Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Sadly, I believe this story is becoming more and more fluffy. Not extreme, but I think this story contains the most fluff I've ever written for one story! Weird...I don't know, it just seems to easy to write it for these two. Most of my characters I can't imagine them doing it...Ah well, as long as it doens't get extreme or takes away from the story, I don't think anyone who actually reads this will care. As you can see, even though I've only gotten two reviews, I'm still ploughing ahead because I enjoy writing this. I hope whoever reads this likes it. And if you don't, feel free to let me know and why you don't. As long as you're not very nasty, it doesn't bother me.

It's weird writing an on-again, off-again relationship like this, but I just don't want them to suddenly fall in love, ya know? Kirstin has her past to deal with, and Havoc isn't exactly a family man. So while it's difficult, it's also interesting and fun to develop their relationship and write all the subtle (or not-so-subtle) things.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

"You shot fifteen civilians and severely injured all of them," Mustang informed Havoc dryly, as the Major sat up in a hospital, having sustained some minor injuries. "But I suppose it's better than you having killed them all. And she still got away…the Lieutenant Colonel is going to hear about this from me personally once I see her."

"Sir," Havoc began, getting Mustang's attention. "The Lieutenant Colonel took that woman's attack for me, which is the only reason she's hurt so bad. Don't be too rough."

"Sure thing," Mustang agreed with a nod, surprising the other officer. Standing up, Mustang strode from the room, leaving Havoc alone to worry.

"The Major says you took a blow for him," the Flame Alchemist said calmly, gazing down at a resting Kirstin. "Somehow, I find that difficult to believe."

"I wasn't going to give the bitch the satisfaction of knowing she had killed him," Kirstin replied, her tone level despite the amount of pain killers she had been put on after being patched up.

"Hmm…" Mustang grinned down at her suddenly and sat on the edge of the bed. "The doctors say you'll be able to get out of bed in about a week, and then you're on bed rest at home until further notice."

"Then why don't I just stay in the damn hospital until then?" she grumbled, annoyed at being stuck like that. "I can heal faster than they think, anyway. Stupid –"

"That hole was blown right through part of your liver, just missing several more-vital organs and leaving a hole the size of a cantaloupe in your body," Mustang interrupted her roughly. "You'll stay in the damn bed if I have to tie you to it, understand? The quicker you heal the quicker you can go back on the case, so don't try anything stupid."

"Yes, sir," she said grudgingly, glaring down at her lap after her superior had left. Hearing the door open again a few moments later, she looked up to see a nervous-looking Havoc making his way into the room. "Shouldn't you be in bed too?" she asked, and he shrugged self-consciously.

"All I've got are a few bruises and scrapes, thanks to you."

"Eh, don't get so excited," she shrugged absently. "It's my job to keep you safe – and any injuries you get go on my record. Plus, all these medical bills are out of my paycheck. I can't afford to let you seriously injured."

"O-oh," Havoc blinked, taken aback by the sudden coolness of her attitude. "I guess you're pretty tired," he said, edging toward the door. "I'm gonna go get something to eat."

"Feel better," she said suddenly, and he paused before closing the door behind him.

"Shot down?" Mustang asked smugly, causing Havoc to jump as he tried to rest later that day.

"Sir!"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Mustang assured him, with a grin on his face. "Let me guess – she acted like she could care less, and was only in it for the money."

"Yeah."

"That's just how she is," the other man informed him. "Kirstin wouldn't have taken that blast for anyone, just to let you know."

"Couldn't you just get a wheelchair?" Kirstin grumbled, as Havoc struggled to open the front door to their apartment while holding her in his arms.

"Mustang wouldn't – let me," he grunted, finally shoving it open. "Damn, you're heavier than I thought you were."

"Are you insinuating I'm fat?" she asked dangerously, and he shook his head, hastily setting her down on the bed.

"No!"

"So, what'd Mustang tell you before we left?" she asked dryly, glancing around in boredom at the room. "I can't believe I'm stuck here for as long as he decides!"

"He said I'm supposed to stay here with you," Havoc told her, moving further away from the bed before he answered.

"It figures," she sighed, surprising him by not getting angry. "Well, do you like board games, or were you just going to sit on your ass and stare out the window?"

"Actually, I have a question," Havoc began, gingerly sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What?" Kirstin pressed, peering at him suspiciously.

"Sarena – she called you her little sister."

"It's nothing," she said quickly, but he leaned forward with a slight frown on his face.

"And something didn't add up – placing another Alchemist in charge of guarding that experiment, if it was so important," he continued. "What's going on with all this? You haven't told me the whole truth, have you?"

"No – it's none of your business," she shook her head, wishing she was able to move away.

"I think it is."

"What – because I saved you?" Kirstin laughed suddenly, but it sounded more like a sob to Havoc. "You think I'll just sit here and tell you my entire life story? I don't owe you anything, Major. This is my job, not anything else. You thought that because I saved you I was in love with you or something? I don't love anyone, Major – I don't care."

Havoc straightened abruptly, the words shooting sharp pains in his chest. Kirstin looked flushed, and her eyes glistened suspiciously.

"Get out," she ordered coldly, and looked away. Havoc stood up and left without another word, leaving her alone in the room. "Damn it!" she shouted in her mind, and threw a pillow on the floor in frustration. "I knew it was a bad idea…" she told herself, burying her face in the mattress to muffle her crying, her body shaking painfully.

"Havoc?" a voice called, knocking persistently on the door. "Havoc, Mustang told me you were here! Open up!" When he didn't get a response, the Fullmetal Alchemist transmuted the door lock, and slammed it open. He found the Major slumped over at the table, a beer bottle leaned on his arm with several other scattered on the floor. "Idiot," Ed muttered, striding over to the man and jerking him to his feet. Ed had grown over the past years, and was now almost 6'0". "Yo, Major!"

"E-Edward?" Havoc asked blearily, opening his eyes with effort.

"You're a mess," Ed sighed, and tossed the man back down in the chair and took the other one. "What's your problem?"

"Nuthin'," Havoc replied, his speech so slurred it was almost unintelligible.

"Yeah, right," Ed said skeptically, peering around the apartment. "I've never seen you so drunk before. What the hell happened – and where's the Shadow Alchemist?"

"Ya know wha th' prob'lm wit wummon is, Ed?" Havoc asked, gazing at Ed with glazed-over blue eyes.

"No. What," the young man rolled his eyes, deciding to humor the other man.

"Th' prob'lm wit wummon is that they n'vr love ya when ya wan' 'em to," Havoc informed the Alchemist solemnly, grasping for the bottle which was quickly jerked away. "Ya get t' know them a bit, and the – wham! They shu' ya out and break ya heart."

"Thanks for the advice," Ed shook his head, as Havoc promptly passed out. "Poor guy – Mustang said he hasn't heard from him in almost four days. This must've been what he's been doing. I wonder how she is?" he wondered, glancing toward the closed bedroom door. Knocking softly, he jumped in surprise when he received a reply.

"Come in," Kirstin called, and Ed poked his head in to see her sitting upright against the pillows, gazing out the window.

"What happened to Havoc?" he asked, closing the door behind him. "He's completely toasted."

"He's been drinking," she informed him. "I thought that would have been obvious."

"It is – I meant, why?" Ed pressed. She sighed softly before looking back out the window.

"It's nothing," she replied, and Ed gritted his teeth in frustration. "Nothing that concerns you, at least. The doctor stopped by yesterday and said I'm able to move around the apartment on my own as long as I don't strain myself. You can tell Mustang that I'm fine, thanks."

"I just came by to see Havoc, but since he's in no condition to visit, I'll drop in later," Ed nodded, realizing that he wasn't wanted at that moment. As the other Alchemist made a quick exit, Kirstin rose stiffly from the bed and made her way to the closet, pulling out a dark-plum knee-length dress with T-shirt sleeves and a scooped collar, since she wasn't allowed to wear anything snug around her wound yet. The dress belted low around her hips and she slipped on brown flats as she shuffled out of the room. Seeing an unconscious Havoc on the table, she rubbed her temples in aggravation and looked through the fridge to find something to eat.

"Damn idiot…it's his own fault," she told herself sternly, passing by Havoc as she sat down on the couch. Trying to ignore the guilty feeling in her mind, she concentrated instead on her food, tuning out Havoc's snores.

"Havoc? It's time to wake up now, you idiot," she muttered, shaking him roughly several hours later. "I feel like some fucking housewife with a lush for a husband," she groaned to herself, trying to tug him up from the chair.

"Wazzat…?" he mumbled. Muttering to herself, Kirstin transmuted the area around her into solid dark bindings, picking Havoc up and dragging him to the bedroom.

"I didn't take you for a drunk, either," she said softly, finally getting him into the bed. Panting slightly from the effort, she frowned when she noticed his erratic breathing, and placed a slender hand on his forehead. "Goddamn, Havoc, you're burning up!" she realized, her eyes widening in surprise. Pulling the sheets up around him, she fetched a damp washcloth and folded it on his forehead with a sigh.

"Mmm…" Havoc groaned, feeling her cool touch on his feverish face. Kirstin blinked, but he fell back into a fever-induced sleep, tossing around slightly on the mattress.

"Of all things…" she muttered, resigning herself to the fact that she'd have to nurse him.

"Wha…?" Havoc managed, opening his eyes and seeing Kirstin looking down at him with worry on her face.

"Feeling better?" she asked, abruptly breaking their gaze with a slight flush on her cheeks, turning to the washbasin. "You've had a high fever almost all night. I was going to call the doctor in the morning, but it looks like it broke."

"Man, I don't feel too hot," he groaned, trying to sit up and promptly being shoved down onto his back, her hands firmly on his shoulders for a moment. He sighed at the feeling of her cool hands on his still-hot body, but his relief died when she pulled away.

"That's what you get for all that drinking," she informed him coolly, placing another damp cloth on his forehead. "Don't even think about getting up, or you'll piss me off."

"Yes, ma'm," he agreed obediently, smiling weakly at her sharp gaze.

"Good," she said finally, and stood up. "I'll get you something to eat. Stay there."

"What else am I gonna do?" he grumbled, struggling to sit up before she noticed and glared at him.

"So, the doctor said you can move around now, did he," Havoc commented, absently drinking the soup she had made him. She folded her legs underneath her, sitting at the foot of the double bed, and looked at him calmly.

"Of course," she replied. "I heal faster than most people. It must be my genes – my father didn't often get sick either."

"Who was your father? An Alchemist?" he asked, before seeing her gaze harden.

"My mother was," she said shortly. "She killed herself when I was a child. My father raised me."

"And your sister," he added quietly, and she jerked upright, looking pale. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, seeing her sudden change. "You strained yourself too much," he realized, and leaned forward to grab her arm.

"Let go," she shrugged him off with a tug and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Yes – and my sister," she admitted. "My sister was six years older than I. We didn't get along too well. I had an aptitude for alchemy, as well as a close relationship with our father because of it, while she struggled with it. Until she was in her late teens. Suddenly she became popular with all the boys, and father realized she was using alchemy. Back then, all she could do was entice them, but she had strengthened herself to the point she could hypnotize them as well."

Havoc waited when she cut herself off, and lay back against his pillows when she glared warningly at him. Holding the cup to his mouth he drank more soup, gazing at her over the rim of the ceramic.

"She and father fought, and she ran away. It broke his heart," Kirstin said softly. "I joined the military, hoping I'd run across her. Sure enough…Are you drinking that?"

"Wha-yeah!" he nodded fervently as she peered at him, and jumped when she yanked it away from him.

"Damn meds," she muttered, rising to her feet. "I'll go get you more – I know you're hungry, since you just burned the fever off."

"Yeah, I am," he nodded, before realizing he had given her an excuse to leave without finishing. "Damn!" he muttered, as she strode from the room.

"Fucking meds…making me all woozy and talking like that," she grumbled, pouring more soup into the cup. "Idiot…almost had me talking all about it," she sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I need a nap," she said to herself, walking back to the bedroom. "But not with him in it," she added. Without warning, a sudden jab in her side caused her to look down, and she realized the wound had reopened. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on her face, and the cup clattered to the floor as she braced herself against the wall.

Feeling a hand on the small of her back, she leaned her head back to see Havoc grinning down at her before he scooped her up.

"I told you that you exerted yourself too much," he said, carrying her into the bedroom. "Now, you'll stay put while I put another bandage on that, or I'll just pop some pills into you."

"Asshole," she grumbled, her fingers stained with blood as she held her side. Havoc glanced at her briefly, suddenly serious, before taking a pocketknife and cutting her dress off around the wound.

"Hmm…" he thought, inspecting it. "It's not too bad, but I have to redo that bandage. I can't do that while you're dressed."

"You pervert!" she yelled, raising her arm to smack him. She stopped when she saw her hand shaking, and he closed his fingers around hers firmly.

"See? You need to rest," he informed her, looking at her sternly. "Just lay back and go to sleep, all right? It'll be over before you know it – and I won't look any more than necessary," he added teasingly, reaching for the bandages. Kirstin sighed and leaned back into the pillows, closing her eyes.

"We're just a pair of idiots, aren't we?" she asked softly, "What a mess…"

"Gotta agree with you there," Havoc nodded, beginning to undress her.

"Not as bad as I thought," he sighed in relief, finished up not long later. Kirstin was sound asleep, her breathing slow and even. Havoc glanced out the doorway at the spilled soup and grimaced. Debating with himself for a moment, he shrugged and swung his legs onto the bed, laying back on the pillow beside the sleeping woman.

"I'll clean it up later," he thought, closing his eyes with a deep breath. After considering it for a moment, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him gently, fervently praying that he'd wake up before she did.

"Whew, she's still asleep," Havoc realized, waking up with the rising sun in his eyes. Kirstin had wrapped her arm around his torso as she slept, and he eased out of her grip, taking a few seconds before he noticed he was already fully dressed. Rubbing the back of his head, he jumped as he stepped in the puddle of cold soup, and groaned. "Ah, damn it. What a way to start the morning," he grumbled, hopping back into the bedroom to change his socks.

When he was done and had cleaned up the mess, he found himself some food for breakfast and flopped down on the couch, leaning back as he chewed.

"So, that Black Widow woman is her sister," he said thoughtfully, swallowing and barely avoiding choking to death. "I wonder…she was in Archer's unit, and he was involved with Lab Five and all that…I know there's a connection somewhere, but I'm missing it."

"Musing to yourself isn't going to get you anywhere."

"You're up!" he realized with a start, his heart pounding. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," Kirstin shrugged, having dressed herself in a long-sleeved shirt and a loose skirt. "But stop being so nosy, Havoc. It's not an endearing trait. No wonder you can't get laid –you probably want to know the girl's whole story before you do it."

"I do not!" he protested, and she merely looked blankly at him before turning to the fridge.

"Sure," she said, unconvinced, and closed the door with a sigh. "Sorry about last night."

"It wasn't a problem," he waved his hand absently, gazing at the wall opposite him. "Besides, you being passed out certainly made it easier on me."

"What are you saying?" she demanded, and he blinked.

"Nothing!"

"Good," she smiled suddenly at him, and he sighed in relief. "Havoc…" she began hesitantly, and he looked up expectantly. "Whatever I said last night…well, I'm sorry if I insulted you," she said finally, and his jaw dropped at his luck.

"She doesn't remember what she told me about herself?" he asked himself in shock. "Great! Now she's not gonna get pissed at me!"

"Havoc, I'd like to go see Mustang later today, if you're feeling all right," Kirstin said, and he nodded.

"Yeah, but are you sure you should be moving around?"

"I'm fine," she replied testily, and stalked back into the room. He flinched as she slammed the door shut, and shrugged.

I thought it'd be fun to bring Ed, and maybe Al, in. They'll appear in later chapters, so it's not going to just be a plot-convienance thing, so don't worry. Please review!