Author's note: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. This is set at the end of the manga.
Life Will Find Away
It had been a long time since the stillness in the air didn't carry some sort of foreboding. But the crisp evening air around the mountain cabin held no fear or tension, and Riza found herself able to breathe easy. The stars were bright in a clear dark sky, and she found it a beautiful view. It is peaceful here, and Riza looked forward to several weeks of peace and solitude. She needed no company other than that which had come with her. With a smile, she glances over at Roy.
He is asleep on their bed with Hayate sprawled beside him. They made a charming sight, and Riza couldn't help the warm feeling that flooded her. It was over, and the people she loved were safe. It was more than she had hoped for. She wasn't even irritated that she and Roy had been shipped off to her grandfather's mountain cabin for a few weeks of 'rest and recovery' anymore. Both she and Roy had baulked at the idea at first, especially given all the work repair and reconstruction work Amestris needed, but they both were injured, and quite honestly, when she thought about it, rest sounded very nice.
The two of them had stern orders from the doctor who had treated them (not Knox, but one of the others who had been recruited to triage in the aftermath of the battle) to take it easy and not get involved in anything resembling work for at least a week. Though two weeks would be preferable. So her grandfather had shipped them off to this little retreat, and Riza had to admit that after a good night's sleep, she could see the logic in it.
In some ways, it felt very good to be both safe and alive. Quite frankly, Riza hadn't expected this outcome at all. But the pain of her healing injuries told her it was quite real. They were alive, and it was likely that they would stay that way. Especially given their friends and colleagues' opinions on the matter. She vividly remembered Edward Elric's rather dramatic account of the plan to fake their deaths if necessary. Then again, that could have been an attempt to make Al laugh while the four of them had been stuck in the temporary hospital, but it had stuck with her.
So they had a future to look forward to, and Riza wasn't quite sure how that worked. She quite honestly hadn't expected to survive long enough to have a future. But they had one now, and while Riza knew that she and Mustang would continue to work to push him to the top and change things, the fact that they no longer had to worry about active persecution from above changed things.
Riza knew what her grandfather wanted. He was hoping that she and Roy would get married. He had been fond of that idea for years, and now it was an actual possibility. Riza wasn't completely adverse to the idea, but it would be nice to have at least some small space of time where there wasn't any major plan in the works. Planning a wedding wasn't exactly restful she would guess. But it was something to think about for the future. For the moment, she was just going to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"Riza?" Roy's voice was soft and sleepy. "Come back to bed."
With a smile, she turned away from the window. Riza slipped back into the bed, curling up beside him. Roy slipped an arm around her, pulling her closer, though careful of her still injured neck.
"Sleep, sweetheart. There's always tomorrow."
She closed her eyes with a smile.