Title: Wishful Thinking
Author: DinkyMew
Game: Mass Effect (one)
Disclaimer: I do not earn any money from these. Bioware own all characters and content related to the Mass Effect franchise. Abigail Shepard is my own creation inspired by the character Jane Shepard created by Bioware.
Character pairings: Kaidan Alenko x Abigail Shepard (hinted)

Kaidan watched as Shepard and Ashley braced the summit, holding hands to shield their eyes from the sunlight as they looked over the frozen expanse. Why anyone would want to climb a mountainous trek in the snow to look at more snow he would never understand, and he almost exclusively regretted signing up for it on his shore leave. Had it not been Shepard who asked him he probably would have stayed on the Normandy.

To add insult to injury he had also offered – no insisted – on carrying the pack, which meant not only was he dragging behind them, frost-bitten and shivering his way up some blasted mountain, he also had the uncomfortable experience of pack straps burning into his shoulders and his back groaning each time he lifted his snow boot to punch another step into the climb.

Just. Perfect.

"Hurry up LT!" Ashley screamed back at him "You're missing it!"

He rolled his eyes, missing what? Snow could only look one way: flat and white. There was no mystery to snow and he hated it, which he found amusing, considering he was Canadian.

He took another frustrated, fed-up step this as a shadow appeared on the snow before him. When he raised his eyes Shepard was standing, her hands on her hips, her scarf wrapped tight around her throat and her hat pulled down almost to her clear blue eyes.

"Having a bad day Kaidan?" She asked, a cruel smile on her face and he grumbled a reply under his breath.

"My legs are killing me." He complained, pausing to rest his hand on his knee.

Abigail laughed, real and genuine and he felt the first flush of a blush creep over his face. Didn't she know how hard it was for him to be near her? That in fact her nearness was not helping, it was hindering.

"Don't be such a baby." She smiled, "The top is right there!"

He looked beyond her to where Ashley was furiously snapping photos – photos of snow! It was almost beyond ridiculous – and sighed.

"You're loving this aren't you?" He asked, squinting a little against the sunlight as he looked at her again.

"Actually I am." She said happily "I love doing stuff like this. It's the only time I actually feel alive." She took a deep breath, throwing her arms wide "Fresh air Alenko! Breathe that in! No bullets, no screaming, no fighting – just adrenaline, real, clean air and your own body's ability to push itself to its limits."

He clicked his tongue inside his mouth, careful to keep his eyes to her face and not her swelling bosom as she stood with her arms stretched wide.

"Hurry up you two!" Ashley shouted again "Grow some balls LT! Honestly, you are such…" Her voice trailed off into a mutter as she kept going, leaving Kaidan and Shepard watching after her.

"We can't let Chief beat us." Shepard said encouragingly but Kaidan floundered, groaning as they started to walk once more.

"I'm surprised you're not eating ice cream Alenko." Shepard smiled after a beat "Is this not what summer is like in Canada?"

He looked at her, surprised she knew he was Canadian, he couldn't remember telling her that, but he shook the thought off and moved his shoulders "I hate the cold. It wouldn't be so bad if my legs weren't killing me. So much walking."

"I don't know." She said absently "Sometimes it can be nice just walking. Talking. You know. Depends on the company."

He looked at her worried then, wondering if he should interpret that somehow. Was she telling him his company sucked? Or was she lamenting the fact that Ashley had powered on without them and he was holding her back? He didn't have time to respond though, because she glanced over to him, her impossibly red lips curving into a grin.

"You know what makes your legs sore?" She asked, her eyebrows rising.

Kaidan blinked, caught off guard by the question and so he shrugged "No." He said carefully, lifting his boot heavily – but he wished he knew.

"It's acid." Shepard nodded enthusiastically. She grinned, turning to walk backwards up the slope so she could watch him as she walked – her excitement on the subject suddenly took over though and her voice rose in pitch and speed as she caught her breath "Lactic acid is a by-product of exercise. It's made from pyruvate through the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase." She nodded emphatically.

Kaidan blinked, watching her a moment as she continued to walk backwards, the smile on her face suddenly turning sheepish and for once – something so rare he felt like taking his camera out after all – Shepard blushed. Not just blushed, but blushed profusely. Blushed so hard her forehead was pink and her blue eyes stood like two bright crystals in her head.

"Where the heck did that come from Shepard?" He asked, unable to hold back the soft chuckle that escaped with it "How do you know this stuff?"

She moved her shoulders, twisting so she was walking the correct way again "I wanted to be a doctor." She said simply, as though that explained everything "Before Mindoir, before… you know…" She sighed "I still kinda love the idea. If only Dr Chakwas knew how jealous I was of her!" She laughed and Kaidan swallowed watching her carefully.

He felt privileged. This was something not a lot of people got to see. This was Abigail Shepard, unarmoured and bearing her soul for all to see – here on these snowy trails in the middle of nowhere – and it was a sight far more beautiful than the scenery around them; far more precious than the promise of the summit.

It was exactly why he loved her.

"So I have acid on my legs." Kaidan smiled, "No wonder they hurt like hell then."

She grinned, "Well, you see the body is an amazing thing Kaidan. The acid doesn't just sit there, the body knows how to get rid of it."

He laughed "Mine obviously missed that seminar." He drawled "Or it's just stupid. Can you have a stupid body Shepard?"

She looked at him then, right at him and they stopped as she considered the question carefully. For a moment he thought she was going to say yes but instead she just smiled at him.

"Maybe you need to tell your body to do it then." She said gently "Do you know what gets rid of lactic acid Kaidan?"

He swallowed, hoping she would say her kiss – but that would never happen. Not unless he had fallen into a daydream again, in which case they were about to be rolling in the snow anyway.

"I…" His voice gave out – in hope probably he mused – but he cleared it roughly and tried again "I don't." He waited a beat, sliding his gaze left and right and then back to her "Know. I don't know."

"Simple." She said "Oxygen breaks down lactic acid in the muscles." Her brow creased as she reached a hand for him and he flinched, which made her smile, but her gloved fingers were simply looking to brush some snow from his cheek and he relaxed as the touch of her fingers made his blood start to race.

"So how do I stop my legs hurting." He breathed; and my heart he thought weakly.

She laughed, shaking her head at him.

"Just breathe Alenko."