Riza couldn't sleep, and that was that. She didn't know whether it was the stuffy blankets on her bed, or the unfortunate lack of air circulation in her room, but the space around her seemed to stand still, and she couldn't take it anymore. Impatiently she pushed back the covers, and sighed in relief when a brief reprieve came to her. Before long, though, the air in her room stagnated once more, and that's when she decided to take a walk.

As she crept out of her bedroom, she tiptoed past her father's room. He didn't like it when she got out of bed in the middle of the night, but Riza was especially prone to midnight strolls in the forest behind their house. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, she thought, trying to calm her electric nerves. Finally, she was able to slip down the stairs unnoticed. She headed for the back door, taking great care to avoid the particularly squeaky floorboards.

As soon as the back door was closed and she was safely outside, Riza let out a breath of relief. The gentle night breeze left her skin feeling wonderfully cool, gradually unsticking her short hair from the back of her neck. The moon was completely full tonight, and the light it cast illuminated a path for Riza to follow into the dense forest. She had grown up exploring these woods as a child, always on her own while her father shut himself up in his study, scouring his alchemy books with an intensity she could not understand. At one time she had been scared of this forest, but with her exploration came familiarity and a gradual departure of her fear.

The soft echoes of the night seemed to greet her happily, welcoming her into the fold of greenery. She followed the path she knew best, eagerly awaiting the moment when her secret hideout would appear in front of her. Before her mother had died, this had been their special spot- a small bank along the lake, hidden by a large tree whose branches seemed to reach down like hands. Riza vaguely remembered coming here for afternoon picnics on the days when her father was traveling. Her memories of her mother were slipping, but the memory of serenity by the lake was not one Riza was likely to let go of.

Lost deep in thought, Riza almost missed the hidden entrance to her little alcove. She shook her head and pushed aside a couple of branches before stopping dead in her tracks. What on earth is he doing here?! A mixture of fear and surprise launched itself into her veins, and immediately her heart started pumping. Her father's newest apprentice, Mr. Mustang, was sitting there with his back to her, gazing out at the lake. Mr. Mustang had arrived a few days previously, and Riza had already resolved to treat him with the same attitude as she had the others- outward respect, but inward indifference. She had never had any intention of getting close with any of the other apprentices before then; they never lasted for long. Most of the time they didn't even offer her the simple courtesy of introducing themselves, and Riza had grown to expect it. One thing was different about this boy, though. He had introduced himself, and after returning the favor, she had intended to simply return to her book, but to her surprise he had attempted to further the conversation. I suppose he'll be a little different, then, she had thought.

Perturbed and annoyed, Riza began to step backwards to go back to the house, but to her horror her foot came down on a twig. Unbelievable, she thought angrily, her breath catching as the sound split the air between them. Mr. Mustang whirled around, a fearful look in his eyes, but froze in confusion when he laid eyes on her. He looked like a deer in the headlights, and for some wild reason Riza wanted to laugh at the peculiar expression on his face. "Um…" he stuttered. "Hi?"

"Mr. Mustang," she said, formality taking over. She pushed aside the branches once more and sat just beyond them, inside her alcove that he had invaded. "What are you doing here?" It came out a little more invasively than she had intended, and she attempted a smile to soften the bite in her voice.

"I just.. I was looking for a good place to watch the stars. I can never see them in the city." Mr. Mustang's voice was stronger now, and his initial shock seemed to be gone.

Surprise flooded Riza. She hadn't expected this boy to be so… open. "Oh," she replied, rather awkwardly.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked carefully, turning around completely to face her now.

"No, not at all," Riza replied, still surprised. Could this get any stranger? she thought. Here she was, wandering around in the middle of the night, and who does she find? Mr. Mustang was the last person she would expect to find here; no one knew about this secret bank, not even her father. "How did you find this place?"

His face went pink. "I don't know, I just sort of stumbled upon it earlier. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to walk around for a bit." He paused. "I suppose you've come here before, then?"

"Yes," Riza said simply, not willing to elaborate. If Mr. Mustang noticed her reluctance, he did not acknowledge it, and she thanked him silently. Talking about her mother was never easy for her, and opening up to this strange new boy was certainly not on her to-do list of the healing process.

"Would you like to sit with me?" Mr. Mustang's voice was a little nervous. In response, almost before she knew what her legs were doing, Riza walked forward and sat next to him, but left a good five feet between them. She tucked her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. What am I doing? she panicked quietly. Here was a boy she barely knew, sitting in her secret place, and she wasn't objecting his presence. Still, a certain sense of tranquility seemed to flood his surroundings, and Riza was certainly included in the range of that flood. There's something different about him, for sure, she thought.

As the minutes dragged on, the pair was silent, simply gazing out into the water and admiring the view. The stars flickered high above them, and Riza's sense of apprehension for the boy beside her gradually lessened a little. She knew that the mistrust she had in him would return in the morning, but for now she didn't care. I guess not every apprentice Father invites is all that bad.

A/N: Leave a review! :)