19. coach ride revelations

[badass_tiger]

Prompt: any | any | road trip
Word Count: 4k
Author/Team: badass_tiger
Title: Coach Ride Revelations
Fandom/Original: Discworld (Havelock Vetinari/Rufus Drumknott)
Rating: Gen
Triggers: NA
Summary: Vetinari and Drumknott on the journey to Überwald.
ConCrit: Y

Naturally, Drumknott was no stranger to the concept of an hours-long coach journey. He had first arrived in Ankh-Morpork, more than ten years ago, by one. Since then, he had only made the journey again twice - to visit his mother in the Ramtops, and consequently return to Ankh-Morpork - but he did accompany Vetinari on trips here and there often enough. Sometimes to other cities in the Plains, but more often to visit people and places inside Ankh-Morpork itself. Usually when Lord Vetinari went out to see his city, it would take a good part of a day, most of which would be spent inside a coach.

Which was all perfectly well with Drumknott. Opportunities to spend alone time with Vetinari - completely alone, with almost zero chance of unexpected intrusions - were few and far in between. Going out in the coach was one of the few chances that he could rely on.

And so, when Vetinari proposed a trip to Überwald, as long and arduous the trip would be, and as unsure Drumknott felt in his own abilities to perform as Vetinari's personal secretary there, he anticipated with eagerness the long hours that would be spent entirely alone in Vetinari's company on the trip there.

'What do you mean by your uncertainty in your abilities to perform as my secretary in Überwald?' Vetinari said, with just the hint of a raised eyebrow.

'I have never been to Überwald before, and I do not know much about the region,' Drumknott replied.

'How do you expect that to hamper your secretarial abilities?'

'I will be going as an extension of your character. If I make a mistake, it will reflect poorly on you.'

'You will not make a mistake,' Vetinari said as dismissively as if it was absurdly outside the realm of possibility.

'I'm glad you have so much faith in me,' Drumknott said allowing himself a small smile.

'You have never given me reason to doubt you,' Vetinari said evenly.

Later, Drumknott gave him exactly what he had coming for that one.

'Tell me, Rufus,' Vetinari said afterwards, drawing him into his arms, 'are you really worried about committing some kind of cultural blunder in Überwald? Or is there something else?'

'There's nothing else,' Drumknott said with some surprise. 'Überwald is very different from Ankh-Morpork, isn't it? It took me a while to get used to Ankh-Morpork when I first came here, too.'

'People are the same everywhere.'

'They are to you. To me, people are always different, and different people expect different things.'

It was rather indicative of their hugely different roles, Drumknott thought, that they each saw it in such a different way. Vetinari was a leader, who only needed to know what people were like, to do the job. Drumknott was a clerk, who had to work differently to accommodate each individual he served. Of course, his position under Vetinari was pretty much permanent by now, he thought happily, cuddling just a little bit closer. But that didn't mean he no longer had to think about the best way to serve every situation. Vetinari dealt with a lot of different people, and it was Drumknott's job to know how to handle them all.

The journey to Überwald would take almost a week, because they might as well make a few stops on the way, in the interests of relieving fatigue and diplomacy. That was fine by Drumknott, until he realised: as much as a week of travelling meant a week with Vetinari largely to himself, it also meant a week of sleeping in separate rooms.

'Is this a major problem?' Vetinari said with a light in his eyes that would probably be a laugh in anyone else.

'I suppose not,' Drumknott said, trying not to grumble. 'But I will find it trying.'

'Most of the time, we are forced to keep our distance from each other during the day while being relatively free to spend the nights together. We shall now have the opportunity to try it the other way around for a few days.'

'Yes,' Drumknott said. 'If you consider being stuck in a small coach as relative freedom, then certainly.'

'You enjoy being in the coach with me,' Vetinari said pointedly.

'Yes.' Drumknott smiled faintly. 'I do. But it does not usually come with a compromise.' He shook his head and dismissed the matter. 'I was only mentioning it.'

Vetinari gave him a long, long look. Years of practice had made it easy for Drumknott to return his gaze - and as much as he respected and revered his master, he was not afraid of his lover.

Suddenly, Vetinari's expression broke into a slight, sly smile. Drumknott was familiar with the technique, but the smile caught him off-guard. 'If you insist, there will not be a problem with being a little more ... intimate in the coach itself.'

It was impossible to so much as be on equal footing with Vetinari, let alone one step ahead. Drumknott lost the composure that had until then been so easy for him to maintain, and he turned a deep shade of scarlet. 'That is not what I meant!'

'Oh, I seem to have misunderstood you.'

'You have. Very much so.' Drumknott ran a hand over his face with a laugh. 'Don't you dare, Havelock. Don't even think about it. Don't even think about making me think about it.'

'Very well then.' Vetinari resumed his usual calm expression, but the light of triumph remained in his eyes - so slight in presence, yet entirely distracting until it faded.

Of course, the journey itself was not the only thing to consider. They were going on business, and there was much for Drumknott to tend to. It would not be all an idle ride in the coach, either. Writing in a steady hand while inside a moving coach was just one of Drumknott's many talents, and there would be a fair amount of that. Drumknott's team of clerks at the palace were instructed to forward all urgent mail to them, the stream of work never-ending even while they were travelling. But to Drumknott, that only added to the appeal.

On the morning they were to leave, Drumknott was ready and waiting by the coach almost a full five minutes before Vetinari even arrived in the courtyard (they had spent the night in their respective bedrooms, after a rendezvous that would have to last them the trip). Vetinari nodded at him in greeting before going to speak to the driver about their journey. Then, at last, he climbed into the coach, Drumknott followed him in, and they set off.

'Did you sleep well last night?' Vetinari asked as they settled in for the first six-hour leg of the trip.

'No, I was up all night, pining for you,' Drumknott said as casually as if the answer was 'Yes'. 'How about you?'

'Do you have the overnight clacks?' Vetinari said, ignoring the question. Retribution for teasing him. Drumknott smiled.

'Of course.'

It only took twenty minutes for Drumknott to find himself half on Vetinari's lap, even as he composed the clacks to be sent at their next stop.

'Are you naturally this affectionate?' Vetinari said so suddenly that Drumknott couldn't find an answer for a whole second.

'No,' he said, suddenly self-conscious. He made to move away, but Vetinari stopped him with a hand on his leg.

'I was only curious,' he said. 'I have no objections to it.'

'I don't think I am normally,' Drumknott said, relaxing again. 'But I so rarely get to simply be with you that I tend to seek out intimacy as much as possible. Do you ... really not mind? I will refrain, if you prefer. It is a long journey yet.'

'I do not mind. It just occurred to me that I am unused to someone actually desiring to be close to me. People generally prefer to be apart from my company as much as possible.'

Drumknott chuckled. 'You already know that it is the opposite for me. I can never have enough of you.'

Vetinari gave him a sideways look that he recognised. It was a doubtful look, the one he tried to hide whenever he was aware he was using it, but sometimes failed. It was so easy for Vetinari to accept a proclamation of loyalty, and yet, even after all this time, he found it difficult to accept Drumknott's declarations of affection.

Fortunately, Vetinari decided not to say anything this time, and they returned to business.

Though they did stop at Sto Lat in the afternoon, they did not stay at any town or city the first day, but had booked a place at an inn where the owners were naturally highly gratified to receive the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. Drumknott had not liked the idea of letting Vetinari stay in a mere inn, though Vetinari did not mind. It was only for supper and the night, anyway.

Drumknott dropped in to Vetinari's room after supper to see if he needed anything before he went to bed.

'Which room are you in?' Vetinari asked.

For a moment, Drumknott hesitated. Though Vetinari had not explicitly instructed it, Drumknott knew that he expected him to have a room of his own. Indeed, Drumknott had requested one, but the request had apparently got lost somewhere, and he did not want to fuss when it was only for the night.

'I'm in the servants' quarters downstairs,' he said, and held his breath when Vetinari paused in the act of picking up his dressing gown.

'Did you not request a room for yourself when you contacted the innkeepers?' Vetinari said.

'I did, but perhaps they've forgotten.'

'Remind them.'

'It's not necessary -'

'If I need you in the night, then it will be difficult for me to extract you from the servants' quarters.'

'You will not need me in the night.'

They were both too well-bred (or in Drumknott's case, well-trained) to glare at each other, but they held each other's gaze for a long, still moment.

'Will you be comfortable there?' Vetinari said at last.

'There is a bed. I don't need anything else.'

Drumknott was surprised when Vetinari came forward to give him a kiss.

'I'm sure there won't be any problem if you spend the night with me,' Vetinari said. 'After all, there are many reasons I might need to keep my secretary far into the night.'

'It's alright, Havelock,' Drumknott chuckled, though he was so touched he almost couldn't find the words to say it. 'I've slept in a lot worse.'

'Very well. But stay with me a little longer anyway?'

Smiling, Drumknott nodded, and Vetinari stepped back to continue undressing.

'I hope none of the other places we are staying will make the same mistake,' Vetinari said as Drumknott moved to sit on the bed.

'Don't worry about me. It doesn't really matter to me.'

'It matters to me. You will not be able to work properly during the day if you slept poorly the night before, and you will need more stamina than usual to work in the coach.'

Drumknott’s happiness was slightly dampened by the thought that Vetinari had not exactly been worried about him as his lover, but his expression did not falter. 'I can sleep just fine in a bed of hay. As a matter of fact, it would bring me happy memories of napping in the hayloft as a child to escape doing chores.'

'I dislike the thought of you being treated as if you were a mere attendant. I understand that if I asked people to treat you the way I think you deserve to be treated, there would not be enough servants on the Disc to do so, but at the very least, I wish for you to be given your own room.'

It was as close to a romantic speech as Vetinari could get close to giving. Drumknott could not answer at all for several seconds because he was smiling too much.

'Knowing that that is how you feel for me is enough to make me feel like I have more than any prince, even if I had to sleep in the stables,' he said at length. 'Thank you, Havelock.' He stood up to hand Vetinari the gown, passing an admiring glance over his form.

'Are you really not yet tired of seeing me like this?' Vetinari said, letting him assist in putting it on.

'Are you ever tired of seeing me naked?' Drumknott felt bold enough to say, high on affection. Vetinari smiled, but said nothing.

Though Drumknott stayed another hour, they didn't do anything more than talk over the day. Vetinari gave him a long kiss before he left for his own bed. They said goodnight, and Drumknott felt so content with the way the day had progressed that he almost didn't feel the lumps in his mattress.

Not until the next day anyway, when he awoke with his back aching and extremely cold all over. How did the other servants put up with rooms like this? They probably did not, he realised. The only other servants in the small inn were the housekeeper and the butler, and it was likely their rooms were much better. These rooms were reserved for guests' servants. Such as himself.

He tried not to show it when he joined Vetinari for breakfast, but by the time they had packed and the coach was ready to go, Drumknott could not stop the occasional shiver. The morning air was cold, especially as they were now nearing the mountains. Vetinari made no indication that he noticed, but as Drumknott stood by the coach door and watched Vetinari speak to the innkeepers, he saw their looks of humble gratification turned into frozen looks of fear. Drumknott couldn't hear what Vetinari said, but he had a good idea.

'I hope you weren't being rude to our kind hosts,' Drumknott said once they were settled into the coach and it begun to move.

'Our "kind" hosts?' Vetinari said coolly, reaching forward for one of the travel blankets folded on the seat opposite. He straightened it out and draped it over Drumknott's shoulders. 'The hosts who so kindly subjected my secretary to a hard mattress in a draughty room, though I requested otherwise and there was no reason not to put you in a guest room?'

'It wasn't that bad,' Drumknott protested.

'Stop arguing, Rufus,' Vetinari said, almost irritably. 'I will not put up with you catching cold.'

'I'm sorry,' he said, submitting to being bundled up. 'I do need my hands free to work, though.'

'No. Just rest for now.' Vetinari put an arm around him, pressing their bodies close together. 'Next time, please refrain from disagreeing with me when I am concerned for your wellbeing.'

'Okay.' Drumknott leaned his head against Vetinari's shoulder. They didn't get to work until after breakfast, but strangely, neither minded this once.

It was almost a straight line to Lancre from Ankh-Morpork. That thought had given Drumknott a little pause when he had been making preparations for the journey, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no way he could visit while on a business trip, but he wondered if they would pass by it. There were some people in his childhood village who knew that he gone off to the city, and some would know, particularly from his mother's circle of friends, that he worked for the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, but the black coach would mean nothing to any of them. He didn't know if he would want to be recognised anyway. In certain small villages, leaving your family behind was considered worse than treason.

He was extremely surprised when the coach came to a stop earlier than he anticipated, and when he drew back the curtain to look outside, he stared for a good few seconds until Vetinari spoke behind him.

'We will move on after the horses have been changed,' he said, 'or we can stay a little longer, if you wish.'

'Where has this romantic mood come from, Havelock?' Drumknott said, but there was no heart in the joke. He was still gazing out in amazement.

'Romantic? I would consider myself a poor employer if I let you pass through your hometown without so much as an apology.'

'But there is no need for anything more than an apology.'

'An apology is what I would give to an employee. I feel a little something more is required for my sweetheart.'

It was the first time Vetinari had called him his sweetheart. As a matter of fact, it was the first time Vetinari had ever referred to their relationship in explicit terms. Drumknott could have melted in his arms for it.

'Thank you,' Drumknott said, and kissed him, lingering for just a moment longer than necessary. 'What will you do while I'm gone?'

'I would like to walk a little and see the countryside. The last time I visited the Ramtops was when I went on the Grand Sneer with some of my peers as a young adult, and I remember the beauty in the landscape. I'm afraid we must leave in 2 hours, but all the same, could you join me on my walk a little before we go...?'

'Of course.' Drumknott smiled warmly. 'I'll be back in an hour.'

'An hour and a half will be sufficient. I know your home is not that near to here.'

'It is my childhood home, Havelock. My home now is in Ankh-Morpork, with you.'

That earned him a real smile, something still so rare in the course of their relationship, and yet all the more precious for it. Drumknott held Vetinari's gaze for a little while, cherishing the moment, before he squeezed his hand and left.

Vetinari was waiting for him by the entrance of the stable yard when Drumknott returned, flushed from the walk to his childhood home and the pleasure of surprising his mother with his presence. It had been difficult to keep track of time as he chatted with his mother about everything - his work, his sister and her family who were also in Ankh-Morpork, and about Vetinari, of course. As close as he was to his mother, he did not feel like he could confide the full details of their relationship with her, but he told her about their friendship. It was more than he had ever been able to tell anyone anyway, and his mother had been a captive audience to matters he had long wanted to share with someone else.

'Did you find your mother in good health?' Vetinari asked as they walked away together.

'I did, thank you.' Drumknott lead the way down a scenic path that was less commonly walked by tourists. They were completely out of sight of other people so they walked close together, but Drumknott didn't dare take Vetinari's hand or anything else he dearly wanted to do to him just then.

'Thank you, Havelock,' he said quietly, when he was sure as he could be that they were alone. 'I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me, that you did this.'

'I'm glad that you are happy,' Vetinari said. 'Did you tell your mother about ... us?'

'I told her we are close, nothing more. I love my mother, but she is a terrible gossip.'

'I see.'

They walked on in silence for a few moments. The 'I see' had been slightly flatter than Drumknott had expected. He wondered if it had been more than a polite question. Did Vetinari expect Drumknott to tell his family of their relationship? Had Vetinari told his aunt about their relationship? Drumknott was happy with the way things were between them, but he realised then that he did not actually know how things were between them. He did not know if their relationship was a serious one, or if they were simply ... companions who could not afford to have anyone else except each other.

Drumknott let the thoughts settle in his mind, then pushed them to the back of his head. Someday, they would have to talk about those things. But not today, when everything was going so perfectly.

'We still have two more days to Überwald,' Drumknott said. 'Do you think you can continue to tolerate my constant, close presence for two days?'

'I am more concerned about you tolerating mine,' Vetinari said, and Drumknott chuckled. 'If you believe that you will be relieved of my close presence once we arrive in Überwald, I am afraid I will have to disappoint you on that matter, Rufus.'

'What do you mean?'

'I am sure Lady Margolotta will not object to us continuing to act freely with each other once we arrive at her castle.'

For a moment, Drumknott froze in his tracks. 'Her ladyship knows about us?'

'Not yet,' Vetinari said, stopping to look at him. 'But I intend to inform her once we arrive. Or would you rather I refrain from doing so?'

'No, I ...' Drumknott forced himself to keep moving, and they walked on. 'I'm just surprised that you wish to tell her. I wasn't ... expecting ...' He felt confused and buffeted by the winds of change. Perhaps they didn't need to have that talk after all. Vetinari was not a talking man, and his feelings about the nature of their relationship were entirely clear now. 'I'm glad that you are happy to tell your closest friend about our relationship, Havelock,' he said at last.

'If I cannot tell the closest friend I have about a relationship I am happy with, who can I tell?' Vetinari spoke in his usual smooth, even tone, but Drumknott noted his slightly more relaxed bearing and the lines in his eyes that communicated his relief so minutely.

'I didn't expect you to tell anyone at all. You know that I ... I don't think I can tell any of my family about us. My sister and her husband are good people, but I do not know if I could impress on them the importance of keeping our relationship entirely secret.'

They walked on in silence for so long that Drumknott began to fear that Vetinari was offended.

'Yes, I know that,' Vetinari said at length. 'It's alright.'

Drumknott turned these words over in his mind. 'Are you sure? Not that I am inviting you to sulk about it, but I understand if the fact that I cannot return the favour upsets you.'

'You say that as if sulking is something I regularly do when I am upset with you.'

'Oh, you mean when you give me the cold shoulder and pointedly give me non-verbal replies when we disagree is not sulking?' Drumknott smiled when Vetinari gave him a cold sideways glance. Of course Vetinari didn't sulk, but that didn't mean Drumknott couldn't make light of their minor arguments.

'It doesn't upset me,' Vetinari said. 'I was only interested in the fact that you feared it would. I am glad for every part of yourself that you feel you can give me.'

'Yes, I feel the same. That is why I am surprised whenever you give me more than I expect - and you always seem to be doing that.'

'You must have very low expectations of me, Rufus.'

'Well, yes. It is enough of a wonder that you are willing to be in a relationship with me, considering our respective positions.'

Vetinari made no reply to that. After a few moments, Drumknott checked his pocket watch.

'Shall we return to the coach?' he said.

'Let's.'

As they turned around, Vetinari said, so quietly that Drumknott slowed his pace so the rustle of the leaves beneath their feet would not interrupt him, 'I neglect telling you what you mean to me because it rarely occurs to me to say anything about it. But I hope you know that our relationship benefits me as much, or perhaps even more, than it benefits you.'

'Benefit is a really unromantic word,' Drumknott said, but he couldn't help a grin. 'It is fortunate I understand your meaning all the same. Thank you for saying so, Havelock.'

That was all that had needed to be said between them for Drumknott to be confident in his significance to Vetinari. Inside the coach, they sat close to each other, and settled down to enjoy the next few hours of the day's trip.