Huh…I thought I had uploaded this chapter….that's why it wasn't up….

Disclaimer: Yeah…I'm Hiromu Arakawa and am neglecting the latest chapters of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga to write Fanfictions which I could easily just make filler chapters and the like…(dripping with sarcasm)

Enjoy(or not)

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"….Stallion?" Riza blinked, caught off-guard.

"Yeah…" An awkward silence fell, only penetrated by the 'pitter-patter' of rain outside. Roy glanced at his waiting hand and slowly lowered it.

He was handsome, Riza noted, that could be said for certain. His one onyx eye that wasn't covered was deep and wise, but still sparkling with laughter and youth. Dark hair, the same shade as his eyes, framed his lightly tanned face.

A small cough from Roy snapped Riza from her stupor. She started and realized that he was still standing out on the step. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, come on in…" Roy stepped into the hall, being careful not to drip on the carpet. "Personally, I feel useless in the rain……Riza Falconwing." She stated, sticking out her hand just as Roy had done moments before. He shook it slowly, taking in her appearance.

Riza had mid-length hair and a side-fringe, and dark lashes framed calm, in-control amber eyes. Her skin was flawless, mouth straight and business-like.

"I'm looking for a place to stay," he said, "Just for a little while, until I can find a more permanent place."

"Sure, I just cleaned up one of the rooms upstairs. Do you have any other bags?"

Roy looked down at his small duffel and shook his head. They headed upstairs and headed into the first door to the right.

"This," Riza gesturing to the room, "Is yours. We can discuss the rent in the morning. Good night, Mr. Stallion."

"Please, it's Roy."

After Riza had left, he turned to survey the room. It was well furnished for an inn; in the far corner was a double bed with a generic blue duvet. Next to it was a small lamp situated on an antique end table and in the corner adjacent was a well-used-looking chest of drawers. Also in the room was a desk, a recliner, and a floor lamp. Cozy, Roy murmured to himself. He set his bag down and flopped onto his bed, exhausted from today's activities. He needed rest.

Riza could hear the first of Roy's snores as she started down the stairs. She smiled, and headed down the stairs.

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That night, Riza had one of the most peaceful slumbers in a long time. At first, she dreamt that she was crying. She wasn't one to cry often, and only at the most drastic of times. In her dream, she didn't know why she was crying, and that thought unsettled her.

She was immediately comforted when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her in a warm embrace. After the arms came a well-toned body, heartbeat slow and steady, and a chest the perfect level for her to lean into. She grabbed the front of the man's shirt and sobbed into it harder then she thought possible. She still had no idea why she was so sad.

When she felt that she had let it all out, she sniffled and wiped her eyes. She laid her head gently against his chest, her breathing in tune with his, and sighed. Her sudden curiosity about who this man was wasn't able to overcome her exhaustion. She tried to summon the energy to look up at his face, but instead fell asleep in his arms.

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The next morning Riza was serving breakfast in the main dining room. Roy wasn't the only tenant in Falconwing's; Dante Bonciani and John Kimbley also held rooms there. Dante was scarfing down her scrambled eggs when Roy entered, following the scent of breakfast. Roy introduced himself to the pale-skinned, dark-haired young woman, who barely acknowledged his presence when he tried to make idle conversation. Roy dug into the plate of succulent eggs Riza placed before him, glad for the food to fill the awkward silence.

Soon after, Roy headed out for a stroll around the town.

On a sign in the square were proclaimed the words: Birmingham, The Perfect Place. He spent the day roaming around, checking out the displays in store windows but very rarely going inside. He stopped into a small museum near the center of the shopping district that had a large poster of a rifle and some small handguns displayed out front. When he was walking through the exhibit, he had the weirdest feeling that he had seen some of the weapons before, but had no idea where.

As twilight fell, Roy decided that it was just about time for him to head back to the inn. As he strolled down the Main street towards the outskirts of Birmingham, he glimpsed a semi-familiar blond head duck out of the supermarket. Arms laden with bags, Riza didn't notice she had stepped off of the sidewalk until it was too late. She yelped as her fresh groceries spilled to the ground, rolling (or if not round, sliding) in all different directions.

Roy scuttled over to help his new landlady, who didn't notice his presence until the both reached for one of the unfortunate tomatoes at the same time. She blushed and pulled her hand out from underneath his, bringing the scarlet fruit with it. "Thank you, Roy." She said simply, reaching for the bags Roy had successfully re-filled.

"Uh, uh, uh!" Roy said, clicking his tongue, "I'm carrying these. Don't want you to take another tumble like that, eh?"

Riza pouted, then gave up, allowing a triumphant smirk to become visible on the dark-haired man's face.

They walked on in a comfortable silence, broken only by the odd comment about a certain star and the sound of the city bunking down for the night. Soon enough they were approaching their destination. Roy suddenly felt bold and asked, "Riza, why do you own an Inn?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and answered promptly, "Because it's all I have left of my family." Riza wondered to herself why she had told him this; it was the truth, but to anyone else who had asked, she would give different reasons: she was watching over it for a friend, she had always wanted to, other simple reasons. To balance it out, she shot back, "What do you do?"

"I'm in the military. You're talking to Colonel Roy Stallion." he boasted pompously, "And before you ask, I joined the military because saw things. Terrible things. I didn't want to see them again, but I knew I had to. I want to change things. The whole country. And that man inspired me…" Roy trailed off, all traces of his self-confident tone long-gone.

As they climbed up the stairs, they were greeted by Hayate's cheerful bark. The Colonel helped the blond sort out her groceries, then bid her good night and headed up to bed.

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As he lay on his bed, Roy mulled over his day. His day in town had been interesting; the museum he would have to see again. Talking with Riza was…he didn't know how to describe it. The silence hadn't been awkward; in fact, it had been companionable, as if they were long-time friends happy with just the other's presence. Still thinking about their encounter, Roy drifted off to sleep.

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Riza silently pondered her new tenant's words. What could he have seen? What made him seem so dedicated to changing the country? He mentioned a man…one who inspired him…who could that be?

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a/n: YOSHA!!! I'm done with this chapter! Now, (pokes reader) Review! Please don't flame! The next chapter will come REALLY soon because, huh, I finished it then realized I hadn't uploaded this one!