Archive of Our Own ^beta

There’s a disturbance in the trees you can’t ignore. It should’ve been any normal autumn day, picking berries and preparing for the long winter ahead. But then you’d heard the cracking of twigs in the vicinity, and your guard was immediately on high alert. Your foxhound, Somaris, can’t stop barking and something up ahead and it has you on edge. A woman living alone is enough of a risk, but a vulnerable one is downright foolish. You hold your small hunting gun up in defense, ready to pull the trigger at moments notice. You hear shuffling under one of the large oak trees, and if you’re lucky maybe it’s a wounded animal you could put out of its misery and save for the long winter ahead. 

What you didn’t expect was a man. 

Being in the presence of men was not a regular occurrence for you, and yet you somehow already knew he was not one of the men from the village a few miles away you would visit for necessary supplies. Those men were aggressive and judgemental, either despising the woman who lived her life in solitude or eager to rid her of it with marriage. Soma hated those kinds of men, always barking up a storm to ward them away, but as soon as he turned the corner to see him he fell silent. This man was different somehow, and gravely injured.

The gash on his upper thigh was one that even made you wince, blood and frayed skin seeping through the tear in his pants. You can’t help but study him, and as if sensing you a few yards away, his eyes snap up to meet yours. You’re instantly on guard again, holding up your measly pistol in his direction. The man is large, and yet cowers slightly in your presence, holding his wide palms up in an act of acquiescence. 

“I mean no harm.” he croaks, his voice deep but strained from lack of use. 

“Who are you?” you ask, your voice somehow taking on a similar tone. It’s been weeks since you’ve spoken to another person, and this is hardly the same as speaking to the cashier of the general store. 

“My name is Commander Mills. My plane crashed a few miles from here and I’ve been trekking through the forest for days. I had a bit of a nasty run in with some kind of large lizard creature.” He shakes his head and shrugs down at his leg, and you can’t help but smile on the inside at his nonchalance at the whole thing. This man has clearly been through hell, his shoulder length hair mussed, facial hair unkempt, clothes tattered and dirty. 

“It will get infected if you don’t take care of it soon.” you state, looking down at his leg. “The village is another three miles from here. They have a doctor.”

He winces, as if doing the math in his head. “I don’t think I can make it that far. Please…if there’s anything you can do…”

You march up to him, your mind already made up, and offer your hand. Your invitation is silent, and he looks up at it before taking his much larger hand in yours, using as much of your combined strength to help him to his feet. When he’s stabilized, you’re almost taken aback at how large he actually is. He has at least several inches of height on you, his body mass at least double, the breadth of his shoulders and arms like that of a tree. You both look at each other for a moment, something quiet and unspoken passing between you before you nudge your head and begin guiding him to your cabin.

The walk is slow and methodical as he uses you like a crutch to take pressure off his injured legs. Soma leads you both, constantly checking back to ensure you’re still following behind. It’s silent for a few moments, but as soon as you see your home come into view he speaks. “Thank you…” he begins, trailing off slightly as if to ask for your name. You give it to him and he repeats it with a smile.

-

You're thankful for the small creek that bypasses the back of your house, allowing you to get fresh water to help him bathe and clean up the infection of his wound. Mills takes a spare pile of clothing from the backpack you didn’t realize he was wearing, putting it off to the side to begin stripping out of his dirty clothes. You see the tan and toned expanse of his chest before darting your vision away, taking the clothes from him to wash in the river while he uses a bucket to wash himself a few feet away. You don’t miss the smirk you hear in his voice when he breaks the silence.

“I don’t imagine you come across many men out here.” he chuckles, the splashing of water and his voice coming from behind you. 

“The ones in the village learned their lesson in bothering me years ago.” you reply, wringing out his freshly washed shirt before hanging it to dry. You turn to see him at least donning a shirt now, but now wearing a clean pair of black boxer briefs, his legs corded with muscle and sprinkled with hair. You get a better look at the gash on his thigh, no longer caked with mud or blood and grimace. Guiding him back inside, you gather the remedies and salves you’ve perfected over time, treating the area and then dressing it with a clean wrap. 

Your hands are dangerously close to the part you know to be his manhood, and although you’ve never seen one in person, some small nagging part of your brain wants to see his. You don’t pick a life of solitude and then wonder much about the male sex, and yet you know that Mills is the definition of a man. All muscle and raw strength, you know that he could take care of you. And after years of taking care of yourself, you don’t quite hate the idea.

“What are you thinking about in that pretty head of yours?” he asks softly, snapping you out of your reverie. You realize with mortification that you’ve been staring at his thigh (and most likely his crotch) for some time now, your cheeks burning with embarrassment as you move to stand. 

“You need to stay off your leg for a few days to make sure there’s no infection.” you hasten to get out. “You can stay here, and after you heal you can go on your way to the village. Or wherever you were planning to go.” 

You let out an undignified squeak when he takes your hand from his seated position, those warm amber eyes looking up at you with a kind of fondness you’ve never known. Now that he’s scrubbed the dirt and mud from his skin and fingernails, you take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful his hands are, how something so big and menacing can be delicately stroking your knuckles with his thumb.

“Thank you.” he mutters softly, a smile curving the side of his pretty pink lips. You just nod dumbly, offering him a smile in return.

-

The next three days pass in companionable comfort. You give Mills your bed despite his protestations, but when you insist that it will aid in his recovery he eventually gives in. Your couch is comfortable enough, and with the roaring fire and Soma’s cuddles against the increasingly colder days, it works out for all involved. You check his dressing every few hours to make sure it doesn’t become fully infected, and Mills asks you innocuous questions about your life. You try to ask him about his, but he either gives curt responses or avoids answering altogether. You understand that everyone has secrets, and it's best for you not to get attached anyway for when he leaves. 

You admit to yourself it will be different going back to a life of solitude after Mills leaves, his presence a warm comfort. His leg gets stronger every day, and he’s back to walking unassisted around the house. The first few days he would spend sitting on the porch, playing fetch with Soma and scratching behind his ears when he’d come to rest on his lap. He’s gone from watching you cook in the kitchen to assisting with chopping vegetables and stirring the pot, and you can’t help but laugh at the stern face of concentration when he dices carrots. Gods, when was the last time you even laughed? 

Before you can attempt to clear the table after dinner, Mills gently presses you back into the chair with one hand and collects the dishes with the other. Your fierce independence almost makes you fight him on this, but the earnest look in his eyes has you smiling softly and nodding, allowing him to feel useful after being incapacitated for so long. You take the time to look out the window, taking in the falling snow that’s beginning to stick to the treetops and forest floor. 

“A storm’s rolling in.” you say absentmindedly, not used to idle chatter but finding comfort in it with him around. He turns over his shoulder to look, his face falling slightly and his shoulders tensing.

“I’ll be sure to get out before it gets worse.” he mutters solemnly.

“What?” you ask, taken aback. He wants to leave? You try not to show hurt in your voice and face, but Mills must sense something because he turns around, his face slightly stricken.

“I just…you’ve done so much for me already. I don’t want to be a burden—”

“You’re not a burden.” you blurt out, standing from the table to walk towards him. You stop about a foot away, looking up to meet his gaze. “Listen, the storm is going to be bad. I have more than enough preparations and rations to get through it. You’re just now getting better and if you try to make the trek to the village now, you’ll—”

You don’t realize you’re babbling so quickly until he takes your shoulders to settle you, his face stern and concerned. “Okay. If you…if you’re okay with me staying, I’ll stay. But I promise I’ll pull my load around here. And then as soon as the storm’s passed, I’ll…” He trails off, not wanting to say the words that have suddenly become so hard to say. 

You nod slowly, your eyes never leaving his face as his never leaves yours. You can almost swear his eyes flit to your lips, but it’s gone as soon as you can think about it more. He nods back, and slowly takes his hands off your shoulders. You hate how much you already miss his warmth.

“Okay. Also, you’re getting your bed back.” he states, his lips curving into a smirk as he crosses his arms over that massive chest. 

You balk out a chuckle, shaking your head. “There’s no way you’re gonna fit on the couch.”

“I’ll make due—”

“I really think—”

“Maybe I’ll use Soma as a pillow—”

“We can share.”

Your words seem to shock both of you, a tense silence falling between you. His face is inscrutable for a moment before you continue. “It’s big enough that we can share.”

“Okay.” He reads your face, tick in his jaw jumping for a second before disappearing. “I’m gonna go…chop firewood. Before it…the snow gets…too much…” 

An unabated image of Mills chopping firework shirtless grunting and sweaty flashes in your mind, and you all but push him out of the kitchen to do exactly that before you do something embarrassing. And if you sneakily watch him from the living room window…well at least Soma can’t tell anyone.

-

Crawling into bed that night is a slightly tense affair, and you’re grateful that you built such a large spacious bed that gives you enough room to not have to touch Mills as he crawls in the other side. Not that you wouldn’t want to, because you’re finding yourself increasingly wanting to do exactly that, but you can’t compromise yourself with someone who will leave soon. They always leave, and you can only count on yourself.

“Comfortable?” Mills asks, his voice warm in the darkness of the bedroom. 

“Yeah.” you mutter with a sigh. After a few moments of silence, his voice pipes up again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“It might sound kind of stupid, but…what’s your dream?”

“My…dream?”

“Yeah. Like if you could have anything, do anything, go anywhere. No restrictions or restraints. What’s your dream?”

You’d never pondered such a question. The forest was not a place for dreamers, your life for the last few years had been existence and survival and loneliness. Soma could only provide a certain kind of companionship, but you yearned deep down for something more. Something like the books you had tucked away on your bookshelf that you tried not to read for fear of false hope. But in the darkness of night and the slow trust Mills was pulling out of you, you speak those words aloud.

“I don’t know…I’ve sometimes dreamed of falling in love. Of what it would be like to have someone to be there for you unconditionally. Maybe even one day having a family. I know it seems stupid, given that I’m alone.” You pause for a moment, only hearing the soft intake of breath coming from the other side of the bed. You’re grateful you can’t see him, scared of what might show beyond those amber eyes. “What about you?”

He hums softly, before shifting in the bed to face her. “I always thought I wanted to be the hero. To do something grand and valiant that everyone would remember me by. And then…after the plane crash…things began to fall into perspective. I wasn’t living, and I had nothing of value to show for my life. In those days I was walking, I told myself that if I ever found my true purpose, I would never let it go. And then…you found me.”

Your breath hitches slightly, making your heart flutter something fierce. The sheets suddenly feel too warm, a headiness that can only be Mills’ eyes on you even if you can’t see them. “I’ve always wanted a daughter. I think I would be a good dad, maybe. So no…wanting a family isn’t stupid. Actually, it’s a great dream to have.”

When did his face get so close? You can feel the soft puffs of his breath on your cheek, his hair starting to splay on your pillow. His fingers ghost the mattress until they meet yours, his touch grounding you to this moment. Maybe if you just lean forward…

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” he breathes. The domesticity of his voice makes your chest tighten, and you can’t help but nuzzle further into the pillow to stop yourself from kissing him. 

You fall asleep before you can reply.

-

Morning sun doesn’t peak through the growing snowstorm outside, and yet your body naturally wakes. You’re abnormally hot, and that’s when you notice an arm slung over your waist and a body molded to your backside. Mills’ softly nuzzles your hair, muttering in his sleep that makes you smile with how endearing it is. He stretches slightly and his hips jut into you from behind, making you very aware of the prominent bulge in his pants. Your breath hitches when he rocks slightly into you again, his erection sliding against your ass. It’s only when you can swear you hear him mutter your name in his sleep as he rocks that you let you a whimper, your body on fire with arousal.

Mills stiffens behind you, and you know the bubble has burst. You quickly shut your eyes and pretend to be asleep, thankful he can’t see your pouting face when he slowly extricates himself from the bed and out of the room. Just before you think he’s gone, you feel him lean down and press a soft kiss to your temple, and your heart instantly melts. You don’t often have the urge to touch yourself, the act usually perfunctory and with purpose. You’ve also not had much to go on imagining in those scenarios, perhaps one of the romance heroes from your books on occasion, but now…Mills is front and center in your mind. 

Embarrassment is at the forefront of your reasoning to ignore the need growing between your legs, getting out of bed and padding over to the kitchen. You’re surprised to already find the fireplace going and Soma chomping down his breakfast. Mills has his back to you in the kitchen, and you swear your heart could burst out of your chest at the domesticity of it all. 

“Good morning.” he smiles, turning to face you as he hears your approach. “Breakfast is ready.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” You can’t help but smile back at him, seeing the porridge and berries already set at the table.  

“It’s the least I can do for how generous you’ve been with me.” he points out, taking the seat across from you and tucking in. Conversation flows easily between you both, and you can’t help but notice how much more flirtatious it’s been. He smirks and winks in a way that doesn’t disgust you like when the village men would do it, and you can’t help yourself from biting your lip in a way he most definitely notices. But nothing comes of it of course, because the next thing you know he’s clearing up the dishes and washing them at the sink. You bring over the last of the silverware and he just nonchalantly leans over and kisses your temple.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” he murmurs, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. You’re almost both taken aback but say nothing, until you mumble something along the lines of ‘of course’ and bolt out of there. What is happening? Your cheeks flush pink as you walk back to the bedroom, needing room to breathe from the onslaught of feelings you have for this man that was a veritable stranger only a few days ago. Your heart starts pounding when you hear him call your name, the heaviness of his footsteps letting you know you only have a few seconds left before you have to confront this once and for all. 

“Yes? Sorry I was just…” you begin, shuffling around the room to give you purpose while he watches you from the doorway. You gasp when he grabs you by the shoulders again, spinning you to face him.

“I’m sorry.” he chokes out, and it’s the last thing you expected him to say. He must see the confusion on your face so he continues. “I just…you’ve been nothing but gracious to me since I got here and the last thing I wanted to do was make you feel uncomfortable. If you want me to go, I’ll go right now and you can forget all about me—”

“You’re going to leave.” you breathe, your throat thick with emotion. He stops and looks down at you with concern. “You’re going to leave and I’m going to be alone again. I was going to have this idea of what it would be like if you stayed, and I….I just…”

The hands grasping your shoulders move up to cup the sides of your neck, tilting your head until you’re forced to meet him eye to eye. That classic Mills intensity you’ve grown accustomed to is studying your face, his jaw working like he’s holding something back. 

“I had nothing before I met you. I thought I was going to die out there in that forest, that everything I did amounted to nothing. And then you found me…and I thought I was hallucinating from the loss of blood…because there was no way a bastard like me would be lucky enough to find an angel like you. But you were real, and you showed me what I’d been missing all along. I know you don’t need anyone to take care of you, but fuck…I’d hoped you’d want me to. I want to take care of you, sweetheart, if you’ll let me. And if you tell me you don’t want me to leave…I’ll stay.”

Tears are already streaming down your face, his thumbs swiping gently at your cheeks. You’re so overcome with emotion, you never expected those words to ever leave someone's mouth and be directed at you, let alone someone as perfect as Mills. It’s the easiest decision you’ve ever made to say one word.

“Stay.” you whisper.

He wastes no time leaning down to kiss you.

You can’t remember the last time you’d been kissed, probably some messy fumbling as a teenager, but nothing can compare to the way Mills mouth consumes yours. His lips are slightly chapped and his beard is tickling your skin, but the friction feels incredible as you pull him in closer. His hands move across your body, pressing and squeezing whatever inch of you he can get his hands on, as he walks you back towards the foot of the bed. You both fall into the mattress, smiling and laughing against each other's lips before his tongue finds yours, and you gasp at the delicious sensation. 

“Fuck…you have no idea…” he murmurs, trailing kisses down your jaw and neck before sucking at a spot on your throat. You squirm under him, his massive warm body holding you in place with subtle grinds. 

“Please…Mills…” you whine, threading your fingers in his hair and tugging him closer. He growls and kisses you fiercely, a lightning bolt of pleasure coursing down your spine.

“Tell me what you want…I’ll give you anything…” 

“Take care of me…you said you’d take care of me. Show me…” 

The next few minutes are a flurry of thrown clothing, messy kisses and fumbling bodies. Mills wastes no time kissing every new exposed inch of skin, giving special attention to your breasts and nipples. He groans into the soft flesh, sucking and licking eagerly until you’re a whimpering writhing mess. His free hand has already managed to pull down your leggings, teasing your cunt with two fingers in a way that has you panting.

“Shhh, babygirl. I got you, trust me.” he mutters, leaning up to kiss you as he sinks one finger inside your pussy. You arch off the bed at the size of his massive finger, those hands you haven’t been able to stop dreaming about fulfilling your every fantasy. “Fuck, you’re so tight…” He pauses, stilling the finger inside you and causing you to whine and look up at him. Something flashes across his face. “Are you…is this your first time?”

You blush, mortification seeping down your whole body. “Not exactly. But…it’s been a long time.” The wince on his face makes you panic, like he’s going to stop out of some misplaced sense of duty. “I can take it. Please, Mills, I promise I can take it. Just go slow at first.”

He studies you for one more moment before giving a solemn nod. His finger slowly comes out of you, only to be replaced with two. You keen at the sensation, and his face watches yours with every thrust to gauge your reaction. You’re babbling about how good it feels, how you want to come, how you want to feel all of him, all of which spurs him faster and faster. You climax hard, your back bowing off the bed as he kisses you, prolonging your orgasm with his thumb on your clit. 

“You’re a fucking dream.” he growls when you waste no time unfastening his pants and pulling his cock out. He’s hot and heavy in your hand, and you gulp a little at your insistence on being able to take him; but you’re a tough cookie, you didn’t survive out here in the forest for this long by being a quitter. So you hike your thigh around his and flip yourselves over so that you’re straddling his lap, the surprised arousal on his face making you smirk. “Fuck, sweetheart. Don’t ever let me underestimate you again.”

You chuckle at that, smoothing your hands over the trimmed hair across his chest as you subtly grind down on his erection. You’re hoping this position will give you the advantage to take him, but also just enjoying the view of this big strong man under you. Grabbing his cock, you line him up with your entrance and begin to sink down, Mills squeezing your hips enough to leave bruises later. 

“Fuck…” you breathe, taking him in inch by inch. 

“That’s it. That’s my girl. You’re doing so fucking good, baby.” he groans.

When your hips fall flush together, he sits up and leans against the headboard, bringing you nearly eye to eye as you pant softly. His kiss is slow and passionate, melting all the tension in your body and making you impossibly wetter. His hands roam you until they settle on the curve of your hips, experimentally rocking you up before slamming you back down on his cock. The sensation is indescribable, and you moan into his mouth as you both begin a slow rhythmic pace.

“Please, please, please…” you chant breathlessly, your hands laced at the nape of his neck.

“Yes. I’ll do anything, anything to keep you like this…” His hips thrust up to hit a deep place in you and you cry out, a part of you hoping it doesn’t cause Soma to come in and investigate the noise. “Shhh, sweetheart. Don’t want to wake the baby.”

Your cunt clenches in surprise at his words, another soft moan escaping your lips. “Baby…a baby…put a baby in me, Mills.”

His eyes grow feral as he picks up the pace. “Is that what my little wife wants? A full house? A happy family? A baby growing in your belly because of me? I’ll give you everything, sweetheart. I promise. They’re going to have your eyes, and my hair, and we are going to love them—”

“Mills—” you pant, your peak inching closer. 

“And I’m going to love you for the rest of my life—”

Your orgasm soars through you, electrocuting every inch of your body. You don’t even feel him flipping you back onto the bed, rutting into you a few more times as he growls praise against your ear, the flood of his spend filling you before he collapses on your side. Heavy breaths are the only sound filling the room for some time, the sweat cooling on your skin as you feel his fingers flex against your hip. 

“Was…that okay?” he mutters, the uncertainty in his voice making your heart squeeze.

“More than okay.” you chuckle softly, turning to face him. 

“Not just…I kinda went overboard with the whole…baby thing…”

You shrug, tucking his sweaty hair away from his forehead. “I don’t think so. But maybe we wait a little bit before making that a reality?”

His face softens as he nods, pulling you against his chest as he presses a kiss to your forehead. You can’t help but sigh into his embrace, this feeling of content one you’ve never felt but already can’t bear the thought of losing. Just as you two are about to doze off, Soma’s loud barking comes storming into the room, your dog climbing all over your bodies as you both shake with laughter. Once he finds a suitable cuddle spot right above both of your heads, Mills leans down to kiss you, pouring all the unspoken words of the future in that one touch.

You can’t help but smile.