You Might Like
57. The Captain and the Engineer: Vincent’s Day Out
Cormack Owle posted a photo:
“Maybe we will see one of those really big ones!” Tom exclaimed as he stared out the window of the carriage. Like Vincent had been at that age he was in love with airships and his excitement was palpable as their carriage approached the airship yard and docks. Abigail had told Vincent that Tom had mentioned every day how excited he was to be spending the day with him and going to see the ships together. Honestly Vincent had been looking forward to this as well. He loved his nephew and was happy to indulge him. Plus it gave him a chance to spend some time on Leon’s Claw. He was missing the feeling of home and peace that his ship brought him. Plus Aiden would be there! That thought alone brought a small smile to his face.
“We just might.”
“Like really, REALLY big! Like Grandpa’s ship!”
Vincent laughed softly as Tom spread his arms to emphasize the grand size of his grandfather’s ship. Ships of that size were docked in a neighboring shipyard meant for much bigger ships than Leon’s Claw. Though perhaps if there was enough time he’d take Tom over to see them as well.
The carriage pulled up to the drop off where uncle and nephew stepped out. It was a busy time of day and therefore a lot of activity and lots to see! But the first thing they did was go to a nearby street vendor to get ice cream! Vincent let Tom pick out his chocolate ice cream before selecting strawberry for himself. It was a warm, breezy Summer day and perfect weather for a cold treat as they walked the docks! And once they had their ice creams they set off in the direction of Vincent’s ship.
“I see it!” Tom announced about fifteen minutes later. They’d turned a corner and there was Leon’s Claw just on the left! Tom ran ahead and up the gangplank as Vincent chuckled and followed behind him at a leisurely pace. By the time Vincent made it aboard his ship, Tom had already climbed up on the railing and swayed there with a giddy grin. Vincent glanced around and inhaled deeply before letting it go with air of relief. His ship was just as he’d left it and all seemed fine. The only thing was…where was Aiden? However they didn’t have to wait long as the sound of someone ascending the stairs could be heard and Aiden’s voice calling out, “Vincent, is that you?!”
“Yes, its us!”
Moments later Tom and Vincent were greeted with Aiden’s cheerful smile as he peeked out at them from below deck. “You’ve got fantastic timing! Hi there, Tom! Come on down, gentlemen! I was just about to finish putting it together!” Tom waved from his perch upon the guardrail and responded, “Hi!” When Aiden dipped back down below deck, Vincent and Tom followed. Vincent let Tom go down first and as he made it to the bottom step, he heard Aiden say, “Pete, stay.” Vincent blinked and glanced around as he set his hand on Tom’s shoulder.
Pete was clinging to a nearby beam with his light illuminating Damien and Aiden’s quarters. Aiden kept things fairly tidy in here on his own; something Vincent appreciated about him. On the ground sat Aiden with his legs spread out with a crate between them. His tools were laid out beside him and on the crate, well, at first Vincent wasn’t sure what it was. But a moment later he realized that it was two pieces of a mechanical hermit crab! Vincent was about to ask about it but Tom beat him to it.
“What are you doing?” Tom asked as he knelt down to peer at everything curiously. Aiden smiled and shifted his leg to allow the boy more room as he explained, “Well do you remember last night when I told you I make my own toys? Right, well this is one of them! Well…it will be once I finish putting it together.” Aiden picked up the brass base and the wooden shell and set them off to the side. “Now, I’m going to piece it together but I need you to sit right there. Please don’t touch anything yet.” Tom nodded with a “Yes, Sir” and tucked his hands away to resist from reaching out! Aiden winked at him then set to work.
Vincent leaned against a nearby pole and folded his arms over his chest with a small smile. While he wasn’t expecting this this afternoon he found he was perfectly content to be here and watch Aiden work alongside Tom. He hadn’t had the chance to see Aiden make anything like this in person yet so this was a bit exciting! He was fairly certain this would be a first for the boy as well!
Aiden had put on a pair of gloves and very carefully set down a small jar. Inside, Vincent knew, was a tiny piece of Fulgora’s Eye! Aiden explained to Tom as he broke off a tiny, itty bitty piece that this was what would make it come to life. He explained as simply as he could what Fulgora’s Eye was. Tom was a bright child and he understood everything Aiden explained to him. Aiden had then taken the opportunity to talk about Pete who diligently hadn’t left his post. Aiden promised that after they finished up, he’d let Tom play with Pete and see what tricks he could do! By the time Tom had finished asking questions and Aiden had concluded explaining what he was doing, Aiden had already set the Fulgora’s Eye into place. Now he was finishing connecting the two big pieces with the tiniest screws and tiniest screwdriver Vincent had ever seen!
“Okay, that should just…about…do it,” Aiden muttered approvingly as he set down his tools. He picked up the small hermit crab and turned it over in his hands with a satisfied smile. He glanced over at Tom and Vincent before he held he shell between his fingers and asked, “Ready?” When they both acknowledged that they were, Aiden reached underneath the crab and flipped a tiny switch.
And suddenly the hermit crab came to life! Its legs began to move and its head shifted about just a little bit. Tom let out a squeal of excitement which drew a soft laugh from Vincent and Aiden. Aiden set down the hermit crab on its legs and it immediately began to move slowly forward! Then a few inches later it paused, shifted its head around, then proceeded to keep moving forward!
“That is incredible!” Vincent exclaimed with an approving smile. “I remember when you showed me this design!” Aiden glanced at Vincent with a deep blush as he beamed proudly. He replied, “Thank you!” Though a moment later Tom piped up, “Excuse me?”
“Yes?”
“May I touch it now?”
“Yes! You can pick it up if you’d like.”
Tom reached out to pick up the small hermit crab though it was rather large in his small hands. He laughed and set it on the palm of his hands and stared at it while the crab seemingly stared up at him and shifted its head around before moving its legs around and trying to walk around. While Tom set it down and began to play with it, Aiden began to pack up his equipment. It didn’t take long and soon Aiden had everything packed away and he was bringing Pete down to be formally introduced.
And as promised, about ten minutes later Tom was up on the deck with the the hermit crab in hand while “making it fly” and with Pete’s homing beacon in his pocket. The lantern was following the boy all over the ship, climbing over things and showing off his abilities. It was a good distraction and fun for Tom while the adults sat together on the topmost deck and spent time together.
Vincent had dug out his small pipe from his quarters aboard the ship and was partaking in the herb while Aiden sat beside him. Aiden hadn’t smoked since his first encounter. While he’d liked the effects, he’d decided that it wasn’t something he’d want to regularly. In his line of work with heavy machinery and mechanics in general, it was unwise to be intoxicated. However, today was not going to be one of those days! He’d finished everything he needed to do and the rest of the day was meant for fun and relaxing. And according to Vincent this herb was a daytime one and much different than the one Aiden had tried last time.
It didn’t take Aiden long before he started feeling in a really, really good mood. His project had worked out splendidly and now he was getting to spend some time with Vincent; getting to make him smile and laugh. And that’s just what they did: spent the time just talking and laughing while watching Tom play. In fact everyone was having such a great time that nearly an hour had passed since they’d all gone up on deck!
“So what have you got planned the rest of the day?” Aiden asked as Tom started to approach them. It appeared he was done playing and had worn himself out a bit. Vincent dumped out the ash from his pipe and tucked it away as he responded, “We’re rolling with it today though we’re talking about heading to the other side to see the big ships. There’s still a few hours before he’s due to be home.” By now, Tom was within earshot so Vincent looked at his nephew and asked, “Tom, was there anything else you’d like to do today?”
The boy thought about it for a second as he stood there with the hermit crab in hand and Pete diligently at his side. Finally he responded, “Can we go see the big ships then go to the park?” Vincent took that as his cue that he should probably get up. He gave a nod of approval before starting to shift to his feet with a groan. And as he made to stand, Aiden grinned at Tom and swung his legs as he told him, “During my first week here I saw this huge streamliner come in with probably three hundred passengers.”
“Three HUNDRED?!”
“Aye! That’s a lot of people, isn’t it?”
“Uh huh!”
“Sometimes I like to go down there just to watch them land and take off.”
“That’s what we’re going to do! Have you seen Grandpa’s ship? It can hold a LOT of people! Like a hundred!”
“Not quite that many!” Vincent laughed as he corrected his nephew’s elaboration. “Its closer to sixty.” But here even Aiden glanced at Vincent skeptically and commented, “Sixty? Didn’t you say the most crew he had was thirty-six?” Vincent turned to look at Aiden and quirked his brow in a way that had the younger man feeling as if he were about to be schooled. And indeed, Vincent retorted, “Just because that’s the most crew it holds doesn’t mean it can’t hold more.” At Aiden’s confused expression, he smirked and revealed nothing else. Aiden wondered if maybe Vincent was simply teasing him. But something told him there was something Vincent knew that Aiden did not.
“Tom, why don’t you give the crab and Pete’s beacon back to Aiden? Then we can start heading out.”
“Can Aiden come?”
“Well-“
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting-“
Both Aiden and Vincent blinked and glanced at each other and both their cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Vincent smiled slightly and quirked his brow before he finally asked, “Well…I mean, would you like to? You know…join us?” Aiden grinned excitedly and replied, “Sure! Let me grab a few things and lock up! Tom, would you bring Pete downstairs?”
Vincent couldn’t help but return the grin as Aiden quickly jumped up and went to get ready! His gaze followed the younger man as he climbed down to the lower deck to meet Tom who began to follow him downstairs while asking questions about Pete. While Vincent was enjoying the time with Tom, Aiden’s company was a welcome addition. Tom must really like him to invite him along. And thus, Vincent began to feel more eager for the rest of this afternoon. Aiden was going to be a part of it and that thought alone brought a smile to his face!
…
“We’re almost there!” Tom declared as he turned and waved at his companions. Once they were just a little bit closer, Tom turned around and began to skip ahead once again with Aiden’s mechanical hermit crab high in the air as it waved its legs around. A short distance behind him approached Vincent and Aiden at a leisurely pace. Aiden was happily distracted by all the unique ships and most of his conversation involved randomly pointing out different interesting aspects of various ships to Vincent.
Vincent was happy to indulge Aiden and Tom. He’d decided to treat them by purchasing tickets to a special observation deck. It had a spectacular view of the lake and the city. It was also perfectly located because guests could see both passenger and commerce docks for the largest ships! Best of all there was an inbound cargo ship due in the next fifteen minutes! They’d have a fantastic view of all everything from there!
Once at the lift, Vincent presented their tickets and up they went! It didn’t take long and the trio arrived at the top-most deck. The view was phenomenal and they all took their time really looking around! Vincent went to stand with his nephew as the boy went to the rail to peek out at the skyline better. Aiden joined them a moment later, grinning at Vincent who grinned back. It appeared they’d arrived just in time! There was a loud horn off in the distance over the lake. Sure enough it was the airship they’d come to see!
“SHIP!” shouted Tom as he waved and grinned widely in excitement as he waved his hand at it. “IT’S HUGE!” And Tom was right! Aiden had seen many exiting landings and takeoffs in his life but never had he been THIS close to one this big! Even from here Aiden could see the crew’s expressions and hear some of their words over the sounds of the engines! All the while, Vincent happily stood with two of his favorite people in the world as they admired the airship and all its splendor.
And when Tom began guessing the officers of the ship, Vincent smiled and began to help his nephew. To Aiden it was sweet to see Vincent’s soft side come out for Tom. He’d never really gotten to see this side of him before. He’d seen Vincent’s soft side when it came to his family but the way he was with Tom….it was like watching a doting father and his son. There was pride and so much love there. Vincent was being open and expressive; behaving more boyish and laughing and just…not behaving like his usual stoic self while out in public. Aiden found he was loving this side of him. Who wouldn’t? Vincent’s transformation was just absolutely beautiful to see. It was nice to see him come out of his shell more!
Once Tom and Aiden had finished watching the crew unload their cargo, Vincent suggested they head off to the park and off they went! Though as he turned to follow behind the other two, he glanced back towards the shipyard with a wistful sigh. How he longed to be up there again…
The beautiful weather kept up throughout the rest of the afternoon so the three decided to enjoy their time around the park as the afternoon slowly progressed into the early evening. Aiden’s hermit crab was getting a lot of adventure time as he’d allowed Tom to continue to play with it this whole time. Now that they were at the park it was getting to really test its abilities to climb over different terrains! Even Vincent chimed in with a couple of ideas on where to let the crab climb.
“You know,” Vincent thought aloud as Tom sat beside him on a bench, “it should have a name. We can’t keep calling it ‘the crab’ all the time. Even Pete has a name!”
“How about Eugene!” volunteered Tom as he kicked his feet and pet the crab’s shell with the tip of his finger. Vincent chuckled alongside Aiden and responded, “Why don’t we let Aiden decide? It’s his crab, after all.” They both glanced up at Aiden was standing before them with a grin on his face as he folded his arms over his chest. With a laugh, he agreed, “I like it. Eugene, it is! Now we have a Pete and a Eugene! Ha! Another crewmate!”
“I swear, Aiden, if I wake up one day surrounded by your ‘crewmates…'”
And as Aiden laughed at that, Vincent joined in with his own chuckle. Honestly these were really fascinating and Aiden did such an excellent job! He was eager to see what else he’d come up with! Though as Vincent cleared his throat and checked his pocket watch, he realized that it was getting late. It was early evening already and Tom was due home for dinner soon. When he mentioned to Tom that it was time for them to start heading back home, he could see Aiden glancing around. Surely he was expecting to take a carriage back to the other docks and this would be the end of their afternoon together. Perhaps it was just as well. The Dubois manor was even further away than Vincent’s residence. It felt like there was a small weight weighing down on his chest. He was really enjoying having Aiden here making him smile and laugh and feeling good. A small part of him didn’t want to say goodbye. Not yet.
“Would you like to come with us?” Vincent asked suddenly before he could stop himself. “I’ll pay for the carriage fare back.”
…Okay, so maybe it was a bigger part of him than Vincent realized. Seeing that bashful smile and how Aiden’s eyes lit up was a wonderful sight to see. Even before Aiden was readily agreeing to come along, Vincent was already feeling that weight being lifted off and it was as if he could breath more freely.
…
Upon their arrival at the manor, they were greeted by Abigail and little Genevieve. Tom immediately ran up to his mother and aunt to show them what Aiden had made as soon as he was out of the carriage. He explained, “His name is Eugene! Aiden made him! Just like he drew! Aiden, can I show Eugene to the others?” Tom looked up at Aiden hopefully who thought about it a second before smiling and saying, “Actually, you’ve been doing so great with him today, why don’t you hold onto Eugene for now? You can give him back to me later. Just promise to be careful?”
“Okay! I promise!” But before he left, he went up to Vincent and gave him a hug to which his uncle returned warmly. Once he was released Tom grinned and told Genevieve, “Come on! Let’s show Fleur! I TOLD her adults can play with toys! Aiden did and I saw him do it!”
Once the kids were inside and the adults were done laughing at the children’s shenanigans, Abigail chuckled and asked, “Will you two be staying for dinner tonight?” Aiden wasn’t sure what Vincent was planning and he glanced towards him questioningly. Though Vincent was already shaking his head. He already knew that Charlotte would be inside. He didn’t want to ruin such a splendid day with a repeat of last night! Honestly? He wasn’t sure if he could stomach it.
“Not tonight, but thank you,” he explained. Then he added without thinking, “We already have plans.” Aiden blinked but then grinned at hearing that. They did? Well then!
Abigail smiled happily at this news and replied, “Well then I shan’t keep you! Be off with you two! Be well!” She hugged her cousin and then even gave Aiden a hug as well. Then she began heading back inside to let them get to their evening together.
Vincent and Aiden smiled at each other before making their way back towards the street. As they did, Vincent glanced up at Aiden and asked, “How do you feel about spicy food?” Aiden thought about it and responded, “I like it some. Why?” Vincent grinned and responded, “That settles where we’re going for dinner. We’re going back to the park!”
—
SHOUT OUT: I want to give the one and only Skippy Beresford a shout-out for inspiring the character of Tom!
Skippy has a way about him that inspires people to see the good in themselves, in others, and the world around them. He is partially what inspired me to want to write such an awareness story like TCATE.
Skippy’s pictures and stories are always worth a view. I always find myself eager to see his newest adventures! Keep shining your light, Skippy! ♥
You can check out Skippy’s own inspiring adventures in People in Photo!
—
To read the rest of the story, here’s the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER: That’s right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what’s new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
discord.gg/qBa769TAC4
You Might Like
