the womanizer is a facade. it helps, for people to underestimate him, that they think he's lazy, stupid, and ignorant. distracted by the pretty girl down the street, rather than focused on his career. allow people to think that; it made absolutely no difference to him, because roy knew the truth. he was smart, and ambitious, and clever. he would make it to the top, on his own terms.
it's really for this reason, not because he's incapable of settling down, that roy chooses not to actually date, or find someone to take that journey with him. it's because he's meant to get to the top, and be that target, alone. people support him, but being at the top is a dangerous path. he's not really guaranteed to survive it.
but, still, he also has riza. she was always meant to be at his side, regardless of what happened. and, now, roy sort of wonders whether or not that's also a reason why he hasn't really pursued finding someone. he already had her; who else could possibly be better than her?
but, again. it's riza. who bluntly asks him what he's trying to say, and roy opens his mouth to respond with an easy don't be ridiculous before he stops himself, and instead, decides he's already committed to making himself look stupid. he may as well make it worse. ]
That would probably violate every single rule in the book, wouldn't it? Probably fortunate that I never actually read the rule book...
[ mulling it over a bit, thoughtful. and then, finally, roy takes half a step forward, his tone becoming a bit more conversational, and less avoidant. a bit more of his natural confidence, peeking through. still nervous, but roy seems to have found his footing, at least.
to hell with it. ]
Would you say yes if I was?
[ because if the answer is no, this literally never happened. ]
she knows roy has always been bad (secretly) at womanizing. has been lying to everyone to keep up a facade that only she and the rest of their team knows. roy mustang has crafted, and created, performed and protected this image that came across to the rest of the capital, and riza has been a helped. riza has been an active support in that, and she knows.
but for whatever reason, for the last ten minutes, she hasn't been able to connect the dots. why roy has never really settled down, why he pretends to keep up this energy when it's nothing but a lie. why she is certain, certain, she has shared more meals with the general roy mustang than any girlfriend, or wife, or potential, would. what she also doesn't quite understand, or at least hasn't considered seriously, is that fact is something she is. comfortable with.
except that it has started to connect. except that general- no. not general. right now, standing in front of her, he is just roy mustang. the thin teenage boy who came to live at her home. the boy she'd watched become a weapon, a soldier, a man. roy mustang, who she has cried over too many times already, who caught her eyes, prepared to commit the worst sin known to man, and who listened - was standing on front of her, turned to face her, who was saying something about rule books and breaking them and is stepping towards her and for whatever reason, for whatever possible reason that she can imagine, her heart is racing.
would you say yes if i was? ]
I- [ riza can't breathe, for just a second there, because in that second it all finally falls into place.
roy mustang is asking her out to dinner.
roy mustang is asking her out on a date.
roy mustang is nervous, roy mustang is unsure, roy mustang is putting up a front and putting up a face to pretend like he's not about to vibrate out of his skin because he is asking her out on a date and she.
isn't sure how to react.
so instead, riza blinks. once. as is to make sure her faculties are working, to make sure this moment is real. but roy is now half a step closer and looking at her in that easy confidence he can still somehow have, and her chest tightens. her breath comes faster, harder, before she finally can exhale.
answer the question. ]
I- [ good god, riza. pull yourself together.
she swallows, her eyes darting off to the side in this indiscriminate hallway of some space ship out in the middle of nowhere in an impossible situation that she has - if she's being honest - only actually survived because of the man standing in front of her. and then she's looking back to him. ]
Honestly? [ and her next exhale sounds almost like a laugh, something soft. something too fond and too telling. she doesn't know what she's doing, what the words that come next even mean, but they feel right, somehow. in some way. ]
[ roy loves chess because it involves strategy, thinking twelve steps ahead in order to secure an outcome. he is a tactician, a brilliant field soldier, and good at manuveuring troops along the battlefield. but there is always the moment of thrill, at a risky move, as you wait to see how the chips fall. and that is how this feels -- the prickling of adrenaline, of nerves, of wondering what is going to happen.
and then she continues to talk, to stammer her way through her thoughts. it's not an immediate rejection, and she's clearly . . . surprised, which isn't necessarily a surprise to him. roy has spent quite a lot of his career drawing a firm line between him and his subordinates -- one, because it's appropriate, and two, because the comments about his relationship with riza are relentless. and roy always shuts them down immediately, but he hasn't exactly made his feelings known. especially to her.
but when she doesn't look at him, his confidence falters. why isn't she looking at him? the line has already been crossed, and it isn't as if he can take it back. and he's about to apologize, to tell her to forget it, and that it had been a stupid thing to say before she says . . . i think i would. ]
You think. You can't let me have one easy victory, can you?
[ he repeats, with half a laugh, and a roll of his eyes, his tone shifting into a familiar mock insult, as he closes the distance to a familiar foot or so, sliding his hands into the pockets of his coat, amused . . . even if his expression is a little bit miffed.
still. a yes, was a yes. even if it was a temporary yes. a promise for when they get the hell out of here. and, now that that secret is finally off of his chest, the tension in his shoulders seems to lighten by at least a few inches. and, realizing that he hasn't actually secured it, yet, he continues to speak. his tone dry, purposeful. ]
I'll hedge my bets, pray you aren't armed, and say that I am, then.
[ another joke. riza is alwyas armed. but she would only shoot him in a very specific, limited scenario, and roy is pretty sure he hasn't totally lost his mind. hopefully. ]
[ it's an interesting experience, to watch this side of roy from the receiving end. to have his eyes turned on her while his mind shifts and moves and prepares. she is so used to seeing it from the side, from the back, watching the way his shoulders would tense or his arms would cross. here, she can see his eyes, can see the cogs turning, can watch him as he puts the pieces in play.
if she's being honest, it's thrilling. she doesn't know why, because there should be some part of it that terrifying, but she can meet his eyes here and know (or at least guess) what he's trying to do, and.
riza's eyes dart away briefly before returning, the shock and surprise of the whole ordeal overwhelming her momentarily. but she keeps breathing, keeps herself steady, and when she does look back to him it's just in time to catch that look of deflating confidence (which, really, feels impossible despite knowing better) before she does, finally, answer him. and maybe it's not as direct as it could be, but it is an answer and he. laughs.
something flutters in her chest at that. even as her lips curl into a knowing smile, one brow arching. ] I'm not here to give you easy victories, sir. [ because that's true, she's not, but her focus isn't necessarily on the implications of that so much as it is on the way he closes the distance just a little more, hands hanging in his pockets easily, and her chest is still tight.
there is more to this she should be considering. the rules they're breaking, the lines they're crossing, the fact that roy mustang is standing in front of her with his heart on his sleeve asking her on a date and the world isn't, somehow, falling down around them. she crosses her arms over her chest, though it's more relaxed than anything, as her head tilts from one side to the other, as if she's considering. ]
Should I be worried about your gambling habits? [ a beat, before she lets out another breath of air, still smiling, still light. it sounds a bit like she's rolling her eyes, which she would if she could get past the loud beating in her chest. ]
Yes. I'm saying yes, I will go to dinner with you.
[ the relief is palpable. roy has faced off against monsters, immortality, death, war . . . but that was likely the most terrifying thing he had ever been through. and while she says yes, it's her body language that really sets roy at least. the crossing of her arms, the arch of her eyebrows, the dryness of her tone. it truly is okay, and roy is suddenly cognizant of the proximity. and the way the hair falls into her eyes, and it's getting . . . longer . . .
focus. ]
Good.
[ warmly, and, without missing a beat, roy continues. ]
Any bad habits that I need to fix would surely have been brought to my attention by now.
[ as he turns, and gently nudges his shoulder against hers, indicating she should follow. he did say he wanted to go for a walk, and being siderailed aside, he did want to explore more. now, he can do so in a much better mood. ]
Impulsivity, arrogance, being too stubborn. Laziness, procrastination. Impatience. Having a temper. Am I missing any?
[ the more he goes on, the more he realizes he owes riza several dinners, for tolerating him . . . but he can work his way up to that amount of groveling when he makes his way to taking her out to dinner. ]
[ she sees the relief wash over him, and it appears...not weird, necessarily. but a bit ridiculous. was he really that worried? was there even, really, a chance she would have said no? riza has to seriously consider that question, really, because despite how obvious the fact that she would always - always - be at roy's side might be, having roy actually ask? have it be said, out loud? that's...different. that's harder. that's...well. she supposes is an accurate enough reason to look so relieved in the fact of a simple dinner.
( is it really simple, though? )
riza sighs all the same, her eyes rolling ever so slightly - again, a familiar enough expression for roy. ]
All bad habits have been brought to your attention, sir. Repetitively. With little to no acknowledgement or correction.
[ and yet, here she is, unable to keep the soft curl of her lips out of the way of a small smile. roy is casual about it all, warm, nudging her shoulder like this had all simply been part of the plan, and riza wants to admit it feels familiar. that all of this is normal. except that it's not, is it? because he bumps his shoulder against her's and the feeling is hot, quick to spread, shooting across her shoulders and down her spine. it's different, but not bad, and riza watches as he indicates she should follow him.
( into hell, if asked. ) ]
Recklessness, tendency towards martyrdom, I would go as far as to mention laziness again.
[ and she begins to walk, falling into step next to him like it's as easy as breathing, like it's the only place she would consider herself to be.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
the womanizer is a facade. it helps, for people to underestimate him, that they think he's lazy, stupid, and ignorant. distracted by the pretty girl down the street, rather than focused on his career. allow people to think that; it made absolutely no difference to him, because roy knew the truth. he was smart, and ambitious, and clever. he would make it to the top, on his own terms.
it's really for this reason, not because he's incapable of settling down, that roy chooses not to actually date, or find someone to take that journey with him. it's because he's meant to get to the top, and be that target, alone. people support him, but being at the top is a dangerous path. he's not really guaranteed to survive it.
but, still, he also has riza. she was always meant to be at his side, regardless of what happened. and, now, roy sort of wonders whether or not that's also a reason why he hasn't really pursued finding someone. he already had her; who else could possibly be better than her?
but, again. it's riza. who bluntly asks him what he's trying to say, and roy opens his mouth to respond with an easy don't be ridiculous before he stops himself, and instead, decides he's already committed to making himself look stupid. he may as well make it worse. ]
That would probably violate every single rule in the book, wouldn't it? Probably fortunate that I never actually read the rule book...
[ mulling it over a bit, thoughtful. and then, finally, roy takes half a step forward, his tone becoming a bit more conversational, and less avoidant. a bit more of his natural confidence, peeking through. still nervous, but roy seems to have found his footing, at least.
to hell with it. ]
Would you say yes if I was?
[ because if the answer is no, this literally never happened. ]
no subject
she knows roy has always been bad (secretly) at womanizing. has been lying to everyone to keep up a facade that only she and the rest of their team knows. roy mustang has crafted, and created, performed and protected this image that came across to the rest of the capital, and riza has been a helped. riza has been an active support in that, and she knows.
but for whatever reason, for the last ten minutes, she hasn't been able to connect the dots. why roy has never really settled down, why he pretends to keep up this energy when it's nothing but a lie. why she is certain, certain, she has shared more meals with the general roy mustang than any girlfriend, or wife, or potential, would. what she also doesn't quite understand, or at least hasn't considered seriously, is that fact is something she is. comfortable with.
except that it has started to connect. except that general- no. not general. right now, standing in front of her, he is just roy mustang. the thin teenage boy who came to live at her home. the boy she'd watched become a weapon, a soldier, a man. roy mustang, who she has cried over too many times already, who caught her eyes, prepared to commit the worst sin known to man, and who listened - was standing on front of her, turned to face her, who was saying something about rule books and breaking them and is stepping towards her and for whatever reason, for whatever possible reason that she can imagine, her heart is racing.
would you say yes if i was? ]
I- [ riza can't breathe, for just a second there, because in that second it all finally falls into place.
roy mustang is asking her out to dinner.
roy mustang is asking her out on a date.
roy mustang is nervous, roy mustang is unsure, roy mustang is putting up a front and putting up a face to pretend like he's not about to vibrate out of his skin because he is asking her out on a date and she.
isn't sure how to react.
so instead, riza blinks. once. as is to make sure her faculties are working, to make sure this moment is real. but roy is now half a step closer and looking at her in that easy confidence he can still somehow have, and her chest tightens. her breath comes faster, harder, before she finally can exhale.
answer the question. ]
I- [ good god, riza. pull yourself together.
she swallows, her eyes darting off to the side in this indiscriminate hallway of some space ship out in the middle of nowhere in an impossible situation that she has - if she's being honest - only actually survived because of the man standing in front of her. and then she's looking back to him. ]
Honestly? [ and her next exhale sounds almost like a laugh, something soft. something too fond and too telling. she doesn't know what she's doing, what the words that come next even mean, but they feel right, somehow. in some way. ]
I think I- I would, if you were.
no subject
and then she continues to talk, to stammer her way through her thoughts. it's not an immediate rejection, and she's clearly . . . surprised, which isn't necessarily a surprise to him. roy has spent quite a lot of his career drawing a firm line between him and his subordinates -- one, because it's appropriate, and two, because the comments about his relationship with riza are relentless. and roy always shuts them down immediately, but he hasn't exactly made his feelings known. especially to her.
but when she doesn't look at him, his confidence falters. why isn't she looking at him? the line has already been crossed, and it isn't as if he can take it back. and he's about to apologize, to tell her to forget it, and that it had been a stupid thing to say before she says . . . i think i would. ]
You think. You can't let me have one easy victory, can you?
[ he repeats, with half a laugh, and a roll of his eyes, his tone shifting into a familiar mock insult, as he closes the distance to a familiar foot or so, sliding his hands into the pockets of his coat, amused . . . even if his expression is a little bit miffed.
still. a yes, was a yes. even if it was a temporary yes. a promise for when they get the hell out of here. and, now that that secret is finally off of his chest, the tension in his shoulders seems to lighten by at least a few inches. and, realizing that he hasn't actually secured it, yet, he continues to speak. his tone dry, purposeful. ]
I'll hedge my bets, pray you aren't armed, and say that I am, then.
[ another joke. riza is alwyas armed. but she would only shoot him in a very specific, limited scenario, and roy is pretty sure he hasn't totally lost his mind. hopefully. ]
no subject
if she's being honest, it's thrilling. she doesn't know why, because there should be some part of it that terrifying, but she can meet his eyes here and know (or at least guess) what he's trying to do, and.
riza's eyes dart away briefly before returning, the shock and surprise of the whole ordeal overwhelming her momentarily. but she keeps breathing, keeps herself steady, and when she does look back to him it's just in time to catch that look of deflating confidence (which, really, feels impossible despite knowing better) before she does, finally, answer him. and maybe it's not as direct as it could be, but it is an answer and he. laughs.
something flutters in her chest at that. even as her lips curl into a knowing smile, one brow arching. ] I'm not here to give you easy victories, sir. [ because that's true, she's not, but her focus isn't necessarily on the implications of that so much as it is on the way he closes the distance just a little more, hands hanging in his pockets easily, and her chest is still tight.
there is more to this she should be considering. the rules they're breaking, the lines they're crossing, the fact that roy mustang is standing in front of her with his heart on his sleeve asking her on a date and the world isn't, somehow, falling down around them. she crosses her arms over her chest, though it's more relaxed than anything, as her head tilts from one side to the other, as if she's considering. ]
Should I be worried about your gambling habits? [ a beat, before she lets out another breath of air, still smiling, still light. it sounds a bit like she's rolling her eyes, which she would if she could get past the loud beating in her chest. ]
Yes. I'm saying yes, I will go to dinner with you.
no subject
focus. ]
Good.
[ warmly, and, without missing a beat, roy continues. ]
Any bad habits that I need to fix would surely have been brought to my attention by now.
[ as he turns, and gently nudges his shoulder against hers, indicating she should follow. he did say he wanted to go for a walk, and being siderailed aside, he did want to explore more. now, he can do so in a much better mood. ]
Impulsivity, arrogance, being too stubborn. Laziness, procrastination. Impatience. Having a temper. Am I missing any?
[ the more he goes on, the more he realizes he owes riza several dinners, for tolerating him . . . but he can work his way up to that amount of groveling when he makes his way to taking her out to dinner. ]
no subject
( is it really simple, though? )
riza sighs all the same, her eyes rolling ever so slightly - again, a familiar enough expression for roy. ]
All bad habits have been brought to your attention, sir. Repetitively. With little to no acknowledgement or correction.
[ and yet, here she is, unable to keep the soft curl of her lips out of the way of a small smile. roy is casual about it all, warm, nudging her shoulder like this had all simply been part of the plan, and riza wants to admit it feels familiar. that all of this is normal. except that it's not, is it? because he bumps his shoulder against her's and the feeling is hot, quick to spread, shooting across her shoulders and down her spine. it's different, but not bad, and riza watches as he indicates she should follow him.
( into hell, if asked. ) ]
Recklessness, tendency towards martyrdom, I would go as far as to mention laziness again.
[ and she begins to walk, falling into step next to him like it's as easy as breathing, like it's the only place she would consider herself to be.
maybe because it is. ]