Dedicated to all who have read this. It's a bit longer than the others. :)

Disclaimer: Don't, won't ever but want to own Fma and the wonderful characters.

Chapter Six

Roy was almost sober by the time his apartment was in sight. The only good thing he could think of was that at least it wasn't raining. Small mercies, very small mercies.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
In retrospect, he knew that it was a good job that he didn't get a chance to confront Havoc, because in the heat of the moment he didn't know what he would have done. His hand was still aching after he smashed his fist into the wall, an extremely useless and pointless exercise. He fumbled with his keys in the outer door to the apartment complex and entered the reception area passing by the snoozing, elderly man at the desk. He took the stairs, two at a time, and went up to the second floor. His apartment was one first one from the stairs and he sighed in relief as he reached it. He shoved the key in the lock and turned it. Shutting the door behind him, Roy took off his coat and hung it on the back of a chair; that was when he noticed the blood stain on the sleeve of his shirt from his encounter with the stone wall.
"Damn it!"
He took a closer look at his hand, which was all cut up and starting to look a little purple in places. He hoped it wouldn't swell up, but he knew he should clean it up in case of infection.
He headed for the bathroom, where he kept his first aid kit. He turned on the tap and ran water over his hand. He winced a little, his cuts stinging. Still, it was a distraction from all the emotions in his head. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't lie to himself anymore; he was in love with her. He probably had been for a while.
He reached for some disinfectant and cotton wool before dabbing it on his cuts.
Riza had brief relationships in the past, but Roy had never feared her settling down, not when he was the most important man in her life. He knew it was vain and selfish, but it was a fact, a constant since they had fought together in Ishval. He needed her by his side, he never would have managed to cope without her especially since the death of Hughes.
If Hughes was here now, he would be telling him how much of an idiot he was, not that he needed reminding. He couldn't blame Havoc since he had asked him if he was interested in Riza and he had lied. Besides, Havoc was the better man, he knew. And if he made Riza happy, then he thought he could live with it even if it hurt. What he couldn't live without was losing her. Was he was sensing a change in their relationship? She was cooler with him, like she was trying to create a distance. It had happened ever since the almost kiss that the damn dog had interrupted. He decided that maybe it was time for another drink. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.

Riza sat at the table, a mug of scalding hot coffee in her hand. Her gaze turned to her friend lying on the sofa, her mouth open a fraction, her right arm draped on the floor. Riza smiled as Rebecca started to stir. Her friend had fallen asleep the night before after a few glasses of wine too many and Jean had left the apartment after. It was nice to have company other than Hayate for once and Riza got the feeling that had Jean not been present that her friend would have been bending her ear about her non relationship with her superior officer again.
"Good morning."
"It's not a good morning," Rebecca sat up and rubbed at her eyes. "I'm dying – my head."
Riza tried to suppress a chuckle. "There's a glass of water on the coffee table beside you and some aspirin."
"You're a life saver, Riza." Rebecca put the aspirin into her mouth and downed the glass of water in one.
"I know. You're lucky to have me."
Rebecca ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. "I'm never drinking again, Riza."
"Sure, until next time."
Rebecca stuck out her tongue, "Thank you for all your belief in me or do you save all that for Mustang?"
Riza tensed at the mention of Roy's name, she really didn't want to talk about him right now.
"I just know you a little too well," she deadpanned, hoping that friend would drop it.
Rebecca pursed her lips, "It's not funny that you drank as much as me and you don't seem to be affected at all. I changed my mind, I hate you."
Riza laughed, "In that case, you can't have any coffee."
"I know you're not that cruel." Rebecca stood up gingerly and stretched her arms. "Ugh, your sofa is a torture device."
"We tried to wake you when Jean was leaving, but you are a deep sleeper."
Rebecca glared at her, "You should have tried harder." She joined Riza at the table. "Just pour me some coffee and make me human again."
Riza poured her a coffee and passed it across the table. Rebecca took the mug and dropped in a sugar cube before adding some milk.
She took a sup from the mug. "Ah, that's better." She looked up at Riza, a devilish smirk on her face, "Now that it's us just girls, are you finally going to admit to me that you're in love with Mustang?"
Riza rolled her eyes, not wanting to give Rebecca the satisfaction of an answer.
Rebecca shook her head disbelievingly, "This guy has you running around in circles after him for years and now that you both are finally able to do something about the attraction that the whole of HQ if not Amestris knows about, you're both too scared to take a leap."
"I shouldn't have given you that coffee. I liked you better when you were too incoherent to form proper sentences."
"Don't be so mean. That man is obviously in love with you, and you with him. The sexual tension is driving the whole office crazy."
"There is no sexual tension, Rebecca," Riza said, trying to keep her voice even. "Roy is not interested in me. We're friends and colleagues."
"Pull the other one, Riza. You've been a cranky bitch for the last few days and the boys told me all about how Mustang didn't much like the idea of someone sending you flowers."
Sometimes, Riza really hated her friend. She opened her mouth to speak before she realised, she didn't know what to say.
"Well?" Rebecca pressed.
"Rebecca, it's complicated."
"It doesn't have to be." She slammed her hand on the table. "Just screw him!"
"Rebecca, do you have to be so vulgar?"
"I'm sure you hear much worse in the office." She waved her hand. 'Are you telling me all those times on missions that you were never tempted to jump him?"
The spots of red on Riza's cheeks betrayed her.
"And did you ever break protocol?"
"None of your business."
"So you did."
"I never said that."
Hayate rubbed against Rebecca's leg, and she bent down and picked him up, "So boy, do you think your Mommy is silly. Yes you do."
The little dog responded with a bark.
Rebecca looked at Riza, "See, Hayate wants you to seduce Mustang too."
"You're impossible. Now please stop manhandling my dog."
Riza stood up and took her mug to the sink.
"See Hayate, she's no fun," Rebecca said from behind her.
Riza ran the water and rinsed the mug. "Please, let it go before I shoot you. For the last time, Roy is not interested in me even if I did have a romantic interest in him."
"What makes you say that? Are you blind, woman?"
"Did you ever think that perhaps he is happy being a bachelor?"
"If he wants to reach the top, he's going to need a wife," Rebecca pointed out.
Riza sat down at the table again. "So, you're suggesting that I engage in a relationship with him because he needs a wife?"
'Don't be absurd, I'm just making a point."
"Well, I'm not wasting any more of my afternoon talking about a non- existent relationship," Riza said. "Now, what do you want for breakfast?"
Rebecca ignored her question of course. "Why is it that you can never be honest with me? I tell you every little detail of my life."
Riza felt her sense of irritation rise, "I don't ask you for that. You just tell me whether I want to hear you or not."
She regretted the angry words as soon as they came out of her mouth. She knew she was being cruel and that Rebecca was trying to help in her own overbearing way.
"That's not fair, Riza. I'm your friend, I wish you would confide in me."
"I know what you're doing." Riza's voice started to rise.
Rebecca shrugged, "So what if I'm trying to manipulate you, it doesn't make it any less true."
Riza crossed her arms, "Look Becca, the General might be interested in someone, but it's certainly not me."
Rebecca arched a brow, "Are you talking about that woman that Jean saw him with too?"
Riza mouth dropped open before she schooled her features once more, "What exactly did Jean tell you?"
"Nothing," Rebecca said quickly, "Though I have it on good authority that he didn't kiss her back and merely stared at her like a goldfish."
Riza narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about?"
"He wasn't interested and he might have bruised her ego a little."
"What? Do you know her?"
"You could say that, although sometimes I think that I don't know her well as I think, because she tends to do really stupid things."
"Are you still drunk?" Riza asked.
"Now, that you say that, I think I am." Rebecca got to her feet. "I think I better leave breakfast and make sure Jean got home in one piece last night."
"Rebecca! What are you not telling me?"
"Nothing!"
Rebecca was trying hard not to smile and before Riza could say a word, she grabbed her bag and hurried out the door.
Riza looked at Black Hayate, "What is she up to boy?"

Jean stretched, a small smile on his face at the memory of a sleeping Rebecca the night before. He knew from experience there was no waking his girlfriend when she was asleep. He picked up his clothes from where he dropped them the night before and dumped them in a heap on his undressed bed. Rebecca used to yell at him for his slobbishness.
He smiled again picturing the taut mouth and the glaring eyes. God, he was a goner. He had been burned a lot before when it came to relationships; he fell hard and fast before inevitably getting his heart broken. Still, Rebecca was different. He was starting to realise that a lot of those relationships were more about being in love than actually being in love with the girl. He better get to his morning work out if he wanted to keep this girl.
The doorbell rang and Jean sighed. He didn't bother putting on his shirt and he ran to the door and opened it. Rebecca was standing there, her mouth gaped a little at his appearance.
"Hi Becca!"
Her tongue darted out and licked her lips.
He puffed out his chest, "Like what you see, huh?"
She pushed him in the door and stepped backwards until he felt his back hit the wall. She pressed hard against him and put her hands on either side of the wall. This time Jean licked his lips, his eyes going from her lidded eyes to her oh so kissable lips. She leaned in and kissed him fiercely and he responded in kind. He figured he might be doing a different kind of exercise this morning instead.
She pulled away suddenly, "Jean, you know you mean a lot to me, right?"
He nodded and kissed her hair.
She smiled up at him. "I guess I got a little carried away." She moved away from him and slammed the door shut behind her.
Jean just starred at her. She was gorgeous, but the woman boggled his mind and could bounce from topic to topic in seconds.
She took his hand and started to caress his palm with her thumb. "Now where was I? Ah yes, I always said I wanted to find a handsome, rich man and retire from this damn job. You're not rich or powerful like the ideal man I always imagined, but I'm still with you. You know what that means?"
"Becca, you're losing me."
"You're important to me and I don't want to lose you even if you're not the man I'd imagined I'd end up with."
He smiled, "Rebecca Catalina, I love you even if you're damn strange and infuriating."
Her mouth opened slightly before forming a smile, "I love you too."
Jean grabbed her and kissed her forcefully, "Say that again!"
"Only if you say it first," she said a little breathlessly. "But you might leave out the part about strange and infuriating, it dampens it a little."
"Does this mean that I can stop pretending to Mustang that we've broken up?"
"Shouldn't you be saying that you can finally stop pretending to be attracted to Riza?"
"That too," he said with a smirk.
"Yes – I think the game is up." Rebecca chewed at her lip. "Riza's suspicious, I think we would be idiots to try anymore mind games for a while at least." She shrugged her shoulders, "Who knows they might figure things out on their own in the meantime?"
"That's an optimistic way of looking at it," Jean replied. "Me – I vote for knocking their heads together."
"Well, honey, I vote for staying alive."

Roy had spent most of the weekend brooding over Riza and drinking. By Monday morning, he was perfectly fine with the developments or so he told himself. He arrived in the office for 7am, which was earlier than his usual start, but he hadn't slept very well and didn't see the point in mooning about his apartment. Riza arrived shortly after him. He had planned what he was going to say, but by the time he had worked up the courage, Havoc had arrived. Roy didn't get much work done after that as he spent much of the time watching Riza and Havoc. They were discreet for sure, not that he would have expected anything less from his second in command. On the other hand, Havoc had never been circumspect in his liaisons, so his behaviour was a surprise. However, Roy could tell that Havoc was in a really good mood.
"Could you please stop that whistling, Havoc? You can't hold a tune. Some of us are trying to work here."
"Work?" Riza shook her head, "You have only through about five forms in the last two hours."
What was worse than the whistling was the small fond smiles Riza was trying to hide.
"That's because I can't concentrate."
Breda took a bunch of papers from his in-tray. "Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean you should be taking it out on someone else."
All four starred at Breda in horror.
Breda caught himself and added sheepishly, "Sir."
Roy's hands were balled under his desk and he clenched his jaw. "Apologise to the First Lieutenant, Breda."
"What?" Breda scratched his head, "Uh sorry Hawkeye."
Riza shrugged, "No offence taken, Breda. I've heard much worse."
"Uh, I think it's time for lunch," Falman said.
"Shouldn't we wait for Fuery?" Breda asked.
"I'm sure he can find the canteen on his own," Riza pointed out.
Breda and Falman left the office and Havoc stopped at the door when his superior officers didn't follow.
"Are you coming?" Havoc asked.
"No, I need to speak with the Colonel in private."
As Havoc left the office, a little smirk on his face, Riza approached Roy's desk.
Shit! Now that the moment had come, he didn't want to hear it.
"I know what you're going to say and well it's none of my business." He tried to keep his features neutral.
"I have no idea what you mean, sir." She lowered her voice and continued, " Roy, have I done something to offend you?"
The use of his first name caught him by surprise.
"No, not at all," he assured her. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."
"Good, it's just things… have been strange these last few days."
It was now or never.
"Please don't ask me how I found out, but I know about you and Havoc." He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Riza, I hope it works out for you both. Havoc is a good man and I want you to be happy. But if he hurts you, I will burn him alive."
"What are you on about, sir?"
"You and Jean."
"Roy! You're being ridiculous. I'm not in a relationship with Jean. Where did you get such a foolish notion?"
Roy just starred at her. Could be true? Surely, Riza wouldn't lie to him about this.
"I'm serious, Roy. Jean's like a brother to me."
"Friday night…he came out of your apartment and it was late."
'Yes – he was at my apartment with Rebecca."
"Oh! So you're not involved with Havoc?"
"Me and Jean!" Riza started to giggle and it was sound unlike anything Roy had heard from since they were children. "Besides you know he's with Rebecca."
"But they broke up," Roy pointed out.
It was her turn to frown this time. "No they didn't. Where did you get that idea?"
"Havoc said…" Roy pinched his nose. "Catalina.."
It was all starting to make sense now why Catalina kissed him and why Havoc was acting all weird, Gruman was strangely smug and Armstrong gazed at him with misty eyes.
He clenched his fists, "I think we've been played."
"That thought might have crossed my mind," Riza added drily.
"I'm going to incinerate them!"
"Not before I shoot them."
At that moment, Fuery entered the office. Roy and Riza's heads snapped in the direction of the younger officer.
The General's eyes narrowed, "Fuery, what the hell is going on?"
"Do let us in the secret," Riza's voice was as cold as ice, her hand fingered the gun on her holster at her waist.
"I warned them that it wasn't a very good idea."
"Who knew about this?" A vein was popping in Roy's forehead as he advanced on Fuery.
Fuery took a few steps back and sighed in relief when Riza intervened. "Let me!"
Roy suddenly stopped. The relief was only momentary until Fuery realised Riza was standing in front of him. "So, Warrant Officer, tell me were the whole team involved or was it just Rebecca and Jean?"
A shaking Fuery nodded, "But it was their idea and we made a few wagers on the outcome."
Roy paced in front of his desk, "The interfering bastards. Have they no respect for their superiors. I could have them court-martialled!"
"Calm down, sir. Let's find out the full extent of this idiocy before we act." She turned her attention back to the terrified warrant officer, "Is there anything else we should know, Fuery?"
"Um, well no!"
Fuery's eyes nearly popped out of his head when Roy's hand reached inside his jacket. "Shit!"
The click of Riza's gun as she drew it was the last straw and Fuery ran screaming from the office, "Please don't kill me, I'm too young to die!"

To be continued…

Next time: Will Roy and Riza finally admit their feelings or will there be bloodshed in headquarters.