I'm back!! I figure you waited more than a week last time, you wait less than a week this time. Nice, right? Hope you enjoy it!
In case anyone forgot in the last nine chapters or so, I still don't own any of this and I'm sure as heck ain't being paid for it. Suing me is stupid. Thank you.
-0i0-
Little changed with the end of the school year, Zeke and Elysia both ending with high marks and towards the front of their class. With Beth, the three of them happily spent their days together under Gracia's watchful care but the routines established during the school year still remained. Roy came over after work at least a few times each week, and Riza rarely made it home early or later than her normal time. There was the week she took off and her charges accompanied her to a cabin in the mountains with her grandparents, and a week when the pair then accompanied her to the office every day because Gracia and her daughter were visiting relatives outside of Central for a few days, but those times were far rarer than the routine they generally followed.
What everyone was truly looking forward to though was the two week leave in July. Headquarters was run on a half-crew for the entirety of the month, with groups of officers taking two week vacations in shifts. Their group had the first set of weeks off, and Roy had promised to take them all to the beach as usual. Gracia and Elysia were invited along, of course, as was Winry who was planning to spend both weeks with them since everyone (or in other words, Kants) had the time off and could spend it with her.
There were a few key differences to past trips, though. First, they were staying for an entire week. Second, Roy was only requiring people to pay for their train ticket and help with food expenses. Third, he hadn't told anyone that it was Granddaddy Grumman's idea and that he was the one footing the bill for the three story beach house he'd rented, not Roy.
If Riza suspected something, she didn't say a word, and bright and early the day they were to meet at the train station she, Zeke and Beth piled out of the cab they'd shared with Winry, Gracia and Elysia with all of their luggage in tow. Fuery was already there, in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts with sandals on his feet and a suitcase in hand, and Havoc rolled into view from the side with Falman toting a duffle bag for both of them. The rest were not long in arriving, and though seating arrangements were made interesting because not everyone could sit with everyone else. Roy and Havoc ended up facing the three kids, Gracia sat across from Riza and Maria. Winry and Kants somehow ended up at the other end of the car by themselves, and Breda, Falman and Fuery squeezed in with Brosh and Marshall for a game of cards to distract them through the trip.
The ride was a few hours long, but somehow they made it through and piling out of the train quickly managed to procure transport to their home for the next week. Upon reaching it, a few 'rules' were quickly established. As there were three floors, the middle one where the kitchen, sitting room and extra bathroom were located was declared 'neutral' ground. No one could roam there without being appropriately dressed, and it was always open to everyone. The top floor was then declared the women's, because it only had three bedrooms and the basement the men's. Each room had two beds, and both floors had two full bathrooms. No one of the opposite gender could traverse upon that territory without severe repercussions (although the women's revenge on the men should they try and peak would likely be a lot more severe than if it were vice versa).
This of course put Zeke with the guys. Riza wasn't too sure about that until Roy promised the boy would always stay with him, and be sure the men didn't scar him for life by revealing things he shouldn't know about too soon. Somewhat mollified, she only told the boy to come and get her if he needed her and left it at that.
Upstairs she went with the other women, the three bedrooms with two beds each easily being divided among them. Beth and Elysia asked if they could share, which was fine with their care takers, so Winry and Gracia took one room and Riza and Maria the other.
Lunch was a necessity by that point, and finding their fridge and pantry fairly well stocked (once again on Grumman's tab, but Roy kept that to himself) they pulled out sliced lunch meat, cheese, and the necessary fixings to make sub sandwiches with the fresh loaves of bread. Soda and water was passed around to those who want it (all alcohol had been banned from the premises with the presence of children) as was fruit and chips. The women, of course, prepared the food, but in an agreement of equivalent exchange this left the men to clean up afterwards. It wasn't that all the men couldn't cook, Roy was actually known for his fine pastas and Fuery had been known to turn out a nice pie or two at the appropriate occasion, but Havoc had set pots on fire by accident more than once and Breda still was being teased about the time he almost blew up an oven with a roast. As such, they figured it would be safer if the men stayed away from the actual preparation of food for the time being.
"So," said Havoc as the last of the trash was cleared away. "What now?"
Zeke came bursting in from the rooms downstairs, a snorkel and goggles hanging around his neck and his swim trunks in place. "To the beach!"
It only took about thirty seconds for the entire room to dissolve into laughter, but they took the suggestion to heart none the less and were soon on out on the sand by the waves. The house was right on the beach itself, so they packed up the towels, umbrellas, basket of water and snacks, sunscreen, and other things and left.
Havoc probably had the worst of it in his shirt and trunks. His wheelchair wasn't meant for the sand, so they left it behind and he was carried between Breda and Falman. Upon arriving they set up two umbrellas with a set of community towels for people to sit on under them. He was placed there with Elysia and Beth quickly enlisting him in helping them build a sandcastle. He didn't seem to mind playing with the pair as most of the men immediately jumped in the water with Zeke hot on their heals, but somehow he couldn't help the occasional twinge of remorse when he saw a couple of them pick up Maria and tossed her into the waves. He probably would have been the instigator of such things, had he the use of his legs.
He was very glad he wasn't a few minutes later when she got back out and glared at the perpetrators, coming back to the umbrella where Gracia was reading a book in a reclining chair and setting herself down with a huff. The threats she was murmuring under her breath were very colorful, and he was glad the girls were too busy trying to make a tower to pay attention. Although she was very easy on the eyes with the dark brown halter-style one piece she was wearing, he quickly looked away when she glared at him as well.
Riza had left almost as soon as they'd arrived, going for a walk once she was sure Beth and Zeke were in good hands in her usual bathing suit and tee-shirt. It was the same combination she had worn every year, a two piece suit with boy shorts and a top no one ever saw except as a faint outline under her shirt when it was wet because heaven help the man who tried to coax it off of her. Roy never bothered to try, and he had even taken her side a few times when someone had been particularly insistent about it. The excuse was she burned easily in the sun, and her shoulders were always the worst. No one pressed the issue after she actually shot a few rounds over their heads for being irritating their first year together, and anyone who had come in after that was quickly informed of the situation.
A shout and scream made him look up again in time to see Winry resurface with a grinning Kants nearby, the young man immediately in for it as the girl dove for him and managed to dunk him in return.
"Anyone know if those two are official yet?" asked Maria as she was coaxed into helping the girls build another wall around their structure.
"Her grandmother is coming to visit Central during the last week of the leave for a few days," Gracia replied from her seat, not bothering to look up from the pages of her book. "I'm thinking if it isn't right now, it will be soon. What do you think, Havoc?"
The smoker just smiled. "I think Kants is lucky."
Maria raised one brow ever so slightly. "Lucky because he has Winry…or…?"
"Lucky to have a girl that's right for him," Havoc finished quickly, flushing a bit when she gave him an odd look. "What? I'm not gonna say Winry's not pretty, because she is, but she was so young when she first came to Central…I can't help but see her more as sister than a potential date."
"Ah…"
"Aunt Maria, can you help us get water for the moat?" asked Elysia as she held up some buckets, the military woman immediately complying and following her out to the waves. Havoc was a little surprised when Beth chose that moment to climb into his lamp, but he just looked at the little girl as she stared after them towards the water.
"I don't wanna get in," she whispered suddenly. "It's scary."
"Did you tell your Aunt Riza that?" he asked as he tilted his head slightly, giving her a comforting smile. She shook her head; lips pursed as she watched Zeke suddenly go under only to pop back up a second later. "She won't make you go in, but I bet if you did you'd find out it's a lot of fun…" She shook her head again, and he shrugged. "Well, that's fine; you can just stay here with me, then."
"Ok."
"Having fun, Beth?" asked Riza as she suddenly appeared behind them, a small smile on her face as she set some shells down beside their castle. "I picked up some things I thought you might like."
That was all it took to get the girl to her feet and out of Havoc's lap, her small hands quickly shifting through the delicate treasures her caretaker had brought her and exclaiming over the way they looked and felt as she held them up to the light. Maria and Elysia returned with their buckets full, and though the water didn't stay for long in their moat, it still helped complete the over all effect as the large shells were placed at intervals around the outside wall, a few of the small spiral ones were put at the tops of the towers and the most unusual chosen to decorate the sides of the 'fort' at the very center.
"Whoa, that's cool," said Zeke as he came and plopped down beside them, accepting the water bottle Riza handed to him and taking a deep drink. "Do you think it'll last through the night?"
Gracia shook her head as the girls' faces fell. "No, the tide line is right behind us, there won't be anything left by tomorrow morning."
"Aww…"
"That's ok, Beth, I'll help you build another one tomorrow," he said quickly, giving her a gentle pat on the head. "Promise. We can keep the shells from this one when we leave and use them again."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. Wanna come get in the water?" Beth vehemently shook her head 'no', and he groaned softly. "I can't believe you're still scared…"
"It moves!" she argued, glaring as the waves washed up on the shore. "Water's not supposed to move like that! It's scary!"
"I bet your Aunt Riza could protect you from it," suggested Gracia as the said person just sat there in surprise. How was one supposed to argue with a statement like that from a child? "If she can't, no one can. Right Havoc?"
The said man looked up from where he'd been ogling a couple of passing babes with a blush. "Uh…yeah, right. Sure."
"You don't have to go if you don't want to," said Riza as the other men came back in from the water, looking tired and hungry. "You've got a whole week to decide, ok?"
"Ok…"
"How does a cookout sound?" asked Roy as he caught the towel Havoc tossed at him and dried himself off roughly. The fact that he had worn his shirt into the water was looked at a bit oddly, but nobody really blamed him. Havoc didn't like showing off his burn marks either, and the children were too busy having fun to think it strange.
"Burgers and dogs!" crowed Zeke, jumping up excitedly. "Yes!"
"We'd better head back then," said Gracia as she put her book away and slipped her shoes back on. "Everyone will need time to clean up before we eat…"
"What's wrong with eating like this?" asked Breda as he tried to wipe some of the sand from his leg and instead just smeared it across his thigh. The look all the women gave him at one time was enough to change his mind. "I mean, a shower sounds good."
"Where's Winry and Kants?" asked Riza as she helped Beth and Elysia pack up their toys.
"They won't be joining us," Roy replied with a smirk that Riza immediately understood. She smiled as well, though it was far more contained then his. "We'll save them something just in case, but I don't think we'll need to."
"Where'd they go?" asked Zeke from under the pile of towels he carried.
"Out," Riza replied in a tone that implied he needed to know no more than that, so leave it alone. "They'll be back tonight."
"Maybe," Havoc chuckled under his breath, nudging Breda who laughed as well. Fuery just flushed and pretended he hadn't heard a thing.
Despite the usual assumptions that women take longer to bathe then men, when they returned it was Riza and Maria who were the first to arrive in the common room and begin preparations for the evening meal. Roy had been promised he could work the grill, so they waited for him to appear with an eager Zeke at his side and let him at it on the back porch. Riza quietly pulled out the fire extinguisher in the pantry, just in case, and left it in easy reach.
The rest of the men filed in a few at a time with damp hair and fresh clothes, taking seats around the room as Riza finished making a salad and Maria set the table. Havoc was, of course carried up, but no one even made mention of it anymore they were so used to the sight. Gracia was the last to arrive with the girls on either side in clean clothes with their hair braided back. They were about to check on the food on the grill when Roy entered with a flourish, bearing a tray of perfectly cooked meat with a proud Zeke at his side.
"We come bearing delicious meat for all!" Zeke called as they set it on the table, everyone quickly gathering around as buns and toppings were made available for all. The foods were quickly consumed in an air of fellowship, and with the many bottomless pits present the only leftovers were a few chips at the bottom of a bag, a small portion of the salad, and the juice that had dribbled from the meat patties onto the plate that held them.
With dinner done and the sun setting, Zeke begged to go back to the ocean and walk for awhile. It took Roy saying he didn't mind watching the girls and Gracia and Maria heading in town for some grocery shopping to get Riza to give her ascent. As the rest of the men trooped out the door towards the local pub and all promising not to get drunk on their first night out, the young boy and his guardian headed barefoot back towards the waves.
The water was pleasant as it was washed back and forth over their feet and the sun just off to their left as it sunk into the sea. Hues of red and purple danced along the tops of the waves, flickering in and out of sight as they rolled into shore.
"I want to live by the ocean someday," said Zeke as he picked up a broken sand dollar, studying its sand scoured edges. "It's really nice here."
"You will have to accept where they assign you if you become a State Alchemist," she pointed out quietly, scooping up a spiraled shell that caught her eye. "Even if it's the most Northern reaches of our country."
"Edward Elric got to travel where he wanted to," Zeke replied stubbornly.
Riza's smile waned. "Edward Elric was the exception, not the rule."
"Why?"
Riza paused. "Not even I know the entire story. Your Uncle Roy, I believe he saw something in them that no one else did. That is why they were allowed to roam as they pleased. Their goal, their mission was so great that to restrict it would have crippled it permanently."
"Maybe I'll have a mission like that someday," he gushed as he stuck out his chest proudly. "And become just as famous!"
"For your sake, and your sister's, I very much hope not."
"Why?"
Slowly, and occasionally editing the most gory of details, she explained how the Elric brothers had become parentless at an early age and the way they had gone to study alchemy under a very strict teacher. The way they had tried to bring their mother back despite the warnings they received, and the price they paid for it in return. The cost of the procedure alone left Zeke pale, but the hardships that followed seemed to engrave upon him why Riza had spoken so.
"Even had we never met, I would never wish such a life upon you," she said as she paused in her steps, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Promise me…that you will never try the forbidden alchemy. There is a reason it is forbidden, and the consequences are never contained to the person who performed it in the first place."
Zeke was surprised at the strength of her words as he turned towards her. "Aunt Riza…"
"Please Zeke, this…is very important…if not for your own sake, then for your sister's."
He had never imagined such a strong woman coming so close to begging for anything, yet there was no other word for the tone of her voice. Impulsively wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head just below her chest for his comfort as much as hers, he promised.
"Do you not want me to become a State Alchemist?" he asked as he drew back enough to meet her gaze some time later.
"I want you to understand the risks involved so you can make a wise decision about your own future," she replied, running her fingers through his hair. "If the Military is where you feet you belong, then I will support you whole-heartedly. But if you decide another vocation would be better, I will support that as well."
"Oh."
"Is something wrong?" she asked when he abruptly pulled away, a pained look in his eyes. "Oh…"
"You're still not my mom," he said as he looked at his feet, fists clenched at his sides. "And you've got lots of rules and you have to work a lot and you're usually too tired to play. But…" He trailed off as his faced scrunched up. "But you do the best you can, always, and when things are going good you make a pretty good aunt."
"I'm glad you think so," she whispered as her throat constricted a bit. "That really means a lot to me, you two are the only children I've ever had. Probably will ever have."
"How come?"
Riza laughed dryly, her smile rather self-deprecating as she moved to pick up the hinged shell at their feet. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but marriage and children have never figured into my future plans."
"What about Uncle Roy?"
"He's the reason I planned to never marry, Zeke." She ran a hand along his cheek as he looked up at her inquisitively. "He trusts me with his back, as I trust him with mine. I am bound to my job until either his dream is reached or one of us dies. I could never ask another to share my life with such divided loyalties."
"But if you have to stay with him, why can't you just marry him," he replied logically, leaning against her side. "Beths likes him, I like him, he's already over all the time…"
"Roy and I are friends, not lovers," she said, looking away towards the house so her face was hidden from him. "Besides, I can hardly marry a man when he's never asked me."
"But what if he did?"
"We should get back, its getting dark," she said as though she hadn't heard him, following her own advice immediately and heading towards the house. He sighed, but obeyed, and grabbed her hand to hold as they made their way over the sand. Once inside, he sat beside her on one of the couches, her arm around his shoulders with Beth curled up in her lap. Bedtime for the youngest ones cam quickly, and if Riza was surprised by the way Zeke kissed her cheek goodnight before being led off by Roy, she didn't show it. By the time Roy had returned from having a very interesting conversation with the boy that included a demand as to why he had never proposed, Riza was already upstairs and out of reach.
Winry and Kants chose that moment to saunter in, and with the rampant double entendres and teasing that followed the Brigadier General forgot about it entirely until much later that week.
-0i0-
Early rising was something Riza had done since she was small, and though she moved as quietly as she could she felt a pang of guilt as Maria got up as well.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" her subordinate said as she sat up sheepishly in her bed. "I've been awake for awhile…"
"Oh, no, I was afraid I woke you up."
"Nope."
"Good."
The two of them got dressed in relative silence, heading downstairs and starting a pot of coffee for all to share. Standing with mugs in hand, Riza checked the clock and realized they had at least an hour before the others would rise.
"So," said Maria as she turned towards her superior with a grin. "Wanna spar?"
-0i0-
Wearing at least an undershirt constantly was a habit Roy had fallen into after his many battles with the homunculi. The slash marks Bradley King had given him were not so bad, nor his eye so badly scarred it would never see again, or even the faint round mark on the back of his hand where he had cut the alchemic symbol for fire to destroy Lust, however, the two thirds of his abdomen covered in puckered, discolored burn scars bothered him a great deal. It had been necessary at the time, he would have died otherwise, but he still wished from time to time that there had been a way to remove the marks afterwards.
As such, he had been extremely careful for years about keeping it covered at all times, and the only person who was intimately familiar with the mark other than his doctor was Riza Hawkeye. However, letting his guard down when he was alone was something the Flame Alchemist often did and he hadn't shared a room with anyone in over two years.
Coming out of his morning shower still somewhat sleep-befuddled (he could still feel sand in places he would rather not think about) the Lt. Colonel wore only a towel around his narrow waist. He was headed for his suitcase and a clean pair of clothes when he saw the look of shock on Zeke's pale face as the boy sat with an open book on the bed. Neither one of them said anything as Roy quickly grabbed a shirt and pulled it on, covering the scars almost apologetically.
"Did you…get that in the war?" Zeke asked hesitantly as the man continued to get dressed, his book forgotten as his eyes were continually drawn to the spot even though it was covered now.
"No," Roy replied, running a hand through his hair as he pulled on his eye patch. The actual skin around the eye was normal looking enough, but it felt strange to only open one eye most of the time, and people stared if they thought he was doing it on purpose. His hair covered most of the patch anyways, and its steady presence was a familiar comfort these days. "It was after that."
"Homunculi?"
The Brigadier General's head jerked in surprise, but then realized it would be common knowledge by now. Much of that had been revealed to the public by the parliament, if only to get the public on their side in reducing the military's power.
"Yeah, Homunculi."
"How…?"
The Flame Alchemist met the boy's gaze, and this time found only curiosity without any of the usual pity or sympathy that came with such a sight. Slowly, he explained how he had been wounded by Lust, and how he had cauterized his own skin to stop the bleeding with his alchemy.
"Whoa…" Zeke seemed to consider this for a few minutes, then replied, "I don't think I could do that, not even if I would die if I didn't."
"I didn't do it to save myself," the man clarified as he put on his shoes, the one pair he had not filled with sand. "I did it to save those under me."
"Does Aunt Riza know? I mean, has she seen it."
Roy paused, giving the boy a steady look. "She was there," he said slowly, his eyes seeing something Zeke could not. "Riza was one of those I had to save."
Nothing more was said as they went upstairs, but Zeke was very quiet and thoughtful for sometime afterwards.
-0i0-
The men of Roy Mustang's unit feared their second-in-command with a single-minded intensity that reached all corners of their life. Seeing as she could out shoot, out work, out cook and out glare all of them, it was just assumed she was superior in all areas of life.
So when they saw the women sparring in the sand from the kitchen window, Havoc immediately proposed a bet as to who would hit the sand first. No one actually thought someone would put money down against Hawkeye, but Brosh did and as they piled outside to watch most of the men felt themselves smile with what they thought would be an easy win.
That is, until Maria Ross caught her superior officer in a grappling hold and easily threw the blonde Lt. Colonel over her hip to the ground.
Havoc actually cried out in surprised, and Fuery and Falman's jaws dropped to the ground. By this time the rest of the occupants had come out to see what the fuss was over and as the kids cheered for Maria Roy just watched his male officers with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Ross had been the then Major Armostrong's personal aide for a reason, after all.
"How could you let her win?" cried Breda as the pair approached the pack. "Hawkeye, we had money riding on that…"
"That was very foolish, then, Maria can easily beat me in hand to hand," the Lt Colonel replied with a snort.
Breda laughed. "What?! No way!"
"If you think it is so easy, you try." Riza backed away a few steps, motioning to Ross who nodded that she was willing.
Breda felt his cheeks flame as the men behind him goaded him onwards. "Maybe I will!"
"My money's on Breda!" called Havoc as he pulled out his billfold.
"Me too!" added Falman, putting some cash down.
"I'll try and go easy on you, hun," the large man said as he rolled up his sleeves and took his stance. Ross just smiled.
Apparently there was no need because a few moments later he was looking up at her from the flat of his back. The strength of her grip as she helped him to his feet surprised him even more, and suddenly he had a greater respect for the small, compact woman.
He was teased, of course, for being beat by a woman a third of his size, but it quickly died out when Hawkeye said Maria would be willing to give anyone else a demonstration if it was necessary.
It wasn't.
Roy quickly dispersed the tension by offering to buy everyone breakfast at a local restaurant, and that sent them all scurrying for the showers and fresh clothes to take him up on it if they weren't clean and dressed already.
The restaurant was small and crowded, so it wasn't surprising when they had to split up to various tables. Winry and Kants, still blushing repeatedly when a comment about their extended absence came up, gladly took the kids and sat on the far end of the room away from the rest. Riza, Gracia and Maria took a booth to themselves, and Roy wasted no time in claiming the empty seat beside his aide. The rest of the boys managed to scoot some tables together and sit around in a big circle.
Gracia and Maria exchanged looks when Riza asked Roy why he wasn't sitting with his men, but his reply that he was almost ashamed to be seen with them was completely understandable and impossible to refute. It wasn't long before the said men were tossing bits of paper at each other and Havoc bet Breda he couldn't hold an ice cube with salt on his tongue for a whole minute.
They'll never grow up, will they?" asked Gracia in a very mother-like tone.
Riza just shook her head slowly. "Never."
-0i0-
Beach volleyball was something the group had always played every time they came to the beach. Havoc was the originator of the tradition, stemming back to when he first bet the then Colonel Mustang that he could out-spike him in a one on one game. The others, saving Hawkeye who was appointed scorekeeper at the time, had been quick to join in, and the only thing that changed since then was Havoc being named score keeper and Riza joining in to fill his place. Everyone participated, even during the two years the Flame Alchemist had been absent, and the result was a friendly competition everyone was looking forward to with 'fresh meat' to go around.
This, of course, meant Roy Mustang had to brag a bit about his abilities over the net with his second in command in hearing range.
"We play every summer," he was telling Kants on the way back to the beach house. "Mostly the guys, though Hawkeye supposedly has a wicked serve. Anyway, the teams are never the same year to year, but it doesn't matter much because the team I'm on always wins…"
"That hasn't been the case the last to years, sir," pointed out Fuery from behind them. "The Lt. Colonel's team has been the one to win the last two years."
"Well, yes, but I wasn't there," Roy replied lightly with the air of one brushing an inconsequential topic aside. "That's why."
"Someone sounds pretty confident to me," said Maria from the sharp-shooter's side. "You willing to stake something on it?"
"Of course," he laughed confidently. "But the Lt. Colonel would never…"
"My first team pick is Maria Ross," Hawkeye cut in suddenly, unable to ignore the challenge to her ability to play for once. And suddenly Roy wondered if it was such a good idea.
"Didn't you tell me challenging a woman's pride was stupid once?" asked Zeke as the men set up the net and Riza helped pump up the ball they played with.
"Yeah," he replied with a weak smile, removing his shoes and socks like everyone else and getting ready to get messy in the sand. "I did."
It ended up being Riza, Maria, Kants, and Fuery against Roy, Breda, Falman and Marshall. Havoc was the agreed scorekeeper, and Winry helped as the line judge on the other side. With Gracia, Elysia, Zeke and Beth acting as fans in the stands they were set.
Roy graciously gave the other team the first serve, but he noticed his men cringe when Riza picked up the volleyball to begin. When the ball came flying at his head at the speed of sound a few seconds later, he knew why. When he was able to sit up and the world stopped spinning it was war.
"Maybe we should call it off," Riza offered as Falman and Bread pulled the Flame Alchemist to his feet.
"No, I feel fine," he replied, giving them a cheery smile he didn't feel, though he could feel something wet and warm dripping down his forehead.
"You're bleeding…"
"Ha! Just a scratch." He turned to Havoc. "Who's serve is it?"
"Still hers," Havoc replied, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Alright, let's go!"
Riza served again, though this time she seemed to take pity on them and only sent the ball flying at half the speed of sound. Falman managed to get under it and pop it back towards the other side, but that advantage didn't last for long. Eventually they managed to get a serve themselves, but that was quickly overturned.
Roy began to feel increasingly stupid as the game progressed; Riza had chosen her team specifically to defeat the strengths of the rest of the unit. Falman was good at serving the ball into odd spots, but Fuery was quick on his feet and could get under almost anything. Breda was good at blocking shots, but Maria was too quick for him and at least 2 out of every 3 tries made it past it. At least half of those managed to stay in bounds and score a point. Marshall was as coordinated as a dead cow, so it was no problem keeping him out of the way. Roy, oh so proud of his spikes, suddenly found himself hardly about to get a shot through with Kants and sometimes Riza watching for him to strike and blocking it almost every time. The same eyes that helped them pin targets with a sniper rifle were more than capable of following his movements with the ball.
Regardless, for none of the players were perfect, it was a long and difficult game. When an hour had passed, Riza's team was only up by five and Havoc simply called game to make sure no one was seriously injured. Roy protested, but he had just taken his third line drive to the face (he blamed the eye patch) and was bleeding again. Riza pulled out the first aid kit and told him to sit still when he tried to tend to it himself.
Most of the men had immediately raced to the waves when the winners were named to cool off in the refreshing waves, Gracia herding the children after them as the girls wanted to try their hand at another castle. Kants was led off for his own reward with Winry for being on the winning team, and no one saw them for quite awhile afterwards. Ross stuck around with Havoc, one of them because wheelchairs are hard to move in the sand and the other because she wanted to eaves drop a bit.
"You know," said Gracia as she sat beside Havoc in the sand on a towel a few feet from the court. "It occurs to me that we haven't actually agreed on terms."
"It was foolish in the first place," Riza cut in brusquely. "I shouldn't have said anything, it was childish…"
"But entirely worth it if I got to watch you bounce around the court in a t-shirt for an hour," Roy murmured to himself, the sharpshooter barely catching enough to get the gist of it. Her glare spoke volumes, though, as did the redness on her cheeks as he quickly added, "I guess that's it, I owe you a night on the town, Hawkeye."
"Don't you mean you owe my team a night on the town?" she replied flatly. "There were no terms set…"
"But the challenge was really only for you," Maria pointed out with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "He didn't know who you would pick before hand; in fact he kind of implied that regardless of the team he would win."
"She's right," Havoc added when Ross looked to him, getting a warm glow in his chest from her glance of approval. "You only agreed to play after he left, that's why he had no idea what he was getting into."
"So, I owe you a night on the town," Roy concluded happily, looking a little silly with the bandage she put on his forehead. "When would you like to go?"
"Roy," she said in her warning tone. "You don't owe me anything."
"You won fair and square," he replied cheerfully, Maria quietly helping Havoc back in his chair and wheeling him towards the house. "To the victor go the spoils."
"But it is completely unnecessary."
"Riza, I want to take you out. Please."
She hesitated, and he gently laid a hand over hers, noticing the way her features softened at the light contact. "One night," she agreed with a sigh. "That's it."
"Thank you."
Nobody objected later that evening, lying tiredly around the outside porch after a day of playing in the waves and none of them had cleaned up yet, to getting take-out. The food was delivered right to their door, along with two bottles to celebrate the game with. Riza had agreed after the boys promised not to disgrace themselves in front of the children.
In twos and threes they disappeared for a short time after eating, showering and putting on fresh clothes. The men started a rousing game of cards, which Maria joined proving she could out bluff any of them. The kids dropped off to sleep on the couch one by one as Gracia read to them from a book, so Riza left the somewhat noisy house to take a walk on the beach.
She stopped once she reached the edge of the tide line, letting the water wash gently over her feet as her toes sunk deep into the wet sand. Hearing someone approach from behind, she said, "I've had quite enough of you today, sir, pelase leave me alone."
"What?"
"Winry?" Turning around quickly, she gave the blonde mechanic an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else." Spying the two drinks she carried, Riza added, "Kants is probably waiting for you, so I'll head back inside."
"Actually, I was hoping we could talk," admitted Winry as she took a careful sip from her glass and handed the other to the gunwoman. "I had some questions I wanted to ask you."
"Orange juice and rum," Riza murmured in surprise as she took a sip, suddenly somewhat suspicious. "Questions about what?"
"Sex." The Lt. Colonel had a hard time swallowing the small gulp she had just taken, but somehow forced it down her constricted throat as the younger woman rushed on. "I get how it supposed to work; Granny told me that, I just wondered how you knew it was right…" She paused, seeing her companion go very still. "Riza? I can ask someone else if you want, I just thought you might be best, seeing as asking Gracia would remind her of Hues and I really don't know Maria that well yet…"
"You just surprised me," Riza replied quickly, giving her a reassuring pat on the arm. "I'll try to answer your questions; I just don't know how much of an expert I could possibly be."
"How did you know you were with the right guy for your first time?"
"I didn't, really. No matter what, your first time will be awkward, clumsy, and a little painful. If the guy is patient enough, it won't be entirely unpleasant. If he actually cares about you, it'll probably go pretty well."
"Oh. Who was your first?"
"My father's last alchemic student, who later grew up to be my superior officer," Riza chuckled dryly. "Roy Mustang."
Winry pounced like a starved lion on fresh meat. "Then you did love him."
"Love? We were not a day over 16 when we started, we didn't know what love was," she replied flatly. "We were two hormones –crazy pubescent teens that found each other attractive and had no other outlet for our want. My father kept us separate as much as possible, I think he suspected what might happen, but he always fell asleep around mid-afternoon for at least an hour or so."
"Oh." Winry paused there, enjoying the cool salt water as it washed over her bare feet. "Is he the only…?"
"I may not be easy, but I'm not exactly a saint," she muttered with a roll of her eyes, taking another swallow of her drink. "No, there have been a few others since then."
"It's just hard to think of you with anyone else."
"I wasn't really with most of them…" At Winry's confused look, she singed and took another drink from her now half-empty glass. "One was a guy I knew at the Military Academy, Jack Collins. We were friends that just happened to sleep together a few times. That only happened when we both had far too much to drink, and thankfully we were both mature enough to realize it wasn't anything special. Then I was sent to the front lines of Ishabal, and he stayed for more training. I haven't seen him since."
"You probably didn't have time when you were on the front lines," Winry murmured to herself.
"Actually, that's not true." Riza sat down in the sand, setting the now empty glass beside her. "Sometimes, when you're surrounded by death and destruction, the only way to be sure you're still alive…it wasn't love, or lust, it was a need to know that you were something more than a killing machine. Besides, women are a precious commodity on the battle field, being 'claimed' had its advantages."
"Who?"
"Jean." Glancing at her confused companion, she amended, "Havoc."
Winry's face was in pure shock, and Riza couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "How?!"
"We knew each other from Academy, he was a year my senior," Riza explained slowly as she leaned back on her hands. "And then I was pulled a year early and was placed in his squad. We shared a tent with two others, and even before the first time the three of them were fiercely protective of me. Three times we came back from a fight, and we were the only two from our tent to make it back that night. One time, we lost more than two thirds of the unit trying to flush out a holed up band of Ishabalan war priests. It was a night like that that you hold onto the person closest to you and prayed for the dawn."
"That must have been strange, at first," Winry offered, flushing a bit at the thought of Riza being with a man she knew other than Roy Mustang. "I mean, the Havoc I know hates to let go of a pretty girl."
"It was strange the morning after the first time," her companion agreed with a low cough. "But the truth was obvious to both of us. We are siblings of a kind, that is all, and while I don't regret what we shared it shall never go beyond that tent in the middle of the war."
"He doesn't…?"
"No. I think he might have hoped for more once we were assigned together under the famous Flame Alchemist, but I quickly stamped that out upon arrival."
"Oh." Winry paused, a little bit still in shock at what she had learned before something occurred to her. "There was one more, wasn't there?"
"James Taylor, a café owner in Central," Riza confirmed with a short nod, "We met after the war, when I was on a three month leave with no family to visit and few friends to speak of, and we quickly became close. He was kind, sweet, gentle, everything you could hope for in a husband, really. He had a stable, comfortable life, and offered me a place with him where I would never have to touch a gun again. It was tempting, he was considerate man both in and out of the bedroom and working in the café would have been no hardship after a few years of being in the army…I almost said yes."
"Why didn't you?"
"I didn't love him. A month later, stationed under Roy Mustang at Easter Headquarters I knew I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."
"Did you love Roy?"
"I have always loved Roy." Pausing, Riza shook her head as if to clear it, then turned towards Winry with a small smile. "I think Kants is a good man, and certainly not a bad choice to be your first. If he hurts you, I'll gladly shoot him later on, but I don't think that will be necessary."
The blonde mechanic seemed to sweat a bit at that, but let it go with an appreciative nod. "Thanks. Any tips on how to make him happy? I'm kinda new at this…"
Riza's smile suddenly took a distinctively cat-like smirk. "Just one…"
-0i0-
Whew, and that's chapter 10. Lots of heavy stuff in there, especially for Zeke, and all sorts of confessions too! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and I can't wait to hear from you all again. Here are the review replies, as usual!
OTP : I updated the day after you reviewed. That's a pretty quick update. Hope you enjoyed it!
WingedChunsa : Yep, Riza and any relative other than her grandfather seems to be a rare combination. Your alcohol and sexual references is a valid point that I will take into consideration. Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the review!
Jennlyn78 : Thanks for the huge compliment of comparing me to "Hitchhikers", that I may someday be half as creative as that man is. Thanks for the review, hope to hear from you again!
Crystal Mage : Yeah, I like the dance too. Don't worry, they'll be doing a lot more of it before long. : ) It's a chapter I'm definitely proud of. Thanks for your many praise, hope you enjoyed it!
MoonStarDuchess : Thanks for the review, hope to hear from you again!
FFVII : Yeah, if you don't force Riza into a dress once it's just not true Royai fluff, ehe? If you draw that scene I wanna see it, just for the record. I hope this chapter provides you with enough fluff to last awhile, and while that last statement sounds like a challenge (I could so make you gag with fluff) I will not take it up. This is not the story to try and do it with.
Momiji-K : No, of course not, Riza's far too proper for that. Besides, I think we've got to get a least a few heart felt hugs together before they hop into bed for the night. At least a few. Thank you for mentioning how many weapons Riza carried! I put several just because it made me smile, and it's good to know someone else got a kick out of it too. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint, thanks for the review!
Jacksparrow589 : I hope it's not too long before you got to read this update. Of course Riza's dress is pretty, only the best for our gunslinger girl, and there's plenty more fluff coming up so hopefully you won't be starved any longer. Glad to know we're still in character, and thanks for your many kind words of praise. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
GreyBlueAngel : Hope the fluff is still good. Thanks for the review!
Hawkeye Chuui : I think there's more fluff this chapter. I think. I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Yun Min : Aw, I do my best! Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
Humor Queen Merc : Here's the next chapter! Thanks for the review!
FinlandGirl : Well, sorry, there is some action coming up (quite a bit, actually) but it's only in, like, one chapter, and that's it. This isn't an action story, sorry. Hope you enjoyed it regardless, thanks for the review!
SakuraTearDrop : Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review, hope the update was good!
Winglessfairy25 : Oh yes, the not smack you in the face Royai. I try not to do that, it gets old after awhile. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!
-Kai Isolated- : One typo, WHOO! For, what, two chapters in a row? I think that really is a record for me! Please don't go too crazy, they don't let you have computers in the padded cells. Hope you're still enjoying it, and thanks for the review!
Causmicfire : Oh yeah, little kids, they sleep on you and you just want to sleep too. Paint in the hair sucks, I just thought it would be fun to throw in there. Roy's ego loves to be stroked, if Havoc had a dollar for every time he got to bring that up he would be rich and Roy would be broke, and if Roy wasn't attracted to women who could threaten him he would never be interested in Riza for long. It's just part of her charm. And of course Riza would look nice for Grumman, he is the Fuhrer. Thanks for the great review, hope you liked the update!
Kurissyma san Tybalt : Yay for not missing the bus! Though I feel bad for the violin…they are not meant to be out in the cold. I hope your summer vacation is relaxing, and that you have plenty of time to read now that you're not running for the bus. Painting is always messy, no matter how people try to work it. Thanks for the review, hope to hear from you again!
Bizzy : Yeah, the way the kids and the adults fit together is something I'm particularly proud of. It just seems to flow really well. And it does lend itself well for lots of royai. Yay for you, seeing all the subtle undercurrents with the dancing. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Dailenna : I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I read your review, I promise, but when I went back through my email to reply I think I skipped over a page and it just happened to be yours. I really try to catch everyone, but it is hard with so many reviews (a problem I am very thankful to have) and I will do my best be sure you or anyone else is not skipped in the future. Beth is kinda like a baby koala at times, very cute! I think I did say Roy alchemized some vents, because paint fumes are quite dangerous, but I don't think they would use lead based paints on the walls. That's just my thoughts, though. And yes, the story is definitely going on for at least a bit longer. Hope you enjoyed it, sorry again that I missed you last time, thanks for the review!
Aindel S. Druida : Glad to know we're still up to par. Thanks for the review, hope to hear from you again!
Bar-Ohki : Yeah, well, headmistresses are not known for being nice. Usually, they stick by the rules. A lot. That's not so bad all the time, though. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Dennisud : Yeah, I know you're still not a fan of Kants, but I think you'll see where his usefulness comes in in the next chapter or so. Gotta love foils! And I'm sorry, but I believe Brosh and Ross together would be a horrible, horrible idea. He has no backbone, and she needs someone who can at least stand up to her from time to time. Brosh might be a good guy, but he is not the guy for her. Ever. Other than that, glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review, hope to hear from you again!
Blknblupanther1 : Um, the actual length of this story is not yet determined, though I would be quite shocked if we passed twenty chapter or so. Don't worry, randomness is just a part of life, feel free to take part it in whenever necessary. And, actually, in some ways, the more you write the more you learn not to suck, and the more you learn not to suck the more people review and the more you like to write because you don't suck! You just forgot the part about not sucking, but you were pretty close. Hoe you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
SxL : There were some complications, I explained them last chapter. No more long waits, though. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed it!