Second Best
Alphonse Elric loved his older brother. He was, well, a brother to him. He had risked his life, just to give him a body. He swore to get back his body back, no matter the cause, and he had always been there. He was everything an elder brother could be. And yet, Alphonse, at times, couldn't help but get a little jelous.
It was Edward who was the state alchemist. It wasn't him but Edward who was the praised Elric brother. Although, often people mistook him for his brother, it wasn't even a comparison. Edward was the one with the real body. Although he had his auto-mail, and Alphonse knew how terribly painful it was, still, Edward had his body. Alphonse couldn't even imagine pain anymore. He hadn't felt it in so long, it seemed like a distant memory.
Sometimes, Alphonse wished he could feel pain, feel when Winry hit him with her wrench, feel it when he was struck by an enemy. It would make him feel more human. All he could feel when he was struck was the empty echo inside his body. Then again, Alphonse really didn't like pain, so he figured he was just thinking crazy.
He hadn't slept in ages, he couldn't eat, he couldn't cry. Sure, he never got hungry, or tired, but it just wasn't the same. He wanted to feel hungry. He wanted to taste sweet pie again. Have birthday cake. Feel the cold snow against his skin. His brother had all of those things. He could eat, sleep, feel and for that, Alphonse envied him more then anything.
A lot of the time he wished he could be his brother. Just even for one day. Be the great Edward Elric. The great Fullmetal Alchemist. Just be human again. He wanted to be able to cry and to feel cold. He wanted to smell the lovely delights of food again, and hear his stomach rumble when he got hungry.
Edward Elric. Even the name sounded better. It radiated greatness. Yet, Alphonse Elric, meerly the younger brother who's soul was trapped in armor. Oh how much he disired to live as his brother one day, but he knew, it was stupid, childish, and would never happen.
"You alright?" Alphonse looked up from his thoughts as a voice called to him. Maes Hughes was standing in front of him, waving his hand in front of his face. "Hello? Awake in there?"
"Uh, yes sir. Sorry." Alphonse said, embaressed he had been spacing out in front of Lt. Conlonal Hughes.
The man pushed his glasses up on his nose. "You were spacing out pretty bad there," he commented. "Plus, you're hiding out way back here," he said, signaling the empty office that Alphonse had hidden himself away in. "Something on your mind?"
Alphonse needed to get this off his chest, he needed to tell someone, and Maes seemed like the perfect person to talk to. "It's Edward..." he mumbled, trailing off.
Maes leaned back, sitting lightly on the edge of a desk. "What has he done this time?" he asked, scratching his unshaven chin.
"It's not what he's done..." Al assured urgently, before sighing. "I just wish... I mean... he's so much better then me at a lot of things. I know it must sound childish." Alphonse added hastily, his eyes diverted from the Lt. Colonal. Finally, after Maes didn't speak for a long time, Al looked up at him. He seemed lost in deep thought.
"Believe it or not," Hughes said, trailing off. "But I have an older brother of my own." He said, smirking slightly. "He was better then me at everything, although, he was worse then your brother. Mine had to rub it in my face."
Alphonse stared at him. He didn't know the Colonal had a brother. He had never mentioned him before.
"So, your jelous of your brother? I can't really blame you," Hughes continued. "He's pretty sucessful."
Alphonse sighed slightly.
"But," Hughes continued. "Think about where your brother would be without you helping him out along the way. He probably wouldn't be as far as he is now. Believe it or not, and this is just my logic, but I think he depends on you in more ways then you think."
"Really? How?" Alphonse asked, now interested in the Lt. Colonal's reasoning.
"Well, he uses you for insperation, doesn't he? His determination is souly spent on helping you. That's all his mind seems to be on. Since the day I met him, all this has been about you." Maes said with a shrug. "So if it wasn't for you, I really don't think he would've been so high up."
"But.." Alphonse muttered, trailing off. "He's still better at me in Alchemy."
Hughes shrugged. "Some are born with talent, and others earn it by hard work. And I believe, that those who work at what they like and become good at it, they're the ones that deserve true respect." He then smirked over at Al. "So stop being jelous of your brother and do what he does. Use him as your motivation to get better."
Alphonse thought over his logic for a moment, before bounding to his feet. "You're right. Thanks Hu- ah, I mean sir!" he then turned and ran from the room.
Maes smiled, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Anytime." He muttered, as the door slammed shut behind the younger of the Elric brothers.
A/N: These are coming out of everywhere lately! Anyway, I do not know if Maes has an older brother, but I needed someone with an older brother to talk to Alphonse, and I reasoned that Maes was the best person to do that with.