AN: This is my first shot at a multichapter work... Please let me know what you think! And if it's absolutely horrid... please be a little nice about it. Hoping to update weekly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist
The boy who'd proudly introduced himself as Roy Mustang a year ago didn't carry quite the same bravado as he whimpered and sniffled, twisting about frantically in his bed. Riza heard the distressed sounds from her room down the hallway and, well aware that her father couldn't be bothered for anything when he was in his study or sleeping, took it upon herself to investigate just what was troubling her friend. She cracked his door open slightly to reveal the fifteen-year-old tossing and turning, making short, panicked cries that pulled at her heart. Riza quickly shuffled over to the side of his bed, attempting to land a grip on one of his shoulders.
"Mister Mustang!" the girl whispered sharply as he flailed about. Roy clumsily landed a hand on her arm then scrambled to wrap his other arm around her middle, seemingly trying to anchor himself down with her. Startled, Riza tensed up as the boy's hyperventilating began to slow, his grip on her still strong. Understanding that he was still held captive by a dream, Riza sat on his bed as his body shuddered against hers, hugging her close. She adjusted herself to get more comfortable, bringing one of her arms out from his bear hug and running her fingers gently through his hair, damp from sweat. This calmed him immensely and a few moments later he lied down, bringing the girl with him.
Riza didn't know what to think. She and Roy had gotten along very well and she very much enjoyed his company. It's hard to explain the feeling that overcomes you when you see someone you admire so much in such a state of vulnerability. She had no qualms with comforting her friend as he battled night terrors – lord knows he'd become a savior of sorts for her – but she wasn't sure how to go about extracting herself from Roy in a way to leave as much dignity intact as possible. With the face of the boy almost two years her senior pressed firmly to her collarbone, she was relieved as she saw the last of the tension flee from his features.
"Ri-Riza…?" Roy muttered as his eyes struggled to open. Riza could've died with how heart-breakingly fragile he sounded in that moment. She hushed him and ran her fingers through his hair once more, instantly drawing a relieved sigh from her father's apprentice. Roy self-consciously loosened his grip around her back, cheeks heating up as he realized his awkward positioning. In an effort to help him save some face, Riza quickly straightened up, simultaneously freeing herself from his grip, then settled down across from him, meeting his eyes at an equal level. She rested her head on her left hand as she brought her right up to lie on her side.
"It's okay," she started nervously, unsure of what to say. I'm here sounded too intimate. Of course they were friends. And Riza would consider them to be pretty close… but this was unchartered territory. Not only did she step into his room uninvited, but she was also now lying in bed with a boy who'd just been clinging to her in his unconscious state.
Knowing that she was probably as uncomfortable as he was, Roy tried to clear the air. "I'm sorry. I get bad nightmares…" he began shyly, avoiding eye contact. "You'd think I would've grown out of them by now," he chuckled bitterly, more to himself than her. He closed his eyes, wanting to just disappear.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Riza offered as she made herself comfortable, sliding in under Roy's covers after experiencing a chill in the absence of his body heat. Roy's eyes widened as he realized the girl wasn't going to poke fun at him. He was a rather confident kid, but he understood that one swipe at his ego from Riza would bring him crumbling down. How had that come to be… he wondered as he watched her get situated next to him. After a few moments of silent thought, he joined her underneath the covers, propping his head up on his hand.
"Well, they're all pretty much the same," Roy whispered cautiously, worried he might say too much and throw off the comfortable balance Riza had set in place. "I'm fighting for something and at the very last minute I have to make a choice between sacrificing one person for the good of the world or risking the safety of millions for the sake of one person." Afraid he sounded crazy, he sheepishly pressed forward. "I don't know exactly how my parents died and I think a subconscious part of me wonders if I would have been able to make a difference. But everything happens for a reason, right?" Roy sighed, glad to be able to voice his concerns for once. He didn't mention how Riza had woke him before he made the decision, or how grateful he felt for not having that memory to haunt him through the next few days.
"It's not your fault your parents died," Riza assured, placing a hand on Roy's shoulder for added effect. Realizing that she was probably crossing (yet another) line, she withdrew the touch only to have the boy take her hand in his.
"I know," he said, dark eyes only illuminated by the moonlight shining through his window. "Apparently my sleepy state doesn't agree." He frowned, seemingly looking into the darkness past Riza while he held fast to her hand.
Riza figured he just didn't want to be alone, and she'd be lying if she said she minded spending time with Roy. Especially on this particular occasion that had him opening up more than he ever had before. In the dark she pondered how unfortunate that this idealistic, motivated young man would be haunted so in his dreams. She smiled to herself, noting how he had no problem with pleasant daydreams when he should be focusing on more pressing matters, most importantly his alchemy homework. It was just another quality that she admired in him, though, so she locked the thought of optimistic Roy Mustang behind her lips as she scanned his face for any more worries. He smiled softly at her before closing his eyes again. It was a few moments before she realized he had fallen asleep. Knowing too well that her father never cared to explore the personal lives of the inhabitants of his house, related or not, Riza resolved to let slumber overtake her… just as long as she was up in time to prepare breakfast in the morning.
The next morning she awoke in much the same way as she remembered falling asleep. Roy breathed softly as she watched him resting peacefully, her hand still clasped in his own. She made a move to rise when she suddenly heard a groan come from her bedmate. He tightened his grasp on her hand just a little bit as he subconsciously rolled a little closer to her. Riza's eyes softened as he attempted to cuddle up to her. Maybe she could sleep in a little longer…. A glance at the clock told her otherwise and she begrudgingly, but quietly, sat up, trying not to wake Roy.
She placed a soft kiss on his forehead before making her way out of his room, not noticing his lopsided grin (and blush) as she closed the door.
…
That night became the first of many in which Riza snuck into the room of her father's student in the hopes of rescuing the boy from the frightening late night hours. By the fifth trip, Riza simply slid into "her" side of the bed and slipped her arms around the trembling, panting Roy, who almost instantly relaxed into her embrace. After a couple months, his nightmares grew scarcer as Riza's vigilance seemed to put him at ease. They spent significantly more time together – the hours he would spend at night studying in his room were now shared with Riza, who read books or plunged into a new textbook. Alchemy may not have been her forte, but she was no less an eager student.
The occasional sleepovers were simply never mentioned. For that Roy was grateful. As confident as Riza was that her father didn't give a damn about what they did, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable sharing a bed with his teacher's daughter, no matter how platonic the situation was. He also appreciated how she accepted his behavior like it was the most normal thing in the world, only intervening to help where he needed it. And god did he need it! Especially as his tasks from Master Hawkeye increased in volume and complexity, his subconscious just couldn't wait to attack him when he was most defenseless.
As for Riza, she felt drawn to Roy in a way she hadn't been before. He was so different than the other alchemists her father had taken on. Not strictly in age, but in demeanor. Roy had a sort of conviction about him – a solid understanding of his moral compass – that spoke to her in his actions as well as in his own words, especially after she started spending more time with him. Being around Roy inspired in her a faith in the world that she had long forgotten. Spending those years of solitude with her father did not quite give her much joy. Roy had become a ray of sunshine for her and she enjoyed basking in his light. That is why she did not hesitate at all to drag him from his night terrors – he did the same for her every day without even realizing it.
One day Roy found himself in town, browsing through different flowers on one of his rare days off. He felt he was in on some sort of secret when Master Hawkeye gave him the day to himself – it was Riza's sixteenth birthday and he'd only just now stumbled upon this valuable piece of information. The thought made the boy pause as he considered a bouquet of lilies… one of those free days he gave me last year was probably her birthday, too… and I wasted it! While he had never known her exact date of birth, Roy did make the effort to surprise her with gifts every so often and remind her that he valued their friendship. He had just assumed her birthday occurred in one of those months he went home to visit his aunt and sisters. That was until he was looking through Riza's bookshelf and came across an old, clearly loved book given to her on her birthday several years ago. This memory also stirred another thought within Roy – it had been so long since he'd spent some time with Riza.
Roy selected an assortment of flowers before heading out of the shop, ready to head back to the Hawkeye manor. His thoughts drifted to his lovely friend, as they tended to do much more often lately. Riza had been spending significantly more time in her father's study than Roy ever remembered her doing before and it hadn't occurred to him as particularly strange until now. Had he finally become a caring guardian to the little blonde angel that Roy so adored? Roy frowned a bit at the thought… my little angel. How was he going to tell her what he intended to do in a few short months? He knew he could tell Riza anything – she was his best friend – but he knew that he would be heartbroken if she were to leave him… would she feel the same way?
When did his feelings towards her grow to be this way? Sure, he'd always found her nice and interesting… but now words like "charming," "beautiful," "caring," and "strong" worked themselves into the framework of the Riza Hawkeye that occupied his thoughts. His pace picked up slightly as he thought about how captivating her eyes were, how endearing her short haircut was on her, how attractive it was that she was never intimidated by anything, how strong yet soft her arms felt around him…
Roy shook the myriad of thoughts from his head as he entered the house, flowers hid behind his back. He heard voices coming from his teacher's study and took advantage of the moment to steal away to his room upstairs, intending on finishing up his gifts for Riza. Yes, today he would just think about trying to make it a special one for her… then later he'd focus on how to break the news to her that he planned to enroll in the military academy.
Hours flew by and nighttime set in while Roy waited for Riza to leave the study. What all could Master Hawkeye possibly have planned for her? Maybe I don't give the man enough credit he thought wryly to himself as he finally heard soft footsteps making their way down the hall. He took one last look in the mirror (god, why can't my hair behave just for one day!) before slipping a small wrapped box into his pocket and grabbing the bouquet of flowers. He was outside her door in seconds, knocking softly on the wood as his stomach started to do somersaults. Stop that!
He almost dropped the flowers at the sight of Riza. She had opened the door, knowing if she hadn't he would've just entered on his own anyway, to reveal to him a girl clearly suffering from great exhaustion. What in the world did he make her do today? Run a marathon? Roy offered an awkward smile before reached to take her arm with his free hand, planning to lead her to sit on her bed. To his dismay, she straightened up ramrod straight at the hint of contact, as if she'd been electrocuted. She smiled apologetically – and so tiredly – as she took her place at her desk.
"How are you?" she said softly, for some reason avoiding his eyes. Actually, she couldn't seem to settle her eyes down on anything in the room, though she was making a great attempt to focus in on something on the floor.
"Never mind me," he blurted, holding out the flowers he'd pick out that morning, "Happy birthday, Riza!" He was devastated with the display of emotions that played across her eyes, starting with genuine shock then transitioning into tired frustration, and, finally, some sort of sadness he had difficulty pinpointing. Whatever had happened, he knew it wasn't his fault… they knew each other better than to throw or accept guilt from the other just to have someone to blame. That didn't stop his heart from pounding in his ears as he realized something had hurt his Riza.
For the first time that evening he considered her from head to toe. She was dressed rather comfortably, with a larger, dark shirt that almost came down to her knees. Her face seemed pale and a bit swollen around the eyes, but maybe that was the dim lighting in the room giving that effect. She sat stiffly at her desk, hands working worryingly over each other and brow furrowed. "What happened," Roy demanded more than asked, laying the flowers down in front of her.
Riza took in a deep breath before turning her face to regard the moon. "They're lovely, Roy. Thank you so much." Her voice shook as she continued to avoid eye contact. "It's been a long time since anyone's remembered." 'Cared' was probably the word she wanted, Roy figured; there's no way his master just coincidentally gave him the day off and spent the day with…. Wait a minute.
"Did he do something to you?" Roy's voice contained an edge in it unfamiliar to Riza, but it registered as angry nonetheless. He kneeled in front of her as she remained at her desk, his concerned gaze trying to bore through to her. She closed her eyes, wanting him to understand and just leave. You cannot know… not now.
But she knew he couldn't possibly understand. Who could have guessed that a father would do such a thing to his daughter? It wasn't fair for her to expect Roy to read her mind, so she decided to be as straightforward as she could afford.
"Roy, I cannot explain everything to you right now," she licked her lips, unsure of how she wanted to continue. Just hurry up and get him out of your room before you burst into tears… "Everything will be all right. Today was just… difficult. And I'd like to go to bed now. I'm sorry for all of the trouble you went through to get these for me… please know that I appreciate them more than anything." With that she turned towards him and smiled weakly.
As desperate as he was to hear exactly what happened, Roy could not deny that she looked like she needed rest and interrogating her probably wouldn't help matters. But I can't just leave her like this… He looked at her for a long moment, seemingly on the verge of saying something, before nodding and getting to his feet. Hearing her door click shut, Riza let out a shuddering breath as her head fell into her hands. Roy was in his room before he realized he had never given her the present he spent all day preparing.
After considering the circumstances for twenty minutes, Roy changed into his pajamas, again picking up the small gift box, and made his way back to Riza's door. He noticed that her lights were off but he could still hear noise coming from inside her room and his eyes widened when he realized she was crying. His hand immediately jerked for the door handle, only to find that she had locked it.
