Summary: At the right angle, in a line of sight, one might wonder why he never stopped staring at her for so much as a second.
Theme: 055. Infectious Crying
Dedication: Manzi. Heart. :)
Disclaimer: If I owned Full Metal Alchemist, it would promote Crayolaâ„¢ Treasure Adventures.
Angles
055. Infectious Crying
"Are you crying?"
Falman asked. The silver-haired man stared at her. Riza looked at him weakly, and then gave a small shrug as though it were nothing. Her glance soon drifted back to Roy, whose black pebbles for eyes were focused completely upon the sheet in front of him. His lips were thin and drawn tightly together as though he had been sucking sour lemons, and his knuckles were a stark white with the strength he was holding the arms of his chair with. He looked as though he were about to do it, even though she knew he would not.
"Yes." She finally answered simply, when the silence became too much to bear. In the silence, she could almost hear his heart break. She wished it was a shattering window somewhere else, something being smashed to pieces like an expensive vase, but she knew it was not. It felt so truly unfair that although she had always been there, always been trying to make sure that he was fine that her devotion was the very thing to become their undoing. Either that or it was irony. Or maybe it was just because it had been something foolish to do from the beginning, and it was a sign that she was to be set free. But, she reasoned, she liked her cage. The lack of metal bars, the wooden floors and him. She had grown accustomed to it.
"Why?" Vato eventually managed to ask. The back of his hand pressed against hers to give some sort of comfort as he said it. Maybe he knew it would only make things worse to ask. Maybe it was just one of those things that people needed to know. She really wished it hadn't been. Her throat was sore and aching, tired from not letting out the sobs and screams. Her eyes knew that she needed to keep her mouth shut, though. They did not betray her. More salty tears slid from them down her cheeks, each one feeling like it was giving another bitter sting. Another cut, another bruise. What did it matter, anymore? She would endure it all to stay there. But she had lost her place. She was a toy, now. A doll fit for the King.
"Because." Her answer was evasive. Because he will not cry for himself. Because Roy was losing everything all over again, and he refused to let himself feel miserable about it. It was just another obstacle, to him. So if she cried, she was taking his place. She was doing what he could not. She was doing what she had done all along. She was protecting him. Pretty soon, she would not even be able to do that anymore. So maybe this was even the last time.
Falman gently curled his fingers around her in a vain hope before retiring into the protective dignity only he could ever manage to show well. The door banged as he left. The dark head of hair across the room jolted up at the noise, and his eyes eventually met hers. He was crying. He was actually crying, and Riza did not have a clue what to do about it. Did it mean he did not need her as much as she thought? Had he finally given up? She pursed her lips.
"Why?" She asked, trying to fight back a strangled yell. Roy smiled through his tears, making his way towards her and gently encircling his arms around her smaller body. He could have said anything. He could have lied and told her that it was infectious and that she had made him do it, that he had been peeling onions earlier and it had finally hit him, or even that he was finally resigning and crying for himself for once. But it was all wrong. She was the one going away. She was the one being forced away by a piece of paper to be a hostage. It made him feel selfish to know that she was crying because she was worried about him, and not about herself for that very reason. If she had been terrified, it might have made him feel better about the entire thing. But instead, she was only crying for him. He placed his chin on the top of her golden haired head, and then managed the words he needed to say.
"Because nobody ever cries for you."
I can never once recall Riza crying for herself. Even in chapter 39, it seems like she is crying more for Roy. Also, my friend read this and said 'hey, you snuck FalmanxHawkeye in there too!'so if you see it, it was unintentional. I just love Falman as a comforter.
Preview: She was the one to give toothpaste kisses in between brushing her teeth and seeing him walk into the bathroom.
Reviews are loved. :)
