For T, because you're the brightest thing I've got.

FRAGMENT
x.lithiumx.lithiumx.lithium

On most nights like this, when the sky let it snow long enough that the streets of Central hid under layers of snow, Roy would drive Riza home. This night, he did not. She couldn't blame him, even as the cold water found its way into her military issued boots and the snow from the sky seeped into her scarf. She couldn't blame him, not when they'd just lost Hughes. Admittedly, Maes' death had been hard on her too. Irritating as they were, Hughes' endless rambles about his daughter and wife did have a calming effect to them.

She had seen Roy, then.

'He must be cold', had been her first thought, as she'd seen her Roy standing in the middle of the path, wearing only a thin white dress shirt and his military pants. The snowflakes swirled around him almost coyly, as if delighting in the prospect of burying him under its weight.

Roy was not an incoherent drunk. She had learnt that the first time she had seen him drink. He never stumbled on words, nor did he falter in his thoughts like most people. Riza almost could have sworn his truest thoughts only escaped the confines of his deepest mind when he was drunk.

"What do you want? To take all that I've got? You're horrible, you know that? You never show yourself, yet you're in every single little moment!" His eyes showed the skies defiance. It had always been a habit of his, speaking to the skies as if he could demand the Gods to descend down to Earth. He yelled Maes' name to the darkness, as if that could maybe make his existence real once more.

"Where are you, huh? Where are you? Everything's falling apart, and where are you now, God?" Roy raised his arms and Riza froze as she caught a glimpse of the desperation in his eyes. He paused, fingers reaching towards unforgiving heavens, the bare trees by his side echoeing his plea, their branches raised to unresponsive skies. He lowered his arms, then. "I believe in you, you know. I believe-" Roy's voice cracked as he broke off, "Can't you just answer my prayers? I- I'm still lost. We're still lost. But I believe." He looked straight at her, then. "I believe."

He had always shown himself to her in pieces, and she had always accepted him. No matter which fragment of himself he offered to her. There was nothing he could show her of himself that she would not believe in, tonight he gave her his most desperate fragment.

How she had walked back to his home with him without feeling the snow in her boots, she wasn't quite sure. But soon enough she had curled up in his guest bedroom, the ghost of his kiss still on her cheek. Come morning, she would leave and arrive at work long before he did. The nights that she stayed at his home were few and very far in between, but their pretense of Colonel and subordinate were necessary. So even though she yearned to do nothing more than open the door to his bedroom and let herself sink into his welcome arms, it was with incredible willpower that she tore herself away from his house and back to headquarters.

x.lithiumx.lithiumx.lithium

Well, my first fanfiction, review and tell me what you think?
And yeah, it was a bit short and doesn't really make a lot of sense, but I'll try to make the next one more coherent, if anyone wants to read more. (: Thanks.