Thermodynamics: Equilibrium

by Deadly Glacier

Sequel to "Thermodynamics: Classic" and a companion piece to "Chemistry." It isn't necessary to read both, but I recommend it! The announcement of Ed and Winry's wedding causes Roy and Riza to rethink their relationship as they prepare for the event. Just sweet, fluffy pining that devolves into my usual smut (but it's TASTEFUL smut). Royai. Ed/Win. A touch of Falman/Sheska. NSFW.

Thermodynamics: Equilibrium

o0o
Riza

Riza didn't understand how he did it.

Every time he had paperwork—every single time, no matter how simple it was—the General would put it off till the last minute. She grumbled as she put the reports in their proper places in the filing cabinet, clenching her jaw tight. All he'd had to do was sign off on them! That's it! There was absolutely no good reason for his procrastination, and no amount of her admonishing had changed his habits over the years.

She sighed, closing the cabinet drawer and then locking the records room behind her. Riza straightened her uniform, dusting herself off just in case, and headed back to the General's office. Working in Ishval was tough, but rewarding in the end—and at least they were still working together, she and Roy. They always would, if she could help it.

The announcements for Edward Elric's wedding came out a few days ago. Most people in the military received one, Riza and Roy included. She'd always known Ed would end up with Winry—there was simply too much chemistry between the two. They riled each other up like no one else, and they clearly cared what the other thought about each other. Riza smiled as she thought about them, strolling the halls of the outpost. She put a hand in her pocket, wondering if she would be invited to the wedding as well, or if Roy would be invited…

...and if he would ask her to be his date.

It was wishful thinking, she knew. The General was nothing if not professional, as was she. Even though their devotion to each other was probably the worst-kept secret in the entire military, nothing had ever happened between them, not officially. In her mind, there had been an unspoken agreement that they would wait until he was at the top of command before they pursued a different kind of relationship.

At least, that's what Riza hoped.

There was always that lingering doubt in her mind, that he didn't feel the same way. So much of their connection was unspoken, which was both meaningful and frustrating. Yes, they could communicate with a single look. Yes, they would always have each other's back. Yes, they'd seen each other through the worst moments of their lives.

But even still… what if after all this time she'd misread things? What if she really was just his bodyguard, confidant, paperwork-giver, and literally anything else besides a potential romantic partner?

There were other options, surely. The military had rules against fraternization between commanding officers and their subordinates, but if there really was this underlying passion between them, there had to be something they could do.

She'd always fantasized about having many a secret rendezvous with him, and all the knowing glances from her colleagues she often felt at her back would have some truth to them. Or sometimes she wished he would just dash over to her apartment at night and tell her "Damn the rules—I want you… Riza." She wanted to hear him say her name, damnit! At last, and over and over until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

She could live with a secret romance. She would be fine with it.

It would be enough—as long as she had him.

But she knew they would never do that. Roy wouldn't want to risk either of their careers on their relationship, and she wouldn't want all of his hard work to go down the drain if they got caught. All of that pain and suffering—from the things they'd done with their own hands, and also the burdens those actions had laid upon them—it would have been for nothing.

Well, not nothing. But knowing they could have at least tried to right some of the wrongs they'd done in their careers, and then failed because they got careless and selfish… it wouldn't sit right with either of them.

And so, she waited.

She persevered.

Riza shook her head and squared her shoulders, letting out a breath in the empty hallway. This wasn't her. Fretting to herself about her own troubles wasn't something she did, and it wasn't something she liked to do at all. That was for other women—women who didn't share her responsibilities. She was supposed to be Roy's rock. Rocks didn't fret. Rocks didn't worry. Rocks didn't pine.

Rocks were reliable, steady, and unshakable.

And Riza was a damn good rock.

She strolled back into the General's office a minute later, quieting herself when she realized he was on the phone.

His face brightened when she entered the room, and he gestured for her to come over to his desk, smiling that easy smile of his. He just always has to be so charming and confident, doesn't he? she thought, giving him a softer smile of her own.

"Ah, here she is," the General was saying to the person on the phone. "I'll give you to her now."

Riza gave him a slightly confused look, bemused as she tilted her head at him. She took the receiver out of his hand and pressed it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hi, Miss Hawkeye—this is Winry Rockbell. Do you remember me?"

She let out an understanding laugh under her breath, nodding, "Yes, of course I remember you, Winry. And please, call me Riza."

Winry let out a small, uneasy laugh of her own, "Okay then. Riza." She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry to call you through the General—this is the only number Ed had, but he told me you two were inseparable, and it would be the best way to contact you anyway."

Again, Riza laughed, feeling her face redden slightly. She turned away from the General to hide it. "Well he had the right thinking," she told Winry. "What can I do for you?"

"I, um…" the girl paused on the other end, sounding nervous. "Well, you know Ed and I are getting married, right?"

"Of course," she said, nodding again. "Congratulations to the both of you."

"Thank you!" Winry replied happily. "We're so excited. I just sent the invites out, so you and the General should be expecting one in the next couple of days—but I wanted to ask you something."

Riza folded her arms and turned back around, once again facing the General as she furrowed her brow, "What is it?"

"I… I want to ask if you'd like to be a bridesmaid," Winry said finally.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. The General's eyebrows raised at her, his curiosity piqued by her reaction. "Wow, Winry."

Winry sighed, "I just thought… you've been there for Ed—for the both of us, in a way—and I wanted you to be a part of it. And plus… I don't have that many female friends, or any sisters for that matter… I-I know it's kind of weird, and I'm so—"

"No," Riza said, a hand going to her chest. She was genuinely touched. "It's not weird at all. I'm just surprised, is all. Are you sure you want me?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'd really like it if you were up there with me during the ceremony. Ed's got Al—and he says that's all he needs—so I wanted people of my own. It'll just be you and my friend Paninya from Rush Valley." She cleared her throat again, "So… what do you think?"

Riza smiled, "I'd be honored, Winry. Thank you for thinking of me."

"Of course!"

"What do you need from me?"

"Well," Winry began with another sigh, "I'm still trying to decide on a design for my dress and the bridesmaids dresses, but if you could have your measurements taken in the meantime, that would be a big help. I can give you my number to call me so I can write them out for the seamstress, or you could send them directly to her—however you want to do it."

"Alright then," Riza said happily. "Let me give you my home phone number so we can talk more about the details later—is that okay?"

"Definitely!"

They quickly discussed phone numbers and their schedule for the rest of the day before hanging up, and Riza let out a breath, smiling to herself.

"So what was that about?" the General asked. He was swaying in his desk chair, casually leaning against one of its arms while his gloved thumb played with his pen's clicker (and thankfully he wasn't pressing it down enough to make it click—she hated it when people did that). He wore that silly smile, tinged with his curiosity.

"She wants me to be a bridesmaid," Riza told him, sharing her happy surprise. "I'm supposed to get my measurements taken for the dress soon, and send them along to the seamstress."

The General's smile broadened, "Oh, really?"

"Yes, sir," she told him. She gave him a teasing look, "Guess you'll have to find another chauffeur to the wedding."

He sighed in a dramatically forlorn way, "I suppose I will." But then he gave a lopsided grin, one that often made her roll her eyes because he usually made it when he was saying something dumb. "I look forward to seeing you in a floofy dress, Lieutenant."

Riza fixed him with a pretend glare, unable to keep the corners of her mouth from turning upward, "Anything is an improvement on this uniform I have to put on every day." She turned to go to her desk, and she swore she could hear him mutter something as she walked away.

"I agree…"

o0o
Roy

Roy wanted to know more about the dress.

He tried to pry details about it from Hawkeye, but she claimed she didn't know anything about what it would look like yet. That didn't stop his mind from wandering about it, though, and he pleasantly distracted himself from his mountain of paperwork with images of possibilities.

Would it be short or long? Would she wear flats or heels? (Please, God—let it be heels! Stilettos! With the little buckles at the ankles…) Would it have a slit up the side, like that skirt she wore out of uniform sometimes—that one that showed her thigh holster and then some?

What color would it be?

A week later, Hawkeye requested a few days off to ride to Resembool for her first fitting. Roy signed the time off request immediately, ahead of all the other paperwork already on his desk. When she left, it was dull at the outpost. The General did his best to throw himself into his projects with his other subordinates, but he still found his mind returning to his Lieutenant and the mysterious dress.

Roy tried to chastise himself for thinking about her like he was, tried to shame himself out of obsessing about it—but he couldn't help himself. Ever since Ed had called him that night and those words he'd said about Winry echoed in his mind, Roy hadn't been able to stop thinking about Hawkeye.

About Riza.

Then the wedding announcements came out, and the whole military was abuzz about FullMetal's wedding—the savior of Amestris. It was all anyone could talk about, and it was driving Roy crazy. He tried to pretend like he didn't know why he was so annoyed by the chatter and keep up his usual devil-may-care facade, but the fact of the matter was… Roy was jealous. FullMetal had no idea how lucky he had it, and the General childishly wondered if his colleagues would be this atwitter about his own wedding.

But Roy had stomped on that thought the moment it intruded itself upon his brain—because of course not! Edward Elric had saved the country, possibly the world. He had quite literally beaten a pseudo-god with his bare hands. If there was anyone that deserved to be happy, it was Edward and Alphonse Elric. Roy didn't think there was anyone who had suffered more for a mistake born of a sad, childish whim than the brothers. It was cruel, the hand that Life had dealt two country kids, and the fact that they were whole again (for the most part, in Ed's case) was a goddamn miracle.

And what the hell did Roy care if people were excited by the idea of his own wedding or not? He would marry Riza no matter if it was an extravagant ceremony, or if they just quietly went down to the courthouse one day, wearing their Sunday best, all giddy smiles with their fingers laced together as they walked down the street.

Roy smiled to himself at the thought. Yeah… That'd be nice. I think she'd like that. Just us.

Still though, he found himself jealous of Edward Elric, and the life he was building for him and his wife—and Roy was convinced these petty feelings he had rumbling around in his heart caused the storm of Riza-related thoughts lately.

He and Riza had shared a kind of silent bond, one that Roy had treasured and depended on for as long as he'd known her. It was a strong bond. It was an intimate bond. Love was there, he was sure of it, especially after they had faced the homunculi together. The Promised Day had proved just how deep their devotion to each other went.

Yet they'd never really spoken about their closeness. It was all in meaningful glances, brief but professional touches, or a blink-and-you'll-miss it shared smile. Roy didn't know if Riza knew how he felt for her, how he planned for the two of them. Whenever he finally became the country's leader, that's when he would seize the opportunity for them to be together. But…

"Whenever" was such a long way away.

"Whenever" was too long to make her wait for him.

"Whenever"... just wasn't fair.

And for all his planning, for all his careful consideration of his goals, Roy couldn't shake the feeling that his window of opportunity with Riza Hawkeye was closing.

o0o
Riza

When Riza strolled back into the Eastern Outpost after returning from Resembool, the General was reading documents he had in each hand, holding them up as if comparing them. His black, concentrating eyes flicked to her as she entered, and the focused scowl he wore softened into a warm, relieved grin. Riza felt her heart flutter at the sight of it, but she quickly regained herself as she walked towards his desk.

"Lieutenant," he greeted, setting the documents down. "I trust your travels went well?"

"They did, sir," she answered with a slight incline of her head.

"And the fitting? It went well, too?"

Riza nodded again, "Yes, sir. Everything went smoothly. How were things here?"

The General shrugged, leaning back into his chair, "The same, really." But then he faltered, "No, that's a lie. We're horribly disorganized without you here."

She laughed softly, "I'm sure that's not true, General—but it's nice to be needed."

"So," he began, setting his documents down and resting his chin on his gloved hand, "what color is it?"

"Hm?" Riza said, tilting her head. She smiled knowingly at him.

"The dress," the General clarified. "What color is it?"

Her smile widened, "Oh… I don't remember."

He chuckled, "Is that how you're going to play it, Lieutenant?"

"It would seem so," Riza teased coyly.

"If I guess it, will you tell me?"

She shrugged, noncommittal, still wearing her cheeky smile.

He swayed in his chair, leaning back, eyes peering at her face carefully, "Is it… green?"

Riza began sorting the documents ready to file on his desk, giving another shrug, "I don't know, sir. You'll just have to find out on the day."

"Oh, I bet it's pink. It's pink, isn't it?" he guessed, that stupid, charming grin spreading across his face.

She turned, waving over her shoulder at him, "I'm off to the records room, sir. I'll be back shortly."

"C'mon, Hawkeye—tell me!" he said pleadingly.

She opened his office door, facing him once more before she stepped through, "No."

The General scoffed, "I can have you brought up on charges, you know. Disobeying orders."

That just made her laugh, "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I would," he countered. "Is it black?"

Riza laughed again, shutting the door.

o0o

A couple of weeks before the wedding, Riza returned to Resembool for her second-to-last fitting. The seamstress's shop in the little eastern town was small, but in a cozy kind of way. Velvet curtains in a soft red lined the walls, hiding bolts of fabric and dressing rooms. Several lounge seats and benches were positioned at the center of the room, lined with silk upholstery and shiny gold buttons sewn all throughout them. The store itself smelled faintly of vanilla and was somehow kept remarkably cool. Riza wished she'd brought a sweater with her this time.

When Winry came out of the dressing rooms with her gown on, both she and Paninya gasped. They'd both seen it before, but it had been a little while.

"You look beautiful, Winry," Riza told her, standing.

"Yeah," Paninya agreed, smiling. "You'll be breaking hearts in that thing."

The bride-to-be blushed, turning to look at herself in the large mirror in the main room, "It really is wonderful. I'm so excited—my stomach is all in knots!" She put her hands over her belly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Her brow furrowed, and she swallowed several times. "I… I don't think I feel too good…"

Both Riza and Paninya realized it before Winry did.

"Take off the dress, Win!" Paninya warned, getting to her feet and going for the zipper right away.

"No time!" Riza said, deftly scooping up the metal wastebasket and putting it under Winry's chin, effectively blocking any damage that might be done to the pristine white dress.

Winry heaved and—despite her wrinkled nose—Riza was impressed with how neatly and quietly the bride emptied her stomach. She spat a few times while Paninya worked at the zipper and slipped the dress off her.

"Gosh, Winry—are you that nervous?" the girl from Rush Valley asked, whisking the garment away to safety. Winry was left in her strapless white bra and panties.

"N-No," she answered, confused as she took the wastebasket from Riza, likely holding it in case another wave of nausea hit her. "I felt fine."

Riza felt her forehead with the back of her hand while Paninya came back with a robe for her friend. "You don't feel warm," she said, searching the young girl's face for any other signs of sickness. "And you don't look ill. Did you eat anything funny, out of the ordinary?"

The bride shook her head, seating herself on one of the lounges after she donned the robe, still holding the wastebasket, "No. I ate my usual breakfast this morning—with Granny and Ed. They haven't been sick."

Paninya scrunched up her face, thinking, "Well… it's either you're sick or…" She grinned, "Oh, I think I know what it is…"

Riza murmured in agreement, nodding. "Do you think you're pregnant, Winry?" she asked plainly.

Winry's face blushed a dark pink and looked down, but then quickly thought better of it when she was faced with the contents of the wastebasket, and directed her head away from it. "I… I probably am," she confessed sheepishly. "Ed and I haven't exactly been careful… At all, really."

Paninya folded her arms, smirking, "So is that why you guys are getting married so fast? Is your grandmother going to be marching Ed down the aisle wrench in her hand?"

"No!" Winry protested. "Not at all. There's… other reasons why we want to get married quickly. And I don't know for sure if I'm pregnant—but I wouldn't be surprised if I was, like I say. Ed and I… we want kids."

"So soon, though?" Riza asked, concerned. "I'm not judging you, I promise. I just want to understand."

She nodded, "I know how it sounds, believe me." The girl smiled in an odd way, bittersweet. "We just… We don't want to waste any time, Ed and I."

Riza smiled with her, matching the same bittersweetness, "I can appreciate that sentiment." It was true, she really could, and felt a dull sadness in the pit of her stomach—but then she chastised herself for it. What is it about weddings that make people think about themselves? Riza wondered with an internal sigh. She willed the General (Roy) out of her thoughts, bringing herself back to be there for Winry, who definitely didn't deserve a jealous bridesmaid.

"Thank you," Winry told her warmly.

The seamstress came out of the back then, holding a large white box, and she saw the scene before her, assessing it through the lenses of her thick black glasses. Mrs. Whipple was a sharp, serious woman. She was tall, thin, and seemed to only ever wear black dresses that matched her short black hair. She also seemed to have a penchant for varying shades of red lipstick. Today's color was a bright scarlet, matte on her thin lips which pursed at the sight of the three of them.

"Did you get anything on the dress?" she asked pointedly at Winry. Apparently it wasn't hard for her to deduce what happened.

"We saved it just in time," Riza answered.

"Good. Winry, dear, I have your other project here if you'd like to look at it," Mrs. Whipple said, giving a hint of a smile as she lightly jostled the big box in her arms. She paused to peer over her glasses at the young bride, "Are you alright for the moment? No messes on my work, dear."

"I'm okay," she answered with a firm nod.

"Best keep that wastebasket with you, just in case," the seamstress warned with a lift of her elegant black eyebrow. Again, Winry nodded and she led the group over to the counter. Riza watched with genuine curiosity as the white box's lid was lifted, revealing a red and black corset. "I used that bolt of fabric your brother-in-law-to-be brought from the tailor across the street." She wrinkled her nose, "Not really my taste."

Winry laughed, "No, but it's Ed's apparently."

Paninya peered at the corset with an amused expression, "Explain…"

She brought her hand to feel the material, "I guess Ed originally wanted this fabric for his suit's vest. Al and the tailor were able to talk him out of it. Ed was complaining about it at dinner a couple of weeks ago, and I had Al go back and secretly retrieve it for Mrs. Whipple to make this."

"Well, it's… something, that's for sure," Riza said with a slight laugh.

The corset's main panels were a black satin material with subtle red skulls embroidered into it. It was very, very Edward, Riza decided with a shake of her head. The garment was trimmed in bright red ruffles, both at the top and the bottom. The stitching around the bust area showed a hefty underwire that would undoubtedly give some serious lift. Clear stones were used as faux buttons down the front. Despite the odd-patterned fabric, the corset looked well-made, and once again Riza found her mind wandering a bit, wondering if Mrs. Whipple could make her something similar…

For her to have just in case, of course. No particular reason.

"Thank you, Mrs. Whipple," Winry said, still grinning at it. "He's going to love it."

"Of course, dear," the seamstress said with a grateful nod. "And I can replace the panels at the back with a more stretchable material, just in case you start to show before the honeymoon. Unlikely, but best be prepared—your breasts are going to look amazing no matter what, though."

Winry blushed deeply.

Mrs. Whipple waved a hand, "Oh, don't give me that look, girl. If I had a penny for every pregnant bride that's walked into my shop, I could retire right now."

The bride was biting her lip, thinking, "Mrs. Whipple… do you ever make costumes?"

"On occasion… What did you have in mind, dear?" she asked curiously.

"I was just wondering—is there any way you could add a bunny tail to this? And make some ears that matched?" Winry said, her face now several shades darker.

"A tail on the corset? No—but I could make a pair of ruffled underwear to match the trim of the corset, and then add the tail to them. The ears would be no trouble at all," the seamstress answered dutifully. "What color should the tail be? I could do a single color, or both. I think both would look best, red and black."

Winry nodded, "I think you're right."

Mrs. Whipple smiled knowingly, "Stockings and garters, too? That would be quite fetching."

"Fishnets," Paninya said with an approving nod. "Thigh-high. With the little backseam. That's what I would wear, if I could."

"Naturally," the seamstress said.

"Platform stilettos, too," Paninya added.

"Oh, I can see that," Riza agreed, grinning.

Winry's face was practically steaming, her voice coming out tight with embarrassment, "I… I don't know if Edward would want me to wear heels that high. You know how he gets about his height."

Riza laughed, "I really don't think he'll care once he sees the whole outfit. He might even want you to keep them on!" She gave the bride a little teasing nudge with her elbow.

Mrs. Whipple nodded, "Oh, yes. Men love that. And with all that red?" She tutted her tongue, "My wonderful work of art will be ripped to shreds in no time, if your fiance is as ferocious as I've heard."

"What do you mean?!" Winry cried, horrified.

"Sweet girl, the entire town knows about the absolute debauchery that happened at the hotel when Edward returned from the west," Mrs. Whipple said, her red lips spreading into a smirk.

"Oh, god," Winry groaned, putting her face in her hand.

"Debauchery?" Riza asked, elbowing the bride lightly. "My goodness, you'd think you were trying to get pregnant."

"The hotel had to create a few new policies after they were kicked out, I heard," the seamstress went on.

"You were kicked out?!" Paninya exclaimed, happily surprised. "That's my girl!"

Winry was doing her best to try and cringe away from them. "New topic, please," she said, covering her eyes with one hand as she cradled the wastebasket in her other arm.

Mrs. Whipple just laughed and took the boxed corset to the back once more, muttering, "Ah, to be young…"

Riza turned to Winry, "So… what's the bunny thing about?"

The brides big blue eyes blinked, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, "It's… an inside joke."

She laughed softly at the cryptic answer, shrugging. "Alright… Well, where are you guys planning to go for the honeymoon?"

"Yeah, you never told me," Paninya said, going back to sit on the lounge.

"We're thinking the beach down south," Winry answered, seemingly relieved at the shift in conversation. "There's a lovely resort down there with a private newlywed villa. Ed's been trying to get us in there."

"I think I know the place you're talking about," Riza said. "Major Armstrong's family likes to summer there. I bet he has some pull with them."

"Oh, he's done so much for us already," she said. "He's pretty much planning the whole wedding, not to mention he did most of the work on our house. The man is practically a machine. I don't know how he does it."

"He's weird," Paninya muttered, looking at her nails.

"No, Paninya. He's enthusiastic and kind," Winry said. "Alex has only ever been pleasant to me. And Ed."

Riza smiled, "You know he'd be more than happy to help. I'm sure all it would take is a phone call on his part… or his sister's, for that matter."

"I don't have any trouble imagining that," Winry agreed. "She's terrifying." She shrugged, "But if we can't get the resort villa, Ed and I could spend our honeymoon in the private cabin we rented for our wedding night. It's beautiful and quiet out there. It would be just the two of us. Plus, it's not too far away from home."

"Well, that's a good back-up plan," Riza told her, nodding. "But at least mention it to the Major before you decide, alright? The General sent him here to be whatever help you two would need."

"Okay," Winry said, nodding with a smile. "We'll see what he says."

"Now, let's get you to a doctor, hm?" she suggested, putting her arm around the girl's shoulders. "See if they can get you some anti-nausea meds."

o0o
Roy

It was a short train ride from the little town outside of Ishval to Resembool, and Roy shared a private car with Hawkeye two days before the wedding. She had a final fitting the next day, so he decided to tag along. He'd packed his best suit and his favorite wool coat (as the weather was in that weird stage of warm mornings and afternoons, while the evenings were chilly), as well as some more casual clothing to wear around the one hotel in Resembool.

Roy had spent the months before the wedding trying to get more details about the dress from Hawkeye—the shape, the color, the material, the shoes—anything he could learn, but she deflected them all with that sneaky little smile of hers. It was frustrating, but endearing at the same time.

He'd even tried different strategies of trying to pry answers out of her, which had debatable success. His favorite strategy was distraction. Once, when they were at lunch in the mess, he'd said: "There's a lot on our schedule for today. We need to organize the funds for the refugee centers, restoration builders, and the new hospital. Then we need to speak with the Ishvallan ambassador about renegotiating the amount of security at the borders. After that, we can talk with Grumman about the winter bonus checks—is it yellow?"

"Understood, sir," Hawkeye had replied. "And yellow? For an autumn wedding? You're running out of ideas fast, General."

Roy smiled to himself as he sat across from her, reading the morning paper. The train tugged along at a brisk pace, gradually turning from the desert to rolling green hills of the countryside.

"General?" Hawkeye asked suddenly.

He looked up from his paper, "Hm? What is it, Lieutenant?"

Her head was turned towards the window, and her brown eyes looked like her mind was far away. "Elizabeth," she said. "From the sweets shop."

Roy smiled behind the newspaper, remembering the codename he'd given her years ago. "What about her?" he asked curiously.

"Where would you have taken her on a date?"

He sighed thoughtfully, folding his paper, "On a date… hmmm." He blinked, looking at her, "I'm afraid I'd be rather boring. Dinner at Chapman's in Central—they have excellent food there, and a great wine list."

"Chapman's," Hawkeye said, impressed. She gave him a sidelong glance with a slight nod.

Roy waved a hand, smiling over at her, "Well, Elizabeth deserves the best." He went on, "Then I'd take her dancing."

"How do you know she's a dancer?" she asked with an amused smile. "She could be lousy, stepping on your feet every ten seconds."

Roy shook his head, "Oh, I don't think she's a bad dancer at all. Something tells me she's quite graceful." He shrugged, "But if she is, there's always slow songs. Those are the best ones, don't you think? You can just get close and sway a little bit."

She gave another nod, a slow smile spreading across her face, murmuring in agreement. She lifted an eyebrow, "And after that?"

He sighed happily, sitting back and picturing it, "We could go for a walk in the park. I'd give her my coat if it got too cold, and then we'd go get coffee and ice cream. I'd get chocolate, and she'd get… Hmm, what do you think she'd like?"

Hawkeye was grinning out the window. She shrugged, "She sounds like a mint chocolate chip kind of girl to me."

Roy chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind."

"That doesn't sound like a boring date at all, sir," she told him.

"No?"

She shook her head, still grinning and staring out the window, "No. I think that sounds nice." Her face faltered slightly, "Elizabeth is a lucky girl."

A pang hit Roy's heart at the sound of her voice, and he opened his mouth to say something else before the conductor slid their cabin door open, "Tickets, please!"

Shaken out of their conversation, they both produced their tickets for the man, letting him confirm them before giving the tickets a punch and handing them back over.

"Where is the dining car?" Hawkeye asked, standing. "I'd like to get some tea."

The conductor cheerfully answered, "Of course, miss! The dining car is just two cars down to the right."

She nodded gratefully, and then looked at Roy, "Would you like anything, sir?"

He shook his head, offering a soft smile, "No. But thank-you, Lieutenant."

She slid the door closed behind her and Roy sighed, yet again feeling his mind scream with insults of cowardice and stupidity.

o0o

"No couples!" the hotel manager shouted at them the moment they walked through the door. He was a squatty, portly man with balding brown hair and fat lips. He scowled at them from behind the counter.

Roy held up his hand, eyes wide from the angry greeting, "We're… not a couple. We have separate reservations. Mustang and Hawkeye."

The manager gave them a long look before he turned the pages of the large appointment book at the desk, reading for their names. He nodded, "Yes. I see that." Retrieving the keys from the wall behind him, he turned to face the two of them, "Your rooms are next to each other—but there is absolutely no going into each other's room, is that clear?"

Taken aback, Roy nodded, following the man upstairs with Hawkeye, "Yes, of course." He noticed his Lieutenant stifling laughter into her fist, and he subtly leaned over and whispered, "What is that about? Do you know something?"

"You two are here for the Elric-Rockbell wedding, correct?" the manager asked, cutting off Hawkeye's reply.

"That's right," she answered this time. "Day after tomorrow."

The manager grumbled to himself as they reached the top of the stairs, barely audible, but Roy swore he caught the term hedonistic degenerates somewhere in his muffled rant.

They reached the pair of doors, and the manager handed them their keys. "Dinner is in half-an-hour if you'd like to partake—it's complementary with your stay, as is tomorrow's breakfast at dawn. Room service is available twenty-four hours a day, and menus are provided in your rooms. Please enjoy your stay and let me know if you have any questions."

"Thank-you," Roy said with a grateful nod, taking his key as Hawkeye did the same with hers. The manager walked away and he turned to her with a quirked eyebrow, "Sooo…?"

She just laughed, unlocking her door, "Let me put my stuff away. I'll tell you at dinner—I promise."

o0o
Riza

"You're kidding," the General accused over his teacup, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Kicked out?"

Riza nodded, smiling into her own cup, "Kicked out. That's why the 'no couples' policy."

He laughed, taking another sip, "I'll be damned."

A waitress came by to refill their cups at that moment, sharing a knowing glance with the two of them, "Are you talking about the Elric incident?" She shook her head, as she poured more tea for Riza, "Mr. Cosgrove was mortified."

"Were you there that night?" she asked curiously.

The waitress nodded, grinning, "Oh yeah. They were so… enthusiastic, that they caused some of the dining room ceiling's plaster to crack and fall on one of the tables—" she gestured to a corner behind them, and they looked up to see a somewhat recently-patched part of the ceiling. "Luckily, no one was sitting there at the time, but that was the last straw for Mr. Cosgrove. He marched up there and made them leave not thirty seconds later." She giggled, whispering lowly, "It was the fastest I'd seen him move."

"I heard they had to have their picture taken, too," Riza said with a side eye at the General. "So they wouldn't be booked here ever again."

"No," he gasped, looking scandalized, then at the serving girl to see if it was fact.

"That's true," the waitress confirmed, still grinning. "They also broke the bed in room seven—"

"That's my room!" the General said loudly, his voice sounding somewhere between amused and angry. "I wondered why the bed was so rickety."

She rolled her eyes, "Mr. Cosgrove refuses to replace it. The furniture in the rooms is all heirlooms, or something, and he has to be the one to maintain them—doesn't trust a professional." She shook her head again, "There were children here that night, too. No doubt their parents had a lot of explaining to do, what with all the lewd sounds and destruction going on up there." Then she shrugged before taking their plates, "Though, if you ask me, that Miss Rockbell is a lucky girl."

The General chuckled into his freshened teacup once the waitress left, looking at the table. "'Atta boy, FullMetal," he murmured, sitting back in his chair. "Guess he put that advice to good use."

"Advice?" Riza asked, lifting an eyebrow as she sat back with her own steaming cup.

He nodded, looking over at her, "He called me, months ago, and he wanted to know some particular things about women—never having learned anything or had any experience himself."

She put her cup back on her saucer. "You're kidding," she said, the tables turning on her now. Riza shook her head, "It doesn't surprise me that he lacked experience, but for him to call you?" She clicked her tongue, "Ed had to swallow a lot of pride for that, I bet."

The General chuckled again, "You're telling me." His face went thoughtful, and he smiled to himself, "But… it actually ended up being a really nice conversation. It's how I got invited to the wedding in the first place. He promised me an invite since I was helping him."

Riza tilted her head at him, her eyes softening, "You really think he wouldn't have invited you without that? Sir, you were a big part of his life, no matter how much you butted heads over the years."

He shook his head, "I don't know, Lieutenant. By the time Promised Day came around, we might have come to a kind of mutual understanding—maybe even respect—but… the tunnels." His brow furrowed as he looked at the table, "Envy."

"We stopped you, sir," Riza said firmly.

"If I'd gone through with it," he went on, "I would have lost everything. I would have lost you."

"No, you would have been dead," she reminded him with a meaningful look. "And you wouldn't have lost me—I would have lost you."

He shook his head, "Still. Even if I didn't go through with it, I don't know how anyone—especially Ed—could see me the same way again."

"I'm still here, General," Riza told him. "Always will be, so long as you don't become a psychopath." He laughed half-heartedly, and she went on, "And Ed knows a thing or two about mistakes, things that you can't take back."

He sighed, shaking his head again, "He was a kid, Hawkeye. I was a grown man."

"And your best friend—our friend—was murdered by that… thing," Riza told him. "I think most anyone could understand why you almost did what you did, why you felt so strongly about it—even Edward Elric." She gave him a soft smile, "He would have invited you, Roy—whether you gave him that advice or not."

He looked at her for a long time, and then she realized she'd used his first name. Before her face could redden, he said, "Well, thank-you… for thinking that."

Riza nodded, picking up her tea again. "Besides, if I was going to be a bridesmaid, it would have been rude to not invite you. We're a package deal, sir."

Roy nodded, his eyes gaining their lightness again, "I suppose we are…"

o0o
Roy

He took his seat relatively close to the front, about three rows back, center of the groom's side. Roy admired the house before him, the one Ed had built with Armstrong over the summer. For its size, they certainly got it done fast. Though, with the Major's talent for physical labor and his genuine enthusiasm, it wasn't surprising.

Roy smiled when he remembered his exchange with Hawkeye that morning. He made sure to get up early and listened to their rooms' adjoining wall for when she was leaving. He opened his door just as she was stepping out of hers, and he leaned against the doorframe, nodding at the hanger bag she was carrying.

"Is that it?" he'd asked her. "The mysterious dress."

She smiled her sneaky little smile, "It is indeed, sir." She also carried a white shoebox under her arm. "I have to get to the Rockbell's now. I'll see you at the wedding," she told him, heading for the stairs.

"Is it red?" he asked with a crooked smile. "It's red, isn't it?"

Hawkeye just shrugged.

He rolled his eyes, watching her descend the steps, "C'mon, at least show me the shoes!"

"Nope!"

He'd find out soon enough.

Roy looked around at the other guests filling in the rows. He waved at Fuery, Havoc, and Breda, all seated together and laughing amongst themselves. He spotted Falman not too far away from them, seated with Sheska. They were too involved in their own conversation to notice his wave. He didn't recognize anyone on the bride's side—her grandmother must be part of the procession, he guessed.

"Well, don't you look handsome, General," a kind voice said, walking up the aisle.

He turned to see Gracia Hughes approaching him, and he stood to help her into the seat beside him, "You're looking beautiful yourself, Gracia." He flashed her a smile before taking his seat once more, "How are you?"

"I'm doing great, Roy," she told him. She was wearing a modest seafoam-colored dress with a cream shawl about her shoulders. "And you?"

He nodded, "Doing just fine. It's a beautiful day for a wedding." He glanced behind them and then met her eyes again, "Is Elicia with you?"

Gracia frowned, "No. She's at my mother's. Poor thing caught the chicken pox a few days ago from some silly boy at school. So I'm here representing the both of us."

"Well, I hope she feels better," Roy told her, meaning it.

"Oh, she's fine. She was devastated not being able to come, though," she told him. "Ed and Winry wanted her to be the flower girl. She had a cute dress and everything."

"I'm sure she would have been an excellent one," he assured her with a nod.

"She would have," she agreed. Gracia looked around the gathering crowd, "Where's Riza?"

"She's in the wedding. She's a bridesmaid," Roy said, smiling.

"How wonderful!" Gracia exclaimed happily. She sighed and looked around at the decorations, "This is going to be a beautiful ceremony, I just know it."

Roy gave a slight laugh, agreeing, "If Alex had anything to do with it, I know it will be."

The decorations were tasteful but still had that brand of Armstrong Elegance, with silvery blues and pearlescent whites. The chairs for the guests were a clean, stark white, and each one had a baby blue satin cushion. The awning over the porch where the altar was located had two silk sheets draped above the porch steps—one was the same pale blue, while the other was white—each twinning around the other before coming down loosely at the sides.

Alphonse came out of the front door, looking dashing in his velvet suit, with its vest of navy satin. His hair was combed neatly with some kind of pomade. It occurred to Roy that he hadn't seen Al since the Promised Day, when the boy was emaciated, just brought back from the Gate—and Roy wouldn't have recognized him if he didn't hear that distinct, sweet laugh of his as he spoke with a few of the guests, making his way down the aisle. Now, Alphonse looked like he'd been treating his body well, certainly having gained weight and muscle.

"Colonel!" he exclaimed when he saw Roy—and Roy let it slide. He could consider his former rank a term of endearment from the younger Elric brother, especially since he'd never technically served in the military. "It's so good to see you!"

"And you, Al," Roy told him with a nod. He half-stood to shake his hand, which Alphonse cupped in both of his own. "How's Ed doing?" he asked with a jerk of his head towards the house.

The Elric boy snorted, with a shrug and a shake of his head, "Nervous, snappy. You know, Ed."

He nodded, laughing, "Makes sense."

"Is that really you, Al?" Gracia asked, standing. She gave him a hug, "Look how handsome you are!"

Al blushed, "Hello, Ms. Hughes. It's good to see you, too. I'm sorry Elicia is sick. Please tell her I said hello."

"I will," Gracia promised. "And you make sure you come for a visit soon. I hear you're travelling all over the east! You can tell me all about it then, and I'll even make you a quiche."

"I certainly couldn't turn down that offer," he told her with a bright smile. "I'd love to come up for a visit."

"Some time soon, yes?"

"Of course," Al promised. "I've got to get to our blushing bride now. Save me a dance at the reception?"

She nodded, "You know I will. Go on now."

Roy had a thought, "Wait! Alphonse!"

Al turned, stopping midstep, "What is it?"

He jutted his chin towards the Rockbell's, "What do you know about the bridesmaids' dresses?"

At that, the younger Elric smiled with a shake of his head, "She told me not to tell you, Colonel."

Roy sighed in defeat, "She knows me too well."

He laughed and went onward. Roy and Gracia watched him swiftly pass the other guests, giving them a polite wave, or a brief greeting. "He's such a sweet boy," Gracia commented. "I hope he finds someone for himself one day."

Roy murmured in agreement, "I have faith that he will. Even when he was a suit of armor, Al just radiated kindness and warmth."

"That he did."

It took about half-an-hour for the rest of the seats to be filled and for Ed to finally come out of the house, waiting politely on the front porch. Al was right—he did look nervous, but also determined, Roy thought. Ed kept his eyes on the horizon, watching the road between his new house and the Rockbell's. FullMetal looked like a man in his suit, though. Black velvet with satin lapels. The vest was satin too, red with embroidered roses.

When the clopping sound of horse hooves got closer, Roy turned in his seat to see two carriages making their way up the road. He snorted with soft laughter, having not seen them before. "Only Armstrong," he muttered to himself.

The first carriage was a shiny brown-black, and the second was the same silvery blue as some of the other decorations. That had to be Winry's carriage. It looked fit for a princess, Roy thought with a warm smile.

The classic-shaped carriage, the first one, came rolling to a stop before them. The first person to come out was Winry's grandmother, walking with their large automail-clad dog on a leash. The dog wore a baby blue ribbon, and Roy smiled at them both as they walked down towards the front seats.

Next, out came a pretty, darker-skinned girl Roy didn't recognize. She also had automail—both her legs—but she didn't look any less elegant in her midnight blue bridesmaid's dress.

Blue, Roy thought, turning again towards the carriage.

When Riza stepped out, his jaw dropped.

Not only was the color lovely with her skin and hair, but the material was swishy and light—layers of sheer midnight fabric that fell away from her (sizable!) bust, down her sensuous waist, and ending in a slight train behind her feet, the skirt splitting up the side of one of her shapely legs. The shoes were black suede stilettos (with the little buckles at the ankle!), and her hair—which was usually tightly bunched by a brown clip at the back of her head—was now gently gathered in curls at the back of her head with several white flowers scattered throughout the crafted bun. She carried a small bouquet of the same white flowers, tied with a white ribbon of satin. Her lips were dabbed with some kind of shiny balm, and they curved upward in a sultry little smile when Roy locked eyes with her.

He felt himself blushing and staring like a fool, but he literally could not help himself.

She's goddamn smokin', Roy thought with a shake of his head.

"Oh, he would have loved to see that look on your face," Gracia whispered to him as Riza took her place at the altar. She gave him a knowing look, and Roy blushed darker, clearing his throat and looking at the grass.

Maes wouldn't have let me live it down. He smiled to himself, knowing damn well his friend would have been elbowing him in the side, teasing him relentlessly, egging him on to go up to her after the ceremony. Roy could practically hear him, feel him, even smell his terrible cologne… An old, dull pain ached in his chest, one that came back from time to time—times like these.

Suddenly, everyone around him stood, and Roy joined them, seeing that the silver carriage had pulled up to the aisle now. Up close, it was even more ridiculous. It was shaped like a large sphere, the wheels a bright white and spindly. Even the horses looked unnaturally beautiful, as if someone had transmuted them from a pile of pearls and gold.

The door opened and Alphonse stepped out first, holding out his hand.

When Winry came out, there was a collective gasp around him, and Roy couldn't deny that she looked gorgeous. Her dress was a similar material to the bridesmaids' dresses, that same swishy fabric, but in a clean white. She wore a baby blue sash around her waist that matched the flowers in her hair.

Roy stole a glance to Ed, and the sheer love and adoration in the kid's golden eyes made his heart melt.

FullMetal was looking at his one and only love.

The small town country kid, beholding his childhood friend like he'd never seen such a beautiful thing.

Alphonse lifted the veil from her face, and the look in Edward's eyes increased tenfold. They murmured something to each other as he helped her up the porch steps and Al took his place beside his brother.

At that moment, the house's front door opened once more to reveal Alex Armstrong—wearing a black suit with a turquoise blue tie—and Roy was absolutely beside himself with amusement, having to bite into his cheek to keep from laughing.

I didn't even know he was ordained.

"DEARLY BELOVED!" the Major bellowed, the sound booming even in Roy's ears, three rows back. It startled Ed and Winry (poor girl), and the other members of the wedding party jerked in surprise with them. Roy let out a guffaw before he could stop himself, and Gracia elbowed him, hard. If Alex was aware of the effect of his voice, he made no indication as he continued, "WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO WITNESS THE UNION OF TWO YOUNG PEOPLE—TWO OF THE KINDEST AND MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE I, ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG, HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING—"

"Debatable," Roy muttered with a crooked grin, earning another sharp elbow from Gracia.

"AND TODAY I HAVE THE ILLUSTRIOUS OPPORTUNITY—NAY, DUTY—TO OFFICIATE! IN THE INTEREST OF BREVITY, THE COUPLE HAS REQUESTED TO SIMPLIFY THEIR CEREMONY, AND THUS HAVE PREPARED THEIR OWN VOWS!" The Major turned to Winry, giving her a nod, "Miss Rockbell, please begin."

Roy watched the bride give him a nod and handed her bouquet to Riza before digging into her sash for a notecard. She looked at Ed with a smile and simply said, "100," and then put the card back in her sash. Roy folded his arms, amused. He glanced at Riza, who looked the same with a twinge of curiosity. The guests murmured in confusion.

But Ed grinned at Winry, laughing softly before kissing her fingers and repeating the number himself, as if agreeing with her. He then reached into his suit's inner pocket, leaning towards the guests with a cheeky look. "Mine's a little longer," he joked. Roy chuckled with the other guests.

Ed produced his notes, and after clearing his throat and taking a deep breath, FullMetal began to read to her:

"Winry," he said, "I don't know what else I can tell you that I haven't told you over the last few months. I don't know how else to say I've loved you since we were kids. I don't know how else to say I think you're the most kindhearted person on Earth. I don't know how else to say thank you for everything you've done for me. I don't know how else to say I'm sorry for making you worry about me all those years, and for bickering with you about things you were probably right about—probably," Ed emphasized, holding a finger up. Roy laughed with the guests again, Alphonse joining in as well. Roy watched Ed turn behind him slightly, looking at his brother, "You shut up." But then he laughed, and Winry laughed too, shaking her head.

Ed went on, and Roy noticed he wasn't reading his notes anymore, speaking with confidence and honesty as he looked into his bride's eyes, "I don't know how else to say you're the first thing that came to mind when I thought about what I wanted for myself, when I thought about what I wanted out of life."

Those words resonated with Roy, and he found himself looking over at Riza, who met his gaze with a look that told him she might be experiencing the same. That lump was back in his throat, that longing. That need.

Ed's vow's continued, "I don't know how else to say that I want to fill this house with laughter and love—with you. And I don't know how else to say I love you other than marry me. Here. Today. Now. I'm yours, Winry. Forever and always." His eyes softened and he kissed her fingers twice—once on her fingertips, another on her ring, Roy saw. "100," Ed said again, finishing.

Gracia sniffed beside him. "Oh," she choked. "That was lovely."

Roy nodded, "Yes, it was." He smiled as he watched Ed, "Way to go, FullMetal."

The romance of it all was infectious, Roy felt, as if it was casting a spell over the whole crowd of guests. The couple said their ring vows next, and when they finished, they looked absolutely buzzing to get their hands on each other. When the Major pronounced them (passionately, the only way the man could), he told Ed to kiss Winry, calling him a "silver-tongued devil." Roy mentally praised the Major for his foresight not to add the word "little" to that nickname.

The couple kissed sweetly, romantically. A camera flashed. The crowd stood and clapped for them as they descended the steps, shouting cheers of congratulations.

Roy clapped as well, grinning broadly. "Alright, FullMetal!" he shouted as Ed passed by his row, and their eyes locked for an instant, sharing a look of pride and gratitude.

Congratulations, you lucky little brat, Roy thought. (Affectionately.)

o0o

The reception was held in the backyard of the house, just down the hill by a large oak tree. Ed and Winry's table sat beneath it, while everyone else was scattered around in front of it, and around the dancefloor. Armstrong had set up a stage for a string quartet, a pianist (how on Earth did they put a piano down here—ah, Armstrong, of course), and a pair of singers—a man and a woman. Trays of food were touring the tables as everyone settled in, along with glasses of champagne. Roy gladly took one, scanning the crowd for Riza. He found her seated at the table with the other members of the wedding party, plus Winry's grandmother.

It wasn't long before Ed and Winry were beckoned to dance their first dance as a couple. Everyone watched from the sidelines as they swayed gently to a leisurely, romantic tune. Ed would twirl his bride, dip her low, all the while looking deep into her eyes with a warmth and joy that Roy had never seen of the young man. The song ended, and Ed gave a final dip with Winry, kissing her into it—slow, chaste, and sweet. Their dance earned a gentle applause from the onlookers, including Roy, and then the dancefloor was open to the guests.

Roy danced with Winry's grandmother first, who flirted with him shamelessly to the point where he almost blushed. He also made a point to dance with the princess from Xing, Mei Chang, who had saved Riza's life during the Promised Day. Mei blushed the entire time, which he found endearing.

Finally, Roy approached Winry after she finished dancing with the Major. "May I have the honor of dancing with you, Mrs. Elric?" he asked, holding his hand out.

She smiled warmly at him, "Of course, Mr. Mustang."

He took her hand and twirled her to another side of the dancefloor. "So, how does it feel to be married?" he asked her.

"So far? Like a dream," Winry told him. "A really, really good dream."

Roy chuckled deeply, nodding. "I can see that," he said. He looked at her curiously, "May I ask about your vows? What was the '100' thing about?"

She laughed, "You're the fifth person that's asked me that. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Winry relented, "Well, before Ed left for the west—literally right before—he proposed to me… in alchemy terms."

"Oh, please tell me he didn't say anything about equivalent exchange," Roy groaned, shaking his head.

"He did," Winry confessed, giggling at the memory. "He said, 'I'll give half my life to you, if you give half of yours to me.'"

"Romantic," Roy commented humorously.

"Isn't it?" she said. "He was red as a tomato, though. It was pretty cute."

"Credit where credit is due," he agreed. "So, you accepted?"

"Not before rolling my eyes at him," Winry recollected. "And when I did accept, I actually said, 'Why don't I just give you my whole life?'"

Roy gave a nod, understanding now, "Ah…"

"But then I realized what I had just said," Winry went on, "and I dialed it back to 85 percent of my life—and this time I was the one who's face was all red." She bit into a smile, shaking her head as Roy danced her around, "Ed started laughing at that, harder than I'd seen him laugh in years—even when we were kids. He said I'd knocked the equivalent exchange theory flat on its butt in a few words… and then he held me, and thanked me for cheering him up before he left.

"But when he finally came back, and after he re-proposed—properly, with a ring and everything—we started saying '85' to each other, as a kind of way to reaffirm our promise to each other from that day," Winry told him. "Only today, for my vows—"

Roy smiled, "You switched it back to 100."

She nodded, "Yeah."

He chuckled happily, "That's a sweet story, Mrs. Elric. A good story." Roy spun her around again, eyeing her ring. It was gold, the band made up of two thin vine-like strands that twirled around each other until they got to the center, unfurling into three leaf-shaped diamonds on each side of the main stone—an unusual red-violet colored gem. "Tourmaline," Roy assessed with a nod. "Interesting."

"That's right!" Winry said happily. "Ed wanted me to have something unique, he said."

"It is that," he agreed. "That's a good stone, from what I remember about it."

She nodded, looking at it with him, "Yeah. Ed told me he'd thought about that stone for me since we were kids, because of all he'd read about other gems and what they represented. According to legend, tourmaline draws in friendship, healing, compassion—all that good stuff. Even money, apparently." She smiled at her ring, "He said that as a kid, that sounded like all the things you'd want in a happy marriage."

Roy chuckled, "Ed was a pretty smart kid, then."

"That's exactly what I said," Winry told him, meeting his eyes again. She blushed, apparently remembering something else, but Roy didn't ask.

The song ended then, and Roy let her go but kept her hand in his for a moment longer, "Thank-you for the dance."

"Of course," she said. "And you're the only person I told the proposal story to, so…" She trailed off.

Roy held up his hand, putting it over his heart, "I won't tell a soul." Then, he pulled her into a brief hug, softly saying, "And this isn't a dream. I promise."

Her eyes looked watery when she parted from him, and she gave him a light smile, "Thank-you, Mr. Mustang."

"Roy," he insisted. "Please."

"Roy," she nodded.

He then left her in the care of Alphonse, stepping off the dancefloor. Observing the guests at other tables. He spotted Riza talking with Fuery and Paninya, and he made to join them when a strong hand grabbed at his shoulder.

"You already trying to steal my wife, bastard?" the voice of Edward Elric called to him over the festivities.

Roy turned to be defensive, but found FullMetal's face smiling at him. He'd been joking. Roy laughed, "No, Ed. We were just singing your praises. I couldn't have stolen her if I tried."

Ed put his hands in his pockets, grinning brightly, "I know."

"That was a nice ceremony, FullMetal," he complimented. "I liked your vows."

The elder Elric shrugged, "Thanks. Apparently I'm a decent writer. Says Winry." He looked at Roy, "Listen, I wanted to thank you for sending Armstrong here. He's been… a lifesaver, truly. I've told him that, but he insists on being humble about it all." He snorted, gesturing to the house behind him, "I mean, just that house would have taken up to a year to build without alchemy—probably more. The fact it got done in a summer is… unbelievable."

"It is pretty amazing," Roy agreed, nodding. He stood beside Ed, looking up at the house with him. "Interesting you chose military blue for it," he teased, looking over at him.

Ed's face faltered at that, his mouth hanging open, "Oh my God… I didn't even see that."

He chuckled, "No? One might think you miss us, FullMetal."

Ed snorted, "Yeah right."

"So, I hear through the grapevine you're retiring from your travelling alchemy research," Roy said, turning to him. "You're starting a library here in Resembool."

He nodded, "Yep. The building's bought. We're just doing some remodeling before we get it up and running. Winry's putting the final touches on our telegraph, and then I can start transcribing reports from the east and the west, as Al and my team make their discoveries."

"Sounds exciting," Roy said, impressed.

"It is," Ed agreed. "Over time, we might even turn it into a school of sorts." Before Roy could respond with a joke, he quickly added, "I wouldn't be a professor. I'd have to hire some other alchemists."

"Interesting," he said, looking back at the house. "You'll need funding for something like that."

"Yeah, but we'll be okay for a while," Ed told him with a shrug. "I've got a lot of savings from my time as a state alchemist."

Roy nodded, taking a long pause. "The military could back you," he said suddenly.

Ed's eyes snapped to him, unsure, "I… don't know how to feel about that."

"I understand your trepidation, FullMetal," he said, looking over at him. "But you'd be a private contractor, and not officially part of the military at all. Whatever research you make would be yours, Al's, and your team's."

He was chewing his lip, shaking his head, "I… I don't—"

"Have your own lawyer draw up your terms in a contract," Roy said, reaching into his suit's jacket pocket for a pen and a small notepad. He started writing a number, "In the meantime, this is what we're able to pay you…" He finished and handed it to Ed.

Ed unfolded the paper, read it, and his eyes widened. One of his hands shot out for balance, landing on the table behind him, and he fell into the empty chair, mouth open in shock.

Roy gave him a crooked smile, "Not bad for a penny-pincher, huh?" He gave Ed a rough pat on the shoulder, "Think it over, FullMetal."

He left Ed to ponder, searching the crowd again. Roy mentally cursed. He'd lost Riza again.

Just then, the female singer paused the music and spoke into the microphone, "And now we'd like to share the stage with the best man, who has a speech prepared. Guests are welcome to gather around on the dancefloor or head back to their seats."

Roy looked over and saw Riza had gone back over to the wedding party's table, Ed and Winry joining them at the main one in the center, all of them watching the stage. He watched as Alphonse climbed the steps, grinning out into the crowd and then at his brother and his bride, "Good evening, everyone. I'll do my best to keep this short for you all, because I know we're all eager to enjoy this celebration." He cleared his throat, "First of all, I want to thank you all for joining us here tonight. I know it means a lot to both Winry and Ed, and me too…

"I knew Ed and Winry belonged with each other when we were little. They both would act like they couldn't care less about the other, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. If Winry was being teased at school, Ed was always the first person on the scene, making sure she was alright and mouthing off to her bullies—he got really good at that second part," Al said with a little smirk over at his brother. Ed stuck out his tongue. Roy laughed softly with the other guests.

"And when Ed eventually got hurt by those bullies, Winry would be there with bandages and antiseptic, patching him up. She kept that tradition when we got older, when Ed needed automail," he said with a frown. "I think everyone here knows how much we've sacrificed—all three of us—to get here, to this moment. I think everyone here knows what we went through, and how my brother moved heaven and earth to bring back some sense of normality to our lives.

"There are times when I feel like I got off easy in the end, silly as that may sound to some of you. I've traveled, learned, and experienced more in the last year than I ever thought I would in my lifetime. I'm incredibly fortunate, and I'll never forget what you gave up so I could have that, Ed. I'll never forget that you're the best brother anyone could ask for, or dream of. You need to know that, and believe it." Al sniffed and swallowed. The crowd around the stage was sniffling as well. Roy felt his eyes stinging, but he willed the emotion away, continuing to watch the younger Elric brother. "And now, I can only have faith that fortune is smiling down on you both tonight, and for many more nights to come. I know you'll move heaven and earth for Winry, Brother, just as you did for me—and I promise to honor you by doing the same for you. I love you, Ed. Congratulations." Al raised his glass of champagne, as did everyone else, and then drank.

When he left the stage, Ed bolted up to him, and the brothers embraced tightly for a long moment, their eyes swimming when they parted. Ed placed his hand behind his little brother's neck and pressed their foreheads together, sharing a bond that Roy could never know.

The microphone was open to others after Al, and the other bridesmaid (Paninya, he learned) came up to give a speech. She told an amusing story about how she met both Ed and Winry, how she'd stolen his pocket watch in Rush Valley, how they were a team that worked strangely well together.

But after she finished, Roy suddenly felt his feet pulling himself up to the stage, and his hand raising in the air, alerting the singers he'd like to say something as well. While he didn't know what he was going to say exactly, Roy trusted his instincts, like he always had. And so, he spoke, looking at Ed and Winry as they sat:

"I don't think there's a person on Earth who has worked harder than Edward Elric to get where he is right now," Roy said. "Months ago, Ed called me out of the blue and we had a conversation…" Ed's face paled, his arm visibly jolting as it held his wife's shoulders. Roy mentally growled in frustration. Have some faith in me, FullMetal. "We talked about a lot of things," he went on, "but truthfully, the one thing that stuck with me after that phone call was what Ed told me about you, Winry. He said, 'Winry is my first love. And if I'm lucky, she'll be my only.'" The crowd let out an 'Aww' of appreciation, including Winry. Ed relaxed. Roy raised his glass of champagne to him, "I think you're lucky, FullMetal—and I can't think of anyone more deserving than you to be that lucky. I wish you both a long and truly enriching life together. Cheers, to the both of you."

Everyone raised their glasses again and drank, and Roy left the stage a moment later, receiving a few impressed pats on his back. When he rejoined the crowd, Ed and Winry were once again invited to the dancefloor, where a lone chair sat. It was time for the garter toss, and Roy was ushered onto the dancefloor by Havoc, along with all the other bachelors—Alphonse, Falman, Fuery, Breda, and a few others that Roy didn't recognize, including a man in a strange Xingese mask.

They watched Ed kneel before Winry (who was blushing from head to toe, it seemed), his hands going up the skirt of her dress to feel for the garter. She tried pointing to the leg the lingerie was on, but Ed seemed to have fun pretending to concentrate on feeling around blindly for it. At one point, Winry jumped and swatted him in the shoulder, apparently making his hand travel too far. Ed just laughed and then dove underneath the skirt, making Winry squeal, both with embarrassment and laughter.

Havoc whistled and Breda hooted as Ed emerged from under his wife's dress with the baby blue garter between his teeth.

"Hell yeah, Eddie-boy!" Havoc shouted, clapping. Winry had her thoroughly red face in her hands.

Ed kissed Winry on the cheek before turning to the crowd of men, "Alright, guys. You ready?"

Before anyone could answer, FullMetal launched the garment into the air in a high arc. Roy maneuvered himself under it, despite the pushing (mainly from Havoc), and casually reached his hand up for it. Just as it grazed his fingertips, the Xingese man snatched it out of the air in a blink. Roy glared at him, and the man just shrugged, "Too slow, General."

He sounds familiar…

Winry was left on the dancefloor next, holding her bouquet of blue and white flowers. Roy watched from the sidelines as all the unmarried ladies scurried to get in a group behind her—including Riza. From the looks of it, Mei Chang was the one eagerly gunning for the catch, already lightly pushing people aside to get in the middle of the group. Roy smirked as he watched Riza maneuver behind the young girl, clearly having a strategy in her mind.

When the bouquet was launched, it looked like the Xingese princess would actually catch it. But then Roy saw her leg slide forward from underneath her, and Riza caught Mei before she fell on her bum, but not before sticking her other hand up and neatly (and impressively) catching the bouquet in her fingers.

Roy chuckled. She'd used a similar move to make him trip before, the first time he faced Scar, and she'd tripped him from behind to keep the Ishvallan's hand from touching his face.

Riza looked over at him from the gaggle of women around her, raising a cheeky eyebrow at him, as if to say, 'See? That's how you do it.'

Before he could walk over to her, people began to enter the dancefloor again, and Riza disappeared once more.

Roy growled in frustration, Damnit!

o0o
Riza

Tired of getting pulled aside by others, Riza retreated into the house—though, she had to admit she was pretty curious to see it. She hadn't been able to when she came to Resembool for her fittings. So, still carrying the bouquet she'd caught, she began a wandering tour of the house, feeling the glossy new furniture and seeing the beginning of the life Ed and Winry were going to share together.

Riza smiled fondly to herself when she remembered the way Roy had looked at her. Roy—not the General—the man had practically drooled over her when she walked up to the altar. It made her feel deliciously giddy. They'd always been close, they'd always had their own bond—but now she knew he was actually attracted to her, there was no uncertainty around that anymore after today.

At least she had that.

Roy hadn't approached her yet, though, and that bothered her. Of course, many of the guests hadn't made it easy on either of them to get close, so she couldn't fault him too much. She herself had been whisked away several times for conversation or a dance. She had danced with Alphonse, Havoc, Breda, Fuery, and finally Edward.

But she wished that just for tonight—just once—that Roy would let his guard down, set his ambitions aside… and hold her in the moonlight, at this wonderful party, among their friends—people who would love to see them together at last. When she felt beautiful, and he looked so handsome—their duties to the military lifted away… It would be so perfect, and she could keep the memory with her, covet it like the precious thing it was when they went back to their normal lives Monday morning.

Riza sighed, shaking her head at herself. This was his career on the line—his dreams, his hopes… She kept going in circles with him. It just wasn't fair.

Pushing it out of her mind, she continued to explore the Elric's house. It was all unpacked, not a single moving box left on the floor. All it needed was the two of them… and their baby.

Winry was going to tell Ed about it after they left the reception. Apparently, it had been difficult to keep it from him. He'd ask her worried questions when she'd have to suddenly run to the restroom, and she'd have to make up reasons for her upset stomach. It was only the bridal party and Winry's grandmother that knew of her pregnancy, and Winry was excited to finally be able to share the joy of it with Ed. She'd wanted it to be a gift to him on their wedding night.

As Riza walked toward the stairs, she heard noises coming from one of the closed doors nearby. Curious, she walked over to open it, and let out a startled laugh when she saw what was going on inside.

"So this is where you've been, Falman," Riza teased with a smile.

The towering man was now seated on a guest room bed with small, sweet Sheska straddling his lap. Both were still clothed, but the back of Sheska's dress was unzipped as Falman's fingers played with her exposed skin, and Falman's pants were unbuckled and his suit jacket and tie were discarded on the floor. They were flushed and panting, though now they looked at Riza with their eyes wide with embarrassment. Sheska's pale pink lipstick decorated various areas of Falman's face, including his lips and neck—and her glasses were knocked askew, though now she was straightening them.

"Lieutenant," Falman greeted awkwardly, clearing his throat. "I, uh—"

Riza held up her hand, smiling as she backed out of the room, "I saw nothing. As you were, you two."

She laughed softly when she closed the door behind her, making sure to keep quiet as not to embarrass them further. Love is certainly in the air tonight, Riza thought as she climbed the stairs.

She soon found herself in the master bedroom, surveying it approvingly. The bed was large, its frame made of sturdy, dark wood that was polished to perfection. The bed clothes were a deep burgundy, and they looked soft, brand new. Riza wondered if they'd spent a night here yet, or if they'd only just finished moving in, for their house to be ready for them when they got back from their honeymoon.

She eyed a Xingese book on the nightstand, picking it up. Her face flushed: it was an extensive volume about sex positions and strategies, a collected knowledge through the ages. Riza figured it had to be a gift from Ling Yao, to tease Edward. Unless it was Alphonse…

No. She couldn't picture Alphonse giving something like that to his brother, though the thought made her chuckle.

She set the book down and moved over to the writing desk against the far wall. It was made of the same dark, polished wood as the bed frame and other furniture pieces in the bedroom. Riza sat with a sigh, putting the bride's bouquet on the desk. Absently, she began moving things around, organizing the pens and stationery as she did with Roy's desk back in Ishval.

She opened the slender drawer underneath the main part of the desk out of curiosity, and found several rows of used envelopes—letters—all of them addressed with red in, save for the first two. Reading them, Riza saw they were letters Ed and Winry had sent to each other. She lifted an eyebrow and picked one up from the center, one that Ed had mailed to Winry—from the date on it, the letter was sent at some point in the late spring, months ago.

Against her better judgement, Riza opened it and began to read.

God, Winry!

Do you know how crazy you make me? I was already a goner with that last print you sent me, but when you wrote you were in the kitchen when we had our last night call, I'm absolutely beside myself! The mental image of you doing those things, whispering those things… all with Granny in earshot, and in a place we've all had meals together…

God, I want you.

I want to watch you do that, Win. So, so badly. But I know I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you for very long. I'd press you up against the refrigerator and suck your fingers clean, and then kneel at your feet. I'd push your nightgown up and taste you, tease you, torture you until you finish over my face.

It'd be the finest meal I ever had in that kitchen.

The idea of it has me hard, even as I write this.

Would you want to see me, too? I have my doubts that I would look anything like you would, but I would do it for you, if you asked me. I would use your prototype camera to make prints for you, too, when I come back. You need only ask, and I'd do it.

Or maybe… we could make prints of the two of us, together? Does that appeal to you as much as it does to me? God, let me know.

Listen to me! I sound like a damned pervert. I blame you, you wicked temptress.

Write more to me, lovely.

Torture me, torture me, torture me.

Eternally yours,

Edward

Riza's face burned hot when she finished the letter, her mouth dry. She put a hand to her flushed chest, feeling how warm her skin had become underneath her fingertips. "Holy hell, Ed," she muttered, slipping the letter back into the envelope and putting it back in its proper place.

She couldn't stop herself.

She picked up the next letter—Winry's response.

Oh Edward,

You have no idea what you do to me, do you?

You have no idea that I relish the thought of you laying awake at night, thinking of me. That's why I send you those prints, so I can picture you looking at them, touching yourself… all for me. Yes, I want to see you, Ed. You have no idea how badly I want to see you.

I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you for very long either. Or more accurately, my mouth.

We never got to do that before you left this time, but I think about it. God, do I think about it…

I want to taste you too, Edward. I want to feel you in my mouth, to try and take all of your enormous cock before you finish all over my tongue, all down my throat.

You'd want that, wouldn't you?

I know I do.

And as for prints of you, prints of us? Yes. Yes to all of it. Right away.

Come home soon, pervert.

I want you.

Write more to me, Ed.

Tell me everything you want.

Yours, and only yours,

Winry

"I wondered where you'd run off to," Roy's deep voice sounded behind her.

Riza nearly jumped a foot in the air, whirling around in surprise. "S-Sir!"

He looked at her, flashing a crooked grin, "What's got you wound up so bad, Lieutenant? That's not like you."

She cleared her throat, trying to fold up the letter and put it back in its envelope. She felt her face burning even hotter. This was not how this was supposed to go.

"And you're blushing," Roy chuckled, walking over to her. "Give me that. I want to see what's getting that kind of reaction out of you."

"No!" Riza protested, stuffing the letter back in its envelope and putting it back in the drawer before Roy could take it out of her hand.

"Oh, no you don't!" He laughed darting over in front of the desk chair to get between her and the drawer, picking up one of the letters inside it before she could close it up. Sighing in defeat, Riza watched him open the envelope. Thankfully, it was one of the first two—the black ink ones—and not the one she'd been reading, but she still sat uneasily as Roy leaned against the desk and began to read silently.

She watched his face change, his amusement softening to something else she didn't quite recognize. He sighed.

"Hm," Roy said finally. "He loves the rain."

Riza took the letter from him and read it herself. She smiled slightly, "This one is a lot more romantic than the others."

"The others?" he repeated, chuckling again. "You read more than one?"

"Only two," she said defensively, refolding the first letter and putting it back with its envelope, then placing it back in the drawer before shutting it. "They get a little more graphic after that first one," she told him. "And if they're any indication, I can see why their reunion at the hotel resulted in all that debauchery—the town's words, not mine."

Roy nodded, recovering from his laughter, "Speaking of the hotel, did you want to head back? I think things are about to wind down now. Ed and Al are packing the silver carriage for their departure."

Riza couldn't stop her frown, "I…" He hadn't said anything about her dress, or about… before. The magic of the moment was gone now. She sighed and recovered, adopting the militaristic tone of voice she was used to as she stood, "Of course, sir." She walked past him, towards the door, leaving the bouquet she'd caught behind.

But then Roy caught her arm.

"Riza," he said softly, so soft she barely heard it.

She turned, her heart pounding.

His black eyes were full of longing. "Will you dance with me?" he asked her.

The music and revelry outside could still be heard in the room, and after a moment, Riza nodded. Roy held out his hand, and she took it. He pulled her close to his chest and then began to sway with her.

She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He'd said her name. He'd said her name at last. Riza smiled softly, taking a deep breath. She could smell his cologne.

"So blue, huh?" he murmured to her gently.

She grinned, "Yeah. I'm surprised you never guessed it."

"Me, too," Roy said. "You look lovely… Riza."

Her eyes closed at the sound of her name, "Thank-you…" She lifted her head and looked up into his warm eyes, "Roy."

They stayed quiet for a long moment, staring at each other. Seeing each other.

"I want you," Roy blurted.

Her breath hitched quietly, and they stopped dancing. Riza cupped his cheek, "I want you, too."

"I've wanted you for such a long time, Riza."

"Then have me," she told him passionately, both of her hands now holding his face. "You can have me, Roy. You always could."

Roy made a noise, both a needy sigh and a breathy moan, pressing his forehead to hers, "We… We can't—"

But Riza shook her head, "Don't tell me you want me, and then say we can't, Roy." Her voice was firm, but desperate. "Just for tonight, then. Just this once," she said.

"I don't want you just once!" Roy told her, his eyes narrowed at the thought. "I respect you too much for that!"

She smiled sadly, "I know you do." Riza sighed, thinking, "There are things we could do. Options. We could meet secretly. We're capable enough to do that."

"But—"

"I know you're worried about getting caught, Roy. I don't want that for you eith—"

"You think I'm worried about me?" he interjected. "Riza, no. I wouldn't want to be the reason your career ended, to be the stain on your record…"

Her eyes stung, "Roy, you're not a stain." Her lips ghosted across his for a split-second, her hands clinging to his face, searching her mind for another way. "I'll resign," she said finally.

Roy's eyes widened, and she felt his hands grasp her upper arms, "No… I don't want to lose you."

"You wouldn't be!" she insisted.

"At work," he clarified. "You and I are a team."

"We'd still be a team," she told him. "Just not in the military. I know we work well together, Roy, but if we want to be together, there are sacrifices we need to make… And we'd be free." Her lip trembled as her fingertips ran down the side of his face, her eyes welling up—but she wouldn't cry. "Wouldn't that be worth it? It would to me. Being with you would be worth it, Roy."

Roy's hands slid up her arms, up her neck, to hold her face, "God, yes, Riza. It would be worth it. But—"

Riza shook her head at him before he could protest, "Do you want me?"

"Yes," he answered firmly.

"And you want to be with me? Openly?"

"Yes," he sighed desperately.

Riza stepped back from his arms, taking a deep breath, "Then General Mustang, sir, consider this my resignation."

Her hands went behind her back and tugged the zipper of her dress, letting it pool on the floor at her feet. She stood before him in a strapless bra and skimpy panties of bright red lace, vulnerable and waiting.

Roy's face was flushed, and she watched his black eyes drink her in, moving up and down her form several times. "H-Here?" he asked, looking around the bedroom with uncertainty.

Riza nodded, her hand going to grip at the knot of his tie, "Here. Tonight. Now." She smiled up at him, jutting her chin slightly, "Lay it on me, Mustang."

At once, his eyes flashed. A dam had broken, and years of hungry lust came spilling out of him. Roy's mouth crushed over hers, seizing her head in his large hands, fingers loosening several of the artfully-placed curls at the back of her head. His tongue tasted of champagne, and it licked at the sweet balm on her lips. Riza moaned into his mouth, pressing herself against him, pushing his suit jacket off his shoulders.

The action made his hands fall away from her temporarily, and she backed away again, her legs meeting the end of the bed. Riza scooted onto it, watching him undress for her. An invisible fire roared to life in the room as they gazed at each other, unwavering. Roy's eyes were inflamed as he tore his tie from his neck, hastily undoing the buttons of his shirt while he kicked off his shoes.

Riza made to undo the buckles of her own shoes, but his hand shot out to stop her.

"No," he said breathlessly. "Keep them on for now."

She lifted an eyebrow, looking up at him with a half-smirk, "Shoe fetish, General?"

Roy chuckled, shrugging as he pulled off his socks, "In a sense, I suppose." He looked at her, "I just want to be the one to take them off you."

She murmured an understanding, "I see… like a dirty Prince Charming."

That earned a hearty laugh, "Yes. Exactly." He knelt before her, on the floor at the foot of the bed. His hands came to one of her feet, and she offered it to him. His nimble fingers began to work at the strap at her ankle. "It's these little buckles," Roy explained with a slight shake of his head. "The idea of undoing them really does it for me."

Riza smirked down at him, running her fingers through his bangs, "I'll keep that in mind, then."

"Do that," he told her, meeting her eyes as his hand cupped around the heel of the stiletto, slipping it off with a gentle kiss to her shin. He repeated his actions with her other shoe, smiling to himself. "If there's anything I have a true fetish towards, however, it's that damn thigh holster of yours."

"Oh yeah?"

"God, yes," he breathed with another shake of his head. "If that isn't the hottest thing…"

She smiled as he rose again, "I almost wore it today. But I didn't want to clash, plus I don't think Winry would have liked it."

"It's a good thing you didn't," Roy told her, leaning in close to her face once more, his breath flowing over her moist lips. "I'd have made a fool of myself if you had."

Riza smirked, whispering, "There's still time."

They kissed again, sweeter this time, soft and light. She sighed, letting him urge her up the bed, and in all their shifting, she felt him through his pants, on her leg. She shivered. They parted, breathless again, and stared into each other's eyes, that invisible fire crackling around them, between them.

"Are you two fucking kidding me?"

They froze.

Turning their heads, they found Edward Elric standing in the doorway they hadn't bothered to close. Riza flushed, feeling her skin burn from her hairline to her chest.

"F-FullMetal," Roy greeted awkwardly.

Ed ignored him, pointing his thumb behind him, "It's bad enough I can hear Falman and Sheska downstairs, but at least they had the decency to pick a guest room." His eyes narrowed and he threw up his hands, "We haven't even slept in that bed yet!"

"Well, we'd have gone back to the hotel for this, but apparently there's a new 'no couples' policy," Roy said with a dry smirk. "Something about hedonistic degenerates, I believe."

At that, Edward blushed, but his expression didn't change, "Oh, shut up." He sighed, "Look, I'm in too good of a mood tonight, so I'm not going to let this ruin it." He pointed at Roy, "But you're buying us an entire new bedspread, you bastard. Maybe even a mattress."

"Deal."

Ed's eyes shifted to Riza, "And you! I expect this shit from him, but you're supposed to be the responsible one, Lieutenant!"

Riza shrank into the bed, between Roy's arms, "Sorry…"

He held up his hands again, sighing, "Whatever." Ed looked at Roy, pointing at the nightstand, "Just… toss me that book?"

Roy nodded, "Uh, sure." He reached for the Xingese sex book and threw it to Ed, who caught it easily.

"Winry and I are about to leave. I'm guessing you're not going to make it down in time for that?" Ed asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Roy looked down at Riza, and she shook her head.

"No, I don't think so," he answered for her, looking back at Ed. He cleared his throat, "Er… congratulations again, Ed. Thank-you for inviting me."

Riza nodded, "Yes, good luck to you both. It really was a lovely wedding, Ed."

Ed nodded and made to leave, holding his hand on the doorknob, "Just burn those fuckin' sheets, Roy."

"Will do," Roy said cheerfully.

Ed gestured dramatically to the door, "And funny thing about this… it closes. Imagine that…" He gave them a parting nod and left, shutting the bedroom door remarkably calm.

When they heard his departing steps down the staircase, Roy collapsed into a fit of laughter. Riza joined him, her face and chest still heated with embarrassment.

"Did you hear that?" Roy asked when they recovered, "He called me Roy."

"He did," she agreed, grinning up at him. She brushed his bangs away from his face, biting her lip, "So…?"

He grinned with her, "Well… now that we have his blessing…"

His mouth descended on hers once again, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. The rest of their clothes came off in a frenzy, and when Roy's face dipped between her thighs, Riza cried out freely, happily. His tongue was hot and quick, flicking against her sensitive bud with an expertise she'd always dreamed he'd have.

"Riza," he breathed into her. "You taste so fucking good…"

Her fingers fisted in his hair as he continued his oral assault on her, moaning into her folds. She cried out in surprise and joy when his fingers entered her, and she made herself tighten around them in gratitude. With a few simultaneous sweeps of his tongue and fingers, Riza came against his face, arching off the bed with a cry of his name.

She was still trembling with aftershocks when Roy climbed up to her again, and she held his face in her hands, giving him a lazy kiss. "That was wonderful," she panted. "I had always hoped…"

Roy smiled against her lips, "You thought about that?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "All the fucking time."

"I thought about you, too," he confessed. "I thought about everything."

"Show me, Roy… Show me what you thought about."

He nodded, his eyes beaming down at her with warmth and love.

And then he entered her.

It had been a long time since Riza had last been with a man, years and years ago—and that hadn't occurred to her until just now. She wondered if it had been the same for Roy—not that she would have cared otherwise, as long as he wanted her now, that was enough for her. But when she watched his face, and felt the way his body tensed at the feel of her, it seemed like she was right.

And fuck, was he big.

She told him as much, and his eyes rose to meet hers, his mouth wearing that dumb, charming smirk. "Fuck me," she demanded, rolling her hips up to his. The action made her bite her lip, letting out a few needy little grunts. "Just fuck me, Roy."

Roy sighed, pushing further into her, pressing his forehead against hers, "I'm not going to last if you keep talking to me like that." He nuzzled her, "Never thought you'd have such a filthy mouth."

"You love it."

"God help me, I do," he said. And then he began pumping into her, fucking her like she'd asked. Riza gasped, arching and bucking for him, giving herself to him. Her body was so sensitive, so alive with his body against her, within her. Her hands clinged to his shoulder blades, digging her nails into his muscles as they raked down his back.

"Roy," she panted needily, "you're going to make me scream—oh, fuck I'm gonna scream!"

"I want you to," he growled into the crook of her neck. "Come for me, Riza—let me hear it!"

It took three hard thrusts, but the world came crashing down on her so intensely that she almost went blind, and her lungs burned from the force of her scream. She couldn't stop her hips from jutting and bucking uncontrollably, and she felt herself gush an embarrassing amount, all over his cock and all over the bedclothes beneath her.

"Fuck, Riza," Roy groaned, watching her finish. He let out a choked gasp as his release claimed him a moment later, and she felt his cock throbbing deep inside, flooding her with his warmth. Their hips met in a jerky, mutually messy dance that didn't stop for several minutes, the aftershocks of their orgasms wracking through them both.

Riza was whimpering under him, hugging him close, not wanting to let him go. Her body was trembling, and she felt his lips kissing their way up her shoulder, her neck, until they met her own.

"You okay?" he asked raggedly.

She nodded, "Y-Yeah… I just… I've never come like that before, never that hard, never that—" she wiggled her hips (Roy hissed), feeling the wetness she'd made between them and on the bed, "—wet."

Roy grinned, kissing her again, "Good to know." He nuzzled her neck again, and she felt him take a deep breath and sigh against her, content.

"Was it good for you?" Riza asked, running her fingers up and down his back. He twitched at the light touch, and she smiled at the realization he was ticklish.

"Mmhm," he said tiredly. "I came pretty hard, too. Plus… watching you?" Roy lifted himself from her neck, giving that shake of his head again, "That was sexy as hell."

Riza grinned, running her fingertip along his jaw, "Well, there's more where that came from, General."

He matched her expression, narrowing his eyes with dark mischief, "I'm going to like hearing you call me that."

"I've always called you by your rank."

Roy shook his head, "Not like this."

"Then get used to it… sir."

He growled, "I will." He kissed her again, long and slow. "There's just one more thing you need," he said when they parted.

"And what's that?" Riza asked curiously.

Roy cupped her cheek, his black eyes soft and loving once more.

"A flower vase."

o0o
Roy

When Riza came into his office Monday morning, he couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face. She held a form in her hands, and he knew what it was before she even set it before him on his desk.

"General, sir, I'm turning in my resignation," she told him professionally. "I say this with a heavy heart. I'll always treasure the time I had in the Amestrian military, but I believe it's time for me to part ways with it."

"We're sorry to see you go, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Roy told her, matching her professional tone. He rose and she saluted him. He returned it. "You're a fine soldier, friend, and confidant."

"And you were the finest commanding officer I've ever had, sir. Working under you will always be my finest achievement." There was a small crack in the professional facade she'd adopted, a smile breaking through for the smallest moment.

Roy brought his hand down from the salute and looked at the form. He took his pen in his hand, uncapping it. He looked at her.

"You're sure about this?" he asked, dropping the act.

Riza nodded, smiling warmly. "Yes." She gave a shrug, "You can always reinstate me when you become Fuhrer, after you officially change the rules." Her smile broadened, "So it's not 'Goodbye,' sir. It's 'Goodbye for now.'"

Roy gave her a relieved smile, "Alright then, Lieutenant. Goodbye… for now."

He signed the form and handed it over to her.

"One last stop to the records room, I guess," Riza said cheerfully.

Roy nodded, and then cleared his throat, straightening, "Miss Riza—would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

She smiled, "I'd love to."

"I'll pick you up at your place, then," he promised.

"It's a date."

She made to leave, opening the door.

"Riza," Roy called.

She turned back around, lifting an eyebrow, "Yes?"

He grinned, "Wear something red."

Riza flashed him that cheeky little smile, "You don't get to order me around anymore. I'll wear what I like, Roy."

He chuckled when she left, smiling to himself as he settled back behind his mountain of paperwork. There wasn't any doubt that she'd wear red tonight.

He knew her too well.

o0o

Whew! Alright, this is finally done! No idea why this took me so long, but I'm glad I'm able to share it with y'all.

And I was even to cross off a trope for my bingo card for this one, too! Platonic Declaration Of Love.

I hope you all enjoyed this one. Let me know in the comments/reviews!

As always, y'all stay healthy, safe, and warm,

Glacier