Just One of Those Days
A/N: This is the story behind the first paragraph of chapter 4 of "Kingly Ambitions". However, you don't need to have read it to understand this. Just know that it takes place during Roy's apprenticeship.
Roy moaned and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the harsh winter light. It was long past time to get up, but he was cold and unusually light-headed this morning. Maybe he was coming down with something…
He couldn't smell breakfast—had he slept through Riza's calls? The thought worried Roy; he tried not to be inconsiderate. As much as he was a student, and expected to do his fair share of things, there were times when Riza treated him as a guest, and it made Roy feel guilty to take advantage of such hospitality.
Finally, he rolled out of bed, sliding on slippers and pulling on a bathrobe over his pajamas before half-stumbling downstairs.
"Morning, Riza," he mumbled as he entered the kitchen, noticing that his tone was rather nasal. He was probably just coming down with a cold or something—not a year went by when he didn't.
"You sound a little strange, Roy," Riza noted, turning around. "Are you getting—aahhh!" she shrieked, eyes widened and pitch raised with horror. She dropped the knife she'd been drying, not moving to avoid it. Thankfully it missed her feet, skittering a little ways away.
"What?" Roy looked around frantically, unable to see what was frightening the young woman.
He didn't consider that it might be him until Riza balled up a towel and thrust it into his hands. "Pinch the end of your nose and lean forward," she instructed.
"Huh?" Roy winced as Riza made him lift a hand to his nose. He twitched, causing her hand to hit his nose. When she drew it back, he saw it was smeared with blood. "Oh! Oh… I… Sorry!" Now, he followed the directions she'd given him.
Riza went over to the sink and began to scrub at the spot on her hand. "I take it this doesn't happen often," she guessed over the running of the water.
Roy shook his head, then remembered Riza had her back to him. "No."
"Well, it can happen when it's cold and dry out, especially if you're not used to it," she informed him. Apparently satisfied with the removal of Roy's blood, she looked around for the knife, taking cautious steps until she located it.
Unfortunately, knowing that she was going to be re-washing the knife, she hadn't dried her hands as thoroughly as she ought to have. As she picked it up, the handle slid from her hand, and the blade scored her palm, causing her to wince and somewhat unsuccessfully stifle a second cry.
"Riza!" Roy abandoned the care of his nose and shot forward, catching the knife as it fell and nearly cutting himself. When he was sure he wouldn't cause any more injuries, he set it in the sink, then took a brief look at Riza's hand before she snatched it away.
"Grab that towel and hold your nose!" she demanded. "You're going to get your blood in my cut!" She turned to the sink to wash the wound, hissing in pain. Roy thought he might have heard her swear under her breath once or twice, but he wasn't going to rib her about it, not even to try to lighten the mood.
She knew he could hear, anyway. "Yes, I do know those sorts of words. They come in very handy in situations like this." She grabbed a clean-looking scrap from the rag pile in the corner and wound it around her hand. "You're going to help me bandage this, but not before that nosebleed stops." She sighed and flopped into the chair next to Roy. Managing a wry smile, she proclaimed, "We're just a mess this morning."
Roy nodded in agreement. "Just one of those days, I guess."
Riza shrugged. "Misery loves company, but I couldn't think of better company to have in my misery than you," she murmured.
Surprised, Roy did a double-take. Riza blushed, seeming to realize that she had thought aloud only at Roy's reaction. Quickly, she clarified, "Not that I want you to be miserable, but you're a very uplifting person when you want to be, and it's nice to have that around here… Oh, this is not what I should be telling you!" She whispered the last part to herself, but, being so close, Roy couldn't help but hear, anyway.
Instead of asking, however, he remained silent, not even so much as looking at her in a way that would suggest inquisitiveness. He knew what she meant, anyway—she seemed to have become happier over the past few months, and he liked to think that he had played some role in that. Apparently, this was confirmation of such an idea.
He wasn't going to ask just what made things… well, not as happy when he wasn't around. Even if Riza told him (and Roy got the feeling that she would either lie or at least not tell him the entire truth), he wasn't sure he wanted to know. That sort of oldness he'd seen in her that first day at the train station still shone through every now and then, and he'd be damned if he was going to bring that pain to the surface; look at what a simple nosebleed had turned into, and that wasn't even under his control!
Roy removed the cloth from his face for a moment, watching a drop of blood drip onto the table before sighing and holding the towel to his nose again. Just one of those days for sure. He looked over at Riza, who was staring out the window, almost starting to look untroubled.
But if I can somehow make your day better, it will all be worth it.
A/N: So, this isn't my best, but this was one of those "I have to write this!" stories. I had fun with it, even though I had no idea how to end it-only how to start it.
Let me know how I did! If you feel so inclined (and you haven't already), please check out "Kingly Ambitions" and let me know how I'm doing with that! Thank you!