Hughes watched as his friend walked into the shared office. He was smiling with his eyes closed, as if he was reliving the sweetest moments of his life.
"So, what's up with that stupid grin on your face?" Hughes joked, but it caught Mustang's attention.
"Huh? What stupid grin?" He snapped, though his cheeks flushed, giving him away.
"That stupid grin that you can't keep off your stupid face. Don't hold out on me! What happened?" Rubbing his hands together as if a big juicy steak was set out in front of him, he was hungry for the latest scoop in Mustang's usually most flamboyant love life.
"Not much to tell. We went out for some food at the little diner we usually hit for lunch, and then we walked all around last night, just talking."
Hughes' face dropped, obviously disappointed at the lackluster story. "Sounds like great fun. So… then what, did you get her in the sack?"
"Hughes…!" Mustang's voice turned to steel, he brought his fingers together for display, and his eyes shut tight in an effort to not scorch his friend where he sat behind the mini mountains of research on his desk.
Catching the threat that had been posed for him, Hughes recovered himself before his hot headed friend snapped (figuratively AND literally), "Gotcha'! PG rated date! I get it!"
Lips still pursed, Mustang brought down his hand and continued to sit behind his own desk. "So, how are you and you're new girlfriend doing?" He said in an effort to get the attention off of himself. It worked.
"Oh! She is just the sweetest little bag of honey you could ever imagine! She invited me to her house this after noon for dinner and guess what she's making? Lemon pepper chicken with croissants and green beans and as a desert, Orange sherbet! MY FAVORITE! And after that, well who knows what could happen….!"
Off he went.
Mustang settled for closing his eyes and bracing his head against a fist to relax so he could tune out the endless chatter from his friend. He had to admit though; Hughes' cheer was an added bonus to his own pleasure filled thoughts.
…
Rumor picked up the sounds of the town waking and stretched gracefully before crawling out into the late morning sun. She looked down at herself. Still clad in yesterday's clothes, which were dirty from sand and dust, she checked her pockets, trying to find any money that she might have stuffed away. Nothing.
'Just great.' She thought. She only had one change of clothes. Walking deeper into the park, she found the rivers edge that the park sat next to. She looked into the clear water at her rippling reflection, she was a mess. Her hair was messed and dirt clotted from her makeshift bed, and her clothes weren't much better. Going into the public restroom she changed.
She put on her black pants and another tank top, it was black as well. Removing her boots, she rinsed them off in the sink before washing out her hair.
Splashing water onto her face, she took some in her hands, and combined with the soap from the dispenser, she washed her limbs as best she could.
Noticing a rubber band that was abandoned on the floor, she picked it up and pulled her hair back to a short pony tail at the base of her neck.
With another look into the smudged mirror, she was much happier with what she saw.
Along with the blanket, she stuffed her clothes into the pack, but instead pulled out a black pauper's hat to compliment her outfit.
Smiling, she stepped back out into the real world that she lived in, back pack replaced to its spot.
…
Walking through the streets, Rumor breathed in the day. It was a glorious morning, or was it just her perception? Either way, her spirits were high.
She entered a shop that she came by quite often. It was run by a nice elderly woman.
"Hello, miss. What can I do for you today?"
"Hi, madam. I was wondering if you had any more of your daughter's old clothes for me?"
Rumor thought about the weight on her back and frowned in her thoughts at how pitifully empty it was. She was certain she could fit at least two or three more sets of garments in there and still have a little room.
"Oh, sure, dearie! Right this way." Grabbing a walking stick from behind the counter, she hobbled her way into the back and up a flight of stairs that led to a loft apartment where she lived. Her little girl was grown, married, and moved out now with children of her own. She had left some of her belongings behind; those were the things that Rumor had come for. According to the kind old women, the daughter hadn't come home in years.
Rumor waited in the makeshift kitchen while the women went into her daughter's former room. She came back shortly with three outfits in hand. One was a pair of jeans that were dark brown with a matching t-shirt. Another had a plain dark blue long sleeve with a pair of near matching dark blue jeans. But the third, it was a cream colored sundress that had large pink and white flowers on it. The light cream tint would compliment her dark skin perfectly.
"I know this isn't the kind of thing you usually ask for, but I was up late last night and saw you walking by on the street with that handsome boy, and I thought that you might like something if the occasion ever arose for something more… you know. I also thought this color would compliment your skin ever so nicely, dearie." The old women beamed. Rumor couldn't help but smile too.
"Thank you, I really do like it." Taking it gently, she folded the others and put them in her back pack. "May I use your bathroom?"
"Of course, dearie."
Walking into the small room, she stripped down, removed her hat and even her glasses. Slipping the dress on over her head, she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. What she saw stopped her in her thoughts.
"You look exquisite. I knew that would fit you. You are so much like my daughter." She said adoringly.
Indeed, the dress was a perfect fit. It was a summer cut; wide tank top straps, squared over the chest, form fitting, and flowing out at the hips to flow to out around the mid-thigh.
"Except for my eyes…." Rumor muttered harshly to herself but the women heard her anyway.
"No. You are both beautiful. And so are your eyes." Rumor began to unzip the dress when the old woman's soft, frail fingers stopped her. "Not yet. You need shoes too, dearie. Can't wear those things with this dress!"
Rumor pouted at the reference she had made to her combat style boots.
Walking into the other bedroom once again, she returned this time with a pair of cream colored, strappy heels that matched perfectly. "Try these."
Slipping a slender foot into each, the fit was just right.
After she finished doing them up, she looked at herself once again.
"He won't be able to speak after seeing you in this!" She smiled even wider. "Don't be ashamed of who you are. Be proud."
"Pride doesn't help me much when it comes to society, madam."
"You're right, but you shouldn't be so reluctant to show off those dazzling eyes of yours either."
"You must be blinder than I thought grams."
She chuckled at this; her voice fell around Rumor like soft chimes tinkling in the wind. For a moment, Rumor almost saw the young girl surface from beneath the wrinkles.
"Thank you, grams. I owe you one." Rumor hugged the frail women lovingly; it was all she had to give.
"No, thank you. And don't worry about payment, your smile is enough. If you really want to pay me back, invite me to your wedding!"
"Madam! I only just met him yesterday!"
She chuckled again, the girl bubbling even closer to the face.
They said their goodbyes with the dress and shoes in their rightful place in her pack.
Rumor looked to the sun, her glasses and hat replaced, and saw that it was getting close to noon, "Lunch time."
…
Looking up to the clock, it was quarter to noon.
"Yo, Hughes! You want to go get some lunch!"
"You know it!" His voice shouted back from the depths of the papers surrounding him.
The two soldiers walked out into the blazing sun. Both blinked away the brightness after being cooped up in the tight space of their crowded, windowless office.
Roy put his arm over his eyes as he continued to blink away the light. Spotting what he couldn't believe, he had to flicker his eyes even more to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
He wasn't. For at that moment, Hughes elbowed him hard in his unprotected ribs.
"Roy! Check out that hottie! Whoo! I think she's the reason it so freakin' hot out here!" Hughes shouted out loud enough so she would turn, Mustang tried to stop him, "YO, BABY! LOOK THIS WAY!"
"No… no…." He muttered in a rush.
Too late.
Rumor looked over her shoulder through the gate that she had been leaning against.
Mustang's face turned hotter than the sun from embarrassment; he pulled his hat low to cover his eyes.
Despite the comment made by Hughes, Rumor couldn't help herself; she beamed at the sight of the Second Lieutenant and his friend.
As the soldiers made their way through the gate, Mustang still had his hat pulled low.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Hello, miss. Don't mind my friend here; he's a little shy today." Hughes held out his hand for hers. When she gave it to him, he kissed the back of it.
Giggling a little, her smile widened. "Thank you, but I met him yesterday."
Hughes stopped short.
"You mean… you're… HER?"
Rumor looked confused and cocked her head again, still smiling. "'Her' who?"
"HER, HER. The one that Mustang here can't shut up about!" Hughes exploded. Roy seemed to drift further and further away in a cloud of gloom.
Still smiling, now with a small flush of color, she confronted Mustang.
"Is that true? You're talking about me?"
When he didn't answer, Hughes piped up again, "Yes, but in a good way!"
Turning back to Mustang, Rumor walked up to him and lifted his hat from over his eyes, they were inches from each other's face, "It's okay, really… no one has ever talked about me in a GOOD way before."
She winked at him and impossibly, his face grew redder and hotter at her closeness, but he couldn't help the smile from their private joke. "O- okay…."
"Good! So, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
Mustang looked from Rumor to Hughes, clearing his throat he complied. "Right. This is Officer Meas Hughes, and this is the girl I was telling you about, Rumor."
"Pleasure to meet you, Officer Meas Hughes." She smiled brightly.
"The pleasure is mine, lady Rumor." Hughes bowed and turned to Mustang. "You know what would be fun? If we stopped by Gracia's and picked her up for a double date!"
Mustang checked his watch. "Hughes, she lives four blocks out of the way. We have twenty minutes left now. If we were to pick her up, go to the restaurant, and walk her back home, we would be late. In fact, if we went anywhere further than the grounds, we will be late. Do you just want to hit up the cafeteria today? After all, you are going to see her tonight."
Sighing heavily he looked back at Mustang, pouting, "Fine, fine. Take all my fun away. We will definitely have to have a rain check, of course! Providing the two of you get hooked up! See you in the chow hall!" He ran back inside waving enthusiastically, giving the two "alone-time".
All he left was an awkward silence between the two of them.
Breaking the quiet, Mustang began, "Well, I would like to see you again. Sorry about lunch, we don't have a very long break, being just barely above a rank soldier and all. We'll get longer lunch once promoted again."
"Don't worry about it! But… I would like to see you too." She blushed.
"Really?" Mustang burst out. He recovered his cool demeanor quickly, embarrassed. "Well, where do you live? I could pick you up. I get off at seven tonight."
"Oh, um…" Rumor began, nervously biting at her lip. "How about I meet you here again?"
"Okay, what's the matter? Do you live far away or something like that? Because if so, it's no trouble, I could get a car…."
"No, it's nothing like that; I'll just be in the area so it's no big deal. I'll meet you. Now, if you don't hurry, you won't get lunch at all."
"Oh, right! Okay, I'll see you later." With reluctance, he turned and jogged back into HQ.
She watched him leave and a part of her left with him.