A/N: I have to dedicate this to the artist who drew a comic of Jack and Shep after a mission. She's bandaged, and as she sits there in pain in the medbay, Shep leans over and kisses her and she freaks out. I always imagined it in reverse. Was sitting on my own couch, thought of this.
I sprawled out on the mess couch. I turned on the holo- it was a classic. One of those action movies you half-remembered, those ones that you could turn off your brain to. If anything, I needed it. Crew drama, a series of rough missions, Legion's funeral on Rannoch. It was awkward watching the rite the geth had for him with Tali there. She pressed her head against my shoulder, trying not to cry. It brought back memories of her and her father. I put my arm around her, and watched. After a day like that, I need a break. It was between shifts, and Garrus was on deck. I spread out in the center of the couch, kicking my feet onto the steel coffee table Jacob had welded together all those...months ago, I suppose. It still had a mess of shrapnel scars on it...something to remind everyone of the hell the Normandy had been through. I threw both arms over the top of the couch, smiling. It felt good.
I must have sat there a half hour, beer in hand before Jack found me. It was something wordless, I think She was wearing a loose old pair of cut-off sweatpants, exposing taut calves covered in tattoos. A hoodie two sizes too big was wrapped around her, her hands in the kangaroo pocket. She saw me, glanced at the screen. I smiled, and she didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She smiled, her ponytail wagged, and she walked around the table. She plunked herself heavily onto the couch, and leaned on me. I grunted, not in surprise- discomfort. I moved by arm down and onto her, and everything was fine. I could feel her breathe, feel her relax as we watched. It felt natural. More than that, right. It was the kind of moment that didn't need words. Then Tali walked in.
And did the exact same thing, on the other side.
They didn't get mad at one another. They didn't chirp each other or complain or bitch.
Everyone was just too tired.
I felt Tali breathing, remembered sleeping next to her. I could tell she was hurting, alone...I wanted to help, but what was I supposed to say? Blasto was easier to watch, and just being there seemed to make her less tense. Others came in, and nothing was said. I had a woman under either arm, and as people got pulled off shift, as the movies played, they all piled in. Ash crouched by my feet, leaning back against them. Garrus took a chair, and Zaeed stood. Liara seemed the most off-put. Finally, she crouched by Ash, mumbled something to her. She shifted over, and each of them used a leg as a headrest. I remembered Liara's gift, stifled a sniffle. I felt at home at that point, just watching movies with my senior crew, or at least most of it.
Well, until I needed to get up to take a leak.