Thunder boombs in the distance, and First Liutenant Riza Hawkeye sees her commanding officer shiver involuntarily out of the corner of her eye, turning his face away from the window. She raises a discreet eyebrow as he stares directly at the forms in front of him, a slight frown obscuring his features.

Central Command has been kind to them so far - their transfer (aside from Brigadier General Hughes's demise) has mostly been smooth sailing - in the political sense, anyway.

The sky has been constantly gloomy since they'd gotten to Central, but there isn't much to do about it - Spring has a way of always being cruel to a certain Colonel, bringing onslaughts of rain with it to torment and disarm.

Lt. Hawkeye is well-aware of the Colonel's melancholy as of late - the entirety of Central Command has sort of fallen into a spell of sadness in the wake of Maes's untimely end, and Team Mustang (as the Colonel himself had taken to calling them with a strange sort of fondness in his voice) is no different. If anything, they'd gotten to know the Brigadier General better than most officers had, thanks to the ties he had once held with their commanding officer. Although Mustang was undoubtedly the most affected aside from Gracia and Elicia Hughes, the news had stricken them just as well.

It's no surprise to the blonde sniper then, when Mustang sighs and rubs his temples tiredly. The air in the office is stuffy and humid, thanks to the weather, and she can tell the Colonel is on edge again. She continues her work silently for a few minutes before Mustang inevitably stands up, his shoulders tensed.

"I'll be back soon," is all he says, his voice tight as he dons his long black coat. Hawkeye doesn't allow her poker face to break, and simply nods.

"Would you like me to accompany you, Sir?" she asks, her eyes finding his.

He's quiet for a few seconds, weighing his response before he looks away, his frown persistent. "It's just a little rain, Lieutenant," he says, his tone dismissive.

"Precisely, Colonel." is her reply. "Such weather calls for extra protection."

Mustang sounds exhausted when he sighs again. "Do as you please." Riza notes how easily he's given up his argument and her anxiety grows.

"Yes Sir," It's not an invitation to come along, and she knows it. Still, she stands and throws on her own coat. She can see how shaken the Colonel is feeling - how vulnerable he is, and a protective feeling blooms in her chest. She notices that everyone in the office is strictly keeping their eyes on their own work, and feels grateful.

Mustang is opening the door that leads out to the hall, then. He looks at Hawkeye momentarily. "Well? You coming?" His voice has undertones of impatience and the young woman fights a frown of her own. His moods will be the death of her eventually, she muses as she nods.

"Of course, Sir."

-x-

"It's raining again today..." He says, more to himself than to her. Riza briefly looks out the window before stealing another look at her Colonel. His eyes have a faraway look to them, and she notices he has bags under them. His clothes are sticking out at odd places, as if they don't fit properly, and with a start, she realises he's lost weight.

"So it is," she remarks.

"All this damn rain…" she sees his hands balling into fists. He's not talking to her anymore. "I can't do anything in this damn rain."

"Colonel?" She inquires quietly, her voice full of worry. She's glad the office is empty aside from them.

Mustang looks back at her, disinterest in his expression. "Hm?" He intones.

"...Perhaps you ought to consider a sabbatical." She proposes, her voice still just a murmur.

This brings a little understanding to his eyes, and he frowns, looking away from her. Riza has seen many a frown on his brow before, but she's starting to hate how often they obscure his expression. "A sabbatical at a time like this? Nonsense."

Hawkeye is starting to get tired of being dismissed so often. "Colonel-"

"Look, I know I've been a little off lately, but-"

"A little off is a bit of an understatement." She says, her eyes flashing. If Mustang is startled by her interruption, he doesn't show it. "Pardon the intrusion, Sir, but this is starting to become a little too worrisome for my liking."

He doesn't say anything. She continues, her voice strong and upset. "How am I supposed to watch your back when you're busy watching a dead man's?"

At this, Mustang's eyes widen and he recoils as if slapped. She's crossed a line, but it needed to be said. "I apologise for my insensitive comment, Colonel, but please," her eyes soften slightly. "You're not helping the Brigadier General by driving yourself into the ground."

"I know," he says, his voice thick and his shoulders tensed. "it doesn't matter, though. I can't make it stop." he says, his voice off - distracted. He turns back to the window.

"Can't make what stop?"

"The rain, Lieutenant. I can't stop it." He's murmuring now.

Riza has been with Colonel Mustang enough to know it's not just rain he's talking about.