said in a low voice, his back still turned.

“Fine,” Riza whispered as she headed for the door. She looked back for a second before leaving, “Goodbye Roy.”


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Roy thought about chasing her. He wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry he was but his foolish pride prevented him from doing so. Anyways, Riza had made it obvious that she wanted out of the relationship. Didn’t she? No, this was his fault. He had pushed the woman he loved out of his life.
“Dammit,” Roy said loudly as he slammed his fists against the table. Suddenly, he heard someone enter from the adjoining room. Slowly Roy lifted his head to identify who it was. There with a nervous look on her face was 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross.


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There’s chapter one. Sorry if it started off somewhat boring but please try to bear with me. I know Roy and Riza sounded OOC but think about it, they just had an argument that resulted in them breaking up so of course they’re going to feel broken hearted.

bravo. that was wonderful.
and you know Roy/Maria would be cute( I pair up oddly too)
well anywho I look forward to the next chapter

Thank you Legolas Of Mirkwood for being the first reviewer. I'ven been waiting for some one to review so I could post the next chapter.










Maria felt her cheeks burning. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She had heard everything. Everything from Roy’s proposal to his bitter breakup with Riza Hawkeye. Maria just wanted to crawl into a hole. Why did she have to choose this time of all times to want a cup of coffee? Now she was in between a rock and a hard place and couldn’t find anyway out.

“2nd Lieutenant Ross,” Roy said as calmly as he could trying to hide his own embarrassment.

“Colonel Mustang sir,” Maria said nervously. She knew she had a bit of a reputation for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. “I wasn’t eavesdropping I swear.”

“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Roy said bluntly. “It’s no fault of yours so don’t worry about it.”

Maria knew she should just leave well enough alone at that point. Her senses told her just to walk away and forget this ever happened. That probably would’ve been the best thing to do. However, sometimes Maria couldn’t mind her own business no matter how hard she tried. “Colonel Mustang. If it helps, I know how you feel.”

Roy closed his eyes in annoyance. Who did this woman think she was? How could she possibly know how he felt. She had no idea. “Look, I don’t recall asking you for any advice 2nd Lieutenant.”

“Sir, I was only trying to........”

“Perhaps I didn’t make it clear,” Roy said as he glared at Maria, “I don’t need your damned pity.”

“Im sorry sir,” Maria said quietly, “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“How about we just forget about it.” Roy said bitterly. It wasn’t really a question, more like a demand.

“Yes sir,” Maria said obediently. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, Roy let out a frustrated sigh.. He felt somewhat guilty for taking his anger out on Maria. She didn’t deserve that. After all, she only wanted to help. Roy walked back to his office where he knew a large stack of paperwork waited for him. He hated paperwork but at least it gave him something to do other then think of Riza Hawkeye of Maria Ross.




Maria entered her apartment and headed straight for the bathroom. It had been a long day and she needed a long hot shower. As soon as she removed her uniform, she sighed with relief. It felt good to be free of the heavy material. Normally, Maria didn’t mind the uniform but it could be so uncomfortable during the hot summer months. You would think the military would issue a lighter uniform for the warmer weather.

A comfortable smile formed on Maria’s lips as soon as she stepped under the stream of hot water. She decided to close her eyes for a moment to enjoy the relaxing feeling. That feeling didn’t last long though. A memory of her far from pleasant encounter with Roy Mustang evaded her mind. Maria just groaned at the unwelcome thought. Why was she even thinking about that arrogant man? After all, he had treated her so poorly.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel for the raven haired colonel. She really couldn’t blame him for being angry with her. If only she had minded her own business in the first place, she could’ve avoided the whole situation. She couldn’t help it though. Maria knew from personal experience the hurt Roy must be feeling right now.



Maria stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, modeling her dark blue evening dress. The dress hugged her form showing off her curves perfectly without looking sleazy. The neckline showed off a tasteful amount of cleavage and was held in place by two thin straps on her shoulders.

She usually didn’t like makeup but tonight, Maria had decided to dab on a little light blush and eyeshadow. On her neck, she wore a thin, delicate gold chain. Tiny diamond earrings sparkled on her earlobes. She looked absolutely stunning.

Tonight, Maria was going to spend a romantic night on the town with the man she was going to marry in a little over a month. Maria held her left hand up to admire the ring that her fiancé Anton had given her. She remembered when he had proposed to her. She had laughed with joy as she threw herself into his arms and accepted. Anton was the love of her life and she had no doubt that she would be very happy with him.

A knock on the door broke Maria away from her thoughts. She hurried into the living room and opened the door. Maria just smiled lovingly at the man waiting for her. Anton was an attractive man. He was tall with light, sand colored hair and ice blue eyes. Maria felt as if she was the luckiest woman in the country of Amestris to be loved by such a kind and handsome man.

“Hello Maria,” Anton said with a small smile. Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. As Anton returned the gesture, Maria noticed that his embrace and kiss were different tonight. It almost felt as if he was holding back for some reason.

“Is something wrong hon?” Maria asked as she pulled away.

“It’s nothing,” Anton replied rather dryly, “are you ready?”

“Yes,” Maria said as she grabbed her handbag off the couch.

Maria had been looking forward to this night for several weeks now. Tonight, Anton was taking her to the most popular night club in Central. Usually, it was almost impossible to get reservations for a Saturday night. Maria had been delighted when Anton told her that he had managed to get a table for two. It was pricy but Anton said that he only wanted the best for Maria.

Anton was unusually quiet as they enjoyed the elegant dinner and fine wine. Maria was becoming worried. The Anton she knew was usually so cheerful and affectionate. Tonight however, he wouldn’t even hold Maria’s hand.

“Anton are you angry with me?” Maria asked.

“No, I just have a lot on my mind right now,” Anton said with a smile. Maria decided to let it go, not wanting to ruin the evening.

When Anton brought her back to her apartment later that night, Maria asked him to come in for a little bit. She sat down beside him on the couch and laid her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, Anton pulled away and stood up.

“Anton,” Maria said with a startled voice ,”What’s wrong?”

“Listen Maria” Anton said nervously, “We need to talk.”

Feeling uneasy, Maria got up. “What is it?”

“Well Maria,” Anton said in a sad voice, “I don’t know how to tell you this but it’s about the wedding. I’ve been having some second thoughts lately.”

“Second thoughts,” Maria repeated. Tears began to form in her eyes.

“Yes Maria,” Anton said in a regretful tone, “I really love you but I don’t think I can go through with this right now.”

Maria felt her heart shatter behind her chest. Suddenly it became difficult to breathe. The tears ran down her cheeks, leaving tiny trails of black mascara in their wake.“N...n..no, Don’t....Don’t s...say that ...Anton.”

“Im sorry Maria,” Anton said as he tried to take Maria into his arms.

“Why did you wait until now to tell me all this Anton?” Maria asked angrily as she pushed him away from her.

“I didn’t want to ruin the evening for you,” Anton replied.

“That isn’t what Im talking about,” Maria said as she frantically tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, “the wedding is a little over a month away and you wait until now to tell me this.”

“I know that and Im sorry,” Anton said, “but face it Maria, we rushed into this decision a little too quickly. Most of the blame belongs to me. I proposed to you way too soon in our relationship. We didn’t even take the time to consider the responsibilities that come with marriage. Maybe if we wait a couple of years we can................”

“GET OUT,” Maria yelled, “ I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.”

“Maria,” Anton said as he took her hand, “you don’t mean that.”

“I said get out,” Maria said in a loud whisper.

“Alright. If that’s what you want then I wont argue with you,” Anton said walked over to the door and opened it. “Good bye Maria.” Without another word, he walked out and closed the door behind him.

A painful sob escaped Maria’s lips. Through her tears, she noticed the engagement ring still on her finger, the diamond shimmering in the light. She pulled the ring off and chucked it onto the floor with all her might. Not being able to control herself any longer, Maria fell to her knees and cried.



Maria’s eyes snapped open. She let out a yelp as she realized the water had turned cold. Quickly, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel to wrap around her shivering body. As soon as she was dry, Maria went into her bedroom and found an over sized button up shirt and a pair of denim pants to wear.

After getting dressed, Maria decided to sit out on her small balcony for some fresh air. She didn’t live far from the Central Military Headquarters and could see large white buildings right from the balcony. Maria actually thought they looked quite pretty in the sunset.

As it got a little darker, Maria noticed a light still on from the distance. That was Colonel Mustang’s office. Maria remembered that he had still been there when she had left. Strange, Roy Mustang never liked to stay there any later than he had to.

“Poor Colonel Mustang,” Maria whispered.




There’s chapter two.

now I am really eager for the next chapter.
plz keep writing it

You wanna new chapter then you got it. Here is chapter 3





Unexpectedly Falling For You


Chapter 3




‘Maria you’re a damned fool,’ Maria thought to herself as she walked through the hallways of the Central Military Headquarters. In her hands, she was carrying a brown paper bag. Once again, she was going against the sensible side which told her not to get involved. It wasn’t her problem, it was Roy and Riza’s. Why did she insist on getting in the middle of something she had no right to be involved with in the first place.

Finally, Maria reached her destination. Colonel Roy Mustang’s office. She reached up to knock on the closed door but quickly pulled back in hesitation. She knew she shouldn’t be here. She had no reason. After all, Roy had made it clear that he didn’t want her help and she certainly wasn’t obligated to offer that help. However, Maria just couldn’t bring herself to leave. Yet again, she didn’t want to be yelled at either.

‘Come one Maria. It’s not like he’s going to hurt you or anything,’ Maria scolded herself. With that, Maria raised her hand again to knock.

“Come in,” came Roy Mustang’s voice form the other side of the door.

Slowly, Maria opened the door and stepped inside. Roy was sitting at his desk, looking over a report. Maria just waited quietly for him to acknowledge her. She felt a little awkward standing in a superior officer’s office in civilian clothing. Now Maria wished she had put her uniform back on before she came. She must’ve looked like such a slob in a shirt that was about a size too big and worn out denim pants.

After a few seconds, Roy looked up. “2nd Lieutenant Ross,” Roy said, somewhat surprised to see her.

“Colonel Mustang sir,” Maria said as she nervously approached his desk, “Im sorry if Im intruding but I thought you might be hungry.” She sat the paper bag she was carrying on the desk.

“What is it?” Roy asked as he looked at the bag then back at Maria.

“Not much, just a couple of tuna salad sandwiches,” Maria replied, “if you don’t want them then you don’t have to eat them.”

Roy took his pocket watch out and flipped it open. He had lost track of the time and realized he hadn’t eaten since lunch. As if on cue, his stomach growled.

“I’ll get out of your way now sir.” Maria said as she turned to leave.

“Just a minute,” Roy called. Maria stopped and turned back to face him. “I didn’t dismiss you yet.”

“Sorry Colonel.” was all Maria said.

With that, Roy got up from his desk. He grabbed the paper bag and made his way over to the couch. He sat down and motioned for Maria to come over. “Have a seat 2nd Lieutenant.”

Maria nodded and walked over to the couch. She sat down but still kept enough distance between them. Roy took one of the sandwiches from the bag and took a generous bite. His mouth curved into a slight smile of approval. That made Maria smile. Even though it was a simple tuna salad sandwich, it still made her happy that he approved of the taste.

“2nd Lieutenant,” Roy said after he finished the first sandwich. “Earlier today there was something you tried to tell me. You said you knew how I felt. I know there was a story behind it but I didn’t really give you a chance to tell it.”

“No you didn’t,” Maria stated. Suddenly, she thought she sounded rude for saying that.

“You can tell me now. Well, if you want to that is.” Roy said trying not to sound to eager. Truth was, he was kind of curious in hearing the woman’s story.

“Before I joined the military, I was engaged to a man named Anton,” Maria began. “When he proposed, I said yes right away. I thought he was the only man I wanted to spend my life with. I felt so lucky. But a short time before the wedding was to take place, Anton called the engagement off.”

Maria eyes started to get misty. Quickly, she looked down at the floor. She refused to let Roy Mustang see her cry. She couldn’t believe she was even sharing this story with him. No one, not even Denny Bloch knew. She would’ve thought the Flame Alchemist to be the last person she’s tell.

“Why did he call the engagement off?” Roy asked urging her to go on.

“He told me that we made a mistake in deciding to get married too soon in our relationship.” Maria continued, “After that, I told him I didn’t want to see him again. I was heartbroken..”

After listening to Maria’s story, Roy found himself disliking this Anton guy. He had zero respect for men like that. What kind of man would ask a woman to marry him then call the whole thing off?

“A few days later, my mother gave me some advice,” Maria said, “She told me that Anton was a damned fool and it was a good thing he was gone. She then told me that now my true soul mate had a chance to fall in love with me.”

“Oh I see,” Roy said with a small grin, “and have you found that soul mate yet?”

Maria shook her head, “No, not yet.”

“What about Sergeant Denny Bloch?” Roy asked, “rumor has it that he’s rather infatuated with you.”

“Sergeant Bloch and I are just good friends,” Maria answered.

Roy just chuckled lightly. It was no secret that the blonde haired sergeant was wrapped around Maria’s little finger. “I don’t know Ross. I think he sees you as more than a friend.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Sergeant Bloch is a very nice man,” Maria said with a small smile. She knew very well that Denny had a bit of a crush on her. “ I just prefer he and I stay friends.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Roy said. For some reason, he was glad for this woman’s company. For the first time in several hours, His break up with Riza Hawkeye was off his mind.

Maria looked out the window and realized it had gotten dark completely. The street lamps were already glowing. She hadn’t really planned on staying this long. “Well, I think I should get going now. It’s getting late.”

“Oh yes, so it is,” Roy said as he and Maria got up off the couch . He walked Maria over to the door and opened it for her. “Would you like a ride home or something?”

“Oh, no thank you,” Maria said as she stepped out of the office, “It’s only about a ten minute walk from here.”

“Alright then,” Roy said. At least he had offered. “Have a good evening then 2nd Lieutenant.”

“Good night Colonel Mustang,” Maria said before started down the hallway.

Roy closed the door and looked back over at his desk. There was still some unfinished paperwork. “I’ll finish it tomorrow,” He said to himself. As he was getting ready to go home for the night, he realized something. “I forgot to thank her.”


There's chapter 3

its starting to get good. update soon.

Glad you're enjoying it.







Unexpectedly Falling For You

Chapter 4




“I hate mornings,” Maria mumbled as she poured herself a cup of coffee in the break room.

It was 7:00am and time to begin another day at H.Q. Maria took a sip of the coffee and yawned. From the time she went to bed to the time she woke up seemed way to short for her liking. When Maria first joined the military, she told herself that she would get used to the early hours. Unfortunately, she was wrong. When the alarm clock rang, she wanted nothing more then to throw the annoying device against the wall and sleep until noon.

‘Might as well get to work,’ Maria thought to herself. Just as she was about to leave the room, two younger women walked in. “Morning girls,” she said in a tired voice..

“Good morning 2nd Lieutenant Ross,” both of them said at the same time.

As soon as Maria stepped out of the room, the two women started to giggle and whisper. Maria just shrugged it off. She knew those two were always involved in some kind gossip. “They’ll be talking about someone else tomorrow,” Maria assured herself as she kept on walking.




“Oh I see,” Maria said with a chuckle as she approached her desk. “that’s what they were giggling about.”

On her desk sat a vase of beautiful assorted flowers. Maria assumed they were from Denny Bloch. He would leave gifts like flowers, little stuffed animals or greeting cards on her desk every once in awhile. Denny would always try to deny it, but Maria could easily tell when he was lying. Maria was flattered by his way of letting her know he cared. Like a young school boy trying to gain the attention of his secret crush. Sometimes, Maria felt guilty. Guilty for not feeling the same way about him that he felt about her.

Maria sat down and took one of the flowers from the vase. She brought it to her nose and breathed in it’s sweet fragrance. Just then, she noticed a small card attached to the vase. Maria sat the flower aside and opened it. Her eyes widened with surprise as she read.




“Colonel Mustang?” Maria whispered to herself. She couldn’t believe that Roy Mustang of all people would send her flowers. She never really thought of him as the type to do something like this. Then again, there was so little Maria knew about the Flame Alchemist. Last night was really the only time they had an actual conversation.

Maria just grinned to herself. Perhaps there was more to Roy Mustang then he was letting on.




Finally 12:00 came. Time for lunch break. The sounds of hungry soldiers hurrying through the halls towards the cafeteria could be heard. Maria got up from her desk and stretched her muscles. “Wonder what they’re serving for lunch today?” She asked herself out loud.

“Nothing good that’s for sure,” a familiar voice answered.

Startled, Maria quickly turned toward the doorway. There stood Roy Mustang holding a large picnic basket. Maria sighed, “Colonel Mustang, you scared me sir.”

“My apologies,” Roy said with a sly grin. “Lasagna by the way.”

“Huh,” Maria responded, giving Roy a strange look.

“The answer to your question,” Roy said, “they are serving lasagna today.”

“Really?” Maria asked with an obviously unexcited voice. She made a face as she thought of that gooey, disgusting mess they had the nerve to call actual food, “I cant see how anyone could think of that stuff as edible.”

“Well, I guess I cant argue with you there,” Roy said with a laugh. Suddenly the vase of flowers on Maria’s desk caught his attention.

“They are very nice Colonel,” Maria said when she noticed what Roy was looking at. “Thank you.”

“Well, I realized I forgot to thank you last night, for the food and all,” Roy said as he cleared his throat, “and you women seem to like that kind of stuff?”

An awkward silence filled the room. “Soooo,” Maria said nervously, trying to think of something to say, “what’s in the basket?”

“Oh yes,” Roy said as he remembered the basket he was carrying in his right hand. It was the reason he came to see Maria Ross after all. “Since you treated me to dinner last night I thought I would return the favor and treat you to lunch.”

“Oh, thank you Colonel Mustang,” Maria said as she looked at the large basket, “but you really didn’t have to”

“It’s a nice day,” Roy said, completely ignoring that last part of the woman’s sentence, “How about we go outside and eat?”

“Sure,” was all Maria managed to say.

“Good,” Roy said as he turned to walk out the door, “Right this way 2nd Lieutenant.”

“Please sir,” Maria said, “Just call me Maria.”





It was a pleasant afternoon. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and not a single cloud in sight. The temperature that was usually so hot during the summer was actually quite comfortable today.

Roy and Maria sat in a shaded area sharing the lunch Roy had brought. While they ate, they shared stories of their youth.

“So what did you do?” Maria asked as she listened to Roy tell her about his school days.

“It was a dare. It was either do it or be a coward for the rest of your life and to a 12 year old that’s a long time,” Roy said before putting a chunk of cantaloupe in his mouth. “So at lunch time we all went into the bathroom. I took one of the cigarettes and lit up. A few minutes later, the kid guarding the door told us that the headmaster was heading for the bathroom. About that time, my so-called friends took off abandoning me.”

“Well, some friends they turned out to be?,” Maria said with a smile as she took a sip of lemonade.

“Yeah,” Roy said as he shook his head, “Anyways without thinking, I tossed the still lit cigarette into the trash can. Just as the headmaster entered the bathroom, the trash can caught fire.”

“Oh no,” Maria said as she started to laugh, “I bet you got into a lot of trouble.”

“A WHOLE lot of trouble.” Roy said as he smirked at the memory, “it also really didn’t help that the headmaster hated me. Since I was always causing some kind of trouble, that bastard would stop at nothing to make my life miserable. That little incident ended up getting me kicked out of that school. My parents were furious.”

“Im sure they were,” said Maria, “so what happened next?”

“As punishment, that summer they sent me off to a military camp,” Roy continued, “I spent the summer waking up at 5:00am, eating food far worst than the cafeteria’s lasagna, and working out in the hot sun.”

“That must’ve been horrible,“ Maria said as she listened intently to Roy’s story.

“It was but looking back on it now, I have to say it was a good experience for me,” Roy said seriously, “It taught me discipline that served my well in the military.”

“You know,” Maria said with a mischievous smile on her face, “After listening to your story, Im glad Im not the only one who almost burned a school down.”

“Is that so,” Roy said, his interest sparked.

“I was a straight A student in high school until I had to take a home economics class. For the final project everyone had to get into groups and cook something from scratch . My group decided that baking a cake sounded easy enough. We insisted we didn’t need to follow a recipe since we had watched our mothers bake cakes several times before.”

“Well that was probably a disaster waiting to happen,” Roy said with a grin.

“Yes it was,” Maria replied. “Before we knew it the entire classroom was filled with smoke. Everyone had to evacuate the room while the fire in the oven was put out. I was so humiliated. Luckily, I managed to passed the class with a C minus. That summer, my mother brought me a cookbook and taught me how to cook. We had a lot of fun.”

“Well, at least you didn’t to endure hours of marching and running in ridiculously hot temperatures.” Roy told her.

“Yeah, lucky me,” Maria said as she laughed.

Maria was really enjoying herself. When she woke up that morning, she never thought she would be sharing a picnic lunch with Roy Mustang. She found it funny that just the other day, he was yelling at her for her inquisitive nature. Now here they were carrying on like good friends. It was as if yesterday had never happened.

Suddenly, bells from a nearby clock tower began to chime. “Well, I guess lunch break is over,” Roy said.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Maria said somewhat disappointed. She and Roy started to gather up all the trash and put it into the basket. “Colonel Mustang,”

“Roy,” he corrected her. If she insisted he call her Maria then he couldn’t see any harm in her calling him by his name as well.

“Roy,” Maria repeated. It felt kind of strange referring to a superior officer so casually. “Thank you for the wonderful lunch. I really enjoyed it.”

“You’re welcome,” Roy said as they both started to head back inside. “Maybe we’ll have to do it again soon, huh?”

“Yes, that would be great.” Maria replied.

He wouldn’t come out and admit it to her, but Roy had enjoyed the afternoon too. He was still feeling the hurt from he and Riza’s breakup but he assured himself it would get better. He remembered the story Maria told him the previous evening. If she could get through it then he could too. Roy smiled to himself. Everything was going to be ok.


Chapter 4 is finished.

thats so cute to picture in my head. update soon!

Unexpectedly Falling For You

Chapter 5



Roy let out a sigh of boredom and closed his eyes.

It was an uneventful day at H.Q. Roy hated days like this. There was absolutely nothing to do. Well, nothing besides the load of paperwork on his desk. Those stacks of paper never seemed to end.

Before they broke up, Riza would always tell him that if he did the paperwork without procrastination then the stacks wouldn’t build up as much. She was forever nagging Roy about how he should take his job more seriously. Riza still brought Roy’s work in for him and told him when it was due but nothing more. She did her best to avoid him as much as she could. Roy really couldn’t blame her. After all, it was his fault they broke up. Even though, things were getting better, he had to admit that he still missed Riza.

A knock at the door snapped Roy out of his daydream. “Come in,” he called, fearing it was more of the dreaded paperwork. He silently sighed with relief when Maria entered.

It had been a couple of weeks since he had treated Maria to the picnic lunch. Since then, they had been spending some time together. They did simple things such as eat together in the cafeteria, chat during coffee breaks or go out for a couple of drinks after work. Sure there were some rumors about them being an item now. Roy and Maria didn’t pay attention to any of them though. People were going to talk and there was nothing that could be done about it so they chose to ignore them. This rumor like all rumors would soon be forgotten when everyone found something else to talk about.

“Well, don’t work too hard,” Maria said teasingly as she eyed all the unfinished paperwork on the desk.

“I really hope you didn’t come in here just to badger me about my work 2nd Lieutenant,’ Roy said as he leaned back in his chair and smirked. He knew how much Maria hated it when he addressed her like that.

Maria just glared. “I have told you several times not to call me that COLONEL Mustang?” she said putting a lot of emphasis on the word colonel.

“Whatever you say MARIA,” Roy said. He then leaned back in towards his desk and grinned, “Now is there something I can do for you or are you just going to continue to stand there and suck up all the oxygen?’

“Well, Im thinking about taking a little walk,” Maria replied, “and since you’re just sitting around doing nothing I thought you might like to join me.”

Roy thought about it for a second. It was really too nice of a day outside to be sitting in that stuffy office. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to get out and stretch his legs a little, “Well, it beats doing paperwork so why not.”



“Can I ask you a question?” Maria asked as she and Roy walked through H.Q.’s large courtyard.

“You just did,” Roy said. He noticed Maria roll her eyes at the sarcasm. “But I’ll allow you to ask me another.”

“How nice of you,” Maria said being just as sarcastic. “Anyways, what do you want most out of life?”

Roy closed his eyes and smiled. “Why do all you women want to know that stuff?”

“Just trying to make conversation,” was Maria’s reply. She was interested in learning more about Roy.

“Nosy woman,” Roy teased, “But if you must know, I want to go all the way to the top.”

“What exactly do you mean by “the top?”

“Im going to be Fuhrer someday.”

“Roy, I wouldn’t speak of such things if I were you. If the wrong person was to hear you say that, you could be charged with conspiracy to commit treason.”

“Are you one of those “wrong” people you speak of Maria?” Roy asked.

“No I am not.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.”

“Anyways, why would you want to be fuhrer?” Maria asked, “Think of all the paperwork you would have to do.”

“I want to make some changes in the military,” a mischievous smile formed on Roy’s lips. “starting with the dress code.”

“The dress code?”

“Yes. When I am Fuhrer, all female officers will be required to wear tiny miniskirts.”

Maria stopped dead in her tracks. Did he just say what she thought he said. “Female officers will be required to wear WHAT?” Maria didn’t know if she should laugh or slap him, “That’s perverted and disgusting and........” Finally Maria couldn’t control herself anymore and burst out laughing. Surely he wasn’t being serious.

Roy wasn’t prepared for that reaction. He had at least expected her to slap him of lecture him for being lecherous. If it were Riza, he probably would’ve been dodging bullets by now.

“Come on now,” Maria said as she calmed down, “be serious..”

“ I am being serious?” Roy said playfully. Just then, a memory of a certain event from his past came to mind. A tragic event that still continued to haunt him. A sullen look replaced the smile on his face.

“Are you alright?” Maria asked with concern as she noticed his sudden sadness.

“All joking aside, I do have my reasons for wanting to become Fuhrer,” Roy stated in a low voice. “I made the decision after the Rebellion.”

“The Ishbal War,” Maria whispered knowingly.

“That wasn’t a war. That was pointless savagery. Nothing more than the military’s need to flaunt their power.” Roy looked up at the sky. “I watched an entire civilization burn to the ground in one night. And to think, I helped bring such destruction.”

Maria looked down at the ground. She was almost afraid to look Roy in the face at that moment. She had often heard of the horrors of the rebellion. It was still so hard to believe that the military she served so loyally would cause such pain and suffering.

“I thought there was nothing I could ever do to make my actions bearable. What I had done was unforgivable. I hated myself for it.”

Maria had no idea that this man who seemed so strong was hurting on the inside. Her heart ached for him and all those who the rebellion had affected. The people of Ishbal had lost their home and way of living and many soldiers had their innocence stripped away.

“You are not the one to blame Roy,” Maria said with an almost inaudible voice, “You were a soldier in battle. The higher ups gave you orders and you followed them. It was not your fault.”

Roy let her words sink in. Maes Hughes had once told him the same thing. However, nothing anyone could say could ever make the pain go away completely. All he could do was try to put that time of his life behind him and move forward. He could never erase the past but he would do his best to make sure history never repeated itself. He never wanted anyone else to go through what he did, especially a certain 16 year old State Alchemist.

“Im sorry,” Maria whispered, “I shouldn’t have brought the subject up.”

“Don’t apologize,” Roy told her, “all you did was ask a simple question. I was the one who said too much.”

Maria nodded but she still didn’t feel any better. She and Roy continued their walk in silence. Roy glanced over at Maria. He couldn’t stand that sad look on her face. Suddenly his eyes lit up as he grinned.

“Maria, are you aware that you snort when you laugh?”


There's chapter 5

hat was great. sorry i havent reviewed in awhile. been so busy w/ school work and what not. keep it coming.

That's ok. Homework and stuff can be such a pain sometimes. Anyways, here's the new chapter.


Unexpectedly Falling For You

Chapter 6




“Bring the pole back,” Roy instructed as he brought the fishing pole over his shoulder.

“Like this?” Maria did the same with her pole.

“Correct. Now bring it forward quickly with a flick of your wrist,” Roy said as his fishing line sailed through the air into the water. Maria did as she was told and cast her line out successfully. “Very nice.”

Maria smiled proudly then asked “Ok, now what?”

“Now we sit down, relax and wait,” Roy stated as he sat down on the dock.

It was late afternoon and Roy had gotten Maria to agree to come out fishing with him .Maria was a bit hesitant at first but Roy assured her that she would like it.

Maria sat down and dipped her bare feet into the water. She glanced at Roy out of the corner of her eye. Roy was wearing a beige colored short sleeved shirt and dark green pants. This was the first time Maria had seen him out of uniform. He looked very different without the usual military blue. Maria decided that she liked the way he looked in civilian clothing.

“Hughes and I used to go fishing together a lot,” Roy said as he watched the water. “I haven’t gone since he.......well, you know.”

Maria felt a tug at her heart at the mention of Brigadier General Maes Hughes. He was such a wonderful man. He may have been a little too obsessed with his family and often went a little overboard with pictures of his daughter Elicia but there was something about him that made everyone smile. Maes Hughes had to be one of the most kind hearted people Maria had ever met.

“I wonder how Gracia and Elicia are doing,” Maria wondered out loud.

She had not seen them since the funeral. Maria remembered how her heart ached for both of them that day. Poor little Elicia just didn’t understand. And Gracia, She had tried to be so strong. Now the poor woman was left to take care of Elicia on her own. It was so unfair. Why did something like that have to happen to such a wonderful family?

“I payed them a visit not too long ago,” Roy replied as he thought of Hughes’s widow and daughter. It’s still hard for Gracia but she seems to be getting better. Same for Elicia, she has grown a lot.”

“That’s good,” Maria said, happy to hear that Gracia and Elicia were doing well.

Roy closed his eyes, allowing the memories of his old friend to come into his mind. Roy had fallen into a deep depression after Ishbal. He remembered wanting to die. He remembered putting the gun in his mouth but he was too afraid to go through with it. Just when Roy thought he was about to lose his sanity there was Hughes with a smile and an apple pie. Hughes had saved Roy from himself that day. That was when Hughes promised that he would work under Roy and help him achieve his goal to become Fuhrer.

Roy felt destroyed when he learned of Hughes’s death after arriving in Central. He couldn’t believe his best friend was gone. He had never imagined Hughes not being there. The night after the funeral, Roy had actually cried himself to sleep. He felt so alone and helpless.

“Roy.”

Roy opened his eyes and glanced over at Maria. How long had he been sitting there like that? Maria gave him a small smile.

“You look so deep in your thoughts,” She commented warmly.

She had been watching him for the last few minutes. For some reason, she thought he looked so beautiful just sitting there with his eyes closed, surrounded by nature. Kind of like a painting. Maria felt herself blush at the thought.

“Oh....uh....sorry about that,” Roy said. He wondered if he was imagining the pink in her cheeks or not.



“I think I got another one,” Maria said as she reeled her line in. Sure enough, there was a good sized fish on her hook. Roy had been right, she did like this. “Now then, I believe that’s four fish for me.”

“Beginners luck,” Roy said with a mock arrogance. He had only caught one very tiny fish himself.

“Whatever you say,” Maria teased as she took the fish off the hook and turned it loose in the water. She walked to the other edge of the dock. “It sure is hot,” She said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Yes,” Roy agreed as he reeled his line in. He decided to call it quits and sat the pole down beside him. “A swim would be nice about now.”

Maria looked at the water. It sure did look inviting on a hot day such as this one. “That would be nice. Too bad we didn’t bring our bathing suits.”

Roy walked up behind Maria with a roguish grin on his face, “Who says we need bathing suits?” With that, he placed his hand on Maria’s back and shoved her.

Maria let out a shrill scream as she hit the water. A second later she came to the surface sputtering. “ROY MUSTANG,”she yelled. She opened her eyes and discovered that Roy was no longer on the dock. She yelped with surprise as she felt something grab her ankle. Just then, Roy surfaced beside her. “Roy, are you crazy?”

“Oh come on. Don’t be such a baby Ross,” Roy said with a chuckle, “You were the one complaining about it being hot. All I did was help you cool off.”

Maria sighed with defeat and smiled. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t be mad at him. “You can be so childish,” She said splashing a little water into Roy’s face.

“Splashing water at a superior officer now are we?” Roy teased as he splashed her back. Soon the two found themselves engaged in a water fight.



After swimming for awhile, Roy and Maria climbed back onto the dock. The sun was beginning to set and the water was getting cold. Maria started to shiver slightly.

“Are you cold?” Roy asked as he started to gather up the fishing gear that they had abandoned earlier.

“A little,” Maria said as she rubbed her arms with her hands.

“Well then, we should.........” Roy stopped in the middle of his sentence when he looked at Maria.

The blue tank top she was wearing was now clinging to her skin. Roy was so used to seeing her in uniform that he never realized what a nice figure she had. Drops of water dripped from the stray strains of her short dark brown hair. The light of the setting sun gave her wet skin a radiant glow. Roy actually thought she looked very sexy at that moment.

‘Stop it Mustang,’ Roy thought to himself, ‘this is 2nd Lt. Maria Ross you’re thinking about.’

“Something wrong?” Maria asked, giving him a strange look.

“No, it’s nothing,” Roy said as he turned away from her.

“Are you sure,” Maria asked again.

“Yes. Now lets go before you catch cold.”

pdate soon

Unexpectedly Falling For You

Chapter 7



“Where is that damn woman?” Roy mumbled under his breath.

Roy was waiting in a large park just outside Central. Maria had insisted they come here today. As soon as they arrived, Maria wandered off saying she would be back in a few minutes. She said something about a surprise. Roy was starting to get impatient. Maria had been gone for a half an hour already. Roy sighed and plopped down on a bench. If she wasn’t back in ten minute he was going to look for her.

“ROY,” a voice called a few minutes later.

Roy looked up to see Maria heading towards him. She was leading two horses by the reins.

“It’s about time,” Roy said as he got up, “you said you would be back in a few minutes.”

“Sorry about that,” Maria said with a sheepish grin, “I guess it took longer then I thought.”

“So what’s with the horses?” Roy said as he looked at the two animals. Suddenly the obvious answer hit Roy. “You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

“Correct,” Maria said as she nodded. “We are going riding today.”

“What’s this WE stuff you’re talking about?” Roy said as he crossed his arms. “You go for a ride, I’ll wait here.”

“Come on,” Maria pleaded. “I went fishing with you so why cant you go riding with me?”

“I don’t know how,” Roy said. “I never been on a horse before.”

“I’ll teach you,” Maria stated, “just give it a try.”

A look of defeat came to Roy’s face. He looked at the animal again and sighed. What could he do? Apparently this meant a lot to Maria. “Oh alright then, teach me.”

Maria’s eyes lit up with delight. Roy couldn’t help but smile. Since when did Maria Ross being happy mean so much to him? He couldn’t explain it but there was just something about her smiling face. Something that gave him a warm feeling.

“Well, lets get started. First thing to do is gain the horse’s trust,” Maria reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of sugar cubes. After placing a sugar cube in Roy’s hand, Maria gently led him over to the dark brown horse. “Offer him the sugar.”

‘She certainly seems to know a lot about horses,’ Roy thought to himself as he held the sugar cube out. He smiled slightly at the tickling feeling as the horse licked the sugar out of his hand. Slowly, he raised his hand and stroked the smooth fur of the horse’s nose. The horse whinnied happily at Roy’s touch.

“Now I’ll show you how to mount the horse,” Maria explained as Roy followed her to the left side of the horse. “Take the reins in your left hand and grab the saddle horn with your right.” Roy did as he was instructed, “Good, now place you right foot in the stirrup then you just pull yourself up.”

Roy pulled himself up and swung his left leg over the other side of the saddle. He felt a little shaky for a few seconds before becoming more comfortable. The animal seemed so much bigger now that he was sitting on it. “Ok, now what?”

“We’re ready to start riding,” Maria said as she mounted the smaller tan colored horse without effort. She had to fight the urge to giggle at the nervous look on the Colonel’s face. Maria couldn’t believe that he had never rode before. She really hoped that he would love it as much as she did after the day was done. How nice it would be to have someone to accompany her on her rides.



“I think you’re getting the hang of it,” Maria exclaimed proudly as she and Roy rode their horses down a forest trail.

“Yes it would appear so,” Roy said. He then stuck his nose in the air in a mock arrogance. “As if there was ever any doubt.”

“Is that so,” Maria said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “well now since you’re a big expert how about we race? There is a stream at the end of this trail, first one there wins.”

“You’re on Ross,” Roy said accepting her challenge.

“Good,” Maria said as she nudged her horse in the flanks with her heel, “giddy up.” Maria’s horse took off in a fast gallop.

“Just a minute, that was a head start,’ Roy called after her. “We’ll just see who wins this race you little cheater. Giddy up.”

After a minute, Roy’s horse caught up with Maria’s. Roy had to admit that he was loving this. Now he was glad he had let Maria talk him into this. The race was soon forgotten as Roy and Maria rode side by side, laughing and having the time of their lives.

The stream that Maria had mentioned came into view. “Woah boy,” Maria said as she gently pulled back on the reins causing the horse to come to a halt. She then jumped down from the saddle and led the horse to the water to drink. Roy followed her example.

“So what did you think?” Maria asked as she sat down on the soft grass. She ran a hand through her now messed up hair.

“Well, I have to admit that it wasn’t that bad..”

“Im happy to hear that,” Maria told him, “and you did well for your first time.”

“You must be a good teacher then,” Roy said as he sat down beside Maria. “Where did you learn to ride?”

“I’ve been riding since I was a little girl.” Maria replied, smiling as her mind was filled with fond memories of her childhood. “I remember how my mother would always worry about me getting hurt. My father on the other hand encouraged me to keep on doing what I loved. However, When I was ten I had an accident.”

“What happened?” Roy asked as he listened with interest.

“I got careless and fell off a horse,” Maria visibly shuddered at the memory. “I ended up fracturing my right arm.”

“That must have been painful.”

“Yes it was. Probably the worst pain I had ever experienced,” Maria said as she continued the story. “but the worst part was having to stay inside all those weeks while my arm healed. I was so happy the day the cast came off. I wanted to start riding again right away. Unfortunately, my injury caused my mother to worry even more. She told me my horseback riding days were over for awhile.”

“That’s understandable. You were seriously injured after all,” Roy said softly, remembering how worried he was when he learned that Ed Elric was hospitalized after the Lab 5 incident. It made Roy second guess if that boy being a State Alchemist was a good idea or not.

“I know but still, I was crushed. It took a whole year until I could convince her to let me ride again.” Maria then smiled, “My dream was to be a trick rider.”

“A trick rider?”

“You know, performing stunts on horseback in circuses, rodeos and stuff like that,” Maria explained.

“I see,” Roy said as he nodded his head in understanding, “Why didn’t you pursue that dream?”

“It was only a silly childhood dream Roy.”

“What’s so silly about it?” Roy asked seriously as he looked at Maria.

Maria felt her cheeks burning as she stared into Roy’s onyx eyes. ‘Such beautiful eyes’ she thought to herself. Maria quickly looked away before she could allow herself to fall even deeper into those thoughts. “Do you wanna head back now?”

“Actually Maria, I’d rather ride for awhile longer.” Roy said, his eyes not leaving her face. “Is that alright with you?”

“Uh.....sure,” Maria said, “I’d like that.”

‘What happened back there?’ Maria thought as she and Roy continued their ride. ‘I was staring at him as if I was a love-struck school girl.’ She glanced at Roy out of the corner of her eye. ‘Could I................... have a crush on him? No, that’s ridiculous. Roy and I are just friends.”

update soon pwease

Unexpectedly Falling For You

Chapter 8





“Well, long time no see 2nd Lt. Ross.”

Maria about jumped out of her skin. She quickly turned around to see Sergeant Denny Bloch’s smiling face. Maria closed her eyes and put her hand to her chest, “Denny,” exclaimed as she breathed slowly trying to slow her racing heart down, “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Im sorry,” Denny said with a sheepish grin, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh that’s alright,” Maria said, offering him a smile a forgiveness. “Anyways, how is training going?”

Denny and Maria used to work together until Denny was offered the chance to help train the new recruits. Denny thought about turning down the offer but Maria had talked him into taking it, saying it would be a great opportunity for him.

“It’s going very well,” Denny said, “Anyways, it’s been along time since we really talked.”

Maria mouthed a silent “oh.” She felt a twinge of guilt. In the time she had been spending with Roy, she had been neglecting her other friends without realizing it. “Yes, I’ve been kind of.......busy with other things. Im sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. If you’re busy then you’re busy,” Denny said, that bashful smile not leaving his face. “You’re here now.....I guess.” Denny mentally kicked himself and thought, ‘Damn Denny, could you sound more stupid to her?’

Maria noted Denny’s obvious frustration. Since when was he so nervous in her presence? She had the feeling that he wasn’t here just to discuss the weather or something like that. She placed her hand on his arm, “Denny is there something you want to tell me?”

Denny felt his heart flutter at Maria’s touch. “Well...there is something I’d like to ask you.” Denny paused for a moment. He didn’t think this would be so hard. After all, this is a question he had asked many other girls before. But this wasn’t ‘other girls.’ This was Maria Ross. “Maria, would you like to go out on Saturday night?”

There, he had asked. Now came the hard part, waiting for her to accept or reject.

Maria smiled at Denny. She was very flattered. Denny was such a sweet man and that made the answer she was going to give him hard. “Im sorry Denny but no, I don’t think I can.”

“Why? Is Saturday is a bad day for you. How about Sunday instead?”

Maria was at a loss. Denny looked so hopeful. It had taken a lot of courage for him to ask her out. But she just couldn’t accept his offer out of pity. That would only be leading him on and Maria thought that was a horrible thing to do. “Denny......” Maria stopped when she saw Denny straighten his posture and salute.

Maria looked over her shoulder. Standing behind her was Roy Mustang. “Roy...uh....Colonel Mustang sir,” She corrected herself as she turned around and saluted as well.

“Why don’t you just take no for an answer Bloch?” Roy said as he walked past Maria to stand in front of Denny.

“Excuse me sir,” Denny asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

“2nd Lt Ross said no,” Roy said as he glared at the blonde haired sergeant, “Now stop bothering her and go back to doing.........well, whatever it is you do all day.”

“Colonel Mustang.........” Maria started to say.

“Maria it’s alright,” Denny interrupted as he clenched his fists by his sides in annoyance. “I don’t mean any disrespect sir but I really don’t think this concerns you.” Denny regretted saying that. After all, this was a higher ranking officer and the Flame Alchemist on top of that. Still Denny couldn’t act like a coward with Maria standing right there.

Roy just closed his eyes and smiled, “Well, I guess I was wrong about you Bloch. Maybe you’re not as pathetic as I thought.”

“Well........Oh yeah,” was the only comeback Denny could think of.

“Both of you stop this right now,” Maria said in a tone that made her sound like a mother scolding two naughty children. Why did they feel the need to pick a pointless fight with each other anyways?

“Shut up and stay out of this,” Roy told Maria rather rudely.

Don’t you talk to her like that,” Denny yelled. Out of anger, he took a swing at Roy. He knew right away what a mistake that action was but he couldn’t stop himself.

Roy dodged Denny’s fist as his own fist connected with the young sergeant’s face. Denny fell to the floor clutching his bleeding nose.

“Denny are you alright?” Maria asked as she quickly knelt down beside the injured soldier. Still holding his nose, Denny shook his head. “We need to get you to the infirmary.” Maria looked up at Roy, “Don’t just stand there, help me.”

Roy gulped when he saw the anger in Maria’s eyes. He would’ve loved to have been anywhere else but here.




“Well Sergeant Bloch, it’s definitely fractured but you’ll be fine,” the doctor said as he wrote some notes down in Denny’s medical file, “A little ice should help with the swelling. Try to watch where you’re walking from now on ok.”

“Sure thing doc,” Denny said with a slightly nasal sounding voice.

Denny had made up a story about accidently running into a door. As embarrassing as the story sounded, he couldn’t tell the truth. Fighting on military property was strictly prohibited and he and Roy could get into a lot of trouble. Denny could care less about Roy, it was his own military record he was worried about. He had worked too hard to maintain a history of good conduct and he wasn’t about to ruin it now.

That was a really stupid move you pulled back there you know,’ Maria commented as soon as the doctor was gone.

“Yeah, I know,” Denny gave Maria a sheepish look. “Im very sorry you had to see that Maria.”

“Well it’s done and over with now,” said Maria as she applied a cold compress to Denny’s nose. “Let’s not worry about it anymore.”

Denny just laid back and smiled. He felt like one of the wounded soldiers he read about in war novels who is under the care of the pretty nurse.“You know, It’s amazing. I stood up to a State Alchemist and lived to tell about it.”

Maria closed her eyes and smiled. “You’re too much Denny Bloch.”




“So how is he doing?” Roy asked when Maria came out of the infirmary. Maria just ignored him and tried to walk past. Roy grabbed her by the shoulder, “What’s your problem?”

Maria looked at him with disbelief. How could he even ask her that? “You’re a real jerk Roy, you know that?”

“Listen, I was only trying to get him to stop pestering you,” Roy said.

“You hit him.”

“Let me remind you that he started it,” Roy retorted, not caring if he sounded childish.

“Because you provoked him,” Maria snapped back, “I could’ve handled Denny myself Roy.”

“And what a fine job you were doing,” Roy said as he released Maria’s shoulder, “Why don’t you just get it over with and tell him the truth. Maybe you just enjoy leading him along as if he was a lost puppy.

“That is not true,” Maria practically yelled, a hurt look in her eyes. “How could you say something like that?

Suddenly Roy did not feel good about himself. He didn’t stop to realize just how much those words would hurt Maria until it was too late. Riza would usually just let his hurtful comments roll off her back. Maria was different. She wasn’t as thick-skinned as Riza. Now that he thought of it, Roy never accused Riza of something as horrible as he just accused Maria of.

“Listen Maria,” Roy said softly. Maria sighed and looked up at him. Roy took one look at her face and chuckled lightly.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Roy said with a smile, “It’s just that you’re kind of cute when you’re angry.”

“Do you know how clique that sounded?” Maria said with a dull voice.

“Yeah,” Roy said as he shrugged his shoulders. He then cleared his throat. What he was about to say next wasn’t easy for him. “Maria, Im..........sorry about what I said.”

Maria couldn’t believe her ears. Roy Mustang apologized to her. Not only did he apologize but he also sounded sincere about it. “Apology accepted.” she said as her lips curved into a smile.

That was more like it. It made Roy happy to see a smile on Maria’s face again. He had never realized just how much he had come to adore that smile in the past few weeks. Roy didn’t know how to explain it but Maria Ross certainly had an effect on him.




“Did you have a nice time tonight?” Roy asked as he walked Maria to her door later that evening.

“Yes I did,” Maria replied, “thank you.”

“Well, just consider it my way of making up for what happened earlier.”

“Would you....like to come in for a bit?” Maria asked, a pink tint coloring her cheeks.

‘Damn she’s cute,’ Roy thought to himself, “Uh.....no thank you. It’s late and I should get going.”

“Well..........goodnight then,’ Maria said. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Roy’s neck in a friendly embrace.

Now it was Roy’s turn to blush. “Goodnight Maria,” He whispered as he returned the hug. Slowly he pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow at H.Q.” With that, Roy headed back through the hallway to the building’s front entrance.

Maria stood there for a couple of seconds before unlocking the door to her apartment. Once inside, she plopped down on the couch and cuddled the stuffed panda bear that Roy had won for her at the carnival they had gone to.



“How about you sir,” asked a man who was running one of the games, “wanna try to win a prize for your lovely lady friend?”

Roy thought about it for a second. The object of the game was to try and knock over some stacked up bottles by throwing a baseball at them.

“It looks easy enough,” Roy said, “sure, why not.”

Roy paid the man and was given 5 baseballs. One by one, he pitched 4 of the baseballs at the bottles missing each time. Was he the one who said it looked easy? He looked at Maria, who offered him a smile of encouragement. Roy picked up the last baseball and threw it. The ball hit the center of the stack of bottles, knocking them over.

“We have a winner,” the carny announced, “choose your prize sir.”

Roy looked at the assortment of stuffed animals. A panda bear with a large red ribbon around it’s neck caught his attention. “Give me that one,” Roy said, pointing the bear out. As soon as the bear was given to him, Roy turned to Maria, “This is for you.”

Maria smiled as Roy handed the stuffed animal to her. “Thank you Roy.”

“You folks enjoy your evening,” the carny said.

As Roy and Maria started to walk again, Maria began to notice a lot of young couples holding hands. She glanced at Roy’s hand out of the corner of her eye and decided to go for it. She reached out but just as her finger tips came into contact with Roy’s, she pulled away.

‘Maria, what are you doing?’ she scolded herself. She felt pretty stupid. Just then, she felt Roy’s hand take a hold of her own. The embarrassment Maria felt a second ago disappeared as a warm feeling replaced it. She gave Roy’s hand a soft squeeze as they continued to walk in comforting silence.



Maria grinned at the memory as she laid back on the couch. She looked at the panda bear and said, “I think Im going to call you Roy.”