Little Talks

The door creaked when she opened it; the house was dark and stagnant. She hadn't been able to face it immediately after the accident. Dr. Barlow had been kind enough to allow her an extended leave for as long as she needed, though Deryn wasn't sure she could ever go back. She had stayed with her mother while she was still bedridden with her wounds and grief. As soon as the pitying looks become too much she realized she would have to go back to their house. Except it was just hers now.

She hung her coat and cane on her peg beside the door and tried her hardest to not look at his empty spot. She needed tea and a bottle of something strong. The house continued to creak and it sent shivers through Deryn. When he had been there with her it hadn't been a bother but without him to hold her, she wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep. She wasn't really sure she'd even be able to live.

There wasn't much to force her to soldier on. She wasn't as strong as she used to be, she had learned to lean on him and they were stronger and better together then when they were apart. She suspected Dr. Barlow wasn't expecting her to come back, while she had only lost one assistant in the fire, she lost her team. Deryn curled up in the corner of her favorite couch and watched as her tea cooled.

Deryn woke each night in cold sweats, gasping for air, and wild eyed. Her father's face as he pushed her out of the burning balloon, flashes of the Great War, but it was Alek who haunted her the most. It had taken three men to hold her back from running into the fire. Some said it was bad Clanker engineering at fault, others said it was sabotage, or possibly just a freak accident. All Deryn knew was that Alek had died in a fire while working on repairing one of the engines for the Zoological Society's airship. He had pushed her out of the way, just as her Da had done, before the engine blew. She relived that moment every time she closed her eyes.

Each day became harder and harder to get through as she slept less and less. Sometimes she thought she had heard him coming through the door after a long day of translating old and dusty papers. Other times the silence felt companionable rather than overwhelmingly deafening as if he were still in the room with her. Those were days when just getting dressed seemed impossible.

Two months after the accident Dr. Barlow came calling. She was not impressed with the state in which she found her assistant. "I need you with me for this mission. No exceptions." The lady boffin was deliberate and curt with her words. She handed Deryn the file with the details, "I figured you'd appreciate being back on the Leviathan." Dr. Barlow gave the woman sitting at the table a moment to respond, but when it became clear she wasn't going to say anything she saw herself out.

Deryn reported on time to the landing zone, she was dressed in her usual attire of trousers and a heavy overcoat to keep the slight curves she had developed over the past few years hidden. Her hair was neatly cut, too short for a woman, but too long for a man. If she had cared what people thought of her before, she cared even less now. She was polite, though few of the crew dared bother her. Keeping a step and a half behind Dr. Barlow she boarded the Leviathan.

She felt right to be back in the beastie, it had been her home for so long and held many fond memories. It wasn't quite enough to fill the void in her heart but as soon as they took off the sensation of flying once more eased her spirits. She and the doctor were to report directly to the captain for a debriefing. The walk was quick and familiar; Deryn began picking out friendly faces amidst the crew members and managed a small smile.

Captain Hobbes greeted them graciously as did the other crew members present. All except one man, he had his back turned to the doorway where Deryn and Dr. Barlow had walked into the room. Everything stopped for Deryn when he turned to welcome them. There were several scars on his face, still pink and irritated, and his right arm was in a sling. But his green eyes were as kind and loving as the day they had said their vows. The captain and the lady boffin exchanged pleased looks when Deryn cursed under her breath before vaulting over the table that separated her from Alek.

"You died." Deryn accused as she looked him over for the first time in almost three months. She could see more burns peeking out from under his collar and on his wrists where his sleeves and gloves didn't cover.

"I tried pretty hard to. But there was this voice in the back of my head that sounded an awful lot like Dylan who just wouldn't let me." He teased. She didn't know if she wanted to punch him or kiss him and never let him go again.

"Barking spiders." Was all she managed to choke out before she grabbed him by the lapels and kissed him. Other people in the room be damned, this was her husband. With his good arm wrapped around her waist he held her as she began to shiver. "How is it that this ship always has everything I have ever wanted?" She muttered when she stopped kissing him.

"The truth may vary, but this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore." He said as he savored holding her close.

So. Leviathan fandom. Hi. I'm new here. But happen to be madly in love with Deryn and Alek, so you'll be seeing more of me.

This is based off the song "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men, if you couldn't tell. Fantastic song. I've got a theory as to what is going on in the song and it just fit Deryn and Alek so well that this happened. Basically, if you listen to the lyrics, it sounds as if the man is actually dead. He's a ghost and the woman is crushed by his death. I'm betting that he died in an accident involving the ship they keep mentioning, while she survived it.

But that's far too sad for my first story about these two so I had Alek survive his accident. Now, why did no one tell Deryn he was alive? Probably at his request, he was involved in a horrible accident that should have killed him. Even though the initial accident didn't kill him, his wounds still could have, I hinted at it, he's pretty badly burnt from it and I imagine the shrapnel from an engine explosion would not be kind to one's torso. So there was still a large chance that he would die, Alek didn't want to give Deryn hope just to die on her.

And for Hobbes to not question Deryn about being a woman, he was informed, he knows not to question it or even mention it, lady boffin's ordered. He also knows better than to question her.