Central City was alive with excitement; the sweet summer breeze was enough to rouse even the most sullen of individuals into a good mood. Golden evening light radiated through every crevice of Central Headquarters, enamouring everyone but Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye, whose attention was glued to the paperwork in front of her. She had hoped that working after the squad clocked out would allow her some peace, but the voices of other officers kept finding their way into her ears.
She continued working as the voices of her peers faded in and out of earshot. 'There's still so much to do,' she thought, looking at the pile of forms and reports on her desk. She rubbed her strained eyes and arched her back in a much needed stretch. She then took a long sip from her cup, causing her furrowed brows to loosen as the warm tea met her lips, curving them ever so slightly upward. The tension in her shoulders dropped as she enjoyed a moment of silence, with no one in the distance to distract her as they prattled on about something insignificant.
However, her tiny bit of peace was cut short by another voice, but this time, she didn't mind. "Lieutenant Colonel," he said.
"General Mustang," she nodded before going back to her report.
Roy noticed how uncharacteristically relaxed her shoulders were and smiled to himself. He hung up his coat and fell onto his seat, sinking into the cushy leather. "I thought you would have gone home by now," he said.
"I still had some paperwork to finish, sir," she replied without looking up.
Roy nodded. "Don't you want to know where I just came from?" he asked with a smirk.
"You were in a meeting with Fuhrer Grumman, sir," Riza said dryly. "You forget that I organize your schedule."
Roy leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head. He had his eyes closed with a devilish smile gracing his face. "Yes, well, the content of our meeting was quite interesting... Care to take a guess as to why?"
Riza raised her brow and turned to face her superior officer. "Sir?"
His eyes stared into hers, his sly smile melting into a genuine one. "Tonight," he started, "Grumman signed an order to repeal anti-fraternization laws." As his words left his mouth, Roy's eyes searched for any semblance of emotion from her. He bit his bottom lip as his eyes studied every inch of her face. He felt his heartbeat increase and his hands perspire as he waited for her to respond to the news.
The Lieutenant Colonel raised her brows in surprise, though the rest of her face was apathetic at best. "That is quite interesting, General," she said, though her voice was void of any real emotion.
Roy's smile fell in response to her empty reply. "Not a very animated reaction, Lieutenant."
She shrugged nonchalantly. "The change wouldn't affect me, sir."
The General looked down at his desk, his mouth curled downward. He stood up to collect his coat and made his way to the door, stopping at the threshold. He looked at her face again and turned his downward expression into an unconvincing smile. "I suppose not, Lieutenant Hawkeye," he said softly as he walked out the door.