Written for a prompt request in 2018 - Prompt - 'What are you doing?'
Hero
Kira Ryder was finally home. After working for over two years as Pathfinder, she was finally retiring from the role (which she passed down to Cora Harper) and settling on Kadara with her lover, Reyes Vidal. Their long-distance relationship was no more. The most they spent together during the last two years was a month, so it was going to be nice to practically have all the time in the world. Well, maybe not all the time since their respective work – him as the Charlatan and her as an Arbitrator between the angara and the Milky Way species living on Kadara – would keep them busy. But at least they can come home with the other waiting for them nearly every night.
Even after all this time in Andromeda, Kira didn't bring a lot of personal items with her to Reyes's – no – their little sanctuary hidden deep within the mountains of Kadara. She didn't have a lot to begin with – mostly just clothes, weapons, and a few personal items she either collected since she arrived, or brought over from the Milky Way. All of them fit into two large boxes, except one Milky Way item that was encased in a metal tube that was a long as her arm. She hadn't opened that tube at all since she woke up from cryo.
Reyes helped her get settled before he had to leave for a few hours to wrap up some lingering business from the Kadara-related mess they both dealt with not too long ago (and the reason she took on the Arbitrator role to begin with). He hadn't expected any trouble, but Kira made sure to leave her omni-tool's message alert on just in case.
Once Reyes left, Kira decided to take a nice hot shower (and was grateful that the water no longer smelled like sulfur) and followed that with a nap on the living room couch. She wasn't sure how long she was asleep before she woke up to Reyes gently kissing her forehead. She smiled to herself when he heard him step away and planned to nap just a little longer...
Suddenly, a soft popping sound was heard, which made Kira's eyes snap open. At first, she thought Reyes opened up the bottle of wine meant for the celebration dinner they planned for that night. Then she spotted him just across the room... opening the metal tube she brought over from the Milky Way.
Oh great... Kira moaned in her head. She sat up from the couch and glared in his direction. She momentarily thought to stop him, but the former Pathfinder eventually let out a breath as she realized that any attempt to halt his curiosity would be in vain. If she tried to stop him, all it would do was make him even more curious over the mystery item. Besides, he's going to find out sooner or later anyway... might as well get it over with...
"Reyes... what are you doing?" Kira grumbled.
He was just in middle of turning the tube over when she spoke. He gazed up at her with his amber eyes and she noticed the curiosity in them – just as she expected. "Well my dear, I happen to notice you hadn't unpacked this yet, so I thought I'd... assist."
"Uh huh..." Kira said suspiciously. Then she decided to make a guess over his real intention. "You've been wanting to pop that open since you laid eyes on it, haven't you?"
Reyes chuckled. "It is a curious thing - an unopened tube sitting in this corner while you've long since unpacked everything else – and I bet you haven't opened this once since we left the Milky Way. If I had to bet, and you know by now that I'm a betting man, I'd say there's something valuable in here."
Kira shrugged. Upon thinking about, it was highly likely that he wasn't wrong in his assumption. "Maybe. Perhaps it's one of a kind here in Andromeda."
"Now you have me even more intrigued," Reyes said with a grin. He then tilted his head thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you're just sitting there and letting me open this."
"Yeah, well.. you're going to see what it is sooner or later. Might as well get it out of the way now, especially if we're going to be living together permanently. Besides, I'm too tired to fight you over it."
Reyes laughed as he finished turning the tube over. "Shame, it would've been fun chasing you around while you try to keep this away from me."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Kira mumbled in a teasing tone.
A rolled-up paper slipped out of the tube and Reyes caught the end of it with his free hand. It looked brand new even after more than six-hundred years. The tube that encased it was clearly designed to keep it in the condition it was in during the long travel through dark space. Reyes pulled out the paper completely before he placed the tube back in the corner where he found it moments ago.
Kira watched his face as he unrolled the paper just enough to get a look at what it was. Reyes remained intrigued as he stared at the printed picture in front of him. Then slowly, his head tilted a little to the side before one corner of his lips turned upward and his eyes sparked with recognition.
"Is this who I was think it is?" Reyes finally asked.
Kira couldn't help but glare at him. "Reyes Vidal, you know exactly who that is."
"Remind me," he added in mirth.
That made Kira roll eyes only because she knew he was teasing her. She tried to play it cool over her next words. "If you don't know who Commander Adam Shepard is by now, then I can't help but question your abilities as the Charlatan. Information is your business after all."
That smile of his turned mischievous. "I didn't think you'd be so... touchy over it. Tsk tsk. And if I recall, people usually don't use Shepard's first name when they refer to him. I think you're the first."
Kira felt her face turned hot, and she suddenly felt like a young teenager with a crush. Again. "So what?" she balked.
"You're blushing."
"No I'm not!"
"You were a fan girl of his, weren't you?"
"...Shut up."
Reyes laughed with amusement as he continued to admire the poster. "I can hardly blame you. After all, he was the hero who saved Elysium, the first human Spectre, and... very, very nice to look at. You know you both have the same shade of blue eyes."
"Not really," Kira pointed out. "The pictures don't do them justice. His was actually a little bit lighter and a lot nicer looking in person."
That got a raised eyebrow from Reyes as he turned to look at her. "In... person? You actually met him?"
Kira stood up to join him. "Look at the bottom of the poster."
Reyes unrolled the poster more until he couldn't anymore. By then, Kira got a good look at the photography of the Hero of the Citadel. Shepard stood tall in his black armor with the N7 stripe down his right arm, the same arm that possessed a glowing omni-blade at his side. His left arm was raised and held an M-8 Avenger. Blue eyes looked past the camera and his dark brown hair was cut short. Behind him was the view of the Nebula from one of the arms of the Citadel, though Kira wasn't sure exactly which arm it was (the background was likely photoshopped in anyway).
At the bottom of the poster on the right hand corner was a note written in metallic silver ink...
Kira -
Never let an opportunity pass you by if you truly believe in your heart that it will make a positive difference in your life.
All the best,
Cmdr A. Shepard
14 Aug 2183
Reyes hummed a little after he read the inscription. "Seems like a decent guy if that note is anything to go by."
"He was more humbled than I ever imagined him to be given his status," Kira mentioned as she leaned the side of her head onto Reyes's shoulder. "When I met him, it was only supposed to last a few minutes, but... we ended up talking for almost an hour."
"Really? How did that happen?"
Kira couldn't help but smile as she recalled the memory. "I was lucky enough to still have a particular childhood friend in my life at the time. After the Battle of the Citadel, she and I both got on the station and she, well... let it slip that her older brother was serving under Shepard." She laughed over her next words. "I may have threatened to end our friendship if she didn't speak to her brother and convince him to set up a meeting."
Reyes laughed. "I didn't realize you were such a conniving little devil."
"Hey!" she called out as she lightly slapped his arm. "At that time, I waited seven years to meet him in person. Before that, I admired his heroism after he saved Elysium from pirates. I mean, not many can face wave after wave of pirates on their own and survive."
"I probably could," Reyes nearly mumbled.
Kira snorted at the way he said that. "Is that jealousy I hear, Mr. Vidal?"
Reyes huffed. "Hardly. I'd get that kind of job done in the shadows."
"Uh huh... but then you wouldn't get the Star of Terra like he did."
"Medals are overrated." An amused look suddenly look came over Reyes's face. "You sure it wasn't a teenage crush and not a hero worship?"
"...Shut up. And the answer is both, for the record."
He laughed before Kira continued. "Anyway, Shepard got a bit banged up during battle so he was resting. We met up at my friend's brother's apartment and she accompanied me. I was both excited and nervous because I was certain I was going to look like an idiot at some point, but... that didn't happen. We ended up talking about myself more than anything. Believe it or not, he was actually interested in what I had to say. He always asked questions and never looked bored at any point. I've met celebrities before, but meeting him... he was the first time a celebrity didn't look disinterested. It made me realize that day why those close to him were so loyal – because he cared about them, not because of what they could do.
"After the meeting ended, he was no longer just an old teenage crush or a hero to get starry-eyed over. Shepard became an inspiration, someone to aspire to." Kira frowned a little as she became more thoughtful. "I doubt I came close as Pathfinder, but..."
At those last words, Reyes rolled up the poster before walked over to the corner and carefully placed it back in the tube it came in. "But you have," Reyes pointed out as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're an excellent leader, you made Heleus livable, you created strong bonds between the angara and those from the Milky Way, and you helped those who needed it. You've done things no one else could achieve, just like he did."
Reyes placed a kiss on the side of Kira's neck before he whispered into her ear. "But better."
Kira chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "How am I the better one?"
"For one thing... you're better looking."
Kira rolled her eyes again. "Cheesy flatterer."
Reyes laughed before adding, "You achieved the impossible without the N7 rank."
"To be fair, Luke and I received some N7 training from Dad," Kira pointed out. "Not exactly close to the real thing, but..."
"But you didn't need it anyway, nor a medal for that matter," Reyes said. "Also, as much as I hate to bring it up, I bet you gave him a run for his money when it came to being brought back from the dead if the rumors about him were anything to go by."
"Maybe," Kira said with a frown. Thoughts over what possibly became of the Milky Way entered her mind from all the recordings she found in her father's personal logs. Before that, she thought that Commander Shepard had died, which happened just over a month after she met him... but the logs said otherwise. Even then, who knew if he – or anyone else she knew for that matter – managed to survive, end the invasion, and live out the remainder of their lives. By this point, the entire Initiative knew the truth and any efforts to get in contact with the Milky Way currently remained unsuccessful.
Kira's thoughts stopped in their tracks when she felt his hold around her tighten. "I didn't-" he started to say.
Kira quickly shook her head as she reached her hands to grasp his own over her stomach. She figured that he thought she was thinking about all those close calls during the last two years of her life. "No, it's fine. I'm all right," she assured him.
For a few moments, they remained silent and simply enjoyed being in each other's arms. Kira stared at their little sanctuary. The former Pathfinder still didn't believe that this was home, and for good. Maybe eventually, the idea would sink in. In the meantime, she couldn't help but wonder where in their home would be a good place to hang up her Commander Shepard poster – once she got a nice frame for it of course.
The living room would be nice, she considered. Just as long as it doesn't face the window and -
"By the way," Reyes suddenly said, his voice breaking the quiet. "If we ever hit any hard times, a poster of Shepard, signed for the Human Pathfinder, would fetched a lot of credits."
Kira turned around in his arms to glare at him. "Don't. You. Dare."
Reyes laughed and Kira was about to protest more before he stopped her by pressing his lips to hers. Whatever she was going to say left her and she soon returned the kiss.
