Fenndom

[louiselux]

Here's another belated Easter meme ficlet, for gehayi who wanted Bracy/Gedge. Sorry about the huge lateness.

Essentially this is fanfic of daegaer's wonderful, manly A Walk in the Karakorum. This is set on the way home.





The boat home was slow and crowded. They were being shipped back to see their sweethearts and families. The men were in high spirits and the decks rang with shouts of laughter and games.

Gedge enjoyed the novelty of being on water after so many years on dry, dusty land. Sea spray flung itself over the ship's iron bows and sparkled in the morning sun like diamonds. He liked to lean on the rail and watch the water flowing past and to feel the salt caking his skin, where it would come off in white flakes under the scrape of his fingernails. He enjoyed the rolling swell of the waves and the time to himself, but he had to admit it all began to get dull and not even the endless games of cards with Fred and the others could hold his attention.

It wasn't like him to fret and he didn't want the others to spot he was miserable, but he could see no end to it. There was no sweetheart waiting for him when they got back to England.

He wondered what Captain Bracy was going to do. Gedge was forever catching himself looking up at the officers' deck, hoping to spy a glimpse of him. But they'd been onboard for a week, and there was no sign of him. It was silly to feel hurt and he told himself he could expect nothing else. Captain Bracy had said things should go back to how they were before and he'd agreed. There was no choice in the matter. He was nothing to Captain Bracy and that was as it should be.

He's probably off havin' fun with his pals. Good for him, thought Gedge, but still he kept hanging around waiting, glum faced.

He was at his usual place, leaning on the forward rail, when one day a hand clapped itself on his shoulder and turning he saw Captain Bracy, looking very pale but smiling.

'Sir!' he cried, and couldn't stop the enormous grin that spread across his face. 'You shouldn't be down here, begging your pardon, sir.'

'How could I not come and say hello, Gedge. You must've thought I'd abandoned you!'

They both laughed then, and in his relief Gedge quite forgot not to stare. There was a little pause while they both hurriedly looked away. Bracy gazed off towards the horizon and Gedge looked at his profile, thinking how straight his nose was and what a handsome line there was to his shoulders.

'I've been ill, otherwise I would have made sure to see you sooner,' said Bracy, pausing, then said rather quickly, 'Gedge, I wondered if you would like to keep up your Greek? It would be a shame to let it slip away after all we've been through. I could give you lessons. Actually, you could give me lessons, by now,' and he laughed. 'It'll be a long voyage and it may well become dull without activities to keep ourselves stimulated.'

Gedge gazed at him, 'I'd like that very much, Sir,' he gasped and suddenly all his gloominess vanished and the long voyage didn't seem quite long enough anymore. 'When can we start?'

Bracy laughed and laid a hand on his shoulder. 'How about straight away?'

Comments

[cygny.livejournal.com]

Hee! Adorable :D Bracy had a good reason for his absence and I love the fact that Gedge doesn't hide his relief.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thank you:D