Cormack Owle
29. The Captain and The Engineer: Not Going Anywhere
Aiden was awestruck by Vincent's cold and swift justice! A big part of him had known all along that this was how it would end but seeing Vincent actually do it?
"Whoa..."
The sound of his companion echoed distantly in his ears as Vincent stared down at the corpse of his captor. Breathing heavily, Vincent allowed himself to come back to himself. He'd succeeded in his mission! As he went to sit back on his knees, Vincent groaned softly as he shifted his shoulders.
Behind him, Aiden watched as Vincent pushed himself to stand a moment later. As he turned, their eyes met and Aiden's heart skipped a beat. He found himself feeling intimidated but it was not in fear. It was in awe. And...there was just something oddly attractive about his man and how he stood there looking so fierce and dangerous.
As Vincent took a step towards Aiden, however, his right knee gave out on him! He stumbled forward and barely caught his footing! Clenching his side, he gasped in pain as ahead of him the sounds of Aiden's feet hitting the floorboards grew louder as he ran for Vincent.
"Whoa, easy!"
Vincent cursed under his breath as he saw the world spin. Nausea hit like a massive wave and he wasn't even able to open his mouth to argue as Aiden half carried, half guided him to sit down on something nearby. Vincent closed his eyes and fought to push aside the pain and nausea.
"Wait here, let me see if I can find something..."
Vincent nodded silently, having no intention of getting up just yet as he willed his body to cooperate. Faintly, he could hear Aiden nearby as he rummaged around and muttered to himself. Now that Thorn and Micah were gone, they'd need to make their next move and fast. Vincent was aware that soon the adrenaline was going to wear off and if he thought he was hurting now? God, he was NOT looking forward to that! They needed to get things moving now!
"Aiden?"
God, his voice was hoarse! Licking his lips, he opened his eyes and glanced up. A moment later, his vision was filled with the determined and worried expression of Aiden's as the younger man knelt down in front of him.
"I found some clean linen."
"Wait."
"We need to cover your wounds-"
"Aiden, wait."
"-wounds. Vincent, I'm not playing around anymore! We NEED-"
"Please stop. Just... listen to me."
Vincent hadn't even raised his voice yet Aiden fell silent. He closed his lips and scowled slightly as he waited for Vincent to continue. Vincent sighed and took a slow, painful breath. A moment later, his eyes met Aiden's empathetically.
"I know you're scared but I'm going to be okay, I promise. Do I look worried?"
Aiden blinked, disarmed slightly at this question. Yet he had to admit that no, Vincent didn't look worried. Vincent watched Aiden's demeanor relax as he responded with a quiet, "No."
"Mhm. If I'm not worried, you don't need to be worried, okay? I have every intention of getting medical attention and I know my limits. But I need your help with something else first. I need you to trust me. Can you do that, Aiden?"
Aiden wanted to be upset at Vincent but found he couldn't be. He did trust him. He'd agreed to come up here with complete faith in Vincent. He needed to keep believing in him.
"Okay. I trust you. What do you need me to do?"
Feeling relieved, Vincent licked his lips and began to explain, "I don't want to ask this of you, but it's an important job. I need you to take THAT filth," he gestured towards Thorn's corpse, "down to the cells with the other one then come back for me." He suddenly remembered the forgotten keys abandoned in the jail cell lock.
"Secure and lock them up and grab those keys we forgot there in the lock. Those will be useful later. In the meantime, I'll bandage myself up. We need to get this done as quickly as possible."
Despite what they'd just gone through together, Vincent prayed that his request wouldn't be too much to ask of Aiden. Thankfully, Aiden nodded and stood without further complaint and began setting down the linen for him gently in his lap.
"Don't be getting into any more trouble without me, eh, Captain?"
"I'll try to keep a low profile."
Aiden smirked slightly, taking a quick peek at Vincent just in time to catch Vincent's hint of a smirk. He took one of the linens and approached Thorn's corpse so he could get this over with.
...
CLANG!
Aiden set his hands on his hips with a sigh as he stared into the cell where Vincent had been kept and beaten by Micah. Pete's lantern illuminated the scene before him. Inside lay Micah and Thorn's prone corpses side by side. It had taken some effort but he'd managed to quickly get Thorn down here and drag them both in there. In his hand was the key ring Vincent had reminded him to grab. With all the keys on there, it had to be a master key ring. Vincent was right that it would come in handy!
Knowing he shouldn't linger, Aiden turned away from the gruesome scene and stepped over the wrench he'd abandoned earlier once again with resignation. It would not be cheap to replace but getting Vincent to safety held priority over some tool. He didn't even have to think about it. Already putting it out of his mind, Aiden's thoughts turned to Vincent and he began to make haste. Aiden knew they were on borrowed time.
"Come on, Pete!"
...
Vincent HATED bringing outsiders into his personal affairs! Bloody Hell, what had Aiden been thinking coming out here alone?! Yet he had and Vincent was as equally frustrated as he was grateful. Once again, Aiden had gone above and beyond the call of duty as a comrade and even as a friend. There were only a couple of people he trusted to have his back in a situation like this and Aiden had not been on that list...until now. He'd find a way to repay Aiden for this.
"Fuck..." Vincent gasped as he finally finished wrapping the linen sheet around his torso as tightly as he could. Taking another linen sheet, Vincent wrapped it around his shoulders like a blanket and looked around the room with a small shiver as he waited for Aiden to return. What was taking him so long?!
It was pretty dark in here but Vincent was able to see well enough. There wasn't much in this little alcove leading towards what appeared to be Thorn's room. Blinking slowly, Vincent noticed a soft blue light coming from around the corner of the door.
'What is that?' he wondered. Before he could even try to get up, he heard the door open across the catwalk and Aiden's voice calling out to him.
"Vincent! I'm back! Are you awake?"
Finally! With a quiet sigh, Vincent reluctantly hugged the linen sheet closer around his shoulders. It felt as if the universe was telling him to not dilly dally any longer.
"No," Vincent called back with a touch of sarcasm as he heard Aiden approach. Glancing up, his gaze met Aiden's and he could see the relief clearly in the younger man's eyes. Seeing Aiden's expression disarmed him and already Vincent felt the frustration of Aiden's delay seeping out of him. Truthfully, he was just glad Aiden was safe and here with him. Instead of snapping, Vincent asked with the slightest hint of a whine, "What took you so long?"
"There were a lot of stairs!"
Aiden's answer had been so immediate and sincere that Vincent couldn't help himself! He began to laugh softly followed by a groan and held his side.
"Ow..."
"Chin up, Cap'n," Aiden said with a small grin as he knelt before Vincent and pushed something at him. "I found a canteen filled with water."
Vincent's eyes widened at the sight of the canteen that was suddenly pushed in his hands. He looked up and stared wide-eyed into Aiden's face.
"Sweet Mother of- Thank you! But...Aiden, what about yourself?!"
"I already drank some on the way up here," Aiden assured him as beside them, Pete stepped into the alcove and illuminated the room. Aiden gazed directly into Vincent's eyes with a reassuring smile and even pointed out a couple of droplets on his shirt. "See? I promise I'm fine. Now drink."
With that reassurance, Vincent quickly brought the canteen to his lips and began to drink. It took everything in his power not to chug it all down in one go!
Aiden waited patiently for Vincent to drink his fill. As he did, he took a moment to give Vincent a glance over and make sure his makeshift bandage looked good enough. From what he could see, it would do for now. He was already mentally prepared for the strong possibility that he'd need to carry Vincent to wherever they were going.
Vincent took another gulp of the cool water before lowering it and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gazing back at Aiden again, he cleared his throat and asked, "Do you know where we are? If we're closer to the ship or the flat?"
"I think we're closer to your flat," Aiden explained. "I had to come across the South river bridge and make a left. It's a real quiet part of town, I noticed."
"Was there a small church on the corner when you crossed the bridge?"
"Yes!"
Vincent nodded and lifted the canteen to his lips and took a hefty few gulps before wiping the mouthpiece with a piece of linen.
"Drink."
"Vincent, I'm f-"
"Aiden, drink."
"Okay."
Feeling mildly amused by his reaction, Vincent released the canteen to Aiden's hand and watched as Aiden drank. Then he drank a little more. Good. Vincent could tell Aiden was thirsty.
"We're not far from my flat," Vincent explained as he reached for the linen sheet and tugged it over his shoulders again. "It's on the way to the hospital and that's much closer than the ship. If we can get me there, you can go get the doctor and bring him to the flat."
"Right!"
"Now listen closely. I have a spare key to my flat hidden behind a brick. Facing the front door, it’s two bricks to the left of the door knob, and four up."
"Door knob. Two left, four up."
"Yes. You got the keys to the jail right?"
Aiden smirked and withdrew them from his pocket with a little jangle, then slipped them back in.
"I'll lock up once we get outside."
Nodding and glad they were thinking along the same lines, Vincent slid from his perch with a groan and steadied himself. He gazed up at Aiden as the younger man stepped up beside him and slid his arm around his back again. Aiden's arm held him securely as he smiled softly at his captain.
"Let's get you home."
As Aiden spoke of 'home,' Vincent's mind went to his beloved ship: Leon's Claw and the happiness he felt in the skies with Damien and Aiden by his side. He really felt that. Aiden had become such a part of his life and he was glad Aiden was here. Then he suddenly realized that Aiden meant Vincent's home...as in Vincent's flat where he lived alone with his memories of the past.
Aiden was gazing at Vincent and watched as his expression went from that glimmer of happiness as he spoke of home to... suddenly one of sadness. It was gone as soon as it appeared and Vincent's determined expression showed instead. Aiden could have blinked and missed it! Yet he hadn't. He'd seen it.
"Right. Let's go," Vincent urged Aiden as he began to walk forward. Beside him, Aiden licked his lips and obeyed silently as Pete marched on ahead and lit their way.
...
There was a quietness that seemed to fall over the city as Vincent and Aiden continued their trek. It was if somehow the city itself knew the quiet and privacy that Vincent required to keep his wits about him. Nobody was bothering them and in fact there seemed like even less people around than usual. Thankfully, this side of town was nicer and there was less activity at night as it was. Between the two of them, it was a silent walk save for Vincent's occasional quiet directions and heavy breathing.
Vincent was sure to keep the linen sheet wrapped around him with his head down. He knew they weren't far from his flat. On a good day, he'd have made the walk in less than half an hour! Who knew how long they'd been walking?
As Vincent blinked slowly, his vision grew a little hazy. He slightly stumbled and gasped as pain flared to life everywhere. Any sign of adrenaline seemed long gone at this point. By now he was feeling every movement, every breath. It was becoming more and more excruciating.
"We're almost there. I got you," he heard Aiden's voice in his ear as his arm gently but firmly pulled him a little closer. Grunting softly, Vincent closed his eyes tightly and inhaled deeply.
After a moment, he opened his eyes again and he suddenly remembered something: Aiden had left behind his wrench!
That wrench was important to Vincent now. It had saved his life twice: first when Leon's Claw's engine broke down and tonight. If nothing else, he was going back for that wrench!
"Aiden, your wrench! You left it!"
"My wre-? Oh! Yeah, I left it in the cells. I can always get another one. You are more important than some tool."
"Do you really mean that?"
Immediately, Vincent cursed himself silently for that; especially with how small he sounded. It had just slipped out! All this pain was making him let go too much! He needed to shut up.
Aiden actually paused their progress and turned bodily slightly to look at Vincent who gazed back hesitantly; afraid of what he'd see there. However, seeing that soft smile and those kind eyes eased Vincent's anxiety and it immediately dissipated.
"It's just a wrench," Aiden told him, his voice heartfelt and sincere. "But there's only one Vincent Dubois."
Vincent heard Aiden's words, but immediately the world around him spun so hard and fast that he couldn't even process or respond. He suddenly clung to Aiden's arm so he didn't collapse and fought to keep upright. The agony was starting to grow more and more intense and it was making it hard to focus. The linen sheet fell to the ground around him exposing his beaten body to the elements.
"Oh God..."
"Hold on Vincent! Oh, I see your flat! We're almost there. Let me carry you-"
"No, no, I'm...I'm fine. Just keep walking."
Aiden knew he was NOT fine and in fact could see fresh blood dampening the loosened sheet around Vincent's abdomen. Thanks to Pete's lantern, Aiden could see the blood droplets hitting the ground below them. Fuck, they were so close!
As the front door came into view, Vincent smiled slightly to himself. He'd made it back. He'd done it. And Aiden was safe and sound, too. All he had to do was get up those stairs.
Vincent turned to look at Aiden, yet as he did, the whole world suddenly spun and quickly faded to black. His body had fainted, finally no longer able to handle the extreme amount of torture it had been put through tonight.
"Shit!" Aiden exclaimed as he scrambled to catch the collapsing Vincent! Luckily, he did and Vincent was able to fall into his arms in a sort of cradle-hold. He gently lowered Vincent to lay down upon the stone street, cradling his upper body in his arms. He carefully guided Vincent's head to lean against his shoulder and gazed into his exhausted face.
Unbothered by the blood and grime, Aiden pressed his lips to Vincent's forehead in a tender kiss and felt his fingers move gently between the strands of Vincent's hair and his natural scent filled his nostrils.
Beside him, Pete clicked at him as nearby, the sound of a peeler's whistle was blown loudly and an increasingly louder voice called out to them: "Hey! What's happened?! Oh sweet Mary! BAKER, GO GET THE CONSTABLE!!"
Oh, thank God! Help was coming! Aiden pulled back only to press his forehead to Vincent's and willed him to hang on just a little longer as his eyes closed.
"It's going to be okay," he swore. "I'm right here, Vincent. I'm not going anywhere."
***
Next Part: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52260182250/
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain and creating the poses! Now this pose was created about a year ago...and you can see his updated pose style and awesome photography in People in Photo: Be My Mannequin? Pose Store.
Author's Note:
Thank you very much for everyone's patience while I get these chapters out! This past year has been very, very difficult for me due to a close relative's quick decline of health and passing earlier this year. I appreciate the encouragement and empathy and thank you to everyone who has been here for me. Without all of you, Aiden would still be up in the tower trying to rescue his beloved Captain. ♥
DISCORD SERVER:
That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
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29. The Captain and The Engineer: Not Going Anywhere
Aiden was awestruck by Vincent's cold and swift justice! A big part of him had known all along that this was how it would end but seeing Vincent actually do it?
"Whoa..."
The sound of his companion echoed distantly in his ears as Vincent stared down at the corpse of his captor. Breathing heavily, Vincent allowed himself to come back to himself. He'd succeeded in his mission! As he went to sit back on his knees, Vincent groaned softly as he shifted his shoulders.
Behind him, Aiden watched as Vincent pushed himself to stand a moment later. As he turned, their eyes met and Aiden's heart skipped a beat. He found himself feeling intimidated but it was not in fear. It was in awe. And...there was just something oddly attractive about his man and how he stood there looking so fierce and dangerous.
As Vincent took a step towards Aiden, however, his right knee gave out on him! He stumbled forward and barely caught his footing! Clenching his side, he gasped in pain as ahead of him the sounds of Aiden's feet hitting the floorboards grew louder as he ran for Vincent.
"Whoa, easy!"
Vincent cursed under his breath as he saw the world spin. Nausea hit like a massive wave and he wasn't even able to open his mouth to argue as Aiden half carried, half guided him to sit down on something nearby. Vincent closed his eyes and fought to push aside the pain and nausea.
"Wait here, let me see if I can find something..."
Vincent nodded silently, having no intention of getting up just yet as he willed his body to cooperate. Faintly, he could hear Aiden nearby as he rummaged around and muttered to himself. Now that Thorn and Micah were gone, they'd need to make their next move and fast. Vincent was aware that soon the adrenaline was going to wear off and if he thought he was hurting now? God, he was NOT looking forward to that! They needed to get things moving now!
"Aiden?"
God, his voice was hoarse! Licking his lips, he opened his eyes and glanced up. A moment later, his vision was filled with the determined and worried expression of Aiden's as the younger man knelt down in front of him.
"I found some clean linen."
"Wait."
"We need to cover your wounds-"
"Aiden, wait."
"-wounds. Vincent, I'm not playing around anymore! We NEED-"
"Please stop. Just... listen to me."
Vincent hadn't even raised his voice yet Aiden fell silent. He closed his lips and scowled slightly as he waited for Vincent to continue. Vincent sighed and took a slow, painful breath. A moment later, his eyes met Aiden's empathetically.
"I know you're scared but I'm going to be okay, I promise. Do I look worried?"
Aiden blinked, disarmed slightly at this question. Yet he had to admit that no, Vincent didn't look worried. Vincent watched Aiden's demeanor relax as he responded with a quiet, "No."
"Mhm. If I'm not worried, you don't need to be worried, okay? I have every intention of getting medical attention and I know my limits. But I need your help with something else first. I need you to trust me. Can you do that, Aiden?"
Aiden wanted to be upset at Vincent but found he couldn't be. He did trust him. He'd agreed to come up here with complete faith in Vincent. He needed to keep believing in him.
"Okay. I trust you. What do you need me to do?"
Feeling relieved, Vincent licked his lips and began to explain, "I don't want to ask this of you, but it's an important job. I need you to take THAT filth," he gestured towards Thorn's corpse, "down to the cells with the other one then come back for me." He suddenly remembered the forgotten keys abandoned in the jail cell lock.
"Secure and lock them up and grab those keys we forgot there in the lock. Those will be useful later. In the meantime, I'll bandage myself up. We need to get this done as quickly as possible."
Despite what they'd just gone through together, Vincent prayed that his request wouldn't be too much to ask of Aiden. Thankfully, Aiden nodded and stood without further complaint and began setting down the linen for him gently in his lap.
"Don't be getting into any more trouble without me, eh, Captain?"
"I'll try to keep a low profile."
Aiden smirked slightly, taking a quick peek at Vincent just in time to catch Vincent's hint of a smirk. He took one of the linens and approached Thorn's corpse so he could get this over with.
...
CLANG!
Aiden set his hands on his hips with a sigh as he stared into the cell where Vincent had been kept and beaten by Micah. Pete's lantern illuminated the scene before him. Inside lay Micah and Thorn's prone corpses side by side. It had taken some effort but he'd managed to quickly get Thorn down here and drag them both in there. In his hand was the key ring Vincent had reminded him to grab. With all the keys on there, it had to be a master key ring. Vincent was right that it would come in handy!
Knowing he shouldn't linger, Aiden turned away from the gruesome scene and stepped over the wrench he'd abandoned earlier once again with resignation. It would not be cheap to replace but getting Vincent to safety held priority over some tool. He didn't even have to think about it. Already putting it out of his mind, Aiden's thoughts turned to Vincent and he began to make haste. Aiden knew they were on borrowed time.
"Come on, Pete!"
...
Vincent HATED bringing outsiders into his personal affairs! Bloody Hell, what had Aiden been thinking coming out here alone?! Yet he had and Vincent was as equally frustrated as he was grateful. Once again, Aiden had gone above and beyond the call of duty as a comrade and even as a friend. There were only a couple of people he trusted to have his back in a situation like this and Aiden had not been on that list...until now. He'd find a way to repay Aiden for this.
"Fuck..." Vincent gasped as he finally finished wrapping the linen sheet around his torso as tightly as he could. Taking another linen sheet, Vincent wrapped it around his shoulders like a blanket and looked around the room with a small shiver as he waited for Aiden to return. What was taking him so long?!
It was pretty dark in here but Vincent was able to see well enough. There wasn't much in this little alcove leading towards what appeared to be Thorn's room. Blinking slowly, Vincent noticed a soft blue light coming from around the corner of the door.
'What is that?' he wondered. Before he could even try to get up, he heard the door open across the catwalk and Aiden's voice calling out to him.
"Vincent! I'm back! Are you awake?"
Finally! With a quiet sigh, Vincent reluctantly hugged the linen sheet closer around his shoulders. It felt as if the universe was telling him to not dilly dally any longer.
"No," Vincent called back with a touch of sarcasm as he heard Aiden approach. Glancing up, his gaze met Aiden's and he could see the relief clearly in the younger man's eyes. Seeing Aiden's expression disarmed him and already Vincent felt the frustration of Aiden's delay seeping out of him. Truthfully, he was just glad Aiden was safe and here with him. Instead of snapping, Vincent asked with the slightest hint of a whine, "What took you so long?"
"There were a lot of stairs!"
Aiden's answer had been so immediate and sincere that Vincent couldn't help himself! He began to laugh softly followed by a groan and held his side.
"Ow..."
"Chin up, Cap'n," Aiden said with a small grin as he knelt before Vincent and pushed something at him. "I found a canteen filled with water."
Vincent's eyes widened at the sight of the canteen that was suddenly pushed in his hands. He looked up and stared wide-eyed into Aiden's face.
"Sweet Mother of- Thank you! But...Aiden, what about yourself?!"
"I already drank some on the way up here," Aiden assured him as beside them, Pete stepped into the alcove and illuminated the room. Aiden gazed directly into Vincent's eyes with a reassuring smile and even pointed out a couple of droplets on his shirt. "See? I promise I'm fine. Now drink."
With that reassurance, Vincent quickly brought the canteen to his lips and began to drink. It took everything in his power not to chug it all down in one go!
Aiden waited patiently for Vincent to drink his fill. As he did, he took a moment to give Vincent a glance over and make sure his makeshift bandage looked good enough. From what he could see, it would do for now. He was already mentally prepared for the strong possibility that he'd need to carry Vincent to wherever they were going.
Vincent took another gulp of the cool water before lowering it and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gazing back at Aiden again, he cleared his throat and asked, "Do you know where we are? If we're closer to the ship or the flat?"
"I think we're closer to your flat," Aiden explained. "I had to come across the South river bridge and make a left. It's a real quiet part of town, I noticed."
"Was there a small church on the corner when you crossed the bridge?"
"Yes!"
Vincent nodded and lifted the canteen to his lips and took a hefty few gulps before wiping the mouthpiece with a piece of linen.
"Drink."
"Vincent, I'm f-"
"Aiden, drink."
"Okay."
Feeling mildly amused by his reaction, Vincent released the canteen to Aiden's hand and watched as Aiden drank. Then he drank a little more. Good. Vincent could tell Aiden was thirsty.
"We're not far from my flat," Vincent explained as he reached for the linen sheet and tugged it over his shoulders again. "It's on the way to the hospital and that's much closer than the ship. If we can get me there, you can go get the doctor and bring him to the flat."
"Right!"
"Now listen closely. I have a spare key to my flat hidden behind a brick. Facing the front door, it’s two bricks to the left of the door knob, and four up."
"Door knob. Two left, four up."
"Yes. You got the keys to the jail right?"
Aiden smirked and withdrew them from his pocket with a little jangle, then slipped them back in.
"I'll lock up once we get outside."
Nodding and glad they were thinking along the same lines, Vincent slid from his perch with a groan and steadied himself. He gazed up at Aiden as the younger man stepped up beside him and slid his arm around his back again. Aiden's arm held him securely as he smiled softly at his captain.
"Let's get you home."
As Aiden spoke of 'home,' Vincent's mind went to his beloved ship: Leon's Claw and the happiness he felt in the skies with Damien and Aiden by his side. He really felt that. Aiden had become such a part of his life and he was glad Aiden was here. Then he suddenly realized that Aiden meant Vincent's home...as in Vincent's flat where he lived alone with his memories of the past.
Aiden was gazing at Vincent and watched as his expression went from that glimmer of happiness as he spoke of home to... suddenly one of sadness. It was gone as soon as it appeared and Vincent's determined expression showed instead. Aiden could have blinked and missed it! Yet he hadn't. He'd seen it.
"Right. Let's go," Vincent urged Aiden as he began to walk forward. Beside him, Aiden licked his lips and obeyed silently as Pete marched on ahead and lit their way.
...
There was a quietness that seemed to fall over the city as Vincent and Aiden continued their trek. It was if somehow the city itself knew the quiet and privacy that Vincent required to keep his wits about him. Nobody was bothering them and in fact there seemed like even less people around than usual. Thankfully, this side of town was nicer and there was less activity at night as it was. Between the two of them, it was a silent walk save for Vincent's occasional quiet directions and heavy breathing.
Vincent was sure to keep the linen sheet wrapped around him with his head down. He knew they weren't far from his flat. On a good day, he'd have made the walk in less than half an hour! Who knew how long they'd been walking?
As Vincent blinked slowly, his vision grew a little hazy. He slightly stumbled and gasped as pain flared to life everywhere. Any sign of adrenaline seemed long gone at this point. By now he was feeling every movement, every breath. It was becoming more and more excruciating.
"We're almost there. I got you," he heard Aiden's voice in his ear as his arm gently but firmly pulled him a little closer. Grunting softly, Vincent closed his eyes tightly and inhaled deeply.
After a moment, he opened his eyes again and he suddenly remembered something: Aiden had left behind his wrench!
That wrench was important to Vincent now. It had saved his life twice: first when Leon's Claw's engine broke down and tonight. If nothing else, he was going back for that wrench!
"Aiden, your wrench! You left it!"
"My wre-? Oh! Yeah, I left it in the cells. I can always get another one. You are more important than some tool."
"Do you really mean that?"
Immediately, Vincent cursed himself silently for that; especially with how small he sounded. It had just slipped out! All this pain was making him let go too much! He needed to shut up.
Aiden actually paused their progress and turned bodily slightly to look at Vincent who gazed back hesitantly; afraid of what he'd see there. However, seeing that soft smile and those kind eyes eased Vincent's anxiety and it immediately dissipated.
"It's just a wrench," Aiden told him, his voice heartfelt and sincere. "But there's only one Vincent Dubois."
Vincent heard Aiden's words, but immediately the world around him spun so hard and fast that he couldn't even process or respond. He suddenly clung to Aiden's arm so he didn't collapse and fought to keep upright. The agony was starting to grow more and more intense and it was making it hard to focus. The linen sheet fell to the ground around him exposing his beaten body to the elements.
"Oh God..."
"Hold on Vincent! Oh, I see your flat! We're almost there. Let me carry you-"
"No, no, I'm...I'm fine. Just keep walking."
Aiden knew he was NOT fine and in fact could see fresh blood dampening the loosened sheet around Vincent's abdomen. Thanks to Pete's lantern, Aiden could see the blood droplets hitting the ground below them. Fuck, they were so close!
As the front door came into view, Vincent smiled slightly to himself. He'd made it back. He'd done it. And Aiden was safe and sound, too. All he had to do was get up those stairs.
Vincent turned to look at Aiden, yet as he did, the whole world suddenly spun and quickly faded to black. His body had fainted, finally no longer able to handle the extreme amount of torture it had been put through tonight.
"Shit!" Aiden exclaimed as he scrambled to catch the collapsing Vincent! Luckily, he did and Vincent was able to fall into his arms in a sort of cradle-hold. He gently lowered Vincent to lay down upon the stone street, cradling his upper body in his arms. He carefully guided Vincent's head to lean against his shoulder and gazed into his exhausted face.
Unbothered by the blood and grime, Aiden pressed his lips to Vincent's forehead in a tender kiss and felt his fingers move gently between the strands of Vincent's hair and his natural scent filled his nostrils.
Beside him, Pete clicked at him as nearby, the sound of a peeler's whistle was blown loudly and an increasingly louder voice called out to them: "Hey! What's happened?! Oh sweet Mary! BAKER, GO GET THE CONSTABLE!!"
Oh, thank God! Help was coming! Aiden pulled back only to press his forehead to Vincent's and willed him to hang on just a little longer as his eyes closed.
"It's going to be okay," he swore. "I'm right here, Vincent. I'm not going anywhere."
***
Next Part: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52260182250/
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain and creating the poses! Now this pose was created about a year ago...and you can see his updated pose style and awesome photography in People in Photo: Be My Mannequin? Pose Store.
Author's Note:
Thank you very much for everyone's patience while I get these chapters out! This past year has been very, very difficult for me due to a close relative's quick decline of health and passing earlier this year. I appreciate the encouragement and empathy and thank you to everyone who has been here for me. Without all of you, Aiden would still be up in the tower trying to rescue his beloved Captain. ♥
DISCORD SERVER:
That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE: