an: just a little ditty i cooked up this evening

so it turns out royai (and this series, if you can believe it!) isn't quite done with me yet 3

i took a wee break this evening from my original stuff and royai is back cooking in my brain again. plus its thursday i'm wrapped up in my pedro pascal blanket drinking wine vibin to the TUNES and writing royai could life be any better? idk like

The birdsong outside was the perfect backdrop for her morning. Riza opened the backdoor in the kitchen so Hayate could trot outside to do his business. He was slower now, his old legs not carrying him as fast as they used to, but his love and energy was boundless, as always.

Riza boiled some water and made herself a coffee, moving to the kitchen window so she could watch him move around the garden of their home. He nosed at the bushes which flourished and the strawberry plants before moving over to the small allotment Riza had built for herself a couple of summers ago. He was particularly fond of knocking the growing pea pods drooping down from their stems with his nose and watching them sway.

It was peaceful.

The silence of their mornings were a blessing now. The kids were always tired and groggy waking up through the week for school but were regular, even at the weekend. It was never a fight to get them out of bed.

Well. Now Mia was a teenager, she was certainly sleeping more and favoured her bed – and staying in her room instead of joining them as a family much to Roy's dismay.

And muttering under her breath more.

And scowling at the world in that typical teenager way which told Riza their little Mia Bear was not so little anymore.

It hurt her heart somewhat to know their little girl was growing up, but outside of her teenager-ness, Mia was still the sweetest kid. So intelligent and not to mention cunning – Riza couldn't believe what schemes she could get up to! She was convinced she'd learned it from her father. They'd been plotting behind her back for years, Riza was sure of it. And despite how tricky Mia could be, she was harmless, and her witch cackle more often than not sent her and Roy into fits of laughter as well. With Maes' toothy grin as an accompaniment to her schemes, they couldn't find it in themselves to be mad for too long.

Although, as always, Mia had endless patience for her little brother. They'd half expected her to snap and shout at Maes every once and a while, but nope. Mia had all the time in the world for him. It was not a bad thing, far from it, they were extremely grateful they still got on so well. It was Roy who would always grumble though, muttering about how he wished she had the same patience for them. Her parents.

Riza could remember being a teenage girl though. The changes in hormones. The pain. The newness and uncertainty which came with nearly every single experience. She could sympathise. Although Roy grew up in his aunt's house, with numerous women around him, he sure was clueless.

It was becoming easier and easier to see how he ended up with a shoe thrown at his head by his sister.

It was endearing, in a hopeless, helpless kind of way every time he tried to converse with Mia and ended up making it worse. His puppy dog eyes were on point, along with his dejected posture as he failed once more to connect with his daughter.

That's where Riza stepped in to save the day.

"Just wait," she'd reminded him, patting his shoulder as she offered her condolences. "Maes has all of this to come too. That will be your time to shine."

Roy's face had paled drastically. Riza was half concerned she'd have to guide him over to a chair to sit down, but he held steady.

Barely.

Apparently, he was not looking forward to having two stroppy teenagers in the house.

But, no. The kids were fine. They were normal. Fighting to find their place in the world and find out who they were. Riza couldn't be happier. Both she and Roy were ecstatic. They were excited. They couldn't wait to see their kids flourish.

Back in her kitchen, arms wrapped around Riza's waist from behind. A chin was placed upon her shoulder before a kiss was pressed to the long-ago healed scars on her neck. The lips lingered there, the touch attentive and loving as it always was. A silent acknowledgement of what she'd endured and how she'd healed.

"Healed beautifully," Roy would always tell her. "Stunningly so."

"Good morning," Riza smiled.

Roy hummed in greeting. He pressed another kiss to her scarred neck then moved to his cheek, his nose forging the path, leading the way as he nuzzled her.

"Good morning, Riza." He must have come down as soon as he woke. His voice was deep and rough, still making her stomach flip, even after all these years.

"Sleep well?"

"I did, with you by my side. Without, not so much."

Riza rolled her eyes. "Drama queen."

His chuckle vibrated against her back, making her smile.

"How long do you think we have until the two terrors wake up?"

Maes was still an early riser, compared to his sister. And his energy was endless. He wasn't a teenager yet, so they knew it was only a matter of time before he slowed down, but… there was a reason they were grateful for their quiet mornings. Maes could be loud. Energetic and always on the go. It was an effort to keep up with and run after him.

Riza wished she had half the energy he did to get through the day. If she didn't have her second coffee after lunch, she would be more than likely be asleep on the couch by four o'clock.

Riza hummed in thought. "Probably an hour. One for Maes, two – maybe even three – for Mia."

A delighted sound rumbled from Roy's throat. "Perfect."

Riza spun in his arms and lifted her own to loop around his neck.

Roy beamed down at her, his face filled with joy and love. Riza rolled her wrist so her fingers ended up tangled in his hair. Now older, he favoured sweeping it back off his face, but in the morning, it was a long, tousled mess – a look she loved the most, because it was only her and their family that got to see it nowadays. His long fringe hung over his eyes like it used to do years ago, although now slightly longer. Riza took great delight in brushing it off his face.

The greys of his temples were hidden like this – much to Riza's disappointment – but the fact it made Roy look so boyish and young tugged at her heart, so Riza let it slide. He still looked so much like the young man she'd fallen in love with, it was hard to reconcile the time and events which had passed with what she saw before her now.

Even so, there was no doubt in her mind that right here, right now, in the present, this was the best time of her life.

She had a loving husband, two beautiful children, and a thriving career.

Would you believe she'd been voted Central's Teacher of the Year?

Roy had immediately answered yes. He could believe it. Riza was still baffled. Half convinced they'd mistaken her for someone else. Misprinted the name.

But even Mia would roll her eyes and say "Mum, of course you're teacher of the year. You're amazing."

And that melted her entire person into goo on the spot just a little bit.

Maes agreed with his sister. "Remember when you taught me how to figure out maths, Mum? You're a genius," he nodded sagely, as if his word was the law of the universe. "You're the best teacher ever. Actually, can I have you as my teacher next year? Please?"

Her little family was amazing. Riza adored them with everything that she was.

With her fingers tangled up in the hair at Roy's nape, Riza cocked her head and studied her husband.

"Just what do you have in mind, husband?"

"Hm, a few things," he purred. He leaned in, once again, his nose leading the way. It trailed from the bottom of Riza's ear, down the line of her jaw, to her own nose, allowing his lips to follow the path. And that simple movement, his attentiveness, lifted the skin of Riza's arms in anticipation as she waited for his lips to make contact with her skin. A preview and a tease of what was to come. Every time it caused her breath to hitch.

Riza loved it.

Loved the time he took with her. To praise her. To pay attention to her. To adore her. It left her heart fit to burst.

Sometimes Riza thought it just might.

Roy's lips finally captured hers easily and Riza exhaled happily into the kiss.

The longer it lingered, the more a whimper built up within her chest.

"Care to share, Mr. Mustang," she asked breathily. She cleared her throat as their forehead met in the middle, coming to rest against one another in a moment of repose.

Even after all this time, the desire, the rush, never dulled between them.

Riza's heart still thundered within her chest. Her entire body felt as though it was flushed. Her cheeks felt hot. Her breath hitched as she awaited his answer.

"We could…" Roy trailed off and pecked her lips again, lingering and leaving her wanting more.

"Could?"

Roy didn't answer for a moment. He let everything hang in between them. If Riza wasn't so caught up in how he stirred her blood and left her flustered, she'd have thought for sure, he was doing this for maximum effect.

"Go back to bed? Gain back a few hours of sleep? God knows I need it. I'm shattered running after the kids."

Riza froze.

That was… unexpected.

Roy snickered at her reaction.

She narrowed her eyes at him, turning his chuckling into full-blown laughter.

Riza scowled at him half-heartedly.

Even as her desire cooled slightly, the love for him always remained. As it always would.

"Aw," Roy cooed at her. "Don't be like that, my love."

His name for her softened her a little.

She still huffed and turned her nose up as he tried to kiss her again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you no longer wished to spend time with me, Mr. Mustang."

But it was still a struggle to hide her amusement. Eventually, the smile broke through.

Roy grinned at her. His smile lit up her entire world. It was a beacon. A force to be reckoned with.

And it was all for her.

"I love you."

"You'll soon stop," Riza deadpanned. "You'll get over it, I'm sure."

"Impossible." Roy's reply was instantaneous. Self-assured as his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Never. Nope. Not going to happen," he continued, peppering her face with kisses.

Eventually, Riza broke down into giggles.

And she believed every word he said.

Wholeheartedly.

an: (hayate is ageless and i will hear nothing less he will live forever sorry i dont make the rules 3)