A is for After (Mustang x Hawkeye x Hughes x Gracia) Alphabet for FMA_OT4
Title: A is for After
Author: SeaweedOtter
Rating: PG
Pairing: Mentions of past Mustang x Hughes
Spoilers/Warnings: Episode 25 spoilers
Summary:
Author’s Note: This was done (very late) for the fma_ot4 community, for their Alphabet Challenge.
The rain finally stopped as the sun had almost completed its descent into the far horizon, bathing the field in a golden glow and making the smoothly rounded tombstones cast long shadows into the wet, loamy grass.
He had been already spent more time than he would have liked at this cemetery earlier in the day, but as the afternoon had worn on, and he had sunken further and further into his drunken stupor, he had somehow found his way back, his foggy mind not sure how or why.
Roy knelt down in the muddy, freshly tilled soil, not caring about the clods of dirt that clung to his dress blues and the wetness that soaked through the thick material and dampened his pale skin, each tickle of wind sending an unconscious shiver through his body.
“Maes, you fucking idiot. You just had to go get yourself killed, didn’t you? Don’t you know that your wife and daughter miss you? Don’t you know… I miss you?”
“I miss you too, Maes.” Roy nearly jumped out of his skin, his fingers reflexively moving into the snapping position before he realized that he wasn’t wearing his gloves. He turned around to see Riza, also still dressed in her military uniform, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Without another word, she walked up to the grave and placed the flowers on the headstone, free from the marks and blemishes of time. She shakily stood up after a moment and walked over to the man, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.
“We all miss him, Roy.” His mind, clouded by inebriation, took a moment to register that she had not called him ‘Colonel’ or ‘Sir’, like she did when they weren’t behind closed doors and away from prying eyes.
“All of us, we all cared for him.” She continued. “I know you feel like you’re alone, but you don’t have to be. Gracia and I need you as much you need us. We need to be strong. We’ll get through this. It’ll be hard, but we’ll survive. We have to… for him.”
Roy’s mind swam with memories shared, late nights, tangles of limbs, hot and sweaty bodies intertwined in post coital bliss. He didn’t have the energy to try to hide the sound of his sniffling as the tears finally started to fall.
Riza took the alchemist’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Let’s go home, Roy. Gracia is waiting for us.” She helped him to his feet and held his hand while they slowly traversed the slippery and muddy hills of the cemetery back to the car that Riza had arrived in. Havoc was smoking a cigarette and trying to huddle his body over the ember in a futile effort to keep the wet stick lit. He was leaning passively against the car, his eyes glossed over slightly rimmed with red. When Havoc saw them coming, he stood up straight, losing his cigarette in the process, and saluted.
“Hello, Colonel, Lieutenant.”
Riza saluted him back and nodded acknowledgement, but said nothing. Roy made no move at all, other than to let his bodyguard assist him. He was pretty sure that he couldn’t have moved on his own.
Havoc opened the back door, and they climbed in. The blond couldn’t help but stare at Roy for a moment- his disheveled hair, muddy uniform, gaunt and pale face, and sunken eyes- even darker than usual- made for a rather worrisome picture of the normally calm and collected Colonel. He closed the door and got in the driver’s seat, looking over his shoulder.
“Where would you like to go, sirs?”
There was a pause, and then Riza answered for the Colonel. “To Gracia’s house, please.” The blond nodded and started the car, the headlights cutting through the heavier downpour and the gathering inky blackness of night.
Off they went, towards the newly widowed woman’s house and an uncertain future.
Author: SeaweedOtter
Rating: PG
Pairing: Mentions of past Mustang x Hughes
Spoilers/Warnings: Episode 25 spoilers
Summary:
Author’s Note: This was done (very late) for the fma_ot4 community, for their Alphabet Challenge.
The rain finally stopped as the sun had almost completed its descent into the far horizon, bathing the field in a golden glow and making the smoothly rounded tombstones cast long shadows into the wet, loamy grass.
He had been already spent more time than he would have liked at this cemetery earlier in the day, but as the afternoon had worn on, and he had sunken further and further into his drunken stupor, he had somehow found his way back, his foggy mind not sure how or why.
Roy knelt down in the muddy, freshly tilled soil, not caring about the clods of dirt that clung to his dress blues and the wetness that soaked through the thick material and dampened his pale skin, each tickle of wind sending an unconscious shiver through his body.
“Maes, you fucking idiot. You just had to go get yourself killed, didn’t you? Don’t you know that your wife and daughter miss you? Don’t you know… I miss you?”
“I miss you too, Maes.” Roy nearly jumped out of his skin, his fingers reflexively moving into the snapping position before he realized that he wasn’t wearing his gloves. He turned around to see Riza, also still dressed in her military uniform, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Without another word, she walked up to the grave and placed the flowers on the headstone, free from the marks and blemishes of time. She shakily stood up after a moment and walked over to the man, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.
“We all miss him, Roy.” His mind, clouded by inebriation, took a moment to register that she had not called him ‘Colonel’ or ‘Sir’, like she did when they weren’t behind closed doors and away from prying eyes.
“All of us, we all cared for him.” She continued. “I know you feel like you’re alone, but you don’t have to be. Gracia and I need you as much you need us. We need to be strong. We’ll get through this. It’ll be hard, but we’ll survive. We have to… for him.”
Roy’s mind swam with memories shared, late nights, tangles of limbs, hot and sweaty bodies intertwined in post coital bliss. He didn’t have the energy to try to hide the sound of his sniffling as the tears finally started to fall.
Riza took the alchemist’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Let’s go home, Roy. Gracia is waiting for us.” She helped him to his feet and held his hand while they slowly traversed the slippery and muddy hills of the cemetery back to the car that Riza had arrived in. Havoc was smoking a cigarette and trying to huddle his body over the ember in a futile effort to keep the wet stick lit. He was leaning passively against the car, his eyes glossed over slightly rimmed with red. When Havoc saw them coming, he stood up straight, losing his cigarette in the process, and saluted.
“Hello, Colonel, Lieutenant.”
Riza saluted him back and nodded acknowledgement, but said nothing. Roy made no move at all, other than to let his bodyguard assist him. He was pretty sure that he couldn’t have moved on his own.
Havoc opened the back door, and they climbed in. The blond couldn’t help but stare at Roy for a moment- his disheveled hair, muddy uniform, gaunt and pale face, and sunken eyes- even darker than usual- made for a rather worrisome picture of the normally calm and collected Colonel. He closed the door and got in the driver’s seat, looking over his shoulder.
“Where would you like to go, sirs?”
There was a pause, and then Riza answered for the Colonel. “To Gracia’s house, please.” The blond nodded and started the car, the headlights cutting through the heavier downpour and the gathering inky blackness of night.
Off they went, towards the newly widowed woman’s house and an uncertain future.