Royai Week 2022 Day 3: Arrival
Word Count: 1018
Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl
Rating: T
Characters: Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye
Warning: Burns
Summary: Roy and Riza have some things to discuss on the way back from Ishval
Notes: This story plays to the idea of Riza's back being burned in Ishval, where it was blamed on an Ishvalan attack just before everyone pulled out, and Roy bullied Knox into treating her to keep the tattoo a secret from anyone else.
Arrival
The train car clattered and swayed as it traveled over the tracks. Roy Mustang was keenly aware of the movement of the train, more so than he had ever been before. Each sway, each bump, each turn, he felt it and cursed it. But how could he do less than that when the woman lying beside him did her best not to whimper with even the smallest jostle?
"Keep an eye on her, will ya?" Roy looked up as Dr. Knox spoke up, standing and stretching. "I've got to move around a bit. I'll be back soon."
"Right," Roy said, "I'll look after her."
Knox eyed him but didn't say anything to that. "There's water there if you need it. Remember what I said about how and when to put anything on the burns, if she needs it."
"I remember," Roy said seriously.
Knox looked at him for a moment longer, then headed out of the car, closing the door behind him surprisingly gently.
Roy waited a moment, then leaned down toward Riza. He ran a soothing hand through her bangs. "It's okay," he said. "It's just us now."
She let out a muffled sob, and kept her face buried in the pillow.
Roy sighted softly, and then sat back up. This was all his fault. Riza was laying here with her back burned with deep, scaring burns, because of him. Because of how he used flame alchemy. Because he had decided to defy Master Hawkeye's wishes and learn flame alchemy and then use it in the military. It was because of him, that Riza had decided that the safest thing to do was to deface her back, and because of him that they had concocted a plan to burn her back in Ishval where they could blame it on an Ishvalan attack and not bring a lot of questions.
It was his fault. It was all his fault.
"…we can't let this happen again."
The weak voice broke through his thoughts, and his attention immediately snapped over to Riza.
"I won't!" he said. "I won't ever burn you again! I—"
"N…not that," she said, looking up at him with one eye, the other still being smashed into the pillow she was laying on. "Everything. We can't… we can't let it happen again."
Roy stilled, frozen for a moment. Then, he took a breath. "You're right," he said. "We can't."
She closed her eye. "But what can we do?" she whispered out.
Roy looked at her a moment, the set his jaw. "Listen," he said. "I—I have an idea. But I'm going to need people. Support. I already have one person on my side. I'm going to need more."
Riza cracked her eye open again, indicating that she was listening to him.
"I need to gain power. To stop something like this from happening again, I've got to be in a position where I have the power to stop it—the very top if possible. That's the only way."
Riza stared at him for a moment. "…they won't let you," she said, her voice still weak. "They'll knock down any threats to the way things are. You'll need be non-threatening to them."
Roy frowned. He hadn't really considered that yet. To be honest, he hadn't considered much beyond "I need to rise to the top."
They hit a bump, and Riza hissed with pain. Brow creased with worry, Roy ran a hand through her bangs again, and then carefully moved to check on the burns. They looked like they could use some more of the salve Knox was putting on it. He could do that—but it was best if Riza was distracted while he did.
"I hadn't really thought about that," he confessed as he started to work. "But that's a good point. The best way to be non-threatening is to be incompetent. But if I'm too incompetent, then I'll never rise in the ranks."
Riza whimpered as he worked, and he could see her arms squeezing the pillow tighter. "What—what you need is… is the perception of a… of a vice or other goal."
"A vice, huh?" he said.
"Gambling, alcohol, women, and extravagant lifestyle… just s-something else. Something that… that seems like a weakness."
"Hm," Roy considered. "I think I know something that will work well and give me a boon in the form of information." He looked down at her. "Have I ever told you exactly what my aunt does?"
Riza's eye peered up at him curiously.
The next few hours were spent laying out the bare bones of a plan. An idea of a persona was laid out for him. Connections he could make were proposed. Possible allies were discussed. Ultimate goals were confirmed. The conversation ebbed and flowed, both with the presence of Knox, and with Riza's need for rest, but by the time the outskirts of Central City came into view, the bare bones of a plan were laid.
Roy got up to leave, knowing that he needed to be back in his compartment before they arrived at the station, but he hesitated for a moment.
"I… I know I have no right to ask this of you," he said. "It will be a hard and difficult path. But I'm going to need someone by my side. If you make the decision, there will be a position waiting for you. But as for me—my decision is made."
Riza looked up at him, and then, shakily, held a hand out to him. He reached for it, grasping it, looking at her curiously.
"I'm not in the right place to make decisions," she said. "But I will be thinking about it. Roy… thank you."
Roy smiled at her and squeezed her hand before letting it go. "We'll be arriving in Central soon. I'll be sure to come to the hospital and check on you."
She nodded, and her eye slowly closed again, her body clearly demanding more sleep. But as Roy left her behind and Knox re-entered, Roy couldn't help but hope that she'd arrive at her decision soon.