A/N: WOW BROTP ALERT
Take this as shippy or not, I don't mind. I see it big brother/little brother (actually McMurphy/Billy from One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest which is a book you need to read) but take it as you like.
It was almost customary for the second years to haze the first years as soon as they got to the academy. The third and fourth years were over it by the time the second and third rounds of new recruits came in, and yet one of the aforementioned fourth years was hanging around and watching one of the chauvinistic displays, a cigarette pinched between his thumb and forefinger.
"Why don't ya quit stammering, kid?"
"I c-can't."
"Why are you even here? I can barely see you down there!"
"I – I – I…"
"I-I-I! Use your words like a big boy!"
The first year knitted his eyebrows together and turned on the spot, clutching the manuals he had, his knuckles going white along the spine, and he walked quickly away from the laughing second years. The fourth year's eyes flicked to him and he crossed his arms.
"You a first year?" he asked.
"I apologise but I'm n-not really in the mood to talk." the first year managed, walking quickly past the blonde man and staring straight at the floor.
Jean Havoc sighed and pried himself off the wall where he was leaning, following the short first year as he turned a corner.
"I'm not gonna go at you, kid." Jean called, and the first year stopped and turned around, his eyes flicking to Jean's for a second before darting back to the ground.
"Those guys are bastards. Ignore 'em." Jean said, a small smile creeping onto his face. The first year smiled slightly as well, but it disappeared a moment later.
"What's your name?" Jean asked. The young man looked up and sighed.
"Kain Fuery." he said, and Jean stuck his hand out.
"Jean Havoc. Fourth year." Jean told Kain, and the bespectacled man shook his hand with mild trepidation.
"F-Fourth year?" Kain asked. Jean smirked and shook his head, taking the cigarette out from his mouth.
"I'm not exactly popular around here. I don't have a gang." Jean remarked, and he continued walking. Kain followed for he had nowhere else to go, and as the younger man walked beside him he read the spines of his books. Amongst many of the books that were needed for study at the academy, there was one that stood out - Advanced Mechanical Repair – Radio and Communications.
"You're a comms guy?" Jean asked. Kain nodded.
"Yeah." he managed, and Jean raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't think you guys went to the academy." Jean remarked, and Kain shrugged.
"I d-didn't have to. It was optional, but I wanted the experience. After what happened before, I-I'm not sure why, to be honest." Kain mumbled, glancing downwards.
"They'll get bored of you soon." Jean replied, and Kain smiled and nodded.
"Wh-What do you specialise in?" Kain asked. Jena crossed his arms.
"Stealth is my game. That's where they put all the guys who don't have two brain cells to rub together." Jean scratched his chin and Kain shook his head.
"I'm s-sure you're smarter than you l-let on." Kain glanced sideways. Jean shook his head.
"Ah, I wish." Jean remarked, and the two walked and stayed silent for a moment. Jean finally asked the question which had been at the forefront of his mind since he'd started talking to Kain.
"Look, I'm sorry, kid, I have to ask. How old are you?" Jean asked. Kain swallowed.
"I'm n-n-ni…"
"You don't have to lie to me. C'mon." Jean crossed his arms, and Kain dropped his head.
"Sixteen," he mumbled, "I'm sixteen."
"Sixteen?! Jesus, kid!" Jean exclaimed.
"I'm seventeen in a month. But if they ask, I'm eighteen." Kain replied, and Jean crossed his arms.
"Sixteen… what are you doing here at sixteen?" Jean asked.
"It was this or be sent halfway across the world to a university I didn't even want to go to." Kain replied. Jean sighed and shook his head.
"Kid," Jean remarked, "you're making me feel old and I'm only twenty-two." Kain sighed and clutched his books tighter.
"I need to find the first year dorms. Do you know where they are?" Kain asked. Jean sighed and nodded.
"It's gonna be hell for you in there, you know." Jean told Kain.
"Thanks." Kain raised an eyebrow and Jean sighed.
"They're this way, c'mon." the blonde led the dark-haired teenager across the field, and neither of them expected to talk much after that first meeting. Jean had dished out his advice and that would be all – he didn't know how wrong that was.
"Move it, double time! Move your lazy selves around that track faster or you'll be here 'til sundown!"
The languid figure slouched next to his over-enthusiastic classmate and glanced at the pack of first years, his eyes every so often darting through the recruits to see if he could spot the first year he'd met a few days back. He'd been assigned to run drills for the first years as part of practical training, and his mind automatically drifted to the sixteen year old kid in with all of the men. He half expected him to be hanging at the back of the pack, only barely keeping up with the rest of them, but Jean could not see him there.
That was until he came flying out of the pack, obviously having been shoved by another first-year. His glasses flew one way and he went another, grazes covering his elbows and arms.
"You there! Get your ass back onto the track now!" Jean's classmate bellowed.
"Sir, I can't s-see anything without my glasses!" he called back. Jean stood up and butted out his cigarette against the wall he was leaning on.
"Do I look like I care, recruit? Get back-"
"He can't see, dumbass!" Jean glared daggers at his classmate and watched the pack as it nearly reached Kain on the track.
"I want you to drop and give me fifty!" Jean's voice was twice as loud as his classmate's, and the first years groaned before beginning their exercise. He walked over to Kain and leant down.
"Follow my lead." he murmured, and a dazed Kain looked up at him.
"Now get to the med tent, and hurry up about it!" Jean grabbed the back of Kain's shirt and his glasses in one go, pulling the young recruit along as he walked him to the nurse.
"Here," Jean handed Kain the glasses, "they don't look too scratched up." Kain put his glasses back on and blinked up at Jean.
"What are you doing?!" Kain cried, and Jean sighed.
"Someone shoved you, didn't they?" Jean asked.
"No, I-I tripped." Kain stated.
"It's offensive to lie to an upperclassman." Jean replied, glancing down at the teenager.
"I got shoved, so what, it's fine!"
Jean stopped. Kain's eyes widened.
"Please tell me that was you being funny." Jean stated. Kain blinked and swallowed hard. Jean let go of him and Kain stepped back, staring hard at the floor as red formed in his cheeks at the involuntary inflection at the end of his sentence.
"Your voice hasn't even finished breaking yet? If a proper superior officer hears you go all squeaky like that, they're gonna know you aren't eighteen." Jean crossed his arms.
"I-It's nearly finished breaking anyway." he stated, indignantly, and a small smirk appeared on Jean's face.
"What sort of sixteen-year-old kid's voice hasn't broken yet?" Jean asked.
"Mine, okay?" Kain mumble angrily, and Jean laughed.
"Mine, okay?" he raised his voice a couple of octaves, and half-expected Kain to yell at him again, but the teenager laughed.
"I'll be okay." Kain mumbled, and Jean rolled his eyes.
"I think I need to warn you about something, though." Jean stated, Kain looked up sideways at the blonde man.
"Soon, you might start growing hair in weird places." Jean smirked, and Kain narrowed his eyes.
"How m-much trouble would I be in if I told you to shut up?" Kain asked. Jean shrugged.
"Not much, probably." Jean remarked. Kain glanced forward as they continued walking to the med tent.
"Well, then. Shut up."
"What is that face?"
Kain did his best not to shriek, turn around and point his gun at the person who jolted him, but upon realising it was Jean he just sighed.
"I have bad depth perception. I need to close an eye when I aim. What are you doing here?" Kain asked.
"Here to practise, why else? And the depth perception thing doesn't explain why you're sticking your tongue out." Jean grinned, getting himself in position to fire, not removing the cigarette from his mouth.
"It helps me concentrate. Why do you smoke?" Kain asked.
"Crippling addiction." he deadpanned, and Kain's eyes widened, looking directly at Jean.
"Oh, shit, that' right, you're only six-" Jean began and Kain shook his head wildly, so Jean changed his course, "six years past twelve, that's eighteen!" Kain rolled his eyes and crossed his arms and Jean groaned.
"I did neglect to tell you I'm awful at keeping secrets, didn't I?" Jean asked.
"You did." Kain nodded. Jean sighed and shrugged.
"They're going to find out sooner or later." Jean told the teenager, and Kain sighed, firing twice before looking over to Jean.
"Hopefully later." he told him, rearing back up onto his knees and placing the gun down beside him. Jean sighed and aimed the weapon he was holding at the target. Kain looked for a second and noticed Jean's tongue dart out from between his teeth for a moment before he fired, and his smile turned to one filled with smugness.
"You poke your tongue out too, you know." Kain remarked. Jean glanced backward and looked Kain up and down.
"Yeah? You can come back and judge me when you've finished puberty." he smirked, and Kain crossed his arms and frowned. Without even looking, Jean laughed.
"I'm joking. Be calm, kid." Jean aimed his weapon again, and Kain rubbed at the back of his neck.
"I know. Pssht, I know that!" Kain remarked, and Jean smiled.
"You realise you're not stammering right now, don't you?" Jean asked, and Kain's eyes widened.
"I-I-I… I ruined it." he furrowed his eyebrows.
"You take your mind off it, you don't do it. There's my wisdom for the day, my man." Jean fired the weapon twice and Kain gave a small, hopeful sigh.
"Thanks." he replied, and Jean gave a small, informal salute as Kain walked away from the range.
"So where are you gonna go when you leave?" Kain asked, as he and Jean sat across from one another in the cafeteria. They did that now, as everyone knew of their association despite the disparity in their years. As well as that, Jean was but a few weeks from graduation, leaving the now firm friends little time before they were separated
"I don't know," Jean spoke between mouthfuls of food, "something along the lines of military drone. What about you?" Jean asked.
"There are always things to be fixed." Kain smirked, and Jean rolled his eyes.
"Reach for the stars, eh?" Jean asked, and Kain shrugged.
"I'll find something to do, some duty to serve." he mused, and Jean sighed, pushing the remainder of his food around his plate absent-mindedly.
"You'll make your mark, kid." Jean told him. Kain sighed and looked at his food.
"I'm glad you think so highly of me." Kain grinned, and Jean laughed and slapped his hand down on the table.
"You love it, kid." he remarked, and Kain sighed.
"The fact that you aren't going to be here soon is odd." Kain said, and Jean sighed.
"We'll keep in touch. And if there's anyone you really need me to punch in the face for you, I can come down. We'll make a day of it, kid." he laughed, and Kain did the same, before Jean craned his head and wolf-whistled at one of the few female fourth years.
"Lookin' good, Catalina!" he called.
"Bite me, Havoc!" she called back.
"Gladly!" he smirked, and Kain ducked his head nervously.
"I'd much rather your cute friend!" he called back, smirking and sitting at her table, and Jean clicked his tongue at Kain.
"Look at that. You're totally in." he grinned, and Kain shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"I mightn't miss that, though." Kain said, and Jean grinned.
"Oh, you'll miss it, kid," he nodded, "you will."
"What do you mean a new associate? Suddenly we aren't good good enough for you, huh?" Twenty-five year old Jean Havoc grinned at Roy Mustang, who returned a slight frown and crossed his arms.
"I don't want you terrorising him. He's barely out of the academy, and he's just a kid. He'll be in to consult with me soon." Roy replied, and Jean sighed.
"Yeah, yeah." Jean sighed, sitting himself down and giving a heaving sigh, and before he knew it, the aforementioned associate came clambering into the office. His eyes didn't flick to the associate – rather to the well-loved book in his arms, Advanced Mechanical Repair – Radio and Communications.
"Ah, Fuery. Good to see you found your way here." Roy said, and shoving his book under his arm, twenty-year-old Kain Fuery gave a strong salute.
"Yes, sir." he said, and Jean stood up, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.
"How old's this kid, Mustang?" he said, very deliberately, and the young man turned to where the voice was coming from.
"I'm – Havoc?" he asked.
"I think you'll find I'm Havoc." he replied, and Kain's face broke out into a smile. Roy crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you two familiar with one another or-?"
"C'mon. A kid like that gets picked on the second he steps into that academy. And you know I'm just all for helping people." Jean grinned, and Kain raised an eyebrow, as did Roy.
"Seriously! I always tell the story about the one time I was nice at the academy! You know, the kid! He's the kid!" Jean explained, and Roy glanced at Kain.
"He uses you to get women." Roy said, before walking out of the room. Kain turned to Jean and would have crossed his arms if not for the book in them.
"Really?" Kain asked, and Jean laughed.
"So, your voice finished breaking yet?" Jean asked, grinning facetiously, and Kain set his book down and sighed.
"Yes, thank you very much." he replied, and Jean nodded thoughtfully.
"And you're not stammering." Jean added, and Kain nodded.
"I must have grown out of it." Kain sat down on the chair in front of the desk Roy had assigned to him and sighed.
"So what happened to fixing things?" Jean asked. Kain shrugged.
"I don't know," Kain mused, "a good friend of mine said he was going to be a military drone, something along those lines? And I thought that might be a good idea." Jean's eyes flicked up to the dark-haired man and he shook his head.
"That friend sounds like an idiot." Jean remarked. Kain sighed and opened his book.
"Oh, he is." he hid his grin behind the pages, and thus didn't see Jean approaching him and flicking his in the back of the head.
"Ow! D-Don't do that!" Kain exclaimed.
"Grown out of the stammer my ass." Jean remarked, and Kain sighed and shook his head.
"Seriously. It's good to see you." Jean remarked. Kain glanced back at the blonde and nodded with a small smile.
"You too." he replied.