Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Soval x Reader

(Teddybear)

There wasn't anything particularly extraordinary about the human who had chosen to reside in Shi'Kahr, or at least, nothing Soval could point out right away. You were mild-mannered, yet you had a fiery temper if inconvenienced. Although, most Humans could get quite angry if something did not go their way. 

You were Human, you stuck out compared to the Vulcan population of your new home, but you didn't mind the surprising eyebrow raises you got when you explained that you willingly lived on the arid planet alongside them. 

You had moved to Vulcan during the Earth month of May and had been getting used to your surroundings. The hot desert world was in no way like your home planet, and the thinner atmosphere put an end to any physically exertive hobbies you used to have. And the culture? Oh, the Vulcan culture was something else entirely. You were always looked down upon for feeling emotion. Even if your Vulcan neighbors denied having such prejudices, you knew they lie under the surface somewhere. Being surrounded by a people whose very way of life was strictly guided by logic was... different, to say the least.

 Yet you seemingly enjoyed spending your time with other Vulcans at the Earth Embassy, which also puzzled Soval from time to time. Enjoying yourself while being in the company of beings who did not embrace emotion as you did? That was certainly not something he was used to seeing from a Human. Were you always like this? Did you act this way with his species while living on Earth? Perhaps he would never know. Humans could be such fickle people- and their ever-changing moods were difficult to deal with at times.

You were pleasant to talk to, however. He couldn't deny that fact about you. Soval would often find himself lost in conversation with you while taking a break from his paperwork at the Embassy. You almost always had questions about his people. Did they have holidays? What was winter like on Vulcan? Did Vulcans even keep pets? Nothing was off the table for you to inquire of. Soval sometimes felt like you had never even met one of his species before. It was almost refreshing to have a Human be so interested in his culture and traditions.

"So, you're saying that you keep big teddy bears as pets?" You asked with a smile on your face as you took a sip from your cup of tea. You furrowed your brows as you continued. "Are you okay?"

Soval looked at you with a blank expression for a moment. He'd been lost in his thoughts, it seemed. He shook his head and answered. "I am fine, [      ]. I was merely thinking of an answer to give you. Teddy bears? Those are Human children's plush toys, are they not?" 

You gave a nod in response as he continued. "A crude analogy," Soval replied as he looked out the window behind his desk, and to the bronze-tinted skyscrapers of Shi'Kahr ahead of you both, "though I would liken them more to a mix between the extinct saber-toothed tiger, and grizzly bear of your home world."

You shuddered slightly at the thought of such a creature. "And you keep them as pets?" You asked as you squinted incredulously at Soval. "You said they were highly dangerous animals."

"You keep domesticated wolves as pets, do you not?" Soval returned the question with a raised brow. "It is not much different than that, [      ]."

You slumped back in your chair at that, unsure what to do with the information. A big teddy bear-tiger sounded like such an interesting concept, but you knew how both a tiger and a bear acted if they were hungry. "I guess you guys aren't late for their dinner, right?" 

"No," Replied Soval as he placed one leg over the other, "Vulcans are never late with their Sehlat's dinner."

You chuckled lightly as you placed your teacup down on the desk. "Do you have a Sehlat, Soval?" Your eyes lit up as you saw him nod. "Can I meet them?" You asked, leaning forward intently for his answer.

"Perhaps when I am finished with work today you can meet them." Soval watched as you nearly jumped up and down with joy. He merely shook his head. He would probably never understand how Humans could get so excited over such simple things, but he wouldn't ever want it to change.

Chapter Text

Hugh x Reader

(Individuality)

Part One

The soft hum of the engines comfortably filled your ears as you wandered down the Enterprise’s long, winding corridors. Such has been the norm after your arrival on the starship roughly a month ago. 

You still had a sense of disbelief about living on a spaceship. Venturing out into the stars was merely a childhood dream of yours, though you learned all too quickly that it took only the best of the best to leave Earth’s atmosphere and into the void beyond. But now you were here, walking the hallways of a vessel tasked to explore the very stars you’d marveled at for hours and hours while on your back porch. 

Here, in the future, where humanity mingled with the members of so many different species it gave you a headache every time you glossed over the multiple PADDs scattered all over your desk. Humanity actually pushed passed its differences and turned into something remarkable.

Knowing that your kind actually had a hope for the future certainly warmed your heart, even if Worf had nearly scared it out of your chest the first time you’d met. However, the cost of such knowledge loomed in the back of your mind constantly. 

You remembered the look on everyone’s faces while seated in the meeting room as Captain Picard broke the news. They all seemed sympathetic to your position at the time. 

- - -

“[      ],” Jean-Luc began, his hands folded together on the table in front of him, “it has come to our attention that your being here is not by accident, nor was it a simple mistake.”

Your brows knit together into a look of confusion while the captain continued.

“There are certain scientific events that may take place at any point in time, events that change the life course of a person forever.” He paused, his expression taut. “These events are what we call “temporal anomalies”. They’re unpredictable, and they form without warning. You happened to be an unfortunate victim of one such anomaly.” 

A tense silence fell upon the room as you digested the captain’s words.

”So when can I go home?” You finally managed to pipe up after a moment. 

Looks where exchanged, and the awkward feeling in the room amplified, as well as a beginning sense of dread that made a chill run down your spine. 

“When do I go home?” You asked again, hoping they’d just misheard you. 

 Geordi was the first to answer, his voice filled with hesitation, “That’s where the problems start. We’ve been running some tests, checking past records and… We can’t send you back.”

Your heart dropped to the floor, fear creeping into your mind. “But what about my friends my— my family?” You placed both your palms down on the table, urgency influencing your speech. “I have to get back I— you have to do something, anything!”

”We’re doing everything we can, [     ],” Geordi tried to calm you, his expression level and sure, “but this is something we can’t change. You being sent to the twenty-fourth century is a set date in the timeline. You’re meant to be here, on the Enterprise.”

- - -

 You were brought out from your reminiscing by a conversation  happening nearby you. 

“…And he doesn’t fight answering your questions?” One voice inquired.

”No, not at all,” another, this one familiar, replied, “he’s actually quite eager to help in any way he can.” It was Beverly, she was deep in conversation with one of her nurses, Kendra, if you remembered correctly. “I was surprised at it myself, but it’s definitely been easier asking about his implants, and running scans on his well-being.”

You trailed just behind the pair. You knew how rude it was to eavesdrop on things that didn’t concern you, but your curiosity always got the better of your common sense. 

“And you’re not worried about him, well, assimilating you while you’re not looking?” Kendra asked. 

Beverly merely waved her hand dismissively at her. “He’s just a boy, and if he wanted to assimilate me he would have. I think I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve turned my back on him. He could’ve taken any one of those moments, but he didn’t.”

”I guess,” the nurse gave a unconvinced shrug, “but he could just be waiting for a chance to strike. He’s still Borg after all.”

Borg? You’ve heard of that before, in a report you read on one of the PADDs back in your quarters. They were those semi-mechanical beings, right? Not quite robot enough to be machine, but they weren’t fully humanoid, either. 

They were also the species that had captured the captain and turned him into… into one of them. “Locutus of Borg.” That’s what he had been before his crew rescued him. 

What in the world would a Borg be doing on the Enterprise? And why would they be taking care of it? He. You corrected yourself mentally as you remembered Beverly referring to him as such. 

“Well good morning, [    ].” Beverly’s voice made you jump as you looked up at her.

You’d been caught red handed.

”’Morning.” you gave a quick smile, and decided to give up any attempt to hide what you’d been doing. “Who were you talking about? Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.”

Kendra seemed to stiffen, while Dr. Crusher smiled warmly at you. “We have a guest staying with us for right now. He was injured on the moon we had received a distress signal from, and he’s recovering from his injuries.”

The Borg was hurt, that would explain why he was even here in the first place. But if there was one, there should be more. Borg are never alone. At least, that’s what you’d read. You pursed your lips, intrigue bubbling up inside you as you wondered about the new arrival. What was a Borg like up close?

”Would you like to meet him?” Beverly inquired, which just about caused a smile to form from ear to ear on your face. 

“Doctor I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” the nurse cautioned, “they’re a civilian, they don’t have clearance, and we still don’t know if he’s dangerous.”

”I’ll give them clearance,” Crusher answered, certainty on her face, “and I’ve said this before, he’s just a boy. He doesn’t mean any harm.”

You didn’t see Kendra calm at those words, so you assumed she didn’t like them very much. Not that you could argue, she no doubt knew more about potential threats than you ever would. 

However, you weren’t going to pass the opportunity to meet a new species, even if that species had a bad reputation. Who knew, maybe this Borg was even nicer than Beverly made him out to be. 

Chapter Text

D'Tan x Reader

(Snowed In Shuttlecraft)

Part One

 Frantic alarms blasted on virtually every system available to you, your ears ringing from the blaring klaxon of the ship going into Red-alert. The bulkheads surrounding you reverberated as you were assaulted by wave after wave of plasma beam fire. 

“Shields are holding,” you reported aloud, noting one of your would-be assassin’s port nacelle billowing a thick, black smog. 

“Barely,” your passenger mused as he hurriedly redirected auxiliary power to the shuttle's battered shields, “another blow like that and we might not survive long enough to get off-world.”

You bit back the urge to send a look his way; giving glares to a diplomat wasn't exactly praise-worthy behavior, especially not to this particular one. 

Blasts to the starboard side jostled the entire shuttle, which deterred you from inputting commands as quickly as you wanted. “We’re not gaining any ground.” You growled out through gritted teeth. “I'm switching to attack pattern beta. If I can just–” 

Sparks flew, and the world spun out in a whirlwind as the small Tiercel-class began to plummet to the rocky surface below. Static filled the viewscreen far too long for your comfort before you could compensate for the atmospheric interference.  

“Why did it have to be T’Varo warbirds,” you sneered to yourself, “they could've played fair this once, but no, no they had to use T’Varo warbirds.” You braced as you felt the shuttlecraft fight your every attempt at correcting course, frustration and stress building as you received yet another proximity alert. 

“Look’s like they've brought new friends,” you remarked stiffly, “I hope they don't get disappointed when they realize we're not dead.”

D’Tan gave you a fleeting glance, his expression taut while he moved to try and fix the viewscreen. Perhaps cynicism wasn't the best attitude to have in this situation. “We’re going to have to make due with long-range sensors for now,” he huffed, “we’re flying blind.”

“Wonderful.” You growled out as you were alerted to a volley of plasma fire headed your way. At this point, the holographic diagram from D’Tan’s continued sensor sweep, and your quick responses to his warnings, were the only things keeping you both alive.

“They're trying to corner us.” D’Tan pointed out.

“Is there any way we can cloak at this distance?”

“No, Captain. We aren't far enough for a successful cloak; we would be defenseless.”

You furrowed your brows, your expression knit into a look of irritation. You were fighting a losing battle and you knew it. If you couldn't find a place to duck into immediately, the only traces left of you and your shuttle would be burning debris on a P-class moon. 

“Captain,” the proconsul turned towards you, “I'm picking up a cave formation on the surface below. Long-range sensors indicate it's large enough for a shuttle this size.”

“Why do I feel like there's bad news you haven't gotten to yet?”

You saw him shrink back a bit before he answered. “Well, there is also an ion storm forming in that same area. Which means we can either deal with the immediate threat of the Tal’Shiar pursuing us, or we head into an ion storm that is potentially just as deadly.”

Neither of those options were appealing to you in the slightest, but they were the only options you had at your disposal. Communication with your ship was cut off long before the skirmish you had gotten into began, so sending a distress signal would be impossible, especially through the moon’s dense atmosphere. On the other hand, any attempt to retaliate against your attackers would no doubt end up in your untimely deaths. 

You were cornered.

“You always seem to get me into the most exciting situations, captain. It’s a shame we’ll have to miss the summit.” D’Tan quipped. A small smile was on his face, though you assumed that was forced, given your current position. 

You pursed your lips. Was he joking right now? He was– unfortunately–correct. You did seemingly get him into the most dangerous circumstances possible. Thinking about how many times he almost died due to merely being near you made you grimace despite yourself. 

“We’ll have to deal with the cave for now.” You remarked while piloting the craft through extensive, threatening gray clouds. “I highly doubt they'll follow us, and the interference from the density of ions alone will block their sensors.”

“While that is true, it will also block our any attempt to scan the near vicinity,” D’Tan warned. “They can't see us, we can't see them.” 

You nodded, knowing full well that you could be going into something you might not come back out of. “Entering the lower atmosphere now. I'm getting heavy resistance from the helm, but we’ll be passing into the cave shortly.” 

“I’ll start with repairs then,” D’Tan stood from his seat beside you, “we’ll need to be in good working order if we’re going to even try getting off this moon.”

You quirked a brow. “Sir, with all due respect, I'm fully capable of beginning the repairs on my own once we've landed.”

All you got in return was an unamused huff. That caused you risk a glance behind you momentarily, only for you to be met with the sight of deck plating already being pushed aside and tools being utilized. He didn't lie when he said he was going to do something, even if you objected to it. “Sir–”

“You just focus on piloting, captain. I'll focus on keeping every other system we have online from failing.” He waved at you dismissively. 

You mulled over that for a while as you compiled. Being stranded together was going to be a long ordeal for both of you. 

Chapter Text

Icheb x Reader

(Familiarity)

Voyager’s mess hall was unusually quiet while you absentmindedly pushed around your breakfast with your fork. Normally at this time, the dining hall you spent your mornings in was bustling and filled with the sounds of officers deep in conversation, especially during alpha shift. The sudden lack of those voices was unnerving to you. 

There was probably something important going on that you hadn't been notified about, the reason you were kept in the dark more than likely due to you being a civilian.
Even after you'd asked Seven to at least send you a message to your padd when there was a situation on hand, you seemingly always came up with more questions than answers. You couldn't blame her for that, though. She was easily occupied, and you didn't want to bother her unnecessarily or disrupt her work. 

The faint clattering of pots and pans was all you could hear from the kitchen; Neelix was preparing for the arrival of alpha shift officers who would without a doubt be hungry from the extended period of their normal work hours. 
You wondered how any of them could operate under the contestant stress and, if you were being honest, you felt a deep respect for the Ensigns whose shifts always seemed to go late into the night or early morning.  

You were so lost in your thoughts that you barely heard the faint woosh of the mess hall’s door sliding open. So busy that you disregarded your new dining companion entirely.  

“-erhaps you had not heard me. May I sit with you?”

The familiar, almost monotone voice of the Brunali boy forced you out of your daydreaming.

“For the love of–! Icheb don't sneak up on me like that.” You had nearly flung your fork across the room from how badly he'd caught you off guard. That boy tended to scare the living daylight out of you specifically, even if he was sitting right next to you. At this point, you could call it his special talent. You'd see him startle others on accident as well from time to time, but they never seemed to be as taken aback by his sudden appearances as you were.

“It was not my intent to frighten you.” He tilted his head to the side at your response. “I had assumed you had seen me.”

“No,” you shook your head and gestured for him to sit across from you, “I was kind of preoccupied when you came by. I didn't see you enter.”

“You were not engaged in anything when I approached you.” He noted as he recognized your gesture, and placed his plate in front of yours. 

“I was thinking about something, that's all.” You gave a small smile while finally beginning to make a dent in your breakfast. “Good morning, by the way, Icheb.” you greeted, rolling around some diced fruit with your knife.

Another head tilt. “Good morning, [   ].” He echoed as he started cutting into his meal. They looked like pancakes to you, but the smell was different, almost vanilla extract in intensity and sweetness. They weren't made of almond or wheat flour, that was for certain.

“I did not expect you to be here at this time,” Icheb commented, which signified that he was trying to start up small talk with you. Small talk was something the Doctor had recommended to him recently to assist him in socializing with others. It wasn't something he was particularly great at, but you enjoyed the interaction nonetheless. 

“What do you mean?” You asked. 

“I usually arrive here between 0900, and 0930 hours. You are not present at the same time I am.”

He was right. You normally finished your breakfast at 0845– 8:45 AM–, and left the mess hall to either spend time alone in your quarters or play with Naomi in the holodeck. You had stayed later.

If you hadn't been as close an acquaintance with Icheb as you were by now, you would have been weirded out by him noticing your daily schedule. That was just how he was, however. He was always observing, always aware. It wasn't out of malicious intent, or anything else, it was merely out of curiosity about his peers. He and Seven were very alike, you realized. Probably because of them being ex-Borg. 

“It's a slow day today, I guess.” You shrugged, turning to the side to watch the unfamiliar stars of the Delta Quadrant whip past in a shining flurry of white lights just outside one of the windows. 

“A slow day.” The boy echoed once more as if testing out the term.

“Yeah,” you turned back to him, “it's when your daily schedule doesn't need to be strict or followed step by step. It's a time when you can just relax a little.”

He seemed to analyze the explanation you'd given him, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Today is a slow day, then.” Icheb nodded and looked at you with a sense of triumph at his quick understanding of the phrase. 

You chuckled at that. It was always nice to see him embracing a little of his individuality at a time, it was even nicer to see him enjoy himself for once. Becoming a person was one thing, being able to have fun and be a teenager again was a whole other story. You weren't sure if Icheb even had memories of being a teenager before the Collective. You didn't ask. It wasn't appropriate, and you doubted that he'd want to discuss it with you anyway. 

And yet you continuously found yourself wondering about his past, about his family. Did he remember them still, or was he raised in the Collective? None of that was something you should be asking him, you knew it, but it nagged at you constantly. 

“You are lost in thought?” Icheb once again brought you out from your meddlesome overthinking. 

You blinked at him, then shook your head. “You puzzle me sometimes, you know that, Icheb?” You gave him a warm smile as you finished your meal. 

He gave you a confused look. “Why? You are my associate, are you not? What do you not understand of me?” 

There it was, the Borg curiosity and confusion combination. You let a laugh out as you continued to smile at him. “You’re just so... You. I know so much about you and yet I know absolutely nothing about you at the same time. Some days I feel like I've known you all my life, and others I feel like I just met you.” You sighed and crossed your arms over your chest. “I guess that’s just what being friends is all about.”

“Friends...” he mumbled, pausing to mull over everything you'd said. 

“Yes, everyone here on Voyager is family, Icheb.” 

“We are not related.” 

“That doesn't-” you made a face, “-being family doesn't always mean you're blood-related, Icheb. Sometimes... Sometimes a family is a tightly knit group of Starfleet officers, former Maquis, Delta Quadrant natives, and liberated Borg. We’re all brought together by the same cause; going home. We protect one another no matter what happens. We love and care for one another. That’s what makes us all family and friends here on Voyager.”

Icheb looked directly at you, something he rarely ever did. He studied you, really studied you, before asking, “Are we friends, [     ]? You and I?”

You felt your chest tighten. That was a feeling you'd never gotten before while around him. You ignored that, and instead gently offered to take his hand in yours. He looked at you for a moment, then at your open hand, finally he obliged. You carefully squeezed his palm, before answering, “Yes Icheb, you and I? We’re friends. No one will take that from you, never again. At least, not while I'm around.”

For the first time since meeting him, you saw Icheb smile at you.

Chapter Text

Hugh x Reader

(Individuality)

Part Two

Beverly patted down her lab coat as you both entered the turbolift together. Nurse Kendra had departed from the two of you after having explained to Dr. Crusher about being needed in Sickbay, which created one less person for you to make room for in the lift. Beverly had an air of excitement around her as she continued her previous discussion with you.

“I’m sure he’ll be delighted to be near someone close to his age.” She beamed, her hands clasped in front of her. “We’re still not quite sure how long he was in the Collective. Socializing is somewhat of a difficulty for him, so,” she paused to look at you, “I was hoping that, maybe, you'd like to assist us with refamiliarizing him with people.”

You blinked at her. You had only just heard about the new arrival not even for a few hours, and now she wanted you to help him learn to socialize? She had to be joking. There was no way she would let a civilian do that! And yet there she stood, intently waiting for your response to her question. You chewed at your lip for a moment, a feeling of indecisiveness forming in your mind. 

“There’s another side to this, isn't there?” You questioned.

Her smile seemed to slip into a grimace before she finally let out a sigh. “He’s alone, [     ],” Beverly looked at you in a pleading manner, “he’s experiencing what it’s like to be away from the Collective; something he's never had to deal with before. I was hoping that you might be able to distract him from that, even if it were for a little while.” 

You took a second to yourself to absorb what she was trying to ask of you, though you still didn't have enough facts to truly comprehend what was going on. “You’re wanting me to be his friend?”

She took in a breath and pursed her lips. “In a way, yes. He's very impressionable, extremely, even. He needs someone his age to help him out in ways we adults can't.”

This wasn't an arduous task she’d given you, and it wasn't like she was asking you to be his parent. All it was was you being helpful, right? A person to spend time with. A friend.

You nodded, turning away from her as the doors to the turbolift opened and you both stepped out. “I'll do it,” you answered, an empty feeling welling in your stomach, “I know what he probably feels like, anyways.”

The walk to the lab had been short and uneventful, with you both being quiet the whole way after your conversation in the lift. 

Beverly stopped in front of the lab, the door moving to the side with a soft woosh before she stepped inside and beckoned for you to follow her. As you did so, your eyes glanced at the activity going on in the room. Numerous screens and consoles were faceted to the room’s walls, soft hums and chirps emanating from them in random intervals.

There were about four people, excluding yourself and Beverly, in the area. Two science officers worked diligently at their stations, running and re-running an algorithm you couldn't quite understand. An engineer–who you quickly identified as Geordi– stood in front of something that seemed to be either a containment cell, or an observation cubicle. He was in deep conversation with someone you had never seen before.

In the middle of the room, standing within the strange contraption, was someone who looked like an amalgamation of both humanoid and machine. He stood shorter than most of the officers in the room. His skin was pale and seemed almost lifeless, but his voice was somehow full of curiosity and... Warmth.

 “Beverly said she would be back,” he remarked, his gaze fixated on Geordi alone, “when will she be back?” He tilted his head to the side, eagerly awaiting some sort of answer.

 La Forge peered around the corner, a smile forming on his face as he caught sight of the two of you. “Why don't you ask her that yourself?” He made room on the platform as Beverly strode up the ramp to join him. 

Beverly greeted him, and gestured behind her. “Hugh, I’d like for you to meet someone,” she stepped aside, revealing you, “this is [     ], they're a teenager just like you. [     ], this is Hugh.”

He had a name; Hugh. It fit him quite well, if you were being honest. You studied him, your eyes meeting his brown one. You saw nothing but fascination. “Hello, Hugh.” You gave a slight smile, and waved at him. He seemed to lean forward, his eye scanning your features as you did his.

“Hello, [     ],” Was his response. He seemed to echo you, as though these pleasantries were an entirely new experience for him. “We have never seen you before.” He pointed out, and you caught on quickly to his usage of collective terms. “You are one of Geordi’s friends?”

You gave a quick grin in response. “I am, sort of.” You placed your hands in your pockets, noticing both La Forge and Dr. Crusher leaving the two of you alone out of the corner of your eye. What they were discussing was out of earshot. 

“Then you are our friend.” The boy blurted out.  

You were taken aback, a dazed look on your face as you eyed him. “Already? You barely know me.” You chuckled. 

“Geordi is nice.” He stated matter-of-factly. “If you are friends with him, you must be nice as well.” Hugh placed his organic hand and mechanical one on the railing in front of him. He seemed attached to La Forge, viewing him with admiration. Perhaps that was something about him refamiliarizing himself with others. 

“How old are you, exactly?” You asked. It was a basic question, but it would hopefully lead you to some sort of common ground. 

“Beverly has told us that we are around seventeen of your planet’s orbital rotations.” 

Seventeen years old. Seventeen years in the Collective. You felt a pit of dread form in your stomach, your heart dropping to your feet as you heard his reply. What kind of horrors had he been through? Had he ever assimilated someone? Though the mere thought made your stomach do backflips, you had to accept the fact that, more than likely, he had. You didn't dare think of how many more years he might have been imprisoned as a drone if the Enterprise hadn't found him.

“How old are you?” He asked in turn, blissfully absentminded to your dismay surrounding his circumstances.  

“I– Uh,” you stumbled over your words, “I'm about the same age as you.” Give or take a few hundred years since the early 2000s, you thought to yourself. You furrowed your brows, your expression subconsciously morphing into one of sympathy. 

“What is distressing you?” Hugh inquired, his head tilting to the side once more. That action must have been something he did when he was curious, which seemed to be most of the time. 

You tried to overlook his question. “I'm alright, I was just thinking of something.” 

“But you are worried,” he leaned closer, “what are you worried about? Geordi has told us that it is a feeling that occurs when a person is concerned about something important to them.”

You closed your eyes, a huff managing to escape from your mouth. You couldn't believe what you'd learned in the short time knowing him.

This Borg–this boy –he was alone. He had been separated from the closest thing he had to a home, and now it was the job of the Enterprise crew to retake that position even if it were only a few people helping him along the way.

“You are lonely.”

You perked your head up, your brows knitting together. “What did you just say?”

“Lonely. You are lonely, like us. You act as Guinan does, suppressing your emotions for other individuals like you.” Hugh said, his eye intently fixated on yours. “We are separated from the others; we do not hear them. We cannot sense their thoughts. It is quiet now.”

What was he talking about? You weren't lonely, you had so many friends here on Enterprise. They were family to you, they took care of you after– after you were displaced.

A thought loomed within your mind. It was distant, yet close, like an old friend. You couldn't shake the sense of being... separate from other humans. You were an alien within your own people, barely able to comprehend the technology that surrounded you as is, and you couldn't function without the assistance and constant guidance of the crew around you.  

You chewed at the inside of your cheek, turning away from him as that empty feeling returned to you. He was right, you were lonesome. You had lost your home just as he had. Sucking in a breath, you pivoted around to look at him. 

“I am by myself, Hugh,” a bittersweet smile formed on your face, “but I am not truly alone. Everyone here on Enterprise; Geordi, Beverly, they've done so much for me to feel at home. They're my family, my— my Collective.”

He seemed to understand, as he nodded his head a few times in response. “Family...” he said in a hushed tone. 

“Yes, Hugh, that's exactly what we are.” You placed your hand on the railing which was separating you both. “You can be a part of that, I know you can. I don't know how long you'll be allowed to live here with us, but I want you to know that– at least for me– I want you to stay, to be a part of our family; our Collective.”

Hugh merely stared at you, the soft whirring of his implants being the only thing you could hear from him.

Maybe you went too far, maybe you had given him too much information in one shot. After all, gaining back his individuality was not going to be as simple as offering an olive branch. You had to prevent yourself from grimacing. Too ambitious as always, [     ], you thought. 

“We want to stay,” Hugh piped up, his voice echoing a sense of hope, and belaying the fear in his eye,  “but we do not wish to put you in danger. The Collective will look for us; we are Borg. They will assimilate our friends. We cannot let that happen, it is unacceptable.” 

He was afraid of losing his newfound family. He was afraid of losing you, Geordi, and everyone else he'd come in contact with onboard. You could feel it from the urgency in his voice when he spoke. And– and you knew exactly what he felt like. You understood that feeling of wanting to protect the ones around you, that sense of—

 La Forge’s presence disrupted your current thoughts and conversation.

“Pardon my interruption, but you’ll have to continue your discussion later. I need to run some extensive tests, and I’ll need Hugh’s assistance with the majority of them.”

You gave him a quick nod of acknowledgment and exchanged a fleeting glance back at Hugh. “I'll see you soon, I promise.” You smiled warmly, hoping deep down that he'd be allowed to stay, so you could keep that pledge to him. 

You waved at Hugh, which caused him to look at his organic hand quizzically. He then returned the gesture, albeit in a clunky fashion. You chuckled softly to yourself. You liked being friends with this Borg after all.

With both of you having said your goodbyes, Beverly exited the lab, with you following close behind her. 

Chapter Text

Taurik x Reader

(Friendly Fire)

When Ensign Taurik offered to spend time with you in the holodeck that afternoon, performing a training exercise was not on your list of programs to enjoy. It wasn't on that list at all. 

You looked at the phaser in your hands and made a face. Out of every training exercise you were required to do back at the academy, learning to use a phaser had to have been the most agonizing experience for you. You constantly fumbled with the stun settings and struggled with aiming and utilizing cover. The recoil from handling phaser full auto rifles came close to giving you more black eyes than anything else you ever dealt with. At this point, you were far more comfortable with astrophysics than combat and you had nearly failed your Astrophys exam!

“Are you prepared, Ensign?” Taurik asked, his attention focused elsewhere as you hesitantly acknowledged him. He quietly waited for you to join him by his side after you had checked- and rechecked- your weapon.

 “Computer,” he spoke, and a console chirped in response, “begin target practice session Taurik, difficulty level: Two.”

Rocky terrain and red-leafed foliage materialized, as well as makeshift barricades and toppled buildings. The thick scent of smoke filled your lungs and stung your eyes. You were in what appeared to be the outskirts of a town under siege. While the planet was unidentifiable to you, the attackers were most certainly not. 

 There in the distance stood a platoon of Nausicaan pirates, all of which were brandishing disruptor pistols or phaser rifles of their own. They were tall, they were fierce, and they were out for blood. You gulped nervously at the sight of your eventual foe, a subtle fear building in your stomach. 

Taurik crept along the side of a crumbling pillar, looking back only to beckon you to follow suit. He made a motion for you to stay quiet, and once you were beside him you both leaned cautiously around the pillar to watch the group he had been observing. They were so preoccupied with their pillaging, and obnoxiously loud banter with each other, that they didn’t seem to have noticed you yet. 

“We will begin our approach slowly,” Taurik reported, his voice barely above a whisper, “I will come out from the right flank, and you will take the left.” He pointed to your targets while reaching for his phaser. “You will wait for my signal.”

Nodding in response, you watched as he stalked across the debris-riddled clearing. Taurik crouched behind a metal beam, his focus centered on a group of Nausicaans that had wandered away from the main party. He made an indication with his hand towards a pile of rubble, and you quietly scrambled your way towards it. 

The sand and dirt around you crunched far too loudly underneath you for your taste, causing you to fear being exposed. You peered around the smoking rubble, a tight grip on your phaser as you warily eyed your targets, and your practice partner. 

Taurik locked eyes with you and nodded his head. You swallowed hard, understanding now what he was about to do.

Taurik ducked out from cover, firing a shot at the group. A chime echoed throughout the holodeck, which signified a successful hit. A volley of disruptor fire was aimed back at him, and he dipped back down. 

As you shuffled out from your hiding place you went for the closest one to you, only to be driven back to the safety of your smoldering boulders as a wall of disruptor beams came straight for your face. You felt heat forming on the side of your head, and your ear faintly began to ring. You had narrowly been shot!

“Taurik, did you turn the safety off?” You hissed at him, your hand going up to your ear in response to the ringing. “What kind of level two is this?”

He shook his head. “Neither of us has the clearance to disengage the holodeck’s safety protocols, Ensign.” He shot back in response, a few more chimes faintly being heard. At least he was able to hit something. 

You dared to peek out from your hiding place to get a better grasp on what you were now up against. Were there more pirates than before?

”Computer, what difficulty is the current session set to?” Taurik asked.

”Difficulty level five is actively running.” The feminine voice of the computer answered in response to his query. 

Taurik raised a brow. “I did not ask for that level to be run. Computer, end program.”

”Access denied,” chirped the computer.

”Override!” You demanded, stress building as you heard orders from your increasingly aggressive foes in the distance. “We don’t have enough officers for this situation!”

”Access denied.” 

You balled up your fists, cursing in frustration. You were trapped there by yourselves with enemies that neither of you were trained well enough to fight back against. This was turning out to be a far worse day than imagined.

You quickly hit your communicator. “This is Ensign [     ] to the bridge. Ensign Taurik and I are stuck in Holodeck 4, the safety protocols have been disabled, and we’re in an active engagement with hostiles. We need immediate assistance!”

“Riker to Ensign [     ],” the voice of your CO fizzled out from your commbadge, “we’re sending a team to override the archway and get you two out of there as fast as we can.” 

You looked to Taurik, who didn't visually display the same anxiety as you did. “Vulcans and their immunity to fear,” you grumbled to yourself, “I could really use a bit of that right now.”

“We need to get to a safer distance,” Taurik called to you, “they will no doubt be attempting to storm this area soon.”

You both turned back to where you had entered from and waited for a moment to make a break for it.

Just when you thought you might never get out, the heat of disruptor fire seemingly died down a bit. You weren't going to wait for it to get underway again, so you began towards the opening of the clearing in a desperate sprint for survival. Your practice partner did the same, his pace matching yours. 
You raced for cover, dodging and weaving as best you could. Your lungs felt painfully ignited by the simulated smoke thickening in the air.

As the sight of the walls to the outside of the courtyard came ever closer, you were knocked off your feet by a heavy blast. Your breath was taken from you for a moment, an agonizing, burning sensation crawling up from your shoulder blade. You gasped for air, shaken and disoriented.

“[     ]!” Your companion exclaimed in alarm. Moving swiftly to your side, Taurik hurriedly took hold of you, while also being careful of your wound and the environment around him. 

“Taurik get out of here.” You managed to get out through gritted teeth. You sucked in a shaky breath as another swell of pain made you see stars. 

“You are my crewmate, [     ], I will not abandon you.” He retorted and scooped you up into his arms. “Our enemies may be photonic, but your injury is not.”

Unfortunately, he was right about this situation. You didn't have a say in if he chose to look after you or not. You bit back a response; You hated when he was right.

Taurik made his way towards the exit of the courtyard, cautious not to jostle around you too much. He couldn't hear if you were being followed, but he didn't want to take a chance he didn't need to. 
He ducked under a dilapidated archway and gingerly settled you down to look at the damage you sustained. 

He dared not touch it, which you silently appreciated given the fact that it felt as though someone had poured molten metal onto your skin. 

“This requires medical attention I cannot give you,” Taurik noted, his eyes fixated on your injury.  “I should have protected you.”

“Taurik, you're not perfect.” You smiled weakly at him. “I don't blame you. I'm the one who should have been more careful with where I was going.” You had to admit, he was almost sweet when he let his guard down. If you didn't know better, you would have thought he was worried about you. 

But Vulcans didn't worry. Why would they need to? 

Taurik sat down next to you quietly, his gaze never meeting yours. “I will stay with you until help arrives.” 

How considerate, you thought to yourself with a smile. You leaned your head against his shoulder, mentally fighting to keep your eyelids open. 

Taurik finally looked at you, his brows furrowed as he watched you silently struggle and suffer as you bit your tongue to not to make any pained noises. He wanted to hold you closer.

Tenderness was a human emotion, and he was not human. He should not have felt the need to hold you as close as he could to his chest, to keep you safe as long as possible. 

And yet something seemingly tugged at his heart, told him to put his arm around you and pull you near. As you struggled to stay conscious, Taurik struggled with himself. He clenched his jaw and made his choice. 

You felt his hand on your arm, and his moving you gently closer to his side.  Taurik rested his head on yours and said absolutely nothing to you throughout the process. 

Not like you were going to question him. After all, he was Vulcan. He knew what he was doing... Right?

You didn't remember when exactly you had drifted off in his arms, only when you had been awoken by the sound of Dr. Crusher scanning your freshly healed wounds within in Sickbay. Taurik must have carried you here after the rescue team found you both. 

You softly smiled to yourself. You’d have to thank him personally for that…