summary: it was never your intent to be anything more than a common thief, but fate—and a rather attractive general—have other plans for you.
word count: 2.5k
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The expression the receptionist makes when she hands over the key to the honeymoon suite is a little too suggestive, but other than that, you find that Ambros is a rather lovely planet. The high ceilings and gilded artwork on the walls of the hotel you were staying at were a mere microcosms for the glistening planet itself, rich off tourists and natural minerals. You had a brief amount of time to read up on the history of the planet from a pamphlet at the front desk while Lafayette was checking in.
The elevator ride to the twelfth floor is quick, and you and Lafayette carry your luggage to room 1215. With the slide of the key, the door swings open and you take in the sight before you. The room is spacious with large windows and a balcony facing out over the rose-colored sea. There's a large king-sized bed that takes up most of the space, rose petals strewn over the sheets. Romantic.
A golden bottle of champagne sits in an ice bucket calling out to you. You drop your bags to the floor and make your way to the champagne where you find a small note from the hotel congratulating you and Lafayette on your wedding. You stifle a laugh and brandish the bottle for Lafayette to see.
"Free champagne," you grin.
Lafayette raises an eyebrow. "Starlight, we're working. This isn't a vacation."
You roll your eyes. "I'm aware, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun. Congress is paying for the room, we really shouldn't let that money go to waste, right?"
He gives you a pointed look. "Your logic is flawed."
You sigh and put the bottle back down into the bucket; maybe you'll revisit the idea of opening the bottle of alcohol if he is going to be so uptight for the entire mission.
"I'm going to go scout the area," you mutter to him, coming up with an excuse to leave your shared living area. It's probably a good idea to memorize the layout anyway. You barely register Lafayette's response as you begin to explore the resort.
There are two entire floors dedicated just to the casino, and you make a note to yourself to check them out before you leave. A few restaurants: fine dining on the lower levels, small cafes toward the middle of the building, and a bar on one of the top observation decks. There are many attractions your hotel offers, and you decide to check out the conservatory on the twenty-ninth floor.
It's rather busy around this time of day, but the conservatory is expansive enough that you can walk around freely without bumping elbows with anyone. Walking from section to section, you slyly listen to bits and pieces of conversation hoping to pick up a lead on your target. Some time passes and realizing that you've examined a starfire flower one too many times, you decide it's time to search somewhere else.
In the elevator, you catch sight of the label "pool" on the highest level and don't think twice before pushing the button. Moments later, the elevator has shot into the sky, and with a ding, the doors roll open to reveal the light purple of the twilight sky. The weather is just right when you step out onto the roof, the warm climate of the planet combatted nicely with the early evening breeze.
Most guests are attending dinner at this time or going to see a show in one of the many theaters, so the pool deck is all yours for the taking. It's been a long day for you, so you think you deserve a little bit of self-indulgence. Removing your shoes, you sit down by the pool that seems to stretch on forever, reflecting the sky on its calm surface, and you dip your feet into the tranquil waters. Closing your eyes, you allow yourself to soak in the peace of the moment.
It feels like an eternity, but when you open your eyes and see that the sun has hardly moved from its low place in the sky, you know you haven't been up here too long. You hear the sound of the elevator doors opening and immediately you tense up in annoyance that someone would come to bother your solitude. You're about to pull your legs out of the water when the intruder speaks.
"I had a feeling I'd find you up here."
You turn your head slightly to see Lafayette walking toward you. You relax a bit. Once he approaches your side, he sits down next to you, and to your surprise, he rolls up his pant legs and dips his feet into the water beside you.
"Found any leads yet?" He asks.
You hum a response and shake your head. "No. You?"
"Nothing on out target, but I'm pretty sure there's a young cardshark in the casino that's been conning wealthy guests out of their money," he says.
This makes you smile a little. "Good for them. I used to do similar work."
"I'm just going to assume you mean working in a casino and not being a con-artist."
“What? We met because I decided to con you; are you not a fan of the business?” You lightly nudge his shoulder with your own as you tease him.
“Starlight, it’s illegal,” he points out.
“Only if you get caught.”
“But you did get caught.”
You purse your lips. “Yes, because I saved your life. You wouldn’t have ever found me if I didn’t have that one moral lapse of judgement.”
“Moral lapse of judgement?”
“Mm, yes,” you hum, “I was quite successful looking out for myself and making a living. It’s a shame I suddenly felt a sense of conviction and decided to save your life.”
Lafayette snorts at this. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you had a change of heart.”
You study his face in the dying light, pushing down the butterflies in your stomach that inevitably appear when he gives you that sideways smile. In this quiet moment, you take the time to admire the golden lines that run from his ears up the side of his forehead, intricately linking and marking him as Franco nobility. You want to memorize them and draw the patterns on your own skin; they’re beautiful. Before he can see that you’ve been staring, you look away, eyes falling to the reflections in the pool. You’re happy to be here now with him.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad, too.”
When the last of the daylight finally leaves the sky, Lafayette stands to his feet and offers you a hand. You accept, pulling yourself up to your full height. It's too cold to stay on the rooftop any longer, so the two of you step into the elevator and press the button for your room number.
The elevator ride is uneventful, and when you get to your floor, the cool evening air greets you once again. The wide halls of your floor have open walls, large columns are wedged between the floor and the ceiling. You and Lafayette lazily walk down the hall, not in a rush to be anywhere. There are a few other guests meandering about in the open air, and that's when you spot the group of New Britannia soldiers making their way down the hall.
Ambros is such a lovely planet, you nearly forget it's currently New Britannia territory in a bordering system. Troops of soldiers police the planet, checking credentials and arresting anyone they suspect have ties to the United Planets of Amerigo.
The troops are making their way down the hall, speaking with guests occasionally and checking their papers. Your heart begins to thrash against the walls of your ribcage as they get nearer. Lafayette bares the markings of Franco nobility, and Francosia has been known to sympathize with Amerigo.
In a split second, you've made up your mind.
Taking Lafayette's hand in yours, you pull him over to a column, adjusting the both of you to where you are placed with your back to the pillar and Lafayette in front of you. You guide his hands to your waist, and while he looks a bit bewildered, he allows your movements. Your hands reach up to cup either side of his face, your fingers deliberately covering up the golden markings on his face. You pull him closer so you are standing cheek to cheek as you hear the soldiers’ footsteps get closer.
“Just go along with it until they’re gone,” you whisper into his ear, smiling against his skin as if you’re saying something scandalous.
His eyes flicker to the soldiers with a look of realization before looking back to you. You press your lips against his cheek, and Lafayette seems to get the message, because the next thing you know, he’s wraps his arms around your waist and pushes you roughly against the stone behind you. Lafayette buries his face in the nape of your neck, leaving a trail of kisses over your shoulder and along your collarbone.
His lips find a sweet spot, and he begins sucking a hickey into your skin, causing a soft moan to escape your lips. With one hand shielding his face from the passing soldiers, your other hand finds its place at the back of his neck. You can’t help but wonder when the Amerigo Army had time to teach its generals this technique.
The soldiers pass you with no problems, muttering something about “lovebirds” under their breath. Lafayette seems to have forgotten all about them, his lips moving up your neck to your cheek. He’s placing a kiss on the corner of your lips when you come back to your senses and lightly tug on the lapels of his suit.
“Love,” you say, and the both of you are both hyper-aware of how desperate and breathy your voice sounds. “Maybe we should take this back to the bedroom.”
His eyes meet yours, and he seems to understand the meaning behind your words. To your surprise, Lafayette picks you up bridal style and carries you back to the room. Once inside, he kicks shut the door behind the two of you and sets you down gently on the bed. Now that it’s just the two of you, Lafayette takes a step back from you. Tension lingers in the air.
“I… I’m sorry about that.” Lafayette’s eyes trail to the ground, obviously embarrassed.
You clear your throat, skin still warm from the moment before. “There’s nothing to apologize for. It was all just part of the cover.”
There is an awkward moment of silence between the two of you. Finally, he nods and moves toward the bathroom.
“Well, we have a long day tomorrow.”
“Yes, we should probably get ready for bed then,” you agree.
Lafayette spares you one last look, attempts a smile, and disappears into the bathroom. You hear the shower being turned on seconds later and take that as your cue to change into your nightgown. You slip into the cool covers of the bed, propping yourself up on the pillows until you find a comfortable place for yourself. While you wait for Lafayette to finish showering, you pull out your tablet and begin reading up on Ambrosian customs; you can never be too informed.
You have no idea of how long it has been, but eventually the shower shuts off. A few moments later the door swings open, and Lafayette steps out.
"About time," you tease. "Thought I'd never get a chance to brush my teeth."
"Next time you can join me. I hate to think you've been sitting out here bored," he responds.
You'd like to take a moment to think about how incredibly flirtatious his comment is, but your mind goes blank when you look up at him. He's fresh out of the shower, hair still wet. Lafayette wears a pair of dark sweatpants that hang too low on his waist. He's not wearing a shirt, and you can't help but stare at his toned skin. His stomach and arms are well-defined, and you catch the golden glint of the small medallion he wears around his neck.
He shrugs on a white t-shirt, and you can tell his body is still wet from the shower by the way the shirt clings to his torso. Never before have you wanted to be a t-shirt so badly in your life. You feel your face heat up, and you are in the process of pulling your gaze away from him, when he looks up and meets your eyes. The way his lips curved up into a smirk left you with a visceral feeling.
“S’there something I can help you with, starlight?” His tone is light and playful.
Your throat is dry, but you manage to get out, “I can think of a few things.”
Lafayette throws his head back and laughs quietly at your response, and you despise the way your heart crashes against its cage at his actions. You slide out of bed and move past him into the bathroom, putting toothpaste on your toothbrush and then shoving the toothbrush into your mouth before you say or do anything more that you’ll regret. Lafayette doesn’t notice the way you are aggressively brushing your teeth, and you don’t notice the way his eyes linger on the neckline of your nightgown and the hem that ends at your upper thigh.
When you finish brushing your teeth, Lafayette is taking a pillow off the bed and moving it to the floor.
“What are you doing?” You ask, knowing perfectly well what his intentions are.
He looks at you bewildered. “I just thought it would be—”
“I’m not going to make you sleep on the ground.”
“You’re not making me do anything.”
“Am I really that deplorable to be around?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
Lafayette sort of resembles a deer in headlights at this moment. He shakes his head. “Starlight, we shouldn’t. It’s just that…”
“What? What is it?” Your hands have found their place on your hips and you quirk an eyebrow up at him, waiting for a response.
The answer is on the tip of his tongue. He knows why he shouldn’t share the bed with you, but truth is something he can’t say out loud. Lafayette sighs in defeat, picking up the pillow from the ground and tossing it back to the head of the bed.
Content with your victory, you climb under the covers on your side of the bed. Lafayette is still hesitant, but eventually he climbs into bed as well, keeping an absurd amount of distance from you. You consider making a comment about this, but you’ve already argued with him enough about the bed itself, so you bite your tongue. The light beside your bed is the only thing keeping the room from darkness; you turn it off and settle into bed.
“Goodnight.” You say this quietly, the darkness imbuing the room with a sense of peace that you are all too afraid to mess up.
Lafayette must feel this, too, because his response is a whisper as well. “Goodnight, starlight.”
Author’s Note: Ummm, this is my first time writing something like this. >.>
Status: On Route
Location: Galaxy 23x-09, currently passing Planet Andromeda 9.
Mission: Transport Cargo
You leaned back on the seat and watched the hologram map on the dashboard. It showed three small ships heading in your direction very slowly. Your eyes darted back and forth from the readings of each of the ships and any sign of military drones entering space from the current planet that you were orbiting. You quickly reached out and pressed a button on the control boards to communicate with the only other passenger with you on the mission. Namjoon, the engineer on the ship had with you from the beginning of the journey, collecting the cargo. He was currently suited up and waiting at the large hanger for the ships to dock inside. This was a rescue mission.
“Namjoon, what’s your current status?” You said firmly.
You heard slight static but then heard a reply being played in the control room.
“I’m opening up the landing doors now for the civilian ships.” He buzzed out.
“Good, I’ll have V.I.C (Virtual Interactive Computer) take a look at the situation on the planet, and see if she can scan any droids heading our way” you buzzed out.
You had three small civilian ships heading in your direction and seeking refuge. A day ago, the civilians send out an old radio signal outside their planet, begging for anyone from the ‘United Planet Federation’ to help them leave their planet. Andromeda 9 was a rogue planet, and was no longer part of the Federation. Their own military took over and halt all imports and exports from their planet two years ago. The planet is currently under a military coup. Its government had been overthrown by a party that ruled against the Federation courts. Most of its people had work contracts with major corps outside of their galaxy and their main income was manual labor and working in mines. The planet was barely surviving.
Although you control a cargo ship owned by the Federation, it’s your duty to ensure you abide by the rules and help Humans or other Intelligent Life when need be. Your ship was large enough to carry three small ships and support those people with resources for at least three days. Your current plan was to allow the civilians on aboard, set past the rogue planet and drop the refugees on a Federation planet and have them processed.
“V.I.C, continue scanning the planet, do you see any droids?”
“Negative Captain, no military droids are heading in this direction” The computer spoke in her soft computerized tone.
You now stood up from your seat with your fingertips still pressed onto the dashboard. The glass flickered with various figures and images of the ships approaching and the status of your own vessel.
You had a 180 degree view of the planet before you, and only minutes to let the refugees board the ship before you could warp out of the planet’s gravity pull.
“Captain I can see them, they’re almost here” said Namjoon from the hanger.
“Three ships have locked onto the landing strip, Captain”
“Allow it V.I.C, activate firing weapons and shields for backup.” You lowered your eyes in concentration and watched the holograms of the ships approaching the docking station.
“Yes Captain” said V.I.C.
You knew very well that your ship only had minimum ability for defence and artillery. You already underwent a heavy firing attack a few days ago from passing a ‘no go zone’ where pirates would highjack cargos and sell it to the black planet markets.
“Warning. Ten droids detected from asteroid 10x-09. Droids have locked in firing and heading towards the ship” Said the computer.
The control room started buzzing with red lights as warning.
“Fuck!” you spat out. You immediately pressed red button and shouted at Namjoon. “They detected us! The fuckers were hiding out. Why are they taking so long to board?” You said angrily. It was obvious why. Andromeda 9 was an isolated planet. The extremist government felt it was being neglected by the Federation and believed they were being held back on updated resources. Their ships were old.
In the distance you saw ten black droids buzzing out from behind a large orbiting rock. They whizzed past each other and created a triangular formation and were heading your way. Immediately they started firing yellow lasers at your ship. “V.I.C, give me status on the shields!” you looked up at the ceiling as though the computer was there, but was really all around the ship.
“Shields are at 64% captain. Weapons down to 54% and counting”
Namjoon stood in his space suit and watch the whole thing unfold in front of him. He kept a tight grip on a railing and had a large barbed harness from his suit that was attached to the nearest wall for safety precautions. He knew the ships wouldn’t make it. The cargo ship was taking direct hits but was receiving no damage due to the shields; however the three civilian ships took at least two blows. One got hit directly and exploded meters away, creating a large amount of debris splattering through space and hitting the ship which caused the vessel to shake uncontrollably and begin tilting due to the impact.
“The ship is off course. Gravity pull by Planet Andromeda 9 at 200 kilometers per hour in 2 minutes”
“Cilvialian ship one has been destroyed”
“No no!” you looked around with panicked eyes, and saw the first ship to explode at the left of the cargo ship. Those innocent people all died instanlyt from the cold vast expanse of space.
“Namjoon, can the rest make it?” you shouted. You could hear him grunt from the impact of the lasers.
“Captain, permission to abort. The doors need to close and we must warp out before we get pulled in” he said bluntly.
You ignored Namjoon’s words “V.I.C, full status now!” you started pressing numerous buttons on the glass panel, trying to see if the other two ships could make it.
“30 seconds before gravity pull Captain. Shield down to 45%”
“Captain! We must abort!” He shouted through the communicator. Namjoon turned around and started pressing the code for the hanger doors to close. He could see two small ships heading in his direction, but the second exploded the moment it he saw it. Another group of humans died instantly. He understood the dilemma, but the cargo was just as important. The cargo ship shook suddenly and he could see the ship tilting and heading straight for the gas planet below them. The gravity was too strong. Namjoon knew he would get in serious trouble for disobeying a Federal Captain’s orders but your life was in danger and so was his.
“Hanger doors now closing”
You snapped your head towards the back of the ship and yelled through the communicator. “Namjoon what the fuck are you doing?! I said let them inside. We can save them!”
The military droids took position at every corner of the ship and started firing. The one remaining civilian was holding up, using their own defence firing systems but was losing very fast. It was only moments away to land, but the hanger doors were closing.
“15 Seconds before gravity pull, Captain. Shields down to 20%” The shields were now thinning and started taking shits onto the ship. You could feel each blow. You needed to make a split decision. Either you wait for the civilians to try and enter the hanger, and risk all the cargo whilst being pulled down onto the planet’s gravity; or warp right now and save your life, Namjoon’s and the cargo which consisted of precious plant life, and minerals that were needed to build and harvest.
“Captain” said Namjoon in a soft tone. His voice was static. He knew, you both knew what needed to be done. Suddenly a radio signal was captured by the communicator. “Mayday, we need help! Mayday we need help!” It was a message from the remaining refugee ship.
You slammed your fists down on the screens below you which flickered, showing codes and data. You watched the small hologram, and saw it taking numerous amount of fire from the droids.
“V.I.C, charge up the warp fields, we need to leave now” You said with clenched fists and jaw. Your forehead glistened with sweat, including your neck and back. You knew your limits and the danger of continuing this rescue mission.
“Yes Captain. Warp field’s ready in 3, 2, 1”
Namjoon was already walking out of the airlock and running straight to the control room. He pulled off the helmet and set it aside and zipped down the body suit till it reached his waist and let it hang there. He wore a simple white shirt underneath but was drenched in sweat due the adrenaline he just endured from trying to save the civilians.
The ship suddenly charged up by creating a blue aura around it’s self that looked like electricity. Abruptly, the ship shot through space, leaving the planet and it’s exploded ships behind and the one remaining ship that needed help. When the ship warped, you and Namjoon’s body jerked slightly from the pull of the energy.
The ship travelled on warp drive, speeding past several planets and galaxies in seconds. You stood there watching the diverse colours and the stars buzzing past you repeatedly, creating pin like lines on either side of the ship. You were furious and heaving at this point. You stood there, staring at the large window with your arms crossed. You knew the engineer was right but there was still a chance to save them. ‘A typical engineer’ you thought. You travelled with Namjoon long enough now to know he thought with statistics and logic rather than empathy. You’ve been travelling for three months with him now, and only today he decided to not follow your orders.
Namjoon stood there, watching you from behind. He saw the small silhouette of you with your arms crossed and facing the large window. As his captain he never paid much attention to your attire. You usually wore a white tank top, black jeans and heavy boots.
“Captain? Let me explain” You heard his voice from behind you. You spun around on your heels and stormed across the control room and headed straight for him. Although he was a lot taller than you, you had every bit of strength and power to match him. You grabbed him by his sweaty shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall and shouted up at him, spitting and mouth frothing at every spoken word.
“YOU DESOBEYED A FEDERAL CAPTAIN” You shouted. Namjoon was wide eyed, and had his large hands up in the air, surrendering to your attack.
“We had every authority to save those people!” You pointed behind you and at the window, meaning the planet you just left. “They needed our help!” With two hands again, you pulled him off the wall and slammed him again like a rag doll “I will write you up for this” this threat made Namjoon confused slightly as to why you thought there was still a chance, when there clearly wasn’t. His pale pink hair, covering his sweaty brows. He didn’t dare to move while you vented your frustration on him.
“I was only thinking of the cargo and of us, Captain.” He said firmly. His thick lips now a thin line. He meant what he said. You did make the final decision but it was tainted by Namjoon not following orders and deciding to close the hanger doors without your permission. Had he kept them open, you could have at least saved one ship. Saved those innocent people that needed help from the Federation.
You breathed heavily at his face then pulled back, lowering our hands off his shirt. You had to remain calm. Months with only one person started to take a toll on you. You stepped back then snapped your head to the side, to speak to the only thing other than Namjoon.
“VIC, scan the exterior of the ship and report all damage.” You said firmly.
“Yes Captain”
“I’ll log the incident and send a message to base. They can assess the situation” Said Namjoon as he stepped aside and headed towards the control room. He knew you were upset at him and probably won’t speak to him for days, other than what was needed. He hoped by sending a message, the Feds could enter Andromeda 9 space and somehow create a communication between its government and possibly send aid to any survivors.
“Yes, do that.” You said harshly “And send that log to my room for assessment” you shouldered Namjoon as you passed him and heading to the communal area of the ship.
Hours passed and neither of you spoke to each other. The only time Namjoon spoke was when he told you via the talkie to inform the damage report. There was only mild damage to the exterior on the right-hand side of the ship. No life support, or systems were damaged. The ship was now under autopilot as it whizzed past various planets and stars.
You couldn’t sleep. Your mind was buzzing with all the events that had happened hours ago. Those people, Namjoon and the status of the ship. You squirmed under the sheets in only your underwear and a thin tank top. You turned to the side in your bed and looked out the ships window. You never took time to admire the view whenever you were working. But when you laid down to rest, you watched the large gas planets, orbiting moons and galaxies that glowed with rainbow stars. It was truly beautiful. Slowly you drifted to sleep. Later, you turned in your sleep to get more comfortable. But for some reason you couldn’t feel the mattress under you. You turned again, you felt nothing. You snapped opened your eyes and looked at the ceiling. Your body was moving without you knowing. The sheets swirled around your body and your legs. Your hair began to float around you, whipping around gently and touching your face and shoulders.
“Shit!” you spat out. The gravity simulator had malfunctioned. You twirled in the air, kicking off the blankets from your body and grabbing it. You bunched the sheets up as quickly as you could and floated across the room to the cupboard and pushed the blankets in the there. You saw a cup floating past. You instantly snatched it from mid-air and placed it inside the cupboard too. You made your way across to the door and pressed on a small glass screen.
“VIC, give me the status on the gravity simulator.” You leaned to the door, trying to keep your body still. You had to tightly grab the door frame as you waited to the computer to report.
“Scan complete. Gravity simulator is normal, running at 100%.”
“What?! That can’t be right” You looked around your room and saw various objects floating about. A book, a toothbrush and a boot. You knew something was wrong. If the computer couldn’t detect the error, then something must’ve been wrong with the computer itself. Suddenly you went wide eyed. If VIC couldn’t detect the error of the gravity simulator, then what else was malfunctioning? You pressed the door button and floated through as quickly as you could. You knew that you were still in panties and a thin tank top but that didn’t matter right now. You had to fix the problem. You had your arms out and your legs slightly stretched as you tried to push your way through the hallway to the control room. You pressed your feet on the nearest wall, bent your knees and shot through, trying to get there as fast as you could. You saw Namjoon now entering the hallway, looking back and forth then saw you heading his way. He was only wearing black shorts. You both floated across till you met at the entrance of the control room.
Namjoon frowned in confusion, then looked around as he spoke. You could practically see the turbines in his head working, trying to figure out the problem. “The gravity simulator isn’t working, what did VIC say?” He looked back at you. Namjoon floated to the side and allowed you to move past first into the control room.
“She said everything is working fine” You reached out and grabbed the back of the chair to keep yourself steady then turned around to face him. “If she can’t detect the error..” you began.
“Then there could be a chance, there’s other sections of the ship that could be malfunctioning” said Namjoon as he floated in front of you. He darted his dark eyes past you, and looked at the window. “The engines seem to be working fine, since we’re still traveling.”
You nodded in response. “Thankfully the cargo is running off a separate simulator and systems. We can’t know for sure. But I think we should first head to the computer motherboard and see what the issue is there.”
Namjoon scratched his chin in thought then sighed. “I suppose I can’t do anything yet, until you run a diagnostic” He was the engineer of the ship, if there was any physical damage he could possible fix it.
You looked behind you and grabbed the computer tablet and tucked it under your arm. “Let’s go” you said firmly. You stretched out your legs under you and toed the floor. You began bobbing up and down gently, past Namjoon and heading to the main computer room. Namjoon followed you. He pursed his lips tightly and remained quiet. He didn’t want to say anything since you were still upset at him from earlier. He wasn’t sure if you knew you were in your underwear right now. He had never seen you even partially naked. The months that he had spent his time on board, he had only saw you in the captain’s attire or in gym clothes in the communal area. Right now, he had a full view of your backside. Your thick muscled thighs flexed as you floated through the corridor in front of him. He even had a glimpse of your toned stomach. He watched as you floated to the left and entered into the main computer room. Namjoon had his arms stretched out and held the wall behind him as he watched you float through and tried your best to stand still at one of the large monitor tower made of black glass. They all flickered with various lights and created a buzzing sound. You leaned in and pressed one of the shelves. The black glass beeped and slid out a section of the tower. You held onto the corner of the tower and looked down at the microchips. Nothing was damaged.
“Everything seems to be fine here” you said with a sigh. You looked around at the other tall computer towers then saw a small red-light flashing up high. “There” you pointed. Namjoon turned his head in the same direction and saw it too.
“Can we back it up?” He asked curiously. You were the botanist, and the Tech of the ship. If anything, computer related was malfunctioning, he knew it was your speciality.
“Don’t know, we’ll just have to find out” You closed the opened section in place and floated past a few computer towers and held onto the one that had the flashing light. You reached out and pressed a small button on the wall. You looked up at the ceiling, waiting for the ladder to unfold down to you. The section was too high up to reach. You couldn’t float up there and try to fix it, you needed to keep yourself steady somehow.
“Interesting” you said with narrowed eyes. You had an idea. You quickly turned around and saw Namjoon standing and awaiting your next instructions. Only then did you realise that he was shirtless and only in boxes. His body was slightly pale but was well toned. You could see his broad shoulders and the hollow of his neck. His pale pink hair was parted on its side and floated almost upright past his scalp. Namjoon arched a brow at you, wondering why you were staring at him.
“I need you to hoist me up and keep me steady while I fix this. The ladder isn’t coming down”
Namjoon lifted his eyes up at the ceiling as he floated towards you. “The ladder isn’t working? The malfunctioning could also mean there could be minor problems, like doors and locks” He was now hovering and facing you closely. You cleared your throat then quickly pointed to the small metal bar protruding from the floor. “Brace your foot under that to keep yourself steady while you hold me up” He did a sweep with his eyes over your body then chewed his lower lip. “Yes” He said with a serious nod. You noticed what he did. You knew the current predicament. You were both in your underwear, in a computer room and floating due to no gravity. Right now, wasn’t the time to have sinful thoughts. You both moved closer to each other till your chest was pressed to his pecs. Namjoon looked down at you and shifted his weight a little and hooked his foot under the bar then nodded to indicate that he was ready.
“Okay, lift me up steady till I say stop” you had your tablet out and was watching the screen. It was scanning the current computer systems. Namjoon reached out with both hands and gripped your waist. He lifted you easily till you were both facing each other, but your eyes were still glued to the tablet. “Higher” you demanded. Namjoon took in a small breath then exhaled before lifting you up further. The lack of gravity made lifting you extremely easy. His face was now in front of your breasts. He swallowed hard. He could see the curve of your breasts under the flimsy fabric and could see the outlines of your nipples.
“A little further” you said. You were peering through each section of the tower and checking it till you came face to face with the red blinking light. You pressed the button and had the section pull out. You began typing codes onto the tablet and waiting for the result. You hadn’t noticed till now that Namjoon had his large hands on either side of your thighs and was holding you upright. He was practically facing your exposed navel. Your crotch was at the same level as his chin. You felt his warm hands on your skin, his breath washing over your stomach each time he let out a soft sigh. You briefly lowered your eyes and saw the top of Namjoon’s pink hair. You swallowed hard. You had to remain professional during this dilemma.
“I owe you an apology by the way” you said softly. Namjoon blinked and looked up at you with raised brows. “Why?”
You both locked eyes for a moment but then you resumed typing on the tablet and looking over the tiny microchips.
“You were right about the situation earlier. We were in immense danger. I wasn’t thinking correctly” His fingers tightened on your thighs, you could almost feel his mouth on your stomach as he spoke. “I tried to weigh out the pros and cons in that situation Captain.” He was staring at your stomach again. He could see every detail over your smooth skin. Namjoon started to feel his groin heat up and harden. He was inches from your crotch. All he needed to do was lower his lips a little and would be able to feel that soft bud under the fabric.
Captain. The word and title that separated you from forming any kind of relationship with members on board. It was isolating at times. You watched the tablet scan numerus pathways in the computer system. You always wondered why Namjoon never tried anything on you. From your previous missions, you had a few advances from other co-workers (which you rejected each time) but never from him.
“I understand” You paused “Namjoon?”
He looked up at you again and hoping you didn’t see his bulge forming. “Yes Captain?”
You closed your eyes in annoyance. You hated that word right now and If you wanted a truthful answer you didn’t want to be captain this very moment. “Drop the honorifics Namjoon. I have a question. Why haven’t you flirted with me?”
Namjoon almost lost his balance and footing from the bar. It made you jerk slightly but suddenly you were kept still again by his hands. You looked down at him and watched him dart his eyes back and forth trying to form an answer. He lifted his gaze and met your eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be into me” It was the truth. He’s spent months with you and all he saw of you was captain mode. You never relaxed or even spoke about mundane things. It was always work for you. So instead, he remained the same. You sighed, feeling disappointed in his answer “It’s a shame. I find you quite attractive” you typed away on your tablet whilst Namjoon looked at you wide eyed. “Really?”
“May I remind you, the captain chooses it’s workers for the mission. Other than your impressive engineering skills, I picked you cause you’re hot” now you were smirking at your screen. “But I guess I’m not your type” you added. You knew that you came across as uptight and profressional 24/7 but it was exhausting. You wanted to use this situation to your advantage and possibly get some answers from Namjoon. You were curious about him.
The tablet started blinking, and showing you a small virus detection. You narrowed your eyes in concentration, forgetting your small confession to Namjoon and pressed the file. Suddenly, it showed the blue print of the ship and blinked at the source of the virus. It was coming from Namjoon’s room.
Namjoon now had his eyes closed, his lips parted as he breathed in the scent of you. Your skin smelt of sweet musk mixed with a slight metallic note. He always found you attractive. He moment he boarded your ship and saw you introduce yourself to when he watched you in the gym area everyday. There were nights where he would jerk off at the thought of you.
You pressed the file again and it began listing small videos, some ran for five minutes while others ran for almost an hour. You arched a brow at these strange files. What where they and why was it coming from Namjoon’s room? There were almost a thousand small files like this.
Namjoon pressed the bridge of his nose on your navel and closed his eyes. He knew the reason why the gravity was malfunctioning, but he was too embarrassed to admit it earlier. He figured it out the moment you had your crotch facing his mouth. He had crossed the line. You had already told him that you’d ‘write him up’ which meant telling the authorities about how he disobeyed you, how was this any different? He was probably going to lose his job.
You pressed the glass surface of your tablet and opened the first file. Immediately a silent video started playing. It was a woman, gagging on some stranger’s cock. Your mouth gaped open at the sight of this. You pressed closed and opened the next file quickly, not believing what you just witnessed. You now saw a woman sprawled out on the bed and getting rammed by a thick cock repeatedly. Her large breasts bounced at each thrust. Your heart was racing at this point. You let out a shaky breath and opened the next file. You now realised, Namjoon stored porn in the ships computer. In the next file it was a close-up of a man’s mouth, slowly and delicately eating out a pussy. You watched the pink tongue swirl around the clit and flicker it. A gush of arousal left your crotch and created a wet patch in your panties. You had to lick your dry mouth and close the file before Namjoon saw you.
Namjoon could now smell your sex. He knew you saw the files and probably watched a few out of curiosity. With shaky fingers you tapped the screen and began scanning and deleting all files. A prompt appeared on the screen, indicating a reboot of the gravity simulation when hitting restart. You finger hovered above the button. You began breathing heavily once you felt Namjoon’s face pressed on your lower stomach. He was holding you in a tight embrace, his large hands gripped to the side of your thighs. Namjoon then looked up at you, just as you lowered your head down to stare at him.
“Are you going to turn me in?” He asked quietly as he lips brushed over your stomach.
“Not unless you convince me not too” you bit your lower lip. Namjoon kept his eyes locked on yours as he opened his mouth, and licked a long stripe up your stomach. He was more than willing to take this opportunity to be with you. His fingers gripped your thighs and pulled you down till you reached his height again. You gasped at his sudden movement. Namjoon ran his fingers under your top and held onto your back as he leaned in and kissed you suddenly. You pulled back briefly but felt his thick lips touch yours. He his mouth felt amazing. Your body started melting at his movements. You quickly opened your mouth and kissed him back with desperation. Both of you began breathing heavily. You wrapped your arms around his neck, and keeping a hold of the tablet in your hand. The lack of gravity made it easy to cling onto him. Namjoon gripped your ass and pulled you close to his groin. You both open and closed your mouth in a kiss over and over, with soft tongue and filling it warm moans. You pulled away with a gasp. You looked at his pink swollen lips then back into his dark eyes. All sense of logic was thrown out the window. “Not in here” you whispered. As badly as you wanted to fuck Namjoon right then and there, the computer monitors were extremely important. Namjoon nodded in response and pulled away from you, causing him to drift back a little. You moved through the air and passed his frame. As you did this, you traced his exposed chest with your fingers and giving him a smirk. You wanted him to follow you. The double doors slid open and you floated through and moved through the hallway towards your chambers. “How many times have you jerked off during this mission?” you asked with a grin as you looked over your shoulder at him. Namjoon was floating closely behind you. He was staring at your ass.
“More than I can count” he admitted. You turned another hallway and saw your chamber doors.
“So each time, you were watching those videos?” You twirled in the air and had your back facing your doors. You blindly reached behind you and pressed the small green screen and let it scan your fingerprint. Namjoon licked his lips hungrily, he was staring at your crotch before he answered and looked at you. “No, I was mostly thinking of you”
You parted your lips and let out a soft gasp from his answer. If only you knew sooner, you would’ve fucked him countless of times by now. Once the doors opened, Namjoon pushed himself through by gripping the door frame. He wrapped his arms around you, drawing you to his body and kissing you again. You both floated upright into the room. He licked you, sucked your lips and tongue as you kissed him. “Mmph.. wait” you said as you broke the kiss. You quickly drew up the tablet that was still in your hand, and was about to press the reboot button when suddenly, Namjoon stopped you by gripping your wrist.
“No.” his voice was firm. “Have you ever fucked in zero gravity?”
“What? No” you said with wide eyes. It never came to mind. Namjoon pulled the tablet from your grip and threw it away, letting it twirl in the air and float somewhere in the room. “Good” he grunted then gripped you by the side of your face and pulled you in, till he could kiss the side of your neck at first. He opened his mouth and licked your soft skin, leaving a wet cool trail that made you shudder. You closed your eyes and let out a soft moan. You smoothed both hands up his chest and felt every detail of his toned body. “Namjoon” you groaned. You pulled back a little and reached down to the edge of your top and started pulling it over yourself. Namjoon traced his hands up the sides of your body and watched you reveal your breasts for him. By now his eyes were heavy in arousal. He saw how your breasts perked due to zero gravy, and your nipples harden in the exposed air. “Fuck” he said with a hiss. “You look so fucking sexy” You pulled the fabric away from your arms and let it float away from you. He pulled you in and lifted you easily till your chest was at the same level as his mouth. Namjoon licked one nipple then latched on with his mouth as he stared up at you. You watched his mouth with lips parted and in awe. You closed your eyes and relished in the feel of his hot mouth, and tongue flicking and sucking over your nipple. You combed through his pink hair slowly then ending it with fists.
“Namjoon” you moaned.
“Hmm?” he moved and held your breasts up from underneath then moved his mouth to the next breast to give it equal attention.
“Eat me out” you demanded as you fluttered your lashes and looked down at him. He smirked over your nipple and gave a quick nip between his teeth. “Yes Captain.” Namjoon moved his large hands and gripped your torso and pushed you up further to the ceiling. As he did this, he roughly hooked his long fingers into the band of your panties and began pulling it down as you lifted you. He dragged the panties down the length of your legs and threw it away. “Bend your knees” he grunted. You did as you were told and felt him push open your legs roughly and move between them. He hovered standing while you were parallel to the floor but in mid-air and at his face level. Namjoon grabbed your ass cheeks as a brace and pulled you in to his needing mouth. Without warning he plunged his pink tongue down your wet hole and curled the muscle, feeling each ridge of you.
“Oh my god” you gasped out. You gripped onto your breasts tightly and lifted your head to see his pink hair and his forehead between your legs. Namjoon kissed your velvet folds at first. He licked each line then lapped up your juices into his mouth. “You taste so sweet” he muffled into your sex. He pulled back a little, leaving a string of your juices still attached to his mouth. Namjoon locked eyes with you then smirked with his glistening lips. You stared back at him, and failed to notice him moving a long pale finger and sliding it all the way into your hole. Your eyes widened “Ahhh fuck” you responded.
“Yes, just relax Captain” He curled his finger and reached that sensitive area then began rubbing it. Namjoon leaned in again but latched his thick lips onto your clit and began suck it softly. He used the tip of his tongue and circled it repeatedly. He started milking you. Your juices covered his finger at first then his hand. Namjoon made sure he licked every drop so it wouldn’t float away. You started feeling your climax rising inside you. “Stop” you gasped out. You didn’t want to finish like this. Namjoon didn’t listen, he continued to suck and lick you. He was loving every moment. “Stop, or I’ll write you up” you threatened. A smirk played on your lips. This was now a power play. Immediately Namjoon stopped, lifted his chin a looked at you with narrowed eyes. He moved away one of his hands from your ass cheek and pulled down his boxes. He quickly shimmied out of it.
“You can’t just threaten to write me up every time you want it your way, Captain” a hiss escaped his lips. You began floating away and towards the bed. Namjoon now naked, toed the floor and moved towards you. His thick cock was upright and ready. You twirled in the air, naked and smoothed your hands over your naked form teasingly as you waited for him to come to you. Namjoon swiftly moved in close, hovering upright on the bed, grabbed you by the hips as you faced him and aligned himself. Without warning, he rammed you down and onto his cock. You immediately gasped and gripped onto his wide shoulders. In retaliation, you clawed your nails down his pale skin to leave a mark. His cock felt so good, it filled you up perfectly.
“Fuck, your so tight. Just like I imagined” He hissed through clenched jaws. You quickly wrapped your thick thighs around his waist to steady yourself. Your back was now pressed against the large window. Namjoon drew out his cock slowly from your pussy, and watched it glisten. You both stared down at the area where your bodies joined. He stared in awe. Namjoon lifted his dark eyes and watched you, watching him pull out then thrust back into you again. In unison you both moaned and closed your eyes.
“Fuck, you feel so fucking good. I should’ve fucked you sooner” You admitted as you squirmed. You had your back pressed against the window, your hands clawing at his sweaty chest and thighs clenching around his waist. Namjoon started a slow pace then began thrusting repeatedly into you. With each drawn out motion, he grunted then spoke “Then” thrust, pull out “We should start fucking” thrusts into you deeper and pulls back out again “from now on” his hips bucked and slammed up into again. He watched his cock glisten and create a build-up of juices around your warm sex. Namjoon knitted his brows in concentration as he fucked you. He grabbed your waist with one hand, then moved his other, planted his hand wide over your abdomen and pressed his thumb over your clit. He began rubbing it in quick circles with soft pressure that matched his thrusts. Your muscles quivered and you could feel that you were close. You moaned out his name repeatedly and profanities with a hiss. “Ah, Namjoon I’m about to..” you began. Namjoon quicken is pace of his fingers, and rolled his hips into you, over and over again, slamming you onto the window. The view he had was mesmerising. You, naked and legs wide open for him. He saw every inch of his cock disappear into you to the hilt. Behind you, outside the vessel was passing a blue gas giant. It created a blue hue into the room, cascading over your bouncing breasts and hair. You walls tightened as you orgasm began. Namjoon, felt his cock twitch and he felt the peak of his pleasure arise at the same time. He pulled out one more time, then rammed back into you, shooting hot white liquid inside. “Fuck” he spat out. Your orgasm rippled from your throbbing clit and through your thighs. You rolled your eyes back to a close and moaned out every feeling. “Namjoon” you gasped. Your bodies glistened in the blue hue room. Chests heaving, and bodies stilled latched to each other, you were the first to speak. Namjoon pulled out slowly and saw a few bubbles of his cum float away from you. You leaned in, caught each one quickly in your hand and licked your fingers, as you kept your eyes on him. “I’m not convinced” you grinned. Namjoon narrowed his eyes. You saw the tablet spinning slowly in your direction. Both of you remained facing each other, floating now at the edge of the bed. You quickly stretched out your hand, grabbed the tablet and pressed the restart button. Within seconds, gravity was now back. You felt your weight again and immediately you stood with a heavy thud on the ground, along with Namjoon. You were both naked, standing and facing each other. Namjoon ran his fingers through his pink hair, then smirked. “Still going to write me up hmm?” He grabbed the tablet from you, tossed it on the bed and held your wrist just like earlier. “I guess I still need to convince you then, in the shower” He added and began walking, dragging you with him.
summary: it was never your intent to be anything more than a common thief, but fate -- and a rather attractive general -- have other plans for you.
word count: 1.8k
masterlist | previous | next
In the months following your mission on Hesse, you only got better and better at your job. You learned the ins and outs of Philian nightlife, and you were proud to say you were getting more used to jobs on foreign planets. Mostly, you were getting more used to Lafayette and his division of soldiers. In between missions, you had time to lay low at headquarters, and the soldiers quickly became brothers to you.
As all siblings like to do, the soldiers would do their best to pull pranks and tease you when the occasion occurred. The growing relationship–you might even call it friendship–with the man who you had stolen from just a few months ago didn’t go unseen by the men in Lafayette’s division.
“We’ve compiled the information needed for your mission with Alpha,” Hamilton says, sliding a tablet across Lafayette’s desk for him to read.
Alpha–the squadron had affectionately given you the codename; named for the capital, Alpha Cersei, of the tiny planet you had grown up on. You wore the name with pride.
“Anything important I should know?” Lafayette asks as he begins scrolling through the information.
Hamilton coughs softy and nudges Laurens, who in turn nudges Mulligan. Mulligan shoots the other two men a dirty look, but nonetheless steps forward: “Well, the thing is… We thought it would be best, well… well why don’t you tell him, Hamilton?”
“Me? I put this together!”
“That’s why you should be the one to tell him!”
Lafayette sets the tablet down rather unceremoniously. “Would one of you just spit it out?”
A beat of silence.
“We… well, Hamilton decided that a couple of newlyweds would be a rather convincing cover for this particular mission,” Laurens finally says.
“Oh so now it was my idea, huh?” Hamilton says with irritation. “It was our idea when you thought it was funny.”
Lafayette looks between the three men incredulously before looking back down at the tablet to read further into the details. “You didn’t seriously…”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Hercules says (and he says it in a way that makes Lafayette think that the next thing he’s about to say won’t make him feel better at all), “we made sure to book you and Alpha the honeymoon suite. The reviews are great. Supposed to be very ro-man-tic.”
Hamilton and Laurens fail to hide their snickering, but Lafayette silences the two of them with a sharp look. He rests his forehead in his hand when the information he’s reading on the tablet confirms everything his soldiers told him.
“This is the last time I put any of you in charge of mission details,” Lafayette mutters.
“That’s not fair, we gave you a cool codename,” Laurens points out.
Hamilton’s eyes light up and he nods in agreement. “We did! Do you want to hear it?”
“Do I?”
“You’re Romeo,” Hercules says, and the three of them grin widely like it’s the cleverest thing they’ve ever come up with.
“Romeo?” You push open the door and take a seat in one of the chairs in front of Lafayette’s desk that you’ve grown accustomed to. You size Lafayette up with a look, noting how flustered he seems. “Are you a fan of Shakespeare, or somethin’?”
“Actu—” Laurens starts, but Lafayette silences him with a glare.
“Yes. Love Shakespeare. Laurens, Mulligan, and Hamilton were just about to leave.” His words are clipped and the three soldiers seem to understand him, quickly filing out the door in a fit of laughter, but not before muttering something about leaving the two of you alone together.
You raise an eyebrow at their strange behavior but shrug it off. You turn to face Lafayette and give him a mock salute. “Alright, general. Brief me on my mission.”
“Our mission, actually,” he corrects.
This surprises you. “You’re coming with? Ah, I suppose that makes sense. Hence the codename. Alright, Romeo, brief me on our mission.”
The codename catches him off-guard, but he doesn’t let it show. “There’s a British officer who has happened to obtain some… important information concerning future battle plans. We’ve been told he’s staying at a resort on Ambros while his ship is being repaired.”
“So we’re going to steal the information back before he can get it to New Britannia?”
“Exactly.”
“What’s our cover?”
“There’s more information on here,” Lafayette says, handing you the tablet, “but basically… we’re honeymooners.”
You pause, look up at him with wide eyes, then snort loudly. “You’re going to be my husband?”
He frowns at you. “Is there something funny about that?”
“No, of course not.” Your laughter contradicts your words. “It’s just that… you and I, well… we’d make an interesting pair?”
“Don’t worry, starlight, you’ll only have to put up with me for the length of the mission.”
“Oh, c’mon, don’t you think the situation is a little bit humorous?” You flash him a grin and his expression softens a little. “So should I meet you at the loading dock tomorrow morning, then?”
“Yes,” he nodded. Then, remembering something, Lafayette reached down and opened up a drawer, pulling out a little box. He set it on the desk in front of you.
“What’s this?”
“We’re married. You should have a ring.” He shrugs like it was obvious.
Gingerly, you open the box and your mouth falls open when you see the large diamond in front of you. The ring probably costs more than anything you’ve ever owned, and Lafayette is just giving it to you. You look from the ring to him in shock, and he gives you a small nod, encouraging you to try it on. You slide it onto your finger, and it just happens to fit perfectly.
“Wow” is all you manage to say as you admire the way it sparkles on your hand. You grin and your eyes meet Lafayette’s with a mischievous grin. “I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!”
Lafayette rolls his eyes at your antics, but he can’t help but smile. “Is it too early to file for divorce?”
You wave him off as a thought suddenly occurs to you. “I’ve got to go show the boys my engagement ring! I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early, sweetheart.”
With that, you sweep out of the room and moments later, Lafayette can hear Hamilton, Laurens, and Mulligan all laughing and congratulating you on the fake engagement. Lafayette shakes his head, but he is incapable of wiping the smile off his face.
The flight to Ambros is short, and you and Lafayette spend most of the trip going over your cover in more detail. Lafayette is more focused on the important details: the name and appearance of your target, strategies, etc. You, on the other hand, argue that it’s just as important to come up with a believable background: how long the two of you have been together, where you got married, who your maid of honor was. You’re mostly teasing, but it would be beneficial to the both of you if your stories lined up.
“How did you propose? I think you took me back to the place we first met,” you muse.
“No, no. Not the place we first met. The place I first realized I loved you,” he suggests.
You look up at him, amusement playing on your features. “Oh, that’s much better.”
“Yes, and you had no idea. And I told you that ‘this is where I fell in love with you’ and suddenly I was down on one knee.”
“Our love story really is the sweetest, isn’t it?”
He nods. “The very best.”
You admire the ring on your hand and a thought occurs to you. “Do you just happen to keep wedding rings in your desk for impromptu proposals? Or… is there someone you were going to propose to?”
Lafayette shakes his head. “That was my mother’s ring.”
Your jaw drops when he says this. You’ve heard the stories about Lafayette’s past. Both of his parents died when he was young, leaving him one of the wealthiest Francos on the planet. Maybe he left Francosia because he had no family left there. Maybe it was something else. You don’t ask.
“This is your mother’s ring? I can’t wear this! Why didn’t you tell me?” You ask.
“We’re supposed to be married, starlight. Unless you’ve got a different ring in your pocket you’d prefer, I think our options are rather limited,” he says plainly.
You see the logic in his statement, but you’re still shocked he would trust you with his mother’s ring. “Yes, I understand, it’s just… this is something important to you. You just gave it to me.”
“Should I be worried about giving it to you?” He teases. “Were you planning on stealing it?”
“Well, now I’m not going to,” you say under your breath.
This elicits a chuckle from Lafayette. “My mother would’ve liked you. If anyone was going to wear her ring, I think she would’ve been glad it was you.”
Lafayette stands when the orange Ambrosian sea begins to cast hued light through the window, but his comment isn’t lost on you. For some reason, your chest grows all warm at the thought that his mother would’ve liked you.
“We’re going to be landing soon, we should both get changed,” Lafayette says.
He’s right. You’re wearing plain tan clothes, hardly suitable for the wife of a wealthy businessman. Lafayette is still wearing his white Amerigo Army uniform; he’ll have to change for obvious reasons. You give him a nod, getting up to your personal quarters to get changed.
For this mission, you’ve packed a closet of outfits that you would never have worn back home on Philia. Evening gowns, dresses that are equal parts too short and too sparkly, gold and silver necklaces, shoes you don’t understand how to put on, much less walk in. You decide you’ll wear one of your simpler options: a black gown that hugs your torso before cascading to the ground in waves, a slit exposes your left leg up to your mid-thigh. When you’re finished getting ready, you catch sight of your reflection in your mirror, and a surge of confidence flows through you. You look beautiful.
When you step back onto the bridge, the look on Lafayette’s face reaffirms your thoughts. His lips part as he takes in your appearance, eyes widening slightly before he remembers that it’s not polite to stare. He clears his throat.
“You look… nice,” he says.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” you reply. You mean it. Lafayette has changed out of his usual uniform into a fitted suit of all black. A flash of deep red catches your eye when he adjusts his pocket square. He’s wearing the colors of the New Britannia flag; it’s all in the subtle details. You realize that this is the first time you’ve seen him in civilian clothes. You decide you like it.
“Shall we?” Lafayette offers you an arm.
You smile and take it, pulling yourself to his side. “Of course, darling.”
summary: it was never your intent to be anything more than a common thief, but fate -- and a rather attractive general -- have other plans for you.
word count: 2k
masterlist | next
Your life on Philia was one of luxury. Perhaps an outsider wouldn’t describe it that way: you never knew where your next meal would come from, and your home never stayed in one spot for too long. Yet the independence afforded to you was of greater value to you than any comfort security could have given you. Just because you made your living by… unconventional methods didn’t mean it was any less legitimate than that of most businesses on Philia.
Thief, bandit, swindler; you preferred “moonlighter,” it had a nice ring to it. Anyhow, it didn’t matter what anyone called you – you weren’t anymore a criminal than the congressman that had been elected to represent the United Planets of Amerigo. You reminded yourself of this fact whenever that aching sense of guilt began to creep up on you. While your particular skillset was generally described as illegal, you were too good at what you did to stop. Besides, you only ever stole from the people who could afford it, so how wrong could your actions really be?
The life of a thief isn’t nearly as glamorous as it’s made out to be. On a day like this one, you’re running errands like any other Philian. It’s been a good week for you; you’ve traded in a few stolen items for a few pieces of argentum. With the week’s funds, you decide it’s time to buy new curtains for your current living quarters – perhaps you’ll splurge on some fresh produce for dinner.
It’s in the open-aired marketplace that you spot your target. You weren’t even looking for a target today, but he manages to catch your eye. He stands out in his white officer’s uniform against the sea of brown and green common clothes, and golden lines along the side of his face mark him as Franco nobility. Even if he wasn’t literally glowing in the low Philian sunlight, his straight posture and height made him stand out like a fish on a waterless planet.
Again, you hadn’t planned on running a job today, but when he showed up in the marketplace like that, you didn’t have a choice. After tailing the man for a few blocks, you set your plan in motion. A con you’ve pulled off nearly a dozen times, and it has yet to fail you.
The Franco is minding his business in the street, and you, a careless young girl who isn’t being mindful of where she’s going, crashes into him with the grace and composure of an on-fire spaceship. He’s quick to apologize, a fact that you note, the both of you knowing you are the one at fault here. You mention this, apologizing to him profusely for your mindlessness. Eyes trained low to the ground – it’s safer this way – you fix the invisible wrinkles you have caused to his suit jacket. Another hasty apology on your part, and you slip away from him, escaping back into the bustling crowds of the marketplace. You think this will be the last time you see him.
You’ve long forgotten about the curtains and produce you had set out to buy. When you are safely back in the confides of your shabby apartment, you pull your treasure out from your pocket. A golden medallion with a lovely eagle insignia emblazoned onto the metal. Tapping it with your nails, you come to the conclusion that not only is this real, but it’s worth a fortune. The medallion would cover months – maybe a year’s worth of expenses. You study the medallion for a moment longer before placing the chain around your neck and tucking it into your clothes. You’ll save it for a rainy day.
The next time you see the Franco, there is an explosion on your street.
It’s a few weeks after that day in the marketplace, maybe a month. On this particular morning, you are trying to enjoy your breakfast in peace. Halfway through a papaya, you’re reminded of the war that’s been ravaging entire systems. Beneath your feet, the ground shakes and you hear an explosion outside your window. When you go to see what the commotion is, you find a building down the block is set on fire, and forces in dark blue and red are firing at each other from either side of the street.
Survival instincts kick in: you need to get out of there. Making it to the ground floor, you scan your surroundings for a safe route of escape. You stay low as you plan to creep behind a platoon of blue suited soldiers – the Amerigo Army is supposed to keep you safe, right? You’re still a citizen of the United Planets, although not exactly a model citizen. In a rather humbling position, you’re crawling on your forearms and knees behind the battle lines. It’s from this position that you catch sight of a flash of red in a building. A New Britain soldier has taken his place in an upper-level window, a sniper propped up in the windowsill. You know you should continue crawling to safety, but your curiosity gets the best of you. Your eyes follow the sniper scope to its target: a commanding officer in white.
After the initial shock, you try yelling out a warning to the officer. He doesn’t hear you; he’s too busy yelling out orders to his own men. You try calling out to him again, but when he doesn’t respond, you stumble to your feet and launch yourself into a decision you’re already beginning to regret. Climbing up the makeshift ramparts the soldiers had created, you reach the officer’s side. You tug at his arm, and he just looks at you in confusion. With a glance to the sniper in the window, you realize your timeframe for explanation has run out. Gaining leverage, you take a step up on the rampart, and with both your hands solidly on the officer’s shoulders, you pull him beneath the sniper’s line of vision.
A bright flash and you hear the loud vsssshhh of the sniper’s blast ripping through the air.
In the chaos, a soldier is able to shoot down the sniper from his vantage point and a few more bombs are set off, but you hardly process any of this. Your ears ring and you vaguely process the officer in white helping you down from the rampart. He’s saying words to you and you’re trying your best to focus on his lips to make out the words he’s saying to you – but you’re failing miserably. You narrow your eyes and are finally able to process what he’s saying.
“You’ve been shot,” he yells over all the noise.
You stare at him blankly and feel your grip on his forearms begin to weaken. Your eyesight is fading. The last thing you see are autumnal brown eyes outlined in rings of golden light widening in concern before everything fades to black.
The first thing you are aware of, is that you are not at home.
The bed beneath you is far too comfortable to be your own, and the air is much too easy to breathe, missing that polluted quality altogether that you had grown accustomed to. You don’t open your eyes yet because you are still feeling out your surroundings before you completely rejoin the conscious world. Your fingers bunch up handfuls of blanket and you conclude the fabric is nice quality; you must be somewhere in the wealthier districts of Philia. How or why you’re here, you’re not sure.
“I know you’re awake,” a voice says from a few feet away.
Your muscles tense slightly before you force your body to relax. “How do you know that?”
“When you’re really asleep, you snore. Loudly.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do.”
You release an annoyed sigh and opened your eyes slowly, still adjusting to the light. Taking a look around your surroundings, you concluded that you were in a hospital room of some sort. On a chair beside your bed sat the Franco in his officer’s white, and the sight of him brought memories flooding back to you. The explosions, the sniper, getting shot…
Suddenly you’re aware of the bandages wrapped tightly around your torso and the lingering pain you can feel on your side makes sense. You try to move your hand to inspect the wound, but that’s when you realize one of your wrists has been cuffed to the side of the hospital bed. Your eyes shift toward the Franco and you raise an eyebrow. He shrugs.
“What do you expect? You’re a criminal wanted on an assortment of different charges,” he says casually.
You narrow your eyes. “Says who?”
He chuckles softly, and instead of offering a straightforward answer to your question, he places a thick file on the bedside table with your name printed on it in inky letters. You don’t have to look through the file to know what it says about you.
“Oh. I see,” you mumble.
You allow your hands to fall into your lap – your left hand slightly restricted due to the handcuff, and you avoid looking at the Franco. You can feel his gaze on you, and you can only imagine what he’s thinking right now. Finally, he breaks the silence.
“You saved my life.”
Looking up at him quizzically, you blurt out, “maybe I wouldn’t have if I had known I would end up in this situation.”
He presses on. “Why? You could’ve been killed.”
“I’m a criminal,” you explain, “I’m not heartless.”
The two of you fall back into a silence as he ponders over your words. You take this time to begin accepting your fate. There’s no way you can escape from this hospital bed and this officer in the condition you’re in. They’ve caught you this time; they really—
“I have a proposition for you,” the officer says.
This isn’t what you were expecting, but he’s piqued your interest. “What kind of proposition?”
“A job offer,” he says plainly. “Amerigo could use someone with your… skillset.”
You snort. “The army needs a thief?”
He twitches slightly at your words. “No, not exactly.”
“Then what?”
“It’s classified until you agree.”
“You expect me to agree to a job without knowing anything about it?”
“I’m giving you an option. If you’re not interested, there’s always a very nice cell with your name on it,” the officer said, sending you an amused grin.
You scowl at him, but after reevaluating the state that you were currently in, the Franco’s offer seemed rather appealing to you. Maybe you would regret it later, but this seemed like your only out at the time.
“Okay, fine. I’ll take the job,” you relent.
The officer hums his approval and stands to his feet. “Lovely. I’ll have the information sent to you by tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind relocating. I think you’ll find the housing we provide for you will be more… adequate than your previous lodgings.”
He turns to the door but you stop him. “Wait. Apparently you know everything about me, but I don’t even know your name.”
A smile tugs at his lips and he walks back over to your bedside. “Lafayette. General Lafayette.”
You sit frozen in place as his hands reach forward to trace the golden chain along your neck, your skin feeling like it had been burned from the places where his fingertips met your collarbone. Gently, he lifts the medallion off of your neck and places it around his own.
“I believe this belongs to me,” he says softly, “I’ll see you around, starlight.”
summary: it was never your intent to be anything more than a common thief, but fate -- and a rather attractive general -- have other plans for you.
word count: 3.6k
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“What are we at now? Twenty argenti?” You grin and lean forward, elbows resting on the table. “Another round, Mulligan?”
The tailor gives you a look that only makes your smile widen. “I don’t know if I have anything left to wager.”
“Mulligan, your deployment is about to head out, you should get down to the loading dock.”
The look of relief on Mulligan’s face is nearly comical when Hamilton interrupts the next game you are setting up. Mulligan mutters a half-hearted apology, you wish him luck, and then he is all too eager to leave.
Hamilton places a hand on your shoulder and points you in the direction of Lafayette’s office. “The general would like a word with you.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“Aren’t you always?”
“Fair point. Wish me luck, Lex,” you mutter, making your way into the lion’s den.
You knock twice on the door, and without waiting for a reply, you push open the door and let yourself into Lafayette’s office. Dim, warm light greets you – a stark contrast to the harsh white lighting found in most buildings on Philia. Lafayette sits at his desk, thumbing through pages and pages of paperwork. The navy cape usually worn around his shoulders is draped over the back of his chair, and he absently scratches his beard as he continues to read the papers in front of him.
“You wanted to see me?” You ask.
He nods toward the empty chairs in front of his desk. “Yes, have a seat.”
You sit down across from him and wait for him to inform you as to why you’ve been called into his office. The two of you sit in silence for a few minutes before Lafayette finally puts down his paperwork and leans back in his chair.
He appraises you silently, then finally: “Hamilton says you’re cleaning my men out of their money.”
“I want you to know,” you say quickly, “that my actions have been completely legal. It’s not my fault you never taught your men how to gamble.”
“How much did Mulligan lose today?” He asks.
“Twenty.”
“You don’t feel bad about taking money from the poor guy?”
“It’s Mulligan.” The both of you share a laugh. “Did you call me in here to tell me to stop taking your soldiers’ money?”
“Not at all, feel free to continue scamming them out of their money,” he says with a shrug. “As long as you keep supplying me with intel on the New British battle plans, you can do whatever you want with your off hours.”
“I take it you’ve got a new mission for me?”
“Perceptive. This is why I hired you.”
“I thought you hired me because I’m expendable,” you say bluntly.
He stiffens at your comment and slowly shakes his head. “No, that’s not it. You’re incredibly good at what you do, and I think you’re the perfect person for this job.”
Lafayette hands you a tablet with the information for your next mission. This one is a bit different than the previous jobs he had you run. It had been your job to lay low at shady bars around Philia that had been known as sympathizers of the New British crown and report back any information you had overheard. On occasion, you had been sent to spy on wealthy sympathizers at dinner parties, galas, races, etc. All these events took place on Philia or neighboring planets. Looking down at the tablet, your eyes widened a little at the name of your next location.
“You’re sending me to Hesse?” You say in surprise.
“It would be…” he pauses and thinks through his words. “It’s rather vital we send someone to observe negotiations between the leaders of Hesse and New Britannia. We have reason to believe they’re discussing more than just a renewal of the neutrality act.”
“I see. It’s just that… Hesse is quite far. It’s not even part of the United Planets of Amerigo,” you say. Lafayette knows this. Hesse is a part of a large federation of planets that has remained neutral during the war between Amerigo and New Britannia. It’s out of Lafayette’s jurisdiction, if anything happened to you there…
“You don’t have to go,” he says quickly. “You can say no. If you don’t think you can—”
“You said this was vital, yes?” You say. “Who else would you send?”
Lafayette is silent while he tries to come up with another name. There isn’t anyone else they can send; his silence tells you.
“Alright. I’ll go.”
He eyes you warily. “This is a risky idea. Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested it. We can find another way. You shouldn’t go.”
“General,” you say firmly, “I’m going to Hesse. You said yourself that I’m the perfect person for this job; I already speak Alemanni.”
“You speak Alemanni?”
“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me, general. Glad I’m still full of surprises.” You scan the information on the tablet and stand from your chair. “Guess I should be going, then. I’ve got a lot of studying to do.”
“Our contact will be limited while you’re on Hesse, but if you run into the slightest bit of danger, press this button here on your bracelet and we’ll fly in to pick you up immediately.”
Lafayette hands you the bracelet in question, and you give him a nod before sliding it onto your wrist. You’re a few minutes out from the capital city, and the general is running through any last-minute details with you before he drops you off and the ship heads back into orbit around Hesse.
“Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. You are not to engage in any combat whatsoever. Get in, get information, get out. Do you understand?” He asks.
Lafayette misses it when you roll your eyes, which is probably for the best. “I got it, general.”
He lands the ship, opens the cargo door, and turns his chair to face you. “One more thing.”
You groan. “What could you have possibly forgotten to say?”
Lafayette crosses his hands over his chest, taking one more good look at you. “Be safe out there.”
You’re a little shocked by his sudden switch to a softer tone, and it must show. You stare at him awkwardly for a minute before giving a small nod, grabbing your pack, and stepping out of the ship. Behind you, the ship begins to depart. You don’t turn back to watch it leave. You are now on a mission.
Hesse is vastly different from Philia. Where Philia has a temperate, warm climate, Hesse is considerably colder. Fortunately, it’s not snowing when you arrive, but the chilling winds are so harsh you don’t think it would make a difference. Traffic on the streets in Hesse is minimal, and you attribute this to the less than desirable weather. You’re not going to get any information from the inanimate light posts or street signs, so you find what looks like a promising tavern and head inside.
The tavern contrasts the icy Hesse environment; inside is warm and bright, backed with patrons from wall to wall and buzzing with conversation. As you make your way to the bar, you pick up on bits and pieces of the conversations happening around you. You’re in your element.
“You have to stop worrying so much. She’s a smart girl, she would call you if she needed any help.”
It’s been a few cycles since Lafayette dropped you off on Hesse. He didn’t expect you to call for him immediately, but he can’t stop himself from worrying a bit when he doesn’t hear from you for a few days. Lafayette is on a spaceship by himself with nothing better to do except work through piles of paperwork and think up every scenario that could go wrong for you on Hesse. If anything happens to you, he will be to blame.
In his defense, Lafayette had never wanted to send you to Hesse in the first place. It had been a rather forceful suggestion from General Washington after the head of the army had seen your success rates. Of course it made sense that you would be the one to take on this mission, but that didn’t make Lafayette feel any better about it. He voices these concerns in a call to Hamilton while he orbits endlessly around the planet.
“I’m serious, Lafayette,” Hamilton says, beginning to sound a little exasperated. “There’s nothing you can do at this point. I’m sure she wouldn’t want you panicking over this anyway.”
“Was this a huge mistake?” Lafayette asks, effectively ignoring all of Hamilton’s previous statements.
“No, it wasn’t. We need information on these treaties, I have no doubt New Britannia has something up their sleeves. If anyone’s going to figure it out, it’s her. You didn’t have a choice.”
It must be the eleventh or twelfth time Hamilton has repeated these sentiments on this call alone. Lafayette decides there’s no point in continuing on this line of conversation, so he surrenders for the time being.
“You’re right,” he says. “No point in worrying. So, have I missed anything while I’ve been gone?”
“Not much. Mulligan’s sent some intel back to us from his latest mission, nothing big yet. Oh, Laurens arrived back yesterday. A few bruises and a broken finger or two, but other than that, he seems to be fine.” Hamilton is happy enough with the subject change.
“He made it back in one piece? Well, how about that. The way he fights, you’d think he’s got a death wish.”
On the other line, Hamilton releases a bark of laughter. “You’d think so. Most men in your battalion are rather careless when it comes to safety. You think you had a hand in teaching ‘em that?”
“Me? I hardly think—”
He pauses mid-sentence when the light on his computer begins flashing a few times and a succession of beeps start sounding. Whatever he was about to say is lost at his lips when he stares at the blinking light. Lafayette has been waiting for this.
“I have to go,” he says to Hamilton, “it’s her.”
Lafayette doesn’t offer more of a goodbye, not that he needs to, and hangs up the call with Hamilton. Immediately he kicks into gear, sliding into the pilot’s seat and speeding toward the surface of Hesse in the direction being sent to the ship from your bracelet.
He’s surprised to find your tracking signal coming from a few miles outside of the capital, but he’s even more surprised when he finds the position you’re in. Amidst a forest of snow-covered trees, a fortress peaks out over the treetop with Gothic towers and intimidating sculptures. Along the top of one set of battlement walls, a fight has broken out and blasts of light are being shot from one side to the other. As Lafayette gets closer, he sees that you are on one side of this battle, doing your best to fend off a squadron of joint Hesse-New Britannia troops. It could be going better for you; you’re crouched behind a heavy shield, leaning out now and then to fire a blast at the soldiers who are gaining ground second by second.
Lafayette can’t be sure from this distance, but when you see the ship approaching, he swears he sees a grin spread across your features. Then, in a move that surprises both Lafayette and the soldiers, you stand from your position, and with a few steps, you’ve flung yourself off the castle walls. Lafayette curses under his breath, racing forward in the ship, opening the bay doors, and turning the ship sideways to catch you while you plummet from the air. Somewhere behind him in the ship, he hears a loud thud and is relieved to know you’ve made it onboard.
The soldiers recover from their shock and begin targeting the spaceship instead. Lafayette is able to avoid any significant damage to the ship by weaving through the trees, but it isn’t an easy task. When the blasts begin to fade and the fortress is far enough behind, the spaceship shoots up into the air, racing out of Hesse airspace. Lafayette navigates the ship for a bit, but once he feels they’re safe, he switches the ship into autopilot. He has a spy to debrief.
Lafayette finds you in the cargo bay, looking a little worse for wear. “Are you alright? Injured?”
You look up at him and grin. “Fantastic.”
After a quick observation, Lafayette concludes that “fantastic” would not be the word he used to describe your current state. Your hair is a mess, your face is covered with dirt and cuts, and you are cradling your wrist that looks bent out of shape, the skin around it already turning into a purple-blue color. He raises an eyebrow.
“Alright, I suppose I’ve been in better shape,” you say casually.
Lafayette steps closer, gently pulling your arm to him so he can inspect the injury. His eyes darken as they move from your wrist to your eyes, and you’re suddenly aware of the proximity between the two of you.
“Who did this?” His voice is quiet, but the low growl in the back of his throat sends chills down your spine.
Your uninjured hand takes the arm that is holding you, and his grip on your arm softens. “No one. I think I might’ve broken my wrist on landing.”
His eyes lower and he releases you. Suddenly aware of your closeness, he takes a step back.
“You think?” He scoffs, walking over to the wall and opening up the first aid kit. You’re sitting on the ground, back pressed up against a crate, and Lafayette kneels beside you and begins to tend to your wound. “Tell me about the mission while I patch you up.”
“I think it went rather well. I found a job as a translator my first day on the planet.”
“How did you manage that?”
“Turns out there’s a lack of Alemanni-English speakers on Hesse, and the New Britannia diplomats were in need of a translator. Right place, right time, I suppose.
Anyway, I was brought to this Hessian duke’s castle where the negotiations were being made. The first few days of negotiations gave me nothing to report on; just usual diplomatic pleasantries and treaty renewals as had been stated by New Britannia. However, last night negotiations took a different turn.
The New Britannia ambassador told the duke that the New British army was in need of troops, and they were willing to pay large sums. They’re hiring Hessian soldiers as mercenaries.”
“Mercenaries? I thought Hesse wanted to remain neutral in this war,” Lafayette frowned, placing a bandage over one of your larger cuts.
You nod in agreement, “That’s what I thought, too. Apparently, many of the Hessian princes are in a lot of debt – they need the money and the Brits backed them into a corner. I was going to call for you to pick me up last night, but I thought I could dig up some more information.”
“And did you?”
“Of course I did, general,” you grin again and pat the leather bound journal next to you; Lafayette hadn’t even noticed it before. “Snuck into the ambassador’s office this morning and found this. Looked like it had some information on upcoming battle strategies, but I didn’t have much time to read through it, I was caught by one of the ambassador’s guards. Barely made it out, guess I was lucky you were there when I needed you, huh?”
“Lucky only begins to describe it. You shouldn’t have put yourself in unnecessary danger.”
“I took care of myself, didn’t I? Besides, I think General Washington will find this information rather helpful.”
Lafayette can’t help but smile when you hand him the journal. He flips through a few pages, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise. This is more information than he had hoped to get out of this mission. Lafayette sets the journal down beside him, pulling a sling out from the first aid kit and gently lifting your arm into the fabric.
“I’ll make sure you receive proper medical attention once we get back to Philia, but this should do the job for now.” Lafayette tucks the journal under his arm and stands to his feet. “I need to make a call to the generals to update them on the information you’ve just shared with me.”
“Of course.”
“Get some rest, you look like you need it.” He begins to walk in the direction of his personal quarters but pauses before he leaves the room. “Oh, and starlight?”
You look up at him.
“Good work.”
Once Lafayette leaves the room, you can’t stop the proud smile that appears on your lips. Still, Lafayette is right about one thing: you need some rest. With whatever energy that is remaining, you pull yourself to your feet and begin to search for somewhere more comfortable to sleep. You were provided with your own quarters on the ship, but the room is small, windowless, and cold. You doubt you could get any rest there. It’s been a long couple of days, so you give yourself the authority to wander the ship in search of something comforting. You’re careful to avoid the direction of Lafayette’s personal quarters, even though that’s where your heart is being pulled toward.
Somewhere in between the kitchen and the bridge, you find a large observation room, and it takes your breath away. A large window gives you a view of space that leaves you in awe. Stars and planets swirl past you in a mixture of colors and brightness as the ship races back to the familiarity of Philia. The vastness of space should be intimidating, but for some reason, you feel safe. There is a world of opportunities open to you, and somehow you’ve managed to end up on this little spacecraft drifting through space and time. There is nowhere you’d rather be.
The observation deck is by no means extravagant or luxurious, the metal walls have sustained a fair amount of scrapes, a stale odor hangs in the air. Somehow, it feels more like home than anywhere else on the ship. You curl up on one of the old, stiff couches pushed against the back wall. As stars pass by, you count them. One, two… thirty-eight, thirty-nine… It’s somewhere between eighty-two and eighty-seven that you finally lose count and your heavy eyelids finally succumb to sleep.
Hours later, or maybe it’s days – you can’t really tell the passage of time in space – you begin to stir. When you open your eyes, the planets and stars outside the observation window are passing by slower, and in front of you, you can see the brown and green landscape of Philia. You pull your blanket around yourself tighter and enjoy the moment of peace. Who knows when you’ll have a chance to relax once you’re back on Philia, most likely you’ll be given another mission.
It’s not that you don’t enjoy your job; it’s the best job you’ve had in decades. You wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but you like doing work that feels important, work that makes you feel like you’re making a difference. The paycheck is a nice benefit as well. Still, the life of a spy for the United Planets of Amerigo isn’t exactly relaxing. Taking on new identities each week and the risks that came along with it was exciting, but incredibly stressful. Maybe one day when the war ended you would settle down. Picket fence and an army of kids might be too much to ask, but you could see yourself moving to a quieter planet and building a home for yourself… and maybe someone else. You gazed out the window, looking at all the planets and picking which one you would one day grow old on.
“Great view, isn’t it?”
Your eyes flick from the window to where Lafayette stands in the doorway. He wears his white uniform as always, watching you carefully, the gold in his dark eyes bright underneath the starlight. He crosses his arms over his chest and casually leans against the doorframe.
“I come here when I need to clear my head. It puts things in perspective, gives me a sense of…”
“…peace,” you finish for him.
Lafayette stares out the window for a moment, nods and turns back to you. “Yes, peace.”
The two of you sit in a comfortable silence for a moment, Lafayette watches the way the light dances over your skin and can’t help but admire the artwork. You stare back into his eyes until you feel that he’s on the verge of staring right into your soul. You’ve never been completely open with someone before, and you’re not ready to be now, so you look away. The connection is broken, and he takes a step back, looking anywhere but at you.
“I just came to let you know that we’ll be landing in Philia soon,” he says, turning to leave.
“Wait,” you shrug the warmth off your shoulders, “I believe this belongs to you.”
It had taken you a moment in your sleepy consciousness to remember that you had no blanket when you had fallen asleep. At some point, Lafayette must have found you and covered your sleeping body with his navy cape. Always the gentleman. You fold up the fabric in your arms, already missing its warmth, and cross the room to return it to its owner.
“Thank you,” he says politely.
Your hands briefly touch when you hand him the cape, and the both of you linger for a moment too long. The moment is over when you pull your hands away, and the both of you silently agree not to address it.
Are You Wearing Space Pants (Because Your Ass is Out of This World) SuChen
Title: Are You Wearing Space Pants (Because Your Ass is Out of This World)
Pairings: Suho/Chen
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 6,968
Warnings: Tentacles, Aphrodisiacs, Triple Penetration, Sounding, Size Kink,
Summary: Jongdae is kinda in love with one of his customers, and Baekhyun is of no help whatsoever.
In a world where war has left most of Earth "uninhabitable", the human race has retreated behind massive walls and created their very own regulated environment to survive. Behind the walls, The Empire is having overpopulation issues, and is finding new and creative ways to deal with them, most notable of which is the creation of G.A.s: previously manufactured as soldiers in the war, now little more than servants and body guards.The story starts with Marco Bodt, G.A. Laboratory's most promising little trainee.
Render by Legendaerie
94,066 words, 15 chapters, complete
It's a simple check on the back of your driver's license - "In Case Of Serious Injury, Please Salvage." It could almost certainly save your life, but with this promise comes a steep price; that of your humanity. If too much of your body is damaged and replaced with robotic prosthetics, then you're no longer considered a human, and can be bought, sold or destroyed with hardly a single thought.
Jean's not thought about his friend from high school in years - he'd died, end of story, and they'd moved away. Lost contact, too; that is, until he gets an email with a note about a mysterious inheritance. But he doesn't just get part of the Bodt family fortune - he also inherits the Doctor's only son, one of the first Salvages in existence... and his old friend.
Eas by Lownly
5,442 words, 1 chapter, in progress
Jean Kirschtein is a looter from a piss-poor village, looking to get rich quick with his friends Sasha and Connie by stealing from ancient ruins.
But what happens when while out on a raid, Jean stumbles upon, not ancient texts or technology or valuable metals, but a person instead?
To the Stars by breemeup
31,632 words, 8 chapters, in progress
After six months of paid leave from the Galactic Intelligence Agency, Jean Kirschtein is given his biggest case yet- he must go deep undercover to investigate Captain Marco Bodt, Public Enemy Number 1 and Space Pirate extraordinaire. But as his investigation progresses, he finds that things are not what they seem.
But it was Thor’s world, and all he had ever wanted, so despite the competition he persisted through the selections, the training, the hundreds of hours in the simulators.
And here he was; standing before the fighters with eleven other people who had managed to make it through from a course of a hundred, dizzy with happiness and hardly able to believe it, an expression echoed by his now-squadmates.
