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 Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:59 am
Warrick found that he had pondered the family life he would most likely never have for a while, but that his mind had come back quite quickly to an escape. Of course, he wasn't really going to run out on Fiona. Not here and not now, when he had finally worked up the nerve to ask her for a walk or 'something'. Now he felt a little bit stupid. Why hadn't he said something else? Something... More... Confident, maybe?
He wasn't left to wonder about this long, of course, because Ace had finally found him. Warrick had been wondering when he would. And in fact he was still clutching the hat he had taken from him gently but securely in one of his hands. He was not automatically inclined to give it back to Ace, however. In fact he gave Ace a strange look, one he often found Ace giving him or anyone else, a challenging look. He held the hat up between them for a moment, "Were you looking for your hat, soldier?" he asked, then pulled it away after only a moment.
"Normally there are penalties for this sort of thing. Especially when some sort of ceremony is involved. You really should be punished. It's a good thing you were made to deal with me first or you might be in more serious trouble. I'm not as strict as other officers, but seeing as this was a fairly serious uniform offense... I'm going to have to just keep the hat," Warrick ducked behind a nearby tree and then peered around it to look at Ace, "Did I mention I'm an expert in covert ops? Impressive, hmm?" he placed Ace's hat on his own head, "And a master of disguise," he mused.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:25 am
Ace had initially made a grab for his hat when it was dangled between them, but before he could, Warrick pulled it just out of his reach. The young man found himself frowning again, though that frown looked more like a pout. The expression made Ace look younger than he already looked. Grown men didn't... pout, did they? "H-hey! No fair!" He grumped in response to Warrick informing him that he would be keeping his hat.
For whatever reason Ace had always felt more secure and more comfortable with the thing on. Perhaps it was some sort of safety net. Like Warrick had his scarf, Ace had his hat. It wasn't exactly the same thing, but it was likely that it was a similar idea. The teenager wore the thing so often that he felt like his head didn't look right without it.
Ace was about to protest more about how Warrick was holding his beloved hat hostage, but then he ducked behind the tree that they had come to stand by. He made a face at the other military man when he poked his head out from behind said tree. His expression turned into some form of a suspicious one when Warrick placed the hand on his own head. "I knew it. You just want my hat for yourself. You crafty b*****d." Finally a smile spread over his face. "It's a pretty superb hat, so I can't blame you."
The young man stepped closer to the older man. "You really are a master of disguise. For a minute I thought you were me. You had me fooled." He reached over and grabbed the brim of his hat so that he could pull it down over Warrick's eyes.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:41 am
This was another thing people probably wouldn't think characteristic of Warrick, this sort of game of keep away. And really, Warrick probably wouldn't have played it with anyone else. He felt less uncomfortable and out of place around Ace. Maybe it was because they had spent some time together, not really work time, just... Time. Maybe it was because Ace was the only person who seemed to look at his face instead of his scars. Either way Ace made him feel comfortable. Sometimes he still made him feel nervous, but mostly he was the only person who seemed to make him ever feel totally comfortable. He was never really comfortable unless he was alone, and even then it was a rare thing.
When Ace reached up and pulled his hat down to cover Warrick's face, Warrick's smile grew just a little. There was something to be said for the whole, 'if I can't see them they can't see me' expression. It almost seemed that way. The darkness was nice. Not being able to see permanently might be a bad thing, but it was kind of nice for a while. It was like sleeping but being aware all at the same time. And he could still feel Ace near him. Ace seemed to have some sort of presence. It radiated from him and you didn't need eyes that could see to know he was there.
"Hmm. You figured me out. I was trying to find a way to hide my entire face all at once," he finally said. He didn't attempt to move the hat away from his eyes at all, but instead leaned sideways on the tree, folding his arms quite casually across his chest. "Or maybe you didn't figure me out and you just got tired of looking at it. I suppose I wouldn't blame you. The rumor is that I'm a pretty big creep," oh yes, he'd caught some of the things flying around. And well... He really didn't even have to have heard any of it to know it what was being said. "Oh, by the way, this creep has a date today, and can't stop fantasizing about ways to escape or how it could go wrong. So thanks for that, you're a big help in the 'ladies' department," he joked.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:22 am
Ace rolled his eyes though the smile never faded from his face. "You're welcome." He replied. So Warrick HAD gotten himself a date with Fiona. Well, good for him. Honestly, it made him feel happy to know that the older man was doing something to make himself happy. In Ace's opinion, he deserved it. He even needed it. He seemed to think that no one would want him or that he didn't deserve these sorts of relationships with people, but Ace had seen just the opposite of that. Warrick was a good man. He was awkward, but he was nice. He was shy, but he was endearing. He was good-looking too. Even with the scars. Or maybe it was Ace's ability to see Warrick and not just the scars. And then Ace found himself wondering if it was strange for him to be thinking about the older man that way.
"You're right though. I'm sure glad I found a way to make sure I didn't have to look at your face anymore." The teenager reached out again and took the brim of his hat between his fingers so that he could pull it up again, revealing the top half of Warrick's face once again. He smiled in an oddly fond way. Ace really liked Warrick. He had never felt this sort of connection with anyone before. Maybe it was because they both had traumatic pasts that led them down two completely different paths. Didn't people say that opposites attract?
Ace let his hand fall away from the hat which was still perched upon the older man's head. "You shouldn't worry so much. You should just be yourself. I mean... I like you." The teenager shrugged his shoulders and moved around so that his back was up against the side of the tree, opposite the military man. He leaned his head back against the trunk, eyes gazing up into the branches. They were thick with leaves. So much so that it was hard to see the sky through them.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:36 am
Warrick's eyes were relaxed, and they seemed to reflect his smile when Ace lifted the brim of the hat. He was surprised the young soldier didn't take the thing from his head entirely. Warrick supposed it probably looked pretty silly on him. Then again, he looked silly anyway, didn't he? Ducking around trees and pretending like he was a playful child or something of the sort. It was nice to feel so... Free for a while. Free seemed like the right word. Free from stress and nerves.
When Ace moved away to lean on the other side of the tree Warrick wondered for a moment or two if he had said or done something wrong. Whether he had or hadn't, it was clear to him that their game was over now. Well, that was best. He should have been acting more like a grown up anyway. And Ace was a soldier now, which made Warrick his superior. They were both currently in uniform and on military grounds. He sighed, knowing that it was probably time to get serious and stay that way.
And with this thought in his head he moved around the tree so he could stand beside Ace for a moment, then shifted so he was standing in front of him. He took off the hat and placed it on Ace's head. He was still smiling lightly with his eyes, and his mouth though it was unseen. "I like you, too," he said truthfully. Ace was nice. "I should go change... I'm too formal when I'm in uniform. And I should get rid of the mask... I'm running low on scarves lately, though, because people keep getting shot and bleeding all over them," he teased. He stuck out a hand then, offering it to Ace for a final shake, "Welcome to my world," he said.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:57 am
Ace liked being able to act this way with someone. He had a feeling that the older man felt the same. Though he also had a feeling that Warrick thought he shouldn't be acting that way. He was a pretty professional man, and now that Ace was a soldier, Warrick was his superior. However, this fact wouldn't keep the younger alchemist from being being the lt. colonel's friend. And even though he was part of the military now, he wasn't about to give up giving them hell. If acting like himself with Warrick was some sort of offense, then so be it. He would never stop being himself.
When the older man came around and placed his beloved hat back upon his head, Ace smirked in more or less a triumphant way. Well, at least he had his hat back! He reached up so that he could situate it more to his liking once again. "Who else has been bleeding all over your scarves? I thought I was the only one. I thought I was special." He teased, narrowing his eyes in a suspicious manner though that smile never faded from his youthful face.
And the Warrick was offering a hand for him to shake. Ace glanced down at it briefly and then looked back up at the other military officer. He pushed himself away from the tree so that he was no longer leaning against it. "Go make yourself presentable." He said, knocking the hand away gently in a teasing way and then used the same hand to salute instead. "Good luck on your.... mission, sir." Of course, all of this was playful teasing coming from Ace, though he really hoped that everything went well for the older man.
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