I own nothing, NOTHING!
I bet no one knows the reference for my disclaimer!

Sneaking Out

Newkirk might not have been the brightest boy on the Leviathan, but he wasn't stupid. He knew something was going on when Dylan quietly slipped out of bed each night when he thought the other middie was asleep.

The first few times it happened Newkirk figured Dylan just needed the restroom, or to sneak a midnight snack from the kitchen. He then started to notice how long Dylan was gone. He also took note of his dishevled appearence, with his hair mussed up and his clothes rumpled.

Yes Newkirk new something odd was going on, he just didn't know what. That's why he decided on following Dylan next time he left.

That night Newkirk jumped into his bed fully dressed and waited for Dylan to feign sleep. Newkirk evened out his breathing and pretended to snore just like his brother used to imitate him to tease him.

He heard the rustle of covers and then Dylan slip on his boots before the door squeaked open. As soon as it closed back in place Newkirk bounded out of his bed, boots and all and slipped out the door as quietly as possible. He followed the soft glow of the wormlight lamp Dylan was carrying, making sure he stayed at a great enough distance as not to be caught.

As Dylan swerved through hallway after hallway Newkirk thought of some possibilities as to where Dylan ran off to. They ran from something reasonable as going topside to get some fresh air to the obsurd notion that Dylan was sneaking off to have a secret affair with the Lady Boffin.

Newkirk was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice Dylan stop in time to remain hidden. Newkirk hid behind the closest object to avoid Dylan seeing him when he swept his eyes over the room.

As Newkirk read the lable on the box he had hidden behind, and realized with a jolt that he was in the cargo hold.

He didn't have time to ponder what Dylan was doing in the cargo hold at this time of night because another glow came from the entrance and Newkirk had to crouch down further to avoid being in the light.

The new figure in the room was the Clanker Prince Alek, and Newkirk wondered if he was in the cargo hold for the same reason as Dylan.

The Prince made his way over to Dylan who had a smile on his face that looked like it could light up all of London. As the prince strode even closer to Dylan, Newkirk pondered what the two were doing down here. With the prince being there he ruled out the possibility of the affair with the Lady Boffin and since they were down in the cargo hold he also crossed out a trip topside.

As his brain tried to form new possibilities, Newkirk's eyes followed the young prince as he cought Dylan up in and embrace, spinning him around in a circle with Dylan giggling all the while.

'Dylan has the girliest giggle I've ever heard.' He thought. 'Even girlier than some girls I know.'

Newkirk watched as they exchanged breathless hello's to each other before, to his horror, Dylan(the taller of the two) leaned his head down to press his lips to the prince's.

Newkirk was so surprised he jumped up, secrecy be damned, and let out a screamed, "Blisters!" before turning and stumbling throught the dark hallways.

He heard Dylan and Alek's surprised gasps and Dylan shout out his name, but he kept running. He didn't dare go back to his and Dylan's shared room because he knew even if he pretended to be asleep, Dylan would wake him up and try to talk to him.

Newkirk's thoughts were all jumbled up. 'Why were Dylan and the Prince kissing like that? Was that where Dylan ran off to every night?'

He realised that his thoughts about the secret affair with the Lady Boffin weren't that off, he had just got the wrong person.

Newkirk stopped his frantic running and slumped down against the wall to sort through his jumbled thoughts. His mind was so wound up that he found himself still awake when he heard the men start to stir. His eyes drifted shut only to shoot back open after what felt like seconds to Mr. Rigby shouting at him.

"We've been looking for you! Where've you been?!" He screamed.

"I-I think I fell asleep on accident sir." Newkirk said as he scrambled to his feet.

Mr. Rigby scoffed. "I figured that one out on my own. Now get about your duties before I dangle you from a rope at the back of the ship. Unless you've got any more brillint statements to make?"

Newkirk thought it would be best to keep his mouth shut and scrambled to where he was supposed to be with Mr. Rigby glaring down on him all the while.

As Newkirk went about his daily duties, he couldn't help but be around Dylan. Newkirk could barely look at the boy without seeing his lips locked with the prince's. Everytime he even cought a glimpse of the other middie he felt his ears turn red with embarrasment at the mental pictures.

"We need to talk." Newkirk heard a familiar voice from behind him say.

Newkirk didn't even turn around. "I have nothing to say to the likes of you."

He heard Dylan give and exasperated sigh. "You don't understand I-"

"I thought I said I didn't want to talk to you." he interrupted.

Newkirk gave a satisfied grin as he heard another sigh followed by retreating footsteps. He felt especially proud of himself when he didn't see Dylan for the rest of the day.

When bedtime came around his smugness turned to dread as he remembered he would have to be sharing a room with Dylan. He set his resolve to ignore the other boy if need be.

Newkirk crawled into his bed and closed his exhausted eyes only to shoot them back open when the door creaked open.

He tried his hardest to feign sleep, but when he heard a voice other than Dylan's in the room he shot up and glared at Dylan and the Austrian Prince. "Just because I saw what you two were doing last doesn't mean I approve and deffinately doesn't mean I want you bringing it around me." he said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"Newkirk will you please listen to me? We've decided to tell you a secret that nearly no one else knows." Dylan said to him.

Newkirk shook his head. "I think I've seen enough secrets for a while thank you. Now if you'll leave me to my-"

"BARKING SPIDERS!" Dylan interrupted "JUST LISTEN!"

Newkirk found himself nodding dumbly before clearing his throat. "Alright then, out with it."

Newkirk saw Daylan glance at the prince who was still satnding by the door.

"Only one other person on the Leviathan knows this secret out of the people in this room." Dylan started nervously. "If you spill to the captain I'll stuff glowworms down your throat until your toes shine, understand?"

Newkirk gulped, but nodded.

Dylan took a deep breath before continuing. "My real name isn't Dylan. It's Deryn."

Newkirk's eyebrow raised "So what, you've got a girl's name. Why would that matte-" realization dawned in Newkirks eyes. "You-but-and-the ship-y-you're a-a-you're a girl!" Newkirk stuttered out before raking his eyes up and down Dyl-no Deryn's form for any sign of femininity he had previously missed.

Deryn rolled her eyes."Now you understand my actions don't you?"

Newkirk gave a small nod, now scrutinising her face, wondering how he could have missed such a girly face.

"And you won't go blabbing my secret to the whole barking ship?" She continued.

"Of course not you ninny! But I wan't to know why." Newkirk said. "Why did you dress up like a boy and join the barking Air Service?"

Deryn looked down before meeting his eyes. "I had to fly." She said. "You know how amazing it is. For months after my Da's accident I knew I had to fly somehow. I knew more than any of the ninnies that were signing up so I decided to stick my neck out there and try to pull one over on the whole barking British Air Service."

Newkirk gave an understanding nod. "Thanks for trusting me with you're secret. I swear in my mother's life I won't tell anyone." He said.

"Good." Deryn said before grinning. "And don't ever follow me if I sneak out in the middle of the night okay."

Newkirk groaned and fell back against his pillow, but smiled anyways. He heard Deryn pull Alek through the doorway and thought how nice it was to be trusted.