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lynx212This is for the ever patient ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
havemy_heart. He was kind enough to donate money to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
help_japan and my 1500 word commitment turned into a novella. Many hugs going out to him for being so generous as well as patient.
Title: Cloak and Dagger - Part 1
Genres: Adventure/Romance/Humor
Rating: R
Pairing: Havoc/Ed
Words: 28,635 (Total)
Warnings: Some language, sexual situations
Spoilers: Possible movie spoilers, Slight AU
Summary: Jean finds himself enjoying his time spent hanging out with an older wiser Ed. However, spending to much time with anyone named Elric is bound to be much more than you bargained for... this is no exception.
A/N: First of all a big shout out of appreciation going topatheticnemesis and sexkitten426 for looking over this monster fic. Hugs and love going out to sexkitten426 for pinking the hell out of this... you are awesome babe.
The Boss and The Chief were at it again. That was nothing surprising in the eyes of those that knew them well; what was surprising was the fact that The Boss was obviously winning this round of verbal sparring. He had backed The Chief in a corner and he had no way out that he could take and still save face. As Havoc watched the two, he couldn’t help but smile at the mirth dancing in golden eyes at his victory.
“It appears you have won this round, Fullmetal.”
“You’re damn right I did. You must be getting old, Sparky.”
“Perhaps it is not I who has aged,” Roy said with a smile.
Those words made Havoc take a long hard look at the young man standing with his hands triumphantly on his hips as a devious smirk claimed his face.
For so long Ed was just this overly driven man-child with too much genius for his own good. What he lacked in height he more than made up for in attitude. He was easily the youngest person Havoc ever found himself admiring. He carried the guilt and pressure of his and his brother’s circumstances like a true soldier and pressed forward until he accomplished his goals.
“How about we go grab lunch to celebrate your victory Boss, my treat?”
“It’s your wallet, Havoc. You know I never turn down food, especially when it’s free.”
With that said, Ed pushed off the doorframe leading to Mustang’s office, dropped his jacket on the corner of his desk and made a beeline for the door. Jean merely shook his head at Ed’s enthusiasm when it came to food, before standing and following him.
As the two walked out of the office they ran into Denny Brosh and Maria Ross. She immediately asked Havoc if Maes had given him the latest update on the Greggs case. When he said no, she began filling him in and Denny started talking to Ed. She said it was basically a closed case at this point, the informant came through with the necessary details and all they had left to do was round up the last suspect.
As she closed the conversation, their attention shifted to Denny who was in the middle of telling Ed something that had the alchemist fighting not to chuckle. Jean and Maria didn’t catch the bulk of it, but it involved Armstrong so they weren’t sure if they wanted to know. When Denny finished, Ed had lost his battle to contain his amusement and was bent over laughing, “You should be grateful he kept his shirt on. Those sparkles can blind a man.”
Maria nudged Denny to get him moving when he stood there laughing with Ed apparently too long for her liking. “That woman was a lot like Riza”, Havoc thought as he watched her give Denny a look that screamed 'get a move on it'. Maria was all business until the business was done and she didn’t take kindly to being held up if she was had things to do.
“Well, it was nice talking to you Ed. Catch ya later?”
“Sure thing, Denny. Thanks for the laugh.”
+++
When they finally made it outside, it was warmer than Jean had expected. It made him understand why Ed had opted to leave his jacket in the office. That meant Ed was out and about with his automail arm in full view. From what he knew of Ed, or at the very least what he thought he knew of Ed, that was a new thing. Ed wasn’t anywhere near bashful, but for most of the years he’d known the young man - rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine, he always wore long sleeves out in public.
Jean supposed Roy was right. Ed has grown up.
“So, where you want to eat at, Boss?”
“As long as it’s some place where I can grab a beer, I don’t care.”
Havoc tried not to let his shock show, but apparently he failed at that because Ed chuckled, “Hey, I’m off today. I just went in to rile up The Bastard. Besides, I’ll need it if I’m going to deal with another night of Al playing matchmaker.”
“Matchmaker?”
“Yeah, he seems to think that I’ve deprived myself of companionship while we were on our quest and now he’s determined to rectify this by any means necessary.”
“Any means necessary? That doesn’t sound promising.”
“It usually isn’t. You know how many people suddenly become interested in a blind date once they find out it’s with ‘The People’s Alchemist’? It’s insane, Havoc, completely insane.”
“I could only imagine. The military uniform alone will attract some interesting characters. I could only imagine what being a state alchemist, genius and living legend is like.”
Ed stopped and gave Jean one helluva look, “Not you too!”
“What?”
“I put my pants on one leg at a time just like every other Joe in this city. I wake up with drool marks on my face and hair a mess. It still hurts like a motherfucker when I whack my shin on a bedpost in the dark, and if I eat beans for lunch I’ll be gassy by dinnertime - I'm no different. People can’t seem to wrap their minds around that.”
Ed’s frank little speech made Jean think. Even though he was all too aware of just how human Ed was, he often thought of him as above some things. As nice at it would be for someone like him to bask in the kind of glory Ed’s been showered with, he did think it would get old after a while, especially when you were looking for a companion. Who wanted to spend their days and nights with someone who couldn’t get past your image?
“I hadn’t thought about that, Ed.”
“Eh, it’s no biggie. It’s not something I usually gripe and moan about, because outside of the annoyance it’s flattering; however, dealing with Al recently has just been trying as fuck. I never know what I’m coming home to. As far as I know, he could have set me up tonight and there could be some stranger sitting at the house by the time I get home.”
Jean’s mind was spinning on everything Ed had been saying and came up with a question that made him chuckle, “Al doesn’t know you have today off, does he?”
“Hell no, he doesn’t!” Ed declared as he shot havoc an indignant look, “I was only crazy enough to let him know my days off twice. He thinks I’m making excuses when I say I don’t want to look for that sort of thing, I just want it to happen. A watched pot never boils, right? So I figure looking for that special someone will only ensure that you never find them.”
“That’s very wise of you Ed. I may have to consider taking that approach myself.”
“I didn’t mean to imply there was anything wrong with asking people out, dating or whatever, it’s just not for me.”
Havoc slowed his pace as they neared the pub aptly named The Brig. “How about here? They have beer and the portion sizes for the food are huge.”
“Sounds good to me, I’m starving.”
“When aren’t you starving?”
Ed rubbed his chin in thought as he reached for the door handle. As he pulled it open, he looked over his shoulder at Jean and replied with, “I’ll let you know when it happens.”
Havoc couldn't help but chuckle as he followed the blond alchemist inside.
+++
As Jean watched Ed devour his second full rack of ribs, he was in awe and he was extremely glad the pub had a special going for all-you-can-eat. He had never seen anyone that could come close to matching Ed’s appetite. He’d never understand how Ed managed to stay as fit as did considering how he ate. Where did it all go, Jean wondered as Ed cleared off the last bone and dropped it on his plate before leaning back and patting his stomach in a satisfied manner.
“Damn, that was good.”
“I gathered that,” Jean replied as he glanced down at Ed’s plate then back up at Ed.
Ed laughed, chugged down half of his beer, plopped the bottle down on the table and said, “It’s the automail.”
“Huh?” Jean asked, completely confused.
“The reason I eat so much - it’s the automail and my metabolism.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, not to say I wouldn’t have kept myself in shape anyway, but I put on all of this muscle to help carry the weight of the automail. This shit’s heavy as fuck. But the offshoot of having this much muscle is that it’s constantly burning up everything I eat.”
“I hadn’t looked at it that way.”
“Yup, that’s why people like me and Armstrong eat so much; it’s not because he’s six-foot-nine or because I’m a natural bottomless pit, it’s the muscle. Muscle takes fuel.”
“Well, I’ve learned something new today.”
“Good deal, because so have I.”
After wracking his brain for several minutes and not coming up with anything, curiosity got the best of Jean and he asked, “What?”
“You either smoke out of boredom or you have an oral fixation. You haven’t smoked one cigarette since we left the office.”
Jean felt his eyes go wide as he realized Ed was right, at least about him not having smoked since they left the office. He hadn’t even thought about lighting one up.
“Now,” Ed said as he leaned back in the booth and smirked at Jean, “Let’s see how long you can last now that I’ve brought it to your attention.”
Even though Jean was smirking over his glass at his lunch companion, the pull to light up was already there. He was fighting it, but it was making itself known.
“Go ahead and light up you big dolt. I only enjoy seeing Mustang suffer.”
That was a relief to Jean but part of him wanted to hold out just to prove Ed wrong. It was like a challenge. He pulled the pack out of his jacket pocket, sat them and his matches on the table beside the well-worn ashtray. When he didn’t move to smoke one, Ed gave him a look he couldn’t decipher.
When he started talking about the last stray Kain brought into the office, Ed rolled his eyes, reached for the pack and lit one up himself. If Jean’s eyebrows had went up any further, they would have disappeared into his hairline.
“YOU SMOKE!?”
At that loud declaration, several people around them paused what they were doing to stare at the duo.
“Would you keep it down,” Ed whispered as he turned his head and exhaled the drag he’d taken off the cigarette.
Havoc felt immediately sheepish. Of all people to be told to calm down by, being told by Ed was like having Elysia tell you that you can’t have your dessert until you eat your vegetables. Once he composed himself, he mumbled an apology to his lunch companion and asked the question once again only in a much more calm and collected manner.
“Yes and no. Not on a daily basis like you do, but every now and again when I drink and occasionally after doing the deed I want one.”
That last bit had Jean strangling on his tea. After he cleared his throat, he looked up into the concerned face of one Edward Elric.
“You alright over there, Sure-shot?”
“Uh, yeah, just got a little choked up.”
“I realize this. What happened?”
“Well it… you see,” Havoc stumbled around not sure how to say, or even if he wanted to say, what had him out of sorts.
Ed was staring at him so intently he felt like he was under interrogation. Opting to take the high road he said, “Sure-shot?”
“Yeah, yeah, I have nicknames for everyone in the office in my head, but that’s not what we’re talking about here,” he said as he leaned back in his seat, as furrowed brows paired with an intense golden-eyed gaze locked onto Havoc. “You didn’t seriously think that at damn near twenty years old I was still a virgin, did you?”
There was no safe answer to that question, and suddenly Havoc felt like he was talking to Riza. That woman specialized in asking questions that had no safe answer. “You didn’t just come in from smoking again did you, Lieutenant?” Saying no was stupid because he knew she could smell it, saying yes was admitting he was trying to sneak in an extra break, and offering sarcasm was never appreciated when slacking off was part of the issue.
In Havoc’s opinion, what Ed asked was that type of question. Saying yes implied things that no man wants to hear, saying no brings up morality issues, and saying what was really on his mind was an absolute no-no. Jean figured the response of “To be honest, you are still twelve in my head, therefore asexual so the thought of you engaging in those activities has never come up,” would go over about as well as telling Hawkeye she’s not the actual boss in the office.
“Sorry Ed, I guess I just didn’t expect it. That was kind of out of left field.”
Ed snorted took a swig of his beer, another drag off the cigarette before passing it to Jean, “It only seems that way because no one but Breda has acknowledged the fact that I’m not still a brat, but he’s always been great like that. He actually told me my first dirty joke.”
“Do you remember what it was?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was a slow day in the office and Roy was going on about miniskirts again, so Breda waved me out into the hall and said, “I got a live one for ya, Ed. A young man moves into a new neighborhood and the guy that lives next to him says, "Hey, I'm having a party and there's going to be a lot of eating, a lot drinking and a lot of screwing!" The young man looks at his neighbor in excitement and says, “Cool shit, what should I bring?” The guy replies, “I don't care what you bring… it's just going to be me and you.””
“That’s hilarious!”
“Yeah, I thought so too, especially at the time. Everyone else still censors or stops certain conversations when I enter the room. I know it’s something I’ll just have to tolerate for a while, but it’s still frustrating.”
“I’m sure it is, but in time it will work itself out.”
Ed merely nodded, as he seemed focused on something just over Havoc’s shoulder. When Jean turned his head to see what it was, he realized Ed was staring at the pool table.
“You shoot, Boss?”
“I’ve been known to. Are you up for a quick game?”
“I don’t know if we have time for that.”
“Ah, come on, unless you play bounce the balls around the table we have plenty of time.”
Jean glanced at his watch. He had a little over twenty minutes of his lunch hour left. Shrugging his shoulders, he slid out of the booth and followed Ed.
Much to Jean’s surprise, it was indeed a short game. Twice behind the cue ball had Ed aiming the eight ball for the corner pocket. Jean still had four solids on the table, and it made him glad he hadn’t bet anything on the game. Who would have thought a hyperactive bundle of energy like Ed would be good at a game requiring so much patience? As Jean watched the eight ball glide smoothly into the pocket, he sighed.
“See, told you it wouldn’t take long,” Ed said as he moved to place his stick back on the rack.
“Oh, no you don’t, Elric, you can’t whip a man that bad and walk away. I want a rematch.”
“Is that a challenge I hear in your voice, Lieutenant?”
“Bring that stick back over to the table and find out.”
Game two ended nearly the same as game one, except Havoc had five balls left on the table instead of four.
“You should have quit while you were ahead.”
“You would think a guy that aims at things for a living would be better at this.”
“This is a totally different science. You aren’t hitting your targets to move them. Pool is all about trajectory.”
They hung up their sticks, Havoc paid their tab and they headed back to the office. It wasn’t until they walked into the office that Havoc noticed he’d run a little over his lunch hour. Riza gave him a look, but considering Ed was talking animatedly about the logistics of pool, she didn’t say anything.
Ed lingered around the office long enough to get Roy worked up one more time before he disappeared. Havoc dove back into his paperwork hoping that it would get him back in Riza’s good graces. He doubted it, but it was worth a shot.
The day went by surprisingly fast, and in short order, it was quitting time.
As he strolled out of the building, he passed Ed and Denny chatting in the hallway. Ed tipped his head up as Jean passed before going right back to his conversation. Havoc stepped out into the sun and found that he was looking forward to the weekend even though he lacked any actual plans. It would be nice to sleep until naturally waking, instead of bolting upright at the shrill sound of his alarm clock.
+++
Ed was in a good mood as he walked home from the office, but having a massive lunch did that for the Major; however, his mood changed the instant he turned the corner and spotted the house he shared with Al. There was a strange car in the driveway and Ed would bet anything that it belonged to yet another person his brother had invited over to dinner. Ed was disappointed in himself that it took him so long to figure out Al’s little schemes. How many new coworkers could a person get in a month’s time to ‘invite’ over for dinner to get to know better?
Frustrated with the thought of sitting through another awkward dinner, Ed turned on his heels and marched back toward town. He was contemplating going to the Hughes household when Mother Nature had other ideas. With no other warning aside from a deafening crack of thunder, the clouds opened up and emptied their contents over the city. Realizing that he was swiftly getting drenched, Ed headed for the nearest familiar shelter - Kain’s place.
Soaked to the bone, Edward tromped up the stairwell. Kain’s apartment was on the third floor and Ed was mumbling under his breath about that fact as he left a nice trail of water puddles behind him. When he did finally reach Kain’s door, he knocked loudly and stood in the hallway with his arms folded over his chest thinking about the audacity of little brothers.
When Kain opened the door, he was surprised to see Ed there but stepped aside to let the soggy man in anyway.
“What brings you to this side of town in the pouring rain?”
“Al.”
“Another dinner companion?”
“I didn’t risk it; when I saw the strange car in the driveway I tucked tail and ran.”
“Well, you’re welcome to join us for dinner. I have plenty.”
“Us? I’m not intruding on…”
“Nothing like that. It’s just me and Jean.”
“Ok, cool. I didn’t want to be the third wheel if someone was actually in the middle of a date they were looking forward to.”
Kain chuckled and waved Ed further into the apartment. When they entered the kitchen, Ed saw Havoc was seated at the table scratching a small tan and black dog behind the ears. Ed couldn’t decide who looked more content, him or the pup.
“It looks like we’re dining together for the second time today, Lieutenant.”
At that, both the dog's and Havoc’s head shot up and turned in Ed’s direction.
“You’re soaked, Boss.”
“Thanks for the news flash, Havoc. I hadn’t noticed.”
Ed’s sarcasm had Kain chuckling but it also had him thinking Ed probably didn’t want to be in that wet shirt for dinner.
“I’ll go grab you a dry shirt, Ed. Have a seat.”
Ed plopped down in the chair across from Havoc. “What brings you over here?”
“You know that little old lady that runs the technology supply shop Kain frequents? She sent Kain home with a whole ham today. Told him he looked under-fed.”
“Are you serious? A whole ham for one person?”
“Yup, that’s why he invited me over when I bumped into him on the way home. He said that even if he ate nothing but ham all weekend he still wouldn’t be able to finish it.”
“Here ya go, Ed. I think this will fit you,” Kain said, announcing his presence in the room.
Without further ado, Ed stood up and peeled out of his wet shirt before looking at the one Kain gave him up and down. As Ed was doing that, Havoc was doing the same to him. He could tell Ed was in shape, but he had no idea the vertically-challenged alchemist was built like a small tank. No wonder that, when it came to situations that would most likely call for rugged terrain and hand-to-hand combat, Mustang insisted on waiting until Ed was available - unless time was in short supply.
Ed stretched out the shirt in his hands and pulled it over his head. He had to tug on it to get it down, and even still it fit him like a glove. He and Kain may be the same height, but they were far from the same build.
“So, what’s this I hear about a whole ham?” Ed asked as he sat back down.
“It’s huge and there’s no way I could eat it all before it went bad. I hate to waste food and it seems little Dusty over there isn’t fond of ham.”
“What kind of dog doesn’t like ham?”
“The kind that’s sitting on Havoc’s lap.”
“What is he, anyway?”
“I would guess part beagle, but mostly mutt,” Kain replied.
“Hard for me to respect a dog that passes up on meat,” Ed said as he eyed the flop-eared canine suspiciously. “So, what are we doing besides gorging ourselves on pork?”
“If you guys don’t have anything better to do, we could always play a card game or two.”
“Sounds like a winner to me. Al’s persistent, and if this guest is as determined as the rest they will wait around for hours if need be, so I am in no hurry whatsoever.”
Kain just shook his head. “Have you tried telling him straight out you don’t like this sort of thing?”
Ed gave Fuery an incredulous look. Asking Ed if he had been straightforward was akin to asking if the grass was green. Of course he had done so; Ed was blunt in a way most people only wished they had the balls to be. He’s the only person Kain had ever known to render the Führer speechless. Yes; indeed, Ed was in a class of his own.
When Kain pulled out the ham, Ed asked if he had planned on making anything to go with it. After Kain professed to know next to nothing about cooking, Ed volunteered to whip up a couple of side dishes.
“You cook, Boss?” Havoc asked as he stood up, pulling his smokes out of his pocket.
“A little; when you’re on the road as much as I was, you don’t have much of a choice. Plus, Al and I have been cooking for ourselves since we were eight and nine. You learn a lot in a decade.”
Havoc nodded and left out the back door. As he lit up, his mind spun on Ed’s words. Ed and Al were such well-adjusted people; it was easy to forget that their childhood was a disaster. He wondered if those two had ever truly been children. From the moment Ed walked into the office with that silver pocket watch dangling from a belt loop, he put off such an air of seriousness that, if you were looking him in the eye and not taking him in as a whole (all four-feet-nine inches of him at the time), it was easy to forget he was a child.
Children were not Majors in the military – at least, they weren’t in Havoc’s world - until Ed came along. He didn’t have the voice of a child, he didn’t carry himself like a child, and (for the most part) he didn’t behave like one, either. Havoc thought it was nice to see how Ed has lightened up now that Al was whole and well again. He didn’t get his arm and leg back, but he didn’t seem to mind that. Of course, anyone close to him knew that Al’s restoration was the driving force behind Ed, not anything he hoped to recover for himself.
When Jean went back inside, both men were in the kitchen and Ed was telling Fuery the best way to peel potatoes. Jean wasn’t much on cooking, so he plopped down and hoped neither man would ask him to help.
No such luck.
“Oh, no you don’t, solider; if you’re going to eat, you’re going to pitch in. Add some butter to that pot of boiling water,” Ed demanded as he waved a wooden spoon around.
Havoc did as he was told, and in no time the three of them were sitting around Kain’s table eating ham, green beans and mashed potatoes. Once they had eaten their fill, they cleared the table and Kain brought out the cards and beer. They passed quite a few hours this way, playing various versions of poker, gin and some drinking game Ed said he picked up in Xing.
By the time midnight rolled around, everyone was yawning.
“I’m throwing in the towel,” Ed said as he got to his feet, “That’s the bad thing about not telling Al I have the day off -- I still have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn and leave the house.”
“Let me fix you some to-go stuff, Ed. I’ll put enough in there for Al, too.”
Ed didn’t reply; he was too busy yawning and stretching.
“I’ll walk with ya, boss. It’s past my bedtime too.”
When Kain returned to the living room, he had two bags. He gave each of them one before thanking them for coming over and helping with dinner.
Both blonds were quiet as they walked the dimly lit streets toward the south side of Central. It was still warm out and the moon was half full. Stars littered the night sky and it was making Jean thoughtful. He wasn’t one to wax poetic, but if anything was going to prompt the change it was a night like tonight. He was about to comment on this when Ed took a sudden right.
Jean knew for a fact the alchemist didn’t live this way, but he didn’t ask since he didn’t have to follow the man. It was only curiosity that made him hang a right when Ed did, and Jean figured if he was going to be blatantly nosy, he may as well not make a nuisance of himself; however, Ed turning toward one of the more run-down areas of city was making it even harder for Havoc to remain quiet. When they began scaling down the hillside beside a bridge, Jean began to wonder if Ed had lost his mind. What reason could Ed possibly have for ducking under a bridge?
Once they rounded the aged stone, the flickering light from a barrel caught Jean’s attention. As they got closer, he realized there was someone - no, two someone’s - under the bridge.
“Is that you, Blondie?”
“Of course it is, Baldy. Who else would be visiting you guys this time of night? What’s been good?” Ed asked as he handed his bag of food over to the man that looked like he’d missed more than a few good meals in his time. Without prompting, Havoc gave his to the other fellow, only to receive a hesitant look from the nearly toothless man.
“He’s good, Trombone; he works with me.”
The man still looked unsure, but Jean was guessing that the smell of the contents of the bag overruled any fear he might have had. He mumbled thanks in Havoc’s direction before retreating into the shadows with his meal, leaving Ed and Havoc alone with Baldy.
“Well, it’s been mostly quiet,” the thin hairless man mumbled between bites, “but there is rumor of corruption inside the boarding house. You know… all of the funds not making it to where they’re supposed to be.”
“Any clue who is behind it?” Ed asked, and Havoc was too shocked at the whole exchange to speak.
“Some thin, sleazy cowboy-looking guy with beady black eyes; he seemed like the type to sell out his own mother if it would turn him a dollar. I saw him sifting through the pockets of the coats on the rack in the sleeping room. If a man will steal from a homeless person, then stealing from an agency would be nothing.”
“Has this guy always been in charge?”
“No, Miss Kemp was in charge but she finally retired here a few months ago… you made these potatoes, didn’t you, Blondie?”
“I sure did. How could you tell?”
“You fix ’em the way my Nana used to - plenty of butter and pepper. Anyway, when Kemp left, we had a fill-in, and then this guy was hired.”
“You got a name for me?”
“Last name is Roso or Rosco - something like that, I think.”
“Thanks Baldy,” Ed said as he handed the man a few cens which he tried to refuse but Ed dropped them in the bag with the food.
“Ya’ll be careful dealing with him. Folks that greedy and lazy don’t usually work alone.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good one.”
“You too, Blondie, and thanks for dinner.”
As the two men left the area, Ed didn’t say one word and it was killing Jean. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“What in the hell was all that about?”
“I’m working on something with Hughes and it’s hush-hush right now. I’ll fill you in later, ok, not out here in the open.”
Havoc nodded even though he really didn’t have much choice in the matter.
When they parted ways with nothing more than a wave, Havoc got the feeling he’d just stepped into something he was gonna need hip waders to get out of.
+++
Monday rolled around and Jean Havoc was buried in his superior's paperwork. Jean looked into Roy’s office, and when he saw the man was filing his nails, he scowled at him. Roy smirked in return, and proceeded to kick back in his chair and gaze out the window. Hawkeye was off for the day and Roy was milking it for all it was worth. He was about to flip Roy the bird when a loud thunk and a shout of, “Fuck it all! I’m going to investigations; I’ll do this shit later,” echoed through the office. It got everyone’s attention.
When Ed hopped to his feet and stormed out, no one thought anything of it. If Ed was known for anything, it was his short fuse.
Lunch came and went, and still no Ed. Jean was in the middle of authorizing a bathroom remodel on Roy’s behalf when Mustang’s phone rang. There were a lot of short answers given on Roy’s part before he beckoned for Jean to come in his office and shut the door behind him.
Solid black eyes narrowed at him, but their owner said nothing and it was making Jean’s palms sweat. What had he done and how much trouble was he in, were the only thoughts going through his mind.
“Do you have any idea why Maes would be requesting for you to come over to investigations?”
“No, Sir,” was the half-truth of an answer Havoc gave.
“Well, you’re going to have to get a whole hell of a lot better at lying if you’re going to help him out like he wants you to,” Roy flippantly replied.
“Well, you see, Sir, I do and don’t know anything. I know there is something but that’s all I know, so in my book that still qualifies as nothing.”
“Good enough rationale for a back pedal, Lieutenant; there may be hope for you yet. Now, get over to investigations and hand Breda those papers you were working on before you leave.”
Havoc did as he was told before making his way over to Maes’ office. When he arrived, Ed was kicked back on Hughes’ couch while stuffing one of the largest sandwiches Jean had ever seen in his face.
"Glad you could come so quickly, Jean," Maes said as he shook his hand and motioned for him to have a seat beside Ed. "I'm sure you're confused so I'll cut to the chase. I need two informants. Ed makes one and I want you to be the other."
"Why me?"
"For one, I know you can hit a moving target from a hundred yards away; and two, Ed says you followed him under the bridge last night, so that means you already know too much not to be involved.”
Well, that will teach Jean about being nosy, won't it? Curiosity has killed many cats, and it looks like it has a tendency to land Lieutenants in hot water as well.
Maes didn’t waste much time once Havoc shut the door behind him. He rattled off the current dilemma he needed them to investigate. Ed neither flinched nor batted an eyelash; he merely kept stuffing his face. When Maes finally quit speaking, Jean’s head was spinning and he was more than a little confused.
“Let me get this straight. You want me and Ed to pose as office personnel to get close to this Rosco guy?”
“Yup.”
“Why in the office, of all places?”
“This guy would want to make as many friends there as he can so he can tempt and steal all he wants, so from this point out; Ed, you will be Richard Green, the new Social worker; and Jean, you will be his assistant, Jerry Hayden,” Maes said as he handed them new IDs and credentials matching the names he’d just given them. Maes seemed to have thought of everything; but of course, it was his job to do so.
“We’ve already pulled the two new guys they were expecting out of the picture, and you’re taking their place. The two of you will be sharing a flat downtown within walking distance of where your new jobs will be, and I expect you to do your best not to venture over on this side of Central unless absolutely necessary. That way, you will cut down on your chances of running into anyone that knows you for who you really are, but as big as this city is, I don’t think that will be much of a problem once you two change up your appearances some.”
“Change our appearances?” Ed questioned.
“Don’t worry, Ed, your precious hair is safe; I’m just asking that you wear it differently - and both of you need new clothes,” Maes said as he tossed an envelope at each of them. When they opened it, there was quite a few cens in each. “You two are supposed to be civilian office workers. I need you to look and act the part. Go get clothes, accessories, and whatever else you need to pass for two college-educated yuppies that would eventually fall in with the corrupted crowd at work.”
“So, we are supposed to fall in with this guy?” Havoc asked.
“Not at first; you have to earn his trust, and you can’t seem too eager once you have it; you don’t want him to get suspicious of you. Just follow Ed’s lead; he’s a master at this sort of thing. As well-known as he is, he has yet to be discovered undercover. Just keep in mind that, if at any time the police or military get involved, you are who you are on those ID cards. Until this is over, Jean and Ed do not exist. If anyone from here needs to talk to you, they will let you know that they are with the King’s Counselor. If they don’t say that, then keep playing as Richard and Jerry.”
Everything was happening so fast that Jean’s head was spinning. He knew most of the things Ed got into were hush-hush, but he always assumed he dealt more with things that had to do with mad scientists and rogue alchemists. Jean now saw just how wrong he was.
“Come on, Sureshot, let’s get a move on; we have shopping to do,” Ed said as he stood up and tossed the remains of his lunch in the trash. “When do we report to the townhouse and shelter?”
“You two are scheduled to start work Thursday, so that gives you a couple of days to get comfortable being Richard and Jerry. As soon as you go shopping, I want you to alter your appearances and take a taxi over to your new place. It should be all set up with the basics and you can buy anything else you need once you get settled in,” Maes said as he handed them each a set of keys.
Ed asked a few more questions before turning to leave, and Jean was still too stunned to do anything but follow after him. He was going under cover for an unknown amount of time and he was suddenly Jerry Hayden.
Sometimes life came at him entirely too fast.
+++
Ed left Maes’s office and immediately went to a men’s clothing store. He tried on numerous things there until he found a look that he liked before he helped Havoc do the same. Each time Havoc picked up something he liked, Ed shook his head no. Frustrated, he finally asked Ed what the deal was.
“You keep picking up things that closely resemble your usual attire. Get out of your denim-wearing comfort zone and pick something Jerry likes.”
He didn’t want to admit it, but Ed had a point. The whole purpose of this was to look as different as possible so he might as well go all out.
A few hours later, the two of them were tired and neither cared if they ever saw the inside of a men’s clothing store ever again. They flipped a coin over who was going to get the bedroom with a view, and when Havoc won the toss, Ed grumbled something that sounded distinctly like ‘lucky bastard’ and marched into the other room to change into Richard so they could go out and get dinner.
Havoc changed into a tan pair of dress slacks and a black button-up shirt and draped a scarf around his neck that Ed insisted he buy to complete the look. After he slid his feet into a pair of brown loafers, he stepped in front of the mirror and had to admit it all looked good together. With a different hair style, he probably wouldn’t recognize himself.
He was in the bathroom trying to smooth out his hair when he heard, “You look odd with calm hair, but I like it.”
Havoc looked up and his jaw dropped. There was nothing about the man in the doorway that said Edward Elric; no, this stranger didn’t look anything like the person that had beaten him in pool a few days ago after drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Ed had on a pair of dark brown slacks and a white button-up shirt with suspenders. There were round glasses on his face and a burgundy beret on his head. His braid was gone and his hair was pulled into a low ponytail and held in place by what looked like a leather strap.
He could have passed Ed on the street looking like that and never guessed it was him in a million years.
“Wow, Ed, you look totally different.”
No response came from the shorter blond, which had Havoc wondering if he was still sore about losing the coin toss. When he asked Ed what was up, the blond replied with, “Nothing’s wrong Jerry, I am just practicing ignoring you when you call me be the wrong name.”
Well, that solved that mystery and Jean… Jerry went back to combing his hair. Once he was done, the two locked up and left on a quest for dinner.
Once outside, they both realized that while the flat itself was nice, they were very close to the bad side of town. As they strolled down the street, their proximity to the city’s seedier side made itself know in the form of a working gal approaching them and offering them a two-for-one special which Jean promptly turned down. When she grew a bit indignant, Ed softened the rejection by saying they had just moved into a new place and wouldn’t have the energy to enjoy it, then winked at her and said, “Perhaps another time?”
“Sure thing sweetness, the name is Ginger and I’m seldom far from here.”
“Thank you, Ginger.”
As they walked along, Jean’s mind was spinning in a thousand different directions. Just as he’d worked himself up into a real tizzy, Ed said, “Relax Jerry, I wasn’t serious, but you need to understand that we are on an information-seeking mission here. You don’t find out information by making enemies or rubbing people the wrong way. Despite what most would think, working gals - much like Baldy - know quite a bit. Their entire existence is based on and around being able to read people; plus, if you are looking for some moral-less slime ball, making friends with certain people will help more than you know.”
Jean did what he could to take it all in, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that not only was Ed right, but also that he needed to loosen up and let go of the majority of his hang-ups. Jean realized he won’t get very far responding the way he had to Ginger. If he was going to get in good with some seedy fellow, then he was going to have to be prepared to injure his morals a bit.
They found a hole-in-the-wall diner to have dinner at, and Jean watched in awe as Ed managed to charm the waitress and the cook before they left. Watching him in action made it clear to Havoc exactly why Maes sent Ed out on missions like this. The man was a fucking chameleon. He could blend in anywhere.
Thursday came quick and Jean was nervous. He’d never had the need to pretend to be someone other than himself before. It was seriously rattling his nerves.
When they arrived at the building, they were introduced to several of the office staff by a woman that looked to be in her mid thirties named Amy Hammerick. They were four people into the introductions when they were introduced to Donovan Rosco, and he was every bit as sleazy and shady-looking as Baldy had described him to be.
He was the sort that smiled a bit too wide, laughed a bit too loudly - and if Jean wasn’t mistaken, his eyes lingered on Ed a bit too long.
After shaking everyone’s hand, Ed tried to follow Amy as she gave them the grand tour, only to have Rosco step in the way.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked Ed as he continued to pet the small yip-yap dog in his arms.
“Why do you ask?”
“You have a unique look about you, that’s all. I thought you might be one of those islanders or something.”
“If by that you mean from Xerxes then you are correct in a sense; my grandfather hailed from there.”
Hailed? Havoc thought as he did his best not to stare. Ed has altered his entire manner of speech to the point where he sounded like one of those snooty men that hosted a late-night radio talk show Jean couldn’t stand but still listened to.
The two talked for a while, and once it became obvious that Amy had waited as long as she was willing to wait Rosco quit talking and let them move on.
Once they arrived at what would be their shared office, it dawned on Jean that Jerry might know how to be a social worker’s assistant, but Jean had no idea what he was expected to do. He listened intently as Ed talked to the woman about getting some more filing cabinets, redoing the filing system and some other things until his head was spinning for the third time that week.
When she looked up at him and asked if he needed anything, Jean replied with, “Not at the moment, miss, but thank you. I’m sure as the day goes on I’ll figure out what I need to function.”
This reply seemed to please both Amy and Ed, and she left them with a, “Come find me if you need me.”
The day went by fairly quickly with the two of them doing exactly what Ed proclaimed they would do, which was reorganizing the haphazard filing system. When three o’clock rolled around, Rosco made his way into their office and let out a whistle.
“I knew you’d whip this place into shape the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re probably just what this agency needs.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rosco.”
“Oh no, none of that Mister business, I’m feeling old enough as it is working beside someone as young as you and ole Harry here. Just call me Don.”
“Don it is,” Ed replied with a smile and as the two continued to talk it grated more and more on Jean’s nerves how overly friendly the man seemed to be.
“Well, I’d love to take you boys out to lunch one day after you get settled.”
“No need for that my good man, but thank you for the offer,” Ed replied.
“Oh, it’s no problem. I’m sure it takes next to nothing to feed you, but ol’ stretch over there will make up for it, I’m sure,” he said with a snort as he pointed a thumb in Jean’s direction.
Jean had to bite his tongue at the crass assumption and try not to laugh at the same time. Rosco had no idea just how wrong he was about their appetites. Ed was liable to eat the man out of a week’s pay.
“How about Monday then, since I’m sure Amy will have us tied up during lunch again tomorrow?”
“Sounds good to me, and you boys watch out for Amy. She’s on the prowl for a husband, so beware unless you are looking to settle down.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Jean replied as he brought a box over to Ed and sat it on his desk.
With nothing more than a nod, Rosco left the office and neither man saw him for the remainder of the day.
When they got back to their flat, Jean noticed how quiet Ed was and asked the other blond what he had on his mind.
“Just sizing that Rosco dude up in my head and the picture I’m painting isn’t a pretty one. Something tells me I’m going to have nightmares about this assignment.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry about it Jerry, I might be wrong anyway,” Ed said as he walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
His dismissal of it didn’t make Jean feel any better; in fact, it made him feel worse. If it were truly nothing to worry about, Ed would have shared. The simple fact that he didn’t want to made Jean’s stomach knot.
havemy_heart. He was kind enough to donate money to help_japan and my 1500 word commitment turned into a novella. Many hugs going out to him for being so generous as well as patient. Title: Cloak and Dagger - Part 1
Genres: Adventure/Romance/Humor
Rating: R
Pairing: Havoc/Ed
Words: 28,635 (Total)
Warnings: Some language, sexual situations
Spoilers: Possible movie spoilers, Slight AU
Summary: Jean finds himself enjoying his time spent hanging out with an older wiser Ed. However, spending to much time with anyone named Elric is bound to be much more than you bargained for... this is no exception.
A/N: First of all a big shout out of appreciation going to
patheticnemesis and sexkitten426 for looking over this monster fic. Hugs and love going out to sexkitten426 for pinking the hell out of this... you are awesome babe.The Boss and The Chief were at it again. That was nothing surprising in the eyes of those that knew them well; what was surprising was the fact that The Boss was obviously winning this round of verbal sparring. He had backed The Chief in a corner and he had no way out that he could take and still save face. As Havoc watched the two, he couldn’t help but smile at the mirth dancing in golden eyes at his victory.
“It appears you have won this round, Fullmetal.”
“You’re damn right I did. You must be getting old, Sparky.”
“Perhaps it is not I who has aged,” Roy said with a smile.
Those words made Havoc take a long hard look at the young man standing with his hands triumphantly on his hips as a devious smirk claimed his face.
For so long Ed was just this overly driven man-child with too much genius for his own good. What he lacked in height he more than made up for in attitude. He was easily the youngest person Havoc ever found himself admiring. He carried the guilt and pressure of his and his brother’s circumstances like a true soldier and pressed forward until he accomplished his goals.
“How about we go grab lunch to celebrate your victory Boss, my treat?”
“It’s your wallet, Havoc. You know I never turn down food, especially when it’s free.”
With that said, Ed pushed off the doorframe leading to Mustang’s office, dropped his jacket on the corner of his desk and made a beeline for the door. Jean merely shook his head at Ed’s enthusiasm when it came to food, before standing and following him.
As the two walked out of the office they ran into Denny Brosh and Maria Ross. She immediately asked Havoc if Maes had given him the latest update on the Greggs case. When he said no, she began filling him in and Denny started talking to Ed. She said it was basically a closed case at this point, the informant came through with the necessary details and all they had left to do was round up the last suspect.
As she closed the conversation, their attention shifted to Denny who was in the middle of telling Ed something that had the alchemist fighting not to chuckle. Jean and Maria didn’t catch the bulk of it, but it involved Armstrong so they weren’t sure if they wanted to know. When Denny finished, Ed had lost his battle to contain his amusement and was bent over laughing, “You should be grateful he kept his shirt on. Those sparkles can blind a man.”
Maria nudged Denny to get him moving when he stood there laughing with Ed apparently too long for her liking. “That woman was a lot like Riza”, Havoc thought as he watched her give Denny a look that screamed 'get a move on it'. Maria was all business until the business was done and she didn’t take kindly to being held up if she was had things to do.
“Well, it was nice talking to you Ed. Catch ya later?”
“Sure thing, Denny. Thanks for the laugh.”
+++
When they finally made it outside, it was warmer than Jean had expected. It made him understand why Ed had opted to leave his jacket in the office. That meant Ed was out and about with his automail arm in full view. From what he knew of Ed, or at the very least what he thought he knew of Ed, that was a new thing. Ed wasn’t anywhere near bashful, but for most of the years he’d known the young man - rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine, he always wore long sleeves out in public.
Jean supposed Roy was right. Ed has grown up.
“So, where you want to eat at, Boss?”
“As long as it’s some place where I can grab a beer, I don’t care.”
Havoc tried not to let his shock show, but apparently he failed at that because Ed chuckled, “Hey, I’m off today. I just went in to rile up The Bastard. Besides, I’ll need it if I’m going to deal with another night of Al playing matchmaker.”
“Matchmaker?”
“Yeah, he seems to think that I’ve deprived myself of companionship while we were on our quest and now he’s determined to rectify this by any means necessary.”
“Any means necessary? That doesn’t sound promising.”
“It usually isn’t. You know how many people suddenly become interested in a blind date once they find out it’s with ‘The People’s Alchemist’? It’s insane, Havoc, completely insane.”
“I could only imagine. The military uniform alone will attract some interesting characters. I could only imagine what being a state alchemist, genius and living legend is like.”
Ed stopped and gave Jean one helluva look, “Not you too!”
“What?”
“I put my pants on one leg at a time just like every other Joe in this city. I wake up with drool marks on my face and hair a mess. It still hurts like a motherfucker when I whack my shin on a bedpost in the dark, and if I eat beans for lunch I’ll be gassy by dinnertime - I'm no different. People can’t seem to wrap their minds around that.”
Ed’s frank little speech made Jean think. Even though he was all too aware of just how human Ed was, he often thought of him as above some things. As nice at it would be for someone like him to bask in the kind of glory Ed’s been showered with, he did think it would get old after a while, especially when you were looking for a companion. Who wanted to spend their days and nights with someone who couldn’t get past your image?
“I hadn’t thought about that, Ed.”
“Eh, it’s no biggie. It’s not something I usually gripe and moan about, because outside of the annoyance it’s flattering; however, dealing with Al recently has just been trying as fuck. I never know what I’m coming home to. As far as I know, he could have set me up tonight and there could be some stranger sitting at the house by the time I get home.”
Jean’s mind was spinning on everything Ed had been saying and came up with a question that made him chuckle, “Al doesn’t know you have today off, does he?”
“Hell no, he doesn’t!” Ed declared as he shot havoc an indignant look, “I was only crazy enough to let him know my days off twice. He thinks I’m making excuses when I say I don’t want to look for that sort of thing, I just want it to happen. A watched pot never boils, right? So I figure looking for that special someone will only ensure that you never find them.”
“That’s very wise of you Ed. I may have to consider taking that approach myself.”
“I didn’t mean to imply there was anything wrong with asking people out, dating or whatever, it’s just not for me.”
Havoc slowed his pace as they neared the pub aptly named The Brig. “How about here? They have beer and the portion sizes for the food are huge.”
“Sounds good to me, I’m starving.”
“When aren’t you starving?”
Ed rubbed his chin in thought as he reached for the door handle. As he pulled it open, he looked over his shoulder at Jean and replied with, “I’ll let you know when it happens.”
Havoc couldn't help but chuckle as he followed the blond alchemist inside.
+++
As Jean watched Ed devour his second full rack of ribs, he was in awe and he was extremely glad the pub had a special going for all-you-can-eat. He had never seen anyone that could come close to matching Ed’s appetite. He’d never understand how Ed managed to stay as fit as did considering how he ate. Where did it all go, Jean wondered as Ed cleared off the last bone and dropped it on his plate before leaning back and patting his stomach in a satisfied manner.
“Damn, that was good.”
“I gathered that,” Jean replied as he glanced down at Ed’s plate then back up at Ed.
Ed laughed, chugged down half of his beer, plopped the bottle down on the table and said, “It’s the automail.”
“Huh?” Jean asked, completely confused.
“The reason I eat so much - it’s the automail and my metabolism.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, not to say I wouldn’t have kept myself in shape anyway, but I put on all of this muscle to help carry the weight of the automail. This shit’s heavy as fuck. But the offshoot of having this much muscle is that it’s constantly burning up everything I eat.”
“I hadn’t looked at it that way.”
“Yup, that’s why people like me and Armstrong eat so much; it’s not because he’s six-foot-nine or because I’m a natural bottomless pit, it’s the muscle. Muscle takes fuel.”
“Well, I’ve learned something new today.”
“Good deal, because so have I.”
After wracking his brain for several minutes and not coming up with anything, curiosity got the best of Jean and he asked, “What?”
“You either smoke out of boredom or you have an oral fixation. You haven’t smoked one cigarette since we left the office.”
Jean felt his eyes go wide as he realized Ed was right, at least about him not having smoked since they left the office. He hadn’t even thought about lighting one up.
“Now,” Ed said as he leaned back in the booth and smirked at Jean, “Let’s see how long you can last now that I’ve brought it to your attention.”
Even though Jean was smirking over his glass at his lunch companion, the pull to light up was already there. He was fighting it, but it was making itself known.
“Go ahead and light up you big dolt. I only enjoy seeing Mustang suffer.”
That was a relief to Jean but part of him wanted to hold out just to prove Ed wrong. It was like a challenge. He pulled the pack out of his jacket pocket, sat them and his matches on the table beside the well-worn ashtray. When he didn’t move to smoke one, Ed gave him a look he couldn’t decipher.
When he started talking about the last stray Kain brought into the office, Ed rolled his eyes, reached for the pack and lit one up himself. If Jean’s eyebrows had went up any further, they would have disappeared into his hairline.
“YOU SMOKE!?”
At that loud declaration, several people around them paused what they were doing to stare at the duo.
“Would you keep it down,” Ed whispered as he turned his head and exhaled the drag he’d taken off the cigarette.
Havoc felt immediately sheepish. Of all people to be told to calm down by, being told by Ed was like having Elysia tell you that you can’t have your dessert until you eat your vegetables. Once he composed himself, he mumbled an apology to his lunch companion and asked the question once again only in a much more calm and collected manner.
“Yes and no. Not on a daily basis like you do, but every now and again when I drink and occasionally after doing the deed I want one.”
That last bit had Jean strangling on his tea. After he cleared his throat, he looked up into the concerned face of one Edward Elric.
“You alright over there, Sure-shot?”
“Uh, yeah, just got a little choked up.”
“I realize this. What happened?”
“Well it… you see,” Havoc stumbled around not sure how to say, or even if he wanted to say, what had him out of sorts.
Ed was staring at him so intently he felt like he was under interrogation. Opting to take the high road he said, “Sure-shot?”
“Yeah, yeah, I have nicknames for everyone in the office in my head, but that’s not what we’re talking about here,” he said as he leaned back in his seat, as furrowed brows paired with an intense golden-eyed gaze locked onto Havoc. “You didn’t seriously think that at damn near twenty years old I was still a virgin, did you?”
There was no safe answer to that question, and suddenly Havoc felt like he was talking to Riza. That woman specialized in asking questions that had no safe answer. “You didn’t just come in from smoking again did you, Lieutenant?” Saying no was stupid because he knew she could smell it, saying yes was admitting he was trying to sneak in an extra break, and offering sarcasm was never appreciated when slacking off was part of the issue.
In Havoc’s opinion, what Ed asked was that type of question. Saying yes implied things that no man wants to hear, saying no brings up morality issues, and saying what was really on his mind was an absolute no-no. Jean figured the response of “To be honest, you are still twelve in my head, therefore asexual so the thought of you engaging in those activities has never come up,” would go over about as well as telling Hawkeye she’s not the actual boss in the office.
“Sorry Ed, I guess I just didn’t expect it. That was kind of out of left field.”
Ed snorted took a swig of his beer, another drag off the cigarette before passing it to Jean, “It only seems that way because no one but Breda has acknowledged the fact that I’m not still a brat, but he’s always been great like that. He actually told me my first dirty joke.”
“Do you remember what it was?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was a slow day in the office and Roy was going on about miniskirts again, so Breda waved me out into the hall and said, “I got a live one for ya, Ed. A young man moves into a new neighborhood and the guy that lives next to him says, "Hey, I'm having a party and there's going to be a lot of eating, a lot drinking and a lot of screwing!" The young man looks at his neighbor in excitement and says, “Cool shit, what should I bring?” The guy replies, “I don't care what you bring… it's just going to be me and you.””
“That’s hilarious!”
“Yeah, I thought so too, especially at the time. Everyone else still censors or stops certain conversations when I enter the room. I know it’s something I’ll just have to tolerate for a while, but it’s still frustrating.”
“I’m sure it is, but in time it will work itself out.”
Ed merely nodded, as he seemed focused on something just over Havoc’s shoulder. When Jean turned his head to see what it was, he realized Ed was staring at the pool table.
“You shoot, Boss?”
“I’ve been known to. Are you up for a quick game?”
“I don’t know if we have time for that.”
“Ah, come on, unless you play bounce the balls around the table we have plenty of time.”
Jean glanced at his watch. He had a little over twenty minutes of his lunch hour left. Shrugging his shoulders, he slid out of the booth and followed Ed.
Much to Jean’s surprise, it was indeed a short game. Twice behind the cue ball had Ed aiming the eight ball for the corner pocket. Jean still had four solids on the table, and it made him glad he hadn’t bet anything on the game. Who would have thought a hyperactive bundle of energy like Ed would be good at a game requiring so much patience? As Jean watched the eight ball glide smoothly into the pocket, he sighed.
“See, told you it wouldn’t take long,” Ed said as he moved to place his stick back on the rack.
“Oh, no you don’t, Elric, you can’t whip a man that bad and walk away. I want a rematch.”
“Is that a challenge I hear in your voice, Lieutenant?”
“Bring that stick back over to the table and find out.”
Game two ended nearly the same as game one, except Havoc had five balls left on the table instead of four.
“You should have quit while you were ahead.”
“You would think a guy that aims at things for a living would be better at this.”
“This is a totally different science. You aren’t hitting your targets to move them. Pool is all about trajectory.”
They hung up their sticks, Havoc paid their tab and they headed back to the office. It wasn’t until they walked into the office that Havoc noticed he’d run a little over his lunch hour. Riza gave him a look, but considering Ed was talking animatedly about the logistics of pool, she didn’t say anything.
Ed lingered around the office long enough to get Roy worked up one more time before he disappeared. Havoc dove back into his paperwork hoping that it would get him back in Riza’s good graces. He doubted it, but it was worth a shot.
The day went by surprisingly fast, and in short order, it was quitting time.
As he strolled out of the building, he passed Ed and Denny chatting in the hallway. Ed tipped his head up as Jean passed before going right back to his conversation. Havoc stepped out into the sun and found that he was looking forward to the weekend even though he lacked any actual plans. It would be nice to sleep until naturally waking, instead of bolting upright at the shrill sound of his alarm clock.
+++
Ed was in a good mood as he walked home from the office, but having a massive lunch did that for the Major; however, his mood changed the instant he turned the corner and spotted the house he shared with Al. There was a strange car in the driveway and Ed would bet anything that it belonged to yet another person his brother had invited over to dinner. Ed was disappointed in himself that it took him so long to figure out Al’s little schemes. How many new coworkers could a person get in a month’s time to ‘invite’ over for dinner to get to know better?
Frustrated with the thought of sitting through another awkward dinner, Ed turned on his heels and marched back toward town. He was contemplating going to the Hughes household when Mother Nature had other ideas. With no other warning aside from a deafening crack of thunder, the clouds opened up and emptied their contents over the city. Realizing that he was swiftly getting drenched, Ed headed for the nearest familiar shelter - Kain’s place.
Soaked to the bone, Edward tromped up the stairwell. Kain’s apartment was on the third floor and Ed was mumbling under his breath about that fact as he left a nice trail of water puddles behind him. When he did finally reach Kain’s door, he knocked loudly and stood in the hallway with his arms folded over his chest thinking about the audacity of little brothers.
When Kain opened the door, he was surprised to see Ed there but stepped aside to let the soggy man in anyway.
“What brings you to this side of town in the pouring rain?”
“Al.”
“Another dinner companion?”
“I didn’t risk it; when I saw the strange car in the driveway I tucked tail and ran.”
“Well, you’re welcome to join us for dinner. I have plenty.”
“Us? I’m not intruding on…”
“Nothing like that. It’s just me and Jean.”
“Ok, cool. I didn’t want to be the third wheel if someone was actually in the middle of a date they were looking forward to.”
Kain chuckled and waved Ed further into the apartment. When they entered the kitchen, Ed saw Havoc was seated at the table scratching a small tan and black dog behind the ears. Ed couldn’t decide who looked more content, him or the pup.
“It looks like we’re dining together for the second time today, Lieutenant.”
At that, both the dog's and Havoc’s head shot up and turned in Ed’s direction.
“You’re soaked, Boss.”
“Thanks for the news flash, Havoc. I hadn’t noticed.”
Ed’s sarcasm had Kain chuckling but it also had him thinking Ed probably didn’t want to be in that wet shirt for dinner.
“I’ll go grab you a dry shirt, Ed. Have a seat.”
Ed plopped down in the chair across from Havoc. “What brings you over here?”
“You know that little old lady that runs the technology supply shop Kain frequents? She sent Kain home with a whole ham today. Told him he looked under-fed.”
“Are you serious? A whole ham for one person?”
“Yup, that’s why he invited me over when I bumped into him on the way home. He said that even if he ate nothing but ham all weekend he still wouldn’t be able to finish it.”
“Here ya go, Ed. I think this will fit you,” Kain said, announcing his presence in the room.
Without further ado, Ed stood up and peeled out of his wet shirt before looking at the one Kain gave him up and down. As Ed was doing that, Havoc was doing the same to him. He could tell Ed was in shape, but he had no idea the vertically-challenged alchemist was built like a small tank. No wonder that, when it came to situations that would most likely call for rugged terrain and hand-to-hand combat, Mustang insisted on waiting until Ed was available - unless time was in short supply.
Ed stretched out the shirt in his hands and pulled it over his head. He had to tug on it to get it down, and even still it fit him like a glove. He and Kain may be the same height, but they were far from the same build.
“So, what’s this I hear about a whole ham?” Ed asked as he sat back down.
“It’s huge and there’s no way I could eat it all before it went bad. I hate to waste food and it seems little Dusty over there isn’t fond of ham.”
“What kind of dog doesn’t like ham?”
“The kind that’s sitting on Havoc’s lap.”
“What is he, anyway?”
“I would guess part beagle, but mostly mutt,” Kain replied.
“Hard for me to respect a dog that passes up on meat,” Ed said as he eyed the flop-eared canine suspiciously. “So, what are we doing besides gorging ourselves on pork?”
“If you guys don’t have anything better to do, we could always play a card game or two.”
“Sounds like a winner to me. Al’s persistent, and if this guest is as determined as the rest they will wait around for hours if need be, so I am in no hurry whatsoever.”
Kain just shook his head. “Have you tried telling him straight out you don’t like this sort of thing?”
Ed gave Fuery an incredulous look. Asking Ed if he had been straightforward was akin to asking if the grass was green. Of course he had done so; Ed was blunt in a way most people only wished they had the balls to be. He’s the only person Kain had ever known to render the Führer speechless. Yes; indeed, Ed was in a class of his own.
When Kain pulled out the ham, Ed asked if he had planned on making anything to go with it. After Kain professed to know next to nothing about cooking, Ed volunteered to whip up a couple of side dishes.
“You cook, Boss?” Havoc asked as he stood up, pulling his smokes out of his pocket.
“A little; when you’re on the road as much as I was, you don’t have much of a choice. Plus, Al and I have been cooking for ourselves since we were eight and nine. You learn a lot in a decade.”
Havoc nodded and left out the back door. As he lit up, his mind spun on Ed’s words. Ed and Al were such well-adjusted people; it was easy to forget that their childhood was a disaster. He wondered if those two had ever truly been children. From the moment Ed walked into the office with that silver pocket watch dangling from a belt loop, he put off such an air of seriousness that, if you were looking him in the eye and not taking him in as a whole (all four-feet-nine inches of him at the time), it was easy to forget he was a child.
Children were not Majors in the military – at least, they weren’t in Havoc’s world - until Ed came along. He didn’t have the voice of a child, he didn’t carry himself like a child, and (for the most part) he didn’t behave like one, either. Havoc thought it was nice to see how Ed has lightened up now that Al was whole and well again. He didn’t get his arm and leg back, but he didn’t seem to mind that. Of course, anyone close to him knew that Al’s restoration was the driving force behind Ed, not anything he hoped to recover for himself.
When Jean went back inside, both men were in the kitchen and Ed was telling Fuery the best way to peel potatoes. Jean wasn’t much on cooking, so he plopped down and hoped neither man would ask him to help.
No such luck.
“Oh, no you don’t, solider; if you’re going to eat, you’re going to pitch in. Add some butter to that pot of boiling water,” Ed demanded as he waved a wooden spoon around.
Havoc did as he was told, and in no time the three of them were sitting around Kain’s table eating ham, green beans and mashed potatoes. Once they had eaten their fill, they cleared the table and Kain brought out the cards and beer. They passed quite a few hours this way, playing various versions of poker, gin and some drinking game Ed said he picked up in Xing.
By the time midnight rolled around, everyone was yawning.
“I’m throwing in the towel,” Ed said as he got to his feet, “That’s the bad thing about not telling Al I have the day off -- I still have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn and leave the house.”
“Let me fix you some to-go stuff, Ed. I’ll put enough in there for Al, too.”
Ed didn’t reply; he was too busy yawning and stretching.
“I’ll walk with ya, boss. It’s past my bedtime too.”
When Kain returned to the living room, he had two bags. He gave each of them one before thanking them for coming over and helping with dinner.
Both blonds were quiet as they walked the dimly lit streets toward the south side of Central. It was still warm out and the moon was half full. Stars littered the night sky and it was making Jean thoughtful. He wasn’t one to wax poetic, but if anything was going to prompt the change it was a night like tonight. He was about to comment on this when Ed took a sudden right.
Jean knew for a fact the alchemist didn’t live this way, but he didn’t ask since he didn’t have to follow the man. It was only curiosity that made him hang a right when Ed did, and Jean figured if he was going to be blatantly nosy, he may as well not make a nuisance of himself; however, Ed turning toward one of the more run-down areas of city was making it even harder for Havoc to remain quiet. When they began scaling down the hillside beside a bridge, Jean began to wonder if Ed had lost his mind. What reason could Ed possibly have for ducking under a bridge?
Once they rounded the aged stone, the flickering light from a barrel caught Jean’s attention. As they got closer, he realized there was someone - no, two someone’s - under the bridge.
“Is that you, Blondie?”
“Of course it is, Baldy. Who else would be visiting you guys this time of night? What’s been good?” Ed asked as he handed his bag of food over to the man that looked like he’d missed more than a few good meals in his time. Without prompting, Havoc gave his to the other fellow, only to receive a hesitant look from the nearly toothless man.
“He’s good, Trombone; he works with me.”
The man still looked unsure, but Jean was guessing that the smell of the contents of the bag overruled any fear he might have had. He mumbled thanks in Havoc’s direction before retreating into the shadows with his meal, leaving Ed and Havoc alone with Baldy.
“Well, it’s been mostly quiet,” the thin hairless man mumbled between bites, “but there is rumor of corruption inside the boarding house. You know… all of the funds not making it to where they’re supposed to be.”
“Any clue who is behind it?” Ed asked, and Havoc was too shocked at the whole exchange to speak.
“Some thin, sleazy cowboy-looking guy with beady black eyes; he seemed like the type to sell out his own mother if it would turn him a dollar. I saw him sifting through the pockets of the coats on the rack in the sleeping room. If a man will steal from a homeless person, then stealing from an agency would be nothing.”
“Has this guy always been in charge?”
“No, Miss Kemp was in charge but she finally retired here a few months ago… you made these potatoes, didn’t you, Blondie?”
“I sure did. How could you tell?”
“You fix ’em the way my Nana used to - plenty of butter and pepper. Anyway, when Kemp left, we had a fill-in, and then this guy was hired.”
“You got a name for me?”
“Last name is Roso or Rosco - something like that, I think.”
“Thanks Baldy,” Ed said as he handed the man a few cens which he tried to refuse but Ed dropped them in the bag with the food.
“Ya’ll be careful dealing with him. Folks that greedy and lazy don’t usually work alone.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good one.”
“You too, Blondie, and thanks for dinner.”
As the two men left the area, Ed didn’t say one word and it was killing Jean. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“What in the hell was all that about?”
“I’m working on something with Hughes and it’s hush-hush right now. I’ll fill you in later, ok, not out here in the open.”
Havoc nodded even though he really didn’t have much choice in the matter.
When they parted ways with nothing more than a wave, Havoc got the feeling he’d just stepped into something he was gonna need hip waders to get out of.
+++
Monday rolled around and Jean Havoc was buried in his superior's paperwork. Jean looked into Roy’s office, and when he saw the man was filing his nails, he scowled at him. Roy smirked in return, and proceeded to kick back in his chair and gaze out the window. Hawkeye was off for the day and Roy was milking it for all it was worth. He was about to flip Roy the bird when a loud thunk and a shout of, “Fuck it all! I’m going to investigations; I’ll do this shit later,” echoed through the office. It got everyone’s attention.
When Ed hopped to his feet and stormed out, no one thought anything of it. If Ed was known for anything, it was his short fuse.
Lunch came and went, and still no Ed. Jean was in the middle of authorizing a bathroom remodel on Roy’s behalf when Mustang’s phone rang. There were a lot of short answers given on Roy’s part before he beckoned for Jean to come in his office and shut the door behind him.
Solid black eyes narrowed at him, but their owner said nothing and it was making Jean’s palms sweat. What had he done and how much trouble was he in, were the only thoughts going through his mind.
“Do you have any idea why Maes would be requesting for you to come over to investigations?”
“No, Sir,” was the half-truth of an answer Havoc gave.
“Well, you’re going to have to get a whole hell of a lot better at lying if you’re going to help him out like he wants you to,” Roy flippantly replied.
“Well, you see, Sir, I do and don’t know anything. I know there is something but that’s all I know, so in my book that still qualifies as nothing.”
“Good enough rationale for a back pedal, Lieutenant; there may be hope for you yet. Now, get over to investigations and hand Breda those papers you were working on before you leave.”
Havoc did as he was told before making his way over to Maes’ office. When he arrived, Ed was kicked back on Hughes’ couch while stuffing one of the largest sandwiches Jean had ever seen in his face.
"Glad you could come so quickly, Jean," Maes said as he shook his hand and motioned for him to have a seat beside Ed. "I'm sure you're confused so I'll cut to the chase. I need two informants. Ed makes one and I want you to be the other."
"Why me?"
"For one, I know you can hit a moving target from a hundred yards away; and two, Ed says you followed him under the bridge last night, so that means you already know too much not to be involved.”
Well, that will teach Jean about being nosy, won't it? Curiosity has killed many cats, and it looks like it has a tendency to land Lieutenants in hot water as well.
Maes didn’t waste much time once Havoc shut the door behind him. He rattled off the current dilemma he needed them to investigate. Ed neither flinched nor batted an eyelash; he merely kept stuffing his face. When Maes finally quit speaking, Jean’s head was spinning and he was more than a little confused.
“Let me get this straight. You want me and Ed to pose as office personnel to get close to this Rosco guy?”
“Yup.”
“Why in the office, of all places?”
“This guy would want to make as many friends there as he can so he can tempt and steal all he wants, so from this point out; Ed, you will be Richard Green, the new Social worker; and Jean, you will be his assistant, Jerry Hayden,” Maes said as he handed them new IDs and credentials matching the names he’d just given them. Maes seemed to have thought of everything; but of course, it was his job to do so.
“We’ve already pulled the two new guys they were expecting out of the picture, and you’re taking their place. The two of you will be sharing a flat downtown within walking distance of where your new jobs will be, and I expect you to do your best not to venture over on this side of Central unless absolutely necessary. That way, you will cut down on your chances of running into anyone that knows you for who you really are, but as big as this city is, I don’t think that will be much of a problem once you two change up your appearances some.”
“Change our appearances?” Ed questioned.
“Don’t worry, Ed, your precious hair is safe; I’m just asking that you wear it differently - and both of you need new clothes,” Maes said as he tossed an envelope at each of them. When they opened it, there was quite a few cens in each. “You two are supposed to be civilian office workers. I need you to look and act the part. Go get clothes, accessories, and whatever else you need to pass for two college-educated yuppies that would eventually fall in with the corrupted crowd at work.”
“So, we are supposed to fall in with this guy?” Havoc asked.
“Not at first; you have to earn his trust, and you can’t seem too eager once you have it; you don’t want him to get suspicious of you. Just follow Ed’s lead; he’s a master at this sort of thing. As well-known as he is, he has yet to be discovered undercover. Just keep in mind that, if at any time the police or military get involved, you are who you are on those ID cards. Until this is over, Jean and Ed do not exist. If anyone from here needs to talk to you, they will let you know that they are with the King’s Counselor. If they don’t say that, then keep playing as Richard and Jerry.”
Everything was happening so fast that Jean’s head was spinning. He knew most of the things Ed got into were hush-hush, but he always assumed he dealt more with things that had to do with mad scientists and rogue alchemists. Jean now saw just how wrong he was.
“Come on, Sureshot, let’s get a move on; we have shopping to do,” Ed said as he stood up and tossed the remains of his lunch in the trash. “When do we report to the townhouse and shelter?”
“You two are scheduled to start work Thursday, so that gives you a couple of days to get comfortable being Richard and Jerry. As soon as you go shopping, I want you to alter your appearances and take a taxi over to your new place. It should be all set up with the basics and you can buy anything else you need once you get settled in,” Maes said as he handed them each a set of keys.
Ed asked a few more questions before turning to leave, and Jean was still too stunned to do anything but follow after him. He was going under cover for an unknown amount of time and he was suddenly Jerry Hayden.
Sometimes life came at him entirely too fast.
+++
Ed left Maes’s office and immediately went to a men’s clothing store. He tried on numerous things there until he found a look that he liked before he helped Havoc do the same. Each time Havoc picked up something he liked, Ed shook his head no. Frustrated, he finally asked Ed what the deal was.
“You keep picking up things that closely resemble your usual attire. Get out of your denim-wearing comfort zone and pick something Jerry likes.”
He didn’t want to admit it, but Ed had a point. The whole purpose of this was to look as different as possible so he might as well go all out.
A few hours later, the two of them were tired and neither cared if they ever saw the inside of a men’s clothing store ever again. They flipped a coin over who was going to get the bedroom with a view, and when Havoc won the toss, Ed grumbled something that sounded distinctly like ‘lucky bastard’ and marched into the other room to change into Richard so they could go out and get dinner.
Havoc changed into a tan pair of dress slacks and a black button-up shirt and draped a scarf around his neck that Ed insisted he buy to complete the look. After he slid his feet into a pair of brown loafers, he stepped in front of the mirror and had to admit it all looked good together. With a different hair style, he probably wouldn’t recognize himself.
He was in the bathroom trying to smooth out his hair when he heard, “You look odd with calm hair, but I like it.”
Havoc looked up and his jaw dropped. There was nothing about the man in the doorway that said Edward Elric; no, this stranger didn’t look anything like the person that had beaten him in pool a few days ago after drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Ed had on a pair of dark brown slacks and a white button-up shirt with suspenders. There were round glasses on his face and a burgundy beret on his head. His braid was gone and his hair was pulled into a low ponytail and held in place by what looked like a leather strap.
He could have passed Ed on the street looking like that and never guessed it was him in a million years.
“Wow, Ed, you look totally different.”
No response came from the shorter blond, which had Havoc wondering if he was still sore about losing the coin toss. When he asked Ed what was up, the blond replied with, “Nothing’s wrong Jerry, I am just practicing ignoring you when you call me be the wrong name.”
Well, that solved that mystery and Jean… Jerry went back to combing his hair. Once he was done, the two locked up and left on a quest for dinner.
Once outside, they both realized that while the flat itself was nice, they were very close to the bad side of town. As they strolled down the street, their proximity to the city’s seedier side made itself know in the form of a working gal approaching them and offering them a two-for-one special which Jean promptly turned down. When she grew a bit indignant, Ed softened the rejection by saying they had just moved into a new place and wouldn’t have the energy to enjoy it, then winked at her and said, “Perhaps another time?”
“Sure thing sweetness, the name is Ginger and I’m seldom far from here.”
“Thank you, Ginger.”
As they walked along, Jean’s mind was spinning in a thousand different directions. Just as he’d worked himself up into a real tizzy, Ed said, “Relax Jerry, I wasn’t serious, but you need to understand that we are on an information-seeking mission here. You don’t find out information by making enemies or rubbing people the wrong way. Despite what most would think, working gals - much like Baldy - know quite a bit. Their entire existence is based on and around being able to read people; plus, if you are looking for some moral-less slime ball, making friends with certain people will help more than you know.”
Jean did what he could to take it all in, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that not only was Ed right, but also that he needed to loosen up and let go of the majority of his hang-ups. Jean realized he won’t get very far responding the way he had to Ginger. If he was going to get in good with some seedy fellow, then he was going to have to be prepared to injure his morals a bit.
They found a hole-in-the-wall diner to have dinner at, and Jean watched in awe as Ed managed to charm the waitress and the cook before they left. Watching him in action made it clear to Havoc exactly why Maes sent Ed out on missions like this. The man was a fucking chameleon. He could blend in anywhere.
Thursday came quick and Jean was nervous. He’d never had the need to pretend to be someone other than himself before. It was seriously rattling his nerves.
When they arrived at the building, they were introduced to several of the office staff by a woman that looked to be in her mid thirties named Amy Hammerick. They were four people into the introductions when they were introduced to Donovan Rosco, and he was every bit as sleazy and shady-looking as Baldy had described him to be.
He was the sort that smiled a bit too wide, laughed a bit too loudly - and if Jean wasn’t mistaken, his eyes lingered on Ed a bit too long.
After shaking everyone’s hand, Ed tried to follow Amy as she gave them the grand tour, only to have Rosco step in the way.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked Ed as he continued to pet the small yip-yap dog in his arms.
“Why do you ask?”
“You have a unique look about you, that’s all. I thought you might be one of those islanders or something.”
“If by that you mean from Xerxes then you are correct in a sense; my grandfather hailed from there.”
Hailed? Havoc thought as he did his best not to stare. Ed has altered his entire manner of speech to the point where he sounded like one of those snooty men that hosted a late-night radio talk show Jean couldn’t stand but still listened to.
The two talked for a while, and once it became obvious that Amy had waited as long as she was willing to wait Rosco quit talking and let them move on.
Once they arrived at what would be their shared office, it dawned on Jean that Jerry might know how to be a social worker’s assistant, but Jean had no idea what he was expected to do. He listened intently as Ed talked to the woman about getting some more filing cabinets, redoing the filing system and some other things until his head was spinning for the third time that week.
When she looked up at him and asked if he needed anything, Jean replied with, “Not at the moment, miss, but thank you. I’m sure as the day goes on I’ll figure out what I need to function.”
This reply seemed to please both Amy and Ed, and she left them with a, “Come find me if you need me.”
The day went by fairly quickly with the two of them doing exactly what Ed proclaimed they would do, which was reorganizing the haphazard filing system. When three o’clock rolled around, Rosco made his way into their office and let out a whistle.
“I knew you’d whip this place into shape the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re probably just what this agency needs.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rosco.”
“Oh no, none of that Mister business, I’m feeling old enough as it is working beside someone as young as you and ole Harry here. Just call me Don.”
“Don it is,” Ed replied with a smile and as the two continued to talk it grated more and more on Jean’s nerves how overly friendly the man seemed to be.
“Well, I’d love to take you boys out to lunch one day after you get settled.”
“No need for that my good man, but thank you for the offer,” Ed replied.
“Oh, it’s no problem. I’m sure it takes next to nothing to feed you, but ol’ stretch over there will make up for it, I’m sure,” he said with a snort as he pointed a thumb in Jean’s direction.
Jean had to bite his tongue at the crass assumption and try not to laugh at the same time. Rosco had no idea just how wrong he was about their appetites. Ed was liable to eat the man out of a week’s pay.
“How about Monday then, since I’m sure Amy will have us tied up during lunch again tomorrow?”
“Sounds good to me, and you boys watch out for Amy. She’s on the prowl for a husband, so beware unless you are looking to settle down.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Jean replied as he brought a box over to Ed and sat it on his desk.
With nothing more than a nod, Rosco left the office and neither man saw him for the remainder of the day.
When they got back to their flat, Jean noticed how quiet Ed was and asked the other blond what he had on his mind.
“Just sizing that Rosco dude up in my head and the picture I’m painting isn’t a pretty one. Something tells me I’m going to have nightmares about this assignment.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry about it Jerry, I might be wrong anyway,” Ed said as he walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
His dismissal of it didn’t make Jean feel any better; in fact, it made him feel worse. If it were truly nothing to worry about, Ed would have shared. The simple fact that he didn’t want to made Jean’s stomach knot.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-11 10:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-11 10:05 pm (UTC)So glad you had fun with it. I can't thank you enough! This was a lot of text!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-12 05:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-12 12:17 pm (UTC)Thank you again my dear your hard work. It feels nice to get this posted ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-12 05:44 pm (UTC)I am glad you got it done and posted. *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-13 02:26 am (UTC)