Tintin x Reader

Chapter 16

Tintin watched as you staggered back to your cabin. "I hope seasickness isn't taking its toll on her," he murmured. "Poor (y/n)."

He glanced toward the spot where you disappeared down the hallway. He had every intention to help you make your way back to your cabin, being the gentleman he was, but you waved him off earlier mentioning that you could manage.

He sighed. He just wanted to help, really. Then he almost fell from his chair from the sudden jerk of the ship. He noticed the people around him seemed to have felt it too, judging from the unnecessary commotion there were making.

Snowy jumped up from his sleeping position, and realizing you were gone, barked towards your direction. It indicated the reporter to see how you were coping.

Then the reporter scrambled to his feet. He let go of the book on his lap, only then realizing if you actually tolerated the sudden movement without puking. He rushed towards the hallway you went into, only to see you hunched over, clutching the side railing. He noticed your back rise and fall at an unsteady rate, making you seem out of breath.

He immediately went over to you, and he pulled your arm up gently. Once your eyes meet his, you really looked sickly.

"I'm surprised you haven't lost your lunch yet," he said, smiling but you heard the concern laced in his voice.

You nodded. "Didn't I tell you I could manage this?"

Tintin looked you up and down, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," you admitted. "I could use a little help." You heard the reporter laugh from a little behind you. You took a deep breath and straightened up your stance, recovering from the 'almost vomiting' incident.

You began to look for the white wire fox terrier. Tintin noticed this and answered, "He's by the chairs, wanting to finish his 'nap'."

"You left him with the book?!"

The realization hit him. The chances of Mr. Notus trying to get his hands on whatever clue he could get is slowly rising higher by the second. Then Snowy's sharp bark bounced through the hallway.

"Snowy?" Tintin called, looking at the direction he came. The bark was there once again. You could sense the worry plastered on Tintin's face, but he was tending to you, until you told him, "Tintin, I'm alright. Go and see to Snowy, hurry!"

He nodded and dashed towards the exit. He noticed the people around looking at a direction, and his head turned.

There was a stranger – male, apparently – wearing a dark brown cardigan and khaki pants reaching down to his ankles, and underneath his arm was the family book.

"Stop!" Tintin yelled, in pursuit of the male. Snowy ran after his owner, barking like there was no tomorrow, as he dodged through the feet of other unsuspecting passengers.

"Hey!"

"Look out!"

"Watch it, kid!"

"What was that?!" Those were some of the dialogues heard by Tintin and the terrier, as they dashed towards the red-handed thief.

Now, back to you.

Watching the dashing reporter run to the way he came, you began to hear shouts from passengers, occasional barks from Snowy, and Tintin's unmistakable voice ringing through your ears, saying, "Stop!" You wondered what the commotion was about, noticing the thundering of footsteps nearing the end of the hallway you were in.

You eyed the long array of cabins, hoping no one steps out, and broke into a run. Well, not exactly a run. More of like a brisk walk.

Still feeling sickly, you made it to the end of the corridor and made a turn to the right.

Suddenly you saw a flash of brown, a little blue, and possibly white...? Before proper shapes formed before your eyes, you were knocked down by a brown figure, your frame landing hard onto the wooden floors of the deck.

The person you were knocked down by got thrown down as well, seeing a figure groaning next to where you lay. You sensed a dull pain on the back of your head, and propping yourself up on your elbows, you rubbed the painful spot.

"Wha... WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" you screeched, facing the male. You noticed he landed with his back on the upside, so you figured he had a nasty fall.

But so did you. And you weren't happy about it.

You then caught a glance of the family book a little distance from the stranger's outstretched hand. You immediately got to your feet, and dove towards the book, successfully snatching it out of the male's grasp.

Tintin caught up easily, seeing the wide berth given by the other passengers. But by then the people had gotten over the commotion, and resumed to minding their own business. It was fortunate that neither the Captain of the ship – which was named Djebel Amilah* - or the crew had come to notice of the chase.

Tintin grew wary of the male that had gotten up, still groaning out of pain. The reporter then rushed to you and made sure you were alright. You and Tintin cornered the stealer, his back against the wall.

Although his brown hair was falling over his eyes, you could tell over his features that he was frightened, but also he was the same age of around you and Tintin.

"Why did you take this book?" Tintin confronted, his voice firm.

Suddenly, Captain Haddock's voice boomed from the corridor.

"Troglodytes! Ostrogoths! Swine!"

"Oh dear," you breathed, turning to look back. Two of the Djebel Amilah's crew were dragging Captain Haddock out of what seemed like the one of the storage rooms of the ship. Leaving Tintin to interrogate the young male, you rushed over to the trio. The two sailors threw Captain Haddock out the door, and before they could close it again, you approached the sailors, but tending to the Captain first.

"Hey," you heard one of the sailors say in an American accent. You looked up and he continued, "Do you know this guy?" After getting Captain Haddock up to his feet, you answered, "Yes, I do. He's my uncle. May I please know why he was thrown out of..." you peered into the room, seeing tons of crates. "whatever was in that room?

Once Haddock heard the word 'uncle', you gave him a sideways glance, your eyes practically saying, 'Just shut up and play along.' It was a good thing he understood, nodding fervently.

"Well," the second sailor started, giving Captain Haddock a dirty look. So this 'thing' Captain has done, you thought, must be pretty bad. Captain Haddock shied away, shuffling a little behind you. It was then you caught the unmistakable smell of whiskey on him.

My suspicions have been confirmed.

"Your uncle here, drank two whole bottles of Loch Lomond."

"Two bottles?!" You whisper-shouted to Captain. Then you raised your voice so the pair of sailors could hear you. "Uncle, you have a serious – let me repeat – serious drinking problem."

The sailor added, "From the Captain's private collection of whiskey bottles."

You wanted to facepalm. After a quick apology from you and Captain (and ensuring them that it wouldn't happen again), you dragged him off to Tintin's interrogation spot.

"Really," you hissed to Captain. "Two whole bottles of Loch Lomond? Are you kidding me? In the Captain's private whiskey collection? And you're not even drunk!"

Captain Haddock looked guilty. "(y/n), could you supposedly do me a favor?"

You slapped your hand against your forehead. "Fine, fine! What is it?"

"Just let the whole escapade stay unknown to Tintin," he whispered. 

You cocked your head to face him. "And why should I?" you retorted, frowning. 

Captain Haddock chuckled nervously. "Tintin made me promise to him to refrain from drinking until the end of next week, and I don't think he'd be quite happy of what had happened."

You didn't choose to respond.   

The idea for naming the boat 'Djebel Amilah' came solely from the book of 'The Crab with the Golden Claws', so I don't own it at all.