It was truly the most romantic thing Riza Hawkeye had ever seen. After all, the isn't that what two people who are in love do? Get married, that is? And after a year of dating, there it was; the proposal.

The entire military stood in awe as the new fuhrer got down on one knee in front of a certain colonel. The dark haired man smiled as he reached in his pocket. From where Riza was standing, which was about 10 meters away, she could see that Edward was on the brink of tears. She held her breath as Roy began to speak.

"Edward Elric," he began. "We've know each other a long time. And in that time, I have grown to love you, and finally fall in love with you." He took a breath as he pulled out a velvet box. He slowly opened it and revealed a ring that most women would die for. Riza put her hand over her mouth. "Edward, my love, will you marry me?"

Edward was smiling the saddest smile Riza Hawkeye had ever seen. "Roy," He said calmly. "You know I care about you." Say yes. "And I know how much being fuhrer means to you." SAY YES. "But, Roy," SAY YES! "You know I can't marry you."

The entire military stood in awe as the new fuhrer stayed down on one knee as the blonde left. The dark haired man smiled as he put the box back in his pocket. From where Hawkeye was standing, which was now only a meter away, she could see that Roy was on the brink of tears. She held her breath as Roy began to speak.

"What a tragic world we live in, Major." He began. "We commit ourselves to reason and science. We alchemists are such predictable things." He rose to a standing position, but turned away from the major. "But sometimes there's a variable in the equation, a formula that wasn't properly solved. And that, my dear major, is what we call fate."

In all her years, Riza Hawkeye had never once heard Roy Mustang even hint at believing in fate. However, after the rejected proposal, perhaps it was indeed fate that left the fuhrer single. Roy Mustang was incredibly out of the loop with the Elrics anyway. Edward was just over 18 and his brother was a close 17, but they were adults.

They carried themselves with the dignity of adults, in such ways that in you forgot his height, you would think Edward was a man of 30.

They hid their problems to protect others, even others that they barely knew; the simply knew that the less people knew, the safer they were.

The less likely they were to be hurt.

Because no one likes to find out that their fiancé is terminally ill.

No one likes to hear that after they were officially engaged, the one who got proposed to went outside to have a stroke.

No one wants to find out that their spouse-to-be is dead, lying in the streets while his brother cries in mourning.

So Edward protected Mustang.

Even if it broke both of the men's hearts to do so.

A/N wow that was depressing.. sorry haha