A/N: Slightly inspired off of yurtletheturtle's Selfish Favors. I really like that headcanon, and decided to usurp it for myself. With a slightly different approach. I am pretty surprised I busted the last two days in one day. This was a fun exercise. Now onto the next! :) Enjoy!
In truth, Roy never thought he would be able to accomplish his goals. It's not that he doubted himself. Roy contained a very healthy dose of ego. It was just that he had spent his entire life trying to get where he was now – and it just hadn't quite been able to sink in yet. But here he was, promoted to General and preparing to run for President. They were in the process of reforming the Amestrian Military and repairing the infrastructure of the company. He wanted a better future for his country and its people, and now that time was here.
It hadn't been easy, of course. He had last many friends and people along the way. But he hadn't lost everyone. He looked over at the blonde sharpshooter cleaning her gun. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and teased the edge of her tank top. Her legs were drawn up lazily on her seat as she glided through her evening routine of dismantling her personal firearm. Her lashes quivered and she looked up at him, as if sensing his attention. The edge of her mouth twitched upwards in a curious half smile. He never realized just how much her presence filled his small apartment until suddenly she was there, smiling quietly at him. It seemed so fullwith her there.
It was still strange to see her so casual. She wasn't working under him anymore, not since his promotion and her transfer to a new department. That meant they could see each other now without any legal repercussions. While they had never officially announced their relationship to anyone, it didn't take long for people to notice how quickly their entirely un-professional romance blossomed.
That had been nearly three months ago. Roy was getting nervous. He didn't know why he was so desperate to solidify things between them. He hardly had any reason to worry. He was just as much a part of her as she was a part of him. He reached into his pocket, fiddling with the hidden contents. Roy knew what she was to him. He knew she was in it for the long haul. But still, he needed to be sure.
"Riza."
Her name still tasted foreign on his tongue. It was like stretching a muscle he had nearly forgotten how to use. A small part of him was pleased that she still blushed when he called her by her first name. She seemed to understand that his tone was much more serious than usual, and she set her gun down, giving him her full attention.
Roy suddenly felt rather unprepared. The words he had practiced over and over stuck like molasses in his throat. "I- well, you know, the presidency, and I mean-"
Riza wiped her hands on her towel, her smile tugging back down into a confused frown. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Roy swore quietly and took a breath. "Riza. You know I'm planning on running for presidency, right?" he tried again, clearing his throat.
Riza set the towel down, sighing quietly. "Yes, that's something we both discussed a while ago. Has something changed?"
"Yes- well, no, I mean, nothing's changed. But there's, ah, something I have been considering for a while now." He paused, glancing up at the ceiling. He had taken on an army of immortal beings, but couldn't talk to the woman he'd spent over half of his life with. What was wrongwith him? She waited expectantly, her amber eyes calculating and trying to work out his latest mood.
"According to most of Central, I'm still a bachelor. I still have a reputation,so to speak, of being a ladies' man. It's not becoming of a future President to be solo. Women will be clamoring to settle down with such a powerful man."
Riza's eyes narrowed suddenly, her posture tightening and her lips pursing. "I see."
Gods above.Roy stood, closing the distance between them and grasping her hand. "That's not what I mean, Riza. I just, I want them to know that I've already found someone. I want them to know that I've chosen you. That is, if you'll have me."
Roy sucked in a breath, trying to calm himself. His heart pounded wildly in his chest and his throat felt tight and thick with emotion. He looked hard into Riza's eyes, kneeling in front of her. She knew. If she didn't know before, she knew now. He kept barreling through. "I know this is new, it's something we're still figuring out one day at a time, but I just- I want to know it's something we'll be figuring out together for the rest of our lives. There's no one else who will ever be able to be up to the task of being my other half."
"Roy-" she whispered. Roy withdrew the small black box out of his pocket.
"I've always had your back, and now I'm asking for your hand."
He waited as Riza looked at the gleaming diamond ring in his hand, her eyes wide. She did not breathe for a long time and Roy started to get uncomfortable. "Riza if you-"
She covered his hand with hers, a small smile gracing her face. "I've already followed you to hell and back. I think I can handle being married to you."
The relief Roy felt was palpable as he pulled her into a fierce embrace. She laughed breathlessly, pulling away just enough to kiss him. She tasted like honeysuckle and something sunny and warm and he was hopelessly addicted. As he slipped the ring on her finger and the rest of her clothes off, Roy could only wonder how he had managed to have a woman as remarkable as her. He was a man with hands so dirty he could never truly clean them. He would spend the rest of his life atoning for the atrocities he had committed. As his lips trailed down the flat expanse of his fiancé's stomach, he swore that he would continue to pursue her as fiercely as the rest of his dream.
They were both damaged, flawed creatures. Her hands caressed the scars on his side. His fingers traced over the burn wounds on her back. They had both done things they were ashamed of, things they did not like to speak about. If his hands were dirty, then so were hers. They bathed in each other's presence, and that was enough. She was enough. She always had been.