A/N: This was in response to an anon prompt on tumblr. The prompt list this came from is the same one as "Loud, so everyone can hear".

Riza leans against the door, completely and utterly defeated. Walking into that room had taken all of her strength away. Just seeing her Colonel's eyes when she left had been enough to drain her energy. She remembered his voice most of all- the way it had faltered after she begged him to not get himself killed. True to his nature, he had plowed ahead into a different point of conversation to avoid what he was feeling, and she had followed in attempt to keep him focused. Roy couldn't be distracted by what he felt at the moment; he had to work.

Alone in the hallway, Riza lets her guard down for just a moment, nothing more. Instantly her knees give way, and she tumbles to the ground. The books she holds cascade out of her arms, falling to the floor forgotten. The lieutenant clasps her hands together and presses her thumbs in the space between her eyes, trying in vain to relieve some of the pressure there. Don't lose your composure, she wills herself, and it is with great effort and discipline that she adheres to her own orders. In her head she is analyzing everything they said, finding the hidden meanings and embracing their curious method of communication. They had devised their code long ago, mere weeks after she had become his subordinate. Even after Ishval, both of them had been confident that changing the system from within was their best shot at repairing the damage they had caused.

She senses someone coming, and her eyes fly open. The hallway in front of her is inexplicably empty, and after a moment she realizes that Roy must be coming to the door from within. Riza scrambles to her feet, gathering her books, and her boot knocks against the smooth wood of the door in the process. Suddenly, it is as though she can feel his every movement; every breath he takes seems to synchronize with hers. Her heart falters for a moment, and she sets aside the books once more. She stands and presses an ear to the door, and sure enough, he is there.

Riza doesn't dare open the door. If she did, she knows that she would simply fly into his arms, and there would be no chance of her letting go anytime soon. Plus, she could hear footsteps coming in the distance, so it was now or never. She presses her lips to the crack in the door, willing him to do the same, and murmurs, "I love you."

A few tense moments pass, and then wonderfully, blissfully "I love you, too. Stay sharp." His voice is muffled through the door, but her heart swells to be twice it's size and threatens to burst. No matter how many years it had been, those simple words would never fail to make Riza's heart race. The Fuhrer's reassignment of all of Roy's men had come as a shock, despite the scenarios that she and Roy had thought up after discovering Bradley's true nature. To be torn from Roy's side was especially cruel; even if they weren't romantically involved Riza would always feel a sense of obligation to the man that had wept while burning the crippling secrets from her back.

With a mixed sense of relief and dread, Riza finally comes away from the door and turns around. She picks up her books and begins to walk away, feeling her heart harden and compact with every echo of her footsteps as she rounds the corner and leaves her Colonel behind.

A/N: Leave a review! :)