anaisonfire (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
anaisonfire) wrote2021-11-08 11:46 pm
anaisonfire) wrote2021-11-08 11:46 pm
Entry tags:
[Mass Effect] easy as speaking
Title: easy as speaking (585 words)
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Characters: Kaidan Alenko, Male Shepard (Mass Effect)
Additional Tags: post-Citadel Coup, Fluff, Treat
Summary:
It’s several days later, after Kaidan has come back to the Normandy and they’ve set off from the Citadel - now no longer actively on fire and with the majority of the Cerberus troops dead or captured - that Shepard comes to him.
Written for the 2021 round of![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
trickortreatex (AO3 collection).
It’s several days later, after Kaidan has come back to the Normandy and they’ve set off from the Citadel - now no longer actively on fire and with the majority of the Cerberus troops dead or captured - that Shepard comes to him.
“Hey, Shepard.”
“Hey, Kaidan.”
By all rights, there should be an awkward silence. They should struggle to find ways to talk to each other after everything that’s happened, even though ostensibly they’ve forgiven harsh words and apparent betrayals. The words should die on Kaidan’s lips. Shepard should not be able to simply waltz back into his life - into life - with a simple greeting.
But that’s never been them. From the moment they’d met on Arcturus, waiting to be cleared for their first steps onto the brand new SSV Normandy, Kaidan’s always felt that Shepard is the easiest person in the galaxy to talk with. The simple things, and the hard as well.
So it’s no surprise to him, although it comes with a great deal of relief, that they are able to fall easily into conversation and patterns that Kaidan spent two years mourning.
It’s not all the same, of course. They’re both more tired and worn - Kaidan can easily see now, under the Normandy’s lights and out of armor, how haggard Shepard looks. He’s slower to smile and to laugh, and when he does it comes with an edge to it.
Kaidan wonders, idly, what differences Shepard notices in him.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Kaidan focuses back on the present. Shepard has moved closer, now only centimeters between them where at first he’d kept a careful distance away.
Ruefully, he shakes his head.
“Just remembering the past, is all.” And before Shepard can misunderstand, because they’ve had enough of that, he hurries to elaborate. “Do you remember the first time we met? On Arcturus, I mean.”
Shepard huffs. “Of course I do. You were standing there all alone in the docking bay, looking sad and lost-”
Kaidan laughs. “I was not.”
Shepard grins, and it looks more relaxed than before. “You were, too. And I thought to myself-”
He cuts himself off and Kaidan realizes there's a look in his eyes, one that’s familiar from many late nights stolen away behind closed doors. Shepard must see something reflected back in Kaidan’s own face, because he continues, tone more hushed than teasing.
“And I thought to myself, ‘Now that’s a beautiful man I’d like to get to know better.’”
Kaidan kisses him.
It’s not very passionate, more of a press of lips than anything else.
It’s the best feeling in the galaxy, as far as Kaidan is concerned.
They stay that way for several long moments, eyes closed, eventually more just touching their faces together than actually kissing.
Still like that, Kaidan says, “That is so not what you thought.” His voice is maybe a little raw, but no matter.
He can feel Shepard smirking when he replies, “Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll never get it out of me.”
So that’s how it’s gonna be. Kaidan opens his eyes again and, yeah, he was right, Shepard is smirking and that look is still in his eyes.
There are, he thinks as he considers the most effective way to get Shepard to tell the truth, certain pros to no longer being bound to Alliance regulations. For one thing, fraternization rules certainly don’t apply to either of them anymore.
“Fighting words, Shepard.”
“Bring it on, Alenko.”
It’s going to be a long night. Neither of them minds.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Characters: Kaidan Alenko, Male Shepard (Mass Effect)
Additional Tags: post-Citadel Coup, Fluff, Treat
Summary:
It’s several days later, after Kaidan has come back to the Normandy and they’ve set off from the Citadel - now no longer actively on fire and with the majority of the Cerberus troops dead or captured - that Shepard comes to him.
Written for the 2021 round of
trickortreatex (AO3 collection).It’s several days later, after Kaidan has come back to the Normandy and they’ve set off from the Citadel - now no longer actively on fire and with the majority of the Cerberus troops dead or captured - that Shepard comes to him.
“Hey, Shepard.”
“Hey, Kaidan.”
By all rights, there should be an awkward silence. They should struggle to find ways to talk to each other after everything that’s happened, even though ostensibly they’ve forgiven harsh words and apparent betrayals. The words should die on Kaidan’s lips. Shepard should not be able to simply waltz back into his life - into life - with a simple greeting.
But that’s never been them. From the moment they’d met on Arcturus, waiting to be cleared for their first steps onto the brand new SSV Normandy, Kaidan’s always felt that Shepard is the easiest person in the galaxy to talk with. The simple things, and the hard as well.
So it’s no surprise to him, although it comes with a great deal of relief, that they are able to fall easily into conversation and patterns that Kaidan spent two years mourning.
It’s not all the same, of course. They’re both more tired and worn - Kaidan can easily see now, under the Normandy’s lights and out of armor, how haggard Shepard looks. He’s slower to smile and to laugh, and when he does it comes with an edge to it.
Kaidan wonders, idly, what differences Shepard notices in him.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Kaidan focuses back on the present. Shepard has moved closer, now only centimeters between them where at first he’d kept a careful distance away.
Ruefully, he shakes his head.
“Just remembering the past, is all.” And before Shepard can misunderstand, because they’ve had enough of that, he hurries to elaborate. “Do you remember the first time we met? On Arcturus, I mean.”
Shepard huffs. “Of course I do. You were standing there all alone in the docking bay, looking sad and lost-”
Kaidan laughs. “I was not.”
Shepard grins, and it looks more relaxed than before. “You were, too. And I thought to myself-”
He cuts himself off and Kaidan realizes there's a look in his eyes, one that’s familiar from many late nights stolen away behind closed doors. Shepard must see something reflected back in Kaidan’s own face, because he continues, tone more hushed than teasing.
“And I thought to myself, ‘Now that’s a beautiful man I’d like to get to know better.’”
Kaidan kisses him.
It’s not very passionate, more of a press of lips than anything else.
It’s the best feeling in the galaxy, as far as Kaidan is concerned.
They stay that way for several long moments, eyes closed, eventually more just touching their faces together than actually kissing.
Still like that, Kaidan says, “That is so not what you thought.” His voice is maybe a little raw, but no matter.
He can feel Shepard smirking when he replies, “Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll never get it out of me.”
So that’s how it’s gonna be. Kaidan opens his eyes again and, yeah, he was right, Shepard is smirking and that look is still in his eyes.
There are, he thinks as he considers the most effective way to get Shepard to tell the truth, certain pros to no longer being bound to Alliance regulations. For one thing, fraternization rules certainly don’t apply to either of them anymore.
“Fighting words, Shepard.”
“Bring it on, Alenko.”
It’s going to be a long night. Neither of them minds.