Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Roy crossed his arms over his chest, and glared up at her."Absolutely not."

"Why? It's perfectly safe." Riza leaned down, and patted the shoulder of the horse affectionately.

"I don't want to ride an animal that could suddenly decide not to have me on it's back at any given moment." He wouldn't tell her that horses terrified him. It was bad enough having to endure her calling him a city boy every time he couldn't perform whatever backwoods function she threw at him. Why had he ever thought befriending this girl would be a good idea?

"Cherry would never throw you. Not with me in the saddle, too."

"Well, you'll have to forgive me for not just hopping up there."

Riza frowned, and slid out of the saddle. Despite her shorter stature, she still managed to intimidate him sometimes. From day one she'd been all scowls, skinned knees, and ill-fitting pinafores. In the presence of her father, Riza was mild-mannered, and quiet; she served his meals, ran his errands in town, handled the homestead, and made sure the eccentric man rarely had to leave their property. Roy doubted Master Hawkeye saw the inappropriateness, and cruelty of foisting such responsibility on a thirteen year old girl. When freed from the yoke of her father's demands, however, Riza had shown herself to have a mischievous streak. She often dragged him along with her into the woods or around their farm, and Roy wondered if she actually enjoyed his company or just the resulting hilarity of his failed attempts at country life.

"You don't trust me." She mimicked his stance, and crossed her arms.

"I do." He shrugged, and lowered his arms to stuff his hands in his pockets. "Just not the horse."

Riza shook her head. "But your last name is Mustang. How can you be afraid of horses?"

"It's a perplexing coincidence, I'm sure."

"Just give her a chance! I promise it's not dangerous."

"No."

Her face fell. "But we can't go on foot. It's too far, and we'll never make it back by dark."

"You haven't even told me where we're going! How do I know I even want to go?"

"Fine," She bit out. Riza grabbed Cherry's reins, and started to lead her away into the barn. "You can just go back inside, and bury your face in a book where it's safe, and far away from everything that's real. I'll find something else to do today." Riza turned her back, and started to march off.

She was trying for angry, but Roy could tell he'd hurt her feelings. He reached out, and grasped her arm. "No, wait. It's…" He took a deep breath. "It's fine. I- I trust you, okay?"

"Really?" Her smile blinded him in his intensity.

"Yeah, I mean, you'll go slow, right? No tearing across the landscape or anything?" He hoped he didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

Riza said nothing as she effortlessly slung herself into the mare's saddle. She held a hand out for him, and with a pounding heart, Roy did his best to mount the horse with as little awkwardness as possible. He didn't know where to put his hands, and Riza huffed as she grabbed his wrists, and secured them around her middle. "Hold on, okay?"

Cherry trotted out of the pasture at Riza's command, and just when Roy was feeling less like his life was at risk, she sped up into a canter. He clutched at Riza's body, and hid his face in her neck. Just before the seemingly docile horse opened up into a full gallop he felt Riza chuckle dangerously. Roy tried to focus on keeping his hold tight, and not the betrayal of his supposed friend. He didn't know how long they rode, but when Cherry slowed to a trot again he opened his eyes.

"You said slow!"

"No, you said slow."

Riza brought her horse to a stop, and glanced back at him. "You can let go of me now, we're here." She expertly hopped down, and Roy slunk from the saddle like a boneless glob.

"That was the most terrifying experience of my life! You didn't even warn me!"

"Oh, did I not mention? Cherry used to race. It's in her blood." Riza grinned at him, as she pointed the traitorous animal to the pool of water, and tied her to a branch that looked well used for the purpose. "Must have slipped my mind."

"You-"

"Oh, get over it, Roy. We're here now, and you're alive." She pointed to the cluster of shrubbery at the far edge of the pond. "That's where we're going."

"If you think I'm following you anywhere-"

Riza rolled her eyes, and grabbed his hand. "Just come on."

Roy pursed his lips, but allowed himself to be dragged. When they cleared the line of bushes, his mouth fell open. The pond had expanded into a deep blue lake.

"Now take your clothes off."

"Excuse me?"

"We're going swimming, dummy. You cant do it in your clothes."

"But-"

"Listen to me, city boy, if you get your clothes wet you'll have a hard lesson in chafing on the ride back. Trust me."

"The last time I trusted you, I ended up on the back of a horse, and my entire life flashed before my eyes."

"Wow, that must have been really taxing for a sixteen year old." Riza turned her back to him, and pulled her dress over her head. He averted his eyes, but she'd been prepared for the day. Underneath she wore cotton shorts, and a tank top. "You can stay ashore if you want, but you'll be missing out." She paused, and regarded him. "You do know how to swim, right?"

Roy bristled. "Of course, I can swim. Probably better than you."

"Is that so?" Riza smirked, and climbed up the curved trunk of a tree that longingly reached over the water. "Prove it, city boy." She dove gracefully into the water, and made good time across the width of the lake.

With a frustrated breath, Roy pried his shoes off, and left his clothes in a pile next to hers. He would not be beaten by a smartass girl.