Even though they had an open door policy, Roy knew better than to enter her home without knocking. He didn't feel like getting pumped full of lead tonight. It was far later than he would normally visit but he'd spent a lot of time thinking before finally deciding to come by. He could feel sweat beading beneath his collar. Even though he felt more comfortable with her than he did with anyone else, this visit made him nervous. His hand was clutched probably tighter than it should have been around a bouquet of wildflowers. The time between him knocking and hearing the lock click felt like an eternity.

She checked the peekhole to be safe, her hand subconsciously drifting to the sidearm strapped to her thigh, although she already knew who would be at her door at this hour. "Good evening sir," she stepped back to let him in, ushering her dog back inside. "Come in. You too, boy. You know better."

He offered her the bouquet, running his free hand through his hair nervously. "You got a vase," he observed, chuckling softly. A simple glass vase sat empty on her coffee table.

"I did," she confirmed, smelling their sweet scent. After her last visit from her 'friendly neighborhood florist' she decided to find one. She'd never used it, but she had one. Some nights she wished she had told him to come over that night. Other nights the more rational side of her told her that what they did was the safest approach. They avoided additional confrontation with the homunculi, who were keeping close watch on them both, and they avoided doing anything impulsive with one another. "So are we planning a wedding then?"

Roy shook his head, "It seems like that's what everyone has decided, regardless of that pesky thing called reality."

She put the flowers in their vase and added some water. Hayate sniffed the air, curious about the new scent wafting through the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she wasn't upset and she hoped her voice didn't make her sound as if she were. The whole situation was so peculiar though it would have been nice if someone had explained it to her earlier.

"Honestly? I couldn't tell if the old man was joking or not." Roy told her, "and I didn't know then that you were the granddaughter he was talking about."

"He does like to keep people guessing." she confirmed.

"Although I still would have agreed if I had known." he admitted.

"Sir?"

He sat down on her couch, with Hayate following to sit at his feet. "Before I left for the military, I asked your father for his blessing to ask you to be my wife."

She stared at him in shock, sitting down beside him on the couch, taking in what he had just told her.

Roy pulled out a small silver band from his pocket. "I had a ring, and I had a plan. I would ask you, and if you said yes, we would be married when I returned. I wanted something to come home to, a future, a life. But your father said I was not worthy." he placed the ring in her hand, gently closing her fingers around its cool metal, "I made it myself, using the silver from my mother's ring."

Hawkeye traced her fingers around the delicate silver etching. Little flowers were etched into its surface, tarnished with time. She never saw the appeal of roses, and somehow even back then Roy knew that. Outlines of tiny lilies and irises were carefully transmuted onto the band. She shook her head in disbelief, "What would you have done if I would have said no?"

"I suppose it wouldn't be any different from how these past few years have been. We would remain as friends, but I would still love you." It pained him a little to think about it. He was used to rejection by now but rejection from her would have packed an extra punch. It was disappointing enough being told that he wasn't worthy of marrying this woman. Although Berthold Hawkeye was hardly an ideal father figure, he was within his right to object to his daughter's suitor. She was the one person who had never disappointed him.

"And if I said yes?"

"Well, I already told you about my plan-"

"No," she interrupted, "I mean if I were to say yes now?" She looked at him hopefully, wondering if his offer still stood.

His eyes widened, "Are you saying what I think you're saying? It's illegal, Riza."

She was caught a little off guard by his use of her first name. She hadn't heard her name on his lips in years. Although she shouldn't have been too surprised since formality between them seemed to have gone out the door already. "I am."

He put his head in his hands, "It's not possible. Not without one of us leaving the military. We both have people we need to protect."

"Technically the law forbids courtship and sexual conduct between the ranks. Those who were married prior to entering into service are exempt from such a law. All we would have to do is say that I said yes before I entered the military, before you became my superior officer. Because if you had asked me and ignored my father like you ignored everything else the man ever said, I would have agreed. Truthfully, we never dated while enlisted."

"You've thought about this before, haven't you?"

She nodded, "A few times."

"Riza?" he got down on one knee and took her hand in his, "I've loved you for as long as I've known you. You've done me the great honor of being my protector, never letting me stray or compromise on my promises. You followed me into hell and you led me back out again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Will you marry me?" He already knew what her answer would be but he wanted to do this right.

"Yes," she told him. He took the ring from her hand and slipped it onto her finger. The weight of it was new, but felt somehow familiar as if it belonged there all along. She stared down at it in disbelief, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. In an instant his arms were around her.

"Hey, don't cry," he soothed, rubbing his hand in circles on her back. "Water makes me useless, remember."

She had to stop crying to laugh for a moment, "I just...do you think we can be happy? After everything that has happened? Do we even deserve to be happy?" It was a heavy question, and one that she knew he spent a lot of time thinking about as well.

He kept her wrapped in his arms as he sat down on the couch, easing her into his lap, "Not everyone gets what they deserve. I've noticed that a lot over the past year. Some people suffer more than they should, some people don't suffer enough." He thought back to Bradley, who had everything appointed to him. The corrupt generals who turned their backs on the people. Hughes, gone too soon. Ed and Al, who lost almost everything. The Ishvalans, still trying to rebuild their lives. "Life still goes on regardless of who gets what they deserve. You can be happy whether you think you deserve to be or not. And so can I. In this moment, right here, right now, with you, I am happy."

She nodded slowly, still not sure what to think. But right now, she was happy. Roy kicked off his shoes and swung his feet up onto the couch, laying down with her head against his chest. He let her tears soak into his jacket until they stopped. He could feel her breathing even out as she fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.