Disclaimer: I do not own Robotech; wish I did, but I don't. Harmony Gold does.
Authors Note: Decided to write this one shot as a companion to Arrival to explore some characterizations and backstory that I had in my head. Not sure how you guys feel about companion one shots to a main fic, so depending on how the reception goes, possibly more to come.
They walked leisurely out of the movie theater, one of the newer attractions in thriving downtown Monument; Rick breathed in deeply, taking in her floral perfume, enjoying the soft feel of her wrapped around his muscular left arm. He smiled at the closeness they had become accustomed to over the past few months, the truth in that thought registering physically as Lisa squeezed his arm tighter.
He wasn't exactly sure when they had stopped tiptoeing around the newness of the relationship, though he wagered it was somewhere mixed into the ongoing Macross relocation effort. Both had been so busy in the first month that they had barely been able to share a phone conversation let alone see each other. Now that things had 'returned to normal' they suddenly found themselves in what could only be described as a serious relationship.
Hell, he only had to look as far as the drop off in heckling he had received from Skull about his love life over the last month. Of course Hutch wouldn't be deterred, but the rest had simply accepted that the two were 'in it for the long haul', as Miriya had been fond of saying recently. The prospect that his life was moving forward rapidly was overwhelming at times; between his impending promotion and the mission to Tirol he wasn't sure if he was ready for any of it.
Yet even with everything going on he still managed to be uncertain about her. All he had to do was look at her to be reminded of what he had almost lost, to feel that constriction of his heart when he dared himself to think what if, to know there was no turning back when it came to her; his heart had made up its mind a long time before his head had come around. Of that he was certain.
"So, where to now flyboy?" she asked, her voice breaking him from his reverie.
He looked down at her, staring into her emerald eyes for a moment before responding. "Well, I can think of a few places," he drawled. She rolled her eyes at him, hugging him tightly as she laughed at his goofy expression. "How about the new French restaurant that opened a few blocks from here?"
"Well, as appealing as that sounds, you do realize we can't just walk in off the street without reservations?" she jokingly chided.
"Then I guess we're in luck," he responded with a grin as he pulled her along down the street.
She looked up at him in disbelief. "You did, didn't you?" she questioned, the shock still written on her face. He simply smiled and nodded in response, enjoying having caught her off guard. He felt Lisa pull on his arm to stop him and felt her soft lips on his cheek as she stood on her tip toes to reach him. "I love you," she whispered.
He regarded her for a moment, taking in the joy in her eyes, holding her gaze as he returned her sentiments, "Love you too."
"Promise?" a sly smile on her lips.
"Promise."