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1.
Roy was drunk.
Riza could tell that even from across the room, though considering she had come to pick the woman up from the bar, it wasn’t exactly surprising. Still, Riza could always tell when Roy was drunk, really drunk. She moved differently when she was drunk, looser and rowdy, and Riza could see it in the way she was waving her hands while she talked to Hughes. Despite herself, Riza smiled. It seemed like Roy was having a good time, and Riza didn’t actually want to put a stop to it, though it was inevitable.
Hughes saw her first, his face lighting up as he waved at her boisterously. “Second Lieutenant! Over here!”
Roy turned to grin at Riza as she approached the table, as Hughes asked, “You here to join us, Lieutenant Hawkeye? We were just talking about the Colonel’s little success today.”
“Not my success,” rebutted Roy, taking a quick swallow of the drink in front of her. “I just gave the kid a push, he passed that test all on his own.”
“Don’t you think he’s a little young to be a State Alchemist?”
“Young? Pah!” Roy flapped her hand dismissively, almost hitting Hughes in the process. “When I was his age I was scamming customers at my Aunt’s club. He’ll be fine. Besides, you should have seen him-”
“Colonel,” interrupted Riza, because she knew Hughes would have already heard this part. “We should be getting back to the hotel room. Our train back to Eastern Command leaves at six in the morning, remember?”
Roy groaned loudly and dramatically, tipping her chair back onto its back legs, and Hughes exclaimed “What? But I haven’t shown you the latest pictures I took of my daughter! You have to see them, Hawkeye, I swear there’s never been a cuter baby-”
Roy groaned louder. “Fine, I’ll go close the tab and get my coat,” she said, rolling her eyes and standing as Hughes pulled a stack of pictures from his coat. “I’ll meet you outside when you escape, Second Lieutenant.”
When Riza does get outside, not before being shown about a dozen photos of the Lieutenant Colonel’s sleeping infant, Roy was leaning heavily against a lamppost, eyes turned to the sky. She looked pensive, and Riza hesitated to call attention to herself, letting her eyes linger on the woman, out of uniform for once. Even out of uniform, Roy wore men's clothes, and as far as Riza knew, she always had. Before she had become the renowned Heroine of Ishval, people even got confused sometimes, called her Mr. Mustang and got embarrassed when they realized their mistake. Roy had never minded and was good at playing it off - ‘don’t worry, I’ve been called worse’ - but that didn’t happen so much anymore. Now, people usually knew who she was.
It was what Roy wanted, Riza knew. Being known was an important part of her ultimate goal, but Riza wondered if it was hard for Roy, to keep up that image, the image of a cocksure war hero, cool and suave and able to hold her own against the men of the army. Now, in the glow of the street lamp, Roy looked tired, fiddling with the cufflinks on her sleeves as her dark eyes looked upward, under eyes hollow and mouth turned downward.
She smiled when she turned and saw Riza though, a soft, tired smile. Strands of her short dark hair were falling into her face messily, and she swayed as she tried to move towards her. “Lieutenant, there you are. Will you do me the honor of letting me walk you home?”
Riza’s mouth quirked. “I think I’m the one walking you home, Colonel. You can barely stand.”
“What? No!” Roy braced herself so she could stand up straight without swaying, which obviously took more effort than it should, and her brown waistcoat looked rumpled and disheveled, her hat askew. “See?”
Riza rolled her eyes, but stepped in close to Roy when the woman offered out her arm, linking their elbows together. Roy was trying not to lean against her, but she swayed, bumping their hips together. “Come on, Colonel,” Riza said firmly. “Back to the hotel.”
They probably looked like a couple, Riza thought distantly, like a man and a woman. But they weren’t.
“You should have seen the kid today,” Roy was saying, because it was all she could talk about. “Didn’t even use a transmutation circle. Some sort of prodigy…”
“He’s certainly very determined,” allowed Riza - though she still thought the boy was definitely too young to be a State Alchemist. That was up to Fuhrer Bradly though, not her. “I hope he can find the answers he’s looking for.”
“‘M sure he will. Good kid.” Roy was smiling in the laid back and easy way she only had about her when she drank with Hughes.
“He’d get mad if he heard you say that.”
Roy laughed in agreement.
The two of them were sharing a hotel room, an act allowed by the military, encouraged even, because they were both women. It saved money, after all, and no one considered it fraternization, not with two women.
Riza knew the rules weren’t written for a woman like Roy Mustang though. Roy kept the details of her childhood close to her chest, only giving out mythologized sound bites that made people laugh, but Riza gathered that the broad strokes was that she had been raised by her aunt, in an establishment that was either a bar or a brothel, depending on the company Roy was in when she told the story. She had started dressing like a boy back then, she claimed, to fit in better with the male patrons, and would joke that it was a hard habit to break. Riza suspected it was more than that, privately understood it to be more about the woman’s own sense of self, rather than the practicality of being able to be mistaken for a man. She knew for certain, after all, where the Colonel’s romantic inclinations lay, and indeed, Roy made no secret of it herself. It was an odd kind of open secret, because while there were no laws against sexual inversion, it wasn’t something people liked talking about. Certainly not Amestrians at least, who tended to be serious and reserved, Riza knew. Roy was a lot of things, a well-respected officer, a powerful alchemist, a national hero - so people politely overlooked this one piece of her that didn’t fit. After all, it was tacitly understood that to raise the ranks like she had, a female officer ought to stay unmarried. If Roy entertained herself in unorthodox ways, the military seemed willing to turn a blind eye to it.
Riza wondered if Roy ever found it stifling, but knew it would be rude to ask. And it did mean Riza could touch Roy this way, this small way. She tried to stay disciplined however, and mostly did not let herself touch the Colonel. It felt wrong, somehow, perhaps because of how it made her chest tighten with want, want for something she could barely conceptualize. Want for Roy? It seemed more complicated than that, somehow.
When they got into their hotel room, Roy flopped down on to her own bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes. Riza scoffed at her slightly as she took off her own coat and shoes.
“Don’t fall asleep like that,” she called as she headed to the bathroom to take a shower before bed. “Or you’ll look like a mess on the train tomorrow.”
When Riza exited the bathroom Roy was actually in her bed, the pieces of her suit folded on the foot of the bed in the neat, military way that both of them had learned to treat their clothes. She wasn’t asleep though, instead staring at the ceiling, supporting her head with her arm.
“That kid’s going places,” she said absently, eyes still on the ceiling. Riza couldn’t help but smile, seeing her like that.
“It’s sweet, you know,” she said. “How much you care about those boys.”
Roy hummed. “‘S’Gonna be hard for them. Gotta keep my eye on them.” Then she grinned, sitting up a little and pointing at Hawkeye. “And since you’re my eyes, that means you have to do it for me. Ha!”
Riza huffed, rolling her eyes and fighting a laugh as Roy flopped back down. “You’re drunk, Colonel. Go to sleep.”
They had to get up early, after all.
2.
“Hayate!” cheered Roy as she burst into Riza’s apartment, immediately leaning down to pat the excited puppy on the head. “Who’s my good boy?”
“Colonel,” chastised Riza, following close behind her. “Don’t get him wet. I just gave him a bath yesterday.”
“But Black Hayate loves Auntie Mustang,” insisted Roy, scooping the wriggling puppy up in her arms as Riza walked past the two of them, turning the light on in her bare apartment. “What’s the point of not having a dog if I can’t play with it and not deal with the consequences?
Riza rolled her eyes, but smiled, just a little bit. “Let me get you some dry clothes,” she said, ducking quickly into her bedroom, grabbing a plain button down shirt and pants she was pretty sure Roy could fit, and also a couple of towels. “Do you mind if I take a shower really quick? Then I can drive you back home.”
“Take your time,” answered Roy, still holding Black Hayate, who was more content now, catching rain droplets that fell from the woman’s short hair with his tongue.
In the shower, Riza did not think about Roy changing in the other room, and did not think about if Roy was thinking of her. Instead, as she washed her hair, she thought about the Ishvalan man, on what he had nearly done to young Edward Elric. It was good that they had been there. Roy had been beside herself with worry looking for the boy, and Riza knew she felt responsible for what happened to him. There were so many people Roy wanted to protect.
Riza mainly had the one.
She turned off the shower and took her time drying off before getting redressed, enjoying having dry clothes after standing out in the rain. She had expected Roy to be on her couch - but she was not expecting to see the woman laying on her couch, curled in against the backrest, back to Riza. Riza paused, still wringing her hair, and wondered if Roy had dozed off. She had certainly been running around today, so it wouldn’t be uncalled for. “Colonel?” she called softly, seeing how the woman’s broad shoulders stretched Riza’s shirt some as they raised and fell in steady breaths.
No response.
Riza should wake her up. She would apologize for taking so long in the shower and Roy would apologize for falling asleep, and then Riza would drop Roy off at her own place. They wouldn’t talk about it, and Roy would return her clothes the next day, laundered and ironed.
Riza didn’t do that.
Instead she finished drying her hair, and then went to find an extra blanket for Roy. She found one at the bottom of her dresser, a standard issue thermal blanket that Riza had little use for. Black Hayate followed at her heels as she traveled back and forth from the bedroom to her living area, upbeat and excited by the unexpected company.
Riza had just tucked Roy in and was turning to head to her own bedroom, when suddenly Roy spoke.
“Did I do the wrong thing?”
Riza stopped, turning back around. Roy still had her face pressed mostly against the backrest of the couch, and it looked like her eyes were still closed.
“What do you mean?”
“With the Elric boy. Was it a mistake, encouraging him to become a State Alchemist?”
Riza hummed, thinking about it. “I don’t know,” she said, finally, because it was true. “I still think he’s too young to do what we do - but with what happened to him and his brother, he has to take risks no matter what.” She hesitated unsure if she should say the next part out loud, but Roy had asked. “I also know you try to protect him. And it’s easier to keep him safe if he’s technically under your command.”
Roy huffed, like it was embarrassing. “Well, don’t tell him that.” She still wasn’t looking at Riza, but Riza could see her fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. “But today… That man… No matter what his motives, Fullmetal is innocent in all of this.”
The fact that the two of them were decidedly not innocent went unsaid.
“You still protected him,” assured Riza. “Someone once told me that’s the least we can do, protect each other.”
Roy made a noise that was somewhere between a tired a sigh and a chuckle. “Even if I was useless?”
Riza rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Colonel, how did you forget you were actively being rained on?”
“I got caught up in the moment!” Roy rolled now to look at Riza, grinning a little as she did. “I had a lot on my mind.”
“You’re lucky I was there.”
“Well, that’s why I trust you to have my back, Lieutenant.” Roy looked tired as she looked up at Riza, her black eyes even darker from exhaustion. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep on the couch. You can drive me home now.”
Riza tried not to frown, kept her face perfectly neutral. “I don’t mind, if you want to take a nap first.”
They shouldn’t, technically. It went against policies - but who would know? And Roy was tired, always running herself ragged with work, even though she tried not to let it show, tried to keep her free and easy demeanor.
Riza could go easy on Roy, just this once. It wasn’t like she intended on making a habit of it.
Roy hummed. “Maybe just a short one,” she allowed, voice already sounding halfway to sleep.
“Forty-five minutes,” offered Riza. “Then I’ll drive you home.”
Roy’s eyes were already shut. “Forty-five minutes,” she agreed softly.
Riza watched for a moment, smiling, waiting until the Colonel’s chest steadily rose and fell with the rhythm of sleep before turning away to let Roy get her forty-five minutes of peace.
3.
Roy was silent as Riza walked her to her apartment door. She had been silent for over an hour now, had not spoken since her comment about the rain - though she wasn’t crying now. Her eyes were red and puffy, but dry as Riza drove her home and walked her to her door. Her eyes were dry and she didn’t speak a word, but when Roy’s hand caught her wrist before Riza could unlock the door, she thought she understood.
“Come now, Colonel,” she said, covering Roy’s hand with her own. “Let’s get you to bed.”
Riza led Roy into her apartment, but when she went to turn the lights on Roy shook her head, so Riza didn’t. It was strange, leading the Colonel through her own darkened apartment, the sun having already set outside. They hadn’t left the cemetery until the sun was barely in the sky anymore.
Riza, for as well as she knew Roy, didn’t know what to say to her now. They had experienced death together, certainly, but never someone Roy loved before. She knew, vaguely, that loss had been a part of Roy’s childhood, not unlike how it was a part of the Elric boys’. But Riza had never seen Roy like this, and didn’t know what to do other than what she always did for Roy. All she knew how to do was to be there.
Roy only made it as far as her couch, going to collapse on to it before Riza could lead her to the bedroom. Riza hesitated, looking around in the dark. “Do you want me to get you something?” she asked after a long silence. “Tea? Are you hungry?”
Silently, Roy shook her head. She wasn’t looking at Riza, but was instead staring blankly at the floor, the dark shadows of the unlit apartment hiding her face. Riza faltered, unsure of what to do now. There wasn’t anything she could do.
After a long moment of silence, Riza walked over and sat next to Roy on the couch, their knees almost brushing. She let Roy be the one who closed that gap, shifting closer to Riza ever so slightly, gaze still a million miles away even as their legs bumped together.
Riza wished she could hug Roy. It stung, like a knife in a gut, how badly she wanted to reach out and hold the woman, but she shouldn’t. She knew she shouldn’t.
“I’m going to find them,” Roy said suddenly, her voice hoarse. “I’m going to find the bastards who did this and I’m going to-”
“I know,” interrupted Riza softly. “I know. But right now you should rest.”
“How am I supposed to rest!” Finally Roy turned to her, and in the darkness Roy’s black eyes looked like empty pits. “I can’t rest when the people who did this- They’re just out there, and you heard what Armstrong said! I don’t know who I can trust-”
“You can trust me.” Riza kept her voice unwavering and calm for Roy, and didn’t linger on how badly she wanted to take Roy’s shaking hands in hers and squeeze.
It silenced Roy, and she looked at Riza with an open vulnerability on her face that was so raw and rare that Riza wondered if she was now the only living person who had seen it.
“You need to rest,” she continued. “You won’t do anyone any good if you run yourself too ragged to function.”
Roy was silent for another long moment, before shaking her head and giving a particularly hollow laugh. “You’re right as always, Lieutenant. Don’t know if I’m actually going to be able to get very much sleep, though.”
“I can make you tea,” Riza offered again. Roy snorted a little.
“Can I talk you into adding whiskey?”
Riza sighed with disapproval, but also felt a little relieved. It at least sounded more like the Roy she knew. “Only if you agree to try to get some sleep.”
Roy gave a tired groan that sounded something like agreement and pushed herself up to stumble to the bedroom. Riza didn’t follow her, and instead went to the kitchen area to search for tea. She found some, unopened and in a ribbon fancy enough Riza assumed it had been a gift from Major Armstrong, along with a kettle she could put on the stove. She found a cup and spoon as the water boiled, figuring out the lay of Roy’s kitchen as she did. It wasn’t quite as barren as Riza’s own apartment kitchen, with a used coffee cup in the sink and a book about Drachma on the counter. She could picture Roy in the morning, flipping through the book as she waited for her coffee to finish brewing.
The whistle of the kettle interrupted Riza’s thoughts - and she returned to the task at hand. She didn’t actually put whiskey in the tea, though there was a bottle of it on top of her refrigerator she could grab. Roy could add that herself, if she wanted.
When she brought the cup to Roy’s bedroom, the woman was sitting on her perfectly made bed, staring into space again. She knocked on the open door to get Roy’s attention.
“Lieutenant,” said Roy, and her voice sounded a little lost. Riza wondered where she had been.
“I brought you some tea,” she said, walking into the bedroom to set it down on Roy’s bedside table - and anxiously Roy cleared her throat.
“Lieutenant will you- I just- I don’t want to be alone tonight. I mean-“ Roy wasn’t looking at Riza, but Riza could see the back of her neck flush red. “You can sleep on the couch- or, I can sleep on the couch, I don’t mind-“
“I’m not going to make you sleep on your own couch, Colonel.” She would need to make a call to Sergeant Fuery, so he could walk and feed Black Hayate. “Though I do need to make a phone call.”
“Are you sure, Lieutenant? You don’t have to-”
“Colonel, it’s fine. Come drink your tea.” There was more Riza could say - that she understood, that she knew what it was to not want to face the night alone - but she didn’t. “You can find me a blanket while I’m calling Sergeant Fuery though.”
Roy ended up finding her a blanket and two pillows. “Thank you for doing this, Lieutenant,” she said, their fingers brushing as she handed them over, lingering there. “I appreciate it.”
Riza didn’t pull her hand away. “Anytime, sir.”
For just a moment, Roy’s hand slipped forward, over Riza’s, and she squeezed lightly, pulling away again before Riza could squeeze back.
“Sleep well, Lieutenant,” she said, before retreating back to her room.
4.
It was the first time they had really been alone.
After the Promised Day, they had been rushed to the hospital, where they had both been ever since. Riza had required more care, though the young girl’s alkahestry had put her in a better state than she could have expected anyway. Roy got more visitors though - particularly Doctor Marcoh and his offer of the Philosopher's Stone. And just like Roy, she turned it down, insisting on waiting to see what it could do for Lieutenant Havoc. It would take him a while to travel to Central though. In the meantime Roy waited in the hospital, waiting, it seemed, for Riza to be released before she left herself. Of course it could have just been out of practicality, since Riza was the natural choice to help Roy with her new blindness, but it didn’t feel like that. It felt like Roy didn’t want to leave her side - but that could be Riza projecting, she supposed. But she didn’t think so.
And then, Riza was released, and the next thing she knew, they were alone.
And Roy was talking. “So, if we can get the Ishvalan restoration project off the ground in the next six months, we can get ahead of the rainy season, and start regrowing their agriculture industry. General Armstrong has been working with Scar - though I guess he said he doesn’t have a name now, can he do that? Anyway-”
“Colonel,” interrupted Riza. “Colonel, you know, you are allowed to relax for a few minutes.”
Roy had been like this even in the hospital, having Falman read her weather statistics and other information whenever she could, chattering with Grumman when he visited about how quickly things could or couldn’t go into motion. Riza wondered how much of it was because she didn’t want to seem weak, even though no one could reasonably accuse Roy of weakness after everything that happened.
Now, in the doorway of Roy’s apartment in Central, Roy hesitated, lightless eyes turned in Riza’s direction but not seeing her. “I know,” she said, shaking her head, short black hair falling in her face. “It’s just… it’s a lot to take in, everything that happened. It’s easier to keep looking forward sometimes. Metaphorically, I guess.”
Riza hummed softly, stepping closer to Roy. “We did it, though. We made it through.”
“We did it,” repeated Roy, like she couldn’t believe it herself, smiling a smile Riza knew was just for her. “We’re alive, Lieutenant.”
Suddenly, Riza couldn’t stand it anymore, and she was leaning in, catching Roy’s lips in a desperate kiss. She felt Roy’s gasp against her lips, felt her hand squeeze Riza’s own, and then she was kissing Riza back, and it was like suddenly they couldn’t be close enough, arms wrapping around each other as they tried to share the same space.
Roy pulled away first, and Riza was still not entirely used to Roy no longer meeting her gaze, but somehow it just made her want to kiss the woman more.
“Lieutenant,” gasped Roy, going red as soon as she said it but trying to continue. “Are-? should we-?”
“I could have lost you,” admitted Riza, and it felt like a confession even though it was just the truth, for both of them. “I could have lost you, oh, Roy-”
Roy made a cracked noise when Riza said her name, and Riza kissed her again. Somehow, kissing and fumbling, they made it to Roy’s couch, and Riza pressed Roy down, crawling on top of the older woman.
“Riza,” gasped Roy, like her name was a prayer, reaching out to cup Riza’s face, gently, reverently. “I- you know we don’t have to, right? I don’t- Riza I don’t care if we never kiss again, I love you-”
Riza silenced her with another kiss. “I want this,” she murmured against her lips. “I want you. I love you, Roy.”
Roy made a choked off sound, arms wrapping around Riza as their mouths pressed together with frantic need - and Roy’s cheeks were wet. It was alright though, Riza understood, because she imagined they were both feeling the same ache. She wiped away Roy’s tears and kissed her damp cheeks, and Roy clung to her like a drowning woman.
They began kissing again, and Riza unbuttoned Roy’s shirt with quick and precise movements before leaning back as Roy shrugged it off and tossed it to the side. From this angle she could see the flat plane of Roy’s abs, and could admire them like she rarely got a chance to. She ran a hand along there, up until she reached the edge of Roy’s tight sports bra, and she teased her fingers at the edge there. Roy gasped at that, her hands flying up to grab at Riza’s shoulders, and she was trembling, Riza realized.
“Is this okay?” she asked softly, keeping her touch soft, and Roy nodded eagerly, hands going to fumble at Riza’s own shirt. Riza took over the job to strip her own shirt off as quickly as possible, and when it was done Roy touched her carefully, cautiously. As one hand stroked her neck Roy trembled more when she brushed the angry scar that crossed Riza’s throat, mostly healed but still red and raised.
“Another scar because of me,” Roy whispered, almost to herself, but Riza silenced her with another kiss.
“Don’t think about that right now,” she said between kisses. “Just let me take care of you.”
“But I-“
“Please, Roy.” Riza didn’t mean to beg, but she needed this, needed to feel Roy in her arms, warm and real and alive. “Please, I just want to take care of you. May I?”
Roy gave a slightly desperate sounding laugh. “You’re a wonder, Lieutenant, do you know that?”
“Call me Riza,” she reminded, and caught Roy’s mouth in another kiss.
It was a bit of a blur after that. Roy seemed overwhelmed by the touch, so Riza kissed her gently, exposing her slight breasts and kissing them till Roy’s nipples were rosy and hard, till Roy tugged Riza’s hair and begged for more.
“Shh,” Riza had hushed, kissing Roy silent. “I have you. I have you.”
Her hand worked it’s way between Roy’s legs, under her layers of clothes, and Roy gave a punched out cry, “Riza-!”
Riza kissed Roy’s lips, her neck, her collarbones, as her fingers worked between her legs, and her free hand wrapped around the back of Roy’s neck, holding her steady.
“I have you, Roy, I love you-”
Roy gasped, clinging to Riza, and she was soft and wet where Riza touched her, and Riza wondered when the last time Roy had let herself be this vulnerable with someone. She worked her fingers against Roy’s clit in gentle circles, kissed her like she was something precious, because she was.
“Shit,” groaned Roy. “You’re killing me Riza, fuck-”
Riza laughed, a strained thing that burst out of her before she silenced Roy with a kiss. They kissed as Roy came, shaking and crying out just to have Riza swallow the noise, clinging to Riza like she was drowning. Riza kept kissing her through all of it, kissed her and held her and refused to let her go.
They were alive, and Riza was never letting go again.
5.
Roy’s eyesight, it turned out, couldn’t fully be restored after most of the stone was used for Havoc - though she did say the sense of light and dark she had now was an improvement on total darkness. And, it wasn’t like she had ever been letting it slow her down. Roy had started adapting instantly, though it didn’t hurt that she had a new command over alchemy she had never had before. Paperwork had been a hurdle - until Sheska became her secretary. Since she had worked with Maes Hughes, Roy trusted her, and her photographic memory meant she honestly made fewer mistakes now.
Riza bumped into the girl now, bustling out of Roy’s office, holding a bundle of papers.
“Oh! Hello Major Hawkeye!” greeted the girl, straightening her glasses and blinking her eyes tiredly. “I mean, oops, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there, sir!”
“That’s okay,” said Hawkeye. “Working late?”
“Oh, you know General Mustang!” Sheska laughed. “Are you here to see her?”
Riza nodded, and then waved at Sheska as she hurried down the hallway. Then, she rapped at the office door once before opening, calling, “General?”
“Major Hawkeye!” Roy called back, and she was hunched over her desk, working on something. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Riza shut the door tightly behind her, checking the perimeter automatically as she approached the General’s desk. “I just wanted to visit you,” she said quietly, even though she was fairly certain no one was around to listen. After everything they had been through, she tended to be over-cautious. Their relationship still wasn’t sanctioned - officers weren’t supposed to be in romantic relationships with each other, certainly not in the same chain of command, which meant they could be court-martialed for it if the wrong person found out.
But still, like always, no one seemed willing to make the accusation when it was two women. Riza did feel a little condescended to if she thought on it too much, but it did mean she could visit Roy, and spend a bit of time privately together without anyone who mattered getting suspicious.
Roy looked up from her desk, smiling in Riza’s direction as she leaned back in her chair, and when she got closer Riza could see what Roy was working on. It was the tactile print she had been working on learning, a written language made of raised bumps. She had told Riza about it before, and it certainly had potential, Riza agreed, for coded messages and other things of that nature, though she did have to remove her gloves to read it. It meant her hands were bare as she reached out for Riza’s own.
“I’ve been working late so much,” said Roy, squeezing Riza’s, her hands warm and strong in a way Riza was now allowed to appreciate, even if they were keeping it secret. “Sorry I haven’t been able to spend much time with you.”
“No need to apologize, General.” Riza put her other hand around Roy’s, so she was holding her with both hands. It was the most affection they shared at work, this clandestine hand holding. “With the progress that’s happened, I’d be shocked if you weren’t working late.”
A lot had happened. A lot had changed. But Roy was the same as ever, ambitious and hungry for change, and always with a plan.
“It was never going to be easy, trying to get actual elections held. It's going to be even harder the first time I need to win one.”
Riza scoffed. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself, General.”
“Who, me? Never.” Roy grinned up at her, and with the hand that wasn't being held, she reached up to touch Riza’s face. It was just a simple brush along her jawbone, but it was also a reckless display of affection, and made Riza shiver.
And a thought that had been rattling around in Riza’s head for some months now, with no warning, fell out of her mouth. “I wonder when it will be best for me to retire.”
Roy looked shocked. “What? What are you talking about, Major?”
Riza hadn’t meant to bring it up now, but she had never been one to go back on what she said. “I’ve just been thinking, as things change, there might be better ways for me to have your back. Other ways I could protect you. And-”
She hesitated now, but she had gotten this far.
“And then, we could live together.”
Roy let out a stunned breath, like she had been holding it without either of them realizing. “And that- that’s something you would want?”
“I would, when the time is right,” she said, heart beating faster than her practiced, steady tone of voice conveyed. “If you think it would be a good idea.”
“Fuck,” mumbled Roy, apparently too stunned for words - except then she immediately filled it up with: “I really wish I could see your face right now.”
Without hesitation, Riza tugged the hand she was holding up to her cheek, cupped it to her face so Roy would follow suit with the other hand. Roy chuckled a little wistfully as she cupped Riza’s face in her hands.
“I think I wouldn’t mind taking a break from service,” Riza said, leaning into Roy’s touch. “And when you’re running a campaign, I’ll probably be able to help you more without the military. I mean, someone is going to have to handle the finances.”
Roy laughed with delight when she said that - and with the way she looked when she smiled at Riza, Riza knew this woman could win an election. “Look at you, Major, getting ahead of yourself.”
Riza knew Roy could feel her smile, feel Riza’s happiness under her finger tips. She wanted to tell Roy she loved her, or kiss her, or some other risky thing, but instead she said, “I shouldn’t keep you from your work.”
Roy’s smile was understanding, like she felt the same. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Major?”
“See you tomorrow, General.”
+1.
“Are you going to come to bed?” asked Riza, standing at the edge of Roy’s study, the room dark save for the yellow lamp that lit up Roy’s face. The harsh light emphasized the lines on her face, making her look older than she was - though Roy was beginning to show her age more these days, with lines around her mouth and forehead. She was even beginning to go silver at her temples, which Riza thought made her look quite distinguished, though she supposed she was biased.
“In a few minutes,” was what Roy called back, before clapping her hands softly and transmuting something onto a piece of paper - which Riza knew to be how she took notes these days. Riza smiled, and remembered when Roy was younger, when they both were, and Roy had been studying with her father, spending all day in their living room taking notes on alchemical theory. So much had changed, but Roy was still here. They both were.
“Come now, Fuhrer,” she said as she walked over to Roy, in her best military voice, though she had been retired from service for quite a while now. “You’ll be useless if you don’t get enough sleep.”
Roy laughed, leaning back as Riza wrapped her arms around the woman’s shoulders, leaning down to embrace her from behind. “Still calling me useless?”
“Only when you put yourself in situations where you’re useless - which includes not getting enough sleep.”
Roy laughed again. “I’m not as young as I used to be,” she agreed, and Riza kissed the top of her head fondly.
“I don’t mind. Let’s get to bed.”
They shared a bed now, and when they slept together Riza liked to hold Roy, wrapping her arm around the woman’s waist, curling in close to her. She liked it that way, her chest pressed to Roy’s back, able to feel her warmth and the steady movement of her breath.
They were safe, and they were together. That was all Riza had ever needed.