Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye (flame_queen) wrote in elsewhere_rpg, @ 2017-12-07 21:10:00 |
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Entry tags: | fullmetal alchemist: riza mustang, fullmetal alchemist: roy mustang, tags for admin: year 01 |
Who: Brig. General Mustang & Lieutenant Hawkeye
What: House hunting. With a manic 30 year old child.
When: December 7th, Afternoon
Where: All around Elsewhere
Rating: PG-13
Status: Log - Complete
Roy had an alarm. He just never used it. Why would he, when Hawkeye either let him wake up on his own or woke him up herself when she didn’t have time to sit around and wait? Roy also had a coffee pot. Why would he make coffee when Riza did it just the same? Why would he make his own bed, or wash his own clothes, or do any little number of things when his assistant already did it all for him. He was a 30 year old man but Hawkeye sometimes acted like his mother. Unfair? You betcha. But neither of them said anything about it. Riza rarely expressed her thoughts and Roy was never good at saying things as much as he was good at doing. She spoiled him and he let her, and together they’d created the monster that was their relationship. Sometimes Roy had clear thoughts about it. But it was rare. Sometimes he acted on those thoughts. Like today. He’d woken up early (christ, why was the sun up already?) and turned his dark head to look at the blonde next to him. For a moment Roy was concerned he’d brought someone home and let them stay the night. His eyes widened. But then his brain caught up and the image of Hawkeye--all wild hair and peaceful expression--settled in his mind. A slow smile crept over his features. Look at that. Hawkeye in the wild. Moment of clarity engaged, the alchemist continued to stare at her before he pushed himself up and stretched like a cat. And that was when the stupid manic idiot decided he’d be a productive human being and do something nice for Hawkeye. Except that when he did, like usual, it ended up making more of a mess for her to clean up. It didn’t, however, stop him from having a damned good time trying. Which was why she’d find him standing over their makeshift oven snickering to himself as he failed to do the most basic cooking he could imagine. Roy Mustang was an idiot. *** Roy Mustang was an idiot. Well, maybe not a complete idiot, but at least he was more child than adult. Children tried to do nice things for their mothers and made a huge mess. Children needed to be looked after so they didn’t do something stupid. Children were inherently selfish and didn’t think much about others unless it suited them. Children did not take their mothers up against the shower wall, however. So, Mustang wasn’t a complete child, at least. When Riza woke, it was to the noise of metal on metal as the Flame Alchemist tried to make.. Breakfast? What was he doing? She squinted towards him from her spot on the bed.. Then slowly sat up, pushing her hair back away from her eyes. A hand pulled the sheet up just enough to cover her breasts, but it left her back, all the way down to her rear, and even around to her thighs, bare. It was fine, it was just the two of them. Please don’t let Marco walk in right now. “Sir?” What was he doing? *** What was he doing? That was a very good question and something he didn't seem to have an answer to. He didn't know. He was pushing something across a pan with a spoon, which should have said everything about the situation right there. “Oh, you're awake,” he said, half turning to look over his shoulder at Riza. He stopped, because that was a damned gorgeous sight to see. She looked so natural and beautiful in the early light with her golden hair hanging loose, her brown eyes just as concerned as they always were when he was doing something stupid, and the rest of her? Pale skinned and bare, hardly covered by the sheet. It took his breath away. Meanwhile, behind him, whatever he'd been struggling with continued to burn. Roy ignored it. Of course he did. Because there was a pretty woman looking at him. Still half dressed himself, the Flame Alchemist wasn't anything to turn away either. But who cared about that when Hawkeye was so… her . Roy stepped back to her and sinking one knee onto the bed, he leaned in to kiss her. *** Normally, by now, Hawkeye would be dressed and making an attempt to leave, just another moment of weakness, another failure on her part. But then Mustang was turning to look at her.. And the way he looked at her, it just kept her pinned to the bed, unable to move from where she sat. And he was coming closer, slipping partway onto the bed, and leaning in to kiss her. She didn’t hit him. Instead, she leaned into the kiss, drawing one bare leg up so she could get better balance-- the sheet slipping away from that leg and falling between them. It left her mostly exposed now, with that sheet covering just the front of her and one leg. Really, she could have been a model in one of those dirty magazines, if not for the disfiguring scars along her upper back, cutting across the alchemy there. Alchemy that would forever keep her from removing her clothes for anyone else. Surely Berthold hadn’t ever considered the life he was damning his daughter to.. Or maybe he had. She could certainly never be with another Alchemist, and no one else in the military. He’d created quite a mess for her. “What’s burning, sir?” She asked him only after their lips parted, but those Killer’s eyes had fallen half lidded, and softened. You were doing well, General Mustang. Don’t fuck it up. *** Don’t fuck it up. How was he supposed to keep doing the right thing when he didn’t know the first thing about what he was doing right? Lucky for him he wasn’t thinking about it, because his brain was on autopilot. Except this time he wasn’t doing something awful or dangerous or disgusting. This time he sank into the kiss and the press of her soft lips against his own. This time he just took her hips in hand and pulled her closer as he pressed his way onto the bed. God she was beautiful. He very nearly pressed her back into the sheets right there, he was halfway to doing so when- “Fuck!” he snapped, because something was burning quite obviously now. Roy scowled, his eyes widened, and he released Hawkeye to rise and spin around to knock the pan off their stupid pretend oven. God, damnit. He stared at it for a moment, then slowly turned back to Hawkeye, looking suddenly sheepish. He chuckled, “Sorry,” he said and stepped back into her, could they go back to that moment before? He so badly wanted to. He wanted her, right there, looking half asleep and sounding raspy, with her mussed up hair and half lidded eyes. He’d find all the tender spots from the night before and when he pressed into her she'd make the most beautiful noise. Roy pulled his thoughts together, but his eyes burned with desire for her. “Good morning,” he said. *** Someone must have been smiling down on the General, because when he spun to knock the pan away, Riza didn't get annoyed by the mess, instead she actually smiled, and when Roy looked back at her with that sheepish look and apology, she actually laughed softly, tucking a bit of her hair back behind her ear. “It was a nice try, sir. Points for effort.” A hand came out to catch the back of his head and she pulled him in for a long, slow kiss. And when it broke, she kept their mouths near, a little smile playing at her lips again. “Good morning, General.” *** Who was this woman and what had they done with the real Lieutenant Hawkeye? Roy expected some level of scolding by now. He expected her to tell him what he was doing wrong or that it was time to stop playing around. He wasn't expecting her to pull him in for another kiss. He preferred the kiss even though he could feel her inexperience in each one. He didn't mind. He'd kiss her lips all day long. Strong arms reached out to curl around Riza, hands sliding over the surface of her back. They smoothed over the raised scars he’d left there, tracing the shape even as he pulled her close against his bare chest. His fingers roamed upward to curl into her hair at the base of her skull, taking a handful of it as he leaned in to kiss her throat. His kisses stopped there, he turned his head to touch his forehead to the crook of her shoulder and her throat, breathing her in and just.. Holding on. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” God knew she never slept in. He wanted to let her. Before she got up to go about her business for the day. “But now that you are… “ Stay with me, he wanted to say. *** His arms were curling around her, he dropped kisses along her throat, then he just held her. It was nice. It was more than nice. Her arms lazily draped around his shoulders and she just held on, dark eyes glued to the wall across from her, over his shoulder. But now that you are.. “Now that I am,” she continued unwinding her arms from around him and pulling back a bit so she could look at him, “I need to clean up that mess.” A hand pressed against his face and she shoved him away, before climbing out of the bed, a bare smile still curling her lips. Nude, she’d head over to where her clothes were piled and begin tugging on underwear, then she’d pull on a bra, brushing her hair back out of the way as she did. “And you have houses to show me, sir.” Straight to business, the domestic time was over. *** He was perfectly at peace there in her arms. No one else offered that much comfort or sense of safety (except for Marco, these days, but it was different with him). He loved her. And he loved having her right there with him. But then she was unwinding from him and he was loath to let her go. Up until she shoved him away, laughing as she went. ‘Laughing.’ That little smirk was about as close as she got to a genuine humorous expression. Roy would take it. He let her go, he always did. But he did turn to follow after her, stopping again however to appreciate the sight of her bending and dressing. God. She was so fucking beautiful. He was too busy staring at her that he’d almost missed what she said. He thought she was leaving to- Oh. She wasn’t going. She was staying with him. Outside, sure. But with him. A smile spread over the General’s features. “I always thought we’d buy a new house together,” he joked. Getting up, he called Black Hayate from his place under the bed and pointed at the fallen food Mustang had been screwing with. “Breakfast.” Then he bothered pulling his own clothes on, stripping down to nothing first before he too redressed (since the incident with Levi, always in his uniform). *** The Lieutenant had begun tugging on her uniform as well, but she paused when she heard him doing the same thing and glanced back over her shoulder to watch through slit eyes. Not bad at all. She didn’t stare for long, though, and went back to dressing. She’d be ready before he was, of course, and was done up and professional a few moments later, looking around for her hair clip. “Sir?” Where was it? “Have you seen my hair clip?” She knew she’d taken it off here in the bedroom, before she’d made it to the bathroom.. So where was it? She didn't have another one. And her hair was far too long to wear down now. Maybe Marco had a hair tie.. *** Roy was slow about dressing, an odd reversal since the typical thought was that women took forever. He was just patiently methodical about it, doing each button slowly and carefully tucking his undershirt into the waist of his trousers. He was still working on the buttons of his jacket when Hawkeye turned and started talking. He quirked a brow. She looked like General Armstrong for a moment. Except Olivier had a way better haughty expression and outright murderous look in her eyes. Roy stared anyway. “Black Hayate probably chewed on it,” Roy suggested, sinking to his knees to look under the bed. “We can get you a new one while we’re out.” She’d just have to wear her hair down for the moment, or braid it. *** There’d be no braiding it without a hair tie to hold the braid together, and it got in her way when she wore it down. That left only the option of twisting it up and sticking a pen through it-- so that was exactly what she did. It was a far more sophisticated look than her normal hawk’s tail that stuck up in back. “It’s fine.” They didn’t have the money to spare for something as ridiculous as a hair clip for her. It could wait. “Hurry up, sir. It’s going to get dark out.” Her bland teasing about his taking far too long to get ready. It was painfully clear who was the woman in this relationship. Not that they had a relationship. Ahem. *** That didn’t make him move faster. She should know by now he sometimes dug his feet in the ground out of no other purpose than to be difficult. He was the child in the relationship, after all. Roy smiled a little. He did stand up and he did finish buttoning his jacket. He eventually pulled his boots on, laced them, and then stretched again, catlike. Lucky he didn’t bother with his hair, or it really would be an all day event getting him ready. He just pushed a hand through the messy locks and let them fall however they did. He was a handsome man, a lot of it was his stupid hair falling in his stupid eyes. “Ready,” he announced, amused. He’d taken his time expressly because she’d tried goading him into going faster. Now there was no reason to stall. Making sure he had at least one glove in his pocket and the lighter, Roy gestured Hawkeye out. House shopping. When they’d moved to Eastern, Hawkeye had found several options, shown Roy, and let him pick the one he wanted. The same for his residence in Central. The idea that they’d both be out looking was a little ludicrous. But Roy was amused anyway. The two soldiers stepped out into the happy sunlight, Roy squinting against it. This was a far more pleasant way to wake up than most of his mornings had been in more than a decade. “What are your requirements?” he asked. She bothered with the small details Roy didn’t care about, like basic security. *** Requirements? A hand lifted to shield her eyes from the sun briefly, until they adjusted, then that hand lowered again and she fell into step slightly behind and beside her General. “The bigger, the better. Five bedrooms would be preferable, one for each of us, a study for you, and a room for Alchemy.” Yes, she’d differentiated between the two, because she knew Roy would still want a place for himself and his Alchemy, while the other room would be shared between Roy and Marco, and maybe even Alphonse. “Two bathrooms, a tub,” in case she wanted a bath. What? Sometimes Riza liked to indulge. Alone. In the safety of her own home. With no one else around to see her. “I don’t think location matters much, but a backyard that could be fenced for Black Hayate would be nice. A kitchen big enough to handle three,” Marco, of course, “And I want it to be sturdy.” She didn’t ask for much. Right? *** Roy stopped just briefly, turning slightly to stare at Hawkeye when she handed out her requirements. His expression clearly one of plain ‘really?’ All of that? He shook his head vaguely then resumed their pleasant walk. “Not five,” he said. He wanted Marco much closer than that. Marco in his own space would mean he’d never bother Riza and Roy again and Roy wanted him to share space. He was comforting. If they slept in the same room who cared? He wouldn’t. But a room for their alchemy would be best. A place to go when he wanted to be by himself--he rarely ever wanted that, but it was sometimes required. He needed the silence to calm himself down when being around others was too much to handle. Hawkeye was right about that. Four bedrooms at the least, a backyard? A bath? Something sturdy? Weren’t they trying to find something they didn’t have to pay for? Roy paused. “We can build a wall between rooms,” he said. What good was being an alchemist if he didn’t use his alchemy? “Same with a space for Hayate.” The kitchen mattered less, Roy was only in it when Hawkeye forced him to be. He couldn’t cook, obviously. The General looked at his Lieutenant. *** Why all the requirements? Hawkeye knew what was best for the group, and she knew if she brought it up, the General wouldn’t like it, and probably wouldn’t allow it. So, she’d come up with something else. Something that would be harder and more outlandish than her actual suggestion, so when her suggestion came, it would seem more reasonable. She was manipulative when she needed to be. “I suppose.” Came her simple reply as they walked along. He’d asked her opinion, he hadn’t liked it, and thus her suggestions were done. Manipulative. So the blonde woman would hold her silence then, drive Mustang crazy with it, and let him come back to her for a suggestion that would be far better than the first. Women. *** He hated her silences the most. He didn’t know what to do with them, all of his life he ended up just filling them with nonsense because he didn’t know how to sit silently with her and he didn’t have the patience to let her come around to breaking them on her own. So she went silent and Roy looked at her, askance. His silence remained for a whole three minutes. But in that time his eyes kept drifting back to her, wondering what he’d done that had upset her now. What was she thinking? Her face was a mask, her eyes weren’t saying anything either. Roy twitched. “What did I do this time?” he asked. They were leaving the center of town, moving into the residential streets where shit got much more complicated in terms of safety. The streets were more narrow and winding through here. *** What had he done this time? She shot a look aside at him and watched him for a few moments in silence before looking forward again. “Nothing, sir. Most of the abandoned homes are nearer to the line of the forest.” Which were the least safe. The Spartans and Elrics lived backed up against the forest, which Riza didn’t love, but she trusted York and North were able to defend from anything that might come out of the woods.. Or anything that lived in town. It wasn’t as if Ed or Al were slouches on that front, either. They could take care of themselves. So could the two officers and their boy shapeshifter. Location didn’t matter. Though, the further they got away from the center of town, the more eyes they would feel on them. The more men trying to figure out how much money Mustang might have on him, and what Riza would look like with her clothes off. Welcome to Elsewhere. *** Nothing. It was always nothing. And this time it really was nothing, but she had long ago convinced him it was actually something so even though she said the words, he didn’t believe them. It left him wondering, but in wondering he went silent while he thought about it. “Yes,” he agreed, “but there are some closer now too, since that Titan killed a bunch of people. I talked to Mason, she’d been trying to identify relatives from the samples of the remains we brought back and turns out, some of them didn’t have any.” Abandoned houses existed closer to the town center. Not prime real estate locations, but good enough. If they hadn’t been snatched up yet, they were worth checking on. “That’s why we’re going this way instead of cutting through and skirting around.” Roy usually had a plan, even if it seemed like he was just wandering along aimlessly. He looked back at her, stuffing a hand into his pocket as he did. He could feel the eyes on him just as well as she could, and since the incident with Levi, he was much more paranoid. “We’re not going to find a four or five bedroom house, Lieutenant.” *** They walked for a bit longer, in silence, before she finally responded to his last statement. “You’re probably right. We should find a two bedroom,” a short pause, “For you and Marco. Then I’ll find something a little later.” And there it was. A house for the boys, and Riza would get her own place, independent of them. Marco was good for Roy. And Marco felt awkward around the both of them. It was the right decision. Slowing down, she turned to look at a small home she’d been leading them towards. It was run down, like the others, but not nearly as bad. Someone had clearly lived in it recently. No broken windows. “This one looks empty.” She knew it was. *** She was right, if she’d suggested that from the start he’d have flat out rejected the idea. His first impulse was still to reject the idea but the words didn’t come to the surface immediately because he was still struggling to catch up with her intent. Hawkeye was in a horrible position as General Mustang’s assistant. She had this terrible power of being able to dictate his moods and his emotions, she could draw out the General when necessary and she could let him be Roy when his responsibilities got too heavy to carry. She could build him up with a look and she could break him down in seconds. If she wasn’t careful with that power at every moment that she held it, she’d do awful, horrible things to him. A frightening prospect for most, but Hawkeye never balked where anyone could see. She never complained. She didn’t waver. She had to know though. She manipulated him with such careful precision and ease. She built him up and she broke him down. Roy stared at her silently, wondering why she didn’t want to be near him. Hadn’t they just had a moment? Why did she give and then take it back? It drove him nuts! God, damn, she was so confusing. He slowed when she did, his dark eyes passing over the home she was leading them toward. He suddenly wanted a drink. “I don’t like you not being nearby,” he said finally. He needed her to be close. He wanted her to be close. *** “We’ll look for a house nearby. Maybe we can find neighboring houses.” Or right across the street. “We’ve never lived together before, sir. We’ll be fine.” You’d be fine. The sniper was convinced this was the right course of action. Maybe it’d change over time, but for now? Roy wanted to be close with Marco, and Marco wanted the same. Hawkeye was in the way, she made Marco a little uncomfortable, and she needed time away from Roy, lest she lose her resolve more often. Having a place to escape to would ensure no more slip-ups like last night happened. She couldn’t keep leading him on like that. He had to make a choice. *** She always made it sound reasonable. How did she do that? How did she go back to business mode so easily? How was she always so logical. And Roy thought he was a logical person. He was an emotional wreck under the surface but he could think clearly and he still had nothing on Hawkeye. Mood subdued, Roy nodded at Hawkeye’s suggestion. No amount of arguing changed her mind. She was too good at shutting him down. A decade of her tactics had trained Mustang well. So he just accepted it. He’d been very agreeable as of late. “Alright,” he said, both hands in his pockets now. He hadn’t slumped, he still stood rigidly, looking every bit the General he was. But his general cheer had died. “Whatever you think is best.” He loved her, and though he didn’t say the words, he’d do everything to make her happy. *** He’d do everything to make her happy, except the things she needed him to do. The things she never asked him to do. The things she never would ask him to do. “It’s best.” She assured him calmly, then turned to continue down the road. They’d find two abandoned homes near one another, she was sure of it. It was best. She just had to keep telling herself that. |