Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Fortuna was always a bustling place. Eudico often says there’s never a shortage of things to do. Little Duck’s things to do were generally considered some of the colony’s most important. Thankfully her assignments weren’t nearly as frequent as a lot of others. Vox Solaris worked in the shadows for the most part, running pinpoint accurate operations against the Corpus alongside the Quills and the Tenno. As Duck was making herself look busy amongst Vox Solaris’ personal nook of Fortuna she heard some footsteps clattering closer. She spun around and her optics took in a Warframe, one she knew pretty well at that. A tall feminine figure, piercing eyes and terrifying fangs all over. Its visage that of a hunter, of a wolf. A big blue beast that had mauled plenty of Corpus goons who’d gotten just a touch too close to her while out on jobs. Her clawed hands balled into fists and relaxed at intervals as she walked. Any usual person would be at the least unnerved by it, or more realistically scared but Little Duck just chuckled as the Lupine frame approached.

“C’mon now ya mucker, you know the rule.” Little Duck quipped.

In a flash of light and a hiss of void energy the Warframe fell still and forward walked a bulky woman, a person who at a glance you probably wouldn’t suspect to be the savior of hundreds of thousands and slayer of many more.

“You’re always such a stickler for that aren’t ya, Duck?” The woman said, a smirk plastered on her face.

“Rules are rules, Sloane.” Little Duck responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

The Drifter continued her stride right up to Little Duck’s side. She was a bit taller than Duck, even counting the robotics.

“So, what’s your business this time?” Duck continued, turning fully to talk face-to-face.

“Ah c'mon, can’t a girl pop by for leisure? Does it always have to be business?” Sloane stood right up close to Little Duck, arms crossed and that smirk still on her face.

Little Duck laughed. “Takin a vacation to Fortuna or something? There's plenty of nicer places to go ya know?”

“Maybe so!” It was Sloane’s turn to laugh. “But… Something about this place keeps me comin around.”

There was something about the way Sloane emphasized the word something that piqued Little Duck’s interest. Surely she was talking about something in particular.

“Well I won’t lie and say we aren’t glad to have ya.” Duck finally said. “After all Solaris United may never have gotten on its feet without your help.”

“Ah shut it, Duck.” Sloane shook her head. “I’ve had enough kudos for a lifetime. I just do what's right.”

There it was again. That attitude that Duck never managed to wrap her head around. Sloane bore everything that everyone asked of her, all for the greater good. She never liked being talked up, not to her face. Not to mention the now countless times she’d worked shoulder to shoulder with the Tenno whether it was robbing Nef Anyo blind or blowing up his precious orb mothers. Her willingness to just do it all was confounding, and in some way interesting.

“Alright, fair nuff.” Duck shook the piece of machinery that generally counted as her head. “I’ll ask ya one more time then, why’re ya visitin?”

“Like I said, I just wanted to stop by and…” Sloane hadn’t picked a good thing to say yet, She wanted to say “See you.” but surely that’d come on a little too strong. She settled on ending the sentence with “Check up on you.”

Duck leaned back just a bit in surprise. Was Sloane actually worried about her to a degree that would require some kind of check-in? She had to know Duck was very capable of handling herself. Was she just being polite? The woman wasn’t exactly an easy read. A face with a jawline cut from granite and pockmarked with the scars of battle wasn’t the most readable thing in the universe.

“Well, aren't you a charmer?” Duck eventually said with a light chuckle.

Sloane shook her head and scoffed. “A woman can’t care about her comrades these days?”

The word care fell into Duck’s head and bounced around like some manner of children’s game, hitting oh so many synapses in her brain.

“You know that’s not not what I meant ya daft mucker. I…” Duck for the first time in a while stumbles over her words for a moment. “I mean uh… I appreciate it.”

Duck felt like she was an adolescent again. She was never good with people hitting on her. At least that's what she thought Sloane was doing.

Sloane let out that low rumble of a laugh and a wolfish smile flashed across her face.

“I don’t think I’ve heard you stutter before.” Sloane quips.

Little Duck despised her maiming at the hands of the Corpus, but now is the first time that she’s actually grateful that her face is concealed in that box. Right now it's lighting up red like a Tennobaum light.

“Ah shove it, Drifter.” Duck shot back.

Drifter. It was what Sloane had introduced herself as when the two met. Like truly met, face to actual face. It felt like another name for her sometimes. Sloane stepped closer a single time. The pair were now right next to each other.

“You and that lil attitude, Duck.” Sloane chides. “At least now I know you say those things from the heart.” She snickers.

Duck scoffs back. “I do now. At first I meant it.”

“Course! I was just some stupid mucker getting things done for you. I’ll admit, I deserved some of those jabs back then. I blew up a couple conduits that shouldn’t’ve been blown up” Sloane laughs boisterously, recalling when Solaris had first linked the two up for routine heists.

She was right of course. At the start Sloane was clumsy and fumbled her way into what could be called successful heists by the skin of her teeth. However as the pair worked together more, they seemed to adapt to one another. Especially after Sloane had picked up that wolfish Warframe. Duck remembers learning that her name is Voruna. Sloane really hit her stride as she took the frame into the field more and more. Tenno were something else to watch on the battlefield. A simple person fully morphing into a voracious beast of claws and fangs, shredding Corpus flesh and armor into ribbons with ease. Duck also swears that after taking up Voruna for so long, Sloane herself changed at least a little bit. Nothing bad but she was sure she’d heard her bark, growl, and sometimes howl when a mission was successful.

“Might as well have taken an actual Kurbrow on some of those missions.” Duck chuckles.

“Hey!” Sloane protests. “I’m no animal!”

“That's true, you’re housebroken at least.” Duck laughs fully now.

Sloane’s face shows the faintest flush of pink on it as she scowls at Duck. “Keep talkin like that and I’m gonna start tearing up your furniture.”

The pair share a laugh. The energy was still an unmeasurable mix between two friends hanging out and reminiscing and two people about to share some deep connection. Duck’s optics in a way met Sloane’s void dyed eyes. Something about the way the drifter was looking at her now, it was like she was looking past all the metal, the robotics, even past her hidden visage somehow. Why was she looking this deep? Why was Duck feeling so warm and fuzzy inside over it? A smirk just barely tugged at the edges of Sloane’s lips.

“Say Duck, when do you get off work?” Sloane said with a raise of an eyebrow.

“Beg your pardon?” Duck was suddenly snapped out of her mind palace by Sloane’s voice.

“When does your shift end?” Sloane repeated, upping the sarcasm in her voice. “And don’t say it never does because I know you get at least some leisure time.”

“Why ya askin?” Duck leaned back with some snark of her own.

Sloane shrugged her shoulders. “Just figured we could do some more of this off the clock.”

More of this? Duck’s mind raced. What in the world was this? Hanging out? Sitting around with tension so thick you could cut it with a Kreska?

“Suppose I gotta be here for maybe… three or so more hours?” Duck almost questioned.

She could probably sneak out at any time, Sloane sure gave her the urge to right now. No, that’d be irresponsible. If anything, Duck needed a bit of room to breathe here soon lest something happen. What that something would be she couldn’t say, but she could feel it coming if they kept standing around looking into each other's eyes.

“Cool.” Sloane smirked. “I’ll pop back in around then.”

Pop back in? That sure sounded like Sloane was intending to pick her up after work. Do friends do that with each other?

“Hey, have you ever been in a tenno orbiter?” Sloane continued.

“Can’t say I have.” Duck shrugged.

“Perfect! I’d love to give you a lil tour of mine. It's plenty homey.” Sloane laughed.

Ok this was Sloane inviting Little Duck into essentially her home. That had to have some more than friendly undertones.

“Sure, why not?” Duck responded without thinking about any implications.

“Fuck yeah!” Sloane beamed. “I’ll be here when you get off!” Sloane waved as she turned towards the hideout’s door, disappearing into her warframe with a flash.

“See ya then, mucker!” Duck called after her.

Now Little Duck has all the time in the Vallis to think about if she’d actually just been invited on a date by a good friend, or if she was just being polite.

Chapter Text

Boarding a tenno orbiter is a rather odd experience for a non-tenno. The capsule that Sloan had told Duck to get into was clearly made for someone a little larger than her. Nevertheless she slotted into it as best she could. In a quick whirr of machinery the capsule rotated inwards and Duck popped out into the interior of the ship. It was a bit dizzying if she was being honest. Little Duck stood for a few moments to let her body orient itself once more. Before she had her bearings though a small robot was quickly circling her and buzzing.

“Operator! Intruder alert!” The small robot yelled as it quickly circled around Duck like a bug.

“Intruder? No, no I was invited-” Duck attempts to defend herself.

“Silence intruder!” The robot got right up into Duck’s optics in what was likely an attempt to intimidate her.

Her first instinct was to grab this little bastard out of the air and smash it, but if it was on Sloan’s orbiter it was probably a friend. A misguided one as of now, but still.

“Cool your jets, Ordis. She’s a friend.” Sloane suddenly stepped up a ramp and into the small room.

“Oh! My apologies, friend of the operator.” The small robot said as it retreated to Sloane’s side.

“Well I was gonna introduce you two but I see I was a bit late. Duck, this is Ordis, my ship’s Cephalon. Ordis, this is Little Duck, she’s a Solaris operative and a close friend.” Sloane gestured between the robot piloting cephalon and Duck.

Close friend? That was what Sloan chose to describe Duck as? It certainly had a ring to it.

“Guess I should’ve grandly announced my presence huh?” Duck laughed.

“Nah nah, my fault I didn’t tell him I was having a guest over.” Sloane smiled that cocky smile.

“Forgive my asking, Operator but I don’t believe you’ve ever simply invited someone onto the orbiter, correct?” Ordis leaned his vessel in an inquisitive way.

“Mind your business, Ordis.” Sloane narrowed her eyes at the Cephalon, voice heavy with a threatening yet playful aura.

“Very well then.” Ordis said, voice dripping with as much sarcasm as a Cephalon could muster as he floated off.

Duck laughed gently. Even in such a brief interaction she could tell that the drifter and this Cephalon had a pretty deep bond.

“Hopefully he hasn’t spoiled the visit!” Sloane turned back and walked up to Duck’s side.

“Ah not at all!” Duck scoffed. “I’ve faced down plenty of Orb Mothers, a lil Cephalon is nothin.”

“Good!” Sloane beamed.

Little Duck took a look around the room a bit. It was surprisingly decorated for what she’d imagined a space Sloane would occupy would be. Floofs sat around in various spots. Statues of warframes posed seemingly by hand. Planters floated or hung off the walls and ceiling. A few pieces of Ayatan treasure whirred gently. All of this was accompanied by a huge window that was currently giving an expansive view of Venus, the Orb Vallis just barely visible from this distance.

“Nice place.” Duck Quipped.

“Aww shucks this isn’t even half of it! This is just my command center!” Sloane grinned, rubbing the back of her head and chuckling. “Cmon, you can have a full tour!”

It was then that Sloane seemingly carelessly grabbed Duck’s hand with her own. She squeezed gently and turned to start walking. Was she really gonna lead Duck around by the hand? Duck didn’t have enough time to think the question over before she started walking with Sloane. Bereft of her work gloves, Duck was able to feel Sloane’s skin against her own for the first time. Her hands were rough and a bit calloused, as she expected of someone who did so much. There was some scarring that mapped the backsides like a map of a galaxy yet unexplored. They were… strangely nice to hold. Not something Duck thought she’d ever think about someone else.

Sloane took Duck down the small ramp she’d emerged from. The room she was led into sure was big. The orbiter seemed almost bigger on the inside.

“Excuse the stuff, this is kinda my armory so to speak!” Sloane laughed.

Before Duck could make a comment a large feline animal had stalked up to her side, rubbing against her thigh before walking between her legs in loops.

“Well hello there.” Duck greeted the animal as she would a person.

“Oh yeah I forgot to mention my Kavat. Hope you’re not allergic!” Sloane looked back with a goofy grin on her face.

Duck gave the Kavat a stroke from its head down its back as the pair got back to walking.

“It’s alright, I love animals. Not as much as Biz of course, but still.” Duck even casually mentioning her mentor like that made her just the tiniest bit upset. Although somehow the feeling stayed miniscule and it was quickly blown away. Perhaps because she was so close to Sloane?

The pair passed Sloane’s foundry which was buzzing away, constructing some whosiwhatsit piece of weaponry that Duck didn’t care to ask about. They went past a modification workstation and a sentinel display. Then they walked past Sloane’s static Voruna warframe, standing in the middle of the room like a silent, unmoving guard dog.

“Sorry we gotta go past so much of my combat stuff to get to a more comfortable area.” Sloane says with an awkward laugh.

“Nah it don’t matter to me.” Duck tries to ease her. “The Solaris headquarters is usually way more of a mess than this.”

Duck could see her words did at least a little. Sloane’s shoulders seemed to relax just a little bit at her comment.

Finally after descending another ramp and turning a corner, a door opened up into what seemed to be a near lavish seating area. Duck could hear music gently playing. There was a large and in depth display of the Earth and some Grineer galleon ships. Past that was a huge couch with a table adorned in drinkware and a music playing apparatus. On the wall there were fish tanks brimming with organic fish that Duck couldn't've made up if you gave her a hundred hours to think.

“Ya do the place up all fancy for me or something?” Duck couldn’t stop herself from asking jokingly.

“I, uhm n-no I, It's always like this!” Sloane stumbles over her words.

Inside her little box, Duck was grinning ear to ear at having managed to fluster Sloane even a little.

Sloane finally let Duck’s hand go as she walked into the room.

“Shut up and come sit!” Sloane said, recomposed and sitting down on the couch while spreading her legs carelessly.

“Fine… Mucker.” Duck joked as she made her way over and sat next to Sloane.

Sloane sure seemed to take up a lot of space. The large woman was spread out seemingly as much as she could be. Legs wide and arms across the upper part of the couch. Normally Duck would see behavior like this as smug and rude but when Sloane did it, there was something a little charming about it. Duck crossed her legs and leaned back into the couch to get more comfortable.

“Anyone else I have to introduce myself to before we can really relax?” Duck looked over and up at Sloane.

Sloane took a moment to think. “Nah I don’t think so. Umbra keeps to himself, Cy is on my Railjack, and the last guy I hope you don’t ever have to meet.”

“Ominous!” Duck said sarcastically.

“I don’t feel like even explaining that guy so don’t even worry about ‘em.” Sloane said with a shrug.

“Keep yer secrets then.” Duck chuckled.

Sloane’s orbiter was… beyond comfortable. The head nodding music. The kinda cute vacuum drones that slid across the floor. The beautiful view of space. Duck had never been in an atmosphere quite like this before. She felt herself relax, like really relax. A relaxation she hadn’t done in probably years. A downside of this relaxed feeling was that she unknowingly leaned toward Sloane, just enough for it to be noticeable to the Drifter.

Externally Sloane was cool as a cucumber. Internally however her brain was firing off so rapidly that she was afraid it would meltdown. Duck was leaning into her? How could that be happening already? She hadn’t even really flirted with her yet. Was Duck already into her? What in the hell was she supposed to do now? She certainly couldn’t start getting handsy and making assumptions. Maybe Duck was just letting herself be comfortable around a friend. Well she had to start somewhere, she wasn’t gonna let this visit end without saying something of note.

“So…” Sloane finally said something. “How… have you been?”

“God what a dumbass question.” Sloane thought to herself.

“Good! I’ve been good!” Duck answered, still leaning on Sloane just that little bit.

“Good…” Sloane echoed.

She felt like the room was suddenly getting smaller. Like her chance was actively slipping through her finger.

“Forgive me if this is a bit too inquisitive but… Ya ever had a sweetheart, Duck?” Sloane’s mouth seemed to move faster than her brain.

“Like… a partner? Like a romantic one?” Duck sounded a little surprised.

“Yeah!” Sloane said, hoping the panic wasn’t too prominent in her voice.

“Can’t say I have yet.” Duck answered very matter of factly.

It was then that both women were struck by the force of a Fomorian Battleship as they realized that Sloane is absolutely flirting and that Little Duck was more than ok with it. They both turned away from one another. Sloane had to hide her blush with considerably more effort compared to Duck’s being safely hidden away in her chest.

“Well do you… like the idea of having one?” Sloane finally stammered out.

Duck had to stop herself from yelling yes in under a second. She couldn’t seem too desperate lest Sloane lose interest because of it.

“I suppose so.” was what Duck landed on saying.

“Cool…” Sloane mumbled.

Cool, really? Sloane wanted to explode to save herself from embarrassment.

The pair of flustered women went back to being quiet for a few moments. The air was thick enough to swim through. Finally Sloane decided to suck it up. She couldn’t go back now anyway. She started to let her arm fall from above the couch down to around Little Duck’s shoulder. Duck didn’t even flinch as the Drifter’s big arm came to rest around her.

“Thought about anyone you’d like to have like that?” Sloane questioned, trying to raise her bravado back up.

Duck swallowed hard. Sloane was a single step away from asking her out.

“Maybe I have.” Duck decided that a bit of teasing would work wonders.

“Care to share?” Sloane said with a smirk. Her cheeks were a deep red now but she couldn’t care less. She let her arm fully wrap around Duck now.

“Feelin nosey aren’t ya, mucker?” Duck chuckled, leaning further in. The two were almost flush against each other now.

“So what if I am?” Sloane said smugly.

Duck decided to push her luck as far as it’d go. She scooted even closer, placing her robotic head right on Sloane’s shoulder. Sloane seemed surprised in the best way. Her muscular arm hugged her even more snug.

“I’ll say it's someone real close.” Duck said softly.

With no warning Duck brought her hand up to her shoulder, meeting Sloane’s own. They intertwined fingers once again. The pair looked at eachother. The tension in the air melting and giving way to a particular warmth not often felt by either woman.

“Would it be too presumptuous to say I hope that it's… me?” Sloane spoke, her voice low. She felt like her heart was falling out of her mouth.

Duck took a long look at Sloane. Her rugged, scarred and handsome face. She could see emotion the likes of which she’d never seen in anyone else behind her eyes. This was a question with more weight than anything she’d likely asked anyone.

“Not at all. You’d be right on the money.” Duck affirmed her answer with a squeeze of Sloane’s hand.

Sloane’s eyes went a little wide before darting around a few times. Her face was Rubedo red now. She’d gotten the exact answer she was hoping for. How in the world was she supposed to be ready for it though?

“So uh… you really like me then? Like you like me for real?” Sloane asked, feeling like a lovestruck fool.

“I do…” Duck answered quickly, putting her other hand on Sloane’s thigh.

“I like you too! Like you like that, that is.” Sloane stumbled a bit as she mirrored Duck’s sentiment.

So it was then that two women who’d just admitted to their mutual feelings for one another sat cuddled up on the couch. Both were stumped as to what they should say next, so they opted to simply soak in this atmosphere for a bit. A deep warmth like honey had enveloped them entirely. It was sickeningly sweet in the best way. Minutes passed, or maybe it was an hour or more, it was hard to tell. The pair didn’t care to keep track.

“So…” Little Duck was the one to finally break the pleasant silence. “I was wondering all day. Did you invite me here just to confess this? Or was it more spur of the moment?”

“Well… I was gonna say something if the mood was right. It sure seemed to be right, so!” Sloane smiled warmly.

Duck shook her head jokingly. “You sure are a romantic.”

Sloane just grinned in response. Inside her chest, Duck was doing the same. Again they looked into each other's faces. After a few moments of affectionate staring, Sloane started to lean in a bit. Duck felt a jolt of shock. It sure looked like Sloane was intent on kissing her. Was she really gonna kiss that robotic implement as though it was a normal thing to do? It certainly seemed like it as Sloane got closer. Strangely, Duck didn’t want to stop her at all. In fact she found herself leaning in just the same as Sloane. Through her optics Duck watched giddily as Sloane pressed her lips to the place she guessed was where Duck’s lips would be located were her head on correctly. Even feeling very little of the kiss herself, Duck’s face was hot as a thermia fracture. Sloane felt just the same. The metal of Duck’s robotic head was warmer than she assumed it’d be making the kiss even more pleasant than she imagined.

Sloane finally pulled back first. Both her and Duck wished at least a little bit that the kiss would’ve lasted longer.

“I uh… I hope that was ok.” Sloane blushed.

“It was great!” Duck responded with shamelessly quick speed. “Next time you can just ask if you want the… real thing.”

“I’d like that!” Sloane grinned that cocky grin again. “So… you’re saying you’d be ok kissing me again?” Her voice dripped with that bravado.

“More than ok, ya stupid mucker.” Duck playfully punched Sloane in the side, its impact betraying her deep affection for the drifter.

“Well then last question, promise.” Sloane squeezed Duck’s hand once more. Her thumb tracing gently circles on Duck’s skin. “Can I call you my girlfriend now?”

Duck laughed warmly. “Yeah, sure. Let's call us girlfriends.”

Sloane pumped her free hand in a gesture of triumph as Duck made the pair official. She pulled the Solaris operative fully into an embrace, holding her with an affectionate firmness and warmth that made Duck feel safe from the entire galaxy. At that moment, nothing could possibly do either of them any harm.