Inspired by a very cute render on tumblr. For MandyShepard. I hope you like. Also big gold star to anyone who figures out why Kaidan names his dog that.
"Wow. I want it."
Shepard's nose is practically pressed against the glass of the pet store in the Wards. She and Kaidan were really meant to be shopping for mods, and a new hardsuit for Garrus, but she'd been distracted by the wriggling balls of fluff in the window.
"Ma'am, that's a kitten."
"Thanks for stating the obvious, LT. I can see that."
"We can't get a kitten." Kaidan comes up behind her, casting an unimpressed eye at the playful kittens.
Shepard sighs. "Why not? In the old days, there was always a ship cat."
"On a wet ship. This is space, ma'am."
"Even more perfect! Cats love space."
"Um." Kaidan's lips are twitching at her, she can tell he's not quite sure if she's joking or not.
"I'm a ship's captain and I say we need a cat." Shepard makes sure to add just a perfect dash of whiny to her voice, but she's joking really. She knows she can't have a cat. Shepard just wants to see how he will react; he's a hard man to read sometimes, always playing things close to his chest. She just wants to know if he's a cat person.
"Wrex will eat it. And what about if we get into a fire-fight and the gravity is turned off? The poor thing will float all around." He tries to argue reasonably.
Shepard laughs at the mental picture of a poor kitten just floating around the ship, maybe butting people in the head where they're strapped in. Garrus would hate it.
She turns away from the window, looking at Kaidan in mock seriousness, and uses her most officious tone. "I can designate you official cat officer. It would be your solemn duty to save him."
"Shepard." Kaidan is smiling for real now.
"Gah. I hate when you 'Shepard' me in that tone. It's so 'you're being stupid right now, stop.'"
They continue on, heading further into the darker parts of the Ward markets. It's nice, walking side by side, almost like they weren't shopping for weapon mods and ways to survive a bullet to the chest, like they were friends instead of subordinate and superior.
"I would never say that, ma'am." Kaidan raises his thick eyebrows at her, half-amused. Shepard hasn't seen much of his sense of humour and she wants to dig it out.
"Mmm hmm. But you think it. You don't fool me, I can see right through you, Alenko." She says, idly picking a mod on a table up and discarding it as no good. Tali would be blown backwards with the force of it. 'Maybe Ash? No, she doesn't like that brand.' Shepard hums to herself, considering.
"Hmm." He murmurs, examining some pistol extensions on the table further down "You're probably right. Garrus would freak and Tali would be extra-allergic. Still...I think Joker would like it."
They move on, this shop is too pricey. Shepard amuses herself with visions of a kitten crawling all over Joker. 'He would like it' she decides. A kitten is a small, gentle thing.
"I like dogs." He says suddenly after a few minutes.
Shepard stops and looks at him, the Ward lights are shinning on his black hair. She thinks he looks too serious, standing there in his Alliance uniform. "Yeah? You do look like a dog man."
"I do?" He walks closer to her, seemingly interested in her opinion.
"Totally. You seem all outdoorsy. And you're both loyal and...um, you do that puppy dog eye thing."
'Plus you're both adorable.' She thinks guilty. 'Naughty, Shepard. Court-martial flirting, Shepard!'
"'Puppy dog eye thing?'" He's chuckling uncertainly, taken aback by her lapse in decorum. He doesn't seem offended though, even slightly pleased.
"If you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it and say you forced me." Shepard says, faking an intense glare. She grabs his arm and yanks him forward to make them both continue walking. He falls into step with her again. She has to make herself let go of his arm.
"I forced you? They'll never believe you. I don't think anyone could make the famous Commander Shepard do anything she didn't want to." He can tell he's sneaking her glances from the corner of his eye.
"Ah. There are no easy choices in life, LT." Shepard says this seriously. He should know this, it's something that once taught is hard to forget.
There's silence for a while. It seems he does know about tough choices.
"If I lived somewhere permanent, you know, in a life where I wasn't working most days of the year in deep space or on Arcturus, I would get a dog." Kaidan says wistfully. Shepard almost wishes she could sneak a dog on the Normandy for him.
'Along with my kitten.'
"Maybe you can get one, one day. Who knows, maybe you'll settle down." Shepard tries to cheer him. He seems like the kind of guy to be all stable, with a wife, two point five kids and the picket fence. She was actually surprised he wasn't married when she'd fished information from Joker a few weeks ago.
"Maybe." He doesn't sound like he thinks that'll happen.
They buy the rest of their mods in companionable silence and head back to their flying home.
One day, many years, tears, heartbreaks and deaths later, he finally brings home a tiny puppy.
Shepard does not stop teasing him for a single moment but enjoys how much his face lights up, how much younger he looks when he fusses over that silly dog. He calls it Argos and dotes over it like another son. She draws the line when he tries to sneak it into their bed, though.
She grumpily thinks she still doesn't have her kitten. They'll have to talk very seriously about that. He's supposed to be her partner and here she is: kittenless.
"Who wants walkies? Who wants walkies? You do! You're such a good boy!" Kaidan jangles the dog's leash in the hallway; he's only just barely back from work and greeted everyone else. He doesn't even sit down for the cup of tea she made him, 'But Shepard, honey, Argos missed me!'
Some days she has no idea why she puts up with him. Silly dog-crazy man...
She wishes she was at work today, it's driving her mad being stuck at home but she's still on leave. It's ok though, really, she was needed at home. The Golden Retriever skids around the floor delighted to see Kaidan, his tail wagging so fast Shepard can barely follow its movement.
Kaidan bends down on the floor, even with his creaky knees, to pat Argos. Shepard would swear under oath that she sees him plant a little kiss on its blonde head.
"Oh my god, Kaidan. It's a dog. You don't get this excited, ever, unless I put on that little number that Kasumi gave me."
"What?" He looks up at her, his face innocent. He's grinning; the full-teeth gleaming kind of smile. Shepard smiles back at him, showing off her crooked set of off-white teeth. He's the only one that can make her smile that wide and unconsciously. Well, unless Garrus has been drinking and tries to dance. "He likes it when I fuss over him."
"More like you do." Shepard scoffs. "I'd come with you for a walk but, you know, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your great love affair."
"Aw, Shepard." He gets up to wrap his arms around her waist, but she determinedly leaves her arms crossed against her chest. "Don't be like that. You know you're the only human for me."
"'Only human'? Oh Alenko, you are so sleeping on the couch." She shoves him back to his loyal four-legged friend. "Go. Go out with your precious dog. We'll just stay here at home, you know, your human family who is obviously second best." She sniffs in a lofty manner, stalking up the hall to check on the trouble-makers upstairs.
She can hear him slipping out the door, talking to his damn dog.
"Oh Argos, I pissed her off again. We'll try and find some flowers on our walk, eh boy?"
The dog barks in answer and Shepard smiles. Argos is her secret ally. Shepard could always talk anyone around...eventually.
'Score one for Shepard! Still got it, baby.'
She likes the posies he sometimes picks from the park for her, bending down in the dirt and muddying his hands and knees. Simple posies are much better than those pricey, ostentatious and too fragrant arrangements.
Some days she doesn't know what she did to deserve someone like him.