A/N: Hi everyone! :) I hope you all enjoy reading my random one shots so far! :D Suggestions for future chapters are always welcome! ;)
Royai incoming!

Enjoy!

Her Touch

Physical contact had only been allowed in life and death situations and strictly for work related purposes.

He may had a false reputation as a womanizer, but he respected her too much to touch her in any way she explicitly didn't wish him to.

She was too bound by duty to even entertain such notions, much less act upon them.

It had been a unspoken agreement between, ever since the last consoling hug Roy had offered when Berthold Hawkeye, her father, died he had been reluctant to initiate any other form of contact.

But he never knew how much her touch would mean to him in this battle.

The wicked doctor had tricked him, forced him to perform human transmutation and he had almost willingly done it, anything to save the life of his precious lieutenant, anything for her.

But the signal she sent him was clear; 'if you even think about doing it I'll shoot you where you stand'. After all, they didn't need words to understand each-other, after so many years of being together.

He had almost lost her yes, but there was a time where he had lost himself.

Once was when he had almost succumbed to darkness and destroyed Envy for killing Hughes.

But the last time was, when he lost his eyesight.

His vision had been dark, devoid of any light or the ability to perceive any objects or people around him.

He had truly felt pathetic, like a defenseless infant, crawling on the ground and trying to gather his senses, lost without his eyesight and more importantly, exposed to the enemy.

But a firm hand on his shoulder made him freeze and her voice sounded like a ray of hope in his vision filled with black, "Colonel! What happened? Are you alright?! What did they take from you?! Colonel!"

Her voice was filled with worry, a tone he wasn't particularly used to hearing, except when he was in near death situations. But this wasn't one. He was physically well, save for the loss of his eyesight.

And when he turned his head in the direction of her voice, he saw nothing, but he heard her and felt her touch on his shoulder, "Colonel! Y-you...your eyes-"

He sensed her hands coming closer to his face and he clenched his teeth to suppress the urge to allow her touch. They were in the middle of a battlefield, the enemy was still out there, somewhere above them, they didn't have time for this!

"Lieutenant," his eyes narrowed, he tried hard to concentrate, to adapt to his situation and this was the only way he knew how, "Can you still fight?"

He couldn't see her, he didn't know the extent of her injures or if her condition worsened, but he was sure she wouldn't lie to him about her health now, not when it was so critical to know.

Her answer came a few seconds later, "Yes," he took her word for it, for there was no hesitancy in her voice nor any hesitancy in her movements when she moved to his side to support him, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other in the middle of his back, a reassuring weight gently pressed at his spine to remind him she was there and he wasn't completely defenseless.

Not with her.

"Good. I need you to be my eyes Lieutenant, can you do that for me?" it was the first time either of them did this, but what they weren't unfamiliar to was this: teamwork.

He couldn't see her, but felt her move her head when her hair ticked his chin, "Understood, sir," he smiled, relief washing over him as he expelled a heavy sigh.

The reassuring squeeze she gave him in response startled him slightly, unprepared at the admittedly intimate gesture.

He may have been unable to see her, but he could feel the strength in her body and the warmth she shared with him, a reassuring kind of feeling that chased away any doubts he may have had left in his mind, "Follow me, sir,"

With that, she carefully guided him onto the stone platform created by Alphonse, who sent them a worried look, aimed at Mustang's blindness and Riza's bloodied shoulder.

The woman sent the youth a reassuring smile, "Let's go Alphonse," she nodded again at the look of concern on the younger Elric's armored face.

After a few moments, Roy felt the earth beneath his feet moving at a alarming speed, he felt he was about to lose balance, but the firm hand at his back steadied him and the hand on his shoulder righted his stance and the voice close to his ear calmed him, "It's alright, sir."

Roy smiled, clenching his gloved hand and nodded wordlessly, knowing she would see him.

Once they reached the surface, the sounds of gunfire and alchemy grew louder and clearer and Roy could smell the smoke coming from freshly fied projectiles and cannons in the air, as well as burnt flesh.

The smell sickened him, yet caused haunting memories of Ishval to resurface in his mind but the squeeze on his shoulder brought him back to the present.

"The enemy is at 44 degrees, sir," Riza informed him, her hawk's gaze trained on what he knew to be the enemy at all times.

Smirking, Roy adjusted his gloves, "Thank you, Lieutenant," with that, he snapped his fingers, feeling electricity buzzing and the sound of rushing fire as it zipped through the air and he felt more than heard his attack hit the enemy at point blank range, the wind rushing about them and disturbing his hair.

He felt Riza's hand on his shoulder tighten briefly, "An attack straight ahead!" heeding her warning, he quickly slapped his hands together and slammed them down to the ground, feeling the earth tremble beneath his hands as a wall of solid rock erected in front of him, effectively protecting them from the sudden, powerful heat coming from the enemy.

But her hand was always there.

Always holding onto his shoulder, squeezing him when the attack was over and helping him move, dispelling the rock wall and immediately counterattacking at Riza's shout, "32 degrees, sir!"

And that was how it went for some time, no matter if they stumbled and fell, she was always there, within reach, by his side and her hand never relinquished its hold on his shoulder.

Her touch had never meant more to him than it did now.

Now, when he most needed reassurance, she was the light that sliced through the darkness in his vision and gave him strength.

And when she informed him of what Edward would do to deliver the finishing blow, he would have been damned if he didn't voice a shout of encouragement to the kid, "Fullmetal!" he knew Edward understood, with that shout alone it should be clear what Mustang's message was.

Don't you dare give up.

Put your all in this one final attack!

We all believe in you, Fullmetal.

And Riza's accompanied vocal agreement following his only further made him realize that, despite him losing his eyesight and indeed, never being able to see the country he had worked so hard for develop and grow, there were more things to do than weep about what was lost and instead, rejoice about what was saved and kept.

And when he heard everyone break out into cheers around him, he felt Riza's hand slip away from his shoulder.

Immediately, the darkness was back and he immediately sought her hand out but a soft touch on his chest made him stop, "I'm here, Colonel,"

Overwhelmed with emotion and the sense of victory filling him at finally defeating the enemy and saving the world, he did the only thing he swore he would strictly forbid himself to.

He hugged his lieutenant.

And he would be damned if that hadn't been the best and most liberating feeling he ever allowed himself to feel.

Either way she was too surprised to push him away or overcome with emotions herself, because she returned his hug and released a short but meaningful laugh and he relished the feeling of holding her close, safe and well in his arms.

He may not be able to see her.

He may never see her again.

But he had the image of her imprinted in his mind, he didn't need to see her to know what expressions she made when she was sad or angry or exasperated with him.

All he needed was the reassurance of her touch.

Because, as soon as her hand was on his shoulder, or back or chest, a sense of contentment and relief flooded him, a feeling he came to associate with the power of her touch and the knowledge that she would never let him feel as defenseless as he did when he lost his eyesight.

What made him happier however, was when he opened his eyes and he was able to see light again, the hospital bed he was sitting on, the bed beside his and the woman laying in it.

And when she grabbed his hand, out of sheer relief to discover he had his eyesight back, he was relieved that that particular thing hadn't changed.

Her touch was still there, even with his eyesight restored.

He realized, he didn't need his eyesight.

All he really needed was her touch to feel safe and well again.

What couple/character do you want me to write about in the next chapter? :)