Work Text:
It was supposed to be another sick day onboard. Even if the ship was very, very huge, for a first time ship’s traveller it was a hard living neverthless.
Nicholas Gold was going to reunite with his son in America. It was a really hard decision to make. Travelling not really his thing. But he misses his son badly.
So he bought the tickets, packaged his stuffs and prepared spiritually for the journey.
It was the fastest transatlantic ever built. Still it would take 2 weeks across the Ocean to arrive in New York. Bad bad living, humid for his leg and upsetting for his stomach.
The first three days he didn’t meet anybody. Didn’t answer the door to the waiters and didn’t eat anything. The fourth day he dared to peek out of his room and up the stairs to have some clean air in the lungs. And maybe a cigar.
He ended up crashing into a girl.
“Damn! Be careful!” he shouted in pain, daggers in his lame leg.
“Sorry, sorry sir” she looked breathless, red shooted eyes. Maybe she cried. No, she was still crying. “I didn’t mean to…” she helped him to stand up on his feet and she looked very ashamed.
He barely registered his voice “it’s… it’s no matter” he stammered. His hands fidgeted frantically. Her eyes were so blue they stole his breath away.
“Are… are you alright, sir?” she managed to enquire.
He really didn’t remember his answer, something about having a good behaviour, don’t run on the passages, it could have ended very badly, luckily he was ok and so on. He was aware that he was lecturing her simply because he wanted to keep staring at her oh-so-very-incredibly-blue eyes. But she was not giving him a second glance and kept her eyes down, as all the third class scum ought to do.
So he quipped, a little harmless joke was meant to be. “Maybe, next time, I’ll just have to spank you”.
Bad choice.
Bad words.
Bad everything!
A real disaster!
Since when he lost all of his wits?
And became some horny teen who can’t wait to lay his hands on some random girls’ bottom?
He was a gentleman, for Christ’s sake!
But she shot him that very moment. A real dagger of pride coming out of her eyes stabbing his heart deeply. “Excuse me, sir. That was utterly inappropriate and rude.”
And with those words she left.
He stayed still, mouth open and bewildered for quite some time before heading to the deck. He definetely needed some air.
That day was not so awful for his seasickness and he even managed to eat something during dinner. He left the dining room early, leaving the silly company of his table to their silly arguments. Much more enjoyable would be a walk to the deck, with his thoughts and his cigar.
He was heading toward the prow when he heard a sob. He knew that muffled voice. He had heard it that very morning. And he suddenly remembered those deep wonderful blue eyes. Then he saw the small figure curled on a bench, hiding her face behind her knees.
He froze, not sure about what to do. The correct etiquette would have been turn on his heels and pretend he didn’t see anything. Let the girl have some privacy. Instead, his body didn’t obey and he found himself sit close to her.
Way too much close for a gentleman behaviour.
What in the hell was wrong with him?
He even couldn’t command his body to keep an appropriate distance. So he stayed there. Awkwardly sitting, trying at least to find some comforting words. Ending up saying nothing.
Instead, he noticed her shivers so he took off his jacket and put it on her slim shoulders. She seemed such a lost child in that moment.
“Thank you” she mumbled, soppressing another sob.
Time froze, nothing more important than figuring out if she was slowly feeling better without actually asking.
It was late when she finally stopped crying, breaking the time spell.
She looked at him, her eyes speaking of gratitude.
She handed him the jacket, telling softly that he shouldn’t have, he shouldn’t need to freeze to death because of her. It was not worth it. She was not worth it.
While heading back inside, surrounded by a faint fragrance of roses, he was quite convinced of the contrary.