22. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (Bryan Adams)
A/N: This takes place after chapter 87 of the manga, sooo… yeah. Here it goes.
"You're sure you still want to do this?" Roy asked, again.
"No, I'm not," Riza sighed. Her response wasn't just for a change of pace; she really was anxious, no matter how confident she appeared.
"So… why do it?"
Riza gave Roy a long, hard look. She let out another heavy sigh and looked over at Fuery and Breda, remembering when they were all one big group in that cramped office. And whenever Ed came in, things just brightened up more.
Now, those "dysfunctional family" days were gone. Things had changed, literally overnight. Nobody had expected that little wrench to be thrown into things. Riza had missed it more than she thought possible.
"Why do it?" she repeated. "Why… You've asked me that more times than I can count. Like you're not worth it or something. Like I'm crazy for doing this. Well, maybe I am! Maybe I'm an idiot for putting you where you are today."
"You didn't—" Roy began, but he saw the truth in those words. So that only she could hear, he murmured, "I didn't really give you a choice."
Riza held up a hand, something she had picked up from Roy, oddly enough. "I had the choice, young as I was. You think you're the only one with some sort of outrageous goal that doesn't seem possible? I want this as badly as you do, and it's a decision I came to on my own. I'm ready to lay down my life for that decision, for you, if I have to."
Roy could do nothing but stare for a second. It's not like Riza was saying anything new to him, but all of a sudden, the thought that she might actually lose her life seemed all too real a possibility. "What did I do to be worth this?" he asked.
Shrugging, Riza replied. "I don't know, but it worked."
"Don't joke like that."
"I'm serious."
The glare she was giving him was the "you've lost—shut up and do your paperwork" glare, but this time, he failed in his attempt to smile at it. "Please, Riza… I won't let anybody else… You can't," he said simply.
"I won't unless there's no other way," she promised. When he said nothing, she used the same quiet voice he had used earlier. "Look at me, Roy. Look me in the eye." She waited until he did. "You think I want to die? I'm scared—I've never been more scared in my life. I want to make it out of this alive, and here you start questioning yourself… Please, stop it. You're worth every little bit of this—the only way to get through this is to believe that. We have no choice at this point."
Roy didn't speak for a moment. He lifted his hand to Riza's cheek, noting that Pride's scratch was still evidenced by raised skin. Breda and Fuery had tactfully gone around the bend in the tunnel under the guise of their own strategic meeting. Riza was looking a little shocked, but she knew what he was doing. "Riza, in case something happens… I know it shouldn't mean anything, but it does. No matter what, I want to remember a last, peaceful moment."
Riza nodded and waited. Roy didn't lean in like she had expected. He didn't even pull her into a hug. Instead, he seemed to wait for her. Hesitantly, she reached up and took his face in her hands and pulled him down until his lips were touching hers.
It was one soft, slow kiss—nothing more or less, but it was peace enough. They pulled back for a moment, then Roy pulled Riza into a desperate hug. She stiffened when her feet left the ground, momentarily reminded of homunculus hands around her throat.
"So that we know what could've been," Roy rasped as he released her, looking and sounding on the verge of breaking down and turning back.
"So that we have a future to fight for," Riza retorted, picking up her gun. "It only ever ends when the last one gives up. If you give up, so help me—"
"I'm hopelessly human—I can't give up," Roy reminded her. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Please, you've been worrying over me for years, and I believe I've had to save you more times than you've had to save me."
"Point taken." They were getting back into positive territory. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to last long. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as they erased all signs of their presence.
Surveying the finished product, they turned to each other once again. Riza's mouth twitched, and a smile almost began. "I'll make this worth it if I have to."
"It'll be worth it one way or another," Breda agreed from behind them.
The three subordinates looked to Roy, and even Hayate stood to attention.
"Let's do this," Roy ordered.
"Sir!" the three chorused.
You're worth every little bit of this.
And it was just those words from Riza that made it all worth while to Roy.
A/N: It started out well, I think. And then it crashed.
I was honestly about to slip those three little words in there, but I decided not to. I just can't see them as an explicit "I love you" you couple, and it's the little things that make it all the better.
Well, let me know how I did. I'll try to get another one written before mid-term exams.