FMA: Gilded (Jagged)
Tenth chapter of Gilded! First chapter/explanation of this fic can be found here, with links to later parts. This is also doubling as my fic for the April 30 prompt ("go barefoot") at 31_days that gave me the idea.
Title: Gilded
Prompt: Jagged
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist (manga/Brotherhood)
Word Count: 498.
Rating: PG (very mild blood)
Summary: In which Al's new skin is still a bit thin.
Warnings: SPOILERS through to the end of the manga/Brotherhood.
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Hiromu Arakawa-san. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.
Alphonse wasn’t really certain what had happened.
One moment he and his brother had been racing - “First one to the laundry line gets first pick of Winry’s next pie?” Ed had offered, pointing to where Winry herself was hanging up their shirts - and the next, he was sitting on the ground, a sharp pain shooting up his leg.
“Al!” Ed yelled in the distance. Winry shouted something - a question? - and Ed hollered a reply, but Al couldn’t quite concentrate on their voices. Fingers trembling, he moved to turn his bare foot over.
Oh, he thought, transfixed at the sight of the blood welling up in a jagged line along the bottom of his foot. Beads of it collected and broke, tracing streaks of red over his foot and down toward the ankle.
Then his brother was falling to his knees beside him, Winry only a little behind. “What happened?!” Ed barked. Al was still staring mutely, so Ed reached out and gently took Al’s foot in his hands. Over his shoulder, Winry hissed. Ed glanced at the ground searchingly. He pointed out a rock, one sharp edge tainted with the blood that was now also decorating Al’s foot.
“I’ve got it,” Winry murmured, stepping forward carefully. She picked up the rock and examined it. “Doesn’t look like any of it broke off, but we’ll double-check when we wash the cut,” she said, dropping it into her apron pocket.
“Okay.” Ed sighed.
Al still didn’t move, wide eyes following the paths of the blood along his foot.
“Al, you with us? Al!” Ed’s fingers snapped in front of his nose sharply.
“Huh? Oh, sorry, Brother. Winry,” Al answered, looking up. “Ow,” he added, wincing, as Winry inspected the foot Ed held out for her.
“You don’t need stitches, but we have to clean it inside. And you’ll want to stay off it this afternoon,” she decided.
Al nodded, then looked around a bit helplessly. Ed grinned. “I gotcha, baby brother.” He crouched with his back to Al, who managed to sling both arms around Ed’s neck. Winry helped balance him as Ed stood, scooping Al’s legs under his arms.
“Are you sure, Brother?” Al asked as Ed adjusted to both their weights.
“No problem!” He smirked over his shoulder. “You’re still lighter than Winry - ow, woman!”
Winry twisted his ear just a bit more before she let go. “Are you all right, Al? You were drifting for a minute there,” she said, dropping back to walk a little behind Ed.
“Sorry,” Al repeated, sheepish. “I just - guess I forgot I had blood now.”
Ed’s arms tightened around Al’s knees. Winry’s mouth opened, something flickering in her eyes before she reached out to pat his uninjured leg. “Silly,” she murmured. “Of course you do.”
His foot was throbbing in a way he’d forgotten flesh could do, but Al suddenly felt the strangest sense of warmth. He nodded at Winry and let his head drop onto Ed’s shoulder, hiding his smile.
TBC ( Part 11 - Kiss)
Title: Gilded
Prompt: Jagged
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist (manga/Brotherhood)
Word Count: 498.
Rating: PG (very mild blood)
Summary: In which Al's new skin is still a bit thin.
Warnings: SPOILERS through to the end of the manga/Brotherhood.
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and all associated characters, settings, etc., belong to Hiromu Arakawa-san. The only profit I make from this work of fiction is my own satisfaction and, possibly, the enjoyment of others.
Alphonse wasn’t really certain what had happened.
One moment he and his brother had been racing - “First one to the laundry line gets first pick of Winry’s next pie?” Ed had offered, pointing to where Winry herself was hanging up their shirts - and the next, he was sitting on the ground, a sharp pain shooting up his leg.
“Al!” Ed yelled in the distance. Winry shouted something - a question? - and Ed hollered a reply, but Al couldn’t quite concentrate on their voices. Fingers trembling, he moved to turn his bare foot over.
Oh, he thought, transfixed at the sight of the blood welling up in a jagged line along the bottom of his foot. Beads of it collected and broke, tracing streaks of red over his foot and down toward the ankle.
Then his brother was falling to his knees beside him, Winry only a little behind. “What happened?!” Ed barked. Al was still staring mutely, so Ed reached out and gently took Al’s foot in his hands. Over his shoulder, Winry hissed. Ed glanced at the ground searchingly. He pointed out a rock, one sharp edge tainted with the blood that was now also decorating Al’s foot.
“I’ve got it,” Winry murmured, stepping forward carefully. She picked up the rock and examined it. “Doesn’t look like any of it broke off, but we’ll double-check when we wash the cut,” she said, dropping it into her apron pocket.
“Okay.” Ed sighed.
Al still didn’t move, wide eyes following the paths of the blood along his foot.
“Al, you with us? Al!” Ed’s fingers snapped in front of his nose sharply.
“Huh? Oh, sorry, Brother. Winry,” Al answered, looking up. “Ow,” he added, wincing, as Winry inspected the foot Ed held out for her.
“You don’t need stitches, but we have to clean it inside. And you’ll want to stay off it this afternoon,” she decided.
Al nodded, then looked around a bit helplessly. Ed grinned. “I gotcha, baby brother.” He crouched with his back to Al, who managed to sling both arms around Ed’s neck. Winry helped balance him as Ed stood, scooping Al’s legs under his arms.
“Are you sure, Brother?” Al asked as Ed adjusted to both their weights.
“No problem!” He smirked over his shoulder. “You’re still lighter than Winry - ow, woman!”
Winry twisted his ear just a bit more before she let go. “Are you all right, Al? You were drifting for a minute there,” she said, dropping back to walk a little behind Ed.
“Sorry,” Al repeated, sheepish. “I just - guess I forgot I had blood now.”
Ed’s arms tightened around Al’s knees. Winry’s mouth opened, something flickering in her eyes before she reached out to pat his uninjured leg. “Silly,” she murmured. “Of course you do.”
His foot was throbbing in a way he’d forgotten flesh could do, but Al suddenly felt the strangest sense of warmth. He nodded at Winry and let his head drop onto Ed’s shoulder, hiding his smile.
TBC ( Part 11 - Kiss)