lyrics are from "sway" by lostprophets. dont have an intro for this one. sorry! hope you enjoy! -fireun

"To all the fights I've conquered and beyond
The times have changed and I will now move over slowly...
The truth is I still feel lost without you
Hard to find a new soul
The silence takes its toll…"

There was a hypnotically depressing pattern to the rain. It wasn't even a proper downpour, more of a sullen piddling onto the roof. It was incessant enough to have turned the streets into muddy rivers as the rainwater carried all sorts of human trash and treasure down the cobblestones and dirt.

All in all, it was utterly depressing.

Hohenheim was trying to study the book held open before him, he was trying to pay attention to the philosophical, sociological diatribe, but his son kept distracting him. It wasn't as if Edward was actually doing anything, in fact, he was merely hunched over his own well-worn volume, mouth moving as he silently argued mathematical concepts with himself.
It was the young mans presence. The fact that the way he tilted his head just so when concentrating hard reflected the way a certain young woman had posed when thinking something over, before breaking into the most stunning of smiles…

"If you want something, ask." Ed muttered without moving his attention from the equation currently causing him trouble. "I can feel you staring at me. It is making that spot between my shoulder blades itch."

"Pardon me." Hohenheim muttered, shoving his face back into his book, almost literally this time.

"What's eating you?" Ed shut his book with a musty thunk, looking up at the man sitting across from him. "You know, apart from the usual." He waved an almost embarrassed hand in Hohenheim's general direction.

Hohenheim had a choice at that moment. He could let the instant pass, this tiny instance in time where his son was willingly showing an interest in his well being, or he could allow for a bit of vulnerability. Well, noble things were never easy, as was apparent in the way Ed was showing a surprising and sudden interest in his thumbs. Ah well. Better to cough it out before the moment noticed that they were getting along and decided to move before some cosmic balance was disturbed. "I miss her." He breathed, more a sigh than actual speech, but it was all he could manage.

"Just sway
You don't know...
Just sway
You don't know...
Just sway
And all you want is to find home...
Theres a light pausing
Feel the volume of the sky
Mark your place in time with another question why..."

Hohenheim could tell that was not at all what Ed was expecting. Golden eyes jerked up to meet his in a sort of bemused shock. "You left!" Anger was forming in there as Ed latched onto an argument he knew well.

"You did ask." Hohenheim replied, his voice heavy with a dry sort of humor.

"Yeah, but that is just a weird answer." Ed huffed, reopening his book.

"You have her eyes, you know, and a few of her mannerisms."

Startled, Ed slammed his book shut, turning a sort of terrified look on his father. "Stop staring like that! It's creepy!"

"I'm not staring."

"What the hell are you doing then!"

Hohenheim had to smile at the almost shrill tone to his son's exclamation. It was always interesting to catch the young man off guard. "I am merely contemplating."

"Contemplating. Like hell. If you wanted to 'contemplate' that much you would have stuck around."

"We have had this conversation."

"I know. And it never really settles, does it?" Ed tried, again, to return to reading, but appeared to be staring blankly at the numbers and symbols on the page in front of him, pencil poised in a futile attempt to appear productive.

Hohenheim glanced back down at his book, realizing with a crooked grin that he had been dutifully going over the same page for about an hour and he still had not really read a word.

"Hey…old man…"

"Hmmm?" Hohenheim didn't give in, didn't look up…allowing Ed the artificial distance that made dealing with his father easier for him.

"Could you….ah, would you tell me what she was like, mom that is. When I was little. I mean, I remember her fine after you left and all, and I remember stuff from when I was little…but how was she? When you met…back then…"

Hohenheim did smile then, and although it was a wide, beaming expression, it was definitely much more wistful than happy. "Edward, I would be more than happy." He closed his book and settled back in his chair, thinking. "Lets see…back when we met, hmm? Well then…I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you it was love at first sight and we walked off into the sunset?"

"Pull the other one, you bastard." Ed grumbled.

With a grin Hohenheim rested his chin on his fist, settling in for a long session of 'back before you were born'. It was raining after all. What else was there to do?

"Just sway
And all you want is to find home..."