A/N: This fic is based on a personal experience.
Disclaimer: FMA is not mine. Credits to Parachute! When I heard it, everything just clicked into place and I just had to share it with you all. Thanks a lot, Parachute.
Fiction Title: Forever And Always
Chapter Title: Last Moments
"She's sitting at the table. The hour's getting later.
He was supposed to be here. She's sure he would've called"
"It's already past three. Roy rarely comes a lot later than planned." Riza Hawkeye muttered to herself as she glanced at her wristwatch. She heaved a huge sigh and retreated to a nearby couch. "I thought I made it clear that he should be here at two."
Hayate whimpered at the sound of his mistress' worried tone. Riza looked down to see him wagging his tail at her feet. She reached down and scratched her dog behind the ears, much to his delight.
"Hayate, you don't think something happened, right? He would have called me if something did." Hayate barked in agreement. She smiled at him although it didn't stop her from drifting her mind to Roy. They were scheduled to have lunch in Central in celebration of their anniversary.
"She waits a little longer
There's no one in the driveway"
"I gotta call Christmas." Her nerves finally gave in, and she placed Hayate back on the floor. She grabbed the telephone and dialed everyone she had in mind. Much to her disappointment, no one has seen him anywhere. It was then that Riza started to prepare for the worst. Her heart began racing as hard as it could as she gripped the edges of the table the phone's been sitting on.
"No ones' said they've seen him
"Why, is something wrong?"
She looks back to the window
Suddenly the phone rings
A voice says, "Something's happened."
That she should come right now"
The sudden ring of the phone averted Riza's thoughts to reality. She shakily picked it up, hoping from the bottom of her heart it was his voice, her lover's voice. As much as she loved Rebecca Catalina, her best friend, she'd rather put the phone back down on the receiver than not being able to hear his voice.
"He- Hello?" She said.
"Riza!" Her best friend yelled through the line. Riza was used to her shouts, but this time was different. It wasn't anger or glee. It was panic and fear.
"Becca? What's with you?"
"Shit, Riza! Oh shit! You've gotta come here right now!" Rebecca's voice cracked as she withheld a sob. "We- we're at the East Hospital Wing."
"What happened? Who got into an accident?" Her voice got louder, and more serious. She was hoping that the worst case scenario she had in mind wasn't the one her best friend was going to declare.
All she heard was Rebecca suddenly crying into the receiver.
"Becca, answer me." Riza's voice softened as it laced with pain and empathy, as well as fear.
"Roy." It was all her best friend's respond was. The worst case scenario actually happened. Riza nearly toppled over when it actually dawned on her. She didn't need to hear anything else, in fact, she didn't want to. It was more than enough for her heart to take. She jammed the phone back to it's holder and dashed out to the said location.
Riza fought back the tears as her mind once again drifted to Roy. She could possibly lose him today. She knew exactly how bad the situation is, just basing it from her best friend's reaction. Her thought flew back to their wonderful memories together, starting from when he first told her he loved her.
"Her mind goes to December
She thinks of when he asked her
He bent down on his knee first
And he said...
I want you forever
Forever and always
Through the good and the bad and the ugly
We'll grow old together
Forever and always"
Riza failed to hold back her tears. It was quite a good fight with her emotions, but she always loses to her own tears if the matter is always about Roy. Finally she arrived at the hospital.
"She pulls up to the entrance
She walks right to the front desk
They lead her through a million halls
A maze that's never ending"
"Excuse me, w-where is the room of R-" She couldn't find herself to say it. She stuttered a bit more, and felt a bit embarrassed to act in such a way in front of the desk clerk. She even immortalized her tears to the lady. "R-Roy Mustang." She immediately wiped away the tears that betrayed her, and quirked a small smile to the lady.
"Fourth Floor, Room 4580." The lady gave her a sad smile as she watched Riza nod multiple times, barely keeping the smile etched on her face.
"I'll escort you up there, ma'am, if you'd like to." She offered ever so kindly.
"Yes, thank you."
As soon as they arrived on her destination, she noticed Rebecca, Denny, Maria, Alex, Ed, Alphonse, Winry, Havoc, Fuery, Breda, and Falman, all residing down the halls looking crestfallen. Almost everyone had their handkerchiefs covering their eyes, while the remaining only had their heads turned down or to the side to hide their emotion.
Riza again fought with herself in spacing out. A part of her still tried to deny that something ugly had really happened to her lover. Rebecca squished the silence and walked to Riza and started telling her what happened.
All she ever heard was "bla bla bla car accident bla bla bla flowers" and then she completely spaced out, ignoring her best friend's explanation.
"They talk about what happened
But she can barely hear them
She tries to keep a straight face
As she walks into the room"
She was escorted inside Room 4580 by Havoc. It was the largest suite room the hospital had to offer. Considering the suite was called "Presidential Suite" and it was destined for Amestris's fuhrer, and he was no other than Roy Mustang. She was followed inside by everyone waiting on the halls, and watched her as she took those painful steps towards her heavily wounded lover.
Beside Roy was a heart monitor, an oxygen tank, an IV, and a respirator. Both of his legs were castrated, as well as his right arm. His body and face was badly bruised and he had a bloodstained bandage wrapped around his head. He had several cuts all over him, too. Basically, if the room wasn't called the Presidential Suite, no one would quite make out who the person lying half dead on the bed is.
It was then when her tears continued to betray her. They flowed down her flushed cheeks like there was no tomorrow.
"R-Roy.." She muttered.
She held his free hand in both of hers and kissed it. Roy slowly but surely opened his obsidian orbs at the warm familiar touch.
"Riza, I'm sorry."
"Shh.." She soothed him, as more tears began to build up.
"Happy anniversary, love,"
Riza looked up and stared back at his lifeless eyes. Everyone behind her was already crying and sobbing, but hers shined right through everyone else's.
"You got me so scared, Roy. So scared.." She shut her eyes too tight and blinked away the new tears.
"I'm sorry.."
"She sits by his bedside
Holds his hand too tight
They talk about the kids they're gonna have
And the good life
The house on the hillside
Where they would...
Stay
Stay there forever"
"I wanted to wait and discuss this while we were having lunch, but I guess I have to say it right now." He said and continued, "I was thinking if we get married we should live back at your old house. The house where we first met and where everything began."
Riza chuckled through her sobs. "But it's a total rundown."
"That can be fixed." Roy tried to grin at her with the only force he could muster. "Also, we have to add some additional rooms and spaces there."
"I honestly think it's already big enough for the two of us. Why do you need more rooms?"
Roy made an uneasy smile. "Well, I was thinking that our future babies would need their own little rooms, right?"
Riza's face transformed into a bright crimson color, and everyone behind her was smiling to their heart's content at the lovely scene in front of them. She nodded repeatedly and kissed his hand once more, as he said. . .
" "I want you forever
Forever and always
Through the good and the bad and the ugly
We'll grow old together
Forever and always
And always remember
Whether rich or for poor or for better
We'll still love each other
Forever and always" "
"All of that is going to happen only after we're married?" She asked, rather impatiently. At the back of her mind, something told her they might not be alive long enough to be able to get married. But then a brilliant thought rushed to her brain. She grinned and flexed her head to glance at her best friend.
"Hey Becca, I have an idea!"
"Then she gets an idea
And calls in the nurses
Brings up the chaplain
And he says a couple verses
She borrows some rings
From the couple next door"
"I got the rings, Lieutenant." Havoc said. "What do you need them for?"
"I think it should be pretty obvious right now." Riza replied with a smile.
"Love, I could buy you a ring, you know. You don't have to take someone else's." Roy chuckled lowly, followed by everyone.
"I got the chaplain, Rizzy. He's a sexy hunk too." Rebecca arrived slightly pulling the chaplain's sleeve, as she said her statements without shame.
The chaplain coughed nervously and went in front of Roy's bed and took out a bible. "Well let's get started now, shall we?"
When it was time for the exchange of vows, the chaplain first turned to Roy.
"Do you Roy Mustang take Riza Hawkeye to be your wife – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"
"You didn't have to ask, my friend." Roy answered with his infamous smirk. Riza laughed along with everyone and very lightly nudged him. She wiped away the new tears forming in her eyes.
This time, the chaplain turned to her and smiled.
"Do you Riza Hawkeye take Roy Mustang to be your husband – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"
"Hell yeah I do." She answered immediately. Now, everyone laughed out harder, Rebecca's boisterous laughter stood out from the rest. Roy's eyes also brimmed with tears.
"Everybody's laughing
As the tears fall on the floor
She looks into his eyes and says...
"I want you forever
Forever and always
Through the good and the bad and the ugly
We'll grow old together
Forever and always
And always remember
Whether happy or sad or whatever
We'll still love each other
Forever and always" "
She eyed the other occupants of the room with a big smile on her face once the rings were slid down on their fingers. The others were getting teary-eyed for joy, a big change from their tears of pain from before.
Her smile slowly faltered away as soon as she felt he was was loosing his grip on her hands. She fearfully glanced at him and her eyes widened as his eyes were slowly giving out and his breathing was becoming low.
"Riza.." He whispered. Everyone abruptly turned quiet and all eyes were once again fixed on him.
"She finishes the vows but
The beeps are getting too slow
His voice is almost too low
As he says...
"I'll love you forever
Forever and always
Please just remember
Even if I'm not there
I'll always love you
Forever and always" "
Riza's tears betrayed her, yet again. She painfully watched as her husband slowly went limp on her hands, his eyes completely closed, his breathing died down, and the heart monitor sounded a very long "beeeep".
She shook her head slowly and her sobs began to grow louder by the second.
"No.. No.. Roy.. No..." She shook her head repeatedly, as her tears continued to wash down her face.
After a few seconds, the only sound that resounded the room was the long "beep" from the monitor.
Her knees buckled up and she fell to the cold floor, still clutching her husband's now cold hands. Her sobs grew louder than ever, and followed it by a very loud scream.
"ROOOYY!"
A/N: *heavy sigh* I always hate it whenever I remember this scene.
Anyway, reviews please! I have another one-shot royai fic coming up soon.