Fic - Heartburn

[cornerofmadness]

Title --Heartburn
Author-- cornerofmadness
Fandom -- Fullmetal Alchemist
Disclaimer -- Arakawa owns all
Rating -- teen
Characters/Pairing -- Roy, Riza
Word Count --
Warning -- angst
Summary -- Roy is suffering.
Author’s Note -- Still scrambling for stories, sticking with what I know best. This is for 12_daysofficmas

XXX


Roy sat bolt upright in bed, his heart pounding so hard he thought he might be dying. All he could hear was the blood rushing through his head. No one should feel like this. The nightmare that left him in this state faded the moment his eyes opened. Instinctively he knew that it involved the war but that was all. He didn’t need more.

Roy knew he wouldn’t sleep any more tonight.

XXX

He stared out the office window, lunch sitting in his stomach like lead shot. Acid churned its way up his esophagus feeling as if his alchemy had turned itself inward. Roy scrubbed a hand over his tired eyes before letting it rest on his troublesome belly. Roy couldn’t concentrate on his work. Nightmares plagued his sleep. His digestive system tortured his daytime. The war wouldn’t let him out of its grasp.

“Sir, is everything all right?” Riza came into his office with more bullshit for him to read and sign.

Roy glanced away from the window, swiveling in his chair. Riza’s eyes seemed tired too. Surely the war weighed on her as well or had the price she paid at his hands balanced it for her? He didn’t want to add to her burden by telling her the things that worried at him like a dog’s bone. He had Maes for that. Somehow the man managed to take the blackest of things and spin light into them. He offered a wan smile. “Just thinking. What’s all this?”

“You have to check the requisition forms before they go to the quartermaster.” Riza set them on his desk. From her expression he doubted she believed there was nothing wrong with him.

He could sell it. Roy rolled his eyes, slumping in his chair. “Can’t you forge my name on them?”

Riza slapped a hand down on the desk, leaning close. “Don’t make me shoot you, sir!” she said loudly for the benefit of the rest of the men before putting her lips near his ear. “Shall we go out of the city this weekend?”

That whisper lightened his heart. Too bad it couldn’t squelch his heartburn. Roy ran his thumb over the back of her hand, nodding. “I’ll sign your paperwork, Hawkeye.”

“I know you will, sir.” She spun on her heels, stalking out of the room as if she were still angry with him.

Roy wished he felt as happy as he tried to make her believe. He would mask his emotions until the day he died if it kept Hawkeye from worrying about him. Roy only wished he were better at it. He never wanted to make her sad. At least the paperwork would be a distraction from his dark thoughts. It was a start. A talk with Hughes would help and a weekend with Riza would be a balm. Roy had something to look forward to.