Deafening screams and flames filled the room, surrounding the occupants. A traumatic, heavy scene was playing out before the blonde Lieutenant. Her mind was racing, and while she was slightly relieved, shock ran through her entire body. Her world had nearly shattered before her eyes, now she was able to pick up the pieces, even if just barely. A few short minutes before, she had a death wish. Her Colonel, the man she lived and breathed for, her Roy, was declared to be dead by the strange, dark haired woman previously standing before her.
Now, the woman was on her knees, practically bowing before the raven haired flame alchemist. With every passing moment, her screams became even more piercing. The colonel continued to engulf this woman in flames. Her skin was flaking, face becoming more unrecognizable. It only took a few more moments until she was defeated. The small red stone in her chest had disintegrated before them, while the colonel collapsed to the floor.
Practically on instinct, Riza remembered what she was built for. She rushed to the colonel's side, thoughts in her head running one million miles per hour. She understood the Colonel had sealed his wound, but he was still in critical condition.
'I should have never let him go alone.' She thought, her tears still pouring from her eyes. He shifted his gaze towards hers, almost as if he could read her mind, "Don't blame yourself for this, Lieutenant." He winced due to the pain, it seemed that even shifting slightly would cause his wound to re-open.
"Please don't move, sir. Save your strength. I will have Al call for a doctor." Riza replied, wiping her tears from her eyes. Roy could only sit and watch her pain-stricken face, knowing full well how much he wanted to wipe the tears from her eyes. His Lieutenant was practically all he had left, and she was nearly stolen away from him, too. She had almost let herself die, under the pretense that he was already dead. This is what struck him the most. Her dedication to him ran deeper than either of the two could ever vocalize. However, she was not alone in this, and his disbelief quickly turned to anger.
"Lieutenant, your actions were reckless. You endangered yourself for no reason. You cannot put your life at risk simply because of hearsay!" Roy barked, knowing this was using up his energy. Riza sheepishly stared at her superior, knowing that he was right. Her eyes were filled with genuine anguish, she had to process so many emotions at once. Anger, despair, depression, guilt, love, all mixing in her brain. All that could come out of her were more tears. She couldn't find the energy to form a single sentence, let alone a coherent argument to defend her recklessness.
Roy laid on the ground, regretting his previous statement. Now was not the time to scold her, she had already suffered enough today. His anger was fueled by genuine concern, love, and sympathy, but he could never express that. It would take much longer to express how much Riza meant to him, as a colleague and as a person.
Riza finally picked her head up, ready to face the stare of her Colonel. The two were silent, simply staring at each other. She could finally comprehend what he had been though- his eyes spoke of an immense amount of pain, and his face was cut deeply. Her eyes swelled with more tears, even though she thought she was out. She couldn't stop crying, and she was practically begging herself not to. She felt so pathetic, not to mention stupid.
The colonel, with all of his strength, propped up his arm, and cupped Riza's face. The touch was almost alien to her, his hand had just been used to kill, no, wait, obliterate another life, and he still could touch her lovingly. His hand felt so soft, despite the fact his fingers were calloused and cut. She grabbed his hand, clinging onto it as if it were her lifeline. He ran his thumb under her eye, clearing her tears away. He could express his love and devotion this way, at the very least. He refused to let go until every tear had escaped her eyes. Every second, she knew he was there, and that is what mattered most.
The lieutenant gained her composure, and realized that Al was still with them, silently watching and waiting for a command. Riza started to get to her feet, until she felt a tug at her legs. She looked down at Roy, seeing his hand gripping her pants. She immediately knelt down, feeling senseless for trying to leave his side.
Roy traced his hand up her leg, to her back, and to the nape of her neck. Despite the previous events, he had to acknowledge that Riza looked stunning. She had her golden hair in her trademark clip, and her curves were accentuated due to the lack of her military jacket. He wanted to keep staring at her forever, but he did not have forever, he had to make this quick. Roy gently lowered her head to make their lips meet.
Riza took a few seconds to process what her superior had just done. This action alone could have them separated for the rest of their military careers- and yet she refused to pull away. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, gripping her superior's open military jacket. She loved the feeling of his hand on her neck and back, traversing the area that could never be explored before. She put her other free hand on his chest, feeling his toned body. This is what she had wanted for so long, and it was a desire she could never have fulfilled before now.
The two eventually broke apart, simply due to a lack of air. The colonel and his lieutenant stared at each other lovingly, her hand still on his chest, conveniently over his heart. Both were struck back to reality when footsteps were heard down the hall, and Riza immediately stood up as to not rouse any suspicion. In a few short seconds, a pack of soldiers and emergency response entered the room to retrieve Mustang. Al had called for help after all, Riza and Roy not even noticing.
Even with military personnel surrounding him, Roy still kept his gaze fixated on Riza. She felt like the only entity in the room. He still answered the usual questions, and he also checked on Jean Havoc's status. Luckily, Havoc had been rescued. Otherwise, his mind was focused on his Riza.
Refusing to leave her Colonel's side, Riza opted to stay in the back of the military vehicle with him as they rode to the hospital. She understood that he was very weak, so she kept talking to a minimum. The colonel eventually broke the silence, "That was so risky, Lieutenant, but I just couldn't help it. Control me next time."
Her only retort was "Let's keep this between us." With a genuine, loving smile. He began to share that smile, too.