Disclaimer: I do not own FMA.

Just a little RoyAi drabble.

Run

He went out for a run. It's not his usual routine, but it happens occasionally. To the casual passerby, he would seem like slack-off health nut, but his reasons for the run are different from most others.

He runs to think. Usually he runs after a traumatic experience in his life. He's run after losing his friends and family. He runs when he needs to grieve. In fact, it is when he runs that he feels he has the best philosophical conversations with himself.

He had run after that night in Ishbal.

But he couldn't place why he was running now. His mind was in a mist swirling as he thought, or tried to think about the reason for his run.

Then, like a ray of light breaking through the cloud, the mind fog was gone as he saw the young lieutenant on the side of the path; her small puppy bounding at a dragonfly.

His pace quickened as he tried to get past her, unnoticed, but it was a futile attempt.

"Good evening, Sir." She said, the slight smile on her face turning to a look of shock as the puppy found a new target… him.

He stopped short. The yipping of the playful dog begging him for attention. He glanced up at her as he crouched.

"Good evening to you, Hawkeye. Who's your little friend?" He asked, scrunching the puppy behind the ears.

"His name's Black Hayate." She responded proudly. "He's usually much better behaved than this. The change of season must be affecting him."

"It does tend to affect most animals…" He responded, standing to face her. Including humans. The deepest, most primitive part of his mind spoke quietly, seductively, as it stirred within him for the first time in a long time.

"Out for a run, sir?"

Roy Mustang simply nodded in response.

"Well, don't let me keep you from it. Besides, he needs to eat." The puppy yelpped in joy at the word. "I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

He nodded again, glancing down at the puppy.

"Tomorrow then. Good night, Lieutenant."

"Good night, sir."

He watched her back as she walked away for a short while before sprinting off again. He ran as fast as he could for as long as he could to get as from away from her as possible.

And now, the reason he was running no longer escaped him. Though it was not a usual reason, nor was it necessarily traumatic. It was just… against the rules. Since when have the rules mattered to you? His heart seemed to mock him.

The reason he ran tonight was her, and how she could never be his.