Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!
The raindrops cleaved through the air at an angle synonymous with the direction of the harsh winds. Her windowsill shook and creaked from the storm that was passing through.
Riza Hawkeye was always fascinated by the rain, the severe tapping sound left her at ease until she was hypnotized by the lightning streaking through the sky shortly followed by the crash of thunder. It excited her in ways her father would never understand. He was always locked up in his study but over the years she had noticed that during storms like these it was hard for him to concentrate, and he just ended up trying to get an early rest instead.
She would always try to stay up as late as she could watching the endless cycle of the rain blustering around, the lightning flashing, and the thunder booming, over and over, until she eventually fell asleep, completely at ease.
This year was a bit different; she had the company of her father's student, Roy Mustang. In three months he would have been in her household for a full year. She wasn't sure how to describe their relationship, she talked with him whenever he had free time from all the rigorous studying he had to do, and every time she did she would feel her heart flutter slightly. She tried to ignore it, she wouldn't allow herself to develop crush on him, and he would never be interested in her. He was almost three years older than her and she shouldn't even be talking with him, he was here to learn alchemy, not to converse with his teacher's daughter. Although no matter how much she tried she always felt a little bit more happy when he was by her side.
He had officially declared her a friend of his a month earlier, she hadn't even realized their relationship had escalated to that level but he was quite adamant about it. She had blushed so hard when he tried to put his arm around her that she had to duck her head down and say she had to use the bathroom really badly and run for it just so that he wouldn't see.
He was always so kind to her, no matter how hard she tried to push away him and her feelings they kept resurfacing with more and more intensity than before. She knew he was just a nice guy, and he thought she was a little kid compared to him, of course he was always nice to her, it was a decent thing to do, but just the idea of living in the same house as him set her heart aflutter.
She scurried into the parlor, which had the biggest windows in the household, to openly admire the storm that had brewed up in the late evening. Her eyes lit up in awe as she saw the first strike of lightning illuminating the night sky, then that familiar bang of thunder, and then... a whimper?
Her gaze hit an oddly shaped lump of blanket on the couch near her, alchemy text cast away on the floor beside it. She tiptoed over the bulk of sheets and poked it curiously. She was surprised when she heard a small chirp come from underneath as the blanket wad cast off by the figure underneath.
"Ack! Riza you scared me!" Roy yelled.
"Oh! Mr. Mustang, I didn't know you were under there! I'm sorry! What were you doing?" Riza questioned.
"Huh, oh. I was just studying, as usual." Roy replied while rubbing his hand against the back of his neck nervously.
"Oh, but all your books are on the floor." She pointed to the discarded books on the floor.
"Uh, yeah! I was just going to pick them up actually." He was about to bend down and retrieve his items as the room lit up with a recognizable flash once more and he quickly dashed back underneath the blanket, swaddling himself in the blue fabric. The thunder came soon after, and Riza could see him visibly shaking.
"Roy? Roy! Are you alright?" She patted the fabric affectionately, as she didn't know what else she could do. "Hey, calm down." She said in a soothing tone.
Roy peeked out of the covers and stared at her with an apprehensive look.
Riza met him with the tenderest smile she could muster. "Are you afraid?"
He was silent for a moment but then he looked up at her. "You can laugh if you want, I've never liked thunderstorms."
She sat down next to him but kept enough distance between them so she wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable. He looked like a lost puppy, eyes shining with tears that hadn't fallen yet. "I'm not going to laugh. Everyone is afraid of something." She thought about putting a hand on his shoulder but decided against it, too personal.
"I'm not sure why it scares me, I know it can't hurt me from inside but I just-"Flash. Bang. Roy tried to scramble under the sheets but they snagged, Riza had accidentally sat on part of it, so another hard yank and the Riza went tumbling forward onto his lap. Roy barely noticed didn't even pay any attention to her as he tried to coddle himself within the blankets again, tugging at her skirt along with the blanket in error. To avoid falling off the sofa completely, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly to stop his sudden movements.
Once the initial scare was over he calmed down and relaxed into Riza's arms. "It's okay Roy, please don't worry." It seemed as though this was working.
The cycle repeated once more and his arms locked around her waist because of the awkward angle they were sitting at. She could hear his quiet whimpers as he stuck his head into the crook of her neck and she rubbed the back of his head affectionately. Again, the thunder came and he hugged her tighter, trying to convince himself that everything was going to be okay.
Looking at them now you wouldn't believe that she was the younger of the two, she felt as if she was taking care of him. She had never seen him in such a vulnerable state, he was always so confident and cocky it was surprising to learn about this side of him. Eventually the thunder came and went and Roy would remain still in her arms, no longer frantically searching for someplace to hide.
They sat like this until the storm had ceased and they had both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.
The next morning came and Riza awoke clutched tightly to Roy's chest. He was still asleep and was sure it would be impossible to wriggle her way out without waking him. He looked so peaceful, but she had to get out before she fully realized how close they were and squealed loudly enough to wake the neighbours.
After some skilled maneuvering she got out without waking him, he was an extremely heavy sleeper. She took in his face for a moment longer and then leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead, she decided to take a chance while he was still asleep and there was no harm to be done. She walked away before she could see the faint smirk that played across his lips.
Neither of them decided to mention what had happened the night prior.
It would remain a secret until the next storm, where she hoped it would happen all over again.
A/N: Happy Valentine's day!