A/N: Third prompt for Royai week! I know the "code on the telephone" gimmick has been done a million times, but I love it and wanted to try my hand at code. I hope y'all like it! I own nothing.
Riza sat on her couch, reading a book she'd picked up just that day. It was late, but she couldn't sleep. Hayate was curled into a ball at her feet, gently snoring. Every once in a while he'd kick, as though chasing something in his dream. The action never failed to make Riza laugh. It felt nice to be here in her apartment, just her and her dog. Even though work was hell being separated from Roy and under the thumb of that evil man, even though she knew that Pride could be watching her from the shadows at any moment...at least she still had this. She still had something.
She missed Roy terribly. The news about The Promised Day had lifted her spirits somewhat. At least they had an end in sight, even though it was still a month away. But not being able to speak with him was wearing her thin, and it was worse when she'd catch a glimpse of him across the hall and not be able to go to him. To know that he was out there, by himself, open to any kind of an attack. She cast her eyes to the window, where she could see the dark shapes of clouds covering the night sky. 'There's even a chance of rain...'
At that moment, her phone chose to ring. Riza frowned. There was no reason for someone to be calling so late. Something must be wrong. She carefully pulled her feet out from under Black Hayate, trying not to disturb him, and got up from the couch, setting her book on the end table. She crossed to her phone in the kitchen and answered.
"Hello?"
"HelLOOOO, Nurse!"
She was gonna kill him.
"Colonel, WHAT are you doing?!" She heard Roy laugh on the other end.
"That's right, I forgot! This is my Lieutenant, NOT my nurse! Oh well. Same thing!" Riza put a hand to her forehead and turned back to her living room. Hayate had woken up and was looking at her curiously.
"Sir, if there isn't a good reason for this call, then by the time I am done with you, you're going to NEED a nurse."
"Nope. Just really drunk. Plus a letter arrived for you at the office, so I had you on my mind." Riza's eyes snapped open. He wasn't drunk. This was code. Something important had happened. She slipped her mask back on, just in case of prying eyes. She didn't want Pride to know something was transpiring, if he happened to be watching her. Instead she sighed and leaned her head on the doorframe.
"Well, that's a problem with the mail clerk. They'll need to be informed of that immediately. Did you open it?"
"Of course not, it's not my letter! Lieutenant, how could you think I'd do something like that?" An answer in the negative meant something positive had happened. Thank god, she needed good news.
"Honestly, sir, I wouldn't put it past you. Who was the letter from?"
"Uhh...I actually don't remember. I DO remember that it said Major on it." Riza smiled. One of the Armstrongs, then.
"Well, that narrows it down to about a third of the people who could be in contact with me."
"More like half, really." Briggs.
"Your attention to detail is, as always, flawless."
"Mmm. Who needs detail? It slows you down! I pride myself on my forward movement, Lieutenant! Two squares at the opening, never one! I like freeing my rook as soon as possible." The mansion.
"Are you going to talk about chess?" Riza closed her eyes, feigning annoyance. She couldn't trust the shadows.
"Chess is a wonderful game! Your Grandfather taught me that."
"Yes, I can blame him for most of your personality."
"He's always so fond of sacrificing his pieces, though. I can never let go of my Queen."
"It's an important piece. She has a lot of work to do." Boy, did Riza ever. She needed to get this message to Fuery down South.
"UGH, work. We have to work tomorrow, don't we?"
"Yes, sir, you chose to get drunk on a Wednesday."
"Oh well." He paused, and when he spoke again his voice had a different quality. The drunken loudness was gone, and was replaced by a sincere softness.
"At least the stars are bright." Riza's eyes widened and she had to bite the inside of her cheek in order to keep herself from smiling.
"Not so bright as the moon, sir."
"I prefer the stars, though." Riza could feel moisture forming behind her eyes.
"And I the moon." It was a struggle to keep her voice even. It was a moment before Roy spoke again, the frivolity back in his tone.
"Oh, my taxi's here! Until next time, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir. Don't die on the way home."
"Aye, aye Lieutenant. Good night."
"Good night." She hung up the phone and immediately walked through her entire apartment, turning off every single thing that emitted light she could find, and looked out at the cloudy night before she closed her curtains tightly. Bright stars, indeed. Shrouded in complete darkness, Riza sat on her bed and smiled, even as one or two tears fell. God, how she missed that man. How she loved him.
Roy had just received word from Falman that the Briggs troops had finalized their plans. He needed to get word to Hawkeye. Easiest thing would be to call her and just speak in code. He left Madame Christmas's and put a bit of a stumble into his steps, just in case someone was watching. He dialed her number and waited as it rang and rang. After the third ring, the voice he missed so much came through the phone.
"Hello?" Roy put on the best shit-eating grin he had.
"HelLOOOO, Nurse!" He could hear just how badly she wanted to kill him in her response. He laughed loudly.
"That's right, I forgot! This is my Lieutenant, NOT my nurse! Oh well. Same thing!" Oh, she was so gonna kill him.
"Sir, if there isn't a good reason for this call, then by the time I am done with you, you're going to NEED a nurse." Time for the code. This was one they had developed and honed over the years together. One of the ones, like the one she had used to tell him about Pride, that only the two of them knew. This one focused on specific words and word association and simple memorization. They hadn't used it in awhile, though. He hoped she still remembered it.
"Nope. Just really drunk. I have news for you."
"This must be important for you to risk a call. Is it good or bad?" She hadn't even hesitated on picking up the code. God, she amazed him.
"Good. Plans are moving forward."
"Who is the news from?"
"Stay with me, this will be hard to spell out. One of the Armstrongs." There was only one Major on their side, so Major immediately meant the Armstrong name. But it didn't refer to which Armstrong.
"The younger one?"
"The older."
"What are the details?" Roy cast his eyes around, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching.
"Mmm. Briggs soldiers. Setting up the board, will be moving down here in 2 weeks. They'll be in the mansion."
"Understood."
"You're the best. I'll be getting word to Grumman soon."
"Good, we need him."
"Not as much as I need you. Be prepared."
"There's work to be done. You can count on me." Of course he could.
"I know. We have to work tomorrow, don't we?"
"Yes, sir, you chose to get drunk on a Wednesday."
"Oh well," Roy had given her the brunt of the message. However, there was one more piece, the most important thing he needed to tell her. He dropped the drunk act, just for this. This was their oldest code, which they had developed as teenagers. Roy looked up at the cloudy sky and closed his eyes, imagining her soft amber eyes, and the feel of her body pressed against him.
"I miss you."
"I miss you, too." Roy smiled at the code, eyes still shut. She was the stars, he was the moon. It was sappy but it was true.
"I love you." Roy could hear the tiniest catch in Riza's voice when she responded.
"I love you, too."
There. That was the most important part of the message. Roy opened his eyes and put the drunken slurs back in his voice.
"Oh, my taxi's here! Until next time, Lieutenant." He hated to hang up but the call had been dangerous enough. Important, but dangerous.
"Yes, sir. Don't die on the way home." As if he'd let himself die on her.
"Aye, aye Lieutenant. Good night."
"Good night," she responded and he reluctantly put the receiver back on the hook. The phone booth felt bigger, somehow. Like the mere absence of even her voice could shrink him. He needed The Promised Day to get here. He was tired of codes and telephones and not being able to look her in the eyes and hold her. Soon. Soon he'd have her back. He was counting the days, the minutes, the seconds until Riza Hawkeye was back by his side. Then these assholes would pay for daring to take her from him in the first place. As the code said - he was never letting go of his Queen.
They're hopeless saps, aren't they? Hope you enjoyed! Please review!