49. Cold Hands

A/N: Song: "Sleigh Ride". As in the Christmas carol.

Takes place during Roy's apprenticeship.

Riza shivered and rubbed her hands together vigorously, but to no avail. Why she hadn't done the shopping earlier, she didn't know, but she did know she'd never wait until the middle of a cold snap again.

She was so focused on warming up her hands that she didn't even hear Roy coming. As he grabbed her hands, she was so caught off-guard that she was unable to stifle a small shriek.

"Basic survival: if you're cold, the best source of heat is skin-to-skin contact with someone else," Roy murmured.

Riza glared up at him, feeling herself flush with embarrassment. To her great surprise, he was concentrated on the task at hand, not being at all condescending or flirtatious. "I do not believe I asked for your help."

Now Roy's small smile made itself known as he met Riza's gaze. "Sometimes, the best help is that which is freely given." He loosened his grip on her hands, and after a moment, Riza jerked backward, turned, and left, hastily throwing a "thank you" over her shoulder.

"You're welcome." Even as Roy noticed how cold his hands were, he still smiled. You'll be just fine, Riza.

A/N: "Task at hand"… no pun intended, I swear! And the end... I only meant that Roy knows that Riza will be an upstanding member of society. Not like, "Oh, for a wife, I suppose you'll do" but "You're a great person and I respect you." (I felt it a bit ambiguous to just leave it without explanation.)