Chapter Text
Ishval Region, Eastern Amestris, 1908
Riza knew that the change between them was apparent. Captain Hughes seemed pleased by the development, and that was all that mattered. She and Roy were both happier, and able to get along well. She was assigned permanently to Roy’s squadron, following him on each and every mission. She was a good gunman, and a better sniper. She made Roy’s team stronger.
During their down time at the base camp, Riza still took shifts as a guard, perching in her tower and watching for any signs of activity beyond their perimeter. It was growing hot in the late afternoon, and her canteen had run dry an hour ago, but she felt fine. Perhaps a bit lightheaded, but there were plenty of attributes for that.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to relieve her dizziness. She opened them again, and stared down at her hands. They were trembling slightly. That was odd, to say the least. Riza had always prided herself on her steady hands. She closed her eyes again, and things went dark.
***
Riza vaguely recognized the voices arguing over her.
“You didn’t give any thought to her well-being did you? She’s just barely an adult! How could you be so reckless ??”
“Roy, really. I had no idea. Honestly, I would’ve sent someone up sooner if I’d be worried. But she’s capable!”
“She could have died up there, Maes!”
“R-roy?”she croaked, her throat was dry.
“Shit, Riza…” She opened her eyes, and saw him sitting by the… she looked down. A cot. Where was she?
“What… happened?” She tried to focus on something, anything. It was all too bright, out of focus.
“Shh… Don’t strain yourself.” He held a glass of water to her lips, and Riza drank eagerly. She felt fuzzy. “Just rest, alright?”
“But… Watch?”
“You’re on medical rest. Relieved of duty until the doctor clears you.”
“I… I’m fine.” She tried to sit up more fully, and a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.
“Riza! You’re sick!”
She let Roy help her back down to the cot, her eyelids drooping again. “I’m fine… Really…”
“Just relax, okay? I’ll be right here…”
“Roy!”
“She’s my subordinate, Hughes. I’m going to watch out for her until she’s better. Understand?”
Riza’s eyes blurrily followed Captain Hughes’ form leaving the tent before her world went black again.
***
“Take a deep breath,” her father said. “In order to hit your target, you must always be calm.”
“Always be calm,” Riza echoed. She was far more still than the average five-year-old, and it worked to her advantage here.
“Now draw your sling, and aim very carefully…”
Riza pulled back the elastic, lining her sight up with the block of wood resting on the fence. She took one more deep breath, and then released. The rock knocked into the block, knocking it over, and Riza couldn’t help her cheer of excitement.
“I did it! I did it!”
“Yes, you did. I’m proud of you, Riza.” Berthold Hawkeye smiled down at his daughter, and Riza smiled back.
“There you two are! I’ve been calling!” They both turned, eyes settling on Riza’s mother, standing in the doorway of the house.
“Elizabeth, I’m… Riza asked me to help her.”
“With what?”
“Slingshot! I’m gonna be better than Bobby Wilson. He thinks he’s so cool jus’ cuz he can hit a blocka wood. Well, so can I!” Her mother laughed, and Riza dropped the homemade slingshot in the dirt, running over to hug her. Even her father came, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Dinner’s ready, so shall we?”
“Dinner!” Riza chirped, following her mother inside.
***
“Riza… Riza…” She blinked, her eyes fluttering. Roy was sitting there, a hand shaking her shoulder gently.
“What?” She asked.
“Dinner? Do you… Do you feel up to eating?”
She groaned a bit, trying to focus. “I… Should…”
“I’ll sit with you… See if we can’t get you some real food, huh?”
“Real food….” Riza murmured. “I… Food is…”
“I get it, Riza. Just let me know if I can get you anything, okay?”
She nodded, settling back onto the cot, her eyes closing. “Maybe… I’ll eat later…”
“Alright. Just rest.”
***
Riza was bouncing up and down on her bed. Bedtime meant story time. She was starting to be able to puzzle out the words on the pages of her books, but it was still just a bit beyond her grasp.
“Now the brave sailors stood their ground, but the evil pirates were swarming onto their ship. The pirate captain marched right up to them and held out his sword. ‘Surrender your ship or surrender your lives,’ he said, his voice a deep growl.”
“Are the sailors gonna be okay, Mama?”
“Riza, if you don’t let me read, then how will you know?”
Riza looked down at her lap, still so excited. Her mother smiled, ruffling her hair gently, and picked up the book to continue the story.
***
“‘We’ll never surrender,’ said Demetrio, the sailor’s leader. The pirate captain walked closer, holding his sword right beneath the sailor’s chin. ‘Then die,’ he growled. He was about to deliver the killing blow when the bravest sailor of them all, Isadora, brought up her sword and blocked the pirate captain.”
Riza’s eyes flickered open. “I… That’s my… favorite,” she breathed, her eyes still unfocused. She could see the faint glow of the moon through the canvas, though it was mostly obscured by the lamplight.
“I thought it might help you,” he murmured, stroking her face. “Feeling any better?”
“I’m… thirsty,” she replied. Roy nodded, holding a mug of water to her lips and letting her drink. When she finished, he stood for a moment, returning with a cool, damp cloth, and laying it over her forehead.
“Do you feel up to eating yet?”
“I dunno,” she murmured, already shutting her eyes. “Will you… read some more?”
“Of course.” He cleared his throat. She heard the rustle of paper as he picked the book up. “‘I will not let you harm one hair on Demetrio’s head,’ she replied, brandishing her weapon and pushing the pirates back…”
***
“Now, what must we do before we go to bed, Riza?”
“Say our prayers,” she replied, snuggling beneath her blankets. Her mother’s hand was cool on her forehead. Outside, Riza could hear the quiet hooting of the owls that lived in the beech tree out back.
“That’s right, darling. We say our prayers.” Her mother closed her eyes and bowed her head, clasping her hands together. Riza was quick to imitate her mother’s posture. “We thank you for this day, and all the gifts you have given us. We thank you for our sleep and the chance that we might dream happily. And we thank you for tomorrow, and all that the future holds. Amen.”
“Amen,” Riza chorused. She smiled at her mother, and then let her eyes fall shut. The sounds of the night were her lullaby. She heard her mother close the door behind her, and that was all she needed to fall asleep.
***
“I don’t know if you’re real. Hell, I don’t know if you’d listen to me anyways, after all the things I’ve done. But… If there’s a chance you’d be willing to help her… That’s all I want. She’s a good kid. She doesn’t deserve to die here.”
Riza’s eyes fluttered open again. The tent was lit only by lamplight. Roy was sitting next to her cot, one hand wrapped around hers, the other covering his eyes.
“You need sleep too,” she chided weakly. He quickly turned, looking at her with shock.
“Riza… Are you feeling okay?”
“It’s still… Fuzzy, but…”
“Here,” he said, helping her sit up and holding the mug of water -- newly filled, she noted -- to her lips again. She drank eagerly. “Slow down,” he murmured. “You’ll make yourself sick.”
“I…. More? Please?”
Roy nodded eagerly, his eyes shining brightly, and he went to refill the mug. This time, Riza took it with her trembling hands, gulping the water desperately, craving the cool refreshing feeling. “Feeling better?” he asked, breathless.
“Yeah, I do. The water helped…”
“Looks like the sleep did too. You sound better.” He moved away again, refilling the mug and grabbing a plate with half a sandwich on it. “Feel like eating?”
She nodded, taking the sandwich and tearing into it. “This is…”
“A real sandwich. From the officer’s mess tent. I figured… I figured you’d like something real.”
“Thank you,” she mumbled, her mouth still full of bread and meat and cheese. It was heavenly after so long without food. She couldn’t remember her last real meal. When she finished, she reached for the mug of water, downing it in one swallow.
“Easy now, Riza. You’re still sick,” he stroked her hair. “You look better though. And your head feels a little cooler…”
“I feel better now. Things aren’t… quite as fuzzy.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for sitting with me,” she murmured.
“I told Hughes I wasn’t going to do anything until you got better. I meant it.”
Riza nodded. “I… think I’m going to try and sleep a little bit more.”
“That’s probably for the best.” He smiled softly at her. “Oh!” He reached under the cot. “I… went and got this from your tent. I thought it’d help a little bit.” He held out the soft blanket she had spirited with her to Ishval.
“How’d you know?”
“You couldn’t sleep without it.”
She chuckled softly, pulling the fabric into her arms. “My mother made it for me, when I was little.” She paused, and turned to look at him. “Roy, were you praying?”
“I… Anything helps, right? I just… It didn’t look so good. Doc was saying you might have to get shipped home, but you don’t have a family or anything, and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let you leave anyways.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “Are you… Will you stay until I fall asleep?”
“I’ll stay until you’re better.” He leaned over, pressed his lips to her forehead. “Get some more rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up in the morning.”
“Good night,” Riza murmured, this time welcoming sleep’s embrace.
***
“Oh please, Mama? One more song, pleeeeaaaseee?” Riza begged, wrapping her arms around her Mother’s legs as she tried to stand.
“Riza, it’s late. And your Father is trying to study.”
“But please Mama? Just one more song? I’ll go to bed right after, I promise!”
“You promised that last night, and there were still two bedtime stories and another song once you were in bed.”
Riza pouted, stomping her foot on the hardwood floor. “But you’re such a good singer, Mama!”
“Alright. One more song, but that’s it. Do you understand, Riza?”
“Yes, Mama.” All the same, Riza sat herself right down on the floor as her mother returned to the piano, resting delicate hands on the contrasting keys. Riza clapped as her mother began to play a simple folk tune, her voice joining the piano.
“What is going on in here?” Riza turned, to see her father standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.
“Riza insisted on one more song, dearest. And then she’s going straight to bed, like a good girl.”
“Now, Lizzy, I think today is a day we can make an exception, isn’t it? After all, it is my little girl’s birthday.”
Riza grinned. Her father hadn’t really been present during dinner, but she had received a brand new story-book for her mother to read her that night. She had been told they’d have cake later, but now that her father was here…
“Can we have cake?”
“Of course we can!” Berthold entered the room, scooping his daughter into his arms. Riza giggled. Everything was perfect.
***
When Riza woke again, Roy was nodding off in his chair, his lips moving quietly. Riza leaned in closer, trying to discern what he was saying. She smiled when she heard the familiar tune. It was one she’d taught him during his time as her Father’s student.
“Hey,” she said, sounding more like herself.
“Hey yourself,” he replied, practically half-asleep.
“You need sleep too, Roy.”
“I’ll sleep later. You’re more important.”
“I’m feeling much better now. Please?” She pushed herself up, feeling the strength returning to her limbs. “It’ll help me, to know you’re being well-cared for.”
“Riza, I--”
“You’re going to sleep, yes?”
Roy chuckled and nodded. “If that’s what’ll make you get better, I’ll go get some sleep.”
“Walk me back to my tent?”
“I don’t think you’re allowed to leave yet. The doc--”
“Can come see me in my tent. There are other soldiers who need these beds more than I do. So I can go recover in my own tent, isn’t that right?”
“I suppose so.”
They walked through the camp silently, their clasped hands the only indication of something more.