Both Riza and Roy fell in love with each other during their teens, while Roy frequented their house to learn alchemy from his father. At the time, neither of them imagined that they would be reciprocated, so each kept the feeling to yourself, because despite living in the same house, they didn't have much contact due to their routines, so they weren't so close.
After all the evolution of their relationship over the years, that passion turned into genuine love, they became aware that their feelings were reciprocated, but they didn't have a frank conversation about it until Roy's time to become Fuhrer approached.
Neither of them knew that their feelings were mutual since adolescence, and they only found out when they talked about it, which surprised both of them.
Riza hummed under her breath quietly as she stood in front of the dryer, carefully folding laundry and placing it in a basket to bring to the bedroom. She smiled slightly as she picked up one of Roy's dress shirts; although it has just been through the wash, it still smelled a little bit like him. She couldn’t help but bring it to her face and breathe in deeply. It smelled like cologne with a hint of smoke. It smelled like her husband. Roy…
She jumped as she heard the front door opening, and she hastily withdrew the shirt from her face and acted like she was doing laundry normally. She grew slightly self-conscious as she heard Roy walking around the apartment. Her nose twitched as she continued to fold the laundry, her heart rate quickening as his footsteps drew closer. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled as the door slowly eased open, and a black-haired head popped out from behind the door.
“Hi. I’m just doing this last bit of laundry,” she smiled wider as he came strolling into the room. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her fold another one of his shirts.
“You know, I feel bad that you do the laundry all the time,” he frowned as he pressed a kiss into her neck. Thankfully, Riza was practiced in her military bearing, so she was able to squash the urge to squirm and giggle like a teenage girl. He makes a mess of me… she thought with a small smile as she placed the folded shirt into the basket and closed the dryer. Before she could retrieve the basket, Roy grabbed her by the hips and slowly turned her around. “Where's my welcome home kiss?” he purred, and Riza rolled her eyes as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Riza smiled and angled her head slightly to return the kiss, pressing herself against him for a brief moment.
“You know,” she smirked when she pulled back, glancing down at the pile of dirty clothes on the tiled floor. “I have a few more loads. Why don’t you help me?” she suggested, and Roy's eyebrows crept up his forehead. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing down at the dirty clothes, and Riza was surprised to find a look of hesitation forming on his features. “Do you… know how to do laundry?” she asked slowly, and she was even more surprised to see his cheeks turning pink.
“Of course!” he said indignantly, and Riza smirked slightly. This is going to be fun, she thought as she untangled herself from him and bent down to begin loading the dirty clothes into the washing machine. She was acutely aware of Roy staring at her behind, and she was glad it was her backside to him so he wouldn’t see her blushing. She hastily tossed the last of the clothes into the washing machine before straightening up and closing the door.
“All right. Tell me, what now?” she asked as she put her hands on her hips and turned back to him. His slightly reddened face suddenly turned pale as he stared at the machine like it was some foreign object. He shuffled over, rubbing his hands together.
“You, uh, put detergent in it, obviously,” he laughed nervously. When Riza prompted him to pick one of the four large containers sitting on the washing machine, he made a wheezing sound and stared at the bottles. “Um. Um. Uh,” he sputtered as he reached hesitantly for a bottle, staring out of the corners of his eyes at Riza to try and read her expression. She kept her face still as stone, despite the fact that she wanted nothing more but to laugh. He finally chose one, and jumped when she cleared her throat loudly.
“Honey, that’s bleach. I don’t recommend pouring that in there,” she mused as the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. He blushed darkly and hastily let go of the bottle, grabbing the one next to it. “There you go,” she chuckled, and he pulled the bottle forward and grabbed the little cup attached to the lid. She could hear him muttering under his breath as he measured the detergent and pulled out the slot to pour the viscous liquid into the appropriate chamber. He closed the slot and set the cup down, slightly pleased with himself.
“Great. Now, do you know which setting to put it on?” she smiled as she powered on the washing machine, and the smile vanished from Roy's face instantaneously. He reached up warily and began cycling through the various options, growing increasingly unnerved. He settled on one, and Riza snickered as she peered over his shoulder.
“No, no, we only use that for heavy loads like the bedsheets,” she sighed and began flipping the dial to the right setting. Roy looked doubtfully into the loaded washing machine.
“But that’s a lot of clothes…” he protested meekly as Riza switched to the right setting and started the machine. As the drum began whirling and water poured into the chamber, Riza smiled and patted him reassuringly on that back.
“It can look like that to a rookie,” she mused. Roy bristled, whirling around as she grabbed the full basket of clean clothes and began heading to the bedroom.
“I am not a rookie! I’ve just never worked on this washing machine,” he protested as he stomped after her. Riza smiled as she set the basket down on the edge of the bed and walked to the closet to grab a handful of hangers. She began stringing the clothes onto the hangers, while Roy hovered over her shoulder. “Is it always this much work?” he inquired as he grabbed a hanger and placed one of his shirts onto it. He left it unbuttoned, so he frowned when he lifted it up and it slid right off.
“Yes, it is,” she laughed slightly and reached over to place the shirt back on the hanger, buttoning the top button so it would hold. Roy held it up and nodded in slight appreciation. After they finished hanging the clothes, with Riza making slight modifications to Roy's work, she returned the empty basket to the laundry room.
“So, what now?” he inquired.
“Now, we wait,” she smiled at him, and she raised an eyebrow as he smiled alluringly and wound his arms around her waist.
“I’ve got an idea or two about what we can do to pass the time…” he murmured and pulled her up against him, and in response she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and curled her fingers into the ends of his midnight-black hair.
“Oh? That so? Enlighten me,” she answered, and he smiled before leaning down to press his lips against her own. Riza’s eyes drifted closed, and she sighed lightly as Roy ran his hands up and down her sides while kissing her deeper. “I should have you help me do laundry more often,” she joked as he pulled away to plant kisses down the nape of her neck, and she felt him chuckling as she wrapped her arms around his broad, strong back.
After their hour was up, Roy and Riza returned to the laundry room, and she opened the dryer to begin folding the clothes. Roy watched her for a minute, then blinked and picked up a shirt to begin clumsily folding it. He frowned deeply and presented the finished product to Riza, who just smiled and reached up to pat him on the head. “It’s a good thing that you’re pretty,” she chuckled teasingly.
“Come on. I’m trying here. I am your superior and you should respect me! Not tease me!” he pouted at her, and she smiled before laying the shirt out on top of the dryer and showing him how to properly fold it. He watched her intently, then tried to replicate it with another shirt. “Better?” he asked hopefully.
“Better,” she smiled and set the shirt in the basket. Roy bent down to get another shirt, then stared thoughtfully at the pile of clean clothes in the dryer. She cried out in alarm as he abruptly grabbed the clothes and flung then over her, and the next thing she knew the world was whirling around her. She landed on something soft and the warm, fluffy clothes rained down around her. As the clothes settled, she looked down to see that Roy had pulled her down to the ground and she was laying on top of him. “What are you doing?” she blinked down at him.
“Enjoying the laundry,” he remarked with a snicker, blowing a dress sock off his face. It was nice and warm, between Roy's body heat and the warm clothes scattered over them.
“Now I have to clean them all over again,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. Roy smiled and continued holding her hips, lightly running his index fingers up and down the small of her back.
“That’s okay. I enjoy doing laundry with you,” he smiled up at her.
“Really? Even though you’re terrible at it?” she laughed, and he pouted up at her bitterly. “Don’t worry. Practice makes perfect,” she consoled him teasingly and gave him a peck on the nose.
“So you’re saying we should do this more often?” he smiled.
“Definitely,” she laughed, and then he put a hand on the back of her head to pull her into a kiss. Definitely. I want to do all my laundry with you, Roy… Now and forever.
Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!
“Yes. What a shame that would be,” Roy agreed as he smirked at her and grabbed the wine bottle by the neck. Riza felt her lips curl into the tiniest of smiles as she rose from the chair to walk over to one of her cabinet drawers, pulling it open to rifle through the contents in search of a cork remover. She retrieved the small device and tossed it over to the waiting man, who deftly caught it and began working away at the cork while Riza crossed the kitchen to grab two wine glasses from a nearby cabinet. She frowned when she realized she had placed them in the back of the top shelf, a consequence of not drinking wine too terribly often. She sighed under her breath and stood up on her tip-toes, pushing glasses aside as she struggled to reach the pair of glasses in the back of the cabinet. She unconsciously placed the hand of her injured arm onto the counter and out her weight on it, and immediately a spasm of pain wracked her entire side. She dropped down onto the flats of her feet, clenching her teeth as she waited for the fiery pain to subside.
“You really are determined to re-open that wound, aren’t you?” came a small sigh from behind her. She went red as she realized that Roy was standing close behind her, so close in fact that he brushed against her as he reached up above her head to easily retrieve the two wine glasses from the back of the cabinet. He seemed unperturbed at the proximity, however. “Really. You could have just asked for help,” he tutted, the wine glasses clinking in his hand as he shut the cabinet door and glanced down at her. Riza pursed her lips slightly and looked away, mostly so he could not see her blushing.
“I’m not used to having a gunshot wound, you know. I just wasn’t thinking about it,” she huffed and grabbed the wine glasses out of his hand. He raided an eyebrow at her as she pushed past him to return to the table and fill the wine glasses. She glanced over her shoulder, pausing to push her loose blonde hair behind her ear. “Well? Are you going to just stand there?” She frowned at him. He was staring at her funny, but before she could ask, he regained his normal, stoic composure and crossed the small room to join her at the table. Riza eased herself down into the chair and brought the wine glass to her lips, staring thoughtfully out the window at the night sky as she sipped at the alcohol. She couldn’t help but smile when she remembered the fact that Roy bought it especially for her, even keeping in mind what her favorite brand was.
“I wonder how the Elric brothers are doing,” he cut in suddenly, and she turned back to him to find him staring down into the contents of the wine glass, swirling the same liquid around with a slightly sad look.
“They’re tough boys,” Riza remarked as she leaned back into the chair. “I’m sure they’re doing quite well. They’re determined to get their bodies back.” She paused for a moment, cocking her head to the side slightly as a smile came to her lips. “I wonder what they would think about you sitting here worrying about them,” she mused, and he looked up at her in mild irritation.
“I’m not worried,” he snorted, but his defensiveness was a perfect indicator for otherwise. “I know they’re tough. They’re also reckless and attract trouble, so I just-"
“Worry?” She laughed and sipped playfully at the wine. She had caught him in the lie, and he just glared at her for a second before throwing up a hand in defeat and taking a long drink of the wine. She chuckled softly. As much as he hated it, she could read him like a book; he couldn’t get anything past her. Though he would never admit it, especially to Edward Elric, he cared about the young boys far more than a superior should. How could he not? They had come upon them after such a terrible, horrible incident, at their very lowest. Children should not suffer that way, she thought as she gazed thoughtfully at Roy. Though he was ready to employ them as child soldiers, he knows this.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Roy asked gruffly as he grabbed the wine bottle to pour himself another glass. Riza flushed pink, mildly embarrassed to have been caught staring.
“I was just thinking, that’s all,” she answered evasively as she finished off her glass. Roy motioned for her to hold it out, and he poured another healthy dose of the alcohol into it. He just sniffed disdainfully at her answer before sipping at the wine again, leaning back on two legs of the chair as he glanced out of the window.
“… You know who was fun to drink with back in the day?” he smiled. “Hughes.”
“Mm. You and him would sit in the tents getting drunk on bourbon and whiskey, and the like,” she recalled with a small nod. “And Armstrong would scold you for it when he caught you, and then you would all get into a squabble and trash half the camp,” she added with a chuckle after Roy’s expression turned from nostalgic to uncomfortable.
“Were we really that rowdy?” he frowned as he scratched the back of his head. Riza looked down into the wine, swishing it a little as images of the old days in the war danced in the dark, reddish-purple depths. You'd all drink the pain away, she thought sadly. But it was never enough. Those scars won’t ever fade, no matter how much you try to drown them. She peered up at Roy through her eyelashes. It had been during the war that she had fallen in love with him, and sworn to protect him with her life. And here we are. I’m injured, and he’s here babysitting me, she thought with a slight pang of shame. She hastily downed the rest of the wine and refilled her glass, trying desperately to shut out such negative thoughts. “What are you thinking about now?” Roy asked her abruptly with a smirk, and she blinked at him in confusion. “You were staring at me again. Or this time, was it just my rugged good looks?” he joked.
“Please,” she snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. The wine is going to your head already.” Roy laughed at that, and she couldn’t help but smile. She liked him best when he was like this, without his inhibitions and the propriety of military conversations, free to laugh and smile. He laughed for a minute or two before sighing contentedly and rocking back and forth in the chair, staring out into space as he pondered whatever was on his mind.
“I didn’t realize how much I needed this,” he admitted quietly. He ran a hair through his midnight-black hair, and Riza blinked at him as she set the wine glass down on the table. “All I think about is work. Even when I’m at home,” he frowned and tapped his temple sadly. She couldn’t blame him. In their line of work, they say the worst things, the scum of humanity- and the border between them and those kind was blurry. They saw and did the kinds of things that weighed heavily on people's shoulders. Even a proud, capable man like Roy Mustang would feel the pressure at the end of the day, when he was alone with his thoughts.
“Changing the world isn’t an easy thing,” she remarked casually, leaning forward and resting her arm on the table. She was consciously aware that their hands were separated by a few centimeters. “It's a little easier when you have good friends, though,” she added with a small smile. Perhaps the alcohol made her bold, but she reached out and gently enclosed his hand with hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Roy looked down at their joined hands, quiet. Thinking she may have made him uncomfortable, she attempted to retreat, but found that he tightened his grip and would not let her pull away. After a few tense seconds, he reluctantly relinquished his hold and allowed her to pull her hand back down to her lap. She regretted it slightly as she felt his warmth fade, and Roy said nothing, only downed the rest of the glass and poured himself another. Together, they had already worked their way through half of the bottle.
“Yeah. You’re right,” he smiled after a second, and she was relieved to see that he looked more at ease now. I want to help him in any way I can, she thought happily.
Suddenly, they both jumped as they heard the rapid skittering of paws on the wooden floor, and they turned toward the entryway just in time to see a very excited Black Hayate running towards then with a rapidly wagging tail and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He bypassed Riza and bee-lined for Roy, jumping up into his lap and licking his face happily. Riza couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the comical scene of the serious man attempting to combat the dog's shower of affections.
“Black Hayate, down,” she commanded after a fit of giggles, and rose to her feet. As she did so, however, she felt the entire world lurch under her feet, and she grabbed onto the chair for support. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, and breathless. What? I can take much more alcohol than that. What’s wrong with me? She thought in slight panic.
“I think that’s enough wine for tonight,” Roy frowned, and ceased trying to be gentle with the dog. He pushed him roughly off of him and stood up quickly as Riza wobbled unsteadily over to the counter, fumbling for a glass to try and get herself some water in the hopes it would sober her up. Roy caught her groping hand, making her stop to look up at him. He has that worried look on his face again, she realized. Like when he was looking at my wound…
“I-I don’t get it,” she stammered as she turned around to lean against the counter while Roy fetched her a glass of water.
“You lost a good amount of blood,” he noted as he gently wrapped her hands securely around a cup of water. She brought it to her mouth to find that her hands were shaking violently. “The wine may have brought on a fit of something like anemia,” he hypothesized with a frown. Riza said nothing, only tried to gulp down the water without spilling it all over herself. Black Hayate whined as he paced around her feet and butted her legs with his head. As she drank the water, she felt the dizziness subside slightly, but she suddenly felt exhausted and weak.
“Ah… Thanks… Well, I ruined a fun time,” she mused with a strained smile. In truth, she was quite upset for two reasons; one, she hated to be seen as weak, especially in front of Roy, and two, she didn’t want the night to end quite yet. Her body had other plans, however, and as she tried to straighten up she wobbled precariously and grabbed onto the closest thing to her for support- which happened to be Roy.
He blinked down at her as her hand gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly, and she leaned against his broad chest. As soon as she realized what she had done, she hastily retreated to the safety of the counter, trying her best not to turn red. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Ugh. Look at me. I’m a mess. Is this how a Lieutenant should act? She thought in frustration. “I had better get to bed. You can let yourself out, right?” She told him without meeting his gaze, turning her back to him to begin shuffling across the room, leaning against the counter and eventually the kitchen wall to guide her. Black Hayate padded along beside her, offering a steadying bump whenever she stumbled.
Suddenly, her feet gave out from under her, and she found herself being held snugly in Roy's arms. “Wh-what the hell are you doing?” She cried in alarm, attempting to get down.
“Hold still, will you?” he whined down at her, seemingly completely unperturbed as he began carrying the woman across the house. Riza was forced to shut her mouth and resign herself to the awkward situation, and she groaned slightly as she settled into his arms. She was painfully aware of his muscles beneath his shirt. I am shameless, she thought guiltily. Roy said nothing as he bore her to the bedroom, pausing to flip on the light before carrying her over to the bed and gently lowering her onto the mattress. He leaned over her for a second, the sighed deeply. “You don’t have to put on a front, you know. It’s okay to rely on me sometimes,” he added after a moment, not meeting her eyes. Roy… she thought as her heart fluttered slightly. He smiled slightly up at her, that cocky little smile she loved. Does he know the things he does to me? She thought as she stared straight-faced down at him, but her heart was pounding. Their faces were close. Definitely close enough to kiss. She could, if she wanted to; unconsciously, she was leaning forward, all her will bent on him.
Then Black Hayate jumped on the bed and knocked her onto her back.
“Ow… I’m fine. I’m fine!” she groaned as she dog licked her face excessively, and after a minute of her batting lightly at his face, he settled down and curled up at the foot of the bed. Riza didn’t even bother to sit up, just laid there on her back as she regretted that the situation hadn’t come to pass and scolded herself for even attempted it. Roy cleared his throat, and she turned her head to look up at him.
“Well. I’ll let myself out,” he said tersely, and as he turned his back to her, before she could stop herself her hand shot out to grab the hem of his shirt.
“Stay,” she blurted. He looked over his shoulder at her, and expression of surprise on his face. “You said I could rely on you, right?” She continued quietly. “So stay.” I don’t want to be without you tonight. Perhaps she was needy for that, or the alcohol had gone straight to her head, but right now she wanted nothing more than his presence beside her. She tightened her grip on the hem of his shirt, and he stared down at her for a moment before turning his face to the door. He then sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Okay. Okay, I’ll stay,” he agreed and clapped his hands together awkwardly. She could see the tenseness in his body disappear, though, as he walked around the side of the bed to flop down on the mattress beside her. “Probably shouldn’t be walking home drunk anyway,” he chuckled as he reached down to scratch Black Hayate’s head. Roy wasn’t even close to being inebriated, she knew that, but still she was grateful for him trying to make her feel less guilty for burdening him with her own weakness. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his stomach as Riza sat up to reach above her head and pull the light switch on the overhead fan. As she laid back down, Roy threw the comforter over her, and she gratefully pulled the blanket around herself while he contented himself with the bedsheet. Black Hayate wriggled his way between them, as if proclaiming himself as a barrier; still, knowing Roy was close enough to reach out and touch made her heart race. “Hey,” he murmured, and she felt him shift onto his side and could feel him staring at her in the dark.
“What?” She asked quietly, not wanting to speak too loud in case her voice shook.
“Promise me you won’t get hurt again,” he murmured. Riza took a small breath, then smiled coyly.
“I can’t promise that, sir,” she responded with a breathy chuckle. “I can’t help it when you get yourself into trouble all the time. It’s like looking after a third Elric,” she teased, but the jokes were only to cover up her trembling hands and racing heart. Roy was silent for a second, and then he huffed and rolled onto his other side.
“Jeez. No need to insult me,” he complained loudly, but she could hear the teasing in his voice. “… Fine then. Then promise me that you'll rely on me more?” he asked her, his voice low. Riza smiled as her eyes drifted closed, and she nodded slowly.
“That I can do, sir,” she answered as his hand slipped through the blankets to hold hers.
That I can do.
Maybe they weren’t vocal about their feelings, but they knew they were there. She could feel all the words left unspoken as he held her hand in silence, and a deep understanding settled between them as they lay their side by side. Someday, I’ll tell you, and you’ll tell me. For now, there’s too much to be done, she promised him as she felt his breathing settle into a slow and steady rhythm. One day, when you set wrongs right, and finally achieve your dream.
I’ll be there, right by your side, until that day. You can rely on me.
Just like I can rely on you, Roy.
A smile formed on her face as she drifted off to sleep, lulled by the warmth of the man beside her.
Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!
Riza sat patiently on the hospital bed, gazing at the wall with tired eyes as the nurse wrapped her arm in thick, white bandages. Her shoulder was throbbing with pain, despite the painkillers that they had administered her, like snakes of fire shooting down her arm and back from the gunshot wound that had only been stitched shut a few minutes ago. As the nurse tied off the bandage, Riza glanced down to see that the wound was still leaking blood, staining the pristine whiteness a dark shade of red. Not that she could complain about any of it. It had been her own reckless actions that had earned her yet another scar on her body.
“Now, try not to move too much so that the wound can fully close,” the nurse instructed as she rose straightened up. “For the next week, the bandages should be changed approximately every twelve hours. Would you like for me to explain how to do so, Miss Hawkeye?” She asked politely. Riza shook her head and stood up to grab her uniform jacket and slide her good arm into the sleeve.
“No need. This isn’t my first gunshot wound,” she responded simply, wincing as she eased the other arm into the sleeve. She moved stiffly, but her shoulders still flared with intense pain. I don’t want to take any more painkillers. It will dull my senses, she thought as she carefully buttoned up her jacket. She bowed politely to the slightly stunned nurse, who was clearly not accustomed to dealing with members of the military, before retrieving her things and exiting the room.
“Lieutenant,” came the voice she had been dreading and hoping to hear. She stopped at the door, her eyes sliding to where Roy was leaned against the white walls with his arms crossed and his expression taut. He’s angry with me, she realized. That was to be expected. Roy Mustang was the type of man who would sacrifice himself to ensure his underlings remained out of harm's way. It was a part of him she loved, but also a part of him that made them clash incessantly. She saluted him properly, thankful that it was not that arm that had suffered the injury, and he sighed deeply and straightened up to walk over to her. His eyes fell on her injured shoulder, his expression growing sad.
“Does it hurt?” he asked quietly.
“Not really, sir,” she answered, then swallowed as he suddenly slammed a fist into the door frame beside her head. His expression had turned thunderous, now, and she heard the nurse in the room squeak in alarm. Trying to contain his rage, Roy grabbed her by her good arm and dragged her over to an empty side hallway. “Colonel, sir-" she objected, but he whipped around on her and her words died in her throat.
“I told you to run away. What part of that wasn’t clear?” he growled at her. Riza's cheeks flared with anger, but she remained composed as she stood stock-still in front of her superior.
“I wasn’t going to leave you, sir,” she answered firmly.
Earlier that day, Colonel Mustang and his squad had been dispatched to deal with another rogue alchemist. They had been cropping up frequently as of late, leading to many dangerous situations and quite a bit of paperwork. The confrontation had been with a specialist in gun transmutation, and the situation had gotten dicey when they had fallen into an ambush prepared by the perpetrator and his small gang of followers. Having not anticipated a group assault, the colonel had ordered a retreat, but had of course intended to fend off the foes himself. The fool had his pride, and Riza wasn’t going to allow him to die for it. So, she had stayed, and had earned the gunshot wound and their victory. Roy, however, was more concerned about the wound than anything else.
“I had the situation handled,” Roy mumbled grumpily. His anger at her was fading, now that he realized that she was more or less unhurt, but her insubordinance, particularly the kind that ending up with her in harm's way, was a sore spot for him. “I ordered you all to fall back. Why did you stay?”
“I thought you needed some backup, sir,” she answered honestly. Why doesn’t he understand? It’s my role to protect him, she thought in frustration. Roy didn’t take lightly to that, and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. She wanted to yell and scream at him to get it through his thick skull, but she knew that wasn’t her place. I know he cares about me, but he has to understand that I am completely capable of holding my own. After a minute of stewing, he sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, gazing at her with his intense, dark eyes.
“You have the rest of the day of, Lieutenant. Go home,” he muttered. Riza had no choice but to bow her head in submission. After clapping her lightly on her uninjured shoulder, he walked past her, brushing against her slightly. He paused for a moment. “Lieutenant… Don’t you dare disobey another order.” She felt like a sharp knife slashed through her heart as he said that, and continued to walk away without looking back. She couldn’t help but turn and watch him leave, his cape billowing after him. Why can’t he understand? I want to protect him, she thought miserably.
Riza did as she was bid and returned home to her apartment. Black Hayate picked up on her gloom right away, for when she walked into the door he ran up to her legs and began wagging his tail, whimpering. Smiling slightly, she leaned down to pat him on the head before walking over to the couch and sinking down into the cushions. She leaned back, relaxing as much as she could with her aching shoulder, and Black Hayate hopped up into her lap. Through half-lidded eyes, she stared up at the ceiling while scratching her puppy's head half-heartedly. It was always when she went home alone that her heart ached. He can be so kind, but sometimes he can be so cruel, too.
The rest of the day passed like a dream as she brooded over the argument. She tried to distract herself by cleaning her gun or reading or playing with Black Hayate, but the damned fool always crept back into her mind. That night, she lay in her bed in her nightdress staring at the ceiling with tears stinging her eyes. Why? I just want him to understand.
She jolted upright as a knocking sound echoed through the small apartment, and the rapid motion made her gasp as fiery pain bloomed up her arm. She glanced down to see that a red stain was spreading across her bandages. Sighing deeply, she endured the pain to stand up and walk across the apartment to see who was knocking on her door. She unlatched the lock and turned the door, swinging it open. Her eyes widened at the man standing in the doorway.
“Hey,” Roy muttered awkwardly, avoiding her gaze with one hand shoved into his pants pocket and the other clutching a bottle of wine. He was in his civilian clothes.
“Hey,” she stammered back, unsure how to react at the sight of her grumpy superior in her doorstep. He swallowed nervously, fidgeting, before thrusting the bottle into her hands.
“Here. I know you like it. It’s, um… an apology,” he sputtered, and she was shocked to find that his cheeks had grown slightly red. Riza blinked, then chuckled and accepted the gift. My favorite, she thought with a small smile. Roy shoved his other hand in his pocket, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was amazing how confident he was on the job, but all of that melted away when it was just the two of them on the outside. Gazing down at the bottle and feeling her gloom finally fading away, she just stood there in silence until she heard him cough uncomfortably, “You’re bleeding.”
“Oh,” she murmured, returning to reality. Blood was dripping down her arm now, the bandage too full of the substance to absorb any more. “I guess I moved it too much.”
“Come here,” Roy sighed and grabbed her hand, shoving past her to pull her into the kitchen, pausing only to kick the door shut behind them. He plopped her down into one of the kitchen chairs and began rifling through her kitchen drawers, searching for the first-aid kit.
“Third drawer on the left,” she called quietly as she set the wine bottle on the table and leaned back in the chair, not sure how to feel about the situation. Roy found what he was looking for and walked back to where she was sitting, grabbing a chair in spinning it around to drop it in front of her. He sat down in front of her and indicated for her begin taking off the bandages.
“They’re wrapped around my chest, you know,” she told him as she shrugged out of the top of her nightgown, letting it fall around her waist. Thankfully, the wrappings covered her entire bust, but that didn’t stop her from feeling mildly embarrassed. If it bothered Roy, he didn’t show it.
“I’m just going to change the ones on your arm,” he responded as he took out a small pair of scissors and began cutting away the soiled bandages. Riza sat patient and still as he went to work, but the feeling of his fingers brushing across her skin made her heart begin to palpitate. Roy remained strangely quiet as he worked, tossing the ruined bandages onto the table. After a minute her entire upper arm and shoulder was exposed, with just a thin thread of bandages holding the wrappings around her bust in place. She prayed for them to hold. Roy stood up to wet a dishrag, then sat back down in front of her to clean the blood off her arm. It was a lot more than she had realized; soon the soft cloth was stained dark red all over. As the stitches of her gunshot wound came into view, the colonel's hand faltered.
“Sir?” She inquired, wondering why he was staring so intently at her injury. She blushed lightly when he suddenly sighed and leaned his forehead against her upper arm, a few inches down from her stitching.
“It’s my fault,” he muttered suddenly. He's… blaming himself? She blinked. It wasn’t unlike him, but he had been so angry with her before. “I yelled at you, but really I was just projecting my own self-loathing. I shouldn’t have let you get hurt.” Riza gazed down at him for a moment, and then her eyes softened and she reached up to gently pat him on the head, softly stroking his black hair. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed the right thing to do.
Here, he’s just Roy, and I’m just Riza, she reminded herself as she felt a little awkward. Roy didn’t admonish her, just remained still as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“I think it’s safe to say that we're both to blame here,” he conceded. “You shouldn’t have tried to shoulder everything on your own, but I shouldn’t have been reckless, either.” At that, Roy turned his head to gaze up at her with sad but hopeful eyes. “It happened, though, and if I had to do it again, I would,” she told him firmly. His lips curled into a smile, and he reached up to take her hand as he sat up straight. He held her hand in his for a moment before letting it drop into her lap.
“I guess that’s fair,” he mused quietly. “You’re so stubborn, Riza.”
“You’re just going to have to learn to live with it, sir,” she smiled warmly. He does understand. He just wants to do the same for me. That thought made her heart swell, but she refrained from allowing the emotion to show on her face. Roy, seemingly cheered up, finished cleaning off her arm and wound a fresh set of bandages around her arm. When he finished, she slipped back into her nightgown while Roy cleaned up after himself. “Are you leaving?” She asked abruptly as he made for the door.
“I see no reason to stay,” he replied, and she felt slightly sad. Her eyes slid to the bottle of wine.
“I was just thinking it would be a shame to drink this all by myself, sir,” she said casually. He gazed at her long and hard for a moment, and even she wasn’t sure what was going on inside that head of his. Then he smiled, and walked back over to reclaim his empty chair.
“Yes. What a shame that would be,” he winked at her, and grabbed the bottle of wine by the neck. Riza couldn’t help but let the smile spread over her lips.
Roy… Someday I’ll be able to tell you just how I feel about you. The time hadn’t come yet, though. For now, she was just content to drink the night away with him by her side…
Enjoy this story? Here’s Part II! Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!
