Love Itself is Mad

Click click click click….the monotonous tune of the keyboard seemed to echo in a faded, dull way in the doctor's mind. His long fingers danced over the keyboard quickly as if having a mind of their own. He had forgotten long ago what he had even been working on, as his movements had become more and more mechanical. His olive eyes seemed dazed as he absentmindedly continued his work…apparently his subconscious to-do list was getting this project done because the main part of his brain was floating wistfully amongst a field of grey. The doctor lazily reached over toward the mouse to make a small click but in the process knocked a pen to the ground. The small clack of the pen hitting the grey tile floor resonated throughout the room in waves, sounding a thousand times louder than it actually was; this finally snapped him out of his trance. Stein made a sound like a mixture between a disappointed sigh and an agitated grumble as he reached up and turned the screw in his head a few times. He pressed his glasses back up onto his nose with his index finger and ran one hand through his silvery grey hair. Stein's emotions were not easily fluctuated so it was surprising to him (and a bit irritating) that something his goofy friend had said could have provoked his inner feelings as much as it had.

"Spirit…." Stein said dully. "…is an idiot.." he finished to himself.

~Start Flashback~

"I really do love Kami, Stein." Spirit said seriously for once.

"If you did or do love her…then why did you cheat on her Spirit?" Stein questioned in his usual flat tone; there was a long pause.

"Are you friends with Marie, Stein?" Spirit questioned.

"I thought we were talking about you Spirit" Stein said with the same tone; Spirit ignored this.

"Then why did you hurt her?" Spirit asked with slight aggression; Stein became a slight agitated.

"I was mad Spirit. Madness is a part of me. I'm not proud of hurting Marie.." Stein answered without looking at his friend; there was a bit more force in his voice that time.

"Well I've been a flirt from the beginning Stein, just like how you've always liked cutting things open from the beginning. Do you think I'm proud of how my daughter sees me now?" Spirit said firmly as he took a step toward the meister.

"Then why don't you stop flirting?" Stein said.

"Why don't you stop dissecting things?" Spirit asked; ok when did Spirit get smart enough to talk like this?

"Why are we even talking about Marie? She wasn't the only person I hurt when I was drowned in the madness." Stein said matter-of –factly.

"You know why I'm talking about her." Spirit said seriously as his eyes narrowed dangerously; Stein didn't respond.

"Do you think she's pretty?" Spirit asked with some play in his voice this time; Stein remained silent.

"Because I think she's hot. Everyone thinks she's pretty. Even the students say so. Heck! Even Lord Death will admit she's a good looking person and you get to LIVE with her!" Spirit said with some enthusiasm.

"What are you getting at Spirit?" Stein said finally looking up at his former partner; Spirit became serious again, more serious than Stein had ever seen him.

"I didn't think Kami was going to leave, Stein. I got so used to her being there even with all my weird habits…now it's over…" Spirit said trailing off with his crimson hair covering his despairing eyes; he left Stein in the hall.

~End Flashback~

Stein's head hung.

"Spirit is an idiot….but maybe….I…I got so used to having Marie here…actually it's been a long time now that she's been staying here. She could have left by now…gone back home. I got so used to her presence…Marie isn't obligated to stay here with me though. Marie could be out finding a husband for herself right now or relaxing at her real home instead of being here…." He thought to himself.

He remembered being back in the academy. He had never had a girlfriend, not one, in fact he never gave it a ton of thought. It wasn't that he thought he'd necessarily hate dating a girl or anything it was more that he figured the girl would hate dating him. From what he knew about girls they were almost all very emotion based and had far different interests than him. He knew the classic things a girl wanted in a boyfriend: Looks, charm, kind, affectionate, understanding, tell her she's pretty, etc. Well Stein realized that he was definitely not what a girl was looking for by any means if this was the rule book she was going by. Stein didn't care a whole lot about the way he looked. He of course found it wrong to walk in some place looking terrible especially if the occasion called to look nicer and he never walked around looking like he didn't care at all but looks just weren't a top priority for him. Now with his stitched clothing and screw in his head he was pretty sure that there wouldn't be any girls looking at him as a potential match.

Charm was basically absent if one was talking about charm from a personality stand point. The first thing you'd find out about Stein when you first met him was that he liked to cut things open…most girls would nooot find that appealing in any way.

Kindness….oh boy…Stein wasn't a very emotional guy at all. Over all, the scientist understood that he was a rather nonchalant man. Nothing really stirred him deeply and he never really did those out of the way kind things that a girl was looking for. He wasn't about to spend random money on a teddy bear or chocolates just to be nice. He just didn't get urges like that.

Stein was never very affectionate either; he just wasn't. He never felt the strong desire to hold someone close or give a kiss to anyone or even hold hands. If he was going out with a girl it's not that he would be against affection, it's just that he wasn't sure he'd be as into it as she would be.

Understanding….ummmm…if that included listening then Stein had it down. Stein was a great listener and he could do that all day but what he couldn't be expected to do was go all mushy for a girl after she tearfully spilled her guts to him. He could read souls well and see how a person was feeling and even sympathize but he just wasn't a touchy feely guy. Telling a girl she was pretty wasn't a princely thing for Stein. He could say it sincerely but if he was expected to do it all the time then he knew he would end up saying it in a "here you go" sort of tone.

"So really I have no qualities in me that a woman would want." Stein thought. "What's wrong with me…" He turned the screw repeatedly back and forth.

"Stein?" a voice called; it was that cheery voice he knew all too well.

"Marie." He answered.

"Are you ok? You've been in here for a while." She asked with concern in her voice and eye.

"Yes." Stein answered simply.

"Oh ok…well I have some coffee for you." She said cheerfully leaning over to place the beaker of warm liquid on the desk. Then something happened and for once in quite a while Stein could say he felt legitimately embarrassed inwardly.

Marie had leaned a bit too close to him when she set his coffee down and her left breast had grazed his upper arm slightly. What the hell? Normally something like that would have gone virtually unnoticed. Stein mentally shook the "breast thought" off.

"Thank you" he said. Marie then turned and smiled at him brightly….then he noticed it…what she was wearing.

Marie had gotten quite used to living with him so she became more and more comfortable around him. It was summer so right now she was wearing a rather low black v-neck lace camisole with a black skirt that came a little past her mid-thigh. He had dissected a million bodies but this….was different…coming to terms with how you feel about a person is tough as hell already but then once you start realizing they have a body!...well that's just a whole new cluster.

"It's so hot out! Honestly Stein I don't see how you manage to wear that lab coat! I had to buy some special around the house clothes to stay cool." Marie said as she smiled and stretched her arms above her head cutely. Her breasts rose high and pressed together as she stretched…something like that was rather…stimulating to say the least…

"Dammit!" Stein thought. I mean he was a guy so of course he got the occasional…ahem…bodily function….but it was really from just those average brushes of fabric or when it just happens for God knows why…but now.

"I can't get some kind of hard on from her! She's not doing anything but giving me coffee and I'm acting ridiculous. " Stein thought as he mentally slapped himself. It was already too late to think about all of that though as Stein began to feel that familiar uncomfortable stir.

"Hey Stein?" Marie asked curiously.

"Yes?" He asked in the most normal tone he could considering the circumstances.

"I wanted to talk with you about something. It's something kind of important and intimate so let's go to my room ok." Marie said with a smile.

Oh dear God….why did she have to say it like that?

"Alright." Stein said plainly as he stood…slowly.

"Good!" she said happily as she began to walk away. Stein followed her slowly and rather uncomfortably due to his present state.

"What would Marie need me to come upstairs for?" He thought. He was shaken from his thoughts however at the amusing sight of Marie being unable to locate her own room. Stein smiled softly and shook his head.

"Come on." He said ascending the stairs and walking toward the room that belonged to Marie.