Lights! Camera! Christmas!

Author: MoonStarDutchess and Rinoaebastel

Chapter 13: Intimate Instances

Disclaimer: We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than needed writing practice and enjoyment.


"Your parents seemed upset about something," Antonio said as they watched Berthold and Serena leave the dining car. "They didn't speak much to us. Your mother is usually more talkative. And your dad didn't even bat an eye when I brought up politics. He just nodded."

"I figure dad was in the car when Roy and Riza were leaving. They probably did something to make him mad, and he told mom about it."

"That wasn't anger, Lauren. He looked more upset."

"Well upset is definitely the wrong word. They were angry." She didn't want to admit Antonio was right. When her father was angry, he'd address the issue immediately. And if Riza had fought with him, she would've been in a different emotional state when they met earlier.

Perhaps her father really was having second thoughts concerning Riza. She couldn't push back the dread that they might make up.

"If you say so."

They went into the other car. They were passing Riza and Roy's cabin when a series of odd noises stopped her. Lauren grabbed Antonio's arm to cease his movements.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear wha—" They heard a groan coming from the room and their eyes widened.

"We—we shouldn't be eavesdropping," Antonio said.

"Yes, you're right. We should go," Lauren said. Neither of them moved.

"Don't just shove it in and pull it out. Be gentle and give it a little twist to the right," Riza said. "Yeah, like that. It has to tilt at the perfect angle."

Lauren gasped. She didn't realize things like this could get so technical. Perhaps it was the engineer in Riza.

"I'm trying to angle it properly, but it fits really tight," Roy groaned. "I didn't think they could get so tight."

"They tend to constrict if they aren't used very much."

"Yeah, that's been my experience," Roy said and groaned again.

"Are they doing what I think they are?" Antonio said.

Lauren glared at him, her cheeks flushed despite losing her innocence long ago. "No, they're just taking down their luggage," she said sarcastically. "Of course they're doing what you think they are!"

"It could be something innocent couldn't it?" Antonio said.

"She's alone with a guy that looks like Mustang, who is her fiancé. There's a bed in there, and I'm not stupid or deaf. No way there's anything innocent going on."

"I think it's crooked," Riza said.

"It's not crooked!"

"Can you bend it a bit?"

"It's way too hard and large to bend," Roy replied.

"Wow," Antonio and Lauren said simultaneously.

"Let me see. Can you lift me?" she asked.

"Yeah, let's see if we can pull it out that way," he replied.

Thumps, slaps, and grunting sounded from behind the door.

"Move me a little. My face is too close to it, and it's hurting my back to stay like this."

"Okay." Then creaking sounded.

"Ouch," Riza said.

"What happened?" Roy asked.

"I hit it a bit. I hope I didn't chip a tooth on it."

"Fitness models really work out every single muscle don't they?" Antonio whispered. "Wonder how one would get harder there other than the obvious."

"I—I…" Lauren's brain had gone dead due to both what Antonio just said and what she was overhearing in the cabin.

"You're right, this thing is unbendable," Riza said. "At least it's sturdily made and won't go limp."

"I wouldn't be able to make it fit in if it went limp," Roy said.

Lauren and Antonio heard a clang and their eyes widened.

"Take it easy. If it breaks, we'll get liquid all over us," Roy said.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Berthold asked. Lauren and Antonio stiffened and turned to look at him. "Nothing," Lauren said.

"Goodnight, sir," Antonio said.

They rushed out of the cart as if they were two students caught skipping class by the principal.

Berthold quirked an eyebrow and took a step, but he froze when he heard Riza say. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to get wet like this."

He paled.

"Or stained," Roy said.

"Yeah, there's enough in there to cover both of us and most of the carpet," Riza replied. "And once it erupts, you can't really stop it."

Berthold covered his ears with both his hands and walked away, willing himself to forget what he'd heard.

-/-/-

Riza's makeup and toiletry bag finally came free from the shelf after a little more maneuvering. Roy put her down on her feet. She cringed as her lower back popped.

"You okay?"

"Yes. Thank you for helping me. I'll be sure not to put it back up there. We wouldn't want it to get stuck again."

"They need to make the shelves wider," he said as he took down his bag.

She walked into the main area, forcing herself not to rub her back. "I'll go shower. I won't take long." A hot shower was just what she needed.

Riza opened the second smallest bag from her luggage, and narrowed her eyes at the contents. As she shifted through it, she muttered under her breath.

"Were you talking to me?" Roy said as he unzipped his bag.

"No. Sorry. I was talking to myself," she said, trying not to let any anger filter into her tone. She yanked some clothes out of her suitcase and went into the bathroom.

-/-/-

Roy set about getting the things out of his luggage, but paused in his actions.

Shit. What was he going to wear? It hadn't occurred to him that Grumman would get them a cabin together. He usually slept in his boxers, but he figured Riza wouldn't appreciate the lack of clothing.

He searched each of his bags, taking out things and refolding them until he found a white A-shirt and a black pair of sweatpants. It was hot in the cabin, but they'd have to do.

He looked at the bed. Though she showed no hesitation in sharing a cabin with him, it wasn't implied that she would be willing to sleep in the same bed. He would sleep on the lounge in the corner if she didn't want to share.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was just…" He turned and his mouth went dry. She was wearing shorts that barely reached mid-thigh and a sleeveless shirt that didn't quite reach the waistband of her shorts.

He'd known she was gorgeous, it was apparent from her music videos and just seeing her in general, but with wet hair and flushed cheeks and that much leg on display, he was tempted to proposition her.

Perhaps it would be better if he slept on the lounge. If he didn't, she might figure out the exact type of reaction he had to her.

And he'd been worried about going shirtless. Bah!

"Roy?" she said, looking confused.

"Are you okay with this?'

"With what?" He motioned to the bed. She looked at it and back at him. "With sharing a bed?"

"Yes, we still don't know each other extremely well," he said.

"I think we know each other well enough. I definitely know you wouldn't try anything towards me against my will," she said.

But if she were willing. . . Gods, if she were willing he'd have her moaning so loud that they'd hear her all through the train, through all the cities along the way, and their destination. He coughed. "All right then."

She went over to the bed and began turning down the covers. "You want the window side or the wall side?"

"Take whichever you prefer, it doesn't matter to me. I'm going to go shower now."

A cold shower.

She leaned across the bed, bending over to try to reach a higher corner of the blanket.

A very cold shower.

"Gotcha," she said as he went into the shower room.

-/-/-

As soon as the door shut, she slouched, and a blush crept to her cheeks. She looked down at her pajamas, cursing that this was what Rebecca and Maria packed in her overnight bag. She made a mental note to pack her own luggage from now on.

She knew they'd done this on purpose. They knew about the fake relationship, but they also knew her opinions on Mustang both look and personality wise. Well, her new opinions on him.

They'd given her options in her bag. Those options were sexy dark blue lingerie, one short, one long, and the red silk shorts and loose tank top she currently donned. Somehow, even the long one looked sexier than the other two pieces. Thankfully, she had clothing at her grandfather's house, and the town had shops where she could buy some things.

She glanced down at herself and let a little grin play across her lips. With the way Roy looked at her, she couldn't quite bring herself to be angry with her friends for packing the sexy sleepwear. She was used to men, and some women, looking at her since much of her career relied on visuals. But Roy looking at her that way was special. Not because of whom he was, but because she was simple Riza when dressed like this. She wasn't an ugly person naturally, but without the makeup, hairstyling, designer clothes, professional lighting, and Photoshop, she was average at best.

She'd never had a problem with that, but now she had to admit that Roy's reaction gave her quite the ego boost. He looked like he wanted to do more than just stare, and she knew she'd be 100% receptive to any advance he made.

They were two consenting adults. Why couldn't this fake relationship have some benefits involved?

She shook the thought from her head. This was ridiculous. She would never accept a friends-with-benefits situation.

Though it had been a long time since her encounter with some nice male benefits.

She walked over to her bag and took out a bottle of pills. She removed one, got a bottle of water from the mini-fridge in the cabin, and swallowed the pill with a large gulp of liquid. She rubbed her lower back and popped her neck as she walked over to the bed. She crawled into it, taking the side next to the wall, and forced herself to think of something besides the sexy man currently showering.

Like sleeping.

Though it was a train, she was always paranoid about sleeping next to a window. Even before she was famous, it was a hesitation of hers. She'd always hear about kids being kidnapped through their windows. It didn't matter that her childhood bedroom was on the second floor and the windows were alarmed.

It was nice that Roy was gentlemanly enough to let her choose.

He's funny, a gentleman, smart, and… He came out of the bathroom just before she was about to banish him from her thoughts again and lie down.

She almost groaned at how good he looked. Instead, she bit the inside of her lip and tried not to leer. It was then that she noticed that he was in sweatpants.

"Aren't you going to get hot in those?" she said before she thought better. What if he thought she was trying to get him to strip?

"I usually sleep in my boxers but I didn't think—"

"It's fine if that's the way you usually sleep. You've been on magazine covers with less than that, right?"

"You're sure?'

"Absolutely," she said and moved to lie down before she could watch him remove his sweatpants. She was unsure if she'd be able to handle herself too well if she watched that. Her heart was already beating quick just seeing him come out of the shower with flushed skin and wet hair. When god was making him he broke the mold and threw it into one of the fiery pits of hell to make sure it was effectively disposed of.

He crawled onto his side of the bed and she paid special note to the way the muscles in his arms flexed and shifted as he arranged himself properly.

The only thing that would make it better would be if he were shirtless.

And on top of m— she banned that thought from her brain.

She wasn't some horny perverted woman.

Well, maybe horny. It had been a while.

And she was being perverted. . .

Okay. So she was a horny, perverted woman. But she was human. It was okay to be that way as long as she didn't overstep any boundaries. As long as she wasn't causing him any discomfort.

And he certainly wasn't causing her any issues other than the aforementioned sexed state.

She turned off the lamps since the light switch was on her side of the wall, and was thankful for the darkness.

"Goodnight," he said making her almost jump with the suddenness of his speech.

"Good night," she said.

She moved a bit closer to the wall and forced her body to relax. Soon, she heard soft breaths, an indication Roy was sleeping. She was rarely good at falling asleep when traveling, so she followed his breathing pattern until she too drifted into a deep rest.


RW: 2022