Wise men say...

[snapcrackleburn]

Who: Roy Mustang & Riza Hawkeye
What: Roy has to spend Valentine's performing for happy couples but due to popular demand he doesn't have to spend the entire evening alone
When: The evening of Feb 14th
Where: An old school club with a stage somewhere in Vista City
Warnings: Brief mention of previous torture and bad war memories. Romantic mush. Might give shippers feels.


The preview performances and interviews for the album were over. Minus some drinking and new ink Roy had been well behaved while making his way through the busy schedule Pride had thrown at him. It occurred to him after several days of growing clarity that his intoxicated trip to the tattoo parlor had been less of a rebellious gesture and more of a desperate attempt to feel like he had some control left. He knew now what Pride was capable of- death had been dealt to people before him, and he was somehow not his "real self" all thanks to Pride. It took much strength not to despair.

The evening of the fourteenth Roy is relieved to be accompanied by a single body guard to a dinnertime performance at one of the old fashioned clubs out in the city. A smaller crowd awaits him in the dimly lit dining area; someone had forked over a pretty penny to Pride requesting that Mustang show up there to sing the love songs from his album to set the mood for their date. Sitting up on a humble stage with an acoustic guitar in his lap while his body guard is off taking care of unexpected car troubles leaves him feeling relief he hasn't had in what seems like ages.

"This one goes out to a very special woman," he dares to dedicate his final song of the evening, laughing on the inside at the idea of sending the paparazzi chasing their tails trying to find someone he himself was still trying to figure out. The shy girl in the old house, the woman from the battlefield sitting quietly beside him, the woman on the street corner walking her dog who hasn't yet realized he's watching her from across the street with a fond smile. "Elizabeth, you know who you are." The audience, mostly made up of couples, chuckle softly and he begins to play.

Comments

[intohell]

"He does seem the type." That big of an ego always found it hard to believe someone wasn't interested in them, so there had to be something wrong with the other person--it couldn't be them. "I'll just have to find some way to survive his judgement."

Not that that would be too hard to do, she rarely cared what others thought about her choices, only about the outcome.

[snapcrackleburn]

"He'd make a terrible soldier with that tiny smidge of humility. I hope we don't have too many of those types on duty at home." If he had his memory he'd be grumbling names.

[intohell]

"Not too many." He obviously hasn't recalled the Armstrong siblings. "The ones who are can be counted on to back it up when they're needed most."

[snapcrackleburn]

"Hm. Good to know. We'll see which soldiers I remember first. I had better remember them all before the time comes for us to return home or I'll never hear the end of it, I'm sure."

Can you imagine the reactions of the team if he can remember all but one of them?

[intohell]

"I'd never let you embarrass yourself." Or her. Mainly not her as she's taken to letting him embarrass himself quite often when the moment, or his ego, requires it. "If it doesn't all return before we get home I'll make sure to fill you in on everything important."

[snapcrackleburn]

He's about to thank her when his phone vibrates. He digs it out of his pocket, hoping his body guard isn't about to show up at the door. He glances at the text and his smile dims.

"My manager. He's starting to wonder where I am. Looks like I've run out of time." He sighs the same way he does whenever a new pile of paperwork hits his desk late in the day.

[intohell]

"We knew we weren't going to have forever." Not yet. Not as long as he was still under the recording label's thumb. "You should go before you get into any trouble." She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to him because of her.

[snapcrackleburn]

He rises from his seat and buttons his jacket. "I'll be in contact soon." Prepare to have your current dwelling space filled with flowers.

"I'm sure I'll remember more by the next time we see each other. Be safe."

[intohell]

She nods, "You too," and watches him leave. After what seems like a decent amount of time, she'll leave as well thankful for what time they had and looking forward to the next time.