Open Doors. FOUR
Deryn walked down the corridors of the Leviathan, a down blanket wrapped around her. "B-blistering c-cold." She muttered, seeing her own breath in the air. The airbeat was coming up on the Himalaya's, and the inside cabins were freezing. All heat reserves went to go and kept the Leviathan and it's beasties alive. Deryn came to pass Alek's room, knowing he'd be asleep by now. Sleep well prince. She sighed and continued to her desired room. The only room that had to be hot was the machine room. The lady boffin wasn't hatching anymore beasties, but with the remaining glowlamps inside, it had to be warmer then the Middy cabin.
Deryn came to the familiar door of the machine room. Opening the heavy door, Deryn's ears came to hear a voice speaking German. No .There was Alek, sitting on some of the remaining hay from the crates that had the lady boffin's eggs in. He was speaking Clanker to Bovril, the beastie repeating his words. "I am Aleksander" Alek pointed to himself. He looked like a Da teaching his newborn to speak. Deryn felt her lips curl into a smile. Bovril lifted a paw and repeated Aleks words in perfect German. "I am Aleksander." Deryn couldn't help but laugh as Alek shook his head. "No, I am Aleksander. You are Bovril." The beastie just repeated what he said. Word for word. "Oi, what you doing teaching the beastie? He's already smarter then a boffin." Deryn couldn't help but laugh to herself when she caught Alek's attention. He sighed and brought his own blanket tighter around his body, looking away from Deryn and her snickering. "I just felt like teaching Bovril pronouns. Never hurts to learn more details of a language."
Deryn rubbed her head and shook out Alek's words. What was this barking prince sprouting about? "I'm sure he already knows, just playing a game with your head." Alek gave her a confused face but went back to Bovril, now letting the thing crawl into the blanket so it was like a large tent for him. Three glowlamps warmed the room, including Deryn's own lamp made it almost tiring. Deryn let out a yawn and curled up on the other side of the lamps, adding her's to the collection. "So, why you here Alek?" Deryn held out her shivering hands to the lamps, letting the creatures inside warm her to the bone. Alek let out one hand from his blanket to scratch the top of Bovril's head. The Loris let out an almost purr, sounding like the engines of the ship. "Same as you, trying to keep warm." The two of them laughed, Deryn's heart skipped alittle, but she ignored it. All she wanted at the moment was to regain feeling of her body before duties were called to all on board. Deryn sighed, not that she was upset of duties, but of leaving this perfect time spending with Alek. She noticed his new features. His face was more shaped, cheeks still evident on his face as ever. Not pointy or sharp, just more, in a way, masculine.
"Are you okay Dylan? Your face looks a little red." Deryn snapped out of her thoughts. Her hands rushed to her face, her cheeks were burning her frozen finger tips. "No, it's the heat of the room." She mutted, eyes closing a little. It was her thoughts. "Alright then." Alek let the blanket fall, reviling his white button shirt, the first few button undone. Deryn's air stuck in her throat. She could easily see Alek's new muscles now. Oi! Stop being a ninny! this is no place for girlish thoughts stupid! Deryn pulled her blanket so it covered her head. Like a baby wrapped up by it's ma. "Dylan? Are you alright?" Deryn saw Alek's concerned face, the glow from the worms shadowing his face handsomely. Deryn fell to her side, curled in a ball. "I'm fine!" Her voice squeaked. Clart! "Umm...alright then." Deryn shut her eyes. She'd not only sounded like a blistering village girl, now she was seeming loony! What else could go wrong?
"Mr.Sharp." Deryn opened her eyes and was met with the large glittering eyes of Bovril. "Hey Bovril." Deryn remembered to lower her voice this time. She stood up, still wrapped in blanket, and gasped at the sight before her. Alek was taking off his shirt carefree of Deryn's presence. "Oi, what are you doing?" Deryn tried to cover her eyes, but had to hold down her own hands with her bum. She had to keep cool, after all, She was a guy as well.
Alek stopped half way, and looked to Deryn, face saying something like; What? It's not like you've never seen a topless boy. "I'm sorry, I usually sleep in my pajamas, but since I'm not in them." Alek finished taking off his shirt and folded into a pillow of sorts. "I guess I'll sleep in my trousers. If..." Alek must have seen Deryn's wide eyed expression, cause he shut up.
Deryn shook her head, letting out air laughs, trying to keep her act up. "I'm fine, it's just I um..." She had to think of something quick! "I kinda never saw someone other then my cousin shirtless." She smiled cheesy. Barking brilient lie, for a raving loon. Deryn heard laughing and dared cracked one eye open, and saw Alek holding his sides laughing. Now she really was flustered. "Whats the matter now your princeliness? Eh?" Deryn bit her lip. Alek's laugh began to die as he wiped tears from the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry, I've never heard that before. But I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh."
Deryn huffed but went back to warming her body up, lowering her blanket to be wrapped around her crossed legs. "Aye, guess that does sound a little mad. Now that I think 'bout it." She just closed her eyes, hoping this awkward conversation would die. "It did sound a little weird, but you are weird Dylan." Deryn's mouth dropped as she looked to the smirking prince. He was now laying on one elbow, his other hand waving a finger like a cat toy with Bovril. Deryn tried to keep her eyes of his toned chest and arms, but her girl side was fighting her to the point of tears. This is not how a solder acts! Or a boy, unless she wanted Alek thinking Dylan was, that way. "Oh yeah?" She tried to hold the quiver of a girl's voice down. This only made her sound more crazy. "I'm the weird one? Whos the Clanker who fell in love with a airbeast? Or joined a daft revolutionary group to over throw a fellow aristocrat? Answer now sir of the daft nobles." Deryn folded her arms in triumph, her eyes daring Alek to counter her words.
Alek sat up, moving Bovril to his blanket covered lap. "I guess your right, I am just as weird." Their eyes locked. Deryn only saw intence deep green, the glow from the lamps making a large shadow increse Alek's stare. Deryn was hypnotized for all she knew.
Alek turned to the now sleeping Bovril on his lamp. "Heh, I think he's got the right idea." Deryn pointed to the creature and brought her blanket back around her body. "Prehaps so." Alek set Bovril on his folded shirt and stood up, doing a quick strech before laying his blanekt out as a bed. Deryn had a bigger blanket so she only had to wrap herself up and lay down and Deryn had herself a bed and cover.
"Dylan, do you believe in God?" Deryn sat up, seeing Alek on his knees, hands in prayer. "What kind of daft question is that?" She spoke quitly. It wasn't like Deryn was a complete anti-God, she just focused more on the science of Darwinist rather religion. But she had thought of it, just yesterday on the Huxley. Looking back to Alek, she saw steely green eyes, eyes of a lost child. "Well, all my life, I was told Darwinist are godless, like their fabracations. But I've seen a few solder wear a crusifix, so I'm curious." Alek knew how to sink Deryn's heart. She gave a small chuckle and combed her hand through her hair. "Well, my Da used to pray with me, but I never paid much attention in Church. But I guess I believe. Science is more familiar to me then God." Deryn closed her eyes, silently hoping this didn't just make Alek start shouting she was going to hell or anything.
"I suppose thats all I will get tonight. Good-night Dylan." Alek laided down, back to the lamps, and Deryn. She bit her lip, that was it?
A/N: I feel like a bum-rag! Dx ahhh! i'm making Deryn sound like an idiot and Alek's chapter's are waaay shorter then Deryn's :P please people, don't be afraid to point out my short-comings with these characters. let me know what to change, and if anyone's up for it, if you want to see the chaps before they come out and want to fix my spelling and grammar, be my guess let me know. plot will be explained in chap.5 after more research. i am trying to not to the A/N's cuz i think it takes away from the story ect ect. please let me know if i am making Deryn,Alek anyone even Bovril too OOC. i want this to be accurate! thank you, plz review! :D