DISCLAIMER: mumbles all tired like I don't own FMA...or any of the characters...except Malice, cause she's mine...
A/N: Okay, so there's been a demand for the next chapter. It doesn't focus much on Roy and Riza in this chapter (except for the very beginning), but strays off to include Ed and Al and some other characters. There will definitely be more RoyxRiza stuff next chapter. (Ha, I keep saying that...it never ends up happening) I will tri my best to get it into the next chapter! You guys really deserve it for being so patient. Yeah, so, as I started to say before, the whole "adult theme" sex thing, won't be implied, I'm changing that. It'll be a lemon...but not a bad one, cause I'm so bad at writing that kind of stuff. (I've tried. Trust me...it's not very good.) I'll warn those of you ahead of time, in case you don't want to read it. I'll even put a summary at the end of the chapter if you want to just read that. It'll tell you what happened, so you don't have to read all the lemon-y stuff. Lol. ANYWAYS! Focusing back on this chapter...ENJOY!
Chapter 9: Sick Days and New Friends
The next morning Riza woke to the sound of someone coming into her bedroom. Her eyes opened slowly and she watched as Roy crossed to her bed, carrying a small tray. He placed it down on her desk and noticed that she was watching him.
"Good morning," he said softly, moving toward her. He took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips. It was incredibly hot and nearly burned his mouth at the touch. "Do you feel any better?"
Riza smiled weakly, brushing her hair out of eyes. "A little..."
He rested his hand on her forehead. "You're still hot..."
Riza laughed and Roy realized what he said. He shook his head slowly.
"That's not what I meant," he said, smiling. "But, then again..." his eyes wandered down the length of her bed. Riza reached up and smacked him lightly.
They laughed again and Riza broke off, coughing uncontrollably. Roy frowned and stared at her. She tried to suppress the cough, failing horribly.
"You're not going to work today," he told her.
"I have to..." she croaked.
"No," he said firmly. "You're not going in. I'm not letting you. I'm going to call in sick for you."
"You can't," she said weakly. "They'll recognize your voice. I'll call in."
Riza tried to move out of bed, but felt her head spin as she sat up. Falling back into her pillows, she glanced at Roy. He nodded, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to move. Crossing to the phone on her desk, he picked it up and dialed the headquarters phone number.
"Hello, Eastern Headquarters." A familiar male voice answered on the other end.
"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye," Roy said, trying to disguise his voice as much as possible. "She will not be attending work today. She's come down with something terrible and can barely get out of bed."
"Who is this?" Lieutenant Havoc asked.
"I'm her-..." his voice faltered and he looked at Riza for help.
"Cousin..." Riza whispered.
"Cousin," Roy said quickly.
Riza looked at him and mouthed the word "Ryan". Roy repeated what Riza had told him to say and Havoc made as sound of recognition.
"Oh yes," he said. "I remember you. I'll be sure to pass the word. I hope Lieutenant Hawkeye feels better soon."
"I'll let her know you said that," Roy said, "Thank you."
He hung up the phone and went over to her bed. She slid over, allowing him to sit next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and she rest his head against his shoulder.
"Havoc sends his love," Roy said quietly.
"Mm..." Riza murmured. "I bet he does..."
"Are you sure there isn't something going on between the two of you?" Roy asked jokingly, though part of him was truly curious. "Every time I try to get a hold of you, he's the one who answers. And you're always talking about him and-"
Riza shook her head, her eyes relaxing to a close. "No..."
"Are you positive?" he continued. "I mean, you certainly have a lot of alone time in that office now. He doesn't make frequent visits just to-"
"Roy..." Riza said sternly, staring up at him.
Roy chuckled lightly, a bit relieved that there was nothing going on between them. Riza wasn't likely to lie to him, especially about something like this. Hesitantly, he started to move away from her.
"You should get more rest. I brought in some stew for you if you want some," he said.
She clung to the front of his shirt, preventing him from going anywhere. It was clear that she was half-asleep, for she probably would never have done so if she were entirely conscious. She mumbled into his chest.
"No..." he heard her say. "Stay here..."
He returned to his sitting position and pulled her closer to him. With a satisfied sigh, Riza snuggled up to him. A moment later, her shallow breathing told him she'd fallen asleep. His hand absently stroked her hair.
Resting his head on hers, he started to feel tired as well, though his mind was still swimming. Riza had always been close to him, closer than anyone as a matter of fact. Even Hughes, and that was saying something. So, why was now suddenly different? How was lying here in bed with her different than sitting next to her in a car? Why were the feelings different?
He could hear her breathing. He could hear her heartbeat. Everything that told him she was still alive. It all seemed different, because in fact, it was. The circumstances had changed. They were no longer bound by the rules of the military, so feelings could flow freely, as they were obviously doing. He had to be careful though. He didn't want to promise Riza anything he wasn't positive he could give her. He was considered a dead man, after all.
xoxox
"Brother!" Al called out. "Brother, where are you going?"
"Out," Ed answered shortly. "I'll be back later."
Ed hurried out the front door of Eastern Headquarters, leaving his brother behind him. He needed to get away from everything. He was tired of everyone reminding him of all that he still had to do. Not to mention, they still treated him like a kid while doing so and it was really getting to the point where he couldn't stand it anymore.
He stopped short and looked around. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he was determined to get away. There was a small shop with a few tables sitting in front of it not too far from him. Slowly, he made his way toward them and sat down.
He ran his hands through his hair repeatedly, as if that would help him remove all the thoughts from his mind. He only wished he had someone to talk to. Someone who'd understand the position he was in. Someone who'd listen.
Damn you, Mustang...Ed thought bitterly. As much as he hated the arrogant Colonel, he couldn't help but feel horribly responsible for his death. He was the one dealing with the Homunculi, not Roy. Roy shouldn't have been involved. He should have been focusing on his own work.
"Is this seat taken?" a voice came from beside him.
He looked up suddenly. "Huh?" A young woman stood in front of him. She smiled at him, blinking slowly. "Oh," he looked at the empty seat next to his. "No, it's not."
She sat down and stared at him. "You looked like you could use a friend," she said cheerfully.
Ed didn't say anything. He wasn't used to people randomly coming over to talk to him, unless they knew who he was. This girl hadn't mentioned the words "full" and "metal" yet, so he assumed she didn't recognize him. Part of him was relieved by this.
For some reason, the girl in front of him reminded him of Winry. She had the same general build, but her hair was different. Unlike Winry's, her hair was as black as a raven's wing. The style was quite the same though. She even wore a similar outfit. The resemblance was uncanny.
"I'm Alice, by the way," she said, holding out her hand.
Ed took it carefully, and shook it. "Edward," he replied.
She smiled. "Nice name. I like it." When he didn't say anything, she continued talking. "I'm new around here. I don't really know anyone."
"Where are you from?" Ed asked, a bit curious.
"The North," she answered. Her eyes flashed in the sunlight, revealing a reddish nature about them.
He could have guessed that. Her skin was quite pale, yet it had a strange glow to it. "Really?" he asked. "How long have you been here?"
"Actually," she said, looking down at her hands and fiddling with her unnaturally long fingernails. "I only got here this morning. I'm staying with some family of mine. They said I should get out and explore the city. So," she breathed deeply. "Here I am."
"Heh," Ed said, watching her with interest. "Well, I've been here for a couple years. I pretty much know the area like the back of my hand."
Alice stared at the gloves that covered his hands and chuckled. "That must not be very well, seeing as they're hidden."
He looked down at them and laughed, though it was a bit forced. This was partially true. He didn't know his hand very well, at least, not his right one. It was always being changed and replaced, and with all of Winry's upgrades, it was never the same one twice.
"So, Edward..." Alice said conversationally. "What do kids like us do for fun around here?"
Fun? Ed hardly knew the meaning of the word. His life had revolved around the military and his search for the Philosopher's Stone since god-knows-when. He hardly had any time for fun. Not to mention, he barely saw the city outside headquarters during the daytime.
"Edward?" she asked, peering into his face. It had gone slack and it appeared he was thinking over something thoroughly. "Are you all right?"
He snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. To be completely honest," he said. "I don't know. I don't get out much. My brother and I work a lot. There's not a lot of time for playing."
"Your brother?" Alice sounded curious. "Do you live here with your family?"
Ed opened his mouth to answer, but closed it quickly, starting to feel uncomfortable. He wasn't about to talk about this with a complete stranger. "You could say that..." he answered vaguely.
"I'd like to meet them, sometime..." she said happily.
Ed glanced up at her. She truly looked like she wanted to. He smiled. "Well then, maybe I can meet your family afterward."
Alice's smile vanished quickly. She stared at him for a moment, then returned to her normal state. "Of course. I'm sure they'd be glad to meet you."
He nodded shortly. Her sudden change in disposition bothered him, but he looked over it for the moment. "So," he started slowly, grinning handsomely. "Would you like me to give you the special tour of the town?"
Her eyes lit up. "Ooooh," she gasped. "Yes!"
She grabbed Ed's good arm and he led her from the tables. He headed in the direction of some of the old warehouses, the part of the city he was most familiar with. He wasn't sure what he'd be showing her quite what she was expecting, but it would no doubt be interesting. As they approached the buildings, Ed noticed the small grin of satisfaction that danced across her bright red lips.
-----
"How did you find this place?" Alice asked, walking across the large open room of an abandoned warehouse later that afternoon. She looked around in awe, as if she'd never seen such a large building in her life.
"By accident," he told her honestly. The first time he'd ever entered that particular warehouse was when he'd been tailing a Homunculus. He thought he'd seen it enter the warehouse, but had clearly been mistaken when it appeared to be empty.
"Oh Edward," she said with a dreamy sigh. "Your life is so perfect. You're so free to do whatever you want. You can go anywhere, see anything, talk to anyone. It's everything I've ever wanted."
"What do you mean?" Ed asked walking parallel to her only a couple feet away.
Alice frowned. "My Father controls everything I do. He's pretty much made me what I am today." She growled angrily. "A complete and utter mess."
Ed stared at her. "I don't think that."
She laughed. "You hardly know me. My Father hates me. He thinks I'm nothing but trouble. If he were ever given the opportunity, he would probably kill me."
"No, he wouldn't," Ed insisted.
"Yes, he would," Alice told him. "He left me not too long ago. That's why I'm here. I'm staying with my grandmother. It's hard for her, though. She has to take care of me and my two brothers. They came to live with her a while back, when my Mother disappeared."
"Why did you stay with your Father?" Ed asked, feeling incredibly sorry for this girl, but could empathize with her.
"I didn't have a choice," she said sadly. "My Mother sent my brothers away. Then, she was gone and I was left all alone. He tried to get rid of me, himself, but failed. I never trusted him again after that."
"Sounds like your Dad's a deranged psychopath," Ed said bluntly.
"He is!" Alice insisted, sounding terrified. "If he ever finds out I'm here..." she shuddered. "I don't know what he'll do to me."
Ed stopped. Alice continued walking, her head bowed. He wondered if he should tell someone at headquarters about this. They could keep an eye out for him and keep Alice in a safe place until he was found. He wasn't sure if he should tell her this or not. He didn't want to reveal his military status just yet.
"I-I can help you," Ed told her. "If that's what you'd like..."
She stopped, but didn't look back at him. "How would you do that?"
"I know some people," he explained. "Some people from the military. I can talk to them. They can start a search for him and when they find him, they can make sure that he's locked away. That way, he can never hurt you again."
Alice continued to stare forward. "Would they have him destroyed?"
She didn't sound scared anymore. She sounded angry, yet a part of her voice was a bit eager. Ed was taken aback by her abruptness, but understood. "I don't know," he said. "It would be up to them."
Slowly, she glanced at him over her shoulder. "You would do that for me?"
"Yeah!" he said, a little to quickly. "I mean, of course. If it would really mean that much to you."
Alice threw her arms around him, causing him to turn a bright shade of red. "Oh, it would! Thank you Edward! You have no idea how much it would mean to me. You have no idea!" Her voice sounded emotional, though her expression bore quite the opposite. Ed was unable to see that she was smiling, her eyes flashing red once more.
-----
"Where have you been?" Al asked accusingly as Ed walked through the door late that night.
Ed didn't answer him as he wandered over to his bed, humming lightly. Al wondered what was wrong with his brother. He'd never seen him quite like this before.
Al repeated his question several times. Without answering him, Ed went about his business and changed into his pajamas. Still humming, he slid into bed and rolled over, facing the wall.
Al watched him through what would be narrowed eyes, if he had functioning eyes to work with. Something had changed. In a matter of hours, Ed had gone from being a distraught, raging teenager, to a content, humming young man. Al didn't even have to remind him not to sleep with his stomach out. He was completely covered by the blanket.
"Good night, Al..." he heard Ed's strangely cheerful voice mumble from underneath the covers.
Al stared at him for a moment before replying. He was certain that he would know what was going on sooner or later. Ed wouldn't be able to hide it from him that long.
"Good night, brother..."
A/N: Uh oh? Do I smell trouble for our little Fullmetal friend? Perhaps! Lol. Wow am I tired. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. It was something different, so yeah, review and tell me what you thought. I'll have the next chapter up soon. I'll be busy for the next couple days, but trust me, I'll keep working on it. And I promise some Royai stuff. Thanks again for reading this far!
