The Unexpected (Part 2 - Elizabeth)

Riza was standing in front of the door to the study room, but she was hesitating to open it. Even though her hand was on the doorknob, still she was unable to turn it. Roy was standing behind her from a while, wearing his military uniform and a very long coat. He was concerned for Riza.

"It's all right if you don't want to show the research work now," He said in an assuring manner.

Riza forgot for a moment that Roy was standing behind her, and when she suddenly heard his voice, she was startled. She quickly opened the door and got inside. Roy followed her inside, leaving the door open. Riza didn't want to face Roy at that moment for some reason, so she stood at some distance, facing her back to him.

"Can you please close the door?" She requested with hesitation in her voice.

Roy moved toward the door and closed it without making any unnecessary noise. He then turned around to see Riza was still facing her back to him. She was clinging her hands together and looking down at the floor. The evening sunlight was coming through the small window where Riza was facing as if it was putting her in the spotlight. The only thing Roy couldn't see was the expression on her face, but it was quite clear from everything else that she was very uncomfortable.

Roy stood at his position quietly, waiting for Riza to show him the secrets to flame alchemy. It was quite a while since Roy was watching Riza standing at a distance like a statue. And when he was about to speak, Riza removed the small coat she was wearing over her clothes and dropped it on the floor. Roy was confused on what she was doing.

After that, she started removing the top and Roy could only imagine where it was going. He quickly turned around and started breathing heavily. His face was red and started sweating in that awkward circumstance. He was clearly not expecting Riza to strip off of her clothes right in front of him. Then he started blabbering whatever was coming into his mind.

"Hey, Ri… Riza, I know you like me but, d…don't you think we are rushing things? Ri…Riza I like you too b…b…but, you are making things aw…awkward. P…please stop," He stuttered a lot.

Roy was only 15 when he came to the Hawkeye residence, and lived with them for 3 years. After which he spent 2 years in a military academy where there were no girls. So, even after surrounded by courtesans till his early teens, he never got into such a situation. Later also he never had the chance to make friendship with any girl other than Riza because he was too much focused about his career and learning alchemy. Now he was in a situation where the girl he knew too well was alone with him in a closed room and was getting naked right in front of him. So, it was not surprising that Roy's heart was beating like a steam engine.

After some time, he heard Riza's shy voice.

"You can turn around," She said hesitantly.

Roy thought, maybe she listened to him and put back her clothes on. So, he slowly turned around while looking toward the floor. After turning toward Riza, he slowly started lifting up his head. His vision slowly moved toward the place where he could see the coat which Riza removed. He gulped and lifted his head a little more and saw Riza's top and her bra. He also saw Riza's legs beyond those clothes. He gulped again and lifted his head a little more. He then saw the lower part of Riza's bare back, and as soon as he saw that, he quickly descended his head to again look at the floor.

He started breathing heavily, but he remembered the tattoo he saw on Riza's back for that brief moment. He was confused on what he saw and lifted up his head out of curiosity. All his shyness disappeared when he saw Riza's back, which was covered with a tattoo. And now he could also see Riza was covering her front with her bare hands while looking down at the floor out of embarrassment.

"What is this?" Roy asked with a stressed voice.

"The secrets to flame alchemy," Riza replied hesitantly.

Roy gritted his teeth and clenched his fists out of anger. He could see that she was feeling embarrassed and ashamed. He couldn't see her like that, so he walked closer to her. He then removed the coat he was wearing and covered her with that. After that, he spoke with anger for his Master whom he respected a lot,

"I couldn't have imagined that out of all people, Master was capable of doing something so inhuman…That bastard…How could someone do something like this to his own daughter? Was everything for him merely a subject for his research? And all this time he was lecturing me on helping others…What a hypocrite." He sounded disgusted with his master's deed.

Riza turned around and looked into Roy's eyes, which were filled with rage. When Roy saw Riza looking at him, he calmed down and smiled to give her some assurance.

"Don't worry. I will never become Berthold Hawkeye," He said.

Those simple words gave her courage, she felt safe and hugged him. Suddenly, Roy spoke

"R...R…Riza c…can you p…p…please stop hugging me?" He stuttered a lot.

Riza stopped hugging, and looked at him. His face was red as a tomato.

"What happened? Why are you blushing?" Riza asked.

Roy lowered his head and replied while stuttering,

"I th…think you sh…should wear something."

Riza forgot for a moment that she was only wearing Roy's buttonless coat which was still revealing a lot, because of which Riza started blushing. But then, she got closer to Roy and smooched him on his lips. Roy was stunned by Riza's action and looked at her with a surprised face. But, when he thought things couldn't get crazier than the sudden brief kiss, he heard something which he never heard from any other person throughout his entire life.

"I love you Roy Mustang," Riza said while blushing.

A big grin appeared on Roy's face when he heard those 3 words. He took a deep breath and said,

"Master must be mad at us right now."

"I don't care," Riza replied.

The surrounding was silent, not even an insect was making a noise. The window was open, but there was no wind to disturb them. There was only the dim ray of the setting sun falling on them through the window as if the sun was marrying the souls meant for each other. Roy looked into Riza's eyes which were still like an undisturbed lake. He cupped her face with one hand and said which he never said to anyone in his entire life,

"I love you Riza Elizabeth Hawkeye and I will keep on loving you until my last breath."

Love is a very strong bond existing between two people which gets stronger under certain circumstances, and it was a situation like that. That was the time when they confessed their feeling for each other, although it was more like a vow than a confession. He kissed her and she kissed him back. They were too much into each other at that moment, she always saw him as her best friend, but that moment clearly led their relationship to a more beautiful path. After some time, Riza pulled away from him. Both of them were smiling and blushing, as it was their first kiss.

"I think you should see the research work," Riza said with a shy voice and blushing face, reminding Roy of the real reason they were in that room.

Roy was also looking very happy, as was Riza.

"Fine. Let me bring a pen so that I can make notes," Roy said with a grin stuck to his face which was not disappearing.

Riza then turned around and removed the coat, but this time she was very much comfortable. Roy brought a pen and a notebook, but while making notes, he started moving his index finger on Riza's back.

"What are you doing Roy?" Riza asked.

"It's the way I study," Roy replied.

Riza quickly turned around and looked at him by lifting one of her eyebrows.

"Reeaaaly? Because I never saw you read any book like that," Riza questioned.

Roy was busted and started laughing hesitantly. He then noticed Riza's bare breasts and his face turned red like a tomato. Riza also noticed that and quickly turned around with a mild annoyance.

"You know it is cold here, right? AND I AM WEARING NOTHING," Riza said with a little annoyance.

"Sorry Ma'am, it won't happen again," Roy said like a soldier. And Riza smiled when she heard his military apology.

After finishing the notes, Roy startled Riza by kissing her bare back. And then he apologized immediately before she could say anything,

"Sorry Ma'am, but my lips moved by themselves."

Riza didn't say anything. She quietly wore her top and turned around to cup his face and deliver a smooch on his lips. Soon after that, she said with a smile,

"I guess, my lips also moved by themselves."

Both laughed a lot that night and got to sleep on a single bed under the same blanket with Roy holding her all night.

Next morning Roy was standing outside the main door with his luggage, to go to the station. Riza and Matilda were also present there to see him off. Roy and Riza were looking at each other like a pair of lovebirds at that moment. They almost forgot that Matilda was also present there.

"Don't worry. I will be coming back as soon as I can," Roy assured Riza when he looked at her worried face. And soon after that, he kissed her on her lips.

Matilda was standing there, looking at them surprisingly.

"What happened between you two last night?" Matilda asked anxiously.

That time, Roy and Riza realized that they did something very unusual in front of Matilda. And after realization, they replied instantly in sync,

"Nothing"

They started acting awkwardly soon after that. On the other side, Matilda was clearly not convinced. She looked at Roy like she would eat him alive, and asked,

"Then why did you kiss her on the lips?"

Roy started laughing hesitantly and moving his hand through his hairs when he saw Matilda's angry face. Meanwhile, Riza was looking at the floor avoiding any direct contact with Matilda. As no one was giving an answer and it was time for Roy to leave for the station, Matilda decided to ask Riza for an explanation later.

"Now go, otherwise you will miss your train," Matilda said annoyingly.

Roy picked up his small luggage bag, and soon after that Riza said with a concerned face.

"Take care"

Roy could see that she was worried about him, because of which happiness was absent from her face. So, Roy smiled and said,

"I will have to. I have a beautiful country and two beautiful women to live for after all."

Those words brought a smile on Riza's face, which he embedded into his memories before leaving for his duty.