Summary: At the right angle, in a line of sight, one might wonder why he never stopped staring at her for so much as a second.

Theme: 042. Day Off

Dedication: OTP, you gave me my six hundredth review! I am so happy! Thank you!

Disclaimer: If I owned Full Metal Alchemist, Pinako would bathe in money.

Angles

042. Day Off

Nobody had a day off.

Thus, Riza came to a conclusion. They rarely spent a day apart. If someone were to spend a day off, there would be turmoil. Unless they were in hospital or it was for something extremely important like their own wedding, it just was not done. Days off caused sloppiness, and if someone were the one to take a call instead of another that got them killed? Well, that incident would remain imprinted in the mind of the other who had let them do so. In their sleep their would be turmoil, frantic dreams and distant lullabies from when they were children. Screeching violins, broken screams and petrified shouts. Sounds of destruction, sounds of revolt, sounds of death that would never leave them.

Once, she had broken her arm. The thought of something like that had haunted her. If someone were to go out instead of her (like Roy, the idiot who was useless in the rain) then she would never forget. Her stomach would churn, wanting to remove the contents and her head would spin so fast she would think someone had attacked her. Adrenaline, fear and some strange exhilaration it was not her instead would pump through her veins and she would feel that sickening guilt that she was sure long ago she had felt. That disgusting, loathsome feeling that crept through her body. She knew it long ago and it held inside her, laying dormant inside her heart. She just knew she had.

But today, the sky had subtle variations of blue, the dark grey building and the iron fences, even the walls standing around it, pastel yellow and bricked, could not distract her from the misery it presented in contrast to the luscious green park with sun shining down on it just across the road. She eyed it wistfully, then sighed, knowing it was a pathetic dream. She would go at night time instead, although by then it would be dark and sullen, crickets chirping and almost sounding ominous as she walked the thin rock and dirt path in the waning moonlight. That would be just as fine, she told herself, although she knew it could not possibly compare in the slightest. She could kid herself, just like all the other times.

"Go on, I do not mind. I will say you are sick." An encouraging, devilish voice came from behind her. Roy Mustang, the very man she was protecting by not giving in was standing behind her. He was on time for once, and he must have seen her expression of wanting. She almost found herself agreeing to his offer, but then shook her head. A definite no. He shrugged his shoulders, sighing. It was her loss, she guessed.

"You will get yourself killed without me here." She stated, almost as though it were a well known fact. He grinned sheepishly, ruffling the back of his hair with a single hand in an awkward gesture of embarrassment. He knew it was true, and that much was obvious. She breathed out in exasperation, a content sigh of relief that he had seen her point for once, and seen it fit not to argue back. Or so she thought. A sudden recognisable glint of evil flashed in his eyes instantly, and he grabbed her hand without a second thought then yanked her arm quickly. She had no chance but to move with him, or her arm would have been pulled off altogether. He laughed as she struggled, dragging her even further in the opposite direction of the building they were supposed to be entering. It was like they were five years old again, running from the large home she had lived in when her father found out Roy had used his flame alchemy on her whim.

"Riza, live while you can." Roy told her as they reached the gate on the opposite side of the park. She stared at him, suddenly understanding. He was late, and he took days off unnecessarily. This explained everything, however. One day, she might wake up, and realise that her entire life had passed her by. He did not want that to happen to him, and he would never allow it to happen to her. If she did not wake up, too, if she died somehow and he was responsible? She would never have lived, not knowing the simple pleasures in life. Happiness, kindness, joy, laughter, the change of seasons, the crisp snowflakes of winter, the butterflies in spring, the summer heat and autumn leaves, even love. What was a life without love? She smiled.

"You too, Roy. You too."

Kind of a silly drabble, with underlying love at the end. Sorry I have not updated in so long. I did not have a themes list, and my internet was pretty much dead until the tenth (this Friday) so I was unsure of what the theme was because I had started it and not titled it because I do that only after I have finished this. So I am really sorry to anyone if they were waiting for this! I am going to try to start updating sooner to compensate.

Preview: "They say the wind makes fire stronger. It raises it up, you see."