A/N: Happy holidays, to all my readers! Thank you so much for a wonderful year. This one's for you!
I do not own FMA.
Snow
"Incoming!"
Dropping into a crouch, Roy barely avoided the snowball that went flying through the space his head had occupied just a second before. Riza had merely stepped aside, brown eyes watching the laughing young man on the house's balcony. Her mouth twitched in a smile as she turned back to her glowering superior. "Nicely dodged, sir."
Shaking his bangs from his eyes, fighting down a grin, Roy got to his feet. "Thanks." Facing the house, he raised his voice. "Is that how you welcome people to a housewarming, Fullmetal? At least aim properly next time!"
"At least use the right name next time!" Edward stood straight on the second floor balcony, grinning broadly. "When are you gonna get it through your head that I retired?!"
Beginning to walk toward the house again, their boots sinking past the ankle in the deep powder, Roy shook his head. "He is way too young to be using the word 'retired.'"
A black shape burst from the opening front door and bounded down the steps and across the yard, barking. Smiling, Riza bent, and removed one glove. The dog sniffed her bare fingers for several long seconds before delivering a swift lick to her palm, tail wagging incessantly.
"Den!" Appearing in the doorway, Winry smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry; I thought I had a good grip on her collar, but she's stronger than she looks."
With the dog preceding them proudly the rest of the way, Riza waved away the concern. "Don't worry about it. The only problem we might have had is if Hayate were with us; two over-protective dogs probably wouldn't mesh very well."
They climbed the steps and ducked at last into the warmth of the house, a welcome change from the brisk chill outside. Suitcases were set to one side, coats were removed and hung up, and boots were taken off to dry. After a day and a half of stop-and-go travel by train on snowy tracks, the guests were at last here.
"We got a call from Granny about an hour ago," Winry said, leading them down a hall toward the back of the house; the front was for servicing customers, not entertaining. "Apparently, your train was the last one from Central before another storm hit. She was on her way back from Rush Valley, but there's no other trains until they can get the tracks cleared again." Despite the disappointing news, she tossed a smile back over her shoulder. "Still, better to know that she's somewhere comfortable than stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere."
A door at the end of the hall opened into a living room, brightly lit with a fire in the woodstove against the far wall. Seated cross-legged on the couch, Alphonse looked up from the book in his lap, face brightening almost instantly with a smile. "Hey! You made it!"
Roy met him partway across the floor, the two shaking hands firmly. "Considering the last time I saw you, you were a skinny kid in a hospital bed, this is a damn sight better," he said. "You've been home . . . what, seven months now?"
"About that." Tucking his hands in his pockets, Al grinned wider. "It's better than running around getting into trouble, anyway."
"What, you would've preferred being bored?" Feet thudding on the stairs from the second floor, Ed swung around the doorframe into the room, humour gleaming in his golden eyes. He came to a stop beside Winry, folding his arms. "Long time, no see, Colonel; Hawkeye." His gaze going to the quiet Lieutenant, his brow furrowed. "You cut your hair short again?"
"I decided it was time for a change." Her smile fading, she glanced around the room. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't your letter say the little Chang princess would be here as well?"
Alphonse grimaced. "May applied for the paperwork for a visa three months ago. Because she's known to have crossed into Amestris illegally before, some paper-pusher somewhere has delayed it until the problem can be sorted out." He shrugged. "She's in Xerxes with Scar's group, paying them a visit until the papers clear, but she said to make sure I wished both of you a Happy Solstice."
"Oh . . . ." Her expression one of light embarrassment, Winry looked to the two soldiers. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot my manners. Would either of you like something to drink? Dinner isn't for another hour or so, but that doesn't mean we can't all get comfortable."
Snow flurries had apparently followed the train from Central. Fat white flakes floated past the windows, but the cold didn't penetrate the house. In the living room, the overhead lights were dimmed to allow the colours of the tree lights to take over. The fire still crackled in the woodstove, giving warmth to the people spread on the couches.
Al lay flat on his back underneath the tree, staring up through the branches with multicoloured dots on his face. "First Solstice since I got my body back," he said, half to himself. "Feels kind of weird."
"At least we're together for this one," Edward said, stretching out a leg to kick lightly at his brother's foot. "I still feel bad we were separated last year."
Inching out from under the tree, the younger Elric sat up, his arms folded on his knees. "It wasn't so bad. We were hiding in Liore at the time, so there was always something to keep me busy, new things to see . . . ." He shrugged. "I adopted a cat."
"What?!"
Al grinned. "Well, if you'd let me tell you the whole story . . . ."
xxx
Snow had only been around for a week, drawing complaints from the town's occupants as they hurried along the sidewalks, anxious to be in out of the cold. Alphonse was the only one who walked a sedate pace, his metal body feeling none of the wind's chill, a red scarf wrapped around the neck of his armour to prevent any snow from getting to his blood seal.
Solstice Eve, he thought to himself, with as much of a heavy heart as his disembodied state would allow. Looks like I won't be running into Brother after all . . . .
He had hoped, with the occasionally intuitive sense Edward displayed, they might miraculously wind up in the same town during the holiday. No such luck, he supposed. Liore held tough memories for Ed, and even though he would probably like to see Rose, he wouldn't be anxious to return to the town.
Oh well. Though he might not be spending Solstice with his brother, this was the first year in many that he would be spending it with his father. It was that thought that buoyed Alphonse's spirits.
Walking the streets deep in thought, his metal feet clanking against the concrete sidewalk and the snow crunching under his step, he almost didn't hear the pitiful mew from his right.
Pausing, he looked down the alley he had just passed, having to search for a moment before he spotted the shape crouched in a small snowdrift. "Oh . . . . Poor thing, you must be freezing . . . ." Moving slowly so as not to frighten the kitten, he crouched a short distance away. "Here kitty kitty kitty . . . ."
Blue eyes watched him warily from the snow, going to his hand as it stretched out. Meekly, the cat crawled forward a few steps, extending its neck to sniff gingerly at the tip of Alphonse's finger. A giggle echoed quietly from the armour. "There; I'm not so scary, now am I?"
In the space of ten minutes, the kitten had stepped close enough for the boy in the suit of armour to carefully scoop it up in both hands. The little creature still shivered from the wind, held by cold leather gloves. "What to do . . . I can't carry you like this — oh!"
Freeing one hand, he pulled the scarf from around his neck, wrapping it around the kitten. Almost instantly, it snuggled into the soft wool, eyes closing as it started to purr.
Feeling happier than he had in weeks, Alphonse held his bundle close and turned to head back to the lodgings he shared with his father, his step now just as hurried as those of the townspeople.
Hohenheim merely smiled when Alphonse presented the kitten later that afternoon, scratching it under the chin with one finger. "You're not just going to carry it around out in the open, are you? It's fur isn't enough to protect it, and you need that scarf to protect yourself."
"I hadn't thought about that," Al said slowly, watching the kitten arch its back as he ran a finger lightly along its spine. "I was mostly focussed on getting it somewhere warm."
Tugging thoughtfully at his beard, his father frowned. "It shouldn't be left alone; not this young. And you're not the sort to just sit around idly either." Abruptly, he smiled, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. "Then again . . . perhaps you don't have to . . . ."
Within an hour, the space inside Al's empty torso housed a horizontal piece of wood — slightly warped, and not much use as building material — covered in a piece of red felt. Crouching, Hohenheim placed the kitten inside, watching as the creature explored this new place, sniffing at the metal before curling into a satisfied ball on the soft 'floor.'
"Well, I think that's a success." He looked up. "As long as you don't mind being a walking kitty kennel."
Al rubbed sheepishly at the back of his helmet. "It's not the first time!"
"All right." Getting to his feet, Hohenheim pulled a folded square of paper from his pocket. "Why don't you test it out? I need a few things from the shopping district, and I was hoping you wouldn't mind going."
"Sure!" Edward might not have fond memories of their father, but Alphonse was willing to give him a shot at being a parent, and he had yet to be disappointed. "Oh — I should return those books to Rose, too . . . ." Picking up the three novels from the table, lent to him for the long, boring nights, he headed for the door. "I'll be back soon!"
The wind had picked up from earlier, sending snow drifting across the roads in little streamers. Alphonse worried briefly that it might be too cold for the kitten, but the absence of any whistling made by air through the armour chinks suggested everything was all right. As long as the kitten stayed sheltered, it would be warm enough until Alphonse got back to the lodgings.
The walk to the shops was not a long one, passing several residential streets, one of which was Rose's. Detouring briefly from his main route, Alphonse quickly located her apartment. Climbing the stairs was a careful matter as he tried not to jostle the kitten too much. The little fellow was up and about, chasing a small tinfoil ball Al had put inside the armour before reattaching the breastplate.
He knocked three times in quick succession, waiting as Rose's voice called "Just a minute!" Strange . . . her voice sounded slightly different . . . and when she opened the door, he found out why.
She smiled when she saw it was him, but it didn't hide the redness around her eyes and nose, or the faintly shiny tracks down her cheeks. "Alphonse! This a surprise; come in!"
"I'm just returning the books you gave me . . . ." He paused in holding out the items to her. "Uh, are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She smiled too easily this time, the expression not quite reaching her eyes. Reaching out, she took the books from his grasp. "Thanks for returning these. Did you like them?"
A sigh sounded from the armour. "Rose, if something's wrong, you can tell me. Maybe I can help?" His shoulders moved in a shrug. "I'm pretty good at listening."
That same half-hearted smile. "It's okay, really. The holidays are just kind of tough sometimes. I mean, I'm sure you understand; with Edward being away this year, and . . . well, it probably wasn't easy before that either." Rose tugged self-consciously on a strand of hair before tucking it back behind her ear. "Don't worry about me; I'll be all right."
Abruptly, it clicked. "Oh . . . . You're missing the people you've lost . . . ." Guilt overtook him, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."
That at least drew a laugh from the young woman. "I told you it was okay, Alphonse. To be fair, I didn't really have any business bringing up Ed and your mother."
They lapsed into awkward silence, both knowing that the conversation needed to move on, but neither having another subject that readily came to mind. The kitten had quieted the moment Al knocked on the door . . . wait . . . .
"Um . . . Rose?" Her head came up, expression politely expectant. "If . . . if you find Solstice lonely, I might have a way to fix it."
"Oh? What's that?"
Carefully unbuckling the breastplate, Al lowered it just enough to let her see the kitten on the platform inside. It looked up curiously, head tilting this way and that. "I found this little guy earlier today in the snow." He hesitated only for a moment. "He could use a good home, Rose."
Her mouth had fallen open as she spotted the little animal, and now it closed firmly as the kitten looked out at her, mewing softly. "Oh my gosh . . . . And he was just out there all alone?" She glanced up. "May I?"
"Go ahead."
Reaching into the recess, Rose carefully lifted the kitten out, cradling him against her shoulder. Immediately, the mewing faded to purring, one pure white paw reaching up to swipe at her hair. "Friendly little thing, isn't he," she commented. "Does he have a name?"
"I . . . to tell the truth, I hadn't thought about it too much." Al tilted his head to one side in thought. "I found him in a snow drift, and he's pretty clearly a stray . . . . Maybe 'Drifter?'"
At last, Rose's smile was genuine. "I think that's a good name for a little wanderer like him." She looked up, smile growing. "Thank you, Alphonse. I'd be happy to look after him."
If armour could smile, Al would have been grinning ear to ear. "Now neither of you has to be lonely on Solstice."
xxx
Winry was smiling when Al finished his story. "I remember that. You came back and your dad was asking where the kitten had gone to. I didn't know what in the world he was talking about." Her cup of tea in both hands, she took a sip. "That was a decent thing for you to do. I'm sure Rose appreciated it."
"I'm still trying to get over the fact that Al voluntarily gave up a kitten," Roy quipped, his grin making the sarcasm obvious. Like Al, he was seated on the floor, leaning back against the couch beside Riza's legs. "When Ed made him do it in Central, it was like pulling teeth."
Shrugging casually, Al shot a sly glance at his brother. "I know. Brother can be a jerk sometimes."
"Hey!" Mock-glaring at his sibling, Ed pointed at his own chest. "I can be a nice guy!
Looking at him over the rim of her teacup, brown eyes dancing with rare mischief, Riza allowed herself a small smile. "Apparently so, if Winry is able to stand you," she said casually. She looked to the younger woman as Ed's gaze snapped to her. "Let's get a history: Winry, when was the first time you saw Edward do something nice for someone?"
"Hmm . . . ." Studying the now furiously blushing Edward, Winry smiled. "If I'm right . . . the first time was when were were about six . . . ."
xxx
Nothing said 'winter' quite like a coating of new snow on Solstice morning. When Winry had woken up that morning, she had stared out the window at the flakes still floating down, then promptly leapt out of bed and sprinted down the stairs.
"Grandma! Happy Solstice, Grandma!"
Pinako was already seated at the kitchen table, and quickly set down her cup of coffee as her ballistic missile of a granddaughter performed a forceful flying bear hug. "And Happy Solstice to you too, little one." She pointed at the plate of toast waiting on the table. "You know the drill: breakfast first, then your present."
Puffing her cheeks out in a pout, Winry dragged her feet around to her chair. "Okaaaaaaaaay." This was so unfair. She didn't even want breakfast. Breakfast was dumb. Didn't Grandma understand that Solstice was more important than stupid toast and orange juice?
. . . . Even though stupid toast was good. And orange juice was too.
Winry rushed through her breakfast, careful not to swallow air so she wouldn't get the hiccups. She took two sips of her juice . . . and snuck a glance at her grandmother. Pinako was already watching, one hand holding her pipe to her mouth. With a smiling roll of her eyes, she tilted her head toward the tree in the corner of the room.
"Oh, go on."
The little girl fairly sprinted across the floor, skidding in her sock feet to a stop beside the oblong box wrapped in striped paper. She dropped to her knees, grinning widely as she tore the wrapping aside . . . and stared. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' in surprise, eyes growing wide. "Oh wow . . . !" Little fingers opened the latches on the red metal box, running over the tools inside. "Grandma, is this Daddy's?"
Getting up from her chair, bringing her cup of coffee with her, Pinako moved to settle beside her granddaughter. "Yep. Your father would've wanted you to have them." She reached out, ruffling the girl's already sleep-tousled blonde hair. "He made me promise to teach you how to use 'em, you know."
"Okay!" Closing, the toolbox, Winry hugged it happily. "You watch, I'm gonna be the best automail mechanic in the world!"
"Atta girl." Getting to her feet, Pinako turned toward the kitchen. "Now, you go get dressed and go out and play in that new snow while I go make stew to take to Trisha's."
The snow was the perfect weight and density for packing, and within ten minutes, Winry was done rolling the bottom ball for a snowman. It was positioned near the end of the driveway, set twenty metres back from the road. Stones for the belly were next, and they would have to come from the road. Walking as well as her puffy snowpants would allow, she got to the edge of the gravel path, sorting through the snow to get to the stones beneath.
"Heeeeey, look who it is." Her head came up sharply at the sound of a boy's voice approaching. Coming from her right with a toboggan were Paul and Tony Reyman, both skinny, brown-haired boys from her school. Where Edward and Alphonse were just troublemakers, Paul and Tony were bullies.
"Awww, you out here making a snowman all by yourself?" Paul continued, his voice nice in a fake way. "That sucks. Shouldn't your mommy and daddy be helping you?" Suddenly he gasped, covering his mouth. "Oh, wait. I forgot, you don't have a mommy and daddy!"
Winry didn't say anything. She just gathered a handful of stones, and turned away. Granny always said that bullies just bugged you until they got bored, and they got bored faster if you didn't pay attention to them. Paul was dumb: he probably couldn't even build a snowman right.
Tony joined in. "Yeah, right, walk away! Don't you know it's rude to ignore people when they're talking to you?" His boots crunched in the snow as he followed her. "Teacher said that a week ago, remember?"
"I can ignore you if I want to!" Winry said back, trying not to let them know how mad she was. Then they wouldn't get bored and leave her alone. She turned back to her snowman, setting the stones beside it so she wouldn't lose them before she needed them.
"Haha, no you can't! You just talked!" Paul taunted, mittened hands on his hips. "So there! You lose!"
Winry rolled her eyes, crouching down to pack the start of a second snowman ball together. "Whatever. You guys are dumb. Go away."
Ten seconds later, the toboggan carrying Tony crashed into her snowman's base, breaking it into pieces.
She jumped to her feet, hands balled in fists at her sides. "Hey! Cut it out!" Tony just grinned at her. "Maybe you guys don't have a mommy either, because then she would've taught you its not nice to break other people's stuff!"
Paul pushed her from behind, sending her face-first into the snow. "Aw, blow it out your ear!" Both he and Tony laughed as angry tears welled up in Winry's eyes. She sat up, brushing them away impatiently. She should just run into the house and tell Grandma. Grandma would come out with the big fireplace poker and give the bullies a whack on the bottom like they wouldn't believe —
The boys were still laughing when a snowball went full force into the side of Paul's head. Stunned into silence, they looked down the road as a faint yell sounded, gradually growing closer. Winry sniffled a little, watching a cloud of kicked-up snow rocketing up the gravel path at full speed . . . .
With Edward at the front of it, his fist raised and ready.
"Ed, no!" Teacher had said that if Ed got into another fight with the Reymans, he'd be suspended for a week!
Tony scoffed. "Ha! Bring it, shrimp!"
"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!"
Ed was on Tony in another half a second, both fists pummelling the taller boy even as he tackled him back into the snow. Paul yelled, running forward to try and drag the furious blond-haired boy away from his brother; Ed saw him coming and merely turned to sink a fist into Paul's stomach.
Climbing to his feet, staggering back a couple of steps, Ed stood with his chest heaving, glaring at the other two. Paul clutched his gut, coughing, while Tony slowly sat up, one mitten clutched to his bleeding nose. "That's for picking on someone that was minding their own business!" he shouted. "Get out of here before I decide you deserve some more!"
Slinking off, towing their toboggan behind them, the Reyman boys cast the occasional baleful glance back over their shoulders, but were down the hill and around the bend within minutes.
Blowing a satisfied breath through his nose, Ed wiped at the blood from a split lip before turning to where Winry still sat in the snow. "Mom said I should come help you and Granny carry your stuff over to our place," he said, not smiling. "Guess it's good I showed up when I did."
Climbing to her feet, Winry brushed herself off. "That was dumb, Ed, really dumb! You know what's going to happen if Teacher finds out you and the Reymans were fighting again? You're gonna get suspended!"
The blond boy grinned cheekily. "Can't suspend me if we're not in school!" He looked to the mashed pile of snow she had been building with. "Were you making a snowman or something?"
"Yeah . . . . Guess I'll have to start over."
Golden eyes went from the wrecked ball . . . to her . . . and back again. "I guess I could help you if you wanted," he grumbled, kicking at the snow in front of his boots. "I mean, if you're out here, Granny's probably not ready to go yet, right?"
Breaking into a smile at last, Winry nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! I'll go get some sticks for arms, and you can roll the balls for the body!" Turning, she headed back toward the house, and the pile of firewood stacked outside . . . and paused. "Hey, Ed?" She looked back over her shoulder. "Thanks."
His face turning red, he turned his attention to rolling the first snowball. "Whatever."
xxx
By the time Winry finished, Ed had pulled a pillow from beside the couch's armrest, and appeared to be close to suffocating himself. "Can't believe you remember that," he growled into the cotton. "Just gonna die of shame now. Okay. Here I go."
The breath whooshed out of him as Winry elbowed him in the side. "If it's that's bad, then here — let me help you!"
Al turned his eyes toward the ceiling, lying back again under the tree. "Whenever you guys can stop trying to kill each other, that'll be great. I'd like to spend the first holiday since I got my body back without serious injuries."
"Well, fine." Surfacing from the pillow, Ed tossed his bangs out of his eyes. "Everyone else has had a story told . . . ." Golden eyes landed on Roy, who promptly froze, suddenly wary, with his drink halfway to his mouth. "But it seems to me that there's two over there that have pretty quiet."
"Oh no." Waving a hand in a defensive posture, Roy shook his head. "Forget it. I've got nothing."
". . . Is that a fact?" Behind him, her legs now curled underneath her, Riza smiled slyly. "Nothing at all?" Roy shot a concerned glance back over his shoulder. "Well, then I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that first Solstice in East City that I was under your command."
". . . . Oh, that . . . ."
xxx
All she wanted was a quiet day to herself. A day to spend curled in warm comfort with a blanket, a good cup of tea, and a better book. Riza had so little time for reading now, with the amount of work she dealt with. She supposed, at the back of her mind, that she should feel somewhat sad that she was spending the holiday alone — others in her position often did — but for some reason, her emotions refused to follow the conventional belief.
However, from the moment the first snowball hit her window, Riza began to feel her day of peace and quiet disintegrating out from underneath her.
Setting her book aside — she had only been a few pages in, so it was no great loss — she crossed the floor to the window, peering outside. As she'd suspected, standing alone in the alley below with another snowball in his hand, was a grinning Roy Mustang.
With a sigh, she shook her head, then turned away. No. He could be as charming and as devilish as he wanted, she was not going to acknowledge him. The second snowball hit the window. No, forget it. He could live without pestering her for one day. Why he hadn't gone to Central to visit his adoptive mother, she didn't know, but on his own head be it.
The snowball thunked against the glass.
Patience wearing thin, Riza gave in for the sole reason that clearly, he needed to be told to leave her alone. She reached the glass again just as he was preparing a fourth missile, pried the frame up and leaned outside. "Good afternoon, sir. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"What, a guy can't drop by for a visit?" he called back. He was smirking, knowing full well she was aware of his mischief, and not caring at all.
"When one does, one normally comes to the door," she shot back. "Or have you entirely lost your mind?"
The smirk vanished. "Yeah, about that . . . ." Scratching sheepishly at the back of his head, Roy shrugged uneasily. "I . . . had a bit of a disagreement with your landlord. Something got miscommunicated somehow and . . . . Well, now I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a stalker of some sort."
Riza barely resisted the urge to laugh. "I can imagine how that might make things awkward." Oh well, if her day alone was going out the window anyway, he wasn't the worst person to spend time with. "Would you like me to come down and let you in?"
"Sure. One thing, first . . . ." Without warning, he let loose with a third snowball he'd hidden behind his back, the projectile flying up to strike her squarely on the left shoulder. Icy wet sprinkled into her shirt, soaking through the light wool sweater. In her shock, Roy grinned impudently back at her. "Happy Solstice, Riza."
She let him through the side entrance to her building two minutes later, having changed her damp shirt, and led him upstairs to the apartment. Roy carried a plastic bag of takeout containers he had hidden before tossing snowballs, the better to surprise her. Much as she might not advertise it, he knew Riza had a minor addiction to Xingese food, and that his unexpected appearance would be accepted more warmly if he came bearing a sort of peace offering.
"So. A snowball to the shoulder and Xingese takeout: am I to take this as a Solstice gift?" she asked, closing her front door behind him.
"Something like that," he grinned, holding the bag up from one finger. "It's bit of a gift to myself too, because unless you want to try eating all this by yourself . . . ."
"Not to mention it got you through the door," she shot back mildly. Taking the bag from him, she carried it across to the kitchen counter. "Since you're here anyway, why don't you make yourself useful and set the table?"
"Not eating out of the carton this time?"
"I have some dignity, thank you." Removing the three containers one by one, she carefully balanced them on each other before turning to set them on the table. "Lo mein noodles . . ." she murmured, reading the labels in black marker. "Chicken balls . . . pepper steak? That's new."
Reaching into a cupboard and withdrawing a pair of plates, Roy shrugged. "Special occasion calls for something different. I've had to smell it all the way here, and it's driving me crazy. Oh!" Depositing the plates hastily on the table, he turned back to his coat, hanging on a peg by the door. "I almost forgot. Speaking of special occasions . . . ."
He reached into a pocket, withdrawing a slim, square bottle of liquor before moving back toward the table. Holding it by the neck, he offered it to her. "What kind of houseguest would I be if I didn't bring something to drink?"
Riza studied the bottle dubiously. "It's one-thirty in the afternoon, sir."
"And its Solstice, which means it doesn't matter." He tapped the label before heading back toward the cupboards to grab a pair of glasses. "Besides, Madame Christmas sent that, and if I have to tell her you wouldn't drink it, she's going to get insulted." He shuddered. "You do not want to piss that woman off, trust me."
"Speaking of the Madame . . . ." Riza turned back toward the table. "It strikes me as odd that you didn't go visit her for the holiday."
When she looked his way, it was to find him watching her uncertainly. "Well . . ." he began, then stopped, lips pulling together into a line as he re-thought his words. ". . . I'll tell you what I told her . . . but it's going to sound pretty dumb." Leaning one hip against the table, he folded his arms self-consciously. "I've lived with her from the time I was two years old, and I've spent every Solstice I could in Central, except for when I was in Ishval."
Dark eyes went warily to her to gauge her reaction. "You've . . . only ever spent Solstice with your father or in a warzone. You've told me yourself, it was never a . . . an enjoyable holiday." He shrugged. "I was . . . hoping I could change that."
For a long moment, Riza merely stared at him, before breaking into a rare, full smile. "Is that a fact," she said quietly, setting the bottle on the table. "If so, sir . . . that is the best gift in the world you could have given me. And possibly, the nicest one in a very long time."
Smiling awkwardly, Roy spread his arms. "Am I pushing it to ask for a hug in return?"
"Not at all." Stepping close, having to fight hard not to let her sudden shyness manifest as a blush, Riza slipped her arms around her waist with much more ease than she would have expected of herself. "I think you're well within your rights . . . and for an occasion like Solstice, I don't think it falls under fraternization." She tilted her head back, still smiling. "Happy Solstice, Roy."
Arms around her shoulders, nose tucked against her ear, he let his eyes close as he breathed in her scent. "Happy Solstice, Riza."
xxx
Appreciative of the fact that Riza had tastefully omitted the part of the story that involved their touching moment of physical contact (not because the boys or Winry would care but because Ed would never let them live it down), Roy finished off the lastof his drink, setting the cup on the coffee table. "In retrospect, I should never have taken her Xingese food," he said, feigning a sigh of resignation. "I'm a terrible enabler."
"You also shouldn't have let me try pepper steak," Riza said ruefully. "That's how we found out I'm allergic to cayenne pepper; I had a rash on my neck for a week."
Al winced sympathetically. "Other than that, it sounds really good." He paused thoughtfully. "I wonder if I can get May to show me how to make it . . . . "
Smirking, Roy shifted to sit up on the couch beside his Lieutenant. "Something tells me that you could ask that girl for anything, and vice versa. She's a good kid."
Barking sounded from the kitchen, cutting off Al's response. Edward's head whipped around, brows drawn together. "Weird . . . . We weren't expecting anybody else, were we?" Getting to his feet, he disappeared through the open archway into the next room, making only soft thuds every other step as his automail foot hit the floorboards.
Winry watched him go, before settling back in her seat, unconcerned. "Sometimes Den takes guard dog duty a little too seriously. She'll see a rabbit or a bird outside and bark her head off like it's a full battalion raid."
"Hayate is the same with squirrels," Riza said grimly. "Last month, he slipped his leash three times to go chasing after them."
A new voice sounded from the archway. "Then I guess you can be thankful for the fact that he didn't catch any of them."
Twisting around again, Winry broke into a smile. "Grandma!" Jumping to her feet, she came around the couch and bent to hug the old woman. "You lied to me; you said you weren't going to be back until the storms were over!"
Pinako's eyes glinted cleverly behind her spectacles. "I had some last-minute gifts to pick up, and I wanted it to be a surprise. But I'm not the only one who fibbed, I'm afraid . . . ." Turning slightly, she nodded in acknowledgement to Roy and Riza. "After running into you on the train, I'm grateful you kept my little secret under your hat, Colonel."
Roy smirked, spreading his hands expressively. "What can I say? I'm an officer and a gentleman." He grimaced only slightly as Riza nudged him in the ribs for the bad joke.
Edging back through the archway with a double armload of wrapped presents, Ed couldn't even see over the top. "Sheesh, you carried all this by yourself?" he muttered under his breath. "Hey, Al; little help here . . . ."
Shrugging out of her coat, Pinako settled onto the couch beside her granddaughter before looking around expectantly. "So. What did I miss?"