I do not own FMA. Enjoy!
The first time Roy ever held Riza, it was on the Promised Day.
It was when she was dying, her skin growing so pale and her eyes remaining shut like someone who can't be awoken from a deep sleep, that Roy finally got to know what is was like to have Riza Hawkeye in his arms, a feeling that he much rather would have experienced under different circumstances. It was sickeningly appropriate - him holding her while she bled out in his arms, something that was, in essence, his doing. He was the reason she had gotten hurt- he was always the reason. He'd been hurting her ever since she vowed to protect him, her body a canvas for the scars, cuts, bruises, and burns that should've all been on him (save for the burns, as that was what she wanted). He felt guilty over every last one of them, because he knew Riza had no qualms with getting hurt, as long as her injuries were from protecting him
To Riza, Roy was worth it. To Roy, Riza was worth more than he could ever be.
So it was when she was practically brought back to life and he got to hold her a bit longer, her body slowly getting it's color back and her eyes, while slightly pain filled, now open, that Roy swore he was going to make sure they both made it out alive. Riza was going to live so that she wouldn't have spent her whole life protecting a man who had only caused her trouble, and Roy would live so he could become Fuhrer and get to hold her alive, warm body any time he wanted. It was with slight reluctance that he finally helped her stand, effectively limiting his hold on her to just her shoulder. Even when he let go of her completely, he could still feel the softness of her skin on his calloused fingertips, even when they were covered by his gloves, could still smell the bittersweet scent of jasmine and gunpowder, a scent so distinctly Riza to him that just smelling one or the other would only conjure images of her in his mind.
It wasn't until all of the chaos and panic of the Promised Day settled down, Roy sitting up in a hospital bed and darkness shrouding his vision for an indefinite amount of time, that he decided one thing.
While it might have been his first time having Riza Hawkeye so close to him, he certainly was going to make sure it wasn't his last.
Twenty-five chapters. This is kinda a milestone for me right now. It's been nearly sixteen months, but I have finally put out twenty five chapters! Thanks to everyone who has been reading so far for supporting this story- you guys are fantastic! We're about nine chapters away from the half-way point!
This was also a lot shorter than I thought it would be but I'm not surprised, considering the amount of times I've updated the past couple days. Writing long chapters takes more than I have with all the writing I've been doing x3. Not sure when I'll update again, but I hope it's soon! Have a good evening and I'll see you guys later!~