A/N: I know the story is marked as "Complete," but I suddenly got this idea when I was flying to my summer internship. Around the same time I hit 200 followers on Tumblr, and decided that this would be my "thank you" to all of them.

There were a few more things I wanted to add, but I decided I shouldn't play with this universe anymore because I'd probably turn into another series I don't need to write XP. So, I hope you all enjoy!

Timeframe: Sometime between Chapters 25 and 26.

Feeling a warm sensation on his neck, Roy slowly opened his eyes and blinked, his sleep-deprived mind taking longer than usual to register what it was. After a few moments, however, he realized who it was as he attempted to try and move the fingers of the arm that was pinned to the bed. Keeping his neck and head in place, he allowed his eyes to wander down to the culprit.

He hadn't expected her to be there, seeing that she was still adamant that she sleep in separate quarters than him until she was done with the "treatments."

So far, she was halfway through with them, according to the Elric brothers. In that time between the first transmutation and the most recent, 'it' as she still referred to the tail, had long disappeared, though 'they' still remained. From what Edward and Alphonse said, the process would be longer to change the anatomy there because of a combination of the pain and the delicateness by which it would be done. Though Riza was disappointed in the notion, she understood it and worked around it, choosing a combination of different hats and hair styles that helped conceal 'them.'

Tilting his head slightly to get a better look, he saw that the nightcap she normally wore around the house was half on, half off her head, exposing one of them. Even in the comfort of their own home, she was still insistent on wearing something to cover them, despite his protests that there was nothing to worry about there. But after he realized she was genuinely happier that way, he dropped the subject, wanting only what was best for her.

Right now they were at the point where they had migrated slightly downward and had gotten thinner, resulting in the tips to droop. Looking at the one he could see right now, he noted that it was doing exactly that. Right now she was in a prime position, her face inches from his neck and her arm hanging loosely over his waist.

He knew the consequences of his actions, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up…

Taking a deep, yet quiet breath, he slowly released a puff of air, directing it toward her ear. A beat later, it twitched, flattened, and then stood completely straight. The action was then followed by a soft groan as she shifted and opened her eyes and moved her head back to look at him.

Sleepily narrowing goldenrod-colored eyes at him, she mumbled, "What are you doing here…?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied with a hint of playfulness, "Because this is my room."

She blinked once, twice, as she registered what he was saying. Then, glancing past him and rolling onto her back, she surveyed the room, indeed realizing that it was his and not hers.

When she sighed frustratedly, he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, eyeing her curiously. "Do you think it happened again," he murmured.

She rolled her head side to side against her pillow in disagreement and said, "No… At least I don't think it did, because I certainly don't feel like it did."

He nodded thoughtfully. Oftentimes after she disconnected and reconnected, she'd report feeling particularly alert for another hour or so. It appeared that this time, however, that was not the case…

"I think it's just the stress," she muttered as she closed her eyes. "We have so much to do and so little time to do it all."

"Hey," he said reassuringly as he reached up and pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "We're right on schedule with everything, so why be stressed?"

She raised a brow as her eyes wandered over to him, casting him a dubious glare. "Because you're about to become the most powerful man in Amestris and we have yet to even meet with the caterer for the reception… That's why," she replied rather bluntly.

He smiled lightly as he placed his free hand on top of the one she had closest to her. "It'll all be okay. I promise."

Exhaling slowly, she reached up with her other hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. After a few moments, she muttered, "We should probably get up," as she looked toward him. With a small smile, she added, "Let's do 'memories' tonight, okay?"

"Of course," he murmured as he used the arm she had pinned beneath her to draw her into him, planting a light kiss on her forehead. When he drew away, he grinned and said, "Let's get up then."

With a quick nod in agreement, she broke free of his grasp and grabbed the nightcap, once again putting it in its proper place as she sat up on the edge of the bed. After a few moments of adjusting, she noticed that he wasn't moving. When she turned around, she caught him watching her. Raising her brows worriedly, she asked, "Is something wrong," as she continued to fiddle with the cap.

"Not at all," Roy replied as he shook his head and smiled. "I'm just admiring you."

He watched as her cheeks reddened slightly as she turned away. "There isn't anything to admire," she murmured as she at last refit the cap to her liking.

When he opened his mouth to object, she had already slipped off of the bed and began to head toward the bedroom door. With a sigh he shook his head and pushed the covers off of himself, planting his feet on the ground as he got up to follow after her.

"So what's on the agenda for today," Roy asked over his shoulder as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Well, we have a list of about fifty things we need to accomplish in the coming weeks, so pretty much anything is fair game," Riza muttered as she pulled a piece of paper from one of the folders that were piled on top of the kitchen table. She begun to skim down it to find something that would be the easiest to get out of the way in the shortest amount of time. But as soon as she got halfway down the list, it was ripped out of her grasp.

Looking up at Roy, she saw that he was dangling the paper just a few inches from her reach. With an exasperated sigh, she crossed her arms and asked, "What are you doing, Roy?"

Smiling at her, he replied, "I was thinking we should take the day off and just relax."

Though she tried not to look shocked, Riza still could not help but gape at him. His inauguration ceremony was in three weeks. There was hardly any time to even sit and consider having free time, much less act on the thought. As she opened her mouth to reply, Roy shook his head and said, "I won't take 'no' for an answer, Riza."

Collecting herself and her thoughts, she calmly and patiently said, "Roy, dear, we have three weeks until you become the Fuhrer of Amestris. It is ill-advised to take a day off now."

His smile turning into a smirk, Roy agreed. "That's true. It is ill-advised to take a day off. However, as your commanding officer and soon to be Fuhrer, I am ordering you to take the day off."

Narrowing her eyes, she searched his expression for some telling sign of this being a prank or joke. But when she found no indication of either, she shot him a look of disbelief and demanded, "Why? Why now of all-"

"Because we need a day off," he replied matter-of-factly as he pulled out the chair that was across from her and sat down. Ignoring the critical look she was giving him, he casually raised his cup of coffee to his lips and took a long draught, raising one of his brows as in reply to her silent glare. When she began to protest and try to appeal to him, he lowered his mug and set it on the table, just as a knock on the door drew her attention away from him.

Looking down at his pocket watch, he nodded and mumbled, "Right on time," as he got up from the table and headed around it. As he passed her by, he grabbed the cap and pulled if off of her head, not bothering to glance back when he heard her gasp in surprise.

Twirling it around his finger as he sauntered over to the front door, he pulled it open to reveal Doctor Knox.

The doctor pulled the toothpick from between his teeth and mumbled a quiet greeting, to which Roy responded with a wide grin and a pleasant 'hello.' When he invited Knox to step into his home, Riza appeared from the kitchen donning a baggy, hooded sweatshirt Roy often wore to the gym, the hood pulled over her head. Padding over to them, she raised her hand in a salute and said, "Hello Dr. Knox. It's a pleasant surprise seeing you here at this hour."

The doctor acknowledged her salute with one of his own before raising a brow and frowning toward Roy. "You didn't tell her I was coming?"

"No," Roy replied coolly as he leaned against the foyer's wall and crossed his arms, "I figured it'd be a surprise." Ignoring the glare she shot toward him, he invited the doctor into their living room with a wave of his hand.

When he turned to follow the doctor after he had awkwardly stepped between the two, Riza pulled him backwards and growled, "What is this about, Roy?"

"Since we're taking the day off, I figured we'd catch up on those appointments you've been missing with Doctor Knox," he replied mischievously.

Her eyes widening slightly, she whispered, "You planned this entire day off already?"

Grinning back as he shrugged his shoulders up and down, he said, "I did. Your stress sleep-walking just conveniently happened to occur today."

Gaping at him, she finally managed to utter, "Roy, do you realize how much work we have to do? Stressed or not, I, we, cannot sit out for an entire day!"

"What work," he asked playfully. "Do you mean the caterer for the reception or my meeting with the council? Or maybe you meant-"

"All of it," she interjected with a frustrated huff.

"Done," he said simply to her blunt comment.

"What," she muttered as if she hadn't heard him right.

"All of it is done," he clarified. "The caterer is set, my meeting with the council was last week, and the photographers have been informed of where they need to be positioned for the best shots."

She searched his expression, looking for signs of bluffing, her suspicions on high alert. He, however, remained adamant as he grinned back. At last, she finally asked, "How did you manage to do all of that behind my back?"

"Because," he said with a light chuckle, "You aren't the only one that's helping me run the show. While you've been focusing on so many other things, I got some help from the men and a few other people.

"So now that most of the list is finished," he added, "We are allowed to take a personal day for our mental and physical well-beings."

Her face softened slightly upon hearing the news, the weight and stress seemingly lifting off of her shoulders as she straightened up. With a relenting sigh, she looked up at him and murmured, "If this is all true, then I suppose I we could take the morning off…"

"And the afternoon," Roy corrected her. "Trust me, everything I said is done… and more. Let's just take the day and unwind, okay?"

Exhaling slowly, she said, "Alright, but only today. After that we can't get off track again, promise?"

"I promise," he said as his grin widened. Taking a step to the side, he allowed her to pass him and head into the living room, following shortly after her.

"Let's start with you first, Captain," Doctor Knox muttered as she sat down across from him. Pulling a notepad out from his bag, he uncapped a pen and asked, "How have you been feeling?"

"I've been feeling fine," she answered.

"That's not what your fiancée told me," the doctor replied as he shook his head and jotted down a quick note. "He said you've been looking at him crookedly for the past couple of weeks."

"What," she asked confusedly as she turned her attention to Roy, who raised his hand and pointed at his ear.

"Did he now," she muttered as she turned back to the doctor, who had leaned forward in his chair. Knowing that lying was pointless, she begrudgingly removed the hood and braced her elbows on her knees, resting her chin atop her fists.

Knox got to his feet and walked over to her side. Gripping her ear gently, he began to peer inside; all the while she projected her defeated expression toward Roy. When the doctor muttered something to himself and switched ears, Riza was hidden behind him, though Roy still knew she still kept her eyes glued to the place he would be.

After a few moments, the doctor nodded and mumbled something again to himself and sat down. Once he scratched out a few notes, he looked up at her and said, "They both look a little red and inflamed, but not infected… yet. I suggest you spend less time wearing those hats around the house so you can actually let them breathe."

Knowing she couldn't argue with the doctor, she nodded and said that 'she'd try.'

When Knox shot Roy a quick look, he nodded his head in silent code, reassuring the doctor that he'd be sure that happened.

Aside from that, the doctor declared that she seemed to be in perfect health. And after briefly looking over Roy, he determined the same thing.

"Alright," he said at last as he put his pen and notepad away, "I want you two to actually do what the General actually planned for the day: Relax. Because I don't want to see either of you again before the inauguration in three weeks, you hear?"

When the two of them agreed, he grumbled something or other about 'empty promises' as he rose to his feet and shuffled toward the door. After a final farewell and a reminder 'for the Captain,' Roy sent him off with a reassurance that the two of them would keep their word.

Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it as he peered back at Riza, who stood with one brow raised and her arms folded across her chest. "So what other surprises do you have in store for the day?"

"How about this one," Roy asked as he took an enormous sunhat out of the box in between the pair and placed it on his head, the hat falling over his eyes moments later.

Shaking her head and laughing lightly, Riza said, "I'm not meant to be the center of attention, Roy, and that hat is surely going to draw all eyes toward it. Although," she said when he grabbed the edge of it and pulled it up over his eyes, "You could definitely wear it." Pushing it back down over his eyes, she added, "That would ensure no one would look away from you."

With a chuckle, he nudged her hand away and lifted it up again. "I'll be wearing my uniform and the appropriate hat for it. You, on the other hand," he said as he placed it on her head, "Are the one we need to dress for. And no matter what we choose, there will still be eyes on you."

She rolled her eyes at him as she adjusted the hat. "I think I should just wear my formal uniform to the event. It's less attention-grabbing…"

He watched her face fall slightly as she brushed her fingers over one of the jackets they had laid out.

If he had the power, he would have changed the ceremony again in an instant; but at that time, he still had to bow to the whim of the democratic ruling. With the coming of the new year and the changes that had already been implemented, the majority voted for it to be postponed six months after he and Riza were finally reunited, well before the 'treatments' would be completed. And after the decision was made, it was unanimously decided that his fiancée would be presented as the next Fuhrer's wife, not as his personal aide or bodyguard.

He could see the internal struggle she went through every time they had to make a public appearance as the future Fuhrer and First Lady, see the turmoil and self-consciousness she dealt with on a daily basis as she tried to hide herself as best she could.

This day was just as much about her as it was for him. To deny her that day by forcing her to blend in and disappear into the crowd was a crime. And something Roy could not have.

"No," he responded as he shook his head. "We're going to make this work; you don't deserve to hide behind a uniform because of something that was out of your control. You," he added softly as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face, "Deserve to show everyone how beautiful you are on the outside since they already know you are on the inside."

She hesitated for a moment before she lightly pushed his hand away. "Please don't say that, Roy. I know you're just trying to make things sound better than they actually are."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he disagreed as he furrowed his brow. "I've always thought that. Especially since I first told you-"

"But that's the thing, Roy; I'm not the woman you fell in love with back then," was her quiet reply.

Blindsided by this comment that he did not expect, Roy opened his mouth but produced no sound. But after a moment he collected enough of his thoughts to utter, "What do you mean by that?"

She shook her head as she removed the hat and set it on her lap. Smiling sadly, she said, "It's just that, Roy. I'm not.

"Over the past five years we've both changed so much and grown. And now… Now all you've had to go off of is what you thought back five years ago and beyond, and what I've told you to fill in the gaps." Folding her arms uncomfortably across her chest, she continued, "Maybe it's just because of my self-doubt or everything that's happened, but I just sometimes can't imagine why-" She paused for a moment as she took a deep, shaking breath, "-Why you would stay when there are so many other wonderful, beautiful women that don't come with baggage like this." Raising a hand, she gestured to her ears and her eyes before dropping it back into her lap.

As she spoke, he began to realize that this was more than just hiding her physicality from the world… This… this self-doubt was something she thought long and hard about…

Shaking his head, he took her hands from her lap. Holding them between his hands, he looked up at her and said, "You're right. You aren't the woman I fell in love with years ago." As she opened her mouth to agree or add to it, however, he continued on by saying, "Because you are her and so much more than that.

"You're forgetting that I'm not the man you fell in love with either. I lost five years of memories shared between us, Riza, and that alone can change a man. But you," he said as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, "You still stayed with me and put up with me as I've struggled to make sense of it all, despite going through your own hell and internal turmoil.

"That alone can make any man fall head over heels in love with a woman all over again. I've known from the very start that it would be you I'd spend the rest of my life with, and something like this isn't going to change that.

"We've both grown and changed… But we've done it together and have built a future from these changes; physical or otherwise.

"I guess what I'm trying to say," he said as he released one of her hands and rubbed the back of his head, "Is that we have both changed, but no matter what, that one truth that has always been there has remained the same.

"I love you, Riza Hawkeye. I always have and I always will; whether your ears are on top of your head or your skin was blue. Nothing, nothing, will ever change that, because you are more than who you appear to me."

She released a quiet breath as she peered back at him with golden-brown eyes, her expression softening as she shook her head slightly, a small smile on her face. "How did this go from a conversation about my inauguration attire to a profession of your love for me, Roy Mustang?"

Hearing the lightness in her tone, he smiled and said, "Because I know you… And I knew that there was more to it than that. You came prepared to this conversation, but so did I."

Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "And how is it that you're very much the same considerate, wonderful man you were before all of this happened?"

Chuckling slightly as once again took both of her hands between his, he looked into her eyes and said, "Well, I have you to thank you that."

With a content sigh, Roy rested his head against the wall behind the couch as his eyes wandered down to the woman that had fallen asleep, her head resting against his shoulder. With one arm already wrapped around her, he used his free hand to move the photo album off of his lap and onto the side of the couch that was not occupied by either one of them.

The day had turned out as perfect as he had envisioned it, full of laughs, smiles, and shared memories. It seemed like ages since they were able to sit down with that old photo album and retell memories of the past. And maybe it was just him, but after that conversation, he saw a change in Riza; one where she seemed more sure of herself and more confident than she had been in previous months. And where she smiled more than he could remember. She even followed the doctor's orders of removing the cap in the house, a testament to how comfortable she began to feel again.

Maybe that's all she needed to hear in order to regain the confidence she so desperately sought. And if that was the case, then it was something he would be sure to remind her over and over again until she took it to heart.

Because no matter what, he thought to himself as he leaned forward slightly and placed a kiss on her temple, she was always beautiful, both inside and out.

Okay, I'm done for real now. Honest!