Alright this is a short two part story about a pairing that some people might not have thought about before but is still interesting. I've read about them yesterday only, and thought "Why not?"

The reason why this short story is seperated in two chapters is because I wanted to seperate the before Al got his body back and the after he got it. So this chapter here is the "before" he gets his body back and how Havoc finds a friend in a time of need.

I do not own these characters. This story is rated M for what's ahead (but this chapter does have some bad words in it...)

"I'm sorry, 2lt, but you will never walk again."

The words echoed inside Jean Havoc's mind over and over, like a message in a loop that would forever haunt his life. He did his best not to scream at the doctor, knowing that in the bed next to him his superior was resting, trying his best to regain some sort of strength.

His luck with women was a joke, and as he closed his eyes and tried to sink in the news Havoc couldn't help but to laugh: he had been fucked up good this time.

Havoc grabbed his thigh as hard as he could and there it was; the non-existent feeling that it was his leg. It was as though his body ended at his hips, as though that last white hot slash through his spinal cord had cut him in half. He tried his best to swallow any form of possible tears that would want to run down his cheeks and sighed as the doctor let him be.

He knew what this meant. He knew that he couldn't be of any help anymore to Mustang and the others. He wouldn't be able to even try to be a hero, and his chances of finding a woman that would still love him for who he was were more than slim now. His life was fucked. He would most likely have to retire back home in the countryside, working as a cashier at his parents' general store.

What a fucking joke.

Hours and days went by and Mustang got better, which meant that soon enough Havoc would be getting a new roommate. He had to wait, orders of the doctor, until his release papers were signed before he could get out and of course, it meant that he had to wait for Mustang to be at the office again.

They had managed to talk things over when they were alone (which wasn't as often as one would like to since Lt. Hawkeye was always lurking around) and sadly Havoc had come to accept this fate of his. Every time he looked into the Colonel's eyes he saw just how much it tore the guy apart that one of his subordinates was injured. Havoc knew that he would have to act tough in front of the man and pretend like he didn't give a damn that his military life was over, even though he already knew that Mustang could read him like a book.

"You sure you'll be alright on your own?" Roy had asked on the day of his release.

Havoc did his best not to think about chewing the cigarette bud that he had in his mouth – he was allowed one a day and he couldn't afford to waste it. "Sure thing, colonel. I just wish we didn't have to say goodbye this way."

Mustang had given him a smile before turning around, now facing the door. The old man raised his hand up in the air, waving back. "This isn't goodbye forever, Havoc. You better be in shape by the time I find your ass again."

That hadn't been a threat, Havoc thought: this was a promise.

In the days that had followed Havoc had been given the use of a wheelchair, and though it was a pain to get out of bed he was more than grateful that he didn't have to spend all of his time lying down anymore. Breda and Fuery came to visit at least once every two days while Hawkeye came for a weekly checkup, no surprise that she was checking in for the colonel. It was nice to see their faces once in a while and he was happy that the guys would even bring him outside and sit there so he could enjoy some more nicotine.

Two days before his official release (it was the only day of the week that his parents were in town and were able to come and pick him up) Havoc heard from Hawkeye that his friends had been transferred into new headquarters, and that she could no longer come to visit him. That pained him more than it should have seeing as he would now have to face the last 48 hours on his own without any sort of company. With the help of a nurse he managed to get out of bed into his wheelchair and began to stroll around the hospital, hoping that some miracle would come and save him from this hellish boredom.

"2lt. Havoc!"

What the hell? Havoc turned himself around as he heard the clinging sound of an armor coming his way, knowing without a doubt who it was.

"Well, well if it isn't Alphonse Elric! What brings you to Central hospital?"

The clinging sound ended as the armor guy stopped in his steps. "Oh you know Ed: can't come to Central without having to put on some bandages," the kid chuckled.

The soft chuckling made Havoc smile. "I guess you're right. It's been a while, huh?"

The tall suit of armor froze in its movement. "It sure has. I heard from the lieutenant about your legs. I'm so sorry."

The last few words made Havoc frown. "How so?"

It took Alphonse a moment to reply, and Havoc swore that if the guy would have had a human body at the moment his eyes would have been filled with warm tears.

"Brother and I always find a way to get people close to us hurt. This… this shouldn't have happened to you."

Havoc smiled again. He remembered slightly the day of the attack against the one that called itself Lust; he remembered the pain from his injury, and also how the kid had been the one to carry him out of that lab.

"Don't worry about it, kid. It happens. I guess I should thank you though; if you wouldn't have carried me out of there chances are I wouldn't have even survived."

There was another moment of silence between the two of them, as though the kid was trying to find the right words to say. Yes, life was unfair but the kid shouldn't have to beat himself up about it.

"You know what?" Havoc tried, "why not you come and visit me before I leave? I know you and the squirt are busy and all but I think it would be nice to have some company before I leave for the countryside."

That last sentence seemed to alarm Alphonse. "You're leaving?"

"Yup. A guy like me cannot stay in the military, and I sure as hell do not want to stay here forever. What do you say?"

Alphonse nodded and Havoc smiled, wondering if a suit of armor could really show emotions like what he was witnessing.

"I'll be back tomorrow, promise."

And he had come too. The kid had come in the early hours of the morning and once Havoc had been done with breakfast the two of them had decided to go for a stroll outside of the hospital. It was probably one strange sight to see where an iron knight was pushing a low down broken guy like Havoc, he thought as Alphonse stopped the chair by a chess table. But he didn't care. He had company, and nothing else mattered at the moment.

They played rounds of chess, and though Havoc thought that the game was the lamest thing in the world he still enjoyed playing it. The kid was surely giving him chances and freebies, though they didn't come to anything since the guy always lost anyways.

"You know we don't have to play," Alphonse said as he rested the table again.

Havoc took another cigarette from the pocket on the side of his chair and lit it up. "I'm not going anywhere so might as well play this. I should be the one asking if you have anything else to do other than staying here with a guy like me."

For some reason Alphonse seemed sure of his answer. "You know, when you're stuck in a suit of armor like mine it's sort of hard not being unnoticed. You, the colonel and the team are the only ones who took brother and me in without asking any questions. So I guess it's not biggie if I stay around for a while."

It was such a mature thing to say, Havoc admitted to himself. Remembering the type of guy he was when he was Alphonse's age Havoc couldn't help but to be proud of the littl-… tall guy.

"You know something 2lt? I think we should make each other a promise," Alphonse said as he played his white pawn on the chessboard.

"We should?"

Alphonse nodded. "Of course. I think we should meet again when this war will be over."

Havoc frowned. "You mean once you and your brother get your bodies back?"

"Yes," Alphonse seemed super enthusiast about the deal. "And maybe we can find a way to get your legs to work again too!"

Havoc felt his heart break inside his chest. "Listen, Al…"

But Alphonse cut him in. "I know what you're about to say, 2lt, and I don't want to hear it. Medical discoveries are made everyday, and I'm sure that there's a way that you will be able to walk again someday too!"

Why was the kid so excited about this? What had made him think that he could be some sort of a miracle for the guy? And why did he care so much about him?

I can't let this guy down; he repeated the sentence to himself in his mind a few times before he sighed. "Alright, you got yourself a deal. And hey, perhaps I'll have time to get better at this freaking game and I'll be able to beat you then."

What will happen when these two meet again with their bodies back? Stay tuned!