James Vega had never had trouble getting women. In fact, he'd say that it came naturally to him. They just fell at his feet, clinging to his ankles as he walked on and found someone better.

But Shepard was different. She was the first woman he'd met who he genuinely cared for. Smart, strong and sexy as hell, she was, in his eyes, perfection. But she never paid him a seconds notice, and it was beginning to piss him off.

Of course, they'd flirted. Usually, when he turned on the 'charm,' women either flirted back furiously, or giggled awkwardly, not knowing how to deal with his forward behaviour. Shepard, however fell into neither of these categories. She laughed at him, brushed him off. He got the impression that she found his 'smooth moves' hilarious and didn't care whatsoever when he was more than a little indiscreet about where his eyes were.

And he knew where she belonged. She and Kaidan didn't appear to care who caught them together, and the entire crew found their love nest adorable. Apart from him, of course. He remembered that time when they'd taken shore leave, and Shepard had ended up falling through a fish tank and being hunted by mercs. Kaidan had gone to rescue her, the knight in shining armour, so to speak. If Kaidan was the knight, then what did that make him? The evil villain, trying to steal the beautiful princess away? It wasn't like he'd try to split them up or anything. His tactic was to flirt outrageously with Shepard, until she realised what she was missing. She would. Eventually.

After defeating Shepard's clone, they'd thrown a massive party. She'd invited everyone. Drunk, obviously, he tried to argue his physical supremacy over biotics. Unsurprisingly, she'd sided with her boyfriend and all the other magicians. They'd then decided to have a push up competition – Jacob, Kaidan and him. He was going to win, clearly. Had they not seen his muscles, for god's sake? But Kasumi had decided to sit on him, and the extra weight, plus seeing Shepard in a tight dress had been way too much for him.

They'd all passed out, blind drunk, and he was jealous to find Shepard asleep with Kaidan in the morning. He knew they were together. It's just the obvious displays of emotion were too much for his heart. That's why he hated going on missions, the three of them, too. Shepard knew both of them had her back, and she trusted them implicitly, which is perhaps why they were the most common trio. Their battlefield flirting was disgraceful though, and he'd taken to drowning out their voices with thoughts of Shepard in his head. It was distracting enough.

And he'd wanted to punch Kaidan, that first mission they'd had together on Mars. He'd been so rude, so dismissive of the fact that Shepard was no longer with Cerberus. He'd never had let Shepard go, had he been in his shoes. And what annoyed him even more was the fact that Shepard didn't seem to mind his mistrust, and ignored it. He'd been slowly becoming more and more worked up, and had had an accidental outburst eventually with a bitter comment. Biting his tongue, he was fortunate he hadn't said anymore. Then they'd met with their hot, blue asari friend Liara, and he'd been sent outside on guard duty. Bullshit. He wanted to make sure Shepard was okay, but he was resigned to guarding an empty building? It had been exciting and way too thrilling crashing the shuttle into the Cerberus car, but he regretted it afterwards. After a 'dance' with Shepard he experienced an extreme lecture from her about how reckless it was. 'I did it for you!' He wanted to shout. But no. He kept quiet, and remained the good, if slightly dangerous and egotistical soldier he was.

Then Kaidan had got mashed up by the crazy robot woman and although he felt a little guilty and worried for him, his feelings of jealousy were predominant. Shepard had devoted all her attention to him, and nothing he could say or do would distract her, or cheer her up.

Mission after mission, and they'd been joined by her old friend Garrus. The turian was alright, if not a little bitter for his tastes, and they got along well. He obviously knew Shepard extremely well, which had not helped towards his feelings of protectiveness over her. And Garrus clearly knew all about James fancying her. He had tried to mask it with his cool, exterior demeanour, but the guy was an expert at reading people. Even he'd said that he didn't have a chance in hell of splitting up their star couple – the two were obviously irrevocably in love and apparently marriage was on the cards. James' heart broke a little at that.

And James understood it. After the trail of women he'd left behind, Shepard was the first one he actually loved. He didn't know why, or how. But he did. And she was taken, and so loved up with the stiff.

Although he resented their relationship, he didn't actually dislike Kaidan. Because, how could you? He might act a little like he had a stick up his ass, but he was a really nice guy. He loved Shepard, so much. It almost made it a little better for James, actually – if he couldn't have Shepard, then at least she had someone who loved her implicitly. Kaidan had even played poker with him a couple of times, but obviously he sucked at it. James had cheekily suggested a game of strip poker to the Commander, but she'd laughed him off again. As usual.

James sighed. He'd tried to make it look like a big deal when he'd gone up to the Loft for a chat with Shepard, but really it had just been an uneventful talk about him joining N7. No one else had been even remotely bothered by it, because they couldn't see Shepard with anyone else but Kaidan. And though he tried not to, neither could he. They were perfect for each other.

And he'd really stuck his foot in it. Whilst dancing on shore leave at the newly reopened Flux, he'd touched her ass. Not accidently exactly, but… He hadn't removed his hand. Shepard had given him this shocked, outraged look, and stormed off. He hadn't seen her since, and they were bound to leave the next morning.

He was sitting in the bar at Purgatory, drowning his sorrows, when she sat down next to him. He couldn't hide his surprise, or happiness at seeing her.

"Lola! Heeey, Lola," he slurred. God he sounded like an idiot.

"James. We need to talk." Glancing at him, she decided it probably wasn't best. "But given the state you're in…"

"It's fine Lola! Talk already." His head was pounding with the music, and his heart with adrenalin.

"Okay. So you know me and Kaidan are together right? What happened the other day…? Look I don't know if it was intentional, but I have a boyfriend. You need to back off."

"You should leave that pendejo. I'm much better company." He was so drunk, he could barely register what he was saying, but by the look on Shepard's face, it probably wasn't the right thing to have done.

"What the hell James? I come here for a civilized conversation in which I ask you to stop the flirting and stay away, and you ask me to leave the person I love? What the fuck?!"

"I love you Lola. I flirt like crazy with you, but you never give me any attention. I want you. Gimme a chance?"
Shepard was disgusted by this point. She slapped him, hard, across the face and walked out, bruising the shoulders of several clubbers along the way. It was only then he realised exactly what he'd said. Shit.

He trudged along to the Normandy, his head pounding from his hangover, and willing for the ground to swallow him up so he didn't have to have to see Shepard ever again. Oh god. And Kaidan too. Shit.

Cortez had heard, as had most of the people in Purgatory, and the entire Normandy crew what had happened, though Shepard had tried to quieten it down.

"You alright Vega?" He asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. I was just… being a pendejo. I'm going to work out."

"Sure."

The conversation was left at that, as James made his way over to the weights and began his usual workout. He soon became fixed in his zone, and only realised quite how long he'd been working out for when Joker announced that they were 5 minutes out from the relay, and would be arriving at their location in the next half an hour. He decided to freshen up, and once he'd had his shower, thought he'd allow himself a drink to steady himself. Instead of the nice shot glass of vodka he was hoping for, he found Kaidan.

"Ah, Lietenant Vega."

"Major." James avoided his eyes, fixing his own pair on the floor.

"I wanted to ask you what the hell you're doing with Shepard."
"I'm not doing anything."
"That's not what I heard."
"It was a mistake okay? I feel like an idiot, and I was blind drunk."

He heard a sharp intake of breath from the Major, and wondered what was coming next.

A sharp blow to the side of his face told him.

Something inside him snapped, and soon the pair were brawling on the floor, punching each other forcefully, no holding back. Eventually, Kaidan restrained him with his biotics, and whispered in his ear, "Stay away from Shepard. Don't you get it? We're together. You're not wanted here, so quit with the meddling. I won't control myself next time if you don't."

"Listen pendejo, I don't know who you think you are but –"

His threat was cut off, as Shepard entered the room.

"What the hell is going on here?! Kaidan? James? I do not expect to see two of my best men in a drunken bar brawl, you especially Kaidan?"

"It's nothing, Shepard. I'm sorry, I lost control."

"Yeah, well we all know what over."
Kaidan stood up and joined Shepard, as they both looked down on the winded James. He hadn't expected to go down so easily.

"Lola, I'm sorry. But we both love you. So you need to choose, before this shit happens again."

"What? You want me to decide between you?"
"Yeah. That's what I said."

Shepard looked from Kaidan to James in shock. Never in her wildest dreams… She bent over to pick up James, and a grin a mile wide appeared on his face. Then, she dropped his hand, and walked over to Alenko, where she slid a hand around his waist to support him.

"I'm sorry Vega." Then, she walked a limping Kaidan out the room. James was left with an empty shot glass, bruised face and a broken heart. "Love." He growled to himself. "Never try it." He poured himself another, and then looked out onto the starry mass behind him, wondering where it all went wrong.