Disclaimer: The Fullmetal Alchemist series, Roy Mustang, and Riza Hawkeye do not belong to me. I am simply taking them out to play, and promise to return them...mostly unharmed mentally and/or physically. No copyright infringement intended. No profit made from the writing of this.

Time frame: sometime after the Ishvalan war, otherwise unstated.

A/N: So apparently this is what happens when I procrastinate - I write random oneshots/vignettes. I'm actually...kind of proud of this one, truth be told, which is something of a surprise. So I hope you all enjoy it as well. I'd love some feedback though, whether you liked it, didn't like it, thought it was too dramatic or something. (I will say though, the ambiguity was on purpose. The point is for you, as a reader, to come to your own conclusions). I'm open to any and all constructive feedback, especially as I'm still new to the FMA sandbox. Most importantly though, as I mentioned earlier - I hope you enjoy!

Red Rain

It was raining, and Riza could not stop shaking.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one afraid of the rain?" Roy asked dryly, belying the gentleness with which he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Riza said, and to most her voice would have sounded perfectly steady and controlled. But Roy was not most, and he could hear the faint tremble in her usually unflappable tone.

"There's no need to apologize, Lieutenant," Roy said, and this time his voice mimicked his movements as he drew her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. It came almost as a surprise when she did not stiffen, nor pull away.

It was only then that Roy realized just how badly she had been frightened.

They stood there for a long moment, still and rigid, Roy's arms encircling his lieutenant as she stood before him, face pressed against his chest. Her own arms remained at her sides, not reaching out to cling to him in return – but not rising to push him away either.

"You know," Roy commented after a moment had passed, "you haven't made one jipe about me being useless yet. And it is raining."

"I only remind you so you don't forget and do something stupid," came the muffled reply. "Clearly you are remembering just fine right now."

"Hmph. I'm not useless you know."

"Of course not, sir." She pulled away then, wiping at her face. Roy let her go.

"The others will be here soon," Roy said after another moment of awkward silence.

"Yes sir."

Roy glanced over at her and she shifted uncomfortably, shrugging her shoulders and half turning away from him. "Here," he offered, fingers numb from the chill and the damp of his gloves reaching up to fumble at the buttons on his uniform jacket. "It's wet and probably uncomfortable, but… well, it's better than what you have on now." He slid the heavy wool off of his shoulders and handed it to her, averting his gaze.

"Thank you, sir," she mumbled quietly, and gratefully took the jacket.

"I'm afraid I can't give you my pants," Roy added after a second, hearing her work her arms into the too-large coat.

Riza snorted. "I didn't expect you to," she replied. "Besides, you're big enough that this will be fine. The others have seen me in less before."

Roy took that as his cue to turn around. He nodded once, and then quickly brought his eyes back to her face.

"You okay?" he asked, somewhat tentatively.

"Fine, sir," she replied. This time there was no quiver to her voice.

"You're lying."

"Probably."

Roy sent her a look, half glare and half sigh. Riza quirked an eyebrow, and then looked away.

"Have it your way," Roy muttered.

The rumble of cars accompanied by raucous shouts abruptly pierced the air. The source of those sounds was hidden by the sagging wall in front of them, although the empty space above their heads where a roof would have been made the noise echo strangely.

"Sounds like the cavalry is here," Roy observed. Riza nodded. "Shall we go out?" Riza nodded again.

Roy led the way and Riza followed, half a step behind him and just to his right. Like always. And yet, as they ducked out of the crumbling doorway, leaving the room splattered in blood and littered with corpses, Roy felt as if, for perhaps the first time since they had met again so many years ago in Ishval, it was him protecting her.

He wasn't sure he liked it.