Chapter 2: Trouble in Paradise

Deryn opened her eyes slowly, groaning as the light streaming from the window shined into the light. She leaned into Alek's torso, breathing in his scent as she smiled. This was the best way to wake up, according to her, wrapped in the arms of the one you love. Luckily the boffin hadn't come to check on them. As much as Deryn liked the lady doctor, the force of Dr. Nora Barlow was not not to be tempered with, and neither was her rules on sleeping arrangements. Which was a fair response to their first discovery in a closet together. Yet, it was just barking biology, natural in the sense of things, just not proper for a "young lady" like herself, according to the boffin.

Deryn sighed and looked up to Alek's sleeping face. His mouth was parted ever so slightly, his eyes closed and his hair ruffled from sleep. She brushed her lips against his cheek, making him stir a bit.

"I'll be back in a moment." She whispered, getting up slowly, careful to keep from waking him. She pulled on her shoes and threw on her coat, walking out into the corridor and to the kitchen, wanting to scrounge something up for breakfast. She shivered as she made her way down several flights of steps, "it's barking cold, today." She muttered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Mister Sharp" A voice called out.

Deryn spun around, looking up to a beastie at the top of the stairs, "Aye, beastie, its me." She smiled as the loris, putting out her hand towards it, "Come on now, let's head to the kitchen, find something to eat."

The beastie scuttled up her arm and perched on her shoulder, chuckling. Deryn smiled at the peculiar creature and went back to her original goal. They were close when the loris leapt off her shoulder and waited for Deryn to open the door.

Deryn laughed, "Hungry, Bovril?"

The beastie looked up at her with large eyes, "Starved." it replied.

She opened the door, "Aye, lets get some scran before my stomach starts growling like a tigeresque." As she opened the door, a light from down the hall caught her attention. She turned and saw the light in Alek's lab was on. She shook her head, smirking, "Blasted prince, forgot to turn off the light." She made her way to Alek's desk and turned off the lamp. As she was leaving an envelope caught her eye. Usually it wouldn't but the name at the bottom shocked her.

"Volger?" She mumbled, picking it up. It was all in clanker talk and she sighed, setting it back down when a paper behind it fell on the floor. She knelt to pick it up, glancing at it before she froze. She read over the sentences again and again, her blood turning cold. " A… M-marriage…" She stuttered. She knew that Alek loved her, but this would give him the opportunity to help his people.

"He wouldn't…" She whispered, a lump forming in her throat, "Would he?" She remembered how Alek talked about Austria, the nostalgia and grief he felt was evident in his eyes. She could tell how much he cared about it. Deryn felt dizzy, and she sat down, staring at the official looking proposal.

She felt sick to her stomach. After all this time, she thought he moved on from this guilt he felt. What would Alek choose? A few days ago Deryn was certain it was her, but this… This was something much bigger. Not some hypothetical situation, it was here. An actual decision that had to be confronted.

But… To which was Alek more loyal to? His country or his love?

Deryn's breath hitched, and she stood up, setting the papers back on the table, "That bum-rag count."She murmured, "Can't leave us alone, can he." She spoke bitterly, trying to shove away the tears pricking her eyes.

"It's all up to Alek now." She sighed, closing her eyes before she walked back to the corridor, shutting the door behind her.

Alek woke up alone in Deryn's bed. He sat up, groaning and stretching as he looked around to see if she was in the room. He stood up, sliding on his shoes that were next to the bed and walked out the door. He knew that if Deryn wasn't here, she would most likely be finding something to eat.

He quickly made his way towards the kitchen, smiling as he heard the loud ruckus inside.

"Barking spiders! Give it back ya bucket of clart!"

Only Deryn would swear that much, and that chuckling could only be Bovril. Alek smiled wider and pushed open the doors, surprised by what he saw. Deryn was inside, but she was covered from head to toe in flour, chasing the beastie around as he scuttled around from counter to counter, leaping and jumping across spills and fallen food

"What happened in here?" Alek laughed. He glanced around at the mess and back at Deryn, who seemed to freeze. She turned to him, a flicker of doubt dancing across her face before an obviously fake and cartoonish smile replaced it.

"B-Bovril, he stole the whisk. He won't give it back." She glared at the loris, "Blasted wanker."

Bovril chuckled, looking down at Deryn from a high shelf, "Wanker." He repeated.

Deryn glared at him harder and Alek shook his head, chuckling to himself. Deryn flushed, "What?" She asked, angry.

"You're fighting with a beastie!" Alek exclaimed, "Not to mention you look like a ghost, since you're covered with flour."

Deryn glanced down at herself, crossing her arms and turning from Alek, "Well, it was an accident."

Alek moved to her side, trying to see her face, "Deryn. Is something wrong?"

"No." Deryn turned again, facing away from him. Her words were clipped, and Alek knew immediately that something had happened. Was she still angry from last night?

"Is it about yesterday? Deryn, I'm so sorry, I lost track of time, I had a lot on my mind and I promise I'll make it up to you." Alek touched her shoulder and Deryn shrugged it off.

"It's… Not that." She sighed. She faced him, but didn't look at him. She wasn't mad, she was… Sad?

Alek pressed his hand against her cheek softly, "Deryn… What's wrong? Please tell me."

Deryn twisted her hands, refusing to look him in the eyes, "Alek… Would you ever… Leave me for monarchy if you had the chance?"

Alek's stomach twisted and he thought about the marriage proposal in the lab. Had she seen it? Would he leave her? His mind was racing between the two choices, "Why… Would you think that?" He asked.

Deryn's ears burned, he had been thinking about it. She knew. He was thinking of leaving her for Austria, and why not? He was the heir to the throne, "No reason. I just. Scheisse, forget it." She pulled away from him and started walking away.

"Deryn, wait." Alek grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. He turned her towards him and held her face in his hands, "Look at me." Deryn looked up at him begrudgingly, Her stormy blue eyes meeting his green ones, "I would never leave you. For anything. Much less the monarchy. You mean the world to me, and I would never want to live a life without you, liebe."

Deryn smiled a bit, leaning forward to hug him, "Alright, you daft prince."

Alek wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her flour dusted hair, "Ich liebe dich, Deryn."

"I love you too, dummkopf." Deryn replied. She pressed her soft lips against his.

Alek hugged her tighter and kissed her back. Her fingers played with his hair as she kissed him harder, and he slid his hand down her back, resting at her hips. After all this time from the Leviathan, Deryn had grown, her boyish figure slowly changing into that of a woman's with delicate curves that accented her waist, and Alek had definitely taken note of it. Deryn pressed against him, her chest unbounded and he could feel them against him. He pulled away, kissing her neck.

"Alek" She whispered under her breath.

Alek decided he was going to burn that letter after all.

Suddenly the phone on the kitchen wall rang, and he sighed, pulling away to answer it, "Hello, Zoological Society of London."

"Good morning, Your Highness. Glad to hear that you're awake."

Alek blinked, his stomach flipping as he glanced over at Deryn, "Count Volger."

This couldn't be good.

Whelp, Chapter 2! Yay for pushing aside homework because of boredom and like hell I'm going to take 15 pages worth of notes when there's a lack of Leviathan fanfiction. Sorry for bad writing, but at least I'm contributing, Aye?

See you next chapter!

~SimplyEVANGELION