Fanfic - Rewards Earned

[cornerofmadness]

Title Rewards Earned
Author Cornerofmadness
Disclaimer -- Arakawa owns all
Summary Riza has always known how to get a day’s work out of Roy.
rating - teen
Warning -- none
Word Count 624
Author’s Note written for fandom_stocking’s 2018 edition and written for kunstarschloch. Happy Holidays.
X X X



Roy watched Riza tending her father's garden. He didn't particularly like the short haircut she wore but he liked how she filled out the old cotton pants and the work shirt that stuck to her in all the right places. Or the wrong places, if his alchemy teacher caught him looking. Roy was already prepared for that. His pretense was he had come outside to get some herbs used in folk medicine that might have a use in healing alchemy. It wasn't what either of them were really interested in that sort of alchemy but he could see its uses and not just as an excuse to watch Teacher's lovely daughter work.

"Are you just going to stare, or are you going to be useful?" Riza asked in her no-nonsense tone, one that she had already honed to a razor's edge in spite of her age.

"I was contemplating the lessons your father set for me," he said, glad his body wasn't too out of control at the moment. He should have figured Riza would catch him. He needed to learn to be stealthier. He'd discuss that with Aunt Chris next time they spoke.

Riza looked at him, then at her shoulder as if trying to see her own backside past it. "I'm sure you were."

Roy levered himself off the porch and sauntered over to the garden. Riza handed him a basket and a set of gloves as if she expected him to be there. Knowing her, she had. He was having trouble hiding his attraction.

"Do you want to weed or do you want to pick the early squash?" she asked.

He stared down at the greenery sprawling before him. "I'm not sure I'd know a weed if it bit me."

Riza snorted. "I forgot, you're a city boy."

"Completely."

She pointed to some broad-leafed plants. "Pick squash."

Roy wrestled one off, which was a little more challenging than he expected. It seemed unfair that she was making him handle phallic fruit. Riza glanced at him with the long green squash in hand and blushed slightly as if she suddenly realized him squatting there with the penile thing wasn't her best idea.

"Be careful to look under the leaves. They like to hide and then they get so big they're not good for much."

"Probably first time that's ever been said about something shaped like this," he muttered under his breath.

Riza nudged him in the backside with her foot, grinning at him. She'd heard him, leaving him blushing. "Behave."

"Oh, if your father can't make me do that, what hope do you have?" He laughed.

"I have weapons, Father doesn't."

Riza's sly grin left Roy wondering. Oh, what a smile that was. Oh, what a bitch his imagination was. His body was going to spin out of his control. He'd do anything to make her smile like that. Worse, he wanted to know her weapons but imagining them was going to make certain body parts think the squash needed to be imitated. Roy cleared his throat and viciously attacked another plant trying to get his mind off it.

"And Mr. Mustang..."

"Please, when we're alone, call me Roy. I'm sixteen. I don't feel old enough to be a mister."

"Roy, in addition to weapons, I also have rewards for jobs well done." Her blue eyes twinkled. "I thought you might be less useless if you had motivation."

He scowled. He'd show her useless. "As a man with a curious mind, I confess, I'd like to uncover these rewards."

"I just bet you do," she said coyly. "Get that squash picked and we'll see."

She needed a little more subtly to her manipulations but Roy didn't mind. He'd do Riza's bidding. Always.