Title: Why did you leave?
Author: TastesLikeSTFU
Fandom: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Pairing: Abraham Lincoln/Henry Sturges
Rating: Like, what? Fuckin' G? Seriously, nothing happens.
Summary: Henry runs errands and comes back to a surprise.
Word Count: 973
Disclaimer: The plot of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and many fictionalized characters within are the intellectual property of author Seth Grahame-Smith.
Author's Notes: This takes place in part 1, chapter 3, shortly after section IV.
Originally posted to my tumblr (whatwoulddahmerdo) under the tag "abery". If you'd like more information on the pairing, you can totally drop a note in my askbox on tumblr or message me here. Also, basic information is listed before the fic because this has also been submitted to the Abe/Henry community on tumblr and on deviantart. Any info needed on those comms, you may also message me.
Once again the odd pair is out in the woods surrounding Henry's cabin.
Henry stands roughly 10 feet from Abe, leaning casually against a great oak, reading a particularly thin leather-bound book and glancing up occasionally to judge Abe's form.
The sun is warm on his skin, and the ache in his muscles already forming. Abe grips the ax and fells the brittle tree in one swing. Splinters and chips shower in every direction. He backs away as the tree falls.
"Good. Good. Move on." Henry encourages.
Abe approaches another tree, tightening his hold on his weapon and begins to swing. His upper body turning and the ax blade far behind his head. Henry looks up once more to notice a flaw in Abe's hold.
"Wait." Henry calls, marking his page and setting his book by the roots of the tree.
Abe pauses, looking over. Henry makes his way over, dead leavs crunching under his footfalls.
"Have I made an error?" He asks his vampire companion uncertainly.
"It is but a small one," comes the reply as he steps up in front of Abe, "stand as if you are facing an enemy." Abe does as he is told, widening his stance.
"Now, bring your weapon backward slowly, like you are making to strike." He brings the ax back and Henry says, "Stop." He reaches up to lay a hand on Abe's left. Giving it a firm squeeze. "You left is in the correct position," He lays his other hand on Abe's right, "but when you come to swing up, move your right up toward the blade," he moves Abe's hand up toward the blade, "And down when you swing down." He punctuates this by moving their hands back down to the original position.
Abe's chest rises in a slow, deep breath. He almost makes a cheeky quip about how life on a farm should have taught him better but Henry's hands tighten on his briefly before he moves.
"Try it again." Henry remains only a few feet away, this time. Abe swings and can say with certainty that the path his ax takes is much straighter and more accurate.
"Much better." He nods.
The next morning, Abe wakes to an empty, windowless room. When he trudges up the stairs to the false cabin above, he finds no sign of his mentor. He shrugs off the unease he feels, going back downstairs to retrieve his ax and continue training.
Abe takes down tree after tree, flipping his weapon over his shoulders and practicing quick pick-up in case the ax got too far from his reach. He takes a rest, leaning on his ax and wiping sweat from his brow.
A twig breaks sharply from somewhere behind him causing Abe to whirl around with caution in his eyes. He hears nothing but birds flittering through tree branches. He keeps watchful, glancing all around himself but nothing else happens. Abe goes back to his exercises, but yet another twig snaps, closer by. He stops again, holding his ax aloft and waiting.
And then, a man in a grey suit emerged through the trees, his skin sheet pale, eyes black as night and hands claw-like. A woman appears beside him, just as horrifying and dangerous.
Abe steels his nerve, holding the ax like Henry had showed him the day previous.
The grey man darts forth and Abe lands a well placed blow to his chest with the ax, twisting it. But the vampire manages to knock him off his feet, straight into a tree. A blow that makes Abe's whole body ache.
He can taste the tang of blood and feel it's warmth as it drips down his chin. The ax is pried from the grey man's chest and tossed aside. The woman is suddenly in front of Abe, lifting him by the collar and throwing him. Abe scrambles up for his ax, dodging around the woman, and pulling the weapon to himself. He can hear the woman behind him, almost upon him. Abe turns quickly, flinging the ax with all his might and hitting his target, the woman's neck. Her head topples off and rolls away.
The grey man gives a cry that sounds more like a dying animal and turns on Abe. He charges and Abe, without thought, raises a booted foot and kicks the vampire in the stomach. Pain zings from his foot, all the way up his leg. But it disarms the vampire momentarily, knocking him off balance.
Despite the pain, Abe stands as quickly as possible. It doesn't take long to get to his ax once again, he steps on the edge just right and the weapon flings up. He catches it cleanly, preparing for the next strike.
But, as the vampire bares his fangs, a call comes from between the trees, "Abraham!"
The grey man falters, turning to find the source. Abe uses this moment to behead the grey man. Blood spurts from his neck once before the body falls. Henry appears from the trees, making a bee line for Abe. His eyes appear panicked behind the dark glasses.
"You are bleeding! You are injured!" Henry grasps Abe's shoulder with one hand and places the other under his chin, turning the young man's face either way.
"I am fine, Henry." Abe murmurs.
"You are not fine. Your lip has been split, you are bleeding and you seem to be favoring your left leg. I should never have left! I should have known!"
"Why did you leave?" The pensive, berating look leaves Henry's face.
He looks up at Abe, "I had errands to attend to in town. If I had known my enemies would come to harm you, I would never have left."