A/N: I'm really excited to share this story for Tumblr's August ME Flash Fanwork theme of friendship. Jack and Kasumi seem to have the best sort of give and take to me and I've always imagined them being fast friends despite their different personalities. Kasumi's naturally inquisitive nature would lead to Jack coming out of her shell more quickly than she does with anybody else.
I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy it just as much!
Cover art of Kasumi and Jack as adorable chibis done by the lovely liillin (tumblr).
Jack still couldn't sleep well. Even when down here, in the bowels of the ship where she was left to her own devices most of the time. It was the damn cot, she knew it. It was too fucking soft, cushy almost, and it made it difficult for her to stay on the edge of sleep where she liked it. More often than not since boarding this fucking ship she'd been awoken to the soft breakfast chime of that damned AI, hours gone in a blink. Each time she was surprised to find herself on the other side of night, rested, and unaccosted by anyone else.
With a humph, she rolled over, facing the wall.
"Fucking mattress," she muttered as she punched at the ball of clothes she used as a pillow.
It wasn't long before she was drifting. Random thoughts flitting through her head.
A quiet skritch was just enough to jerk her wide awake. Flipping over quickly, biotics filled her fist without a second thought.
Scanning the room she saw nothing. The hold was empty. Slowly the crackle of power dissipated in a muted static spark.
Still, something was off. Leaning back against the cold metal conduit tubes that ran the length of the wall, she waited.
It wasn't long before she heard it again. Sound echoed differently down here though, and try as she might, there was no clue as to where it had come from.
"Ok, fucker, what is this? Play a joke on the crazy girl? I'll fucking blow a hole in the side of the ship if you don't come out," the threat was followed by a biotic whip that cracked through the space, the flash momentarily blinding her.
Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear her vision.
"Shit!" She cried as the face materialized before her, "What the? Oh…the thief," she waved her hand dismissively.
"In the flesh!" Kasumi grinned.
"What the fuck do you want?" Jack growled.
"Oh, I was just snooping. You have a nice setup here. Very cozy."
"Thanks, I guess, but it's just a fucking cot," Jack fought the urge to check her pockets.
"You're welcome. By the way, I didn't take anything," Kasumi assured her.
"I didn't say you had-"
"You didn't have to. Most people assume."
Kasumi boosted herself up on the table across from her, tucking her legs under her slight frame.
Jack stared and when the other woman didn't budge or make a move to leave, she asked, "Are you gonna fucking stay here all night or what?"
"Well," she cocked her head, "I was actually hoping you'd be asleep again."
"Again?"
"Yep, I was admiring your tattoos before. Very nice work."
"Uhh, thanks," Jack quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Waiting.
It took a second before it hit her, "Hold on, you were watching me sleep before?"
Kasumi ignored the question, "And your harness," she moved quickly, jumping off of the table and coming towards Jack silently, "it's also incredibly interesting."
"Yeah, I suppose," Jack watched as she trailed a finger over one tight leather strap.
"You don't get injured?"
"Most people don't get close enough to hurt me," Jack said, a flash of biotic blue sparking along her arm.
This thief was curious. The flare didn't even make her flinch. Most people gave her a wide berth on looks alone. They were usually running by the time she went for her powers.
Then there was the last time someone touched her without being invited. Yet…
"So… has it ever…?" Kasumi paused, waving her hand in Jack's general direction. She could just barely make out a raised eyebrow under the shadow of her hood.
"Has 'it' ever what?"
She giggled, "Has your boob ever popped out?"
Jack growled. Of all the bullshit she'd already encountered on this damn ship, from Shepard preaching, to that, that Cerberus cheerleader trying to pretend that she cared, now this tiny, insufferable, sneaky-her internal diatribe died when she saw the pair of glittering eyes peeking out at her from beneath the hood.
Leaning back against the bulkhead, Jack let the tension go. The fist she had unconsciously balled up near her thigh uncurled on the rough blanket of her cot.
"You've got to be kidding me," she scoffed. When she failed to get an answer, she continued, "Wait. You're fucking serious aren't you?"
Kasumi raised one shoulder, "I'm just wondering is all."
"Shit. This is a fucking glorified bandage sweetie."
"Clearly!"
She sputtered, no one dared talk to her like this before. Hell, all Shepard could ask was if she was ok, like she was some tiny dried flower that would turn to dust when touched.
Kasumi watched her in silence, patiently waiting for an answer.
With a sigh, she caved, "Yeah. Sometimes, it just like, I don't know, slips and my tit's hanging out and like, I don't realize until much later."
Jack watched as the thief pushed her hood down and blinked against the light. There was a distinct hue of bruised blue under her eyes and the tattoo on her lip was a stark contrast to her pale skin. From the way she squinted it was as if she hadn't taken it off in a while.
"Do you wait until the fight's over to put it back or do you grab it and shove it where it needs to go?" Kasumi motioned with her hands, mimicking the action.
Then she smiled, clearly warming to the topic even further, "Does it embarrass you?"
Jack felt herself smiling back despite her wishes not to. Whatever the hell she was expecting when she heard about this woman, it wasn't this.
"Holy hell, really? You think I'm gonna fix my tit in the middle of a fight? Nah, I wait until it's over. I get a kick outta seeing if they look at that or my face before…" she trailed off.
"Before what?"
If Shepard had asked, she would have answered with as much nonchalance as she could muster. It wasn't the right tack to take with this woman though, so she just said, "You know," and pulled her finger across her throat.
Kasumi nodded, understanding without needing anything else.
"As for embarrassing, nah. Shit. I don't have time for that. What about you, Miss 'Best in the Business', you ever been embarrassed?"
With a cock of her head, Kasumi considered the question, "No, not really. I've seen people in embarrassing situations though. They usually don't know I'm there."
"Oh? What do you do then?"
"I watch it unfold."
"Really? Damn girl. Why?"
She shrugged, "Fun, what else?"
Jack smirked and dismissed the remark with a wave of her hand, "Ok, whatever floats your boat."
"I wouldn't say it 'floats my boat' so to speak, but sometimes it's interesting," she clambered up onto the small cot next to Jack, "You don't get hurt wearing it?" Kasumi leaned over the touched the leather harness again.
"Nope. I have my own sort of protection," Jack let a tendril of biotics go, enough for the thief to feel them, but nothing more.
"Yeah, me too," Kasumi nodded as she absently fingered the edge of her hood, "What's the best thing you've stolen?" Her eyes were bright and engaging. Jack began to wonder just how she ended up here. Didn't seem like the type to gamble it all on a suicide run.
"Oh, I don't know. Stole a ship once, burned the drive core out pretty fast running away. Got us out of the system though."
"You like going after big stuff, huh?"
Jack heard a strange noise escape her throat. Then she realized that she had laughed. It surprised her so much she cut it off before it went further, "Yeah. Big stuff's good. Bigger the better, am I right?" she elbowed her conspiratorially.
Kasumi didn't rise to the bait instead she sat quietly, staring.
Clearing her throat she asked, "What about you? Stolen anything special?"
It was almost like she hadn't heard her at first, which was odd, considering how close they were sitting to one another. She could feel her temperature rising as Kasumi's silence continued. What the fuck she thought, is this woman here to torment her?
She was a half a second away from shouting when Kasumi grinned, "That was nice. You have a pretty laugh."
Jack sat back in disbelief and then watched as the other woman's eyes drifted to look over Jack's shoulder. It was then that she realized that Kasumi was reaching for a memory of something.
"Oh, I've taken lots of special things. Some more special than others," she picked at the blanket absently, her demeanor changing abruptly, "Books, paintings, diamonds, a cache of refined eezo. Other stuff."
"Like?"
"Small things, pretty things. Special to me, but no one else," Kasumi's eyes drifted again, unfocused. Then her vision suddenly snapped to, sharp and bright again, on Jack's face.
"I stole dirty pictures once. Old ones. They were black and white and brittle. Almost crumbled when I touched them."
"Yeah?" Jack grinned, "Were they of anyone I'd know?"
The thief leaned close and mischievously whispered, "Aria T'loak."
"You're fucking kidding me," Jack waved her off, "like hell they were."
"Scouts honor," Kasumi placed a hand over her heart and bowed her head.
"Get the fuck out of here. Why'd you come down here? Wanted to see if I'd fall for this line of bullshit?"
Kasumi sat back abruptly and looked hurt, "They were of Aria. Why would I lie?"
If had been anybody else, Jack would have shut them down. Berated and shouted, but the sheer look of disappointment on Kasumi's face made her pause.
"Ok let's say I believe you," she pointed an accusatory finger, "tell me who hired you."
Kasumi bit her lip.
"AND, you're gonna tell me just HOW dirty they were."
The thief shifted her weight, wiggling the light-weight bed frame beneath them.
"That, you know, goes against my client-thief agreement."
"Are you fucking kidding me? We're taking this tin can through the Omega 4 Relay. Who the fuck's gonna know?"
Jack watched the gears turning in the thief's head as she considered her options. It wasn't long, but it was clear when her mind was made up.
In an instant, Kasumi started to talk, "Ok, so they were very dirty. But not lewd. They were artistic and sensual," she paused to make sure Jack was following, when she nodded, the other woman continued, "Clearly older, I'd say, 100 years old or more? Boudoir style. The camera was on a timer or something. Some of the shots were out of focus, the subjects out of frame. Regardless, they were incredibly done-"
She waved her hand impatiently, effectively cutting off Kasumi's words, "Ok. Listen. I know it gets you going, talking about the history and shit, but I want to know like, what was she doing? And better yet, who was she with?"
"I thought you wanted to know who hired us-me first."
"Shit yeah, if you're giving it up. Spill those beans," Jack felt her face break into a wide grin.
"How long has it been since you've been to the Citadel?"
Jack shrugged. She didn't care to keep track of days or years. As long as she woke up in the morning, it was enough.
"Long time, why?"
"You know the Asari Councilor? Tevos?"
Jack rolled her eyes. She did, but she didn't really give two shits about the Council, "Maybe."
Kasumi had the grace to look sheepish when she said, "She hired me."
"No fucking way."
"Well, not her directly, but an agent of an agent of an agent did. We…I knew where the money was coming from in the end."
"Shiiiiit. Really?"
Kasumi nodded, "Yep."
Well this was getting good! Jack grinned and motioned for her to continue, "Ok so, give me the gory details. I want body positions, hands, boobs, tongues, what have you… anything you got."
"No."
"What? Why the fuck not? You'll handedly tell me that the motherfucking Asari Councilor PAID you to steal these pictures of goddamn Aria T'loak, but you won't tell me anything else?"
"The photos were clearly taken in confidence. She was sharing an intimate moment with her lover."
"So you're not going to fucking tell me ANYTHING?" Jack spat incredulously.
Kasumi stood. The discussion was suddenly over.
"You're a piece of work, you know that? Come down here, teasing me with juicy galactic secrets and then leave me without more?"
"You believe me though, don't you?" Kasumi asked as she pulled her hood back up.
"Can't really see what type of con you'd be running to tell me that and then not give me more. Sure, I fucking believe you," she crossed her arms and frowned.
"Ok," then she was gone, her cloak clicking and coming online.
Jack guessed that meant that the conversation was over. It was the strangest thing she'd experienced in a long time.
"Hey Jack," a disembodied voice echoed at her from near the stairwell.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for talking to me. Maybe you can tell me about your tattoos next time. They are quite beautiful."
She slumped back against the conduits, slightly upset that their conversation was over.
Then she bottled upright, "Just a second you sneaky little shit," she shouted to the air, "you HAVE been watching me sleep!"
A throaty giggle answered her and then faded.
Shaking her head she tried to grasp what had just happened. Overall Kasumi seemed harmless and if she was being honest with herself, fun.
Her pile of clothes looked more inviting than they had an hour ago. Flopping over in her cot, she buried her face in them before rolling over and punching them back into a ball.
Sleep edged over her vision quickly, but then, "Oh, and Jack."
Jumping out of her skin she cried, "Fuck. What!? I'm trying to sleep here."
"Why do you think the Asari Councilor would pay me for naughty pictures of Aria T'loak and her 'acquaintance'?"
God damn, Jack thought. Then all of a sudden she felt it. The laugh bubbled up from her belly and hit her in the chest. She couldn't stop. Her cot creaked as she shook.
"Fucking holier-than-thou Asari Councilor and Aria T'loak? SHIT!" The tears started streaming down her cheeks.
For the first time since she boarded the Normandy, she let go, her laugh echoing off of the metal walls.
"Holy shit! Damn girl you're just gonna drop a bomb on me like that and leave!" She shouted and then yelped as Kasumi's face popped into view, "FUCK!"
The thief smiled and a gloved finger quickly bopped her on the nose, "Don't you worry. I'm not going anywhere."
She blipped out of sight again and Jack dissolved into giggles. Maybe this Cerberus shit hole wasn't going to be so bad after all.