Fic: The Swan Prince -Chapter Six
Title: The Swan Prince
Pairing: Tony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Supernatural themes, sorcery, angst and general Tony!Whump. I don't go easy on him this story. Also? Very AU. Like, out-of-this-world AU. Though I do slip in enough references to amuse. Try to find them all. ^^
Spoilers: None whatsoever... unless you've watched 'The Swan Princess' and even then you probably won't know where this is going.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or The Swan Princess. It would be very odd if I owned them both as only I could think they could possibly work well together. Also, the poem, while mine, was inspired by the fanfic "The Train to Nowhere" by Pain au Chocolat. Which is awesome.
Summary: Young Tony, the crowned prince of the Kingdom of Fidelis, has everything he could ever want. Then the sorcerer Ari takes it all away. Now, on the run and suffering under the worst curse black magic has to offer, can Tony ever find his way home? And, more importantly, will he want to? Or will our prince sacrifice his kingdom, his identity and his humanity for something he's never known: love.
Authors Note: Okay, please don't kill me. I meant to get this up sooner, really I did. Only, things got in the way. I'm going to Europe next month (my god, its getting so close I'm starting to freak out a little!) and I've been busy planning, worrying about sick family members on top of getting ready for my graduation ceremony. *eek* In any case, here it is. The next chapter. Enter Stan. ^^
I'm sure there should be music
That I could call the theme
Along with rolling credits
In text that sets the scene
I'm sure there should be a voiceover
Or at least a vague narrator
Who tells us all what's going on
And turns our thoughts to 'later'
I still have the drama
The angst and the plot
ut where on earth's the script
That tells us what is what?
There's no certainty here
No soft, dramatic songs
Just you and me and this
No maybes, rights or wrongs
I wish I understood it
But it cuts me like a knife
So here it goes, once again
A day in this thing called life.
Chapter Six: A Day in the Life
Sunday dawned beautifully, a flurry of activity, light and noise. Makeshift markets, assembled quickly and easily, took root along the main street of Bullpen, gleaming white canvasses spoke of endless possibility.
Semper was well known for its monthly markets, and visitors from the neighbouring towns of Mareen and Lab flocked to them to test their luck -searching for a bargain or to trade. Even folks from Byron Bay turned up, eager to explore the sights.
And what sights there were.
Not only were the various stalls decked out to the nines in the hopes of drawing customers, but everything and anything was for sale. Wine, jewellery, clothes, books, flowers, fine works of art and (of course) the prime catches of sea food.
By the time Tony had reverted back into his human form, the market was well and truly in swing. A great many of the sailors were there selling gems they'd fished out of the waters: everything from sea shells to particularly beautiful pieces of coral.
Tony, who was rather blindsided by the mere existence of the market, found himself quickly caught up in the colours and the excitement of it all. He ran into Tim at one point and, seeing his puppy dog expression, managed to force half his pay onto him, along with a stern order to go enjoy himself.
After shaking the other man loose, Tony set about following his own advice. He managed to track down a watch with relative ease and even had some money left over to buy some suitable clothes -ones that actually fit him.
Tony was feeling immensely pleased with himself, armed with his numerous bags, but he still found his thoughts straying to Gibbs. He began to wonder what Gibbs was doing just then: if he were enjoying himself, or if he'd bothered coming to the markets at all. Surely he had to... everyone had shopping to do, anti-social tendencies or no.
Forcing the matter out of his mind, Tony tried to focus on the many stalls around him and suss out whether he could afford anything with the meagre change he had left.
And all but collided into Stan Burley.
"Woah!" the other man cried, reflexively gripping Tony's arms for balance, "Careful!"
"Sorry," Tony managed sheepishly, straightening, "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"I can see that," Stan agreed amusedly, "Try not to hurt yourself."
Tony pulled a face, shifting his load. The movements attracted Stan's attention and the man raised a brow incredulously at the shear number of bags in Tony's hand.
"I came here with practically nothing," Tony said defensively, "I need clothes."
"Looks like you've enough for three people there," Stan teased lightly.
Tony made the most mature comeback he could and stuck his tongue out. Stan laughed, the sound as light and clear as crystal. Tony, suddenly struck by how handsome Stan was, wondered how he'd managed to last so long without flirting shamelessly with him -his usual response when confronted with breathtaking people.
"Do you need any help carrying them?" Stan asked considerately, reminding Tony oddly of Ari.
"I'm right, thanks," Tony returned kindly, not the least bit bothered by the weight of the bags.
"It's good you're getting to see the markets," Stan remarked, taking Tony at his word and not insisting as Ari would have done, "Have you seen much of the town?"
"Just by walking around," Tony admitted, "I seem to be too busy to sight see."
"Sailing can get like that," Stan agreed, "It can take over your life if you let it. Have you even been to Waterfront?"
"Like... the waterfront?" Tony wondered, bemused.
"Like the restaurant," Stan corrected, chuckling, "Best restaurant in town. It's right by the water."
"Never heard of it," Tony shrugged honestly.
"Oh, you have to try the place," Stan exclaimed enthusiastically, "What are you doing tomorrow night? I'll take you there. My treat."
"Sure," Tony agreed, figuring what the hell, "Sounds like fun."
"Great!" Stan, looking a little relieved at Tony's acceptance, "I'll meet you outside the hotel at eight thirty. We'll walk there together."
Stan hurried away with a quick smile and a wave, moving as though he feared Tony would take his approval back. Tony, undeniably flattered, mused to himself that even if the night was an absolute bust, at least he was guaranteed a free meal.
*~*~*~*~*
"Have fun at the markets?"
Tony, carefully putting his newly bought clothes away, made certain his voice was nothing but casual as he replied.
"Yep." He said, fighting to keep a straight face, "Stan Burley asked me out."
"That's nice," Tim returned absently, looking through his own bags. He continued to do so for almost another minute before what Tony had said registered, and he froze in place, his head snapping up.
"What?"
"Stan Burley," Tony repeated, unable to hold in a smile, "We're going out tomorrow night."
"He's the guy that helped you home, right?" Tim checked, frowning thoughtfully, "After you rescued Abby?"
"That's the one," Tony agreed, glancing at his new watch and assuring himself he had plenty of time to make his way to the ocean.
"Didn't realize you were interested in him," Tim mused, "Try not to stay true to your old form, yeah? We hardly need you to develop a reputation this soon."
Tony would have been offended, had Tim been telling anything but the truth. Instead, he grinned impishly.
"No promises," he bantered, teasingly, "Oh, relax. It's only a dinner. Speaking of which, when are you going to ask Abby out?"
Tim blushed bright red at once.
"We're in hiding," he pointed out, voice full of dignity, "This isn't a good time to date."
"We might be in hiding for a long time," Tony parried, "No need to put your life on hold for it. Besides, I very much doubt Abby will wait around for you."
"Shouldn't we be going?" Tim asked instead, changing the subject with all the subtlety of a charging bull.
"Yeah," Tony allowed, rolling his eyes, "Let's go."
With an audible sigh of relief, Tim hastened to the door. Not that it particularly mattered. Tony knew, even if Tim didn't, that the subject wasn't forgotten. He'd get his way eventually.
He always did in the end.
*~*~*~*~*
Tony didn't mention his date to Gibbs.
Not that the man asked.
It annoyed Tony to no end, and he was only further annoyed by the fact he didn't know why he was annoyed. Gibbs had never acted as though they were anything but sailing partners and certainly hadn't led Tony on to believe that they could be friends.
Still, it took everything Tony had to stop himself from using his date as leverage, or lauding it over Gibbs, as if to say he didn't really need the other man anyway. Not only was it completely untrue, it wouldn't be fair to Stan. And, if nothing else, Tony always did his best to be as charming as possible.
With that thought firmly in mind, Tony focused all thoughts on forcing himself to look forward to the dinner and, by the time night finally dawned, had actually been mostly successful.
He had an hour to shower and change, both of which he did with a sort of attention he'd been neglecting lately. The end result wasn't too shabby, all bruises aside, and Tony felt rather pleased.
"You look almost like your old self," Tim commented when he saw him. Tony frowned, the problem with that too obvious to ignore.
"No one will recognise me, right?"
"In Semper?" Tim asked incredulously, "No way. Besides, it's not like those clothes are of the same calibre as the ones you had at home. I doubt any prince would be caught dead in them."
"Good point," Tony conceded, "Well, have a good night."
"Be back before midnight!" Tim cautioned as Tony left.
Tony rolled his eyes expressively, unable to believe Tim thought he'd forget such a thing. Shaking his head to himself at the very idea, he made his way swiftly out the front of the hotel where Stan was already waiting.
He looked good enough to eat.
Tony eyed the man up and down, impressed despite himself. Not only did the guy clean up well, he also had pretty good taste in clothes. Feeling suddenly much more comfortable about agreeing to this whole thing, Tony approached with a smile.
"Nice," Stan said appreciatively, eyeing Tony back.
"Not too bad yourself," Tony returned, grinning, "Now, where's this restaurant I apparently have to try?"
"This way," Stan gestured, stepping neatly to the side and allowing Tony to walk in pace with him, "You'll love it, I promise."
Tony, having been treated to years of fine dining prepared by the best chefs money could buy, decided not to dispute this claim and walked silently, finding himself looking forward to it. He'd never been to many actual restaurants -it was very difficult for the royal family to blend in as they tended to get mobbed by sycophants wherever they went.
And what few restaurants he'd been to hadn't been anything like the Waterfront. They'd been posh, fancy but dreadfully dull. From the first glimpse of the Waterfront it was clear that the place was nothing like those posher places: it looked small, cosy and a little bit haphazard. Strangest of all, considering how small a town Semper actually was, it was also rather busy and it was clear that Tony and Stan weren't the only couple.
"Stan!" a woman greeted as they entered, "You haven't been here for a while. Who's your friend?"
"Hey Fiona," Stan returned kindly, "This is Tony Swan. He's new in town and has yet to taste your absolutely divine food. Can you scrounge us up a table for two?"
"Of course," Fiona agreed, winking slyly at him, "This way."
"Did she really just wink at us?" Tony asked incredulously as they walked.
Stan merely laughed, smiling at Tony with dazzling white teeth but not, Tony noted, actually answering the question. Letting the matter go, Tony followed obediently to a table right by the water. The Waterfront was built on an elevated piece of land and though the night sky was bridged with clouds, the view was absolutely amazing. Tony was transfixed by it, watching the gentle ebb and flow of the waves as he took his seat.
"Lovely, isn't it?" Stan commented, noting Tony's gaze.
"Very," Tony agreed without reservation, "I love the ocean at night. Be amazing to sail it."
"Not entirely safe at night," Stan cautioned at once, "I imagine only Gibbs could get away with it. He's the best sailor in Semper."
"Really?" Tony wondered, a little taken aback by that.
"Without doubt," Stan agreed, "Only person who could sail through a storm. I've seen him do it too, when I was his second."
"You were his second?"
"Oh yeah," Stan nodded, half grinning half grimacing, "I hold the record, too. I lasted just over a year. No one else has lasted so long."
"How many seconds has he had?" Tony couldn't help but ask, bemused.
"A fair share," Stan admitted, "They don't tend to last long. As I said, I've lasted the longest so far. His last second was Vivian Blackadder, in fact. She didn't even last a fortnight."
"How long ago was that?"
"Almost a month ago now," Stan replied, "At least."
"Huh," Tony managed, not sure how he felt about that, "How long ago were you his second?"
"I was before Vivian," Stan said, "But I quit when I developed an ulcer. I tell you, working with that man is absolute hell. I mean, he's brilliant -don't get me wrong -he's absolutely amazing. Likely the most honourable man I've ever met... but he's an unrepentant bastard. Still, working with him for over a year taught me everything I know about sailing."
"He is impressive," Tony conceded, "But I didn't realize he was the best..."
"Oh yeah," Stan asserted firmly, "That's why everyone's so surprised he took you on as a second. Not only because of your lack of experience but because, from what I hear, he actually asked you."
"Isn't that how it works?" Tony wondered.
"Normally, yeah," Stan agreed, "But not with Gibbs. Everyone knows he's the best. He's constantly hounded by people wanting him to take them on and teach them what he knows. He always refuses. He has a very strict criteria."
"And I fulfil that?" Tony inquired incredulously, "How?"
"Beats me," Stan admitted honestly, "No one does. He must have seen something in you."
That wasn't particularly reassuring. Tony couldn't help but ask himself how long Gibbs would put up with him for. He wasn't exactly the easiest employee to have: he knew nothing about sailing, he was incapable of shutting up and he couldn't work between the hours of midnight and noon.
"You saved Abby's life," Stan piped up, seeing something of Tony's thoughts on his face, "Gibbs could do a lot worse."
"Hey huns," Fiona interrupted them, approaching their table with a pad of paper and a pencil firmly in hand, "You know what you want?"
"You like lobster?" Stan asked Tony, not even glancing at the menu, "It's the best. I should know, because I caught it."
"Sounds fine," Tony agreed easily, taking Stan's word.
"Two lobsters coming right up," Fiona agreed.
"That isn't too expensive?" Tony checked, very aware he didn't have any money. It was a new experience for him to not have to pay - given his background, it was usually assumed that the meal was on his tab.
"Not here," Stan dismissed, "In other parts of the kingdom, sure, but it's too accessible here to be expensive."
Tony nodded and moved the conversation on. Stan told Tony all about Semper, the places he 'had to see' and, eventually, the people in Semper. They chatted about Abby and the residents living in the hotel before moving on to Joseph and his daughter Vivian, and somehow came back to Gibbs.
"He wasn't born here," Stan explained as Tony finished off his lobster which was, admittedly, delicious, "He turned up around, oh, almost thirty years ago. No idea where he comes from or what he left behind. Most all anyone knows about him is that since being here he's been married three times and divorced three times. All red heads and all women."
"All women?" Tony echoed in surprise, "Really?"
"Some people think he might not be attracted to men," Stan confided, "He's certainly never shown any interest in them and monosexuality has been known to happen."
"I've only ever heard about it," Tony admitted, "But don't you suppose that anyone sensible would at least pretend to be attracted to both sexes equally just to avoid being outcasted."
"Which isn't something Gibbs has to worry about," Stan joked, "No one in their right mind would dare make fun of him."
"I can imagine that," Tony agreed, picturing it and smiling, "Though he does make the most beautiful boats. Even if they are rather sad."
"Sad?" Stan parroted blankly, "The workmanship or the boats?"
"The boats of course," Tony elaborated, "Don't you see it?"
"They're pieces of wood," Stan pointed out, bemusedly, "How can they possibly be sad?"
"They... just are," Tony summarised eventually, sighing and checking his watch. He started, "Shit, I better be going. It's almost eleven thirty."
"Do you have a curfew?" Stan asked lightly, clearly kidding.
"Yes actually," Tony replied, grinning as he got to his feet, "I have to be back before midnight. I need to take my medication."
"You could have brought it with you," Stan pointed out.
"It tends to make people uncomfortable," Tony lied, shrugging, "And besides, it wipes me out completely. You'd have had to carry me back. Another reason I don't take it until midnight -I can sleep through the worst of the effects."
"Sound horrible," Stan grimaced.
"It is," Tony admitted quietly, "But I live with it as best I can."
"Let's go then," Stan said, eyes full of sympathy, "I'll just go pay the bill."
Tony waited him out, checking his watch anxiously the whole time. He knew Stan would insist on seeing him safely home which meant he'd have to use the pond to change -there was simply no way in hell he'd make it back down to the ocean in time.
"Come on," Tony beaconed when Stan returned, "We need to hurry."
"Why?" Stan wondered, frowning, "Would it really be so bad if you took your medication a few minutes after midnight?"
"Yes," Tony returned, so emphatically that had Stan blinking in surprise, "It would."
"Alright then," Stan agreed bemusedly, picking his pace up.
"Sorry," Tony sighed, resisting the temptation to check his watch again, "I had a good time tonight. Really. Thanks for taking me out."
Stan's eyes softened at once and he nodded.
"You're welcome."
The hotel came into sight and Tony sighed with relief at seeing it. He still had ten minutes to spare, which was plenty of time to secure the area around the pond.
"I'll be fine from here," Tony told Stan, turning to face him head on.
Stan took advantage and leaned forward to kiss him. The kiss was soft, dry and warm. Taken aback, Tony still had enough presence of mind to lean into it. He was a little disappointed though - Stan was a decent kisser but he felt no flush of arousal or excitement from the kiss. It was sweet but utterly sparkless.
Stan sighed breathily as he pulled back, the shine in his eyes told Tony he'd felt something, even if Tony hadn't. Stan being obviously enamoured with him only made Tony feel guilty and wonder what the hell was wrong with him. A month ago, he'd have slept with and discarded Stan by now and yet here he was, unable to even find the other man attractive, despite his physical appearance.
"Good night," Tony managed, somehow finding a smile.
Stan smiled back and watched as Tony made his way inside the hotel, yawning and wishing he could just crawl into bed. But he couldn't.
Instead, he made his way to the gardens.
*~*~*~*~*
Glimmering water,
Skies overripe with clouds,
wind with a hint of bite to it,
the overall sense that he knew exactly where he was going.
There was the beating of wings,
the rippling of a pond,
the rustling of feathers,
and the whisper of dreams
that called, called, called
his name.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
To Be Continued...
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Authors Note: Thanks again to wintermute for the editing job. I worship the very ground you walk upon.
Apologies to everyone once more for the wait. Hopefully, it was worth it. Though don't ask me about the poetic ending. I've really no idea where that came from. Oh, and the next chapter? Chaotic as hell so get ready to strap yourselves in. Just letting you know. ^^
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