Royai week

Day 2 prompt: Constant

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Roy let out a burst of expletives, staring at his soaked glove. This had been his last spare! He'd either have to wait until it dried or make a new one, and he really didn't have time for that.

"Colonel, language." A stern voice brought him up short, and he turned to see Riza gesturing with her head towards two little kids who were standing and staring at them with wide eyes.

Roy groaned . . . He'd almost forgotten about Riza. She was always there, but often didn't speak much while they were out because of work. This time they'd been chasing some criminal through the streets, and by some form of bad luck, Roy's glove had been soaked with water as he rolled away from an attack.

Well, sometimes having a constant companion was more of a pain than it was other times.

Roy felt a light touch on his shoulder, and turned to see Riza watching him, sympathy in her eyes. They were standing in front of Maes Hughes grave, and although she hadn't been as close to the man as Roy, he knew that she was grieving for him as well. He was glad she was there right now. Her silent support meant a lot.

"Colonel, I think we should head back now. It's getting kind of chilly," she said softly.

As Roy followed her back to the car he had to say that if she hadn't been there, he most likely wouldn't have left.

Roy lay on the gurney, staring up at the ceiling of the ambulance in a frosty silence. Thankfully the medics had arrived swiftly at Laboratory 3, or else he knew that Havoc wouldn't have made it. As far as Roy knew his subordinate was currently stable.

He glanced at Riza, who was sitting next to him, staring at her hands. The tears were long gone, but he knew that her emotions were far closer to the surface than they'd been in a long time.

"That was foolish," he murmured.

She turned to him, confusion in her eyes. "What do you-"

"Do you remember when Scar attacked the Elric brothers, and Fullmetal just gave up because he believed that Scar wouldn't kill Alphonse if he died?" Roy asked, interrupting her.

She nodded, her eyes hardening. She knew where he was going with this.

"Fullmetal gave up. He was basically about to let Scar kill him. You did the same back there Lieutenant. You were going to let that creature kill you just because you thought I was dead."

"I thought we'd already discussed this Colonel," Riza said, her eyes facing front so that she wouldn't have to look at him.

"Riza, listen to me," Roy hissed. Immediately her head snapped around, her eyes widening. Neither of them often used each others first names. It indicated that their relationship was closer than they wanted it to appear. Roy took a staggering breath, wishing that his mind wasn't numbed by the pain killers they'd given him. "You can't die. You're the only one in my life who stays constant. Jean . . . You saw him . . . I doubt he'll be able to return to active duty any time soon. Maes is gone, and the military gets more corrupted every day. Who knows how long we'll last in this war against these homunculi . . . But you need to stay strong. Even if you think I'm gone, you need to do whatever it takes to ensure that the country is safe."

Riza's eyes were focused on Roy's, and as he spoke he could see her calming, her determination and levelheadedness returning.

It was a relief to have his queen back.

Roy jolted awake, and looked around, expecting Riza to reprimand him, but there was no one there. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. He'd almost forgotten. Three days ago she'd been assigned to be the Führer's personal assistant, while Roy's other subordinates were shipped off to different parts of Amestris, as far away from Central as was possible.

He knew it was to keep him in line, and he knew that the Elric's were in a similar position. The corruption in the military was too high to doubt that. The one person he trusted absolutely, his queen, the one who watched his back, was no longer what he needed the most.

Riza was no longer constant.

This is shorter than yesterdays but . . . ah well.

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