Fullmetal Alchemist A Stolen Hour

**I own nothing.**

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At a quarter to eleven, Riza heard a faint knock at her door. Hayate jumped up from his place beside her feet, barking excitedly. Another knock came, louder this time, and she stopped twirling her spoon around the empty mug in front of her. "I'm coming," she called. As she shuffled across the room, she felt her hip for the holster she had forgotten to remove.

She unlocked the door, pulling it open to reveal an extremely weary Roy Mustang slumped against the wall outside.

"Thought you might be asleep," he said. "Or in the shower." He stumbled into the room, narrowly avoiding the puppy that nipped at his pants. It wasn't hard to guess why he was here; Riza could smell smoke on his clothes and whiskey on his breath, and the bar he frequented wasn't far from her apartment.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, closing the door behind them. She refrained from mentioning that he was the one who needed a shower. The bar smells aside, he looked stiff and tired and his hair seemed so disheveled she doubted he had combed it at all in the last week.

Roy glanced past her at the mug on the table. "Chamomile?" he asked.

She nodded. "Would you like some? It's better for you than a nightcap."

"I know, I know," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I didn't come for a lecture. I just wanted to see you. It seems like I never do these days."

Riza ran her fingers over the corner of a box she still hadn't bothered to unpack. "I see you almost every day at work."

"You know what I mean, Riza."

Her eyes snapped open wider; she didn't even remember feeling them droop, exhausted as she was. It was rare for him to use her first name, even back in East City when they had often stayed at each other's apartments late into the night, sometimes finishing paperwork, sometimes talking, sometimes just sitting in silence. Company was nice; it kept the nightmares at bay to know someone who shared them was nearby.

"I'll make more tea," she said after several moments' consideration. "You're in no state to get yourself across town."

"I only had a couple drinks," he insisted, but he followed her to the kitchen anyway.

They sat side by side on the countertop while they waited for the kettle to boil. Something about the way he had persuaded her up reminded her of the boy she had once known so well. She resisted the urge to take his hand the way she might have done in those days; she still knew him better than anyway, knew that he wouldn't have the strength to pull away. It was better to resist the temptation now.

The whistle startled Roy, sending him forward off the counter. Riza placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as much as to help her down. He relaxed at the touch, turned to give her a tired smile, then opened and closed his mouth as though he had thought better of whatever it was he wanted to say. Instead, he scooped leaves from the container she had forgotten to close earlier into the teapot.

When she poured the boiling water, he found his tongue again. "Thank you," he said.

"It's no trouble," she said. A small smile found its way to her lips. She had missed these quiet moments more than she cared to admit. Ever since the transfer, their friendship had been put almost on hold in favor of focus on work, but she knew that wasn't the only reason. "How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, rubbing his wrist. Too tired, for games, Riza shot him a pointed glare until he continued, "I'm not."

Her heart ached at his answer, even though she had expected as much. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how you feel, but if you want to tell me—"

"There's nothing more to say," he said, his voice hollow, and she left it at that.

With the tea poured into two cups, they went to the table to stir in the sugar. Neither felt much like talking, which suited Riza just fine. She had never been one for forced conversation, and Roy had always understood that. It was one of her favorite things about him. They drank until the teapot was empty and the sugar bowl as well. As she set it carefully in the sink, she wondered just how Roy expected to fall asleep. He touched her elbow once he dried and set aside the last dish.

"I'm sorry for keeping you up. I'll leave now," he said.

"Please stay," she insisted. "It's no trouble. You can stay in my bed; the couch is comfortable and you really shouldn't go out like this."

Roy shook his head, a light laugh escaping his lips. "The couch is good enough for me. I can't have my Lieutenant getting a bad night's sleep on me, can I? You're the one who needs to stay awake."

"I suppose I do." Riza helped him pick out bedding from the closet, then turned to bid him goodnight before heading to her bedroom. Before she could get the words out, however, he pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Thank you," he said, straightening his back as he hugged his pillow closer. "For everything."

She watched him spread out the blanket with one hand on her cheek, still surprised by the kiss. When she went to her bed, Hayate at her heels, she couldn't help but feel a little safer knowing how close he was. With no need to fear an early morning phone call that might send her driving across town in the dark and far too late, she snuggled into the covers peacefully for the first time since she had moved.


End file.

Fullmetal Alchemist