Fic: Sparkling Stars XV: Tears Of A Slave (1/1)
Title: Sparkling Stars XV: Tears Of A Slave (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Christy/Virgil, Fuji Kobiaji
Fandom: McHale's Navy
Genres: AU, Historical, Hurt/Comfort, Slavefic
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Sometimes a slave just needs to cry.
Date Of Completion: June 28, 2023
Date Of Posting: July 6, 2023
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, Universal does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 525
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
The entire series can be found here.
The tears of a slave
Are bitter fruit,
Like a weeping willow,
Beautiful,
But mute
Markson Merrill
"Tears Of A Slave"
1921 C.E.
Christy headed off into the jungle. Fuji was at the window of the cook shack and knew he was going, so that was good. Better for people to know you'd gone into the jungle, even when you wanted to be alone.
And he did want to be alone. He loved his crewmates, but living together 24 hours, 7 days a week in close quarters could cause friction.
At least we don't regularly have problems like the Great Sarong Blow-Up!
That was a painful memory, with the crew splitting down the middle over the design and selling of sarongs, of all things! Even Virgil had been cranky.
Çhristy pushed aside vegetation as he walked, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. It was a typical day in the tropics, hot and humid. The weather and the stress of war could get on your nerves, too.
As he crashed through the jungle undergrowth, he knew the crew of the PT-73 was lucky. They had a whole island to themselves to find space to be alone. It wasn't as easy on the main base.
He swatted away a mosquito. Maybe he would head for the beach. If any breeze sprang up, it would be there and blow insects away, even if only temporarily.
He stopped walking. He had heard something. In the jungle, it was best to pay attention to noises.
The noise was not that of a bird or other animal. It sounded like...crying?
Puzzled, Christy listened hard and figured out the direction from which the sound came. He went into stealth mode, heading for the location of the noise.
The crying was quiet. Whoever was doing it did not want to be heard but the sobbing was intense. Christy decided to make sure the person was all right.
He reached a clump of underbrush and carefully parted the leaves. It was Virgil!
His friend was sobbing his heart out as he sat cross-legged on the ground. Was he hurt? Christy didn't see any injuries.
Christy's first instinct was to go directly to Virgil but held himself back. Virgil had obviously wanted to be alone, just as Christy had wanted.
It broke his heart to see Virgil crying. It sounded like his heart was breaking, too.
Christy racked his brain, but nothing had happened recently to provide his friend's reaction. Everyone treated Virgil well, and he was respected as a seaman and Gunner's Mate.
But he's still a slave.
Maybe that was it. Despite all that, Virgil couldn't escape that fact. Maybe he was thinking about his bleak future after the war. Christy often got depressed himself thinking about never seeing Virgil again.
Christy began to back away when Virgil happened to look up and met Christy's eyes. They held their gaze for a moment, then Virgil held out his arms as the tears streamed down his face.
Christy hurried over and knelt next to Virgil, embracing him as he rocked Virgil and rubbed his back, his own tears shimmering in his eyes.
This story can also be read on AO3
This entry has been cross-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment on either entry as you wish. :)