Title: Secret
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Pairing: Jean Havoc and Cain Fuery
Theme: #11 - Gardenia
Warning: PG for shounen-ai. Ridiculous amounts of fluff ahead.
Disclaimer: Don't own it; probably never will.

Secret

Valentine's Day had never been Cain Fuery's favorite holiday, mainly because it usually reminded him of how horribly single and Valentine-less he was. This year though, things were a little different. This year, there was just the tiniest little ray of hope.

Any grudge he had against the holiday vanished completely when he walked into his office and found a massive bouquet of brilliant white gardenias sitting on his desk. Apart from a few cards he had received when he was much younger, it was the only real Valentine's gift he had ever received.

He approached them cautiously, almost as though he was afraid they would disappear once he got too close. He turned the label over slowly, and smiled when he read the message he had been half-expecting to see there.

To Cain, Happy Valentine's Day, from Jean Havoc.

The message was short and simple, exactly as he would have expected Jean to leave him; no great promises or declarations of undying love; it said all it needed to.

Cain picked the bouquet up in both hands and took a deep breath, loving the soft perfume of the flowers almost as much as he loved knowing who it was that had left them there.

"Good morning!" a cheery voice called from the door Fuery had left open. He turned around, bouquet still in his arms, to see the very man he had been thinking of. "I take it you like the flowers?"

Fuery nodded. "Thank you," he told Jean.

"Ah, damn," Havoc muttered, scratching the back of his head in sheepish embarrassment. "It's nothing. I just thought I may as well give something to someone who will actually appreciate it this year."

"Well, I definitely do," Cain said, as he placed the flowers gently down on the desk once more. "By the way; I bought you something as well," he said, as he rummaged through his bag, emerging with a box of chocolates.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Cain pronounced as he presented the chocolates to Jean.

"Thanks," Jean said, accepting the gift gratefully. A curious look passed over his face for a second, making Fuery squirm nervously under his gaze.

"You didn't happen to," Jean began slowly, "buy me chocolates last year as well and sign them 'from your secret admirer' did you?"

Cain blushed bright red then, letting Havoc know that his guess had been correct before the Master Sergeant had even spoken.

"Yes," Fuery finally answered shyly. "Did you like them?"

"Yeah," Jean answered, a sly grin appearing on his face. "I did."

He leaned forwards then and stole a quick kiss, leaving Fuery unsure whether he should be surprised or just extremely thankful.

"Thanks," Jean said, before Cain could think of anything to say, "for this year's and for last."

"That's quite all right," Fuery sighed. "Thank you as well."

His eyes glanced back at the flowers on the table and he couldn't help but smile.

"All flowers have meaning to them," Fuery commented. "Do you know that the meaning for gardenias is?"

"The women in the store said hope and purity," Havoc answered. "It kinda reminded me of you."

Fuery blushed at this almost-compliment.

"Well, they can mean that," he admitted. "But they can also mean a secret love. Maybe I should have been the one giving you these."

"Maybe," Havoc grinned. "Maybe you should get me a bunch of them next year, huh?"

"Maybe."