FicWad

Title: No need for Assistance
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairings: Roy/Maes
Rating: PG
Summary: Maes watches as Roy changes over time after the Ishabalan war and feels proud of him.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. Though i sincerely wish i did.

'Lieutenant!! What's the meaning of this!!' Roy could be heard yelling in his office, and Maes resisted a laugh as he heard that. From what he knew, Riza Hawkeye had just walked in with an enormous stack of papers waiting to be completed.

'It's today's work, Sir. Expected to be completed...today,' was Riza's calm answer, as always. Cool and unperturbed. Nothing could ruffle that woman, really, unless some news of Roy's death which probably won't happen in another ten years reaches her.

'Argh...need you be so hard on me? I can't complete this by today!!' Roy groaned.

'Sir.' Riza's voice took on a sharp edge, and roy said hurridedly. 'Of course, lieutenant, of course. I'll finish by today...if i can.'

'You better,' replied Riza, as Maes opened the door and sauntered in, the all-knowing smile that had always irritated Roy plastered on his face. 'Sir,' Riza saluted. 'At ease, at ease,' Maes waved as he moved over to plonk himself down on one of the couches in Roy's office. 'Just came over to visit the old guy.'

'Hm,' Riza said. 'Please make sure that Colonel Mustang doesn't slack in his work for me, then.' Maes grinned when he saw Roy give Riza his 'death glare', one that he always had whenever new work arrives on his table.

'I will,' grinned Maes. 'I'll make sure he finishes his...well, impressive stack of papers today. If anyone can sign that much, that is.'

Riza smiled softly, then saluted again and left the room. Maes turned his attention then to Roy, who was scratching his head, staring dubiously at the enormous pile of papers teetering dangerously on his table. 'Maybe one day,' roy finally declared, running a hand desperately through his already messy hair. 'This papers will fall on me and kill me, and the end.'

'Takes a lot more than just papers to kill you, old mate,' Maes drawled, boredly examining his fingernails. 'If papers can kill you, you'll be dead already before even the Ishbal War.'

'Eh...the Ishbal war, hmm?' Roy shook his head as he thought back to the past, when bodies strewn all over the place on bloodied ground have already been a common sight. Many alchemists and soldiers then had already become accustomed to the sight, but somehow, Roy had let it get to him and let the sight torment him for every second of his life. 'I don't recall doing any paper work there...but i do remember burning things more than paper there.' He laughed bitterly as he picked up his pen and started on the topmost sheet of paper on his perilous stack of work. 'What did you come to look for me for, Maes? As you can see, i'm quite busy today.'

'Nothing, Roy. I just came because i had basically nothing to do right now and i'm bored, and i can't go home yet because it's not time yet.'

'Fine, but don't try to bother me, because i really have to finish this,' he gestured to the still waiting pile of work beside him. 'Or i face my lieutenant's gun, which i rather not.'

'Sure,' Maes chuckled, reinclining comfortably on the couch. 'As you like. I won't bother you.' Roy soon fell silent, other than the scratching of his pen on paper, and Maes fell to comparing the Roy now to the past Roy.

'Ah, Roy, you have changed so much,' Maes thought to himself as he surveyed Roy through his spectacles, who was deep in concentration, brows knitted, poring over this document in front of him, hand poised to sign. He was a figure of authority, and of confidence, someone you can be sure to trust and rely on. How different was he now compared to the past.

If Maes remembered correctly, in the past, Roy used to wander and stray from the path that he had drawn out for himself, sometimes forgetting and losing himself in his 'quest' to become Fuhrer. Back then, Roy had been playful, and mischeivous. He wasn't really someone that you can totally rely on then. He was all in all, to the other's eyes, just another alchemist who was just newly introduced to the world, so proud and arrogant, sure that he could accomplish anything that he wanted to in the world. One could say that Roy was naive, then. Yes, he was naive. He didn't know what the world was really like out there, and seeing the truth had made him feel so disillusioned, all his visions of the world outside shattered.

It had been Maes job to remind him, to make sure that he remains on the right path, to encourage him whenever he gave up, to show him what is reality, in fact. His friend was always disillusioned by what he thought, and another weakness was, Roy was too gentle, too caring. One day it would be the cause of his death. Roy was too caring for his friends. If any of his subordinates were in danger, roy definitely wouldn't hesistate to run to the front line of battle to save them, even though it might put his life in danger. To Roy, even though he didn't show, his friends' lives came before his own. He didn't want anyone to get hurt while he acheived his goal. He didn't anyone else to be harmed other than him if it must be. Maes sighed. Roy can never understand that what he was doing, there was someone always bound to be hurt, whether he wanted it or not. But Roy refused to admit the fact, and always berated himself for it.

But the fact remains that roy has changed over the times. He was now more determined, more set in getting his goal. He no longer let things like death bother him and hinder him, which he did in the past. Roy was more resolved, and he had become stronger, somehow. More reliable. More trustworthy. He didn't know when the changed started, and how it happened, but now when he looked back, he knew that Roy has changed. So much that Maes was no longer needed to be there for him anymore.

Roy no longer needed Maes to remind him and to help him to acheive his goal. Maes understood that very well- Roy had already come to a point where he could be independent, and where he could actually get on with what he wanted without Maes already. All Maes could do now was to give him some help here and there, to give him information, and to say some of the good things to the superiors to aid him in getting a promotion, and that was all.

'So much has changed, Roy, and i guess, the day came that you no longer need my assistance,' Maes murmured to himself as he watched Roy sign yet another of his documents with a flourish and toss it aside. 'I guess you already no longer need my assistance.'


Later that day, at night, before Maes was killed by Envy, through the pain and his fading vision, his last thought was,' I believe you can still go on without me, Roy. I believe you can-you have no need for me anymore...i'll be going first...i'm proud of you.' He saw the scenery before his eyes swim, the face of Gracia above him, smirking, so beautiful, but so cruel. 'Gracia...Alicia...' he whispered, as the world turned into total darkness...

But he didn't know that Roy still needed him badly, but it was already too late...


Author's note: Next coming up, it's things that hurt the most. Well, this story is kind of weird and stupid, but anyway...i hope that you've enjoyed it. Read and review, ok?