Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.
Breakup Blues
Jean Havoc sat at the bar nursing his third beer. The warm tones of the dark wood and yellow light did nothing to lighten his mood. He wondered when he would find a nice girl to bring home to meet his parents and start a life with. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel, no Colonel Mustang now, had just given him, and the rest of their team, their relocation orders to Central City. In doing so, Mustang had also ordered him to dump his new girlfriend. He thought Cecelia had been the one, too. He sighed, taking a long swig of the amber liquid. Only on his third beer and not even feeling a little bit buzzed.
Ah, Cecelia, she was beautiful, with her long brown hair and her big round…eyes. She could have been the one! He had taken her on four dates in two weeks, first to grab coffee on a Sunday morning, then out to that new seafood restaurant on Tuesday night. On Friday night he had taken her to the movies and she invited him up to her apartment when he took her home. That was a good night, she took control behind closed doors, and he really didn't mind, especially when he got to see her naked. Then on the following Wednesday, he took her to that nice diner near Eastern Headquarters. They went to his place that night for a repeat of Friday night. He was meant to taker her out again on Saturday, but the Colonel had to go and ruin that by ordering him to be ready to start at Central Headquarters bright and early Monday morning!
Havoc downed the last of his beer and put the empty glass down a little too hard earning him a glare from the bartender. He apologized and asked for a refill.
"Dumped again, Lieutenant?" he asked pouring him fresh round.
Jean shook his head, "No, I dumped her." He sighed and took a swig from the fresh drink.
"What?" The bartender asked shocked. "You were just in here the other night yellin' bout how this girl was the one!"
Havoc groaned, "I know."
"What happened?" he asked while pouring a beer for the gentleman that took a seat a little farther down.
"I'm being transferred to Central," he said and took another swig.
"Well, you don't seem thrilled," he stated. "You gettin' a promotion?"
"Nah," Havoc shook his head a sat a little straighter. "The boss is and he insisted the whole team will be following him there."
"So he ordered you to break up with your new gal?"
"Pretty much," Havoc downed the half glass in two gulps before letting out a noise that sounded like something in between a sob and a choke. He put his head down on the bar and tried to stifle the couple of sobs that broke through. "When is my string of bad luck gonna finally break?"
"Aww, c'mon Lieutenant," he heard a familiar voice say to his right. "Don't look so pathetic."
Jean whipped his head up so forcefully he nearly fell off the stool. "Who're you calling pathetic?!"
Roy Mustang stood before him in a spiffy three piece suit, his black coat and white scarf hung on one arm.
Havoc stood on unsteady legs, the alcohol and gravity working against him as he saluted his commanding officer. "Sir!"
"At ease," Mustang said eyeing his subordinate as the Lieutenant slouched onto his stool again and signaled the bartender for another refill.
"I hear yer gettin' promoted," the bartender said in greeting to Mustang. "First one is on the house ta celebrate. What can I get ya?"
"Hey," Havoc protested. "You never give me anything on the house."
"Cause ya never seem to have anything ta celebrate," the bartender told him. "Ya come in here wallowin' most days."
Mustang clapped Havoc on the shoulder as he sat on the stool to Havoc's right, "Whiskey, neat, and one for my Lieutenant as well."
"I already have my beer, boss," Havoc said with disdain dripping into his voice.
"I think you could use something a bit stronger," Mustang said patting his shoulder before returning his hand to the top of the bar.
Jean snorted into his beer, "All thanks to you."
"She wasn't the one," Mustang said with a slight smirk as the whiskey was placed in front of them.
"How do you know?!" Havoc growled. "She was pretty, she laughed at my jokes, and she didn't mind that I smoke."
"She was dumb and had big boobs," Mustang deadpanned as he took a sip from the glass.
Havoc's mouth hung open for a moment before he snapped it shut. He clenched his jaw, glared at his commanding officer and grabbed the whiskey glass in front of him. He slammed it back while Mustang tried to grab his wrist wide eyed. He realized a moment too late why.
Coughing loudly from the intense burn in his throat he sputtered out, "Fuck!" before taking a long drink from his beer.
"That's a sipping whiskey, Havoc!" Mustang yelled at him.
"Yeah!" Jean coughed loudly. "I realize that now!"
Mustang laughed at the sputtering man next to him, earning him a pissed off look and a punch to the shoulder.
"Sorry, Havoc," Mustang chuckled.
Havoc cleared his throat, the burning sensation nearly gone, "And for your information, Cecelia isn't dumb. She likes to make conversation, especially about astronomy. She works at the observatory, ya know."
"Oh yeah?" Mustang asked with a smirk. "I can't imagine you do much talking with your dates."
Havoc stopped mid-drink and looked at Mustang with sad eyes, "Is that what you really think of me, Roy? Sure I go out with a lot of women, but they dump me pretty quickly once they get sight of you." Havoc's shoulders slumped. "And honestly, I'm not the kind of guy who enjoys one night stands. Sure, I'll take it when I can get it, but I'd much rather meet a nice girl who I can talk easily with and imagine a life with. Is that really so much to ask?"
"Jean," Mustang started. "I didn't mean- I know you're not a womanizer."
Havoc sniffled and rubbed his sleeve under his nose. "She slapped me."
"Huh?" Mustang asked taking another sip of his whiskey.
"When I broke up with her, she slapped me and told me she never wanted to hear from me again. I didn't even get a chance to tell her I'm moving away. I had barely finished saying I couldn't see her anymore and she smacked me. It hurt, too, left a red mark for a bit." Havoc sighed. "I know how it feels to get dumped, so it sucks that I had to break things off with her."
"Havoc," Mustang began. "If she really cared, she would have let you finish that sentence."
Havoc tipped the last of his beer into his mouth and placed the empty glass back on the bar top, "I'm gonna go. I've gotta get my stuff packed for Central." He dropped a handful of cenz on the counter, patted Mustang on the shoulder and headed toward the door.
"Central is a large city," Mustang called toward his subordinate. "Lots of pretty women who love a man in uniform."
Jean couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. He nodded and left the bar. Maybe he'd have more luck in the big city. He could only hope.
