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Riza was always prepared for anything a day at the office could throw at her, be it Fuery almost causing a small fire while repairing a radio or Falman mournfully adding a new stack of paperwork to their already overflowing in-tray.
If there was one thing she had learned over the past few years working at Eastern Command, it was that every office crisis could be dealt with. She always had fire extinguishers at the ready and she easily distributed paperwork amongst the team in a manner that ensured maximum efficiency. She was also not above standing behind Roy as he signed off on reports and forms to make sure he didn’t get distracted. And for days when it was particularly busy and the piles of paper got especially large, she kept chocolate cookies in a locked drawer in her desk, doling out three per person to make certain morale stayed high.
All this led to the office being in order and the out-tray overflowing every evening.
Her biggest accomplishment, though, the team had jokingly commented on more than one occasion, was her ability to tame the whirlwind that was Edward Elric. It took her only two reprimanding looks to ensure he didn’t leave his suitcase anywhere but next to the coatrack and for him to avoid leaving crumbs all over his desk.
Roy had asked her once what her secret was, chagrined after yet another discussion with Edward that had ended in a sharp-tongued exchange. Riza couldn’t really tell, though she felt like it might have something to do with the boys losing their mother so early in their life. However, she always clamped down quickly on those kinds of thoughts. Just like Roy and the rest of the team, she was nothing more than an assistance for the boys in their search for a way to get their bodies back. Trying to read more into it was a moot point and putting her anywhere near the place their mother had had in their lives seemed downright offensive.
In the end, it didn’t really matter anyway.
It was quiet in the office now after a hectic day and Riza was sorting through applications for the upcoming State Alchemist certification.
Havoc sighed loudly, rising from his seat with a triumphant grin. “Finally,” he said, handing her one of Edward’s compensation requests. “All done.” Havoc was the last remaining team member still here. The others had left quite a while ago already, but an extended lunch had caused Havoc to fall behind on his assigned work for the day, so he’d stayed longer.
Glancing over the paper, she gave a sharp nod and put it in the folder containing papers which required Roy’s signature. “You better leave before something else comes up.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he replied and shrugged into his jacket. “How long are you gonna stay?”
“The Colonel’s got another meeting at seven.”
Havoc hummed. “Want me to drive the chief and Al to the dorms?”
Edward and Alphonse had arrived an hour ago, eager enough to get the report to Roy out of the way that they’d come in despite the late hour.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll take them while the Colonel’s in his meeting.”
Havoc gave her a sloppy salute and headed out.
Riza glanced at the clock, noting that it was quarter to seven already. She looked towards Roy’s closed office door and was just contemplating whether she should interrupt to remind him of his appointment when the door opened and Roy marched in, closely followed by Edward.
“Your handwriting is atrocious. I refuse to read this until you type it up.” He set Edward’s report down on the small desk in the corner that held their typewriter.
Edward was fuming, his eyes narrowed and fists clenched. “You try to write properly on a moving train.”
Roy turned around to him. “Nobody is asking you to write your report on the train. You should come back and write it here or in the dorms-”
“What a waste of time.”
“This discussion is a waste of time. If I tell you to type it up, you type it up.” He pulled out the chair. “Sit.”
Riza looked towards Alphonse, who was hovering in Roy’s office door awkwardly.
For a long moment, it seemed like Edward wanted to refuse, but then he brushed past Riza’s desk, muttering under his breath. Riza caught “Colonel Jerkface” and raised an eyebrow.
Roy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What was that?”
Edward snapped his arm up in a sarcastic salute. “Yes, sir.”
Suspicious, Roy stared at him, his hands on his hips.
Riza sighed. “Sir, you’re going to be late for your meeting with General Grumman and we still need to go through your diary for tomorrow to make sure everything’s set for my absence.”
Roy was still watching Edward, who was settling down in front of the typewriter. “Grow up, Fullmetal,” he finally said. “It’s not that complicated to hand in a proper report.”
The remark earned him another glare but Al’s hissed “Brother” kept the situation from escalating further.
“Sir,” Riza reminded, “your meeting.”
Roy sighed. “Right.” He returned to his office and Riza followed him to collect Edward’s teacup. Roy was looking through the files on his desk, likely searching for the notes he’d made for the meeting. “I’m getting tired of these childish discussions.”
“How about you stop partaking in them then?” Riza asked.
Roy froze, his shoulders stiffening. “Excuse me?”
“You keep antagonizing him, sir. He’s thirteen, you’re thirty. I don’t think he’s the one in dire need of growing up.”
He stared at her, wide-eyed and then turned away, muttering, “I’m not even thirty.”
Suppressing a smirk, she handed him the file he was looking for. “And now go before General Grumman realizes you’re already late.” She didn’t wait for an answer, instead returning to the office and adding the cup to the small pile of dishes that would have to be taken to get cleaned.
“I can read it out to you, brother,” she heard Al offer. “That way, it’s done faster.”
Edward huffed but handed the report over. He looked tired and frustrated and Riza made an executive decision. She unlocked her desk drawer and got out the pack of cookies, spreading five of them on a plate which she set down within Edward’s reach. He looked up at her. “My handwriting is not that bad.”
Riza looked at the report in Al’s hand and winced. “It is a little hard to read.”
Edward grabbed one of the cookies and shoved it into his mouth. “He’s still a jerkface.”
Al shook his head and then turned to Riza, a smile in his voice as he asked, “Are you not working tomorrow, Lieutenant?”
“I have taken the day off. It’s my birthday.”
Edward’s eyes widened. “Your birthday?”
She nodded, collecting some files from Falman’s desk.
Al asked, “Are you doing something special, Lieutenant?”
“Not really. I’ll probably go for a hike or something.”
“That sounds nice,” Al said.
She nodded, then heaved a sigh. “Now, get started on that report or we’ll never get out of here.”
***
The bunch of sunflowers in a light-blue vase waiting on Riza’s desk upon her return was unexpected. The team had perched the usual card they gave her every year against it, but she immediately suspected they weren’t from them. Her questioning look towards Breda gave her the answer.
“The Elrics dropped them off yesterday on their way back from the library.”
She pushed the flowers to stand neatly in the corner of her desk. “That was very sweet of them.” There was a small note tucked into the flowers and she unfolded it.
Happy birthday, Lieutenant!
Edward and Alphonse
She smiled, her heart warming.
Roy huffed a laugh. “Unexpectedly whimsical, especially coming from Fullmetal.”
Riza shot him a glare. “And you will not tease him about this.” She looked around the office. “Any of you.”
The men turned back to work, chastised for the moment.
And if anybody noticed Riza slipping two cookies Edward's way when the boys dropped by just before lunch, nobody mentioned it.
END
October 2022