Chapter 7 Just Cause
Roy sighed once Riza shut the door behind her and looked over at everyone else in the room. They all glared at him, and Havoc looked as if he could pounce at any moment. Roy looked over at Riza's desk and went to sit down at his own. 'How do I talk to them if they alright think I'm guilty when I don't even know what for...'
"What did she mean?" Fuery asked.
"Huh?" Roy said, surprised that he had spoken.
"What did she mean?" Fuery repeated, as he took off his glasses and began to clean them. "When she said you said you weren't even here?"
Roy was quiet for a moment and looked down at his hands on his desk. "I wasn't here. I don't even know what's going on... How she got hurt or anything like that."
"Liar!" Havoc yelled at him, his fist clenched.
Roy's head shot up. "I'm not lying!"
Falman, then, spoke up. "Then where were you?"
"Whatever he says it's going to be a lie and you know it." Havoc growled.
"Quiet. Let him answer the question." Fuery replied, putting his glasses back on. "She means a lot to all of us; she's almost like a little sister but we need to hear his side as well."
Falman nodded. "Nicely put. Now please answer, sir."
Roy nodded. "I was away on a mission all last week to follow a lead on Scar. I was told I couldn't take anyone with me, or I would of taken Riza. Since I would probably be gone on her birthday I wrote a letter to her and told her I'd have to cancel the plans we had for that day, and I sent it in the mail."
Falman then said. "She never got a letter."
Roy looked down. "Do you believe...?"
Fuery nods. "I do."
"I need more proof." Falman said.
Everyone looked at Havoc and he said. "I don't know."
"Fine." Roy sighed. "After work I'll show you the letter I got sending me on the mission but as for now, we need to get to work."
Everyone nodded and began their work. Roy stood up and grabbed the paperwork off of Riza's desk, putting it on his own and began to work.
---
Roy opened the door to his apartment and waited until the guys entered his house. Once they came in, Roy took the paper out of his suitcase, and showed it to them.
"... Seems pretty real to me..." Fuery said, scratching his head.
"Yeah, me too." Falman agreed, quietly.
"Pfft. How do we know you didn't just write it, Mustang?" Havoc growled.
"Excuse me, sir, but if he wrote it, he probably would've had it in his pocket, or somewhere other than his suitcase." Fuery stated.
"He does have a point, Lieutenant Havoc." Falman mumbled.
"No he doesn't! He can't prove anything!" Havoc growled angrily. He pushed Mustang down to the floor and started punching his stomach, and chest.
---
Riza sat at her table, thinking of what she should do.
"I should go over to Roy's and see what's happening, and if he's okay..." She thought out loud, but quietly. She started to get her jacket on, and headed over to the door.
"Come on, Hayate." She said, then quickly strided over to her nightstand and pulled out her .45.
'Just in case.' She thought to herself. Hayate followed her out the door, and she helped him into her car. On the way to Roy's house, she started to tear up, and had a short flashback of when they were little.
---
"I'm gonna catch you, Riza!" A ten year old Roy yelled, laughing.
"No you aren't, silly...!" A eight year old Riza responded, running down a large hill behind her house. Roy chased her down the hill, and into a little stream next to the hill.
"You're not gonna escape now, Riza!!" Roy shouted, splashing her.
"Hey!" Riza smiled and splashed him back. "Don't get me wet!"
"Yeah, right!" Roy yelled and splashed her again.
"Stop that!" They both heard a voice yell at them and turned to see Hawkeye-Sensei. "Get out of the stream right now!"
Roy and Riza quickly obeyed. They, then, exchanged glances and slowly walked up to him. Hawkeye-Sensei glared down at them.
"Roy, you're suppose to be studying." He scolded. "And Riza, you know better then to distract him from his work."
Riza bite her lip as her father spoke to her, Roy noticed and spoke up. "It's not her fault. She told me I should study. But I wanted to play. And she looked so bored not having much to do... So..."
Hawkeye-Sensei glared at him. "Roy, I told you after you were done you could play. But because you couldn't wait, I guess I'll have to give you more work."
"Yes, sir." Roy said, moving slightly in front of Riza.
"Fine." Hawkeye-Sensei turn and began walking back toward the house. "Come. Both of you."
They followed him, but Riza whispered to Roy. "Thank you... But you didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, I did." He whispered back.
"Why?"
"Because, I didn't want you to get in trouble and not be able to play with me later." Roy whispered, smiling. "Next time, I'll win. And then you'll be mine."
---
Riza pulled up in front of Roy's apartment, and wiped her eyes to make sure she hadn't started crying. 'I cry so much now... Dang it... I hate crying... even Roy knows that.' She reached for the door handle but stopped when she thought about the flashback she had had while she was driving. 'I hope Roy hasn't changed from back then...'
She, then, opened her car door, told Hayate to stay, shut the door once she was out, and then walked up to Roy's door. She knocked on it, not getting an answer but heard something break inside, and she turned the door knob. 'Unlocked?' She opened the door, while hearing Fuery yell, 'Stop it!'. Her eyes widened when she thought of what could be happening. 'Havoc!'
Riza grabbed her gun from her holster, and ran into the bedroom. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Roy bleeding, with his back against the wall, and Fuery and Falman trying to hold Havoc back from hitting Roy again. Her eyes widened, and she ran forward and touched Roy's face, removed her hand, and saw a dark red, warm liquid running down her hand, and turned to Havoc. She glared at him with cold, amber eyes, as she wiped the blood off of her hand with a handkerchief that she pulled out of her pocket, afterward putting it back.
"That's what he gets, Riza! For cheating on you..." Havoc said, slightly smirking; also trying to get away from Fuery and Falman.
"He didn't..." Riza started, but was still unsure if Havoc was right or not, so she stopped, and didn't say anymore.
"Riza.." Roy started, she turned to him. "I swear... I didn't cheat on you.. I never would... I--" He tried to finish, but Havoc screamed, "That's it!" and broke free of Falman and Fuery's grasps, and punched Roy again, in the gut. Riza's eyes widened again, as she lifted her gun, and pointed it at Havoc, the tears finally starting to stream down her face.
"Lieutenant Havoc...? I won't shoot, if you back away..." She mumbled. Roy's eyes widened, because he didn't expect Riza to do that.
Havoc backed away. "But... Hawkeye?"
"But nothing!" She snapped at him, wiping her face with her free hand. "I told you not to hurt him. I told you to listen to what he had to say."
"But what he said is a lie!" Havoc yelled.
"It doesn't seem like one to me." Fuery said.
"Seems like the truth to me as well." Falman nodded.
"Why don't you think it's the truth?" Riza asked.
Havoc just looked away, with his head down, as Roy said, "I'm telling the truth, Riza."
Riza lowered her gun, putting it in it's holster, and squatted down in front of him. "What did you tell them?"
He told her everything he'd told them, then from his sitting position, pointed over at the table in the room. "The letter's over there. It's the real thing, honest."
Riza smiled sadly, glancing at Falman, who nodded, and she, then, took out the handkerchief and wiped the blood off his face. "I believe you, Roy." She mumbled as he reached up, and put his hand on hers; the one that had been wiping his face.
Riza gestured with her head, and mumbled, "Come here, guys. Please..?" Fuery and Falman rushed over, helping her get the half-unconscious Roy over to his bed. Riza noticed that Havoc was glaring at Roy, and after they had helped him into his bed, Riza went over to Havoc and yelled, "What's your problem? We proved Roy's innocence, and yet, you still are being a big as---" Riza was interrupted abruptly, when Roy said, "Calm down, Lieutenant."
"Yes Sir..." Riza saluted, kind of embarrassed, but turned to Havoc. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but grit her teeth, then turned and walked away.
Riza walked into Roy's living room ,one room away, and sat down roughly on his old couch. 'Roy didn't do it...' She smiled to herself, but then frowned. 'If the evidence says Roy didn't, then who did...? And why can't Havoc just believe it...?' She sighed, as she leaned back, and smiled remembering all the good times Roy and herself had had there cuddling in front of the fire place. She was pulling away from her memories when someone cleared their throat as they walked into the room and she looked over to see Havoc standing there.
"What?" She asked, coldly, and when he didn't say anything, she stated, "He didn't do it. I believe him..."
"Why? Because of a piece of paper?" Havoc replied, looking away.
"His eyes."
"What about them?"
"... I can just tell by them..." She said as she leaned back, closing her eyes again, and moved her right hand to her left arm where her bandage was.
"That doesn't make any sense!"
" 'Cause they were the same as when he told me he loved me!" She snapped at him.
Havoc looked down. "How can you have so much blind trust in him?"
Riza stood up. "Because... he's always been there for me... and I love him." She, then, began to walk to the front door.
Havoc looked up as Fuery and Falman walked into the room and Fuery asked. "Where are you going?"
"To get Hayate out of my car." She replied, opening the wood door and glared at Havoc. "I'm going to stay here tonight and watch after Roy. Havoc almost beat him to death." She said, slamming the door behind her, and causing everyone in the room to cringe.
After a few minutes, Riza returned to the house, letting Hayate run in and back into Roy's room. She sighed. "Everyone, out."
Fuery and Falman nodded and left. Havoc looked at her, and then down at the floor. She glared at him and he said,
"I'm sorry."
"Whatever." She replied.
"No. Really, I am." He looked at her, apologetically.
"Alright." She said and began walking back to Roy's room. "But get out."
"Okay." Havoc nodded and left, locking the door behind him.
Riza walked in Roy's room and was surprised to find him sitting up against his head board petting Hayate. He didn't seem to notice that she came in. She smiled at him and walked over to his bed.
"I thought I'd stay and make sure you're okay."
Roy looked up at her. "I don't mind. Here, you can sleep in the bed." He tried to get up, but fell back against the head board.
"It's okay, really." She put one of her hands on his face. "The couch is fine."
He frowned. "No, it's not."
She smiled. "It is. Now lay down." She helped him lay back down, but not without his stomach hurting.
"It's not. I don't want you to sleep on that couch."
"You've slept on it many times for me, so forget it." Riza smiled. "You should be comfortable. I'll leave Hayate with you." She then turned around and was about to leave when Roy grabbed her hand, causing her to turn towards him.
"You'll be uncomfortable, then." He said.
"That's alright. I've slept in worst ways, anyways." She replied.
"No. Stay here?" Roy asked.
Riza sighed. "...Tonight only, okay? And no funny stuff."
Roy smiled and moved over, and Hayate moved to the bottom of the bed. "Alright."
She got into the bed next to him and flipped over on her side to where she was facing Roy. He smirked at her, pulling her closer, keeping his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. She smiled at him and cuddled closer. 'He never hurt me... So... Who did?... Tomorrow we'll see if we can find out... But for now... I just want to enjoy this.' That was her last thought before she fell asleep in his arms, and him following shortly after her.
This purely fan made. I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. The owner is Hiromu Arakawa.
Bluerain: Okay! We had a bit of trouble writing this. It was fun though. And we had to give you something of Royai right? This is a Royai after all. So I hope you enjoyed the end pf this chapter very much! Sorry it took so long! And I know Aka-san and I thank you for still reading. We'll get right on the next chapter!