Hello! I'm Nausika, welcome to my Universe.

This might have fit in with my Royai shorts, but it wasn't all that short, so I'm making it its own thing.

(English is not my native language and I'm always grateful for corrections, feedback or typo notifications.)

Hope you enjoy!

Team Mustang unexpectedly gets trapped in Riza's flat, worrying her not to be a good hostess while Roy does his best to prove her wrong.

A Night To Remember

The keys clinked when Riza unlocked the door to her apartment. She dearly hoped the men's clothes had not been dripping too much up the stairs and down the hall until now.

Their mission had been a disaster. Though, to be frank, it had not been an actual mission to begin with.

The Colonel had harboured growing suspicion towards one particularly quiet officer who had just transferred to Eastern Headquarters, his recommendation oddly enough signed by someone who had retired a few years ago. Having pretended not to notice, Mustang had remained polite and easy-going, then overwhelmed his team with a secret plan to observe and follow their suspect.

Long story short, they had fled to the sewers in order to hide from being caught, one of them – each of them stubbornly denying to have been the one – spooked by a rat, causing both Mustang as well as Falman to fall into the sewage. At least the Colonel had been fortunate enough for his head not to have submerged. Fuery had stood closest, his trousers sprayed with the wastewater while Breda's and Havoc's sleeves had been drenched from pulling the others out again.

Just back out on the street, right after extensive swears and Riza's careful observation of their exit, they had been surprised by a heavy rain. So she had offered her shower, seeing as it was only one block away and no one was too keen on walking home completely wet and cold.

Now inside, Riza could still hear the rain pelting against the window. Flicking on the lights, she greeted Hayate who excitedly jumped at everyone, before steering right back at the horrible smells they reeked of. Fuery looked disappointed, while Breda seemed more than relieved at the lack of attention from the dog.

"The bathroom's over here; there are towels in the cupboard beneath the sink," Riza explained, opening the door to her small bathroom. "You can throw all the wet clothes into the washing machine," she offered. Only then did it hit her how they would then have to change into a new set of clothes. Frowning in thought, she went into her bedroom while the team disappeared into the cramped space that was her bathroom.

Claws scratched across the floorboards as Hayate followed her. Riza rummaged through her drawers, finding a pair of to her casual running shorts and an old pair of baggy pyjama trousers. Knocking on the bathroom door – already hearing the stream run – she offered her clothes, alongside her bathrobe, through the ajar door, enticing snickering despite their sour mood. She sauntered back to the stove, filling the kettle for some tea.

Hayate nudged her leg. Cracking a small smile, Riza crouched down. She petted his head to greet him properly, gazing towards the window. The rain was not letting up, and she feared they would all be trapped inside her barren flat all night. Inside her bedroom, she changed into more comfortable clothes, freeing her waist and shoulders from the holsters she had carried her guns in.

Still on her heels, Hayate followed her back to the kitchen. Taking the whistling kettle off the stove, she heaved a sigh. Hayate gave a small noise, tilting his head. Of course he would notice. She almost had to smile. Instead, she got out every cup she possessed, having to resort to two additional glasses.

"How embarrassing…" she said to her loyal companion. He wagged his tail.

"Lieutenant," Roy interrupted her thoughts. Turning, she revealed her fright for the split of a second. He watched her calmly, not seeming to have heard a word, a towel tied around his waist. His hair was sticking out to all sides from having been rubbed dry, still shiny. "Where was it you kept my spare clothes?" he asked.

"Right," Riza tore her gaze off his admittedly well-sculpted body – not that she had not seen it before – and led the way to her bedroom. She had purposely not given him his own set of clothes that she kept in her bottom drawer; she had not wanted them to start asking questions, though that notion sounded rather ill-considered since he would be wearing them either way.

Kneeling in front of her commode, she handed him his boxers, black trousers and white button shirt. Returning to her task of pouring tea, his voice pursued her.

"What's so embarrassing?" he asked, clothes rustling where he took them with him to change. She wanted to roll her eyes at his persistence. And carefreeness to change right across the room. Feeling her cheeks warm with a tinge of pink, she refused to turn.

"Nothing," she lied, as glad for the excuse to be occupied with the tea as she was rueful not to be able to watch him. Not that he would ever refuse should she ask, but she would never do that. She had a reputation.

That, and he was already cocky enough when it came to her affection towards him – she could not encourage him by initiating anything. Oftentimes, she felt as if she was the only one trying to spare them from getting court-martialled.

"Lieutenant," he said with a mixture of strictness and care. Another sigh escaped her lips.

"It's just that…" Riza placed the kettle back down, staring at the steaming cups and glasses. He would not leave her alone until she answered anyway. Better save herself the 'that is an order' and spill. "I don't have a couch, by far not enough chairs, let alone a single carpet to sit on," she lamented, something tightening in her chest. It was awkward enough how they all had to squeeze into her tiny run-down bathroom – she still wondered how they had managed.

"So what?" the Colonel shrugged on his shirt. "We didn't come to get comfy," he said, already behind her.

"Still, it's-"

"We're soldiers. We don't mind standing or sitting on the floor for an hour or so," he threw a glance at the window where the sky showed no sign of clearing up anytime soon. About to retort, Riza froze momentarily when his hands came to rest on her waist. Reluctantly, she turned.

His eyes were kind, a spark of jesting delight twinkling down at her. His shirt was not buttoned up entirely yet, and she refused to give in to how her eyes were drawn to what it revealed. She suspected he had left it that way on purpose, so she denied the effect he had on her.

"I'm really ashamed; the only thing I can offer is tea," she wanted to look over her shoulder, but there was a pull in his gaze she could not yet resist. His smile widened, almost unnoticeably. He knew. Amusement danced in his eyes. As if she had not had enough to worry about… And how he was enjoying this!

"And a shower," he raised a complacent brow.

"An icy cold one," she countered, unimpressed.

"It wasn't even that cold," Roy assured. His hands gently stroked along her sides, fingers straddled as if wanting to enclose the entirety of the small of her back. She fought hard to supress the pleasurable shiver his caress enticed, expression revealing nothing since she was still upset about her situation.

"You went first; it's fine for about five minutes."

"Men don't take long in the shower," he returned without hesitation.

"When trying to get rid of sewer smells, I think they do."

"I fell in and I'm done," Roy grinned, eyes shining when she lifted her chin defyingly.

"Whoever said you didn't smell anymore?" she teased, fuelling the playful twitch of his broadening smirk. She did not know how especially careful he had been when checking himself, going as far as washing his hair without it having been in the sewage to begin with.

"Okay, I get it, you don't want to see my point," he tightened his arms, pulling her closer. Riza averted her gaze. Pursing her lips – regaining her composure as not to pout – she felt caught. "But you invited us in despite knowing you didn't have much to offer and despite knowing it would make you feel uncomfortable, and that already makes you a very generous hostess."

"I wasn't going to let you soak in the rain," she glanced up for the split of a second. A mistake. Roy's eyes were sparkling, adoring her almost-pout more than she cared to admit. It was plainly visible how much he loved her unusually submissive mood. Then again, he pretty much loved her every mood.

Leaning down a bit further, he waited until she met his eyes properly.

"As I said, we're already grateful for your kindness. We don't mind your chairlessness," he offered a smile. His words lured out a frown, one of amusement, though not of agreement. "If no one has made fun of Armstrong for still living at his parents' house yet, no one will make fun of you for not owning a carpet. And for what it's worth," he ceased all jesting, "I always feel at home wherever you are," he murmured, leaning in.

Riza snorted. Stifling her laughter almost successfully, her shoulders shook, and she covered her face with her hand to hide the spreading blush.

"Don't give me more reasons to be embarrassed," she giggled. Roy grinned charmingly. Peeking at him from between her fingers, she saw him lower his face towards hers once again. She froze when his arm tightened to keep her close, making up for the hand he now released to place it beneath her chin. He lifted it, and Riza found herself holding her breath. Her own hand sank of its own accord.

To her surprise, he tenderly kissed her cheek. Her shoulders sank, eyes falling closed. When they fluttered open again, she gazed at him with big eyes. They softened a moment later. A small but honest smile graced her lips, and her voice was but a whisper.

"Thank you," Riza breathed. Running his hand around her back, she felt herself being drawn in again, emotionally as much as physically. This time – and she later cursed at how easily he had mesmerised her out of her creed – she lifted her chin of her own accord to close the distance. With a gentle smile, Roy leaned back down, his breath already warmly venting against her cheek, his upper lip brushing hers.

They jumped when the bathroom door opened.

Turning her head anywhere but towards him, Riza wriggled away and back to facing the counter. She plucked on her skirt, tugging it down as if it had been in disarray, not knowing why. Havoc grinned from one ear to the other.

"So that's why you were in such a hurry," he commented upon seeing the two. "I can see the headline already: Mustang resorts to hitting on subordinate when deprived of a girl to flirt with for half an hour!" he laughed. Roy joined in, though his was an obviously fake one.

"Right below the premature cremation of the chain smoker who couldn't keep his mouth shut," he threatened, though his eyes were still sparkling. They clashed with Havoc's, challenge flaring in both.

Deciding to cut in – even though the last thing she wanted now was attention directed at herself – Riza crossed the room. She handed Havoc his cup of tea.

"I'm sorry, I don't think my shirts will fit you," she apologised. His current attire consisted of his pitch-black mission trousers, paired with nothing but a towel he had hung around his neck.

"It's no trouble," he offered her an easy smile. "Didn't you have an electric heater?" he asked, looking around, spotting it immediately in its corner. Nodding, Riza took the cup he handed her back.

"I'm afraid the cable isn't very long," she excused once more. There were so many things to feel bad for, and the pile was just growing and growing. The bathroom door creaked just when Havoc lifted one side of her simple wooden table.

"Hey chief, give me a hand here," Havoc called. Taking the other side of the table, Roy helped its journey to the side of the wall, away from the heater. Havoc grinned as they passed a still with embarrassment frozen Riza. "Wouldn't want to scrape the lady's flooring," he defended his need of help. Not that anyone would have thought him incapable of managing to shove aside a table by himself.

Flopping down right in front of the heater, Havoc was instantly met with complaints.

"Oi, don't take up all the space in front of the heater!" Breda nagged where he exited the bathroom. Similar to his fellow Second Lieutenant, he donned his non-soaked baggy trousers, his shirt having been lost to the washing machine as collateral damage. The two started pushing each other, bickering for the warming spot with their lack of clothing. The exact moment Falman and Fuery appeared, they ceased their fighting to plant themselves in front of the heater, defending it together. The fronts always changed quickly when it came to the Mustang Unit.

"Lieutenant?" Fuery startled the still somewhat stunned Lieutenant, too surprised at the lack of complaints to notice his approach. They just adapted, not a single snidely word passing anyone's lips.

"Yes?"

"Is Hayate's bed in your bedroom?" he innocently asked. She wanted to scream, feeling morbid as she started to guess how she would have to force her dog to share his bed at her lack of comfort for her guests. Her shoulders stiffened with how pathetic she felt. Not that it was untrue that Hayate had more pillows than her. "Could we move him over here? Only if it's okay," Fuery went on, and she was once again slapped out of her darkening thoughts.

"Of course," she said at his rush, a relieved smile stretching over his lips. She nearly let out a relieved sigh, too. He just wanted the dog by his side for company!

Looking for a place to put the cup she was still holding – now that the table had changed location – Riza found it taken from her as if per her wish.

"May I?" Flaman asked, a light shiver shaking him. He exhaled blissfully when she gladly surrendered the cup to him, and he gulped down half of the tea in one. His legs poked out of her usually wide shorts, now resembling a pair of feminine boxers. They disappeared almost completely behind the tails of her bathrobe he had tightly tied around his lean torso. He had fallen in completely after all.

The others laughed madly at his get up, insults and punches following soon where the fronts changed by the second in their schoolboyish chatter.

Easing more and more at the lack of remonstrance, Riza went to fetch Hayate's bed. He was already excitedly joining the slowly forming circle in front of the heater, more than happy for the humans to sit at his height. Riza contemplated spreading her own blanket on the floor, knowing her only spare to be riddled with holes thanks to an invasion of moths that past summer.

She returned with her puppy's basket, making both Hayate and Fuery very happy where they sat next to one another. Right across and with that as far away from Breda as possible.

The circle was warmer now, Roy's barked orders having made the two shirtless men relent and scoot to the side. Slightly. Finding a broad shawl, Riza apologetically offered it to Breda who, without missing a beat, goofily made a show out of swinging it around his shoulders in a pretendedly grand dame like manner until covering himself. He flicked his hair back in another dramatic gesture (as far as his short hair could be flicked), embracing the awkwardness they all had to face – apart from the Colonel – and the men laughed, Havoc whistling. Even Riza cracked up, chuckling to herself.

"Please tell me you have cards, Lieutenant," Breda asked, the others nodding keenly. She rolled her lips inwards in thought. She did, only where the hell were they? She was sure she owned a deck, if only one.

"Strip poker?" Roy slyly suggested, making the others burst into laughter at the ridiculousness, then insults. Havoc narrowed his eyes, finally noticing the seemingly perfect attire of his superior officer. He was the only one however, and he did not comment on it any more than giving the Colonel a much-saying glance. Roy kept a straight face, letting the mock ricochet right off him. She could not decide whether he was proud of his secret stash at her place or plain stubborn. Both, she concluded.

Heading back into the bedroom – the only chance of finding anything not strictly necessary for survival like food or supplies – Riza rummaged through her wardrobe. She checked her nightstand, finally finding what she had been looking for when turning the side pockets of her travelling bags inside out. There was even second deck (wherever the heck that had come from).

"Oh, there are snacks," Roy was saying as she returned. She frowned. Grimacing, she had to hurry to stop him, but he had already tossed the item in question. She cringed when Havoc leaned back, expertly catching it in his mouth. Hayate wagged his tail, making Breda nervous.

"Colonel!" she hissed at him. He threw her a most charming, most mischievous grin.

"It's a little hard," Havoc brought out between chewing. Breda tried the next which Roy gladly handed him. She really wanted to slap him for this.

"Needs some salt," was all that Breda had to fault. He took another one, munching it down like a warmly steaming scone with clotted cream. Riza did not know whether to laugh or cry, somehow feeling that if she laughed now, she tears would come in the process anyway.

"How old are they?" Havoc asked, receiving another one. Falman held out his hand, but Riza was fast enough this time, having thawed from the initial cringe and burning a lethal glare into her commanding officer.

"Brand new," the latter happily replied, pretending not to understand the daggers she shot at him with her eyes.

"Stop that," she growled at him as she pulled his arm away from sharing more of the 'cookies', then turned to the others. "They're dog treats," she admitted awkwardly. Breda spooked, though not for the reason she would have imagined.

"Get them away from me," he flung his half-eaten biscuit across the room in fear of the dog coming for it. Having smelled his food long ago – now animated with what was clearly an invitation to playing fetch (at least to him) – Hayate got up, running after and gobbling down the treat. He wagged his tail, expectantly blinking at Breda. "Don't come near me," Breda commanded, though his voice quivered ever so slightly.

Almost immediately, more biscuits came raining down on him. Roy practically doused the bag over his Second Lieutenant's head, and Havoc and Falman quickly got to work, tossing the fallen treats Breda frantically flicked away back at him. He yelled and cursed his protests, his voice shooting up two ranges when Hayate excitedly joined the turmoil. Breda shrieked when the dog started sniffing too close to his feet, and Roy crumbled another treat over Breda's head with a devilish smirk.

Lunatics, all of them, Riza thought to herself.

Swearing at his treacherous – and now madly laughing – team, Breda scrambled away and saved himself where he cowered behind the heater. Hayate had the time of his life licking the floor when having devoured the abundance of treats all around, not leaving a single crumb and the fled Lieutenant's spot speckless and sticky with slobber.

Riza pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head instead of encouraging the delightedly wiggling brows of her superior.

"Hayate," her voice sliced through the chaos. Her loyal companion retreated when she pointed at his basked. Fuery unsuspiciously gathered what was left of bits and pieces within their midst, smuggling them to the drooling puppy's snout when thinking Riza was not looking. Being a good boy, Hayate offered tricks but Fuery assured him it was not necessary in a lowered tone.

"Good boy…" Breda repeated the Master Sergeant's hushed words with a huff. Crawling back to his spot near the heater, he crossed his arms. Another punch or two might have been traded while Riza searched her cupboards for human food she could offer.

She did not notice the smile the Colonel was watching her with.

"Someone's awfully happy to finally be getting his dose of skirt today," Havoc mocked. She hid her blush between the flour and sugar when Havoc's tease came, not daring to straighten now. She should have known; she should have crouched, not bent down.

"Don't get cocky with me," Roy snapped, hurling another dog treat at Havoc's head. Hayate jumped up, making Breda jump, too. The fronts were changing again.

"Yeah, don't leap to conclusions," Breda chided as if taking the Colonel's side. As if. "I bet he's getting all hot because of Falman in those lady shorts," he laughed, ostentatiously flicking his own lavender coloured scarf. Havoc cracked up, and even Fuery snickered where he petted Hayate.

Suppressing a sigh, Riza had to admit it not to originate in exasperation for once. Or desperation. Her shoulders dropped as she realised how they were all having fun despite the circumstances – with her apparently finding it the worst, turning out to be futile.

An arm weaved itself around her waist, tugging on her. She stiffened momentarily, eyes flashing about but the gabbling circle on the floor was too busy with making fun of each other's getups to notice. Roy's expression was saying 'told you so' in big, bold letters, as if written across his forehead. A sly smirk played on his lips.

Stubbornly, she did not return his gaze as it turned more and more loving. Sometimes she wondered if there was a single mood that would turn him off, her hardheadedness enrapturing him as much as her tenderness did. Deciding on steering a middle course, she allowed him to pull her close without meeting his eyes. She would be lost should she also allow him to enchant her like she apparently continuously did to him. And sometimes, a look and a smile were enough – she would not take any chances with the entire unit present.

Relaxation made itself scarce again when Riza found something to offer. Wine. The anticipated grins and wiggling brows came without hesitation, but she endured them. She wondered why she always had the extra role – the strictest in the office, the most uptight in private. She wanted out, so she pulled down her tensed shoulders in feigned ease, not least to fool and with that convince herself.

"I bought it for a recipe, but then I forgot I already had it," she pulled out the second, unopened green glass bottle. "Your luck, I suppose," she tried a nonchalant shrug. And it worked. She almost blinked unbelievingly, refraining the last second.

With a cheer and a laugh of content, the men gulped down the remains of their teas, not minding drinking a good wine out of lukewarm mugs. Alcohol was alcohol, she assessed.

"Aw, come on, Lieutenant, you should've invited us," Havoc teased, beaming a most fake innocent grin at her.

"Recipe…" Flaman pondered, and she got the feeling they were trying not to believe her. If only for the fun of her blushing face.

"Yeah," Breda took a swig, "I kinda wanna see what you'd be like when drunk," he snickered. Havoc laughed alongside the Colonel. She rammed her elbow into Roy's side, only then noticing how she had not even retreated from their somewhat compromising position. She did then, shooting them all a look in newly rising embarrassment.

She hardly noticed how Roy stayed where he was, not entering the circle of his team if it meant leaving her the only one outside of it. It gave her the desired comfort, even without being aware of it.

"That's certainly something no one's ever seen," Havoc cackled. They started speculating on her drunk behaviour, making the blood rise to her cheeks but not compelling her to share any awkward stories. Too caught up in their drinks and eventually discovered cards at their feet, they kept on joking and teasing amongst themselves. Even Fuery joined their conjectures (if more harmlessly).

Riza hesitated, then agreed when Havoc asked her to play with them – mocking the Colonel at the same time as inviting him as well. She found a package of human biscuits then, and the men carefreely munched away the chocolate chip flavour in combination with the dry red wine. Roy sat down next to her, Hayate at her other side. Havoc would raise his brows at his superior or accuse with other knowing, meaningful glances whenever the Colonel scooted closer to his adjutant or found an excuse to touch her.

They ended up with their fingers clandestinely entangled behind their backs, blocking the view where they pretended to merely be supporting themselves on the floor.

"He halted in his tracks. Clack, clack, scrape. Clack, clack, scrape. With his blood frozen in his veins, the turned, but there was no one there. He took another step. Clack, clack, scrape. Clack, clack, scrape. The horrendous noise followed him, and when he spun around this time, he saw her. Clack, her nails dug into the wooden flooring, the grating of her upper body following as she crawled after him, leaving a trail of blood where there were no legs left…"

"Oh god," Falman shuddered, breaking the spell. He had long pulled the bathrobe up his neck, goosebumps having risen. Breda looked equally disgusted, though kept from voicing his discomfort while Fuery had paled more than one shade.

"Is this really what girls do at a sleepover?" Havoc asked sceptically. Not least shocked. She had the impression that it was not only the truth of girls' sleepovers not only consisting of gossip and painting nails that surprised them. Mostly, it was the way the usually stern and evidently socially awkward First Lieutenant had almost made a bunch of grown men – soldiers – wet their pants with a scary story. She offered a casual smile.

"Of course," she nodded, "it's tradition."

"I'm not sure I can sleep tonight…" Fuery mumbled to himself where he was still clutching Black Hayate. They all laughed at that.

With a collectively content sigh, the team relaxed again. Roy – having snuck himself to practically fuse into her for maximum closeness without giving his affection away (or so he thought) – stood. Brushing off his trousers, he gave an estimating glance at the window. The rain had stopped, the sky pitch-black since it was well past midnight.

"Alright, let's get going," he said. "We'll walk to my place and I'll drive you ladies home," he proposed.

Gladly taking the offer, the men followed him out in their peculiar outfits. Riza smiled as she watched them out on the street, dimly lit by the automatic lights in front of the building. Her smile widened when heads turned, and she waved back as she waited until they disappeared into the night.

Waiting with tidying up until morning – which was not too far away anymore – she fell into bed with a long exhale of relief. And joy, she caught herself, the smile not having made itself scarce just yet.

It dropped alongside her body when she was finally ready for bed, but returned at the clinking of keys in the front door's lock, broadening when the mattress sank and his arms returned to enclose her, properly this time.

Riza awoke for the second time in the morning when a repetitive noise roused her. She was an early bird, but Roy's strong embrace and warm breath down her neck had lulled her into sleep again – that morning sleep which came quickly and brought dreams that went haywire.

Eventually, the pounding had not fit into her dream of dog biscuits and sirens in the sewers anymore. Blinking into utter darkness, Riza tried to remember where she was. In her bed, she assessed. Her legs were stolen between his, and his head and arms caged her in, somewhat squishing her into the mattress. She had to shove his chin off her, peeling away with rising haste as she realised the sound to be knocking on the door.

"Coming," she announced in the hall. Then stopped dead in her tracks. Clothes. She needed to be wearing more, especially if it was that horny salesman from next door whom Roy hated with all his being. Finding both her bathrobe and comfortable sweats gone, she scurried into her military trousers. Brushing over a top – making sure her hair covered her upper back and nape, she hurried to the door.

Roy gave a muffled moan into the pillow. She prayed he would not get up if it actually was the horny neighbour. The rest of the block was still cross about the brawl that other night.

"Sorry," Riza tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she opened the door. Four wide smiles beamed back at her. "Oh," she blinked up at them, slightly taken aback.

"So this is the Hawk's Eye in the morning," Havoc was the first to speak, naturally going for a tease. "Now all that's missing is bladdered, but lucky you, we've got you covered," he lifted his hands. Two dry red wines shone back at her, Havoc's broad grin flashing between them.

"For another 'recipe'," Falman consented jestingly. "And an extra,"

"Just in case," Havoc added.

"I brought dog treats!" Fuery piped up from behind them. His hand appeared, thrusting through the cluster to wave a bag of Hayate's favourite biscuits at her. Hayate barked in response, whether at the familiar voice or the word treat she did not know. Probably both.

Fuery's head followed, and Havoc and Breda scooted to the side to make space, Havoc's hand coming to casually rest on Fuery's head. They shared a grin.

"And I got some crackers," Breda said. He kept from shaking the package, knowing it would shift the dog's attention to him. "Might have tried some on the way," he sheepishly added while handing her the bag. It was, in fact, open. "To make sure they're good," he defended himself. "They are," he offered a grin.

Riza could hardly speak. Not to mention carry everything, her arms overloaded.

"You're gonna have to wait for your clothes though," Breda informed. The men's gazes wandered up and down her body once again, this time registering the uniforms bottom half. She bit her lip when the raised brows came.

"That's alright," she shook her head. "I haven't gotten to wash yours either," she said. Bending down – realising the last second that her hair would fall over her shoulders and choosing to crouch instead – she placed the bottles on the floor. Hayate sniffed around excitedly, making Breda back away. Riza kept the opened package away from her dog's keen nose, offering his own bag instead.

Happily, Hayate took off with it. She made a mental note to check on him soon, already seeing him with a stomachache and vomit all over the floor once he managed to open and devour the entire thing.

Having managed to arrange the remaining goods in her arms, Riza straightened. She thanked them, seeing them off. Somehow getting the feeling that the disaster she had feared had turned out rather nicely, bringing them closer together.

Speaking of closer, Roy had finally heaved himself out of bed, now merging into her where he had snuck up as soon as the door had shut. His arms slid around her waist from behind, his breath venting down her shoulder.

"Let me just put these down," she asked, locked in place. He only grumbled something into her ear. A kiss followed his voice, luring out a sigh from her when his lips wandered to graze her jaw.

"Damn morons…" he mumbled drowsily.

"I think it's very sweet," Riza replied. She smiled down at the gifts.

"They make me look like a parasite," Roy nagged. Her smile grew.

Shuffling over to the nearest counter – shuffling the only option with him not letting go – Riza placed everything down. Then she stroked her hands down his toned, sleep warm arms. She leaned her head against his from the side.

"Thank you," she softly said. He hummed in question, hanging down her shoulder, holding on tight. Turning her head, she placed a tender kiss to his temple. "I needed that parasite yesterday," she admitted. He smiled into her supple skin.

"Only yesterday…?" he murmured, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as well as his tone of voice. She inhaled for a tease, getting stuck in her throat. Rip! it came from the bedroom. That were the dog treats.

Wiggling out of his grasp, she rushed to Hayate's bed, taking the bag away just in time. The next thing she felt was a hand on her flank, then her own bed beneath her. It creaked under the suddenly added weight. With wide eyes, Riza held her breath, harking. His arm blocked her from getting back up, one leg trapping hers where his knee hooked onto hers. Waiting, she readied for the next assault – a heated kiss, a hand on her wrist, lips on her jugular?

His breathing evened out. She sighed, a smile gracing her lips. Hiding the treats between them, she turned to hug him back.

No, not only yesterday did she need him.