Disclaimer: the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist belong to the

magnificent Hiromu Arakawa.

In another life

Roy Mustang opened his eyes before the alarm went off: it was Friday and, like any other Friday, he had an important lunch to attend.

He got up, getting dressed quickly, singing in front of the mirror as he shaved.

He thought that he had to have the thermostats checked: that giant mansion was too damn cold for his own likings.

That size, though, allowed for calm; it was just what he needed to complete his daily tasks – and to dedicate himself to a few naps, every now and then.

He greeted his colleagues with a nod while he headed towards his study. He would have spent there just a couple hours, only the required time, and then he would have gone to that very important lunch.

"Please, make sure I'm not disturbed in the next few hours, Colt," he smiled to a young recruit, fresh out of the Academy, that he had chosen as one of his assistants for her great grades and that perfect pair of legs.

She smiled: "Of course, sir."

He closed the door behind him, lighting up the scented candles with a wave of his fingers, hoping that the amount of work would not be too much.

At noon sharp, he slammed the last document on the mahogany table, signed with a scribble rather than with his autograph, and jerked up on his feet, almost running towards the door while putting on the heavy coat of the winter uniform.

"I'll be back in a bit, Colt!" he informed, not waiting for an answer.

He slowed down only when he arrived within sight of the park, straightening himself up because Roy Mustang was never worried about a date.

He almost casually strolled to the bench, feeling his heart skip a beat to the warm smile that greeted him: "Good afternoon, General of the Army."

He observed for a moment that cascade of bright golden locks that framed her face: "Good afternoon, Hawkeye."

Riza scooted over, so that he could sit down beside her: "How are you feeling today?" she asked him.

Roy unwrapped the sandwich that had been made for him, like every Friday: "I'm alright, even though my beautiful hand hurts because of all the documents I had to sign."

She sent him her typical Riza's glance: "You signed them all, right? You didn't use me as an excuse for not doing your job, did you?"

"Yes, yes, don't worry, Hawkeye, I've learned."

"Well, after sixty years, it was about time."

The Fuhrer gave her another half smile, starting to speak about everything and anything, like every Friday, while Riza patiently listened, stepping in only at the right time, like she had done for a lifetime.

All of a sudden, Roy fell silent, intently looking at her; she smiled sweetly, so he lowered his gaze on his lumpy hands: "I miss you, Riza."

He could swear he had seen her blush: "I know, sir. That's why we meet every Friday."

He nodded: "I am eighty-five years old and I still haven't got the courage to be without you."

The girl's clear laughter filled the silent park, while the man's anthracite eyes burned her soul: "I should have told you I loved you. I should have married you, fifty years ago."

Riza tilted her head to the side, donating another smile to him: "Maybe in another life, Roy."

And then, with a gust of wind, she slowly went away, dissolving in the air, leaving behind a flowery trail of perfume.

Mustang sighed, getting up from the bench and heading towards the almost frozen pond.

The reflection was familiar to him, yet so unknown.

He had never thought he would never share those wrinkles with anybody. He had never believed he would be the last one to go.

He allowed his legs, supported by a cane, to guide him to the other end of the park, in front of that gray stone, surrounded by so many similar to it.

Maybe it had been his regrets that had let her close to him for another two years.

Maybe it had been the stubbornness of the woman, who had kept protecting him even... afterward.

But now, Roy Mustang was sure he would have never seen her the following Friday.

"Maybe in another life, Riza..."

Author's note:

Hello :D This is the second fanfic I write about FMA; it was inspired by a dream and a very boring lesson of International Relations ;) I'm not a native speaker, so this is an original translation from the Italian version... therefore I apologize if there's any mistake :)

Thanks in advance to who is gonna R&R, it'll be greatly appreciated! Oh, and sorry if this is a really sad fanfic. I hope it's clear; if not, I'm always here for explanations :)

LionessQueen