This fic was originally written for the 10 Passions LJ community. Because some of the vignettes in this series of Royai I'm writing have ratings not allowed on FF.N, I've decided to post the drabbles seperately.
Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang had lives dominated by the military, and thus had become creatures of habit over the years they were enlisted. More often than not they had worked the average nine-to-five day, gone home to their one-room apartment and eaten simple meals before retiring to bed. But when one tries to keep such a delicate equilibrium from falling out of symmetry things that come along have the habit of tipping the scales. Riza's imbalance came in the form of a small bundle of fur named Black Hayate. Instead of watching her walk home alone every night through his office window, Roy had eventually got used to the sight of her with her plain blue bag slung over one arm and dog leash looped around the other, walking home in the distorted patches of light the streetlamps provided. As the pup was taught kindly yet firmly about what would earn praise and what would earn discipline, the leash was also discarded and Hawkeye would walk home at a lenient pace while the little mutt worked his shorter legs in order to keep to her heel.
These days, things had once again changed and Roy wondered if it was for better or worse. He no longer had an office to watch her from. Instead, he watches her button her coat over her simple cotton blouse and skirt; leave him a glass of water and a few leftover slices of apple. Riza tells him that she'll be back soon with more groceries and shuts the door behind her, leaving Hayate to guard both Roy and the house. Both males show an equal amount of displeasure at this 'guarding' business and both are equally as happy when she comes back through the door, laden down with brown paper shopping bags. As she cuts up the fruit for him (pears this time; a welcome change from the norm) and leaves him to his own devices as she goes to feed Hayate, he realizes he is getting stronger as he looks back and knows that a fortnight ago, he could barely swallow. And so, over the next few days he decides for the first time to implement a change of his own.
At first she refuses; at all times more concerned for him than he ever was for himself. This feeling reflects in her actions as Riza suddenly reaches for the half-finished plate of fruit and begins to try and feed him with her own hands once again. Roy takes her wrist gently in his hand and shakes his head, watching as she lets her hands drop uncertainly back to her side.
"I am strong enough for this."
The next day she helps him out of bed, lets him lean against her as he buttons the thick woollen military-issue coat across his bandaged chest and takes his hand with some uncertainty as she leads him back to the outside world. Black Hayate trots ahead of them proudly with tail waving in the air, as if he is leading a grand parade.
The breeze feels refreshing upon his pale cheeks even under the substantial material of his eyepatch and as the evening gets cooler their cheeks flush pink against the wind. Riza leads him to a park near her house and lets him sit on a wooden bench while she walks over to an open space close by and begins throwing sticks for Hayate. The pup makes a mad dash after the object and comes back panting but with the stick clenched conceitedly between his jaws, tail thumping rapidly against his mistress's leg when he sidles up to her for praise. After a while they both tire; Riza sits next to Roy and Hayate crawls under the seat and snuggles contentedly between their legs. The couple sit in comfortable silence until the last radiance of the sun disappears below the horizon.
Roy finds himself staring at the sky and something suddenly occurs to him, making him chuckle.
"What's wrong?" her concern for him still shines through.
"The stars," he replies simply, sliding his arm around her waist and drawing her closer against the chill air.
She makes no reply but he can sense her questioning.
"When I used to watch you walk home, there was no starlight. It's nice to see them again after the end of all things."
"It wasn't the end," comes her whispered reply, and she rests her head on his shoulder. He sits like this for a while, feeling the soft tickle of her hair against his neck, smelling the fresh air of the open and listening to Black Hayate begin to snore softly under the chair.
"No, I suppose not... there is still light in the world."
And they both reflect on how easily beginning and end can find constancy.
Not much to say here… popped into my head and wouldn't leave. Thanks for reading.