Disclaimer: It's not mine. That goes for every chapter.

Warnings:Cursing, sex, murder, torture, etc.

Author's Note:If you've read this before, you'll notice I revamped the beginning. It's still a lot of exposition, but I couldn't fully take it out without rearranging some of the plot, and honestly? I didn't feel like it. Still, I couldn't leave you poor souls with the hot mess of my teenage writing, so here we are. I also edited (again, minimal effort here) everything through Chapter 32. Chapters 31 and 32 have new scenes, and the Homunculi timeline in Chapter 22, especially the things involving Selim, got revamped so it actually makes sense. I apologize for all the nonsense of Younger Me's writing style. Pretty sure I was high on semi-colons and drunk on top shelf Passive Voice. Either way, it should be at least relatively better. Enjoy!

Ed found out he had a Core the same day his father left.

He remembered waking up and running into the kitchen with the words, "I'm an alchemist" on his lips. He remembered the pride and the joy. He even remembered reveling in the new warmth in his chest. Then he saw his mom clutching a crumpled note at the kitchen table, sobbing, and all those ecstatic feelings turned to dust.

Ed felt the betrayal of his father's abandonment, but not the sorrow. His father was always on the road for research or locked in his study. Being gone forever shouldn't have been any different. Except, of course, the way his mom and Al cried. They stared at the door sometimes, waiting for nothing, then fell apart when nothing came. Ed tried to cheer them up with jokes and games, but the hole his father left was too big for him to fill.

He avoided telling his mom about his Core for two weeks out of fear that it would remind her of his father. When the secret finally came out, she did cry. Just not for the reasons he expected.

She said, "I am so sorry, but you can't tell anyone, baby. Your Core is one of the most special Cores in the world, and bad people will come for you if they find out. Do you understand?"

He didn't understand, but he nodded anyway. "Can I tell Al?"

"When he's older. Until then, you've got weak Energy Steel Core, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Can you say it for me?"

"I've got a weak Energy Steel Core."

She hugged him again, harder this time. "I am sorry."

Two years passed before he understood what his mother had meant. He was eight and reading a book from his father's study when he first came across the words "Energy Fire Core." The book said alchemists with Energy Fire Cores were handicapped. While every other Core in existence only needed a general Activation-Energy pair to bond, Energy Fire Cores could only bond with Activation Fire Cores. On top of that, they rarely made strong alchemists, and the only benefit the Core provided was a significant power boost to whomever they bonded with.

Even as young as he was, Ed knew there weren't a lot of Activation Fire Cores in the world. He also knew that the ones he'd heard about weren't nice people. They held positions of power, and they did things that made his mom wad up the newspaper and throw it into the fire. As far as the book was concerned, Energy Fire Cores were little more than accessories to be used by the better and more powerful.

After reading that book, Ed did three very important things. First, he told Al about his Core. He could keep hiding it from everyone else in the world, but not his brother. Second, he started reading. If a book mentioned alchemic theory of any kind, Ed devoured it. Even if his Core did turn out to be weak, his mind would be strong. He could make up the difference. Finally, he practiced. Every day was a new circle and a new connection. Al loved watching him and eventually helping out, once his Activation Steel Core revealed itself. Their mom loved the little trinkets they made. And Ed, despite the curveball of his father's departure and his own inconvenient Core, was happy again.

Then their mother got sick.

It was just a sniffle at first. A cup of chamomile tea, a nap, and she felt better. The cough was harder to get rid of. It shook her shoulders day and night. With the cough came a fever, and no amount of cold water soothed her. She couldn't hold down food. She couldn't sleep. Granny Pinako and Winry brought them dinner more often than not.

A doctor came and went with a shake of his head. None of Ed's books said anything about healing sick people. Al fell asleep in tears by their mom's bed while Ed tried to sell the toys he made so they could buy another, better doctor. Their mom coughed up blood and hallucinated their father. She said she still loved him.

She died.

Her absence was a hole in Ed's heart. He cried for a full day and night after she died, then squared his shoulder and stepped up. No matter how much he wanted to curl into a ball and sob the days away, Al needed him. And Ed needed his mother.

He started researching human transmutation. The books said it was impossible and illegal, but books had also said Ed was going to be weak. They gathered the materials in the basement, drew the circle as carefully as they could, and brought their mom back.

Only it wasn't their mom, and price wasn't set. He felt the Gate a moment before he saw it and shoved Al out of the circle. The Gate tore Ed's arm and leg from his body. Al screamed in terror. Ed screamed in pain.

Granny Pinako didn't ask them what had happened. She gave Ed experimental new limbs called automail, which acted as the perfect reminder of how close Ed had come to losing Al. They stayed with the Rockbells while Ed learned how to walk and hold a pencil again. Then the mortgage notices came. Granny Pinako said it wasn't anything to worry about, but he saw the way she poured over papers when she thought they were asleep.

That was when he heard about the upcoming State Alchemists' exam. The lack of age limit. The money. Al begged him not to go, but what other choice did they have? Continue being a burden until the Rockbells lost their house and business? Ed was determined to take the test. Al was determined to come with him.

They burned their house down and left.

The Tuckers housed them while they studied. Ed passed the interview, the written exam, the physical exam, and won-out in the alchemic competition. He no longer needed a circle to perform alchemy. The proctors used an out-of-date Core reader to test his power levels and took him at his word on Core type.

Shou Tucker combined Nina and Alexander into a chimera, which later ended up splattered against a wall. Ed found out his main duty as a State Alchemist would be to travel the country, killing the same things Nina had turned into. He gave Al a choice between staying in the dorms or living with the Rockbells.

Al fought and screamed and cried, but Ed wouldn't be able to protect them both. Al lived in the dorms while Ed traveled. The majority of Ed's paychecks (aside from the money it took to cover damages) were used on Al's education or sent to Granny Pinako for bills. If there was any left over, it went into savings. Ed called it his rainy day fund, but the truth was that he thought he would die, and Al might need more than whatever the military was willing to shell out in compensation.

The State called him the Fullmetal Alchemist. The citizens called him The Alchemist of the People. Ed counted down the days until his contract would run out, allowing him to ditch both titles. Of course, nothing was ever that easy for Ed. Two years from his termination date, the State froze his contract and demanded he attend Central's Academy for Alchemists.

As a general rule, the State didn't care when their alchemists attended the academy so long as they did eventually attend. They claimed Ed's young age and lack of technical schooling made him a special case. Ed cursed and spit and yelled, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He took a placement test that put him high above the high school level and enrolled in as many classes as physically possible. Al had considered attending Central's Academy with him but ultimately chose to move and attend the one in Resembool with Winry. This was partly because Resembool offered him a full scholarship and mostly because Winry was his intended bonding mate. She had an Energy Steel Core so weak she couldn't even perform alchemy, but bonding only required having Cores, not being able to use them.

While Ed ditched any class without an attendance policy, his grades never faltered. He flew through the first three and a half years of courses in a little under two. In the beginning, people whispered about the Fullmetal Alchemist being in their classes. Two years of being studious, antisocial, rude, and not showing his automail dissimilated him from his famed image, allowing him to fade into the background. By Ed's final semester, his status as a State Alchemist was more rumor than fact.

The only student who still openly called him Fullmetal was Roy I'm-Better-Than-You Mustang.

Mustang was twenty-five, a Colonel, and one of the biggest douches Ed had ever met. Their first encounter had been during orientation week, with a dastardly combination of Mustang being smug (rightfully, considering his recent promotion) and Ed being slightly star-struck.

Despite knowing that nothing could ever come of it, Ed had been excited about meeting one of the only people in the world he could actually bond with. Activation Fire Cores were only slightly less rare than Energy Fire Cores.

Ed had walked over and cleared his throat, sure to stand tall and present himself as not-a-sixteen-year-old. Mustang proceeded to offer him a helpful smile and a silky "May I help you?" but not quickly enough to hide the calculation. Ed had seen that look enough in his days as a military dog. Mustang would use him as quickly as anyone else. Maybe even quicker. Ed had scowled, hopeful golden eyes turning cold, and forced himself to walk away.

Walking away, unfortunately, meant little to nothing considering they were attending the same school for the same reason. The academy was large, but not overly so, and the closer Ed got to his senior class load, the more their schedules overlapped. By Ed's cursed luck alone, Mustang ended up in all three of Ed's final courses.

Ed ditched class every day but test days for two of the courses, so those were fine. An In-Depth Understanding of Core Bonding, on the other hand, required much more of his time and attention.

Not that he was struggling. Just that Armstrong would flunk him if he didn't attend. The extremely large, extremely muscular, extremely emotionalman wanted nothing more than to create a family environment in his classroom. To achieve that, he insisted all members of the "family" had to be there.

That meant Ed saw Mustang five days a week, at minimum. It was irritating and a waste of time, but it was also fine. Because if Ed were being honest with himself, this was kind of his fault. He technically had the option of taking three courses on bonding or just this one. The catch was that Armstrong's course had hour-and-a-half long class sessions Monday through Friday. On top of that, there was a two-month period where all the Energy Core holders had to live with Activation Core holders. That, in theory, would give a glimpse of what life might be like after bonding.

Ed's original plan had been to take the three courses. They were nothing he couldn't handle, and the only person he could stand to live with was Al. Had Ed paid attention while making his over-packed schedule, he'd be in the clear. He hadn't. Time got away from him, and the next thing he knew, he was taking the last spot in Armstrong's class.

Shit luck and bad planning aside, it was Ed's desire to get out of the academy that kept him in the course. Going to class sucked, but he could do it. Living with a stranger would be bullshit, but he'd make it through. And the light at the end of the tunnel? Two more years of being on the military's leash.

Only two more years.

Then Freedom.

(***Intertwined***)

Ed paid more attention to students than professors. People watching was fun, and lectures were boring. Thanks to their class schedules and the bastard's popularity, the people Ed watched almost always included Mustang.

Aristocratic features, dark-as-night eyes, full lips and ink-black, seemingly feather soft hair were only the tip of the iceberg. He was tall with broad shoulders and a body other military men worked hard for. His long, elegant fingers were hidden beneath white gloves, a red transmutation circle helping to further focus his power standing out on the back.

Mustang usually wore his State Alchemist's uniform proudly (as did the few other State certified alchemists in the Academy), without a crease or wrinkle to be found. He was brilliant at nearly everything. Popular, smart, strong, talented, attractive, and high-ranked, Roy Mustang got whatever he wanted. He was charming, and he knew it.

The masses fought for his attention. Maybe because it was obvious that his dream of one day becoming Führer would come true. Maybe because he was one of the only Activation Fire Core holders in existence. Maybe because he was so mind-blowingly powerful even before coming into his Inheritance, and people were desperate to be the one he decided to bond with.

Ed could nearly scoff at the last one. Mustang was a womanizer if Ed had ever seen one. Well, more of an anyone-izer. Mustang liked beautiful people, and that wasn't restricted by gender. The day Mustang settled down and committed himself to just one person was the day Ed put on his regulation military uniform and literally kissed the Führer's ass.

It wasn't that Ed cared what or who Mustang did with his time. He just made observations. The fact that a large number of his observations happened to center around Mustang was unavoidable. Mustang was always the center of attention. Men and women flocked to him. Professors loved to call on him. He always had the answers, too. Maybe not as in-depth as Ed would have given, but still correct.

Ed could appreciate intelligence even in arrogant bastards like Mustang.

It likely changed from class to class, but in Armstrong's course, Mustang was always surrounded by the same four people: Solaris Homunculi (also known as "Lust the Lascivious"), her brother Gerard (who Ed liked to call Greeling for his greedy nature), Russell Tringham (who thought Ed was all flash and no bang), and Sheska (who had Ed's love for books along with everyone else's love for Mustang).

The Homunculi siblings were irksome at best. Tringham thought Mustang was mocking Ed by calling him Fullmetal, and Ed never bothered to correct the assumption. Sheska was good for the occasional conversation but usually got off topic, and the new topic usually ended up somehow being related to Mustang. They positioned themselves around the Flame Alchemist as though they were all trying to gain more access to him than anyone else, and Ed liked to think about how terrible they would be at chess.

Well, that was what he liked to do whenever he had no books and decided to attend class simultaneously, anyway.

Armstrong usually allowed him his reading days – three or four a week – after Ed's insistence that every family had a bookworm. This allowance was conditional to Ed properly answering questions and maintaining high test scores.

Both of which he could do in his sleep.

Golden eyes roamed over his classmates, knowing that in just two weeks he would be living with one of them. Not Sheska or Tringham, obviously, but maybe Lust, Greeling or, God forbid, Mustang.

Ed's lips twitched upward and he scoffed at his own joke. He wouldn't be paired with any of those three, he knew. Armstrong had been gracious enough to have Activation Core holders choose which Energy Core to live with, highest grades first.

When Mustang would have eleven other Energy Core holders to choose from, why in the world would he stick himself with Ed? And Ed was almost positive Lust and Greeling would rather chew their own arms off than live with him, so there were no worries there, either.

It was much more likely that Ed would end up with Envy, another of the Homunculi siblings, or even Scar. Edward wasn't actually sure what Scar's real name was, but he had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Ed, and his grades weren't terrible. Ed was seventy percent sure that Scar was who he would go home with.

Then again, it was no secret that Envy legit wanted to bond with Ed, making him likely to gun for the position of Ed's partner. It was an overall ridiculous notion, since Envy had an Activation Wind Core, which Ed couldn't work with. Also, Envy was annoying. And even if he weren't annoying, they were the same height. Ed liked taller guys, when men were the gender in question. He preferred women to be shorter than he was.

Misogynistic? Maybe. Ed wasn't too worried. Winry had clomped him with a wrench far too many times for him to actually think women were the weaker sex.

"Five minutes to chat! Being social is an important part of a healthy bond, and, much like sleep and food, is necessary to grow strong!"

Glitter danced behind Armstrong's head, his bulging muscles ready to rip through his military uniform at any moment. Ed was almost positive the man had taken this teaching job for the sole sake of Mustang getting the "best education possible." Armstrong had already confirmed that he would be rejoining the military full time once the year was up.

Ed turned his head to stare out the window, not really caring what was going on around him. Armstrong always gave them a five-minute period in the middle of the class to socialize. Sometimes Scar would sit beside him, just as content to stare at Ed as Ed was to stare out the window. Sometimes one of Mustang's cronies would find it fun to taunt him or Sheska would bring him a book. Most of the time Ed spent it alone. Contentedly alone.

Weren't you listening?

Being social is an important part of your growth.

The words scrawled themselves elegantly in the air in front of Ed, distracting him from his view of the window. Ed offhandedly batted the fire into nothing, not bothering to acknowledge its source.

Mustang liked to pull little stunts like this, but he rarely actually approached Ed. Not in public settings, at least. Ed wasn't sure what the reason behind that was, and he didn't care enough to find out.

Come be social with me.

Ed glared at the words in front of him. Was it really so hard for Mustang to accept that someone didn't like him? Lightly clapping his hands together for show, as he was using Core Energy instead of conventional alchemy, Ed tapped his fingers on the desk and sent a message back to the beloved Colonel.

From the reflection on the window, Ed watched Mustang touch the flames roughly spelling out "Fuck off, Mustang." Then Ed returned his attention to the people meandering about outside, once more unconcerned with the activity within the classroom.

Mustang didn't bother Ed for a more than a week after that, and Ed wasn't complaining. Even when he had to go to class after the nice, refreshing weekend, there was only light reluctance. It was one of his reading days, and he was excited to delve deeper into art of combining transmutation circles.

He had always had fun creating arrays. Combiningthem was a whole different beast. Ed walked into the classroom, mind already caught up in a whirl of potential array combinations, then stopped.

The Colonel was absent.

Ed's brow scrunched, trying to remember if Mustang had ever missed a day before. He didn't think so. While everyone was entitled to a sick day or two, Ed still found it odd. As class began, his mind bounced between combining transmutation circles and wondering what Mustang was playing at. By the end of class, Ed was more focused on his circles than anything else. His mind was lost to the information the texts offered him, and it was pure instinct that had him looking up when he entered the hallway.

"Maes." Ed frowned, unsettled by the lack of a happy smile and pictures of Elicia.

The fluorescent lights glinted off Maes' glasses as he nodded at Ed, silently requesting they speak in private. Ed pursed his lips before nodding back. He closed his book and leaned against the wall. His classmates were quick to vacate the classroom. Armstrong was the last to leave. They continued waiting until the hallway was empty, too. As soon as they were alone, Maes started walking.

"Ed, I've had my suspicions for a while now, but I've kept quiet out of respect. You have to know that I wouldn't question you if it weren't absolutely necessary. Someone's life is on the line."

He was more serious than Ed ever liked to see him. Ed's bangs fell into his eyes when he nodded. Maes stopped and moved extremely close to Ed, his breath hot against Ed's ear.

"Do you have an Energy Fire Core?"

Maes quickly moved back to watch Ed's reaction, but other than the widening of golden eyes, he was proud to say there were none. Normally, Ed would have glared and moved on, letting the other party know that the mere suggestion was stupid. But this was Maes, and Maes would never knowingly do anything that could bring Ed harm. After a slow minute, Ed nodded.

Maes looked torn and relieved at the same time. They kept walking.

Curiosity burned in Ed's chest, but he stayed quiet. Whatever was going on, it wasn't something to be discussed in public. They paused outside of the infirmary, Ed's mind racing a mile a minute, and a singular nod of confirmation had Maes reaching forward to open the door. He pushed Ed into the room before too many pained gasps and grunts could escape into the hallway.

Ed knew that the three doctors weren't usually at the academy. They were trusted medics of the military. Trusted by Maes, in fact, and that meant trustworthy in general. Their attention was completely focused on the thrashing figure on the bed.

"His Inheritance."

Only people with Activation Cores went through Inheritance, though when they would do so was unpredictable. The stronger the Core, the more dangerous the Inheritance. Most people got someone else of the same Core type to perform the alchemy that would allow their body to better adjust to the new power of the Core.

Fire Cores though… Any non-Fire Core holder would get burned, and fast.

No one would be able to touch him, which meant no one would be able to help him. Even if there were a Fire Core holder close enough to Central's Academy, they would probably rather let Mustang die. Activation Fire Core holders were naturally competitive, and Mustang was a formidable opponent before coming into his Inheritance. If he made it through this process, Ed couldn't imagine just how much power and influence the Colonel would have.

Which was where Ed came in. If Ed could draw enough power from Mustang's Core into himself, the doctor could perform the alchemy necessary to save Mustang's life.

Or Ed could walk away and let him die.

Mustang's torso was unnaturally pale and sweaty. There was a large burn wound on his left side and abdomen, probably from the war. Mustang's mouth twisted into a grimace while his teeth ground together. His eyes screwed shut. Sweat drenched black hair, causing it to stick to an equally pale forehead.

If Ed saved him, his Core would recognize the power as a request. They would form a partial bond (on Ed's side, as Activation Core holders had to be consciously aware of bonding for it to occur) that would basically send Ed into withdrawals. It wasn't natural to start to bond and not complete the process. He might, in fact, experience as much pain as the Colonel was currently in.

But he wouldlive through it.

A soft breath escaped Ed's lips. A bedside table had been shoved haphazardly off to the side, likely during the medical team's haste to stabilize Mustang. He sat his book there, then pulled off his gloves and coat.

Maes watched him, concern, relief, worry, regret, and care all fighting for a spot in his eyes.

Ed's slightly loose, sleeveless black shirt almost felt like too much with the heat that Mustang was putting off, but he didn't dare shed more. Ed reached out, his hand hovering slightly above the (admittedly attractive) black curls of hair on Mustang's chest before pressing down.

Three things happened simultaneously: Mustang's eyes and mouth flew open, a breathless gasp escaping his lips; a doctor shouted, "Stop! He'll burn you alive!" her hand reaching forward to stop him; and Ed's eyes momentarily fluttered shut, the pleasure from their Cores being so close rushing through his veins like lava.

Then Ed pulled away and held both hands out, palms up.

"C'mon, Mustang, we don't have all day."

Probably having no idea what was going on but needing to feel that relief again, Mustang reached out. He searched blindly for Ed with the innocent want of a newborn. Ed's hands clasped Mustang's. He tugged Mustang into a sitting position, then maneuvered to sit on the bed behind him.

He let go of his superior officer's hands before taking them again, this time holding onto the backs and pulling the older man's hands up to furl themselves in blonde hair. Well, they did that on their own, no doubt messing up his braid in the process. Despite the amazing feeling that came with being so close to Mustang's Core, Ed frowned.

He positioned his automail leg over Mustang's, pinning the man in place. Mustang pressed himself harshly against Ed, searching for more contact and trying desperately not to feel the pain of his overloading Core again.

Golden eyes looked up to meet light, intelligent brown. Ed nodded as best he could against Mustang's steel grip. By the Gate, the man was fucking sleeping and still strong as hell. Maes nodded as well, to the doctors though, and they immediately set to work.

Ed watched them closely. He'd never seen this procedure before. Mustang snuggledinto the crook of Ed's neck, practically breathing him in. The bastard was tying knots in Ed's stomach without his consent, and not for the first time, the blonde cursed his Core.

He didn't want to know how good it could feel to bond with someone, even a smug bastard like Mustang, only to have it ripped away. Ed memorized every line of the transmutation circle on Mustang's chest with an intensity he didn't feel. He wanted this to be over already.

Then a too-bright glow filled the room, and Mustang went limp. His grip slackened, though he didn't let go, and his hands remained tangled in blonde locks. His breathing evened out. The harsh lines of his face eased. Mustang stopped struggling to use the same space Ed was currently taking up.

He was asleep.

Ed carefully removed Mustang's hands from his hair, baring his teeth when the Colonel's grip tightened again before doing what Ed wanted, then gently slid out from beneath the prone body. The medics immediately started making the Flame Alchemist comfortable. Maes put his hand on Ed's shoulder in a silent 'Thank you,' and Ed gave a rare, genuine smile in return. After that, the pain consumed him, and Ed was out before he could hit the floor.