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voiceoffenrisulfr · 2 months

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On the Tide - Chapter Five

Winter almost makes a dire mistake, and Lieutenant Tyne shows exactly why he’s the Captain. Prompts met; - ‘Forced Out of the Closet’ - @multifandom-flash (Double); - “It Hurts”, ‘Accidental First Kiss’ and ‘No Smoke Without Fire' - @fandom-free-bingo (Frosty Edition); - “Don’t Give Up. Not Now.” and ‘Hard to Breathe’ – Fandom-Free Bingo (Flight Edition). CW: Threat to life, drowning, loss of consciousness, vomiting (seawater), firearms and GSWs, sharks, shark finning practices.

Check it out on AO3 here, or below the cut. Boards at the bottom! Divider by @saradika

In the days following our tense encounter in his cabin, the Captain seemed to be avoiding me as though I was contagious.

I couldn’t get a read on him. One minute it seemed as though he may be interested in me – the next, it was as if he couldn’t get far enough away.

At least I was settling well enough into life aboard a ship. If nothing else, I was more than capable of obeying orders, and Neri was a fierce taskmaster. I ended most evenings pulling splinters of wood and rope fibre from my raw and blistered hand.

I don’t think I’d ever longed quite so much for both arms to be made of metal.

But I could already see that under the feeling flesh, the new skin was forming tougher, calloused and strong. The pain wouldn’t last forever, and I would be more resilient for it.

The deck was a hive of activity a week into my time aboard, the crew scurrying about with a renewed sense of urgency, harpoons and guns strapped to their backs in anticipation of a fight.

There’d been shark hunters spotted nearby, and it seems that meant I would soon get a taste of what we were really out here for.

“Ship sighted off the starboard bow!”

I glanced up at the call from above, swallowing nervously. I was more than adept in the arena of war, but this was entirely different. This was a fight against civilians – albeit cruel and murderous ones – by a crew of primarily ex-servicepeople.

I turned to Neri, opening my mouth to express my concerns, but my words were smothered by the booming, authoritative voice of our Captain as he strode on deck. “We’re dealing with shark hunters here, folks. That means harpoons and spears, and possibly a few guns. The majority of you – those that have been equipped with a rifle – are well-trained with firearms. We shoot to maim, not to kill, and only when completely necessary. Is that understood?”

There was a collective murmur of acknowledgement, heads nodding – my own included – as I wiped the sweat from my palms before returning them to the cool metal. I was somewhat reassured by his words – but was it truly possible that every one of these people would adhere to his command in the heat of the moment?

I reached out to catch his wrist as he went to pass me, earning a sharp glare and a quick sidestep. “Can I help you, Sergeant Barnes?”

My mouth worked silently for a moment, stunned by his cold tone, and I had to shake my head before I could respond. “I- uh- h-how do we know? That they’re shark hunters, I mean?”

He watched me for a moment longer, seemingly assessing how genuine my question was, before inclining his head for me to follow and stepping towards the side of the ship. I hesitated only briefly before falling in beside him, watching him warily. “You’ve heard the phrase ‘there’s no smoke without fire’, right?” I nodded, and he gestured me forward, indicating towards the water below.

I moved nearer, stomach churning as I looked into the sea below, bile rising in my throat. Drifting past, still flailing weakly as the water turned pink around them, was a slow, macabre succession of suffering sharks – some no larger than my forearm, while others were longer than I. My head turned automatically to follow the parade of the dead and dying, wincing and averting my eyes at the crewmates wielding harpoons and spears to end their suffering.

“Well… There’s no dying sharks without shark hunters.”

My gaze moved automatically back to the Captain, unable to blink back my tears. “Why? Why would anyone… How could anyone…?” My fingers curled into fists of their own volition, rage boiling in my veins at the senseless violence. His own jaw set, eyes shifting to the boat growing steadily closer.

“For profit. And if they remove the fins at sea, they can carry more. Earn more. And this,” he added, gesturing around us, “is a dedicated shark sanctuary. While finning is still legal in some places, it’s very much illegal here.”

“So you come to stop them, despite the risks to your freedom and life,” I finished quietly, watching him with a renewed sense of awe. He shrugged, and I hummed softly, taking in the sharp cut of his jaw and his dark eyes stormy with fury. “Because you hate this. This unnecessary slaughter and suffering.”

“I’ve spent far too much time in the company of death,” he muttered, turning his eyes back to me for a moment. “I had enough of that in the Navy. I won’t stand for it – especially not in places where life should be protected.”

By the time we pulled up alongside the fishing boat, the blood was pounding in my ears. Everything seemed fuzzy as Lieutenant Tyne called out, his voice hard but not yet openly hostile. I was stood with the other armed crewmembers, our guns lowered but nonetheless in our hands, the instruction not to fire first having been repeated shortly before we came to a stop.

“This is a recognized shark sanctuary, and your presence here is against the law. We are here to escort you from the area and end your inhumane practice.”

There was a ripple of agreement from the crew, but I couldn’t speak, my mouth dry, fear making my hands shake as I spotted guns at the waists of most of the fishermen. While I’d do what was necessary to stop this mindless slaughter, I couldn’t feel good about the thought of pointing my gun at a civilian. Beside me, Walker – the man who I’d had an altercation with not long into my time aboard the ship – was all but chomping at the bit, fingers drumming impatiently on the barrel of his weapon.

“You can’t feel good about the thought of shooting these people?” I muttered, turning my head minutely to hide my speech.

He shrugged, looking at me as though I were a mere child who needed a slow explanation into the ways of the world. “If the alternative is to let them continue with this barbarism? Absolutely. Without hesitation.”

I felt acid settle in my throat, my stomach rocking with the waves beneath us, repulsed by his bloodlust. While I’d shoot to maim to end this butchery, I would find no joy in doing so.

“This is your last chance,” the Captain warned, eyes narrowing intimidatingly. “You either follow us willingly, or we will come aboard, disable your boat, and call the authorities. It’s your choice, but we won’t permit further slaughter.”

A man stepped forward on the boat opposite, raising an amused eyebrow as he leant to pull a net from the water, a broad grin crossing his features as he lifted a thrashing great blue from the ropes, no bigger than three foot – barely an adolescent. Lieutenant Tyne growled under his breath, hand curling around the wood until it groaned, his knuckles turning white. “I’m warning you. We will not hesitate to board and disable your boat.”

The man – presumably the Captain of the ramshackle vessel – simply grinned wider as he raised a machete, the metal flashing in the midday sun.

I’d barely registered the movements before the cacophony begun. Captain Tyne had vaulted over the bulwark, throwing himself bodily at the other man with a snarl of rage, and a quick succession of shots were fired. I raised my own gun quickly, eyeing down the sight, inching forward as I fought to keep an eye on the sailor amidst the scramble of bodies. The hunters cut our boat away quickly as bullets ripped into the wood, men nursing injuries on each side, the gap between us widening.

“No!” Neri yelled, darting forward, throwing herself over the space and into the fray. Sailor, soldier and pilot alike followed, streaming across the slowly-growing chasm, while others fought to secure new lines. I moved to follow those embroiled in the scrap, heart pounding at the familiar sounds of fist on flesh, my adrenaline spiking automatically – but a heavy weight collided with my side as my feet left the deck, throwing off the trajectory of my jump.

The world flashed briefly in brown and blue as I fell, one hand reaching out instinctively and scraping the already-raw flesh of my palm along the side of our ship as I scrambled for purchase.

I was submerged briefly, my eyes blinking slowly in shock, the sunlight filtering through the surface casting an eerie beautiful light over the metal of my arm.

What happened?

Where is the-

My mouth opened automatically, a silent scream blasting into the water in front of me as a bullet tore into my shoulder, sending my body deeper below the waves and spilling my blood into the ocean.

The sea around me was already a mixture of blood and viscera, half-dead sharks wriggling weakly – and some, I realised with a deep pang of horror… Some were not so dead, coming to feast on the remains of their suffering kin, circling through the gore. Was this how they kept their supply well-stocked – by luring more sharks with the carcasses of their relatives?

My leg was bumped by something firm and unyielding, and I froze, my mind suddenly realising that this was more than just an ethical crime.

I was surrounded by internal organs and live, hungry sharks… And I was bleeding.

My mind was still racing, frantically trying to figure out what to do as my lungs burned, almost all of my air reserve depleted by the panicked cry of pain when I was shot, when the water beside my head broke and I was dragged bodily to the surface. An audible, desperate gasp filled my ears before the sounds of fighting flooded my senses once more, punctuated by the occasional shout of injury or echoing of hammer striking pin. I blinked away the salt from my eyes and turned my gaze to my saviour, words failing at the sight of my dripping and blood streaked Captain beside me.

I opened my mouth to thank him, but he pushed me roughly back toward the ship, shaking his head. “Move. Now.”

With a jolt of panic, I recalled the marine predators circling below, my legs feeling heavy as I struggled against the tide to the ladder hanging overboard. Each stroke brought me closer, but I could feel the apex presence beneath my feet, stirring the water into a frenzy and occasionally breaking the surface with an ominous dorsal fin. It was hard to breathe with the knowledge that at any second I could be dragged into the darkness, shredded limb from limb by ravenous jaws and a mouth full of sharp teeth…

But my fingers brushed salt-encrusted wood with a gasp of relief, and I dragged myself quickly from the water, hesitating only briefly at a grunt behind me. My head turned automatically, freezing as I struggled to comprehend the sight before; the Captain’s hand was wrapped firmly around one of those towering fins, forcing the creature to turn half an inch from my heel as he pushed back against the ship.

“No!” I cried, throwing myself from the ladder and once more into the ocean, frantic fear overwhelming my own sense of personal safety as he grappled with a tsunami of muscle and fury.

The shark lashed its tail to turn quickly just as my dive broke the water, catching my body in its wake and sending me back the way I came, vision flickering as my head collided heavily with the hull.

The last thing I saw as the darkness flooded my mind and limbs became immovable, sinking beneath the waves once more, was the shark throwing itself bodily at my Captain, driving them both below the surface.

“... do this. Don’t give up. Not now. C’mon, Barnes, you goddamn idiot…”

I coughed and spluttered, turned bodily as water spewed from my lungs, my fingers curling into the wood desperately as I fought for breath. A strong hand clapped my back until the water stopped flowing, and I flopped onto my back one more, panting hard, wincing against the pain in my shoulder, my head, my lungs…

“You’re a fucking moron.”

I blinked in surprise, finally taking in the dripping, furious figure crouched over me. “I- Wh-what?”

“Why the hell did you get back in the water? You were almost safe! What were you playing at? Do you have a death wish, or are you just that stupid?”

It took me a moment to parse his words through the throbbing pain at the back of my skull, frowning minutely, and I struggled upright before responding. “You… You were being attacked. I had to-”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time! You think I’ve never had to wrangle a shark or two? Christ, Barnes, you- you infuriating, idiotic, self-sacrificing…” He shook his head, turning away with a scowl as he shifted himself to his feet, pushing a hand through his wet hair as he gestured to crewmates beyond my eyeline. “Get him to my quarters. I’ll stitch the dumbass up.”

Guided gently to my feet, I winced at the eyes on me, acutely aware of the scars on my now-bare torso, and the unmistakable unnatural structure of my left arm, both laid bare for all to see, thanks to the wound through my shoulder. But the two men propping me up took no notice, silently and stoically supporting my weak body across the deck, pausing when I coughed.

I was laid on his bed when he came for me, shivering lightly from fear, pain and blood loss. With a sigh, he sat beside me, fingers moving over my skin tenderly before reaching the site of wound. “… Are you okay?”

Blinking in surprise, I nodded once, words frozen in my throat at yet another one-eighty in his interactions with me. “I-I… Yes. I’ve been shot before. It’s not so bad.”

He snorted as he moved his hands away, delicately threading a needle. “I’m sure you have. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt.”

With a soft, one-shouldered shrug, I looked down to watch his deft hands as he passed the first of the stitches through my skin. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Yes, well, as I said… I’m sure you have.” His tongue poked minutely between his teeth as he focused, pausing only momentarily to pull his sheets halfway up my chest when I trembled once more. “… I’m sorry I called you an idiot. I… You scared me.”

“I scared you?” I repeated softly, eyes flicking to him as he tied off the knot against my skin, feeling my body heat beneath his hands. He nodded once, looking away for a moment.

“When you came back in after me, and got knocked out, I… I couldn’t get to you for a minute. Kinda had my hands full. I thought…” He shook his head as he trailed off, his eyes shifting back to me with a weak smile. “Roll over. You’ve got an exit would. Lucky, or I’d be inside you right about now.”

My cheeks flamed and he fell silent as we both processed his words, his usual smooth capacity for making me blush thrown off by the inadvertent nature of his innuendo. I moved quickly to hide my undoubtedly noticeable reaction, burying my face in his pillow and inhaling the scent of man and salt as his hands returned to my bare skin.

He worked in silence after that, clearing his throat occasionally and murmuring apologies when I winced, his eyes not meeting mine when I sat upright so he could wrap a bandage over the wound. “… There. How’s that?”

“It hurts,” I deadpanned, before grinning gently. “It’ll be fine, though. Thank you, Lieutenant Tyne.”

“We’ve discussed this, Winter,” he replied softly, securing the edge of my wrapping carefully, his eyes flicking to mine at last. “You can… I mean, I’m happy for you to call me Greg. If you want.”

I nodded once, lost in the mahogany depths, so acutely aware of the warmth of his breath on my face as it stuttered infinitesimally, the way his pupils blew wider as he glanced at my lips, tongue sneaking out to wet his own minutely-

My eyes widened in surprise as his mouth found mine, exactly as tender yet firm as I’d imagined it’d be, before closing of their own volition, one hand coming up to grasp at his hair, a low whine building in my throat.

The fingers of my uninjured hand didn’t make it as far as the nape of his neck before he drew back, however, and my lids parted to find him flushing furiously, gaze averted as he scrambled to his feet. “I-I, uh, I shouldn’t have- it was an accident, you see, I was just-”

“It’s okay-” I interjected softly, earning a fierce shake of his head as he backed up.

“I need to- I should go and check on the rest of the crew. There was quite the fight. I should- I’ll just-” He fumbled uncertainly as he headed towards the door, falling silent as his hand found the knob, shaking his head once more before he ducked out of the cabin without another word.

My shaking fingertips brushed my lips, still warm from his own, and I stared absently into the middle distance.

… What the hell was that all about?