New Goals

Part 2: To Part or Not to Part

Triple Shot

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and gain no profit from writing this fanfiction.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIRI

AN: Decided to turn this into a three part instead of two part fiction. Explanations are in the AN at the end of the chapter.


To Part or Not To Part

Riza moved her head to block her eyes from the sun as it shone through the glass of the windshield and amplified into rays of increased heat and brightness. She snuggled closer to the soft body she was pillowed against, intending to go back to sleep. Her emotions were completely at ease as she felt currents of protection warding her. Wrapping her arms around the torso she was leaning against, she relaxed for a moment before realizing that she was indeed resting against a body. Her eyes flew open and she jerked up with such alarmed violence that it jolted Roy from his slumber as if his sleepy state was tied to her posture.

"What in the…" He started, fully straightening and staring at Riza, his eyes wide and his lips opened slightly. He looked around the vehicle for any signs of danger before looking back at her. 'What's wrong?"

Riza cleared her through with a stern cough then shook her head. "Sorry, I was lying on you like that and I'm not used to waking up with someone around. I'm usually alone in my own bed."

Roy laughed and nodded. "I see, that's too bad," he said.

She turned her head in his direction and tilted it slightly. "What's too bad?"

"That you are used to being alone," he said.

"Is that some kind of insult?" she snapped.

Roy raised his ungloved hands in front of him, palms out, as if warding off a possible assault. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I was just thinking it's bad to be alone all the time."

Riza raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, well maybe you should try it sometime," she snapped and reached for the car keys in the ignition. She hated when people assumed that being alone was a bad thing. "We should get goi--"

"I'll have you know that 90 percent of the women I go out with are my sisters or some other informants."

Riza turned the key in the ignition, the engine issuing forth with the common hums and purrs related to an automobile. "And the other 10 percent?"

Roy folded his arms and leaned back. "They are dates but I don't sleep with any of them. I've never slept with any of them to be honest."

"I didn't ask who you slept with but if you expect me to believe that, then I expect you to believe that I'm a model," she said sarcastically as she moved her hands to the column to put the car into drive.

Roy scooted across the car seat effortlessly, the fabric of his clothing gliding like slick shoes on a polished floor, and rested his hand on top of the one she had poised on the gear shaft. He reached his other hand to the one she had resting on the keys and turned off the motor. "I think with your hair down like this you very well could be. Maybe you could consider trying it in Crete."

"We should get going, Sir," she said, ignoring his retort to her sarcasm.

"Stop calling me Sir," he said as he pulled his hands away from their grasps on hers. He lifted his sleeve and looked down at his watch. "It's noon. Let's eat the lunch we have, then we can go."

Hayate barked from the back seat, catching their attention. They turned to look at the dog. He had his tongue out and his tail wagging at a moderate speed. "I think that's a good idea. Apparently Hayate wants out as well."

"Then we can sit on the hood and eat," he said, "We don't have much longer until we'll be in Crete."

"Yes, in a few hours we'll be there," she said. She pulled the handle and opened her car door then moved to the back door to let Hayate out. The dog bounded through the tall grass toward the woods but Riza made no move to call him back. She knew her canine companion wouldn't go too far.

She shut the doors just as Roy got out and sat the large cooler on the hood of the car. They sat on either side of it and Roy opened the lid, peering down into the container. He laughed. "Damn, how long did Gracia think our drive was?"

Riza looked down into it and chuckled at all the food crammed into the cooler. "Apparently she thought it would be a few days. It's only a twenty hour drive from Central."

"Why didn't we take the train? I never did ask you that when you got this car."

"Because with our names in the press it would have been too dangerous."

"And driving wasn't?"

"You haven't seen many people have you?" she questioned.

"Ah, no I haven't. You are ever the bodyguard aren't you?" he replied, sinking his statement into affection.

Riza removed a sandwich from the cooler, unwrapped it, and took a bite, the smooth chicken salad hitting her tongue as she chewed, then swallowed. "I guess that will have to stop right?" she questioned, no emotion present in her voice.

"I guess it should," Roy replied as he wrapped the brown paper off the sandwich in his hands and took a bite. He reached into the cooler with his free hand and pulled out a can of soda. He handed it to her then removed one for himself. Balancing it precariously on his thigh, he flicked the latch and waited for the hiss of the carbonates to settle before lifting it to his lips and taking a sip.

"Then I assume we will part at Christmas's new place." Her tone was indicative that the sentence was more of a statement than a question. She possessed no signs of disappointment or anger about the inevitable parting that would take place between them. There was no indication that she favored leaving or staying.

Roy choked on the liquid descending his throat, causing several vociferous coughs to erupt from his body, the liquid coming back up and through his nose, burning like acid rising from his stomach. It felt like every part of his throat and nose was undergoing a hellfire of heartburn.

Riza gasped and quickly jumped off the car, letting the unopened soda and her sandwich fall to the ground, "Sir! Are you alright?" She started to place a hand on his shoulder but he held up his hand to halt her actions.

He lowered his head over the side of the car as a bunch of coughs clambered up and out of his throat, his body jerking a bit each time. He reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his handkerchief as he sat up straight. He wiped his watering and burning eyes, his mouth, and his nose. He returned his handkerchief to his pocket then looked at her. "What do you mean by part at Christmas's?" he questioned, getting straight to topic as soon as he recovered from his choking.

Riza walked over and picked up the can of soda she let fall to the ground. She wiped it off then opened it. She left the sandwich on the ground, for obvious reasons, knowing Hayate would devour it as soon as he got back. "I mean get on with our own lives," she said, sitting upon the hood once again. She took a sip of the cool soda and signed inwardly at the relief it brought her unknowingly dry throat.

"I see…I think it's important for us to get on with our lives. I agree on that part."

"I think it's for the best. You're goals for taking over the country are over now," she said, this time her voice taking on a slight tremble.

"Right, they are," he said, disappointed that she felt the way she did. He'd known her longer than he'd known anyone else in the world, save his foster mother and sisters. Not having her with him was a terrifying and somber thought.

He watched as she quickly finished off her soda and put the can back into the cooler. Turning her gaze to him, she smiled softly. The flames of depression that was licking his body burned away as he saw that her smile wasn't lighting her eyes. Her orbs showed no signs of comfort or happiness; they were drowned with the looked that accompanied a smile of hesitation, of a mask placed on the face of someone doing something against their will. Her normally hidden emotions were written in her eyes as clearly as if they were printed in a book. She didn't want to part with him any more than he wanted her to leave him.

He suddenly realized he was staring at her and directed his gaze over her shoulder at a bunch of wild roses, incredibly beautiful, just like the woman sitting on the hood. She turned around to look at where his gaze redirected, thankful that it was off her for the moment. She couldn't keep a smile off her lips as she gazed at the flowers.

Roy stood and walked over to the bush.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"You like wildflowers, I remember you saying so," he said, as he picked a piece of thread off the sleeve of his jacket. "And for the millionth time, don't call me Sir." He began doing something out of her view but before she could speak on it, he turned around with a small bunch of roses tied together with some thread. He walked up to her and put it behind her ear. She tried to gaze at the bunch of roses from the corners of her eyes before turning her gaze back to Roy.

She reached up to touch them with the tips of her fingers, wary of running them if she applied too much pressure to the layered petals. "Why did you give me this?"

"You'd never let me give you flowers when we were in the military. You always turned them down," he said, reaching up to cup her face. "I never was able to give you anything except trouble."

Her eyes widened at both his gesture and his words. "It was my duty to help you in any way I could."

"So you only did it out of duty?"

Riza didn't expect the question so her brain stammered for an answer. Of course, it wasn't only out of duty but how could she tell him that? Could she really confess the things she'd felt for him since they were teenagers? She thought he already knew that she had more feelings for him other than that of a subordinate. Surely, he wasn't that dense.

"No," she finally said. "It wasn't just out of duty."

Roy smiled, cupped the other side of her face with his other hand, and looked into her eyes. "I don't want you to leave me Riza."

AN: I felt like this was a good place to end the chapter. I'm going to write one more chapter because it didn't feel right continuing in this one. I want to work out some kinks in my original ending as well. So it's going to be a three part fic instead of two. I already have the final draft written on the third chapter so I just have to tweak a few things.