Shou Tucker had been called many things over the course of his career in government, and not all of them were complimentary. Most recently, the news reports detailing his efforts to legalize private alchemy practice dubbed him dogged, uncompromising, and - his personal favorite - indefatigable. He'd known the road would be long and filled with potholes at the onset, but Senator Tucker had taken an oath, and his constituents, as well as the majority of Amestrian citizens, wanted new legislation. So he would fight.

Hidden behind the obvious public benefits of freely available alchemic practice, such as foreign relations - specifically with Ishval - non-weaponized developments, and an entirely new economy surrounding base components, Shou had a few personal motives. As a boy, he'd wanted to study alchemy and even went so far as to seek entrance into the State Alchemist program. His father had been significantly less than thrilled. He didn't want a soldier for a son, and a young Shou was forced to watch as his materials were burned in the stone fireplace of the senior Tucker's study. Defying the old man's wishes, he left home for East City armed with a basic knowledge and fierce determination.

Upon arrival, though, he immediately saw the fatal flaw of his plan. Standing beside brilliant cadets like Berthold Hawkeye and Frank Archer, Shou knew he wasn't any competition. The military was a young man's game, and even if he managed to secure a master to teach him, his age would likely bar him from any significant career once he could hold his own next to someone as skilled as the Flame Alchemist. The blow to his ego had been difficult to overcome.

A position in government provided him with the funds and connections to privately amass a collection of alchemic texts. Over the years, he'd been able to experiment a bit, and though his findings were inconsistent and fairly unsuccessful, Shou felt confident that with a wide open market, he'd be able to properly showcase his work. Of course, if his hobbies were discovered, he knew the chances for legalization would be set back significantly, but Senator Tucker was nothing if not discrete.

After all, the death of his father had gone off without a hitch, hadn't it? Old houses were full of faulty electrical components, and it wasn't as if he hadn't warned the old man numerous times of the frayed tangles of wires in the basement. The blaze had been so glorious that the bones he'd planted and left to burn were nothing but blackened shards.

Tucker's own basement was pristine. The metal bars of the cages gleamed in the overhead lighting, and the soundproofing was really a work of art on his part. The enhancements had been necessary after the chimera creature's death. His father hadn't been a prime specimen anyway, and it wasn't too big of a loss, but Shou couldn't have his neighbors poking around inquiring after a dying animal on his property. Too many curious eyes and ears would invite the wrong sort of attention. A pity his wife was such a neat freak. He had warned her to stay out of his basement office. The new chimera's abilities were much more advanced, even if the damn thing refused to eat.

Regardless of his personal stake, Senator Tucker would see the legislation through. He wouldn't be accused of neglecting his district. His young intern, Jason Miles, was promising, and his Ishvalan heritage certainly lent an air authenticity to any arguments he presented regarding the border conflicts. Surely with alchemy legalized in the private sectors, and concessions on the part of Amestrian military to not transmute outside of its own borders, diplomacy could move forward. The public wouldn't tolerate a war.

That was all Shou Tucker really wanted. A free and peaceful Amestris, where he could pursue his interests without threat of imprisonment. His daughter deserved a world as bright as all that.

Roy's head pounded. He'd never been much of a drinker, but the evening following the academy's graduation ceremony, he'd indulged. The throbbing between his temples told him it had been far too much. Not enough to erase the previous night's activities, though. He certainly remembered Riza pulling off his clothes when they'd secured her front door behind them. Roy didn't think he'd ever forget her fingernails on his chest or the unrestrained way she'd dragged him into her bed or her mouth on his neck. He'd be surprised if he wasn't covered in hickeys. Despite his headache, he grinned. Riza would have a matching red mark on the inside of her thigh, so he supposed he wouldn't mind the splotches.

"Hey." He nudged the body next to him, buried beneath the blankets.

"No," Riza mumbled and hid her face under another pillow.

"No? I didn't ask anything." Roy sat up and regretted it.

"No to talking and being awake in general."

He glanced at the clock beside the bed and groaned. "It's almost noon, and we're supposed to have lunch with my aunt today." Roy dragged himself from the cocoon of the bed and watched as Riza wasted no time in moving into his vacated spot. "I need a shower."

"Don't use all the hot water, or I'll have to murder you." She yawned before hiding under the blankets again.

Roy did not, in fact, use any hot water. In his opinion, hangovers were best handled by cold showers, aspirin, and plenty of fluids. He hadn't brought any of his own soap, and Riza's lavender body wash would have to do. If he planned on staying with her any longer, he'd have to remember to purchase basic necessities; her toothpaste was far too minty for his liking. When he returned to her bedroom, she was hunched over the edge of her bed.

"Morning, sunshine!"

The glare she gave him could've curdled milk.

"You'll feel better after a shower. I'll even get you some water and pills so you can face the world."

"How are you so chipper? You had just as much to drink as I did." Riza disengaged from the tangle of sheets and grabbed her robe.

"Maybe it's my superpower."

"Well, tone it down over there, Hangover Man. The mortals need time to catch up." She stalked past him and into the bathroom. Roy had just pulled on clean pants when the doorbell rang from downstairs.

"Hey, Riza, want me to get that?"

She didn't answer, so he poked his head into the bathroom.

"Someone's here. Do you want me to get the door or just ignore it?"

"I'm not expecting anybody, so I guess you can see who it is. I'll be out in a minute."

Roy tugged a t-shirt over his head and debated gathering the trail of discarded clothes leading upstairs from the night before and tossing them into the laundry but, ultimately, left them on the floor. It wasn't likely anyone would actually need to come inside. Black Hayate leapt excitedly around his feet, begging to be let outside, and as he slid open the glass panel leading to the backyard, the doorbell rang again. Roy huffed in annoyance. When he opened the front door, it took him a moment to process.

"Oh, uh, hey, Miles. What can I do for you?" He slid his hands into his pockets and casually leaned against the door frame. Jason Miles stood on the porch, clutching a banker's box. Roy supposed he could've invited him in, but the look on his face made it clear that Miles hadn't expected Riza to have company.

"Hey there, Mustang. I didn't see your car in the driveway."

Roy's lips twitched into a crooked grin. "Yeah, it's not here. Riza has a car now, so I didn't think I needed it."

"I see. Well, is she here?"

"Yep. She's in the shower." Roy jerked his chin over his shoulder. "Is that box for her? I can take it if you want." When he turned back to Miles, his gaze was trained on Roy's neck and the marks Riza had left there.

"I'd rather give it to her, if you don't mind," he said tersely, "Some of it needs explaining."

"Well, I suppose you can wait in the dining room." Roy pulled the door open wide and allowed Miles to step past him. He did his best not to smirk at the way Jason's eyes roved over the various articles of clothing. "I'll go and pull her from the shower and let her know you're here." Miles all but glared at him. "Sorry about the mess. Late night party, you know." Roy left him in the front hall outside of the dining room and stifled a laugh to himself.

He found Riza running her fingers through damp hair in front of the mirror. She smiled weakly. "Who was at the door?"

"Miles."

She frowned and turned her back to him. "Can you zip this dress?" Roy pulled the zipper up and brushed his lips against her shoulder. "What did he want?"

"I don't know. He's downstairs with a box of something I'm sure he thinks is important."

Riza sighed loudly and glanced at herself in the mirror once more before sliding past Roy back into her bedroom.

"I'm not a State Alchemist yet, but I could probably char him for you."

"You should stop offering to do these hits on the irritating men in my life. One day I might just take you up on it."

"It would be my pleasure," Roy whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "By the way, this dress is a crime."

"It's just a sundress, Roy." She turned and kissed his cheek. "You wouldn't be so impressed with it if you'd come home more often."

"You're a temptress." He hid his face in her exposed neck.

"We'll talk about this later. Apparently, I have company. Hopefully, he can be disposed of quickly; I'm starting to get hungry."

Roy grabbed his shoes and the sandals Riza left out by her closet before following her downstairs. Once again, he considered doing something about the dirty clothes but decided Miles shouldn't be spared the sight of them. In the kitchen, he filled two glasses of water and shook four tablets from a bottle of aspirin. Riza smiled gratefully at him when he delivered her half to the dining room. She pressed her fingers to her forehead and looked to be making a valiant attempt to pay attention to whatever Miles was saying. She didn't last long.

"Jason, I'm so sorry to have to do this, but my head is absolutely pounding, and I can't really concentrate on any of this. Can we wait to talk about it until next week?" She smiled poorly at him, and Roy watched Miles deflate. "Graduation was yesterday, and I had quite a bit to drink last night, so I'm just not in mint condition right now."

"Uh, of course. I didn't mean to make you miserable or intrude." He stuffed his hands in his pockets awkwardly and glanced at Roy, who couldn't contain his smile. "I'll just see you at study group next week. Entrance exams aren't for a month, so it's not a big deal."

"I'm sorry that you came all the way out here. I just can't handle a lot of hard thinking right now." She escorted Miles to the front door and slumped against it when he'd finally gone. Roy pulled her into his chest. "Do you see how exhausting he is?" Riza mumbled against him.

"I do, and I'm sorry. I could still barbecue him for you."

She laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Speaking of barbecue, can we go to the restaurant now? I'm sure your aunt wants to see you, and I'm seriously starving."

"Would you mind terribly if I stayed with her for a few days? You can come too, and I suppose the dog."

"Poor Hayate. I can't believe you're still hung up on a dog that you brought me, by the way."

Roy laughed and pulled away. "I've come to terms with him. He's done a pretty decent job of looking after you, even if he hasn't ripped Miles to shreds yet. We can work on that."

"You won't be turning my fur baby into a killer. He's a sweet boy, and I like him just the way he is."

Roy followed her through the kitchen and leaned against the counter as she let the dog back into the house. He tamped down the old jealousy when she crouched and gave Hayate a thorough scratch. "Be a good boy while I'm gone, and you can have a treat later. We'll be guests tonight, and you have to behave."

"Do I get a treat later?" Roy huffed when she grabbed his hand to leave.

Riza laughed. "I have a sizable hickey on my inner thigh from the last treat I gave you. Don't be greedy."

"To be fair, the marks you left on me out number the one I left on you." Roy slid into the passenger seat of her car. "I'd say that makes you greedier than me." Riza only winked at him before pulling out of her driveway.

The summer passed lazily at first, and for a fleeting moment, Roy felt it might never end. He was content in the delusion that the sunny afternoons and quiet evenings he spent in Riza's company would stretch on, and his return to East City was somewhere in the distant future. As the weeks rolled by and autumn drew near, he felt her grip tighten anxiously and realized their time was drawing short. He hated the anticipation of leaving her behind once again.

"Are you nervous?" he asked. They sat side by side on an unoccupied playground structure.

Riza turned to him and smiled. "About what?"

Roy reached out and touched her hair. The setting sun had set it aflame, and the strands begged to have his fingers in them. "Starting college soon. It'll be a huge change."

She leaned into him and sighed. "Not really. It's still school, just in a different place." Riza drew his hand into her lap. "I miss you already, and not just the part where I can have you in my bed or on my couch."

He laughed and kissed her neck. "That stuff isn't your favorite?" He'd only been joking, but her serious expression sobered him.

"No, it isn't. I miss you being here next to me. I miss you." Riza's gaze followed Hayate playing with the small children around the park. "So many times this past year I would turn around, expecting you to be there, and it was hard to see your space empty. I had ideas and thoughts, and no one to share them with."

"Riza," he whispered, "You can call me anytime. If I'm in my room, I'll always take your call."

"It's not the same; you know it isn't." She kept her face turned from him and swiped at a tear. "I know I'm being stupid and needy, but I can't help it."

"You're not being stupid." Roy pulled her closer into his side and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "Why don't you talk to me now? Tell me what you're thinking about."

She didn't answer him for a long moment, and he let her have the silence. "There were really three main things."

"What's the biggest one?"

Riza threaded her fingers through his and took a deep breath. "Well, I was thinking about maybe sorting through my dad's bedroom. I wanted to pack up everything of his I'd like to keep and donate the rest. And…" she paused and chewed on her lip, "I kind of wanted to move into the master bedroom. Do you think that's awful of me?"

"I don't think it's awful. It's your house, and of course you should do what you want with it. I also think it would be good for you to go through his things. I never really had that opportunity to get to know my parents that way, and I kind of wish I had."

She nodded.

"If you want, we could get some boxes tomorrow, and I'll help you."

"Thanks, Roy. I'd like that. I don't want to do it alone, and I don't think I'd want anyone else in there with me but you." She turned to him and kissed him softly.

"What else has been on your mind?"

"I think that's enough for now. The rest of it can wait." Riza smiled and leaned back against his side as her bare feet dangled and brushed the tufts of grass and clover below.