Summary: Tempting fate can be an anxious prospect. A sense of comfort gives way to an impressive amount of strain. While a Spectre's work is never done, sometimes there is still room for a little play.
a/n: All the hugs to Chy and LadyA. Appreciate the patience of all the readers. Hoping once I finish up and at least solidify a probable outline for this piece, I can keep things rolling on this portion of Nyx's story. Thanks to all of you who are still reading, and enjoying this little excursion.
19 Dancing with the Devil
/1/
Glasses clinked, metal utensils rang against ceramic, and the din of distant conversation all hid amongst the somewhat soothing strains of jazz. Kaidan was oblivious to all of it as he spun the thick upside-down mug in small circles with his hand. In comparison, the knee bouncing beneath the table counted among the things the officer was wholly conscious of. His eyes locked on the swirling vessel as his mind raced and nerves fluttered turbulently.
Why the hell are you uptight now? He asked himself, turning the mug again and concentrating on the round sound it made against the table top. You kissed her and she didn't knock you out. Nor did she call up the regs this go around, he remembered with a wistful smile.
He laughed to himself softly, uncertain how it all actually happened. But it did not matter how, just that it did. Nodding his agreement with the thought, a little sense of ease seemed to creep along his tight shoulders. Yeah. This is just coffee. This is nothing compared to … that.
Alenko did not really know how to classify the exchange that took place a few decks below and several hours earlier. Regardless, he could only be pleased it happened. Knowing was a damn sight better than wondering, wishing, and trying to read between the lines; plus it was nice to not have to wonder if there were any truth to the rumors.
Ships like the Normandy were rife with tales, tidbits, and whispers speculating on what actually or could happen. The fact that there were rumors wandering the ship about he and Shepard, Shepard and Liara, hell, even about Shepard and Pressly; it was nothing knew or unexpected for cruising vessel. Kaidan was no stranger to that fact of ship life, nor was this the first post where he had been the target. Only rarely could scuttlebutt ever be considered with anything more than the barest grain of salt. Though you just played right into it. Surprisingly, Alenko really did not concern himself with that idea for long.
"Excuse me."
The lieutenant glanced up and a rather tall woman with vibrant pink hair beamed down at him.
"You're going to have to order something, or … you know," she shrugged almost apologetically.
"I'm, kind of, … waiting for someone."
Her smile evaporated. "Still. The manager doesn't like people just taking up tables."
"Will coffee get him off your back for a while?" Alenko asked, turning over one of the other cups at the table that he had not been toying with.
She huffed at him, but filled the cup. Kaidan grinned at her reaction and took a sip, wincing with the reminder of the huge drawback of the little diner tucked away in the wards. Within ten minutes she was back, this time with a pair of menus. Alenko managed to finish the cup of coffee before she popped up again, but this time his nerves had returned. He gropped at the datacuff on his wrist shifting it slightly as he fought the urge to key up his omnitool and check the message again, if for no other reason than the reassurance it would offer.
Before he could call it up, the waitress was looming over him. "I am sorry, sir, but -"
A quiet, yet powerful, "Pardon me," caused the woman jumped slightly and turn.
It was the tone in the voice that made him smile and the instant reaction even a civilian had to the delicate timbre. Shepard's voice held power-a whisper that could stop a krogan in his tracks was how the chief put it once.
"Coffee?" the taller woman offered, grabbing another mug and filling them both as the commander slipped around the waitress.
"Thank you," Shepard replied. She slipped off her jacket and hung it over the back of the chair before she sat down. Nyx leaned toward him, elbows on the table, smiling just enough to emphasize the apology in her eyes. "Sorry. Apparently I misjudged the ability of intelligence agents to blather on about nothing."
"I'm just glad you made it," he admitted as she leaned across the table for the sugar dish.
"Me, too. You want to hear something silly?"
"Sure."
She dropped a few spoonfuls of sugar in her cup and stirred it, tapping the spoon twice on the rim before setting it on a napkin. "I was a little worried you might not be here."
Kaidan leaned toward her. He found relief and not a little joy in the idea that he was not alone in his worry. "Really?"
That coy smile paired with the heat smoldering in her blue eyes made his mind race.
"I did say twenty minutes, nearly two hours ago," she said lowly, inching a little closer.
The tone was all wrong for the message, or at least it would have been in any other situation. "What can I say? Patience is a virtue. Plus, I figured something came up."
Copying her action, but a little more bodly, the lieutenant scooted his chair a little closer and rested his forearms on the table. Nyx laughed lightly, shaking her head at him, but it worked. Her cheek rose from the fist it rested on, and those nimble fingers skated along his jaw in a tempting fashion. Her soft lips tasted of the invisible pink balm she always had in her pocket-the sharp tang of raspberries tempered by the delicate scent of rose.
/2/
"So what can I get you two?"
Shepard noticed Kaidan's amused smile as he sat back, licking his lips. Nyx, however, had been perfectly content and turned her head toward the waitress with the bad timing.
"How about a moment?"
When the woman huffed, Nyx snapped her jaw shut and shook her head.
"Got anything chocolate?" the commander asked, caving in the hopes that the waitress might take the hint.
The woman did not leave, instead she stood there and rattled off the chef's half dozen offerings with even a hint of chocolate. Then proceeded to wait. The way his smile creased the corners of his eyes distracted the commander through most of it. If she had to guess, he was enjoying watching her sweat it, but he had dealt with two hours of the pink-haired waitress' efforts.
The roll of the young woman's eyes was not lost on the officer. Shaking her head, Nyx asked at Kaidan, "Are you allergic to walnuts?"
"No," he replied with the barest shake of his head, grinning at her the entire time.
"That brownie thing will work," Nyx told the waitress without averting her gaze. Part of her was hoping he might just be waiting for the intrusion to conclude to retake his former position.
Another irritated sigh punctuated the waitress' retreat.
"Did you torture that poor woman or what?" Nyx asked with a glance at her.
He shrugged and leaned near her again. "I did take up her table for more than an hour without ordering anything."
"From the looks of it, I guess you're lucky they didn't throw you out."
"You have no idea," Kaidan said warmly with a trace of a laugh in his voice. He winced as his mug returned to the table.
"What?"
"Like I said. Good food. Passable coffee."
The smile on her lips faded slightly after she braved a sip. "Salt, people. Just a pinch of salt," she muttered as she set the mug out of reach.
"It's not that bad."
"I've had better coffee in foxholes."
Kaidan seemed unconvinced.
"I'm entirely serious. That MRE coffee is sometimes the only decent thing in the entire kit," she advised with a smile.
Kaidan shook his head and only moved slightly when the waitress opted to slip between them again to set the plate on the table. Grabbing a spoon, Nyx swiped at the whipped cream with the tip of it, eying the lieutenant quickly. The way he watched her made her feel almost decadent.
"My grandfather always said you should eat desert first, because you never know when you're going to die," Nyx offered as an excuse for the dessert between them. Though she knew even that was not really an excuse for a warm moist chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and walnuts at 0500h.
She loved his laugh, when it was unrestrained. The warm rumble, with that smooth undertone that just naturally prompted those around him to smile, it was one of those little things about him Shepard tried to ignore because she did not want everyone to clearly see her growing interest in the staff lieutenant; although, she knew enough already had. The reminder of it, of the reality redirected her eyes to the shallow trail the tip of the spoon drew across the delicate melting dome of drizzled vanilla.
What the hell are you thinking, Shepard? It's one thing to indulge in anonymity. But what's going to happen once you're back on the ship?
"Not hungry?" he asked in that low voice she only heard him use on rare occasions, when he wanted to get her attention.
Shaking her head, she mumbled, "Just thinking."
"Should I guess? Or would you rather tell me?" There was a knowing in his voice, and she could tell by the knit in his brow that he was probably thinking along the same lines she was.
With a deep breath she set down the spoon. "How does this go?"
His laugh was full, like she surprised him with the question. "I have no idea," Alenko said shaking his head.
"Me either," she revealed as she leaned back in the chair, her fingers tapping lightly against the table top. Neither of them spoke for what seemed an inordinately long period. "Not like I can treat this like a mission with thin intel."
He smiled slightly, then she noticed that calculating look of his. "Why not?"
She felt her eyebrows furrow at the question.
Kaidan moved toward her again. "What do you do in that situation?"
"Improvise, overcome, adapt." Shepard's instant and instinctual regurgitation of that phrase heard so often in trianing prompted his laughter again.
"Exactly. We'll just have to figure it out." His hand was warm around hers as his thumb traced a light pattern on the back of her hand.
"Sounds like a heck of a plan."
Nyx bit her bottom lightly tightly as she closed the distance between them a little more. "This can't affect the team," she said cautiously.
"Agreed."
Her breathing seemed to come a little easier, but she knew she had one more caveat. "Or the mission."
This one seemed harder for them both to agree on, but he nodded, seeming to understand. "We might also want to exercise a little restraint," he added, glancing down at their hands. "You know how scuttlebutt can be."
Nyx smiled. "Don't we all. Though I seem to be out of the loop on most of it now."
"Consider yourself lucky," Alenko cautioned.
"That good huh?"
"Depends on who you ask," Kaidan said with a telling smirk before he leaned back and released her hand. Her eyes followed his, and turning she noticed a trio of familiar faces, though at that precise moment the names eluded her.
"How about we find some real coffee?" Shepard suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll settle up and meet you outside."
/3/
Shepard really did not think anything of returning to the Normandy with the lieutenant in tow. At least until the elevator door opened and Nyx noticed the flag officer standing outside her ship. It was like the universe itself had aligned to instantly remind her of what she had chosen to ignore. The quick glance she cast at Kaidan before they moved out onto the dock suggested his thoughts might be running the same path as her own.
"Sir," Alenko stated as he came to attention a step behind her.
When she stopped and snapped to, the admiral turned and looked her up and down. "Lieutenant Commander Shepard, sir, Commanding Officer of the Normandy. Can I help you?"
"Rear Admiral Anatoly Mikhailovich. Sixty-Third Scout Flotilla with the Fifth Fleet. I'm here to conduct a spot inspection on the Normandy."
Shepard nodded for a moment and tried to recall anything regarding a visit from Fleet on the schedule for the day. Certain she would have remembered this, Nyx nodded and gestured toward the vessel. "Of course, sir. I'm sure you'll find her up to par. I do know that my Executive Officer is on the bridge. Pressly would be more than happy to assist you in securing you anything you need."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Commander. I'll find you when I conclude my duties here."
When the airlock closed, she tapped up her omnitool and warned her navigator as she walked back up the gangway toward the dock. "And admiral or not, do not leave that man alone anywhere on that ship. Stick to him like white on rice."
"Yes, ma'am."
Nyx swallowed hard at her irritation and the concern traipsing through her head.
"Put a call into Anderson's office and see if we were scheduled for a surprise inspection or if I'm dealing with something else here," she said to Alenko as she reached the pier.
What the hell are you thinking, Nyx? Not smart. Walking back to the ship with your junior officer in civvies. She shook her head as she reached the end of the dock and leaned against the railing. That will be a nice line in the inspection. Commanding officer arrived with a guilty conscience trading awkward glances with the head of her marine detail, both out of uniform. She could almost hear the questions from the inquiry. Every team she ever led was going to be scrutinized. Is this a habit Commander? How many of your subordinates have you fraternized with? Do you make a habit of seducing the men under your command?
Nyx groaned and pushed away from the banister in frustration when she turned she noticed Kaidan leaning against a crate observing her.
"This isn't about the surprise inspection, is it?" he asked, gesturing absently between them.
"Look. I…"
"I know. You think you're the only one that tensed up when they saw the stripes?" Kaidan shook his head and ran his hand across his forehead. "And we're just standing there. Both out of uniform, being totally oblivious."
The two of them stared at one another for a moment.
"Are you worried?" she finally asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Shepard was sure he would know it for what it unconsciously was: a protective gesture. The tightness in her shoulders told her that even though her mind had been racing with her own over reaction, she wanted him not to be in the same place. In a way, Nyx was hoping he was certain enough to convince her-again.
"We're on leave. A lot of the officers have been out of uniform over the past thirty hours. Why would either of us be any different?"
The comparison to anyone else on the ship was reasonable, but the way he looked at her contradicted every logical, innocuous word. He held out his hand to her and she took it. The movement was quick and left her giggling despite the slight sting that ran up her spine from hitting the crate a little harder than either expected. Kaidan peeked over the top of the crate. Satisfied, he leaned his arm against it and loomed over her.
Having him in her personal space, wearing that intense gaze, intoxicated her. One thing was certain in her mind as she lost her worries in the warmth of his amber eyes-Alenko tempted her in ways no one else had in too long. When his fingertips grazed her cheek, Shepard turned into the touch, wanting more than the scant brush it offered. He must have read that in her reaction because it prompted him to set his whole hand on her cheek. The comfort in that simple touch, his skin on hers, overwhelmed her a little.
Perhaps it is …
Looking up at him, she could not finish the statement. Shepard wanted it to be easy to define she wanted this to be something she could classify and predict-every other man she had known was so easy to read, so simple to categorize. The family man. The walking hormone. The guy who did not have a clue. As he leaned over her, thumb stroking her cheek softly while he studied her, Nyx found no generalization that seemed to fit him. When he closed the distance between them, her gasp betrayed her. Anxious, surprised, and completely willing, her response revealed the dichotomy she suffered-even if she wanted this, even if she crossed that line, Shepard still harbored concerns about the same. They were not all selfish either.
Mikhailovich could find the crew of the Normandy running through the cargo hold naked with active blow torches and he still could not touch her. Hell, Shepard could have come back to the ship from a successful shift at Chora's Den in a thong and his report on that would fall on deaf ears, mostly. Certain things were official and set in stone, she learned from the archivist at the Spectre Offices shortly after her induction. Unless the Council revoked her status, her position was secure. And the only way the Normandy would revert back to official Alliance control was if Shepard chose to relinquish command of the vessel.
In reality, for her, little was at stake. Sure her reputation might take a hit. She could lose her commission. As her fingertips grazed the bare flesh at the base of his throat, just above his collar, Shepard knew most of the risk was his-his career, his standing, his rank, hell, in too many ways his future-everything hung in the balance. For her, it was mostly about familiarity, the path she chose and planned her world around. For him, the destructive potential of this relationship could prove enormous.
"Perhaps, we should exercise a little more caution," she said when the kiss broke.
"That is a reasonable suggestion."
"I did not think about things like this. Admirals just popping up for a tour of the ship or an evaluation of the crew."
"Neither did I." He smiled at her, as he watched his fingers glide over her ear then down her neck.
As much as she wanted all of it to continue, Nyx straightened. "I should probably wait for the admiral."
Kaidan smiled, reading the unvoiced suggestion. For good measure, he kissed her again. She held onto his waist lightly as he cradled her face in both his hands. When he rested his forehead against hers, she blinked up at him.
"God, I hope we get leave again soon," he admitted in a rather husky voice.
The sentiment made her smile. "Judging from the schedule Pressly sent me this morning. Not likely."
"Ugh," he groaned playfully.
"We'll manage it," she suggested, repeating what he had said over tea after leaving the diner.
"Indeed." With that he took a few steps backward up the dock. "Enjoy the view, Shepard."
Nyx was fairly certain Alenko meant the view of the Citadel from the edge of the dock. As she watched him walk up the deck, she was sure he did not mean the sight of him walking away, which was precisely the view captivating her until he turned up the gangway. Shepard tucked her hand in the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the small palm-sized book that she always kept there. The collection of poetry given to her by her father's mother, Maman, when Nyx completed Special Forces Training. Amelie Shepard had carried that exact volume with her everywhere, and so had Nyx for a while. But it had been a long time since that tattered, well-worn book visited any field of battle. Hell, Shepard could not remember the last time she had even held it let alone perused its pages.
Crossing her arms she leaned against the railing near the busy little typing bug thing. She studied the creature silently for a few minutes. She even considered talking to it once or twice, but erred on the side of not giving anyone any more reasons to question her sanity.
/4/
The lieutenant took long, slow, deep breaths as he waited for the airlock's decontamination procedure to run its course. The last twenty-four hours had been a roller coaster of sorts, all culminating in the anxious exchange with an admiral. Kaidan could not remember clearly the last time his stress level was quite so high. The tension of returning to the ship to find a high ranking line officer waiting after having spent the previous two hours flirting and discussing the logistics of trying to work out plans for figuring out a relationship with his commanding officer on an Alliance vessel clung to him. The tightness in his upper body flared, in part he knew it was because that same officer lurked about the ship.
After the airlock freed him, Kaidan made his way down the bridge trying not to draw any notice if he could avoid it. The head of the marine detail really just wanted to remain invisible in that moment, if it was at all possible. He could not be certain that someone would not pick up on his tension. No matter what answer he gave to any question asked of him just now, it would turn into something he would probably rather not hear the tail end of.
Surprisingly, no one stopped his progress to the men's officer's quarters. Once there, he found it empty. Another little blessing. He took a seat at the table and rubbed at his neck trying to relieve some of the strain in his now aching muscles, but it did little good.
Alenko figured the safest place on the ship in his current state might just be the shower. The hot water could ease the physical signs of his anxiety, if he was lucky. Plus, the lieutenant was almost damn certain that Admiral Mikhailovich would not be so anal retentive as to attempt to inspect an occupied shower. Just the thought of the flag officer made Kaidan's pulse resound through his skull again as his neck and shoulders started tightening up again at the mere memory of that moment. Never in his life had Kaidan pulled a 180° so fast-he went from relaxed to an unquantifiable pucker factor in a literal blink of an eye. The sight of those golden stripes on a field of Alliance blue and the lieutenant reverted into default mode. It was worse than boot camp, though he had reacted similarly-spending the entire four minutes at attention and in silence while he reminded himself to breathe and tried to get his heart to stop racing.
The momentary sense of relief once the admiral entered the ship dissipated when Shepard strolled up the dock. Alenko got no read on her, though the tension in the way she moved was quite easily discernible; well, it was to him. With the admiral gone, she seemed to be chasing the same types of thoughts around her own head as he had been. Hell, he still was not sure if the admiral's timing was dumb luck or some screwed up trick of the universe. Finally throw caution to the wind for once and the damn book falls out of the sky and crushes you within twelve hours of breaking regs.
Kaidan ducked his head back under the water, letting the warmth trail down his neck and over his shoulders as he leaned on his arm against the wall. Still uncertain if it was recklessness or fear that made him do it, the officer considered his reaction. Grabbing Shepard like that, kissing her on the dock outside the ship-he shook his head at himself. It did not matter if he had concealed them, mostly.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he mumbled.
With the force of a krogan charge, the realization hit him. He had not been thinking. That familiar far off look flashed in her eyes, the one that always seemed to signal her pulling away in the past. The cold shift in the deep blue left him scrambling there on the dock, whereas in the past he always chalked up that psychological retreat-the widening of the gulf between them back to a proper distance-to some requirement of command. In that moment, Kaidan could not watch her withdraw again. After inching over that line, laying everything on the edge of that precipice, he refused to go backwards, which seemed to suit the commander fine after the fact. But there was still that moment, like she was giving him an out.
The thought had not occurred to him until that moment. Nyx knew as well as he did what was at stake for both of them-basically everything they had spent near on a decade working for. Kaidan raised his face into the jets, closing his eyes against the possibility. Perhaps it was optimistic on his part, or foolish, or ill-considered. While he knew all the reasons he should not attempt to start up a relationship with his commanding officer, he never really considered what might happen if things went badly. To be honest, Alenko knew that should have been a consideration given his track record, but Nyx was not like other women he dated in the past. Something told him she would not invite him into her quarters for tea and an ultimatum about white picket fences and a nine-to-five specialization that kept him in port.
Turning off the water, Kaidan turned and pulled the towel across his face. As he dried off he stared at the racing water droplets on the wall of the shower. You can't play out the entire relationship in your head, before it even starts. Just give it a chance. It's what you want. So stop trying to predict the outcome and just go with it. Part of him still worried. Losing his current post was a very real possibility regardless of how this thing with Shepard worked out. But while he had wondered where he stood with her, for some reason the idea that it would not work never crossed his mind before. And standing there dripping in the shower, he kind of wished that thought had not fluttered into his head.
/5/
Mikhailovich turned out to merely be disgruntled. He disagreed with the use of funds and also with the fact that the Normandy had been ripped out from under his command. Shepard did not know which prompted his surprise inspection, but he wound up conceding that the vessel's commanding officer was confident in her abilities, even if he found fault in about everything about the ship and some of her crew. By the time they reached Fleet Command, Mikhailovich seemed less irate than when he greeted Shepard on the dock. Despite that Nyx did not hold out hope for a less than scathing report on her first line command.
Captain Anderson assured her the admiral had been making waves about the Normandy since development on the project began. After Shepard was given command of the vessel, the flag officer became understandably irate. Despite dismissing the admiral's motive, the captain promised to forward her a copy of the report. Anderson also reminded her that with people like he, Hackett, and her N7 mentor Loukas Zahakis in her corner, Shepard had a well-appointed home team to back her. It offered comfort beyond just the situation with Mikhailovich.
By the time the Normandy finally left port, not everyone was ready to leave Citadel, but that was usually how shore leave went, especially on frontline combat vessels. Shockingly, Shepard found herself sharing the sentiment for the first time in a long time. It was only partly due to the fact that the call from Fleet had not been quite what she was hoping. The Intelligence Service was hung up on some interesting chatter picked up by a recon pass through the far reaches of the Terminus Systems, which was set as the Normandy's priority after putting out. During her visit, Anderson also confirmed a piece of intel the commander picked up that seemed to suggest a traffic increase in a dark corner of the galaxy known to harbor a number of pirate strongholds.
Yet again Shepard felt a little behind the curve. The Council heaved criticism for her choices on Therum and Feros, and seemed to punish her for it by remaining silent. It made her once again wonder if they even wanted her to complete the task they set her on. The commander knew where Saren was looking for a lost Prothean world, just not how to get there. Additionally since arriving at Feros weeks in his wake there was no trace of him or Benezia. Given, it was a large galaxy, and Saren seemed to still have friends despite his revoked Spectre status. Of course, he also had a large enough bank roll and a sizable force of geth to make it possible to buy or intimidate cooperation out of certain types of people who would never stand up and wave their hands for the Alliance's or the Citadel's aid.
Waking early always seemed to always happen right after she visited port, more so stations; there the cycles were more consistent and she at least had more of a sense of the time. The first morning after leaving the Citadel Nyx decided to make good on the decision to change her routine. She pulled on a pair of white trunks and a white tank top and stretched quickly, then walked barefoot to the elevator. She fiddled with her omnitool and found the music she was looking for on the way down-something with a thumping bass line to match the punches she planned on throwing.
Upon entering the little gym space, Nyx found she was not the only one with similar designs though she doubted anyone else in the small gym had just decided to add a visit to their morning routine. She crossed to the heavy bag along the wall without a word. The members of her combat team present seemed focused on their own regimens, though she did return the little nod Kaidan offered her.
Tugging on a pair of black padded gloves, Shepard bounced on the balls of her feet, contemplating the large black bag she was about to tangle with. This was something she did more for herself and her own stress management more than anything else. In the field, she rarely got close enough to go to fisticuffs with anyone or anything. So outside of sparring with teammates, the heavy bag was her only real outlet for any physical stress she might have stored up. As she started her quick and forceful assault on the bag, she heard signs that she had caught the attention of some, like Wrex who noisily abandoned the dumbbells he was toying with to observe her. Later a few other members of the team made their way into the adequately apportioned gym. Alenko traded a nod with Garrus as the turian crossed toward one of the vacant treadmills.
/6/
Her movements were fluid and dangerous, filled with a sort of menacing power even though it was all her and not even the slightest hint of biotics. The lieutenant watched as he ran, still a little in awe at the raw force pent up in that petite frame. The flexion of her muscles as she moved caused her skin to look like it was rippling as the light shone off the sheen of sweat covering her bare flesh. As she rose her knee to the bag then followed it with a swift powerful kick, he realized he had never seen her in shorts before which was followed by his own sudden and selfish wish that she was not, but merely for his own sanity. Alenko stared, transfixed, but then they all were. Most of the team had not been part of the crew when he and the commander sparred early on, so they had missed out on seeing this type of display.
"You can do all that, Shepard, but you dance like a drunken Elcor?" Wrex finally inquired as he leaned against the wall. She did not respond except to interrupt her movement with a quick one-shouldered shrug. Her feet moved constantly, as she almost danced with her target. "Does all that cutesy flitting about even work?"
"That a challenge?" she asked, stopping suddenly and grabbing the bag to still it, she glared up at the krogan.
Kaidan's pace faltered a moment but no one noticed, he hoped. He had gone head-to-head with Shepard, kind of. The whole team knew the commander had guts, but stepping up to challenge a krogan battlemaster with Wrex's skill seemed just this side of stupid.
Wrex just stared at her surprised and intrigued. Maybe he won't take the bait.
"Hell, yeah," Garrus replied from near the lieutenant. "I've always wanted to see some of that chichi human stuff in person." His voice held a note of derision as he hopped back onto his feet from what the turian described once as his callisthenic routine.
"No, biotics," the turian warned, pointing one talon at her as the crossed to the open area at the back of the gym.
"No tech," she retorted with a smirk and a similar gesture.
"Rules!" Williams boomed with the lungs any drill instructor would have been proud of as she took up the role of referee. "Three rounds. Back on the mat is a pin. Best two out of three. And try not to actually kill one another. No one wants to do the paperwork."
All in attendance laughed; the combatants agreed and readied themselves. Even before it started the human and the turian studied one another. As Shepard unfastened and tugged off her gloves, all eyes were drawn to the door that slid open. Tali, followed by a few out-of-breath engineers, straightened and entered the room at a pace that seemed to suggest they were trying not to look like they had just sprinted down the deck.
"Looks like Joker was paying attention," Garrus noted with a little tell-tale ripple in flange of his voice.
That little confident one-shouldered shrug reappeared. "A little good-natured competition is always good for morale," she stated. "Plus I'm going to wipe the mat with you, Vakarian."
While the turian's laughter vibrated off the metal surfaces, a menacing smile bloomed on the human's face as she moved carefully across the mat eying him. Recalling his own turn in that position, Alenko could not help but notice the C-Sec officer weathered it well. Garrus looked rather confident.
So much so that he decided to strike first. He lunged; Shepard dodged to the side, coming up and landing a quick hit to the side of his abdomen. He pulled his arm back and caught her in the cheek. Another body shot from Shepard landed near the first before she spun out of his reach, when that long arm swiped at her.
"Five K, on Garrus," Wrex said loud enough for the combatants to hear as he came to lean on the machine the lieutenant abandoned.
"I'll take that action," Alenko replied similarly, as Ashley and Tali joined them. "Shepard'll take him. I've seen her do it before."
That comment drew a quick glance from Garrus, who quickly shook it off as Shepard moved away from him again after another series of punishing body shots.
/7/
Word of the impromptu match spread around the ship quickly. The first round seemed to go on forever as the two of them felt out one another's style. But Garrus eventually tripped her up and downed her. Nyx stood up laughing and returned the favor rather quickly in the second round.
"Tied up," Ashley announced to the room for any latecomers, as the third round started.
The small crowd consisted of the rest of the squad as well as some of the crew who were not currently on duty. Even Engineer Adams had been drawn from his station to watch the contest.
"You're pretty good, Shepard," Garrus said after she landed a square shot to his jaw.
She bounced nimbly just beyond his reach as she replied with a playful raise of her eyebrows and a coy smirk. "I know."
He roared with laughter just before he lunged. She dodged rolling along his side and repeating the body shot combination she used on him earlier, knowing it was likely sore and bruised-which made her wonder if turians bruised. She regretted the thought; he had played her. Vakarian reached around and grabbed her, gripping her neck quickly as he tried to gain advantage on her. She repeated the shot to his torso again with one fist as she moved to twist the claw off her throat with the other hand. He was stronger than she had anticipated and the spot was not as tender as she hoped since he demonstrated almost no reaction to the punch.
Nihlus' voice was in her ears then she brought the side of her hand down onto his neck. She saw Garrus' eyes go blank for a moment as his muscles went slack. She peeled the hand off her neck and swept his legs out from under him. He hit the mat with a loud violent sound; Shepard landed next to him on her hands and knees, gulping down air. Garrus laid there dazed for a moment.
The commander crawled over and tapped him on the shoulder. "You all right?"
He nodded slightly, still trying to get it all back in place. It was a feeling the human knew well. Pushing herself to her feet, she stood over him holding her hand out, still breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
"Damn, Shepard." He was shaking his head a little as he stood. "Been a long time since I got my ass kicked like that."
"I don't know. You almost had me," she said as she gripped his upper arm, steadying them both. "Didn't hurt you with the neck thing, did I?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. Caught me off guard though. What the hell did Nihlus teach you?"
The commander smiled when she let go of him. "He thought I should know how to take down a turian in a pinch. Comes in handy," she revealed.
"Garrus, you should probably let Chakwas check you out." Kaidan suggested as he walked toward them.
"I'm fine, Lieutenant."
"Let's just call it regulations. After this type of thing, they like to have medical sign off and I'm not approved to clear you."
The turian held up his talons in submission and walked toward the door through which everyone else exited.
"Very diplomatic, Lieutenant," Shepard said quietly as she examined the scrapes on her knuckles. Perhaps barehanded fighting and face shots with a turian had not been the best call, though, admittedly her knuckles had looked worse.
"He wouldn't have gone if I didn't chalk it up to protocol," he replied as his omnitool lit to life. "You should probably swing by the medbay yourself."
She glanced over at him. "Except that you are trained to clear humans," she reminded. "Plus, the doctor will lecture me about playing with the crew again. You might be a little more forgiving."
He laughed, shooting her that smile that made her breath hitch. He had already started the scan and was shaking his head at her. The nerves were still obvious, and the two of them were walking a pretty thin line. His breathing was slow and measured as he concentrated on precisely what needed to be done. Nyx bit the inside of her cheek and tried to not let her head lean into his touch as he held her face, while he slid his thumb across the gash beneath her left eye. Applying medigel to her split lip almost undid her; the tremble in his touch made her smile, which she paid for with a sharp reminder that playing with turians could be a dangerous game. That was one lesson she thought she should be well-versed with given her past experiences.
The sudden tightness and flexion in his jaw distracted her from the soft way he looked at her.
"What's up?" she asked noticing the reaction.
"You're going to have some pretty nasty bruises there, Shepard," he said as he touched her neck gently. The grazing stroke of his fingertips sent a shiver down her spine.
She raised her hand to her neck and could feel the slightly dull ache as she pressed at the flesh. "Not surprised really. I don't think he realized how tight his grip was. That's why I dazed him."
Kaidan looked down at her. "You could have said something," he said quietly with evident concern.
"I knew I had options, if I couldn't peel him off." She shrugged nonchalantly as she leaned away from him to grab her gloves of a nearby bench. "Thanks, Alenko." She slid past him, tapping him on the shoulder quite casually with her gloves, before she padded across the room. "And don't forget to collect from Wrex," Nyx said when she entered the bay, pointing at the krogan with a wink.
"Thanks, Shepard," Wrex growled.
The commander nodded at him. Sooner or later he will figure out not to bet against me, she thought as the elevator doors closed. As she rode up to the crew deck, Nyx tried not to smile because the action still made her lip sting.
Over Irish Breakfast tea after they abandoned the little diner, she and Kaidan had tossed around possible approaches to the issue that still loomed beyond the simple stolen pleasure of a cup of tea and quiet corners. There was no doubt for either of them that what they had decided to do could not be flaunted on an Alliance vessel. Their interest may have pushed them to cross the line, but they were both completely aware that the line was still there even if they were skirting the edge of it. Both were officers, whatever else they chose that remained constant.
The two of them determined that perhaps just skirting the same edge they had been might be the best call, at least on the ship. Temptation remained the looming worry. Knowing made things different; in some ways it was easier to know that they were both willing to lay it all out there for a change. It quieted some of the questions and accusations that played through her head, while still managing to inspire more.
The commander was not sure the plan would work, or that it might actually fool anyone. As she leaned there against the wall of the elevator, arms crossed over her chest, with a stinging smile on her face and the memory of the way Kaidan gazed at her, Nyx wanted to do this. She wanted the chance to see if there was more than the mission, more to it all, more to her.
And there were times when it seemed like there might just be, usually in the little moments. Treating Alenko like any other crew member might not work. It had not before. After the romp with Garrus, prompting the lieutenant to clear her seemed to have put them both on the edge of the little no man's land they had been skirting. It was all she could do not to react to his touch when he tended the scrapes, and the tenderness in his eyes as he did so threw her off balance, as usual, but knowing tempered the reaction.
Garrus exited the medbay about the time Shepard reached the deck. "Good show, Vakarian," she said as she walked toward her quarters.
"Shepard," he called, crossing to her quickly with that long stride of his. When he reached her, he lifted her chin and turned it looking at her cheek then when he saw the rising discoloration in her neck his mandibles twitched.
"It's all good, Garrus. Humans aren't as … sturdy as turians."
"I grabbed you too tightly it would appear. I apologize. It won't happen again."
"Damn straight," Shepard said, poking him once in the chest with two fingers. "Next time I won't let you get the drop on me."
"Next time?" Chakwas asked from across the deck.
"Relax, doc. We had referees and a medic." She patted Garrus on the shoulder and gave him a wink that told him there was nothing to be concerned about. "And Alenko cleared me."
The officer, pleased that her tone remained upbeat and nonchalant the entire time, continued into her quarters and fell onto the bed. That had not quite been what she planned for her morning workout. After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, she reluctantly peeled herself off her bunk and gathered her uniform and shower kit before ducking out of her quarters again.
By the time she finished her shower, the bruises were coming into their most vibrant coloring-a striking shading of blues and purples with a tinge of black for good measure. She felt bad for Garrus, though, because until they subsided he would be irritated with himself. With a glance down, she focused on the scrapes on her knuckles for a minute. While easier to overlook, they too were just another physical reminder of just how rash she could be sometimes. The decision to go three rounds with the turian, however, seemed like just one more drop for her bucket of self-recrimination.