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Chapter Text

"So what you're telling me," Hongjoong started, somewhere between disbelief and sheer hope that he'd misheard, "Is that, three and a half weeks ago, you misplaced your cycle suppressants—the one thing standing between you and aggressively stuffing your eggs into every available orifice in sight, willing or unwilling—when we're a solid eight weeks from the nearest port, and you didn't think to mention this until just now?"

Seonghwa stood in front of the captain's desk, fidgeting nervously with his one-piece flight suit, suddenly looking like the climate control was failing in its duty to keep the ship at a livable temperature. It seemed to at least partially be because of how shamelessly Hongjoong had framed the situation, maybe a mix of arousal and embarrassment, with a hint of intimidation. The captain might have been a pretty thing—shorter than Seonghwa by a decent margin, with small, neat features, big brown doe eyes, tiny hands, and a tiny waist—but he was a fierce man and a strong leader. "Ah... yes, that's more or less correct."

"Have you visited the med bay to see if Yunho has anything else you can take?" Hongjoong questioned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands as he tried to wrap his head around the situation they were facing.

Of course, Seonghwa nodded solemnly. "That was the first thing I did when I noticed them missing. He didn't have anything, so he said he would put out an order to try and have some shipped to us, but the transport was delayed and it could still be another two weeks before it can reach us."

"And it's going to be too late by the time it gets here," Hongjoong concluded with a sigh.

Again, Seonghwa nodded, full lips turned down and a measure of anxiety filling his stiff posture. Hongjoong couldn't even find it in himself to be truly upset when the ship's resident alien languages expert was usually so put together and on top of things; as far as he was concerned, Seonghwa was the most responsible member of the crew. How he'd even managed to lose his suppressants was a mystery in itself. 

"I... I apologize, Captain. This is entirely my fault; I should have been more careful, knowing what kind of position this puts you in," the redheaded man said, and Hongjoong found the last of his exasperation evaporating into thin air.

"Things like this happen sometimes," he dismissed, sitting back in his chair. "It can't be helped. But that does leave the question of what we're going to do when your cycle starts."

"I've already thought about that. I believe the best course of action would be to lock me in the brig until such time as my cycle ends—around ten days or so, if I don't have...." He hesitated, frowning a little deeper as he chose his words carefully, "An, uh... incubator."

Hongjoong's brows drew together, mirroring the linguist's expression just at the suggestion itself. "I can't have you locked in the brig for ten days, that's...." Inhumane. Seonghwa wasn't human, though, so Hongjoong wondered if he might not see forcible imprisonment of a crew member as cruel. Maybe it was normal in the culture he grew up in to just lock breeding aged males away so they didn't hurt anyone. "Isn't there another way to deal with this?"

Seonghwa hesitated, then wet his lips slowly, resuming fidgeting with his uniform. He looked uncomfortable. "Maybe? If I had someone to spend my cycle with, I'd only need a single session to...." He stopped, pale skin flushing until his cheeks and ears were the same cherry red as his hair. "I'm sorry, this is inappropriate. I'll take my leave, Captain. Good night."

"No, no, wait!" Seonghwa had bowed and turned to exit the office as soon as he had dismissed himself, but Hongjoong wasn't having it, springing from his chair and coming around the desk to grab the linguist's arm; when the redheaded alien turned to give him a wide-eyed and quizzical look, Hongjoong let go immediately, using the same hand to ruffle the back of his dyed blue hair awkwardly. "I just.... I mean, as long as your... incubator gives informed consent, then.... It's only one session, so.... Did you have anyone in mind that you'd be interested in... breeding with?"

At the captain's sudden change in demeanour, Seonghwa's head tilted, black eyes analyzing Hongjoong curiously in a way that wasn't quite human. Still shy, though, he drew his arms around himself. "I hadn't intended to take a mate at all so I haven't thought about it. I think, if I were to do it this way, it would have to be on a volunteer basis, though. My preference wouldn't matter because it's strictly for medical purposes."

"Yeah, that... makes sense," the captain agreed, feeling tiny under Seonghwa's inquisitive gaze. It was his turn to fidget with his uniform.

"I'll ask Yunho if he'd like to volunteer. From the standpoint of medical research, this could be an interesting opportunity; I don't think he could afford to pass it up," decided the alien with a little more spirit, though the red tint to his cheeks still remained, the man clearly feeling at least a little shy.

As he turned and left, Hongjoong didn't have the wherewithal to tell him that that wasn't how volunteering worked.

* * *

A few days later, when Hongjoong walked into the med bay in response to a call from his chief security officer and the head of medical research, the last thing he expected to see was the whole room completely in shambles and a very glazed over Seonghwa laying on his side on a cot, naked from the waist up. Professional as ever and making sure to stay out of the doctor's way, Jongho, their chief security officer, rolled Seonghwa's hair between his hands until it resembled little devil horns on the top of his head; Hongjoong wasn't sure he wanted to know what the linguist had done to deserve this.

"He came here expecting me to carry his clutch for him," the doctor explained without being prompted. "I tried to turn him down politely, but he got pretty aggressive; thankfully Jongho happened to be here at the time and helped me sedate him. I had to use our entire supply of dexmedetomidine to do it."

Hongjoong didn't even pretend to know what that meant. 

"Is he okay?" the captain queried, bending over just a little to get a better look at the pouty expression on Seonghwa's face.

Yunho leaned over to look as well, concern flashing briefly over his features before he shrugged and went back to examining something on Seonghwa's lower back. "Probably? He's still conscious, so that's a good sign." 

From where he stood, Hongjoong couldn't get a good look at what Yunho was prodding at, but every now and then he could see Seonghwa flinch and knew that whatever it was must have caused him enough pain to be felt through a decent amount of drugging. 

"Are you okay?" the captain asked, then, figuring that if Seonghwa could feel what Yunho was doing, it might be because he was being a little more rough than usual. If he was upset, though, he was hiding it well.

"I'm fine. A little shaken up, but I'll live." Yunho dismissed the situation easily. "It's not entirely his fault. He's getting close. All his vitals are elevated, but his temperature specifically is through the roof. And, not that I need to point this out, but his impulse control is severely lacking," the doctor continued, "His ovipositor is beginning to present, so I give it a few more days before he'll need to be contained."

When the captain opened his mouth to protest, Jongho spoke up for the first time, his voice soft and full of regret. "It might be best to take him down now, while he's still in his right mind. If we let him go too long, he's going to hurt someone."

That was probably true. Yunho wasn't a small man, and if he'd had enough trouble with Seonghwa—who was comparably daintier—that he'd needed Jongho's strength to keep him down plus the entire supply of a drug to sedate him, then they were going to have a big problem next time he decided to volunteer someone to incubate his eggs for him. There were other members of the crew who were far smaller than Seonghwa and wouldn't be able to defend themselves if he attacked. Just locking him up was starting to seem like a much better idea than when the alien himself had first suggested it. 

Still, it left a bad taste in Hongjoong's mouth.

"Let's just get him back to his room for now. If we can't figure something else out, I guess we won't have a choice," Hongjoong sighed and Jongho dismissed himself soon after to go and get a cell ready. The captain found himself wearing a similar pout to what was still on Seonghwa's face at the idea of it. They both felt defeated.

Yunho, perceptive as always, picked up on this, peeling his gloves off and tossing them away before settling a hand on Hongjoong's shoulder. "It's for the best, Captain. Not everyone is happy to have him here, and we don't want to give anyone any more reason to distrust him than what they already have. He's a good person and there's nothing else we can do for him; let's not put his reputation at risk if we don't need to."

* * *

Hongjoong couldn't stop thinking about what Yunho had said, his argument in support of imprisoning Seonghwa quite sound. To Hongjoong, the biggest issue was feeling like he was treating a valued member of his crew like a criminal, an animal, or some undocumented specimen that needed to be observed and studied. Yunho had put the situation into perspective for him, though—it wasn't just about the crew's safety, but Seonghwa's as well. If Seonghwa was prepared to do this as a precaution, then it wasn't really up to him to decide whether or not the decision was morally sound.

Since coming back to his quarters and being tucked into his bed, Seonghwa had finally succumbed fully to the sedative, and Hongjoong had elected to stay with him. That way, when he woke up someone would be there to supervise him while he packed up all the things he wanted to bring as well as call Jongho to escort the linguist down to his cell.
 
For now, though, Hongjoong was left alone with his thoughts, perched on Seonghwa's desk chair at his bedside with the lights turned down low, and finding himself unable to look away from his sleeping face. It was so hard to believe that under the delicate, pretty exterior was a being that had the capability of taking out a good majority of the crew all on his own, but as the captain, it was a reality that Hongjoong couldn't let himself forget; with his cycle suppressants, Seonghwa was harmless, personable, even a little cute when he relaxed and allowed his mask of professionalism to slip, but without them....

It took hours for the sedative to wear off enough for Seonghwa to wake, stirring carefully to avoid laying on his sore back while also trying to figure out exactly where he was, it looked like. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, groaned, and then rolled over to go back to sleep when Hongjoong shifted, nearly asleep himself but roused by the sound of Seonghwa's blankets rustling. "Seonghwa, are you awake?"

The redhead startled, peering over his shoulder with wide, dark eyes. "Captain? Why are you here?" the alien asked, then carefully began to sit himself up, clearly trying to look professional, devil horn hair and all. Hongjoong tried his best not to snicker.

"Yunho and I brought you back here a while ago. I thought it would be best if I stayed with you to help you get ready to go down to the brig once you woke up. Do you remember?" he asked, and Seonghwa scrunched his nose in thought before shaking his head. "That's okay. How do you feel now?"

"I could have hurt him," Seonghwa responded, though it wasn't really the answer to his captain's question. His frame sagged in what Hongjoong read as deep remorse. "I understood when he said he wasn't interested, but something.... I didn't want to... I wasn't going to hurt him. I just needed to...." His face was turning red again; considering what Yunho had said earlier about Seonghwa's increased internal temperature, Hongjoong wasn't sure if this was from the cycle starting or from embarrassment. Maybe a combination of the two, as the alien stiffened, then threw back his blankets on his way out of his bed. "I have to go apologize to him."

Hongjoong nearly fell off his chair in his scramble to stop Seonghwa from getting up. "I'm sure he knows how sorry you are! Why don't you just relax here for a minute and make sure the drugs have completely worn off? Just to be safe." 

Seonghwa gave him a look, but settled back down, his captain's tiny hands planted firmly on his shoulders doing nothing to prevent him from moving though he respected their effort anyway. 

Once he was satisfied that the linguist wasn't going anywhere, Hongjoong pulled his hands away, letting out a relieved breath as he sat himself on the edge of the bed. "We've got to start packing up your things to get ready to move," he added, almost like he was making an excuse for Seonghwa not to leave. Like he needed one.

There was silence for a long moment where both men sat, Seonghwa picking at a lint fluff stuck to his blanket while Hongjoong stared at his feet as he rocked them back and forth, tapping the toes of his boots together. It went on for an uncomfortably long time, the air between them only filled with the hum of the ventilation system until Seonghwa cleared his throat, drawing Hongjoong's attention to him; the red in the alien's cheeks had spread until it was running in patches down the sides of his neck, disappearing under the collar of his uniform. "Do you...." he started, uncertain, eyes sweeping across his room while directly avoiding coming into contact with his captain. "You really don't want me to go?"

Hongjoong answered honestly, "Not if there's a way to avoid it. But I also don't want you to hurt anyone."

Seonghwa nodded in agreement, and silence fell over them again, just as tense as before.

This time, Hongjoong was the one to break it. "I feel like I'm being irresponsible by not wanting you to go, but it's hard for me to accept the idea of treating you like a problem. It's hard to think of you as some kind of monster when I know that you're not, or at least not when you have your suppressants."

"As far as your kind is concerned, I am a monster," was Seonghwa's very level answer. "But I appreciate your concern."

"It's only during your cycle, though, right? You'll be back to normal as soon as you've laid your eggs?" Hongjoong still stared at his feet, unable to meet Seonghwa's eyes, but he saw the linguist nod out of the corner of his eye. "And it's just the one session." Again, Seonghwa nodded. "Are they... like, are they fertilized? When they come out, are they gonna hatch into hundreds of tiny little Seonghwas, or...?"

"I don't have to fertilize them." The corners of Seonghwa's mouth turned up in something that resembled a weak smile, and Hongjoong realized it was the first time in weeks that he'd seen the linguist relax even a little bit. This whole thing must have been weighing on him so heavily. "And it wouldn't be hundreds. It'll only be around twenty eggs, maximum, and of those only a handful would end up being fertilized, even fewer will survive to the end of incubation."

"Sounds like a lot of work just to lose more than three quarters of the clutch," the captain observed, picking at the sleeve of his uniform.

Seonghwa just shrugged. "We go through monthly cycles normally and the eggs don't take long to incubate, so if none of them are viable, we just try again later. It's not really as big a deal for us as it is for humans." 

"Wouldn't it hurt, though? I know it does for humans, and with your species.... Twenty whole eggs just seems like a lot, especially every month," Hongjoong observed.

Seonghwa shook his head at this immediately, surprising the blue-haired male. "Actually the whole process is quite pleasurable—through both the implantation and the laying. Some of us have been known to skip fertilization just so we have an excuse to try again."

When Hongjoong only answered this with a shy nod to indicate that he'd heard, Seonghwa shifted, drawing his legs in and crossing them under himself. He cleared his throat, suddenly much more strained. "You seem very interested in my reproductive cycle, Captain," he pointed out carefully.

Hongjoong's face flushed immediately, back stiffening until he was sitting ramrod straight. "I— It's just that it's so different, you know? From humans. It's not... there's no other reason, I was just—" He kept rambling, trying to come up with some reasonable excuse for why he was so curious, until the alien sitting at his side managed to embolden himself enough to place gentle fingertips on his captain's shoulder. Hongjoong nearly jumped out of his skin, clamping his thighs together, and when he finally looked up at Seonghwa, he realized the alien had noticed this movement as well.

"Apologies for making assumptions, Captain, but you wouldn't perhaps be interested in incubating my eggs, would you?"

Seonghwa's face was burning, but he looked determined; Hongjoong had to take a moment to gather himself, starting with shutting his mouth firmly after his jaw had dropped. "Are you sure you're in a sober enough state to ask me that? This isn't just hormones or the drugs talking?"

"I'm sober enough," the redhead confirmed, and the way he looked at Hongjoong like he wanted to swallow him whole made the smaller male really want to believe it.

He took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds. "I'm... interested," he said, voice small enough that it was barely audible in his own ears. He tried again, not feeling any more confident than the first time, "I want to do it. If you want me to, I mean." The confession had Seonghwa swallowing hard, moving from his spot while Hongjoong turned to face him fully, so that their knees were touching but they still kept a safe distance. "Just... can I ask you to go slow? I'm nervous."

Seonghwa nodded, understanding. "Tell me if it's too much and I'll do my best." Of course Hongjoong knew that there was a chance the alien wouldn't be able to, completely driven by instinct and hormones, and that he might become somewhat aggressive especially if Hongjoong wanted to stop. In that way, Seonghwa was much like a wild animal despite the humanity that the captain had always seen in him, but that was the risk he was deciding to take.

There was a long moment where neither moved or said anything, waiting for the other to act first, and the atmosphere in the room grew incredibly awkward. Hongjoong wasn't sure how Seonghwa's species mated, if he were being honest—all he knew was that there were eggs and at least one tentacle-like appendage—so he didn't want to upset the redhead by doing something wrong. Similarly, Seonghwa seemed reluctant to move, his whole body stiff with his hands planted on his knees like he wanted to reach out but was purposely keeping himself from doing so.

"Should I—"

"How do you—"

They both spoke at the same time, then stopped, watching carefully to see if the other wanted to continue; eventually Hongjoong let out a long breath. "You go first."

"Would it help you relax if we started small?" he asked, prying a hand up from his knee to brush his bright red hair back. "I know it's not medically necessary, but... would you... maybe like me to kiss you?"

The pair cringed at how awkward this came out, but ultimately Hongjoong nodded, leaning in to meet Seonghwa halfway. As their lips touched, one of Seonghwa's hands reached out for his captain's, guiding it reluctantly from where it had been balled up with the other and stuffed protectively between Hongjoong's thighs. It was weird but not unpleasant, warm tingles ghosting over his lips and building up in his core as Seonghwa's mouth moved against his own, coaxing him into playing along while their fingers tangled together, Hongjoong's hand practically engulfed by Seonghwa's much bigger one.

Things stayed fairly innocent for a while, the two simply getting used to the feeling of each other this close when outside these walls, their dynamic was completely different. Hongjoong's inexperience showed blatantly, and while it didn't seem like Seonghwa had much more of an idea of how to go about kissing his captain, he was certainly less shy about trying, tilting his head and sweeping the tip of his tongue over Hongjoong's soft pink lips. The shuddered breath that left the captain in response had Seonghwa moving in closer, leaning, his free hand finding Hongjoong's waist while he flicked his tongue over the blue-haired man's lips again. Hongjoong had the presence of mind this time to open his mouth a little, trying to return the adventurous movements only to find himself accidentally brushing his tongue against Seonghwa's; the linguist tasted sweet and fresh, like peaches and cream, which was weird but Hongjoong was immediately addicted.

Eventually, Seonghwa shifted forward to lay Hongjoong back against the bed, the captain's legs uncrossing to make room for the linguist between them. The implication in itself was enough to fill his core with an insistent warmth, one that made him want Seonghwa to touch him inside and out just to make it burn hotter. He still hesitated to touch the redhead, letting his fingertips find the front of the uniform that clung to Seonghwa's frame instead and clutched onto it gently, pulling the taller man in while thin thighs tightened around his hips. They were so close, barely touching, and Hongjoong wanted to feel the linguist's sturdy body against his own. Thankfully, Seonghwa seemed to get the hint and pressed his hips down against Hongjoong's, eliciting breathy moans from each of them.

They kissed like this for some time, relaxing as they fell into a gentle rhythm, letting the tension start to melt away in favour of basking in each other's body heat. Hongjoong's hands had migrated up to Seonghwa's broad shoulders, one even adventuring further up the side of his neck to play with the short hair at the back of his head, causing the linguist to let out soft sounds that were unusually similar to a cat's contented purring; in return, Seonghwa rocked his hips a little more firmly against his captain's, just enough to make him whimper and writhe, biting down on Seonghwa's bottom lip more out of reflex than anything else. He was already aching, feeling incredibly sensitive between his thighs, and he could feel Seonghwa's arousal against him, letting him know he wasn't alone in this even though they'd hardly touched and were both still fully clothed.

Feeling just a little emboldened, Hongjoong pulled at the zipper of Seonghwa's uniform, prompting the linguist to sit up so he could free his arms from the top half of his jumpsuit. In return, he helped the captain out of his, not just stopping at the top half, though, as he paused to relieve him of his boots and then slowly worked the fabric over Hongjoong's hips to expose the leggings he wore underneath. Too many layers in the captain's opinion, but the ship could get incredibly cool in certain areas without them—he'd never forget standing in one of the hangars while waiting for a transport carrying an important member of their organization, shivering so hard that the sound of his teeth chattering could be heard clear on the other side of the bay.

"You're so beautiful." The words snapped Hongjoong out of his straying thoughts, dragging him back into the moment where Seonghwa sat over him, rubbing his thighs soothingly while staring down at him. Stunned, he waited for the redhead to elaborate, but he never did, instead dipping down to press kisses along the inseam of his leggings. Hongjoong felt himself ache as the kisses moved down toward his centre, letting his eyes close at the feeling of Seonghwa's hot breath permeating through the fabric to warm the skin underneath gently. Before long, he was shifting to hook long fingers into Hongjoong's waistband, pausing just before tugging downward. "Is it okay for me to remove these?" he asked, and Hongjoong appreciated him so much.

He nodded, wetting his lips, feeling nervous about having Seonghwa see him in full but ultimately allowed his desire overcome that. The need was too strong to worry about whether or not he was pretty enough for someone like Seonghwa underneath his clothes.

Carefully, the tight fabric was pulled down over his hips and thighs, his underwear pulling away as well, and Hongjoong squeezed his eyes shut so he didn't have to see how Seonghwa would react to his nearly bare body. Slowly, the linguist worked his leggings off each leg, dropping them over the side of the bed before he returned, palming at Hongjoong's thighs just as he had before. He didn't move, though, waiting patiently for... something—the captain wasn't sure what. Finally, he dipped down to kiss the inside of Hongjoong's thigh. "Are you okay?"

"Still nervous," Hongjoong responded, and Seonghwa gave a soft sound of acknowledgement.

"Do you want me to kiss you again? That seemed to help last time."

Hongjoong thought for a moment then nodded, and Seonghwa leaned back over him to press their lips again. It didn't feel as awkward as it had the first time, but it did take them a moment to find the rhythm they'd figured out before, Hongjoong's body building up to a slow simmer as they eventually fell into sync. 

Seonghwa's hands found their way from his hips up under the hem of his undershirt following the curve of his body just to thumb over the hardened peaks of his nipples, and Hongjoong lost his breath. The sensation was nothing extravagant—just a pleasant tingle on his skin—but it added to the anticipation, knowing what this all would lead to.
 
Finally, their kiss was broken so Seonghwa could help him out of his undershirt. The linguist made his way downward agonizingly slowly, pressing his lips in chaste kisses down the side of Hongjoong's neck, across his collarbone, and eventually over each of his nipples, ending at the centre of his chest.

A gentle finger traced along the faint pink scars that underlined Hongjoong's chest, the touch almost reverent. They were barely visible now that they were some years old, but the texture of the skin was different enough that Seonghwa had no trouble following each of them from one side of his body to the other. He didn't ask about them, simply admired them and moved on before Hongjoong had a chance to become truly self-conscious, dragging kisses down his captain's abdomen until he made it to the top of his pelvis.

Hongjoong held his breath, shutting his eyes and throwing an arm over them for good measure while Seonghwa sank down between his thighs. He already knew what the linguist would find there—soft pink folds, kept neat and hairless, already glistening in the low light with Hongjoong's slick, his clit standing out more like a cocklet than the little button he used to have—probably not at all what Seonghwa was expecting. Seonghwa paused. Hongjoong could feel his hot breath against his skin and he shuddered, incredibly heated but also finding himself afraid of the lull in activity. "I know it's probably—"

Seonghwa shushed him. "You're perfect. Is it okay if I touch here?"

Hongjoong nodded, but suspected he might not have had much choice in the matter as the linguist's plush lips were already on him. His tongue dipped into the captain's slit to brush against his leaking entrance, easily finding his engorged clit and making Hongjoong gasp loudly, his hips canting up involuntarily with the sharp sensations. Seonghwa didn't seem at all disgusted by his anatomy, apparently perfectly okay with what hormone therapy had done to his clit as he simply locked on, holding it between his lips while massaging with his tongue. Every now and then he released to prod at Hongjoong's hole, gathering his juices as they flowed freely, leaving the captain a writhing mess.

His hands were on Hongjoong's thighs, one wrapped around to keep his legs open while every sharp, sweet sensation had them trembling and threatening to snap shut on Seonghwa's head. The other hovered around the inside of his opposite thigh, rubbing back and forth soothingly, getting closer and closer before Seonghwa lifted his head, peppering chaste kisses across his pelvis. His fingers swept over Hongjoong's centre, brushing over his clit gently like he understood how sensitive his captain was and was purposely avoiding overstimulating him. "Can I put my fingers inside?" he asked, cautious.

"Yes," Hongjoong nearly gasped out. "Please."

Without another word, Seonghwa resumed his actions like nothing had ever happened. His lips wrapped around Hongjoong's clit, carefully bobbing his head over it while his middle finger traced up and down his slit, coating it in slick before he pressed inside. Seonghwa's fingers were thin and dainty, but still thicker than Hongjoong's, and so, so much longer; the captain didn't feel Seonghwa bottom out until he was brushing over his cervix, a sensation he hadn't known he needed until that exact moment as it sent sparks shooting up his spine, making him cry out a little more loudly than he'd intended.

And this was just a finger. He wondered how amazing it would be with two. 

Or stretched open around Seonghwa's cock, being filled up by his seed, stuffed full of his eggs, growing them inside and watching himself getting rounder and rounder until—

Before long, Hongjoong was panting, his hands scrabbling for something to grip onto as he felt his pleasure climbing toward a burning peak with every swipe of Seonghwa's skilled tongue and finger. He clutched desperately at the sheets and Seonghwa's hair, tugging in some attempt to drag him in closer and the sound Seonghwa made in response vibrated through his core; Hongjoong was so close he could taste it. Just a little more, he knew. Just a little more and he'd come completely undone.

And then Seonghwa pulled away.

"Wh—" Hongjoong's eyes fluttered open, peering down along his body where Seonghwa rested with his head down, his own breathing seeming a little laboured. Was this affecting him so much as well, even though he wasn't being touched? "Why'd you stop? I was so close," he whined, letting his head drop back down to the bed. 

He could've sworn he heard Seonghwa huff out something like a laugh, but the only real response he was given was the linguist holding up a finger to indicate that he needed a moment.

In that moment, there was a horrific ripping sound, like fabric, but somehow Hongjoong just knew that it wasn't that, likely from the way Seonghwa stiffened and whimpered quietly, then held his breath. Hongjoong wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt compelled to try and comfort the linguist by stroking his hair gently. He figured it helped because little by little, Seonghwa began to relax once more.

By the time Seonghwa lifted his head and pushed himself to sit up, Hongjoong had lost the buildup to his sweet release and wasn't feeling as cranky about it as he probably should have, though it didn't seem like Seonghwa had any control over the situation. "Sorry. It won't happen again," he said, a slight strain to his voice. Slowly, he proceeded to remove the rest of his uniform; Hongjoong noted that Seonghwa didn't wear leggings under his flight suit and wondered if it was because his species was more acclimated to the freezing vacuum of space or because he just ran at a higher average temperature in general. Maybe both. He didn't know why it mattered. 

It didn't anymore when he realized that Seonghwa had removed his undershirt, that there were long tendrils of different lengths and thicknesses wrapping around his body now, suckers along the undersides of each of them keeping them stuck to his skin where they encircled his arms, thighs, and torso, and that his arousal was extremely evident even before he slowly peeled his underwear off.

Carefully, Seonghwa moved back in again, clearly wanting to kiss Hongjoong, but feeling... self-conscious, maybe? He looked more awkward than he had earlier, averting his eyes while he tilted his head to fit their lips together, and his kisses were much more reserved than they had been previously. Up until now, Seonghwa had been the one trying to help him relax and Hongjoong hadn't even considered that the alien might also be anxious about the whole process, so in return, he did his best to spend comfort to the redhead, coming in closer, climbing into his lap, stroking his hair and rubbing his back.

He could feel Seonghwa's cock heavy and hard against his hip, and after a moment, something else. Hongjoong didn't know how else to describe them besides tentacles, similar to an octopus' except that there were far more than just eight. The biggest of them was a little thicker than his wrist—something which both fascinated and frightened him—while the rest were no bigger than an inch or two in circumference; they wrapped around Seonghwa's lean body from behind him, seeming to originate near his lower back where Yunho had been prodding earlier. 

Before Seonghwa, Hongjoong had never met one of his kind, but he remembered hearing about the first time one of their colonies—the same one which Seonghwa had been born and raised in—had been encountered. The crew had been alarmed at just how human this alien species looked; there was some fear that they were parasitic when they'd first been discovered, using a human host to interact and communicate, but this wasn't the case. In more than just their tentacles, they really were similar to the octopus—highly intelligent and adaptive, masters of disguise who could change their appearance to suit their environment in order to trick predators and ensure survival—though obviously much more highly evolved. Seonghwa's human form was a mask to protect the creature within, made of its own tissue with texture and anatomy changed to fit into its surroundings, though human science hadn't quite come so far as to offer an explanation as to how this was possible yet.

The tentacles themselves were different from what Hongjoong expected. They were warm, sticking onto his skin and holding with their suckers even as they excreted a slick, sweet-smelling fluid, pale blue in colour with a mottled appearance, When he reached out curiously to feel one, though, it recoiled, colour and texture changing in its attempt to hide among the sheets beneath it. 

Hongjoong was in awe. "They're shy," he noted, observing carefully while Seonghwa stared down at him, amused.

"I think they like you," the alien returned, eyeing Hongjoong while he offered his hand to the tentacles again. Slowly, they made their way to wrap around his fingers, the smaller ones following after the larger ones as if they had deemed it safe.

"I'd hope so, if I'm going to be incubating their young," the captain commented idly, finding himself smiling as one reached out toward his face.

Seonghwa cleared his throat, "Well. My young. Or... I suppose they'd be ours, if you really wanted the eggs fertilized."

Hongjoong gave a soft laugh, lifting his eyes briefly from the tentacles wrapped around his fingers to meet Seonghwa's dark gaze. "Do you fertilize all guys on the first date?"

"No," he replied, looking so flushed and awkward that Hongjoong couldn't help but think how cute he was. "No, you're right, that's... ridiculous."

"We would make cute babies, though," Hongjoong supplied, and Seonghwa actually laughed, thankfully easing the tension before it really had time to mount on them.

The tentacles had become much more comfortable with Hongjoong by now, growing adventurous and exploring past his arms. The one on his face gripped onto the soft, smooth skin of his cheek, wrapping over the bridge of his nose, and then curled downward as it crawled its way toward his mouth. Curiously, Hongjoong parted his lips to let it in, finding that the sweet-smelling substance tasted just as good as Seonghwa's mouth—maybe better. The alien swallowed hard, going rigid as Hongjoong carefully closed his lips around the tentacle, sucking gently while it played with his tongue; at this proximity, it was impossible not to notice the way Seonghwa's breathing quickened or the twitch of his cock where it was trapped between their bodies.

Below, a pair of tentacles no more than two fingers width in thickness wrapped around Hongjoong, one circling one of his thighs and brushing along the inside where the captain was quite sensitive, while the other found its way around his waist. This one moved up his spine, drawing an exaggerated shudder out of him at the light sensation, and when it apparently didn't find what it was looking for, it dipped downwards instead. 

Hongjoong thought it would be strange having tentacles touching his most intimate areas, but when he felt the first brush over his lips, he found himself... wanting instead. For a short time, it teased at his cunt, the body of it writhing against his entrance and making him ache for the feeling of something inside him again. Almost involuntarily, his hips ground down against the tentacle, and he let out a sound of frustration around the tentacle in his mouth when the action didn't produce any of the friction he wanted.

"Hongjoong," Seonghwa breathed out, and for the first time Hongjoong noticed how the linguist's hands settled at his waist, only because his grip tightened when the captain rolled his hips again, effectively grinding up against Seonghwa's cock where it sat neglected between them. 

It was also the first time Seonghwa had ever said his name, and Hongjoong felt... unexpectedly pleasant at the way it had sounded on the alien's plush lips.

He made the decision to try and reward him, letting his hand dip down to enclose his small fingers around Seonghwa's length. With no experience, Hongjoong worried for a split second that he might not be very good, dragging his fist clumsily up and down the linguist's thick shaft, but then he watched the redhead's eyebrows draw together and his mouth fall open around a broken, breathy moan that would have been inaudible had Hongjoong not been seated in his lap. As he pulled his hand back up, massaging over the head, it leaked sweet, sticky fluid, and Seonghwa bit his lip.

Hongjoong had the idea to use Seonghwa's precum as a sort of lubricant in hopes that it would smooth his strokes and make the slide a little easier, but while the substance smelled the same as the tentacles' secretion and Seonghwa's saliva, it was much too thick and almost tacky on Hongjoong's skin.

Experimentally, he lifted his hand to pull the tentacle from his mouth, licking the precum from his fingers, discovering that it had the same peaches and cream taste, too.

Seonghwa hissed at the sight, something in an alien language that Hongjoong didn't have the presence of mind to attempt to identify, and his hands gripped even harder at the blue-haired captain's tiny waist, enough so that he was sure there would be bruises in the shape of the linguist's fingers later. When Hongjoong looked up with wide, innocent eyes, he could see something was different. Seonghwa's pupils were blown wide and his face was bright red, jaw set so hard that Hongjoong was sure he could hear his teeth grinding.

"Seong—" Before the alien's whole name could leave his lips, Hongjoong had been turned over onto his back, his head among the pillows, staring up at Seonghwa like a deer in headlights. It took him a moment to orient himself and figure out what had just happened, but before he could ask if the other was okay, he was silenced with perfect pink lips on his.

Seonghwa nipped at his lip and rolled his hips down, the length of his cock sliding easily through Hongjoong's wet folds and up against his clit, eliciting a soft moan from the captain. With his lips parted, Seonghwa licked into his mouth and Hongjoong tried to keep up with the much more intense pace that had been set, finding himself coming up just short; not that it mattered much when the head of Seonghwa's cock caught on his entrance and just barely dipped inside before it was gone again. The anticipation of what could happen—what was going to happen—had the captain pressing his head back into the pillows, rocking his hips up to invite Seonghwa in, locking trembling thighs up around his waist while tiny fingers gripped at his shoulders, digging painted nails into flawless skin—he wanted to be filled, and he wished that Seonghwa would stop taking his sweet time.

Kisses trailed from his mouth down to his neck, turning to nipping and sucking, scraping his teeth where he was clearly meaning to leave a mark. All Hongjoong could do was whimper, his breathing picking up when he felt the tentacle that had been teasing him previously press in against his hole. Tapered toward the tip, it slipped in easily, and the further it moved inside, the more filled Hongjoong felt; the tentacle conformed perfectly to his walls, writhing in a way that his fingers and toys never could as it gently stretched him open, and squelching lewdly as its natural lubricant mixed with his own. 

It wasn't much longer before he felt a second tentacle sliding over his lips, pressing in alongside the first, and panic rang through Hongjoong like a shot. It wasn't going to fit. It couldn't. The only thing he'd ever taken two of inside himself was his own fingers, and the first tentacle was already much thicker than that. 

"Seonghwa," he gasped out, fear filling him for the briefest of moments while the tentacle wriggled at his entrance. By the time Seonghwa lifted his head from where he'd bitten a dark red mark into Hongjoong's skin, it was already making its way inside, pulling itself along with little suckers, writhing against a spot that sent showers of sparks shooting up from his core and tingling through his nerves. All at once, he felt overwhelmed, pleasure coiling up inside him while he was filled beyond capacity, more than he ever thought possible. "Seonghwa—" The alien's name fell from his lips again, hands finding broad shoulders and gripping hard as his head pressed back into the pillows beneath him.

"You should see yourself," Hongjoong heard from above him. He noticed Seonghwa staring down at his entrance, wetting his lips in a way that made him look like a starved animal. "Such a good boy, taking me so well. Can't wait to see you filled up with my eggs."

Hongjoong shuddered, feeling a spike of pleasure ram through his core just at Seonghwa's words alone.

Without waiting for any kind of response, Seonghwa leaned up, slotted their lips together and licked into Hongjoong's mouth, not seeming to mind the nails digging little crescent moon shapes into his shoulders. For a little while they kissed, one of Seonghwa's hands finding Hongjoong's nipples to pinch and roll them, only adding to the blue-haired captain's pleasure while inside, the tips of the tentacles pressed at his cervix until Hongjoong saw stars.

He came hard, crying out loudly as pleasure washed up from his toes and drowned him until he thought he might pass out. His whole body locked up, and he faintly heard Seonghwa make a noise of discomfort, but that was washed away by the sound of his blood pounding in his ears. The tentacles didn't stop, though, and in another moment, Hongjoong felt a second wave crash over him, making him whimper as he retracted a set of his nails to throw an arm over his face. There were tears streaming from his eyes and into his hair, the pure bliss overtaking him.

By the time he'd started to come down, he'd realized that the wriggling of the tentacles was far too deep inside him to have stopped at his cervix, and he didn't dare look down, knowing that he'd likely be able to see their outline as they made room inside him. Instead, he focused his attention on Seonghwa, who was staring down at him like he was something to eat. His chest was heaving and his hand was fisted so hard in the sheets that his knuckles were white, and Hongjoong felt... concerned.

It looked like Seonghwa was just barely holding himself back. From what, Hongjoong wasn't really sure; part of him that was still aching with arousal wanted to find out.

Hongjoong gasped as the tentacles began to withdraw from inside him, apparently satisfied with whatever job they'd had to do. Shocks of discomfort followed, his hole too oversensitive to really feel much pleasure from the action. They didn't seem to care much about his state, however, slipping free and rising to meet Seonghwa's tongue, the redhead taking them into his mouth to suck Hongjoong's juices from them. In that moment, Hongjoong thought he understood why Seonghwa had seemed so aroused by the sight of Hongjoong doing the same earlier. "You taste fucking amazing," the linguist purred out, closing the gap between them to lick into Hongjoong's mouth so he could taste for himself. Something about the idea had a quiet moan escaping him. "I could eat you out forever, Captain. Tell me this won't be the only time I get to taste you."

"It won't," Hongjoong promised immediately. Just then, he really wanted more of Seonghwa's mouth. He'd had something of a crush on the linguist before, and had admittedly thought more than once about what it would be like to be fucked by him, but now he felt certain that going back to the cordiality that came with a professional work relationship would simply not ever be enough. Looking at Seonghwa hovering over him, feeling the thickness of his cock rutting up against his slick folds, dragging over his sensitive clit, and knowing that very soon he would be filled to bursting with the linguist's eggs, Hongjoong's lust could only grow.

Already he felt himself heating up just thinking about it, squirming and squeezing Seonghwa's narrow hips between his thighs as he attempted to entice the redhead onward.

Seonghwa let out a quiet chuckle, teasing. "What is it, Captain? Do you need something?" He rolled his hips down, sliding the whole length of his shaft against Hongjoong's cunt. He knew for certain that, buried to the hilt, it would definitely reach his cervix, and the thought had intense heat sparking inside him.

"Fuck me already, please, Seonghwa— I need your cock, I wanna feel it inside me. Please." He nearly whimpered, feeling completely unashamed as these words fell from his mouth. Outside this room and this encounter, he'd never speak so lewdly, and he'd likely be horrified later about how he'd acted, but now, in this moment, he couldn't have controlled it if he'd tried.

Seonghwa just laughed again, "Not yet, Captain. Be a good boy and take my eggs first. Then we'll see if you deserve it."

If he'd had a choice, Hongjoong might have protested, begged a little more just to see if he could get Seonghwa to cave, but the moment he opened his mouth, the hole was invaded by a tentacle. It wasn't quite thick enough to fill the space, but the sweet flavour of the lubricant had him instantly complying with what Seonghwa clearly wanted, closing his lips around the girth and sucking just enough to make the linguist purr. 

The taste of peaches and cream filled his senses, warming him inside and out until he could feel sweat beading and running down his skin. Before long, his cunt began to ache as arousal hit hard, and the emptiness became increasingly apparent; in the back of his mind, he thought that the lubricant that the tentacles produced must have contained an aphrodisiac of some sort, and though he hadn't really been informed of that beforehand, he trusted in Seonghwa and the process enough that he didn't find himself able to care. Or maybe that was just the aphrodisiac doing exactly what it was supposed to. 

"There you go. Good boy," he heard Seonghwa say from above him. By now, his eyes were closed as warm bliss pulsated across his skin, making every inch of him feel hypersensitive, everywhere Seonghwa touched bursting with pure pleasure. It made Hongjoong whimper around the tentacle in his mouth, which he could swear felt even deeper inside him, wriggling its way into the back of his throat as all his muscles went completely lax. "Your body is ready," the linguist purred, his voice low and gravelly with lust. "I'm going to fill you up so good."

His hands pinned Hongjoong to the bed by his waist, pressing hot, wet kisses to his neck and chest as tentacles wrapped around them both, circling their limbs with their gentle wriggling. Between Hongjoong's legs appeared the thickest of all of them, with a tip that felt much more phallic in nature, though with his eyes shut and a tentacle rammed down his throat, the captain couldn't really say for certain if that was the case. It pushed into him just as the others had, filling him steadily, stretching him in a way that would have been painful without the aphrodisiac humming through his nerves, making everything feel like pure, unfiltered bliss.

For a long moment, nothing happened. The pair was left impatient in a sort of limbo, simply enjoying the feeling of each other before the appendage rooted deeply inside Hongjoong's core began to contract slowly, creating a rippling movement that massaged his walls in all the right places. As with the previous tentacles, this one fit him perfectly, filled him out like it was meant to be there, and it made it that much more obvious when the first egg began its ascent. It wasn't very big—perhaps half the size of Hongjoong's fist—but it was firm as it was pushed closer to his uterus with every pulsation of the tentacle inside him. The drag was absolutely delicious, pulling sweet little moans from Hongjoong's lips which only escalated as he felt a second, a third, and then a fourth entering his body.

He lost count quickly, overtaken by desire as each egg was deposited deep within him, making his cunt ache with his building arousal. Each one sent waves of pleasure rolling over his nerves like a fog, keeping him just on edge the whole time. If it weren't for the tentacle in his mouth, he might have begged Seonghwa to help him release; if it weren't for the ones that held his arms down, pinning them so he was completely immobilized, he might have simply helped himself. For now, all he could do was vocalize his pleasure, thighs clamped around Seonghwa's hips while the linguist hovered over him.

For his part, Seonghwa seemed completely wrecked. The sounds that left him started out soft and breathy, but eventually deepened, quiet growls leaving him that didn't seem even remotely human. Each time an egg left him and settled inside Hongjoong, the linguist's hips canted forward, seemingly out of his control as he searched for friction, rutting against Hongjoong's hip and covering him in his sticky precum. The sickeningly sweet scent of peaches and cream clouded around them, making them both feel heady and intoxicated.

"Get up," the linguist demanded at one point, and Hongjoong noted that his voice barely resembled Seonghwa's sweet, soft timbre now. "I want to watch you taking my eggs." His grip was punishing as he lifted Hongjoong's body like a rag doll and turned him over, pressing the captain's back to his chest; held up completely by the strength of the tentacles alone, Hongjoong's head lolled back onto Seonghwa's shoulder, and he could do nothing but whimper as the alien's hands followed the curve of his body, sending shocks of pleasure straight through his core. He felt himself dripping, slick leaking from his cunt, which ran down his thighs and pooled on the sheets beneath them. He managed to find the ability to rock his hips into Seonghwa's hand when long fingers slipped down to brush over his lower lips, tracing the girth of the tentacle and brushing against Hongjoong's neglected clit with the heel of his hand in the process.

Seonghwa let out a laugh, the sound vibrating over the surface of Hongjoong's skin where his hot breath met the side of the captain's neck. "Still so desperate to be touched even while you're full of me," he noted, biting marks into Hongjoong's skin that the captain was certain were breaking skin, but each of them felt like being waterboarded with pure ambrosia. "Who would have thought that our captain was such a needy little slut."

The words were breathed directly against his ear, his core tightening while pleasure bloomed hotter and hotter in his core; but when Seonghwa used that word, Hongjoong reacted strongly, his breath hitching and moans falling from his lips as the sensation of being filled, his middle stretching around the eggs that were being dumped inside him, and Seonghwa's dark rasp sent him over the edge.

Through the blood rushing in his ears and the whitewash of bliss he was sinking into like a warm ocean wave, Hongjoong was sure he could hear Seonghwa growling out his words. "Fuck yes, fuck, Captain— Such a good boy, getting fucked so full—" For certain, Hongjoong knew he could feel the linguist grinding against him, pushing his thighs together to use them to pleasure himself. In his own mind, he imagined that Seonghwa could feel the eggs against his cock as they moved through the tentacle and disappeared up inside Hongjoong's cunt, but he didn't give the thought much attention as his eyes slipped closed.

What felt like a moment before he was able to blink his eyes open once again must have been long minutes, because when Hongjoong came to, he was no longer being held up against Seonghwa's body with a tentacle writhing inside him. Instead, he was leaned forward on his knees with his ass in the air and his back bowed under the weight of his middle, sweet pleasure shuddering through him every time the linguist fucked his thick cock into Hongjoong's cunt. The sounds of his slick and skin harshly meeting skin were absolutely obscene as his body was used like a toy for Seonghwa's gain. Seonghwa's hands were hot on his body, one holding his wrists pinned above his head and the other travelling between Hongjoong's rounded stomach and his chest, his touch so harsh that the captain's pale skin was sure to bruise from the contact. The linguist's body nearly burned above him, making the two of them sweat profusely, panting as the air turned even thicker with heat and pheromones.

The last thing Hongjoong noticed, as the aphrodisiac ran its course and allowed him to feel normally once again, was Seonghwa's teeth in his shoulder. His body throbbed with a strange mix of pain and pleasure, but the back of his neck and left shoulder felt intensely uncomfortable, and he struggled against the grip Seonghwa had on his wrists until he felt the long fingers binding them together tighten. The sounds that left the alien in response were like a feral animal, and Hongjoong chose to stop fighting, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to escape. He reasoned with himself—this wasn't Seonghwa, this was the manifestation of Seonghwa's instinct to breed, and it was what he signed up for when he consented to all of this. It hurt, being bitten into like a forbidden fruit, but Seonghwa wasn't here to make it stop, and if he were, Hongjoong was certain he would.

It wasn't all bad, anyway. When teeth dragged down the back of his neck to find a clean bit of skin to mark, Hongjoong felt a shudder tingle through his body. He measured his breathing and focused on the way Seonghwa's cock filled him out even better than the tentacles, the hardness inside him pressing up against a spot that had the captain's core filling with sweet need once again. The hand that rubbed his distended middle journeyed up to pinch and roll his sensitive nipples, and when the sensation made Hongjoong whimper, he felt it slide down between his legs to stroke his swollen clit in time with his thrusts. 

Before long, despite the discomfort, he managed to cum one last time, his walls clamping down hard on Seonghwa's length until his hips faltered. A thick substance filled Hongjoong further, Seonghwa made a sound that was somewhere between pleasure and panic, and he tried to pull away as quickly as he could; some awareness must have returned to him in that moment as he released the rest of his substantial load over Hongjoong's thighs and ass, continuing to grind against him as he rode out his orgasm seemingly forever.

His hands on Hongjoong softened, his grip holding the captain up on shaky legs, and the linguist himself fought not to collapse all his weight on a tiny frame that was filled to the brim with his eggs. Gentle kisses were pressed against Hongjoong's spine and then his neck, the wounds on his shoulder, and the shell of his ear as Seonghwa carefully assisted him in laying on his side, following only when he was sure the blue-haired man was comfortable. Whatever bloodthirsty creature had possessed him in the last moments of their mating was gone.

Finally free, Hongjoong's hand was allowed to explore the new changes to his body, marvelling at how full he was. Twenty eggs, no bigger in diameter than a golf ball, rounded him out until he looked several months into a normal human pregnancy, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't fascinate him. At some point, Seonghwa's hand joined his, uncoordinated with exhaustion but following the curve of his belly with a content purr of approval.

"We should do this again sometime," Hongjoong suggested, his voice raspy from overuse.

"Mmm." Seonghwa's response was noncommittal at best, but his nose pressed into Hongjoong's hair to nuzzle him affectionately, and his hand covered the captain's much smaller one to intertwine their fingers. Hongjoong took that as a yes and then quieted down so they could both get some much needed rest.

Chapter Text

Immediately after waking the next morning, Hongjoong left Seonghwa's room and visited Yunho to be treated for the marks left all over his body—one good bite needing at least two stitches, the others all fine just being disinfected and covered with bandages. Seonghwa hadn't done as much damage as it felt like, though Hongjoong walked with obvious pain, while insisting on going about his duties as usual despite Yunho begging him to stay down until he was feeling better. The captain spent most of his time sitting either at his desk or on the bridge, though, so he didn't feel like it was necessary to stay in bed where Yunho wanted him; his job was fairly low impact as it was.

For the most part, things were business as usual in the week following implantation, though there were a few changes Hongjoong picked up that absolutely could not go unnoticed.

For one, his crewmen could not stop staring. Which was understandable, he supposed. His offer to incubate Seonghwa's eggs had been sudden, so everyone was surprised when he showed up for his subsequent shifts with his uniform filled out a little more each day. It was probably hard to keep their eyes off the swell in his middle when Hongjoong's hand instinctively moved to it, resting atop it or running along its curvature without him even thinking about it. Remarks were made as well, teasing about how Hongjoong was glowing, and maybe he was. His skin seemed clearer and softer, his eyes lit up with something that was much closer to happiness than most of the crew had ever seen, and he carried himself with a sort of pride different from that afforded to him by his position as their captain. He felt good being pregnant. He liked waking up and looking in the mirror to see how much he'd grown. He liked cooing to his eggs, mothering them even though he knew that there was nothing growing inside them.

Then there was Seonghwa.

Before, Seonghwa had been cordially distant—professional. That hadn't exactly changed, but he certainly seemed to struggle whenever Hongjoong was present. There were times when he stood too close, corrected himself, tried to relax when he became too stiff but failed altogether. Other times, he stood too far away, or left altogether as quickly as he could manage whenever Hongjoong entered a room. His speech faltered whenever they absolutely had to interact, he had immense trouble looking Hongjoong in the eye, and honestly... Hongjoong wasn't entirely sure what his problem was. He always looked conflicted, like he wanted to do something but wasn't sure he was allowed, and then scolded himself like a child and made an attempt at resuming his former rigid posture.

It was as bizarre to watch as it was troubling.

Hongjoong struggled with this development himself; after what they'd done, he felt emotionally attached to Seonghwa, and he wanted desperately to help him with whatever he was going through, but couldn't figure out whether that meant he should pay more attention to him, or leave him alone to let him sort through his feelings. Being unable to choose one led to him letting his emotions dictate in the moment how to act—something ridiculously uncharacteristic of him, which only seemed to upset Seonghwa more.

The turmoil between the captain and the linguist was easily noticed by the crew, and it took no time at all for them to put two and two together. Hongjoong was obviously pregnant, and the baby was obviously Seonghwa's. The reactions ranged from enthusiastic congratulations to snide comments, the latter of which Hongjoong only heard in passing. The particularly nasty ones were never purposely said within earshot of him, but he'd heard that Seonghwa had been struggling as those who already didn't like him became a little more bold in their distaste. When he could defend the linguist, he did, but Seonghwa never came to him to complain and refused to give names of crewmen who bullied him, so there wasn't much to be done about it.

Finally, there was Hongjoong's body.

He was obviously growing every day, his uniform getting tighter and tighter around the middle until he had to size up after only three days. But there were other things that he hadn't entirely expected as well. For one, he was ravenously hungry, to the point where he felt like he needed a second portion of his rations at meal times and couldn't help but snack in between. His senses of taste and smell changed, leaving him sickened whenever there was meat in his presence; he craved eggs like there was no tomorrow, but could never bring himself to eat them knowing what he was carrying inside himself. After eating, he always felt nauseous—only enough to make him uncomfortable, though he'd thrown up two days in a row just after waking in the morning.

He wasn't stupid. These were pretty normal pregnancy symptoms, and though on a technicality, having Seonghwa's eggs implanted in his uterus meant that he was pregnant, they weren't fertilized, so the symptoms confused him. Was this normal? Or was his body just on the fritz because it couldn't tell the difference between unfertilized eggs and a living, growing fetus? There could be something seriously wrong with him, or seriously wrong with the eggs. Maybe a combination of both. Either way, he couldn't just go on not knowing.

It left him with two options: either ask Yunho, or ask Seonghwa.

Each of these came with their own obvious pros and cons, which he contemplated while sitting at his desk in his office, under the pretense of dealing with some paperwork that he'd put off for far too long. 

Firstly, Yunho wasn't only a doctor, but a medical researcher; he was highly skilled in the healthcare of several different species, including Seonghwa's. In fact, he was one of few human doctors with any substantial knowledge on Seonghwa's kind at all, which made him a very desirable candidate. But he was also very handsy. Everything was a research opportunity to him, and Hongjoong's pregnancy would be no different—he knew this because Yunho had already attempted to get him to agree to some tests the moment he found out what had happened between the captain and the linguist.

On the other hand, Seonghwa, while not being a doctor, had the most experience with his own kind's reproductive cycle. He'd mentioned knowing that the whole thing would be very pleasurable and Hongjoong assumed that this was from first-hand experience; from what he understood, this species wasn't strictly monogamous, so it was possible that Seonghwa had shared cycles with many partners before joining up with Hongjoong's crew and being forced onto his cycle suppressants. There was a much better chance of him knowing whether Hongjoong's symptoms were common or not, without all the poking and prodding. Or... maybe some poking and prodding... just, in a much more intimate, much less sterile sort of way.

The thought made Hongjoong shudder.

Obviously, though, the downside to approaching Seonghwa was his changed demeanour towards the captain. Would he even be willing to answer Hongjoong's questions? Would he be capable? Or would his awkward nervousness get in the way of productive conversation?

If Hongjoong had to wager a guess, probably the latter most option.

Undoubtedly, that made Yunho the better choice, so with a heavy sigh and a moment taken to accept the fact that he was soon to become a human experiment, he dialed up the doctor's personal comm extension. Just before he could select the call button, however, the office door chimed, indicating that someone was outside requesting access. It easily took precedence over the comm that he didn't want to make anyway, and he set aside his holopad to allow his visitor in.

He looked down at his work in order to seem busy, not bothering to check who had just entered his office, expecting that they would make themselves known when they spoke, but no such thing happened for a long minute. There was a tense, awkward silence, and finally Hongjoong lifted his eyes to find Seonghwa standing as far from him as he could possibly get with the door closed at his back. His brows shot up into the blue fringe of his bangs, surprised.

"Seonghwa? What can I do for you?" Maybe this was a good sign. Seonghwa was coming to him of his own volition. Was he ready to talk about what was obviously bothering him?

The redhead shifted, stiff, a sort of fear in his round, black eyes. It made Hongjoong think of the day not so long ago when Seonghwa had come to him about having lost his suppressants. He'd been nervous then, too. Was Hongjoong just that scary to him? "I...."

Maybe he was.

"Come sit and take a deep breath. You know I don't bite," he tried to joke, relaxing his own posture into the comfort of his chair, hands automatically framing his distended middle on either side. "Not like you do, anyway."

Seonghwa looked stricken. His face immediately reddened until his skin matched his hair. It reminded Hongjoong of the tentacles, how they changed colour and texture to hide in their surroundings; he wondered if Seonghwa was subconsciously trying to hide from him. "That.... I sincerely apologize, Captain. Does it still bother you?"

Hongjoong shook his head, "It's almost healed. The stitches can probably come out soon." Seonghwa nodded at this, but didn't move from his spot, so Hongjoong waved him over, motioning to one of the chairs placed in front of his desk for visitors. "Come sit."

After a long moment of contemplation, the linguist stepped forward, reluctance showing in his gait and the way his body stayed perfectly rigid as he sat at the edge of one of the chairs.

"What did you need?" Hongjoong asked, prompting but trying not to sound pushy.

"I've completed the translations for the transmissions we received from the Gehenna Sector; there appears to be an independent group attempting to colonize—"

"That's nice, but you could have commed me for something that simple," Hongjoong pointed out, cutting Seonghwa off completely. There was no reason to come to him personally when sending over the logs would have been much more efficient. Generally speaking, Seonghwa was nothing if not efficient, so his appearance here couldn't be about business. "If you just wanted to see me, you can say that, you know."

Seonghwa pressed his lips together, head dipping to watch his own fingers fiddling with the cuff of his uniform. It took him a long time to think, and Hongjoong observed his demeanour the entire time, still hopeful. "I... did, want to see you," he finally admitted, and Hongjoong felt himself melt. "I know it's not very professional of me. After what happened, I've had a hard time coming to terms with what I did to you; that's... what I really wanted to talk about. I've decided that... at the next port, I will disembark the ship and leave your services."

Hongjoong felt something inside him sink, as if all his insides had turned to lead; in the same breath, Seonghwa had given him such relief, only to take it right back again. He didn't understand why. "What? Seonghwa, what are you talking about?"

The redhead slowly reached into his pocket, retrieving a small black chip, which he placed on the captain's desk while said captain struggled to push himself upright. "This is my resignation letter. Once again, I sincerely apologize. I just hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me, though I would understand if you couldn't. I don't believe I deserve such kindness."

"What about your eggs? You can't just abandon me with them," was Hongjoong's frantic protest. Usually so calm and collected, something about the idea of Seonghwa leaving him caused very real panic to grab onto him like a riptide, dragging him beyond his ability to rationalize his behaviour. Before he could stop himself, he was already shoving himself out of his chair to come to Seonghwa's side of the desk. "You're not going to abandon me, right? I can't do this without you. I don't know what to do."

For the briefest of moments, Seonghwa looked conflicted, but ultimately he kept his eyes down. He didn't even look at Hongjoong's boots where their toes met. "I will be here for the rest of the time it will take for them to gestate. They're not... they shouldn't be fertilized, so we'll have Yunho dispose of them once they're laid. But... I'll need to leave before the start of my next cycle, so this doesn't happen to you again."

"You're assuming I wouldn't want it to happen to me again," Hongjoong challenged, bending as much as he could so he could try to catch the linguist's dark eyes, a hand supporting his middle. "Seonghwa, please look at me."

Seonghwa refused by pressing his chin to his chest and closing his eyes instead. Hongjoong huffed, fidgeting in front of the redhead for a long moment before he finally reached out for him. In any other situation, he would never do this; he would never touch an employee without their permission, and it felt weird to be doing it now, but he needed Seonghwa's attention on him. He needed Seonghwa to listen. His heart was begging for it in a way he'd never felt before and he didn't quite understand it.

"Look at me," he pleaded, this time a little more desperate as he took the man's face in his hands and guided him to look up when his muscles softened under Hongjoong's warm touch. "Seonghwa, do you think I'm upset about what happened?"

The linguist stayed quiet. At the very least, he managed to open his eyes again, meeting Hongjoong's gaze before trailing away again. Hongjoong accepted it. It was a start.

"I wanted this," the captain continued, letting his thumbs brush along Seonghwa's cheekbones, gentle and soothing. "You asked me, and I accepted. I would do it again in a heartbeat if you wanted me to."

"You were also under the influence of my pheromones when you consented," Seonghwa finally said. "I hurt you, badly, and you weren't adequately prepared beforehand; you never should have been in that position without knowing exactly what you were getting into. You didn't know what all to expect, and I am the one at fault for that. I took advantage of you, and I can't stop thinking about how much worse things could have gone, or how I should have handled things."

"But you didn't—" Hongjoong stopped himself before he could get any more words out into the open. If he were being completely honest, empathy probably wasn't his strongest trait, but even he could recognize the delicate balance as he and Seonghwa hung in this moment together. He needed to understand where Seonghwa was coming from and handle this with care. "You didn't hurt me, and I told you, I wanted it. I'd been thinking about it since you came into my office to tell me about your cycle. I wanted to do this for you, and with you."

"Would you really have pursued it, though?" Seonghwa asked, skeptical.

It made the captain pause, sucking his lips in between his teeth to chew at them while he really contemplated that question. Would he have...? "No, I guess not. It would have been inappropriate to have that kind of relationship with my subordinate," he answered. 

Seonghwa clicked his tongue, seemingly coming to some conclusion in his own mind, Hongjoong's words validating thoughts in the linguist's mind that he wasn't privy to.

"But, I did want it," the captain added, his voice as small as his delicate little frame. His hands fell to the sides of Seonghwa's neck, fingertips resting against his nape just to make sure he couldn't get away. The contact felt good on Hongjoong's skin; he wanted more of it, ached for it even. How could Seonghwa truly believe that he'd taken advantage of him and violated him when he'd always wanted this? It just didn't seem fair. "And if you want to make that argument, you weren't in control of yourself either. You were under the influence of hormones, and you can't tell me Yunho's drug stash didn't have anything to do with your mental state at the time. Would you have said yes if I'd pursued you outside of your cycle?"

For the first time, when Seonghwa looked up, he held Hongjoong's gaze. His full lips were pulled into a scowl that wasn't quite angry; if anything, Hongjoong thought he saw shame and guilt in his expression instead. There was something a little hard in his eyes, though, suggesting he may not have been happy to have his own logic used against him. If he was upset about that, then that was perfectly fine, Hongjoong thought. He could stay mad about it.

"I...." Seonghwa paused, drew in a deep breath as his eyebrows knit and his head tilted in thought. "I wouldn't have been able to. It's hard to talk to you even about business matters without wanting to run away. You're very intimidating sometimes, Captain."

This wasn't exactly what Hongjoong was expecting Seonghwa to say; in his surprise, his eyes widened and he moved to drop his hands from where they'd gradually settled on the linguist's shoulders. Something about that statement hurt. "Am I intimidating you now?" he asked, drawing his hands in toward himself; subconsciously, his hands covered his middle, drawing some comfort out of the action.

"Yes," answered Seonghwa, blunt in a way he normally wasn't.
 
It stung Hongjoong's heart and he moved to take a step back; it wasn't his intention to intimidate Seonghwa. He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it. When he thought about it, though, it made sense. Seonghwa was always stiff around him, always fidgeting, always trying to finish their conversations as quickly as possible so he could get away.

As soon as he moved, though, much bigger hands were reaching out for him, long fingers encircling his wrists gently but firmly. "Don't misunderstand. You're leaving before I've even had a chance to explain myself," Seonghwa murmured, holding Hongjoong until the captain relented and let himself be kept in place. "It's not your position or anything you're doing to me specifically that I find intimidating. It's... your confidence, your intelligence, your flawless leadership. It's not... a fear of you, so much as awe and respect. To me, you're... you always have been, someone I had no hope of being noticed by." His grip tightened just a little. Hongjoong found himself watching Seonghwa's hands instead of his face. "You're so very attractive to me. It's hard to know how to act around you, and I'm afraid of ruining everything, slipping up and doing something wrong. I feel that I've done that now. I've done something horribly wrong to you, Captain."

"Something I wanted," Hongjoong reminded him, his voice coming out as little more than a squeak with how dry his throat felt.

Seonghwa nodded, attempted to swallow, though it was clear he was in the exact same position Hongjoong was. "Even if you wanted it, I shouldn't have.... I should have held back, even with the thing I'd always wanted right there in front of me. I knew that in the moment, and I still...."

"I wasn't even thinking about how wrong it was. I just wanted to help you. I didn't want you locked up. The thought of it just...." Hongjoong took a deep breath. With the pain in his chest finally waning off, he twisted his arms in Seonghwa's grip, threading their fingers together instead. "Let me ask you something, then."

Seonghwa dipped his head slowly. Hongjoong took that as a sign to continue.

"Can we agree that we both may have been in the wrong?" he questioned.

Again, the redhead nodded. "Yes. I think we can agree on that, at least from our own perspectives."

"And can we both agree that we're mutually attracted? That we both wanted this, even if it wasn't necessarily appropriate given our positions?"

Seonghwa's hands tightened around Hongjoong's, pulling him just a little closer. The movement was so subtle, so fluid and natural, Hongjoong hardly noticed himself closing in on the linguist. "We can certainly agree on that."

"And...." Hongjoong had to wet his lips, attempting to swallow before he could continue. "Can we agree that we would both do it again in a heartbeat given the chance?"

"Would you really?" Seonghwa asked. He shifted, seemed bothered though his stance had relaxed immensely.

Hongjoong hummed. "As many times as we possibly could. Every time you needed to, even."

"Are you suggesting I stay here with you and go off my suppressants entirely, Captain?" Their eyes met. As deep and bottomlessly black as Seonghwa's were, Hongjoong thought he could see something burning there. He swallowed again, still feeling incredibly dry as heat began to crawl up through his body just at the suggestion. When he didn't answer immediately, Seonghwa's lips curled into a crooked little smile. Hongjoong's heart jumped in his chest. "Can I take that as a yes, then?"

"Please?" The word slipped out before Hongjoong could stop it. When Seonghwa exhaled a barely audible laugh, he could feel the linguist's breath against his face. When had they gotten so close?

"You would like that? Every month I'd stuff you full of my eggs, watch you grow, fuck you while you push them out, and then we'd do it all over again. You want me to keep you like that?"

The way Seonghwa's voice had dropped, low and deep, had Hongjoong's skin tingling. The suggestion itself made tension coil low in his core, his cunt aching to be touched and filled. He bit his lip, suppressing a whine as he shuffled forward, standing in between Seonghwa's thighs. Their noses brushed, Seonghwa's hands settled on Hongjoong's waist while his thumbs ran back and forth either side of the captain's swollen middle.

"Can I kiss you again?" Seonghwa asked, and rather than answer, Hongjoong tipped his head to close the gap between them instead, seeking out the sweet peaches and cream flavour he expected to be on the linguist's lips. His tongue flicked out to brush against the pillowy flesh, a hum of dissatisfaction leaving him when it just tasted like skin.

He didn't have time to wonder about this before he felt Seonghwa's grip on his waist pulling him in, wordlessly asking him to sit on his lap. Hongjoong complied, bracketing Seonghwa's hips with his thighs and pressing forward until the dome of his abdomen pressed into the linguist's still firm and flat one. He felt the same hands that had urged him forward travelling down to knead at his ass, long fingers reaching to brush over his clothed lips every now and then. It was already enough to have Hongjoong writhing, grinding down on Seonghwa to encourage his actions. Through their uniforms, he could feel how affected the linguist was, and desire surged through him like fireworks, burning a path up from his cunt to his core, warming his whole body and showering his skin with sparks of pleasure.

They reconnected easily, finding each other's lips as if drawn magnetically. Seonghwa licked into Hongjoong's mouth, the captain letting out a breathy sound as their tongues met and brushed up against each other playfully. He allowed Seonghwa to dictate the pace, surrendering his position of power over the redhead just to feel as small and vulnerable as he had while he'd been bred; he knew he could trust Seonghwa to take care of him, after all.

It didn't take long for the linguist to move on. Never breaking their kiss, he released one of Hongjoong's hips so he could pull at the zipper of his uniform instead, dragging it all the way down to where it ended between the captain's thighs. Eager to get out of his layers, Hongjoong was already shouldering the fabric off his body when he felt Seonghwa's hand slip inside following the curve of his belly, between the one-piece uniform and the leggings he wore underneath. Skilled fingers traced downward along his pelvis, massaging his lower lips in a very intentional way. 

Hongjoong let out a breath, shifting his hips against Seonghwa's hand while his clit ached for attention, but Seonghwa followed the movement, making it clear that he wasn't about to give Hongjoong what he wanted just yet. Instead, he moved lower, middle finger pressing against the taught fabric of his leggings right over his entrance and let out a breathy laugh, taunting, almost degrading. "This wet already?" he asked, rubbing a little more firmly. "I can feel you through your clothes, Captain. Is this what talk of being my breeding bitch does to you? Turns you into a little slut?"

The words were spoken in a hushed tone against Hongjoong's lips, punctuated by a bite against the lower one, the combined power of which had sharp heat cutting deep into his core, making his centre ache impossibly hot. It was a shock to Hongjoong. He had a vague recollection of this sort of thing happening while he'd taken Seonghwa's eggs, but now he was completely sober and the effect was so much different. He sat back a little, eyes wide while he tried to adjust; even the memory of how those words had affected him made him weak.

It took Seonghwa no time at all to notice this shift in Hongjoong's demeanour, and to his credit, he ceased all movement immediately. "Was that too much?" he asked, black eyes widening to match the captain's, though with fear and apprehension more than arousal.

"No." Hongjoong promptly shook his head. "I guess I just never realized how much I like that kind of thing. Especially coming from you."

Seonghwa relaxed, though only marginally. Whether it was because his fears had been assuaged or out of some desire to self-soothe with repetitive motion, he began to stroke at Hongjoong's cunt once more. "Coming from me, Captain? I'm not sure I understand."

Hongjoong couldn't help but smile, pressing a reassuring kiss to the linguist's lips, "Because you're so proper all the time. Hearing you say things like that to me... just seems out of character. I feel like I get to have a part of you that no one else does."

"Of course you do. You're carrying my eggs," Seonghwa pointed out, laughing when the statement made Hongjoong whimper and grind his hips down against the linguist's hand. "Really? Just for that?"

Hongjoong pouted. "Quit teasing and fuck me already."

In response, Seonghwa wet his lips with the tip of his tongue, angling his hand so the heel of it pressed into Hongjoong's clit, giving him something to stimulate himself with. "Is that an order, Captain?"

"You really need to learn when to shut up and do as you're told," he shot back, though with the way his breath came out in heavy pants, the words carried no heat at all. If anything, Seonghwa was amused by the attempt, and he tilted his head to press lingering kisses along the side of Hongjoong's neck.

"Ah, someone's impatient," he purred out, breath ghosting against the shell of Hongjoong's ear. "I suppose that's to be expected from a needy little slut like you."

Thankfully, Seonghwa chose to be merciful. Withdrawing his hand from inside Hongjoong's uniform, he gripped the smaller male by his hips and hoisted him up, carrying him the few short steps to place him down on the desk while Hongjoong scrambled to hold onto his shoulders. As soon as he was comfortable, Seonghwa made quick work of removing his uniform entirely, discarding it on the chair while he knelt to admire Hongjoong's body—the first time he'd get to do so properly. 

"This is a good look for you," he murmured, pushing Hongjoong's undershirt up to expose his skin. His hands framed the swell—comparable to a twenty week human pregnancy—and ran over it reverently as he pressed kisses along the centre. His hands followed the stretchmarks that had developed, finding their way to Hongjoong's sides, tracing up until his thumbs were brushing over Hongjoong's nipples, already peaked from the slight chill in the room. "You're so beautiful. You're perfect. I want to keep you like this forever."

Hongjoong didn't have a chance to question what Seonghwa meant by this before the linguist hooked his fingers in the waistband of Hongjoong's leggings; silently, he met Hongjoong's eyes only for a moment to seek permission before yanking them down. He clearly had an agenda and no longer felt the need to waste any time; the captain knew what to expect next and parted his thighs as Seonghwa tugged him closer to the desk's edge, meeting his already leaking cunt with the whole length of his tongue.

He flattened it, pressed the width of it in between Hongjoong's soft lips to drag thick stripes along his whole entrance, following up by dipping just the tip inside. He flicked at Hongjoong's clit, massaged it, took it between his lips to suck on, easily coaxing Hongjoong into a writhing, quivering mess beneath him. Every skilled movement of the linguist's deft tongue had him gasping and whining, thick globs of slick drooling out of him only to be swept up by Seonghwa as if he were starved of it and needed it to survive. It took everything in him not to snap his thighs shut on Seonghwa's head just from the sheer pleasure he was receiving, toes curling and muscles trembling with the effort. When Seonghwa finally added his fingers, Hongjoong felt him brush against something inside him, curling up into the spot purposefully until the captain felt like he could barely breathe. Within moments, he was already on edge.

The door chime sounded and they both looked up. Hongjoong wasn't expecting anyone, though, so he urged Seonghwa to ignore it, to keep going, pulling at his hair to get his attention back where it belonged. Not a moment after he'd gone back to work, however, the door to Hongjoong's office made an alarming chirping noise, which Hongjoong had never heard in action during his time as captain, though he knew what it meant.

It was the lock being overridden.

"Shit, fuck, Seonghwa—" Hongjoong hauled his head up once more with the handful of hair he was still clutching at, pushing the linguist to the side. The last thing he needed was someone coming in and discovering them like this, but a cursory glance of the minimally decorated office left only one place for Seonghwa to escape to. "Under the desk!"

The two of them scrambled, Seonghwa having the foresight to take Hongjoong's leggings and underwear with him as he squeezed his tall body into the leg space under the desk. Hongjoong sat himself in his chair and sucked himself in close, quickly trying to straighten his desk and appear as if he'd been working the whole time. By the look on Yunho's face when he stepped inside, it probably wasn't very convincing.

"Captain, what's going on?" he nearly demanded, distress lacing his voice.

Hongjoong tried so hard to look innocent. "Nothing, why?"

"The emergency medical alert system pinged from your holopad," Yunho explained, confused and out of breath; he must have run here from the med bay, Hongjoong thought. "Did you not call for help?"

"No." He leaned over his holopad to check, though he was certain he hadn't. He thought maybe he'd hit it while Seonghwa was ravaging him, but it didn't appear that was the case. "Oh. I was going to comm you earlier. I typed in your extension, but I must have gotten distracted. You know, baby brain and all. That must have been it. Everything's fine, though. You can go back to work."

Yunho didn't look like he believed that everything was fine, hovering like he wanted to argue. The explanation did make sense, though; the ship's communication system had a handy little tool in place in case of medical emergencies—all one had to do was input the code for the med bay, a member of the medical team, or Yunho himself, and if it was left long enough without being manually connected, then it would ping as an emergency. Anyway, it wasn't like Hongjoong was lying; he had typed in Yunho's extension and was distracted before he'd had a chance to call.

The doctor seemed to process this and then sighed, scraping a hand through his hair in a rarely seen sort of frustration from the usually jovial man. Hongjoong read this as a soothing gesture meant to dispel tension, which was completely fair given the situation. Even though it was mostly safe for Hongjoong to carry Seonghwa's eggs—not any more dangerous than a normal pregnancy—there was still possibility for unforeseen complications or accidents. Emergencies. Which was why Yunho was here in the first place—because of an emergency ping. "Alright. Okay, if you're sure everything's fine."

That would've been it. Yunho turned to leave and Hongjoong glanced down when he felt Seonghwa shift where he was trapped between Hongjoong and the back of the desk, trying to make himself more comfortable. In this new position, though, the linguist's hot breath fanned over his bare thighs and cunt, and then, in a stroke of mischievousness that Hongjoong hadn't realized was in him, he dipped down to wriggle his tongue in between the captain's folds once more.

Unfortunately, the surprised sound that left Hongjoong had Yunho pausing.

"Actually, what was it that you were going to comm me about, Captain? I'm here now, so we might as well discuss it. It'll save us both the time."

Oh no. Oh fuck no.

"Ah—" Beneath the desk, Seonghwa pushed Hongjoong's thighs apart, tilting his head to dig in a little deeper, his tongue delving into Hongjoong's core. Pleasure ached throughout the captain's nethers, and he desperately fought off the desire to rock his hips into Seonghwa's face while his cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. "I mean.... Um. Not ah. Fuck. Hmm."

Fuck Seonghwa. And not in a good way.

If Yunho looked concerned before, he looked substantially more distraught now, his eyebrows drawing together and his lips curving into a frown. "Captain, are you sure you're alright?" He approached with purpose, pulling the seat that Seonghwa had previously sat in closer to the desk so he could lean over against it, facing Hongjoong head on. His eyes narrowed, challenging. For a moment he shifted around, seeming to realize he was sitting on something, then pulled Hongjoong's discarded flight suit out from under him, regarding it dubiously. "Considering your condition, I'd just like to make sure."

"Yeah, I'm...." He paused, biting his lip to keep himself from gasping. His voice was audibly strained. "Everything is good. It's just been difficult adjusting to the eggs, you know?" He tried so hard to keep his voice even, not wanting Yunho to catch onto what was going on between them; with only the thin strip of plasteel keeping Seonghwa out of the doctor's vision, he felt incredibly exposed, incredibly close to getting caught, and... it maybe shouldn't have excited him as much as it did, but just thinking about it, he could feel his walls clench around nothing, wanting to be filled. How much would it take for Yunho to figure out what was going on?

Yunho just nodded seriously, going right into business mode. "This is your first pregnancy. It's a lot of new sensations and changes to your body that would normally take some time to get used to, so I'm not surprised you're struggling with it at the rate this is going."

"New sensations, yeah," Hongjoong agreed, sucking in a heavy breath. "I'm always hungry, I'm always nauseous, I can barely breathe, I need to pee all the time. I swear sometimes I can feel myself getting bigger. It's definitely new."

Under the desk, Seonghwa pulled away; Hongjoong didn't even dare to look down, knowing that it would give them away immediately, so he feigned scratching his leg, shifted in his seat like he was rearranging himself, and used a handful of Seonghwa's hair to pull him back in. It took a moment for the linguist to get the idea, but after a moment, he conceded, nipping little love bites into the soft flesh of Hongjoong's thighs before burying himself back within Hongjoong's dripping folds. 

"You must be feeling hot as well," Yunho said, a teasing lilt to his voice as he indicated the captain's flight suit. Self-consciously, Hongjoong rubbed at the bare skin of one of his forearms; he hadn't thought of that. He could feel how flushed his face was as well, the burn flaring as Seonghwa switched gears to pay his cocklet the attention it deserved. As his tongue pressed into the hardened nub, Hongjoong sucked in a sharp breath; his hand automatically went for Seonghwa's hair, but he caught himself and tried to make it look like he was just rubbing his belly. If they way Yunho's eyes dropped to the desk was any indication, he wasn't buying it. "I wonder if Seonghwa has anything to do with this. His temperature was quite elevated while he was in season; perhaps the eggs are having the same effect on you."

"That.... That'd be a reasonable assumption," concurred the captain easily. The eggs were making him feel hot. Just... maybe not how Yunho had meant his statement at surface level. He just had this awful, awful feeling that Yunho knew. The humiliation and shame rocked through his core, but even that only added to his slow ascent to the precipice of euphoria.

He was actually.... If he paid attention to the sensations, how they built and mingled and wound tight in his core.... He was really close. It took him biting his lip to keep from telling Seonghwa this, begging him for more just so he could finish.

"Did you have anything else you wanted to talk about? Any specific concerns that you wanted clarification on?" The grin slowly spreading on Yunho's face solidified it for Hongjoong—he definitely knew.

By now, Seonghwa had taken Hongjoong's clit into his mouth again, using his tongue to massage it while two of his long, delicate fingers pressed inside his cunt. With the way Hongjoong was positioned, Seonghwa easily managed to reach his cervix, brushing the tips of his fingers over it just enough to make Hongjoong see stars. He nearly choked trying to keep himself from moaning out loud. How was this fair?

"No, I'm— It's fine. Please. I'll contact you later," Hongjoong warbled out, finally giving up and gripping onto Seonghwa's hair as he bit his lip, trying and failing at holding in a whine. His thighs were shaking under the building pressure and the pleasure he was feeling was so absolutely blinding that it had tears welling in his eyes. "You're dismissed," he added, just to get his point across.

Yunho pursed his lips, nodding; his whole stature told Hongjoong he was holding back, either some comment or a peal of laughter. Thankfully, he chose to rise from his seat and head for the door. "I'll be looking forward to it." Just as he was about to leave, though, he turned back, cackling under his breath. "By the way, Captain, I just wanted to let you know... arousal during pregnancy is completely natural. What you're choosing to do about it... maybe not so much."

Before Hongjoong could get another word in, Yunho was gone and Seonghwa was pushing his chair back. He only pulled away for a moment to take a deep breath of fresh air, and then he was back at it again, working Hongjoong's cunt open until the captain's toes curled. Finally alone, he thought nothing of letting himself vocalize his pleasure, rocking back on Seonghwa's fingers so they hit the exact right spot he needed. Tears of ecstasy were now rolling down his cheeks.

"Are you going to cum for me, Captain?" Seonghwa's voice resonated darkly from below, his hot breath only making Hongjoong feel more sensitive. "Are you going to get off thinking about the doctor, how he knows what a dirty fucking whore you are for my eggs?" He must have felt the way Hongjoong's walls clenched just from his words alone, because Seonghwa laughed, leaning in to press soft kisses against his rounded middle; the juxtaposition between the sweetness of his action and the harsh, degrading words had Hongjoong's head swimming.

It left him in a strange, fuzzy state, something he'd certainly never felt any of the times he'd touched himself, even when he edged himself out for as long as he possibly could. He felt light and floaty and submissive. Something told him that Seonghwa's words weren't an invitation for him to let go. "Can I?" he asked, his own voice sounding faraway in his ears. "I wanna cum, Seonghwa, please— Please let me cum?"

"No." Seonghwa's response was immediate, followed by another kiss to Hongjoong's middle. "Thank you for asking, though. You're such a good boy for me. Using all your manners like a good little captain."

Hongjoong whimpered but didn't protest, only squirming on Seonghwa's fingers as they thrust up inside him, directly targeting a spot that had him nearly losing his breath. How was he supposed to hold back like this? Pleasure tore through his body violently like a shot, only intensified further when Seonghwa dipped down beneath the swell of his middle to wrap his lips around Hongjoong's clit again. In response, all Hongjoong could do was hold on for dear life, one hand fisted in Seonghwa's hair until he was sure he could feel the strands breaking away, and the other closed around the edge of his chair, grip white-knuckled.

Just when he was certain he would have to give in, Seonghwa pulled away. Candied kisses were sprinkled along the insides of Hongjoong's thighs, punctuated with sharp nips that had his muscles tensing, keeping him just on edge enough that he didn't fall out of the moment and into the blissful promising clouds of spun sugar he felt himself cushioned by. His mind wanted to slip away, but Seonghwa kept him there, demanding his attention tenderly.

"Are you okay?" Seonghwa checked in, his hands smoothing up Hongjoong's thighs, rubbing to keep the captain's thoughts on him.

Hongjoong nodded, "Mhm. Perfect. Never been better." He leaned his head back in his chair, eyes slipping shut. There were still tears rolling down his cheeks, but he couldn't be bothered to wipe them away.

The kisses continued up to Hongjoong's belly again, and Seonghwa reached for his hands to interlace their fingers. "Are you sure? I want to know that you understand, you're not obligated to allow any of this. If you want to stop, I'll stop. I don't have to do this to enjoy being with you."

"Seonghwa...." The gesture was sweet. It really was. Hongjoong understood that his... well, his lover, he guessed, was just looking out for him, making sure that everything was still consensual. A tiny part of his mind preened at this, at the idea that Seonghwa was not a monster, that he cared and that he genuinely did not want to hurt Hongjoong; another part, a currently louder part, just wanted to sink back into the warm comfort of subspace, surrendering himself to Seonghwa and allowing himself to be taken care of. 

One look down at Seonghwa's big boba pearl eyes had something clicking in his brain. For as dominant as Seonghwa came off, he must have needed reassurance too. "I like this. I like what you're doing. I want you to edge me until I'm crying and begging you to let me cum, and then I want you to edge me out some more. I like being called a slut. I like your mouth and your hands, and I want you to fuck me now that there's no breeding hormones to get in the way of me getting to really feel your cock so I can like that too. I want you to bite me and mark me up all over, and I don't even care if you break skin; I'm into that. I've been into it for a long time, since before you were even part of the crew."

Seonghwa sat, watching, his eyes never leaving Hongjoong's as the captain continued. "I'm not allowing this because I think I'm obligated. I'm allowing it because you're giving me the chance to live out fantasies I've always had but could never share with anyone. So please, don't feel ashamed or guilty or anything like that. I promise I like everything you've done so far. I feel safe with you."

"You'd tell me if you didn't?" Seonghwa asked, and Hongjoong answered with a nod. He squeezed Seonghwa's hands where they now rested on the curve of Hongjoong's middle.

There was a measure of silence between them where Seonghwa's thumbs brushed over his hands, the moment warm and comfortable. Hongjoong found himself looking forward to more of these moments with Seonghwa in the future, getting to know him on a more personal level and elevating their relationship beyond just sex. Right now, though, his skin was humming with desire, his cunt aching just to remind him it was empty and he squirmed at the sensation. "If you don't mind, though, can we save this for later? I'm literally leaking all over my chair and I need your cock more than I need oxygen. I will literally die if you do not fuck me until I cum all over you."

Seonghwa stiffened, sitting up with a start. "Oh! Yes, sorry. I didn't mean to— I just wanted to—"

Sensing where Seonghwa was going and not wanting to get sucked into more conversation, Hongjoong reached for his face, pulling him in to kiss his pretty lips—swollen, red, and shining with Hongjoong's slick—to keep him quiet. "I know. But trust me, everything is perfect."

When their lips met again, Hongjoong let his tongue swipe against Seonghwa's, licking into his mouth just to taste himself there. It gave him a sense of possessiveness almost, reminding him that it was his slick on Seonghwa's tongue, no one else's. As much as he loved the feeling of vulnerability that Seonghwa gave him when he treated him like his own personal cum dump, he also revelled in the fact that it was him that Seonghwa wanted to eat out and fill up. He wanted to be possessed by Seonghwa, but the idea that he could possess Seonghwa as well had an excited shiver travel up his spine. Maybe that was something to keep in mind for another time.

"Do you want me to finish you off?" Seonghwa asked as they parted, the words spoken against Hongjoong's lips while his hands mapped out the swell of his abdomen. They dragged over the firm dome, then down Hongjoong's thighs and back up again. His thumbs pressed firm lines into the sensitive insides of his thighs where Seonghwa had left so many lingering marks already.

The sensations made Hongjoong sigh as pleasant shivers wracked his body, and he nodded, leaning back in the chair once more. He really loved Seonghwa's mouth, loved the length of his tongue as it delved into the searing heat of his cunt, and the way he sucked at Hongjoong's little cocklet so eagerly. Without much more warning, Seonghwa pushed his thighs further apart, hooking them over his shoulders while he dipped back down again.

At the first stroke of his tongue, Hongjoong let out a soft cry, feeling even more sensitive than before from all the teasing. His cunt ached and his walls clenched around Seonghwa's tongue as it pushed inside again, and before long, Hongjoong was grasping at the linguist's cherry red hair while he continued his work from before. It didn't take long before Hongjoong was on the edge, desperately fighting to keep the pleasure from mounting to the point where he would topple over the edge; it came with an intense sort of feeling unlike anything he'd felt before, a pressure building, almost like he might.... "Seonghwa," he gasped out in warning, "I'm... something is...."

Seonghwa shushed him, pressing kisses against the underside of his belly while his fingers stroked a particularly sensitive spot just inside Hongjoong's hole. "What do you want, Captain? Do you want to cum? Do you want me to get you off with my mouth?" he asked, the lilt in his tone somewhat teasing. "Do you want to cum on my face, or would you rather take my cock?"

This was probably where Hongjoong made his biggest mistake. As much as he loved the idea of Seonghwa getting him off with his ridiculously skilful tongue, there was something about the idea of being filled to the brim with his cock that nearly had him drooling. "Cock, please. Need your cock. Let me cum on your cock," he begged, reaching out instinctively for Seonghwa as the linguist stood. He wasted no time at all getting on his knees, pulling the zipper of Seonghwa's flight suit down and then freeing him from his underwear without giving him a chance to fully undress. 

During the implantation, Hongjoong hadn't really managed to get a good look at Seonghwa's anatomy. Now that he had a chance, he took in the pink flush of the skin and the shine of precum smeared across the head, the very slight curve, the prominent vein running along the underside.... Aside from the size, it looked very human. Very normal. There was a light scent of peaches, though, that gave it away, and Hongjoong felt a sort of excitement as it hit his nose. Before he really had time to think about what he was doing, he was wrapping tiny fingers around the girth, holding the length in place as he fit his lips over the head.

The flavour he'd been longing for hit his tongue and exploded over his senses. Single-mindedly, Hongjoong sucked and swallowed, pulling more of Seonghwa's length into his mouth until he felt like he might gag. The last few inches that wouldn't fit, he tended to with his hand, fingers barely able to close around the whole shaft as he stroked with a firm grip. It wasn't easy to coordinate the twist of his wrist with the slow bob of his head, but at the very least, his drool provided adequate lube for a slick slide. 

Above him, Seonghwa made a choked noise and threaded his fingers into Hongjoong's hair as gently as he could, not at all controlling; when Hongjoong looked up through long lashes, he saw the linguist flushed red and struggling. "God, fuck, Hongjoong— You're so fucking.... Fuck—" Seonghwa's pointless rambling ended with a choked out cry as Hongjoong pulled off with a soft pop, only to press his tongue into the slit of the linguist's cock, gathering up all the precum as it leaked out. When he took the head back in, he sucked, massaging the underside with his tongue and humming as this seemed to net him the best yield of Seonghwa's sweet juices.

Hongjoong had never done this before. He'd seen it done in porn, but Seonghwa was his first experience—not just sucking dick, either. Seonghwa was his first everything. So while he wasn't sure he was doing it right, and he knew his methods lacked finesse, he relied on Seonghwa's reactions and the amount of precum practically drooling out of his cock to tell him whether or not he was doing a good job. If the way Seonghwa defaulted to his native language to curse and potentially praise him was any indication, then it seemed as if he was doing alright.

"Okay, enough," Seonghwa finally instructed, pulling Hongjoong off his cock by a handful of blue hair. The captain whined, staring up at him through long lashes and pouting as he licked his lips clean; the sight made Seonghwa's cock twitch and leak in front of his face, a glob of precum beading up and threatening to slip away before Hongjoong wiped it off with his finger and deposited it directly into his mouth.

"You—" Seonghwa huffed, somewhere between disbelief, amusement, and arousal. "You're something else, Captain. Really."

"Can't help it. It's so good," Hongjoong whimpered, pulling against the grip on his hair with his tongue out, ready to go again if only Seonghwa would let him.

This made Seonghwa laugh, and he reached for Hongjoong's hands to pull him to his feet. "I'll tell you what. If you take my cock like a good boy and only cum when I tell you you can, then I'll let you suck me off as a reward. Does that sound good?"

Hongjoong pouted but he could feel his own body aching with the need to be filled; his nerves hummed with pleasure as it stagnated under his skin, its full potential as of yet unrealized. He knew how good it could be, though, so in the end he just nodded. "Yes, please," he murmured, letting Seonghwa hold him close and press kisses into the side of his neck, against marks that were already blooming bright red.

"Okay. Gonna be a good boy for me, Captain?" Seonghwa asked, his voice low and rough, breath hot against Hongjoong's ear. "Bend over the desk, then. Don't keep me waiting."

Hongjoong obeyed, leaning against the surface of the desk, his hands cushioning his head from the hard surface while he shifted into a comfortable stance. The weight of his middle made his back bow, unintentionally making him more accessible to Seonghwa, who stood behind him with his hands on the captain's hips. When he leaned over Hongjoong's smaller frame, his cock slotted perfectly up against the captain's cunt, and Hongjoong couldn't stop the breathless whine that left him. Seonghwa ignored him, instead sucking more red marks into the back of his neck and shoulders while grinding up against Hongjoong's leaking entrance, completely merciless.

Eventually, whether he'd finally decided to take pity on Hongjoong or because he was feeling impatient himself, Seonghwa reached between them, slotting the head of his cock against Hongjoong's entrance. For a moment longer, Seonghwa teased the leaking hole, dragging the head of his cock through the captain's slick and spread it down his whole shaft before finally pushing in. Hongjoong's moans as he was slowly filled were breathy and choked off, the pleasure erupting in his core just from this action alone enough to make him feel heady and light, like he was floating even though the contrast between the cool metal of the desk and Seonghwa's body heat kept him rooted in the moment.

Seonghwa wasted no time picking a pace that was comfortable for him, no care given to Hongjoong underneath him. He set a rhythm and stuck to it, initially using his grip on Hongjoong's hips to make sure the captain stayed obedient and didn't seek out more than he was given. At some point, his hands began to wander, feeling over Hongjoong's body instead, seeking out pleasurable areas like his nipples to stimulate him even further. He angled his hips until Hongjoong clamped down around him and cried out, then rubbed at his clit until the captain's face was wet with tears.

Hongjoong felt like he was experiencing some kind of astral projection. Sweet, sparkling pleasure wracked his body with the purest of bliss until he was sure his soul had left his body. His office was thick with the scent of sweat and sex, the acoustics of the minimally decorated room making the sound of their panting and moaning, and the wet slap of skin on skin even louder in Hongjoong's ears. Seonghwa's pace picked up as the linguist chased his own pleasure, using Hongjoong as a hole to fuck into, and thinking like that had heat rolling up from the captain's toes. 

"I can't—" he gasped, "I can't, Seonghwa, please, I'm—"

"That's okay, Captain," Seonghwa breathed, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. There was obvious tension in his voice, low and rough, likely with his own efforts to hold back. "You've done so well. What a good little toy for me. So proud of you, Captain." The praise poured from Seonghwa like he wasn't really in control of it, and something about that drove Hongjoong even closer. He let out a choked off sob, and scrambled for something to hold onto on the slippery surface of the desk. There was moisture collected there—a combination of Hongjoong's sweat, tears, and he realized belatedly, drool.

Hongjoong sobbed again, feeling Seonghwa's hips snap harshly against his own, "Please, please, please—" He begged like this, becoming more and more desperate, losing his mind as he came so close to simply letting go.

"Okay," Seonghwa said, and Hongjoong felt like he might actually cry from the relief. "You worked so hard, I think you've earned it. Go ahead, Captain. Cum for me."

With permission given, Hongjoong felt his orgasm hit him like a bus. The pressure that had been building up finally crashed over him and exploded, leaving Hongjoong only distantly aware of his physical body; his mind blanked, vision whited out, he might have stopped breathing for a moment. Vaguely, he could feel himself tightening around the girth of Seonghwa's cock, could feel Seonghwa continuing to fuck into him harshly, and when he finally pulled out, he was followed by a rush of hot fluid. The feeling was so intense, like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It took him nearly a full minute of recovery before he could sense the limitations of his body, and by then he felt hands pulling him from the desk, cradling him against a firm, warm surface.

Seonghwa was holding him against his chest when he eventually began to return, vision still dancing with little blue and black dots. He tried to lift his head, but a rush of sparks burst over his nerves just with the small movement, and he immediately gave up, letting his head flop down against the linguist's collar. The redhead laughed softly, hugging Hongjoong a little closer.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Seonghwa's voice reverberated through his chest, already covered again by his flight suit.

Mostly naked, Hongjoong wrinkled his nose at the scratchy sensation of Seonghwa's uniform against his incredibly sensitive skin. "I died," he mumbled, and Seonghwa laughed again, the sound light and airy as he nuzzled into Hongjoong's hair with an amount of affection that Hongjoong would never have guessed he was capable of. "That was amazing. A whole out of body experience. Heaven might actually be real. How are you so good at this?"

"To be fair," answered the linguist, completely matter of fact. "There are a plethora of instructional videos on human mating techniques available for free on the holonet. Before leaving my colony, I did extensive research on how to mate with humans, then simply employed those techniques which appeared to be most favoured by humans according to the displayed like to dislike ratios. I also received tips from real humans in the comment sections."

Hongjoong's brain was too addled just then to process the idea of Seonghwa watching porn, so he took a minute to come up with a suitable response. Eventually, he settled on, "Seonghwa, please shut up."

Blissfully, Seonghwa complied without protest.

They stayed like that for a long while, Seonghwa rocking Hongjoong's limp body lovingly, humming a song into his hair that Hongjoong thought sounded like a lullaby; he'd never heard it before though, so assumed it was something that had been sung to Seonghwa as a child. Either way, he found it so soothing that he couldn't help but close his eyes to listen. Seonghwa's hands took care to stay gentle as they held him, rubbed over Hongjoong's arms, pushed sweat-damped hair away from his face. Kisses were placed with meaning, against his forehead and the top of his head. At one point, he even lifted one of Hongjoong's hands to kiss each of his fingers.
 
This lasted for long minutes after Hongjoong felt like he was back within himself, able to move and think and breathe, but he was so comfortable that he simply stayed, quiet and motionless, letting himself enjoy the way Seonghwa snuggled him. When he finally did move, Seonghwa was reluctant to let him go too far, making sure that he was completely stable as he shuffled back off of the linguist's lap. 

They were seated on the floor, Seonghwa's back against the desk. A puddle of questionable fluids made the floor slippery underneath them. Hongjoong noticed immediately that he was completely soaked, his thighs coated in a combination of a viscous substance he was certain was his own slick, and then something else that was beginning to dry somewhat tacky on his milky skin. One look at Seonghwa told Hongjoong all he needed to know, as the linguist's uniform pants were also completely soaked.

His face heated up to a brilliant red. "Did I—" He could barely get the words out through the thickness of his humiliation.

"No, no. It's just cum," Seonghwa explained hurriedly, reaching out for him again, perhaps recognizing the threat of anxiety before it had a chance to build up and spill over. "Hongjoong, it's just cum. It's... a lot of cum, I will admit, but that's all it is." His voice was soothing as he pulled Hongjoong back in to him, cradling his body close once again. "Have you never done that before?" he asked, and Hongjoong could only shake his head. "Then you've never had someone take care of you like you deserve," Seonghwa concluded, kissing his temple.

The statement had Hongjoong pausing, wetting his lips and tasting a combination of salty liquids there, accented with the flavour of Seonghwa's cum. "I've, uh.... I mean, you were my first, so."

Beneath him, Seonghwa stilled, tipping his head to meet Hongjoong's eyes, doing his best not to separate the contact between their bodies. "Can you be more specific, please?"

"Uh, just." Hongjoong felt at a loss for words. A sort of shyness took over him and he was glad for Seonghwa's comforting proximity even though the linguist's gaze made him want to hide. "I mean, other than wetting the slip 'n' slide, I've never...."

When he bravely let his eyes drift upward, he met Seonghwa's bottomless gaze, black eyes sparkling like the void of space. Hongjoong thought he saw equal measures of curiosity and amusement there. "I don't know what that means."

"Before you, I'd never had sex with anyone, only masturbated. I just don't want you to freak out or feel guilty because you think I didn't have the ideal first time; it was everything I could have ever wanted. You were perfect," he admitted, and immediately felt himself being crushed in Seonghwa's grip.

"I'm happy you feel that way," Seonghwa purred, rubbing his cheek on Hongjoong's head and inevitably fuzzing up his already messy hair. "You were my first human, and I was very nervous about doing something wrong, or scaring you. Humans are very different from what I'm used to—so tiny and fragile—but you were perfect for me, too." 

There was a moment of quiet where Seonghwa rested against the top of Hongjoong's head, and the captain waited, feeling like there might be something else he wanted to say. When the words finally came, though, he choked on air. "I expected you to be a little more uppity, if I'm being honest. But you're very good. Very submissive, very receptive to suggestion. Very breedable."

"Seonghwa, that's not something you just say to people," Hongjoong scolded, pushing back from the linguist's chest to see a very surprised look on his face. His eyes were so round, brows raised so high that they disappeared under his hair where it had fallen out of its usually immaculate styling.

"Oh. Isn't it?" he asked, blinking dumbly for a moment before frowning. His eyebrows pulled together, creating little worry lines on his forehead and his bottom lip jutted out; it wasn't a look of upset, more thoughtfulness, but Hongjoong still caught himself wanting to kiss it away. "Humans are so confusing. This is why I don't bother to interact unless I absolutely must. To my kind, it's considered a compliment; if you don't like it, I can think of something else, though."

"No," Hongjoong shot back. "I want it. It's mine."

Seonghwa laughed and held him tight again, resuming his gentle rocking as their conversation lulled into comfortable silence. Before beginning this whole ordeal, Hongjoong had never heard Seonghwa laugh, and now that he'd heard so much of it, he found himself endeared by the sound. There was something off about it, not quite normal, something that Hongjoong couldn't quite put his finger on, but he decided that he liked it without a second thought. He wanted to hear more of it. He would work hard to make sure Seonghwa was always relaxed and content enough to laugh like that in the future.

"Did you cum?" he asked quietly, shifting in Seonghwa's lap and only then noticing that the linguist had already tucked himself away, the telltale bulge not at all detectable from the confines of his uniform. Seonghwa was gifted in that area, Hongjoong was acutely aware, so it wasn't like he wouldn't feel the hardness of his cock even through the layers.

The linguist just hummed, "Sorry. It wasn't like I could help it. You were so beautiful coming apart for me like that, I just... lost control." This was punctuated with a loving kiss to the side of Hongjoong's head, Seonghwa's lips lingering for a long moment. "Though considering how you practically collapsed, maybe it's for the best. I wasn't going to cum on your face while you weren't here to consent to it."

"I consented already," Hongjoong pouted, though he understood perfectly what Seonghwa meant, and appreciated it immensely. Now that he felt a little less lightheaded, though, he felt the need to return the favour. Seonghwa was so good to him, treated him so well. It was his turn to service the redhead, and that in mind, he shifted so he could face Seonghwa properly. "Can you go again? I mean, you probably can, so I'll just—"

"My number one priority was to take care of you, Captain. It still is," Seonghwa said, resolute and firm. He took hold of Hongjoong's wrists as the captain reached for the zipper of his uniform, his grip loose, but still tight enough to stop Hongjoong in his tracks. "I promise I'll give you your reward eventually, but right now, I want to continue taking care of you. Please. It's important to me that I get to treat you until I'm certain you're okay."

Hongjoong pouted, looking down at where Seonghwa held his wrists. He could break free if he really wanted to, but there was a certain sense of security he felt from the linguist's grasp, so he stayed still. "I promise I'm okay," he started, eyes flicking up just to catch the slightest downward twitch of Seonghwa's mouth. "But if it's important to you.... We can go back to my suite, take the rest of the day off? You already finished translating that transmission so your work is done, and I can just make up some pregnancy related excuse like swollen feet or a backache or something. If you'd like that."

"I would. Thank you," Seonghwa agreed. He stood then, his own legs a little weak, though he still stooped to help Hongjoong up when he noticed the captain struggling.

While Hongjoong took his time carefully pulling his uniform back on, forgoing his leggings and underwear, Seonghwa busied himself activating the cleaning droid for Hongjoong's office and then helping the little thing to tidy up the mess they'd made. When they were finished, he heard Seonghwa thank the droid before dismissing it, earning a delighted little whirring sound from the robot as it zipped away to return to its docking station. 

Hongjoong found himself thinking how cute the interaction had been, what a strange quirk of Seonghwa's it was to talk to the droids as if they had feelings. It wasn't the first time he'd noticed something like this, but it was the first time he was really giving it any thought; something like this spoke volumes to him about the sort of person Seonghwa was—kind and empathetic, even towards the most unlikely beings.

This man was no more a monster than Hongjoong was.