A/N: Oh look. It's another fic written at 12:00 AM with very little proofing. Jeez, I need to stop doing that.
Right. This is Royai. Not much stuff people would consider "fluff" or "invasion of a personal bubble in a good way" but it's still Royai. Or at least that's what I consider it.
Have fun reading it.
*Note: Edited a little bit after publishing for a few typos and some inconsistency in flowing. Sorry for any burning eyes/inconvenience.
It was only temporary.
That was what he told her, what he promised her on the day he packed his bags. "I'll be back," he had said. "I'll come back with my State Alchemist license and watch and everything. Then I'll buy cookies from the bakery and we'll eat them with a jug of hot cider in front of a fire. I'll tell you stories. Just like always."
"Roy." At that point, tears had begun to drip down her cheeks. "Promise me that you'll come back."
He stopped shoving books into his bag, and turned to face her. He patted her head, gently. "I promise. I'll come back to you. Always."
She had stood there, watching him helplessly as he strode away from the house. When he vanished from sight, Riza Hawkeye collapsed on the steps of her front porch and cried for an hour.
~~~ Fast Forward - Ishval ~~~
It's only temporary.
That was what she told herself in her mind. That the Ishvalan war was only temporary, and it would soon be over.
But despite the stinging sand, the endless gunshots, and the fire that never seemed to go out...Riza knew it was all worth it.
Fire. Every time she saw it, she heard screams of the Ishvalans in her mind. She knew that she was much too far away to actually hear them, but it still hurt just the same.
Fire. Every time she saw a blaze ripple from nowhere, she knew it was him, that he was once again in the same place as her. And in her heart, she felt warm inside.
It was a day full of raging fires and a sandstorm when she met him again. Her pockets were weighted down with ammunition, and her three extra pistols dragged her down even more. Sweat drops covered her face, sliding down her grimy cheeks. Despite that, she stood in the watch tower, gun in hand, a long brown cloak obscuring her face and protecting her from the sand.
When he came into her sight, she nearly dropped her gun—and her guard. Roy. The word was almost like a decadent sweet on her tongue, and seeing him in person was even better. Roy.
"Why did you come here?" he hissed later at night when the rest of the camp was asleep. "Why did you join the military? And of all things, why did you come to Ishval? Why, Riza?"
She was quiet for a minute. "Roy, you told me you would come back. I waited for so long. It was so lonely in that house without anyone there, did you know that? Eventually I couldn't stand the loneliness anymore and I joined the military. And," she said with a bitter-like laugh. "It turns out I was pretty good with guns."
Even this girl has killer eyes now. Roy bit his lip, and immediately regretted it—his sand-chapped lips had begun to bleed at the pressure. "Riza, I was going to go back. I got my state alchemy license and watch and everything I told you about, Riza. I was, I really was! And then...they...they sent me to this hellhole. This fuckin' hellhole!"
Riza was startled by the harsh language. "Roy..."
"And now you've come here too!" He clenched his fists, and slammed it against the dirt. "Dammit, Riza! Couldn't you have stayed at your house where it's safe? You came to see me, but right now all you can see is a bloody murderer! Alchemy is supposed to be used for the happiness of people, but now it's just used to kill others!"
"Roy." She grabbed his wrist. "It was my decision, not yours. And I don't see a bloody murderer." His eyes widened as she said that. "I see my father's apprentice and my best friend. I see you, Roy Mustang. So don't ever forget that. Ishval...Ishval is temporary. You told me that when you left my father's house. That it was all temporary.
"I forgive you, you know," she said. "For not coming back when I was still there. But you're here now, and that's what matters. You're alive. You're next to me, breathing, living. That's all I care about now. I don't know why alchemy is used for murder, but..."
"Riza." Roy sat there, stunned, as she withdrew her fingers from his wrist. "Riza."
She stood up. "I'm going to sleep now, Roy. We have a long day ahead of us. But remember, you're not alone. And you're alive."
~~~ Fast Forward - Present Day ~~~
"Roof! Roof!"
"Black Hayate-gou?" Riza Hawkeye lowered her book and placed a slip of paper between the pages. "What is it?"
The doorbell chimed. She stood up and knelt down to momentarily pat Hayate's head. "Calm down, boy." She unlocked the door and opened it. "Who is it—sir?"
"Roy. It's Roy." He stood there, holding a box labeled Central Bakery as well as a jug of something. Riza identified it as hot cider.
"Roy. What are you doing here? It's Friday night. I thought you'd be spending your night somewhere—ahem—elsewhere."
"Riza, cut the crap. I'm here to fulfill a promise." He held out the box and the jug of cider, which Riza accepted with a half-open mouth. "Remember what I said? I said I'd come back with my watch and license," he said with a smirk while tossing the silver watch into the air. "Of course, I've had it for a while so it's an overdue promise but...I hope you'll accept it anyway."
You remembered.
Later, over warm cookies and hot cider in front of a blazing fire, Riza and Roy talked. Roy was the one doing most of the talking, but that was fine. He was telling her stories, after all. Not of the horrors of Ishval but childhood memories of them together. There was an extra listener (although Black Hayate seemed more intent on stealing the cookie in Riza's hand over eavesdropping on them) but that didn't matter.
It was only temporary, after all. Within twelve hours they would be back facing the horrors of the military. But for the remaining twelve hours, Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang enjoyed themselves while they could.
Meh. I hope you liked it.
Reviews are appreciated.