Author's Notes: I will admit that this fic may sound a little odd starting off, but I did write it over the span of a few weeks. On and off, I mean. The basis behind it is that, in a high school setting, Greaseball and Dinah are essentially the power couple of the popular kids. That being said, it'd be no surprise to me if there were multiple people crushing on the two lovebirds, correct?
All characters are based mostly on the Broadway/Bochum version; they would've been London version for this particular fic, but once I got to the point of describing them, I realized I'd used mostly after-London ticks and details that going back through it would've been less-than-fun. But for one character here, it'd be easier to visualize them as being from the London version. Because reasons. Reasons that probably include being the first to use said character as a main in a fanfic.
If you were ever familiar with the trains of the Apollo Victoria trainyard, then you were undoubtedly familiar with the undeniable fact that for every set of trains, there's gotta be a good engine at the forefront. A champion of champions, if you will.
AV's champion? A diesel, powerful, fast, able to work for long hours. His name? Greaseball.
Greaseball was, as many coaches would tell you that came into direct contact with him, very close to being a god among simple men. He was certainly the station master's favorite, and had the skills to prove it. Winning championship after championship, clearing his work in no time flat with little effort; he had basically earned bragging rights, especially after becoming the champion engine of the entire country. He was certainly a favorite among the coaches of the yard, eventually becoming a power couple with a coach by the name of Dinah. She was a ray of sunshine to many with a Southern flair, who would lend an ear if you were aching emotionally, beloved by many for both personality and her cooking.
But rather than compare him to a god, it would be more accurate to compare him to the jock star of a high school football team. Greaseball was popular, but he was also rough and brutish. A bully in every way. It was no secret among the trainyard that he had even gone far enough as to physically hurt Dinah and cheat on her with another coach, as many of the more gossipy carriages would whisper to one another as they milled about during the day, along with the question of why she would even think to go back to him, as she did many times afterwards.
Despite all that, it wasn't long until he managed to gain a small following of younger diesel switchers that would easily follow every command he issued and join in every round of harassment that someone was unlucky enough to get. They would almost always accompany the large diesel around to most places when not working, but would often be saddled with a good amount of work to shorten the number of present members down. It was on one of these days that the young engines reached the topic of having a lady of their own. The boys talked back and forth about the cars they had eyes for. A postal truck from up north. A library car from the coast. Sleeper cars from the capital. They all had someone on their mind.
Well, all of them except one. From what the others could gather, either he didn't have one, or he liked guys instead and didn't way to say. ("Nothin' wrong with that," the oldest was quick to point out, "just so long as they're not a bucket 'o' crazy".) But when the topic of coaches came up week after week, when someone asked about his certain someone, he would just shrug and say "I dunno".
His name was Gook. Neither the oldest nor youngest of the bunch, he was a quiet one who kept to himself among the others, but would just as well tease and taunt the weaker trains that dared to go against his boss, just like his friends. In particular, he was cruelest towards a younger steam switcher that started on the yard about the same time he did. He couldn't stand steamers; none of them could. Thinking they were high and mighty, better than diesels. He found joy in mocking him when the steamer would talk about winning races, about how he'd be champion someday.
But there was something he didn't quite understand. That steamer, lower than he was, weaker than any of them... He actually managed to get a coach; a brand new first-class observation car! It baffled him as to how someone like him could even manage to get a coach in the first place, especially a first-class carriage like her.
It drove Gook up a wall every time he thought about it, and it drove him to be particularly cruel to the steamer one day when they crossed paths in a far area away from the majority of the trainyard's occupants. Gook had just been wandering the back area, bored without anything to do, and came across the steam engine doing maintenance to his joints. He was rusted in many areas, effectively becoming true to his name of "Rusty", but he was more embarrassed by it rather than proud of it. At that time, he was showing frustration with having to keep up with something so unforgiving; Gook could sense it a mile away if he tried. In a short moment, the young diesel had managed to ease up behind the steamer and scare him with a shove to his shoulder.
"Hi, 'Nobody'," Gook greeted him, a smirk on his face after moving to face him. "Still trying to get rid of that stupid rust?"
"Oh, bug off, Gook," Rusty hissed in reply, rubbing his shoulder. "What do you want, anyway? Shouldn't you be worshipping Greaseball right now?"
The diesel switcher feigned being offended. "Ooh, someone's cranky today.. Y'know, you'll never get that rust off. You're basically stuck with it for the rest of your life!" Gook skated over to stand beside Rusty, leaning on the shoulder he hit earlier. "And y'know... no girl's even gonna find rust attractive.."
"As if you know anything!" The young steam engine stood up and shoved Gook away. "Pearl likes me for who I am, not for my looks.. Besides, I don't see you with any coach or truck! I wonder what that says about-" Before Rusty could continue, a swift hit to his face sent him sprawling to the ground. He didn't know it, but his comment had quite the effect on Gook, who now stood over Rusty, his hands curled up into fists. He picked up Rusty by the collar of his shirt and held him up to his face.
"You think you're so great 'cuz you got a coach yourself, huh?" Gook punched him again, sending him to the ground again before pinning him down. "Listen well, steam train. I could have any coach I want, and you know damn well that your pretty little car would rather go with someone much stronger than you are, including me."
In Rusty's defense, had he not been affected by rust at this point, Gook would only be marginally stronger than Rusty, but hardly enough to make a strong point in his claim. But because the rust had developed to the point of being a hinderance to movement rather than a mild physical blemish, Rusty wasn't able (more like "allowed") to do the work that most engines, switcher or otherwise were supposed to do. But that's beside the point.
Gook leaned in closer, a hint of deep excitement mixed with resentment in his voice. "As a matter of fact, I bet I could take her off your hands in a heartbe-"
"Rusty!" A girl's shout from behind them alerted the switchers' attention to two cars just coming around the corner of a stack of freight boxes; a brake truck in red and a coach clad in light blue...
Gook stared in surprise: It was Dinah, Greaseball's coach... Never mind that she was with one of the guys from the freight group, the Red Caboose, it was that she was actually calling out for the steamer. The two cars rolled up the switchers as Gook released Rusty from his grip and stood up. Gook didn't know what to do; leave now and deal with Dinah later, or deal with her now... Frankly, he wasn't entirely sure either option was a good idea..
"What's going on here? Were you two fightin'?" Dinah placed her hands on her hips while Caboose rolled over to Rusty and helped him to stand up. "Come on, be honest with me.."
Before Gook could open his mouth, Rusty spoke up first. "I-it's nothing, Dinah... we were just talking, that's all."
"Uh-huh, sure... but what 'bout that red mark on your face? It's almost as red as CB's paint!"
Sensing the skepticism in the dining car's voice, Gook followed up on the story. "oh, he just fell over and hit the ground real hard. You know how clumsy he is! He can't keep from tripping over shit or hitting things-"
Dinah brushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes and glared at Gook with a stare that made him freeze up. "Darn it, Gook, I thought I told you to quit pickin' on him! Just 'cuz Greaseball does it doesn't make it right at all."
Gook looked away, a slight hint of red to his face. "Come on, D, you know as much I do that we all do that. It's just-"
"I don't care if 'that's just how things are'," the blue car interrupted him. "I don't care what Greaseball says is okay to do or what he lets you do; when you're 'round me, you don't pick on him!" Dinah crossed her arms near her chest. "I told you all before that Rusty's like a brother to me, so you can't just constantly wallop on him like a pillow-"
"Dinah, it's okay!" Having watched the whole exchange with Caboose, Rusty rolled over to them and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm alright. You don't need to defend me from the diesels."
Dinah looked over to him, looking over the scrape marks on his dust-covered face. "You sure, Rusty? I can get Poppa over here or-"
"It's fine." The steamer rolled over to where his things laid on the ground, not noticing a glare shot in his direction from Gook, and collected them before rolling back over to the group. "But normally you don't come over to the freight yard.. Is something up?"
"Oh, I just came to pass a note over from Pearl!" Dinah reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a little piece of paper. "These are the times that she has open for trainin' on the rails. She wrote them down 'cuz she knew you'd want to practice with her!" She stopped, hesitating a little before asking a question she wasn't sure about. "... You're not still thinkin' of racing this year, are ya?"
Rusty stopped for a second, then flashed a smile to her. "Of course I am! This is gonna be the year I become champion, I know it!" Placing his hat on his head, the steam train started off away from the group. "I'm not the only one that thinks that, right, Caboose?"
The red brake truck saluted his friend, a wide smile on his face. "Right! I believe in you, Rusty!"
"Oh Rusty, what're we gonna do with you.." Dinah said, shaking her head as she waved goodbye to Rusty, who rolled out towards the main yard. She then turned back to Gook, who stood in somewhat stunned silence. "Now, you gotta make a promise to me!"
Gook's attention snapped back to her, surprised to find her with her finger un-naturally close to the bridge of his nose. "P-promise? About what?!"
"About pickin' on Rusty! Don't do it around me, okay? I know it gets a little annoyin' to hear him talk about racing so much, and that song he hums gets a lil' gratin' on my nerves too-"
"'Nobody can do it like a steam train~'... It's not that bad of a song," Caboose piped up, before Dinah shot him a look that made him hold his tongue.
"Ah... What I'm sayin' is just be a bit easier on him. I'm sure he'll give up this racin' dream before the championship starts, so just don't mind him. And don't hurt him either! That rust is enough, he don't need more damage to deal with.. So promise me you won't mess with him anymore! Promise?"
Gook was in shock, to say the least. Here was Dinah, the girlfriend of the strongest engine in the entire country, defending a pitiful steam switcher from him, one of her boyfriend's guys.. it didn't make sense! Sure, the two had been close when they were younger, but that was then, and this is now! He couldn't wrap his mind around it..
"Gook! Are ya listenin'?"
His attention snapped back to her, and Gook could see her cheeks turning a brighter red than they did before. And her eyes, a deep coffee-brown, pierced right through him... Feeling his own face heat up, he ran a hand through his hair, minding the headband that all of Greaseball's lackeys wore. "S-sure! I promise! Now will you get off my back about it?"
Content with her answer, Dinah backed away and smoothed her skirt out. "Good. I expect ya to keep that promise now! No buts about!" She playfully smacked his shoulder, albeit with enough force to actually sting a little bit. After exchanging a few words with Caboose, she waved to the both of them and skated off.
"She's not usually like that, is she?" The young diesel rubbed his shoulder after she was out of the line of sight, the brake truck right beside him. "I don't think I've seen her get that upset over him.."
"She's just very caring, is all," Caboose replied, slowly skating away. "Dinah's always like that. But that's a good thing; she wouldn't be Dinah if she wasn't so caring and nice." Caboose rolled off, leaving Gook alone in the back area. Alone with his thoughts.. All he could think about was Dinah being in such a fuss over what happened. He knew he'd eventually break that promise of not picking at Rusty, but somehow he hated to think of what her reaction would be when she found out... if she found out... How those dark eyes would look at him with either sadness or anger. He didn't want her to be upset, but he knew it was inevitable...
".. Get a grip of yourself!" Gook smacked the side of his head. Why was he so worried about what Dinah thought all of a sudden? All he needed to care about what what he thought. Or what Greaseball thought! If he didn't like something, then Gook wouldn't like it either. And Greaseball certainly wouldn't like Dinah being so caring about a stupid steamer like Rusty... But even Mr. Macho himself knew that they were friends growing up, so maybe she asked the same of him... Like he'd agree to that, though! Greaseball didn't care if anyone's feelings were hurt; if you made him angry, he'd show you who was boss real quick. He did what he wanted, with no care in the world. Push work onto someone else, drink over the limit... Lie and cheat... Be unfaithful...
It was true that Dinah was very caring and nice... but she was also naive. Greaseball had cheated on her several times with other coaches, that much he knew. When he came back from cross-country runs, he's regale the boys with stories of what he and some passenger car from the Midwest did one night or how many drinks he had with a lounge car from the state of California. And then he'd go right back to Dinah, who waited ever so patiently for him back at her diner, or his house. Even after knowing, and hearing many rumors, that he had been with another girl while she was alone.. And she refused to believe them. She'd say that Greaseball wasn't like that. That he truly loved her, that she was the only one for him. Even when something happened that made him angry, that made him... violent.. Even when she'd show up to morning clock-in with bruises and scrapes among her. Even when she knew full well what they were from... She'd only brush them off as her being clumsy, or as being a one-time thing if she couldn't refuse what happened.. And would go about her day, only to go back to him at the end of the day as if nothing had happened.
For once, Gook was confused about it all. He hadn't thought about any of this before, yet now, as he stood alone in the far end of the trainyard, the gears in his mind were turning in a way that he'd never known before.
Even as he went about his business throughout the week, the thoughts never left him.
Even as the boys continued to talk about the girls on their mind, he stayed stuck in his mind.
Even as he indeed broke his promise to Dinah and continued to antagonize Rusty, he still couldn't figure out why he was so fixed on this conflict.
Even as Rusty announced intention time and time again to race, Gook could not shake loose the feeling that something was different now.
Even as the time of the championship came, Gook was still lost in thought, and growing increasingly irritated at this continuous stream of distracting thoughts...
At least, until he heard the news: Greaseball had uncoupled Dinah after the first heat. Tank and Lube, two of his friends in the gang, told him it was over her being upset at them cheating during the race. They'd done it before in other races, so why was it a problem this time? ... Then again, she'd been upset those times as well... Why did it end up like this instead?
... And why... Why did he care so much?
Gook's mind then went back to when he was younger, when he was a much younger engine... One of the coaches had asked Poppa, an older steam engine, just what love was; Gook was nearby, messing with a toy. What Poppa told her had stuck with him somewhat over the years, but only now came back to him; "When you care for someone very much, when that someone is hurt or upset and you want to comfort them, when that someone brings such light into your life that seeing that light dim or vanish would make you sad... When you would give anything to make that person that you care about happy again, that is the feeling of love."
Gook's mind went back to what he had said to Rusty that day in the back area: "I could have any coach I want." He said that with such confidence that it hadn't yet dawned on him that maybe, just maybe... He couldn't have any coach he wanted.
Because... What if the coach he wanted was already hopelessly devoted to someone else?