Title: Lunch break

Author: forbiddentransmutations

Summary: Mustang's men set up a saucy lunch date for him and Hawkeye, hoping it'll result in them becoming more intimate.

Author's Notes: My first Royai fic! I'm proud I was actually motivated enough to write this, and I'm glad I was in the right mood for this pairing to get this done. This story has been sitting around in my head for months, and while it's turned out differently than originally planned, I am still pretty happy with it. I tried my best to keep everyone in character, though some of their quirks were a little exaggerated. For me, the toughest was Hawkeye.

I might quickly add this is based right after Mustang has been transferred to Central and Hughes isn't dead. I don't know which one comes first as watching the animes and reading the manga has thrown me back and forth between 3 different timelines, but I'm sure Hughes is there when Mustang transfers, even if it's for a very short time. I also tried to leave Ed out of this fic completely because..well..I can.

Mustang was occupied with signing important documents. He had to get through all of this paper by the end of today, but there was no denying he would procrastinate. Hawkeye would do her best to keep him on the ball, but it was almost inevitable that he'd take a long lunch break.
The only up side was the fact that when he worked, he worked hard. He was busy signing the first bits of paper on top of the pile, setting himself up for a long hard day of document singing and sorting.

His break seemed to come earlier than planned. Lieutenant Hughes came stumbling in, flailing a picture of his daughter and wife in his hand. "Mustang! How are you settling down in Central?" He sang, doing a little twirl before slamming his other hand on the front of Roy's desk. Annoyed, Mustang gave a sigh.

"It's great so far, but the work amount has doubled. I have just today to get through this ream of paperwork," Mustang broke into a complaint. Hughes gave a little chuckle. "Well I don't see why you'd have more work, you're still a Colonel. I suppose it's because Central needs more tending to it," The soldier explained, continuing to flap the photograph around.

Mustang hummed to himself a little, continuing to sort through the ream.
"Anyway, enough of that noise! I've got something much more interesting to show you!"
Before Mustang could flinch, Hughes had dangled the photo of his family in front of the officer, grinning broadly. Mustang sighed again. "Not now, Hughes," He growled, trying to stay focused. "Hey, this is very important y'know? My daughter Elysia just turned two!" Hughes rambled on like a mad man.
"Okay, Maes! I don't have time to listen to you carry on about your family!"
There was a silence.
Hughes sighed.
"Well maybe you'd have something to discuss with me if you had a wife and child yourself," he almost broke into a giggle. This set Mustang off a little. "Just go back to work," he ordered, putting his pen back to paper. Hughes was laughing to himself by now. "You know you need one!" He cooed before skipping out the door.
Mustang groaned. "Damn that annoying man, he's thrown me off schedule." Though, there wasn't much of a schedule anyway.

Riza Hawkeye entered the room shortly after, a clipboard in hand. She had obviously been tending to some serious work. "Colonel," she said, walking into the room and shutting the door behind her with upmost care. There was no reply as she entered. "Colonel?"

Looking up, she saw that the superior had in fact, fallen asleep while doing his work. Hawkeye sighed. "Every time," she shook her head, walking over to him. "Colonel," she called, standing over him. He began to snore, and she even noticed some drool down the side of his mouth. "Colonel!" She raised her voice slightly, leaning in furthur. "Colonel Mustang!"

With that, he awoke, jolting backwards and sending papers flying into the air. Hawkeye sighed to herself, putting down her clipboard and collecting the flying papers from the air. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
"You fell asleep...again."

Mustang looked around. He was thankful none of the others were there. He gave a tiny smile. "Sorry, Lieutenant, I just had a bit of a late night, that's all."
Hawkeye nodded once, putting down the papers and picking up her clipboard once more.

Falman, Havoc, Fuery and Breda were peeking from the crack of the door, all four eager to get a glimpse of what the Colonel and Lieutenant were up to. They were fortunate to not have Hughes there, as he would more than likely just burst out and ruin everything.

"They are so in love," Fuery remarked, almost childishly. Breda gave him a little slap across the head. "Be quiet you idiot! They'll hear you!"
For once, Havoc didn't have a smoke hanging out the side of his mouth, but there was no doubt he reaked like an ash tray. "We should do something nice for them, they really work hard everyday, and the Colonel's in need of a good day out," He scratched his chin, giving a small grin.
"But what could we do for them? I don't know if you've noticed but they're not exactly the most romantic couple in the world," Falman observed with the others, as Mustang and Hawkeye engaged in conversation on the other side of the room, behind the slightly opened door. "Well, why not make it romantic?" Fuery piped up.

The other three struck him a look.
"No, really! What's better than an office romance? They can seem platonic in the workplace, but they could very well be romantic behind closed doors. Why not bring out the romantic side of them we have never seen?"
That bloomed a few ideas for the men, as they all exchanged smiles and looks.

-
Hawkeye left the Colonel's office, checking off certain things on her clipboard. She was eager to head down to the cafeteria and eat. While she hardly showed it, she was extremely hungry. Her tracks were stopped as Falman slid from the side of the hallway and in front of her. She stopped suddenly, looking up in mild shock. "Yes, Officer Falman?"

"Hey, miss Hawkeye! Are you hungry?"

Riza narrowed her eyes, though she didn't seem too threatning. "Yes, I am. I'm actually on my way to the cafeteria to get some lunch, now if you'll excuse me," she stood to the side a little to continue on walking. Falman jumped in front of her again, becoming a little desperate.
"Why don't you go out to the restaurant the next block away from here instead?!"
He didn't mean to shout, and Hawkeye simply cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"
"T-The rest-restaurant! You know, the one a block away from HQ?"

Her expression remained quite blank, but Falman knew she was getting annoyed. "Uh, no thank you, I would much prefer to eat here." She continued to walk towards the cafeteria. Falman was running out of excuses. "The cafeteria is closed! Everyone is going to the restaurant for lunch now. It's free for everyone involved with the military," He lied through his teeth, scratching the back of his head nervously.
Hawkeye rolled her eyes. It was obvious he was lying, or at least making up excuses. She decided to go along with his silly game and then get back to eat quickly. She smiled a little. "Fine, let's go."

-
Mustang was waiting patiently at a table for two, standing by Havoc, Breda and Fuery. "So, who am I having lunch with?" He adjusted his tie. He had changed out of his military clothes, and into a fashionable suit. Havoc was desperate for a smoke, so he tried to hurry it along. "Trust me, she'll be everythin' you've dreamed of!"

It was apparent Mustang was much easier to convince than Hawkeye, as it only took the words "some hot babe wants a date with you," to get Roy interested. He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting patiently.

Five minutes later Hawkeye and Falman entered the building, both still dressed in their military uniform. Just as she had expected, there were no other military men and there was no special sign explaining the free meal. It looked as normal as ever. "I shall take you to your table, m'lady," The soldier reached out his hand and waited for her to take it. She quickly did, as she just wanted to move things along. "So, am I dining with anyone special today?"

Falman scratched his head nervously again, leading her towards her table. To her surprise, Mustang stood in gentlemen's clothing and waiting patiently. It didn't take a second for her to register that he was her special someone. She stammered a little to herself, scanning the room to see if Falman had made a mistake, but he wasn't budging from where he was. Mustang was who she was meeting up with. She sighed. At lease he dressed formally for the ocassion.
Mustang was equally surprised. He shot a glare at Havoc, who yawned and pretended nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"What is the meaning of this, sir?" Hawkeye suddenly spoke. Mustang's eyes darted around the room frantically. "I'm not sure myself, I was just lead down here by my men," he explained, trying to come across as innocent. Hawkeye rolled her eyes. Then, she inched a tiny smile.

"Well, there's no use in going back to the cafeteria if we're already here, let's just get this lunch over with," Hawkeye decided, taking a seat opposite to where Mustang was standing. He was still extremely confused; he usually wasn't able to piece things together as fast as his Lieutenant. He sat down, facing opposite Riza, deciding to get it over and done with too.

The pair sat awkwardly opposite each other, avoiding eye contact. Hawkeye cleared her throat, looking around the restaurant, trying to appear casual. These buffoons. They're trying to set me up with the Colonel. Who do they think I am? I would never give up my job for an office romance, Riza thought, adjusting in her seat. Mustang played with the table cloth a little. It was incredibly awkward and silent between the two.

The others thought it was time to get things going.

"Hey!" Fuery called over a waitress, who quickly ran over. Havoc had left, most likely going out to smoke, leaving the others to tend to the situation. Riza looked down. As Mustang began to catch on to the situation, he increasingly felt obliged to treat his Lieutenant out. He didn't want it to be awkward, even though that was inevitable.

No matter how casual or romantic he approached, it was certain that Hawkeye would react in an awkward way. She was never one for romance, and Mustang knew that. He knew she would just go along with it, but the more he sat in front of her, the more fun he wanted to have with her. He was okay with this set up now, he just wanted her to be too.

He gave a little smile as the waitress stood by them, ready to take their order. "What can I get you two lovebirds?" She giggled, holding a plate full of drinks. Mustang felt embarrassed by the term "lovebirds". He tried to shake off the assumption. "We're not together," he chuckled nervously. He started to think if Hawkeye thought he had set this all up. He could have very well of been using his men to get her over here, and told the restaurant to turn this all into a romantic date. He had to shake off what the waitress said in an attempt to appear disconnected to the set up.

He was too caught up in all of this to realize that Hawkeye had indeed blushed at the waitress's words. It was tiny, but there was, no doubt, a hint of red on her cheeks.

"My apologies sir. What would you like?"

Mustang turned to Hawkeye, waiting for her to order. She quickly scanned the menu.
"I'll have a rare steak, thank you."

"I'll have the same," Mustang chimed in, hoping it wasn't too out of the ordinary to order the same as the "date". The waitress nodded. "2 rare steaks, I'll have them out here soon! Any beverages?"

"I'll have your finest champagne."
"I'll have the same," Mustang said again, as the waitress nodded and walked off.
Hawkeye shot him a glare.

Mustang played with his tie, breaking a sweat.

"You didn't have to order exactly what I did, sir," Hawkeye said, crossing her arms. Mustang shrugged. "You ordered the nicest meal on the menu," he replied, seeming like a lame excuse. Hawkeye smiled.

The other soldiers were watching from a distance. "They're going great! It was a little awkward to begin, but I think they're becoming more comfortable with the date," Breda observed. Fuery and Falman shared a high five. "I knew this was going to be good!" Fuery giggled like a schoolboy.

Havoc returned, the thick smell of cigarettes on his clothes. "How's it going?" He asked, sitting down at the table where the others were. "It's going great," Breda smiled.

Five minutes passed and the Lieutenant and Colonel were treated with their drink, as they made a toast and sipped down the first glass. After Hawkeye wolfed down her first glass, she started to feel a little more laid back. It started to feel like a good idea to have such a date. Whatever way it was looked at, it was just a harmless little gathering. Mustang could have possibly of seen it as a romantic date, but Hawkeye simply saw it as collegues sharing lunch together.

Another five minutes passed and they were served their meal. There was a plump beef steak and freshly chopped salad. They both began to eat.
Mustang sort of ate in a greedy, quick way, while Hawkeye ate slowly, allowing her food to digest a little more. While she was starving, the last thing she could do was to look like a pig in public.

"So Colonel, tell me. How much paperwork did you get through before break?" She began after swallowing a piece of the steak.
Mustang choked a little, patting at his chest before taking a sip of his drink to wash down what was caught in his throat. He looked nervous. Oh great, she's going to lecture me. "I got through a decent amount, but I still have a lot to do," he explained, sweating a little. She hardly reacted. She simply continued on eating.
They didn't speak until they finished their meal and second glass of champagne.
"Well," Hawkeye suddenly spoke after the long moment of silence and eating, wiping her mouth with the napkin. "This has been lovely, Colonel," She nodded, standing up. She stood there until Mustang got up too. "We both have to get back to work now, let's go," She said as they both started to head to the entrance. She stopped and paused. Mustang was still dressed in his suit.

"I'll head on back, you get dressed back into the appropriate uniform," she suggested. Mustang nodded once, looking a little disappointed. He didn't want it to end just yet.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked as they stood at the entrance, about to walk outside into the streets. Hawkeye went silent. She lowered her head, smiling at the ground. "Yes I had a great ti-" she looked up a little, only to have her lips meet the Colonel's. Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't pull away, nor struggled. She just stood there, eyes wide and face going bright, hot and red. The others all stared, mouths dropping open.

Mustang pulled her closer, hands gripping onto her arms. Instinctively, Hawkeye moved in a little more, their lips pressing tenderly into each other. Reluctantly, the two pulled away, faces hot and red. Hawkeye was left in a bit of a daze, eyes low and mouth slightly open. She looked up at Roy, heart fluttering. Roy looked down at her, the same goofy expression as she had.
They both looked like love dazed teenagers.

Coming to her senses, Hawkeye pulled right away, giving a smile. "I'll see you back at HQ, sir," she spun around and began walking out onto the street. Mustang spoke, stopping her in her steps.

"I love you, Riza."

She stared forward, not daring to look back. She was bright with blush, eyes staring directly ahead. She then looked behind her a little keeping her head straight. She then regained her strength and began walking again.

Once she was gone, Mustang slapped his forehead. "Damn! I'm such a moron!"
Havoc went up to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head sympathetically.

"The kiss was enough, and I was surprised that she even allowed that, but telling her 'I love you'? I went too far, I'm such an idiot sometimes!" He growled at himself, the other men gathering around him, frowning. "I think it went rather well," Fuery gave a tiny smile. Mustang exhaled deeply.

"I'm just going to go get dressed and head back to work, you all should do the same," Mustang said, rubbing his face. "Oh, and don't tell Hughes about all of this," he added, turning around and heading towards the men's bathroom. The gang all exchanged looks, feeling a little unaccomplished. They did as their superior instructed, slowly heading back to their offices.

-
Mustang worked rather slow for the rest of the day, and it eventually became clear that he wouldn't be able to get all of his work done that day. He would have to either bring it home for the night or finish it the next day and run behind schedule. He chose the former. Hawkeye stood by his side, back to her usual strict self. She held the clipboard, looking through the list of things needed to be done. The tension between the two was thick.

"Colonel?"
Mustang hardly batted an eye.

"Colonel, you have an appointment with King Bradley tomorrow, though it sounds like arrangements for certain rooms in your part of the building. In other words, it's nothing too important, but I suggest you see to it," Hawkeye explained, reading the dot points from her papers. She knew Mustang heard her, as he gave a little hum.

None talked to the other about anything but work for the entire day, even when they both parted ways home. Mustang drove home slowly, distracted by the lunch date. He wanted to make it up to the Lieutenant somehow, but he just didn't know how. He loved her, there was no denying, but he doubted she felt the same way.

Hawkeye opened the door to her apartment, stumbling in, exhausted. Black Hayate was barking happily at her arrival, bouncing at her feet. "Hey, Black Hayate," She smiled, dragging her feet to her couch. The Shiba Inu skipped along after her, sitting right beside her on the couch.

He received his long awaited pats. "How was your day today?" She looked down at her pet, who barked a happy reply. She smiled. "I'm glad you had a good day. Mine's been...eventful."

The dog tilted his head, as if knowing what Hawkeye was saying. He whined once. She shook her head slowly. "You wouldn't believe it but the Colonel kissed me today. Then he told me he loved me," She said, rubbing Hayate's ear. He whined once more.

"The funny thing was that I simply didn't know how to reply. I'm never one for romance, and it was shocking if anything. I want to set things right with him, and I want him to know I love him just as much as he loves me, even though he can sometimes be an imbecile."