Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but with school and everything starting again, it'll probably take me a little longer. Sorry! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This one has spoilers for episode 25. MAJOR SPOILERS. You've been warned. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned FMA…aw, what's the point? I don't. End of story.

There were times when Riza Hawkeye hated her job. Most of the time, shooting bullets at Roy because he wasn't doing his paperwork was such a mindless pastime she marveled that she actually got paid for it, but then there were those times when her responsibilities were so difficult, she wondered if they could possibly pay her enough for them. Picking Roy up for Maes's funeral was one such responsibility.

Riza knocked on his door softly, terrified of what she might find on the other side. She'd never been inside Roy's apartment building; he'd always waited outside for her, ready in uniform when she pulled up. Today, however, when he pulled open the door, she realized that her relationship with Roy was going to have to be a lot deeper than that of Lieutenant and Colonel, or she wasn't going to pull through this and neither was he. "Riza?" he asked, gazing at her blearily through the haze alcohol had undoubtedly put over his eyes. He was wearing white boxers and his uniform dress shirt unbuttoned and disheveled. Trying to ignore his perfect stomach muscles, Riza stepped into the apartment, taking the bottle of whiskey from his hand and laying it on a table. Then, she carefully reached over to him and buttoned up his shirt, trying without much success to smooth out the wrinkles. Carefully, she picked up his uniform from the chair it was lying on and handed it to him.

"You need to put this on, Colonel," she told him gently, and he looked at her confusedly, for all the world like a child who's lost its mother. Sighing, she helped him slip on his pants and jacket, fastening the jacket carefully for him and smoothing it out over his shoulders. Then she sat him down gently in one of his kitchen chairs and began smoothing his rumpled hair with her fingers, teasing the strands into looking as if he'd spent a fair amount of time putting each hair in its place. It took Riza less than five minutes.

Then as gentle as ever, she pulled him to his feet. Wordlessly, she took his hand and tried to lead him to the door. He whimpered, like a puppy who doesn't want to be led. Without thinking, Riza stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. That was all it took. The next second, his arms were around her waist and his face was buried in her shoulder as he sobbed, his body shaking, his breath coming in gasps. She stroked his hair gently, waiting for the sobs to subside.

"It was my fault," he said finally, his words barely distinguishable into her shoulder, although she heard him loud and clear.

"Colonel, you can't honestly think that," she chastised, shocked.

"Oh, but it was," he assured her, finally looking into her eyes. The arrogance was gone, and the remorse, hopelessness, and deep pain she'd seen glimpses of over the years was there in full force. She was shocked at how different it made him look.

"I tried to kill myself once, did you know that?' he asked her, but didn't wait for an answer.

"Maes stopped me. I had the gun in my mouth, and he took it out. And now, he calls me for help and where am I? Trying to get a bloody promotion!" A few more tears leaked out of his eyes, and she wiped them away without thinking.

"Maes was always there for me," he told her, and it was only now that she noticed how warm his hands were on her back. Very warm.

"Always. I was a terrible friend to him." He was definitely closer than he should have been. Much too close. This registered in Riza's numb brain, but a course of action eluded her. What the hell was going on? Why was he so damn close?

"But Maes was always there for me-" his lips were an inch from hers- "No matter how bad I screwed up. He loved me, I think." There was definitely something wrong, something happening that shouldn't have been, but it wasn't until Roy's lips landed tenderly on her own that she realized what it was. He pulled her closer, licking her lips gently. Riza stood there motionless, her brain numb and her hands frozen on his neck. What the hell was she supposed to do? Roy pulled back, looking into her warm amber eyes with his own dark onyx ones.

"I'm self-destructive, Riza, did you know that?' he asked her throatily. "Always have been. And Maes has always been there to catch me when I fall. But he's not here now, and I've definitely fallen for you. So who the hell is gonna catch me?"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here?" she asked, rather more harshly than she'd meant to, but the words had just popped out of her mouth. He didn't laugh but he didn't look hurt either. He merely surveyed her with his black eyes interestedly. "You came here because it's your duty," he told her evenly.

"You follow me and stay by my side because you have to. It's your job." Riza sighed.

"Roy, is fixing your hair my job?" she asked him, and she could've sworn his eyes lightened a little.

"Is tripping you so that your life is saved my job? Or doing your paperwork for you so you don't get in trouble? What about listening to your stupid rants about miniskirts? Do I get paid for that?" Roy opened his mouth to speak, but she put a finger over his lips, silencing him and almost causing his nose to bleed at the same time.

"Is calling you Roy or doing this-" she kissed him- "my job?" Her voice was nothing but a whisper now, but he was still looking lost, hopeless.

"Roy," she told him, her fingers returning to his hair, "I love you. And I will be here for you no matter what, to catch you when you fall." She ran a finger down his neck, then kissed him lightly.

"I promise."

Ok, I know Maes didn't literally take the gun out of Roy's mouth, but I thought it sounded dramatic. Hope you guys liked! Brooke