Michael Dorman as Gordo Stevens in episode 1.7 of For All Mankind (2019-2026). Gordo is being thrown into a partition by his bestie Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) while tensions run high after being stranded for months together on the moon base. 👨🚀🚀🌖
And there it is, our first images from the surface of Mars. It looks like… a cosmonaut and astronaut. Which one will take the— Wait. They’re going together! How inspiring!
Dream a Little Dream of Me (Gordo Stevens x GN!Reader)
Main Master List || For All Mankind Master List
Anon Request: Could you do the dream soulmate prompt w/ Gordo? Thank you sm if you do!
Author's Note: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REQUESTING GORDO I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WRITING FOR HIM AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYYYYY
Warnings: Nightmares, Isolation, Ant infestation (body), PTSD, language
Word Count: 1.5k
It’s cold as you wake up. The room is dark aside from the small lights from the machines that beep through the night. Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, your legs swing out of the bunk and land on the floor with a soft thump, but something is out of place. In confusion, you walk around the finite space, looking at the various equipment before spotting a window. You hastily move to the window and let out a gasp when you see nothing but empty space. You back up and bump against a computer in disbelief. Why are you on the moon?
Despite being lost in your thoughts, you feel something crawling on and around you. Looking down you see swarms of ants crawling up your body in hoards as if you stepped in 10 ant mounds at the same time. You’re stuck in place in fear, your heart pounding as the ants get closer and closer to your face. You can feel their legs all over your body. You can feel their mandibles biting into your skin and you’re stuck. You can’t move anything as the ants begin taking over your face, swarming into your mouth until you can’t breathe.
You wake up with a gasp, shooting out of the bed with sweat dripping down your forehead. You suck in air as much as possible before calming down and looking around you. Good, you’re in bed, on Earth, with no ants in your immediate vicinity. You place your hand against your forehead and groan. You have been having similar nightmares for the past few weeks and they don’t seem to be progressing at all.
Tossing back your blanket, your mind tries to track who could be having these dreams. It’s obviously someone you’ve worked with due to the fact that not alot of people know what the inside of Jamestown looks like. You’ve never been there yourself, but being in the NASA program, you get pretty good floor layouts.
Looking over at the clock you groan when you see the time. “Guess I’ll get ready for work.”
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“You look like you slept like crap.” The comment startles you, causing you to spill your coffee as you snap back to reality, looking to your side and seeing Gordo standing there, empty cup of coffee in his hands. “Mind if I-?” He gestures to the coffee pot as you scoot out of the way, downing the remnants of your coffee as he eyes you in concern. “You good?”
“No.” It’s a short reply and you can tell he is trying his best not to ask for details. On the other hand though, you could use someone to talk to. Sighing, you set down your coffee mug and turn to properly face him. “My soulmate has been having the same recurring nightmare for weeks now. They’re always on the moon, alone in the base and then swarms of ants crawling up their body. My body. Swarming on and in me and then I wake up gasping for air.” During your rant, you don’t notice the way Gordo’s face falls and pales as if he’s seen a ghost. His grip on the coffee cup loosens and it slips out of his hands, crashing to the floor in pieces, causing you to zone back in and notice Gordo. “Gordo? Why did you do that?” You immediately bend over to pick up some pieces but he just stands there, a zoned out look in his eyes.
“I- I need to go.” He rushes out of the room, aware of the way other astronauts stare at him in confusion. You internally cuss out the eccentric astronaut for leaving you to deal with his mess. Dani walks over with a frown on her face before lowering her body down to help pick up some pieces, despite her arm being in a cast.
“Dani, you don’t have to help.”
“No, no. What did you say to him?”
“He asked why I didn’t sleep and I told him that my soulmate has been having recurrent nightmares about ants on the moon,” your comment has Dani’s face falling before she’s standing back up to her height and grabbing your arm, dragging you out of the room and down several halls. “Dani, stop it. Let me go.” You try to fight back but she’s stronger than she looks. She pushes you against the wall and peeks around the corners, making sure there’s no one in the area. “Dani, what the hell is your problem?”
“How long have you been having these nightmares?”
“What?”
“I asked, how long have you been having these nightmares?” The question is urgent and hushed.
“I don’t know, a few weeks?”
“Around the time Gordo and I got back from Jamestown?” You try to think back to when the nightmares first started and realize that they did start when they got back from the moon.
“Yeah, now that I think about it.”
“Shit.”
“Mind telling me what’s going on?” You look over at her as she bites her lip, the gears turning in her head.
“Ok. You need to talk to Gordo.”
“Why?”
“Just trust me.”
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After much convincing, Dani had managed to slip you Gordo’s apartment address and told you to visit him much to your confusion. Smoothing out your clothes you let out a shaky breath. You really don’t know what to expect. Why on earth would Dani insinuate that you have to talk to Gordo about your dreams. Surely they can’t be his. Right? He has a wife. He has Tracy. There’s no way he can be your soulmate.
Raising your hand, you knock against the door, waiting for a brief second before it’s being swung open, revealing a semi drunk Gordo.
“What are you doing here?”
“Dani told me we need to talk.” He moves to the side and allows you to step in. Looking around, you note that the apartment is relatively bare save for the exception of two picture frames of his kids and furniture. “Do you have those dreams?”
“Straight to the point I see,” he tries to jest, offering you a drink but you remove the bottle out of his hand and set it to the side.
“Gordo. Have you been having those dreams? You and Dani are the only ones who have actually lived on the moon except for Ed but he’s still on there and you’re the only one who’s come back… different.” He hangs his head, plopping down on the couch while you stand awkwardly, not really sure what to say or do. Sure you’ve always found him attractive, and you guess he’s probably seen his fair share of your rather dirty dreams with him as the main star, but what is that going to do to the dynamic of your work relationship and his relationship?
“Promise you won’t say anything to anybody?” He looks up at you, tears threatening to spill and it breaks your heart. You know the dreams have been bad, but it’s clearly just the outskirts of his breaking mental health. Sinking down to his side, you place a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles against his shirt.
“I won’t say anything.” Your confirmation seems to alleviate a little tension as he sniffles.
“Something happened up there, I don’t know what, but ever since then I’ve been having these nightmares and I’m so sorry that you’ve been suffering because of them.”
“It’s okay. You’re okay. If anything, I’m glad I got them because now I can help you in anyway you need. Plus, if I’m having your dreams, then you’ve probably had mine?”
“You seem to be really fond of hair pulling,” he smirks, leaning back against the couch and stares up at the ceiling as if he was banishing away any tears while heat blooms underneath your cheeks.
“Yeah. Among other things.” Silence falls over the two of you as you bite your lip. The conversation solved one thing, but what about his wife? “What about Tracy?”
“We’re filing for a divorce. I’ve told her about my dreams and she doesn’t have them and she tells me about hers and I don’t have them so we’ve put two and two together.”
“I’m sorry.” He shakes his head in denial, trying to smile but you can see through it.
“Don’t be. It’s better that way.” Nodding your head, you look around the apartment a little more in depth. It’s dirty. Beer cans everywhere and random wrappers for stuff. It looks more like a child lives here than a grown man and that hurts your heart.
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
“I’m afraid to go to sleep. I don’t want the same nightmare again.” Sighing, you sit back down, thinking of a solution.
“I have heard that sleeping next to your soulmate might help alleviate any nightmares. Would you be willing to try that?”
“You would be willing to do that?” His eyes are big and blue, bluer than you remember and they draw you in. Without thinking, you nod your head.
“Yeah. I mean I don’t want nightmares either, so maybe it’ll help the both of us. Why don’t you come with me to my place?” For the first time in a while he smiles, a hint of his former playfulness returning.
