bay_alexison (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bay_alexison) wrote2011-02-15 09:32 am
bay_alexison) wrote2011-02-15 09:32 am
Entry tags:
[FMA Fic] Like a Radio Drama- Part One
When I agreed with Roy that I would write some stories for him, I didn't expect one of them to be this long, oi. This story will be in two parts. Roy's cursive handwriting.
Title: Like a Radio Drama
Author/Artist:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bay115
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Rating: R to NC-17
Paring: Roy/Riza
Warnings: Sex (of course), some angst, assassination attempt, story taking a AU turn. Spoilers for ending of manga and Brotherhood anime. Blind!Roy gets a special mention too, heh.
Word Count: 13,020 ← This is why I don’t do romances often, folks. >.>;
Summary: Roy is determined to move forward despite being blind. He and Riza are working together on restoring Ishval, which will soon lead the lieutenant being his eyes.
Author’s Note 1: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
springkink February 15 prompt: Fullmetal Alchemist (Roy/Riza)- Roy never got his sight back, but he still ended up with Riza- You can be my eyes.
As I already mentioned, this is AU, so this took some planning. The scoop: Roy didn’t get his eyesight back and is still Colonel, Grumman is Fuhrer, Ed and Al are like what happened at the end of manga/Brotherhood.
Sorry to the prompter that you didn’t expect this to be long. Plot bunnies love me, haha. First time doing romance and an intimate scene, so comments on what I did wrong and how I can fix the mistakes are appreciated. Real quick readers, PLEASE let me know how I did blind!Roy. My beta and I looked over this piece, but I’m sure we still made a few mistakes in which a “he gazed”, “he looked”, etc. has been slipped. If so, let me know.
There’s more I want to say, but I’ll save those at the end. You’re all here for the smut with plot (or plot with smut, whatever fancies you), right? :P Betaed by the lovely and fiercelalikaa .
Like a Radio Drama
The Central Military Hospital was always quiet on late nights. Over on one of the inpatient floors, the area was nearly empty save for a few nurses to check up on the patients; visitors didn’t trespass after nine o’ clock in the evening.
Roy stared out at the window, despite not being able to see the night sky. He had a lot on his mind. He was able to get started with his plans of restoring Ishval by having his team help him with it. A lot of work was needed to be done and the Ishvalans would be hesitant trusting the Amestrian military at first, but all of it would be worth it in the end. Yet there was still some doubt something might go wrong.
“Colonel, you’re still up?”
Hearing Riza’s voice startled the blind alchemist. Roy found it amusing the hospital had him and his officer in the same room, but it was nice that she was by his side. On evenings, the two were able to talk about subjects unrelated to Ishval or the military, Riza was sarcastic once in a while; that was one of the things he liked about her.
“Yes, I am,” he said with a sad chuckle. “I’m just a little concerned the Ishval plan will blow over.”
“Like I said before, I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Riza said gently.
Roy gasped. The lieutenant wasn’t the kind of person to give words of support often, but when she did it would always warm his heart. He made himself smile. Riza believed the plan would work. He could sleep easier tonight.
+++
The day Roy and Riza were permitted to leave the hospital, Central experienced a huge downpour. The sidewalks were empty, but the roads were still filled with people driving to their destination. Up above, the black clouds stood still and the city took on a foggy appearance.
The Flame Alchemist could hear the raindrops pounding on the ground and the wind howling. He walked outside with Riza and Doctor Knox, the doctor agreeing to pick them up and drop them off at Roy’s place. Earlier, Knox brought their clothes to them and they changed before they left. Roy felt very uncomfortable when one of the nurses was helping him get dressed, but she was obviously professional, so that put his mind slightly at ease.
“Bah, can’t believe I have to pick the both of you up in this kind of weather,” Knox complained.
“The weather can be unpredictable sometimes,” Roy said, trying to get a conversation going. He shivered, the air getting chillier.
The doctor made an “hmph” sound. “I don’t mind taking you guys home, but I hate the rain. The roads tend to get slippery and such.”
They made it to Knox’s car, which was parked next to the curb, and he opened the door to let Roy and Riza get in. The lieutenant scooted in first and grabbed her superior’s hand gently to help him inside. Knox got in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled into the road.
“You know, Roy, I talked to Marcoh last week.”
“You did? What did you two talk about?” the colonel asked earnestly.
“Well, he wondered why you had turned down his offer to have your eyesight restored.”
Roy shifted uncomfortably. A few days ago, Knox brought Marcoh with him to the hospital. The Crystal Alchemist had informed Roy he could get his sight back with the Philosopher’s Stone. When Marcoh said the one he had was from the Ishvalans, the colonel declined, believing the people he was now trying to help would be furious at him. He was fine with Marcoh using it to aid the Ishvalans, though.
“The doctor had good intentions, but I won’t be able to sleep knowing I used the Ishvalans’ blood to get my sight back. I’m already reminded too many times of what I’ve done.”
The car’s passengers were quiet. Roy noticed the raindrops got quieter, but the sound still irritated him. His head slumped on the window, his reflection being shown. He wasn’t able to see it, but he imagined his eyes being unfocused.
“I think you made the right choice,” Riza responded, breaking the silence. “It’s understandable if you feel that way. I would have done the same thing if I were in your situation.”
Roy smiled, despite himself. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”
It didn’t take long for Knox to make it to Roy’s rented house, a small brick building in a quiet neighborhood. After the doctor left, they entered the living room and the lieutenant had Roy sitting comfortably on the sofa.
“Would you like some coffee and something to eat before I leave?” Riza asked.
“Coffee and a sandwich sound good.”
Riza nodded and headed inside the kitchen. While she was preparing the coffee and sandwich, Roy gave a sad sigh. He’d admit, he would miss making the kind of sandwich he liked—lots of ham, lots of tomatoes, cheese, mayonnaise, and lettuce. Then again, the perfect sandwich was the least of his worries. He realized daily routines like brushing his teeth, dressing, and walking to Central Headquarters would be a hassle for him now; or at least for a while. He would probably have to get one of those dogs trained to help blind people, but they only helped with getting from destination to destination. Being blind would take a while to get used to.
The rattling of a tea cup pulled Roy back into reality. Riza had put the cup and the saucer on the table and handed the colonel his food. He ate it, but it felt soft and…peanut buttery?
“The ham expired, the lettuce was rotten, and you don’t have any tomatoes. So I made you a peanut butter sandwich.”
“You could have made something nicer than this,” Roy grumbled, biting a piece of his peanut butter sandwich.
“I assume you don’t want to wait too long for food after you come back home,” Riza replied nonchalantly.
The Flame Alchemist took another bite of his lunch. “True. Peanut butter sandwiches just aren’t very satisfying.”
Riza was silent while Roy continued eating slowly. The woman twiddled her fingers in an unsure way, and he could hear that. He knew there was something on her mind.
“Colonel, I’ve been thinking about this since we were in the hospital. You’ll need someone to help you with most things now, and make sure you’re not hurt. Perhaps it’d be best if I move in with you.”
Roy choked on his coffee.
“Move in…with me?”
“Well, I promised I would protect you, right? Also, it makes sense since we work in the same building.”
Despite not being able to see her face, Roy could tell from Riza’s tone of voice that she was smiling. She was willing to help him get through this new life of his. Besides, Riza was the only one patient enough to deal with his procrastination, so it was probably a good idea for her to make sure he didn’t use, “I’m blind!” as an excuse for him to slack off more; not that he would use that excuse, of course.
“Alright, I guess it makes sense. You can move in.”
+++
“On a stunning turn of events, Colonel Roy Mustang has been allowed back to Central Headquarters today, despite his blindness. Fuhrer Grumman mentioned how during his stay in the hospital, Mustang worked hard in jumpstarting revising the old Ishval policies by reopening the closed Ishval areas and giving the region back to the Ishvalans. He also explained how the colonel and his team will keep working on that ambitious project for quite some time, along with Major Miles from Briggs.
“And that’s all for this hour of Central News. Tune in again this evening at six for another edition of this news radio show!”
+++
A couple weeks passed and Roy returned to military headquarters. When he came back, many people were surprised that he was blind and wondered why he was going back to work under this new handicap. Even with the ‘Hawk’s Eye’ at his side, there were still doubts how his alchemy skills would fare.
The Colonel would prove them wrong.
Fuery and Breda were helping with the new policies to restore Ishval. Falman had returned to the North because General Oliver Armstrong needed his help. Captain Buccaneer passed away and Major Miles was going to help Colonel Mustang out soon, so she was short a few men. He told Falman he appreciated all the help he had done so far and “good luck working in Briggs.”
It wasn’t long until after Roy’s return that Miles reported to him. Fuery and Breda left home early that day, and the Major was supposed to visit, so he and Riza waited for him in one of the conference rooms.
“Colonel Mustang?”
When Roy heard Miles’ voice, he smiled. “Hello, Major Miles. Glad you could come. This is Lieutenant Hawkeye,” he said, nodding to Riza. He could tell she was next to him by the direction her voice had previously come from.
“Likewise. And nice to meet you, Lieutenant.” He shook the female officer’s hand and took a seat.
“I’m glad you can come here on short notice,” Riza said to Miles. “We would like you to help us out with this as soon as possible.”
“No worries. I want to do this quickly too.”
Roy coughed, signaling for the start of the meeting. “Now, as you know, I want you to help me and my team with revising the policies of Ishval.”
“I’ll help out with whatever you ask of me, Colonel Mustang,” Miles said with a nod.
“Good. I’m going to need you to visit Ishval and keep a progress report over what’s going on there, such as the harvesting and planning.”
“That won’t be a problem, sir. How often do you want me to visit Central to give you the reports?”
“You can give me short unofficial reports through telegrams every week, but full reports and visits every two months.”
“Will do. Before I go to Ishval though, I would like to make one request.”
Roy paused, unsure of this request. “Um, sure.”
Without warning, Miles turned his head and called, “Okay, you can come in, Scar!”
Neither Roy nor Riza had expected this. What was Scar doing here? Not that Roy never wanted to meet the man again; he was grateful for his help during the Promised Day. It was rumored that Scar had disappeared without a trace. His heart skipped a beat when he heard his footsteps.
“We meet again, Mustang.”
“Scar,” he acknowledged hoarsely, voice so low no one heard him. “Yes, indeed,” he said, a bit louder.
“I want to take Scar with me to Ishval,” Miles explained. “He’d help me significantly. If both of you are fine with it, it would be much appreciated.”
“Major Miles told me of your plans on revising the old Ishval polices, and to give my people back their land. For that, I am grateful.”
“Glad to hear it,” Roy said with a smile and the two shook hands. He was quite pleased Scar and he had come to terms now. “Of course you can help Major Miles out.” He turned to Riza. “Are you fine with an ex-criminal helping Miles out?”
“That’s perfectly fine with me,” Riza said, first with a smile and then a nod.
“Thank you,” the Ishvalan officer said. “Scar will do an excellent job.”
“No doubt about it. Both of you will leave for Ishval tomorrow. I’ll call in for traveling supplies for you. Report back to me in two months.”
Scar and Miles got up and walked towards the door. The major left the room first and Scar was about to exit the room as well, but he turned to face the colonel instead.
“Mustang, there’s one thing I wondered. I met with Doctor Marcoh a while back, and he told me you refused to use the Philosopher’s Stone to regain your sight back. Is that true?”
“Yes, I have,” the man replied, hands clasping together. “I don’t want to use the blood of your people to regain my sight. I already took advantage of the Ishvalans once and I’m not going to do it again.”
“I see.” Scar smiled. “May Ishvala forgive you of your past sins.”
The Ishvalan left the conference room. The colonel’s mind drifted back to what Scar had just said to him.
May Ishvala forgive you of your past sins.
Past sins, something that would never leave him or Riza. They would do everything they could to bring the Ishvalans their land back, but the horrors of what they had done would still creep back to them once in a while.
“Sir, what’s wrong?” Riza asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Sometimes I wish I could turn back time and somehow prevent the suffering the Ishvalans are experiencing. However, I have no doubt this plan we’re working on will succeed.” Roy gave a slight smile. “Hearing Scar say that gives me hope for the future.”
The lieutenant walked close to him and one of her hands touched his shoulder in a supportive way. She smiled at him, even though she knew he couldn’t see it.
“What we’re doing is the start of a huge change. I’m glad you wanted to do this.”
It was true that anyone else would probably retire from the military, but this blindness didn’t hinder Roy at all, at least work-wise. His face was set.
“I’m never the kind of person who would give up on his ambitions easily.”
+++
Living with Riza under the same roof was the real challenge. Every night she had to cook for him, lay clothes out for him (he was able to dress himself up at least), and make sure he didn’t accidently step on Black Hayate. He felt sorry she had to keep doing these things for him, but Riza was fine with it.
The two were able to have conversations outside of work, just like when they were in the same room at Central Military Hospital. The discussions ranged from what news they had heard from the radio to wonderings of how the Elrics and others were doing. Roy enjoyed their talks more and more each time.
One night, they decided to listen to a radio drama, the two sitting on the sofa close together. It was about a queen in a loveless marriage with the king she was married to. The woman then fell in love with a knight and the two secretly saw each other in private. Eventually, the king caught the two of them together and slashed the knight’s eyes out with a sword. In retaliation, the queen killed the king by plunging a dagger into his heart. The knight was taken to a medical wing and was not seriously hurt, but unfortunately, he was now blind.
“Clarita, I’m sorry I have to be in this state of condition. You probably think I look like a fool, and won’t love me anymore.”
“No, I don’t think you look like a fool. You’re more handsome than ever before.”
Roy snickered, but Riza shushed him to be quiet.
“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m just sad I won’t see your gorgeous face again.”
This time, Roy frowned. He turned his head in Riza’s direction, unable to see her. He always thought she had a beautiful face. The memory of how she looked was still in his mind, but it just wasn’t the same.
“Something the matter, sir?”
Her worried tone brought the colonel back out of his dazed mind. He nodded.
“Don’t worry about that. From now on, I’ll be your eyes.”
Back being to his regular self, Roy made a gagging noise, leading Riza to punch him lightly on the shoulder.
“And so the two lovers got married a few weeks later and moved away to a quiet village. They were able to live peacefully there without worrying about keeping their love a secret. That concludes tonight’s episode of Central Radio Drama Hour, brought to you by Funny Bear Ice Cream. Tune in tomorrow night for another show! Same time, same place.”
The Central Radio Drama Hour’s theme song began playing, which even Roy had to admit was catchy. The story that had just ended…well, not so much. He was able to picture what was going on in his head, and if he were able to see this as a motion picture, he would definitely tell someone the movie wasn’t worth watching.
“I think the story is lovely,” Riza said. “It’s very nice of the queen to still stay with the knight, even though he had become blind.”
“Not me. It’s too sappy for my tastes. If it were up to me, I would change the story to include the military and alchemists.”
The lieutenant shook her head, but scooted closer to lean her head against Roy’s shoulder and both her hands holding his arm. The blind man slightly flinched in surprise. This was unlike her. Her breath tasted like vanilla and it was intoxicating him… but in a good way.
“Not all stories have to be with military and alchemists,” Riza chided, lifting her head from his shoulder, but still holding his arm.
“No, but it make things more interesting.”
Roy lifted his hands, finding Riza’s cheeks, soft as silk. The two gazed into each other’s eyes, even though only one of them could actually see the other. Without any hesitation, they kissed.
Roy still had his hands on Riza’s cheeks as she gripped his hair. Not long after, she wrapped her hands around his neck and he held her by the waist. Their kiss intensified, the colonel’s head spinning. Just what they were doing now?
It seemed the lieutenant was thinking the same thing, and she pulled her lips away from Roy’s. Riza quickly turned her head away.
“I’m sorry, sir. That is very unprofessional of me. I hope you can…” Roy could tell she was embarrassed, but he was too stunned to care.
Riza stopped talking as Roy put his hand up again, feeling her chin and then her lips. After making his subordinate face him, he kissed her.
The colonel thought it was right for them to do this. He felt as though they should have done this a long time ago. They had known each other for years, and it had taken them this long to finally reveal their feelings for one another. Roy loved Riza, and he knew she loved him by her actions.
In the back at his mind, he wondered if he being blind would make her reconsider their relationship. He hoped, and also somehow knew, that wouldn’t be the case.
+++
Roy wasn’t sure how he and Riza managed, but they were able to separate work from their relationship. Each day they would be professional and get their assignments done while at night they kissed and held onto one another as though for dear life. It was as if they were playing two different parts from a play and they had to keep switching roles when the time was called.
That didn’t stop Fuery and Breda from guessing. Once in a while, they would ask one of them if they were finally together, only for Riza or Roy to tell them to focus on the work at hand. They stopped asking, but they could still see there was something between them.
One afternoon, Roy and Riza were busy checking on papers they needed to get through so they could proceed with granting Ishval independence. Furey and Breda were both at Central Library gathering materials. The colonel couldn’t read the papers, but the lieutenant read through the most important parts and they would discuss if they agreed with the terms that had been established. They were preoccupied with this until someone knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Roy yelled.
The door opened and the blind alchemist could hear high heels clicking on the floor.
“I thought you two might like a quick break.”
Roy chuckled; no mistake that voice belonged to Gracia Hughes. She had insisted on making lunches for him and Riza once in a while because the two were so busy with their work. There was always the cafeteria, but the food there tasted stale and often smelled funny. However, Roy savored every smell and taste of each meal Gracia made.
“We always do, Gracia,” he heard Riza say.
Riza and Roy cleared the papers on the desk before letting Gracia set lunch on it. From the smell of smoked ham and sweet apples, the colonel could tell today’s lunch were sandwiches and apple pie. He took a bite from one of the sandwiches and his mouth watered. The Flame Alchemist paid attention to every flavor thrown in and he enjoyed the food immensely.
“This is the best sandwich I’ve tasted in my life,” he complimented.
“Indeed, this is delicious,” Riza said, agreeing with her superior.
The woman took a bite from her sandwich. “Thanks, you two,” Gracia said with a smile. “The mayonnaise is actually egg salad I made.”
Everyone became silent, enjoying their lunch. It wasn’t long until Mrs. Hughes spoke again.
“I was thinking... You two have been seeing each other for over two months now, but you haven’t actually gone out yet.”
Roy spit out the soda he was drinking. A couple of weeks ago, he and Riza forgot to lock the door. While they were kissing, Gracia came in and caught them in the act. They were embarrassed, but Gracia was quite happy for the two of them and promised to keep it a secret.
“Oh, what are you suggesting?” Riza asked coyly. Apparently, she was very interested on what Gracia had in mind.
“Well, a friend of mind told me there’s going to be a huge dance at one of the night clubs. I thought you two might enjoy it.”
The colonel cringed. He had been to a couple dances before with a few women, but now since he was blind, he wouldn’t be able to dance well. Stepping on the lieutenant’s foot was one of the last things he wanted to do.
“I don’t know. Remember, Gracia, I’m blind, so I think I’ll save myself the embarrassment.”
“No need to worry,” Riza said, holding her superior’s hand. “I can guide you. We can just dance to the slower paced songs.”
Hearing her sweet words calmed Roy. He’d admit that he wanted to take Riza somewhere nice, but wasn’t able to due to his sight. Still, he really wanted to have some fun with her. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go to this dance after all.
“You know what, why not? Who knows, it could be fun.”
Roy heard more footsteps thunder in. Fuery and Breda entered, each one carrying a few books.
“Okay, Colonel, we got the books that you wanted and…oh, hey, Mrs. Hughes!” Fuery greeted cheerfully.
“Hello, boys,” Mrs. Hughes said, grinning.
Breda sniffed and chuckled. “Oh, giving Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang lunch today, right?”
“Yep. Not only that, but I told them of an upcoming dance they might be interested in.”
Both men donned quizzical expressions at first, but not long after they put on sinister grins.
“Wait, a dance?” the second lieutenant gave a mischievous look to Roy and Riza. “So does that mean…”
The colonel sighed… no use hiding it now. Dating another officer wasn’t necessarily something that was looked down upon in the military, but if some people heard about their relationship, they would keep bothering them on how it was going. He knew Riza was slightly embarrassed now that Breda and Fuery knew.
“Yes, we’re in a relationship now, you can say. However, when we’re in the office, the both of us are going to keep it professional.”
“They actually have been seeing each other for a couple of months now,” Gracia added.
“Ha! We knew you two would get together eventually,” Fuery said, grinning. “Havoc and Falman thought so too.”
If Roy wasn’t blind, he would’ve rolled his eyes. “Them also? Geez, my men like to assume things too much.”
Riza chuckled. “They’ll know eventually.”
“I guess,” he responded with a shrug. “I just don’t want our relationship be a big deal.”
“Don’t worry, Colonel Mustang, we won’t bother you about this. None of our business,” the sergeant said.
Riza smiled. “Thank you, Sergeant Fuery.”
The room became quiet for a few seconds until Gracia said, “Well you two, care to join us for lunch? I have extra sandwiches.”
“Sure!” Breda replied enthusiastically. “I hadn’t eaten all day, thanks to Mustang keeping us busy.”
“No problem,” Roy joked.
The two officers grabbed their own seats and each ate sandwiches. While everyone was eating peacefully, the colonel once again thought about the upcoming dance. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t slightly nervous about it. He didn’t want to mess anything up.
+++
The dance wasn’t going to be for another week, and it felt like forever for Roy; the sooner he got it over with, the better. He wanted to dance with Riza, but again he wasn’t sure how well the dancing would go. He kept reminding himself that Riza would help him with this, and he trusted her.
That week eventually passed, and it was time for the two to go to the nightclub. When they came in, Roy could tell by the noises and scents that it was a packed night. There was a big band playing a song with a fast beat and people were keeping up with the music, their footsteps quite loud. There were various conversations going on, none of which were the man’s business.
Roy and Riza took a table not too far from the band. As soon as they sat down, she held his hand, stroking it gently; her fingers tracing where the scar was didn’t bother him at all. He sniffed the perfume the lieutenant was wearing and sighed blissfully.
“You know, you haven’t told me what dress you’re wearing,” the man pointed out in a playful manner. Riza chuckled, which sounded lovely to him.
“Well, if you insist. To tell the truth, it’s just a green dress with short sleeves. Nothing else to entice you,” she said teasingly.
Even if it was just a simple dress, it didn’t make Riza any less beautiful. The alchemist imagined her wearing that kind of dress and in his mind, she looked fantastic in it.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure the dress looks great on you.”
“Thank you,” Riza said, smiling in gratitude.
The couple continued to gaze at the people dancing (or well, Roy was listening to the loud footsteps) until Gracia and another woman joined their table.
“Gracia, you made it!” Riza said cheerfully.
“Sorry I’m late. My friend and I had to wait for Elysia’s babysitter before we could leave. Speaking of which…Roy, Riza, this is Carol.”
The other woman greeted the two and shook their hands. Her handshake was considerably firm.
“Wait, Carol? I think I met you before when I visited Gracias’ place,” Roy said.
“Oh yeah, I remember now. The baby shower. Maes kept annoying you with the different gifts Gracia got.”
Roy cringed at the memory. Saying Maes was overjoyed to become a daddy would be an understatement. He missed him now, though. But this wasn’t the time to be sad. He was here to have fun.
“Gracia told me that you’re blind now,” Carol continued grimly. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s all right. I may not be able to do as many things as before, but I manage.” Roy held his lieutenant’s hand. “I have Riza to help me.”
The music changed to a slow tune, the melody sounding much sweeter.
“Oh, this sounds like a great song to dance to. Go ahead!” Gracia urged.
This was it then; they were going to do it. Roy gulped. He still felt uneasy about this, even though he waited for this moment in anticipation. It was now or never.
Riza got up and grabbed Roy’s hand. He got up slowly and the two walked to the dance floor. When they made it there, Riza had Roy’s right hand on her waist and his left hand up high with her own. Her right hand, meanwhile, rested on his shoulder.
“Just follow my lead,” she whispered.
The two danced, Roy making sure he kept on track with Riza’s movements. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Left, right, up, down. It seemed they were going around in circles instead of moving around all over the floor. Tiny steps, right?
This isn’t too bad, he thought. I’m already getting the hang of this.
“You’re doing great, Roy,” Riza reassured him.
This calmed Roy considerably. That nervousness of not being able to do the dance steps right faded away slowly and he began enjoying himself more. He felt the lieutenant bringing his other hand to her waist and her left hand was on his shoulder. It felt nice to have Riza so close to him.
When the music stopped and changed to a faster tune, Riza pulled away from him, leading him back to the table. The two sat down and Roy heard Gracia and Carol giggling.
“You two looked great out there,” Carol complimented.
“Thank you,” Riza said. She then turned to Roy and smirked. “See, told you.”
The man chuckled. “Yes, you’re right. It’s not as scary as I thought.”
“Well, you enjoyed yourself there, Roy,” Gracia said. “And that’s what matters.”
Roy nodded. He thought being blind would hinder his ability to have fun, but that didn’t happen tonight. He could still manage to do many things with only one sense not working.
The four chatted for some time until another slow song was played. Riza offered another dance with Roy, and he accepted it. The two continued dancing to different songs throughout the event. Gracia and Carol danced as well, but mostly to songs with a quicker beat. For the first time in a while, he was having fun.
+++
The colonel and the lieutenant came back to the apartment, both of them dead tired. They slumped down on the sofa, Riza’s head resting on Roy’s chest. Indeed, the dance had overwhelmed the two.
“That was fun. We should go out more when we can,” Roy suggested.
Riza gave a slow nod. “I had a lot of fun too. And yes, we should go out more.”
“When should we go out again, then? Also, where?”
“Hm, maybe a restaurant this time, but not sure when,” she said sleepily, snuggling closer to Roy. The alchemist heard the woman gave a big yawn and he laughed.
“Already tired, huh?” he mused.
Riza responded by snoring lightly. Roy chuckled, knowing she had fallen asleep already. There was a blanket on the nearby armchair and he grabbed it, covering the both of them. It wasn’t long until he drifted off as well.
+++
A month passed by after that dance. At Central Military Headquarters, the couple was playing their roles as Colonel and Lieutenant once more. The group was busy discussing the progress of the different Ishvalan districts, but a knock distracted them.
“Come in!” Roy yelled.
The door opened and a young woman came in.
“Colonel Mustang, sir!” she said, saluting the man.
He knew who was talking to him. “Ah, Linda. I presume Fuhrer Grumman wants to tell me something urgent?”
“Yes, Colonel,” Linda responded. “He asks that Lieutenant Hawkeye doesn’t come with you.”
The Flame Alchemist knew everyone was giving him a confused look, but he shrugged.
“Don’t worry, I should be fine.”
“All right, sir,” Riza replied with a supportive smile.
“Good luck!” Fuery said.
Linda touched Roy’s shoulder and he followed the sound of her footsteps outside the office. It didn’t take long until they made it to Fuhrer Grumman’s office. The woman opened the door and let Roy go inside himself. He had been inside the office a few times before back when King Bradley had control, but he wasn’t sure how much Grumman changed the room. He assumed the old man didn’t change anything at all, and he was right.
“Glad you can make it here, despite being very busy,” Grumman said.
The colonel followed the source of the voice and managed to find the chair across the desk. He sat down, hands resting on his legs.
“Yes, well, I can’t refuse a meeting with the Fuhrer, right?”
“Nope,” Grumman said, chuckling. His facial expression changed immediately when he clasped his hands and lowered his head. “There is one important matter I want to discuss with you, and it has to do with you and my granddaughter, Riza.”
A while back he had found out Riza was Grumman’s granddaughter, but he wasn’t sure if she knew about that. The lieutenant had mentioned before that she didn’t know any other relatives besides her late parents.
“You remember the one time I asked if you would marry my granddaughter, right?” Grumman asked.
“Yes, I do,” the colonel said, laughing softly. “I told you to not think too far ahead.”
“Right. Did you know I was talking about Riza at the time?”
Roy nodded, but didn’t say anything. Grumman scratched his chin.
“I see. Well, how about now? You two have been living together for a few months now, and it seems you have deep feelings for her too.”
Admittedly, he hadn’t thought of marriage yet. He was living peacefully with Riza and it was comfortable. Maybe too comfortable.
“I still think you’re thinking too far ahead. As it is, the both of us are extremely busy with plans to revise Ishval’s policies.”
“Understandable. You two probably don’t want to settle down just yet.”
The man felt irritated now. He loved Riza, very much so, but he wasn’t ready to make a full commitment to her yet.
“Fuhrer Grumman, I understand you have only good intentions, but this is our decision on how we want this relationship to go from here, not yours.”
The elder man sighed, but smiled. “Yes, of course. I just want the two of you to be happy. I guess I’m just being hopeful. Well, have a good day, Roy.”
The man nodded in acknowledgement. “You too, Fuhrer.”
Roy got up and the two men shook hands before he slowly found the door and walked out of the office, Linda waiting for him. As the two were heading back to his office, the alchemist couldn’t help but think maybe it was time he seriously thought about where he wanted his relationship with Riza to go from here on out.
+++
That night, Roy and Riza were listening to another radio drama, the two comfortably resting on the couch like the night they came home from the dance. Black Hayate, meanwhile, was sleeping on the floor, uninterested in tonight’s episode. This time the story was a mystery of some sort, but the Flame Alchemist wasn’t listening; there was too much going on in his mind.
Roy thought back to his meeting with Grumman. He did have high expectations for him and Riza, but he couldn’t help but wonder about his future with her. The colonel couldn’t see himself without her. There was one problem, though—he wasn’t actually able to see her.
That made him realize how useless he was now. Would he be able to take care of her when she got sick? Watch over their children? Make her feel happy? With him being blind, he wouldn’t be able to help out much. Riza deserved someone better than him.
“Colonel, is something the matter?”
Roy was startled when he heard her. He wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to tell her what he was thinking at the moment. Unable to say anything, he got off the couch and slowly made his way to his bedroom, leaving Riza to look after him with a puzzled expression.
When Roy came inside his bedroom, he dived onto his bed and sighed heavily. It wasn’t long until he heard Riza opening the door. She sat down close to him and stroked his forehead gently.
“Hey, are you alright?”
The colonel stayed silent. Once again, he wasn’t sure if he should tell Riza his internal dilemma. Though he knew he couldn’t hide this from Riza forever. He might as well.
“Why are you living with me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, think about it. I won’t be able to watch over you if you became ill or hurt. I also wouldn’t be able to take care of our children, if we have any that is. You’re better off with someone capable of doing all that.”
“Wait, is that what you’re worried about?” she asked, making sure. She was a bit exasperated; the Colonel was being ridiculous.
“I just want you to not regret your decision living with me and for you to be happy with your life.”
“But I am happy with you, very much so,” the lieutenant responded with deep intensity. “Me living with…no, me being on your team were some of the happiest times in my life. Don’t ever think you’re useless… except when it’s raining.” She smiled.
Roy was speechless. His heart skipped a beat. Did she really just say all that?
“Riza,” he mumbled. It surprised him that this was the first time he had spoken her first name since being her father’s apprentice.
Not hearing anything from her made the man worried. She was probably upset after hearing her name from him, though this certainly wasn’t the case. He immediately flinched when her hands touched his cheeks and she pulled him close for a long kiss. At first, he wanted to back away, still upset he wouldn’t be of much help to her. But instead, he wrapped his arms around her.
It wasn’t long until everything came falling down. The kiss became very passionate and soon their tongues collided. Roy could feel his nose banging onto hers, but it didn’t distract him (or her) much. Before he knew it, Riza began unbuttoning his dress shirt, taking her time. He knew for sure now; he wanted this. After the lieutenant took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor, his hands snuck under Riza’s blouse and they greedily moved all over her stomach and chest. He then tried to pull her shirt off, but it became awkward. It obviously would have been much easier if he was able to see, but luckily the lieutenant helped him out.
The colonel’s heart drummed quickly out of exhilaration. Riza started licking his ear lobe, which suddenly made him feel a fiery sensation all over his body. He sucked gently on her neck before going for her throat, when he felt the scar—
--the scar from the Promised Day, when I thought I would lose her forever.
That moment, which felt more like a few years than a few months ago, was when he realized his life wouldn’t be the same without her. His heart ached at the thought. That wouldn’t happen thankfully, and now she was here with him and he was going to enjoy this moment the two were having together.
Roy’s mouth raced down from her neck to her shoulder while she held him tightly by the waist. He then buried his face on her chest and gave deep kisses against her skin, exploring it again with taste. Riza was messing up his hair, but he didn’t mind as he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers gently twisting through it. Wanting to feel more of her, Roy had his hand on her bra strap, but had trouble unhooking it. Once again, Riza helped him, and tossed the bra aside. Roy didn’t hesitate laying her down on the bed, and running his tongue over her stomach and both of her breasts. He went slow and steady, as he didn’t want to rush anything yet. Her soft moans of satisfaction excited him, and let him know he was doing this right.
He felt as though he had just entered into another world. Heaven. In between. Hell. Which one he had accidently crashed into, he wasn’t sure.
His hands slid from her shoulders to her hips like a snake, his fingers catching on the upper part of her skirt. Now, to quickly find that zipper—ah, that wasn’t hard. This time, he was able to pull a piece of her clothing off without Riza’s help. She began touching and kissing where his stomach wound was; the one from his encounter with Lust, and Roy slightly winced. Riza hesitated, but he gave her a reassuring smile, encouraging her to continue. He could feel his hardness underneath his pants. If Roy had been with another woman, he wouldn’t hesitate taking her, but with Riza he wanted to make her feel satisfied too.
The colonel gripped her thighs and the two locked lips again. He realized her lips tasted like strawberries; she had been eating them when they were listening to the radio drama earlier. While the lieutenant was removing his belt and quickly pulling off his pants, he tried to take her underwear off. This also wasn’t hard. Not long after, Riza caught hold of his last stitch of clothing and the two were fully exposed.
Even though he couldn’t see her naked and appreciate the sight, imagining it was good enough to drive him nuts. Riza shifted so that Roy could be on top of her and have her legs wrapped around him, their bodies pressing together. He could feel her heat rising against his.
Roy wanted to tell her how he was lucky to have her, how much he loved her and couldn’t live without her, and how he wanted to hold her tight forever. Instead, he let his body do the talking. The couple rarely spoke much when it came to their feelings, but it was okay. They could read each other like a book, cliché as it sounds, and that was fine with him.
Maybe, just maybe, she could be more than his love.
+++
The next morning there was a breeze outside. The branches from the tree next to the rented house tapped on the window, more than enough to wake Roy. He yawned and stretched his arms like he always did, but then shivered. Strange, he rarely opened the window in his room…
Wait, he wasn’t wearing anything, and there was another person resting on his chest.
... Oh.
Riza and he… they had....
He groaned, resting his head against his hands. They were supposed to wait longer for this, right? So had they rushed it? Not only that, as soon as Riza woke up she might feel embarrassed as well. He would hate himself if he made her feel that way.
He reflected back to what happened last night. The man had been in bed with other women before, but it was awkward for him now due to his loss of sight. On an emotional level—with Riza, this was a whole different matter. There were times he wasn’t sure where certain parts of her body were, but she guided him. Despite that, it still excited him when he was able to taste and touch every inch of her skin and hear her passionate cries. At one time she had made a painful scream, which had worried him a bit. He knew for sure this was her first time because she hadn’t been in a relationship with anyone while on his team, as far as he was aware of. Riza urged him on, however, and the two quickly finished it off before exhaustion took over.
Like the snap of his finger, his frown changed to a slight smile. He had been very upset last night over his blindness, and the lieutenant had comforted him in the most intimate way possible; he was grateful to her for that.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Riza yawn. After she stretched, she moved closer to kiss his cheek.
“Feel better now?” Riza asked with an amused smile.
The blind man nodded and he let his right fingers ran through a strand of her hair. “Yes, thank you.”
The two shared a quick affectionate kiss and the lieutenant held onto the colonel tighter.
“There’s something I just thought of,” Roy said, causing Riza to raise an eyebrow. “Remember a while back we were listening to that radio drama about Queen Clarita and the knight?”
“Yeah?” she replied, her voice still filled with confusion. “What about it?”
“Well, considering I’ve missed my chance to get my sight back, I thought maybe you could be my eyes from now on.”
“Yes, of course,” Riza answered, and the two kissed again. “I’ll also double check on you from now on so that you don’t slack off on your work.”
Roy let out an overdramatic sighed. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
The lieutenant smiled and they were like this for some time; content with each other’s company. Roy grinned, very happy with the way things had turned out.
Onwards to Part Two
Title: Like a Radio Drama
Author/Artist:
bay115 Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Rating: R to NC-17
Paring: Roy/Riza
Warnings: Sex (of course), some angst, assassination attempt, story taking a AU turn. Spoilers for ending of manga and Brotherhood anime. Blind!Roy gets a special mention too, heh.
Word Count: 13,020 ← This is why I don’t do romances often, folks. >.>;
Summary: Roy is determined to move forward despite being blind. He and Riza are working together on restoring Ishval, which will soon lead the lieutenant being his eyes.
Author’s Note 1: For
springkink February 15 prompt: Fullmetal Alchemist (Roy/Riza)- Roy never got his sight back, but he still ended up with Riza- You can be my eyes.As I already mentioned, this is AU, so this took some planning. The scoop: Roy didn’t get his eyesight back and is still Colonel, Grumman is Fuhrer, Ed and Al are like what happened at the end of manga/Brotherhood.
Sorry to the prompter that you didn’t expect this to be long. Plot bunnies love me, haha. First time doing romance and an intimate scene, so comments on what I did wrong and how I can fix the mistakes are appreciated. Real quick readers, PLEASE let me know how I did blind!Roy. My beta and I looked over this piece, but I’m sure we still made a few mistakes in which a “he gazed”, “he looked”, etc. has been slipped. If so, let me know.
There’s more I want to say, but I’ll save those at the end. You’re all here for the smut with plot (or plot with smut, whatever fancies you), right? :P Betaed by the lovely and fierce
lalikaa .The Central Military Hospital was always quiet on late nights. Over on one of the inpatient floors, the area was nearly empty save for a few nurses to check up on the patients; visitors didn’t trespass after nine o’ clock in the evening.
Roy stared out at the window, despite not being able to see the night sky. He had a lot on his mind. He was able to get started with his plans of restoring Ishval by having his team help him with it. A lot of work was needed to be done and the Ishvalans would be hesitant trusting the Amestrian military at first, but all of it would be worth it in the end. Yet there was still some doubt something might go wrong.
“Colonel, you’re still up?”
Hearing Riza’s voice startled the blind alchemist. Roy found it amusing the hospital had him and his officer in the same room, but it was nice that she was by his side. On evenings, the two were able to talk about subjects unrelated to Ishval or the military, Riza was sarcastic once in a while; that was one of the things he liked about her.
“Yes, I am,” he said with a sad chuckle. “I’m just a little concerned the Ishval plan will blow over.”
“Like I said before, I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Riza said gently.
Roy gasped. The lieutenant wasn’t the kind of person to give words of support often, but when she did it would always warm his heart. He made himself smile. Riza believed the plan would work. He could sleep easier tonight.
+++
The day Roy and Riza were permitted to leave the hospital, Central experienced a huge downpour. The sidewalks were empty, but the roads were still filled with people driving to their destination. Up above, the black clouds stood still and the city took on a foggy appearance.
The Flame Alchemist could hear the raindrops pounding on the ground and the wind howling. He walked outside with Riza and Doctor Knox, the doctor agreeing to pick them up and drop them off at Roy’s place. Earlier, Knox brought their clothes to them and they changed before they left. Roy felt very uncomfortable when one of the nurses was helping him get dressed, but she was obviously professional, so that put his mind slightly at ease.
“Bah, can’t believe I have to pick the both of you up in this kind of weather,” Knox complained.
“The weather can be unpredictable sometimes,” Roy said, trying to get a conversation going. He shivered, the air getting chillier.
The doctor made an “hmph” sound. “I don’t mind taking you guys home, but I hate the rain. The roads tend to get slippery and such.”
They made it to Knox’s car, which was parked next to the curb, and he opened the door to let Roy and Riza get in. The lieutenant scooted in first and grabbed her superior’s hand gently to help him inside. Knox got in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled into the road.
“You know, Roy, I talked to Marcoh last week.”
“You did? What did you two talk about?” the colonel asked earnestly.
“Well, he wondered why you had turned down his offer to have your eyesight restored.”
Roy shifted uncomfortably. A few days ago, Knox brought Marcoh with him to the hospital. The Crystal Alchemist had informed Roy he could get his sight back with the Philosopher’s Stone. When Marcoh said the one he had was from the Ishvalans, the colonel declined, believing the people he was now trying to help would be furious at him. He was fine with Marcoh using it to aid the Ishvalans, though.
“The doctor had good intentions, but I won’t be able to sleep knowing I used the Ishvalans’ blood to get my sight back. I’m already reminded too many times of what I’ve done.”
The car’s passengers were quiet. Roy noticed the raindrops got quieter, but the sound still irritated him. His head slumped on the window, his reflection being shown. He wasn’t able to see it, but he imagined his eyes being unfocused.
“I think you made the right choice,” Riza responded, breaking the silence. “It’s understandable if you feel that way. I would have done the same thing if I were in your situation.”
Roy smiled, despite himself. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”
It didn’t take long for Knox to make it to Roy’s rented house, a small brick building in a quiet neighborhood. After the doctor left, they entered the living room and the lieutenant had Roy sitting comfortably on the sofa.
“Would you like some coffee and something to eat before I leave?” Riza asked.
“Coffee and a sandwich sound good.”
Riza nodded and headed inside the kitchen. While she was preparing the coffee and sandwich, Roy gave a sad sigh. He’d admit, he would miss making the kind of sandwich he liked—lots of ham, lots of tomatoes, cheese, mayonnaise, and lettuce. Then again, the perfect sandwich was the least of his worries. He realized daily routines like brushing his teeth, dressing, and walking to Central Headquarters would be a hassle for him now; or at least for a while. He would probably have to get one of those dogs trained to help blind people, but they only helped with getting from destination to destination. Being blind would take a while to get used to.
The rattling of a tea cup pulled Roy back into reality. Riza had put the cup and the saucer on the table and handed the colonel his food. He ate it, but it felt soft and…peanut buttery?
“The ham expired, the lettuce was rotten, and you don’t have any tomatoes. So I made you a peanut butter sandwich.”
“You could have made something nicer than this,” Roy grumbled, biting a piece of his peanut butter sandwich.
“I assume you don’t want to wait too long for food after you come back home,” Riza replied nonchalantly.
The Flame Alchemist took another bite of his lunch. “True. Peanut butter sandwiches just aren’t very satisfying.”
Riza was silent while Roy continued eating slowly. The woman twiddled her fingers in an unsure way, and he could hear that. He knew there was something on her mind.
“Colonel, I’ve been thinking about this since we were in the hospital. You’ll need someone to help you with most things now, and make sure you’re not hurt. Perhaps it’d be best if I move in with you.”
Roy choked on his coffee.
“Move in…with me?”
“Well, I promised I would protect you, right? Also, it makes sense since we work in the same building.”
Despite not being able to see her face, Roy could tell from Riza’s tone of voice that she was smiling. She was willing to help him get through this new life of his. Besides, Riza was the only one patient enough to deal with his procrastination, so it was probably a good idea for her to make sure he didn’t use, “I’m blind!” as an excuse for him to slack off more; not that he would use that excuse, of course.
“Alright, I guess it makes sense. You can move in.”
+++
“On a stunning turn of events, Colonel Roy Mustang has been allowed back to Central Headquarters today, despite his blindness. Fuhrer Grumman mentioned how during his stay in the hospital, Mustang worked hard in jumpstarting revising the old Ishval policies by reopening the closed Ishval areas and giving the region back to the Ishvalans. He also explained how the colonel and his team will keep working on that ambitious project for quite some time, along with Major Miles from Briggs.
“And that’s all for this hour of Central News. Tune in again this evening at six for another edition of this news radio show!”
+++
A couple weeks passed and Roy returned to military headquarters. When he came back, many people were surprised that he was blind and wondered why he was going back to work under this new handicap. Even with the ‘Hawk’s Eye’ at his side, there were still doubts how his alchemy skills would fare.
The Colonel would prove them wrong.
Fuery and Breda were helping with the new policies to restore Ishval. Falman had returned to the North because General Oliver Armstrong needed his help. Captain Buccaneer passed away and Major Miles was going to help Colonel Mustang out soon, so she was short a few men. He told Falman he appreciated all the help he had done so far and “good luck working in Briggs.”
It wasn’t long until after Roy’s return that Miles reported to him. Fuery and Breda left home early that day, and the Major was supposed to visit, so he and Riza waited for him in one of the conference rooms.
“Colonel Mustang?”
When Roy heard Miles’ voice, he smiled. “Hello, Major Miles. Glad you could come. This is Lieutenant Hawkeye,” he said, nodding to Riza. He could tell she was next to him by the direction her voice had previously come from.
“Likewise. And nice to meet you, Lieutenant.” He shook the female officer’s hand and took a seat.
“I’m glad you can come here on short notice,” Riza said to Miles. “We would like you to help us out with this as soon as possible.”
“No worries. I want to do this quickly too.”
Roy coughed, signaling for the start of the meeting. “Now, as you know, I want you to help me and my team with revising the policies of Ishval.”
“I’ll help out with whatever you ask of me, Colonel Mustang,” Miles said with a nod.
“Good. I’m going to need you to visit Ishval and keep a progress report over what’s going on there, such as the harvesting and planning.”
“That won’t be a problem, sir. How often do you want me to visit Central to give you the reports?”
“You can give me short unofficial reports through telegrams every week, but full reports and visits every two months.”
“Will do. Before I go to Ishval though, I would like to make one request.”
Roy paused, unsure of this request. “Um, sure.”
Without warning, Miles turned his head and called, “Okay, you can come in, Scar!”
Neither Roy nor Riza had expected this. What was Scar doing here? Not that Roy never wanted to meet the man again; he was grateful for his help during the Promised Day. It was rumored that Scar had disappeared without a trace. His heart skipped a beat when he heard his footsteps.
“We meet again, Mustang.”
“Scar,” he acknowledged hoarsely, voice so low no one heard him. “Yes, indeed,” he said, a bit louder.
“I want to take Scar with me to Ishval,” Miles explained. “He’d help me significantly. If both of you are fine with it, it would be much appreciated.”
“Major Miles told me of your plans on revising the old Ishval polices, and to give my people back their land. For that, I am grateful.”
“Glad to hear it,” Roy said with a smile and the two shook hands. He was quite pleased Scar and he had come to terms now. “Of course you can help Major Miles out.” He turned to Riza. “Are you fine with an ex-criminal helping Miles out?”
“That’s perfectly fine with me,” Riza said, first with a smile and then a nod.
“Thank you,” the Ishvalan officer said. “Scar will do an excellent job.”
“No doubt about it. Both of you will leave for Ishval tomorrow. I’ll call in for traveling supplies for you. Report back to me in two months.”
Scar and Miles got up and walked towards the door. The major left the room first and Scar was about to exit the room as well, but he turned to face the colonel instead.
“Mustang, there’s one thing I wondered. I met with Doctor Marcoh a while back, and he told me you refused to use the Philosopher’s Stone to regain your sight back. Is that true?”
“Yes, I have,” the man replied, hands clasping together. “I don’t want to use the blood of your people to regain my sight. I already took advantage of the Ishvalans once and I’m not going to do it again.”
“I see.” Scar smiled. “May Ishvala forgive you of your past sins.”
The Ishvalan left the conference room. The colonel’s mind drifted back to what Scar had just said to him.
May Ishvala forgive you of your past sins.
Past sins, something that would never leave him or Riza. They would do everything they could to bring the Ishvalans their land back, but the horrors of what they had done would still creep back to them once in a while.
“Sir, what’s wrong?” Riza asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Sometimes I wish I could turn back time and somehow prevent the suffering the Ishvalans are experiencing. However, I have no doubt this plan we’re working on will succeed.” Roy gave a slight smile. “Hearing Scar say that gives me hope for the future.”
The lieutenant walked close to him and one of her hands touched his shoulder in a supportive way. She smiled at him, even though she knew he couldn’t see it.
“What we’re doing is the start of a huge change. I’m glad you wanted to do this.”
It was true that anyone else would probably retire from the military, but this blindness didn’t hinder Roy at all, at least work-wise. His face was set.
“I’m never the kind of person who would give up on his ambitions easily.”
+++
Living with Riza under the same roof was the real challenge. Every night she had to cook for him, lay clothes out for him (he was able to dress himself up at least), and make sure he didn’t accidently step on Black Hayate. He felt sorry she had to keep doing these things for him, but Riza was fine with it.
The two were able to have conversations outside of work, just like when they were in the same room at Central Military Hospital. The discussions ranged from what news they had heard from the radio to wonderings of how the Elrics and others were doing. Roy enjoyed their talks more and more each time.
One night, they decided to listen to a radio drama, the two sitting on the sofa close together. It was about a queen in a loveless marriage with the king she was married to. The woman then fell in love with a knight and the two secretly saw each other in private. Eventually, the king caught the two of them together and slashed the knight’s eyes out with a sword. In retaliation, the queen killed the king by plunging a dagger into his heart. The knight was taken to a medical wing and was not seriously hurt, but unfortunately, he was now blind.
“Clarita, I’m sorry I have to be in this state of condition. You probably think I look like a fool, and won’t love me anymore.”
“No, I don’t think you look like a fool. You’re more handsome than ever before.”
Roy snickered, but Riza shushed him to be quiet.
“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m just sad I won’t see your gorgeous face again.”
This time, Roy frowned. He turned his head in Riza’s direction, unable to see her. He always thought she had a beautiful face. The memory of how she looked was still in his mind, but it just wasn’t the same.
“Something the matter, sir?”
Her worried tone brought the colonel back out of his dazed mind. He nodded.
“Don’t worry about that. From now on, I’ll be your eyes.”
Back being to his regular self, Roy made a gagging noise, leading Riza to punch him lightly on the shoulder.
“And so the two lovers got married a few weeks later and moved away to a quiet village. They were able to live peacefully there without worrying about keeping their love a secret. That concludes tonight’s episode of Central Radio Drama Hour, brought to you by Funny Bear Ice Cream. Tune in tomorrow night for another show! Same time, same place.”
The Central Radio Drama Hour’s theme song began playing, which even Roy had to admit was catchy. The story that had just ended…well, not so much. He was able to picture what was going on in his head, and if he were able to see this as a motion picture, he would definitely tell someone the movie wasn’t worth watching.
“I think the story is lovely,” Riza said. “It’s very nice of the queen to still stay with the knight, even though he had become blind.”
“Not me. It’s too sappy for my tastes. If it were up to me, I would change the story to include the military and alchemists.”
The lieutenant shook her head, but scooted closer to lean her head against Roy’s shoulder and both her hands holding his arm. The blind man slightly flinched in surprise. This was unlike her. Her breath tasted like vanilla and it was intoxicating him… but in a good way.
“Not all stories have to be with military and alchemists,” Riza chided, lifting her head from his shoulder, but still holding his arm.
“No, but it make things more interesting.”
Roy lifted his hands, finding Riza’s cheeks, soft as silk. The two gazed into each other’s eyes, even though only one of them could actually see the other. Without any hesitation, they kissed.
Roy still had his hands on Riza’s cheeks as she gripped his hair. Not long after, she wrapped her hands around his neck and he held her by the waist. Their kiss intensified, the colonel’s head spinning. Just what they were doing now?
It seemed the lieutenant was thinking the same thing, and she pulled her lips away from Roy’s. Riza quickly turned her head away.
“I’m sorry, sir. That is very unprofessional of me. I hope you can…” Roy could tell she was embarrassed, but he was too stunned to care.
Riza stopped talking as Roy put his hand up again, feeling her chin and then her lips. After making his subordinate face him, he kissed her.
The colonel thought it was right for them to do this. He felt as though they should have done this a long time ago. They had known each other for years, and it had taken them this long to finally reveal their feelings for one another. Roy loved Riza, and he knew she loved him by her actions.
In the back at his mind, he wondered if he being blind would make her reconsider their relationship. He hoped, and also somehow knew, that wouldn’t be the case.
+++
Roy wasn’t sure how he and Riza managed, but they were able to separate work from their relationship. Each day they would be professional and get their assignments done while at night they kissed and held onto one another as though for dear life. It was as if they were playing two different parts from a play and they had to keep switching roles when the time was called.
That didn’t stop Fuery and Breda from guessing. Once in a while, they would ask one of them if they were finally together, only for Riza or Roy to tell them to focus on the work at hand. They stopped asking, but they could still see there was something between them.
One afternoon, Roy and Riza were busy checking on papers they needed to get through so they could proceed with granting Ishval independence. Furey and Breda were both at Central Library gathering materials. The colonel couldn’t read the papers, but the lieutenant read through the most important parts and they would discuss if they agreed with the terms that had been established. They were preoccupied with this until someone knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Roy yelled.
The door opened and the blind alchemist could hear high heels clicking on the floor.
“I thought you two might like a quick break.”
Roy chuckled; no mistake that voice belonged to Gracia Hughes. She had insisted on making lunches for him and Riza once in a while because the two were so busy with their work. There was always the cafeteria, but the food there tasted stale and often smelled funny. However, Roy savored every smell and taste of each meal Gracia made.
“We always do, Gracia,” he heard Riza say.
Riza and Roy cleared the papers on the desk before letting Gracia set lunch on it. From the smell of smoked ham and sweet apples, the colonel could tell today’s lunch were sandwiches and apple pie. He took a bite from one of the sandwiches and his mouth watered. The Flame Alchemist paid attention to every flavor thrown in and he enjoyed the food immensely.
“This is the best sandwich I’ve tasted in my life,” he complimented.
“Indeed, this is delicious,” Riza said, agreeing with her superior.
The woman took a bite from her sandwich. “Thanks, you two,” Gracia said with a smile. “The mayonnaise is actually egg salad I made.”
Everyone became silent, enjoying their lunch. It wasn’t long until Mrs. Hughes spoke again.
“I was thinking... You two have been seeing each other for over two months now, but you haven’t actually gone out yet.”
Roy spit out the soda he was drinking. A couple of weeks ago, he and Riza forgot to lock the door. While they were kissing, Gracia came in and caught them in the act. They were embarrassed, but Gracia was quite happy for the two of them and promised to keep it a secret.
“Oh, what are you suggesting?” Riza asked coyly. Apparently, she was very interested on what Gracia had in mind.
“Well, a friend of mind told me there’s going to be a huge dance at one of the night clubs. I thought you two might enjoy it.”
The colonel cringed. He had been to a couple dances before with a few women, but now since he was blind, he wouldn’t be able to dance well. Stepping on the lieutenant’s foot was one of the last things he wanted to do.
“I don’t know. Remember, Gracia, I’m blind, so I think I’ll save myself the embarrassment.”
“No need to worry,” Riza said, holding her superior’s hand. “I can guide you. We can just dance to the slower paced songs.”
Hearing her sweet words calmed Roy. He’d admit that he wanted to take Riza somewhere nice, but wasn’t able to due to his sight. Still, he really wanted to have some fun with her. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go to this dance after all.
“You know what, why not? Who knows, it could be fun.”
Roy heard more footsteps thunder in. Fuery and Breda entered, each one carrying a few books.
“Okay, Colonel, we got the books that you wanted and…oh, hey, Mrs. Hughes!” Fuery greeted cheerfully.
“Hello, boys,” Mrs. Hughes said, grinning.
Breda sniffed and chuckled. “Oh, giving Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang lunch today, right?”
“Yep. Not only that, but I told them of an upcoming dance they might be interested in.”
Both men donned quizzical expressions at first, but not long after they put on sinister grins.
“Wait, a dance?” the second lieutenant gave a mischievous look to Roy and Riza. “So does that mean…”
The colonel sighed… no use hiding it now. Dating another officer wasn’t necessarily something that was looked down upon in the military, but if some people heard about their relationship, they would keep bothering them on how it was going. He knew Riza was slightly embarrassed now that Breda and Fuery knew.
“Yes, we’re in a relationship now, you can say. However, when we’re in the office, the both of us are going to keep it professional.”
“They actually have been seeing each other for a couple of months now,” Gracia added.
“Ha! We knew you two would get together eventually,” Fuery said, grinning. “Havoc and Falman thought so too.”
If Roy wasn’t blind, he would’ve rolled his eyes. “Them also? Geez, my men like to assume things too much.”
Riza chuckled. “They’ll know eventually.”
“I guess,” he responded with a shrug. “I just don’t want our relationship be a big deal.”
“Don’t worry, Colonel Mustang, we won’t bother you about this. None of our business,” the sergeant said.
Riza smiled. “Thank you, Sergeant Fuery.”
The room became quiet for a few seconds until Gracia said, “Well you two, care to join us for lunch? I have extra sandwiches.”
“Sure!” Breda replied enthusiastically. “I hadn’t eaten all day, thanks to Mustang keeping us busy.”
“No problem,” Roy joked.
The two officers grabbed their own seats and each ate sandwiches. While everyone was eating peacefully, the colonel once again thought about the upcoming dance. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t slightly nervous about it. He didn’t want to mess anything up.
+++
The dance wasn’t going to be for another week, and it felt like forever for Roy; the sooner he got it over with, the better. He wanted to dance with Riza, but again he wasn’t sure how well the dancing would go. He kept reminding himself that Riza would help him with this, and he trusted her.
That week eventually passed, and it was time for the two to go to the nightclub. When they came in, Roy could tell by the noises and scents that it was a packed night. There was a big band playing a song with a fast beat and people were keeping up with the music, their footsteps quite loud. There were various conversations going on, none of which were the man’s business.
Roy and Riza took a table not too far from the band. As soon as they sat down, she held his hand, stroking it gently; her fingers tracing where the scar was didn’t bother him at all. He sniffed the perfume the lieutenant was wearing and sighed blissfully.
“You know, you haven’t told me what dress you’re wearing,” the man pointed out in a playful manner. Riza chuckled, which sounded lovely to him.
“Well, if you insist. To tell the truth, it’s just a green dress with short sleeves. Nothing else to entice you,” she said teasingly.
Even if it was just a simple dress, it didn’t make Riza any less beautiful. The alchemist imagined her wearing that kind of dress and in his mind, she looked fantastic in it.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure the dress looks great on you.”
“Thank you,” Riza said, smiling in gratitude.
The couple continued to gaze at the people dancing (or well, Roy was listening to the loud footsteps) until Gracia and another woman joined their table.
“Gracia, you made it!” Riza said cheerfully.
“Sorry I’m late. My friend and I had to wait for Elysia’s babysitter before we could leave. Speaking of which…Roy, Riza, this is Carol.”
The other woman greeted the two and shook their hands. Her handshake was considerably firm.
“Wait, Carol? I think I met you before when I visited Gracias’ place,” Roy said.
“Oh yeah, I remember now. The baby shower. Maes kept annoying you with the different gifts Gracia got.”
Roy cringed at the memory. Saying Maes was overjoyed to become a daddy would be an understatement. He missed him now, though. But this wasn’t the time to be sad. He was here to have fun.
“Gracia told me that you’re blind now,” Carol continued grimly. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s all right. I may not be able to do as many things as before, but I manage.” Roy held his lieutenant’s hand. “I have Riza to help me.”
The music changed to a slow tune, the melody sounding much sweeter.
“Oh, this sounds like a great song to dance to. Go ahead!” Gracia urged.
This was it then; they were going to do it. Roy gulped. He still felt uneasy about this, even though he waited for this moment in anticipation. It was now or never.
Riza got up and grabbed Roy’s hand. He got up slowly and the two walked to the dance floor. When they made it there, Riza had Roy’s right hand on her waist and his left hand up high with her own. Her right hand, meanwhile, rested on his shoulder.
“Just follow my lead,” she whispered.
The two danced, Roy making sure he kept on track with Riza’s movements. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Left, right, up, down. It seemed they were going around in circles instead of moving around all over the floor. Tiny steps, right?
This isn’t too bad, he thought. I’m already getting the hang of this.
“You’re doing great, Roy,” Riza reassured him.
This calmed Roy considerably. That nervousness of not being able to do the dance steps right faded away slowly and he began enjoying himself more. He felt the lieutenant bringing his other hand to her waist and her left hand was on his shoulder. It felt nice to have Riza so close to him.
When the music stopped and changed to a faster tune, Riza pulled away from him, leading him back to the table. The two sat down and Roy heard Gracia and Carol giggling.
“You two looked great out there,” Carol complimented.
“Thank you,” Riza said. She then turned to Roy and smirked. “See, told you.”
The man chuckled. “Yes, you’re right. It’s not as scary as I thought.”
“Well, you enjoyed yourself there, Roy,” Gracia said. “And that’s what matters.”
Roy nodded. He thought being blind would hinder his ability to have fun, but that didn’t happen tonight. He could still manage to do many things with only one sense not working.
The four chatted for some time until another slow song was played. Riza offered another dance with Roy, and he accepted it. The two continued dancing to different songs throughout the event. Gracia and Carol danced as well, but mostly to songs with a quicker beat. For the first time in a while, he was having fun.
+++
The colonel and the lieutenant came back to the apartment, both of them dead tired. They slumped down on the sofa, Riza’s head resting on Roy’s chest. Indeed, the dance had overwhelmed the two.
“That was fun. We should go out more when we can,” Roy suggested.
Riza gave a slow nod. “I had a lot of fun too. And yes, we should go out more.”
“When should we go out again, then? Also, where?”
“Hm, maybe a restaurant this time, but not sure when,” she said sleepily, snuggling closer to Roy. The alchemist heard the woman gave a big yawn and he laughed.
“Already tired, huh?” he mused.
Riza responded by snoring lightly. Roy chuckled, knowing she had fallen asleep already. There was a blanket on the nearby armchair and he grabbed it, covering the both of them. It wasn’t long until he drifted off as well.
+++
A month passed by after that dance. At Central Military Headquarters, the couple was playing their roles as Colonel and Lieutenant once more. The group was busy discussing the progress of the different Ishvalan districts, but a knock distracted them.
“Come in!” Roy yelled.
The door opened and a young woman came in.
“Colonel Mustang, sir!” she said, saluting the man.
He knew who was talking to him. “Ah, Linda. I presume Fuhrer Grumman wants to tell me something urgent?”
“Yes, Colonel,” Linda responded. “He asks that Lieutenant Hawkeye doesn’t come with you.”
The Flame Alchemist knew everyone was giving him a confused look, but he shrugged.
“Don’t worry, I should be fine.”
“All right, sir,” Riza replied with a supportive smile.
“Good luck!” Fuery said.
Linda touched Roy’s shoulder and he followed the sound of her footsteps outside the office. It didn’t take long until they made it to Fuhrer Grumman’s office. The woman opened the door and let Roy go inside himself. He had been inside the office a few times before back when King Bradley had control, but he wasn’t sure how much Grumman changed the room. He assumed the old man didn’t change anything at all, and he was right.
“Glad you can make it here, despite being very busy,” Grumman said.
The colonel followed the source of the voice and managed to find the chair across the desk. He sat down, hands resting on his legs.
“Yes, well, I can’t refuse a meeting with the Fuhrer, right?”
“Nope,” Grumman said, chuckling. His facial expression changed immediately when he clasped his hands and lowered his head. “There is one important matter I want to discuss with you, and it has to do with you and my granddaughter, Riza.”
A while back he had found out Riza was Grumman’s granddaughter, but he wasn’t sure if she knew about that. The lieutenant had mentioned before that she didn’t know any other relatives besides her late parents.
“You remember the one time I asked if you would marry my granddaughter, right?” Grumman asked.
“Yes, I do,” the colonel said, laughing softly. “I told you to not think too far ahead.”
“Right. Did you know I was talking about Riza at the time?”
Roy nodded, but didn’t say anything. Grumman scratched his chin.
“I see. Well, how about now? You two have been living together for a few months now, and it seems you have deep feelings for her too.”
Admittedly, he hadn’t thought of marriage yet. He was living peacefully with Riza and it was comfortable. Maybe too comfortable.
“I still think you’re thinking too far ahead. As it is, the both of us are extremely busy with plans to revise Ishval’s policies.”
“Understandable. You two probably don’t want to settle down just yet.”
The man felt irritated now. He loved Riza, very much so, but he wasn’t ready to make a full commitment to her yet.
“Fuhrer Grumman, I understand you have only good intentions, but this is our decision on how we want this relationship to go from here, not yours.”
The elder man sighed, but smiled. “Yes, of course. I just want the two of you to be happy. I guess I’m just being hopeful. Well, have a good day, Roy.”
The man nodded in acknowledgement. “You too, Fuhrer.”
Roy got up and the two men shook hands before he slowly found the door and walked out of the office, Linda waiting for him. As the two were heading back to his office, the alchemist couldn’t help but think maybe it was time he seriously thought about where he wanted his relationship with Riza to go from here on out.
+++
That night, Roy and Riza were listening to another radio drama, the two comfortably resting on the couch like the night they came home from the dance. Black Hayate, meanwhile, was sleeping on the floor, uninterested in tonight’s episode. This time the story was a mystery of some sort, but the Flame Alchemist wasn’t listening; there was too much going on in his mind.
Roy thought back to his meeting with Grumman. He did have high expectations for him and Riza, but he couldn’t help but wonder about his future with her. The colonel couldn’t see himself without her. There was one problem, though—he wasn’t actually able to see her.
That made him realize how useless he was now. Would he be able to take care of her when she got sick? Watch over their children? Make her feel happy? With him being blind, he wouldn’t be able to help out much. Riza deserved someone better than him.
“Colonel, is something the matter?”
Roy was startled when he heard her. He wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to tell her what he was thinking at the moment. Unable to say anything, he got off the couch and slowly made his way to his bedroom, leaving Riza to look after him with a puzzled expression.
When Roy came inside his bedroom, he dived onto his bed and sighed heavily. It wasn’t long until he heard Riza opening the door. She sat down close to him and stroked his forehead gently.
“Hey, are you alright?”
The colonel stayed silent. Once again, he wasn’t sure if he should tell Riza his internal dilemma. Though he knew he couldn’t hide this from Riza forever. He might as well.
“Why are you living with me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, think about it. I won’t be able to watch over you if you became ill or hurt. I also wouldn’t be able to take care of our children, if we have any that is. You’re better off with someone capable of doing all that.”
“Wait, is that what you’re worried about?” she asked, making sure. She was a bit exasperated; the Colonel was being ridiculous.
“I just want you to not regret your decision living with me and for you to be happy with your life.”
“But I am happy with you, very much so,” the lieutenant responded with deep intensity. “Me living with…no, me being on your team were some of the happiest times in my life. Don’t ever think you’re useless… except when it’s raining.” She smiled.
Roy was speechless. His heart skipped a beat. Did she really just say all that?
“Riza,” he mumbled. It surprised him that this was the first time he had spoken her first name since being her father’s apprentice.
Not hearing anything from her made the man worried. She was probably upset after hearing her name from him, though this certainly wasn’t the case. He immediately flinched when her hands touched his cheeks and she pulled him close for a long kiss. At first, he wanted to back away, still upset he wouldn’t be of much help to her. But instead, he wrapped his arms around her.
It wasn’t long until everything came falling down. The kiss became very passionate and soon their tongues collided. Roy could feel his nose banging onto hers, but it didn’t distract him (or her) much. Before he knew it, Riza began unbuttoning his dress shirt, taking her time. He knew for sure now; he wanted this. After the lieutenant took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor, his hands snuck under Riza’s blouse and they greedily moved all over her stomach and chest. He then tried to pull her shirt off, but it became awkward. It obviously would have been much easier if he was able to see, but luckily the lieutenant helped him out.
The colonel’s heart drummed quickly out of exhilaration. Riza started licking his ear lobe, which suddenly made him feel a fiery sensation all over his body. He sucked gently on her neck before going for her throat, when he felt the scar—
--the scar from the Promised Day, when I thought I would lose her forever.
That moment, which felt more like a few years than a few months ago, was when he realized his life wouldn’t be the same without her. His heart ached at the thought. That wouldn’t happen thankfully, and now she was here with him and he was going to enjoy this moment the two were having together.
Roy’s mouth raced down from her neck to her shoulder while she held him tightly by the waist. He then buried his face on her chest and gave deep kisses against her skin, exploring it again with taste. Riza was messing up his hair, but he didn’t mind as he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers gently twisting through it. Wanting to feel more of her, Roy had his hand on her bra strap, but had trouble unhooking it. Once again, Riza helped him, and tossed the bra aside. Roy didn’t hesitate laying her down on the bed, and running his tongue over her stomach and both of her breasts. He went slow and steady, as he didn’t want to rush anything yet. Her soft moans of satisfaction excited him, and let him know he was doing this right.
He felt as though he had just entered into another world. Heaven. In between. Hell. Which one he had accidently crashed into, he wasn’t sure.
His hands slid from her shoulders to her hips like a snake, his fingers catching on the upper part of her skirt. Now, to quickly find that zipper—ah, that wasn’t hard. This time, he was able to pull a piece of her clothing off without Riza’s help. She began touching and kissing where his stomach wound was; the one from his encounter with Lust, and Roy slightly winced. Riza hesitated, but he gave her a reassuring smile, encouraging her to continue. He could feel his hardness underneath his pants. If Roy had been with another woman, he wouldn’t hesitate taking her, but with Riza he wanted to make her feel satisfied too.
The colonel gripped her thighs and the two locked lips again. He realized her lips tasted like strawberries; she had been eating them when they were listening to the radio drama earlier. While the lieutenant was removing his belt and quickly pulling off his pants, he tried to take her underwear off. This also wasn’t hard. Not long after, Riza caught hold of his last stitch of clothing and the two were fully exposed.
Even though he couldn’t see her naked and appreciate the sight, imagining it was good enough to drive him nuts. Riza shifted so that Roy could be on top of her and have her legs wrapped around him, their bodies pressing together. He could feel her heat rising against his.
Roy wanted to tell her how he was lucky to have her, how much he loved her and couldn’t live without her, and how he wanted to hold her tight forever. Instead, he let his body do the talking. The couple rarely spoke much when it came to their feelings, but it was okay. They could read each other like a book, cliché as it sounds, and that was fine with him.
Maybe, just maybe, she could be more than his love.
+++
The next morning there was a breeze outside. The branches from the tree next to the rented house tapped on the window, more than enough to wake Roy. He yawned and stretched his arms like he always did, but then shivered. Strange, he rarely opened the window in his room…
Wait, he wasn’t wearing anything, and there was another person resting on his chest.
... Oh.
Riza and he… they had....
He groaned, resting his head against his hands. They were supposed to wait longer for this, right? So had they rushed it? Not only that, as soon as Riza woke up she might feel embarrassed as well. He would hate himself if he made her feel that way.
He reflected back to what happened last night. The man had been in bed with other women before, but it was awkward for him now due to his loss of sight. On an emotional level—with Riza, this was a whole different matter. There were times he wasn’t sure where certain parts of her body were, but she guided him. Despite that, it still excited him when he was able to taste and touch every inch of her skin and hear her passionate cries. At one time she had made a painful scream, which had worried him a bit. He knew for sure this was her first time because she hadn’t been in a relationship with anyone while on his team, as far as he was aware of. Riza urged him on, however, and the two quickly finished it off before exhaustion took over.
Like the snap of his finger, his frown changed to a slight smile. He had been very upset last night over his blindness, and the lieutenant had comforted him in the most intimate way possible; he was grateful to her for that.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Riza yawn. After she stretched, she moved closer to kiss his cheek.
“Feel better now?” Riza asked with an amused smile.
The blind man nodded and he let his right fingers ran through a strand of her hair. “Yes, thank you.”
The two shared a quick affectionate kiss and the lieutenant held onto the colonel tighter.
“There’s something I just thought of,” Roy said, causing Riza to raise an eyebrow. “Remember a while back we were listening to that radio drama about Queen Clarita and the knight?”
“Yeah?” she replied, her voice still filled with confusion. “What about it?”
“Well, considering I’ve missed my chance to get my sight back, I thought maybe you could be my eyes from now on.”
“Yes, of course,” Riza answered, and the two kissed again. “I’ll also double check on you from now on so that you don’t slack off on your work.”
Roy let out an overdramatic sighed. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
The lieutenant smiled and they were like this for some time; content with each other’s company. Roy grinned, very happy with the way things had turned out.
Onwards to Part Two
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I'll be reading this later (and looking forward to it) but I just had to say in my experience Roy loves to tell a long story...
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All right, cool. Looking forward to your comments, although aamaile covered most of the flaws of the story, heh. And funny enough, I have at least two other Roy fics I need to get writing. XD Roy needs to stop bugging me.
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