Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this fanfiction.

Summary: Riza gets "invited", more like coerced into taking a little time off from life. She pauses for an insignificant second in time to enjoy the way he understood her, even though they were more or less strangers. A light conversation over a sip of wine expands into something more. Something more desirable; something around the lines of pondering as to why he gazed at her that way.

A/N: Enjoy!


Chapter 2: Hint of a Date


Footsteps echoed in a swift rhythm against the cobblestones. A woman walked quickly, seemingly having a purpose. Her blond strands were clipped into a bun, uniform and orderly. She was a practical woman, reflected clearly in her military attire. Her wine-colored eyes burned with a question. Why? Why was she drawn to somewhere that she had no reason to be? A simplistic, yet aggravating annoyance. She was not a curious person by nature; such a thing should not concern her so. But with each step, she felt her curiosity grow until she could contain it no longer. She stopped, feet coming to a graceful stillness. Glancing around, she saw no one in the immediate vicinity. She raised a delicate eyebrow and looked at the glowing dial of her wristwatch. It winked the time at her before disappearing behind blue cloth. It was 4:50. The darkness seeped around her, causing slight shivers to spread up her arms.

She rubbed them slightly, trying to coax her blood to regulate her temperature. Her body, however, remained stubbornly adamant to staying cold. She sighed as the cold infiltrated through another layer of her warmth; she watched in wonder at the simplicities of worldly things as her breath swirled around her. She clutched the cloth of her uniform tighter, blue softness pressing against numbing skin and exhaled softly. She let out a small laugh, wind chime of the heart. To any onlooker she realized she must look foolish, exhaling childishly, amused at the water vapor that hung in the air. How could something so simple be so captivating? It only lasted for a few, scant seconds before disappearing and for that reason she mused, it must hold more of a special meaning. She fantasized that she could spot each water droplet within the vapor; she knew it to be false but for just a moment she imagined she could see something beautiful that no one else could see.

She brushed a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes and looked up, startled to see the moon glowing above her. She was so preoccupied with her philosophical thoughts that she failed to notice the passing time. The moon reflected its serenity into her eyes and for a few unimportant seconds she felt she was someone else. The moonlight washed away her life, her troubles… She was no longer Riza Hawkeye; she was just a woman. Simply a woman, a woman who was not a slave to the military, a woman who had a loving husband… Riza bit her lip, willing the images of a happy life to leave her mind forever. There was no ideal paradise; it may seem like it at first but the longer you stay the more tainted it becomes. She knew that with startling certainty which is why she could not even begin to comprehend why her thoughts traveled to the subject so frequently. Secretly, it was what she yearned for, what every sane human being wanted. Wasn't it? Maybe was the elusive answer.

"Moon gazing?" A masculine voice cut through her weighted thoughts like a knife through butter. She came to the surface of her solitude and she felt like she was gasping for air. Despair was humanities way of drowning itself. She glanced in the direction of the radiating heat that slowly slithered around her form. Blond locks tinged with sun, molten gold eyes that burned with such intensity that Riza feared she would go blind. Someone who was as much of a sinner as she should not be permitted to gaze at the light without paying an equivalent exchange.

She had a distinct feeling she would meet him when the time was right.

"Good evening Edward." He ran callused fingers through silken locks and replied,

"Evening, Lieutenant." A simple exchange of words with such formality. Riza flinched, she was undeserving of such a title but the reason was unclear even to those familiar with her past.

"We're off duty. Calling me by first name is appropriate in such circumstances." Gold met crimson and time had no meaning. Even her breathing seemed to slow, nonexistent to their ears. There was a spark of deeper understanding within Edward's eyes. She stiffened under his scrutiny, it was not hurtful scrutiny, but she felt uncomfortable knowing that he was peeling layer upon layer away until he was met with her bloody mass of a soul. She quickly sought concealment from his eyes and looked away. He could read her too easily at times. She didn't want to be easy to read. Her heart was too complicated to wear on her sleeve, but Edward could delve past the barriers she had built so carefully around herself and discover what she truly was. A little girl hiding in the broken, tattered form of a woman with life fading from her eyes. Suddenly, Edward's eyes lit up with the creation of a thought. A very brilliant thought if he did say so himself.

"Care to join me tonight?," he tilted his head in question, causing his bangs to shift drastically. Fighting back the urge to brush the strands behind his ear she replied,

"Is that a date, Major?" Riza raised a delicate eyebrow and let a small smile grace her lips.

"Edward. And yes, it's a date. Sort of." He gave her a heart-warming smile and she couldn't help but agree to his offer.

"Very well. I'd love to accompany you… as an escort of course." He was shocked that she accepted, slightly.

"I'm going to ditch the babysitter, thanks." He took off, weaving down the street nearly plowing into people.

"Edward, get back here you're acting childish!" With a small chuckle she pursued him, only in order to reprimand him of course.

"Oh-ho! Who's acting childish now?!" He put on a burst of speed, red coat fluttering behind him.

Suddenly, the ground lurched from underneath Riza's feet, as if it was alive and all she saw was the darkness of night. She braced herself for the brutal impact of body against cobblestones but it never came. She blinked in slight surprise as she felt warmth surrounding her.

"You all right, Hawkeye?" She gazed into molten amber for a moment before replying,

"Yes. Thank you." Her answer was brief and curt as she wasn't accustomed to physical contact; she was eager to slither out of the heat of his closeness. For a moment she was silent and listened to Edward's soft breathing; it was a small remedy from the daily strains of life, at least for her.

"Would you mind putting me down?" Her body was tense and extremely stiff; the only physical proximity she was familiar with was in combat.

"Oh, I don't know. "My escort" might try to escape and that would be a shame." He sighed dramatically, prolonging the effect.

"Edward, I…"

"C'mon, Lieutenant-"

"Riza."

"Riza, take a little time off from life. You look like you could use it."

"But I should-"

"See, you're already trying to escape. Just trust me on this one, okay?" He was stubborn but she was even more so. Her lips parted, rejection on her tongue when he interrupted,

"Trust me." Two simplistic words that undid her resolve. It wouldn't hurt to enjoy a little time off from life. Rich, pouty lips curved upward; she was smiling at him and she couldn't exactly place why. Danger sizzled through her veins.

"Edward… we're being followed."


Lustrous ebony dress shoes impacted with the cobblestones in swift, measured steps. They held power and a certain male elegance to them. Expensive cloth rustled with his movements, a ring of a doorbell sliced through the silence. Straightening of a tie and then stillness. The door opened revealing a disheveled blonde with bags under his baby blues.

"This is Havoc, the hopelessly single not Mustang. I'm currently unavailable, please leave your name and phone number and I'll never get back to you." The door slammed in his face, leaving him to simmer for a few moments. Roy snapped and in no time at all there was no obstacle between him and his jaw-clenchingly irritating Lieutenant.

"What did you do that for?!" His reaction time was five seconds too slow.

"Well, if you wanted your house to remain less than charbroiled you could've answered your doorbell in the first place," Roy annunciated his words, sharp and commanding.

"Yeah, yeah. I should have known. Anyway, what brings you here?" He didn't reply to his Lieutenant's question, instead letting his ebony eyes scan the shabby environment of his coworker and caught sight of more than a few dust bunnies lurking in the corner. They seemed to snarl at him as he stepped further into the mess.

"Jesus Havoc, don't you have a maid?," Roy ran a finger across a nearby countertop and grimaced at the grime he collected.

"Last time I checked. I think… I didn't get payed enough for that." Roy inhaled painfully, jabbing at his heart with his thumb, bristling the coarse material of his suit,

"That hurt right here, Havoc."

"I don't believe you. Why exactly did you-"

"Decide to visit? That's simple, really. I'm going out and I need a favor." Havoc looked suspicious, what could Mustang possibly need him for?

"What kind of favor?"

"I need you to go undercover and obtain information for me. Your destination is not far from here."

"I never said yes!"

"But you didn't say no either."

"Yes I-"

"Shut up. Here's what you're going to do…" A wicked glint inhabited ebony eyes, causing unease to spread through Havoc's body.


A soft, warm atmosphere slithered around them, relaxing and soothing. Riza studied Edward for a moment and pondered why he looked at her that way. Was he admiring, no that couldn't be it. She took in the beauty of the restaurant, it was not overdone, simple. She averted her eyes back to molten amber. Her heart beat furiously in her chest but she wore the façade of being unaffected.

"You chose a beautiful restaurant, simple yet elegant."

'Just like the woman sitting across from me.'

"Actually, it was Alphonse's idea. He's better at this kind of thing."

"What kind of "thing" are you talking about?," Riza couldn't help but let a smile grace her features at Edward's inability to answer. He looked like a deer in headlights, frozen to the spot.

"Well, uh… making a female, a slight pause," happy?" His voice was hopeful; he wanted to say the right thing. Wine-colored eyes softened at the knowledge that he tried.

"Thank you Edward." He blushed slightly and nervously rubbed the back of his head; he wasn't used to getting praise. Especially not from women with such delicate grace and poise.

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure really; I was tired of sitting and staring across from me at an empty seat." His eyes took on the look of someone with grievous burdens on his soul and then simmered to bright intensity once again.

"Anyways, it's kind of stupid to sit at a table for two when there's only one person."

"I see your point," Riza's eyes darkened as she felt sadness flare out and encompass her soul. She shook away its hold on her; she wanted to enjoy the evening.

"Something's odd about that man over there. Doesn't he look familiar?," Edward tilted his head in his general direction and she had to agree. Something wasn't right.