Chapter Fifteen

Summary: Set after Avengers: Endgame.
Warning(s): Explicit adult/sexual situations. Disciplinary and erotic spanking; Heavy Domination/submission; M/m, F/f, M/f; Mild spoilers for Endgame; dubcon; AU

###

The take-off had been smooth. Transitioning from having freedom to go everywhere at any time to get fresh air, buy supplies, or be alone wasn't as smooth, but Tony had outdone himself in the ship's design. Despite the assertion that they couldn't change the outside ship structure, the ship was slightly larger. There was ample storage for holding items they might need to bring back to Earth. There were various weapons systems to protect them from potential hostility. All the areas necessary for the ship to run were situated next to each other, so that they could run on as little crew as possible, but they didn't need a large crew because Tony had installed AI on the ship to run various functions; and to keep in contact with Friday and Veronica. The AI hadn't yet been named, but there were three of them: one for navigation, one for defense and one to help with daily living.

The living quarters were the uppermost part of the ship. Each couple had their own area with a bed, 'bath' and small kitchen/sitting area. The only quarters that were slightly different were Coulson's and Maria's. Grant and Kara had been given their own quarters between their parents' and all three were connected with a door, so the two sub children could quickly get to their Dom parent if needed.

The various rooms requested by the group, such as a garden area, or the Danger Room, were on the same level as the quarters. So was the medical lab. It wasn't huge, but Stephen would be able to treat minor injuries and illness, as well as quarantine various members if necessary. Any major injuries or illness, he and Mordo would either need to open a portal to Earth, or hope they could find a planet where they could get help.

They'd been in space approximately a week now and everyone was settling nicely.

Beck had woken up fairly early. At least, he assumed it was early. He only knew what the time was on Earth, in his normal time-zone, when he asked one of the AIs to confirm. Still, it felt like it was an early morning.

But he was too hyped to truly be able to sleep and so had got up, slipping quietly from the bed and gathering some of the materials for his latest project, which he had spread out over the table in front of him.

Happy stirred as he felt his husband's warmth withdraw. "You really are a morning person..." he said, with a hint of amusement. Rolling over, he got out of bed and padded over to see what Beck was working on. "Not that I'm not glad you stayed here where I could see you," he wrapped his arms around Beck firmly, "but wouldn't it be easier for you to use the lab Tony made for you?"

Beck leaned back into Happy's arms and sighed. "I was going to look in more detail later. Just thought I could figure out what's been bothering me if I look at it in a different setting."

"What are you trying to do, anyway?" Happy asked, nuzzling the back of Beck's head.

"I wanted to link this scanner to the ship's computer, so that we have a portable device to carry with us and get more information." Beck sighed. "The linking it isn't the problem so much as figuring out the variables."

"So, information can be sent back immediately, instead of having to bring samples back?" Happy asked.

Beck nodded. "But I want to be able to run comparisons with other data. I'm beginning to think I need to wait until I actually have some samples before I can accomplish what I want to."

Happy nodded. "Well, I'm certain that can be arranged when we stop at our first planet."

"That would be good," Beck agreed, putting the components away. "Do you want breakfast?"

"I do. Would you like to join the others, or stay here in our room?" Happy asked

"I don't have a preference," Beck admitted.

"Then, let us eat here. We can join the others for lunch," Happy decided.

Beck nodded. "I like the sound of that," he said agreeably.

Happy grinned. "I'll get the food ready, then." Kissing the back of Beck's head, he turned and began to make breakfast.

"Want me to help?" Beck asked.

"I've got it. You finish what you are working on..." Happy grinned.

"Will do." Beck relaxed back in his chair, grinning at Happy, before he finished the component he'd been working on.

It didn't take Happy long to fix them both something to eat. He brought it over and handed it to Beck. "According to the schedule, we'll be stopping at one of the hubs Yondu remembered. We can pick up a few supplies, get news... stuff like that."

Beck nodded. "That sounds good." He cleared his work to one side so that Happy could sit and began eating. "Thank you."

"No problem. I like doing things for you." Happy smiled and began to eat his own breakfast.

*****

Grant looked around at his and Kara's room and finally smiled in satisfaction. They'd unpacked and decorated so that it truly looked like a home. He was glad they'd decided to share quarters. Even though the two connecting doors leading to his father's and her mother's own living quarters might suggest otherwise, he and Kara were each taking one more step to independence and being fully functional adults, even if their parents were only one door away if needed.

He glanced toward Kara and their 'guest'. Venom was visiting, giving Eddie and Drake some alone time and getting used to being in another host for longer periods of time in case it was ever needed.​ ​"What do you think?" he asked about his decorating job.

"I like it." Kara walked over to one of the decorations, reaching out and running her fingers over it. "I thought I might feel claustrophobic, being in such a small space, but I actually feel more comfortable here."

"I know what you mean. Even though it is a small space, the only ones who have any access are people I trust completely. And being in space, there isn't much chance of strangers sneaking in... so. It feels safe." Grant smiled. "You and Venom doing okay still?" he asked. The symbiote had already stayed twice the length he did the first time Kara hosted him.

"I think so," Kara answered honestly. "It doesn't feel as strange as the first time. I think I'm adjusting."

Grant nodded. "That's good. I figure... if one person other than Eddie gets used to hosting really well... then there are at least two of us that can handle hosting well, instead of several of us that aren't really comfortable. Once there are two of us, we can break in a third. What do you think?"

Kara nodded. "I think...that's a good idea." She hesitated. "I thought it would be really scary at first, but it doesn't feel that scary now."

"That's good. If you do start feeling uncomfortable, we can switch to me," Grant offered. "Is that okay with you, Venom?"

Venom moved his head to look at Grant, having been looking around the room curiously, and smiled a wide, toothy grin. "I am comfortable in either of you," the symbiote declared, before cocking its head slightly. "Why did you two not bond?"

Grant blinked at the non-sequitur. Looking at Kara, he smiled crookedly. "We only just recently reunited. On top of that, both of us are; well... we've been struggling to figure ourselves out and become stable emotionally. Until now, I at least didn't feel able to handle a commitment of that magnitude." He slanted his head, thinking. "With Dad, it's a different commitment and bond; and he is most definitely in charge of me. With Kara, we're equals. I don't even know if the bond works in situations where the couple are equals."

"But you could try," the symbiote said. "You love each other. So being bonded together would feel good. Even if one of you wasn't in charge of the other."

"I think...." Kara hesitated. "Maybe it'll be something we'd like to try in the future. But like Grant said. It's a big commitment to make when we each have so many emotional wounds still."

"Right now, we are enjoying being together and getting to know each other better. Maybe in the future..." Grant smiled.

"Drake and Eddie chose to bond nearly straight away," Venom commented, his tone more curious than accusing.

Kara shrugged. "I think a lot of the people here are surer of themselves."

"I think pretty much everyone here is surer of themselves," Grant said ruefully. He looked at Kara and smiled. "I can't imagine being in a romantic relationship with anyone but Kara, though. So even if we aren't moving as fast as everyone else to make it permanent, doesn't mean it isn't as important to me "

"It's important to me too." Kara smiled at Grant before adding, "I just want to move at our own pace."

Grant smiled, leaning forward and kissing her gently before looking at Venom. "Do you have any other questions about anything?"

The symbiote considered the words for a few moments. "Will any of you be making little meat sacks?" Venom had overheard a few conversations that had hinted at a possibility and was curious.

Grant's mouth dropped open in awkward surprise and he cleared his throat. "I do not know about any of the others... Kara and I haven't discussed it and that is something we'd really want to discuss before doing it...."

"Some of the other couples have discussed it," Venom stated.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Kara asked the symbiote.

"Of course. How would I learn otherwise?" Venom was clearly unrepentant.

"Yeah... eavesdropping on friends or family is... well, it's rude and if the ones you are eavesdropping on find out, they might be upset with you," Grant said. "It's better to let friends and family share what they want you to know, instead of eavesdropping."

"You humans have so many rules about what's rude and what isn't," Venom said.

"Yeah...I guess we do. And a lot of it is situational to whichever culture you are in. For example... on this ship, you will see a lot of public displays of affection or sexual activity. But if they aren't on the ship or in the compound, or if there is anyone that isn't a part of this group around that would be offended, upset, or maybe even hurt by seeing it, they refrain. Because outside of this group, it is actually considered in poor taste, if not actually illegal, to be so open with things." Grant tried to explain.

"I understand not engaging in that behavior around the little meat sacks, but not in hiding it from others." Venom looked at both of them, studying them like he was trying to learn from them. "You would hide affection from others?"

"Not all types of affection," Kara said. "Hugging isn't something anyone would try to hide, but...like...you've seen Captain America and Brock? They only do that when it's around people who would understand and accept it."

"Yeah. They know that everyone on this ship is aware of their relationship and accepts them being open. But if we were on Earth, outside of the compound-say at a restaurant-if they were as open as they are on the ship, they could be arrested or worse." Grant wrinkled his nose. "I don't think you'll catch Kara or I being that open. But that's only because we are more private about everything."

"I think there's a lot of things we might not be as comfortable with experimenting in doing either," Kara said. Wrinkling her nose, she added, "Like Brock getting spanked so hard, it looks like it can't be anything but painful, but he and Steve, both use it as foreplay and... well, I can't understand how that can be, but it's good for them."

Grant nodded at that. "I've never had the urge to have spanking ever be a part of sex, giving or receiving, but I know it works for some of the others. The thing you have to remember, Venom, is that if you don't know how someone, or a group of someones, might react to you doing something in front of them, it is better not to do it. If you find out they won't mind, you can always do it later, but you can't undo something you've already done...."

The symbiote looked slowly between them. "So, no sex or spanking in front of other people. What about spanking for punishment?" he asked, having witnessed both by now.

Grant blushed at that. "That's another thing that the group seems to not mind doing in front of each other if it is deemed necessary. Although, they tend to try and keep punishments private between the one who messed up and the one in charge. None of them handle punishments publicly in front of strangers unless given no choice at all."

"I think those in charge try to avoid embarrassing those who aren't as much as they can," Kara said quietly.

"Exactly... they don't want to embarrass or humiliate," Grant agreed with Kara.

"So, pleasure is something people here are happy to see, but not punishment?" Venom asked, as if he was trying to understand.

"It's more like they like seeing pleasure and happiness, but don't want to see shame, embarrassment, or unhappiness and pain unless it is necessary. Some punishments used are less likely to expose or make the recipient so fully vulnerable. They have no qualms doing those in front of everyone... I'm talking about punishments like grounding..." Grant stated. "And, of course, if they think not reacting immediately in front of everyone, or if punishing in front of everyone will teach the lesson better and keep their loved one safe, they'll punish in front of everyone, even if they don't like to do it. And there are some who always push until it reaches that point...." Grant couldn't help remembering Stephen and Peter pushing early on in their relationship and being witness to both the pleasure and punishment dynamics of the group, thanks to witnessing the two plus Brock receiving spankings.

"You've seen it happen?" Venom asked.

"I've seen it used for both," Kara said. "I didn't know to react the first time...when I saw Steve and Brock...but I think I can understand it now."

Grant nodded. "I've seen both. You know Steve and Brock are more... visible... in their activities. I've also witnessed when someone pushes and has to be punished more publicly."

"It will be easy to hear, whether someone is punished or claimed, here on the ship," Venom commented. "Sound carries easily."

"That is true... although I know Tony attempted to provide soundproofing as much as possible," Grant said. "So even if it's heard, it won't be so loud we can't ignore it."

"We do have some privacy. Even if not, everyone needs it," Kara commented.

"Yes. So... was there anything else you wondered about?" Grant asked Venom.

"Not yet," Venom replied, after giving the question some obvious thought. It was fairly obvious he expected to be asking more questions in the near future, though.

"Well, if you think of any, you know where to find us..." Grant grinned. "It's kinda neat, really... your questions make me think of things in a different way and notice things I might not pay attention to otherwise."

Venom looked from one to the other before he asked, "Is there anything you are curious about?" Eddie and Carlton, to a lesser extent, had both been trying to teach the symbiote about being polite and if either of them was curious....

"I know Eddie and Drake explained a bit how you are able to exist inside of us... Eddie especially was trying to reassure us that you wouldn't cause harm to us when we were hosting..." Grant started, not sure how to ask what he wanted, because he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to know. "Are you able to heal your host of things that might hurt them otherwise? Or does it cause you to be sick as well?"

"I will always heal my host," Venom replied. "Sometimes it can affect me, but I will recover." He looked between the two of them. "Humans are more fragile than my kind."

"Yeah. That seems to be the case in almost all circumstances..." Grant sighed. "When you find your kind... where they went that you found that message about them... do you plan to stay with them, or do you just want to see how they are doing, but stay with Eddie and the rest of us?"

"I will stay," Venom stated. "I care for Eddie. And Eddie's friends." He shifted, slightly, pressing a little against Kara; a little against Grant. Almost an echo of the parental style affection he'd seen their parents giving them.

Grant found himself relaxing and pressing into the symbiote. "That's good. I'd miss you..." he admitted.

Kara let her head gently rest against Venom's, where it was over her shoulder.

Seeing both react positively to the affection, Venom pressed closer to the two of them. "I would miss both of you as well," the symbiote declared.

"How would you both like a snack? I think they made sure to include tater-tots on the shopping list for the pantry...." Grant grinned.

"Food would be good," Venom responded promptly. "Kara is hungry."

"Not...all that hungry," Kara protested mildly. After all, she wasn't trying to starve herself. But lunch had been a long time ago.

"Well let's go get tater-tots, then!" Grant ignored the mild back and forth between the two, knowing that Venom was probably right; Kara tended to downplay her needs. Grinning at the two, he headed toward the door so they could head to the mess hall.

Kara followed along with Venom, who was still nuzzling her head, even while making sure he kept Grant in view.

****

Maria was sitting in her and Cameron's quarters, looking over a data-pad that Stark had given her right before they left. It basically would enable her to submit and read reports from SHIELD, no matter where they were, allowing her to continue working even while in space. She wasn't doing a very good job of concentrating, though. Her focus kept being drawn away by the man sitting a few feet away from her.

Cameron was sitting cross-legged on the sofa opposite Maria, reading information that Yondu had arranged to send to all their data pads. It contained information about the places they were planning to visit.

He could feel Maria's eyes on him, but had promised to let her work. If she wanted to take a break, he wouldn't say no... but if she needed to work, he wouldn't do anything to distract her.

Finally giving up and realizing she wasn't going to get any work done until she'd at least given in a little bit to her heart’s desire, Maria lowered the pad to her lap and looked fully at Cameron. And then cleared her throat, suddenly bashful and uncertain again. What was it about this man that made her feel like a shy schoolgirl all over again?

Feeling Maria's eyes on him, Cameron looked up and caught her gaze, smiling at her. "Did you want to take a break?" He didn't want to push her into anything, but if she did want to talk or anything...well, he was content just to be with her either way.

"Yeah... yeah, a break would be good...." Maria smiled, relieved he'd talked and given her the nudge to respond.

Cameron smiled and put his data pad down. "Would you like to do anything in particular? Or just talk for a bit?"

"We can talk... although later, maybe we could try out the danger room.... I know Tony and Pepper got together to put in some surprise programs for future 'date nights'. Pepper was very excited about it." Maria smiled, turning to face him more fully.

"I'd like that. Though considering how many couples there are here, we might have to have a roster for who gets to use it when." Cameron laughed softly.

"That's true. Although if some of them are restaurant themed, we could probably have our own table..." Maria grinned wider. "I... I keep wanting to spend more and more time with you, even if we are sharing quarters. I... I really like you, Cam...." She blushed darkly, giving him a hopeful but uncertain look.

"I like you too. A whole lot." Cameron moved closer to her, within touching distance. "I'm here because I like you. I'm attracted to you." He spoke with open honesty.

Maria relaxed slightly at hearing that she wasn't alone in her feelings. Leaning forward slightly, she whispered, "I want to kiss you... can I kiss you?"

"Of course." Cameron moved forward immediately, though he didn't make the first move, as she'd asked to kiss him, not the other way round.

Maria slowly, carefully leaned forward, pressing her lips to his gently. She didn't try for more, happy to experience kissing him at all. She enjoyed the moment, memorizing how it felt in its innocence. It had been a long time since something had felt so new, innocent and pure. She felt her insides flutter and she smiled against him. She finally pulled back slightly to whisper, "This is really nice...."

Cameron responded to the kiss, deepening it a little but not pushing for more either. "It is," he agreed, his voice just as soft. "It was more than worth coming here, with you, so we can explore this between us."

"Very worth it... am... am I right? That you want to get closer? Maybe become more than good friends who date?" She swallowed, pulling back enough to look into his eyes.

"I want to get closer. I want us to get closer." Cameron reached out and took her hand, looking into her eyes. "I'd like to be in an actual relationship with you." It was easier to say, since they were on a spaceship with other couples.

"That makes me really happy." Maria swallowed. "I want that too."

Cameron grinned. "That's great," he said warmly. "It makes me happy too."

Maria smiled and leaned in to give Cameron another kiss, this one surer of herself and less nervous. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Cameron hugged Maria tight in return, kissing her back, though he kept it gentle and undemanding.

Maria was happy to move slowly, keeping the kiss slow and gentle. Eventually, she pulled back again. "I need to finish reading these reports, but maybe after... we can play a game or do something just us, before joining everyone else for dinner? And... maybe... you and I could merge our rooms tonight? We don't have to do anything..." she hastened to add, not wanting him to feel rushed. "I just feel like I don't want to be parted from you, even if we're just sleeping next to each other." She bit her lip and watched him for a response.

"I'd like that," Cameron said honestly. "I'd like to be closer to you. I'd like us to share the room." He paused before asking, "Do you think that would be okay with Kara? I don't want her to feel like I'm taking her Mom away...."

Maria gave him a grateful but slightly bemused smile. "Thank you for thinking of her, but she won't mind. She and Grant have officially moved into their own quarters, even if they are connected to our quarters and Coulson's. She will be happy for me, I think."

Cameron smiled. "Good. That's good. I'm glad. I just know things were hard for her. But if you think she'll be okay with it, then yes. Absolutely. I'd like to share a room with you."

"I really appreciate that you care about her. Part of the reason we made our quarters connect was in case she needs me. But... she and Grant both have been attempting to be more responsible for themselves. It's important to them to know they are capable of it, even if they prefer to let their mom and dad be in charge... she was actually worried about me when she decided to move in with Grant. Only reason she didn't give up their plan was because she knew you'd be with me...." She sounded surprised.

"I think I can understand that," Cameron said. "You've both been together for a long time. The same as Director Coulson and Grant." He paused. "For what it's worth, they both seem more settled than before. Especially Grant," he added, aware of the fact that Grant had been under Garrett's thumb for so long. At least he'd been saved before HYDRA had made their move. A lot of people hadn't been so lucky.

"They are. I'm so proud of them both... they've overcome a lot to reach the point they're at now." Maria smiled.

"I can see. I think you're right to be so proud," Cameron commented.

"You know... they both look up to you too..." Maria pointed out.

"Really?" Cameron asked, clearly surprised.

"Well, yeah. You weren't trained as a field agent, but when SHIELD needed you, you went undercover. Then when everything went wrong, you managed to get out... helping another agent." Maria looked at him sideways. "I know you like to think that was all Bobbi; that you were more hindrance than help. But all the field agents know. If it weren't for you, Bobbi might not have made it out. You kept her focused."

Cameron smiled, though he looked a little embarrassed. "I don't have the same kind of training in fighting that many of the other agents have. I did my best, but we saved each other then." He paused. "I'm glad she's come here and that she's with Director Coulson. I'm worried about her," he admitted.

"I am too, to be honest. But Phil has her. If anyone can pull her through, it will be him," Maria said.

Cameron nodded. "At least there's not a lot of trouble that anyone can get into here on the ship."

"One can hope..." Maria laughed softly.

"I don't imagine that will be the case when we visit other planets," Cameron commented.

Maria opened her mouth, then closed it again and sighed. "I think you are right. As much as I wish you weren't."

"Same here," Cameron admitted. "But maybe it's good to consider the possibility now, where at least we could come up with contingency plans."

Maria nodded. "So, contingency... I... how do we plan for something we know will most likely happen, when we don't know exactly what will happen?" She huffed in amusement. "Although, I suppose setting up a warning system on the ship where the AIs warn us if someone leaves when they aren't supposed to might help."

"You think maybe Tony already did that?" Cameron asked.

"Knowing Tony and what a mother-hen he is for those he considers his... I wouldn't be surprised if it is done. He might have even told the Doms, even if he didn't tell everyone..." Maria said thoughtfully. "I don't think our AI has chosen an identity yet, so I'm not sure how to ask..." she admitted.

"Maybe through the computer?" Cameron suggested. "Then, once our AI, has chosen their identity, we can all make formal introductions."

"Maybe?" Maria looked at her tablet to see if there was an option for talking to their AI. "Can you figure it out?"

"Probably." Cameron picked up his own tablet and began scanning the options. After a few moments, he said, "I think I've found it."

"Great! What's the response?" Maria leaned closer to look over his shoulder.

"There's a warning system in place. An automatic signal that will be sent to those in charge if those who aren't leave the ship." Cameron moved his data pad so she could see.

"That makes it easier... wonder if that is something we should mention to the others?" Maria pondered.

"I could send them all a message," Cameron offered.

"Yeah. Probably a good idea to make sure they are all aware. Even if they probably suspect it..." Maria smiled.

Cameron sent the AI's response to the rest of the Space Avengers and then smiled. "Done."

"Thank you," Maria smiled. "Now... I think I'm ready to do something fun...." She carefully put her tablet down and held her hand out.

***

For a change, it was just Carlton and Eddie in their room, Venom having joined Kara and Grant to give them a bit of privacy. Drake had taken out his data pad when he heard the message come through and now, he looked it over. "That's probably good to know," he commented.

Eddie blinked in surprise and consternation. "What does that mean, exactly? Is the ship spying on us?"

"I think it means that we've likely all been added to the ship's database, so if any of us aren't where we should be, that means the others can be alerted," Drake answered. "That includes those in charge too."

"So... a baby-sitter..." Eddie stated flatly, uncertain how he felt about this development. On the one hand, it added an extra layer of protection for all the crew, especially those unfamiliar with space travel. On the other, it went against every instinct he had about being spied on.

"I think the AI has the same duties as the ones in the compound," Drake commented. "And they didn't encroach on anyone's privacy unless it was needed and there was the risk of someone endangering themselves."

Eddie relaxed slightly at those words. "Yeah... okay. That makes sense."

Drake wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulders and drew him in close. "You don't need to worry about being spied on."

Eddie smiled at that. "Yeah. Sorry I got paranoid "

"I understand why you did." Drake hugged him. "Is there anything else you want to tell me? Anything else bothering you or that you need to ask about?"

"To be honest, I don't think it's all settled in my head..." Eddie said honestly. "So, I really don't know the answer to that." His feelings bled through the bond clearly, letting Drake sense how unsettled he truly was.

"About us? Or about our current situation?" Drake asked gently, rubbing his hands down Eddie's arms.

"Both? I don't know..." Eddie bit his lip. "I dunno.  I don't regret anything... it's just all moved, is moving, so fast...."

"We did move fast," Drake commented. "Of course, we were also apart for five years. I'm fairly sure most people were grabbing on tight with both hands."

"Yeah... that's why I don't regret it. Still..." Eddie shifted closer to his husband, seeking reassurance.

Drake tugged Eddie into his lap, hugging him close, allowing waves of love and reassurance to come through the bond. "We're with other people in the same relationship as us. I think that will help."

Eddie relaxed as Drake took over and maneuvered him. "That does help a little. So does this..." He snuggled closer and let Drake feel how Drake taking charge eased his fears.

"I'm glad." Drake began to slowly strip Eddie, taking his time over doing so, letting his hands rub and squeeze bare skin as it was uncovered.

Eddie shivered as he was bared, leaning more into Drake. He calmed more, as Drake took more and more control.

"I've got you," Drake murmured, both out loud and through the bond. Once Eddie was fully naked, he stretched out his husband on the bed, running his fingers over bare skin.

"Forever?" Eddie found himself asking, anxiety spiking through the bond before he could tame it. The thought of losing what he now had with Drake tormented him.

"You won't lose this." Drake leaned down to kiss Eddie deeply, gliding his hands down the other man's hips. You won't lose me, he promised.

Eddie returned the kiss almost desperately. Love you... need you so much... He quivered at every touch.

I love you too. Drake deepened the kiss, his hands moving down to Eddie's legs, squeezing and rubbing. Then, pulling back from the kiss, he carefully rolled his husband over onto his stomach. Reaching for some of their supplies, he took out some oil and began to rub it into Eddie's back, from his shoulders down to his bottom.

Eddie groaned as Drake massaged him, his body loosening for his husband. "Feels good..." he whispered.

"I want to help you relax." Drake kissed the back of Eddie's neck, even as he continued to rub the oil in, gently squeezing along his husband's flesh.

'S working... Eddie groaned again, visibly sinking into the bed.

Drake began rubbing more of the oil into Eddie's backside, lightly squeezing along buttocks and thighs.

Eddie whimpered as a wave of desire swept through him and he became fully aroused just from Drake rubbing and squeezing his backside. He opened himself up through the bond and physically, offering every part of himself mentally and physically to his mate.

Drake opened himself up through the bond as well, letting Eddie feel everything he did: his desire, need and love for the other man. He gently smacked Eddie's backside until it was pink and rosy, then reached under his husband to grasp Eddie's member.

Eddie groaned at the act of dominance, pressing into Drake's hand as much as he was able.

"You are mine." Drake whispered the words against Eddie's neck, sending the intense emotions through the bond as well.

"Yours... Always yours...." Eddie offered himself, slipping easily into submission. The act of accepting Drake's position in his life helped to settle his roiling emotions... noticeably calming, the more he let Drake control. He didn't control his reactions at all; if Drake wanted him to hold still... hold back... he would say. His hips stuttered faintly as he began to gently push into Drake's hand with his aching member; not thrusting yet, because he didn't want to pull his bottom away from the smacks or possessive squeezing.

The bond made it possible for Drake to push inside Eddie without needing preparation and he did just that, one hand still gently smacking and squeezing his husband's backside, while his other played with and stroked Eddie's member.

At feeling Drake push inside and claim him, Eddie felt himself slide... he could only focus on and recognize one thing, one being, in the room... in the universe... and that was his husband. Every point of awareness was honed in on Drake and what Drake was doing and how good it felt. He felt himself stretching to accommodate his lover and it didn't burn or sting even a little. His body was completely ready with just the little attention he'd been given.

Drake left the link between them open as he began to thrust inside Eddie, gripping him tight and stroking his member firmly with his other hand.

Eddie groaned loudly, waves of love, desire, and need pouring through the bond. All he knew was his mate over him, on him, in him; the sliding warmth of love and affection slipping through him and pooling in his heart until he knew he'd do anything for Drake. Anything at all. "Yours..." His voice was a thin, high-pitched whine of pained pleasure. He felt so good, it hurt.

"Mine." Drake's voice was a low, intense whisper as he began to thrust hard and deep inside Eddie, leaving himself open so that his husband would feel how much Drake wanted, needed, loved him.

Eddie arched his back, shifting enough that Drake could go as deep as possible. He continued to moan with pleasure and need, beginning to pant with each thrust.

Waves of possessive love came through the bond, one word repeating over and over. Mine. He gripped Eddie's hips tighter, thrusting in deep.

Eddie was barely hanging on the edge, so close to losing complete control. "Please, Love... I can't..." He nearly sobbed from need.

"Let go." Drake's voice was low, nearly a growl. "I want to see. I want to feel you release."

At the growled order, Eddie let out a soft sob and then his body was quaking under and around Drake, spasm after spasm tearing through him, drawing out a keening wail that he was sure had to be loud enough to carry to the rest of the living quarters, even if not the whole ship.

Drake's own release hit him at the same time and he tightened his hold on his mate before slumping forward over Eddie's back and gently kissing his shoulder.

Eddie collapsed under Drake, panting for breath, boneless and lethargic. He let out a happy hum at the kiss. Love you, he thought drowsily.

I love you too, Drake thought back, his love and care for his mate coming clearly through the bond.

Eddie had a sense of contented satisfaction to him and he gently squeezed around Drake's member, happy that his mate hadn't withdrawn yet. Feels good... so good.

You feel so good, Drake responded. Surrounding me. Holding onto me...so very good.

"Always hold onto you... for rest of my life... can't be without you..." Eddie whispered.

"I can't be without you either," Drake said honestly. "You're my whole world."

Eddie settled in place, happy to be close to his mate.

Drake wrapped his arms tightly around Eddie, just holding onto his husband. Waves of love and contentment flowed through the bond from him to Eddie.

Eddie snuggled into Drake's arms, feeling sleepy but safe.

****

Everett might not be in charge overall, but he'd made sure he was kept informed about everything that went on in the ship. He glanced at Sharon as they sat next to each other watching a video. "We're going to be stopping at our first planet in a few days. We don't know who all will be allowed to go, though... what their rules will be."

Sharon nodded. "I suspect we'll find out a bit nearer the time," she commented.

"I asked Yondu if he was familiar with their laws; figured as he'd been a space pirate, he'd know if anyone would... he said this planet was mainly lawless... that if we went, we needed to stay in the capital, where the law was very strict. He couldn't give much detail, as he'd never actually been to the planet, but that's what he'd heard." Everett shrugged.

"Some information is better than none," Sharon said. "At least we know where those of us who do leave will be the safest."

Everett nodded. "Hopefully, it is easy to get information...."

"Maybe the AI Tony put on board will be able to scan for information once we're close enough?" Sharon suggested.

"I'm sure they'll find out as much as possible. But we should be prepared for there being a limited group being allowed to go," Everett said. "As much as I want to explore new planets, we may not be allowed... at least not until we prove our intentions to their rulers "

"It makes sense. There will be a lot of unknowns, at least at first." She leaned against his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Exactly. If they only allow a few of us to go, I'll stay with you." Everett wrapped his arm more securely around her.

"We'll make a decision once there are no longer any unknowns." She cuddled into him.

"Of course. No sense putting the cart before the horse... but I don't plan to leave you behind if that's what ends up happening," Everett stated.

Sharon smiled. "I appreciate that." She leaned up to kiss him.

Everett leaned into the kiss, returning it gently. "Anything you'd like to do tonight?"

"I can think of a few things." Smiling, with a hint of mischief, she let some of those slip through the bond.

Grinning, Everett snuggled. "That could be fun..."

"Any particular one you'd like to try?" she asked.

"How about...?" Everett whispered into her ear, then proceeded to act on the words.

****

Logan shifted into position, then wiggled his fingers in a 'come here' motion. They were practicing their fighting.

Bobby watched Logan carefully, looking for an opening on his lover. He didn't expect training against his husband to be easy, but when he moved, it was aiming for a part of Logan's body that seemed to be unprotected.

Logan had deliberately left himself open, but in such a way Bobby would have had to pay close attention to notice. He was pleased that Bobby immediately noticed... proud. But he quickly readjusted, so that whatever hit Bobby got in was deflected at the last minute. "Good... good." He spoke out loud, but the pride carried through the bond.

Bobby smiled happily at the sense of pride coming from his lover, but although he was clearly happy, he didn't let it distract him. He truly wanted to learn more...to get better...and trusted Logan to teach him.

They continued in that way for several more minutes, Logan showing Bobby new moves, making it progressively more difficult. His pride grew with each time Bobby accomplished matching his moves.

Bobby's own happiness echoed through the bond as his lover's pride grew. It was very obvious how much he liked having his mate proud of him.

Logan showed Bobby a few more moves, continuing the lesson.

Bobby focused fully on his mate and what Logan was teaching him. He was always happy to spend time with his husband and that feeling came clearly through their bond.

Finally, Logan decided they'd trained enough. "Let's hit the shower and then meet everyone for dinner." He smiled at his mate. "I'm really impressed with your progress, but we don't want to overdo."

"Thanks." Bobby grinned. "I like making you proud of me."

"It's easy to be proud of you." Logan smiled, motioning Bobby toward the exit of the workout room.

Bobby headed towards the exit. "We showering together?" he asked.

Logan looked tempted, but said reluctantly, "Better not... dinner with everyone else is only in fifteen minutes; we don't have anything substantial in our own kitchenette and you expended a lot of energy practicing. I want you to eat a good meal."

"We don't have to eat with everyone else," Bobby tried.

"I want you to eat a good meal. Soup, sandwiches and quick packaged stuff is all we can realistically make with a mini-fridge and a microwave... so we really do need to eat with the others," Logan said sternly, although it was clear through the bond he really wasn't upset or irritated. "We might be able to sneak into the danger room and use one of the spa programs after we eat, though..." he relented slightly. "...Use a hot tub."

"I'd like that," Bobby said. "I know training is important, but I'd like to actually do couple stuff together as well. You know?"

"Of course..." Logan smiled, although a hint of worry that Bobby was somehow feeling neglected wormed into his feelings. They'd been together non-stop since becoming a couple and he thought he'd been attentive and done fun things along with the mundane; but if Bobby felt the need to ask for 'couple things', maybe he wasn't doing as good at providing what was needed as he thought.

"It's not...." Bobby paused as he tried to think of how to word what he wanted to say. "We don't have as much privacy now that we're on the ship. I miss having time for just the two of us."

Logan nodded slowly. It made sense, after all; it wasn't as easy to 'get away' from the others on board the ship as it was when they could just drive off somewhere. Still... they'd only been on board a week. And they'd spent a large amount of time in their room, or doing things together in other parts of the ship; like training. And it wasn't like there had been that much more privacy at the compound; or at the school, for that matter. He couldn't help but worry, at least a little, that he might disappoint Bobby, if the kid was already feeling a lack of privacy so soon after leaving. "We can do the hot tub right after dinner and then watch a movie in our quarters after that," he suggested. "When we stop at planets where it is feasible, I can request we stay near them for at least a week or so, so we can sight see and have a chance to get away."

Bobby nodded and smiled. "I'd like that, some time alone after dinner and a bit of an opportunity to have some more private time." He walked over to Logan and wrapped his arms around his husband, hugging tight.

Logan pushed his worry down where the bond wouldn't broadcast it and smiled, hugging back.  It could be worse. Bobby could have been feeling stifled and wanting to spend time away from him. And to be fair, they were still technically newlyweds. Wanting more alone time wasn't unusual. If Bobby was still feeling like they didn't have enough alone time a month from now, then he would worry. "C'mon, you. Let's get cleaned up so we can go eat."

"Maybe we can take that shower together after our next training session," Bobby suggested, as they left the area.

"Maybe. Nothing says we can't take more than one shower in a day... Stark made the filtration system on this thing top notch. Recycling water when we can't refill the tanks immediately isn't a problem... and given how often we plan to stop at various planets, refilling or topping up the tanks shouldn't be an issue either." By this point, they'd reached their room. "You can go first..." Logan gently steered Bobby to their shower, before going to gather clean clothes for both of them to wear.

Bobby quickly moved into the shower, quickly washing himself off and then drying himself, so that he didn't take too long and his husband would be able to take as long as he needed in the shower.

As soon as Bobby had finished, Logan took his own shower. It didn't take long to finish and soon, they were dressed and heading to eat with the others.

***

A few days had passed and everyone had more or less settled into their routine. Most of the couples seemed happy...even Grant and Kara were happier together.

Coulson and Bobbi were the only ones who hadn't paired off together. Coulson was interested in and attracted to Bobbi, but despite the fact they were sharing quarters, she hadn't indicated a romantic interest in him. And he would never force her into something by telling her how he felt. After all, he was still technically her superior.

Bobbi was miserable. Everyone had someone... except her. Well, she supposed Coulson was in the same boat as her as far as having a lover, but at least he had Grant. He had family. She didn't have anyone.

She might have been okay with that if her very inappropriate crush on her boss hadn't turned into full-fledged desire. Only fear kept her from throwing herself at the older man and begging him to take her. She knew he couldn't possibly ever want her and it would be humiliating to have him 'let her down gently'. Also... her attraction to him was decidedly different than it had ever been toward anyone else. Maybe it was because she'd been around so many Doms and subs lately, but she found herself wishing that he'd take control of her, outside of how he was her boss. She'd never wanted that before, but she wanted that badly now. It quite honestly terrified her how much she wanted to submit to him.

Her fear made her grumpy and willful. Only the fact that they were on a ship that left little to no opportunity to rebel kept her from pushing her limits in reaction to her fear. And then they were at their first planet, everyone getting on the tiny shuttle that would take them from their ship to the surface.

"You will need to go through their customs area. They will let you know what to do from there..." their AI informed everyone on the short trip down.

"Thank you," Steve said to their AI, snuggling his husband close to him; not quite on his lap, but it wouldn't take much to pull Brock onto it. Since they were going down to the planet, his husband was clothed, although Brock did go around the ship naked normally.

"I think we should try and stay together at first," Coulson commented. "This is an entirely new situation for most of us."

"Still a new planet to go to for most of us," Yondu commented.

"I know I have never visited it..." Yon said in agreement.

Brock snuggled close.

Grant nodded. "That shouldn't be difficult," he said to Steve. "Most of us do that anyway."

Bobbi didn't say anything, but she sighed internally. If they insisted on staying together, she'd be subjected to being a third wheel, yet again. She knew all the couples were looking forward to this trip as being an off-ship date.

Bobby grinned. "I can't wait to explore a new planet," he said, cuddling closer to Logan.

Fury wrapped his arm around Bucky's shoulders, slipping into mind speech to say to his husband, If things get overwhelming, just let me know. We can always return to the ship if need be.

I appreciate that, Bucky thought back. Just then, the shuttle landed and they all exited to line up at 'customs'.

Bobbi stood at the very back of the line.

The couples all stood close together. Venom's head poked out from behind Grant's shoulder, looking around the planet with obvious curiosity.

One by one, the custom agents motioned the group through, making sure they registered their weapons, as well as any organic items they had on them. They were also sent through a scanner that reminded Grant of an airport X-ray machine. The agent gave him a raised eyebrow at Venom's presence, but didn't say anything, seemingly more interested in his bond mark than in the symbiote currently inhabiting him. After they had all gone through the screening process, a tall woman in a slightly more elaborate uniform addressed them.

"Welcome. Please avoid any spot marked with this sign..." She held up a sign that very much resembled skull and crossbones. "Any place marked with this will kill you. It appears all but two of you are safe to go anywhere. You and you..." She pointed at Cameron and Bobbi. "...Should stay in areas within the main city. You will know if you've left the main city because the roads change from pavement to dirt." She looked around uncertainly. "If the person or people in charge would please accompany me to the registrar, you need to register your ship, along with a crew list of everyone aboard so we know who is on our planet...."

Bobbi wrinkled her nose at being singled out and being limited in where she could go. Why was she going to be restricted? She didn't say anything, though, as the woman had already moved on to figuring out who was in charge.

Steve, Coulson and Fury moved forward to introduce themselves to the woman and to take care of registering all of them.

If you need me at all, you know how to reach me, Fury said to Bucky, always trying to reassure his mate.

Of course, but I won't be far. As soon as you are done, I want to be with you... Bucky thought, with a smile, moving forward to head toward what appeared to be a shop area.

Everyone else had quickly taken off into the shops as well. Bobbi was not an exception. Feeling sorry for herself, she wandered to a clothing boutique and began to look through the offerings. Loki had explained how barter was done between planets and space farers before they'd even left Earth and somehow had made arrangements for each of them to have the means necessary to do so. Tony had made certain they had funds to cover them until they were able to find jobs to supplement their income. She found herself using her credit chip to buy a slinky negligee and a matching lace corset and thong. "Please wrap this and have it delivered to the Defender..." she requested, adding a tip to her payment to ensure the package made it. As she left to continue wandering alone, she kicked herself mentally for buying such frivolous items when she had no one to wear them for.

It didn't take long for the registration to be completed and Steve used the bond to track down his mate, catching up with Brock and wrapping his arms around his mate's waist, kissing his shoulder. Found anything you like? he sent through the bond.

Nothing has caught my eye yet, Brock admitted. But I think buying a few snack items to keep in our room might be good.

Steve turned Brock's face towards him and kissed his husband's lips. That sounds like a good idea, he agreed. Maybe we should try to get a small souvenir from each planet we visit.

I think that sounds like a great idea, Brock thought.

***

Bobbi had moved on to a few other shops. She didn't notice that she'd picked up an 'admirer' from the first shop. The alien held the package that was supposed to go to the ship and followed her, but she was too distracted by her feelings of loneliness to notice.

As many shops as there were in the main square, it still didn't take long for Bobbi to go through them and she was left with the choice of heading back to the ship, or going to the area that the customs agent had recommended against. She knew none of the other members of the ship, other than Cameron, had to limit where they went in the city. She'd overheard a few recommendations for bars in the outer city and she wanted a chance to try them too. Straightening her shoulders, she walked forward, stepping off the paved road onto the dirt.

Her 'admirer' spoke into a hand-held device before following her. But not before Grant noticed. He frowned and glanced at Kara. "Someone is following Bobbi..." he muttered, before kissing her forehead. "Go tell dad... I'm going to go catch up with her and make sure she's okay."

Kara frowned, glancing towards where Bobbi was going and then looking at Grant. "Be careful," she said softly, before going to find Coulson.

"Of course..." He smiled, before quickly following his shipmate and the man following her. They went a couple of blocks when two vehicles suddenly pulled in front of Bobbi and ten burly aliens jumped out, grabbing the smaller woman. Grant immediately moved to run after them, to try and help her fight them off, despite the fact they were outnumbered and outsized by a lot.

Venom immediately acted, wrapping himself around Grant and pulling him back. "There are too many for even us to fight together," the symbiote hissed.

"I can't just let them take her... she's.... damnit, they knocked her out. I have to stop them until the others arrive, or we'll lose them...." Grant struggled fruitlessly against the symbiote's control.

"They'll be able to take you out," Venom hissed in Grant's ear. "Even with my help. I can make you stronger, but even I have my limits."

"We don't have to take them out completely! Just slow them down till backup arrives!" Grant argued, still struggling ineffectively to go to Bobbi. It wasn't for long, though. Bobbi was knocked unconscious and dragged into one of the vehicles. Soon, the aliens had disappeared, Bobbi with them.

"They knocked her out. They would have done the same to you." Venom was still wrapped around Grant and began to walk him back, so they could meet the others.

"We could have at least tried..." Grant said angrily, although his anger wasn't truly at Venom.

"And give them another hostage to use?" Venom returned.

Coulson reached out to his son as he headed towards where Kara had told him that Bobbi had been. What's happened, son? he asked, staying calm, even though his worry was obvious.

Bobbi was grabbed off the street by ten thugs... they knocked her out. Venom wouldn't let me try and stop them... Grant thought back, in obvious frustration and worry.

I've asked the others to come and meet us, Coulson said. I know you're worried. I know you're frustrated. But if there were that many of them, you could have been captured too. Or worse. More than a hint of worry and fear for his son came through their bond.

That's what Venom said... Grant admitted, in resignation. I'll wait for you. He gave Coulson directions to where he was.

We won't be long, Coulson promised, before proceeding to send the directions to the rest of the group.

****

Bobbi was thoroughly disgusted with herself; not that she'd ignored what was apparently valid advice (though she still didn't understand why she'd been singled out to not leave the 'tourist area'), but that she'd let herself fall into self-pity to the point she'd completely ignored her surroundings and ten aliens had got the jump on her. Of course, she had to wonder if she'd been set up from the moment she stepped foot on the planet. When she'd woke up from being knocked out, she'd found herself dressed in the corset, thong and negligee she'd bought that was supposed to have been delivered to the ship. She slowly sat up and glared in the direction of the camera she saw in the corner of the room. She wanted to cover herself- the garments left little to the imagination- but she didn't want to show fear, or that they had rattled her as badly as they had. Her only way to hide that was by defiance.

"Where am I? What do you want?" she growled at the camera.

A disembodied voice answered her and she was thankful she'd gotten used to Stark's AI's since it enabled her to not react. "Where you are doesn't matter. You won't be here long. As soon as the bidding starts, it won't be long at all. After that, where you are will be determined by your bond-mate."

"My bond-mate?" Bobbi asked incredulously.

"You do not have the mark, which means you have no connections that can track you. You will be sold, claimed and after that...." It was obvious whoever had planned this didn't care what happened, as long as she brought a good price.

"The mark... a bond mark..." Bobbi whispered, finally realizing what had sat her and Cameron apart. "But how...? Did customs tell you...?"

"I'm sure customs warned you against leaving the main areas. They only hold sway in the main areas. Most are of the view that if non-bonded ignore the warnings, they deserve what they get..." It was clear the speaker was among the 'most'. "...But no. Customs didn't tell."

"The shop!" Bobbi looked down at the negligee in dismay. "When I get free...." Her voice was coldly furious.

"Not the shop. Well... not knowingly the shop. Even if you somehow found a way to report it, the owner won't have any information. And the law wouldn't step in once you are bound. This planet holds bonds as sacred. They wouldn't take any chance of separating you from your mate. Even if you didn't originally choose the bond. You may as well accept it... make peace with it. Make yourself desirable and you will be more likely to be bought by a benevolent mate. You could end up happy," the voice said with a hint of finality.

"You can't just sell people!" Bobbi argued... but there wasn't another response. She'd been left alone with her thoughts.

****

Maria had been the one to suggest going to the authorities, which they had done, only to discover that the authorities truly only had influence in the capital city. And there, only the tourist area was really safe, as people sympathetic to the outlying areas and their way of thinking had infiltrated the outer areas of the city.

"This is why she and your young man were warned to stay in the tourist areas. Kidnappings are not unusual among the unmarked..." the officer who took their statements said sadly. "I'm afraid she is lost to you unless you have means to purchase her."

Coulson's worry and fear for Bobbi was obvious to those who knew him well, even though he did his best to avoid having that fear and worry come through the bond to his son. And he managed to keep his voice relatively calm as he asked, "What is likely to happen? You mention purchasing...is there somewhere specific she'd be taken?"

"There is a place where auctions are held. We tried to shut it down... but the pirates and rebels have sympathizers in our ranks, who warned them repeatedly. We have not been able to determine who is helping them and lost too many loyal soldiers." The officer grimaced. "As much as their practice of selling non-bonded to those seeking new bond mates disgusts us... we can't afford the losses and had to relegate ourselves to just warning newcomers who weren't bonded to not leave the areas we control." The officer pulled out a map and made a mark, handing it to Coulson. "As much as I know you want to go in and rescue her, if they see a large group coming, they will scatter like roaches into their hills and tunnels and you will never see her again. You will be better off buying her back, if you can afford it."

Maria was furious at this news and couldn't help asking indignantly, "How do you keep your own unbonded from being kidnapped and sold?"

"We don't have unbonded. Our people form a parent bond. It allows the parent to find their child if they get taken. The parent can then go after the one who bought them. Since we only have tenuous control over the populace... it usually ends in the one who bought the bonded child's death. Even if the child was of majority. Most aren't willing to risk it, so the pirates limit themselves to unbonded visitors." The officer added defensively, "That's why we warned your two unbonded not to leave the tourist area."

"We can't force them to change their laws and culture," Steve said quietly to Maria, his own disgust and unhappiness with the situation clear. He then looked towards Coulson. "At least a couple of us should go with you. In case you do run into any trouble."

"I should be one of those, in case she needs medical attention," Stephen said quietly.

"I want to go..." Grant interjected. "And Venom is still with me, so it will be like having two instead of just one."

"And I'll come, too," Steve said.

"The rest of us will be on standby," Fury said. He looked towards Brock and Steve. "If you're staying with the rest of us, Brock, then if they need backup, Cap can link with you faster than any comm will get through."

"Understood..." Brock quickly gave Steve a hug, before turning toward Coulson, Grant and Stephen. "Be careful...."

"You can reach out to me if you need to, as well," Mordo said to his husband, reaching out to take Stephen's hand and grip it gently for a moment or two.

"Believe me... I will definitely do that," Stephen said, squeezing Mordo's hand back.

Not long after, they were on their way to the area marked on the map. It took an hour to reach the location and a quick look around showed numerous groups who were there to bid. They were all outnumbered by armed pirates. They were ushered to a room that had a viewing screen.

"Each sale on offer will be shown once. After, we will show each sale again and bidding will commence. If you win a bid, you will be led to your purchase as soon as the credits are transferred..." The auctioneer explained the process. And then live video was being transferred onto the screen, showing the 'offerings'.

Coulson narrowed his eyes when he saw Bobbi show on the screen. He couldn't help feeling concerned, immediately looking at the picture to make sure she wasn't visibly harmed.

Steve had been keeping in contact with his bonded mate throughout, allowing Brock to see through his eyes in case his lover spotted anything he didn't. Or if the others needed to move quickly.

Bobbi had alternated between trying to cover herself as much as possible, given what she wore, and glaring at the camera. There was a nasty bruise where she'd been knocked out, but her eyes were clear and focused. She didn't have a concussion or any visible wounds. It was obvious her anger had scared off a few of the timider buyers. And then the auction began. Four other kidnap victims were auctioned off before Bobbi was shown again.

Stephen had paid close attention the first time Bobbi was shown and was relieved that there didn't seem to be anything dangerous wrong with her. It allowed him to watch the other participants, while Coulson focused on winning her freedom.

Grant and Venom were also watching closely.

Steve moved close to Coulson's side, so that he could offer his friend support while Coulson made sure he could outbid the bids. He also did his best to keep Coulson calm, able to see just how angry and unhappy the other man was with this situation.

Brock had been paying attention to events while watching through Steve's eyes. He noticed something that worried him and had to ask the officer that had remained with their group to provide advice, "What are the chances that even if he wins his bid, one of the others won't honor him winning and will attempt to take her anyway?"

The officer blinked, then frowned uncomfortably. "Unless he bonds her immediately upon winning her, the chances are very good that they might do that..." he said reluctantly.

"But if she is bonded immediately, they won't?" Brock tried to understand.

"If she is bonded immediately, they will leave her alone!" the officer said forcefully, happier to give this answer.

"So... what's to stop them from killing Coulson and then taking her once her bond-mate is eliminated?" Maria asked worriedly.

The officer looked affronted at such a suggestion. "I realize that our planet places a lot of weight on bonds and their importance... more than is likely done elsewhere. But it is that weight and importance that will protect your friend if she is immediately bonded. If anyone did as you suggested and tried to steal a bond-mate through murdering the one who bound them... they would find themselves receiving pirate justice. Not something anyone would willingly call down on themselves. If he bonds with her, they will be left alone."

Brock immediately sent that information to Steve.

Meanwhile, Grant and Stephen both had noticed that the bidders had all dropped out, one by one, until it was just Coulson and one other alien who had a rather large entourage. When that last alien dropped out and Coulson won the bid, Grant warned his father, I couldn't see what they were saying, but nearly all of your competitor's entourage has slipped out of the building in a very sneaky way. I've got a bad feeling something is up....

"We need to be prepared in case they try something once we leave the safety of the auction house..." Stephen whispered.

"Can you open a portal? Or can Mordo?" Steve asked Stephen quietly. "From the sounds of it, Coulson needs to bond with Bobbi completely. If we can get the rest of our group here, it might give the other alien pause. Or at least enough time that the bonding can be completed."

Coulson acknowledged his son's words, clearly on his guard even though he was also waiting to find out what would happen now that he'd won the bid.

They weren't given much time to discuss. The auction promoter had quickly come to Coulson as soon as the price had been paid. "If you will come with me, sir, your prize is this way...." The man turned and quickly walked through a door, heading down a hallway. He only looked back once to make sure Coulson was watching, leaving it up to him to keep up.

Stephen frowned. "Opening it inside the building would likely bring us more problems than help," he whispered. "I'm keeping Mordo updated. As soon as we are outside, I will open a portal so we can quickly leave, or the others can back us up if necessary." He quickly followed Grant, who was keeping close to his father.

Steve followed close behind the rest of the group, ready in case anything happened and his help was needed.

They soon reached a locked door, which their guide opened, then motioned into the room. "The key to the shackles is on the table by the door. You can see yourself out. The exit is straight down the hall." He left them alone.

Grant looked uncertainly at his father. "Should I wait out here with Steve? To guard the door while you and Stephen make sure she is okay?"

Coulson sighed and nodded to Grant. "That would be a good idea, thank you, son," he said.

Grant nodded and moved to one side of the door, noting Steve moving to the other side. He watched as Stephen just walked in, obviously expecting Coulson to follow.

"Let me do a quick check to make sure you are able to travel," Stephen said, starting to do just that.

Bobbi blinked. "You aren't going to unchain me first?" She sounded a mix of amused and confused.

Coulson stepped over to Bobbi, the look on his face one of worried concern as he looked over her. "There was an alien trying to bid on you as well. He didn't seem very happy about the fact that our bid won out." He hesitated. "He and his entourage are on their way here. It seems that there will be violence unless we bond."

Bobbi blinked at that owlishly, trying to wrap her head around the words. Had Coulson come to her under any other circumstances and said he wanted to bond, she would have been ecstatic. Truthfully, even with circumstances being what they were, she found herself wanting it. Except....

She knew the only reason he was suggesting it was because it was the only way to avoid bloodshed. He was being forced into it. All because she couldn't heed some simple warnings. Guilt speared through her. Was there any other choice, though? Not really. She'd make it as easy for him as possible, though. She'd do her best to hide her own feelings, so he wouldn't be burdened by her any more than necessary.

She thought all this and made her decision within a few seconds of his words. Giving a crooked smile, she asked, in an almost impish tone, "So I'm not getting unchained?"

Coulson watched her carefully before asking, "Do you want to be unchained for this?" In his own mind, he wanted to make this as easy for her as possible. If she wanted the chains loosened, so that she could be an active participant, he'd do that.

Bobbi blinked and flushed at the question, the sudden heat of arousal at the idea of being tied up and at Coulson's mercy catching her by surprise. And she didn't know how to answer the question, exactly. If she said no, he might take it to mean she wanted to be an active participant and was fine with everything... and it might help him feel less bad about the situation. Of course, he might also take it to mean that she didn't trust him enough to put herself completely in his hands and that would make it even harder for him. But saying she wanted to remain chained could either indicate complete trust and make it easier, or indicate she didn't want to accept any part of making the decision and put the burden of it completely on him, which was unfair. It was her fault they were even in this situation.

"Which would make it easier for you?" she asked hesitantly, shifting slightly as her arousal made it difficult to sit still. She didn't realize her arousal was very obvious, due to the skimpy clothing.

"I want you to feel comfortable," Coulson answered. "Just because we have to bond, it doesn't mean I want to make you feel uncomfortable." He did see her arousal, but as he knew someone's body could react unconsciously, he didn't want to assume she was on board with anything.

Bobbi bit her lip. As much as the idea of being restrained while Coulson took her aroused her, she knew that this bonding was based off necessity only. It would probably be better for all involved if she kept as much control over herself as possible... if only so she could maintain the emotional walls she needed once it was in effect. "Maybe I should be released..." she whispered. "In case we have to leave quickly...."

Coulson nodded and looked towards Stephen. "Is there anything else you need to do?" he asked.

"I'll need to say the spell necessary to fill this flask...." Stephen handed the flask to Coulson. "Beyond that, I'll say the final spell that will bind you. The rest is in your hands."

Bobbi swallowed and found herself suddenly feeling shy and awkward.

"Thank you." Coulson took the flask and then moved over to carefully unchain Bobbi.

Bobbi held still, allowing herself to stretch once she was loose and rubbed at her wrists. "What now?" she finally said, forcing herself to look into Coulson's eyes, even though she was feeling very guilty at putting him into this situation.

"I know this situation isn't an ideal one for you," Coulson said gently. "But I want to do everything I can to make this easy on you. We need to bond, but even though it has to happen quickly, it doesn't have to be painful for you."

Bobbi swallowed hard and gave Coulson a timid smile. "I trust you... I... I'm sorry I made you have to do this. I know you wouldn't have chosen to if it wasn't necessary..." she whispered, swallowing again before taking a breath and removing the negligee. It wasn't doing anything to cover her and would only be in the way. Blinking back tears of shame, she removed the thong and corset as well.

Coulson knelt down in front of her and reached out, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "I care for you, Bobbi. Very much so." He leaned forward and gently kissed her.

Bobbi squeezed Coulson's hand back and returned the kiss, almost hesitantly, before taking a shaky breath. "I... I care for you too..." she whispered, unable to admit she loved him when she felt so guilty for making a mistake that caused him to have to tie himself to her.

"If something hurts or feels uncomfortable, tell me," Coulson directed softly. "I want this as easy on you as possible."

"Yes, Sir..." Bobbi said, before blushing. Given what they were about to do, she wasn't certain he'd welcome her saying things quite in that way. She bit her lip and waited to see if he minded her using the term of respect, or if he wanted her to use his name.

Coulson looked into her eyes and said, softly, "You don't have to call me sir if you don't feel comfortable doing so, Bobbi. Our relationship is about to change." He reached out and touched her face; let his thumb stroke lightly over her bottom lip.

Bobbi slanted her head, her mouth falling open slightly at the touch of his thumb. She didn't say anything; not because she didn't hear him, but because she wasn't sure what to say. She didn't feel uncomfortable calling him sir, after all. It was more that in this particular situation, it left her feeling more submissive than it did when she was calling him that because he was her superior officer. Which didn't make sense, but that's how it felt. Given how aroused she had become at the idea of remaining completely under his control by remaining chained... well, she wasn't entirely certain she didn't like feeling that submissive. They hadn't had any chance at all to discuss what they would want from their relationship... but once bonded, he'd be able to know exactly how she was feeling about any situation, if she couldn't control what she allowed through the bond. It was a bit scary and she took a shivering breath, the air blowing gently over the thumb that was still stroking her lip.

Focusing entirely on Bobbi, Coulson allowed his hands to glide down Bobbi's arms and over her hips, squeezing gently. He leaned forward to kiss her again, this time with a bit more pressure behind it.

Bobbi closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, letting herself imagine that Coulson was doing this because he wanted her and not because he was afraid they'd be attacked and she'd be taken again before they could get to the ship. She let out a tiny whimper at his hands on her hips and hesitantly brought her own hands up to rest on his shoulders, rubbing over them gently.

Coulson ran his hands down her body, gently squeezing and rubbing. He shifted towards her, so that she'd know her touch was welcome.

Bobbi was able to relax slightly once she realized Coulson didn't mind her touching him too and allowed herself to gently run her hands over him, almost exploring; learning him. She knew they had to hurry, though. And it wasn't like she hadn't been aroused earlier, even if it had been a surprise to her. As nervous and guilty as she felt, she knew it wouldn't take much for her to be wet enough for Coulson to take her without hurting her. "I... it won't take much..." she whispered, embarrassed that she'd got so aroused before he'd even done anything. It was what it was, though; and in this instance, it was probably a good thing, as embarrassing as it was.

Coulson nodded and murmured softly, "Would you like to undress me?" He didn't know what would be easier on her; what she'd prefer. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder as his hands gently cupped her breasts, circling the nipples.

Bobbi shivered, whimpering and arching into his hands, her nipples darkening at his touch. They'd already been half pebbled... now they were completely hard. It took her a few moments to be able to focus on his words, but once she understood what he was saying, she was clumsily tugging his shirt up, trying to loosen buttons at the same time she was trying to undo his pants. She groaned in frustration; it felt like every bit of coordination and grace had fled her, because even the simplest button was thwarting her.

Coulson kissed her, gently and lingeringly, and then took hold of her hands, guiding them to his pants and squeezing them gently. "I know we don't have a whole lot of time, but you don't need to rush so much," he murmured. "Take your time." He was doing the same, allowing his other hand to explore her body. His fingers glided down her chest, over her stomach, between her legs.

Bobbi swallowed hard, then hesitantly nodded, slowing down her movement enough that she was able to undo his pants and slide her hand inside them carefully. Hesitantly at first, then more surely as she became confident that he actually wanted her to participate more actively, she grasped him and began to gently stroke his member, squeezing firmly but not too hard. She opened her own legs further so he had easier access; she knew she was already wet. She had to be, because just what little he'd done had caused her arousal to spike again and she was beginning to ache for him to touch her.

Coulson let himself respond to her touch and stroking; allowed himself to make sounds and move closer to her. Her touch on him felt good and he made that clear, even as he touched and explored between her legs.

Bobbi smiled faintly at hearing the sounds, paying close attention so that she could repeat any movements that he seemed to particularly like... find a level of strength in her grip that caused more of the pleased groans to escape... reach a tempo in speed that caused his breathing and heart rate to increase. If he was going to be forced into bonding with her, she was going to do everything possible to make him not regret it.

As his arousal grew, Coulson continued to gently stroke and caress, slipping a finger inside her folds. He kissed her, then began to trail kisses along her jawline and down her neck, over her shoulder.

Bobbi groaned softly, her eyes falling partly closed, and her grip faltered as her own arousal spiked again. In the peripheral of her vision, she could see Stephen moving slightly closer and beginning to chant something. She was very wet; had she still been wearing the thong it would have been soaked, and she could feel Coulson's fingers gliding easily through the slick.

Stephen had begun the chant that would draw Bobbi's release out and into the flask when the two had got involved enough in their activity that he could be certain they would continue to conclusion. He trusted that Coulson would hold the flask in place when the time came.

Coulson was aware of Stephen moving closer and beginning the chant, even as he continued to touch and caress Bobbi, touching her intimately and kissing her. He had the flask ready to catch her release as soon as it was time.

Bobbi returned Coulson's kisses whenever his mouth was close enough to hers for her to furtively catch his lips with her own. Her breathing was becoming more ragged as he continued to touch and caress; she whimpered and whined whenever he did something that felt particularly good, but when she felt his fingers dip inside of her while his thumb gently pressed against her clit? She let out a tiny sob of need and couldn't stop her hips from bucking forward into his hand, suddenly needing the friction and to be filled by something, even if it was just his fingers.

Coulson smiled at feeling her reaction to where he was touching and caressing. He leaned forward and engulfed one of her nipples in his mouth, beginning to suck gently.

Bobbi let out another tiny sob at the suction, arching her back so that her breast raised, making it easier for him to suck. Her legs opened wider without thought, so that he could more easily rub and push his finger into her. She couldn't help hoping that he'd slide more digits into her; fill her so that it was tight and she couldn't help but feel him touching her inside. "Please..." she sobbed out again, with a tiny whimper. Her juices were catching on his finger, then sliding down her thighs.

Coulson added a second finger, continuing to suck and gently nip at her nipple before he then released it and did the same to her opposite nipple. His own member was growing hard, precum beginning to seep from the tip.

Bobbi's groan at feeling the second finger filling her up carried around the room. It was obvious it felt very good to her. Panting softly as she felt him begin to nip and suck on her other nipple, her hips thrusting faintly in an attempt to get his fingers deeper, she suddenly stiffened. The combination of sucking, rubbing, and thrusting into her when she'd already been aroused before he'd even touched her there... to her shock, her body began to spasm from the bliss. She could tell when Stephen's spell took hold, as a gush of fluid rushed from her womb to escape her body.

Coulson noticed when Bobbi's orgasm hit her and he immediately moved the jar so that it could catch her release, pressing close to her.

Bobbi continued to shudder under Coulson's touch. By the time she slumped, spent, the jar had filled completely and there was a tiny puddle under her of ejaculate that hadn't fit into the jar. She blinked blearily, face flushed, mouth partly open as she caught her breath. She seemed to be partly in shock. She'd never orgasmed that hard before in her life, but she didn't know if it was the spell that had caused it, or if it was Coulson himself. Swallowing hard, she carefully sat up enough that she could carefully remove his shirt, laying it to the side where it wouldn't get dirty, then gently pushed his pants and underwear down to his knees- that was as far as she could reach- and then took his member into hand again and begin to pump it slowly. She kept her eyes on Coulson's the entire time, in case he told her to stop.

Coulson's member was already more than half-hard and it didn't take much of Bobbi's actions before it grew all the way. He let her see and feel his reactions, so that she'd know it was welcome; so that she would know her touch was pleasurable to him.

Bobbi's touch became surer at Coulson's reactions. Her gaze became more focused on the older man and her smile became less uncertain and more confident. Carefully, so that she didn't lose her rhythm or grip, she shifted so that she was straddling his thighs, her own legs spread open, her inner thighs- slick from her release- glistening. She slid forward so that her inner thighs pressed against his outer thighs. Her pussy was only a few short inches away from his member. She kept stroking and pumping it, waiting for Coulson to decide when it was time to push her down onto her back and thrust into her.

While Coulson would have preferred to take his time, he was also very aware they didn't have much of it. Still, as he pushed her gently down, he took his time entering her, holding her hands up above her head as he began to thrust, kissing her lips and her neck.

Bobbi let out a tiny sigh as Coulson pushed into her, letting her arms be drawn up over her head. It felt right, having him 'hold' her in place that way. The fact it left her breasts vulnerable to whatever he wanted to do wasn't lost on her. She might not be completely restrained like they'd first discussed, but he had restrained her enough to spark that need to be under his control. It caused her to begin to arouse again, making her wetter, so that when he pushed into her, it was very easy and not painful in the least. Not uncomfortable at all. Even though he was bigger than his two fingers combined had been and was stretching her open as he pushed in, it felt good to her and the tiny sigh turned into a moan of pleasured relief. She'd wanted him for so long. Needed him for so long. Even if the situation wasn't what she'd ever have wished for, she couldn't help being glad that it was happening. She'd do everything in her power to make him not regret it. She opened her legs further, so he could more easily slide in as deep as he wanted and could more easily thrust to get his own pleasure.

Still holding Bobbi's hands up above her head, Coulson continued to thrust inside her. It wouldn't take long for him to reach his own release, but he didn't intend to just take from her. He wanted her to feel good too. And he leaned forward to begin kissing and sucking on her nipples once more.

Bobbi whimpered as Coulson began to suck again, arching her back and opening her legs further to invite him deeper into her. Everything but Coulson had fled her attention. All she could focus on was Coulson moving inside her, nipping and sucking, thrusting, rubbing her deep where she'd feel it later; hopefully for a long time later. Her whimpers became moans and begging groans. "...Please..." she sobbed out.

Stephen, hearing how close she was to her second release, began to say the bonding chant.

Coulson's grip on her hands tightened as his own release hit. His other hand held onto her hip, tugging her close as if to try and merge their bodies into one.

Bobbi's gasp and soft cry as her own release overcame her happened just as Stephen said the last word of the spell. Tears spilled from her eyes as warmth flooded her body. Her and Coulson's joined hands glowed hotly as their bonding mark formed and then....  She was overwhelmed. Coulson's thoughts and feelings blanketed her as thoroughly as he filled her and she didn't know how to stop it, separate it from her own, block her own. She couldn't, despite her intentions. There was no way he wouldn't know how much she wanted to belong to him... how much she needed and loved him. She'd ruined his life and now she was going to burden him with her feelings. Guilt speared through her and she couldn't hide that either. I'm sorry... she thought sadly.

It wasn't much different to his bond with Grant...and knowing how Bobbi felt about him filled Coulson with a sense of happiness and relief. I love you too. He sent the words to her, opening himself up emotionally through the bond that had formed so she'd know it was true.

Swallowing hard and taking a shaky breath, Bobbi only just managed to gain control over herself. It helped, feeling that he loved her. It helped her think maybe she hadn't ruined his life as badly as she felt. She still felt very guilty... but she would face it later. Once they were safe. Giving him a trembling smile, she leaned up and kissed him chastely. It was a stark contrast to the way she was wantonly spread open for him, with him still buried in her.

Stephen cleared his throat. "I found her clothes..." He held out the garments she'd been wearing before they kidnapped her. "Do you want to keep the negligee?"

Coulson slowly pulled out of Bobbi, glancing at her with his eyebrows raised in question. He didn't know if she wanted to keep them...or if they'd hold too many bad memories...so he waited for her to decide.

Bobbi grimaced and shook her head mutely. There would be too much bad associated with them. She knew she needed to get dressed, but found herself waiting for Coulson to tell her to. Now that she was safe, everything was catching up to her and it was all she could do to keep down the panic.

Stephen didn't question the decision, using a spell to banish the flimsy garments that had been used to sell Bobbi. He handed her clothes to Coulson, as it was obvious, she was starting to go into a mild shock. "We should go...."

Coulson nodded his thanks to Stephen and began to dress Bobbi, quickly and carefully. "We'll join the others and then return to the ship," he said gently to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to lead her outside.

Bobbi leaned into Coulson, staying quiet and acting brave for everyone else. She couldn't hide her turmoil from her new mate, though. He could feel everything she felt. I'm sorry. I'm trying to block, so I don't bombard you with... everything me... I can't seem to... she thought apologetically.

Don't worry about holding back, Coulson replied reassuringly. It'll calm and settle eventually. Just give it time. He kept his arm around her as he quickly let the others know what had happened...and that he thought it was best they return to the ship.

Stephen looked at Steve and Grant as they exited the room. "Hopefully, the fact she is now bonded will keep the other bidder from attempting to take her. But just in case, I will be opening a portal directly to the ship. Mordo will bring the others..." he said, as they quickly walked to the exit.

Grant moved to flank his father and Bobbi, giving one extra layer of defense that might discourage any would be kidnappers.

Bobbi was distressed and tensed up when, upon exiting the auction house, she saw a group of armed thugs heading in their direction. Stephen had the portal open within seconds, though, and was quickly urging the others through.

Coulson quickly guided Bobbi through the portal, keeping his arm wrapped protectively around her even after they were finally on board the ship with the others.

"Well... that didn't go at all to plan..." Maria sighed. "But... we still got some needed supplies and learned a bit more about this area of the galaxy... so... I think I'm going to head to my room. See you all in the morning. We can debrief then?"

Bobbi watched everyone else nervously, expecting at least a few people to be upset she ruined their day out.

Coulson could feel her nervousness through the bond and he gently squeezed her to himself. "It's been a long day. Let's go to our room and get some rest," he suggested.

Bobbi looked at Coulson and gave him a hesitant smile. She couldn't keep the hope off her face or out of her emotions as she asked, You want me to move into your room with you?

I do, Coulson replied. After all, we're together now. Bonded.

I... I'm sorry you were forced to bond to me, but...  Bobbi let her love and desire and need for him through the bond. I'm not sorry I'm yours now.

I wasn't forced into it, Coulson answered. And you are mine now. The circumstances of us bonding weren't exactly ideal, but I'm happy with the end results. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Bobbi visibly relaxed at those words. She could feel he was being honest. I've wanted you for so long. Wanted to be yours... I was afraid to let you know. She swallowed. There is a lot we need to talk about. A lot I need to confess... but tonight. Can we clean up? Go to bed. All I can handle right now is being held by you. I... I can't shake the fear that I've imagined all this and I'll wake up alone, some pirate's pet whore....

Of course, Coulson replied gently. I'll take care of you. We can talk tomorrow. He took her into his room and headed towards the bathing area, so he could help her clean up.

Bobbi followed a lot more meekly than she normally would have. Part of it was because she didn't want to rock the boat... make him regret bonding her. But most of it was stress catching up to her. She was so tired. She leaned heavily on her mate, trusting he wouldn't let her fall.

Coulson cleaned them both off and made sure he grabbed some more comfortable clothes for them to wear. Then, he guided Bobbi over to the bed and settled down with her, gently drawing her into his arms.

Bobbi immediately pressed as close as humanly possible, pressing tight and snuggling. "I love you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving me...."

"I always would," Coulson whispered back. "I love you. You're safe here." He hugged her a bit tighter and closed his eyes.

Bobbi finally began to feel safe, held close by Coulson. She closed her own eyes and finally fell into sleep.