#unfortunately in this particular fic they looked at each other and went Hmmm No Thanks. I'll Fake It For The Treason Though.

[bumbledees]

I think I have a tag from @shootingstarpilot again? Even if not I will take the slightest excuse to post because I finally managed to update Rumor Has It, even if the chapter isn't long. And because this snippet right here is my favorite part of the chapter and I can't resist sharing:

“It’s somewhat of a running joke among Ghost Company that we are married,” Kenobi clarifies for his former Padawan. “What?” “Tracker has informed us that it is in the way we argue,” Kenobi says. From Skywalker’s slack-jawed expression it is clear this explains nothing. “Tracker has the romantic bent of a rathar, sir,” Cody reminds his jetti. “He has a type,” Kenobi acknowledges. “But that’s not a crime.” “His type is violence,” Cody says. “And anything you say in his defense can and will be held against you.” Kenobi glares at him. Cody gives him a bland and inoffensive smile. Skywalker opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. “Someday I will know as much about you as you know about me,” Kenobi threatens, pointing a finger at Cody.  “Die trying, sir,” Cody tells him.

(as always no-pressure tags to any other fic authors who follow me! i love to see what people are writing.)

[cptn-stvngrntrgrs]

if you're still accepting prompts, I might have an idea that could be fun to write. A newly recruited agent curious about capwidow if they're a couple or not + two children running around suddenly around the compound and finds out theyre capwidow's children.

hello anon! thanks for the prompt – you’re right, THIS WAS REALLY FUN TO WRITE!! i got carried away and the fic became longer than i thought it would be. hopefully this is what you were looking for!

Title: you just have to be at the wrong place and wrong time

Relationship: Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff

Summary: 

A newly recruited SHIELD agent can’t help but to think there’s more to Agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers’ relationship as Avengers.

post-Endgame, based off my post-Endgame HC (where Nat is very much alive) that they eventually build SHIELD back up, with Hill as the director and Steve and Nat are still involved in it somehow. and they have a family. and sam babysits for them

Also on AO3!

“All of you are here because you advanced from the most rigorous process of recruitment - the one that ultimately tested your physical and mental capabilities,” Natasha said, addressing the 15 new SHIELD recruits in front of her. “However difficult that experience may have been, that is the easiest thing you’ll ever had to go through here. It will only get harder from now on,” she raised her eyebrows at them, scanning all their faces - which remained passive.

“Now, as your commanding officer, I expect all of you to always be on your best behavior,” she continued. “This means I expect nothing but the best from all of you. I also do not want to hear anything from anyone that my recruits are misbehaving. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!” they answered promptly.

Natasha let a hint of a smile play on her lips. “At ease.”

She watched them change into a laxer position, as did she, and lowered her voice. “Now, as you know, there is another group of new recruits, led by Captain Rogers. In two months, all of you will take another test that would give you the opportunity to level up as an agent.” she declared, already feeling a hype-sort of energy from her team, judging from their smiles and glances at each other.

“I don’t want to pressure you, but,” she let on, and all their eyes snap at her, “for the past two years, not all of the new recruits in my team got this promotion and I wish I can say the same about Steve’s- I mean, Captain Rogers’ group. But I have a good feeling this time around - I think you guys will be the ones to break my unfortunate streak.”

She smirked to herself, a playful gleam in her eyes, as she saw her agents smile to themselves as she dismissed them. She can feel that this will be the team that would finally make her win this year’s bet against Steve. He’s been getting too smug about his 100% pass rate for two years already and it’s about time she changes that.

–

“Hey why do you think Agent Romanoff wants us to beat Captain Rogers’ team? I mean, aren’t we all new SHIELD recruits here?” Paolo Crawford, a member of Natasha’s team, asked his friend.

Avery Steele, also a new recruit but in Steve’s team, just shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it’s just a friendly competition, you know? I mean, with them being The Avengers and everything, they must be real good friends or something.”

Paolo knitted his brows together, genuinely curious. “But there was something in her eyes when she mentioned Cap’s name…” he trailed off.

Avery blinked at him. “I know you have a habit, but please, please tell me you’re not thinking of what I think you’re thinking.”

“Okay, but hear me out-”

“Paolo, stop! They are our commanding officers, let’s not think too much about it.” Avery scolded, standing up to leave him alone with his sandwich. He just pouted and continued to eat lunch by himself.

–

Well truth be told, Paolo’s been trying to figure out what was up with Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff. If there’s anything between them, that is.

His interest was piqued when he went to his first orientation as a new SHIELD recruit - and the two of them were there to personally assess everyone. After getting over a fanboy moment of being in the same room as two Avengers, Paolo noticed something. The way Steve and Natasha worked together was fascinating.

But like Avery said, they are the Avengers, and most of all, partners. Of course, he expected them to be in sync and coordinated, but seeing it up close was… unreal. One of the things Paolo prides himself on is his meticulous attention to detail, and wow, those were some details he noticed from his commanding officers!

First of all, whenever Natasha would talk or address them, Steve gets this look in his eyes, and some sort of fondness takes over his face, a ghost of a smile always on his lips. It’s as if he’s mesmerized with what she’s saying, despite him for sure hearing it around a hundred times already.

And then there was a demonstration of some sort from the two of them – different types of fighting styles that the new recruits should practice for their assessment. There’s just something about seeing them “fight” in person that Paolo couldn’t take his eyes off – they looked like they’re dancing, with each of them knowing exactly how the other moves. It was truly captivating. But besides that, the way the two of them looked at each other while doing so – Natasha’s smirks and Steve’s smug grins – was just a tad bit too flirty to be platonic, in Paolo’s most honest opinion.

Well. If there isn’t anything but partnership between Rogers and Romanoff, Paolo can’t say he’s not disappointed. That would be a serious waste of chemistry.

–

A month and a half passed quickly, and suddenly, the acceleration assessment is only two weeks away. All the new recruits are feeling the pressure and the exhaustion from trainings and drills. Their schedule is packed with different kinds of things every day, right from the moment they wake up. They only get an hour and a half lunch breaks, and dismissal at 6pm.

This particular Friday, exactly two weeks from the assessment, all 30 new recruits just seemed so defeated by lunch time that Steve took Natasha aside to talk about them.

“Nat, we should give them the rest of the day off. Let them have an early start to their weekend,” he said, moving out of earshot from the common room by turning to a corner.

“Hmmm, I guess they’re still recovering from their full-day drill yesterday,” Natasha winced at the memory. They set out a field with targets, traps, fake shooters – the works – so the recruits can experience what the assessment will be like. They all did well, which was great, but she has to admit, even she got tired from just watching them.

“And that will also give us the rest of the day off,” Steve reminded her, grinning as he put his hands on her hips.

She smirked, “Oh? Got plans, Rogers?”

“I might have a few.”

“Okay, well, let’s actually dismiss them before we start your plan and forget about them,” she chuckled, standing on her tip toes to swiftly peck his lips. His grin got wider when he turned around and she slapped his ass as he was walking back.

“Hey guys,” Natasha tried not to roll her eyes at the way Steve addressed the room. Okay, she knows it’s lunch and they’re bringing good news, but this guy is just so nice to them. It’s always like Good Cop, Bad Cop with them – she can tell that the recruits fear her, out of respect of course, but she can also tell that they adore Steve. Well, who wouldn’t?

“We know you had a tough day yesterday and this morning,” he continued, everyone’s eyes fixed on them. “So, Agent Romanoff and I decided to let you guys go early today. You’re dismissed when you’re done with lunch. See you all on Monday!” he ended with a bright smile, which was received with applause and cheers from everyone.

Steve turned around to smirk at Natasha, who just shook her head at him, and placed a hand behind her back as they turned and made their way back to the elevators. Once she was certain no one was behind them, she snaked her arm around Steve’s waist and slipped her hand in the back pocket of his jeans.

–

“Avery I’m telling you, they’re together, together!” Paolo all but hysterically screamed at his friend after telling her to meet him out that night.

After getting dismissed by their COs, Paolo was going to catch the elevator back up to his quarters to take a nap since he was done eating anyway and he wanted to rest. He was checking his phone as he was walking, not really looking ahead of him since by this time, he practically knows the layout of building by heart. The sound of laughter made him look up – half in curiosity and half in fear – because that was Agent Romanoff’s laugh.

He froze in his step. In front of him were his COs, talking in low voices while very cozily waiting for the elevator.

Feeling like he witnessed something he shouldn’t, he swiftly turned the corner and just hoped that neither of them saw him. It’s not like he’s stalking them – he really isn’t – but he’s sure Agent Romanoff won’t appreciate him seeing that.

Taking a deep breath, he sprinted for the stairs on the side and decided to go through there instead, not really wanting to chance the elevator. He didn’t stop running up the stairs until he reached the floor of his room and shut himself in.

After hearing this from his, Avery tried very hard to push it aside, but she has to admit, even she’s getting intrigued. She sighed and swirled her drink with her fingertip.

“Interesting. I’ve been hearing some, well, gossip about Captain Rogers. You know, from other recruits…”

“And…?” Paolo prompted.

Avery spoke after taking a sip of her drink. “Well, they also have suspicions on him being with Agent Romanoff,” Paolo’s eyes widened, but she continued talking, “though the two of them are known to be best friends, so it might really be just how they are with each other,” she added with a shrug.

Paolo pouted. “I just want to know the truth,” he sighed and downed his drink. Avery looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes.

“Why don’t you just go ask them? Agent Romanoff seems to really like you, she might want to chat with her favorite recruit.”

“Do you really think I’m her favorite?” Paolo asked cheekily, to which Avery rolled her eyes fondly at. “And no way! That’s just wrong in so many levels!”

“I don’t know what to tell you then.”

–

Paolo decided to come back to the HQ that night to get some workout and training in. Although he’s grateful for having the rest of the day off, he felt… guilty somehow that he didn’t feel worked out enough. Besides, the gym and most of the compound should be empty given it’s a Friday night – most are either out and about or too tired to be up. Before heading to the gym, he went to the kitchen first to get some water.

When he got in, there were two children – a girl and a boy – sitting on one of the tables, drawing on a piece of paper, and a sandwich and juice box in front of them. Paolo stared at the two, not quite comprehending what he was seeing. As far as he was concerned, there were no children living at SHIELD’s HQ, nor are random children randomly permitted to be there. SHIELD doesn’t start them young… right? No, no, no. That can’t be.

As if sensing that someone was staring, the boy – which looks older of the two – smiled and waved at him. He has golden-blond hair and a toothy grin, and he somehow looks familiar although Paolo was certain he’s never seen this child before. The little girl with him, noticing he was looking at someone, looked up and mimicked the boy – waving and smiling at Paolo as well. She has strawberry-blonde hair, as if the two colors are mixed together to get that shade.

Huh.

Not wanting to seem like a creep, he smiled back at them and gave a little wave, turning to the fridge to get a bottle of water. He still can’t fathom who those children are and what they were doing at SHIELD!

He was about to speak out and talk to them when someone beat him to it.

“Hey… what are you guys doing here?”

Crap. That was Captain Rogers’ voice.

Paolo couldn’t see him from where he was standing at the fridge and he stood very still, not wanting to move nor show himself if possible. But he knows it’s not because he hears footsteps approaching the tables – his way – and knows Steve will see him very soon.

“Uncle Sam brought us here because he said Auntie Maria called him to come here and that you and mommy are here too!” the boy babbled on.

Hold on.

Uncle Sam and Auntie Maria??? The Falcon – Sam Wilson and Director Hill – Maria Hill? You and mommy??? These are the Captain’s children???

The Captain has kids??? Is he married??? The only quarters in this part of the HQ are Steve’s and Natasha’s – who else could be here? The little girl has more of a red hair than blonde-

Paolo’s brain was going a hundred miles a minute. He’s trying to process what was happening around him like it’s a bunch of puzzle pieces that he has to put together.

“Your uncle’s here?” he heard Steve ask again, voice louder, indicating he’s almost to where Paolo was at. In an attempt to hide himself, he opened the door of the fridge and stared at it, like he’s watching the most fascinating movie while scanning its contents. They have an awful lot of milk and cheese, he noticed.

“Yeah!” he heard the boy exclaim. “Where’s mommy?”

“Well your mom and I…” Steve trailed off, his voice right behind Paolo, no doubt catching sight of him. “Agent Crawford?” he asked, voice laced with confusion. Paolo’s hand on the milk carton froze and he almost dropped the bottle of water he was holding.

He spun a very clumsy 180 degrees, feeling heat creep up into his neck. Said Captain was only wearing a robe and pajamas. And his hair was in disarray. Oh. He’s hoping that he doesn’t look like the tomato he just saw inside the fridge.

“Yes, Captain?” he really hoped his voice was steady to Steve’s ears because it sure as hell didn’t for him.

“What are you doing here this late on a Friday night?” Steve asked, smiling at him. He didn’t look mad – if anything, he looked surprised and amused. “Isn’t everyone else out? Or you know, resting?”

Paolo nodded. “Yes, Captain. I just thought I needed more training and I was going to work out down there,” he pointed downwards, as if Steve could see the gym from underneath his finger.

Steve let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it, Agent Crawford. Get some rest. Nat, uh, I mean, Agent Romanoff is very happy with your performance. Trust me.”

Before Paolo could respond, the little boy tugged on Steve’s arm. “Daddy, I’m sleepy,” he pouted. Steve laughed and mussed up his hair.

“James, Mommy has to stay here tonight. If you want, I can go home with you two and she’ll come home tomorrow. Or… just sleep in Mommy and I’s bed here for tonight.” Steve explained.

Paolo knows this is a personal moment and he’s basically been dismissed by Steve which means he should probably leave. But alas, he felt frozen in his spot, still holding onto the fridge’s door and peering inside it while stealing glances at the three.

“With mommy!!!” the little girl squealed out. Steve grinned and leaned down to pick the little girl up in his arms. The boy – James, it seems – nodded and stood up.

“Crawford,” Paolo’s head snapped up to meet Steve’s eye, “like I said. Nat likes you, and that’s no easy feat. Take it easy. Though don’t let her know about this,” he winked, a mischievous smile on his lips. And with the girl on his right arm, Steve held out his left hand for James to hold on to.

“Y-yes, Captain.” He answered. Steve nodded and walked with the two to the elevator, finally leaving Paolo alone to slump on the floor.

Well at least his question was answered.

But what did he mean by not letting her know about “this”? That Steve told him he was her favorite or that he found out about their family?

Huh. So, Black Widow and Captain America really is a thing. And they have children. Paolo shook his head and smiled to himself. At least he shipped the right couple. He stood up and walked to his quarters. Although he was dying to tell Avery about it, the moment between him and Captain Rogers felt so… personal that he knew he can’t just talk to other people about that. Not without the consent of either of them – he knew it wasn’t his place nor his story to tell.

–

The day after the recruits’ assessments was a very tense one. The two groups were told to meet their COs first thing in the morning to learn about their results.

Steve and Natasha stood before the 30 anxious faces of the recruits, holding a piece of paper with the results. They shared a glance before Steve spoke up.

“First of all, I want to tell everyone: good job on your assessment. We were very pleased with the results.”

“Yes, I have to say, each and every one of you exceeded our expectations,” Natasha continued, to which she was met with shocked faces.

Steve observed the recruits and let out a chuckle, looking at Natasha and raising an eyebrow. The corners of her lips lifted, and she nodded. “To answer the question in your minds: Yes. All of you are now Level 2 agents. Congratulations.” He smiled and clapped his hands, which was followed by cheering and clapping from the newly-appointed agents.

After a while of celebrating, Natasha put her hand up, to which they silenced as she began to talk. “Now, as my group knows, this is the first time in two years that I had a hundred percent pass rate. Well, Captain Rogers and I have this bet – if one of us achieves that perfect rate, we’d owe the other a dare. Since we both achieved that this year, then we both owe each other a dare.” She heard the crowd go “Oooooo” and smirked.

Steve looked at her, puzzled. Natasha stared back at him and grinned. “And I want to redeem my dare right now.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? What might that dare be?”

“Kiss me.“

Silence.

The agents looked at each other, shocked. Did they hear that correctly?

Steve stared at Natasha, blinking slowly, as if she might as well have told him that she was Loki in disguise.

“Come on, Rogers, you heard me,” Natasha prompted, crossing her arms over her chest and raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

The agents are looking at them back-and-forth, like it was a movie unfolding. It took Steve a while to recover. He stood up straighter and smiled at her. “Why, do you want to make our new agents uncomfortable?” he asked, putting his hands on her waist. She let out a laugh and shook her head.

“I’m actually aiming for the opposite.” She unfolded her arms to hold onto his shirt, standing on her toes to meet Steve’s lips as he leaned down. Gasps and Awwwws erupted from the group as their lips met, which made Natasha smile as she playfully bit Steve’s lower lip before pulling away.

She turned back to the agents, waiting for someone bold enough to ask them the question. One brave soul in the back raised her hand. Natasha nodded and the agent spoke up.

“So, does that mean you and Captain Rogers are dating?”

Natasha chuckled, shaking her head. The agents looked puzzled. All but one.

“Agent Crawford, you didn’t tell them?”

All eyes snapped to Paolo, who almost jumped at the mentioned of his name. “N-no, ma’am,” he merely squeaked out, feeling flushed at getting singled out. Steve gave him a thumbs up in return. From the other group, he saw Avery shooting him a looking that’s half-glaring, half-confusion.

“Nice work. I appreciate that.” Natasha told him. “No, Steve and I aren’t dating. We’re married.”

“And we have two kids,” Steve added, smiling at everyone. They stared at them, speechless. Who would’ve guessed?

“You might be wondering why we’re telling you this now,” Natasha spoke up after a few seconds of silence. “Now that all of you have Level 2 Clearance, we can tell you this and you’ll also be seeing more of SHIELD, like getting access to more places in the HQ and such. This is just a heads up that you might see our kids, James and Sarah, roaming around. They’re usually in the higher floors and lounges so if you see them, don’t freak out. They’re used to this environment so please just say hi or something.”

“So,” Steve clapped his hands together, “that’s all for now. Once again, congratulations. We may not be your direct CO anymore, but feel free to chat if you see any of us. We’re here as your mentors to support you. Dismissed.”

–

“How dare you not tell me!” Avery whispered a bit loudly at Paolo while they were in the newly-accessible lounge.

“Captain’s orders.” Paolo grinned sheepishly, waving at the little kids who just entered the room accompanied by their father. Steve caught his eye and winked at him.

[judaiteitoreokou]

For the fanfiction ask: Tsukiuta Rabu-Love One Shots 3, 4, 10 // Of Dreams, Butterfly and Love 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 13 // Look only at me, Love only me 1, 3, 4, 11, 13

Tsukiuta Rabu-Love fic: #3, 4 and 10

Judai: Since this fic has 3 chapters, questions 3 and 4 will have 3 answers each.

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

Chapter 1: Truth Potion (YouYoru)

Currently, the blinds were close shut and the curtains were drawn so that the room was dimly lit. There was also a light coming from the flashlight held by Iku above You. All in all, the room went from a normal Procellarum shared room into an impromptu interrogation room.

Judai: Procella being their usual funny self… I can’t help but think they will really do this in canon verse if needed. Lol.

Chapter 2: Marble Wishing (IkuRui)

There is this one rule that everyone in Procellarum abides but is, unfortunately, usually forgotten at first, and that is:

“Never, and we mean NEVER, underestimate The Maou-sama.”

For one, unexpected things will happen that will put you in danger, and two, you will find yourself in the middle of unexplainable situations that will make you question your sanity.

Judai: A rule that every Procella members should abide. Gravi members are probably obeying this rule too. Lol. I just love it every time they act wary in the presence of tje Demon Lord.

Chapter 3: Proposal (HajiShun)

Hajime’s eyes widen. He slowly stood up, sliding the ring on his now fiance’s finger and hugged Shun, spinning him around while laughing. The latter couldn’t help but giggle. The others cheered and clapped. Some let out wolf-whistles and cat-calls.

Judai: I can’t help but imagine Hajime doing this, lifting and spinning Shun because of the happiness he felt. Its not everyday your lover says yes to your marriage proposal, after all.

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

Chapter 1: Truth Potion (YouYoru)

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”

“DOES IT LOOK LIKE I HAVE A CHOICE?!" 

Judai: definitely my favorite! These lines are actually what prompted me to write this story.

Chapter 2: Marble Wishing (IkuRui)

"I remember lots of my wishes coming true, though.”

“That’s because when it comes to you, all the things you say become a prophecy.” Kai deadpanned.

Judai: Of course. Shun-sama is the Demon Lord after all. Lol.

Chapter 3: Proposal (HajiShun)

“Thank you.” Shun smiled. Hajime touched his forehead with Shun’s. He clasped both of the white haired male’s hands and stared at his eyes.

“For you, my Maou-sama, anything.”

Judai: the cheesiest yet the most romantic line in this particular oneshot. I can actually see Hajime saying this to Shun. *grins*

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Judai: Since its a multichap story of oneshots, I picked these three pairs for my first three oneshots. I find it easy to write stories of the pairs from Procella and HajiShun. Especially HajiShun since its my Tsukiuta OTP.

*****************

Of Dreams, Butterfly and Love: #1, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 13

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

Judai: I think I wrote this on November….? The Halloween spirit and my constant reading of horror stories prompted me to write this. That and I think an anon (or is it andthenabanana-san?) asked me to write an angst fic with the HajiShun pair… Its the one with Hajime dying in Shun’s arms. Don’t worry, its actually an act because they’re shooting for a movie. Lol….

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

The butterfly, graceful, beautiful and so fragile, stayed there. I don’t know why but it seems to be staring at me, as if telling me “what in the world are you doing?” “are you an idiot?” “stop whatever it is you’re about to do.” Yes, in that full detail.

Judai: To be honest, I find this part a bit funny. Anyway, I love that Shun can sense Hajime’s expression through the butterfly.

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

“How can I fall for someone else when I’m still in love with you?”

Judai: This. Definitely this line. Its sweet. Shun saying that he can’t fall for anyone since he’s still in love with Hajime even though Hajime is already dead. That’s true love~♪AIT shows how truly, madly in love Shun is with Hajime.

5: What part was hardest to write?

Judai: To be honest… Everything is hard to write. Lol!!! But I think the hardest is the first part. I kept on rewriting it since I’m not used to writing a sad Shun. I needed to channel my inner sad self just to write that part. Lol.

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Judai: Hmmm…. Alternate versions… None. But if I think about it now, my alternate version of this fic is probably Shun being successful in killing himself and Hajime feeling guilty and regretful about it.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

Judai: To be honest, I wrote this one while I was in the office (lol… Don’t copy my actions, its bad. Lol!). I think there was nothing to edit or to do at that time so I went and wrote this one. As for what music I listened to… I think I was listening to “Call Your Heroes” by Amalee and . You should try and listen to it! Amalee’s English version of Japanese anime songs are good.

*****************

Look Only at Me, Love Only Me: #1, 3, 4, 11 and 13

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

Judai: An anon (I think its two anons though…) asked me to write a fic with possessive Hajime and jealous Hajime. Also, I was thinking of challenging myself to write an M-rated fic for a change. And this fic is the product of that challenge. My first ever M-rated fic….

Its embarrassing!!! *covers face*

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

Hajime pulled back, lifting Shun’s arms from his neck and tightly held his lover’s hands with his own. He stared deeply into lime-green eyes, trying to convey all the emotions he felt for his love.

Judai: Their love is really strong to the point that they can convey it through their touches and through eye contact.

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

“Even if you want to get away, I won’t let you.”

Judai: Possessive Hajime right there! I wish someone will draw a Hajime with an intense stare saying this line to Shun…

11: What do you like best about this fic?

Judai: Hmm… I think its Hajime’s reaction. Since its already obvious to everyone that Shun’s eyes and heart (and body and soul) will always be for Hajime but Hajime can’t help but be possessive of him and get jealous with everyone who touches his Shun. Especially since he finally realize that Shun is the one for him.

Hajime is possessive of Shun cause he thinks that maybe one day Shun will stop loving him or find someone who deserves Shun’s love, and Shun will eventually break things off with him, even though Shun is 100% devoted to Hajime.

Hajime thinks that Shun is too beautiful, too pure for him and that he doesn’t deserve Shun’s love, thinking about the times he rejected Shun’s affections (he really regrets it).

Hajime, deep inside, is insecure, even though its not obvious. He needed Shun’s reassurance that Shun will never leave him as Hajime will never let Shun go.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

Judai: Hmmm…. I think its the stalker song- I mean, the “I’ll be Watching You” the version in the series “Pretty Little Liars.” The lyrics of the song actually applies to both Shun and Hajime.

“Oh can’t you see? You belong to me” ~♪

- This one is more on Hajime, being possessive of Shun

“Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take

I’ll be watching you” ~♪

- This one is on Shun, who’s a Hajime fanboy and whose eyes is only at Hajime

And to be honest, that version of “I’ll be Watching You” sounds sexual… *blush* So I can’t help but listen to it while writing the fic.

====================

Judai: And that’s it. Thank you for sending me this ask, Anon-san. And sorry for taking too long in answering it.

Anyway, requests, asks, etc. are still accepted with open arms. Lol.

- Judai

[mikawa-province]

No Holding Back

Title: No Holding Back Fandom: Samurai Love Ballad: Party/Tenka Touitsu Koi no Ran: Love Ballad Pairing: Tokugawa Ieyasu x MC Rating: PG-13 Word Count (MS Word): 3,169

心情吐露　（しんじょうとろ） [shinjoutoro] (n) expression of one's feelings; pouring out one's heart

Link for mobile users

This is the result of translating and summarizing the Matsudaira Motoyasu story event for a good five hours, only to wake up four hours later and have the urge to write this fic.

Tagging @frywen-babbles, as requested.

He never cared for poetry.

While he did read things that were practical and easy to grasp, as it was either tangible or it could be put to practice, poetry never made sense to him. No matter how hard he tried to read and tried to make sense of the waka, it just would not stick to him; not only that, but anything related to the arts, he attributed it all to Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had basically forced him to write waka while he was a hostage in Sunpu Castle, and he hated the man, even after the man had been buried in some temple in Mikawa.

The man thought his waka was horrible, and he could not care any less.

He was not meant to be like those fools in the capital who did nothing but indulge themselves in pleasure and literature writing contests, nor did he have the ambition to become one of them, like Imagawa did before. Unfortunately for Imagawa, his dream had not come to fruition, for he ended up dead at the hands of the Fool’s soldiers, who had ambushed him in Okehazama, despite the advantage of the number of soldiers he had over Oda Nobunaga.

Thankfully, the waka that he had written in his youth had been destroyed along with Sunpu Castle, which was a relief, since that meant he did not have to see the atrocious and childish waka that would probably offend the Immortals if they had the chance to read it.

Pushing the thought aside, he picked up the book that he had been reading for the past few days, and was just about to get engrossed into it until a voice from the door came calling for him.

“Ieyasu-sama?”

He ignored the quickening of his heartbeat upon hearing her voice and quickly put on a poker-faced expression, cursing at himself for feeling so affected over something so simple as her calling out his name.

“What?” he made sure to put just a bit of irritation in his tone, as he wanted to make sure that she would not hear how nervous he was.

“May I come in?” despite being his personal chef and his retainer for the past few months, it was rare for her to barge into his room unless it was important, compared to the others, who would actually barge in for the heck of it until he sent them away.

“… Sure.” Damn it, why was his heart still racing?

The sliding door opened, and upon hearing the side of the door hit the frame, he tried his best to regain his composure before she was making his way to him… and had actually succeeded in doing so.

“A-are you busy right now…?” came her nervous tone. From the corner of his eye, he saw her sit on her calves, just a few inches away from him, her hands on a… book?

While she usually tried to read any of his books during the times she was in his room, she would give up easily, claiming that his tastes in literature were far different from what she liked. When he first learned about how she was interested in poetry, he had mocked her for liking the very things he loathed, even making a point to tell her that if she requested him to get her a book related to poetry and the like, he would refuse.

“I can get a book on my own without your help, thank you very much.” She had actually looked so offended at that time that he could not help but smile at the memory.

“You broke my concentration, but it’s no big deal.” He ignored the way her face fell upon hearing that she had interrupted him in his reading. “What do you want?”

“Sakai-sama lent me a book, and when I asked him about this particular passage, he said to ask you because you read a lot, and that ‘an old man like him made it hard for him to read the characters’.” She looked so embarrassed and apologetic right now that he was struggling to regain his composure and not grab her and hold her in his arms to comfort her.

“Give it.” He said in a tone that was harsher than he had intended, cringing inwardly over how he sounded. Meekly, she gave him the book, and upon inspecting both the cover and the page that she was reading, he knew he was going to have one less retainer among his ranks.

Sakai Tadatsugu was to be sent far, far away from any of the territories under the Tokugawa.

The old man, despite his advancing age, was showing no sign at all in stopping any attempts to matchmake the two of them.

There was that time when the old man had asked her to bandage him up in the guise of being ‘heavily injured’, thus making it ‘difficult’ for him to bandage the lord of the clan, and now, he was pushing for it through romantic poems?

The only way for Sakai to be stopped was to probably kill him… though Ieyasu did not doubt that there was a chance that his most senior retainer would actually attempt the matchmaking beyond the grave.

“… Are you seriously asking me to interpret a love poem?” of all the asinine things the old man could think of, it just had to be about the very thing he was the least knowledgeable of.

She bowed her head in apology. “I did say something similar, but Sakai-sama was adamant about me asking you, and that he was very sure you would know what it meant.” Upon meeting his eyes, she smiled apologetically once more. “If it cannot be helped, Ieyasu-sama, I think I should go ask Toramatsu-kun.”

For her to even consider her fellow page to be knowledgeable about love and romance was laughable, especially when Toramatsu had yet to reach adulthood, and was not interested in the romantic aspect that happened between men and women.

His face may have given him away, for she said, “If not Toramatsu-kun, then… maybe Tadakatsu-sama would know more.”

It occurred to him that she had simply lost her mind at this point; to even consider the pervert ‘knowledgeable’ in interpreting romantic poems that dead men and women from the capital had written years before, it sounded as if she was really desperate and dying to know the meaning behind the emotional lines that she had just read.

At this, he could not help but roll his eyes. “… If I have to, then I will have to painstakingly read and try to interpret this poem.” Upon seeing her worried look, he shrugged. “Worth a try.”

“If you say so.” while she did not sound convinced, he himself wondered what the heck had possessed him to even attempt to read garbage that had never made sense, no matter how much he tried to read the passages over and over again.

Even back when he was in Sunpu, no matter how hard he tried, he simply lacked the literary soul to write anything related to romance… and yet, he looked as if he was trying too hard to, dare he say the word, impress her.

While he knew just why he would go through all of this for her, he just did not dare to voice it out loud, nor did he even bother to allow his feelings to accept it.

Sighing, he began to read the passage.

夢の逢ひは　苦しかりけり　覚どろきて　かき探れども　手にも触れねば いめのあひは くるしかりけり おどろきて かきさぐれども てにもふれねば　 

It occurred to him that the first thing he thought of upon reading through it was that whoever wrote this poem may have had issues concerning the way he was pining for whoever it was that was appearing in his dreams.

The second time he read it, Ieyasu thought of how pathetic the poet had been to write something so stupidly over-the-top, when the person he was writing about was someone he dreamt of.

The third time he went through the passage, the Lord of Mikawa felt his eye twitch upon realizing that the words had easily made sense, something that had never happened before.

Seeing one another in dreams Is painful Waking up and not seeing you No matter how many times I reach out I cannot even touch you

To his horror, he could feel the lines resonate within him, the words slowly making him feel warm within, and that there was something in him that was compelling him to take action. Words, it seemed, were not enough to convey the sentiment of the poem, and it was scaring him that he might do something that was inappropriate and so out of character for him.

Nevertheless, she was waiting for an answer, and he would have to give it, just as she had requested.

It was only proper that he give the appropriate response that she was looking for.

“Hmmm, maybe it really is that difficult…” he heard her say to him after several minutes had passed, especially since he could also feel his forehead crease whenever he was reading the lines over and over again, with each reading making much more sense. “I apologize for bothering you, Ieyasu-sama. I should get going and ask someone else.”

With the book on his lap and him still trying to digest the information that was tormenting him to either act out on his feelings or struggle to explain the meaning, he knew he could only choose one of the two, and that if did not make a choice immediately, he would lose this opportunity.

As soon as she had her hand on the book, he grabbed her wrist, making her look up to him in surprise.

“I-Ieyasu-sama…?”

“The meaning is… more complicated than I thought it would be, and I can’t put it in words.” Was it just him, or did his voice deepened?

“T-then… w-will you be writing it down…?” he nearly felt the sides of his lips curl upward at how innocent she voiced her question, and with that, he knew there was no turning back.

It was either he stalled, never knowing when he would have another chance again to do so, or he acted upon what his… feelings were telling him; for once, he had to agree with the latter.

“No. I will show you instead.”

Another tug on her wrist, and she yelped, landing on his lap, while the book fell on the tatami. In an instant, he wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from running away from him.

“Otomo no Yakamochi’s poem... it means that it is painful to see each other in your dreams because you are unable to touch the other. Same goes for you waking up and being unable to see your loved one beside you.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath. “I-is that so…? How sad.”

He tightened his hold around her. “Is that so? You’re saying that, despite the position we’re both in, and we’re touching one another?”

“W-well—”

“At least I know what I need to do. The idiot who wrote that poem didn’t, which is why all he could do was write down his feelings and moan about being unable to touch the person he had feelings for. He probably couldn’t even get his ass moving to pursue her, and make her his.”

Ieyasu knew he was ranting and he probably also sounded like he was a raving lunatic, but he did not care. The poem was seriously affecting him, and making him do the stupidest things he never expected he would do, and yet…

Her in his arms felt right that he did not want to let go.

“Unlike him, I know what I want.” He pointed out once more.

He was no longer the powerless weakling named ‘Matsudaira Motoyasu’ who was at the mercy of Imagawa Yoshimoto as his hostage in order to turn the Matsudaira clan into his vassals.

He was now Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Lord of Mikawa, he owned various territories along the coast of Tokai, he knew what he wanted, and always, always got what he wanted in turn.

And now, he was simply a man who, he suspected, was turning into a fool, all because of a woman.

She nodded in agreement, surprising him. “We’re in this position because you took matters into your own hands.” All of a sudden, she became incredibly shy, her cheeks all red. “Because you know what you want.”

“And you? Do you know what you want?”

She nodded at once. “… Yes, I do.”

While he had an aversion to being touched, somehow, her hand on cupping his cheek had been a gesture that put him at ease. That, and making his eyes widen in surprise, his face warm, and his heartbeat quicken.

He knew he should have asked, but the desire to steal her breath away with a kiss had compelled him to seek her lips. To his own shock, she had kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm he had, even wrapping her arms around his neck to close the gap between them. With his arms around her waist, he steadied his hold on her as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and she, in turn, did the same. Panting, he pulled away from her, feeling their foreheads touch as both tried to catch their breath.

“That was…” even after the kiss they shared, she was still feeling embarrassed over it, making him chuckle. “T-that was… nice.”

He snorted. “ ‘Nice’? That’s all you have to say?”

She huffed. “… I’m sorry, but what just happened seemed more like a dream than reality.”

“You in my arms and knowing what we both want… this is definitely not a dream.” He stated, before his tone turned arrogant. “If you must, feel free to start sleeping here so that you can reassure yourself that this is all real whenever you wake up.”

“Then, may I make a selfish request as well, Ieyasu-sama?” without waiting for him to say anything, she continued, “If I move in here, then please feel free to dream about me. When you wake up, I can assured you that I will still be here beside you.”

Trust her to say the words that he never would expect her to say out loud. While both of them have yet to tell each other what they truly felt, something that they bickered over during a tournament in Owari, and he had impulsively demonstrated to her how he felt, he guessed that this setup suited both of them the best, showing their feelings through their actions.

… Though, he had to admit, she needed more ‘practice’ with her kissing, something that he would be more than happy to help her with.

“You dare demand me to dream about you? Impertinent kitchen wench asking her Lord to do the impossible.” He clicked his tongue before smirking at her, enjoying the fact that nervousness was reflected on her eyes.

“You must be punished then.”

Needless to say, her fellow retainers had found it very difficult to find her the whole afternoon, and when she did appear, it did not escape their notice that her clothes were wrinkled and her hair looked messy the moment they saw her down the hallway in preparation for dinner. Not only that, but whenever she was near Ieyasu-sama, her face was all red, and that she seemed like she was always in a hurry to get away from him. The fact that she had actually slammed the plate of strawberry daifuku on the tray and left immediately had surprised most of them, but not Ieyasu-sama, who seemed amused at what she had done.

Despite this, each of them hoped that their lord would not be too harsh with his punishment if ever she had offended him.

Right after witnessing the unusual scene, each began speculating as to why she had suddenly grown uncomfortable around their lord, with all of them wanting to know exactly what happened between the two.

In the end, it had been Sakai Tadatsugu who had been able to verify what exactly was happening between Tokugawa Ieyasu and his female retainer.

Days after the dining room spectacle, in the guise of handing over a letter for his lord to read, Sakai had announced himself by the door, and before waiting for the reply, he decided to step into the room, sneaking a peek at the surroundings.

What did not escape his notice was that there were now two tables in the center of the room, side by side, with both furniture piled up with books. To his surprise, he noticed that Ieyasu-sama was huddling with her, and both of them were poring over one of the books that he had lent to her days ago.

“What are you two doing?”

It had been Ieyasu-sama who had turned back to look at him, irritation evident on his face, most likely because he had interrupted them. “Reading poems, obviously.”

The old man felt his eyes widen in surprise.

Ieyasu-sama hated poetry more than anything.

“With your hand on her waist?” Sakai pointed out, realization dawning upon him that the two’s relationship had actually taken a huge leap from what he had anticipated. While he thought the book of poems would actually encourage her to seek out Ieyasu-sama, who did not like to read anything beyond the practical, they were now sitting so close to one another that the intimacy, no matter how innocent, made him blush.

“… You’re bothering us. Leave.” For added measure, he watched as the head of the Tokugawa clan pull her closer to him. While she seemed like she was surprised at the sudden gesture of affection done in front of others, judging from how even her ears were red, she settled and relaxed against her lord, even putting her head on his shoulder as she began singing a poem that told about longing and waiting for a beloved who would not come.

Sensing that he was overstaying his welcome, he bowed to his lord’s back, and left the room, feeling the tears burn his eyes.

Ieyasu-sama hated poetry more than anything, and yet, he was reading it with her.

Using the sleeves of his kimono to wipe away the tears from his eyes, he pressed his palms together in front of him.

I will not ask for my hair to grow back, but for the sake of the clan and myself as well, please let the Tokugawa be blessed with Ieyasu-sama’s heir as soon as possible…!

Feeling light-heartened at the thought of a prospective heir, he proceeded to head over to a nearby shrine to donate a few coins in order for his prayer to come true.

The future of the clan was looking brighter than ever.

Notes:

This fanfiction was a result of me binge-playing KoiRan’s prologue arc (called ‘Zenjitsutan’ in Japanese) story event Ransei ni Mebaeta Koi, which I have translate to ‘A Love In Full Bloom In Turbulent Times’. While the story event had been filled with so much angst, revelations, and surprises, the Epilogue, on the other hand was just filled with so much fluff and cuteness and everything that’s good.

Long story short, in the Epilogue, Motoyasu was asked by Imagawa to improve on his poetry writing, and MC helps him along the way, as she seems to understand and interpret poetry correctly compared to him, who had no idea about the meaning of the poem that she found interesting.

The waka used in this fanfiction is actually one of the two love poems used in the Epilogue. The other poem is also a waka, though that particularly waka is used in a card game called Karuta, and was written by Fujiwara Sadaie/Fujiwara no Teika. What made this poetry reading and writing aspect so hilarious in the game was MC finally knowing that Motoyasu had a weakness, and it happens to be poetry.

Honestly, my knowledge about ancient Japanese poems are nonexistent that I had to do a bit of research. I am rather grateful for the resources I have found, as I wouldn’t have been able to understand the meaning of the poem, and would have probably not been able to write this fic as well if I did not understand the sentiment behind it.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

The translation of the poem used in this fic was done by me, as it was nearly impossible to find a decent translation of the poem online. Hopefully, I was able to convey the meaning of the poem properly.

Lastly, if you didn’t know already, before Oda Nobunaga became the first unifier of Japan, Imagawa was basically the asshat that ruined most people’s lives in the Tokai area, from Matsudaira Motoyasu to *gasp* even Toramatsu. He was rather horrible in the story event, though admittedly, thanks to him, Motoyasu and MC and growing closer to one another.

I am actually waiting for the day he gets cut down by Oda Nobunaga’s forces.

As always, major thanks to my friend Sayou for the proofreading.

I hope you all enjoyed the fic. Until next time!

[strawbebehmod]

Reverse Dad AU fic

A fanfic for @dailymaeshughes

Wanted to write a fic about how Roy came to adopt Ed and alphonse in this AU. Hope you like it! for this, assume Trisha died after the war.

“Damn those seats are uncomfortable…” Roy muttered as the got off the train, “You think they would have designed them better…” Riza sighed and smiled at her new husband. “You know it’s still better than a stage coach,” she said. The were heading back to East City from their honeymoon. They have been together for a long time, but as soon as Roy had gotten back from the war he had asked her to marry him. Due to Roy’s eagerness had been a very quick planning process, only taking them three months before the ceremony. To the outside eye, it would appear as though they were jumping into things too quickly, but anyone who knew them knew they had a very long and sturdy relationship that wouldn’t be shaken by a slightly impulsive decision to wed. They had know each other since they were teenagers. Roy had originally wanted to serve the state as state alchemist and had studied under her father for a few years in hopes it would help him achieve this goal. However, when her father found out about this plan, he immediately refused to teach him any more and kicked him out. Ashamed by his own actions in trying to keep his intentions secret from his teacher, Roy decided against becoming a state alchemist and instead joined the military as a normal soldier. He still kept in touch with Riza, sending her letters back and forth until her Father’s death, upon which she moved from her hometown and became a police officer in Central where the pair reconnected in person. Even during the war, the two kept in touch, sending letters to each other. Nothing made Roy happier than to receive Riza’s letters. So much so that he would even pester his dear friends Maes Hughes and Gracia Munzo, the army doctor of their regiment, much to their dismay. Still, as much as they complained, he was sure hearing about his letters was still more enjoyable for them than having that creep Solf J. Kimbly bother them. He remembered a particular occasion where he had been antagonizing the poor doctor, telling her that wearing the uniform meant she should be just as prepared to kill as any of the rest of them. He frowned at the memory but quickly brushed it aside. It was still his Honeymoon and he was with the most wonderful woman he had ever known. He shouldn’t be letting such things bother him. “It will be a little while before our next train comes to get us back to East City,” she said, “We should probably head into town to get some lunch.” “Agreed,” he said, “I’m famished. What are you hungry for?” Riza thought for a moment before smiling as something came to mind. “Hmmm…” she said tapping her chin, “Something fresh. I’ve been craving fruit lately.” “Alright, let’s see if they have a farmer’s market,” he said, entwining their elbows as they walked into town. …. For such a small town, the local market certainly had a good selection. They had apples, peaches, even pumpkin pie. He supposed it was because of the local farming community, but it was still a pleasant surprise. As they made their selection from a produce stand Roy overheard something. “Hurry up Al!” a tiny voice called. “I am! I am!” another responded. Roy turned to see two young boys running and laughing through the streets heading in their directions. Their eyes and smiles were equally bright and their golden hair shined in sunlight. Roy smiled at them. “What an adorable pair,” he thought, “Their parents must be very lucky.” The two boys were distracted in their race and the shorter one carrying a basket of fruit bumped straight into Roy. “Oof!” he cried, falling back on his bum, dropping a few tomatoes in the process and causing Roy to chuckled. “Careful now,” he said leaning down to help the boy pick up his produce, “You don’t want these getting dirty or bruised now, do you?” The boy blinked and looked up at him curiously before smiling. “Thanks!” he said as his brother caught up, “Come on Al, let’s get home. Mom needs these for the soup as soon as possible!” With that the two ran off down the street. Roy smiled warmly as he watched them leave. Such kind boys, doing errands for their mother at such a young age. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of longing as he did so. He wondered what it would feel like to have two tiny versions of him or his wife come running up to him like those two most certainly would with their mother. Riza notices the look on his face before glancing in the direction he had been looking. She sighed before giving him an amused expression. “Don’t tell me you’re already thinking about kids now…” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. He chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “Is it so wrong?” he asked, “Most couples start thinking about that early on, now don’t they?” “Yeah, but not the week after they get married!” Riza argued giving him a wry smile, “Try to contain yourself, mr. The quick wedding was one thing, but you can’t rush into a decision like having kids.” “Besides, we aren’t in the best financial position at the moment,” she responded, “A quick planning process does not equal a cheap wedding, as I’m sure you’ve learned.” She gave him an accusatory look and Roy scratched the back of his head guiltily. While usually he was a bit more prudent with spending money, he really went all out with their wedding. They were probably going to be eating rice and cheap noodles for several months at the very least to cover the expenses. “Let’s give ourselves a good year before we start thinking about children,” she said, “For now, let’s just settle for being dog parents to Hayate, alright?” Roy sighed and nodded. “Alright…” he said before they went to go finish buying their lunch. …. Almost a year and a half had passed since that day and Roy and Riza’s situation had changed greatly. Roy had gotten a promotion to lieutenant colonel along with a pay increase and Riza became a captain of her squad. Because of that, the two had a much more comfortable life. They were able to move out of the apartment they were sharing and into a small house. Unfortunately, these promotions had made them incredibly busy. They had no time to think about having children of their own, not that they had the ability to care for a newborn anyways. The forgotten subject had saddened Roy a little, but that didn’t stop him from gushing to anyone with in about his wife or the puppies her dog had fathered recently. It was funny that he was technically a grandpa of sorts before being a father, but he didn’t mind too terribly. He forgot about his want to be a father for a while until one day, one of the public elementary schools in East City was having a field trip to the military offices. He was leaving his own office to get lunch when he saw the group out on the grounds eating their own sack lunches. Roy noticed the teacher looking worried as she counted and recounted her students. Roy raised an eyebrow curiously as he approached her. “Is something wrong ma’am?” he asked. When she saw him her eyes brightened. “Oh thank goodness!” she said, “Sorry to bother you Sir, but could you please help me? One of my students has gone missing. Can you help me find him.” Roy frowned in worry. “What does he look like?” he asked. “Well, his name is Edward. He’s a bit small for his age, about this high,” she gestured to how his height reached up to her hip, “Has golden hair, golden eyes, and is very loud.” Roy smiled. “Well if he’s so loud, then I’m sure he’ll be easy for me to find for you,” he said, “Especially since I’m part of the investigations department.” The woman gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you sir!” “It’s my pleasure, now can you tell me the last place you saw him?” he asked. …. Roy spent about twenty minutes searching before he found the boy hiding behind a marble pillar, scowling at the ground. As soon as he saw him, he recognized the boy. He saw him in Risembool over a year ago! What was he doing in East City? Did he move here? He didn’t think polite of him to ask so he stuck to his original objective. “Hey there little guy,” he said, catching the boy’s attention. He looked up at him with surprise and suspicion as Roy sat down next to him. The man had to stop himself from frowning as he noticed the brightness in the boy’s eyes had dulled slightly. He could see pain in the place of the innocence he had seen before. “Whatcha doing here all alone? Don’t you want to be with your friends?” he asked. The boy glared at him before huffing and looking away. “No. I don’t want to be around any of those jerks,” he growled. This time Roy really did frown. “Why not? Did something happen?” he asked before noticing the seven year old didn’t have a sack lunch with him. “What happened to your lunch?” he asked. Edward looked down, considering whether he should speak or not before he did so. “Some jerk threw it in the fountain,” he finally admitted, “So I knocked him down and punched him in the nose.” Roy blinked in surprise before giving the boy a look of pity. “I see,” he said, “I suppose that’s why you’re hiding, isn’t it? So you won’t get in trouble?” To his surprise, he shook his head no. “I don’t care if I get in trouble, I just don’t want to hear the teacher lecture me,” he said, “She doesn’t care about me. She shouldn’t get to lecture me about anything.” Roy frowned. “I’m sure she cares about you…” he started before the boy cut her off. “No she doesn’t! None of them do! If she did she wouldn’t let them pull things like that on me,” he responded. “It’s a field trip,” he tried to assure, “She has a lot of children to keep track of. I’m sure if it was a normal-” “That’s a load of crap!” he snapped, completely blindsiding roy. He had not expected that kind of language from a 7 year old. He was about to say something when he continued. “Those jerks try to push around my brother and I all the time, and the stupid teachers do nothing. If anything, I’m the one who gets in trouble for fighting back,” he growled before looking down, “They call me short, ‘n make fun of us ‘cause we’re from the country and didn’t have all the nice things that city people did like radios and cars…” Roy frowned sadly, once again feeling bad for the boy. Children could be cruel and didn’t help that the boy was being reprimanded for sticking up for himself. Though to be fair, with the little boy’s way of dealing with the teasing, the teachers probably thought he was the troublemaker. He didn’t know what to say. “Have you tried telling your parents about this problem? Maybe they could-” he started before the boy suddenly glared at him. Mustang shut up as he saw the anger mixed with despair in the boy’s eyes. Roy’s eyes widened at the implications of that glare before they softened again. Oh. OHHHHHHHH. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly and respectfully. Roy’s heart ached for the boy at this revelation. He could relate, as he too lost his parents at a young age. That’s partially why he cherished his wife so much. He knew how easily one could lose those closest to them.

They were silent for a moment before  Roy placed a hand on the boy’s back. “Hey,” he said, “It’s gonna be alright. It’s going to hurt for a while. A long time actually, but you’ll pull through. Things will get bet-” “Things are not going to get better!” Edward shouted at him, “In fact, I don’t think there’s a way they could possibly get worse! These people just came to our door saying that cause our mom was gone and our dad disappeared, we had to go to a stupid rotten orphanage. We had to leave Winry and Granny, and Granny can’t adopt us back because they said because she’s old and alone and doesn’t have a steady income, three kids would be too much for her!” “We’re stuck in this stupid city with no friends, no family, and they people at the orphanage won’t even let us practice Alchemy,” he ranted, “It sucks! I hate it here!” Roy blinked at the little boy as he finished letting out his pent up rage. He didn’t know what to think. The boy’s situation was more than frustrating. He must feel so alone. The boy needed someone who he could trust. Roy scratched his chin as he thought for a moment before a thought came to mind. “So,” he said, “Do you just plan on sitting here for the rest of eternity?” Edward glared at him before turning away with a “humpf!” “Alright then,” he said, “But how do you think you brother would feel? You’re the one person he’s closest to, correct? How do you think he would feel if you just gave up and sat in the streets for your whole life, leaving him behind?” Edward didn’t say anything. He glared at Roy before looking to the ground sadly. “I know what you’re going through is tough,” Roy said comfortingly, “But you have to stay strong. Things WILL get better. I promise you that much. But nothing with change if you just give up. Giving up is like letting those bullies beat you down. Besides, your brother is gonna need someone to stand by his side to get through this. Can you really let him just keep struggling on on his own?” Edward shook his head “no” sadly. “I thought so,” Roy said with a smile before standing up and holding out a hand to the boy, “Now come on, let’s go get you a real lunch. A nice warm one from the cafeteria before I get you back to your class. How does that sound?” Edward seemed to consider this. “It won’t be gross like the school food is, will it?”he questioned. Roy chuckled and shook his head no. “Nope. This cafeteria isn’t like the one at your school. It’s much nicer. I promise,” he answered. With that, Edward rubbed his nose on his sleeve before standing up and taking the man’s hand. …. Riza was tired when she got home from work. It had been a long day and she was ready to hit the hay as soon as she had finished eating dinner. Needless to say she was not prepared when her husband suddenly burst through the door saying, “Riza, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” he announced. She nearly choked on her water she had been drinking in surprise by his entrance. Well, one couldn’t say he didn’t know how to make an entrance. She blinked away her surprise before responding. “Yes? What about?”she asked. “Children,” he said simply. Her face was deadpanned as she processed this. She sighed and rested her head in her hand. Well, it had been over a year and they were much better off now. “Roy, I’m sorry but this really isn’t a good time try doing anything,” she said, “I’m really tired. How about we talk about what we want to do tomorrow and then-” “No, not making children,” Roy clarified, “Adopting them. I already have two in mind in fact.” Riza was taken aback by this. As she let the information sink in she frowned at him. “Wait a minute, are you telling me you were already planning on adopting without me?”she questioned. “No!” Roy said holding his hands up, “Well…sort of. I met a young orphan boy today and I really would like to adopt him and his brother. They’re currently dealing with a very unfortunate situation and I think it would really help them if we took them in.” Riza gave a curious look. “Unfortunate situation?”she repeated, “Can you explain?” Roy nodded before sitting down in the chair across from her and relaying the story he had heard from the boy. As he told her their story, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the boys. Once he was done she set her fork down and folded her hands together, resting her chin on top of them as she thought. “I think unfortunate is an understatement when it comes to what those boys are dealing with…” Riza admitted, looking down at her empty plate. “So you agree with me?” Roy said hopefully. She looked at his smiling face before sighing. “Yes and no,” she said, causing him to frown, “Those boys do need a stable home, but the question is if it should be ours. I would love to help them, but if we aren’t the ones suited for the job, then I couldn’t agree to take them in.” “Neither of us have much experience with children, Roy, and the pups are already a handful,” she explained. Roy attempted to protest before Riza held up a finger. “However….” she continued, “That is not a no. I just want to make sure we aren’t rushing into things here. We should take some time to figure this out. Read a parenting guide or two. If we were having a child by birth we’d get between 7 to nine months of preparation time anyways depending on when we found out about it, so it’s only fair that we take some time to figure this out too.” Roy’s smile once again returned to his face as he quickly got up and moved across the table to hug and kiss her. “You’re the best Riza,” he said as he continued to plant kisses on her face. She hummed in amusement. “Well I certainly try,” she responded. … And so for two months the couple worked together to make sure they were ready to have children in their home. They debated over possible babysitters, what school they should be enrolled in, a good doctor for them and so on before working on becoming applicable for adopting. When the approval letter came back Roy was overjoyed, lifting Riza for a moment in pure excitement. The next day when Roy had calmed down, they headed into the orphanage with their paperwork asking for Edward and Alphonse Elric. The woman at the desk was positively delighted when she found out Roy and Riza were planning on adopting Edward and Alphonse. “You see, several people have tried to adopt either one of them, but they just refuse to be separated. If Alphonse is requested to be interviewed alone, he’ll refuse to go down to the room. And if Edward gets called down alone…” The woman winced slightly, “Well, he actively tries to make the couple interviewing him dislike him. But I assure you! They are very good boys! Very sweet. They’re both just very wary around strangers.” Roy and Riza nodded but exchanged looks when the woman turned her back. “You two wait here,” she said as she pointed into a room with a table and four chairs, two of which had booster seats. She then departed from the couple as she went to go retrieve the boys. Roy tapped his foot impatiently as he glanced down the hall every so often. Riza smiled at him. “Nervous are we?” She chuckled. “Well, I hope they end up liking us,” He admitted, “We can’t force them too after all.” “True, but from what I understand, you made a pretty good impression,” Riza responded. “Please boys!” they heard coming from down the hall. Roy and Riza both turned to see the woman trying to tug Edward along by the arm. “There are some very nice people who want to meet you.” “No!”the golden haired boy protested, “Let me go!” Alphonse was a little willing to work with the woman but his brother was having none of it. He didn’t want to be adopted by any one. He just wanted to go back home. “Are you sure we can handle him?” Riza questioned turning to her husband. Roy laughed nervously. “I’m sure it will be fine!” “Come on Ed…” the younger boy said, “Maybe we’ll like these people.” “Grrrr….” the boy uttered before relenting. They were lead into the room where Roy and Riza were. All of a sudden, Ed’s eyes widened. He recognized that man! He saw him last month. “You!” he cried pointing at him, “You were that soldier from before!” “Yup!” Roy said waving at him, “Good to see you, kid! How’ve you been?” Ed didn’t respond as he continued to process the information. “Wait…” he said, “Is this why you said things were gonna get better? Because you mer going to adopt me?” The boy felt slightly betrayed by this. “Actually I only started considering that after you left,” Roy admitted. Edward still glared at him. “Boys,” the lady said, “Why don’t you introduce yourself to this nice couple, huh?” “Does it matter, they already know all about me…” Ed muttered before his brother pushed his shoulder. “I’m Alphonse Elric! It’s nice to meet you!” he said, holding out a hand. Riza and Roy both smiled before Riza took it in her own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Alphonse,” Riza responded. She then turned to Edward. “And you must be Edward then? My name is Riza Mustang and this is my husband, Roy,” she said, “It’s good to finally meet you. He’s told me a lot about you.” “I’ll bet…” Ed muttered as he and his brother were ushered over to the seats and told to sit down. “I’ll leave you be for a bit. I hope things go well for you,” the lady said before closing the door. “So…” Riza started, “What is it that you boys like to do for fun?” “Well…” Alphonse started, “I like reading! I like reading science books a lot. But the school library doesn’t have anything I haven’t already read.” “Really? You read through it that quickly?” Roy said, “That’s quite an accomplishment little man.” Alphonse smiled. “Thank you! What about you guys? What do you do for fun?” he asked. “Well we don’t have much free time,” Roy admitted, “But when I get home I do enjoy reading too. I’ve got a few good works of fiction in my library.” “A Lot of my free time is spent looking after the dogs,” he explained. “Dogs?” Alphonse said. Edward looked slightly more interested in the conversation ut didn’t speak. “Yup!” Roy said with a bright smile pulling out a picture, “Look at them, aren’t they adorable? They’re only 3 months old you know!” “Awwwww!” Alphonse cood, “their so small and fuzzy…” Ed tried to not look curiously at the pictures of the little scamps but found it very hard to. Roy suddenly turned to him and showed him the picture. “How about you, Ed? Do You like them? I’m sure they’d really like you! They just love meeting new people!” Roy asked him. The little boy only huffed and looked away. Roy gave a downtrodden look and Alphonse scowled at his brother before he spoke up. “I really like them Sir,” he chirped. Roy smiled at the boy. “That’s great to hear,” he said. “So, Alphonse, what are your other interests?” Riza asked. “Well…” he started. The three talked for a little while longer and about little things. What he used to do when he was little, his favorite park in town, his favorite season. As the conversation continued Edward became more and more annoyed.  Finally he couldn’t take it anymore and slammed his palms on the table. “Why are you doing this?” he questioned. Roy and Riza blinked in confusion. “Excuse me?” Roy questioned. “This is your way of trying to make things better, isn’t it?” he said, “You think you’re doing some great act by taking us in, but I told you what we wanted. I told you that all we wanted was just to go back home and live with our friend again.” “But now you’re trying to ruin any chance of that happening!” Ed accused, “We were gonna run away from this place. How are we supposed to get out of this place and go home when you decided to make us legally yours and take us even farther away?” Both adults looked affronted and offended at Ed’s words. “Brother!” Alphonse snapped, “How could you say something so mean like-” However, he was cut off by Roy raising his hand. He had a very upset look on his face as he spoke next. “Do you really think us so selfish and cruel that we wouldn’t let a young boy have regular contact with the closest thing to family that he has?” he said in a low tone. Edward blinked in surprise. “Wait what?” he responded looking between the two of them, “You weren’t gonna keep us here in East City forever?” “Of course not!” Riza said as if it were obvious. There was an angry scowl on her face. “We got in contact with one Pinako Rockbelle several weeks ago to organize a schedule of when you two can visit them if we were to adopt you two,” she explained, “While you will be living here with us, we never intended to never let you leave the city. Granted one of us would be escorting you for each visit.” “Yes, we want children around,” Roy said, “But we also want you two to be happy.” Edward sat back in his chair feeling terrible. “Sorry…” he muttered, looking down at the table in shame. The couple’s faces lighten at that. “You’re forgiven,” Riza responded. “Hey,” Roy said, smile returned to his face as he looked at Ed, “How about we start over then, huh?” The golden haired boy looked up at him and nodded. Roy’s smile brightened. “Alright,” he said, “So I heard you boys like alchemy.” Both of the brother’s eyes lit up and they shared bright smiles before they began to ramble about their favorite topic. … After the paperwork was finished they all headed home. Roy and Riza had given them a quick tour of the house, pointing out the bathroom, the kitchen, their bedroom, and the library. The two were particularly excited about the library. Their eyes practically twinkled as they saw it for the first time. After a long afternoon and night of getting used to and exploring their new home, Riza and Roy got the boys to bed. The two slept on opposite ends of the same queen sized bed. They still needed to get a second one for them, but for now, this worked. Roy smiled as he looked down at their sleeping forms from the doorway. Alphonse scrunched his nose and turned in his sleep before Roy closed the door again. Ever since they finished filling out the forms that afternoon he hadn’t been able to stop smiling. Even when he crawled into bed with Riza that evening he was still beaming. She noticed this and smirked at him. “You’ve been smiling all day,” she observed, “Your face hasn’t gotten stuck that way as it?” “Riza…” he said, “We’re parents!” She sighed, returning his smile. “I know, Roy,” she said, “I was there when we signed the forums, remember?” “Those boys are going to be wonderful,” he said, “I can just tell.” “They’re certainly going to be a handful,” she responded with a light chuckle. “Yeah…but a good handful,” Roy said. He then pulled the sheets over himself and tried to go to sleep. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone about these two boys. In fact, he knew the first thing that he would do tomorrow was call up his close friend hughes and let him know all about it.