Fullmetal Alchemist Stupid

A/N: Finally! I finally am writing something worthwhile [I hope…]. I don't know if my writer's block is going to strike again any time soon, but let's hope not. On another note, I really like Mrs Bradley. I took some liberties with the dialogue and actions of the chapter 102 or 105 or whatever. [Other Self: Because you're too lazy to go back and look at it Me: Shut up! Riza: *shoots us both*] DISCLAIMER: don't own it. But Riza owns my soul.

***SPOILER WARNING*** Spoilers for chapter, like 102 or something… Let's put it this way- If you've read to the end of the manga, you're safe~

It had been not even a week before the Promised Day when she had asked King Bradley's wife.

"Mrs Bradley, ma'am…" she trailed off, then spoke quickly again before she could lose courage. "If you don't mind me asking, what's it like being married to a Fuhrer?"

Mrs Bradley looked back from where she was watering plants. "I notice you say 'a' Fuhrer, not 'the' Fuhrer."

Riza ducked her head to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, when my husband finally retires, I'm sure your Colonel will be a top candidate for the next presidency. I assume that's why you're asking."

Riza's head shot up. "Forgive me, Mrs Bradley, but you're mistaken-"

"Don't worry." Mrs Bradley's eyes twinkled merrily. "Your secret's safe with me." She winked at Riza, then went on before she could protest.

"It's exhausting. I have to constantly watch my step in public; something a normal wife should do is completely different than something a president's wife should do. I'm constantly worried about assassination attempts… on my husband, on Selim, on me. Or kidnapping. And he's always working; sometimes we don't see him for weeks. It can get very lonely."

"I… I see," Riza said quietly.

"But!" Riza looked up at this. "It's worth that, and so much more, to be alongside the man I love with all my heart."

Riza felt a guilty pang of sadness, knowing the man this unbelievably kind woman loved so much was an evil man capable of terrible things.

"And to see him at his best- working for the country he loves." Mrs Bradley smiled and continued watering her plants. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes. Yes, it did, ma'am. Thank you."

"No! Stop! Why are you doing this?" Mrs Bradley cried as they took her hostage. "Riza…" The look in her eyes was heartbreaking.

As soon as they were a safe distance away, Riza told the others to stop for a moment.

"Lieutenant… we don't have time for this!"

"I know, sir. Just… please, let me talk to her for a minute."

Mustang sighed. "Fine. One minute." He could never say no to her.

"Mrs Bradley." Riza knelt down in front of Mrs Bradley, who sat on the ground weeping. She put a hand on her shoulder, but Mrs Bradley shook it off furiously.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped. "I trusted you!" She sobbed.

"Mrs Bradley, listen to me. Look at me, Mrs Bradley. Look at me!" Mrs Bradley looked up at the strict tone she'd never heard the woman use before at the presidential estate. "Remember when we talked about the country your husband worked- is working- for? We're fighting to protect that country and its ideals right now! There are some very bad people in the military. Now, this is going to be scary, but you need to trust us- trust me. We need to move fast." She could see the looks the Colonel was giving her out of the corner of her eye; her minute was up. "I'm going to have to point my gun at you a lot and threaten to shoot you, but I won't shoot, no matter what. Okay?"

Mrs Bradley nodded tearfully, and then suddenly embraced Riza, who stiffened.

"We need to move." Mustang appeared beside them.

When they were moving again and Havoc was with Mrs Bradley in the back of the troop, Mustang glanced at her.

"That was a dangerous thing to do, telling her we're not going to harm her. What if she lets it slip?" He was curious, and a little angry. Being incautious like that wasn't like his trusted Lieutenant.

"She wouldn't have moved otherwise. And I… owed her one."

Mustang looked at her curiously, but she just looked straight ahead, fighting down a slight blush.

The man held her tightly, the cold blade pressed against her throat. Her breathing was shallow, rapid. She was scared, and it made Mustang furious. He could do nothing for her, though.

For one terrifying moment, she _wanted _him to do the transmutation. She wanted to be released from this man's grip, and be with her Colonel again. But then she remembered threatening to shoot him if he killed Envy. _I stopped him from becoming a cold-blooded murderer… I need to stop him from becoming something worse. Besides, what kind of subordinate would I be if I let him endanger himself for me? _She screamed at him not to do it, and when he said no, a surge of relief swept through her even as the blade sliced her throat.

She fell.

It was a curious feeling, to know she would die. Suddenly so many things seemed insignificant.

_Stupid, _she though, remembering her idiotic, schoolgirl-like conversation with Mrs Bradley. _Even if I wasn't going to die, who was I to think…_

And then the pain hit her, and she couldn't think at all. She blacked out for a few seconds and when she came to, she heard the man mentioning human transmutation again… on her this time.

"…about to die, you know." He kicked her and she gasped in pain, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears in. Mustang looked murderous.

"So transmute her, Mustang. What are you waiting for?"

Riza heard the hesitation in his silence. He wanted to do the transmutation. She glared at him. _Don't you DARE, Roy Mustang. _He looked into her eyes, and she knew it was all right. Even if she died… She glanced upwards with only her eyes, telling him about their comrades that she had seen right before she had lost consciousness. Even if she died, it would be okay. He would be okay.

When it was over, he came to see her as soon as he regained his sight. Mrs Bradley was sitting by her hospital bed, talking to her, but when Roy came over, she stood up and excused herself, giving Riza's hand a small squeeze as she left.

"Lieutenant… I can see you," he said happily, sitting down and drinking in the sight of her face. She was unable to stop herself from smiling at him. "Yes, sir."

His face grew serious, and he grabbed her hand in his, putting his other hand out to hover over her neck, not quite touching it. "I'm so, so sorry."

"For what? I'm not dead." She smiled gently at him. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

He leaned forward, putting his arms around her for the second time that day. This time she tentatively reached her arms out around him too. They stayed like that for a while- just breathing.

Then he let go as if he had just remembered something extremely important*. She leaned back against her pillows as he scratched the back of his head, looking kind of embarrassed for some reason.

"Look, Lieutenant… I, um**…" he fumbled with his words, seeming to not really know what to say.

"You see, what happened has, um, given me a view, no, a perspective, on what's, uh… important in life. Like family."

Her eyes widened. "Are you… retiring from the military, sir?" She knew it was an absurd notion, but she couldn't stop the dismay from shooting through her veins.

"No! No, I, um… Ah, I'm getting this all wrong. Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which he handed to her. "Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, will… will you marry me?" He blushed at her astonished look. She opened the box and looked down at the simple yet beautiful*** silver band inside.

Suddenly, she was sniffling, and to his horror, he saw she was crying. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I… I just…"

"You know," she said, smiling at him, "for someone who's supposed to be an expert on women, sir, you sure are stammering a lot." And before he could say anything, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly.

"Is… is that a yes?" he asked.

"Sir," she replied, wincing as she leaned back, "you know there's no need to ask."

Outside the door, Mrs Bradley smiled peacefully.

*which he had :3

** UM IS NOT AN ANSWER, ROY

***In all the engagement fics, the ring's always "simple yet beautiful," or "simple yet elegant". You have no _idea _how badly I wanted to say, "the ring was simply made, and no matter how you looked at it, it was the ugliest ring anyone had ever seen." In fact, I think I might change it.

A/N: Kay, in case you didn't catch that, the "you know there's no need to ask" line is a throwback to the good old, "I'm going after military command. Will you follow me," exchange that left millions of Royai fangirls [read: me] squealing loudly and incessantly. Haha, apparently "fangirls" isn't a word in the Word 2003 dictionary XD *clicks "add to dictionary"*

I'll be putting up a sequel within the next… hour or so. Called "Drink"


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Fullmetal Alchemist