A/N: Hello!
After all the difficulties it's time for some fluff and happy moments :D
We hope you enjoy this chapter and as always thank you very much for reading and commenting.
Special thanks to Lady Rini!
See you in two weeks!
Golden and Flame
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters do not belong to us. We're just having fun with them.
Chapter 35. Through thick and thin
A couple of months had passed since the trial Roy and Riza faced. After all that had happened, all their friends in the military had to return to their posts the next day, except Breda and Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, who with Grumman's permission, were able to postpone their return for a couple more days so that Roy could share with them all the information he was handling at Eastern Command since until his sentence was served, he would not be able to set foot in the headquarters. For their part, Ed and Winry decided to stay an extra week at Central to make sure Ed's parents were coping well with the current situation they were in.
The day before their departure, Ed was arranging his suitcase in the room he had occupied at his grandmother's house when Roy appeared in his doorway with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
"If you just throw your clothes in they'll get wrinkled and you won't be able to close the suitcase in the end."
Ed was slightly surprised to hear his father's voice. "What do you know?"
The black-haired man smiled. "Quite a bit more than you from what I can see."
"That's what you think." Grumbled the boy, trying without much success to close his tightly packed suitcase, eliciting a slight chuckle from Roy. "Don't say anything."
Roy reached over and began pulling out his son's clothes to fold them and arrange them back in the suitcase. "If you fold your clothes and arrange them neatly in the suitcase, it will be much easier to close them at the end, not to mention lessen the chance of them getting wrinkled. Remember to take care of your personal appearance now that you have a beautiful girl by your side." He said smiling.
Ed blushed slightly as he did as his father had commented. "I know, I couldn't have been traveling all these years without learning how to pack a suitcase, I just wanted to save myself some time on this one. Besides, how come you know this about clothes and packing?"
"During the first few times I went back and forth to your mother's house, your grandmother would get annoyed when she saw how I struggled to close the suitcase, not to mention how the clothes arrived full of wrinkles." Roy said with a slight grimace. "The first few times I tried to be "tidy" with my clothes I wasn't very successful, I was still small but I was afraid my mother would get upset with me, so Riza took pity on me and from then on she always helped me with my suitcase until I learned to do it by myself."
"You really would be useless without my mother's help, wouldn't you?" Ed joked laughing lightly.
"Very funny, Ed." Roy replied feigning anger.
"I hope you didn't put Mom in to put your underwear away." Ed said grinning mischievously.
"Of course not." He replied slightly indignant but couldn't help remembering the first time Riza had helped him with his suitcase, an occasion when precisely the blonde had seen his underwear.
"Whatever you say." Ed said as he finished closing the suitcase. "Hey, are you and Mom going to be okay? If you want you can spend some time in Resembool, we'll be a little cramped but we'll manage." Mentioned the boy with a more serious tone.
Roy smiled pleased. "Thanks, Ed. Don't worry, we'll be fine." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "I admit it will be weird not having to go to Command for the next few months but that won't stop your mother and me from continuing to help Amestris. There's still a lot of work to be done in Ishval and you don't have to be military to help with the rebuilding, so we'll be able to do something."
Ed nodded, relaxed by the assurance of his father's words. "I'll probably join you in helping them once I'm sure all is well with Al and Granny Pinako. I'm sure when Al is more recovered he'll want to join as well."
"Sounds like an excellent idea to me. Your mother and I have to go back East to settle some business and support in any way we can Breda and Armstrong since I am not allowed to enter the Command. But as soon as that is settled, Riza and I want to go to Resembool to say hello to them. It's been a while since we've seen Al and Mrs. Rockbell."
"I'm sure Al would love to see you."
Roy smiled. After a few seconds his smile turned nostalgic before he spoke again. "We're going to miss you, son. This week that the three of us have lived together in the same house has been some of the best for Riza and me."
Ed smiled. "I'm going to miss you too, but we'll see each other soon, won't we?"
"That's right. What do you say we play a game of chess while we wait for your mother and Winry to get back?"
"Sure."
After Ed and Winry's departure, Roy and Riza returned to the East to attend to various matters, mainly to support Breda and Armstrong in the transition process that was taking place. When they weren't helping the military, they were focused on thinking of ways to help some of the Eastern towns that were in precarious conditions.
Some time later, Riza and Roy agreed that they would visit the boys in Resembool as Roy no longer wanted to wait another day for them to set a date for their wedding.
When they arrived at the Rockbell house, they were greeted by Ed, Al and Winry, as Granny Pinako was out running errands. They chatted about how they had been the last few days and trivial things until Roy diverted the conversation to where he had wanted to do so ever since he set foot in the house.
"Our main reasons for coming here was to see you and because we want to ask you for something."
Riza punched him lightly in the chest. "How impatient you are."
"Impatient?" Roy leaned in slightly to kiss her forehead. "I've waited too many years already."
The boys looked at Roy and Riza in confusion, though after a few minutes Winry smiled figuring out what it was all about.
Riza sighed slightly though she couldn't help but crack a slight smile. "Sorry for Roy's impatience, but we do want to ask you something." She turned her face to look at Roy before returning her gaze to the boys. "We have decided to get married in a month and we would like the three of you to join us. It will be a small ceremony where only our family and friends will be present."
Winry let out a shout of joy followed by laughter from the boys.
"It's about time." Ed said with a huge smile on his face. Shortly before he left his grandmother's house months ago, Riza had let him know that she and Roy were already seriously considering getting married and from that moment on Ed expressed his support and joy for that moment to come. And now that it was finally happening he couldn't contain the great happiness that was sweeping through him that perhaps his parents' biggest dream would finally come true.
Roy and Riza laughed at their son's comment before they stood up from their seats to be hugged by the youths. Once they retook their seats, Roy took the floor.
"I'd also like to ask you to be my groomsmen."
The boys smiled. "Of course."
Riza took her son's hand that was on the table and squeezed it gently. She then did the same with Al's. "Edward, Alphonse, in addition to you being Roy's groomsmen, I want to ask you to be the ones to give me away at the altar."
Both brothers looked at each other for a moment, surprised by Riza's request but still smiling at the joy that was overflowing in the room.
"Mom, it would be such an honor to do it, wouldn't it, Al?"
Al, who like his brother wore a grin from ear to ear, replied full of excitement. "That's right, it will be quite an honor."
Roy and Riza smiled broadly.
"Well then, it's settled. There will be a wedding in a month." Roy said with a huge joy in his chest.
Ed, Al, Winry and Granny Pinako arrived 2 days before the ceremony. The girls stayed at Riza's apartment while the boys stayed at Roy's apartment.
During the morning of the wedding day, Al was the first to get ready with the help of Roy who patiently showed him how to put on the cufflinks. Once ready, the boy prepared to leave the apartment as he had promised Gracia that he would help her with some decorations that she and Elicia would take to the ceremony site to wait there for Ed, who would arrive with Riza.
"Thank you, General." Al said cheerfully.
Roy smiled. "There's nothing to thank, Al. And remember, I'm not General anymore."
"I know, but you're still 'General' to me."
"Thank you. But you don't have to call me that, you can call me Roy or even..." The black-haired man paused slightly before looking into Al's golden orbs. "You can call me Dad." He scratched the back of his neck. "I know you recently started calling Riza 'mom' and well I guess I was slow to talk to you about it but, if you're comfortable with it, you can call me dad. After all I love you like I love Ed, but don't feel obligated to do so."
Al was slightly surprised but couldn't help but smile broadly before hugging Roy. "Okay... d-dad."
The black-haired man returned the hug and felt very happy. Just as Riza had said, for many years they had lost one son but now they had gained two. "Thank you, Al."
Ed looked at the scene happily, now Al and he not only had the Curtises but his parents as well. Well, since they had met them, Roy and Riza had always been there for them, but now they were more so than ever and for that he was very grateful.
After a few minutes, Roy and Al broke away from the embrace with a big smile.
"I'd better get going so I'm not late." Al said.
"See you later." Ed and Roy replied.
With Al's departure, Roy and Ed continued to get ready. They still had plenty of time but not for the world did either of them want to be late for their posts. Ed to pick up his mother and Roy to wait for her at the altar. Since there was only one bathroom, they took turns bathing, Ed being the first and when he was done Ed began to dig through his suitcase for some shaving supplies he had just purchased. He had just the faintest appearance of a stubble, still thin but already present. This was a very special day for his parents and he wanted to look as presentable as possible so he thought about shaving, although he wasn't sure how it would go since it would be his first time doing it. Al had told him to ask Roy for help but he wasn't sure how to go about it.
He grabbed a razor and the shaving foam and before he could think any further the bathroom door opened making way for Roy dressed only in his pants. He walked into the room toweling his hair dry when he abruptly stopped at the sight of his son who was dressed only in pants like him with his torso bare. His onyx gaze immediately fell on the scar his son had on the left side of his abdomen. When Ed raised his gaze he noticed how his father's extremely cheerful look was marred by sadness and guilt as he saw him focus on his scar, but he couldn't delve too deeply into his gaze because his own eyes were drawn to the scar his father also bore on part of his torso. It was the first time she had seen the scar that had been left as a grim reminder of the time Roy had come close to dying at Lust's hands.
"That scar..." Roy said quietly. "Is that the one that fucker Kimblee gave you?"
Ed snapped back to the present as he listened to his father. "Yeah, but it's not as big as yours."
"It doesn't matter here which one is bigger, but that you should never have gone through that."
"Just like you."
"I'm older than you and a military man. I knew from the beginning what I was exposed to. You are too young to have gone through such a terrible experience and one that no one should have gone through."
"I was military too and I knew what I was exposing myself to... this scar is partly my fault, I was careless, I got overconfident and that was conducive to me giving Kimblee the opportunity." The blond raised his gaze to meet his progenitor's. "You taught me long ago that I was never to trust myself on the battlefield when we had that match to renew our state alchemist licenses and I still did it." He looked at him seriously. "That's why you shouldn't blame yourself for this. We're both alive and that's what's important." Ed said in a more animated tone.
Roy sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to offer his son a sympathetic look. "You're right, the most important thing is that we're still alive and back with our ladies."
At the comment Ed blushed but that didn't erase the smile that had formed on his lips. "Besides, today is not a day to be sad but quite the opposite."
Roy grinned from ear to ear. "True." He lowered his gaze and caught a glimpse of the razor his son was holding in one of his hands. As he looked up he noticed that his son barely had a very slight stubble on his chin, almost unnoticeable to the naked eye but he guessed that because of the occasion he wanted to look his best. My son is no longer a boy, he is all a man. "Do you need help with that?" He asked, pointing to the razor.
"Uh... uh... I could use a hand... I've never done this." Ed stammered.
"Come on." Roy motioned for him to follow him into the bathroom. "We have to look handsome for your mother." I've missed so many moments with my son. I'm glad now I won't miss any more.
Ed nodded, taking his items before following him.
"You won't need them, I'll lend you my stuff." Roy commented, taking his suds, lotion and pocketknife out of the cabinet behind the sink mirror. Ed couldn't help but fix his attention on the pocketknife, it had a silver handle and had the letter 'M' in cursive engraved on it.
"Take some foam and place it all over the area to be shaved."
Roy placed in Ed's right hand the pocketknife and began to explain to him step by step what to do, which the blond diligently followed. Once the session was over, the boy put on the lotion that his father passed him, wincing slightly at a small cut that he couldn't avoid due to his inexperience. When he finished he began to put away the foam and lotion while Roy cleaned the pocketknife.
"I didn't know you had such personalized stuff." Ed commented pointing to the dainty pocketknife.
The black-haired man laughed lightly as he dried the pocketknife and looked at it closely. "This pocketknife was not sent to be engraved by me." He said as he ran his thumb over the engraved 'M'. "The one who did it was my grandfather, your great grandfather. He gave it to my father and Chris told me that your grandfather wished to give it to me when I was older. Since that wasn't possible, it was she who gave it to me when I was about your age." He raised his gaze to his son, took one of his hands to place the pocketknife in it. "Now I think it's time for you to have it, my son." He commented with a smile.
Ed contemplated the object for a moment before looking at his father. "But... this object is very precious to you, I can't accept it. Besides, at the moment, I'm not going to occupy it as often as you do."
Roy shook his head. "But you'll need it soon, believe me. Besides, I'm sure your grandfather and great-grandfather would like you to have it so this tradition will continue."
Ed squeezed the pocketknife in his hand. "Thanks, Dad. I'll take care of it and carry on the tradition when I have a son."
Roy smiled. "I just hope you're not in too much of a hurry to make me a grandfather, I'm too young for that." He said jokingly.
"That's the same thing Grandma Chris must think with you, isn't it?" The blond commented amused though slightly blushing at the thought of Winry.
Roy sighed. "Let's drop that subject. I've got to get another pocketknife like that for Al."
The boy cracked a big grin. "I know he'll like it though there is no hurry. Al doesn't need it yet, but still in the meantime I could lend him this one and pass on the tricks you taught me."
"Well, I'll try to get one soon anyway." He paused slightly. "We'd better hurry."
Ed nodded and they both resumed their activities to get ready for the ceremony. Just as he had done with Alphonse, Roy helped Ed with his cufflinks and tie. The blond had decided that for the occasion he would wear a ponytail instead of his usual braid while Roy had opted to comb his hair back to make it look more formal.
"You're looking good, son." Roy said proudly when he saw Ed.
"Thanks. You don't look bad yourself."
"Well you'd better go get your mother and I'll go to the garden we rented to wait for you."
The blond nodded. "You better not run off and leave my mother stranded, huh?"
Roy smiled. "I'd never do that, not after waiting so many years."
Ed smiled at his father's conviction and the joy that overflowed from his eyes. "Good, because if you ever do I'll see to it that you get your ass kicked." Said the boy jokingly.
Roy laughed lightly. "Then we'd better each go to our destinations. I'll see you later."
At Riza's apartment, only she and Rebeca had stayed, since Winry and her grandmother had gone ahead to the event garden where the wedding was to take place to finish the last minute arrangements. Although Roy and Riza had planned to do something simple, their family and friends had immediately offered to put their own touch so that despite the smallness of the ceremony it would be something very special.
"Riza, you look beautiful!" Rebeca exclaimed excitedly when she was finished with her friend's hairstyle.
Riza looked in the mirror and couldn't believe what was going to happen that day. She was going to marry the man she had loved almost all her life, her best friend, the father of her child. After Ishval she never thought that would be possible but today joy completely overwhelmed her until a lone tear escaped her, because besides marrying the love of her life, she now had her son back and had even gained yet another son.
"Oh, Riza. Don't cry, you're going to ruin your makeup." Rebeca said jokingly as with a handkerchief she wiped away her friend's tear.
"I'm so happy I can't believe it, Becky." Said the blonde smiling.
Rebeca gave her friend a hug. "You deserve it, my friend." With a slightly serious tone she added. "Today it is not acceptable to have bad memories or regrets that could overshadow your big day." The black-haired woman warned. "Today is your big day, the day you've been looking forward to just like many of us." She laughed lightly and pulled away from her friend slightly to look into her eyes. "I'm so happy for you, you're finally going to marry the man you've loved all these years and even though I'm still having a hard time admitting that he never betrayed you, I have to admit that idiot really loves you." She changed her gaze to a mischievous one. "Besides I must admit that we have some fun times ahead of us. You'll make a lot of his female admirers hate you because you're going to marry off one of the most coveted bachelors, that's not to mention that you're the mother of his only child."
Riza smiled slightly as she shook her head from side to side. "You don't change, Becky."
"What? That's true. Just because Mustang is a jerk doesn't stop him from being one of the most desired bachelors by many women, so with this wedding they'll soon find out and you'll cause many hearts to break. You should even get ready because I think they will now go after Ed, because that godson of mine is getting more and more handsome and if the ladies already saw him with good eyes now that they find out who his father is they will end up falling completely surrendered at his feet." She said laughing.
"Rebeca!"
"It's true, my dear friend, so don't be surprised when they start calling you mother-in-law." Replied the black-haired girl without stopping laughing.
Riza folded her arms but couldn't help but crack a slight smile at her friend's witticisms.
"I remind you that Edward has a relationship with Winry."
"I know, my friend, but believe me she's not the only one who's crazy about your boy. One way or another you already smell like a mother-in-law." The black-haired woman let out a laugh at the end. "You see, Riza, who told you to have my godson so young?"
"You enjoy laughing at my expense, don't you?" Replied the blonde feigning fake annoyance. "And for your information, I don't mind if I get called 'mother-in-law' at my age. Having my son by my side is something I wouldn't trade for the world and if my son is happy I'm happy too." She said, smiling broadly.
Rebeca smiled in the same way. "He definitely is and I have no doubt he is very proud to be your son."
"Thank you, Becky. Really thank you so much." Riza took her friend's hands and gave her a look full of gratitude. "You have always been with me since I met you and I will never forget the way you helped me during my pregnancy when we hardly knew each other at the time. Without your support during that time, I don't know what would have become of me or Edward." Riza said with a sincere smile and sparkling eyes before hugging her friend.
Rebeca reciprocated the hug. "You have nothing to be thankful for, you know that to me you are practically my sister."
"And you're mine."
"You're going to make me cry, Riza."
When they separated from the hug, Rebeca continued talking. "Hey and what did General Armstrong say to you in the letter you got yesterday? I didn't think you get along with her so well to the point of even inviting her to your wedding."
"I have respect for the General, plus she supported Roy and me during the trial."
"I know, but she actually supported you because she's always wanted to recruit you but since Mustang was in the package she ended up supporting him too." She let out a slight laugh. "But come on, I can't wait to know, what did she tell you?"
Riza sighed. " She thanked me for the invitation to the wedding and apologized to me because she's not going to be able to make it. However she didn't hesitate to write me a long list of why I shouldn't marry Roy." She said laughing lightly at the end.
Rebeca laughed. "She definitely still doesn't fully appreciate your future husband. What happened between them?" Suddenly her amused look changed to a completely serious one. "Don't tell me those two had an amorous thing going on." She said waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Riza laughed, shaking her head. "No, nothing like that. It's simply a rivalry going on between them, not to mention Roy has always been arrogant with her." She said rolling her eyes fondly as she thought of the times Roy had gotten on some people's nerves just for the fun of it.
"Well you can't blame me for thinking that with your fiancé's love record, but I'm very much afraid the General is going to be disappointed that she's not getting the expected results with her letter."
Before they could converse further, knocking on the front door of the apartment drew both women's attention.
"I'll go open." Rebeca said as Riza nodded and finished with the last details of her dress and jewelry.
Opening the door, Rebeca greeted the blonde lad in front of her effusively.
"Oh, Ed, how handsome you look, godson!" She said excitedly as she wrapped the boy in a hug.
"Uh... thank you, Aunt Becky." Ed replied slightly blushing. "You look great too."
"Oh, thank you." The black-haired woman pulled away from the hug and patted him on one shoulder before speaking again. "Come on in."
"Thank you."
Rebeca closed the door and turned to look at Ed. "So where's Al? I thought he was coming with you."
"He left before me to help Mrs. Gracia and Elicia with some things. We'll meet him in the garden."
"Oh, I see."
"Is my mom ready?"
"Affirmative, she's just finishing up a few details, why don't you go and give her the go ahead?" Rebeca said, pointing toward the door to Riza's room.
Ed nodded and walked to the door, knocked a couple of times and opened it when he heard his mother's permission.
"Hi, mo-...wow you look beautiful." The boy said immediately.
Riza smiled hugely at her son's compliment. "Thank you very much, son. You look very handsome yourself. Come, let me take a closer look at you." She concluded with a wave of her hand to beckon him closer.
Ed obeyed and as soon as he approached he leaned over to give his mother a kiss on the cheek by way of greeting to which Riza responded by depositing a kiss on her son's cheek with a big smile.
"You look great, Edward. You're definitely a really attractive young man."
Ed blushed. "Thank you, though all in all you look much better. My father sure is lucky to marry a woman as beautiful, kind and intelligent as you."
"And I am fortunate to betroth a man who loves me as much as your father does." Said the blonde before pulling her son into an embrace. "And to have a son like you."
"And me to have you as parents." Replied the blond.
When they separated from the embrace, Riza placed her right hand on her son's left cheek and tenderly caressed it and that's when she noticed that the slight hint of a beard she had seen on him the day before was gone.
"Didn't you have a bit of a beard?"
Ed was surprised that she noticed it. He recognized that the beard he had shaved off that morning with his father's help was still very light, hardly anyone had noticed it except Winry, but it was normal for a mother to know her son like the back of her hand, wasn't it? So he couldn't help but smile as he nodded.
"Yes, I know it was still very light and hardly noticeable but today is a very special day for you and Dad and I wanted to look my best so I asked him to help me shave and I must admit it wasn't too bad since I only had a very small cut."
Riza's joy increased exponentially when she heard the anecdote of her son sharing a moment with his father, just as she always wished it would happen. For several months she had feared that this father-son relationship between Roy and Edward could never happen because of all the imprudent actions she had committed, but now she was happy to know that it was all behind them.
"I must admit Roy did a good job. The first time your father shaved he came out full of little papers all over his jaw from the cuts he'd gotten." Riza mentioned in an amused tone as she recalled the moment she described. "I'm so glad you asked him for help, I think Roy would have done the same thing if at that moment he had a male figure he could approach."
"He didn't even ask your dad for help?"
Riza shook her head. "I know my dad grew to be fond of Roy, but back then he didn't see past his research, so he obviously didn't have time for me or for doing such trivial things as teaching his disciple how to shave. That's why poor Roy ended up with several cuts the first time he tried it." She directed a warm smile at her son. "I'm glad you and he have those kinds of moments together."
Ed smiled. "Me too, I'm really very lucky to have you and him. I was hesitant to ask him for help but Al insisted. In fact I practically didn't have to say anything because as soon as he saw me with the razor and foam he offered. He even gave me his pocketknife."
"The one with the 'M' engraved on it?"
The boy nodded.
Riza smiled. "I know I don't have to tell you but take good care of that pocketknife, son. Regardless of how fine it is, it has a lot of sentimental value to Roy. It's one of the few things he has of his father's."
"Don't worry, I will. He explained to me himself the story behind that pocketknife and that he's even going to get one for Al for when he needs it."
"I have no doubt he will, Al went to help Gracia?"
"That's right, he said we'd see him there because he doesn't plan on missing the chance to hand over his new mom." Ed replied with a huge smile which Riza mimicked.
"I'm glad, because I really want my two boys to hand me over."
"And so you will. Are you ready?"
Riza nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."
Ed stepped to Riza's left side and offered her his arm. "Well if that's the case we'd better get going, we don't want to stand my father up, do we?"
Riza took her son's arm smiling. "Right, let's go."
When Ed left his apartment, Roy took one of the pictures he had on his desk and looked at it carefully for a couple of minutes. It was that picture that he and Maes had taken when they had just graduated from military school.
"You have no idea how I wish you were here. You know... I'm finally going to marry Riza after all these years. After the infinite number of times you told me to get a wife I'm finally listening to you." He cracked a smile. "For a long time I came to think that this moment would never happen but now it is a reality and moreover we will do it in the presence of our children, because now we have not one but two terrific boys for sons. I'm sure that wherever you are this news must make you very happy, especially since today will be a perfect day to take pictures of Elicia because she will be the flower child." He laughed lightly. "I can imagine you taking endless pictures of her to show to everyone who crosses your path." He sighed lightly. "After all the mistakes I made during the Promised Day, I've learned with the help of Riza, Ed and all our friends and family that I'm not alone. I have promised myself not to let myself be driven by hate and revenge again, not while I have the people I love by my side. And I have also promised myself to keep an eye on Elicia. I will strive to get a little more involved in her life, so that she will always have a male figure when she needs one, although obviously I will never become as good as you not to mention that I don't have much experience neither as a father nor as an uncle, I just know that I will strive to make sure that she and Gracia live in peace and be happy... I know that the probability of me becoming Führer now is practically nil, but I am confident that the people who still can become one will see to it that Amestris lives in peace. In the meantime I will continue to do all I can to see that our children live happily and peacefully, but now I will do so at the side of the woman I love." Roy checked his pocket watch that Riza had given him a few weeks ago since he was not allowed to keep his state alchemist watch. "I'd better get going, I can't miss this for the world." He smiled again. "I hope you know you will always be my brother, Maes... See you soon, my friend."
Roy left the photograph in its place, fixed his coat and with a smile on his face left his apartment heading to the place where he would betroth his beloved.
The place they had chosen for the wedding was a small event garden located on the outskirts of East City. When Roy arrived, he could see that Al was finishing placing the flowers that Gracia had brought while Gracia was adjusting the basket of flowers that Elicia would carry. The little girl, for her part, ran up to him as soon as she saw him to greet him.
"Uncle Roy!" greeted Elicia cheerfully.
Roy took the little girl in his arms and carried her. "Hello, Elicia, how are you?"
"Great, I'm happy that you and my Aunt Riza are finally getting married." Elicia said excitedly.
The black-haired man flashed a smile. "Well I'm the happiest about this wedding."
"Roy, you look great." Gracia greeted kindly as she approached them.
"Thank you very much, although I must say you and Elicia look much better. I thank you very much for coming."
"We would never miss it. By the way, your mother was looking for you a few moments ago, I think she wanted to make sure you got here on time. The last time I saw her she was at the front desk."
Roy nodded. "Thanks, I didn't see her when I arrived but I'll go take a walk, I wouldn't want her to kill me before my wedding." He said jokingly as he placed Elicia on the floor.
"Good, then I'll see you later." Gracia said cheerfully.
The black-haired man entered the reception looking for his mother until he felt himself being lifted up in a tight hug.
"Roy Mustang, you don't know how happy it makes me to be a part of this event. I am so happy for you and Miss Riza. The love and devotion you have for each other is something worth witnessing and celebrating." Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong exclaimed through tears, squeezing Roy tightly.
"Mm... Thank you, Armstrong." Replied Roy slowly trying to breathe in Alex's tight embrace.
Alex held Roy in a hug with one arm while with the other he pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket and held it to his face when a voice interrupted them.
"Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go kill my boy before he gets married." Said jokingly Chris Mustang who had appeared behind them.
"Oh, my apologies, madame." Said Alex releasing Roy. "I'll try to contain my excitement a little longer." He laughed lightly. "I'll see you later." He mentioned before retreating.
"Thank you, mother." Roy said when Alex had walked away.
Chris only laughed. "The Lieutenant Colonel can get a little too effusive, can't he?"
Roy laughed too. "Definitely." He reached over and gave his mother a tight hug.
They parted slightly and Chris stroked his boy's cheek. "I'm glad this day is finally here, my boy. I was afraid I would never see this day or that you would end up marrying anyone else. I would never accept anyone who didn't love you the way Riza does."
Roy placed his hand over his mother's. "Nor would I have agreed to marry anyone but Riza." His smile widened. "Believe me I am the happiest that this day has finally arrived."
Chris returned the smile. "I'm glad to know that she and you will finally get a chance to enjoy your love like you've always dreamed of. I have no doubt that your parents must be very proud and happy for you to know that you have found someone who loves you in the same way and with the same intensity. You better make Riza happy, because women like her are very rare."
"I know and don't worry, I will dedicate my life to making her happy. If she and the boys are happy, I'll be happy too." Roy replied with conviction.
Chris hugged his son again. "Come on, you'd better wait for Riza at the altar."
The black-haired man nodded following his mother. In those moments he felt calm and a great joy overwhelmed him. Now he understood perfectly why his friend was so excited when he married Gracia.
When Roy arrived at the altar, Havoc was already there.
"Hey, boss. You'll finally stop taking my girlfriends away from me." Mentioned the blond jokingly.
"It's not my fault your girlfriends got their eyes on me." Replied the black-haired man with a somewhat smug grin.
Havoc frowned jokingly. "I hope that now that the girls see you married, they'll stop approaching you and see that there are much better looking single men. Because don't even think about being unfaithful to Hawkeye, huh?"
Roy laughed and inwardly was pleased to know how fond his friends were of Riza and him. "You know I'd never do that, besides, if I'm not mistaken, you're not as single as you say you are either."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" He asked, confused.
"You know what I'm talking about, Havoc, and I recommend that if you and a certain scandalous woman are serious, one of you better get out of the military." He said with a serious look to make Havoc realize that, on this occasion, he wasn't joking and that he wanted to help him.
Havoc blushed slightly and began scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Uh... uh... thanks for the advice."
Roy could only smile at him as at that moment the judge appeared and again Chris approached his son.
"The bride has arrived. Shall we begin?" She asked smiling.
"Of course." Roy replied with a smirk.
Al hugged Riza tightly as soon as he saw her arrive. "You look beautiful, Mom."
Riza reciprocated the gesture. "Thank you, Alphonse. You look very handsome yourself."
Al blushed at the compliment. "Thank you." He cleared his throat. "The ceremony is about to begin." He said with a smile.
Riza smiled and Ed walked over to his mother's right side offering her his arm, while Al did the same with Riza's left arm.
The blonde took the arms of the two boys, her two sons, with a huge smile.
"Come on, Elicia, you're first." Said Winry who placed the little girl in front of her and Rebeca so they could start walking down the aisle that would lead them to the altar.
As the doors opened, Elicia made her appearance with obvious joy on her face as with great poise for her age she began to delicately scatter the rose petals down the aisle. Behind her was Winry in a beautiful aqua dress that matched the little girl's and Rebeca's as she and the black-haired girl were the bride's godmothers. When they reached the end of the aisle where Roy and the judge were, little Elicia took her seat in the front row next to her mother, while Winry and Rebeca positioned themselves next to where Riza would be during the ceremony.
Roy was excited and slightly nervous but those nerves went away when Riza appeared in his field of vision. His onyx eyes met her mahogany ones, each finding the same emotions reflected in the other's gaze: love, joy and excitement. After this, they both flashed a big smile and Riza, escorted by both Elrics, began her journey to the altar.
Upon reaching their destination, Riza removed her hand from Al's arm before giving him a kiss on the cheek to repeat the process with Ed, who before letting go of his mother's hand squeezed it affectionately while smiling. Before passing his mother's hand to his father, Ed looked into his father's eyes conveying how happy he was for them while sending him a subtle message that he had better make his mother happy, to which Roy responded with a smile as he took Riza's hand from his son's hand while with his other hand he gently squeezed his son's shoulder to reassure him that he would.
Ed and Al took their places at Roy's side, while the black-haired man couldn't take his gaze off Riza's as he took both of the blonde's hands to deposit a tender kiss on them.
"You look beautiful." He whispered.
"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." She whispered before turning to look at the judge.
Reluctantly Roy peeled his gaze from Riza's to look at the judge. The judge began the event with the protocol act. When it came time to say their vows, the first to do so was Roy, who looked with deep love and tenderness at Riza.
"Riza… I don't think I could say enough words to tell you how much I love you. I have for most of my life and, if I'm honest with myself, I don't remember what it was like not to love you anymore. You became my first best friend, the one I fell madly in love with without even realizing it. You became my first and only love. You have always been by my side through the good, the bad and the worst times of my life." He gently squeezed her hands. "You have always given me so many things, your love, affection, understanding, support and if that wasn't enough you gave me an amazing son whom I love with all my heart. You don't know how much I have dreamed of this moment, I even feared it could never be possible, but now I feel like I am living a dream that I never want to wake up from. Now that life has been too generous to me, I promise to take care of you, to love you and make you happy so that you will forget every painful moment I put you through." He drew Riza's hands to his lips to kiss them before continuing. "I love you with all my being, my queen." Roy spoke his words with a tone full of affection, sincerity and passion and with a certain sparkle in his eyes that betrayed the tears of happiness he was holding back.
Riza was also holding back tears of joy at hearing all the beautiful words the black-haired man had dedicated to her. Inhaling deeply to keep them at bay a little longer, she gently squeezed his hands before she began to speak.
"Roy, you came into my life at a time filled with darkness, sadness and loneliness. I thought my life would always be that way until you came and slowly crept into my life, filling it with light, joy, friendship and love. After my mother's death you were the first person who recognized me and loved me for what I was. Even though at first I would not let you into my life, much less into my heart, you did not give up and little by little you did. I'm so glad you didn't give up on me, because thanks to you I learned what true friendship and unconditional love was. You taught me how to live and enjoy life. You gave me hope, love and protection. But most of all, you gave me the most beautiful thing in my life, the thing I love most besides you, you gave me Edward, our son who I am just as proud as you are to be able to call our son." A tear spilled down Riza's cheek. "I promised a long time ago to follow you to hell, and I stand by that promise with the added bonus that now I'll be able to tell you how much I love you whenever I want to, Roy."
Roy tenderly wiped away Riza's tear with his thumb while still looking into her eyes, she repeated the same with the lone tear that escaped his eyes. The judge asked for the rings which were carried on a small cushion that had been tied to Black Hayate's collar. The little canine cheerfully made his appearance up the aisle where Roy, still smiling, took both rings. He gently repeated the words the judge instructed and slipped the ring onto Riza's ring finger, kissing her hand once he was done. Riza repeated the pattern followed by Roy and affectionately squeezed his hand, gently running her thumb over his ring. After putting on their rings, they proceeded to put their signatures on the documents, followed by their witnesses. As soon as they were finished with the paperwork, the judge pronounced them husband and wife and Roy wasted no time in tenderly cupping Riza's left cheek before leaning in to kiss her lips. Riza placed her arms around the black-haired man's neck and responded the gesture with the same tenderness under the applause of their family and friends.
When they broke away from the kiss, they both smiled from ear to ear and Roy pulled Riza to his chest hugging her tightly. They stayed that way for a few seconds before pulling apart to receive hugs from their family and friends, Ed being the first to do so followed closely by Al.
"You were long overdue, old man." Ed said.
Everyone present laughed at the blond's comment.
"Yeah, it's definitely about time." Roy replied before leaning down to kiss Riza's forehead.
Once they were done with the hugs, the banquet began. Since they had decided that only the closest people would share this moment with them, they opted for everyone to sit at a large table so they could enjoy the chatter of all those gathered on this special day.
As Roy was finishing his meal, he could see in the distance, just at the entrance of the garden, a person who looked familiar to him.
Willing to confirm his suspicion, the black-haired man leaned toward Riza. "I'll be right back." He murmured to her.
She nodded, smiling, returning to the conversation she was having with her guests.
Roy made his way towards the person he had seen and when said person realized he had the black-haired man's attention he motioned for him to follow him to the reception area. As he approached, Roy couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. Internally he couldn't help but laugh at seeing again that attire of the now Fuhrer Grumman.
"I didn't think you were coming, ma'am." Roy commented to keep Grumman's disguise from being discovered by the service people standing at the front desk.
Grumman laughed "femininely", continuing his role. "And miss out on witnessing Central's most eligible bachelor being tied up? No, thank you. I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it."
Roy laughed at the comment. "Well you see, my dear lady, everything has an end and my bachelorhood has had it for a long time, it's only until today that it's official and I can shout it from the rooftops." He paused before speaking in a low, serious tone as he followed Grumman to a slightly more private place. "Where are your bodyguards, sir?"
"You don't know how hard it was to get rid of them. I was able to take advantage of being in the middle of an inspection to Eastern Headquarters to stay in my house and escape from there. It was complicated but I really wanted to make sure you finally tied the knot before you got into any more trouble, boy."
The black-haired man shook his head. "There won't be any more trouble."
"I hope so, because had things gone differently, you would have saved me quite a bit of trouble. What a tragedy that my insistence at each of our chess meetings didn't pay off because now I realize that at the end of the day you did what you wanted."
"You don't change, I thought once married you would leave the subject of your granddaughter alone."
Grumman smiled mischievously. "You know I always wanted you to marry my granddaughter because I thought you could love and protect her, not to mention give me great-grandchildren." His smile widened. "What I didn't expect was that you had beaten me to it and quite a bit, I must say."
Roy looked at him utterly confused. "I don't think I follow you, sir."
Grumman laughed. "Because it's your wedding, boy, I'll confess something to you as a gift." Roy raised an eyebrow. "You finally married my darling granddaughter, Mustang, and to top it off I've been given a great-grandson, although I really would have liked to have met him as a baby, what a disappointment!" He said with an exaggeratedly marked sigh. "Well you and my granddaughter are young, so maybe you can give me a couple more great-grandchildren."
Roy froze. "Your granddaughter? Riza is your granddaughter?"
Grumman nodded. "It's a long story. The short version is that I didn't know about her until she started working under your unit when you were a Lieutenant Colonel and, if you don't misremember, it was from that time that I started telling you to marry her."
"She knows?" The black-haired man asked, still confused.
Grumman shook his head. "No, she is not aware and I have kept it this way so as not to interfere with her promotion in the military and now I must keep it that way more than ever to protect her, Edward and you. After all the imbroglio you were involved in I don't want to draw attention to you again. Maybe when some time has passed and this whole imbroglio is completely forgotten I will dare to approach her."
"I really didn't expect this. If you still wish to keep it under wraps, why are you telling me?"
"Easy, my boy, because I wanted to make sure my granddaughter is happy and to tell you that no matter how much affection I have for you I won't touch my heart if you dare make her suffer."
Roy cracked a smile. "Don't worry, that won't happen."
"It better not, boy."
"You know I'll have to share this information with Riza, right? I've never kept anything from her, let alone now that she's my wife."
"I know, tell her I regret not finding her sooner and not being able to be the grandfather I would have liked to be, but if she ever needs me I'll be there for her." Said the older man cracking a smile at the end.
Roy nodded. "I will and don't worry, I will do my best to make sure that from now on there will only be happiness for her... Won't you join us at the banquet?"
Grumman shook his head. "I'd love to, but I'd better go. I could already see with my own eyes that you and my granddaughter are married and that your relationship with my great-grandson is fine. I know you don't need her, but I give you my blessing, boy."
"Thank you, Sir." Roy replied with a slight bow.
"We'll be seeing each other, my boy." Grumman said as he said goodbye.
"Will do."
Roy stood watching Grumman walk away in his disguise as he continued to process the information he had just received until his train of thought was interrupted by his son.
"Dad, what are you doing here? They need you to get the dance started."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was attending to a lady I knew a while back."
"Everything all right?"
"Everything's great." Roy reached over to put his arm around his son's shoulders. "We'd better get back."
As soon as they entered the garden, Havoc approached Roy.
"Come on, boss. I already want to have the pretext to ask all the beautiful ladies in the place to dance."
Roy and Ed laughed.
"Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer." Roy said with a smile.
The black-haired man let go of Ed to approach Riza offering her his hand. "My beautiful wife, will you grant me this dance?"
Riza smiled as she took the black-haired man's hand. "Of course."
Roy helped her to her feet and they made their way to the center of the garden where a dance floor had been set up. Once they were on it, the black-haired man placed one of his hands on her waist while he took one of the blonde's hands with the other. Riza took Roy's hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder. They began to dance to a slow song under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
"Everything okay? You were late getting back." Riza murmured.
Roy pulled Riza closer to him and leaned in slightly to whisper in her ear. "Everything is excellent. It was just an old acquaintance that I'll tell you about later, because right now I just want to enjoy this moment with my beloved wife." He moved his head and captured the blonde's lips in a tender kiss.
Riza smiled when they parted, released her hand from Roy's and placed both arms around the black-haired man's neck. He smiled at the gesture and took the opportunity to place his hands on the blonde's lower back. As they were dancing so close to each other, Riza rested her head on one of Roy's shoulders.
"I too want to enjoy this moment with my beloved husband." Riza replied before kissing Roy's cheek. "It's been too long since we danced like this."
He nodded. "The last time was shortly before I left for the academy."
"I didn't think we could ever do it again, let alone in public. I guess I can be thankful now that you taught me how to dance back then, because otherwise I'd be making a fool of myself today by stepping on your toes."
Roy laughed, before kissing Riza's head. "You would never make a fool of yourself, love. Although I must admit, we had a good time every time you stepped on my foot."
Riza removed her head from Roy's shoulder and smacked him lightly though unable to wipe the smile off her face.
When the music of the first song ended, the other couples joined the dance floor to accompany the newlywed couple. Among those couples, Winry and Ed stood out, who despite sporting a noticeable blush, let himself be swept off his feet by his girlfriend. Roy and Riza noticed this and couldn't help but smile as they watched their son indulging his girlfriend despite how unsteady his steps looked at times.
"They really make a cute couple, don't you think?" Riza asked motioning with her head towards her son and Winry.
Roy nodded with a proud smile on his face.
The newlyweds continued to enjoy a couple of pieces and every now and then their glances strayed to where the young couple was dancing.
For their part, Winry danced quietly with Ed without stopping smiling.
"Your parents look very happy." Winry commented.
Ed turned his gaze away from Winry to look in the direction of where his parents were. "Definitely. I'm very happy for them." He replied with a big smile.
"I think their story is one of true love. They've loved each other for so long and now, against all odds, they've managed to be able to express it to the world. It's very romantic."
"I rather think my mother has been quite patient with my father." Said the blond jokingly.
Winry smacked him lightly. "You're so mean." She said feigning annoyance. "It's been patience on both sides and a lot of hard work and devotion to each other."
"You're right." Ed smiled before leaning down to kiss Winry's forehead. "I'm going to work hard to make sure our relationship is nurtured and just as strong as my parents'. Although now that I think about it we have more of an advantage than they do."
Winry raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because we've known each other since we were babies and luckily we don't have any obstacles preventing us from being together."
The blonde smiled and reached up to kiss her boyfriend's cheek. "You're absolutely right, but that doesn't excuse us from having to work every day to continue to nurture our relationship."
"I totally agree."
Winry thought for a few seconds before speaking again. "Part of me wishes your parents hadn't had to go through so much to be together, but if it had been that way, I probably wouldn't have met you. I'm so selfish, aren't I?" The blonde said as she slightly ducked her gaze.
Ed brought his right hand to Winry's face to lift it up and make her look him in the eye. "You could never be selfish, Win. Quite the opposite. You are one of the kindest, most selfless people I know." He kissed her forehead again before continuing. "I also wish my parents hadn't had to suffer so much, but like you I can't help but think that if they had I wouldn't have met you, Al and many of the people I hold dear. So, I'd rather not dwell on the past and enjoy the present."
Winry grinned from ear to ear before leaning closer to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Do you know what their plans are now that they're married?"
"Mmm... what I've been told is that they will be staying to live at Forêtplatz so that they can continue to help out at Ishval. Since my father is not a member of the military at the moment, they can't stay in the facility they have set up there so the closest option is still that place."
Winry nodded and couldn't help but ask something that since the wedding announcement was bothering her. "Ed... now that the military isn't chasing you, will you be moving in with them, you and Al?" She asked, trying to hide the tone of sadness that did not go unnoticed by Ed.
Ed shook his head. "They invited me and Al to live with them. They told me they would always have open doors for us and I'm aware that they would love to have me by their side to make up for lost time. But... they also know that we already have our own lives made and they respect that." He gently took the blonde's chin so that her blue eyes met his golden ones. "I definitely want to spend time with them. Even Al and I have been thinking about spending some time with them and helping out in Ishval but my intention is to continue living in Resembool with you and Granny Pinako."
"Really?"
The blond nodded, smiling. "Really. I plan to spend a month with them but I think I'll wait for them to settle in and for all the excitement of the wedding to pass. I wouldn't want to be witnessing them being all cuddly and I certainly don't want to be hearing weird things at night." He said, shuddering slightly at the end.
Winry rolled her eyes.
"What?" The blonde asked.
"Sometimes I wonder if you've forgotten how it is that you came into this world." Winry said, unable to hide the smile she had been holding the whole time.
Ed blushed slightly. "Well I'm not used to seeing displays of affection let alone from my parents. Besides, I'm not interested in knowing the details of how I was conceived..."
Winry sighed. "Of course not, Ed. Obviously your parents aren't going to talk to you about it, let alone show it to you.
"I know, the point is I'd rather give them time alone to get all their newlywed fever down." Grumbled the boy before lowering his gaze and blushing again. "Besides, I want to spend time with you." He muttered.
The blonde smiled and without stopping dancing she hugged him placing her forehead on one of the boy's shoulders. "I want to spend time with you too." She murmured.
Ed smiled and returned the gesture, without stopping dancing. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, filling himself with the essence of the blonde enjoying the moment immensely despite how undeveloped his dancing skills were.
The party continued to be enjoyed by all the people present. During the dance, everyone was exchanging partners. Roy danced with his mother, with Rebeca and even with Winry. Riza danced with all of her unit mates, with Al, and with Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, whom Roy kept his eyes on to make sure he didn't hug Riza too tightly or make her fly off in one of the turns he made her do during the dance.
When Riza finally got the chance to dance with her son, she couldn't help but feel even happier than she already was.
"You dance very well, Edward." Riza said as she danced with the blond.
Ed blushed. "Uh... well dad taught Al and I a couple of steps." Stammered the boy. "You don't have to lie to me though, Mom. It's a miracle I haven't stepped on you yet." He confessed, embarrassed.
"None at all. You learned very well." Riza said proudly.
"Thank you." Said the boy shyly.
"Thank you and Alphonse for being here. This moment wouldn't be the same without you, son. For the first time in a long time I feel fulfilled. I know I don't deserve it, but I have you, Al, your father, all of our family and friends." Riza said as she stroked her boy's cheek.
Ed returned a warm smile. "Of course you deserve all of this, Mom. You and my dad. You've been through so much and through it all you've kept going and haven't given up on improving the country. I'm so proud to be your son." Said the boy with conviction.
The brown eyes began to sparkle with tears that wanted to overflow. She had finally been able to marry the man of her life, the father of her child, and if that wasn't enough, she had won back her only son who had opened his heart and life to her.
"I really don't deserve you, my son." Riza whispered as she hugged her son.
Without hesitation Ed hugged his mother tightly, rejoicing at the feeling the gesture gave him. Before he had learned that Riza was his mother he had felt it and now he no longer had any doubt that it had always been the famous 'blood call'.
"I'm the one who doesn't deserve to have such a beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted mother. I love you, Mom."
Riza tightened her embrace. "I love you, Edward."
-1 Week Later-
Roy and Riza had moved to Forêtplatz which was the closest town to Ishval. Due to the lack of roads between Ishval and the eastern towns, it took at least an hour's drive to get there, but that didn't discourage them from going to Ishval and looking for ways to support the rebuilding. Because they still had a lot of things to do to redeem themselves for their deeds, they both agreed that they would not have a honeymoon as Rebeca and the others expected. They only took a couple of days at Roy's old apartment to enjoy each other's company before they began their move into the house they had rented.
As soon as they both set foot in Ishval, they were greeted with several looks of suspicion, fear and even hatred, but they were also met with a few neutral and peaceful ones, especially from Scar's master, who with the help of the aforementioned had managed to get his more wary people to agree to work side by side with the military for the greater good.
Despite the hostility that could not be completely avoided when they first arrived, Roy and Riza reported to Major Miles, who with a smile and a previous congratulations for their recent marriage, assigned them to an area where houses were being rebuilt.
The days were long and exhausting due to the amount of work and the high temperatures of the region. Also due to Ishvalan beliefs, it was respected not to make use of alchemy, so the work took longer to complete.
The couple always brought food to share with the people and military who were working alongside them and although it took them practically 2 hours or more to get back and forth from their home to Ishval, that didn't stop them from doing it Monday through Saturday, as Sundays, at Miles' insistence, they decided to take them off to rest and shop for the next week's groceries.
In the company of Al and Winry, Ed joined the restoration efforts a couple of months after the wedding. With the wholehearted support of her grandmother and Mr. Garfield, Winry also participated by bringing her automail skills to Ishval. The three mechanics, along with the support of some extra mechanics from Rush Valley (thanks to calls and visits from Garfield, Paninya and Winry) decided to donate automails to the people who needed them most, as since the war and the conditions Bradley had forced them to live in, they had not had the opportunity, let alone the access, to restore the mobility that several survivors had lost.
Although he still required occasional moments to rest, Al did not lag behind and helped in all kinds of activities, which even served as part of his therapy to keep exercising his muscles. All under the watchful eye of Ed, Roy and Riza so that he didn't overexert himself.
At the end of each day, the youths would retire with Roy and Riza to rest. True to their word, the couple had rented a house with 3 bedrooms so that the brothers and Winry would always have one to come to. The evenings after the hard work were spent talking and enjoying themselves as a family.
Since everyone had worked so hard, Roy and Riza decided to take a full weekend off to enjoy the company of the youngsters. Since there was a fair in the town where they were living, they decided to spend some family time there in the afternoon. Seeing how much fun the youngsters were having and due to the hard work they had been doing the last few weeks, Roy and Riza decided to retire home before them, asking them to keep having fun and to be careful.
Once at home, they both decided to take a bath and lay down on their bed to enjoy each other's company. Roy protectively hugging Riza and she returning the embrace with a smile as she caressed her husband's face.
"I'm not up to that anymore, I guess I'm really getting old now." Said the black-haired man making Riza laugh.
"Come on, Roy. You've worked so hard since we moved in, it's normal to feel tired." Replied the blonde before depositing a kiss on Roy's lips.
"The boys have worked very hard and still have energy to be enjoying the fair while all I want to do is rest."
"You're not old, love. It makes sense that the boys have a lot more energy than we do. That's not to mention they've been through so much that I'm glad they can finally behave in accordance with their age."
Riza began massaging Roy's scalp, while he massaged her back.
"You're right, but do you think it's okay to leave them alone?" The black-haired man asked, slightly concerned.
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? The village is very quiet and besides they know how to defend themselves very well."
"I don't mean that... I mean Ed and Winry. I know Al is with them and to some extent he's acting as their guardian, but you know that at that age kissing can lead to other things."
Riza laughed lightly. "You're really worried about becoming a grandfather, aren't you?"
"Of course not." Grumbled the black-haired man. "But I do wish they would take their time. There's no rush to start a family. I know Winry's busy with her career as an automail mechanic and Ed's keeping busy with some work at Resembool, his alchemy research and other things, but..." He sighed. "I hope those 'other things' don't involve having children now. They're still very young, practically children."
The blonde couldn't hold back a laugh at her husband's words. "Roy, do I remind you what we were doing at their age?"
The black-haired man blushed slightly at the memory and decided to clear his throat before answering. "I must remind you, sweetheart, that everything we did before we conceived Ed was innocent compared to that time."
Riza gently kissed Roy's jaw causing him to shiver slightly at the sensation. "Mhm though we're not as innocent as you say either."
Roy ended up nodding as he remembered the passionate kissing and caressing sessions they had shared before they decided to take the step that ended up leading them to the conception of their child.
"Besides, I trust our son. I know he really loves and respects Winry."
"You're right." The black-haired man smiled sideways as he tucked a lock of blond hair behind his ear. "Come to think of it, I doubt the boys will be back anytime soon since they looked like they were having so much fun at the fair, that means we have the house to ourselves for at least a couple more hours. Maybe we could have some fun too." Roy commented, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Riza laughed and punched him playfully in the chest. "Weren't you saying a couple of minutes ago that you were feeling old and tired?"
"Old me? I'm in the prime of my life and especially now that I'm with the woman I love." He said before he started kissing his wife who responded with the same intensity as he did.
"Well maybe we can have some fun before the boys come back." Riza replied, causing Roy's smile to widen.
The adults had a good time while the kids were oblivious to that fun as they were enjoying the attractions of the fair and the food, especially Al who kept trying every new dish he came across. When the youths returned, it was about 11:00 p.m., but when they saw that the light in Roy and Riza's room was off, they decided to retire to their rooms to rest.
The rest of the youths' stay with Roy and Riza was pleasant and filled with much work in Ishval. Since Roy still had to complete almost one more year of suspension, he and Riza were engaged in the restoration of Ishval. The boys spent time with them, enjoying spending time with them and whenever they went they lent a hand in the restoration work.
At this point, Roy, Riza and Ed were more than grateful for the new opportunity they had been given to be a family and looked forward to what the future might hold.