Title: Come Back to Me
By: Lanati
Genre: Drama
Rating: K- really, it's just bittersweet goodness

Disclaimer: What if I felt defiant and said yes? sigh I work at Target. That should tell you how much money I have. Taking me to court would be pointless and cause unwanted headaches.

Summary: People can only last so long when they are alone. "You can stand a little closer if you wish. I ... think, I might need the support." Royai, with a possible higher rating later on. Spoilers! (ep 25)

Author's Note: Welllllll he-he-hellllllll... long time no see FanFic community. I'll make this short, since it is 6:30AM and I haven't slept yet! ;; I wrote this because I just felt like I needed to as it wouldn't leave me alone. Enjoy! I won't beg for reviews, but they do make this all a lot more fun!

EDIT: Updated 7-5-07 Fixed spelling mistakes and a couple general touch ups!

Roy Mustang was an unhappy man. It was just one of those days. He couldn't concentrate. The clicking of his pen as it tapped against his desktop did little to help him. Why was he doing it anyway? It was just annoying him further. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself away from his desk, immediately attracting his subordinates' attention.

"I'm going out. I need a break." Was his only response to their unspoken curiosity. He calmly wrapped his trench coat around him before stepping out into the crisp fall air.

His legs went into autopilot. He was usually a man of purpose. If he went somewhere it was for a reason, and more than likely, important. Today however, it was just one of those days. He had no complete thoughts, his brain a confusing void. This only made him more frustrated. He never acted this way. There was something wrong, but that thought only provoked more agitation. He was angry that he was angry, and the unending chain of emotion didn't seem to want to stop. Why couldn't he think clearly? What was wrong ... something was missing. That was it. It was one of those things that people take for granted because they are so accustomed to seeing it everyday ... or talking to it. As he walked he started to list everything that seemed normal. Fury, Breda, Havoc and Farmen were all at their respective desks looking bored as usual. Hawkeye was diligently at work as she always was, with Black Hayate curled at her feet. He had drank his customary 'first moments in the workplace' coffee. Everything normal. Then why couldn't he focus on anything really important? Gah! He was confused and nothing he seemed to do was relieving him of this affliction. Something was wrong, and that was all.

tap, bump

His toe kicked something in front of him, breaking him from his mental ramblings. He blinked a few times, then focused on what he had unintentionally hit. The color in his face drained away as his eyes widened.

"Maes ..." That's what was wrong! He hadn't heard from his best friend, trusted ally ... because ... only a few days ago ... he had thrown a handful of dirt over the man's coffin while it was lowered into its final resting place. "Hughes ..." His throat constricted on him, choking him as he stepped back from the grave marker, the object he had walked into. He attempted to swallow, but the attempt was a forced one. He balled his fists to keep his fingers from trembling. Eight days ago. That's all it had been. Eight days was the last he had talked to his friend. The funeral had been organized quickly. The higher ups wanted the process over with as soon as possible in order to focus attention more efficiently to other matters. Roy glared at the headstone, as if attempting to make it disappear from his sight. It was an abomination in his eyes. Maes Hughes should not have been carved in the scrawling script that now glared off the headstone in the mid-day sun.

It started to rain. Or, he told himself that as he felt wet slip down his cheek. It rained after the funeral too, but he was the only one that noticed. He could feel his temper starting to churn. The bile working its way up his throat proved it. He now shook, not out of sorrow, but out of pure anger.

"I thought I'd find you here, sir." A quiet, feminine, voice floated from behind him, instantly causing his anger to disappear.

He froze. He didn't want to turn around and face the owner of the voice behind him.

She watched him with no expression. He seemed like a chameleon, in defense he went so still he appeared to blend in with the area around him, as if a statue had been placed in that random plot of earth. She knew him, however. "I'll be here, sir. Quietly."

He didn't respond. His fists remained clenched so tight she could see the muscles in his hands straining the white fabric of his gloves. Silence remained between them for many moments until Roy slightly bowed his head, closing his eyes.

It was barely an inch, but knowing him so well, she knew that it meant it was ok to approach. And she did, stopping a few paces behind him allowing him to still have his privacy, and yet still feel her there, supporting him.

"Am I that predictable? I don't know how I got here myself." He forcibly swallowed again.

"No, sir. I just know where I would want to be if I had lost someone close."

Roy shifted just enough to open his eyes to look at her. "I ..."

"Yes, sir?"

"You can stand a little closer if you wish. I ... think I might need the support." It was whispered, almost inaudible to her ears.

"Of course, sir." She closed the distance between them quietly stopping to his left. Inches separated them. A slight, chill filled breeze rattled the dried fall leaves in the trees.

This caused Roy to look up at the surrounding landscape. "It's hard to believe these trees were green and full of life no more than a week ago."

Riza couldn't respond to that. She decided to remain silent and be his protective support while he let his guard down to grieve.

"It's as if nature itself knows this is wrong. She's protesting to this injustice." The last was said flecked with anger as it was pushed through grit teeth. He looked back at the tombstone. "Riza."

"Yes, sir?" Her first name caught her off guard.

"Stop calling me sir. At least ... just for a little while."

"Yes ... Roy." It startled her how foreign his name felt on her tongue. The name of the man she lived her life to protect. It startled her more when she felt warm cloth slip around her hand, capturing it in a trembling grip. She quickly looked up to the raven haired soldier. He was crying. She watched tears stream down his face before she turned to face the marker once more. Slowly, and gingerly, she leaned her weight on the Colonel's arm, only to feel him lean back on her.

She felt words needed to be said. Something, anything to ease her Colonel's pain, but the truth was ... there just weren't any words that could be said. Just silent affirmation that she wasn't leaving him. He slid an arm around her shoulders, leaning more weight on her. He was still trembling.

"Something was wrong today." He started after a while of holding Riza close to him. His sudden voice peircing the silence caused her to jump slightly, but he held her tighter. "I didn't know what it was. Couldn't put my finger on it." He smirked, and chuckled softly. "It wasn't until I literally walked into this rock here, that I realized what was upsetting me." Obsidian eyes turned to look down on a woman who's face was frowning in attempts to hold herself together. "Why did you follow me out here? Aren't there anymore papers to fill out?"

Riza blinked, then abruptly pulled out of his embrace. She had returned to her calm looking self. "I was making sure you weren't going to do anything stupid."

"Me? Do something stupid?" He smirked at her again, attempting to act normal instead of how really weak he felt. "You should know me better than that!"

"In all due respect, sir, if you can't remember how you made it this far to the cemetery, what's stopping the assumption you were going to get hit by a car while crossing the street?"

"But I didn't, and I told you to stop calling me sir for a little while."

"The fact still remains that you are very capable of doing stupid things. I was just ..." She looked away suddenly. This confused Roy because it was so uncharacteristic of her. They prodded each other all the time about silly little things, so why did she look like she was on the verge of crying.

"Just?"

"Making sure you came back ..." She looked him straight in the eyes. Tears threatened to betray her collected appearance. Hughes' death had caused revelations for Riza Hawkeye. He was a close friend, war buddy, and coworker, then he was gone. No warning. She knew, Mustang had many more enemies than an intelligence officer who asked too many questions. "To ..come back ...to come back ..." Her face scrunched, tears fell and the words she had been attempting to say were covered by her half choked sob. The simple thought that he could walk out the door and never return frightened her. She knew he blamed himself for Hughes' death, that he believed 'Roy Mustang' should replace the name of his closest friend, but ... the idea that she wouldn't be able to see him again caused her physical pain.

Roy watched his strong lieutenant crumble before him. He grabbed her and held her, burying his nose and mouth in the top of her hair. He closed his eyes as he felt Riza's body shake with more sobs. All he could do was hold on to her. Hold on and promise himself that he had more to do than work his way to the top. He had to always come back. He had to always come back for her. If he hurt this much from losing Maes ... God, he didn't want to think about losing the only other person truly close to him. He closed his eyes tight, increasing the strength of his engulfing hug on the blond woman crying for him. I know, Riza. He thought to himself. I know what you're trying to say.

"Thank you." He muffled into her hair.

Some time passed, with the two holding each other in front of their friends grave. They knew this was not how they normally acted, but knew they needed to do this, to grieve for Maes Hughes, to let the other know they would do their best to protect them. Roy spoke first.

"Well, what's gotten into us Hawkeye? This isn't how we normally act." A small embarrassed laugh escaped his lips.

The blond Lieutenant opened her eyes, beginning to push herself away from her Colonel. But, he held her tighter, snuggling into the side of her neck.

"You know ... the last thing Maes ever told me ..." He laughed a little into her neck. The feeling causing her to tense slightly. "was that I should find myself a wife."

Hawkeye's eyes flew open, this time she pulled away from him and stared. "Sir!"

Roy only smirked. "Calm down. I wasn't asking." Dark eyes narrowed. "Why? Were you hoping I was going to?" He couldn't help it, he had to smirk at her blank face before she cleared her throat and gathered herself.

"Sir. I think we should be getting back now. We've been away from the office quiet a while now."

He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Always the soldier aren't you First Lieutenant?"

And just like that, the moment they had was over. Everything was back to normal. Roy carried his self gratified smirk as he watched Hawkeye calmly start walking in the direction of the office. He stopped for a moment to turn back towards the grave. another small breeze whisked by. "Well Hughes? Maybe I'll follow your advice." With a salute, he turned on heel to follow Riza back to their headquarters.

A/N: Well. Good? bad? Did it drag a little? Thanks for reading!