OKAY SO, remember how I said this WASN'T Falman/OC? Well, since Scar isn't going to be the main interest for a while down the road, maybe... I could... give this poor cutie some love. I MEAN LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS OMG I CAN'T STAND IT. Also, I'm going to be changing the secondary genre. I was struggling on it and realized after a few chapters that 'Friendship' might be a good secondary one. Also, thank you SO, SO much to those of you that are reviewing and favoriting/following. I'm getting these chapters out so quickly because of you- you guys make me so happy! I'll probably start replying to your reviews in the beginning of chapters from now on, cause I don't want to spam your inboxes. Stay beautiful, people!

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Slamming her hand on the alarm clock, Linor cracked her eyes open and stared tiredly at the ceiling, her vision taking a few seconds to adjust. The gunk in the corner of her eyes made it uncomfortable to open her lids any more than a slit and so she rubbed the crust away as much as she could. Fully looking at the alarm clock that read 4:25, Linor flung her arm over her eyes and groaned lowly. She had fully intended to get a decent night's sleep, but after her incident with Archer, she found even closing her eyes difficult. She always knew the man was interested in her in some way- an unnerving smile on his face whenever he saw her, always a bit too close for comfort, little quips that suggested he wanted more than just a superior/subordinate relationship; nothing outright, but obvious enough that even others aside from her had noticed. Yesterday was the first time he had done something so bold and she was worried her lack of backbone with him would make him bolder.

Trying to push the foreboding thought from her mind, she forced herself out of bed and into her small apartment bathroom. Many of the military personnel stuck to the free lodging at the barracks, but she chose to use her military funding to snag an apartment close to the Command Center. Her apartment was nothing be pleased about, but it was enough for the small periods of time she spent there- most of her time she spent at work anyway.

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, Linor ran her hands through her tangled hair. After the night, her naturally wavy locks had begun to curl again and the dye she had in for nearly two weeks was starting to fade. Opening the medicine cabinet, she snagged the small bottle of hair dye before reaching into the cabinet under her sink to grab the large bowl she kept there. Placing the bowl on the transmutation circle she had scribbled on the small counter next to her sink, she lazily filled the bowl up with black dye and minuscule amounts of water. Dipping the ends of her hair in the mixture, a small clap of her hands re-dyed the fading black and peeking strands of white near her scalp. Examining the job in her mirror, Linor cracked a small smile- if Edward ever wanted to talk to her again, she needed to thank him; not that he knew she was going to be the one to use his method when he had mentioned it, but she had stolen the idea several years ago and refused to go back to her old method.

Stripping out of her baggy night clothes, Linor quickly hopped into the shower. She gave herself a quick wash- spending extra time on her face to get the disgusting touch of Archer off her skin- before hastily drying off, hopping out, and finishing the rest of her morning routine. By the time she finished her daily practice, her hair was straightened and pulled into a high ponytail and she was dressed in a casual black tank under a jean jacket with some blue jeans- so much comfier than her uniform. When her eyes drifted to the clock, it was 5:06 and she gasped, quickly double checking her suitcase before placing her trademark sunglasses on her face and rushing out the door.

The train she was supposed to board left at six, but before that, she had breakfast with Falman. The two agreed to meet at a quaint café near the station- neither of them too keen on big breakfasts and more inclined for something small and a cup of coffee. Seeing a uniformed Falman waiting for her at a circular table in the front, Linor smiled and approached him, sitting down in the seat across from him.

"Morning, Falman," Linor greeted, setting her briefcase down next to her.

"Good morning, Major," Vato replied, a smile on his thin face. Linor chuckled a bit and rested her arms on the table.

"You know you don't have to keep calling me that. I think we've passed the 'strictly coworkers' phase by now." Seeming a bit nervous from the suggestion, Falman rubbed the side of his neck.

"I suppose you're right," He mumbled, noticing she hadn't even looked down at her menu under her arms. "Are you not getting anything?"

"I know what I want," She replied, "I come here often. You know what you're getting?" She asked when he didn't pick up his menu either. When he nodded, Linor gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, were you here long?"

"No, not at all." He reassured, "Just a few minutes." With a relieved 'good', Linor turned to greet the waitress who soon approached them with a beaming smile. After both ordering a cup of coffee and a bagel for Falman and an egg English muffin for Linor, the duo engaged in small chatter.

"So, how's the search for Scar going?" Linor asked, taking a bite from her egg sandwich. Putting his coffee cup down and downing what he had in his mouth, Falman groaned and ruffled his greying tufts.

"Mustang has been pushing us to find something, but there hasn't been so much as a whisper." He replied with disappointment. "We found his jacket on site the day of the explosion, but that's about it." Food stuffed in Linor's mouth, Falman continued. "Some are thinking he's dead, but we can't even find his body, it's strange." Swallowing, Linor took a sip of coffee.

"After taking down Brigadier General Grand, I doubt he would die so easily," Linor replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Our thoughts exactly," Vato replied with a sigh.

"Well, it's better than him killing anyone, I suppose we should count our blessings," Linor mumbled, tapping the side of her cup. The both of them went silent, Falman's slanted eyes locked onto her.

"I'm worried about you, Major," Falman said suddenly, making Linor stop her tapping. "After what happened, Scar is going to come after you whenever he gets the chance. Who knows what information he's getting, what if he knows you're on your way to Central?" Linor looked down to the table silently.

"What did I tell you about calling me Major, Falman?" She whispered jokingly, though her tone fell flat.

"I'm serious!" He barked, making Linor flinch slightly at the sudden raise of voice. "He knew who you were, how your alchemy works, doesn't that concern you?" Falman asked, an unusual bite to his tone. The truth was, Linor was concerned. After her skirmish with Scar, she was always looking over her shoulder whenever she walked home. She made sure to double check her doors and was always on high alert whenever she was alone. The fear subsided a bit after the first week of no news, but Falman was right- Scar was still out there somewhere and she shouldn't be letting her guard down.

"Of course, I am," Linor muttered, "But what am I supposed to do? Resign?" When Falman didn't answer, Linor scoffed. "I'm not going to quit, Falman."

"I know," He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just want you to be safe." Raising her gaze to look at him, she noticed he was staring down into his coffee. Reaching her hand to his to get his attention, she smiled earnestly.

"I appreciate your concern, Falman." When his worried look didn't fade, she instead gave him a cheeky grin and leaned over the table a bit. "If I want you to stop calling me Major, I should probably start calling you Vato, huh?" When his name passed her lips, she noticed his face heat up intensely and she couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Vato, I'll be careful." She assured jokingly, stressing his name. Her promise seemed to appease him- despite its joking nature- and a small smile appeared on his flushed face.

"That's all I ask," He replied. When Linor gave him an expectant look, he chuckled softly under his breath and added- "Linor," Her lips tugged up and the duo finished their meal with less serious conversations. After the waitress had pleasantly took their trash and empty cups, Linor pulled her wallet to pay, but Falman held out a hand to stop her. "Let me," He said to which Linor narrowed her eyes.

"Nu-uh," She growled, "I said that I was taking you out for breakfast so you wouldn't be mad at me."

"I wasn't mad at you," He blurted when she continued to take out some cens.

"Oh well," She replied blandly, counting out the money for the bill and then some for the tip. When she placed it slightly under the condiments, so it didn't fly away, her eyes met with a disappointed Falman. "This isn't a date, you don't have to pay." If his disappointed look could have deepened, it would have.

"I-I know that, but…" He trailed off when the scraping of her chair sounded and she leaned over the table.

"So then when we go on a date, you can pay." The rest of his words caught in his throat and he wasn't sure if she was joking or if it was a hint for him to take. When he remained silent, she dropped her head with a pitiful laugh under her breath. "You're funny," She mumbled, retreating back from over the table and picking up her suitcase. "My train leaves soon, I really gotta go. Thanks for coming out with me, Vato." Breaking out of his trance and clumsily standing from his seat, he walked to her side of the table.

"A-any time," He stuttered, moving to grab her suitcase for her which she quickly moved from him. "Will you at least let me walk you to the station?" Linor almost chuckled at his chivalry but nodded nonetheless.

"Of course," She replied as they began their trip to the station, smiling when he moved to walk on side closest to the street. It took only a few minutes, but by the time they arrived, the station had a few earlier passengers and the train was already parked and awaiting its departure. "Thank you, Vato," Linor said as she faced him.

"Have a safe trip, Linor." He replied tenderly, looking down at her. Giving him a nod, she went to board her train.

"I'll be back in a few weeks!" She shouted over her shoulder, hopping on the coach and finding a seat. Tugging down the widow and waving at Falman who still waited there, she leaned her arm and head out. "Tell everyone I said bye!" Getting a loud response she didn't hear over the sudden wail of the whistle, Linor watched the Eastern Station disappear as the trail rolled away.