Tintin x Reader

Chapter 25

After exiting the train station, your group of four began walking out onto the streets of England. Tintin was quick to hail a cab, that you were grateful for, and as a black taxi cab rolled to a stop in front of you, the driver reached behind from his seat and slid open a door to the passengers' seats.

Before climbing aboard the black vehicle, you took a moment to appreciate how lovely the taxicabs in England looked like. A small smile crept onto your face as you were the last to clamber inside the surprisingly spacious compartment. You and Captain Haddock were seated on the padded seats, while Tintin and Max sat on top of the 'fold-down' seats provided, which were facing you and the Captain.

The driver from the front asked in his thick accent, "Where are you lot headed?"

Tintin turned from his seat, and replied, "To the nearest airport, please."

"Ah, that would be Gatwick Airport."

The car's engine rumbled to life, and the cab lurched into motion. The cab ride was rather quiet, idle chatter would rise every now and then, but maybe you noted that no one was really in the mood for conversation then, for all of you were too occupied with feasting your eyes on the bustling streets beyond the taxi windows.

It had been a tiring journey, that you knew, and once you've reached your destination at New Zealand, that's when the long-awaited treasure hunt begins. Excitement gnawed away at you, and you could do little to stop it. As you drifted further into your thoughts, the world outside whizzed into a blurry scape, morphing into an array of colors, together with shapes and figures you couldn't exactly distinguish from one another.

A tap, a very light pressure on your shoulder that almost went unnoticed, and a voice pulled you away from your reverie.

"(Y/n)," Max, who was seated across you, called. From looking outside the window, your head craned to meet his eyes. "We're here."

You realized that Captain was already out of the car, Tintin following closely behind with Snowy at his heels. You hopped down the cab, together with Max, and the fare was paid to the driver. With a tip of his hat, the driver sped off.

The airport was not the busiest place, when compared to the train station, but there were a considerable amount of people lingering here and there. You took a short walk from the sidewalk the cab dropped you off at towards the looming building of the airport.

Before entering the doors, you noticed that Tintin had stopped, crouching down to Snowy's level. The journalist's hand fished around in his brown satchel and pulled out a red leash and collar. Snowy's head tilted to the side while Tintin carefully fastened the collar and clipped on the leash.

When you asked why a leash was necessary, Tintin replied, "Oh, the last time Snowy and I were in an airport, the staff didn't take it too kindly. I was reprimanded, saying that dogs were required to be on a leash. And as much as I would want to let Snowy be, I don't want to get into that kind of trouble again. But Snowy understands."

As if on cue, the dog yipped.

Your head turned, only to see Captain Haddock open the doors, holding them open for the rest of you.

"Come on, then," Captain barked. "We have a flight to catch."

***

"Are any of you," Max remarked, his hand pointing an accusing finger to you, Tintin and Captain. "Not even in the least hungry?"

The three of you, who were taking a break on the seats in the airport's lounge area, stared up at Max, each with a quizzical look of your own. Max stood, his hands on his hips, as if he was a mother giving a lecture to her children. You were slightly amused with Max, because the more he talked, the more animated his gestures got.

After inquiring about any flights that heading towards New Zealand, your group had been informed that a connecting flight was required, since a single flight covering a huge amount of distance was generally deemed unsafe. Then, the lady behind the counter had also added that there was one flight to leave for America, and there were several flights to many countries, and maybe one of them could be New Zealand.

"The departure time for the flight leaving to America will be within an hour or so," the staff member had said. "And here's the exit you'll use." She pointed to the doors that would lead to the large expanse of the runways, then to the general area where the plane would land.

But it would still be a long journey.

With all the exhausting incidents that had happened within the day, you admitted that it had slipped your mind to eat. But now that Max had mentioned it, you did feel a small rumble emit from your stomach.

Max continued his rant. "We haven't eaten a single meal ever since we left that boat, whatever it was called-"

"Djebel Amilah," Tintin muttered, then coughed against his closed fist.

An irate look was shot towards the young reporter. "Shut up, ginger head. And then we almost got lost in..."

The nickname seemed to have not registered right away with the journalist. A brief moment passed. The journalist was quick to stand to his feet. "Excuse me?" came Tintin's incredulous reply, his tone raised in the slightest. Tintin tolerated monikers, but it usually depended on who spoke them. He had been called 'ginger head' a few times in the past, his copper hair usually being the prime subject for teasing, but he didn't think too much of it. But he absolutely disliked the way Max seemed to be taunting him with the nickname.

Max paused in his explanation, and you could've sworn mischief sparked in his eyes. "You heard me."

The tension between the two young males thickened with each passing second. You and Captain Haddock shared a knowing look, a sigh escaping your lips when the old sea dog merely shrugged his shoulders.

Before the banter could escalate into a full-blown argument, you decided to interject. Standing up, you hushed the two males and said, "Tintin, calm down. Max, if you wanted to eat, you could've just said so. There's nothing to gain from useless bickering."

Tintin exhaled, and returned back to his seat.

"As a matter of fact, lads," Captain began. "We still have some time to kill. Maybe having a quick meal before embarking on our flight isn't such a bad idea."

Hey guys, hoped you like the chapter.  Chapter 25 required quite a bit of research, because I imagined the timeline in the story to be in the 20th century, and things were quite different back then. I tried to be historically accurate, but please, do feel free to correct me if you do see any mistakes with how the events and settings in Chapter 25 were portrayed. 

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope I'll see you all in the next chapter!