Roy would never begrudge Riza's work ethic, would never complain about it, but he did wish she didn't tend to work herself ragged for his sake. She worked hard and sacrificed so much of her own time and energy not just for him, but for her subordinates and her and loved ones, that it often meant she had little left to give to herself. There were periods where he would slowly watch the circles under her eyes grow darker with each early morning and late night, where her focus seemed to stray a few moments before snapping back, eyebrows knit together in concentration. Roy had tried to bring this up with her a few times, but Riza would always try to ease his well meaning concern with reassurances that she would be OK, that once the workload settled down she would focus more on taking care of herself. To her credit, she usually kept to her word, and he would see her slowly return to her usual speed. No matter how many times he told her how invaluable she was, no matter how many times he showed his undying respect and adoration for her in private, Roy never felt that it was enough. Riza liked to remind him of how much he worked himself, of the things he did and would do seemingly independent of her, but if he was being honest with himself, so much of it could be owed to her. He didn't want any of the members of his team to go unappreciated, but it was especially so for his closest confidant.

So, when they would be blessed with the chance to spend a day together outside of work, Roy went to great lengths to make sure Riza was well taken care of.

Her own circadian rhythm usually meant that, even when she didn't have to, Riza woke up at 6 every morning. Had she been by herself, that would have been her cue to start her day, but Roy could always find a way to keep her in bed for longer than usual, Sometimes she would fall back asleep as he ran his fingers through her hair and up and down her back, but this time she stayed awake, sighing contently when she felt Roy start to kiss her neck.

"I love you," he whispered into the shell of her ear as his hands came to her sides. "You are my world, my queen. My true love." Riza could feel her heart speed up at the pure love that filled Roy's tone, glad he was currently preoccupied and wouldn't see her blush a deep red.

After they'd had their fun in Roy's bed, they climbed out of bed and started breakfast together. Roy insisted on making Riza her favorite breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs, and a cup of honey lemon tea and serving it to her before he made his own plate, something she herself reluctantly accepted with a secret, almost guilty pleasure. It generally wasn't in her nature to feel comfortable or even like being so blatantly doted on, but she could give the one she cared the most about a free pass.

"You know, you don't have to do this for me, Roy. I'm not worth being spoiled," Riza said after they were finished eating and had made themselves comfortable on Roy's couch, her head on his chest. She felt his fond chuckle jostle her head slightly as she played with her hair, something that he'd been doing more and more often since she decided to grow it out.

"It's hardly spoiling, Riza. After all you do, it seems fair to show you my appreciation for it. To let you know," he replied. Riza rose up on her hands to look Roy in the eyes, an almost teasing smile on her lips.

"To let me know what, exactly?" she asked, although she felt she already knew the answer.

Roy gently placed a hand on the back of her head, guiding her forward so she could kiss her. It was soft and patient, a stark difference from the ones they'd shared the night before. When they broke apart, Roy returned her previous smile, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"That I love you. That I appreciate you in every thing you do. That you are my light, my fierce lieutenant...my queen. That I would do any and everything for you so that you can be happy and safe. That I have your back like you have mine," Roy replied, his tone full of reverence for the person he was talking to. A hand came up to her cheek to stroke it fondly, his grin turning wicked when he noticed her blushing. "My, Riza, do I fluster you that much?"

His teasing inquiry was met with a light slap to his chest, Riza herself shaking her head with a teasing smile.

"You are absolutely incorrigible, Roy," she replied lightly, causing her companion to erupt in a deep laugh that she felt in her bones. Riza laid back down on top of him, the two settling into a comfortable silence.

While any part of these days were ones they cherished and held tightly to their hearts during harder times, the mornings that passed like molasses were their favorites. The way they would talk, laugh, and simply relax in each other's company lacked the rushed quality of the afternoons or the bittersweet taste of the evenings. Mornings lingered and stretched, as if the day itself was showing respect to them.

Those mornings, they both would think to themselves, were when they felt the most like themselves.

I told myself that 2019 would be the year I not only wrote more, but stopped being so hard on the things I did write and share more of it. This is me trying to fulfill that, and hopefully this won't be the last time this year you see me. Writing has always been something I liked doing, something that was a kind of comfort, and something I personally am good at, and since I graduated from high school back in 2015, I've been battling some personal demons. I'm OK now, and I feel the most motivated to continue this since 2014. Thank you to everyone who has been patient and stuck with me through all the bumps in the road, and shoutout to fullmetalscully for giving me motivation on Twitter and for being an all around good person and writer.

I hope you guys liked this, it was very comforting to write Roy just being completely enamored with Riza and treating her like she should be. I would love any and all thoughts you have, even if it's constructive criticism. I know I'm rusty and want to improve. Thank you very much!