Disclaimer: I don't own the supremely awesome Fullmetal Alchemist. I don't think I have enough brain power to do so.

I came up with the story idea this summer when I just, out of the blue,started talking at my dog. I know you might think I'm crazy, but he was juststaring at me,and it wassummer vacation andI was bored, and it was hot, and... you get the picture.

Caring

Sunlight streamed past the glass windows, through the sheer blue curtains and onto the sleeping form of Riza Hawkeye. Riza, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, slowly blinked her eyes open. For a few seconds she lay there in the warm comfort of her bed until she looked at her clock and realized that she had overslept and was going to be late for work. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. As she stood up, she wavered a bit and sat back down her bed as a wave of dizziness hit her like a hurricane. She tried standing up again and clutched her head as another dizzy spell came onto her. Suddenly, she felt the urge to sneeze, so she reached for a tissue on her bedside drawer. After a few seconds of a tingling sensation in her nose, out came a series of sneezes. She felt her forehead and immediately knew that she couldn't go to work today.

She groaned, fell back in bed and reached for her bedside drawer, which held pain-relieving pills. She swallowed a few down, and felt better after a few minutes. Again, she stood up, this time more stable, and walked over to her telephone where she called in sick. She went back to bed and lay there curled up in her covers. Every once in while she would reach for her box of tissues to blow her nose. She continued this routine until a little black and white fur ball came into her room and plopped down on the floor next to her bed.

"What do you want, Hayate?" The little puppy just looked at her and wagged his tail.

"I suppose you want to go for a walk or get a treat, don't you? Well, I'm sorry, but as you can see I can't. I'm sick." She stared at her dog for a little while before continuing. "I bet this is your first time not getting what you want, huh? You're just too spoiled, Hayate." He just barked happily in response, oblivious to what his mistress had said to him.

"You have it made, don't you? Free food, a nice place to live, and a mommy who will give you anything you want, not to mention all of mommy's friends who will spoil you rotten when they think I'm not looking." Riza stopped for a moment to sneeze. She looked at Black Hayate who had started scratching his ear. He stopped, jumped on the bed and sat down in front of her. He looked at her eagerly when she started to speak.

"Such a nice life you're living isn't it, Hayate?" He cocked his head sideways, giving her a curious look. "Not only do you have free food and a home, but you also have someone who cares for you. I mean, you get taken care of and watched for. But what about me?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Who am I kidding? No one cares about me. Here I am, sick in bed with a nasty cold and a massive headache, yet I don't have anyone to take care of me." She sighed. Hayate, sensing his master's unhappiness, licked her hand in hopes to make her feel better.

"If you were human, would you have cared for me?" Riza looked expectantly at her dog, hoping, for a few seconds, that he would answer back. After she realized what she was doing, she groaned and buried her head in her pillow. "Ugh. I'm talking to my dog, and hoping that he'll talk back. I think this cold has gotten to me." She rolled back on to her back. "I think I better get some rest before I get even more delusional."

As she closed her eyes, she heard her front door open. She reached for the gun stashed under her bedside table, but abruptly stopped and sat up in bed when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. All of a sudden, the owner of that voice barraged into Riza's room.

"Colonel?" She coughed. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" Black Hayate yipped at the man's arrival, and received a pat on the head in return.

"I'm offended, Hawkeye." Roy Mustang widened his eyes in mock surprise and put a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "I take some time off to come here and make sure you get better, and now you want me to leave so that I could get my paperwork done?" He chuckled to himself. "Typical Hawkeye. Always thinking about others before herself." He gave her a small smile. "Well, I think it's time that someone take care of you."

Riza fidgeted in bed, embarrassed at the comment and uncomfortable that her superior officer had to see her in such a vulnerable state. She opened her mouth to say something when Roy sat down on her bed and she felt a hand on her forehead. She blushed at the sudden contact and hoped that the Colonel would think that her flushed cheeks was just a cause of the fever.

"Geez, Hawkeye. You have one hell of a fever. What have you been doing? Walking out in the rain?" Riza didn't reply, just sneezed. Roy handed her a tissue. "Well, I'm here to help you get better." He stared at her blowing her nose for a few seconds before speaking again. "Have you taken any medicine?" Riza nodded, pointing to the capsules on her bedside drawer.

"Have you eaten yet?" Riza's eyes widened as she thought in her head, Oh. She shook her head. "I didn't think so. But I brought some chicken soup just in case you hadn't eaten anything. I'll just go heat it up." Roy stood up and headed toward the door when Riza stopped him.

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

Roy smiled and walked back toward her. He bent down and kissed her gingerly on the lips. "Because I care." He turned around and left the room to heat up the soup.

Riza sat in bed, eyes wide in surprise. She brought a hand to her lips and brushed over it softly. She looked down at Hayate, who was still on the bed with her and smiled. "I guess someone does care for me."

Actually, I wasn't planning the kiss at all. It was a last minute kind of thing.

For all of you who have read my other story, A Day at the Spa, I'm still continuing it. I've just been bogged down with Finals, schoolwork, and I've had some writer's Block. Forgive me. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

I waswatching Mulan (which I don't own either)and the Royai!Love power took over me and I was like OMG! Royai! when Mulan saved Shang and when the emperor said "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty" it somehow reminded me of Maes or Riza's grandpa. It's funny how my mind works.

And also... Arima from Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstance) would probably look like a teenage Roy if his eyes were slanted a little bit more. Hehe.. I think I'm a little obsessed. xP

All is one and one is all...Don't break the cycle of life: I write, you read and review.