Written for #RoyaiWeek19 Day 1 Word Prompt: Coincidence
(Blind!Roy)
Roy always believed that there was no such thing as a higher power or what people called a "God". He never thought about one's pre-determined fate or one's destiny written up in the stars.
There were only human beings, rational-minded individuals most of the time, and their respective choices. That used to be the world through Colonel Roy Mustang's eyes: a world made up of people's choices, and he believed, ever since he first started thinking about reaching the top of the country, that his choices were going to lead him into doing something for the greater good.
His choices were going to influence everyone around him to also choose the greater good.
Now, as he sat up on his bed with his arms crossed for who knew how long, he had to admit that there were a lot of things that happened to him, to the people around him, and to her most especially, that were not his choice.
No. It turned out that the world as he viewed it not only had to account for choices of people like him but also malicious and sinful humanoid creatures' choices that controlled the country for so long.
Maes Hughes' death was one thing, Havoc's paralysis was another.
Riza's injuries were also placed into that large pot, among many others, of the homunculi's choices that were too different from his.
He slowed his breathing, partly to calm himself at the onslaught of memories of her blood and partly to listen to her sleep.
Sleep, he thought to himself, she's sleeping. Not bleeding, not dying, not dead.
Through unseeing eyes, he allowed his ears to guide where he wanted to "look" at. He imagined a slumbering Riza in her sleepwear in the next bed, preferably without her wounds and bandages, with her golden hair splayed under her like a pillow on its own. That was all he had now - a hyperactive imagination in lieu of his eyesight.
He returned to his lamentation on choices, his chosen topic to accompany his insomnia tonight.
He had always wondered if his choices were worth all of hers, if his choices were worth her sacrifices, her loyalty, her - dare he say it - love.
The Promised Day came and went and it was a mere matter of hours after Riza had come out of her drugged state that their feelings were exposed within the secrecy of their joint hospital room.
Telling each other how they felt after all these years was a choice. Not acting on their feelings earlier was also a choice they both made. Choice after choice after choice.
But he did have to concede the fact that there have been moments where he knew his choices didn't matter.
Like how he didn't choose for it to be so stormy as he stepped off the train that fateful day, making the task of reaching his Alchemy Master's house twice as difficult. He had trudged up a slippery slope with his getting-heavier-by-the-minute luggage when a lithe figure with blonde hair ran to meet him with an umbrella in tow.
Or how he had finally received a break and reluctantly chose to have a brief reprieve with Maes at the edge of the camp, which turned out to be the perfect hiding spot for a stray Ishvalan with a dagger. He froze up, unable to wear his gloves on time, when a shot rang out and killed the man.
Or the day he actively chose to wear his gloves and snap, ready to incapacitate Scar, only to have the rain hinder his alchemy and Riza saving his sorry ass by kicking his feet off the ground.
Or how he almost lost himself fighting against Envy by barely making any informed choice, until Riza managed to talk him down.
And how he was thereafter given no choice but to sit there and watch her bleed.
He belatedly heard some ruffling of sheets from the other bed before a groggy voice fully broke his reverie, "Are you alright?"
He smiled at the direction of Riza's voice. "Just thinking."
She hummed in thought, softly padding her way to his bed and sitting down beside him, thigh to thigh. She gently slid her hand over his, lightly applying pressure, wary of his injuries. I'm here. "Not too much heavy thinking, I hope."
He shook his head.
Alright, so life wasn't all about choices, be it his choice or that of other people or other creatures, but he'd be damned to accept it was anything to do with fate, destiny, or a higher power that is unseen by the naked eye.
The most that Roy could yield to was that coincidences have played, and most likely will still play, a large role in his life.
He smiled as he wrapped an arm around the soft body on his side and got a whiff of Riza's hair. Those coincidences have sure led him to this smart, strong, beautiful woman, and caused her to save him on countless occasions.
He couldn't deny that there was something going on that he cannot explain, so categorizing it as a coincidence would have to do. And he'd hope for an infinite series of fortunate coincidences like the ones they've already had if it meant that he could remain by her side forever, blindness be damned.
AN: I thought I might procrastinate from studying for awhile haha! Happy RoyaiWeek!