Havoc wasted no time- the day after they visited the new parents he was already making phone calls and trying to call in favors to get people to help him pack up the last of his stuff and move to Ross' apartment. He had only been in Central a month and a half, so luckily most of his belongings were still in boxes. The only things that weren't already packed were a few books, clothes, and personal items that he used every day, as well as his quickly expanding collection of various exercise and stretching equipment.
It was especially lucky that Janet had gone into labor at the end of the week, so it wasn't hard to rope the usual gang into helping him on Saturday- Armstrong, Falman, and Fuery would be there. Hawkeye was going to try to clear the Fuhrer's schedule so they could come by for a short time, and Breda said that he would try to pry himself away from his wife and daughter for a little bit to help.
He was already tired from playing phone tag all morning before it was time for his exercises with Ross, but when she knocked on the door and Havoc saw her smiling face, any fatigue was wiped out in a heartbeat. He blushed very slightly and smiled at her.
"Hey, Maria."
"Hey, Jean," she gave him his shoulder a fond squeeze and walked past. Havoc closed the door and followed back into the living room like an eager puppy. "You ready to get out of here?" She started a pleasant conversation while unpacking her various instruments and tools.
"Yeah, it will be nice to have a change of pace. And I am sure you are much better to stare at in the morning that Breda's fuzzy mug. You are easier on the eyes."
Ross giggled and blushed deeply as she said, "I am going to tell him you said that."
He threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Okay, okay! You got me. Now you have blackmail material to hold against me. What do I have to do to keep you quiet?"
Quickly she ducked her head to hide the deepening red in her cheeks, trying to make the excuse of finding some non-existent thing in the very bottom of her bag. After a second, Havoc caught on and guessed at what she might have been thinking. He smiled and stayed quiet for a while, and she finished setting up for the morning.
"Uh... okay. Let's start with some pull ups to check your upper body strength. We have been a bit lax lately, skipping some sessions, so it is very important that we make sure you don't start to lose muscle mass." She tried as best she could to get back to the task at hand and not let her mind wander too much.
Havoc rolled over to the two dining room chairs that were weighted down with books and looked back over his shoulder. "Oh... er... about that. Um, I hope it is okay, but I talked to a few people, and I am going to get some help moving on Saturday. I know we talked about it a little at the hospital. But that means that we will have to skip that day too."
A soft sigh emanated from Ross. "I know, and Saturday is fine. I worry, though. I don't like you missing all these sessions, but at least with you under the same roof I can keep a better eye on you, and make sure that you are doing your routines!"
"Ah ha!" Havoc exclaimed. "Now, I see the ulterior motive! I knew it..."
"Alright, Mr. Investigator. Get to work," she replied as she smiled softly at him.
"Yes sir!" Havoc said as he gave her a mock salute and then positioned himself between the chairs, locking his wheels in place. Sweat formed on his brow and his arms shook as he slowly raised himself. "Rrrrr... One!"
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Saturday rolled around quickly. He had managed to get at least some of the rest of his stuff packed, but even a small chore like that left him winded and tired. His stamina was definitely improving, but it wasn't what it used to be, which frustrated him to no end.
Breda was able to pull himself away from the hospital for a few hours and helped Havoc with some of the heavy stuff until Ross came over at her usual time. They took a brief respite for breakfast, and had just started to pack again when there was a knock at the door. When he answered it, he saw Falman, Fuery and Armstrong with giant smiles on their faces.
"Oh, Lieutenant Havoc it is so good to see you again!" Before anyone knew it, Armstrong had his shirt off with the usual pink sparkles dotting his face. He bent down and put a bear hug on Havoc, crushing the air out of his lungs. "It is so wonderful, you are moving, and Breda tells us you have a girlfriend! Oh what a wonderful thing love is!"
"Crushing... can't... breathe."
Armstrong let him go, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "I am so happy for you two!"
Ross' cheeks flushed a deep red and she shyly smiled. "I don't really know if we are a couple yet. I mean we are still trying to figure everything out," she tried to explain, but the giant of a man was having nothing of it.
"Oh love is a many splendored thing!" he exclaimed.
The rest of the group just went inside and left Armstrong to talk to himself.
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With the plethora of help, it took no time at all to pack the rest of Havoc's belongings in boxes and stack them in the living room. Havoc made a quick call to Hawkeye to tell them to meet them at Ross' apartment. He relayed the directions that Ross had given him to Hawkeye and told them to be there by lunch.
"Alright, I think Hawkeye managed to find the Fuhrer a good reason to procrastinate on doing his paperwork today. I am sure it didn't take too much convincing," Havoc said and smiled as he put down the phone and went back to his friends, who were taping up the last few boxes.
"I am sure that helping out his friend is reason enough, even without all the paperwork," Ross replied.
"Ha! I am sure getting away from the office has NOTHING to do it," Havoc quipped and then gave a familiarly goofy grin. "It has everything to do with finding a way to annoy Hawkeye by not getting his work done without getting shot."
"They are married now. She wouldn't shoot him."
"Oh, that is all the more reason for her to do it!"
There was laughter all around.
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Working for the military did have its perks at times, such as being able to borrow a couple of small trucks to help move stacks of boxes and people from one place to another. Unfortunately, since the trucks sat high off the ground, there was little that Havoc could do to help. He grumbled and had to resort to trying to control traffic in and out of the small walkway and blind turn to get from Breda's front door to where the trucks were parked. There was only one close call, where Breda and Fuery barely avoided running into each other, but besides that it went fairly smoothly.
It was getting close to noon when they finished packing the boxes and loaded everyone into the trucks. Then they found another snag. The trucks were so tall that there was no way Havoc could transfer himself into the seat. He hadn't had to be lifted up since the day he left the hospital- when he had help getting from his bed to the wheelchair.
He had no choice. His pride couldn't get in the way. It was simply impossible. He sighed and asked everyone else to not look while Armstrong gently lifted him up and placed him in the passenger side in the front of the lead truck.
"Thanks, Armstrong," Havoc said softly, his eyes cast downward. He had come so far, but something this simple was all he needed to remind himself that in the grand scheme of things, he was still pretty helpless. Havoc frowned and stayed quiet. Armstrong nodded and closed the door. Breda took the driver's seat of the car that Havoc and Ross were in, and Armstrong drove the second truck with Falman and Fuery. In just a few moments, they were off.
It was a short and overall pleasant drive, even if Havoc was quiet and brooding- his arms crossed. He knew it would have to happen again, and was the last thing he looked forward to. He tried to tell himself that it was for he best. He was starting a new life in a new place- and hell; he would be living with Ross. Even if they were just friends- so far.
When they arrived, Armstrong took out the wheelchair first and got Havoc down and situated, then the rest of the group filed out of the trucks. "Hey!" Ross exclaimed. Everyone turned to where she pointed a finger towards another part of the parking lot. They saw the distinctive vehicle that was the Fuhrer's personal car.
The doors opened and Hawkeye came out, and opened the passenger door. Havoc smiled and waved his bad mood at least for the moment broken. "Hey, chief!"
Mustang walked over to Havoc and saluted as he said, "Good to see you again, Lieutenant Havoc."
"Aw, come on Chief. No need to be formal here."
He managed a small smile and then said, "Welcome home, Jean."
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The first load of boxes was a light one. Havoc was anxious to take a look at the layout. Ross had taken some measurements to make sure that he would be able to move around, but with everything that happened he hadn't had time to check the place out for himself. He trusted her that it would work- and even if it wasn't perfect, it was going to be with her- so it would work out fine.
He rolled inside with Ross right behind him. As he went in the door, the small open dining room that was really nothing more than space for a dining room table and chairs was straight ahead. The small, but open kitchen was behind that and to the left and the living room was to the right. The larger bedroom that Havoc would be using was off the living room, and on the other side of the living room was a small hallway where the main bedroom, the bathroom, and the closet were.
The hallway was a tight fit and he had to keep his hands close to his sides when he was pushing himself down it, but it was workable. The kitchen would require some finesse to maneuver around and be able to open the icebox. But the counters weren't so high that they were totally unusable. It was a pretty place, using white and muted colors for the walls and sparse furniture. Still, it definitely had a woman's touch, with pretty floral patterned pillows and throws.
"Not much of a bachelor pad," Havoc joked and Ross gave him a little playful shove to his shoulder. "But I guess it will do," he said as he looked up at her, a huge smile on his face. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
She grinned back, leaning down until she was only a few inches away from his face. He bit his lip slightly. He could smell her perfume, her soap, and all her uniquely wonderful scents. He closed his eyes for just a moment. She leaned in, closer... and closer.
"Lieutenant Havoc! This is a wonderful place!" Armstrong exclaimed as he burst in, holding what seemed like an impossible amount of boxes in each arm. In half a heartbeat Havoc and Ross broke apart, and Havoc nervously rubbed at the back of his neck. He could only hope that the hulking man didn't notice his heart racing or his flushed cheeks. If Armstrong had noticed, he said nothing. "I am so proud of you! Now let me show you a form of box moving that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!"
He kept talking, but Havoc found it hard to pay attention. He looked at Ross, who blushed and flashed him a smile. Then she turned and went out the door to gather another handful of boxes.
"Damn it, I need a cigarette," Havoc said and then groaned.
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Soon afterward, they took a break for lunch. Ross called a local deli that delivered a variety of sandwiches and side dishes, and they spread out a couple of old bedspreads on the ground and had an impromptu picnic lunch outside in the front of the apartment. It was very pleasant. Everyone had a chance to tell funny, or embarrassing (usually both) stories about Havoc when he they were all soldiers together.
There were a few stories about the time he had attempted to ask Armstrong's sister out on a date, which caused everyone to fall into laughing fits. Havoc smiled, but it was a sad, nostalgic smile.
"How is she, anyways?" he asked.
"Wouldn't you know it, Lieutenant Havoc she found herself a nice, strong man and they have been married about a year now!" Armstrong replied, beaming.
"Hmm... that's good I guess," he said and then sighed softly.
There was quiet for a short time, an embarrassed, awkward kind of silence, before Breda managed to start a conversation about how smart and pretty his daughter was going to be. He was positively radiant when he was talking about her. Havoc didn't miss the look of sadness in Mustang's eyes. He knew who the man was thinking about, another man who the former colonel had thought of like a brother, a man whose whole life revolved around his family.
It seemed a bit odd, Havoc thought. He hadn't thought about Hughes for a long time. His death had been avenged, his killer brought to justice and Mustang had seemed to finally be at peace. But old ghosts die hard, it seemed. Everyone had been affected by his death, but none more so outside his family than Mustang. He couldn't begin to imagine how that had felt to lose a man he had considered to be his brother and best friend.
"Hey, why don't we go ahead and get back to work. I know Maria has to head out soon," Havoc said as he interrupted a story told by Breda about how cute she was the first time she belched after a feeding. There were nods of agreement and everyone helped to clean up. Havoc was pretty sure that at least a couple people were glad that he had interrupted Breda, as he seemed ready to keep going on until the sun set. His eyes met Mustang's for a moment. He saw the relief in those deep black pools as the Fuhrer mouthed a 'thank you' to his former solider. Havoc just smiled and nodded.
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The boxes were almost all moved in when Ross said that she had to leave for another rehab appointment. She put the spare key to the apartment in Havoc's hand and gently closed his hand over it. "I will be back later tonight. Just make yourself at home," she whispered to him. Then she turned to the rest of her fiends and said, "I am sorry I have to leave, but I just want to thank you all for helping. I will be sure to invite you all over for dinner one night!"
Eventually, everyone else filed out. Mustang and Hawkeye were first. She was pretty sure the papers weren't going to sign themselves, so they left right after Ross. Armstrong, Falman and Fuery stayed a little longer, but eventually had to get going as well to return the trucks. Breda was the last to go. He was anxious and wanted to get back to his wife, but he was nervous about leaving his best friend alone in a new place.
"I will be fine, Breda. I promise. I have phone numbers if I need to call someone," he said and then paused. Both of them were quiet for a minute. It was unspoken, but Havoc knew what Breda was thinking. If Havoc did a problem, he probably wouldn't be able to get to a phone anyways, but neither of them wanted to think about that, so it remained unspoken.
"Alright, bud. Keep in touch though and call the hospital later. They can get a hold of me. That way I know you haven't blown anything up," he said and then chuckled nervously, still trying to shake his previous thoughts out of his head.
"I will. Thanks, Heymans. You are my best friend I can never repay you for everything."
Hearing his first name threw him off. He slapped his friend's back. "Oh, you will pay me back by babysitting. Don't worry!" And with that, he let himself out, to let Havoc be alone with this thoughts.
The first thing Havoc did was take a small tour around the apartment again to get himself more familiar with its layout and to figure out the best way for him to get around. The only real problem was the narrow hallway, and the only room he needed down there was the bathroom. It was the first room down the hall, so it wasn't going to be too big of a deal.
In the kitchen he found that in order to open the icebox he had to wedge himself into the corner at an odd angle, open the door and get what he needed. When the door was closed again, there was enough room for him to get where he needed to. It was definitely a step down from the larger house than Breda had, but it did have its charms.
Maria Ross was definitely first on that list.
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Havoc spent the rest of the day alternating between unpacking the boxes that he could lift and get to and resting. By the time he was just too tired to do any more, the sun had long since set and his stomach was rumbling for dinner. He thought about trying to make dinner to pay Ross back for letting him stay here, but was nervous about using a stove he didn't know anything about yet, and he thought about Breda's warning not to burn anything down, which reminded him.
He made a quick call to the hospital to check in with Breda. He told his friend that he had decided to heed his warning and not risk burning her apartment down on the first night, and that he was fine. He told Breda that Maria should be home soon, so he should be fine. It was a short call and by the time it was over, he felt a little better, a bit less tired. He rolled back to his bedroom with the plan of getting some fresh clothes and taking a shower.
As was the case when he had lived with Breda and Janet, he left his door cracked slightly. It was a throwback to when he had first gone back to his parents' house and he fell out of his chair. Because he had been about to get in the shower, he had locked the door and it had taken over half an hour for his parents to find a way to get in. Thankfully he hadn't been hurt, but from them on they insisted that no matter what, he leave the door ajar so they could get to him in case of an emergency.
He undressed and draped a towel across his lap. He put his fresh clothes on top of the towel and turned, ready to wheel himself towards the shower. But he hesitated. For a moment, he wasn't even sure why.
His mind started to wander and he realized that no matter what he was trying to think about, he always drifted to the same person.
"Maria."
He looked shocked for a moment when he said it, surprised that it left his lips. Somehow, he wasn't really surprised when he saw that there was a tenting in the fabric of his towel. He could see it, even under the small pile of clothes.
With a little sigh, Havoc put the clothes back onto the bed and rubbed at the towel lightly. He felt the soft terrycloth under his fingers, but felt nothing else. No matter how many times he tried, he just couldn't seem to get used to not being able to feel his own touch.
Still, even if it was nothing, he couldn't help it. His mind wandered back to how she had looked earlier that day, her forehead had a soft sheen from moving all those boxes. Her hair was still perfect though and he could still smell the soap that she used, it must have been infused with lavender.
It didn't surprise him when his hand started to move under the towel and brush against his stiffness. Even if he didn't feel it below his waist, a shiver still ran up his spine. The rest of his body let him know that it liked what he was doing.
"Maria..." he moaned again, wasting no time in gently gripping himself. All he could do was hope that he wouldn't hurt himself, not being able to feel exactly what he was doing. He knew this was wrong, all wrong- thinking about her like that, playing with a body part he couldn't even feel- it was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself.
He knew his own rhythm well. There had been many nights after a failed date, or a Friday night when he was just sure that the colonel was out with his former girlfriend that he had resorted to pleasing himself. He was so unlucky that it was literally second nature to him, and he knew the spots that made him forget about the rest of the world.
Havoc shut his eyes. His body ached with need. He arched his back and leaned his head back, his breath hitching in his throat. It was surreal, feeling it but not. Below his waist there was nothing, but his body knew, he felt it, more intense than it had been in the past.
Her eyes. Her hair. Her smell. Her face. He was dead to the world. She was all he could think about. How did she taste? How would her lips feel pressed against his? How close to heaven would he be if he heard her moan his name?
The pace quickened. He could hardly breathe. His body shook, his mind raced. He could feel it building within him... that fire..
"Jean?"
... The need...
"Jean? Are you okay?"
... The desire...
"Jean! Where are you?"
The world moved in slow motion. Havoc heard the creak of the bedroom door opening. He was on the cusp, his world threatening to break open, and it all came crashing down in a heartbeat.
"Jean? I-"
His eyes snapped open, his hands came out from hiding under the blanket, and through the haze of desire and lust, and he could see her standing there, like a deer in the spotlight, wide eyed and cheeks a deep red.
"I... umm... will come back," Ross stammered, turning around and shutting the door to the bedroom behind her.
"Oh shit!" He didn't even bother to do any more than throw a few pieces of clothing over his towel in an effort to try to hide the still tented fabric. He rolled out towards the living room, surprised to see here there and not hiding in her room like he would have done if he had surprised her like that.
"Maria... I... um..."
She walked over to him, leaned down and smiled, giving him the most gentle of kisses on the forehead.
"It is okay, Jean. We all have needs. I am going to head to bed now. If you want, we can talk about this in the morning," she said and then smiled one more time and patted his hand, then stood up and walked towards the hallway.
"Goodnight, Jean."
"Um... goodnight, Maria."
Havoc turned around and wheeled back towards the bedroom, hoping and praying that in his moment of near euphoria, she hadn't heard him whisper her name.
