Roy was out of the hospital soon after. It was almost a shock to get to go to his home and have very little to worry about. He walked through the rooms of his house, making sure that everything was all in good order.
When he walked into his bedroom, the first thing he saw was a picture of him and Maes on the dresser. Maes had taken that picture by holding the camera in one hand and giving Roy bunny ears with the other. That had been the day that they promised to go after military command together, and push Roy to the top.
Roy sat down on the edge of the bed and laid the picture in his lap.
That had been so long ago. He had changed so much. All he had wanted then was power, and women in mini-skirts. Okay, maybe he hadn't changed that much. He still liked the idea of women in mini-skirts.
He wanted to go see Riza, but she was working. He could go get his stuff back in order at the office, but he didn't feel like it. He didn't have a dog to play catch with, and didn't want to go find Riza's spare key to see Black Hayate. So, he went to the cemetery.
Quickly he found what he was looking for; the tombstone of Maes Hughes. He stood and read the epitaph for what must have been the hundredth time. He stood staring at the stone for over an hour. He must have gotten something out of it, because when he was done, he walked away with a slight smile.
On his way home Roy passed a flower shop. He couldn't resist, strolling his way inside, he wondered what Riza would like the best.
There were bouquets of red, white, pink, and pale peach roses, carnations, wildflowers, baskets of mums, and several other flowers Roy couldn't identify. What to get? What to get? Roses were pretty, but they weren't original to him. He decided he would try his hand at arranging. He picked out two amber coloured irises, a few orchids, three white roses, some greenery, and some baby's breath. Roy chose a slender crystalline vase to put it all in.
He walked over the register, paid for the bouquet, didn't look twice at the cost, and went home, feeling very satisfied with himself.
Roy spent the rest of the day straightening up his house and dusting. Things had gotten very dusty while he was away. He didn't like cleaning, but he didn't want Riza to see his home as messy as his desk was in his office.
At exactly 5:05, the doorbell rang, just as Roy somehow knew it would.
He let Riza in, pulled the vase from its hiding spot behind his back and presented it to Riza.
Riza almost gasped in surprise. No one had ever given her flowers before. She didn't see Roy as a flower guy, either.
"Wow. Those are beautiful."
"Arranged it myself, just for you," Roy grinned.
Again Riza looked shocked.
"Believe it. I especially like the amber ones. They remind me of your eyes."
Now she blushed. She wasn't used to Roy being like this. She liked it, but it was still sort of strange seeing another side of him.
Riza sat the flowers down on Roy's table and they moved their way into the living room.
The two of them sat down on Roy's couch and talked. Not just small talk, or talk about work. They actually had a decent conversation.
At around seven they decided to go and get something to eat. Roy took her to a lavish restaurant in the middle of town. He even pulled out her chair for her to sit down.
During their meal, Roy couldn't take his eyes off of her pale lavender dress. It was almost exactly the same color of the orchids sitting in the vase at his house. Her hair was down. It was a lot longer than he imagined it to be. Roy didn't like sitting on the opposite side of the table, so far away from her.
They left the car parked at the restaurant and decided to walk around the town. It was getting later and most of the people were heading towards their houses for the night.
They passed the city water tower on their way home. Riza looked up at it and wondered what it would be like to see the city from up there, so high in the air.
She looked to Roy. "Would you like to climb it?" She asked as she gestured to the tower.
Roy took one look at her beautiful slightly above knee length dress and thought, 'This could be interesting.' He answered sure, and they went over to the tower.
There was a maintenance ladder at the base of the tower, which lead to a platform near the diameter of the oval shaped tank. It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the platform. It was about a foot wide all the way around the tank. They walked around pointing out buildings and houses they knew. When they reached the point over looking the woods, they sat down and let their legs dangle over the edge of the platform and looked out under the railing.
"It's hard to believe all that happened out there in those woods." Riza whispered almost to her self.
"No one would believe how many times you had to save me," Roy whispered back.
"Or how many times you saved me."
They had been through so much together for so long that most things just went between them without being spoken.
Riza laid her head on his shoulder, and Roy stroked her hair. He loved her hair.
"You should wear your hair down more often."
"I would, but it would just get in the way."
He smiled at her, the way she sacrificed everything for her job, for her work to protect him, made him smile. But he didn't want her to feel like she had to protect him forever. He wanted to protect her just as much. He wanted to be there for her forever.
"Riza,"
"Hmm?" She looked up at him.
"Marry me?"
She looked at him, at those coal black eyes, somehow shining in the dark, and started to answer him.
Before she could, he spoke again. "I know I'm not on one knee or anything, but I think that might be dangerous right now. I'll kneel for you later, if you'd like."
She smiled. "You don't have to kneel, if you don't want to. I'll marry you anyway."
"Really?" Roy asked, exasperated, like a little kid asking if he can really have something that seems too good to believe.
"Yes," she said laughing. "I will."
"I'll let you pick your ring out. Any one you like. I don't care what it costs."
"Okay, okay."
She kissed him deeply, and he kissed her back.
Somewhere within Riza's house, Black Hayate barked frantically.
