Chapter One: The Letter.

A ROYAI STORY.

The dim light seemed to float over her head as she shoveled the piles of papers around her wooden desk, signing things, and filling out forms for the military. It was almost endless, but she finally finished her stack. As for the rest of her comrades, they were sleeping or drooling over their own paperwork. Riza stood up abruptly, looking around and eyeing her men that were slacking off. Her strict demeanor easily traveled to them and the ones who weren't sleeping were now nudging the ones who were. Whispers were thrown around the room, but the Colonel seemed not to notice as he stared off out the window with vacant eyes. Riza glared at Roy for a moment as he was still turned around, but eventually turned on her heel with a sigh. Falman watched her, closely examining her every move until her body turned the corner tensely. This wasn't their Riza, that was for sure.

"Who's on their period…?" Havoc muttered, thrown off by her rigorous body language. She might as well have shot them down with her deadly glowering.

Breda punched Havoc's shoulder portentously. "Havoc, don't say shit like that. She could be listening still!" He winked.

Falman scowled at them. Were they seriously this warped? Obviously something was wrong. Hawkeye never acted like this. Never. And what the hell was Roy doing?.. Staring off into space. Like always. Jesus. The warrant officer whistled at his boss to gain his attention. No response. Not even a little movement. "Mustang, sir!"

Roy faltered a little, turning with a bored expression - perhaps not bored. He just seemed a bit worn, despondent even. "Yes, Falman?" he asked, voice low.

"Sir, if I may interject between you and your… inattentiveness… Visit Hawkeye. There's something wrong."

Roy's solemn silence and turning back to the window was the only reply he got before Havoc chirped in, muttering, "If he wants his head bitten off."

Riza carried her documents quite snugly to her chest and strode through the hallways of Central Headquarters. Today, particularly, she wasn't in the best mood. Most of the time, she'd remind everyone to keep up, but today she was using her deadly stares and her strict movements of the body to show them that they need to get their bodies in gear or she was most likely going to go insane. Currently, Riza was burning inside, full of anger, anxiety, and fear. She had received the letter today that she'd be changing stations, and moving North to Briggs, but she still couldn't explain why she was taking out all the anger on her friends... No. The answer was waiting in lines of the papers that sat at home…

As soon as she got home, - when she did, anyhow - she couldn't tell if she was going to break down in tears, or throw fists of rage at the walls. All she could do to remain calm. Keep her emotions out of her duty to her country and commanding officer and stay still. Very still…

Dropping off the parchment, the Lieutenant left the building quietly without a word. Those her saluted her on her way out, she nodded to gravely. What was she going to do? Riza's job was to protect him, she couldn't bare to leave him. She knew that her undeveloped feelings were love for him, but she denied it all the same. Could she even imagine living without him? A year or two she confessed, during their battle with Envy, that she didn't want to live without him... He had asked her what she would do without him, when and if she shot him. "I have no desire to keep on living care-freely by myself. When the war is over, I will erase the flame alchemy that spreads madness...I will erase my entire body from this world..." Her body shivered as the thought she had once spoken ran through her head. It was all true, though. She didn't want to go anywhere without him - nor did she want the secrets of the disaster on her back to become real. The traces of red ink in her skin were light, but adamant, refusing to disappear completely.

As Riza stepped out of the building, and walked across the parking lot, she retrieved her car and sat there for a moment before even getting out the keys. Her mind was set on one thing. Staying with the Colonel: protecting him from danger. God knows what he danger he'd get into even with the Homunculi gone. She almost lost him the day poor Havoc lost the ability to even stand; however, with the Philosopher's Stone in hand, the reversed the effect, thank god. She couldn't deal with the fact that he would be prone to so many hazardous things… The anguish she felt that day was not to be repeated. And she wanted to. But she couldn't… Not with her rapid absence in place.

Her hands shakily stuffed the keys in the ignition, and her hands gripped the wheel with frustration. Before she knew it, her eyes were being invaded by tears and her body shook. Why couldn't she take it calmly like anyone else would? There'd be frowns of distaste, but no one would be crying over it, right? It was just her overreacting. Just her…

When she began to sniffle, Riza finally began to realize where she was once again, having been thrown into a pensive, but sentimental state. She was abashed at herself for letting her emotions take over so carelessly and easily. Hadn't she survived the fighting in Ishval? Wasn't she the one who endured being parentless for so long? How could she be crying now?...

Riza finally gained control of herself and started up the car once more before driving off, wiping away her tears. It didn't take long to get home as she reached got to the other side of town. Her apartment was only down the block and she could imagine that Hayate was waiting by the door like usual, ready for his evening walk. The Lieutenant parked her vehicle carefully in between two other automobiles and shut off the rumbling engine. She opened the car door and brought her two guns and one rifle, cradling them impeccably in her arms.

As suspected, Hayate was waiting patiently at the door. Riza bent down, laying her firearms aside, and pulled him into a shaky hug. The small Shiba Inu whimpered, feeling her crestfallen disposition around him. He licked her cheek in attempt to comfort her and Riza stroked his fur, which was, perhaps, more reassuring than his fruitless effort. Eventually, she let him down, knowing he'd get restless, even if he knew that she was feeling a range of painful emotions. "I'll be back, Hayate," she whispered softly, in a dispirited tone. Hayate barked in response as she left the room and headed off to take a shower.

The warm water trickling down her skin let her stress disperse for just a few moments. Her hands ran through her hair, darkened with dampness, as she washed, feeling relieved. It was only until Riza turned off the faucet after a good four or five minutes did the feeling run away from her. It wasn't like she had much of a choice anyways. She wasn't too keen on running up the water bill.

Wrapping a towel around her chest, she dried her hair and waist down with a different one until she was dry enough to throw on a pair of sweat pants without getting them drenched.

In the background Hayate was yapping at someone at the door, so Riza hurried out, drying off the rest of her body as quickly as she could. "I'm coming!" she said loud enough for the person waiting to hear. She threw on a black t-shirt that covered the nasty scars covering her back, the remainder of her father's flame alchemy. His work from over the years. A secret kept between, her and Roy.

The towel she was using was around her shoulders, but she threw it over on across a chair and decided that she'd tend to it later. The blonde peeked to see who it was and sure enough, it was Roy. The Colonel she so dearly loved. How was she going to say this? Perhaps the news was already sent and he knew…

He had been gazing off at the other end of the hallway, but he looked up, almost as if he was surprised that she even opened the door. It wasn't even a second after, however, that his facial expression became calm again. "Hawkeye." He said coolly, almost questioning her as if it wasn't her name, and she nodded.

It was probably almost an hour since she left the office and everyone was most likely gone now. Riza widened the door and actually, quite sheepishly let him in. Roy looked around for a moment, eyes placid instead of his usual flirtatious and demanding glint, then she led him to the leather couch by the coffee table where another recliner sat across from it. Roy sat in the single chair, and Riza positioned herself at the far edge of the couch. He looked at her with soft eyes, knowingly. Obviously, Falman had told him about her unusual behavior before he left the office, himself. Riza's stomach squirmed nervously. How many times had he been here when he had gotten drunk? She couldn't count them...

Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, Roy spoke with an innocuous tone, trying to act as if he didn't know. "You seemed... off, today, Lieutenant.. Is there something wrong?" The I-don't-know-what's-going-on face. Of course, he knew. He had the damned letter at his own small rental. However… it was ripped in half and used as a starter for his fireplace as he had been in a foul mood as soon as he saw the words, "Letter of Deployment".

Riza cringed at the words 'something wrong'. Of course, there was. She sighed softly, and got up only to walk to the kitchen and rummaged through four or so papers. Two of them were paid bills, one was an advertisement that she usually threw away by now, but the other was the one she only dared to look at when she had to. Taking this one, she dragged herself back to the table. The document inside had been roughly stuffed inside the envelope, but it , was only lightly wrinkled. The date at the top read 04.28, and today was May, the sixth. She had left it off for so long, and it was eating her from the inside out.

She offered the paper, but Roy shook his head, eyes lowered. "I know what that is. I'd rather not look at it, Lieutenant." His eyes lost their saddened look and turned fiery and taunting.

Riza looked down sadly. "Sir…" she said softly, melancholy in her voice. She bit her lip. What next? Was he going to burn the parchment in her hands? If Riza had that power and had a chance to abuse it, that was what she'd do. She couldn't run away from this. If she retired from the military, anyways, she wouldn't be able to protect Roy. Either way, she was stuck. Their partnership was coming to an end, but perhaps, even if they did part, she'd still be Roy's most trusted subordinate. Always. Riza almost let a whimper escape, but she held it back just in time so that Roy stood up, getting ready to depart again.

He cleared his throat, becoming orderly again. "I haven't really stated my purpose for my… visit. Lieutenant... Would you mind meeting me fifteen minutes before your shift...?" Riza looked up, slightly bewildered in her own mind, but nonetheless showing her reserved and devoted side. "I'm always there fifteen minutes earlier, sir."

The brunette smiled softly, his onyx orbs glistening meaningfully, "But, of course, I'm never there fifteen minutes before," he said calmly before walking back to the door. "Please excuse me, Lieutenant..." he said quietly, but Riza could detect a tone of bitter sadness there. "Have a good night's sleep." he finished.

Before she knew it she was all alone with Hayate again. She looked back down at her lap. "You too, Roy..."