AN: ok so i realise the first chapter was not the most riveting so here's the next one to (hopefully!) make this story a little more interesting. also, royai fluff is so good for the soul idk why i don't do more of it

for money i'm going by yen to gpb for prices since cens is based off yen. 500 cens is around £3.60 and 70,000 cens is around £515

Roy's mouth parted as he listened to the music. It was… Stunning. Genuinely stunning. Riza's voice was incredible. It held a wispy-like quality to it that wasn't annoying in any way unlike some voices he'd heard like that. It added to the emotion to the song. And boy, could she emote. As she played through the first song Roy could really feel the emotion in it as if he was living through the lyrics and not just listening to a song in his own bar.

And the way she sung… It was like watching a movie. She was so lost in the music, so moved by the lyrics, that it was a joy to watch her perform. And that song. Roy had heard of it before himself, and he'd loved it, but he'd never heard it performed in this way before. It was an upbeat song about relationship difficulties, about someone who was drifting apart from those they held close, unable to emotionally connect with them. The upbeat music lulled the listener into a false sense of security but Riza's version… It really captured the essence of the song and brought new life to it. It brought the beat down to a more mellow sound that was heartbreakingly beautiful.

Apparently, Roy wasn't the only one who thought so because by the end of the song, the whole place was almost in complete silence. Even the bar staff were watching in awe.

Riza looked up uncertainly, almost afraid at the sudden silence, but that changed to surprise when the place erupted. She seemed baffled, obviously never expected a reaction like this. From her demeanour Roy guessed this wasn't a usual reaction.

"Uh… Th – Thank you," she blushed. There were a few whoops in the audience and Roy couldn't agree more. This woman was amazing!

The rest of the night was a complete hit. Everyone was enthralled by her and the beauty of her voice. Every song she played had a sad air to it – the complete opposite of what probably should have been playing on a Friday night in a bar in the centre of the city – but everyone loved it. They ate it up completely. Roy's initial fears about people not enjoying the act were forgotten about as the night went on.

Once the set was finished there were cries for an encore. Riza appeared to be baffled once more and looked uncertain about what to do. There were cries of protest when she disappeared backstage and Roy looked on, pleased for her. He joined in the clapping with a smile, listening to the customers as they chanted her name. Roy watched as two hands shoved her back through the curtain. Riza turned like a deer caught in the headlights, face panicked.

Roy approached the stage quickly using the almost deserted left side of the bar to move towards it. He grasped the microphone with a grin, saving the poor woman from the onslaught of shouts and cheers from the crowd.

"Thank you everyone for your support of Miss Hawkeye," he stated, gaze scanning across the sea of people. A few cheers sounded when he came into view, some shouting his name. "If you would just give us a few minutes, we're going to take a short break." Roy returned the mic to the stand and turned to face Riza, gesturing for her to return backstage.

A woman looked at them both expectantly as they entered then she froze once she set her eyes on Roy. He sighed quietly to himself, expecting this reaction.

"Thank you for that," Riza stated, turning to face him as she let out a shaky breath. "That was… unexpected."

"They really loved you," he revealed, a grin on his face. "You were incredible!" Riza blushed and looked away from him. The other woman remained silent, mouth open as she continued to stare at Roy. He elected to ignore her.

"Th – Thank you."

"Would you like to go back on? I'm sure they'd really love it. I know I would, I've never heard a voice like yours before." Her cheeks turned pinker if that was possible. Roy found himself smiling, finding her reaction incredibly endearing.

"You're –!" The other woman began.

"I might have a few more songs," Riza revealed, voice subdued. Roy had to strain to hear it over the sound of the chatter and excitement from behind the curtain. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not! All right, do you need some more time? Are you ready to go back out now?" Excitement coursed through him. He found himself looking forward to hearing her sing again very much.

"I, uh…"

"She can go out now!" her friend blurted out. "Yeah, right now!"

Roy looked at her, mildly impressed that she'd somehow managed to find her voice. It was always the same and while Roy was used to it, he was just the bar owner tonight, no one else.

"Okay." Riza took a deep breath and offered him a smile that made his heart skip a beat. "I'll go out now."

Roy grinned at her and pulled back the curtain, gesturing for her to exit first. As soon as she appeared the place erupted in cheers. Roy followed behind, taking the mic as she settled herself once more, introducing her to the audience.

As he listened to Riza play through four more hauntingly beautiful songs he mulled over the exchange through the back. The weird flip his stomach did when she smiled at him was intriguing, her honey coloured eyes drawing him into their depths. She was a beautiful woman, alluring. Her long golden hair tumbled down her back, draping over her shoulders as she moved while playing her guitar. Her fringe was reminiscent of a bird's wing as it fell over her face, covering her eyes. They were closed as she sung anyway, opening briefly once there was a pause in the lyrics, and she looked down on her guitar as her long, elegant fingers played the strings and elicited an enchanting sound from the instrument.

Another thing he noticed was she didn't seem to know just exactly who he was. She didn't seize up or stand and stare at him like her friend had done. Either she was riding on the high of her performance too much to care, or she genuinely didn't know. It would be very big surprise to him if Riza didn't know who he was. Not to toot his own horn, of course. Most considered him one of the most famous singers in Amestris. But she… She held no inkling that she was aware of him.

It made him feel human. And Roy enjoyed that very much.

He'd moved away from singing this last year to focus on this bar. That had been his dream for years and he was finally able to bring it to fruition, so he worked his ass off and essentially disappeared of the face of celebrity earth to make it a success. He'd only popped up again after the opening and to this day the media were still hounding him, wondering when he'd be returning with a new album. Little did they know he had no plans whatsoever. In the beginning he had great ambition and plans for how he would sound, but his last album – while being majorly successful – had decidedly not been what he'd intended it to be – far too pop-y and mass produced sounding for his liking – so he took time off from music to make a start with this bar. He'd lost his vision and the soul for his music, and perhaps this new venture would work in his favour.

There was a reason he'd been adamant about live music. It gave lesser known bands and musicians a platform they could use to perform, and it also helped inspire Roy. Especially after tonight. After hearing Riza's music he wanted to run up to his office and write a new song there and then. But if he did, he would miss out on her wonderful performance, and that just wouldn't do.

"Miss Hawkeye!" he called to her, rushing through backstage through the kitchens. She and her friend were almost at the exit door, ready to leave. She turned expectantly, pausing when she noticed who was calling to her.

"Hello," she smiled in greeting.

Once Roy caught up with her, he grinned. "You were phenomenal tonight. Here." He offered her the payment for the night and the agreed upon thirty percent of the bar. "This is your payment although I feel it was worthy of far more than that."

Riza blushed again. "Ah, thank you, Mr…"

With a start he realised he hadn't even introduced himself. He'd been far too caught up in the excitement to do it before. He already knew hers and that was all that mattered in that moment. He was obsolete. She was the star of the night and Roy refused to take that away from her.

"Where are my manners?" he asked himself sheepishly. He offered her his hand. "Roy Mustang," he revealed, watching for a reaction, if there would be any. Apparently not, because she took his hand and smiled politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mustang."

"Roy's just fine," he smiled.

"Okay. Well, Riza is just fine for me too then," she grinned back. "This is my friend and manager, Rebecca Catalina." The mute woman from before still seemed dumbstruck at the sight of him, her grip week in his hand as he shook it.

"I would absolutely love it if you played here for us again," he told her, trying not to let his desperation shine through. He would hate it if he could never hear her singing again.

"I would be happy to. Your customers were very generous."

"With good reason," he complimented. "Your music is amazing. Do you have an album or an EP out at all? I would love to buy a copy."

She appeared to become rather flustered and Roy smiled as he watched, finding it quite adorable to watch. "Oh. Oh, yes, I do. Uh, I just have an EP at the minute." She looked at her manager expectantly who was still gawking at Roy. "Rebecca," she urged, frowning when she didn't react. Riza repeated her name again, slightly louder, giving her forearm a nudge. "The EP."

"Oh. Right!" Rebecca fumbled with her bag and produced the disc from it.

"Here," Riza handed it to him, suddenly turning nervous. "It's not great quality. I recorded it in my home, so don't judge it too much."

"I'm sure it will be perfect," he grinned, whipping out his wallet from his back pocket.

"Oh no," Riza protested. "This is on the house. As a thank you."

"But –"

"I insist. Please. It's not worthy of any money just yet," she added sheepishly.

"I couldn't. Here, then," he offered her five hundred cens, a much cheaper price for an EP these days. "I couldn't just take it off you. You still put time and effort into it and that needs to be rewarded."

"Oh…" The smile she gave him seemed to light up the room. "Okay then," she replied, subdued, cheeks turning slightly pink in embarrassment. She took the note from him, handling it gently as if it was the most important note in the world. "Thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure," he grinned.

"Oh my god," Rebecca whispered as she drove Riza back to her apartment. "Oh my god."

"What? You've been muttering that under your breath since we left," Riza suddenly snapped irritably. She'd ignored it at first because she was counting through her payment for tonight. She'd paled when she'd realised just how much was in that envelope. Over seventy thousand cens… That was insane for her, especially for only one night. "What are you so worked up about?"

"Do you know who the bar owner was?" Rebecca exclaimed, the car jerking on the road as she bounced excitedly. "I can't believe I didn't click before after hearing the name of it. This is incredible –"

Riza shook her head and let her continue her ramble. She was too tired to think coherently right now. It was a miracle she'd even managed to count the money. Performing was her favourite thing to do in the world but it still took it out of her. Not to mention she'd worked a twelve-hour shift in the coffee shop before the gig and this was last minute, so she had no time to mentally prepare herself.

"He's only the most famous singer in Amestris!"

"Who?" Riza asked, eyes blinking slowly, like her lids were covered in honey.

"Roy!" she shrieked. Riza winced at the volume.

"Rebecca," she sighed, pocketing the envelope with her money. "I'm tired, I can't think straight right now, and I really don't understand what it is you're rambling about, I'm sorry."

"Oh my god you really do live under a rock," Rebecca sighed exasperatedly.

"Whatever," she mumbled, leaning her head against the window of the car door. Car headlights flashed by under her closed lids in the darkness. It was past midnight at this point, and she'd been awake and working since five am that morning.

God, she just wanted her bed.

Rebecca dropped her off and Riza lugged her guitar case up the stairs to her apartment. Normally she would put it in the spare room and tidy it away but tonight she placed it by the phone at the door and left it there.

Her apartment was small. The entrance opened up into a living room that had enough space for two couches, a coffee table, and a television. The wall behind the television was covered in a white mandala wall tapestry, complete with fairy lights framing it. They let off a soft glow when lit, the perfect thing to make the room feel infinitely cosier, especially in the winter months. Rebecca had always said the décor of the room matched Riza's personality perfectly and at first, she hadn't been sure if that was a compliment or not, looking around the sparsely decorated room, but Rebecca had reassured her and stated it was "very Riza". Practical but cosy and welcoming. Riza had just rolled her eyes at her friend but couldn't stop her smile.

To the right of the TV was a guitar on display. It wasn't brand new or a collectible, but it was the first guitar she'd ever owned. Parting with that one had been a sad day. There had been some damage to the back of the guitar when Riza bought it which eventually rendered it unplayable after ten years of use. She'd been fifteen when she'd bought that guitar after saving up the whole summer to buy it from the second-hand antique store. It had lasted her ten years and now stood proudly on display in her apartment. Her new one was almost four years old now and while it wasn't quite the same, she had grown to love it as much as her first instrument.

The door to the kitchen was situated to the far left of the wall behind the television. Next to the door was an opening and a counter in which food could get passed through to those waiting for a meal. However, she never really had any company round – except for Rebecca – so she didn't need to use the hatch, but it was nice to have. It let extra light into the room in the summer months when the nights were longer, and the sunset shone through that window.

On the wall opposite the kitchen was the door to her bedroom. Her double bed just managed to squeeze in there. There was no room for a wardrobe or a chest of drawers, so the other bedroom – the "spare room" which was really just a cupboard – was used as her dressing room.

Her apartment was small and compact, but it worked for her.

Shedding her jacket and shoes on the way to her bedroom, Riza tiredly readied herself for bed. After her shift and the last-minute gig, she realised she hadn't had any food since lunch time, but she was far too exhausted to even think about cooking. If she turned on the oven in her current state, she would start a fire.

Movement on her bed caught Riza's eye when she walked into the room. Her little Shiba Inu pup's head lifted at the noise of the door opening. Black Hayate – nicknamed Hayate – was curled up on the comforter at the foot of her bed. Upon seeing her his little tail begun to wag excitedly after a yawn, and he lifted his nose to sniff her hand, cocking his head expectantly for a scratch behind his ears. Riza obliged with a tired smile and all but fell into bed. Hayate curled up next to her, getting comfortable as Riza draped her arm over his little body, welcoming the comfort her pet brought her.

She'd found little Hayate at only four months old outside her apartment. It had been awful weather that night. Riza was locking up the coffee shop below and noticed his shivering form looking in the door pitifully, desperate for somewhere warm and dry. Taking pity on the dog Riza had scooped him up and took him into her apartment, drying him off and giving Hayate some food. He wolfed it down eagerly, suggesting he hadn't eaten anything in a while.

After a trip to the vet the next day she found herself with a pet dog. She couldn't bring herself to leave the pup and after checking if it was all right with her landlord, she had a new canine friend. Two years later and she was so happy she hadn't taken him to the pound. His companionship had brought her so much happiness.

It felt like she'd only fallen asleep seconds ago when she was awoken by her alarm clock. Groaning loudly, she rolled over and away from her pup. The flashing digital numbers screamed the time at her and five am had never looked so awful to Riza than that morning. Although she desperately wanted to crawl back under her duvet cover, Riza dragged herself out of bed and next door to her bathroom to shower.

Her eyes closed as she let the water wash over her. Riza never liked to waste time in the morning but she offered herself this luxury today. These past few weeks she'd been working long shifts to try and make enough to pay her rent. The money from the gig last night would help, but it wasn't enough in the long run. It never was. They were all one-time payments and wouldn't last, even after the discount she received on her rent because she worked in the coffee shop below.

She was running herself ragged, she knew that, but Riza couldn't afford to stop.

Suddenly overwhelmed, a tear escaped down her cheek. Wiping it away furiously, Riza straightened and turned the shower off with more force than was necessary.

Turning her thoughts to something happier, Riza smiled when she though of the success of her gig last night. The manager had said he'd want her to play there again, and she would love to because she adored performing. She remembered the cheers after every song and the cries for an encore. She couldn't believe it was really happening. It was exhilarating. Riza always tried to not get her hopes up, but this felt like it would give her the break she needed to start singing maybe even professionally.

Riza laughed quietly to herself. Wouldn't that be a day if it happened.

"Morning, Riza," Izumi Curtis greeted her once Riza entered the shop below to begin her next twelve-hour shift.

"Good morning," she greeted, trying to stifle a yawn. Without a word Izumi passed her a cup of coffee which Riza accepted with a tired smile.

"I have half a mind to decline your request for overtime, Riza," Izumi stated, watching her employee carefully. Izumi owned the shop with her husband, Sig Curtis.

"If you did, I'd be homeless," Riza replied with a tired smile. "I need these hours. You know that better than anyone."

Izumi frowned. She and Rebecca were the only ones who knew about her past and current situation in her personal life, so her boss knew exactly why Riza needed to keep doing the overtime. She'd been kicked out her home a few years ago so had nowhere else to go, but Riza was determined to make it on her own. She'd prove to her father that the reason he hated her was actually a good thing, and not a "complete waste of time".

"It's not good for you."

"No but needs must."

"Riza –"

The knock on the front door of the shop interrupted their conversation and Riza was thankful for it. She stood and opened it, greeting the delivery driver and begun to help him unload the bread and cakes from the back of his truck so they could begin getting ready for the day.