tampered | Log; ongoing

When; July 17th, 7pm
Rating; PG?
Characters; Riza Hawkeye [

guardianed] & Roy Mustang [

flameroy]
Summary; After Hawkeye recovers from the aftermath of the Stupid Cupid curse, the Colonel asks the First Lieutenant to come talk to him over dinner.
Log;

Hawkeye stood outside the third building several minutes before the appointed time.

The aftermath of the curse had been really horrible. The documents she'd read upon her arrival had said, of course, that the curses were bad, but to experience one that was truly malevolent took the idea to a whole new level.

It was a level that cost the First Lieutenant the composure she prided herself on; the composure that kept her alive at home. At least she'd had the sense to avoid seeing people that day. The well-wishes and invitations for company she'd had to brush off- she'd done it rather more sharply than perhaps she'd needed.

But to do it to her superior officer- the one she'd respected and promised to follow, to say she couldn't come see him, that she didn't have the composure, the self-control, to quash down the raw emotions and anger coursing through her that day- that had stung.

Several days later, she'd finally dubbed herself able to carry a conversation without wanting to shoot something or break down in tears, and the Colonel had asked her to see him. She'd known he would, made the offer on the network. What right did she have to refuse his offer of dinner? Her apartment she could rule out as a meeting place. But she had no right to deny him the time to talk to her.

So she was several minutes early, standing at attention, the usual three pistols in their holsters. She had her composure; there was no reason to be unprepared.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Roy was fully aware of what had happened that curse day, or rather, he was aware of whose affections Hawkeye had gained, and also that those affections had been reciprocated.

He'd read through the network about a whole host of things to do with the curse, and reflected that falling in love with Hughes wasn't the worst he could have done for himself.

However, now he had to put all that to the back of his mind. He'd asked the Lieutenant for dinner, initially just to chat, although he had a few things he wished to discuss, mostly concerning how to figure out more intricate differences back home.

He wore his military uniform as usual, and pulled his trenchcoat ontop, taking the stairs a few moments before he would be required outside. He always knew Hawkeye would be there, waiting for him. He had to reflect that, Yes, indeed he had chosen the right person to stand by his side.

He pulled the door to the building open, and a half-smile turned his lips up slightly. "Ah. Lieutenant."

The Colonel was prompt, as usual. And Hawkeye's salute was sharp, precise...and grateful. Hawkeye knew she was less than perfect at keeping herself out of trouble; yet the Colonel kept trusting her with his back. It was after events like the last one, where she lost her smooth mask of equanimity that the fact struck her with particular force.

"Colonel."

She clasped her hands behind her back as she'd the habit to do when not carrying papers; it was odd to realize how often she was doing just that at home by noticing their absence.

"You'd a location in mind, I believe, sir?"

Roy returned the salute the minute she had brought her hand to her forehead, before dropping it to his side and nodding at her once as a hint that he was about to start making his way somewhere.

"I do indeed." He told fairly, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked, wishing, hoping that the Lieutenant might just chill out a little bit today. The stiffened posture, and clasped hands did nothing to reassure him.

"A fairly small restuarant I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. Nice Steak." He commented.

The Lieutenant followed at the usual distance and position, slightly behind and to the side of her commanding officer. It was a position from which they could talk, while still leaving the Colonel in the lead, and they'd walked like this for years now.

Somehow the idea of going someplace small was both appealing and not to Hawkeye. If it were small, there would be less background chatter, fewer randomly overheard snippets of conversation, fewer corners for her to watch in case of trouble. Both a pro and a con.

The seemingly offhand addition commentary on the steak was slightly ludicrous to the officer, and she felt her lips twitch in what might have been a smile on another face not so intent on being correct, appropriate, keeping poise, showing that she could be the reliable right hand man, so to speak, for the Colonel. Not that he could see, of course- another benefit of the place she stood was that she had that extra half second to smother facial expressions in the time it took the Colonel to turn his head to look at her.

"I have no doubt in your ability to choose restaurants, Colonel." He'd taken how many female informants out to dinner, exactly? She doubted even the Colonel knew the answer to that one.

"One of the benefits of being here for some time, I presume." Hawkeye made a mental note to really explore the City more, and find her bearings to more than just the main features of the City.

Roy cast his eyes to the side she was walking on, and as usual he only caught a glimpse of her uniform from that perspective. There were many reasons why he both liked and hated walking like this. At least in the office she actually faced him when she spoke. Of course, this way she had his back.

"Of course." He replied, smiling at their arrival at the chosen destination. He went through the door first, holding it open on the other side to allow the Lieutenant through ahead of him. With a soft cough he stepped beside her, almost in an attempt to make her feel a little uneasy - he didn't know why particularly. It was enjoyable to see how she reacted to situations she usually avoided.

They were greeted by a waitress, and he asked for a table for two. The waitress here seem to understand him quite well, and directed them to one of the corners of the room, to a table big enough for four in a booth.

"You ought to take some time to grow accustomed to the City." He said once they'd settled down and been given a menu and some time to make a decision.

The Lieutenant had been marking her steps; when they arrived at the restaurant, she made a mental note of its location and added it to the map she'd been forging in her mind. One more point that she could reliably find, details more well known than rough outline the scouting expedition she'd been on several days before had afforded her.

Hawkeye had involuntarily stretched a hand out to get the door, and having her normal action pre-empted was a bit odd, but she merely put her hand up to the door herself to hold it as she went through. As the Colonel stepped back up and beside her, with a slight cough, she slowed her pace to allow him the lead once more. He should have known the cough would be unnecessary.

A corner booth though- well. At least she would have a good view of the rest of the room, would be able to see trouble coming. Not ideal; a chair would be easier to get out of in a hurry. Hawkeye allowed the Colonel to seat himself, ranking privilege, before sitting down herself, on the other side of the table, at the edge of the booth, feet swung outwards towards the aisle, back straight.

Take some time to grow accustomed to the City. How ironic. She'd had to shut herself up for two days after the last curse to ...grow accustomed to the fact that, under the influence of a curse, she could consider a dangerous, untrustworthy, mad bomber as anything but. It had been two days too long, she should have taken Edward-kun's and Vash's advice and laid aside the blame for it, but she'd been too angry.

"I have been attempting to do just that, Colonel." she replied blandly. "The City seems to enjoy providing its new arrivals with more ceremony than absolutely necessary."

Log; ongoing

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