Love isn't a Science

BY: Smash41KMF

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from FMA. However, I do own the plot to this story.

Summary: They met her in a small town, just outside of Central – then, she was only a, bossy, rude ten-year-old tomboy. Ten years later, they find her in Central Public Library. She's twenty, he's twenty-two, and Al is stuck in between. Unbeknownst to Ed, Al and Winry have a plan that gets everyone involved. The only question is….. will it work?

"I don't get it, why do they always send me to get things? I have a life too…." Grumbled a young man; his dark golden hair tied back in a low pony tail that stretched down the back of his neck and stopped about an inch or so below the top of his shoulders. About twenty-two years of age, this was the infamous Edward Elric, or in other words… the Fullmetal Alchemist all grown-up and handsome. So, why was he still stuck as the errand-boy?

"Because you're the only one doesn't work during their lunch break." The words of the country's Führer rang in his head, when he recalled asking that very question. Scowling, knowing that the arrogant alchemist was still right, Ed continued his short trek over to the public library. He had promised Sheska that he'd pick up the library's newest book, because she had to work through her own lunch break, now that she was the head of the Analysts Department.

"It's called a lunch break for a reason…. Oh well." Letting out a sigh, the young man climb the stairs to the public library, casually ignoring the stares of tourists and other locals as they watched him pass with awe, smirking at how such a simple task had them star-struck. While, he often silently relished in the attention and admiration they citizens of Ametris gave him, today he wasn't really in the mood for entertaining it, just go in and get out so he could grab lunch with his brother.

Upon opening the large double doors to the building, Ed felt a slight wave of nostalgia hit him at the sight of the dimly light library full of precise books. Before becoming a State Alchemist, he and Al had visited the public library in Central with their teacher, Izumi Curtis, and since then, he and Al had often times visited this one rather than the one issued for the military.

However, what surprised him most was that it hadn't seemed to have changed, even in the past ten years, he would have expected something to look different, but as he walked through the rows of familiar bookshelves, he realized that nothing had changed. Unsure of how he was supposed to feel standing in the building that had witnessed so many of their desperate searches after ten years, Ed gave a small, sad smile, before focusing on his initial task: find the book Sheska asked him to get for her.

Chuckling at the thought of Sheska's reaction whenever she got a new book, Ed set to work, his feet leading him over to the romantic drama section. Although he wasn't necessarily comfortable in the section, he constantly reminded himself that he was doing this for Sheska, not only the mousey assistant of his long-deceased friend and father-figure, but now a good friend of both the Elric brothers. Sighing, Ed gave up and decided to seek help from the friendly senior librarian who had treated both himself and Al as if they were her own grandchildren.

As he approached the front desk, Ed noticed that she seemed to be much busier than normal, and not once did she look up from stamping the piles of books to be re-shelved. However, standing before the desk, Ed cleared his throat, and she gave him a brief glance, before returning to her work, only to take another look and gasp. Ed grinned as he watched the older woman slowly rise from her seat and pulled him half across the counter into a big hug.

"Dear me! Edward, my how you've grown! And into such a strapping young fellow! How's your brother? How is Alphonse?" she asked, a bright shine taking to her green eyes, causing Ed to chuckle.

"He's doing great, we both are, Loryn, but I need some help." He said, getting straight to the point, as usual.

"Oh, of course! What might it be?" she asked excitedly, earning a small smile from the twenty-two-year-old alchemist.

"Sheska sent me to find a book for her, but I'm not quite sure where it is…" he said, and Loryn grinned with a nod.

"Ahh, you mean this?" she asked, pulling a book, seemingly brand new, out from behind the counter, and he nodded. "Yes, she called ahead and told me that she was sending someone to retrieve it for her, I just didn't expect it to be you, Edward." She chimed, and Ed smiled slightly, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm one of the only people in the office to actually take their lunch breaks, besides, I owe her for everything she's done for Al and I, this is the least I can do to repay her." He said confidently, and Loryn nodded, about to check the book out for him, when someone else approached the desk.

"And what can I do for you, dear?" Loryn chimed, setting the book down briefly as she turned to face the young girl. The girl, glanced at Ed and lowered her head slightly.

"Um… I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the books on Physics. I have found the other books, but I'm having trouble finding a book on my topic." She explained quietly, her soft familiar voice catching Ed's attention.

Curious, the twenty-two–year-old looked up from reading the summary of the book Sheska had sent him for, and instead allowed his gaze to fall upon the young girl standing only a few feet away from him. She looked familiar for some reason, but he couldn't quite pin-point where he knew her from. She obviously didn't live in Central, but she didn't have the slight accents of those from the surrounding areas, so he couldn't say her knew her from any of his missions. The image seemed much older than his time as a State Alchemist, which could possibly place her back as far as ten years prior to now. That was a lot of time, but there was something about her that stuck in his mind, but he couldn't remember what it was.

Sighing to himself, Ed let the thought sink back, while he took the opportunity to look her over, hopefully finding something to connect her to one of his many memories. Her frame was small, it almost seemed too fragile for the large messenger bag slung over her shoulder, but she seemed perfectly content with it there. Her hair was a unique color of deep navy blue and reached down to her elbows, just above the waist; a gentle face, pale, soft pink lips, with captivating misty gray-blue eyes that grew large when she realized that he was watching her. Almost immediately, a faint blushed dusted her cheeks, and he smirked, obviously amused as he decided to listen-in on the conversation.

"Ah, well, as you can see, I'm quite busy," Loryn gestured to the stacks of library books, "but I'm sure Mr. Elric here would love to accompany you, he himself is actually quite familiar with the section if I recall correctly." Loryn gave Ed a sly wink, and he flinched, before turning his attention to the girl standing in front of him and sighed in defeat, ready to surrender, when she opened her mouth and interrupted.

"Oh no, that's quite alright, I'll just keep looking, I don't wish to delay Mr. Elric's schedule, I'm sure it's quite tight, so I'll just keep looking, and come back after work if I cannot find it now." She replied sweetly, before bowing slightly to both Loryn and Ed. "Thank you for your time; and I apologize for taking up your time, Mr. Elric, I'll be on my way." She said gently, turning on her heels and carefully walking further into the library, glancing down ever other row, and passing her destination… twice.

"Oh well, I can only try…. She's such an independent girl, but I believe she may still be a bit lost around here." Loryn sighed, her chin propped in the palm of her hand as she leaned against the counter casually.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, glancing at Loryn, who had then returned to her work.

"She hasn't been in Central for very long, but I would have expected her to at least open up just a little since, but she's still as quiet as she was a month ago…" Loryn sighed, and Ed raised an eyebrow.

"I guess it is to be expected, do you know why she is here?" Ed asked softly, being mindful of the clock, and Loryn paused to look up from her stamping.

"Well, honestly, I know almost nothing about her, not even her name, but based on the books she's been checking out, I believe that she's studying right here in Central; my best guess is that she's from one of the small towns just outside the city limits. Sweet girl, really, but very withdrawn." Loryn said with a shrug, before continuing her work in silence, while Ed hesitated before speaking.

"Loryn, check this out for Sheska, I'll be right back." He said, setting the book and Sheska's library card down on the counter, before walking off after the young student, who had once again missed the section she was looking for.

Ed scowled, once again flipping his too-long bangs out of his face and making a mental note of asking either Gracia or Winry(when she came to visit later that week) to cut his hair for him. He didn't trust Al (not with his hair at least); Sheska was far too clumsy, and the he wasn't even going to try to ask any of the other men in the office. And while 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye was most likely the best of them all, she was too busy working as Mustang's assistant and he didn't want to bother her.

Shaking his head with another sigh, Ed silently scolded himself for getting off-topic, before quietly scampering towards the Sciences section, a common (but incorrect) place to look for a book on Physics. Of course, when he found that he was indeed correct, he smirked and casually leaned against one of the research showcases, watching the young woman pout childishly as her search continued to hit dead-end after dead-end.

"Need some help?" it was more like a statement, rather than a question, but either way, it caught her attention and she glanced up at him briefly, before returning her gaze to the bindings of the books, continuing her search as she responded.

"No thank you, it's got to be here somewhere…" she replied lightly, turning her head towards Ed for a split second, just long enough to offer an optimistic smile, before returning to the shelves of books, "So, I'm bound to find it sooner or later." She finished, bending down slightly to search another shelf, hiding her face behind a curtain of long, blue hair.

"Not if you're looking in the wrong place all day." He replied with a bemused smirk, earning himself a small scowl as she gracefully pulled herself to her feet.

"Then, please. Show me the correct way of travel and I shall be on my way." She said smartly, as if to invite him to a war of words, before picking up her bag and patiently standing before him. However, Ed could only grin at the challenge, accepting it fully as he gave a bow almost parallel to the ground, bringing his left hand over the breast pocket of his coat, while pretending to remove his hat mockingly.

"As you wish, ma' lady." He said with a smirk as he watched her reaction. She rolled her eyes, and stepped past him, cleverly taking hold of his ponytail as she went. Ed yelped in surprise as she continued to walk, pulling him out of his mocking bow, before stopping and turning around to face him.

"Cute," she said, "but I don't time to play games with you, Shakespeare; if I'm late getting back to work I'll be fired. And if I get fired, you'll regret it." She hissed, as she gently draped his hair back over his shoulder and waited for him to lead the way. However, when Ed didn't move, she sighed and put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him, looking stubbornly at the man who was equally so.

Ed smirked, deliberately mimicking her actions, before leaning down challengingly, until there was barely an inch between their noses, his golden eyes glittering brilliantly at this new opponent. However, her words made perfect sense, and he reluctantly pulled back, glancing at his watch, before sighing in defeat. "Fine. You win."

Within a split second, Ed saw a grin grace her lips, but she quickly held back from showing him how pleased she really was, and instead nodded as she waited for Ed to start walking. It was a short walk to the Physics section, and Ed's mind was wandering until his thoughts became pegged on his initial curiosity of the girl's search.

"So… you're interested in Physics, huh?" he started, hoping that she would continue the conversation, but instead it fell into an odd sort of silence until they reached their destination located a few rows down, under the label for 'Arithmetic'. "Here we are, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Something to help me write a paper on Ernest Rutherford." She replied curtly, and Ed raised an eyebrow, his intrigue with the girl gradually growing as he watched her kneel down and start scanning the shelves for the book she was looking for.

"Oh, then you're looking for something on Disintegration Theory, right?" he asked, catching the girl by surprise, but ignoring the slight scowl directed towards him as he looked up to some of the higher shelves. His gaze scanned the shelves, before stopping on one that caught his eye. "Here's one."

Surprised, the girl carefully stood up and looked up to where Ed had pointed and frowned. "It's too high for me to reach." She stated flatly, turning back to send Ed a pointed look for noting her height, when she found that he had moved to stand beside her, looking up at the book.

"Then allow me to offer my services." He replied with a wink, earning a playful glare, before he reached up towards the book. At first, she doubted that he'd be able to reach it, but she was soon distracted by the light feeling of his hand on the small of her back, using it to steady himself as he stood on his toes just long enough to pluck the book from the shelf. "Gotcha!" he gave a triumphant smile as he slowly lowered himself back down to stand flat on his feet again. He then gave the book in hand a thoughtful look, before turning back to the girl and smirking. The expression on her face only made his grin widen, as he tucked his left arm behind his back and bowed, the book sitting in the palm of his hand as he held it out to her and smirked.

"'A Million of Facts, of Correct Data, and Elementary Concepts in the Entire Circle of Sciences, and on All Subjects of Speculation and Practice.' A Sir Richard Phillips works, just for you." He said grandiosely, letting out a small laugh as she took the book and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the book's title.

"More like another book whose title is too long to even try to remember, if you ask me." She mumbled, shaking her hand as she set it down and took a small notepad out of her bag. Ed blinked, obviously curious as he watched her write down the library's name, and the author, before putting it away and picking the book back up. Turning around to face Ed, she giggled softly at the still slightly curious expression on his face. "So I don't forget where I got this book." She said with a small laugh, as she answered the alchemist's silently question, before they began walking back towards the front desk.

"So… if you don't mind me asking…. What is it like?" she asked brightly, her gray-blue eyes shining in the afternoon sunlight that poured in through the library's large windows. Ed gave her a puzzled look, and she sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Being a State Alchemist and all…?" Ed paused, suddenly feeling slightly weary of the girl walking calmly beside him. Patiently awaiting an answer, only to realize that she wasn't going to receive one, and instead she gave him a slightly concerned look. "Um… did I say something wrong, Mr. Elric?" she asked, her eyes growing slightly with mild concern, especially when he came to a stop. "Sir…?"

"What gave it away?" he asked sharply, not looking at her, only at the floor in front of him.

"Excuse me?" she said softly, looking up at him uneasily, her fear slowly becoming evident in her eyes as Ed turned to look at her.

"How did you know that I'm a State Alchemist.? I'm in civilian clothing, you're obviously not from Central, and neither are you military personnel. So, how did you know?" he asked again, and the girl looked away slightly. "Tell. Me." He growled, taking a slight step towards her, and her grip on her bag tightened as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before answering him.

"You know Physics history off the top of your head, you are familiar with the Physics section of the library, and you forgot to leave your military-issued stopwatch at home." She replied sharply, her gray-blue eyes seeming to freeze coldly as she stared straight into his intimidating gaze.

"Are you sure?" he asked, not letting up, and she glared at him, feeling insulted.

"You have it hooked to the second belt loop on your left side, the watch is in your pocket. I saw the chain when you took the book off the shelf for me. Are you done questioning me? I'm not a spy, okay, so you can relax." She said confidently, stepping past him and over to the check-out, leaving Ed where he stood, feeling slightly guilty for accusing her of such a thing.

"Hey, wait!" he called, watching as she took her books and slid them back into her bag, before thanking the older woman and heading for the door, "I-" He wasn't even able to finish because she was already out of earshot, and Ed made his way over to Loryn in defeat, mumbling the rest of the sentence to himself. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm not sure how you do it, but have you ever made a good first impression?" Loryn asked the twenty-two-year-old as he took Sheska's book and library card and let out a sigh.

"Nope, because I'm much better at second impressions." He said with a slight laugh as the older woman rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door.

"Then go and hurry, before she gets too far." She ordered, pushing the young man out of the library and closing the door behind him.

Ed sighed, running a tired hand through his hair for the umpteenth time that day as he glanced around the main street that passed in front of the public library once again, only to come up with the same result; nothing. Much to his displeasure, he couldn't spot the familiar figure and was about to start his journey back to the military headquarters, when he saw a blur of dark blue out of the corner of his eyes. Turning towards the sight, he saw her, looking slightly lost once again – a sight that was starting to amuse him.

Chuckling to himself, Ed gripped the book in his right hand before starting off at a slight jog to catch up to the younger girl, who was a good distance ahead of him. Dodging a person here and there, Ed carefully weaved his way through the market place, until he finally caught up to her in front of a small flower shop. Slipping the book into his other hand, Ed reached out and gently took hold of her wrist, when she moved to go inside, holding her back slightly, and causing her to gasp in surprise, before glaring.

"What? Is going inside a flower shop a felony too?" She snapped, trying to pull her hand away, but Ed refused to let go, and instead gave her a strange look.

"Of course not, unless you leave without allowing me to apologize…. again." He replied with a slight smirk, and she paused, looking at the grip he had on her wrist, then at her feet, before taking a deep breath and letting out a small sigh. She then lifted her head to meet his gaze and forced herself to relax. She hadn't realized that he had been meaning to apologize, but why would he even bother to follow her all the way out here in order to say it?

"Fine…" she mumbled, as she stopped struggling against him, and he loosened his grip and sighed.

"I really am sorry. I shouldn't have accused you for being a spy." He said softly, his golden eyes holding her gaze gently, and she gave him a small smile. She then looked down for a moment, before raising her head again and speaking up with a small smile.

"It's alright. I've never really been in the city before, so I'm bound to make mistakes, right?" she offered, trying to lessen the tension in the air between them, and he nodded slightly as a soft silence fell between them, only to be broken by Ed's sudden realization of the time. The girl giggled softly as the color drained from his face slightly. "You're late, aren't you?" she asked, trying not to smile in amusement when he gave a sheepish nod. Silence befell them once again, and she gently slipped her wristed from his grip, preparing to bid him goodbye, when something popped into Ed's head and he caught her wrist before she had the chance to open the door to the flower shop. "Mr. Elric, please, I don't wish to be late." She protested, and Ed gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry, but would you join me for coffee later?" he asked, and she paused, surprised by the sudden invitation. However, she soon offered a small smile and nodded.

"I get off at six, if that's alright with you?" she said softly, and Ed smiled.

"I'll pick you up."

"Goodbye, Mr. Elric." She said, opening the shop door and slipping inside.

"Goodbye…"

Ten minutes later….

Sitting in the headquarters beside a stack of papers, it suddenly dawned on him. "Dammit… I didn't even ask her name…"

And so! Does anyone know who it is? Seriously, if you're able to get this, I'll be VERY happy! I finally got this idea the other day when I was watching the anime for the heck of it! Hope you all liked it as much as I did when I wrote it!

Reviews are much appreicated!

~Smash41KMF