Chapter 28 - Kick It Up a Notch, Glyph
The party was off to a great start. Having everyone — every single one of them — all together in the same place, doing something that didn't involve being shot at, gave Shepard a sense of warm wholeness. By the middle of the night, her relationship with the lieutenant was old news. The whole crew settled into the idea like it'd been that way for years. Most of them had seen it coming, and didn't even comment past a few happy congratulations. As the groups conversed and laughed around her, just enjoying each other's company, the commander stood back for a long time, simply soaking in the scene. Of all the guests that had made it to the party, she was most definitely excited that Jack could make it down.
"Hey, you sexy bitch! I never got a chance to tell you, I fucking love the new hair!" the tattooed dame approached Zoe from behind and wrapped an arm around her waist, more like a lover than a friend.
"Hey there," Shepard spun in a circle and slung her arms around her friend's neck, "Having fun?"
Jack started swaying her hips to the music, and Zoe mimicked the motion, "Better now. Damn, you still got the moves baby!"
"Well, two beers and a mixed drink'll do that to a girl. Seriously though, are you having fun?"
"I'm having a blast! But I'm hungry, let's go get food!" Jack pushed her towards the kitchen, giving the commander's rear end a hard smack on the way there.
They danced their way into the room, Jack grinding on Shepard's back as they went, and when they got to the fridge, they fell away from each other, cackling. James was leaning against the island, making small talk with Jacob, taking in the hilarious display out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, you big hunk of man-meat," Jack called in Vega's direction, "Wanna dance?"
"No thanks, chica. I think you got your hands pretty full as it is," he gestured towards Zoe, who had her head buried in the refrigerator searching for nourishment, letting his eyes settle on her shapely, swaying bottom.
"Found it!" the commander's head popped up from behind the door, an unopened bottle of wine in her hand.
"You're looking for food, doofus," Jack popped her backside again, harder this time, causing Zoe to let out a loud yelp.
"Bitch!" the CO sputtered a laugh, "Hey, James!"
"Hey, hermosa, looks like you're havin' fun," he smirked and took a long swig from his beer — he was gonna have to speed things up if he had any chance of keeping up with these two.
"Well, Traynor's mixing drinks now. And, I mean, I'm good, but she is a mixing masta," Zoe made some karate chopping motions, the wine bottle almost flying from her hands before Jack yanked it from her, "So, I'm trying to stay away from that."
"Damn, Shepard, it's good to finally see you cuttin' lose," Jacob raised his glass to her.
"Food, now," undercut jabbed purple in the side with a sharp fingernail, "Get on it."
"Jack, babe, there's nothing in here but eggs and shit, and Vega's cooking me breakfast with that in the morning," she stuck her head back down in the fridge anyway.
"Oh, is that right?" Jack sauntered towards James, swinging the wine bottle loosely from one hand, "You, uh, think you're gonna get busy with my bestie, huh?"
"You're gonna have to take that up with her," Vega smirked, unfazed by the tipsy woman's attempt at being foreboding.
"James is my, um... boyfriend now," Zoe grinned proudly, shooting him a sly wink that made his heart skip a beat.
"Well, I'm glad you got rid of that other bitch and raised your standards, at least," Jack eyed the towering lieutenant up and down, "Mm, if my girl weren't in the picture, I would climb you like Mount Everest. Zoe, I sincerely expect you to be climbing this man like Mount fucking Everest by the end of the night."
James gave a loud laugh, almost spitting his beer, "Mierda, Lola, where'd you pick this loca one up? I think I like her."
"So do I," Zoe came up behind her friend's back and hugged her, mimicking Jack's actions from earlier, pressing her face to the other's ear, "I found some sandwich stuff. Should we make sandwiches?"
"Hell yes! Double meat, lots of condom-ments," undercut wagged her tongue at purple.
These two were seriously wild when they got together. He thought back to when he'd seen the two women fight together back at Grissom Academy; how unhinged, vicious, and synchronized they had been as a team. James wondered if it was just the alcohol, the party, or if Shepard had let lose like this around Jack the whole time they'd known each other. He liked to see her enjoying herself to such an extent that she really had no inhibitions about what anyone thought of her.
That affect on Zoe was probably what made him like the bristly biotic woman immediately. Throughout the whole event, the commander had done little but meander around to the groups, occasionally joining in on the conversations. Now, she was like a whole different person, actually having some real fun. Jacob began to wander off to find another group, chuckling and shaking his head at the rambunctious duo as he left.
"Hey, you're just gonna leave me with the two drunk girls?" James threw his hands up, calling after the other man.
"You're on your own there, buddy, sorry!" Jacob waved and turned the corner, disappearing out of sight.
Zoe threw the various sandwich making supplies down on the island a little harder than she meant to, nudging Vega's hip with her own in a flirtatious attempt to get him to scoot over. She began the task of piling meats and cheeses between bread, seeming to find it hard to concentrate through the sea of alcohol swimming through her brain. James leaned down, surprising her with a quick kiss to the cheek.
"Shit, I could cut the sexual tension between you two with this baby," Jack brandished a dull butter knife, tossing it in the air and handing it over to Zoe, before shoving a fresh beer into Vega's chest, "Here, big boy, catch up."
"Whatever you say, Loca," he cracked the bottle open and chugged it down like a pro.
"Lola and Loca," Zoe smiled broadly, "I like it."
"Lola… Loca… Loca Lola. Hey, that could be a band name. We should start a band, Shep. I can sing. You still play guitar right?" Jack slung an arm around Zoe.
"Not anymore. I didn't really play in the first place, I just kind of strummed the strings and hoped a sound came out," the commander finished up the sandwiches and handed them over to her two companions, "No time for that kind of stuff anymore. Besides, I lost my guitar when Alliance HQ went up in smoke."
"Bummerrrr. You're being modest, though. You were getting good there towards the end of everything," Jack shoved the sandwich in her mouth, taking a massive bite and talking through the mush, "I'm gonna go find that blue chick… Larry, what's her name? Always lookin' like she's seen some shit. Have fun, lovebirds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do… which is nothing. Do everything you want… or don't do anything… I don't give a shit. What am I saying?"
Zoe snorted a laugh as Jack stumbled away, taking chugs from the wine bottle as she went, "Damn, I love that girl."
"It's still pretty early, you gonna be okay?" James began rubbing gentle circles along her back.
"Yeah, I'm good," she lifted her face to him, her eyes much clearer and focused than they'd been a minute ago, "I promised Garrus I wouldn't overdo it tonight. I'm still pretty sober, I was just messing around with Jack."
"You're like a different person with her," he grinned, "Never seen you wile out like that. It's good to get a look at that side of you."
"We never had many chances to do things like this when we worked together, but we've always been close," Zoe finished off the last few bites of her sandwich, wiping her mouth with her jacket sleeve, "Besides you, she's the only other person that I ever really opened up to. Only because we've both been through so much shit, we're jaded in similar ways, so we have a lot in common."
"Yeah, I hear that," he seemed understanding enough, "And damn, she's got some nice tattoos."
Zoe gave a light chuckle, "I'll have to show you the one she convinced me to get when we worked together."
"You've got another one?" the lieutenant almost strangled on a mouthful of bread.
"Yep, just didn't want to flash you last night, so I figured I'd leave the big reveal for a special occasion," she threw a flirty wink at him.
"Dios mio, Lola, you got surprises around every corner," he wiggled his eyebrow suggestively, "Or should I say, every curve. Hey, that reminds me… before we do get too trashed, I got you somethin'."
He sat his beer down on the counter and retrieved a small parcel from his pocket. It was the size of a standard ring box, and Zoe felt her whole body go rigid at the sight of it.
"So much for taking things slow!" she spat out, a little louder than she'd anticipated.
James laughed heartily, "Don't worry, Lola, it's not what you're thinkin'. Here."
She took the box from him and lifted the lid slowly. It was a ring, indeed, but not the kind she'd been expecting. The band was a light gunmetal grey, with delicate swirls of etching imbedded in the center, simple and thin — thin enough to wear under her armor without being obstructive. There was nothing fancy about it, but it was beautiful all the same.
"What's this for?" she plucked the ring from the case, turning it over in her hand to admire it.
"Read the inscription on the inside," he urged.
She picked it up and peeked along the inside of the band. Across the smooth metal curve was one simple word: Promesa.
A grin tugged at the corners of Zoe's mouth, "A promise ring?"
"I just wanted a way to tell you that I'm always gonna be here for you, no matter what. So, when you're out there, whether I'm with you or not, you can have it and remember I've got your back. I know… it's corny, but I tried," James shrugged, a blush rising steadily to his cheeks.
She slipped the band onto her finger, finding it a perfect fit, "It's amazing. I love it."
He sauntered towards her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her into him, "I mean, it's not as beautiful as you, but, I'm glad you like it."
Shepard snickered delightedly, "Okay, now that was corny."
She circled his neck with her arms and yanked him down, crashing her lips into his, and in response, James lifted her up and sat her on the island, causing her to let out a little squeal of surprise. He ran his hands up her sides, circling them around her neck, deepening the kiss further. Zoe snaked her own hands around his back, digging her nails into his taught muscles, before sliding them further south, giving his rear end a firm squeeze. He pushed his hips gently into hers, and she wrapped her legs around him. His groan vibrated on her lips, and she sucked in a breath as he moved his focus from her mouth to her neck, sliding his hands up the outsides of her thighs under the soft fabric of her skirt.
"Um, James…" she whispered through ragged breaths, "We should probably get back to the party."
He pulled back from her, his expression a haze of satisfied frustration, "Shit, Lola, it was just gettin' good."
Shepard let a laugh escape, dropping her legs and hoping from the counter, "I don't think my guests would appreciate walking in on us groping each other in the kitchen."
"Hey, they came for a party, didn't they?" Vega threw his hands out and backed up a few steps, defeated for now.
"I doubt they came for that kind of party," she raised a teasing eyebrow at him.
"I don't know, man… maybe you should have a few more drinks… go find Jack, maybe Ashley and Miranda… Liara and Traynor too, for that matter… Play some strip poker… see where the night takes you," he tossed a wink at her, opening the fridge to retrieve a fresh beer, "You think Samara plays poker?"
"What about me? Am I chopped liver?" Kasumi popped out of nowhere, disappearing again after adding, "Oh, well. I'll just record it when it happens. I think there's pretty good market for that kind of thing"
"Mierda! What the fuck? How long has she been here?" James was obviously thrown by the sudden intrusion.
"Keep dreamin', Vega," Zoe ribbed, unfazed by Kasumi's antics, as she turned and strutted out of the kitchen.
"Oh, I will, baby," he growled, following her lead, "And that'll be one sa-weet dream. Seriously though, what's with the disappearing chick?"
"That's Kasumi. She's my other best friend, the one that gave me all the books I used to have on Earth," she let out a solemn sigh, but perked up again, turning around to giving him a playful poke to the stomach, "You better be careful, she likes to inspect underwear drawers."
"What the—" before he could finish, she sprang up on her tip-toes and planted another sweet kiss on his lips, then turned and sauntered off into the the living room.
The celebration was evolving into an event that could be described as nothing short of epic. There had been a heated poker game — thankfully not the kind that involved the removal of clothing. Zaeed was actively hitting on Samara, between discussing ways to safeguard the apartment with Garrus. Wrex and Grunt would not stop shouting Shepard's name at her, for some reason. She'd somehow convinced Joker to dance with EDI, and Tali was off somewhere making whirring noises and babbling about getting a tattoo.
As the night trudged onward, Zoe found herself in the middle of Ashley, Jacob, and James, who were having a heated discussion about whether biotics trumped physical strength. She meandered up to Vega's side, and he causally slid an arm around her waist to pull her close.
"So, what the topic up here? Everyone playing nice?" she interjected, her tone already amused by the banter she'd caught beforehand.
"Of course, Shepard," Liara answered, only slightly sarcastically, "James was just explaining how physical conditioning trumps biotics."
"Oh yeah?" Zoe scoffed, shooting him a look of disbelief, "You're really going there Jimmy?"
"Come on, Lola. You have to go with me on this one. You've got biotics and you hardly ever use 'em," he pointed out.
Shepard edged away from him a bit, put off by what the thought dredged forth, "Yeah, I have my reasons…"
Vega was so neck deep in the argument he hardly noticed the way she seemed to fold into herself, "I mean, biotics are strong, but unpredictable — all that cooling down…"
Jacob chuckled, rubbing at his forehead in exasperation, "Shepard, where did you find this guy?"
The lieutenant went on, ignoring the quip, "A person can improve their physique. But biotics? They are what they are."
Zoe's face went stoic, as she turned her attention back to Jacob with an answer to his question, "I don't know where I found him, Jay, but I'm about to throw him back."
"Why so defensive, Shep?" Ashley quizzed with genuine curiosity, when she noticed that James wasn't seeming to take the hint that the commander was getting irritated, "I mean, the lieutenant has a point, you don't use your biotics much at all."
"Thank you, Ash!" Vega threw his hands up in appreciation, "Finally, someone on my side."
"Oh, I'm not on your side, hombre," the brunette shook her head rapidly, "I'm just curious. There has to be a reason. Right, Zoe?"
"It's kind of a sensitive subject," Shepard sighed, pushing against her mental restraints in favor of following Doctor Chakwas suggestion of trying to open up more, "My father was… scared of me when he found out I was a biotic. It's part of the reason they decided to give me up. He worked with biotics for years; experienced a lot of bad things, found himself in dangerous situations. He used to tell me a lot of stories about it. So, I guess I have sort of a hang up about them."
"Oh shit, I forgot about that," James' face dropped into an apologetic frown, "Sorry, hermosa. I shoulda thought about it before I said that stuff."
"No, it's fine. You're right, they are unpredictable, if you don't know how to control yourself," Zoe shrugged it off, nestling back into his side, "Besides, whether you're a biotic or not, if you're involved in ground combat, physical conditioning is important regardless."
"I see your point," Jacob nodded his agreement, "But that doesn't mean biotics should be squandered."
"Well, maybe it's not about conditioning," Vega started in again, "Maybe it's just the condition of one James Vega."
He flexed his unoccupied arm, throwing Shepard into a fit of giggles, "Oh my god, Jimmy. You have got to be joking."
"No way. This guy here never has to cool down," he gave the commander's side a discreet squeeze, "In fact, the hotter, the better."
"Jesus, Vega!" Zoe doubled over, joined by Ashley in a burst of shrieking laughter.
"Hilarious," Jacob sputtered a laugh, and of all of them, Liara looked the least amused.
Kasumi materialized behind James, so close that her breath was hot against his neck as she purred, "Just hush and do some sit ups."
"Kasumi!" Shepard's eyes shot wide, and she gave her friend a playful shove to the shoulder, "Don't encourage him!"
"What? I'm just here for the show," the thief smirked, as she dissipated out of sight again.
"Goddess…" Liara finally spoke up, rolling her eyes at the lieutenant, "I don't know what Shepard sees in you."
"Well, I mean, biotics are a little intangible when there's an example of physical excellence standing right beside you," Zoe gave Vega's ribs a nudge with her elbow, and he grinned down at her happily, "But I'm gonna have to go with biotics on this one. Sorry, Jimmy."
The lieutenant's lip curled up in disappointment, "Aww, that ain't even right, Lola."
"I mean, if you want to try to change my mind, I might need to have a little closer inspection," Shepard nibbled her bottom lip, gazing up at him with a flirty gleam in her platinum eyes.
"Oh, yeah? I think I can make that happen."
The asari cleared her throat awkwardly, "You do know we're still here, right?"
Zoe whipped her head around, pretending as if she hadn't been paying attention, "Huh? Who? What's happening?"
"You know, I can also roll my tongue," he began to demonstrate, throwing the commander and the LC into another bout of hysterics.
"Oh, my… that's… James, please stop doing that," Liara's eyes went wide, then quickly narrowed on the lieutenant, "Actually, how about I do a little demonstration of my own?"
"What? Like biotics?" Vega raised a skeptical brow.
The asari pursed her lips, "Exactly. I could float you off this balcony without breaking a sweat."
"Oh, I know you could," he affected a cocky stance, pulling his hand from Shepard's waist and crossing his arms in front of his chest, "But do you have the cajones to do it? Any of you?"
The doctor gritted her teeth angrily and her words came out a slurred growl, "Step back, Shepard."
"Uh oh," Zoe hopped away and shot James a look that clearly said he was in trouble, "Brace yourself, hun. I think you're in for it now."
"Huh?" Vega had no time to react — a second later, Liara was right in front of him, her biotics flaring up around her as she raised a hand and, without warning, lifted the lieutenant high into the air.
"You okay up there, mi amor?"
"Oh yeah, this is trippy. Feels kinda tingly."
"Nice, right?" the corners of Shepard's full lips turned up in a wicked grin, "You know, Jimmy, I can feel that way on a whim… or, make you feel that way, if you prefer."
"Oh, geez," Ashley almost choked on a sip of her drink, "Is it like relaxing or what?"
"Uh, kinda, among other things."
"You're being pretty gentle, Liara," Zoe smirked, "Is it my turn yet?"
"Nuh uh, now way. You guys've had your fun. Put me down now."
"Aww, spoiled sport," the commander pouted, and a second later, the asari dropped him not so carefully to the ground.
"How 'bout a friendly competition?" Jacob suggested, obviously anxious for some kind of physical activity, as he usually was, "Push ups maybe? See if your physical conditioning can withstand with the same endurance as a biotic?"
"Hell yeah, now we're talkin'!" James turned to Zoe with excitement splashed across his face, "You in?"
"No thanks," she snickered, "My arms are still recovering from last night. I think I'll just hang back and enjoy the entertainment."
Shepard, Ashley and Liara stood back as the men dropped to the floor and started in. A moment later, Miranda sauntered up the stairs to join the group.
"Oh, my. What did I miss?"
"Just a little friendly discussion on biotics versus physical strength," Zoe informed her as she slid her gaze across James' tense shoulders, "Now the guys are having a measuring contest, it would seem."
"You know boys, it's not the size of the Slam, it's how you use it," Miranda ribbed, as she leaned up against the wall next to Shepard, "But I suppose the lieutenant wouldn't know about that, would he?"
James snorted as he pushed up, "Hey, I can slam just as well as the rest you, without all that glow-y blue shit. Ain't that right, Commander?"
"You talk like I would know. Yet I haven't had the pleasure of finding out, now, have I?"
Jack flew up the stairs suddenly, almost tripping on the last one, but catching herself at the last minute as she barged into the half-circle of women, "I meant to do that. Hey, Shep! What the hell's going on up here? They comparing dicks or something?"
Zoe sputtered a laugh, "Yeah, that's what I said. Actually, Jimmy here thinks that because he's so physically fit, he can win a push up contest against Jacob, because he's just a biotic."
"Oh, really," Jack affected a smug smirk, "You might be packin', Jimmy Jam, but I bet mine's bigger. What's the count?"
Jacob blew out a breath and answered, "Comin' up on forty."
"Shit, that's it? Let me show you dumb asses how it's done," with that, Jack dropped down to the floor beside them, quickly catching up and lapping their count like it was nothing.
Ashley chuckled, throwing back a long swig of beer, "Now, this… this is getting good."
As James and Jacob hit the one-fifty mark — Jack already well above their count at close to two hundred — the lieutenant began to show signs of strain. Zoe was a tad miffed that her arms weren't yet in the shape to join in, but she was too focused on the way Vega's muscles and veins rippled across his arms to dwell on her disappointment. Sweat beaded and trickled down his brow, and his grunting was getting deeper and more ragged as the minutes ticked on. It was taking the commander's thoughts to some seriously inappropriate places.
"Anyone counting? Miranda?" Jacob's words snapped Shepard back to reality.
"Oh, absolutely," the brunette biotic pursed her lips, "I think you're just fantastic. How many have I done?"
"Why don't you get down here, cheerleader?" Jack sneered, "Or are you afraid you'll break a nail?"
"Keep going!" Liara urged enthusiastically, her words melding together a bit from the alcohol.
"So much for your physical supremacy," the tattooed girl let out a raucous laugh, "Gettin' close to two-fifty over here. Have you meat sacks even passed the twenty mark yet?"
"She has a point, Jimmy," Shepard snickered, "I think even Jay's lapping you now. You seem a little slow tonight, hun."
"Well, nobody's perfect," Kasumi appeared again, perched on Vega's back, "How's it going on your end?"
With a grumbling moan, James dropped heavily to the floor, sending the thief sprawling onto the ground behind him. The quartet of women doubled over into roaring laughter, as the lieutenant pushed up and shook off, letting out a small chuckle himself.
"Okay, okay, you made your point," he reached out a hand to help Jack up, "You win."
"Damn right," the tattooed girl gave a cocky grin, "Glad to see you're man enough to admit defeat."
"Whatever, but we're gonna have a rematch one of these days," he turned his attention to Zoe, ambling up to her with an impish glint in his eyes, "How 'bout we find a more fun way to get sweaty?"
Shepard coughed awkwardly, "What exactly did you have in mind, Jimmy?"
"Let's dance!" Liara bounced eagerly, "Come on!"
"How 'bout it, hermosa?" James held out a hand to the commander, and though she took it, she looked skeptical.
"I don't think so. Maybe later, though," she sprung up on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips, "I'm gonna go check in on everyone else. You guys have fun."
If she were honest about it, Zoe found hosting to be a nerve-racking task. She had never been too good in crowds, aside from leading a team to battle. Though the atmosphere was charged with friendly energy, she couldn't force herself to stay in one place too long. Somehow along the way, however, the commander had managed to get the entire crowd to sit still long enough to take a group photo. That would be one for the history books.
Afterwards, against her — and Garrus' — better judgement, Shepard threw back several consecutive shots while no one was paying attention, trying to bring herself to their level of relaxation, and after a few minutes it began to do the trick. She was leaning against the bar downstairs watching Wrex, Javik, and Zaeed run some kind of defensive maneuvers, keeping tabs to make sure they didn't actually shoot anything, when Miranda, Jack, and Ashley approached and surrounded her.
"Hey, sexy, come dance with us," Jack was on a whole other level of plastered now.
Zoe sucked a breath in through gritted teeth, "I don't know, guys..."
"Come on, Z! We've never had a chance like this, and we might never again!" Ashley grabbed her hand and yanked her towards the kitchen.
"Shepard, Jack and I are willing to put our personal hatred for each other aside for the night just to get you to dance, please!" Miranda was practically begging, and as equally sloshed as the rest of them.
"Oh, fine…" she relented with a sigh, allowing herself to be pulled through the kitchen, into the back room, where the music seemed to be booming the loudest from the overhead speakers.
It wasn't long before they were joined by several of the others. Liara, Garrus, Tali, Traynor, Cortez, and even Samara came swaying into the circle. Kasumi kept popping in and out behind people just to poke them or flick their ears, anything to get them jumpy and paranoid. James appeared around the corner and leaned up against the doorway, taking in the amusing sight. His eyes lingered on Zoe, her hands gripping Jack's skinny waist as they writhed, Ashley pressed up against her back in a similar fashion. It was like a sexy, badass, dancing sandwich, and Shepard was the deliciously enticing filling. Her eyes fluttered up, catching his gaze and she cast him a sensual smile. He was seriously starting to think he wasn't going to survive through the night after all the seductive signals she'd been throwing him the whole evening.
Zoe broke out of the entrapment, giving Jack a hard smack on the rear as payback from earlier. The tattooed woman yelped and whipped her head around, bringing two fingers up in a V to her lips and wagging her tongue between them. Shepard yelled something like 'you wish' but it was hard to hear over the deafening music. She ambled up to the lieutenant and slid her hands slowly across his chest, peering up at him with heavy lidded eyes.
"Wanna get outta here, soldier?" her voice came out husky and enticing.
James took her hand and led her out of the kitchen, towards the stairs, "Yeah, I think I do..."
"Hey, where're you going, Shep!? The party's just starting!" Jack called over the noise.
"Are you kidding?" the commander shot back, "It's two a.m. Five more minutes of dancing like that and you're all gonna be passed out on the floor."
"Let 'em go, they've got their own dancing to do," Ashley teased.
"Yeah, the horizontal hustle," Traynor snickered, taking Shepard's place between the two girls.
As soon as the door was shut tight behind them, James wasted no time. He sprang forward, seizing Shepard's lips with his in unshackled fervor, forcing her easily backwards until she was pressed flush to the wall, snaking his hands underneath her skirt and squeezing her ass as she pressed her knee into his crotch. He groaned into her open mouth, as Zoe shoved her jacket off, and the lieutenant's strong hands drifted gradually up her sides, shifting her shirt up while he trailed kisses down her cheek, onto her jawline. She lifted her arms, allowing him to pull the tank top up over her head, revealing her lacy black bra and the tattoo she'd neglected to show him earlier.
He paused in his conquest to study it for a moment. The ink was in a precarious placement, lining the underside of her breasts, a spike peaking through the middle of them and swooping along her sternum to a point, toward her opposite side. He ran his fingers along the twisting, tribal-like curves, causing the commander's stomach to quiver under his soft caress.
"That one had to hurt," he breathed, his eyes adhered to the intricate artwork.
"I've had my ass kicked by every race in the galaxy, been shot too many times to count, died alone in the middle of space, and brought back to life by my worst enemies… the tattoo was like being tickled compared to all that," she let out a soft chuckle.
"You are the most beautiful, kick ass woman I have ever met. Emphasis on the ass," his voice was a low growl, "Tu con tantas curvas, y yo sin frenos."
With that, he resumed his mission, exploring the dips of her neck and shoulders with his hungry mouth. Zoe let out a soft moan as his hands drifted up towards her chest, cupping her breasts and massaging them in gentle, slow circles. She tugged at his t-shirt, untucking it from his waistband and shoving it up his abdomen forcefully. Vega grabbed onto it and ripped it off over his head, tossing it aside. Shepard was already busing herself with undoing her skirt, so he mimicked her actions on his own belt buckle. As the skimpy garment fell loosely to the floor, he caught a glimpse of hesitation flash across her face.
James immediately stopped fumbling with the buckle, "Hey, you okay?"
Zoe stumbled a bit, stepping out of her skirt, but he caught her by the arm to steady her. Standing there in just the lacy black lingerie, those scandalous fishnets and her knee high combat boots, with her amethyst locks flowing wildly down her shoulders, Shepard looked overwhelmingly enticing — but also hauntingly vulnerable.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible, "I don't know… if we should do this tonight."
"That's fine, we don't have to do anything you're not ready for,"
He clasped his hands around her biceps, giving them a reassuring squeeze, but Zoe nervously avoided his gaze. She was doing that thing with her hands that she did when she was uneasy, fiddling with her fingers to hide the shaking. It wasn't the first time James had noticed her doing it, and he easily picked up on what it meant — she was anxious, and scared, and doubting herself.
"I'm ready… It's just… we've both had a lot to drink and this is something I'd like to remember the next morning, you know?"
"Hey, it's okay, Zoe. You're right," he brought a hand up to push the hair from her face, coaxing her to look at him, "Come here."
Shepard fell heavily into his arms, her head swimming from the alcohol and body heat, feeling dizzy and disoriented. She wanted this more than anything, but the timing was all wrong. She was too drunk, to shaken up by her feelings for him.
"Can we just go to sleep? I'm sorry," she whispered the words into his bare chest.
"Yeah, of course. You don't have anything to be sorry about, hermosa."
James lifted her up, knight in shining armor style, carrying her to the bed and laying her down softly on top of the downy comforter. He bent down to pull off her boots and stockings, tossing them to the floor at the foot of the bed, then tugged the blanket out from under her to cover her up. He crossed the room and retrieved her tank top, bringing it to her so she could slip it back on before removing her bra.
"You need anything before I turn in?" he grazed her brow with his finger tips, her skin feeling hot and clammy to the touch.
"Ice water, please?" she looked positively miserable, those last few shots finally having hit her all at once.
James redid his belt buckle as he crossed out of the room, neglecting his shirt in favor of returning to her as soon as possible. He took the stairs at a fast pace, and jogged into the kitchen, finding that Shepard's previous prediction had been accurate after all. They hadn't been in the room for even ten minutes and the music had already died down low, much like the party guests themselves. A few were still lingering in the kitchen and living room, but several of them were nowhere in sight. Liara and Samantha were hanging out around the island when he turned the corner into the room.
"That was quick," Samantha slurred, wobbling a little when she turned to him.
"That's because nothing happened… fisgón," he reached into the cabinet to retrieve a glass, ignoring the quip.
"What di—what did he just call me?" Traynor hiccuped mid-sentence.
"Samantha, I think maybe you should go lie down," Liara put an arm around the other woman's shoulders, coaxing her toward the back room.
"Some people just can't hold their shit," James mused with a smirk, filling the glass with ice from the freezer as Liara returned, walking up behind him almost too quietly to be noticed.
"How's she doing?"
Vega was surprised how well she held herself together after the amount he'd seen her drink — must have been an asari thing, he reasoned.
"She's fine. Dehydrated and about two seconds from passing out on me, but she'll live," he turned the faucet on, waiting a second for the water's temperature to drop, "Least she had fun. That was good to see."
"True, she doesn't usually allow herself that. And I suppose she's survived worse," the doctor was a pro at stating the obvious, "Like Mel…"
"Did she ever tell you about what happened on Akuze?" he knew Shepard had said she'd never mentioned it to anyone else, but with the conversation he'd had with the commander still fresh and raw in his memory, he felt compelled to ask for some reason.
"Not exactly. However, I dipped into the commander's mind more than once when we were after Saren. It was only bits and pieces, but it's hard to ignore something that's so close to the surface like that," Liara took a few steps closer to him, "You're important to her, James. Please, don't hurt her."
"I won't, doc," he was pacified by the admission that she hadn't actually told the asari about her past, "I'm gonna do everything I can to keep her from hurting ever again."
"I know… I told you before, there was a point that I thought I felt the same way you do about her. But I've come to realize that it was more avid admiration than true affection. Regardless, she's my best friend, and I care about her very much… And I've always liked you, Lieutenant, as harsh and vain as you may try to act sometimes," she brought her eyes to his, sincerity painted across her azure features, "I wish you both a lifetime of happiness. It might not mean anything to you, to have the blessing of her friends, but I'm giving it to you anyway."
"It does," he nodded for emphasis, "Thanks, Liara. It means a lot. Hey, you're not, uh, mad at me about the whole biotics thing are you?"
"Of course not. We're all friends. No harm in a little fun competition every now and then," she gave him a warm half-grin, "I think I'll turn in myself. She should probably take some aspirin too… we all should. Goodnight James."
"Buenas noches, doc," he returned the smile and retrieved the bottle of aspirin from the cabinet it'd been stored in earlier, "Thanks for the tip."
"Anytime," with that, she meandered away, leaving the lieutenant free to return to his commander.
Vega had to admit that it made him feel pretty amazing to know that Shepard's whole crew seemed to consider him not just another member of the team, but an actual friend as well. As much as he was glad to be accepted by her, having the people she trusted think enough of him to be happy about their relationship was on a whole other wavelength — something he'd be thankful for until the end of his days. It would have continued on as it was, whether he'd gotten the blessing or not, but it certainly wouldn't have felt as right without it. By the time he reached the room, Zoe was slipping in and out of a sleepy daze. James crossed to her side of the bed and sat gently down on the edge. As he rested the glass on the bedside table, he placed a hand on her shoulder to rouse her.
"Hey, Zoe, here," he picked up her hand, turning her palm up to place the pills in the middle of it, and closing her fingers over so she wouldn't drop them, "Take these before you pass out on me."
She forced her head up and squinted at the contents of her hand, before throwing the medicine down her throat and motioning for the glass, "Thank you."
"Thank the doc," he handed her the water, and she took it with a trembling hand.
Zoe gulped down the liquid like she'd just left the desert and hadn't had a drink in days. When it was nearly empty, she handed it back to him and let her head fall heavily back onto the pillow.
"I'm going to regret this in the morning," she groaned.
"That means you had a good time," he gave a light chuckle, "The best parties are the fiestas we'll never remember with the compadres we'll never forget.
"I'll drink to that," she joked, halfheartedly.
Not a minute later, Zoe's eyes fell shut and her breath became a steady, rhythmic in and out. Vega stood up slowly, removing his pants as he circled around the bed to take his place beside her. He sat and kicked off his boots, draping his dog tags across the lampshade as he had the night before. James could vaguely picture himself getting used to this routine.
James had never thought he would be the kind of man to settle down with just one woman — but Shepard was more than just one woman — she was every kind of woman he'd ever found attractive, all wrapped up into one perfect body. On top of that, she really liked him. She had liked him ever since the beginning when all she'd known about him was that he was an overly flirtatious soldier with a cocky attitude. She had liked him even through learning about his failures and doubts.
Better yet, she loved him, and she made it perfectly clear that it was with all her heart that she did so. Even if she hadn't reciprocated the feelings, James would have felt the same way. Regardless of what had happened in the past or what was in their future, no other woman after Shepard would be enough. As he tucked into bed beside her, Zoe rolled towards him and slid her hand across his chest, stopping it just above his heart. The lieutenant glanced down at her slender digits resting there, the ring glinting in the lamplight before he reached to hit the switch. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other just short of a year, she was it. There would never be another love like this for him. And one day — maybe not so soon, but eventually — Vega already knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would be replacing the simple band with something better, something more fitting to the way he really felt, if she would have it.
fisgón = nosey
