Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist.
AN: Be cautioned, major fluffiness shall ensue. You have been warned.
Ambience recommended: Nuvole Bianche (the live one with the singer) by Ludovico Einaudi OR Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. Also, if you really want to feel the story (since I made it while listening to both songs), you can pair either one of them with the rainy mood app. It's simple actually: you go to rainymood(dot)com and play the song, preferably on loop.
"Make a wish, take a chance, make a change and break away."
Roy Mustang stared out the foggy window, raindrops gliding down its glassy surface. His eyes were glazed over, remembering, recalling. The rain outside was fierce and loud, but inside his home, it was a soft pitter-patter, like a gentle lullaby. Outside the window that separated him from the world, the rain was icy. It chilled everything to the bone. Inside, the warmth that emanated from the alight fireplace kept him warm, the occasional spark that burst off was a familiar sound that comforted him.
It had been raining when Roy Mustang first met Edward Elric. The rain then was cold and bitter against his coat, hailing down on him like bullets. Lightning and thunder had forged a magnificent battle against the dark firmament, like two sentient Titans that could destroy the earth. He had hated the rain then, hated it with a passion that almost overpowered him.
The next time Roy had been in the rain was when he and his team were chasing down the Ishvalan rogue called Scar. The rain then was neither as cold nor bitter as it was when he first met Edward, but it was mocking. It had left him useless, his gloves wet, his only weapon, his sense of purpose, utterly gone as a wild, insane man was about to destroy the people he cherished deeply. At that moment, Roy hated the rain with an intensity that could match the flames of the sun.
The last time Roy Mustang had been in the rain wasn't as literal as it was; rather it was the figurative sort. It was during the funeral of his best friend, Maes Hughes. The sky had been a wonderful blue, the sun a glittering diamond in the fair backdrop. The birds chirped happily, overjoyed with such a wonderful weather. Yet, in Roy's world, the world he had built that composed of the few people he had let himself be him, was in a great deluge. As bright as the sun shone in the sky, it was dark and cruel against his skin. As blue as the sky was at that day, it was darkest of night, of total emptiness, to him. The rain was a sadistic thunderstorm in that moment, and Roy's heart seethed not with hate, but with pain.
He had wondered if he could ever see the rain again in the state of beauty that others often perceive it in. He had wondered if he could ever grow to appreciate it, appreciate the life it birthed by its power to heal the land, appreciate the wonders it did to the human soul. He had wondered if he could ever lose this heavy feeling in his chest, this great resentment, all because of what the rain had done to him.
But he had; rather he did.
"Daddy?" Roy's eyes blinked, and it moved from the heavy downpour outside and down to the reflection on the window. He looked at the smaller figure, one with pale skin and black hair, like his father, and deep caramel eyes, like his mother. The younger figure looked up at Roy by the reflection, eyes wide and hesitant and confused.
Slowly, Roy turned away from the rain, and lowered himself to face his son, faces alike in almost every way. Hair as dark as his, skin as pale as his, nose as straight as his and lips as smooth as his. Only those deep caramel eyes that reminded Roy of molten earth belonged to his mother. Otherwise, Roy would have stared at his own smaller, younger reflection.
"Yes, Rhys?" Roy asked, smiling slightly at his son; just looking at him, his heart felt lighter already, his dark thoughts receding back into their deep grottoes. He had thought himself unable to love as deeply as Maes did with his little Elysia, but then, he was surprised to feel this great devotion to his son when Rhys was born. He was stunned, to say the least.
"I—nothing." The little six-year old ducked his head, his thick black hair swishing as he did. Roy frowned a bit, concerned. Outside, the rain continued to plummet down but that was soon to be ignored as he laid a hand on his son's shoulder.
"What is it, Rhys? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Little Rhys nodded, eyes carefully glancing at his father. "What's the problem?"
"It's…It's just you look sad. I don't like to see you sad." Rhys answered, eyes carefully glancing at him, worried and trusting. Roy's eyes widened before a smile slowly formed on his lips.
Rhys, most probably thinking that his father did not believe him, continued. "I know you don't like the rain, daddy, but I thought that being with you would make it go away."
At those words, Roy's heart melted and his smile increased. "Yeah, the rain makes me sad, kiddo. But you're here, now, right? Everything's better now."
With that, Roy enveloped his son in his arms and carried him up, little Rhys laughing as he did so. His little hands wrapped themselves around Roy's neck, his little head resting against the crook of his neck. Feeling the trust, the love his son had for him, formed a lump in Roy's throat that made his eyes water. But he did not speak of this or anything, he buried his face into his son's hair, breathing in the scent of his little boy.
A creak on the floorboard caused Roy to look up, and there he saw his wife, beautiful in the firelight. Riza stood there, by the door, smiling at the two of them, her blond hair like the color of flames due to the blaze that burned in the fireplace, the color like the flames he could conjure. Her deep caramel eyes, so like his son's, bored into his.
"Hey." She said, smiling softly at him, lovingly.
"Hey," He replied, extending an arm towards her, the other holding his son up. Without hesitation, Riza came towards him, folding herself against him, her warmth like the snug embrace of a blanket against a cold breeze, like the coziness of a fire in the middle of a frozen wasteland.
This was the reason why he no longer hated the rain, this was the reason why everytime he looked out the window during a thunderstorm, he no longer felt that cold resentment. The rain had taken away a lot from him, his power, his best friend, his own purpose. Yet, in the end, it had given back more than he could ever imagine: a warm home, a loving wife, a family.
He, right then and there, made a promise. Like every night he gazed at his sleeping son and wife, that promise was the same. He promised to protect the both of them, to make sure that no harm ever comes to them. He promised to love and cherish them, to let them know that he would never ever turn his back on them. He loved Rhys and Riza with all his might, even if he could not bear to speak it aloud in front of an audience. He knew that Rhys and Riza knew his feelings for them in his actions, in his concerned gazes.
He promised those promises to everyone that had ever left a mark in his life; to Maes, to Edward, to Alphonse, to Jean and to everyone he had been blessed to meet. Most of all, he promised to himself that he would never fail to uphold those promises.
"I love you. The both of you." He said in a quiet voice, embracing both son and wife tighter, knowing deep inside that even this close proximity could never be enough for him.
"Daddy, look!" Rhys' voice caused Roy to turn, making Riza look up. His son was pointing at the window, and when Roy looked out, his eyes widened.
The rain had stopped, and peeking out of the grayish-white clouds, the light of the sun cleaved the sky. It was going to be a beautiful day.
AN: Well…that was interesting. I actually loved writing that. LMAO. Anyhow, I hope you all liked the story. I actually had a hard time choosing what to name Roy's kid. I had options like Ross, Roswell, Rhys and Rouben. Then, I just went on a limb and chose Rhys. I ended up liking it too. So…yeah.