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Chapter 14
Riza's grip on her husband's arm tightened as he deepened the kiss, and he nipped her lower lip, eliciting a gasp from her. He took the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth, and their tongues danced for dominance.
"Wait, Roy, you're going to miss the train–" She pulled away from the kiss and panted, just to get pulled back in to meet his lips with hers for another heated kiss.
He cradled her head, angling it upwards to kiss her harder and entangled his tongue with hers. She tried to pull away, but her effort was futile when his hold around her waist tightened, and she gasped a moan when his hand crawled down to her arse and squeezed it, enticing him to smirk against her lips.
He finally pulled away as the both of them felt out of breath, and he kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her for a tight hug.
She blinked in mild surprise, before heaving a light sigh and returning the hug. "...You're like Hayate. During the first week I took him in, when I had to leave for work, he would cling to me for fifteen minutes until I took him with me."
"Then come with me," Roy said, his voice muffled by her hair.
Riza huffed as she leant away from the hug, "Don't be silly, General Armstrong wouldn't appreciate that, I would end up being a nuisance to everyone there."
"No you won't." He pouted, and she let out another sigh.
"Stay safe, Roy." She whispered as she cupped his cheek, and planted a kiss on the other one.
Roy sighed and leant in for a light kiss before saying. "You too, my dear." He then cupped her cheeks, his onyx eyes looking deeply into her honey hazel ones. "Call me when you need me."
She nodded, and hesitated slightly before saying bashfully. "...Y-You too, Roy."
He smiled and embraced her tightly. "I will. I'll call you every night." He pulled away after heaving a deep breath and spoke. "See you, Riza."
She pushed down the urge to wrap her arms around him and ask him to stay, and offered a smile as she waved her hand.
"Already missing your hubby?" Rebecca teased and laughed when Riza blushed and scoffed. "Aww, it's okay, Riza. At least you have me."
The blonde woman let out a light chuckle and waved her off. "I know. Now go back to work."
"Hey, I'm not the one who would sigh and look out the window every ten minutes." The dark-haired woman raised her hands in defence and protested.
"Wha– I did not!" Riza said bashfully.
"It's alright, Riza. It's just three days!"
"I know, Rebecca." She scowled, "I can manage."
"Baby do you need me to stay with you till he comes back?" The dark-haired woman teased.
"Rebecca!"
Said woman merely cackled, and Riza huffed. "I will deduct your salary if you don't stop laughing."
"Yes, Ma'am." She immediately stopped her laughter and snapped to a salute.
...
"Did you read the news today?" Rebecca asked as she organised her files and reports.
Riza nodded, "I did. What about it?"
"The professor who raped his students; apparently the woman we saw yesterday was one of them," Rebecca said.
"...Is that so?" Riza's eyes saddened in sympathy.
"Yep. Her name is Sophie Zachmann, 28 years old, an undergrad student at the University of Central City and majors at Chemistry." Rebecca said, then handed the First Lady her report.
"Twenty-eight-year-old under-grad?" She raised a brow in slight confusion.
The dark-haired woman nodded. "Fourth-year student, going to graduate next month. She entered when she was twenty-two, and failed the first year twice so she repeated, hence twenty-eight."
"You researched this yesterday?"
"Yep. Well, partly." Rebecca replied casually. "I met Havoc last night and he told me about it, and I found out that Zachmann was on the list, so I asked Captain Fuery to help research about her this morning."
"I see..." Riza spoke quietly. "Is... is there a connection between her and Roy?"
"No," Rebecca said, and gave a grin. "Worried?"
The blonde narrowed her eyes, and shook her head, then glanced at her. "Speaking of which, you met up with Lt. Colonel Havoc last night?"
Rebecca groaned. "I just saw him last night and we had a drink, that's it."
Riza hummed, raising a brow.
"Okay. Back to Sophie Zachmann."
"...Right."
"There isn't a direct connection between her and your husband, but..." Rebecca raised a brow teasingly at Riza.
"What is it?" The blonde woman asked.
Rebecca scowled, "Do you have no sense of suspense?"
"Just tell me." Riza urged.
"There was a robbery at a bank six years ago, and your hubby was in charge of it," Rebecca said, then asked. "Do you not remember it? You were there too. The East City Bank."
"East City Bank...?" She muttered. "I was most probably in charge of arresting the criminals, and Roy and the others wrapped the case up. And? Sophie Zachmann was there?"
"Yep. There were three victims, all shot dead, and her sister's one of them."
Riza stayed quiet and nodded. "...Alright. Let's go back to work."
"Oh?" The dark-haired woman raised a brow. "Don't you want to know more about her?"
"...No, that's enough. Thank you, Rebecca."
"Oh... No problem."
"So... What do you think, Grandpa?" Riza asked, nervousness evident in her tone.
Grumman hummed as he neatly placed her report down on the desk, then grinned. "Very well-planned! As expected of you, sweetheart."
"Thank you." She smiled.
"So, you're leaving after your trip to Xing?"
She nodded. "If everything goes according to plan."
"Hmm." He nodded in agreement, and they moved towards the dining table when the housekeeper called for them. He placed his napkin on his lap and chortled. "My, beef stew?"
"Lamb stew." The housekeeper chuckled. "Miss Riza made it."
"And I was wondering what you were doing in the kitchen." Grumman laughed a light-hearted one and lifted the spoon to his lips. "Delicious."
"I'm glad you like it." Riza chuckled lightly. "I thought I should try using lamb instead of beef, and I've gone light on the seasoning."
"It tastes wonderful. Would it be too much to ask for you to make this again?"
"Not at all." She replied. "I'd love to."
"So around one to two months in Central and three-four months in the East?" He asked, "What does the boy think about it, having to separate with you for so long?"
"...I didn't tell him about it yet." She said, "I was planning to tell him after he comes back from Briggs."
"Oh! He's in Briggs now?" He spoke in mild surprise. "How busy. Why is he there?"
"He didn't tell me the details, but apparently General Armstrong asked for him to go there." She replied. "He is busy. A lot is happening right now; Roy's in Briggs and don't know when he's coming back, we have a trip to Xing in less than a month, and White Fubuki will be giving birth to her puppies by the time we come back." Her brows knitted to a light frown. "I do hope that we can make it."
"Oh dear." He said. "You'll get used to it, sweetie."
"...Hope so."
He hummed, "Now that I think about it, it's been nearly half a year since the boy proposed to you." He then grinned mischievously, "Did you know that I offered him your hand-in-marriage?"
"No." She raised her eyebrows in mild surprise and frowned ever so slightly. "When?"
"Hmm..." He hummed to himself, "Ah. Right before you left to Central with him."
"You mean... Five years ago?" She asked, "What did he say?"
"He told me to not think too much ahead." He shrugged, "Though I doubt it that he knew that you were my granddaughter back then."
"I see..." She said and lifted her glass to her lips, sipping the red liquid.
"Welcome to Briggs, Führer Mustang." Colonel Miles raised his right hand to a crisp salute, greeting the dark-haired man as he entered the fort, then nodded at his two subordinates. "You too, Lt. Colonel Havoc, Major Falman."
The two returned the salute, and Roy acknowledged him with a nod.
"Hmph, finally here."
The four looked up at the source of the sound, to see the blonde female General gazing down at them with narrowed, azure eyes from the second floor, enticing Roy to narrow his onyx ones as he greeted, "General Armstrong, how are you?"
She snorted and said sharply, "Cut the chitchat. Miles, bring them to their rooms, then take them to my office."
"Yes, Ma'am," Miles said and asked a few people to take their luggage before turning to the three men. "Please follow me, I will take you to your rooms."
"Thanks," Roy muttered as he sent the General a glare, and Havoc sighed.
"It's been years since I came here." He spoke casually, then asked. "Can I smoke in here?"
"Go ahead, Lt. Colonel." Miles nodded, and the blonde immediately took out his cigarette packet and lighter happily as he muttered 'thanks'.
"Smoke in your room, Havoc." Roy scowled.
Havoc let out a satisfied sigh as he puffed out the smoke, and said. "Oh, aren't we staying in the same room, sir?"
"Same room?" Roy knitted his brows to a frown.
"...You will be in separate rooms, but the rooms will be connected." The Colonel replied.
"So I'm going to be in the same room with Falman?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. Nice."
"So, what is it, General Armstrong?"
Roy raised a brow with crossed arms and asked the blonde woman who sat on her chair, cross-legged.
She stood up and spoke. "Follow me."
He frowned slightly but followed her without a word, with his two subordinates quickly running after them in confusion.
They walked down the stairs until they were on the lowest floor of the fort. The cells? Roy thought to himself as they walked past the small chambers.
"We're here, Mustang," Olivier said coolly as she stopped in front of a cell with two guards.
"Führer, General, sir!" The two guards saluted, and they waved it off.
Roy turned towards the cell, and his brows locked into a frown in confusion when he saw three men sitting inside, glaring at him and the General. "Who are they?"
"Drachman spies." She said, looking down at the three Drachman men and crossed her arms.
"Drachman...!?" The Führer's dark eyes widened in shock, though he immediately composed himself and narrowed them at the Drachman men, and walked closer to the cell. "Oh? Spies, huh?" He noticed the scars and bruises on their faces, and he turned to Olivier. "I assume they didn't say a word when interrogated?"
Miles shook his head, "Not a word, sir."
Roy heaved a sigh, then ordered whilst slipping on an ignition glove. "Bring them to the interrogation room, and keep them cuffed and restrained; I'll do it."
...
"You two, stay outside," Roy said to his two subordinates, then walked into the room. He faced the three men that sat opposite towards him, with their legs restrained and hands cuffed. He sat down and spoke. "Well, gentlemen."
They watched him carefully, quietly, their sharp eyes following each of his movements.
"Sergeant William Dickson, Harry Ansel and Grayson Chance, hmm?" He looked down at the paper in front of him, "Nice choices of name, right? Anton Petrov, Esben Vetochkin and Viktor Ivanov." He crossed his arms, "I'll cut the small talk; What were you ordered to do? Who ordered you?"
The three merely stared back at him, their eyes piercing through him. Roy sighed, "I have plenty of time, and I'm not leaving here till you say something." He raised a hand and rested his cheek on his palm, the transmutation circle on his glove flashing under the light.
One of them, Ivan Vetochkin, sneered. "Are you going to light us on fire with that? Just like what you did in Ishval?"
Roy stayed quiet, though his onyx eyes darkened, and he spoke. "No Drachman accent. No wonder no one found out. So, who ordered you?"
"Fuck you." The Drachman man spat, but immediately let out a shriek when his wrists felt an immense heat and pain. "You heated the cuffs...!? You son of a bitch—"
Roy glanced at the other two men, who although had a shocked expression, didn't give any other reaction. "No reaction, huh?"
"Now, tell me, Vetochkin. Who ordered you, and what was your order?"
"You bastard—" He clenched his teeth, gritting the words out as he tried to endure the pain.
Roy snapped his fingers, and the other two screeched in pain. "...I have plenty of time, and I'm not leaving until you say something." His tone was deep and low, and his dark eyes had a hint of malice.
When the three men didn't say anything, he snapped his fingers again, enticing more screams of agony.
...
"Didn't get them to say anything, sir?" Havoc asked, and laughed a distressed one when the dark-haired man didn't say anything. "Can't help it, sir. Even the Briggs soldiers couldn't get anything out from them.
Roy heaved a deep breath and said. "...Havoc, go get someone to treat their wrists."
"...So you did use flame alchemy." The blonde-haired man spoke quietly.
"Go get their data files from Colonel Miles, all three of them. Also, get me data on the Drachman monarchy and military, the latest one." He ignored what his subordinate said. "I'll be in my room."
"Yes, sir."
Riza looked over at her husband's side of the bed, feeling oddly lonely. She mentally scoffed at how soft she had become, though she reached a hand to caress his pillow. Her honey hazel eyes widened when the telephone on his side's drawer rang, and she scooted over to his side and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Riza?" Her mood instantly brightened, though also felt worried when she could hear the tiredness and distress in his deep voice.
"Roy." She spoke softly, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He sighed, and she could imagine him run his fingers through his soft, raven hair. He then chuckled lightly when she didn't say anything, "I guess I can't hide anything from you, can I, my dear?"
"...I suppose it's something that you can't tell me?" She asked, and the line went quiet. She grimaced and heaved a tiny sigh, "This is when I hate not being part of the military..."
"Don't say that, Riza. It's not something that I have to hide from you, it's..." He too, let out a sigh, then quietly said. "...There are three Drachman spies in Briggs."
"Spies?"
"Yes."
"And I assume that the interrogation didn't go smoothly?" Her tone was soft and soothing, and Roy felt his agitated mind calm down.
"Not one word from their mouths." He said and groaned. "This is what I am met by in day one. When will I be able to go home? God knows when they're willing to say anything."
She chuckled lightly. "You'll be fine, Führer Mustang. have you checked their backgrounds?"
"Yes we did, my dear Mrs Mustang, and we found something quite strange." He replied.
"Is that so..."
"...And there's a chance that I'll have to go to Drachma... Darling?" He spoke when she didn't say anything.
"When?" Roy frowned when he sensed the distress in her voice.
"Not sure yet, we'll have to see."
"...I see." Riza spoke quietly, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's quite late now, Roy. Why don't you go take a rest now?"
"Hmm. Didn't realise." He looked down at his silver pocket watch. "I guess I should go now. You have work tomorrow too, right?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good night, Riza. I love you." He said softly, his voice full of affection, and Riza smiled.
"I love you too. Good night, Roy."
Omake:
"Lt. Colonel Breda, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Briggs?"
"...That nicotine bastard left me the case he was in charge of and left."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! It was kinda short, but I thought I should update more often.
Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated! :)
P.S: I hope their phone call wasn't too OOC/cringey.