A/N: Hello! :) Welcome to our story.
The idea for this fic came after we stumbled upon the story titled "The Hawk's Son" written by AnimeAddict1059. Not being finished (sadly) we decided to embark on our own adventure to try to make a story with this theme so we could read the scenes that come to our minds under this premise.
So you will find a lot of Royai and some touches of EdWin (so we both get to enjoy our favorite couples haha) throughout the story without neglecting obviously the parental focus of the Roy-Riza-Ed relationship.
Currently this story has been published for a few months in its original Spanish version (it's still in progress) but we couldn't wait any longer to share it with you so we made an effort to start translating it. English is not our native language so we apologize in advance if we missed some things.
To start this translation we will begin with the first two chapters of this fic (to explore the emergence of Riza and Roy's relationship, and to get to the beginning of the conflict that gives rise to the main plot) and then you will be able to read a new chapter on Saturdays every two weeks.
Please don't hesitate to share your opinions in the comments as your reviews make us very happy :D
Without further ado, we leave you the first two chapters hoping that you will embark on this adventure with us :)
Greetings!
Golden and Flame
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters don't belong to us. We are just having fun with them.
Chapter 1. Young love
Riza was in the dining room at her house doing her homework for school. She was 12 years old and was struggling to understand some chemical concepts and formulas. She was very dedicated and a perfectionist, so she expected nothing less than to get a good grade. The irony of it all is that her father, being an excellent alchemist, could easily explain to her the things she didn't understand about her homework, but since her mother's death years ago, he was locked up in his study. As a consequence, Riza had to learn to take care of household chores such as cooking, laundry, ironing and doing the shopping, without forgetting her schoolwork. While it is true that her father had almost completely neglected her, he had made it clear to her that he did not want to receive complaints about her behavior and performance at school.
Riza had felt very lonely since her mother's passing, since she had lost not only her mother but also her father. He rarely spoke to her and only occasionally accompanied her to the table to eat the food she prepared. The only interactions they had were when her father left her the meager money for the pantry in an envelope and when she took the food to his study.
Undoubtedly, her father had become a first-class hermit and to top it all off a fearsome one, because he had also neglected his personal appearance, generating fear among the villagers the few times he went out. Her schoolmates, as well as the adults, feared her father, so they only spoke to her or addressed her for what was strictly necessary, so by now, she had resigned herself to her new life.
However, a couple of months ago her life began to change with the appearance of her father's alchemy apprentice. She was very surprised to learn that her father would be teaching alchemy to someone, as he had never done it before with anyone other than Riza. She had been his student when she was younger, before her mother passed away, but she didn't have the aptitude for the subject, let alone the taste, so the classes didn't last long. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better if she had kept trying to please her father and thus perhaps she could have had a better communication with him.
Riza practically found out about her father's new student the same day he arrived, since she was only instructed to receive the boy, assign him a room and take care of his meals. She was really surprised that her father had accepted a complete stranger into his home with a daughter living under the same roof. That had really stressed her out the first few weeks, but fortunately the boy had so far behaved very respectful towards her and even friendly. Anyway, she only turned to him for what was strictly necessary and had her guard up, because if she didn't look out for herself no one else would.
"Good afternoon, Miss Hawkeye!" suddenly sounded from the entrance of the dining room, which surprised Riza who was very focused on her school work.
She jumped slightly and turned to where the person who had greeted her was standing. "Good afternoon, Mr. Mustang" She replied simply to the 15 year old black-haired boy.
"I'm sorry, I think I scared you." Roy said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
Despite addressing each other by their last names, from the first moment Roy tried to be friendly in the few conversations they had, leaving aside the formal treatment. However, Riza kept that formality as a barrier between them at all times.
Riza shook her head from side to side in denial mode. "Don't worry. It's just that I was too distracted reading that I didn't notice your presence."
The boy walked over towards Riza, he moved to the other side of the table from where she was positioned and looked at the books she was reading. "Problems with chemistry?"
She nodded. "Yes, a little, but nothing that can't be solved with some research."
"Don't you need help?" Roy asked suddenly.
Riza shook her head again. "No, thanks. I just need to keep reading."
"You could finish faster if you let me help you. Besides, I guess I'm not so bad with it." He said with a smile.
"I thank you, Mr. Mustang but I have to learn this on my own."
"Why don't you ask your father for help, he's very good."
"He's too busy with his research to waste time with nonsense." Riza said as she returned her gaze back to her books.
"You know, I have a method that could help you understand all those formulas in a simple way. You'd save yourself a lot of time and probably some sleepless nights."
"If you had a hard time figuring it out and stayed up all night for it too, why would you readily share your trick?" The girl asked without looking away from her books.
The black-haired boy went into thoughtful mode, bringing his right hand to his chin. "Hmm... because I don't like to see someone going through the same suffering as me and also because you've been so kind to welcome me in your house, not to mention the delicious meals you give me."
Riza raised her head to look at him, observing that the boy was sincere with his words. She didn't know how to explain it, but in a short time she had become familiar with his gestures and expressions. He was always kind and friendly with her (even though she was serious and cutting with him). He would even help her with some housework even though she always objected. But he always ended up getting his way by justifying that if he didn't help and her mother found out, he wouldn't live to tell about it, an argument that seemed very exaggerated on his part, but which internally made Riza laugh at Roy's expression of fear when he mentioned it.
Riza sighed. "I appreciate that, Mr. Mustang but I think you have too much work of your own to waste your time with this stuff." Riza mentioned trying to dissuade the boy from helping her. It wasn't because she didn't appreciate the gesture, but because she wasn't used to receiving help from anyone, no matter how minimal. The loss of her mother had forced her to be very independent and she found this kind of gesture very strange.
Roy sighed. "Don't be so stubborn and allow me to help you. It's true I have some chores to do that your father left me, but they can wait, besides I'm not in the mood to do them right now." She paused to look at the old wall clock in the room that read 6pm. "It would also be nice if you could get rid of your homework so we can cook dinner without any pending and then you can enjoy your evening."
Hearing the word dinner, Riza quickly turned to the clock. Geez, I've been so focused on understanding this that I lost track of time. She immediately stood up from the table. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Mustang, it's already late and I haven't even started cooking. You're probably very hungry by now."
Roy waved his hand in unconcern. "Don't worry about it. I was actually going to apologize for being late in coming over to help you with dinner."
Riza shook her head. "You know you don't have to, it's not your obligation, it's mine. Allow me a few minutes and as soon as dinner is ready I'll let you know." She said as she began to gather her things from the table to take them to the living room so she could then get to cooking.
"You also know that I have already told you that I am going to help you. Living under this roof means that I have to help with the chores." Roy replied as he helped her move her things.
The two headed to the living room where they deposited Riza's things on the coffee table. "You are very stubborn, Mr. Mustang."
Roy laughed. "Just like you. So let's do this: let's make dinner and when we're done eating and cleaning up I'll help you with your homework."
"But..." Riza was interrupted before she could finish the sentence.
"I don't take no for an answer." He started walking back to the kitchen. "Come on."
"Okay." Riza said defeated. "Thanks!"
That night the two of them cooked, ate dinner, and solved Riza's homework together.
As the weeks went by Roy realized that his teacher's daughter was a special person despite her serious and cutting behavior towards him and the people she interacted with. He knew from the look on her face, that behind that mask of seriousness there was a gentle and sweet girl who showed it with small actions, like bringing food up to his room when he lost track of time in his studies or when she offered him some extra blankets. Because of this, he refused to give up trying to win her friendship.
Also, with the daily coexistence, he noticed the practically null relationship that Riza had with her father and he imagined that maybe it would be something similar with her classmates, since he had never seen her come home accompanied, much less go out with friends. He associated all this to the loss of her mother. He knew and understood perfectly well all this having lost his parents when he was 3 years old, but unlike her, he had been fortunate enough to have his aunt take care of him and even though she was very strict and sometimes a little cold, he had the certainty of her affection and concern for his welfare, things he did not see from his sensei towards her daughter.
For her part, Riza was finding her father's young apprentice to be a nice guy and so far sincere. Whenever he could, he would join her for meals at the table, help her with some chores and try to make conversation with her. At first she thought he was trying to talk to her because he was bored with no one else to talk to or because he didn't know anyone in town. But after a while, she realized that the few times he went out to town to buy some personal items or when he helped her shop for the household pantry, he always had someone to talk to, mostly girls her age and even older than him. She would be lying if she said she was surprised that girls were chasing him, since he was a good-looking lad.
What did surprise her, though, was that he was always looking for a way to politely excuse himself to the girls so he could continue to help Riza with the shopping. Even when he was out on his own, she could tell that he didn't like to carry on much conversation with those girls unlike the ones he always sought to carry on with her. She couldn't help but wonder why he did that. So, without realizing it, Riza slowly let Roy into her life and began to feel comfortable with his presence and friendship.
"Mr. Mustang, please stop chopping vegetables and trying to read at the same time. Go to the table and read and I'll take care of dinner." Riza said to Roy as the two of them busied themselves with dinner. After 8 months of living together, they had become friends and used to chat a little more than they had at the beginning when Roy had first arrived and even joked a little.
When they were alone (which was most of the time, because Mr. Hawkeye rarely left his study), Roy started calling her by name. "Come on, Riza, we are supposed to be friends and therefore you have to call me by my name and less formally." Roy said looking at her.
Riza turned her head to her right to meet Roy's gaze. "I'm sorry, Mr..." She immediately cut off her sentence when she saw the black-haired boy's frown. "I'm sorry... Roy, but you must understand that I'm still getting used to it."
Roy smiled slightly as he heard her casually address him. "Sorry. I just hope you keep practicing so you don't forget." He said this last with a slight chuckle.
Riza only shook her head. "But as I was telling you, stop chopping vegetables and continue with your reading."
"Oh come on, this way I do two things at once. I need to understand this as soon as possible so your father doesn't get upset with me."
"That's exactly why you must just stay focused on your reading and I'll focus on dinner."
"It's not fair for you to do everything, I want to help you. Besides, some people read recipes while they cook."
"Yes, some do, but they are more experienced people. You can cut yourself if you continue like this." Suddenly Riza came up with a way to joke with him and a slight smile appeared on her face. "Not too long ago I read in a magazine at school about some studies where they say men can't perform more than one task at a time, so you'd better take my advice."
Roy frowned. "That's not true. It's a myth, not scientifically proven." He replied slightly annoyed and returned his attention to the book as he continued chopping some carrots.
Riza chuckled internally and continued with her work. "Just be careful."
"You'll see that's just a plain lie... Ouch, damn it!" Roy Mustang had just sliced a couple of his fingers open.
Riza instantly turned to see him and upon seeing his injuries, turned off the stove and rushed to her room to get the small first aid kit. Roy walked over to one of the dining room chairs to sit down and look for something with which he could stop the bleeding, but before he could find it his hand was grabbed by Riza's hands. Roy raised his gaze and met hers, discerning a mixture of concern with amusement in it.
"Don't say anything." Roy grumbled.
The girl immediately began cleaning the wounds, disinfecting and bandaging them before responding to the sulky black-haired boy. "You won't deny that this was an excellent field test, as the scientists call it." She said somewhat amused.
Roy was about to respond defensively, but as soon as he saw the amusement come out, he could tell that since he had known her there had been very few times he had seen her that way. Also, he couldn't help but feel the gentleness with which she healed his fingers. So he decided to admit defeat for this occasion, calm down and amuse himself with the foolishness he had just committed.
"This case doesn't count, it was just a coincidence. One in a million."
"If you say so and it makes you feel better."
"This won't happen again, but for this occasion I'll agree with you and focus solely on chopping vegetables."
"I think I'd better do it myself."
Roy just sighed and put on a resigned face. Riza would definitely not let him forget this. Riza, for her part, continued to chuckle internally at how childish Roy could sometimes be.
A year later, Roy and Riza had become very good friends, enjoying each other's company while studying, doing housework and during meals. Roy's classes with Riza's father usually ended an hour after she came home from school, so he would always find her in the living room reading a book to distract herself for a moment before starting her chores. But on this occasion he was very surprised when he didn't see her there. It was strange since Riza was a very methodical and organized person at her young age, so she followed her personal routine to the letter.
Roy started looking for her all over the house without finding her. It's very strange, I don't remember her mentioning that she had any commitments after school and much less on Friday which is the day when teachers allow them to leave half an hour earlier. Mmm...
Roy began to think about where she might be and unconsciously he was beginning to worry about her. Had something happened to her? He quickly tried to put the thought out of his mind. Maybe her classmates had finally realized what a nice person she was and invited her over for the evening.
It was already 7pm and it was starting to get dark and there was no sign of Riza. Her father hadn't even asked about her or dinner because an hour after finishing her session with him, he left the house only mentioning that he would be away all weekend getting some things for his research. However, Roy was already worried, so without a second thought, he decided to go out in search of her.
He went to the school to find it closed and couldn't see anyone hanging around. He then went to the center of town and started asking around at the stores they sometimes visited when buying groceries and to people he came across in the vicinity. Unfortunately, no one had given him any sign of her.
Riza, where are you? Are you home already? Yes, maybe she's already there, I'd better get back.
As Roy started to make his way back to the Hawkeye's house, he couldn't help but notice in the small town park several children hugging their mothers and congratulating them along with their fathers in most cases. It was Mother's Day. Roy had completely forgotten the date. At that moment it occurred to him where Riza might be, so he changed course and hurried his pace.
When he reached his destination he shivered slightly at the landscape in front of him. A desolate place, somewhat neglected and in some parts a few bunches of fresh flowers. It was almost dark but he could not see any person there, but he had a feeling that he might find her there. Without knowing the exact place, he walked around looking in all directions for the blonde girl until he could see her in the distance. She was sitting hugging her knees and her head resting on them. In front of her was a small but beautiful bouquet of flowers. He had never seen her like that before and it broke his heart to see her like that.
He crept towards her to avoid scaring her and once he was behind her he noticed the name on the headstone in front of her 'Elizabeth Hawkeye'. Just as he had suspected, it was her mother's grave, though it struck him as odd that Riza would be in this place at this time of day, when last year as far as he had heard, she had only been here for a few minutes. He moved to her side and crouched down to be at her level, he was surprised she hadn't noticed his presence.
"Riza, are you okay?" Roy said softly and with a tone of concern.
Riza jumped in shock as she realized she was not alone. She lifted her head and began to scan her surroundings until she finally met Roy's gaze. She could see that there was relief but at the same time concern. She only nodded and averted her gaze to her mother's grave.
"Are you sure?" Roy asked incredulously. "You know you can trust me."
A couple of minutes passed with no response and a bit of wind was beginning to pick up. Roy took off the jacket he was wearing and placed it over Riza's shoulders. Then he crouched down next to her again and put his hand on one of her shoulders.
"You know, I lost my parents in an accident when I was very little, I think I was 2 or 3 years old. So I can understand how you feel now." Roy began to talk to her.
She turned to look at him in confusion. "But you've mentioned a few times the letters your mother sends you and even a couple of weeks ago you sent her a present and a letter to get to her in time."
"She's actually my aunt, my father's younger sister. Legally she is my adoptive mother but to me she is my mother because she has raised me since the death of my parents. I've always seen her as such although sometimes I don't call her mom because sometimes she feels uncomfortable because she doesn't want to usurp my biological mother's place. It's kind of confusing." Roy began scratching the back of his neck. "But I have to admit that when she told me the truth, it was kind of hard and painful. Especially since I don't really remember them. If it wasn't for the pictures she showed me, I wouldn't even know them. What she did tell me was that they loved me very much and that it was normal to miss them. I cried like never before that day for their loss, but my aunt told me that it was okay to do so, to let all those feelings flow and to be able to keep walking forward."
Riza could see in his gaze that what he told her was true and she could see that he was sincere in his empathy.
"Riza... did you have a chance to mourn your mother's death?"
"A little... My father didn't like me making too much noise so I stopped. Today isn't the first Mother's Day I've spent without her, but I don't know... I suddenly felt too sad and before, when I felt like that, I would run to her side." Riza began to speak in a low tone of voice, almost a whisper.
"It's okay to cry if you want to, it will make you feel better to get everything out. It will allow you to move on and smile again. I'm sure your mother wants you to be happy."
"But my dad said not to..." Riza said trying to keep her voice from cracking.
"He's not here and he's wrong. I can tell you from my own experience that it will do you a lot of good. I'm not going to criticize you for it."
"I mustn't...it's not right..." Riza ducked her head and began to sob lightly, trying to hide it from Roy as best she could.
Roy quickly sat down next to her and instinctively hugged her, without expecting it Riza's hands clutched tightly to his shirt, she rested her forehead on his chest and began to cry like she had never cried before in her life. Roy rubbed her back trying to comfort her and at that moment he realized that he never wanted to see her suffer like that again and began to question himself if what he felt for her was just friendship or was it something more. For the moment, he would focus on making her feel better and then deal with his feelings.
They spent some time cuddling until Riza had no more tears left and began to calm down. At that moment, she felt better, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It wasn't until then that she realized that Roy was hugging her and that she was clinging to his shirt, which was partially wet from her tears. She lifted her head and looked at Roy who, sensing Riza's movement, tilted his head to look at her and offered her a warm smile.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Roy shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for." He said softly.
"But I got your shirt wet and because of me you're in a place like this at this hour."
"Don't worry. It's true that these kind of places are scary at this hour but I think that being together makes the fear fade away." He said smiling a little more at the end. "Feeling better?"
Riza nodded without pulling away from the embrace yet. "Yes, much. Thank you" She said this as she gave him a small smile.
Roy nodded in acknowledgement. "Is it okay if we go home?"
Riza nodded again and felt a little sad that she no longer felt the warmth of Roy's embrace, but as soon as he stood up he offered his hand to help her stand and when she was on her feet he put his arm around her shoulders to hug her as they walked home. She didn't pull away from the hug and began to enjoy it at the same time she began to wonder about Roy's actions. Never before had someone cared about her or comforted her, not after her mother's death. He was her only friend but she... Did she see him as such, or maybe she was falling in love with him? She wasn't sure about that, but what she wouldn't deny was that she felt comfortable and safe by his side.
As a light gust of wind blew she clung tighter to Roy's jacket, realizing in that instant the presence of the garment. She had indeed felt it when Roy put it on but hadn't paid attention to it until that moment.
"Roy, your jacket." She started to try to take it off but Roy wouldn't let her keeping his arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry, you can give it back to me when we're at your house."
"But it's running air and you might get sick."
"I'll be fine, you need it more than I do. Your blouse isn't long sleeved and my shirt is."
"Thank you. I'm very sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you."
"It's none, really. I just hope that if you ever feel that way again or if you need someone to talk to don't hesitate to reach out to me." Roy said smiling slightly at the end.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Riza replied returning a slight smile.
Since what happened in the cemetery, Roy and Riza began to grow closer, talking about much more personal matters and confiding secrets to each other. As the months passed, the two began to sit closer to each other in the living room when reading their books, enjoying each other's closeness.
It was six months before Roy would leave the Hawkeye household to enlist in the Army. He had already told Riza about it, but had refrained from discussing it with his sensei until the last moment to prevent being kicked out of the house because of the hatred and contempt Berthold had for the military. For her part, Riza had not criticized him at all and it was even she who had recommended him not to comment anything to his father until his departure date was near. However, he couldn't help but notice in her eyes some sadness when they brought up the subject.
Over the past few months, especially since the incident at the cemetery, they had both begun to question themselves about their feelings for each other. It wasn't strange at this point to be in love, they were a pair of teenagers who had become good friends. They spent their free time together, went on occasional outings around town and celebrated birthdays. Hugging started to become a natural gesture between them that they both enjoyed. Especially Riza, after so many years without receiving a single show of affection, care and concern for her, she began to find all this with Roy.
She was aware that he would be leaving at the end of his studies to join the army and that she would probably never see him again and that everything would return to the way it was before his arrival. Despite her young age, she was aware that what she felt for Roy was probably a simple infatuation typical of her age and she had also realized that he also had feelings for her by his actions and the looks he shared with her. But despite all this, Riza decided that she would enjoy every moment of this dream even though she was aware that it would not last long and that she would probably suffer in the end.
On an evening, when the two were side by side making dinner and chatting about the places they would visit the next day taking advantage of the fact that her father had gone out on one of his forays, Roy asked her about her future plans.
"What do you plan to do after I leave?"
"I plan to finish my studies."
"And in your spare time?"
"I think I'll occupy myself with continuing to keep the house from falling apart, since my father will never worry about it."
Roy nodded, knowing full well the impoverished situation she has lived in because of her father's neglect. "Will you still be going out for a walk in the woods?"
Being located near the outskirts of town their house abutted a forest and this had become one of their favorite places to spend the weekend reading and even picnicking.
"I'll probably do it less often than I do now. It won't be fun to go alone." Riza said with a neutral tone, though internally it pained her to think that she would no longer have anyone to share those moments with.
Roy looked at her feeling guilty. "I'm so sorry."
Riza turned to look at him to meet his gaze and realized that he felt guilty, but even though it hurt that he was leaving, she didn't want him to feel that way. "You have nothing to apologize for, it's something you had already decided before you came here. Besides, we've had a great time and maybe when you're already at the academy you won't even remember me." It was a thought that had haunted her for the past few weeks, that he would forget about her. It pained her to think about it, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it and that she had to continue to enjoy what little time they had left.
Roy stopped chopping the vegetables he was holding, put down the knife and turned around. He gently took Riza's arms so that they were facing each other. He stared at her in an attempt to convey so many feelings that he had wanted to express to her for some time but had repressed for fear of making her uncomfortable and losing her friendship, not to mention the age difference between them.
Pushing aside his fears and allowing himself to be carried away by the moment, Roy stepped forward to close the distance between them. With one hand he gently cupped her cheek as he slowly leaned down to reach her lips. He closed his eyes and began to kiss her tenderly. Initially Riza was surprised by the situation but it was something she had wanted to do for the last few months, so she closed her eyes as well and wrapped her arms around his neck as she reciprocated the kiss. Feeling this, Roy embraced her with his free arm pulling her closer to him. They remained in that position enjoying the kiss until they were out of breath. Then they pulled slightly away from each other to catch their breath.
"Of course I'm going to remember you, Riza. You're someone very special to me, more than you can imagine." Roy whispered.
"You are to me too." Riza replied in a whisper and hugged him tightly.
Roy responded the hug and deposited a kiss on her forehead. "You know, you're not getting rid of me that easily. Even though I won't be here for the next two years, I'll write to you and keep an eye out for you. They won't give me much time to get away, but when I'm done I'll sneak out and come visit you." Roy said encouragingly.
Riza was touched by Roy's sweet words so she couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears. At 15 years old, she never imagined that such a handsome 18-year-old boy could ever fall in love with her. Without stopping hugging him, she raised her head to look at him and could see that everything he had told her was true. Despite receiving confirmation of it in his gaze, she wanted to listen to him one more time to be sure.
"You promise?"
"I promise." Roy replied solemnly as he leaned in once more to kiss her.
Once they broke away from the kiss, Roy looked at her tenderly.
"So, this is a yes?"
She immediately understood the message he was trying to convey with his gaze, so she didn't hesitate to answer.
"Yes, Roy. I do want to be your girlfriend." She kissed him on this occasion. "Just be discreet with my father."
Roy nodded and hugged her tightly. They both enjoyed the moment and etched it in their memory.
The next few months went by happily, enjoying their courtship to the fullest before they had to part ways. They had little trouble hiding their relationship from her father because he rarely left his den.
The night before Roy's departure, they spent it sitting on the couch in the living room hugging each other tightly and kissing passionately. They talked and made a promise to continue writing to each other, while he gave her all the information about where he was going to be, as well as his aunt's contact information in case she needed anything.
Roy's train was leaving early the next day and Riza decided to accompany him. When they arrived at the station they noticed that there were only a couple of other passengers on the platform waiting. Roy set his suitcase on the floor and hugged Riza tightly, while depositing a couple of kisses on her forehead, wishing that time would freeze in that instant.
"Take care of yourself, Riza." Roy said softly.
"You too, Roy." She replied as she hugged him tighter.
The train began to chime indicating that the time to say goodbye had come. Riza, without letting go of his embrace, looked at him holding back her tears, because she knew it was a difficult time for him too. Roy kissed her tenderly one last time.
"I love you, Riza, never forget that." Roy told her when they pulled slightly apart after the kiss, looking her straight in the eyes so she could see he wasn't lying. Then he hugged and kissed her again.
"I love you too, Roy." Riza hugged him just as tightly.
It was the first time they had ever let those words out of their mouths. It wasn't anything they didn't already know, because they had said it to each other many times before through their gazes, kisses and caresses, but the words turned out to be the best they had heard in a long time.
"I'll be back for you, I promise." Roy finally said before kissing her one last time, then grabbing his suitcase and boarding the train.
From the window the black haired young man waved goodbye waving his hand. Riza repeated the gesture until the train was out of sight. At that moment, she allowed herself to shed the tears she had been holding back.
I'll be waiting for you, Roy Mustang.
After Roy's departure, just as Riza had predicted, the house was back to the way it had been before his arrival. She no longer had anyone to talk to after school, anyone to cook with, let alone share a meal with. She knew it was going to be hard, but she never thought she would miss Roy so much. Luckily, as promised, he wrote her once a month, since he was so busy with his activities, but he didn't want to stop keeping in touch with her.
Riza looked forward to his letters every month, where he would ask her how she was and what she had done, and tell her about the things he did, what he liked and disliked. What she loved most was the way he ended each one of them without exception. I love you. Roy. She would immediately grab paper and a pen to write him back, ending each of her letters with the same sentence he did. I love you. Riza.
While waiting for the next letter to arrive, and since she had nothing to do without her boyfriend's company, she reread the last letter several times before putting it in a little box she had designated to keep her most precious items. There she kept some items that belonged to her mother, a couple of photographs of her and now his letters.
Shortly after it had been two years since Roy had left the Hawkeye home, he showed up dressed in his military uniform at Riza's door, pleasantly surprising her, as he hadn't said anything to her in his letters. Riza couldn't help but keep her eyes on him, because she had never seen him dressed like that before and obviously noticed that he looked more attractive. He was no longer the teenager she remembered. Now he was a young adult in his 20s with an excellent physical physique, with broader shoulders and back, a product of the intense training he wrote to her that he was forced to do at the academy.
Roy, like her, could not stop looking at her to appreciate that she had become more beautiful, and that her body had become more curvaceous marking a beautiful silhouette. He set his suitcase on the floor and without any previous signal, the two began to move closer to give each other a strong and tender embrace followed by a long and passionate kiss, trying to make up for all the lost time.
"I missed you so much." Riza said breathlessly as they finally pulled apart slightly for air.
"Me too, but I promised you I'd come see you the first chance I got."
"I'm glad you did. Let's go inside."
Roy nodded letting go of Riza to grab his suitcase and enter the house.
"You didn't warn me you were coming."
"I wanted to surprise you. That's why I didn't even have time to change." Roy replied smiling broadly.
Riza smiled back. "I'm glad you didn't. It was a pleasant surprise."
Roy set his suitcase down in the living room momentarily to follow Riza into the kitchen, who was grabbing the kettle to make some tea for the two of them. Roy walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly from behind and feeling her lean into him, sensing the warmth of her back against his chest as he inhaled the scent of her hair.
Roy sighed. "You have no idea how much I missed you."
"I missed you a lot too, if it hadn't been for your letters I probably would have been depressed."
"So would I. How's your father doing?"
In her last letters Riza had told him that her father had fallen ill, but that he was still locked in his study without seeing her except for the strictly necessary.
"Just the same..." Riza sighed. "Well, he's still the same in his demeanor but his condition continues to deteriorate day by day and the doctor doesn't know what else to do anymore, especially since my father is reluctant to follow the indications to the letter."
"I'm sorry. Maybe I can talk to him and convince him to take proper care of himself."
She shook her head. "I don't think it will work."
"Well it doesn't hurt to try. Maybe I'll even convince him to become a state alchemist." Roy said this last jokingly.
Riza laughed lightly, something she hadn't done in the last two years. "Good luck with that."
"I'll go talk to him right now. It wouldn't be right for me to be hanging around his house without even announcing myself."
Roy kissed her forehead, withdrew his arms from her and headed for his sensei's room.
" Try not to get yourself killed." Riza mentioned to him before he disappeared from the room.
"I'll do my best." Roy said laughing lightly.
At that point Riza just hoped that her father wouldn't yell at Roy too much when he saw that he had joined the militia. As she waited, she returned her attention to making tea.
After about 30 minutes or so, she heard shouting coming from her father's room.
What I supposed would happen. Riza thought and sighed as she approached the top of the stairs to listen better before intervening. However, when she got there she could only hear Roy yelling her name desperately, so she quickly climbed the stairs and upon reaching the entrance to her father's room she froze in the doorway at the image before her: Roy trying to help her father get on his feet. Her father's bed and clothes were horribly stained with blood and her father was immobile, he looked...dead.
"Riza!" Roy kept screaming until he looked up and could see that she was standing in the doorway, frozen by what she was seeing.
Roy went back to giving the first aid he had learned at the academy to Mr. Hawkeye trying desperately to revive him, but he was still unresponsive, not finding a sign of life. Riza timidly walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Leave him, it was what he wanted. He's probably been dead for a long time, all that was left was his body."
Roy stood up and hugged Riza tightly. "I'm so sorry, Riza."
Riza reciprocated the hug and buried her face in his chest, shedding a few tears, because despite everything he was her father and there was a time, albeit somewhat short, when he behaved as such with her.
The funeral was attended only by the two of them, a fact that did not surprise them due to the demeanor of the now deceased Berthold Hawkeye.
"Thank you so much for taking charge of the funeral." Riza said quietly, not taking her eyes off the grave in front of her.
Roy, also looking straight ahead, replied. "It's nothing. Remember he was my sensei and most of all your father. It's the least I can do." He turned to his right to look at her. "What do you plan to do now? In this time have you been able to find out anything about your relatives?"
Some time ago Riza had mentioned to Roy that her parents had become estranged from their respective families, but that shortly after her mother's death, her maternal grandfather had tried to contact them but her father had prevented him from doing so. Since then, she had not heard from him again.
Riza shook her head. "Nothing, my father made sure to destroy any records of phone numbers and addresses that would allow me to contact my family." She sighed. "Regardless, at least he made sure to give me schooling, so with that I can get a job. I actually have some ideas of what I could do."
"Maybe you should come to Central with me, I'll be working there for a time while I take my alchemist exam. You could stay with my mother and the girls who work for her. Since I'm still a cadet, I have to stay in the barracks, but on the weekends they'll give me permission to go out."
Riza turned to look at him and offered a small smile. "You're very kind, but it's not necessary, besides I wouldn't want to disturb your family."
"You wouldn't bother, I'm convinced my family will like you. They know about you, it just hasn't been possible to introduce them to you. Perhaps this would be the perfect occasion for that." Roy said smiling slightly.
"Thank you. I would love to meet them but I don't think the time is right yet. I have to settle several things my father has left unfinished before I think about leaving here."
"The invitation will always be open although I may come before and kidnap you." Roy joked lightly. "I'd like to do that right now, but I can't offer you anything, but if I pass my test that will probably change sooner than I expect."
Riza blushed slightly. "I understand perfectly, that will give us both time to settle our own affairs. Though I beg to differ that you can't offer me anything now." Roy gave her a confused look and Riza continued. "You always offer me your unconditional love and to me that is the most important thing."
Roy looked at her lovingly and hugged her, "I always will, Riza, until you get tired of me."
They remained in that state for a few minutes until Riza spoke again. "What are you going to do in the military once you become a state alchemist?"
"You sure have faith in me."
"Sure, I know you'll make it."
"Thank you! You know, my goal is to protect people, to help them. I want to be a pillar of change for this country, I want to contribute for everyone to live happily and peacefully. I know it's a childish dream and maybe I'm boring you..."
Riza interrupted him by tenderly caressing his cheek. "It doesn't sound like a childish dream to me, I actually think it's a wonderful dream." She smiled slightly. "Though I worry you might get hurt or worse..." Riza changed her expression to one of concern. "Please, don't die."
"Hey don't pour the salt on me." Roy said teasingly to try to relax her, but seeing that it wasn't working, he became serious as he tightened his embrace. "It's something I can't guarantee, I know I might end up dead and dumped like garbage on the side of a road, but if it allows for the protection and peace of the people, I'll be satisfied." Roy, seeing the sadness on Riza's face, decided to continue his speech in a more cheerful tone. "But what I can promise you is that I will always fight to return alive to your side." Roy said as he tenderly caressed her cheek.
Riza looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you promise?"
Roy without hesitation nodded his head. "I promise."
Riza placed her cheek on Roy's chest and hugged him as tightly as she could, while he reciprocated her embrace and kissed the top of her head.
"That dream you told me about, can I trust you to do everything you can to achieve it?" Riza asked suddenly.
"Of course, I want it to be a reality in the future for all the people of Amestris and especially for you."
"I want to help you. I will give you my father's research, he gave it to me about a year ago, I know it will be in good hands with you."
"Thank you, Riza, but I don't want to force you into anything. If your father wouldn't give it to me while he was alive I doubt very much that he would be happy for you to give it to me after he's dead."
"He trusted my judgment to reveal it and I'm sure he wanted to pass it on to you at some point, only his hatred of the militia prevented it. Besides, I have no doubt that you will put it to good use."
"Thank you, Riza, I won't let you down."
Riza raised her head to look at Roy and smiled at him. "I know. Now we'd better get back to the house so you can start figuring it out. Knowing my father it won't be that simple, so we need to get started as soon as possible."
The two set out on their way back holding hands, enjoying each other's company. When they arrived, Riza asked Roy to wait for her for a moment. She went to her bedroom to remove her blouse and bra and then put her coat on over it. Dubitatively, she called Roy and asked him to join her in her room where she had changed. Roy was thinking that the fire alchemy research was hidden on some floorboard in Riza's room when he entered the room. When he realized the way Riza was waiting for him he froze. She was turning her back to him and had removed her coat to show him her bare skin as with her arms she hugged herself taking her bust protectively. As much as she loved and trusted Roy, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in that situation.
Roy was surprised to see the place where his master had hidden his research. He couldn't help but feel anger at how Riza's skin had been sullied, not to mention the danger his sensei had put his own daughter in. If an unscrupulous alchemist with no morals found out, he wouldn't hesitate to go after her and even hurt her for the sake of obtaining this research.
Roy made fists with his hands at his sides. "When did this happen?" he asked seriously trying to hide his anger.
Riza ducked her head and answered almost whispering. "About a year and a half ago."
Roy ducked his head, unable to help but feel angry with himself. If I had stayed...if I hadn't left maybe I could have avoided this.
Clenching his jaw, Roy tried to ask the next question. "You let him?"
Riza glanced momentarily over her shoulder to notice Roy's posture. She could definitely tell how upset he was, not with her but with her father. She returned her gaze to the front and inhaled deeply before answering. "Yes, but he never warned me that it would be this way. He only told me that he wanted me to help him keep his life's research..." Riza paused slightly. "I never thought he meant this, I only wanted to help him believing that maybe it would help us get closer... obviously I was wrong."
As she finished her sentence, Riza ducked her head again and a few tears began to well up on her cheeks.
Roy still couldn't believe what he was seeing, what had happened. He took off his coat, walked over to her and draped it over her shoulders to cover her. Carefully he turned her around to look at her face to face and gave her a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry, Riza, if I hadn't left-" Roy began to whisper before he was interrupted by Riza.
She shook her head as she replied. "It's not your fault, it's mine for believing my father and mostly his for doing this to me."
The two were silent for a moment until Riza sighed.
"You need to see the research so you can try to figure it out as soon as possible. It surely won't be an easy job, so you have to take advantage of as much time as possible."
"Are you sure about this?"
Riza nodded and freed herself from Roy's embrace to turn her back to him again.
"In what position is it most comfortable for you to visualize the tattoo?"
Roy sighed heavily. "I think it will be a little more comfortable for both of us if you lie down on your bed. I'll turn over while you get settled."
"Okay." Riza took off her coat and settled into her bed. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at the current situation as she showed part of her naked body to her boyfriend. It might be normal for many girls her age, but they hadn't gotten to that point, not to mention they went 2 years without seeing each other. "I'm ready."
Roy turned around to see Riza lying on her stomach with her bare back, ready to be studied. He blushed slightly, although he had dreamed of one day seeing her like this under other circumstances, he would never have thought it would be like this. Sighing, he grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the side of the bed. He sat down, picked up his notebook and pen and began his task of deciphering the tattoo. Although at that point he really doubted he could concentrate because he was still shocked by what had happened to Riza, the pain she must have gone through and the mark she now had for life, not to mention the danger that could lurk around her. He tried to put his thoughts aside and concentrate on his task while vowing to himself that he would protect Riza at any cost. Is this what sensei meant when he asked me to take care of Riza? Would he have been so petty to refer to his research and not his daughter's welfare?
Roy and Riza spent the next week trying to figure out the tattoo. They spent all day on it, taking short breaks every so often to unwind and to eat. After the shock of visualizing what had happened to Riza's back, the sensations they both felt when Roy would get completely lost in the investigation and involuntarily touch her bare back could not go unnoticed. When that happened, she would tremble slightly and it was at that moment when Roy would come out of that state of total concentration and realize his actions and the sensations that this gesture caused in both of them, so he would only blush and apologize to Riza trying to focus again on the work.
As expected, Mr. Hawkeye's investigation was not going to be easy to solve, so Roy had to ask for another week's leave at the barracks to continue working on it. Halfway through that week, he was able to find a way to crack it and immediately began testing. Everything worked, all that was needed was practice.
The night of the day Roy did his first tests, he was sitting on Riza's bed and she was sitting next to him, listening to his explanations of what each element of the tattoo represented. Since she had shown him her back, they had allowed themselves to become closer to each other. Each night they tenderly parted with a passionate kiss, which in the last few nights had been escalating in intensity.
When Roy finished talking with Riza, he decided it was time for him to retire to his room to rest, so he turned and kissed her as he had been doing. Without hesitation, she reciprocated the kiss with the same intensity, but the hormones of both of them and their closeness were wreaking havoc on her self-control. That night, the kiss was accompanied by kisses on his and her neck, caresses on her legs and waist and caresses on his strong chest. They were both getting carried away with passion but when he slipped one of his hands under her skirt she shuddered, prompting Roy to stop immediately.
Roy pulled away from her lips and immediately blushed as did she. "I'm sorry, I got carried away...it's not like a gentleman...Madame would be very upset if she knew..." Roy said stammering and stopped when she put her index finger to his lips.
"You don't have to apologize Roy... I... I got carried away too..." Riza replied also stuttering and short of breath. She looked him straight in the eyes with her face much more flushed than his. "I... mmm... wanted to... no... rather... I want to."
Roy's eyes grew wide in disbelief. Did I hear that right? Am I misunderstanding things? "Riza... you don't mean... to make..."
Riza wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Feeling herself blush even more. Biting her lower lip, she nodded her head. "Yes...I mean that...that I want to...make love with you."
Roy couldn't believe his ears. Yes he had wanted to for some time now, but he did not want under any circumstances to pressure her, because he truly loved and respected her, plus he had been raised to be quite the gentleman. He pulled her slightly away from him and with his hand lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
"Riza...we don't have to do this now. I really love you and I'm never going to force you to do anything you don't want...besides I'm older than you."
"I know...I love you too and that's why I can no longer ignore the sensations in my body at your closeness and I've realized that you feel the same way."
Hearing that Roy blushed more. "I thought I had been able to hide it."
Riza chuckled lightly. She moved closer and lightly kissed Roy's neck making him shiver. "I love you, Roy, and I want to."
"I love you too, Riza, like you have no idea. But I don't know if we should..."
"Do you want to?"
Roy nodded his head.
"So do I, so there's nothing more to discuss."
Roy smiled and kissed her deeply on the lips as he stroked her back.
"Okay, but I want you to point out to me the moment you feel uncomfortable so I can stop."
Riza smiled mischievously. "Would you really stop?"
Roy smiled back. " For the sake of not losing you or hurting you yes I would, although I must admit from this point on it's going to be a hard thing to do."
Without another word, the young couple began to kiss, enjoying every caress, every kiss, every gesture, exploring and getting to know each other more intimately, until they consummated their love with the most tender and sincere act of their lives. That night they ended up sleeping in Riza's bed, naked but sharing their warmth by hugging each other tightly.
The day before Roy's departure, he couldn't help but worry about leaving Riza alone once again, even though he knew she was very independent. Besides, he planned that this time the separation would be for a shorter time.
"Riza, are you sure you don't want to come with me to Central?" Roy asked as they ate breakfast.
"I'd love to, Roy, but as I told you before I have to settle the things left pending by my father and besides yesterday I got the notification of one of the plans I was contemplating."
"What's that about?"
Riza quickly thought of an answer, she didn't want to tell Roy the truth yet, she wanted to surprise him when the time came.
"After you left for the military academy, I decided that I would also like to help the people of the country through education, so a couple of months ago I applied for a scholarship and yesterday I was told that I was accepted."
"Wow, congratulations, Riza! Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"Because there was no certainty, I didn't want to get my hopes up."
Roy got up from his chair and walked over to her. He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet to hug her.
"You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, Riza. You are a very intelligent woman and a remarkable person." At the end of his words Roy tenderly kissed her forehead.
Riza smiled, "Thank you!"
Roy broke away slightly to look at her. "Where are you going to study?"
"At the Amestris teaching school. I don't know the exact location yet as they have several locations around the country."
"How long?"
"In theory it would be two years, it will depend a lot on my effort and not getting involved in too many extracurricular activities. Although I should tell you that one of the features that the scholarship involves, is that they run a sort of internship for the interns."
Roy frowned. "I don't like the sound of that. Does that mean we won't be able to see each other during that time?"
Riza hugged him again and nodded slightly. "Probably, but it will only be a couple of years. That time will help us both settle into our careers, it will allow us to help the citizens of Amestris, and it will also help our relationship."
"How will a separation help us, didn't we have enough with the last one?" Roy asked incredulously.
"We are still very young and maybe we are getting more carried away with our hormones. If we get past those couple of years we'll have a stronger relationship."
"Do you doubt our love?"
Riza shook her head. "No, that's why I know we'll get through it without a problem, but I do want to be sure you are."
"Of course I am and while I don't like the idea of us being separated again, maybe it's the right thing to do right now. That time will allow me to build my career to offer you something in the future. Don't even think you're going to get rid of me that easily, Riza Hawkeye. One day I will come for you to never let you go again." Roy said looking her straight in the eyes.
"I hope so." Riza replied with a smile.
Riza inwardly felt guilty for not telling Roy that the school she was headed to was actually the military academy and not the teaching school as she had told him. She wanted to help people like Roy, so she decided to follow him on that path without telling him because she feared he would object or worry too much about her. Her plan was to serve the country for a few years and then devote herself to something else, wishing that after her service she could start a family at Roy's side as he had been hinting to her since her father's burial.
The day of Roy's departure arrived. Just like last time, Riza accompanied him to the station. They had agreed that she would contact him at his aunt's home number once or twice a month while " her school" defined the corresponding permissions for her to receive mail. Roy didn't quite agree to this, because he wasn't going to be able to contact her, but he preferred this to not hearing from her for the next few months.
"I love you, Riza." Roy said as he hugged her tightly once again as the train approached.
"I love you too, Roy."
Roy took those last few minutes to kiss her intensely, pouring all his love into that kiss, aware that this would probably be his last kiss for the next two years. Riza reciprocated with the same intensity and couldn't help but let out a couple of tears. How she hated having to say goodbye to the man she loved.
Roy tenderly wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "If at any time you regret that internship, don't hesitate to tell me, I will support you and welcome you with open arms."
"Thank you, Roy." She hugged him again. "Please take care of yourself."
"You too and as soon as you have an address or a phone number where I can reach you, please let me know."
She nodded and the two kissed again, parting pitifully at the end of the kiss for Roy to board his train.
It will only be for a little while and it will probably be the last time we will be apart. Afterwards we'll be together and we'll both have helped the country. She said to herself, trying to console herself as the train pulled out of her field of vision.
The following week, Riza found herself at the same train station with her suitcase heading for the military academy of Amestris, looking forward to being able to help the people just as Roy planned to do. Before her departure, she made sure to settle her father's debts, which fortunately could be covered with the sale of almost all the furniture in the house, taking care to pack the most valuable things for her carefully.
When she arrived at the academy she checked in and was assigned to a shared dormitory. Just as she was making her way to the designated spot, she suddenly felt a sharp impact on her back that caused her to fall down. As soon as she started to sit down she looked around to see that a girl with long black hair was behind her also sitting down.
"Ouch!" the black-haired girl complained. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to tackle you." She said immediately upon noticing Riza's presence. She stood up somewhat sore and held out her hand to the blonde to help her up.
"Thank you." Riza replied.
"Sorry. I was running, I got distracted and didn't see you. Did I hurt you?" the black-haired girl said as she helped Riza with her suitcase.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Are you going to the dorms?"
"Yes."
"Let me walk you, I'm heading there too. I'm Rebeca." Said the black haired girl as she held out her hand to Riza offering her a smile.
Riza took her hand and returned the smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm Riza."
"Nice to meet you, Riza. I promise I won't tackle you anymore." Rebeca said laughing at the end.
Riza laughed lightly. "I hope so."
From that point on Riza and Rebeca started talking more and became friends. They spent time together to do their duties and activities requested of them as cadets, so before long Riza realized that Rebeca Catalina was a very outgoing girl who longed to marry a handsome, wealthy man, but at her core she was an excellent person.
A month and a half later, Riza began to feel sick, spending the last two days with nausea and vomiting.
"Riza, you should go see a doctor." Rebeca suggested as Riza sat up in her bed.
"I guess something made me sick in the cafeteria. If this doesn't get better tomorrow, then I'll have to see a doctor." Riza replied.
"What makes me curious is that you get worse during the mornings, could it be that you are pregnant?" Rebeca said this last in a joking manner.
Riza laughed lightly while shaking her head but suddenly stopped. I haven't had my period... Maybe it's because I've been so stressed because of the academy, my father's death and his investigation... but I made love to Roy a little over a month ago... oh no... no... it can't be that can it? Riza became pale at the possibility of being pregnant. Which didn't go unnoticed by Rebeca.
"Come on, Riza, I'm just kidding. What's more, you haven't even told me if you have a boyfriend."
"I do."
"Hey, and is he cute?"
"Yes."
Noticing Riza's curt answers and pale appearance, Rebeca became surprised and began to pale.
"Don't tell me you and your boyfriend..."
Before Rebeca could finish, Riza nodded her head slightly.
"So... do you think you're...?"
"I... I don't know..." Riza sighed. "But it might be a possibility."
Rebeca gaped. "Hey, friend, but don't you know that you have to wear protection for those things?"
Riza shot her friend an angry look. "I don't think this is the best time to discuss that."
Rebeca sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. But you should go to the doctor to clear it up."
"It's not necessary. Like I said, maybe it's just some stomach infection..."
"Or it could be the other thing. Come on, Riza, either option needs attention. The sooner the better. Today is Friday and we have tomorrow off, I'll walk you to the doctor."
"But, Becky..."
"There's no buts that will do. Tomorrow we'll go see a doctor even if I have to drag you there."
"What if I'm...? I don't want the military to find out when I've only been here a short time."
Rebeca brought her right hand to her chin in a thoughtful gesture. "We'll do this: we'll go with a doctor who has his private practice and no connection to the military, how about that?"
Riza nodded. "Sounds good to me, thanks" She flashed a slight smile.
"You have nothing to be thankful for, that's what friends are for." Rebeca replied as she smiled and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
The next day, the two girls left the academy early, taking advantage of their weekend leave to head to a doctor's office. Once there, they took a blood sample from Riza to rule out or verify her fear. They were asked to wait in the waiting room while the sample was checked. They waited for about an hour, during which time Riza was very restless playing with her fingers. Rebeca, who was sitting next to her, put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
"Don't worry, you'll see that everything will be all right."
"I hope so, Becky."
Suddenly a nurse appeared with a notepad to announce the name of the next patient. "Riza Hawkeye."
Riza flinched slightly at hearing her name, sighed and stood up.
"It's me."
"Follow me please." Said the nurse.
Riza nodded and as she was about to start walking, Rebeca grabbed one of her wrists.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"Yes, don't worry. I'll be fine, thank you very much. If you want you can go."
Rebeca shook her head emphatically. "Not a chance. I'll wait here for you."
Riza nodded. "Thank you."
Riza followed the nurse into the office. Once inside, the nurse spoke again. "Please have a seat. The doctor will be in in a few minutes." The nurse said as she pointed to one of the chairs in front of the doctor's desk.
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, the doctor entered with a folder in his hands, which he was reviewing carefully as he took a seat in front of his desk.
"All right, Miss Hawkeye, we have the results of the studies. Let's take a look." The doctor mentioned as he went through each sheet of paper in the folder.
At this point Riza was very nervous, outwardly she didn't show it, but inwardly she was scared to death.
"There is no doubt about the diagnosis. The test results are positive so your discomfort is because you are expecting a baby, Miss. Congratulations!" The doctor said cheerfully.
Riza froze at the word 'baby' and paled.