Nighttime Promises
Title: Nighttime Promises
Author: Syv
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairing: Royai
Challenge: 30themesongs
Theme: Hidden Talent
Theme Song: “Dimming of the Day” by The Corrs
Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters, nor do I own the song used in this fic.
Word Count: 2 242
Note: For those who have read my last Royai fic, I am happy to say I’ve finally watched the entire FMA. XD Someone told me that there were more Royai moments in the manga, but I didn’t expect there to be that little of the said moments in the anime. The first thing I did when I finished the entire thing was read Royai fanfics. I was in desperate need of my Royai fix after. XD Oh, and the inspiration for this came from watching this ice skating competition my friend had today. ;) Can you guess what Roy and Riza are up to in this fic?
Oh, and here are the translations for the very few Japanese words I used.
"Taisa": Colonel
"Demo": But
“Gomenasai”: Sorry
It was a chilly day in September. The winter season was early, and the sky darkened quickly at this time of year. At Central Headquarters, everyone was already bundled up in thick jackets and preparing to go home. By the time the clock had struck six, the building was almost deserted. Among the few left behind was a golden-haired, amber-eyed sharpshooter, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.
Riza was the only one of her unit still in the office. Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery had gone to another bar, as was their wont. Her Colonel, Roy Mustang, left, presumably on one of his infamous dates. The thought bothered her just a bit, although she refused to admit it. Instead, she focused on arranging the stack of papers on her desk, as well as those of her superior. She took all the files and reports he had finished signing and replaced them with a new stack of unsigned reports. Of course, with the Colonel’s horrible work ethics, the stack she removed was much, much smaller compared to the stack she added to his table. Once she was through clearing up the room, she took her jacket from the back of her chair, picked up her bag and headed out of the building, making sure to shut the lights and close the door as she left.
Although the day had been long and filled with the usual antics, Riza couldn’t help but take her time going home. There was something about that night that filled her with some anticipation. It was as if she was expecting something... magical to happen, not that she believed much in magic. She did believe in alchemy though. Perhaps she was feeling an alchemic reaction to something? Riza shook her head to clear her thoughts, when she abruptly realized that she had ended up by a frozen pond in the middle of a secluded clearing. She didn’t even notice that she had strayed from her path home until just then, and she certainly had no idea that such a place could be found in Central. As a cold gust of wind blew past her, she pulled her coat tighter around her body, thinking ruefully to herself how she also failed to notice just how cold the weather really was. There seemed to be a lot of things she was failing to notice just then.
Thinking that it would do her no harm to spend a bit more time out, she decided to walk a bit around the pond. She came to stand by a tree a little off to the side of the clearing where two pairs of ice skates lay abandoned. Looking at the skates, she felt rather nostalgic as she recalled the days when Roy was still studying alchemy at her house. During the winter season, when her father was out or busy, she and Roy would sneak out to a little pond not too far from the house, and they would skate. She had to teach him how to skate back then. He didn’t know how, and when he lived in the city before moving to the Hawkeye residence, he never got the chance to learn. When she thought about it now, he was such a klutz then. He couldn’t stand on the ice for a minute before he’d fall hard on his bottom. She could bet that if any girl saw him then, he wouldn’t be the playboy he was now.
Riza couldn’t stop the sigh at that point. Yes, he was a playboy now. It hurt her to think of what he did with all of those girls. It hurt her even more though because she knew that she had seen him at his clumsiest, and yet she still fell for him. She couldn’t help it. It was like there was just something about him, something that drew everyone, particularly members of the fairer sex, to his side.
As she mulled over these thoughts, she unconsciously reached towards a pair of skates and began pulling them on. Before long, she was already out on the frozen pond.
Most people would really sympathize with her in her predicament. Even she felt bad for herself. She loved the infuriating playboy who also happens to be her superior. Those are two big roadblocks already. First, she has to compete with a bunch of other women who seemed to be so different from her yet were apparently her superior’s type. If she managed to even pass that roadblock, she would surely never get past the second one. The fraternization law of the military forbade them to maintain a relationship outside of work unless with a civilian. These kind of thoughts truly depressed her sometimes. After all, it wasn’t like she just met Roy in the military. He used to be the most important person to her in their childhood. In actuality, that much hadn’t changed. He was still the most important person to her. That made all of this so much harder.
Riza refused to let her feelings get in the way of what she promised to herself some time long ago. She trusted Roy, believed in his dream and promised to herself as much as to him that she would do everything in her power to make sure he reached his goal. Even if that meant putting aside her own feelings for the raven-haired man and bearing with his constant playboy attitude, she would do it. She was Riza Hawkeye. Of course she could do it. There were just times when feelings she normally paid little attention to, if any at all, surfaced. Tonight was a prime example as tears came unbidden to her eyes. Who knew she had been holding in so much? A sob escaped her lips and suddenly, arms wrapped around her torso and held her.
Riza gasped. So deep in her thoughts was she that she failed to notice yet another detail of this seemingly magical night. She never realized when she was no longer alone. Inwardly cursing herself for letting her guard down, she was prepared to attack whoever came up behind her. Before she could make a move, a warm breath tickled her ear as the person spoke with a voice she was very familiar with.
“Why are you crying, Riza?”
Surprised, Riza quickly spun around, completely forgetting that she was on ice and not on solid ground. Just when she thought she was about to fall, a hand grabbed hers and pulled her against a warm body as she stared straight into the eyes of the very man she had been thinking about - Roy Mustang.
“T-Taisa!” Riza exclaimed, a faint blush making its way to her cold cheeks.
Roy smiled softly while brushing back a few strands of Riza’s hair that had fallen from its usually neat clip, “We aren’t at work, Riza. It’s Roy.”
“D-demo, Taisa!”
Roy only smiled again, this time moving his hand to wipe away the trails of the wetness that had flowed earlier from Riza’s amber eyes, “I won’t answer you if you keep calling me that.”
Riza stared at him for a moment before bowing her head slightly and smilingly said, “Roy.”
Roy’s smile widened a bit upon hearing his name coming from her lips, “That’s better. Now, why were you crying, Riza?”
Riza’s eyes widened on being caught showing such weakness to her superior, “I-I wasn’t...”
One look from those dark eyes immediately stopped whatever denial Riza was about to make. She bowed her head again, this time in shame.
“Gomenasai, Taisa. I can’t...”
Knowing that Riza was having a hard time talking to him just then, Roy suddenly took her hand and said, “Skate with me?”
Riza was just a bit surprised, but nodded her head. They then began to skate. Their movements were fluid and perfectly synchronized as they danced on the ice. Even without music, it seemed like they heard some secret melody as they moved in time with it. A glow enveloped them and made them seem almost ethereal. If anyone was watching them, that person would probably have been crying by then. As Roy and Riza’s dance slowly came to an end, all their emotions seemed to have been forced out into the open. All their pains and fears were very much evident, but their love was blinding in its intensity. Only they seemed blind to it.
Still holding Riza close even though their dance had long since ended, Roy couldn’t help but breathe a soft sigh into her hair. That dance had taken a lot out of him, and he suspected it wasn’t just a physical feeling.
“Riza? Will you talk to me now?” Roy whispered softly in her ear.
Riza looked up at him with clear amber eyes, hinting at unshed tears, as she said, “Okay.”
Roy took that chance to lead her off the ice. They carefully removed the skates they were wearing, returning them to the base of the tree where they first found them. Roy then took Riza’s hand and pulled her down to sit on his lap as he sat with his back to the tree. Riza tensed up at first, worried that someone might see them, thus ruining Roy’s chances at becoming Fuhrer. Feeling this, Roy wrapped his arms securely around her to try and relax her, as well as to let her know that he would protect her. It was then that Riza began to relax slowly in his embrace.
Roy waited for her to start, not wanting to pressure her too much. After a few minutes of silence, Riza clutched his shirt and began to speak.
“I-I was just thinking on my way home. I didn’t realize until I was here that I must have strayed from the path.”
When she didn’t continue for a while, Roy gently prodded her, “What were you thinking about?”
She took a deep breath before saying in a soft voice, “Us.”
Roy’s eyes widened at this. He looked carefully at her, but she just buried her head deeper into his chest.
“And what about us did you think about?” Roy asked in the same gentle manner.
Riza’s hand only clutched tighter on his shirt in response. He was about to ask again when he heard her continue softly.
“I... was thinking about when we went skating together when you came to study alchemy from my father. I had to teach you how, and you were so clumsy. I thought that if the girls you’re with now saw you then, maybe you wouldn’t be such a playboy. I thought that...”
Roy wanted to say something, but he held himself back, somehow knowing that if he cut in now, Riza wouldn’t tell him the rest of what she had been thinking. Instead, he waited until she continued.
“I thought that it was unfair that I had seen you at your clumsiest yet... I still fell in love with you.”
Roy couldn’t stop himself any longer, “You were crying because... you love me?”
Riza shook her head, “I was crying because... I can’t love you. You flirt with all these girls and take them to dates. I am too different from the girls you spend your time with. It’s obvious I’m not your type. Even if I was, the military forbids us to have any sort of relationship like that.”
Suddenly realizing just how much she said which she probably shouldn’t have, Riza attempted to get off of Roy’s lap and apologize. She had no time to make any such move as Roy had foreseen what she would do, thus tightening his hold around her.
“Gomenasai, Taisa. I shouldn’t have said anything. I made a promise that I would help you reach the top. I will not let my feelings get in the way of that promise. I...”
Tears leaked out of Riza’s eyes. She had no idea why she was crying, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. A soft sob escaped her lips as Roy only hugged her harder.
Roy was surprised to say the least. He never realized that Riza thought all that and even felt so strongly about the entire matter. It hurt him greatly to hear her soft sobs. Her tears were breaking his heart. He whispered soft words of comfort in her ear in an attempt to quiet her cries. After a few moments, she thankfully stopped crying, but took to clutching his shirt tightly still. Roy gently took Riza’s chin in his hand and made her look up at him.
“Riza, I... love you too.”
Riza’s eyes widened. She shook her head in denial.
“B-but... all those girls... and the military...!”
“I don’t love any of those girls, Riza. They were just... distractions, because I was afraid that the one girl I did love didn’t love me back. As for the military... they don’t have to know.”
“But Roy! We can’t! I promised you that you’d become Fuhrer! I can’t compromise that!”
“What use is it, Riza!? What use is it if I become Fuhrer... if you aren’t with me? Can’t you keep your promise and let me love you at the same time?”
Riza looked shocked at his confession. The pleading look in his dark eyes were her undoing.
“I’ll... try, Roy.”
Roy smiled gently before claiming her lips in their first sweet kiss as a star shot across the night sky.
This old house is falling down around my ears
I am drowning in a river of my tears
When all my will is gone you hold me sway
And I need you at the dimming of the day
You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
You know just where I keep my better side
What days have come to keep us far apart
A broken promise or a broken heart
Now all the bonnie birds have wheeled away
And I need you at the dimming of the day
Come the night you’re only what I want
Come the night you could be my confidant
I see you on the street in company
Why don’t you come and ease your mind with me
I’m living for the night we steal away
And I need you at the dimming of the day
Yes, I need you at the dimming of the day
x-posted to 30themesongs, royai_fiction, het_romance and anime_fanfics.
Author: Syv
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairing: Royai
Challenge: 30themesongs
Theme: Hidden Talent
Theme Song: “Dimming of the Day” by The Corrs
Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters, nor do I own the song used in this fic.
Word Count: 2 242
Note: For those who have read my last Royai fic, I am happy to say I’ve finally watched the entire FMA. XD Someone told me that there were more Royai moments in the manga, but I didn’t expect there to be that little of the said moments in the anime. The first thing I did when I finished the entire thing was read Royai fanfics. I was in desperate need of my Royai fix after. XD Oh, and the inspiration for this came from watching this ice skating competition my friend had today. ;) Can you guess what Roy and Riza are up to in this fic?
Oh, and here are the translations for the very few Japanese words I used.
"Taisa": Colonel
"Demo": But
“Gomenasai”: Sorry
It was a chilly day in September. The winter season was early, and the sky darkened quickly at this time of year. At Central Headquarters, everyone was already bundled up in thick jackets and preparing to go home. By the time the clock had struck six, the building was almost deserted. Among the few left behind was a golden-haired, amber-eyed sharpshooter, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.
Riza was the only one of her unit still in the office. Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery had gone to another bar, as was their wont. Her Colonel, Roy Mustang, left, presumably on one of his infamous dates. The thought bothered her just a bit, although she refused to admit it. Instead, she focused on arranging the stack of papers on her desk, as well as those of her superior. She took all the files and reports he had finished signing and replaced them with a new stack of unsigned reports. Of course, with the Colonel’s horrible work ethics, the stack she removed was much, much smaller compared to the stack she added to his table. Once she was through clearing up the room, she took her jacket from the back of her chair, picked up her bag and headed out of the building, making sure to shut the lights and close the door as she left.
Although the day had been long and filled with the usual antics, Riza couldn’t help but take her time going home. There was something about that night that filled her with some anticipation. It was as if she was expecting something... magical to happen, not that she believed much in magic. She did believe in alchemy though. Perhaps she was feeling an alchemic reaction to something? Riza shook her head to clear her thoughts, when she abruptly realized that she had ended up by a frozen pond in the middle of a secluded clearing. She didn’t even notice that she had strayed from her path home until just then, and she certainly had no idea that such a place could be found in Central. As a cold gust of wind blew past her, she pulled her coat tighter around her body, thinking ruefully to herself how she also failed to notice just how cold the weather really was. There seemed to be a lot of things she was failing to notice just then.
Thinking that it would do her no harm to spend a bit more time out, she decided to walk a bit around the pond. She came to stand by a tree a little off to the side of the clearing where two pairs of ice skates lay abandoned. Looking at the skates, she felt rather nostalgic as she recalled the days when Roy was still studying alchemy at her house. During the winter season, when her father was out or busy, she and Roy would sneak out to a little pond not too far from the house, and they would skate. She had to teach him how to skate back then. He didn’t know how, and when he lived in the city before moving to the Hawkeye residence, he never got the chance to learn. When she thought about it now, he was such a klutz then. He couldn’t stand on the ice for a minute before he’d fall hard on his bottom. She could bet that if any girl saw him then, he wouldn’t be the playboy he was now.
Riza couldn’t stop the sigh at that point. Yes, he was a playboy now. It hurt her to think of what he did with all of those girls. It hurt her even more though because she knew that she had seen him at his clumsiest, and yet she still fell for him. She couldn’t help it. It was like there was just something about him, something that drew everyone, particularly members of the fairer sex, to his side.
As she mulled over these thoughts, she unconsciously reached towards a pair of skates and began pulling them on. Before long, she was already out on the frozen pond.
Most people would really sympathize with her in her predicament. Even she felt bad for herself. She loved the infuriating playboy who also happens to be her superior. Those are two big roadblocks already. First, she has to compete with a bunch of other women who seemed to be so different from her yet were apparently her superior’s type. If she managed to even pass that roadblock, she would surely never get past the second one. The fraternization law of the military forbade them to maintain a relationship outside of work unless with a civilian. These kind of thoughts truly depressed her sometimes. After all, it wasn’t like she just met Roy in the military. He used to be the most important person to her in their childhood. In actuality, that much hadn’t changed. He was still the most important person to her. That made all of this so much harder.
Riza refused to let her feelings get in the way of what she promised to herself some time long ago. She trusted Roy, believed in his dream and promised to herself as much as to him that she would do everything in her power to make sure he reached his goal. Even if that meant putting aside her own feelings for the raven-haired man and bearing with his constant playboy attitude, she would do it. She was Riza Hawkeye. Of course she could do it. There were just times when feelings she normally paid little attention to, if any at all, surfaced. Tonight was a prime example as tears came unbidden to her eyes. Who knew she had been holding in so much? A sob escaped her lips and suddenly, arms wrapped around her torso and held her.
Riza gasped. So deep in her thoughts was she that she failed to notice yet another detail of this seemingly magical night. She never realized when she was no longer alone. Inwardly cursing herself for letting her guard down, she was prepared to attack whoever came up behind her. Before she could make a move, a warm breath tickled her ear as the person spoke with a voice she was very familiar with.
“Why are you crying, Riza?”
Surprised, Riza quickly spun around, completely forgetting that she was on ice and not on solid ground. Just when she thought she was about to fall, a hand grabbed hers and pulled her against a warm body as she stared straight into the eyes of the very man she had been thinking about - Roy Mustang.
“T-Taisa!” Riza exclaimed, a faint blush making its way to her cold cheeks.
Roy smiled softly while brushing back a few strands of Riza’s hair that had fallen from its usually neat clip, “We aren’t at work, Riza. It’s Roy.”
“D-demo, Taisa!”
Roy only smiled again, this time moving his hand to wipe away the trails of the wetness that had flowed earlier from Riza’s amber eyes, “I won’t answer you if you keep calling me that.”
Riza stared at him for a moment before bowing her head slightly and smilingly said, “Roy.”
Roy’s smile widened a bit upon hearing his name coming from her lips, “That’s better. Now, why were you crying, Riza?”
Riza’s eyes widened on being caught showing such weakness to her superior, “I-I wasn’t...”
One look from those dark eyes immediately stopped whatever denial Riza was about to make. She bowed her head again, this time in shame.
“Gomenasai, Taisa. I can’t...”
Knowing that Riza was having a hard time talking to him just then, Roy suddenly took her hand and said, “Skate with me?”
Riza was just a bit surprised, but nodded her head. They then began to skate. Their movements were fluid and perfectly synchronized as they danced on the ice. Even without music, it seemed like they heard some secret melody as they moved in time with it. A glow enveloped them and made them seem almost ethereal. If anyone was watching them, that person would probably have been crying by then. As Roy and Riza’s dance slowly came to an end, all their emotions seemed to have been forced out into the open. All their pains and fears were very much evident, but their love was blinding in its intensity. Only they seemed blind to it.
Still holding Riza close even though their dance had long since ended, Roy couldn’t help but breathe a soft sigh into her hair. That dance had taken a lot out of him, and he suspected it wasn’t just a physical feeling.
“Riza? Will you talk to me now?” Roy whispered softly in her ear.
Riza looked up at him with clear amber eyes, hinting at unshed tears, as she said, “Okay.”
Roy took that chance to lead her off the ice. They carefully removed the skates they were wearing, returning them to the base of the tree where they first found them. Roy then took Riza’s hand and pulled her down to sit on his lap as he sat with his back to the tree. Riza tensed up at first, worried that someone might see them, thus ruining Roy’s chances at becoming Fuhrer. Feeling this, Roy wrapped his arms securely around her to try and relax her, as well as to let her know that he would protect her. It was then that Riza began to relax slowly in his embrace.
Roy waited for her to start, not wanting to pressure her too much. After a few minutes of silence, Riza clutched his shirt and began to speak.
“I-I was just thinking on my way home. I didn’t realize until I was here that I must have strayed from the path.”
When she didn’t continue for a while, Roy gently prodded her, “What were you thinking about?”
She took a deep breath before saying in a soft voice, “Us.”
Roy’s eyes widened at this. He looked carefully at her, but she just buried her head deeper into his chest.
“And what about us did you think about?” Roy asked in the same gentle manner.
Riza’s hand only clutched tighter on his shirt in response. He was about to ask again when he heard her continue softly.
“I... was thinking about when we went skating together when you came to study alchemy from my father. I had to teach you how, and you were so clumsy. I thought that if the girls you’re with now saw you then, maybe you wouldn’t be such a playboy. I thought that...”
Roy wanted to say something, but he held himself back, somehow knowing that if he cut in now, Riza wouldn’t tell him the rest of what she had been thinking. Instead, he waited until she continued.
“I thought that it was unfair that I had seen you at your clumsiest yet... I still fell in love with you.”
Roy couldn’t stop himself any longer, “You were crying because... you love me?”
Riza shook her head, “I was crying because... I can’t love you. You flirt with all these girls and take them to dates. I am too different from the girls you spend your time with. It’s obvious I’m not your type. Even if I was, the military forbids us to have any sort of relationship like that.”
Suddenly realizing just how much she said which she probably shouldn’t have, Riza attempted to get off of Roy’s lap and apologize. She had no time to make any such move as Roy had foreseen what she would do, thus tightening his hold around her.
“Gomenasai, Taisa. I shouldn’t have said anything. I made a promise that I would help you reach the top. I will not let my feelings get in the way of that promise. I...”
Tears leaked out of Riza’s eyes. She had no idea why she was crying, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. A soft sob escaped her lips as Roy only hugged her harder.
Roy was surprised to say the least. He never realized that Riza thought all that and even felt so strongly about the entire matter. It hurt him greatly to hear her soft sobs. Her tears were breaking his heart. He whispered soft words of comfort in her ear in an attempt to quiet her cries. After a few moments, she thankfully stopped crying, but took to clutching his shirt tightly still. Roy gently took Riza’s chin in his hand and made her look up at him.
“Riza, I... love you too.”
Riza’s eyes widened. She shook her head in denial.
“B-but... all those girls... and the military...!”
“I don’t love any of those girls, Riza. They were just... distractions, because I was afraid that the one girl I did love didn’t love me back. As for the military... they don’t have to know.”
“But Roy! We can’t! I promised you that you’d become Fuhrer! I can’t compromise that!”
“What use is it, Riza!? What use is it if I become Fuhrer... if you aren’t with me? Can’t you keep your promise and let me love you at the same time?”
Riza looked shocked at his confession. The pleading look in his dark eyes were her undoing.
“I’ll... try, Roy.”
Roy smiled gently before claiming her lips in their first sweet kiss as a star shot across the night sky.
This old house is falling down around my ears
I am drowning in a river of my tears
When all my will is gone you hold me sway
And I need you at the dimming of the day
You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
You know just where I keep my better side
What days have come to keep us far apart
A broken promise or a broken heart
Now all the bonnie birds have wheeled away
And I need you at the dimming of the day
Come the night you’re only what I want
Come the night you could be my confidant
I see you on the street in company
Why don’t you come and ease your mind with me
I’m living for the night we steal away
And I need you at the dimming of the day
Yes, I need you at the dimming of the day
x-posted to 30themesongs, royai_fiction, het_romance and anime_fanfics.