#ernst schmidt

You're halfway into a deconstructed wall unit attempting to reroute a broken power line when cold fingers tickle along the small gap between your shirt and your trousers. You yelp, instinctively kicking out and scowling at the laughter that follows as you set your tools down on the bottom of the panel. You pull out of the wall and see exactly who you thought you would, a cheeky smirk on his face as he scrolls through a datapad idly behind you. He looks unfortunately handsome with his annoyingly cute scruff and his nerdy glasses, and it softens your ire despite yourself.

"Ernst Schmidt, that is harassment and you know it." You wag your finger at him, and he rolls his stupidly pretty honey eyes as he dismisses an alert on his datapad.

"You're not even ticklish, liebchen." He protests weakly, stepping closer and resting his shoulder against the wall beside you, "you can't blame me for being tempted."

"I most certainly can - your hands are freezing! And don’t call me that, Ernst, be discreet. Besides, Mundy would be on my ass if he thought we were mucking about - he's already being nice not telling anyone about us, and I don't want to tempt him by making him think I'm slacking off." You insist, waving your hand at him insistently to try and get him to leave you alone. In an ideal world, you wouldn't have to chase him off - you'd be able to take the time to talk to him without worrying about what someone might think if they saw you. Unfortunately, it is not an ideal world, and as much as you'd love to stare at his pretty face all day, you have work to do and you can’t be the one to slack off. No one is going to fire the genius physicist, but they could definitely get rid of one of the engineers. You might all have different specialisations, but you doubted that would stop anyone.

Ernst sighs, adjusting his glasses as he looks over the power readout he’d been examining on his datapad when he passed by you, apparently approving of the numbers since he dismisses it and looks back up into your eyes. He doesn't even try to act like he's about to leave. Instead, he smiles, licking his thumb and rubbing away a spot of dirt on your cheek. You smile sheepishly, rubbing away the slick spot.

"You never slack a day in your life, and Mundy knows it. That's why you're his favourite on this whole station." Ernst reminds you, before his voice becomes ardent, his expression yearning, "Liebchen, it's been too long. Visit me tonight."

Your cheeks burn, and you cover his mouth with your hand as you shoot panicked looks up and down the hallway.

"Shh, Ernst, Christ! Send me a message, okay? I know you're one of the geniuses keeping this station going, but I'm just a grunt. No, I'm the grunt's grunt. I'm expendable."

You squeak as he kisses your palm, pulling your hand away quickly to avoid further molestation and huffing dramatically. You even stomp your foot, and Ernst snorts, the fondness in his eyes obvious to anyone who might see him. God, he was so bad at hiding things.

"Relax, häschen, enough thumping. You are not expendable, and no one would say anything if they knew. Perhaps Volkov, but no one important. You think they care more than they actually do. You know Kiel thinks the world of you."

You relax ever so slightly, and turn back to the panel you were working on, "Either way, Ernst. I'll see you tonight."

Ernst smiles brilliantly, and you hide from him by crawling back into the wall panel, missing the look Monk gives you both as he rounds the corner to find the physicist staring directly at your pert ass before he begins to walk away.

~

You sit beside Mundy at dinnertime, and he slings an arm across the back of your chair, heads nearly pressed together as you look over a power grid overlay of the station. There’s been issues with power fluctuations lately. Nothing that appeared to affect the tests, as it was more of a delay than a lack of power existing, but it was assumed by mission control to be a simple anomaly caused by overachieving systems fighting for power levels. Still, it had bothered you, and you liked to fix things that bothered you even if they weren’t necessary. You point out the reroutes you made, and Mundy grins widely, examining the power readout comparisons.

"Efficient. Good job, kid." He praises you, and you find yourself beaming despite the demeaning nickname. You’re not a child, despite being the youngest on board. Kiel notices your little tête-à-tête and asks what's up as he passes you by to claim his own seat, which makes you cringe at the added attention of the station commander. Mundy brags about your work, giving you a playful shake by your shoulder while Kiel praises the initiative. You're sinking into your seat as you look around the room, only to notice Ernst staring at you and Mundy. Mostly Mundy. Mostly Mundy's arm around your back.

God, men are so tiring.

You roll your eyes, and he clearly notices because he flushes a little and looks away, adjusting his glasses. You're used to his needless jealousy, and he's used to the way you dismiss it. He's the most handsome man you’ve ever met, and he’s intelligent to boot - you have no idea why he thinks you'd ever want anyone else. You suppose that isn't why he's actually jealous, now that you think about it properly. He's not jealous because he thinks you might be interested in Mundy, who is more like an older brother than anything else. He’s jealous because no one knows that you're his. He's jealous of the fact that Mundy can touch you without worrying about what anyone will think of it. He's jealous that you flinch away from the same touch from him that you allow from others simply because you spend some of your nights in his bed and certainly not theirs. Simply because you think that somehow, they’ll notice that it’s different between you two than it is with anyone else.

Part of you knows, deep down, that if you disclosed your relationship with Kiel, nothing would really change on the outside. You want to tell him - withholding it feels like lying - but you’ve spent your entire career in a male-dominated field doing your absolute damnedest to be recognised for your work instead of your tits. You’ve avoided relationships like the plague, knuckled down and given up plenty of opportunities to have fun just to dedicate yourself to your work, all to be seen with an ounce of the same respect as any other joe blow asshole with an engineering degree. You have a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Bachelor's degree with honours in Electrical Engineering - you are as qualified as anyone else on this goddamned station. Telling Mundy about your relationship had been one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do, and you’d only managed it because he heavily implied that he already knew and definitely approved.

Mundy really is like family - like the older brother you’d never thought you wanted. He knew Ernst made you happy, and that you got your work done despite your relationship, so he encouraged it. Even helped hide it, sometimes, when one of you slipped up. Without him, you think you would’ve been a nervous wreck and fallen apart.

You know Ernst wants more from you than you’ve been able to give him so far. He’s been patient - he respects you and your dedication to your field. He does his best to understand why you’re so tense about your relationship even if he can never fully get it. He is a man, and he’s never had to go through the same kind of discrimination that you have as a woman, but he tries very hard to listen and understand as much as he can. He’s so good to you, so patient and respectful, even when he’s being a dirty, disrespectful little brat. He deserves more. Sometimes, you think you might’ve been selfish to get together with him, but you aren’t strong enough to let him go. Every moment with him is worth a thousand moments without him, as difficult as it is to sleep when he’s only a couple rooms away.

Volkov approaches, looming over you and Mundy like a vulture to survey the grid changes you've made. He hums, and you do your best to be patient as you wait for his reaction, feeling Mundy stiffen beside you protectively. After a long moment, he huffs a surprised breath, dropping a hand to squeeze your shoulder as he murmurs a quiet 'Good job.' before he moves along to his seat across from you. You're shocked - Volkov has never been mean to you, really, but he's never one to mince words and he doesn't give praise often, if ever. You offer him a shy smile that he returns, gaze lingering on you after you look away to grab your drink and sip it.

Ernst is fuming when you meet his gaze, jaw clenched deliciously.

Shit.

~

The soft sheets below your face smell like his cologne, and you nuzzle against them, even as moans fall openly from your lips. Drool dribbles down your chin, and you do your best to stop it, but a firm hand collides with your plush ass, squeezing and causing your mouth to drop back open. Ernst pushes you forwards into the mattress, squeezing and spreading your asscheeks as he watches you take every single inch of his cock. You claw at the sheets, trying to push yourself up only to feel your lover’s hand slide up your spine to press you back down. You whine, the angle forcing him so deep you can practically feel him in your throat.

“God, Ernst, it’s too deep.”

“Relax, Häschen, you can take it.” He soothes, and you whimper as you feel the bed dip next to you as he plants his foot into the mattress, “You need a bit of punishment, liebchen. Flirting with Volkov, as if he could ever please you with his tiny cock.”

You moan plaintively, reaching back towards him, wrapping your fingers around his wrist in your desperation to touch him. You don’t even have the brain power to refute his claim about flirting with Volkov as he’s already fucked you stupid. He coos at you, pouting mockingly as he puts your hand on your bottom to replace his own, spreading yourself open for him. He trails his fingers up your arm, stroking your forearm, thumb sweeping across the inside of your elbow in a surprisingly gentle gesture while he’s doing his best to rearrange your guts. You make eye contact, and he smiles, kissing his fingers then pressing them to your lips in a sweet gesture, and you clench around him as you take his digits into your mouth as he tries to pull them away. Your tongue rolls across the pads of his index and middle fingers, and you suck gently, eyes half-lidded as your lover bucks into you.

“Ahh, my sweet little liebchen, look at you. Why do you deny yourself this every night? I could make you feel so good.” Ernst purrs teasingly, groaning as he picks up his pace a little, the slap of his pelvis against your ass loud and accompanied by an embarrassing squelch.

“Bärchen…” You whimper, and Ernst hums encouragingly, stroking your lower back in an attempt to soothe you. Despite his rough treatment, he isn’t trying to hurt you.

“What is it, schatz?”

“Wanna hold you.”

Ernst lets out a soft moan, rubbing your flank as he pulls out of you, delicately maneuvering you onto your back. He helps you scoot up on his mattress until your head rests against the pillows, laying between your legs for a moment so he can simply kiss you, gentle as can be. You moan as he pushes back into you slowly, pressing forwards until he bottoms out. You feel a little less overwhelmingly full from this angle, and you give a blissful sigh, putting your arms around Ernst. It’s your first fuck in nearly a week, and every time you go more than a day without him stretching you open, the first time always feels a touch on that side of too full in certain positions. Usually, he’s very good about taking you gently when it’s been a while, but you know he took you a little rougher today because of his frustrations.

“Of course, sweet girl. I’ll give you anything you want.” He purrs, and you stroke his cheeks lovingly, staring into his pretty brown eyes.

”Want you to come inside me and fuck it deeper. Want you to fuck me in the morning and come inside me so I have to walk around all day full of you.” You whisper, “I’m yours, Ernst. Been yours since we were in training, and you told me that terrible joke about astrophysics.”

“It wasn’t that terrible.” He protests, adjusting your hips a little so he can get his hand between you and stroke your clit.

“Yes, bärchen, it really w-” You tease, though you’re cut off by a moan ripped from your throat before you can even finish, and your lover nuzzles his nose against your cheek as he keeps up his steady pace. Your back arches off the bed, mouth gasping for air as you’re struck by the hardest orgasm you’ve had in what feels like an age. Ernst groans against you, pressing kisses to your lips as he thrusts deep into your spasming cunt, stilling once he’s balls deep in your clenching heat.

“Ich liebe dich.” he murmurs firmly against your lips, and you tremble, the gravity of the phrase sinking in deep. It isn’t something said lightly. He’s said ‘Ich bin in dich verliebt’ nearly a year ago, and ‘Ich habe mich in dich verliebt’ more recently in the last couple of months, but never that.

Ich liebe dich.

I love you.

A definitive. In line with his German sensibilities, he waited until he was absolutely sure.

“I love you too, Ernst Schmidt. Ich liebe dich auch.” You sob out, clenching your legs around him, holding his cheeks in a desperate attempt to keep him closer than close.

“Breathe, liebling,” Ernst whispers, pressing kisses across every inch of your face as you both come down from the incredible high, “You’re so beautiful, schatz.”

“Even covered in sweat, hair a mess, and fucked stupid?” You ask, and he laughs, kissing your nose.

“All of that and worse. Though, I am partial to you being cockdumb and pliant for me.” He teases, drawing a giggle from your lips.

“I wasn’t flirting with Volkov. I’d rather eat glass.”

“I know, liebchen. I know.”

“And… I think I’m ready to talk to Kiel.” You add before you can chicken out, watching the shock spread across his face, mouth dropping open as his eyes widen. The delight closely follows, and you pull him into a kiss, tangling your fingers in his hair.

“I promise, no matter what happens, I will stand beside you.”

“You fucking better, Schmidt, it’s all your fault. Being so goddamn cute with your stupid physics jokes and your dumb muscular arms for no reason. What kind of physicist is as buff as you? Like, it’s absurd. Completely unnecessary. How dare you be smart, funny, AND hot?”

“Ah, well, I am, as you say… the trifecta? Husband material?”

You can’t help but smack him gently, your face going hot at even the mention of marriage.

Rude!

~

“So, you came to me to have a very hush-hush meeting to tell me that you’re dating?” Kiel asks as if to clarify, his expression perfectly neutral, giving nothing of his feelings away. You nod, biting at your lip as you squeeze Schmidt’s arm.

“We wanted to let you know. We won’t make a fuss with the rest of the crew, and we won’t let it affect our work, I swear.” You insist. Your lover - boyfriend, though the word feels juvenile for the feelings you have for him - nods in support of you, but his expression is questing as he examines Kiel for weaknesses.

“I know you won’t.” Kiel comments, and you agree instantly, relief coming like a tidal wave until he interrupts your thought process, “considering you’ve been flirting since mission launch, and fucking since… what, a couple of months in?”

Your whole body goes hot with embarrassment, your cheeks on fire as you freeze in place. Were you really that unsubtle?

“I’m fairly sure everyone knows already. We’ve been waiting for you two to finally speak up. Why do you think Volkov is always extra nice whenever he wants to piss your boyfriend off?” Kiel asks, and you blink.

Well, shit.

“I… suppose this meeting is unnecessary then.” Ernst speaks up finally, putting his hand on the back of your neck comfortingly.

“Well, it did stop the clock for bets. Ava lost ages back - she guessed you’d fess up over a year ago.” Kiel comments, and you groan, getting up from your seat quickly.

“Okay, wonderful, great talk Commander. I’m going to go die in a hole now, thanks.” You inform him, fleeing the room so quickly it’s like you were never there. Ernst stands to follow you, and Kiel offers him a slightly softer smile.

“Mundy’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

“I’m aware, and I have no intentions of ever doing that.”

“Good. Ava’s first in line if she ever hurts you - she called dibs. Tam’s still grumpy about it.” Kiel teases, and Schmidt laughs, fondness making his smile warmer than usual.

“Good to know.”

“If you guys decide to tie the knot, we better all get invites.”

Schmidt bites back a grin, rubbing his hands together for a moment before shrugging, “I suppose, keep your eye on your mailbox when we get home then. I promised myself I’d wait until we were groundside again before I asked. We’ll have to figure out a lot of things when we head back. Where we’re going to live is the first and foremost.”

“I think all of that will fall into place quite quickly. It won’t be long. You’ve been making good progress - we’re almost there. I can feel it.” Kiel replies as he gets up from his desk, “C’mon, we better inform the crew so we can settle this bet and get back to work.”

Together, the two men walk down the halls towards the cafeteria, wondering if that’s where you’ve fled to.

“What did you bet?”

A pause. A guilty pause.

“I figured she’d hold out until the mission was over. She’s such a stubborn thing.” Kiel muses, and Ernst laughs, shrugging his shoulders.

“Ahh, she bends easy enough with the right incentive.” He comments as the two enter the cafeteria to find the whole crew gathered. You’re sitting pretty with Mundy, who appears to be trying to talk you off the proverbial ledge.

“Looks like Volkov wins.” Monk comments, and Schmidt groans loudly in protest, “What? It’s your fault you didn’t wait a little longer.”

You beam at that, and your love rolls his eyes, knowing what’s about to come.

“Yes, Monk, it most certainly is Schmidt’s fault. I guess I don’t blame him though - I am pretty great.”

That gains you a round of eyerolls and laughter, but your physicist approaches to kiss the top of your head, sitting on your other side after giving Mundy a friendly clap on the shoulder.

“I can agree with you there, Häschen. Even when you resort to thumping at me.”

It takes every single bit of self control in your body to keep yourself from stomping your foot, the habit so deeply ingrained that it’s second nature.

Schmidt winks at you, and you grin, feeling lighter than you have in ages. Having the secret out felt nice, but the way Ernst kept holding your hand and stroking your ring finger between his thumb and index as if rolling a ring? Yeah, that felt a whole lot nicer.