Chapter Text
“So… You and Shepard.”
James thunked down the pauldron he’d been holding. He’d been prickly all evening, huffing around his repair station, barely speaking when Kaidan had floated down and made himself comfortable like he did most night cycles. He leant booted feet against James’ bench, just quietly being there, in the LT’s presence. There wasn’t often a lot of talking during these evenings, but he’d been able to tell, from the moment he sat down, that there was something on James’s mind.
Kaidan didn’t look up, lips thinning thoughtfully. “Joker? Hmm. Liara? Surely not,” he muttered to himself.
“Are you listening to me?” James said hotly.
Kaidan slowly looked up from his data pad, meeting James’ simmering gaze. “Vakarian,” he guessed firmly.
“No, man, Shep- I mean.” James huffed out his scarred nose as he caught Kaidan’s meaning. “Yeah, Scars might have mentioned something.” Kaidan continued to watch his lover thoughtfully, letting James stumble on. “Last night. Over cards. And drinks.”
“Well then. Yeah. Me and Shepard. What did you want to know?” Kaidan uncoiled, taking his feet off James’s bench.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” James arms were wide, confrontation written clear in every line of his body.
“It was a long time ago. Besides, things are different now.” How Kaidan could be so damn casual about it, James didn’t know.
“I’m pretty sure that I’ve got a right to know stuff like that!”
“Stuff like what? You tell me about every one of your old flames?” A warning rasped low in Kaidan’s voice.
“This is different and, and you know it, K!” James’s cheeks were flushed with colour, and Kaidan unconsciously straightened up.
“Different how? Because she’s our commanding officer?” Kaidan knew what was coming next, and felt his skin tighten, blood rushing to his amp, anger starting to get the better of him.
“Because she’s she.” James’ shoulders were square but he couldn’t meet the older man’s eyes.
“Ah.” Kaidan murmured it, clamping down on his anger with rigid discipline. “There it is.” He stood, chair legs squeaking against the shuttle deck floor.
“I think I’ll head back to the crew quarters tonight.”
***
I don’t know anything for certain, the turian had said, mandibles flaring in guilt when he realized he’d let slip something that Vega didn’t know.
“They definitely spent the night together before that run at Ilos,” Garrus said. “And I was there on Horizon. The first time they saw each other since… well. You know.”
And James, a strange churning in his gut that wasn’t entirely the booze, pushed Vakarian. “Actually. I don’t know.”
Garrus, voice buzzing nervously, had continued against his better judgment. “It definitely wasn’t a reunion of two soldiers-in-arms, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m no expert on human body language, here, but they hugged one another.” He was starting to think he’d said too much. “Not that I was trying to listen but… well, you know how turian ears are.”
“No Vakarian, I don’t know how turian ears are.” James rumbled.
“I don’t know if I - We easily distinguish low tones.” Garrus backtracked, looking at the growing belligerence in his friend’s eyes. “Ok. Shepard died, Kaidan hadn’t seen her in two years, and well. They just seemed really… close. You know.”
“Let’s just pretend I don’t know anything at all and you tell me exactly what happened, Vakarian.” Vega suddenly seemed stone-cold sober, and was starting to look downright thunderous.
“I’m pretty sure he said her dying tore him apart.” Garrus stumbled on his words. “Something about them having… something. I’m pretty sure he said- he said he loved her.”
James picked up his glass and knocked the whole thing back. “Right.” He picked up the cards.
“You ok, Vega?”
“I’m fine,” he said shortly. “It’s my deal.”