"Are you ready?" Roy asked. The question was loaded and not so simple. As usual, his face remained straight and unflinching. In one hand he was asking for her affection, and in the other, if she was ready to face the world for the first time as more than just his subordinate.

Looking down at his gloved hands, Riza tightened her scarf and nodded anxiously.

He took her hand in his, opened the office door, and led her through the snowy city. She wasn't used to the contours of his hand or the bend of his fingers, but it felt gratifying against her fiercely independent palm. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered to her rosy cheeks that melted the falling snowflakes.

Passing by store windows, he would turn to look at her reflection. Her unusually timid face was adorable. Like that of a little girl.

At the street corner he stopped and turned to face her. "You don't have to walk behind me; you've never had too. Nervous are you?" He smirked, putting extra emphasis on the word nervous.

The word "nervous" bounced around her head. Nervous was what she felt when she knew he was in danger. Nervous was what she felt in the heat of fire. Of the many emotions she was feeling at that second, "nervous" was not one of them. Furthermore, his smug half smile was both irritating and disgustingly charming. Reaching for his coat she pulled him against her and lightly kissed his lips. The butterflies that had fluttered to her warm cheeks floated to his cold tight face. Through the padded mitts her finger tips gripped his sides. After a few seconds he could feel her smile against his mouth.

Pulling away slowly she playfully demanded, "Now wipe that charming smirk from your face, Colonel."

"Yes ma'am." He gulped.

Taking the lead she grabbed his arm and led him through the snowy afternoon.

What she had felt before could not be defined as nervousness, but as silent adoration. However, she realized there was never a need to be silent again.