Disclaimer:

I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Fullmetal Alchemist is by Hiromu Arakawa-sensei.

A/N:

Post FMA, so Roy's a general. :D

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Roses and Jades

(Mustang Roy - Hughes Maes)

Roy Mustang turned to his side, slowly coming out of his sleep. Something feels out of place. With almost closed eyes, he tried looking around his room. It took him five minutes of losing battle with his sleepy eyes before he could will himself to open his eyes properly.

It was pitch black. At least for the first few seconds. The cream-colored curtains Riza hung last week in his bedroom windows successfully obscured the little light the moon could afford to the humble room. There wasn't many to take note as his room barely had anything. The empty side table beside his bed was empty. The walls of his room were just as bare. He yanked the blanket haphazardly covering his lower body and threw it a little properly over his head. He was too lazy to look any further than what he can see from his current position.

Then it struck him and he jolted up at the smell.

It was of flowers.

Or maybe he was dreaming.

The scent whipped around him and he sniffed. He knew the smell but couldn't place it. He sat up properly, sniffing.

He sniffed again and a tremble came to him.

He scrambled out of bed, sleep forgotten, and ran like his life depended on it to the living room.

It was late past midnight but he was suddenly wide awake, dialling her telephone number in frantic panic. The phone registered the other end ringing. He couldn't smell the flowers from where he stood but he was too nervous to realize the absence of the smell. It wouldn't leave him – the thought of the sudden presence of flowers' scent in his room when there was no trace of flowers in his apartment. His hands trembled slightly as he waited for her to pick up, desperately hoping his instincts were wrong.

A click.

"Are you alright?" he asked as soon as she picked up.

"Huh?" On the other end she could barely stand properly, drowsy from sleep. The last months were hectic – last two months to be exact. She barely afforded herself a good five hours of sleep a night and in the rare night of a Saturday, Roy calls her up, in the dead of the night, to ask her if she's alright. She could hear the veins in her head popping. "You call me in the middle of the night and ask if I'm alright? Are you alright Roy?" It was more sarcastic than concern.

Her voice was enough to calm him. His hands stopped trembling and he realized the smell of flowers that woke him up was gone. He sighed loudly, relief washing his mind.

"What's wrong?" Riza asked. The relieved sighs on the other end alerted her.

Roy chuckled lightly. "Nothing."

She was ready for a retort but chose not to say anything on it. The change in his voice told her it is not really 'nothing' but she knew his voice enough to be sure he is alright for the moment. And she happens to be a human as well who is still clinging to her sleepy state. "I'm going back to sleep if you don't have anything else to say."

He smiled stupidly to himself. "Yeah. Sorry to disturb you."

He heard Riza hang up then he gently placed back the receiver and walked calmly back to his room.

As soon as he stepped in, the scent filled his senses again.

It was of roses.

It was 5:00 in the morning and he was in front of her door, holding a bouquet of roses.

Riza cursed for not grabbing her pistol before opening the door. He woke her up with his unnecessary phone call way past midnight then he comes to her place at 5:00 in the early, early morning. She opened the door wide to glare at him properly.

He honestly understood her actions and humbly accepted the terrifying glare. He summoned his most alluring smile as he presented the flowers to her.

Though technically, a sleep deprived person doesn't care of anything but sleep, she happens to be in love with this man who was presently charming her. Not to mention it is rare that Roy brings her flowers, rarer than the times they ever show affection to each other openly. She made a mental note to punch him in the face soon, as she reluctantly accepted the elusive bouquet of flowers – of scarlet red roses to be exact. She wouldn't let it go without a retort however, and so she laced her sweet tone with sarcasm, "Are you sick General?"

"No." he answered simply, ignoring the mockery in her voice. Instead he moved forward such that he effectively towered above Riza.

Before Roy could move another inch closer and capture her with one of his enticing kisses, Riza turned around and walked inside, calling out after him to come inside.

"Yo Maes." Roy crouched in front of the stone marker with Maes' name carved in it, placing the bouquet of roses in it.

It was a long day he had. It took him a week to have things done in the East so he and Riza can come to Central for a couple of days.

"It was not easy getting here to Central, forgive me." he started, knowing his friend could be sitting idly in front of him. "And whenever I do, the Führer President just has a lot for me to do. And I can't take a leave. Sucks."

He studied the stone marker carefully and he did not want to identify the emotions welling up in him as he did.

If it would have been the old days Maes should be the one talking on and on while he'd probably only spoken a mere sentence or a couple of phrase in reply.

It took him several minutes to finally get the words out, knowing very well that this time, he will do the talking and Maes would listen. "I gave her roses that day, when you came to my place."

Then again, there's just too many would have been and could have been he had long lost track of them.

"I know how to handle my girl alright." he continued. "Not because you got married before I do means you're better with girls than I am."

He could have smiled smugly now because both he and Maes knew Roy is better with girls. Except that he felt a familiar years-old sting creeping in his soul.

"She gave me the are-you-insane look when I gave her the roses. I think she wanted to shoot me that morning."

Roy Mustang had to look up with his eyes closed. He wanted to keep talking but his voice was about to break. He allowed several sighs as the wind blew hard against him before he looked back to the cold stone bearing his best friend's name.

"Your fault." he murmured with an effective accusing tone.

Roses were Maes' thing.

The first time he actually gave Riza one is when Maes bugged him nonstop for 10 hours. It was one of the few times Maes made visits to the Eastern Headquarters. He almost smiled, remembering the single tall-stemmed white rose he left in her table. He had to get to the office before anybody did, and Maes made sure he did as he said. Then he let himself smile remembering the time he had to pay for their lunch for a whole week because Maes spent his allowance for the bouquets of roses he sent to his Gracia when they were in the military academy. Then again all those, and the many more after that, including the letters Maes wrote in warzone, paid off with a simple wedding one year after Ishval.

Ishval.

In his darkest days, he knew why he remained sane.

"I'm working in the East again. I'm going to rebuild Ishval." He whispered with the same determination as he did when he told Maes of how he wanted Amestris to be.

And he recognized, once again and again, that the pain never really eases.

"Elicia-chan is going to school soon by the way. I think she got your friendly attitude." He paused for a long minute composing his words, "It's a pity she won't be able to play with my daughter when I get one. She can baby-sit my kid though, like I did for her," he recognized the longing in his own voice. "Even if I don't know if I'll get one."

Should be Maes be estatic now? And babbling on his lovely Elicia-chan as he did about Gracia back then?

He placed his hands in his pockets as he tried hearing Maes through the silence. The silence magnified the absence. He clenched his fists inside his pockets in frustration.

It hurts so much for so long, he thought he forget the difference.

"You know though, right? I love her. I really do."

Roy chuckled sadly.

He thought he saw Maes perk up at the confession, even if he had known it several years ago.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Maybe he could spare a laugh? Except that he knew tears will come with it.

"Bakamono."

His words echoed in the nothingness. He wanted to expect a retort but he knew it would be in vain. He closed his eyes again, fighting the emotions he knew he couldn't win against.

"Forget that you-should-settle-down speech Maes. You know why I can't yet." He said through closed eyes as if he could hear Maes, telling him as he did again and again in the past, that he, Roy, ought to settle down already. That he isn't getting younger and domestic life is lovely and going home to home cook meals is better than any fine dining food and watching your child grow up is fulfilling and so on and so on and on.

Time is really relative, isn't it? Why those memories didn't appear as distant as they should be? Didn't they occur several years ago? Why are they so vivid like it was only yesterday? Or the week before?

Before him the afternoon sky was of lovely ginger and crimson. And the sun was just about to set. But he wasn't looking at the dusk.

For when he opened his eyes, he was focused on the grave marker again. "I have quite a lot to tell you."

Though he couldn't tell him upfront how much he wished he's still there.

The flock of bird in the nearby tree prepared for flight.

"I appreciate the visit." he murmured, finding strength in the recesses of his soul. "I really do."

He closed his eyes again as he fought against the tears he knew would come anyway, just as loud flapping of wings filled the air.

"It's comforting to know you're watching over me." It was the few things he can say aloud. And it really did comfort him, knowing that Maes is supporting him still as he promised, watching over him.

Flocks of birds paraded in the sky, in glorious chorus of their dusk song, against the majesty of the setting sun.

Roy Mustang stood in front of Maes Hughes' grave, eyes closed as he let himself cry.

It's been several years but he knew that the tears he will shed will never run out. For the pain of losing someone to eternity does not. It stays and lingers for as long as love does.

"Maes…" he murmured and it stung just how it did the first time he stood before this stone marker.

It is when he calls out and receives no response, he understands once more.

Roy sniffed.

That he is no longer with him in this time.

There was the smell of roses again.

Still he understood that some friendships spans beyond death and eternity.

He stood there for the longest while, knowing he is lucky to have one.

That unseen bond that traverses space beyond space and time beyond time.

A light drizzle started to fall just as his tears started to dry in his face. They fell in his face, soothing and gentle.

He ran his gloved fingers against his dark hair and kept his eyes closed wanting to see what he knew he could no longer see.

Then she came and stood next to him, holding an umbrella above him.

He allowed himself to smile, to himself, to Maes, as he finally opened his eyes and turned to look at his side, knowing he'll see her.

He held the hand that held the umbrella.

They stood before him for a long time, until the soft drizzle had bath the grasses around the cemetery with gentle dews. The fading sun and the afternoon drizzle gave birth to a rainbow competing in loveliness with the sunset colors.

And when the sun had sunk in the horizon, the blanket of the evening slowly creeping against the fading hue of the dusk, he placed his arm around her shoulders as they turned around and he held her close as they walked away from the grave.

Behind them is a beautiful display of dusk, a rising moon in the endless horizon, a fading drizzle, a soft rainbow barely seen against the blackish blue of the evening sky and a smiling Maes Hughes.

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A/N:

Part of the Friendship Fics Marathon Challenge: Mustang Roy-Hughes Maes.

There goes my first FMA fic!

I know both Roy and Riza don't mind not being the central figures in my first. Theirs is coming next.

For every friendship that spans beyond death