Started with a Knock - One Shot
To think that this all started with a knock. Not just tonight, but nearly 17 years ago as well, when she is just a 12-year-old girl in the country, forced to live alone with a shell of a man. She is looking for compassion and understanding, and she first finds it from a 16-year-old city boy that knocks on her front door one day, all in the hopes of studying alchemy from her father.
At first, she is timid around him, making sure she keeps the house clean and that there is food on the table, but she does not actually speak to him until he is there over a month. It starts out small at first when he asks how he can help with the chores, when she asks his favorite foods to take into account when planning meals, when they begin their walks to town.
From the beginning, they try to keep physical distance between them, but it isn't always possible. An accidental bump of a shoulder or him helping her heal after the burning of her back or kisses on Roy's cheek from Elizabeth after "dates." What changes everything, though, comes from the chaos that is the Promised Day, when he pulls her close after she nearly loses her life and, later, when she acts as his eyes and steers him in the correct direction to continue the fight.
After the fighting ends, however, they never mention it. So much has happened, that, for now, they simply focus on being alive. But in end, something has shifted in their relationship. Everyone can feel the slight tension flowing between the two of them, changing the dynamic, all stemming from the Promised Day and from that physical contact.
She isn't the first to hear the knock on the door tonight. That honor belongs to Hayate when he shoots his head up from where he was laying down. Not expecting company tonight, she stands and slowly walks to the door, pulling her cardigan close to her as her eyebrows knit together in confusion. When she glances through the peephole, she pauses for a moment, before finally opening the door to her surprise visitor.
"General?" Riza says as she comes eye to eye with her superior officer. "It's late. What are you doing here?" She can't help her skepticism. In the nearly two years since the Promised Day, they have kept their distance, even more than before.
She is certain that on his part, it is to reinforce their professional relationship, to make sure they focus on their goal which finally seems to be within reach. But for her? Her distance is to protect her heart, and ensure that she doesn't give away the only secret she is keeping from him. To protect herself from ever being hurt again.
"Good evening Captain," he says giving her a smirk, his eyes a bit hazy, and it dawns on her that he's drunk. "I was on my way home from a get-together and was hoping I might be able to bother you for a cup of coffee?"
Her first instinct is to sigh, to tell him that this is hardly appropriate and that he should just continue on his way home, but instead she just stares at him for a moment before standing to the side to let him in. Easier to give him what he wants and then have him leave rather than have him cause a scene and draw attention from her neighbors.
When Roy enters her apartment, his eyes sweep the room, noticing a book and a glass of wine on the table beside her couch. Well, at least I haven't woken her, he thinks to himself. And perhaps the wine will work in his favor, perhaps she will listen to him first instead of throwing him out before he can explain. Rather than turn to look at her once he hears the door shut, he takes a moment to steady himself.
As he finally turns toward her small kitchenette where she stands making coffee, his breath catches. Her hair cut short once more, he is taken back to a much simpler time, to a time when he thought the future, their future, would look much different. Where war and death and destruction are a far off thought, where he comes back for her after passing the State Alchemist exams as he had always planned. He finds himself openly staring at her as she busies herself in the kitchen and all he can think of is how beautiful she is. So he changes course, determined now.
When she looks up, he is only a few steps away from her and has an odd look on his face. Before she has any time to question him, he closes the remaining steps and she is caught between him and the counter. Just as her eyes grow wide, he reaches up and brushes her bangs away from her eyes before resting his hand on her cheek. For a moment, everything else stands still and they simply stand there, eyes locked, his hand on her cheek. He has never touched her so intimately before, and suddenly, they both feel shivers on their skin.
It's when her heart skips a beat and she feels her cheeks heat that she finally breaks eye contact and forces her way past him, breaking the physical contact, no longer trapped by his gaze. "General," she says, trying to catch her breath and refocus, "I think it's time you leave."
He stares at her back, watching her pull at her sweater as she walks to the door. His mind races as he tries to find a way to save this, to tell her how he feels, but he quickly realizes that the only thing he can do is tell her the truth.
"When did you know you loved me?" he blurts out. The effect is instantaneous, her entire body freezes, her breathing stops, and silence envelopes them. It isn't fair of him to startle her like that, he knows, but he has to get her attention.
She eventually catches her breath and turns toward him slowly. "I… I'm not sure what you are referring to sir. This… this is hardly appropriate," she stutters out, sounding much more like the shy farm girl she had once been than the confident, detached lieutenant she is known for being.
Roy slowly begins to move toward her while she is still frozen to her spot. "Well," he begins, "that is unfortunate. Because I know the exact moment I knew I loved you." He forces himself to sound more confident than he feels, because if he stops and thinks, he may never continue. Riza's eyes have grown to the size of teacup saucers, and to him, she never looked more beautiful.
"It was not long after you had adopted Hayate," Roy says, and the dog in question sits down at their feet, looking up and whimpering, causing Riza to glance down at her dear dog. "You had just berated me for not finishing my paperwork and we bumped into one another as you turned to scold the men for slacking off. And I just…. knew."
He can't help the chuckle that escapes him, and lightly shakes his head. "It was so simple, just a simple brush of your arm against mine. But that simple bump allowed me to realize what I felt. To give a name to something so strong, and I knew I couldn't be without you again." Taking a step closer to Riza, he gently takes her hand in his, and it just feels so right.
Now that her hand in his, he traces the back of it with his thumb, and shivers erupt up her arm once more. Her gaze lifts to his, and it's the last bit of confidence he needs. With a smile on his face, he reaches his free hand into his pocket and places a tiny black box into her left hand.
As soon as she sees the small box, her eyes widen and she opens her mouth to argue before he even asks the question. "I had a meeting with the Furher earlier today, with your Grandfather," comes rushing out of his mouth quickly and he knows she is about to ask how he knows of something she herself only found out within the last few years; he knows she is going to ask how he can know what she was going to argue. "He has decided with the approval of the Generals to change the current fraternization laws."
"There is no hiding now, Riza, nothing in our way. You are the most important person in my life, my oldest and closest friend. We have been together for so long, you know me better than I know myself. I can still get to the top, but I need you by my side," he moved his free hand up to cup her cheek and leaned in close, "as my queen. Marry me, Riza."
Her eyes are still locked on the box, her brain trying to catch up. This is all so fast, so abrupt. In one conversation, he admits he loves her and asks her to marry him. Nothing about this makes sense. But she as feels his warm hand touch her cheek and the other squeeze her hand that wasn't holding the small black box, all she could think of was how long she had waited to touch him like this, to love him openly. When she finally looks up into his eyes, she can't help the soft smile on her face and he takes that as a beautiful wonderful sign, before leaning down to kiss her.
He begins to wonder why he has waited so long to do this, to take this step. The thoughts enter his head as they lie tangled together in her bed the next morning. His right hand is playing with her hair, gently pushing it off of her face, while his other hand runs up and down her back, up and down her tattoo. When his fingers run over the scar tissue on her back, scars that he caused, he pulls her closer to him and buries his nose into her hair. It is this that finally brings her from the veil of sleep.
As she slowly opens her eyes and adjusts to the morning light that now illuminates her bedroom, the memories of last night begin flooding back and she realizes what woke her. He murmurs a morning greeting to her and she can't stop the small smile from forming on her face as she holds herself to his chest. Her eyes, originally seeking his gaze, freeze when they see the ring on her hand that is resting on his chest, and she suddenly begins to think of all this ring means.
The moment she freezes, his eyes shoot down to her, and can see the gears turning in her head, analyzing every aspect of the situation and trying to find a way out. Hiding how she feels. After years of living with her father and dealing with his abuse, it is her coping mechanism, the way she always protects herself, even to this day. It is easier for her to hide her emotions, to appear cold and distant, rather than allow someone the chance to hurt her.
"Stop overthinking, Riza," he whispers softly to her, reveling in the way it feels as he says her name out loud, as he brushes his lips across her hair. Reaching down to brush her bangs from her eyes again, he continues, "Don't run, don't hide. Just focus on this. On us. On how I love you, how you love me and how I never plan on letting you go."
Her eyes drift up to him and, while it would be difficult for anyone else to see what she is feeling, after being together for so long, all he can see is fear, trepidation, caution. He gently brushes his thumb over her cheek before cupping her jaw to draw her lips to his. In between soft kisses, something he has only be able to dream of until now, he murmurs reassuring statements to her and she finally begins to relax. No more hiding, no more separation, he loves her and she loves him, and he can hold her for as long as he wants.
When they finally part, he rests his forehead against hers, pulling her close to him. She places the hand that now holds his mother's ring against the huge burn scar on his left side; the same scar from the night she realized she loves him, the night she nearly lost him. His touch grounds her back into reality, reassuring her that she made the right choice when saying yes, and she tells him over and over that she loves him. And who would have thought it all would start with a simple knock.
A/N: I do not own the rights to Fullmetal Alchemist (any media type). Constructive reviews greatly appreciated. My 2nd full story and first for Royai Week ever, so feedback would be very helpful.
What Matters Most Series: Story 2