Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Arakawa Hiromu-sensei, Square Enix and recently, Viz. I earn no profit in this.

Note: This is part 3 of 5

Rating for this chapter is: K

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An Objective Case Study

Part II: Infatuation

Q) What is 'Love'?

A) Love is composed of these three elements:

1) Stimulation and passion be it physical or emotional.

2) Commitment to love.

3) Intimacy of love.

Infatuation: There is commitment and passion but a lack of intimacy.

He was always watching him from behind the street posts, between the books on the public library shelf, from outside the windows on the busy streets and from inside double decked buses. Whenever he could.

At first it was respect for his accomplishments. Edward Elric was young, talented, had rank, wit and guts. He was someone he wanted to be and follow the footsteps of. His family had been furiously against his joining the military, having lost his father in the Ishvar war. They wanted him to become a scholar and to eventually find a white collar job in a respected company with his own big office with a big view.

It didn't appeal to him at all.

He was young, spirited and thirsted for adventure. His imagination took him on journeys through muddy land, dark forests, danger and excitement all mixed together in a spur of action. He wanted a job that got him to high and far places.

That's when he noticed the billboards on the streets. They pictured young men with faces that were flushed with emotion and thrill, standing straight with their chests puffed out with pride. "Do you see yourself as a Commander? As a navy officer? As someone who will protect your family, friends and country at all costs? Make Your Country Proud. Join Us Now!"

There wasn't any need to second think his decision to join the military after that.

Once the forms were signed, however, things were extremely different. The first gun in his hand was cooler than he expected. It didn't feel as smooth and metallic as he expected, it was rough and awkward. The first week had been about how they were to conduct themselves, military procedures, who they reported to, and etcetera. They sorted out who got which bunk and the boundaries of everyone's private space in the cabins.

That was when he first heard of the state approved alchemists. "Those lucky bastards don't have to go through with all this crap. All they have to do is some stupid paper and practical exam and BANG! They land with a silver watch and a rank equivalent to a Major."

"Yeah, I know aye! They don't have to go through with the shit we do. I mean, they get truckloads of bucks just to read fucking books for God's sake!"

"They're under the direct command of the President I heard."

"Yeah yeah, they don't have to put up with bribing, shoe-licking, butt-kissing, bitch of a lieutenant we have to put up with."

"I betcha, if Lt.Barack ever rubbed one of those state alchemists the wrong way they'd fire him just like that," said another, snapping his fingers.

"They probably don't have to put up with anyone."

"Some bastards just have it good, don't they?"

"Ahh shut it. Just thinking about it is pissing me off."

The conversation had ended there but the impression it gave lasted much longer. He loathed the military and his higher ups now. And when he heard that some 12-year-old brat had passed the state alchemist exam a bit more than a year ago, he snapped. That's it, he thought, after this last mission was done he was done with the military.

Their job was to infiltrate a suspected base of a new guerrilla organisation. He was scared, no doubt, but also immensely satisfied. At least before he quit the military he'd gotten in on some of the action he could boast about at home.

They were to enter from over the walls, stick to the right side of the base and attack to buy their attention and time for division 6 to move in on the left.

The first bullet he shot met an enemy's right lung. His practicing had produced decent results it seemed. However, instead of the solid sound of lead meeting the wood of the target board, this bullet made no sound. He saw all too clearly the blood that sprouted from where it met flesh and heard too clearly the man's low shout of pain, saw him stoop over on the ground putting pressure with his hands on the wound and his shouting break as he choked on his own blood. He saw too clearly as someone in the same uniform he was in, shot again to end his life.

A hard smack to his face shook him back to reality and the noise he didn't realise he'd have tuned out came back at full force. The smell of gunpowder, dirt, blood, smoke, mud, urine, gas and fear soaked the air around him. "What the fuck are you doing! Ya wanna die!" his friend had shouted into his ear and shoved him behind a wall of… cement?

"I wish. It's only compact mud. There isn't enough lime in the soil for that," a blonde someone to his left replied.

He hadn't realised he was thinking out loud.

"Mr.Elric! Needing backup!" came a shout down the crowd. The blonde took off in a run, the crowd parting to let him through. Turning back his head he shouted at him, "Watch the wall. If it starts to wear out gimme a shout!"

Later when he woke up to a clear white ceiling with his broken leg in plaster, the first thing he asked his new battle comrade was, "Who was the guy?"

"Who?"

"Blonde guy, kinda short."

"Ohh him. Apparently he was that genius state alchemist everyone's talking about. Edward Elric the Fullmetal Alchemist, he was the one that made the walls and canons. A seriously kickass dude he was, ya should've seen him! He did something by clapping his hands and BOOM! The whole 3 foot thick concrete wall of their base just shattered like glass! Awesome."

Since then he had always taken every opportunity (or made opportunities for himself) to observe Edward Elric in his activities. During his rare breaks he would practically live in the public library just for the chance of seeing him. Such miracles had happened twice so far and each didn't last long. However, they only served to feed his respect for the elder Elric brother. Sure, Edward Elric had his nose too deeply buried in some book through out the time he was in the library to notice his existence, but rather than giving off an appearance that screamed "GEEK!" There was that spark in his eyes that screamed "GENIUS AT WORK!"

'I want to be like that,' was a thought that now constantly occupied his mind. He imagined up scenes where he could build a conversation with Edward while he leaned against the cool wall of the library. But there wasn't a single topic that they probably shared an interest in. The last time he'd actually seen Edward talking animatedly was with another alchemist carrying a silver watch. They were debating on 'theories of cognition by Paiget' and he honestly didn't understand a single sentence. It was "something about the brain" and that was all he got from it.

That didn't stop him from staring though. Everything about Edward Elric was perfect, even the way Edward reached for book seemed like the most elegant of all actions. The way he flipped the pages by pushing up from the corner of a page rather than 'peeling' it seemed to convey sophistication. The way his lips tightened and turned down on the corners when he was concentrating…

It didn't stop him even when he found out about his female childhood friend: A pretty blonde haired girl who he relied on to fix his automail. Someone who had seen him at his worst and had been there for him. It didn't stop him from imagining conversations with Edward, from striving to be like Edward nor from his continual love for him and everything he did. He had nothing to lose anyway.

Next up: Equity Love

I seem to be losing my reader's interest with each chapter I post (so sad…) please bear with me, your patience will be finally rewarded! Lots and lots of Roy/Ed coming up in this next chapter!