Title: Table for two
Author: Writerchic6
Pairing: Royai
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. FMA and FMA:Brotherhood are owned by Funimation and Hiromu Arakawa.
A/N: This was written in response to a writing prompt submitted to me by lynnemily96 on tumblr. I hope this is okay and is acceptable for what Roy would do for Riza's birthday. Enjoy!
Riza unlocked the door to her apartment and slipped inside. It had been an okay day but not her idea of one that had reflected her day of birth. Then again she wasn't usually one to care that much about her birthday.
Sighing, she sat the gifts she'd received down on the counter. She'd gotten a new .45 caliber from Rebecca, who insisted that she needed a new gun. And bouquet that Grumman had delivered to her office with a card that only said "from your loving and proud Grandfather." Those we're the only real signs that it was birthday, apart from those kind gestures it was no different than any other work day. They were behind on paperwork, again. And the Colonel even fell asleep at his desk and then came back late from his lunch break because he was running an "errand." It was bad enough that he had been late and but Havoc had told her that he had a date tonight. She really didn't think that he of all people would forget her birthday, especially since he'd known her longer than any other person in her life. But that didn't matter now. The day would over soon enough and she'd be another year older.
The familiar sensation of a furry body pressing against her leg brought a smile to her face. "Hey there, boy." She said patting her dog's head. He gave a happy bark before moving to inspect her gifts.
Riza shook her head tiredly and made her way to her bedroom to change out of her uniform. She had just slipped on a robe when Hayate came into the room with an envelope in his mouth.
"Where did you get that, Hayate?" She realized how stupid the question sounded as it left her mouth. Rolling her eyes she took the envelope from Hayate and sat down on her bed. Hayate jumped into her lap as she examined the thick paper. Her name was written on the front in a elegant script and looked slightly familiar. Breaking the seal on the back she removed a card that read:
Riza,
I'd love to treat you to dinner tonight. You deserve it after all. You would like to meet at The Anniver on 12th street tonight at 8 o'clock."
Happy Birthday
There was no signature. Riza glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was 6:30, if she wanted to go, she had more than enough time to get ready. Usually she wasn't one for dates, especially when the man wanting to take her out kept his identity a secret, but she felt like tonight was an exception. Plus, if the guy turned out to be some weird stalker she could easily handle him with her new gun. I guess Becca's gift is coming in handy already.
"What do you think Hayate?"
The dog gave and excited yip before racing off to her closet.
-/-/-
The Anniver was one of the higher end restaurants of Central. It sat in almost the heart of the city and usually the richer members of society dined there. Riza could only wonder who her mystery date was if he was willing to take her to such an expensive place for dinner. She approached the restaurant host.
"Good evening, Ma'ma" he said with what Riza considered a snobbish accent.
"Good evening, I'm-"
"Miss Hawkeye I presume?"
"Yes." She answered slowly.
"Well then, right this way Ma'ma." The man picked up a menu and lead her through to a flight of iron wrought stairs. "Your dinner guest awaits on the balcony."
"Thank you."
The man taking her out to dinner really was pulling out all the stops for her. When she reached the top of the stairs she saw an elaborately set table for two on a balcony that over looked a nice courtyard. Yet, there was no one else there. Riza checked her watch, it was 8:05 and her date was nowhere to be seen. Pushing back the bits of worry and disappointment she felt, Riza pulled the letter she had received out of her purse.
Just as her eyes found the words "on 12th street tonight at 8" the paper caught fire and blew away with the wind. She instantly went into defensive mode as she spun on her heel.
"Lieutenant."
"Colonel." She said relaxing and letting a slight smile curve onto her lips.
"That's an interesting place to keep a gun, though." He said eyeing the thigh holster her hand was resting on.
She had instinctively reached her gun. "Merely precautionary measures, sir." She said straightening her posture and displaying a playful smirk. One that only he would notice.
He chuckled at her constant professionalism. "Beautiful, but deadly. But I guess every rose has its thorns." Roy said noticing her black evening gown that had a slit running up the side.
Riza blushed at his compliment and sat down in the chair he pulled out for her. "That's hardly something a commanding officer should say to his subordinates, sir"
"Always one for rules."
"You're always breaking them." She smiled and studied him for a moment.
"You thought I forgot, didn't you?" Roy questioned as he took a sip of wine.
"I assumed that after Havoc told me about your date tonight."
"And yet here we are, on a date."
She pursed her lips but let his comment about their "date" slide.
"Oh and I before I forget," Roy reached into his signature black coat pulled out a bouquet. "A gift, from your neighborhood florist."
Riza accepted them and let a happy smile appear on her face as she notice what type of flowers occupied the bundle. It was a bouquet of red carnations and blue irises. "The florist has a unique taste in flowers, but I'm not sure I can take accept them, sir. I don't even own a flower vase."
"I thought you might say something like that," he reached under the table. "That's why I came prepared." Roy placed a slender glass vase in front of her. "Now you have no reason not to accept them."
"I'm glad to see that you remembered multiple things tonight."
"Well I'm not a complete idiot."
"But in all seriousness, thank you for taking me out for dinner tonight. You certainly didn't have you do something this elaborate just for my birthday."
"Well, it's not everyday you turn 26."
"A person only turns 26 once, sir."
Roy chuckled. "Of course they do. Happy Birthday, lieutenant."
A/N: I hope you like it. I rewrote this twice before posting it. Sorry if there are any spelling/grammatical mistakes. Also there is a reason why Roy gave Riza those type of flowers. Red Carnations usually mean adoration and Blue Irises usually mean faith and hope. I think that faith, hope, and adoration play a big part in their relationship. There was also meaning to the name of the restaurant. I named it the Anniver because the French word for birthday is "anniversaire" :)