Vice Captain Hoshina Soshiro had been making people laugh with his wordplay since he could talk. Kansai dialect lent itself to puns—the rhythm, the double meanings, the way a well-timed joke could cut through tension like one of his tantos. He'd made Kafka snort coffee through his nose. He'd made Reno's eye twitch. He'd even made Mina's lips twitch once, though she'd denied it immediately.
Also hoshina is so cute in that drawing AAAAHHHHH also this is requested by anon!!
So when the new operator arrived at the Third Division, quiet as a mouse, calm as still water, he saw it as a challenge.
Name was efficient. That was the first thing everyone noticed. Fingers flying across the comms panel, voice steady during kaiju alerts, never flustered, never rushed. She spoke when necessary and not a word more. Her eyes were large and dark and seemed to take in everything without judgment.
She was, Kafka observed, "the least chaotic person in this entire base."
"Give it time," Reno said.
"No, I mean it. She doesn't laugh at Iharu's jokes. She doesn't react to Kafka's stories. She just... nods."
Hoshina, listening from across the room, felt something stir in his chest. Not curiosity. Definitely not interest. Just... mild intrigue. Professional fascination.
He decided to test a theory.
The first pun was accidental.
Name was at her station, reviewing patrol routes, when Hoshina walked past. He noticed she'd organized her desk with military precision—pens aligned, sticky notes stacked, a single small succulent in a terracotta pot.
"Nice plant," he said. "Succulents are pretty low-maintenance. Guess you could say they're... un-succ-ulent?"
He waited for the laugh. The groan. The eye roll. Anything.
Name looked up. Tilted her head. Her expression was perfectly blank.
"...?" she said.
Hoshina's smile froze.
"The pun," he said. "Un-succ-ulent? Because succulents are low maintenance, so they're not succulent? Like, not juicy?"
Name blinked. "The plant is not juicy, no."
"That's not—" He stopped. Took a breath. "Never mind."
She went back to her work. He walked away, ears burning.
Kafka appeared at his shoulder. "Did you just try to pun at the new operator?"
"No."
"You definitely did."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You made a succulent pun. To her face. And she didn't get it."
Hoshina's jaw tightened. "She got it."
"She tilted her head like a confused puppy."
"That's her thinking face."
"Her thinking face looked like she was trying to figure out if you'd had a stroke."
Hoshina walked faster. Kafka's laughter followed him down the hallway.
The second pun was deliberate.
Name was in the break room, making tea. She moved with the same quiet precision—kettle, cup, bag, water, wait exactly three minutes before removing. Hoshina watched from the doorway, arms crossed, planning his approach.
"Making tea?" he asked.
She nodded.
"You know, I've heard that tea is the key to a good morning. Some might even call it... brew-tiful."
He grinned. Name looked up. Tilted her head.
"...?" she said.
"Brew-tiful. Like beautiful, but brew, because tea—"
"I understood the wordplay," she said. Her voice was soft, neutral. "I just didn't find it funny."
Hoshina's grin disappeared. "Oh."
"Is it supposed to be funny?"
"Well, yes. That's generally the purpose of a pun."
Name considered this. "I see."
She finished her tea and walked past him without another word. Hoshina stood in the empty break room, questioning every life choice that had led to this moment.
Reno found him there ten minutes later.
"Vice Captain? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"You're staring at the kettle."
"The kettle is fine."
"The kettle has been boiled three times. There's no water left."
Hoshina looked down. Reno was right. He'd been boiling and re-boiling the same empty kettle for ten minutes.
"I'm going to bed," Hoshina said.
"It's 2 PM."
"I'm tired."
He left. Reno turned off the kettle.
The third pun was an accident. He'd stopped trying.
Sort of.
He was reviewing mission reports with Name at her station. She was pointing out a discrepancy in the patrol logs—something small, easily fixed—and Hoshina found himself watching her hands instead of listening. The way her fingers moved across the keyboard. The way her brow furrowed slightly when she concentrated.
"Vice Captain?" she said.
"Sorry. What?"
"The discrepancy. It's in sector seven."
"Right. Sector seven. I'll... handle it."
She nodded. Returned to her work. Hoshina didn't leave.
"You're very calm," he said.
She glanced at him. "Is that a problem?"
"No. It's just... unusual. Everyone here is loud. Except you."
"I prefer quiet."
"Nothing wrong with that."
She didn't respond. But her fingers paused on the keyboard. Just for a second.
"I like the way you organize your reports," he added. "Very... file-ling good."
He didn't even realize he'd done it until the words were out. Name looked at him. Tilted her head.
"...?" she said.
Hoshina wanted to die.
"Filing," he said weakly. "Like file. But also feeling. Because it's... good."
"I see."
"You don't see."
"I see that you made another pun."
"Yes."
"And you're embarrassed."
"No."
"Your ears are red."
Hoshina touched his ear. It was warm. "The lighting in here is bad."
"The lighting is fine."
"The lighting is terrible."
Name looked at him for a long moment. Then, very softly, she said: "I don't understand puns. But I don't mind them."
"You don't?"
"They seem to make you happy."
She turned back to her work. Hoshina stood there, heart doing something strange, and watched her finish the report.
He didn't make a pun for three weeks.
The change was subtle.
Hoshina stopped trying to be clever. Instead, he paid attention. He noticed that Name brought the same lunch every day—rice, vegetables, a small container of pickled plums. He noticed that she sat in the corner of the mess hall, facing the door, always aware of her surroundings. He noticed that she flinched at loud noises but never complained.
He started small.
A book, left on her desk. Not a pun book. A collection of short stories about the ocean. Quiet. Contemplative. The kind of thing she might like.
She found it the next morning. Looked at the cover. Looked at him.
"This is for me?"
"I thought you might enjoy it."
"I don't read fiction."
"Oh." He felt stupid. "I'll return it, then."
"No." She held it closer. "I'll try."
She finished it in two days. Left a note on his desk: The sea is louder than I expected. Thank you.
He bought her another book.
Then a plant for her desk—a second succulent, because she seemed to like the first one. Then a small box of pickled plums, the expensive kind from the specialty shop near the base.
"You're being nice to her," Kafka observed.
"I'm being friendly."
"You're being nice. You remembered her favorite food."
"I have a good memory."
"You remembered her favorite food after seeing her eat it once."
Hoshina didn't answer. Kafka's grin was insufferable.
"You like her."
"I respect her."
"You like her."
"She's a valuable member of the division."
"She's quiet. You're loud. You make puns. She doesn't understand them. You're obsessed."
Hoshina threw a training marker at Kafka's head. Kafka caught it.
"You like her," Kafka repeated.
"Shut up."
"You should ask her out."
"I should demote you."
"You can't demote me. I'm the only one who knows how to fix the coffee machine."
Hoshina walked away. Kafka's laughter followed him down the hallway.
Name started changing.
It was slow. Almost imperceptible. But Hoshina noticed everything.
She said good morning first one day. Not loud, just... present. A small nod, a quiet word. He almost missed it.
She started sitting closer in meetings. Not touching—she never touched—but near enough that he could feel her presence.
She laughed once. At something Kafka said. A small sound, barely more than an exhale, but her eyes crinkled and her shoulders relaxed and Hoshina forgot how to breathe.
"Are you okay?" Reno asked.
"Fine."
"You're staring."
"I'm observing."
"You're staring at Name."
"I'm observing Name."
Reno looked at him. Hoshina looked back.
"You like her," Reno said.
"I'm going to kill Kafka for starting this."
"Kafka didn't start anything. Your heart did."
Hoshina had no response to that.
The discovery happened by accident.
Hoshina was looking for a spare headset. Name's desk was the most organized in the division—if anyone had an extra, it would be there. He asked permission. She nodded. He started searching through her drawers.
The top drawer: office supplies. Second drawer: personal items. Third drawer: books.
Not just books. Her books.
The Ultimate Book of English Puns: 500+ Jokes to Make You Groan.
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Illustrated Edition).
Social Skills for Introverts: A Practical Guide.
A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Sarcasm and Wordplay.
Hoshina stared at the stack. His heart was pounding.
He heard footsteps. Name appeared beside him, her face pale.
"Those are—" she started.
"You've been studying puns."
"Not—not studying. Browsing."
"The spine is cracked. You've read this more than once."
She didn't answer. Her hands were clenched at her sides.
"Why?" he asked.
She looked at the floor. "You like them."
"The puns?"
"Yes. And I don't understand them. So I thought... if I learned..." She trailed off.
"You thought you'd learn to understand my jokes."
"I thought I'd try."
The silence stretched. Hoshina could hear his own heartbeat.
"Name," he said.
"I know it's strange."
"It's not strange."
"I'm not good at talking. Or socializing. Or—"
"Name."
She looked up. Her eyes were bright. Vulnerable. Nothing like the calm, collected operator he'd first met.
"You're trying," he said. "For me."
"I don't like not understanding things. And I don't like not understanding you."
He set down the books. Stepped closer. She didn't move away.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"I didn't know how."
"You could have asked me."
"I didn't want to bother you."
"You're not a bother."
She was quiet. Her hands were still clenched. He reached out, slowly, and touched her fingers. She let him.
"The puns," he said. "They're not important. You're important."
"The puns make you happy."
"You make me happy."
Her breath caught. "I do?"
"Yeah." He smiled. Soft. Nothing like his usual smirk. "You really do."
She looked at their hands. His fingers were intertwined with hers. She didn't pull away.
"I have another book," she said quietly. "It's about how to ask someone on a date."
Hoshina's heart stopped. "You do?"
"I've been practicing."
"Practicing?"
"In my head. Different scenarios. What to say. How to say it."
"And?"
"And I still don't know."
He squeezed her hand. "Can I help?"
"No. This is something I have to do myself."
She took a breath. Stepped back. Her hand slipped from his.
"Vice Captain Hoshina."
"Just Soshiro."
"Soshiro." She tested the name. It sounded good in her soft voice. "I would like to... spend time with you. Outside of work. Doing things that are not work. Together."
"That sounds like asking me on a date."
"It is."
"You're very formal about it."
"I don't know how else to be."
He grinned. "You could try a pun."
Her face went red. "I'm not—I can't—"
"Sure you can. Just try."
She stared at him. He stared back. The silence stretched.
"I... have a... feeling..." She paused. Swallowed. "That you might be the... pun for me?"
Her voice cracked on the last word. Her face was crimson. She looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
Hoshina burst out laughing.
Not mocking. Genuine. Joyful. The kind of laugh that made his whole body shake.
"That was terrible," he said.
"I know."
"It was the worst pun I've ever heard."
"I know."
"And I love it."
She blinked. "You do?"
"Yeah." He stepped closer. Took her hands again. "Yeah, I really do."
"Does that mean—"
"Yes. It means yes. I'll go on a date with you. Anywhere. Anytime. Just say the word."
She was quiet for a moment. Then, very softly, she smiled.
"The word," she said.
He laughed again. Pulled her close. She fit against his chest like she'd always been there.
"The books," he said. "The pun books. You don't need them."
"I don't?"
"You just made me laugh harder than anyone ever has. And it wasn't even a good pun."
"It was very bad."
"The worst."
She smiled against his chest. "Good."
They stood there, in the quiet of her office, holding each other. The door was open. Anyone could walk by. Neither of them cared.
Later, Kafka found them.
"Vice Captain? Name? What are you—" He stopped. Stared. His mouth fell open.
Hoshina didn't let go of Name. Name didn't pull away.
"We're busy," Hoshina said.
"It looks like you're hugging."
"We're busy hugging."
Kafka opened his mouth. Closed it. Walked backward out of the room.
He found Reno in the hallway. "The Vice Captain is hugging Name."
"Romantically?"
"I don't know how else to interpret it."
Reno nodded. "I'll update the betting pool."
"I didn't know there was a betting pool."
"Everyone knew there was a betting pool."
Kafka stared at him. Reno stared back.
"How much did you win?" Kafka asked.
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"How much?"
Reno smiled. "Enough."
The date was simple.
A quiet cafe. A walk through the park. Name talked more than he'd ever heard her talk—about her childhood, her family, the reason she preferred quiet to noise. Hoshina listened. He didn't make puns. He just listened.
"Thank you," she said at the end of the night.
"For what?"
"For being patient. For not giving up when I didn't understand."
"You're worth the effort."
She looked at him. The streetlights made her eyes glow.
"I still don't understand puns," she said.
"That's okay."
"But I bought another book. Just in case."
He laughed. Kissed her forehead. She leaned into him.
"Same time tomorrow?" she asked.
"Same time tomorrow."
She smiled. That smile. The one that was just for him.
"Good," she said. "I'll practice."
"Practice what?"
"My puns."
He groaned. She laughed. It was the best sound he'd ever heard.
Will smith hockey literally grabs Mack’s ass during public practice, and yet when people say their relationship is very respectful I have to agree. Which makes you think…. They are probably aware of how all that looks and do it anyways.
you can be friends & engage in physical intimacy (eg. cuddling)
you can be friends & engage in kink &/or sex acts (if you like)
you do not have to be romantically involved with a person to experience emotional bonds & engage in physical intimacy of any form. you can just BE FRIENDS. touch is not inherently romantic or sexual until you & the other party(ies) communicate that. every touch can be purely platonic.
aroaces & aroallos i see you & ily sm. you aren't confusing or broken or have commitment issues or whatever. i wish all a-spec people find someone or multiple someones who understand them ❤️🧡💛 you deserve love.
Buddy doesn’t know what Boyfriend means in the modern context.
What do I mean by this? Well, Chase has used the word a couple of times now, and Buddy has had little to no reaction to it.
The first instance was in S1, Episode 40, Arc: All That Glitters (I).
Since he was jealous of Deacon for getting Chase’s attention, if he knew that word, he would be a bit more jealous of that hoodie’s origins. But no, he moves right on along with no heat in his words. He’s more annoyed and disappointed that Chase didn’t dress up.
The most recent use of it was in the last two episodes of Stardust.
At this point in the story, if Buddy knew what it meant, he would be a blushing mess. Even with his plan to tell Chase everything, he would still state something on the matter. Chase keeps on asking and asking. Shouldn’t Buddy be more alarmed that Chase wants to be in a relationship without knowing the truth? Wouldn’t Buddy try and reassure him that he does want to be in one, but only if Chase wants to be after learning the truth? He keeps on moving forward without any sort of reaction to the word, ‘Boyfriend.’ Like, it keeps on happening, Chat.
So I looked it up.
"favorite male companion" (with implication of romantic connection), "a woman's… See origin and meaning of boyfriend.
Buddy has no clue why Chase is asking him to be his childhood male companion when they’ve only just met.
Bro is trying to court this little idiot. But said idiot keeps putting him in a friend zone that he isn’t qualified for. While our boi is trying to change their situationship into a relationship, but the big jerk keeps ignoring the question.
These two are a special type of stupid that needs to be studied in a lab.
Fully Human, Chapter 23 (Sci Fi AU, Marco x Reader, DARK, dead dove, NON CON, humans as pets)
18+ MDNI | On Ao3 | the other chapters
Your POV
“OK, so how do I do this?” you asked, laying on your stomach by the edge of the pool. You’d never seen natural water in your life, so you weren’t sure exactly what to do. There were large vats of water on Lafftale, sure, but it wasn’t like you were allowed to put your hands or body in them. The water was so strictly regulated that you would’ve been beaten within an inch of your life if you had somehow submerged any part of your body in it.
As it was, you already had your whole arm in the water, trying to imagine what it would be like when you had your whole body in it. You were dragging your arm slowly through the cold water; you’d hadn’t expected there to be so much resistance. You were trying to think of something familiar to liken it to so you could tell Sol when you went back. It felt kind of like really thick, wet air, but that didn’t do the feeling justice. Maybe more like being in zero gravity but heavier? You wished Sol was here with you, the two of you had wondered endlessly about the experience as kids. It wasn’t right that you were the only one who got to see such beauty, but you might as well enjoy it.
“I’ll take off your suit and you can stand in the water if you’re tall enough yoi,” Marco said from behind you and tapping on his controller. You had the distinct feeling he was taking pictures of you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.
“Can’t I move around in it?” you asked, now shifting to put both of your hands in the water.
“You can, but only as far as your head reaches above the water. You don’t know how to swim,” Marco explained. You frowned, you hadn’t thought about that.
“I can move in zero gravity,” you said, removing both your arms from the water and sitting up. Marco came to squat next to you, his hand splaying across your back as if you were in danger of falling in the water.
“This is different, the skills aren’t transferable. And the danger of drowning is high. Actually, now that I’m looking at it, I don’t think you are tall enough to reach the bottom of the pool while standing,” Marco said, peering down into the water.
“I can’t go in?!” you cried, looking up at Marco.
“You can, I’ll just have to hold you yoi,” Marco said, already biting off the talons of one of his hands. You perked up a little, you’d been hoping he would do that sooner or later. Marco grabbed your wrist as you reached for the ends of his talons that were falling onto the grass.
“Don’t touch those, they’re sharp,” Marco scolded you. You wanted to roll your eyes but held yourself in check. You knew they were sharp, that’s why you wanted them.
“Can I please have one? I’ve always wanted something of yours to keep with me, and I don’t have anything,” you pouted, giving him your best sad human impersonation. Marco pursed his lips.
“How about one of my feathers yoi? They aren’t dangerous,” Marco suggested. You needed the talon but you weren’t going to turn down the feather either. There was no telling what would help you during your escape, so you were going to say yes to everything.
“Can I have both? But I really want one of your talons. I’ll wrap it in grass to make sure it's safe and I’ll put it away in my drawer when we get back. Please, Master? Please?” you begged, even pressing your palms together in a supplicating pose.
“What will I get in return?” Marco asked, already plucking off one of his long feathers from the back of his arm.
“I’ll be good?” you suggested with a raise of your eyebrows. Marco chirped a laugh.
“Again, you’re supposed to be well behaved, it wouldn’t do to reward you for what you are expected to do yoi,” Marco said, tapping the feather against his chest.
“How about this – I will give you the talon and feather. In exchange, if you feel the urge to kiss me, you must act on it,” Marco said, extending the feather in his hand. You kept your face from smirking, what kind of an idiot was he? This was the easiest deal he’d ever made with you. There hadn’t been a time when you chose to kiss Marco, he always foisted it on you. That time you were high didn’t count, so this would be the best you’d ever made with Marco.
Actually, the more you thought about it, the better this would be for you. You would be pretending, like how you were training him with your kisses already. It didn’t have to mean anything, just another ruse to get you closer to your goal of escaping back to Lafftale. If you felt like it, you could even give him a kiss depending on how swimming went. Yes, if you ended up kissing him, it would be on your terms and completely devoid of meaning.
“Deal,” you said with a quick smile, reaching forward to grab the feather. Marco smiled back at you, as if the game was already won. What a fool, you thought as you happily wrapped his nipped talon in a long blade of grass before putting both items into your satchel.
“Now that the matter is resolved, I think we should swim. The water is a suitable temperature for you,” Marco suggested, dipping his own hand into the water.
“Actually, I might try my humanoid form for this experience. The process of drying my feathers is rather cumbersome yoi,” Marco mused to himself, tapping his chin. Oh, that was his game? If Marco thought you were going to be more likely to kiss him in his human appearance he was sorely mistaken. Yes, he was really hot that way, but you hadn’t forgotten what he did to you earlier.
“It would be fun for us both to be human,” you said, encouraging him further. Why not get a peek at something tasty? It wasn’t like you were going to fall for his charms.
“I wouldn’t be human though, we would simply look more similar yoi,” Marco said before standing up.
“Right, of course. I was being silly. You’d never actually want to be human like me,” you said, plastering a fake smile on your face. Somehow you’d momentarily forgotten how shitty it was to be a human in the universe but Marco was always there to remind you. Marco leaned down to kiss the top of your head before moving a few feet away.
“No, I wouldn’t. I would always want to be stronger, so I can protect you yoi,” Marco said, before setting himself ablaze in blue fire. You rolled your eyes at his overly sappy words and by the time you were done, Marco was back into his humanoid form. He walked back towards you, his skin less blue than the last time he’d done the change. Marco stood by the edge of the pool and unbuckled his belt, lowering his pants.
“What are you doing?” you asked, surprised by a quickly disrobing Marco.
“I don’t want my pants to get wet. Same reason I will remove your suit,” Marco said simply, his semi erect dick swinging in the wind. He pressed a button on his controller, removing it entirely and setting it on the grass. Interesting, you thought, so there was a release mechanism on it. You’d spent a while staring at the gadget but you hadn’t been able to open it. Marco took your staring as interest, his dick hardening with every passing second.
You flushed and tried to look away as Marco dove into the water. He didn’t seem to have any shame about being nude as he swam to the middle of the pool. Marco hummed to himself, pushing his arms around to swim around. You watched his elegant movements closely, mesmerized by the languid movement of his limbs. Marco swam back closer to you on the grassy shore, able to stand up only very close to you. He pushed himself back up to the shore with his arms, sitting next to you.
“Yes, I’ll have to hold you. It’s too deep for you to stand with your head above water. Turn around and I’ll retract your suit and take off your Controller. It should be alright submerged in water for up to 8 hours but better safe than sorry yoi,” Marco said, reaching for you, water dripping down his arm. You shuffled around so that Marco could reach the middle of your back and quickly felt the afternoon sun on your skin as both of your suits retracted. Marco’s hand remained on the middle of your back, your skin prickling where he was touching you with wet fingertips.
Marco fiddled with your Controller for a moment, pressing on a lightly grooved area on the underside. The hinge popped open moments later, allowing you to take it off. The controller didn’t bother your skin but it felt nice to have it off for once. You scratched the skin on your forearm, enjoying the pleasant sensation.
Some part of your pride had you hunching over so that Marco couldn’t see you, but you supposed there wasn’t really a reason to do that. Marco had seen you naked countless times, what was one more? Besides, you wanted to stretch out so that you could feel the rays of the sun on your skin.
“It’s so warm. It feels like the light is skittering on me. I didn’t know it felt like that,” you said, your nose scrunching as you felt the sun all over your nude body. Marco frowned as his hand skimmed over your bare back, getting water droplets on you.
“I should have brought stronger star protection for you yoi. Your skin has never been in true light before, and humans are prone to dermatological star damage. Hold still,” he said with a frown, before reaching over and pulling a tube from the small pack he’d brought.
“Unfortunately there was not a lot of research done on humans and their exposure to sunlight prior to their demise –”
“Hey–” you objected halfheartedly.
“ – but in my ancestor’s journals he mentioned a specific cream that he applied to his human that prevented such damage. I recreated it in my lab for the same effect. It’s thin and should apply easily yoi,” Marco explained, squeezing a fair amount of salve out of the tube.
“Like this,” Marco said, smearing some of the cream on your back. It was a little greasy feeling, but you didn’t object too much. Marco’s long fingers rubbed all over your exposed skin, gently touching you everywhere the sun was hitting you. You pressed your lips together as he massaged the thin cream onto the skin of your upper arms.
“I can do that part myself,” you said, already knowing what Marco’s reply would be.
“I will be administering the cream. It will be uniform and well dispersed. There are many areas which you cannot reach yoi,” he explained. You pursed your lips, exactly what you’d expected.
As Marco continued putting cream on you, you felt yourself melting under his touch. It wasn’t erotic exactly, but the way he was lightly pressing into your skin had your mind wandering to other times he had done the same. You shook your head, this was nothing like that. You tried remembering all the reasons you really hated Marco – and there were quite a few – but they dissolved as his fingers worked the cream into your skin.
“On your knees,” Marco purred as he settled behind you. Your face heated a little at the implication but Marco merely wiped the cream on the backs of your legs, only lingering a little as he applied it to the globes of your ass. You felt his body heat as he got on his own knees behind you, rubbing the cream onto your stomach and the front of your thighs. You held your breath as his fingers trailed up your inner thighs, lingering only a second before moving on.
Since he wasn’t feathered, you felt his skin against your own, his breath teasing you as he slowly drew his hands up towards your breasts. Your breath was coming in soft pants as Marco quickly applied the cream to your breasts, his hands cupping them just for a moment. He pulled you back to his chest, his thumb rubbing against your stomach in slow circles.
“You’re ready to go yoi,” Marco purred into your ear. You tilted your head back to look at him, his half lidded teal eyes watching you with interest. Your skin was tingling from where he’d touched you, your body pressed back against his own. Marco’s arm shifted, crossing your torso to hold you against him, his hard cock against your ass. The warmth of the sun combined with the feeling of Marco’s hard muscles behind you, both of you nude…your mouth parted and you…and you…
And you were so fucked.
Marco POV
It was amusing watching you fight the urge to kiss him. You did truly need the starcream, but he had also formulated an aerosolized version as well. Even so, he wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to touch your silky skin. Marco had enjoyed spreading the cream, but even more he had enjoyed your reactions to his hands roaming all over your body. You were panting, your eyes half lidded as he leaned forward just a bit. Your little pink tongue flicked out to wet your lips as you looked at him and you…
You looked away.
Marco almost laughed at your adorable nature, too shy to admit what it was you wanted. Sure, Marco knew you still harbored the desire to get away from the Pirates, but there was a seed of desire growing within you. He wouldn’t push you on the kiss this time, but he would be making sure there was a next time. With your emotions so expressively displayed on your face, Marco had no doubt he’d be able to tell when you would be feeling desire next.
Based on how you’d reacted previously, Marco knew you were the most attracted to his humanoid form. It wasn’t your fault, it was simple biology. Of course you’d like the form that most closely resembled your own, that was obvious. Even so, he knew he would have to put in more work to get you to enjoy his normal form a little bit more. It wouldn’t do to have you enjoying his humanoid form more than his usual one.
Marco sat back down on the edge of the pool and slid himself inside the water. Really, not having wet feathers for an extended period of time was an excellent idea, if he did say so himself. You watched him closely as Marco turned to you. He was tall enough to stand on the rocky ground of the pool, but you truly wouldn’t be.
“Join me in the water, Luna,” Marco beckoned you, opening his arms to hold you. You bit your lip, looking down at the pool before scooting closer to the edge. Marco patiently watched you shimmy your legs into the water, extending his hand closer to you.You grasped it as you hopped into the water with a small splash, kicking your legs rapidly. You were flailing, but he held you tightly under your armpits. He wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to you from a mere pool of water.
“Ooh! It’s cold!” you squealed as you floundered in the water. Marco gave you a moment to acclimate to your new surrounding, keeping your head above the water line.
“Don’t let go of me!” you ordered, still kicking wildly in the water.
“I won’t. You’re alright, Luna,” Marco cooed to you. Now you were licking your lips to taste the water droplets there.
“Don’t drink the water. It is pure, but it’s not filtered,” Marco said as your eyes grew wider.
“A few drops won’t hurt you though,” Marco said to reassure you. You nodded quickly, wiping your mouth with your hand. Marco held you tightly while also trying to give you some room to explore the new sensation. Like all humans, you adapted quickly to the water, soon kicking your legs in large circles to keep yourself upright despite Marco’s help.
“Would you like to try floating yoi?” Marco suggested, wrapping his hand around your lower back. You looked unsure, your mouth twisting as you looped a wet arm around his neck.
“Okay, if you think I can,” you said after a moment. Marco helped position you flat on the edge of the water, your hair now floating down and to the sides. He couldn’t help but notice your breasts above the top of the water and had to suppress his urge to bite them.
“I’m still holding you. Let your body relax,” Marco urged you as he kept you on the surface of the water. You had a hard time at first, but gradually you learned to trust in him as Marco treaded water and helped you float. You lazily kicked your legs in the water, letting them dangle as you leisurely moved your arms back and forth on the surface. It seemed like you really did relax, your serious expression changing to a smile.
“This is so weird,” you said, closing your eyes. “I didn’t think I would ever be able to…wait, are you touching my foot?”
“No, only your back right now yoi,” Marco replied, still watching your breasts in the water.
“Then what is that AAAAAA MARCO OH MY FUCKING GOD WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT OH MY GOD OH MY GOD GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW MARCO WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT –” you scrambled upright, all your limbs flailing. Marco didn’t even get a word in before you had wrapped yourself around his torso, climbing him to get higher out of the water.
“What’s happening?” Marco asked, searching your legs and feet for any sign of damage. Your eyes were wild, your mouth agape as you pointed and yelled again.
“MARCO WHAT IS THAT THING?!” you screamed, pointing towards the shadowy areas of the pool. Before investigating, Marco swam to the side of the pool and set you onto the grass, where you scrambled away like something was chasing you. Marco got out right after you, shifting immediately in order to best defend you from any danger. But as he looked into the shadowy areas, his heart rate fell once more. Marco took a deep breath and exhaled; your fright had triggered his instinctive urge to protect you.
“They are merely fish. They won’t hurt you yoi,” Marco explained as you bit a nail.
“They’re just here? Swimming around near me!?” you asked, your eyes narrowing at the small blue fish.
“Yes, they live here, this is their home. They’re Blue Finned Tuna,” Marco explained. “They’re actually fairly tasty. I can catch some for you if you’d like,” Marco offered.
“I didn’t know they’d be here! You can just…take them? No one will know?” you asked, making a stabbing motion with your hand.
“It’s a little more challenging than that, but yes. If you can catch them, you can eat them. They’re common, though somewhat interesting as a species. They have several cousins of various sizes that exist here and on other planets. Thatch likes when we catch the Blue Finned Elephant Tuna most, since it’s the largest and therefore can feed the most people with each catch yoi,” Marco confirmed. Clearly, there hadn’t been wild animals where you had been living.
“How do you know so much about them?” you asked, wrinkling your nose. Marco shrugged a shoulder as he sat down next to you on the shore.
“Some information I already knew due to my travels in the universe. And I researched the flora and fauna of this planet before we left in case you were curious.”
“That’s nice of you,” you stated, your eyes still trained on the fish in the water. Frankly, Marco wasn’t sure why he’d offered to catch fish for you. It wasn’t something he’d done since he was a boy, though he felt sure that he’d be able to accomplish the task.
Maybe it was because he felt pity for the living conditions he was slowly learning more about. Marco considered you as you threw a rock into the water, causing the fish to scatter. It wasn’t just that, he realized, there was something more.
Catching and cooking fish wasn’t something that would be done for pets. In fact, hunting for and preparing food was part of the mating process for Phoenix. Marco had never performed a mating ritual for anyone; he’d never even met another Phoenix that he could remember. But securing luxurious living conditions, protecting you against danger, hunting and cooking food, along with the physical act of sex were all parts of the process, according to the books he’d been given.
Of course, you weren’t actually his mate, you were human. Though…a few of his ancestors had successfully mated humans for a few generations before the full breeding capacity of humans was known. Now that he thought about it, it would make sense that his body would assume you were his mate since he was completing the rituals on his end. Really, Marco felt much more settled now that he knew his responses to you were a normal physiological response. It was something to think about moving forward.
“And I’m sorry about saying your name. It was just instinct, I didn’t mean to say it,” you said quietly, watching his reaction closely. Your eyes were darting around his face, trying to determine how he felt. Marco frowned, he didn’t realize how much stress his training had caused you. Were you always like this? The rules were meant to help you, not increase your uncertainty. Marco’s frown in turn had you gulping as you likely tried to guess what the punishment would be. Marco smoothed his face into a neutral expression so you’d stop basing your reaction on his.
“It’s alright,” Marco said with a small smile. He had been thinking about Izou’s statement since they’d spoken about it and Marco decided to be forgiving about the matter. In public, you would still have to call him Master, but in private Marco didn’t see why he couldn’t allow you some leniency.
“What.” Your eyes narrowed, like you on the verge of anger.
“It is alright if you call me by my first name when we are in private,” Marco reiterated as you shut your eyes slowly and took a deep breath, like you were considering many different things to say. Had he overwhelmed you with his inconsistency?
“And you are making this proclamation now because…?” you prompted, opening your eyes again and waving your hand in a circular motion.
“Because I want you to feel more comfortable around me,” Marco said. Now you’d be able to relax a little more when you were in private and not have to worry as much about the rules. And if Izou was right and Marco enjoyed hearing you say his name, well, that was no one’s business. Some long buried feeling was twisting within him when he heard you calling for him when you thought you were in danger. He’d have more time on the ship to look inward, but for now this would do.
“Now let me tell you more about the fish in the water.”
Your POV
You waited to comment on Marco allowing you to say his name until you were a little calmer. You had expected some kind of lewd punishment, but were then told it was now ok to say his name. You weren’t sure why Marco was being so inconsistent, but you’d take the reprieve from the punishments he provided.
Honestly, it was kind of fun listening to Marco tell you facts about various fish. He must have studied a lot based on how much he knew about the plants and the animals around you. He seemed to have a genuine interest in sharing that information. And in truth, you were enjoying listening to him too. You’d always loved reading about Eurt plants and animals, and learning about the animals on other planets was just as interesting.
Sadly, Marco had changed back into his hybrid form when he’d gotten out of the water. You didn’t want him to know that you were impressed when he flew high in the sky before diving into the water like a lazer beam. He re-emerged moments later with a fish in his talons, like this was something he did all the time. You pretended you weren’t looking so his ego didn’t get too big but his smug grin told you that he didn’t buy your act. You sniffed and shrugged a shoulder, letting him know that you weren’t that impressed as he landed near you.
“Thatch can cook it for us when we go back,” Marco said, releasing the fish from his talons. “Or I could roast it over a fire yoi,” he said speculatively.
“Would you enjoy that?” he asked, before shaking rapidly to rid himself of water. Couldn’t he just use his fire to dry himself?
“Hey! Now I’m wet again,” you groused, your hands covering your face to stop you from getting droplets on you.
“Well, Luna?” Marco prompted again. You wanted to give him a sour look, why was he bothering to ask if you’d enjoy things now? He certainly hadn’t asked if you’d enjoyed stimulation while being stretched earlier, so why did he care about something so small as a fish? What was with Marco today?
“Yes, I’d like you to cook it for me here,” you stated primly. Marco could cook for you, you wouldn’t mind that. And besides, you really did want to try eating something fresh off the fire. Fires weren’t allowed on Lafftale due to potential dangers, and you had always wanted to sit next to one and eat grilled foods like you’d read about in Eurt books.
You spent the next half hour or so watching Marco as he gathered sticks and logs from the ground, made a little pile of it and set it on fire using some tool from his pack. He then gutted the fish, seemingly familiar with the task, and went to work cutting it into fine slices. By now it was later in the day, the air cooling down significantly from the hot sun of the early afternoon. You were sitting as close to the fire as Marco would let you, the blaze warming your skin. The fire was just as beautiful and perfect as you had imagined, and yet another experience you wished Sol could have been here for.
“Luna, I’m going to clothe you in your suit again and put your controller back on. It’s getting colder yoi,” Marco said as he set the cooked fish down on a flat rock. He leaned over and pressed the disc on your back, the familiar feeling of the textile quickly stretching over your skin. You could still feel the warmth of the fire but he was right that it was too cold to be naked any longer. Marco grabbed the fish and sat next to you. He had the fish tidbit in his fingers, and you leaned forward, biting the morsel he brought close to you. You accidentally bit his hallux, though not very hard.
“I wasn’t expecting to hand feed you, I just wanted you to try it and see if you like it. I can feed you, if you want me to yoi,” Marco said with a laugh as a tiny flame erupted on his hand.
“I only ate from your hand because I assumed that’s what you wanted. It’s hard to know when you want me to act like your pet and when you don’t care,” you said truthfully.
“I believe I’ve established fairly specific guidelines and boundaries for the most part,” Marco said mildly, handing you more fish. You took the larger piece, nibbling on it for a moment before responding. For whatever reason, you were in the mood to be honest with him for once. You were dropping your act, only for a small conversation, just to finally get out some of the frustrations that had been mounting for weeks.
“I don’t think so. Sometimes you say I’m crew and have to follow the guidelines they do. Sometimes I’m a pet and beneath the crew. Sometimes I can call you by your first name and sometimes I have to call you Master, which I hate by the way. Sometimes you let me interact with others as if I’m a full person and sometimes I have to listen and obey. You didn’t trust me to put lotion on myself, which I assure you I can do. You’re hard to gauge. Like, even right now I don’t know if I’ll be punished for telling you all this,” you admitted, before taking your last bite of the fish you had.
You stared at the fire afterwards and wrapped your arms around your knees, not sure how Marco was taking what you said. You realized long ago he wasn’t interested in how you felt, but something about the day was making you feel bold.
“S really good by the way. I really like the smoky flavor, thank you,” you tacked on at the end, trying to lessen whatever punishment you were likely going to receive.
“I’ve always allowed you to relay your opinion in a respectful manner,” Marco said, handing you more fish before taking some for himself.
“Kind of. But you don’t actually hear what I’m saying or change your behavior based on what I say. So ultimately it doesn’t matter if I relay my opinion or not, right?” you said, still feeling courageous. Maybe it was because you felt like you had a nice day with Marco on the planet, or the sun had gone to your head. Wait, you’d talked freely with Marco once before…
“Did you drug this?” you asked, eyeing the fish fillet suspiciously.
“No, how would I have done so? You’ve been watching me the whole time yoi,” Marco reminded you. That was true, you reasoned, you had seen the entire process from start to finish. So really there was no way he could have slipped those tiny pineapples on it or used their juicec. You sighed, you really did love the taste of those little fruits. Maybe Marco would give you one or two if you asked nicely after he was done punishing you.
“I will strive to take your opinions into consideration as long as they do not interfere with taking care of you,” Marco said, as if that meant anything. You kept yourself from rolling your eyes.
“That’s nice of you to say, but I’ll wait to see what you actually do,” you said, skeptical that Marco would change. Done eating, you leaned back on your elbows in the soft grass, looking at the darkening blue sky.
“I have yet to lie to you, Luna,” Marco said softly as he stoked the fire with a stick.
“No, but you’re incredibly rigid and stubborn,” you pointed out, plucking some of the grass near you. Would Marco’s good mood continue or would you be punished in some unthinkable way? You held your breath and thankfully, Marco chuckled. Thank fuck.
“You are not the first to tell me so,” Marco commented, tossing the stick into the burning flames.
You eyed your surroundings as Marco handed you water to drink from his pack. Things looked a little darker than they had earlier. Not different, but dimmer somehow. You looked around at the trees and grass, the colors more golden than you remembered.
“Stupid question, but this is normal, right?” you asked, sitting up to look at the sun dipping lower in the sky. You felt dumb for asking, but you’d never seen anything like it and wanted reassurance that the planet wasn’t going to blow up or something.
“What is normal, Luna?” Marco asked, laying back on his elbows next to you to try and see what you were looking at.
“The light is dimming and the sun is going down,” you said, trying to articulate exactly what was wrong.
“It is normal,” Marco confirmed, laying down all the way in the grass. “And I do not think you are stupid. I think you’re very intelligent yoi.” You looked at Marco as the evening wind blew his feathers.
“Really?” you prompted. You always assumed he thought you were fairly stupid based on the way he treated and talked to you. For nika’s sake, he’d told you his talons were sharp earlier that same day. Yeah, he definitely didn’t think you were all that sharp.
“Really. You are very clever and quite smart. You haven’t experienced most things, but that doesn’t make you stupid. It does make me pity you, though,” he added, ruining your good mood.
“I don’t need your pity,” you said with a scowl, plucking grass from the ground as a distraction.
“No, you don’t need it. But when you ask those kinds of questions, it makes me realize you’ve never been anywhere with real sunlight. You’ve only ever seen artificial lights, never actually seeing a sunrise or a sunset. You’ve never seen live fish before. You’ve never swam in natural water. You’ve never been in the sunlight. And I think back to my many wonderful memories of myself and my brothers and Pops enjoying these kinds of moments together yoi. So yes, it makes me pity you. No one should have to live like that. Least of all creative, intelligent, curious, and expressive little humans,” he explained, sitting back up.
Marco moved around until he was sitting behind you, both of you facing the fire and the setting sun. He wasn’t overtly touching you, just sitting in close proximity.
“The sunset will be beautiful. We can watch it before we depart,” Marco said, putting his arms on his knees rather than on you.
You sat in silence, watching the fire and the darkening sky. Frankly, the fact that Marco had taken your criticism so well was throwing you for a loop. And that he’d researched plants and animals for you, and protected you, and caught food for you, and cooked it, and fed it to you, and he looked really good in the golden light of the sun…you leaned back against him like a chair, feeling his muscled chest behind you. He was warm, his body heat providing you extra comfort in the chilly night. Would it really be so bad to relax a little longer?
You reminded yourself of your plan to get all the resources you needed. Maybe a picture with Marco would help you down the road?
“Can I take a picture with you? I have them with other Commanders, but none of us together,” you said, turning your head to face him.
“I would like that,” Marco replied, a smile on his lips. You pressed the button on your controller and adjusted the camera until you and Marco were in frame.
“Ready? 3….2….1….” you counted backwards, with Marco smiling. At one you leaned in and kissed him on the mouth, his eyebrows hiking on his face. The camera went off at the same second, capturing his surprise. You looked at the picture and laughed, showing it to Marco.
“We look good together!” you said, looking at the picture once again before filing it away.
