Hey, guys. How's life been treating ya?
*24 of December *
"Happy Christmas Eve Roy-boy, Riza!" Vanessa screeched.
"Merry Christmas Eve, Miss Vanessa," Riza said with a smile as she and Roy walked down the stairs at the same time, like every morning. They had been in Central a week, and had decided that even if they were out of the manor, they weren't going to stop their routines. Every morning they came down the stairs together, ate together, had lunch together, had dinner together, and then hung out until they both went upstairs to sleep. Christmas and the girls thought it was the strangest thing.
"What are we doing today?" Roy asked in a tired voice.
"Well, tonight I'm closing off the bar to the public, and having a private party. I'll be inviting some of the family to come along too, so dress nicely, like ball gown nicely." Christmas replied with a smile.
"Uhg, that means I have to wear dress pants and a shirt and coat! Uhg, and those damn shoes!" Roy whined.
"Oh, stop complaining! Come on, let's go upstairs and see what you have to wear, I'm sure something you have will work. We're going to do it now, or you'll forget and scramble around fifteen minutes before the company is due." Riza said with a laugh.
"Fine, let's get this over with," he sighed.
Riza practically dragged Roy up the stairs to their room.
"I can't believe she got him to go up there to prepare," Sophie whispered.
"I know, it's like she has mind control," Sara said.
"That just means he'll do anything for her!" Vanessa swooned.
"That boy has got it bad," Christmas said with a smirk.
"Roy, what are you doing?"Riza asked, laughing. He was on top of her, his arms wrapped around her waist.
"I'm begging, what does it look like?" He said, burying his face in her chest. It looked pretty awkward from an outer view, but it was completely normal, for them anyway.
"Begging for what?" she laughed.
"Don't make me go to the party in that penguin suit!" he cried into her ample bosom.
"You don't really have a choice," she laughed. "C'mon I have to go too. Do you really think I want to waltz around in a poofy ball gown?"
"You look beautiful in anything you wear, though."
"You would look handsome in rags, Roy. Let's just grin and bear it, ok?" she whispered in his hair, playing with the strands.
"Ok, fine, but you have to come with me not just with me."
"That didn't make much sense, but I get what you're trying to say, so yes." She smiled.
"Yay! What dress are you going to wear?" he asked.
"Hm… I brought a ball gown that was my mother's, so I suppose I can wear that. It's a little flashy though," she said.
"I bet it won't even be close to what my sisters are wearing, and you'll still outshine them."
"I doubt it," Riza whispered.
"I guarantee it," Roy whispered back.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, food being made and decorations put up, until it was finally time for the party to begin.
Roy and Riza descended down the stairs arm in arm. People had to hold back gasps.
Riza was wearing an extravagant crimson gown, with a tight bodice and sweetheart neckline with off the shoulder sleeves. The skirt was full and made of satin, with wondrous folds that crossed into a lovely layered effect, which caught the light when she turned. Her hair cascaded down her back in elegant ringlets, with a clip gently holding the strands out of her face, while her hawk's wing bangs swooped across her eyes, making them look somewhat mysterious. Roy wore an elegant suit, with a matching crimson tie. His hair was slicked back, but a few strands had fallen into his eyes, making him look slightly disheveled and giving him a sexy look.
Most guests had already arrived, making them fashionably late, giving themselves an even more wondrous look.
"Who's that?" a woman asked, pointing at Riza.
"A guest," Christmas said, wanting to give Roy the pleasure of introducing her.
"She's a goddess!" a boy whispered.
"Hey! She's off-limits!" Vanessa said.
"Roy, Riza, you both look lovely," Christmas said, recovering from her state of shock faster than everybody else.
"Riza, where'd you get that dress?" Adrian asked excitedly.
"Yeah!" Vanessa screeched in awe.
"It was my mother's," Riza said, blushing.
"I love it! Roy, who knew you could clean up so well?" Cora said, smiling.
"Riza did most of the work, I just put the clothes on, and I'm just an accessory. Riza is the main picture, like she deserves to be." Roy said with a loving smile.
"That's not true, Roy, and you know it." Riza said, a deeper blush growing on her cheeks.
"Who's this?" a plump woman asked, walking up to the two. Her gown was much to tight for her round figure, and looked about two sizes too small.
"Vicky, this is Riza, my alchemy master's daughter. Riza, this is Vicky, my cousin." Roy said. Riza could tell Roy really didn't like her, and when a tall, lanky boy came up beside her, she could feel his hostility levels rising by the minute.
"She's a lovely spring flower," the boy said. "I'd tap that," he whispered into Roy's ear.
"Watch it Eli," Roy snarled.
"Or what?" Eli asked.
"I'll rip your throat out for even touching her!"
"Ooo, touchy subject?" Vicky teased rudely.
"Roy, let's go," Riza whispered in his ear. They turned, and Roy protectively placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her away from the two.
"I take it they're not the kindest people?" Riza asked.
"Terrible. The entire family is one full of snakes." Roy snarled. Riza placed a hand on his cheek, gently rubbing her thumb against it.
"C'mon Roy it's Christmas Eve. Let's just avoid them and enjoy ourselves." She whispered. He placed his hand over hers and leaned into her palm, closing his eyes a little.
"Would you like to dance?" Roy asked when his eyes opened again.
"I would love to," she said, smiling.
The two walked over to the dance floor, his arms wrapped around her waist, and hers wrapped around his shoulders. A slow song started to play, and their steps flowed into the next, moving as one. It was a simple waltz a one, two, three count. They gracefully floated across the floor, making all eyes turn to them, halting all previous dancers.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Their eyes never left each other's, their footing never wavering as they flew across the dance floor. They finished with a dip, and then the room erupted in applause.
"Roy! I didn't know you could dance!" Sophie yelled.
"Oh, uh," Roy blushed. "One night a really slow song came on the radio, and Riza and I were so bored we had decided to try and dance. It didn't work out so well, so we stayed up the rest of the night trying to learn."
*Flashback *
"Mister Mustang, I'm so booored!" Riza whined, sitting upside down on the loveseat, while Roy sat at the big desk in the living room.
"Hey, why don't we turn on the radio?" Roy suggested, smiling at the picture of his perfectly composed Riza lying upside down.
"Hm… Good idea!"
She scrambled to the old radio, choosing the only station that was playing music at that time at night. They were all rock songs, but then a sweet, slow song started to play. Riza started to sway, and Roy decided to come up behind her.
"Dance with me?" he asked in her ear.
"Mhmm," she hummed.
They tried to dance, but they didn't know the steps, and they were off beat.
"Mister Mustang, we can't dance!" Riza laughed.
"C'mon, maybe we can try and learn!"
They searched the shelves, looking at books on dancing, trying to learn the steps. It took almost the whole night, but finally they mastered the steps, floating across the living room. They were so tired that they just stumbled into the closest room at the top of the stairs, falling into the sheet -less bed, cuddling close and falling into a deep sleep.
*Flashback end*
"Oh, how cute!" Dara screeched.
Roy and Riza both blushed a deep crimson, embarrassed at sharing a very private memory.
"Ok, it's time to give someone close to you one present!" Christmas called. Riza sent Roy a confused look, and he just smiled.
"Every year, we choose one person to give a gift to on Christmas Eve," Roy said. He pulled out a long box from his pocket, holding it out to her. "And I choose you," he whispered.
She took the box, and opened it to reveal a beautiful heart-shaped bronze locket, with intricate wings ruffling out from the center. She gasped.
"Oh, Roy! It's beautiful! Thank you!" she tackled him with a hug.
"It's so you can fly," he said, referring to her song.
Her eyes teared up, then she took the necklace out of the box and handed it to him.
"Help me put it on?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a smile.
When the necklace was fastened around her neck, she reached into a small handbag and pulled out a book shaped object. When he unwrapped it to reveal leather bound notebook, she said,
"I remembered you saying you had started to look into your own kind of alchemic research, but couldn't because you didn't have the money to buy a research book, and I saw this and it reminded me of you."
The notebook had a flowing border, and a flame looked like it was raging on the cover, a firebird held a ribbon on the back that flowed into a flaming border.
"It's so you can fly with me," she whispered.
"Riza, this is amazing," Roy whispered. "Thank you."
"Just as I said, I only want to fly if you're flying with me."
Roy reached down and hugged her, and they stayed like that, swaying to the music, their arms wrapped around each other.
After that, the party started to slow, the guests slowly filing out, and Roy and Riza headed off to bed.
When they were in his room, they changed out of their formal clothes; Riza into the white shirt Roy gave her, and Roy into a pair of plaid pajama pants with no shirt. They stumbled into bed, throwing the covers over themselves.
"Merry Christmas Eve," Roy mumbled, half asleep.
"Merry Christmas Eve, Roy." Riza mumbled, in the same half asleep state.
"I love you Riza," he whispered.
"I love you too Roy," she whispered back.
Neither remembered the words exchanged the next morning.
How was that? So the next chapter will be on New Year's Eve, but I'll need ideas for after that, so got any suggestions?