AN: Hello again, all. It's been a while.

This story has two interesting things to note before we begin.

1) The story as a whole is inspired by my best friend, who dated her husband twice before marrying him, and so therefore has two "first kisses" with him ^_^ I always thought Roy and Riza would have a few different first kisses, as they're together for so long through so much. The idea is looking at how they come together after something (time, circumstances, etc.) has separated them throughout their lives.

2) The idea for this scene was thought up almost 5 years ago with different characters and I could never quite make it work. To my surprise, I discovered it was because the scene was written for characters I hadn't even met yet.

Anyway, all chapters are technically stand alone stories. This chapter only has spoilers through about episode 30 of brotherhood, later chapters will have more. If you have the time, I'd absolutely love a review.

Thanks a million!

Kissing Riza Hawkeye

The first time he kissed Riza Hawkeye, they were both little more than children. Sun-drenched and golden, it was one of the few memories Roy could recall that was not tainted by the pain and anguish that would affect their lives in later years.

A light breeze flutters through the grass as Roy climbs the hill to the Hawkeye house. It is one of the first truly warm days of summer, and even from this distance he can see all the shutters of the house are thrown open to welcome in the fresh air. He pauses to catch his breath as he watches the house for signs of movement. Even though he is too far away to truly see anything, he imagines he sees a flash of golden hair in one of the upper windows, and he smiles at the thought.

It has been three weeks since he has seen either his master or, perhaps more importantly, his master's daughter. Riza is only fifteen, and to a boy-almost-man of sixteen, the nine months between them makes a world of difference. In the three years he has spent studying at the Hawkeye household he has seen fit to adopt the girl as the little sister he never knew he wanted. She is his confidant, his partner in crime, and only recently has he realized she is the best friend he has ever had. Fresh from an extended visit with his mother and sisters in the city, he finds he can hardly wait to see her again, to watch her eyes light up as he tells stores of his exploits in a city she has never visited, and to hear how she and her father have kept themselves busy without him.

Though he is practically a member of the family, Roy still stops and knocks on the front door. His mother has raised him to be courteous, and Master Hawkeye likes it when formalities are observed. Roy waits for several long moments, listening to the birds in the old oak tree and watching the wisps of clouds high in the sky. When there is no response, he knocks again.

Still no response. It strikes him as odd, as he could swear he hears the familiar sounds of life inside the Hawkeye house. Finally deciding he has waited long enough, he pushes the door open cautiously. There is no immediate response to his appearance, so he pushes the door open all the way and discovers a perfectly empty sitting room. Listening carefully, he realizes all of the sounds he recognizes are coming from the kitchen at the back of the house. Setting aside his suitcase and jacket, he closes the door and ventures inside to find the household's missing residents.

The distinct sound of water running meets his ears as he opens the door to the kitchen, and he realizes this is why his knocks were not answered. His entrance again not immediately noticed, Roy takes a moment to take in the scene before him.

The kitchen—one of his favorite rooms in the house—is an absolute disaster. Dirty pans and dishes are strewn across the stovetop and countertops. Many of the dishes are covered in hardened food as if they have been there for some time. Usually kept in immaculate condition by Riza, the scene is completely foreign. In fact, the only thing in the least bit familiar is Riza herself, standing at the sink with her back towards him, working furiously to clean up the mess.

Roy realizes with a sly grin that focused on her task, his master's daughter has not yet noticed that he is here. And being who he is, he cannot help but take advantage of the situation. He sneaks across the room, careful to make sure that his shoes do not squeak and that he does not burst out in anticipatory laughter.

Poor Riza will never see it coming.

She is not generally ticklish, but there is one particular spot, just above her hips, that Roy long ago discovered she is vulnerable. He takes one more step and then not wanting to push his luck, seizes his opportunity. Riza lets out a small squeak of surprise, but instead of the string of giggles he is expecting, she struggles in his arms and finally lands a sharp elbow to his gut. The blow catches him unaware and he staggers backwards, trying to catch his breath again.

"Mr. Mustang!" Riza exclaims, her surprise at discovering her attacker's identity causing her to slip back into a formality they have long ago done away with.

"Who were you expecting?" Roy asks breathlessly, still leaning on his knees for support, "That hurt like hell."

"Well it serves you right," Riza says, and Roy is not particularly surprised that she does not apologize, "you scared me half to death."

"Riza, who would sneak up on you in the kitchen?" Roy asks, his breath finally returning.

"Apparently just my father's most obnoxious pupil," she snaps.

The wounded-puppy look he is giving her must work, because Riza's eyes soften just the tiniest bit looking at him. She—somewhat grudgingly—offers him a hand and pulls him to a standing position once more. He rubs his abdomen as if looking for more sympathy; she pointedly ignores him.

"Welcome back," she offers instead, and though she is clearly still trying to sound annoyed, she is not quite able to keep the smile from her face as she says it.

Roy grins widely enough for the both of them. "Miss me?" he asks and when she merely rolls her eyes, he continues, "What happened in here? It looks like it hasn't been cleaned since I left."

Riza's eyes narrow, and Roy knows without a doubt that he has just said the wrong thing. It is one of those moments that he has to marvel at her ability to say everything without actually saying anything. It is an ability that both awes and scares him—awes, because before he met her he did not realize how much one could say so much without speaking, and scares, because there is always the possibility that he hears something different than what she is actually trying to say. But this time, though he is not sure exactly why, he is fairly certain that the look she is giving him is suggesting that if he keeps making comments he will find himself sleeping outside for the next week.

"What I mean is… uh…" he attempts to cover up his unintentional mistake.

Riza merely sighs, shaking her head. "No, it's fine. I'm just not in the best of moods this morning. I came home from spending a few days with an old childhood friend and this is what I come home to," she says, gesturing at the mess, "And of course Father has gone to town for the day to pick up a few alchemical research texts and I'm left cleaning up his mess. Honestly, it's like the man is a child. Leave him alone for a few days and he practically destroys the house."

It takes all of Roy's self-control not to laugh because of course the house was a mess if Berthold Hawkeye has been left to his own devices; it is a miracle the man remembered to eat without his daughter bringing him three meals a day, let alone remembering to clean up after himself. However, Riza obviously does not see the humor in the situation, and Roy sees no reason to get on her bad side—not when he has just gotten back and cannot help but notice how she seems somehow prettier than he remembered.

So he merely smiles at her, and grabbing the dish towel from the counter, he offers, "Well, now you're not the only one here. I can help out."

She merely stares at him, as if she does not quite believe his offer is genuine.

"I do know how to wash dishes, Riza," he says with a chuckle, "and how else would I keep myself entertained if you were stuck in here all afternoon?"

"Fine, I'll wash, you dry," she says curtly, though Roy notices her eyes have crinkled a bit in the corners.

The work is slow going. Many of the dishes have been allowed to sit for some time and take no small amount of scrubbing to get clean. Roy takes it upon himself to not only dry and stack the clean dishes, but also to keep his companion entertained while they work. It is hardly a difficult undertaking as he has always had a flare for storytelling and Riza is by far his favorite audience.

It is difficult to think, he muses as they lull into a comfortable silence, that this young woman is the same girl he met on his first visit to the house three years ago. Back then she was so quiet around him—not shy, just reserved, as if he had not yet earned the right to hear her thoughts. Riza scared him back then, not just because she was a girl his own age—he was used to his sisters back home, but this was different—but because she always seemed to be hiding something behind those knowing amber eyes. It only took a few months at the Hawkeye household for him to get over his fear and make it his personal mission to discover just what that secret was.

Now, of course, he knows that often what is hiding behind those eyes is some cutting, witty remark or observation. From all outward appearances Riza is rather serious for her age, but Roy knows she has a dry sense of humor to rival any of the giggling girls he has met in his visits to the city. These days Riza rarely even has to say aloud what she is thinking to leave Roy in stitches. In return, Roy takes an odd sort of pleasure from causing her to break from her normal straight-faced manner with even the smallest of smiles.

Today, despite Riza's claim that she is in an off mood, he finds her smiles coming more easily than most days. And more than once he finds himself loosing his train of thought, distracted by those same smiles. It is hardly the first time he has found himself preoccupied by his master's daughter—he is a teenage boy, after all—but maybe because he has just spent several weeks away, today he is finding everything about her more enthralling.

Roy glances at her surreptitiously, and finds she is staring thoughtfully out the window across the back lawn. There is sunlight streaming through the open window, playing in the strands of her hair and across her cheeks. Roy is momentarily lost and is only brought back to reality by Riza mindlessly handing him the next plate. He glances down at the weight suddenly in his hands and realizes she, too, must have been truly lost in thought, as there is a large glob of soap bubbles left in the middle of the plate.

"Hey, Riza," Roy says casually.

"Hmm?" she responds, snapped from whatever daydream had taken her away.

"You missed a spot," he says with a grin, blowing the bubbles at her.

Suds land across her face and hair, Riza staring at him as though momentarily stunned. It is not until she carefully wipes the bubbles from the tip of her nose that she seems to realize exactly what has happened, and an appallingly threatening grin spreads across her face. Without a word, she scoops a large handful of bubbles from the sink and blows them his direction, covering him, as well. Their eyes lock for a second, gauging one another—until Roy grabs a clean mug from the counter, dips it in the sink, and dumps the soapy water unceremoniously over her head.

Riza sputters for a moment and then with sheer determination in her eyes, she says, "Roy Mustang, you are going to pay for that."

"Only if you can catch me!" Roy answers, already attempting to put the kitchen table between them.

And with that, the battle has begun. Suddenly soapy water is flying from every direction, the two teenagers chasing each other around the room with cups, bowls, and pans full to the brim. After some time, Riza corners Roy, looking self-congratulatory as she bears down on him with a large pot. It is only as she gets close enough to attack that she realizes Roy has been sketching a transmutation circle with charcoal on the back of his hand, and as he touches the water now covering the tile floor, a veritable wave rises up and drenches the girl.

Taking advantage of Riza's momentary pause, Roy dashes across the room. He hears Riza behind him, and he takes a sudden turn behind the table. He glances over his shoulder with a gloating grin just in time to see her lose her balance on the slippery floor. He clumsily tries to wheel around and catch her, one arm cinched tightly around her waist. For a split-second, he thinks he has rescued her from a nasty fall, until her momentum causes him to lose his balance and sends them both crashing to the floor.

With his arms still around her waist, Roy has no way to catch himself and lands hard on his back, his head snapping against the tile painfully. Riza is saved from the brunt of the fall by landing on top of him, though she hardly manages to do so gracefully. She lands flat across his chest, her hands still gripping his shoulders as though looking for support.

"Ouch," Roy moans, still seeing stars as he rubs the back of his head gingerly.

"It serves you right," Riza reprimands, pushing herself away from his chest so she ends up seated across his waist, "this is all your fault."

"All my fault?" Roy repeats, still not trusting himself to move, "I hardly think I could have done this much damage to your kitchen by myself."

"Don't underestimate yourself," Riza says dryly, "I've seen the state of father's study some days after your lessons."

"Oh give me a break, woman," he complains, "I've just given myself a concussion trying to save you from certain peril."

"Some savior you turned out to be. I still fell, you know," she banters with a teasing smile, leaning over him once more.

"Yeah, I noticed," Roy responds. Their noses are almost touching, and he cannot seem to come up with a wittier comeback with her so close.

Riza's cheeks tint pink at the comment, but she does not move away. In the silence that follows, her amber eyes are wide, all hint of mischief gone, and Roy wonders vaguely if he is the only one having trouble remembering how to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Riza is still here, hovering over him, and Roy is suddenly fighting the urge to pull her close and kiss her senseless. He is on the verge of doing just that when suddenly she is gone, pulling away to sit a few feet from him on the floor. She pulls her knees up in front of her protectively, and for a moment she looks just like the shy girl he met years ago.

In her absence, Roy suddenly feels a chill settle over him, so he sits up, as well, pulling himself next to her—damp shoulder against damp shoulder. She gives him a questioning look, and he merely gives her a faint smile in return.

Riza sighs, glancing at the mess they have made. "We had better get this cleaned up," she says, "Father would kick us both out of the house if he found it like this."

"Kicked out? Just for having a bit of fun?" Roy questions, "That seems a bit harsh. Surely there are worse things we could have done."

"Worse than practically destroying his kitchen?" Riza asks with a laugh, "Like what?"

"Hmm…" Roy says, stroking his chin dramatically, "Set a heard of goats loose in his library?"

Riza's eyes go wide as she loses herself in laughter, "Or cut down his favorite tree for a glorious bonfire."

"A bonfire to which we invite the other kids from town, and collectively we eliminate his entire wine collection," Roy embellishes.

"Or you could whisk me away to the city for a splendid adventure without telling him," Riza suggests grandly.

"Of course! We'll sample the best food in the city, and afterwards, maybe I'll even prove to you that I can dance," Roy adds.

"We'll explore the streets of the city all night, because there's no one to scold us for staying out," Riza says, eyes alight. She's leaning towards him, caught up in the excitement of their imagined adventure.

"And we'll watch the sun rise over East River, sitting on the edge of Old Bridge, and…" Roy trails off, suddenly distracted by a piece of hair that has fallen in her eyes. He pushes it behind her ear and she blushes a lovely shade of pink.

This time he cannot help himself. It's a simple thing, a perfect single kiss placed upon her lips. But to Roy, it feels like the most momentous thing he has ever done. And it is all he can do not to cheer aloud when she does not push him away.

Riza's eyes are wide afterwards, and Roy searches her for some indication of how she feels about his forwardness, but all she offers is, "I think that alone would be enough to get you kicked out."

"True," Roy says slowly, still watching her for any sign of emotion. It might be his imagination, but he could swear she is fighting back a smile. Hopes encouraged, he adds, "but maybe some risks are worth taking?"

Her face settles into—well, if not a smile, then a look of contentment, as if she was worried he regretted the spontaneous action. "Maybe you're right," she says quietly.

Roy waits for no more invitation, moving in with the intent to capture her lips in a more passionate kiss. He finds himself halted, however, but a single finger on his lips.

His disappointment must be obvious, because Riza laughs and adds, "After we clean up. If we hurry, there should still be time before Father returns."

Roy only just bites back a groan, wondering if it will always be like this with her.

(Sorry, Roy, it totally will be.)