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The atmosphere in the room was electric as Roy made his way through it. The party was in full swing and the dancefloor was filled with people, dancing their cares away and having a good time.
Roy watched as Edward danced with Winry in the centre of the dancefloor. Alphonse and Mei were beside them, all four laughing together as they moved in time to the music. Havoc was trying to impress Catalina with his “moves” but they weren’t very impressive. He looked quite hopeless, unable to find the beat properly, but he was still having a good time and that was all that mattered. Catalina laughed with him though and the way she hung onto his arm told Roy that it didn’t really matter. She was impressed by him despite his awful timing with music. Fuery and Breda were deep in conversation with Falman and his wife, talking animatedly with red rosy cheeks, flushed from the alcohol and their amusement.
It was a wonderful scene to witness. It made Roy smile widely as he wandered over to where his companion was waiting for him, a glass in each hand.
Riza was sitting at the table they’d been allocated for the meal, opting to remain there and watch, pleased, as everyone had fun and celebrated Edward and Winry’s wedding.
The dress she was wearing was high backed and formed a collar around her throat. It was a pale pink colour and fell down to her ankles, swishing mesmerizingly every time she walked. It also revealed her shoes which matched the colour of the dress perfectly. The heel on them was small but it was still enough to give her an extra inch in height. On her wrist there was a silver bracelet she’d received as a gift “a long time ago”. Roy had bought her it for her birthday once. He’d been surprised to see her wearing it and Riza had just smiled warmly at him once he noticed and recognised the piece of jewellery, saying nothing more on the matter.
Taking a deep breath, Roy tried to collect himself as he approached her. She was the epitome of beauty and grace today and it was extremely distracting. But in the most wonderful of ways.
“Excuse me, Ma’am?” Roy grinned and dropped his voice as deep as he could, changing it completely.
The effect worked because Riza turned around at the surprised interruption. It was clear she didn’t recognise who it was who’d approached her. Once she realised though her shoulders fell, and she shook her head fondly at his antics.
“Is this seat taken?” He continued his charade, pleased to have gotten such a surprised reaction from her from his joke.
She rolled her eyes and said nothing. Roy did manage to catch the smile she tried to hide though once she looked away.
“A pretty lady like you shouldn’t be left sitting alone at a party such as this,” he added, speaking lowly as he handed her the wine glass in his left. “You should shoot the bastard who left you all alone. How rude of him.”
“Are you flirting with me, Colonel?” The Lieutenant lifted a disapproving eyebrow that strongly hinted that he better not be. “Well,” she smirked, “are you trying to?”
“You wound me, Hawkeye.” He clutched at his chest for dramatic effect. “So what if I am?” His reply was nonchalant as he settled into his chair and took a sip of his whisky. It went down smooth, settling inside his chest and spreading warmth across it.
“I would have to disapprove, of course.” Her tone gave nothing away so Roy tilted his head so he could get a better read on her out the corner of his eye.
“You would ‘have to’, huh?”
“Of course, sir,” she replied evenly. Her wine glass lifted to her perfectly painted lips and Roy was distracted for a moment as he watched her move. “It would be highly unprofessional, wouldn’t it?”
Roy hummed noncommittally, pulling himself out of his distracted thoughts.
“In response to your violent proposal,” she added, “lucky for you, my weapon is concealed, and I don’t intend to remove it at a friend’s wedding, sir.”
That interested Roy. He hadn’t seen a weapon anywhere on her person. But then, Roy thought dumbly, that was the whole point.
Damn this alcohol and your ability to be so easily distracted by her. Not that he really minded that last part though.
“Like you said, it’s a wedding. It’s where people show their love for one another,” he shrugged.
“By trying poor pickup lines on me? Now you’re begging me to shoot you,” she deadpanned, and Roy laughed to himself as he watched the rest of the room. “At least if I do it will keep you quiet.”
“Well, I can turn it on more if you’d like me too?” He flashed an excited smile at her.
Riza groaned in response. She pressed a hand to her face. “Please don’t.”
“So, do you come here often, Ma’am?” His voice dropped to the same deep one he’d used before as he joked with her. It resulted in a sideways glare from Riza.
“That’s another poor effort. Even from you.”
“So, it’s not working?”
She scoffed. Loudly. “Not one bit.”
He sighed dramatically. “Darn.”
“I would’ve expected better than that from the likes of you.”
“Well, I thought it was funny,” he snickered, thoroughly enjoying their banter.
“You would.” There was no real ire in her eyes, nor irritation. Just fondness as she shook her head at him.
“All right,” he relented, lifting his hands in surrender, “I’ll stop.”
“I think that would be best, sir.”
Looking over, he was worried she really was annoyed at him now, but her expression was neutral. However, there was a hint of a smile on her face and she shook her head minutely as she placed her glass back on the table.
“Your flirting is so terrible that I cannot bear to listen to it any longer,” Riza added after a beat. One corner of her mouth quirked up into a smirk as she laughed at his surprised expression. “I can’t believe you actually use those on your dates.” She was enjoying teasing him.
His jaw had gone slack and he huffed in mock indignation. “It wasn’t that bad,” he joked, pretending to be sullen.
“It was torture.”
“Hush, you,” he glared at her.
“Is that an order, sir?”
The mood of the conversation shifted. Roy refocussed his attention on Riza as he picked up her husky tone. She looked at him over the rim of her glass. Her smile was playful and her eyes were sparkling with amusement. However there was something else in there too. Something that wasn’t completely innocent.
Roy swallowed. “Do you want it to be?” He was dumbstruck suddenly, left reeling by the wanting look in her eyes.
Her expression broke down and she started to laugh. Roy blinked and was snapped out of the spell she’d cast upon him with just a single look and one suggestive question.
“What?” He recovered quickly then frowned at her laughter.
“That’s how you do it, sir.” She’d leaned in close to speak to him softly and Roy was caught off guard by the wonderful smell of her perfume that wafted his way.
“You played me,” he cried as loudly as he dared. No one was around but it still wouldn’t do to draw attention to them both loudly.
She giggled. Riza actually giggled. Once more, Roy was rendered mute. All he could do is stare at her as she winked at him playfully and nudged his knee with her own underneath the table.
“I’m simply better at it than you. Clearly,” she snorted.
Roy huffed and crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl.
“Don’t feel bad, sir.” Her neutral tone was back however she still looked far too pleased with herself. “We all have our strength and weaknesses.”
He muttered to himself underneath his breath.
“But,” she sighed, “I suppose we should stop. I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation any more than I already have.”
“You are relentless today, Lieutenant,” he muttered.
“You said it yourself. Call it payback for leaving a lady alone by herself at a party.”
He uncrossed his arms and sat up straighter in his chair. “I didn’t say that.”
She narrowed her eyes at him with a smile. “Yes you did.”
“No,” he shook his head. “I said a pretty lady.”
The skin of her nose and cheeks turned a shade pinker after his compliment. Riza coughed and looked away from him but Roy could see her hiding her smile behind the rim of her glass.
“And that was the truth,” Roy added, tilting his body over towards her and dropping his voice low. “I wasn’t joking when I said that.”
“Sir,” she scolded lightly.
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Just telling the truth,” he defended.
Her mouth snapped closed and she was silent for a moment. “Hush, you,” she muttered finally, cheeks still pink.
“Are you telling me to lie, Riza?” He acted scandalised, opening his mouth in shock at her suggestion.
“Fine,” she relented, looking around their vicinity to see if anyone could overhear, but there was no one to be found. “I’ll admit, it is nice to hear.” She mumbled it so quietly that Roy had to lean forwards to hear her.
“I’ll just have to tell you at every opportunity I can then.”
A warning look was shot his way.
“And I’ll do it, too,” he grinned brightly. “You know I will.”
“Maybe I will extract my weapon.” She lifted a hand to her chin and tapped it with one finger as she pondered the thought.
The two fell silent, laughing quietly together as all joking was dropped for the moment. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment longer and Roy couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried.
“Thank you, Roy,” she murmured.
“For what?”
“For being so good to me.”
“It’s what you deserve,” he replied simply. “If I could show you it every day then I would.”
“I know,” she reassured him with an appreciative look. “I would do the same.”
“You already know you own this,” he added quietly. He stretched above his head but as his hands lowered he tapped the left side of his chest above his heart, feigning that it was just a tic of his. “That will never change.”
Riza’s hand slowly moved underneath the tablecloth, as if she was moving to fix her dress. She tapped his knee with the back of her hand and Roy slid his own hand underneath it too. Riza latched onto it tightly, giving it a hard squeeze of gratitude. Roy smiled at her, lost in her eyes, and stroked his thumb over the skin on the back of her hand. Suddenly, everything else just fell away. The party, the noise, the music, it was all gone. It was just the two of them.
Subtly looking around one final time, Riza deemed it was safe to speak what was on her mind. Still, her glass was lifted to her lips so her mouth was hidden from the rest of the room, but Roy could still see it moving. She paused before she took a drink.
“I love you,” she breathed.
Roy squeezed her hand tightly in his. Then, he extracted it from her hold but didn’t let Riza move far. He guided her hand to rest flat atop his knee. The warmth from her palm seeped into his trousers, making him smile to himself. Maintaining eye contact, he drew a love heart on the back of her hand and placed his own atop hers, covering it completely.
“That’s a new one,” she commented softly.
He grinned at her. “I like to keep things fresh, Lieutenant. And I return your sentiment. Wholeheartedly.”