Chapter Text
It was a quiet day at Ulfstead Castle, Stephen milling about and occasionally talking to guests and to both Millie and Caitlin when they’d pass by. Every once in a while he’d get Percy or Thomas show up which was also nice.
It’d be much nicer if they stopped talking about their red strings and soulmates though.
However, Stephen wasn’t exactly sure about this whole ‘soulmate’ situation that was happening around him. It seemed interesting enough, and all the engines who popped by to the castle seemed happy and eager about it too.
Still Stephen just couldn’t wrap his head around it. Call him old but to him it just didn’t make sense! Surely there was an age limit on who could date who, maybe even a cut off time. For engines as old as Stephen, they had seen life and death and witnessed romance for decades, before engines were even considered as ‘living’.
He sighed, parking up slightly for a midday rest as his crew left to go and get some refreshments. It was a sunny day so keeping hydrated was definitely up there and Stephen needed to rest his wobbling wheels.
He spotted a new face approaching and he raised an eyebrow, this new engine was pulling Edward’s coaches.
“Did Edward get an overhaul and repaint?” He asked the green engine, hearing the new engine laugh at that.
“No no, sorry to confuse you. I’m BoCo. Edward is helping James with a task now that they’re soulmates.” BoCo chuckled, smiling to the older engine. “You’re Stephen, right? I’ve heard a lot about you from Thomas.”
The engine smiled to BoCo. “Yup. I’m Stephen. Oldest engine ever. I don’t think I’ve ever met you before, BoCo.” He hummed. “You younger engines have all been obsessed with this idea of soulmates lately.”
BoCo’s smile dropped slightly and he sighed. “Well, not all of us. I unfortunately don’t have a string, and I can’t see anyone else’s string.” He admitted softly. “It’s just one of those things, I guess. Some engines get them and some don’t.”
“Oh, I’m sorry BoCo, I didn’t mean to pry like that.”
“No, no, it’s not your fault Stephen. It’s just one of these things.” He hummed.
“Still though….” He frowned.
BoCo rolled his eyes and gave him a soft smile. “It’s not your fault. Some get strings and some don’t. It’s nothing we can argue with. Do you have a red string?”
Stephen looked down at his buffer, staring at the red string that had distracted him every now and again. “Uh yes. I do.” He hummed.
“Then get it old man! People love older engines you kidding me?”
“Eh…. I’m not exactly hot stuff.” Stephen snorted. “I’ve seen younger and hotter engines come and go. City of Truro was hot…” he muttered.
BoCo rolled his eyes again. “Stephen! You’re an older engine if not the oldest! You’re gonna have any famous engine fawning over you!” He said, trying to hype the older engine up. “You’re basically a silver fox!”
Stephen had to laugh that at. “I’m not a silver fox BoCo!”
The diesel engine joined in with the laughing, the two laughing together before Stephen’s crew returned and a whistle blew.
“I’ll see you later Stephen! Think about what I said though, alright?” BoCo told him cheekily before leaving with a honk of his horn.
Stephen watched the green engine leave before his driver spoke up. “Well Stephen, Sir Topham Hatt has asked us to go to Knapford station. Said something about a railway historian coming to visit.” He said, petting Stephen’s side. “I did tell him it might take us a while.”
“Compared to these new engines of course it will. But back in my day I was the fastest engine there was!” Stephen snorted but took off slowly, blowing his whistle as he took off down the tracks and the hill, excited to be able to head down to Knapford station. What BoCo said played in his head and he felt himself warming up to the idea of a soulmate.
Anyway, Being old always had its drawbacks, but knowing people came to the island just to see him was exciting enough.
Stephen soon pulled onto the main tracks, knowing that Sir Topham Hatt would’ve informed the railway workers to keep this track cleared for Stephen. Being crashed into by an engine like Gordon would not be fun.
He would literally die.
He blanched for a moment at hearing the rails shake before it seemed to slow down, a whistle sounding behind him. “Excuse me? May you move?” A loud boisterous voice said. Stephen nearly mistook him for Gordon. Before he managed to look behind him.
“Nope. Not allowed to. They cleared the tracks for me so there wouldn’t be an accident. Didn’t you get the memo?” Stephen asked with a hum.
“Of course not! I’m here to see an important person!” The engine huffed, not even looking down at Stephen all that much. “I’m much too busy to be stuck behind the likes of you.” And he instantly regretted his words when he noticed just who he was behind.
That got Stephen mad and he came to a stop, feeling the engine bump into his buffers. “Excuse me?! ‘The likes of you’?!” Stephen asked in shock and anger. “How dare you say that to your elders! I’m the bloody Stephensons Rocket! I set the pace and you bloody follow! None of this ‘I’m more important’ shit!” He said sternly, practically feeling the other engine recoil. “Telling me to move and hurry up…” he scowled, continuing to go down the track at his measly 15mph. There was no need to reach his super fast speed of 30mph as of now.
The engine behind him could barely speak, mouth opening and closing in shock like a fish. He had just insulted the great Stephenson’s Rocket, literally the engine who changed the railways. He insulted a legend.
Flying Scotsman was more embarrassed than ever. To think he actually insulted a famous - if not the most famous - engine and got him not only mad, but also swearing.
Oh the indignity.
Flying Scotsman simply stayed quiet and pathetically followed behind him like a lost puppy, unable to change tracks due to this track solely being cleared for Stephen. It would be a long and awkward journey.
After a short while, Flying Scotsman spoke up. “Uh, I’m sorry.” He said, clearing his throat slightly, awkward and unsure of how to word this. “I didn’t mean to uh, insult you.” He added as he tried not to upset the older engine more.
Stephen sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. Sure it was a bit of a shock to hear a random engine insult him that badly, but it was fine. “It’s alright. Just don’t do it again.” He hummed. It really wasn’t alright. He was lying. “You younger engines always tend to forget us older engines pathed the way for you lot. What’s your name?”
Flying Scotsman cleared his throat quietly as he tried to regain control of the situation. “I’m The Flying Scotsman.” He said proudly.
“Oh The Flying Scotsman! Yes I remember when you were simply plans on a drawing board.” Stephen said, thinking back to it. “Actually I remember when you were merely someone’s verbal idea…”
The larger engine deflated slightly. “So you’re not even impressed?” He asked him, devastated for a moment.
Stephen sighed, hearing the engines voice. It was like someone kicked a puppy. “Honestly? I’m impressed you reached 100mph first, that’s a big feat for any engine. But honestly? I’ve been around so long, Flying Scotsman. I’ve seen the life and death of a lot of engines, I’ve met engines older and younger than you. You’d have to do something crazy to impress me.”
The younger engine took that as a challenge. “Fine. I’ll do something to impress you.” And he went quiet before speaking up again.
“Have you seen these red strings everywhere?” He asked, eyes on the other tracks as he noticed them everywhere.
“I have. The younger ones are calling them strings of fate. On the end of them are ‘soulmates’ apparently. I’m surprised I even have one! I’m old enough to be the great-great-great grandfather in a family sense!” He snorted, looking at his own red string. “BoCo told me I apparently have a ‘silver fox’ going on and that younger engines like older engines!” He laughed. “I think he’s lying to make me feel better.”
Flying Scotsman listened before simply staring at the engine in front of him. Stephenson’s Rocket had a red string? Flying Scotsman could have a chance with him, and Stephenson’s Rocket was definitely a silver fox.
As a famous engine, Scotsman had a desire to be seen with other famous engines. One reason as to why he chatted with City of Truro and kept in touch with Princess Maggie Rose and Sentinel Joyce. Being with famous engines made Scotsman not only feel better about himself, but also gave him a sense of security.
Which was why he was so annoyed and upset when the one and only Stephenson’s Rocket didn’t even seemed phased that he was in the presence of such a well known engine, if not the most well known engine of all!
It was disgraceful!
But surprisingly Scotsman was totally into it?
The way this engine simply brushed him off like he was nothing tempted Scotsman so much more and made his boiler bubble in anger but also desire.
He wanted to prove to the old engine that he was something to be awed at!
“Anyway, I think Thomas also called me a ‘zaddy’ once, whatever that word means.” Stephen chuckled, snapping Scotsman out of this thoughts.
His face went pink. “Thomas called you zaddy?!” He asked, choking on his shock and surprise.
“Yeah he did! I tried asking him what that meant but he just kept giggling with Percy so I never actually got an answer from him.” Stephen hummed.
Scotsman’s face flushed darker, staring down at the engine before him. “It uh, it’s basically a hot older man but uh, fashionable…”
“Oh that’s nice of them.”
“No it’s more than a compliment.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
His mouth dropped. “That’s all you can say? ‘Interesting’? He was basically flirting with you!”
Stephen laughed at that. “I’m certain he wasn’t! You younger engines get worked up far too easily.”
Scotsman gaped at him more. Surely Stephensons Rocket wasn’t this dense! He had to know people were flirting with him! He stared down at the smaller engine in surprise and shock, wondering if Stephen just didn’t see it that way cause he was so old.
He saw Knapford station come into view and he whistled, managing to get the points changed so he could pull up to the platform.
Stephen came rolling into the station beside him, letting out a whistle as he came to a stop.
He finally took in the sight of Flying Scotsman and smiled. “It’s nice to actually meet you Scotsman. I’m Stephenson’s Rocket, but you can call me Stephen.” He hummed, happy to rest his wheels as he parked at the platform.
Flying Scotsman opened his mouth to say something but the arrival of Sir Topham Hatt interrupted them. “Ah perfect! You’re both here!” He said happily. “You two will be going to Knapford sheds for photos and an interview with this railway historian. I expect you both to be on your best behaviour. Especially you, Flying Scotsman, since you are a guest on my railway.”
Both engines muttered a yes and rolled off to Knapford sheds.
Once parked and stationed at the sheds, the two engines began to talk to each other more, mainly about the other famous engines. “How is City of Truro? I met him once or twice in my life time.” Stephen asked.
“Surviving. Still a bumbling idiot.” Scotsman snorted.
“He’s always been one. He’s not a bad engine to look upon though. He’s a nice shape. Quite regal looking.” He hummed, thinking back to the different times when he had met the engine. “Even if he always does say the first thing on his boiler.” He snorted.
Scotsman rolled his eyes. “He’s very regal looking. Unfortunately his way with words is awful. He once said that Lady Patricia had a ‘fat tender’. Got her riled up and got him hounded upon.” He huffed.
That got a laugh from Stephen, the smaller engine remembering things that City of Truro had said to him. “I remember when we first met, actually. Poor engine couldn’t even form a sentence!”
The larger green engine scowled at that, remembering exactly why City of Truro was so speechless. “Yes I remember why he was so dumbstruck! The idiot had a crush on you! All us famous engines do!” He snorted before his eyes went wide. “Fuck you weren’t meant to hear that.”
The silence that followed was incredibly awkward for both of them. Scotsman looked everywhere but at Stephen and Stephen for once was stumped on how to reply.
How could he reply to that statement?
“I see…” Stephen hummed, soon looking at Scotsman with a smug look after he remembered what BoCo told him. “So every famous engine has a crush on me?” He asked.
“Y-Yes.”
“Dooeeeesssss that include you?”
The larger engine refused to reply, his face red. Stephen laughed loudly at that, watching the big engine clamp up and become embarrassed.
“I’m sure your soulmate is waiting for you somewhere!” Scotsman said with a cough, trying hard to ignore the older engines smug smirk.
“Well, Scotsman, if you actually spent time down to earth and stopped looking up you’d find that our strings have actually been linked since we first bumped into each other.” Stephen said matter-of-factly, sounding far too smug about it all.
Scotsman was surprised, the older engines eyes snapping to stare in shock at Stephen. “And you just—what—you didn’t—why didn’t you say anything?!” Scotsman yelled at him, face bright red as he tried to think straight. “You just let me embarrass myself like that?”
“You never asked.” Stephen hummed, rolling his eyes playfully. “Next time, just get your head out of the clouds and come down to earth. Besides, I didn’t expect a youngin to be so in to me. Makes me feel young.” He chuckled, soon perking up when he saw the railway historian rush over excitedly.
“We can talk more later.” Stephen said to Scotsman and giving him a wink, watching the bigger engine flush bright red, almost matching James’s coat.
Hours later and BoCo watched how Stephen rolled down the tracks happily, a pink cheeked Flying Scotsman following behind him like a love struck puppy. Fuck we need to stop comparing him to a dog.
He rolled his eyes, happy that Stephen found someone to be with.
“It’s almost sickening.” Thomas said with a hum, parked beside BoCo as he watched the two talk. “Like, I’m happy, but I’ve never seen an engine so love struck. And I’ve been watching James and Edward all day!”
“Mhm. I am glad Stephen found his match. I know so many engines who wanted him and are gonna be devastated that he’s no longer single.” BoCo chuckled softly.
Thomas chuckled too. “True. I wonder if he’ll call him ‘zaddy’. Or maybe daddy. I don’t know what Scotsman likes.”
That got a laugh from BoCo. “I tried to tell Stephen that he was a silver fox! I don’t think he believed me. Or if he did he hid it very well.”
“Oh he definitely hid that. He’s old but he’s not stupid.” Thomas hummed, watching the two disappear from sight. “I wonder if Scotsman knows that sleeping with an older engine is not called daddy issues but caring for the elderly.”
“Who knows.” BoCo hummed. “But we should warn no one to go to the castle, I’m certain we’ll hear them busting buffers.”
“Loud and clanky and annoying.”
“Overbearing.”
“Yeah it’ll sound like an explosion.”
“Of fun!” Percy added, having just caught the end of Flying Scotsman’s two tenders disappearing down the track. “Do you think he has a you-know-what kink?”
“Huh?” Thomas asked before realising. “Oh you mean daddy kink? Absolutely. No questions asked.”
“Why doesn’t Percy just say ‘daddy’?” BoCo asked.
“Oh Percy doesn’t like the word he says it sounds weird so he doesn’t say it.”
“Huh. Understandable.”