Fic - Weiss Kreuz - Approach Velocity
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Title: Approach Velocity
Author: daegaer
Warnings: worksafe, but non-explicit non-consensual situation
Pairing(s): Crawford/Ran; Schuldig/Ran
Notes: Written for Battle Challenge 1, for laurose8's prompt: Crawford/Ran : future reincarnation fic : belonging together - Space Opera! Following on from Paying Guests
Points to Crawford, please!
"The nav's not in his quarters," Schuldig said, sounding peeved. He rattled round the galley, making a cup of the vile fruit tea he claimed was healthy.
Crawford looked up from his novel, watching the production of tea become ever more dramatic. They were still a day and a half out from dock and things could only get more fractious. "What do you want him for?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Shouldn't he be where we can find him, though? Why does he wander off around the ship?"
"He's not Sani, you know that. And why do you want to find him?"
"I don't," Schuldig said, shoving a mug of evil-smelling liquid under Crawford's nose. "Tea?"
"Fuck, no. I have a good idea where he is, hang on -" He contacted Engineering. "Nagi? Is the nav with you again?"
There was a moment's silence in which he pictured Nagi glaring at the comm, then,
Yeah. And he's not disturbing me. Captain. If there was anything else?
"No, no, that's all, thanks, Nagi," Crawford said. "He seems in a better mood than usual, don't you think?" he said to Schuldig.
"Practically skipping through the capacitors," Schuldig agreed. "Why's the nav in engineering?"
Crawford sighed. "I don't know. Working out how to blow the engines to kill us all horribly? Why does a navigator do anything? You can't expect sense from them, you know that. Now, please let me finish my book before I have to go back on duty."
"Fine, fine," Schuldig said. "I'll head down to see how Nagi's doing, take him this tea you don't want. Oh, and Crawford?"
"Yeah?"
"The colonel's mistress is the murderer."
"Son of a bitch," Crawford said to his retreating back. He put the data-pad down in disgust. If counting down for jump was irritating, this was worse. There was little to do but wait as they crept in slowly, obeying local regulations, and tempers could flare. More than anything, though, he was bored. He could go and annoy Jens, he thought, who was probably doing nothing more on the bridge than playing solitaire, but he himself had that fate waiting when his shift came up. He could wake up Farfarello and tell him it was already night shift, but that would start a round of practical jokes that would make everyone's life hell. He didn't want to get blamed for being the cause of that; better to leave that sort of thing to Schuldig. Messing around with Nagi's stuff was not a good idea. What could he do to relieve the boredom that would maintain the dignity of his rank and not cause trouble with the others?
He sat up. He could, he thought, do the same thing he was fairly sure was in Schuldig's mind and spend some time with the nav, who wouldn't be back on duty until they left the station, and whose schedule was therefore very free. And who was, it had to be said, very easy on the eye. Ran was a lot calmer around them all now, they could stop treating him like he was liable to break if looked at harshly. He put the data-pad away and strode off to Engineering.
* * *
"Another of you," Nagi said, his gaze flicking up briefly from the readout on his console. "Why don't I just construct a bridge console down here and the two of you will be able to annoy me forever?"
"This is not how you should address an officer, Ran," Schuldig said. "Come on, the Captain wants to talk to Nagi."
"I'm just visiting," Crawford said genially as Ran said,
"I'd like to stay, Nagi doesn't mind me." He clicked a marker in the file he'd been reading, closing it before Crawford could see what it was.
"That's right," Nagi said. "Because up till now you've been quiet. Don't spoil it. Is there a problem, Captain? First Officer?"
"No," they said, almost in chorus, and glared at each other.
"Navigational training," Schuldig said.
"But that's ridiculous, we're going in to dock! Anyway, there are things I could help out with here, right, Nagi?" His face fell as Nagi kept a studiously neutral expression and looked away. "You said so, Nagi! Engineer! You said so!"
Nagi looked from one to the other, and back at Ran's face. He shrugged.
"Sorry, Nav," he said. "The First Officer gets to say if and when you need training." He looked skeptically at Schuldig. "It's his call."
"Come on," Schuldig said, holding out a hand. Ran sighed and came close enough to grab. "Good boy. Now, off we go."
"A quick word with you, Schuldig?" Crawford said at the door. He did his best to ignore Nagi staring after them.
"Sure," Schuldig said. "Ran, you go and wait at the intersection, I'll catch up with you."
"Training?" Crawford said quietly. "That's a rather weak excuse, isn't it?"
"You haven't come up with anything," Schuldig said. "Don't pretend you aren't thinking the same as me; but I thought of it first. So, excuse me."
"What I'm thinking is that I'm your superior officer," Crawford said, still in a whisper.
Schuldig looked at him in amazement. "You can't be serious. You can't be pulling rank about this? That is not fair, Crawford."
"You shouldn't have told me the ending of the book."
Schuldig looked at him, open-mouthed, then laughed. "I swear," he said, full-volume, "other people look at you and see an adult, I still see the fucking stubborn kid you used to be."
"Could you two talk about the good old days somewhere else?" Nagi groused. "And don't freak out the fucking nav!" he yelled after them.
"What the hell," Schuldig said as they walked towards his quarters. "You'll get tired of him and he can come cry on my shoulder. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing I made you sprint after me to get first nibble."
"Now who's being immature?"
Schuldig gave a piercing whistle. "Ran! New orders - you go with the captain. Go on, shoo. Captain, be a good boy."
Ran looked confused, but came back to stand obediently beside Crawford, watching Schuldig head back to the galley. He seemed taken aback by Crawford's smile.
"Did you want me for something, Captain?"
"Come with me."
Ran seemed even more confused to be led to Crawford's quarters, looking about him with more interest than his panicked visit on his first day on the ship.
"I really don't have to do any training?" he said suspiciously.
"No," Crawford said, pleased to see how he relaxed at that. It made him look more attractive, he thought. "Your hair's getting very long -"
"I haven't been off the ship once, it's not like I'm a disgrace to your reputat-" Ran said and stopped, his eyes widening, as Crawford slipped his hand around the back of his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He froze completely as Crawford pulled him close and kissed him.
"Shy little thing, aren't you?" Crawford murmured, pulling him towards the bunk. "Come on, let me help you with that."
"It'll help us get into dock faster, will it, Captain?" Ran said in a furious, clipped voice, trying to free his hands.
"I beg your pardon?" Crawford said. He was suddenly, unutterably glad that Ran seemed to be as unobservant as he was about everyone's abilities, because he was quite sure he was gaping in embarrassing astonishment.
"I fly the damn ship," Ran said. "I get plugged in to it. So now it's not just the navigator's station I'm going to get plugged into, that's what you're telling me, isn't it? Captain?"
Crawford carefully unballed his fist. Beating a navigator was definitely beneath his dignity. "You keep a civil tongue in your head," he said. "I didn't ask for your damn opinion."
Ran's fury seemed to run out like air from a badly sealed vent; he looked at him bleakly. "I suppose you didn't. I'm your slave and I should remember that. I apologise, Lord Captain. I know I have no right to refuse you."
Crawford sat back on his bunk, glaring up, imagining smoke and burnt bodies and screams echoing back from the walls. Finally he stood up, gratified that Ran stepped back quickly.
"You can fucking refuse me," he snapped. "What you can do right fucking now is tidy this place up and then you can get to your own fucking quarters and stay out of my fucking sight until we dock, understand?"
Ran nodded, warily. Crawford gave him a nasty smile, adding,
"Oh, and remember, you made your choice."
He left before he could do anything he'd really regret. He went to Schuldig's quarters, having failed to track him down in the galley, and found him playing a strategy game filled with improbable monsters and large-breasted women.
"Hey," Crawford said, as Schuldig looked up in surprise and one of his maidens ate one of his monsters, "My mistake. He's all yours."
"Really?"
"With my blessing."
"Good," he said, standing, "this is a shit game. So what was the problem?"
"He's an irritating little shit. Put him in his place."
Schuldig pursed his lips. "That a real order, Captain? What'd he say to you?" He put a hand on Crawford's shoulder, raising an eyebrow as Crawford twitched a little at the contact. "Hey," he said cheerfully, "we'll dock soon enough and you can find someone who isn't an irritating shit. It'd do you good. Until then -" He winked and left Crawford staring balefully at the game on the screen as one by one the monsters met their awful ends.
Screw it, he thought. Everyone else was busy, so even if he did know who the murderer was he might as well finish his book. It would give him something to do before his shift started.
Title: Approach Velocity
Author: daegaer
Warnings: worksafe, but non-explicit non-consensual situation
Pairing(s): Crawford/Ran; Schuldig/Ran
Notes: Written for Battle Challenge 1, for laurose8's prompt: Crawford/Ran : future reincarnation fic : belonging together - Space Opera! Following on from Paying Guests
Points to Crawford, please!
"The nav's not in his quarters," Schuldig said, sounding peeved. He rattled round the galley, making a cup of the vile fruit tea he claimed was healthy.
Crawford looked up from his novel, watching the production of tea become ever more dramatic. They were still a day and a half out from dock and things could only get more fractious. "What do you want him for?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Shouldn't he be where we can find him, though? Why does he wander off around the ship?"
"He's not Sani, you know that. And why do you want to find him?"
"I don't," Schuldig said, shoving a mug of evil-smelling liquid under Crawford's nose. "Tea?"
"Fuck, no. I have a good idea where he is, hang on -" He contacted Engineering. "Nagi? Is the nav with you again?"
There was a moment's silence in which he pictured Nagi glaring at the comm, then,
Yeah. And he's not disturbing me. Captain. If there was anything else?
"No, no, that's all, thanks, Nagi," Crawford said. "He seems in a better mood than usual, don't you think?" he said to Schuldig.
"Practically skipping through the capacitors," Schuldig agreed. "Why's the nav in engineering?"
Crawford sighed. "I don't know. Working out how to blow the engines to kill us all horribly? Why does a navigator do anything? You can't expect sense from them, you know that. Now, please let me finish my book before I have to go back on duty."
"Fine, fine," Schuldig said. "I'll head down to see how Nagi's doing, take him this tea you don't want. Oh, and Crawford?"
"Yeah?"
"The colonel's mistress is the murderer."
"Son of a bitch," Crawford said to his retreating back. He put the data-pad down in disgust. If counting down for jump was irritating, this was worse. There was little to do but wait as they crept in slowly, obeying local regulations, and tempers could flare. More than anything, though, he was bored. He could go and annoy Jens, he thought, who was probably doing nothing more on the bridge than playing solitaire, but he himself had that fate waiting when his shift came up. He could wake up Farfarello and tell him it was already night shift, but that would start a round of practical jokes that would make everyone's life hell. He didn't want to get blamed for being the cause of that; better to leave that sort of thing to Schuldig. Messing around with Nagi's stuff was not a good idea. What could he do to relieve the boredom that would maintain the dignity of his rank and not cause trouble with the others?
He sat up. He could, he thought, do the same thing he was fairly sure was in Schuldig's mind and spend some time with the nav, who wouldn't be back on duty until they left the station, and whose schedule was therefore very free. And who was, it had to be said, very easy on the eye. Ran was a lot calmer around them all now, they could stop treating him like he was liable to break if looked at harshly. He put the data-pad away and strode off to Engineering.
* * *
"Another of you," Nagi said, his gaze flicking up briefly from the readout on his console. "Why don't I just construct a bridge console down here and the two of you will be able to annoy me forever?"
"This is not how you should address an officer, Ran," Schuldig said. "Come on, the Captain wants to talk to Nagi."
"I'm just visiting," Crawford said genially as Ran said,
"I'd like to stay, Nagi doesn't mind me." He clicked a marker in the file he'd been reading, closing it before Crawford could see what it was.
"That's right," Nagi said. "Because up till now you've been quiet. Don't spoil it. Is there a problem, Captain? First Officer?"
"No," they said, almost in chorus, and glared at each other.
"Navigational training," Schuldig said.
"But that's ridiculous, we're going in to dock! Anyway, there are things I could help out with here, right, Nagi?" His face fell as Nagi kept a studiously neutral expression and looked away. "You said so, Nagi! Engineer! You said so!"
Nagi looked from one to the other, and back at Ran's face. He shrugged.
"Sorry, Nav," he said. "The First Officer gets to say if and when you need training." He looked skeptically at Schuldig. "It's his call."
"Come on," Schuldig said, holding out a hand. Ran sighed and came close enough to grab. "Good boy. Now, off we go."
"A quick word with you, Schuldig?" Crawford said at the door. He did his best to ignore Nagi staring after them.
"Sure," Schuldig said. "Ran, you go and wait at the intersection, I'll catch up with you."
"Training?" Crawford said quietly. "That's a rather weak excuse, isn't it?"
"You haven't come up with anything," Schuldig said. "Don't pretend you aren't thinking the same as me; but I thought of it first. So, excuse me."
"What I'm thinking is that I'm your superior officer," Crawford said, still in a whisper.
Schuldig looked at him in amazement. "You can't be serious. You can't be pulling rank about this? That is not fair, Crawford."
"You shouldn't have told me the ending of the book."
Schuldig looked at him, open-mouthed, then laughed. "I swear," he said, full-volume, "other people look at you and see an adult, I still see the fucking stubborn kid you used to be."
"Could you two talk about the good old days somewhere else?" Nagi groused. "And don't freak out the fucking nav!" he yelled after them.
"What the hell," Schuldig said as they walked towards his quarters. "You'll get tired of him and he can come cry on my shoulder. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing I made you sprint after me to get first nibble."
"Now who's being immature?"
Schuldig gave a piercing whistle. "Ran! New orders - you go with the captain. Go on, shoo. Captain, be a good boy."
Ran looked confused, but came back to stand obediently beside Crawford, watching Schuldig head back to the galley. He seemed taken aback by Crawford's smile.
"Did you want me for something, Captain?"
"Come with me."
Ran seemed even more confused to be led to Crawford's quarters, looking about him with more interest than his panicked visit on his first day on the ship.
"I really don't have to do any training?" he said suspiciously.
"No," Crawford said, pleased to see how he relaxed at that. It made him look more attractive, he thought. "Your hair's getting very long -"
"I haven't been off the ship once, it's not like I'm a disgrace to your reputat-" Ran said and stopped, his eyes widening, as Crawford slipped his hand around the back of his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He froze completely as Crawford pulled him close and kissed him.
"Shy little thing, aren't you?" Crawford murmured, pulling him towards the bunk. "Come on, let me help you with that."
"It'll help us get into dock faster, will it, Captain?" Ran said in a furious, clipped voice, trying to free his hands.
"I beg your pardon?" Crawford said. He was suddenly, unutterably glad that Ran seemed to be as unobservant as he was about everyone's abilities, because he was quite sure he was gaping in embarrassing astonishment.
"I fly the damn ship," Ran said. "I get plugged in to it. So now it's not just the navigator's station I'm going to get plugged into, that's what you're telling me, isn't it? Captain?"
Crawford carefully unballed his fist. Beating a navigator was definitely beneath his dignity. "You keep a civil tongue in your head," he said. "I didn't ask for your damn opinion."
Ran's fury seemed to run out like air from a badly sealed vent; he looked at him bleakly. "I suppose you didn't. I'm your slave and I should remember that. I apologise, Lord Captain. I know I have no right to refuse you."
Crawford sat back on his bunk, glaring up, imagining smoke and burnt bodies and screams echoing back from the walls. Finally he stood up, gratified that Ran stepped back quickly.
"You can fucking refuse me," he snapped. "What you can do right fucking now is tidy this place up and then you can get to your own fucking quarters and stay out of my fucking sight until we dock, understand?"
Ran nodded, warily. Crawford gave him a nasty smile, adding,
"Oh, and remember, you made your choice."
He left before he could do anything he'd really regret. He went to Schuldig's quarters, having failed to track him down in the galley, and found him playing a strategy game filled with improbable monsters and large-breasted women.
"Hey," Crawford said, as Schuldig looked up in surprise and one of his maidens ate one of his monsters, "My mistake. He's all yours."
"Really?"
"With my blessing."
"Good," he said, standing, "this is a shit game. So what was the problem?"
"He's an irritating little shit. Put him in his place."
Schuldig pursed his lips. "That a real order, Captain? What'd he say to you?" He put a hand on Crawford's shoulder, raising an eyebrow as Crawford twitched a little at the contact. "Hey," he said cheerfully, "we'll dock soon enough and you can find someone who isn't an irritating shit. It'd do you good. Until then -" He winked and left Crawford staring balefully at the game on the screen as one by one the monsters met their awful ends.
Screw it, he thought. Everyone else was busy, so even if he did know who the murderer was he might as well finish his book. It would give him something to do before his shift started.