These is BioWare's toys, I'm just sitting in the corner playing with them and making no money.
A/N: This story follows my own personal playthrough of ME3 with my own FemShep. Enjoy!
James Vega smiled. He probably looked like an idiot while doing it, he certain almost felt like one at that moment in time, but for the most part he really didn't care. He didn't care how he might look, nor did he care that technically the whole galaxy was falling apart and they could all be dead very, very soon. He didn't care because, in the here and now, he felt great and he was also, completely and utterly drunk.
He glanced around at the scene before him, his vision somewhat wobbly and smiled again. It'd been one hell of a night, and there was no denying that. Shepard knew how to throw a party. Or at least she hadn't underestimated how much booze her crew could drink…and it turned out there were people who'd served aboard the Normandy that could actually drink him under the table. Jack had before she'd staggered away, laughing about how shitfaced he was. He liked Jack, she was crazy and she had some of the best and worst ink he'd ever seen, and the girl could drink. What wasn't there to like?
Everyone else seemed to have wandered away some time ago too. He could see EDI and Samara chatting at the kitchen table. He had to wonder if the Justicar ever slept, or drank for that matter. He'd not seen her with a glass in her hand all night, but he'd watched at firm blue ass shake when Samara had danced. Everyone had enjoyed that view…even Steve, though James suspected for a whole different set of reasons that he refused to divulge.
He could feel the thunderous snores of Wrex through the soles of his boots, though he had no idea where the krogan was. It'd been great to see him again, same with Grunt. It had seemed like their mission to Tuchanka had been years ago, rather than months. James had vowed that if they all made it out of this one alive, he'd go to Tuchanka and spend some time with the krogan. Clan Urdnot seemed like a badass bunch he'd like to get to know.
Where everyone else was, he had no idea. He'd lost track of most as the night went on. People moving about between groups all night, even Shepard had been hard to keep track of as she spent time with everyone. Zaeed had left for pizza a while ago as the company wouldn't deliver after the last fiasco, and James hadn't seen him return. He had no idea where Steve or Traynor were at. Liara, Tali and Garrus had spent most of their time in the kitchen together, but had drifted elsewhere. He suspected Javik had passed out with Wrex, the two of them had got into some sort of pissing match while Grunt guarded the door. Even now the krogan was still talking to the screen…but no one had called in a while. He seemed happy so no one had disturbed him. Kasumi could've been anywhere, he's reached out a couple of times on the sofa, checking in case she was there, cloaked. But thankfully, his hands had passed through air. He wasn't sure of Kasumi, she hid behind that hood and never seemed to join in…but she has watched them all. Hell, she'd sat on his back while he'd done his best to prove his physical superiority over the biotics. As for Shepard, Miranda, Jacob and Kaidan…who knew. That was a mix that James thought could've been easily volatile, but if James had hoped for fist-fights…he was sorely let down.
What a night! He thought to himself as he reclined on the sofa, stretching out across the expensive leather. Shepard's pad was amazing and he was a little jealous of it, but for all its lush furniture and spacious layout, he wasn't sure he could live somewhere like this. He'd spoken of this to Shepard before, when he'd come up to show her the N7 tattoo he'd gotten. He told of where he'd grown up, and how different it was from this place. Shepard had listened and had been interested in his childhood by the sea. She had seemed a little wistful; after all she was a spacer, who wouldn't dream of life by the sea when your home was in space? It worked both ways too. For all he'd spent his life on earth, James had dreamed of the stars, of getting away from Earth, his father and his miserable life. Things had turned out a little differently than he expected it to, but it wasn't all that bad. And when he thought of the petite, blonde-haired Commander and all that she'd done and shown him, it made it all worthwhile.
Joker snored softly on the other sofa, drawing James's attention. He'd passed out some time ago and EDI had let him sleep. He shook his head when the thought about Joker and EDI. He had no beef against the two of them, and EDI was hot in that body…but she was a robot, and in that respect, James was old fashioned and wasn't sure he could sustain a serious relationship with someone who couldn't give him kids one day. Kids like April.
Oh crap! Alcohol downer!
James grit him teeth and fought against the memory of Fehl Prime and all that had happened there. He'd had a good night and didn't want to ruin it. He needed to do something to take his mind off his mistakes. He needed to do something to relax, but he couldn't drink any more. In fact, he felt doubly sure his body couldn't possibly take any more liquid, regardless of the alcohol content.
He blinked, the idea coming as suddenly as the face of the little girl he'd left to die. Of course, he'd mentioned it earlier than evening, but had never managed to get around to suggesting it to anyone. They all knew Shepard had one, Traynor had blabbed about it. But in the heights of the party, it had never come up as a possibility. But he'd said he was going to check it out, and check it out he would.
The floor seemed decidedly uneven, especially the stairs as James clung to the banister and hauled himself up. Just ahead was Shepard's bedroom, and he breathed a distinct sigh of relief to see that the bed was empty. That could've been unspeakably awkward had he stumbled upon someone in bed, regardless of whom, number of occupants or state of dress. But the room was unused that night and had he been a little more coherent, he might have figured out why.
The door to the bathroom was closed, but that didn't stop him. He pushed the button and waded into the warm, close air that billowed from within and came up short.
James Vega blinked and suddenly, he didn't feel quite as drunk as he had a moment ago.