Author's Notes: I had a Rizbecca prompt and became very panicky after not being able to find ANY Rizbecca fics out there. Maybe I just searched wrong. Let's hope so. My heart was saying smut, but my brain told me no, not yet. I always listen to my brain, as much as I hate it sometimes.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

the way hands may wander

When Riza had decided to go out for drinks with the other cadets in her year at the Academy, this was not how she'd pictured her night going. It had been fun - admittedly much more fun than she'd expected - but now she felt like she was being backed into a corner and didn't know what to do. Actually, she knew what she was supposed to do, but for some reason, she didn't know how to go about doing it. That was a lie too. She knew how to...

Oh, this was a very uncomfortable situation.

Needless to say, when Riza had agreed to a pool game with a bet, she had been confident enough in her abilities. There had been approximately one pool table in the town next to her home growing up. Roy had taught her how to play, endlessly amused that the pool table was in a rec room in the small town hall building and not one of the bars. Apparently, pool tables were typical of bars and his aunt even had one in hers, which was how he'd learned. It turned out that she had a natural talent at pool, sharpened by her times playing with Roy, and so she had thought that she would win against a drunk military cadet.

It turned out she was wrong and she lost the bet just barely. Now Riza was teetering nervously at the end of the table, clasping onto the pool stick tightly and staring down at the damned three ball that had simply refused to go in.

"C'mon, Hawkeye!" the winner goaded, the largest smirk she had ever seen on his face. He was built nearly twice her size, all muscle and height, though she didn't much worry about him trying to physically force her to do anything. Besides, she had lost the bet fair and square and she'd been idiotic enough to agree to it, but that didn't stop her from procrastinating and being discomforted by it.

The bet in question: if she won, Cadet Lewis had to buy her and her roommate drinks for the rest of the night; if she lost, she had to kiss her roommate for at least fifteen seconds. It had seemed like a silly bet at the time. Sure, the drinks were ridiculously cheap here and she didn't plan on drinking much more, but it was still a lot more costly than a fifteen second kiss. Lewis was just being a lecherous idiot, as he usually was, already having gotten in trouble a few times for toeing the appropriate line with the few female cadets in the Academy.

Now Riza was being forced to reap what she'd sown and it was embarrassing. It wasn't as if she was completely innocent. Hell, she wasn't even a virgin anymore. But she had only ever done stuff like that in private. The few times she and Roy had kissed in public had been at night while in town, but almost never where there were prying eyes. Now it felt like everyone in the bar was watching her, waiting to witness some exciting event. It was just a kiss. It couldn't be that bad. Her roommate had shrugged the bet off like it was nothing; even now she looked nonplussed.

"You don't really have to do it, Riza, if you're too uncomfortable," her roommate told her, eyelashes fluttering over her dark brown eyes.

How Rebecca could remain so relaxed about things was beyond Riza. Sure, she got worked up every now and then - the girl had a lovely temper if she or someone she cared about was being crossed - but she was also happy-go-lucky and cheeky. She kind of reminded Riza of Roy in a few ways. Right now, she was wearing a soft, supportive look, even though she had been downing a shot with another cadet just moments ago before Riza's unexpected loss.

Riza bit her lip. "No, I agreed to the bet..."

"You can always kiss me instead of her, if you'd like," Lewis put in. It was more helpful than he realized. Shooting him a glare, which only made him laugh, Riza shook her head. She would definitely not be kissing him.

"It'll be fine," Rebecca said, perking up and tossing her hair back. She gave Riza a broad grin, the kind of smile she used on the male cadets when she wanted a drink. She usually got one too. She was quite excellent at saving money. "Ignore those idiots, just focus on me. Besides, after this, we won't have to buy drinks for the rest of the night anyways."

As the chanting of, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" began in the background, Riza did exactly what Rebecca told her. She focused solely on her roommate and put everyone else out of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward so that she was in Rebecca's space, almost against her. They'd been closer before, like when Riza would help a silly and drunk Rebecca back to their dorm or that one time Rebecca had an awful nightmare. But this felt different - charged, electric, as if something was both pushing them away and pulling them together at the same time. It felt like when she and Roy kissed those first few times. Maybe it was because of the way her eyes were drawn to Rebecca's red lips, noticing how they curled into an enticing yet comforting smile. She almost jumped when she felt Rebecca put a hand on her arm, but then forced herself to relax, breathe again, and focus.

And then Riza kissed Rebecca.

At first, Riza was much too tense. Her eyes were screwed shut tight and her arms were held at her sides and hands clenched. She counted down the seconds - one, two, three - until Rebecca moved her lips against hers and squeezed Riza's arm. Relax - it's okay, the touch seemed to say. And so Riza did.

Her muscles loosened and she unclenched her hands. Rebecca's lips were softer than Roy's had been, plumper too, and wet with the lipstick she'd recently reapplied. The kiss was as gentle as hers and Roy's first kiss, but lighter as well. She didn't have to crane her neck to kiss Rebecca as they were similar height. When Rebecca reached to put a hand on Riza's face, her heart jumped, but not in an unpleasant way. Riza's own hands found their way onto Rebecca's hips. She felt the way her closest friend smiled against her lips and tentatively smiled in return, only to gasp when Rebecca briefly deepened the kiss, the tip of her tongue darting into Riza's mouth and her fingertips brushing through Riza's short blond hair.

As sudden as it began though, it was over. Rebecca pulled away from her, flushed cheeks mirroring Riza's bright red ones, though Riza couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or the lack of air. She was smiling. Before Riza could come up with anything to say, Rebecca took hold of her hand and laughed, mock-bowing to the crowd of male cadets gawking at them. Riza immediately looked away, trying to discern whether she could hide underneath the pool table or not, but then Rebecca gave her a big hug.

"We won't have to buy drinks for the rest of the month after that!" she giggled while the men awkwardly dispersed until they were alone together. Lewis, the instigator, had to be dragged away, completely at a loss for words.

A shy smile worked its way onto Riza's face. Rebecca was such a positive thinker. She should be more like that. The kiss hadn't been bad at all. In fact, Riza thought it had been dizzingly pleasant. She knew that her friend wouldn't tease her about it and, if anyone tried to make fun of her, Rebecca would stand up for her. The rest of the night went on as if nothing had happened. Riza stuck close to Rebecca, who was friends with basically everyone on some level. The only difference was that, just as Rebecca had predicted, neither one of them had to buy drinks. All Rebecca had to do was give Riza a wink and then suddenly drinks would appear, a red-faced boy grinning nervously at them.

The two other female cadets didn't seem too happy with them, but they weren't mean either, just cold. That bothered Riza a little, but Rebecca didn't seem to care. She was on good terms with them, though nowhere near as close to them as she was with Riza. Not for the first time Riza wondered why, considering that Rebecca shared more in common with the other girls, but she didn't complain. She really liked Rebecca. It was nice to have a close girl friend. According to Rebecca, the girls were just jealous of the attention that they were getting, not that it mattered to them or they wanted it. They'd get over it come morning during class.

In the end, Riza drank a little more than was planned, but she wasn't too drunk. The walk back to their dorm room was filled with more stumbling than usual, but it was fun. Alcohol flushed her, a pleasant warmth radiating throughout her body. Her thoughts were a little hazier than she would've liked, jumping from one thing to the next and with far more emotion, but it wasn't too terrible. Rebecca was holding her heels in one hand, gripping Riza's with the other, and leaning against her as she laughed at a joke one of the other cadets made. She smelled like the smoke from the bar and rose perfume, her curly hair tickling Riza's neck and cheek.

"We've got class in the morning, Lewis, so don't stay up too late fantasizing!" Rebecca called out cheekily.

Lewis gaped so hard that he walked right into a trash can and toppled over. Everyone laughed, including the two other female cadets, as he staggered back to his feet and tried to right the trash can without looking like a complete dolt. Riza smiled despite herself, but stayed quiet. It wasn't long ago that she was feeling like everyone was watching and ready to laugh at her. They ducked into the building, the walk through the hallways much quieter as they didn't want to disturb other cadets or get in trouble. By the time they reached their dorm room, sleepiness had begun to take over Riza's mind and she craved her bed. She didn't stay up this late.

While Rebecca ducked into the bathroom to wash her face and change into her pajamas, Riza sat on her bed and quickly undressed. She was in shorts and a baggy t-shirt setting an alarm when Rebecca stepped back into the room, stretching her arms and yawning. She didn't appear as drunk as she could've been, but there was a dopey smile on her face and her eyes were heavy-lidded. She stumbled only a bit and slurred a light goodnight as she crawled into bed before Riza turned off the light and slipped under the covers of her own.

For a while, they laid like that in the dark. Riza was close to drifting off, her mind already thinking of class the next day, when she heard a quiet, "Riza, you awake?" from the other side of the room.

"Mmhm," Riza responded, listening to the bed squeaking and blankets rustling as Rebecca moved to face her. She couldn't see the other girl, not having a window in heir dorm, but she could tell that Rebecca was looking at her. She was unusually quiet, maybe biting her lip, like she did that one night after waking up from a nightmare and in tears. It felt like that night too, though they'd had a fun night and she didn't sound like she'd fallen asleep.

"Can I...?" The question died on Rebecca's lips, but Riza somehow knew what she was asking. It had been the same way that night they'd curled up together while Rebecca shakily explained the nightmare. Riza had had nightmares before too, but she'd never had anyone to go to for comfort, not even Roy, who she hadn't wanted to bother.

Riza didn't answer out loud. Instead, she scooted to the edge of her bed so that she was pressed up against the wall and threw back the covers. It was enough noise for Rebecca to get the picture even in the dark. She got out of her bed, tiptoed to the other side of the room, and squeezed in next to Riza. Her body was so much smaller and softer compared to Roy's, the only other person who Riza had ever shared a bed with. She had soft swells and curves hiding the muscle beneath whereas Roy had been all muscle and strength from his time at the Academy. She still smelled of roses, so it must've been her shampoo, her curly brown hair brushing against Riza's nose.
Instead of putting her back to Riza's chest like a little spoon, she faced Riza, her body lightly pressed against hers as these beds weren't made for two people. They were two small women though, so it made things a little easier. Riza slept on her side anyways and Rebecca seemed capable of finding a comfortable position no matter what. Closing her eyes, Riza thought to find sleep, despite her heart beating faster than normal, when she felt Rebecca put a gentle hand on her hip to prop her arm.

"You were so silly tonight," Rebecca whispered, a smile in her voice.

"I'm sorry for putting you in such an awkward position," Riza sighed earnestly. She should never have taken a bet that involved her friend, not when she was the one who had to win. It felt like she'd thrown Rebecca under the bus and for no good reason. She had been worried that Rebecca might be mad at her for dragging her into the absurd situation, but it hadn't seemed to bother her in the slightest.

"Don't worry about it, goofball," Rebecca told her with a light chuckle. And then she went silent again, breathing so close to Riza that she could feel her hot breath puff against her neck. It sent a shiver down, but she willed herself not to squirm. "It was cute. You were...sweet."

Even though it was utterly ridiculous, Riza smiled. "Sweet?"

"Adorable, even," Rebecca added. There was a pause and then - "I...I liked it. Most guys are so rough. You were gentle. It was nice."

Nice. Gentle. Sweet. Riza tried to wrap her mind around the words, but whether it was the alcohol or her own nerves, she couldn't capture them. It almost sounded as if Rebecca was saying that she had enjoyed kissing her, which was preposterous. Rebecca liked boys. She liked to joke that she was only in the military so that she could find a man that would be able to rise up in the ranks and take care of her, despite her excellent marksmanship scores and aggressive need to compete.

Rebecca's hand left her hip and moved to Riza's face, just as she had done back at the bar. Her face was closer now, her breath on Riza's face, a hot but light puff of air that made Riza feel like she could barely breathe. She moved, closer to Riza, so that her chest was pressed against hers, more intimate than a hug, and her lips just inches from Riza's. She could see Rebecca in the dark, her eyes having adjusted, and the other girl's eyes were looking directly into hers. Asking her if she was okay. Asking for permission to come closer.

Riza closed the gap this time. It was an awkward angle, but she did it anyways, that pull towards Rebecca too strong to deny. Her lips pressed against Rebecca's, molding against them, as Rebecca's finger slid into her hair, more intently than what she'd done at the bar. Riza put a hand on her arm, gripping it tightly, as she kissed her. Not just one long kiss, but a multiple kisses, needy and desired. Rebecca wiggled so that she could use her other hand, holding the side of Riza's face as her other hand moved from her hair back down to her side. Their bodies pressed together in ways that Riza had not imagined possible. Where her body had aligned with Roy's, it seemed to mold together with Rebecca's.

By the time they stopped kissing, just for a moment so they could breathe, both of them were panting heavily. Rebecca snuck in a chaste kiss despite gasping for air and Riza gripped her tighter. She didnt' know why she did it or why she felt the need to pull the other girl closer. It just felt natural to do.

Rebecca sighed. "You're so pretty."

"I'm not," Riza said quietly, "not like you."

And Rebecca was so pretty. In Riza's mind, she was the prettiest woman she had ever seen. When they'd first become roommates, Riza hadn't liked her all that much, thinking that she was just another boy-crazy girl looking for attention. As she'd grown to know her though, Riza had begun to understand Rebecca's beautiful spirit and warm soul. She was loving in a way that deserved to be loved in return and yet often wasn't. Riza loved her though. She knew that she would watch her friend go through heartbreak after heartbreak and would always be willing to help her pick up the pieces, just as Rebecca would defend Riza until the end of her days and smooth out every rough edge around her.

"You're pretty," Rebecca insisted.

She planted another kiss on Riza's lips, soft and kind. Riza smiled against her lips. Rebecca deepened the second kiss, her tongue sliding along Riza's lips until she parted them, and then Rebecca's tongue was inside. Not probing and demanding, but tentative. It wasn't desperate and hot like Roy's had been. She didn't know what else to do, so Riza returned the gesture, feeling like it was right, and the tiny whimper that tumbled out of Rebecca's mouth sent a jolt all the way down to Riza's center.

Rebecca's hand slid up her side again, but instead of jumping to her face or her arm, it went over her chest until to found one of Riza's breast. She wasn't wearing a bra and the moment Rebecca's finger swiped over her nipple, despite the clothe, a gasp of air hitched in Riza's breath and she straigntened against Rebecca's body. The other girl didn't stop in fear though, doing it again, and Riza couldn't have stopped the moan if she'd tried. She dug her fingers into Rebecca's hair, pushing her closer, and they began to kiss each other wildly. It was sloppy and they made far too much smacking noises. Rebecca couldn't seem to get enough of her breast, swiping and grabbing and squeazing. Their hips grinded against one another's, as if neither could control themselves.

The urge to touch her in return was so strong, but the moment she went to do so, Rebecca snatched her hand by the wrist and they paused, their lips still connected. Riza froze, barely able to breathe. Everything in her ached. Her hips hitched forward before she could think to stop them, wanting contact, wanting to be touched in between. She thought of Rebecca's delicate fingers, how they could press a trigger with such delicacy, and she had to cross her ankles to stop from squirming. That was not an appropriate thought right now.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca mumbled against her lips. She still hadn't moved. It was like a strange kiss, being spoken to with their lips connected.

"Why?" Riza asked, genuinely puzzled. Sure, she'd never kissed a girl before Rebecca, but she'd never kissed a boy before Roy. And it had felt good, as good as it had with Roy. She didn't even know if she'd ever see him again. She would always love him, she thought, but it wouldn't be the same with every person. He had kissed people before her and probably even after. She could do the same. She'd never expected it to be Rebecca, but...Riza trusted her.

Rebecca pulled away from her and he words tumbled out of her mouth. "You've been drinking and I'm-"

"You're what? Taking advantage of me?" Riza kissed her again, rushed and light, and then leaned back, dropping her head on her pillow. "Now who's being silly?"

A small smile crossed Rebecca's face. "So...you don't mind...? You liked it too?"

Riza had more than liked kissing Rebecca. To be honest, she didn't know how she was going to be able to sleep properly tonight, not with the way Rebecca's hand played with the band of her shorts, teasing her as she did in so many other things. But Riza wasn't confident, not bold in the way that Rebecca was, and so she merely nuzzled into Rebecca in response, burying her face in the other girl's neck and kissing it delicately. She couldn't say things out loud like her. Rebecca let out a breathy sigh and slid her hand around Riza's back underneath her shirt and held her close.

They fell asleep like that, despite the awkward angle. And when they awoke in the morning, heads lightly thumping from the alcohol and lack of water the nexgt morning, minds perfectly clear on what they'd talked about, both girls smiled and giggled at one another. When Rebecca smoothed down Riza's hair and kissed her again, she didn't tense up this time. In fact, she enjoyed quite a few kisses before they realized that they would be late for class if they didn't get up right then. It was almost worth being late, but then, Rebecca did like being a tease.