#halo tv series fanfiction

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: HALO: A MasterChief Collection: Unto Dawn {7}***

Master Chief Pablo x Sergeant Reader

Warning: Plot, NSFW, 18 + Content, SMUT, Small Bit of Angst

Words: 5.8k

Summary: You are part of the mighty SPARTANS as sergeant and a pretty badass addition to the team at that. With the first truth already revealed, more are revealed and when dawn comes everything will be different.

Note: Guess who needs more fics? Master Chief!!! I’ve decided to make a Master Chief collection of standalone one-shots. They all can be read separately to understand but can also be read in sequence. I will put a number on them so anyone who is interested in reading in sequence can, but again not necessary. This might be an acquired taste, but it’s Pablo as Master Chief forever and always around these parts.  Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

Note II: Halo OGs will get the title reference. Hehehe!

 If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!!

 ***NOT Edited/Proofread***

Previous: On Your Six | Feel Something | A Night Off | Apex Predators | Truth Be Told | Confess |

~~~~~~~~~

-Y/N-

 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

 That was the sound of your booted foot rapidly bouncing up and down on the floor of your domicile as you sat on the couch with your eyes glued to your door. Everything was silent, albeit that sound—that repetitive sound.

 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

 The loudness of your foot bouncing against the floor should have made it impossible to hear any possible sound anywhere else—let’s say the hall leading to your door but it didn’t. The silence out there was deafening. The absolute silence and absence of his footsteps was deafening. You knew he wasn’t a stupid man. His intelligence was high as was his ability to perceive what someone meant next. It was a talent when it came to interrogations. A learned skill and enhanced ability. You knew he’d understood what you meant by “the rendezvous point had been compromised”. You knew he’d understood the dangers you’d both recklessly had put yourselves in. You also knew that he would have understood what your walking away meant. This was the only logical location.

 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

 Your foot sped up and with it so did your thoughts. You went over what he’d said. He’d taken out his pellet. This is what Miranda meant. She’d told him about your pellet. Now you wanted to know which action came first. Did he learn about your pellet being removed and then decided to take his out too or the other way around? You didn’t know which possibility you wanted to be true. Did it matter? The facts were what were important. John had removed his pellet. He was pellet-free. Everything you’d experienced within the first few hours he was now experiencing.

 The first seventy-two hours were the worst for you. While it was a wonderous time where everything felt new and unique, you also went through sensory overload with everything. Every scent was too strong, the sun’s glare too fierce, the breeze, or rain or even snow too harsh, and every new emotion that wasn’t all that new felt nauseating. You remembered being so anxious and jumpy but also so distracted and hyper focused on the slightest thing. It made missions a nightmare. Was he going through the same?

 You stood then released a harsh puff of air, venting some of your frustration. Why wasn’t he here yet, you wondered? Where did he go? Was he going to come? Did you really want him to come? With that question you dropped back onto the couch. A realization hit you, he didn’t have anything in him suppressing his emotions or urges. 

The sensation of attraction hit you hard the first time. Thinking back, you remembered just how it was for you and your belly fluttered. You hadn’t known what was going on or why the smell of John’s sweat made your heart quicken, or why the sight of John showering made your mouth water and hands shake. You’d seen him shower hundreds of times, seen the soapy-water mixture cascade down his body so many times it had become normal. You remembered how the sight of what was between his legs made something in you tingle and moisten. You didn’t understand it then, but now—months later you were wiser—slightly. What if him coming here makes that happen to him?

 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

 Your foot banged louder, and your thoughts spiraled, and you recalled your one and only night together. You’d wracked your brain trying to come up with an explanation as to how it happened. Your attraction had gotten to a boiling point but what of him? Was he lying and had the pellet out then? Or had Halsey’s failproof tech done just that and failed? You wanted to track Miranda down and get some answers right now. Bolting up once again, you prepared to leave then the door tone rang out making you stop in your tracks. After several moments, you practically tiptoed to the door and turned on the surveillance screen beside it. There he stood all near seven feet of him.

 After taking a few deep breathes, you pressed the button and watched the door slide open. As he looked up, you noted how clear the hazel in his eyes had become. He looked like he really was seeing differently. His eyes also asked the question his lips did not. You stepped to the side and allowed him access. As he walked inside you watched him closely as if he were this unpredictable force that could and would go berserk at any moment. However, he did not go berserk, or do anything out of the ordinary.

 You rolled your eyes because none of this was ordinary. This was probably the second time in forever that he’d been inside your domicile. This was the definition of abnormal but somehow it felt as if he should be here. He should be in your domicile, should be sitting across the table from you at mealtime, or sitting on your couch tinkering with a gun or plasma grenade, or in your bed. By the time your eyes came into focus you’d realized you’d dazed off and he was now standing next to that table looking at you with such an innocent and vulnerable look on his face that you couldn’t help but take a step to him.

 It was a step you retracted almost immediately.

 “Why here?”

 “Miranda and I have fortified it. When I realized I could trust and confide in her when I took out my—pellet She helped me find Halsey’s eyes and ears, get rid of them and fortify so no others could be planted. It’s safe here.”

 It was he who took the next steps to you, but he didn’t approach too closely. He stopped several feet from you, but it was still too close. You side stepped and walked over to your couch and sat down.

 “How did you—why did you--.”

 His starts and stops were adorable. He didn’t know where to begin. You understood, this was a lot to take in and adjust to.

 “Sit,” you urged.

 The look of caution John gave you almost made you snort. He was acting like you were the threat. Slowly you watched his bow-legged walk to the minimalistic chair that was adjacent to the couch you were sitting on. When he sat, there was no ease or comfort to it. His back was straight, legs spread widely apart, hands resting atop his thigh and eyes on you—waiting. On the surface, he looked calm, cool and collected but you knew better. You knew underneath that icy and stoic exterior he was losing his mind with the urge to rapid fire every question that came to mind. You could tell he was seconds from bouncing off the walls.

 “How did you take it out?”

 “Dug it out.”

 “How did you know it was there?”

 You took a deep breath, “Remember the mission to Aleria?”

 “The dust planet.”

 You nodded.

 “You fell off the cliff,” he added.

 “I did and landed in the pit of those sharp rocks.”

 “You said you were fine.”

 “I was or thought I was. It wasn’t until I got back to base and was cleaning up did I notice the massive bruise on my back. Usually bruises fade within a day or two but it was almost a week and it didn’t look to be getting any better. In those days I noticed small changes. Things seemed a little different but I didn’t know how or why. When I looked at the area I felt it and it felt like there was something lodged there. I ended up taking a knife to it and the pellet came out.”

 He looked to be taking that piece of the puzzle well. There were no outward signs of a mental breakdown.

 “Is that when you went to Miranda?”

 “No that was about a month after. I just tried to keep everything normal. I had to. After it was out, I started to feel things, emotions like anger, rage, happiness, I laughed, things were funny. Colors were brighter, smells better, the armor felt different, it was a lot to take in. There were so many days I couldn’t handle it. So many missions I nearly spazzed out on because the training was not enough to keep the self-doubt, the thoughts, and the urge to rebel against an order wondering if it was the right thing. My objectivity was gone.”

 “I thought you were different. I noticed but then you’d go back to normal when I watched. I thought it was nothing.”

 “It was control. It was me working doubly hard to appear normal.” You sighed remembering those weeks and months. “It was so much work—so hard especially with Halsey’s eyes and checks and exams. There must have been tens of times I thought she’d discovered me but every time she let me go, I knew I was safe, but I could never relax from fear of it being a tactic of hers to catch me.”

 It was then his shoulders began to slouch.

 “You should have come to me.”

 “And say what? Halsey has a pellet in your back that makes you numb? Would you have believed me?”

 He studied you for a few moments before he looked away. You knew that he knew he wouldn’t have believed you.

 “I believe you now.”

 Hearing the words, you felt some strange relief. You weren’t alone with this anymore. Yeah, you had Miranda, but she didn’t know what this felt like. She’d gone her entire life with emotions and feelings. Things that were second nature and a duh for her were not for you. It took practice, note taking--meticulousness. Now you had someone going through the same exact thing as you. You sighed.

 “So it was out when we sparred in the ring and the mission where you disobeyed me and took initiative. And that night.”

 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

 Your foot picked up right where it had left off before he’d arrived. Fighting the urge to bolt up and pace the room, you dug your nails into your outer thigh and gritted with the subtle pain. You didn’t know if he sensed your agitation, but he unexpectedly changed the direction of the conversation.

 “Miranda says the artifact must have damaged mine when it sent out an electromagnetic pulse. It was malfunctioned when she took it out.

 “Ho—how do you feel?”

 He tilted his head to the side a little bit then straightened it and did the same on the left side. It was like a robot doing a systems check.

 “I feel.”

 His eyes met yours. “Have you always looked this way?”

 “What way?”

 Again, he took a beat then replied. “Pleasing to the eye.”

 Your jaw dropped. Master chief Petty Officer John-117 just called you attractive. You could have passed out. Never did you think you’d see this day. Did he even know what attractive was?

 “My looks have always been the same.”

 In such swift movements, John stood closed the space between you and sat on the table before you that you had a few books scattered on. “Your eyes this color?”

 His face peered closer into your orbs. You nodded.

 “Your skin—this--.” He cupped your jaw sliding his thumb across your cheekbone then to your jaw. “This—soft.”

 Your vocal cords wouldn’t work, you knew that already, so you didn’t bother answering. You nodded again. John’s thumb fell to your lips where he traced them taking in every detail with the thick pad of his digit like his skin held memories and your lips was what he wanted to remember the most.

 “Your lips—so---.”

 His eyes were glued to your mouth and the intensity in them made the hand you were currently using to dig your nails into your thigh tremble. He didn’t continue though, instead, he clenched his jaw and gulped. His Adams Apple bobbed making his heart quicken. This was nothing like using your heightened senses in combat or on a mission. This was different.

 You naturally picked up all these little details but now they meant entirely different things. Before increased heartrate could mean someone was lying or trying to hide something. Now, it could mean the man across from you was struggling with adjusting or feeling arousal. Then, the twitch of a jaw could mean anger, now it could mean a struggle with control—a fight to hold on to it and not act impulsively—recklessly—rakishly. A slight dilation in the eye used to mean he’d picked up a detail or movement, now it could mean he saw something appealing, something he liked—wanted.

 His voice brought you out of your chaotic thoughts; “Your mouth--,” he began as he pushed the tip of his thumb into your mouth. It wasn’t a difficult task for him. Your lips parted with ease and welcomed him.

 “Fuck!” It was a guttural, and harshly whispered word that sent a shiver through you.

 “So—hot—smooth--.”

 His face came closer and everything in you wanted to feel his lips on yours, but the small voice in your head whispered of caution, of danger, of nearing doom. John’s left hand that was clasping the back of your head moved down to your neck then slowly trailed lower to your collarbone. As his thumb in your mouth explored the buds of your tongue and the variety of sharp and dull teeth, his other fingers swirled around your collar and décolletage, leaving a trail of icy fire. His touch burned—scorched even, but chilled and stunned all at the same time and you wanted more—needed more.

 “Y/N,” John whispered his forehead now pressed against yours. He was sweltering.

 The subtle mint and juniper berry scent caressed you, awakening something in you that wanted to know if his lips tasted like that mint and juniper. From memory, you knew they would. You knew he would taste sweet, and fresh and his kiss would leave trails of ice along your skin. That knowledge only made your insides burn more fervently. His scent would forever be engraved in you, forever be one you would crave.

 Without thinking, you placed your hand on his bulky thigh and instantly gripped it when you registered the hefty muscles there. A small groan strangled in your throat, but you knew he still heard it. His eyes snapped open and peered into yours. You felt like the glare from them were as intense as the rays from the sun itself.

 “You smell--,” he inhaled deeply then moaned. “Sweet like fruit, earthy like water, fragrant like flowers. You smell—like need.”

 Master Chief was a sweet talker without even trying to be. You knew this was all innocent on his part. He was just working through his newfound world and what it meant to him and his senses. There was nothing sensual within his words, no yearning, or desire. That was all coming from you, and you had to get a grip. Steeling your nerves, the best you could, you swallowed—albeit a little too loudly, then spoke.

 “D—do—do you have—question—s?”

 Looking in his eyes, you saw innocence but there was something else. The moment you smelled him, you almost ripped his clothes off. You smelled desire. Was it yours or his, though?

 “Do I smell the same as you do—to you?”

 You shook your head.

 “What do I smell like?”

 “Mint, juniper berries, gun metal, citrus pods--,” you paused and inhaled. There was always something else that you couldn’t ever decipher. In the last few weeks, you’d come up with something but none of it was plausible. It sounded stupid. “And the stars and the night air after a cool breeze rips through leaving nothing but silence--stillness.”

 Chancing it, you opened your eyes and found his on yours. In seconds, John’s lips crashed to yours and took control of a searing kiss. Weeks ago, his kiss was forceful, demanding and sloppy, tonight it was the same but oh so urgent and eager. When you looked back at that first night with him, you’d wondered how he kissed like that. Tonight, you understood. Instinct. You quickly got lost in his kiss, lost in his taste, lost in the way his hand felt at the tail of your back where the evidence of the missing device laid. The fragments of his words from the day you’d had your exams with Halsey echoed in your head.

 “Anything else you are thinking, anything besides that, stop. None of it means anything, it never has.”

 You quickly tore your lips from his, bolted upright to your feet ramming your nose into his in a jumbled move to scurry from him and across the room. John’s loud hiss filled the room. You kept your back to him and stared at the wall, trying to fight through the pain in your own nose and keep the seams of your control together. They were quickly fraying, threatening complete exposure.

 “Y/N?”

 The confusion in his voice stabbed at your chest. Did he even know what he was doing?

 “You said—I don’t—this isn’t a good idea.”

 “Why? We have done this before.”

 “And you reprimanded me for it and ignored me for weeks after. You even went as far as to tell me that you are my superior and I am your subordinate,” you began.

 “That I have your back in the field and you have mine. We get in and get the job done. Anything else you are thinking, anything besides that, stop. None of it means anything, it never has. None of it will ever happen again. Keep your head in the fight, there is a lot at stake,” John filled in with his perfect memory.

 “Exactly,” you whispered ignoring how the words that were spoken with such conviction and certainty weeks ago were now said softly, with plenty of uncertainty and regret. Did he regret them?

 “I didn’t know what to say, or how to reconcile things,” he attempted beginning to pace your floor. “I had the memories of that night, but I did not understand them, did not understand how or why. My head was not my own. Miranda thinks there were moments of clarity from the pellet and moments where it worked. I think—that night…with you was—clarity.”

 You watched him pace. This was not the John you knew who was always in control. He was struggling. Could his words really have been because of the pellet and his actions that night real? He continued to pace but you remained where you were contemplating what you should do.

 Was it a good idea to go to him? Was it a good idea to just let him deal with his first bout of regret? It wasn’t just regret though. He was confused and struggling to understand it all. Sighing, you walked to him and placed a gentle hand on his burly shoulder. Immediately, John stopped moving and turned to you with tortured eyes. This was hard enough, you thought. You didn’t want to make it harder or make him go through it alone like you had. A full minute passed before he was fully turned to you and stepping closer. When he didn’t stop, you backed away. He followed.

 “Why—why did you—that night?”

 His broken question was something you hadn’t expected. You knew what he was asking. Your back pressed against the wall—nowhere else to go. Resigning to your fate, you spoke.

 “I—I wanted you. I desired you. I wanted to touch you, to—have you.”

 John’s eyes sparked to life, and he closed the last remaining bit of space between you. You could feel his hardness pressing into your abdomen. He too wanted. John looked down between your bodies.

 “This is the third time tonight this has happened to me. The first standing just outside your door as I heard you moaning my name over and over saying you want me inside of you.”

 Your belly fell. He’d heard you.

 “The second at the tower and right now. This has happened so many times since that night with you. As I tried to sleep, took a shower, saw you sparring with Kai or Riz, you in your skivs while changing, and almost every waking moment in between. It was torture—the heat, the ache, the erraticness. I didn’t understand why or what was happening, but I understand now.”

 His face was so close, all you had to do was tip your tongue out and you would taste his lips. You didn’t, though. You wanted to hear his deduction. Everyone spoke highly of master chief’s tactical intelligence, raved about it really. Halsey even gloated about his overall intelligence claiming she’s made the perfect specimen both in physicality and mentality. You didn’t doubt his intelligence, not one bit. You knew John was smart and deserved the constant praise, however, you  wondered how much of it was enhancements and pellet and how much was the man himself.

 “What do you understand, John?”

 When you said his name, another spark behind his irises caught your attention. His hips lunged into you sending his erection into your abdomen again. This time you couldn’t help but moan.

 “You affect me. You always have, from the very beginning. You make me want.” His voice was raspy but certain.

 “Want what?”

 John’s eyes held you where you were.

 “You. So much of you so much from you. I—Y/N—I--.”

 Deciding to say fuck it all you crashed your lips to his and took control. Although you both had no experience you at least had an inkling more than him. His instant reaction to your lips on his was what made you wrap your arms around his neck. He kissed you back without hesitation and without any control. There was no sense in how his lips moved against yours, no organization, just plain need.

 John’s hands that were plastered on the wall, caging you in, were now on your hips, squeezing you. it almost hurt—almost. Moaning on his mouth, you brought your hands to his head and held his head in place. Abandoning your hips, John lifted you with such ease your desire flooded your panties because of it. You wanted him badly and you doubted you cared if it were here against the wall or on the floor or the across the table. It didn’t matter.

 As if hearing your thoughts, John pressed your back to the wall, grinding his hardness into you. Before you could pull from him, his mouth broke the kiss and exclaimed out in a mixture of bass and squeak. His eyes were on yours, studying you, looking for something.

 “What John?”

 “You want this?”

 This could have meant his cock or this moment, whatever he meant you nodded—vigorously and felt no shame. His hips surged forward again and both of you exclaimed this time.

 “Do you?”

 John’s eyes dropped to your lips, and it was him who kissed you this time. It was soft, slow, searching and then he slipped his tongue into your mouth, and it was like he became an entirely different man than the one who was lost and innocent minutes ago. His groan echoed in your domicile, and it was more animal than man. He released you then spun you around pushing you into the wall as soon as your feet touched the floor. From there John kissed your neck, then brought his mouth to your ear where he licked the shell then nibbled on it. All the while he ground his hips sending his length on your ass.

 “Uuugh, Y/N.”

 You weren’t used to him sounding so vulnerable, so needy. Hearing him like this snapped something inside of you like a rubber band. You reached behind you and cupped his manhood. Again, John groaned. As you felt him through his pants it felt as if he hardened even more.

 “Pl—pl--,” he stuttered.

 You continued your ministrations adding a little more pressure. His one hand on the wall balled into a fist that pounded onto the wall creating a noticeable dent.

 “Pl—please.”

 A devilish smile teased your lips but when you felt his other hand squeeze your hip you knew the time for teasing or dominance games was gone. You quickly began undoing his pants, desperately needing to feel the heat from his skin. Within seconds, you’d managed to free him. The blazing rod that laid across the swell of your ass felt as if it were branding you, melting your skin, claiming you as his. You peeped back and found John’s eyes glued to where his appendage touched you.

 “Beautiful.”

 “I need—need--.”

 You knew what he needed; it was the same as what you needed. With the same haste, you undid your leather like pants and urgently pushed them off your hips. The motion of you shimmying your hips from side to side while trying to get your pants low enough, bobbed his heavy cock on your ass and every move made him swear and squeeze your hip harder. Pressing your cheek to the wall, you moaned.

 “Do you remember what to do?”

 “I know what to do.”

 You bent forward a little as he adjusted his stance behind you, lining himself up correctly. You waited and waited and though it felt like an eternity, it really was mere seconds before you felt master chief petty officer John 117 thrust into you with such force that sent your cheek pressing further into the wall while making your neck bend backward. Both of you shouted out in unison. He filled you so perfectly, so completely. Part of you hummed with a feeling of finally—complete resonance; while the other part said you couldn’t take anymore and raged. John must have sensed the need for balance and remained perfectly still though the hand on the wall said he wanted to do the opposite.

 “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

 Slowly, your body adjusted to the size and feel of him, slowly it accepted him. It marveled you that your body hadn’t reacted this way to him before. Whenever you thought about that first night, your body was greedy. Tonight, it was cautious. What was different? You glanced the way his hand trembled and knew he what to do. Moving your ass in a small circle you sent his cock rotating inside of you and John’s fist flattening on the wall. You did it again and his other hand joined the wall, bracing it or himself.

 Again, you looked to him, but his head was hanging backward, eyes pinched closed, neck tight and threaded with veins. He didn’t look like he was breathing. The more you circled on him the more he swelled within you, but your body didn’t scream in rejection, no your body aided his girth rewarding your efforts with wetness. A whine escaped your throat, and you knew it was a sound you’d made for the first time. John knew it too. His hands left the wall and gripped your hips and just like that whatever little control he was desperately gripping to vanished.

 John slowly retreated from your body and your greedy core protested and tried to suck him back in but failed. Every suction made John grunt and groan.

 “Fuck!”

 He didn’t retreat fully before he slammed right back into you.

 “Aah!”

 This time he retreated halfway then repeated the action. It garnered the same reaction, a half shouting moan. With each slow and steady withdrawal came a bruising and forceful snap forward of his hips that sent the most delicious and complex feeling of pleasure and pain through you and sounds you’d never made before from your throat. Soon, John sped his thrusts, but they were no longer steady. You could feel his body shaking, feel the sporadic spasms of his muscles and his cock as it lodged deeper and deeper into your body.

 He stuttered your name over and over then that stutter disappeared, turning into chaotic and gravely grunts of your name. Soon, he had your entire body pressed against the wall with you haphazardly on your tiptoes trying not to allow him to impale you and fuck you into oblivion no matter how much part of you wanted just that. The sounds in your domicile sounded animalistic, crass, and violent.

 From your combined moans, grunts and shouts, to your hands hitting the wall each time his cock collided with some secret place inside of you that sent goosebumps across your skin and your flesh rubbing and slapping together. If anyone heard it they would probably think foul play, but you didn’t care. They could have barged inside and became your audience for all you cared. Right now all you wanted was to feel this large man inside of you, filling you to capacity and making you scream in ways you’d never screamed before.

 John grunted loudly, punched the wall once, then twice, in sync with the thrust of his hips. On the third plunge, you saw stars and by the fourth, your knees gave out, toes numbed, and voice went soprano, but John was there holding you up with one strong arm to deliver one final thrust before you felt him spilling inside of you. His body convulsed against yours as he shuddered into your ear before hissing. Your panting turned to mewls and neither of you could move from where you were. John rested his chin on your shoulder and tried to catch his breath the same as you.

 “Was—Was that fast?”

 His question barely registered. This feeling was still something you hadn’t gotten used to and didn’t know how to process. It was different when you were alone and exploring your own body then with him. With him it was always close to—too much. You wondered if he felt that too.

 “Fast?”

 “The first time felt longer in my memory.”

 You snorted because he was right. Now comparing the two this was quicker.

 “It’s okay, John.”

 “I—I—I’m—sorry.”

 Those words made you angle your head back a little to see his face. His forehead glistened with sweat that now rolled down his temples and sides of his face. A chaotic look was in his eyes but you also so insecurity. Was he ashamed? Moving for the first time in long minutes your legs tingled when they touched the floor and you doubted they possesed the strength to be used but you fought through it. John allowed you to take more control of your body and rose to full height.

 The new space allowed you to pull from him. With another hiss, John slipped from between your folds and the feel of the emptiness made you frown. Turning to him the glistening part of him that had just been inside of you caught your eye and mesmerized you. His seed dripped from the still swollen and now aggressively red tip onto the floor and the angry veins throbbing just below his flesh made your breath hitch. He was still hard. Shaking your head, you met his eyes.

 “Wh—why are you sorry?”

 His eyes dropped from yours, but you cupped his chin making him look at you again.

 “At me John.”

 “Something in me tells me it shouldn’t be fast.”

 A small smile tickled your lips. He was adorable. You wrapped your arms around his neck pressing your body against his and his automatic response was to moan, sigh and wrap his arms around you right back. Your heart threatened to beat right out of your chest.

 “It’s okay. This is new. You need practice.”

 John’s eyes darkened and you knew he grasped your meaning.

 “Practice.”

 You nodded. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck and distracted you making you want to tip your tongue out to capture it. He smelled delicious and his lips tasted delicious. Why couldn’t that? It was an urge you couldn’t fight, so you didn’t. Leaning into him, you tipped your tongue out and licked up his neck to his earlobe, bit down then moaned. His cock immediately saluted you.

 “You didn’t become the master chief you are today without a little bit--,” you whispered, pausing to tip your tongue into the shallow part of his ear. Again, his cock begged for your attention. “Or a lot of practice,” you finished pressing more firmly against him. “Right?”

 Your eyes met and it was right this minute you saw the demon every foe did. Only the demon you saw was not evil or soulless. He was a daemon. He was just unbound, hungry and insatiable. Your belly did backflips thinking of the demon in battle joining you in your bed. You stepped back from him and walked around him with your pants still at your knees. John turned to watch you, his cock bobbing, begging, dripping. Tearing your eyes away from the captivating appendage, you bent and undid your boots before kicking them to opposite sides of the room. Next, you peeled your pants and underwear down the rest of the length of your legs and kicked those to the side too.

 John looked from your toes up your legs, eyes resting right at the apex of your thighs, the place he had just been and from the looks of his cock desperately wanted to return to. You allowed him however long he needed to satiate his gaze. When his eyes met yours again, a new feeling of insecurity washed over you. Rolling your shoulders back you shook it off.

 “What do you say master chief? Forward unto dawn?”

 His nose flared, jaw clenched, and mouth quirked to the side in a lopsided smirk that made you quiver. In seconds, he’d crossed to you ignoring his own pants circling his ankles and hoisted you into the air and against him. You wrapped your legs around him and moaned at the feel of his thickness nudging against your sore but wanting core.

 “Forward unto dawn,” he repeated just before his lips claimed yours.

 John kissed you passionately and walked without eyes as if he’d walked these halls before, as if he belonged here. Your moans melded together and with each passing second your bodies communicated—begging the other for something neither of your mouths could voice from lack of knowledge. When you felt the softness of your bed under your back, you began to wonder how you’d gotten here, but when he kissed you again and you felt his cock spasm against your slit you moaned and wondered how it had taken you this long to get here.

 “Y/N,” John moaned.

 From now on you knew this was the only way you wanted him to ever say your name—upon a moan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***If you want to be tagged/untagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

@omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @caramara3 @violinchick @laurenstacy610 @pinheadbanger @morganas-pendragons @shar74nett @lialacleaf @laurenstacy610 @marvel-at-my-obsession @casually-dancing-fairy @beyourownkindofbeautiful @momobaby227 @chaneajoyyy @piscesgyalinit @amaraohara​ @117s-girl @xxdeankratosgirlxx​ @weirdodreamergirl​ 

#halo a masterchief collection #master chief #master chief fanfiction #master chief x reader #master chief x you #master chief x black reader #black fanfiction #halo fanfiction #halo tv series fanfiction #angst fanfic #slow burn fanfic #unto dawn one shot #sunshine x grumpy #pablo schreiber fanfiction

[helix-studios117]

Halo: A Beginner's Guide

For all of you newcomers out there, here's a list that I've wanted to do for a while now. For those who are new to Halo, likely introduced by the TV Show, and want to get into it, here's my 2 cents on how to ease into the franchise.

The Games

Play the original four games PLUS Halo Infinite in chronological order. The spin-off games (Reach, ODST, the Wars games and the Spartan games) are all completely optional, but they are there for people who want play other games that aren't centered around the Master Chief. I recommend just watching all of the cutscenes of Halo 5: Guardians in some supercut "movie" Youtube video, since the 5th game is... bad and, story wise, you're not missing much.

So in this order WITHOUT the spin-offs:

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo 2

Halo 3

Halo 4

Halo Infinite

If you want to play the games WITH the spin-offs included, then in this order:

Halo Wars

Halo Reach

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo 2

Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3

Halo: Spartan Assault

Halo: Spartan Strike (Note: This game takes place in two different time-periods, so just play this after Spartan Assault for convenience sake)

Halo 4

Halo Wars 2

Halo Infinite

My advice: Play the main four (+ Infinite) FIRST, then replay the main-games WITH the spin-offs in chronological-order.

Books & Comics

Here comes my favorite part!

Books

Halo: The Fall Of Reach, Halo: First Strike & Halo: Contact Harvest - The FIRST books in the entire franchise, these books set the stage for the entire setting of the Halo world. The first half of The Fall Of Reach is Master Chief's origin story, while the second half is about, well, "the fall of Reach." First Strike is a book that takes place in-between the first and second game AND, for a high-octane action-book, has a shocking amount of shipping material. And finally, Contact Harvest details the early years of the Human-Covenant War AND further fleshes out the Covenant as an antagonistic force by showing their side of things.

Halo: Silent Storm & Halo: Oblivion - For those who want MOAR Master Chief, these two books focus on a younger Chief fighting the Covenant in the earlier uears of the war. These two are probably my favorite Halo books thus far.

Halo: Ghosts Of Onyx & The Kilo-5 Trilogy - It's crucial to read Ghosts Of Onyx first BEFORE delving into Glasslands, the first book in The K5-Trilogy, since Glasslands takes place IMMEDIATELY after Ghosts Of Onyx. Anyways, these stories are for those who are bored of Master Chief and want to read about other, admittedly more fascinating Spartans. Kurt and Naomi are definitely among my favorite Spartans that aren't named "Master Chief," "Blue-Team" and "Silver-Team."

Halo Evolutions - An anthology book with each story taking place in some corner of the Halo universe or another, this is a book I recommend for world-building purposes.

Comics

Halo: The Graphic Novel - Just like Evolutions, Halo: The Graphic Novel is an anthology series thay tells different stories from different corners of the Halo universe for world-building purposes. These stories are all new stories and are NOT comic-adaptations of any of the stories in Evolutions, so don't worry about basically reading the same stories twice; The Graphic Novel has a similar concept, but all of the stories are different.

Halo: Blood Line - Black-Team is the coolest group of Spartans in the entire Spartan-II Program; they're group of misfit loners (who secretly have feelings for each other) who answer ONLY to ONI (the CIA of the Halo universe) and wear black suits of armor with roman-numerals etched onto their visors. They do cool-guy shit together, and this comic follows their story.

Other Material

Audio-Dramas

I Love Bees - Taking place in various different points in time, I Love Bees was an ARG that was turned into an audio-play long after it was deciphered. I won't spoil anything that happens, but I will say this: Shit gets kinda crazy.

Hunt The Truth - Another ARG. This fictional podcast was made to promote Halo 5: Guardians and... it's the best damn part to come out of that stinker of a game; Hunt The Truth's narrative is SO much more interesting than Halo 5's story, it HURTS. Anyways, it's about a reporter uncovering the truth of the Spartan-II Program as ONI starts a smear campaign against the Master Chief to cover their own asses.

Movies & Shows

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn - This web-film was promotional material for Halo 4 (as it's title suggests), and it follows a group teenaged military-school students going about their lives as Lasky, a confused cadet who is struggling to find a direction in life and live up to his family's reputation, grapples with the struggles of military-life in his academy.

Halo: The Series - If, by some off-chance, you WEREN'T introduced to Halo via the show, here's the recommendation. Form your own opinion, but here's my advice: Like what you want to like and don't follow the word of mouth.

Halo Legends - An anime anthology that, just like Evolutions and The Graphic Novel, world-builds the mythology of Halo by telling different, disconnected but ultimately in-continuity stories set within the game's universe. Odd One Out, Homecoming and The Package are my favorite shorts in the film.

Machinimas

Red Vs Blue - What else? Seasons 1 - 14 are my recommendations, don't watch anything else beyond that because it SERIOUSLY drops in quality. Just wait for it's final season, Season 20, to come out; you're not missing much with seasons 15 - 19.

The Spartan Legacy - A seriously underrated series. Made by a Youtuber under the name: 'Chronicler177,' The Spartan Legacy takes place in an alternate-continuity where Chief disappears and never comes back after the events of Halo 3. As a result, the Spartan-IVs and Vs (both of which are more interesting than in-canon; and the Spartan-Vs are a new creation within this web-show itself) are created to take his place.

WHEW! That's all, ladies and gents.

@authortobenamedlater, @silverpelt3600, @ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask, @makowrites, @mrtobenamedlater, @biomecharnotaurus, @killer-orca-cosplay, @cheezbot, @caffeineyum, @asimplesimpsimping.

#halo #halo the series #halo infinite #halo au #halo expanded universe #halo fanfic #halo fanfiction #halo series #halo tv #halo tv series #halo tv show #halo reach #halo 3 #master chief #john 117 #halo reloaded #helix studios117

[alienisticxo]

hello there!

my life is finally calming down and i am so excited to continue my writing journey here with all the Halo fanfic ideas i’ve started and have been kicking around!

logging in again and seeing all the love on my fics, Before the Fever especially, means so much to me.

as we all know, the Halo series has returned with season 2, and it’s looking pretty great so far! i can’t wait to gather more lore and ideas from it!!

aside of that, i’m still here, i still love Chief (and our girl Cortana), and i can’t wait to write again! Before the Fever is definitely far from finished and i’m so excited to get back to it— see you guys around and feel free to request fics if you’d like!

i’m so glad to be back 💚

#master chief #halo #halo tv series #halo tv show #halo the show #fanfiction #master chief x reader #fanfic #john 117 #alienisticxo #pablo schreiber #cortana #fanfics #halo fandom #halo fanfiction #halo the series #halo paramount #halo fanfic #halo tv #master chief fanfic #master chief fanfiction #halo season 2 #halo s2 #halo series

[eureka-its-zico]

A Body of Stars

Ongoing series

Synopsis: With a galaxy at war, it’s hard to distinguish the stars from the metal of UNSC ships. You were told about the war that waged between the UNSC and insurrectionists; your planet opposing them since you were born. Your enemy was meant to be the UNSC and the Spartans they created, specifically John-117 - the Master Chief. Except, all isn’t as black and white as you were raised to believe, and the galaxy holds secrets far darker than you could’ve imagined.

Pairing: John - 117 x F!Reader

Genre: enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, Halo TV series/Mass Effect mashup

Warnings: mentions of war, violence

Word count: 11.7k

A/N: Alright. As hyper fixations go, the Halo series (and let’s be real, Pablo is a menace) has my ass in a chokehold. That being said, season 2 was amazing and made me want to work on a small fic that blended the series and my love of BioWare’s Mass Effect. Mass Effect is my favorite sci-fi space game about galactic war, friendship, love, sacrifice. I could rant but I won’t. There will be mentions of certain ME things in here, like the reader having biotics, to go along with the lore of the halo series. So, without further ado: its back story time. I hope someone out there enjoys this and as always, thank you for reading 🖤 much love, Jenn

Year: 2521

•Shadow Sea cluster•

•Lera system•

Destination: Laconix

ETA: 13 hours

The Midsummer Night came out of slip space without a hitch.

Not that he’d been worried. It was one of the few things that Captain Jacob Keyes hadn’t worried about during this current mission. What, or rather who, currently worried him was standing less than ten yards from him and came in the form of his ex-wife. He risked a glance where Dr. Catherine Halsey was hunched over with her nose deep inside another holopad. 

Those holopads had been one of the many reasons why their marriage fell apart. 

There was no doubting the brilliance her work contributed to the scientific field or the war effort. All of her research was the stepping stone humanity needed in terms of augmentation and the human genome. The contributions Halsey and her Spartans made towards this never-ending battle against the covenant saved lives, but, and it was a big but, Jacob knew that Halsey’s methods were questionable, at best. Hell, he’d been a part of those questionable decisions, driving the helm, while she did what she deemed was necessary. 

Vital. 

So, Jacob Keyes knew without her ever having to say a word that something was off. The Midsummer Night and the Pegasus holding Halsey’s darling Spartain-III’s were meant to go for a routine extraction. Intel indicated one of the leaders in the insurrectionist rebel groups, Kahn Montrello, was located on a planet within the Lera system of the Shadow Sea cluster. It was a typical snatch-and-grab unless they were met with resistance. 

Halsey requesting to tag along was more than just a surprise. It was suspicious. Jacob knew Halsey didn’t do anything without purpose.

“Tell me again why you’ve insisted on inserting yourself into a routine mission dealing with insurrectionists?”

Halsey hadn’t even looked up from the damn holopad to acknowledge he’d walked over. 

“I’m just here to gather some data while the Silver Team is dispatched to help your marines on the ground.”

Jacob’s boots scuffed against the metal of the bridge as he moved closer to her. His eyes on Catherine’s back - willing her to turn, to acknowledge him - as her gaze held tightly to the readings she’d taken from a tablet from her lab. The data was transferred to the larger scale computer in the bridge’s main console. Halsey’s eyes roaming endlessly through data Jacob himself knew he’d never understand without her help. 

“Come on, Catherine. That may be the bullshit you fed Parangosky and the other admirals, but don’t feed me the same lies and expect it to go down smoothly.”

Halsey broke away for the briefest millisecond from whatever data she was reading. Her eyes skimmed over him before returning back to what was more important.

Research in the name of human exploration always was.

“It’s not bullshit. Data collected in the field is highly valuable for furthering my research; proof to Parangosky the Spartan research is worth her continued funding.”

“That’s a nice speech, Catherine, but I know that any collected data during the mission is recorded and sent back to your lab for analysis. So, when are you going to start telling me something honest?”

Honesty. 

Asking Halsey to be anything other than secretive was like asking a tiger to get rid of its stripes. Jacob knew even if she told him - really shared - it still wouldn’t be all of the actual information. Key pieces of information - the most valuable - would be forever stored within her; leverage for another day. 

Whatever it was she could see on those holopads had her sky blue eyes wide in excitement. Halsey wouldn’t be able to contain it - hide it - for much longer.  If the small rise at the corner of her mouth was any indication, all Jacob needed to do was push a little further. Find the right words to spark a rush of hypotheticals that might turn out to hold some truth. If she didn’t crack yet, it would take one more well-placed question and she would cave. 

“Jacob,” her voice was breathy, tinged with unrestrained joy. “I think I found something.”

“What are you talking about, Catherine? Found something?”

More cryptics. More hoops. 

A sigh heavy with years of fights - conflicts - departed his lips and Halsey rushed to recover some ground. Her body quickly took back the space he left to place her hand gently on his bicep. The grip was soft but demanding that he stay close; pleading with him not to pull away.

Halsey needed him. 

“A few weeks ago the UNSC sent over old documents from companies they’d disassembled. Conatix was one of them.”

It wasn’t hard to spot the confusion that deepened the lines in the crease of Jacob’s forehead and scrunched up his nose. His eyes roamed her face searching for a tell, but if Halsey had one she’d never show it. 

“Conatix was an old UNSC factory that produced our warships-“

“Yes, I know.”

“Why would you be interested in anything about warships?”

Halsey scanned the room to make sure no one was watching - no eyes lingering on the two of them - before she directed her attention back to him. The caution that darkened her eyes shifted with a spark Jacob knew all too well. 

Halsey had found something. Really found something. 

“Usually, nothing of value would be of interest in old documents and schematics for warships but, while scrolling through the files I stumbled upon an encrypted file.”

“UNSC documentation is always encrypted when it’s being shipped out to-“

“To be destroyed, yes I already know that, Jacob,” Halsey cut in. Her body directed back towards the holopad that she carefully picked up. Her fingers darted across the screen hunting for the files in question. “But this was different. It wasn’t schematics or calculations - it was redacted - sealed documents about an incident.”

No sooner had she started Halsey was finished. Her hand reached out to give him the holopad and waited patiently for him to take it. 

“Go ahead.”

Jacob looked around the ship's bridge to make sure no one was watching. He needed to be careful, not necessarily for Halsey’s sake, but for that of his crew. He should’ve known - did know - Halsey had a habit, a bad one, to go above the chain of command to get what she wanted. That leverage she saved for a rainy day coming in hot to throw around pawns and pieces as she saw fit to get her way. 

Cautiously, Jacob secured the holopad from her and started looking at the documents, or what little he could see. Almost with every swipe all he saw were broken links and documents with holes of information missing. Sentences that formed into two words with the rest gone or replaced by shapes and numbers. An elaborate break in the code. 

“I was able to decipher most of them. Get back what information they tried to hide-“

“Catherine,” he whispered her name in warning, not for himself, but for her. 

“Jacob - this wasn’t about warships or weapons or schematics. Something happened. A ship they’d used with element zero - eezo - had leaked out over a few colonies. A hole in one of the port engines that wasn’t caught in time.”

“Catherine,” Jacob pleaded again, “This isn’t news or anything that concerns you or me.”

Halsey wasn’t going to back down. He knew she wouldn’t. Not when the sheer joy of finding something undiscovered was close. The science behind furthering human evolution. The moment he realized what this was - what he held in his hands - Jacob knew his eyes were saucers. The sudden shock of realization stunning him to the spot. 

“Children, Jacob,” Halsey practically laughed. “The pregnant mothers who were infected by the particles gave birth to children with eezo ingrained into their nervous system. The abilities these files claim they saw…it’s like nothing I’ve ever read.”

In her excitement, Halsey reached out and took a hold of his arm. The startled warmth of her touch was enough to knock Jacob back out of his daze. His eyes skimming one more time over impossible things he saw in diagrams Halsey recreated. 

“Even if that was true, you don’t even know if any of them are still alive or where they are.”

With her lips curved up in victory, Halsey plucked the holopad from his hands. 

“Yes I do. We’re headed there now.”

————-

“You get caught staring up at the sky again and Caster is going to throw a fit.”

“When isn’t he throwing a fit?”

Your question wasn’t meant for an answer. The words barely made it above a whisper while you kept watch on the green hued light that streaked across the sky like a river. Calling it green felt like you were doing it a disservice. You knew it was more than that - the way it moved with purpose across the endless blue above. The different shades that reminded you of the grass on which you stood and dark as the forest that surrounded you. 

“Come on,” Thao called over his shoulder. Your name calling from his lips like it would be enough to coax you forward. “I want to get back to actually enjoy what little of my day I have left.”

“You can enjoy it now,” you reminded him. 

It took a few more seconds - another millisecond after that - for your eyes to turn back to the world around you. The snap of a branch somewhere off to your right informing you Thao had taken off without waiting for you to catch up. 

“Not when my friends are back at the colony having fun without me. And I’m out here looking for dumb ass yaks.”

A small tut of disapproval clicked at the roof of your mouth. Your stride easily brings you closer to the shorter eleven-year-old boy. It allowed you to gently ruffle his hair. Your efforts were greeted by a grunt of annoyance with his hand grabbing at your wrist to gently shove you away. 

“And just think, you would be there now, doing whatever it is you troublemakers do, if you and your friends hadn’t set a flare off inside Caster’s hut. And don’t disrespect the yaks.”

Thao’s eyes disappeared inside his head as your elbow gently nudged his shoulder. You must be making some kind of progress, because this time he made no move to push you away. 

“Old man deserved it. Always hoarding the chicken eggs.”

“He owns the chickens.”

“So?”

“So,” you drawled, “it means he owns the eggs. Owning the eggs also means he gets to distribute them however he sees fit.”

“How is that fair? You know he gave Lydia and her kids three eggs last week? Three eggs. What is a family of five supposed to do with that? It’s not right.”

You knew what Thao meant. You understood the feeling of anger that burned into sadness and ultimately to the ash of defeat. Kahn allowed those who proved useful in the fight against the UNSC to have a majority hold on most of the items in the colony. Those who allowed themselves to be shuffled around an unseeable chessboard like pawns. 

Willing to die, to give up everything, at his disposal. 

All in the name of fighting a government who grew more powerful everyday. The UNSC sharing their own videos of propaganda that showed thousands upon thousands of soldiers equally willing to die for a cause, and Spartans being the unmovable force needed to shift any battle back into the UNSC’s favor. It was this very reason Kahn looked for those desperate enough to join, to do anything he asked, to win. 

A devoted father agrees to be a walking bomb to blow up a UNSC building? His family is rewarded with food, wood, and blankets to help make it through the harsh winters. Attempting to infiltrate a building to release a virus, whether you were caught or not, Kahn took care of your family. It could be with livestock, guns for protection, or even the yaks whose pelts made the biggest profit at the markets. 

Every loss of life was just another reminder of the men and women who slowly disappeared from the colony. A senseless loss of life. You were still trying to figure out what it was for; what purpose you hadn’t been able to see, because for every life lost in the pursuit of justice against the USNC, their numbers only grew. The colony's numbers, however, weren't so lucky. 

“You could turn this war around.”

“I won’t kill for you, Kahn.”

You swiftly whipped your head to the side to rid yourself of the memory. Your eyes narrowing on the green rolling hills on the other side of the treeline. That was where you would find the yaks grazing. You gently patted Thao’ss shoulder - for whatever comfort it would give - before you moved forward to take point. 

“That’s because it isn’t fair, Thao.”

“See! Even you agree,” Thao huffed out your name. His small body broke into a jog to match your hurried step. “If anyone in the colony would be able to kick his ass, it would be you.”

Your feet were turning before you’d even realized it. Your body answered the piercing spike of adrenaline in your blood with your hands shooting out to grab his shoulders. The action made you crouch a couple inches until you were face-to-face with Thao. Your eyes scanned wildly across his features reading nothing but uncertainty. 

“Don’t ever say something like that out loud again, Thao. Do you understand me?”

“I was only saying-“

“I know what you're trying to say. The answer is no, and if Kahn or any of his dumbass lackies ever heard you even mention something like that we are both as good as dead.”

“But-“

“Tell me you understand!”

If anyone asked why you felt the sudden surge of panic ripple over your skin, you wouldn’t be able to say, or  place where it stemmed from. Technically, the both of you were out in the safety of the mountain fields and away from the prying eyes of Kahn’s dictatorship. Lost behind a sea of forest, the rolling fields of green, and poppies that puddled around you like blood. 

You’d seen what Kahn and his insurrectionists were capable of. Any whisper - false or not - and the person went missing. Kahn ruled the colony with the fear generated by the UNSC, but cultivated his own like the boogeyman. 

“Yeah I get it. Whatever.”

Thao shrugged out of your hold and turned away from you. His pre-teen feet stomped a path out of the tree line and out into the field. A sigh left you, worn and heavy, as you watched his retreat. 

I Should’ve been softer…

You let out a huff of air as a hand scrubbed over your face. It was supposed to be a simple ‘herd the yaks back to the colony’ type of day. Not grovel to one of the only people - kid or not - who wasn’t afraid of you. 

It was your turn to jog after his retreating form. Quickly, you noticed that he didn’t even look up to acknowledge your presence. He wasn’t sending jokes about being an old lady (you were twenty-four, thank you very much) whose brittle bones could snap under the strain of being a person. You would’ve taken being called an old lady than suffering through the silent treatment. 

Gently, you nudged his shoulder with your elbow. When he didn’t turn you tried again and again until, finally, you were rewarded with him turning an annoyed side-eye in your direction. You gave him your best apologetic smile and carefully looped your arm around his shoulders to bring him in close. 

“I’m sorry. Okay? I was kind of an asshole.”

“A major asshole.”

“Okay. I’ll accept that major part but only for today.”

“If there was an asshole award, you would’ve taken home the prize-“

“Okay, geez. I get it.”

You both settled into a comfortable pace with your arm still draped over his shoulders. Your mind raced back to the last time you’d been able to do this.  Thao had been younger - shorter - and with the rate he was growing, you soon might not be able to reach him. Soon, Thao might not care for your company. 

“You know, I am surprised you didn’t fracture an ankle running after me at your tender age.”

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” you grumbled in mock annoyance. 

You ended up having to shove him away just to try and hide the smile that threatened to lift the edges of your mouth. The sound of Thao’s laughter at your weak attempt at being mean - he 100% knew it took way too much to even make you raise your voice - made the crack of a smile begin to form. 

The yaks were about another ten or so feet ahead of you both. Their massive bodies moved in slow steps while they grazed along the long grass. You weren’t sure if it was their adorable long bangs that made it impossible for them to notice you right away (doubtful) or if they just didn’t consider either of you a threat (possible). Either way, they didn’t startle as the two of you closed the remaining distance. Didn’t jump up to try and kick or gore either of you with their horns when Thao produced the ropes from his satchel. 

It took a grand total of ten minutes, maybe less, to have all seven of the yaks securely held in makeshift collars from the rope. Their large bodies begrudgingly followed the two of you as you gently pulled the lead, forcing them to give up their meal of dewy grass and follow you back through the treeline. 

“You know,” Thao cautiously began, his eyes skimming between you and the trees. “This might be a lot faster if you just…ya know, float them up.”

“Float them up?”

“With your blue magic.”

This time you weren’t able to hide your smile as you shook your head. 

“It’s called biotics, Thao, not blue magic.”

“Blue magic sounds waaaay cooler than ‘biotics’. Who even came up with that lame name, anyway.” 

“You can thank the good folks at Conatix for that one.”

One of the yaks pulled back on its lead forcing you to give a slight tug back. You could understand if they were tired after eating, but you really didn’t have time in your schedule for yak naps. A huff of air came from the nostrils of the yak to drive home that it wasn't happy not having its nap. Or maybe it was the berry bush it was after, either way, napping and eating stops were prohibited. 

You weren’t aware the conversation had died until Thao’s voice interrupted the silence. 

“Is it true that you were born like that?”

His question was timid - afraid he would upset you. You were used to the questions; the stares. You remember sitting with your parents in a room, about Thao’s age, when Conatix came back around trying to clean up their mess. Said mess being spilling eezo from their ships across planets that later infected children. While some pregnant mothers had children like you, exposed to element zero in the womb creating a nervous system made of eezo, a majority were far less lucky. Children born riddled with tumors or horrific physical complications that left them in pain their entire lives. 

You were supposed to be a lucky one. 

One of the lucky ones they’d been trying to take back with them to their laboratories. A lucky one meant to be bought by a substantial fee that your parents quickly declined. It was the last choice they ever got to make for you before they mysteriously died in a tragic accident off-world. 

“Yes.”

You didn’t feel lucky and maybe it was the way the words crumbled out of your mouth. The way they sat suspended in the air in a swirl of regrets and dead wishes that Thao knew you didn’t want to talk anymore. Not about your past or anything that reminded you that what you are - who you are - has felt like one big burden. You wondered, most nights, if there was a possibility that curses could be born. 

————

The rest of the walk back was filled with an awkward silence. You weren’t sure if it was one you’d made by your lack of response, or if Thao no longer felt like talking. A part of you feared the image he’d held of you since he was young, full of mystery that made you seem cool, was slowly becoming destroyed. You knew it was a matter of time before it happened.

You were an anomaly. 

Children saw you as magical, while adults believed you could perform some kind of mind control or read their thoughts. It was the main reason Kahn wanted you to join the resistance. Who wouldn’t want someone who could read thoughts and control minds on their team? You’d know when and where attacks could happen and make them blow up their ships from the inside. Unfortunately, for Kahn, the only thoughts you could read were your own and, as of right now, they were desperately shouting at you not to lose one of the few friends you had left. 

Even if they happened to be a young boy who was notorious for being the most talkative kid in the colony. 

With a few more steps up the hill, you both came to a stop at the top of the hill. You took in the thatched roofs of the huts that lay scattered in a misshapen circle of rows. The outer ring of homes were made of clay and the only splash’s of color came from designs being painted on the sides of homes or flowers planted in the yard. 

The middle ring was meant to be for men like Kahn and his commanders; men and women of importance so that they lived closer to the final, smaller ring, of storefronts and farmers. The middle circle was left open and featured a large walkway down the center of town and out into the hills. 

Kahn specifically had the colony built this way. The walkway was the most important, because Kahn believed it was good for his people to be able to watch those that fought for their freedoms return from another victory against the UNSC. You knew it was more about parading around having people kiss his ass than for uplifting any kind of morale. 

It was the same path that Thao and you took now as you brought in the yaks from the mountains. You knew it wouldn’t be long until you got them back inside their pen and with the irritated snorts and tugs on their leashes, the yaks knew it too. The sound of multiple small feet came rushing in on Thao’s side and the faces of a few village children came into view. They made sure to stop just before they got in the way of a yak. 

“Thao, can you come play?” 

“Not yet. I have to finish this choir for Caster.”

A lot of groaning ensued and you felt your free hand reach over the back of a yak. Your fingers waving for him to give you his leashes. Thao’s brow raised in question and you only answered him by pointing at the leash and waving him again to hand it over. 

“Hurry up and give them to me before I change my mind.”

You were trying to be grumpy. The way any elder in town would complain about the youth of today being too soft and not knowing the meaning of hard work and blah blah. You were sure they were all just stuck in super grouchy mode from having to be an adult with responsibilities for too long. And because of that, you knew, instead of looking grumpy, a smile was already brightening up your face. Thao’s face lit up in response and his eyes darted - unsure - from up the path and back to you. 

“Are you sure? Caster -“

“Will never know that you didn’t help bring them all the way back. Now, like I said, hand over the lead before I suddenly have a fit of amnesia.” 

He didn’t need further prompting. Thao’s hand smashed the remaining leashes into your waiting palm and turned on his heel to run off with the other kids. A soft, “thank you,” calling out behind him. 

You didn’t waste any more  time watching their retreating backs as they tore down a small alleyway between huts. You had your own things that you still needed to finish today. As you continued on your way, you greeted people who were outside in their gardens or hanging up laundry. Some of them returned your greetings of, “Hello,” with grunts with their backs turned to you or hurried inside. Apparently, if they didn’t look you in the eye or were behind the safety of a wall it kept you from using your mind control powers. 

You were willing to bet Kahn had something to do with that latest lie about your make believe abilities. If you wouldn’t fight for him, why not cause a little mass panic in your presence. You being the monster and him, the hero, forcing you to toe the line. No ‘mind reading’ unless it was for the ‘cause’. 

As you neared the pen in front of Caster’s shop, you started to rotate the leashes tighter in your hands. You were positive if the yaks felt a slack in their leash, they would attempt a revolt. They also weren’t the biggest fan of the metal pen of broken down ships Caster created to house them; the metal of an old hatch door from a USNC frigate - rusted and covered in moss - groaned as it opened. A sound the yaks knew well and instantly sent their hooves stamping into the muddy grass. 

“Alright, ladies, I don’t want any trouble. It’s time to get your butts back in here - whoa!”You shot around with a start as one of the yaks gently bumped its nose against your back sending you forward towards the pen. “None of that,” you mumbled. Your index finger pointing at your chest then back to every single one of them. “Your home, not mine. Now go.”

With a cautious glance over your shoulder you took a step forward leading the herd inside. It wasn’t until you’d begun to remove their leashes that the familiar sound of a man clearing his throat brought your gaze up to search the fence. It didn’t take long for you to find Caster leaning against it. An arm hanging over while the other held up whatever self-righteous bullshit questioning he was about to spew. 

“Where’s Thao?”

“He helped me bring them here, Caster. I sent him on his way once we reached the pen.”

“That’s not what he was told to do and you don’t have any authority to change orders.”

Every word reached you like a slap in the face. Caster’s irritation was evident with the click of his tongue. You tried to keep your face neutral; your gaze fixed on one of the yak's as your fingers ran through the tangled fur. You gave one final pat to signal your departure before you walked back to the pen’s exit. 

“I wasn’t aware Thao had to be the specific individual to deliver a bunch of yaks inside the pen.”

“Bullshit,” Caster snarled your name. His body closing the distance between you as you stepped through the pen entrance. “You can try and play dumb with me all you want, but we both know you aren’t that damn dense. Thao can’t shut up even for a second in his sleep, and you’re trying to tell me the boy magically didn’t complain the whole time he was with you?”

Caster invaded what little space you had once you stepped fully out from behind the pen. The door hadn’t even closed yet before Caster rushed you, attempting to trap you between him and the metal. The cold gray of his eyes roamed your face waiting for you to break at his intimidation. 

One of the Shadow Sea’s three moons would have to explode first before that ever happened. 

You jammed the cool metal of the pens chains into his chest. You didn’t bother to see if he would catch it when you released it. You knew he would, and when Caster did, you made sure to take a step towards him forcing the older man two options; hold his ground or back up. You weren’t surprised when he did the latter. 

“You’re right, Caster, I’m not that damn dense. Close up your own fucking pen.”

You didn’t give him the chance to reply. The first step you took forced him to take another step back, your shoulder ramming into his as you pushed your way past him. 

Could you have gone around? 

Yes, but, no matter what, it felt a lot better being petty for a couple of seconds than pretending for a second you cared. 

It didn’t take Caster long to find his bearings. The sound of the chains rustling in his hands and a slew of curses thrown at your back were the first to greet you before he yelled after you: “Just wait until Kahn hears about this!”

“Yea, yea,” you mumbled.

You were willing to bet no matter how the exchange between Caster and you went, Kahn was always going to hear how it went. Good or bad. Caster yelled something else at your retreating back. You responded with a wave and continued back down the main path before you veered off course into a smaller path. It was one you knew well since you were a child. One you knew led to your grandparents' hut. 

Smoke rose from the clay chimney and you knew, before you entered through the doorway, you’d find your grandfather working to dry his latest clay pots by the fire. Your grandmothers weathered fingers working tirelessly with a needle and her beadwork scattered over the small table. It was only a few days before everyone with goods left to try and sell them at the Market. You moved through the small space stopping to kiss the top of your grandmother’s head before you gently took over for your grandfather. 

“And where did you run off to this morning?” 

You didn’t have to look up to feel the weight of your grandfather’s stare. His scrutinizing eyes waiting for you to give him a response knowing full well it wasn’t going to be the one he wanted.

“There is no need to worry, grandpa. I was nowhere and everywhere all at once.”

“That sentence alone turned what little hair I have left white.”

“All of your hairs’ already white.”

“Precisely my point,” he groaned. 

The soft chuckle of your grandmother cut through the tension in the small room. Your eyes now directed to the open flame and focused on turning the pot slowly with the tongs. The last thing you wanted to hear on top of giving your grandfather white hair and an early grave was ruining a pot he’d worked on most of this morning. 

“Would you two stop it? I’m sure she has a perfectly good explanation for why she was missing this morning. Don’t you dear?”

Your grandmother sent a coy look in your direction and you couldn’t wait to completely crush her dreams. While your grandfather believed in hard work, your grandmother believed in finding a good spouse who could provide for the imaginary great grandchildren she’d already named. 

Either that or joining the resistance. 

“I was out helping Thao rally up the yaks that ran away this morning.”

A sigh so heavy escaped from your grandfather’s chest that you could’ve sworn all your ancestors before you joined him. 

“And there it is.”

The soft call of your name forced your attention back to where your grandmother now sat idle. Her hands placing the beadwork and adjoining needles on the table. Her small frame turned on the bench to make sure she had your full attention. 

“I’m happy you want to help but you already know Kahn will-“

“Will throw a bitch fit. Yeah, yeah, I know.”

A smack on your arm sent you jolting back in surprise. Your eyes cautiously roaming over to your grandmother to see if she was going to hit you again. With how tightly her lips were pressed together, you had a feeling, with some of the things that came from your mouth, the possibility of her doing it again was imminent. 

“Whether you like him or not, Kahn is our leader.”

“No, he is your leader. Kahn will never be mine. A real leader doesn’t sacrifice their people to gain information or so they don’t get locked up inside a UNSC prison.”

“And do you think there is someone more fit to lead if he was gone? Who do you think would run the rebellion?”

“Plenty of more competent individuals could step forward to take his place if he wasn’t aro-“

You realized you sounded like Thao who, hours before, you’d shushed him into complacency. Your fear for his safety was paramount over how right his words might have been. And here you were doing the exact same thing inside your grandparents hut. 

“Enough!” 

Your grandfather wasn’t known for raising his voice and when he did it was usually out of desperation; a fear that surpassed anger that delved into worry from the unknown. You could see it now etched into every wrinkle that creased in the sagging skin of his sunburnt face. The way he tried to hold onto the anger before it was swept away by something he wouldn’t voice in fear of giving it a name. 

“Whether you like it or not, Kahn runs this settlement. He is the only one working here to free us from the tyrant that is the UNSC! At least he is doing something, which is more than I can say for my own granddaughter!”

“Ernest,” your grandmother’s voice cautioned. 

“So you want me to just let him use me like some kind of weapon?”

You no longer cared about holding the pinchers over the fire or the clay pot - your grandfather's life’s work - held delicately between them. As you stood up from the stool you dropped the pinchers and the sound of clay cracking tapered over your shuddering breathing for just a moment. You moved away from the fire towards a corner of the room closest to the door. The thunder in your ears drowning out the shouts of your grandmother; your eyes coming in and out of focus as you tried to ease the panic from your veins. 

It would only take a second - a fatal second of panic to fill the room with a cobalt hue of flame that would ruin everything. 

“Kahn offers you a way to use your gift, to teach you how to use it, and better help our people and you spit in his face!” He hissed. “Your parents gave their life for the cause-“

“And what has Kahn given!?” You hadn’t meant to scream. Each word laced with a grief stricken with rage that only bloomed brighter over time. “He asks families to give their husbands, wives, their children to fight his battles and what the fuck does he do for us?!”

“Why can’t you ever see that you can help save us? Kahn can help teach you how to control it.”

“Help me control it or control me?”

“You ungrateful child.”

His words hissed through the air and buried themselves in the hollow of your chest. Your feet involuntarily took a step back, ready to flee the hut, ready to find peace in the hills of the forest when the collective raised shouts of the villagers rang out from behind the walls. 

“UNSC vessels spotted!”

It was the distraction you needed to escape the hut. The shouts of worried men and women pushing you to rush outside and greedily take gulp after gulp of fresh air until the flare, the warmth, of your power began to dig back inside your skin. When you dragged your gaze away from the grass you were greeted with villagers running back and forth. The ones who sprinted down the open lane back out towards the open forest only ended up coming back moments later. 

You made your way out into the crowd, weaving in between the bodies to get to the heart of the circle their bodies created. They all stood in large huddled groups; mothers clutching their children and the able bodied men moving in front of them, in front of everyone, to try and guard them. The villagers who tried running down the main road were coming, as if herded, back to the center of the village. You didn’t understand why they were all running back to the middle. 

This was a kill zone. 

Strategically the worst place to be for any of the resistance fighters if they were going to make any attempt to fight back. It wasn't until you made it to the middle that your earlier rage turned to ice as you watched the UNSC marines, and four very big fucking Spartans, make their way up the middle. 

If Spartans were here you knew no one stood a chance. A fight would be suicide. You needed to get back to your grandparents. You needed - 

“Attention settlers of the Lera system of Laconix: I am Captain Jacob Keyes of the USNC. We have viable intel that led us to believe that you are harboring a fugitive by the name of Kahn Montrello - a known insurrectionist. We are asking for your cooperation in this matter. We can resolve this matter peacefully, with no need to resort to any unnecessary violence.”

“Screw you! You have no jurisdiction here or any outer colonies.”

Fred. That was his name. Maybe. You didn’t know - couldn’t remember. Your brain couldn’t think past your own rushing pulse or speeding thoughts. He was just pushing past the crowd with angry shouts and limbs flying while he moved towards them. You watched as he made his way towards the marines like a man on fire, and was met by a Marine who burned brighter. The butt of their gun cracking against his cheek sent him spiraling to the ground. 

You weren’t sure if you were already panicked or if the sight of blood seeping through his fingers caused it. No matter what the real reason was you knew there was no getting around whatever came next. Like a swarm of locusts, the marines fanned out and moved forward. Their bodies corralled the villagers tighter together and kept any hope of escape at bay. 

It was the perfect time for Kahn to make his appearance. His form practically glided from between a lake of terrified bodies frozen in fear, clutching one another, as he opened his arms in welcome. 

“You say you wish us no violence, only want our cooperation, and yet attack a simple working man.”

“You need to stay where you are or you will be taken down with force,” a marine answered, their gun trained on Kahn who continued to take careful steps forward. 

He responded with his hands showing he wasn’t armed. Kahn made a show to come to a stop in front of Captain Keyes. 

“Maybe that was advice you should’ve opened with, Captain Keyes.”

Kahn was treating this like a joke. He was wearing that easy smile of his displaying he didn’t have a care in the world. He was either suicidal, genocidial in willing to let them completely kill the colony or, you realized with a sickening drop in your stomach, Kahn had another plan. 

“And you are?”

“I’m Malcom. Another humble merchant who lives here.”

Liar! 

The panic that settled like lead inside your gut dropped heavier, threatening to upend whatever was left from your morning breakfast. You didn’t have to guess what his plans were, because Kahn was laying them bare for everyone to see. The only difference between you and everyone else is that whoever he chose to sacrifice for the name of his ‘revolution’ would be met with silence. 

Captain Keyes outlined Kahn’s frame with suspicion and a pebble of hope was thrown your way. Maybe he could sense the lie that costed Kahn’s words. Maybe it would be enough for him to call bullshit. 

“Okay, Malcolm. And what is it you’re wanting?”

“I want nothing, Captain. I just want to show you exactly who you are looking for.” 

Kahn never intended to point the finger at himself - why would he when there were dozens of men brainwashed to think their sacrifice mattered. You followed his finger like everyone else drawn to the imaginary string he pulled and waited to see what poor fool he chose this time. 

Except this time - no…NO! 

It was your grandfather who took a step forward out of the dozens of bodies. The wooden tip of his cane met the ground with a depth of a shovel digging a grave with each step. Your grandmother reached out her arms - called for him to come back - but he continued to make his way forward. His head held high like he was making a decision everyone should be proud of. 

“I am Kahn Montrello. The man you seek.”

Captain Keyes took one look at your grandfather and you could see the disbelief reflected in his eyes. The way they darkened further on a decision you, or anyone else, would ever be made aware of until he made it. 

“I’ve never known an insurrectionist leader to give themselves up so willingly.”

Thank god Captain Keyes was smarter than he looked. Your grandfather, however, wasn’t backing down. He squared his shoulders and planted his hands coolly over the hilt of his cane. His head held high enough for his next words to strangle him. 

“Any leader should be willing to give themselves up for the safety of their people. Is that what you can offer me, Captain Keyes? The safety of my colony if I come willingly?”

“What are you doing?”

You were sure it was the panic that surged you forward. How you found yourself taking step after step until you were out from behind every last villager and into the clearing with Kahn and your grandfather. 

“Stay back!”

“Don’t take another step forward!”

You were vaguely aware of the commands being slung your way. The arms that lifted weapons as you took scrambling steps towards your grandfather who only looked on with distaste. 

“Go back with the others. I won’t tell you again.”

It was the voice he’d used countless times since you were a child. A voice that radiated with authority that now only showcased his age. A part of you wanted to follow his orders and run to your grandmother’s side. To be a good granddaughter and comfort her the way she needed. 

But she wouldn’t need comforting if Kahn wasn’t such a fucking coward. 

“No!”

He hissed your name as he nervously looked out over the marines. At Captain Keyes.

“Be good and do as you're told.”

“I won’t let you do this!”

“And I don’t need your permission-“

“What about grandma? You’re just going to leave her like this?”

“I wasn’t aware Kahn Montrello had grandchildren?” Keyes quipped. 

You could see your grandfather open his mouth to reply and you made sure to cut him off before he could say another lie. 

“That’s because he doesn’t because Kahn -“

“Apologies, Captain Keyes,” Kahn cut in. “This girl is unwell. Ever since she lost her parents -“

“Don’t you dare speak about them.“

“-she’s been desperately trying to cling to anyone willing to call her family.”

You weren’t aware you were moving forward until you heard the shouts from the marines; the gasps of fear from your own people. You were vaguely aware of the tingle of heat that moved like a shockwave from your fingertips up your arms until it consumed you. In another time, a different life, maybe you would’ve been aware that your biotics had flared to life and enveloped you in what looked like cobalt flame. 

A fitting image for the one Kahn so lovingly painted for you. An unhinged woman filled with crazy fantasies and a desperation for family.

The only thing you could focus on was Kahn who stood before you. The coward who easily was willing to give your grandfather up to the UNSC knowing what they do to insurrectionist leaders. The unspeakable torture done to collect secrets, and their executions televised on every available feed for all to see. 

With the thought of your grandfather’s future weighing behind your eyes you lashed out. Your hand rising forward to catch Kahn midway in taking a step back. Your biotics held him suspended in the air. You were vaguely aware of what sounded like your grandfather calling your name. The wood of his cane crunching through dirt and leaves to rush to you. 

There was more shouting - orders being relayed and metal clicks of safeties being released - and you knew chaos was about to ensue. 

“Spartan’s your orders are to grab the insurrectionist known as Kahn Montrello. Marines focus on providing backup and subduing any and all threats.”

A wash of relief rippled through you. The UNSC had come to their senses. They  must have realized Kahn for the liar he was. Captain Keyes caught on that the rouse Kahn created with your grandfather was all a lie. 

Except that wasn’t what happened. 

The marines who fanned out around the clearing were now moving in towards one sole target: you. The Spartans who Keyes sent forward to capture Kahn weren’t headed in your direction, but towards your grandfather who was visibly shaking as he watched two of the UNSC’s giants - their most powerful weapons - move towards him. 

“No! You have it all wrong! He isn’t Kahn!”

You released the hold you had on Kahn. No longer was he held suspended in the air as you sent his body flying towards the marines. Your feet were digging into the soil, pitching you forward in a hard sprint, as you barreled blindly towards your grandfather. You could hear him warning you to stay back - ‘stay away’ - but you never were good with doing what you were told. 

The closest Spartan,only identified by the numbers 028 on her chest, was almost on him. They were so close it would only take a couple more inches and this Spartan would grab a hold of him and you would lose him. Forever.

You were running on pure adrenaline. Your vision honed in on nothing else but the hand of the Spartan that reached out to grab at his arm. If they got a hold of him, that was it. You called on every cell of energy in your body, your arm drawing back - nerves frying - as the eezo inside your body compacted in the space around you, changing it into a powerful ball that you launched with a scream. The Spartan barely had time to react when the cobalt sphere of element zero slammed into her suit and sent her flying back. 

“Riz!”

You had a split second to make half a shield before the second Spartan’s fist slammed against it. The impact snapped like a shockwave of its own. The force of impact sent your feet sliding back against the dirt. The sound of heavy footsteps following your rolling body forced you to spring to your knees as you called on another surge of element zero and sent it flying like a fastball. 

It slammed into the Spartan but, unlike the first one, it barely slowed them down. The impact crackled against the air and the force field around his armor allowing your biotics to push them back only a few feet. It was all the feet you needed to scramble on all fours to your grandfather, who was kneeling in a heap in the dirt. 

As soon as you slide in next to him, you put up a small force field - a bubble of blue that encapsulated you both just in time before bullets bounced against the shield. Gently, you secured an arm underneath his shoulders and tried to lift him up to you. All while your right hand stayed pressed against the barrier you’d created. Your arms shaking with the strain of holding back another round of gunfire and the slamming fists of a very big, very angry, Spartan. 

You were running out of time. The strain of keeping the barrier up, of using powers you usually never touched, left a noticeable trail of perspiration to crown your forehead. If you kept this up much longer, you knew the nosebleeds would start soon. 

“Come on grandpa. We have to get up now. We gotta get you out of here.”

“Just let them take me, deheyah*.”

A heavy wave of memory, weighted with emotions thick and stifling, threatened to knock you off balance. The last time your grandfather had ever called you that, was before your parents died. When you were allowed the luxury of childhood innocence and the imagination that the world held the beauty of magic before it was destroyed by the gravity of reality. 

“That’s not going to happen, grandpa. I won’t let it happen. I can’t lose you too.”

Your body jerked with the next slam of a fist against the barrier. The impact sent a shutter down into the marrow of your bones and snapped at your nervous system. The pain was immediate and tore a gasp from you. 

“You will never lose me. I will always be with you. Wherever you go. Whatever you choose to be.”

“No.” 

You shook your head violently forcing him to reach out to steady you. The soft leather of his hand cupped your cheek quieting your protests and forced you to keep your eyes on him. 

“I’m sorry for what I said. Earlier. I just - I just wanted what was best for you. I always have. But…only you know what is best for your life. Never stop fighting. Don’t be afraid of who you can be.”

“Why are you talking like this? This isn’t goodbye grandpa. Come on, I have to get you back to grandma. She’s going to be pissed if you just stay here.”

But it was, wasn’t it? You’d felt it when your hands touched the layers of shawls that draped over his chest. It was wetter than it should’ve been. His eyes glassy and unfocused and struggling to keep them on you while he spoke. Somehow, you’d been a few moments too late when the bullets came your way, and those few seconds allowed the hollow point of a bullet to find a hole in the center of his chest. 

Blood covered your left hand as another sharp synopsis of pain resonated through your nervous system. Spartan 028, Riz, was back up and hammering away at the sphere of the barrier you’d created. The pain should’ve been unbearable but nothing compared to the last gasp of air that shuddered from your grandfather. It couldn’t compare to the feeling of his body, lifeless, and sagging towards the earth where the weight forced you to place him. 

None of this would’ve happened if Kahn wasn’t a coward. If he didn’t use people, the very people he claimed were his. People he swore to defend and liberate - for his own gain. 

The anger swelled brighter inside like a raging flame. Every beating your nervous system took holding up the barrier became a dulled sensation as you struggled to breathe around the loss of your grandfather. 

The Spartans had stopped but didn’t move back. A woman was off to your right. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Smiling like she was friendly but the mock kindness didn’t reach her eyes. They were bright with excitement; the way hunters spotted prey. A scientist finding a new object to dissect. 

“…I’m Doctor Halsey.”

Of course she was. She wanted to dissect you. The same way the scientists from Conatix tried many years ago by trying to buy you from your parents. She was saying your name but she had no right to it. 

This Dr. Halsey. 

False smile given under false pretenses. Just like Kahn has his fancy glittering speeches that kept hopes high and results low. 

“We don’t want to harm you. If you are willing to come peacefully we promise we will leave the colony immediately. No further bloodshed needs to happen.”

The part of you that wasn’t soaked in grief agreed. It was the best call to make - the right call. It promised no more suffering would happen. It meant your grandmother would be safe. 

Your grandmother. A woman who lost her son. Her husband. Now her granddaughter. Who would watch her if you left? The thought alone sprang a sharp refusal to your tongue until you stood, your eyes cast down at the warm body of your grandfather. In that moment, whatever reasonable human being you used to be ceased to exist. The only thing left was rage. 

Dr. Halsey must have noticed. No longer was she crouched to be eye level with you. She returned to her full height. Her hands placed out in front to shield herself, as if that would be enough to stop what happened next. 

“Whatever you’re thinking - don’t.” 

Your reply came in a scream that crawled its way from the pit of despair that had lodged itself inside your heart. The loss of your parents, the death of your grandfather,  and for your grandmother who would be alone. You used that hurt, bitterness, and rage and used it to erupt your shield into a burst of biotic energy that detonated like a bomb. The sheer force alone sent the Spartans back. 

It wasn’t enough but you only needed a minute or two. Just enough time for you to send your biotics crackling along the air in a line until it grabbed a hold of Kahn and pulled him like a slingshot of force back towards you. When he was close enough, you dropped your left hand that you’d use to control the pull of his body, and cocked back your right arm, your palm open, and launched it forward. The slam of the biotics hit home at the center of his chest launching Kahn back through the scrambling crowd of people, with the sickening crack of his sternum mixing with the scream that tore from your throat.

It was all the time you had before the Spartan marked with 117 came into view. His armored fist closes in like a warthog at full speed against your cheek, sending your body spiraling into the dirt. You could feel the earth shift with tremors as he moved to follow you. You could taste the blood from the hit and wondered if your jaw was broken. If you just lost a whole row of teeth. 

“John, Incapacitate her only! I need her to be brought back with us. Alive.”

For a glorious moment, your blurred vision swirled only with the uninterrupted view of the sky before the cameo green of Master Chief, savior of the galaxy - or John - 117 -  helmet came into view. A joke was brewing on the back of your tongue, covered in humor and blood before his fist came crashing down your line of sight, and the world became blissfully quiet.

_________

You found that the darkness wasn’t as quiet as you’d hoped.

The impact from the punch the Maater Chief, or John - 117 as that woman called him,  had launched you into what felt like a nightmare. Held hostage by a paralysis of your own mind. Unable to change the forms of what you saw. The images were vivid. The sounds carried a weight that sat heavy like lead in your skull. It made you miss the pain of being conscious. 

You weren’t sure if the screams that bounced around inside your head were real or if they were just a part of the nightmare. Over and over your broken mind played out the moment a Marine’s bullet found a hole inside  your grandfather's gut. 

No matter how fast you ran, if you launched yourself in front of him, you were never fast enough. Each step you took sunk deeper into the earth as if your legs were trying to race through quicksand. Your own biotics mysteriously grew quiet - refusing to work for the first time in your life. 

No matter what the outcome never changed. Your grandfather was gone, and there was no time travel to head back and change that startling fact. 

A sickening lurch, one you knew meant a ship was coming out of slipspace, sent the contents of that morning’s breakfast swirling in your stomach. You barely had time to register that it was real, the nausea, and that you were really about to throw up. You’d barely rolled to your side before said breakfast displayed itself onto a very shiny metal floor. 

As soon as you finished, you rolled back onto your back. Your eyes fluttered open to take in the fluorescent lights, the cool slated metal ceiling that matched the walls and floor. It was definitely a cell, and you most definitely found out much too late that your wrists were tied behind your back. 

When you were sure you weren’t going to upend anymore of your breakfast, you slowly began to maneuver to sit on the only bench they’d laid you on. The pain in the sockets of your shoulders informing you that you’d been like this for quite a while. 

You were still trying to gather your bearings when the sliding doors to your right opened. A woman with blonde hair stood at the forefront with a Spartan, the dusk green armor of John - 117, standing protectively behind her. When she moved, he moved. You couldn’t help but consider her a puppeteer and the Spartan the puppet. He didn’t move unless she did and you doubted he would be doing any of the talking. 

She entered the room with a cautionary smile and clinical eyes assessing you before she even entered. It was easy to tell she was a scientist and, more than likely, a very experienced one in whatever it was she specialized in. 

“Hello, Subject Cobalt,” she said brightly. Her smile never faltered once. “I’m glad to see that you are alright. My name is Doctor Halsey. I’ve come to do an assessment on you and make sure you didn’t sustain any life-threatening or mind altering issues after what happened back on Laconix.”

Subject Cobalt? 

Was that supposed to be you?

You eyed her warily as she took her first step inside the cell. The heavy footsteps of Mjolnir armor followed closely behind. If she suspected you were jumpy - a rabbit in headlights, as the old ones used to say - Halsey never showed it. 

A few more steps and she was beside the bench. Another breath and she was sitting beside you. The smile on her face beaming and hollowing out her eyes with rapture at what she must have considered a new species. You made a fine new specimen for any scientist, you would imagine. A nervous system full of eezo that lit your body up like an Earthen Christmas tree and the power to wield it like a weapon.

Doctor Halsey was practically giddy beside you. 

“I’m going to do a few simple tests to verify cognitive function isn’t impaired. To do so, I’m going to need your assistance. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Your eyes scanned over her as you considered your options. It turned out to be a very short list that was available to you. The only option being to go along with what she asked. 

“Okay.”

That one word was all the go ahead Halsey needed to cause her megawatt smile to go up a notch. She must have thought you would be resistant to following orders and she wasn’t wrong but, from where you were sitting, this seemed like the lesser of two evils. 

“Splendid. First, I’m going to run this pen horizontally and vertically. I need you to focus on the tip of the pen, and follow it as closely as you can.”

“Okay.”

Doctor Halsey lifted the pen up to eye level, a few inches away from your face, and waited for your eyes to train on the silver point. You hadn’t expected an examination as soon as you woke up. You weren’t sure if you should’ve felt happy or worried about it. If you were one misstep away from becoming a lab rat. 

You’d been so deep in thought - your mind considering all the outcomes and possibilities of this interaction ending well - that you completely missed her first question. 

“I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?”

Another smile. Another deflection. It was enough, however, for you to notice the tightness in the fine lines of her face. It was so small you could’ve missed it. 

“Of course. During your biotic episode on Laconix, I noticed your nose started bleeding. Does it do that every time you use your biotics?”

“No.”

The tightness again. This time it was the edges of her smile - suspended in that mock sweetness - that reminded you of your mother. Waiting for you to give more detail without prodding and realizing, rapidly, you feared incriminating yourself. The pen dropped into her lap. Her eyes roaming over your face for a sign - a tell - that she could exploit. 

“You aren’t in any kind of trouble. I’m merely trying to help you -“

“Is that what you’re trying here, Dr. Halsey? To be my friend? To tell me I’m not in any danger when you took me off my planet against my will?” You inquired. Her mouth was still suspended open, forming around a word cut short by your desire to not hear anymore bullshit. “It feels like there is more going on than what you’re sharing.”

She schooled her face - even her eyes - to remain emotionless. A perfect blank slate to display only what she wanted without giving away what she didn’t. 

“Alright. I watched you. At first, you seemed in control, but after the third or fourth time your biotics displayed themselves, and you overextended their use, you suffered an epistaxis - the nosebleed. Further scans done here in the ship’s medical bay presented signs of swelling and hematoma on the brain. A few hours before you woke up, I had them run another analysis and both are gone. Which leaves me to believe it only occurs upon exhaustion.”

She watched you as she spoke. Her gaze searching, prodding, for signs of whatever reaction she expected but wasn’t getting. You would’ve loved to offer up whatever it was she wanted, if only you knew which specific one she was hunting for. 

“Tell me. Do you get migraines?”

“What is this?”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s a lie,” you shot back. 

The tone in your voice matched the anxiety rising in your chest. It caused your words to be rougher than intended, alerting the Spartan in the corner who took a step towards you. Only the rising hand of calm - control - from Dr. Halsey kept him from taking another step. 

“I think you understand more than you’re willing to tell me or, at least, not wanting to show your whole hand, anyway. You’re a scientist, right? Probably super smart. Smart enough you probably come from some UNSC lab  from Reach or Illium?”

“Reach.”

The carefully constructed smile was back on her lips, but this time you could see a spark of something brighten up the soft blue of her eyes. You were doing something she didn’t expect, but her scientific mind found it fascinating. No doubt logging it away to draw it open later somewhere quiet to dissect. 

Your lips pouted around her admission. Reach. One of the top three planets, if not the first, for all private and commercial research filled with legal litigation and NDA’s to protect organizations and UNSC labs from the courts of public opinions. It was how Conatix got away with doing what they did to you and the other kids scattered across the galaxy. Only taking notice when it seemed like something that could benefit them. You weren’t stupid. Halsey had taken one look at what you could do - what you did - and only two things came to mind: control or destroy. 

You hadn’t figured out exactly which one you were to Dr. Halsey yet. 

“Are you going to kill me?”

Halsey didn’t necessarily give you a reason to think it was an outlandish guess. Everything - everyone - was expendable when it came to science and the betterment of humanity. Or whatever the UNSC’s science team's new slogan was.

“Why would we kill you?”

You tried to shrug off the growing anxiety that sat coiling inside your gut.

“To experiment on me. Take me apart and see what’s buried underneath, so to speak. Isn’t that what you people do.”

“You don’t realize what you are, do you? The advancement of human genetics - biology - that is flowing through you.”

“What’s flowing through me is eezo and it cost hundreds of children their lives.”

“Yes, but for one out of a hundred children there is something remarkable. You. The one out of a thousand. A stepping stone towards humans having a place amongst the vast and ever growing populace of space. I don’t want to kill you, Cobalt. I want to integrate you into my program.”

“What program?”

You wondered if madness was contagious. If you asked anyone else, they might have dismissed your words as too harsh. No doubt calling Halsey’s display of excitement for simply that, but you could see her eyes. Underneath all that perfectly concealed pleasant exterior was an intelligence that was willing to break the norms - rules - to get to whatever she needed. 

“I run the Spartan program. Granted, you are well past the parameters to become a Spartan, no, I…I want to make a subunit. I think Cobalt, we can help each other, and not only help each other, but possibly end this war.”

UNSC propaganda. 

That’s what the war was. Everyone in the outer colonies knew it was just a fancy attempt to stop the growing surge of colonists from joining the insurrectionists. Halsey sensed your doubt before you disregarded her words with a shake of your head. 

“No. The covenant is just a UNSC nightmare story to try and get the outer colonies to toe the line. To allow themselves to be governed under your jurisdiction.”

“I can promise you. It’s not.”

“Of course you would say that! You’re a USNC scientist for Christ’s sake!”

“John.”

Somehow, you’d forgotten that big hunk of tin was in the room. Halsey kept you focused on her - solely on her - that when the Spartan took a step forward, the reflection of the room mirrored in his visor, you almost jumped out of your skin. 

In his hand was a holopad that he deposited into her waiting palm. Halsey didn’t waste time logging in. Her fingers tapped wildly across the screen with a speed that left you dizzy. When she found whatever it was she’d been looking for she extended the holopad out for you to take. 

“This was transmitted to us only a few hours ago.”

Warily, you watched her. Your mind debating if you should take the holopad or tell her to fuck off. It was more made up videos or fancy speeches, you were sure of it. The grim lines of her face, however, left you wondering just how certain you were. It was her turn to place the holopad in your hands. Your gaze on her a few more seconds before it dropped down to the video that played on the screen.

Bright beams. It’s what you noticed first. Beams that erupted from the sky with such brilliant clarity you knew it could only be one form: plasma. You couldn’t understand - comprehend - what you were seeing. 

Plasma on that scale was impossible. It should’ve been and yet, you watched as it sliced through the planet's barrier, through molecules, and simple things like trees and mountains. Everything it touched turned red hot like lava from volcanoes you’d heard stories about that were on the original human planet of earth. While the plasma beam continued its destructive course, the magma it left behind flowed behind. 

You didn’t understand until you did. 

You knew that mountain. You’d glanced at it many times on walks to neighboring villages for trade. Attempted to climb it a thousand times as a child. 

“What is this?”

Your disbelief was met with something you couldn’t place from her. Halsey didn’t offer up sympathy. She offered up an understanding of watching everything you love disappear in a wave of destruction. But how could she understand the hollowness, the sinking feeling of dread that gripped your heart and threatened to make it stop?

“It’s Laconix. Shortly after we left the Covenant arrived. They glassed the planet.”

“Glassed? I - I don’t. I don’t understand.”

You were going to hyperventilate if you weren’t careful. 

“It’s gone, Cobalt.” That’s not my name. “The Covenant doesn’t take prisoners. They destroy everything. Kill everything. Your planet is gone.” 

Gone. 

Gone. 

Your home. What was left of your family - your people - your community. Gone. In less than 7.8 seconds of holopad footage. 

“But you can avenge them. You can fight for them and to protect every other planet still left out there in the galaxy and I can help you do it.”

Deep down a part of you knew this had been her tactic all along. If reason didn’t make someone join your cause, then using their emotions against them would. You should’ve seen it coming. Took the time to ask more questions but the growing hole in your soul moved on from shock and grief was rocketing towards unbridled rage at lightning speed. 

When you glanced back up at her, Halsey knew she had you before you even spoke. 

“What do you need me to do?”

As always, thank you so much for reading. Comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

#A Body of Stars #ongoing series #halo the series #halo tv show #master chief #master chief x f!reader #master chief x reader #master chief x you #master chief fanfiction #john 117 #john 117 x f!reader #john 117 x reader #john 117 x you #john 117 fanfiction #pablo schreiber #enemies to lovers #strangers to lovers #slow burn #halo tv series/mass effect mashup #mass effect #reader is referred to as subject cobalt

[pelgraine]

Summary:

Through feats of unparalleled smuggling and genetic manipulation, a new kind of beast is given life on Reach.

Kai gets into and out of several questionable situations. Miranda is doing her best to pretend she’s not hopelessly smitten. The Spartans make a number of extremely loyal new friends. All of ONI are at their wits end. Ackerson is tearing his hair out because he's convinced it’s all part of some nefarious plot Halsey has conducted, even though she's had nothing to do with it and is just as clueless as he is (but is hiding it better.)

The Silver Team Here There Be Dragons AU.

#halo fanfiction #halo series #halo tv show #halo paramount #kai 125 #miranda keyes #kai x miranda

[holylulusworld]

Halo / Master Chief masterlist

Masterlist for all John - 117 / Master Chief x Reader stories

A/N: Please consider I write for the Master Chief from the series, not the games.

Rebel in heart

A new feeling

The voice in your head

Header and divider by me. For my use only.

#master chief #john 117 #john-117 #halo fanfiction #halo tv show #john 117 x reader #john 117 x you #master chief x reader #halo #halo fanfic #halo series #pablo schreiber

[authortobenamedlater]

Who wants to read a fanfic about a certain Master Chief stoned off his rear on painkillers being uncharacteristically talkative/characteristically grouchy/bored out of his mind?

Got plenty of real-life material after this week.

#halo #fanfiction #halo the series #halo paramount #halo tv show #halo tv #fanfic #halo paramount+ #master chief #john 117 #halo fic

[thisisthe-way]

1 for Emotion, 2 for Redemption?

Thank you for the ask!

1 - For Emotion, The episode where MasterChief is about to touch the bigger artifact, I could really hear the fear in Cortana’s voice when she tried to stop him. She was still very much under Halsey’s programming but I could tell this was going to initially be a turning point and it just inspired me to start writing.

2 - For Redemption, I wrote the very first scene in the fic first. It’s very rare I rearrange scenes in my writing. If I have an idea, I just go for it and then try to feel out where the next natural progression of the story should go. I find myself suffering from blocks more that way if I’m honest because unless I have a reasonable progression to the next logical scene, I won’t continue writing until I do have a scene that makes sense to the flow of the story.

#halo tv series #Star Wars #the Mandalorian #asks #FanFiction #fandom

[allwaswell16]

All the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in July 2023. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 including the fics on this month’s fic roundup which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #52 |  ko-fi | fic recs

—Louis/Harry—

🦩 7 Up by @cherrystreet

(E, 52k, childhood friends) Very loosely based on the British TV show "The Up Series" and somewhat inspired by the song “Something I Need” by Onerepublic, we follow the lives of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson in an interview setting every seven years.

🦩Darkest Before the Dawn by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

(E, 50k, fashion au) Everything has a place and it must be in its place in order for him to get anything done. Which is why he grits his teeth every time when he walks into the fashion workroom and sees Louis Tomlinson’s workspace.

🦩 an ocean in my veins (you'll be diving in) by me_her_themoon / @dreamersdivin-headfirst

(E, 31k, uni au) harry and louis hate each other and niall just wants everyone to get along

🦩 When Love Takes Time by sitandadmire / @niallziam

(M, 26k, friends to lovers) Turns out Louis planned a cruise to Hawaii, just for the two of them. The problem? They've been best friends for years, and Marcel is secretly in love with him.

🦩 'cause I want you (for the worse and for the better) by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense

(NR, 26k, a/b/o) When Louis gets invited along to Anne's wedding, Harry is prepared to let people think whatever they want about their relationship. That's what Louis said -- let people think whatever they want. 

🦩 what's left of my halo's black by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove

(E, 22k, fwb) A year after a devastating breakup, Louis is still trying to put himself back together - but getting over a breakup is hard when you work as a wedding planner. Thankfully, his coworker Harry is the most supportive friend Louis could ask for.

🦩 taken by lust’s strange inhumanity by CuckooTrooke / @larrydoinglaundry

(E, 20k, a/b/o) The one with all the jealous snarling, awkward first kisses and one unforgettable night.

🦩 Trapezing Secret by thinlines / @thinlinez

(E, 10k, a/b/o) What will happen when your lazy coworker slash biggest knothead you know discovers your secret? Omega Harry doesn't get the time to ponder his answer.

🦩 The Way to My Heart by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 6k, a/b/o) Louis' having a bit of a dry spell, until he bumps into an attractive alpha in the supermarket and leaves with his number. It was a hard bump. Very... muscular. The only problem is, said alpha asks Louis to cook for him - which is not exactly his skill set.

🦩 Truth or Drink by @kingsofeverything

(M, 6k, exes to lovers) Harry and Louis broke up years ago, and they're seeing each other again for the first time to play Truth or Drink. On camera.

🦩 On That Note by @allwaswell16

(E, 6k, a/b/o) Louis’ office job on an omega only floor would be absolutely fine, if not for the alphas he and his friends have to deal with in the building.

🦩 Write You A Song by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings

(G, 5k, neighbors) Harry’s new flat is great but the acoustics are even better. They’re so good in fact that his daily shower concerts start to entertain an audience besides his shampoo bottle.

🦩 Livin' In A Daydream by @lululawrence

(NR, 3k, roommates) Harry originally had thought that the sock he had pulled out was just another one of Louis’ sport socks he left balled up, but when Harry pulled the cuff out, he realized the actual sole of the sock felt… crusty.

🦩 In Time by @allwaswell16

(M, 2k, timestamp) Harry's uncertainty about their relationship began before he ever stepped foot on the plane to Amsterdam. A prequel/timestamp to the fic Bitter Ends Turn Sweet

🦩 Fingertips Putting on a Show by cherrylarry / @beelou

(E, 2k, girl direction) Harry just wants a relaxing self love session in the bathtub when she gets interrupted by a knock on her door.

🦩 Harry, That Kills People by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 2k, organized crime) If there’s one thing that Harry hates, it’s getting his clothes dirty. If there’s one other thing that Harry hates, it’s murder.

🦩 Yours and Mine by @allwaswell16

(T, 1k, timestamp) Louis goes to the library with his favourite people, his boyfriend Harry and his son, Max. A Bitter Ends Turn Sweet timestamp

🦩 seven, seven by @nouies

(NR, 1k, a/b/o) “Hello, baby girl,” Harry says as soon as the nurse places the bundle of joy into his arms. “We’ve been dying to meet you.”

🦩 Completely Oblivious by hazzahtomlinson / @itsnotreal

(G, 1k, friends to lovers) an interaction with a stranger helps these two finally figure their shit out.

🦩 I'll Get You Through by @hellolovers13

(G, 1k, friendship) Louis will always pick up when Harry calls. Always.

🦩 A Cure for First Show Nerves by @haztobegood

(E, 776 words, canon) Harry calls before Louis' first show.

—Rare Pairs—

🦩 if you want it you can have it by eynap / @panye

(E, 5k, Niall/Shawn Mendes) Niall and Shawn have a drunken one-night stand that turns into more than a few surprises.

🦩 a life that's lived without you by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 1k, Zayn/Liam) In all of his 116 years, Zayn has never quite felt this way about anyone. Liam is so incredibly human, in the worst and best ways. 

#28th appreciation #ficrec #1dficvillage #hltracks #trackinghappily #trackinghome #tracksintheam #1dsource

[hollytanaka]

The fact you even mentioned in the original post that if they can’t play the game, they should at least watch play throughs and those people still got up on the “not everyone can play games!”

Oh my gosh. They need to Grow up. They’re the reasons I can’t find decent fanfiction for half my favorite series (looking specifically at Halo because of that cursed tv show). They’re the reason so many characters are missing characterized until they’re not even same the character.

It’s frustrating and I’m glad someone else is saying it. I’m glad I’m not alone

OH MY GOD. I'm so glad someone mentioned how hard it is to find good Halo fanfics that don't follow the tv series' timeline lol. I would write one myself but, even though I love Halo, there's so much lore I still don't fully have a 100% grasp of, and I'd feel like a fraud writing a fic for it.

Like I get people can't play games. I couldn't play MWII when it came out because I was literally traveling for months with only my Nintendo Switch and was stuck replaying the Assassin's Creed Ezio Trilogy and Animal Crossing on it when MWII came out, lmaooo. But that doesn't mean you can't play it now or even just go watch the playthroughs on YT.

For real, they're responsible for so much false and incorrect characterizations, it's insane. From the "Gaz loves juice and playing video games, like a 14 yr old in a grown man's body uwu" to the "Price is actually an octogenarian peepaw who can't hear and doesn't know what an iPhone is" and the "Ghost is a dark and obsessive dickhead who probably tortures small animals in his free time because he's so edgy" characterizations. It's like, why are you massacring my favorite characters like this. Oh right, because they're just your little toys to play with in a sandbox with no regard for the story and context they belong to. And you've never felt the emotions of having to play as them and/or watch them die or suffer in the campaigns. Like, these people outright said to me they don't care about canon. Just, wow...

And I think one of those idiots was like "We're just interested in the story!" but bitch how are you gonna consume/understand the story without actually touching the game? From 1-minute TikToks?? They're actually so embarrassing with how bad their cognitive dissonance is.

#messages #Anonymous

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: HALO: A MasterChief Collection: Let Me Help {10}**

Master Chief Pablo x Sergeant Reader

Warning: Mild cursing, Fluff, Plot, SMUT, NSFW, 18+ Content

Words: 2.5k

Summary: You are part of the mighty SPARTANS as sergeant and a pretty badass addition to the team at that. After the failed mission on Eridanus Two and with the artifact gone, you and master chief are battered, and bloody. Healing is needed but neither of you can lose face or appear weak now.

Note: Guess who needs more fics? Master Chief!!! I’ve decided to make a Master Chief collection of standalone one-shots. They all can be read separately to understand but can also be read in sequence. I will put a number on them so anyone who is interested in reading in sequence can, but again not necessary. This might be an acquired taste, but it’s Pablo as Master Chief forever and always around these parts.  Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!!

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

Previous: On Your Six*** | Feel Something | A Night Off | Apex Predators | Truth Be Told | Confess | Unto Dawn*** | Learn Me, Learn You*** | Conceal

~~~~~~~~~

You didn’t fail. He didn’t fail. The Spartans never failed. That was not what you were created for. Still, you’d done just that. The mission on Eridanus Two was a colossal failure according to Halsey and that was putting it kindly. She was furious. As she had each of you standing there, she railed into you about how important the mission was and listing off the many ways it was a complete fuck up. she then moved on to outlining who had fucked up with what. Riz, Kai and Vannak got the least of her rage. When it came to you and John however, that was where she unleased.

 It was then you found out about John nearly attacking her and Halsey attaching a failsafe device to the back of his head that incapacitated him. You had to fight every reflex to not bug your eyes upon hearing that. You wondered what in the world prompted him to do that. When she turned to you asking where you were through the whole attack you found you had no answers for her. You didn’t know what had happened. All you knew you felt the pulse heard the screeching and heard actual words in your head then passed out. The next thing you knew, you’d woken up in the middle of the fight. You couldn’t tell her that though. You saw how she treated John like a means to an end to acquiring the artifacts. You refused to be another pawn or tool for her.

 When she dismissed the others, she kept you and John then questioned him first about him disobeying a direct order to secure the artifact to save you. Then interrogated further to what he was thinking. You knew by her questions she suspected something was off with both of you. She didn’t know the full gist yet, but you knew it was only a matter of time. When John offered her no answers just a cold face and angry eyes you knew something had happened between them and looking at Halsey, she was slightly afraid.

 Because she could, both of you were sent into lock up for a few hours as punishment. Neither of you could speak to one another, remove your armors or seek medical attention. It was an added punishment. This wouldn’t be your first time in lock up, but you wondered if it would be your last.

 As you sat in the dark with your eyes closed, you played over everything that happened before the pulse took you out and before you passed out. You went over the screeching that somehow turned into coherent words. Words that began in a different language but came around to English. You even understood the language it originated in. You didn’t know what it was, but you understood it. You focused in and tried to focus on the message. It made no sense and the more you tried to stay with it the more your head hurt. As you got something a spike of pain ripped through your head then you tasted the strong coppery liquid that was your own blood in your mouth. You dabbed under your nose and found the source. As you wiped you repeated the piece of the message you got.

 “You will save us all.”

 ~~~~~~~~

 By the time you walked out of lock up the ache in you had intensified. Halsey knew that the longer you went without proper healing procedure the pain would be worse. This was done purposely. She was sending a message. You cause me problems; I cause you pain. Fuck up again and it will be worse. You’d only been in lock up for five or six hours when it could have been all night or days. You heard her message and planned on sending one right back.

 When you made it to the barracks the others were there. They approached you but you could barely move or breathe so you took your time.  

 “Halsey shouldn’t have sent you to lock up,” Kai said first.

 You stood as straight as you could.

 “I’m a big part of why the mission failed. I needed punishment.”

 You watched John’s blood caked jaw tick.

 “Are you all right?”

 You nodded.

 “Spartans at ease. Recoup and keep your ears to the ground.”

 They nodded then walked off. You and John stood there before each other. He was assessing you as much as you were him. The two of you looked a mess, bloodied, bruised and keeping on a brave face. You could almost laugh. Almost.

 “With me, Seargeant,” John said walking out of the barracks. His movements were slower but still controlled, nonetheless.

 You tried your best to mirror him and ignored your body screaming at you to stop. When he made the third turn, a left you knew where he was leading you. Before you, an elevator opened, and you stepped on. Both of you still stood tall knowing the feed was still running. After a silent two-minute ride you walked out. John entered his code into the touch pad outside the healing bay. Once inside he opened the panel and yanked out an orange wire. If you guessed right it was probably the power to any video for the sector.

 “Aren’t you a real rebel, master chief?”

 He turned to you then crossed the room grabbing your arms. You hissed then winced from the action. He sighed.

 “I’m sorry.”

 “No worries, you should see the other guys.”

 He scoffed and shook his head. “I did.”

 You lifted your arm and pressed one of the buttons at your neck and piece of the armer opened.

 “Here, let me help,” he offered lifting off the piece of your armor that attached to your chest and back.

 He dropped it to the ground not caring if it were worth billions. He then moved to the attachments on your arms. You tried not to wince or groan too much as he removed them piece by piece. When he got to your lower half, you couldn’t hold in your whimpers any longer.

 “It’s okay, Y/N. You’re safe with me.”

 He knew you didn’t want to appear weak in front of anyone including him. He was giving you his assurance it was safe to be vulnerable with him. You were safe with him. When he took the rest of the metal off, you groaned. Though you almost toppled over you remained upright.  

 “Your turn,” you said slowly reaching for the button by his neck.

 For the next few minutes, you took off his armor in the same way he’d done for you—piece by piece, bit by bit. As you did, he didn’t release one groan or grimace. You wondered if he felt anything. When he was free of the metal and only in the one piece as you, you slowly moved to his back and unzipped the suit. Upon the first sight of his flesh, you hissed. He was red and purple everywhere.

 “Gods,” you whispered as you traced your fingertips over his injured body.

 “It’s not so bad.”

 “No? Cause you look like you are on the brink of death.”

 You peeled the suit off him leaving him bare before you. There was not one inch of skin that was not bruised or bloody. John turned to face you and your eyes scanned his well defined chest and took in the damage there. He’d been through hell tenfold.

 “Your turn.”

 “Even if I look like you?”

 John gently clasped your shoulders and turned you around so your back faced him. You then felt his heat at your ear.

 “You’re safe with me,” he whispered.

 You stood there and allowed him to undo your suit and peel it off of your frame. When it was at your feet you felt his body press to yours and his arms wrap around your abdomen. His touch was so gentle, so soft. There was no way this was the same man who’d stepped his boot through the skull of a covenant drone hours ago. They were so different, so majorly different.

 “I don’t think I’ve felt fear until today,” he whispered against your ear.

 “When you didn’t answer my call, I was scared. When I saw your body fly through the air and over the cliff I was terrified. When you weren’t moving I--.”

 You heard him swallow, it sounded like a gulp.

 “Then you being beamed--.”

 You turned to him and pressed yourself to his body.

 “I know. I felt my heart in my throat when that creature was running for you. I had to do something. I was scared too.”

 You stared at each other both using your eyes to communicate in ways your words wouldn’t achieve. John’s hand came to your jaw, and he wiped at the dried blood under your nose. Without words he led you back toward the healing bed. As you approached, it illuminated and filled with the high tech, nano inspired gel that would work its magic. John dipped his hand into then raised it. His hand was coated with the blue gel that looked like it was alive and radioactive. He gently swiped his hand against your forehead, your brow, corner of your eye, your jaw, nose, and lip. The gel was cold but instantly you felt cool relief. It would take hours to heal you completely, but surface injuries would be gone in minutes.

 His eyes bored into you and you could feel what he felt. This mission had revealed plenty to you. One, you desired more than his body, wanted more than his touch. Two, whatever was happening between the two of you was more than likely mutual and just as confusing to him as it was to you. Three, this was more dangerous than either of you had previously thought. Four, There was no way to contain it. He’d disobeyed orders and put you before it all. You’d ignored mission objective and released the artifact rather than remaining with it to possibly help later. You’d chosen him over all of it.

 John leaned to you and pressed his lips against yours. You kissed him back enjoying the feel of him. You didn’t know if the coppery taste in your mouth was his blood or yours and you didn’t care. Not right now. The kiss became more and more heated until your arms were wrapped around each other. You both moved to the center of the table and lied on your sides facing one another.

Acquiring DNA.

 The compute ran diagnostics then spoke again.

 Error, two different DNA found.

 “Proceed,” John ordered.

 Error. One pod per specimen.

 “Override,” John added.

 Authority of--

 “Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.”

 Confirmed. Welcome Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and Seargeant Second Class Y/N-144. Stand by, assessing injuries.

 You and John continued to stare at one another. He was tracing small circled just on your shoulder while you roamed your finger tips across his chest.

 Extensive injuries detected. Estimated cryo-thermo healing time three hours. Proceed?

 “Proceed.”

 Your lips met again, and the table filled with the gel. Soon, your bodies were submerged in the substance leaving your heads elevated above the surface.

 Pod enclosure initiating.

 John turned your body so your back was to his chest and he was pressed against you. You felt safe in his arms—safe with him. John kissed a path along your ear then snagged your lobe between his teeth. You moaned and snuggled closer to him. The pod closed then and the gel became a lot colder. You winched hating this part.

 “I have you.”

 You felt his hand slid down the side of your body until he reached your thigh. He lifted slightly then, and you felt his appendage seconds before he joined your bodies. You sighed then groaned. Your body was taken over by the pleasure he gave rather than the extreme cold of the cryopod. John’s moan was heady.

 “I have you,” he repeated as he slowly rocked into your body.

 With every buck of his hips, he groaned. You were impressed. You knew he was as injured as you but still had it in him. Unlike your other couplings this one was slow, and steady. It almost felt therapeutic like an entire body massage. You could feel the gel and the nanotech working. slowly your aches ached less, your muscles tensed less, and your soreness faded. You weren’t sure if John deserved most of the praise there. As he worked in and out of your body from behind you his hands caressed your skin, massaged your breasts, tweaked your nipples and even circled your greedy bud. His hands created war and pleasure and his words soothed deeper wounds. Every word he muttered and whispered against your ear and into your neck made your heart race.

 By the time the gel in the pod turned warm you knew half the cycle was complete and by that time you felt you could move. You turned in his arms breaking the joining of your bodies then slipped on top of him. While the pod wasn’t small it wasn’t large enough for you to raise to your full seated height, so you were hunched over with your body still pressed to his. The way he looked at you only made your heart lurch against your chest harder. The way he fit inside of you felt too good, too right. As you rocked against him, your body easily glided against his and made your movements even more sensual. John groaned and moaned all between repeating your name over and over.

 You felt his body tense but in seconds, you were on your side again with him between your legs rocking back and forth. His eyes were glazed and before his lips met yours, he muttered.

 “Mine.”

 You clung to him holding on as if your life depended on it. It hit you then and there you didn’t want to lose him either, you couldn’t.

 Not now and not ever.

 “Yours”, you whispered as your pleasure climbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[helix-studios117]

Halo Reloaded: Seeing Triple III

The Warthog's engine growled under Silver's deft control, its tires kicking up clouds of dust as it navigated the desolate landscape. The inside of the vehicle was thick with the tension of its three very similar, yet distinctly different occupants. Silver, with a driving style that could only be described as 'enthusiastically reckless', seemed to find a sort of grim amusement in the occasional jolt that threatened to unseat them. Chief, for his part, sat with the stoicism of a boulder, his gaze fixed on some distant point, lost in thoughts that likely weighed as heavily as his armor.

Ranger, unable to stand the silence any longer, swiveled his turret around, a mischievous glint in his one good eye. "Hey, fellas," he started, voice dripping with a blend of curiosity and the kind of cheerfulness that only comes from blissful ignorance of true despair. "How long have you been playing the galaxy's most reluctant heroes? Feels like we've got enough grimdark backstories to start our own band."

Chief let out a sigh, the sound somehow carrying all the weight of his years. "Feels like since the dawn of time. It's been a never-ending parade of enemies. Insurrectionists, Covenant, Flood, Prometheans... And now these Banished chumps. Honestly, it's like the universe has a personal vendetta against my downtime."

"Banished? No such thing where I came from. Back in my timeline, it was more about Spartans going rogue and interservice, political in-fighting." Silver waved a hand dismissively, as if brushing away the memories along with the dust that had settled on the dashboard.

"You boys make my timeline sound like a walk in the park. No Banished, just a bunch of Forerunner tech that doesn't play nice," Ranger chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. He paused, his expression turning thoughtful under his helmet. "Makes me wonder what I'm missing out on. Or not."

The topic of age came up as naturally as anything else could in a conversation held at gunpoint by existential dread. "So, how old are we talking here? I'm a sprightly 2530 baby, myself," Ranger offered, injecting a note of pride into his voice.

"2511," Chief responded, his voice as flat and unexciting as a history lecture.

"Same." Silver chuffed, glancing over at Chief with a look that could almost be considered camaraderie if one squinted.

Ranger nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, "Makes me the kid, huh? Guess that explains the youthful charm." He laughed, a sound that bounced around the Warthog's interior.

"Y'know, I got a girl back home. Spartan Linda. Tied the knot and everything. You guys would love her; she's a real charmer, once you get past the sniper rifle."

Chief's reaction was almost comical, had anyone been in the mood for comedy. A slight twitch, like he'd been zapped by a low-voltage current, betrayed his surprise. "Linda..." he echoed, the name carrying a weight that seemed to anchor him to the spot. The moment stretched, filled with unspoken thoughts and feelings, a saga of 'what-ifs' and 'if-onlys'.

"Got a thing for your Linda, huh?" Ranger nudged, his tone playful yet edged with understanding. "Can't say I blame you. If she's anything like my Linda, she's one in a trillion."

The conversation meandered from there, shifting to less emotionally charged topics... that's a lie, it got more emotional. Ranger glanced back at his companions, a new thread of curiosity weaving through his thoughts.

"You know, I've been thinking... It's weird how everyone in your world can just... interact with Forerunner tech. In my dimension, it's a no-go unless you've got this rare Forerunner genome thing going on. Which, luckily, I do." He tapped the side of his helmet, as if to punctuate his point.

Silver, who had been navigating a particularly treacherous patch of terrain, perked up at this. "Yeah? That's a thing for me too." He noted with a half-smirk, then, as if a thought struck him, he directed a queston to the other Johns. "You ever hear of someone named Makee in your world?"

Both Chief and Ranger shook their heads, their interest piqued. Chief’s voice was the first to break the ensuing silence. "Makee? That's not a name that's come up. Who is she?"

In the rearview mirror, Silver's reflection showed a man wrestling with how to frame his next words. "She was... unique. A human, but the only one who joined the Covenant, believed in their cause. She could interpret the words of the Forerunners, activate and use their tech... She's like me, but she used her abilities for them."

The weight of the story hung in the air, heavier than the gravity on Onyx. Ranger, always one to push forward, nudged the topic. "So, what happened to her?"

Silver's grip on the steering wheel tightened, the muscles in his jaw working as he chose his words carefully. "One of my Spartans killed her," he said, a simple statement that carried layers of unsaid emotion.

The silence that followed was telling, filled with a mix of curiosity and respect for the delicate subject. It was Ranger who broke it, his tone treading the line between sensitive and inquisitive. "You sound... kinda fond of her?"

There was a pause, long enough to be uncomfortable, before Silver finally let out a breathy chuckle, laden with a cocktail of emotions. "Yeah, well, she was under my custody, and... we ended up falling for each other. And, uh, she—We..." He stumbled over the words, a rarity for someone usually so sure of himself.

Chief, the ever-stoic warrior, found himself at a loss, his brain trying to reboot like an old, overworked computer. "You were... involved with a POW?"

Ranger’s reaction was a mixture of shock and an almost irrepressible urge to laugh, not out of mockery, but sheer disbelief at the complexity of Silver's situation. "And let me guess, there were... consequences to this?"

Silver sighed, a sound that was half resignation, half defiance. "If by 'consequences,' you mean a baby, then yeah. I'm raising our child. Her name's Angel."

The revelation hit like a gravity hammer. Chief looked as if he’d been physically struck, the concept so foreign and shocking to his disciplined mind that it nearly sent him into a state of system failure. Ranger, on the other hand, clamped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with the effort to contain his laughter, not at the situation itself, but at the sheer absurdity of life and how it seemed to throw curveballs at the most unexpected of times.

Silver glanced at both of his counterparts through the mirror, a sheepish yet defiant look in his eyes. "Yeah, I know. It's a mess. But she's the best thing that's come out of all this chaos. Angel, I mean."

The Warthog trundled on, the silence now filled with a new understanding, a recognition of the complexities and the unanticipated paths their lives had taken.

Chief, still processing, finally nodded, a gesture of acknowledgment if not full comprehension. Ranger, finding his composure, offered a supportive clap on Silver's shoulder, his laughter subsiding into a knowing smirk.

"Life, huh?" Ranger mused, the landscape around them unforgiving and barren, yet somehow less desolate with the sharing of their intertwined tales. "Doesn't get much crazier than this."

#halo #halo fanfic #halo fanfiction #john 117 #master chief #master chief fanfiction #master chief fanfic #halo au #halo headcanon #halo tv show #halo the series #halo tv series #halo show #halo season 1 #halo season 2 #halo series #halo paramount #halo paramount+ #halo reloaded #crack fic #ultimate halo #ultimate universe

[alienisticxo]

Before the Fever - Chapter Thirteen

{Master Chief x Reader series - TV based}

{A╱N} nobody knows how sorry i am that this took me longer than i expected it to. life outside of here has kept me so busy, and i hadn’t been writing as much as i wanted, but it’s finally done! (i edited it, but i may be editing more once i read this entire series back to inspire myself further lol) we finally get into the glorious gloriousness 🫠 thank you so much as always for hanging in! i have this whole series outlined to the end so even if it takes me a little while sometimes, i will never abandon this story, its near and dear to my heart and your comments and kudos always keep me going too! 🥹🖤

Warnings: s m u t. i didn't want to make it as raunchy as I could've, so it's just some passionate smut 🥲

I hope you enjoy! ♡ 

Chapter Thirteen - Stardust

She kissed the corner of my mouth, down to my jawline, peppering me with little acts of love, compassion. It was like she was piecing me back together again, healing the scars on my body and in my mind with nothing more than her touch.

I knew the feeling would only last as long as this continued, and I knew it wasn’t the appropriate thing to do. Not amidst the war we were fighting, not amidst the way we were on the run, but there was nothing at this point that was going to stop either of us, it seemed.

There was nothing that could’ve kept me from acting on my love for {Y/N}.

Love.

That was a hell of a word, meaningless to me, at one point. But suddenly I understood it. I felt it. I knew it. I held it, and I was capable of returning it. It still baffled me, how strongly and suddenly it came. But there was no other explanation for the way I felt for her.

Believe me, I tried to find one.

She loved me. And I could feel it in the way she touched me, in the way she responded to my touch; her soft sighs, her quiet moans. Even more, it wasn’t only in this manner. I felt it in the way she held my hand in the Condor— kept it from trembling. In the way the smile touched her eyes when I told Laera she was coming with me. I hadn’t realized I felt it when I watched her staring up at the blue sky on Halo, the sun beams catching her just right; when she opened up to me that first night on Reach, at her lowest moment under Halsey’s control.

But I know now, and so does she.

This was a new field of experience for me— the entirety of it. But something within me had been awakened, ignited. I let the same long-buried instinct from our initial kiss lead the way, responding to her effortlessly as she gave into me just as easily.

Pulling her into my arms again, I kicked off my boots and lifted her off of the set of drawers, carrying her to the hallway. There was a guest room, I remembered that being offered from my first visit. I could’ve taken her right there, my avidity pushing to take over. But I felt she deserved better— she deserved something kinder.

She deserved everything good I could give her.

Her soft lips found mine again, and I occasionally peeled a hand off of her to graze the wall until I found the correct doorknob; not wanting to break the connection we shared. When I finally did, I swung the door open and closed it shut behind us, picking up the pace to the large bed in the middle of the room.

I hardly had time to register the view of deep space through the window wall just beside us, intensifying the heat of the moment. I’d have to compliment Soren’s home when I saw him again.

{Y/N}’s dainty hands traveled along my skin in a way that was still so foreign to me, but welcome beyond belief. Never having been touched so illicitly, so fully, lent to an entirely different range of sensation in various areas of my body. I was used to Medical’s sterile and concise touch when I was forced into frivolous repairs after battle. They were needed, I was told. ‘Stay still, sit down, don’t move.’ There was no love there. No care. Not like her, not like now.

She touched me like I would break— a laughable thought in any other situation. But she allowed me the space, the breathing room. She took care in every movement, and in doing so, allowed me to feel.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was to come. I was too wrapped up in all that she was as I laid her down beneath me, carefully climbing over her. It was easy to notice how tiny she looked in comparison as we shifted to the middle of the bed, my hands on either side of her frame.

She looked up at me through a half-lidded gaze, a strap to her dress falling off of her shoulder and offering an intriguing view that I’d never expected to see. I drank {Y/N} in, possibly for the first time in such a lurid way. She was even more beautiful in a natural state like this. In the vulnerable moment that we shared— that for once, I didn’t mind sharing.

Her eyes gleamed in the starlight, and I was suddenly more lucid than I’d ever been. Her skin was smooth, holding the smallest of details. I noticed a tiny silver necklace that I hadn’t seen beneath her clothing before. It reminded me of the dog tags I only took off to shower.

But the girl surprised me when she reached down, hooking her fingers around the underwear she wore beneath her slinky gown. So easily she tugged them down and off of her legs, her eyes never leaving their fixation. Her expression had changed. There was a daring look in her eye, but it was smoldered with a desperation I’m sure my own reflected back to her. Her hand dangled off the edge of the mattress, dropping the fabric before I felt her soft fingers return to my skin.  

The urges, need, surging through me were wildly unknown and unfamiliar. They were stronger than anything I’d ever felt before, and while I was usually the king of composure, keeping a handle on it felt impossible. I wasn’t naive to the ways of these acts, I’d simply never felt the desire for them.

Until now.

God, did I need her now.

Just her. Only her.

Always.

———

John looked like a god in the flesh above me, his powerful build just outlined enough in the low light of the vivid stars that hung in the atmosphere just beyond the window. He stared down at me through intensely curious eyes, raking over what he could see of my body. I silently hoped he enjoyed it.

The way he reacted let me know that he did.

He was only half dressed, the top gone but the bottom very much in place. Despite the passion of the moment building all at once, our hands and lips finding one another again, clamoring for any amount of skin we could find, it was still quite easy to feel how aroused he’d become. That alone sent me even higher than I already felt, the faint throbbing between my own thighs becoming more and more apparent; hard to ignore or control.

But I was sure I didn’t want to control it anymore.

Together, it was enough to have me decide I’d help him, taking the underwear I wore off and tossing it aside. To egg him on, let him know without words that he was exactly what I wanted, what I needed— more than anything and anyone in this entire universe. To show him that it was okay to keep going, to take it as far as we possibly could.  

And maybe it was bold to assume that’s what was going to be needed; that that’s what was going to come next. But there was no other act of passion we could partake in that would’ve expressed our love for each other any better than that. Without words, we spoke the same language. We felt one another’s burning desire along with our own.

After a few seconds of intense hesitation, John leaned down again, placing kiss after kiss on the flesh of my throat, eliciting heavy exhales from my lungs. I wanted to breathe him, to have him become a part of me, and me a part of him— entirely.

It wasn’t much longer before I felt his hand on my thigh, brushing it higher and higher until he was pulling the dress from me. My body seemed to arch all on its own to offer him an easier way to remove it, and he tossed the silky fabric aside.

I’d never felt more beautifully exposed to anyone than I had to him at that moment. His hands continued to roam, large digits exploring every curve and divet of my form— caressing; taking the time to relish in me as though he’d never have me again.

His hands were excitingly rough, but held the same delicate touch that they had before as one slid up my waist and over my breasts. He squeezed one, and then the other, a gentle fervency in his hold as his lips explored beneath my ear, traveling to the peak of my clavicle.

He trailed lower and lower until he found my nipples, his mouth wrapping around them as he took his time with both, tongue swirling and lapping lightly until he’d been satisfied with the reaction it pulled from me; a soft gasp in the quietness of the night, my fingers digging into his toned back as it contracted under my hands, and my shoulder blades pressed against the bed.

My core grew warmer by the second, and I squirmed just slightly beneath him, unable to get any kind of grip on my need for him. I was a willing victim to the way he worked at me, his lips moving to my rib cage and back up again to meet mine feverishly, as though he’d been teasing himself just as much.

There was no telling how experienced or not he’d been, the thought only briefly crossing my mind as he seemed to bring every ounce of ecstasy out of me with such ease. He almost seemed to know my body better than I did as his fingers found all the right places, his lips kissed all the right spots, assuring us both that I was warmed up beyond the point of simply being ready for what I so desired.  

I hoped he knew that he could have me forever and even longer after as my own hands began to glide down his sides, fingers rising and falling between the ridges of his own torso; the muscles that rippled and flexed beneath my touch growing warmer with each pass.

Finding the bottom half of his under armor, I tugged down on it intently. But getting him undressed seemed like an impossible feat for someone as fragile as myself in comparison.

It was no wonder these Spartans were so well protected.

But John took notice of this right away, his hand reaching down, brushing against mine to help me get him out of the final article that kept any barrier between us.

It was then that I pulled him down against me as much as I could with the height difference, the metal of the tags he wore around his neck now burning my skin in the most delightful way. I inhaled, his natural scent mixed with the soap he used filling my lungs. Concentrating on every sense I could, it was easy to get lost within him.

My lips pressed against the inside of his neck, the stubble of his jaw grazing my cheek as I kissed back along to his mouth. I could feel every single sensation infinitely, every single nerve ending inflamed with a sweet emblazonment I knew only he could offer me for the rest of my time in the universe.

The moment was so intense, so close to the final act of ultimate devotion.

Our problems, our achievements, our standings and otherwise, all fell away once more— even further into the abyss than they had when we’d danced. It was him and I all over again. Every thought was focused on John. Every feeling enveloped in him entirely.

And I didn’t want to close my eyes; to miss any of the reactions he could possibly have to me. But when he held me captive in the euphoria that was his kiss, there was no stopping the way my eyes fell shut.

And so my other senses kicked in, raising goosebumps along my silky skin as his warm tongue made passage into my mouth, grazing against mine in a heated contest of taste.

The heat that radiated in my center only spread; every small movement, every quiet groan between us, building me up further. My fingers drifted down John’s back gently before moving to take his hand. Once our fingers were intertwined, he pinned my palm back down against the comforter, squeezing it in a needy, but gentle way. I returned the energy, knowing exactly how he felt in the depths of my soul.

I lifted my hips to meet his, a soft buck of his own telling me he was just as ready. The friction was more than I could bear as I moaned against his mouth. His large frame shifted over me, repositioning himself as I opened my eyes again. I had to get another look at him. I had to commit him to memory in this moment, just as I hoped he would do with me as his eyes drifted back to mine.

No one had ever made me feel so combustible. No one had ever made me feel so delicate. John’s touch was like electricity, even the slightest brush sending me over the moon a million times as though it was a direct connection to my dopamine supply.

And then, after all of the anticipation, after the moment had been finessed to the point of no return…

I finally felt him…

as close to me as humanly possible, as bonded to each other as we might ever be in any way.

It was as though the entire universe had fallen apart just to accommodate us; the feeling of my life flashing before my eyes, but in the sweetest, most exhilarating way possible. I was inexplicably lost and found in the same second, a blissful reality I never wanted to leave.

My head spun as I felt John sink into me, evoking an immediate  exhale from the very depths of my lungs, followed by a moan I tried my best to suppress in the silence. The largeness of his length shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the feeling was delectably satisfying, impressive, as he pushed into my slick walls.

It was the groan that escaped him that rang in my ears like music— the most beautiful music I’d ever experienced. Never had I heard someone sound so laced with desire and yet, somehow, relief. As though this was the only thing that he’d ever really needed in his entire life, and now it was all his.

He pulled his hips back slowly, his jaw was tight as he hovered over me. His searching gaze never left my face, treating me as though I were the most important mission in the galaxy, something to be sure of; something he had to assure himself of; to know I was okay and taken care of above all else.

My mouth was slightly agape as I held his stare the best I could, my arms reaching to lock around the back of his neck. Pulling him down as close to me as possible, I never wanted to lose him. I would simply lose myself if I came close.

The thought would’ve scared me senseless in any other moment. But I was too far gone to think about how easy losing each other actually could be.

John sunk himself into me once more, deeper this time, with a bit more fervency. My body reacted before my mind could catch up, my back arching, chest lifting upwards. Another soft moan fell from my lips. If I could’ve been any closer to him, I would’ve been.

I needed John like I needed air.

“Oh, John…” I murmured against his open mouth as he leaned in to kiss me, my leg moving to hook around his.

He leaned up just a bit more to gain better purchase, beginning to thrust then. He was slow and calculated, his hand on my thigh to pull me closer as I held my leg around him. I bit into my own lower lip, tugging on it in another attempt at keeping quiet as he carried on. His stare burned right through me, intense and full of a love I’d never seen in anyone’s eyes before— no less staring back into mine.

My breathing seemed to escape me, his own chest beginning to heave. And every time he buried himself between my thighs, my heart felt as though it might stop. Needy fingertips found any flesh they could then, gripping onto him, nails running along his body as I became plagued with the urge to touch, to be touched; to encourage every movement he so beautifully made into me and against me.

The pleasure was so immense, the connection between us so extraordinary, that as we found ourselves irrevocably entangled within one another, my eyes seemed to grow wet on their own. There was no situation I’d ever been in before in my life that felt as striking and deep.. as perfect as this. I was awash with an emotion that, for once, even I wasn’t sure how to navigate.

John’s voice was a gentle growl in my ear as he leaned closer again, his pleasure deriving from me, all me, only me, as he bit into my neck. It was gentle, yet full of haste, my only response being a moan and a show of just what my nails could do to his solid back before wrapping around his broad shoulders.

Though the moment was full of sensuality, vulnerability and broken down walls, I’d never felt more safe.

My hips began to meet his, the blissful friction within my walls radiating wave after wave in all the right places. I was already hot to the touch with him, easily aroused and even easier to get to the finish line. No matter how badly I wanted the moment to last, it was impossible to keep the pleasure at bay. The way he picked up his movements just fractionally so, I got the sense that he was in the same situation.

The minutes felt like hours in the most sublime way as they passed by; as I fought to keep time stretched forever. But when John shifted, his taut member caressing already sensitive spots within me, I felt my control leave. My chest rose and fell, hands exploring his now hot flesh. His hand reached behind my head, and his fingers tangling in my hair with an instinctual ease that didn’t surprise me as he pulled at my roots lightly.

While I reacted to his pleasure, he reacted right back, acting accordingly to my every dead give away. My release was right around the corner, and as I felt the way he thrusted into me just a little harder; just a little quicker, I knew we were on the same track to beautiful oblivion.

His soft grunts mixed with my quiet moans, both of us becoming just a little louder, no matter how badly I wanted to cry out for him. My walls tightened around his throbbing shaft, my swollen bud spiking each time his hips rubbed against mine. The stars seemed to cast their shine a bit brighter over us as he held my gaze, his light eyes burning through me. There was a romance to the moment that I immediately knew I’d never have again.

Not with anyone else, anyway.

The inside of my thighs were coated with my arousal for him, his ease of gliding in and out sending me straight to the heavens. I finally cursed, gasping as I reached out for him again, taking what was mine and claiming it. There was nothing I ever wanted more than to feel every last inch of him, than to have his strong build smother me in the affection he so willingly offered with no sight of being released from it. And when I felt his body tense, his thrusts grow sloppier, more animalistic, carnal, I lost all control I had left just as he did.

When my name fell from his lips like a prayer, I’d never felt more idolized. I only hoped he felt the same as I returned the sentiment, his name leaving a sweet taste in my mouth each time I murmured it back to him.

My mind drew a blank as the knot in my stomach finally pulled free. There was nothing driving me any further other than John and the way he so spectacularly sent wave after wave of ecstasy coursing from my core outward, the sensation washing over every limb as goosebumps rose on my flesh and my breath left my lungs.

My walls drew him in with a euphoric ease, craving him all on my own, the wetness I’d already felt between us only growing as he continued to push through his climax. I rolled my hips beneath him, suddenly shifting into wanting nothing other than to satisfy him just as much as I was being satisfied, to heighten every sizzling nerve ending that connected within him.

His voice was a velvety rasp, his brow furrowing. His breath was hot against my skin as he leaned back down, his lips brushing against my own, suffocating me beautifully with the love we held so deeply and vulnerably for each other. His mouth moved downward, kissing and nipping at my jaw, my neck, as my frame moved with his.

I cursed happily, my voice a saccharine moan. Unable to catch my breath, my body trembled slightly beneath him as I felt another point of pressure building once more. I wondered just briefly if he could handle it to continue, but without much more time to think, I slid back into another peak, my back arching at the pleasurably painful overstimulation. Even if we’d truly been alone, the entire universe might’ve heard the way I wanted to scream, anyway.

My voice was louder this time, though probably still quite quiet in the grand scheme. His eyes met mine again, and I could see the satisfaction written all over his features as he absorbed every ounce of emotion and ecstasy I showed him— that he caused me.

While I wanted to grip onto the comforter, I couldn’t bear the idea of my hands leaving him. I couldn’t tolerate even thinking about being disconnected from his person. And as I rode out my second climax, my walls gripped his length relentlessly, no doubt over stimulating him right back. But he carried on, the look in his eye needing to satisfy me, needing to allow me any pleasure he could, deriving his own pleasure from it.

If I could collect a thought or two, I’d blame the stamina on being a Spartan.

The feeling was blissful as it sizzled into a slow burn, its radiant spread through my veins and under my skin retracting back to my entrance once more like molasses. I was still thoughtless, and John was still very much focused on the task at hand as he slowed to a stop. We were both breathless, entangled within one another as though parting might destroy us and all that we were.

He pulled himself from between my thighs carefully, almost reluctantly so. While the eye contact was still intense, there was something softer about it. Something warm, and sweet. It was as though we were both being dipped back into the world we were in, unhurriedly, deliciously, together. Something had changed, wonderfully so. Where I’d certainly felt like we were two halves of a whole, I now felt like there were no longer any halves at all.

We had simply meshed into one.

Thoughts began to ease their way back into my mind, though hazily so. And I could see the coherence return to him as he caught his breath— much easier than I. It was when a hint of a smirk touched his lips, that I felt myself smile in return.

I allowed my hands to drift from his jaw, down his biceps, dancing lazily over his muscles, absently in awe of what had just happened. I never wanted to move from the spot we were in. I wanted to relive it over and over until we were both spent— and then I wanted to relive it again.

After another beat, John scooped me up into his large arms, pulling me close with him as he laid on his side. We faced each other, his arm draped over me, both of us still coming down from the highs we stunningly inflicted on each other. The minutes felt timeless all over again as we savored what remained, not another word between us.

My eyes fluttered shut just briefly as his hand reached up to brush a few strands of -what I was sure to be matted, now- hair from my face. But as he began to smile, really smile, I felt my heart leap in a million different styles behind my rib cage.

I wasn’t sure I’d seen a full blown smile from him before. It was dazzling, completely infectious. It felt like a secret, or like some kind of hidden talent that the rest of the world was forbidden to see. I smiled in return, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead, the tenderness I was beginning to enjoy shining through.

“I’ll protect you with my life,” he murmured, his expression solemn again.

Be it that his life’s mission was to protect, to potentially die for his objective, or that the seriousness in his tone was unlike anything else I’d heard him say, that sentiment felt even heavier than the ‘I love you’ we shared before our rendezvous. I nodded ever so slightly, my hand reaching up to rest atop his as he held it on the side of my head. I squeezed his hand gently.

“I would die for you,” I expressed softly in return, my tone just as heavy, just as sincere.

And I meant it.

I really did.

-x-x-x-

Tags: @allthelovefromstylesxx, @grimistangel, @guiltgoldglory, @laurenstacy610​ 

thank you guys so much as always!! it means a lot that you look forward to my lil story! ♡

#master chief x reader #master chief fanfiction #master chief fanfic #halo #halo fanfic #halo fanfiction #master chief #reader fanfiction #halo paramount #halo the series #halo the show #Pablo Schreiber #pablo schreiber x reader #fanfiction #fanfic #halo tv series #halo tv #reader insert #john 117 #Halo Paramount+

[goldencherriess]

Waterloo || Loki x Mortal! Fem! Reader

Pairing: Loki x Mortal! Fem! Reader

Word count: 2.7k

Summary: Loki finds her again and suddenly the skies turn blue.

Warnings: a sprinkle of angst that's basically insignificant because the whole chapter is fluffy and romantic

A/N: dropping an author's note here, before you start reading, just so I explain something. This chapter takes place during the silver jubilee of the queen, in the 70s. In no way did I do that on purpose, as she died recently. It's just pure coincidence. I needed a historical event that happened in the 70s in UK, and this one seemed to be perfect, as it could build up to a meet-cute. This is just a piece of fanfiction and it should be treated as such. Other than that, have fun reading xx

Previous part || Series masterlist

6 February 1977

London was a city of cloudy skies and rainy days. But the rare moments in which the sun decided to smile through them, brought sunshine into Y/N's heart.

She just let the sunrays kiss her face, as she took off her sunglasses and put them on her head. There were several United Kingdom flags fluttering in the wind that day. They were adorning the street lights and corners. The traffic was frozen, the boulevards letting open space to take over. People milled around her in groups, smiling excitedly and if she could pay close attention, she could hear the static sounds of the TVs and radios being carried by the breeze through the windows and balconies.

Today marks the Silver Jubilee of Her Highness, Queen Elizabeth II. Celebrations are held in front of the Buckingham Palace...

A cold wind picked up and she suddenly regretted for leaving the house without a jacket. Despite the sun shining through the clouds, the winter was still in full swing. She tightened the woolly, red scarf around her neck before she let her feet carry her forward to the crowd applauding in front of the Palace.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Loki hated crowds. It made him feel dizzy and breathless. Why did he ever come at all when all he got was a pounding in his head after some girl's way too sweet perfume tickled his nostrils when she passed by him? It twisted his stomach in notches.

But he knew why. He searched for her in every crowd, in every face. His heart broke a little bit more every time he couldn't seem to find her eyes, to see her sparkle in them. Sometimes, when he laid in bed at night, his mind would drift off to that fateful Christmas morning and he wondered if things were to be different if he was just awake. Aware. Present. But then, he scolded himself. It wasn't worth thinking about it. Because recalling that morning hurt like shards stuck in skin.

But she would always be worth the heartbreak.

The stomping of the horses' reached his ears and his gaze slipped towards a carriage. He recognized her from the magazines and the newspapers. The mortals called her a queen. She was waving towards the crowd, smiling. He breathed in, turning away from the scene when the wind blew, a red scarf hitting his face.

''Oh, that's mine, sorry!''

Music to his ears. Her voice. Loki could recognize her voice in sleep and in daydreams. It was at that moment that he started to believe in fate. There was no denying now. He could find her even at the end of time, but she still would be his. An underlying truth. A predestined moment.

He took away the scarf from his face and his eyes met hers. They were the same, even after all these years and he wondered if she was a beauty frozen in time. No matter how many times they'd meet, how many times her eyes would look into his, Loki would always feel mesmerized by her. As if he would saw for the very first time.

He handed her the scarf and she started smiling. ''Thank you.'' And then her eyebrows scrunched. ''Uh, pardon me, but do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar.''

Déjà vu.

''Maybe from another life.'' Loki replied, the corner of his eyes crinkling in a smile. She wore the sunrays around her head like a halo and it almost blinded him.

She laughed, shaking her head. ''Maybe.'' She then held her hand to shake his and Loki felt electricity flowing through them, pinching his skin. ''I'm Y/N.''

I know.

''Loki.''

''Would you like to get out of this crowd, Loki? Go somewhere nice?''

''Yes.''

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The heels of her boots were clinking against the pavement, almost in a drum manner. Her steps reflected one of those songs he heard the other day in passing. A reckless serenade. Loki glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and saw her shivering. He took off his own jacket and put it on her shoulders gently. ''You looked cold.'' he shrugged when she looked up at him questionably.

''Then you should take this.'' She took off her scarf and wrapped it around his neck, standing on her tip toes. She was close enough for him to inhale her perfume. Sweet with a hint of musk. ''A trade.'' she added as she took a step back.

Loki touched the scarf, the wool biting him slightly. The red of it stood out to him, screaming at him to remember something. And then he did. She wore it the very first time he ever laid eyes on her, all those centuries ago. Funny how fate weaves life into a full circle. He lifted his head and locked eyes with her. Her nose was slightly red from the cold. ''Thank you.''

She threw him a soft smile before her gaze drifted off to a shop in the corner of the street. Her face lit up and she took him by the hand, dragging him across the road. ''Do you drink coke?''

Loki's eyebrows pinched together. The word didn't ring a bell. He stopped trying midgardian things as they didn't bring him any joy without her besides him. ''It would be the first time, actually.'' he said in a meek voice.

''Then, you totally should try it!''

The sliding doors of the shop opened and she excitedly ran to the fridges, still holding his hand in hers. She opened one fridge, the cold hitting her and Loki in one freezing wave. Her flushed face cooled off and she took out two bottles, but Loki's hand on hers stopped her in her tracks. ''Just take one.''

Confusion overtook her features. ''Why?''

''Maybe I won't like it. Better safe than sorry.''

Her eyes studied him, searching for an answer, before she let a smile bloom on her lips. ''Yeah, okay. It's cheaper.''

And she was off to the cash register, leaving a rather starstruck Loki near the freezing refrigerators.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The drink was bursting colours and aromas on his tongue. It exploded. The coke was fizzing, pinching on his tongue, and swirling around. It was a sweet drink, much different than anything he had ever drunk before. It reminded him of cold afternoons and afire sunsets.

Y/N's eyebrows were raised as she watched him for a reaction. ''Well? Do you like it?''

Loki chuckled. ''It's a fun drink, certainly.''

She put her hands on her hips, looking up at him. ''Is that a yes or a no, mister Loki?''

He laughed again, looking deeply in her eyes. ''It's a yes.''

She squealed in triumph, before snatching the bottle from him. She wrapped her lips around the rim, taking a sip, her gaze never wavering from his. ''Say, where are you from?''

Loki's smile dropped. ''What?''

''Well, I mean you're not from here, are you?''

He avoided her gaze, as he took a few steps forward. The clinking of her heels told him she wasn't too far behind. ''How'd you figure that one out?''

''It's the way you hold yourself. Almost royally like.''

He stopped walking, turning to her. Her familiar words struck him. Even after all this time, he would still be surprised at how things repeated themselves. As if they were a broken record. As if he was a character stuck in a movie and Y/N was just playing herself over and over again. Or maybe he was just a spectator and the movie would end soon. He gulped thickly. ''I'm from far away.''

She hummed, content with the answer. ''I'm not. Born and raised in London. At least that's what I know. I never met my real parents.''

''Who raised you, then?'' he inquired even though he already knew the answer.

Y/N suddenly became shy, putting one hand in Loki's jacket and taking another sip of Coca Cola. ''His name is Garwin. I call him father, though.'' She nervously laughed. ''And I don't really know why I'm telling you all this. It's just- I feel like I can, as if I know you. Does that make any sense?''

Loki's heart swelled up. ''It does.''

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The sun was now slowly dipping down the horizon and Y/N was holding Loki's hand with a familiarity that warmed her soul. Every now and then, she would glance at him only to find him already looking at her. In that moment, blood coloured her cheeks in red and she had to avert her gaze just so she could remind herself how to breath again. She brought the drink to her lips, the rich aroma of it washing away some of her nerves.

''If you could, would you freeze time?'' Loki asked, taking his eyes off of her for the first time that day and looking at the sun setting through the buildings.

''No.'' she answered without hesitation.

''No?'' he turned his head towards her in surprise.

''No, why should I?''

''You'd get to live any moment forever. Wouldn't that be sweet?''

She shook her head, strands of hair falling into her eyes. ''It would lose its meaning. It's not a moment anymore. It's just... a tiresome eternity. Life's about living in the moment. Carpe diem, you know?''

Loki hummed, thinking, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. ''And if you had eternity?''

''I wouldn't want that either. It sounds lonely.''

Lonely.

A pang went through his chest. If she only knew how much he had missed her these past years, how he felt nights as heavy blankets crushing him and days like ovens burning his soul alive. If she only knew how she was the only remedy to all his misery, how with just a smile she soothed all his pain. How after all this time, he still chose her.

''I suppose you're right.'' he whispered into the evening.

''I'm always right.'' she joked, winking.

Then, a few musical notes travelled to them, through an open window and Y/N raised a finger to his lips, ears listening in. ''Wait, you hear that?''

Loki furrowed, slightly dazed by the feeling of her finger against his lips and he had to fight the urge to press a gentle kiss on it.

My, my

At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender

Y/N gasped, eyes lighting up and grinning. ''ABBA! Oh, I love this song, Loki! Dance with me, please?''

Oh, yeah

And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way

Loki let out a chuckle escape his lips at her eagerness and took the bottle out of her hands, drinking from it one last time before throwing it away in a bin. Meeting her eyes, he gently clasped her left hand in his and lifted it to his lips, caressing it where a ring would be.

The history book on the shelf

Is always repeating itself

He twirled her around to the beat of the song, her laugh rising into the air.

Waterloo

Promise to love you forever more

Y/N then brought him closer, their chests touching. She smiled up at him before twirling him, standing on her tip toes as he was much taller than her, even when wearing heels.

Waterloo

Knowing my fate is to be with you

The street was spinning and his heart almost beat out of his chest. Loki met her gaze as she took a few steps forward and two steps back, hips moving and he tried to meet her moves, the cold air getting to his head.

So how could I ever refuse

I feel like I win when I lose

If he could close his eyes and listen in, he could hear the beating of both their hearts, hands holding, skin on skin. She glided towards him, hugging his waist with her free hand. He opened his eyes and looked down at Y/N. The sunset was casting orange hues over her face. She was glowing.

Finally facing my Waterloo

She tilted her head slightly towards him, noses touching. Their chests rose up and down, breathless and her eyelashes tickled his cheeks. ''Let me walk you home.'' he whispered against her lips.

''Alright.''

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The stars were twinkling in the sky, emitting a silver lining against the dark streets. Y/N was humming under her breath a song, swinging Loki's hand in hers back and forth, eyes fluttering shut in exhaustion.

He turned to look at her, admiring the way her hair bathed in the low silvery light of the stars. He thought she was only missing a pair of angel wings. A ghost of a smile was painting her lips and Loki felt his own lips curling up.

Her giggle broke through the silence, eyes opening. ''I just realized something.''

''What did you realize, darling?'' replied Loki softly.

''Out of everyone who could have caught my scarf, you did. It could had been anyone, really. But it wasn't.

''It must had been fate, then.''

Her eyes crinkled happily, the shadow of a smile. Silence settled over them both, the moon high in the sky. They passed by a tailor shop and Y/N abruptly stopped, looking through the windows. Loki turned to look at her, but didn't dare to break the tranquility. Her eyebrows were scrunched up, a look of longing in her eyes. ''I want to buy a sewing machine.'' she eventually said, not taking her eyes off of the mannequins and fabrics. ''I want to learn how to make dresses, and pants and those beautiful blouses that only rich people seem to afford, but it's only the fabric's quality giving that illusion.''

''You'd be great at it.'' said Loki, sure of his words. Because she had done it before, her hands were made to convert textiles into exquisite clothing, to play them into shimmering dreams.

''You really think so?'' Y/N asked, meeting his eyes, emotions swirling in them.

Loki nodded. ''I know so.'' He really did. How could he not when he saw her doing it before? Les petites mains. Her hands worked magic with a sewing machine and a few velvety fabrics.

She smiled. ''When's your birthday, Loki?''

''Why do you ask?''

Y/N shyly shrugged. ''So, maybe I can make you something. A green scarf. It would suit you.''

''That's very sweet of you, darling, but I'd rather much prefer you spending time with me.''

A pink dusted her cheeks. ''I'll still make you something.''

''As you wish.'' he smiled.

She skipped a few steps, before stopping in front of him. ''My birthday is on 25th of December.''

Loki froze. 25th of December. ''That's-''

''On Christmas, I know.''

On Christmas.

''What year?'' he asked shakily.

''1950. Why?''

1950. 25th of December 1950. The same day she died, hitting her head on an icy street. The same day he lost his heart again, only to somehow find it twenty seven years later. An ironic laugh threatened to escape his lips. Time and fate. Fate and time.

''No reason at all, darling. Just happy to find you.'' he replied, taking her hand.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Her house was one covered in ivy vines. A few cracks broke through the smooth surface of it and Loki realized it was an old one. A house that saw many centuries, perhaps. He quickly came to the conclusion that it was the same house her father's banquet was held in all those centuries ago.

She stopped walking in front of the door, turning her whole body towards him. ''You can't come in, my father's home.''

Loki swore he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. ''That's alright. Wasn't expecting to get invited in, anyway.''

Suddenly remembering his jacket draped over her, she hastily tried taking it off, only for Loki's cold hands to stop her. ''No, please, keep it. It's yours now.''

She lifted her head to meet his gaze, before her eyes slid over to her scarf around his neck. ''Then, you keep the scarf.'' She stood on her tip toes, planting a kiss on his cheek. ''A trade.'' she whispered.

Smiling ever so lightly, she opened the door. ''Good night, Loki.''

''Good night., darling''

And then, he was left alone on the porch, cheeks red and eyes sparkling.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

A/N: And so they meet again... Dancing definitely became their thing, as I wrote a dancing scene in every chapter so far. Also, can you imagine Loki wearing one of those high waisted and flared, 70s pants? Cause I can't lmao.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. Any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated. If you want to be added to my main tag list or the series tag list, comment under this post or send me an ask!

Main tag list: @bohemianrhapsody86 @andreead

Series tag list: @mischief2sarawr @mochie85 @strrvnge @salempoe @xorpsbane @huntress-artemiss @123forgottherest @glitterylokislut @lokidbadguy

#Spotify #loki x fem!reader #loki x female reader #loki x reader #loki #x reader #marvel x reader #mcu #mcu x reader #reincarnation au #soulmates au #reader insert #fanfic writing #writing #my writing #masterlist #laura writes #time after time

[pelgraine]

Halo dragon AU fic idea:

In the days after Kai removes her pellet and they've started working together on Sangheili translations, Miranda realizes something curious about the Spartans. Despite being battle hardened killing machines with encyclopaedic knowledge of weaponry and warfare, they are also naive and impressionable in other ways. It concerns her that someone might take advantage of Kai, or the others, while their still in the phase of learning about the wider world.

Miranda takes an opportunity one afternoon to explain to Kai that she shouldn't follow any advertisements or signs for free puppies or free kittens home until she's properly investigated the situation.

The following day, Kai is seen with what appears to be a very juvenile winged reptile perched on one shoulder. When questioned her excuse is, well, Miranda didn't say anything about 'Free Baby Dragons!'

The other Spartans are so intrigued and delighted by the tiny scaly beast that Kai promises to find one for each of them because she now knows a guy.

ONI are horrified at the influx of likely lethal and dangerous pets. Halsey gets roped in to talk to the Spartans. There's lectures terribly similar to the ones they've all heard in their youth; that Spartans should care for each other and nothing else.

Various attempts are made to seperate the baby dragons from their respective Spartans. Teeth, claws, several small fires and a jailbreak or three later, they eventually discover the dragons are irreparably bonded to their chosen Spartan and cannot be seperated, despite all the attempts to the contrary. One very frustrated ONI lieutenant finally shoots a dragon with his pistol and is wounded when the bullet rebounds. The Spartans are delighted to discover dragonhide is bullet proof.

ONI invariably gets even more involved and there's a number of experiments to try and procure more dragons and bond them with various marines and ODSTs. All the attempts fail, many rather spectacularly.

Ackerson is tearing his hair out because he's convinced this is some nefarious plot Halsey has conducted, even though she's had nothing to do with it and is just as clueless as he is (but is hiding it better.)

Eventually she's the one who cottons on to the fact that the Forerunner-like DNA that is specific to Spartans might be the cause for the bonding being successful.

That theory is disproven when, after Kai gifts a dragon egg to Miranda, the hatchling bonds to her immediately.

Halsey discovers the novel experience of being genuinely jealous of one of her daughter's achievements. Miranda is so delighted by it all that she smiles brightly all the time nowadays which makes nearly everyone who comes into contact with her smile too.

Halsey does not get a dragon baby to bond with her. The one she tries with - secretly, in her lab - escapes and has since been found following John around and attempting to snuggle with Cortana whenever she materialises. Cortana immediately cottons on to what's happening and tries to be more present and available, though indeed she's not really sure how the little hatchling imprinted on an AI nor how to fix it.

#halo tv show #halo series #halo fanfiction #silver timeline #here there be dragons au #kai 125 #miranda keyes #catherine halsey

[morganas-pendragons]

fragments | the master chief

This is entirely @embarrassedauthornerd fault. She sent me the idea when I said that I wanted to write John fic for the show, and this happened. It will be multiple parts. Please tell me what you think. Likes tell me nothing. Reblogs, comments, anything is appreciated!

and if you'd like to be tagged, please let me know! this contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Halo. Female!Reader. Enjoy!

***

Things are coming back to him in fragments. Memories. Soft, monochromatic pictures and faces of people he was not supposed to forget. John knows deep in his heart - something that is never supposed to lead his actions, but here he is anyway on the run from the UNSC - that what he keeps seeing every time he touches the object is something Halsey took from him.

He wants to hate her, but how can he? She raised him. Morphed him into who he is. Catherine Halsey was the sculpter of everything The Master Chief is known for.

What John fails to understand is why you are in them. There are two adults, rolling hills and a white dog, and a girl who smiles at him like he is the reason for her happiness.

The imagery always shifts though. Your face is the only one that does. The rest is pure, untainted, hidden away in the corners of his mind, and only triggered by the object that cannot be named.

When you are not smiling, you are screaming.

And that petrifies him. The infamous Master Chief Petty Officer, the pride of the military and humanity, is afraid of and for you.

You should be looking harder for me, John. Look deeper.

He's only just finished his conversation with Halsey in his cell when he dares to broach the topic. She's been regarding him with such a soft look, such a look of concern but he knows it's just masking the intrigue for whatever he endured when he touched the object the second time. Data. Catherine Halsey lives and breathes discoveries.

117 has to learn autonomy: He is not hers, he is not a tool. That's right, John. You're human. Blood and flesh and bone with a heart that is only yours. No one can take that from you.

John swallows the knot in his throat and carefully considers his words.

"I've been seeing something else. Another person I don't remember. There are people. Multiple."

"Oh? And who might this be?"

He pauses and closes his eyes again to picture you. Shimmering hair that's a color he can't quite discern, eyes that seem to stare right through and into him, hands that cradle his face and run thumbs against his jawline just gentle enough that the touch is almost imperceptible.

The image flickers. You're smiling, then screaming, and then there is simply darkness. No other memories remain. He is so desperate to know you. Who are you? Why do you make him feel safe? What are these memories that are just out of his grasp?

"A girl." His expression is grave as he meets Halsey's gaze. "Not just a normal girl either. I knew her. Well. And I can't-I need to remember her."

Halsey flashes one of those smiles - that condescending, wicked smile - before she gently squeezes his hand and stands to her feet. "No, John." She replies cooly. The way she so easily brushes off his pleas speaks volumes. "You don't need to remember. That's not the mission here. The mission is to understand the effects of the artifact and what it contains inside."

The mission is to understand the weapon, John. You are not a priority. Your desires are secondary to that of the UNSC. You are a tool. A weapon. And weapons do not get to plead to remember fragments of memories that may not even be real.

John gives a curt nod as she slips out the door and disappears. He is alone with his thoughts. His dreams.

He dreams of dancing. Something he'd never seen himself doing, but someone had coaxed him into doing it after a lengthy lesson. He'd stumbled over his feet at first and had blushed through his embarrassment, but you had simply brushed it off with a shy smile and encouraged him to try again.

So he did. That night, John dreams of dancing.

As John sleeps, Halsey paces. She knows exactly what he is talking about. That girl had been the other candidate to be conscripted into the Spartan 2 program at the beginning of her work. She had failed the preliminary checklist and had been removed, effective immediately.

Or they'd tried to until John had become attached to her. And well, attachments for Spartans are forbidden. The UNSC cannot allow their prized Spartan to be attached.

So they'd done what they saw fit. They had broken that girl down to the very fabric of what makes a human human, wiped it clean, and reprogrammed her to be their best.

Their best headhunter.

The one with fragmented memories of a boy.

****

"343."

You're standing at parade rest in the center of the communications hub, cold eyes flickering back and forth against your HUD as you watch what is going on around you. According to the comms, Sierra 117 had just been brought in and placed under arrest until further notice.

The term sounded familiar to you. 117. Something that sounded as if it belonged in a dream.

You had yet to mention to Halsey, or Paragonsky, or the Keyes that you were having dreams. Vivid ones. Snapshots of something that appeared to be fragments of memory - there are always people and settings and laughter and joy, something you'd forgotten how to remember a long time ago - but in the back of them is always a boy. He's always there. Always watching.

And you can't reach him.

"Sierra 343."

You snap to attention, silently cursing yourself for your lack of attentiveness as you turned to acknowledge the Admiral. "Ma'am?" You reply casually. "Orders?"

"Your attention is clearly elsewhere," Paragonsky remarked. "Do you have an opinion to interject about the Master Chief?"

The Master Chief. Sierra 117.

You freeze. That's it. That's how you know him. John. His name-His name is John... why don't I remember? Why did they make me forget?

"Who is the Master Chief?"

Her brow furrows. Everyone in the UNSC knows who John is. Halsey was his creator, the one who turned him into this, and he had taken his role rather seriously up until what had happened on Madrigal. Paragonsky was still baffled at the lack of discipline by the Spartan. He was their best, and here he'd deflected.

"Catherine," Paragonsky called out, drawing the attention of the doctor as she turned away from the holo-table to acknowledge the Admiral. "We need to speak about an important matter. Please, come join me."

The three of you walked a distance away from the bustle of the communications hub to talk in private. You didn't dare utter a word. Your mind was elsewhere, desperately trying to connect the pieces together of memories that still made no sense.

"You..." Soft laughter bubbled past your lips as the two of you swayed back and forth, bathed in the darkness of the impending night and completely hidden away from the world. "You do realize we are both in trouble if we get caught?"

John nodded and pressed his forehead deeper to yours. It didn't matter. Something told him that something was about to go wrong and that it all involved you. You were just beginning the Spartan preliminary background training to see if you were eligible. You were young. So young.

Too young to know the pain of an ending.

"For you? I'd risk anything."

There are Pelicans in that memory. The gates of your home, Pelicans and Warthogs, and military life - something the two of you have known for so long - and he'd snuck you out to dance. He'd been so shy about it at first-

"Sierra 343." Both women turned to look at you as your eyes snapped open. "I have a question for you, if I may." You flexed your fingers against the armor that covered your lower back and gave a curt nod. "What is your name?"

All of the breath is sucked straight from your lungs, and it hurts.

"What is the name your birth mother gave you?"

Why haven't you answered yet? This is not a hard question. It's simple. Your name.

"I-" Wow. You, the best headhunter in the UNSC, are stuttering. "I don't know." That is when everything goes downhill. Paragonsky is fuming, Halsey is giving that same blank stare while the gears turn far too hard in her head, and your eyes are following two marines who are transporting a Spartan somewhere else in the base.

Then you lock eyes. His are a deep, calming hazel. Yours are completely different. Both of you look at each other and know there is something intimately familiar about the person you are gazing at.

John?

Your eyes widen as you are then the one transported to a different part of the base, John's gaze burning into your skin as Halsey locks the door - only specific clearances can get through, and it's usually just her and Miranda - and then you're being shoved into a chair.

A leather strap is placed between your teeth, and your hands and ankles are restrained.

"Wipe her."

And then everything is fragmented again.

Part 2

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