divider by: @enchanthings
word count: 1.2k
synopsis: You and Tyler are trapped on opposite sides of the door, and in the face of your death Tyler finds out what you had hid from him.
a/n: I literally just got into watching the Alien & Predator franchise and Tyler and Walter man, I love those two sm and I just needed to write a little something for Tyler.
The deep red emergency lights pulsed down the corridor like a heartbeat, casting jagged shadows as the alarm wailed through the ship. Every flash revealed the walls painted in blood, the metal groaning under the weight of its failing systems.
A high-pitched shriek—metal scraping violently against metal—echoed through the passage just as the lockdown engaged. The blast doors sealed with a final, echoing clang, and the floor trembled beneath Tyler’s feet, a chilling reminder that the thing wasn’t gone. Not yet.
Tyler’s boots hammered against the grated floor as he sprinted down the hall, lungs on fire, hands still slick with blood—his or someone else’s, he didn’t know anymore. All he knew was that he had to find you.
He turned the corner just in time to see you and hear the sound that made his chest seize—the hiss and slam of the bulkhead sealing shut.
“No!” Tyler’s voice tore out of him as he sprinted the last few steps, throwing himself at the sealed door. He collided with the glass at full force, both palms smacking against the surface with a hollow thud. “Y/N!”
You were on the other side.
Smoke curled behind you. The dim overhead lights flickered above, their glow sputtering as the power drained second by second. You had backed yourself into the corner of the room right beside the door, bleeding and shaking, one arm pressed tight against your side—your other hand trembling as it shielded your abdomen.
Your eyes—usually bright, sparkling things full of life—were blown wide with terror. Glassy and dilated, they locked onto Tyler’s through the thick pane of reinforced glass. His expression was just as desperate, just as pleading.
Something moved in the dark behind you. You whipped around, stumbling a step as your eyes frantically scanning the darkened room.
A long, glistening limb. A flick of a tail. Black, oily flesh crawling along the overhead vent like death incarnate.
You slapped a trembling hand over your mouth, struggling to muffle the soft whimper rising in your throat. Tears brimmed, hot and fast, slipping free as you tried not to sob. You dared not to make a sound, worried that the thing would hear you.
“OPEN THE DOOR!” Tyler roared behind the glass, rounding on Andy with pure panic in his voice. “We can get her out—if we act now, we can still get her out!”
Andy didn’t move. His face was blank and unfeeling, saving you wasn’t part of his coding.
“Andy, for fuck’s sake!” Rain shoved past him, her voice cracking. “She’s pregnant!”
Tyler froze before turning sharply, blood draining from his face. “What?”
Rain looked at him, guilt etched into her face. “She told me. On the ship. She didn’t know how to tell you. She was scared.”
“No,” Tyler breathed, voice splintering. He staggered back a step, as if the world had tilted beneath him. “No, that’s not—she… she wouldn’t…”
“She wanted to wait,” Rain whispered. “She said she wanted it to be the right moment. You were supposed to find out when it was safe. When you both reached Yvaga III.”
Safe.
The word rang hollow.
There was no such thing anymore.
Tyler’s gaze snapped back to the glass.
You were staring at him now—weak, pale, your body trembling with fear. Blood darkened the fabric around your ribs, and your breathing was shallow. But your eyes… your eyes never left his.
Tyler slammed his fists against the door again, harder this time, each strike driven by panic and pain. “Andy, open it!” he screamed. “Fuck, please—she’s pregnant!”
But Andy didn’t move.
He stood just out of reach, his expression never shifting from the look of grim resolve. You could see he had no intention of opening the door and instead of begging, you pressed a trembling hand to the glass, your fingertips barely steady.
Tyler’s fists faltered mid-strike. He froze, watching you.
It wasn’t a plea. It wasn’t a cry for help.
It was goodbye.
“No,” Tyler whispered, voice breaking as he pressed his forehead to the door. His hand rose slowly, mirroring yours on the other side of the glass. “No. Baby, no. Don’t you dare give up on me.”
You blinked, tears falling silently.
Behind you, the alien descended from the ceiling and onto the metal bridge above like a spider. It’s fluid steps nearly silent as the long, skeletal limbs unfolded with unnatural grace, the glistening curve of its elongated head tilting slightly as it studied you. Saliva dripped from its jaws, pooling on the metal floor below as it bared its rows of needle-like teeth.
But it didn’t lunge.
It looked as if it was waiting.
The glass between you and Tyler was the only thing holding it at bay. The only thing keeping him from watching the inevitable unfold in real time. The creature didn’t just want you. It wanted all of them.
Rain was sobbing now, shoulders shaking as her hands curled into tight, helpless fists. Her voice cracked as she stepped toward Andy. “Andy—please. If there’s anything left of the old you, open the door.”
“I can’t,” Andy replied, calm but cold. His voice didn’t waver, but his eyes flickered—just for a moment. “My directive is to do what’s best for you. For the ship. If I open that door, we all die. That thing will tear through this entire deck in under a minute, if given the chance.”
Tyler’s jaw clenched, his teeth bared like a wild animal backed into a corner. “Then let me go in. Seal it behind me. Lock me in if you have to, but you let her out. You give her a chance to live. A chance to get our kid out of here.”
“No,” Andy said flatly, this time with finality. “It takes two seconds to open the door—and two seconds to close it. That’s all the time it needs. That’s all it wants.”
Tyler’s voice rose into a roar. “It’s going to kill her! And I’m just supposed to stand here and fucking watch?”
A shrill hiss pierced the air.
Behind the glass, the alien slowly advanced. It leaned forward, predatory and poised, rows of glistening teeth stretching into a grotesque smile. The sound of its breath fogged the space between you.
Your body trembled as you pressed your back tighter to the wall, trying to stay small, invisible, unnoticeable. Tears streaked your dirt-smudged cheeks. The blood from your side still seeped beneath your trembling arm.
You turned your head one last time—locking eyes with Tyler through the glass.
I’m sorry, you mouthed.
Tyler’s fists slammed into the door again and again, the glass smearing red with every hit. “Don’t you dare give up on me!” he screamed, voice cracking with helpless rage.
The alien crept closer, claws tapping lightly against the grated metal floor.
Rain’s breath hitched. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she whispered, “Run… run, Y/N. Please, run!”
Your gaze darted back to Tyler. The tears were falling freely now, but your voice was steady as your lips moved one last time.
“I love you.”
Tyler’s eyes glistened, flooded with tears, lips parted in silent agony.
You inhaled sharply, your face hardening into a mask of grim resolve. Then, without another glance back, you turned and ran. Your legs were weak. Your vision blurred. But you ran. Because if this was the end, you would at least buy them time—buy him time—to find a way off this ship.
Behind you, the alien let out a piercing shriek, the sound rattling through the walls like a war cry. Then it lunged, razor limbs slicing through the dark as it gave chase.
could you pls do some rainxfem!reader pls?? There is a serious lack of rain fics on this app and I need more😭😭 just some HC’s, fluff, angst, nsfw, love it all. Take it and bby😘
(btw LOVE your work, ur keeping me alive rn)
Thank you for the ask!😘 I will have more Rain Carradine X FemReader coming! Hope you like this
Pairings: Rain Carradine X Fem!Reader
Warnings: Jealous Reader
Word Count: 1027
Life on Jackson's Star was a gritty mix of endless work and fleeting moments of reprieve, where the dusty, metallic corridors echoed with the clanking of machinery and the chatter of miners. Amidst this stark backdrop, your relationship with Rain Carradine blossomed into something that felt almost out of place with its warmth and genuineness.
Rain was strong, capable, and fiercely protective, not just of her synthetic brother Andy but of you as well. Her friendship with Tyler, her former partner and a prominent figure in the mining crew, had initially seemed unremarkable to you. However, as time went on, their easy camaraderie began to gnaw at you, the seeds of jealousy sprouting unchecked.
You'd watch them during breaks, sharing jokes and reminiscing about past missions, their laughter a stark contrast to the usual din of the miners’ mess hall. The more you observed, the more your imagination painted pictures of a past perhaps better left behind, stirring a restlessness within you that you couldn't shake off.
One evening, compelled by a mix of curiosity and unsettling thoughts, you approached Andy. Despite his challenges with speech and the obvious difficulties his synthetic nature sometimes posed in social settings, Andy had a way of understanding human emotions, perhaps better than most humans themselves.
"Andy," you started, hesitating as you chose your words carefully, "did Rain and Tyler... were they together? Like, before?"
Andy's eyes, always so expressive despite the rest of his face remaining eerily impassive, flickered with something that might have been discomfort. "Yes," he stuttered, his voice mechanical yet tinged with a hint of warmth. "But it was a long time ago. Things change."
His confirmation hit harder than expected. You tried to laugh it off, to dismiss the tightening in your chest as just a silly overreaction. "Thanks, Andy. Just curious, you know?"
But curiosity wasn't easily sated. At the next community gathering in the recreation hall—a rare moment of leisure on the harsh mining planet—you spotted Kay, Tyler's vivacious sister, and decided on a reckless course of action. Flirting with Kay, you hoped, might just give you the answers you needed, or at least draw some kind of reaction out of Rain.
Kay, with her easy smile and flirtatious demeanor, was a willing participant in your charade. You laughed at her jokes, touched her arm lightly, and played the part of someone smitten. From the corner of your eye, you could see Rain watching, her expression unreadable.
Later, as you and Rain walked back to your quarters along the dimly lit paths of the colony, she broke the silence. "Seems like you and Kay were getting along well tonight," she said, her tone light but with an undercurrent of something else—was it amusement? Concern?
You bristled, defensive and still wound up from your own concocted drama. "What about you and Tyler? Seems like old times, huh?"
Rain stopped walking, turning to face you under the faint glow of the overhead lamps. Her laugh, when it came, was genuine and full of warmth. "Are you jealous?" she asked, stepping closer, her eyes searching yours.
As Rain's question hung in the air between you, a cool breeze whistled through the narrow passages of Jackson's Star, stirring the dust around your feet. "Are you jealous?" she repeated, her voice a gentle tease that echoed slightly off the metal walls surrounding you.
Caught off guard by her directness and the earnest look in her eyes, your initial reaction was to deflect, but the sincerity in her gaze held you in place. Before you could respond, Rain stepped closer, closing the small gap that the conversation had widened between you. Her hands reached up, resting lightly on your cheeks, her touch sending a familiar warmth through you that contrasted sharply with the chill of the evening.
With a tenderness that always seemed at odds with the harsh environment of the mining colony, Rain leaned in. Her lips met yours in a kiss that was soft at first, hesitant, as if giving you room to pull away. But you didn’t. Instead, you found yourself leaning into the kiss, deepening it, your hands moving to encircle her waist and pull her closer.
Rain responded in kind, her movements confident, her lips pressing more firmly against yours. The kiss grew from tender to fervent, a mingling of relief and passion. It was the kind of kiss that spoke of deep connections and unspoken promises, a reassurance of her feelings amid the whirlwind of doubts that had clouded your mind.
The world around you seemed to quiet, the usual hum of the colony fading into a distant backdrop to the intensity of the moment. Rain's kiss chased away the shadows of jealousy, filling the spaces with an affirming warmth that seeped deep into your bones.
When you finally broke apart, breathless and a little dazed, Rain’s smile was radiant under the sparse light of the colony’s lamps. "I mean it," she said, her forehead resting against yours as she caught her breath. "It’s always been you."
In that moment, with Rain’s affirmation still tingling on your lips, the earlier tension dissolved, leaving a clarity that brightened the dark paths of Jackson's Star. Her laughter, light and freeing, bubbled up between you, and you couldn't help but laugh with her, the sound mingling with the night air.
The path back to your quarters was filled with a comfortable silence, the type that comes when no words are necessary to fill the space between two people. Rain’s hand in yours felt like a vow, a silent promise that no misunderstanding could break the bond you shared.
As Andy turned to give you both a subtle thumbs up before heading off to give you some privacy, you realized how deeply integrated into your life Rain had become. Her presence was a constant source of strength and comfort, just as you hoped to be for her.
Your journey together on Jackson's Star might be filled with challenges, but moments like these, stolen under the artificial stars of the colony, reminded you that as long as you were together, there was nothing you couldn’t face.
Summary: instead of Kay, it's you who the Xenomorph takes.
Warnings: One f word, but that's it i guess? If I missed anything let me know :)) also Kay is not mentioned here at all...sorry.
English is not my first language, so feel free to point out any mistakes or errors! Also the picture is not mine! Credit goes to owner!
Wc. 869
---
The corridor was a dim, oppressive tunnel of steel and shadows, lit only by the weak, flickering lights overhead. The walls were damp, slick with condensation, and the air was thick with the scent of fear. A reinforced glass door stood between Tyler and you. You were trapped on the other side, face pale and streaked with tears. You pressed your hands against the door, eyes wide with terror as you stared at Tyler, Rain, and Andy on the other side.
“Please! Andy, open the door!” Your voice full of panic, the sound barely audible through the thick glass door. Your eyes darted to the shadows behind you, where something huge and dark moved just out of sight, lurking in the edges of the dimly lit chamber. "Open that door! It killed Bjorn and Navarro."
Tyler’s heart hammered in his chest, a sickening rhythm that made him feel like he was about to explode. He pressed his hands against the door, his brown eyes locked with yours. “Andy, we have to open it! She’s right there!” he pleaded, his voice shaking with desperation.
Rain was beside him, her hands also pressed to the glass, her expression stricken with fear. “Andy, please,” she begged, turning to the man standing at the control panel. “We can’t leave her in there! We can get her out before it’s too late!”
Andy stood back, his hand not moving to the control panel, a grim look on his face. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe, his eyes fixed on the dark shapes moving behind you. “We don’t know what’s in there with her,” he said, his voice strained, filled with emptiness. “If we open that door… we might be opening it for that thing too.”
“I don’t care!” Tyler shouted, slamming his fist against the door, making you jump. “We can’t just leave her to die! That thing is going to take her, Andy! We have to do something, anything!”
You shook your head, tears streaming down your face as you looked at Tyler, eyes pleading. “Tyler, please, please, help me! Don’t leave me here!” Your voice cracked, the fear in your words breaking his heart.
Rain’s voice trembled as she reached out, grabbing Andy’s arm. “She’s right there, Andy. We can’t let it get her. We have to open the door. We can’t let her die too!”
But Andy’s eyes were locked on the shadows, on the faint, sickening movement of something massive, alien like shifting behind you. The Xenomorph loomed in the darkness, it's eyeless gaze fixed on them through the glass door. It was waiting, waiting for them to open that door, to be let inside.
“We can’t,” Andy whispered, his voice filled with dread. “If we open that door, it’ll come through. We’ll all die.”
Tyler’s fists clenched, his entire body trembling with rage and helplessness. “Y/N!” he shouted, his voice hoarse. “We’ll find another way! I promise, we’ll get you out!”
But you were sobbing now, fear overwhelming you whole. “No, no, no please, Tyler don’t leave me here, don’t-”
Before you could finish, the Xenomorph surged forward with terrifying speed, its long, skeletal fingers wrapping around your shoulders, pulling you back into the shadows. Your scream filling the room all around you. It was piercing Tyler’s soul as he watched you get dragged away from the door, disappearing into the darkness.
“NO!” Tyler screamed, his voice breaking as he pounded on the door, his heart shattering in his chest. Rain gasped, covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
“Y/N!” Tyler cried out, his voice filled with pain.
“I'm sorry Tyler, but there wasn't anything I could do to help her." Said Andy.
"No, you could save her, but you didn't! You didn't!" Tyler shouted and took a step closer to Andy, ready to punch him. But Rain stepped right in front of him, holding him back. "It's your fucking fault!"
“We couldn’t do anything,” Andy said quietly. “If we had opened that door… we would all be dead.”
Tyler slumped against the glass, his forehead rested against the cold surface, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He felt like the world had just ended, like everything had been ripped away from him in one horrible moment. Your cries echoed in his mind, a sound that would haunt him forever.
"She’s not dead. She's all right." Tyler mumbled all over and over again. Trying to remain clam.
He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of Y/N’s scream, the scream that had been cut short too soon, the scream that would stay with him, echoing in the dark corridors of his mind.
Rain put a hand on his shoulder, her own tears falling silently as she whispered, “We’ll get her back, Tyler. We’ll find her.”
But as they stared into the dark, empty room beyond the glass, where you had been moments before, the hope in their hearts felt as fragile as the glass that had separated them. The corridor was silent now, save for the distant, ominous hum of the ship’s machinery, as they were left to grapple with the terror of what had just happened.
And the knowledge that the nightmare was far from over.
---
A/n: Archie was so fine in the new Alien...I had to write something for him. Lemme know what do you think!
Also! Request are open for him too! So send one! <3
You were still relatively new to your position at Jackson's Star when you first met him.
Just 19—still figuring out the ropes of task assignments and managing shift schedules; and yet there you were: delivering the worst news someone could receive.
He was 20 when he walked into the room—scruffy eyes heavy from exhaustion, but had a quiet determined strength to him.
His mother had been overseeing a section of the mines when part of it collapsed during a solo manual checkup.
Only one casualty, but that didn’t soften the blow. Protocol dictated that a family member was called to meetings like this.
His father and sister was bedridden, recovering from whatever sickness had been going around.
That left him to face the news alone.
You sat across from him in the dimly lit room, unsure how to begin. His name stood out on the data tablet you clutched too tightly in your hands: Tyler Harrison.
You watched as he sat, hands folded in his lap, waiting for you to speak.
But how could you? Words felt too small, too fragile for the weight of the situation.
"There was an accident," you finally managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper. "The section your mother was overseeing in… it collapsed during her check. There weren’t any other casualties but…"
The rest of your words had faded into the air as Tyler he stared at you. His expression didn’t change immediately.
It was as if the words didn’t land, as if some part of him was still waiting for you to take it back and say something different.
When he did react it was with the smallest nod, his jaw tightening as he processed the reality.
No tears. No outward display of grief. Just a quiet acceptance that made your chest ache for him.
For a while neither of you spoke. You felt completely out of your depth, helpless in the face of such loss.
What were you supposed to say to make this better? Could you even?
Instead you had offered him the standard protocol—paperwork, procedures, grief counseling if he wanted it.
He refused the offer with a shake of his head. "It’s...just no life here isn’t it?" you could hear the pain he was trying so hard to keep inside.
"...I'm sorry," you whispered, meaning it in ways that went beyond just doing your job.
He said nothing. Just simply got up and left.
After that day you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Maybe it was because you understood loss, having losing your parents when you were seventeen.
Maybe it was because Tyler reminded you of yourself—alone, trying to carry a weight too heavy for one person.
Or maybe, somewhere in the quiet spaces between your brief meeting, you began to notice how his presence stirred something inside you.
You reached out to him in the days that followed.
At first it was professional; checking in to make sure he was managing with the loss. But those conversations quickly became more.
Tyler had a way of looking at you, of really seeing you, that made it impossible not to want to be around him.
He wasn’t just some grieving son; he was kind, resilient—strong in ways you didn’t expect.
Weeks passed and with each interaction the distance between you shrank.
Sometimes you'd find yourselves talking after work, just the two of you walking through the dimly lit corridors of the colony, shoulders brushing every now and then.
It felt easy with him.
He made you laugh in those rare moments when you’d let yourself forget where you were or what life had taken from you both.
Yeah you found him attractive, but it was more than that. Tyler had a quiet charm, a steadiness that drew you in.
He didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, but when he smiled—really smiled—it was like the room brightened a little.
And as the weeks turned into months you realized your feelings for him weren’t just out of sympathy. They had grown into something real.
It wasn’t long before he felt the same.
One night, after a particularly long shift, you sat together in one of the colony’s communal areas sharing stories of the people you once were before the weight of loss settled into your lives.
He listened with a soft gaze as you spoke, and when it was his turn he opened up in a way that surprised you.
"I’ve never been good at this," he admitted as his fingers absently traced the rim of his cup. "Talking I mean. About things that matter. But you...you make it easy."
You smiled at that, feeling the warmth of his words settle into your chest. "You make it easy too."
The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. A natural pause that led to Tyler reaching for your hand across the table.
His fingers slid across your palm warm and tentative, as if he was waiting for you to pull away.
You didn’t. You never would.
From then on your relationship with Tyler changed.
You found yourselves seeking each other out more—lingering together in the hidden corners of the colony where you could talk, kiss, and be.
It wasn’t long before you officially started dating, falling into a routine of stolen moments amidst the shift changes and other responsibilities.
Tyler became your constant—a presence you leaned on, someone you could be vulnerable with.
It wasn’t just about comforting each other anymore.
You had both found something more even in the middle of all that darkness.
Your mind often lingered on those early days with Tyler.
The bond you’d built felt so natural, so inevitable—two people finding each other in the chaos of life on Jackson's Star.
But as the memories swirled, reality crept back in, pulling you from the haze of nostalgia.
A faint headache throbbed at your temples, the familiar sensation of fatigue weighing you down.
"Still not feeling well huh?"
You blinked, startled by the familiar voice breaking through the quiet.
Looking up you saw your supervisor Mary-Anne standing at your desk, her brows knitted in concern.
The older woman had been watching over you since you first started working here—almost like a mother figure always checking in and making sure you weren’t overworking yourself.
You offered her a weak smile and brush it off with a shrug. "It’s nothing. You know I always get sick this time of year. I’ll be fine."
Mary-Anne didn’t seem convinced. She crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing slightly as she studied you.
"It’s been nearly a month now," she pointed out with a gentle firm voice. "And you’re looking worse, not better."
You opened your mouth to protest to offer another excuse, but the words faltered under her knowing gaze.
She wasn’t buying it. And truth be told neither were you.
The exhaustion, lightheadedness, the constant dull headache—they hadn’t gone away.
They lingered, gnawing at you day after day, but you didn’t have the luxury of slowing down.
Not with everything going on. Not with your brother to look after.
"Look," she softened her tone as she uncrossed her arms, "at least think about going to the colony infirmary. Have them run a few tests, maybe even take a few days off. You’re no good to anyone if you push yourself too hard."
You let out a sigh knowing she wouldn’t let this go until you agreed. "Yeah...okay. M-maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it."
Mary-Anne gives you a pointed look. "Matter of fact you should take the rest of the shift off. Start your break early. I’ll handle everything."
A teasing grin tugged at your lips. "You’ve got to stop babying me Mary-Anne. I’ve been working here for what, four years years now?"
Her eyes twinkled with a hint of playfulness despite the undercurrent of concern. "Four years or not, I’m still your supervisor. Now do you want to go home or do you want me to keep you here until you drop?"
You couldn’t help but laugh. "Okay okay. I’ll go."
"Good." As you stood from your desk gathering a few things, Mary-Anne gave you a fond but stern look. "And make sure to actually rest this time."
With a playful salute you waved her off, murmuring quick goodbyes to the few coworkers still nearby.
Stepping out into the corridor, the cool air of the colony brush against your skin.
Even when the low hum of the machinery and distant echoes of workers filled the background, your mind was elsewhere, drifting into the memories that tugged at your heart with every step you took.
Tyler.
It had been a little over a year since you two had broken up, but the weight of it still lingered like a bruise that refused to fade.
You hadn’t meant for things to end the way they did.
In fact when you’d first met you never imagined you’d get to a point where you couldn’t even look at each other.
But life on Jackson’s Star had a way of weighing people down until there was no energy left to give.
Your thoughts circled back to February of 2141—the month everything fell apart. You had recently turned 22, Tyler nearing his 23rd birthday.
For two years you’d been together, navigating the colony’s harsh environment as best you could. But it was never easy.
How could it be with the constant grind, the pressure of survival, and the burden of responsibility weighing on both of your shoulders?
Tyler had been slowly drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations.
His father grew weaker by the day, forcing him to step up as the head of the house to care for both himself and his younger sister Kay.
And you? You had your own responsibilities.
Your younger brother, who was just 16 at the time, depended on you since the day you’d both lost your parents.
You were only 17 when it happened after all. Having been placed into the role of caretaker at such a young age forced you to grow up faster than you wanted to.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault, not really.
The stress, the exhaustion—it chipped away at your relationship bit by bit.
Neither of you had the time, energy, or the space to take care of each other the way you used to.
Tyler had been overwhelmed with his responsibilities at home and you had been too wrapped up in your own struggles.
Somewhere along the way you both drifted apart, like two ships in a dark endless sea.
You still loved Tyler—of course you did. But love didn’t change the fact that Jackson’s Star was slowly tearing you apart.
You could still remember the night you broke up.
It wasn’t a decision you’d made lightly, but at the time it felt like the only way to survive.
You couldn’t keep pretending that everything was fine when deep down you both knew this was coming for a long time.
And so, you called it off.
Tyler had been quiet. He didn’t argue. He just simply nodded, eyes dull.
After that there had been silence. Weeks passed without a word between you two. That was until...
Your steps slowed, breath catching as the memory washed over you.
Two months after the breakup Tyler had shown up at your doorstep in the middle of the night.
You’d been surprised, standing there in the doorway staring at him.
He looked different—older, more broken than before. He barely managed to speak before the words tumbled out.
His father died.
You’d let him in without a second thought. He was shaking, barely holding it together as you led him inside.
That night you didn’t need words. He didn’t need to explain anything. He simply fell into your arms and you held him close, comforting him the way you used to.
The pain, the grief, the love you still held for each other—it all blurred together.
It was so easy to fall back into the intimacy you’d shared. Before you knew it you were kissing, the heat of it familiar, pulling you both under.
Didn’t take long before you ended up in bed tangled in each other, the lines between comfort and passion mixing until they were one of the same.
But the morning after reality settled back in. You didn’t speak of it. He left your apartment quietly and you let him go.
No words were exchanged, no promises made. You hadn’t spoken since.
And now as you walked through the dim corridors of the colony, the weight of that night pressed on you.
Three months. Three months since you’d seen Tyler and part of you wondered if you ever would again.
The guilt gnawed at you—had you made the right choice? Should you have fought harder for him and the relationship you’d built together?
Or had you both done the best you could in a place that seemed designed to break you?
Your heart ached at the thought. There were no easy answers nor clean resolutions.
Turning the corner toward your living quarters you froze.
Standing outside your door, looking as nervous as you’d ever seen him, was Tyler.
Your breath caught in your throat.
The world around you faded—the hum of the colony, the distant chatter of workers—leaving only the sight of him standing there.
His hair was a little longer and there was a weariness in his posture that hadn’t been there before. But he was still the same Tyler you’d fallen for all those years ago.
When he saw you his eyes softened.
"Hey," his voice was barely audible over the hum of the corridor.
"Tyler..." You try to keep the surprise from your voice but it was there and you both knew it.
The air between you was thick with everything left unsaid. You weren’t sure what to expect.
Was he here to talk about that night? To explain why he’d disappeared afterward?
You swallow down the flood of emotions rising up and force yourself to stay calm. "What are you doing here?"
He scratched the back of his neck, eyes darting around before finally settling on you again.
"Can we talk?" He sounded unsure like he half-expected you to say no. "I uh...I didn’t mean to just show up like this."
Not trusting your voice you simply nod. Stepping past him to unlock the door, it slides open with a soft hiss before you enter.
Tyler follow behind all the way to your bedroom, his presence filling the small space with an odd tension.
“I just need to check on my brother,” you muttered. You needed a second to breathe, to collect yourself.
He watch as you disappear down the narrow hallway.
The familiar hum of the colony’s systems thrummed beneath your feet as you knocked lightly on your brother’s door.
“Everything good?” you asked softly when he opened it. He nod, already dressed in his uniform ready for his shift.
“Yeah just heading out now,” he offer you a small smile. Giving you a farewell kiss on the cheek, he brushes past you and make his way out the house.
You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding and make your way back to your bedroom.
When you returned Tyler was looking at pictures taped on the wall.
He looked up as you re-entered, and the two of you just stared at each other, neither of you knowing how to begin.
"I...I know it’s been a while and I...I'm sorry. I’m sorry I disappeared after that...night. I should have reached out I know that. I just—” He paused, searching for the right words, his eyes flicking to yours. “I didn’t know what to say.”
The rawness in his voice cuts you deep. You hadn’t expected an apology, not like this.
For months you had told yourself it was just the way things had to be; two people who couldn’t make it work even though they tried.
But hearing the regret in his voice made it all feel real again, like a wound being reopened.
"It's fine. Plus it's partially my fault," you admit quietly. "I shouldn't have assumed that night would...I don’t know fix things?" Your eyes lower as you avoid his gaze. "But then you left and I realized how foolish it was."
Tyler fiercely shook his head. "No. No it's not fine. I never should have left. Not like that."
He took a breath to steady himself before continuing, his words coming faster as if he was afraid he might lose the nerve if he didn’t say it all at once. "I was a coward. I should have told you then but I couldn’t. I couldn’t admit that I never stopped loving you."
Your heart stuttered in your chest. The weight of his words hit you harder than you expected, and suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.
Tyler’s eyes were searching yours now, desperate—almost pleading.
“I was an idiot for letting you go. I thought I was doing the right thing but all I did was make everything worse. It’s been hell without you and I didn’t realize how much I needed you until it was too late. I just—” His voice cracked slightly as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know how to fix this, but I need you to know that I love you; always have and always will..”
Your breath hitched. You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt the tear slide down your face.
Everything you buried—the emotions you had pushed down after your breakup, rose to the surface.
Without thinking you closed the distance. Your hands reached for him before you could stop yourself and pulled him into a kiss.
The kiss was hungry, desperate as if the months of silence had all been leading up to this.
His lips crashed into yours with the same intensity and you could feel the pent-up emotion behind every movement.
It wasn’t soft or gentle; it was years of love, loss, and longing that you couldn’t put into words.
Tyler’s hands found your waist, pulling you closer as you tangled your fingers in his hair.
You kissed him harder, trying to pour every unspoken feeling into that moment, your breaths mingling as you both lost yourselves to the kiss.
Tyler suddenly pulled away, his breathing heavy as he rested his forehead against yours. Hands still gripping your waist, his body trembled slightly.
“I—” He swallowed. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Your heart is still pounding in your chest as you look up at him. “What is it?”
His gaze drop to the floor for a second before he look back at you. "We found a way to leave Jackson’s Star. And I want you to come with me."
You blinked. "What?" your voice was barely above a whisper.
You weren’t sure if you heard him right or if your mind was still reeling from the intensity of the kiss you just had.
"There’s an old Weyland-Yutani station me and the others found. Bjorn, Navarro, and I...we’ve been working on fixing up a hauler, Corbelan IV. We’re planning to leave for Yvaga.” Tyler's eyes searched yours, watching the realization wash over you.
It took a moment for the gravity of what he was saying to fully hit you. Leave? You had spent years on Jackson’s Star.
The idea of leaving—of escaping to somewhere else, somewhere better—was almost too overwhelming to grasp.
You shook your head slowly as disbelief settled in.
“I—what?” Your voice cracked, barely able to keep up with your thoughts. “Tyler. H-how...how is this even possible?”
“We’ve been working on it for a while now,” his hands moved to gently cup your face. “Kay just needs to convince Rain to use Andy to access the ship-mother's systems so we can get to the hyper-sleep chambers. Once that’s done: You, me...we don’t have to stay in this place anymore.”
The way he said it so full of hope made your heart flutter.
For the first time in a long while you saw a future outside of Jackson’s Star, a way out of the endless cycle that had worn both of you down.
But then reality came crashing back.
Your brother.
He was still too young, barely begun working.
The colony had strict rules about who could leave and when—everyone had to meet their quota of hours to even be eligible for a transfer.
It could take years before he would be able to leave and you couldn’t abandon him. You and he were all each other had left.
"My brother. He doesn't have enough hours to transfer yet. It could be years before he's able to leave." You step back slightly, pulling yourself out of his grasp as your thoughts raced. "I can't just...leave him here."
Tyler’s face fell, but he wasn’t giving up that easily.
"We’ll figure it out," he pleaded. "Andy. H-he's a synthetic! Yeah—he can stay behind and watch over him. You know he’s capable of it. Once we’re safe, once we’ve settled on Yvaga we’ll come back for him."
You could hear the desperation in his voice and it tugged at your heart.
You wanted to believe him, to trust that things would somehow work out, but the uncertainty was gnawing at you.
Your brother was all you had left after everything.
Could you trust that it would work out? Could you really leave him behind even for the chance of a new life?
The hesitation clawed at you making it hard to breathe.
Seeing that you weren’t convinced, Tyler stepped closer again, his hands finding yours as he pulled you gently toward the bed. “Please just...think about it.”
He sat down, eyes locked onto yours as he spoke. “If I wake up tomorrow and you’re not beside me, I’ll know you’re not coming. But if you are...” He let the rest of the sentence linger in the air.
A small smile tugged at your lips despite the turmoil inside you.
“Is this how you trick your way into my bed?” you teased softly, the tension easing just a bit. “You didn’t even ask to spend the night.”
Tyler’s lips twitched into a small grin. “Can I stay the night?”
You pretend to consider it. “Hmm I don’t know. Maybe you’ll have to work for it first.”
His grin widened, and before you could tease anymore, he leaned in capturing you in a kiss.
Tension melted away as his arms wrapped around to pull you closer.
It was both tender and longing—full of everything you both had been holding back for months.
Tyler’s touch was familiar; his lips soft but filled with the desperation of someone trying to hold on to something in fear it might slip away.
Your fingers tangled in his hair, body responding to his in ways that felt like fire burning within your veins.
His hands slid down your waist, fingers gently brushing against your skin as he began to pull at the fabric of your shirt.
Kissing back with equal fervor, your hands move to his shirt, pulling it off in one fluid motion.
Clothes fell to the floor, forgotten in the heat of the moment and as you sank into the bed together.
