55. Infectious Crying

A/N: Song: "Koi Ni Ochitara" by Crystal Kay

POST 108 by a few years. Roy's "inauguration", as it were.

She'd heard the speech so many times. He'd practiced it over and over, making her listen and give her usual all-too-honest critique.

Yet, Riza listened as if she were hearing it for the first time, only now able to appraise the words for their meaning, for the hard-fought battles behind them, and not correcting his intonation and eye contact.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders—Havoc. "You're crying," he murmured.

Riza lifted a hand to her cheek. Sure enough, tears were falling in small tracks, mixing and mingling and separating again. "After what I—we—went through to get here, why shouldn't I?" she whispered back defensively.

"There have been too many tears along the way," Havoc quipped, and Riza was reminded of that horrible moment… She'd really thought…

No. This was not the time to think about that. Thinking quickly, Riza responded, "They're tears of joy—are you saying we shouldn't be happy?"

Havoc sighed, momentarily defeated. "No, but some of us have reputations to uphold." He motioned towards Roy. . "And if he starts crying—"

"They'll see him as human. And after our last leader, this country could use that. But he won't cry just because I am," Riza pointed out.

There was applause, and Riza turned to glare at Havoc for a moment—she'd missed the last half! She could recite it in her sleep, of course, but hearing it from the man who deserved to say it was different.

In a semi-daze, Riza exchanged hugs with several people, unable to pay proper attention even to Roy.

"You underestimate your influence," Havoc told her, once again at her side. He indicated Roy. "Take a good look."

As if he could hear, Roy turned their way, and Riza was unable to hide her surprise; Roy was crying, too.

A/N: I can see this happening. Totally.