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fandomweekly2022-07-24 12:43 am
mxcatmoon) wrote in fandomweekly2022-07-24 12:43 am
Entry tags:
[#144] The Unsinkable Josef Konstantin (Moonlight)
Theme Prompt: #144 Invincible
Title: The Unsinkable Josef Konstantin
Fandom: Moonlight (TV)
Rating/Warnings: PG13. Historical, tragic loss of life.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 996
Summary: While the Titanic sank the band played, the passengers panicked, the crew failed, and Josef and Shane kissed in a dark corner.
Josef Konstantin lounged on the bed of his well-appointed first-class suite aboard the Titanic, reviewing a proposal for a new business venture in minute detail. He only bet on winners; that was how he'd become wealthy.
That and being a vampire with 288 years of wise investments under his belt. Of course, opportunities could be taken advantage of or squandered; he knew plenty of vamps who managed to stumble through the centuries dirt poor.
Look at Shane Alexander, who surely would have, if not for Josef's prudent investments made on his behalf. True, they had inherited a decent amount from their sire, but what counted was what one did with it. Case in point; while he was in his cabin finding ways to make more money, Shane was down in the third-class area, gambling and partying.
As if summoned by thoughts of him, the stateroom door flew open, and Shane stood before him. "The ship is sinking," Shane told him without preamble.
A sarcastic comment died unborn as Josef took in the expression on the other vampire's face. He put the papers aside and leaned forward. "Impossible. It's unsinkable."
"Tell that to the iceberg we hit."
Josef sat back, dazed. "So now what? Did they send out an SOS? Will we have to abandon ship?" Now that he was focusing on it, he remembered feeling the collision, hearing the tearing metal. How absorbed in business was he, to miss that? He cast his vampire hearing outward and could hear the water rushing in below.
"They're lowering the lifeboats," Shane said, sitting on the bed and rubbing his face.
"Okay, okay," Josef murmured, discomfited at the sudden danger. "We need to get to the boats."
"A lot of people are going to die," Shane told him. Humans. "There aren't enough for everyone."
Josef ran a hand through his hair, knowing all too well the direction of Shane's thoughts. "The icy water won't kill us, but you know we couldn't stay there indefinitely; it would weaken us too much. We'd die eventually, but I'm sure we'd drain the survivors long before that happened."
Despite being nearly indestructible vampires weren't invincible, even being at the top of the food chain. One could forget that when not amid a life and death situation.
Shane grimaced. "Lifeboat it is then. But if they take too long to rescue us…." If rescue comes was left unsaid.
The prospect of spending days stranded at sea until forced to feed on the humans still alive and then finally dying from lack of blood, wasn't something either wanted to contemplate.
"Let's go," Shane said, pulling him toward the door.
XXX
Chaos had broken out on the deck by then, passengers confused and afraid, children crying, the crew yelling at each other and taking too long to lower the boats. In the middle of it all, the band played on.
It was surreal.
Shane grabbed Josef's arm. "We can do it faster," he said, gesturing to the boats.
"Shit," Josef had time to mutter before running after him.
Once the boats were lowered, Josef paused to get his bearings. The next thing he knew, Shane had pulled him into a dark corner.
"Just in case…" Josef murmured in agreement, wrapping his arms around Shane's neck and kissing him as if it might be the last time.
They spent long minutes in their unique brand of communication, giving and receiving strength and comfort. Finally, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes.
"Together?" Josef asked meaningfully.
"Together," Shane agreed with a nod.
They jumped to the lower deck and made their way to the bow. Shane toed off his shoes, and Josef reluctantly removed his, along with his jacket.
"Do you know how much this suit cost?!" Josef complained.
"I'm not ripping it off you this time, what more do you want? Ready?"
Josef nodded, took the offered hand, and they jumped off the ship into the icy water below.
They broke the surface together and scanned the dark water with keen eyesight. Spying a lifeboat in the distance, they headed towards it. It was farther than the others, too far for any humans to reach, but with vampire strength and speed, it was an easy swim.
To their surprise, there were few survivors aboard, maybe two dozen people, when the capacity was double that. In unspoken agreement, they swam back to save anyone they could who was still alive, hauling them to safety.
Shane finally tugged on Josef's arm. "Get in the boat!" he ordered.
"No, you get in the boat!" Josef returned stubbornly.
"Clearly, we both have to get in the boat," Shane conceded.
Hands were there to help them climb aboard.
"You're amazing!" one of the women gushed. "Most people wouldn't have lasted that long."
"Invincible," Josef told her, trying to find one of his cheeky grins but failing.
"He has no known weaknesses," Shane joked, but his attempt too fell flat.
"Only one," Josef murmured too low for human hearing, pressing closer to Shane. It was all the comfort they could get in the company of the others, who would probably throw both overboard if they knew the two men were lovers.
Josef's weakness was Shane.
They sat close, heads down and eyes closed, listening to the tearing metal as the Titanic was ripped apart and sank. Unable to shut out the screams of the drowning…children crying… and the band playing a hymn.
Eventually, the music stopped, and so did the screaming.
The night was still again, the sea like black glass, a million stars twinkling in the sky. They'd made love under those stars on the deck the night before, alone, the humans not hardy enough to brave the negative degree temps, all snug in their beds. Safe. Now, most of them were sleeping forever under the unforgiving ocean depths.
Under cover of the darkness, Josef reached between the tight press of their sides and grabbed Shane's hand, holding on tightly.
Title: The Unsinkable Josef Konstantin
Fandom: Moonlight (TV)
Rating/Warnings: PG13. Historical, tragic loss of life.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 996
Summary: While the Titanic sank the band played, the passengers panicked, the crew failed, and Josef and Shane kissed in a dark corner.
Josef Konstantin lounged on the bed of his well-appointed first-class suite aboard the Titanic, reviewing a proposal for a new business venture in minute detail. He only bet on winners; that was how he'd become wealthy.
That and being a vampire with 288 years of wise investments under his belt. Of course, opportunities could be taken advantage of or squandered; he knew plenty of vamps who managed to stumble through the centuries dirt poor.
Look at Shane Alexander, who surely would have, if not for Josef's prudent investments made on his behalf. True, they had inherited a decent amount from their sire, but what counted was what one did with it. Case in point; while he was in his cabin finding ways to make more money, Shane was down in the third-class area, gambling and partying.
As if summoned by thoughts of him, the stateroom door flew open, and Shane stood before him. "The ship is sinking," Shane told him without preamble.
A sarcastic comment died unborn as Josef took in the expression on the other vampire's face. He put the papers aside and leaned forward. "Impossible. It's unsinkable."
"Tell that to the iceberg we hit."
Josef sat back, dazed. "So now what? Did they send out an SOS? Will we have to abandon ship?" Now that he was focusing on it, he remembered feeling the collision, hearing the tearing metal. How absorbed in business was he, to miss that? He cast his vampire hearing outward and could hear the water rushing in below.
"They're lowering the lifeboats," Shane said, sitting on the bed and rubbing his face.
"Okay, okay," Josef murmured, discomfited at the sudden danger. "We need to get to the boats."
"A lot of people are going to die," Shane told him. Humans. "There aren't enough for everyone."
Josef ran a hand through his hair, knowing all too well the direction of Shane's thoughts. "The icy water won't kill us, but you know we couldn't stay there indefinitely; it would weaken us too much. We'd die eventually, but I'm sure we'd drain the survivors long before that happened."
Despite being nearly indestructible vampires weren't invincible, even being at the top of the food chain. One could forget that when not amid a life and death situation.
Shane grimaced. "Lifeboat it is then. But if they take too long to rescue us…." If rescue comes was left unsaid.
The prospect of spending days stranded at sea until forced to feed on the humans still alive and then finally dying from lack of blood, wasn't something either wanted to contemplate.
"Let's go," Shane said, pulling him toward the door.
XXX
Chaos had broken out on the deck by then, passengers confused and afraid, children crying, the crew yelling at each other and taking too long to lower the boats. In the middle of it all, the band played on.
It was surreal.
Shane grabbed Josef's arm. "We can do it faster," he said, gesturing to the boats.
"Shit," Josef had time to mutter before running after him.
Once the boats were lowered, Josef paused to get his bearings. The next thing he knew, Shane had pulled him into a dark corner.
"Just in case…" Josef murmured in agreement, wrapping his arms around Shane's neck and kissing him as if it might be the last time.
They spent long minutes in their unique brand of communication, giving and receiving strength and comfort. Finally, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes.
"Together?" Josef asked meaningfully.
"Together," Shane agreed with a nod.
They jumped to the lower deck and made their way to the bow. Shane toed off his shoes, and Josef reluctantly removed his, along with his jacket.
"Do you know how much this suit cost?!" Josef complained.
"I'm not ripping it off you this time, what more do you want? Ready?"
Josef nodded, took the offered hand, and they jumped off the ship into the icy water below.
They broke the surface together and scanned the dark water with keen eyesight. Spying a lifeboat in the distance, they headed towards it. It was farther than the others, too far for any humans to reach, but with vampire strength and speed, it was an easy swim.
To their surprise, there were few survivors aboard, maybe two dozen people, when the capacity was double that. In unspoken agreement, they swam back to save anyone they could who was still alive, hauling them to safety.
Shane finally tugged on Josef's arm. "Get in the boat!" he ordered.
"No, you get in the boat!" Josef returned stubbornly.
"Clearly, we both have to get in the boat," Shane conceded.
Hands were there to help them climb aboard.
"You're amazing!" one of the women gushed. "Most people wouldn't have lasted that long."
"Invincible," Josef told her, trying to find one of his cheeky grins but failing.
"He has no known weaknesses," Shane joked, but his attempt too fell flat.
"Only one," Josef murmured too low for human hearing, pressing closer to Shane. It was all the comfort they could get in the company of the others, who would probably throw both overboard if they knew the two men were lovers.
Josef's weakness was Shane.
They sat close, heads down and eyes closed, listening to the tearing metal as the Titanic was ripped apart and sank. Unable to shut out the screams of the drowning…children crying… and the band playing a hymn.
Eventually, the music stopped, and so did the screaming.
The night was still again, the sea like black glass, a million stars twinkling in the sky. They'd made love under those stars on the deck the night before, alone, the humans not hardy enough to brave the negative degree temps, all snug in their beds. Safe. Now, most of them were sleeping forever under the unforgiving ocean depths.
Under cover of the darkness, Josef reached between the tight press of their sides and grabbed Shane's hand, holding on tightly.
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