1.4 Gentle Touches [Halo] [Linda-058]
I have started a short series with Halo and all the Spartans deserve some gentle touches and kisses. This lowkey might be a Blue Team x fem! reader, so here we go...feedback is always appreciated!
1.4 Linda-058
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0800 Hours, July 16, 2545 (Military Calendar)/UNSC Destroyer Bloodhound
Their first meeting should not have rattled Linda the way it did. She would never admit this to anyone but had a feeling you knew. It was part of being a Spartan to handle marines and civilians gawking at them like idols wherever they were stationed. People tended to treat Spartans like living legends, marveling at the advanced technology of their Mjolnir armor and the superhuman abilities they possessed.
But you didn’t.
Not once did you look upon the Spartan and see anything other than a person. And for whatever reason that had been the one thing that unnerved Linda the most besides those assessing eyes that felt like they could see beneath the suit. “Dr. [L/n], this is Spartan-058.” And Doctor [Y/n] [L/n] gave her the kindest smile that anyone had ever given the Spartan.
"It's an honor to meet you, Spartan-058," you said, your voice filled with a warmth that she had never heard used with any of them before. It was gentle like you were talking with an old friend yet with a professional tone as if you were speaking with colleagues. Linda stood there, clad in her Mjolnir armor and she felt exposed in a way she hadn't before. She nodded slightly in acknowledgment but chose to remain silent, she almost felt a bit out of her element. “Though I must say referring to you by a number makes you seem more like a machine than human.”
No one had ever questioned their designations before, at least never to their faces. Even the captain introducing them shifted uncomfortably at your comment, but the doctor remained unfazed. Those eyes flicked to the captain and pinned him with a stare like you were prompting him to say something. And Linda couldn’t help but be a little impressed as your commanding officer squirmed under that gaze. You looked back at her and smiled again, this time extending your hand out in greeting. “I look forward to working with you,” Linda only looked down at the offer that you extended her way, this was different to what she was used to. But she wasn’t against it, this was new and she was intrigued. Linda hesitated for a moment as the familiarity of the gesture felt foreign, but there was something in your eyes that strangely reassured her. Slowly, she accepted the handshake and was surprised to note the warmth that emanated from your hand.
"Likewise, Doctor [L/n]," Linda finally answered and your eyes sparkled with delight. There was almost a teasing tone in them as if you wanted to comment but were reframing.
“Please, just [Y/n]. I have no desire to be referred to by my last name anymore. Especially with someone who I will be spending much of my time with.”
The captain, still visibly uneasy, managed to mumble a few words to the doctor before excusing himself. Left alone with you, Linda felt a shift in the atmosphere as a relaxed tone trailed in as you began giving her the tour of the ship, unprompted. You navigated the ship with ease, pointing out various areas and explaining their functions without expecting her to respond. Throughout the tour, Linda observed the genuine passion you had for your work. Your explanations were not just about the technical aspects of the ship, but also about the people who manned it and the collaborative efforts that went into everything.
As you reached the bridge, Linda couldn't help but note the efficiency with which you interacted with the crew. The respect and camaraderie they displayed towards you was evident and she could see why. You knew everyone by name and didn’t hesitate to greet them as they passed by. Toward the end of the tour, you stopped in front of a door. “And this is where we have you staying, my room is just a few doors down if you ever need anything.” You swiped your hand on the access pad for the biometric scan, the door sliding open. “I was going to try to make it homey but I had no idea what Spartans like.” The room was standard-issued but it was the flowers on the desk that caught her attention. “The only thing I could think of to welcome you was flowers and chocolates ‘cause who doesn’t like those?” And for a moment, Linda was taken aback.
It was a small, unexpected gesture that went against the usual Spartan protocol. A pop of color in a blank room. Linda turned her head towards the scientist and studied you for a moment. She found herself facing a situation she hadn't prepared for, a situation no one had trained her for and she found that a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, perhaps this assignment wouldn't be as rigid as the others. And in a softer monotone voice, one that she only used with the other Spartans, she finally said, "Thank you."
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1300 Hours, August 18, 2545 (Military Calendar)/UNSC Destroyer Bloodhound
It had been a month at this point since Linda had been assigned to protect the scientist, and to her surprise, you had gotten a handful of conversations out of her when on the field together as you researched forerunner structures. The rest of Blue team would be shocked to hear it and it had a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips as she thought about it. Honestly, some parts of you had reminded her of Kelly, and other parts reminded her of John, specifically your stubbornness. Sometimes she even saw bits of Fred, and she had grown comfortable around you. The silence that would often settle around them never felt like it needed to be filled with chatter.
The mission that was set for planetside had been abruptly canceled and Linda was left with a free schedule. She had been used to following after the doctor as you hoped around the planet looking through each structure with the excitement of a child. It took less than a day to understand why they assigned a Spartan to watch over the doctor. The ODSTs and marines wouldn’t be able to keep up as you had a habit of constantly disappearing and wandering off, one that Linda had to quickly adapt herself to. She almost wished for the rest of Blue team to be here, not that she had trouble with you but to ensure your safety even further. You never once hesitated to share any discoveries you made and often ramble off to her, in a way to put your thoughts together. Or it would be a constant quiet as you examined. There was no in-between.
With the free time she had, Linda spent the next three hours in the gym, out of her MJOLNIR armor for the first time in months. It felt strange and made her feel exposed, but the ship AI wouldn’t let her use the gym otherwise.
The rhythmic thud of her boots echoed through the corridor as she made her way back to her quarters. The ship's halls hummed with a low vibration as she turned the corner and the familiar figure in the middle of the hall had her stopping.
“Doctor?” Linda called out after a minute. You were standing there seemingly engrossed in a datapad, lost in thought. A noise of surprise leaves you as you look up,
“Oh, hello Spartan,” Then look back down before your head shoots up again with your brows furrowed and something akin to shock crosses your features as you stare at her before giving her a warm smile. “Nice to see you out of that armor, 058, I was starting to think it was your whole personality.” You teased. Linda couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at your playful comment, this teasing had started opening into a new layer to whatever dynamic had been playing between the two lately.
"I could say the same about you and that datapad," she retorted, a hint of amusement in her tone. You gave her a shrug in total agreement. The two of you stood there for a moment, the ship's hum providing a subtle background to the conversation. Linda took a step closer, without her armor on there was barely any barrier between you and her. "Is there something on that datapad that has your attention?"
You glanced down at the device with a thoughtful expression. "Just some data analysis, nothing too exciting that you haven’t heard from me yet. I was actually on my way to the mess hall for a quick break. Care to join me?"
Linda hesitated for a moment, she was still not accustomed to casual invitations you sent her way but this was the first time you had invited her alone with none of the crew present. She gave a subtle nod knowing you would be able to catch it. Perhaps different was okay…It was something she was learning to appreciate with you.
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0700 Hours, September 3, 2545 (Military Calendar)/UNSC Destroyer Bloodhound
The morning was slow compared to the others, there was no planetside mission today with the rain drenching the planet. But that never stopped you from working away with that current data available as you poured her some coffee and patted the spot next to you, silently inviting her to join. Silence had become a part of their everyday dance, it was comfortable and chatter never needed to fill the air around them.
"Why do you treat me like this? Like I'm just a person, not a Spartan." Linda broke the silence that hung in the air. She had been curious this entire time, the reactions she got from the soldiers, the crew, and the others on this ship were the usual, no one reacted the same way as you.
The scientist paused, looking at her with a thoughtful expression that seemed almost confused. "Because you are a person…?" The answer ended in a question like you were unsure how else to explain. Like Linda had proposed a trick question.
And for her, your answer was enough. The quiet settled once more and Linda was left with her thoughts before you spoke up once more.
“If I ever meet the Master Chief should I give him flowers?” You asked with a playful glint in your eyes and Linda finds herself chuckling softly. She would pay to see you give flowers to John, he wouldn’t know how to react, and the image of him holding a delicate bouquet in his armor almost had her snorting. Linda really couldn’t stop the grin that graced her lips.
“As long as you make them as pink as possible.” Kelly would double over in a fit of laughter and hold it over John’s head for the rest of their lives.
“Noted,”
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0900 Hours, November 16, 2545 (Military Calendar)/UNSC Destroyer Bloodhound
Linda-058 knew her mission had been completed the moment you finished the last of the reports and submitted them that evening. But for some reason, she felt…off about it, like she was disappointed but at the same time was eager to see the rest of Blue team and her Spartans again.
Her family.
But then she thought about you and felt something tugging at her and she couldn’t identify it. ‘This is bittersweet,’ Linda thought to herself finally. She had been meditating on the feeling for hours before she was called to the command room, but it was seeing you that had her figuring it out. She enjoyed your company and the comfort you brought and she was going to miss it. Linda was going to miss you. ‘Huh, how interesting.’ she thought as you stared at her with sad eyes as soon as the debriefing was over, leaving the two of you alone.
“It’s been an honor, Spartan,” you muttered softly. “It was a pl-”
“Linda,” She said quietly, cutting you off and the scientist looked up at her in surprise. The silence had settled around them before a smile broke out on your lips. “Well, it’s a pleasure to properly meet you, Linda. I hope I can see you again,” And Linda hoped it too.
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0600 Hours, January 5, 2547 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Carrier Stalingrad
Truly, Linda had been pleasantly surprised when she had to drop off the artifact at the laboratory, only to find you being the leading department head. “One moment please,” You called out even before she entered the lab. Your focus was ever directed toward the datapad and the scene brought a small smile to her lips, if there was one thing that didn’t seem to change, it was you. Linda took only two steps into the room before your head was snapping up like you recognized the footfalls, your brows furrowed and you just stared at her and tilted your head before a smile touched your lips. Your attention turned completely to her, like nothing else mattered. “Hello, Linda,” you say as softly as she remembers and the sound of her name on your lips made her feel things she hadn’t before.
It was later in the evening when Linda had decided to take your offer to eat dinner together in the mess hall that the thought had crossed her mind. More specifically when she watched two marines embrace that she wondered about it. Physical affection had never been something that Spartans ever strived for, she had seen you on a number of times hug others in greeting or comfort when she first met the doctor. And now, Linda couldn’t help but be curious, she wondered if you would be as soft as your personality or as warm against her as the smiles you always give her. If Kelly or Fred could only hear her thoughts, they would be shocked and Linda found herself giving a small chuckle at the thought that caught your attention.
You simply raised your brow at her and she just went back to her meal. You knew you weren’t going to get an answer from her. But your eyes flickered to where she had been looking and a thoughtful expression graced your features but the scientist didn’t say anything.
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1500 Hours, January 6, 2547 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Carrier Stalingrad
The huff of frustration that escaped the doctor caused the corners of her lips to twitch. Linda didn’t need to open her eyes to see your annoyed expression as you worked to figure out that artifact. Truly, you hadn’t changed at all and it’s how she found herself meditating in your lab just as it was over a year ago. “If you scowl any harder at it, your face may permanently freeze like that.” She commented, "And then where would we be?"
“Still glaring at this thing,” you mutter, she felt your gaze shift onto her. “And displayed in a museum because of how perfect I look.”
“Your confidence knows no bounds,”
You let out a snort, “I can be so much worse, Lin, I don’t have anything on Sergeant Johnson.” And the room fell quiet as the Spartan simply opened her eyes and stared at you before raising a brow.
“Lin?”
You shrugged, looking a little bashful, “Sorry, slip of the tongue.” and Linda smiled at you.
“I like it.”
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1300 Hours, January 8, 2547 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Carrier Stalingrad
Standby wasn’t anything unusual but to have a Spartan on standby for this long wasn’t normal unless they were expecting an attack. Linda had been on edge for the last few days more so because of the doctor on the ship. She was worried for you, as a Spartan, worry wasn't a common emotion, yet here she was, something she found herself doing more often than not. What did catch her slightly off guard one uneventful evening was you grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. She felt herself tense for a moment before relaxing.
The touch was unexpected, and Linda's gaze met yours with a raised eyebrow. Your expression remained calm as a small smile blossomed. "It's not a weakness to care, Lin.” Being mindful of her strength, she squeezed your hand back. She had guessed you had field training with how quickly and aware of your surroundings you always were but the strength you held her hand with was comforting. She found her thumb running across the back of your palm, your hand was soft against hers. “Can I hug you?” You asked, never breaking eye contact.
The question hung in the air, a small smile played on her lips, and she nodded in response to your question. "Yes, you can,"
The warmth of your embrace felt oddly comforting, the scent of your hair, the gentle rise and fall of your chest against hers—it was all so human. "I appreciate you," you whispered, and she found herself copying your action and holding you close to her.
“I have a request,” she muttered and you held her tighter.
“Go on,”
“Can you show me how to cuddle?”
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0900 Hours, June 21, 2549 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Destroyer Hera
It would be a lie if Linda said a part of her wasn’t excited to see the scientist again. What were the chances that you were on the same ship Blue team was being transferred too. She knew you would be able to tell her apart from the other Spartans clad in the green armor and Linda was only proven right when you entered the commanding room and those assessing eyes landed straight on them. The smile that tugged at your lips signified you knew she was here. “Ah! [Y/n], I wasn’t expecting you up here this quickly. I was debriefing the Spartans on their indefinite stay until further notice.” The Captain said as you walked up your datapad ever present in your hands.
“I had a feeling I was going to see someone I knew today and I couldn’t help running up here. Though this was still a surprise.” You say, greeting her team with a soft ‘hello’ that had Fred shifting next to her like he hadn’t expected such a gentle formality. Linda hadn’t told the rest of her team about you, she had been quiet about the mission overall and they never pushed to know more. They knew she would share if she needed or wanted to.
The Captain simply gave you a confused look that you shrugged off, obviously, you had heard a squad of Spartans was being transferred temporarily. But it was an utter delight that Linda-058 was among them. You handed off the datapad to the Captain letting him know that all the information he asked for was detailed in it before turning toward them. “Let me personally welcome you four onto the UNSC Hera, if any of you need anything at all please don’t hesitate to come find me. My lab is stationed on Deck 4, section L-7.” As your eyes drifted across all four of them, her fellow spartans all made subtle shifts that had her give a small smile.
They had all felt it too, that feeling like you could see straight through the armor to them. But what they didn’t catch was the personal invitation that you extended out to her with those words. You knew how Spartans were, you knew that they wouldn't come find you.
But she would. And Linda knew exactly where her scientist would be.
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2100 Hours, June 21, 2549 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Destroyer Hera
The fingers that gently ran through her hair were a danger she forgot. They were going to knock her out in a minute and your soft humming wasn’t helping. Linda was glad for once they were assigned separate rooms instead of bunking together because John and Fred would come to hunt her down if she never came back because she wasn’t leaving this room unless the covenant appeared.
She had missed this. She had missed you.
You insisted that she lay on you, her head against your chest to give her a reprieve, saying “when was the last time you rested. You can be the big spoon tomorrow.” and she had barely put up a fight, eager to just have you close. She couldn't deny the warmth that spread through her as she lay there, the steady rhythm of your heartbeat beneath her serving as a comforting lullaby, each beat a reassurance that you were alive. Your fingers continued their soothing trail through her hair, and Linda couldn't help but close her eyes, and fully relax against you, feeling the rise and fall of your breath beneath her.
This was the only time she felt…decent out of her armor was when she was with you, held lovingly against her. You were safe and whole. Untouched from dangers at the moment and it was all Linda could ask for.
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1800 Hours, June 28, 2549 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Destroyer Hera
The last week had been filled with back-to-back missions but each time Blue team came back to the UNCS Hera, they would notice Linda disappearing but no one commented on it. She had been at the top of her game more than usual lately and the best way any of them could explain it was that Linda was bouncing in a way they haven’t really seen before. Of course, this meant that Linda hardly saw you during the day, often having to leave notes for you as she departed your quarters, or hers. Somehow you had gotten a spartan-sized bed moved into your room and when she asked about it, you simply smiled at her.
Normally you would have responded by now to the note, you have access to her room after all, but there was nothing. There generally were only two reasons for that, one you were far too absorbed into your research and had forgotten. Which was very plausible knowing you, or, two, you were deliberately avoiding the message, but she trusted you enough to believe there might be a good reason. That was also the least likely scenario. She and the rest of Blue team were in the mess hall when she spotted you walking in with your colleagues, a few of them friends that you had spoken highly about during your nights together. But the datapad in your hand gave away what you had been doing together, it was work that kept you away. Your eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, guilt flickered in your gaze before you turned to the other said a few words, and headed towards the table the Spartans were at.
As you approached the table, Linda was already giving you her full attention, something she was sure the other three were noting when she saw Kelly raise a brow at her. All four of them were out of their armor which was currently being repaired. Things had gotten..out of hand during their latest mission.
"I forgot to say something, but I'll be done around 2100, if you wanna come to the lab." Linda's eyes flicker to your datapad before nodding.
"Busy with work again?" she asked, her tone light but there was a distinct note of concern in it that had you smile.
“Yeah, I’m sorry for any worry, it’s been a hectic week.” Your eyes took on the shine that she adored when you were excited about something. “But I can’t wait to show you the breakthroughs on what we had! Oh! And the repairs on your armor are going well, I think you’ll like the updates I’m making!”
Before she could comment, it was Fred who spoke up, “I thought the engineering team was doing repairs?”
“They fall under [Y/n]’s department and she likes to pitch in and make some personal enhancements that would give Halsey a run for her money,” Linda answers, earning a look of surprise from all of them. One for the fact that she knew it was your department and she kept tabs on that and two, that Linda knew you well enough to make a comparison to Dr. Halsey. She turned her attention back to the scientist. "We'll be working out till 2100, but I can meet you after."
"Sounds great, make sure you shower, I'm not dealing with a sweaty Spartan," You tease, making a show by scrunching up your nose and Linda's eyes glimmer in amusement. You glanced over your shoulder back at your friends before giving a small wave to the Spartans. "Then I'll see you later, Lin.' It was lovely to see you Blue team." And Linda just hummed in confirmation.
What you missed while walking away was Fred choking on his water before looking at Linda with an open mouth. Even Kelly and the Master Chief were looking at her with an arched brow. Hardly anything shocked them but for Linda to be called Lin, not one of them expected it, or for Linda to be apparently that close with a civilian.
"Lin?" Fred asked. Linda glances at him before going back to her meal, not even bothering to acknowledge their questions. She didn't feel the need to share about [Y/n] just yet.
