A/N: This chapter's title isn't from the song 'Back Against the Wall'. Why? Because this story is being a disobedient little shit and not sticking with my chapters and their titles, and I only have so many names from that one song. So. This chapter's title comes from "Shake Me Down", by Cage the Elephant. Same band. All the titles will be from the same band, but might be different songs, because this story is disobedient and doesn't want to fit nicely into 11 chapters. It might still fit, but none of the titles wound up fitting this chapter like I wanted it to, because again, disobedient little shit.
Thanks again for the reviews! They keep me motivated. My work week starts tonight so updates will be slower in coming.
Chapter length: 6239
Onward!
Chapter Seven: Even on a Cloudy Day
To say that Reyes is angry that there's a fake Charlatan, someone out there pretending to be him and giving false orders, is an understatement. He's not angry; he's completely furious. How dare they! How dare they take his name and do this with it. He's been lenient with his representatives, but clearly they need a tighter leash.
He has a strong lead on where the false orders came from; not a person, but a location. Scott told him to tell him if he found anything, and so he told him, but he doesn't want Scott with him when he gets his hands on this false Charlatan. He doesn't plan to be kind or show mercy.
Scott is – not what Reyes expected, honestly. Most would want an active part in hunting down their would-be killer, he's sure, but Scott doesn't need to be part of it; he just wants to be. If Reyes went after the pretender without him, Scott might be upset he didn't wait for him, but he wouldn't be angry. He doesn't need to track this person down; he just wants it. He wants revenge? Reyes doesn't think Scott actually wants to kill the person, but he could be wrong. He's only known the man for about three months, after all.
They don't know each other, realistically.
They've shared drinks, and jokes, and have had conversations – but they don't really know each other. But to be fair, Reyes doesn't really know anyone. He thinks if he did get to know someone, though – it'd be the Pathfinder.
But that is a dangerous line of thinking.
He shoves it away, and spends his time down in Tartarus for the most part, waiting for Scott to arrive so they can investigate together. If he's being honest with himself, it will be nice to see the Pathfinder after so long. A thrill runs up his spine. Crushes are the worst.
They're also fickle, and fleeting, and soon it will pass. Usually they pass after he's had sex with the person of interest, but that won't be happening with Scott. It'll have to pass on its own. And it will, just like they always do.
When Scott messages him that he's in orbit, and about to land on Kadara Port, Reyes finally rouses himself from Tartarus' back room, and makes his way toward the elevator out of the slums. By the time he arrives at Kadara Port, the Tempest has docked and the doors are opening. Out steps the Pathfinder, alone as always. He smiles when he sees Reyes. Reyes smiles back, and watches as Scott approaches him.
"Hey," Scott says. "How are things?"
"The same as always," Reyes replies.
Scott nods. "How are you? You look tired."
Reyes shrugs. "I'm fine." In truth, he hasn't been sleeping well – he keeps having these naughty dreams involving a certain off-limits Pathfinder, because Reyes has always liked what he can't have. So he's been boycotting sleep, because really – he should have more self-control than a teenage boy.
"What'd you find out?" the Pathfinder asks.
"I got a location where the fake Charlatan might be hiding."
"And we're sure it's not the Charlatan?" Scott asks, frowning.
Reyes nods. "Yes. It's just not their style. Someone is pretending to be them."
"Well – I mean, if you say so. You'd know more than me," Scott says, shrugging.
His easy acceptance of the answer nearly catches Reyes off guard, but he manages another quick smile. "Well, I do live here."
"Yeah – how is that?" Scott asks, frowning somewhat. "I mean, I know you didn't like how the Initiative handled the whole uprising, but… living here can't be easy. You weren't technically part of the uprising. If you wanted, couldn't you go back, and get out of here?"
It's not that simple, Reyes thinks, sighing. "The Initiative is not nearly so forgiving as you think," he says. "And I don't want to go back."
"Why not?"
When anyone else asks about his past, or questions his decisions, he gets immediately annoyed. He throws on a fake smile and redirects the conversation easily. But now, with Scott, he finds he doesn't mind, because the Pathfinder is simply curious. He isn't judging Reyes in any way. He just simply wants to know.
It's been a long time since anyone genuinely wanted to know about him, or his decisions.
It's been a long time since Reyes gave a straight answer, too.
He doesn't smile. "That's not who I am. I don't know why I joined in the first place; I guess a new galaxy seemed interesting, and… I wanted to be someone. I was no one, in the Milky Way. I thought: why not? So I joined. And… it was not what I expected. It's not who I am."
"And… who are you?"
His smile is more wolfish than anything, all teeth and no mirth. "I'm a criminal, of course."
Scott stares at him for a moment, a thoughtful frown tugging his lips downward, before he shakes his head. "No."
"…No?"
"That's not who you are," Scott says.
"I'm a criminal," he says again, confused.
"Yeah, but that's not who you are. That's just what you do. Who you are doesn't require labels like that. I don't think." The Pathfinder's cheeks turn red as he quickly looks away. "I mean – ignore me. I don't know what I'm talking about."
Reyes stares at him for a moment, as his mind struggles to comprehend the words he's just heard. He's a criminal, and no one has ever argued with him on that point. He's gone under that label most – if not all – of his life.
He didn't know he wanted to hear otherwise – needed to hear otherwise – until the pain in his chest can't be classified as bad, but rather appreciated.
"Would you like to have a drink with me?" he asks, mouth moving on its own.
Scott smiles. "Last time I drank with you, I had a killer hangover and slept on an old, tattered couch."
"You said the couch was comfortable," Reyes says. "And I'll buy."
"Well… if you're buying…"
xXx
They don't go drinking so much as grab dinner at the bar. There's drinks involved, but it's not their sole activity. Umi makes a mean chili, spicy and everything. They sit down to eat at a table, and of course order some drinks, and then they eat, and talk.
It's pleasant, and domestic, and a part of Reyes is itching to get away.
Another part of him is enjoying the company too much to move from this spot.
Reyes Vidal, you are a fool.
He is. He is a fool. This is trouble, and no good can come from this, but he can't stop.
Scott swirls his drink around in the glass, and smirks at Reyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a date." He takes a sip of his drink.
"Maybe you don't know better." The words are out before Reyes can stop them.
Scott nearly chokes on his drink. For a moment, he coughs and tries to regain his breath, eyes watering. "Run that by me again?"
Oh, boy. Can't back out now. Say it, Vidal. "Maybe you don't know better," he repeats, watching Scott closely.
Scott stares back, blue-grey eyes wide. "Are you… serious? Or just being naturally flirty? I can never tell with you."
Reyes smirks. "I am naturally flirty – but, no. I am serious."
"You…" Scott's nose wrinkles. "You like me?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"Well, I mean… why?"
"The reasons are my own," Reyes tells him. "From your flirting, I can only assume you like me as well. I'm not usually wrong about these things. Am I wrong?"
If Scott says yes, Reyes will walk away. He needs to walk away. He's not sure why he's doing this; it just feels right, and his mouth apparently has a mind of its own. He's not called Shena for nothing, after all.
"You're not wrong," Scott finally says, after quiet deliberation, as he looks away. "But I can't."
"Can't what?"
"I can't… like you," Scott murmurs. "I have… a lot on my mind. So much is riding on me. I can't… be distracted."
"I distract you?"
Scott huffs, throwing him a quick glare. "You know you do."
The Pathfinder feels the same – he likes him as well. A part of Reyes' heart feels lighter. Another registers what Scott's saying, and he should feel relieved, but he doesn't.
Scott is admitting to liking him, but is also saying this can go no further. Which is how it should be. It can't go further than this. Than friends drinking together. It can't. It's too dangerous.
He has plans in motion, and attachments complicate things. A friend – maybe that will work out fine, but a lover? A new lover? The Pathfinder? No. That won't end well at all.
He should leave now.
"I understand," he tells Scott, nodding at him. "An entanglement would get in the way of… many things."
Scott nods slowly. "If it helps… I do enjoy your company." He smiles. "There's no one else I'd rather be stranded on Kadara with."
Reyes smiles back. "I enjoy your company as well. Maybe one day, when we are not so busy."
"Maybe," Scott agrees quietly. He clears his throat, looking away. "So – what about this fake Charlatan?"
"I'll tell you about it tomorrow, when we go there," Reyes tells him, looking around. Here is not the best place to discuss such matters; one never knows who could possibly be listening. Spies aren't necessarily Sloane's game, but better safe than sorry.
"Why not today?" Scott asks, frowning.
"It's getting late; we would not reach the location before nightfall, and Kadaran nights can be quite dangerous."
Scott nods. "Yeah. Okay. That's smart."
"We'll meet bright and early tomorrow morning."
xXx
"The fake Charlatan is hiding in a cave?" Scott asks, staring into the mouth of the cave.
"My people call this the death caves," the purple angara, Jaal, says.
"Death caves," Scott says, scowling at Reyes. "Death caves. That doesn't sound pleasant."
Reyes shrugs. "I don't pick their locations, I just led you here."
Scott huffs, looking back at the cave entrance. He rolls his shoulders, exhaling slowly. "Alright. Let's go, then."
They enter the caves; it's dark, and smells toxic and strange thanks to the acid pools. How anyone could hide here… he must commend them for their tenacity. He's had to live in his fair share of shit holes, but never a toxic cave which smells like sulfur.
It's an intricate cave system, with many tunnels and dead ends. They wind up backtracking a lot, even with Reyes' directions. Or maybe because of his directions. Honestly, he's terrible with maps. And the map he's using was created by someone hiding out in the caves, so it's probably not the best source of information.
They finally find a door at the end of a tunnel; they've past generators as well. They're oddly out of place and hard to get to. Scott and Reyes share a brief look before Scott moves to open the door. As soon as the door is open, a salarian is trying to shoot them.
"Whoa! Hold your fire!" someone else says. "The Charlatan doesn't want the Pathfinder dead!"
At least someone knows the rules, Reyes thinks sourly.
"Well," Scott drawls, glancing over his shoulder at Reyes, "this is new."
"I told you it wasn't the Charlatan's work," Reyes says, smirking at him.
xXx
The false Charlatan is a woman named Dorado.
She's one of his representatives; she claims to be the Charlatan to get what she wants done now. She's gotten many killed by her false orders, and set a hit out on the human Pathfinder, because he's 'bad for business'.
Reyes is so angry.
He has his pistol out and to her head even as she sinks to her knees, begging for mercy. He's an inch away from firing the life-ending bullet when a hand touches his arm. He shakes the hold off even as he glares at the person next to him, scrambling when he realizes it's none other than the would-be victim, Scott Ryder.
Scott puts his hand on Reyes' extended arm, gently pushing down until he's no longer holding his pistol to Dorado's head. "It's not worth it," he says quietly. "Lock her up, but don't kill her. She's begging for mercy. You're not like that."
I am like that, he wants to shout, but he bites his tongue because Scott sees something better in him, and he wants to be better. He wants to be the man Scott seems to think he is. But that's not him, and it never will be, and maybe one day they'll both come to terms with that.
Reyes wants to kill her. Maybe he can later, but right now – right now, he puts his gun away, and pulls away from her with a sneer.
She's taken away from other members of the Collective. Reyes promises himself to have a discrete chat with her later, away from prying eyes and Pathfinders too good for their own… well, good.
"I don't understand why you're so mad," Scott says on the way back out of the cave. "I mean, she put a hit on me, not you."
"I'm just angry," Reyes says. He can't tell Scott why. He can't tell him he's angry because he's the Charlatan, and someone giving false orders under his name is just wrong. He can't tell him he's angry because Dorado put a hit out on Scott, and for one brief moment, when Scott was limp in Drack's arms, Reyes thought he was dead. He can't tell him how angry that makes him, because he doesn't even understand it himself.
He is nothing to me. An acquaintance. Maybe… a friend. Maybe. But nothing more.
So he shouldn't be this angry, but he is.
And there's no way he can explain any of this to Scott.
"Having someone pretending to be the Charlatan, and doling out kill orders, is bad for business," he tells the Pathfinder. What he says isn't untrue; it's just not the whole truth. But lies of omission are still lies… but they never hurt anyone. "It could throw the entirety of Kadara Port off balance. It might be a shitty home, but it's home, and everyone needs it to stay stable."
"Well, we caught her," Scott says, and that hand is back on Reyes' shoulder. "Thanks to you."
"Don't worry, I'll give you all the credit," Reyes says.
"I don't want the credit. Keep my name out of it if you have to. All the better."
"Anonymity doesn't suit you," the smuggler tells him.
Scott shrugs. "Neither does fame."
"Have you actually tried fame?"
"No, and I don't plan on it anytime soon."
"Too late for that," Reyes says. "You're the human Pathfinder: everyone already knows you."
"Story of my life."
xXx
Very few in the Collective know where their prisoners go, and Reyes is at the top of that list because this is his organization, even if no one knows it. He knows exactly where Dorado has been taken, and he knows what the security is like, and when she is alone.
Getting to her isn't exactly hard.
He lets her stew for a few days, though, mostly to wait for the Pathfinder to leave. Scott doesn't need to be on the planet when he takes care of her.
Scott said it's not worth it to kill her, but he's wrong. It is worth it. She was pretending to be him, led others to their deaths time and time again, and wanted the Pathfinder did. She had an elevator sabotaged, and had two ambushes ready for him. The second one nearly succeeded, and where would they be then? The Nexus would rain down on everyone if they killed their only Pathfinder.
Not to mention – Reyes wanted Scott to succeed. He wanted him to find everyone a home, and he couldn't do that if he was dead.
He might not be with the Initiative anymore, but even he knows how important a Pathfinder is to anyone's success out here. Just because they're surviving here on Kadara doesn't mean it will be like this forever; everything about this planet is dangerous. Not to mention the kett are an issue, even if Sloane thinks – and says – she eradicated them all from Kadara.
"So, how's your Pathfinder friend?" Keema asks when he sees her later that night, in Kralla's Song. He usually picks Tartarus, but Keema is working for Sloane as a sort of inside woman, and so she's typically located on Kadara Port, which means Kralla's Song instead of the slum bar. He feels a great deal safer down in the shadows, where he has his own private back room, but Kralla's Song has its perks.
For instance, Umi the bartender is a spitfire, and he enjoys ruffling her feathers.
Also – Keema frequents here sometimes.
She's his only friend, and the only one who knows he's the Charlatan.
"He's fine," Reyes replies. They're in a quiet corner of the bar, away from prying eyes. The music is loud and no one is near them, so it's unlikely they'll be overheard as long as they don't raise their voices above the music. Plus, from this location, there is an excellent view of the rest of the bar. A good vantage point is always important, no matter where one is.
"Have you told him?"
"Told him what?" Reyes asks, bringing his cup to his lips.
Keema huffs. "You know exactly what I mean," she says in that slight accent of hers.
This is why he and Keema work – she never dances around a topic. She's very blunt, and he's very sly, and together they just work.
"I told him about the false Charlatan," Reyes says, swishing his drink around in his cup, watching the dark liquid start to froth.
"But not the real one," Keema drawls.
Reyes sends her a sharp look. "Of course not."
She sighs. "You need to tell him."
"He'll be leaving soon; he doesn't need to know."
Scott Ryder certainly doesn't need to know Reyes Vidal is the Charlatan. Nothing good can come from that. Besides, this way, Scott gets to know him as Reyes Vidal, smuggler extraordinaire, instead of Reyes Vidal: Charlatan. For some reason… this is important to him. A part of him wants Scott to know him for him, not because he's the secret leader of the Collective.
"Reyes, as a friend, I'm going to tell you something you need to hear."
"And what's that?"
Her eyes narrow at him. "You like him, so tell him. If you don't, things can only end in disaster when he inevitably finds out. The longer you continue like this, the worse the blow will be."
A part of him knows she's right.
The other part will never admit he's wrong.
He smiles. "He's nothing to me. Just a passing… something. He'll be gone in a day or so, and since he's already fixed the planet there's no real reason for him to come back. I'll take care of the murder case on my own." He finishes his drink with a long guzzle.
She sighs, shaking her head. "Okay, but don't be surprised when this all blows up in your face."
His life has been a series of explosions to the face.
He won't be surprised.
xXx
The Tempest has left Kadara. Scott's gone, and Reyes makes his way toward Dorado's location. He knows all the secret back ways through everything, because this is his place, and he knows when Dorado will be alone.
Getting to her isn't hard.
She looks up when she hears footsteps, and frowns when she sees him. "You? What's a smuggler doing here? You want to smuggle me out?"
He snorts. "No, that is not on my list."
"Then what do you want?"
"You've been impersonating me," he says, dropping his voice low, a dangerous lilt to it as he stares her in the eyes.
"Impersonating…?" Realization dawns in her eyes, and they widen dramatically. "You're him. The Charlatan."
"You've been pretending to be me," he says, shaking his head. "You've led people to their deaths. But more importantly, you put a hit out on my friend the Pathfinder. Do you have any idea what would happen if you succeeded?"
"The Nexus would be off Kadara," she says, swallowing thickly. She knows what's about to happen, but she's not pleading. Brave girl, he supposes. Too late for that, but he can acknowledge it.
"If you killed the Pathfinder, the Nexus would rain down upon us," he tells her, eyes narrowing as he glares. "They would ruin us if we killed the Pathfinder. Did you ever think about that?"
"He's a nobody," she says defensively. "He wasn't even supposed to be Pathfinder! No one would miss him."
Reyes is against the bars before he knows he's moving, his hands curling around the bars as he growls under his breath. She flinches, shocked and fearful. "I would miss him," he snaps, and then pauses as the realization dawns on him.
He would miss him.
He is truly and utterly fucked.
Her eyes widen, but he doesn't give her a chance to say more.
His pistol's silencer is the best of the best: it makes only a muted sound as the bullet leaves the chamber, and Dorado drops dead on the ground, a hole in her head.
Reyes turns and leaves.
xXx
They don't really know each other.
But he wants to know him.
They lead completely different lives.
But they could make it work.
Neither of them have time for anything.
Stolen moments are the best.
It's just a crush.
But you miss him.
Reyes sighs heavily, dragging a hand across his face. It's been two weeks since the Pathfinder left, two weeks since he took care of Dorado, and he can't get the man out of his mind. It's just a stupid crush and he isn't a teenage boy: this shouldn't affect him like this. He should have more self-control.
He doesn't.
Reyes always takes what he wants. Except this time. This time, he denies himself what he wants because it would be too much. He has a crush, but deep down he knows it's more than that. If something did happen with Scott, he wouldn't be able to just walk away like he always does with everyone else. He has a string of ex-lovers, short flings that went nowhere, that he wanted to go nowhere, and he ditched them as soon as he could.
But he doesn't feel that way with Scott. He's not sure why.
Maybe because when he looks at me, he doesn't just see another criminal.
Scott's words linger in his mind: "That's not who you are, that's just what you do."
No one has ever said that before. No one has ever looked past the fact he's a criminal, a bad guy, a smuggler and thief. Those are the roles that define him, and not a single person throughout his entire life has ever said otherwise.
Except Scott.
And that, at its core, is why he knows this is more.
And why it can never happen.
xXx
The Pathfinder is making progress; he has another outpost on Voeld, according to the grapevine. That's two now – on Eos and Voeld. The angara are getting happier with him, if their words are anything to go by here. Keema is happy with him. Reyes is proud of him.
Not that he'd ever say it, of course.
He's making progress, and the whole galaxy hears about it and waits for news with bated breath.
Reyes waits as well, because he can't help himself. He wants to know how Scott is doing. If he's okay. He listens to reports of the Pathfinder's health rather than his success, of which there are few updates. No one cares how the Pathfinder is faring, only that he's making progress.
Life on Kadara is going much the same; the toxicity levels have drastically decreased thanks to Scott's efforts, but that doesn't mean the planet is safe by any means. It will always be a dangerous place thanks to its inhabitants, both wildlife and otherwise.
Reyes spends most of his time either tracking leads on the murder cases, or secluded in the back room of Tartarus. Keema keeps telling him to tell Scott everything, but Scott has no reason to return to Kadara for the time being. He's busy making history, and Reyes has his own plans, and they have their own lives to lead right now.
He's close to taking Kadara Port; he has a plan he's putting into motion, and it should get rid of Sloane for him. He just needs to find a sniper he can trust to keep his secret. He'd hate to have to kill the person immediately following his plan. Not that he wouldn't do it, it's just he'd prefer he didn't have to. Keema is working on finding him someone she trusts, that is reliable, and that will have to be enough.
But if they get too lippy about it, or expect favors for keeping the secret… well, Reyes won't be happy about that, and he'll have to take care of the problem.
That's the thing about being the Charlatan: there's always problems which need taken care of.
He prefers not think about it, though: nothing will be happening for some time still. First he needs to get Sloane into a state where she will accept his terms about the duel, then he needs to find a reliable sniper, then a suitable location, and he needs to plan for any outcome. There is a chance this will backfire, after all. Reyes is not a man who doesn't have back-up plans. If this doesn't work, and Sloane then knows who he is, he'll have no choice but to adopt Plan B: a hostile takeover, instead of one-on-one. An all out war he doesn't want, but at that point it will be inevitable as Sloane is the kind of woman who holds grudges.
He pushes the thoughts away; he has some time before he has to make any concrete decisions. For now, he'll live in obscurity.
xXx
Roughly two weeks later, the Pathfinder returns to Kadara.
Reyes hears about it through the grapevine; Scott's been here for two days, and in that time has not spoken to Reyes or come looking for him. There's a chance he's just too busy to find the time to slip away, or message him, but Reyes prefers to think Scott's just tired of him, and he doesn't have to worry about his crush anymore.
Crush. Such a silly word, used for teenage boys and girls who can't decide what they want. What they feel is usually always lust – they like the look of someone, and call it a crush, when really they know next to nothing about the person.
That's what Reyes has: a stupid crush. He likes the look of Scott, and while he knows a little about him, it's not enough for anything more substantial. That's okay: substantial means problems he doesn't need or want right now.
Maybe one day, as he told Scott. One day, when they aren't leading such vastly different lives, and have the time to look at what's between them. Because Scott feels it too.
That's something Reyes never understood about crushes: that they can work both ways. He might be enjoying the look of Scott, but Scott's looking right back, and that, he thinks, only makes it worse.
They're both stupid teenagers with crushes.
Hell, Scott is practically still a teenager. He's only in his early twenties, still basically a kid, even if he's only about five years younger than Reyes. The age difference usually never bothers him, but with Scott…
He runs a hand through his slicked back hair and takes a long guzzle of his drink, sitting alone, as always, in Tartarus' back room. It's where he spends the majority of his time, and likes to think in the dark solitude. The music drowns out any conversation he might have, either with someone in person or via vid-call. It's the perfect little spot.
The door to the room opens, then, and he turns his head to toss the person a glare, because he very specifically told no one to disturb him. He falters when he realizes it's Scott, entering the room. The door shuts behind him and the Pathfinder smiles at him.
"Hey, you," Scott says.
"Hello yourself," Reyes replies, smirking. "What brings you to my dark corner of the slums?"
Scott shrugs, in full combat gear. "I was in the neighborhood."
"And you're still in one piece, I see. A feat indeed."
"Hey – I don't always get hurt. That was a one time thing."
"Two," Reyes reminds him, remembering the elevator incident.
"A two-time thing," Scott corrects.
Reyes pushes to his feet. "Well, what are you doing down here today?"
"I came to ask you about the murder case, actually. Just finished up something in the badlands, and thought I might find you here."
"I'll take care of the murder case," Reyes tells him.
The Pathfinder scowls. "You asked for my help for a reason. Are you backing out now?"
Reyes isn't a coward; he doesn't back out of anything.
He smiles. "I'll meet you there."
xXx
Reyes arrives before Scott and his crew, but that's only because he knows the area better. He lives here, after all; they're just visitors. The compound his hidden in a rock formation and partially underground, so it's easy to miss and hard to find. Reyes has eyes and ears everywhere, though, and knows a back way in which will most likely be unguarded.
He sneaks inside, and looks around. No one is in this particular area right now, and so he starts looking at the crates and boxes. He pulls the explosive device out of his pocket and quietly attaches it to a crate in the center of the room. He's fairly certain this is where the fight will happen; he has to know these things to survive, after all.
He quietly sneaks back out as he hears footsteps.
He makes his way back around the building and realizes Scott has finally arrived, and is inside. He curses under his breath, hoping the Pathfinder hasn't done anything stupid and gotten himself shot again.
Upon entering through the front door, he finds Scott and his group held at gunpoint. The woman has already confessed to the murders, judging by the rigid stance in Scott's shoulders. Or maybe he's like that because there's guns pointed at him, but the man has little regard for his own life, so it's probably not that. Which leaves him frowning.
"You're late," Scott says when Reyes stops next to him, a portion of the guns swinging his way.
"I have a good reason," Reyes assures him. "You'll find out in three… two…"
"Kill them," the female angara says, standing right next to the crate with the explosives.
Reyes pushes the detonator in his pocket, and the crate explodes. The people surrounding it go flying, some hitting the ground and not moving afterward, half of their faces charred off, while others make their way back to their feet, having not been in the direct blast radius.
Scott rushes forward to pick up his gun, and the fight begins.
xXx
They win, of course.
Scott glares down at the female angara in charge of this whole ordeal. In charge of this group of Roekaar here on Kadara. "She didn't even care that she killed so many," the Pathfinder says, disgusted. "She didn't even care that some of them were her own people. I told her I was friendly with the angara, and Jaal even backed me up, but she didn't care."
"I'm sorry," Reyes says, after a moment of hesitation. He's not sure what to say in this situation; he doesn't know how to be comforting. But Scott's face is red, not from being flustered, but because he's so angry. His blue eyes are bright with it. A part of Reyes thinks Scott looks hot when he's so fired up, but he shoves those thoughts aside because they not helpful. At all. "Some people are just like that. At least we took care of it, though."
Scott exhales loudly through his nose, nodding. "Yeah," he mutters. "I guess. At least the murders should stop now."
"Thanks for the help," Reyes says, sincerely.
"No problem."
But it is a problem. Reyes can see it in his eyes, see how this whole thing has gotten to him. Jaal looks just as angry, but sometimes it's hard to tell with angara. Keema has the best poker face. For a species that wears their hearts on their sleeves, they are pretty good at not being an open book.
Unlike Scott.
Scott's an open book, but the words refined and complicated, and even though he's reading him clearly, he can't make out the meaning.
"Come on," Reyes says, lightly grabbing Scott's wrist, tugging him away from the fallen bodies. "Let's get you a drink."
Scott allows himself to be led, and Reyes keeps holding onto him.
It's a terrible idea – but Reyes Vidal is full of terrible ideas.
xXx
Jaal and Vetra return to the Tempest while Scott and Reyes head for the back room of Tartarus. Scott still has that flush to his skin, and the brightness to his eyes; he's still angry, and Reyes knows he doesn't want an audience right now. So, the back room it is.
The door closes behind them and Scott sits heavily on the booth seat. For a long moment he stares at the ground, eyes narrows into thin, angry slits. Reyes keeps silent even as he gets some drinks for them from his personal stash back here, and pours a large glass for the Pathfinder. Scott accepts the offered drink without a word, and downs it nearly in one gulp.
Reyes quirks a brow, and pours him another.
"Thanks," Scott murmurs, accepting it. This one he takes his time drinking.
"You're upset," Reyes says.
Scott huffs. "How astute of you."
Reyes smirks. "It's one of my many charms."
Scott doesn't smile, just stares down into his drink like it has Andromeda's answers. "I hate this."
"I can get you something else."
"No – the drink is fine."
Reyes nods. "You hate the situation?"
His lips purse into a thin white line. "Yeah, but it's more than that, too."
"Tell me."
"I don't… want to be Pathfinder," Scott says quietly, like admitting it aloud will be his downfall, but Reyes won't judge him for that. From what he knows, the position was shoved at him by his father, without any prior training or guidance. Reyes would hate it too.
"It's a tough job," Reyes says. "But you're doing it well."
Scott huffs. "Now you sound like SAM."
"An intelligent, charming AI, surely."
Scott shakes his head. "I hate the Roekaar. I mean. Not really. I just hate that they think going so far is okay. They hate aliens, and yeah, I can get that – but they're not helping anyone by killing those they hate. They could just stay away from us. But instead they hunt us down and kill us for – what? For fun? For sport? They tortured that poor krogan. They probably tortured all their victims. It's not enough they killed people – they had to make them suffer first."
Reyes listens as Scott rants about the Roekaar, keeping silent until the Pathfinder releases a ragged breath and stops talking. Then he refills Scott's glass one more time. "You need a distraction."
Another ragged exhale. "I can't afford a distraction," he says. "I'm the Pathfinder, and I'm always going to be the Pathfinder, until I fucking die, and I'll never have time for a distraction or a break or-"
Reyes moves, hands reaching for Scott's red face. He turns the Pathfinder's head, and then their lips meet in a rough, heated kiss. At first Scott flails, shocked, but then his hands are yanking against the front of Reyes' armor, tugging him closer as he finally kisses back.
It's not perfect.
The angle is painful, their noses knocked together at first, and Scott's teeth are scraping Reyes' lip. It's not perfect, but it was never meant to be perfect.
It's rough, and desperate, and painful.
When they finally pull apart for air, Reyes swears his lips are bruised or bloody from Scott's teeth and his own rough connection at first, but that's okay. He licks at his lips and watches the way Scott's eyes focus on that movement. His lips twitch into a smirk.
"You need a distraction," Reyes says again. "I can provide that."
Scott releases a shaky breath, pupils blown wide. "Please."
Heat spreads through Reyes, longing burning through him. Hearing the Pathfinder say 'please' for him is more than hot. It's perfect.
During the kiss, Scott's drink dropped to the floor as he suddenly stopped holding it. Reyes kicks the glass away and scoots closer to the Pathfinder, pushing him against the wall, hands firm on his shoulders.
"Let's get you out of this armor."
A/N: Yep, fade to black. Don't ask me how that happened - disobedient little shits, the both of them. Anyway, I don't know if I'm going to just skip over the scene or write it out. We'll see how it goes.
Thanks for reading, and reviews are love!
~Muffy the Dough Slayer~
