You were so close. Rain's finger were nearly within reach, the zero gravity almost putting you in the perfect position. Andy was holding onto her with one hand while the other gripped the ladder. You didn't want to think about how many floors up you were, just focusing on your hand reaching as far as you could to your remaining friends.

"Come on Y/N, almost there...reach!!" She pleaded with you, as if you could control the situation any better than she could.

But alas, the sudden alarm of gravity came back to you. You could see Rain's eyes widen in horror as your fingers finally brush hers, only to descend downwards with the rest of your body. Andy grips her shirt tighter as she falls against him, using his strength to hold himself and Rain against wall ladder.

"Y/N!!!" She screams as she watches you fall. The balance of having no gravity to having all the pressures of falling to your death make you scream down the elevator shaft. Of course it was all happening too quickly, but you know at this point you should accept death. At least Rain and Andy would make it. At least someone was going to make it to the sanctuary planet away from Jackson's dangerous mines. You watch as the floor levels pass you by, making you dizzy with thoughts of impact on the final floor.

Unfortunately, you would meet no quick fate.

A sudden blur of black passes your vision, the creature, holding onto the walls. Lacking any breath to gasp or scream at the sight, the remaining is knocked out of you as a slithering tail curves around your back, breaking you fall, and wrapping around your torso. It's sharp end makes a careful move to wrap around and not poke you. The ridges of it's tail feel uncomfortable against your back and stomach, making you arch as it holds you mid air.

You peer up to see the xenomorph looking down at you, as if to see that you're alright. You let out a whimper as it hisses at you. And before you could process anything else, it lifts you. Without any effort it brings you to the opposite side of the wall, gently settling you near an emergency ladder. You grab hold, but it's tail tightens around you, keeping you in place as it adjusts itself to come to you. Quick breaths are all you can produce, knowing it can't speak your language, knowing it just wants to kill you or use your body for some sick incubation. You start to cry and it's head leans down, almost as a horse would. It lets out a few hisses as it regards you. A spider like hand reaches for you, grabbing your jaw as gentle as it could for a space alien. Turning your head from side to side. Your form was shaking uncontrollably, helpless at the creatures mercy and too scared to do anything in fear of angering it.

The xenomorph was more than pissed at this point. It's hosts it's produced so far have not been suitable for the parasites to incubate offspring into. It's failed too many times to let even one of the remaining healthy hosts to just fall to their death. It would have impaled you with it's tail. But it needed you unbroken, alive. The creature inspected you for any injuries it might've caused or that you had done to yourself. Again, it needs you to be healthy. It was going to reserve you for a queen parasite. That way this pack had a hive leader, a queen Xenomorph.

You watched as he sat, hands folded in his lap, waiting for you to speak.

But how could you? Words felt too small, too fragile for the weight of the situation.

"There was an accident," you finally managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper. "The section your mother was overseeing in… it collapsed during her check. There weren’t any other casualties but…"

The rest of your words had faded into the air as Tyler he stared at you. His expression didn’t change immediately.

It was as if the words didn’t land, as if some part of him was still waiting for you to take it back and say something different.

When he did react it was with the smallest nod, his jaw tightening as he processed the reality.

No tears. No outward display of grief. Just a quiet acceptance that made your chest ache for him.

For a while neither of you spoke. You felt completely out of your depth, helpless in the face of such loss.

What were you supposed to say to make this better? Could you even?

Instead you had offered him the standard protocol—paperwork, procedures, grief counseling if he wanted it.

He refused the offer with a shake of his head. "It’s...just no life here isn’t it?" you could hear the pain he was trying so hard to keep inside.

"...I'm sorry," you whispered, meaning it in ways that went beyond just doing your job.

He said nothing. Just simply got up and left.

After that day you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Maybe it was because you understood loss, having losing your parents when you were seventeen.

Maybe it was because Tyler reminded you of yourself—alone, trying to carry a weight too heavy for one person.

Or maybe, somewhere in the quiet spaces between your brief meeting, you began to notice how his presence stirred something inside you.

You reached out to him in the days that followed.

At first it was professional; checking in to make sure he was managing with the loss. But those conversations quickly became more.

Tyler had a way of looking at you, of really seeing you, that made it impossible not to want to be around him.

He wasn’t just some grieving son; he was kind, resilient—strong in ways you didn’t expect.

Weeks passed and with each interaction the distance between you shrank.

Sometimes you'd find yourselves talking after work, just the two of you walking through the dimly lit corridors of the colony, shoulders brushing every now and then.

It felt easy with him.

He made you laugh in those rare moments when you’d let yourself forget where you were or what life had taken from you both.

Yeah you found him attractive, but it was more than that. Tyler had a quiet charm, a steadiness that drew you in.

He didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, but when he smiled—really smiled—it was like the room brightened a little.

And as the weeks turned into months you realized your feelings for him weren’t just out of sympathy. They had grown into something real.

It wasn’t long before he felt the same.

One night, after a particularly long shift, you sat together in one of the colony’s communal areas sharing stories of the people you once were before the weight of loss settled into your lives.

He listened with a soft gaze as you spoke, and when it was his turn he opened up in a way that surprised you.

"I’ve never been good at this," he admitted as his fingers absently traced the rim of his cup. "Talking I mean. About things that matter. But you...you make it easy."

You smiled at that, feeling the warmth of his words settle into your chest. "You make it easy too."

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. A natural pause that led to Tyler reaching for your hand across the table.

His fingers slid across your palm warm and tentative, as if he was waiting for you to pull away.

You didn’t. You never would.

From then on your relationship with Tyler changed.

You found yourselves seeking each other out more—lingering together in the hidden corners of the colony where you could talk, kiss, and be.

It wasn’t long before you officially started dating, falling into a routine of stolen moments amidst the shift changes and other responsibilities.

Tyler became your constant—a presence you leaned on, someone you could be vulnerable with.

It wasn’t just about comforting each other anymore.

You had both found something more even in the middle of all that darkness.

It was love.

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

Your mind often lingered on those early days with Tyler.

The bond you’d built felt so natural, so inevitable—two people finding each other in the chaos of life on Jackson's Star.

But as the memories swirled, reality crept back in, pulling you from the haze of nostalgia.

A faint headache throbbed at your temples, the familiar sensation of fatigue weighing you down.

"Still not feeling well huh?"

You blinked, startled by the familiar voice breaking through the quiet.

Looking up you saw your supervisor Mary-Anne standing at your desk, her brows knitted in concern.

The older woman had been watching over you since you first started working here—almost like a mother figure always checking in and making sure you weren’t overworking yourself.

You offered her a weak smile and brush it off with a shrug. "It’s nothing. You know I always get sick this time of year. I’ll be fine."

Mary-Anne didn’t seem convinced. She crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing slightly as she studied you.

"It’s been nearly a month now," she pointed out with a gentle firm voice. "And you’re looking worse, not better."

You opened your mouth to protest to offer another excuse, but the words faltered under her knowing gaze.

She wasn’t buying it. And truth be told neither were you.

The exhaustion, lightheadedness, the constant dull headache—they hadn’t gone away.

They lingered, gnawing at you day after day, but you didn’t have the luxury of slowing down.

Not with everything going on. Not with your brother to look after.

"Look," she softened her tone as she uncrossed her arms, "at least think about going to the colony infirmary. Have them run a few tests, maybe even take a few days off. You’re no good to anyone if you push yourself too hard."

You let out a sigh knowing she wouldn’t let this go until you agreed. "Yeah...okay. M-maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it."

Mary-Anne gives you a pointed look. "Matter of fact you should take the rest of the shift off. Start your break early. I’ll handle everything."

A teasing grin tugged at your lips. "You’ve got to stop babying me Mary-Anne. I’ve been working here for what, four years years now?"

Her eyes twinkled with a hint of playfulness despite the undercurrent of concern. "Four years or not, I’m still your supervisor. Now do you want to go home or do you want me to keep you here until you drop?"

You couldn’t help but laugh. "Okay okay. I’ll go."

"Good." As you stood from your desk gathering a few things, Mary-Anne gave you a fond but stern look. "And make sure to actually rest this time."

With a playful salute you waved her off, murmuring quick goodbyes to the few coworkers still nearby.

Stepping out into the corridor, the cool air of the colony brush against your skin.

Even when the low hum of the machinery and distant echoes of workers filled the background, your mind was elsewhere, drifting into the memories that tugged at your heart with every step you took.

Tyler.

It had been a little over a year since you two had broken up, but the weight of it still lingered like a bruise that refused to fade.

You hadn’t meant for things to end the way they did.

In fact when you’d first met you never imagined you’d get to a point where you couldn’t even look at each other.

But life on Jackson’s Star had a way of weighing people down until there was no energy left to give.

Your thoughts circled back to February of 2141—the month everything fell apart. You had recently turned 22, Tyler nearing his 23rd birthday.

For two years you’d been together, navigating the colony’s harsh environment as best you could. But it was never easy.

How could it be with the constant grind, the pressure of survival, and the burden of responsibility weighing on both of your shoulders?

Tyler had been slowly drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations.

His father grew weaker by the day, forcing him to step up as the head of the house to care for both himself and his younger sister Kay.

And you? You had your own responsibilities.

Your younger brother, who was just 16 at the time, depended on you since the day you’d both lost your parents.

You were only 17 when it happened after all. Having been placed into the role of caretaker at such a young age forced you to grow up faster than you wanted to.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, not really.

The stress, the exhaustion—it chipped away at your relationship bit by bit.

Neither of you had the time, energy, or the space to take care of each other the way you used to.

Tyler had been overwhelmed with his responsibilities at home and you had been too wrapped up in your own struggles.

Somewhere along the way you both drifted apart, like two ships in a dark endless sea.

You still loved Tyler—of course you did. But love didn’t change the fact that Jackson’s Star was slowly tearing you apart.

You could still remember the night you broke up.

It wasn’t a decision you’d made lightly, but at the time it felt like the only way to survive.

You couldn’t keep pretending that everything was fine when deep down you both knew this was coming for a long time.

And so, you called it off.

Tyler had been quiet. He didn’t argue. He just simply nodded, eyes dull.

After that there had been silence. Weeks passed without a word between you two. That was until...

Your steps slowed, breath catching as the memory washed over you.

Two months after the breakup Tyler had shown up at your doorstep in the middle of the night.

You’d been surprised, standing there in the doorway staring at him.

He looked different—older, more broken than before. He barely managed to speak before the words tumbled out.

His father died.

You’d let him in without a second thought. He was shaking, barely holding it together as you led him inside.

That night you didn’t need words. He didn’t need to explain anything. He simply fell into your arms and you held him close, comforting him the way you used to.

The pain, the grief, the love you still held for each other—it all blurred together.

It was so easy to fall back into the intimacy you’d shared. Before you knew it you were kissing, the heat of it familiar, pulling you both under.

Didn’t take long before you ended up in bed tangled in each other, the lines between comfort and passion mixing until they were one of the same.

But the morning after reality settled back in. You didn’t speak of it. He left your apartment quietly and you let him go.

No words were exchanged, no promises made. You hadn’t spoken since.

And now as you walked through the dim corridors of the colony, the weight of that night pressed on you.

Three months. Three months since you’d seen Tyler and part of you wondered if you ever would again.

The guilt gnawed at you—had you made the right choice? Should you have fought harder for him and the relationship you’d built together?

Or had you both done the best you could in a place that seemed designed to break you?

Your heart ached at the thought. There were no easy answers nor clean resolutions.

Turning the corner toward your living quarters you froze.

Standing outside your door, looking as nervous as you’d ever seen him, was Tyler.

Your breath caught in your throat.

The world around you faded—the hum of the colony, the distant chatter of workers—leaving only the sight of him standing there.

His hair was a little longer and there was a weariness in his posture that hadn’t been there before. But he was still the same Tyler you’d fallen for all those years ago.

When he saw you his eyes softened.

"Hey," his voice was barely audible over the hum of the corridor.

"Tyler..." You try to keep the surprise from your voice but it was there and you both knew it.

The air between you was thick with everything left unsaid. You weren’t sure what to expect.

Was he here to talk about that night? To explain why he’d disappeared afterward?

You swallow down the flood of emotions rising up and force yourself to stay calm. "What are you doing here?"

He scratched the back of his neck, eyes darting around before finally settling on you again.

"Can we talk?" He sounded unsure like he half-expected you to say no. "I uh...I didn’t mean to just show up like this."

Not trusting your voice you simply nod. Stepping past him to unlock the door, it slides open with a soft hiss before you enter.

Tyler follow behind all the way to your bedroom, his presence filling the small space with an odd tension.

“I just need to check on my brother,” you muttered. You needed a second to breathe, to collect yourself.

He watch as you disappear down the narrow hallway.

The familiar hum of the colony’s systems thrummed beneath your feet as you knocked lightly on your brother’s door.

“Everything good?” you asked softly when he opened it. He nod, already dressed in his uniform ready for his shift.

“Yeah just heading out now,” he offer you a small smile. Giving you a farewell kiss on the cheek, he brushes past you and make his way out the house.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding and make your way back to your bedroom.

When you returned Tyler was looking at pictures taped on the wall.

He looked up as you re-entered, and the two of you just stared at each other, neither of you knowing how to begin.

"I...I know it’s been a while and I...I'm sorry. I’m sorry I disappeared after that...night. I should have reached out I know that. I just—” He paused, searching for the right words, his eyes flicking to yours. “I didn’t know what to say.”

The rawness in his voice cuts you deep. You hadn’t expected an apology, not like this.

For months you had told yourself it was just the way things had to be; two people who couldn’t make it work even though they tried.

But hearing the regret in his voice made it all feel real again, like a wound being reopened.

"It's fine. Plus it's partially my fault," you admit quietly. "I shouldn't have assumed that night would...I don’t know fix things?" Your eyes lower as you avoid his gaze. "But then you left and I realized how foolish it was."

Tyler fiercely shook his head. "No. No it's not fine. I never should have left. Not like that."

He took a breath to steady himself before continuing, his words coming faster as if he was afraid he might lose the nerve if he didn’t say it all at once. "I was a coward. I should have told you then but I couldn’t. I couldn’t admit that I never stopped loving you."

Your heart stuttered in your chest. The weight of his words hit you harder than you expected, and suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Tyler’s eyes were searching yours now, desperate—almost pleading.

“I was an idiot for letting you go. I thought I was doing the right thing but all I did was make everything worse. It’s been hell without you and I didn’t realize how much I needed you until it was too late. I just—” His voice cracked slightly as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know how to fix this, but I need you to know that I love you; always have and always will..”

Your breath hitched. You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt the tear slide down your face.

Everything you buried—the emotions you had pushed down after your breakup, rose to the surface.

Without thinking you closed the distance. Your hands reached for him before you could stop yourself and pulled him into a kiss.

The kiss was hungry, desperate as if the months of silence had all been leading up to this.

His lips crashed into yours with the same intensity and you could feel the pent-up emotion behind every movement.

It wasn’t soft or gentle; it was years of love, loss, and longing that you couldn’t put into words.

Tyler’s hands found your waist, pulling you closer as you tangled your fingers in his hair.

You kissed him harder, trying to pour every unspoken feeling into that moment, your breaths mingling as you both lost yourselves to the kiss.

Tyler suddenly pulled away, his breathing heavy as he rested his forehead against yours. Hands still gripping your waist, his body trembled slightly.

“I—” He swallowed. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

Your heart is still pounding in your chest as you look up at him. “What is it?”

His gaze drop to the floor for a second before he look back at you. "We found a way to leave Jackson’s Star. And I want you to come with me."

You blinked. "What?" your voice was barely above a whisper.

You weren’t sure if you heard him right or if your mind was still reeling from the intensity of the kiss you just had.

"There’s an old Weyland-Yutani station me and the others found. Bjorn, Navarro, and I...we’ve been working on fixing up a hauler, Corbelan IV. We’re planning to leave for Yvaga.” Tyler's eyes searched yours, watching the realization wash over you.

It took a moment for the gravity of what he was saying to fully hit you. Leave? You had spent years on Jackson’s Star.

The idea of leaving—of escaping to somewhere else, somewhere better—was almost too overwhelming to grasp.

You shook your head slowly as disbelief settled in.

“I—what?” Your voice cracked, barely able to keep up with your thoughts. “Tyler. H-how...how is this even possible?”

“We’ve been working on it for a while now,” his hands moved to gently cup your face. “Kay just needs to convince Rain to use Andy to access the ship-mother's systems so we can get to the hyper-sleep chambers. Once that’s done: You, me...we don’t have to stay in this place anymore.”

The way he said it so full of hope made your heart flutter.

For the first time in a long while you saw a future outside of Jackson’s Star, a way out of the endless cycle that had worn both of you down.

But then reality came crashing back.

Your brother.

He was still too young, barely begun working.

The colony had strict rules about who could leave and when—everyone had to meet their quota of hours to even be eligible for a transfer.

It could take years before he would be able to leave and you couldn’t abandon him. You and he were all each other had left.

"My brother. He doesn't have enough hours to transfer yet. It could be years before he's able to leave." You step back slightly, pulling yourself out of his grasp as your thoughts raced. "I can't just...leave him here."

Tyler’s face fell, but he wasn’t giving up that easily.

"We’ll figure it out," he pleaded. "Andy. H-he's a synthetic! Yeah—he can stay behind and watch over him. You know he’s capable of it. Once we’re safe, once we’ve settled on Yvaga we’ll come back for him."

You could hear the desperation in his voice and it tugged at your heart.

You wanted to believe him, to trust that things would somehow work out, but the uncertainty was gnawing at you.

Your brother was all you had left after everything.

Could you trust that it would work out? Could you really leave him behind even for the chance of a new life?

The hesitation clawed at you making it hard to breathe.

Seeing that you weren’t convinced, Tyler stepped closer again, his hands finding yours as he pulled you gently toward the bed. “Please just...think about it.”

He sat down, eyes locked onto yours as he spoke. “If I wake up tomorrow and you’re not beside me, I’ll know you’re not coming. But if you are...” He let the rest of the sentence linger in the air.

A small smile tugged at your lips despite the turmoil inside you.

“Is this how you trick your way into my bed?” you teased softly, the tension easing just a bit. “You didn’t even ask to spend the night.”

Tyler’s lips twitched into a small grin. “Can I stay the night?”

You pretend to consider it. “Hmm I don’t know. Maybe you’ll have to work for it first.”

His grin widened, and before you could tease anymore, he leaned in capturing you in a kiss.

Tension melted away as his arms wrapped around to pull you closer.

It was both tender and longing—full of everything you both had been holding back for months.

Tyler’s touch was familiar; his lips soft but filled with the desperation of someone trying to hold on to something in fear it might slip away.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, body responding to his in ways that felt like fire burning within your veins.

His hands slid down your waist, fingers gently brushing against your skin as he began to pull at the fabric of your shirt.

Kissing back with equal fervor, your hands move to his shirt, pulling it off in one fluid motion.

Clothes fell to the floor, forgotten in the heat of the moment and as you sank into the bed together.

For now the decision could wait.

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

Tyler woke slowly the next morning, the faint hum of the colony's machines working in the background as he stretched beneath the covers.

Eyes still closed, for a brief blissful moment he thought about last night, the memory still fresh in his mind.

But as he reached out for you his hand met only cold air.

His eyes snapped open, panic flooding his chest as he realized the bed beside him was empty.

You weren’t there.

His heart raced as he sat up to scan the room. Empty.

The space next to him where you had been was cold and untouched. For a long moment he sat in silence, staring at the space beside him.

The weight of your absence pressed down on him like a heavy stone in his chest. You were gone.

He didn’t move. He couldn’t. The hope he had held onto so tightly the night before was slipping through his fingers.

All that remained now was a empty space, silence—the painful reality that you had made your choice:

His glee was immense when he laid eyes on it for the first time. It was bright, brighter than he ever imagined, but the prospect of finding a new home far, far away from his mining colony was more exciting.

Up until that point, his future was clear: work at the mines until he dropped dead from age or died from a terminal illness caused by the working conditions. But a new star system, a new planet, opened up a whole new world of opportunities. 

His glee died with the rest of his friends.

It had to have been at least a day, maybe two.. maybe even three, since he allowed his friends to convince him to search an obsolete Weyland-Yutani ship for its cryosleep chambers. It seemed far-fetched, at first, to find enough chambers with enough fuel to get them all to Yvaga in nine years but they did it. Tyler, Bjorn, and Andy found the damned chambers and fuel... at the biggest cost.

"What do you think Yvaga is going to be like?" Kay asked softly, her wayward curls tickling his chin as she curled further into his body. Her fingers toyed with his hand, fingertips going over the wrinkles on his knuckles and then pressing into the callouses on his skin from his work in the mines. 

"Well, for starters, we'll see the sun each time we wake up." He told her, lips brushing against her hair before they pressed into the crown of her head. His other hand that'd been massaging her hip (partly out of nerves for the others after Rain and Navarro rushed off in a panic) trekked upward until it rested only the slight curve of her belly. Kay smiled.

"He'll know what the sun's like from the moment he's born, huh?"

"He?"

Kay shrugged and giggled, brushing curls away from her face to peer up at him properly. "It's just a feeling I have. I think it's going to be a boy." She smiled again, bigger and happier this time. "Our son."

"Yeah," He chuckled. The idea of fatherhood still floated above his head, not yet fully sunken in. It was weird yet exciting, in a way. "You know Bjorn will demand we name him after him then, right?"

"No." Lines formed when Kay crinkled her nose and she quickly shook her head. "No way. Not happening."

Their laughter followed though it was abruptly cut off when Navarro stumbled past the bed with a pale face and wide, frantic eyes, her body swaying and nearly crashing into the walls around her.

They moved immediately and Kay hurried after her adoptive cousin with concerned questions tumbling out of her mouth one right after the other. (Y/N) turned in the direction she came from, but when no one else followed, he moved. 

"Bjorn? Tyler?" He called into the deck below. He could hear someone's frantic breathing and a flurry of words drenched in a familiar accent he'd grown to dislike. "Bjorn? You okay, man?" 

He never liked the bastard, but he was still Tyler and Kay's cousin, so he climbed down the yellow emergency ladder into the deck leading toward the airlock and docking bay to check on him. Tyler's voice flowed into the rooms from the intercom, laced with irritation and demanding Bjorn to open the door.

His pace quickened and just as he laid eyes on the bandana-wearing idiot, the ship suddenly began moving sideways. He stumbled, catching himself on the ladder but when he managed to steady himself, he heard Kay's horrified scream echo above him. 

Before he could even begin to react, his body was thrown sideways with a collision and slammed into the far-side wall.

He'd been staring at the wall ever since the thing was vacuumed into space. His mind was elsewhere.

It was back home in his trailer on the rickety tablet reading about the godforsaken sun. It was back in the mines where each time he took a breath he felt the overwhelming urge to cough until his lungs gave out. It was in front of the Harrison's trailer when Tyler confronted him about his feelings for Kay with hot tears of betrayal coating his grime-covered cheeks.

It was anywhere but present.

Rain's footsteps were muffled to his ears, barely audible to him until she stood right in front of him. He stared at her legs instead, and then at her face when she crouched down to be at eye-level with him.

Her face was blurry until he blinked, momentarily bringing himself back into his body. Her blue eyes stared back at him, squinted with concern and exhaustion. Her lips moved but, like her footsteps, her words were muffled. 

Rain squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her shoulders with a heavy sigh. She pressed her palms into the floor and crawled into the spot beside him where she mimicked his position and propped her arms on her knees.

Rain stared at the wall with him for a few minutes as her chest began to rise and fall more quickly, her cracked lips trembling uncontrollably. Her body soon shook with sobs and hiccups. 

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream and punch and kick but his body remained in place on the floor. He wanted to think he was dying; he desperately wished he was, otherwise, he'd have to come to terms with whatever was inside him. He stared at the wall because if he looked at his hands he'd notice the once all-consuming pain in his body had faded. He'd be prompted to take a look at his hip. He'd remember all too clearly.

He was supposed to be dead.

"(Y/N)?" A hushed, annoyingly familiar voice whispered into his ear, trembling and frightened. "C'mon, man, please. I know you hate me but please.. wake up."

A groan formed on his lips, but a rough hand slapped over his mouth to muffle it. A throbbing pain in the back of his head and across his shoulders intensified as he began to wake fully, each movement sending a spark of pain up his spine. He cracked his eyes open and looked into Bjorn's wide, glistening eyes. They shut briefly when he exhaled in relief, then he brought a shaky finger to his lips to make a shushing motion. 

(Y/N) pressed his lips together tightly to refrain from questioning him about the collision, about the flickering lights. Any other day, he might've, but he'd never seen Bjorn look so pale with fear before. Bjorn was cocky, confident, and an overall asshole, but he bulldozed into everything headfirst. He never left space for fear. (Y/N)'s heart rapidly sunk into his stomach and he raised a hand to touch the blood clinging to the side of Bjorn's head. What the hell was going on?

Slowly and carefully, Bjorn helped him onto his step and brought his finger to his lips again before he pointed down the long corridor that led to the airlock. Right at the end of the corridor attached to the wall was something large, fleshly, and dripping with a thick fluid that pulsated every few seconds. (Y/N)'s head whipped around to look at Bjorn wide-eyed. 

Bjorn stepped closer to him and brought himself close to his ear, his breath hot and trembling. "It- It came... from Navarro's chest.."

(Y/N) could only stare at him in bewilderment until his heart skipped a beat and his body stiffened with alarm. Kay. His eyes shot over to the ladder and he staggered toward it, his teeth grinding together at every ache and protest from his body demanding a moment of rest.

He stopped when a shadow blocked the light flickering from above. Hot tears of relief pricked at the back of his eyes at the sight of Kay making her way down the ladder with scrapes and bruises but still alive.

The moment the bottom of her shoes were securely on the metal floor, she whirled around and threw her arms around him. Her body trembled with muffled sobs and her tears formed wet spots on his shirt, her face only digging further into him when he cradled her body into his. The splattered blood on her face and Bjorn's words only meant one thing: Navarro was dead.

Kay pulled back and parted her lips, but Bjorn made the shushing motion again and nodded for them to follow him down the corridor toward the door. (Y/N) took Kay's shaking hand in his and kept her behind him as they followed Bjorn. His ears picked up the sharp inhale Kay took at the sight of the cocoon on the wall. Bjorn limped toward a small station at the wall, where he attached the plug to his shock baton. 

(Y/N)'s eyes flickered toward the door. They needed to leave. For Kay's sake. For the baby's sake.

Bjorn jabbed the baton into the cocoon and shouted desperately as blue electrically sparked brightly inside the cocoon, inhuman shrills and shrieks leaving the creature inside. The box sparked brightly and gave out within minutes, making the lights in the ship flicker more wildly. (Y/N) tugged on Kay's arm and hurried past Bjorn toward the door. They needed to leave now-

Bjorn screamed in pain and the two spun around, catching the end of a long armored tail slipping back into the cocoon while Bjorn groaned and clutched his eye. Blood oozed from between his fingers and trailed down his wrist as he withered in pain on the floor until a liquid dripping from the cocoon fell on him.

(Y/N) swallowed down the urge to vomit his lunch when the sizzling sound and smell of skin burning reached him. 

"Kay, we need to move." He hissed and turned away, freeing his hand from her tight hold to frantically press the button but it beeped in error each time. He could feel a sob begin to bubble in his throat. None of the buttons he pressed did anything but beep in error. "Kay, Kay, please, we have to leave."  

Kay backed up until she was pressed against the door, her eyes wide and breaths leaving her in short bursts. (Y/N) refused to turn to look at what she was staring at. "I-I don't know. I don't- I don't know. I don't know." 

"Kay? (Y/N)?" Tyler's quiet voice spoke through the intercom. Too quiet, too breathy for the guy who lost his mind when it came to his little sister. For the guy willing to take a punch for him. He sounded scared. "I'm here. I'm here." 

More noises from behind him. Kay released a horrified whimper. (Y/N) mashed his thumb into every button on the pad.

"The door, Tyler, the door." (Y/N) made the mistake of glancing back. There was something big emerging from the cocoon. (Y/N) was certain his finger was going to break from how hard he was pressing each button. "It- It won't open, Ty, it won't open. Ty, please. Ty-"

"There's a key, (Y/N). There's a-" Tyler inhaled quietly, sharply. "Look for a key."

Kay dropped down to the floor and began combing it for a key, her head whipping around in each direction until her hand darted out to snatch something a few inches away from his feet. She stumbled onto her feet and jammed the key into the keyhole, her curls tumbling back and forth over her shoulder with each glance she stole at the creature. (Y/N) pulled on the lever and the door opened for them, invading the space with cool air. 

(Y/N) looked over his shoulder and almost choked on his breath. The creature, the fucking alien, looked straight from a tale of horror told to kids to keep them from going out alone. Its black skeletal frame slowly rose onto its long hind legs and its long cylinder-shaped head cocked in their direction, rows of teeth exposing with a low hiss.

(Y/N) took Kay's hand in his and bolted past the door, only for a scream to rip from their throats as they fell and collided with the metal floor below. Black spotting filled his vision and a heaviness tugged at his eyelids but he felt Kay's fingers twitch and spasm in his palm.

He picked up the click of sprinklers and his body jerked at the sensation of cold water hitting him, the soft pelting soothing his warm skin and coaxing the need to shut his eyes completely out of his system.

He remained still and listened to his breathing, the sound of the water hitting the floor, and waited for any sign of the monstrous creature.

With a soft, breathy groan, (Y/N) shielded his eyes from the bright light above and the water as he forced himself to sit up despite the pain spreading through his muscles. He looked down at Kay when she grunted, his eyes darting from her contorted features to her belly.

Something moved.

The baby was kicking, he realized. Another kick and Kay's hand flew down to clutch her belly with a wince. He was old enough to kick. 

(Y/N) shook his head. He'd worry about the baby's development later, once they were far, far away from the alien. His hand clutched her forearm and he helped her move to the edge of the platform. They hopped down, the groan and creaking of the metal prompting them to hurry beneath the catwalk and out of sight. They crawled beneath it and then, something hard landed on the catwalk. 

Immediately, (Y/N) pulled Kay closer until she was halfway beneath him and pressed his hand to her mouth. He held his breath and froze, waiting for the creature to rip through the metal and tear into him, but its feet thumped against the catwalk when it moved away. He couldn't deduce if his shaking was from the cold water or the fear pumping through him.

He lifted his head, slowly and almost hesitantly, at the sound of more clanking. He caught it dragging the bodies of Bjorn and Navarro away down another hall and took his hand away from Kay's mouth to push at her back until she scrambled toward the end and carefully hopped down.

He followed after her, taking quick glances in the direction of the hallway while they made their way through what seemed to be a former storage room in the direction of the only other exit. Kay rushed over to it and frantically tapped the buttons but an alarm began blaring above them instead. 

"Access denied."

(Y/N)'s head snapped toward the hallway and he waited with baited breath for it to appear again. Something slammed against the door and when he spun around to look, Tyler's face greeted them on the other side. His lips moved but the thickness of the door and walls muffled whatever he was telling them.

Rain and Andy appeared behind them and Andy stepped toward the panel, only to grow still instead of opening the door for them. In the reflection of the glass window, (Y/N) caught sight of the huge figure climbing out of the hallway and Andy backed away.

Kay slammed her palms against the door, her shoulders jerking with each hiccup. "Open the door. Tyler, please, open the door."

Tyler's wide eyes flickered between them, his lips moving quicker with what he assumed were meant to be reassuring words. (Y/N) grinded his teeth together to keep them from clattering and ignored every instinct in his body screaming at him.

He swallowed, a few tears slipping down his cheeks, and he turned around to face the alien. It stared back at him, or he assumed. It had no visible eyes, and its pitch-black skin was scarred and burnt from Bjorn's attack. 

"Get the door open, Ty."

(Y/N) walked cautiously, every movement he made slow as if he were dealing with one of the aggressive drunks back home. He ignored Kay's crying, the desperate muffled shouting that grew louder. The alien tracked him, its large head turning to follow him. It hissed and bared its teeth again, its drool dripping from its mouth and onto the container it'd perched itself on. Its long, blade-tipped tail waved behind it threateningly, twitching with anticipation. 

It moved and barely made a sound. Its long limbs extended downward toward the floor, claws scraping lightly against the metal and tail raising even higher. (Y/N) glanced past it to look back at Kay. She shook her head desperately and clutched her belly, her legs nearly giving out beneath her from how hard she sobbed. He took a breath and bolted. 

He didn't get very far before a sharp, hot pain erupted from his hip, and blood splattered on the container beside him. There was another hiss, but not from behind him. Kay's scream was short-lived.

"This was all for nothing." His throat ached, parched. Rain's head whipped around to look at him, strands of her short brown hair swishing and hitting her flushed red cheeks. "This was all for fucking nothing."

"No." Rain whispered and she shook her head rapidly, her body moving to kneel beside him and stare into the side of his face. "No, no, it can't be. We- We have to get to Yvaga, (Y/N). We have to."

"There is no we, Rain!" (Y/N) snapped with a hot flash of unsuspected anger, the fury so bright and overwhelming he wanted to smash her head into the wall. Rain flinched and leaned back, away from him with wide eyes. His legs slumped and he quickly moved his shaking hands beneath his thighs, keeping them pinned and out of sight. That wasn't right. He wasn't right. "Everyone's dead."

"But you and me and Andy aren't, (Y/N). We came here.. for those fucking chambers. They wanted to get to Yvaga. We have to go... for- for them and for ourselves. Please... nine years is too long. You're- You're..." Rain swallowed and licked her lips. Her mouth opened and closed whilst she searched for the right words. His arm jerked when her fingertips grazed along it. "You're... alive. Andy says there's something different-"

"No shit, Rain." (Y/N) hissed. "I'm sick."

He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. Everything hurt. 

Each breath he took felt as if someone had lit his lungs on fire and his stomach churned with nausea. His left side was numb, lost to any sensation and tingling. Something warm soaked through his pant leg and made the fabric cling to his skin. He thought about closing his eyes, thought about giving into the drowsiness weighing him down. 

Someone let out a wheezy grunt across from him. Soft, high-pitched. Kay.

He tried lifting his head but it only twitched, and any words he tried to speak only came out in low hums that vibrated in his throat. His vision was too blurry to see anything past the faint outline of his hanging arms splattered with blood. Where were they? He only remembered something stiff and hard stabbing through his body before his vision had darkened. 

"Kay?! (Y/N)?!" 

Tyler... sweet, sweet Tyler. Tyler who'd forced him into a friendship when they were seven; Tyler who'd waited outside his trailer every day to hang out; Tyler who'd smiled at him so lovingly and then broken his heart by dating Rain; Tyler who'd punched him when he learned he hooked up with Kay. Tyler.. who was still alive. 

A groan emitted from his chest. He had to focus. He blinked sluggishly and demanded his limbs to move. His fingers twitched, spasming and jerking until he could curl most of them into a fist. He took another, shaky breath and squeezed his eyes shut. Everything throbbed and ached. He ignored it as best he could and forced his eyes open, his vision focusing just a little more.

"Kay! (Y/N)!" 

Quick footsteps approached them and Tyler's face appeared below him, his big brown eyes peering up at him. Tyler smiled so big (Y/N) was sure it'd hurt his cheeks. Tyler began peeling away at the slime and debris keeping him attached to the wall until his body slumped forward and almost toppled them both over.

(Y/N)'s back pressed against cool metal. A railing. Where were they? He stopped caring when his vision finally focused and he watched Rain and Tyler catch Kay's pale, shivering body. Her eyes kept rolling to the back of her head.

"They- They're losing blood, Tyler." Rain crawled toward him and pressed her hand into his side, apologies leaving her in almost incoherent babbles when he groaned and tilted his head back.

His chest stuttered and he braced himself to look at the damage. His shirt was ripped and blood was rapidly oozing from between Rain's fingers. No matter how hard she pressed, it kept coming. He was going to die. "It's too much. It's too much blood." Rain babbled.

"Maybe that's why they haven't been implanted yet." Andy sounded too cold, too detached.

His head lolled back again. He felt cold, so, so cold. The world began to spin in a whirl, blurring and merging together into one big blob. Their voices came and went, muffled then clear then muffled again. Pain flared again when Rain pressed harder into his side with one hand and then cupped his cheek with the other, warm blood rubbing across his skin.

She looked terrified. 

Another garbled groan. Andy slung his arm around his shoulder and then heaved him up onto his weak, nearly limp legs. His hand pressed into (Y/N)'s side, hard and enough for his legs to give out. Andy kept him upright. He expected a pun, some stupid joke to take the edge off, but Andy remained silent as he effortlessly ran with the others, his hand managing to remain still enough to not cause any more damage. (Y/N) wanted to vomit. 

Suddenly, Andy froze and squinted. (Y/N) raised his head and blinked the tears from his eyes, blinked the blur away for a fleeting moment. An alien moved along the wall, creeping upward so silently it avoided being noticed by Rain while she cupped Kay's face and comforted her. Tyler tore himself away from the lift's gate and leaped in front of Rain right as the tail darted forward. 

(Y/N) couldn't even scream.

He staggered forward, shoving the silent Andy aside, and clung onto the railing. His legs shook and another hiccuping sob tore through his chest. The tail cut cleanly through Tyler's shoulder and then lifted him upward, tearing through his shoulder by inches. Andy moved, but the alien used Tyler's squirming body to toss him back before it lifted Tyler through a hole in the ceiling and disappeared with him. Andy seized beside him but (Y/N) only stared at the ceiling. 

His feet took him toward Kay and Rain right before his legs buckled and gave out, sending jolts of pain up his thighs from his sore knees. Rain wrapped an arm around his chest and dragged him toward the waiting lift as best as she could before returning for Kay.

With the last bit of his energy, he rolled over onto his back and tried looking for Kay but his head remained tilted to the side. Black dots invaded his vision and his breath grew even more labored. 

(Y/N) stared hopelessly at the flickering lights passing by the rapidly moving lift. He wondered what his son would look like, what Kay would name him when she got to Yvaga. He hoped she told him tales of his uncle, of all the stupid antics they got up to.

The exhausting weight pressing down on his body won and he released a shaky, wheezy breath. Just as he let his eyes flutter shut, his shirt was lifted and something pricked into his abdomen. 

Then, there was a sensation that tore a groan from his body and made his back arch. It was cold, as if ice had been directly injected into his veins, and made him cough and gasp.

Sweat dripped from his pores and his heartbeat pounded in his ears, strong and pumping and overwhelmingly alive. A small cylinder rolled around near his head, empty and with droplets of a black liquid inside it. 

"You're not sick." Rain asserted and roughly rubbed the tear streaks on her cheeks, her voice too shaky for him to believe a single word she spoke. "You're just different. Maybe- Maybe there's a cure on Yvaga or- or a way to get the compound out of you. Someone.. someone will know what to do." 

(Y/N)'s hands shot toward himself and he tore the remainder of his shirt until his torso was exposed to the cool air flowing through the ship. The large slice the alien left when it pierced its tail right above his hipbone had mended itself together, leaving black scabbing behind that uncomfortably resembled the hard material of the alien's skeleton.

He grabbed Rain's wrist and yanked on it until her palm was pressed into the scar left behind. It should've hurt, it should ached or burned with hot searing pain but he felt nothing. 

Exhausted, you make your way through your empty home. You trudge past Kay and Tyler’s doors, slowly walking to your room. You pause when you hear groaning.

Silently, you turn the doorknob and cautiously peer through the narrow opening. Your heart leaps as you recognize the figure standing in the dimly lit room.

His back is facing you, but his frame is unmistakable. Bjorn.

As if sensing your presence, he turns to face you and you let out a gasp of shock.

A pair of your dirty panties are stuffed in his mouth, saliva dripping down his chin. His blue eyes are rolled back in ecstasy, lost in his own pleasure.

One hand is pushing his shirt up, revealing the smooth skin of his stomach. Your gaze travels down the trail of hair that leads to an alluring sight - his hand wrapped around his swollen cock.

He holds another pair of your panties, tightly wound around his throbbing member. Each thrust causes the fabric to slide down, revealing the flushed head peeking out and glistening in the light with his arousal. The sight sends shivers down your spine and ignites an intense desire within you.

Your panties flood at the sight of him and you freeze. You’re torn between interrupting him and letting him finish. Not to watch, but because this is wrong.

You try to convince yourself that it’s not because you want to know what it looks like when your cousin cums. What would look like for his cock to spread cum through your panties.

Ignoring the insistent throbbing in your core, you quietly shut the door behind you. Heart pounding, you rush to the front door and pause, hand hovering over the doorknob before throwing it open and slamming it shut again.

With cautious steps, you make your way to your room, trying to steady your voice. “Hello? Anybody home?”

You hear frantic shuffling behind the door of your room and you put on an innocent facade.

Opening the door, your curious expression gives way to a cheery smile. “Bjorn! Hey! What yah doin’ here? Looking for somethin’?”

He stands there, surrounded by old photographs of the two of you together. Family pictures, group pictures, and memories frozen in time. His gaze drifts over each one before finally settling on you with his usual boyish smile. "Was lookin' for you," he says.

You take a moment to observe him. If you didn’t know any better he seems normal. As if a few seconds before, he hadn’t been fucking himself to the thought of you.

The flush of his skin has receded and his clothes aren’t particularly ruffled. If you allow your eyes to linger, you can make out the outline of his cock in his sweats. But your eyes flicker away as he tries to subtly adjust himself with a hand in his pocket.

Glimpsing at his other hand, the one that stroked his cock, you notice a slight sheen.

Feeling saliva gather in your mouth, you flash him a smile and you move to hug him. He tenses slightly as you press yourself to him. Your pebbled nipples rub deliciously along his chest and you bite your lip to suppress a shiver. You’re tempted to rub your core against the bulge you know is there, but you resist the urge.

Pulling back slightly, you grab his hand and press it to your cheek. The smell of him surrounds you and you can feel a slight stickiness against your skin.

You watch as his eyes darken. “What’d yah need me for?” You tilt your head innocently at him, and he clenches his jaw.

Bjorn flashes you a sharp smile, licking his dry lips. "Jus’ wanted to catch up," he says, voice slightly hoarse. "Been a while since we'd got some time alone together."

You feel a thrill run through you at his words. Keeping your expression innocent, you reply. "Of course. I've missed you."

You lead him over to sit on the edge of your bed, hyper-aware of his presence next to you. The air feels thick with tension.

"So," you begin casually, "what have you been up to lately?" you ask, looking up at him through your lashes.

Bjorn's eyes roam over you as he answers. "Oh, uhh.” He scratches at the scruff on his face. “The usual. Work. Hanging out." His gaze lingers on your lips. You can see the internal struggle playing out behind his pretty eyes - desire warring with guilt and hesitation. Harshly wiping at his nose, he looks away.

You try to distract yourself from the taboo tension between you. "Oh, uh... I’m sorry about my room," you manage to get out. "It’s kinda messy. Didn’t get a chance to clean yet."

Swallowing, your eyes roam around your room before straying to him again, “I haven’t even had time to do laundry yet.” Releasing a nervous giggle, you shrug, “It’s kinda gross but I’ve had to reuse panties.”

Bjorn coughs out a choking sound and he pounds on his chest in an attempt to clear it. Worried, you slide closer and rub a hand along his back. “Are you ok?”

He sputters out a quick reply, head nodding. “Yeah, yeah. ‘M fine.”

You can feel the heat radiating off Bjorn's body as you rub his back. His muscles are tense under your touch. You let your hand linger, tracing small circles.

"You sure you're okay?" you ask softly, leaning in closer. "You seem a little... flustered."

Bjorn turns to look at you, his blue eyes dark with barely concealed desire. "I'm fine," he says gruffly. But you can see the way his gaze keeps dropping to your lips.

You bite your lip, considering. Part of you wants to push further, to see how far you can take this dangerous game. But another part hesitates, aware of the line you're teetering on the edge of.

Feeling the adrenaline rush through you, you boldly slide your hand up to the nape of his neck, playing with the soft hair there. "If you say so," you murmur. "If there's anything you need… anything at all, I'm here for you. We're family after all."

At the word "family” he meets your eyes and neither of you move. The air feels charged, electric.

"Bjorn," you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper. "We…"

Before you can finish your thought, he surges forward and presses you back onto the bed. Gasping in surprise, your hands grasp his shoulders. His chain sways over you as his weight settles on you. Bjorn’s hips nestle between your thighs and you can feel how hard he is.

Bjorn moves to press his lips to yours, but you turn your head, flinching away. Panting, you curl your fingers into his shoulders. “We shouldn’t…”

He scrutinizes your face for a brief moment and nods, pressing his tongue against your throat. You gasp as he grinds into your core. "We shouldn't," he repeats, even as his hands roam your body hungrily. The cold metal of his rings contrasting against the heat of his skin.

His tongue probes at the skin between your shoulder and neck. Your body responds instinctively, melting into his touch and eagerly opening for him.

Gasping in a breath, your voice is loud and interrupts the moans and noises. “I saw you!”

Bjorn freezes on top of you. You continue. “I saw you with… with my…”

Intense blue eyes meet yours and you ashamedly look away. He forces your eyes to his and he huskily speaks. “Say it... Say it.”

Swallowing an audible gulp, you speak through shaky breaths. “You were…” Glancing between his hungry eyes, you speak more clearly. “You were using my dirty panties to stroke your cock like a nasty pervert.”

Groaning, he runs his nose up your cheek. “Such dirty words for a girl who thinks herself above it… N’ what bout you? How long did you watch for?”

Gripping you harder, he rolls his hips into you. “How wet di’ you get watchin’ your cousin use your panties to get off?”

Raising a hand to your mouth, you force your moans down and shake your head. “I didn’t-”

“No? You didn’t watch?” He interrupts, taunting you. “Or no, you’re no’ wet?”

With a gentle touch, his fingers glide over the button of your pants. He leans in and sinks his teeth into your breast, the fabric of your shirt providing a barrier between his mouth and your skin. A shiver runs through you, intensified by the sensation of his sharp teeth through the thin material. “If I were to check, your pussy won’t be drooling for me?”

You gasp as Bjorn's fingers ghost over your soaked underwear. A smirk plays on his lips as he feels just how wet you are.

"Looks like someone's just as nasty as I am," he murmurs, his voice low and husky. His fingers press more firmly against you, drawing a strangled moan from your throat.

"Bjorn, we can't-" you try to protest weakly, even as your hips jolt into his touch.

"We shouldn't," he agrees, echoing your earlier words. "But we both want to, don't we?" His lips brush against your ear as he speaks, sending shivers down your spine.

He chuckles darkly. His fingers push your panties aside, lightly sliding a tip of his finger through your slick folds. "Your pussy’s tellin’ a different story than your lying whore mouth."

The words sting like a slap across the face, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. Your heart races as arousal mixes with shame, your body betraying you. With trembling hands, you allow him to peel away the layers of clothing, exposing your bare skin to his hungry gaze.

You close your eyes and try to steady your breathing, willing yourself to calm down and not give into the forbidden desires coursing through your veins. But the heat between your legs intensifies as he undresses. You bite down on your lip and look up at the ceiling, trying to hold onto some sense of control.

Ashamed tears gather in the corners of your eyes and you lick your dry lips. “I- You can’t be inside me. If we do this, there’s- Don’t put your cock in me.”

With a nod, Bjorn slowly pushes his pants down, revealing the smooth expanse of his thighs. Your gaze follows the movement, anticipation building as you watch his cock spring free. It bounces against his stomach before settling heavily on his thigh.

The sight of it up close leaves you breathless and entranced. Your throat tightens as you speak, your voice almost absentmindedly drifting out as you take in every detail of his beautiful cock. “How long had you been coming in here?”

He smirks with arrogant satisfaction seeing the dazed look on your face. “Dunno. A while I reckon. If I were to look through your panty drawer, I could probably tell you I’ve probably cum in most of em.”

Your eyes shoot to his and seeing his nonchalant sincerity, your core clenches. Rolling your neck, you speak breathlessly. “I wasn’t lying. I’d had to reuse some underwear. And- you… Knowing I was walking around with your dried cum on my panties…”

Bjorn’s eyes darken at your words and his cock jumps with arousal. He moves atop you with a raw, primal grace. Grinding his cock into you, he grips your hair and hovers his mouth over yours in a teasing threat of a kiss.

With each rock of his hips, his erection slides along the bare skin of your stomach, setting off waves of pleasure that make you pant and moan into each other's mouths.

Groaning, he adjusts his position and slides a hand between your legs. Your panties cling desperately to your moistened lips, allowing him easy access as he slides a finger against you. Bjorn spreads your arousal over every inch of your panties, accentuating every curve and dip of your puffy lips.

Moving down your body with feverish hunger, he leaves a trail of wet, sloppy kisses. Biting down on your thigh, he gazes up at you with intense blue eyes, glowing with desire.

Sniffing deeply, he gathers saliva in his mouth before dropping his gaze back to your core. With deliberate precision, he spits onto your panties, watching as his saliva slowly drips down and coats your panty-clad pussy. Using his thumb to spread it around, he revels in the sight and scent of your arousal.

Chest heaving, you bring your hands to massage and tease at your breasts. Your fingers tug and pinch at your nipples as you watch him press rough kisses to your puffy pussy lips.

His pink tongue darts out from between his lips and licks up the length of your slick slit. Pushing his face closer to you, he closes his eyes as the vibrations of his deep groans course through him. Nuzzling into your clit, he sucks eagerly on the fabric-covered bud, desperate to suck the delicious taste of you from your panties.

He is completely consumed by you. He has been living, surviving, on the mere remnants of your pussy. The feel, the smell, the taste. Now, he revels in the real thing. It feels otherworldly to have you like this, and he struggles to hold back his own climax as he continues to feast on your pussy.

Bjorn gently presses a soft kiss to your clit before withdrawing and pressing his forehead against your thigh. You can feel his hot breath on your skin as he murmurs, “Fuck. You’ve no idea how long I’ve dreamt of this.”

Taking a deep, calming breath, he rises up onto his knees and leans over you again. With one hand supporting himself, he rubs the tip of his hard cock against your wet folds. He positions himself between your legs, slowly sliding his bare length through your slickness, grinding against you with each movement. His flushed tip grazes over your sensitive clit with each thrust.

His blue eyes are glossy with desire as he presses his tongue against the corner of your lips, barely tasting you before releasing a muffled moan. "Tell me," he whispers hoarsely. “Tell me wha’ you want an’ I’ll give it to yah. Tell me you want your cousin’s cock. to fill the aching hole in you.”

Huffing a breath, you glance down at where your bodies are pressed together, watching as a bead of precum forms at the tip of his pretty pink cock. It disappears as it soaks into your panties when he grinds against you. You can see the faint mark it leaves above your throbbing clit.

Your face slickens with his saliva and desperate tears. Tongue roaming around your face, but ignoring your tingling lips. You know you’ve both crossed so many lines, but something so “innocent” as a kiss feels too far.

Apparently not a line he’s unwilling to cross, because his tongue bravely flicks your bottom lip. “Promise I’ll give you my cock if you just ask for it. All you have to do is ask. Just ask,” he pleads.

Whimpering into your neck, his back arches. “Please, it can be jus’ the tip. I don’t- promise it’ll jus’ be the tip. Tha’s all.”

You swallow a guilt-laden breath, hesitating as you gather the courage to speak. You know that if you let him in you, even just the tip. You won’t stop there. He must sense a complaint or denial on the tip of your tongue because he forcefully presses his swollen, red lips against yours.

You return the rough kiss softly with trembling lips. What’s one more line crossed?

Tentatively, you flick your tongue out to taste him. His frantic lips slow down as you shyly slide your tongue against his. Parting, you leave a trail of saliva lingering between you as you gasp for air. His blue eyes are dilated, burning with desire as he moves to devour your mouth.

Your tongues clash, his mouth tasting like lust and want. You can taste his desperation, mingled with the lingering taste of sweat and you.

Bjorn’s lips make a wet, smacking sound as they move against yours, his heavy breathing and low grunts filling the air. His lips move with force, almost bruising as he kisses you relentlessly. They grip and pull at your bottom lip, nipping and sucking until it throbs. The sound of your uneven breaths and moans are muffled against his ravenous mouth.

Bjorn consumes every noise you make, every desperate cry and pathetic moan.

Incapable of speaking passed his relentless mouth, you move your panties to the side and rub the tip of him against your aching core. His body shudders above yours, emitting primal grunts and growls as he finally breaks away from your lips. You avoid looking at him and nod. “Just the tip. Just- just the tip.”

With a nod against your cheek, he echoes your words as his hands slide down to remove your wet panties, exposing the delicate skin beneath. You hold him in your hand, anticipation and desire building in the space between you. Together, you both watch as he pushes inside of you. A shudder runs through his body as the engorged tip of him disappears between your folds.

Breathless and lost in the moment, he throws his head back and his cock twitches with need. His fingers dig into the sheets by your head as he leans over you, his body shaking with desire.

His hips begin to shallowly thrust into you and he grits out. “How do you like that? The tip of your cousin’s cock in your desperate pussy.” Your walls tense around him and his hips falter, driving into you with an extra bit of force. “Yeah? You like that? I know she’s not full. I know she wants more of me.”

You reach up and cup his face in your hands, pulling him towards you with a desperate force. Your lips find his, hungry and insistent, as if seeking to devour every word that might escape from his mouth. You need him to stop talking. If he keeps talking, you’ll ask him to fuck into you deeper.

You try to distract him, messily exploring every crevice of his mouth with your tongue, mapping out every curve and line with an urgent hunger. As he responds with an eager urgency, his body arches towards you and he presses deeper into you. A shuddering gasp escapes your lips as your body eagerly accepts him every inch he gives.

"Fuck," Bjorn groans, his forehead pressed to yours. His hips rock gently, working more of his length into you with each shallow thrust. You whimper and clutch at his shoulders, lifting your legs.

Bjorn’s voice is strained. “I can't stop. Need you so bad." His hips twitch, fighting the urge to thrust fully into you. "Tell me to stop. If you really want me to stop, say it now."

As he whines, you grasp his head and bring it closer to your neck, feeling the warmth of his breath against your skin. You squeeze your eyes shut tightly, overwhelmed with emotion as you pull him closer to you with your legs, pressing every inch of him into your body. Your heels dig into the flesh of his ass, urging him further inside until he finally bottoms out and fills you completely. The sensation leaves both of you moaning in pure ecstasy at the feeling of being completely joined.

Bjorn's cock is fully sheathed inside you. Your walls clench around him involuntarily and he lets out a strangled groan against your neck.

Bjorn starts to move, slowly at first. He pulls out almost completely before sliding back in, savoring every inch. His thrusts gradually pick up speed and force as his control slips away.

"God, I've wanted to put my cock in you for so long," he pants, his voice rough with desire. "Dreamt about being inside you like this. Of cumming in you."

You rake your nails down his back, pleasure building with each thrust. The wrongness of it all only seems to heighten the pleasure, manifesting in overwhelming sensitivity. You almost don’t hear his words as he peppers kisses on your clammy skin. “I’m gonna cum in you. Fill you up… Wanna watch as I drip from your pussy.”

Your core pulses with need and he continues. “Fuck! Want you to walk around with my cum in you. We can go the quarry and you can talk to other guys with my cum dripping down the inside of your thighs. Would you-”

There’s a knock at the door and someone calls your name.

Your glossy eyes widen with fear, but he doesn’t stop. Instead he shoves a hand over your mouth. His fingers dig into your cheek as he leans over you, his chain swaying and hitting your chin with each thrust. His voice is a low whisper. “You can be quiet, can’t you? Don’t want anyone to find you getting fucked by your asshole cousin would you?”

Unwillingly, your core tightens at his words. Bjorn narrows his eyes at you with a taunting smirk. “Or would you? Do you like the thought of that? Someone walking in on us while you’re being pumped full of your cousin’s cum.”

There’s another knock and call of your name. The door rattles as they try to enter the locked room.

The squelching of his cock smacking into your sloppy pussy is loud and you hope it can’t be heard through the door. You also hope they go the fuck away because you can’t talk. Not with Bjorn’s cock bullying into your pussy so deeply.

Your eyes dart frantically between Bjorn and the door. His thrusts don't falter, if anything they grow faster, more feral and primal. His hand flattens on your navel and his thumb flicks at your clit.

The friction against your neglected and oversensitive clit makes your toes curl. Your walls stutter around him as waves of ecstasy wash over you. Black dots cloud your vision and the veins in your neck strain as your suppress your cries. The wet, fleshy sound of his cock splitting you open is deafening.

"Shh," Bjorn whispers harshly, his hand still clamped over your mouth. "Don't make a sound."

You nod desperately, tears leaking from the corners of your eyes. Whether from fear or pleasure, you're not sure anymore.

The knocking grows more insistent. "Are you in there? Is everything okay?"

Bjorn's hips stutter and you feel him twitching inside you. His eyes lock onto yours, dark with lust. "I'm gonna cum," he breathes. "Gonna fill you up."

You shake your head frantically, trying to protest through his hand, but his blue eyes roll and the weight of his body presses down into you. You can feel each twitch and pulse as hot ropes of cum fill you. His teeth find your neck and he bites down into your skin muffling his noises of euphoria.

Bjorn's eyes lock with yours, dark with lust and mischief. He removes his hand from your mouth, replacing it with his lips in a searing kiss.

"Answer," he whispers against your lips. Searching his expression, you hesitantly nod, turning to the door, as there’s another knock.

Clearing your throat, you call out. “I’m okay. Just not feeling well.” The roughness of your voice must be convincing because they don’t question you further.

“Alright, um let me know if you need anything… Have you seen Bjorn? I can’t find him anywhere and nobody knows where he is.”

His spent cock twitches in you, but you ignore him.

Yeah, you know where he is. Deep inside of your pussy. But you don’t say that.

Licking your burning lips, you yell. "No. No idea, sorry. If it’s that important, maybe try checking the mines? Maybe he took another shift."

"Okay, thanks. Hope you feel better," comes the muffled reply. You hear footsteps retreating down the hallway.

Bjorn chuckles softly against your neck. "Good girl," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your pulse point.

You shiver at the praise, your body still hyper-sensitive. Bjorn's softening cock is still inside you. Shame starts to creep in now that the haze of lust is fading.

He slowly pulls out of you and you feel his cum starting to leak out, warm and sticky between your thighs.

"Fuck, that's hot," Bjorn breathes out.

"We shouldn't have done that," you whisper, averting your eyes.

Bjorn lifts his head to look at you, his blue eyes searching your face. "Do you regret it?" he asks quietly.

You bite your lip and guiltily shake your head.

As you grew, you became aware of your intelligence, a budding brilliance that mirrored your parents'. They often boasted about how you could write basic code before you could write your own name. Yet, with brilliance came curiosity, and with curiosity came questions—questions about the world outside your pristine bubble.

You remember a time when your family didn't have to worry about the smog suffocating their very lives. You could run through the gardens, feeling the warmth of artificial sunlight on your skin, never once thinking about what lay beyond the walls. But everything changed when your parents began to speak out.

They'd seen the reports, heard the stories from the miners, and it disturbed them. They became voices of dissent, advocating for those on the lower decks, the ones who toiled away in the filth and grime of the mines, who could barely breathe through the toxic fumes.

Their activism was a risk—a risk that cost them dearly. Accused of inciting unrest and defying company orders, your family was demoted, stripped of all privileges, and sent to the Weyland-Yutani mining colony, Jackson Star.

It was a far cry from the life you knew. Gone were the days of endless blue skies and breathable air. Now, you were surrounded by a world of gray, with the stench of sulfur and smoke clinging to your clothes and filling your lungs.

The fall from grace was swift and brutal. The once-respected engineers became just another pair of hands in the mines, their skills deemed useless in this new, harsh reality.

You watched as the light slowly faded from their eyes, their spirits crushed under the weight of their circumstances. Your father, once so proud and strong, became a shadow of his former self, and your mother, who always had a kind word, grew silent and withdrawn.

And then came the sickness.

The smog that choked the colony was more than just an irritant—it was poison. Day by day, it sapped the life from your parents, their health deteriorating before your eyes. You did everything you could to help, scavenging for medicine, trading anything you had of value, but it was never enough.

You remember those final days vividly. Your mother's labored breathing, the way your father’s hands shook as he tried to comfort her. They were wasting away, and there was nothing you could do but watch. One evening, as the dim light of the colony's artificial sun began to fade, your father called you over. His voice was weak, barely more than a whisper.

"Y/N..." he croaked, his hand trembling as it reached up to cup your face. You leaned in closer, tears blurring your vision as you tried to hold onto every word, every moment.

"Hold on to what's important to you," he rasped, his eyes searching yours, filled with a depth of sorrow and love you'd never seen before. "Never let go... no matter what."

You nodded, a sob caught in your throat, and clutched his hand tightly, feeling the frailty of his grip. "I promise, Dad..." you whispered, your voice breaking. "I won't let go."

He gave you a small, pained smile, his thumb brushing a tear from your cheek. "Good... that's good..." His voice trailed off, and you watched as his eyes slowly closed, his hand slipping from your face, leaving a chill that seemed to seep into your very bones.

You sat there, holding onto him, as the weight of his words settled into your heart. The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint, distant sounds of the mining equipment outside.

You felt a hollowness festering inside your 12 year old body, a void that seemed to swallow everything. Your world had crumbled, and all you had left were his final words echoing in your mind.

In that moment, something inside you hardened. The innocence of your childhood was gone, replaced by a steely resolve. You would survive, no matter what. You would hold on to what was important. You would never let go.

☆

☆

After your parents died, you found yourself alone and lost, wandering the vast expanse of the mining colony. Without any clear direction or place to call home, you eventually took to the scrapyards, using what little you had—a keen mind and nimble fingers.

Every day, for the next 3 years, you sifted through the piles of discarded machinery and broken parts, looking for anything of value. You used your skills, the ones your parents had taught you, to piece together whatever you could: small trinkets, makeshift tools, anything that might fetch a few credits in trade.

You built yourself a makeshift hovel in the middle of the junkyard, hidden from sight by towering heaps of scrap. It wasn't much, but it was yours—a sanctuary in the middle of chaos. The days were long and hard, but the work kept your mind busy, away from thoughts of loss and the life you once had.

One day, while rummaging through a particularly dense pile of debris, you stumbled upon something unusual. It was an android, half-buried under a mass of metal beams and broken equipment. Its face was scratched and dirt-streaked, revealing a complex mesh of synthetic skin and exposed circuits beneath.

The android had a human-like appearance, with dark skin that was scuffed and cracked from years of neglect. Its eyes, though lifeless, seemed almost too real, capturing an uncanny valley between human and machine.

The android's limbs were twisted at odd angles, with wires protruding like exposed veins, and its clothing—a faded, grey jumpsuit—was torn and stained with oil and grime. Despite its rough exterior and the damage it had suffered, there was something about it that drew you in. Perhaps it was the way its expression, frozen in a state of calm observation, hinted at a life once filled with purpose.

You spent hours digging it out, piece by piece, until you could drag it back to your hovel. Even in its broken state, you could see the remnants of advanced engineering—smooth, precise joints that suggested strength and agility, and a flexible, durable frame designed to withstand the harshest environments.

You marveled at the craftsmanship, recognizing some of the programming patterns from your parents' work, and wondered what stories this android could tell if it could still speak.

For days, you tinkered with the android, trying to bring it back to life. You knew a bit about androids from watching your parents work, but this was beyond anything you had attempted before. Still, you were determined. You worked late into the night, using any spare parts you could find, trying to restore its power core, to no avail.

As time passed, you continued to scavenge for more parts, your father's words echoing in your mind: "Never let go... no matter what." Bit by bit, the android slowly began to look more presentable, but even then, it wasn't enough.

Until one day, it was.

You were digging through a pile of freshly brought scraps when you spotted it: a small, seemingly insignificant power regulator bulb. It was the kind of part that, while easy to overlook, was a crucial part to getting an android's systems up and running.

The bulb had been haphazardly tossed a few feet ahead of you by a group of scavengers, its glass exterior glinting faintly under the dim overhead lights.

Your heart raced, your mind running thousands of miles a minute. Zoning in on the piece, you slowly stood up, casually making your way toward it. You knew better than to rush; showing any sign of interest could draw unwanted attention. In this place, the second someone realized you wanted something, they would place a price and drive it up, child or not.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

You were just a few feet away when it happened. A man, covered head to toe in soot and wearing a worn miner's jumpsuit, trudged over with a small wicker basket. His shoulders sagged as if he carried the weight of the world, his face etched with deep lines of exhaustion. He reached down and picked up the bulb, turning it over in his hands.

You held your breath, praying he would dismiss it as junk and toss it aside. But instead, he placed it carefully into his basket with a few other scraps.

For a moment, your world seemed to collapse. That part was your key to finally completing the android, the culmination of all your hard work. Your father’s words surged back to you, steadying your resolve: "Never let go."

Determined not to lose this opportunity, you put your plan into motion; the distant hum of machinery a constant reminder of what was at stake.

You'd become an expert at blending into the background, a necessary survival skill your parents had once joked about, saying you could disappear in plain sight.

As you trailed the man, you kept to the shadows, watching his every move while he searched for more useful scraps. He finally set the basket down to dig through a pile of metal parts.

Seeing your chance, you moved in. Almost soundlessly, you walked over on the tips of your toes. The man glanced your way but then returned to his task, not seeing you as a threat. You slouched slightly to appear even less noticeable and then made your move.

Heart rattling in your chest, you crept closer. Instinct took over, and before you knew it, you’d swiped the bulb from the basket and slipped it into your pocket with practiced ease.

You turned to leave, adrenaline pumping through your veins, but the man was quicker than you anticipated. His hand clamped down on your shoulder—firm, but not unkind.

"Hey," he said, his voice calm but commanding. "Now what are you planning to do with that?"

You froze, certain you were about to be dragged off and punished. But there was something in his eyes, a curiosity that made you pause. "I... I need it to fix something," you mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"Fix what?" he pressed, crouching down to your level. You could see now that his face wasn't unkind—worn, but not harsh. "Show me."

Swallowing hard, you decided to take a chance. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or maybe it was the loneliness that gnawed at you every day, but you found yourself leading him back to your hovel.

It was a small space carved out among the towering heaps of discarded metal and machinery. The majority of the space is filled with scraps and trinkets you've collected, tools scattered around like fallen leaves.

On the left, a table was piled high with what appeared to be completed gadgets and tech—your attempts at salvaging something useful from the wreckage. The man paused at the entrance, taking a moment to absorb the chaotic arrangement of your makeshift workshop.

His eyes roamed over the space, and before he could ask where you managed to gather all this, something else caught his attention. Among the chaos, there was one object that stood out—a small, pristine picture tablet sitting on a shelf. It showcased a beautiful family of three: a gorgeous woman, a handsome man, and a young child who bore a striking resemblance to you.

He would have brushed it off as just another trinket, but he recognized the faces in the photograph. It was hard not to on Jackson Star. The infamous Tallings family—once high-ranking members of Weyland-Yutani, who fell from grace after daring to speak out about the harsh realities of life in the colonies.

Suddenly, everything about your hovel started to make sense to him. Rumors had circulated for years about what happened to the Tallings' child, the prodigy. Many believed the child had died from sickness, just another casualty of the harsh conditions on Jackson Star or some other far-off base.

Seeing you here, in the flesh, was a surreal revelation. The man was snapped out of his thoughts as you moved further into the surprisingly deep hovel, heading towards a large tarp in the back corner.

With a determined look, you pulled it back to reveal the broken android underneath, its once smooth features now marred by scratches and dents.

The man let out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be damned," he murmured. "You found yourself an android. And you've been working on it all by yourself?"

You nodded, suddenly feeling very small under his gaze. "I don't really know what I'm doing outside the coding," you admitted quietly. "I just… I thought maybe I could fix him."

The man looked at you for a long moment, then at the android. "I think I might be able to help with that," he said finally. "Name's Marcus. And this here is a rare find, kid. N-D-255's were one of Weyland-Yutani's first artificial people. You've got a good eye."

Hope flickered in your chest. "So, you'll help me?"

He smiled. "On one condition. You let me take you back with me when we're done. Can't have a kid like you out here alone."

You hesitated, glancing around your makeshift home. It wasn't much, but it was all you had known for a while now. Still, the thought of a real home, of not being alone... "Okay," you whispered. "Deal."

☆

☆

Over the next few weeks, you and Marcus worked together to bring the android back online. It wasn't easy, and there were many late nights where you doubted it would ever work, but Marcus was patient and kind, always encouraging you to keep trying.

You grew to trust him, even look up to him.

As you carefully lifted the flash drive-shaped device, which Marcus called the "Reboot Key," he stood beside you, his hand resting gently on your shoulder. "Alright, kid," he began, his voice calm and steady, "this is the moment of truth. Remember, it's okay if things don't go as planned the first time. Sometimes, you have to go back to the drawing board. What's important is that you keep trying, alright?"

You nodded, a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling inside you. You were standing above the android's head, both of your faces level with one another.

The android had a gentle, almost puppy-like expression on its face, its synthetic features designed to seem approachable and non-threatening. Its lips, though motionless now, had a subtle pout, giving it an almost childlike innocence.

You couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for this machine that seemed so lifelike, yet so fragile in its current state.

"Okay, here we go," Marcus said softly, guiding your hand toward the side of the android's neck. "You need to insert the Reboot Key right here, in this small port. Make sure it's aligned properly, then give it a twist."

With a deep breath, you carefully inserted the device into the port. Your hands were steady, but you could feel your heart racing in your chest.

As you twisted the device, a small spasm shot through the android's body, its limbs twitching for a moment. You gasped and pulled back slightly, but Marcus squeezed your shoulder reassuringly.

"Just a momentary glitch," he said. "Let's see if it worked."

A second later, the android's eyes flickered to life. They were dark and deep, with a subtle glow that made them seem almost alive.

For a moment, those eyes zeroed in on you, and you felt a strange connection, as if the machine could see right through you. Slowly, you backed away, moving to stand next to Marcus as the android sat up.

It felt like an eternity as the android continued to stare at you, its gaze unblinking and intense.

Then, it blinked, its expression softening as it turned its head to look at Marcus before shifting its attention back to you. "N-D-255, Weyland-Yutani synthetic human with mining and guard functions."

You felt a surge of joy like you hadn't felt in so long. Your body trembled with excitement as you stepped forward, a smile spreading across your face. "What is your name?" you asked, your voice barely a whisper.

The synthetic's lips seemed to fall into an even deeper pout, and its head tilted slightly to the side, almost cutely. "I...I don't know."

You fidgeted awkwardly before turning to Marcus. "What should we do?"

Marcus looked as if he were holding back a grin, finding the entire situation funny. "I dunno kid, how about you name him? I mean, you did find him after all."

"N...Name him?" You began to suddenly feel self-conscious as you turned back around only to have the android staring intently at you. You glanced back over at Marcus, who gave you an encouraging nod, a warm smile on his face. "Uh… how about… Andy?" you suggested hesitantly.

The moment the name left your lips, you wanted to punch yourself. Andy? Really? What did it even stand for—android? How original… But as you looked back at the synthetic, you saw its lips curl into a slight smile, its head nodding in acceptance.

"Designation accepted: Andy," the android replied, its small. "Thank you for giving me a name."

With a happy squeal, you turn and throw your arms around Marcus in a rare moment of unguarded happiness. "We did it!" you exclaimed. "We really did it!"

Marcus chuckled, ruffling your hair. "Yeah, we did. And you know what? I think it's time I took you home."

True to his word, Marcus introduced you to his wife and daughter, Rain. She was about your age, a few years younger—three, to be exact. When you first met her, you were about fifteen, and she was twelve.

From the moment you arrived at her home, Rain was like a shadow, sticking to you like glue. She had a fiery spirit and a boundless curiosity that quickly became apparent.

Despite the age difference, she admired your resourcefulness and determination, and the two of you formed a bond that was hard to break.

Over the next few months, Rain was your constant companion. She'd be there every time you and Marcus worked on Andy, eagerly watching as you updated and built upon the android. Her eyes would light up with every new piece of tech you explained, her enthusiasm infectious.

Whenever you went diving for scraps in the junkyard, Rain would tag along, insisting on helping you find whatever parts you needed, her small hands surprisingly adept at sorting through the debris.

She was determined to learn from you, often mimicking your actions and hanging on your every word. There was something about her unwavering trust in you that felt both reassuring and heavy—a reminder of the role you’d inadvertently taken on, not just as a friend, but as a protector and mentor.

You found yourself growing fond of her fierce spirit and relentless curiosity, her presence becoming a bright spot in the otherwise grim surroundings of the colony.

As the weeks turned into months, the two of you became a team, navigating the scrapyards and working on Andy together. With every shared adventure, every quiet conversation under the stars, your bond deepened, forging a bond that would stand the test of time and adversity.

It was then you realized: you'd do anything to protect her.

☆

☆

One late night, Marcus came home from the mines, exhausted from a long day's work. The house was dark and quiet, with only the soft sounds of his wife sleeping in the next room. He expected to find both you and Rain asleep as well, but instead, he saw a dim light flickering from the corner of the workshop.

As he stepped closer, he spotted you hunched over one of Andy's arm panels, a single candle casting long shadows around you. Rain was fast asleep in a chair next to you, which you had padded with some old blankets to make a makeshift bed. She looked peaceful, her small body curled up and her face relaxed in sleep.

The android, still in a state of disrepair, stared intently at you as you worked, its dark eyes reflecting the soft glow of the candle. You were rambling softly to Andy, explaining what you were doing and why each piece was important, almost as if teaching him as you went along.

Your concentration was so deep that you didn't notice Marcus until the sound of his heavy boots on the floor pulled you back to reality.

Looking up, your face broke into a warm grin. "Hi, Marc. Can I get you something?" you asked, quickly putting Andy into sleep mode to not startle him.

Marcus just smiled and shook his head, walking over to where you sat. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Rain's forehead before settling into a chair next to you.

He didn't need to ask why you were still up; he already knew the answer. This wasn't the first time he had found you working late into the night, lost in your thoughts and projects.

The two of you sat in peaceful silence as you continued upgrading Andy's arm, the only sound being the soft clicks of your tools and Rain's gentle breathing.

After a while, you broke the silence, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for everything, Marcus," you said, still focused on your work to avoid looking at him directly. "Really, I mean it."

Marcus chuckled softly. "You thank me nearly every month, Y/N. There's nothing to thank me for."

You sighed, a small smile tugging at your lips. "I know," you replied. Your gaze shifted to Rain, who was still sound asleep beside you. "But truly, if you hadn't found me and taken me in, I don't know what I would've done…"

Marcus nudged you gently, his voice soft but firm. "You'd have done what you've always done—survive," he said, gesturing to the various trinkets and gadgets you'd built and sold over the months to help support the family. "You've got that spirit in you, Y/N."

You waved his words away, a bittersweet smile on your face. "I know that, but eventually, I think I would have lost the fight, ya' know?" Your eyes lingered on Rain as you spoke. "Life isn't really worth living if you don't have something—or someone—to live for."

The room fell silent again, but this time it was different. Marcus looked at you with a newfound respect, seeing not just the lanky teen he'd taken in months ago, but a young person who had grown and matured in ways he hadn't quite realized.

You were more than just a survivor; you were becoming someone with purpose.

"I'd like to code Andy with a specific directive," you said suddenly, breaking the quiet. "To always ensure Rain is safe…"

Marcus started to object, suggesting that both of you should be Andy's priority, but you cut him off gently but firmly. "If there's ever a situation where one of us needs saving, I want it to be her. No point in having a synthetic get confused by probabilities or choices. I know what I'd do—I'd always choose her. No matter the chances of success."

Marcus sighed, understanding your resolve. He knew that even if he wanted things otherwise, you would probably find a way to change it behind his back. With a resigned nod, he agreed. "Alright, we'll do it tomorrow," he said softly, standing up. He leaned down and kissed your forehead, a gesture of quiet affection, before carefully lifting the still-sleeping Rain into his arms with a small grunt.

As he turned to leave the room with Rain in his arms, you watched them go, a sense of determination settling over you. You knew then, more than ever, that you would protect her at all costs.