Instant Attraction
By: S.S.I
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or anything made by bioware. If I did, James and FemShep wouldn't be date rape. Thank Eboncat for that. XD
Read and Review, I would like to hear how I'm doing.
AN: I don't like how when I upload this it takes away my spacing.
Shepard came up to her quarters and her usual routine set in. She looked at her personal terminal, checking to see if she had messages. Frowning, she took note that James had not messaged her. She wasn't sure if she was expecting him to or not, she thought as she turned away from the terminal. She fed her hamster, fed her fish and then went over to her closet.
On the way there she hung James's coat on the back of a chair. The chair that faced the coffee table and its back to the bed. In that moment, she took more care then was needed to simply hang the coat on the back of the chair. Her hands lingered as she smoothed out the leather. She could smell him, the coat was heavy with his scent, she thought before continuing her trip to the closet.
She pulled out fresh under garments, socks, a plain cotton tee-shirt and cotton drawl string pajama pants. The shirt was similar to James shirt but it bared a simple N7 logo on the right breast. She placed the small bundle of folded clothing on her bed before she disrobed. At first, she found the zipper on her dress to be giving her a bit of trouble but finally she got it down. She took off the tight garment as well as the black, definitely not Alliance issued, bra and thong.
Then the strappy heels, she groaned in relief as she leaned back on the bed. She lifted one leg in the air before pulling it to her chest. Her hands quickly massaged her aching foot as well as checked for any sores. Satisfied with the massage and that there wasn't any sores she repeated the action to the other foot. When she finished the massage she relaxed her body, stretching out her limbs.
Her arms were above her head and her legs hung off the edge of the bed. Her feet grazing the plush area rug. She stared up at the ceiling, seeing parts of the citadel outside the window. She marveled at the view for a moment before she made herself get up. She left her dress and other garments where she took them off as she grabbed the bundle of fresh clothing.
She went into the bathroom and deposited her fresh clothing on the counter top next to the sink. She grabbed a towel from the small storage area and hung it on the rack next to the toilet. Then turned, catching sight of her own reflection. Taking a closer look, she saw her tired green eyes and her limp brown hair. She turned her rounded face from side to side.
She made note of her facial scarring, it seemed to be healing well. Her hands came up to her head, running through the short brown bob before messing it up. Her hair was never cooperative. When she first became a Spectre it was long and tied up in a tight bun. She didn't let it down in fear there would be huge knots in her hair.
When Cerberus remade her, Miranda had her hair shoulder length. She didn't bother to change the cut even though the flyaway's bothered her to no end. When she turned herself in, she cut her hair feeling that she needed a change. The result was this messy bob and short messy bangs. She pulled at a lock of hair before she blew out a puff of air.
The lock blew away from her pinched fingers and back to its rightful place curling behind her ear. She looked away from her reflection for a moment and caught sight of her toothbrush. Subconsciously, she licked her teeth and frowned. She brought her hand up to her mouth and breathed out before inhaling quickly. Her frown deepened, she did smell like a brewery.
It would seemed Joker and James weren't pulling her leg after all. Quickly she grabbed her toothbrush. She filled the brush with toothpaste before brushing her teeth. She turned away from the mirror she continued to brush her teeth as she turned to the shower taps.
She stood out of the spray as she turned on the water. She momentarily stopped brushing her teeth her toothbrush clenched between her teeth. While her hands were free she adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature. Satisfied, she turned back to the sink and finished brushing her teeth. The moment the toothbrush was back in its rightful place, she was jumping into the shower without much delay.
She closed her eyes as she basked in the warmth, moaning in pleasure and delight. Her aching muscles and limbs were thanking her for the heated shower. Thanking her for soothing them after her self-inflicted torture via dancing. She shifted from foot to foot, placing her hands on the wall. She twisted and stretched her body as so there was some equal treatment from the spray's massaging pulses to her skin.
She wanted to take a nice long shower. Wanted to forever the Galaxy for one moment like she usually did when she took showers. But she knew that there was a situation brewing outside of her bathroom. "James..." She sighed, mentioning the name of her problem.
To her ears though, it sounded like a breathy moan. Thinking of him in such a way, she did it some times. When she was sure it wouldn't pop back into her mind with a vengeance. In that moment, her sigh had brought a tingling sensation to the pit of her stomach. She hummed in appreciation as mental images popped into her mind.
A devilish smirk on her lips as she imagined him. Being in close quarters with him for six months had gifted her some mental images she couldn't erase. The times he took her to the gym. Shirtless and in work out sweats as he was using the punching bag. Him in his Alliance blues, being her pillar of strength during her trial.
Him standing so close to her during that time she could smell him. He smelt like spice and heat, the light use of cologne and something that was purely him. Sitting at the table in her room, eating quietly together. He sat too close, close enough to lean in and whisper to her. His voice was heavy and lightly accented.
He always spoke in low tones when they were alone. It was always too intimate. It was always just a tad over the line. He would always pull away from her when she made a move towards him. And they danced that dance over and over.
She always took pleasure in it later, a pleasure she could only give herself. Now she hesitated, she knew the path her mind was going down and almost felt bad for doing so. If she was going to end up dealing with that situation later on. All she would be able to think about is that she masturbated in the shower thinking about him. She sighed, her core tingling and aching to be touched.
She wished he could be here, touching her with his hands and whispering in her ear. She rocked herself on the balls of her feet, biting her lips. If the situation turned to a more serious conversation, she would probably be able to focus. She reasoned with herself as one hand left the wall. It traced a teasing trail down her side to her inner thigh.
She could blame her lack of concentration on lack of sleep and going to see Jack... If he wasn't going to touch her... She would have to do it herself, she mused as her fingers traced her own folds. She imagined him behind her, his muscled thighs molding against hers. His front molding to her back.
She imagined his overwhelming presents, overbearing and sinfully pleasurable. His hands stroking her body making her flesh hot and her body quiver in need. Him whispering sweet nothing's as his hands were everywhere, exploring her curves, holding her breasts. Testing the weight of them as he massaged them lightly. Tweaking and teasing her nipples playfully until they were hard peaks.
"James..." She panted, her fingers stroking and tapping her clit before curling into her opening. Her thumb teased her clit and her two slender, not thick enough like his, fingers curled inside her rubbing the nerves on her inner wall. In just the right way where she was right on the edge-and wishing it was him as she heard his voice and smelt his sweat-as she came.
Her hand against the wall was clawing at it. Her body reaching release but her mind frustrated more then ever. She removed the other hand from herself, dropping it to her side as she placed her head against the wall. "Fuck." She cursed softly, annoyed and frustrated.
After that, she didn't linger in the shower and washed up quickly. She felt dirty and upset she wanted him so desperately. That wasn't her. She was a Badass Bitch who saved the Galaxy. During the two times she saved the Galaxy, she did not need a man.
She hadn't needed a man since the Thresher Maw attack on Akuze. Her fists clenched at the memory of her lost love. That had been so long ago then she vowed to love no other. Yet her mind and body betrayed her. She was acting like some horny teenager mooning over a hot marine.
In that brief moment her mind imagined a delicious image of him in his Alliance blues. It made her wet all over again. She cursed again, punching the wall as she stood up straight. She tilted her head up, letting her face take the full force of the spray. It was hot and that's the only heat she wanted to feel at that moment.
She turned her face away from the spray, cursing herself and cursing him. She was mad at herself that she needed him so desperately. She took this out on herself by scrubbing at her skin a little too roughly. But at the moment she didn't feel the pain, she felt like shit. Embarrassed, angry and more annoyed with a man than she's ever been. But, a tiny part of her reasoned, you haven't made love to a man in a long time...
She washed her body and hair thoroughly before turning off the shower and drying herself off. "Edi." She spoke from the bathroom. The AI was quick to answer, "Yes, Commander."
Shepard was regretting her roughness now as she tenderly dried a spot on her side that she scrubbed a little too hard. "Is James still awake?" The AI paused and Shepard knew she was checking. "He is, do you wish me to inform him that you want to speak with him?" Shepard paused, the towel draped over her head.
Did she want to speak to him? Confess that she was in the wrong and apologize to him? "Not tonight." She mused quietly to herself. "As you wish, Commander." Shepard jumped slightly, not realizing Edi was listening to her.
She didn't protest, knowing what she said was true. They both needed some time apart. She forgo'd drying her hair thoroughly as she dressed. She had her panties and pants on when she realized how tired she truly was. She narrowing her eyes, she eyed the shirt, socks and bra.
She definitely knew she wasn't going to be putting on the bra if she going to bed. That's when her mind decided to remind her that she had forgot to put her clothes in the hamper. She groaned as she pulled the shirt over her head. She didn't want to wake up, the ship on full alert and she jumped out of her bed, tripping over her things. Or someone coming into her cabin and seeing the mess.
She knew that Liara and Traynor had a habit of coming into her cabin without permission after she first invited them in. God forbid if Edi, Joker, Steve or any other of the crew decide to do the same thing. "Oh, hey Shepard. Is that your thong there? How nice."
She groaned again as she draped her towel over her neck before she exited the bathroom. Her socks and bra in her hands as she stumbled over to the bed. She threw the socks and bra onto the bed as she slowly stumbled around the room collecting her clothing and shoes. She flung the damp towel at the hamper in annoyance. Then she made a bit of a game out of the affair when the towel went into the hamper effortlessly.
She aimed and flung the thong and cheered when it landed in the hamper. Next was the dress, she scrunched it up like a ball and threw it. It wouldn't be rolling around the rim of the hamper like a basketball but nevertheless it got in. Deciding against trying to fling the bra like she did her thong she shuffled over to the hamper grabbing the new bra on her way over. Dumping the old bra into the hamper, she opened the closet.
She carelessly threw the shoes into the closet. She watched as they bounced and landed successfully at the bottom of the closet. Closing the closet, she turned to her dresser. She pulled out her underwear drawer throwing the bra back into it. Successfully putting everything away, she went back to the edge of her bed and flopped down.
Laying back she pulled her leg to her chest again well her hand searched for a sock. Her hand successful, she clothed her left foot. She repeated the process to her right foot before she pulled herself further up onto the bed's surface. Not bothering to be proper about getting under the covers she merely pulled them around her from each side until she was swaddled in them. It wasn't long til she was asleep after that.
Edi, The Enhanced Defense Intelligence, stared out the cockpit's window as she contemplated Commander Shepard. The woman was intelligent and she was also beautiful to human standards. But she knew Shepard was only human and human's needed proper sleep, food and drink. Shepard hardly slept now. Doctor Chakwas recent report's indicated that she was plagued by nightmares.
In this report it also indicated that Shepard's food and drink intake was just barely proper. Also, her stress levels were at an all time high. With the galactic situation of mass terror and genocide via Reapers, Edi understood why she was stressed. She also understood why Shepard would have nightmares as well. But Shepard didn't understand why she barely ate and why she didn't vent her stress.
During stressful times, humans tended to relieve their stress. Such as by fighting, drinking, a hobby or sex. She knew that most humans resorted to sex as a stress relief. Yet, Shepard does not pursue men or women she knows would fall into her bed. Why does she not seek physical release?
Edi closed her eyes and suddenly she wasn't in the cockpit anymore. Her mobile platform was surrounded by darkness. Her platform stood in the center of a faint blue circle. Her arms were to her sides, she unfurled her fists. Her fingers splayed out and she turned her palms upright.
With a flick of her wrists and raising her forearms up a hairbreadth simultaneously. The ring on the dark floor activated with the motion and hummed to life with an electronic whirl. Walls of transparent blue rose up and encompassed her as she lowered her hands. The interface was familiar to her, it was a visual depiction of her AI core. The transparent wall shimmered and hummed, signalling the up-link with her core and the extranet.
Immediately after the up link, data of Shepard popped up. Her dossier, pre-service history, psychological profile and military specialization. Then social media, news reports, documents such as mission reports and surveillance vids. Lastly, the cashe of information that the previous Shadow Broker and Liara collected. Born April 11, 2154, given name Shepard, Persephone Kore. Service no. 5923-AC-2826.
Edi scrolled down, all that was standard information she already knew. Her father was one of the previous bosses of the Reds. She was kidnapped from her mother by her father's right hand man. Her mother was killed during the kidnapping. The kidnapper was a first gen. biotic and ex-employee of BAaT.
Very ironic considering her first name was Persephone. Edi made a side-note that Shepard's name kept to the mythology. When Shepard was called by her first name she preferred to be called by her middle name 'Kore.' After this point in her life, psychologist's would say she developed a case of Stockholm. It was countered by the argument of the Red's boss being her father and she was too young to understand.
She did what she had to survive thus becoming the Red's lapdog. Not much is documented during this time of her life besides the security cam vids of places she frequented. No real paperwork surfaced until Anderson showed up in her life. Anderson became the only real father figure she knew and trusted. She followed him into the Military when she was old enough.
Either because she was devoted to him or because violence was all she knew. No one but Shepard would know that. After basic training, she was shipped out on her first tour. She rose through the ranks and thrived on the action of active duty. Immediately after, she signed up for her second tour and enlisted into the marine corps division.
More training, mostly in the specialized Biotic's division. Shepard was a 'straight arrow' during that time until she met a man. This is when she had been 'slapped on the wrist' for fraternization with a man named Oliver Finn. Her behavior when it came to this man was erratic and cause for concern. The man acted in the same manner.
Both overly concerned during fire fights, going out of their way to protect each other. Three strikes for fraternization and disobeying orders, Shepard was on the verge of being kicked out. So as to cover up her over attachment, she started to behave this way with everyone. This is where her paragon nature began. Where her loving and caring nature bloomed and grew, helping her become the Commander she was today.
Superior's decided she was reckless but dedicated. People started to let her affection's for Oliver slide and vice versa for him because their duty's weren't suffering. They seemed to be at the pinnacle of their relationship, document's of her transfer indicated this. She and a few other Biotic's were moving platoons. A surviving surveillance and credit chit purchase showed that Oliver bought a ring.
She was moving as so their relationship wouldn't effect their duty's. It wasn't certain if he gave her the ring but the move wasn't going to be put into effect until their next mission. Then the Akuze mission happened. Shepard has never loved another man again. Edi paused as she adsorbed the information.
Fraternization sparked a thought as she replayed the previous conversation during the evening. The Artificial Intelligence realized something was amiss then. Dozens of windows popped into view. Human interactions, mainly under the category of 'romance.' Lists of Rules and Regulations of the Alliance Military.
Psychological texts on human behavior. Surveillance video feeds on the Citadel of the evening. Mainly where Shepard claimed she was with Jack as well as where James usually frequented. Surveillance logs, reports and vids from Shepard's stint in Alliance custody. She analyzed the stress patterns of Shepard's voice during their conversations.
She compared it to other voice samples she had on file. Edi even cross-referenced from her own personal data cashe on human behavior. Then the vid of the security footage of the Citadel's elevator popped up. She watched the scene unfold and cross referenced the footage with samples of human behavior. It didn't take long for her to come to a conclusion.
Several conclusions in fact. During her stint in Alliance custody, she met James. Being in such close quarters for six months, she developed emotions towards him. James was a visually appealing man, it wouldn't be hard to feel at least sexual desire for him. This is one conclusion she came to.
In some of the vids, it showed James leaning in and quickly pulling away. Such as he did on the Citadel that evening. Edi concluded that the Marine had, at least, desire for the Commander as well. Rules and Regulations seemed to be holding him back, however.
She couldn't say the same applied for Shepard because of the aforementioned relationship with Oliver. So the focus laid on James. What was he afraid of? They all could die tomorrow and he was stuck on following the rules. And yet both of them seemed to be frustrated with the end result.
They both punched a wall, both went through stages of frustration. He paced in the shuttle bay as she clutched his jacket like a security blanket. What was missing, Edi thought as she summarized her findings. She needed some outside perpective, she finalized as she clapped her hands together. Her interface reacted, all the files condensing before disappearing.
The electronic hum sounded before the transparent walls lowered, disconnecting and ejecting her back into reality. Closing and reopening her eyes, she found herself back in the cockpit with Joker. If she were a human, that moment could have been equal to a dream. For her, it was just her visualized image of quantum computing. " Jeff, did you find Shepard's behavior odd?" Edi asked.
Joker quirked a brow and smirked. " Hell yeah I did, you can't bullshit a bullshiter." She turned her head to look at him as she nodded, " Then you know she was lying to you?"
He nodded with a triumphant smile and then frowned, "Wait, you knew she was lying too?" Edi shook her head, "Not at the time but with further review, I concluded that she and James had words."
His brows shot up, " Had words?" She nodded, " They rode the elevator together. In the surveillance footage there seemed to be some kind of tension. In my opinion, sexual tension."
She paused letting him adsorb that information, " It seemed like things were going well until they were interrupted." Joker shook his head, blabbermouth is not the only thing she is, he thought. Busybody was the second thing Edi was going to be known for on this ship. She looked to him, her mouth pinched in a frown as if she read his mind.
He rose his hands up in defeat, "Your point? Shepard and Vega can sort their own shit out."
She frowned, " My analysis would say otherwise. Fraternization is against the rules, in Shepard's youth, she did not follow this rule. On the other hand, James followed every rule to the ' T'. To be respectful of James's wishes, or what she believes as James's wishes, she will stop pursuing him." Joker gave her a blank look and she gestured with her hand, " Don't you think we owe it to her to help her out?"
He rubbed his brow as Edi watched him. This busybody AI was going to be the death of him, he thought with a tiny smile. She was right, if not for Shepard intervening in their relationship... Joker would still be sitting on the sidelines watching the world go by. If you died tomorrow, what would you regret?
A gentle pat to his hand and encouraging smile. You deserve happiness too, Joker. He sighed heavily, " Say I did go along with this, what did you have in mind?"
She was running, her limbs pumping, her breathing ragged. She was in a forest of shadows and ruin, chasing the boy dressed in white. But no matter how hard she pushed her body, she seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her limbs were heavy like she was running under water while the boy ran quickly, leaving her behind. She shouted at him but there were no words.
She extended an arm towards him as if that would some how stop him. The shadows ambushed her and swallowed her whole. She was a child again only about eight years old. She was being held in place. Surrounded by adults and another child about her age was across from her.
" If we are going to buy her, she will have to prove her worth..." She looked up, the adults were tall looming shadow figures with twisted smiles. One of them stood out, the man with the pitch black hair and scarred face. The one that took mama away. He glowed blue and his smile was more twisted then the rest.
She shouted but there were no screams, no cry's. The shadows jumped upon her then, forcing themselves around her and into her mouth. Dropping her in another horrible nightmare of her past. Screaming, the horrified screaming of forty-nine men and women. It was the middle of the night, guns and screaming and explosions filling her ears.
None of the screams her own. She stood horrified over the body of a man that she never thought could die. The Thresher Maw's acid made him inhuman looking. He was hardly the man she once knew. She opened her mouth and shadows were coming out.
She clamped a hand over her mouth as she looked around with horrified eyes. She held her hands to her mouth as she ran. She was running, running into the darkness as she heard the Maw's destroying all the friend's she had ever made as a Marine. A light shown upon Toomb's, a fellow marine, earth crumbling beneath him before he fell into a Maw's tunnel. She couldn't help him all she could do was watch.
Watch as the shadows came up from the tunnel. Lunging at her like a feral animal. The shadows in her mouth escaped. The tendrils wrapping around her hands as the shadows captured the rest of her. They dumped her into the forest of shadows, then she was running.
Running as she passed the shadows, she ran towards the boy dressed in white. Shadow figures danced and Reapers loomed in the background. She needed to save him. She reached him and he stood up looking at her with a blank expression as he caught fire. She reached out to him and her world was turned upside down.
She was in the SR-1, helping Joker into his escape pod. She looked over what she could and only seen her ship burning. The collector's laser continued it's bombardment and suddenly she was flung from her spot. She heard Joker screaming for her, trying to save her... She pressed the button to close the pod doors and launched him from the burning wreck of the SR-1.
She saved someone... She felt the oxygen leaving her lungs as she was spaced. Now someone save her... Her eyes were watering and lungs burning, please... " Commander Shepard?!" A voice cut through the darkness.
She looked up and seen a guy, a huge man with tanned skinned and naive eyes. He was looking at her like he had seen a ghost. " I thought you were dead." He said, he's deep eyes full of wonder and awe. She chuckled darkly as she shrugged her shoulders. " I've been getting that a lot lately."
James... He looked at her from her spot in the atlas. His expression concerned as the ocean spray and the rain ran down his face. You don't have to do this, Lola.
James... Pulling her out of the line of fire as Cerberus swamped their squad. Liara putting up a barrier as so he could pull her to cover. Goddamnit, Commander!
James... Sitting in her corner as she was on trial. He looked pained, she wasn't sure why. You're not a Monster, Commander. You're a Hero.
James... Teaching her how to play poker. She had a shitty hand, she thought as she bit her lip. He chuckled. Lola, you're doing that thing again with your mouth...
James... Her jailer, her bodyguard, her guardian, her sword and shield. They were laying in her bed together, swaddled in her blankets. He was leaning over her, brown eyes meeting green.
His eyes were still naive but that's what she loved about him. " James... I love you." He smirked and leaned down pressing his lips to hers. Their lips touching jolted her from her dreams.
She sat up, hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she remembered her dream vividly. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She loved him. Her hands trembled as she thought this.
She pulled herself out of the blankets and stumbled over to his jacket. Pulling it off the chair, she pressed the jacket to her face. She inhaled the scent and it had an immediate calming effect on her. She was too tired to fight this, she thought as the tears ran down her face. She pulled the jacket away as to put it on.
She slipped her arms into the sleeves and hugged the jacket closer to her body. She could smell him and this was the only moment she would be able to enjoy it. She thought this as she rubbed the tears away. A soft pinging from her terminal interrupted her moment. Her heart skipped a beat and she found herself hoping it was him.
A few short steps and she was in her work area. Her fingers fumbled with the keys on the holo controls. Her personal messages popped up and she scrolled through them. It was a message from Aria, she thought disappointingly. She pulled out the chair in her work area before flopping into it.
She pulled the jacket to her nose again and inhaled deeply. She loved his scent. Apparently, she loved him too. She smiled faintly, she was going to enjoy this moment while it lasted. She thought this, glancing over to her terminal, because it wasn't going to last long.
I had a hard time piecing this one together.
Especially the Edi and Joker scene.
I have a hard time wrapping my head around why James doesn't want Shepard so I'm trying to explain it away.
I mean, the hottest woman in the Galaxy wants you and you could die tomorrow but you're like nope.
Commander, you're my Commander.
Da fuq?
Anyway, thank you for my 4 reviewers, 5 favoriters and 13 followers. I love that my fic basically tripled in views. 714! Wow.
REVIEW, I reply to your them :3
