Hi! Finally updating this fic, I'm very sorry for this long delay. I moved out of my country a couple of days ago and I'm currently under a lot of stress. But I had finally found a bit of time to re-read this chapter for the last time and publish it. I'm very anxious about this one. Reviews are always appreciated. Also sad moments incoming. Enjoy!

The light coming from the candle placed on the windowsill was slowly fading, so Riza decided to shut the gigantic book she's been reading. She looked through the window and realised that she had lost track of time since she could spot countless tiny stars and the moon illuminating the sky. Her foot was not fully healed yet, so she gently stood up, trying not to give it too much pressure. Riza has left the room to get cleaned in the bathroom, trying to be as quiet as possible since it was already the middle of the night.

Riza got to know how tired she was when she was changing her clothes, which was expected after reading for hours. What she did not expect was Roy in front of her bedroom door, whom she noticed when she was making her way back. He looked like he still didn't make a decision, whether to knock on the door or not. Riza watched him for a while, trying to guess what was his business at this time.

She made a few steps towards him and when she emerged from the shadows he jumped a little bit, mumbling frightened sounds under his nose.

"You scared me a little bit.." Roy said promptly, his voice trembling a little bit.

"I wasn't trying to." She responded. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Roy looked at her as if he regretted leaving his room and getting into this situation. When her eyes started adapting to the darkness around them, she noticed his messy hair and swollen, red nose. He looked miserable. Roy avoided her glance and looked at the walls, still trying to come up with a sensible response.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" Was all he said with absolutely zero explanation. Riza looked at him with suspicion.

"Why?" She responded, trying to recall if there was anything wrong with his own bed.

"Oh! Sorry. It's just... the nights have been cold recently. Which is fine! It's just that..." Roy took a pause, trying to swallow a big gulp of embarrassment. "I don't have a window." He finished and sneezed loudly.

That's where she had connected all the dots.

"Yeah, I mean... okay. Didn't my father bring you a new one?"

"He didn't." Roy said awkwardly, hoping she won't ask if he reminded the old man of this matter. And he obviously didn't, because he was too terrified to do so.

"I'll talk with him tomorrow." She said while opening her door with ease and entering the room.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a moment." He said and left to get his things.

When Riza was alone she realised what she had gotten herself into. She looked at the single bed in the corner of her room and instantly started panicking.

What kind of idea was that? Why did she agree to this? Why are there so many problems with that boy?

And in that moment of perplexity, Roy entered the room with his bedsheets and instantly noticed her terrified face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her with a worried voice, wondering if it has anything to do with him.

"N-nothing!" Riza said, trying to sound convincing, but that attempt turned out to be a big fail. They both stood there in awkward silence until Riza laid herself on her bed. She immediately moved to the farthest end, almost looking like she wanted to be pulled in by the wall she was facing. She expected to feel another body's weight appearing on the other side of the bed. Surprisingly, that didn't happen. When Riza turned around slowly, she saw the rest of the bed being empty.

A moment later she noticed Roy on the floor, trying to make himself comfortable on the custom 'bed' he just made.

"What are you doing... on the floor?" she asked, kinda relieved and kinda embarrassed.

"Trying to find a comfortable spot." He responded, still wriggling in different directions.

"But I made you some space on my bed." She said, looking at his miserable attempts in finding the right angle.

Now was his turn to be embarrassed. "I can't sleep next to you on the bed. It's not proper."

"Why is it not proper?" As Riza was getting more and more curious, Roy's awkwardness grew bigger.

"Because you're a girl." Roy said, hoping she won't notice how red his cheeks have turned. "And I'm a boy. It's just how the rules are."

She took a small pause to understand these rules.

"But if I was a boy, would it be more proper then?" Riza asked him.

"I don't know. Perhaps." He responded, wishing she won't ask any further questions on that topic.

"Weird. That doesn't change anything." Was her final statement on this matter. "Goodnight." She said and came back to her previous position, only this time she was not glued to the wall.

"Night."

If only this was a good night. As it turned out, floors can never imitate a good bed. He couldn't get comfortable at all. At some point, Roy was well aware that he had another sleepless night ahead of him. This time, at least, he wasn't shivering with cold.

Out of boredom, he started to hear things he normally would not. He noticed the wind blowing outside, some insect's wings fluttering around his head, and Riza's quick and shallow breaths.

So she couldn't fall asleep either. He wondered what caused it. Was it his presence? Roy could bet that she could hear him too since he was moving on the floor quite a lot. That meant they both were aware of the one's awakening. None of them said anything.

Maybe because the middle of the night is the perfect time for digging deep into personal space. It's not a time for small talk. With the moon and the stars as their only witnesses, they could talk about their fears and hopes. But they didn't.

Riza was afraid of awakening the ticking bomb she had buried deep beneath her skin. She was good at hiding things there. Memories, emotions, maybe even some people, that once used to exist in her life. And she knew that she'd only need a small spark to start burning, flames of her own raw emotions consuming her.

Roy was good with people. Sometimes even too good, he was too caring. He could forget at times about boundaries that other people have around them and would not intentionally cross them. And all that kindness would turn against him.

He turned his head around, expecting to see Riza's back at the very end of the bed. Instead, he saw her face. She was lying in the middle of her bed, her eyes open and directed at him. Roy looked her in the eyes.

That glance could mean everything and nothing at the same time. It could say thank you or I'm sorry. It could be a desperate cry for help or reassurance that everything will be fine. It might reflect their past, present, or future. It could be a thousand moments they'll share in the years to come. The good and bad ones.

Like an invisible red string of fate, connecting them unconsciously.

Riza was the first one to break away. She slowly closed her eyes and changed her position, but didn't turn around. Her face was emotionless but calm. Roy wondered if she knew about this unexpected vulnerability she just showed him.

After a while, her breathing slowed down and she started snoring quietly. Roy listened to it for some time, while trying to figure out a way to spend the night.

He quietly stood up and made his way to the desk and lighted the candle. All of his alchemic books were exactly where he left them the day before. If he won't sleep, why not make the use of the night?

Roy silently opened one of the massive books he was currently reading and started writing in the notebook he just opened. He wanted to impress his master, so he was glued to the books most of the time. Sometimes even in the night. He was already exhausted with all the tasks Mr Hawkeye ordered him to do. And his training has just begun. But Roy was willing to do whatever it takes to become an alchemist.

Despite the yawns that appeared after half an hour of studying, Roy was still reading. And he kept on doing that until his eyelids became too heavy and his head had met the polished surface of the desk.

Riza woke up early, as usual. The sun started peeking up beneath the horizon, lighting up the earth. She stretched her hands and looked around, her eyes still adapting to the still present darkness around her. She expected to spot Roy on the floor. Instead, she saw him sleeping on her desk with his hands under his head. His mouth was opened broadly, as he was snoring loudly. What a ridiculous sight. Or maybe even a tragic one, since he was overworking himself to impress her father.

Riza took her belongings and left the room in order to get ready for the day in the bathroom. She sent Roy a glance, like she wanted to do something, but dismissed these thoughts rapidly.

This past week hasn't been as bad as she thought it would be. Roy was glued to the books most of the time, but he kept his promise. He did find things to do.

The first thing they did together was cleaning the kitchen and the clustered corridor on the first floor. He did all the things the way Riza instructed him since she couldn't do almost any of the job herself. She was complaining a little bit at the beginning and even tried to stand up and do something. But immediately after doing that, she sat down as she experienced the pain all over again. After a couple of moments of cooperation she realised that they were actually a well-organised team, fully focused on the job.

One day Roy hesitantly asked her if he could see her drawings. Riza took a long pause as she didn't expect anyone to ever want to see them. She could feel many different things at that moment. Uncertainty, self-doubt, stress, surprise. And happiness. Happiness, because he truly wanted to look at them. Without saying anything she handed Roy her sketchbook and awaited his judgment. The first thing she heard were his sighs of awe. The next was thousands of words coming out of his mouth praising everything about the drawings.

"You're absolutely brilliant, Riza." He said.

And she smiled widely for the first time in a very long time.

He was always studying in her presence. In her room, the kitchen, or under an apple tree growing near the fence surrounding the house. It became their favourite spot. Riza didn't want to admit to herself, but she liked observing Roy while he was studying. Noticing the small changes in his expression, the three taps on the book's surface with the pencil when he was concentrating, and how much his brows were frowning every time he was confused, which happened very often. She didn't want to get caught, so every time he looked at her, her eyes changed direction.

They didn't spend much time talking. Gaining that kind of trust takes time. But their actions did speak for themselves. That extra spoon of soup Roy was pouring into Riza's bowl, without her noticing. The tiniest of smiles she gave him every time he closed his book angrily and looked around in search of something to calm him down. A couple of tiny leaves Roy found in the garden and gave her, so she could sketch them down in her notebook. How she avoided telling him, that she already drew these and thanked him instead.

"Hey, Riza, are you there?" she heard a familiar voice and knocks on the door, successfully tearing her out of her contemplation. Riza realised that she had been in there for much longer than she planned.

"Yes. Give me a moment." She answered Roy while fixing her hair and collecting her things. Riza rapidly opened the door and found herself standing right before him. For a moment she could feel his shallow breaths on her forehead before she backed off to a safe distance. Both of them looked at each other with embarrassment, hoping the other one won't notice the redness that appeared on both of their cheeks.

"Good morning." Roy said in a sleepy tone.

"Hi. Is it really a good morning for you?" Riza responded with a suspicious voice.

"It is. I didn't freeze to death." He said with relief.

"Fair enough." She said and passed him by, going straight to the stairs, but stopped right before coming down. Something inside her was telling her to go back. She really wanted to. But she couldn't.

Facing her father was one of those unpredictable things she feared the most.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked from behind her, looking at her struggle, unseen to him. It must have been a weird view since she stood in one place for quite a moment.

"Yeah." Riza answered and started walking down. With each step, she could feel her hands trembling more and more and her intestines twisting nervously. She began to hear her heart racing, just like it wanted to escape her body. Focusing on them was easier than focusing on the emotions that were trying to take control of her.

Riza has found herself before her father's office, whose doors seemed to get bigger with every passing second while she was standing before them. Or maybe she was getting smaller and smaller?

She hesitantly knocked and awaited a response in silence.

"Come in." With that response, she opened the door with a shaky hand.

Riza hardly remembered how this room looked, since she hasn't been there for a long time. The air was dusty and suffocating, a result of a window hidden behind heavy, dark curtains. Massive bookshelves contained alchemy's biggest secrets and looked dreadful as she was passing them by to get to her father. He was sitting by his cluttered desk, mumbling something to himself.

"I was expecting you later. Why are you here so earl..." The old man spoke and stopped immediately after hearing Riza coughing. He turned around and saw his daughter, looking at him with some sort of aversion. "And what are you doing here?"

The tone of his voice was indicating that she was the last person he wanted to see. Riza tried hard not to show any of the emotions she was feeling at that very moment. And she was already feeling a lot.

"Roy is still waiting for a new window." She said quickly.

Her father's expression changed, as he was trying to remember why exactly he needs that. "Why won't you go, since you worry about him so much?"

"I can't." Riza responded.

"And why is that?"

"I have injured my feet. And you told him you'd do it. He's your student, after all." She said and immediately started feeling insecure over what just came out of her mouth.

Mr Hawkeye furrowed his brows and looked at her with displeasure. He didn't react to the fact that she had hurt herself. He didn't ask her if she needed any medical attention or just simply how she did it. Instead, he turned around and started rummaging in his belongings.

"He'll get the window." He said while looking through some old book. "Now, leave. I'm busy."

"When he'll have it?" Riza replied stubbornly, ignoring the last sentence he said. It was like a sharp needle, cutting through her and making her suffer.

That question made him raise his head and slowly turn it so that he could give her a vexed glance.

"I... said... GET OUT!" He abruptly shouted at her with anger, which she didn't hear in a long time. It was a painful reminder of how much she despised that man.

It was like a spark.

Riza could feel all the ugly emotions she locked away getting free, making her eyes wet. She left as fast as possible, trying to lose these feelings behind her. But she couldn't.

She closed the door loudly and leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself down. Riza didn't have a panic attack in such a long time, that she almost forgot how painful it was. Her cheeks were already shining from the tears she couldn't stop from falling. She hid her hands in her hair, pulling it hard, trying not to scream.

"Riza..."

Her heart stopped for a second. She swiftly raised her head and spotted Roy on the stairs, his face being the embodiment of pure sorrow and concern. He looked like he wanted to do something or ask, but he just looked at her like she was a wounded animal. His eyes were on the verge of crying too.

Riza abruptly moved herself to the other side of the corridor, not giving him another look, and left the house. That's when Roy moved too, trying to follow her.

"Wait, Riza!" he shouted after her.

Today, of all days, she couldn't run away from her problems. She couldn't leave this all behind like she always did. Riza could hear Roy following her, but keeping a safe distance. She was trying hard to stop crying, but she couldn't. That made her hate herself even more.

Suddenly, Riza stopped. There was no point in walking in circles since she couldn't leave. 'It's a beautiful day.' She thought to herself. The sun was already above them, warming their heads, and a gentle breeze carried the smell of the flowers blooming nearby. Grass' blades were tingling her bare feet nicely and she closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

'Too beautiful to be crying.'

But the anger and helplessness were still growing inside her, making her unable to calm down. Riza was aware of the presence of Roy a few feet behind, not knowing how to behave.

Tick tock. Tick tock.

A part of her wished and hoped that one day her father's behaviour would magically change. That he could be his old self again. Riza longed for his warm hugs and the way he braided her hair when she was little. His constant worry whenever she was upset over every small thing. Hearing his joyful whistles while he was cooking in the kitchen.

It was easier for her to hide these memories and pretend that her life is normal. But no child's life should look like the one she was currently living. And that part of her knew this.

Riza had kept on seeing these images before her eyes. The garden in its primal shape. Her mother, holding her in her arms. Riza's father surprising her, after returning from one of his journeys. That one rainy day, on which her mother didn't come home. A man in a uniform, visiting them the next morning, his face so grave it spoke for itself.

The silence got broken with her scream. The bomb went off.

All of the things she was feeling at the very moment got loose. She couldn't control them any longer. They crawled out of her skin, making her aflame. And she was burning, unable to stop.

After a while that felt like an eternity, Riza subsided to the ground with exhaustion. Roy stayed in his place, afraid of making the wrong move.

"Please don't ask." Riza said quietly, while wiping her face, her voice full of sorrow.

"I won't." He responded while taking two steps back, trying to give her more space. Roy watched her cautiously as he was thinking about what he could do. He felt like she wanted him to leave, but he couldn't just abandon her like that.

"Roy." Riza said as he was making another couple of steps back. She turned her head slightly towards him, but still avoided eye contact.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Stay." There was desperation in her voice, the kind he had never heard before.

Roy watched her for a moment until he took a couple of steps and sat beside her.

Riza closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She focused on the gentle breeze and the birds singing above them. She could smell the beautiful scent of wild roses growing nearby.

A part of her wished she could tell him. But there were a lot of other situations like this one. More panic attacks, more heartbreaks, and moments of loneliness that seemed to be never-ending. As far as she could remember, this was the vast majority of her life. How come she could tell him that?

They stayed there together for a long time not saying a single word. Both of them awaiting a better future. A future, in which they won't be afraid to speak.