Riza awoke not to the ring of her alarm or the cold wet tongue of her dog, but to the sunlight streaming through the cottage window across the whitewashed walls and onto her bed. She stretched and glanced at her plain steel officer's pocket watch to see that she had slept until nine thirty. Unlike the alchemist's watches, the officers received a steel watch with their name engraved on the inner lid as an additional identification. Riza sat up and walked over to the wash stand to pour water. The pitcher had been sitting in the sun and was pleasantly warm, and though it was fresh water, reminded her of the sea. She changed into her leisure outfit again and walked into the living room.
Roy Mustang was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was already out with some of the others. She still had time to meet up with her friends before she went swimming with Roy, so she picked up the condo's phone and called Rebecca and Maria's condo to arrange for a breakfast rendezvous. The phone rang so long she assumed they weren't in either, until a very fuzzy voice answer, "hello?"
Riza grinned. Of course, leave it to Rebecca to get wasted on the first day of vacation. She had a sneaking suspicion that Maria had an even worse hangover somewhere; she had to be the worst at holding alcohol. "Hi, Rebecca? It's Riza. Have you both had breakfast yet, or do you want to find some place for the three of us?"
There was silence for a minute before she heard Maria's voice on the other end. "Riza? Do you know what time it is? Why would we go to breakfast if it's still dark out?" As Riza had suspected, Maria Ross had a hangover.
Speaking softly so as to minimize any discomfort, Riza responded, "Maria, open your eyes, you're squinting against the sun." A moan came across the line and Riza realized it was worse than she had thought. "Its nine thirty now, and I'm assuming you two haven't eaten, then. I'll go to the store and bring Advil, alka seltzer, and baked goods and be there in half an hour." A murmur answered her and then a scratchy sound; Maria was probably nodding. Riza hung up and looked for a two thousand cenz note. There was a pharmacy just down the road and a bakery across the street.
She had thought there were a lot of things to buy in Amestris, but on her way to the two shops, she passed vendors selling the strangest things which seemed to have no practical application. Glasses lined with plastic which would neither correct vision any shade from the sun, scarves even though it was the middle of summer, ice cream vendors lined the streets. Looking around, Riza wondered about the purpose of the charms and the ornate shells, and how the locals could ever save any money with so much temptation around. At last, she arrived at the pharmacy only to find that it was full of not only medications but that the useless trinkets from the street had worked their way in and most of the shop was full of foam toys and candies on top of the usual medicine and cosmetics.
By the time she got to the bakery, she almost expected pink and green bread, but inside was a sanctuary from all the consumerism on the outside. She bought half a dozen muffins and a loaf of blueberry bread. When she got her change back was her surprise, however. She had only spent seven hundred fifty cenz for all of her purchases. Back home, she would be cleaned out, but here things were cheaper. Their economy is based on capitalism rather than militarism, she reminded herself. As soon as we get our country back to normal, we'll have these luxuries too.
The sun was already bearing down on Riza as she walked back to the cluster of condominiums to find her friends. It was easy to find, there was only one house with towels shoved in the windows to keep any light from coming in. She quietly opened the door and slipped through. "Maria?" she called quietly. A murmur answered her and as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Riza saw that her friend was hunched over on her bed, sill in her pajamas, trying to ignore what must be the worst hangover she had had in a long time. Riza sighed and filled a glass with water from the pitcher at the washstand and handed her friend two of the pills. A second later, Rebecca took the bottle and dry swallowed some number of them; Riza didn't see n didn't think Rebecca did either.
"What'd you bring?" she asked eagerly, taking h paper bag from Riza and rifling through it loudly, making Maria cringe. Riza wondered why Maria would always choose to room with someone like Rebecca, who seemed to be the polar opposite of her. She unwrapped the cube of seltzer and dropped it into the remaining water and drank it down. Already, she looked a little better.
"I stopped by a bakery; there should be pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and blueberry quick bread in there," replied Riza, unpacking the food onto the table next to Maria's bed. Rebecca brought two chairs in from the living room and placed them near the bed for Riza and herself, and the three settled down.
"So, Riza," began Rebecca, mouth full and ready to pry into Riza's life, "What are you doing rooming with the Major General?" It was inevitable that their choosing to room together would draw attention.
Riza took a sip of water. "I'm his bodyguard, so it makes sense that I be close at hand this far from Central Command. Besides, we're friends." Now Maria too was looking at her in a strange way. She blushed and hurriedly blurted, "It's nothing like that!"
Rebecca and Maria gave each other a look and said back to Riza, "Sure you are." The Rebecca continued, "You like him, don't you?"
Riza was growing flustered with embarrassment. "We're friends, so by default I enjoy the time I spend with him, just like I enjoy my time here with you. Can we talk about Maria instead?"
Rebecca had no problem with that, "How's your relationship with Denny?"
It was Maria's turn to blush and she quickly said, "I thought we were talking about Riza and General Mustang."
As quickly as the conversation had left the topic it was back. "Sorry, Riza, it's two to one; we're talking about you and Mustang."
Riza grew a little indignant as he took another bite of her muffin. "There's really nothing to tell. We've known each other forever and so it's only natural that we would be friends-"
"Or best friends," commented Rebecca.
"Or dating," chimed Maria.
"Or to be married!"
"Enough of that," snapped Riza. "Maybe I do like him and maybe I do want those things, but maybe I don't want to risk losing our friendship for those things. They're just titles and words, so it doesn't matter, do it?" She continued to eat her muffin as the two looked first at her then at each other in awe. By the looks on their faces, they hadn't expected her to have said that.
It was Maria who first spoke, "So you really do like him. We were just teasing; we thought you were just best friends."
Rebecca gave a huff and said, "Speak for yourself, I knew all along that they were sweet on each other-" She was cut off as a pillow hit her over the head. "Hey, what was that for!" She glared at Maria, but Maria just shrugged. Returning her attention to Riza, Rebecca continued, "But really, that's great; you should totally tell him how you feel! Besides, he fancies you."
Riza blushed and said, "Well, if the time comes up I will, but it's hard to say. She glanced at her watch and was surprised to find that it was nearly eleven already. "Listen, I've got to go-"
"On a date?" asked Maria.
"...I suppose..." said Riza, recalling how Roy had ask the night before if their dinner together was a date or not. Maria and Rebecca squealed. "At any rate, I have to get going if I'm to be on time." She stood up and threw out her trash on the way out. Heading back to her rooms, she saw that Roy had returned and was sitting in the living room reading from the same book as he had been reading from on the train.
He looked up and said, "I almost thought you weren't coming."
"I was out with Lieutenants Ross and Catalina, Roy." She excused herself and went to change into her new swim dress. He said he thought I wasn't coming. Does he think I might desert him? She started putting on the knee length dress and checked the back to make sure the tattoo was completely covered. The front fell in a scooping neckline and maintained a high back; the capped sleeves were loose and fluttered gracefully over her shoulders, matching the short skirt, which covered her thighs. The light purple complemented her light blonde hair and amber eyes nicely. She grabbed a towel from her bathroom and walked back out into the living room.
Riza walked out of her aparment into the common area wearing her new bathing suit. It was really perfect for her, accenting the right lines and covering her tattoo while revealing a little more of her chest than she normally would. The skirt, at least, let her keep her dignity while wearing it. While she waited for Roy to emerge from his apartments, she put her light blonde hair into a french braid so that it wouldn't tangle while she swam. It was a little warmer than she would have liked inside, as the thatched condos insulated the glaring heat of the midday sun so well. It was breezy at least outside.
Roy emerged from his rooms wearing black swimming shorts and another loose linen shirt, this one light blue. "Ready?" he asked her. She nodded and they headed out together. "You look very nice, is the dress new?" She would have laughed, but he hadn't been teasing.
"Well, thank you. It is, I haven't had the need for about ten years, since before I had the-" she stopped herself. She was about to say 'since before I had the tattoo', but she finished, "I needed new." He clasped his hand around hers and they walked in silence for a few minutes, Riza not knowing what to say and Roy not seeing need for words. The sand beneath their bare feet felt rough, yet gave way easily, making for difficulut walking.
They swung their arms together in step as they aproached the ocean. The sand hardened as they neared the high tide line and stopped. They both put down their towels and Roy took off his shirt so as to know where to come back to. With the sun baring down, Riza led the way into the water. Her dress swished around her legs as the waves rushed back and forth.
Roy was just behind her and as they walked in waist deep, the waves grew more violent and one pushed Riza over. She had forgotten to turn sideways in the waves when they broke so the would wash around her. She was pushed back directly into Roy, who cought her. The shock of the freezing water made them both shiver for a second before recovering. They continued to wade out until they were chest deep. Well, Roy was chest deep, Riza was nearly up to her shoulders.
Looking around, Roy noticed something strange. "Riza, do you have any idea as to why nobody else is around? You'd think there'd be more people about."
"While we were out at dinner and busy sleeping, it seems the rest of Central's military, the officers at least, went out drinking, and if Rebecca and Maria are any indicator, everyone's bound to have a hangover."
Roy smirked. "Then it looks like we have the whole beach to ourselves for a few hours." They floated on the waves for a few more minutes. The sun shone so brightly and the waves felt so distinct; wet and cold and salty and just o-so-pleasant. Roy was the one to speak first. "Riza?"
"Yes, Roy?" Even though she used his name, she maintained a distinct militaristic status in her address.
"Do you know how to body surf?" When Riza shook her head, he continued, "It's fun, you know, and a lot easier than using a board. I could show you how."
Riza swam over to him and righted herself in time to tred up a particularly high wave. "Alright, how is body surfing done?"
Roy grinned at the chance to teach her something. "The idea is to ride a wave to shore by holding your body perfectly strait, as if you were diving towards the shore," he explained. "We'll have to go in a little more, to where the breakers are, but for now let's stay out here to practice."
Riza smiled. "So I just have to hold myself strait and face shore?" She sounded sceptically teasng, expecting something to make this feat harder thand Roy was making it sound. Though her words were challanging, she complied and floated face down in the water so that she was a perfect line on the surface.
As she stood, Roy went on to explaining the next step. "That's the right idea. In order to get the proper momentum, you will have to swim away from the wave towards the shore so that it can catch you and pull you in."
Riza gave him a funny look and he stopped. "Will it hurt?"
"Will what hurt? The wave catching you; no, it's usually abrupt but painless."
"No, I meant the end, where all the shells are washed around in the knee-deep waves which always cut the ankles. Wouldn't they get washed up in the face?" She looked quizical and worried.
Roy's expression changed from concerned confusion to relief. "You won't be pulled that far, just to where the watr is waist hight; you'll be fine." Moving to a spot a little closer to where they had begun, he asked, "So, do you want to try now?"
She was a little nervous, but Riza nodded and stood next to him. "You're right, it sounds fun."
"Right then...that wave. You see?" he pointed across the water at a wave, higher than the others. "When it gets close, start swimming as fast as you can to shore and when it hits you, stiffen." Riza nodded understanding and turned to watch the wave as it neared. It swelled and threatened to wash over her. A few feet to her left, Roy shouted, "Now!" Riza started swimming later than Roy had and was only pushed upwards by the wave. She started to turn upright, but was washed over by another wave.
She was not prepared for what happened next. She had been ready to take a breath and could not expell water from her open mouth and nose. She didn't straighten in time and she was flipped over twice and dragged along the bottom for seconds before finally being released by the water's grip to crawl dripping and half drowned onto dryer shore. As she coughed and spluttered, Roy walked out of the water over to her.
"Sorry about that, are you all right?" he checked as she cought her breath and tried to expell as much sea water as possible from her nose and lungs.
Eventually, she got back her voice. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need to rest for a few minutes." She flopped down on the firm sand and lay still, breathing.
Roy sat down next to her to wait with her. "You know, that wasn't so bad for a first try. When my older brother taught me how, I swear I had a jellyfish stuck to my face when I was done." This made Riza laugh, so he continued. "You should have seen me; eight years old and my face was puffed up like I had just gotten a lobotomy. I had to pour vinigar on it every two hours or it would stay puffy for days."
Riza sat up and faced him, fully attent on his story. "Of course I didnt' really care too much, so I was swimming later that afternoon and nearly drowned because my eye was swollen shut; the life guard had to drag me out of the ocean and wouldn't let me get back in for the rest of the day. You're close with my brother, so I don't need to tell you how long it took to live that one down." Riza smiled at this; his brother was always teasing her about anything and everything. Since she was an only child, Roy's brother and sisters had become like family to her in a way, and of course in a large family, that meant lots of teasing.
Watching the ocean which had almost swallowed her, still very beautiful and very dangerous, she absent-mindedly said, "You always know what to say. I love you."
She didn't realize she had said it until she heard a startled "Hmm?" out of Roy. "Did you just say you love me?"
Caught off her gaurd, Riza glanced sideways at him. After a second's pause, she replied, "I suppose I did." She flushed and tried to turn away to hide it again, but Roy was too quick. As her eyes closed, he caught her mouth with his in a kiss. It was brief, soft, and chaste, but with it were all the unspoken 'I love you's' and uncertainties which came along with being in love with your childhood best friend.
Roy broke the kiss and said, "I love you too, Riza, and you're beautiful when you blush like that," before kissing her again. Riza felt the flush stronger than ever. This time, Riza could think to respond and kissed him back. Their lips clasped each other and lingered before they broke apart. Roy opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Now, do you want to try sufring again?"
Having recovered from the wave by being knocked equally off ballance by the kiss, Riza nodded, took Roy's offered hand up, and they went back into the water together.
Okay, Chapter two. I feel like I had names for these chapters, but I can't remember for the life of me what any of them were. I feel like I named this one Body Surfing. I was original.