Who Is Riza Mustang?

The marriage of Amestris' most eligible bachelor, Roy Mustang, and his adjutant, Riza Hawkeye, came as shock to almost everyone, well everyone except those few that knew them best. They married in a small, intimate ceremony in Chris Mustang's bar. Just their closest friends and family were in attendance, and all the guests were sworn to secrecy until after the ceremony. The next day a small wedding announcement appeared in the Eastern Telegraph announcing the marriage and that's when the whispers started. That was followed by a statement by the Fuhrer, who stated that they came to him before the wedding, Mustang offering to take a demotion as long as he could keep his adjutant in his staff. After some thought, he said, he had decided not to demote either of them due to the hard work they were doing in Ishval. They couldn't afford a change of leadership on such an important task. When the story broke it was regarded as a scandal of the highest order. Everyone knew he was one of the Fuhrer's favourites, and this did not sit well with some of the other higher-ups. The newspapers, or rags as Roy liked to call them, were full of it. Who is Riza Mustang? How did a sharpshooter tame Amestris' most infamous womanizer? They all wanted to know her story, they made it seem like she was some sort of beautiful princess or wicked witch. They loved the drama of it, wrote about how romantic it was. They got even worse when the news of her pregnancy broke. Roy and Riza tried to pay them no mind, but some days were harder than others.

On one such day, Riza's hand was on the lock of the cubicle when she heard the door open.

"I don't know, I for one, don't think he's marrying her because he has to." The speaker giggled as she spoke.

Riza rolled her eyes.

There was an answering feminine laugh. "He's always looking over and smiling at her, it's very unprofessional."

"Ah, you're just jealous."

"Um - yeah."

"I saw him making her sit down the other day."

"I reckon he treats her like a queen at home... Bitch."

The two women laughed. Two locks clicked in the cubicles further down in the restroom.

Riza rested her head against the cubicle door, her face burning and her hands in fists. She recognised the voices as those of two of the young recruits she had personally instructed in sharpshooting earlier in the year. They had respected her then, looked at her with a little bit of fear even. The famed Hawk's Eye. Now she had been demoted to Lieutenant General Mustang's wife. She knew it was stupid to be annoyed by it. She had heard much worse since the news of her pregnancy got out. She and Roy were used to whispers, whispers about how she trapped him, made it so he had to marry her. When Roy first heard those rumours, he was angrier about them than she was, but he didn't hear them nearly as often as she did. Her patience was beginning to wear thin.

Once Riza heard the women leaving the restroom, she left her cubicle. She looked at her face in the mirror and glared at it. So much for glowing? Her uniform was uncomfortably tight with her expanding belly, even with the larger size trousers she was wearing. In a few months, she wouldn't even be able to wear those. The military didn't make maternity wear. Women were meant to retire after having babies. Riza couldn't retire. She smiled wryly as she washed her hands and dried them. Her foolish husband would probably get himself killed without her to watch his back.

When she returned to the office, Roy looked up immediately. "I was about to send out a search party, Lieutenant."

"I'm hardly going to get lost in Headquarters, Sir." She sat down at her desk and started rifling through the remaining paperwork in front of her.

"No - I suppose not." He chuckled. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you, Lieutenant General."

Frowning, he stood up and walked over to her desk. "Water?"

"I'm fine."

He put his hands down on the desk and leaned over her. "What about a sandwich?"

"I just had lunch."

"You have to eat."

"I just had lunch, Sir."

He still didn't take the hint, the emphasis on his title.

"But you're supposed to be eating-." He stopped mid-sentence finally recognising the dangerous look on her face, a little too late.

"ROY, QUIT CODDLING ME!"

Heads turned around them and Riza's face started to burn. She put her hand to her mouth. She didn't mean to shout, especially at work, and she called him by his given name. It was entirely inappropriate. Roy glared at the men, who returned to their work immediately.

"Um - well I should get back to my own paperwork, then."

She kneaded her forehead, "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate, Sir."

He dropped his voice, "I hear you'll be shouting much worse at me in a few months." He looked around: The men were paused in their work. "Are you alright?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you come into the office? We can talk there without eavesdroppers."

"Alright."

The two walked into the office and Roy closed the door behind them taking Riza into his arms. "Sorry if I'm being a bit overbearing. I'm worried is all."

"It's scary, isn't it?"

"Terrifying, and I will only be able to watch."

Riza rubbed at the small of her back. "Trust me, you don't want the rest of it."

"No - probably not." He smiled and looked her up and down. "You look gorgeous, you know."

"That's probably just biology fooling you because I'm carrying our baby."

"Nonsense - you've always been the most beautiful woman in the world in my eyes."

There was rustling sound from the outer office.

His mouth close to her ear, he whispered, "Want to bet they're listening at the door?"

She arched her eyebrow. "Why are you going to bet against it?"

He just smiled, touching her belly as he withdrew. He opened the door carefully. Havoc and Breda were loitering near the door. They jumped when he opened the door.

"Good - you're not busy. I never had a chance to take my lunch." He pulled up his shoulders and barked out orders: "Breda, get me a sandwich from the canteen; Havoc, coffee!"

"But, Sir," Havoc said, "surely Breda could get both if he's going to the canteen."

Roy shook his head. "I don't want the poison from the canteen. I want the good stuff from the officer's kitchen." He waved his hand. "Now, both of you, go!"

"Yes, Sir," the two men said and disappeared.

"Fuery-" Roy began.

Fuery stumbled to his feet. "Yes, Sir."

"I want you to check on Black Hayate and take him for a walk."

"Yes, Sir." Fuery was already halfway to the door. "Of course, Sir."

"What about me, Sir?" Falman asked.

"Uh, you can have a half-day."

Falman's eyes widened like saucers. "Why?"

"Would you like me to withdraw the offer?"

Riza's lip twitched.

"No, sir." Falman picked up his coat. "Thank you."

Falman stood up and left the office.

Roy turned back to Riza. "Is that better?"

"You didn't have to make such a performance of it. You could've just asked them to leave."

"I gave them all reasonable orders to be out of the office," he said.

"You didn't have to do that."

He closed the door again. "So, what's really going on?"

"I'm just sick of everyone talking about us."

"It will die out when the next scandal hits." He brushed her hair from her face. "It's not like you to let it bother you."

"Can I speak plainly, no interruptions?"

Nodding, he put his hands on her shoulders. "You can tell me anything."

"Ok, just please don't be offended." She took his hands. "I love being your wife, but I'm still me." She winced at how pathetic she sounded. She drew in a deep breath and continued, "Before this, all happened, I commanded some respect. Now, I feel like no one sees me as a capable officer anymore."

Now, that the words were out, it sounded ridiculous.

"I see you," he said gently.

"I know you do, and the men do, but-"

Roy hummed a little and traced his lip with his finger, a small frown on his face. "Maybe I could arrange to get myself nearly killed and you could save me? That would show them."

"Don't you dare?"

They both collapsed into each other laughing.

"I'm being ridiculous, I'm sorry."

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. "No, I get it, you're an exemplary soldier and should be treated as such."

She kissed him on the mouth.

Pulling away, she said, "Now. it's your turn. What's with your coddling. You're following me around like a mother hen."

"I'm sorry, I just want to look after you. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course, it's not, but let's leave it for home, alright?"

"Alright, I'll try." He leaned his forehead against hers and threaded his fingers with hers. "You should take it easy though. I've been reading some books and-"

"I'm not an invalid," she cut across him, "I'm pregnant." She held his gaze, a small crease on her forehead. "Is that what this is about?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck. "What if you go into labour early? I don't want to take any chances."

"Roy, all the coddling in the world isn't going to change when the baby comes. It will come when comes, no sooner or later."

"That doesn't help."

"Sorry, honey, the baby is our boss now. Welcome to parenthood."

He smiled and opened his mouth to speak again when they heard the sound of voices from the outer office.

"So uh, Breda, do you think they're fucking in there?"

Roy rolled his eyes and opened the door. "No, Havoc, we aren't fucking. Now, how about giving me that coffee I asked for." He took the coffee from Havoc and gestured to Breda. "And I'm starving."

Riza stepped out of the office and walked over to her desk while the two men gave their superior his food and drink. She felt lighter after their discussion. It was ridiculous to be worried about others thought. The most important people were in here, and in time their illegal relationship would become a rarely mentioned scandal from the past.

She could feel Roy's eyes on her as she sat down.

She caught his gaze. "Yes, Sir."

He was smirking. God - how she wanted to kiss that smirk off his face.

"Promise me you won't go into labour when you see how behind we are on today's work."

"Don't you mean you're behind," she teased.

"Ok - yes. It's me. You know how much I hate paperwork."

"Keep on top of them, then. Less stress for me and the baby. Oh, and Lieutenant General, if you faint or freak out when I go into labour, I will shoot you."

The colour disappeared from his face and he retreated into this office.

She turned to other two men. "Was I harsh?"

The men just stared at her and shook their heads. She sighed - she was harsh.

Fin