Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is an AU based on the manga.
What Isn't There
Maes' absence was most noticeable in the little things. Riza found it wasn't hard to pretend that he was dead. The lack of his presence depressed her even though she knew he was well and safe. She couldn't really imagine how Roy felt. There was just something wrong about the fact that the phone wasn't being tied up with stories of Elysia's latest exploits, and Riza still found herself wary around photographs.
There were holes in their lives now. It wasn't just her and Roy either. It affected the whole office. It just wasn't the same without the possibility of Hughes dropping in unexpectedly with thousands of pictures to torment them with. Roy no longer went out in the evening unless he had one of his 'dates', the bar scene having lost its appeal for him without his best friend to come along. The effect on him was obvious. Roy's dates tended to be clandestine meetings with his informants, not a chance to relax. His nights out with Maes had always been his outlet to blow off steam. Without them, Roy's personality in the office could be decidedly unpleasant.
The move to Central hadn't helped either. In Eastern they had a number of safe avenues for private rendezvous. There had been no time for them to set up anything here in Central. In the past, Maes and Gracia had provided them with a safe haven for meetings, but neither of them was willing to impose on Gracia like that now. Riza missed Roy. It wasn't often they went this long without some sort of personal contact, and she knew that if they could get together, she could offer him some comfort. She hated seeing him hurt like this.
Still, some of this was necessary. They didn't dare let the fact that Maes wasn't really dead get out. It was too dangerous for everyone involved but especially for Gracia and Elysia. Roy didn't think that their enemies would hesitate to use Hughes' family to draw him out if they had any idea that the man was still alive, and neither she nor Mustang would risk that. With a sigh, Riza gathered up the latest stack of paperwork for Mustang to sign. She closed his office door after her locking it before making her way to the colonel's desk.
"These need to be completed before you leave, sir."
Roy looked up from his current paper and sighed. "Add it to the pile, Lieutenant."
She did then gently took his hand in her own, twining their fingers together and squeezing gently. It wasn't much, but there really wasn't much comfort to be had given what wasn't there. He squeezed back.
Theme: Not There
