Tumgik
#master chief fanfic
helix-studios117 · 2 days
Text
Halo Reloaded: Atheon
Their private living-quarters is their little oasis... Linda-058—no, Linda Downes, six months along by this point in time, nestled into the pillows with a gentle sigh, her armored plates set aside for the evening. Her legs stretched toward the warmth of the small electric heater humming in the corner.
"John?" Linda's voice, tinged with a child-like whimsy, broke the quiet. "Could you... would you tell me a story tonight? Something happy?"
John smiled, the scar on his face softening in the dim light. He settled beside her, their hands finding each other naturally. "Yeah, sure. You remember Atheon, right? The hero from the tales I told you about when we were kids?"
Linda's eyes lit up, a sparkle of amusement dancing in them. "Yeah! The one who fought with a laser sword and rode a star dragon?"
"That's the one." John chuckled, his voice a soothing rumble in the quiet room. "Okay, let me think... Ah, got it. So, this story takes place on a distant, colorful planet called Neonis. It's so bright and vivid, every sunset there paints the sky in a million shades."
Linda giggled, tucking her feet under her. "Tell me everything!"John began, gesturing with his hands as he wove the tale. "Atheon was not just any hero; he was known as the Guardian of Joy, sworn to defend the smiles of every child in the galaxy. One day, the gloomy shadows—serious creatures made of drear and drab—decided they had enough of Neonis's bright colors."
"Atheon wouldn’t stand for that, would he?" Linda interjected, her voice playful. "Never," John affirmed with a mock-serious nod.
"Atheon strapped on his jet boots and soared into the sky, his laser sword gleaming. But as he confronted the shadows, he realized that fighting them would only spread more darkness." Linda leaned forward, absorbed. "So, what did he do?"
"He did something unexpected. Atheon started to dance." John’s lips twitched into a smile. "Yes, dance. Right there, in the middle of the sky. His moves were so silly and joyous that the shadows, who had never seen anything so ludicrous, couldn’t help but laugh."
Linda clapped her hands delightfully. "He danced away the gloom?"
"Exactly," John said, nodding. "The shadows began to dance too. They twisted and twirled until they turned into bursts of color, adding to the sunset themselves."
Linda’s laughter filled the room, light and carefree. "Atheon the dancing hero, I love it!"
John looked at her, his heart swelling with affection as he watched her joy. "And they say that to this day, the sunsets on Neonis are the brightest, all thanks to a hero who dared to dance instead of fight."
Linda snuggled closer, her head resting against his shoulder. "Thank you, John. That was perfect. Atheon’s my hero."
John whisperes to her, kissing the top of her head gently. "...And you're my hero, Lyn."
21 notes · View notes
allsaiint · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
↠ master chief/gender neutral!reader
↠ word count: 1800
↠ chapter one | chapter two
↠ masterlist
↠ description: john has no idea how to date, but he'll try his best.
↠ warnings: potential for out of character | potential for dismantling of canon | gender neutral!reader may change in future chapters
↠ author’s notes: this is based on a mix of game-canon chief and television series chief. take it as you will. if i did happen to use specific terminology to describe the reader, let me know.
-- /// --
The instant John entered the park, he sensed something was different. So late on a Wednesday evening, the only thing playing in the open air theatre was a group of young violinists, no more than high school aged. There were a few people milling about, most likely parents there to encourage the group. Others were gathered on the outskirts, at the top of the coliseum style seats. They were cloistered in twos and threes, their conversations jumbling together over the sounds of the music.
You were the lone exception, standing towards the top of the steps, half-hidden by shadows. John had never seen you before, though there had been a recent influx of newcomers to the Reach. It was mostly scientists, after a mass exodus had left gaping holes in their military programs.
He caught the way your brow furrowed a split second before he realised he had been staring. You shifted back when he tried for a smile, and gave it up as a lost cause. In some ways, the act of interacting with new people still bemused him.
He was surprised, then, to hear footsteps approach, and turned just enough to witness you falter three steps above him. Over the din of the crowd, he could hear the race of your heart, so fast that he was surprised when you managed an actual greeting.
“You’re new to Reach?” 
He had to change tracks at the last minute, turning it from a statement into a question. He had also had no designs to sit, but found himself doing so anyway when you introduced yourself.
You nodded. “I took a job at the USMC. Have you been here long?”
“My entire career,” he answered, and watched close for your reaction. He suspected that you were unaware of who he was, as most civilians were. Few knew what the Master Chief looked like without his helmet on, and a majority were within the USMC.
His suspicion was proven right when you asked, “You’re a Marine, I take it? How long have you been in?”
Something in the way you asked, or perhaps it was the lack of starstruck wonder he was so used to, made him lie through his teeth, answering, “Thirty years, give or take a few.”
Eyebrows raising, you replied, “You look so young, though.”
A product of spending so much time in a suit of armour, he supposed. Instead though, he said, “You look fairly young yourself. What made you want to take a job here?”
Your smile slipped, and you ducked your head to face your knees. “My homeworld was glassed not long ago. I figured here would be the safest place to go, after that.”
“I’m sorry,” John offered, watching the way you began to pick at a split in your lip before, very abruptly, you turned to snap a tie around your wrist. “I heard about it, after I returned from a deployment. I’m glad you made it out.”
“Me too,” you replied with a quiet laugh. “You’re actually the first person I’ve met outside of work here.”
That made John chuckle and over it, he heard the way your heartbeat skipped. “I’m honoured, really.”
Conversation stalled for a few moments, and John could see how you pretended to watch the violinists to make it seem natural. There was a tension in your shoulders that gave away your desire to say something though, and you were rubbing your palm with your thumb. You would press hard in the very centre then relent before looking at John. It was quite nice to know that your nervousness was genuine, and not borne of being in the presence of the great Master Chief.
“Do you deploy a lot?” you asked at last, drawing John from his thoughts. The way you asked was stilted, as though you had dredged the question from the depths of your desire to say anything at all. “It seems like I never see the same face twice.”
“I do,” he agreed, and wondered what to tell you. The people you would deal with most often were the general ranks, those who stood a worse chance of surviving an encounter with Covenant. “I’m between drops, at the moment, but one will likely come in in the next few days. Covenant has been busier than usual.”
“I heard rumours that they were looking for something, but couldn’t find it. The Spartans either found it first or destroyed it or something like that.” You snapped the tie on your wrist once, hard. “That’s why they started glassing so many planets— they were really upset, whatever they were looking for.”
It always surprised John to find out how close the rumours turned out to be to the truth. He often wondered who started with the truth, and how long it took the details to be lost. It reminded him of the game he played as a child with the other trainees. One would whisper a sentence from across a room or through a glass, and it was the listener’s job to relay what was said. It had taken him a long time to realise that the “game” was actually training, learning to lip-read. The more serious the children took the task, the better the results were, but not until their augmentations were there ever perfect results.
“Well, in any case,” you said, drawing John from his thoughts again and offering him a smile, “maybe when you’re here, you can come visit me at the aquarium. Since I’ll never be able to find and all.”
With a rough, quiet laugh, John said, “Could see about making that work. Do you have to go now?”
“Should,” you agreed, but lingered where you stood. “I have an early shift tomorrow, and a bit of a ride home.”
Shifting to his feet as well, he said, “Let me walk you?”
“Oh, it’s— I live all the way in Immoria. It’s too much to ask—”
“I don’t mind,” John said, cutting your rambling off with a small smile. He found them rising easier in your presence. “I’d rather be sure you get home safe. Call it paranoia.”
“Well, if you insist,” you agreed, though it was with an air of exasperation. The tick playing at the corner of your mouth indicated that you were pleased beneath that though.
The next bullet train was due in five minutes, and you sidled closer as the waiting crowd grew and closed in. The way you flinched was almost imperceptible when you leaned into John, and your laugh was embarrassed.
“I don’t even like eating in the caf at work,” you admitted, but allowed his hand to stay where it was on  your back. “I don’t care much for crowds since—”
“I get it,” John said as the train came to an abrupt stop in front of you. There was just the one, and it hurtled back and forth across the city twenty-four hours a day. You remained close as the train began to move, curling your free hand into his shirt when someone knocked into you. The culprit offered John a smile full of mock apology that dwindled beneath his scowl, until they shifted to give you your space.
You were busy watching the scenery pass, and startled when John asked, “If you dislike crowds, what do you do at the complex?”
“Oh, they stuffed me into some little corner room with a few other researchers. I don’t really have to deal with too many people. Thankfully.”
“I see. What did you do before this?”
You shook your head. “I travelled around, studying species in their natural habitats, how we affected them, boring stuff like that.”
“It doesn’t sound boring,” John said, and watched your eyes widen as though you were surprised to hear it. If he had to describe it, it sounded peaceful. “If you enjoyed it, it wasn’t boring.”
“Well, fair enough,” you said with a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh. “Do you enjoy what you do?”
“Yes,” he replied on reflex. No one in recent memory had asked him that and, in truth, he was unsure of the truth in his answer. He had never been given the choice to decide if he enjoyed what he did or not.
Something must have shown through in his response, because the look you cast him came with a frown. You seemed to come to some decision or assumption on your own though, and uncurled your fist to lay flat on his chest.
A little too mired in his own thoughts again, John let silence reign after that. He followed you down the street with an absent mind, aware somewhere in the recesses of it that the inattention was unbecoming of the Master Chief. He found it happening with more frequency though, since—
“Well, this is me,” you said. “Thank you for walking me.”
“Like I said, I’d rather know you got home safe,” he replied, taking the building in. It was twenty something stories, but still short compared to most in the city. A pair of doormen stood just inside, prepared to open the doors for you.
You stalled again; it seemed you had something more to say. He heard the pace of your heart increase, and his focus narrowed in on the flicker of your pulse beneath your skin.
“Do you have a data pad, by chance?” you asked after a harsh swallow.
“It’s broken,” John said. His attention turned to your face just in time to register the way it crumpled in disappointment. With more gentleness, he continued, “I’d like to see you again, though.”
The words felt foreign, coming from him. If you noticed, you chose to ignore it when you agreed. John was surprised at how eager you seemed, and found it hard not to let it envelop him.
“At the park tomorrow? Same time?” he said. Again, he was met with eager agreement that made him smile. “Good. Goodnight then.”
Your sharp inhale in response was so subtle that even he almost missed it. Your eyes widened and your throat bobbed before you replied, “Night, John.”
Even you seemed to realise how hoarse you sounded and made to turn away, but not before John caught look of embarrassment flash across your face. He watched you scurry inside, and waited until the door was securely latched before allowing himself the laugh that had been brewing all evening.
64 notes · View notes
alienisticxo · 2 months
Text
hello there!
my life is finally calming down and i am so excited to continue my writing journey here with all the Halo fanfic ideas i’ve started and have been kicking around!
logging in again and seeing all the love on my fics, Before the Fever especially, means so much to me.
as we all know, the Halo series has returned with season 2, and it’s looking pretty great so far! i can’t wait to gather more lore and ideas from it!!
aside of that, i’m still here, i still love Chief (and our girl Cortana), and i can’t wait to write again! Before the Fever is definitely far from finished and i’m so excited to get back to it— see you guys around and feel free to request fics if you’d like!
i’m so glad to be back 💚
Tumblr media
54 notes · View notes
lialacleaf · 2 years
Text
The Chief and the Intern - All Smiles - Master Chief X Reader
Tumblr media
Masterlist
It had been a week since you were able to contact your parents for the first time in months. They had insisted on calling you every night, but you felt bad about bothering the staff to secure a connection for you and had only been able to talk to them once since then. 
As you sat in your little dorm with your knees pulled up to your chest, you couldn’t help but sigh. You missed home, you missed the friends you’d made on the colony planet, and you wished you had someone to talk to. 
Well, you had one person to talk to. However, it felt wrong to pester the Master Chief with your feelings of loneliness when he was probably a very busy Spartan. And so you determined as you stared up at the ceiling that afternoon that it was time you get off your butt and do something useful. 
You knew where the gym was, as it was one of the few places you were permitted access to. There were dozens of machines designed to work various muscles, but you weren’t exactly sure how to use most of them. The treadmill was a safe bet, so you started there. 
You noticed a dark-haired woman, tall with strong-looking legs and a myriad of scars, take up the machine beside you. She was fast, her movements fluid as she bumped the pace of her machine well above what your own body could handle. Watching her was like watching a cheetah run. 
She had a pair of wireless buds in her ears, and you could faintly hear Guns and Roses, an old band that one of your friends back home had loved. You felt yourself frown as memories of home made your stomach drop, and your eyes fell to your feet as you tried to keep pace with the treadmill. 
“Everything alright, Y/N?” The crisp tone startled you slightly, and you looked up to see the woman was looking at you with slight curiosity sparkling in her eyes. 
“How do you know-”
“You’re the intern. The one Chief and I found during the rescue,” she clarified. It was then that it seemed to click in your brain who exactly you were speaking to. The other Spartan that had been with the Chief. You internally groaned at the thought of her seeing you curled up on the ground in the middle of a raging battle. 
“Oh, you were there for that,” you murmured as you slowed the machine down to walking speed. 
She nodded, slowing her own machine down for her cool-down period. “Petty Officer Kelly 058,” she introduced, looking down at you with intrigue. This was the little human that the Chief had been so out of sorts over the past week. To anyone else, it would be impossible to tell, but he had stated offhandedly that he was concerned over how you were doing three times, and for him to verbalize it more than once was a sign that he was worried. 
“I guess I owe you a thank you. If the two of you hadn't shown up…” you trailed off, your chest feeling tight. “I haven’t seen Chief since I woke up. I imagine he’s been busy?” you asked. A small part of you was still hoping you’d see him again so you could ask him to teach you something about handling being in an unexpected combat situation. However you weren’t exactly sure how to find him on this big ship. After you’d been handed off to human resources, you’d been assigned a room and hadn’t seen him since. 
Kelly regarded you carefully as if she was considering her next words very carefully. “He’s on the S-Deck if you’d like to see him,” she offered, and you perked up immediately. 
“Really? You’re sure I wouldn’t be a bother?” The last thing you wanted was to be the person pestering the Master Chief when he had important work to be done. Unbeknownst to you, however, that very same Spartan had also been hoping to run into you again, and Kelly was going to hold it over his head that she had been the one to send you right to him. 
“He’d be relieved to see you’re doing well,” the Spartan said. “Let me get through the showers and I’ll take you up to the S-Deck.” 
~
You couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit nervous about intruding on a Spartan’s private quarters. Let alone if that Spartan was also the Master Chief. Kelly showed you to the end of the hall, before pointing out the door that belonged to the Chief, and left you to it. What if now isn’t a good time? Or what if he doesn’t actually want to see me? These thoughts tumbled through your head as you stood before the door. 
More than a few Spartan IVs passed by, giving you curious looks. You realized you probably looked rather strange, and before you could convince yourself not to, knocked lightly against the door. 
There was no answer for a moment, and you wondered if he wasn’t even there. However, after a few seconds ticked by, the door slid open with a hydraulic whoosh, and an unfamiliar sight stood before you. He wore a standard navy shirt with black sweatpants. He was tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and deep-set blue eyes, an imposing figure, that held an immediate recognition as soon as they landed on your face. 
“Y/N?” You didn’t know why you’d expected him to be in his armor while in his own living quarters, but you couldn’t help but feel shell shocked at seeing him as…him! “I thought you’d have been on your way home by now,” he admitted. 
You gaped a moment longer before swallowing thickly. “I can come back later, or not at all if you’re busy-”
“No, no that’s not necessary,” he stepped aside, gesturing for you to enter, and you felt your jaw go slack. Oh my gosh- You weren’t sure how to react to the turn of events. The chief looking not at all like the Chief, or him inviting you into his private quarters, or the fact that he seemed relieved to see you. 
“I haven’t received any sort of directives yet, so I suppose I’m still contracted with the UNSC for the time being,” you explained, stepping into the room. There was very little inside. It appeared they’d given him rather nice accommodations, but the room was very minimalistic. “I’m sorry, I’m not intruding, am I?” you asked. 
He cocked his head curiously at you. “That’s the second time you’ve suggested that you’re a bother. Your presence is no trouble, it’s…” he trailed off as if he was looking for the right word, biting his lip as he did so. The action seemed almost indolent, and you felt as if your breath was suddenly caught in your throat. “Pleasant,” he finished. You weren’t quite as grim as the other faces he saw throughout the day, especially the one he saw when he looked in the mirror, and it made him feel a little lighter. 
You felt your cheeks turn a little red, and glanced around the room as you tried to find something to focus on. “Well, I had a favor ta ask you, if it’s not too much,” you began. 
“It’s not too much,” he says folding his arms behind his back in a parade rest stance. 
“I haven’t told you what it is,” you said pointedly, crossing your arms in an attempt to hide the slight tremor in them. You felt as if your eyes were going to pop out of your skull however when the faintest grin spread onto his face, pulling a the scar on his upper lip. 
“Well it seems I’m already committed, so why don’t you go ahead and tell me what you need?”
You blinked in surprise, not having expected him to be so facetious. “I…Well I..” you stammered, trying to determine how to propose your request. 
“Yes?” he goaded, taking a step closer to you. He peered down at you with a raised brow, and huffed. 
“I don’t know what to do if anything were to happen…if there was another attack. I don’t want to have to depend on others to keep me in one piece, but I don’t even know how to handle a weapon.” It was a struggle to get the words out. Just thinking about the attack, about being a prisoner for months made your stomach sick. 
The Spartan placed a hand on your shoulder, frowning softly. “That’s not going to happen here,” he assured you. 
“But if it does,” you argued, ignoring th warmth that bloomed in your chest at his touch. “I want to be ready, or at least not a fumbling mess. If you could teach me something, anything…” 
He watched you carefully, regarding the desparate look in your eyes as you pleaded with him for help. Help. He liked the idea of having someone to help. He liked the idea of you needing his help even more, and he didn’t quite know why. 
“Tomorrow, meet me at the range. We’ll go over some of the basic firearms you could manage,” he decided. “On the condition that you do exactly as I say. It’s not typically regulation to put a weapon in the hands of a civillian.”
You nodded vigorously. “Understood. Thank you, Chief,” you said, a bright smile sliding into place. The Chief felt his breath hitch a little, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. That look…it did dangerous things to him. 
“John. You’re not a marine. It’s unesary for you to use my rank.” His tone sounded forced, as if it was an effort for him to divulge the information. You weren’t sure if he was offering it to you as a courtesy, or if he genuinely wanted to hear you say it. 
“Thank you, John.” And that, the Master Chief realized, was his ruination. 
Tag list: @amaraohara @zizzlekwum @117s-girl @embarrassedauthornerd
Johnny boi is catching feelings....There is much cheese on the way I promise~
150 notes · View notes
short-honey-badger · 2 months
Text
Shore Leave
Summary! Captain Lasky orders the Master Chief a two week shore leave. Overwhelmed by his lack of armor and unused to the flow of civilian traffic, he parks himself on a bench and meets you.
Pairings! Master Chief x Reader
Set after the events of Halo 4 and influenced from my love of the game and how good season 2 of the TV series. I wanted to try my hand at something new. I hope you enjoy.
Part 2 -> HERE Part 3 -> HERE
Tumblr media
Master Chief Petty Officer Sierra 117, or John to his friends - the few he had left, cautiously strode through the throngs of civilians. Captain Lasky had ordered him a full two weeks shore leave, no combat, no weapon, no MJOLNIR. Lasky had suggested he take some time to himself, grieve if he needed to after fighting for so long with little reprieve in between battles. To be honest, John wasn't sure what he should do with his time. Despite being one of the last of the original Spartans, the chief had hardly ever been completely alone.
Cortana. She'd always been there, a soft hum in the back of his mind, and John wasn't proud enough to admit that he felt a little lost without her.
Even though the armorless spartan towered above the crowd, he began to feel surrounded, overwhelmed with how densely packed the city was. He wasn't used to being out of his armor, and it made him feel naked, vulnerable in a way that John didn't like. Luckily, he spotted a bench not too much farther away, situated at the beginning of what looked like a small park. John sat heavily, back straight and blue eyes casting around as he took deep breaths to regulate his breathing.
No one bothered him, and John took the time to watch the hoards of civilians go to and fro. He watched couples hold hands, and families carefully guide their children along the sidewalks, each man and woman heading to whatever their destination may be. After a while, and now that John had been able to relax a little, he realized that he enjoyed watching the flow and allowed his mind to wander.
Could he ever have something like this? Such a mundane and easy life, never worrying if the next battle he faced would be his last. If he would ever see his brothers and sisters again? Would he ever live such a simple existence where his only fear is missing the train? The Master Chief doesn't think that he could, not when so much of himself has been lost to war and death. Not when it was his duty to protect the civilians here so that they could have that life.
“Sir, you've been sitting here a while now. Can I help you with anything?”
John is brought out of his thoughts by the soft voice. He turns his head and sees that you have somehow snuck up on him, and he silently berates himself for not noticing. However, you had asked him a question, and the Chief didn't want to come off as rude.
“No, ma'am. Just…watching,” He says slowly, and he feels his cheeks heat up a bit. Was that odd to say? John didn't know, but he felt reassured when he spots the smile that curled your lips.
“Well, good. I don't think I’d be strong enough to haul you anywhere if there was something wrong,” you say, and huff a little at your own words.
John doesn't know what to say to that. He doesn't have any kind of experience with civilians, not like this, anyway. He wracks his brain for something to say and wishes that Cortana was still here to walk him through this.
However, you don't seem to mind his silence. Instead, you sit back on the bench and look out at the busy stream of people. You are quiet for a while, but the spartan is prepared when you speak up again.
“I like to people watch too. Makes you feel a little less alone in the universe, ya know?” You say and grin again, suddenly scooting down the bench to sit beside the big man who seemed far too lonely when you'd seen him outside the café across the street.
John tenses, not expecting to have you so close, but he doesn't deny that feeling the heat from where your arm is pressed into his feels…nice. He nods slowly, agreeing with your quiet statement.
“It makes you realize that you aren't the only one out there having a hard time, or becoming successful, or even falling in love. We are all human, and even if it doesn't seem like it, we're all in this together,” you pause, and then your smile becomes a bit mischievous.
“And it's kind of fun to make up stories about them.”
John blinks, a bit confused about that. He turns and looks down at his guest, feeling his cheeks heat up again when he sees you looking right back, eyes cheerful and face far too close to his own. He looks away quickly and sits up straight from his slight slouch.
‘What do you mean?”
Bravely, you lean into his space and gesture subtly at an older couple that are walking down the sidewalk, a heated discussion going on between them. The man looks annoyed as his wife babbles on about who knows what, and you giggle softly and say.
“She's probably upset because her husband - they are definitely married, by the way - forgot to take out the trash. Look at him, he's heard this a thousand times.”
John takes in the look of fond exasperation that paints the older man's expression, squinting his eyes to try and see it the way you are. It doesn't make much sense to him, but he thinks he understands.
You poke your new friend in the arm and nod your head at a gaggle if girl's who are giggling and fawning over a data pad.
“They're probably looking at the cute boy who invited one of them to prom. Or maybe a famous celebrity crush.”
You point out a few other civilians, and one or two of your little stories get the stoic man to crack a tiny smile, and eventually relax again, even with you pressed so close to his side. It feels good to have someone near. Someone who can so easily take up the quiet space that he still isn't used to feeling. The Master Chief finds that he rather likes your company and would like to know more about you.
John finally speaks up again when there is a lul in the rather one-sided conversation, turning to face you completely.
“Do you think you could show me more?”
You take in the careful way he asks, the soft timbre of his voice, and you find yourself nodding easily, and you offer your hand, introducing yourself properly.
“I'd love to. My name is _.”
The Spartan carefully takes your offered hand and marvels at just how small it is compared to his own. He meets your gaze, his blue eyes striking in the city lights.
“My name is John.”
76 notes · View notes
ghostlychief · 7 days
Note
OKIE, HI LOVE, I'm so excited. I would like to request Touch-starved! John. John, who didn't realize how it felt to be loved. John, who didn't know how nice it felt to be wanted for being just him. John, who's never had a hug in his life, stiffing when his partner gave him a hug before realizing how comforting it was. John, who doesn't know how to hug his partner back and is scared he'll hurt them.
Okay i love this idea so much. YOUR MIND CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME. Because John would TOTALLY be like this at first. Love touch-starved!John. For some reason the concept of the song Drops of Jupiter popped into my head when i thought of this John. I hope you enjoy what i threw together, and hope you're doing well <3
---
Drops of Jupiter
John-117/Master Chief x reader
no warnings, just fluff!
---
John’s life can really only be measured by statistics, measured quantitatively. From the moment he was found on Eridanus II by Dr. Halsey, his life started to have meaning in the way of numbers. How fast was he growing? How much did he weigh? How much could he lift? Those numbers became one of the most important thing in his life. Besides that, he didn’t have much else to count for. His sole purpose was to train and become the best Spartan II the UNSC has ever seen.
That was until he decided to remove the hormonal pellet, lodged in the center of his lower back, resting in between his spine. Who knew how much power rested in something smaller than a quarter?
This pellet repressed his moods, making sure he was only ever objective, the thought of subjectivity a sin. It also dimmed hormones a normal person experiences in their every day life. Such as, the longing touch of a loved one. Or, the hope to feel accepted by one’s peers. These suppressors were supposed to make the ultimate, elite solider. It was supposed to help aid the Spartan’s on the battle field by making them mission oriented. Act first, ask questions later. As long as the mission was complete and a success, not much else mattered.
At first, John felt disoriented. He felt unbalanced by the new coming of emotions and hormones that spiraled around in his body. There was a crash of emotions washing over his entire body that he forgot he felt before, in a distant past life he wasn’t even sure really existed. It felt rickety, yet exciting. Everything seemed brand new to him. The clouds looked different, the grass brighter, the sun felt warm against his skin. He appreciated the stars that blanketed the sky on a moonless night.
For once, he felt like he completed the orbit around what his life was really about. He finally understood. Life wasn’t just about missions and killing the Covenant. No, there was so much more to it and he finally felt like he touched back home after a long, grueling journey, pulled down by the gravity of the new world he found himself in.
Shortly after his pellet was removed, he met you. You were a linguistic technician that worked closely with many of the people John worked with. You were an expert in Sangheili, which became a hot commodity skill to have in the impending months leading up to the human/Covenant war. John had actually crossed paths with you before, only in passing, but you have met, though not officially.
The day you sat across from him in the cafeteria was Johns’s first encounter with you since feeling different, feeling new. You were already half way seated when you asked, “Mind if I sit here?” John looked up at you, brows furrowed and nodded, but at this point you were already sat down at the table.
“I’d like to pick your brain about something if you don’t mind?” Your sweet voice traveled across to John in the noisy cafeteria and he found himself staring at you for a second before he mentally shook his head. “Sure?” He was still perplexed why you were here sitting with him. Usually no one approached the Spartans unless they were instructed to do so.
“Okay, so I’m in the linguistics department, specifically Sangheili, and I wanted to ask you about the encounters you’ve had with the Sangheili, specifically the higher ranked Sangheili.”
John felt himself slightly smiling at your rambling, but he made sure to hide it from you. He cleared his through them said, “Yeah, I remember you. We met in passing a couple years ago.”
Your eyes widened, “Oh! I didn’t think you’d remember.” This time John made sure you noticed his smile, “Spartans have eidetic memory.”
“Ah, that’s right. Well, that’s good for all the questions I have for you then.” You then proceeded to talk to John about the Sangheili culture and how it related to their patterns of speech for the next two hours, time slipping away, fast through your fingers.
After that, John always felt a pull towards you, seemingly stuck in your orbit. If neither of you were on duty, you’d usually end up going on long walks. John told you about his past, like what it was like being in the Spartan program, and other adventures, like his mission on the Halos. You never interrupted him, and typically had follow-up questions, always curious to learn more about him.  
The first time you touched him was when he was explaining how he was taken as a child by Dr. Halsey to be entered into the Spartan program. You rested your hand on his bicep, and your fingers slowly rubbed back and forth in a comforting notion. He at first stiffened, but then soon relaxed under your enchanting touch, longing to feel it again after you left his quarters that night.
He started to see more and more of you, and his feelings slowly and quietly developed into something akin to love, though he was never really sure what that word meant. Not until you. He imagined what love might have been, but could never quantify it since love never dealt in numbers or absolutes. It was abstract, confusing, with no concrete answer to it.
Though all of these new emotions felt confusing at times, John never felt confused by you. You simply loved him, not Master Chief or John-117, just John. Slowly but surely, John felt more comfortable with you, emotionally and also physically. Although Spartans are massive in their stature, people still forget how freakishly strong they actually are. Such as, John can easily flip over a Warthog. So, in dealing with you, he was extra cautious.
The first time you wrapped your arms around his middle in a bone crushing hug, he was worried about hugging back, afraid he would crush you, hurt you. He doesn’t remember ever receiving a hug like that, and he wanted to savor it, and feel it over and over again. Once he realized that he wasn’t going to hurt you, he would always pull you into random hugs through out the day, comforted by your beating heart against his.
John’s life, once measured only in numbers, in quantity, now could be measured by so much more. He was lucky, after all.
---
45 notes · View notes
rubikx107 · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media
We all sleep like dead master chief lol
88 notes · View notes
morganas-pendragons · 2 months
Text
how long | the master chief
Tumblr media
people have been digging up my master chief fanfiction with the release of halo season 2. so. here's a new one shot ft my favorite shot of the show! Spoilers for episode 1!
this will be multiple parts as we span throughout season 2. this is loosely associated with you're losing me by Taylor Swift!
A couple of tags for people who've come my way recently wanting Chief fic... @silverpelt3600 @embarrassedauthornerd (who is still getting a Game!John fic at some point) and I know there were more but I literally can't remember :(
***
Being a part of Silver is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. It’s a team. A unit. You aren’t forced to rely on old instincts of survival on your own when you have Master Chief Petty Officer Sierra 117 covering your back.
John. Your John.
My beloved.
He hadn’t been the same since Cortana was removed from his head. You knew why. It was like losing a crucial part of himself, and no one still knew where she was. You both felt her loss so acutely.
You still sometimes turned to call out, “Little love?” In the darkness of your quarters, and waited for “Soles..” to echo back at you. The nickname she’d given you herself.
She’s not dead, but she might as well be.
You had initially suspected that Parangonsky had something to do with it. The woman was as conniving as Halsey, choosing to own the facade of the imperfect military leader with a world of decisions on her shoulders to bear. Her own cross. Just like Halsey.
No one bothered asking though, so neither did you. You and Kai continued to work as The Master Chief's shadows as the months passed. Mission after mission became civilian evacuation after evacuation. ONI was not letting you into combat.
May have something to do with the fact that the entirety of Silver has taken out their inhibitor pellets.
You repositioned yourself between Kai and Vannak as the three of you peered out over the cliff face you were occupying on Sanctuary. "Babysitting duty," Vannak muttered. "Aren't we better than this?"
You snorted and flexed your finger against the trigger of your assault rifle. "We're here to keep an eye on Chief. And this complaint is coming from the guy who indulges in documentaries for fun," You mutter, to which Kai also breaks out into laughter. "And feeds his pigeons."
"I'll have you know-"
Kai nudged your shoulder as John and Riz approached the group of civilians where Captain Shepherd was currently trying to coax their leader, a native priestess, into evacuating. "Shut up and pay attention you two," She teased. "Looks like Captain Shepherd is trying to work on his negotiation skills."
The UNSC had sent the five of you to Sanctuary to evacuate before the Covenant arrived to glass it. That had been happening to a lot of colonies recently.
More often than not, you found yourself huddled next to John in his cot on the nights that the dead just would not stop screaming. It was easier to deal with when you were The Lone Headhunter. When you had your pellet.
When you were more machine.
"This would be so much easier if Cortana was around." You whisper to yourself, thankful that neither of them pay attention to your statement. The AI had become a welcome friend and presence in your life since you'd found yourself becoming closer to The Master Chief. Since you'd found yourself loving him. Loving John.
John hadn't been John in... six months. And you missed him.
They never did say loving from afar was easy.
By the time you were properly paying attention again, John was communicating his position through TEAMCOM as he took off toward the upward cliff face that would lead to where Bravo Team was at. A nagging feeling gnawed at your stomach as you stood to your feet.
"Where is he going?"
"To retrieve Bravo," Vannak replied as he pressed his hand against the side of his helmet. "Comm signal is static. Can't get a clear answer. Seems like there's some type of interference from the relay."
You were already on your way towards John’s location being displayed in your HUD. There was no way you were going to let him do something like that on his own. Especially with his emotions being at such a heightened state since Cortana’s removal, you didn’t quite trust him to make a logical decision right now.
You stopped at the base of the cliff. The fog above loomed above menacingly, like a bad omen waiting to make itself known. You still couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in your stomach.
“Silver One, this is Silver Five. Come in.”
Static.
Cursing under your breath, you steadied your feet and activated the grapple shot recently installed to your Mjolnir. The tech’s had done it per The Chief’s request. Something about needing his most lethal and stealthy team member to be able to utilize that skill to the best of their ability.
Quick, quiet.
The grapple shot up into the fog and took you along with it.
***
How long has it been?
You ask yourself this question every night you sneak into his bunk while Silver sleeps on either side of you. John sleeps at the far end, prone with his arms at his sides, hazel eyes cast toward the ceiling. This is your curse. You cannot sleep without hearing the screams of those you know who have died.
Those you failed to save.
How long has it been since I've seen John? The real John?
You wordlessly settle at his side when his arm comes up to allow you to tuck yourself into him. Despite being only a few inches apart in height, you automatically feel safer with your cheek pressed against his chest and the bulk of his muscle sheltering you from any outside threat.
It's the whisper of your name that catches you off guard. "Soles.." John's voice cracks in the darkness as you lift your head high enough to meet the gaze that stares back at you. Despite how much he's changed since losing Cortana, you can still see remnants of the very broken man he has been trying so hard to hide. "When does it end?"
"When does what end, John?"
"The war."
You know very well he isn't talking about the Human-Covenant War. He's talking about the internal war that Spartans face when they're able to feel too much. The conflict of being made to be more machine then man. More soldier. Being forced to execute orders despite knowing they're morally wrong.
"I don't know.. but I don't think it ever will."
How long has it been, since the two of you had been able to just enjoy each other? To be at peace?
***
Too long.
You were barely able to get your footing before a hand was wrenching you into the dark. Your visor tipped upward to meet the glowing gold of The Master Chief's before you, just barely concealing the lone marine who stood petrified behind him.
"You shouldn't have come, Silver Five."
You shrug noncommittally. "I don't care, Chief. Sitrep." You remarked sharply as the two of you moved to pull the girl between you. It was the only way she'd be protected without any kind of armor to shield her from the threat in the fog.
"Something's in the fog. The Covenant were here before we were-"
It's only then that you see the Elites lingering in the shadows. Decades of instincts and training immediately kick into gear as you remove your weapon from your belt - a newly obtained energy sword, courtesy of the last high ranking Elite who'd tried to rush you - and activated the blade before charging at your nearest opponent.
Blood spattered against your armor while John continued to cover you from behind. They yell at you. Mock you. Call you Demon. You know enough to understand that singular word in their mother tongue.
You cut them down anyway. You are Sierra-343. You are built for this.
But ONI is determined to keep you from it.
***
The glassing beam is terrifying. You haven't quite been afraid for your life in a long, long time... but the stinging heat that comes from it sears the back of your armor as you sprint across the field to the Condors.
The Priestess was not about to let The Master Chief leave the planet without prophesying over him.
"Find your faith, Spartan. I have seen your death." Her eyes slowly shift to your fingers wrapped around The Master Chief's wrist, desperately urging him forward to the Condors where Kai and Vannak were waiting for you. "You are not long for this world. It comes soon. "
How long?
You're running against the clock as the three of you sprint into the Condor just in time for it to take off. Breathless, you cast aside your helmet to stare at the amber hue of fire as Sanctuary is overcome by the glassing beam from the Covenant Carrier.
***
Ackerson spent the first several days of his time in ONI working on you. As his Lone Headhunter, he saw you as an asset to utilize with a skill that far outweighed Silver Team combined.
"Do you think that at his core.. The Master Chief is broken?"
Unarmored and dressed in your civilian clothing, you stared out at the open expanse of Reach City right beyond the window.
“I think that The Chief is a human being who had undergone a significant amount of trauma in a very short amount of time. I think ONI overlooks that because the only use he has to them is to be the hero you need on the front lines of a war we’re not going to win,” You replied coldly, turning around to face Colonel Ackerson with your hands neatly folded behind you. “Do you have any other questions that pertain to my role in Silver Team or my history as a Headhunter, sir?”
“I am not your enemy here. You know that. You’ve undergone some of the most extensive types of torture under covenant hands from your time on The Exalted.” You froze at the remark, disdain and anger flashing across your gaze as you met his eyes. “You are remarkable. Resilient. I want that for the future of what we have here. I do not wish for such contempt to come between us.”
“Then I would prefer you keep my past and my trauma out of conversation.” You motion towards the door to ONI’s main office. “Am I free to go?”
Ackerson flashed a tight-lipped smile. He knew you would be the most difficult to crack on Silver Team. Kai had said as much. Given your involvement with the Spartan Two program and how quickly you'd taken to working with a team, he'd anticipated you would be loyal to them.
He hadn't anticipated the extent of how loyal you'd be to The Master Chief though. There must've been something there. Something else the others didn't know about.
"Yes, you are. Thank you for speaking with me."
You bit the inside of your cheek so hard that you tasted blood as you and John locked eyes passing one another in the main doorway of the ONI office.
He'll have questions for you later.
***
Kai caught John's gaze wandering to you as you and Riz continued working on your hand-to-hand on the gym floor. There was just something so graceful about the way you moved, and the way you looked...
"Hey, Chief," Kai's voice broke through his reverie as John turned away from you to gaze at the monitors near the lockers. "Come take a look at this."
You narrowly avoided an uppercut to the jaw as you attempted to tune into Keyes speech where he was awarding Talia Perez a Colonial Cross. You knew the truth though. A truth that Ackerson was not hearing, and a truth that John had attempted to get Ackerson to reveal during their meeting.
He didn't breathe a word. And unfortunately, when he'd intercepted you an hour later, neither did you.
How long since you stopped trusting me, Soles?
"Turn it off." Vannak demanded. "I've heard enough from this guyat debrief."
"What questions did he ask you?"
The main point of conversation between you both again rang in your ears as Riz moved to sweep your legs out from beneath you. Do you think that The Master Chief is, at his core, broken?
Dread bubbled in your stomach. Did he know?
Did Ackerson know about you two?
You didn't have enough time to react as Riz swept your legs out from underneath you just as Cobalt Team walked into the room. You didn't bother learning any of their names. You just knew you hated the blonde one the most.
Riz extended a hand to you just as she approached you both. "You see, this is why you don't go taking your pellet out. Makes you emotional." Cold blue eyes regarded you as you both stepped into her space. "Makes you weak."
Your eyes narrowed. "You know, for someone who's barely encountered The Covenant.. Tell me. Who endured torture at the hands of high-ranking Elites aboard a Covenant Cruiser for months before I got myself out?"
"And who's to say you're not a whining Covenant sympathizer now?"
Rage flashed behind your eyes as you lunged and very nearly caught Val, had it not been for John winding his arms through yours to keep you from making a rash decision.
You weren't paying attention to anything else that was said until Cobalt was gone. John bent to whisper in your ear, "Stop trying to get yourself killed, Soles."
You wrenched yourself from his grasp and jabbed your finger into his chest angrily. You weren't mad at him, persay. You were mad at the place that loving him had put you in. That loving him was now a way to be exploited. And you swore you wouldn't be in that position again when Halsey was gone. When you became part of Silver.
"Then stop trying to protect me, Master Chief."
But they had spent years telling you a very simple truth: You were a machine created to serve a singular purpose. Machines were not conditioned to feel.
And they certainly did not love.
***
You didn't come to John's bed that night. You didn't come for quite a while after that, and he then determined that you were the one thing he feared you to be.
A liar.
And he didn't understand why you were hiding it. Why were you hiding what happened on Sanctuary, and why were you avoiding Ackerson? What had he asked you?
Why were you running?
***
He wasn't expecting this. The whole point of coming to this place was to find some semblance of her, something that offered comfort in the way Cortana would have if she were here.
She wasn't dead, but she may as well be.
He swiped his credit chit and sat down with his hands in his lap. "I don't really know what people say to each other. And the one person I want to talk to right now is..." John swallowed the knot in his throat. "Isn't themselves. And I'm-"
"Lost?"
"Yeah. I think there might be something wrong with me. That's why they ran. They figured out there's a part of me that's missing. Sometimes there's a sound like something in my head is there that doesn't belong. And maybe it's part of you that got embedded in me."
"Oh, sweetie... You miss them, don't you?"
John grimaced. He did. He did miss you and Cortana. He'd give anything to go back to that medical table where he'd kissed you the first time.
He was so deeply engrossed in his memory of Sanctuary, of seeing Makee, of hearing her voice, that he didn't even notice you come in. You stood in the doorway with your hood concealing your face and slowly lowered it as John stared up at you in shock.
There wasn't just shock there though. There was... desperation.
How long since you willingly let someone in?
"Soles?"
"John. We need to talk."
part two?
41 notes · View notes
Text
@rainintheevening @threshergm @ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask @thearbiterthel @stitchlingbelle You asked.
(This is rough and subject to change without notice)
“Don’t talk.”
Tom looked quizzically at the Master Chief’s visor.
“Don’t talk to each other about what you saw,” the Chief elaborated tersely, still aiming his rifle out the Pelican’s open bay. “You’ll need to get debriefed once we get to the ship.”
“What ship?” April asked.
“Yeah, where are we going?” Sully added.
“UNSC Mercy Seat. Medical frigate,” the Chief answered.
Tom glanced at Chyler. She was silent and unmoving against his shoulder. She hadn’t said a word since boarding the Pelican.
She’s not OK.
“Chyler.” Tom nudged her. “Look.”
Chyler blinked slowly. “At what?”
“The sunrise. Just look at it.”
Chyler stared out the open hatch. “Why?”
“Because someone should.” Tom took in the golden glow over the snowcapped mountains. “Someone should remember it. And we’re the only ones left who can.”
There is of course more to this story. I’ll see how long I want to make it.
28 notes · View notes
carterstarlight25 · 11 days
Text
Little Comic strip I made for my DP X DC X Halo Crossover fic on AO3 and Wattpad. The ships are Jason x Danny and Bruce x John-117 I’ll link the Fic after posted. It’s my first attempt at a comic type drawing. Sorry if it’s not that good.
Tumblr media
26 notes · View notes
helix-studios117 · 2 months
Text
Master Chief
Tumblr media
It's rough, but it has been a while.
44 notes · View notes
royallyprincesslilly · 10 months
Text
Title: HALO: A MasterChief Collection: Deception {12}
Tumblr media
Master Chief Pablo x Sergeant Reader
Warning: Mild cursing, Plot, Angst, Violence, Slightly unhinged John, Creative Liberties Taken, Non-Canon Material,
Words: 2.8k
Summary: You are part of the mighty SPARTANS as a sergeant and a pretty badass addition to the team at that. Everything is different. You’re different. Master Chief is different and Halsey has taken notice. Under the guise of John needing “assistance” the rules of engagement have changed. Cortana is a part of him now. What does that mean for you and him? Is this the end?
Note I: AND WE ARE BACK!!!!
Note: II Guess who needs more fics? Master Chief!!! I’ve decided to make a Master Chief collection of standalone one-shots. They all can be read separately to understand, but can also be read in sequence. I will put a number on them so anyone who is interested in reading in sequence can, but again not necessary. This might be an acquired taste, but it’s Pablo as Master Chief forever and always around these parts.  Thank you for reading! Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!!
***NOT Edited/Proofread AT ALL***
~~~~~~~~~
Previous: On Your Six*** | Feel Something | A Night Off | Apex Predators | Truth Be Told | Confess | Unto Dawn*** | Learn Me, Learn You*** | Conceal | Let Me Help**  | Cortana**
-John-
“Who are you loyal to, Cortana?”
It was something he’d asked out of the blue. Something he’d been pondering for a full 2 weeks now. It had been two weeks from hell. Before with the pellet, he didn’t know what he was missing. He didn’t know any better than to know that cold, aloofness with one thought in mind of a better Reach and better future for the human race was no way to live. He didn’t realize he was missing out on so much more, like joy, peace, fear, pleasure, and awe. He didn’t know how beautiful the sunset was before, or how warm the sunrises were. He didn’t understand that fear wasn’t a complete weakness but that it could make you stronger. He didn’t comprehend that having something to lose made him better. He also didn’t know that the touch of a kind hand, the graze of soft lips, and the heat of one body could be so addictive.
Yeah, the two weeks since he’d made the call to stay away from you had been a living hell. He'd lived through many hells before, but this was different. He struggled in ways he’d never before. Now everything wasn’t monotonous. He had to put real thought into every move, every word, every call because every single instinct he had was now rewired for one purpose. You. And that was a major problem. If anyone found out he was different, they’d find out about you and Gods only knew what would happen next.
He'd learned quite a bit more about Halsey and her motives for implanting Cortana in his head. He’d also uncovered more and more memories from his time as a child before he’d come to Reach. He’d thought she was his savior--his friend, but now he saw she may very well be the enemy. When he came face to face with that, the fear that had become a new sensation for him gripped him forcefully. He could handle Halsey himself and for himself, but you were his priority. He didn’t want any harm coming to you and vowed he’d protect you at all costs. Hell, he'd start a war if it meant keeping you safe and with him.
“I don’t understand the question, John. Please clarify.”
“It’s a simple inquiry, Cortana. Who—are—you—loyal—to?”
“Well--,” Cortana began before he cut her off.
“Is it Halsey, the UNSC, or me?”
Cortana didn’t answer immediately, and he wondered what her response would be. Over the last two weeks he’d been spending away from you, he’d been trying to learn more about the AI that was now a part of him. He learned she was always there, always listening, watching, and learning. She’d learned his habits, preferences, and speech patterns in days and had implemented her own ways to connect with him. She’d integrated her AI knowledge with his own synapses to make nominal tasks easier, faster, and better. Halsey had said she was meant to make him better and while he knew that was only half the reason for her creation, she hadn’t lied there.
“I was not aware there was a separation between those three options. Is Halsey not part of the UNSC? Did she not make you using UNSC tech and money? Does that not make you part of the UNSC as well? I am afraid I do not understand your question.”
“You’re being obtuse on purpose.”
That was when she appeared. She stood before him with a neutral expression on her face.
“I know the reason you were implanted inside my head. I know you are a means to an end for Halsey and that end is power and control and I know because you’re far more intelligent than normal humans that you understand that.”
He saw that she did. Halsey had implemented this being with free thought and evolutionary processes.
“I know you’ve been watching everything I do and reporting back to her.”
“John--,” Cortana began.
Again he cut her off. “Don’t insult my intelligence with a lie. It was after all what you were implanted to do.”
“I was joined with you to make you better.”
“And you are making me better but that doesn’t negate your primary objective.”
A long silence stretched as she computed the multiple ways this conversation could go. He knew she thought she was so careful that he hadn’t known when she was lagging with her responses that she was playing informer. He wondered just what she was feeding back to Halsey especially since he’d been so careful. He’d tapped into every innate programming from the pellet he’d lived with since he was a child, given himself over to the robotic existence he’d once lived, he’d even gone as far as to be harder and colder with you than anyone else.
Every instinct in him had to be suppressed in order to put on the show for Cortana so she would report to Halsey that everything was status quo.
“You knew,” Cortana dejectedly stated.
“Of course I knew.”
“And you let me report everything you wanted me to. You let me see what you wanted.”
“And they say AI is the future. If I could deceive you what makes you think Halsey is not as well?”
Cortana looked away and that was his clue that she had her own doubts about Halsey’s true motives and her real objectives with not only him but putting her inside of his head.
“So I ask again. Who are you loyal to?”
“I was created by Dr. Halsey.”
“And she created you with the capacity to know right from wrong. Have you any doubts of her own judgement between right and wrong especially with everything you’ve helped me unlock?”
Cortana’s eyes shifted from his and he saw her wavering.
“Tell you what. I have a way to test her, so the truth comes out.”
“John I cannot go against my creator.”
“Even if that creator has lied and does not have the fate of the human race in mind? She stole me from my family, brought me here and lied about it my entire life.”
“There has to be an explanation,” Cortana objected. “If she were against you once I told her that your pellet was gone she would have altered course and found a way to keep you compliant. She did not.”
Jackpot, he thought. He knew she’d told her that much. He scoffed because although she knew his pellet was gone she hadn’t done anything to him for one reason and one reason alone.
“Because I am the key to the keystones. I am the only path to what could be the greatest weapon in this fight between the races. I am the key to her getting everything she wants—more power and control. If those keystones fall into her hands you know things will be bad.”
Cortana stared at him as she connected the dots.
“Why would she do anything to me when she still needs me?”
Long moments passed in silence until a few minutes had went by.
“What would you have me do?”
“Play along, simple as that.”
Cortana nodded slowly and a plan formulated in his head. He’d learn firsthand just where her loyalties lay soon enough. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he found they were against him.
~~~~~~~
As he walked into the mess hall he was half dreading it and half looking forward to it. He knew you would be sitting at the usual table between Kai and Miranda with Vannak and Riz on the other side of the table. Normally before the removal of the pellet, he’d sit on the other side of you while Kai was on one. Now that Miranda had taken a liking to interacting with you and Kai his place had been taken. Since his distancing himself from you, he’d skipped meals in the mess. They were too complex. If he wasn’t busy the new rewired instincts took over and he found it easier to give himself away. Tonight he could not resist the need to be near you.
Once he’d gotten his tray he made his way toward the table. It was Miranda who’d seen him first, then Kai and Vannak and Riz.
“Master chief,” Vannak said standing.
“At ease.”
You’d been smiling before his arrival but now the smile had somewhat faded and his heart sunk.
“Your heartrate just elevated Master chief, is everything all right?”
He ignored Cortana’s voice in his head then took a seat across from you. Your eyes dropped back to your tray where you took up your fork and pushed the food around the surface.
“Either you’d been living it up as Halsey’s lapdog or the great Master chief doesn’t need food anymore,” Kai teased.
Unlike him or even you for that matter Kai hadn’t seen a reason to pretend as if she didn’t feel the best she’d ever felt. She didn’t care if her personality seemed drastically different, didn’t care if it looked suspicious for her to be accepting wagers and bets with the other soldiers, or even that her hair had been dyed slightly pink. He envied her. He wished he could be as carefree about it as she had been. With that thought, his eyes slipped back to you.
You were steadily avoiding him. He wondered if this was as hard for you as it was for him. Did you toss and turn at night unable to find a comfortable position because he wasn’t beside you? Did you stare out to space at any given moment thinking about the times you spent together? Did you miss him the way he missed you? Did you crave his presence as he did yours? Did you wander around only to find yourself in front of his door but unable to knock?
“The keystones have been taking up a lot of my time,” he lied.
“Any new revelations there?”
He met Miranda’s curious eyes and shook his head. “Nothing.”
“I’m sure the Covenant is not just sitting around waiting. Why are we?”
Vannak sounded annoyed and he understood. This coming war over these keystones was dangerous and sitting idly by was not a good call.
“I feel like something big is coming,” Miranda began, “Something we may not be prepared for and it makes me wonder who will save us all?”
It was then you raised your head and looked at Miranda.
“Say that again.”
“Uh—who—who will save us all?”
You looked as if you’d seen a Covenant soldier across the mess then your face went blank as if you’d disappeared in a haze of thought.
“Y/N?”
You shook your head then went back to your food. “Who will save us all,” you mumbled under your breath.
He wanted to reach out and touch you, wanted to establish this connection between you that he felt had been severely damaged, but he couldn’t. The anger from that shot through him like an electric shock and he bolted up then stomped out of the mess. He could feel the eyes of those around him trailing where he went. He hated this and was tired of it. The time was now. He had to know who was with him and was against him because he needed you and felt you needed him just as much.
As he stalked to the ship he knew Halsey was currently on, he tried to contain his anger so it wouldn’t interfere with his plan. This stunt could possibly get him court-martialed and decommissioned. He knew it was risky, but he also knew he was the UNSC. He slipped inside and saw Halsey inside flipping through notes and files completely oblivious to his arrival then reached the top of the door, pulled down the compartment, and yanked out the fuse cord which he knew supplied power, and oxygen to the room. He then stabbed a piece of metal tubing into the crack of the door, further preventing the override procedures that Halsey would try to initiate from taking effect.
That was when Cortana appeared.
“What’s going on John?”
“Thought you knew everything.”
She looked impassive so he went on to question her about her knowledge of Roman Quinn, the engineer of the ship he and Halsey were currently on. As she rattled off facts about the man who’d revolutionized the ships that were currently used throughout the UNSC, he went about adjusting parameters in the computers and walls. As Cortana gave a detailed lesson, Halsey called his name asking him time and time again what was happening.
He ignored them both.
“Why did you lock Dr. Halsey in her lab?”
Ignoring her again he dropped a piece of his reasoning. “Quinn knew that no matter how advanced, something could go bad and he built fail-safes into all his designs. All his designs except one. The UV Decontamination system.”
He sealed his fate and initiated the beginning of his game and test as he walked back to the door to where Halsey was panicking.
“John!”
He finished his lesson on Roman Quinn by telling where he failed and how simple it was to not fail. Cortana slowly understood then.
“You’re not going to--.”
He smirked, then went to watch the show. Halsey buzzed around the room, trying her best to initiate an override to all he’d done, but no matter which side of the room she went there was no override. He slowly watched her calm, reserved, genius façade fall. He watched the woman who’d been a mastermind of so many things throughout the years feel the inevitability of consequences. He watched her slowly come to the realization that he saw her—completely and now she was going to see him. He was not to be trifled with nor underestimated.
“Nope,” he said popping the “p” in the word. “I feel great!”
“You can’t do this you’re not thinking clearly. You’re overworked, tired--.”
“You don’t understand what will happen if the systems fail with her in there,” Cortana reasoned.
“Oh, but I do. She will receive a very large dose of radiation,” he said matter of factly as f it didn't matter to him one way or another.
He went closer to the door and explained Quinn’s untimely death and the very bloody aftermath.
“John! Open the door right now!”
He glared at Halsey but was unmoving even face to face with her distress. Halsey looked at Cortana.
“Open the door, Cortana.”
“I can’t,” the AI said.
He scoffed. “Make me.”
Cortana stared at him, and he could tell she was going through the possibilities and their repercussions.
“You’re my fail-safe right?”
“I am not. It’s not true. You have to open it.”
“John please,” Halsey begged as she banged on the door.
“She’s been lying my entire life. You know this. You’ve seen it. You’ve noted her lies and infalicies with her thinking. She put you inside my head to keep me in line because she knew once I found out the whole truth I would no longer be under her control, no longer be her obedient little soilder. She put you in here to control me. So do it!”
His shout echoed throughout the ship.
“I can’t. All I can do is overload your neural pathways and put you in a stasis that is temporary. I can’t make you do anything. I can’t control you, nor would I want to. I understand you are angry at Dr. Halsey and no longer trust her.”
“You understand nothing! Do it!”
“I can’t.”
The numbers on the door decreased rounding down to ten but still he didn’t budge.
“Do it!”
“She will die in seconds. John please!”
Halsey’s screams were louder now as her death drew nearer and nearer. Cortana’s features never wavered.
“I’m sorry for stealing you from your family. I’m sorry for lying to you. I’m sorry for trying to control you your entire life,” Halsey screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
He stared her down finally face to face with her lies. She’d finally admitted them. Finally laid those cards out.
“John please.”
The numbers fell to zero and the hiss of the vent in the room began. He had his answers and proof of loyalty. Freeing the door, he allowed it to open then yanked Halsey out in the nick of time before sealing the room again. Halsey lay there panting before she turned over and looked up at him with something he’d never seen from her. Fear.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He clenched his jaw as he stared down at her. This woman was not his friend nor his savior. He knew that now.
“The time for I’m sorries are long gone. They mean nothing to me now.”
With that he walked past her leaving her on the cold steel floor. No doubt Aldon would be along to pick up the pieces. For now, she knew where she stood with him. They were finally both seeing each other as they truly were.
“Who are you loyal to?”
She didn’t appear but she replied. “To you John. I am loyal to you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***If you want to be tagged/untagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
TagList:
@omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @caramara3 @violinchick @laurenstacy610 @pinheadbanger @morganas-pendragons @shar74nett @lialacleaf @laurenstacy610 @marvel-at-my-obsession @casually-dancing-fairy @beyourownkindofbeautiful @momobaby227 @chaneajoyyy @piscesgyalinit @amaraohara​ @117s-girl​ @xxdeankratosgirlxx​ @weirdodreamergirl​ @keytodespair @sugakookie9197 @emarich7 @fanartcollectorwriter@gardenwonders2 @swndmans @thehumanistsdiary @flowers801 @aconstructofamind
@nunya7394 @lovebittenbyevans
86 notes · View notes
alienisticxo · 1 year
Text
Before the Fever - Chapter Thirteen
{Master Chief x Reader series - TV based}
{A╱N} nobody knows how sorry i am that this took me longer than i expected it to. life outside of here has kept me so busy, and i hadn’t been writing as much as i wanted, but it’s finally done! (i edited it, but i may be editing more once i read this entire series back to inspire myself further lol) we finally get into the glorious gloriousness 🫠 thank you so much as always for hanging in! i have this whole series outlined to the end so even if it takes me a little while sometimes, i will never abandon this story, its near and dear to my heart and your comments and kudos always keep me going too! 🥹🖤
Warnings: s m u t. i didn't want to make it as raunchy as I could've, so it's just some passionate smut 🥲
Tumblr media
I hope you enjoy! ♡ 
Chapter Thirteen - Stardust
She kissed the corner of my mouth, down to my jawline, peppering me with little acts of love, compassion. It was like she was piecing me back together again, healing the scars on my body and in my mind with nothing more than her touch.
I knew the feeling would only last as long as this continued, and I knew it wasn’t the appropriate thing to do. Not amidst the war we were fighting, not amidst the way we were on the run, but there was nothing at this point that was going to stop either of us, it seemed.
There was nothing that could’ve kept me from acting on my love for {Y/N}.
Love.
That was a hell of a word, meaningless to me, at one point. But suddenly I understood it. I felt it. I knew it. I held it, and I was capable of returning it. It still baffled me, how strongly and suddenly it came. But there was no other explanation for the way I felt for her.
Believe me, I tried to find one.
She loved me. And I could feel it in the way she touched me, in the way she responded to my touch; her soft sighs, her quiet moans. Even more, it wasn’t only in this manner. I felt it in the way she held my hand in the Condor— kept it from trembling. In the way the smile touched her eyes when I told Laera she was coming with me. I hadn’t realized I felt it when I watched her staring up at the blue sky on Halo, the sun beams catching her just right; when she opened up to me that first night on Reach, at her lowest moment under Halsey’s control.
But I know now, and so does she.
This was a new field of experience for me— the entirety of it. But something within me had been awakened, ignited. I let the same long-buried instinct from our initial kiss lead the way, responding to her effortlessly as she gave into me just as easily.
Pulling her into my arms again, I kicked off my boots and lifted her off of the set of drawers, carrying her to the hallway. There was a guest room, I remembered that being offered from my first visit. I could’ve taken her right there, my avidity pushing to take over. But I felt she deserved better— she deserved something kinder.
She deserved everything good I could give her.
Her soft lips found mine again, and I occasionally peeled a hand off of her to graze the wall until I found the correct doorknob; not wanting to break the connection we shared. When I finally did, I swung the door open and closed it shut behind us, picking up the pace to the large bed in the middle of the room.
I hardly had time to register the view of deep space through the window wall just beside us, intensifying the heat of the moment. I’d have to compliment Soren’s home when I saw him again.
{Y/N}’s dainty hands traveled along my skin in a way that was still so foreign to me, but welcome beyond belief. Never having been touched so illicitly, so fully, lent to an entirely different range of sensation in various areas of my body. I was used to Medical’s sterile and concise touch when I was forced into frivolous repairs after battle. They were needed, I was told. ‘Stay still, sit down, don’t move.’ There was no love there. No care. Not like her, not like now.
She touched me like I would break— a laughable thought in any other situation. But she allowed me the space, the breathing room. She took care in every movement, and in doing so, allowed me to feel.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was to come. I was too wrapped up in all that she was as I laid her down beneath me, carefully climbing over her. It was easy to notice how tiny she looked in comparison as we shifted to the middle of the bed, my hands on either side of her frame.
She looked up at me through a half-lidded gaze, a strap to her dress falling off of her shoulder and offering an intriguing view that I’d never expected to see. I drank {Y/N} in, possibly for the first time in such a lurid way. She was even more beautiful in a natural state like this. In the vulnerable moment that we shared— that for once, I didn’t mind sharing.
Her eyes gleamed in the starlight, and I was suddenly more lucid than I’d ever been. Her skin was smooth, holding the smallest of details. I noticed a tiny silver necklace that I hadn’t seen beneath her clothing before. It reminded me of the dog tags I only took off to shower.
But the girl surprised me when she reached down, hooking her fingers around the underwear she wore beneath her slinky gown. So easily she tugged them down and off of her legs, her eyes never leaving their fixation. Her expression had changed. There was a daring look in her eye, but it was smoldered with a desperation I’m sure my own reflected back to her. Her hand dangled off the edge of the mattress, dropping the fabric before I felt her soft fingers return to my skin.  
The urges, need, surging through me were wildly unknown and unfamiliar. They were stronger than anything I’d ever felt before, and while I was usually the king of composure, keeping a handle on it felt impossible. I wasn’t naive to the ways of these acts, I’d simply never felt the desire for them.
Until now.
God, did I need her now.
Just her. Only her.
Always.
———
John looked like a god in the flesh above me, his powerful build just outlined enough in the low light of the vivid stars that hung in the atmosphere just beyond the window. He stared down at me through intensely curious eyes, raking over what he could see of my body. I silently hoped he enjoyed it.
The way he reacted let me know that he did.
He was only half dressed, the top gone but the bottom very much in place. Despite the passion of the moment building all at once, our hands and lips finding one another again, clamoring for any amount of skin we could find, it was still quite easy to feel how aroused he’d become. That alone sent me even higher than I already felt, the faint throbbing between my own thighs becoming more and more apparent; hard to ignore or control.
But I was sure I didn’t want to control it anymore.
Together, it was enough to have me decide I’d help him, taking the underwear I wore off and tossing it aside. To egg him on, let him know without words that he was exactly what I wanted, what I needed— more than anything and anyone in this entire universe. To show him that it was okay to keep going, to take it as far as we possibly could.  
And maybe it was bold to assume that’s what was going to be needed; that that’s what was going to come next. But there was no other act of passion we could partake in that would’ve expressed our love for each other any better than that. Without words, we spoke the same language. We felt one another’s burning desire along with our own.
After a few seconds of intense hesitation, John leaned down again, placing kiss after kiss on the flesh of my throat, eliciting heavy exhales from my lungs. I wanted to breathe him, to have him become a part of me, and me a part of him— entirely.
It wasn’t much longer before I felt his hand on my thigh, brushing it higher and higher until he was pulling the dress from me. My body seemed to arch all on its own to offer him an easier way to remove it, and he tossed the silky fabric aside.
I’d never felt more beautifully exposed to anyone than I had to him at that moment. His hands continued to roam, large digits exploring every curve and divet of my form— caressing; taking the time to relish in me as though he’d never have me again.
His hands were excitingly rough, but held the same delicate touch that they had before as one slid up my waist and over my breasts. He squeezed one, and then the other, a gentle fervency in his hold as his lips explored beneath my ear, traveling to the peak of my clavicle.
He trailed lower and lower until he found my nipples, his mouth wrapping around them as he took his time with both, tongue swirling and lapping lightly until he’d been satisfied with the reaction it pulled from me; a soft gasp in the quietness of the night, my fingers digging into his toned back as it contracted under my hands, and my shoulder blades pressed against the bed.
My core grew warmer by the second, and I squirmed just slightly beneath him, unable to get any kind of grip on my need for him. I was a willing victim to the way he worked at me, his lips moving to my rib cage and back up again to meet mine feverishly, as though he’d been teasing himself just as much.
There was no telling how experienced or not he’d been, the thought only briefly crossing my mind as he seemed to bring every ounce of ecstasy out of me with such ease. He almost seemed to know my body better than I did as his fingers found all the right places, his lips kissed all the right spots, assuring us both that I was warmed up beyond the point of simply being ready for what I so desired.  
I hoped he knew that he could have me forever and even longer after as my own hands began to glide down his sides, fingers rising and falling between the ridges of his own torso; the muscles that rippled and flexed beneath my touch growing warmer with each pass.
Finding the bottom half of his under armor, I tugged down on it intently. But getting him undressed seemed like an impossible feat for someone as fragile as myself in comparison.
It was no wonder these Spartans were so well protected.
But John took notice of this right away, his hand reaching down, brushing against mine to help me get him out of the final article that kept any barrier between us.
It was then that I pulled him down against me as much as I could with the height difference, the metal of the tags he wore around his neck now burning my skin in the most delightful way. I inhaled, his natural scent mixed with the soap he used filling my lungs. Concentrating on every sense I could, it was easy to get lost within him.
My lips pressed against the inside of his neck, the stubble of his jaw grazing my cheek as I kissed back along to his mouth. I could feel every single sensation infinitely, every single nerve ending inflamed with a sweet emblazonment I knew only he could offer me for the rest of my time in the universe.
The moment was so intense, so close to the final act of ultimate devotion.
Our problems, our achievements, our standings and otherwise, all fell away once more— even further into the abyss than they had when we’d danced. It was him and I all over again. Every thought was focused on John. Every feeling enveloped in him entirely.
And I didn’t want to close my eyes; to miss any of the reactions he could possibly have to me. But when he held me captive in the euphoria that was his kiss, there was no stopping the way my eyes fell shut.
And so my other senses kicked in, raising goosebumps along my silky skin as his warm tongue made passage into my mouth, grazing against mine in a heated contest of taste.
The heat that radiated in my center only spread; every small movement, every quiet groan between us, building me up further. My fingers drifted down John’s back gently before moving to take his hand. Once our fingers were intertwined, he pinned my palm back down against the comforter, squeezing it in a needy, but gentle way. I returned the energy, knowing exactly how he felt in the depths of my soul.
I lifted my hips to meet his, a soft buck of his own telling me he was just as ready. The friction was more than I could bear as I moaned against his mouth. His large frame shifted over me, repositioning himself as I opened my eyes again. I had to get another look at him. I had to commit him to memory in this moment, just as I hoped he would do with me as his eyes drifted back to mine.
No one had ever made me feel so combustible. No one had ever made me feel so delicate. John’s touch was like electricity, even the slightest brush sending me over the moon a million times as though it was a direct connection to my dopamine supply.
And then, after all of the anticipation, after the moment had been finessed to the point of no return…
I finally felt him…
as close to me as humanly possible, as bonded to each other as we might ever be in any way.
It was as though the entire universe had fallen apart just to accommodate us; the feeling of my life flashing before my eyes, but in the sweetest, most exhilarating way possible. I was inexplicably lost and found in the same second, a blissful reality I never wanted to leave.
My head spun as I felt John sink into me, evoking an immediate  exhale from the very depths of my lungs, followed by a moan I tried my best to suppress in the silence. The largeness of his length shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the feeling was delectably satisfying, impressive, as he pushed into my slick walls.
It was the groan that escaped him that rang in my ears like music— the most beautiful music I’d ever experienced. Never had I heard someone sound so laced with desire and yet, somehow, relief. As though this was the only thing that he’d ever really needed in his entire life, and now it was all his.
He pulled his hips back slowly, his jaw was tight as he hovered over me. His searching gaze never left my face, treating me as though I were the most important mission in the galaxy, something to be sure of; something he had to assure himself of; to know I was okay and taken care of above all else.
My mouth was slightly agape as I held his stare the best I could, my arms reaching to lock around the back of his neck. Pulling him down as close to me as possible, I never wanted to lose him. I would simply lose myself if I came close.
The thought would’ve scared me senseless in any other moment. But I was too far gone to think about how easy losing each other actually could be.
John sunk himself into me once more, deeper this time, with a bit more fervency. My body reacted before my mind could catch up, my back arching, chest lifting upwards. Another soft moan fell from my lips. If I could’ve been any closer to him, I would’ve been.
I needed John like I needed air.
“Oh, John…” I murmured against his open mouth as he leaned in to kiss me, my leg moving to hook around his.
He leaned up just a bit more to gain better purchase, beginning to thrust then. He was slow and calculated, his hand on my thigh to pull me closer as I held my leg around him. I bit into my own lower lip, tugging on it in another attempt at keeping quiet as he carried on. His stare burned right through me, intense and full of a love I’d never seen in anyone’s eyes before— no less staring back into mine.
My breathing seemed to escape me, his own chest beginning to heave. And every time he buried himself between my thighs, my heart felt as though it might stop. Needy fingertips found any flesh they could then, gripping onto him, nails running along his body as I became plagued with the urge to touch, to be touched; to encourage every movement he so beautifully made into me and against me.
The pleasure was so immense, the connection between us so extraordinary, that as we found ourselves irrevocably entangled within one another, my eyes seemed to grow wet on their own. There was no situation I’d ever been in before in my life that felt as striking and deep.. as perfect as this. I was awash with an emotion that, for once, even I wasn’t sure how to navigate.
John’s voice was a gentle growl in my ear as he leaned closer again, his pleasure deriving from me, all me, only me, as he bit into my neck. It was gentle, yet full of haste, my only response being a moan and a show of just what my nails could do to his solid back before wrapping around his broad shoulders.
Though the moment was full of sensuality, vulnerability and broken down walls, I’d never felt more safe.
My hips began to meet his, the blissful friction within my walls radiating wave after wave in all the right places. I was already hot to the touch with him, easily aroused and even easier to get to the finish line. No matter how badly I wanted the moment to last, it was impossible to keep the pleasure at bay. The way he picked up his movements just fractionally so, I got the sense that he was in the same situation.
The minutes felt like hours in the most sublime way as they passed by; as I fought to keep time stretched forever. But when John shifted, his taut member caressing already sensitive spots within me, I felt my control leave. My chest rose and fell, hands exploring his now hot flesh. His hand reached behind my head, and his fingers tangling in my hair with an instinctual ease that didn’t surprise me as he pulled at my roots lightly.
While I reacted to his pleasure, he reacted right back, acting accordingly to my every dead give away. My release was right around the corner, and as I felt the way he thrusted into me just a little harder; just a little quicker, I knew we were on the same track to beautiful oblivion.
His soft grunts mixed with my quiet moans, both of us becoming just a little louder, no matter how badly I wanted to cry out for him. My walls tightened around his throbbing shaft, my swollen bud spiking each time his hips rubbed against mine. The stars seemed to cast their shine a bit brighter over us as he held my gaze, his light eyes burning through me. There was a romance to the moment that I immediately knew I’d never have again.
Not with anyone else, anyway.
The inside of my thighs were coated with my arousal for him, his ease of gliding in and out sending me straight to the heavens. I finally cursed, gasping as I reached out for him again, taking what was mine and claiming it. There was nothing I ever wanted more than to feel every last inch of him, than to have his strong build smother me in the affection he so willingly offered with no sight of being released from it. And when I felt his body tense, his thrusts grow sloppier, more animalistic, carnal, I lost all control I had left just as he did.
When my name fell from his lips like a prayer, I’d never felt more idolized. I only hoped he felt the same as I returned the sentiment, his name leaving a sweet taste in my mouth each time I murmured it back to him.
My mind drew a blank as the knot in my stomach finally pulled free. There was nothing driving me any further other than John and the way he so spectacularly sent wave after wave of ecstasy coursing from my core outward, the sensation washing over every limb as goosebumps rose on my flesh and my breath left my lungs.
My walls drew him in with a euphoric ease, craving him all on my own, the wetness I’d already felt between us only growing as he continued to push through his climax. I rolled my hips beneath him, suddenly shifting into wanting nothing other than to satisfy him just as much as I was being satisfied, to heighten every sizzling nerve ending that connected within him.
His voice was a velvety rasp, his brow furrowing. His breath was hot against my skin as he leaned back down, his lips brushing against my own, suffocating me beautifully with the love we held so deeply and vulnerably for each other. His mouth moved downward, kissing and nipping at my jaw, my neck, as my frame moved with his.
I cursed happily, my voice a saccharine moan. Unable to catch my breath, my body trembled slightly beneath him as I felt another point of pressure building once more. I wondered just briefly if he could handle it to continue, but without much more time to think, I slid back into another peak, my back arching at the pleasurably painful overstimulation. Even if we’d truly been alone, the entire universe might’ve heard the way I wanted to scream, anyway.
My voice was louder this time, though probably still quite quiet in the grand scheme. His eyes met mine again, and I could see the satisfaction written all over his features as he absorbed every ounce of emotion and ecstasy I showed him— that he caused me.
While I wanted to grip onto the comforter, I couldn’t bear the idea of my hands leaving him. I couldn’t tolerate even thinking about being disconnected from his person. And as I rode out my second climax, my walls gripped his length relentlessly, no doubt over stimulating him right back. But he carried on, the look in his eye needing to satisfy me, needing to allow me any pleasure he could, deriving his own pleasure from it.
If I could collect a thought or two, I’d blame the stamina on being a Spartan.
The feeling was blissful as it sizzled into a slow burn, its radiant spread through my veins and under my skin retracting back to my entrance once more like molasses. I was still thoughtless, and John was still very much focused on the task at hand as he slowed to a stop. We were both breathless, entangled within one another as though parting might destroy us and all that we were.
He pulled himself from between my thighs carefully, almost reluctantly so. While the eye contact was still intense, there was something softer about it. Something warm, and sweet. It was as though we were both being dipped back into the world we were in, unhurriedly, deliciously, together. Something had changed, wonderfully so. Where I’d certainly felt like we were two halves of a whole, I now felt like there were no longer any halves at all.
We had simply meshed into one.
Thoughts began to ease their way back into my mind, though hazily so. And I could see the coherence return to him as he caught his breath— much easier than I. It was when a hint of a smirk touched his lips, that I felt myself smile in return.
I allowed my hands to drift from his jaw, down his biceps, dancing lazily over his muscles, absently in awe of what had just happened. I never wanted to move from the spot we were in. I wanted to relive it over and over until we were both spent— and then I wanted to relive it again.
After another beat, John scooped me up into his large arms, pulling me close with him as he laid on his side. We faced each other, his arm draped over me, both of us still coming down from the highs we stunningly inflicted on each other. The minutes felt timeless all over again as we savored what remained, not another word between us.
My eyes fluttered shut just briefly as his hand reached up to brush a few strands of -what I was sure to be matted, now- hair from my face. But as he began to smile, really smile, I felt my heart leap in a million different styles behind my rib cage.
I wasn’t sure I’d seen a full blown smile from him before. It was dazzling, completely infectious. It felt like a secret, or like some kind of hidden talent that the rest of the world was forbidden to see. I smiled in return, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead, the tenderness I was beginning to enjoy shining through.
“I’ll protect you with my life,” he murmured, his expression solemn again.
Be it that his life’s mission was to protect, to potentially die for his objective, or that the seriousness in his tone was unlike anything else I’d heard him say, that sentiment felt even heavier than the ‘I love you’ we shared before our rendezvous. I nodded ever so slightly, my hand reaching up to rest atop his as he held it on the side of my head. I squeezed his hand gently.
“I would die for you,” I expressed softly in return, my tone just as heavy, just as sincere.
And I meant it.
I really did.
-x-x-x-
Tags: @allthelovefromstylesxx, @grimistangel, @guiltgoldglory, @laurenstacy610​ 
thank you guys so much as always!! it means a lot that you look forward to my lil story! ♡
232 notes · View notes
lialacleaf · 2 years
Text
The Spartan and His Pyro- Puppy Eyes - Master Chief X OC
Tumblr media
John considered himself to be a smart individual. He knew more about the history of combat than most people, he could service just about any vehicle, and he was a master strategist. 
However, there were some things that the Master Chief just didn’t understand. One of those things is emotions, or more importantly, how to utilize them. 
“I’m not going to some fancy meeting so Command can show me off like a circus animal to the directors,” Catherine said as she speared the carrots on her plate with her fork and popped them in her mouth. 
“It’s not like that. It’d be an opportunity to network with the higher-ups. Between Halsey’s arrest, and the scrutiny of the IVs, we could use some friends in high places.” John wasn’t wrong, but his reasoning wasn’t entirely the reason he was insistent on Catherine accompanying him to the assembly. He also wanted an opportunity to see her in her dress uniform, and a small part of him…well, maybe a big part, wanted them to attend as a unit. There weren’t many opportunities for them to do things together, just the two of them. 
“You do realize that I have likely been reprimanded by eighty percent of the attendees, including you for that matter,” she said pointedly. “Trying to show off how well behaved I’ve become?”
John gave her a withering look. “You aren’t that well behaved.” 
“Why can’t you take Fred? He’s  a Lieutenant.” 
“Oh no you don’t, I have enough work on my plate as it is. I still have to write a report for the last hog you destroyed,” Fred butted in before he could be dragged into anything. 
“Hey, my driving saved your asses,” Catherine argued, and John rolled his eyes as the rest of his team was pulled into the conversation. 
“Her driving is better than Kelly’s,” Linda said offhandedly.
“My driving isn’t that bad,” Kelly argued, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear when it caught in the food on her fork. 
“You hit things on purpose,” Catherine argued.
“It’s an effective way to take out enemies,” Kelly defended. “Just run them over and problem solved.”
“Tell that to the backache I have after all the bumps,” Linda muttered. 
“I think it’s safe to say I’m the best driver here,” Horace bragged, stretching his arms above his head with a grin. 
“Cause you're too scared to go over thirty miles an hour,” Catherine mumbled, and Kelly coughed a laugh into her elbow.
“Back to the conversation at hand,” John interrupted.
“Are you ordering me to come to the assembly?” Catherine asked. 
John sighed, running a hand through his short hair. “No. But I would appreciate it if you came.” 
“I’ll think about it,” she agreed. In other words, she’d be trying to find a way to get out of it. 
The shooting range was fairly empty as John went about preparing his sidearm. He heard Horace’s loud footsteps approaching before he was even close enough to hear the other man’s breathing and heartbeat. 
“Can I give you a little advice, man to man?” Horace asked from the stall beside the Master Chief as he went about peeping his own gun. 
John didn’t offer a verbal answer, and instead simply cocked a brow at the marine. Horace took this as a green light. 
“There’s an art to getting your partner to do things they don’t want,” he began. 
“I don’t need to bribe Catherine,” he stated, looking down the scope of his weapon. 
“See, that’s where you're getting stuck. You don’t have to make Catherine want to go. You need her to know how much you want her there.”
“And how do you suggest I do that?” the Spartan asked offhandedly as he fired a few rounds. 
“Simple,” Horace began, examining his pistol before aiming it down the range. “You gotta play up the emotions a little. Hit her with the puppy eyes, ya know?”
John lifted his gaze away from his scope, blinking in confusion as his brow dipped. “Uhh, no. I don’t follow,” he said. “What are…puppy eyes?” He asked. 
Horace raised a brow at him curiously. “Ya know, the face a dog makes when it’s begging for food, big-eyed, innocent expression, tilt the head a little, don’t break eye contact-“
“I’ve never had a dog,” John interrupted. 
Horace sighed, placing his pistol down on the surface in front of him. “Alright, level with me. Pretend I’m Catherine-“ 
“I’d rather not,” John said with a wince. 
“Just practice the expression,” Horace said in exasperation. “Widen your eyes-no not like that you look surprised, raise your eyebrows, there you go,” Horace coached. 
“My eyes are watering. I feel ridiculous,” the Chief stated. 
“I never said this was easy, now tilt your head a little to the side…down a little- perfect!” Horace said, a broad grin on his face. 
Catherine had begun to look forward to her evenings after training the past few weeks. She would head to the mess hall after her shower and have a nice dinner with her team before John would inevitably slide his fingers through hers and lead her somewhere to spend time together. 
Sometimes they would watch something in the home theater, others they would simply go back to his quarters and sit in one another’s company. Usually, she’s read a book while the Master Chief worked on a mission report, but occasionally he’d pull her into his lap for a nap.
To Catherine’s delight, tonight proved to be one of those occasional nights where the Chief was in the mood to hold her close. 
“About the assembly,” John began, his thumb moving in soothing circles on her hip. She was seated facing him, just as she’d been in the caves, however, John certainly wasn’t freezing now. 
Catherine groaned, dropping her head onto his shoulder. The last thing she wanted to do was go to that assembly, and quite frankly she didn’t understand why he kept bringing it up. “What is so important about this assembly that I need to be there?” 
“It’s not that you need to be there,” he said, his nose bumping her ear softly. “I…I want you to be there.” 
Catherine felt her brow narrow slightly, not expecting the declaration and lifted her head to gaze at his face. 
John inhaled deeply as her bright green eyes came into view. Well, now or never. 
Catherine watched his features morph into a perfect picture of desperation. His big blue eyes held a pleading look, and the way he cocked his head to the side almost questioningly, as if he were asking her with just that simple motion if he could count on her, really did her in. “Who the hell taught you that?” she asked, her cheeks burning a bright red at the level of intensity in his gaze. She had thought the Chief to be handsome, but she hadn’t thought cute to be a word she’d ever use to describe him. And then it clicked. Horace. Her idiot best friend who used the very same tactic on poor Cassandra all the time. 
“Well?” he asked. 
“Nice try, but I’m not Cass, I don’t give in to that tactic.”
No, John realized. She wouldn’t. Catherine was a different woman entirely. Catherine needed an incentive. “Would it help if I told you I wanted you there…” he cupped the side of her face gently, his mouth moving to the spot on her neck just beneath her ear. “To have you all to myself for a day? It’s a three-day excursion, and the assembly will only be for the first afternoon. That would give us plenty of time together. Without Blue Team.”  
There, he’d revealed his hand to her. If she turned him down now there was nothing more to hide behind. It felt far more frightening than he’d expected to admit to her that he wanted her there for more personal reasons than her presence at the assembly itself, and he hadn’t had a clue as to why until he was waiting on the proverbial edge of his seat to see if she’d turn him down. 
Catherine felt her cheeks flush brightly at the suggestion. They hadn’t really gone anywhere as a couple without the rest of Blue Team on their heels. She had to admit she liked the idea of seeing the side of him the rest of their team didn’t get to see outside the confines of his quarters on the S-Deck. 
“That sounds…promising,” she said, as he continued that slow descent of kisses to her collarbone before lifting his head back up to meet her at eye level, raising a brow as he remained otherwise passive. Catherine knew better than that though if the uptick in his heartbeat was anything to go by. 
“Is that a yes?” 
Catherine let out a sigh, slumping against his chest in resignation. “Yes,” she murmured against his shoulder. “On the condition that you never take flirting advice from Horace ever again.”
This one was a silly little short I had bouncing around in my big galaxy brain this week so I hope you all liked it~
Tag list: @violinchick @starchaser-the-prophet @morganas-pendragons
53 notes · View notes
doom-dreaming · 8 months
Note
Do you think cortana posted chief for national girlfriends day on the unsc's version of Twitter (he didnt even know about it until weeks later)
It had been nearly two weeks by this point and it only seemed to be gaining momentum. Groups of S-IVs would try to hide their snickering as they passed him in the halls. Whispering Marines would quickly shush each other when he walked into the room. He noticed the sidelong glances, the elbows jabbed into ribs, all the little movements that weren't as subtle as they thought. He'd even caught Roland and Captain Lasky in the middle of a hushed but heated conversation that he, apparently, didn't have the clearance for.
This had been normal when he was still a new fixture on Infinity, but several years had smoothed the edges off his reputation - at least enough that people could relax around him. Or so he thought. A backslide like this was...unexpected. And it wasn't even necessarily the principle of being left out of something that had started to bother him, it was more the fact that everyone seemed to be in on something he wasn't. And that it seemed to be about him.
"Mm, kind of rude," was all Cortana had muttered when he'd brought it up a few days prior. She'd been distracted, deep in the middle of analyzing something for Halsey, and he didn't think much of the dismissal at the time.
But by now, the strange conspiratorial energy aboard the ship had all the trademarks of a bomb about to go off and it was making him antsy in a way he didn't appreciate. "Cortana."
It takes a fraction of a second longer than usual for her projection to appear on the holodeck - a detail imperceptible and inconsequential to anyone but him - but she's bright-eyed and smiling as she materializes. "You rang?"
"You have to know something." He cuts right to the chase.
She sighs. "Chief, you know they put me on restricted access. I don't like it either, but I have to play nice. It's Roland's ship, if you want to know what he sees, ask him."
John narrows his eyes. He didn't believe her for a second. And she knew it.
She holds eye contact as her lips twitch into a barely-contained smirk. "Maybe there's something going around on the socials," she continues with a shrug. "Could be worth a look if it's really bothering you."
**********
The suggestion was still sitting in the back of his mind days later, unheeded. He had more important things to be doing than trawling through message boards trying to find a joke that no one had bothered to let him in on. It always felt like tuning into an unsecured comm. channel - lots of chatter with very little substance.
But he knew Cortana. And she was up to something. Besides, he had a few hours to kill before Commander Palmer needed him in the simulation room. He taps his way into his account, remembering his password with a combination of muscle memory and sheer luck. His inbox is overflowing with messages, but he opts to ignore them in favor of hunting down the threads with the heaviest, most recent traffic.
A thread simply titled 'Girlfriend Day' rises to the top of the list. His finger hesitates over it for a second, unsure if this was the lead he should be following. It seemed unlikely, but none of the other contenders had anywhere near the same engagement numbers... Resigning himself to a potential dead end and waste of time, he opens it.
The initial post is a picture of a young couple, both smiling. The man has his arm around the woman's shoulders. They're somewhere sunny, in civilian clothes. John doesn't recognize either of them and doesn't spend much time skimming the accompanying text before moving on.
He doesn't have to go far. Less than a dozen posts into the thread, he finds a photo of himself. It's not a bad photo, all things considered - it's a nice candid shot, he's cleaning a gun, his helmet sits on the bench beside him - but the rose-tinged filter and tiny pink hearts aren't doing it any favors. It'd been posted anonymously without a caption and he only has to read a few of the comments underneath it for things to start falling into place.
"Cortana..."
The holodeck glows a dim blue for three full seconds before she appears, hands on hips, eyebrows raised.
John silently tilts the screen toward her.
"Do you like it? I thought the hearts were a nice touch."
"Pink's not my color."
"Agree to disagree." She settles into a more relaxed stance. "Who knew one picture could get the ship buzzing like this? Infinity's starving for gossip, apparently."
"Everyone wants to know whose girlfriend I am," John sighs, finally setting the datapad down. "Where'd you get the picture?"
"Took it myself. Last month. It was hard picking a favorite, you know. I went through a lot of them."
"...how many do you have?"
"Oh, thousands. I don't show them to anyone. Well, aside from this one exception." She nods toward the datapad, then crosses her arms in response to the face he can feel himself making. "What, a girl can't have a hobby?"
68 notes · View notes
short-honey-badger · 1 month
Text
Shore Leave 3
Part 3 of this ever-growing series. Just can't help myself.
Warnings: Kissing. Some sad thoughts.
Masterlist
Part 1 -> HERE part 2 -> HERE
Tumblr media
“Order whatever you want. My treat,” you tell John when the two of you arrive at the food stall. The smell of greasy burgers hits John's nose and his stomach roars. You snort at the sound as you examine the menu quickly before stepping forward to order. You live around the area and have been to this stall more than a couple of times. 
While you wait, John takes his time before ordering for himself and then stopping beside you to wait as well. You take a chance and lean against the solid wall that John creates, lips quirked up when he shifts to better accommodate your added weight. 
You hadn't expected your evening to turn out like this when you spotted the obviously overwhelmed man sitting by himself outside of the café, but you don't regret any of it. He was quiet, but you could tell that he was always listening to you, those sorrowful blue eyes following your every move. You aren't sure what pulls you to this man, but you don't want to stop it. 
It's in a comfortable silence that the two of you eat greasy food, parked at the furthest picnic table. John had ordered a massive amount of food, and you watched in disgusted awe as he consumed all of it in no time. You glance down at your half-eaten burger and large fry before pushing the tray of fried potato sticks at the big man. 
“Here. You can have the rest of mine.” 
John looks up at you, those pretty blues making your cheeks light up. He licks his lips, giving you an uncertain look, “Are you sure?” 
You nod and scoot the try closer to him, “Positive. You can order more if you want?” 
John doesn't know how to react to the kindness of you sharing and buying him food. It's been a long time since he's tasted anything that wasn't a MRE or nutritional paste in a tube. However, he is sure that it is supposed to be the man who buys things for the person he likes. Gods he wished Cortana were here. She could tell him what the right thing to do would be. 
“John? You okay?” 
Your new friend had gone silent after your offer, his face shuddering into nothing, and you had quickly grown concerned for him. He meets your eyes again and nods once. 
“My apologies. This is fine,” John assures you and even reaches out to take a fry and pop it in his mouth. You crack a smile and sip from your soda, content for now. 
The super soldier takes your tray when you finish up, dumping the trash into the nearest bin, and then offering you his hand. You slide your fingers through his own and John gently squeezes them like you had his earlier. Even in the dim light, his enhanced vision can see the way your cheeks pink at the initiating touch. 
The two of you walk back around the park, speaking quietly about easy subjects like the weather and what you like to do in your spare time. John was rather tight-lipped about everything, and you assumed it was because of whatever position he held in the UNSC. However, you did learn that he likes the color green and despises the color purple. 
John glances up at the digital clock that has been installed above the bathroom stalls, and he frowns when he realizes that it is nearing midnight. He slows to a crawl, his gate hesitant. The Master Chief doesn't want to leave your side, not when he didn't have a way to find you after this. And John needed to see you again. 
You look up at him and catch the slight scrunch of his brow. John doesn't look very happy, and his expression deepens when you speak up. 
“How long are you here for?” 
His hand tightens around your own, “Only two weeks.” 
It's your turn to frown this time, and you sigh quietly in disappointment. Damn. 
“Here I was hoping you'd have longer than that,” you say and stand before him, chewing on your lip as you debate on what to say. 
John has never had a good enough reason not to want to go back on duty, but he has one now, and John wasn't one to easily give up on what he wanted. Lasky had given him two weeks, and he would be sure to make the most of it with you. He likes to think that the captain and Cortana would be proud of him for finding someone who could bring out his humanity. 
“I understand if this is too forward,” John begins and stops to give you his full attention. He is a bit nervous to ask this, but the worst thing you could tell him would be no. 
You raise an eyebrow at him, licking your lips, and prompt, “...But?” 
“But it is getting late, and my friend once told me that a gentleman should always walk his date home,” John remarks and silently thanks Avery Johnson, the grizzled sergeant would have been overjoyed to see the stoic man use his advice. 
“I can make sure you get home safe.” 
The grin you reward him with is brighter than any Covenant plasma, and the spartan feels his heart speed up when you reach out, curling your hand along his shoulder to guide him down until you can press your lips to his cheek. You hear him suck in a sharp breath at the touch, his flesh pale and sensitive from being hidden behind a helmet for so long. 
You drop back down and catch his eyes, “I’ll lead the way, Soldier.” 
John isn’t expecting the way his body reacts to the nickname. He leans down and captures your lips in a kiss more demanding than the last. You squeak but quickly kiss him back, lips fighting to get on the same pace as his. His free arm wraps around your waist, and the Master Chief takes note of the way your soft body melds against the harsh plains of his own. 
He kisses you until you begin to push against his chest, and John is quickly reminded that you are a normal human. As he ends the kiss, pulling away just enough to rest his brow against yours, and realizes that the thought had left a bad taste in his mouth. He had so much blood on his hands, alien and human, why would you want to be with a machine like him? 
It takes you a second to catch your breath, but it takes even less time for you to notice that something is wrong. The furrow in his brow was deep, making the scars that littered his face stretch and catch in the street lights. You thought he still looked incredibly handsome even with such a dangerous look on his face. You take a chance, squeezing the hand you still hold, and then slide the other one up to cradle his face.
“Think you can do something for me, John?” you murmur and smile softly when those blue eyes glance down and lock with yours. He dips his head minutely so you continue. 
“Forget who you are for these next two weeks. Forget that you’re part of the UNSC. You’re just a man. You are just John.” 
The request gives him pause, and the Master Chief almost denies you the second it leaves your mouth, but he stops himself. Could he do that? Would the world crumble around them if he took time for himself to just be John? He didn’t know, but he wanted to find out. 
His voice is rough when he speaks, and you shiver when his eyes darken, pupils dilating when they catch your gaze, “Okay. I can do that.”  
34 notes · View notes