#Affordable Piping Solutions

[emergencyplumbingil]

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[aptplumbingsblog]

Blocked Drains Sydney

[reasonsforhope]

"Samuel Onyango’s office at Kibera Primary School is serene and spacious. His table is neatly arranged, with an assortment of files and an array of books. One side of his cream-colored office is decked with aggregate performance scores, and another shows off several trophies in a glass cabinet. Last year, Onyango’s school performed a traditional dance and scooped third place in the National Drama and Film Festivals, where schools across the country competed for the top prize.

But today Onyango, the school’s principal, is bragging about something much more basic: Thanks to an innovative community program, his students and teachers are no longer getting sick from dirty water.

Onyango’s school, with a staff of 30 and a student body of about 1,700, is in Kibera, a neighborhood in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that is widely known as Africa’s largest informal settlement. It is a community of houses made from mud or tin sheeting where residents have to hustle to meet even their most basic needs, like electricity or clean water.

It is also a community where creativity and innovation, at the heart of any hustle, are changing how some people can access clean water — and making major ripples in public health.

Onyango’s school has long gotten its water the same way many people in Kibera do: by buying it from independent suppliers, who truck water in and sell it for around $30 per 10,000 liters (about 2,650 gallons). But trucked water can be contaminated, despite suppliers’ promises, and Onyango’s students and staff were often using unclean water at home, too. It was common, he says, for both teachers and students to get sick and miss school because of waterborne illnesses.

Last November, Onyango’s school got connected to an aerial clean water system built by a local grassroots organization called SHOFCO, which stands for Shining Hope for Communities. “Once we got connected to SHOFCO’s water,” Onyango says, “cases of these ailments reduced to nil.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month.

Access to safe drinking water — and its equitable distribution — underpins public health. But for the estimated 250,000 people in Kibera, who live without any government infrastructure, clean water is often a luxury. Many people are using illegal water connections, which proliferate among the poor — there are nearly 130 in just three lesser-resourced Nairobi neighborhoods. But those DIY hookups can mix clean water with raw sewage, and Kenyan officials have recently warned of a looming public health crisis if water access is not prioritized.

Shifting weather patterns also increase the risk of waterborne illness, government officials say. The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society have called out severe flooding during the El Niño weather pattern as a source of a recent major cholera outbreak in parts of the country. Kibera was not spared this risk: The floods led to the contamination of various sources of water in the sprawling neighborhood.

But the aerial piping system SHOFCO built in 2012 — the one that brings water to Onyango’s school — saved some Kibera residents, quite literally. With collaboration from health and county authorities, SHOFCO has all but eliminated diarrheal disease in the communities that use its aerial piping system, according to Gladys Mwende, a program officer at SHOFCO. In the health facilities SHOFCO runs, the incidences of diarrheal infections have also gone down, she adds.

Pictured: People in Kibera’s Makina section pass by the signature blue pillars that hold up SHOFCO’s aerial water piping system. Visual: Sarah Waiswa/Harvard Public Health Magazine

“[Poor sanitation is the reason] that our water is aerial piped,” says Kennedy Odede, the founder and CEO of SHOFCO. Piping water in helps clean water maintain its integrity without interference from elements including tampering. In a huge community with no major infrastructure, piping seemed impossible — there was no money and no will to build a disruptive underground system connected to the city’s main water supply. Instead, Odede and his team put the pipes up in the air. “As somebody who grew up in Kibera, to see this clean water — which I have also drank — is powerful.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month — nearly 46 million gallons per year — at community water kiosks, which residents access with tokens linked to the mobile money platform M-Pesa. The water kiosks are pre-programmed to fill jerry cans that hold about five gallons at a cost of 3 Kenyan shillings, or about 23 U.S. cents.

A recent evaluation of SHOFCO’s clean water efforts, undertaken by the African Population and Health Research Center, shows diarrheal disease among children under age five have decreased by 31 percent where community members used SHOFCO water kiosks and received SHOFCO’s sanitation messaging.

“We don’t get as many cases of diarrhea even though now we are in the middle of the floods,” Mwende says. “Communities have not reported any outbreaks within the areas where we are working.”

Mohammed Suleiman is grateful for the change. Suleiman, 25, was born here, and it’s been his job for the last 18 years to fetch 135 gallons of water daily for his family’s personal needs and for their samosa business.

Two months ago, Sulieman contracted typhoid from the unsanitary water he was consuming. Once he recovered, he says, switching to SHOFCO water kiosks was a no-brainer.

“I don’t know where the other independent vendors get it from,” he says. But he trusts SHOFCO water. “Water sourced from SHOFCO is cleaner than that of other vendors,” he says. “I don’t have to treat water from [SHOFCO] kiosks before consuming it.”

And he’s the living proof: Since switching to SHOFCO water, Suleiman hasn’t been sick even once."

-via Undark, August 13, 2024

[002yb]

Secretary AU: A pipe has burst in Jason and Dami's apartment--they have to stay elsewhere for a week or so while it's repaired and things are being cleaned up and restored. Where are they staying, and how does Bruce make it so the manor is the obvious solution? 😂

It goes without saying that Bruce is the first to extend an invitation for Jason and Damian to stay at the manor while their apartment is being restored. A very eager, borderline aggressive invitation for how intensely it's offered lol.

Jason respectfully declining because Bruce is his boss; it'd be weird. A devastating blow to Bruce's heart, truly.

But Bruce isn't deterred. He insists.

And is promptly reprimanded by Tim who smacks him with a folder filled with contracts they need to review because Bruce is going to be the face of their next HR mandated training on harassment if he doesn't watch it.

Just Bruce tasting bitter defeat in the face of corporate culture and an amnesiac son who still doesn't remember him (and who Bruce had an ulterior motive to wanting to stay at the manor because maybe if Jason could stay in his old room, he would remember something. Something being Bruce. He misses his boy).

Tim offering to help find a hotel. Which he's already researched at length and has a list of suitable choices (all high end, safe, conveniently located on a route to/from the manor).

Jason being grateful for the effort up until he sees the unrealistic prices, at which point his smile drops to an unimpressed look of pure judgment because CEO and CFO salaries can afford this; Jason is a secretary.

Tim insisting WE will front the charges

Leading to Jason quipping about how Tim is going to be at the top of WE's audit risks this year, undoubtedly

And Tim can't even argue because either he's an audit risk or an HR problem - there's no winning

At which point Jason laughs and thanks his bosses for looking out for him, but Jason is fine. He can take care of himself. He's already got a motel booked.

Meanwhile, Bruce and Tim doing their utmost not to react to 'motel' like the rich bitties they are; they can't help it. They do ask which one though. And only let themselves visibly wither and die after Jason leaves the room because it's in such a dangerous location!! They know for a fact that there's an open investigation for a murder that happened on the premise; drug deals go down regularly in the alley just behind it!

Cue Batman and Robin wasting a portion of patrol monitoring the location. Stewing over the circumstances and startling when another pipe breaks.

It's an act of god (it's the League, courtesy of Talia who hears the news and refuses to have her son stay in such an environment) and, like the overbearing dorks they are, Bruce and Tim text Jason to check in, fully expecting news of needing a place for the night after all

The message they get instead: All good. Thanks.

The both of them thinking Jason is too proud or doesn't want to impose. But it's like, 2am and Jason is caring for a toddler. He needs support.

Which is precisely when Dick pulls up and Bruce and Tim (still as Batman and Robin) are so peeved because fucking dick.

But yes, Jason turns to Dick when everything at the motel goes tits up. Because somehow all the motels nearby are booked (again, courtesy of Talia) and Jason just needs help for a night, please.

So Dick comes over despite the late hour (and having been on patrol himself). He helps pack up the few things Jason and Damian have into the car, sends a cheeky little nod Batman and Robin's direction, and then they're off.

Which leads to the dickjay portion of this ask ///u////:

Where Dick's apartment isn't much of a home. It's not something Dick has ever cared about; he's not around enough for any comforts to matter.

Only he might care in that moment. Because Dick brings Jason over to this. Someplace empty and unwelcoming and cold.

'Did you get robbed?' Jason asks, a joke that Dick can't help but laugh at because he realizes that there really is nothing.

Because Dick moved abruptly. He left what little he had behind because everything he wants is here in Gotham now that Jason is back ;A;

But also because he genuinely stopped caring at some point and he's a bit staggered by the apathy in that - it's depressing.

It's such a contrast to Jason's apartment which is filled with warmth and life and comforts. Books on tables, Damian's art displayed on the fridge. Worn blankets folded over chairs and discolored drapes that paint shadows like lace across Jason's skin when the sun starts to set and they're sitting back on his couch and-

Dick's apartment isn't a home. And Dick might feel a little self-conscious about it because there's a vulnerability in exposing your home to someone and having there be so little. ;//////;

And Jason might not say anything, but he clues in. It gives him a new perspective on Dick and it's surprising, but he's not put off. Jason's more than familiar with having nothing and the slow process of finding things to build yourself (and your home) up.

But anyway. Dick showing Jason to the guest room. Scrambling to find which box he stowed away some quilts in. Passing off extra sweatshirts because they might not be enough to keep Jason and Damian warm.

And Jason calming him down by simply grabbing Dick's sleeve and looking up at him and telling him, 'thank you.' Because even if Dick feels it isn't enough, the gesture of being there in a time of need and putting himself out and wanting to do more for them means a lot more than Dick gives credit.

Stand by we're gonna get back to the building a home train of thought after this:

Where the next morning Dick is cooking breakfast for everyone and lowkey sweating because the domesticity is a lot

Jason coming out first (in Dick's sweatshirt and it might take Dick out at the knees a bit; might steal his breath) and being all endeared because Dick is cooking according to Damian's dietary restrictions and the thought is really sweet. ;U;

Something something wholesome breakfast while stood/sat at the counter. Dick, Jason, and Damian ahhhhhhhhh.

And that's how Bruce and Tim find them. Because they 'have a key' (they don't) and 'wanted to talk to Dick about a family matter' and 'oh, hey Jason didn't know you were here.'

Just the contrast of these two guys dressed to the nines while Dickjay + Damian are still in their sweats/pj's LOL

Then they all have breakfast together and it's sweet. It's a taste of the big family Dick misses from his childhood. <3

But yes, back to Dick's home being so scarce. Because of course by the time Jason and Damian leave to return to their apartment, Dick has Damian's art pinned to the fridge. As well as a blanket Jason knits (while on the clock at WE lol; Bruce and Tim are so jealous it's not even funny). It feels like this AU's Jason would know how to knit. Or he’d teach himself on the spot just for this.

Dick's home becoming more and more full of things as Dick sets down proper roots. Gifts from friends and family, second hand furnitures he picks up that Jason (+Tim and Bruce when they find out) helps him move in. (♡´艸`)

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

24. Level Up

Note: A prelude to the actual meat of the arc

Masterlist here

The anticipation for Aespa’s world tour was electric. Fans around the globe were buzzing with excitement, and each passing day brought the tour closer to reality. For Y/n, this meant endless planning, logistics, and coordination. After their successful comeback with Supernova, everything was moving fast. But this time, Y/n felt more prepared. He was no longer the nervous rookie manager who fumbled schedules during the Drama era. Sure, the pressure was still there, but now, there was something different about his approach.

He glanced at his laptop screen, dozens of tabs open with spreadsheets, calendars, and tour notes. His mind raced as he juggled rehearsals, soundchecks, interviews, and media appearances. There was still so much to do, but Y/n had learned from his past mistakes. This time, he was determined to avoid the fallout he’d experienced with Karina. That argument, followed by his short leave of absence, had been a wake-up call. He couldn’t afford to let things spiral like that again.

But just as he was about to close the last tab, something caught his eye.

“Wait, what the…?”

His eyes widened. He had accidentally double-booked their all-important soundcheck with a media appearance on the same day. A wave of deja vu hit him hard, and he couldn’t help but laugh under his breath. This was "exactly" the kind of stuff he’d made back during "Drama" and “Supernova”—and it had led to some serious fallout with Karina.

"Hah, sike. Too easy"

But instead of panicking this time, Y/n smirked to himself, already thinking of a solution. He knew how to handle it. He had this under control now. Still, it was fun to mess with the girls a little.

Feigning panic, Y/n rushed into the living room where Aespa was relaxing after a long day of rehearsals. He made sure to put on his most worried face, eyes wide and hands in the air.

“Uh, guys… I might have fcked it up,” he announced dramatically, trying to stifle the laughter bubbling up inside.

Karina, who was curled up on the couch, glanced up, her brow furrowing. “What now, Y/n? Did we lose a venue or something?”

Winter, lounging beside her, raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, what happened? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

"Yeah, you."

"Aish, this guy-"

Y/n paced back and forth, doing his best to keep the act going. “Ok, but I may have, uh... accidentally double-booked our soundcheck and media appearance on the same day.”

“Again?” Giselle piped up from the other side of the room, half-joking but slightly concerned. “Like you did during "Drama"?”

"…Maybe?"

Ningning gasped, holding a hand to her chest in mock horror. “Are we going to relive that disaster?”

For a moment, the room was tense. The girls exchanged glances, unsure if this was going to lead to another meltdown like the last time. But just as the panic started to set in, Y/n burst out laughing.

"You guys seriously should've seen yourself!" Y/n coughed. "Man, wished I recorded this whole thing!"

"Wait, so that means…" Ningning held her breath.

“I’m just messing with you,” he admitted through his laughter, holding up his hands. “Yeah, I double-booked, but I already deal with it.”

The girls stared at him, stunned. Karina blinked, completely thrown off. “You… you what?”

Y/n grinned, finally dropping the act. “It was a quick fix. I rescheduled the soundcheck earlier in the day, and the media event will be in the afternoon. Easy.”

Winter threw her hoodie at him. “Seriously, Y/n? You made us think the world was ending!”

He dodged the hoodie with a laugh, still reveling in their reactions. “What can I say? I couldn’t resist. It’s just... the deja vu, you know?”

Karina narrowed her eyes but couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face. “You really had us for a second there.”

Ningning groaned, shaking her head. “And here I thought we’d have to take over as managers. You’re lucky you’ve learned to handle this stuff.”

“I mean, can you imagine Minjeong running the tour?” Y/n teased, raising an eyebrow at her. "Snack time for the whole concert and no song."

Winter rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “I’d be a great manager, thank you very much. Probably better than you.”

Y/n snorted, grinning. “Sure, crybaby. Whatever you say.”

As the girls laughed and teased each other, the tension from earlier faded. Y/n leaned back against the wall, watching them bicker playfully. This was what he loved about working with them—the chaos, the camaraderie. Yeah, the job was stressful, and yeah, he still made mistakes, but now he knew how to handle them without everything blowing up. He wasn’t the rookie manager anymore.

Giselle gave him a playful shove. “Next time, maybe don’t give us all a heart attack.”

Y/n grinned. “Boohoo. Cry me a river.”

“Honestly,” Karina said, shaking her head but smiling. “I’m proud of you, though. You didn’t freak out this time.”

“Yeah, you’re actually handling things like a pro,” Winter added, her teasing tone softening.

Y/n smiled, feeling a warmth in their words. “Thanks, guys. I’m just trying to avoid another fallout like last time.”

Ningning gave him a thumbs up. “Well, you’re doing a good job. Just keep it up, and we might actually survive this tour.”

Y/n laughed, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. They still had a long way to go before the tour kicked off, but for the first time in a while, he felt confident. The hiccup had been small, easily fixed, and no disaster had followed. He knew there would be more challenges ahead, but now, he also knew they could face them together.

As the teasing died down, Y/n returned to his laptop, sending off the final confirmations for the schedule. He glanced around the room, watching the girls joke with each other, and felt a sense of pride. Things had come a long way since the Drama days, and so had he.

Still, the playful chaos of Aespa was something he’d never want to change.

Winter broke the silence, smirking at him. “But seriously, idiot… no more acting like the world is ending.”

Y/n chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll save that for when it actually happens.”

-

With the world tour rehearsals in full swing, it was time for Aespa’s final music show performance of the "Armaggedon" comeback. The entire team was feeling the pressure, but Y/n was calm, collected, and—most importantly—determined not to mess things up this time.

The last time they had a major show like this, Y/n had bungled backstage logistics, almost causing a nightmare with another group’s schedule. He still remembered the awkward encounter with Le Sserafim in the waiting room, where he accidentally swapped their rooms with Aespa's.

But not today.

This time, Y/n moved through the backstage area with confidence. He had already triple-checked the schedule, confirmed the setlist, and ensured Aespa’s dressing room was fully stocked with their favorite snacks. Everything was going smoothly. He wasn’t the same rookie manager anymore.

“Y/n, we’re heading to wardrobe,” Karina called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He looked up from his clipboard, giving her a thumbs-up. “Got it. I’ll make sure everything’s ready when you guys are done.”

As Aespa headed off, Y/n glanced down at the small takeout bag in his hand. He had a little mission of his own to take care of before the show started. Inside the bag was some fried rice that Yunjin of Le Sserafim joked about during his first days. Today was the day for her delivery to arrive.

Heading down the hall, he spotted Le Sserafim’s waiting room and knocked lightly on the door. When it opened, Yunjin stood there, looking surprised but pleased to see him.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Y/n, the room-swapper,” she teased, crossing her arms with a grin. “What brings you here?”

Y/n chuckled, holding up the takeout bag. “Delivery for Yunjin? Huhhh?”

Yunjin’s eyes widened as she reached for the bag. “Wait actually? Bro, I thought I would never get my order delivered.”

“Hey, I always follow with the joke,” Y/n replied with a smirk. “It’s just… taken a while. But here’s to not messing up anymore.”

Yunjin laughed, taking the bag from him. “Well, I appreciate it. You’ve come a long way, you know. I remember when you were running around here like a headless chicken. Kept hearing Winter yelling idiot every time that it's kinda sad.”

Y/n smiled, feeling the truth of her words. “Yeah, well, I'm no longer that idiot… mostly.”

“Well, you’ve definitely got the manager game down now,” Yunjin said. “Thanks for the rice, by the way. And good luck today and for the world tour as well—though you guys don’t really need it. I’m betting on a win for Aespa.”

Y/n nodded, his heart swelling a little with pride. “Thanks, Yunjin. Good luck to you guys, too. I’ll see you around.”

With that, he left Le Sserafim’s waiting room and made his way back to Aespa, feeling good about how things were going. There was something satisfying about righting past mistakes—both big and small—and moving forward with confidence.

As he returned to Aespa’s waiting room, the girls were just finishing up their hair and makeup. Ningning spotted him first, giving him a wave. “Y/n-oppa! Did you deliver the fried rice?”

“Mission accomplished,” Y/n replied, leaning against the doorframe.

“Wow, look at you, handling everything without a hitch,” Giselle teased, a playful grin on her face. “Who are you, and what did you do with the old Y/n?”

Y/n rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. “Still here, but not that often.”

Winter glanced at him, an amused expression on her face. “You sure? You still looked pretty panicked earlier when we teased you about the schedule.”

“Oh, that was just for show,” Y/n shot back, earning a few laughs. “I had it under control.”

The energy in the room was light, and everyone seemed relaxed despite the looming performance. But when it came time to head to the stage, the focus returned, and Aespa prepared for what would be their last Armageddon performance.

As the show progressed, the tension built. Y/n watched from the sidelines, clipboard in hand, managing every small detail without breaking a sweat. The girls were giving it their all, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride watching them dominate the stage. When the performance ended, the crowd erupted in applause, and Y/n knew they had nailed it.

But the biggest (obvious) surprise of the night came during the awards segment.

The host’s voice echoed through the venue. “And the winner for today’s music show is… Aespa with Armageddon!”

The girls’ jaws dropped in unison, and they exchanged shocked looks before breaking into excited cheers. Y/n felt a wave of joy wash over him as he watched them rush to the stage to accept the trophy. This was the culmination of all their hard work, and the victory felt even sweeter knowing they had overcome so much to get here.

As Aespa gave their acceptance speech, Y/n stood in the shadows, beaming with pride. The girls thanked their fans, the staff, and each other, but when Karina spoke up, she made sure to throw a special shout-out.

“And, of course, we want to thank our manager, Y/n, for always keeping us on track—even when things get crazy!” Karina said, flashing a smile in his direction.

"Oh my god, why are they mentioning me…"

Y/n chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t have imagined standing here a few years ago, especially not after all the chaos during the "Drama" era. But now, here they were—trophy in hand and stronger than ever.

As the night drew to a close, Y/n couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. He’d made it through the day without messing up, delivered on his promises, and Aespa had secured another win. It was a far cry from the days when he’d struggled to keep up, and now, he felt like he truly belonged.

Walking backstage with the girls, still riding the high of their victory, Y/n glanced at them, feeling grateful to be part of their journey. Things weren’t always easy, but moments like these made it all worth it.

“Well,” Y/n said, unable to resist one last tease. “I guess I didn’t mess up after all.”

Giselle elbowed him playfully. “Don’t get too cocky, bro. There’s still the world tour.”

Y/n grinned. “Bet.”

-

At the dorm, the atmosphere was a blend of excitement and calm, the perfect balance after a long day of rehearsals and celebrating their win. With the world tour concert kicking off tomorrow, the girls were looking forward to a quiet evening, but Y/n had one last treat in store for them.

“Alright, gather ’round,” Y/n called from the kitchen, waving a ladle like a conductor in front of an orchestra. The rich aroma of his signature cheesy ramen wafted through the air, filling the dorm with warmth.

Ningning poked her head around the corner, her eyes lighting up as she caught a whiff of the meal. “Are you serious? Cheesy ramen?! You’re really trying to spoil us before the tour, huh?”

Y/n grinned, stirring the pot. “Consider it a good luck charm, Ning. Besides, I know you guys are going to be too nervous and busy to eat anything decent tomorrow.”

Karina entered the kitchen, followed by Giselle and Winter, all of them eyeing the bubbling pot with a mix of hunger and anticipation.

“Didn’t you say last time that you’d never cook again after getting haunted by the ramen god?” Winter teased, leaning against the counter.

What she said was true, actually. After the dramatic ramen mess, Y/n ordered take out for the girls instead.

Y/n shot her a mock glare. “Ya, that was one time. And besides, I’ve perfected this ramen. No more getting haunted tonight.”

The girls laughed, settling around the small dining table as Y/n served each of them a steaming bowl of cheesy ramen. The rich, creamy broth mixed with the perfectly cooked noodles was an instant hit, and soon, the only sounds in the room were the slurps of noodles and the occasional hum of approval.

“You’ve really outdone yourself,” Giselle said between bites, pointing her chopsticks at Y/n. “This might be your best ramen yet.”

“I second that,” Karina added, nodding in agreement. “Please open a ramen shop after you finished managing.”

Y/n chuckled, shaking his head. “Ehhh… I'll just do managing, thanks. Cooking for you guys is tiring enough.”

As the dinner carried on, the mood was light, filled with laughter and warmth. The girls had already devoured their bowls of cheesy ramen, leaving them lounging comfortably at the table.

The conversation began to drift, as it always did, toward their solo songs for the tour, a favorite topic of the group these days.

“So, Y/n,” Karina said slyly, leaning forward with a grin that instantly put him on alert. “Now that you’ve seen heard all of our solo songs in full multiple time… Who’s your favorite?”

The question hung in the air, and Y/n groaned internally. After that whole chapter about the girls bickering about Y/n's choice for solo songs, they were still adamant to see who came out on top.

“Ah, come on,” Giselle chimed in, tapping her chopsticks against her empty bowl. “You know we need the finale. Spill it. Who’s the best?”

Ningning leaned in as well, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “I’m guessing it’s me, right? I mean, I did hear you humming my song in the kitchen yesterday.”

“Y/n humming?” Karina gasped dramatically, placing her hand over her chest. “That’s huge!”

Y/n chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped down the table. “You guys are annoying, you know that?”

“Oh, we know,” Giselle replied with a smirk. “But it’s time to face the music, literally.”

As the girls all leaned in closer, Y/n sighed. He was cornered. There was no way out of this one. He glanced over at Winter, who was sitting quietly, pretending not to care but clearly on edge. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Okay, okay, fine,” Y/n finally said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “If I had to choose…”

All eyes were on him. The room seemed to grow silent in anticipation.

“…Minjeong's solo is still my favorite.”

The room erupted in chaos.

Karina gasped dramatically, falling back against her chair. “Winter?! STILL!??” she exclaimed, half teasing, half genuinely shocked. “You traitor!”

Ningning clutched her chest in mock pain. “How could you do this to us, Y/n? After all we’ve been through!”

Giselle, however, grinned knowingly. “I knew it. I could tell from the way you looked all starstruck during her rehearsals.”

Winter, meanwhile, turned a shade of pink that could rival her stage outfit. She glanced at Y/n, clearly flustered but trying to play it cool.

“Really?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n nodded, flashing her a genuine smile. “Yeah, really. Your song’s got this energy… it just hits different.”

Winter’s expression shifted from embarrassment to pure joy, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “Thanks, Y/n,” she mumbled, but her shy smile said more than words could.

Before she could say anything else, Karina leaned across the table, nudging Winter with a smirk. “Of course because Minjeong is Y/n's favourite.”

Giselle clapped her hands together. “Better watch out, Winter. That means you’ve got to live up to his expectations.”

Ningning wasn’t letting this go easily either. “But Y/n, you were humming my song! What happened to that? You can’t just flip-flop like this!”

Y/n laughed, raising his hands in defense. “What can I say? Her song grew on me from back then.”

“You’re just saying that because she’s sitting right here!” Karina teased, though she was smiling.

“Technically, you are all sitting right here.” Y/n retorted.

Winter shot Karina a playful glare, clearly still basking in the praise. “Hey, don’t be jealous.”

“Oh, I’m jealous all right,” Karina retorted, crossing her arms but grinning all the same. "My song was his favourite until you lured him away."

"Blehh, what are you gonna do about it?" Winter teased.

“Just wait. My solo’s going to be the crowd favorite during the tour.”

“Sure, sure,” Y/n said with a laugh, already sensing the playful rivalry brewing. “But you’ll all kill it, and you know it.”

“Still doesn’t mean we’re letting you off the hook!” Ningning declared, shaking her head as if in mock disappointment. “This isn’t over, Y/n. You’ll see. I’ll win you over eventually.”

As they continue to bicker, the mood turned somber as it dawned on them that the concert started tomorrow. There was a mixture of excitement and nerves in the air, but Y/n could tell the girls were more than ready. They’d worked hard, and now, it was time to show the world what they were made of.

“So, how’s everyone feeling about tomorrow?” Y/n asked, leaning back in his chair and glancing around the table.

Karina was the first to speak. “Honestly? I’m a little nervous. It’s not our first tour, but the scale is huge. But I think we’re ready. We’ve put in the work.”

Ningning chimed in, her voice filled with excitement. “I can’t wait! I’ve been practicing my solo song every night. I’m going to blow everyone and you away.”

"Pff. You're not letting me the hook again…"Y/n sighed.

“Same,” Giselle added with a grin. “Though I might pass out from exhaustion halfway through.”

Winter, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’m just excited to see the fans’ reactions. This tour is going to be so fun, I can feel it.”

Y/n watched them all, feeling a sense of pride wash over him. He had been there through every step of their journey, from the stressful rehearsals to the emotional wins. And now, they were about to embark on something even bigger—a world tour that would cement their place in history.

“Girls,” Y/n said, his voice softer now, “no matter what happens tomorrow, you’ve already proven yourselves. MYs love you, and this tour is going to be amazing because of all the hard work you’ve put in. I’ve seen it firsthand. You’ve grown so much.”

The girls smiled, the tension easing from their shoulders at his words. It was true—they had grown, and so had he. The struggles of the past seemed so distant now, replaced by a newfound confidence in their abilities.

"…well, for a year, since I started managing you from Drama, so I don't know-"

"Stop ruining the mood, oppa!!" Ningning groaned, earning a laugh from the manager.

“Well, if you’re saying it, we’ll take your word for it,” Karina said with a wink, raising her bowl as if to toast. “To our world tour!”

The others quickly followed suit, raising their bowls and clinking them together in a playful, noodle-filled cheer.

“To the world tour!” they echoed, laughter filling the room.

As they finished their meal, Y/n couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm settle over him. He was ready—ready for the tour, ready to support the girls, and ready to face whatever challenges came next. After all, if he could survive the chaos of the past few months, he could handle anything.

Before heading to bed, the girls lingered for a while longer, sharing stories and jokes, their bond stronger than ever. And as Y/n cleaned up the kitchen, he felt a warmth in his chest, knowing that, no matter what, they were in this together.

Tomorrow was the start of something incredible. But tonight? Tonight was just for them, a quiet moment before diving to the Synk Road.

[maybege]

A Helping Hand

Summary: When one more omega is in the group, the suppressants aren’t enough for everyone and you end up getting your heat for the first time since the outbreak. (Part of The Weight of The World AU)

Pairing: alpha!Boba Fett x fem!omega!Reader

Wordcount: 5.1k | Rating: E (18+ only!)

Warnings: Modern AU, Zombie Apocalypse AU, A/B/O dynamics (scenting, heats, etc.), yearning, unrequited love (or is it?), a little bit of fluff, explicit sexual content, dry orgasm(?), pet names (princess, good girl, etc.), praise kink

Good morning everyone and happy weekend! I hope the summer is treating you well and that you are looking forward to the second half of this year. 🥰 It has been way too long since I delved into my love for Boba, so if you’re interested in a part two (perhaps he helps Reader out with her heat? 👀), let me know! I really hope that you enjoy this story and would be very very happy if you let me know what you think in a comment or a reblog!

Please note that “Sunshine” is essentially Reader from the Paz version but I had to give her a nickname somehow to make sure she is still part of this.

masterlist | crossposted on AO3

When Charlie presented as an omega, everyone in the group knew you were fucked.

There was no better way to say it.

“We don’t have enough suppressants,” Paz said out loud what everybody knew already, “They are harder and harder to come by and the last pharmacy didn’t have any. Chants is already on half a dosage, I am not sure how we can stretch them more.”

“What’s that? Suppressants?”

Din turned to the little boy that had snuck his way into the conversation. “Something for grownups, buddy, c’mon let us talk in peace.”

You smiled when Grogu shrugged, completely unbothered, and returned to where he had been playing with Pan and Jarno.

Sometimes you envied the kids in your group for the semblance of innocence they could still afford to have. And then you felt bad because this was not the childhood you wanted for them. Stars, you knew about babies being born and the thought that this was the only kind of life they would ever get to know made your stomach hurt and your heart ache.

Yet, they did not have to deal with problems like you were now. The adults of the group had come together, standing together and saying nothing but muddling over the same thing. Deep down, you knew that there was only one solution and you were pretty sure that almost everyone had come to that conclusion.

Almost.

“Maybe I don’t need suppressants,” Charlie piped up, shifting nervously next to his mother, Bernie, “I could pass my heat just like that.”

“No, you can’t,” Briggs said flatly, the old man crossing his arms in front of his chest. He had not been here the longest, only joining the group a few months ago when Paz had found him and Sunshine fighting off a horde of zombies. But despite his recent status in the group, he had risen in rank quickly, his advice and opinion honoured by those you had chosen as unofficial leaders.

One of these leaders was Boba who was standing right across from you. Like Briggs, he had crossed his arms in front of his chest, his biceps bulging and you swallowed, trying to keep your staring as subtle as possible.

With the late summer now cooling down, he had started to wear flannel again and you were a little embarrassed to admit that fall had not only become your favourite season because of the harvests you could make but also because you got to see the alpha stroll around with rolled up sleeves.

Trying your best not to look too long at him, you glanced back at Charlie.

“But what if I –“

“Charlie, dear,” Moira piped up, her voice gentle and kind. It was the same voice she had used to comfort Bernie this morning after she had made the discovery that her son’s scent was not as beta-like as she had hoped. “Briggs is right,” the older woman explained, “You will need your suppressants more than anyone else in this group.”

More than you.

You swallowed heavily, trying to get enough oxygen into your lungs to fool your heart into believing that you were not about to have a full-blown panic attack.

Charlie’s light eyes met yours and you knew him well enough to know that he was feeling the same way.

“Come on, Charlie,” you heard yourself say, stepping forward, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Everyone else let you pass without a word of protest and Paz nodded at you in approval. Bernie looked like she had about a thousand different things on her mind and you could not blame her. The outbreak was the least ideal place to be an omega – much less discover being an omega. And to see that your child had to be an omega in this cruel world? You could not imagine the pain she was going through.

The tree line was only a few steps away from where you had stood, the clearing only barely big enough for you to set up camp, and so it only took a few more steps until the thick trunks provided you with some privacy. With the summer nearing its end, the leaves filtered the sunlight a light gold and you took a moment to appreciate the pure beauty and peace of it.

In the last few years, there had not been enough moments like this.

You watched as Charlie started to pace from tree to tree, bouncing off them like the DVD logo on the sides of the screen. There were a lot of things you wanted to say, a lot of things you wanted to assure him of. But you also knew that he was not prone to listening right now and you could not blame him.

 “I don’t want to take your suppressants away from you,” the boy started, tears of anger running down his cheeks, “I – I don’t want to be an omega and I don’t want to have heats and I don’t want everyone to look at me like I am a fucking failure!”

His voice got louder and louder and in peak teenage fashion, he kicked his foot over the ground, sending a bunch of leaves up in the air and sailing down to the mossy floor.

Your brows rose in surprise.

“They are not my suppressants,” you corrected him gently, “They are for those in the group that need it most. And that is you.”

Charlie huffed, still not looking at you.

“It’s okay to be scared,” you said, “And it’s okay that you are unhappy with your presentation. Stars knew I always wanted to be a beta. But,” you stepped closer to him, “We don’t always get to choose what happens. And while it speaks to your character that you don’t want to put me in an uncomfortable situation, Briggs is right. Everyone is. You don’t know what a heat is like, especially your first one. It is too dangerous. At least I had mine already, I know what it is like.”

“That was years ago,” he protested, “Before the outbreak.”

“Yes, but it is still more experience than you have,” you added.

That seemed to get him thinking but he still did not look very happy. Deep down you knew it was not your fault that he was feeling this way or your responsibility to make him feel better. But you remembered how terrified you had been when you had your first heat and how terrified he must feel now.

“Look,” you took a deep breath, “We always knew that there would come a point where we have to choose who gets the suppressants. We were just lucky until now. Lucky that Chants has an implant and that Moira doesn’t get her heats anymore. And we got especially lucky when Sunshine mated with Paz before she could need them,” you said glancing over at where the giant man was gazing at his omega like she hung the stars in the sky.

The gaps in the trees afforded you the perfect view of the camp and when you saw the couple, so very in love with each other, something tugged at your heartstrings. You had never been interested in Paz that way but something you stung when you saw the way he looked at his mate. You wanted someone to look at you the way he looked at her.

You wanted someone to love you.

Charlie’s shaky breath snapped you out of your thoughts.           

“Anyway,” you sighed, putting your hand on his shoulders, “If you are feeling like you take the suppressants from me – you are not. I know what I am getting into.”

“I always thought I was going to be a beta,” the boy finally said, revealing the true reason for his upset, “Like mom … and like dad.”

Your heart ached.

“You’re not less like your parents just because your presentation is different,” you assured him, “You will always be their son.”

“I know but … I feel like I disappointed her,” his shoulders slumped, his head “Mom, I mean.”

“Oh honey,” you pulled him in for a hug, “She is not disappointed. She is just worried about you.”

He wrapped his arms around you and you pretended not to notice the way his body was shaking or how his hot tears soaked your shirt.

Minutes passed like this and you could see the birds flying in the crowns of the trees, the leaves and canopy shaking and throwing intricate patterns on the forest floor. You wished you could stay here forever, in this little, safe corner of the world that seemed so far away from everything that wanted to kill you.

But you knew you never stayed in a place too long and it would be time again soon to move somewhere else.

“Thank you for that,” Charlie mumbled and pulled away from you, “Can – Can I be alone for a bit?”

“Sure thing, kid,” you smiled, “Don’t stay too long or else Briggs will send a search party out.”

He nodded and you smiled before making your way back to the camp. The leaves crunched under your shoes and you spotted a little squirrel rushing its way up a tree.

Your head was spinning as you approached the group, the reality of the situation really sinking in. Then again, it really should not be a problem at all. There was no reason to be nervous. After all, you were in a somewhat protected environment and you were an adult. You should be able to face a heat alone. Right?

Everyone was busy doing something (your heart warmed at the sight of Grogu, Pan and Jarno listening completely enraptured to Moira and Briggs retelling a Shakespeare play) but you could not find it in yourself to join anyone.

“All good?” Chants asked you, looking up from where he was working on one of the cars with Din.

You nodded, “All good.”

There was no reason to tell him that you felt like your heart was about to explode from fear or that you could feel your palms get sweaty at the thought of stopping to take the pills immediately.

*

That night, the entire group sat by the fire, seeming like the issue from this morning was long forgotten. Briggs, Paz and Din were bowed over a map they had placed on the hood of Altarf’s truck, probably planning the safest route to take when it was time to change camps.

Altarf and Sluice had been on dinner duty today and the stew they made still sat warm in your belly. The night air had cooled down significantly so you had remained at your place by the fire, amicably chatting with Sunshine and Bernie. You could see Grogu and the kids playing in the dirt by some of the cars.

Chants and Moira were off collecting the hanging laundry of the day and you already looked forward to wearing some freshly washed clothes. 

How lucky you were that even years later you could all go to bed with a full stomach and the knowledge that you would wake up in the morning. Somewhat safe, somewhat sheltered, and surrounded by people who had become family.

“Wisconsin would take us right by Minneapolis,” Paz said, drawing a line with his finger. You smirked when you noticed how Sunshine immediately zoned out of the conversation, all her attention on her alpha.

“We are definitely not heading to Washington,” Din protested, “Heard that corner is a powder keg waiting to explode.”

“North, then?” Briggs asked, “If the tracks we found are anything to go by we would need to get a few days’ distance between us and here.”

Hearing them talk about moving camp made you anxious. When would your heat strike? Would you be so unlucky to have it while you were on the move? You had been on suppressant for so long that you hardly remembered what it felt like to go into heat. Would you really survive several hours in a car with your mind occupied with being fucked seven ways to Sunday?

“You okay?”

You flinched, looking up at the alpha that had just joined you.

“Boba,” you chided the man who gave you the hint of a smile.

He sat down next to you, the fire illuminating his features and you allowed yourself to look at him a little longer than usual.

Boba Fett was … He was …

Boba Fett was the kind of man you had dreamt about before the outbreak. And, to be honest, after the outbreak. The way he held himself so full of confidence and competence had always attracted you and you found that with each day that passed, you had another little thing you loved liked about him.

One day, it had been the way the crow’s feet on his eyes showed when he laughed. It was a rare sight but that made it all the more special, seeing him joke around with Din or Paz or one of the kids.

Another day, it had been exactly that: the way he was with the kids. At first, you had expected him to be a grumpy loner but there was a kindness there when he taught them about the dangers of weapons and made sure to show them to properly handle one if they ever came across a rifle.

Then there had been his hands. Stars, his hands. Thick long fingers and palms weathered from work. You knew he hadn’t been a mechanic like Din but that he had helped him out and he still did now, fixing cars and engines right and left in that week when all of your vehicles had started making problems, threatening to get you stuck in Northern Arizona.

That was another thing: his competence. It made you weak in the knees and your panties wet to see him be so knowledgeable about so many things. Sure, it started when you had seen him, hands greasy and white tank top stained, fix one of the trucks like it was nothing. But it had continued when he had disassembled and cleaned his guns and put them back together again like it was no big deal. Or that one night where you had crossed a group and had spent dinner together and one of them had a guitar. You remembered it like it was yesterday, the surprise on (almost) everyone’s faces when Boba had asked for the guitar and played a few songs for the group.

Another day it had been his jaw and the stubble that grew when he went a few days without shaving. You wondered what it would feel like on your neck or between your thighs and you woke up more than one morning, vivid dream memories in your minds of how he had scented you with a stubble jaw like that.

Yes, Boba Fett was the alpha that made your voice stutter, your heart race and your pussy feel so very empty. Only that you were too shy to ever do anything about it. With Paz and his mate, it had been obvious to everyone (except for them) that they were meant for one another and it had taken barely any time for them to figure it out, too.

But you and Boba … You had been part of this group almost for the entirety after the outbreak. If anything were to happen, it would have happened by now. You were sure of it.

Realizing that you had stared at him for a little too long, you cleared your throat and looked at the glowing ambers of the fire.

“You okay, Princess?” he asked you quietly, “You’ve been quiet today.”

“Oh, you know,” you shrugged, trying to ignore how that made your cheeks feel suspiciously hot, “Just thinking.”

“You’re worried about the suppressants, aren’t you?”

You did not say anything which, apparently, was confirmation enough.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” he stated, calm and confident and it was so easy to just believe him when he continued, “You’ll be the safest you can ever be, omega. It will be over before you know it and then we can see if we can some more suppressants up in Wisconsin.”

“Charlie’ll need them,” you said, your hands fidgeting, “I won’t get suppressants any time soon, Boba, we both know it.”

When you turned your head to look at him, you were met with brown eyes gazing at you so intimately, it made you want to crawl right into his arms. It made you want to curl up in his lap, tuck your face into the crook of his neck and just breathe him in until everything was right again in the world.

He opened his mouth, ready to say something and you saw his hand twitch like he was about to reach out to you.

“Now now, what are we whisperin’ about?” Moira laughed, sitting down on your other side. Sluice and Chants were with her and you watched as Sunshine walked over to Paz, being greeted with a grin and a soft kiss.

“Nothing of importance,” Boba replied, still looking only at you but straightening up. Only now did you notice how close he had been, how his knee had brushed against yours, and now with him standing up, how it left you cold and alone. “I think I’ll head over to Din … get the details of the route we’re taking.”

You wanted to ask him to stay with you a little longer but your shyness made the words dry on your tongue and you watched him leave.

“Hey there, princess,” Sluice grinned, sidling up to you. You knew she was just teasing you. It was the running joke in the group that Boba kept calling you princess like it meant something.

Of course, it didn’t.

(But stars knew you really wanted it to.)

*

It took four days for you to notice that something was wrong.

There even was a moment where you had had the slightest hope that maybe you wouldn’t get your heat. That you had taken the suppressant for so long that your body has just decided to skip them altogether and make your life that much easier.

But of course, it didn’t.

It started with you feeling more restless than usual. Whereas the kids’ shenanigans previously amused you, they now surprised you. Even more so when they would jump from behind trees but fake scare you only for it to end up really scaring you. They laughed at first at your surprised squeal and the little jump backwards you made, good-natured as kids were, but by the fourth time it happened, a stern Boba rushed over, his hand on your back, and telling them off on how it was mean to keep scaring you like that.

Then your temperature rose. Only at night at first. Despite the evening cooling down and Chants getting, you kicked off your blanket more and more, wishing you could just take off all your clothes and bathe in a cool stream. Then it happened when people touched you. Altarf brushed your hand once when giving you a few dishes and it felt like your skin was on fire, making you flinch. The same happened with Paz, the big man frowning with concern when you jumped away from him when his hand landed on your shoulder.

(It didn’t happen with Boba. Or at least it didn’t happen like that with Boba. Boba’s touch caused a warm fire in your belly that spread outwards until your entire skin was gently tingling with the need to be touched by him. Which was perfectly normal, you tried to tell yourself.)

You flinched away not only from but from everyone who had not approached you loud enough or anyone who touched you. No, your clothes started to feel scratchy, ill-fitting and just way too thick. Sluice started to tease you about how you were always fiddling with the collar of your shirt, trying to get the cool late summer air onto your body.

Not to mention the smells.

Stars, the smells.

You had never really bothered with how the others smelled. Sure, you had been faintly aware of how Paz’s scent had changed when Sunshine had first joined and how they both had become more prominent. Or how Charlie, now having his own presentation, had gotten his own scent. Or how musky and woodsy and comfortable Boba smelled. But that was nothing compared to the stench they now all emitted – except for Boba.

It was like you could no longer stand being around them. The only people you tolerated were the kids and Bernie. But the person you sought out the most was Boba because he smelled divine.

If he noticed it, he did not show it but the important part was that you noticed. And you knew you didn’t have long until things would get serious for you.

Only that you had not expected it to get serious so soon.

The night was dark and quiet when you had snuck out of the truck. You tried to tell yourself it was because you could not sleep but deep down you knew it was because you were way too hot and even Chants – Chants! – started to reek so bad you could no longer spend even a minute in that truck with him.

You knew it wasn’t his fault. If anyone’s, it was yours. But so, you snuck out, into the cool night air that made your skin feel normal again and that was free of any stench because everyone was fast asleep in their cars. If you focused enough you could even hear Altarf’s snoring.

Being outside helped, you found, but as quickly as your body cooled down from the heat wave, just as quickly did it reach a temperature that had you shivering. Debating if you wanted to risk getting back to the truck to get you something warmer or if you could –

Your thoughts were interrupted by pain so bad it made you double over.

A split second of confusion gave way to the realization that you were starting your heat.

The muscles in your abdomen cramped up again and you gasped, falling to all fours as you tried to gather the strength to press your palm against your belly. The touch helped minder the pain a little but it also made you aware of how you were yearning to be touched.

You wanted to feel hands on you – in your – and your pussy to be filled and someone to sink his teeth into your neck and mark you his.

Who were you kidding you didn’t want someone, you wanted Boba.

Tears of frustration and fear stung in your eyes and you tried to even your breathing.

This was okay. Everything was okay. It was not the first time you had your heat and it would not be the last time and hell, if you had gotten through it before, you would get through it again. Didn’t matter if it felt like your body was burning up from the inside and the only thought that made it better (and then much worse) was that of an unattainable alpha claiming you.

“Shit,” you cursed, furiously wiping at your cheeks, “Shit shit shit shit!”

Someone’s shoes appeared in your field of vision.

It was none other than Boba.

A breeze rustled the trees and his scent filled your nose, sending a wave of calm through your body. Closing your eyes was involuntary but you did not mind because your body felt so much lighter now. It was like a weight had been lifted off your chest and you could breathe.

He smelled even better than before, the scent of pine wood and something you could not yet pinpoint driving you crazy. You could feel your temperature rising a few degrees and suddenly it all came rushing back to you. The frustration, the fear, the panic, the desire.

“You okay?” Boba asked, sounding very concerned.

You could not help the way your bottom lip trembled as you allowed yourself to admit that –

“No,” you breathed out, “I’m terrified, alpha.”

He sank down to his knees in front of you. Your eyes immediately fell to his crotch and you were ashamed to admit that the first thought you had was to reach out and undo his zipper, to try and see what he

Thick arms wrapped around you and pulled you out of your thoughts and into his chest. His body exuded warmth that yours had been missing and you relaxed into him. His hands were on the back of your neck and your lower back and his touch caused pure warmth in you. You buried your face in the crook of his neck, just like you had dreamt of, and breathed in his scent.

In a movement so small, you barely registered it, his nose brushed over your neck and you gasped softly.

“I know,” he said, his lips moving against your skin, “I know, princess, I can smell how scared you are.”

“What if I fuck it up?” you gasped into him, trying to hold the tears at bay. Your hands grasped at the back of his flannel, the fabric not feeling as repulsive as your own clothes, “What if – what if Chant can’t sleep because of me and we get attacked and he cannot defend himself and – and what if it is all my fault?”

A sob wrecked your body and you huddled closer to him.

For the longest moment, Boba did not say anything, merely holding you to him as you tried to gather yourself. Having him so close, with his hands on your body and your nose pressed against his neck, made it that much easier to calm down. You felt safe with him.

“You will sleep in my truck,” he stated, then, “I can bunk with Chants.”

“But – but –“

“Omega,” he interrupted you warmly and your mouth snapped shut, your brain short-circuiting at him calling you that, “You will have your heat, there is no question about it. You need rest and a safe place to nest and soft things. My truck has that and all the privacy you could desire.”

“Okay,” you nodded, swallowing back the tears that threatened to form in your eyes (again), “Thank you, alpha.”

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you remembered that calling someone by their presentation was something intimate, something special. But it felt right, calling Boba that. Because if anyone was your alpha, it would be him. You could not imagine anyone else having the effect on you that he did. And you did not want anyone, except for him, to have that power.

His nose brushed over your scent gland again, this time right behind your ear, properly scenting you.

“Oh,” you whimpered, feeling a trickle of arousal gather in your panties. You clenched your thighs, he

Boba growled, his chest rumbling against yours, “Fuck, I’m sorry, omega, I shouldn’t have –“

He pulled away, ever so slightly, his hand cupping the side of your neck and the trickle became a wave when his rough fingertips brushed over the sensitive spot.

“No!” you protested quickly, a little too loudly, maybe, but you did not care if it meant you could have him scent you again, “Please … I – one more?”

The alpha in front of you froze and your eyes fluttered closed when his fingertips continued to caress your neck.

“You want me to scent you?” he asked and you were too far gone to notice if he sounded surprised. But what you did notice was how his thumb rubbed gentle circles onto your neck, how his eyes seemed a little darker in the light of the moon and how his scent seemed to get just a little bit stronger.

Shyly, you nodded, deciding to throw all caution into the wind. “Yes please, alpha.”

There was that rumble in his chest again, the one that made your pussy pulse and your thighs clench. But you could not even pretend not to be affected by his ministrations. Not when his nose, making your body break out in the best kind of shivers.

“That okay?” he asked against your neck and the fact that his lips were touching your skin now, the hint of his tongue peeking out again the patch of skin, made you almost feel blind with lust. “That feel good, princess?”

“Uh huh,” you brought out, tilting your head back so he had better access.

“Sweet little omega,” his lips grazed your ear before he moved his mouth back to where you needed it most, “Good little omega.”

His hand moved back to the back of your head, holding you against him and keeping you this and that way so he had the best angle to lavish your neck with attention. You allowed him to manoeuvre you as he needed, knowing instinctually that you would be rewarded in the best way.

And oh stars were you right about that.

“Smell so fucking good,” he grunted, his hips snapping against yours, “Bet you taste even better”.”

You did not know what made you come. His filthy words, the idea of his mouth, the feeling of his teeth on your skin, threatening to mark you or the outline of his hard cock against your flimsy sleep shorts, pressing right into your clit.

Maybe it was a combination of all of those things that had you stifling your moan against his neck and your vision going white. That had your pussy pulsing and clenching around nothing and your folds getting even wetter with your release.

You knew the first orgasm of a heat was the hardest to achieve. Which made it all the more surprising that it had been so easy with Boba. You were so stunned that you did not even have it in you to feel the slightest bit of shame at how needy you were. How you had just come undone in front of him like it was always meant to be.

“Good girl,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss behind your ear before gently untangling himself from you, “Feel better now?”

You nodded quietly, still reeling from what had happened but also feeling drunk on his pheromones.

“C’mon,” he murmured, his hands helping you stand up onto shaking legs, “Let’s get you into bed, sweet thing, wouldn’t want to keep you from your nest for too long.”

You could only hope that he would join you.

[deepspacedukat]

Love Stings

Normally when I post request fics, I reply directly to the ask I was sent, but in this case I was sent a dm by the requester, and they wanted to remain anonymous at the time. So here’s to you, friend! I hope you enjoy this and that it fits your idea! I hope it’s alright! Hell, I don’t even know if you’re going to see this, but here’s hoping. This got super long! It’s over 8500 words. Enjoy!

If you want to be added to or removed from my fic taglist, please let me know!

Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Senator Letant (DS9) x Reader

[A/N: This is smut, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Interspecies sex, Human/Romulan sex, fuck or die situation, away mission gone wrong, sex pollen type situation, as consensual as a sex pollen situation can be, mutual pining, fingering, woman on top, dirty talk, praise kink, begging, implied oral sex (female receiving), smut with feelings.

~*~

“Why does a Romulan need a Federation escort, again?” I asked as I readjusted my bag on my shoulder and followed Captain Sisko down the corridor.

“Because Federation runabouts are able to withstand a particular form of radiation that utterly fries Romulan computer technology. In order to reach the planet where their probe went down, you need to pass through an asteroid field absolutely teeming with that radiation,” he answered as we reached the runabout airlock. “Starfleet isn’t about to give a Romulan free reign with one of its vessels.”

“And why can’t he and his men just, y’know...fly around that asteroid field instead?” That seemed like a rather obvious solution.

“Because that would take them several months out of their way - time which none of us can afford to spend in Dominion territory,” the Captain said as he handed me a small case. “You’ll need those.”

“What are they?”

“Earplugs,” he said with a smirk.

“Remind me: why was I chosen for this oh-so-special mission?” I asked slipping the case into my bag. Instead of the Captain, another voice piped up from directly behind me.

“Because, my lovely Lieutenant, you are the only one who can put up with me for long stretches.” Oh no. I knew that voice. With dread and several other emotions pounding away in the pit of my stomach, I turned and saw none other than Senator Letant wearing a mirthful smirk as he took in the look of sheer disbelief on my face. “Come, come, my dear, I would’ve thought you’d be overjoyed to see me again! After all, I requested you specifically for this little adventure.”

I opened my mouth to protest this assignment, but when I looked back, Captain Sisko had made himself scarce.

“Oh, let’s just get this over with,” I groused stepping around the Romulan and into the Shenandoah. Tossing my bag onto one of the benches at the back of the craft, I made my way to the cockpit with a pair of much-too-spry footsteps following in my wake.

“Just think of it, Lieutenant! We’ll have a whole week in the Gamma Quadrant, just the two of us.” Letant’s enthusiasm made me roll my eyes.

Of course he would be excited about this. He enjoyed flirting with me - or, more accurately, with anything that moved. Unfortunately, I enjoyed his banter, too, but how the hell was I supposed to keep him from seeing that for a whole week? If he knew, he’d be twice as insufferable as he already was.

With a quiet sigh, I refrained from responding, choosing to go through the pre-flight checks, instead. He rattled on while I ensured everything was prepped, but after several minutes of receiving no response from me, he laid a hand on my forearm. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the contact - a fact which didn’t go unnoticed by my co-pilot.

“Are you alright?” He sounded genuinely concerned, but I simply pulled my arm away and muttered a quiet ‘yes.’ Disbelief and sarcasm colored his tone when he spoke again. “Yes, of course. That must be why you’re behaving the way you are. In case you’ve forgotten, Lieutenant, I’m rather adept at spotting lies.”

Swallowing nervously, I turned back to my instruments.

“I’m fine. Pre-flight checks are all done. We’re ready to go,” I said, opening communications with the station before he could protest. “Shenandoah to Ops. All systems are green. Requesting permission to disembark.”

“Permission granted, Shenandoah,” Major Kira answered. “Sealing airlocks and releasing docking clamps. Have fun out there, you two. May the Prophets guide you.”

“Thanks, Major. We’ll be home before you know it. Shenandoah out,” I said as I closed communications and released our own docking systems. “Twenty seconds to the wormhole.”

“And how long until you tell me what’s bothering you, Lieutenant?” From my peripheral vision, I could see that the Senator had turned his chair to face me. If he was already able to tell that something was wrong, I really needed to compose myself. Otherwise, the next week was going to be hell.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just had a rough morning, that’s all,” I lied as I lowered our speed for the trip through the wormhole. “I should be back to my usual self in a little bit.”

“I see...” he murmured sounding no more convinced than he had a few moments before. “Well, if you require a sympathetic ear, I’d be more than happy to fill that role, and we are quite alone. Anything you told me would remain in total confidence.”

As light enveloped our little craft, I looked over at him, finding sincerity in his expression. I paused, though, because the ever-shifting light filtering into the cabin made his features glow. Letant looked almost ethereal - the changing hues flowed across his face, highlighting his forehead ridges, his nose, his lips, and making it impossible to ignore his beauty.

“Thank you, Senator. I’ll take that into consideration.” My voice came out raspier than I’d expected, making my cheeks burn. Before I could look back at the panel in front of me, though, Letant gave me a surprisingly gentle smile.

“I think we can safely skip the formalities, don’t you? There is nobody else here, and I certainly won’t be offended by a little added familiarity. Please, feel free to call me Letant,” he murmured, and I agreed quietly. A flash drew my attention away from him and back to piloting the runabout. We’d exited the wormhole.

“If you’ll input the coordinates, Letant, I’ll set a course,” I said, and a quiet hum came from the man beside me. “What?”

“I’ve never heard you say my name before, but I must admit...I quite like the way it sounds coming from you,” he murmured as he moved to do as I suggested. It felt strange to say his name when I wasn’t alone. The only place I’d said it before was when I was in my bed in the dead of night, but he definitely didn’t need to know that. He’d never let me live that down.

As soon as the course was set, I initiated the autopilot and took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I leaned back in my seat. It would take us about three days to get there at our vessel’s maximum warp.

“I can feel you staring at me, y’know.” My murmured observation drew a huff of incredulous laughter from my companion.

“Ridiculous. Utter rot. Even Romulans are not that perceptive,” he scoffed, but I just smirked.

“Haven’t you ever heard a Human say they felt eyes on the back of their head before?”

“I have.”

“They mean it. Yes, that expression can be used to communicate paranoia, but usually the person is being literal. We can feel when we’re being watched. We may not be able to pinpoint where it’s coming from, but a gaze can be felt as easily as a touch,” I explained, cracking my eyes open and tilting my head, finding him looking at me stunned as I’d expected to. Scientifically, that was only partially correct with psychological bias factored in, but he didn’t need to know the nitty-gritty details. “I wonder, was it you staring at me in Quark’s the other night? Or was it some other inebriated patron?”

“Who told you I was in the bar?” He fired back with a knowing raise of an eyebrow.

“Nobody. You and your guards make quite an entrance everywhere you go. I saw you arrive, but I thought little of it,” I lied, trying to give the impression that I hadn’t seen him in a gorgeous green tunic he’d never worn before. He’d looked so handsome that night, but I couldn’t show that I cared about his looks. He’d never let me live it down.

“That’s too bad. I’d hoped to ask your opinion on my tunic. I don’t often wear purple garments,” he said, and before I could stop myself or think better of it, I blurted out what I was thinking.

“But it was gre–” I broke off, but he’d heard just enough to widen his smile.

“You’re quite right. It was green, but how would you know that, e’lev?” Letant asked leaning closer to me. “I thought you didn’t care that I’d been in the bar?”

“I didn’t. As I said, your entrances aren’t exactly subtle. Everyone in the bar likely noticed you and your new tunic. That hardly makes me unique,” I said trying to explain my statement away, but his voice just lowered a bit more, becoming more velvety and delicious.

“...I don’t recall mentioning that the tunic was new.” He practically radiated triumph and glee, even as I internally cringed at my slip.

“And you still haven’t answered my original question,” I deflected as I stood and walked to one of the other sensor arrays as an excuse to put a little space between us. Beginning to perform a re-calibration, I nearly rolled my eyes when I heard footsteps behind me.

“You’re right. I never did answer your question. How rude of me,” the Senator said, his voice growing ever closer. Eventually, one of his hands rested on the bulkhead near my shoulder, and the other rested gently on my waist. “I admit I did look at you quite frequently that night, but I simply cannot resist a gorgeous view when it’s offered so freely. You seemed so relaxed. Nevertheless, allow me to apologize for staring like a lecherous rogue. Tell me...how can I make it up to you?”

His mirthful, suggestive question was practically whispered against my ear, but I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a shudder of pleasure. It would be much too easy to turn and connect my lips with his.

“No need, Senator,” I murmured, hating how shaky my voice sounded. Ducking carefully under his arm, I went back to my seat and acted like I was double-checking the sensors. The Romulan let out a sigh, but he didn’t look too disappointed when he returned.

“You might change your mind over the course of our journey,” he said lounging in his chair, “and if you do, I’m quite open to any suggestions you might have.”

This was going to be a long trip.

--

The next morning, I stumbled through my usual routine, shuffling into the cockpit of the runabout with a hot mug of coffee clutched in my hands. Blinking sleepily as I took my seat, I started checking the sensors and our course.

“Well, well, good morning!” Amusement practically dripped from Letant’s voice. Oh, it was too early for this. “You seem to be out of uniform today.”

“Since we won’t be at our destination for another couple of days, I thought I may as well wear something a little more comfortable,” I said glancing down at my oversized shirt and sweatpants. “Besides, I thought you said you didn’t mind if we dropped some of the formalities? If you object, I can always get back into uniform...”

“Oh no, don’t you dare! I don’t mind at all. I’ve never seen you looking so ravishing,” he crooned as he raked his eyes over me. “Is this how you normally dress when you’re not on duty?”

“Yep, this is my favorite shirt, actually,” I answered sipping my coffee. I’d had it for so long that it was beginning to go threadbare in a few places, allowing my skin to peek through - a fact I hadn’t given much thought to before, but which I was now acutely aware of with the Senator’s roving eyes on me. “I take it you approve?”

“Oh, heartily, but I’ve never known you to need another person’s approval,” he said leaning toward me in my peripheral vision.

“And you seem to need the approval of every woman who dares to glance in your direction.” I hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but once it was out, I couldn’t put it back, no matter how much I might want to.

“Not every woman. Only you,” he responded without missing a beat, and my eyes snapped up to meet his before I could think better of it. Beneath the obvious hunger in his expression, there was something...soft and vulnerable that startled me into looking away.

No. No, I was imagining that look. I had to be. Letant was a Senator. He could have any woman he wanted. There was no way he’d want me.

The rest of the day, Letant seemed somewhat more subdued, alternating between focusing on a Romulan data PADD he’d brought with him and the readout from the primary sensor array. I still caught him looking over at me occasionally, but he wasn’t nearly as determined to drive me insane as usual.

--

We decided to alternate who got the early morning shifts so that neither of us would be overly tired. Thus, the second morning, I was halfway through my second cup of coffee before Letant emerged from the aft section of the runabout. Glancing back at him, I noticed his own informal wardrobe for the day and did a double-take. Wearing only a pair of midnight blue sleep pants and an open, matching silk robe, Senator Letant stole my breath as he did nothing more than take his seat in the copilot’s chair.

So that was what he was hiding beneath his uniform!

“See something you like, e’lev?” Tearing my eyes away from the smattering of hair on his well-defined chest, I looked up to see him giving me a knowing smile. “Oh, don’t go quiet on me again. We’ve made so much progress on that front in the last couple of days. Would it help if I got back into my uniform?”

“Don’t you dare,” I murmured, repeating his own words back at him and drawing a devilish grin to his lips.

“I believe that’s the boldest flirtation I’ve ever received from you,” he declared crossing his legs and allowing his eyes to skim down the length of my body a little slower than the day before.

“Who said it was flirtation? If I have a right to be in my pajamas, so do you.”

“Ah, it’s a matter of equality, then. How curious. I could’ve sworn I saw you bite your lip a few moments ago,” Letant murmured, and I wracked my memory. Had I? It was conceivable that I had subconsciously. He did tend to bring out those sorts of reactions in me. His voice calling my name knocked me out of my anxious thoughts. “Oh, don’t worry. I did much worse than bite my lip when I went to bed last night. And after being around a beautiful woman in nothing but her pajamas all day, who could blame me?”

My cheeks burned at his insinuation. He was joking. He had to be joking. He’d never do...that...while thinking about me.

...Would he?

No. No, way. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of me first thing in the morning. I should just ignore hi–

“Ah, we’ve made better time than I expected,” he murmured checking the estimated time of arrival. “We’ll be there in less than twelve hours. It should’ve taken us eighteen more. How did you manage that?”

Okay, this I could do. I could totally talk work.

“Oh, I made a few routine course adjustments and skirted around a few astronomical phenomena that could have slowed us down,” I said as I pulled up a log I’d been keeping of my adjustments. He skimmed over it and a low hum issued from his throat.

“...You do realize what this means, don’t you?” Letant asked looking up at me, and I raised an eyebrow. “This means we have six fewer hours to spend together on this journey. You wound me, Lieutenant. Am I truly so unpleasant a traveling companion?”

He laid a hand dramatically over his chest and adopted a look of faux innocence.

“Seriously? We’re flying through Dominion territory and that is what you’re worried about?” 

“Well, I did select you for this mission so that we could spend time together,” he replied as if it should be obvious. I could scarcely believe my ears. “I thought you might enjoy some private interaction with a man as attractive as I am.”

“You are the most arrogant person I’ve ever met.” The words were out of my mouth before I could even think about stopping them, but rather than looking offended, Letant merely leaned toward me in his ridiculous, open robe and smirked.

“And did it never cross your mind that I have what it takes to back up my inflated ego?”

I had no rebuttal for that. The possibility had crossed my mind several times, in fact. Taking my silence as an answer, the Senator seemed satisfied that he’d gotten his point across.

“Now, before we reach our long-awaited destination, I need to brief you on what to expect,” he said, as if I hadn’t been briefed on the basics before we left. Before I could protest, however, he held up a hand. “There are several details that the Romulan government did not see fit to authorize me to convey to Starfleet, details that you must be made aware of if we are to complete this mission successfully.”

“Is the probe sentient or something?”

Letant let out a short burst of mirthful laughter.

“No, certainly not, although I admire your vivid imagination. The probe we’re going to be looking for is equipped...with a cloaking device.”

With the most serious expression I could muster, I set my coffee aside and laid my hand over one of his.

“Letant, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Starfleet has been aware that your people have had cloaking devices for over a century. I’m so sorry, I know that must come as a bit of a shock.” He gave me an exasperated look, and I couldn’t help but smile mischievously at having finally irritated him for once.

“You know, you are gorgeous, intelligent, and an utter pleasure to be around, but, Elements, my girl, you can be infuriating,” he said lifting my hand to his lips.

“Speak for yourself, Deihu.” The expression on his face morphed into pure surprise. “My apologies for the interruption. Please continue. What is it about this cloaking device that makes it so special?”

“Not only is it a new type of cloak, it was made more durable as well. We expect that it survived the crash and is still active,” Letant explained.

“So we’re going to be looking for a fully cloaked probe? How the hell are we supposed to find it, then?” Maybe that was why we’d been given a full day to search for this damn thing.

“Ah, I have a deactivation signal that I’ve already programmed into our tricorders. Once we scan the probe, it’ll decloak, we can remove the section that we need, and we can get back home,” he murmured, skimming his thumbs over the back of my hand. Why did he still have my hand?

And why did I never want him to let go?

“Why not just put that code into the runabout computer and scan the whole planet from orbit?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Because the tricorders can be destroyed afterward. The runabout computer can’t if we want to get home.” Of course. The Romulan Empire wouldn’t want any trace of how we deactivated a cloak to exist afterward to compromise them. “I do have the approximate location of where the probe went down - it was still transmitting as it crashed - so we should be able to land close enough to get into tricorder range within a reasonable span of time.”

A rather unpleasant thought occurred to me, then, and for the first time, I was forced to confront just how dangerous Letant could be if he so chose. His species was physically stronger than mine. If he wanted to hurt me, he could with barely any effort, and I would have no chance of stopping him.

“And...when we’re searching for the probe, what happens if I end up seeing it or the decloaking codes? Are you going to have to eliminate me for the sake of the Empire’s security?” To my horror, my voice was much quieter and shakier than I anticipated. Letant’s grip on my hand tightened by a fraction, and he looked at me with an inscrutable expression.

“If you truly believe that I could ever raise a hand to you, then you don’t know me as well as you think, e’lev,” he said. “I chose you for this mission, because I trust you not to reveal any more than is necessary to your superiors.”

I didn’t quite know what to say to that, so I simply nodded my head. Savoring the feeling of his fingers holding mine, I looked at Letant curiously. What was I supposed to make of him?

--

The rest of the trip was relatively quiet as I mulled over everything I’d learned. We were both mostly silent as we took turns getting changed back into our uniforms in the back. Even Letant’s flirtations were more subtle. I was working off muscle memory more than conscious effort as we approached the planet to enter orbit.

“Lieutenant, I’m inputting the range of coordinates where the probe could possibly be. If you could place us in synchronous orbi–”

He was cut off by an explosion rocking the craft and throwing us from our seats. My arm collided hard with the deck plating, and I let out a grunt of pain as I struggled to right myself.

“The starboard engine just overloaded,” I called as I finally got a glimpse at my panel. I clawed myself back into my chair and aimed us as close as I could manage to the area Letant had indicated. He pulled himself up just as I did, and as I held us on course, he started an emergency shutdown for the warp and impulse engines. “We’re going down no matter what we do! Brace yourself for impact!”

The collision jolted me from my seat, but before I could hit anything, a pair of strong, warm arms caught me. Grabbing onto Letant instinctively, we clung to each other for dear life until the runabout came to a screeching halt in the dirt.

In the unnatural silence that followed, our breaths seemed much too loud. I kept my face buried in the crook of the Senator’s neck for several beats longer than was strictly necessary, catching my breath and savoring the solidity of his body against mine.

Letant breathed my name against the top of my head, and I reluctantly forced myself to pull back far enough to look at him. A dribble of green blood trickled down the side of his head from a small gash.

“You’re hurt,” I murmured as I reached up and turned his head so I could examine him.

“Perhaps, but you’re not.” A glimmer of triumph twined through his words. Forcing myself onto my feet, I found the emergency medkit and passed the dermal regenerator over his injury with as much care as I possessed. He touched the spot gingerly when I was done and smiled up at me when he found himself healed. “You have my sincerest gratitude, e’lev.”

A flutter of pride went through my chest as I put the medical tools back in the kit. As a precaution, I took out a medical tricorder and set it aside in case we needed it.

“Why is this probe so important, anyway?” I asked a few moments later as we examined the outside of the runabout. Surveying the craft for damage was our first order of business. After all, if there was no chance we’d get off this planet, there was little point in rushing off to find the probe. Survival always came first. “May I know what we almost died in pursuit of? Surely, we didn’t go through all of this just for a prototype cloaking device.”

“No, it wasn’t just the cloak. Our probe managed to record secret information on the Dominion, but I’m afraid I can tell you no more than that without endangering you,” he said as he stepped over a large log. “Well, the propulsion systems appear to be offline but functional, as well as the weapons.”

“Not quite. The antigrav thrusters are shot. We’ll have to get those working again before we can lift off,” I called as I pulled a branch out of one of the intake ports. “Okay. Well, it looks like we shouldn’t be stuck here for too long, at least. We should be able to find the probe, fix the thrusters, and head back.”

A vague noise of approval sounded from my companion.

“We landed not far from the probe’s potential crash site. If you’ve got the tricorders set up, we can start our search now,” I suggested as we both met up at the door of the runabout. Anticipating my statement, Letant held out two tricorders, one for me, and one for him. I noted that the medical one was already strapped to his side. Grabbing a second commbadge from inside the cabin, I traded it for the tricorder. “Keep your commline open. After all, we’ve only got each other out here.”

“Indeed. Watch yourself, Lieutenant,” Letant said as I strapped a phaser and holster around my waist. His own disruptor gleamed in the evening light. 

The setting sun cast long, sleepy shadows across the ground as we tramped through the trees. I’d taken a different direction than the Senator so that we could cover more ground, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether he was allowing himself to pause and take in the beauty of this previously unexplored planet. 

“Report, Lieutenant.” Speak of the devil.

“I’m not reading any humanoid lifeforms, only plant life, small animals, and various insects. I’m not reading the probe, either, so apparently I’m not in range yet.”

“No need to worry, Lieutenant. I’ve apparently entered range of the probe. I’ve almost reached it now. As far as life form readings, I’m getting the same as you. Be cautious, though. There’s an insect I scanned which appears to be venomous.” Letant’s warning came just as I stepped into a clearing filled with what looked like bioluminescent moths. Their colors varied through the entire visible spectrum of light, creating pulsations and swirls of color in the sky. For a moment, I could do no more than watch them in silence.

“Oh, wow,” I breathed as I watched the little winged bugs dance in the low evening light. “Letant, you’ve got to come see this!”

“Acknowledged. I’ve gotten what we need from the probe. On my way,” he responded, but I barely noticed. As if the little bugs were aware that they had an audience, they fluttered together and fanned out in a brilliant array of shapes I couldn’t even begin to describe. Just as I began to hear the Senator’s footsteps approaching me, the entire swarm of brilliantly hued moths fluttered toward me. I stumbled backward against a very solid chest. Turning just enough to confirm I’d bumped into Letant, my eyes met his just as the moths flew around us in a tight spiral from our toes to our heads. The light from their wings caressed his features, sparkling in his irises as I looked up at him in utter awe. His voice came out as a breathy whisper when he spoke a single word. “E’lev...”

The thrumming of wings slowly lowered in volume, and we watched the moths’ progress as they began to alight upon the branches of the trees at the perimeter of the clearing, colors still pulsing and changing as beautifully as before. Becoming aware of two arms wrapped around me like iron bars holding me upright against the Senator’s chest, I felt my face begin to burn.

“Thanks for catching me,” I murmured. Was it my imagination or was his face getting closer?

“It was my pleasure,” he breathed, and his lips brushed against mine. As my eyelids fluttered closed, though, something sharp jabbed my neck, and I let out a startled yelp. Turning me in his grasp, Letant caught my hand as I reached for the area. “Hush, it’s alright. Let me see.”

Baring my neck for him, I felt my heart sink when he swore in Romulan under his breath and pulled out his tricorder.

“Let me guess. That was one of the venomous ones.” The quiet beeping of the tricorder cut through the deafening silence - an answer of its own. I could already feel sweat beading on my skin beneath my uniform. Whatever this venom was, it was potent.

“We’re too far from the runabout to make it there before you suffer any ill effects. Do you trust me?” I’d barely even managed to answer in the affirmative when his lips closed over the bite mark and sucked hard. Gasping at the sensation, I clutched at his shoulders and tried to work out what the hell he was doing. Pain lanced through me from the wound, but after something pulled free, every ounce of discomfort within me transformed into intense euphoria.

The Senator spat something on the ground a moment later then returned his lips to the same place, sucking hard again. This time a moan tore from my throat. I never wanted him to stop. I felt like I’d die if he stopped - hell, I think I murmured something to that effect as I clung to him.

 It was as if the sensitivity of every nerve in my body had been heightened all at once starting with the spot where Letant’s lips were glued to my skin. Cascading downwards across my entire being, electricity, desperation, and pleasure had all been ignited within me.

Through the fog, the vague thought that he was attempting to suck the poison out of my wound poked at my mind, but it was deftly swatted away by the feeling of his lips repositioning themselves on my neck as one of his large hands supported the back of my head.

He spat something else onto the ground, but by then I was nearly limp with pleasure. I’d been close to an orgasm, so achingly close. Tears sprang to my eyes at the loss of contact, and all too soon he was asking me a question that I was too bleary to comprehend.

“Lieutenant? Can you understand me?” He sounded almost panicked, but I’d made out enough to answer that time. “Let’s get you back to the runabout.”

What the hell? Why did I nearly have an orgasm from what amounted to rather enthusiastic necking? As we trudged back the way we’d come, Letant supported me with an arm around my waist. I hoped that he hadn’t noticed the stupidly strong arousal that the sting and his reaction had caused. Surely at such close range he had? But if he did, then why wasn’t he teasing me about it?

And why did I have that reaction in the first place? I’d wondered what it was like to be with him on more occasions than I cared to admit, of course, but why the hell did I feel like all my nerves were hypersensitive?

The burning, overwhelming need for stimulation settled into a persistent buzzing in my abdomen. I’d never heard of venom causing a reaction like this before.

As soon as we stepped inside the shuttle, I ducked into the washroom at the back of the runabout. Splashing water on my face, I barely managed to hold back the moan that threatened to bubble out of me at how good the cold liquid felt against my burning skin. When I reemerged, Letant looked over at me with concern furrowing his brow.

“Are you experiencing any odd symptoms?” He asked, and I hated how my body reacted instantly to his voice. Any assistance that the cool water had provided disappeared as my skin heated further and I was forced to look away from him. “Lieutenant?”

“Hypersensitivity,” I answered. I hoped he would simply drop the topic and allow me to remain vague in my answer, but I had no such luck.

“In what way?”

“My hearing is amplified, smells are stronger, and I’m more aware of tactile sensations.” As I explained, Letant’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Silently, he pulled out the medical tricorder he’d grabbed earlier and scanned me. After a long moment, he set it aside and moved to my side.

“E’lev, what can I do to help you?” He’d lowered his voice, likely out of consideration for my condition, which simultaneously made things better and worse. My ears hurt a little less, but this new register was gravelly and sinful, making me close my eyes as I felt a new gush of warmth between my legs. “You have a fever and elevated levels of hormones. Are you experiencing other symptoms that you haven’t mentioned?”

“Let’s just get the thrusters working so we can get off this planet,” I rasped as I stepped around him and got a tool kit. Focusing on anything would be difficult, but it would be better than throwing myself at a man like Letant.

I wanted him, oh, I wanted him desperately - I felt like I’d go crazy if he didn’t see though my act and fuck me soon - but he flirted with anything that moved. It was more likely that if I made a move, he’d tell me politely that he preferred prettier women...dabo girls like Hartla and Leeta, not officers like me. The idea that he could want someone like me was a childish fantasy, but...I wasn’t ready for it to end. Not yet.

The last few days had felt like a dream. He’d even seemed like he was letting his guard down in a sincere way. I wasn’t quite ready to give that up. His feelings might not be genuine, but mine were. I knew I’d have to wake up and face reality one day, but this trip had allowed me to push that sobering thought aside for a while.

As we worked on the downed systems, I was acutely aware of his proximity. Every time he moved, my stomach clenched and the traitorous heat between my legs got worse. Eventually, the computer pinged, notifying us that the engines were working again.

“Strap in. I’ll start the launch sequence,” I called as I made sure everything we’d brought was secure. Letant double-checked, and within minutes we cleared the atmosphere. Though I didn’t remember doing so until later, I set our course back toward the wormhole and engaged the engines at our maximum speed. I had the distinct impression that whatever that insect had done to me needed to be fixed as quickly as possible.

I had no idea how much time had passed since we launched when a warm, familiar hand landed gently on my shoulder. I tensed involuntarily despite the inherent caution in its owner’s every movement.

“Why don’t you let me take over for a while? I assure you, I’m perfectly capa–”

“Yes, I’m sure you are, but I’m fine,” I cut him off trying to sound as though I was something close to normal again. Letant wasn’t buying it, though. He wasn’t fool enough to believe that I’d dismissed such an intense reaction so quickly.

“You’re not fine. E’lev, you’ve been flying this runabout for hours, and neither of us has any idea how your condition might affect you,” the Senator said reaching over and activating the autopilot system. “Overexertion could be lethal, and I am not prepared to lose you.”

“Letant, for fuck’s sake, I’m–”

“You are ill, I outrank you, and I am giving you a direct order, Lieutenant.” I turned my seat to face him, scoffing all the while.

“You can’t give me a direct order, Senator. You’re not a Starfleet officer. I’m staying right fucking here!” As soon as the assertion left my lips I knew it was the wrong thing to say. I tried to swivel my chair back to face my work station, but Letant caught it effortlessly in one hand. His damnable Romulan strength allowed him to keep it stationary with barely more than a thought. Slowly, he rose to his feet and leaned in close enough to brace his other hand on the back of my seat, effectively caging me in.

“I may not be a member of your precious Federation, but I am responsible for your safety!” I’d seen the Senator irritated before, even close to anger, but the passion burning in his eyes had me frozen squarely in place, pinned by his gaze. “You will get yourself cleaned up, lie down in your bunk, and get some rest. Argue with me again, and I will toss you over my shoulder and tie you to your bed until we return to the station. Is that clear?”

The low, velvety caress of his voice contrasted with the harshness of his tone, and suddenly, I couldn’t decide whether I was intimidated or more turned on than I’d ever been in my life. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I acknowledged that it was a particularly potent combination of both.

Undoubtedly mistaking my silence for fear, Letant’s gaze softened, and he cupped my face in both his hands. Silently, gently, he touched my forehead lightly with his, and his next words came out barely above a whisper.

“You know...surely, you must know that I’m doing this to keep you safe...?”

Covering his fingers with mine, I tried to steady my breathing. He was so close to me, and he smelled so good! Every inhale filled me with more desperation, especially when I contemplated how easy it would be to kiss him, but I hoped beyond hope that I wasn’t being too obvious despite our proximity.

Realizing I’d been silent for too long, I swallowed and forced myself to take a breath.

“I trust you, Letant. I always will,” I murmured. I hoped he would never question the reason behind my certainty. He pulled back just far enough to allow me to get shakily to my feet. “I’ll do as you ask, but just this once.”

With a small, fond smile, he brushed a bit of hair behind my ear.

“We’ll see about that, e’lev.” With that parting tease out in the open, I walked - or rather, stumbled - into the aft section of the runabout.

--

By the time that the dirt had sloughed off me in the sonic shower, I had to concentrate very hard to stay upright. I was exhausted. First, the crash, then the walk through the woods, and the sting...it had been a long day.

The heat between my legs had intensified even further, leaving me shaking as I leaned against the wall of the sonic shower. The coolness against my overheated skin made me moan. The sound came out much louder than I’d intended, and I hoped that Letant hadn’t heard me.

Letant. Just thinking about him sent a fresh wave of slick dripping from my center. He wouldn’t know as long as I was quiet, would he?

Dipping my fingers between my legs, I was forced to slap a hand over my mouth at how good the friction felt. Against my better judgment, I brought myself to a quick, mostly-quiet orgasm, stifling my moans the best I could.

I could finally breathe a little easier once I’d blown off a bit of steam. One tiny little orgasm wasn’t going to be sufficient to make everything stop. I could tell. But it had given me the relief and clear mind that I needed to be able to go through the rest of my nightly routine and crawl into my bunk.

Rest, however, was thin on the ground. The heat that had been plaguing me in ever-building waves kept me tossing and turning in search of comfort. As I faded in and out of consciousness, brief flashes of dreams flitted across the insides of my eyelids. 

Hell, I even dreamed that Letant came to check on me, once. The quiet, familiar beeping of the medical tricorder seemed distant and hazy compared to the soft, affectionate caress on my cheek. He whispered that word he’d been saying all through this trip: ‘e’lev.’ It felt important. Everything about this dream felt important, but I couldn’t place my finger on the reason, choosing instead to allow myself to fall back into my troubled, achy sleep.

When I finally gave up on sleep several hours later, I was covered in sweat. My own natural lubricant dripped down my thighs once more, and I was forced to get in the sonic shower again just to become halfway presentable. I didn’t bother with a uniform when I got out. Opting instead for comfortable set of clothes, I walked shakily toward the runabout cabin.

I paused and leaned against the wall for support, contemplating how I was supposed to beat this, but in that short span of time I managed to catch Letant’s attention.

He looked thoroughly surprised to see me standing upright in my condition, but truth be told, he looked a little worse for wear himself. The Senator looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept yet. And there was worry in his eyes - so much concern that I hadn’t seen from him before.

“You should be in bed,” he croaked as he got to his feet. Not giving him the chance to herd me away, I took a few determined steps forward.

“I’m fine,” I rasped, but he didn’t look at all convinced.

“E’lev, why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? I know you’re experiencing more than you’ve let on. If you tell me, I might be able to help yo–”

“You can’t, okay?!” He looked surprised by my outburst. Hell, I was surprised by my outburst. “You can’t help me, because I feel like I’m going to scratch my skin off if I don’t...if...”

A stab of pain and arousal wound through my abdomen, silencing my protests. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I dropped to my knees and tried to breathe through the sensation. Nothing I’d done had helped so far. Fingering myself in the bathroom had given me temporary relief, but as soon as I came in close proximity with Letant again, the almost uncontrollable lust had returned stronger than before. It had only grown since the sting, and now I was left a trembling, humiliated mess on the floor in front of the Senator.

“Do you think you’ve been successful in your efforts to hide your condition from me?” The question wasn’t accusatory, but I still looked away as he knelt in front of me and grasped my shoulders. “Because your pheromones gave you away the moment I tried sucking the stinger and venom from your neck.”

I looked up at him in alarm, but all that met me was a warm, gentle smile.

“You knew?”

“Of course, I did. Between that and your scent in the shower, it has been quite obvious that you are in need of some intimate attention,” he said, and my face burned. “If you truly have no desire to allow me to help you, I will respect your wishes and leave you in privacy, but over the time I’ve known you, I always felt there was...more to our interactions. If I was mistaken about my interest being mutual, I sincerely apologize, but if I was right...please, allow me to alleviate your suffering.”

“Are you doing this out of pity?” Letant looked scandalized by the mere suggestion. “Why would you be attracted to me when there are women who are so much...well, more?”

“No, I’m not doing this out of pity! My interest in you has always been genuine. I thought you of all people would’ve realized that by now, e’lev,” he said cupping my cheeks softly and looking into my eyes. Instead of mirth, all I found this time was sincerity and affection. “Why would I waste my time with anyone else when perfection is right here in front of me? None of them are you.”

His lips covered mine, and I stopped thinking altogether. Surrendering to the sensation, my eyelids fluttered closed, and I clutched at the front of his tunic. As though a switch had been flipped, I gave in. Letant was all I’d wanted for a long time.

Before I even realized I’d moved, I pulled him closer and practically started climbing him. A gentle laugh reverberated through his chest as he caught my waist, and I nibbled my way down the side of his jaw.

“Desperate, are we? Don’t worry, my eager girl. I’m going to help you,” he murmured lifting me into his arms. As he carried me toward the bunk in the aft section, I clung to him, trailing my lips across his skin in a haze of lust. I’d given in entirely to my raging hormones and my desire, and I needed him to just fuck me already! 

A pained whine escaped me when Letant laid me on the bed and I was forced to release my death grip on his shoulders. Had he decided I was more trouble than I was worth? No, surely he wouldn’t leave me when I needed him this badly.

My worries were silenced when he laid one of his large hands on my upper thigh and allowed it to skim upwards to the utterly doused fabric covering my crotch.

“So beautiful...” His reverent whisper made me arch toward him, praying for more friction than just that of fabric. “You’d let me do whatever I wanted to you, wouldn’t you?”

“Anything. Anything, just please touch me–ah!” My begging morphed into an almost feral sound of pleasure as he tore the crotch of my leggings and dragged his fingertips through my folds. Suddenly I was incredibly grateful to my earlier self for choosing to forego underwear. That was the wisest choice I’d made all week.

“Hush, I won’t leave you unfulfilled,” he promised, slipping one, then two fingers inside of me. Clutching the bedsheets frantically, I found myself lost in his gaze. Hunger, passion, and potent confidence drew me to him like a moth to a flame. It was painfully obvious, now, that Letant’s earlier insinuation about having good reasons to be confident in his abilities was absolutely true. 

Had I a scrap of dignity left, I would’ve been irritated at that revelation. As it was, all I could manage was a series of desperate moans and pleas as the Senator curled his fingers within me. In an embarrassingly short amount of time, I was arching off the bed and gushing around his digits. 

Letant murmured quiet praises that made a small, quiet part of myself roar with pride at having earned his compliments. He leaned down to kiss me, and almost without conscious thought, I maneuvered him beneath me and started tugging at his clothing. There needed to be less separating us. I needed the hardness tenting his pants inside me now!

The next few moments were a blur of clothes sailing away from the bed, and finally - finally - I was able to sink down on his length. The tightness of his grip on my hips spoke to his own growing need for this coupling. We were both beyond words when I began to ride him in earnest. He sat up beneath me and wrapped an arm around my waist, even as his free hand tangled its way into my hair.

Our labored breathing sounded so right. This was what we’d been missing all this time. When I finally tipped over the edge into another orgasm, the last of my lover’s restraint snapped, and he shoved me onto my back amidst the sheets.

Resuming his place between my legs, Letant looked positively feral as he set out to prove why Romulans made superior mates. He gave me everything: powerful thrusts, hungry growls, and an orgasm intense enough to make my voice go hoarse when I called his name.

The fires ignited by the venom in my veins finally cooled when a shattered moan poured from his throat and his seed filled me in hot spurts. Bliss and tranquility blanketed every cell in my body as he rained featherlight kisses across my mouth and cheeks. This was heaven.

Letant maneuvered us into a much more comfortable position, murmuring that I should rest. His voice melted into a delicious hum that I was too boneless and satiated to comprehend, but it was alright. Everything was alright. He’d protect me.

--

The first sensation I became aware of when I awoke was the gentle, affectionate caress of warm fingers across my back. Still wrapped solidly in the comforting embrace of a Romulan Senator, I let myself float leisurely back to the realm of consciousness. There was no rush. We were still a long way from the wormhole and Deep Space Nine.

Stirring slowly, I tilted my head just far enough to press my lips against Letant’s neck, prompting a low hum from deep in his chest.

“I take it you’re feeling better?” The Senator asked, and I let out an affirmative sound as I snuggled farther into his arms. “I thoroughly enjoy this version of you, you know...the one who isn’t pushing me away.”

Guilt wormed its way through me as I recalled all the instances where I hadn’t believed he was sincere in his flirtations.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, e’lev. You were protecting yourself,” he murmured pressing his lips against my forehead in a gentle kiss. “I do want you to know, though, that for as long as I live, I will be yours. Assuming you’ll have me, of course.”

Pushing myself up far enough to look into his eyes, I traced my fingertips down the bridge of his nose and over the softness of his lips. Then, without my permission, the words I’d held inside of me for so long finally poured out.

“I love you, Letant.” The smile he gave me as he flipped me onto my back and hovered over me was the most glorious sight I’d ever witnessed.

“I think you know how I feel about you, but just in case the idea needs reinforcing: I will love you until all the stars in the universe go out,” the Senator promised before catching my lips in a tender kiss that inevitably deepened into something more. He practically dragged himself down my body, lips trailing in his wake, eyes burning into my soul, pausing only when he was far enough to lift my legs over his shoulders. The mischief in his eyes told me everything I needed to know about what he was planning.

“Letant, you...don’t have to–”

“Oh, but I want to. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to taste you,” he crooned as he kissed his way up my thighs. “Your pheromones are so strong that every time you enter a room, you’re all I can think about...all I can imagine...all I desire. I’ve fallen asleep so many times with the memory of your scent lingering in my mind that I almost always wake up so hard that it fucking hurts.”

I moaned before I could stop myself, but Letant was undeterred. Trailing his lips up my inner thigh, he made every move with intention and tenderness enough to convince me that he actually had imagined us like this before. When his eyes met mine, it hit me that the emotions he spoke of weren’t just a womanizer’s bluster, they were real.

He loved me as much as I loved him.

And apparently he was going to make quite certain that I never questioned the sincerity of his feelings for me again.

~*~*~

Romulan Words:

e’lev = darling

Deihu = Senator

~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers @bigblissandlove1 @darkmattervibes @emilie786​ @horta-in-charge​ @live-logs-and-proper​ @slutty-slutty-vulcans​ @starrynightgardens​ @toebeans-mcgee​

[justalonelyslytherin]

My Kingdom, Your Kingdom | five

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Pairing: secret king!Steve Rogers x heir apparent!female Reader

Summary: After the girl's stay is settled - for now, it is time to plan some of their vacation time. For the first time in their life, they can lean back and enjoy a vacation. They will need some necessities though. Clothes for example

Warnings: slight mention of parental loss

Wordcount: 3k

If you enjoyed reading this, please consider leaving a comment or reblogging. I don’t allow for my content to be copied, translated, or reposted on other websites/apps. Please don’t steal my work.

A/N: The dividers are made by @/firefly-graphics. This story took an unplanned break, mostly to be blamed on my university life. I'm more than happy to return to this story and its characters and hope you'll be as excited to dip back into the story with me.

Taglist: open, in the reblogs, let me know if you want to be added

“I’m not sure if I find what you did genius or outright stupid.” Natasha looked at her with narrowed eyes. The words carried a heavy judgment cloaked behind feigned indifference.

“Your plan was so risky.”

“What plan?” Yelena’s words were met with another – mocking – rebuttal of the redhead. A clear display of disdain. It was a challenge. One that was heightened through the brazen raise of her younger sister’s brow. 

“I’m doing this for you. So you can have the adventure you longed for,” Y/N told them, tense. Squaring her jaw, she glared at the two younger siblings. “All I have been doing is so you can have a piece of the freedom you so crave, to give you what you deserve.”

Her focus shifted to Yelena alone, “But in case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t at home where we are well protected. We are in a lot of potential danger here. Taking it lightly and ignoring what could happen is not the way to go. Carelessness is nothing we can afford.” 

Yelena pressed her lips to a tight line, the corners of her mouth pulling downwards. Silence spread over them. Uneasy, dense silence, as her words had reached a far deeper place in them. Each one turned to their own internal conflict and thoughts.

“What are we going to do then? What's our plan?” Natasha spoke up after a long bout, causing Y/N to sigh.

“Stay, for now. Try to come up with a way to get the car working. Leave before the end of the week.”

“And what if there is no way to get the car running again?” Yelena piped up. It conjured another bout of silence between the three of them. None the wiser. 

It was the question of a very real problem they could stumble into. Having the car stay in the cold for days surely wouldn’t enhance its viability. Without the car, their chances dropped drastically close to zero. Maybe they could try to steal their host's car, yet she would rather do anything than betray their kindness like that. 

It was Natasha who spoke up, offering a different solution. “Then we give up our location.” Two pairs of eyes turned towards the redhead, confusion shining in them, neither knowing what she was insinuating.

“What do you mean?”

“The car. You didn’t think he gave us a regular one, did you? It’s an official state car.” Natasha leaned forward on her knees, a smile pulling at her lips as her eyes twinkled, “Made to blend in with civilian ones, bulletproof but more importantly equipped with a GPS tracker.”

“How do you know that?” 

The redhead shrugged, even as her older sister looked at her warily. She had a distinct feeling that her sister would not give her an answer, no matter how much she kept poking. Perhaps it was best she didn’t know. Her sister had her mysterious ways to obtain information and it was best it stayed that way.

Revealing their location to their keepers and guards was a possibility but one they had to consider carefully. They’d have to do a lot of explaining in that case. At the same time it was reassuring to know, should they fail, there was another failsafe solution.

“How is the GPS tracker going to help us?” Yelena wanted to know crossing her arms.

“It has a button to send out a distress signal–”

“No.” She interrupted immediately. “Not a chance. We are not going to do that.”

“What why?” Both younger sisters looked at her in shock, Yelena seemed to contemplate if she had actually lost her mind.

“Because we do not want to create a political conflict! How will it look if we send a distress signal from outside of Sokovia’s borders?” No, they couldn’t do that. It would create a war with both sides believing the other to have started it with an act of aggression. But that also meant their failsafe option wasn’t so failsafe anymore. In fact, it wasn’t an option anymore. “We have to get the car going.”

Simultaneously they released a heavy sigh as Yelena slumped backward. She turned her head towards the ceiling and grumbled under her breath. “... aren’t mechanics…” Natasha seemed to be less defeated, still trying to be optimistic and even more so trying to work with what they had.

"Alright. Assuming we get the car going again. How are you planning to tell the boys we won’t be accepting the offer to travel with them? They think we are refugees.”

“Where’d they even take that conclusion from?” Yelena butted in, looking back down.

“Oh you know because ‘the future heir of our bordering enemy country and her two sisters trying to have a vacation’ is the most logical conclusion if you ran into three lost girls in the woods by night.” Natasha snipped with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey!” The redhead and the blonde looked at her, both pressing their lips together as they at least tried to look apologetic. “Fighting between each other is the last thing we should do right now.

It’s really not that far-fetched for them to have come to this conclusion. We were secretive and reserved, I bet we looked pretty spooked to them. Stranded, lost, wandering around.

Remember everything we were told about Brooklyn? I am now convinced that most of it was blatant lies and if we got dished up lies, who’s to say they weren’t fed an equal amount of bullshit about Widovia?”

It was entirely feasible for their views to have been clouded by lies. Who wouldn’t try to make their enemies look worse? There was no blame to be held. She’d been told those lies, she’d believed those lies just as Steve and his friends had believed the things they’d been told. How could you know a lie was a lie if it was the only thing you were ever told? How was a bird to know there was life outside the cage it was born in if it had never left the cage?

“As for that,” she replied with a heavy sigh, “We’ll have to lie to them I fear. Say we want to stay here in the village.” She felt crushed thinking about the inevitable lie that would have to roll over her lips. 

Something in the deepest parts of her heart screamed and rebelled just thinking about being untruthful to Steve. There was the duty she had to her sisters and her home, it demanded certain deeds be done. Yet it couldn’t lift the dreadful feeling.

“We still have some time until then.” Natasha spoke, the softest she had spoken in a while, as she looked at her big sister. It brought a smile to Y/N’s otherwise weary, tired lips. 

For the first time since waking up, she felt lighter and not worried. Those feelings of weightlessness transcended her sisters, and soon they fell into a relaxed and animated talk about unimportant things.

For the first time since arriving here, it felt like somewhat of a vacation. The feeling didn’t wane as the boys came walking out of the kitchen. They’d shooed the girls out after breakfast, denying any help to tidy up the kitchen. 

Sam and Bucky’s shirts were marked with countless wet spots. It looked like they had fought a battle instead of doing the dishes. The suds clinging to Sam’s jaw emphasized this observation once more. A smile crept across her lips as she saw the damp strands of blonde hair hang over Steve’s forehead, suds and bubbles clinging to the tufts. It was blatant that he had been caught in the crossfire or partaken, perhaps even instigated it, judging by the sly smile creeping onto his lips after she crooked her head in question.

The early morning talk during breakfast had cleared up any ill feelings or off vibes, yet it still surprised her as the three men spread out in between them, taking their seats on the couches. Steve sank down into the spot beside her, his weight curving the cushions down. Gravity pulled her towards him, their legs and shoulders touching as she was pressed to his side. Bucky and Sam suited themselves beside her sisters, which especially in Bucky’s case felt weird to see. The brunette and the redhead eyed each other from the corners of their eyes, briefly nodding before they turned back front and tried to stay as casual as possible. Observing made her snort quietly, it felt somewhat awkward and shy, something she couldn’t say she had ever seen Natasha be.

“You didn’t flood anything, did you?” Yelena spoke up, eyeing the wet spots on their clothes with amusement and mocking. “I didn’t pack any Bikinis.” 

It caused them all to laugh. To properly laugh. The mixture of voices made her heart beat faster, happier. And as she watched Sam and Bucky interact with her sisters, she understood what Steve had said to her about his friends the night before. 

“Rest assured the kitchen is dry. You won’t get wet unless you decide to go swimming in the lake outside.” 

Bucky scoffed at that, “You’d have to break the ice before.” 

“Don’t make it sound like that’s such a challenge.” 

“That ice is thick enough to skate and play hockey on, bird brain. I’d like to see you try to break it.”

“You can’t play hockey on ice.” Yelena muttered, looking at the bickering males in confusion. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips pulled down. It was her characteristic pout, a face she had only ever seen her younger sister pull with Natasha or her. 

"Yes, you can.” Sam argued against it, pausing to eye her thoughtfully. “Don’t tell me you have never witnessed ice hockey.”

“Well, I haven’t. It sounds fake.” The indignation and sureness in Yelena’s voice amused her, but what made her crack was Sam and Bucky’s dumbfounded looks. They’d obviously hadn’t reckoned for Yelena to be serious. 

She wasn’t the only one highly amused at this, as Steve let out a snort. Quickly he tucked his chin towards his chest, hiding his face. His shaking shoulders betrayed him.

Sam and Bucky jumped into a scandalized, in-depth explanation of ice hockey, supported by dramatically frantic hand gestures, yet all she could focus on was Steve beside her, still chuckling to himself in glee.

“Is your sister always so straightforward?” 

“Oh, you haven’t experienced half of it. This is only the tip of the iceberg. She’s unforgivingly blunt.”

“Seems like she is quite the firecracker.”

“She is. She definitely is.” 

Together they glanced at the scene unfolding on the opposite couch. It was a funny sight, seeing Sam and Bucky so determined to convince Yelena of the sport. 

“But have you ice skated before? Do you know what skates are? You know shoes that look like they have knives strapped to their bottom?” Sam lifted his foot and mimicked what was supposed to be the blades a skate possessed. Yelena scoffed in revolt.

“Yes I have, I didn’t grow up under a rock! We have ice skating in Widovia, you dumbass.”

“Ice skating is a national sport.” Natasha piped in to stop Yelena from getting worked up even more. “Every child knows how to skate.” “So you can skate?” Bucky asked to confirm, a teasing lilt to his words. Yelena and Natasha nodded in unison.

“There is no one better at ice skating than Nat.” “Now that I’d like to see. No one has been able to best Bucky before.” A rumbling went through the crowd at Sam's contest. Steve let out a long ‘ohhh~’ beside her, causing her to glance at him. The silliness of the situation made her smile. For the first time, she saw Bucky grin widely. It had a wicked nuance to it, haughty and blinding as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

“There is only one way to find out,” he drawled, more or less challenging.

“I hope you are ready to land on your ass,” the redhead told him, smirking and cocking a brow at him. Another wave of ‘oohs’ sounded

“I don’t think we have any skates in the lodge.” Steve noted, drawing the attention towards him. Four pairs of eyes landed not only on him but also on her. Some were more subtle than others in the way they eyed the close proximity between the two. The sly grin blossoming on Natasha’s lips told her she wouldn’t hear the end of her teasing. “There might be a pair or two from when we were kids, don’t think they’ll fit anymore.”

“Yelena has tiny feet, I bet we could get her shoved into a pair.” The youngest of the three sisters shot her a dirty glare, underlined with a pout. It made her snicker.

“We can surely rent some from the ice rink in town.” Sam noted.

“You’ll also need some other clothes. Something warmer and thicker,” Bucky noted, eyeing the girls. Their clothes - while still wintery - were not made to stay outside for longer periods of time. Neither were they suited to keep them dry. Even if, they couldn’t keep wearing the same things for the rest of the week. 

Empty and quiet lay the room, shrouded in mostly darkness. From the carpeted wooden hallway just outside the drag of steps drawing closer could be heard. The shadow of a pair of feet appeared below the crack of the door, the even mix of voices however pointed to more than one person.

The key being inserted into the lock sounded of a metallic nature, reminiscent of the old brass keys used in castles and historic buildings dating centuries back, it wasn’t much younger than any of those, so it was fitting. With 3 resounding clicks as the key turned the mechanism inside, the lock gave way. The bronze handle moaned in complaint to operate after many years of neglect. A beam of light pushed its way through the larger growing slit of the door opening. Particles of dust danced in the brightness.

Then, a loud sneeze.

“Bless you,” Yelena chimed in from further back in the hallway, largely unbothered by the thick layer of dust that had been disrupted. Steve, at the front of the crowd and the one to have opened the door, wasn’t as lucky. He rubbed at the underside of his nose with the knuckle of his pointer, sniffling and squinting into the room. “It’s, ugh, a bit dusty,” he mumbled the obvious.

“When’s the last time anyone was in there?” Bucky asked, leaning against the wall just by the door, peering over Steve’s shoulder at the room full of treasures. Treasures, not in worth but in memory.

There came no answer from Steve. He couldn’t say but he knew it was too long. Glancing back at Bucky, no words had to be said for the Brunette to understand. They hadn’t been back here since he’d lost his mother. 

Sam eyed the pair of them, he could feel their hesitancy to take the necessary step forward. Sentiment and memories, feelings not yet felt fully held them back. So he made the step for them. He rounded Steve, setting the first foot into the room. And then another one. And another one after that, until he reached the window at the far back of the room, between shelves, drawers, and other things. The handle of the window creaked as much as the door had, yowling under the sudden movement, protesting in a not-so-silent plea.

At once unfiltered sunlight streaked into the room. The light greedily stretched out until it illuminated every speck and nook it could reach. Crisp, fresh air followed, pouring in much slower but steadily it swapped out the stale air.

“Gotta give whatever we find in here a good wash first,” Sam said, standing in the middle and turning in all directions to examine the many things stored away.

“It’s not like there isn’t a perfectly fine washing machine just downstairs.” It was Bucky then that set foot into the room, eyeing the shelves with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Steve, who still stood at the door, turned towards the three girls in the hallway. They had followed but taking a polite distance. 

His nod was what let Natasha and Yelena trickle into the room as well. Only she remained, examining the blonde closely. It hadn’t been his good manners that prompted Steve to yield, to let them enter first, it was the hesitancy to step into the room that glued him to his spot. One hand resting on the frame of the door, it seemed to have a mind of its own clutching the wooden work.

She reached out to him, her fingers barely brushing the fabric of his sweater on his back, when his eyes snapped to her. Clouded in emotions, he looked startled for a split second before he hung his head, smiling defeated and bashfully.

“It’s just a room.”

“Just a room,” she agreed with a hum. 

Steve looked up at her in surprise. He hadn’t anticipated having her confirm his words, no less to have her sound so familiar with them. The hesitancy in him she’d recognize anywhere. It wasn’t hard to spy something she was so familiar with. Akin to what she had felt many times before. 

Steve’s hand slowly loosened, pulling away from the door frame. He turned towards the door, shoulders bracing, and taking a deep breath. In his moment of preparation, his search for readiness, his hand once again evolved a life on its own. 

Butterflies started to bloom in her stomach as Steve’s fingers brushed against hers. It was a faint touch, barely there and over as fast as it had happened. Those blue eyes of his glanced back at her, clear-headed once more.

“Hey Steve, do you have a clue where exactly those clothes are supposed to be? So we got a place to start looking?” Sam’s voice carried out of the room.

"Yeah, punk." We’ll be occupied for the rest of the week if not.” Bucky complained shortly after. It was no surprise he did, she understood as she followed Steve - at last - into the room. 

[fagcrisis]

sorry what do you mean your mother's coup. elaborate

this ended up being long as hell so readmore time

so i live in this old fucking apartament building right, turns 120 soon, hasnt really been renovated in 50 years. and our apartament has the attic built in, which wasnt a feature originally and the previous tenant did it himself, badly, meaning weve had a hole in our roof for about 5ish years now that we just have not been able to fix. last november we had a pretty big storm that fucked the hole up even worse and our previous solution of just "put a bucket under it and leave the room" has stopped working because too much water was getting in and my sister had to start sleeping in a different room so safe to say, shit state of affairs

my mum got a contractor to come take a look at it and the dude concluded that its dangerous to be left unfixed and hes gonna have to climb in between the attic walls and the roof bc due to the hole theres a shitton of mold that needs to be cleaned out. overall this wouldve cost us 600k forint thats more than my mum makes in 2 months and i had 9-5 at that point but my shit salary was not gonna fix this. so my mum had a breakdown and decided that well sell the apartament and try moving, which sucks bc when we got this place it was still cheap but since then the housing market has gone to shit and we wouldve had to live in a rental we probably wouldnt have been able to afford. but my mum still called an agent to check the house out, and he told us that theres no way were selling it, because of the big fucking hole, the messed up pipes and bc the building isnt insulated (legally cant be bc its a historical monument lmao. europe)

HOWEVER he also said. since this is an apartament building with 12 flats we have a house representative and we pay *google translate help me* common cost every month, to cover repairs on the house, that we shouldnt have to pay for the repairs, the house should. cause. its the whole houses roof not just our apartaments.

my mum went to the house rep (józsi) to ask about this, and he told her that this isnt true and that he wont pay for the repairs. which made my mum mad and she went and found a lawyer who said the house does have to pay for repairs. but józsi was still like i will not.

so my mum talked to all 12 of our neighbouring flats individually and found out that literally everybody has grievances with this dude. there has been an ENTIRE TREE growing on the roof for years now that we havent been able to get cleaned out, the staircase is borderline life threatening to use, we could technically get authorization for insulating the house but the rep needs to apply and józsi hasnt, one of the gates to the yard is like not working, etc

they ended up calling the first house meeting in years (were supposed to have those every month lol) where they ended up voting to have a new rep, and also to fix our roof. which got fixed by the way, and the mold was also cleaned out

BUT the story doesnt end here bc they still need to vote a new rep in. and my mum found this company who represents apartament buildings professionally and sure itd cost us some money but we pay the common cost anyway, and they have contractors they work with so itd be soooo easy to fix shit in the house. but for some reason some people decided they want this dude instead, who owns one of the flats in the building but does not live here, his insane mother does who hates me. and he DOESNT LIVE HERE the entire problem with józsi was, that he was like not helpful in any way and now they want a guy who doesnt even live here??

ANYWAY TODAY THE PLOT FUCKING THICKENED. because. my mum started looking over the houses finances with 2 of our neighbours one of whom is i think a lesbian but im not sure anyways they found out that józsi has been STEALING MONEY. FROM THE COMMON COST. WHICH IS WHY FUCKALL GOT FIXED IN THE HOUSE!!!!

anyway the coup is still ongoing but i hope u enjoyed my mums tale of intrigue. shes having so much fun w this shes having secret meetings with people to talk about this all day

[oblivionbladetd]

Okay, so the last anon made me realize something. Lily seems to ONLY have an extremely negative and violent response to media made by women and queer people. Rebecca Sugar, Dana Terrace, ND Stevenson, Ryoko Kui, Christie Golden, I can go on and on. Meanwhile, she has nothing but compliments and praise for Yahtzee Croshaw, Chuck Lorre, Seth Macfarlane, and HBomberGuy (I know HBomb is bisexual but still). All of these are the white, cisgender men that she claims to hate seeing in cartoons. I wouldn’t be noticing this if her world view was more expanded and she wasn't so vicious with her critiques of the people she claims are nazis and terfs and bad writers (specifically, women and queer people).

Do I think Lily is sexist and homophobic? No.

Would I blame anybody for coming to that conclusion based on her work?

In all seriousness, though. I feel this isn't exactly what it looks like, but shit if it ain't there. More below the cut.

To do Lily a service she'd never afford to anyone else, I will very slightly defend her. I very much do not think she is not sexist or homophobic. She plagiarizes.

Now, what do I mean by that? She very much supplements her own views with fandom. In this, she tends to just slurp up hatedom opinions and validate them if they run parallel to her own views. To everyone's detriment, we live in a world where being gay and/or a woman is a contentious thing. From there, shitheads don't need a greater reason, but that won't stop them from inventing more. Lily, despite being a critic, isn't much for critical thinking (if how often she contradicts herself on things big and small speaks anything about it) and in this tends to not think too hard as she parrots. The diamonds as Nazi parallel fall apart as soon as you think about gems as inhuman. Nazi Germany was a product of World War 1, leaving them so poor that when Hitler piped up with any sort of solution, Germans that would wallpaper their houses with their worthless money followed. Gems are purpose made, and none of them that formed correctly feared the diamonds as much as had no real reason to oppose them. That's why talking them down was so easy for Steven. He's injecting humanity into the inhumane.

So it's not that Lily is hard on women and LGBTQA+ creators as much as other less than great people very much are, and she's more than happy to parrot it wholesale.

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[steelindustryman]

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[udhhyog2]

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[daveyfvckingjacobs]

[materialising physically in your home already sat cross-legged on the floor] say more about the mechanics au please

ok ok ok so

I’m thinking something like it’s a garage owned either by weasel or oscar and morris’ father that they all work at (to varying levels of willingness) and were raised around

they tend to get left to their own devices in the workshop on jobs, after long enough doing admin/paperwork for at least someone to realise morris isn’t good at it, oscar hates it and otto used to charge way too much just for fun until he got in trouble with the police for someone to realise it’s best they don’t do that anymore

morris is sort of neutral about the work. he finds the noises of the types of cars they get in often overwhelming, and a lot of the messy jobs (changing oil, greasing, even the gritty hand wash) quite a lot sensory wise. he knows them all inside out though, and could list off part numbers for any number of makes and years off the top of his head far better than the others. usually he’ll be found on a stool somewhere cleaning out parts with spirit or doing the mot checks and cleanings instead of big repair jobs. the easy, repetitive tasks where he can use his hands without gloves that oscar sets him too. he’s much better at identifying problems than oscar or otto, more attuned to the small noises/signs oscar misses and otto doesn’t have the patience to look for

oscar is pretty much the complete opposite of his brother; he loves working in the garage. he loves the physical nature of it, lugging around wheels and tools, all the bolts and screws and dirt. he’s very careless and thus covered in nicks and scrapes and burns from fiddling in too hot engine bays or refusing to lie on the foam mats. most of the time he’s the one underneath the cars, reckless with jacks and axle stands to the point it makes morris nervous. he’s similar to morris in that all of his tools wherever he’s working will be laid out all in arms reach, neat but filthy as he usually takes on big repair jobs and the messier servicing work morris avoids. he’s gets frustrated easily but doesn’t mind, because if he kicks a wheel of hits a spark plug with a spanner they won’t kick or hit back, so it’s a good form of anger relief

otto is equally reckless and also - said with such affection - an idiot when it comes to the work, but a smart idiot. he deals with customers most when they’re working because oscar can’t kept a civil tongue (‘it’s smoking cause the water pipe is just loose it’s literally just fucking steam I swear to fuck-‘). he’s a master at ‘fuck around and see what happens’, offering the most bizarre solutions to issues (specific tools made of cut up other tools, zip ties everywhere or just shake it till it works sort of thing) and more accident prone that oscar, and ten times more messy.

he loves fixing and servicing his own car thats technically all three of theirs because they can’t afford one each - a 1970 dodge challenger because it wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t a classic. it’s scrappy thing, full of haphazard fixes and additions that are totally not road worthy or legal but he does them anyway. oscar works on it too but only when something is broken, while otto takes it apart just for fun and morris is happy to watch him and give ideas

I have a lot of ideas for smaller scenarios based on my experiences I can add but this is v long so I’ll do that later :]

bonus: the image of oscar in a tank top and gloves with overalls tied around his waist covered in oil and dirt and a little bit of sweat. yeah