#flourchildwrites

Unfortunately,he had to pass Riza in order to get out the door.

Van Hohenheim,teacher of Religious, Moral, and Ethical Studies, was making her laugh and Roythought about how nice it sounded.

How you would like to makeher laugh like that, you mean.

“Shut up,”he muttered at the voice in his head.

“Hey, Roy,”Riza greeted, turning from Hohenheim. Her eyes danced with amusement, her smileradiant, causing his stomach to flutter.

“Hello,Roy.” Hohenheim offered his own smile. “Riza, I’ll speak to you later. I needto prepare for my next class.”

“Okay, seeyou later,” she bid with another friendly smile.

Was it friendly, or was it toofriendly?

“How wasyour lunch?” she asked.

“All right,”he replied. “Sorry, I need to go.”

He feltslightly bad about leaving her there, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen toMaes who was still laughing or dealwith the fact someone else might like Riza like he did.

Oh my god.Was he jealous?

No, he wasn’tjealous. He wasn’t. He was –

Oh my god,he was.

The knotin his stomach twisted tighter at the revelation.

This… thiswas not good. He needed to get out. He needed to escape. Another epiphany wason its way to the front of his mind and he couldn’t realise it now, not with somany people watching.

Roy, you’re being an idiot. You know that, right?Hohenheim is married and has two kids.

He was an idiot.

Not quite believinghe had let his thoughts and emotions run away from him like that, he coughed inembarrassment as he descended the stairs to the ground floor corridor to beginthe long walk to the opposite end of the school.

To makematters worse, he had Hohenheim’s kid in his next class. Edward Elric was agifted student who hated Roy for a reason he had yet to comprehend. The boy hadn’tsaid anything to him directly,however, Roy had seen the graffiti in the bathrooms. While Edward’s words wereincredibly creative and descriptive – something that made English teacher Maes Hughesincredibly impressed and proud of Ed – they were not the most pleasant. And Royknew it was him. He would recognisethose chicken scratches anywhere. His tests were barely legible however Royknew every answer would be right. The kid had a gift with chemistry. It was toobad he didn’t apply it to other aspects of his life, like respecting hiselders. The worst part was, Ed knewthat every answer would be right as well.

Grumblingto himself as he retreated to his classroom, Roy sullenly thought about how he couldn’tcatch a break lately.

First, hethought Hohenheim – a happily married man with two kids, one of which Roytaught – was getting too friendly with Riza. It was only too friendly because you didn’t want it to be. She washappy to talk to him. You wanted it to be you making her laugh like that. Secondly, he just discovered that hemight actually be jealous because he was too nervous to talk to Riza himselfand venture into the territory of possibly going out to do something out ofschool hours, rather than chaperone a trip to the science centre in CentralCity together. That had been an experience, and not the good kind. In short, itended with Roy chasing down a chicken that had somehow, magically, come free from an exhibit while a certain golden haired teenagercackled madly to himself while Riza watched with a smile and shook her head.

That smilehad made it all worth it.

The momentof clarity hit him in that instant, clutching his now cold coffee, the grip onhis papers now crumping them into a mess.

He wasjealous because he was in love with Riza.

It allmade sense. It was idiotic, jealousy had no part in his life, but regardless,it was there, and it just confirmed feelings he had been hiding from since he mether. There had always been something between them, but neither were botheredabout it or interested in taking it further. Well, that’s what he thoughtanyway.

He was… inlove…

Oh, shit.

“Roy?” heheard Riza call to him.

Cringingat the unexpected conversation – and therefore requiring a bullshit reason asto why he had appeared to be in such a bad mood leaving the staff room – Roy turnedand gave her what he hoped qualified as a smile and not a constipated look. “Areyou okay?”

“Yeah, ofcourse. Why?” he replied automatically. The question had been asked without thinking,and he was regretting it now. That three-letter word opened up an excuse for Rizato turn it back on him and ask why he was in such a foul mood.

“You seem…Off. Is something bothering you?”

Yes. “No.”

Riza eyedhim critically, approaching him. He felt himself straighten when she wasfinally in front, the faint smell of her perfume wafting pleasantly towardshim. The papers he was holding under his arm were clutched tighter. Very soonthey would be a lost cause.

“Somethingis bothering you. I know it is.”

Royresisted the urge to squirm underneath her gaze. Once he finally met her eyes,he was pulled in by their warm caramel colour. Oh, how he would love to losehimself in those eyes…

Riza’s expressionsoftened and she smiled, as if she finally figured out what was wrong. He felthimself sweat, his shirt sticking to his back uncomfortably. “Do you want totalk about it?”

“No.” Well, that was a pathetic squeak, wasn’t it?

“Not evenover coffee tonight, after – and outside of – school?” she asked. Roy blinkedin surprise back at her. That was not… what he expected.

“Uh, yeah.Sure,” he replied, feeling very graceful as he stuttered over his words. Riza’ssmile was bright, a knowing look crossing her face. Did she just –

The shrillring of the bell signalling the end of their lunch hour almost cut off herreply. “It’s a date.” With a grin she turned around, heading back the way shecame.

A date. Roy grinned to himself, feeling slightly idiotic in theslowly filling hallway. However, nothing would put a damper on his afternoonnow. He had a date with Riza Hawkeye tonight.