Author's Notes: When I heard that today was going to be Royai day I had to write something special for it. This became a problem because I wanted it to be a one shot and at least be romantic in some way.
After much thinking I finally came up with this. It takes place in the current time frame of the manga. Standard spoilers for the manga throughout the 50's chapters.
Help me celebrate Royai day, please take time to leave a review if you read this.
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No Regrets
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The small apartment was littered with boxes and looked a little haphazard. Anyone that knew her would never think that Riza Hawkeye was a slob. Well, she really wasn't. But her humble abode spoke differently about her given the current situation.
She never really had the chance to settle in when they had transferred to central. She lived out of boxes and hadn't had much time to clean. It was really becoming quite a mess. She might have been embarrassed had recent events not worn her out so much.
She had been talking for hours and it felt like it too. Edward had asked her to tell him what had happened in Ishval all those years ago. He was always one to seek for knowledge. Right now it seemed that the event from Ishval had taken center stage and he was at a disadvantage. He wasn't there in Ishval and therefore lacked the knowledge he now seeked.
She had long since finished cleaning the gun that Edward had returned to her. Her attention now focused on her hands folded together neatly on the table. The cup of coffee next to her no longer emitted the steam it once had. Edward's cup as well lacked steam, for his was completely empty.
Edward let out a heartfelt sigh as he leaned back in the chair, slightly raising the front legs off the floor. So much pain and so much suffering had been felt by so many people. He now had a newfound respect for Colonel Mustang. Although he never hated the man, he had misjudged him. He thought he was a lot more arrogant than he really was. He had come to realize that Roy Mustang was a great man indeed. Maybe one of the greatest men he had ever known. Not that he would ever admit that to his face.
"So, Edward. Does that answer some of your questions about Ishval?" Riza finally broke the silence with her question.
Edward gave her a slow nod as he contemplated what to say next. "So what is the Colonel's next move?" Even the knowledge he had gained this night couldn't help him solve the riddle of the future.
"Right now." She took a slight pause before continuing. "The only thing he can do is lay low and follow orders." She let out an exasperated sigh. "At least for the moment if things stay calm he will have time to recuperate. He hasn't fully healed from his fight with Lust."
"What will you do?" Edward's gaze made Riza feel a little unnerved.
"I will do the same. I will follow orders and wait for the time when he needs me. At least I will still be right here where I have been and I can still watch his back. Even if it's only from a distance."
Edward fully pushed back his chair and stood from the table. "Just hope it doesn't rain."
Riza made a grim face in reply to Edward's comment. So much meaning was wrapped up in those words. The simplest was on the surface; Roy was useless in the rain. Who knew what would happen if she wasn't there to watch his back.
"Thank you for sharing your memories of Ishval with me." Edward had a sincere look in his eyes as he spoke. "I know they weren't very pleasant but I learned a lot and I am truly grateful to you for that."
"Any time Edward. If you need anything, just ask." Riza took on the motherly demeanor that Edward so often felt from her.
"Well, I guess I have stayed long enough." Not knowing what else he could say Ed headed for the door.
"Take care of yourself, Edward." Riza put a hand on his shoulder as he turned the doorknob to exit.
He turned to face her and gave her one of his big grins. "I will Lieutenant. You too."
She returned the smile and gave him a salute as he quietly closed the door behind him. Once he was gone she let out another sigh as her thoughts returned to the one who needed her the most in this world.
Roy Mustang tossed and turned in his restless sleep. He went straight to bed after parting with First Lieutenant Hawkeye earlier that day. He lay there fully clothed upon the bed, a sheet draped partially over his body. He only bothered to remove his uniform jacket before flopping down, totally exhausted.
The events of the past twenty-four hours ran rampant through his wandering mind. So much had happened so fast, and it had all fallen apart. His entire staff was gone now. He had no one to trust and no one to rely on. It was just him now. What could he possibly do without a team to back him up?
He felt like the king of an empty kingdom, a pointless existence. Would he ever be able to make his dream a reality now? Was it still possible for him to become a cornerstone of this country? Could he ever really protect anyone with his two hands?
Somehow he doubted that now, more than ever. He couldn't even protect the woman he loved. How could he protect an entire nation? Conspiracies abound, would Amestris ever know true peace? Would the people ever find happiness?
Those questions continued to knaw at his half conscious mind as Roy continued to toss and turn. The sudden knock at the door brought him bolt upright in bed. Startled at first, he then almost felt relived as the interruption had saved him for the demons that hadn't yet devoured his soul.
The knock came again. It was firm and determined, yet quiet so as not to wake the neighbors. Roy rubbed his head as he fumbled for his pocket watch on the table by the bed. Squinting his eyes in the darkness he was sure the hands read 1:50 AM. Who the hell would be at his door at this time of the morning.
The icy shock ran up his body as his bare feet hit the frigid floor. "Ah! Cold, cold!" He looked like he was trying to do a dance as he tried to get used to the early morning shock. "I'm coming." He stated flatly as he approached the silhouette of the door which was framed by the light of the hallway coming through the cracks.
"Who is it?" Roy's voice sounded rather annoyed at being woken up at this time of the morning.
"It's me, sir." Riza slightly winced at the thought that he might be upset at being disturbed. In hindsight maybe this hadn't been a good idea.
The lock clicked and the door opened to reveal a droopy eyed Colonel Mustang standing in the door way.
"I'm sorry sir. I know it's late." Riza stood stiffly at the door dressed in her uniform like she was ready for duty.
"Late?" Roy stated as if it were a question. "I do believe the term would be, early." Roy stepped aside and held out his arm in a gesture for her to enter.
Riza wasted no time as she made her way to the sofa and took a seat. Roy closed the door and turned the lock before taking a seat beside her. He didn't need to speak for she already knew the question and began to answer.
"Edward just left my place." Riza spoke as if she were giving a report. Roy raised an eyebrow at this but waited before he spoke. She continued. "He wanted to know about Ishval. I told him everything that I knew."
Roy still remained silent. He wasn't surprised that the Fullmetal one would want to know about such things. But he had to admit he was a little surprised that he had visited Riza like that.
Once again he didn't need to speak for she knew him so well they didn't really need words. "He had come to return the gun I had loaned him. He thought I was going to need it, given the nature of my new assignment. I think he was concerned about my safety."
Roy could do nothing to hide the frown that now graced his lips. She knew exactly what he was thinking. He was concerned about her safety too. More than anyone was, she was sure.
"I'll be alright, Roy. Everything will be ok." She told him so, but she didn't have as much confidence as she let on. She was worried about how she would be used to control his every move. "Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself. Just continue to do what you need to do."
Roy's frown only deepened at those words as he finally decided it was his turn to speak. "I can't do that!" His emotions became hard to control as it hit home what an awful position they were now in. "Riza, you have followed me for all this time. Never have you asked for anything in return. You just said you wanted to support my dream and would do so no matter what." He paused, taking a sharp inhale as he regarded her slender form.
"Roy." Riza interrupted before he could continue.
Roy only shook his head to the side and pressed on despite her protest. "We've been together for a long time. You following me, never questioning. We've been working for something very important. The future. A future of peace and happiness for all who live in Amestris."
Riza remained silent for she could tell Roy wasn't finished yet. His eyes searched over her longingly. His gaze could be felt in her very soul. It gave her goose bumps as a chill of excitement ran up her spine. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as she tried to anticipate where he was going with this.
"Riza, it was a long time ago when I told you about my dream. I still have that same dream, but one thing has changed. That dream means nothing without you." He took her hand in his as he continued to speak. "We've been so close for so long it just always goes unspoken. But I want you to know how much you mean to me." He gave her hand a squeeze as he gazed into her eyes.
"I…." Riza could barely move her lips as she tried desperately to respond. It wasn't really anything new to her. They had been together for a very long time and were very devoted to one another. They did share a kind of unspoken love. But that was as far as it went. It was unspoken for there were other things they had to focus on.
"I love you, Riza. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to." Roy's words earned a gasp out of Riza as she struggled for air and her heart struggled to start beating again. "Maybe you should quit the military. I want you to be safe."
Riza quickly regained her composure at that thought. He wanted her to do that? He couldn't be serious! There was no way she was going to quit now! "I can't believe you are saying that! You think I could quit just like that!" Riza's face turned to a stern look and anger became evident in her strained voice. "I said I would support you and follow you. I will never go back on my word!"
"Riza, I." Roy didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought she would get this upset. Then again, his grogginess had impaired his thought process quite a bit. He had just told her that he loved her. Something he had decided long ago not to do given the position they were in.
She let out an exasperated sigh and her face softened quite a bit and she looked a lot less scary. "Roy, it's because I love you that I will continue to fight with you and support you. Even if I have to do it at a distance."
"Stubborn, aren't you." Roy said with a smirk on his face.
"I like to think I have an honest personality." Riza replied with a smile of her own.
"Things are going to be even more dangerous from here on out. Are you sure you are fully prepared First Lieutenant?" Roy's voice shifted to that of a superior officer.
"I was fully prepared since the day I joined the Amestris military." Riza followed suit with her faithful subordinate attitude.
"We may not live to see our dreams become reality. Will you have any regrets?" Roy was sure he would always regret that they couldn't live a simple life together. But he didn't want her to feel the same way.
"As long as I am with you I will never have any regrets." Riza's tone softened as she spoke this time. She really meant it too. "And you? Will you have any regrets?"
"Not if you stay with me the rest of the night." The playful grin that should have accompanied such a comment was missing from his face. That was because he wasn't joking or playing around. He really wanted her to stay. If he were to die tomorrow he truly would have no regrets if he could die after sharing his bed with her. Even if it was just once.
Once the words left his mouth he realized what he had actually said. He mentally prepared himself for the backlash. Maybe she would be kind and just laugh it off before slamming the door in his face. In such a situation he would expect a resounding slap in the face. He likely deserved it.
Her voice finally broke him from his dejected thoughts, but nothing could have prepared him for how she would respond.
"All right. Fair enough." She gave him a playful smile and now he was really worried. Her face became serious again and she continued. "The future has become very uncertain. But until the sun rises we will belong to each other and we must make every moment count. This may be our only chance to be happy together. Will you still have no regrets?"
"Being with you will be the one thing I could never regret." Roy smiled as he eyed the body before him that he so longed for.
He then took Riza by the hand and led her into the bedroom.
Fin
Author's Note: Those familiar with the manga should recognize two lines out of chapter 50. I felt they had a lot of meeting if they repeated that part of their conversation. Hence why they smiled at each other.
I hope you enjoyed the story and that you will leave me a review. Even if it's just one word.