XII "Rivets"

Riza all but ran to the door when she heard the knock. She almost picked up the phone by mistake, she was so anxious for his call.

Her expression must have said more than she'd meant, because the first thing Roy did was wince. "Do I get a chance to apologize before you kick me out?"

"God, where have you been? I've been so worried…and you haven't called—you didn't leave a note—nowhere to be found—"

He snatched her hand as she waved it in front of his face. "I'm sorry, Riza. I got caught in something of an emergency and got flustered."

"An emergency on a Saturday?"

"If you let me in out of this rain I might be able to explain more thoroughly." He was soaked; he must have walked all the way to her apartment.

"It's raining?"

He scowled and stepped inside. His sudden inability to take a joke certainly hinted at his irritation. Now she was even more worried. "What's wrong, Roy?"

"This is going to sound really stupid," he warned, running his hands through his matted hair. Water droplets spattered against the freshly-cleaned wall, and ran in rivets down his coat and onto the floor. Black Hyatt, who had come to see what all the fuss was about, happily lapped at the rapidly growing puddle.

"If it's 'I was embarrassed' I am going to kick you out."

"Oh, come now," he chided her, his expression lightening just a bit. "Why would I be embarrassed that you spent the night? I'm complimented."

"So what are you so upset about?"

"My parents are in town."

She blinked a few times, trying to decide whether to laugh or not. He scowled again. She finally decided on "All the way from Titasana? That's a bit far."

"I think you're missing the point: I've deliberately avoided contact with them for the last seven or eight years, but now they're here just to see me. They're probably through all my earthly possessions as we speak. I spent all afternoon trying to find a phone, but without letting on why I needed it. Do you have any idea how difficult that is?"

It was so unlike him to complain like this, about something so seemingly small. "What is it you have against them?"

He shrugged off his coat and flapped it against the door. The dog yelped at the noise and ran behind Riza. "I took some time off after Ishbal and went home, and we got into an argument. I tried to explain what I'd seen, how we'd killed all those poor people, how I'd been ordered to assassinate the Rockbells…the only answer I got was that I had done right. But I knew that wasn't true. I couldn't believe what my mother said, that the Ishbalites were evil and that they deserved to die. I told her she was wrong, but you don't say that kind of thing to my mother…so I left. I haven't been back since."

"You don't think that in a decade she may have changed her mind?"

"I considered it once or twice. But after spending the day with her I know she hasn't."

"And what about your father, are you going to stick all this on him too?"

"I like the man, but as unfortunate as it is he's an accessory."

Riza shook her head and hugged him, trying to hide an ironic grin in his shirt. It was so funny, how he could get worked into a fit over nothing and stay calm over huge emergencies. "Sometimes you really act like a child."

"Not like you can compare. I think you're lucky to not have family." Roy melted and returned the hug, and the grin. He was damp and sticky all over, but…

"Warm rain, huh?"

"As to be expected." He tapped her shoulder and pulled something out of his pocket. "I forgot to give this to you last night."

It was a small golden ring, a diamond mounted within the oval on its crest. She stared at it for a moment, and slipped it onto her left hand. "Is this what you've been working so much overtime for lately?"

"Could be. Don't you like it?"

"It's beautiful. How did you get my ring size? I don't have any I wear on this hand."

"Remember last time Gracia had us over for dinner, and Alicia wanted to play with her toy jewelry with you?"

"Why you sneaky—"

"All's fair in the name of love and war."

"Practically the same thing, to you."

"Honestly, would you want it either way?" Roy chuckled deeply, his troubles lessened if not forgotten. "Come stay with me again tonight. I need a distraction."

"I have work Monday," she said.

"So do I." He reached into the alcove by the door and produced a large black umbrella and an overcoat. "The mutt's welcome too, if you're concerned about leaving him."

"I think he's jealous of you."

"He should be."