Hello y'all!

This chapter is set after Ishval in 1909, and finishes during canon (ep 31), when the team is split across Amestris and Riza is transferred under Bradley's command in 1914.

The first part of this chapter is the longer, and I've felt it when I was translating it. The other 3 parts were much easier and shorter to translate. I think that I was a bit tired during the 3rd part, because my brain told me "if it's 'bride', so it must be 'broom'?" Don't worry, I corrected it (it wouldn't have been nice for Hughes)

There will be a nice aesthetic on my tumblr (don't hesitate to take a look!)

Disclaimer: FMA belongs to Hiromu Arakawa

Enjoy!

Part II: Military years

September 1909

"Chief-warrant officer Hawkeye, come with me to the next meeting."

Riza raised her head from her reports to glance at Lieutenant-Colonel Mustang, surprised. Since she had begun her service under his command three months ago, he'd never asked her to come with him for his meetings with the HQ brass.

"Are you sure, Sir?" She asked, frowning.

"Absolutely. I…" he hesitated for an instant. "I've got a case to defend, and I know you took a big part in it. Except in the case where I make a mistake, you won't have to speak, but I'd like you to support me."

"Is that the Audrey case?"

Her superior officer nodded. The Audrey case was a delicate one. Assigning it to Mustang was a way to test him, Riza had realized when she'd seen its complexity. During the last months, several women had been harassed by an Ishval veteran, who had been discharged from the military after a severe injury. The common point of these women was their name, Audrey, the same as the culprit's ex-wife. He hadn't liked that she'd cheated on him during his absence, so he'd asked for divorce. But it wasn't enough, so he'd hunted women who wore the same name, only to take revenge for his ex-wife infidelity. After several similar complaints, the case had reached East City HQ, where Mustang and his reduced team had been charged with it. Newly promoted Lieutenant-Colonel Mustang and his adjutant had gone interviewing the victims. All of them had mentioned a limping man with a burn on his face. Thanks to these clues, they had looked for veterans, especially from Ishval. Warrant officer Vato Falman, who worked in the archives service, had found the right file, allowing the suspect to be arrested and referred to the Court.

Mustang had discovered in Falman a real gem to gain knowledge and information and asked him to join his team.

Trying the culprit hadn't been the most complicated task of the case. The real challenge were the next steps. How to repair the harm made to the victims? How to detect traumatized veterans' deviant behavior? How to avoid other cases like this one in the future?

That task had been hard, although specialists of psychic and psychologic traumatisms had helped them, and they had managed to find solutions. Mustang had now to present these solutions to his superior officers and get their approval to set up actions.

"I don't doubt your ability to expose your arguments for these solutions, Lieutenant-Colonel," Riza said. "However, if you need support, I can be there."

"Thank you." Mustang smiled, and Riza saw once again the boy she'd fallen in love many years ago. She kept a deadpan face, but her heart was beating fast. Since they'd seen each other again in Ishval, they'd never spoken about what had happened between them when she'd given him the secret tattooed on her back. They'd agreed to hide his flame alchemy's origins, and since then they'd behaved as a superior officer and his subordinate. At least in public.

For a few months now, Riza had discovered a new aspect of Roy's personality that she didn't know yet. He was a leader. She knew he wanted to protect other people, and despite his actions in Ishval, he wanted, more than everything else, to reach the top to change the country. His team was only her and Falman for now, plus a few soldiers who helped in some missions, but she was certain it would expand with time, and he would build his leading skill. Because of his youth and ambition, he was a formidable opponent for older officers, and younger officers and soldiers admired his strength of character.

However, she'd learnt early that paperwork wasn't Roy's teacup and quickly found a way to motivate him. He'd allowed her to shoot him if he strayed away from his path, so she could at least threaten him with it. It was her way to tell him she cared for him now that the military forbade them to say it. They'd found some other means, but they'd have to be extra-careful to share a few gestures and glances that could send them in Court martial should they be caught out.

The afternoon came, and with it the time for the meeting. Riza followed Roy through the hallways to the room she only knew from the exterior. She'd often waited for him there when his meetings were too long, worrying for him, ready to tell him the latest news.

They entered the room where a few officers were waiting. Riza recognized General Hakuro from New Optain, and the contemptuous glance he gave to Mustang gave her a glimpse of his personality. At the end of the long table was sitting an old man with a big mustache and the rank of a Lieutenant-General. Her instinct told Riza he was the commandant of East City HQ. And something shining in his eyes behind his round glasses, looked oddly familiar.

She imitated her SO and greeted all of them.

"Lieutenant-General Grumman, it's an honor to see you for this meeting. May I present you the Chief-warrant officer Riza Hawkeye, my adjutant? She's done a lot for this case, so I wanted her to be here today."

Grumman smiled and nodded, looking straight into Riza's eyes. She knew who he was. Her memories were going back, after all these years, she reunited with him, at last. Granddad. Her last family member was her commanding officer in the military. Father had told her he was in the military but hadn't said anything else. Riza hid her unease the best she could. She couldn't let anyone suspect something was going on. She didn't know if Grumman had recognized her, although they weren't lots of women called Riza Hawkeye in the military.

During the meeting she often felt the old man glancing at her, and more than once she saw Roy looking at him, without stopping speaking. He didn't seem malicious, but she presumed he was wondering why she was observed in such an indiscreet way.

Riza added some details to Roy's presentation, and when he stopped talking, the General seemed satisfied.

"Well done, Lieutenant-Colonel Mustang. You did a great job. You've been efficient, and I think that the point of view of a woman might have helped a lot."

Roy turned to Riza, and she could see a quick thankful smile appear on his lips. "Since I know her, the Warrant officer Hawkeye has always been my best support," he declared proudly.

His words moved Riza, but she worried. Nobody should know they knew each other before Ishval. Nobody should know they were bonded by the secret of Flame alchemy. She knew however that if Grumman were aware of Father's research, he would suspect that they'd met before what they pretended. But he didn't say anything about it and smiled, saying they should be proud to trust each other so much in such a short time.

The other Generals rose, some without a word, as Hakuro, some with a congratulation or a greeting to Mustang. Then, he rose in turn.

"I will suggest Warrant officer Hawkeye for a promotion. She deserves it, even if she's young. If my subordinates don't follow me in my ascension, it'll be harder for me to climb the ranks."

Riza couldn't believe it. He was announcing his will to climb to the highest ranks of the military to his own commanding officer, without any doubt or fear. She glared at him, knowing she looked surprised. Grumman exploded in laughter, starting her.

"You're ambitious, my young friend! I'll keep the promotion of your subordinate in mind, we'll talk about it in no time. About the actions you decided for Audrey's case, they're really good. I'm supportive of setting them up. I'll ask the other officers for their opinion. Warrant officer Hawkeye, you'll come to pick the results around 1800. Don't worry if it takes some time, Lieutenant-Colonel," he added with a mischievous light in his eyes. "We'll simply take a tea."

Anger passed briefly through Mustang's face, followed by relief. Then, he smiled politely. "Of course. If it's only for tea, I cannot worry. Do you have any oppositions, Hawkeye?"

Riza shook her head. "None, Sir. I hope you'll work hard during my absence, that's all." She said in a firm tone.

Grumman laughed again. "You seem the discrete type when people see you the first time, but you've got a strong character! With you by his side, Mustang will go wherever he wants!" In these words, he rose, greeted them, and left.

On the way back, they stayed silent, both thinking. It was only when they arrived in his office that Riza turned to him. "A promotion? What's wrong with you?" She asked, keeping her voice flat.

"You deserve it, Hawkeye. I think I should have talked with you earlier, because I think you should have already been promoted since the day you're under my command." Riza was about to protest, but he stopped her, raising his hand. "Therefore, as I told Grumman, I'll get more credit if my subordinates advance at the same pace than me. And you're allowed to be ambitious yourself."

Ambitious for herself? Riza smiled. "You know well that I wish to see you reach your goal, and to do that, I'll need to be as close as possible from you when it'll happen. I told you I would follow you into hell, so I won't go far from you." She knew that her words had another meaning, but they had to keep a professional facade.

Roy seemed surprised, then his lips stretched into a smile. "So can I register you for advancement?"

"While it's possible, you can."

Roy nodded, satisfied by her answer. He took his alchemist watch out to look at the time. Riza suddenly saw that something dear to her missed from the top of the silver watch. She frowned, and Roy saw how annoyed she looked.

"What's happening?"

Riza started, caught out. There might be a good reason for the absence of her hair strand in Roy's watch, but she couldn't help but feel worried he could have thrown it. When they'd reunited in Ishval, when Kimblee and Hughes had left, they'd stayed alone. Roy had asked for her forgiveness for the way he'd used her father's secret. He'd told her he regretted nothing about what they'd done before his departure, she was still the only one he wanted in his life. The proof was the strand, wrapped in a thin red ribbon, that he kept in his watch.

And that strand wasn't there anymore. Riza glanced at Roy, not knowing if she should ask him where it was. She looked at the watch, as if it could answer her silent questions.

"I've lost it." She looked back at Roy as his voice rang. He looked at her, sorry. "Your strand, I've lost it," he began. "I'm sorry for not telling you about it. I've changed my watch, and when I wanted to put your strand in the new one, it had disappeared from the old one."

"What happened?"

Roy sighed, as if what he would say was hard. "Do you remember Heathcliff Erbe?" Riza nodded, and her heart trembled at his sweet voice. "After I finished military academy, I kept contact with him, but one day all stopped. I understood when I learned they were cleaning the ranks from ishvalan soldiers and officers. The last time I saw him, we were on opposite sides. I had killed everyone from his group, and he shot me. Hughes was there, he killed him. I got nothing more than concussions because my watch protected me."

Roy opened a drawer and took out a box Riza had never seen before. When he opened it, she could see the broken watch with a hole in one side. She realized how he must have felt that day. One of his friends had shot him, before he'd got killed by another friend. And he'd kept on fighting with that.

"After Ishval, I asked for another watch. I never left the old one when I was waiting for the new one, but when I wanted to do the transfer, your strand had disappeared."

"Oh…" Riza didn't know what to say. She was relieved he'd lost her hair, but the reason was hard to process. Nobody could say that losing a friend, even if said friend had become an enemy, was easy. She cleared her throat and asked with a wavering voice. "Do you want another one?"

Roy's eyes widened and he smiled softly. Riza cursed her knees and heart for weakening in front of that unstoppable attack from him. She managed to keep a straight face though.

"I would be very happy."

Riza didn't wait more and walked to his desk to take scissors from the drawer where he kept them. She chose a strand from her bangs, where the cut would stay unseen. Then she gave it to Roy with fingertips. He was greedier and took her whole hand, retrieving her strand in the same move and putting it on his desk. He bent toward her and kissed her skin between her wrist and palm, and Riza shuddered under his touch.

"Roy." He raised his eyes at her restrained voice. "You know we…"

"Can't do it." He finished her sentence with pleading eyes. "Just this moment, please."

"All right," Riza breathed.

Keeping their hands entwined, they stepped toward each other. Riza put her head on Roy's shoulder, and he nestled his on the crook of her neck. She breathed in a long inspiration, absorbing the scent of her superior officer. He smelled of soap and his natural scent. She smiled, recalling the first time he'd taken her in his arms, that spring evening, years ago. They'd lived through so much since that day, and now their goal was to right their wrongs, without making the mistakes of the past. That wouldn't erase their bad deeds, but the world they would leave behind would be happier.

"I feel like I don't deserve you," Roy whispered. "I realize each day how lucky I am because you're at my side, despite what I did with the secret you trusted me with."

"I hadn't realized back then that the military would use you as a human weapon. I know you didn't willingly take part in the slaughter. I'm as guilty as you are, so I'll follow you until we'll have restored Amestris and Ishval. I'll follow you even further if you want."

Roy nodded and she enjoyed the simple sensation of his cheek on her ear. Reluctantly, she parted from him. "It's time to get back to work," she said as she put back her mask of the uncompromising adjutant.

Roy winced and squeezed Riza's hand one last time. He sat on his armchair and took the strand to wrap it with a thread he'd found in a drawer. He put it gently in his watch. "Thank you, Hawkeye. I'll take great care of it."

A faint smile passed on her lips as she left the door. "Don't forget to work, Lieutenant-Colonel!" She said while closing the door.

Warrant officer Falman raised his head. "How was the meeting?" He asked.

"Fine. It seems that General Grumman liked our propositions. He must speak with other high-ranked officers to know if our actions can be set in motion. I'll pick up the results later."

The grey-haired officer seemed satisfied, and they went back to their files and reports. However, Riza wasn't as focused as she wanted to be. Thinking about the meeting with Grumman was making her nervous.

When the time came, the weight in her stomach had exacerbated and she walked reluctantly toward the office of HQ commanding officer. Of her grandfather.

From her memories, she remembered a man who smiled a lot, who took her on his lap to tell her stories that were different from her fairytale books. The princess was still a princess, wearing a princess dress, acting like a princess should, dreaming of a charming prince, but she took her fate in her own hand and got out of her tower by herself. The knight on his white horse was still handsome and strong, but he was shy when he talked to the princess. They fought together against many threats. They didn't fall in love at first sight but learned to know each other as they lived many adventures, and as time passed, they discovered their feelings and married, either with fanfare, or in secret because they lived a forbidden love.

Riza had always loved these stories, because she wanted to live the same adventures as the princess, make her own choices and be happy with the man she would have chosen herself. When she thought about it, her life was like those of the rebel and reckless princess since she'd chosen it too. She'd chosen to be part of the military, she'd decided without constraints to follow Roy Mustang in his path to the top, she'd committed her life to improve her country, even if she had to give her life to atone for her sins.

Dreading the impending meeting, she knocked at Grumman's door. Much to her surprise, a well-known face appeared as the door opened. "Rebecca?" She exclaimed.

Rebecca Catalina, a cadet from the year after hers in the academy, stood in front of her, as surprised as she was. "Riza!" She moved to let her enter and smiled. "It's been so long! How are you? Why are you here?"

"Stop asking me so many questions!" Riza couldn't hide her own smile. "You look good! To answer your questions, I think we'll need more time than that. I'm here to see General Grumman."

"So, you're his 1800 appointment, added in the last minute!"

"Sorry to give you more work," Riza apologized as she understood that her friend was the General's assistant.

Rebecca shook her head. It wasn't that kind of thing that gave her more work, she replied. They could catch up with a drink when Riza would find a moment sometimes. As Riza accepted, she smiled happily and led her to Grumman inner office.

He rose when she entered. Riza saluted.

"At ease, Hawkeye. Thank you Catalina, can you bring us some tea? You may leave after that. Have a good evening!"

Rebecca looked confused but smiled at Riza before leaving them alone and closing the door.

"Well, Hawkeye, I think you know why you're here," Grumman began. He waved to the couch in the middle of the room. Riza sat and he settled in the armchair facing her. "The official reason is because I must give you the result of our deliberations after Mustang's presentation. The other, well… we both know it."

Riza nodded, and her nervosity increased again. Grumman told her how they'd discussed. Most of the officers were favorable to the actions, and only Hakuro had been reticent to them.

"Anyway, he sees Mustang as a threat. He doesn't like to see a kid like him raising so fast near him."

"Lieutenant-Colonel Mustang started with an advantage with the State alchemist exam," Riza exposed.

"Well said! Here are our recommendations. I count on you to give him." Grumman gave her a thin file, and Riza placed it next to her. Rebecca entered the room, carrying a tray. She put two cups on the coffee table and left. The old man's stance changed, and his eyes shone with a soft light, different from his mischievous one.

"How long has it been?"

"Eleven years since our last holidays together," Riza replied, a lump forming in her throat. "Next month it'll be eleven years since Mom's death."

Grumman sagged in his seat, pained. "I never took the time to see her all these years, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you back then. So much has happened since, and I fear our bond is broken."

"I don't regret the days I spent with you. It's been hard because I was alone."

Grumman almost growled in anger. "Berthold was so focused on his research he couldn't take care of his own daughter. How did you hold up for so long without a protest?"

"I was afraid of him," Riza whispered. "I never dared say anything to him, I feared he would hit me. I've always known he loved Mom more than me. So I became a responsible girl, I grew up with the ghost of a father, in a silent house I had to maintain. But it changed when his apprentice came."

Riza hid her smile as she recalled the first months of Roy's apprenticeship. He'd helped her with some tasks as hanging out the wash or cutting wood. She'd seen him sweeping dead leaves in the yard on a windy day. That hadn't made his task any easier. She took the cup in front of her and took a sip of tea. It was really good, different from the one they had in the office.

"That apprentice, he was Roy Mustang, wasn't he?"

Riza nodded. She couldn't fight Grumman's perceptiveness. He brought his cup to his lips. "I knew your father was working on flame alchemy, but I didn't know he was done with it before I saw that young man, fresh from the academy, demonstrating in an impressive way his power during his State alchemist exam. But I only linked him to you when he made a demand to have you under his orders. Why did your father trust him with his secret? I know how he hated the military."

"Father gave me the result of his research. I was the one who gave it to Mustang. Back then, I thought only about his goal, not about the use the military could have made of flame alchemy." Riza had kept an even tone, but something in her grandfather's eyes made him understand that he wasn't fooled.

"His goal must be beautiful, if you follow him despite his actions in Ishval."

"I did wrong there too. I carry my own burden, the weight of the dead, on my shoulders. I know that if I help him climb to the top, I'll find some respite, even if my sins won't be forgiven."

Grumman sighed. "You've grown too fast. You never got the time to enjoy your childhood and your teen years, and you're already an adult who's been through too much in her life. I hope that your next years will be more peaceful."

Riza laughed lightly, and Grumman glanced at her. "I feel like the phenomenon I have for a superior officer won't make the next year uneventful!"

Grumman smiled. The mischievous light in his eyes was shining again, and Riza knew he was thinking about something. He put his cup down in the saucer. "Do I make a mistake if I say that you two share more than a superior-subordinate relationship, and more than a friendship?" He was astute, and Riza realized that he wouldn't be fooled by lots of people.

But she could admit out loud that she loved Roy and he loved her back. "What if it's the case?"

"Then I would tell you to be careful. You would risk too much if someone were to know about you. But you won't have to keep it from me. If he's the one who makes you happy, then I'm on your side. If you'll have me as your grandfather despite my absence and silence."

His words moved Riza. She knew that what Roy and she lived together was forbidden, and that they could be court-martialed if the army discovered them. But if Grumman supported them, it would be comforting. She finished her tea.

"Thank you, grandfather."

The General opened wide eyes when he heard the name she'd given him for her first years. Then, he settled more comfortably in his seat, his hand stroking his huge mustache that was hiding a happy smile. "I feel like the next events will be interesting, and I'll carefully watch Mustang's rise to the top. By the way, he talked about a promotion for you earlier. I'll approve his demand because he'll need lots of support. I think I'll give him some advice to climb even faster."

"Can I tell him about our family tie?"

Silence settled for a moment in the office. "Not now! I want to see him wondering how I'll be talking about when I'll offer him to marry my granddaughter."

"How can you think about that?"

"And you? Don't you think about that sometimes?"

Riza didn't say anything. Of course, she often thought about that. She dreamed about that future where she could show her love to the world. She thought more often than sometimes and knew that Roy shared the same dreams. But there were so many things to do before they could obtain the freedom to love each other. She nodded eventually.

"Very well, but I'll be the one who'll tell him when he'll ask you who's your granddaughter."

On these last words, she rose and took the file she would add to the Audrey case.

"By the way, what happened to your hair? You were so proud of it, you wanted to have it as long as your mother had it."

"Taking care of it was too difficult after Mom died," Riza replied softly. And Father wouldn't touch it. When I grew up, I thought it was much simpler to keep it short. Especially in Ishval."

"You never thought of letting it grow back?"

Often of course, since it was something Roy wanted, but she didn't know if long hair would bother her. "One day I'll decide to let it grow on an impulse. But I think it won't be right now."

She pushed the door, smiling, and left the room.

May 1910

In the cart there that was carrying them to Resembool train station, Riza was thinking about the conversation she'd got with that young girl, Winry Rockbell, while glancing at Roy. One thing was certain: she was in the military for him, and only for him. She liked his goal and wanted to help him reach it. Amestris deserved to be protected by someone who really cared, someone who'd work to make Amestrian citizens safe and happy. Despite the naïveté of his goal, Riza knew that she loved Roy for that. He cared about others, even if he usually didn't look like he did. Until the day he would reach the top, she would protect him with all her strength. As she'd told the girl, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot if it was useful for him.

The train wouldn't arrive before an hour, so they sat on a bench on the platform to wait for it. Roy seemed deep in thought, and Riza understood that he was thinking about the boys they had just met. She didn't know how to do alchemy, but she knew enough about it to understand that human transmutation was a taboo. Yet both brothers had tried to do it, and they'd lost limbs and body. The death of their mother had made them lose hope to the point they'd violated one of the most important laws of alchemy. And her? Were she able to practice alchemy, would she try to bring back Mom? Even if she didn't know the risks?

No, she realized. Were she able to practice alchemy, Father would have been less distant with her, and their bond wouldn't be so thin. Mom's death would have been less hard to process.

She sighed, a bit relieved, at the same time as Roy. Surprised, they glanced at each other, then smiled. Her superior officer wanted to know what she was thinking. She let a few seconds pass before she shared her thoughts with him.

"Many things would have been different, I'm sure of it." It was the conclusion Roy had come with. "I think I couldn't be Master Hawkeye's apprentice, if you were already his student."

"Perhaps our ranks in the military would have been switched," Riza replied.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Riza Hawkeye, Flame alchemist, and her loyal subordinate, Second-Lieutenant Roy Mustang. It would seem odd."

"Especially when we know that you've never been Second-Lieutenant."

"That's the advantage of the State alchemist exam!" Roy joked. "However, I'd like you to be a Lieutenant-Colonel when I'll reach the top." He took Riza's hand in his.

"It'll depend on how fast you'll climb the ranks. Maybe my hair will be as long as my mother's then."

Roy turned to her, taken aback, and Riza couldn't hide her satisfied smile. "You're letting your hair grow? Since when?"

"Since I've met Winry Rockbell. I don't think you'll see the difference right now."

Roy's lips curved into a wide, happy smile. He played with her short strands with his free hand, then placed it on her cheek. Riza let him do it, enjoying the warmth of his palm, and dived in the darkness of his loving eyes. On an impulse, she grabbed his jacket and pulled him to her. He frowned but she reassured him. Nobody was around them. And what did simple citizens know about military laws?

She felt Roy's smile on her lips when they closed the space between them. As their kiss deepened, his hand went up on her back. Her arms circled his neck and she surrendered to his embrace. When they parted, breathless, she put her head on his torso, enjoying his closeness.

For one year now, they had only shared stolen moments like this: short, secret and too rare, but they'd given them a taste of eternity each time. The past year had been full of happy moments, between her reunion with her grandfather, with Rebecca, her promotion, and the arrival of two new members to the team. Warrant officers Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda were fresh from the academy and were friends since their first year. Breda could seem to be a soft man, he compensated his stoutness with a sharp mind and uncommon strategist skills that had made him valedictorian. Havoc looked like a simple man, but he was a man made for the field, committed to his missions and able to fight well with his fists and his gun equally. The atmosphere in the office had become even nicer, and Roy, to Riza's despair, had found friends to procrastinate with. Riza had never imagined that her daily life in the military would be made of watching over guys around her age. But she liked them, even when they insisted on going out altogether after work, for a drink or a restaurant. Thanks to that, she'd got to know them better, in a relaxed environment.

"Why did you suddenly decide to let your hair grow?" Roy whispered.

His thumb stroking her shoulder was calming, and Riza leaned on him more. "Because they suited the Rockbell girl, and I thought it would suit me as well."

"I've never doubted it."

Riza raised her head and saw the pride in Roy's eyes. She smiled and kissed him briefly. "Thank you Roy."

Since it was almost one hour after noon, they decided to eat the sandwiches that Riza had prepared. "As always, it's simple, but I feel like I'm eating the best food in the world, only because you are the one who cooked it," Roy said.

"Your opinion is a bit biased," Riza replied, flattered nevertheless.

"Do you resent me for that?"

Riza shook her head. She could resent him on certain things and let him know, but his subjectivity wasn't part of them, as long as it didn't overstep his authority as her superior.

"There's one kind of sandwich that I don't want to eat anymore in my life. I don't want to eat your 'goodbye' sandwiches. The ones you prepared when I left for the academy and later for my State alchemist exam tasted like sadness. You were sad when you prepared them, and I was sad when I ate them. And it was because we didn't know when we could see each other again, because we didn't want to part. I don't want to live that anymore."

Riza sat closer to Roy on the bench and took his free hand in hers, squeezing it lightly.

"I don't want to make these sandwiches anymore too, because I don't want us to be parted. So when you'll be called to Central, I will go with you."

Roy entwined their fingers and gave her a reassuring smile. "Not once I would want my team to be split, so I'll work to make you all leave for Central with me. We've known them only for a few months now, but Havoc, Breda and Falman are good soldiers, promising and efficient."

"We've got a good balance between field and support men, but I think we miss a link there. There's no one in com, and it's essential during missions. May I look for a man who could help us in that field?" Riza's tone was professional, but she didn't let go of Roy's hand.

"Do as you wish, Lieutenant, I trust you for that."

When a few travelers stepped on the station platform, they had to put some distance between them and got back to their usual behavior. Their moment of freedom was over. On the train, they sat across the other, and Roy read an alchemy book when Riza opened her mail from yesterday. She hadn't got the time to do so, since they'd left HQ late that day. She put away flyers from restaurants and shops of her aera and her gas bill, and found a square envelope, made with thick cream-colored paper. The writing was delicate, but she didn't recognize it. She opened the envelope and understood.

Maes Hughes & Gracia McDonnell

Are happy to invite you to their wedding ceremony

On the 18th of June 1910

In Central city hall

"Did you know about it?"

Roy raised his head at Riza's surprised tone. He arched a brow when he recognized the wedding announcement. "I'm Hughes' best man, of course I know about his wedding!" He replied in a humorous tone.

Riza rolled her eyes, sighing. "You knew I would be invited."

"Hughes may have told me once. He told me it would be more discreet if we come separately."

Of course, Hughes knew. He'd got doubts about their relationship in Ishval when he'd learned they already knew each other and said doubts had been confirmed later. He'd begun his service in legal affairs, and during a visit in East City to find files about some killers from the city he slept at Roy's apartment. But that night, unable to sleep after a nightmare about Ishval, Riza had run to Roy's, thinking he was alone. She'd knocked at his door, shivering, and had thrown herself into Roy's arms when he'd opened. But Hughes had been awoken too by her frenzy knocking on the door. He'd seen them as Roy tried to calm her and had assured them that he would stay silent about their relationship, because they would put their careers at risk if they were surprised. Would Roy be court-martialed, his chances to climb the ranks would be compromised. So he'd told no one about them but insisted that they would come see him each time they would go to Central. Thanks to these visits, Riza had met Gracia and they'd spoken a lot about life and choices. Hughes's fiancée was kind and cared about people around her. Her love for Maes was obvious, and when she'd learned about how Gracia had waited for him during Ishval, supported him after the war, even when he stayed silent about what he'd lived, Riza had known that she was an exceptional woman.

However, when she thought about Maes Hughes being allowed to freely marry the woman he loved, her heart tightened. Riza knew, since she'd decided to serve under Roy's orders, that they could never share as much as Gracia and Maes. Not until they wouldn't have paid for their actions.

"Will you go?"

Riza's eyes met Roy's uncertain eyes, and her lips curved into a sweet smile. "If you give me my weekend, without duty in HQ, of course."

Roy looked embarrassed for a moment. Then he admitted sheepishly that he'd made sure of keeping that day free as soon as he'd known the date of the wedding. He'd got no doubts about her answer, Riza realized tenderly. She locked her eyes on his and suddenly wanted these few weeks to pass in the blink of an eye.

June 1910

"Good afternoon to all of you, esteemed guests. I'm Roy Mustang, Maes' best man. Some of you may know me by name, but the only important people here are Gracia and her husband. I've met Hughes in the academy. I didn't like him at first, because of a quiche. But soon after, we've become rivals, then friends. I learned that he went into the military to be able to protect the woman he loved. I'll take a minute to tell you that he had nobody in his life at this point, and that Gracia is the first and only one who's managed to charm him and enter his life permanently. Gracia has been Maes' hope during the war. Thanks to the letters they've sent each other, he was able to keep going, because he hoped to see her again, to hold her in his arms. He's a strong man, because he knows how to keep things in perspective, to put aside what's not essential and focus on what's important. And what's important for him was to return alive from the war and reunite with Gracia. Gracia who's waited for him patiently, diligently. For that, I can only be glad that you're here. Gracia, thank you for taking care of my best friend. I wish you two to live a long and happy life together."

Roy sat while the wedding guests were applauding. Riza saw Hughes hugging him warmly and Gracia thanked him with a kiss on his cheek. He was at the groom and bride's table, too far from her so the few people who knew them couldn't think anything could exist between them beside a professional relationship. But it was unbearable to see him so handsome in his suit when she was so far from him, unable to do anything. They had come by the same train, they stayed in the same hotel, but for obvious reasons, and because Roy was the groom's best man, they hadn't gone together to Central city hall, nor to the reception hall. The room was ornate with white and fluffy curtains, colored flowers and wheat sheaves wrapped with shimmering ribbons. The rest of the setting was simple, to talk about Hughes' origins, since his parents were farmers.

Riza chased away her thoughts and watched the main table, where the bride's maid of honor had begun her speech about Gracia. But she didn't listen to her, focusing on Roy instead. He might have felt her eyes on him, since he turned his head and looked at her, smiling. Since the beginning of the celebrations, they had pretended they didn't know each other but still glanced at each other regularly. Riza hadn't seen any people from the military that she could know. They were only Roy and Maes' acquaintances. However, Riza had done enough in Ishval for her face to be known. But no one had asked her if she was the Hawk's Eye, and she was relieved.

Dinner was uneventful. On the menu was the famous spinach quiche, with fish or crayfish, a plate full of cheeses, and a slice of the huge pièce montée baked for the day. Riza chatted a bit with her table companions. They were Hughes' cousins, younger than her, and when they spoke about studies, Riza stayed silent. She had nothing to say that could be relevant about it.

When dancing time came, the bride and groom began the ball with a lively waltz. Riza was standing on the side, admiring the couples dancing. She startled when a hand landed on her bare arm and turned around. Roy was bent over her, a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Col…"

"Roy," he corrected quickly. "You're stunning in this dress, Miss. It suits you to perfection."

So, he was playing the role of the flirting man to enjoy their temporary freedom for the party. Riza smiled back at him, playing along with him. "You're not so bad too, sir. This suit fits you wonderfully."

"I'll keep that compliment. Would you like to dance with me?" She winked at Roy, stunned by her own audacity. She took his extended hand and followed him to the dancefloor. She enjoyed their propinquity, her hand in his, his other on the small of her back, and let him lead her, her eyes locked into Roy's onyx ones. For a moment, a dance, a night, they left behind their ranks, the military, and its laws.

When the bride and groom left the party, Roy and Riza took the opportunity to leave too and sought refuge in one of their hotel rooms. Next Monday morning would be painful with the return into real life, Riza thought briefly, before yielding to Roy's kisses and the heat of the moment.

November 1914

"Just don't get killed sir." Riza's voice had suddenly lowered, and she let her worry appear.

They were alone in Roy's office, so she could forget her usual mask. The team had been scattered across the country. Roy and she were staying in Central, but not together, because of King Bradley's orders. Riza wasn't worrying about her new position, but she dreaded the fact that she couldn't protect Roy anymore. Now, any attempt to see each other could be seen as a way to plot against the brass of the military. That was bare minimum for his own safety. Riza knew the wound Lust had given him hadn't totally healed, and she feared he would put himself in danger.

"Sure," Roy replied. "You must be anxious, huh?"

"Maybe I picked the wrong person to side with after all," Riza replied as she turned around.

Roy put his elbows on his desk, his chin on his hands. "Then go ahead and shoot me, if that's what you think. You promised me that you would."

"You haven't gotten quite that bad."

Roy laughed, and Riza felt like he was trying to lighten the mood as much as she was. He rose as she walked toward the door, her books under her arm. "You're too kind, Lieutenant."

Riza smiled and then regained her seriousness. She saluted the Colonel with a -she hoped- firm voice. After all, it was the last time they could be alone together. Her hand stayed up near her temple while she hesitated. When Roy turned around his desk and approached her, she understood he'd realized too that the sword of Damocles above them couldn't allow them to be alone like that.

The books fell to the ground, and she stepped toward him, resisting the pressing urge to throw herself into his arms. It was Roy who pulled her to him and hugged her desperately. Riza grasped his uniform. She didn't want to leave him.

"I don't like the fact that you'll be working under Bradley's orders," he growled. "I'm sorry I failed. Because I was unable to tell my enemies from my allies, I'm now alone, without support, among the wolves."

"I don't resent you," Riza breathed. "After all, I was the one who decided to stay and wait for you."

Roy moved apart, still holding her shoulders. He locked his eyes on hers and whispered, smiling. "We're way too reasonable." And he caught Riza's lips with his, kissing her as he wanted to leave a trace of him on her before they parted.

Was reasonable the best word to describe them? Riza brushed the thought away, kissing Roy back. She nibbled his lips and he licked hers. Her mouth opened to let him enter and their tongues danced together. Riza was so inebriated with Roy's taste and scent that she almost didn't feel he was unclipping her hair. Her hair clip fell on the mat and her blond strands cascaded over her shoulders. As she tightened her hold of her arms around his neck, he pulled her closer, one hand on the small of her back and the other lost in her hair. Riza felt thrilled, her body was asking for more and couldn't, didn't want to be parted from Roy's.

Yet the alarm ringing in her mind took over the rest. Reluctantly, she parted from him after one last kiss.

"Too reasonable, indeed," he murmured in her ear, sending delicious shivers in her spine.

Riza put her head on Roy's chest, enjoying his body warmth for a few more seconds. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair as he hugged her.

"Now that your hair is long, I don't get any opportunity to see it loose," he sighed. "But if these opportunities are exceptional, that makes them as precious as this moment, despite all we live and did, and I'll keep them as long as I live."

Riza placed a hand on Roy's uniform and stepped back. Her lips curved into a warm smile. "We may not deserve these moments, but I don't want to see them as mistakes. If it's all we can have, let it be that way. I know we won't get that kind of quiet moment for the next few months, so I'll engrave in my memory all the moments we lived, good and bad ones alike." She kissed Roy again and moved back, retrieved her hair clip on the floor and redid her usual hairdo before taking her forgotten book in her arms. Roy hadn't moved, but his eyes were full of adoration.

"You're making it hard, Colonel." Riza tried to reason him, but his professional behavior didn't take over as usual.

"I don't know when I'll get to look at you this way, so I'm enjoying the moment," he replied with a mischievous grin.

She sighed and left the room after one last advice. "One other thing: try not to slack off too much."