Authors note: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to HIT Entertainment. And please excuse my poor english, I'm norwegian and didn't pay too much attention in my english class...

My Sweet Sentinel

Chapter 1: Not so secret crush

Den and Dart works at the dieselworks, repairing Sodor's diesels. They've been working together for a long time and are best friends, so close that Dart is able to know what Den is thinking.

Or maybe it's just Den who is easy to read…

This day was a busy day at Vicarstown Dieselworks. Arry and Bert had broken down, both at the same time, and they were really keen on get back to work, nagging the two mechanics constantly to finish the job.

"Patience isn't your strongest side…" Dart muttered when Arry once again had grumbled about how slow things were going.

"We're drowning in work; we need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Bert added, agreeing with his brother.

Den snorted, but didn't say anything. Dart would probably speak his mind anyway.

"We won't get finished earlier just because you two whine our siderods off, you know!" Dart scolded.

The iron-brothers wasn't impressed by his attitude, they kept going on about how much they had to do.

"Lord, have mercy on me…" Den grumbled to himself, feeling the annoyance build up inside him, increasing his oil-pressure. He was about to explode of anger, which was unusual for him. He was usually very patient, or rather… he was able to keep calm until whatever was working him up had passed. But if Arry and Bert didn't shut up anytime soon, it was going to blow his fuse. He couldn't go outside for some fresh air to clear his mind and calm down either; they would just be twice as annoying when he got back inside.

"I hope there won't be any more diesels coming in today, or we'll have to work overtime." Dart mumbled to Den when they passed each other on their way to get some parts.

"Amen." Den muttered, oiling up to Arry to fix his valve.

"About time! This is taking forever!" the hazard-striped diesel complained.

Den felt something snap inside him, blurring his vision, and without being able to control himself, he ran into the other diesel, continuously ramming him.

"Den! What has gotten into you?!" Dart whimpered, trying to pull the big diesel away from the now derailed iron-diesel, but he was too small and weak.

He quickly ran outside to find someone to help him, returning with BoCo and Diesel. The two bigger diesels coupled together, joining forces to pull Den away from Arry. They dropped him off outside, going back to get Arry back on track.

"Den!" Dart said with concern, looking at the Sentinel with a shocked expression. "What was that?! This is not like you!"

Den had now cooled down, being ashamed of himself. It had felt right for a moment, but now he realized he had only gotten himself more work, having to keep Arry here longer to fix what he had broken by beating him up like that. And he was already feeling over-worked and tired.

"I uhh… what I mean is…" Den stuttered. "I don't know..."

"I know the iron-twins can be really annoying, but beating them up will only cause us to keep them here and having to listen to them complaining longer, Den!" Dart said almost tearing up by the thought. He was so fed up with the twins already, he couldn't stand the thought of having to deal with them longer.

"I know. I lost control." Den said, looking down at the tracks. "I just blacked out. Sorry, Dart."

"You should be!" Dart snorted and went back inside to continue working. He had to look Arry over.

Diesel and BoCo rattled back outside, looking at him with a curious frown as they passed him. He just grinned awkward to them, driving inside to join his assistant.

The iron-twins were surprisingly meek after Den's outburst, staring hateful at him. He didn't mind as long as they shut up. Den knew he didn't want to meet Arry alone after this, the ironworker would probably repay him for beating him up like that, and if he knew him right; with interests. He had better stay away from him until he had calmed down and hopefully had forgotten about it.

Luckily Arry had gotten away from it with a dented chassis and a broken siderod, but nothing very severe. His pride had probably taken most damage… he eyed Den with narrowed eyes and a red fire of hatred burning in them.

Dart felt a bit worried on Den's behalf, not daring to leave him alone with the twins in case they would gang up on him. He knew very well that there was a reason to why they, along with Diesel 10, had reinforced steel in their shed doors.

Soon, Bert was ready to go, returning to work. He gave Den a poisonous glare as he drove past him on his way out. Dart shuddered. Den was usually able to keep his cool in any situation, his outburst had scared the tiny shunter out of his wits. Was the other diesel going insane? What if he turned on the other diesels too? He was bigger than most of them… it would be fatal.

And what if he found out about Dart's feelings towards him…

Dart swallowed hard, trying to force the thoughts away. Den stirred up feelings in him that made him all fuzzy and warm inside, it was scary and unknown. He had no idea why he was feeling like this… only that Den was the only one who managed to stir them up. And that it felt good…

Did Den feel the same way about him?

Another engine came rattling into the shed, shunted by Salty. It was Mavis.

She looked up at Den. "My generator has short circuited, Den."

Dart quickly moved over, hoping Den wouldn't snap again, he was obviously over-worked. He could help by fixing Mavis.

"I'll help you, Mavis. Den is busy…"

To his surprise, Den came down from the ledge, coupling up to Mavis.

"Take over for me, Dart, I'll take care of Mavis." He said determined, not even stumbling in his words like he used to. Then he shunted Mavis to the back shed.

Dart looked puzzled after them, then shrugged and went inside to Arry. The ironworker grinned, like he knew a secret he didn't want to tell anyone. He looked spitefully at the smaller shunter.

"What are you smiling at, you ruffian?" Dart barked, not amused.

"Nothing…." Arry sneered deviously. "Nothing at all…"

"Well, then just zip it and be quiet while I straighten out these dents!" Dart grumbled.

Arry continued to grin, much to Dart's dismay. But he didn't intend in prying any deeper into the ironworkers mind, he just sighed and started working.

"You have the hots for Den, don't you?"

Dart jumped by the sudden question, burning a hole in Arry's generator box with the blow torch. The iron-diesel groaned in pain.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing!" Arry barked.

"Woops… sorry, Arry." Dart said, secretly not regretting hurting him.

"And you didn't answer my question…" the hazard-striped shunter continued with a devious smirk.

"Stop making up things or I'll burn you again…perhaps your private parts this time…" Dart treathened.

Arry chuckled, not very scared. "Answer good enough for me… Does Den know?"

Dart took a deep breath to calm his growing irritation, quickly slipping the blow torch underneath Arry, making him jump and whince as the flame touched his privates. He took it away before doing any damage.

The iron-diesel scowled at him. "You're on my scrap-list now, tiny… Along with your precious Den…"

"You wouldn't dare. Who's gonna fix you when you break down if we're not around?" Dart said unamused while mending the hole in the generator box.

"Good point. I'll think of something else…" Arry said with a uncanny smile.

"Don't think so much, it's probably the reason why you keep breaking down; you can't handle it." Dart snorted.

"Oh… funny. As if you're such a brainiac. We all know Den is the one who does the thinking around here." Arry mocked.

"I am a guy holding a blow torch, Arry… ask yourself: do you really want to continue fucking with that guy?!" Dart grumbled. "I'll cut your private parts off if you don't shut up!"

"Oh no, don't do that to the poor girls! They'll miss it!" Arry sniggered, shutting up, at least for a while. But he was still trembling of muffled laugther, much to Dart's dismay.

"Ok, ok! Spill it, Arry! What's so damn funny?" he wasn't able to control his curiousity after a while.

"Have you noticed that Mavis has been visiting the dieselworks unusally often lately?" Arry chuckled, blinking to the small shunter.

"Maybe, but she needs repairs, where else should she go?" Dart shrugged, focusing on his work.

"And you don't find it weird that it always has to be Den that is fixing her? In the back shed… alone?" the ironworker kept sniggering.

Dart coughed, covering up how shocked he was by the realization. He had never thought of it that way. Quickly he put the tools down, rushing outside, trundling into the back shed without warning the ones inside. If they were doing something like Arry was hinting, he wanted to catch them red-wheeled!

Den and Mavis looked up in surprise as he rushed inside. Den was looking up from Mavis' generator box, where he had just replaced a fuse. There was nothing fishy about them at all.

"Dart? Is everything alright?" Den asked friendly, looking at him.

"Uhh… I… I forgot what I was going to ask for… uhh.. yes, I was just going to get this…" Dart quickly took a truck with him, not checking it's contents.

"Uhh… I don't think… I mean…" Den stumbled in his words. "I don't think Arry is going to need scrap metal for his repairs…"

Dart blushed deeply, putting the truck back. "Ok, never mind… I forgot what I was going to get… see you later!"

With those words he darted outside again, scurrying back to the mainshed where he was greeted by Arry's spiteful laugh. Dart's cheeks were deep red as he took the elevating turntable back up to continue his work.

"And you're trying to convince me that I am making things up when I say you have the hots for Den, huh?" Arry chortled.

Dart growled. "Very funny. Come to think of it… YOU also break down a whole lot! Maybe YOU'RE the one having a crush on Den?"

The insult didn't have the effect Dart had hoped for, Arry just laughed louder than ever.

"Yeah, maybe I should ask him on a date? I'm sure you don't mind…?" the hazard-striped shunter teased. "Oh… yeah… it will be sweet. His lips against mine… in a long, sexy make-out session… and we'll end up in my shed afterwards, having hot gay sex!"

Dart knew he was only kidding, but his words still made the jealousy stir up and burn inside him.

"That's it! I'll fry your balls off!" he barked, lighting the blow torch again, forcing it underneat the menacing shunter who struggled against it.

"Dart! Stop this!" Den's voice boomed from the entrance. "Are you done repairing Arry soon? I need your help, BoCo's cooling system has failed."

Dart blushed as he turned the blow torch off, starting working again, with Arry chuckling of it all.

"I'm gonna ask him out…" the ironworker whispered so low only Dart could hear him.

"You wouldn't dare!" Dart hissed back, fuming of jealousy.

"Watch me!" Arry sniggered, raising his voice. "Hey Den! Are you free tonight? I was wondering if… mpphfff!"

Dart stuffed a dirty, oily cloth into Arry's mouth, shutting him up. To his annoyance he could still hear Arry's muffled laugh and see Den's confused stare.

"He was just wondering if you had time to polish his buffers." Dart tried to smooth over.

Den frowned, not able to imagine the iron-diesel caring about how his buffers looked. They would just be covered in sooth and dust the next day anyway.

"I… I suppose so." Den stuttered, confused by the request.

Arry spit out the cloth, and was about to say something, but Dart stuffed it back in.

"Dart, why are you putting that cloth into Arry's mouth?" the big Sentinel wondered.

Dart bit his lip, trying to come up with a good reason.

"Uhh… I was going to wash his mouth. He swears too much. I might need a really strong soap though…"

Arry had to close his eyes to prevent himself from dying of laughter inside. It was so amusing seeing how the smaller diesel constantly tried to cover up what he felt about the Sentinel.

"Oh well… at least it keeps him quiet while we work." Den shrugged and went back outside. "I'll be in the back shed with BoCo, come over when you're done here."

Arry spat the cloth out again, laid down on the tracks, slamming one of his wheels repeatedly to the rail, laughing so hard, that it made him gasp for air.

Dart blushed and sulked while finishing the job. As soon as he had put on the siderod, Arry wouldn't be able to move his wheels like that at least… though he could still laugh.

"I hate you, you know that?!" he hissed, putting the siderod in place, fastening the bolts.

"I love you too, Dart!" the hazard-striped shunter chortled. "Forever yours!"

Dart worked as fast as he could, but still he was pondering over what he felt for Den, and how he was going to find out if the feelings were mutual. He wanted to be his, snuggle against his buffers at night, kiss him, feel him…. He didn't dare to finish the trail of thoughts when they took a dirty turn.

He finished the work, biffing Arry hard from behind.

"My work is done, now get out of here you son of a…" he didn't finish the insult, but stared after the ironworker as he thundered out of the dieselworks, eager to get back to work.

"But you do have a point… I have a crush on Den." He sighed and went inside to put everything back in place before helping Den with BoCo.

To be continued…

I just can't help myself... when I get an idea I just need to write it out, even if I am already writing on two other stories at the same time... :-P Don't worry, I am still writing on the other two. So, yeah... writing on 3 different stories at the same time.