Leviathan: A picture for a princeJust a small intro. Deryn/Dylan Sharp and Prince Alecksander Ferdinand are on board the leviathan heading towards the Ottoman Empire. A surprise request from Aleck gets Deryn/ Dylan to realize her true feelings for him. Rated pg-13 for later chapters.
(I might go to four chapters at most, also keep in mind there is a change of point of view and that the book just came out in October. This fanfic is a test run for future fanfics later on)
Let's begin.

Chapter 1

Alek walked along the great air ship that was the Leviathan. His now rubber soles clanked against the metal walkways of the ships spine. The whole crew seemed to be a little on edge whenever he and his men walked about with their "highly flammable" shoes. Until finally to put them all at ease they borrowed some rubber shoes that were necessary if you were to walk along the great ship.

After receiving the shoes Alek decided to head to the backside of the creature or "dorsal" as he learned later it was properly called, and made a quick adjustment to his course to get to his true destination.

Dr. Barlow had requested or rather ordered Alek to make sure the eggs were kept warm and at the right temperature. He was one of the few people who knew what the eggs were for and also one of the few who knew how to read Clanker thermometers.
Yet he was also required to pilot the Leviathan's engines, he usually spent most of his day manning the controls or teaching the other pilots how to operate it.

However lately Alek has been growing more and more on edge as they neared the Ottoman Empire. Just yesterday the captain made an announcement to his crew saying that they were only two days away.

Despite all the ungodly creatures that seemed to surround Alek, he found himself slightly reluctant to go. For the first time in a long while no one focused on his title or fused over him like a child. The crewmen needed him as much as a captain needs his crewmen. He felt himself turning into a solider like them; he almost wished he could just loose himself in all of it and forget his real place in the world.

But he knew he couldn't. And that was the difficult part.

He soon arrived at his destination; he unbolted the metal hatch and stepped inside. The heat from the chamber nearly suffocated him and enshrouded him all over, if it wasn't for the metal lining alongthe wall he would have thought he just stepped into a scorching desert.

He approached the crate and quickly checked the state of the few remaining eggs, the sickly one was looking a little less pale and seemed to be improving, and the other eggs were at the right temperature as well.

He removed his leather jacket and gloves and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, he let the suspenders on his shoulders fall around his waist. He sat down on the floor and stretched out as far away from the heat lamps as possible.

Suddenly a knock came from the door and in walked Dylan.

"Blisters, its boiling in here!" He passed his hand through his sandy colored hair; he looked at Alek and raised an eyebrow.

"Stuck in here again, I see".

They both chuckled a little, and then Dylan walked over and sat across from Alek. He was wearing his formal military attire of blue and black, it suited him well, but Alek knew that like himself he was burning up from all the heat.

"May I ask what's the reason for your…pleasant visit?" Dylan shrugged his shoulders before saying;

"I finished my duties for the day…and I wanted to kill some time before I have to go and become 's servant for another hour." Alek couldn't help but smile. He's got a point.

"I see…but why in here of all places?" he looked at me oddly and with a slight tinge of humor said;

"you're not pleased to see me then?"

"Its not that its just-"

"I knew you would be in here and out of my good and fair conscience I decided to keep your bum company". He had a smug smile on his face and made a big show of looking in the opposite direction away from Alek giving off the impression of doing the noblest deed ever committed and not being thanked for it.

"That's very kind of you" Alek said doing his best to just play along.
In reality Alek knew that Dylan was trying to be a good friend by keeping him entertained on egg duty. A job they both considered boring and tedious and because of Dr. Barlow stressful. Searching for a change of topic he asked Dylan;

" How are you not burning up from wearing that on?" Alek motioned with a finger at Dylan's jacket.
Dylan glanced down and shifted uneasily, then after a moment he removed his military jacket and placed it and his satchel next to him in a small pile. Like Alek he unbuttoned some buttons, but only the first two and he loosened his tie. For some reason he seemed tensed despite the relief of removing all that excess clothing.

"Are you well?" Alek asked, genuinely concerned for his friend. Dylan smiled wearily and said;

"Aye, I'm just a bit tired is all".

Alek shrugged his shoulders not really believing what Dylan said, but he didn't really feel like pursuing the subject knowing that if something were wrong it would be noticeable or obvious and that Dylan would tell him. Alek shifted his gaze towards the satchel next to Dylan, he noticed a sketch pad sticking out from the top, Curious he asked;

"Can I see some of your sketches?"
In response he simply pulled it from the satchel and handed it to Aleck. Alek Flipped through it, amazed by the accurate details of all the pictures, from aro-planes and bombs, to ungodly creatures, he even saw a detailed drawing of his old walker when it was still in full use. The last sketch was of the Leviathan's new engines in all its complicated glory.

"You're a really good artist!" Alek exclaimed while still taking in all the images.

"I suppose I am" Dylan said trying in his own way to subtly accept Alek's compliment. Something Alek noticed. He's not even trying to hide it.

"Can you draw something besides war machines and these…beasties?" The word sounded odd coming from Alek's mouth, and it somehow caused Dylan to give an abrupt laugh.

"I should be able to".

Alek again examined the drawings, a small prick of envy built inside him. But then he looked at Dylan, his eyes seemed rather far off and pensive, and then suddenly an idea struck Alek obliterating his previous emotion.

"Do you think you can draw me? My father….he never allowed anyone to sketch me or to record my face on a page. He said it was for my own safety in case something like this-" Alek gestured his arm around towards the world in general and his current predicament –happened".
Dylan looked directly at him, his light hazel eyes meeting with Alek's dark green ones, for a moment Dylan seemed to be scrutinizing Alek's face. Alek shifted uneasily wondering if Dylan was going to reject the idea completely and tell him that his face was either to prosaic or too complicated for someone like him to draw. Alek felt extremely self conscience at that moment; he couldn't stop the faint blush that began to rise to his cheek s.

The heat in the room was only making it worse.

Finally after several seconds, but to Alek it seemed like hours, Dylan nodded to himself and said;
"I can draw you, that's not the issue….but are you sure about what your asking?"
Alek nodded understanding the decision he was taking and what it would mean to let himself be sketched by Dylan. Something that his father went to great lengths to avoid. However despite himself, he trusted Dylan even though he was a Darwinist, and he knew that Dylan trusted him even though he was a Clanker. He knew what sketching Alek would mean, but he didn't mind and neither did Alek.
With a single nod from Alek, Dylan prepared for his new sketch.