Priceless to me
Disclaimer: I do not own Cabin Pressure or any of the characters, they belong to the amazing John Finnemore.
Warnings: This chapter contains violence, upsetting scenes, homophobic language and behaviour.
Chapter 2: Grounded
Martin sighed as he brought his morning coffee to his lips. Wincing slightly, thinking to himself that he definitely preferred Arthur's. He glanced around the hotel restaurant, wondering whether he was hungry enough for breakfast.
Martin was tired, too tired to really do anything but sit alone in the restaurant sipping liquid energy. He supposed it was what happened when he let the insatiable Douglas get his own way all night, Martin couldn't help but grin to himself.
Martin looked up and suddenly the grin fell from his face, he noticed the same two American men walking passed from last night.
Now that it was light, Martin could make out their profiles, the one on the right was heavy-set with cropped hair and the one on the left had long blonde hair swept up in a messy ponytail.
One thing, however, that made them similar was the piercing eyes they aimed in his direction, like they were trying to burn holes through his skin with only their stare.
Martin almost felt violated by the way they were looking at him. The same as last night, he turned away from them immediately, not used to feeling that uneasy at someone's stare. He concentrated on his coffee mug harder than he would have normally done until they exited the room. Martin stared at the exit for a few moments until he was satisfied they were really gone.
Martin brought his coffee to his lips again, it was cooling quickly but that didn't stop him from downing a few large gulps, trying to calm himself down.
I'm just being stupid, Martin said to himself, they don't have anything against me.
Martin tried to convince himself that even if they did have a problem with him, it probably wasn't a gay thing. Not everyone was a homophobe.
"Maybe it's a ginger thing?" Asked Martin quietly to himself.
"What's a ginger thing?" Came a voice suddenly, causing Martin to jump. He turned to see Carolyn had sat down next to him, sporting her own mug of coffee, looking confusedly at him.
"Martin, you seem jumpy this morning." She stated.
"Do you care?" Asked Martin, smiling slightly.
Carolyn raised an eyebrow. "Yes. You're right. What's a ginger thing? Or are you talking to your imaginary friend?"
Martin rolled his eyes. "Nothing." He began, "nothing important."
Carolyn shrugged. "Fine."
"So...when are we flying out today?" Asked Martin, trying to change the subject.
Carolyn sighed loudly. Martin turned to stare at her. Carolyn suddenly looked irate. "What's wrong?"
"We aren't flying out until 9pm." She explained, lips pursed together.
"What?!" Martin exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up. "Why are we in America so long?"
"GERT-I needs a look over." Carolyn explained, "before they let us take off again. Apparently they need to check the brakes. So, we are stuck with the delights of America for the whole day."
"What are you going to do?" Asked Martin.
"I have a daunting feeling I'm going to be spending the day chasing Arthur around, doubtless he'll want to see everything." Carolyn answered, sounding bored.
"Yes, I can imagine." Began Martin, hoping he wouldn't get snared into babysitting for Arthur somehow. "Hold on-" he continued, "aren't you supposed to be seeing Herc today?" Asked Martin.
Carolyn visibly bristled. "Yes, I was. Not that it's anyone's business."
"Come on, Carolyn," began Martin, exasperated, "it's okay to be in a relationship."
"What like you and Douglas? Herc and I don't snog each other's faces off every time we see eachother, thank you."
Martin couldn't help but smile to himself.
Carolyn inclined her head towards him. "Where is Douglas anyway?"
"I don't know," Martin admitted honestly. "When I woke up he wasn't there, he'd left a note saying he'd be back soon. So I just came down here."
"And decided to nurse a cup of cold coffee?" Asked Carolyn with a smirk.
Martin looked down at his coffee, watching as the remains of his coffee congealed on the top of his cup.
In the back of his mind, Martin could feel his mind going back to those two men, and the sinister feeling he'd gotten from them before expelling them from his mind.
…
Martin looked down as his phone vibrated in his trouser pocket. He fished his phone from his pocket and saw the text from Douglas.
Martin,
meet me at the Green Rose Restaurant at 6pm.
Love you x
Perplexed, Martin texted back saying he'd be there.
Martin stepped out of the taxi he'd gotten to the Green Rose, which hadn't been that far from the hotel.
As Martin looked at the restaurant he felt both touched and embarrassed. The Green Rose Restaurant looked less like the cosy cottage restaurant Martin had been expecting but more like the Ritz.
Martin shook his head slightly, he didn't want Douglas spending this kind of money on him.
Martin walked to the entrance, wringing his hands together and wishing he was wearing something a bit more posh than old jeans and a t-shirt he usually used for his man-with-a-van job.
Martin was even more embarrassed by the interior of the restaurant, it was beautiful. The wallpaper was a deep green lined with silver, the tables had matching table clothes with silver chairs and arty-napkins, at the corners of the restaurants were small sculpted trees with green roses.
It occurred to Martin that roses grew on bushes and not trees but felt it wasn't really his place to say in this posh place.
Martin walked over the Maitre d' stand, supposing he should ask for a table under Richardson, but he couldn't see Douglas anywhere.
When he approached the stand, a man who had a sharp black suit on looked up to him and smiled.
"Good evening, sir." He began, "my name is Evan, I'm your Maitre d'. You must be Captain Martin Crieff."
Martin swelled slightly at being called a Captain, and realised Douglas must have told him to say that.
"H...h...how do you know who I am?" Asked Martin.
Evan smiled at him. "Your dining partner's description was very vivid." He admitted. "Please follow me, Captain."
Martin followed Evan to the back of the restaurant, away from all of the other diners.
"W...where are we going?" Asked Martin, looking around.
"Some diners who prefer privacy may use one of the private dining rooms." Evan explained, "it is a service we provide."
"Oh." Douglas.
Evan stopped as they reached a door at the back of the hotel with a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the front.
"Please go on through, Captain Crieff, and enjoy your dining experience."
And with that, Evan was gone.
Martin rolled his eyes as he turned the door knob and walked into the room. All embarrassment Martin had felt suddenly disappeared as he saw Douglas standing there by a table, dressed smartly with a goofy grin plastered across his face, Martin couldn't help but smile fondly.
The table, Martin could see, had three lit candles and a bouquet of roses, not green, thankfully, and some sort of classical music Douglas would know all about playing in the background.
Martin stared disbelievingly at Douglas for a long moment.
"Seat, Captain?' Said Douglas dryly, still grinning and holding out a seat for Martin.
Martin sat down slowly and watched as Douglas sat down opposite him, it took a few moments until Martin could speak again.
"Douglas..." he began, "I can't believe you've gone to this must trouble."
Douglas rolled his eyes slightly. "You're worth it, Martin."
Martin tried not to blush. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It was a surprise." Douglas said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well, yeah-" Martin agreed, "but I feel like a bit a prat being dressed like this."
"I think you look incredible." Said Douglas immediately, without a shadow of a doubt in his voice.
Martin couldn't help smiling as he spoke. "I knew you'd do this."
"Do what?" Asked Douglas.
Martin tried his best to scowl. "Treat me like the wife."
And Douglas laughed, he laughed loudly.
Martin had been worried that he would like none of the food they served here, but Douglas told Martin to trust him and ordered for him.
When the waiter came in and poured them champagne (none-alcoholic, of course, considering they'd be flying in a few hours), however, Martin eyed Douglas suspiciously.
"Douglas..." began Martin slowly, "what's going on?"
Douglas stared at him. "What, a man can't treat his boyfriend?" He said indignantly.
"I...suppose so." Martin admitted, "this all seems a bit special, that's all."
"Well," began Douglas, suddenly seemingly fixated on the candles in the middle of the table. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Said Martin, perplexed. "Douglas, you've gone a bit...red."
Douglas never, ever looked embarrassed. He never went red.
Suddenly, Douglas met Martin's eyes, and his eyes softened. "I just want you to know how much I love you."
"I do." Martin assured him.
"Well, good." Said Douglas, finally, before standing up.
"Douglas?" Asked Martin, confused. Before he went bright red and all sane thought went from his mind. "Oh."
Douglas had gotten down on one knee before Martin, and Martin watched as Douglas produced a small box from the inside of his jacket and opened it in front of his boyfriend.
The box contained a simple silver band that seemed to glint in the candle light.
"Martin..." began Douglas softly.
Martin could do nothing but stare. Normally he would be going through several different scenarios in his head, planning out everything that could have gone wrong and making so much noise his head would be spinning but, right now, he couldn't do anything.
"I know I've gone through a lot of marriages," began Douglas, "before I was brave enough to come out. But...I love you, with all my heart. Will you marry me?"
Martin blinked a few times, unable to get any sound out.
When Martin finally did find his voice, however, his characteristic torrent of worry finally made itself known.
"But..but...but..." he began, and Douglas smiled, finding Martin's stuttering adorable.
"Why on Earth would you want to marry me?" Martin finally blurted out.
Douglas looked at him quizzically. "Whatever do you mean, Martin?"
"Well, I...I...I...I'm not exactly the person everyone wants to be with, I...I'm boring and irritating and lord knows you could do so much better than me..." Martin had stuttered out that whole sentence in one breath, getting himself more and more worked up before Douglas finally reached forward and placed a finger on Martin's lips, silencing him. When Douglas was sure he had the young Captain's attention again he retracted his finger.
"I wouldn't do better than you, Martin," Douglas finally said. "You mean everything to me. Just seeing your face everyday makes me the happiest man alive."
"Douglas..."
"I've never found you boring, or irritating. I think you're amazing, Captain." Said Douglas, smirking slightly, "And I want to be with you."
Martin stared at him, looking completely expressionless. "Okay." He said simply.
It took Douglas a moment to process what Martin had said before staring at him. "W...what?"
"I said okay." Martin repeated, before a shy, and in Douglas's opinion, completely gorgeous smile spread across his face. "Okay. I'll marry you."
Douglas practically launched himself at Martin and had kissed him hard before Martin could even process what was going on.
Martin just laughed before kissing Douglas again.
When Douglas finally pulled back, smile plastered across his face, he took the ring from the box and slid it onto Martin's ring finger.
As he did so, Martin noticed, with a smile, the inside was inscribed with the simple words, my Captain.
…
When the pair went back into the hotel, they had to make a visit to the reception where Douglas ordered some room service and Martin answered a text from his sister.
On the way up to their hotel room, however, Martin realised something.
"Crap!" He said out loud to himself.
"Martin?" Asked Douglas, concerned.
"Oh, I left my phone in the reception." Explained Martin, berating himself.
"Oh," began Douglas, "well, we'll just go back and get it."
Before Douglas could turn on the stairs, however, Martin stopped him. "No, don't worry. You go up the hotel room, I'll go grab it and be right back."
"Well, okay." Said Douglas after a minute, "just don't take too long, fiancé." He said the last bit with a smile. Martin grinned, pulled Douglas towards him by his lapels and kissed him.
Martin found his phone lying on the side table and picked it up, slipping it into his jeans pocket and shaking his head at himself.
Before he turned to head back, however, he noticed the French doors in the hotel leading outside. He looked down at his watch and saw they had a good couple hours until they had to set off, so he figured he could take 5 minutes out for himself.
Martin stepped outside into the cool night air and leant against the wall, breathing in the fresh air. He needed a few minutes to himself, to replay the evening in his head and get his thoughts together. Tonight...it had been completely unexpected. It explained where Douglas had been all day but...Martin had no idea how long Douglas had been planning on asking him to marry him.
Martin looked up at the sound of noise, brought out of his reverie, and saw those two American men again, the heavy-set one and the blonde.
Martin shook his head and stared at the floor again, he was just too happy to care about them.
"We saw you with that older guy last night."
Martin looked up suddenly, shocked by the sudden sentence. He saw the two men standing in front of him.
That awful feeling was back in Martin's gut immediately, all happiness at his engagement subdued.
"Err...he's my first officer." He told them uncomfortably.
"That some fag thing?" The blonde asked, stepping closer.
Martin immediately bristled at the insult. "No." He said tightly.
"We don't like queers." The blonde continued, his voice sounding sinister.
Martin didn't say anything, his gut screaming at him.
He turned on his heel, about to walk back into the hotel. The nicely lit, people-filled hotel.
What Martin didn't see, however, with his back turned, was the heavy-set guy reach out and grab his jacket collar and yank him back,
Martin yelped out in shock before the fist of the heavy-set guy connected with his jaw and knocked him clean to the ground.
Martin cried out in pain before he felt both men's feet connect with his ribs as they kicked him repeatedly where he lay.
Martin cried out again at the onslaught. "Stop! Please, please stop!" He begged, but the two men didn't listen.
Martin felt tears stinging his eyes and bruises blossom across his skin. The agonising pain in his ribs was only accentuated by his attackers continuous blows.
The agony suddenly began to numb, and there was less feeling. Martin knew in his heart there was no way he was strong enough to fight back.
One of the kicks connected with Martin's face and knocked him out.
Douglas... Martin silently cried for help, too weak and in too much pain to speak. It was all he could think before he was enveloped by darkness.
A/N: Just for the record, I absolutely cried my eyes out writing this. I love Martin so much and this chapter really got to me x