OMFG. AN UPDATE?! BUT HOW?! How, you ask? HOW?! Because Royai is still my number 1 love. XD And I had inspiration to burn for this story, so here's the result! I love you guyssss...27 reviews for only 1 chapter? Considering that this is over a year old, that's pretty good for an FMA story...You FMA reviewers are notorious amongst my friends for not being as eccentric in reviewing. XDDD Ask Colie, she agrees. Therefore, I appreciate every review I receive, and I treasure it. -heart-
BTW, new sn...It's on my profile, but in case anyone's feeling lazy, I'll post it here. It's 'lo conquistador'. So yeah!
OMFG. I made an AMV. It's a tribute to Roy. xD If you want to find it on youtube, type in 'Dead Souls Roy Mustang' and it'll pop up. My username there is snipersuzume, as well. I'd appreciate some views on it! xDDD I'm in the process of planning a new Royai AMV. :D
I'm lonely. IM me. I need friends. D:
Here it is, the greatly anticipated 2nd part to...AME:D PLEASEREVIEWKTHNX. XDD
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Ame
Part 2
By THE FRICKIN' MARY
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To say the least, the bar was...Well, it wasn't the most FANCY place that Riza had ever laid eyes upon. It was kind of quaint; the lights dimmed and flickering, and the soft buzz of the television was apparent in one corner of the, for the most part, one-room shack-like place. Roy seemed perfectly well at home, pulling out two stools for them to seat themselves upon. Riza, having found a new shyness, sat gently on her stool, and felt the urge to keep her knees together.
Roy waved down the bartender, with a friendly smile. "Hey, Ralph. How are things, these days?"
"Can't complain," the bartender, now deemed Ralph, replied, chuckling heartily. He was a portly, balding man who looked to be in his 50's or so. Perched between his lips was a fat cigar, which was producing a thing wisp of lazy smoke. His eyes fell on Riza curiously, before he smiled. "I see you brought a lady-friend, eh Roy?"
Roy glanced to his right at his 'lady-friend', and broke into a grin. "Yeah. Ralph, this is Riza Hawkeye, one of my subordinates."
Riza murmured a 'pleased to meet you', and lowered her eyes with a blush. Raloh's smile broadened, and he turned towards Roy knowingly.
"You mean THE Riza? The one you can barely shut up about, eh?" The tips of Roy's ears reddened, a cute habit of his that played out when he was embarassed or flustered.
Roy grumbled, "Yes, that's her."
To be honest, Riza was actually quite flattered. She had figured that Roy never spoke of her to any soul outside of the office, but having her thoughts proved wrong made her heart leap up in joy, and take flight, beginning to soar amongst clouds of happiness.
Attempting to solidify a bond between Riza and Ralph, Roy spoke up after clearing his throat. "She's the best shot you'll ever see this side of Amestris. She's also the most loyal." Again, Riza flushed.
"Ahh...I see..." Ralph grinned. Oh boy did he sense the sexual tension between the two, and it brought him back to his youthful days, chasing pretty girls in skirts much like Roy did...It caused him great joy to finally see that Roy had set his sights on a woman, with something actually SERIOUS in mind. Honestly, Roy was like a son to Ralph. After the Ishbal conflict, when Roy was transferred to Central, he and Ralph had struck up an unlikely bond. He knew that Roy was a broken man who needed someone to kiss his away his wounds and tears...And he got the vibe that this Riza Hawkeye would be a perfect candidate for the lifetime position.
"So! What'll it be tonight, friends?"
Roy glanced at the menu board fastened to the back wall behind the counter, eyes narrowing to read the print. Dammit, he had been too lazy to put on his contacts this morning...And glasses weren't an option at the moment. "I'll have a vodka on the rocks," he said finally.
Riza gazed thoughtfully at the menu board as well, and decided to just go with the same as Roy. Unlike many women she knew, she could hold her liquor quite well.
Ralph served up their drinks, and began tending to another few customers, which left Roy and Riza to their own devices. Roy silently sipped at his alcohol, appearing as if he were in some deep train of thought. It almost scared Riza how much she wished to know what was ailing him mentally.
He began rubbing at his head, and heaved a gentle sigh.
"Are you sore from our fall?" she asked quietly, giving humor a try.
This prompted him to smile, and he set his gaze on her lazily, shaking his head. "Nah...I've just been feeling crappy lately. It could be a hangover."
Riza felt a frown pull at her lips unconsciously, and she leaned closer, asking in a low whisper, "Roy, have you been drinking a lot lately?"
"A little...Not too much, though." He chuckled, "It's not like I'm becoming a drunk, or anything."
But he could she the worry creases in her forehead, a sign that she truly was like his keeper. "Don't worry, Riza..." He told her gently, "I wouldn't do anything stupid like drink myself to death."
"When you're depressed, I don't know WHAT you have the urge to do, other than drink." Riza continued frowning, stirring her drink.
"You make me sound like an alcoholic."
"Well you do drink quite often..."
He sighed once more. "Rii..." He rarely used that nickname anymore. "Don't worry yourself. I know I'm fine, and if you're THAT worried, the next time I get depressed I'll have you come over and supervise me." The sarcasm that dripped from his words stung at her heart a little.
She recoiled a little bit, turning her attention back to her drink. Roy felt a pang of guilt. WHY did he have to be such an asshole sometimes?!..Okay, so he was an asshole MOST of the time, really...But still! At least he was aware of it, now!
Riza bowed her head after sipping her drink, and Roy watched her, the woman that he had grown so fond of. It was strange of him...Usually, he used women to get a short-lived pleasure high, before leaving them by their lonesome in an empty bed. Yet, he knew that if he and Riza ever...Well, if they ever did THAT, he could never find it in him to just leave her. Riza was a rare treasure, he knew. There were only so many women like her in the world. She was the caring, fiercely loyal type, who would give up anything to protect him. Even herself.
It was scary, to think that someone could be such a follower of him, that they would be willing to sacrifice such greatly important things. It really made him think...
He truly considered Riza to be the best thing that ever happened to him. And whatever it was that was sending electricity through his body whenever she was at his side, well, he treasured it. Whether it be love, affection...Or just the sheer depth of their bond...Roy Mustang felt something for Riza Hawkeye.
God...He didn't deserve her...
Riza appeared quite meek at the moment, as she continued stirring her drink, the clinking of icecubes tapping against the glass. She felt his eyes on her, and needless to say it was a bit of an awkward feeling, having him gaze at her with such emotion. Something she wasn't quite that used to.
Not to say she wasn't enjoying it. Having her superior look at her that way, it really made her feel...Special, in a way. As if she was the only woman in his sights right then. It made her belly churn in the kind of way that only a woman in love would understand, and sent fire shooting up through her diaphragm, momentarily rendering her unable to breathe.
But time can't stand still for ever. The sun was long past setting, and dark tendrils of night stretched across the sky, painting it a dark indigo shade, enhanced by tiny jewel-like stars that clung to the canvas of the night for dear life. It was growing colder outside as the evening went on; less and less people were on the streets at such an hour in the conditions being faced. Peaceful as it was, to sit and make small talk with the Colonel, Riza soon was smacked in the face with the realization that she DID have other obligations to tend to. Squirming and fidgeting in her seat, she began stringing together possible words in her head, wondering how to convey to Roy that she had better get going.
Hayate, who had up until that moment been dormantly sleeping to the side of Riza's stool, perked up to attention, tail wagging anxiously. He whined softly at his Mommy, begging her to get her out of that place. Riza smiled weakly at the dog, patting his forehead. "I know," she whispered. "Mommy knows."
"What?" Roy blinked, on his 4rth glass. "What's going on? Are you leaving?"
"I really should..." Riza tried to hint at her desire to truly stay. "Hayate needs his dinner, and so do I..."
"Oh. You could have told me earlier..." Roy murmured, grabbing his coat. "I'll walk you home, then."
"Actually..." Riza looked up into those onyx eyes that made her knees so terribly weak, mustering up some bravery to ask, "Would you like to stay for dinner at my house?"
Roy looked a bit surprised at the offer, but his face didn't betray a sign of a coming 'no'. "You know..." His face split into a smile. "That sounds like it'd be nice. I do love your cooking...It could rival Gracia's..." He chuckled.
Her cheeks tinted a slight red. "Don't flatter me," she said quietly, giving him an easy-going smile. "Come on, let's go."
"Yeah. Ralph's gone, anyway." With that, the two braced themselves for the blast of icily chilling wind that would greet them outdoors, and braved it, striding down the icy, snow-impressioned sidewalk towards the Hawkeye-Hayate residence.
"Hawkeye..." Roy said, almost under his breath, as they strolled freezingly down the walkway. "Do you remember?"
"Remember what exactly, sir?" Riza cocked a curious eyebrow at the man beside her, hands stuffed in her pockets in a way that resembled his own pose.
"How things used to be? Before Ishbal?" Her brow leveled, and she cast her stare to the ground.
"Of course. You mean...With Father?"
He smiled sadly, and rather distantly, and nodded. "How carefree we were...I had a dream...And that dream was just to simply go into the military and defend my country..." He paused, thinking for a moment. "What was your dream, Hawkeye? Why did YOU of all people enter the military, when your father hated it so?"
Oh boy. She got goosebumps at the thought of telling him. She squared her shoulders, only to have them sink with a sigh. "To protect someone very important to me."
Roy's eyebrows rose with interest. "And who would that have been?"
"Well, sir, if you think about it, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out." Her boots scuffed against a small pile of snowy ice obscuring the path. "Who was the person who told you they'd follow you, no matter where the road ended?"
"You joined..." He sucked in a breath. "Just for me?"
"Yes. I had to keep an eye on you to make sure you were using that alchemy properly, didn't I?"
"But then, why didn't you kill me during Ishbal?" His lips curled downward. "You said you would, if I used it for a wrong purpose. Surely, Ishbal was more than wrong enough, right?"
"Because..." She released a breath. "For one, I couldn't bring myself to kill you. For the most part, it was just a measly threat that I thought up to keep you in line. Afterall, it works best to scare people into behaving...As if you would have used that alchemy for wrong-doing. Second, Ishbal was not something that we the soldiers could control. The government chose for us to go out there and fight. We were merely pawns. Pawns shouldn't have opinions. We should be killing-machines, yes? That's how war is. Soldiers are merely the puppets for the ones in charge to manipulate and control."
Roy's face looked stricken with horror. "Riza...What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I was never going to follow through with that. You know me...I'm too loyal to you. Also, Ishbal was not something we could have any say in. You know that, and yet you still dwell in those days."
He sighed, casting his eyes downward as well. He watched their snow-messied boots continue walking, despite the terrible things they spoke of. It was strange; how they could always learn to walk again, despite the pain and hurt that lay behind and around them.
"Riza...Do you really want to follow me? You're spending your whole life, wasting it on making my 'dream' come true." The words flew out of his mouth like birds freed from their cage. "You should live it so that you can make your own dreams come true. I shouldn't be so selfish as to force you into molding mine into a reality. You have your own life, don't you? Why live it for someone else? You could be married...With a family...You could be happier..."
"Because that someone I want to protect is all I need to feel happiness." She couldn't stop the overflowing syllables, as they tumbled out painfully. Why did she follow him? Why should she strive with so much effort, to make him happy, to make his dreams real?
Because she loved him. Isn't that what one does when they're in love? Just seeing that person smile...Is enough to make everything worthwhile.
He frowned bitterly. "That person you want to protect is a sinner who doesn't deserve such things."
"That person I want to protect should know by now that we are all sinners, and we all deserve some things."
"That person you want to protect thinks you're too good to protect him."
"That person..." She began, but couldn't decide what to add to the statement. She frowned.
They were at her doorstep, and she had unlocked the door when he spun her forcefully to look at him, eyes firm and alight with the trademark Flame Alchemist fire. Black Hayate tore at his leash, pawing at the door until it gave into pressure, and he leapt inside.
"That person is a fool. An idiot, an incompetent, useless--"
"Roy."
He gazed down at her, the hurt apparent in those eyes.
"All you need to know, is that I'll protect you and care for you until the life inside of me drains completely," she whispered. His eyes softened, and he reached down to touch her, when the crash resonated.
END PART 2