fullmetal alchemist!au in which minseok goes to his best friend and mechanic to get his prosthetic leg fixed and ends up with a boyfriend

"Come in!"

Minseok inhales, readjusting his crutches under his arms so he can reach for the doorknob. A shiver shoots down his spine, making him exhale weakly.

Jongin is going to be pissed.

But he knows what to expect after the first time he’d ruined his prosthetic leg- and the second, third, and fourth times he’d ruined it too. But all those times, that had been a result of venturing the country. From battles, harsh wintery conditions, and simple mishaps of alchemy, not simply falling off the roof of his own house while trying to repair a leak in the ceiling.

He clenches his fist and sighs, weakly pushing the door to Jongin’s workshop open. It’s hard to maneuver himself in such a tight space, especially since he hasn’t had to use his crutches in a while, but he manages slow progress to the main table in the center of the room, where Jongin is bent over, shirtless, concentrating on welding some new pieces together. Minseok’s heart plummets to the pit of his stomach in a fiery descent. He in a breath and tries not to think about the blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Hi, hyung. I wasn’t expecting you in, but," and Jongin’s face falls, pleasant smile morphing into an immediate frown that already has Minseok cringing.

 ”Kim Minseok what the hell did you do now?!”

Minseok shifts uneasily, hopping a little on his good leg and being careful not to jostle his prosthetic that’s just barely holding together. He wipes his sweaty hands down his pants. “Does it matter?”

"Yes!" Jongin crosses his arms over his chest. Minseok swallows thickly.

"Would you be any less mad if I said that I didn’t break anything else?"

"Kim Minseok!"

Sighing, Minseok lets his gaze drop to his shoe. “I got knocked off the roof trying to patch up a leak and I landed on my foot.”

Jongin lets out a frustrated laugh, one that sinks claws into the walls of Minseok’s stomach. “You are one lucky bastard,” he exhales, wiping some sweat that had gathered under his bangs. Minseok feels his heart flop when Jongin looks up at him with dark eyes. “You’re so ing lucky, hyung.”

Smiling sheepishly, Minseok rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, I suppose I am.” He’s been kind of reckless after coming back to to the peace of the countryside, forgetting the limits of his body.

"Alright," Jongin sighs, shutting off the welder and grabbing a towel off the back of his chair. He wipes the sweat dripping down his neck and catches the drops at his bare chest. "Let me see the extent of the damage.

Minseok swallows thickly, trying to fight the blush threatening to spill over his cheeks. He shifts both his crutches to balance out his right foot, keeping his prosthetic off the floor.

Jongin approaches and takes the crutches from him, quickly setting them aside and balancing Minseok with a hand at his waist. “Put all the weight on it that you can.”

Carefully, Minseok keeps putting weight on his right foot until it suddenly feels like he’s slipping and the ground is coming up fast. His vision blurs, and then he remains frozen, feeling hypersensitive to Jongin’s warm hands fitting over his pelvis.

He looks down at their feet to find his prosthetic had crumbled to a heap of scrap metal. His chest seems to tighten at the sight.

"You’re so goddamn lucky I have already been trying out some new materials and was going to fit a prosthetic for you," Jongin says, readjusting Minseok in his arms. "It’s almost done too."

He helps Minseok over to a  high bench near his work table, keeping a firm hand on Minseok’s waist and acting as a crutch so Minseok can hobble to the bench. He leaves Minseok with a warm hand on his thigh and a small smile before removing his current project from the bench and setting out a new prosthetic leg. He hooks the welder back up and sets to work without another word.

Minseok sighs, hand feeling along his leg, passing over the cloth shorts he’d struggled to change into, to the skin of his thigh, down to the cold metal where his thigh cuts off midway. A small yip distracts him, and he looks down to see Jongin’s dog Monggu looking up at him. 

He picks up the puppy, hand brushing against the dog’s own prosthetic leg, before setting the pup in his lap and running his thumb between the dog’s ears. Monggu snuggles into his lap, tail swishing contentedly.

He watches Jongin work from the corner of his eye, hoping Jongin can’t tell he’s staring. His heart is beating like a drum line in his chest. He wants to ask Jongin out, but he can’t work up the courage after being best friends for so long. Jongin has been his backbone of support for years, the ear to listen to his worries and the voice of reason. Minseok’s been in love for so long that it’s put him at a loss for words.

"I think that should be it," Jongin says, pushing away from his table. He holds up a sleek prosthetic leg in his hands, a proud smile on his face. "I’ll make height adjustments once you wear it."

He pulls over a nearby stool and grabs a spare towel hanging off the back of another chair. He holds out the towel with a knowing smile.

Minseok takes the towel with a shiver and shoves it into his mouth. Having his nerves reconnect to the prosthetic is the most painful experience. But Jongin is efficient and connects it as fast as possible. He feels the familiar flash of pain that shoots up his thigh and makes him a little sick to his stomach, but the feeling is over soon enough.

"Stand up for me?" he asks, holding out both hands for Minseok to lever himself up. Electricity sparks at his fingertips from the touch as he stands. His new leg is definitely a little heavier, but it’s something he’ll get used to quickly. 

Jongin bites down on his lower lip, grabbing a few tools before sinking to his knees. He starts making adjustments on the prosthetic, making sure the ankle rotates properly and extending it so it matches Minseok’s real leg. When he finishes the adjustments, he looks up at Minseok, smile  warm, and Minseok can’t help the way his heart flutters.

"You should be all set to go! Let me know how the leg works out for you." Jongin stands, heading for his table to set his tools on, but Minseok stops him with a gentle hand cradling his cheek.

Jongin remains frozen, looking down at Minseok, confused. Minseok panics a little, feeling his heart dip into his stomach swoop back up to his ribs. But he pulls Jongin’s face a little closer to his. He knows that this is his chance.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?"

He watches the way Jongin’s throat bobs, the way Jongin’s tongue peaks out to wet his lips. He breathes around the knot of nerves in his throat.

Jongin inches closer, and their lips are just a breadth away. He pauses for a moment, eyes fluttering shut, before exhaling. “I’ve been waiting forever, dummy.”

Minseok exhales in relief and closes the distance between them. Their first kiss is awkward, both of them are clueless, but nevertheless, Minseok loves the way Jongin kisses him. It ends all too soon, Jongin being the first t break it, but they’ve got enough time on their hands to fill up an eternity.

"I’ve been waiting for this," Jongin sighs happily, pulling Minseok into his arms. "But this doesn’t waive your payment just yet."

Minseok smiles against Jongin’s chest, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s waist. “How about another, then.”

Jongin chuckles and presses a kiss to Minseok’s forehead. “Try 30 more and we’ll see how much of a discount I can get you.”

Getting up on his toes, Minseok presses a kiss just underneath Jongin’s jaw. Just 29 (and a lifetime) more to go.