Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
This is how I picture the drive to kill Fuhrer Bradley. I haven't watched the episode in awhile, so please let me know if there are any obvious or annoying inaccuracies. The title is from one of my very favorite songs, "Look After You" by The Fray. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it!
Look After You
The dusky air slid past them. Framed in by tinted windows, they looked benign, a rich man and his chauffer on a legitimate errand. The driver's hands were steady, confident. The fingertips tingled with fear, or anticipation, but no movement betrayed the nerves. The slender fingers could always be relied upon.
"Hawkeye." The figure in the backseat sat ramrod straight, a precise shadow in the rearview mirror.
"Yes sir?"
"What will you do? If we succeed."
Her shoulders tensed. Pale lips tightened, and the voice that emerged was careful, and sounded almost calm. "I don't know. Whatever is needed."
A careful silence followed. The tires hissed over the pavement in a steady rhythm.
"Are you afraid?" He wondered, and watched her shoulders tense, almost imperceptibly.
The light faded, until he did not expect an answer. The light caught in the fringes of her hair.
Her words were metallic, strong and bland. "No sir."
He wondered what her face looked like, whether her eyes were wide with a lie. She would never admit to fear. She was always so careful to look invincible. He straightened, and stared into the rearview mirror. The edge of her delicate outline rested in the reflection. Her hands looked so small folded around the wheel. A tiny scratch marred her flesh. A paper cut, maybe. The little scab shadowed her knuckle. Such thin bones, such fragile skin. He wondered what she would say, if he asked her why she was risking her life tonight. He wondered what she would say, if he refused her protection, if he dared to keep her safe, instead.
The young soldier cleared his throat. "I want you to let me out at the next block."
"Sir?"
"Pull over."
"Are you" he could hear the puzzled frown in her voice. " all right sir?"
He grunted roughly, and she pulled over wordlessly, to stare intently at his shadowy face.
The words curled cool and smooth out of her mouth. "You've changed your mind?" Her fierce self control almost hid the anger, but not quite.
He was silent, and she heard his weight shift, slightly.
His lieutenant took a deep breath, and spoke quickly, precisely.
"Sir. I have never known you to be a coward, and this is no time to be foolish. I understand if you don't want to go through with this, but Bradley can't be allowed to live. Think. It would only be a matter of time before he killed you. If you won't confront him, I'll do it myself." Her golden eyes flashed out from the deep shadows on her face, and she stared unflinching into his.
"No." She drew back, slightly. "You're not coming with me"
"What? Sir, with all due respect, don't be stupid. I'm not sending you into this alone."
He sighed, and responded. "I could order you to leave me here."
She nodded "You could. And I could disobey." She added a "sir" hastily.
He hesitated, and smoothed a hand through his hair. "Hawkeye. If this falls apart.." he hesitated.
She frowned, slightly, and her eyes went hard and distant.
His dark eyes glinted out of the gathering dusk." We'll be tried for treason. Even if I kill him. Especially if I kill him. This is treason."
She smiled, in a slow movement so sad and beautiful it was physically painful to see. "I know."
"This will end in death."
"I know that, sir. There is no other way."
He shook his head, gently. She bit her lip, and her chin tilted up, he caught a flicker of what might have been fear, or defiance.
He ignored the look, and said simply" It is not necessary for both of us to do this."
An almost mocking smile twisted her mouth. "Colonel Mustang, I've spent most of my life protecting yours. I'm not going to leave you to get killed, and ruin all of my hard work."
A small line dented his forehead, but his expression was blank. "This isn't the same. We aren't facing ordinary war, we aren't facing bullets. I don't want" he paused, continued. "I don't want your blood on my hands."
She rested the tips her fingers against his clenched hand. "And I don't want your blood on mine. I swore I would keep you safe. For the sake of the world you'll create. I will not back down now. Do you understand?"
"Still an idealist, Riza?" His voice creaked with bitterness and exhaustion, "you can't possibly believe I can fix everything, you can't still believe in a perfect world, can you?"
"No." She admitted quietly. "But I believe in you. You are going to change things, and I will do everything I can to help you. " She didn't add that she would die for him. They both knew it, and to speak it aloud wouldn't change anything.
"You really think we're doing the right thing, you think it's worth dying over?"
"Yes." she replied simply.
His face curved into a sharpedged smile. He nodded, and spoke with aching resignation. "Keep driving."