Jenn – formerly known as Guest: Ewww…you think…ugh…At any rate, you'll just have to wait and see, huh? But, really….eww…
Shadow Dreamer 27: Yes, homunculus. Heh, hunky monkey lions. :D Sorry, inside joke. Anyway, I updated, so go take some medicine for your brain. :D
Cashmeritan: -updates in fear of your water bottle-
Well, here's the third chapter.
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"I will not tolerate this."
"Roy—" Riza began, but Roy snapped his fingers and she leapt off the couch as it burst into flames.
"Roy, really!" she protested as he snapped at her. "What will it take for—" She yelped as her curtains were set on fire. "Roy, I paid for those already!"
"Do not speak to me so lightly, homunculus," Roy snarled.
"Roy." Riza was pleading now. "How can I prove it's me? I am Riza!"
His face pulled back into a harsh grimace, Roy backed her into a corner. "You are not my love," he said harshly.
Someone knocked on the door, and Roy's head whipped around to look at it.
"Roy, please," Riza murmured, shaking with relief. "It is me, really it is."
Roy looked back at her, and stopped, his arm lowering itself weakly to his side. Riza's face was filled with fear, her hazel eyes wide with the emotion. "I-I'm sorry."
She curled into a ball as she began to cough. Roy wordlessly gathered her into his arms as he knelt beside her on the floor. "Dear, I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair as she shook. "I am. It didn't seem like you just then—"
"That's because it wasn't!" Riza kicked him across the room, her voice and appearance changing rapidly until the homunculus Envy stood towering over him. "You need to be more careful with the locks, Flame Alchemist," he mocked, his foot thudding into Roy's side again.
The person at the door knocked again, more urgently this time. In Envy's distraction, Roy snapped, sending Envy flying off his feet. Roy struggled to stand and managed to open the door, seeing Riza standing there.
"Roy, what's wrong?" she asked, alarmed, her arms full with groceries. Looking over his shoulder where the homunculus was regenerating, she pulled her gun from her holster, letting the bags drop.
Envy gritted his teeth as the bullets whizzed past him. "Damn. She wasn't supposed to be home 'til later," he muttered.
When Riza stopped to reload, Envy waggled a finger at them. "Well, well, the happy couple is together at last." Leaning forward, his voice dropped threateningly. "Don't think it'll last." He turned and leapt through the window.
Riza immediately dropped to where Roy was panting on the ground. "Roy, are you okay?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine," he gasped. "What about you?"
"I've been shopping," she replied shortly, helping him to the couch. "I can't leave you alone, can I?"
He grimaced at her, and she took off his jacket for him. "Come on, Roy," she coaxed. "Tell me what happened." She expertly put a hand to his side, feeling if it was swollen. Which of course it was.
He reluctantly recounted the story as she stripped him of his shirt as well, examining the spreading bruise. "And then you showed up," he finished.
Riza nodded absently. "Why do you think he was here?" she asked him.
Roy shrugged. "I don't really know, dear." He put his arms around her waist and drew her to him. "I can't bear for that to happen again, though."
"Roy—"
"The look your face when I cornered you." He gave an involuntary shudder. "If I ever hurt you like that—"
"That'll never happen," she soothed, hugging him back. "It won't, it won't. You know I would never let it."
"I just don't want anyone to ever hurt you," he murmured, and kissed her.
"I told you I'll never let that happen," she remarked dryly. "I can take care of myself, you know."
"I-I dream about that, at night." In response to her raised eyebrow, he continued, "You being held captive and being tortured. I don't know how I could live if anything ever happened to you." Burying his face in her jacket, he began to shake.
"Roy, really," Riza said disapprovingly, before simply holding him. "Dearest, I'm here. I came back, didn't I? I could never leave you." She held him close as his shaking lessened.
"I'm sorry. I must seem like a complete pansy."
Riza smiled at him, so vulnerable, so un-Roy-like. "Nonsense," she chided. "I couldn't bear ever being without you either."
And with that, the atmosphere heated quickly, and they both knew it wasn't because of the fire. (Wow, that's the most suggestive I've ever gotten…and probably ever will get, since most people don't like me getting any more descriptive…so I shall not! (except on request. ;D ))
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The next morning, upon finding herself wrapped in the Colonel's embrace on the couch, Riza stood and went to take her medicine.
"Stupid couch," she muttered, stretching. Really, they good for nothing besides sitting on. Sleeping—a whole nother matter. The bed would have really been much more suitable—Riza stopped dead in her tracks. Upon reaching the cupboard, she confirmed that her worst fears had been realized. She was out of medicine.
Stumbling blindly to the couch, she struggled to wake up the lightly snoring Roy.
"Roy!" she whispered urgently. "Roy! ROY! ROY MUSTANG!"
He only turned over, mumbling incoherently.
"Oh my gaw—COLONEL!" she shouted.
Roy sat up, dazed. "Whazza matter?"
"I'm out of medicine," Riza answered simply.
He blinked at her. "Izzatall?"
"Pardon?"
"Is that—" he yawned—"all?"
Riza stormed out of the house, pulling on her jacket as she went.
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"Good for nothing slob…leaving me to always take care of the children," Riza muttered angrily under her breath as she walked down the street. Having successfully retrieved her renewed prescription, she was simply enjoying the day. Or, rather, would be if she hadn't been mad at Roy right then.
"Lieutenant!" someone called behind her. Sighing, she turned around.
It was Havoc. "Hello, Havoc," she greeted him.
"I thought the Colonel seemed happier," he remarked, shaking her hand. "It must be because you finally came back."
"Excuse me, but do you know something you ought not?" she asked, her voice polite.
"O-of course not, I-I was just assuming—"
"Of course you were," she said kindly. "So how's life here?" Riza turned to continue walking, and he walked beside her.
"Rather boring, actually." She looked at him questioningly. "Well, the whole homunculus thing has been rather quiet; haven't seen one in months—"
"What?" she shouted.
"T-they've been r-rather quiet—" Havoc stammered, seeing the full force of Riza's anger.
"I should have known," Riza grumbled, walking faster. "Havoc, I need you to get me into headquarters."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
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It took Roy a few minutes to realize what had happened, and by that time, Riza was long gone.
He stumbled off the couch and up the stairs to change clothes.
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"Look, I can't tell you why I left," Riza repeated.
She had been stopped on the way into the office, so many times now that she was secretly glad Roy wasn't with her.
Leaving the group looking doubtful, she continued to walk through the halls. Havoc, having successfully escorted her into the building, had disappeared.
She reached the door to Roy's office, and immediately started going through files. The early morning bustle reached her ears, but she continued to read each document thoroughly. She wandered to the coffee machine, made herself a cup and settled on the couch.
A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie, and she answered idly, "Come in."
"Roy, I didn't think you'd be here so early—" Maes bounded through the door. Upon seeing Riza, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Riza froze, her cup halfway to her mouth.
"Hey Major, what's the holdup?" she heard another distinctly unrecognizable voice behind the curiously immobilized Hughes.
"Riza?" asked Maes slowly.
She took a gulp of coffee before answering. "Hello, Maes."
"Is that the Lieutenant?" asked the oddly deep voice. (let's have a moment for all the fans out there to guess whom this mysterious person is…
Hey, keep reading.)
"Oh my goodness, it is you!" Maes squealed, sounding very much like a teenage girl.
"It is?" the man asked, amused.
Riza saw a slender hand rest on the doorframe, followed by a long leg, covered in a black pant leg. Please, please, she thought desperately, don't let it have happened, don't let it be—
Edward Elric had finally reached puberty.
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WOOOO! MAY ALL THE EDO FANS REJOICE! EDWARD IS MANLY!