Author's Note: Thank you to the two people who have read my story so far! I have one comment and one who is following my story! I definitely appreciate the feedback. My version of the amazing characters may not be what everyone is expecting, but it's my take and I hope that once I get the story fully written everyone will like it!

Disclaimer: I still do not own FMA or it's characters just the story!

She had felt Al's presence almost as soon as he had approached the glass in the window. Dragon's Pulse could certainly come in handy since no one could sneak up on her. While he was busy thinking, she snuck a glance up at the expression on his face between her dark strands of hair and wasn't disappointed. Al had looked at her with a strangled look of hunger. His golden eyes were a melting pot of confusion. This made her smile, she had been looking forward to Al coming for months now and wanted to finally see if she could be seen as a woman in his eyes.

May knew he had been expecting the same besotted little girl, but she was going to show him just much she had grown up. For years she had thought of him as her knight in shining armor, literally. Al had valiantly come to her aid and for recompense only wanted her smiling face. Initially she like the idea of him, but as she got to know him through their travels she realized it was more deep seated than just a hopeful crush. Al was a magnificent person and she genuinely wanted to see him restored to his body, just because she wanted to see him as happy as he made everyone else.

When May had seen him face to face for the first time she knew she was in trouble, even with all the damage that had been done to his physical appearance she could see that he was quite a handsome boy. His eyes had flashed with a gilded glint of satisfaction from finally reaching his lifelong goal of getting his body back. May was happy she had finally been able to see him smile, for he certainly had an amazing one. As much as she had wanted to stay it was imperative that she head back to Xing and see how her father the Emperor was doing.

The Emperor had not been given much time to live before she left to try and find the secret to immortality. More than likely her clan was anxious to to know if their princess was okay, and also hopeful for the ascension of their family. Unfortunately, she could not offer them the latter. Grudgingly, she had acknowledged that Ling would be a fair and caring leader. She still couldn't believe that he was pledging his line to protecting the Chang clan, and wanting to create more equality between the 50 clans. Actually this was smart on his part since this would disperse some unnecessary tension between all of them and hopefully put an end to the cutthroat mentality of having to be the Emperor or his favorite just to provide for the people in their clans. Through this May felt sorry for Lan Fan because it was clear to see that she cared deeply for Ling and due to customs he would now take a wife from each clan and procreate to keep the lines intact. It would take more of a woman than she was to be able to stomach sharing someone she loved.

Once she arrived at home and received the news that her father had already passed before she could make it to visit him, she found herself thinking of Al consistently. They kept in touch between occasional letters. Every time one arrived she would hope for the content to be Al spilling his heart out to her, but to her disappointment they were mostly just mundane topics. Sometimes he would tell her of the physical therapy Edward was helping him with to build his strength back up, but he was even sparse with those details as well. She was eager to know that he was getting better and being cared for. Mostly they talked about Alkahestry. After the first year she began to think she wouldn't see him again unless she traveled back to Amestris herself. Finally around a year a half later, Al brought up coming to see her in Xing to practice Alkahestry with her. She had been hoping everyday since then that today was the day Al would at last be here.

Feeling frazzled from chasing her sister and not sleeping well, May drug herself from her room. To her surprise today was the day that Al had arrived! After Yun gave her the good news she went back to her room to freshen up before dinner, she was almost finished dressing when she heard her sister tearing down the hall. If she bothered Al and his guests she would make Ayame clean every floor in the dwelling.

As she stepped into the hall to bring order to life, she saw Al and she could feel her heart pulsing through every part of her body. No way this was her Alphonse! He had filled out where the atrophy had hollowed him out and then some. His shoulders were broad and strong like they had never been left to deteriorate soulless and alone. She felt her palms get sweaty. When she looked into his amber eyes she was floored at just how mature and knowing they seemed. She realized then that he thought Ayame was her! Then he put the pieces together and the strangest look crossed his face. It was a mixture of shock, happiness and comprehension that May was no longer a child, but a woman grown. While Al and her had been catching up he had even called her beautiful! However his statement was followed by him running off in quite a hurry, colored in the most flattering shade of red she'd seen.

Initially she had thought seeing him might quell the feelings that she had maintained for him to that of just friendship, but if anything looking at his brilliant smile had just fanned the flame. So now that he was here and she still felt the same, what was she supposed to do? It wasn't like she had any experience in how to handle her admiration. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to practice complete restraint and try to only be the teacher he was expecting. She would be herself but with a bit of cool civility rather than outright honesty in her feelings. In the past May had been loose lipped with her infatuation with Ed and then later with Al and maybe that hadn't been a great idea. She had learned from watching other women that a man should come to the woman to profess feelings, not the other way around. With her newfound resolution she left the garden to go to dinner.