Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of Bioware, Microsoft Game Studios, and Electronic Arts. I am none of these, and as such make no money from this venture.


Meet me at the back entrance to Afterlife. Got you a present.

S

Zaeed never knew what to expect with that woman, but if she said she got him a present, then it was probably a good thing to at least show up. He just hoped it wasn't a varren pup like that one that followed her around whenever they stopped on Tuchanka. Or a vorcha.

Mad as he was with her over letting Vido escape, he still felt his lip twitch up in a snarl at the sight of her surrounded by admirers. She wasn't in her armour and he figured that a lot of the crowd simply didn't recognise the Savior of the Citadel. He was a little disappointed to see her dress wasn't red but it clung to her, showing off her curves and as long as she took it off before he cut it off they wouldn't have any problems.

Wait, no. He was still angry about Zorya and she was a goddamn tease. His scowl deepened as he approached, scattering the civilians and mercenaries that surrounded her. Shepard pushed off from the bar, amazingly steady in her high heels despite the number of empty glasses he guessed were hers. A few taps to her omnitool that left the bartender satisfied and she crooked her fingers at Zaeed and stalked away, hips swaying.

And damned if he didn't follow.

She led him through filthy backstreets and dimly lit alleys until they reached an unassuming apartment door. Before she opened it however, she twirled to face him, one pale finger darting up to rest against his mouth.

"Shh," Shepard murmured, winking slyly. "I thought about blindfolding you, but as long as you're quiet you shouldn't ruin the surprise."

Zaeed ignored the flare of heat she ignited with her tone and the tilt of her lips. She scowled at his lack of reaction - though with her face made up like that it looked more like a pout - and turned back to the door, confident that he'd follow orders even if he hadn't agreed outright.

Shepard waltzed in as soon as the metal had slid out of the way, demeanour changing quick as lightning to something half flirty, half perky that he was sure she'd learned from Chambers.

"Honey, I'm home!" she called sweetly as soon as he'd locked the door behind them.

There was a muffled yelling and scraping from around the privacy wall and she smirked devilishly at him before moving to the corner to look in on whatever - whoever - was making the noise.

"There's no need to be like that," she cooed to the being in the other room. "I've only brought over an old friend of yours."

He had to consciously relax his jaw to keep from grinding his teeth. He didn't currently have any 'old friends' he wanted to see alive and if she'd brought him here to take care of another lover she could damn well shoot them herself.

He held himself stiff when she returned and draped her arms around his shoulders, fighting down arousal at her hot breath on his ear. "Go on. Your present is just around the corner. I guarantee you'll love it."

Shepard danced away again and he heard more scraping as well as her amused "Tsk tsk!" from the other side of the wall.

Stalking after her, the sight that met him around the corner stopped him cold. Without conscious thought, his pistol flashed up and two shots rang out. The man strapped to the chair screamed through his gag. Shepard giggled.

Taking in the rest of the room, Zaeed spotted her perched on a stool, leaning back against a fairly well stocked bar. "There was no need to shoot his knees out," she snickered into a glass of Watsonian rum. "He wasn't going anywhere before."

"It was satisfying," he rumbled back, sauntering over to take a pull from the bottle beside her. Hmm, the good stuff.

She smirked at him knowingly and drained her glass. Setting it on the bar, she faced him with her head cocked inquiringly. "Well? Do you like it?"

A little alcohol, a little revenge, a drunk Shepard... "It'll do," he grunted, hiding his amusement when she did that scowl-pout thing again.

Turning away from the bar, bottle of rum still firmly in hand, he faced the man who had lived for far longer than he should have. "Nice to see you again, Vido."

The Blue Suns leader grunted and struggled weakly, looking up at them angrily. "Nothing to say?" Zaeed taunted, tugging the gag out roughly.

"Sending women in your place, Massani? Too weak to do it yourself, I guess" Vido snarled up at his ex-partner.

"I heard it took six men to hold Zaeed down for your little power play Santiago, and yet you were brought down by just me," Shepard taunted from her place at the bar.

The bound man turned his furious gaze on her; she gave him a mocking salute with her glass. "You stupid bit-" he cut off with a grunt as the butt of a gun met the side of his face violently.

Vido spat out a tooth before meeting Zaeed's coldly burning gaze. "Sticking up for your whores now? How noble," he sneered around the rapidly purpling bruise marring his cheek.

"Nobility has nothing to do with it," the scarred mercenary returned, pressing his pistol to Vido's crotch and pulling the trigger.

His anguished scream was underscored with the smell of burning flesh as the hot muzzle cauterised the wound. When the pain finally subsided enough for him to talk, the injured man turned watery eyes up to his tormentor. "You're a bastard, Massani," he slurred, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "But you're not heartless. You can torture alright, but you don't have the guts to kill me."

Shepard's quiet snort was lost under Zaeed's rough laugh. "And you've always been a terrible bluffer, Santiago. I've waited a long time for this."

Before Vido could protest any more, the next shot took him between the eyes.

"So," Shepard drawled from the bar, legs crossed and a teasing tilt to her lips. "I take it you liked your present?"

The pistol clattered against the floor as Zaeed crossed back to her in three quick strides. One hand slid to the base of her skull, tilting her head backwards as he ducked down to kiss her fiercely. The other nudged her knees apart before gripping her hip as he stepped into the cradle of her thighs. He was still keyed up, the adrenaline that had flooded him at seeing his ex-partner hadn't found release in the man's death so he decided to use it another way.

It was probably her plan all along.

She gasped for air when he finally broke the kiss, fingers pulling at the latches of his armour eagerly as he took another look around the sparse apartment. Spotting his goal, Zaeed slipped both hands under her and lifted, earning a startled squeak from the Commander even as she twined those long legs around his hips.

Stepping around the growing pool of blood on the floor, he made for the large bed sitting untouched in the next room. Tossing a laughing Shepard onto the covers, he finished removing his chestplate and the rest swiftly followed. She caught his eye and wiggled out of her dress. Soon she was in only the scrap of lace she claimed were knickers and those heels. She smirked up at him and crooked her fingers.

And damned if he didn't follow.

As soon as she pulled him over her she had them flipped. Straddling him, Shepard leaned down, capturing his hands in one of hers as they reached to pull those hip closer to his own. "You didn't answer me," she murmured across his lips as she tweaked his nipple.

Zaeed's hips lifted and he tugged at her synthetic-enhanced grip. "Yes," he growled before she cut him off with another bruising kiss.

"Good," she cooed when she pulled away, releasing his hands, eyes dark with lust and satisfaction.

Two quick twists of his fingers and the ruins of her knickers were tossed aside. He hissed as her hand closed on his cock but she didn't lower herself onto it. Instead, he felt her move down, licking and nipping her way across his scars. One hand settled on her head and he was hard pressed to still his hips when she closed that hot mouth around him.

"Shepard," he ground out between clenched teeth as she began to suck.

One hand was still gripping his cock, stroking it roughly while the other tugged gently at his balls. He could feel her saliva drip between her fingers, coating him in welcome lubrication with every bob of her head. One by one her fingers released and her lips sank lower until she had the whole of his dick in her mouth. She swallowed and he seized as her convulsing throat massaged the head.

Zaeed pulled her up roughly, and she settled back over him eagerly. He gripped her hips tightly as she sank down onto him with a moan. Shepard gave them only a moment to adjust before she lifted her hips and lowered them again. He caught her rhythm smoothly, thrusting up whenever she slid down.

She panted his name when his fingers slipped from her hip to tease at her clit, thumb pressing into the bud harshly every time she rolled her hips downwards. Her own hands slid up her body to cup her breasts and he groaned darkly as he watched her roll her nipples between her nimble fingers.

He snapped his hips up and her breath hitched as he hit a sweet spot deep inside her. A few more thrusts and Shepard was trembling above him, keening as her body tightened around his. Grunting, he tugged her down until he was buried to the hilt in her hot flesh before he spilled his load.

Shepard sighed contentedly above him, wiggling her hips and chuckling when his fingers twitched at the sensation. Taking in her pleased expression, Zaeed couldn't help himself. "Did you like your present?"

"Oh yes," she grinned slyly and winked back. "Of course, I expect to enjoy the encore later much, much more."