Hello! In case you don't know me, I'm Nausika, welcome to my Universe.

This'll be a collection of Royai fluff, probably before and during the first half of the Manga/Anime (2009). They don't have any particular order and don't have to be occurring in the same timeline/universe but they can. It's mostly just me trying to still my hunger for Royai :D

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy and would love to know what you think! English is not my native language so any feedback on language, story or typos is much appreciated.

Where Riza Almost Had A Free Day

Riza sighed to herself. So much for a free day. She had really wanted to continue reading the novel she had bought months ago, finally having opened it for the second time today – having to start from the top when too many weeks had passed since she had begun. This morning, however, it had been the fateful day when she was not expected to do any work, spending the early hours in bed with Black Hayate, reading peacefully.

A foolish decision, as it turned out.

Half the morning had turned into midday, prompting her routine to get delayed by hours. During the week, she was always too busy, too tired and too stressed to settle down with a nice book and now that she had done so, she almost regretted it. Tidying up, preparing for work, taking care of Hayate, organising what had to be done, shopping, cooking, doing repairs where necessary but most of all keeping an eye on her boss, doing nearly all of her work double just by keeping him in check – it was draining.

The brown paper bag nearly slipped from her arm as she rummaged for her keys in her purse. Propping it against the door, she found her target, the lock clicking a moment later. Steadying everything, she shoved herself inside.

"I'm back," she did not have to call, Hayate already right in front of her, wagging his tail and panting excitedly. She put the groceries down on the counter as not to tempt him, the other bags sliding off her arm onto the floor. After the most recent incident on a mission, she had had to throw all of the clothes away she had failed to wash a single stain of blood out of. Now she was glad to have walked the dog prior to shopping, not feeling up to leaving her apartment for another step.

Riza crouched down, stroking through his fur where he happily rubbed into her knees.

"I'll be with you in a minute," she promised, being watched until having put everything that needed to be cooled into the refrigerator. Then she went straight for the bathroom. Hayate habitually trotted back into the bedroom, hopping up onto the bed.

The shower was cold but too short to give warm water a chance. She shivered shortly, hoping to warm up in bed once she curled up under the sheets. Of all the things one could do on a free day – all the things she failed at doing with those mere 24 hours – going to bed was by far the best. Even if work was the next thing to follow.

With the lights all off, Riza easily found her way through the darkness. She opened her closet, dropping her towel to her ankles when having fumbled and found a new set of sleeping clothes. Being too tired to find anything long, settling with a top and knickers, she prayed for her thick blanket and not least faithful dog to do the job of keeping her cosy.

With her arms outstretched, she groped for the bed, lifting the blanket to sink into the mattress with a deep sigh.

There was a rustle on the other side of the bed. She smiled softly.

"I'm sorry, did you have to wait long?" She reached out a hand. Then stiffened abruptly. That was not a dog. It was a human. Her body did not go any further than freezing up, however, no lethal reflexes kicking in. She knew that tuft of hair too well to blow out those stupid brains without restraint. Or perhaps she just should have.

"Awfully long… why do women take so long to buy clothes, anyway?" Roy whined, mostly in self-pity. She gave a hefty tug and he yelped in pain. The sheets shuffled again when he turned around, giving her a look in the dark she could hardly make out. Despite that, she glared back. It was a surprise, though, realising he had not even tried to watch her change.

"What are you doing here?" She sat up straight.

"Not so loud…" he drawled. If that did not sound drunk. At least tipsy, she assumed, not smelling an overdose of alcohol he usually vented at her when she had to pick him up from a nightly escapade. Another reason there were no such things as actual free days.

"How did you even get in?" She wanted to burst, feeling her pulse rise.

"You gave me a spare key,"

"I never did that," she firmly said. It was like an arrow of migraine he could cause her with a single memory. So that was why her 'lost' key had appeared so mysteriously back on her desk one day. Now she really wanted to fire away. She had searched for forever! She had almost had her locks exchanged!

"Get out," Riza coldly said. He gave a pressed breath to emphasise his suffering at her harsh tone.

"You're so mean to me,"

"Out," she repeated, starting to regret to have let him go – could have dragged him all the way out onto the street.

"But it's so comfortable here and my apartment got flooded and you're the only one kind enough to welcome me," he lamented on. Inconsistently, she noticed, rather staying with being mean as per his words.

"Out of my bed,"

"Please, Riza," using her first name. Low blow but she could not deny that it hit home, if only a little. No, she very well could deny it, almost to herself, too, would there not have been that tiny flutter in her angrily raging heart's hammering. She groaned, practically feeling his eyes sparkle with hope when hearing his tiny gasp.

"At least sleep on the couch," she pointed out the door.

"But-" he bit his tongue at the clicking of her gun. With a hectic rustle, his panic subsided the second he heard the weapon return to its place at the gentle thud of metal on wood. She waited to shove the drawer closed, keeping him in suspense and on his feet. He hesitated nonetheless. "You don't mind me sharing, right?" He was resorting to more guilt when addressing the friendlily wagging dog at the end of the bed. "What was that? You want me sleeping here with your mommy in your stead? What a good boy," he carefully shoved the dog off the bed, crawling back in slow motion as if it would keep her from noticing.

"Roy," Riza growled and he winced, grumbling to himself when reluctantly shuffling out the room. She clenched her jaw at his wording towards Hayate, not helping her heart's rate clam down any more. It was a good thing the darkness veiled her blush from view.

He forcefully stubbed his tones on the doorframe.

"Shit," Roy cursed under his breath, scuffing into the living room. "You know I'll just sneak back when you're not paying attention," he nagged over his shoulder.

"I'll lock the door," she threatened with a roll of her eyes.

"Bold of you to assume I don't have a key for that, too," she thought she even saw him stick out his tongue. The sound of her picking up her gun made him hurry, however, finally allowing her some peace and quiet. For about ten minutes.

Only just having settled in, flopped into her pillow, she could hear the continuous if silent complaints from her sofa. Not least about his now aching toe, she assumed, trying to ignore it. Claws scratched across the floor when Hayate was unable not to have a worried look at their guest.

"Oh, you want the couch? You're such a good boy, of course we can switch-"

"Roy, no," Riza snarled from where she could perfectly hear what was meant to soften her mood. He had that slice of power over her by using her first name behind closed doors but she knew very well that his own coming from her lips had its fair effect as well. His sigh turned into a theatrical moan but when it fell on deaf ears, he ceased any more psycho terror.

She awoke by the mattress sinking nonetheless, though she had almost given him credit for enduring an entire hour. Preparing for another lecture, Riza felt her breath get stuck in her throat when he did not unsuspiciously remain on the very edge of his side of the bed, but scooted so close she felt his breath warmly vent down her neck. A shiver travelled down her spine.

With her heart leaping against her ribs, she waited. Then she squeezed her eyes shut as the anticipated arms crept their way around her waist. Why did he always have to do that? He knew she was weak to it, he had to, judging by how cunningly he used it to his advantage.

Wanting to ram her elbow into whatever it would hit, Riza found her limbs not obeying. Nothing really did, neither her body nor the entirety of her mind. And he called her mean. His breath came closer and she held her own, trying not to let him know to be fighting for naught. His nose nudged its way through her still damp tresses until his lips found her nape, leaving her shuddering anew. All she knew was that she was not cold anymore.

"Your apartment isn't flooded, is it?" She sharply enquired, at least as sharply as possible with her voice shaking ever so slightly. There was no use in pretending to be asleep – he knew very well to read the signs of a woman under his control and he adored the way his fearless Lieutenant would occasionally become putty in his hands.

"Mmh, good night, Riza," Roy purred into her ear, enjoying a little too much for her liking to be causing the tiny hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end at another contact of his lips. Her eyes rolled up of their own accord before she closed them, letting out a deep exhale of pretendedly annoyed surrender. It lured out a content smile from her superior and he snuggled up to her more closely, pulling her into the curve of his body where his face remained nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

She relaxed when assuming him to be asleep, allowing a clandestine smile of her own to adorn her face.

Yes, going to bed was by far the best.