Breda and Furey, with Hayate, went to scout ahead, leaving just Mustang and Hawkeye alone in the tunnel. Furey gave Riza a small but reassuring smile as he left and she was grateful to the two of them for giving her and the colonel time together. She watched, arms folded, as Roy adjusted his coat and made a last check that he had everything he needed.
"'Don't die'?" She repeated his order from a few minutes earlier. For a second, Roy froze, then shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to face her. In the dim lantern-light his expression was impossible to make out, but years of experience told Riza he was attempting relaxed nonchalance.
"Is there something wrong with my command, Lieutenant?"
"Only that I am uncertain if you consider yourself to be under this order."
He stepped towards her. Now he was in the glow of the lamp-light she could see he was smiling and, if she was anyone else, she might've been fooled into believing it.
"Is there any reason I should be? I have the best bodyguard in all of Amestris, after all."
Riza's own expression remained stoic, but her hands fell to her sides, fingers balling slightly into fist.
"Sir, if you're planning on doing anything foolish then –"
"I didn't say that! I just meant –" Roy ran a hand through his hair, slightly ruining his relaxed image. "I'm still trusting you with my back, Riza. None of that has changed."
She felt a jolt run through her at the sound of her name. She'd been Miss Hawkeye, Cadet Hawkeye, Lieutenant – the closest she'd ever come to hearing Roy say her own name was his frantic, worried yells of 'Elizabeth' down a phone line.
He was standing very close to her, one of his hands brushed hers and she allowed her fingers to relax against his for just a moment.
And then she nodded, and stepped back. "Understood. We should get moving, sir. The others will be waiting for us."
Roy pulled his hand away, as though she had been the one to burn him.
"Of course. Let's go, Lieutenant."
Whatever needed to be said, if it had to ever be said at all, could wait just one more day.