Disclaimer: I do not know Fullmetal Alchemist in any way, shape, or form.

Roy's core nearly split in two from the emotional declaration of Riza. It was so honest and heartbreaking that his spirit almost was laid to rest next to Riza's. Roy was strong; he knew that to be true. In the past, he was vulnerable and unprotected. Maes had protected him. Maes had healed the wounds from Isbal. Without Maes, he surely would have crumbled under his own guilt and eventually taken his own life. After Maes's death, he realized that he was still alive. And he knew that it was because of her.

(A/N: Sorry that this next part is a break in the fast-paced action of the story, but it has been floating around in my head for awhile. As an author, I had to answer questions that ran along the lines of, "If Roy loves Riza so much, why did it take this long for their feelings to be out in the open?" So this chapter is directly addressing the question. And trust me, it's fairly gratifying too.)

Roy remembered the first time that he ever saw Riza in more than a platonic light. It was about six years ago, at Roy's branch of Central military's notorious Christmas party. It had been a night to remember indeed. No one from Central had been shipped out to the war yet. Roy remembered the innocence; he had lived his early military career out in ignorance. The Christmas party was infamous for drunken debauchery, but it was also notable as a place for networking. Probably the best, in fact. Roy had had a few drinks, but he had made sure to remain only slightly buzzed. The dress code was dressy casual. Roy had worn his French blue dress shirt with black slacks. It was only 10pm but Roy and Maes had made the conscious choice to arrive early enough to maximize the amount of conversations and connections.

The party was held in a higher military officer's house. About fifty or sixty people attended that year. Roy had maneuvered himself so that he was fairly near the door. That way he could intercept important people before they found their way to the alcoholic beverages. It had been a good night for him so far. He wasn't expecting an event of mind-blowing repercussions to occur. He heard a knock at the door. Most people of significance had arrived before then, so he didn't turn around immediately. Maes had instinctively turned. As the door opened, he heard Maes gasp. But Maes wasn't the only one.

A shockwave ran through the crowd as none other than Riza Hawkeye walked into the party. She had a reputation for being extremely straight-laced and was obviously not a partying type of person. Yet here she stood in the doorway of one of the most rowdy parties of Central. Her long, straight hair was down, for once. She was wearing a dark purple v-neck sweater, but the material was thin and form fitting. She had on a black suede skirt that was just slightly longer than knee-length. And on her feet were elegant black flats. The gasp could partly be attributed to the shock value of "asexual" Hawkeye in casual clothes and partly to the shapely calves that peaked out from underneath her skirt. She was a knockout as far as Maes and everyone else could see.

Roy turned and felt that he had died and gone to heaven. He twisted towards Maes to see his full reaction, but it was so goddamn hard to stop looking at her! He saw a predatory look in Maes's eyes and was unsure of what that meant. Cain Fuery, an extremely low-ranking enlisted man, was the first to approach Riza. "Miss Hawkeye, you are looking very pretty tonight." Riza smiled slightly and replied, "Thank you Fuery." "May I get you a drink?" "Sure that would be great." Fuery almost could not believe his luck and he ran off in search of high-class liquor that might please a high-class lady. In his absence, Maes Hughes closed in. "Putting the stars to shame again, are we?" Roy wondered what Maes could possibly mean by "again" and decided to fully inquire about it later. "Maes, you know that you can't see the stars underneath the layer of smog that coats Central. You were born and raised in the city. You don't know what stars really look like." That she had called him Maes had not escaped Roy. The jealousy was already starting to bubble. "Ah Riza, a beautiful and high-class woman like yourself should learn to accept compliments."

The worst part was that Roy knew Maes was sober. He was certain of it. So why would he be flirting so shamelessly with Riza unless…unless…unless…Roy didn't want to draw any conclusions. "Riza smiled and bit her lower lip in an unintentionally seductive way. Roy was ten feet away and for the life of him could not stop staring. Fuery came back with Riza's drink. She thanked him and continued to chat with him and Maes. Roy couldn't stand it, so he wandered deeper into the party, determined to drink enough to forget the actions of his best friend.

It was then that Havoc, resolute in besting Roy at something, approached and challenged the restless Mustang to a drinking contest. Roy agreed and more than a few shots later defeated a passed out Havoc. Roy knew he could hold his liquor more so than most. It was energy inside his veins, raw and ready. Ready for what, Roy wondered. A woman, the liquor inside him decided.

Riza was more of an introvert. She had shaken off most of the men that had been following her and slobbering, like the military dogs they were. Some were very persistent, and she was forced to hide out in one of the many upstairs bedrooms. The previous occupants, a very drunk Maria Ross and a very lucky Denny Bloch, had vacated upon their discovery. Riza stared out at the fireplace, basking in the warm glow and nursing a glass of wine. She realized that she wanted to make enough money to install fireplaces in the bedrooms of her future houses.

Roy had searched all the nooks and krannys of the house, paying careful attention to all the spots that appeared out of the way. He knew she would be hiding somewhere private, possibly alone. She had no idea how enticing that was. Roy eventually found a bedroom off the beaten path and decided to check inside. She was standing in the firelight, smiling faintly about something. "You really do look amazing you know." He entered with the usual Mustang charm; so smooth that she never noticed the door close. It was always like that when he was seducing a woman. Riza acknowledged him with her eyes but continued to ignore him with her body. "Maes's compliment did you no justice. Stars are brilliant and bright but cold and distant." She still didn't look at him. He touched her arm and she realized how he had been closing in the space between them subtly. "Don't be cold and distant, Riza." He had never thought that a woman could be this beautiful. It was criminal in a way. He considered himself the epitome of masculine handsomeness. It was his youth and his pride that kept him in that line of thinking. He leaned in to her and kissed her, smoothly and softly. He was amazed at how warm she was. He broke the kiss and caressed her ear with his lips. She moaned softly. God, he loved that sound. "You're not a star," he whispered, "You're a blazing fire." He pulled her close and kissed her neck. The heat overwhelmed him. Her skin tasted like wine and wood, earthy and sharp. She was making such glorious noises and rubbing herself against him. Did she have any idea of what she did to him?

He eased her sweater over her head. She didn't mind in the slightest. His French blue dress shirt ended up next to it on the ground. They had relocated to the bed, for improved cushioning. Only through her could Roy feel the fire, coursing thorough his body. She was the wood and he ignited her. The firelight made her skin glow in the most surreal way. A goddess surely, far too stunning for this world. The ferocity of their kissing and groping made it clear that there was more to this situation than met the eye. Surely alcohol played a part, but it seemed that it was so much more than that.

The intensity did not die in their impassioned actions. Soon Roy was pushed against the headboard, shirtless and sweaty. Riza still had her bra and skirt on, and she was straddling Roy's hips, her elegant bare feet tucked beneath her thighs. She was in the process of unbuckling his pants and as he reached around to unclasp her bra when…

The door opened to reveal a very shocked Maes Hughes.

Maes easily recognized Riza's golden hair, but he still couldn't believe it when she turned her head towards him, alarmed. Maes had dreamed and wished for a long time that he would be the one Riza decided to break protocol for. That he'd be the one to love her and keep her warm at night. Well, he amended that he would kill the lucky bastard she was straddling. Or at least give him a beating he wouldn't forget. Her eyes said it all. Deep embarrassment mixed with more than lust. Unfathomable affection and devotion for this person. It was then that her mysterious man lifted his upper body off the bed. And he could see over Riza's almost bare back that the mystery man was in fact his best friend Roy Mustang. Roy Mustang, player extraordinaire.

Roy sat up just in time to see the hurt look on his best friend's face. Roy thought back to earlier. "Putting the stars to shame again, are we?" He had twisted those very words to seduce the very woman his friend had pursued. Roy knew he should have thought out why Maes chose to say those things to Riza. Maes wasn't innately flirtatious like Roy was. Maes chose his words and compliments carefully. A feeling of guilt overwhelmed Roy.

Maes got over the initial shock fairly quickly. Roy was always putting his own needs in front of other's. He shouldn't have been surprised. Maes, propelled by his own inner strength, looked Roy straight in the eyes and said, "Well I'll leave you to it then." In one look, Maes had communicated all of his pain, longing, and heartache. The door closed with a click. Riza looked unsure of what to do. Roy knew exactly what he had to do. He pushed Riza's shoulders backwards, and she took the hint and dismounted. He flew off the bed, determined to catch his friend. His shirt was put on swiftly, the buttons to be fastened when time permitted. He raced after Maes without a word or a look back at Riza.

Maes was two hallways down from the fateful bedroom, slumped over and leaning heavily against the wall. He refused to cry. He was in the military after all, and soldiers didn't ever cry. Even when they lost the woman they loved. Maes was certain that he loved Riza. She had first caught his eye the day she transferred to Roy's division, the previous winter. She was his kind of woman, strong, brave, and intelligent. To him, she didn't need to wear skimpy clothes to be noticed. Even in her everyday uniform, she lit up the room with her smile. He was angry because she would be just a notch for Roy. To score the Ice Queen would earn admiration from others. But Maes truly loved. That's why it hurt. He knew Roy could not possibly see the real Riza.

Roy found his friend in this state. Maes looked up, to reveal that he was indeed crying. Roy had never seen Maes cry, in all their years of best friendship. It was at that moment that Roy swore that as long as Maes was alive, he would never touch Hawkeye. She was untouchable in his mind from that moment on.

Of course, he saw Maes move on to Gracia. And for all his whining about Roy needing a wife, Hughes never suggested Hawkeye. Roy suspected he still had some feelings for her, even after the wedding. After Hughes died he certainly couldn't go after her then. That was the last thing on his mind. Despite all of that, she stayed steadfastly by his side, maybe not always understanding but there regardless.