My Reasons

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

Author's note: lol I had so much fun writing the end of this chapter…sighs I love scandal ;)

Heart of Flame – She wasn't exactly feeling faint when she shook her head, her vision was mostly blurring, it wasn't until she shook her head that she felt like she was going to faint.

errr – The manga is fantastic! …especially if you like Royai. There are lots of fun little tidbits…especially when Barry the Chopper appears on the scene ;) (I've got a link to read the manga online if you need it)

I'm glad to see everyone seems to be enjoying the story, well here's the next chapter…

Chapter 7 – Wake-Up Call

Riza blinked her eyes painfully in the fluorescent light. 'What hit me?' she thought dizzily. She was lying on her back in a hospital room…but she didn't remember lying down. Riza tried feebly to sit up, but the moment she moved her stomach jumped and she dropped back down to the soft pillows. She tried to take in her surroundings but what she was seeing didn't make any sense. She was hooked up to an IV and she was no longer in her military uniform, but in a hospital gown. None of it seemed to register with her at first. 'I'm not in the hospital…that's where Mustang is—Mustang…where's Mustang?' She tried to sit up, but still she was unable. She looked down at her arm and noticed how itchy the IV felt under her skin. She started to remove it but a familiar voice stopped her, "Don't touch it."

She turned her head toward the voice, it was Mustang. Somehow she hadn't noticed him there. She was stunned, the past rushed back to her, she'd passed out and now she was lying in the hospital bed next to Mustang's. She tried to open her mouth to speak, to ask what had happened, but he answered her before she could form the question. "You passed out." He explained quietly. He sounded as if he was afraid she'd start yelling at him. "The doctors said that you were severely dehydrated…the IV is supposed to give you fluids." The room grew quiet. There were so many things she wanted to ask him…all those things she'd said to him, she really wasn't sure if she'd actually said any of them at all. 'Maybe I was just hallucinating…Oh, God I hope I was.' Riza realized the consequences of her actions. If she really had said all those things to him then things would change between them forever…he'd probably find a way to get her transferred. Just the thought made her cringe…the thought of never getting to see that annoying smirk on his face again…the thought that his eyes would never burn holes in her. She'd told him that she'd hated all those things about him…but it wasn't totally true…she hated those things about him…they infuriated her, but somehow it was those little things about him that just made her care more—oh it was too confusing. She loved him more than she wanted to admit, but her anger had got the best of her. 'How do you tell someone you're supposed to keep at arm's length that you go too close?' Her original thoughts echoed in her head once more '...Well not by telling them you hate them' she responded to herself. Riza glanced in his direction. He wasn't looking at her…she didn't blame him. 'If he would have said that stuff to me I'd never look at him again either. On top of that I probably looked ridiculous fainting like that.'

In actuality, he felt guilty…Roy couldn't bear to look at her when he knew it was his fault that she was there. 'If it hadn't been for me…she would have eaten and wouldn't have practically starved herself…if it hadn't been for me she wouldn't have had to stand watch all night. If it hadn't been for me she wouldn't be in the hospital right now.' There were so many things he needed to say to her…but he just couldn't seem to find a decent starting point. The silence in the room soon became too much for him to bear. "D-do you want me to call the nurse to get you something to eat?" he asked clumsily. Clumsy wasn't his style, far from it in fact. With any other woman he was suave, calm, collected…completely on top of things. All he had to do was flash his trademark smirk and they all melted. It was never that way with Riza. She was too strict and soldier-like to fall for a simple wink and grin. Maybe that was one of the reasons he'd found her so tempting…she was the one he couldn't get.

Hawkeye nodded slowly to his question—she couldn't make her mouth work…'I'd happily never eat again if I never had to face Roy again.'

"Nurse! Nurse!" He shouted, his voice was a little hoarse from whispering, "She's awake!" Moments later the nurse that Hawkeye had talked to earlier strolled in with a large plate of food. She sat the food down on a movable tray and placed them in front of Hawkeye.

"I knew there was something wrong with you earlier when I saw you sitting out in the hall." The nurse started. "I said to myself, 'Nancy, that girl is deathly ill and you should tell someone!' It's just too bad you wouldn't take my help sweetie." Hawkeye inwardly groaned…this woman was apparently a talker. "Well as soon as you walked in here honey I knew, I just knew you'd fai-"

"-Don't you have somewhere to be?" Roy interrupted.

The nurse looked a little stunned, "Well, I've got a few rounds, but-"

"-then why don't you get to that?" He said, trying to urge her to leave.

The nurse looked indignant, "Now, I was ordered to make sure this lady ate all of this and I'm not leaving unti-"

"Leave! I'll make sure she eats it all." Roy said, he was beginning to get quite rude. It was bad enough that he and Hawkeye had had that falling out, but now this irritating waitress-turned-nurse was going to talk them both to death.

"Well I never-"

"Well now you have!" he said. "Go on, LEAVE."

The nurse pursed her lips angrily, "No! I work here and I have every right to go and be where ever I want!"

Roy's eyes narrowed and then suddenly his face relaxed, "You right." He said, seemingly agreeing with her. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have been rude to you—especially not to such a beautiful woman as yourself."

The nurse became slightly flustered, it was clear she wasn't often agreed with, let alone told that she was beautiful…not that she was ugly or anything…she was just plain. "Oh, well. I supposed I was being a bit rude myself…" Roy flashed her his trademark smirk and the nurse couldn't help but blush.

"Ma'am, please forgive me for my rudeness, but it's just that the woman you're serving is my wife and well we haven't seen each other alone for a while if you know what I mean." It was a good thing that the nurse's back was to Riza because Riza almost fainted again. 'His WIFE! What kind of idiot would believe we were married?'

"…excuse me sir?" the nurse obviously not getting what he was trying to say.

"You see, just before all this business…we were having a little spat and well I think we'd like to make up—in private if you know what I mean…" Roy said, in a very suggestive tone.

"…make up…after a…fight…" nurse mumbled under her breath, apparently trying to put 2 and 2 together. "Oh!" she said, blushing suddenly as she finally realized what he meant. The nurse hurried out of the room. "I'll make sure to lock the door on my way out…oh and don't forget to make her eat…after you're done…m-making up.."

The door slammed matter-of-factly, the pair could clearly hear the lock click into place. Riza looked at her superior, stunned. "You bastard! You made her think that we were going to screw around after she left!" Riza tried in vain to throw one of her pillows at him, but she was still too weak and couldn't do more than loosen the pillow from behind her head.

"Damn it, I had to tell her something to get rid of her! Me and you have some issues to work out and I'm sure as hell not going to talk out our problems in front of some nosey nurse!" Roy replied angrily…sure it hadn't been the perfect solution to the nurse problem, but just telling that nurse to leave sure wasn't working and the "make-up sex" plan was the next best bet.

I've got exams on Thursday so I might not update for a few days.