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The Night Before...

"W...what?"

"I said you aren't ok, sir. I should know, I've been around you long enough for fuck's sake!" She hissed.

"Hawkeye, you..."

"The way you can just pretend you don't care, sir, it's almost flawless. Almost. But I can see right through your lies, you moron, and I know you're damaged goods. Why the hell else did you leave..."

Her mind screamed. WHY had she started this tirade?! Now she had blabbered on in her passion and now he knew what the issue really was.

"You're right. I left because I was damaged goods. For some stupid reason I thought I could escape it, I thought I could just get by without anything to remind me!" He slammed the wall with his fist, ignoring the sensation of pain shooting up his arm.

"But... Of course I couldn't escape it, Riza. I spent every day thinking about what I'd done, and spent every night wondering how the hell I could explain it to you. I thought I was ready six months ago, but... I just couldn't. I just..."

The moonlight picked out a tear on his cheek, and some of the righteous fury died away, disgusted at itself. Her heart kept turning over, yelling back at her mind.

She couldn't forgive him.

She mustn't.

He could throw himself off a bridge and she wouldn't give a flying fuck.

...But she would.

Deserving of her hate or not... She loved him.

If he was broken goods, so was she. Like two halves of a broken mirror, they could only ever be perfect as one: She needed him as much as he needed her.

"Roy... I never stopped loving you..." She could feel her own eyes burning, her lips trembling.

He looked up, cheek glistening in the soft moon-light.

"I couldn't ever stop loving you, Riza, I..." She cut him off.

"For two years... I waited, I hoped, even prayed for you to come back. I didn't go because I thought you hated me. I didn't go because... because..." She spoke through the quailing voice and the soft tears running down her cheeks.

"...I was too weak."

His sorrowful gaze melted away her anger. He went over to her, cupping her cheek and kissing her delicately.

"I was the weak one, Riza... I should have been there, the whole time. Instead I was a coward and..." He looked down. "I know you can't forgive me, but please... let me say sorry."

Her heart yelled loud enough, and her brain gave up, allowing the passion to break the cold facade. She breathed in heavily, and held her breath, choking a few of the sobs.

"I forgive you."

His eye opened wide. Before he could protest, or say another word, she kissed him on the lips, and pressed her thumb into his collarbone, crushing his shoulder in her grip.

"Roy, I forgive you. What happened was something that... could never kill our love. I can't be away from you without barely keeping myself alive... I need you."

She had just taken the barbed arrow and pushed it further in. Both of them realised that between them, they could never explain how they resolved it, but here they were, tying themselves even closer together.

He kissed her again, trying desperately to make them one.

"Riza, I love you more than life itself."

She smiled, sniffing and tenderly wiping his cheek.

"Don't think you won't pay for this though."

He gave a small smile.

He was happy to pay any price she named.