Gordon Grumman massaged his temples with weathered fingers. The situation with his granddaughter and wife had spiraled spectacularly out of control, and he felt completely powerless in its wake. He absolutely hated these types of. The animosity brewing within him towards Berthold had died down soon after Elizabeth's death, and he'd wanted nothing more than to reach out to the man and the little girl left behind. Mathilda, however, had been stewing in a slurry of hatred, resentment, and unacknowledged guilt for years. She'd never forgiven her daughter for choosing to be with a man she didn't approve of, and somehow, that blame bubbled over onto Riza.

Mathilda hadn't wanted him to sit on the board of trustees at the academy. She'd accused him of passive aggressively spying on his granddaughter, and he supposed, in a way, she was right. Berthold hadn't hidden Riza away from them, but he also hadn't made it clear the doors were open for communication. Riza, being only nine at the time, didn't have the presence of mind to reach out to them either. News came to him in patchwork form - only brief letters from Hawkeye, and once the girl had befriended the Mustang boy, Gordon had turned to Chris Mustang for information. He'd frequented her high-end lounge uptown for years, and the woman was frustratingly reluctant to divulge such personal information, but she assured him Riza wasn't alone in her grief.

As Riza grew older, Gordon's guilt compounded, and crossing the void became more impossible. Quietly, he'd followed his granddaughter's accomplishments with a greater ease once he had the privileges of a sitting board member. Without Mathilda's knowledge, he attended her archery tournaments and sat quietly in the back row when Riza took the podium to argue politics and social policy during academic debates. He wanted to aid her success in any way possible. Even a retired general, such as himself, still had a few strings at his disposal to pull, and pull them he would.

He knew that his wife's behavior would only hold so much explanation of his own lack of action, and Gordon's heart thudded in anticipation of the day when he'd ignore her completely to finally make things right. Shutting Elizabeth out had been the wrong thing to do, and he regretted it every single day. So what if he hadn't approved of the older man who'd romanced his daughter? Berthold wasn't the negative influence he'd believed him to be, and her death couldn't be placed on him. Cancer was indiscriminate, and despite Hawkeye's one-track-mindedness, Elizabeth was good at keeping secrets. In all likelihood, she'd ignored her symptoms and hidden them well. The real victim of it all was Riza.

Berthold Hawkeye's funeral had been beautifully miserable, and Gordon couldn't fully verbalize the gratefulness he felt towards Roy Mustang for supporting Riza the way he had. The way he had been for so long. The images of his granddaughter quietly sobbing under the protection of a black umbrella broke his heart. The only bandage on the wound being Roy's arm securing her to his side stoically, silently absorbing her sadness. He seemed a pro, and it came as no surprise. It was, in fact, the second death of a parent he'd been present for.

Rumor had it the boy had an eye on the State Alchemy program, and if his marks in chemistry proved accurate, Gordon knew he'd make the cut; his close association with the formerly renowned state alchemist Berthold Hawkeye practically reserved him a position. After recent, explosive events, Riza probably believed Roy to be her only family left, and he wondered if she knew her friend would be leaving within the year. Gordon didn't want to take the sinister route and step in to pick up those pieces. That would make him the passive aggressive old gossip his wife claimed. He wanted to be a part of Riza's life, not a wedge in the middle of it. The idea of her coming to him in a state of desperate sadness when Roy left made him feel sick to his stomach.

A series of decisions were made in his mind, and Gordon knew he'd be on his own to execute them. He'd have no help from his wife, and in a way, it made him feel all the more resolute. Bridges may have been burned in the past, but he would rebuild. For the sake of what family he had left, he would make them even stronger than before.

Roy pulled into the Hawkeye driveway and slid the key from the ignition. "Are you happy you went back today?"

"Yeah, I think it was time. I can't sit sequestered in a tower forever." Riza smiled thinly at him and grabbed her book bag. "Want to come in for a minute? Solaris made enough food to feed an army last night, and I know you'll forget to eat when you go home."

"I never say no to food made by Solaris. She's a magician." Roy grinned eagerly and stepped from the car.

"I'll tell her you said so. I think she misses my dad quite a bit." Riza led the way up the front walk, kicking clumps of lingering snow as she went, and hesitated before entering her house. It had a hollow, empty feeling now, and he knew she felt it every time she walked through the front door.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "She worries about you, too, you know."

"She does, and I appreciate it." Riza tossed her bag in an armchair and made her way through the house to the kitchen. Roy followed and averted his eyes when she left her button-up, uniform shirt draped over a dining chair. The camisole she wore underneath was incredibly distracting. Of course, he shed his own top when he walked out of the academy doors every afternoon, but Roy highly doubted his undershirt was as flattering as Riza's.

Since he'd last kissed her on the porch the rainy day following Doctor Hawkeye's funeral, they hadn't taken any steps closer to one another. She stuck to his side more than usual, slept at his house, and shadowed him at school all day, but considering her father's death, none of that felt out of the ordinary. Roy had meant what he'd said about Riza taking the space she needed and didn't feel the need to push. The last thing he wanted was a grief-ridden fumble in the dark and no best friend left when it was over.

As expected, the leftover roast was the epitome of perfection. Solaris had a way of quenching his lust for a well-prepared meal. His aunt was a fair cook, but the Hawkeye family chef was a master. Roy sat back in his chair. "Do you think Solaris would marry me? I need meals like this in my life on a daily basis."

Riza laughed and grabbed his empty bowl. "I think I might have something to say about that, and I'm afraid she isn't the cougar type."

"I bet I could convince her. I can be very charming."

The snort from the sink could be heard above the running water. "That's a generous use of the word charming." Riza cut the water off, and he opened his mouth to reply, but she interrupted him. "Oh, hell. Of all the days to show up."

"What?" He joined her at the kitchen window that overlooked the driveway. A black town car inched its way toward the house, and he glanced at Riza, who visibly bristled at the sight. "Looks like it's just your grandfather today. Do you want me to go?"

She turned to him, frowning. "No. No, you don't have to leave. I want you to stay." She looked out the window over her shoulder at the man making his way to the front door. "I'm curious why he's here alone."

The doorbell chimed, and Riza grabbed her uniform shirt. Roy trailed behind her to the door and pulled her hair free from the white collar. Despite her annoyance, there was a smile on her face when she greeted her grandfather. To Roy's surprise, the man seemed affable and even had a polite hello for him.

"Riza, dear, I apologize for stopping by with no notice, but I wanted to have a chat without any-" Grumman cleared his throat. "Well, without any upset, if that makes sense to you?"

Riza smirked and showed her grandfather to the front sitting room. "I know what you mean."

The older man sat in an armchair, and Roy joined Riza on the couch.

"What can I do for you?" She smoothed the pleats of her skirt, and he noted her hands shook a little.

"I just wanted to clear the air on some things, to be quite honest." He took a deep breath and grimaced. "First off, I'd like to apologize for your grandmother. I won't make excuses for her at all; Mathilda's ways can be deplorable at times, but I want you to know her opinions are not the consensus."

"I see," Riza said quietly.

"I don't want you to think her animosity is a reflection of how I feel about your parents or you. I admit it's been my own cowardice that kept me distant after the death of your mother, and now, I can't stay away." He studied his hands for a long moment before looking up at Riza. "Has anyone ever told you how much you resemble Elizabeth? It's remarkable."

Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink, and she looked away. "My dad may have mentioned it once or twice. I think it made things harder for him when she died."

"I know Berthold loved my daughter, and there were many times I wanted to repair the damage, but I didn't. It was wrong of me, and I deeply apologize for any pain that may have caused you."

Roy shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He felt like he was intruding on a private moment. Riza reached over and grasped his arm in a calming gesture.

Grumman smiled at him and leaned forward. "You must be Roy Mustang. I've met your aunt on occasion. She can be a… formidable woman."

Roy laughed, unable to tamp his reaction down in time. "Yes, sir, she can be that and many other things."

Grumman turned his eyes back to his granddaughter. "I'd like it if we could spend some time together. Get to know one another?" He quickly added, "If that's what you'd like, of course. I don't want to pressure you."

"I," Riza heaved an exhale, "I'd like that very much, Grandfather. You're welcome to dinner here any time."

"So you cook for yourself then?"

Again, Roy couldn't contain his laughter. Riza glared at him and squeezed his arm harshly. "No, Dad employed a professional. I'm keeping her on."

He cleared his throat when Riza's fingernails dug into his skin. "Sorry." He stood and pried himself from her grasp. "I think I need something to drink."

"Yes, I think that's probably a good idea."

Roy felt her angry gaze on him until he made it to the kitchen. He hadn't meant to laugh at her, but she was really just as much of a culinary disaster as her father had been. He suspected Solaris's job security was stronger than anyone else's in Amestris.

He sipped his water silently and watched Gordon Grumman walk back down toward his car with a good deal less tension than when he'd arrived.

"That went well." Riza leaned against the kitchen door frame and crossed her arms.

"Your grandmother must be terrifying. He looked pretty remorseful."

"Maybe to him she's terrifying. To me, she's just a mean old lady who still can't get over things that happened ages ago."

Roy placed his water glass in the sink. "Are you happy he came by?"

Riza didn't say anything but simply returned to the sitting room.

When he followed, Roy found her sprawled out on the couch. He fell into a chair and watched the thoughts play out on her face.

"Yeah, I think so. I've always been curious about my grandparents. Finding out how crazy Grandmother is was disappointing, but he seems alright." She yawned and rolled over on her side. "Today has been exhausting."

"I'm going to go home and get some homework done. You should take a nap."

Riza hummed and grabbed the afghan from the back of the couch. She pulled it over her body only halfway and struggled to unfold it without opening her eyes. Roy chuckled and pulled it away from her to help straighten it out.

"Thanks," she mumbled, "but just so you know, that doesn't make up for laughing at my cooking skills."

A strangled laugh caught in Roy's throat. "I'm really sorry, Riza, but I couldn't help it."

"Sure. I'm sleeping in the guest bed tonight."

Her comment hit home. "Aw, come on! It wasn't that bad! Am I really being punished? That's harsh."

Riza covered her head with the blanket and turned her back to him.

"You're going to send me away while you're mad, huh?"

She didn't respond, only pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Roy sighed and stretched out on the narrow couch next to her. He worked his arms around the lump of her body and pressed his face into the crocheted yarn. "Don't be angry, Riza. I'm sure you're a fantastic cook."

Riza yanked the blanket from her face and turned to him. "Now you're just being stupid. You know I'm awful in the kitchen, but I have to punish this affront to my womanhood somehow."

"Being good with cooking is what makes you a woman?" Roy quirked an eyebrow. "I wish I'd known that before falling so madly in love with you."

Riza's eyes went wide, and a smile played at the edges of her lips.

Roy's face burned with a raging heat. He hadn't meant to say that. "I, uh-"

Riza bumped her nose against his. "Don't ruin it with more talking, Roy." She touched his red cheek and pressed her lips lightly against the hot skin before kissing him fully. When she pulled back, she bit her lip and grinned deviously. Her hands braced against his chest and pushed him off the edge of the couch. "Go home and do your homework. I require a nap now." Riza rolled back over to face the couch. "You can pick me up at sunset."

Roy could do nothing but stare for a moment before collecting himself. "Right. Sunset. Of course." He stumbled out of the house with a red face and the memory of her kiss.

Riza followed through on her promise to sleep in the guest bed. It was the last night she spent in the Mustang house.

The final day of school before winter break, Roy found Riza dining alone in the pavilion during lunch. The snow had been falling all morning, and the outdoor heaters were barely keeping the flakes from accumulating near the dining area. She was the only student choosing to eat in the frigid weather, and Roy grumbled to himself as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"Have you lost your mind? It's freezing out here!" Roy sat on the bench next to her and leaned back against the table.

She only smiled and shrugged.

"You aren't even in pants! Those leggings can't be very warm."

"They're wool, and I'm fine. It's beautiful out there, isn't it?" She gazed beyond the edge of the pavilion at the collecting drifts of snow. "My dad loved winter."

"So you get your crazy from him, then. Clearly."

Riza rolled her eyes and packed away the remains of her lunch. "You're just a summer boy, Roy."

"I like to be warm, if that's what you mean. Come inside. Please?"

"In a minute." She balanced her chin on a gloved hand and sighed. "They finally cleaned out his classroom, you know? I went through a few of the boxes last night and found some stuff I think he wanted you to have."

Roy glanced over at her from the puff of his jacket. "What kind of stuff?"

"Chemistry stuff. Alchemy stuff. I have no use for it, and it's obvious he meant it to be yours. I'm starting to think he prepared for his death long before telling me he was sick."

"Are you okay?"

Riza smiled. "I'm fine." She swung her legs over the bench and turned to face the building. "You can pick through the boxes after school. Unless you have plans?"

"Not a single one. But if you expect me to not be a block of ice by the end of the day, I have to insist we go in now."

She threw her trash into a bin and tugged him to his feet. "Come on then, you big whiner. Let's get you defrosted."

"Make fun all you want, but it'll be you to chip me out of my casing should I freeze."

"Nah, I'll just plant my block of Roy in front of the fire and let you thaw naturally. That way I won't damage any important parts." Her face was serious, but he could hear the laughter in her voice.

"You're wasting your time in history and politics. Clearly you've missed your calling as a comedienne."

"Think so? I guess I should change my field of study then." Riza laughed and pushed him through the door. Roy sighed happily as a blast of hot air blew over his face.

The Hawkeye driveway had been coated in sand that crunched under their boots. Ice was a danger due to the slope of the property, and Roy was grateful Riza remembered to have such things taken care of. His aunt handled the maintenance of their property, and he didn't even take notice. The fact that Riza handled her own affairs so efficiently impressed him greatly. She'd seemed much happier since the visit from her grandfather and took to having him for dinner three times a week. Her grandmother only made an appearance on Sundays, and though Riza assured him her sharp edges had been dulled, the one dinner every seven days was enough for everyone.

"Oh, wow," Roy exclaimed as he tugged off his scarf and coat. The front room was crowded with stacks of boxes that contained Doctor Hawkeye's property from his classroom. Some had been sealed with red tape, and Roy assumed those had been removed from the office Hawkeye kept locked. The academy wasn't keen on violating the privacy of the offices of its teachers, and Berthold had been a highly regarded employee.

Riza stepped around the scattered boxes and gestured widely. "Yeah, it's a mess. I was hoping you could help me go through it and decide what's important and what's just miscellaneous nonsense."

"I doubt your dad kept any miscellaneous nonsense."

Riza frowned and reached for a tattered notebook. "I don't know about that. This appears to be a book of herbal tea recipes. I'd hardly consider that groundbreaking." She handed the book to Roy, and he thumbed through the pages.

"Riza, this isn't herbal tea recipes or anything of the sort." His eyes were wide, and he sank onto the couch. "It's alchemic code."

She sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "So it makes sense to you? That's good. So much of this stuff is the same kind of thing."

Roy scanned page after page in wonder. "This is complicated stuff, very advanced. I'm impressed. I had no idea he still worked with alchemy arrays." He glanced over at her. "It's kind of illegal right now."

"I know. We've been discussing the legislation in my government class. I don't think private alchemy will be illegal for long. It's suppression, and there's a lobbyist movement against it."

"I don't think your dad would want anyone to know he had this material. Are you sure it's okay for me to see it?"

Riza smiled. "I think you're the only person he would have wanted to see it, Roy. I'm tired of tiptoeing around his things. There's also a packet with your name on it. I didn't look inside, but it's obviously for you."

"I'm a little overwhelmed by all of this. My knowledge is so basic right now."

Riza patted his arm and slid the book from his hands.

"Do you know what else I'm tired of?"

Roy sighed and looked down at her. "What?"

"Space. I've had enough space, Roy."

His heart stuttered, and when she lifted herself to straddle his lap, Roy had nowhere to put his hands but on her hips.

"Unless you've changed your mind?"

His tongue felt too big for his mouth. "No, I haven't."

Riza smiled and pressed her body against his chest. "Good." She kissed him forcefully and wrapped her arms around his neck. Roy gripped her hips and let her set the pace. She did, indeed, taste of peppermint lip balm, and he moaned embarrassingly the first time her tongue brushed against his. The moment seemed surreal, as they'd been dancing around each other for months, but her hands sliding beneath the hem of his undershirt were a reminder that Riza was definitely in his lap, and she was absolutely kissing him.

A growl from his stomach sobered the moment, and Riza giggled against his lips. "Did you skip the eating part of lunch again today?"

He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. "I may have."

Riza sighed and sat back on his thighs. "I suppose I should feed you. I can't have my boyfriend starving to death on my watch."

"Am I your boyfriend now?"

She kissed him once more and gave him a stern glare. "Of course. I have to label you somehow, even if that title doesn't quite fit the bill."

"It doesn't?"

"You could never just be my boyfriend, Roy." Riza disentangled herself and stood. "Come on, Solaris was here last night. She made some kind of pasta thing, and I know she's the only woman you love almost as much as me."

"I can't help it, Riza. She lured me in with food."

Riza pulled him to his feet and smiled. "It's lucky she works for me and not some other girl then, huh?"

"Very lucky," Roy mumbled before pulling her against his chest for another kiss.