A/N: Hello there. Look at me with that title. Took me months to think of that. (Wonderful huh). So, yes, meet little adorable Academy Alan and his big tough Mentor Eric. The story of their young lives, before their adorable love life began. And I've got a lovely beta reader helping me now, so hopefully it'll be better than ever for you guys. So, reviews would be very much appreciated. Thank you to everyone for reading, and if you review.
"A little feisty, huh?" Eric chuckled, leaning over Alan. Alan growled up at him, twisting to get loose but Eric held him down firmly. "I can work with that. It's good to know there's some fire inside that cute little shell. Something I can work with."
"Get off me."
"Say please."
Alan stayed silent for a long moment but finally sighed and relented. "Please."
Eric smirked and shifted from over Alan, keeping his wrists held tightly in one large hand as he got up, pulling Alan with him. They'd been sparing barely five seconds when Eric had managed to slam Alan to the floor, winded and taken completely by surprise by Eric's power and aggression. Of course, he hadn't expected a man of Eric's size to be able to move so fast. He was tall and bulky and generally looked like a typical dumb idiot. And how he could see with his hair falling over his eyes half the time was beyond Alan. Really? And he was still holding onto him? Alan dug in his heels and tugged back as much as he could but Eric held him still, seemingly without any effort.
"Will you please let me go, Mr Slingby?" Alan said, grinding the words out and trying to remain polite and professional.
Eric grinned, his hold not loosening even a little no matter how much Alan struggled. In fact it seemed to amuse his supposed mentor. How could this thug be his mentor? What were the higher ups thinking? He knew he wasn't the best when it came to combat but honestly? How did they expect him to learn anything with some brutal idiot who seemed to be all muscle and looks and no brains? If the first five minutes were anything to go by, Eric was going to kill him by the end of the week.
"Just Eric is fine," his senior murmured, tugging him forwards. Alan couldn't hope to stand against his strength and ended up stumbling forwards, just about managing not to fall against his chest. He glared up and Eric smirked back. "Are you busy tonight?"
Alan jerked back slightly, staring up at him, completely lost for words for a few long moments. Had Eric just… was he asking him out? Really? When he'd first been told Eric was his mentor, the older students had warned him Eric was known to flirt with everyone. He heard people tell him he was essentially a playboy who used people and threw them away like they were nothing. Now, Alan wasn't sure how much of it was rumour and how much was true, but if the way Eric was smirking was anything to go by, it might be more truth than not. Alan wasn't going to pretend Eric wasn't incredibly attractive. Eric probably knew he was. He wasn't particularly special though. And looks certainly did not make up for being a dumb thug.
Besides, Alan was in a relationship, he had been for a while and didn't intend to break up with his boyfriend any time soon.
"I have plans with my boyfriend."
Of all the reactions Alan had expected from Eric, looking incredibly pleased with himself was not it. What part of that sentence pleased him? Had he heard him properly? Or was he that stupid? Eric shoved him away and Alan staggered back, stumbling over himself to avoid the swift strikes Eric threw at him. He barely managed to avoid the hits with no time to even think about striking back. This wasn't fair. This was nothing like all the lessons and training they'd had in the academy. Was he actually trying to hurt him?
Finally, possibly by sheer luck, he managed to catch Eric's wrist between his palms. Alan knew he couldn't match Eric in sheer strength and power, but he knew technique. He'd practised the theories of weight and movement. It was all very simple calculations really. Eric probably didn't realise there was anything other than power and strength.
In a split second, he made the decision, bracing his foot against Eric's thigh and dropping his weight to the floor. Eric's weight and the momentum of the punch kept him flying forwards, looking stunned as Alan used they momentum to flip him onto his back. There was a dull thud as Eric hit the floor and Alan, still holding Eric's wrist, followed through his roll, ending up sitting astride Eric's chest, smiling down at him. Maybe that would take the idiot down a peg or two, being flipped by his junior.
Eric just smirked back at him. Nothing seemed to faze Eric. What on earth was going on in the man's head? Eric reached up and caught Alan's tie with his free hand, tugging him down onto all fours, forcing him to let go of his wrist to brace himself and balance to keep from collapsing on top of Eric.
"If you wanted to be on top, all you have to do was say so."
Alan clenched his jaw and pursed his lips together. "Please, Mr Slingby, behave. I just told you I have a boyfriend."
"Who you have plans with tonight," Eric said.
There was some annoying smugness in his voice that really rattled Alan for some reason. Suddenly, Eric's arm was braced against the back of his thighs. Alan was about to demand he let him go but Eric lifted them both from the floor and all coherent thoughts were pushed from his mind at the feeling of Eric's strong, hard chest against his and his firm, toned stomach between his legs. Purely on instinct, not wanting to be dropped from so high up and nothing more, Alan wrapped his legs around him and held his collar tightly. Of course, that was just why Eric had done it, Alan knew that much, but he really didn't care. It didn't mean anything and if Eric thought it did then he would just prove everything Alan thought about him right.
Alan's back fell against the padded training room wall and Eric smirked, running his hand through Alan's hair, only to be batted away.
"Put me down," he said, trying to be firm while still remaining respectful. However terribly behaved Eric was, he was still his senior and he still had to be polite. Unfortunately. "I'm not interested."
"Liar," Eric purred.
How dare he? Alan bit his cheek to keep from saying something he'd regret. What on earth gave Eric, who hadn't even known him a day and barely showed any interest in getting to know him better, the right to call him a liar? Just who did he think he was?
"What makes you think that?" Alan said. It was the best he could do without snapping. The last thing he needed was to annoy his mentor so much he made things difficult. Well, more than he already seemed determined to. "And will you please put me down?"
That smug smirk never left Eric's lips as he leant closer, apparently ignoring his request. "It's simple. Of all the answers you could have given me, you made a point of telling me you have a boyfriend."
"I do," he replied firmly.
"I don't doubt that." Alan frowned, now completely lost. Even if they'd only been introduced around an hour ago, Eric must have realised he wasn't the type to be unfaithful. What did he have to be smug about? "But, you felt the need to tell me. I asked you if you were busy, you assumed I was asking you out."
"Weren't you?"
"That's not the point," Eric said. "The point is you assumed that, which means you think I'm interested in you." Heat rose in Alan's cheeks and all he could do was just stare back at him. How was he supposed to respond to that? "You could have just said you were in a relationship, but you said boyfriend, which means sexuality isn't a problem, and the fact you felt the need to tell you had plans with him, makes it seem like you're putting him on a pedestal. Maybe even hiding behind him?"
"I'm not interested in anything other than a professional relationship with you," Alan said. Getting away from this subject as quickly as possible seemed like a good idea. "And I'm not even sure about that right now. Does that make it clear for you?"
"Perfectly," he laughed, dropping Alan to the floor unceremoniously. Alan glared up at him from the floor and Eric strode away. "Get up, we've got a lot of work to do. You're not going to get anywhere near the grade you need at this rate."
Doing more combat training with this brute wasn't his idea of fun. "I'm much better at theory work, can't we focus on that?"
"What would be the point of focusing on something you're already good at? Get up."
"I got you on the floor," Alan snapped, getting to his feet.
"Really? You think I'm actually trying?" Eric said, stopping a little way off. "Do you think a little student could beat me if I was trying? I'd break you in two, kid."
"I'm not the best but I'm not terrible. I can hold my own!"
"Fine," he chuckled. "But don't say I didn't warn you when you end up needing the doctor."
Alan had thought Eric was exaggerating, trying to scare him. It turned out he wasn't. He couldn't keep up with Eric for more than five minutes. To make matters worse, Eric was a brutal teacher. Alan had no idea how any student could survive being mentored by him. Every time he fell, Eric pulled him up and gave him a minute to catch his breath and then carried on. He didn't even bother explaining what he was doing wrong, or how to get better. He wasn't teaching him anything. Alan barely managed to land a single blow against him.
Finally, things ended as badly as Eric had promised. Alan was struggling to keep up again and Eric drove his fist into his stomach. Alan doubled over instantly, his breath forced from his lungs, and before he could recover even a little, Eric had swept his legs from under him. Alan landed badly, hitting the wall and the floor, his arm taking the brunt of the force. A short, pained scream tore from his throat before he fell absolutely silent, unable to think at all until Eric sighed as he came over.
"Well, that's broken." Alan whimpered softly in response, still unable to think clearly. "Stay still."
Alan wasn't really planning on moving any time soon. He was just too numb with shock and pain. This was the first time he'd ever taken a serious injury. He'd seen the bigger, rougher reapers hurting each other, he'd watched his classmates end up with broken ribs and backs and limbs from being too clumsy and he'd seen people get too playful with their training scythes. He'd never been so quick to get into fights though. He'd always been more reserved. Even though the doctors could easily mend almost every injury they got, he'd never used that as an excuse to be so careless like the others.
"Here, this'll hurt, kid," Eric said, kneeling down and helping him to sit up, holding his arm gently. Alan bit his lip and struggled not to scream again and Eric gently laid his arm in a sling. "Alright now, can you stand?"
He nodded slightly and Eric helped him up before sweeping him up into his arms. "Ow…"
"Easy now," he murmured, gently carrying him out. Alan reminded him quietly about his bag, not sure why that was the only thing on his mind, and Eric sighed, picking it up for him. "Let's get you to the infirmary. I did warn you."
That didn't really help.
In the hospital wing, Eric ended up discreetly nudging one of the nurses with one foot. She glanced up and sighed, setting her sights on Alan. They were quickly led through to one of the private rooms and Eric sat Alan sat down on the bed, waiting quietly as Eric whispered with the nurse.
"Alright, let's have a look," she said gently, coming over. She was a pretty, petite brunette woman, with a nice, reassuring smile. A least it wasn't down to Eric to be reassuring. "I'm Marie Cortez, I'll take good care of you, don't worry, but I have to look at the break, so I'm going to fetch you some painkillers first, alright?"
Alan nodded and Marie smiled, hurrying out. Eric and Alan sat in silence, waiting for her to return. Perhaps Eric's silence was a sign of guilt. Even if it had been an accident, he was being too rough. Marie returned with some pills for him and Alan took them quickly with a glass of water. Unfortunately they didn't kick in particularly quickly. He had to wait roughly twenty minutes. Another twenty minutes of awkward silence with Eric. Alan was surprised Eric hadn't said something snide or just walked off.
Finally, Marie slid off the sling, holding his arm gently and investigating the break. The pain had dulled at least so it was just uncomfortable as she poked and prodded. She smiled gently, apparently having made her decision and slowly put his arm back in the sling.
"That doesn't seem so bad," she said with a soft smile. "It seems to be a clean break, should be alright to just be put in a cast for a week or so. Consider yourself lucky you're not a human or it could be months. Although what you were going being so rough with him in the first place is beyond me, Eric."
"You know me, Marie," Eric murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning into her shoulder. "He told me to stop being so gentle with him. I warned him he'd get hurt but he wanted to. You can put him right though, can't you? There's no problem, is there?"
"Not at all," she laughed, pushing against his chest so she could turn her attention back to Alan. "I'll just have to get Dr Burns to clear it."
Alan smiled slightly, his mind a little blurred by the shock and the painkillers, only able to really register the amusement of having a doctor called Dr Burns, and slight annoyance that Eric had his hands all over this nurse after asking him out. Even if he wasn't impressed by Eric, just remembering being snuggled up against Eric's chest and wrapped in his arms as he was carried into the hospital was strangely comforting and gave him a warm, cosy feeling. Like being protected by someone who actually cared about him.
"Ah, we don't have to tell him, do we?" Eric groaned, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Marie smiled and guided Alan to sit back on the bed, petting his head gently. "It's policy, you know that."
"He'll tell William."
"That is his job." She smiled at Alan, who smiled back weakly. "Just wait here a minute, little one, I'll be right back with Dr Burns to see you." She shot Eric a glare. "You'll have forms to fill out."
Alan nodded and she hurried out once more. Eric sat across from him and Alan tried to glare over at him but was too woozy to manage, so settled for just turning away. They barely knew each other and Eric had broken his arm. Really? How did the seniors think that pairing them up was a good idea?
Eric ran a hand through his hair, watching out the door as people passed. He was utterly shameless, wasn't he? He didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was leering. If Alan had been completely lucid he might have said something. Eric obviously knew he was a handsome man, Alan could already tell he was far too aware of that, and almost certainly knew how to use his looks to his advantage.
With nothing better to do, Alan found himself discreetly looking over his mentor. He was handsome, incredibly so, with a strong, sharp features, bright eyes and obviously had a decently built body beneath his suit, some of which could be seen under his open collar. Of course, Eric was far too aware of all these things and would probably take advantage of such things however he could.
"Mr Humphries, is it?"
Pleasantly distracted from his mentor, Alan turned back to the door to find a tall, lean man with messy dark reddish-brown hair stepping in with Marie. Judging by the white coat, chart and file he was carrying, Alan guessed he was the doctor. He seemed so casual about the situation, confident but relaxed, and somehow that eased all Alan's nerves.
"I'm Dr Burns, since you're in for Dispatch, chances are I'll be dealing with you most of the time, unless you're not very good at it," Dr Burns said with a bright smile. "So, shall we have a look at that arm of yours, lad? Off the bed, Slingby."
"We don't have to tell William about this, do we?" Eric said, getting off the bed.
"If you stop injuring students I will be able to stop telling him," Dr Burns replied.
He slid Alan's arm out the sling once more and Marie helped cut away the arm of his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeve to reveal the swollen limb. Alan found himself wondering if they'd pay to replace that jacket, they were hardly cheap. It was silly to be worrying about but it was better than thinking about the pain of Dr Burns running his hand along his arm. He wasn't even applying much pressure but it just sent bolts of pain racing through him. To his amazement, Eric's hand closed around his, squeezing gently. His eyes flickered up at meet Eric's gaze for a moment before squeezing back uncertainly.
Dr Burns frowned. "Let's get you an ice pack and something for the swelling while we're waiting to put a cast on it." Alan hissed and whimpered, trying to pull away but only causing himself more pain as Dr Burns investigated the break further. His hand clenched around Eric's but his mentor didn't seem at all bothered by any pain. "Nurse Cortez seems to be right, just a simple break. As I'm sure you know there are two bones in the forearm, you only seem to have broken one. That makes it a lot easier to mend. So, I'll leave you in Nurse Cortez's capable hands for now, and be back to see you soon, alright?"
"Thank you, doctor," Alan muttered through the pain.
"Not a problem, it's my job after all." He smiled and slid his arm in the sling once more. There was so much prodding and pocking in hospitals, Alan decided, it was terrible. He also wasn't fond of the way Eric let go of his hand and walked away the second the doctor wasn't probing his broke limb anymore. "Watch this one though, Mr Humphries, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know his own strength. Don't get him too wound up."
Alan nodded slightly as Eric huffed and looked indignant at the suggestion. If he was honest, Alan was rather surprised Eric stayed with him. But he did. He stayed with him, waiting for almost another hour, not really saying anything and flirting rather half-heartedly with Marie as she helped Alan with the ice pack and handed him more pills for a the swelling. Eric and Marie seemed rather close, so close his flirting seemed to be brushed off as friendly banter. How ridiculous. Did he really spend so much time flirting with people that it was an everyday occurrence around here?
After another few hours of waiting with nothing more than a few awkward words between them, they were moved to a more permanent room and Alan was told he going to be kept overnight to make sure he got over the shock. Eric still stayed faithfully by his side. Alan didn't understand why, but he was grateful for the company. Well, if he could call Eric's presence company. Marie returned to them not long after he'd been moved into the permanent room. She gave Alan some more painkillers and Alan had to suffer through more of Eric's shameless flirting as a junior nurse was called in to help her put a heavy cast on his arm. He wasn't sure if he'd prefer Eric to just leave him alone or if he liked him being there for reassurance.
Night fell and Alan had nothing to do but sit quietly in his bed. Eric had eventually grown bored in the private room with no one willing to chat with and had pulled out a text book to go through it with him. It seemed Eric wasn't the dumb muscle Alan had assumed. There was actually some intelligence under there. Actually, now Alan thought about it, he seemed very different. Marie was gone and they were alone talking quietly over the text books. Eric suddenly seemed more genuine, like his bad attitude was just for show and there might actually be a decent person underneath. Alan had two years until he went onto a junior roll in Dispatch. He'd worked hard for the past six years and now it was finally coming to a head. Perhaps Eric wouldn't be such a bad mentor. He was certainly competent in combat and if he was actually softer and more intelligent than he first seemed perhaps there was hope yet. Either way, he'd have to put up with Eric. His mentor's opinion did count towards his grades. He'd have to figure out how to deal with Eric somehow.
"Alan!"
Alan's head turned slowly and gazed back at the door, smiling softly. Eric was glaring over at the newcomer, probably already knowing who he was to Alan. He was a little taller than Alan, with short curly black hair and stern, intelligent look to his eyes. Concern flashed across his face but when Alan smiled he seemed to calm and leant against the door frame, offering a small smile in return.
"Don't worry me like that." He shut the door behind him, striding over and sitting up on the bed next to Alan. He leant over to kiss his cheek and Alan was almost pleased when Eric's eyes burned with something close to jealousy. "When they said you'd been taken to the hospital I got so scared. You're not like all the others, you're not that clumsy or stupid. What happened?" He glanced down at Alan's arm and frowned. "Did someone hurt you?"
"Henry," Alan murmured. "I'm ok. We just got a little rough training and I landed badly. It's not a big deal." His smile grew slightly and leant up, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "I'm sorry we're going to have to cancel our plans."
If Eric hadn't realised who Henry was by now, that would certainly seal it for him. He'd been with Henry for years. It wasn't uncommon for students to stay with one partner throughout their time at the academy. Alan had very little interest in relationships, physically at least. He had his studies to worry about, it was just nice to have someone who cared about him and worried about him.
Henry was perfect as far as Alan was concerned. He was content to go no further than kisses and cuddles. He would just hold him and stroke his hair and just generally reassure him when he needed comfort. Every now and again he got a bit playful and pushed his luck, letting his hands wander, but Alan drew the line there and pushed Henry off whenever he got too frisky. It wasn't that he didn't care for Henry. Honestly, he wanted time to think about his studies and if Henry wasn't willing to wait until he was ready to go further he wasn't worth Alan's time.
Of course, much to Alan's pleasure, Henry was always willing to wait. He just went to back to holding him close and comforting him. He couldn't see Eric would ever be able to handle being pushed away like that. He couldn't imagine Eric had been told no by many people. Probably didn't go for people who he thought would say no.
"Who are you?" Henry said, glancing over at Eric.
Eric smirked, brushing his own dark hair from his eyes. "Eric Slingby, his mentor."
Henry frowned and wrapped his arms around Alan's waist, leaning against his shoulder. Eric was glaring at him, even if he was trying to look like he wasn't. No doubt Henry was glaring back, but Alan couldn't quite see from where he was. After a long moment of the staring contest, Eric smirked and snapped the text book shut.
"I should get off." He got up from the bed and jotted something down on a piece of paper fished from his pocket. "Come and find me when you're ready for more work."
"Thank you, Mr Slingby," Alan said softly.
He had warmed to Eric, a little. Eric had stayed and looked after him, and he'd certainly proven he was more than just dumb muscle. The partnership could work. He at least had to give this a go. Being polite wouldn't hurt. Alan figured he at least owed him some leniency for his company all day.
"Yeah, thanks for looking after him. I can do it from him here," Henry grumbled.
Alan almost rolled his eyes, extremely tempted to elbow him with his cast. He knew that tone all too well. Did he honestly think Eric was worth being jealous over?
"Hey," Eric laughed, very pointedly keeping his gaze locked with Alan's, not even glancing at Henry. "I told you, just Eric is fine."
"Thank you, Mr Slingby," Henry insisted.
"It's no problem," Eric said. He waved his hand as if it was no big deal, still smiling like there was nothing wrong. Was that genuine? Was he really that thick he missed Henry's tone? "It's my job to look after him. We had fun, didn't we? Having a cutie wrapped up in my arms and blushing is always enjoyable."
"Behave," Alan said, glaring up at Eric and squeezing Henry's wrist to make it clear the message went both ways.
Comments like that were not helpful. Henry had every right to be possessive and overprotective if Eric was going to keep making comments like that. His constant flirting with everyone around was hardly reassuring either. Eric stayed for a few moments longer before he left them to it. Alan sighed as the door shut and tilted his head to gaze up at Henry, who smiled gently, running a hand through his hair.
"Well, thank heavens he's finally gone."
"He's been with me for hours," Alan said, slightly annoyed that Henry would be so judgmental. "He might be an idiot, but at least he was here."
Henry twisted slightly, giving him a slightly concerned, hurt look before giving another gentle smile and leaning his head against Alan's. Eric might have been a pain but Henry should have known better than to snap to judgments like that. He should have known better than to be jealous or possessive. He had no interest in anyone else.
"So, what did that brute do to you?" Henry said after a minute.
"Oh, things just got a bit carried away," Alan said quietly. In all honesty it was an accident, Eric hadn't meant to break his arm it was just a bad fall. He could dislike Eric and his attitude as much as he liked, but he wasn't about to let Henry jump to conclusions just because he was feeling possessive. "Training with real reapers is really different to academy training."
Alan was sure Henry turned and glared at the door as if he could see Eric on the other side of it. If he was honest, Alan did rather like when Henry got possessive over him. There were times when it went too far, but generally, it was a sign of how much he cared. After all, if he didn't care he wouldn't be so possessive. He was shaken from his thoughts by Henry shifting and pecking his lips.
"I'm going for some coffee and snacks," Henry said, shifting off the bed. "What do you want?"
"Hmm, some nice herbal tea and a chocolate muffin would be fantastic, please Henry," Alan replied softly, pulling him down by his tie and pressing their lips together in a quick kiss. "Thank you. You're the best."
"I know."
He laughed and winked at Alan over his shoulder as he wandered out the door. Alan couldn't help smiling and rolling his eyes. If only he didn't have to be left alone. He did hate being left on his own when he wasn't in the best of health. If he wasn't craving something to eat and drink he'd probably be content to cuddle up with Henry for the rest of the night.
While Henry was gone, Alan found himself drawn to the note that Eric had left. He struggled to reach over without jolting his arm and finally got it off the side. Eric's writing was damn near illegible. It was terrible and rushed. He frowned, trying to make out what he'd put. It looked like an address. Eric's address, he assumed, so he could go and visit him. And something on the back he could barely make out. After a long moment, it clicked.
'The brat isn't welcome. Just you and me, cutie. Hope you're as good at theory as you say.'
Brilliant. Alan didn't even know what to think about that. The man was utterly shameless, wasn't he? He sighed and folded the paper up, slipping it into the pocket of his bag for safe keeping and sat back on the bed to wait for Henry to return. How was he going to put up with him? That last part worried him too. Obviously until his arm was healed they'd be working on theory pieces. Given that he'd told Eric he was better at theory work, he'd better live up to his own words or Eric was going to be intolerable.
When Henry returned, not only did he have their drinks and snacks, but a couple more pills for him to take. Alan was more than happy to take them, his arm was starting to throb again. At least Henry was there was a distraction. They spent time going over Alan's text books, after this mess he had to prove he was capable. Henry gently pulled him into his arms as they worked and Alan smiled softly to himself, leaning on his chest, perfectly content with Henry's hand running through his hair.
"So, your mentor is the same Eric Slingby our seniors warned us about," Henry muttered absently. Alan hummed in confirmation, not really interested in talking about Eric right now. "Should I be worried?"
"I would think you know me better than that by now," Alan replied, not even looking up.
"Of course I do," he said quickly. "But he doesn't. I worry about what he'll do to you. Look at what he's already done to you for turning him down-"
Alan sat up and shot him a sour glance over his shoulder and Henry shut up. "I told you, it was an accident. Let's not say things we can't take back. That's a serious accusation, you know. If you don't trust me to tell you the truth-"
"No, I do. You know I do." Henry sighed and tipped Alan's head up gently for a slow, deep kiss, giving his waist a quick squeeze. "It's him. I don't trust him. You've heard what people said as well as I have. He's trouble, Alan."
Alan frowned and nodded slowly. If rumours were to be trusted, yes, Eric was trouble, but those hours when they were alone, working together, something was different about Eric. He was softer and more personable. The kind of person Alan could like, if he hadn't seen him acting so deplorably beforehand. Perhaps it was just front, perhaps the smart, kind Eric was the real side of him and soon Eric would be settled and relaxed with him enough to drop his guard.
