Thanks to all reviewers. And please, if you find a typo, tell me WHERE it is so I can correct it. :) English is my second language so sometimes I'm slow at spotting them. Thanks again!
Author's Notes: About Roy using Hawkeye's given name in the last 'chapter', don't worry. It's not something that will happen often and when it does, I'm just making a point: things ARE changing between them. But I know my canon, and even if -I- think that Roy may THINK of Hawkeye as 'Riza' in the privacy of his own thoughts, I know that he doesn't say her name aloud. :) And I think I'll have to post something similar in 'Big Dog' (check 'FMA oneshots' if you wanna se that one. Do NOT handle liquids while you're reading it, though.)
DISCLAIMER: See profile
WORDCOUNT: 402
RATING: PG-13.
SUMMARY: Tenth of TWELVE FICLETS. road trip: The one where Riza sleeps on the job, and Roy lets her.
A.N.: Written to the prompts from 12_fics (LJ Comm).
FEEDBACK: :) Pretty!
Written for cornerofmadness, at the Christmas Requests.
WARNING LABELS
10/12 - road trip
by Leni
It's six in the morning, and the racket of the train running on the tracks seems to echo into his brain. This mission is taking him and his team to the outer regions of Amestris, and they've been stuck in their compartment since early evening yesterday.
If they don't make any undue stops, they should reach their destination by seven. But in his experience, the further away from Central, the more undue stops on the way. They'll be lucky if they arrive in time to have a proper lunch before they must report to the local authorities.
"Are we there y-"
A quick glare cuts Fuery's whine short. "Keep it down," Roy says shortly.
The three men before him look at each other in obvious confusion, and Roy knows why. In other trips like this, he's been awake before five, and he'd expected his subordinates to follow suit. They know better than to comment on this odd behavior, though, and quickly settle to take the unexpected permission to fall back asleep.
Roy throws his head back and contemplates the metal ceiling.
Without having to turn around, he knows that in the furthest seat, a woman is curled in what cannot be a comfortable position. And yet, she's fast asleep.
He wonders at that. Usually she's the first to wake up after him, reviewing the strategy for the next days in her calm way until the others awaken. He could ask her if there's something wrong, but he already knows the answer: a quick 'No, sir' and a quicker getaway.
Besides, he has a good idea of what's wrong. For the last week she's disappeared for a complete hour before lunch. Finally curious, he'd asked around until someone had directed him to the shooting range. There, a grim-faced Hawkeye was systematically gunning down target after target. After watching her hit the mark with book perfect accuracy, he'd gone back to the office, but not before finding out that his second had been there every day, and sometimes until well into the night.
Well, that explained why Hawkeye hadn't been pushing to finish this month's reports after hours.
It also explained her determined look at the infirmary ten days ago.
It had only been a scratch and - Roy lifts his sleeve to check the mark - it probably won't even leave a scar. Another burn runs high in his right arm, from when he'd moved his hands out of range (snipers always aim at his gloved hands first - right before he uses them to take them out of combat).
Riza - Hawkeye - had looked shocked. As if the sight of his blood had somehow never come up in her plans. From her behavior afterwards, Roy gathers that she's taken an issue to bullets meant for him that aren't hers.
For that, he can forget for one day that he's thoroughfully bored with nothing to do in this compartment, with only the racket of a moving train as company.
She - It - is worth it.
cont. 11/12 blind date
31/12/08