Wow! 3 reviews in 12 hours after posting! I don't know what to say. Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review. You guys are wonderful. Without further ado, here is the next chapter. It's a little more of an informative chapter and I promise the next one will be more meaty!
Again, I do not own any of these characters. I just cosplay them and put them in terrible situations.
He just let her walk out. He watched the door slam and listened to the concerned voices muffled by the heavy oak. He knew he should follow her, get her to talk to him, get her to understand everything. However, his body did not want to agree with his mind.
Dark eyes went back to his unfinished report. Something about military stepping in and helping with a small town's irrigation system. He squinted at the paper, trying to focus.
'She's pregnant.'
He shook his head, frowning, like it would take the angry buzzing words away.
'The drought has caused considerable crop damage, as well as -'
'She's carrying your child.'
' - will lead to more food for both civilians and military serving in the port - '
'And you just let her walk away.'
With a sigh, he tossed aside the paperwork. All he wanted to do was just snap his fingers and watch it all go up in smoke. It seemed like it never ended and now he had so much more on his plate.
'Why does any of this matter? Who cares about what she does in her free time? So what if she's pregnant? It's not like she'd include me anyways,' he thought to himself bitterly. He glared at the pile of reports as if it had gotten him into this predicament.
None of it seemed important. Nothing seemed important.
That was, except who Riza Hawkeye's unborn bastard really belonged to.
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It took everything in her not to just start sobbing when she saw the hurt in her dear friend's eyes. She knew it was for the best that she lied to him. They could both very well be court martialed because of such a revelation. But, even knowing this, she wanted to seek solace in his embrace again. She wanted to take back the months of pain they both had suffered through.
Why had she let him sweet talk her all those months ago? Was it the wine he kept pouring? Or was it those deep never ending pools of inky black that watched her like no other woman existed? Her mind tried to make sense of it as she retreated out of the Central Command building.
It was inevitable, honestly. They were so close. They had known each other for years before she was assigned under him. They had fought the same enemies, including each other. It was only a matter of time before her guilty crush blossomed into love. For two years, she hid that secret, staying close and not sharing it with the one man she told everything.
The wine had helped with the coaxing of the truth, she decided. She never quite had the head for drinking. Part of her was angry at that damnable Colonel. She said all of her secret wants that involved him. How she wanted to be his, retire, go to some tiny town, and raise a family with him. Once the words started, she couldn't dam them back in. The floodgates were open and he learned every deep, dark, secret fantasy she had.
Over the next year, they steadily worked through balancing an affair, hiding it from their closest friends and coworkers, and having to work in such close proximity every day. She didn't know how they had done it, but they managed. Until she started getting sick. Somehow she knew. She refused to believe it, though. He had offered to go with her, but she quickly shot him down. Appearances had to be maintained and he couldn't afford to be caught with her. She was utterly alone when the doctor had told her, had let her hear the tiny, yet strong, heartbeat. She wouldn't abort, regardless if it was the best option. She couldn't.
When he had asked, Riza merely responded that she had the flu and that she needed to stay home for a few days. It was during that time she plotted how she was going to break things off with him. A month passed before she finally had the courage. It had been the hardest thing she had ever done. But, he took it with a grain of salt and let her have her space.
For the following months, her heart waged war with her logic. No one was safe to confide in. It was her heavy burden and she bore it in silence. She nearly told him multiple times, but ultimately was able to keep it underwraps. The doctor, however, insisted that she take a few months off, to prepare for the hard labor of giving birth. It was for the best. She didn't need anyone seeing her like that. She would be more of a hindrance than anything if she was ever needed in the field. She had decided that a leave would be better than staying as a glorified secretary. If anything, it was at least more dignified.
All the while, she couldn't help but worry about what her irrational Colonel would do without her.
At least this one was a little longer! I promise I am working on the next chapter now. Hopefully it will be up tomorrow or early on Monday. Please review, follow, and favorite! Thank you all.
