Chapter 2: Emotionally Compromised
Mustang had done exactly what he had told Hawkeye he would do. He had made copies of her report and kindly asked five of the most senior Colonels to look over her performance review. Mustang himself read through her reports as many times as he could (not quite a dozen like he suggested he would, but certainly more than four times) It had appeared to Mustang that everything was in order. Her weapons handling was spot on, her time trials on her cardio and endurance exams were exceptional, she scored top marks on her comprehension exam and, from Mustang's point of view, her oral questionnaire seemed to have gone over just fine.
However, as Mustang walked to the conference room Tuesday afternoon, he couldn't help but feel like something was not in order. Earlier that day he received a call from Colonel Jefferson saying that he and the other Colonels would be sharing their thoughts on Hawkeye's review. Something in Colonel Jefferson's voice sounded severe, convincing Mustang that this wasn't going to be a pleasant chat about this newly appointed Lieutenant.
He tried to keep an even temper through the remainder of the day until five o'clock came around. He was worrying about nothing. Hawkeye was an excellent solider, an exemplary dog of the State Military – she had certainly proved that much in Ishval. Mustang could not think of a more perfect candidate for first Lieutenant. She was the most loyal, trustworthy person he knew. In addition to her high marks in the other areas on the exam, he could not think of a single reason why his superiors would discourage elevating her position.
Mustang hesitated before walking into the office. He took a deep breath, everything was fine, there was no need to make himself sick over nothing.
"Ah, come in Colonel," Jefferson greeted him in his pleasant voice; Jefferson and the other four Colonels sat on one side of the large oak desk, Jefferson sitting in the middle. Mustang saluted; the five others returned the greeting, " Have a seat Colonel Mustang."
Mustang sat across from Jefferson, " Good evening, gentlemen," Mustang said politely. He rested his hands on the table, his right had was balled in a fist, his left hand covered it so he could dig his nails in the palm of his hand to relieve some of his anxiety without others noticing.
" Good evening, Colonel," It seemed that Jefferson was going to be leading this discussion, " You look well, have you been enjoying your promotion?"
Mustang desperately wanted him to cut to the chase, but Mustang knew well enough that he had to play this game, "I will admit that it is a lot more work, but I have been fortunate enough to have found an excellent team that I can relay on," Jefferson gave him a sly smirk.
" Good to hear, Colonel," Jefferson linked his fingers and rested them on the table, " because you know, you and your team are only as strong as your weakest link."
Mustang remained motionless, what was Jefferson trying to suggest? That Hawkeye was his weakest link? He dug his nails deeper into his palm at the thought of that, " I couldn't agree more, sir."
" That's certainly a relief to hear, my fine young man!" Jefferson chuckled, but there was something dark in his voice, "I must commend you on coming to us for advice, son, it shows a great amount of responsibility on your end!"
" Thank you, sir," Although it didn't sound like a compliment that he wanted to receive.
" Yes, it is most fortunate that you came to us before your little situation got anymore complicated," Mustang remained silent, unsure of what his superior was getting at, " After all, when word got around that you had selected Riza Hawkeye to be your first Lieutenant… people couldn't help but whisper their suspicions."
"Forgive me, sir, but what suspicions might you be referring to?"
Jefferson gave him a quizzical look. He blinked a few times at Mustang before answering, " You can't be serious, Colonel."
" I'm afraid I am, sir, could you please clarify?" Mustang had to muster everything he could to suppress the frustration in his voice.
Jefferson halfheartedly chuckled, "Come now, son, give the act a rest…"
" I can assure you, sir, this is no act," Mustang did not break his gaze at Jefferson, but he could see out of his peripherals the other Colonels shifting uncomfortably.
" Very well, Mustang, continue to wear the mask if you want, but we are all men here," Jefferson started to get frustrated, this pleasantness in his voice was disappearing, " We've been in the military for a long time and when we see something like this it is very easy for us to recognize it," Jefferson pulled out a section of Hawkeye's report that was sitting on the desk and slid it across the table to Mustang, " You can try to act ignorant all you want, son, but we have tangible proof that something unconstitutional is going on."
Mustang hesitated before picking up the packet, breathing evenly to subdue this growing anger.
Flipping through the packet – it was the section of her oral questionnaire that was handed to him – he got to the part that Colonels were referring to. It was a small section highlighted in yellow:
Q: Now, how would you describe your relationship with Colonel Roy Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye?
A: Cooperative. We have a very productive and efficient working relationship.
Q: Would you say that you are very loyal to Colonel Mustang?
A: Yes. I have the utmost loyalty and respect for the Colonel.
Q: And not for the State Military?
A: I – I'm sorry?
Q: Please refrain from answering questions with questions, Lieutenant.
A: … My loyalty lies with the State Military.
Q: How is that possible when your 'utmost loyalty' lies with Colonel Mustang?
A: I was not suggesting that my loyalty lies with Colonel Mustang first and then the Military – I can assure you it's the other way around.
Q: Then how come you didn't say that from the beginning, Lieutenant?
A: I did not realize what was being asked of me.
Q: What was being asked, Lieutenant Hawkeye, was the extent of your loyalty to Colonel Mustang. And did you not just say that your 'utmost loyalty' lies with the Colonel?
A: I… I
Q: Did you not just say that your 'utmost loyalty' lies with Colonel Mustang?"
A: I can assure you that –
Q: It is a 'yes' or 'no' question, Lieutenant, I will not ask you again: Did you not just say that you 'utmost loyalty' lies with Colonel Mustang?
A:… No…I did just say that, sir.
That was all that was highlighted. Mustang gave Jefferson a genuine look of confusion. Jefferson had a smug look on his face; his arms were crossed in front of his chest.
" I'm not sure what this is proving to me, Colonel," Mustang slid the packet back over to Jefferson. Jefferson now wore a look of disgust.
He scoffed, " I'm growing tired of your little charade, son. I was hoping you would be cooperative and would own up to your mistake."
" 'Mistake', sir?"
Jefferson slammed his hands on the table, making the other four Colonels jump. Mustang didn't flinch, " Alright, it looks like I'm going to have to spell it out for you!
" It is clear to me and the other Colonels that you and Lieutenant Hawkeye are emotionally compromised and should not be permitted to work together in such close proximity."
Mustang was cool and calm on the outside. Internally, however, he could not think of a more appropriate reaction than to leap across the table and beat the living shit out of him.
" I don't see how you got that from her oral questionnaire, Colonel. It was clear that the wordings of these questions confused her."
" Son, these questions were designed to be tricky," Jefferson tried to match Mustang's cool demeanor, " It is obvious that her loyalty for you supersedes her loyalty to the military."
" I do believe she stated the exact opposite," Mustang voice sounded stern.
" Only once she realized that she had provided an inappropriate answer."
Mustang pursed his lips, he knew the more he challenged Jefferson, the worse the outcome would be, " I disagree, sir."
" Well you can disagree all you want, Colonel, but my colleagues and I have already made our decision."
" What decision?" Mustang's heart raced.
"We have arranged a transfer for Lieutenant Hawkeye," Jefferson raised his eyebrows at Mustang, " It's for your own good – nobody wants to see someone dishonorably discharged from the military because they've fraternized with their subordinate."
Mustang gave a forced chuckle, " I can assure you nothing like that has happened between Lieutenant Hawkeye and I –"
" – Well I'm preventing it!" Jefferson snapped back.
" With all due respect, Colonel, I don't believe you're following the proper code of condu –"
" What's done is done, Mustang!" Mustang's face started to burn. He couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. His head started feeling light, his stomach churned inside of him; cold sweat started to bead up on the back of his neck, " Lieutenant Hawkeye will be transferred to Briggs and serve under the command of Colonel Olivier Armstrong effective immediately."
Mustang could not help but gasp slightly at the new information. He clamped his mouth shut – he must remain calm, he furrowed his eyebrows slightly and gave Jefferson a curt nod, " I see," Mustang rose from his seat, clicked his heels and saluted the Colonels that sat before him, " Thank you for aiding me in my review of Lieutenant Hawkeye's performance." They saluted back.
Mustang turned to leave, it was painful enough to hold in his sheer anger for this long, " Oh, before you go, Colonel," Mustang flinched at the sound of Jefferson's voice, " You must sign here saying you've reviewed her performance."
Mustang swiftly turned around and, with a shaky hand, signed his name at the bottom of the paper.
Mustang left the conference office without any rush in his steps – wanting to appear calm and level headed, but has soon as the door shut behind him he quickened his pace; his arms swung forcefully back and forth, his eyes were locked dead ahead of him, not daring to look directly at anyone who crossed his path.
"Colonel Mustang! Colonel!" Mustang ignored the voice, but he soon heard footsteps jogging up to catch him. He halted when the pursuer grabbed him by his forearm. He turned to see Colonel Wallace standing beside him. Mustang tried to soften his hardened face. Wallace was one of the Colonels that sat silently (cowardly) by Jefferson's side in the conference room, " Colonel Mustang, I – I just wanted to say that this is really for your own good."
Mustang turned to face him, clasping his hands behind his back, digging his nails into his palm once again, " Personally, I don't see how removing my best officer from my team is doing me any favors."
" Colonel, listen to reason," Wallace was about seven or eight years older than him, the second youngest Colonel after Mustang, " every single one of us sitting in that office wants to see you succeed. A hero of the Ishvalan War, a State Alchemist, and now a Colonel. Great things are to be expected of you, Mustang, and I'll be damned if I see your title revoked and be dishonorably discharged just because of some woman."
'Some woman!?' Mustang thought, his heart picking up speed once again, " Colonel Wallace –
" – Now some of what Jefferson said back there, I didn't completely agree with," Wallace cut him off, " Honestly, I don't think anything funny has happened between you and Hawkeye. And I believe you genuinely don't encourage any inappropriate feelings, in fact, I don't believe you have any inappropriate feelings towards her… Lieutenant Hawkeye on the other hand…" he paused, scratching his neck, " I do believe she has been harboring feeling for you, which to me, is just as bad as acting on them."
Mustang furrowed his eyebrows, he really just wanted to get away from here, " Don't be ridiculous, Wallace."
" I'm not," Wallace folded his arms; " There have been times where I have witnessed other female officers talk about you in her presence. Mostly they remark about your physical appearance and when they do so, Hawkeye immediately shuts down the conversation, commenting on how widely inappropriate they were being."
" I don't see how that proves your point, Colonel."
" I'm getting to that," Wallace arched an annoyed eyebrow, " If you ask me, there's a strong note of jealousy in her voice when she makes those comments."
Mustang scoffed, " You are being ridiculous."
" I don't think so, Colonel, if –"
" Colonel Wallace, unless you're about to tell me that you'll be able to stop this unnecessary transfer and let my Lieutenant remain on my team, I highly suggest that you refrain from speaking," Mustang would normally never act so rude, but he couldn't maintain face for much longer, " I really don't need to be hearing any more gossip-based reasons as to why the Lieutenant may or may not have feeling for me, even though nothing has ever happened and she most definitely does not."
Wallace sighed, not taking offense to Mustang's outburst, " Very well, Colonel," Wallace saluted him and turned to walk away.
Mustang resumed to his fast determined pace. He needed to find Hughes; he was the only person he could think to go to.
Hughes was busy when Mustang found him, but had agreed to go out to Madame Christmas' bar to talk about whatever personal issue Mustang was having.
When Hughes entered the bar, he had found Mustang already halfway through his beer. Madame Christmas was giving him a worried look as she idly cleaned a mug. Noticing Hughes' arrival she greeted him with a warm smile, " Hello Maes, good to see you!" Automatically she started to fix him a beer. Mustang didn't even turn to greet him. His chin remained propped up by his right hand while his left fiercely clutched his beer.
" Hey there, buddy," Hughes sat to his left, "What's going on?" Madame placed to beer besides Hughes, he smiled a 'thanks'.
" They took her," Mustang mumbled.
" Took who?" Hughes asked, genuine worry filled his voice.
" My Lieutenant," Madame Christmas stood nearby, close enough to listen to the conversation, but at the same time remaining available to her customers.
" Hawkeye? Someone took her?" Hughes' voice now sounded panicked.
" No, no, not liked that," Mustang assured him, " She has been transferred. She's been reassigned to Briggs." Both Madame and Hughes' eyes widened with shock.
" What?" Hughes spat, speaking a little too loudly, receiving a few glances, " Why?"
Mustang then began to explain in painful detail what had happened earlier today. He even divulged the more intimate details, his racing heart, his cold sweat, his indescribable urge to strangle Wallace when he had called his Lieutenant 'some woman'. By the end of it, Mustang had finished off his beer and got himself two-thirds of the way through his second one.
" Oh man…" Hughes rubbed his face, " Damn Roy…" they sat in silence for a few moments.
" Yea," Mustang mumbled, Madame affectionately rubbed his shoulder.
" It'll be okay, sweetie," Mustang gave a weak smile knowing full well that it would not be okay.
" What am I going to do, Hughes? It's a lose-lose situation," Having thought about this all day, he could not think of any positive outcome, " If I try to fight the Colonel's decision, it'll come off that I'm too attached – too 'emotionally compromised'. And if I don't do anything, she stays in Briggs anyway," Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
" Why did you…?" Hughes was staring blankly at the cabinet of liquor behind the bar table, "Why did you give her report to the other Colonels?"
Mustang slapped his forehead, " Because I was trying to do something nice!" He growled, " I wanted to hold off on signing her performance review, giving her excusable time to see her family! Not want to appear as an 'abuse of power', I had the more senior members look over her review so that my delay seemed necessary!" Mustang's face was growing red; " Little did I know that this whole damn thing would bite me in the ass!" He slammed a fist on the table.
" Alright, Mustang, calm down –"
" Calm down? How the hell is I suppose to – OW!" Madame grabbed a fierce hold of Mustang's ear, like a child.
" Sweetie, I know you're upset, but please, don't disrupt the other customers," She made a shushing gesture with her finger. Mustang took a few deep breaths and then downed the rest of his beer, gesturing to Madame for another one, "Alright… but take this one slow," she warned.
Hughes linked his fingers together and rested his chin on top of them. There has to be a way, he thought.
Mustang hadn't given up on thinking an alternative way to get her out of Briggs and back on his team. However, he was drunk, and his thoughts kept lingering on the events that happened earlier today, namely with Colonel Wallace. Clearly his opinion of the transfer was swayed by gossip. He doubted that Wallace ever witnessed an instance where Hawkeye had said something out of jealousy. Mustang could not see her doing that at all. Hell, Wallace had gotten the whole damn thing backwards; Hawkeye was the picture of professionalism. Her no-nonsense attitude, her stoic face and even voice never suggested that something 'inappropriate' was going on. It was him that would secretly get jealous when other officers commented on her appearance or even her superb sniping skilled. It was him that would allow his eyes to linger as she left the room. It was him whose utmost loyalty laid with her then the military.
But it was an unspoken truth between them; he knew that she would betray the military to save him and he, undoubtedly, would do the same for her. 'Even into Hell' she had said when he asked her to be his assistant and personal bodyguard. Without hesitation, he demanded that she would be the one to shoot him down should his righteous path falter. He trusted her like he could no one else.
" I've got it!" Hughes announced.
" Got what?" Mustang said distractedly – lost in his thoughts.
" I've got your answer," a triumphant grin appeared on Hughes' face, " You're not gonna like it, but it's better than loosing her altogether."
Hawkeye hadn't shown up on Wednesday or Thursday for that matter, which greatly irritated Mustang. He didn't want to call her, nor did he want to question his team if they were aware of her whereabouts. He remained patient, looking up each time the office door licked opened; double taking each time a blond head passed by in the hall. It wasn't until about 5:30 on Friday evening did she finally make her appearance.
Mustang was so startled to see her; he practically jumped out of his chair, almost knocking it over. He cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed, "Good evening, Lieutenant."
" Good evening, sir," In her hands she carried a cardboard box, used to pack up her desk, no doubt.
" Where have you been, Lieutenant, I thought you were coming pack Wednesday?" Mustang tried his best to sound casual when asking that question, and not like a paranoid parent.
She placed the box on her desk, " I did," Mustang furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, " I was given time off to make proper preparations for my transfer," Her voice was even, but Mustang could see the pain in her eyes.
" Oh," a lull, " Do you have everything in order?"
" Just about," systematically, she started packing up her desk; " My cousin is subletting my apartment for the time being… I have almost everything I need packed, " Mustang watched her tuck a strand of golden hair behind her ear, " Although…" she continued, " I haven't found a proper home for Black Hayate, I was thinking about asking Hughes…"
" You can't take him with you?"
" I'm afraid not," Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, " The corridors at Briggs don't allow pets."
" And your cousin?"
" Is allergic," She explained.
" I can take him."
Hawkeye paused what she was doing have raised an eyebrow at him " You'll take him in?"
" Sure," he grinned, " I love dogs!"
" Hm," Hawkeye smirked, " That settles that," She continued to pack her desk in silence; Mustang stood there awkwardly, not entirely sure what to say.
" Did you have a nice time with your family?"
" I did," She said halfheartedly, " up until I received that letter," she seemed more visibly upset now, " I don't understand, sir," She looked up at him, confusion in her beautiful brown eyes, " Why am I being transferred? … That wasn't your idea, was it?"
" No! Absolutely not!" He said defensively.
" I apologized," She seemed somewhat less tense, " I didn't think it was, I just had to make sure."
" Why would I want you transferred? After all -," Mustang cut himself short before saying something he would regret, " Your transfer was not my decision and out of my hands, Lieutenant," he paused, " It didn't say why in the letter that was sent to you?"
" My letter didn't say much, actually," She said evenly, " All it really said was where I was being transferred to, that I was given time off, when I should report to Briggs and whose command I would be under."
" Oh," Mustang blushed slightly, he didn't want to be the one to tell her why she was leaving, " Well, I had given copies of your performance review to some of the more senior Colonels. I wanted to make sure my postponement on signing your papers seemed legitimate," he explained, " After reading through the oral questionnaire, they believe that…" he paused, " That we are too emotionally compromised to be working together."
She blinked a few times, " What?" a mixture of genuine surprise and anger rang in her voice.
Wordlessly, Mustang grabbed his copy of her performance review. Taking out the oral questionnaire part, he flipped to the page that had caused the most scrutiny. He handed it to her, he watched brown eyes under furrowed eyebrows race back and forth across the page. Her face of confusion melted into realization. She plopped the packet of paper on her desk dejectedly. She placed her left hand on her hip, her right pinching the bridge of her nose.
Mustang opened his mouth to say something, but Hawkeye beat him to it, "How could I be so stupid?" she muttered.
" Lieutenant, you can't blame yourself for this."
" I remember that part of the interview. I remember feeling uneasy about it," she said frustratingly, "I should have said something to you."
" Don't be ridiculous, Lieutenant, I, myself, read through your report several times and I didn't think anything of that section," Mustang's voice was slightly on edge, " All I saw in the part was simply just miscommunication – and perhaps a little bullying on the interviewer's end," He added bitterly, " The other Colonels took what you said ten steps too far."
Hawkeye turned her attention to the window opposite of her desk, not wanting to look at her Colonel to see that pained expression on his face, " 'Emotionally compromised'," she mumbled, "unbelievable."
The tension that filled the room was almost unbearable. She was mad. He was mad. And they both felt guilty as all hell, like both of them could have done something differently to prevent this from happening. Mustang had to fight every muscle in his body that ached to walk over to his Lieutenant and hold her in his arms. He wanted more than anything to go over to her and tell her everything would be okay, to divulge Hughes' plan they had concocted nights before to give her some sense of relief, to ease some of her anxiety. But he did not. He couldn't risk discussing Hughes' idea here; he needed to speak to her privately. His feet remained firmly planted behind his desk as he watched her finish up packing her supplies.
" Are you certain you're capable of taking care of my dog?"
" What? You don't think I'm responsible enough to have a pet?" He teased, "Absolutely, Lieutenant, I can take care of him."
Not looking at him, Hawkeye gave a weak smile, " I leave tomorrow morning," Mustang frowned, " I'd appreciate it if you could stop by tonight to pick him up."
Mustang felt anxious as he walked up to her apartment door, he couldn't believe that this would be the last time he would see her for a very long time. Before he was able to knock, Mustang heard the low rumble of Black Hayate's bark, sensing Mustang's presence. A moment passed by and the Lieutenant swung opened the door. She was dressed casually, jeans, and a grey sweater. She stood in bare feet and for whatever reason that made Mustang smile. He was still in his uniform, coming straight from the office to her home.
" Evening, Colonel," Mustang noticed the slight discoloration in her lips; her breath smelled unmistakably that of wine.
" Good evening, Lieutenant," She stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. There were a few boxes pilled up as he entered her joint living room/kitchen. Briggs men lived on essentials, especially since their corridors weren't particularly large. Black Hayate danced around Mustang as he walked into her home, sniffing fiercely at his boots.
" Seems like he likes you," Hawkeye remarked as Mustang took a seat at her small, round kitchen table, " Forgive me," Hawkeye gestured to herself, " The team took me out for drinks, I don't exactly have my wherewithal about me," She leaned against the countertop, drinking a glass of water.
" That's quite alright, Lieutenant," Mustang crossed one of his legs as he pet Black Hayate's soft little head.
" That's what's left of his stuff," Hawkeyes gestured to a medium box sitting on the coffee table, " Just some dry food, some trick treats, and a couple of toys."
" What kind of tricks does he know?" Mustang was weirdly enjoying himself being in her apartment. He had stopped by a few times in the past to pick her up when they had away missions, but very seldom had be been in her apartment. The casual atmosphere made him feel warm inside.
Hawkeye walked over to her dog and made a gun symbol with her hand. Black Hayate was still as he looked at his owner. Their eyes locked for a moment, "BANG!" At the sound of his master's voice, he flopped over on his back, lying still save for his tail that thumped back and forth, knowing that he had pleased his master.
" Good boy!" Hawkeye said affectionately, petting the top of his head. She reached into her dog's box and picked out a treat, " Always give him a treat after he does a trick," she explained feeding it to him " He tends to cop an attitude when he doesn't get one."
Mustang chuckled slightly, " Alright, I'll keep that in mind," a moment passed before Mustang spoke up again, "Lieutenant, there's something I need to discuss with you."
The casual air died in the room, the atmosphere changed to the same note of seriousness that tends to reside in their office. Hawkeye sat at the opposite end of her kitchen table, the antique overhanging lamp cast a warm glow on the Lieutenant.
" What is it, sir?" Mustang gulped; there was something very tactile about her sweater that made him want to touch it.
" Well," he started, " When I had first heard you were being transferred, I sought out Hughes for his advice…"
…
" I've got your answer," a triumphant grin appeared on Hughes' face, " You're not gonna like it, but it's better than loosing her altogether."
Mustang responded with a quizzical and doubtful look; Hughes' voice rang out confidently, " Alright, so here's what I think you could do…
"Since Hawkeye is going to be leaving for Briggs, you're going to be required to appoint a new first Lieutenant. In most normal circumstances, everyone on your team would simply move up a position and you would hire someone else for the vacant lowest rank.
" However, instead of making Havoc your new number one, I think you should hire a new member altogether for the position. Someone young, maybe someone only a couple years out of Cadet Training, someone that would be reasonable to hire but also others wouldn't question you should you choose to transfer or demote this person after the fact.
"Someone that's right on the line of making it or breaking it. Call it 'giving an underdog a chance' – people will eat that crap up; they'll think it very noble of you to be so inspired by our youth," Mustang rolled his eyes, Hughes ignored him and continued, "You don't want to demote or transfer anyone else on your team, leave them as they are. It's better to demote or transfer a pawn you're not too familiar with.
" Once you've appointed Lieutenant So-And-So, he or she will go under the same process as Lieutenant Hawkeye did. At the end of the next term your new Lieutenant will have a performance review.
" Whether the results are good or bad it doesn't matter, the whole purpose of a performance review is to allow the Colonel a reasonable, tangible opportunity to demote, transfer, whatever, their first Lieutenant. If a Colonel feels like they're not the best pick for the job – for whatever reason, bad chemistry, has found a more compatible subordinate, whatever, the scores and results really don't matter, this just gives a commanding officer an opportunity to change their mind.
" When that day comes, you will have the opportunity to demote, transfer, whatever Lieutenant So-And-So while simultaneously putting in a formal request to have Hawkeye transfer back under your command as your first Lieutenant."
Mustang blinked, his heart filled with hope and then immediately melted into frustration, " This person will have a performance review at the end of next term," he sighed, " That won't be until next December."
" That's the part of my plan I knew you wouldn't like."
" A whole year," Mustang scoffed, " and there's no grantee that it'll work…"
" Well, the only other option you could hope for is that Colonel Armstrong dies in which case Hawkeye could request to be transferred back to your command," Hughes took a swing of his beer, " And personally I don't think the entire unite of Briggs could take Armstrong down, so I wouldn't be holding out for that option, Roy."
" A whole year," Mustang mumbled again, rubbing his face, " What if it doesn't work? What if my request gets denied? What if -?"
" – We will cross that bridge once we get to it, Mustang," Hughes clasped a hang on his friends' shoulder. Madame gave Roy another worried look, " It's the best idea we've got Roy… we just have to be patient…"
….
Hawkeye said nothing; her face was stoic and unreadable. Mustang cleared his voice and tried to lighten the mood by saying, " So… tell your cousin to not get too comfortable here, you'll be back soon, Lieutenant," Black Hayate placed his head on Hawkeye's lap, whining for attention.
" Do you have an unfamiliar pawn in mind?"
Mustang furrowed his eyebrows, " I have a couple of names in mind, but I have until Monday to decide," he paused, " Do you have any recommendations?"
" Personally, that's the only part of Hughes' plan that I'm adverse to," she scowled slightly, idly petting her dog, " using people as mere pawns…"
" Yes, well, I agree," Mustang looked away from her, " but I'm willing to use as many pawns as I need to get my queen back," Mustang regarded his own sentence with slight shock and utter embarrassment. Did he really just say that? He didn't dare look at Hawkeye to see her reaction. He stood up abruptly, turning away from her, he moved towards the coffee table and picked up Black Hayate's box.
Facing her, but eyes casted down, looking at the dog, " You leave in the morning, Lieutenant," he stated matter-of-factly, " It's getting late, you should get a full night's rest…"
Walking towards his car, Mustang carried the box and Hawkeye carried her dog. Mustang opened the back seat and placed the box inside. He turned to collect Black Hayate, but paused as he saw the Lieutenant affectionately nuzzling her dog, holding him close to her chest. A look of concern washed over Mustang's face.
Hawkeye pulled away from her dog slightly. She looked at Black Hayate's dark eyes and said, " Now you take care of him, Black Hayate," the dog barked happily; Mustang's face fell, " Make sure he doesn't slack off. And remind him that his Alchemy is useless in the rain – I'm not sure why he forgets that so often."
She hugged Black Hayate once more, " I'll miss you," she whispered, Mustang noticed she was looking directly at him as she spoke, " Be good," after receiving a final lick on the cheek, she passed her dog over to Mustang.
" I'm sure I'm in capable hands," he teased, " or paws, rather," Mustang placed Black Hayate in the back seat along with his box. Feeling unsatisfied, Black Hayate hopped over and sat in the passenger's seat, wagging his tail and smiling at his new owner. Mustang gave him a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' look.
Mustang shook his head in defeat and turned to Hawkeye who was visibly cold standing in her little brown slippers, hugging herself. Mustang shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say, " Good luck, Lieutenant," he settled on. He placed a gentle hand on her left bicep and gave her a tender squeeze, " It's been my pleasure working with you," He squeezed a bit tighter, " And I promise, Lieutenant, we'll be working together again before you know it."
Hawkeye gave a weak smile, " I look forward to our reunion, Colonel," Their eyes locked for a moment; Mustang's hand slipped off her arm.
" Do me a favor," he said as he walked to the driver's side of the car, " Don't become one of those high-strung Briggs men while you're there…" Stay exactly as you are, he thought.
" I can't promise you anything, sir," She hugged herself tighter.
Mustang saluted her, " Until next time, Lieutenant."
She clicked her slippered heels together and returned the gesture, " Take care of yourself, sir," Mustang gave a curt nod. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that the Lieutenant still held her no-nonsense authority even when dressed in jeans, slippers and a sweater.
Hawkeye stayed standing in the cold outside of her apartment long after Mustang and her dog drove away, telling herself that there was no need to get emotional right now. No man of Briggs wears frozen tears.
When Mustang got home, he realized he forgot to ask Hawkeye about a dog bed. He settled on taking some pillows off his couch and arranged them in the corner of the living room where Black Hayate could sleep.
In the middle of changing into his nightwear, he heard scratching at his bedroom door and high pitched whimpers. Mustang opened the door a few inches to see Black Hayate sitting there, his tail wagging back and forth.
"What's the big idea? You don't like the living room?" The dog barked back in response. Mustang sighed, " Alright, alright, you can sleep in here", Mustang opened the door wider and automatically Black Hayate jumped onto the bed.
" No-no-no! Not on the bed! Get down!" Black Hayate whimpered once more and reluctantly got off the bed, " Good… I'll be right back. Don't. Move."
Mustang went back to the living room to retrieve his pillow set up, he rearranged them in the corner of his bedroom, Black Hayate eyeing him with curiosity, " Alright, you sleep here," Mustang firmly pointed to the pillows. Black Hayate walked over and stood on top of them, wagging his tail, watching his new owner, " Okay… now, sit!" The dog didn't move, " Sit!... siiiit…" Nothing, " Lie down? ... down?" Still nothing. Mustang rolled his eyes, turned his hand into a gun and fired, " Bang!" and Hayate was down.
Mustang shook his head confusingly at the dog, why would Hawkeye teach him 'play dead' but not 'sit' or 'lie down'? He sighed and climbed into his own bed. About 30 seconds later Black Hayate jumped on the bed and curled himself up next to Mustang. Mustang sat up straight and gave the dog a stern look, but soon his expression softened as the dog began to whimper away.
Mustang lied back down, idly petting Black Hayate, " It's okay," he whispered, more to himself than to the dog, " I miss her already too…"
And thus began a series of sleepless nights for the Colonel and the dog alike.
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