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Riza had thought having a knife held up to her throat would be the scariest part of her night, but she didn't think she was going to be practically carrying a bleeding out Mustang around Central Proper in the dead of night.
"You need to see a doctor–"
"I know one around here," Mustang grunted, securing his grip around Riza's shoulders.
"You don't even know where here is– Sir!"
Riza just barely managed to catch Mustang as he tripped and almost face planted onto the pavement of the quiet street. She held him steady while he caught his breath and squeezed his side, blood saturating his uniform and coating his fingers.
It had been something as simple as a mugging. Both of them were more than capable of defending themselves against the two men that had snuck up on them. It hadn't even been the element of surprise that had tripped them up. It was the knife the first one had held to Riza's throat.
She had heard Mustang yelp as the first mugger had hit him from behind, and as she had gone to pull her service weapon from out of its holster when she felt the cool metal against her neck, and an arm pulling her up against a body.
She was turned to face Mustang and his respective mugger, who had a knife pointed just below his ribs. She'd watched Mustang's eyes widen as he saw the exact situation they were in. When he'd flinched in the mugger's hold, and cried out as he got sliced in the side, Riza switched into action. She simultaneously kicked behind her and pushed the offending arm out of reach of her neck. In a matter of seconds, she had one mugger unconscious, and the other running in the opposite direction.
Then she'd turned to Mustang bleeding out on the ground.
"It's– it's up here," Mustang said, pointing a shaking finger up the road to the one establishment that still had a light on in one of the upper rooms.
Riza looked to where he was pointing and noticed the sign read "The Red Lantern". She adjusted her grip on Mustang's waist and sighed, pulling him closer to her.
"Sir, that's a bar, that–oh."
And then she realized what that bar was, and why it was significant to Mustang. She'd never actually been to the place where Mustang grew up, but she'd heard stories of his Aunt Christmas, and all of his sisters. While it always looked to others as Mustang flaunting his debauchery, those who were aware of his previous life knew his frequent visits to the hostess bar were much more... informative.
Riza picked up the speed and practically dragged Mustang the rest of the way to the shopfront and none too politely banged on the door.
"Sorry, but we're closed for the night!" a voice was heard from behind the door. Riza sighed and Mustang grunted.
"Please," she said, "my friend and I need help."
"Is Chris– is she in?" Mustang said beside her.
There was a hesitation on the other side of the door, and then Riza flinched as it opened a crack and the sliver of a girl was seen through it. Riza only had a second to wonder who it was before the door was thrown open all the way revealing her entirely.
"Roy!" she cried, "Hey everyone, Roy's here!" she said over her shoulder into the bar. "I'm so excited! I thought it was your voice I heard!"
The girl couldn't have been any older than Mustang himself. She was beautiful with brown hair falling just past her shoulders, and a dress on so vibrantly red that Riza had to blink in order to take it all in. Her smile was genuine and she held the door open with arms wide.
"And you must be the lovely Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye!"
Riza blinked. She had never seen this woman in her life. Had Mustang told them all about her? Not only that, but she seemed oblivious to the fact that the two people in front of her were in need of shelter and care.
"Um... I–"
"Laureen... Aunt Chris..." Mustang said weakly.
"Oh! Of course, yes!" Laureen stepped aside to let them through while turning over her shoulder. "Hannah, go fetch the Madame!" she called into the bar, "Rosamarie, we need you up front!"
As Riza led Mustang into the bar, they were immediately surrounded by young women, and a chorus of excited "Roy's here!"'s. Riza was stunned when Mustang's weight was suddenly taken off her shoulders as the women stepped in around her.
"Your hair is beautiful! Why don't you wear it down?"
Riza was surprised to see some of the girls had converged on her as well, all with attractive smiles and glamorous dresses.
"Well... it's not really...."
"Oh no! You're hurt as well!"
"No! Poor girl!"
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch, it's the Colonel who–"
They were referring to the slight cut on her neck where the knife had actually drawn a few beads of blood. It had already begun to scar, and Riza had forgotten it was even there. But Riza should have realized that these women wouldn't just ignore it.
"She needs a chair too!"
"Well of course she does!"
Riza let herself be gently led to a chair and watched as Mustang was helped onto a longish wooden table with a grunt. His eyes squeezed shut, and both hands immediately went to his side.
"Hey, stop crowding her!" Laureen said suddenly from amidst the women. Riza tore her eyes away from Mustang to see her shooing away girls and smiling down at her.
"Don't worry, Riza," she said, "Rosamarie is doing morning classes at Central University to be a nurse! And Hannah told the Madame you two were here, she'll be out soon."
Laureen sat on the arm of Riza's chair so that her side was pressed up against Riza's shoulder. Riza was surprised to admit that the closeness and warmth was comforting, and some of her nerves had gone away at the welcoming behavior from the women.
Looking back over at Mustang, she was shocked to see that one of girls (who she assumed was Rosamarie) had actually gotten up onto the table with him, and was unbuttoning his shirt and gently pulling it away from the wound. His white shirt was now completely red with blood, and torn where the knife had sliced through it. When Rosamarie moved his hand away, he groaned, and a few of the girls gasped.
"What was that, Roy?" Rosamarie said, leaning down so her ear was right up near Mustang's mouth. Her hair was curly and brown, and short enough to tickle his face when she got close. He said something too quiet for Riza to hear, and Rosamarie nodded, looking over past where Riza was sitting.
"Annie! Roy needs a drink! Brandy, and make it a double. I'll also need some vodka for this."
"I really don't think the Colonel should be drinking," Riza said, beginning to stand from her chair. Laureen held her down with just a hand to her shoulder and looked at her seriously.
"Don't worry, Riza, I promise you that Rosamarie knows what she's doing."
"But I–"
"Laureen, this needs stitches," Rosamarie said from on top of Mustang, "can you get me cloths and bandages too?"
Laureen sprang up from her perch on Riza's chair. "I'll be right back, Riza," she said with an affectionate touch to Riza's arm. Riza straightened but couldn't say anything, as Laureen was already turning to another woman.
"Riza needs a drink too," she said, "don't scare her."
Laureen left into a back room, and Riza took her opportunity to stand and go over to Mustang's table. Mustang's breathing was uneven and slightly panicked. Rosamarie had balled up Mustang's uniform and was pressing it to his side. His shirt lay destroyed in a torn red mess on the floor next to them.
"Colonel," she said, and his eyes fluttered open to look at her. "This wasn't exactly what I mean when I said you needed a doctor."
Mustang shut his eyes again and reached for her hand. "Don't worry– Lieutenant," he said haltingly, "I trust my sisters."
Riza suddenly looked up as another woman was sidling over to the table carrying a tray with drinks. She was impossibly tall with cropped reddish hair and smoky eyes. Although she hadn't said anything, Riza could see that she had a strong personality.
"Thanks, Annie," Rosamarie said. She took the small shot glass and put it in Roy's hand. "Here, Roy," she said, "drink this before I have to disinfect."
Roy grasped the drink and got an elbow underneath him with a grunt. He tipped the drink back and immediately spluttered, coughing on the harsh liquor. Rosamarie took the empty glass back and removed the bottle of vodka from the tray.
"And you?"
Riza jumped as Annie had suddenly turned on her with a stare so intense that Riza worried the other woman could see right through her.
"I... what?"
Why was it that Riza could barely pull a sentence together? She cleared her throat and straightened, reminding herself that she had a job to do.
"Your order," Annie said, her voice was raspy and low. Riza told herself she wasn't intimidated.
"Oh no," she said, "I'm fine, I don't need a drink."
At that moment, Laureen came back with a whole armful of supplies which she dumped in Riza's unoccupied chair.
"Of course you need something!" she said exasperatedly, "you've just had a harrowing night. If you don't want something alcoholic, we have coffee, or cocoa?"
"I could heat you up some warm cider," Annie said from behind her, and Riza shivered.
"Just coffee is fine," she replied. Truly she didn't feel like drinking anything, but didn't want to say no to Annie.
Annie sauntered off back to the bar and Riza couldn't help but watch her go. She'd never met someone quite like it.
When Laureen had left, curious other women had begun to converge on them again. Laureen seemed to be the leader of sorts, and Mustang had recognized her. Now that she had returned, all the women looked to her.
"Roy and Riza need some space," she said to the room, "someone go prepare their room."
There was a flurry of excitement as the main room quickly emptied out and it was just Riza, Laureen, and Rosamarie with Roy. Laureen put her arm around Riza and she felt herself unstiffening.
"Okay, Roy, I have to disinfect it now, are you ready?"
"Y-yes," Roy said quietly.
Rosamarie rolled up a white washcloth and gently placed it between his teeth, then she unscrewed the cap from the bottle of vodka. She looked up at Riza. Now that the brunette was off the table, Riza could see that she was just a little shorter than Riza herself. Like Laureen, Rosamarie was wearing a sparkly dress in midnight blue. There was blood on it, and Riza found herself thinking how wrong the picture looked: a gorgeous hostess girl tending to a wounded soldier on a bar table. Then again...
"Will you hold his arm down?" Rosamarie said, pulling Riza from her thoughts.
"Of course," she said. This, she could do. This she had done, many times back in Ishval. She had reverted back to what was comfortable, and she could handle it.
Riza pulled away from Laureen and put her hands on Mustang's bare arm. His eyes flickered to hers, and she smiled.
"Okay, I'm starting now, this should be quick," Rosamarie said quietly across from her. Riza watched out of the corner of her eye as she tipped the bottle and began pouring the harsh liquor over the knife wound.
Immediately, Mustang sucked in a breath through his nose, and his eyes squeezed shut. His arm tensed under her hand, and Riza squeezed his hand in her other one.
Mustang's sudden muffled cry startled Riza, and brought her back to that terrifying moment back in Laboratory 3 when she'd realized that Mustang had cauterized his own wound. With his shirt off now, Riza could see the scar, and all her mind could think of was that Mustang had gone through that all by himself.
Mustang was still panting, pulling in harsh breaths through his nose, but he'd opened his eyes and looked to Riza. She reached up and pulled the washcloth from his mouth.
"I'm done cleaning it, but it needs a few stitches," Rosamarie said, "this will only take a few minutes."
Riza realized she'd been breathing just as fast, and couldn't imagine the look on her face. She squeezed his hand again and took a deep breath.
"Here, honey." A teacup and saucer was set down on the table next to Mustang's head. Riza looked up to see Annie staring intently at her. "Drink, it's good for the nerves." Riza didn't think coffee would help her nerves in the slightest, but just a few sips of the beverage seemed to warm her from the inside. Laureen gently put a hand on her shoulder and lowered her into a chair next to the table, and she sunk down into it thankfully.
She kept holding Mustang's hand as Rosamarie stitched up the wound. Mustang stayed still during the procedure, but his face gave away his tiredness, and his bangs were sweaty and unkempt. Riza pushed them out of his eyes.
Just as Rosamarie was finishing up with what looked to be an antiseptic and a bandage over her neat stitches, there was a noise from the front door. Riza stood and put herself between Mustang and the door, her hand reaching for her service weapon. She'd failed to protect him before, the least she could do was keep him safe now.
None of the other girls seemed worried, but Riza tensed as a key was turned in the lock and the door slowly opened. A gruff older woman wearing a maroon full length dress and fur coat stepped over the threshold. She smirked at the sight she'd walked in on, and stepped aside to let a younger girl that Riza recognized to by Hannah through.
This must have been Mustang's aunt, Madame Christmas.
Riza slowly lowered her weapon, and instead took a step back, her hand finding Mustang's ankle.
"Ah, so this must be the Hawk's eye that I've heard all about," the Madame said. Somehow, Riza felt safer, more secure knowing that Madame Christmas was here. If she could have kept Mustang in line growing up, she could handle anything.
Madame Christmas shut the door and made her way over to the table where Roy was attempting to sit up.
"Don't strain yourself, boy," she said going to his side, "though I must ask why it's always when you're injured or need information that you come to visit me?"
"Chris– we were– attacked," Mustang said between gasping breaths, "they had– military–"
"Don't you worry now, it's all taken care of," Christmas said, "Grumman has men out at this moment looking for your pesky muggers."
"What? But it's barely been an hour!" Riza said exasperatedly.
Christmas laughed a hearty guffaw.
"Sweetie, nothing gets past me and my girls, especially about my Roy-boy," she reached out a hand and gently pushed Roy back down onto the table. "Now, have the girls been good hostess'?"
"Rosamarie did an excellent job patching up his side, and we're having a room prepared for them right now, Madame," Laureen said.
"Ah good," the Madame praised, "will I be seeing you in the tomorrow then, Roy?"
"No," Roy said, struggling to sit up again, "it's dangerous enough– stayin' th' night–"
Roy cut himself off as his face went –if possible– even whiter than it had already become. Madame Christmas laughed again as Mustang closed his eyes and swayed. Riza reached out and put a steadying arm around his shoulders.
"Oh you stubborn boy," Christmas said. "Feel free to see yourselves out tomorrow morning then."
And with that, the Madame retreated behind the bar and up the stairs.
"Sir, you really should get to bed," Riza said, somehow she felt more in control of the situation. "You've lost a fair bit of blood..."
To her surprise, Mustang leaned his head on her shoulder.
"Okay," he breathed. All the excitement must have tired him out. Riza had to admit that she was exhausted as well. She supported him as he shifted off the table, and he leaned heavily on her as they followed Laureen out the back to a small room. Laureen helped her situate Roy under the covers, and then he was out.
"It was so nice to finally meet you, Lieutenant!" Laureen said giving Riza a hug. Although surprised, Riza accepted and savored it.
"Thank you for everything," Riza said, "I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't been around here."
"Oh it was no problem, we've all been missing Roy, and of course everyone's been curious about you!"
Laureen left then with a wave and Riza watched in shocked silence. She didn't know what she'd been expecting whenever she pictured Roy's upbringing, but this, she was okay with.