Drunken Deryn
To say that Alek was happy would be an understatement.
He had every reason to be, of course. The Great War had officially ended two days ago, and he's survived when so many others had not.
Admittedly, yes, it may have had to do with the fact that a month ago he'd left actual military service and joined Dr. Barlow's little Zoological Society. But still, the fact remained; hundreds of thousands of people had perished in those three horrible months of fighting, and Alek was still breathing.
And now he was celebrating that fact. Though not openly.
Currently, he was at a party, in a pub, one of many that was currently turning London upside down as soldiers and sailors and airmen all took let loose.
He was not alone; around him, the men who put their lives on the line for Darwinism chatted and drank and danced and sang, any and all differences between them forgotten. British, American, French, Spanish, Russian...all treated each other as brothers.
Of course, it wasn't all men. There were girls here too. Lovers of the men who had gone off to war, come to give their thanks for saving them from the horrors of the kaiser's machines. Women without anyone to call their own browsing the crowd of war-weary men. Even a couple female American soldiers, sitting in their own little group at the back and occasionally making a lewd comment to a good looking passerby.
And, of course, her. Alek's own female airman and (most recently) girlfriend. Deryn Sharp herself.
He could see her easily. She was at a table in the corner opposite the Americans, happily chatting with a random group of other fliers like herself. Judging from the hearty laughter coming from that direction and the sound of at least one glass hitting the floor, she was telling them stories or jokes.
Alek glanced over and took a long drink from his own glass. Irish whiskey surged down his throat, making him wince. He'd never really had alcohol before today, and his reaction was actually a lot tamer than earlier that night. His first sip of the strong liqueur had sent him into a coughing, gagging fit that had dropped Deryn with a fit of giggles. She, of course, was swigging rum like an old hand, without any problems what so ever.
Normally, Alek would be there alongside her, filling in any story details she might miss. But not today. This party was to celebrate the "Clanker mike foxtrots getting their bums violated by the manhood of Darwin" (in the words of one of the Americans) and, like it or not, Alek was still undeniably a Clanker. Sure, he wore the uniform of the Zoological Society of London (Blue, blue, and more blue), but on the inside he was still very much enamored with machines and gears and oil. Even now, he still couldn't quite bring himself to be as close to the Darwinist's fabricated animals as Deryn was.
Needless to say, he didn't feel welcome.
So, instead of being wrapped around Deryn's own digits, his fingers were curled around a glass that was slowly sucking the heat from it.
He sighed and took another drink. At least the whiskey was free and plentiful tonight.
Unintentionally, he glanced back over at Deryn. She was the one laughing now, bracing herself against the shoulder of one of the Americans to stop from falling over.
She glanced up and noticed Alek staring at her. Something seemed to shift in her looks, and her face formed into a giddy little smile. She stood up unsteadily from the table, knocking an empty glass off of it with a soft crash that went unnoticed in the general slightly drunken hubbub of the party.
"If you Yank's would excuse me," She said, slightly louder than was really necessary, "I have my own Clanker to see too."
The group replied with a grumble of agreement, several of the airmen shouting violent, dirty suggestions of what she should do to Alek. Deryn laughed at them all and staggered away.
Even from here, Alek could see she was obviously drunk. Her footsteps were unsteady, like those of everyone on the Leviathan when it was in a bad storm. Her face was still set in that giddy smile, and her eyes seemed to shine, and they seemed to wander every which way. She kept giggling to herself.
To Alek's surprise, she managed to get within a foot of him before she lost her balance and fell forward. Without hesitation, Alek jumped forward and caught her before she landed. The catch was awkward; Deryn ended up with her right arm over his shoulder and her left at his side. Alek ended up having to wrap and arm around her to keep her upright.
"Whoops." Deryn stated, giggling again. From this close, Alek could smell rum on her breath. Strangely, he found it to be one of the sweetest smells he could remember.
"Easy there, Miss Sharp." He said quietly, relishing the fact that he could call her by her real name now. Secrets were unneeded at this party. "I think you have had a little too much."
"Aye, maybe just a squick." Deryn laughed out loud again, eyes sparkling like a walker's glow plugs. "But at least I have you to catch me if I fall."
"As always." Alek couldn't help but smile. Maybe it was the whiskey messing with his mind, but he could have sworn Deryn had gotten more beautiful since he'd first grabbed her...
"Aye. And I think you deserve a reward for saving me..." Deryn cut herself off by suddenly kissing Alek, a sudden strike that caught him off guard. He stumbled backward, off balance, and only just managed to stay vertical.
After a minute, Alek pulled himself free of her embrace to get some air.
"Well, that's a good start to a reward." He whispered, feeling a smile come to his lips. His heart pounded like he was in a fight, but not with fear. No amount of alcohol, he decided, could ever measure up to being kissed by Deryn Sharp.
"A start, eh?" Deryn smiled again, pressing her forehead to his. "Typical Clanker. I snog you a couple times and you turn into a barking nymphomaniac."
"You wish." Alek couldn't help but chuckle. He actually knew what Deryn was talking about. He DID read Latin, after all.
"You're getting there." Deryn reached her arm around and behind Alek, who realized almost too late she was going for his rear. He caught her arm and held it over his shoulder.
Deryn laughed in response, reaching up to tousle Alek's hair. Normally, he would have ducked away, but at this moment the feeling was almost glorious.
"Well, I don't see how that could be a bad thing." He replied, smiling as giddily as she was. The mixture of whiskey and the pure rush of Deryn being so close to him was muddling Alek's mind. His head filled with random thoughts, most of which involved Deryn in various states of undress. The sound of her voice the first time they'd made love echoed through his mind, and something in that same area told him that, by the end of tonight, he was going to be doing that same dance again.
The thought sent tingles sliding through him.
"Me neither." Deryn's voice dropped to a whisper and slid her hand into his. Alek could feel her pulse racing in his fingers. "I guess I still owe you a bit, don't I?"
"I believe you do..." Alek replied, smile growing wider. "I believe you do..."