Roy was used to entertainment.
He had grown up in a hostess club and became a fun loving playboy at on time.
He had been in the basest of places, a make-shift bar in Ishval, with a home-made still and a phonograph, to the more grandiose of delights.
This ball was grander than them all.
Because of what Ishval's freedom meant, the ball was open to the commoner and elite alike. Few but the old matrons were offended by anyone's manners or lack there of.
The entire place had the air of a street carnival accompanied by the grandeur of the most opulent residence in Amestris.
Roy made his way around, giving greetings and introductions, always aware of Riza two steps behind him.
He set out to dance and was unpleasantly surprised to see Riza had been asked as well.
As they and their respective partners spun and twirled, Roy could only see Riza. She would sweep past him, her skirts twirling about those legs.
Her laughter reached his ears and he quit dancing, too jealous from hearing her laugh like that with another man. He spun around and saw it was Havoc she was dancing with. Roy hoped he wasn't planning on getting back at him now, all these years later, for stealing his girlfriends.
He found his way to the refreshments table, choosing a silver cup full of punch to cool his heated form. She was right behind him in moment, reaching around him for a cup of her own.
They looked at each other, joyful in the celebration, but hesitant to allow for anything more.
Riza, always the bodyguard, asked if she could leave for the powder room. Roy had balked at her asking for permission on a night like tonight, but he granted it to her anyway.
He watched her walk away, each sway of her hips pushing him.
"You know...you don't have to wait anymore." The voice beside Roy made him jump to attention.
"Fuerher sir!" he saluted.
"At ease Mustang. Did you hear me before? You don't have to wait anymore."
Not understanding Grumman's statement, he replied, "I-I do not need to use the facilities sir!"
The old man just laughed. "Not what I was commenting on, but good to know." He continued to laugh.
"Then what sir?"
"Oh! yes...At the signing today, I removed the fraternization laws pertaining to commissioned officers. There are still rules in place mind you. At least one of the party must be a general. Generals are married to the military anyway, and it would be hard to find a woman who understands that more than one in the military itse-"
"Wait! What did you say?" Roy cut Grumman off, a wild look in his eyes.
All night..all night he had been looking for someone or something to right the balance for him. Instead, he was being pushed by one of those someones, forcefully, right into Riza and forever.
He looked around himself erratically, finally spying her talking to one of the women, and took off in her direction, faster than he's ever made his way through a crowd before.
Behind him, the fuerher's laugh chased him through the crowd.
The dinner was lovely, the ball even more so. Riza enjoyed the people around her, the atmosphere of light-heartedness, the dancing.
She couldn't relax entirely however. General Mustang was everywhere, chatting to this person, greeting that one, being a perfect target.
She knew she should enjoy this party fully, but she wasn't one to let her guard down. And now, with General Mustang so joyful and social, she needed to keep the distance between them professional in nature.
It had been exceedingly difficult to maintain her composure in the car. She had wanted nothing more than to grab Roy's hand and never let go. This ball gave her leave to regain her former standing of not being in love with her General.
Soon he was dancing, having no end of women asking for their turn. They had always been rather brazen in regards to General Mustang.
Riza stood amongst the crowd, watching General Mustang wind and twirl his way about the dance floor, expertly guiding whomever he was dancing with so that they appeared equally as skilled.
A hand tapped her shoulder and then Havoc was asking her to dance. He wanted to try out his legs, he said.
She told him she thought that his way of asking was in poor taste, but yes, she would dance with him, followed by a chuckle.
She and Havoc twirled and moved with less expert refinement than the General and his partners, but with more laughter, ease and conversation.
Riza actually lost herself in the moment, laughing and enjoying her dance, until she spied General Mustang moving toward one of the refreshment tables.
"Duty call" she informed Havoc and he let her go gracefully.
She made it to the table directly after General Mustang had received his punch.
She was extremely thirsty and warm, so, without thinking, she reached around him to grab a cup of her own. This resulted in her body being pressed into his for a brief moment, but it was a moment too long.
She smiled a little at him, but could say nothing.
Trembling with the need to keep her resolve, she asked permission to use the restroom. Mustang granted it and she was gone like a flash.
When she got to the lounge, she took the time to splash a little water on her face, straighten herself, and become composed again.
When she felt like control had been restored, she made her way from the lounge only to be stopped by one of the women inquiring about her outfit.
She was listening, rather impatiently, to the woman extol fashion, when she heard her grandfather laugh unusually loudly.
Everything happened ridiculously fast after that.
Roy emerged from the crowd, almost a wild look in his eye.
He grabbed her by the arm, excusing them away from the woman with an, "Excuse me, but I need Riza", then proceeded to lead/drag her down one of corridors.
They walked/ran through the maze of the mansion until they were in a deserted wing where no one was, and probably hadn't been for awhile.
"Sir? sir!" Riza questioned him, really not ready to be alone with him and concerned with the wild look he had, like he would snap and go insane any minute.
He grabbed both her arms and turned her to him. Then he half mumbled, half moaned her name "...Riza...".