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commander-krios · 8 months

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A Good Night

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: The lines between friendship and love are getting blurrier the more time Damon spends with a certain stowaway. Words: 1978 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Pre-Relationship, Fluff, Love/Friendship, Sexual Humor, Teasing/Banter, Safety and Peace, Small Reference to Childhood Trauma

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~~~~

They were a few hours out from Orion, the payload sitting in the storage room down in the docks. They’d blow the mines to hell once the miners were safe, leaving Orion a smoking crater with nothing but bodies of the K’merii and a big ‘fuck you’ to Zovack. For now, Damon was sitting in the common area, feet up on the couch with his nose buried in a book. Unfortunately, the coming fight had him so distracted that he couldn’t remember the passage he’d been reading for the last twenty minutes, forgetting the words as soon as he finished.

Finally, with a defeated sigh, he laid his head on the armrest, staring at the ceiling. The grey metal was dented, misshapen or discolored in certain areas, a patch job here, a new bolt there. He often wondered how the damn thing stayed together most days. But the Andromeda Six was well loved, well cared for, and it’d be a cold day in hell when Calderon gave it up.

The buzz of the fluorescent lights was comforting, familiar, and Damon closed his eyes, his exhaustion catching up to him at last. He hadn’t slept since Cursa, not for long at least. Carrot head needed a babysitter and as much as he didn’t mind him before the entire shitstorm of Zovack’s coup, Vexx Serif was certainly not the same person he’d been before.

To say it was wearing on him was an understatement.

He was almost asleep when the telltale signs of a certain stowaway entering pricked at his ears: the shuffle of her boots on the deck plating, the whoosh of the door as it opened, the sound of her fingers drumming against the door jamb as she hesitated.

“What can I do for you, Princess?”

“How do you do that?” She asked, the strain in her voice making it sound as if she was holding back a laugh.

“Do what?” Damon tilted his head in her direction, surprised to find that she wasn’t dressed for the night cycle yet. In fact, she looked like she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. Not with the shine of excitement in her eyes and a subtle glow to her skin that Damon still had trouble getting used to.

“Hear me coming before I even get here.”

A smirk curled his lips, a dirty joke on the tip of his tongue when she sensed his thoughts, mouth opening slightly, a subtle blush coloring her cheeks. But he didn’t miss the movement of her eyes as she moved closer, shining with unspoken amusement.

“You’re awful.” She muttered instead, stopping short in front of the couch, still fighting a smile.

“But you make it so easy, Princess.”

“Yeah, well, you’re easy.” He swore she should’ve been sticking her tongue out at him with the way she said it.

Damon couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. Swinging his feet to the floor, he settled himself in a sitting position, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” When she scrunched her nose adorably at him, his smile only widened. “Don’t be like that, Astrea. You don’t have anything to be jealous of, sweetheart.”

She ignored his attempt to instigate an argument, plopping down next to him on the worn out sofa.

“I have a gift for you, if you’re nice.”

“I’m always nice.” He bumped his shoulder into hers gently.

Astrea rolled her eyes before thinking better of it and handed him a badly wrapped package, the tissue paper already ripped in places. It was small, thin, and for a moment, Damon held it in his hands, uncertain of what to do. How did a person respond to getting a gift completely unprompted? Or a gift at all? Was there a written handbook on what to do? Because he had no fucking idea what to do.

“What’s this for?” He managed to ask, meeting her gaze curiously, seeing blush spread against her cheeks as she glanced away. She was always so damned cute whenever she got embarrassed.

“I heard Calderon mention your birthday was coming soon and I didn’t know when it was so I thought I could do something nice for you especially after everything that happened on Cursa-”

“Wait-” He cut off her rambling, perhaps more harshly than he should’ve when he noticed her lips turn into a frown. Running a hand through his hair, he gripped a handful of the strands, trying to make sense of what was happening. “My birthday? I don’t… I’ve never celebrated that.”

“Oh.” Astrea played with the end of her braided silver hair, tugging on the ends nervously. “Well, you can still have the gift if you want it. I made it for you.”

Damon’s jaw tensed, but he resisted the sudden urge to snap at her. He had so much shit in his past that he didn’t like talking about and this was one of those. Birthdays on Cursa didn’t happen. Not for kids like him. Those that were forgotten or unwanted. And with parents like his…

“You really shouldn’t have, Princess.”

Astrea sighed, reaching forward to close his hand over the package, pushing it closer to him. Her fingers brushed against his skin and left a tingling behind, an itch that made him want to entwine their hands together. “Just open it. If you don’t like it, I can take it back.”

He wasn’t going to hurt her feelings even if he didn’t like it. Because she made it for him and no one had ever made something for him before. With a sigh, he dropped his focus to the package in his hands, pulling the paper apart slowly until the only thing left was a flat rectangle of woven thread in his hands, a blue and black background dotted with yellow and white… stars. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever touched.

Swallowing down the burst of emotion threatening to overwhelm him at the unexpected gesture, he managed to find his voice. “What is it?”

Astrea ran a fingertip over the design, mapping out the stars and little details she’d put into it. “It’s a bookmark. I thought about that night after the Festival of Valen… with the fireflies? I tried to mimic it, the way the fireflies glowed and the stars overhead, but I doubt I did it justice.” She brushed along the section at the top, swirls of blue and white with a small circle of orange and gold. Teranium, if he had to guess.

“It’s…” His mind couldn’t wrap around this. “You made this?”

What the hell was he supposed to say? That this was the most thoughtful and best gift he would probably ever receive in his entire cursed life? That he didn’t deserve it? Because with the way Astrea was looking at him, he sure as hell didn’t. She was too good for someone like him, but… he wanted it. All of it.

And all of her.

Astrea sat silently beside him, twisting her hands together nervously. “Do you like it?”

He let out a breathless laugh, brushing his thumb over the gorgeous weaving. “Yeah. It’s just… I’ve never gotten a gift before. Not like this.”

Any tension between them vanished as they sat there, Damon admiring her handiwork, unable to believe that she made such a thoughtful gift for him, and Astrea quietly watching him, golden eyes searching his face for something she wouldn’t find. Because he wasn’t lying to her. He really did like it.

“Damon?”

“Yeah?”

She shifted slightly out of the corner of his eye, as if she was uncomfortable. “If you ever want to talk about what happened to you, any of it… I know I’m not Alisa and that I probably wouldn’t understand like she would, but I’m here.”

Damon glanced at her with a soft smile, finding it impossible to not tease her at least once during the conversation. “Why do you care about this so much?”

“I…” She cleared her throat, gaze dropping to her hands. “You have people that care about you, Damon. Alisa and the crew.”

“And you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, waiting for the telltale blush to appear on her cheeks like it usually did. “Are you saying that you care?”

When she met his eyes, he noticed the sly look for what it was. He’d played right into her hands. “Of course I do. You should stop making it so difficult.”

Damon laughed, reaching out to tug on the end of her braid. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m a dick.”

She swatted him away, rolling her eyes but he could finally see the blush on her cheeks. “You’re not a total dick. Just a quarter of one.”

“That feels slightly like an insult.”

“You’re into that sort of thing, aren’t you? At least, that’s what you want me to believe.” She leaned against the opposite armrest, looking more comfortable than she had since waking up on the ship weeks ago.

“You don’t want me to answer that.” Damon reached for his abandoned book, trying to remember which page he’d left off, sliding the bookmark in its rightful place. For a fleeting moment, he stared at the design, heart clenching at the memories that they’d bring back every time he looked at it. Then he cleared his throat, closing the book shut, turning to her again. “You should probably get some sleep before we get to Orion. You’ll need it.”

“I’m not going to be able to sleep.”

She was lying. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious enough but she tried and failed to stifle a yawn immediately after, giving him a sheepish smile when she realized she was caught.

Damon understood what it was like to be afraid of closing your eyes. He couldn’t fault her for that. Not when he was hiding out in the common room to avoid sleeping alone in his bed, the nightmares that Cursa awoke threatening to swallow him whole.

“I don’t sleep much and with what’s coming… I get it.” The book weighed heavy in his hands, but he wasn’t entirely sure why he was suddenly nervous. “I’ll be up for a while still, if you want company.”

She smiled at him and it was like the sun rising after an eternally dark night. It warmed every cold part of his soul and he didn’t want to fight it anymore. Astrea made him happier than he ever remembered being. “That’d be nice. Thanks, Damon.”

He had to look away, picking his book up to give his hands something to do. “Yeah, well, I hope you can be quiet. I have a book to finish.”

“What are you reading?” She asked, moving closer, the coolness of her skin nearly making him shiver when her arm touched his. “Do you think you could read it aloud?”

“Oh, did you need a bedtime story, Princess?” He teased, enjoying how easy it was to get her riled up. He had to curb the desire to flick her nose when she scrunched it in response.

“I only thought if you read it to me, I’d get bored and fall asleep.”

Damon thought she’d move away, or possibly leave, but she rested her cheek on his shoulder instead, her silver hair tickling his neck where a stray strand brushed his skin. He chuckled quietly, opening the book to the beginning, knowing he wasn’t getting anywhere substantial in the story, but it was worth it for this calm before the storm.

He thought she had more willpower in her, but she was fast asleep by the end of the first chapter, breath coming in warm puffs against his shoulder. With a shake of his head, a smile playing on his lips, he leaned closer, pressing a kiss against her hair.

“Good night, sweetheart.”

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #a6 #tilaari traveler #oc: astrea #damon reznor #astrea x damon #f!traveler x damon

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commander-krios · 7 months

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Seeing Stars

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: "Princess, fencing is not the same as fighting with knives." Damon was about to learn how right he was about that. Words: 2730 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Pre-Relationship, Fencing, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Flirting, Banter, Swearing/Strong Language, Sexual Humor

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Ayame’s laughter echoed back to where Damon stood with Vexx against the wall of the docks, his attention focused on the knife in his hands. At the sound, his gaze jumped to the two women positioned on the mat, Aya looking as if she’d only taken a stroll through the streets of Teranium while Astrea… well, the Princess was dripping sweat down her back, the tank top she’d borrowed from the pilot too tight in all the right places. Damon had never felt so grateful to Aya until that moment, watching as the little Tilaari Princess attempted to dodge an attack, her braided silver hair swinging wildly, her breaths coming in gasps as she fought.

Vexx nudged him in the arm, raising an eyebrow when Damon glanced his way.

“What?” He snapped, letting the blade in his hand reflect the fluorescents overhead. A threat, if there ever was one.

A smug grin crossed Vexx’s lips even as he eyed the dagger. “Nothing.”

“I can still kick your ass.” Damon said with a smirk of his own, gaze on Vexx but he still saw Aya and Astrea heading their way out of the corner of his eye, their training session finished. Vexx clenched his jaw, teeth bared in a growl, but Damon turned his back on him instead, motioning to the ladies as they finished their water bottles. “Glad that’s finally over. Can’t say it was the most exciting thing I’ve seen.”

Aya snorted, not even looking like she broke a sweat in the hour they’d been at it. He couldn’t say the same for their little stowaway. “You’re perfectly capable of doing this yourself, you know?”

“Pass. I doubt our darling princess can keep up.”

He didn’t miss the movement as Astrea’s gold eyes slanted in his direction. His lips twitched, excitement swirling in his gut at the thought of her trying to best him at his own game, only to end up under him, furious and panting.

“Is that so?”

Damon rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall again, twirling the knife between his fingers. “Princess, fencing is not the same as fighting with knives. I told you that before.”

“I am aware of that, Damon.” She shot him an annoyed look, but he was distracted by the curl of silver hair that was sticking to her sweat-dampened forehead. “Are you afraid of the challenge or are you afraid I’m going to win?”

Vexx snickered at her question and the sound made his skin crawl. As weird as things had been with him lately, at least it seemed carrot head was still capable of laughing, even if it was creepier than usual.

“If he won’t spar with you, Princess, I’ll gladly do it.” Vexx said, stepping between them, a satisfied smile pulling at his lips. “I could use the exercise. Especially if Damon is so scared of being beaten by you.”

Damon snorted, tucking the knife in his jacket where several others always hid. “I highly doubt that the stick that you claim is a sword will do shit.” His gaze ran over her body, inspecting her as she stood there, drenched in sweat from her training with Ayame and silver hair a mess. He’d never tell her, but she looked so fucking adorable. “And you’re such a tiny thing, Princess. This will be over quickly.”

Astrea glanced at Vexx, both amusement and something darker in her eyes. Something that he recognized in himself on occasion. If he was anyone else, he might’ve been worried. As it was, Astrea was already exhausted, the training with Ayame taking a lot of her energy and leaving her covered head to toe in sweat. He didn’t expect much resistance from her, and even without any knowledge of the so-called sport, fencing seemed simple enough.

Damon wasn’t entirely surprised that Ayame managed to scrounge up a pair of blades from a pile of scrap that Bash had purchased on Teranium. The bionic always found the weirdest shit to add to his collection, intending to use it for his fighting mechs. He had no idea when Bash planned on using the damned mech considering there was a fucking bounty on their heads, but that was an issue for another day.

Right now, he had a princess to mess with.

“Fencing requires precision to hit. You can’t hit the person anywhere but in the chest with the point of the foil.” Astrea gripped her sword expertly, holding it aloft as she bent her knees. “If you hit outside of the chest, it doesn’t count. If you hit with any part of the sword that isn’t the tip, it doesn’t count. Once you receive a hit, you go back to the starting point for the next round.”

Damon sighed in frustration, fingers tightening around the handle of his foil. “I’m already falling asleep here, Princess. Let’s get this over with. How many times do I need to hit you to win?”

“Once.”

He raised an eyebrow, not bothering to hide the cocky grin. “Once? That’s it?”

“It’s only fair.” Astrea smiled at him, soft, sweet, with a hint of devilishness that made him want to ditch the training and remove every inch of clothing from her body, teasing her until he saw that expression again and again. “I’m the one with the experience here. If you hit me once, you win.”

Damon chuckled, glancing at Aya and Vexx who were standing on the sidelines watching. Ayame was grinning, violet eyes sparkling with excitement, clearly wanting to see a fight. Vexx, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, a feral grin on his face. Usually, Vexx couldn’t get under his skin but there was something about the way his eyes gleamed that made his skin itch.

Deciding instead to ignore Vexx completely, Damon stepped close enough to Astrea that she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. His body blocked her from the view of the other two, and when he leaned forward, he could hear her breath stutter in her chest. “What do I get when I win?”

Astrea blinked in confusion. “What do you want?”

Curling a piece of her silver hair around his finger, Damon’s eyes ran along her body, pausing on the swell of her breasts before moving lower. She flushed, biting her lip and curling her hands into fists at her side, but he was surprised when she didn’t drop his gaze. “Princess, you don’t know half of the things I want. The real question is, what is it that you can give me?”

“If Astrea wins, you leave her alone.”

Damon resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Vexx’s growl. Someone was still the overprotective big brother. Even if he was interested in rolling around with Astrea, Damon at least hadn’t helped carry out the slaughter of her entire family. He glanced over his shoulder at the man in question, a mocking grin aimed in his direction. “What’s wrong, merman? Afraid of a little competition?”

Vexx scoffed, but he could see the flash of something in his stare. Genuine fear. He was afraid of losing Astrea, even after all he’d done.

“It doesn’t matter because Damon’s not going to win.” Astrea said with confidence. She was a bit smug with her words, as if she really did have a chance against him, but that didn’t compare to the dazzling smile on her lips or the glow of her skin as she stepped forward, flicking his chin affectionately. “Stop stalling.”

He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his mouth. “I think you’re overconfident, Princess.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking adorably smug as she stared up at him. “Funny. I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“Oh shut up and get on with it.” Aya called out from where she watched.

Astrea met his eyes, mischief in their depths, and a smile on her face. Damon felt something stir in his chest, but he pushed it away, stepping back and lifting the stupid sword in his hand. “Care to beg for mercy, Astrea? I might go easy on you if you’re nice.”

Astrea tapped his foil with her own, the excitement on her face only making it thrum in his veins as well. “Ready?”

Using a snort as an attempt to distract her, he lunged, aiming the sword directly between her breasts. But she sidestepped him easily, quicker than he expected for sure, and the tip of her own sword poked him in the center of his chest, leaving a slight sting behind.

“Point.” She said, fighting as her lips twitched.

Damon slanted his gaze at her, suspicious of how easy she made that look. No way she could beat him for speed. “How?”

Astrea tapped him where she’d hit him, her touch warm against the thin t-shirt he wore. “I hit you here. So I win.”

Covering her hand with his own, he squeezed it gently, enjoying the blush that mingled with the bioluminescent glow of her skin. Sometimes, she made it too easy. “You haven’t won anything yet, sweetheart.”

“Oh, really?”

If they were alone, he’d whisper all the dirty things in his mind until she was putty in his hands. But as it was, Vexx was staring daggers into the back of his head, and he didn’t want to deal with his shit for the rest of the night. “I gave that one to you. Trying to get your guard down before I go in for the kill.”

Astrea laughed, light and airy, a sound that was as close to music as he’d ever heard. He’d never get enough of it. Her fingertips brushed against his chest and he swore he was about to burst into flames. “If you want to get my guard down, letting me kick your ass is one way to do it.”

She pulled away, but the feel of her cool skin lingered, and he had to flex his hand, trying to ignore the way his own skin tingled at the sudden absence of her touch.

“I’ll give you another chance. Or two.” She told him, voice dripping with honey as she stepped back, raising an expectant eyebrow. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Damon took a deep breath, heart thundering in his chest, his jaw tense despite the lopsided grin he threw her way. He was not nervous. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Princess.”

This time, when he struck out, Astrea swatted his blade away, fighting a grin when he growled in frustration. She didn’t bother trying to end the competition. She only kept dodging his attacks, at one point nearly knocking the entire sword out of his hand.

“What a surprise?” Vexx laughed from somewhere behind him. “Stabby can’t win a fair fight.”

“Fuck you, Serif.” Damon spat over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving the smug fucking grin on Astrea’s violet lips.

“I’ll pass, thanks.”

Aya snorted at the same time a bark of laughter left her mouth, mingling in a choked sound that only pissed him off further. “Astrea, put the poor guy out of his misery.”

Damon growled again, knowing that this was a waste of his time, this bullshit fight. It proved nothing and in the end, it would only make the night even more awful in the bunk room with Vexx. The idiot would never let him live this down. He already knew he was going to end up stabbing him at some point during the night.

Astrea at least had the audacity to look apologetic, extending a hand out in a truce that he was too proud to accept. He stared at her hand for a moment, weighing his options briefly until he decided to thrust the sword forward, intending to get a hit even if it was cheating. Before he realized it, he’d collided with the mat, the air expelling from his lungs violently. His vision darkened briefly, a pounding beginning where he’d hit his head against the ground.

Vexx’s laughter was the first thing he heard when he came to, the man nearly on the floor from the force of it, tears streaming down his face at Damon’s expense. “That. Was the best thing. I’ve ever seen.”

Damon blinked a few times, glancing up to see the little stowaway standing above him, eyes glaring at him with a fury he didn’t even realize she was capable of. Fuck.

“You tried to hit me.” She snapped, voice darkening as she kicked his sword away, not even breathless from how easily she swept his feet out from under him. “What the fuck, Damon?”

“I…” He reached up and rubbed the spot at the back of his head, wincing when a sharp pain was all he got in response. He had to admit, she looked beautiful standing there like some vengeful azure goddess, golden eyes burning him with exquisite fire. “I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

Astrea’s look of disbelief made his stomach twist with guilt. She still didn’t trust him… even after Cursa. After everything he’d done to try to protect her from what her stupid fucking best friend had become. But it wasn’t Vexx’s fault… none of it… not really. Because in her shoes, Damon wouldn’t trust his own intentions either. What the fuck was he thinking?

“I’d never hurt you.” He said, quietly so the other two wouldn’t hear him. Because while it was true, he didn’t want to hear the never ending teasing that would get him from the other idiots.

Astrea’s expression softened and she knelt beside him, brushing some of the hair out of his face. “Are you alright?”

“This was everything I wanted.” Vexx muttered, letting Aya help him stand again, chuckles still falling from his lips. “Thank you, Princess.”

Damon sat up, waiting for a wave of dizziness to pass before he locked eyes with the idiot across the room. “I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Worth it.” Vexx grinned, strolling closer to where Astrea was still kneeling beside Damon, fingers carding through his hair, checking for injuries to his head. Damon repressed a shiver at her touch, wishing they were anywhere else at that very moment. “Does Reznor need mouth to mouth, Princess?”

She rolled her eyes, smacking Vexx against the knee, standing up to retrieve the swords she’d abandoned. “You’re insufferable. Unfortunately for you, he’ll be fine. Now, be useful and help me.”

Vexx laughed, rolling his eyes, but he did as he was told, like a good little soldier. Damon glared at him as they walked away, pulling a mat between them to the opposite side of the room.

Damon stood slowly, still rubbing the back of his head tenderly when Ayame appeared next to him, a grin playing on her lips. He glared at her, but it didn’t have the same bite that it usually did. “What?”

“You can admit you like her.” Ayame said, trying not to laugh as he bent to pick up the second mat, lifting it between them. She was watching him like a hawk, or like Calderon would’ve, he could feel it, but he chose to purposely ignore her.

“I don’t like her.”

He didn’t, at least, not in the way that Aya thought. Sure, Astrea was easily one of the most beautiful women he’d ever laid eyes on, and yeah he wouldn’t mind taking her for a spin or two between the sheets. Hell, she’d enjoy herself and he would relish in pulling every noise he could from her lips. But that was as far as his flings went.

Not that he would actually do anything with the stowaway. Both Calderon and June would probably tear him limb from limb if he did.

“Yeah, like those weren’t stars in your eyes when she had you flat on your back.”

Damon scoffed, tossing his mat against the wall with more force than necessary. “Those stars were me trying to not pass out.”

Aya bumped her shoulder against his. “Sure. Whatever you say, Damon. You can lie to yourself, but please don’t lie to me.” She paused, another grin curling her mouth. “I’m too smart for that.”

Astrea’s laughs drew his gaze, watching as a subtle glow appeared across her skin as she pushed Vexx against his shoulder. Damon sighed, running a hand through his hair, replaying Alisa’s words in his head.

Fucking hell, they were right.

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #tilaari traveler #oc: astrea #damon reznor #astrea x damon #traveler x damon reznor #vexx serif #ayame ikeda

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commander-krios · 7 months

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A Soft Morning

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: "You can be bad at something and still enjoy it." Astrea Peg'asi helps Damon learn something new. Words: 2937 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Established Relationship, Fluff, Idiots In Love, Soft Damon Reznor, Anxiety, Friendship/Love, Dancing

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~~~~

Sunlight streamed through the enormous floor to ceiling windows, leaving the room glowing in its golden warmth. For a fleeting moment, Astrea Peg’asi thought she was in her room on Goldis, the verdant drapery and bedding eerily similar to what her mother had decorated their wing of the castle in, the dark tan stone of the walls a reflection of a world she no longer felt comfortable in. Fear choked her, genuine fear that the Andromeda Six… that her friends, that Damon, had all been a figment of her imagination. The thought was more horrifying than the things she’d already seen, the possibility that the people she’d come to love and trust, the family who knew her better than her blood, weren’t real.

Something shifted behind her, a muffled groan interrupting the terror that held her in its grip.

Glancing over her shoulder, she felt relief immediately at the sight of a tuft of ebony hair peeking out from the sea of green blankets. Astrea gathered the blankets around her, moving to rest on the pillows beside him. When he lifted his head, eyes still glazed over in sleep, she smiled at how beautiful he was.

Damon blinked at her, eyebrows pulling together as he came to terms with his surroundings. Then he shifted to stretch his arms over his head, the soft mattress compressing at the movement, a grin curling his lips. Sighing happily, she snuggled deeper into the comfort of the bed, resting a hand against his bare chest.

An arm snaked around her waist before she was pulled closer into a tight embrace, brain going foggy as cold lips pressed kisses against her neck and collarbone. Blush flared on her cheeks and across her chest, memories of the night before leaving her giddy.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Damon nuzzled his face against the curve of her neck, warm breath ghosting along her skin, leaving gooseflesh behind. “Did you sleep well?”

Astrea inhaled sharply, a shiver running down her spine at his insistent touch. She’d slept extremely well, both because of the bed and Damon’s arms around her. She didn’t know it was possible to be as happy as she was lying there as the sun crested the sky.

But there was still a compulsion she couldn’t deny. One that said she needed to tease Damon as mercilessly as he did her. So she reached up to brush a finger over the dark circles under his eyes, noting that they were slightly less pronounced this morning. His bright eyes were studying her, pure mischief sparkling in their depths as he read every thought she’d ever had. With a sleepy grin on his face, he attempted to bite her finger until she pulled it away.

Folding her arm so she could rest her head against it, she rolled her eyes dramatically and let out a disgruntled sound. “Not at all. The bed is horrible and lumpy and there was this annoying snoring in my ears all night.”

Damon’s eyes widened, completely awake now, horror shadowing his face as he realized what she was implying. “Me? Snore? I think you’ve gone insane.”

“Hmm. Nope. It was definitely you.”

His eyes darkened, a dangerous look crossing his face as he stared at her. She should’ve been scared. Damon was dangerous, but all she felt was a thrill low in her stomach, knowing that she could ensure Damon’s mutual destruction without much difficulty.

“Take. That. Back.”

Astrea smirked, leaning close enough that their noses nearly touched. She could barely hold a laugh back when she finally spoke. “Make me.”

Damon’s eyes slanted, his hands tensing on her hips. Time passed in a slow heartbeat, then two. When his attack finally came, it was in the form of fingers dancing across her sides, tickling her until she was gasping for air. When he paused his onslaught to let her catch her breath, he waited for her to meet his gaze. “Are you ready to admit your lies?”

“Hmmm.” She tapped her chin playfully, barely smothering a smile. “No.”

Damon grabbed her by the waist and threw himself back against the pillows, pulling her on top of him, her breasts brushing his bare chest. He ducked his head to press kisses along her throat, relentless in his assault against every inch of available skin she offered. Her giggles bit off in a moan and he chuckled quietly, feeling his smile against her neck doing little to calm her racing heart.

When he pulled back, his eyes swept over her face, studying her every feature before his expression gentled, something she still wasn’t used to after the last few weeks together. His finger trailed over her cheek, staring in wonder and with some deeper emotion that she was terrified of. Because if he felt the way she did about him, it meant she still had something to lose.

“You’re stunning.”

She flushed at the words, turning away to hide her face. She felt laughter rumble in his chest as he circled his arms around her, holding her tightly.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

“Nothing.” Her voice came out in a strangled chirp which only made him laugh harder.

“You’re also adorable when you get embarrassed.” His hands swept down her back, soft and gentle, leaving nothing but burning skin behind. “The skin glow doesn’t lie.”

“Shut up.”

Damon snorted, hands skimming along her sides, tickling her without even trying and she squirmed until she was out of bed and out of his reach. He groaned, head hitting the pillow beneath him but he was grinning when she faced him. “You’re the worst kind of tease.”

“You weren’t complaining about it last night.” Astrea placed her hands on her hips, watching as Damon sprawled among the blankets, refusing to budge from his warm and comfortable spot. It was almost cute to see him so comfortable on Tilaarin, to know that they were safe here away from the K’Merii. She still wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she loved this new side of him. “Are you going to lay around all day?”

He smirked as he tucked his arms behind his head, eyes roaming across her body with zero shame. “What can I say? I have the best view on Tilaarin.”

She shouldn’t let him bait her, especially since he was so good at it, but with Damon, rationality usually took a backseat to whatever she was feeling at the time. So with a roll of her eyes, Astrea grabbed a pillow from the floor and threw it at him. He caught it before it smacked him in the face and laughed, tossing it to the side.

“You’ll have to try better than that, Princess.”

Another pillow followed the first, this one managing to glance off the top of his head before landing in the windowsill. Astrea covered her mouth, giggles bursting from her at the sight of his wide blue eyes, completely shocked that she managed to catch him off guard. That made two of them.

An evil smile curled his lips and quicker than her eyes could catch, he was across the bed, grabbing her by the waist, his bare chest pressing into her back, his lips at her neck without warning. She shivered despite his warmth, knowing what he was capable of and how impossible it was to say no to him.

“Damon!”

He laughed, a sound so free and happy that she couldn’t help but giggle in return when his arms came around her, turning her towards him and pulling her close. She reached out to brush his hair out of his face, smiling when their eyes met. The hard lines of his face softened as their eyes met, his shining with an emotion she’d never seen on him before.

She liked him like this.

“I know of a lot better ways to spend our morning. They don’t include clothing or leaving this room.” He leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead, breath warm against her skin.

“I need to get ready to meet my sister.” She told him solemnly, hating the way his smile faded slightly. Astrea didn’t like being the cause of him losing that carefree grin. She adored the easy way he laughed with her, the softness in his eyes whenever he looked in her direction, as if she was the only one in the room. She cupped his face, tracing the sharp edges of his face until they smoothed. “But I have a little time before I leave.”

Damon reached up to entwine their fingers together, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. Then he gave her a look that promised many sinful yet delightful ways to pass that time. “I’m open to suggestions.”

She rolled her eyes, flicking his nose, enjoying the shock as his eyes widened. She didn’t take him by surprise often, but when she did, she enjoyed every second of the victory. “We should do something fun.”

“I’m something fun.”

Astrea swatted him on the chest, only getting more laughter in response. “You’re insatiable.”

“You weren’t complaining last night.” He parroted back, squeezing her sides before letting her wiggle away. She reached down to grab her discarded shirt from the floor. At the sight of her pulling it over her head, he groaned, rubbing his hands down his face. “Now my day is ruined.”

With a snort, she threw his shirt at him. He caught it without much effort. “Dramatic much?”

“I can be worse if you want.”

“I know you can.” He pulled his shirt over his head and she felt some regret at losing the view. Sacrifices had to be made, she supposed. Once he adjusted the dogtags he always wore over top of his shirt, Astrea extended her hand to him.

“What’s this for?” Damon asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, but he had so much trust in her that he slipped his hand into hers without hesitation.

“I want to show you something.” As soon as his smirk reappeared, she had to resist the urge to shove him. “No.”

Still holding hands, she pulled with as much strength as she could muster until he finally gave in and followed her away from the comfort of the bed and further into the room where they had empty space to move.

“There are plenty of other ways to have some fun. You even have a swimming pool.” His fingers trailed across her shoulder and she shivered at his touch, a breathless laugh leaving her mouth. She knew immediately where his thoughts had gone when she turned to face him, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

She draped her arms over his shoulders, leaning closer to leave a peck on the tip of his nose. He grinned at the gesture, arms circling her waist, fingers dipping below the hem of her shirt, skimming against her skin. “I could teach you how to dance if you’d like.”

His eyebrows shot up at the offer. “Dance? I don’t dance.” He paused, a wicked grin tilting his mouth. “Unless you count when I’m killing people. Then I guess I have something to teach you.”

Her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, meeting his gaze with a seriousness she hoped he believed. If the mischief that stared back was any indication, she didn’t fool him at all. “You can probably teach me a lot of things.”

His smile turned wicked, taking it in exactly the way she’d intended. “Sweetheart, tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”

Astrea pressed a finger to his lips, not that it would shut him up if he really wanted to say something, but he waited with as much patience as he was capable of. “Just trust me, okay?”

She knew Damon didn’t trust easily, he had more than enough reasons not to, but when he gave a stiff nod, his jaw tensing almost imperceptibly, she felt a slight stirring of relief in her chest. He trusted her enough to give her this small amount of control and she was grateful.

“What if I’m not good at it?”

His hands were hesitant on her hips, and for the first time since she’d met Damon, Astrea could see how afraid he was of being vulnerable. Of how much he didn’t like relinquishing control to someone else. With a comforting smile, she placed her hands on top of his, squeezing his fingers gently.

“Hey.” She whispered, catching his gaze, blue eyes wild as he tried to get ahold of himself. “I’m here. It’s just us, ok?”

His forehead met hers, breath catching in his throat as he exhaled. He was nearly shaking, hands gripping too tightly to her waist, eyes shut as he focused on his breathing. “Yeah.”

“We don’t have to do this, Damon.” Astrea’s hands were in his hair, smoothing the raven locks away from his face before bringing him into a hug. She tucked her head against his neck, her heart breaking at how hard this was for him.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled against her neck, his arms locking her against his body as if he was terrified of letting her go. Maybe he was.

“I know you don’t believe it, but you’re safe here. With me.” Her lips brushed along his jaw, her voice quiet even in the silent room. She moved her hands over his shoulders and down his arms before resting them on his chest. “Besides, who says I’m good at dancing?”

Damon snorted, some of the tension slipping from his muscles. “You expect me to believe a princess is bad at dancing?”

“You can be bad at something and still enjoy it.” Astrea pulled away slightly so she could meet his eyes, unable to stop from laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Vexx always said I had two left feet.”

“Well, it’s a good thing carrot-head is an idiot.”

She wanted to roll her eyes, to defend her friend since he couldn’t defend himself, but gave Damon the win instead. Pressing her lips against his, he relaxed against her little by little until finally his grip on her waist loosened. His chest was pressed solid and strong against her body. His skin was warm beneath her touch, and when she returned her hands to his hair, gripping tightly to the dark strands, he groaned deep in his throat, slipping his tongue between her lips.

The kiss left her breathless when they broke apart, breath mingling between them. Damon’s pupils were blown wide, nothing left of the blue of his irises except the smallest sliver. She wanted to get lost in his gaze, the darkness more beautiful than the entirety of the galaxy around her. She dropped her hand to trail a finger along the curve of his eyebrow, smiling when he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

“Astrea…”

“Yes?”

She should’ve realized his intentions when his fingers tightened on her hips, but she was mesmerized by the expression on his face and the feel of his soft lips against her palm when he turned to press a kiss there. One moment she was exploring his face, mapping out the hard lines and the soft planes. The next, she was dangling above the floor, her eyes on the ceiling and her silver hair nearly touching the ground. She couldn’t even stop the gasp that left her lips.

Damon laughed a deranged sound as he bent over her, hair falling into his eyes. Swinging her back to a standing position, she had to press her hands against his chest to keep from losing her balance.

“Did you just… dip me?” She asked in a combination of awe and confusion.

“You said you wanted to dance.” He teased, grabbing one of her hands and twirling her, the flowy fabric of her shirt billowing out around her. “So we’re dancing.”

Her brain couldn’t keep up with the movements: the twirling, Damon’s hands on her hips while they swayed in place to no music, a grin lighting up his face where anxiety had been a minute before. The sudden change nearly gave her whiplash.

“What’s… What just happened?” She asked, dazed as he entwined their fingers, bringing her close again, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.

“This isn’t so bad.” He admitted, blush coloring his pale skin when he glanced away, eyes focused on something across the room. “I should listen to you more often.”

She wanted to tease him for being so flustered, but he was being vulnerable with her in this quiet moment. So she brushed her hand across his shoulder before lacing her fingers behind his neck, smiling up at him. “Are you saying you like dancing?”

He let out a nervous laugh, finally meeting her gaze. The softness he looked at her with always stole her breath and sent her heart racing. “With you, I can like almost anything.”

Astrea bit her lip, tightening her arms around his neck and bringing him into a hug. He held her close, breath warm against her shoulder as he pressed a kiss there. Then his weight shifted and they tumbled backward, Astrea landing on a pile of blankets and pillows, getting buried in the softness while Damon hovered over her. A grin pulled at his lips and she should’ve been annoyed, but all she could do was giggle.

“I’ll remember this.” She threatened, no bite to her words. Damon smirked, dipping his head to trail his teeth against her throat. “Oh, Princess. I highly doubt you’ll remember anything once I’m finished with you.”

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #tilaari traveler #oc: astrea #damon reznor #astrea x damon

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commander-krios · 8 months

Text

A Shimmer of Gold

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: Cursa brings up some old wounds... and some new ones. Words: 4000 Additional Tags: Sexual Humor, Swearing, Banter, Blood, Minor Injuries, Anxiety, Flirting, Sexual Tension, Budding Love, Mutual Pining

Read on AO3

~~~~

Damon hadn’t seen their resident princess since the ship had left Cursa, except for the brief moment when he’d run into her in the hallway. She’d taken her music box, and stolen a surprise hug, before disappearing into her room for the next several hours. Meanwhile, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her and Cursa and everything since.

He tossed and turned for a few hours before finally giving up on a nap, escaping his room to haunt the ship, trying to calm his racing mind. His blood itched beneath his skin, a crawling sensation he couldn’t escape no matter how he paced through the halls. Usually, he could kill someone to relieve himself of the jitteriness, but there was no one here he wanted to kill.

Except maybe carrot head.

Vexx was in the infirmary now, being tended to by Ryona, and for a brief moment Damon wondered if he could get away with sticking his head in, throwing around some insults. Then the thought of being poisoned by the lovely Tilaari made him rethink his plan.

It’s always the nice ones.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Damon reversed direction, heading for the kitchen instead.

The galley was quiet when he entered, the emergency lighting dimmed for the night cycle. But he wasn’t the only one plagued by nightmares of Cursa, it seemed.

Astrea was sitting at the table, a cup of tea in her hands as she stared at the cracks in the metal, a faraway expression on her pretty face. Her silver hair was piled on top of her head, strands falling from the knot and brushing her shoulders and neck, some even tumbling down her back. She wasn’t wearing her normal clothing, the things she moved comfortably in during the day. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of black leggings that looked similar to what Aya wore most days. The white button up shirt that she practically drowned in looked like an older one of June’s, and for a brief moment, he had to suppress the yawning demon inside of him.

Despite the clothing style and size, Astrea almost looked regal, even as she sat there against a backdrop of grey metal and fluorescent lights.

At first, he intended to turn around and leave her to brood. It was easier than the alternative. But he found himself moving closer, letting his boots make noise on the floors. He usually loved spooking her, but he doubted she would appreciate it tonight. Especially after what happened to them on Cursa… or more specifically who had happened.

But he could still have some fun.

Coming up behind her, he boxed her in with an arm on either side, hands gripping the edge of the table, leaning close enough that she’d be able to feel his chest nearly brushing her back. His mouth hovered near her ear, breath ghosting across her cheek.

“You look like you need something harder to drink than that.” He whispered, a smile curling his lips when her hands tightened around the cup in her hands.

The music box he’d returned earlier in the evening sat in front of her, open but silent. The little ballerina spun, blue light illuminating her face, casting shadows along the walls. A pretty trinket that held nothing but ghosts.

“As if you’d follow through.” She snapped, breathless despite being irritated. “That makes you the worst kind of tease.”

“You have no idea what kind of tease I can be, Princess.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, fingers brushing the Kitalphanite music box before closing it with an audible click. They sat like that for a heartbeat, then two. Resting her hands flat on the table, she breathed silently, and Damon noticed the slight tremble in her fingers. She was so hauntingly sad, a beautiful conundrum of soft edges and sharp words. The sun encased in a moonlit package.

Trailing a finger along her shoulder, Damon’s smile widened at her sharp inhale. No matter how sad she was, or how angry, she couldn’t resist his charms and he felt a little of his anxiety recede. He continued his perusal down her arm, circling gently around her elbow before his fingers closed around her wrist.

She gasped, jerking away from him so suddenly she nearly fell from the chair. That’s when he noticed it, the makeshift bandage barely wrapped around her forearm. It was a pathetic attempt at dressing a wound, the ends of the cloth tattered and falling apart.

And stained with crimson.

She stood as fast as she could, her foot catching against the chair, and Damon’s hand darted out to grab her shoulder, steadying her until she untangled herself.

“You’re bleeding.”

A flash of anger as she shrugged his hand off. “I’m fine.”

“How long were you hiding this? Since Cursa?” He grabbed her wrist and lifted her arm, the bandage falling off to reveal the wound in her forearm.

It wasn’t deep, nothing to get upset about in the grand scheme of things. Hell, he’d had worse in the past. It wouldn’t need stitches, but it bothered him how easily she refused help. As if she wasn’t a part of the crew by now. As if the rest of them wouldn’t give their life for her when she seemed so quick to give up hers for them.

“I got nicked during the training with Aya.” She said, trying to pull her arm away but his grip was like iron. “It’s barely a scratch. Doesn’t even hurt.”

Damon stared at her, eyes hard, trying to break her with his gaze alone. When she didn’t even flinch, he pressed the pad of his thumb against the cut. She gasped in pain and he released her, letting her cradle her arm to her chest. Fury burned in her eyes.

“Liar.”

“Prick.”

There she is.

Damon smirked, glad to finally see some fire return to her golden eyes. “Astrea, if you were interested in trying knife play, you only had to ask.”

She rolled her eyes, turning away from him but he saw the blush before she could hide it. Good, he could still get to her.

“I don’t want your pity.”

His fingers itched uncomfortably. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but decided the risk wasn’t worth it. Their friendship was already fragile. The brief touch of her hand during their trek down the Cursan streets was no doubt a mistake on her part, her fear giving her enough courage to seek comfort from the closest person. But he didn’t deny that he wanted to touch her again, to feel her cool bioluminescent skin against his, to take comfort in her the same way she did with him.

“Pity?” Damon snorted, waiting for her to look at him. This time there was hesitation in her gaze. “You need to get that taken care of before it gets infected. And Ry will kill me if she finds out I let you run around with one of Bash’s grease rags as a bandage.”

Astrea fought a grin and he felt a small victory at that. “Afraid of doctors, Damon?”

“This one, I am. She grows enough poison to kill the entire K’Merii clan. It’s better to stay on her good side.” Avoiding Astrea’s hand, he wrapped his fingers around her uninjured forearm, tugging her along behind him into the hall. Even with the sleeve of the button up shirt as a barrier, touching Astrea felt like he was putting his hand in an open flame, searing him from the inside out.

“Where are you taking me?”

“The infirmary. Where else?” He had other ideas, ones that involved much less clothing, but he didn’t particularly want to be bled on at the moment. It was a bitch to get out of fabric. And there was a lot that they still hadn’t talked about.

Astrea planted her feet, refusing to move until he stopped to face her. “I can’t go there.”

The terror in her eyes made him pause, biting back the sarcasm that was second nature to him. So she was still thinking about Cursa. And carrot head.

Damon didn’t need much of an imagination to know what Astrea probably saw when she closed her eyes: the sneer on Vexx’s face when they’d found him on Cursa, the deranged anger in his green eyes, the viciousness of his words to her in his makeshift cell…

Fuck, this was a complication they didn’t need.

He didn’t know what compelled him to do it, a momentary lapse in judgment or maybe his dick really was making the decisions lately. At her words, he nodded before leading her in the opposite direction. The itch beneath his skin returned when he paused outside of his room. This… he shouldn’t do this. No one came into his room but him. The best option was for him to go in, get the first aid kit, and bring it to her room.

He turned suddenly, unexpectedly, and Astrea ran into him, smacking directly into him before she realized what happened. Her free hand, the one not still caught in his grip, grabbed the front of his shirt to keep herself from falling on her ass, and she teetered for a moment. He tightened his hold, pulling her against his chest, and she blinked up at him, confused.

Her small form fit perfectly against his and it took everything inside of him to move away from her, to let her stand on her own two feet, his hands tightening at her waist briefly.

Whatever she saw on his face made her frown.

“Damon- are you okay?”

Damon didn’t know what to do with his hands so he brushed his fingers through his hair, feral grin on his mouth as he released his hold on her, leaning against the closed door of his room. He hated how his chest ached, helpless to do anything but offer an inadequate sort of comfort.

Sarcasm it was then.

“Worried about me, Princess?”

She slanted her eyes slightly, suspicious at his sudden mood change. For a moment, a million different things passed behind her gaze, questions she no doubt wanted to ask or comments she wanted to make. Instead, she shrugged, giving him a small smile. “No, I’m only wondering why you live in a storage closet.”

“Funny coming from someone whose room was storage.” He shifted away from the door, hands in his jacket pockets as he glanced down at her. She was absurdly short but it was cute in a teacup sort of way. When her nose scrunched in annoyance, he had to resist flicking it. “Come on, let’s get you fixed up.”

He hit the panel to his room, waiting for the brief moment for the door to hiss open. The interior was cool, dark, simple: exactly the way he preferred it. He paused a few feet from the door as Astrea hovered on the threshold, eyes wide like she was an animal caught in a hunter’s crosshairs, unsure what her next move should be.

It was strangely adorable.

“You’re letting the air out, get the hell in here and close the door. And don’t touch anything.” Damon turned away to retrieve the medkit from his dresser, placing it atop the desk and opening it to look for the necessary supplies. Bandages, ointment, some alcohol wipes.

He tried to ignore Astrea as she walked the perimeter of his room, eyes pausing on the few things he kept. Like the knives that were displayed along the walls, the shelf of books above his bed, the holo-pads on his desk. The bed that was still made and unslept in. Her eyes took in every detail about his personal life, judging him based on what she saw instead of what she knew. Irritation curled darkly in his stomach.

“Sit down.” He snapped harshly, hating how she was hovering by the books.

She glanced at him not in fear, but in concern. As if she had something on the tip of her tongue that she wanted to say. He didn’t particularly want to hear any criticism from a goddamn princess about his choice in decor. Especially since her room had been a barren wasteland the last time he saw it.

“What? Did you have a problem with the curtains? Or maybe the sheets? Care to tell me how to make the room less gloomy?” His eyes flashed angrily in her direction, hating how even now, he still felt like that little kid on Cursa, the one who wanted so much but didn’t feel deserving.

Silence followed his words and he gripped the container of wipes a little too hard, nearly cracking the plastic. A rustling of fabric, a shuffling of feet, and Astrea appeared at his side, fingers brushing against his hand. He didn’t hesitate to curl his fingers around hers, tugging her closer.

Her voice was quiet, the air circulator almost drowning her out when she spoke. “I wanted to know if I could borrow a book. I miss being able to read whenever I want and… well, you have some I might like.”

Lifting an eyebrow, he glanced at her curiously. She watched him with eyes like a golden dawn, a small grin on her dark lips. “Is this your idea of foreplay, Princess?”

The responding blush was worth it, a little of the bioluminescence in her skin making her glow. It was stunning how easily you could read a Tilaari. The glow never lied.

Using the moment to his advantage, Damon pushed her into the chair near the desk. Grabbing the wipes, he knelt in front of her, gripping her wrist and straightening her arm. The bleeding had stopped but the cut was red around the edges. It was already on its way to becoming infected. Great.

With a practiced ease of one used to doing these sorts of things, he smoothed the cloth down her arm, cleaning the injury thoroughly, meticulously. She hissed at the contact, immediately attempting to pull her arm out of his grip. He only tightened his hold on her. “Stop moving.”

“Is that an order?”

Damon glanced up, trying not to smile at the cheeky tone. His fingers danced along her arm, delighted that she shivered in response. “Does someone have a control kink? I didn’t think you had it in you.”

A smile curled her plump lips and he had to forcibly stop himself from leaning closer.

“You don’t know much about me, now do you?”

A surprised chuckle left him. Oh she was coy. “Be careful what you wish for, Astrea.”

He finished bandaging her up, with a clean bandage this time, eliciting another shiver when he touched her wrist. He waited for the inevitable twitch of her mouth or flutter of eyelashes. He’d never admit it to anyone, let alone Astrea herself, but he enjoyed seeing her dazzling smile and the softness in her gaze whenever he looked at her. Whenever she noticed him in the room.

“I know it probably won’t mean much to you, but you handled yourself well.” He double checked the bandage, making sure it was secure. The last thing he needed was the entire thing to unravel while he flirted with the pretty Tilaari. “With Zane.”

“I barely did anything.”

“You did more than you had to.” Satisfied that she wasn’t going to die from infection, he stood to put the medkit away when he felt a brush of fingers against his hand again.

He paused, fingers curling around hers, the discomfort in his skin easing slightly. Astrea was stronger than he’d taken her for and that was his mistake. But Alisa… Well, she was right. Astrea cared about him for some stupid reason, looked at him most days like he put the stars in the sky instead of snuffing them out. And fuck- he cared about her too.

He wasn’t sure what to do with that.

On top of all the shit she was already going through, he didn’t want to mention how things went down on Cursa, with the K’Merii or how the knife he’d given her hadn’t done shit to protect her, how it felt to see her fly at Vexx in a rage, that same knife held at the wrong angle in her hand, and how easy it was for Vexx to disarm her… or how Damon’s heart had jumped into his throat, the distance between them too large to save her, but there was no avoiding it now.

“Astrea-”

Fuck. He didn’t want to do this.

Those big gold eyes glanced up at him, completely unsuspecting of where his thoughts had gone. She’d seen so much violence in the last few weeks, the kind that would shrivel the soul of a lesser person. But Astrea… she wasn’t afraid of what was coming. She wasn’t afraid of him, even when he didn’t deserve her understanding, her kindness.

So selfless and yet… she was scared of Vexx.

What was it about carrot head that left her shaking, terrified to the point that she couldn’t even close her eyes for some rest? Even with an entire crew to keep her safe.

“Can I ask you a question?”

He never thought he’d be the one to ask that.

“You can ask me anything you want, Damon.”

His lips twitched at that. She really didn’t want him to take her up on that. She’d never stopped blushing if he did.

Clearing his throat, he tried to dispel the awkwardness with a grin.

“What is it about Vexx that scares you? If he wanted to kill you, he could’ve done it on Teranium. None of us would’ve been the wiser.” He released a tight breath through his nose, managing to glance at their hands still entwined in the space between them. “He was never stable to begin with, but I don’t think he wants to hurt you.” He snorted at the thought. “I doubt he can.”

The joke at Vexx’s expense fell flat, not that she seemed to notice. Her gaze was focused on the wall in front of her, as if she saw something there that wasn’t grey metal. Damon could imagine the horrible things she saw, he still saw nightmares if he slept for too long.

“I’m afraid of what I’ll see in his eyes. That what we had at the palace was nothing but a game to him.” She shut her eyes, dropping her grip on Damon’s hand. He felt colder without her touch. “It would… it would destroy me.”

Oh.

Well, shit.

Her violent reaction to Vexx and how heartbroken she was after their chat in the storage room cell made sense now. He’d tricked her into trusting him while plotting to murder her family. To help Zovack overthrow the royal family, to get rid of her too. Damon was used to fucked up shit on Cursa. Hell, he’d done some of it. But to trust someone with a part of yourself, a part of your heart even, Damon couldn’t imagine that sort of betrayal.

His stomach twisted, an uneasy feeling creeping into his chest, making the air a little more difficult to breathe. Unable to look at her, he packed the medkit again, ignoring the new thought that lingered in the back of his mind. The one that said he should go to the infirmary and promptly punch Vexx in that big nose of his.

“You really cared about him, huh?”

The chair creaked as she shifted her weight. “Yes. I had no one except Nerissa for so long. And when Vexx came along…”

Her words trailed off, sitting heavy in the silence.

“And now?” Damon prompted, hating how heavy his chest felt at the thought of Vexx with Astrea. “What are you going to do?”

“I… don’t know.” She stood, the air moving when she stood, walking towards his bed, staring at the view of the stars out of his window. His eyes followed her, watching as she nervously twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. “I can’t imagine life without Vexx, but he did something awful.”

“It wasn’t his fault.” Damon leaned against this desk, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for the queasy feeling to pass. He wasn’t surprised when it didn’t. “And I knew carrot head before all of this shit. He might be an asshole, but I can’t see him being unnecessarily cruel.”

The rest of the sentence stayed his tongue. How could he when it’s you.

Astrea let out a sigh, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she turned to face him. When she finally looked at him, really looked at him in the dim lighting, her eyes shone like sunlight, a shimmer of gold, warming and ensnaring parts of him that he long thought died on Cursa.

“Thank you.”

Well, that was unexpected.

Her freckles were like constellations across her face, her skin glowing as she smiled shyly, eyes dropping to an empty spot on the floor in front of him. Everything about her was a mystery, from her past to her present, but one thing that wasn’t was what her grin did to him.

“For what?”

“For not sparing my feelings.”

She… wanted to thank him for that? She puzzled him more every day he knew her. He’d been a bastard to her since the day they’d met and yet… she was here with him. That counted for something.

“When, in the short time you’ve known me, have I spared anyone’s feelings?”

“It’s why I-” She stopped herself, blushing before pushing on through her embarrassment. He couldn’t help the smile that appeared. “I trust you. You don’t coddle me or treat me like I can’t handle the tough things. You’re honest.” She glanced at him with a sly look. “Most of the time.”

“You make it sound like I don’t care about you.”

“Do you?”

More than you think. More than I should.

Astrea must’ve sensed his hesitation, or maybe she read something on his face and in that case he needed to stop letting her affect him so much, because she stepped closer. “I know it hasn’t been easy, but if you need a friend, Damon. I’m here.”

Before he could rethink his actions, he tangled their fingers together, squeezing gently, trying to bring some comfort to her. Or maybe just himself. “I’ll be there if you want… when you go see carrot head. If you want to, that is. I know seeing an old boyfriend is weird enough-”

She smiled as she stepped closer, that persistent glow of her skin nearly blinding him in its radiance. “Vexx was never my boyfriend, Damon.”

He hated how his heart clenched at her words, hope reigniting in him… for what? He didn’t want to dissect it with her staring at him like that. Because he didn’t know what he was capable of.

“Good. He doesn’t deserve you.”

When her grin widened, he had to close his eyes before he died of embarrassment. “Damon- you do care.”

With her hands still in his, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, feeling her settle comfortably against him. With his lips near her ear, he whispered a threat. “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

She laughed, her breath coming in puffs against his chest. She tightened her arms around him slightly. “Why do I doubt that?”

With a soft laugh, he buried his face in her hair, mesmerizing how every inch of her body was pressed against his. On Cursa, he already knew he was in trouble when he felt the first brush of her hand against his. There was no doubt now that this little stowaway was more important to him than he ever thought possible.

“Damon, the secret softie.” Astrea teased, fingers tickling along his spine. “Who would’ve guessed?”

He could, with all honesty, claim that it was her fault. And he found he liked that fact.

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #tilaari traveler #damon reznor #oc: astrea #astrea x damon #blood cw #injury cw #anxiety cw

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commander-krios · 8 months

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Kitchen Duty

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: Damon is assigned kitchen duty alongside the Andromeda Six's resident princess, per Calderon's orders. He isn't sure if this is a punishment for him or for her, but he's willing to make the most out of a shitty situation. Words: 2024 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Banter, Food, Flirting, Sexual Tension, Anger, Threats of Violence, Swearing

Read on AO3

~~~~

“Is this a fucking joke?”

Calderon slanted his eyes in Damon’s direction, not even bothering to make nice at this point. “Care to elaborate?”

“Kitchen duty? With her?” As if he wanted kitchen duty to begin with. Damon usually had no issue cooking for the crew, he was fucking good at it, but to be forced into it… with a princess who didn’t even know how to hold a knife. Calderon was going to take a short trip out of the airlock if he kept subjecting him to this kind of shit.

“We all have sins to pay penance for.” Calderon’s gaze burned in him, and he wanted to believe that the Captain was trying to needle him, trying to get a rise out of him, but all he saw was that hard line of his mouth and an expression that dared him to argue.

“If this is because I suggested handing her to Zovack-”

Calderon stood so fast that Damon almost took a step back. He’d seen the Captain pissed before, and most days it was at him, but there was something dangerous about the way he looked at Damon now. As if he’d gladly shoot him in the head for one more wrong move.

Better to get it over with then.

“You honestly don’t think I was serious, do you?”

Calderon’s jaw tensed. “Even if you weren’t serious, which I highly doubt since it came out of your mouth, Astrea thinks you meant it. Maybe you should try to act civil to her for five seconds.”

“I’m not going to be nice just because she’s a fucking princess, Cal. You should know better than that.” Damon crossed his arms over his chest, fingers itching to close around the handle of one of his knives, for insurance. “You didn't give a single shit about her before. Why are you jumping to her defense now?”

Calderon exhaled through his nose, an attempt to cool off that wasn’t working.

“She’s not your responsibility. You owe the Peg’asi nothing.”

Calderon was still tense even if he deflated slightly. His exhaustion was creeping in, eyes haunted more than usual. “I owe her brother. Sorenn. I won’t rest until she’s safe.”

God, that was just like Calderon. Taking on the burdens of some other fucking idiot, all because he swore to protect a monarchy that happily threw him in a cell and planned his execution for a crime he didn’t commit. Damon sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’ll do it. But if one of us kills the other, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Calderon’s expression turned smug, but he ignored it. “Try not to burn the galley down.”

Mocking him with a lazy salute, Damon found himself walking to the kitchen where the princess who probably hated his guts with every fiber of her being waited. If he took long enough, there was a good chance she’d burn the entire ship down without his help and then he’d have a list of all of the reasons it was a bad idea to let her touch anything involving fire and knives. Forks were probably too difficult for her too, now that he thought of it.

Once the kitchen door slid open, Damon paused in the doorway, watching the little princess attempt to cut one of the peppers he’d brought on board after Teranium. She was cutting the vegetable into strips so slowly that it was almost excruciating to watch. He only made it thirty seconds before his mouth opened.

“The damn thing isn’t going to scream if you cut it a little faster.”

The hand holding the knife tensed, her movements stilling at the sound of his voice. She closed her eyes, letting her breath out through her nose, trying to imagine the knife in his throat no doubt. “Why are you here?”

He clicked his tongue and approached the counter where she stood, hands in his pockets. “Didn’t hear the news, I take it? I’m your new cooking buddy for the next week.”

She sighed, slamming the knife into what was left of the pepper. “Calderon.”

“Bingo. You’re good at this game.” Sidling up to her, Damon leaned against the counter, smiling when she slanted her amber eyes at him. “Want to see how round two goes?”

“So help me, I’m going to stab you, Damon.”

“You need to learn how to hold the knife first, Princess.” His hand curled around hers, the coolness of her skin barely a balm for the heat she ignited in him. He wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew what being near her did to him. She was cute, fiery, and he loved the way she blushed whenever he teased her. But she was also clearly sheltered, if a bit naive, and never had to do anything for herself in her entire life. A pretty face only got you so far before you were picking up pieces of it off of the floor.

“I don’t need help. Thank you, anyway.” She grabbed the piece of cutlery by the handle, trying to dislodge it from the pepper and only ended up getting frustrated when it didn’t.

Somehow, he managed to keep from laughing as he went to wash his hands. He might have to deal with this trainwreck but he could at least avoid dying from food poisoning. When he returned to her side, she was finishing up the pepper. Then he had to watch her struggle with the onion.

Stifling a groan, he moved behind her, reaching around to still her hands before she cut a finger off. She froze at the sudden closeness, jaw tensing as she tried to breathe normally. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he removed the knife from her hand before depositing it on the cutting board. She glanced at him, uncertainty the only thing he could read from her expression, face haloed in silver hair, her skin glowing enough that she couldn’t hide it anymore.

She liked it when he touched her.

When he smiled at her, she blushed, eyes darting away to stare at the abandoned food.

“If you want to stab me, do it after we eat. I’m actually getting hungry.” His lips brushed against her ear, and he felt her tremble at the touch. “Now move.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he physically moved her out of his way, his hands squeezing her sides as he deposited her unceremoniously on the counter next to the cutting board. She made a little ‘oof’ sound as he dropped her ass on the hard surface, smirking as he turned back to the onion.

“Hey!”

“Hey nothing, Princess. You’re terrible at this and I don’t want to die today.” He sliced the onion with the ease of a man who knew his way around a kitchen… and a knife. It was done quickly, pushed to the side for the next thing. “What was your plan with all of this anyway?”

“My… plan?”

He stared at her, eyes unblinking. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Astrea had no idea what to do beyond cutting vegetables. When he didn’t speak, she shifted uncomfortably, twisting her hands in the shirt she wore. Today it was one of Ayame’s old tank tops. He had a good view of plenty of cleavage even at this angle and gave a quiet thanks to the pilot’s sluttier nature.

“Did you grab random things from the fridge to eat? Oh, Princess. How did you survive without me?”

Astrea’s eyes slanted dangerously, her nose wrinkling in the cutest attempt at anger he’d ever seen. He didn’t even bother resisting the urge to flick it. She smacked his hand away, mouth twitching with a smile. “You aren’t as cute as you think you are.”

“I’m cute, huh?”

The pout was even more adorable than that damned nose wrinkle. “I didn’t-”

“No take backs, Astrea. You can admit you think about me naked when you’re alone.” He’d never seen someone look so positively delicious as she did when flustered. “Or when you’re not alone. It’s okay. I know you like thinking about undressing me even when you’re in front of the others.”

She sighed, covering her face with her hands, her blush now covering her neck and chest. It was more than enough positive reinforcement, not that he ever needed much to begin with. The food prep completely forgotten, Damon situated himself between her legs, resting his hands against the counter. She tensed at his proximity, dropping her hands to her lap so she could glare at him.

“You’re annoying.”

Damon laughed, the sound cold even to his ears. He had no idea where this girl got the confidence to stand up to him, but she could barely meet his eyes when he flirted. Such a strange creature.

Trailing a hand over her silver hair, he followed the path of her elaborate braid, only to pause where it hung over her shoulder. He suddenly changed direction, tracing the freckles that danced across her glowing skin to her throat. She inhaled sharply at his touch and desire flared in his gut. He could easily lean forward, follow the path his fingers made with his lips. The temptation was strong and one he had to fight against.

He settled for brushing his thumb over her bottom lip, her breath hot against his skin. Then he dropped his hand to her thigh, squeezing as he leaned closer.

“If you want to be teased, Princess, you only need to ask.”

Faces close, their eyes met, cerulean to gold, and she bit her lip, blush turning her skin to a lovely shade of violet, her skin glowing subtly in the dimly lit room. She was fighting her attraction to him, it was obvious by the slight widening of her pupils as she stared, the quick breaths from her mouth, the gentleness of her hands against his.

She didn’t even realize she was clutching his hands and he grinned, moving his hands over her thighs, fingers just out of reach of her hips.

The door hissed open and Astrea jumped, nearly falling off of the counter, jarred back to reality by their new audience: Bash.

The bionic raised an eyebrow as Damon smoothly moved away from the princess, ignoring her as she slid off of the counter, flushed with an expression of mortified horror twisting her pretty face. “The Captain wanted me to make sure everyone was still alive.” His eyes landed on the flustered girl in front of him, a look of pity on his face. “You alright, kid?”

Damon leaned against the counter, crossing his arms nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t five seconds from seducing the princess into his bed. Which he hadn’t been. But she didn’t know that. “We’re fine, Ilahaj. Just teaching our princess here some tricks.”

Bash frowned at him, clearly knowing what he meant and not approving. He moved closer to Astrea, putting a steady human hand on her shoulder, as if she was a child in need of comfort. Damon rolled his eyes, somehow managing to not snort at them.

“If you want to skip kitchen duty tonight, I can fill in.” Bash’s words were meant for Astrea, but when he glanced in Damon’s direction, the assassin grinned, taking the opportunity to make a quick getaway.

“Thanks for the offer.” Pushing away from the counter, Damon strolled casually past them, pausing briefly to tug on the end of Astrea’s braid. “Thanks for the fun, Princess. Try not to dream about me tonight.”

With a wink in both of their directions, memorizing the disgruntled expression on Astrea’s face, he made his exit, the door hissing closed a moment before the knife hit the metal, clattering loudly when it landed on the floor. With a snorted laugh, Damon shoved his hands in his pockets, turning down the hall to his room before Calderon caught wind of what happened.

Because no matter what the Captain said about it, Astrea might be upset with him now, but she couldn’t hide the fact that he got to her so easily, and that she liked that he could.

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #damon reznor #oc: astrea #astrea x damon #calderon lynch #bash ilahaj

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commander-krios · 6 months

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Movie Night

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/f!Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: Halloween is a good time for some cheap scares. Words: 1477 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Halloween, Horror Movies, Mentions of Horror Elements, Mild Gore, Medical Inaccuracies, Blood

Read on AO3

“Blood would not spurt like that.” Ryona said from the couch where she sat sandwiched between Bash and Ayame, waving towards the screen where a B-rated horror movie played. “It’s medically impossible for it to be that violent.” “I don’t know.” Vexx interrupted, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and leaning into the seat of the metal chair he’d smuggled from the kitchen. A bowl of popcorn sat precariously on his lap. “I’ve seen some interesting blood splatter when people are shot or stabbed. Nothing is impossible, Doc.” Ryona glared at him, but didn’t say anything else like the fact that she’d seen a lot during her time as an Archangel, opting instead to lean into Bash. Her boyfriend threw an arm over her shoulders, not once taking his gaze from the film. Astrea smirked from where she lay on the floor with Damon, hidden amongst a pile of pillows and blankets. He was stretched out on his back, one arm tucked behind his head while the other was wrapped around her while she rested her head against his chest. His fingers toyed with the edge of the shirt she wore, brushing against her hip every few minutes.

“Why? Why are they doing that?” Ayame asked with a squeak, covering her eyes with her hands, only to peek through her fingers to continue watching. “What is the point of any of this?”

Damon rolled his eyes and Astrea bit her lip to keep from laughing. “The point is to scare yourself.”

“Who wants to be scared on purpose?” Aya pulled her blanket up around her shoulders, hiding beneath the fabric.

“Oh come on, Aya. It isn’t that bad.” Bash pointed at the screen with his free hand, smiling widely until a victim got decapitated. He grimaced at the sight. “Oh, maybe it’s a little much.”

“It’s fake.” Damon muttered, turning his head to graze his lips over Astrea’s hair. “Besides, decapitation is too messy. Better off going for the jugular and being done with it.”

“You are not helping.” Aya snapped, throwing the blanket over her head so she couldn’t see the screen.

“It’s not even that scary.” Vexx stated, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “You should lighten up.”

Astrea glanced up at Damon, but he was already watching her, a smirk curling his lips. Without even bothering to shift his gaze to his friend, he waited for the moment when she read his plans in his eyes to open his mouth. “Good thing there aren’t any snakes in tonight’s movie. Otherwise, carrot head would probably piss himself.”

Vexx nearly choked on the food in his mouth. When he managed to clear his throat, he glared in their direction, emerald nothing more than a sliver. “Astrea has a big mouth and I wasn’t scared. It surprised me.”

“You nearly fell into a fountain, Vexx.” Astrea added, only to draw Aya back out from under her blanket in a fit of giggles.

Vexx’s cheeks flared almost as red as his hair. “We’re missing the movie with this stupid shit.”

“Making fun of you is more entertaining.” Damon grinned at him, not even bothering to move an inch from where he was cuddled up with Astrea.

Vexx flipped him off.

All it did was get another laugh out of Damon. Astrea snuggled closer, her fingers trailing down his chest, her focus totally not on the movie and he didn’t mind that fact not one bit.

“Oh!” Ryona’s frown deepened, ignoring the rest of them to wave at the screen. “That’s entirely ridiculous!”

“I think you’re supposed to suspend your disbelief, Ry.” Bash said, a smile twitching his lips that he somehow managed to smother when she glanced at him. “Uh, I mean, it’s all in good fun.”

She sighed, rubbing a finger against her temple. “Yes. I know. I’m sorry.”

“No, keep ripping the film apart.” Aya said, no longer cocooned in the stupid blanket. “It’s not as scary if you destroy it with logic.”

“You’re still going to have nightmares tonight.” Damon called over to her. She threw the remote at him, only for him to grab it midair before it hit either him or Astrea. He held it out mockingly, shaking it a bit to drive home the point.

Astrea pulled the remote from his hands, shifting in order to press a kiss to his cheek. When he glanced down at her, his blue eyes softened the moment he noticed the smile aimed at him. “Let’s just enjoy the movie, okay?”

He returned her smile with a grin of his own. He found it getting increasingly difficult to deny her anything. “Yeah.”

Damon leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her waiting lips. Her responding grunt of delight was reward enough.

Ayame started to gag, getting a laugh from Bash (and most likely an eye roll from Ryona). He ignored them, tangling his hand in Astrea’s silver hair, pulling gasps from her mouth. It was barely a few seconds before Vexx’s entire bowl of popcorn was dumped on their heads, the kernels now covering their hair, their skin, their clothes.

Astrea turned away to sneeze, but Damon’s eyes were for the man standing a foot or two away, a dickish grin on his face. If Astrea wasn’t best friends with him, if she didn’t actually care about what happened to him…

“I’ll fucking kill you.”

“What the hell do you put on that popcorn, Vexx?” Astrea asked, shaking red powder out of her hair, sneezing again. “It hurts my eyes.”

“Chili powder and paprika.” He said with a laugh, moving out of Damon’s reach… not that he couldn’t get him with other means. Like a knife, in the shower, days later.

“You ruined a perfectly good bowl of popcorn!” Ayame shouted from the couch, jumping up to grab the empty bowl, her terror completely forgotten in her exasperation.

Vexx raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes on Damon. “You can go make more.”

Ayame glared at him, violet eyes flashing dangerously. “I’m talking about the seasoning. It’s an affront to decent food. You heathen.”

“As if you know anything about ‘decent food’.” Vexx shot back, clearly offended. “We’re lucky if we don’t get food poisoning from the crap you make.”

“At least I can still feel my taste buds after I make something to eat.”

“As much as I hate to admit that Vexx has a point,” Damon cut in, getting a withering glare from the pilot. “You eat peanut butter sandwiches, Aya.”

“Don’t forget the jam she buys.” Vexx scrunched his face in disgust, as if he knew anything about the mass produced sugary shit that Ayame consumed on a daily basis.

Ayame chucked the bowl at Vexx and it bounced off of his big head, landing in Bash’s lap as he watched from the couch. “Watch it!”

Ryona cleared her throat loudly, cutting into whatever delightfully detailed insult Aya was cooking up. Which was disappointing, but it gave Damon the chance to dig beneath the blankets as Vexx turned to glance at the doctor, fishing out the little surprise they had for the former K’Merii.

“Hey, carrot head?”

When Vexx turned back around, he was immediately suspicious of Damon’s tone, slanting his eyes as he tried to figure out what he wanted before he asked. He failed. “What?”

“Catch.”

He tossed the object in his hands towards his friend, only for Vexx to realize halfway through attempting to grab it out of the air what it was. A snake.

The scream that came from Vexx’s mouth nearly made Damon lose it, but it was the expression of terror and the way he tripped over his own feet on the way out of the room that did it for him. Damon fell against the pillows in laughter, his breaths coming in short and painful gasps. Aya had joined him in the pile with tears streaming down her face before she buried it in a pillow, muffling the sounds from her mouth.

“That wasn’t nice.” Ryona muttered, but she couldn’t hide the twitch of her lips as she fought a grin, golden eyes on the rubber snake abandoned on the floor. “Can we continue watching the movie now?”

Damon inhaled deeply, willing air back into his lungs. It took a few tries before he could speak again. He stood, hauling Astrea along with him, helping her to pick out a few more pieces of popcorn before tossing it at Aya who was still in tears. “Good luck with that, Ry.” He tossed his arm around Astrea, pulling her tightly against him. “We have a date with a shower.”

A sound of disgust followed them out of the room and he laughed, content to spend his night far away from the idiots as possible. Especially if it meant more alone time with his princess.

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfic #a6 traveler #damon reznor #oc: astrea #tilaari traveler #astrea x damon #f!traveler #f!traveler x damon #traveler x damon reznor #damon reznor x traveler #ayame ikeda #vexx serif #ryona mi'haden #sebastian ilahaj #bash ilahaj #halloween

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commander-krios · 7 months

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Exquisite

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Explicit Summary: Teasing a certain former princess always seems to yield results. At least, for Damon Reznor it does. Words: 1120 Additional Tags: Kinktober 2023, Handjobs, Tilaari Traveler, Established Relationship, Love, Idiots in Love, Sexual Humor, Short & Sweet

Posted for @starsandskies Kinktober 2023

Read on AO3

It had been one too many days since Damon had alone time with his little murder princess. Not that she’d appreciate the new nickname he’d been calling her in the back of his mind, smiling whenever he thought of how fiercely she’d fought on Orion, the way she’d stood up to anyone who had the stupidity to underestimate her. She’d changed since those first few weeks after the coup and Damon loved the ferocity with which she lived her life now.

It made for some interesting sex, that was for sure.

Astrea wasn’t difficult to find, especially since she’d been spending most days in the common room playing games with Aya and Bash, or reading one of the latest choice novels that was the “book of the week” in his and Ryona’s makeshift book club. Today, however, she was doing neither of those things but instead, was attempting some sort of stretching, a small mat rolled out on the floor beneath her feet.

With her arms over her head, she bent at the waist, reaching for her tiny toes, perfect ass in the air.

She held the pose for a moment, the stretch probably felt wonderful in her legs, and Damon’s mouth curled dangerously, the temptation to tease her too great. There wasn’t a single moment when he wasn’t thinking about her naked in her bed, stretched out before him, and now was no exception.

“Please tell me that flexibility extends to bedroom activities too.”

Astrea didn’t even bother straightening to respond to him, glancing around her legs with a grin of her own. She was in a teasing mood, good. “As if you’d be able to fit into the positions I can.”

“That’s a challenge I’m willing to take.” Leaning against the wall, he watched her with renewed interest. “Either way, I’m a winner in the end.”

Astrea laughed, soft and beautiful, and Damon was awed again at how someone so kind still had a fire that burned like an inferno. She stood, her silver hair tumbling down her back in waves, strands nearly shining in the bright lights. Even now, her skin had that bioluminescent glow, the easiest way to see that she was content, happy, in love. And it was always because of him.

Taking a step closer, she brought the hem of her tank top up to wipe some sweat from her forehead, exposing the curve of her breasts. She wasn’t fucking wearing a bra. Desire ignited beneath his skin, hot and uncomfortable as she dropped the shirt back to its previous spot. He grinned at her in the lazy way he’d perfected, the one that said nothing could affect him in the slightest.

She raised an eyebrow, brushing some of her hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

Damon was a good liar, one of the best even, but he couldn’t stop himself from growing hard and needy when she paused in front of him, eyes trailing across his chest and down to where the evidence of how much he wanted her was.

“See something you like?” Astrea teased, fingers brushing the collar of her top, hooking a finger around a strap and sliding it across her shoulder.

Damon’s mouth went dry, his tongue feeling thick as the strap slid down, exposing more of her breasts. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Astrea.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

A quick glance around the room proved they were well and truly alone. With a crooked grin, Damon’s arms came around her waist possessively, pulling her against his chest, enjoying the radiant blush that still appeared on her cheeks even after weeks of being a couple.

It was almost hard to believe.

“You’re insufferable.” She said, rolling her eyes when he wagged his eyebrows at her.

“Oh Princess, if you keep saying things like that to me, we aren’t going to make it to a bed.” His mouth found her throat, nipping at her skin as he worked his way down to her shoulder, pausing to slide the other strap down, exposing her breasts. “Hello, there.”

Astrea snorted, an adorable sound coming from her. “Really, Damon?”

His mouth tilted at the corners. “It’s been a few days, sweetheart. I missed them.”

She swatted his shoulder, laughing when he pressed kisses to her chest, his lips tickling her skin.

“If you didn’t want to turn me on, you shouldn’t be flashing me.”

Astrea’s lips brushed against his jaw, settling near his ear, her words breathless as she responded. “Are you complaining?”

Her hands trailed down his chest, fingertips soft against his shirt but he could feel the heat of her skin through the fabric. She paused at his waist, gripping the belt as if asking a silent question. He chuckled, breath fanning across her breasts before he took a nipple into his mouth. She let out a gasp, resting her head against him, burying her face into his neck.

It wasn’t a surprise when her hand slipped below the waistband of his pants, his cock in her hand, stroking him slowly, achingly. His breath left him in a rush, thoughts gone in an instant as she worked him expertly like she’d done it a million times before. God, if only. The silky feel of her skin sliding against him almost undid him immediately, but he reigned himself in, willing to suffer through exquisite torture for her.

With a groan, Damon focused his efforts on her breasts again, alternatively sucking and licking, pulling the sweetest sounds from her lips. His free hand danced along her waist, ready to dip his fingers lower, to touch her as well and get lost in her pleasure as much as his own.

Then her pumps got more insistent, thumb rolling over the tip of his cock once, twice. His hips bucked and he ripped his mouth away, unable to hold on anymore. His orgasm roared through him, his entire body shaking with it as he spent himself in his own pants. A few moments passed, his hands trembling as they clutched at her hips, breath ragged in his lungs.

Pressing a kiss to his mouth, she draped her arms around his shoulders, a devious smirk on her face as she gazed up at him with so much emotion in those golden eyes, he felt like he was drowning. “You look stupid as hell right now.”

He laughed, flicking her nose affectionately. “Yeah, yeah. Save it.”

She met him in another kiss, this one deeper, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, tasting every inch of her. For now, he was sated, but there was no way in hell that he was finished with her. Not by a long shot.

#kinktober 2023 #nsft #lemon #my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 traveler #damon reznor #oc: astrea #astrea x damon #traveler x damon reznor #f!traveler x damon reznor

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