Disclaimer: I don't Own FMA or FMA:B

Originally this was going to be a one shot, but I needed an excuse to be antisocial and you got this.

"So, you trying to stick it out too?"

A head of blonde hair swiveled to the right, resting uncertain gold eyes on his person. Whatever the kid was looking for, he must have found, because a surprisingly pleasant smile worked its way across his face.

"Ahhh, well it's not like I have much else to do."

Jean Havoc took the answer with a nod. "Same, kid. Same." The kid's mouth made a pinched frown at that, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a loud, contagious yawn.

Noticing his little friend's fatigue, Jean asked, "Are you sure that you're up for the task? It looks like you could fall asleep standing up."

A new kind of determination flashed in his eyes, and an arm made its way up to wipe the sleep off his face, illuminated by the lamplight. "I'm fine. I've spent multiple all-nighters studying alchemy with my brother, so this'll be a piece of cake. Besides, if I fell asleep now, he'd have no one to keep him company." The blonde boy gestured to a suit of armor hanging behind him (Jean had certainly noted the decoration as bizarre when he'd first set his eyes on it), but he looked around a little and couldn't see the mentioned brother.

"Uhhh, kid, I don't want to alarm you, but we're just about the only people in sight. Unless, of course, you count that old couple dozing off on the station steps."

A metallic shrieking caught his attention, and he was filled with terror concern as the previously-thought-motionless suit of armor came to life. Jean was a trained man of the military, however, and was able to quickly maneuver the kid behind him and pull out his gun. "Stay down!" he shouted.

A small squeaking noise reverberated through the metal and if he didn't know better, Jean would say that it was hollow. "Don't move."

The armor stayed still, but it didn't stay quiet. "Wait, don't shoot!" it pleaded, "I'm not going to do anything!" The voice was so young and innocent-sounding that Jean had to do a double take. It sounded like a child was inside.

"I'm going to need you to step out of the armor, sir," he said, a lot calmer than he felt. He loosened his stance a little, but remained vigilant.

This was a mistake.

A bright light flashed throughout the empty station and Jean found himself catapulted into the air. He landed with a loud "omph", feeling the air leave his lungs.

The lieutenant looked up to find the kid directly in front of the armor and scrambled onto his arms, panic overtaking him. Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Jean's hearing, however, came back to him and the command died on his lips.

Was the armor… scolding the boy?

"Brother! That was unnecessary and you know it! He could have gotten seriously hu-" The helmet shifted its attention to him. Surprisingly gentle gauntlets gripped his forearms, followed by a soft, "Are you all right?" and hefted the man up.

Jean looked at the hulking form in both awe and confusion. Before he could get a word out, however, the armor continued its speech. "I am sooo sorry for my brother's actions. You just surprised us."

The blonde haired kid let out a groan. "Al, are you kidding me? He pulled a gun on you! Of course I had to do something. He should be grateful that he isn't unconscious already."

"What if you seriously hurt him?"

"What if he seriously hurt you?"

"He couldn't, and you know it, brother."

Jean stood awkwardly as he watched the two argue. A small sense of duty had his hand itching towards his holster when he realized that he lost his gun in the fall. It was a miracle that it didn't go off when it made contact with the ground.

"Okay, but that still doesn't change the fact that mister trigger happy over here had a gun. What's a civilian like you even have a gun for in the first place?" Jean was about to correct him when he caught sight of his sleeve.

His brown sleeve.

He sheepishly raised a hand to his hair. "Ah, sorry about that, but I'm actually part of Eastern Command. I'm just off duty for now."

The kid looked disbelieving at him. "And I'm supposed to believe that Eastern Command just allows their soldiers to carry guns around off duty."

"Well, actually…" Jean didn't really know how to explain that: No, they weren't, but his commanding officer needed a favor that couldn't exactly be tracked by the people up top.

Luckily, he was saved by the sweet tone of the suit of armor, who he was starting to see as some kind of angel in disguise. "Brother, you shouldn't ask questions like that. It's rude."

This was quickly looking like it was gonna become another argument so Jean stepped in before any shouting began. "Ahhhh, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that you two are brothers?"

He was answered with one polite "yes sir" and a dismissive "of course". You can guess who.

"So, uhhh, mister…"

"Havoc, Jean Havoc," he filled in.

"...mister Havoc... I'm Alphonse Elric, by the way, and this is my brother, Edward." The other brother waved curtly. "Anyways, if you don't mind me asking-"

"Ugh, Al, you're taking forever. Just skip with the bullshit formalities already. We want to know what exactly you were doing on your break."

"Ed! That's not what I wanted to know."

Jean felt his lips twitch up into a grin. He had just met them and he liked both brothers already.

"Yeah? Well, it's what I want to know and you were taking too long. So, explain."

"Hey, what if I'm not comfortable sharing?" Edward looked at him with a deadpan expression, silently calling out his bull. "Ok, fine. I was out getting-" Jean stopped, realizing just now how young the kid was. "Dinner with a lovely lady."

The kid, unassuming perceptive, stated, "You're lying. What were you really doing?"

"My own business kid. You don't need to know." He paused. "Think about, I doubt you'll tell me the truth as to why your brother is wearing that suit of armor, so I won't bother asking."

A shocked look spread across the tan face and the armor besides him froze. Alphonse's small voice spoke, "Wow, you mean you're really not gonna ask?" Jean nodded. "Most people usually ask me about it the first time I see them so it's just… really nice that you won't."

"Yeah, most people don't hesitate to ask. It's actually weird that you won't. Especially since you brought it up," Edward's suspicious voice cut in.

"Well, I'm not going to lie, it's not that I'm not curious, but I think it's fair, considering I won't answer your question. Though my brain is thinking all kinds of odd explanations: a costume party, a weightlifting method, some bad sun sensitivity... Besides, as long as you step out of the armor, I don't see a problem."

The boys exchanged paranoid looks. Or at least the blonde did. The other one looked behind his brother and actually stepped behind him. "We can't do that!" they argued in unison.

Jean whistled, moving his hands to form the universal surrender sign. "I'm going to need a plausible explanation, boys."

He watched them struggle for a bit before they strung together a few sentences.

"We can't-"

"Because-"

"I need it-"

"To breathe."

"It's for life support?" The last part was squeaked out, and Jean could tell that it was a lie even without the prepubescent voice cracks. He should escort them back to the local law enforcement and have them check for any hidden weapons or breaks in national security. It's not like he felt any danger coming from the boys (despite one wearing a suit of armor and the other having thrown him twenty feet with his alchemy), but still, it was protocol.

He was, however, tired. It was two am and the train was running six hours late with no other explanation than animals getting in the way. There was no way Jean was risking the chance of the train arriving during his absence. Not when he'd stayed up so late waiting for it. No, he could just bring the boys to Mustang and let him handle it.

"Okay," he relented.

"Really?" The boys were both surprised at the outcome and if that wasn't telling of how bad the lie was...

It'll be Roy's problem. You can't blame a man with zero hours of sleep.

"Yeah, really. I just need to take you to East Headquarters, before I send you on your merry way."

"Oh that's great!" The actual relief in the metal voice was a surprise. Come to think of it, the grumpier kid looked pretty relieved as well.

"It is?" he asked.

"Yeah! Brother and I needed to get there anyways. We need to meet with someone before he takes the State Alchemist Exam. But, well, we haven't been there before so we don't exactly know the way."

"Hold up. Did you just say the state alchemist exam? You do know that you need to be like seventeen to take it. If a ten year old shows up, I'm pretty sure that they'll kick you out right away."

"Hey! Who're you calling so short that he can be mistaken for a baby in diapers!"

"That's not- what?"

"Sorry mister Havoc," if a suit of armor could be blushing, it would, "but Ed gets really sensitive about his height. Anyways, yeah, we need to see someone to get the recommendations to take the exam."

Jean looked cautiously at the other, practically mirroring a rabid dog in his anger. And earlier he'd been scared of Alphonse? "Right, well, best of luck to you, but I doubt the military will be willing to change its rules due to a single recommendation."

"What rules?" Edward questioned.

"You know, age limitations and stuff." Jean felt really awkward. He didn't want to crush the kid's dreams, but it was better this way than letting him find out when he got there. Kids were better off spending their days having fun while they lasted, only dreaming of dangerous adventures, not experiencing living nightmares. In fact, if he wasn't devoted to the Flame Alchemist's cause, he probably would have resigned awhile ago.

Edward, however, was not deterred. "There's no such thing as an age restriction to be a state alchemist, and I made sure to check."

"I haven't heard of anyone who's managed to become a state alchemist earlier than the age of eighteen."

"That's just because alchemy is a skill that takes years to develop."

"Then shouldn't you be home studying then. You have a while to go."

Alphonse quietly argued, "I think that we'll be fine as it is. You haven't really seen brother in action. Alchemy isn't easy to learn, that's true. And it's impossible to master, but brother and I have been practicing for years and we're really good at what we do."

"Kid, every state alchemist is a prodigy, but they are also grown adults who have spent their lives devoted to their trade. Even then, they are scared that they'll get demoted or won't make the cut. I've seen the most competent alchemist cut down during their jobs. As an adult interested in your well-being, I insist that you go home and think about this for a while. Wait a few years until you're sure about this decision."

"But we are sure. Trust me, sir. We've talked about it in great detail and we feel like it's our only choice. Failing the exam isn't an option. This is the only thing that'll help us. Besides, my brother would get too lonely without me to die."

From the resolute tone in Alphonse's voice and the sad smile on Edward's lips, Jean could tell that there wasn't anything he could do to make them change their decision. Still, a pang of sadness hit his heart because he knew that this would change their lives forever. There was almost no chance that he would pass, but from the way the boys kept surprising him, they would probably find a way.

"Okay, well let me see it."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Your alchemy. I'm not an alchemist so I'm not exactly permitted to watch the exams, but I wouldn't mind seeing it in action. Besides, I'm falling asleep here, so I need something to keep my attention." Upon noticing the devious look on the blonde's face, he added, "Preferably without my own bodily harm."

"Sure!" Edward exclaimed, loudly clapping his hands together. Miraculously, the old couple hadn't woken up - from anything - which was probably a good thing because they wouldn't bear witness to Jean's jaw dropping to the floor in reaction to the transmutation.

Standing proud in front of him was a ginormous statute of the two boys. Every detail of the armor ingrained into the stone replicate. The only part he found unrealistic was that fact that Edward portrayed himself as tall of his brother, which was easily overlooked when it came to the sheer likeliness of the transmutation.

"That's not all I can do, but using earth materials is a lot more convenient for me than water or acids."

"That's impressive," he admitted, "You could give Major Armstrong a run for his money." Then, just because he was tired and had no brain to mouth filter at the moment, he decided to add, "but fancy tricks aren't exactly going to get you a position as a state alchemist. You need to be able to prove yourself effective in a dangerous situation."

It wasn't wrong, the boy probably had a premade transmutation circle, but according to his CO, they left little room for creativity. Making statues was cute and all, but what could it do in a situation that involved more than showing off.

If the boy had any doubts, he didn't show it.

He rushed off to whisper something to his brother. The metal-laced voice carried a bit more in its response, but Jean couldn't hear anything more than slight mutterings. When a large stone hand rushed out towards the boy, Jean nearly swore in shock.

Edward dodged, laughing as he danced away. He clapped again and stone rose up from the ground in a huge wave, heading straight for his ironclad brother. Alphonse dodged, leaned down, and began to sketch a transmutation circle onto the pavement.

Jean watched the two brothers spar until his eyes grew sleepy. A number of times he caught his head a second before it carried his body to the ground. It wasn't until the shrill sound of a train rang out that he regained true awareness.

He looked around, expecting to see a sea of upturned stones, massive pillars, and car-sized dips. Instead the station was completely ordinary, restored to its former glory. Internally, he let out a sigh of relief.

"So, since you'll be escorting us to Eastern Headquarters, do you think we can share seats with you?" Jean jumped in surprise. He hadn't even noticed the armor sneak up on him, which was weird because he'd been making so much noise earlier. Was that… intentional?

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," he waved off, "but I'm not going to be very pleasant company. I'm going to try to catch some shut eye if I can."

"It's fine," Edward cut in. "I'll be sleeping too." He got this sad look on his face just then and looked up at Alphonse's armored head. "If you'll be okay with that."

"I'll be fine brother. Just get some sleep, okay?" The blonde boy gave him a grateful smile, starting the trek up into the train cars. Jean followed behind wondering what was going on inside the two boys' heads.

When they boarded the train, they discovered - to their delight - that it was almost empty. The delay had pretty much gotten rid of anyone waiting for the trip, and a lot of people had gotten off at the latest stop. This meant that they could steal a first class car without complications. Jean felt like indulging himself and practically melted into his seat, asleep once his head hit the velvet.

A big jolt woke him up. He hit his head on the window, and instinctively lifted his hand to feel at the bruise.

"That looks pretty bad." Jean's eyes found the prone form of Edward, impossibly relaxed against the metal exterior of his brother.

"Probably not as bad as his neck is gonna feel in the morning."

Alphonse chuckled at this. "I don't know, brother is pretty resilient. He can sleep anywhere, and not feel the slightest discomfort. Once I caught him asleep on Winry's desk, with automail on it and everything. I'm surprised she didn't kill him for it."

Alphonse had his helmet tilted towards the roof, probably reminiscing on that time. Jean was a little lost, but politely restrained himself from asking questions.

"Then there was this one time Edward actually tried to pick apart her automail. Predictably, he broke it. I mean, he knows Winry. Touching her automail is like a death sentence! I swear, brother may be older than me, but it's times like those that make me feel like I was born first."

Jean choked on his saliva. "He's the older one!"

The rest of the trip went on like this. Alphonse and Jean sharing little anecdotes on their everyday lives and Edward sleeping blissfully unaware.

When the train rolled to a stop, though, it was like a switch was flipped. Edward woke and began to stretch like he wasn't even asleep in the first place. "So," he began, "Ready to go, Al? Havoc?"

WIthout waiting for a response he sauntered off into the luggage car, returning with both his bags and Jeans. He was honestly surprised that the kid even remembered what his bags looked like. It was just another quirk to the ever growing list of things he'd found out about the Elric brothers.

As they made their way around town, he fondly watched Edward looking at the city in wonder. "They'd grown up as country bumpkins," Al had explained. This was their first time ever seeing a real city. Speaking of Al, the other boy was hard to read under that armor - which he still wanted a real explanation for, might he add - but the constant turning of his head indicated the same fascination as his older brother.

Making their way into HQ, Jean had to remind them to 'act normal', which earned him a glare and and muffled "sorry". He was worried about what Roy would think about the two. His newfound fondness mixed with the knowledge of the twos' reluctance to remove the armor left him wanting to abort his mission altogether.

However, this was not to be, because Riza Hawkeye met them around the corner, a surprised look on her face. In a most confusing turn of events, it softened into a tender smile, and she addressed the duo. "Edward, Alphonse, it's so good to see you." Jean's brain short circuited. How the hell did she know these boys? Why did she actually look happy to see them? Was she alarmed at the suit of armor or had she gotten used to it just like him?

"Hey Hawkeye! We were just stopping by to get our paperwork from Mustang. It's nice to see you too!" Was Edward talking to her like a normal person? Did he mention Mustang? Mustang?

"Ahh, well, he's a little busy right now, but we can squeeze in a bit of time for you. Let's get that paperwork taken care of." She leveled her stare at him, for once not scolding or disappointed. "Thank you for bringing them here, lieutenant. I'll take it from here."

Wasn't he supposed to be the one meeting Mustang? What was going on?

He watched as the trio made their way down the hall, Hawkeye's exclamation of, "I wasn't expecting you two to get here so soon," the last thing that he heard before they disappeared down the hallway.

Breda snuck up behind him, coffee in hand. "Was I seeing stuff or did Hawkeye just go into Mustang's office with a ten-year-old and a walking suit of armor?"

~~~FMA~~~

Jean Havoc did not see anymore of the Elric brothers for another three weeks. It was on the Monday of the fourth week that he heard what was quite possibly the loudest ruckus he'd ever been present to hear in Eastern Command.

He moved his head towards the door, waiting in anticipation for who knows what. The cheering got louder.

The doors swung open and he caught sight of a familiar blonde braid shadowed by the unforgettable metal armor.

In Edward's gloved hand was a shining, silver pocket watch. The one that identified state alchemists. With a proud grin stretching across his face, he said, "I told you I could do it."

So this is more or less how I imagined their first meeting to go. Tell me what you think.