A/N: My FIRST fanfic… my first serious fanfic… Post Episode 25, after Maes' death. Riza sees Roy slowly driting away…
Disclaimer: shock I do not own Full Metal Alchemist.
Maes' death hit them all.
No warnings. Just… dead.
So suddenly. So quickly.
The colonel changed too… silently drifting away from himself. Slowly increasing the distance between him and her.
Riza saw him – saw him many times - in the pub, his hands on various women's shoulders, his mouth filled with alcohol. He was laughing, but it was so hollow, so fake. His eyes were empty, yet filled with sadness. It hurts her to see him like this.
This time, she saw him again. She knew he saw her too. But like she did before, she walked past him to the back of the pub. It was so much easier just to avoid him. To pretend she did not see him.
But it hurt. Before, they would have greeted each other, and if he were alone, she would sit with him. Now, she felt guilty for ignoring him. For walking past him like a stranger. But she had no courage to approach a man who she didn't know well anymore.
She was tired. Tired from pretending that everything was all right. Tired from acting like a calm and collected lieutenant.
After a while, she left. It was hard. Being in the same room as him, yet so far from him, pained her. It felt like something was slowly cutting her heart as she walked past him again without a word. He continued to keep his women company.
---
Outside was cold, but she did not feel like going back to her lodge. So she sat on the edge of the road. Maybe she would return home when it was morning…
---
"Lieutenant," somebody's voice whispered.
Rubbing her eyes, she woke up from her sleep. She found herself facing the colonel crouching beside her.
"Oh, hello…"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"No you are not."
"Yes I am. I am perfectly fine." She turned away from his face. It was too hard to look at him. It was too hard to look into his black eyes.
"Stop denying everything, Hawkeye."
"Denying what?"
"EVERYTHING!"
"You ask me what's wrong? You should look after yourself. You should put your act together first. You should stop drowning yourself with alcohol and stop playing around with women to erase your own misery. If you are sad, you should talk. You should not pretend that you are happy when you are not." Those words just came out of her mouth uncontrollably. She could feel her emotions rushing up her body. Her eyes were becoming teary.
He nodded. No words. Just a simple nod to acknowledge what she said.
For one second, everything seemed to stop. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and gently brought her into his embrace.
"And you. Don't ignore me when you see me." He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her ear.
"I am sorry... but you were so not yourself… I saw your eyes – they were so sad…" This time, she could feel hot tears falling down her cheeks.
She buried her face into his shirt.
She could feel his breath on her neck.
He held her tighter.
As though he was never going to her go.
Never.
Hope you like it… I hope it is up to standard.
Please review… no flames unless you are Roy Mustang.