The Night Before

* beginning of an experimental fanfic based on the citadel DLC

James made his way up to Shepard's apartment, looking forward to what she might say about his tattoo. Come to think of it, he thought as he pushed the button for her floor, her opinion was the only one that mattered to him. She was the one who had in fact convinced him to join the N7 program. If it wasn't for what she had told him, he might not have joined. Hell, he didn't even know if there would be any N7 program after this war. And even if he hadn't, her opinion would still matter to him. It was just something about her that had always caught his eye. Her deep red hair, her soft brown eyes. Before he had met her, he thought she was just another hero. He held her as his role model for so long. He remembered his pin from Fehl Prime. Yep, just another person that would bask in their own glory. But she had proved him wrong. She was a soldier just like him, just like every other alliance soldier and that's what he loved about her.

The elevator doors opened and he turned down the hall, into her apartment. The doors swung open revealing the huge apartment Shepard had got form Anderson. He looked around taking in everything that surrounded him, before he saw her standing on the balcony above. He smiled up to her.

"Hey, Lola. Nice place. Might not look so nice after that party though." He made his way to the stairs, feeling her eyes follow him. "You wouldn't trash my new apartment, would you James?"

James laughed. "ME?" he said "No. Never." He walked up the stairs and came on to the balcony beside Shepard. She put her data pad down and turned to look at him as he turned to the window. "Nice view, but this place…It's just not what I'm used to." He turned around and leaned back on the railing, memories of earth flowing back.

"And what would that be?" Shepard spoke with curiosity and he couldn't help but smile at the fact that she showed interest in his life, even before the military.,

He closed his eyes and embraced the memories. "I grew up on the beach on the pacific." He looked over to her. "So you know sand, water…. Real air." They both laughed slightly.

"You really miss it don't you?" They had both turned back to the window, thinking their own thoughts.

"Yeah and the people..." James let his voice trail off. He had spent most of his life on earth. Friends and family. He missed them more often than he let show.

"So what's her name?" Shepard turned to him.

"No!" he jumped up slightly at the question, not expecting his CO to ask something so personal. "No. I stopped Fraternizing when I joined the military. The two don't seem to go together."

"The military doesn't seem to stop you from being a shameless flirt." She smiled slyly. James felt his heart jump. He didn't know where this conversation was going and he didn't know how to stop it.

"Yeah well…" He rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "That's just my way. I don't mean anything by it, Lola.

"That's never stopped you before." Shepard said with a slight smile, averting her eyes a bit.

James laughed. "Who's the flirt now?" a spark flashed in her eye.

"You don't find me attractive?" she asked edging slightly closer.

James's heart rate began to speed up. "No... Um yes...I just... You're my commander, por Dios." he lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, the conversation making him slightly nervous. "I can never tell if your yanking my chain or not."

"Forget about me." What was that loo he saw on her face? Disappointment?

" You honestly expect me to believe that you haven't hooked up with anyone since enlisting?" she gave him a knowing glance and he could feel the heat spread through his cheeks.

He shrugged it off though. "Nothing serious. But I'm still flesh and blood if you know what I mean."

"Flesh and blood... right..." Shepard turned off and began to gaze at the window. Her red hair caught the light and James found himself once again admiring her beauty.

"So what did you come here for, James?"

James faltered a bit as he tried to remember what exactly he had come for. "Oh shit. right." he moved away from her a bit but he could still feel her eyes watching him. "I wanted to show you." he removed his shirt as he turned around, showing Shepard the new N7 tattoo as it stood out fresh on his skin. "What do you think?"

He heard her footsteps behind him, soft at first as if debating something, and then they moved faster. He felt the soft graze of her fingertips as they ran over the tattoo, admiring its work.

"Its good." she said letting her fingers fall back to her side. "You've earned it." a small laughed escaped her lips. "Now the real work begins."

James turned to her, his face devoid of all jokes. "I heard what you said before and I'm in. Cien por ciento."

She nodded in approval. "Glad to hear it."

He smiled in response to her, thoughts floating through his mind about the conversation before. "Anyway," he nervously slipped his shirt back on, causing Shepard to turn away. He guesses she had forgotten that he had his shirt off…or she didn't.

"That's it... I just wanted to show you that bad boy. I gotta get back to the Normandy." he moved slowly to the stairs. She waved him off and followed behind him.

"Yes I'm sure you have better things to do then sit here with Me." he laughed.

"Eh, Estaban wants my help working the shuttle."

"Sounds exciting." her tone was the classic sarcastic Shepard.

James shook his head as he made it to the door.

Stopping once more, he gave the place one more look over. "Seriously, Shepard, this is going to be the perfect place for a fiesta." he gave her a wink.

"Just go, James. I'll see you tonight."

"Adios, Shepard" he gave her a two finger salute and exited the door. He waited until the doors swished closed behind him before letting the grin spread across his face. Tonight was going to be a fun night.

He stood by the shuttle, spinning the pliers in between his fingers as he space out. He was still thinking of how Shepard had acted during their meeting before.

Just the way the entire conversation had turned, he had never expected that.

Six months. Six months he spent with Shepard before being assigned to her crew. He had gotten to know her pretty well. An orphan from earth, enlisted as soon as she turned eighteen. What she had done on Elysium had completely blown his mind and hearing it retold from her eyes had made it even more unbelievable. And she had done all that by herself. She had no one to rely on in her early years unlike him.

She knew the whole reason he enlisted was because of his uncle. He had told her that during one of their many on-ship conversations.

He silently remembers how he used to worship her and how the others on his squad would make fun of his supposed 'unnatural obsession'.

His mind wandered again.

"Just –" he took a deep breath as he hopped off the counter, scattering his cards as his boots hit the floor. "Put it on my tab." He told the bartender as he walked away. He stopped with the monitor in his hands as a group of batarians approached him. Ah, shit. Was all he could think as he stopped before them.

"You some Shepard lover?" The one on the right asked holding a knife tightly in his hand. James eyed it and smiled. "And if I was?" he threw the monitor and took out his own knife. The other two were on him as the one on the right fell. He quickly took out another before running from the bar, laughing slightly. He slowed his pace and glanced behind him to see if he had caused to big of a problem. To his relief, it seems he hadn't. People went in and out of the place like there was never any disturbance.

"Lieutenant." James froze and slowly turned to the man behind me. "You are not the easiest man to get a hold of." The man had dark skin, his face was marred by time but he still spoke with the authority he would always have. What stood out the most, was his alliance uniform. James hadn't seen one since he came to omega.

"Can I help you… sir." He crossed his arms and waited for an explanation.

"I won't bead around the bush, Vega so let's get straight to it. I need you cleaned up and on my ship in the next hour."

James scoffed. "And when I refuse."

"Look, I understand what happened on Fehl Prime was difficult for you, but you need to get over it! I have a job for you; one I think you may enjoy." A smile spread across Anderson's face.

"And what might that be, Admiral?"

The admiral turned and marched away and James followed suit quickly. "We need you to guard a Prisoner as we transport her back to earth and prepare her for her hearing."

"Oh, sounds big." James stopped. "Who is it?"

The Admiral didn't stop as he moved toward his ship. "Athena Shepard."

"JAMES!" the pliers dropped from his hand and crashed to the floor. Steve rose from the shuttle, wiping his hands and laughing. "A little lost today. Aren't we, Mr. Vega?"

James bent down and picked up the pliers. "Shut it. Estaban, before I kick your ass."

Steve held his hands. "Hey I don't know anything." He threw the towel in to the tool box. "But if you want to explain why my 'Helper' did absolutely nothing to help me, please go on."

James couldn't hide the smile on his face. He really hadn't helped Steve since he came back. He dropped the pliers into the box and turned away, running his neck nervously.

"It's Shepard, right."

James turned and narrowed his eyes at the pilot. Steve laughed.

"A krogan could even see how gone you are for her."

"I am not." He dropped his hand and began picking up the rest of the tools. "I Respect her."

Steve laugh and shook his head. "Yeah, sure." He said walking past Vega and patting him on the back.

"Even if I was.." steve stopped and turned to him. "She's Commander Shepard. Flirting with her is one thing, but to have her actually act like something could be between us…" James shook his head.

Steve sighed. "If that's how you see it, but you need to be sure. Don't let titles stop you. Athena's more than that." James smiled at the mention of her name.

"Where you off to, Estaban?" he asked locking up the tools and moving to put the back into the locker.

"Gonna go get ready for Shepard's party." He waved James off as he got into the elevator.

The doors swished closed and the only thought Steve had was that this was going to be a fun night.

A/N sooo yeah experimental soooo let me know what you guys think! 3