And just as he had finally gotten them all the way shut. A scowl immediately pulled on the features of his metallic grey face.
“Of all days, not today…” the large Tender locomotive gritted his teeth through every letter, unable to ignore the infuriating trundle of those six small wheels, or the puffing of that short stumpy funnel.
“Why don’t you work hard, like me?”
The little blue Tanker let off a wheesh of steam next to the bigger engine. He cackled as Gordon’s eyes darted down to glare daggers at him.
“Surely you have plenty better to do than harass me.”
“Not really no. It’s been a slow day. And now that your big fat tender made it back into the sidings, it’s gonna be even slower!”
Gordon’s face flushed a darker colour. Gunmetal grey with a burning cherry threatening to brighten the more flustered he became.
“Listen here you little sh-“
“I’m just saying, Gordie. Better not nap in these sidings, I don’t know if I’ll be able to shunt you out of here if your fire dies.”
Thomas laughed with a mischievous grin plastered to his youthful features. As Gordon let off a harsh exhale of hot steam, the small Tanker disappeared into a flurry of shimmering particles. When they caught the sunlight just right, the colours shifted into shades of blues.
Gordon coughed, more out of annoyance and to show his irritation than anything. He had to blink in the haze for a moment to find the little blue tank engine again.
“Just how much audacity can one engine have? You know very well you shouldn’t be doing that here.”
“What? You jealous I look better in this shape?” Thomas retorted with a smirk, and pulled his fingers through his messy indigo locks. He brushed off his red trousers, pulling on the rounded edges of his blue waist coat to straighten the material. The scarlet necktie around his neck set the collar of his dark navy blue shirt in place.
Thomas now grinned up at Gordon from a human body. Or…Human-ish, rather. His short stumpy funnel, short stumpy boiler and short stumpy dome now replaced by a short stumpy young man. Well, short and stumpy to the grand locomotive beside him, the one eyeing the Tanker with a look of utter contempt.
“No.” Gordon sighed, shutting his eyes for a moment as he exhaled. A wheesh of scalding steam accompanied his mannerism. “It’s not proper. We are at work. And you are still working, little Thomas.”
“Bossy boiler.” Thomas chortled with a chuckle to himself. The engine, now shaped like an adolescent rascal, hopped off the tracks and down onto the gravel.
He took it in, the way the tiny stones and hardened soil crunched beneath his boot. The utter freedom to put his feet anywhere he pleased, not just let them roll forward along the tracks set in place.
The little tank engine revelled in it. Every step he took, every bound from the track beside Gordon to the other, was an adventure. A rush. That tiny echo reminding him of his own free will.
Gordon could huff and puff all he wanted. Thomas would enjoy this ability, whether or not the bigger engines approved.
“Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but like it or not, your actions reflect on us all. That includes your recklessness.”
“Ughhhh you’re such a bore!” Thomas called to the express engine. He was already across the shunting yard. He jumped into the air, once again bursting into a flock of tiny lights that took physical form once more as the little blue tank engine. His heavy chassis rocked to the side before all six wheels nestled against the tracks properly.
“If all you’re gonna do is lecture me then you might as well go back to sleep, lazy bones.”
Gordon huffed loudly. “Just stop yapping and fetch me my coaches. I’d like to see you pull the express, you wouldn’t be such a little termite then.”
As a whistle sounded behind him, the large express locomotive slowly moved back along the tracks, ready for another train that day.
No rest for the weary express.
Playing around with writing certain bits of my AU as chapters, more or less following beats from the TV series including original characters and even mild crossovers. If people like this and would read on let me know!
Oh and for shits and gigs anon asks are open again. Feel free to go anon if you wanna send something for the funsies- but have in mind if I receive anything nasty or mean I will delete it straight away or put it on blast for banter. 🫶 you’ve been warned! All I ask is we keep it civil 💖✨