Fullmetal Alchemist || Havoc/Ed || Cloak and Dagger - Part 4

[lynx212]

Title: Cloak and Dagger - Part 4
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.
Written for: havemy_heart




Despite their friends and family finding out in a rather unorthodox manner about their relationship, the two were relieved until Monday morning came around and they realized they had to face everyone all at once after that less-than-smooth discovery on Friday night. When they finally opened the doors that lead to the office, everyone stopped once they realized it was them.
When no one said anything, they both took their places behind their desks and tried to work, but the silence was deafening.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Ed cleared his throat and said, “You know, this is exactly why we were in no rush to tell you guys, but since you know, could you please try not to make us feel any more awkward than we already do.”

“No offense Ed, but it’s kind of awkward for us too,” Kain added.

Ed cocked an eyebrow at him and snorted. “I think that, as the individual that damn near strolled out of the bathroom naked in front of everyone, I have the market cornered on feeling awkward. Can we all just do our daily work thing please? This really isn’t a big deal.”

Breda chuckled at that as he watched Kain’s face flush at the memory.

“I think Fullmetal has two points,” Roy said from his position leaning on his office doorframe. “We all need to get over it and get back to work.”

“What’s the other point?” Heymans asked.

“Can anything involving someone of Ed's stature ever hope to be a big deal?"

Everyone laughed at that, and since Ed was thankful for Roy’s intervention he didn't bite the man’s head off for the implied short joke. He was happy to see that everyone return to work after shooting the duo a few more questioning glances. When lunch time came around, it didn’t go unnoticed by Jean or Ed that they were obviously being split up for separate interrogation sessions during the lunch hour.

Riza, Breda, Kain, and Farman took off with Havoc and left Ed at the mercy of Roy and Hughes. Those two were bad enough, but when they stepped outside and Ed saw Al was waiting on them, he couldn’t resist rolling his eyes. Before the doors to the roadster had even shut fully, the questions began. Ed let them talk over top of each other until they finally realized he wasn’t answering.

“What’s wrong, Brother?”

“Just trying to figure out something.”

“And what’s that?”

“Why my being involved with someone and getting laid is such a big deal. No one puts him through this,” Ed said as he pointed at Roy.

“Well, if we did this on Roy’s behalf we’d have to give up our day jobs,” Hughes replied as Roy shot him an indignant look.

“Point taken,” Ed replied, “but the fact still remains, you’ve never done this before.”

“We’ve never had reason to,” Al chimed in.

“What do you mean you’ve never had…” it was in that span of time that it dawned on him - they all thought this was a first of sorts for him, and as hard as he tried to refrain from laughing in the face of their protectiveness, Ed couldn’t contain it.

The other three men in the car looked at each other in shock that only deepened when every time Ed tried to speak he laughed harder instead.

“I… I don’t believe this,” Ed said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “You three never cease to misjudge and amaze me.”

“Pardon us for being concerned with your well being, Fullmetal.”

“I wouldn’t mind it if it wasn’t so misplaced, you Bastard.”

“Go easy on Roy. Edward, your shift from social recluse to…” Maes floundered for words at that point as his mind flashed back to the image Ed presented in Havoc’s apartment. “…to the apparent intimacy we all walked in on Friday night was quite the surprise.”

“Yeah, but that’s only because you guys have been relying on my lovely little brother for your information. This situation is only a ‘shift’ as you put it, to you guys - when in truth, it’s normal for me. I get almost as much action as he does,” Ed said as he pointed at Roy once again.

“I find that hard to believe, Fullmetal.”

“Why, because I don’t spend an hour each day boasting about it and embellishing the truth?”

“No, I would just think we’d have heard something by now if that’s the case.”

“You know I kinda resent that remark, but lucky for you I love a good challenge and a chance to make people eat crow.”

As luck would have it, they passed Maria and Denny on their way out of the complex. Ed told them to pull over out of sight before they sent Al over to ask Denny what he thought of him. Ed sat in the back of the car, grinned like Cheshire cat, and waited. A few minutes later, Al returned and said that Denny had made it quite clear that if Ed ever found himself single to call him, and a flushing Al handed Ed a folded sheet of paper. When Ed opened it and read the contents, he looked at his brother and said, “You peeked, didn’t you?”

Al looked away guiltily, but that just made Ed smile wider.

“Ok, fine - one person, Ed. That is a far cry from what you said earlier,” Roy grumbled.

“I’m not done yet. Go to that fancy shoe place beside the marina; it’s not far from where I want to eat lunch anyway.”

“Who said you get to decide?”

“I did; it’s the least I deserve after having to deal with the lot of you.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the store and as they approached the building, Ed told them that they might want to give him a wide berth. Maes and Al heeded his warning; Roy did not. The moment they walked in the store, a buxom redheaded young woman literally bowled Roy over as she flung herself at Ed and wrapped around him. She was proclaiming how much she’d missed him in between kisses and by the time Ed had peeled her off him, Al was beet red, Maes was grinning and Roy was just staring at the two dumbstruck.

Ed introduced them all to Katara, and after a little more idle chit-chat, they left the shoe shop and walked over to the diner Ed had chosen. When they took the booth by the window, the lady that walked up to their table took one look at Ed and the bored look on her face turned devilish.

“It’s been long enough, Handsome.”

“Sorry about that Marlene, but blame him,” he said as he pointed at Maes. “He’s the one that sent me out of town forever.”

She scowled at Maes and said, “If you had any idea of the good time you knocked me out of, you wouldn’t have the guts to show your face in here.”

She took Al and Roy’s order, winked at Ed, confirmed that he wanted his usual and started to walk away when Maes asked, “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

She shot him a vicious look over her shoulder and replied, “Oh, you? You’re getting the special, sweetie.”

At that declaration, a few of the patrons gasped and Ed’s eyes grew wide. There was enough venom dripping from the word sweetie to kill a squadron. When she slapped their order ticket up on the counter, Bruno the cook started laughing and Maes looked at Ed worriedly.

“You got some sick leave available, Hughes?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, because you’re probably going to need it.”

+++

Three men left the diner full and happy while the fourth one looked a little green around the gills. Roy volunteered to drive, and Maes didn’t protest. When they all piled back in the car, the lighthearted atmosphere from the diner was gone and silence prevailed. Halfway back to the office, Ed broke the silence.

“Ok, who wants to eat crow first? Let’s not be shy now.”

Al sighed heavily. “I suppose it was wrong of me to make assumptions like that, Brother.”

“You suppose?” Ed said as he shot Al an indignant look.

“I was wrong Brother, what else do you want me to say?”

“That’s a good start and if you add, ‘I won’t meddle in your life’ topped off by an ‘I’m sorry’, I’ll consider us done here.”

A muffled chorus of apologies floated around the car, and when Ed accused them of being sore losers at their own game Roy said, “Fullmetal, even you have to admit the impression you gave was pretty misleading.”

“I would agree with that if not for the fact I wasn’t trying to give any impressions or lead anyone in any direction. My private life is just that: MINE and PRIVATE,” Ed stressed.

“We get it, Ed we really do, but…” Maes began, but his stomach rumbling and churning cut him off.

“I think what our favorite snoop was trying to say is that we care about you, so we are always going to be nosier than you’d like, but we’ll try to respect your privacy a little more.” Roy finished on Hughes behalf.

“And?”

“And we won’t be so quick to judge what we think we see or make assumptions,” Al added.

“Ok, now drop me off by the tall blonde walking up the street ahead of us. Something tells me he had a lunch like mine.”

Roy spied Jean walking alone up the sidewalk just up the street from where they were, and he could see the man’s brows creased together even from the distance they were apart. The scowl remained on the man’s face until he saw who it was getting out of the car, and then his lips curled into a smile. Jean started to say something until he noticed that the car wasn’t moving.

“I think we’ve got it from here, guys. We can find our way back to the office on our own – scout’s honor,” Jean said as he and Ed both gave the classic three-finger salute. Roy nodded and told them that, since there was nothing pressing going on at the office, they could take their time.

Once the car pulled away, Jean looked down into golden eyes and said, “I’m surprised any of them are still alive.”

“I am, too; there was a point where strangling all three of them was looking rather appealing. How did things go with your crew?”

“’Bout the same as things went for you; I think if it hadn’t been for Breda, I would have been drawn and quartered before we got out of the building.”

“Funny how great we both are until we get together. You become a bad influence and all of a sudden I’m in diapers again.”

“Yeah, funny how that works. To be honest, I’m still rather ticked off with all of them.”

“Me too; they had all made enough assumptions and judgments to build a fort with.”

“That they had, so now what?”

“I say we play hooky for another hour or so and go have a lunch we’ll actually enjoy.”

“Now that sounds like a plan, and d’you know what will make it even better?”

“What?”

“If we make Maes and Mustang foot the bill for it.”

“Now you’re speaking a language I love. Steak followed by dessert it is, then.”

+++

When the two finally strolled back into the office well after two o’clock, no one said a word. Jean could tell Riza was about to pop from not being able to give them a dirty look for being gone so long, and if he were honest, that made him smile. He looked over at Ed, and the other blonde was rifling through his desk for something, but Jean could see he was grinning too.

They could only surmise that everyone had swapped stories while they were out on their extended lunch. After more than an hour of tense, oppressive silence; however, Ed couldn’t take it anymore and decided that enough was enough.

With his back ramrod straight and taking long strides, he marched up to Roy’s office door, clapped his hands before placing them palm-side down on the floor. The resulting ripple traveled into Roy’s office and ultimately dumped the man out of his nice high-backed leather chair, face-first into the floor.

This caused Kain to rush to his idol’s aid. Breda lapsed into a fit of laughter as Roy let loose a string of curses that had Riza chastising both Ed and Roy for their behavior. After that, all was right with the world once more. With the tension broken, the rest of the day went by rather well.

Quitting time came and neither man was surprised to find Riza and Al lingering outside the building even though they tried to be the last ones to leave.

Jean sighed and said, “I was hoping we could avoid this.”

“Me too, but might as well get it all over and done with today, ya know? It’s shot to hell anyway.”

“True, so you want to meet up at my place after?”

“Sounds good to me, but I’m not sure when I’ll make it there. Al can talk a hole in a wall when motivated and he looks pretty well ready to burst at the seams. If I get there at all, it’ll be late.”

“Won’t bother me any, you have a key and something tells me that your arrival, no matter how late, might be the only thing that rescues me from what is sure to be an uncomfortable conversation at best.”

Ed had a sinking feeling that Jean was right. He adored his little brother, but the upcoming conversation was liable to be his undoing. He knew that he kept a tight lid on things, but he couldn’t believe Al had misjudged him so badly. He thought they knew each other better than that.

Determined to lay the matter to rest before the day’s end, Jean parted with Riza, and Ed with Al.

…and this is how the uncomfortable silence between the Elric brothers began. Once they shuffled through the door of the home they shared, Ed sighed and said, “Come on out with it Al, I know something’s brewing in that head of yours.”

Gray eyes flickered over in Ed’s direction before Al’s face scrunched up in thought. The gears in his head were grinding so hard Ed could almost hear them.

“I guess I would like to know why you never told me about any of this.”

“I kinda assumed you knew. I come home with hickeys and the like enough or don’t come home at all, so I assumed you had put two and two together.”

Al’s face flushed as he let out a dry sounding chuckle. “Don’t kill me for this, but I always chalked those up as bruises. It never even crossed my mind that they might be love bites.”

“Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I know I’m no Mustang, but do I look like I need to be locked in a tower somewhere or something?”

“No you don’t, Ed; actually quite the opposite, but you never seemed to notice this about yourself, at least from my perspective. I know you used to have issues with the automail and... just forget it.”

Ed shot his brother a worried look as he mulled his words over in his head. “No, let’s not, ‘just forget it’. You’re right; I did used to have issues with seeing myself as attractive. I suppose that’s just part of the picture when you’re an amputee, but I got over that years ago. I’m sorry you still thought I was suffering all this time.”

“Well, that’s why I was always setting you up with someone, because as your little brother, I was constantly getting approached by people wanting a chance to go out with you, and your always turning them down just made me think…”

“I see, I see, but Al you have to understand, the majority of people cornering you are all wrapped up in The Fullmetal Alchemist; while being him is great, I don’t want to date someone star-struck by my title or image, and no offense, but most of the people you had sitting at our dinner table would struggle with long division. You know I can’t stand that. I’m not saying they need to be a genius but please, at least have read a book in the past five years.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. It just seemed like you wanted to avoid everyone.”

“No, I just wanted to a guy or gal that could get past my title and like me anyway.”

“Yeah, about that,” Al mumbled, his face flushing again. “I had no idea that, well… that… “

“That gender didn’t matter to me?”

“Well, yeah.”

“For one, it’s not something that’s ever came up in conversation between us, and two, from the way I've seen you undress Kain with your eyes, I didn’t figure you’d give a damn.”

“Brother!”

“Well, it’s the truth; look me in the eye and try to deny it,” Ed said as he folded his arms across his chest and stared his brother down.

Al merely looked away and said nothing.

“That’s what I thought.”

“It’s not as if I’d ever act on it,” Al mumbled.

“Why not? Who knows, maybe this is why you leave all of these chicks so quickly, maybe you’re looking for something they don’t have. Trust me, if you’re in the mood to be fucked then doing the fucking isn’t gonna cut it.”

“I can’t believe you just said that!”

“You are the one that wanted to talk about such things so I’m going to talk about them, but let me just say it’s awkward as hell and this is why I hadn’t. I mean, I know we are both adults and I know we both do adult things, but voicing it is just weird, uncomfortable and... I mean, geez, I don’t care how old we are, you’ll always be my baby brother, end of story.”

“I know what you mean. I didn’t realize how much I understood until you started speaking. I wouldn’t mind us being more open with each other, but it will take some warming up to.”

“Yeah it will and even still, we have to respect each other’s lines.”

“I get the point, Brother.”

“Do you? I mean, I didn’t want to call you on the Kain thing but you kinda forced my hand. When I noticed it, I simply decided that it’s your life and libido and that you would mention it when you were ready. Wasn’t my business anyway.”

“Sorry I didn’t give you the same courtesy. I guess I’m still carrying some guilt, and it was my way of trying to absolve some of it."

“Guilt over what? With the two of us it could be a hundred things, so narrow that down.”

“Over your lost childhood and teenage years - I got those four-plus years back, even though it’s something we often fib about since all records say I’m a year younger than you, but you didn’t and I feel terrible about it. We always talked about the things we would do together once we reached our goal, but that didn’t happen - at least, not for you. By the time all was said and done, your life was so wrapped up in the military you once professed to hate that you decided not to resign.”

“Al, that’s not important, it’s…”

“But it is to me. I remember feeling so slighted that I had lost my entire body, but then once I woke up whole and some of my memories returned, that feeling changed to guilt. Even once you got back on this side of the gate it remained. You still had your automail and had spent 6 years of your life fighting essentially for my well-being, and you’d never get those years back.”

"I didn't know you felt that way."

"I never wanted you to know."

With that hanging between them, the Elric Brothers were at a stalemate. Locked in the moment, they stood there motionless until Ed crossed the room and pulled his sibling into an embrace. They would get through this, just as they've gotten through everything else.

+++

"So… you and Ed, huh?" Riza finally voiced when they stepped into Havoc's apartment.

"I would think after Friday that would be obvious," Jean replied.

"I didn't mean to upset you at lunch, Jean; I guess I just don't know what to say."

"Why does anyone need to say anything?"

"It’s just such a shock. Neither of you had mentioned your relationship, or even hinted at it."

"We had our reasons, the top one being that, if it didn't work out in the long run, we didn't want to create weird tension in the office by being 'split up'."

"I can understand that, but there's also the age difference; you have to admit it’s…"

"It's what? A year less than what's between Hughes and Gracia?"

Riza's eyes got big as she contemplated what her friend had pointed out. Yes, there was seven years between him and Ed but there were eight between Maes and his wife.

"Ah," was Riza's only response.

"‘Ah’ my ass, Riza; it's only a big deal because it's Ed and it's me and the fact you guys decided to make it one. So yeah, I'm kind of ‘upset’, as you put it."

"It was not my intent, Jean."

"Regardless, that's how it came across. I mean…damn, Riza, you came at me like not only was I not worthy of him, but like I needed to be castrated like some pedophile."

"I suppose the big sister in me went a little overboard."

"Yeah, it did and coming from people I thought I could not only trust, but trusted me as well, it hurt to see everyone's first response was to think he was in some type of danger being with me."

"I don't know what to say, Jean, other than I'm sorry and I am sure the others are as well. I think we all let a lot of things get the best of us."

"Let me just say, that was high on the list of reasons why we were in no hurry to broadcast the news, too."

"Were you ever going to tell us?"

"Yes we were, and believe it or not, how to do so had been the topic of conversation between us for a week. We were tired of the lying by omission, but couldn't really think of a way to resolve it, but Ed inadvertently took care of that for us."

"So I heard. That situation is part of what had everyone so stirred up."

"I'm sure it is, but have you ever looked at Ed? I mean, seriously looked at him?"

"I have not missed the fact that Edward has grown into a handsome young man."

“Well then, you shouldn’t be surprised that he’s not the blushing virgin everyone seems to think he is. He’s a walking legend for crying out loud, and a man to boot… think about it.”

Riza’s face scrunched up in thought and with a sigh she said, “I suppose I hadn’t thought along those lines.”

"As loathed as I am to admit this, he probably has more experience in such matters than I do."

"That seemed to be the impression Roy, Al and Hughes came back from lunch with."

"So if anyone needs saving, it's probably me."

"I'm sorry I misjudged the situation so badly."

"Well, next time try not judging it at all."

Riza was startled by the crass comment and gave him a look.

"Not to be rude, but it’s no one’s business. It’s only because everyone chose to involve themselves that Ed and I are having a shit day right now. We've been together for a few months now, and the simple fact that, in all that time he's been perfectly fine and you haven't noticed any changes in either of us other than the fact we've both been happier, should have spoken volumes."

"I suppose it should have."

Jean didn't respond; he just kept staring down into his coffee mug. Part of him was still upset even as another part felt guilty for it. He'd never really had a cross word with Riza before. When a warm hand settled over his and squeezed, he looked up into apologetic eyes and sighed.

"I also tend to forget you are younger than Hughes, Roy, and I. You have worked alongside me as a fellow marksman for so long that it's easy to forget that when Ed came on board, you hadn’t quite eked out of your teenage years and turned twenty yet."

"Yeah, being six-foot-three and broad-shouldered tends to help that sort of amnesia."

"Yes it does, especially when paired beside our favorite pint-sized alchemist."

"Hey, he's actually about your height now, Riza."

That statement made her arch an eyebrow at him.

"I said ‘about’," Jean mumbled before returning to his previous task of staring into his coffee mug.

"I will apologize again and…" before she could finish, they heard a key in the front door.

"Expecting company?"

"Indeed I am,” Jean said, as lips formerly held in a firm line curled into a smile.

"I guess I'll be going then."

She had just gotten to her feet and had started to pull on her jacket when Ed waltzed into the kitchen.

“Hey Riza, I'd say I didn't mean to run you off but as it turns out, that was kind of my plan."

Riza merely smiled at Ed's sarcasm and blunt honesty. "I can't say I blame you after the hard time we've all given you two today. How about I make it a point not to notice if you happened to show up after lunch tomorrow? Would that be a step toward forgiveness?"

Ed rubbed his chin in mock thought before he turned to Havoc and asked, "What do you think, Handsome?”

"I think it’s a damn fine start."

"Ok, it’s a deal then Little Lady."

"I'll see you both tomorrow then," was all Riza said before leaving them in peace.

"You think they all got it through their head this time?"

"Who knows," Ed said with a shrug, "only time will tell."

A smirk slid across Ed’s face as he slowly walked up to Jean, "Seems like we're all alone."

"That it does but what's with the impish look?"

"I brought bacon."

With that the night was spent in the most pleasant of fashions.

Their relationship was a little odd, it was unexpected, it may even be immoral to some but it worked for them and that's all that mattered.