#asteroidborn

            @asteroidborn gets a pre plotted starter from // amos.

         @asteroidborn liked for a starter from amos / expanse.

//my first IC text is very IC

  @asteroidborn gets a slightly pre plotted starter / amos.

        Jerking her head back, Naomi finds herself smiling at the sudden statement.  She’d been dozing.  Sheets tangled around her legs.  Her head was tucked against Holden’s neck.  Warmth radiated off of him in soothing waves, making it even harder to open her eyes.  Slowly, the engineer shifts.  Tired muscles coil back in toward her body so she can gather enough energy to push her upper body on to her elbows.  A kiss goes to his shoulder.  Then, another lands on the scruff of his jaw.

         “ Where’s that coming from? “  It takes more energy than it should but Naomi is finally perched up on Holden’s upper chest.  Forearms are crossed over his ribs so she can angle her gaze down.  There’s a hint of a tired smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.  “ You’re wonderful, too.  You know that, right? ”

Holden had been comfortable, happy listening to Naomi breathe as they lay in their too-small bunk in his cabin. It’s one of his favorite things. They’re always on the run, always in the middle of something, and he treasures every moment of downtime they have. Lying in bed with his beautiful XO slash girlfriend is all he ever wants to do. The words slip out of him as easily as anything. You are wonderful. Because she is.

            @nomadshield gets a pre-plotted starter. 

              Loathing exuded from him in waves that were damn near tangible.  Anger bristled in every molecule, from the harsh scowl cut into his expression to the tense, raised shoulders and the stiff spine and the fingers digging bloody trench marks into his palms, knuckles white and red and bloody -- his, torn open across the asshole’s jaw and teeth (shattered, in pieces, choked out of the Belter’s mouth and sprayed, bloody, onto the floor).    The taint of alcohol hung heavy, hot on his breath and screaming in his blood, his heartbeat surging and pounding in his chest and his head, rage screwed up in a bottle and a half of whiskey fire that burned reason, what little bit of it he had, out of his head.  Pain.  Pain, blistered in his jaw and thudded in his chest, and side, where the giant of a man had pummeled knees and elbows, a flurry of blows exchanged that had been a perfectly brewed storm of insults and glares. 

@asteroidborn sent ❤ to grab holden and kiss him

Holden hasn’t seen his chief engineer in... well, a few hours. Normally this wouldn’t bother him. She has her work, he has his, that kind of thing. But he’d scheduled a meeting with her. A bit tongue-in-cheek, yeah, but it had been a fun tease at the time. Lying in bed beside her as she listed all the things she just had to do, saying she could maybe squeeze him in as she leaned down to kiss him.

But Naomi had been late for their “meeting”. Wasn’t answering his calls. A captain can’t have his people just going radio silent when they’re supposed to be meeting him. Bulb of coffee clutched in his hand, Holden meanders towards his cabin. Their cabin. Maybe he’d find her there. He passes the door to her cabin. Doesn’t register the sound of a door sliding open. Until someone grabs his arm and tugs him hard. He can’t even get a “what” out before he’s pulled down and lips crash against his.

Naomi. Holden smiles into the kiss, hand falling to rest on her hip as his coffee-laden arm wrapped around her back. The door slides shut behind them. He hums and pulls her tighter to him. Good. Don’t need the guys seeing them making out. They kiss like that until they need air, Naomi pulling away but not going far. Holden breathes her in, rubs her back gently with the side of his coffee mug. He brushes his nose against hers. This moment is perfect. He wishes they had more of them. But he just can’t help himself.

Naomi had activated alien technology that may have been used for time travel, and promptly collapsed. Holden had tried to stop her. Told her they shouldn’t mess with it if they didn’t know what it did. He’d know better than most people alive that alien technology shouldn’t ever be messed with at all. But she’d done it anyway, and Amos had held him back when he’d tried to run to her. He’d carried her back to the Roci himself, cradling her against him and whispering to her please be okay. Now she’s occupying the chair he usually finds himself in, alive, but unconscious. 

The computer couldn’t say what was wrong with her. Just that she was unconscious, and could use a little more water. Holden scoots his stool closer, his hip right up against her thigh. He’d do anything for her to wake up. He can feel Miller itching at his mind, trying to break out. But as long as Naomi is in the room with him, the ghost stays away. He’s grateful. He only has eyes for Naomi. Nothing else.

So he doesn’t miss her eyes flittering, the soft groan slipping from her lips. Relief floods his chest. He takes her hand, moves closer.

“It’s okay, you’re back on the Roci.” An airy laugh, near a sob, escapes him. “This is why we can’t just manhandle alien technology, Naomi.”