Title -- Important Lessons
Author--
cornerofmadnessDisclaimer -- Arakawa owns all
Rating -- teen
Characters/Pairing -- Roy/Riza
Word Count -- 421
Warning -- none
Summary -- Roy has lessons to learn.
Author’s Note -- Happy holidays, 2014. Written for the
fandom_stocking community.
XXX
Roy watched Master Hawkeye’s carriage roll away. His mentor would be gone for the next thirty-six hours, and Roy was determined to use that time to master the lessons Hawkeye had left for him. Maybe if he could do that in such a short period of time, Hawkeye would be impressed and teach Roy what he wanted to learn: flame alchemy. Roy was vaguely aware most fifteen year olds wouldn’t think that an appropriate use of adult-free time, but he wasn’t the average teenager. He was better, smarter, more determined.
“Roy.”
He turned and Riza thrust an old blanket at him. He sighed. “Riza, I don’t want to do chores right now. Can’t the wash wait? I have to study.”
Riza gave him a look that suggested he was as stupider than a stump. “I’m not asking you to do the wash. My father is gone.”
“I know that. It’s why I want to study, so I can perfect my technique before he gets back.”
She tossed the blanket at it, forcing him to catch it. “You can study later.”
“Not if I want to get good fast.”
Riza turned and got a basket off the living room table. “It can wait.”
When he whined, she hefted the basket. Roy stared at her. Riza narrowed her eyes jerking her chin toward the blanket as she waggled the basket.
Something dawned. “Oh! You want to go on a picnic?” Roy wondered why it took him so long to realize.
“Yes.” Her tone was that of a very patient teacher with a completely untalented student. “It’s beautiful outside, and Father never lets us go anywhere together.”
That was true. Hawkeye was usually very protective of his daughter. Roy had wondered what sort of man he was spending the night with if he hadn’t taken Riza with him. He knew Hawkeye was visiting an alchemist, but maybe one of less than stellar morals if leaving Riza home alone with Roy was the better choice. Roy really wanted to study, but how could he turn Riza down? She was so sweet in so many ways. He smiled. “A picnic sounds great.”
And it was. Riza led him through the wooded path behind her house to a hilltop meadow. They nibbled on her picnic lunch and later he tried nibbling on her neck. Riza’s sherry brown eyes lit up bright as the sun above them. When she kissed him soft and innocently, Roy knew there were more important things than studying. Riza was one of them.