You break her heart, I break your legs.
A Leviathan fanfiction
A/N – First Leviathan fic. Be nice to it. Set post-Goliath. There is way too little Jaspert in the fandom, so I figured I'd give it a shot – we all know that he'd give the most terrifying "if you hurt her, no one will find the body" speech ever. Thanks goes to open-notebook-ramblings for basically flinging the Leviathan trilogy at me until I read them. You have my undying gratitude.
"So you're the Clanker prince Deryn's been blethering on about."
Alek sat pinned under the gaze of one very imposing Jaspert Sharp, attempting not to squirm under the intense scrutiny. This was the first time in several months that Dr. Barlow had let them have some time off, and Deryn wanted him to meet her family. She had been somewhat hesitant about asking, and he had wondered why – her family couldn't possibly be more of an ordeal than some of the stunts they'd pulled aboard the Leviathan. Now, under the eyes of her older brother, he was less sure.
He cleared his throat. "I have nothing but honest intentions when it comes to Deryn -"
"Stuff it."
Alek blinked. "Pardon?"
Jaspert's gaze didn't waver. "I said stuff it. I don't want to hear some speech-in-a-can, your princeliness," he said flatly. Deryn's teasing nickname sounded more like an insult coming from him. "I'm in the Air Service too, in case you'd forgotten. I know blether when I hear it. So try again."
Alek gulped. He'd thought that Count Volger had been the master of the flat stare, but his erstwhile mentor had nothing on the Scotsman in front of him.
"Deryn… she was my first friend aboard the Leviathan. I knew her as Dylan then, of course. She was every inch the boy I wish I could have been, so it was quite the surprise finding out she was a girl."
Jaspert raised an eyebrow.
"Not that I mind, because I don't! Deryn would probably skin me alive if I did," he rushed. "It was just a bit of a shock, and – oh, verdammnt." Alek took a deep breath . "It took me far too long to figure this out, and it almost cost me dearly. So I'll say it now. I am in love with your sister. I am ridiculously, painfully, deeply in love with Deryn, and I swear I'll do my best to keep her safe. Not that she'd ever listen to me," he snorted. "She rarely does. But I'll stay with her through all her madcap plans, and see if I can keep her from getting herself killed. I've been doing that since we became friends on the Leviathan, though she's the one that had been doing most of the saving, and I'm not going to stop now."
Jaspert nodded slowly. "Well, then. If that's how you stand on the matter, let me give you a squick of advice."
Alek leaned forward slightly. "Which is?"
Jaspert's face hardened. "Our da died a while back, and I'm Deryn's only brother. I've held her through her nightmares, and I was the one who got her into the Service. I know her better than anyone. And if you break her heart, or hurt her in any way, I will know. And I give you my solemn oath as a lieutenant of Her Majesty's Royal Air Service that should you do so, I will break every last bone in your body. And that's only after Deryn's through with you. Do you understand me?"
Alek shivered. "Yes, sir."
"Good."