Hey guys! I know I know I should be updating A Trip to the Zoo, but it's finals week and I don't have time to write the whole last chapter :P So instead I took ten minutes to fix this story up a bit. It was one of the first I had written so I tried my best to improve it! So here you are, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, I still do not own FMA

Firsts

You know the saying, there is a first time for everything, and you really can't argue with that logic. Life is full of firsts. If it weren't, where would we be? Firsts encourage us to move on, to try something new, to take a chance. My life, like everyone else's has been full of firsts. Some are obviously more important than others, but out of all my firsts, the ones with Hawkeye are the ones I never forget.

I remember the first time I saw her…..

I was ten years old and looking for an alchemy teacher. I knew I was a pretty good alchemist, so naturally I wanted to improve my skills, but my bigger reason was just to get away from my home life, which was slightly less than perfect. I walked from the train station, following a crudely drawn map to big country house. I was nervous to say the least, but I strode up and knocked on the door with confidence, determined to do my best. Needless to say I was rather shocked when a girl my age, maybe slightly younger opened the door. Apparently Mr. Hawkeye had neglected to mention the fact that he had a daughter, a minor detail I'm sure.

"Hello, how can I help you?" said the girl politely, but not hiding the underlying tone of distrust.

"Hello, my name is Roy Mustang." I said, trying to be as polite as possible, I wasn't taught many manners due to my parents' deaths, but I knew enough to try and sound respectable. "I am here to study alchemy…."

"Oh you are the boy!" said the girl with a hint of excitement, then realizing her "rudeness" she quickly put on an indifferent face. "Please come in sir, my father will be with you in a moment."

"It's Roy…."

"Excuse me?"

"You can call me Roy." I said, giving her a slight smile.

"Okay then, Roy, my father will be with you shortly."

"Thank you miss."

"It's Riza."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Riza." She replied, giving me a slight smile in return.

"Nice to meet you Riza." I said, my smile growing. I swore I saw a hint of a blush crawl up her cheeks but she turned and walked away before I could be sure, leaving me standing in the entryway, waiting for my new sensei.

"Riza" I repeated, liking the sound of that name.

I remember the first time I held her hand, it was many years after that. After Isvaal, after the horror, after the pain.

We were on a train heading from the East to Central. She was reading a book, as she had been for the entire ride. I was sitting next to her, doing nothing except letting my eyes wander from the window to the other passengers to her, no matter how many times I looked away, my eyes always landed back on her.

It was strange, I realized, how entranced I was by her. Just watching her eyes slowly take in the words on the pages in front of her was magic to me. Everything she did was magic. I watched as she turned a page in her book, setting her hand in her lap, she always read with only one hand, something I had noticed after so many years of knowing her. The other hand would come up only to turn a page before returning to its position. Another page turned, this time she lay her hand on the bench in between us, making my mind think crazy thoughts.

'Just take it Mustang. C'mon be a man! What's the worst that could happen' a vision of a smoking gun flashed through my head but I shook it away. Gathering any and all confidence I could muster I reached over to grab her hand, but it was back doing its job, turning another page of that book of hers.

'Damn too late' I thought, but soon enough her hand returned to the place in between us, taunting me.

'This is it!' my mind ordered. I obeyed. Reaching to the side I wrapped my gloved hand around her small, bare one. I allowed myself a moment of pride, but it was short lived for within a matter of seconds my grasp was empty and the all too familiar sound of a gun being cocked echoed in the compartment. Taking a hint I put my hand back into my lap.

She removed her hand from the gun, her eyes never once leaving her book. Another page was turned and, to my surprise, she put her hand back down in between us. Not wanting to let a perfect opportunity like this pass me by, I grabbed her hand once again. She wasted no time in removing her hand from mine, but the sound of a gun never reached my ears, so I figured I was making progress. She turned another page, this time I grabbed her hand out of the air, not giving her time to place it somewhere I couldn't reach. I was shocked, to say the least, when her hand stayed right where it was, I loosened my grip slightly to a more relaxed one and gave myself a pat on the back.

The time came for her to turn a page, I could tell by the way her eyes flicked in my direction. Taking a hint I released her hand, giving her just enough time to flip to the next page before her hand was back in my possession. And so when our train ride for a good half hour.

All to soon though the layer of cloth in between the flesh of our hands became bothersome to me. So much so that the next time she needed her hand to turn a page, I took the opportunity to slip of my glove with practiced efficiency. By the time the page was flipped, my hand was bare and ready to hold hers once again.

She tensed as our hands made contact; she wasn't expecting the change in circumstances. But I gave her no option of rejection, I hung on tight until I was sure she wouldn't let go. When I finally felt secure I focused all my thoughts on the feeling of her skin on mine. Her hand was warm and soft, yet calloused from years of wear and tear. They weren't the hands of a lady, not to other people, but to me, they were perfect.

We continued with our little game while I planned my final move. The time had come to test it out. My grip loosened on her hand when she needed to turn the page. Her hand reached up to do its job, but no hand was there to meet it on its way down. She placed her hand in between us, giving me permission to take it, but I did no such thing. I had my own hands placed firmly in my lap. She spared me a glance before reaching out and taking my hand in hers.

'Victory!' I allowed myself a smirk of success as I repositioned my hand so that our fingers were interlaced, locked together, never wanting to let go.

Like pieces to a puzzle, I thought, we were meant to hold hands like this.

I remember our first hug, to some a hug may seem insignificant, a casual everyday thing people do with their friends. But there was something about the way her body felt against mine and how her warmth soaked through me that made this hug something to be cherished.

It was during the whole Barry the Chopper episode when I left my post to go save her, even though I wasn't supposed to. She was angry at me for not staying put because now my involvement can be directly linked, but I couldn't let her die, not then, not now, not ever. As we were walking to the car, her a step behind me as always, I turned around suddenly and wrapped my arms around her, never wanting to let go. She stiffened at the contact, resisting my embrace. But I just held on tighter, pulled her closer, and buried my face in her hair. Taking in everything about her that was just so….her.

"Don't scare me like that ever again" I whispered, letting the fear I had felt seep into my voice. Hearing this she finally hugged back, I knew she understood how scared I was. She leaned into my chest and I held her close, not wanting to ever let go.

"I won't Colonel" she said.

"Roy"

"What?"

"It's Roy"

"Roy"

I remember our first kiss. To others it probably didn't look like anything special, but it was fireworks in my head.

It was while I was in the hospital after the incident with Lust. Havoc was asleep on the bed next to me and Riza was sitting in a chair beside my bed, obviously thinking very hard about something, and for once not paying much attention to her surroundings. Seeing my chance I leaned over, ignoring the pain from my seared wound, and pecked her on the cheek. She turned to me in shock, her eyes full of questions.

"S-sir?" she said, searching my face for my motives.

"I don't want to ever see you cry again Lieutenant, especially not for my sake."

"Then don't give me reason to sir" she said, simple logic as always.

"I won't." I promised. "I won't go anywhere you can't follow, who would protect me then?"

"There is no where you could go that I can't follow" she said, so quiet I wasn't quite sure I heard it. There was a moment of silence as I pondered her words.

"Lieutenant, if I died what would you do?"

"Like I said sir, there is no where you can go that I won't follow." She replied. At this I turned toward her and grabbed her face in my hands, pulling her towards me. I met her lips with mine and kept them there as long as I could before I felt the need to let go, letting all of my emotions come out in that kiss.

"Don't you ever follow me there Lieutenant." I ordered, my eyes meeting her auburn ones.

"Don't you ever give me reason to"

Life is full of loss, and death. Full of pain and loneliness, of hurt and tears. It is full of evil trying to push you down and keep you away. The only things that keep us going are the new chances, the rays of hope that cut through the darkness. Even simple things….like your first meeting…your first hug…..or your first kiss. We must never forget these firsts because they represent the possibilities, the things yet to come. The hope for a better future. Firsts are what keep us going when times are tough they help us to overcome difficulties and climb mountains. They are what make life enjoyable. So as you go through life, if you only remember one thing, remember this. Never forget your firsts.

And there you have it! If you liked this story, you would probably enjoy my other story, Promotion, so check that out if you feel like it! And once again thanks for reading, you guys are my favorite! Review if you feel like it, they are always welcome!

~bearhead