Summary: Riza had hardly enough time to get accustomed to East City again after returning from Ishval when her grandfather payed her a visit. The good mood shifts easily when the only topic Grumman's willing to talk about is matrimony. And things don't get better when Brigadier General Mustang unexpectedly arrives...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of those characters. All characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa. Dedicated to Ravenrocketer on tumblr because her post made the idea for this fanfiction spring into my mind. Special thanks to Momtaku and thezohar on tumblr because they gave me the idea for Riza's favorite book series. Can anyone of you figure out what (television) series Riza's book series is based upon? I took the liberty to make Chinese authors into Xingese and Polish authors into Aerugonian authors. Also, I based the Ishvalan cuisine on the Indian one. I hope that clears up any confusion there might be.
Please enjoy!
The clock struck exactly four o'clock on this Friday afternoon when a certain first lieutenant screwed her favorite pen shut and put it away in the highest drawer of her desk. The pleasant smalltalk that had filled the room immediately died out, three pairs of eyes - Fuery's, Havoc's and Breda's - were watching the first lieutenant with caution while she nonchalantly packed her handbag, not deigning to look at her colleagues. She had to suppress a smirk, though - after all, it was highly unusual for Riza Hawkeye to pack up prematurely.
As she started to gather the documents on her table, a loud kick caught her attention and for the first time, she dared to stare back at only two pairs of eyes - Fuery's were closed in a wince and he was clutching his knee.
"Er, Lieutenant Hawkeye?" he finally started though Riza shifted her attention to eye Breda harshly - she knew exactly that he had kicked Fuery. "You're already heading home? I mean!" the poor boy started tumbling over his words and got flustered by the second while adjusting his glasses, "not that you don't deserve to head home early once in a while, too! It's just... just..."
"It's just so unusual for you - you're not sick, are you?" Havoc found the words to end Fuery's sentence and all three subordinates looked at her with concern.
Riza's surprised expression quickly turned into a smile. "Don't worry, guys, I'm perfectly alright. The Führer invited himself over for dinner at my apartment and dinner doesn't-" now those three pairs of eyes were as big as plates and she couldn't suppress the roll of her eyes before she explained: "He's my grandfather, remember?"
She saw the expressions of her subordinates loosen immediately, accompanied by some "Uh"s and "Ah"s and nods.
"As I was saying, dinner doesn't cook itself and the Brigadier General was kind enough to give me the rest of the day off." The exact same Brigadier General that most likely struggled to stay awake right now during the sudden extracurricular meeting that canceled his plans to leave work on time on a Friday evening once.
"So, unless there's something urgent, feel free to put any document that needs my assistance onto my desk. I'll deal with it right away Monday morning. If it can't wait, just add it to the General's right stack, he tends to neglect the left one."
She snapped into a crisp salute which was mirrored by her colleagues immediately. "Good luck everyone!" She lowered her hand and a smile spread on her face. "Have a nice weekend. See you on Monday!"
The pleasant smell of a diversity of exotic spices filled the small one-bedroom-apartment of the lieutenant. After arriving home and combining a quick shopping trip with Black Hayate's desperately needed walk, Riza had changed into a beautiful navy blue summer dress which accentuated her body perfectly. The hem of the skirt was a little too high for everyday use and the cleavage it showed was definitely too much for Riza's taste (not to mention that the back didn't ride high enough to cover her neck), but it had been a birthday present by Grumman and as such, she had found it appropriate to wear it tonight in combination with a light, white blouse underneath.
To prevent stains on the dress, she had put on a light pink apron and fussed around in the small kitchenette for nearly 30 minutes before she finally gave an approving glance to the insides of her pots and returned to her living room, lowering herself onto her soft armchair to read a little.
According to her plans she had another 30 minutes before her grandfather was due to arrive, give or take a few minutes. All in all, enough time to start the newest issue of her favorite book series "The Governess". She could only read them in the safe confines of her house without any other soul around to judge her – she had learned the hard lesson in her youth, when an obviously pubescent Roy had gotten his hands on the book series and teased her for days on how unexpectedly girly and implausible the series is that she refrained from ever taking those books outside again.
Even purchasing them always equaled a secret mission – one that was once nearly blown by Fuery who happened to be in the exact same bookstore Riza frequented for years. Equivalent exchange made them both keep silent about this meeting – Fuery never mentioned her light reading to anyone while she didn't tell the betting pool that Havoc was actually right about Fuery's bedside reading.
Now, opening the book for the first time, she inhaled the scent of the freshly printed paper, crossed her legs and could hardly contain herself when she read the name of the first chapter: "The Confession".
Finally! Since the age of 12 she had been waiting to read those words! It was blatantly obvious to anyone in the series that the governess and her boss were meant to be together. The boss's butler constantly teased them about it, his children absolutely adored the governess and her mother started one intrigue after the other to finally get them to tie the knot.
Would this really be it? Would they finally be able to accept each others' love and stop tormenting themselves?
Riza's hand nearly trembled as she turned the page, exited to dip into her fluffy, romantic guilty pleasure – "Woof! Woof!"
Her shoulders sagged immediately.
"Hayate!" Riza reprimanded the grown dog, reluctantly tucking a book mark between the pages as the barking didn't cease. "What is it, boy?"
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and drew a long sigh out of the woman. No reading for her tonight, it seemed. A little miffed, she rose from her chair and stepped to the door, right hand hovering over a pistol on her side table as she checked her visitor through the spyhole. The corner of her mouth twitched and she opened the door.
"Oh, my dear, dear granddaughter, how are you?" the high-pitched voice of an old, gray-haired lady with an extraordinary bad taste in clothes greeted Riza, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses as she watched her granddaughter step aside.
"Well, hello grandmother," Riza answered, cross-armed, and eyed up the old woman. "My, you didn't have to dress up like that for a simple dinner with your granddaughter!"
"Oh, please, of course I do, have to look presentable for you," the old lady chuckled while she stepped into small hall and got rid of her shoes, "Would you mind to shut the door, dearie? My old bones don't take to the cold as well as they did in my youth." Riza snorted quite unladylike, but she closed the door nevertheless, eyes trained on the old lady that stripped out of her gaudy dress, revealing a pair of black leggings and a tissue-stuffed bra under a thin chemise.
"Your disguises don't cease to amaze me, grandfather."
"Oh-hohohoho!" was the only answer of the chuckling Führer who pulled out a fresh shirt and a pair of pants out of his equally ugly purse that matched the dress frighteningly. "You don't mind me changing in your bathroom, do you?"
"Suit yourself," Riza answered, albeit distractedly, squatting down next to Black Hayate who growled at the old man. "Come on, Hayate, what's with that growling?" The Shiba Inu whimpered and pushed his muzzle into Riza's lap, enjoying the petting he received.
"I'm sorry grandfather, Hayate tends to get awfully protective when I'm at home. He's much more relaxed at work."
"It's okay," Grumman answered, finally looking like his own self as he emerged from the bathroom, "I prefer it like that. Good boy protects my little Riza from big, bad men until she finds herself a husband, right?"
Now it was Riza's turn to growl. "Do you really want to start this topic less than five minutes into visiting me? One might think you'd want a pleasant, disagreement-free evening with your granddaughter for once." Yet, she straightened and beckoned him to follow her into the living room, Black Hayate on her heels. "Dinner's not ready yet, you're early. I can prepare some tea, if you'd like?"
"That would be wonderful, dearie."
Two minutes later, after enough time to cool down from her grandfather's allusion to matrimony, Riza appeared in the living room again, her tray packed with a teapot, two cups, a pot of honey and a bowl of her famous caramel cookies. She put the tray onto the coffee table quickly when she realized what book her grandfather had picked up.
"Grandfather! What are you snooping around?" she reprimanded him, snatching her book out of her grandfather's hands, and Hayate, who had sat down on his beloved blanket in front of the radiator, started glowering at the old man.
"I can't believe you're still reading this second class literature", Grumman answered her with a cocked eye brow, "a woman of your caliber should be reading some world literature! What about some Xingese literature by Pu Songling or Han Bangqing? I'm sure Emperor Yao would be willing to share some copies with us."
"Sure, this would be a wonderful idea if one of us would be able to read Xingese, as his copies would most definitely not come in the Amestrian language,, she deadpanned.
"Then what about Aerugonian literature? The Central library happens to have translated copies of Zygmunt Krasinski and Henryk Sienkiewicz. You should definitely read 'Quo Vadis', it is-"
"I have read it, grandfather!" Riza exclaimed exasperatedly and sat down on the small couch opposite to the armchair her grandfather occupied, "I own a small collection of foreign literature and classic Amestrian literature, I just didn't have the time to unpack, yet. In case you have forgotten, we have only returned from Ishval five days ago." The deep furrows on her forehead smoothed out a little and she leaned into the soft piece of furniture.
"But that doesn't mean I can't indulge in some easy reading from time to time. I can't always go to the shooting range to relax and after a long day, I need to shut off my brain for a while." Her glance darkened, and she began to mutter to herself.
"Oh, I really do, especially when it's the end of the month and I've done countless hours of overtime because a specific general presumably 'forgot' to do his paperwork-"
"Which brings us back to my original topic!" Grumman interrupted her with a glint in his eyes while Riza's eyes narrowed and she mumbled indignantly: "You weren't supposed to hear that."
"But I did," he responded with a smirk and leaned back into his cushion. "And if you finally got yourself a husband, you wouldn't need to worry yourself about Brigadier General Mustang. You could live a happy, comfortable life, bear your husband's children-"
"And do nothing for Amestris at all." Riza concluded Grumman's sentence, all the while serving tea and handing him a plate with cookies which he took in thanks. "Grandfather, this is not an option. I've enlisted to serve this country, not to find myself a husband."
"You know, it's not unusual for female officers change their minds," Grumman suggestively wiggled an eyebrow at his granddaughter, "I remember Lieutenant Catalina sharing those exact goals when she entered my command and now I tend to hear her complain more and more about how she can't find a fine man in all of Amestris."
"You are wrong on that, grandfather," Riza corrected him and took a sip of the Earl Grey tea, her favorite, "the amount of her complaints decreased since the day Lieutenant Havoc was able to resume his position after his rehabilitation. They might actually become serious soon."
"Oh, yes, yes," the Führer nodded in acknowledgment, "I really need to get started on the revision of the anti-frat law. Love has been in the air since the Promised Day, hasn't it?"
He wiggled his eyebrow at her, again, but it left Riza unfazed.
"I only know of Rebecca and Jean, though, with my time in Ishval, I might have missed a thing or two as my personal grapevine was mostly preoccupied with dismissing rumors about herself. She still wouldn't admit that she's got a soft spot for Jean."
Grumman chuckled and took a bite of one of the golden-brown cookies. "My, Riza, those are delicious! It's a shame no man on earth will ever taste them."
Riza cocked her eyebrow questioningly at the old man. "So you're finally admitting that you are my grandmother, in fact?"
Grumman choked.
"Please, grandfather, would you drop it already? I do have a family, even if I call them by their last names more often than by their first names." Riza sighed, but a smile appeared on her face immediately. "And if you must know, they have tried those cookies, and liked them. Speaking of the cookies," she pushed herself off the couch, smoothing out the non-existing wrinkles in her dress, "I better go check on the Curry."
"The Curry?", Grumman asked confused as Riza already flitted into the kitchen.
"It's a traditional dish in Ishval," she answered him, loud enough for him to hear over the sizzling pan in the next room. "You remember my neighbor Kayla I told you about? She taught me a little about Ishvalan cuisine." She didn't dare mention that Kayla mostly taught her because she was convinced that Roy and Riza were secretly married and it was unthinkable in Ishval for a married woman not to spoil her husband with home cooked meals.
"I chose to make one of their most known dishes."
She lowered her voice again as she re-entered the living room. The chicken simmered according to plan and she was rather pleased with herself. "It's a basic dish and pretty variable. The secret lies in the high variety of spices that are mixed together. Thankfully, Kayla prepared some mixtures for me ready to use, I don't really trust my skills enough to do it on my own, yet."
"Ah, yes, I remember her," Grumman muttered, though his next words were interrupted by the ringing doorbell. Confused as to who might visit her that late, Riza excused herself and walked to her entrance door. Black Hayate happily jumped off his blanket to accompany her and sat down obediently a few steps away to enable Riza to open the door without problems.
Looking through the spyhole, she was met with a very familiar pair of obsidian eyes, right under soft, dark raven hair, and her heart sank into her boots.
"General!" Riza pulled open the door startled, eying him up and down a couple of times before searching for his eyes again. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
"Oh no, no, don't worry, Lieutenant," Roy answered quickly and raised his hands into the air defensively. "I'm very sorry to disturb your free-time like that, but some supposedly urgent papers were delivered after you've been already gone which must be returned today and ask for your examination."
"For my examination? Returned today?" Riza questioned surprised and held out her hand, accepting the envelope Roy handed her. "The return-address is Central. Even if I had been at the office when this arrived, there is no way this could reach its destination today. Who would demand something like that?"
"Oi, Riza, dear!"
The soldiers' heads snapped back to the voice of their Führer.
"Shouldn't you invite him in? It is so cold outside!"
Riza had a hard time suppressing the roll of her eyes in answer to her grandfather's behavior. "Well, thank you for delivering those documents, General. I'm sorry you were inconvenienced like that." Riza grabbed the door knob and started to close the door slowly. "I'm sure you're in a hurry, sir, so I don't want to hold you up any more-"
"Wait!" Roy exclaimed, holding onto the open door. "Actually, I want to know what this is about. The short return time is quite unsettling." She saw it in his eyes, he was genuinely troubled about the delivery. "May I - may I come in?"
She softened immediately, pulling the door open again and stepping aside. "Please, come in, sir. Would you like some tea?" The smile on his lips reached his eyes easily as he responded her. "I'd love some."
As soon as Roy stepped in, Black Hayate leaped up happily around Roy's legs, barking excitedly.
"Hey Hayate!" Roy answered him with a grin and squat down to give the Shiba Inu a well deserved belly-rub, "good to see you again, boy. How are you? Come, let's go to your mistress's living room."
"Now, isn't this curious," a highly amused voice declared, blue eyes watching the Brigadier General intently that had just crossed the room's threshold, "not only do you know your way around this apartment, this little fellow didn't find your arrival to be dangerous to Riza at all, unlike mine."
"Führer Grumman, sir!" Roy snapped into a crisp salute as soon as he spotted the most powerful man in Amestris sitting on his subordinate's armchair. "I'm very sorry to interrupt your private time with your granddaughter."
Grumman just waved dejectedly, but it was Riza who answered after smacking another cup and plate for Roy onto the table.
"Oh, don't worry, he isn't sorry at all," she said, now smashing the documents back into Roy's chest; he caught them instinctively and stared at her puzzled.
"Go on," she crossed her arms, "check for yourself who wanted those documents as quick as possible returned."
Roy cocked his eyebrow at his subordinate, but did it nevertheless, lowering the documents soon to stare disbelievingly at the man in front of him. "The... Führer?!"
"Care to explain that, grandfather?" Riza asked slightly miffed as she slowly felt a headache building. She was used to her grandfather try to set her up with the General regularly, but it was getting out of hand.
"Ah yes," Grumman spoke up, looking completely innocent, "I had forgotten to pack those documents and I have only realized it after already being on my way. That's why I called for a courier."
"And why did he deliver those documents to General Mustang instead of me? It clearly says: To First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."
"Under the command of Brigadier General Roy Mustang," Grumman added with a grin, but shrugged afterward. "He must have confused you with Mustang. Oh well, no harm was done, was it?"
The blond lieutenant gave up – the Führer was a tactical mastermind, after all, he had tutored the General himself and there was no way he could be outsmarted by her. Instead, she turned to the teapot, pouring some tea for the General who had sat down on the couch, eying the documents rather critically, before he posed a question himself.
"Sir? Why did you declare the simple ask for file transfer as urgent?"
"It is, Mustang, it is urgent!" Grumman declared loudly, a smirk forming on his lips when he saw his granddaughter hand Roy a plate with cookies, their hands touching a moment too long.
"Aren't you fed up with going to the archives for your own files? I thought it would be much more convenient if you had all of your files back in the office as soon as you can, to increase productivity, seeing as they are still in your office in Ishval."
"Not as fed up as I am with you trying to play matchmaker, grandfather," Riza mumbled under her breath and took the papers into her left hand, her fishing a pen out of a nearby drawer.
"Sir, thank you again for delivering the papers. I will deal with them now." She sat down on the couch next to Roy who shifted slightly to make room, and spread the documents on the coffee table as far as she could without disturbing her guests.
"Riza, dearie, you don't intent to throw your superior officer out of your apartment now, do you? Why don't you invite him over for dinner?" Both of their heads snapped up to the Führer who began to grin mischievously once again. Riza answered him with a hard glance.
"Why, grandfather, I don't want to impose on the General. It's his first Friday night back in East City and Friday night equals date night. I'm sure the General has already somewhere else to be", she shifted her glance to Roy, though she didn't quite try to capture his eye, "So, while you are welcome to have as much tea and as many cookies as you like to, I won't be miffed about you wanting to leave soon."
She felt the brush of a strong shoulder next to her; Roy had sat up straighter.
"Actually, I got pretty out of practice during our time in Ishval and I'm getting a little old for dates-"
"Thirty-two is hardly old, sir."
"Nearly thirty-three! Anyways, I'm done dating."
Two pairs of eyes lay expectantly on Roy, who started to clear his throat. "Concerning the information-gathering, I think it's time to tutor Fuery a little. Havoc and Breda have already proved they're rather unsuitable for the job and his youth could be rather beneficial for this task."
It was the first time on this evening that Grumman's glance tried to pierce through Roy's.
"You do realize that a potential future Führer of Amestris needs a strong woman at his side?"
"Yes, sir."
"How do you plan on finding yourself a suitable wife if you're 'done dating', Mustang?"
Riza lowered her eyes to her teacup, but she noted the quick glance Roy threw her before answering Grumman.
"I have to concentrate on my work for now. That's my first priority. As soon as Amestris is on the right path through our combined efforts, I'll start looking again," his trademark smirk appeared on his lips, "after all, I'm the Flame Alchemist! I'm gonna set some hearts on fire and I'm back in the game!"
"Mustang, my proposition over our countless chess games still stands," the old man winked at the raven haired man with a grin, his eyes twinkling, "you know, the one with my grandd-"
"Grandfather!"
"You know, I should be going home," Roy quickly interjected, his hand hovering mere millimeters over Riza's, sensing her discomfort and embarrassment, "I really shouldn't impose on this family meeting."
He raised himself off the couch, followed immediately by Riza, and he gave the Führer a last salute. The general made his way to the hall, Riza and Hayate close on his heels. The latter gave a cheerless whimper and pat his front paws sadly on Roy's shins.
"Sorry boy," Roy crouched down to the dog, rubbing his black ears affectionately, muttering silently, "I think your mistress has enough problems as of now, no need to add my uselessness to her worries."
"Sir," Riza touched her superior's upper arm lightly, her voice low so her grandfather couldn't eavesdrop on them, "I didn't want to expulse you."
"Don't worry, Hawkeye, that's not it," he answered her truthfully, his hand encircling hers that was resting on his arm, "I don't want to inconvenience you. And I feel like my presence will not improve the mood further."
"You don't inconvenience me at all. You know very well I always cook too much," she wiggled a thin brow at him and a smile broke on Roy's face as he answered her: "Yes, I've taken advantage of that much too often, haven't I?"
"What are you planning on eating tonight, sir?"
"... a dry loaf of bread? Spiced up with a bottle of whiskey?" The unapproving glance of Riza made him sweat and quickly change his mind, "oh, no, no, I planned to go to a restaurant! Some nice stew, a glass of wine..."
"Without a date? You'll look pathetic."
Roy let go of her hand and sulked until Riza threw a cautious glance back to her living room – her grandfather didn't seem to have shifted, his back was still turned to them – and dared to slip her hand into Roy's, intertwining their fingers.
"I've made a Curry tonight. And some fresh lemonade with lemongrass, just like Kayla taught me to."
"That sounds wonderful. A whole lot better than stew." He lowered his head, one glance at the Führer's back for check, before he bumped his forehead to Riza's, wrapped his arms around her waist loosely as she encircled his neck, and closed his eyes for a second to revel in her flowery perfume.
"So, what do you say? Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Would you like to stay forever?"
Both adults blanched as they heard the Führer's voice and jumped apart immediately.
"GRANDFATHER!"