Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Closer ❯ Closer ( Chapter 1 )

Closer

Colonel Roy Mustang wished that this day had never come. No one had wanted this day to come, but it was hardest for Colonel Mustang. Riza could see the inner struggle that Mustang was going through when she came to pick him up. Today was going to be a hard day for everyone in the company because they all had to say one final goodbye to a very close friend; but to Roy, he was loosing a brother, friend, and comrade. The drive to the funeral was a quiet and depressing one. The sky was grey, threatening to start raining. Every part of Eastern looked depressing. As Riza drove through the streets, she saw people bundled up in there thick winter jackets.

As the cemetery came into sight, there was an ocean of blue caps and jackets. Riza parked the car, and quickly grabbed her rifle from the back. She, as common custom to her now, escorted Colonel Mustang from the car. She noticed a few non-military faces in the crowd, including Maes' wife and child. She watched Roy go talk to the priest conduction the ceremony as she went over to comfort and give her condolences to Gracia. She gave Glacier and Elysia a hug, resting her rifle on her sided. She talked briefly to the two before excusing her self so she could take her place for the ceremony.

No one wanted the ceremony to start, but it did. The priest said the customary words of respect and honor, but then let Roy say a few words about Maes. Riza knew that Glacier had asked him to say something, since Roy and Maes were very close, but it worried her to see no emotion on his face. Most of his speech didn't register in Riza's mind, just the few sobs and sniffles among the officers. The sound of Roy's voice stayed strong throughout his speech, she never heard it crack once, not even in the end.

"Maes, you died an honorable death. Not a single person here will be able to forget you or your spirited advice. It hurts all of us to say goodbye to you, but you will always be in our hearts. We will all look over your wife and beautiful daughter, and let no harm come upon them. Rest well dear friend, for we will meet you again." That was Riza's cue to prepare for the salute. Roy started speaking again, "We know you would have wanted a proper salute, but we thought this would be better. Lieutenant Hawkeye, ready and aim!"

"Yes sir!" Riza stood in attention, and loaded her rifle. The click of the bullet entering the barrel of the rifle and the click of the hammer being drawn back echoed through the cemetery. She aimed the rifle at a forty-five degree angle, waiting for the command.

"Lieutenant," her finger clutched the trigger, "Fire!" The sound of the gunshot echoed through the desolate cemetery. Riza reloaded and aimed again.

"Fire!" Another gunshot echoed through the crowd.

"Fire!" Roy yelled this command another eighteen times. On the final shot, Riza brought her gun down and stood back at attention. She pivoted 180 degrees to her left and saluted Maes' grave. All the soldiers in the crowd followed suit, standing at attention and saluting the grave. Even the Elric brothers saluted Maes' grave. Roy was the final person to salute the grave, as people started to place flowers and pictures against the tombstone. Mustang's entire company, Havok, Armstrong, Fury, Gran, Breda, and the Elric brothers went to comfort Glacier, who was now crying hysterically. Riza, on the other hand, went back to her car. She just went to place her rifle in the back seat, an open weapon wasn't needed at a funeral. She grabbed something else out of the back before heading back to the crowd. When she arrived, most the officers were going off to a local military bar to grab a few drinks, but Gracia was going home, finding that a bar is not a suitable place for a three-year-old.

The conditions had not changed a bit. The sky was still grey, casting a faint light over the earth. It seemed that rain would start falling any moment, but it was too cold. Everyone was dressed in there heavy state winter coats. Riza could see her breath as she exhaled a shaky breath. Everything at the cemetery was so still and quiet, it made the atmosphere very depressing. Riza could understand why everyone left for the bar; it was warm and a bit happier there. She looked up to see that Roy had only moved so that he was now standing directly in front of Hughes' tombstone now. Riza was kneeling next to the left side of Maes' grave marker, speaking in an almost inaudible whisper. Riza wasn't crying, but she felt something tear inside her.

"I know we never got a chance to really say goodbye," her voice was a bit louder, Roy was able to hear her now. "It's been great knowing you, and I'll cherish all the memories that I have of you." She brought a bouquet of white iris' from behind her back. She pulled one out of the bundle to save, but placed the rest on the grave. "They were hard to find, but it's a gift from both myself and Colonel Mustang." Standing up, she brushed brown and green from her pants; a sigh escaped her mouth as she wiped an invisible tear from her eye. She walked over to the emotionless Roy, wanting to say something comforting, but no words could comfort him.

"Sir?"

"Yes Lieutenant?" His voice was cold and emotionless as ever.

"Uh, should we go sir?" Riza couldn't understand why there was hesitation in her voice.

"Yes, I guess we should."

The car ride back into town was so quiet and depressing it worried Riza. The only time the two spoke was when she asked where the Colonel wanted to go. She was shocked when he said back to the office, but didn't surprise her. He was going to try and consume himself in his work.

The funeral had lasted about an hour, and the car ride back to military headquarters took about forty-five minutes. When Riza pulled into a parking space in front of their office, it was almost 6 o'clock and very dark. Once again, she opened the door for the Colonel, taking his hand to help him out. The two walked in the building silently, passing through all the security checks.

Riza felt very odd. This was the most awkward she felt around Roy in a long time. She wished she could see what he was thinking this very moment, just so she'd have some idea of what to say to him. Normally, she could read him like a book, but tonight was different. He closed himself up on the inside. She knew that tonight would be a very long night, for both of them. She looked at her watch, and realized that the mess hall would be serving dinner right now.

"Excuse me sir, I'm going to go to the mess hall to get some dinner. I'll meet you upstairs in a bit?"

"That sounds fine Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir." Riza walked off towards the stairs, figuring that the Colonel needed some time to himself. She walked up to the familiar second level and entered the offices mess room. It was very empty tonight, probably because it was a Friday, but she did see one familiar face.

"Ah, Lieutenant Hawkeye, you're late this evening. Can I get you the usual?"

"Hey John," Riza smile wearily at the night shift cook, he knew her too well, "actually can I hear what the special is tonight?"

"Miso soup and rice is all that I've made tonight. But I can make ya' something else if ya' want Lieutenant."

"Actually, that sounds perfect! Can you make that two orders to go?"

"Sure can miss. Can I get ya' anything to drink with that?" John started to stir the soup and pour it into bowls.

"Um…no thanks," Riza figured that she would just make some tea and coffee up in the office.

"All right Lieutenant, here ya' go." John handed over two plastic boxes with the soups and rice in them. "Have a nice night miss."

"Thanks John! See you soon!" Riza walked out of the hallway balancing the two boxes in one hand as she pressed the up elevator button. She let her self become consumed in thought, and the ping of the elevator doors startled her. She quickly enteredthe box and pressed the 5th floor button. She exited the elevator heading straight for her office, which she shared with Colonel Mustang.

When she entered the main part of their office, the lights were on, but the room was empty. The whole rest of the company was at the bar or at home trying to sober up. Riza looked ahead to see the door was closed, she knew this wasn't a good sign. She placed the two boxes down on one of her comrades desks as she took off her heavy winter coat and normal coat, both which were issued to her by the state. She would have placed them on the coat rack in her office, but she didn't want to disturb Roy right away. He needed a bit of space, she could tell. She sighed quietly, and went over to turn on there little coffee pot that the boys had bought.

`Well, might as well go in. It is partially my office too…' Riza grabbed the two meals and knocked on the door.

"What?" Roy sounded agitated.

"Sir, it's me." Riza winced at his voice, it sounded so angry.

"Oh," his voice softened a bit, "come in Lieutenant." She opened the door with one hand, balancing the soups in the other. She sat one box down on her desk with a pair of chopsticks, and walked over to give Roy his dinner.

"Here sir, I figured you wouldn't be leaving your office tonight, so I brought you some miso soup and rice. Would you like anything to drink with it?" She got no reply from him.

"Sir?" Riza was worried. He seemed so deep in thought; Riza could read the frustration and anger that was etched into his face (sadly a nice change than not being able to read any of his emotions at all.) Roy finally looked up to see his concerned first lieutenant staring at him, holding some food for him too.

"Is there something wrong sir?" She placed his food in the middle of his desk taking the letter from his hands. "From the Fuhrer …we are sorry for you loss…proud to present…Brigadier General Hughes." Riza looked up at him, "Oh! I guess a congratulations is in order sir."

"Don't bother; it's just those bastards in Central trying to make a mockery of me."

"Oh," Riza looked down at the desk feeling very bad, "I'm sorry for making a big deal out of things. Want me to destroy the letter sir?" Roy took the letter back, tearing it in half then tossing it into the trash.

"I'm not that useless." Riza stood there shocked; she actually got a witty remark out of him.

"I didn't say you were, sir. You'd better eat before your soup gets cold though."

Roy sighed, looking at the soup. "I guess…has the days paperwork come in yet?" Riza looked towards the door seeing the large stack of papers.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'll get them while you eat." She walked out side of the room, letting out a sigh of relief that things were starting to ease up a bit between the two. She heard the plastic box being opened from the other room; it made her smile, knowing that he'd still listen to her. She grabbed the stack of papers in one hand and the coffee pot in the other hand. Riza walked back into her office, placing her pot of water on her desk, then placing the papers on Roy's desk.

"You take the bottom half, I take the top?"

"Sounds good Lieutenant," was Roy's only reply. It was a custom between the two now. She take the top, he would take the bottom. Some times, if Maes had time to spare, he would come and help to. Riza went over to work at her desk as she ate her dinner and sipped her lemon tea. Normally the two would talk about random things while they were doing their paperwork, but just the events of the day kept the two quiet.

Roy and Riza worked for hours in silence, reading and signing papers. Every so often Riza would look up to see how Roy was doing; he was doing exactly what she though he would, trying to avoid his emotions by burying himself in his work. Riza knew that this wouldn't be good for him, but she wouldn't say anything. It seemed that the silence lasted forever, but Riza didn't want to agitate her superior any more by her talking about silly things. Surprisingly enough, he was the one to break the silence.

"Lieutenant," his voice was low, but it echoed through the room.

"Yes sit?"

"Thank you for bringing me dinner."

"Oh, it's no problem sir. You would die if I hadn't brought anything." She looked across the room at him, brushing a stray hair from her face. "How's the work coming?"

"Eh, the usual…you know the pointless reports and claims for pay raises. Anything interesting in your stack?" Roy stretched back in his chair, rolling out from his desk.

"Same. Pointless reports, though I did get Ed's report from his last mission."

"Is there anything interesting in it?" Roy seemed to be a bit more friendlily now that he'd cooled down a bit.

"Nothing that he hadn't told us about already," Riza sighed, scooting out from her desk. "I'm going to go walk around for a bit sir, don't slack off just because I'm gone."

"Don't worry, I won't Lieutenant." Roy had a smirk appear on his face, but it wasn't a normal one. It was filled with sorrow and mourning. Riza slowly stood up, stretching, making a note to her self that she needed to try to comfort Roy because letting him deal with his own emotions is not working.

Riza needed some time to her self too. Even though she hid her sadness through most of the day, her emotional barrier was starting to break. She decided to take refuge in the women's locker room, knowing that none of her of her other female associates would still be around at this hour. She laid down on a bench for about a half hour, just staring at the ceiling, filtering through memories of her, Roy, and Maes. She knew that she didn't show it, but she really missed him. You could say that he was one of the few people who actually helped her change. Once she had time to recompose her barrier, she changed out of her state uniform pants, and changed into a pair of sweat pants. She stayed in her black shirt just because it was warm and comfortable at the same time. She grabbed a blanket out of the top of her locker (she always kept one in here just incase she would end up spending the night here) and went back up to her office. She decided to be lazy and take the elevator. It seemed like a long ride, but it gave her the time she needed to try to figure out how to comfort her superior. She had a few ideas, but only one stood out to her. Even though it would be `out of uniform' for her to confront him about his feelings, she would do anything for him. She truly admired her superior, and had that forbidden love for him too, so only his happiness mattered now.

She stepped of the elevator, feeling better, ready to go back to her paper work. She walked into her office expecting to see all the office papers on fire. She knew Roy was upset and angered, but he hid it well under his cool and calm outer appearance. Instead, she found him fast asleep at his desk, papers neatly stacked. She looked at a clock to see that it was almost midnight now. She hadn't realized that they had been working so long. `No wonder he's asleep. He must be exhausted. I guess it's better that he sleeps now…maybe he'll be able to find peace in his dreams.' She quietly sat down at her desk and placed the blanket over her legs. Riza started to work on more of Roy's paperwork, until she realized that some calculations were required for this one. Normally Roy would be there in a flash to help her, but tonight she let him sleep. She worked a while longer on the same document until she heard some noise from the other side of the room.

Riza got up quickly when she realized that it was Roy. She looked down at him; his head was resting in his arms, which were supported by his messy desk. He started to cry out right when she arrived at his desk. She squatted next to his chair; she could see the tears streaming down his face now. Bravely, breaking `uniform,' Riza brushed some of his tears away telling him in a gentle voice, "Roy, Roy it's just a dream. Don't fret, it's just a dream." Roy's eyes shot open as soon as she finished. He sat up straight in his chair and looked around.

"It was just…" he hung his head low to hide his tears, "a dream…" Roy looked over to see Riza right next to him.

"Are you all right?" Riza looked at him with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How long was I asleep for?" He was still looking at his lap trying to wipe the wetness away from his eyes.

"A half hour or so, but you know what I meant when I asked if you were all right." She eyed him, telling him he wouldn't get out of this so easily.

"I said I'm fine Lieutenant." His voice was stern, but Riza could tell underneath that he was falling apart.

"I think that you need to talk to some one. So I'll let you clean up a bit, change into something comfy while I go make us some tea." Riza walked out of the room to go boil some water. She and Roy both noticed that she acting a bit strange tonight.

When she came back in, Roy was sitting on a couch that was in their office. He was wrapped in the blanket that she had dropped, staring into nothingness.

"Sir," Roy's attention snapped back to his first lieutenant and two steaming mugs. Riza handed him one of the mugs, sitting next to him, letting the steam of her hot drink warm her face.

"This isn't that lemon crap you're constantly drinking is it?" Roy asked questioning the drink, trying to avoid the inevitable topic.

"Yes it is, but I put extra honey in yours. It will help relax you. It hasn't been an easy day for either of us." She took a sip of her tea, reclining into the amazingly soft couch.

"Well that's one hell of an understatement Lieutenant." Roy said to him self, sadly.

"You miss him, don't you?" Riza had found her cup of tea very interesting as she asked the one question that had been on her mind all night.

"Truly?" Roy really didn't want to dig into his emotions right now.

"Yes, truly. You'll feel better if you talk." Riza's voice was gentle and reassuring. She was doing her job, taking care of her superior, taking care of her friend.

"I really do miss him. It doesn't seem real. I feel as though…as though he would come barging through this door again, blasting that crazy attitude of his, showing off the pictures of his daughter and wife."

"Yea, those were good times." Riza felt bad for Roy, loosing his friend like this was really taking a toll on him.

"I guess the saying is true, you really do take things for granted until you realize you can't have them anymore." Riza looked up at him when he said that. His barrier was breaking, she could hear it in his voice. "Tell me, did you cry when you heard what happened?" Riza's eyes widened, for once she didn't know what to say.

"I wanted to. I really did want to cry, but in the orphanage and through my training, I've always been taught that crying is a weakness. They said that crying stupid flaw that humans have. Did you, sir?"

"No, I didn't either." There was a uneasy silence that settled between them, but Riza noticed that he was drinking his tea though. "Is it me," Roy started to speak again, "or does everything around here remind you of him?"

"Yea, a lot of things do right now. Just the simplest little thing brings back some random memory of him, it makes me smile sir."

"I know, while I was doing paperwork, all I could think about were the times I spent with him in this office. It scares me though…" His voice faded away so that Riza could not hear him.

"Your nightmares, is that what scares you?" Riza placed a hand on his shoulder trying to show a gesture of comfort.

"That, and the fact that the military tries to cover up all of this, and…and….and…." Roy started to cry. Riza took his cup out of his hand and placed it on the floor next to hers. She wrapped her left arm around his shoulder, and her right around the top of his head, bringing it to her chest. She felt him sob against her. He was doing exactly what she had wanted to do when she heard the news; however, now she just rocked him against her cooing sweet things into his ear trying to relax him.

"Shhhh, things will be all right. Please, trust me, things will be all right."

"But," Roy tried to take a breath so he could speak, "nothing can be right now…all our plans…their," Roy had take another breath, but instead he just started crying harder into her chest.

"Don't think that. Don't think those things, Roy." Riza realized that she was way out of line, using her superior's first name and more, but now this was a personal matter that needed to be dealt with. "Don't ever think that you cannot finish what you set out to do." Riza couldn't help but feel bad, seeing the man she admired so much in this state of mind. She leaned down, resting her face in his somewhat long hair, giving his head many little kisses. She could feel his erratic breathing as he continued to cry against her shoulder, it just made her tighten her grip around him.

"How can I…how can I make it to the top though. It was our dream to make it to the top, and now the guys at the top try to ruin his honor and mine. Then they try and mock me." Roy started to calm down a bit, his crying slowing down to some sobs. Riza moved her left hand to rub his back through the blanket.

"Roy, what would Maes say right now? If he heard you right now, don't you think he'd be laughing at how foolish you're being?"

"How can you say that?" Roy looked up at her soft brown eyes, "You don't know how it feels to loose a friend like that."

"I'm sorry, but have you forgotten that he was my friend too, and I miss him too, but don't let his death hinder you from your dreams. Use it to fuel them instead, and if you do, Maes will always be with you."

"Do you really think that Lieutenant?" Roy looked at her with disbelief.

"Just because I have the best shot in this company, Roy, doesn't mean I don't have faith in the dreams of others, and I think, that if you carry Maes' dreams with you, you'll help him achieve what he could not in his life. It may be hard at first, but eventually it will help you." Riza brought a hand up to her face to wipe away the few tears that had fallen. She sighed and let her head fall back and rest against the couch. "Do you feel better?"

"Yea, it helped. It still hurts, but it's not as bad as before." He sighed resting his head against her shoulder.

"Tell me Roy, were you two crazy when you were younger?" The question was random, but Riza had seldom heard about Roy and Maes when they were younger.

"Of course we were. What would you expect? We both got our bones and hearts broken together. They were good times." He sighed, smiling, remembering the times they spent together. Riza sighed, seeing that her superior was finally feeling a bit better, the wound made would take time to heal, but he'd survive without having to torch some one for a few days.

Riza looked at her watch, seeing it was way past one in the morning. She sighed realizing that she should probably be getting back to her quarters, "Sir, are you planning on going home tonight?"

"What's the point, I'd just be back here in five hours anyways. The couch is fine with me. Are you going to stay Lieutenant?" He sat up so that now he was sitting straight up now looking at the ground.

"Might as well. Like you said, there's no reason to go home. I have all the things I need here." She sighed, scooting around on the sofa, trying to get comfortable. A chill swept the room, giving her goose bumps.

Roy gave a small smile, he was glad he'd have some one to keep him company. He really needed to be around someone tonight. It hit Roy that he never asked her how she was doing.

"Uh, Lieutenant, I'm sorry…I never asked how you were doing with all of this." Riza sighed.

"I'm doing all right. I miss him a lot, but it's nothing I can't handle." She had a small smile on her face. "Thank you for asking sir." A small blush crept across her face.

"It's my job to make sure my company is in good condition, and it is my duty as a friend to make sure that you are ok." He noticed the bumps that appeared on her skin, and realized that he probably stole her blanket. "Here," he opened one of his arms with the blanket around it, "you're cold."

"Oh, thank you, but I'm fine." She felt a little odd about being wrapped in Roy's arms, even though she had dreamed of a moment like that for a while.

"I insist Lieutenant, its cold and you need to stay healthy. And anyways, we'll both be warmer." He really wasn't trying to come onto her, but honestly, he needed someone to hold right now.

Riza sighed, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get out of this now. "All right, just give me a second. I need to do something." Roy was to say the least confused. Isn't she already done with her work? He watched her through his onyx eyes as she entered the other room briefly. Riza came back in with her normal jacket that showed she was a state officer. She sat at her desk and opened one of the bottom drawers, pulling an object out of it and setting it on her desk. She pulled the flower that she had taken from Hughes' bouquet and placed it in the object. She sealed the item back up and just stared at it for a minute. She didn't notice that Roy was behind her staring at the picture frame until he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's beautiful, he would be proud to see this." His voice was low, but sincere.

"I thought we could hang it some where in the office…so we have…you know." Riza traced a finger on the glass part of the frame staring at the picture of Maes with the iris right below it. At the bottom of the frame, the words Gone but Not Forgotten were engraved in a golden plate. A small sad smile appeared across her face again, as that crazy happy smile in Maes' face brought up many memories. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her torso, and a head rested on her left shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. You don't have to say it." He whispered into her ear, smelling a distinct lavender and fruit scent. "We can hang it later today," he smirked into her ear, "but first, can we please sleep?" Riza leaned her head back so she could look him in the eye.

"You're asking me?" She wanted to laugh so hard, but she decided against it.

"So what if I am? Is there a problem with asking for orders from my first lieutenant?" He smirked again, letting his wittiness come back for a bit.

"I guess it could work for once. I don't mind," Riza smiled as she stood up. Even though both of them still missed Maes, they were both able to get back to playing there little teasing games. A part of Riza really felt bad that she was smiling because she felt that she should be mourning Maes; but the other side of her knew that he would want them to be happy and continue on living. She felt Roy wrap the blanket around them once she moved away from her desk. He walked them over to the couch, and flopped down on his back, so that she was lying on top of him. Roy's back was slightly angled because of the armrest, so it propped him up a bit. Both Riza and Roy pulled the blanket from underneath him so that the blanket could cover both of them. His grip on her never faltered as she turned around so that she was lying stomach to stomach with him. A light blush swept across her cheeks when she realized that Roy only had a pair of sweat pants on. Two things went through her mind: 1) a man in Roy's position was very lucky to have a private locker in his office and 2) hooking up with a military man couldn't be that bad because 9 out of 10 of these guys has a perfect six pack. Riza mentally slapped herself for thinking both of those things; she really was starting to become soft. She relaxed when she felt Roy rubbing her back. Her hands, which were placed on his toned biceps, relaxed and fell to her sides. She brought up her left hand to his face, where she gently brushed some hair out of his eyes. She traced her fingers down the left side of his face before retracting them abruptly.

A wave of nervousness ran through her body; she suddenly realized how far out of line she was. She noticed every little movement that she and Roy made, and became very embarrassed. Riza shifted her head to the left, so she could look at the back cushion of the sofa. They both lie still for a while, until she felt Roy's hand gently cup her face. He pulled her face so he could look at her eyes. She felt his onyx black eyes piercing through her body, mind, and soul; reading every single emotion, feeling and thought.

"I forgot to thank you…" His voice was quiet and soft as he spoke.

"For dinner? It wasn't a problem." She said trying to figure out what he was trying to thank her for.

"Well, yes for dinner," the response made him chuckle a bit, making his chest and Riza rise. "But I also wanted to thank you for everything you've done, today and every day. That's one thing I never got to tell Maes." His hand started stroking the side of her face. His hand, the one that could create a flame with the snap of a finger, felt so soft against her face. Riza could see where this conversation was leading, and she almost couldn't believe that he was saying these things either. "I regret that the most. Not telling him thank you for some of the simple things he did."

Riza understood what he was trying to say, but she really couldn't believe it. He was afraid that he would loose her. She could feel her eyes start to tear up, but nothing fell. "Would you mind, sir, if I stepped out of uniform for a second?" Her voice was full of nerve.

"What happens tonight stays in here, how about that?" He smiled brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. She nodded, stilling for a moment. She moved her hand back up to his face, brushing his like he was hers.

"Roy, I'll always be by your side. I wont let myself be killed in battle, and I wont let you be killed either. If I can only give you one thing, that is it." She smiled as she leaned up and gave him a light kiss, one that he responded to. When she pulled back, a light blush stained her pail cheeks.

"You know me so well now, and I know you probably won't like this, but will you allow me to protect you some time, Riza?" His hand stilled on her face, as he just looked at her. Every emotion his body held showed in his eyes, clear as crystal.

"I'd really like that." She nodded her head as she shifted around. Her she nuzzled her head around so that it was tucked in the crook of Roy's neck. Roy brought the hand that once rested on Riza's face down to her shoulders, so he could fully hug her.

"Thank you for staying with me tonight Riza." Riza sighed contently against his chest, enjoying the warmth that Roy was providing.

"You're welcome Roy. I'm glad I did. Would you mind telling me some stories about you and Maes tomorrow while we work?" She looked up at him to see his response. Riza was amazed to see how calm and open Roy was now. He had actually said her name, twice. It had been so long since her real name rolled off his tongue.

"Sure, I'd be glad to. Now get some sleep; it's going to be another long day." Roy smiled, looking down at her. He moved his right hand up to stroke her hair again. Riza shifted a bit again to get comfortable, and shut her eyes with elegance. She listened to the rhythm of Roy's breathing and heartbeat; she drifted of into a peaceful sleep. Roy watched the sleeping beauty with the deadly shot fall asleep on his chest; he fell different now. It wasn't a bad or awkward feeling, but a feeling that he couldn't describe. It made him feel complete; he had someone he could protect. With Riza in his arms, he was able to drift into an unusually peaceful sleep.

The two slept hard for four hours. At eight that morning, the office phone rang. It woke up Roy right away. He grabbed the phone off the receiver that was on the table placing it by his ear; he looked down to see Riza still fast asleep on his chest.

"Hello?" His voice was groggy when he spoke; they sent small vibrations into his chest, which made Riza stir a bit. Roy heard the voice on the other line; his eyes shot open.

"Oh hello sir, thank you for the condolences. How did I get to the office? I stayed here overnight. I had lots of work." Roy went silent as he listened to one of his superiors on the phone. Riza stirred again, her eyes slowly opened, being graced with the mornings light. She felt unusually warm and looked up to see Roy on the phone. She was about to say good morning, but he put a finger on her on her lip to keep her quiet.

"So there stuck at the bar? Who would have ever expected this. Well if you need any help clearing the streets pleases call, and I'll be happy to offer my services. It was nice talking to you too sir. Good bye now." Roy sighed as he hung up the phone. He let his head drop back against the arm rest. Riza propped herself up on her left forearm and looked at Roy.

"What was that about?" She asked with an extremely inquisitive voice. "Did the rest of the company cause some mass chaos last night and get themselves stuck in a bar?" She laughed a little at her joke, as did Roy.

"No, actually, there stuck in the bar they went to last night because it snowed two feet last night." He said these words like they meant nothing.

"Oh," Riza passed it off like it was nothing until her mind reprocessed the words, "IT WHAT?" She shot up and stared at him wide eyed.

"Yeah, it snowed. I can't believe it, but get back here, I'm freezing." Roy grabbed her waist to pull her back down. Of course, she resisted, wanting to see the snow. Roy eventually gave up and sat up. He grabbed the discarded blanket and wrapped it around both of them. With a joint effort the two walked over to the window where they were greeted with the sight of Eastern covered with a blanket of snow.

"It's beautiful. I always wondered what snow looked like, but I never thought I'd get to see it." Riza reclined back into Roy and rested her head on his shoulder. She took in the amazing sight that was right in front of her.

"It is, just like you," Roy kissed the side of her head (which was still held up in its usual style) and wrapped his arms around her lower stomach, rocking them side to side. "I don't think we'll be getting out for a while. Were probably the only ones here."

"I wouldn't be surprised. But you can just melt a path to my car right." Riza smiled, tilting her head back so she could see his face.

"Yea, in a bit, but I want to sleep some more." Roy sighed, "Too bad Maes can't be here to see this. He would be having a field day with this." He laughed trying to imagine the sight of Maes running in knee deep snow.

"I have a feeling he can see it." Riza smile never faded as she kissed his chin.

"Yeah, I do too. I miss his advice, he always told me that I had to get married soon." Roy laughed remembering the constant nagging that he would get from Maes about marrying Riza. Roy decided to leave that last little detail out for the moment.

Riza smiled, drifting off into deep thought. So much had happened so fast. Some things good, some bad; however, Riza knew that Maes would be happy to see her so much closer to Roy now.