Two's Company

Summary: As a social creature, Roy faced a bit of a challenge integrating into the Hawkeye household. Riza, of course, had to put up with him. Royai.

A/N: Inspired by Clean Bandit's "Rather Be" feat. Jess Glynne. As usual, I implore you to listen as you read. Set during Roy's apprenticeship. We'll call him 17 and a bit, and her, about 16.

For as much as he was a leader (or someday would be one), he certainly liked to follow.

"You're like a duckling sometimes," Riza sighed one day during his apprenticeship after she'd come out of her shell a bit. "I don't understand why you feel the need to follow me around so much, but I might start bringing a crust of bread everywhere for you."

Roy shrugged. "I'm used to a lot of company. A lot of talkative company. You think I get that from your father when it's not about alchemy?" When Riza didn't answer, he threw in wryly, "I wouldn't mind the crust of bread, though."

Riza stayed quiet, but Roy saw her smile. She looked up, and he wasn't entirely sure how long they stayed like that, but he became acutely aware that there was dinner to make, and perhaps that he was flushing just a little bit.

He cleared his throat. "Let me help you with dinner."

Riza lowered her eyes. "That's sweet of you, but I know you have work to do."

"I can take a break!" Roy protested.

"Really, Roy, it's fine." Riza gestured to the counter. "There's really only enough work for one person, anyway."

Roy frowned.

"I'll be fine," Riza assured him, "and you will be, too." Roy didn't give up pouting. "I didn't say you had to leave, Roy. I just said that I'll be fine to do the cooking."

Roy opened up his notebook, uncapped his pen, and began transcribing the shorthand notes he usually took.

Well, at least he didn't fall asleep on his notebook, Riza thought. She had capped Roy's pen after he'd rested his head on his arms and his breathing had evened. She knew he hadn't been sleeping well, either. She was a light sleeper, and, as she and Roy shared a wall, sometimes, she could hear his pacing and the creaking of his bed as he settled back down onto it.

A few times, she'd heard him pace the hall, to her door and back. Her heart had pounded like nothing before the night when she heard a light knock on her door. She'd pretended to be asleep, and Roy hadn't tried to enter her room.

Oh, she knew the feeling well enough, but this was just too complicated to entertain. It wasn't as though she wanted to be hurt, but she trusted him more than she'd trusted perhaps anyone. Her hand rose nervously to the back of her neck, making sure her collar was high enough. She'd thought about growing her hair out, but for some reason, she just… couldn't.

Riza shook her head. She was over-thinking this. She reached out to gently shake Roy's shoulder.

He was more deeply asleep than she'd thought—he didn't wake.

"Oh, Roy…" Riza smiled gently.

As if of its own accord, her hand reached out and brushed some of the longer fringe back from Roy's face. He mumbled something indistinctly, shook his head, and resettled, not opening his eyes.

Riza bit her lip.

Well, he certainly won't tell. The question was, what would he do? Hopefully not wake up.

Riza bent and brush Roy's cheek with the lightest of kisses.

Roy's hand immediately went to his cheek as Riza straightened up quickly. Though he kept his head down, Riza could swear that she heard Roy murmur, "I felt that."

Riza entered Roy's room, a tray in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

Roy shrugged. "Fever's down, I think. Just kind of achy and slow." He sneezed, then coughed for a moment. "And there's that."

Setting the tray down on the bedside table, Riza reached to feel Roy's forehead. He jerked back. "You'll get sick! And you can't measure my temperature like that, anyway."

"You were probably contagious before you started feeling sick, and I can at least gauge if you're mostly back to normal or not," Riza replied, reaching out again.

Roy grabbed her hand.

"Roy…"

"Stay?" Roy wasn't looking her in the eye. In fact, he was very pointedly avoiding her gaze. His voice was soft, and a little hoarse from coughing. He cut a pretty pitiful figure. "I know you have things you could be doing, but… stay?"

Riza grabbed the chair from the small desk across the room and sat by the bed. She handed the tray of soup, a sandwich, and a small apple to Roy. "I'll stay if you'll eat."

A half hour later, Roy had finished eating, and was drifting from fitful sleep into a more relaxed, deeper rest.

Riza quietly rose from the chair and brushed at her skirt.

"Riza…"

She stopped. Roy's eyes were half-open.

"Thank you."

On impulse, she grabbed Roy's hand and squeezed it. "You're welcome."

The tide had turned, sure enough. Roy had caught Riza trying to make her own lunch, and had forced her to lie on the living room couch while he took care of her for once.

"You're just as stubborn as I am, you know," he called from the kitchen.

The only response was a sneeze followed by a rattling cough.

After a few minutes of silence, Roy poked his head out into the living room. "Riza, are you o-"

She was sound asleep.

Roy went and knelt by her side, brushing some of Riza's hair back to feel her forehead. She wasn't awake—she'd never know.

Still a bit too warm for his liking, but at least he'd been able to convince her to rest more over the past few days.

He sighed. "Just as stubborn, and just as brave." Without thinking, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm not brave…" Riza mumbled without opening her eyes. Roy could feel himself flushing—she had been awake! "I'm just as scared as anyone."

Roy frowned, upset. "Riza, you are brave. And strong. And beautiful." As he stood, the hand that had unconsciously cupped Riza's cheek slid to join the other, which held one of her hands. "And right now, I'm taking care of you, so what I say goes."

It was a feeble attempt at humor, but the corners of Riza's mouth twitched. Roy would take that as a victory.

A several weeks had passed.

There were definitely now more fleeting glances and late-night hallway pacing than ever.

Some days, they could pretend nothing had changed, but most days, the tension in the air was palpable.

Then, one day, it happened.

Instead of letting Riza leave the room unfollowed just as he entered, Roy dropped his notebook and pen in the living room and gave chase.

He'd never run through the house, of course, but he didn't need to—his stride was easily longer than Riza's, and she'd gotten so used to him not following that by the time she realized that she wasn't alone again, her path was blocked.

"Roy…" She wasn't sure what to say next, and it felt like her heart had suddenly leapt into her throat, making speech just a bit difficult.

"I…" Roy loosened his grip on Riza's upper arms as she winced. "Sorry.

"I can't do this anymore—pretending to ignore you, or leaving when you enter a room, or just… avoiding you—I can't. I like being around you. You make everything less lonely and I think you like being around me and I know I like being around you."

Riza bit her lip. "You're not wrong," she half-whispered, surprising even herself by holding Roy's gaze.

Neither of them spoke for what seemed like forever. Roy's hands slid from Riza's shoulders, and she readily caught them in her own. This made Roy recoil just a bit in sheer surprise. Both of them chuckled.

Roy cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something. He wasn't quite sure what, but something.

Much to his surprise, Riza leaned in and went up on her toes just a little bit, placing her hands on Roy's shoulders to keep balance. Roy, who had somehow convinced himself that she meant to kiss him on the cheek, was proven quite wrong when she pressed her lips to his, and not nearly as gently as he'd been expecting.

Before Riza could decide this was a mistake (though she didn't seem to be giving any indications that it was), Roy wrapped both arms around her waist to pull her closer.

Finally, one of them (they never would be sure which of them) stepped back. Roy was only slightly the more stunned of the two. Riza was—Roy could swear—smirking.

And of course, being the idiot that he was, the first thing out of Roy's mouth was, "You didn't plan this, did you?"

Riza gave him a questioning look. "Really, Roy?"

Roy winced. "Pretend I didn't say that?"

"Maybe."

Roy gave Riza a very lingering kiss.

"That's not going to work on me." Riza smiled a bit. "I certainly don't mind it, but it's not going to work."

"I'm half-tempted to take that as a challenge." Roy grinned in satisfaction—Riza had actually blushed. "If it means more time with you, I'll take any challenge."

"Like helping me with dinner?"

"Like helping you with dinner," Roy agreed, the barest hint of an implication permeating the words.

"Actually helping me with dinner," Riza clarified, starting toward the kitchen.

"I did say I'd take any challenge," Roy agreed, following. "I just can't guarantee the edibility of the results."

Riza turned to grin. "Stick around long enough, and you'll learn."

Roy smiled, and had the vague notion that he probably looked like a love-struck moron. It wouldn't be inaccurate, at any rate. But right now, he didn't mind one bit. "Maybe."

Maybe, indeed.

A/N: Jack's back! But nobody probably remembers me. Being a software developer has prevented me from writing nearly as much as I'd like. Also wedding planning. Yup—Jack's getting hitched!

Anyway, I just wasn't inspired for the longest time. Even when I was upset, I just couldn't think of anything to write. It was a really sucky (and far too busy) period in my life.

And then, I heard the song mentioned in the A/N in the beginning, and all these little vignettes popped into my head. So, I sat down, and tried my best to string them together… and found out that I am extremely rusty. But dammit, I had fun!

I've actually had some ideas brewing about Ed's family, too. I had fun writing about him telling a bedtime story to his daughter. Writing Elena is a lot of fun, and I think I'll have to go back to her next. And while I can't say much (because who plans ahead, seriously?!) Roy and Riza should be there, too.