The soft rapping of knuckles on wood drew Riza slowly out of her sleep.
"Miss Hawkeye?"
The boyish voice sounded small and timid behind the door that lead to her bedroom. She sat up too quickly and winced as the pain spread like fiery wings between her shoulder blades. She pursed her lips to keep from crying out. It was never a sound her father enjoyed, and often made it quite clear. Slowly, she cleared her expression of discomfort and drew the thin blue sheets on her bed up to her chin.
"Come in," she replied almost too softly to hear.
She wrenched her face into a pained grin as the startlingly opposing silhouette of Roy Mustang emerged from the now open door. After taking several steps into the rather tiny room, he paused cautiously at the foot of her bed, his right hand raised and tangled in his unkempt raven-colored hair. After a period of strained silence, he finally managed to let some words tumble from his trembling lips.
"How are you, Miss Hawkeye?" he asked.
Riza's smile widened without effort, "Roy, I told you! Enough with the formalities. Please call me Riza!"
Roy stiffened, "Master Hawkeye requested it. You know how he favors formality."
Riza sighed and rolled onto her side, trying to stifle a pained gasp, "Yes, I do."
She noticed Roy had begun to turn back towards the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Oh! I don't want to bother you, Ms. Hawk – I mean, Riza," Roy replied, "I just came by to see how you were doing."
"Nonsense!" said Riza brightly as she gestured to a worn, wooden chair perched near her bedside, "Have a seat!"
Without hesitation, Roy slid into the chair and seemed to relax a little bit, finally detaching his fingers from the unruly mop on his head.
"How's your fever?" he asked, "Are you feeling any better?"
Riza felt the prickling pain of her new tattoo ebb and flow across her back, knowing the coolness of her own forehead.
"Oh!" she said and sunk deeper into her pillow, "It's fine. I'm actually feeling a little better…"
Her eyes widened when she noticed the genuine smile spread across Roy's face. It was practically goofy due to being a little lopsided on the left corner. She wondered if anyone ever made fun of him for it. Yet, she still sensed a lingering sense of unrest in the small room, like a shadow lurking just outside of vision's reach.
"Why are you here? Really," she demanded in the serious tone he often teased her for.
One of Roy's hands found its way back into his hair as he searched for an answer.
"Well… I…"
"Well what?" she asked.
"I just got word from Central," he said quickly, "I start training at the academy in three weeks."
Riza was surprised by the acidic despair that suddenly blossomed in her heart. For a second, she dared to let it overshadow the fiery demon affixed to her back. Roy lowered his head and refused to meet her piercing gaze.
"Well," she said quietly, "It was your decision."
Roy said nothing.
"I'm going to Central too," she said suddenly.
Roy's head shot up in surprise, "You're what?! You're going to Central too? When?"
Just as surprised by the declaration, Riza struggled to pull words from the tornado spinning inside her head.
"In a few months," she replied, "I have to get better and get my affairs in order."
Roy stared at her in disbelief. Riza gave his arm a playful slap.
"Oh, don't look at me like that!" she chided, "I'm not a child!"
Roy shook his head and sighed.
"But why? Why are you going? You have a life here."
Her once soft brown eyes suddenly burned into his soul.
"I will no longer be his pawn."