Hawkeye was still with Roy as he slept, hoping that he would wake. As she was thinking, she heard a groan from the bed and looked at the bed to see Roy's face was scrunched up in discomfort as he slowly opened his eyes, she looked at him relief and asked. "Colonel?" Roy jumped at this and snapped his neck towards her, seeing her near the bed and asked in a tired and raspy voice. "R-R-Riza?" Hawkeye placed her hand on his shoulder and said. "Don't speak. Let me get you some water." Roy nodded and Hawkeye poured the water from the pitcher into the cup and placed a straw in it.
She leaned it to towards him and he drank the water down quickly, she refilled it and he drank it again. Only this time he stopped halfway and let go of the straw. Hawkeye put the cup back and sat back on chair, she looked at Roy and asked. "How're you feeling?" Roy licked his lips and said. "Like crap. Everything hurts and I feel like numb all over." "That's the anesthesia. Your going to feel like that for awhile. (Looks down) Monroe gave you quite the beating."
Roy sighed and placed his hand over eyes saying. "For a scrawny looking kid, he sure packs a punch." Hawkeye looks at him sadly and looks down. She was surprised that he was calm into seeing her sitting next to him and thought maybe he hadn't realized it yet. She was knocked out of her thoughts when he asked. "Where is that bastard now?" Hawkeye looked at him and replied. "Monroe is facing charges of attempted murder and for giving out information to the enemy." Roy removed his hand and looked at her in surprise. "I knew that he planned to have me killed on that mission but I'm surprised you found evidence proving this." "Before we left, Monroe had contacted someone and I overheard some of it. And one of the men that we captured spilled everything. Apparently after seeing the death of his friends, he didn't want this anymore and wanted to go home. So he confessed to everything. Monroe's plan to infiltrate the military and try to kill the flame alchemist, to planning the fake mission."
Roy sighed and said. "All this because of false accusations of the real murderer's crime. The manipulator was manipulated by a psycho. (Chuckles) Crazy." Hawkeye nodded in agreement and they stayed in silence. Hawkeye looked at him and asked. "Colonel?" Roy hummed and looked at her as she continued. "Why aren't you yelling?" He looked at her in confusion and asked. "What do you mean? Why would I yell?"
Hawkeye sniffed and said. "Because you should." Roy looked at her In surprise as she continued. "I blindly believed Monroe and should have seen the signs but didn't until you said that to me and when Chiko arrived." Roy got saddened by the name of his beloved pet. Monroe had taken her from him and now she was gone. "I'm sorry." Roy looked at her and his eyes widened in shock at the sight. Tear were going down her face as she cried, she wiped her eye with her wrist and said. "If I had just taken in consideration that Monroe had been lying and take in the fact that you've never bullied shy and new recruits before then you wouldn't be sitting in the hospital right now."
Roy stared at her in shock. His beloved lieutenant and the woman he loved was crying for the fact that she was tricked by a manipulator that wanted unwarranted revenge for the wrong person. He started to sit up but Hawkeye noticed and grabbed his shoulders to make him lay back down. "Sir! You can't sit up yet. Your wound and ribs still need to heal!" As he was laid back down, he reached out and placed his hand on her cheek making her look at him in surprise and blush.
Roy rubbed his thumb on her cheek, brushing the tears away from her eye and he said. "Please don't cry Riza, it wasn't your fault. You were tricked and I was tricked as well. Monroe was manipulating everyone into thinking I would do those things to turn everyone against me. He even convinced me that it was my fault that Hughes was dead, that every tragic thing that happened in my life was my fault. Including Ishval."
More tears raised in her eyes as Roy continued. "But when the Elric's found out about it, I felt less alone but not better. As you noticed, I lost weight and sleep due to stress and nightmares, even a panic attack but all that changed with Chiko. She helped me feel less lonely and I was happy for that, it also meant that I could keep investigating Monroe but I still couldn't do anything because it was like his father didn't exist but that was because he was never in my squad but Kimble's." "That's right. While you were unconscious, we found out that Monroe visited the prison to collect his mothers stuff and ran into Kimble, telling him that it was you that killed those men and he was framed."
Roy scoffed and said. "For a new alchemist, his stupid. He could've looked up the records but Kimble was just that smart. He can make anything sound legit without the need to look into things, makes me glad that I do things on facts and tell people to look it up instead of taking my word for it." Riza nodded and held his hand on her cheek, saying. "I know but I'm still sorry sir, for everything." Roy smiled at her and placed his other hand on her neck and brought her down to him.
She was surprised by his action but didn't step back. Their foreheads touched and noses were close to each other. "Remember what I said in the office? You don't have to apologize so much." "Actually sir it was not to be so formal all." "Oh right." Roy remembered embarrassingly but then said. "But I also said to call me Roy, remember?" Riza blushed and averted her eyes, replying. "I remember, R-Roy."
He smiled warmly at her and brought her closer to him and said. "I know you'll reprimand me for this but, I love you Riza Hawkeye." She looked into his charcoal eyes with a giant blush on her face but then replies saying. "I love you too, Roy Mustang." Just as they were about to kiss, they heard a bang on the door. They jumped at the sound and looked at the door, hearing whispers.
???: Havoc! Be careful! You're gonna blow our cover!
Havoc: I wouldn't have hit the door you didn't hit me Ed!
???: Your both being to loud! Their gonna hear us!
Havoc/Edward: Shut up Breda!
???: Come on guys.
Roy and Hawkeye blushed in embarrassment and roy said while groaning. "(Hushed voice) Might as well let them in, the would want to talk and give their apologies." Hawkeye nodded while humming and went to the door, opening it and fell out Havoc, Edward, Breda and Fury who were leaning against the door and were now on the floor with Falmen and Alphonse standing behind them looking worried. Roy and Hawkeye started at them as they looked at them nervously. "Uh, we didn't hear anything." "Especially not the love confession we were all waiting for."
Havoc and Edward smacked Breda over the head as Roy and Hawkeye sighed at them but Roy chuckled and said. "You guys are idiots but your our idiots." They all grinned and got up to talk to Roy, to see how he was doing. Roy talked until his throat was raw and his ribs started to hurt again but he power through it and replied to his men until the doctor came in and said that visiting hours were over.
They all left except Edward, Hawkeye and Alphonse. Edward was holding a little box in his hands and had a sadden expression on his face. "I bought this for Chiko because a shoe box seemed disrespectful. It was the nicest one they had. Truth be told it's for jewelry but I fixed it up for it to be like a bed. Here." Ed handed Roy the little box that held Chiko and he looked at it sadly.
He gently dragged his fingers across the lid and said. "She shouldn't have died at the hands of that monster." "I agree Colonel. When your released, we'll give her a proper burial." Roy nodded and Alphonse. "Night Colonel Mustang, me and brother will come back in the morning to see you. I got a book about Shikigami and I haven't finished it yet because of everything that happened but I'll read it tonight." Roy nodded and they all left.
He looked at that box again and said to himself. "I'm sorry Chiko that I couldn't protect you. I'm gonna miss you my friend." Just as he was about to touch the box again, he heard a little tap coming from inside it. At first he thought it was the door but heard it again from the box, he held it to his ear and there it was. Little tapping coming from the box.
He grabbed the lid, hesitating to open it up and seeing his dead pet's body but decided to open it anyway and when he did, he was shocked. "What the hell?"
The next day, Edward and Alphonse were walking towards Roy's room to check on him and tell them their new discovery about Shikigami's. When they get inside, they see a nurse changing out the colonel's IV and the colonel was eating his pudding with a small smile on his face, surprising the brothers. After the nurse left, Ed and Al looked at Roy and asked. "How're you feeling colonel?" He shrugged and said. "Everything this hurts and whatever crap Monroe gave me is still making me weak but I got to sit up today. Doc says I'm progressing great, considering I was not only shot but also beaten half to death. Saying I had the look off death on my face, but I feel fine now."
Ed and Al listened to Roy talking but had the look of confusion on their faces because while he talked, he had a smile on his face. Yesterday he was depressed that Chiko was gone but now he's all smiles and cheers? Ed and Al were worried that he was in denial, so Ed asked. "Uh colonel?" Roy looked at him and hummed as Ed continued. "You remember the box I gave you right?" Roy nodded and Ed said. "Okay, then you that was a coffin for Chiko righ-." Just as Ed said that name, a piece of fluffy white fuzz came out of the colonel's hair and looked at them making Ed stop in his tracks and they stare at the fuzz in disbelief, it was Chiko. Alive.
"Uh, what?" "I guess when we left the colonel last night, he called Chiko his friend and that's what caused her to reveal herself." Roy looked at him confused and asked. "What do you mean?" Alphonse explained that when a Shikigami died, that can be brought back if their owner calls them their friend and when the owner dies, they die along with them. Roy smiled at this and said. "That makes me happy. I won't have to worry about Chiko when my time was up but I guess we'll die together huh Chiko." Chiko responded with a squeak and patted his hair.
This made Ed and Al smile, then they started talking about things. Like Alchemy, what the colonel would do if he had left the military and about Monroe. "Since the evidence and the confession, the Fuhrer revoked your punishment and now Monroe is serving a sentence for causing so much heartache and for treason against comprising to kill a state alchemist." "We also found out that he kept visiting a prisoner by the name of Kimble during his time with the military. The investigation department assume that's where he was getting his false info and where his need for revenge was being fueled." Roy scoffed and said. "He choose to believe an alchemist in prison over the fact I could never remember the name Monroe and not use his time in the military to look up how horrible it was for evidence? Hypocrite."
Ed, Al and Chiko nodded in agreement when suddenly, there was a knock on the door and they turned as the door opened to reveal hawkeye standing there. "Sorry for the interruption but I thought I'd check on the Colonel to see how he was doing and to ask-." Hawkeye stopped midway through her sentence to see Chiko sitting on the Colonel's head, looking at her with her big eyes. Hawkeye stared at Chiko with wide eyes and asked. "Uh, what's going on?"
Roy smiled and said. "Take a sit lieutenant, it's a long story." Hawkeye nodded and sat down on a chair near the Colonel, as he and the Elric's explained what Chiko is and what Shinigami's were.
It had been a month since Monroe's betrayal and the reveal of Chiko to the team, now Roy could go back to work under the pretext of taking it easy. The team were waiting for Roy and Chiko's return because today's the day they get their colonel back but he was still hurt and they were ready to bare the responsibility of doing all of the paperwork. (Even though they've done it before Monroe came along and the colonel was doing all of it) As they were writing, the door opened to reveal Hawkeye and Roy Arguing. "Come on Hawkeye, I'm fine! You don't have to baby me so much! Besides it was only for a little bit!" "May I remind you that your hurt sir? You could aggravate your wound and ribs. I saw that wince." "Come on."
They looked at them and were shocked at the colonel's appearance. Furey, who was working on a radio, talked while looking at him. "Welcome back sir, we've-." Furey stopped mid-sentence and was shocked to see his boss's appearance. Roy looked at them in surprise and starched the back of his head asking. "Did you miss me that much that you forgot I was coming back today?"
They shook their heads and Havoc said. "No uh, but were you in a hurry sir?" Roy raised his eyebrow and replied. "Uh, no. Why?" "Then what is that on your face?" Roy looked at them confused before feeling his cheek, realizing they meant his newly grown stubble on his face. Even though he never left the military, he decided to grow out some stubble on his face because he thought it looked fine. He looked at them annoyed and said. "I decided to grow a little beard, and I think it's fine. (Walks to office) Now if you'll excuse me, I have been stuck in the hospital for too long for the intended purpose and will like to get back to work." Opens the door and looks at them saying. "That means you too."
He goes in his office and shuts the door. They stare at the door for awhile before looking at Hawkeye and she just shrugged saying. "I was as shocked as you are and tried to convince him but he was adamant on it. Lets let it slide and for now lets follow his orders." They nodded and they all got to work, then Breda says. "Maybe when he heals he'll shave it off?" "Hopefully." Havoc and Furey say when Falmen shook his head and said. "Doubtful."
As scary as his prediction was, Falmen was right. After Roy healed from his injuries, he kept the small beard. They were hoping Chiko would hate it but she actually loved it, every time they saw Chiko on his shoulder she would be lovingly rubbing her head against it. They had looked at Hawkeye hopeful, but she just shrugged and said. "It's out of my hands, he can do whatever with his body." They slumped down in sadness that not even she can convince the colonel to shave off his beard. It's not that they were judging but they preferred his old look then this but they couldn't do anything.
It as after hours and currently, Hawkeye was driving Roy home and thinking about what to do since tomorrow was the weekend when suddenly Roy asked. "You have any plans for this weekend?" Riza looked at him surprised but looked at the road again and shook her head saying. "No plans. I'll probably go get some groceries for me and Hayate." Roy looked at Riza and said. "What about dinner?" She got a little annoyed at this and said. "I'm getting groceries tomorrow and will probably get stuff for dinner as well." "Mhm."
After that they drove in silence, when they got to his house, Hawkeye parked the car and waited for Roy to get out but he just sat there in deep thought. She stared at him, wondering if he's okay when he asked. "Do, you wanna hang out tomorrow Riza?" Hawkeye blushed at this and asked. "Huh?" Roy looked at her with a small blush and said. "You said you didn't have any plans tomorrow, so I thought you'd like to go on a date with me tomorrow."
to be continued