Havoc raised a brow a brow as Hawkeye pausing in her leave from the room, leaned forward across her desk to brush a kiss on the colonel's lips… He turned around in disbelief, his eyes comically wide, wanting to see if anyone else had seen what he had seen, but not a head had turned.
The office continued to operate. The sky did not come crashing down around them … if anything the moment seemed like a glitch in the system. One so natural but yet so unexpected, that it was forgotten almost as instantaneously as it had appeared…
But the soft expression in her eyes… and the motion of his hand fleetingly holding her face to his own - with an amount of tenderness that threatened to betray them both - was not.
Hawkeye straightened up and was about to move away when Mustang pulled her around the corner and towards him to whisper something into her ear. It was almost as if their faces were inclined to one another over a great secret…
The moment would have indeed seemed sweet or innocent… It would have been a precious instance to tuck away and commit to memory… an instance which would be fondly brought out in moments of nostalgia… If- the slight movements they made had not been tainted - haunted - by a subtle hardness.
It was one that reflected the reality of their times, their precarious positions as partners and lastly - as the soldiers that they were…
Havoc's eyes lighted on the two again, watching as Hawkeye slowly nodded. Straightening up, she motioned as if to smooth his dark hair back - but her hand stopped short of its destination. Resting her hand on his chest… just above his heart…
She didn't look up.
...and after a few moments her hand withdrew completely.
Mustang nodded, got up and stepped away… and as if to spurn him on Hawkeye moved away… but no longer in the direction of the door. Moving silently through the room Mustang nodded at some of the men on his way out of the room. Determination marking his steps, an order had been sent down… and this time Hawkeye remained behind. Her solitary figure speaking volumes…
He wasn't quite sure what he was doing but Havoc found himself moving as if to comfort her…
His stride slowly petered to a halt as he realised, any words he could have offered would have been of no use. What could he say to her at a time like this?
He knew, she would rather the reassurances to be from the man who had just left the room... but knowing that said man… he would make as few reassurances as possible… as neither of them wanted to indulge in lies...
Looking upon her now Havoc was even more unsure of the reason behind his sudden move towards her... her expression proved to be nothing less than usual. There was no trace of a sudden helplessness, remorse or restlessness… because of who she was.
…Havoc had been concentrating so hard on his thoughts, that it came as a shock when he realised that her sharp eyes were fixed upon him… but of course Hawkeye had seen him.
Calmly, her eyes searched his own… and after a while he was rewarded with a small, slow smile and a minute shrug.
She turned back to her desk.
Havoc shook his head in a smile and looked down.
Work resumed.